The first half of the Book of Daniel apart from chapter 2 is a narrative.
Daniel's prophetic ministry begins in chapter 7 & continues in 8 &11
Daniel 2 is a dream given to a heathen King & is the foundation prophecy.
God gives Daniel the interpretation which he relays to the King in vs 26-45
The Dream outlined four worldly kingdoms commencing with Babylon
The other kingdoms are not identified in Daniel 2
These are left to chaps 7, 8, & 11 with repetition & enlargement from 2 to 11
Daniel 8 is the last prophecy containing symbols - Ram, He-Goat, Little Horn
Daniel 2 & 7 are paired with 7 being the complete symbolic prophecy
Daniel 8 & 11 go together with 11 giving a detailed explanation of 8
Babylon had been identified in Dan 2, hence 8 & 11 start with Medo-Persia
The Daniel 5 narrative identifies the next kingdom of Daniel 2 - Medo-Persia
Daniel 8 identifies the second, third and fourth kingdoms of the Dan 2 image
Daniel 8 - the RAM are the Kings of MEDO-PERSIA - v 20
Daniel 8 - the HE-GOAT is the King of GRECIA - v 21
Daniel 8 - the LITTLE HORN is the King of fierce countenance - v 23
The LITTLE Horn off the head of the 4th BEAST in Daniel 7 is PAPAL ROME
A HORN does not exist in isolation. It must be in the head of a beast Dan 7:20
Hence the fourth beast of Daniel 7 is in Daniel 8 with its Little horn on its head
Hence the LITTLE HORN in Daniel 8 is symbolic of both Rome & Papal Rome
Therefore, Daniel 11 is a detailed explanation of the Kingdoms in Daniel 8 and fills in the details of the Daniel 2 image. There are only four wordly Kingdoms in the Daniel 2 image before the stone strikes the image at its feet of Iron & Clay. Babylon has already been identified in Daniel 2, hence Daniel 8 & 11 complete the picture
THE KINGDOMS OF THE DANIEL CHAPTER 2 IMAGE
The Book of Daniel follows an ABB'A' pattern
Daniel 2 has the image of a MAN (A)
Daniel 7 has BEASTS (B)
Daniel 8 has BEASTS (B')
Daniel 11 has the MEN who ruled the Kingdoms (B')
BABYLON IS THE KING OF THE NORTH IN DANIEL 2
Daniel 11 focuses on the kings of the North & South, i.e. the kingdoms north & south of Jerusalem. Some claim that the whole chapter refers to literal places literally north or south of literal Jerusalem because the chapter begins speaking of literal places and must therefore end this way. However as reasonable as this may sound it is not a Biblical rule of interpretation. No Bible passage claims that a chapter must be either all symbolic or all literal. When comparing Scripture with Scripture points to the last part of the chapter being symbolic this overides all human rules of interpretation. Furthermore the chapter breaks in Scripture were not given by God but were added arbitrarily by unispired men centuries after the Bible was completed. God did not define where the chapter ends so all interpretations which require the end of the chapter to be known are therefore private interpretations.
THE CENTRE OF THE PROPHETIC COMPASS
Literal Israel WAS the geographic centre of prophecy:
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; This [is] Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the
nations and countries [that are] round about her.” Ezekiel 5:5.
However when the kingdom of God was taken from literal Israel and given to the
church, SPIRITUAL Israel (Matt 21:43), the CHURCH became the ‘geographic’ centre of prophetic terminology. As the church is global that which is said to be north or south of the church cannot be taken literally.
North and South of spiritual Israel now represent spiritual ideologies - North (Babylon), South (Atheistic). It is similar to the political terms “right wing” & “left wing” which do not refer to literal locations but ways of thinking.
As the transfer from literal to spiritual Israel occurred in A.D.34, at the end of the 70
week prophecy of Daniel 9, those portions of Daniel 11 describing events after A.D.34 should be understood spiritually.
For example verses 40-41 refer to Edom, Moab & Ammon in the time of the end. As
these peoples had vanished long before the time of the end they are clearly to be
understood spiritually. See on v 40-41.
NORTH - BABYLON
The kingdom said to be north of literal Israel was literal Babylon (Ezekiel 26:7). The
kingdom said to be north of spiritual Israel is spiritual Babylon - Revelation 17:5.
The King of the North is another name for Babylon. Though not directly north of
Jerusalem Babylon was said to be north because when they attacked Israel they skirted around the Arabian desert and came down upon Israel from the north. “From the north...The lion...the destroyer of the Gentiles.” (Jer 4:6-7).
“...toward the north by the river Euphrates.” “in the north country by the river Euphrates.” (Jer 46:6, 10; also Jer 1:13-15; 6:1; 25:9, 26).
In end time prophecy Babylon does not refer to a literal city but
to a spiritual power.
Rev 17:18 “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Babylon is said to be the woman (whore) described in Rev 17. “The great whore...Mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots.”
A woman in prophecy symbolizes a church and an apostate woman symbolises an
apostate church. Babylon therefore represents the apostate church. While Babylon is a family name for all spiritual confusion, “The power that for so many centuries maintained despotic sway over the monarchs of Christendom is Rome.” GC, p382.
The true king of the north is God Himself but the evil one has sought God’s place.
Of Satan it is said “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the NORTH:” Isa 14:13.
The glory of God is presented as coming from the north (Ezekiel 40:43:1-4)
Satan’s system has usurped the position rightly belonging to God and sits as an
imposter king of the north.
SOUTH - ATHEISM
Dan 11:8-9 tells us that when “the king of the south” returned “into his own
kingdom,” he returned “into Egypt,” showing that Egypt WAS the king of the south. Spiritually speaking Egypt, the king of the South represents atheism.
Pharaoh manifested a disbelief in the true God when he said, “...Who [is] the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2
“Of all nations...Egypt most boldly denied the existence of the living God... this is
atheism.” E.G. White, The Great Controversy, p 269.
Lamenting over the worldly state of the church the Lord’s messenger wrote,
“The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader and is steadily
retreating toward Egypt.” 5T, p217. Note: This is not literally but spiritually.
“South - Heb. negeb, from an unused root meaning to be parched.” Strong’s Concordance of the Bible.
As waters frequently symbolise the Holy Spirit a parched area might be thought of
as a place lacking the spirit of God and there is nothing so lacking God’s spirit as
atheism.
Literal Babylon, the Head of Gold is the King of the North in Daniel 2. Hence, Spiritual Babylon at the Feet of Iron & Clay is the spiritual King of the North in Daniel 2. Therefore, any discussion concerning the King of the North in Daniel 11 must recognise this transition from LITERAL to SPIRITUAL as found in Daniel 2. Papal Rome is the King of the North in the prophetic end time of this earth's history
The Kingdoms of the North & South were divisions of Alexander's empire.
Grecia did not cease to exist with the death of Alexander the Great.
Grecia was divided by Alexander's four generals
Grecia finally resolved itself into the two kingdoms of the North & South
Seleucus ruled in the North (Syria & Seleucia) and Ptolemy in the South (Egypt)
The Literal Kings of the North did battle from Daniel 11:5-15
Rome conquered the literal King of the North (Seleucid empire) in Dan 11:16
Rome conquered the literal King of the South (Egypt) in Daniel 11:25
With Rome's victory in v 25, the Grecian Kingdom finally exists the prophecy.
The BRASS of the Daniel 2 image has now transitioned to the Legs of IRON.
Rome transitions to Papal Rome in Daniel 11:30-31
Papal Rome continues on as the spiritual King of the North in Daniel 11
Papal Rome is the King of the North.
May God bless you as you study into these things for the time is at hand
Elias
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