Who is the King of the North?
Who is the King of the North?
In the Book of Daniel there is a chapter about someone identified as the &King of the North.& Nearly all Bible scholars recognize that certain prophecies associated with the King of the North have been fulfilled historically.
The question is, will there be a future King of the North? And if so, who is he?
This article will look at many of the verses in the 11th chapter of the Book of Daniel, commentary by , , and the Bible to attempt to determine who any future King of the North may be (here is a link to a video titled: .).
The article starts off discussing historical fulfillments that some readers may be interested in, whereas others may wish to focus on the more prophetic aspects. (In the Spanish language check out )
Who Was the King of the North?
Here are many quotes to Daniel chapter 11 from the booklet, &The Middle East in Prophecy,& 1972 edition by
that basically agree with many non-Church of God theologians and commentators:
The &King of the North& and the &King of the South&
The first verse of the 11th chapter is a continuation from the last verse of
the 10th chapter. The angel says to Daniel, &Behold, there shall stand up yet
three kings in P 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. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion,
and do according to his will& (Dan. 11:2-3).
Actually there were 12 more kings in the Persian Empire, but only the first
four following Cyrus were of importance for the purpose of this prophecy. They
were Cambyses, pseudo-Smerdis, Darius and Xerxes. It was the last, or Xerxes,
who was the richest of all and stirred up war with Greece.
Then King Philip of Macedonia planned a great war to conquer the Persian
Empire, with an army made up mostly of Grecians. He died before the plans were
completed. But his son, Alexander the Great, took over his plans, and invaded
Persia. He met the Persian army at the Battle of Issus, 333 B.C. (Dan. 8:2,
5-6). Then he swept down into Egypt, and then to a final crushing defeat of the
Persian Empire at the Battle of Arbella, 331 B.C., after which Alexander marched
on a conquest clear to India, sweeping all before him.
Notice now verse 4 of the prophecy: &And when he shall stand up, his kingdom
shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the
to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom
shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.&
How marvelously — how accurately — that came to pass. We quote from one of
the authoritative English-language histories published in the last century, A
Manual of Ancient History (Student Series) by Rawlinson: &Cut off unexpectedly
in the vigor of early manhood [the 33rd year of his age, June, 323 B.C.], he
[Alexander] left no inheritor, either of his power or of his projects& (p. 237).
The Empire was left leaderless and in confusion, but out of this emerged, by the
year 301 B.C., four divisions, just as prophesied, as a result of a division of
the Empire into four divisions by Alexander's generals. They were:
1. Ptolemy (Soter), ruling Egypt, part of Syria and Judea.
2. Seleucus (Nicator), ruling Syria, Babylonia and territory east to
3. Lysimachus, ruling Asia Minor.
4. Cassander, ruling Greece and Macedonia.
Thus was the prophecy of verse 4 fulfilled to the letter.
Now notice what follows. From here the prophecy foretells the activities only
of two of these four divisions: Egypt, called &king of the south,& because it is
south of J and the Syrian kingdom, the king of the north, just north of
Judea. It is because the Holy Land passed back and forth between those two
divisions, and because their different wars were principally over possession of
Judea, that the prophecy is concerned with them. Here is verse 5:
&And the king of the south [Egypt] shall be strong, an
and he shall be strong above him, his dominion shall be a
great dominion.& In history, we learn that the original Ptolemy I, called Soter,
became strong and powerful, developing Egypt beyond the greatest dreams of
Alexander. One of his princes, or generals, Seleucus Nicator, also became strong
and powerful. And, in 312 B.C., taking advantage of Ptolemy's being tied up in a
war, he established himself in Syria, and assumed the diadem as king.
Verse 6 says, &And in the end of years they shall join
for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make
an agreement [margin, &rights& or &equitable conditions,& or &marriage union&]:
but she shall not retain
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.&
to the Letter!
At the end of 50 years, this occurred exactly as described!
Syria's ruler, the king of the north, at this time was Antiochus II, called
Theos. His wife was named Laodice. And, says Rawlinson's Ancient History, page
251, &Her influence ... engaged him in a war with Ptolemy Philadelphus [king of
the south], B.C. 260, which is terminated, B.C. 252, by a marriage between
Antiochus and Bernice, Ptolemy's daughter.&
The prophecy says &he that begat her& shall be given up. Also that she shall
not retain the power of the arm, neither shall the king of the north, whom she
married, stand. All three are to come to their end. Notice how accurately this
came to pass.
Says Rawlinson's History, pages 251 and 252: &On the death of Philadelphus
[he that begat her], B.C. 247, Antiochus repudiated Bernice, and took back his
former wife, Laodice, who, however, doubtful of his constancy, murdered him to
secure the throne for her son Seleucus (II) B.C. 246 ... Bernice ... had been
put to death by Laodice.&
Nowhere in all the Bible is there so literal a prophecy, giving so many
details of future history. And to read an ancient history of these kingdoms is
simply to see unfolded before your eyes, step by step, verse by verse, this
marvelous prophecy. There can be no doubt of its right application!
The Holy Land Changes Hands
Next let us notice verse 7: &But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand
up in his estate [margin, &in his office&], 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.&
&Out of a branch,& or &shoot,& of her roots. Her parents were her roots.
Hence, this must be her brother, who next should occupy the throne of king of
the south and fulfill this prophecy. Now listen to this accurate fulfillment,
quoted word for word from the same page of Rawlinson's work (p. 252):
&Ptolemy Euergetes [the III, eldest son of Philadelphus (p. 272) and
therefore Bernice's brother, a branch of her roots] invaded Syria, B.C. 245, to
avenge the murder of his sister, Bernice ... .In the war which followed, he
carried everything before him.&
The eighth verse of Daniel 11 says this king of the south would carry
captives and vessels of silver and gold into Egypt, and continue to reign more
years than the king of the north, who at that time was Seleucus II, and verse 9
says he shall return into Egypt. As verse 7 said he should &enter into the
fortress of the king of the north,& Ptolemy III did seize the fortress of Syria,
Seleucia, the port of Antioch, capital of the kingdom! Then he carried back to
Egypt immense booty and 2,500 molten images and idolatrous vessels which, in 526
B.C. Cambyses had carried away from Egypt. He continued to rule until 222 B.C.,
while the king of the north, Seleucus II, died in 226 B.C.
When he died, his two sons took over the
first Seleucus
III, 226-223 B.C., who ruled only three years, and then his brother Antiochus
III, called &the Great,& 223-187 B.C. Both of these two sons of Seleucus II
assembled immense forces to war against Egypt, avenge their father, and recover
their port and fortress, Seleucia.
And this was accurately prophesied in verse 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 [margin, &be stirred up again&], even to his fortress.&
&And,& continues verse 11, &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 for but the multitude shall be given into his
In fulfillment of the latter part of verse 10, Antiochus the Great, after 27
years, recovered his fortress, Seleucia, and he also conquered the territory of
Syria, as far as Gaza, including Judea. But the young Egyptian king, now Ptolemy
IV (Philopater), was roused, and with an army of 20,000 inflicted severe defeat
on Antiochus the G and fulfilling verse 12, he killed tens of thousands and
again annexed Judea to Egypt. But he was not strengthened, for he made a rash
and speedy peace with Antiochus, and returned to dissipation, throwing away the
fruits of victory. Says verse 12, &And when he hath taken away the multitude,
his hear and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he
shall not be strengthened by it.&
&For,& as verse 13 continues, &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.& It was &after certain
years,& or 12 years later, 205 B.C., that Ptolemy Philopator died, leaving his
throne to an infant son, Ptolemy Epiphanes. Then Antiochus assembled a greater
army, and won great victories.
He then made a treaty allying Philip of Macedonia with him, and others,
against Egypt, and they wrested Phoenicia and southern Syria from the king of
the south. In this they were assisted by some of the Jews. Josephus' Jewish
history says many Jews helped Antiochus. But notice how accurately Almighty God
had foretold this, hundreds of years before it happened! —
&And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south:
also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to
but they shall fall& (v. 14).
Read It in Your Own
To save space, the reader is asked from this point to read each verse of the
prophecy from his own Bible, thus saving us reprinting the prophecy in full
here. We give here only the facts in history.
Verses 15-16 — &the glorious land,& of course, refers to Judea, the Holy
Land. Antiochus the Great besieged and took Sidon from Egypt, ruined the
interests of Egypt in Judea at the Battle of Mount Panium, 198 B.C., and then
Antiochus took possession of Judea.
Verse 17 — &upright ones& ... In 198 B.C.,
Antiochus arranged a marriage between his daughter, Cleopatra (not the Cleopatra
of 31 B.C. in Egypt) and young Ptolemy Epiphanes, king of the south, by which he
hoped subtly to gain complete possession of E but the plan failed.
Says Rawlinson, page 254, &Coele-Syria and Palestine promised as a dowry, but
not delivered.& Cleopatra did not truly stand on the side of Antiochus, for it
was only a trick to gain possession of Egypt.
Verse 18 — and so Antiochus turned his attention in another direction and
tried to conquer, 197 to 196 B.C., the islands and coasts of Asia Minor. But the
Roman general, Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus, utterly defeated him at the
Battle of Magnesia, 190 B.C.
Verse 19 — Antiochus next turned his attention to the fortresses of his own
land, in the east and west. But, attempting to recruit his dissipated wealth by
the plunder of the Oriental Temple of Belus, in Elymais, he was killed, 187
Verse 20 — Seleucus IV Philopator (187-176), his son, in an effort to raise
money, sent a tax collector, Heliodorus, through Judea. But he reigned only 11
years, when Heliodorus poisoned him.
Verse 21 — he left no heir. But his brother, a younger son of Antiochus the
Great, named Epiphanes (Antiochus IV), a contemptible reprobate, came by
surprise and through flattery took the kingdom. To his aid came his assistant,
Eumenes. Rawlinson says, page 255, &Antiochus [Epiphanes], assisted by Eumenes,
drives out Heliodorus, and obtains the throne, B.C. 176. He astonishes his
subjects by an affectation of Roman manners& and &good-natured profuseness
[flattery].&
Antiochus Epiphanes
Verse 22 — &the prince of the covenant& does not refer to Christ. This was
the attempt of Antiochus to replace the Jewish high priest by another who would
be subservient to him.
Verses 23-24 — although only a few were with him at first, yet by this &Roman
manner,& by deceit and flattery, he crept into power and prospered. He also
invaded Galilee and Lower Egypt. His fathers, the former kings of Syria, had
favored the Jews, but says Rawlinson, page 255, they &were driven to desperation
by the mad project of this self-willed monarch.&
Verse 25 — Rawlinson, pages 255-256, says, &Threatened with war by the
ministers of Ptolemy Philometor [now king of the south], who claim Coele-Syria
and Palestine as the dowry of Cleopatra, the late queen-mother, Antiochus
marches against Egypt ... B.C. 171& (pp. 277-278). But he was met by his nephew,
Ptolemy Philometor, king of the south, with another immense army. But the
Egyptian king was defeated through the treachery of his own officers and was
outwitted by Antiochus.
Verses 26-27 — continuing in Rawlinson, page 278: &After his victory at
Pelusium, Antiochus advanced to Memphis, and having obtained possession of the
young king's person [Ptolemy Philometor, king of the south], endeavored to use
him as a tool for effecting the entire reduction of the country.& In 174 B.C.,
the uncle of the king of the south sat at a banquet. Antiochus pretended to ally
himself with the young Ptolemy, against his brother, Euergetes II, but each was
trying to deceive the other.
The Abomination of
Desolation
Verse 28 — in 168 B.C., returning from Egypt with great plunder, Antiochus
set himself against the Jews, massacred many, and then returned to Antioch with
golden vessels from the Temple at Jerusalem.
Verse 29 — the same year, he again invaded Egypt, but with none of his former
success, because Philometor, king of the south, got help from Rome.
Verse 30 — the Roman fleet came against Antiochus, he was forced to surrender
to the terms of Popillius, commander of the Roman fleet, and retire from Egypt
and restore Cyprus to Egypt. Returning through Judea, smarting under the defeat,
he vented his exasperation against the Jews, and extended special favors to
those Jews who would turn from their religion.
Verse 31 — then, 167 B.C., the next year, came the climax of the horror.
Antiochus sent troops to the Holy Land, who desecrated the Temple and sanctuary,
abolished the daily sacrifice (see also Daniel 8:11, 24) and (Kislev 15, Hebrew
calendar) placed the abomination — an image — on the altar in the Temple
precincts, making it desolate (Rawlinson, p. 255). Many who claim to teach the
Bible try to apply the prophecy of this verse to Moslems in the 7th century
A.D., building the Dome of the Rock on the supposed site of the ancient Temple
at Jerusalem! But every verse of this prophecy, step by step, verse by verse,
unfolded in actual history, just as here recounted, so there can be not the
slightest shadow of doubt as to this abomination that &maketh desolate& — it was
an idol set up in 167 B.C., by Antiochus Epiphanes.
Now the above quotes do show that many prophecies associated with the King of the North have had a type of fulfillment. And that is correct. They also correctly show that the individuals who fulfilled the role of the King of the North were Greco-Romans, whose base of power for most (if not all) of them was in Europe.
I should also add that in other literature,
also taught that much in Bible prophecy is dual.
Here is a statement from his day:
...at least a part of Daniel 11
must also be DUAL! And no wonder, for we find
the chapter concludes with the &time of the
end& (verse 40) - leading up to the resurrection
of the saints (chapter 12 :2).
(Ambassador College Bible Correspondance Course, Lesson 2, World Peace Coming in Our Time! 1972 edition, p. 14)
Thus, even though there were historical fulfillments, he also taught that there would be future fulfillments of many verses of Daniel 11 beginning with vs. 31 and apparently
earlier (like to verse 20 or 21 as will be shown later). And under his direction, his church taught that the King of the North would unite the people of Europe:
The indication is the armies of the &beast& of Revelation 17, entering Jerusalem (...Zech. 14:2), will stop this &daily sacrifice&...And the abomination that maketh desolate
set up.& What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15...From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ's coming will be 1290 days (Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General's Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2).
The Hitler-Mussolini kingdom was the sixth head of the beast. The next leader to unite the peoples of Europe will constitute the &beast& mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. He will also be the &king of the north& mentioned in Daniel 11...The king of the north is going to move to Mount Zion, and he will be joined there by a false prophet who will work great miracles (McNair, Raymond. Watch the Middle East. The Good News, August, 1974, pp. 10-15).
And the abomination that maketh desolate set up.& What is this abomination?
This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15...From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ's coming will be 1290 days.
Now, verse 12, &Blessed is he that waiteth, and comes to the 1335 days.& Never before have we understood these periods of . and 1335 days.
But it seems evident, now, a blessing is pronounced on us--GOD&S CHURCH--who wait and endure until the 1335 days--approximately 1335 days prior to Christ's coming. But since no one can know the day or hour of His coming, we probably shall not be able to know the exact day this 1335 days begins...
That will be a time when the UNITED Europe shall appear--the revival of the medieval &Holy Roman Empire.& (Armstrong HW. Personal, The Time We are In, Now. Good News magazine January 1980).
As the above shows, Herbert W. Armstrong clearly wrote that there would be a future fulfillment of Daniel 11:31 (later I will quote where he shows verse 21 as future fulfillment) and other verses in Daniel. And as the above shows, he taught that something would afflict the Church/work forty-five days prior to Daniel 11:31. And that around when the revival of the &Holy Roman Empire&--which scripture shows will be led by the King of the North--will occur and the 1335 days will begin (which is apparently 75 days prior to the start of the Great Tribulation). Hence those writings support the idea
looking at the few verses prior to Daniel 11:31 to see what might stop the work is consistent with the intent of what he wrote. In addition, Matthew 24:14, which comes just before Matthew 24:15, states that the gospel will be preached and then the end will come, thus this is another reason why confirmation for the organized work ending should be found prior to Daniel 11:31 or perhaps Daniel 11:33 as many will be reached then.
Because the 1290 days starts with Daniel 11:31, the 1335 days must begin prior to that, such as in Daniel 11:28 or 11:30--a time of persecution for the Philadelphians.
The basic understanding that the old WCG had was that the Philadelphian Christians may have up to 75 days notice that the Great Tribulation would start, and that they would need to flee per Revelation 12:14-16. The idea is/was that one would wait 1335 days, as Daniel 12 state, that being 1260 in a place of safety plus the 75 days prior (1260 + 75 = 1335). And essentially a famine of the word would occur.
The Bible warns a time will come when people will not be able to find the truth:
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the
east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall
not find it.
(Amos 8:12, KJV)
The above will apparently happen after Daniel 11:33 is fulfilled, but portions may begin as early as Daniel 11:28. This is NOT a time without any Bibles as they are in many places, but most likely a loss of broadcast ability on places like the internet. With FCC &net neutrality& rules (they were approved to start to use in late 2010), we are getting close to that time when governments will be too offended by the truth and some will take steps to stop it from being proclaimed. Perhaps under the guise of &neutrality,& perhaps under the guise of &The Patriot Act,& perhaps under the guise of &public welfare& or national security, something will be done to stop perhaps all of the organized media efforts to proclaim biblical truths.
Furthermore, on August 11, 2011, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom stated that he wanted Scotland Yard to consider stopping suspected rioters from having the ability to utilize &social media& that involved the internet (see )--thus the idea of interference with the ability to proclaim the gospel that way may fulfill what the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong understood, just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation.
Since then, the amount of governmental surveillance seems to have increased and this will assist the rising Beast power (see also ).
The work (in the Amos 8:12 sense) may be stopped by government officials (like on the internet,
television, etc.) and persecutions began because people of the holy
covenant are warning the world of the results of their sins (which they
will not want pointed out) and teaching that the King of the North is
fulfilling these prophecies in Daniel 11. The faithful may be saying
things that are not &politically correct& to the point that one or more
governments will take action (especially if we are saying, and I expect to help do this, that a certain individual is the King of the North and that he will invade and destroy the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, etc.).
Yet, God's work still will be accomplished and the
completed.
There is a Future King of the North
Before going further, it needs to be pointed out
that the leader of the ten-horned Beast of Revelation 13:1-10 (see )
and the one called 666 in Revelation 13:10 (see ) is also the one who is the final &King of the North.& Hence there is a future King of the North.
Notice something from Daniel 8:
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.
10 And it grew up t and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the P and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose
and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. (Daniel 8:9-12)
something small will develop into an empire--this is a European empire. Consider that it is a 'prince' who takes away the daily sacrifices in , and that he
is also called the King of the North (Daniel 11:40) who stops the sacrifices in Daniel 11:31.
As far as the sequence of Daniel 11 goes, notice that
Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following:
In Daniel 11:21, referring in original, typical fulfillment to Antiochus Epiphanes, there shall stand up a vile person...So once again before the second coming of Christ, a vile leader will stop the daily sacrifices being offered...This same prophecy spoken by Jesus is also reported by Luke...21:20-24 (Armstrong HW. Personal, Plain Truth magazine, June 1967).
Thus, Herbert W. Armstrong clearly taught that starting at least from verse 21, that Daniel 11 had a dual/future fulfillment. We are getting very close to the fulfillment of Daniel 11:21.
Let's look at that verse and a few others:
21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give
but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest pl and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. (Daniel 11:21-24)
So, this leader will promise peace and prosperity. He will make a deal with a small amount of people to gain power (cf. Revelation 17:12-13; see also ).
This same vile leader, who appears at the &appointed time& of &the end& is described without that King of the North title in Daniel 8:
19 And he said, &Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter tim for at the appointed time the end shall be...23 &And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but
He shall destroy fearfully, And shal He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 &Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to pr
And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the P But he shall be broken without human means.
26 &And the vision of the evenings and mornings Wh Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.& (Daniel 8:19,23-26)
This King is also the &Beast& that the ten kings give their power to in Revelation 17:12-13 (see also ).
But notice the portion of Daniel 8:23 that I bolded above. This King rises up when the transgressors have reached their fullness, which
suggests that this is about when God has had enough of the increasing immorality
in nations like the U.S.A. as well as in Europe. Immorality is increasing in the Western lands, and will get to the point that the King will rise up.
Perhaps it may be of historical interest to note that even though some modern Protestant (see ) and Catholic scholars believe that all of Daniel 11 was fulfilled (e.g. Kurz, W. What Does the Bible Say About the End Times? A Catholic View. Servant Books, Cincinnati. Nihil Obstat: Kistner H., Schehr T.P. Imprimi Potest: Link F., Paul J.M. Imprimatur: Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 19, 2004, p. 68), that this is not consistent with the teachings of many earlier Catholic teachers.
For one example, even though he confused the
as being the King of the North (as many others do), the
late 4th century Catholic Jerome felt that from at least verse 22 (and Jerome starts by quoting verse 22, despite verse 24 being listed in the source) on, that a future fulfillment involving a King of the North would occur as Jerome wrote:
Verse 24. &And there shall stand up in his place
one despised, and the kingly honor sh and he shall come
privately and shall obtain the kingdom by fraud. And the arms of the fighter
shall be overcome before his face and shall be broken, and the prince of the
covenant as well. And after friendly advances he shall deal deceitfully with
him, and shall go up and shall overcome with a small people. And he shall enter
into rich and prosperous cities, and shall do things which his fathers never
did, nor his fathers' fathers. He shall scatter their spoil and their booty and
their wealth, and shall undertake plots against the best fortified cities, and
shall continue thus for a time.& Up to this point the historical order
has been followed...But those of our persuasion believe all
these things are spoken prophetically of the Antichrist who is to arise in the
end time...Verses 40, 41...the king of the North...(Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 12/20/08).
And Jerome also specifically believed that the deal in Daniel 11:27 would have future fulfillment as it was not fully fulfilled in ancient times:
Verses 27----30. &And the heart of the two kings
shall be to do evil, and they speak falsehood at one table, and they shall not
prosper, because as yet the end is unto another time. And he shall return into
his land with much riches.& There is no doubt but what Antiochus did
conclude a peace with Ptolemy and ate at the same table with him and devised
plots against him, and yet without attaining any success thereby, since he did
not obtain his kingdom but was driven out by Ptolemy's soldiers. But it cannot
be proved from this set of facts that the statement of this Scripture was ever
fulfilled by past history, namely that there were two kings whose hearts were
deceitful and who inflicted evil upon each other. Actually, Ptolemy was a mere
child of tender years and was taken in by Antiochus' how then could he
have plotted evil against him? And so our party insist that all these things refer to the Antichrist and to the king of Egypt whom he has for the first time
overcome...(Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 12/20/08).
The specific word translated as &the end&
(Strong&s 4150) in vs. 27 is the same as in
vs. 45 where the king of the North comes to his final end. It is also in vs. 40 when the king of the North invades the king of the South (which is the last time the term 'king of the South' is mentioned as this leads to his end)--Jerome specifically refers to
as the King of the South when he discusses verses 40-41. Thus, it is a long held view that there is a future King of the North as these scriptures have not been fulfilled in their entirety.
Notice also something from
three Protestant sources related to Daniel 11:40:
At the time of the end shall the king of t
in the last times, towards the end of the world, for it cannot be true
of Antiochus, who died the eleventh year of his reign, and these things
are joined to the last resurrection Daniel 12:2. (Matthew Poole's Commentary)
And at the time of the end,.... At the end of the time appointed of God, when antichrist is arrived to the height of his power and authority: shall the king of t not Philometor king of E nor is Antiochus meant in the next clause by t for, after he was required by the Romans to quit the land of Egypt, there was no more war between him and the king of E rather therefore the Saracens are meant by the king of the south, as Mr. Mede (y) and Cocceius think, who came from the south, from Arabia Felix: and so Gravius interprets it of the king or caliph of the Saracens, who, extending their empire through Asia and Africa, repressed the attempts of the Roman antichrist affecting and this way goes Mr. Mede, who takes them to be the same with the locusts in Revelation 9:3, that distressed antichrist: and the king of the north shall come against
not Antiochus, (Gill's Expository of the Entire Bible)
And at the time of the end - See Daniel 11:35. The &time of the end& must properly denote the end or consummation of the series of events under consideration, or the matter in hand, and properly and obviously means here the end or consummation of the transactions which had been referred to in the previous part of the vision. It is equivalent to what we should say by expressing it thus: &at the winding up of the affair.& In Daniel 12:4, Daniel 12:9, Daniel 12:13, the word &end,& however, obviously refers to another close or consummation - the end or consummation of the affairs that reach far into the future - the final dispensation of things in this world. It has been held by many that this could not be understood as referring to Antiochus, because what is here stated did not occur in the close of his reign. (Barnes Notes on the Bible)
So, although some discount the idea of the future King of the North, leaders from
COG, Roman Catholic, and Protestant backgrounds confirm that the Bible shows that there must be.
Regarding 666, the Bible teaches the following:
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666 (Revelation 13:18).
The first writing that have been found that suggests that a Roman is 666 was by Irenaeus, who claimed to have listened to Polycarp when he (Irenaeus) was a young man. Irenaeus wrote:
Then also Lateinos (LATEINOS) has the number six hundred and sixty- and it is a very probable [solution], this being the name of the last kingdom [of the four seen by Daniel] (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book V, Chapter 30, Verse 3. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright & 2004 by K. Knight).
See also the following:
The expression &the name of the beast, or the number of his name& makes plain that the number 666 is the number
of the NAME OF THE KINGDOM OR EMPIRE.
6. The expression &it is the number of a man& must also count this number in the name of the king, or ruler,
over the kingdom identified as the &BEAST.&... The Bible describes the symbol &woman& to mean a
CHURCH. See II Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7; Eph. 5:23-27. On the other
hand, &beast& is a symbol of a KINGDOM, or EMPIRE. The
woman of the 17th chapter is described beyond possibility of
doubt as the church which did reign over the kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire.
Let us be consistent. The beast of Revelation 13 is not the
WOMAN who rode the beast & the beast is the GOVERNMENT,
and the woman is the CHURCH.
The beast of Revelation 13 is THE ROMAN EMPIRE!
(Armstrong HW. Who is the Beast? pp. 14-16)
The COG teaches
that 666 represents a civil Roman/European/Germanic leader leading a kingdom (scripturally referred to as &the
beast& or the &king of the north&) who will maintain a religious alliance, while
seem to teach that it represents all false worship (the SDA position seems similar to the one now held by the ).
Specifically
666 is the number of the first beast in Revelation 13 as distinguished from the , who is the second, the two-horned beast, in the same chapter. And as Revelation 13 shows, the two-horned beast works with, and promotes, the seven-headed (and ten-horned) first beast in that chapter.
The Future King of the North and Daniel 11
Where does this King clearly appear in the sequence of Daniel 11?
Verses 21-26 of Daniel 11 may show and/or parallel later portions of that chapter (specifically Daniel 11:27-43).
Verse 20 may start the final fulfillment and verse 24 shows that this leader will after first seem to be promoting peace but also is accumulating wealth--perhaps gold reserves from various ones and/or wealth from the Vatican (see also ).
Biblically it is clear that the future and final King of the North is the king mentioned who will come to his end at the &appointed time,& verse 27 onwards clearly has future fulfillment in the end time. This &appointed time&
(Strong&s word #4150)
is first mentioned in Daniel 11:27
which suggest it is in the future and as well in vss. 29 and 35 which appear to be the specific time.
However, prior to being referred to as &the King of the North& he initially appears to be referred to as a &prince& in Daniel 9:26-27 (perhaps it should be mentioned that as of July 13th,2008, there
actually was a president of the north, as well as one for the south, for details from the New York Times, please see ). Hence while this leader somehow is a &prince,& he apparently will have some role in making some type of treaty with Israel (and probably including the United States as the covenant is &with many& per Daniel 9:27; see also ) approximately 3 1/2 years before the
begins (one is normally a &prince& before one becomes a &king&). As this deal has still not been made, this would suggest that contrary to claims of various false prophets
the great tribulation will not begin prior to 2017 (more details on this are included in the articles ). The
may also find it of interest to note that Origen of Alexandria had writings suggesting that he believed in a future King of the North (Origen's Comments related to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. As shown in Culleton R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, TAN Books, Rockford, IL, pp. 107-108).
The Great Tribulation will also not start before there is an actual
and an actual King of the North--and while the &prince& will apparently help make a deal with Israel, Daniel 11:27 requires two kings, which suggests that the &prince& will gain more and more importance sometime after the deal in Daniel 9:27 (see also ). Daniel 9:26-27 shows that this prince comes from the people of the old Roman Empire. This prince rules the final Beast power of Revelation 13:1, the beast of the sea.
The Bible is clear that the &Great Sea& (a term used in the Old Testament, but not as specified as such in the New Testament) where the Beasts of Daniel 7 come from, is the Mediterranean Sea (e.g. Joshua 9:1, 23:4; Ezekiel 47:15).
The Beast power is not a nation like Russia, which does not border the Mediterranean Sea, but Europe which does ().
The Book of Daniel specifically shows that the
confederation of peoples in North Africa and the Middle East per Daniel 11:40-43; cf. Ezekiel 30:1-9) will make a deal with the King of the North, but that neither side is trustworthy:
27 Both these kings' hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak li but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time (Daniel 11:27, NKJV for remaining verses unless otherwise specified).
Various events in
show that the stage is set to fulfill these and other Bible prophecies. Since certain Islamists have utilized terrorism as a major weapon in the past and the Bible teaches that terror will be one of the curses that the descendants of Jacob will face for disobedience (Leviticus 26:16; Jeremiah 15:8), this deal may include the King of the South agreeing to utilize terrorism as part of his contribution to eliminate the Anglo-nations (which are those with the &strongest fortresses& in verse 39 who are destroyed).
Somewhat oddly, something upsets the King of the North even though he feels that he made a very good deal:
28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved again so he shall do damage and return to his own land (Daniel 11:28).
This verse about his heart being &moved against the holy covenant& may be referring to the fact that some of God's people are warning against what the deal in verse 27 means. Notice verse 28 from a different translation:
28 Then the king of the north will return to his country with great treasures. But on the way, he will attack the religion of God's people and do whatever else he pleases (Daniel 11:28, CEV--Contemporary English Version).
Since it is the
is the &religion of God's people& (for many details, see ) and its members are the ones who fulfill the new covenant by having the law written into their hearts, it seems likely that the literal expression &holy covenant& refers to the most faithful of the true Christians (cf. Luke 1:72-75; Hebrews 8:8-12; Daniel 12:7). It appears that God's people are teaching something publicly that the King of the North does not want taught--otherwise he would have little reason to bother to attack such a &little flock& (Luke 12:32). This is about the time that the &one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days& days (1335 days) mentioned in Daniel 12:12 begin--although it may not be until the next verse or two.
The Bible show that this king of the North will persecute God's people, have major power for 3 1/2 years, and intend to change times and laws:
4 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another s
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:24-25)
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity sha he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:5-10)
Time, times, and half a time is 3 1/2 years as is 42 months--essentially 1260 days.
While I believe that the &religion of God's people& in Daniel 11:28 specifically includes the remnant of the , it may or may not include others like the
as it has a name that it is alive while it is dead, or the
as their work will most likely be too lukewarm to wish to truly and powerfully warn against these events by the King of the North (or if the Laodiceans begin to do that, I believe that they will pull back). But, consistent with Daniel 12:7, Daniel 11:28 seems to be referring the beginning of the scattering of God's people. And as Daniel 7:25 states, there will be two persecutions, one that begins prior to the Great Tribulation and the other which lasts the 1260 days (&a time and times and half a time&).
As far as changing times and laws, notice a Catholic prophecy about a &great monarch& (one that certain Catholics tend to look forward to, but seems to be specifically warned against by various scriptures):
Joseph G?rres (died 1848): The people will be united under a powerful great monarch who will make new laws and banish corruption from the earth. (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-F Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 38)
Also, notice that the Bible
6 &Flee from the land of the north&, says the LORD...7 Up Zion!
Escape you that dwell with the daughter of Babylon (Zechariah 2:6,7).
Hence, it may be that prior to going to a place of protection (please see ), some Christians will flee out of the European lands dominated by the rising King of the North prior to him moving into Jerusalem--probably during verses 28-30 of Daniel 11 as this is when the King of the North begins his anger against God's most faithful (and I believe that since God's faithful will understand these passages in Daniel 11 by then, some will not wait until verses 30 or 31 to flee from the north--and will most likely go to Judea).
Now at &the appointed time,& something will trigger the King of the North going towards the south:
29 At the appointed time he shall return and but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 For ships from Cyprus sh therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant (Daniel 11:29-30).
30 For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home.
But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.
(Daniel 11:30 New Living Translation 1996 Greg Laurie).
Note: the Hebrew term translated as &Cyprus& in the NKJV is a mistranslation. The KJV uses the term Chittim which means &Western lands.& Hence the King of the North will apparently be temporarily stopped by a Western naval power.
A similar passage is in Numbers 24:24, which according to Numbers 24:14, is for the latter times--and in it the Western naval power troubles descendants of Asshur/Assyria (many of whom now seem to be residing in Europe, see , see also
for more of a discussion of Numbers 24:24). Warning the world that the King of the North is fulfilling Bible prophecy when he does this is likely to be part of the &short work& of Romans 9:28 that God will accomplish through His most faithful.
is a Catholic writing related to this passage in Daniel 11 and what follows:
It seems he will probably be defeated by by certain people
of the Western nations, who will give him a naval battle…(11:30).
But he will soon recover from this defeat.
(Huchedé P. History of Antichrist. Imprimatur Edward Charles Fabre, Bishop of Montreal, First English edition
reprint from TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 22)
Despite some claims, notice that a major battle is not shown to have occurred in verse 30; it may only involve a show of naval force. Thus,
that verse
may possibly indicate that this is when the European Beast power may temporarily make a deceptive deal with a major Western power (probably the United States) which will ultimately allow it to destroy the USA and its English-speaking allies (see also verse 39).
the Western naval power seem to be the United States?
First, the United States is west of Jerusalem.
Second, the United States is a major naval power, and often uses its naval power as a threat.
Third, although Latin America is also west of Jerusalem, it (even when all the nations that compose it are combined) would not seem to have enough of a naval force to stop the European king's approach (plus, since Latin America shares culture, languages, and religion with Europe, it will most likely be allied with the King of the North either at this time or shortly thereafter).
Fourth, the Bible shows that the problems from the kings that are north and east of the King of the North do not occur until verse 44 of Daniel 11, hence once they are eliminated as possibilities, this pretty much only leaves that United States and its English-speaking allies as the only possible naval power that could deter the King of the North at this stage.
But getting back to verse 30 itself, notice that the King of the North will be even further enraged by the people of the &holy covenant& and most likely try to stop the supporters of it from proclaiming the truth about his intentions and the
(c.f. Matthew 24:14), which is something that we in the
expect to be doing then. The King of the North will probably attempt to learn more about how to eliminate us and any who follow by trying to be nice to various apostates (those who &forsake the holy covenant&)--apparently he attempts to get them to betray true Christians (Matthew 24:10). It strikes me as important that although a naval power stops the King of the North momentarily, the King of the North becomes apparently more enraged with the people of the holy covenant than the naval power.
Why would this be?
Most likely this occurs because the people of the holy
covenant are
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14, as that immediately precedes &the end&) and teaching that
the King of the North is fulfilling prophecies in Daniel 11.
belief that
after the peace deal in Daniel 9:27/11:23 has been made
confirmed by
“the prince
to come,” that the group that best
represents the “sect of
the Nazarenes” (the remnant of the
Philadelphia era of
the church per
Revelation 3:7–11, as led by the ) in the 21st
century will begin to
publicly identify
the person who confirmed the
deal (“the prince”) as the one
fulfilled Daniel 9:27/11:23-24.
This apparently enrages the King of the North so
much that he initially
tries to eliminate these people through political pressure and selected
persecution.
Even the Catholic Jerome indirectly understood some of this concerning these passages in Daniel 11 as he wrote:
Verses 27----30...&And his heart shall be against the holy
covenant, and he shall succeed and return into his own land. At the time
appointed he shall return and shall come to the S but the latter time shall
not be like the former. And the galleys shall come upon him...But these events were typically prefigured under Antiochus
Epiphanes, so that this abominable king who persecuted God's people foreshadows
the Antichrist, who is to persecute the people of Christ (Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 12/20/08).
Jesus clearly taught that persecution would affect His people just prior to the Great Tribulation beginning:
7 And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another (Matthew 24:7-10).
21 For then there will be great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).
So notice that after &the beginning of sorrows,& the true Christians will be delivered up and many killed and many will be betrayed by those pretending to be Christians. And then the
will come shortly thereafter. This clearly ties in with the events of Daniel 11.
Notice that after the King of the North returns home, he decides to come back to the Jerusalem area (see also ), but this time with a much stronger military presence:
31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile th then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31).
The above event, which apparently will involve the King of the North sending in forces into Jerusalem, was spoken of by Jesus (Matthew 24:15) as a warning of the final end time. So after the gospel has been preached enough to the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14), Jewish sacrifices are stopped (Daniel 9:27), the abomination
is set up (Daniel 9:27; 11:31), and a decree is issued (Zephaniah 2:1), the most faithful Philadelphians will flee per Jesus' statements in Matthew 24:15-16 or 'fly' per Revelation 12:14-16. Although some Catholic, Protestant and Jewish sources say that this was all fufilled by Antiocus Epiphanes, in his commentary on Daniel titled Yafeh La-Ketz, the Jeiwsh Malbim (Me?r Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Weiser, ) claimed that starting in verse 31, Daniel 11 was referring to the Romans (Hoffman E. Chanukah, Daniel 11 and the Rabbis& Limited Knowledge of Greek-Period Jewish History. http://thetorah.com/chanukah-daniel-11-and-history/ accessed 07/15/16).
Now for the daily sacrifices to stop in Daniel 11:31 and 12:11, it would be
necessary that they start for a period of at least some days prior to the 1290 in order for them
to be considered &daily.& It may actually be that part of the justification that
the King of the North will give himself (and possibly the United States) for
this invasion is that it is necessary for him to go to Jerusalem to stop the
&fanatics& in Israel from inciting world war by performing these sacrifices (see
also ). (Note: Although some teach that a physical temple must be built in Jerusalem to allow the daily sacrifices, it should be understood that only an altar is necessary and not a temple in that location--much more information is included in the article )
This is likely the time that the following will be in the process of being fulfilled:
3 For when they say, &Peace and safety!& then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
(Matthew 24:21) begins 30 days after Daniel 11:31 is fulfilled.
taught that the Church's efforts to proclaim the gospel would stop 45 days prior to the abomination in Daniel 11:31 (cf. Daniel 12:7 and 12:11 and Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General's Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2). Thus this is when the &one thousand two hundred and ninety days& (1290 days) of Daniel 12:11 begin:
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. (Daniel 12:11-12)
Any Church members in Jerusalem/Judea at the time the sacrifices are taken away would need to flee according to Jesus and Jeremiah:
Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place& (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:15-21).
5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and
Cry, 'Gather together,'
And say, 'Assemble yourselves,
And let us go into the fortified cities.'
6 Set up the standard toward Zion.
Take refuge! Do not delay!
For I will bring disaster from the north,
And great destruction.&
7 The lion has come up from his thicket,
And the destroyer of nations is on his way.
He has gone forth from his place
To make your land desolate.
Your cities will be laid waste,
Without inhabitant.
passages show that
there will be a time that will come that those in Judea and Jerusalem will have
to flee into a
mountainous area of protection.
Jesus told His followers to flee when they see the
abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel.
And Jeremiah is basically
warning that disaster will come from the north--in this case, apparently the King
of the North (he destroys nations, Daniel 11:41, cf. Isaiah 10:7)--in other writings Jerome (Jerome. Letter CXXIII to Ageruchia, Chapter 16) as well as the third century Catholic theologian and bishop Hippolytus (Hippolytus. On the Antichrist, Chapters 16 & 57) tied in Assur/Assyria as apparently being the king (for more details, please see ). The Bible itself also points to the final King of the North being Assyrian (Isaiah 10:12), hence possessing at least some Germanic ancestry.
Notice that Jesus' comments can only be directed to those that are keeping the
PRIOR to the . And that they flee in certain areas. Perhaps the reason that there are true Christians in Jerusalem at this time is because some have come to get out of regions dominated by the King of the North prior to and after he begins persecutions (some of those who understand these prophesies will most likely realize that remaining in regions dominated by the
will not be safe and may leave prior to the actual persecution beginning).
(More information on persecutions can be found in the article ).
The Bible is clear that it will be a northern power that will eliminate Judah, the nation now called Israel:
22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,
And a great commotion out of the north country,
To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals. (Jeremiah 10:22)
And during this time, the northern King will apparently corrupt the corruptible and continue to be responsible for :
32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall c but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aide but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time (Daniel 11:32-35).
Concerning Daniel 11:32, Jerome wrote, &in my opinion this will
take place in the time of the Antichrist& (Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, Ipswich, UK, 2004. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/pearse/morefathers/files/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 06/05/11).
The King of the North's actions in verse 32 seem to parallel part of Daniel 11:23 which teaches &he shall act deceitfully.&
19th century Methodist theologian Adam Clarke,&in his
commentary, identifies the faithful people as follows:
But the people that do know their God
The genuine Christians.
Shall be strong
Shall be strengthened by his grace and Spirit
(Clarke A.& The Adam Clarke
Commentary, Daniel Chapter 11.)
Concerning the people of Daniel 11:33-35, the late Herbert W. Armstrong considered them to mainly be Philadelphians and also stated, “These are the people of God” (Armstrong HW. Falling away, part 2.
World Tomorrow radio broadcast, HA5406.rm).
This would also be the time that the remaining Philadelphians (those who were not in Jerusalem during the prior verse) fly/flee to their place of protection (please see the article ) and thus, around vs. 35 is when the &time, times, and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered& as Daniel 12:7 refers to (also known as the 1260 days or the 3 1/2 years) begins.
Notice that the King of the North is mainly focused against God's people, and initially mainly (but likely not exclusively) the Philadelphians (for more about the persecutions, please see ). This indicates that he is NOT mainly yet attacking Israel as some have suggested (as that would result in immediate retaliation by the United States). He seems to be focused on religion--probably setting the anti-Pope up in Jerusalem while eliminating those in the true Church who are reporting his real intentions (the persecutors are associated with the 'synagogue of Satan,' see also ).
Even the Catholic Jerome also understood that this passage of Daniel 11 was referring to Christian persecution as he wrote:
Verse 33...But let no one doubt that these things are going to
happen under the Antichrist, when many shall resist his authority and flee away
in various directions...
Verses 34, 35...Our writers, however, would have it understood that
the small help shall arise under the reign of the Antichrist, for the saints
shall gather together to resist
him, and afterwards a great number of the learned shall fall. And this shall
take place in order that they may be refined as by fire in the furnace, and that
they may be made white and may be chosen out, until the time before determined
arrives ---- for the true victory shall be won at the coming of Christ (Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 12/20/08).
critical to realize is that verse 35 specifically shows that
its activities go “until the time of the end,” thus, there must be a future fulfillment of vs. 35.
And this may be a key verse to tie in with
Daniel 12:1, which discusses Michael the ArchAngel rising up, just prior to the Great Tribulation and protecting the faithful:
At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)
This is also the just prior to official start of the time of Jacob's troubles (Jeremiah 30:7)--though the Jacob descended nations will have &sorrows& first (Matthew 24:4-8).
Now The Wycliffe Bible Commentary states
(bolding in original):
that time (cf. on Dan 11:36). At the same time as the
events of 11:36-45. Michael. See Rev
12:7; cf. Josh 5:13-15; 2 Kings 6:15-17; Isa 37:35-36; Matt 26:53. This is Israel's time
of trouble. Every reference to it uses superlative language (cf. also Matt
The reason that I mention that related to verse 35, is that the above from The Wycliffe
Bible Commentary seems to be off a little bit.
Because the same Hebrew expression for “at that
time” (`eth) occurs in verse 35, not verse 36.
This suggests that Michael will likely provide protection to God's people when they flee/fly to the palce. Therefore, it would appear
that somewhere between verse 35 and 39 is apparently when Michael stands up and
begins to protect the true and faithful in the Church.
Probably while they are fleeing/traveling (see also ).
Who is the King of the North?
While there have been various ones throughout history, the final King of the North appears to be the leader of a, Vatican-influenced, European superstate (more on this European power can be found in the article ).
Notice what the old Radio Church of God taught:
&The king of the north& —
all Bible scholars know that the 'king of the north' originally meant
Syria in Old T but when Rome conquered Syria, the 'king
of the north' became R and when Rome fell, the German Nation and its
allies wok over Rome and now have become the 'king of the north'
(verses 36-39 — the German Nation, now working through the Nazi
Underground, &shall...& notice it! &... shall enter into the countries ...).
Why? Because these nations shall finally be in league with Germany [the
descendants of Assur or Assyria] according to Psalm 83!
Germany's coming Fuhrer ... is &the king of the north.& (Hoeh H. U.S. and Britain Admit NAZI UNDERGROUND Behind Arab Crisis! Plain Truth, October 1958)
4. In final fulfillment of this prophecy, will a mighty king arise who
recognizes no God nor any power superior to his own? Dan. 11:36, 37.
subscribe to a militaristic axiom that &might makes right&?
But will he, for mutual gain, share rule with and load riches
and public honor
on a new and unusual &god&? Verses 38-39.
COMMENT: These two personages are none other than the &Beast& and
the &False Prophet& mentioned in Rev. 19:20!
5. Will this UNHOLY ALLIANCE transfer its headquarters to Palestine? Dan.
11:41, 45.
Will it meet its doom there? Verse 45. Note that one of the
&strongholds& they shall conquer, and the very &land& they
&divide& (verse 39) ... (Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 44. 1966)
The position of the old Radio Church of God that the 'King of the North' of Daniel 11 is also the Beast of Revelation 19:20, and will come from Europe, is correct. (More on the 'strongholds' can be found in the article .)
The Bible teaches that this King of the North will magnify himself above all gods, but will publicly
endorse a new type of religion:
Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath h for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, for he shall exalt himself above them all. (Daniel 11:36-37).
By exalting himself about every god, this shows that the King of the North is the
of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4:
3 Let no one dece for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God...
More information can also be found in the article
(there is also a YouTube video available titled )
Some have suggested that the &desire of women& statement in Daniel 11:37 combined with the betrayal of the woman in Revelation 17:16 by the forces of the Beast, suggests that the King of the North will somehow use
advantage before turning on the Church of Rome:
Bible scholar G. H. Pember explains this interpretation:
The expression “the Desire of Women” is placed between two
nouns which indubitably re it must therefore,
itself designate some individual deity which is more especially
sought after by women. And having reached this point, our
difficulties are over: the deity intended can be no other than the
many-named Goddess of Nature, who has been worshiped, and at
all times chiefly by women, from the earliest ages to our own days,
by Pagans and by apostate Christians of every land.
She is the Beltis, or Mylitta, of the B the Ishtar of the
A the Astarte of the P the Queen of Heaven
mentioned by J the Tanata of the P the Isis of the
E the Shing Moo, or Holy Mother, of the C the
Aphrodite of the G the Artemis, or Diana, of the E
the Venus of the Romans…and the Virgin Mary of the Eastern
and Western Catholics. This is the goddess of whom we have so
often heard as Our Lady of La Salette, Our Lady of Lourdes – to
whom it seems there are temples erected even in China…
(Cited in: Tetlow
J. Oakland R, Meyers B.
Queen of Rome, Queen of
Islam, Queen of All: The Marian
apparitions’ plan to unite all religions under the Roman Catholic Church.
Eternal Publications, 2006, pp. 108-111).
Now, back to the Bible:
38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. (Daniel 11:38)
Who is the god of fortresses? Apparently this is the Roman god that Catholics (generally unwittingly) still honor. Why do I state that? Because in imperial Rome, the Emperor was responsible for military and religious matters (hence that is part of why he for a while held the title Pontifex Maximus, a title now claimed by Roman Catholic Pontiffs). Furthermore, an official Vatican pronouncement years ago confirmed that the Catholic Church should be responsible for the use of the sword--warfare. Notice the following:
Both, therefore, a