Daniel Chapter 11

Setting         Date         Overview         Commentary


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 shew thee 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 hath 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 thy 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 cometh 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 unto 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 upon 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 honour 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 overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, 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 upon 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: yea, 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 Yea, 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 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 maketh 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 holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave 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 marvellous 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 honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour 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 upon 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.


Setting

Chapters 10-12 constitute a single vision which Daniel received. Chapter 10 provides the setting; chapter 11 gives the bulk of the vision; and chapter 12 concludes the vision and the subsequent discussion between Daniel and the heavenly visitors. So for the setting for chapter 11, please see on chapter 10.


Date

This vision was given in the 3rd year of Cyrus (Daniel 10:1), about 535 B.C. For details, please see on chapter 10.


Overview

Beginning with verse 2, Gabriel outlines a detailed preview of the passing of dominion from one power to another, from the reign of Cyrus until the setting up of the kingdom of Christ.

In a brief sweep the heavenly messenger introduces the next four kings of Persia, then skips to the rise of Greece. Noting the breakup of Greece into four parts, he then slows down to relate striking details about the two dominant Greek divisions which would contend for supremacy for a hundred and fifty years.

In no less detail the rulers of the early Roman empire are described, all as foretold by divine insight half a millenium before the events occurred. The prophetic outline then continues with the rise of the barbarian powers and their giving of dominion to the papacy. Verses 36 to 39 characterize papal rule until "the time of the end."

The last six verses of the chapter describe events occurring in "the time of the end," climaxing with the final collapse of the king of the north.

Chapter 11 Overview Chart

"Making Sense of Daniel 11" by Zdravko Stefanovic


Commentary

The Main Characters in Daniel 11

Expressions Used in Daniel 11

Method of Interpretation

Verse 1        Text

"Also I"

The angel Gabriel is speaking.

"In the first year of Darius the Mede"

That was 538 B.C., the year in which both chapters 6 and 9 occurred.

"Even I, stood up to confirm and to strengthen him"

Gabriel is saying that in the year 538 B.C. he had especially worked with King Darius. When you study chapter 6 from the perspective of the king, you see that heavenly forces were indeed at work in his life. Chapter 6 closes with an exaltation of the God of heaven from the pen of Darius similar to Nebuchadnezzar's declaration at the end of his life.

Verse 2        Text

"There shall stand up yet three kings in Persia"

Throughout this prophecy the expression, "stand up," means to come into power and begin to reign.

Cyrus was at that time king of Persia. The three kings noted in this verse were those which immediately followed Cyrus:

  1. Cambyses II (Cyrus' son; 530-522 B.C.)
  2. Bardiyya ("False Smerdis;" 522 B.C.)
  3. Darius I (522-486 B.C.)

"The fourth"

This was Xerxes (486-465 B.C.), the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther. He was not only "richer," but also agitated the Greeks, as this verse indicates, which was not forgotten by them until Alexander the Great was able to conquer the Persians more than a century later.

Artaxerxes I, Persia's next king, gave the famous 457 B.C. decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25). But he is not mentioned in this chapter, nor are the rest of the kings of Persia.

"He shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia"

With this transition, the prophecy jumps ahead to the rise of Greece.

Verse 3        Text

"A mighty king"

This was Alexander the Great (334-323 B.C.).

"Do according to his will"

Whenever this expression is used in Daniel 11, it indicates the rise of a new major kingdom. Notice how the phrase marks that transition in verses 3, 16, and 36.

Verse 4        Text

"The four winds"

Here we see the four divisions of the Greek empire after Alexander's death. See comments on Daniel 8:8 for details.

"Not to his posterity"

None of the kings were Alexander's descendants.

Verse 5        Text

"The king of the south"

"The south" designates Egypt, as it does in Daniel 8:9. "The king of the south," therefore, is the king of Egypt.

The story begins with Ptolemy I (Soter) in this position, who ruled from 323-285 B.C. in Egypt.

"Shall be strong"

During his reign, Ptolemy Soter took possession of Cyprus, Phoenicia, Caria, Cyrene, and many other islands and cities.

"One of his princes"

This is probably best understood as one of Alexander's princes, specifically, another one of the four kings who divided up the empire after Alexander's death. The description given in the rest of the verse would suggest a reference to Seleucus I (Nicator) who held power from 312 to 280 B.C. in Babylon and Syria.

"And he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion"

In 281 B.C. Seleucus Nicator killed Lysimachus, thereby gaining possession of Thrace. Lysimachus had previously taken Macedonia from Cassander, but that territory did not fall to Seleucus because he died (280 B.C.) before he could conquer it. Macedonia fell into the hands of Antigonus, son of Demetrius, and exited from the prophecy. But the taking of Thrace by Seleucus enlarged the Seleucid kingdom "above" that of Ptolemy's, as this verse predicted.

Verse 6        Text

"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"

The event described in verse 6 took place during the reigns of Antiochus Theos, the third Greek king of Syria, and Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second Greek king of Egypt. See the chart of The Seleucids and the Ptolemies.

After some years of strife between Syria and Egypt, a peace agreement was made upon the following terms: Antiochus II would put away his wife, Laodice, and her two sons, and would marry Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy II, in fulfillment of this prophecy.

"But she shall not retain the power of the arm"

Soon thereafter, Antiochus put away Berenice and reinstated his former wife Laodice and her children.

"Neither shall he stand, nor his arm"

Laodice then arranged for Antiochus to be poisoned to death.

"But she shall be given up"

Berenice and her infant son were then murdered, also by the arrangement of Laodice.

"And they that brought her"

All of Berenice's Egyptian attendants were killed with her.

"And he that begat her"

The marginal reading is better, "Whom she brought forth." This is a reference to her son who was also slain.

"And he that strengthened her in these times"

Probably a reference to Antiochus.

Verse 7        Text

"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"

This "branch" which came from the same roots as Berenice was her brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes. As soon as he came into power in Egypt he set about to avenge the death of his sister. With a large army he invaded Syria, which he conquered from Cilicia, all along the Euphrates, to Babylon.

Verse 8        Text

"And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and gold"

Ptolemy III took from the kingdom of Seleucus Callinicus 40,000 talents of silver and 2500 images of the gods, including the Egyptian images previously captured by Cambyses, king of Persia. For this reason he was named Euergetes, or Benefactor.

"And he shall continue more years than the king of the north"

Seleucus Callinicus died in exile from a riding accident, and Ptolemy Euergetes outlived him by five years.

Verse 9        Text

Verse 10        Text

"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"

We will take the "his" in this verse to refer to the king of the north who was mentioned at the end of verse 8. The sons of Seleucus Callinicus were Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III Magnus (The Great). Both sons zealously fought to regain their father's lost dominions. First Seleucus III took the throne, but after only three years was poisoned. His brother Antiochus then became king, fulfilling the prophecy that "one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through." Antiochus assembled a large army and recovered all of Seleucia and Syria.

The last part of the verse is interesting: "Then shall he return, and be stirred up." Antiochus overcame the Egyptian general Nicolas, and intended at that time to invade Egypt itself. But a treaty caused him to "return" home, yet all the more was he "stirred up," preparing to engage once again in the war.

Verse 11        Text

"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"

The reference here to "him" as being the king of the north, confirms which king was being described in verse 10.

Ptolemy IV Philopator (son of Euergetes) now ruled in Egypt. Because of the advances of Antiochus III, Ptolemy assembled an army to fight against him. Antiochus also "set forth a great multitude" which, according to Polybius, consisted of 62,000 footmen, 6,000 horsemen, and 102 elephants. In this Battle of Raphia, Antiochus' multitude was given into Ptolemy's hand. The Syrian army lost nearly 14,000 soldiers, with another 4,000 taken as prisoners.

Verse 12        Text

"And when he hath 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"

Ptolemy's victories could have led to the entire conquest of the Syrian kingdom. But instead of following through, he entered into a peace agreement with Antiochus in order to devote himself to the indulgence of vice. Turning from what might have strengthened his kingdom to a position of world dominance, he wasted his days in feasting and sensuality.

Regarding the casting down of many ten thousands, Uriah Smith tells us more about Ptolemy IV.

Verse 13        Text

"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 much riches"

Those "certain years" were actually fourteen. Ptolemy Philopator had by that time died from his intemperance, and his son Ptolemy V Epiphanes, still a young child, held the throne. Antiochus, during those fourteen years, had regained power, and now he assembled an army "greater than the former" and set out against Egypt.

Verse 14        Text

"And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south"

Antiochus was one, but not the only one, who "stood up" against the boy king. Antiochus entered into an alliance with Philip of Macedon to divide up Ptolemy's possessions outside of Egypt. Philip was the current successor to Cassander in the west. But also among the Egyptians themselves this prophecy was fulfilled in the rebellion of Ptolemy's own countrymen (See Polybius, The Histories, 5.107). In order to appease the restless Egyptians, the king's regents made concessions to them which are now preserved in the famous Rosetta Stone in the British Museum.

"Also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall"

The Hebrew here literally says, "the sons of the breakers of your people . . ." This could apply to the Egyptians, who one generation earlier had "cast down many ten thousands" (verse 12) of Jews ("thy people"). The expression, "shall exalt themselves," uses the same verb that is translated "taken away" in verse 12. This view is explained by William H. Shea:

"As a result of their defeat at the battle of Paneas (198 B.C.), the Egyptians were removed and taken out of the picture as far as Judea or southern Syria were concerned. Thus the phrase in verse 14 should be translated, rather literally, as "the sons of the breakers of your people were taken away...." It means that the Syrians took the Egyptians away by defeating them and thus the oppressors of God's people in Judea were removed." The Abundant Life Bible Amplifier: Daniel 7-12, p. 186.

Verse 15        Text

Verse 16        Text

"He that cometh against him"

The scene now shifts to another power arising outside the territory previously considered. This new power was Rome. Arising in the west, it takes over the attention of the prophecy when it begins to make conquests in Syria. Our attention will be focused on the leading western power for the next 24 verses.

"Shall do according to his own will"

See comment on verse 3.

"And none shall stand before him"

Compare Daniel 8:4, 7.

"And he shall stand in the glorious land"

Rome took control of Palestine in the year 63 B.C.

"Which by his hand shall be consumed"

This must be a reference to the fact that it was Rome which later, in A.D. 70, would destroy the city of Jerusalem.

Verse 17        Text

"And he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her"

This was Cleopatra.

Verse 18        Text

Verse 19        Text

Verse 20        Text

"A raiser of taxes"

This is Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavius. Luke 2:1 explains, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world shold be taxed."

Verse 21        Text

"A vile person"

This was Tiberius Caesar.

Verse 22        Text

"Yea, also the prince of the covenant"

The Prince of the covenant is Jesus. This verse is a reference to His crucifixion.

Verse 23        Text

"And after the league made with him"

Having briefly overviewed the history of Rome's conquests up to the crucifixion of Christ, the narrative now returns to discuss additional prophetic details concerning Rome. In this verse we are carried back to the year 161 B.C., when the Jews entered into a league of amity and confederacy with the Romans for the purpose of protecting them from the Syrians.

Verse 24        Text

"And he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time"

We, along with other commentators such as Thomas Newton (Dissertations on the Prophecies), prefer the reading, "from the strong holds," rather than, "against the strong holds." Thus Rome would plan its activities from its fortress in Rome "even for a time." A time in Daniel is one year (See Daniel 4:16) of 360 days. Using the year-day principle, this verse predicted that the empire would base its operations in the city of Rome for 360 years. But from what starting point should these years be dated? Verse 25 tells us.

Verse 25        Text

"And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army"

This war was the Battle of Actium, fought against Egypt in 31 B.C. The 360 years of verse 24 began with that event and extended to the year A.D. 330 (Do not incorrectly insert a year "0" when adding from B.C. to A.D. time). The year A.D. 330 brought an end to the empire's Rome-based activities, for Constantine in that year moved the capital to Constantinople.

Verse 26        Text

Verse 27        Text

"Both these kings"

Mark Antony and Caesar Augustus.

Verse 28        Text

Verse 29        Text

"And at the time appointed he shall return"

This is the time appointed in verse 24. The "returning" is the empire's move to Constantinople.

Verse 30        Text

"For the ships of Chittim"

"Chittim" may refer to the coastlands of the Mediterranean Sea. This line reminds us of the attacks of the Vandals against Rome by sea. Accordingly, this summary expression can stand in Daniel 11 to represent the Barbarian invasions in general. With this one remark the prophecy captures the entire process of German infiltration into the Empire.

"Shall come against him"

The first Barbarian victory over the Romans was in the battle of Adrianople in which the emperor Valens was killed in the year 378.

"It was the worst military disaster in four centuries, and it opened the floodgates of invasion to every barbarian tribe on the frontier." Lars Brownworth, Lost to the West, p. 42.

"Therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do"

Theodosius I, the next appointed emperor, now faced the challenge of saving the empire. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire.

"The holy covenant" is a reference to the Biblical truths upheld by God's people. In scripture God identifies His covenant with the person of His Son (Isaiah 42:6), His Ten Commandment law (Deuteronomy 4:13), and the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 31:16).

"In the establishment of the Catholic Church, the place of Theodosius is second only to that of Constantine." Alonzo T. Jones, The Two Republics, p. 388.

Whereas Constantine had legalized Christianity, Theodosius forever defined the new Christian faith and strictly outlawed anything other than his definition of it. His intolerance of dissenters is evident in the following edict enacted shortly after his conversion to Catholicism:

"We authorize the followers of this doctrine to assume the title of Catholic Christians; and as we judge that all others are extravagant madmen, we brand them with the infamous name of 'heretics,' and declare that their conventicles shall no longer usurp the respectable appellation of churches. Besides the condemnation of divine justice, they must expect to suffer the severe penalties which our authority, guided by heavenly wisdom, shall think proper to inflict upon them." Gibbon, Decline and Fall, Chapter twenty-seven, paragraph 6.

Throughout his reign Theodosius promulgated at least fifteen severe edicts against heresy.

"In these edicts it was enacted that any of the heretics who should usurp the title of bishop or presbyter, should suffer the penalty of exile and confiscation of goods, if they attempted either to preach the doctrine or practice the rites of their 'accursed' sects. A fine of about twenty thousand dollars was pronounced upon every person who should dare to confer, or receive, or promote, the ordination of a heretic. Any religious meetings of the heretics, whether public or private, whether by day or by night, in city or country, were absolutely prohibited; and if any such meeting was held, the building or even the ground which should be used for the purpose, was declared confiscated." Alonzo T. Jones, The Two Republics, pp. 399, 400.

"He shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant."

The conversion of Theodosius, like that of Constantine before him, was accompanied by a remarkable sign. The emperor had become so seriously ill that no one expected him to survive. On his deathbed, he called for the local bishop, who administered a hasty baptism. To the astonishment of all, Theodosius made a full recovery. It was this experience that seemed to motivate his great support of the church.

A crisis later arose when there was an uprising in Thessalonica. To punish the city, Theodosius trapped seven thousand citizens in the hippodrome and slaughtered them. He was promptly rebuked by Ambrose, bishop of Milan. When in self-justification the emperor ignored the bishop, Ambrose denied him communion or entrance to a church until he performed penance. After several months of rebellion, the emperor finally repented literally in sackcloth and ashes. In humiliation that would be echoed in King Henry IV of Germany before Pope Gregory VII at Canossa seven hundred years later, Theodosius publicly apologized and submitted to the powerful bishop. "In the first great contest between church and state, the church had emerged victorious." Lars Brownworth, Lost to the West, p. 46.

Fully chastened, Theodosius never afterward veered from his commitment to advance the Catholic church with all his might.

Verse 31        Text

"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 maketh desolate"

Once the Barbarians won final control of the western empire, the subject in the prophecy turns to the Barbarian leadership. After A.D. 476, these Germanic settlers were the leading civil figures in western history and, as a result, in the prophecy. (For more information on the Germanic Kingdoms, see comments on Daniel 7:7.) Among them, the Franks would assume the primary role.

"But it was the Franks alone of all the German tribes who became a wide power in the general history of the middle ages. It is to them that the political inheritance of the Roman empire passed, to them came the honor of taking up and carrying on, roughly, to be sure, and far less extensively and effectively, but nevertheless of actually carrying on the political work which Rome had been doing. They alone represent that unity which Rome had established, and so far as that unity was maintained at all as a definite fact, it is the Franks who maintained it." George Burton Adams, Civilization During the Middle Ages, p. 137.

The role of the Franks as the leading civil power, and the alliance they formed with the Catholic Church, requires a discussion of one of the most significant political figures in history, Clovis I. The events of his career signaled a pivotal point in the history of Western civilization.

Up until this point, all the Germanic peoples who converted to Christianity had adopted the Arian faith. Clovis, however, converted directly from paganism to Catholicism in A.D. 496, becoming the first of the barbarian kings to become a Catholic. Whereas the destiny of Europe lay in the hands of Clovis, his conversion would have a marked impact upon Europe theologically.

"Unlike most other fifth-century Germanic tribes, the Franks were heathens, not Arians. It is impossible to say just what Clovis' motives were in becoming a Catholic, but the conversion made him the only Catholic Christian king in the West. Consequently, he easily formed an alliance with the powerful bishops." Norman Cantor, Western Civilization, Its Genesis and Destiny, Vol. I, p. 298.

Upon his conversion, Clovis committed himself to advancing the cause of the Catholic Church. By military force of arms he set about to establish the Catholic creed throughout Europe.

This verse mentions three results of Clovis' armed efforts: The "sanctuary" was polluted, the "daily" was taken away, and the "abomination that maketh desolate" was placed. All three appeared also in the prophecy of Daniel 8.

In the comments on Daniel 8:11, the taking away of the "daily" was seen as an undermining of Christ's continual mediatorial position.

The polluting of the sanctuary was also referred to in Daniel 8:11, where it says, "the place of his sanctuary was cast down." And verse 13 speaks of giving "both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot." In further comments on Daniel 8:11 we saw this as a reference to a theological strike against the basis of Christ's mediatorial position.

For the historical fulfillment of this prophecy, read the story of Clovis.

The "abomination that maketh desolate" is the same as "the transgression of desolation" in Daniel 8:13. For an explanation of this, see comments on Daniel 12:11.

Verse 32        Text

"And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries"

The corrupting power and prestige of the popes was exalted through the homage given them by Pepin, Charlemagne, and their successors, who are here collectively indicated by the pronoun "he."

"But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits"

From this point through verse 35 the true people of God are represented.

Verses 33, 34        Text

"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. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries"

This describes the persecution of those who refused to go along with the established religion. The "many days" were the 1260 days (years) of papal supremacy. The "help" which the persecuted ones received was brought about by the Protestant Reformation, which checked the advance of papal tyranny. But as the Reformation progressed, many did cleave to it for wrong motives, and eventually the reformed churches lost their purity.

Verse 35        Text

"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"

Here is introduced a specific, appointed time, designated as "the time of the end." This period is also mentioned in Daniel 8:17; 11:40; and 12:4, 9. It arrives, according to this verse, at the end of the period of papal supremacy. Therefore we conclude that this appointed "time of the end" began in 1798 when the papacy lost its power.

Verses 33-35 have provided a brief overview of the papal period and the oppression of God's people during that time. We now turn our focus upon the ruling power itself which dominated that period.

Verse 36        Text

"And the king"

The way this is worded seems to imply that this king is someone we should have already met in the story. Two possible identities present themselves for our consideration:

  1. Since the last king identified was Clovis, king of the Franks, there might be a French application here. (Remember, it was the Franks who inherited the political power of the Roman empire. The kingdom established by Clovis had a greater impact on Europe than did any other barbarian invader of Roman territory.) So a number of writers have identified the king of verses 36-39 as Revolutionary France.    The French Revolution in Revelation 11

  2. Since the period we have been discussing in previous verses is the middle ages, verse 36 might simply be turning to a discussion of the power that ruled Europe during that time. While every European country had its own king, there was a king to whom all those kings bowed, and that was the pope of Rome. In certain ways the papacy represented the consolidated continuation of the Roman empire in the west. Many students of Daniel 11 therefore see "the king" in this verse as being the pope.
These two seem to be the only likely options. So how do we decide which one it is? Let's look at some evidence for each.

Internal evidence that suggests Revolutionary France:

Internal evidence that suggests the Pope:

Most of the other phrases in the passage could support either interpretation. For example:

Considering all factors, we take the position that these verses are describing the Papacy, since the preponderance of evidence lends more weight to that conclusion. One of the biggest reasons for this conclusion is that Chapter 11 is not a new vision, but simply an explanation of a previous one. The ruling powers highlighted in the visions of Chapters 2, 7, and 8 include Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, the Papacy, and Christ's kingdom. Revolutionary France is not one of them.

Understood in this light, verses 36-39 are simply describing the ruling papal authority during the period of time that has most recently been discussed in the passage. Having described the condition of those being oppressed (verses 33-35), verse 36 now turns to a description of the oppressor.

"Shall do according to his will"

These words introduce the papal reign, using the same phrase that was used to introduced the rule of Greece and Rome.

"And he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods"

This parallels the description given the papacy in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." This presumptuous attitude on the part of this power was also noted in Daniel 7:8.

"And shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done"

How long would it be till the indignation be accomplished? That's the question asked in Daniel 12:6, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" Verse 7 answers, "It shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."

Verse 37        Text

"Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers"

The Roman Church would introduce a deity other than "the God of his fathers." Notice the emphasis on this point throughout the passage:

The Catholic Church did establish a doctrine of God previously unknown to Jews or Christians.   info

On the other hand, the strange god whom his fathers knew not (verses 38 and 39) may be a reference to the veneration of Mary. This expression in Verse 37 may simply mean that the pope would, in his words and actions, disregard the God of his fathers.

"Nor the desire of women"

This may refer to the practice of celibacy among the Catholic clergy.

"Nor regard any god, for he shall magnify himself above all"

This indicates that the papacy would magnify himself even above the God of heaven. This he did in thinking to change God's law.

Verse 38        Text

"But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces"

Or, the God enforced. The Catholic doctrine of God was enforced with severe penalties for deviation.

Verse 39        Text

"A strange god"

See comment on verse 37.

Verse 40        Text

In verse 40 the scene shifts again, requiring us to get reoriented. Although Daniel 11 is a continuous story, that story must describe the events and developments of powers on more than one front. So after the introductory historical background in verses 2-4, the chapter first focused on the struggle between the king of the northern division of Alexander's empire and the king of the southern division. That focus remained in view through verse 15. In verse 16 however, the camera moved, and we began following the course of the ruling power in the west. That scene continued through verse 39. In verse 40 the camera simply moves back to the east again. We know this because the characters are once again the king of the north and the king of the south whom we've discussed earlier.

"And at the time of the end"

"The time of the end" was mentioned in verse 35 as the period following the long era of oppression against God's people. It would come at "a time appointed." There are only two periods of persecution foretold in Bible prophecy that are appointed a set time. The first was the "ten days" of Revelation 2:10 during which Christians were persecuted by the decree of Emperors Diocletian and Galerius. That period extended from AD 303 until Constantine's edict of Milan in the year 313. The only other appointed time of persecution was the period of papal supremacy extending from 538 to 1798. This period is mentioned seven times in Bible prophecy, either as "1260 days," or "42 months," or "three and a half times." The context of Daniel 11:35 indicates that it would be at the end of the period of papal supremacy that the time of the end would begin.

"Shall the king of the south push at him"

In 1798, noteworthy developments begin to transpire in the east, which as we said before, causes the focus of the prophecy to shift again to the struggle between the ruler of the northern division of Alexander's empire and the ruler of the southern division. So as verse 40 opens, we're back in the same setting, and with the same contest, that we left in verse 15. And the players are the same. Which means that the first "him" of verse 40 is not the power discussed in verses 36-39. The "him" of verse 40 must be the power that we last saw in this eastern scene, the subject of verse 15, which was the king that controlled the northern part of Alexander's old empire.

Now we need to identify the king of the south in verse 40. The prophecy is very specific as to when this king is to appear. The Bible says, "And at the time of the end...." I used to want to translate this as "In the time of the end." That way it could refer to any time after 1798. But it says, "At the time of the end." This must point to the commencement of the time of the end. So who was the king of the southern part of Alexander's empire in the year 1798? The fact is that Egypt only had one king in 1798, and that was Napoleon Bonaparte. Prior to his arrival in Egypt on July 1, 1798, the country had been governed by the Mameluks. Here is how the Egyptian situation is described in Wikipedia's article, "French Campaign in Egypt and Syria":

"At the time the expedition was being mooted, Egypt was an Ottoman province which had collapsed in on itself, with dissension among the Mameluks. It was now out of the Ottoman sultan's direct control."

So the sultan was not the king of the south. And among the ruling Mameluks, who incidentally were not Egyptian, there was no single, national head over all. Not until Bonaparte took control of the country could there be an identifiable king of the south.

The Wikipedia article cites a report by Talleyrand describing Bonaparte's intentions in regard to his Egyptian campaign. That report is dated February 13, 1798. Just two days later, General Berthier abolished the papal government and announced the new Roman Republic. On February 20, Pope Pius VI was taken from Rome. In March, the Directory agreed to Bonaparte's Egyptian proposal, and on May 19 he set sail from Toulon to become the king of the south. I've given you these dates simply to show that precisely as the time of the end was beginning in February of 1798, Napoleon's aspirations for the conquest of Egypt were being set in motion.

The reality of Napoleon's status as king of the south may be seen in the following clips from the Wikipedia article:

"Master of Egypt's capital, on 1 July Bonaparte paused before penetrating further into the country and issued a proclamation to the Muslim inhabitants of Alexandria."

"Dupuy's brigade continued to pursue the routed enemy and at night entered Cairo, which had been abandoned by the beys Mourad and Ibrahim. On 4 thermidor (22 July), the notables of Cairo came to Giza to meet Bonaparte and offered to hand over the city to him. Three days later, he moved his main headquarters there."

"After the naval defeat at Aboukir, Bonaparte's campaign remained land-bound. However, his army still succeeded in consolidating power in Egypt, although it faced repeated nationalist uprisings, and Napoleon began to behave as absolute ruler of all Egypt."

"Bonaparte issued proclamations that cast him as a liberator of the people from Ottoman and Mameluk oppression."

"After nominally making himself master of Egypt by force, Bonaparte tried to give Egypt what he saw as the benefits of western civilisation. Cairo soon took on the appearance of a European city, with its administration confided to a 'divan' chosen from among the best men of the province. At the same time the other cities received municipal institutions. An Institut d'Egypte of French scholars was set up and he joined the title of President of the Institut to the title of academicien. The conqueror became the legislator, setting up a library, a chemistry laboruatory, a health service, a botanical garden, an observatory, an antiquities museum and a menagerie.
"Under Bonaparte's orders, the scholars drew up a comparative table of Egyptian and French weights and measures, wrote a French-Arabic dictionary and calculated a triple Egyptian, Coptic and European calendar. Two journals were set up in Cairo, one for literature and political economy under the name Decade egyptienne, and the other for politics under the title Courrier egyptien."

After squelching an October 22, 1798 revolt against him in Cairo, his rule was unchallenged. Wikipedia says, "While Bonaparte remained in Egypt, there was no further revolt."

So now we have identified the players. The king of the south is General Bonaparte. The first "him" of verse 40 is the king of the north; and king of the north is Selim III, Ottoman Sultan and Caliph of the Muslims.

The text calls for the king of the south to first push at the king of the north. This exactly describes Bonaparte's push into Syria. Wikipedia explains this move as preemptive:

"Certain that war with the Ottoman sultan was imminent and that he would be unable to defend against the Ottoman army, Bonaparte decided that his best defense would be to attack them first in Syria."

On February 5, 1799 he set off with 13,000 soldiers and 80 cannons; and thus within the first year of "the time of the end," Napoleon's army had arrived at and overtaken the Ottoman-held fort at Arish.

The Wikipedia article "Napoleon I" describes his Syrian campaign this way:

"In early 1799, he moved an army into the Ottoman province of Damascus (Syria and Galilee). Bonaparte led these 13,000 French soldiers in the conquest of the coastal towns of Arish, Gaza and Jaffa, and Haifa. The attack on Jaffa was particularly brutal: Bonaparte, on discovering many of the defenders were former prisoners of war, ostensibly on parole, ordered the garrison and 1,400 prisoners to be executed by bayonet or drowning to save bullets. Men, women and children were robbed and murdered for three days."

The Hebrew word translated "push" in this verse also means "to gore." No word could better describe the bayonet massacre at Jaffa.

"And the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships"

When General Bonaparte reached the coastal town of Acre, the tide of the war turned in favor of the Sultan's forces. Not only did Napoleon there encounter the newly formed Ottoman infantry elites, but the Sultan had also assembled a large army to attack from Asia, while from the sea came fleets of Ottoman and British warships.

"And he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over"

"Now it would seem to be the more natural application to refer the 'overflowing and passing over' to that power which emerged in triumph from that struggle; and that power was Turkey. We will only add that one who is familiar with the Hebrew assures us that the construction of this passage is such as to make it necessary to refer the overflowing and passing over to the king of the north, these words expressing the result of that movement which is just before likened to the fury of the whirlwind." -Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation, 1901 ed., p. 278.

Verse 41        Text

"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"

"To what do verses 41-43 relate? To the advantages and prestige gained by the Turks in that war of 1798-1801. They recovered all the places taken by the French in the 'glorious land,'--Palestine; they did not turn aside eastward to overrun Edom and Moab and Ammon; but did enter Egypt, put it under heavy tribute, and received embassies of friendship and congratulation from the Libyans and Ethiopians, located southward in the interior of Africa." -Bible Readings for the Home Circle, 1890 ed., p. 394.

Verse 42        Text

"He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape"

"This language seems to imply that Egypt would be brought into subjection to some power from whose dominion it would desire to be released. . . . The language would not be appropriate if applied to the French; the Egyptians did not desire to escape out of their hands. They did desire to escape from the hands of the Turks, but could not." -Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation, 1901 ed., p. 280.

Verse 43        Text

"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"

"When the French were driven out of Egypt, and the Turks took possession, the sultan permitted the Egyptians to reorganize their government as it was before the French invasion. He asked of the Egyptians neither soldiers, guns, nor fortifications, but left them to manage their own affairs independently, with the important exception of putting the nation under tribute to himself. In the articles of agreement between the sultan and the pasha of Egypt, it was stipulated that the Egyptians should pay annually to the Turkish government a certain amount of gold and silver, and 'six hundred thousand measures of corn, and four hundred thousand of barley.'" -Historic Echoes of the Voice of God, p. 49.

Verse 44        Text

"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"

Verse 45        Text

"And he"

This "he" is the king of the north. And throughout the chapter that "north" hasn't moved. The chapter's first reference to "the king of the north" is found in verse 6. That king was Antiochus Theos. His capital was located at Antioch on the Orontes River, the same city which three centuries later would become the cradle of Gentile Christianity. Antioch continued as the Seleucid capital throughout the remainder of the kingdom's existence (verses 6-15). So if any single city could be thought of as representative of the dominion of the king of the north, Antioch certainly would. When, at the time of the end, the king of the north next appears in the prophecy (verse 40), Antioch was then in the center of the Ottoman Empire which received the prophetic spotlight through verse 44. In 1939 Antioch was incorporated into the Republic of Turkey to whose evolving stature we now look for the fulfillment of this final verse.

"Shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain"

The king of the north is here predicted to set up headquarters "between the seas in the glorious holy mountain." What is the glorious holy mountain? Let's ask the Scriptures to tell us.

Daniel  9:16 - "Jerusalem, thy holy mountain"
Daniel 11:16 - "The glorious land"
Daniel 11:41 - "The glorious land"
Daniel 11:45 - "The glorious holy mountain"

The "glorious land" in Daniel 11:16 is indisputably the land of Judea in 63 BC. The "glorious land" in verse 41 is Judea in 1799. The "glorious holy mountain" can be nothing other than Jerusalem, situated between the Mediterranean Sea and Dead Sea. There is no reason for Gabriel to change the meaning of a term in the middle of his story. The prophecy, therefore, calls for Turkey to take over Jerusalem and establish "the tabernacles of his palace" there.

"In the struggle of East and West, Jerusalem will always be central." Ted Danforth, The Eastern Question: A Geopolitical History in 108 Maps & Drawings, Anekdota, 2015, p. 114.

A century ago, the leading expositors of Daniel 11 held that the Turks, soon to be pushed out of Europe, would then move their capital to Jerusalem, which was within their territory. But following World War I, the Ottoman Empire was dismantled, Palestine was placed under British mandate, and the new Republic of Turkey established its capital at Ankara. Since then, many have given up on a literal, geographical fulfillment of the prophecy and are now experimenting with various spiritual interpretations. Uncertainty keeps most preachers from trying to explain it at all.

The question needs to be asked, Why did we give up the literal view of Daniel 11:40-45? Was it because it was an unbiblical method of interpretation? No. That method had worked out just fine through the first 39 verses. In fact, all the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation make their clearest sense when the text is taken just as it reads unless a symbol is specified. The only reason we gave up a geographical application of this passage was because the thing that had been predicted didn't happen.

But could there be a reason why it didn't happen? As we look back over the last century and a half, we are faced with the stark reality that no prophetic marker events have occurred since the middle of the 19th century! In fact, the only Bible prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled are the final events immediately connected with the coming of Jesus and beyond. It seems that by the late 1800s everything was ready for Jesus to come -- except His people.

Jesus had mentioned the need for readiness among those who would wait for His coming (Luke 12:40; Matthew 24:44; 25:10). When the marriage of the Lamb finally arrives, it is announced that "his wife hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7). The only reasonable explanation why Daniel 11:45 hasn't happened yet is the hold called for in Revelation chapter 7.

"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." Revelation 7:1-3.

Nothing more can happen in the prophetic countdown until God's people are sealed in their foreheads.