There is a story told by Josephus, in his Jewish Antiquities, about Alexander the Great visiting. Many believe the account to be fictional, but there is compelling evidence that this is an accurate historical record. Here is what Josephus reports about the vision:
“. . . he [Alexander the Great] gave his hand to the high priest and, with the Jews running beside him, entered the city. Then he went up to the temple, where he sacrificed to God under the direction of the high priest, and showed due honour to the priests and to the high priest himself. And, when the book of Daniel was shown to him, in which he had declared that one of the Greeks would destroy the empire of the Persians, he believed himself to be the one indicated; and in his joy he dismissed the multitude for the time being, but on the following day he summoned them again and told them to ask for any gifts which they might desire. . .”
The chapter that Alexander would have been shown is Daniel 11. It’s an amazing chapter in Scripture, where the prophet Daniel unfolds hundreds of years of world history before they happen. Much of the events in Daniel 11, it is agreed, have already been fulfilled.
But there is one little statement in Daniel 11 that some believe has yet to be fulfilled, Daniel 11:40,
At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through.
Who is this “king of the North”?
What Is the Context of Daniel 11?
If we aren’t careful biblical prophecy is one of those genres of literature where we can easily get lost in the weeds. We can argue about the exact meaning of unclear and disputable interpretations and miss the big picture of what the author is telling us.
God doesn’t give us Daniel 11 to give us something akin to Biff’s Sports Almanac. If you don’t get this reference, I’m referring to Back to the Future II where the antagonist, Biff, finds an old Sports Almanac and uses it to become wealthy in the future.
Daniel has a meaning that would be relevant to his original audience, even as he is outlining hundreds of years of history.
He’s not just leaving little breadcrumbs for his great-grandkids to pick up. He’s telling a consistent message, and that message is that God is sovereign over history, and He, along with those who trust Him, will be victorious over any perceived enemy.
If we miss that message, then no matter how correct we get the details of prophecy, we aren’t applying the scriptures correctly. We should read something like Daniel 11 and breathe a sigh of relief.
That is what it is meant to do within our hearts. It’s to tell us to put on a hard hat because there might be tough sledding ahead, but to know that in the end, God is victorious, and in this, we can hope. I appreciate how Iain Duguid says it:
“On one level, it is the continual story of wars and rumors of wars, as one human ruler and empire after another seeks to gain power by cunning or force. Yet though the tide in the affairs of men comes in and goes out, in the end it accomplishes precisely nothing. The balance of power in earthly politics may shift but it never comes to a permanent rest. On the one hand, therefore, Daniel 11 shows us the fallen world pursuing the wind and finding it elusive. What do power and politics gain for all their toil? All this, as the writer of Ecclesiastes noted, is vanity” (Daniel: Reformed Expository Commentary).
The context, then, of Daniel 11 is a message to a group of exiles to put their present suffering into perspective. It’s to help them see the end of the story or at least parts of the end of the story.
When we know that history has a purpose, when we know that our suffering is getting us somewhere, it makes it that much easier to endure.
What, then, is all of this talk about the King of the North?
Who Is the King of the North?
The “King of the North” is more a series of Greek kings in Syria. Specifically, they are part of the Seleucid dynasty. The mighty Greek king that this begins with is none other than Alexander the Great. He died almost 200 years after Daniel. And after Alexander died, the vast kingdom which he had conquered was divided among four generals.
The Northern kingdoms (Syria) were given over to the Seleucid Dynasty. Those in the South (Egypt) were known as the Ptolemaic dynasty. What Daniel outlines is the history of battles between these two dynasties from 322-163 BC. And their battles would have a massive effect on the people of Israel.
One of the worst of these leaders was a guy named Antiochus Epiphanes. He murdered a high priest, invaded Egypt, and even pillaged the temple in Jerusalem. He sacrificed unclean animals in the temple. This is likely what Daniel was referencing in 11:25-28.
The narrative in Daniel fits well with the exploits of Antiochus until we get to verse 40. And it is here, especially because of the phrase “at the time of the end,” that some believe Daniel is talking about a particular figure in the End Times that will be far more wicked than Antiochus. Who, then, is this King of the North?
Some have identified this person as the Antichrist, or the man of lawlessness mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2. Others have been more specific, identifying this with the Roman Catholic pope or various czars of Russia. Some modern Bible scholars are convinced that “the North” must be a reference to Russia.
It is also possible that this is simply a reference to Antiochus V and to the end of the Greek Empire. Even if that is the case, prophecy does often function by dual fulfillment. It’s possible that Antiochus IV is just a picture of a figure of greater evil to come onto the scene in world history.
Personally, I lean towards it being a reference to the end of the Greek Empire. But I’m not entirely convinced that it couldn’t also have some significance in later world events.
What Does This Mean?
You probably were hoping to read the exact name of some contemporary figure or to read about some event that is set to happen in world events. Sorry to disappoint.
But I do have some good news. The message of Daniel is still a good message for us today. There is one King who is greater than all of these other kings. Jesus, the Son of Man — the Son of God.
History is held within his hand. And as such, we can take confidence that if the King of the North has come and gone, history marches forward and towards its climax of the revealing of Jesus Christ.
If there is still a King of the North who is to come, the same is true. Jesus is greater. And it is in him that we can trust. This is Daniel’s point. God is sovereign over human history. No matter what historical situation you are facing, God is the same God.
For further reading:
Why Does Daniel Have the Most Memorable Bible Stories?
How Is Jesus a King Like No Other?
What Does the Bible Say about the Antichrist?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/supawat bursuk
Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.
