... there is nothing in the text that says Daniel died in the first year of Cyrus, especially when we see that he recieved visions in the third year of Cyrus.
...
I'm reminded of the riddle: What has four tires and flies? -- A garbage truck.
And right now you're trying to figure out how a garbage truck can FLY. -- Maybe it has WINGS, or maybe it is being lifted by a giant helicopter, or maybe you're not very good at solving puzzles/riddles.
Daniel DIED in the FIRST YEAR OF KING Cyrus, but was alive in the THIRD YEAR of Cyrus, King of PERSIA.
And everything you parrot about Prophecies in the Book of Daniel is FALSE (along with many of the purely Historical assertions) -- except that it a Book in the O.T.
For example, the Medo/Persian Empire which you cite as the "three more and a fourth":
- 539 -530 Cyrus the Great
- 530 -522 Cambyses
- 522 -486 Darius I (Hystaspes)
- 486 -465 Xerxes
- 465 -423 Artaxerxes I
- 423 Xerxes II -few weeks
- 423 Sogdianus -six months
- 423 -404 Darius II
- 404 -359 Artaxerxes II
- 359 -338 Artaxerxes III (Ochus)
- 338 Arses
- 338 -330 Darius III (Codomanus)
... and the DIVISION of the Grecian Empire between FIVE Generals:
[Alexander] had left not one but several strong men behind him, and none could be content with less than sovereignty. ... After some minor trials at arms which disposed of lesser contenders, they divided the empire into five parts --Antipater taking Macedonia and Greece, Lysimachus Thrace, Antigonus Asia Minor, Seleucus Babylonea, and Ptolemy Egypt.”(1)
To review,the two significant aspects of the Grecian (also called Helenistic) Empire of Alexander the Great, the first was the whole world “Greece” typecast. The second is the division of Alexander’s empire between his five generals versus the classical commentators’ false division of four. And although this division of five eventually evolved to four, it took 42 years from Alexander’s death in 323 BC, to arrive to the four:
“The satrapies handed out by Perdiccas at the Partition of Babylon became power bases each general used to bid for power. After the assassination of Perdiccas in 321BC, Macedonian unity collapsed, and 40 years of war between "The Successors" (Diadochi) ensued before the Hellenistic world settled into four stable power blocks...” (2)
Furthermore, each of the five generals had expended their lives by the dissolution of Lysimachus' -- Thrace Empire --, 281 BC date:
Antipater, Macedonia and Greece, 397–319 BC*
Lysimachus, Thrace,360–281 BC*
Antigonus, Asia Minor,382–301 BC
Seleucus, Babylonea,358–281 BC*
Ptolemy,Egypt, 367 –283 BC*
* Note: Antigonus was slain at the battle of Ipsus and two thirds of his dominion was divided between the victors. (3)
Lysimachus, Thrace,360–281 BC*
Antigonus, Asia Minor,382–301 BC
Seleucus, Babylonea,358–281 BC*
Ptolemy,Egypt, 367 –283 BC*
* Note: Antigonus was slain at the battle of Ipsus and two thirds of his dominion was divided between the victors. (3)
Thus one should perceive that Alexander’s empire was never divided into four regions. The commentators simply misrepresent Scripture in Daniel 7 and Daniel 11, and falsify world history to present a “fulfillment” for those respective prophetic passages.
(1) Durant, Will, “Story of Civilization: Part I,” Simon and Schuster, NY, 1954, pp. 557-558
(2) Alexander the Great - Wikipedia
(3) Battle of Ipsus - Wikipedia
(2) Alexander the Great - Wikipedia
(3) Battle of Ipsus - Wikipedia
Perhaps if you and the LYING commentators had obeyed the angel's instructions in 12:4 & 9, you'd be able to OPEN UP and UNSEAL the Prophecies of Daniel for their TRUE INTERPRETATION!
Bobby Jo