King of the North: Daniel 11 Explained

Daniel 11

1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

2 And now will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

7 But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:

8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

12 And when he has taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of your people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

16 But he that comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

18 After this shall he turn his face to the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn on him.

19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflowed from before him, and shall be broken; yes, also the prince of the covenant.

23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

24 He shall enter peaceably even on the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yes, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

26 Yes, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

27 And both of these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate.

32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help: but many shall join to them with flatteries.

35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

42 He shall stretch forth his hand also on the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

The King of the North in Daniel 11 represents various powers throughout history that opposed God's people and truth, with a particular focus on Rome and its later manifestations. This prophetic line traces events from Daniel's time straight through to the end of the world and the resurrection of the dead.BEST June 8, 1896, page 171.7

Historical Overview of the King of the North

• Early Persian Kings: The prophecy begins by referring to three kings in Persia, followed by a fourth who would be far richer and stir up all against the realm of Grecia Daniel 11:2. This identifies Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspes as the first three, and Xerxes (Ahasuerus of the book of Esther) as the fourth, who famously led a massive army against Greece.BEST June 8, 1896, page 171.7

• Macedonian Kings of Syria (Seleucids): After Alexander the Great's empire was divided, Daniel 11 introduces the "kings of the north" as three Macedonian kings of Syria whose capital was Antioch. These were Antiochus the Great (223-187 BC), Seleucus IV (187-175 BC), and Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 BC).HBS 238.10

• Rome (Pagan and Papal): A significant portion of Daniel's prophecies, including chapters 7, 8, and 11, focus distinctly on Rome.ECE 1.2 The "little horn" of Daniel 8 which is not to be confused with the little horn of Daniel 7 that exclusively symbolizes the Papacy, encompasses Rome throughout its entire pagan and papal career. This means the horn in Daniel 8 is the same as the dreadful and terrible beast of Daniel 7 in both its phases.SYNPT 21.1 Rome, in its pagan form, is seen as magnifying itself against the Prince of the host and taking away the daily sacrifice Daniel 8:11, 8:25.BDOC 25.8+1 This "daily sacrifice" refers to the pagan system of worship.S23D 33.3 The vision of Daniel 11:14 states that "the children of robbers shall exalt themselves to establish the vision," indicating Rome's particular role as the subject of the vision when it enters the scene.ECE 1.2 From Luke 2:1 Rome is shown to have fulfilled the specifications as a universal empire and is thus represented by the little horn, which was to be greater than its predecessors.SITI November 19, 1885, page 694.2

The Papacy as the King of the North

The prophecy continues to describe the actions of this power, particularly the Papacy, which emerges from the Roman kingdom Daniel 7:24.SDP 230.2 The Papacy is described as speaking great words against the Most High, wearing out the saints, and thinking to change times and laws Daniel 7:25+1.BEST January 29, 1889, page 42.8+2 This refers to the Papacy's claims of power, such as granting indulgences, a claim God never promised to do, and its dogma of infallibility.BEST January 29, 1889, page 42.8 To set oneself up against or above God's law is the strongest opposition to God and the most presumptuous usurpation of His power.WOR 207.3 This power makes war against the saints and prevails against them Daniel 7:21+1.USLP 27.4

The 1260-year period of papal supremacy, which began in AD 538 and ended in 1798 Daniel 7:24-25+1, is also brought to view.BSA 2.2 This period is connected to the tribulation that was to continue until the time of the end.EVRR321

"King of the North" in the Time of the End

As the prophecy progresses to the "time of the end" Daniel 11:35, 11:40, 12:4, 12:9, which commenced in 1798 with the end of the 1260-year tribulation,EVRR321 the "king of the north" takes on new significance. In the very last stages of its fulfillment, the prophecy indicates that "tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him [the King of the North]" Daniel 11:44. This can refer to nations that will confederate against the Papal power.ARSH January 20, 1853, page 142.7

In summary, the King of the North in Daniel 11 represents a succession of powers that have historically opposed God's people and His truth, culminating in the Papal power and its actions leading up to the very end of time.EVRR321+10