The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 5:31• The accepted view among secular historians is that Cyrus, the king of the

Persians, led a revolt against the Medes with the help of Harpagus, a Median defector and traitor, and defeated them in battle in 550 BC

• Cyrus captured the Median capital of Ecbatana and, after he overthrew and imprisoned his grandfather Astyages, he assumed the throne as king of the Persians AND the Medes

• For the next 20 years (i.e.- 550 BC- 530 BC) king Cyrus continued to expand the Persian (Achaemenid) empire which included conquests of Lydia in 547 BC and Babylon in 539 BC

• The problem with this version of history is that it ignores the clear truth presented in scripture that the second Gentile world empire was a joint or dual empire between the Medes and Persians

• The duality of the empire is expressed by the following statements which appear a total of 10x (# of DOMINION): (1) “the Medes and Persians” 4x (Dan 5:28; 6:8,12,15); (2) “the Persians and the Medes” 1x (Est 1:19); (3) “Media and Persia” 2x (Est 10:2; Dan 8:20); and (4) “Persia and Media” 3x (Est 1:3,14,18)

The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 5:31• The duality of the empire is also expressed by the following symbols: (1) the

second Gentile world power is represented on the image in Daniel 2 by the BREAST and ARMS of silver (Dan 2:32,39); (2) the second Gentile world power is represented by a bear that raised itself up on one SIDE (Dan 7:5); (3) a ram in Daniel 8 that had TWO horns (Dan 8:3,20)

Dan 2:32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 5:31

Dan 8:3,20 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

PERSIA MEDIA

• The Medes were the dominant power at first, as evidenced by the fact that Darius THE MEDE (Dan 11:1) took the kingdom (Dan 5:31) of Babylon when it fell and was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans (Dan 9:1)

• But the Persians became the more dominant of the two powers for the greater part of its history, beginning with the reign of Cyrus THE PERSIAN (Dan 6:28)

• This is expressed by the symbols of the bear lifting itself up on ONE SIDE (Dan 7:5); and the fact that of the two horns on the ram, the HIGHER of the two came up LAST (Dan 8:3,20)- Cyrus the Persian succeeded Darius the Median

The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 5:31Dan 8:3,20 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

• The scripture gives us clues as to whether the Medes or the Persians occupied the throne at a particular time and were the dominant power

• First, the MEDES are specifically identified as the primary instrument of God’s judgment against Babylon (Isa 13:1,17; 21:2,9; Jer 51:11,28) not the Persians

Isa 13:1,17 1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

Isa 21:2,9 2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 5:31Jer 51:11,27-28 11 Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. 27 Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers. 28 Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

• This indicates the MEDES (through king Darius the MEDIAN) (Dan 5:31) occupied the throne when Babylon fell in 537 BC not the Persians (through Cyrus the PERSIAN) (Dan 6:28) as promoted by secular history

• Second, the words MEDES and PERSIANS appear together in the same verse 5x (Est 1:19; Dan 5:28; 6:8,12,15; Est 1:19) and the words MEDIA and PERSIA appear together in the same verse 5x (Est 1:3,14,18; 10:2; Dan 8:20) for a total of 10x (# of DOMINION) and the one mentioned FIRST in the verse is the one in power at that time

The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 5:28; 6:8,12,15• The MEDES or MEDIA are mentioned first 6x; 4x in the phrase “the Medes and

Persians” (Dan 5:28; 6:8,12,15) and 2x in the phrase “Media and Persia” (Est 10:2; Dan 8:20)

Dan 5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

• Darius THE MEDIAN occupied the throne when Babylon fell (Dan 5:31)

Dan 6:8,12,15 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

• Darius THE MEDIAN occupied the throne and was the king who was deceived into having Daniel cast into the den of lions (Dan 6:1,6,9,25,28)

The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 8:1,3,20; Est 10:2Dan 8:1,3,20 1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

• The king of MEDIA (i.e.- Astyages) occupied the throne in the third year of Belshazzar (i.e.- 553 BC) when the vision of Daniel 8 was given (Dan 5:31)

Note: It was likely king Astyages of Media who was responsible for initiating the dual power of Medo-Persia because it was he who joined affinity with the Persians by giving his daughter Mandane in marriage to Cambyses I, the crown prince of Anshan and son of Cyrus I. • The king of MEDIA (i.e.- Darius the Median) occupied the throne immediately

following the fall of Babylon because the higher of the two horns came up LAST (Dan 8:3) and PERSIA is mentioned LAST (Dan 8:20), so MEDIA was FIRST

Est 10:2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

• The MEDES occupied the throne of power when the book of chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia was created

The Medo-Persian Empire- Est 1:3,14,18-19• PERSIA or the PERSIANS are mentioned first 4x; 3x in the phrase “Persia and

Media” (Est 1:3,14,18) and 1x in the phrase “the Persians and the Medes” (Est 1:19)

Est 1:3,14,18-19 3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him: 14 And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;) 18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath. 19 If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

• The PERSIANS occupied the throne in the third year (i.e.- 519 BC) of king Ahasuerus (i.e.- Darius I)

• All of the kings beginning with Cyrus were PERSIAN (Dan 6:28) and from the line of Achaemenes; hence the Medo-Persian empire became known as the Achaemenid empire

The Medo-Persian Empire- Dan 5:31• The duality of the empire symbolized by the TWO HORNS of the ram defined

as “the kings of Media and Persia” (Dan 8:20), is embodied by the first two kings of the empire- Darius THE MEDIAN (Dan 5:31) and Cyrus THE PERSIAN (Dan 6:28)

Note: Darius (not Astyages) was the last king of Media according to the Bible.

Dan 8:3,20 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

Dan 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Dan 6:28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

PERSIA (Cyrus)MEDIA

(Darius)

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