The Kings of the South and the North
1 "And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
2 "And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.
The angelic messenger was revealing not just Israel's future but the future of all humankind until the time of the Antichrist (see 10:20-21). Only God can reveal future events so clearly. God's work not only deals with the sweeping panorama of history but also focuses on the intricate details of our lives. And his plans—whether for nations or individuals—cannot be shaken. Firmly place your trust and loyalty with the Lord so that when you face fearful opposition, you will stand strong.
The fourth Persian king may have been Xerxes I (also called Ahasuerus; 486–465 BC), who launched an all-out effort against Greece in 480 (Esther 1:1).
3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills.
This mighty king of Greece was Alexander the Great, who conquered Medo-Persia and built a huge empire in only four years.
4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
5 "Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority.
Eventually Alexander the Great's empire was divided into four nations. These four weaker nations were comprised of the following regions: (1) Egypt, (2) Babylonia and Syria, (3) Asia Minor, and (4) Macedonia and Greece. The king of Egypt ("the king of the south") was either Ptolemy I or a reference to the Ptolemaic dynasty in general.
6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.
7 "And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail.
These prophecies seem to have been fulfilled many years later in the Seleucid wars between Egypt and Syria. In 252 BC, Ptolemy II of Egypt ("the south") gave his daughter, Berenice, in marriage to Antiochus II of Syria ("the north") to finalize a peace treaty between their two lands. But Berenice was murdered in Antioch by Antiochus II's former wife, Laodice. Ptolemy III, Berenice's brother, ascended the Egyptian throne and declared war against the Seleucids to avenge his sister's murder.
8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.
10 "His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand.
The king of Syria ("the north") was Seleucus II, and the king of Egypt ("the south") was Ptolemy IV.
12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.
14 "In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand.
This king of the north may have been Antiochus III ("the Great"). He defeated many Egyptian cities and established himself in Israel ("the glorious land"). He was later defeated by the Romans at Magnesia (11:18).
17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage.
The invader, Antiochus III, tried to bring peace between Egypt and Syria by having his daughter marry Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt, but the plan failed.
18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.
20 "Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle.
The successor to Antiochus III was Seleucus IV. He sent Heliodorus to collect money from the Temple treasury in Jerusalem.
21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
Seleucus IV was succeeded by his brother, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who found favor with the Romans.
22 Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant.
The "great armies" refer to the way all opposition against Antiochus IV would be broken. The "covenant prince" may be the high priest Onias III, who was assassinated by Menelaus in 170 BC.
23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. 24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.
These two treacherous kings were probably Antiochus IV of Syria and Ptolemy VI of Egypt. Power brokers use treachery and deceit to control others. When two power brokers try to gain the upper hand, they both weaken and ultimately destroy themselves. Their schemes are futile because God ultimately holds all power in his hands.
28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.
29 "At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.
Antiochus IV would again invade "the south," but enemy ships would cause him to retreat. On his way back, he would plunder Jerusalem, desecrate the Temple, and stop the Jews' daily sacrifices. The Temple would be desecrated when he sacrificed pigs within it on an altar erected in honor of Zeus. According to Jewish law, pigs were unclean and were not to be touched or eaten. To sacrifice a pig in the Temple was the worst kind of insult an enemy could level against the Jews. This happened in 169 through 167 BC.
32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
This reference to those who have violated the covenant may include Menelaus, the high priest, who was won over by Antiochus and who conspired with him against the Jews who were loyal to God. The "people who know their God" could be the Maccabees and their sympathizers, but a further fulfillment may lie in the future. We should remember this truth in our struggle against evil. How do we do this? Read the Bible daily, share what we are learning with our loved ones, begin a discipling relationship with a friend or mentor, and submit to the spiritual authority of trusted church leaders. Knowing God and his Word makes us strong and able to resist evil when it comes.
33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery,
Those who are spiritually wise will lead and teach many, but they will also face great persecution. This was true then, is true now, and will still be true in the future. Without God's promises of redemption and restoration, all this bad news would be devastating. Difficult times remind all people of our weaknesses and our inability to cope. We want answers, leadership, and clear direction. During these times, God's Word begins to interest even those who would never look at it otherwise. We should be ready to use our opportunities to share God's Word in difficult times. We must also be prepared to face persecution and rejection as we teach and preach.
35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.
God's messenger described a time of trial when wise believers will fall victim to persecution. If we persevere in our faith, trials will only refine us and make us stronger. Are you facing trials? Recognize them as opportunities to strengthen your faith. If you remain steadfast in these experiences, you will be stronger in your faith and closer to God.
Matthew 24:15 (ESV) 15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
36 "And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.
The "god of fortresses" is believed by some to be Jupiter or Zeus. The implication is that this king will make war his god. More than all his predecessors, he will wage war and glorify its horrors.
39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.
These verses could refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Titus (the Roman general), or the future Antichrist. Some of these events may have been fulfilled in the past, and some have yet to be fulfilled.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (ESV) 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
40 "At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through.
The Antichrist of the last days becomes the center of attention from this point through the rest of the book of Daniel.
41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.
10:1–11:45 Daniel's final vision (536 BC) gives further insight into the great spiritual battle between God's people and those who want to destroy them. He also received more detailed information on the future, specifically the struggles between the Ptolemies (kings of the south; see the note on 11:4-5) and the Seleucids (kings of the north; see the note on 11:9-11).
This chapter shows how worldly rulers will seek power at any cost and persecute God's people. They will use wealth to stir up fights (11:2). They will form alliances with one another (11:6) but then later invade each other (11:9). These rulers will execute thousands of enemies (11:12), use flattery and intrigue to take over subversively (11:21), and ultimately plot against each other (11:27). Everything mentioned in this chapter still goes on today around the world. God warns us of the chaos in which we live now and the even greater chaos yet to come, but he also reassures us that with his wisdom and power, justice will be reinstated everywhere. His eternal, perfect Kingdom will one day be established forever.
Babylonia was defeated by Medo-Persia. Medo-Persia was defeated by Greece under Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern lands. After Alexander's death, the empire was divided into four parts. The Ptolemies gained control of the southern section of Palestine, and the Seleucids took the northern part. Daniel 11:2-20 shows the conflict between the Ptolemies and Seleucids over control of Palestine between 300 and 200 BC. Then 11:21-35 describes the persecution of Israel under Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
In 11:36-45, the prophecy shifts to the end times. Antiochus IV fades from view, and the Antichrist of the last days becomes the center of attention.
The "glorious holy mountain" is Mount Zion or the city of Jerusalem. The heavenly man proclaims that the power of the king of the north, the Antichrist, will run out and no one will help him. This pronouncement reminds us that God limits the power of all evil. This king will surely be defeated, not by any human beings, but by God's power to place boundaries around him.