Commentary - Daniel 11:40-45

Bird's-eye view

In this closing section of Daniel 11, the angel concludes his detailed prophecy concerning the conflicts of earthly kingdoms. Having traced the line of conflict from Persia, through Greece, and down to the struggles between the Seleucids (the king of the North) and the Ptolemies (the king of the South), the prophecy now leaps forward to what is called "the time of the end." The central theme of the book of Daniel is the absolute sovereignty of God over the affairs of men, and this passage is the capstone of that theme. Earthly kings rage and scheme, but they do so within the boundaries established by the Ancient of Days. Their fury is but a tempest in a teacup, and their end is determined before their beginning. The ultimate purpose of all this turmoil is the establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah, the stone cut without hands that will crush all earthly empires and grow into a mountain that fills the whole earth.

The passage details the final, furious campaign of this "king of the North." He is a figure of immense worldly power, a whirlwind of military might. But for all his fury, he is a paper tiger. He is hemmed in by God's providence, dismayed by rumors, and ultimately comes to a pathetic and unaided end. This serves as a profound encouragement to the saints. Though the world may be convulsed by the machinations of proud and godless rulers, their time is short and their doom is sure. The people of God are to know that history is not a random series of collisions, but a story being written by a sovereign Author, moving inexorably toward the triumph of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Outline

Context In Daniel

Chapters 10, 11, and 12 of Daniel form one continuous vision. Chapter 10 provides the setting, where Daniel is visited by a glorious heavenly being after a period of mourning and prayer. This being reveals that his message concerns what will happen to Daniel's people "in the latter days" (Dan 10:14). Chapter 11 is the content of that message, an astonishingly detailed prophecy of the political and military history that will affect Israel, focusing on the Ptolemaic kings of the South (Egypt) and the Seleucid kings of the North (Syria).

Many interpreters see the vast majority of Daniel 11 as having been fulfilled with meticulous accuracy in the historical conflicts leading up to and including the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 175-164 BC), who is a clear foreshadowing of the Antichrist. However, this final section (vv. 40-45) seems to describe events that did not fully align with the end of Antiochus's life. This has led many, including myself, to see a prophetic leap here. The prophecy uses the historical framework of Antiochus and the regional conflicts as a template for a final, eschatological conflict at "the time of the end." This is a common feature of biblical prophecy, where a near fulfillment serves as a type and shadow of a far fulfillment. The arrogant king of the North becomes a paradigm for the final enemy of God's people before the consummation of all things.

Verse by Verse Commentary

40 “And at the time of the end, the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter lands, overflow them, and pass through.

The phrase "at the time of the end" signals a shift. While the previous verses found their fulfillment in the Hellenistic period, we are now being pointed toward the end of the age. This is not about newspaper exegesis or trying to map these figures onto modern political leaders. Rather, it is about understanding the pattern of world history. The world is a stage for conflict between proud, grasping men who style themselves as kings. The "king of the South" and "king of the North" are archetypes of worldly power, locked in a struggle for dominance. The initial action is a "collision," a push from the South. But the response from the North is disproportionately massive. He comes like a "storm" or a "whirlwind," an overwhelming force of chariots, horsemen, and ships. This is the way of the world: violence answered with greater violence. He doesn't just conquer; he will "enter lands, overflow them, and pass through." This is the language of deluge, of a flood of destruction that sweeps everything before it. This is what the kingdoms of men do. They are built on pride, fueled by wrath, and their business is death.

41 And he will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.

The whirlwind of the northern king's fury inevitably sweeps him into the "Beautiful Land," which is, of course, Israel. God's covenant land is always central to the conflicts of history because it is central to God's redemptive plan. The enemy of God will always make God's people his target. "Many countries will fall," the text says, indicating the scope of his temporary triumph. But then we have a curious detail: Edom, Moab, and Ammon will be "rescued out of his hand." These are the traditional enemies of Israel, located to the east and south. Why are they spared? The text doesn't explicitly say, but it serves to underscore the sovereign control of God over this whole affair. The king's conquests are not absolute. He goes only as far as God permits. God can preserve even the historic enemies of His people for His own purposes. This is not a testament to their virtue, but to God's intricate and often inscrutable providence. He moves all the pieces on the board, and not one chariot rolls without His permission.

42 Then he will send forth his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape.

His ambition is boundless. Having entered the Beautiful Land, his hand is stretched out against many other countries. The prophecy specifically notes that "the land of Egypt will not escape." Egypt, the historic "king of the South," the initial aggressor in verse 40, will be thoroughly subjugated. This completes the picture of the northern king's dominance. He has crushed his rival and now stands astride the region as an unrivaled power. This is the pinnacle of his worldly success. He has achieved what all tyrants dream of: total victory and the elimination of his foes. But as we know from all of Scripture, the moment of man's greatest pride is often the prelude to his swiftest fall.

43 But he will rule over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the desirable things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.

Conquest is never just about power; it is also about plunder. The king seizes control of the legendary wealth of Egypt, its "hidden treasures of gold and silver." He also subjugates the surrounding nations, represented by the Libyans and Ethiopians, who are now forced to "follow at his heels" as vassals or mercenaries. He has it all: military supremacy, political dominion, and fabulous wealth. From a purely worldly perspective, he is the ultimate success story. He has built an empire through ruthless efficiency. But what is all this in the sight of God? It is chaff, dust in the wind. The treasures of Egypt are nothing compared to the riches of God's grace in Christ. The armies of Libya and Ethiopia are nothing compared to the host of heaven. This king is playing for trinkets while the saints are heirs to the world.

44 But reports from the East and from the North will dismay him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and devote many to destruction.

And here, the wheels begin to come off. At the very height of his power, with Egypt's treasures in his coffers, he is troubled by "reports from the East and from the North." The world is a restless place, and no tyrant can ever truly be secure. His vast empire is already showing cracks. He is dismayed, troubled, unnerved. And how does this great man of power respond to being unnerved? Not with wisdom or diplomacy, but with raw fury. He goes forth with "great wrath." His goal is not just to conquer, but "to destroy and devote many to destruction." The Hebrew word for "devote to destruction" is herem, the same word used for the utter destruction of the Canaanites. This is a man who, when frightened, lashes out with genocidal rage. His insecurity fuels his brutality. This is the true nature of godless power. It is built on fear and maintained by terror.

45 And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

His final act is one of supreme arrogance and sacrilege. He sets up his royal headquarters, his command center, "between the seas" (the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea) "and the beautiful Holy Mountain" (Mount Zion, Jerusalem). He plants his flag, the standard of his own ego, in the very heart of God's holy land. This is a direct challenge to the God of heaven. He is making himself the center of the world, on God's own turf. And what is the result of this ultimate act of hubris? The conclusion is stated with stark, almost anticlimactic simplicity: "yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him." After all the storming, the overflowing, the conquering, the plundering, and the raging, it just... ends. There is no great battle described. No heroic last stand. He simply comes to his end. All his vassals, the Libyans and Ethiopians at his heels, are nowhere to be found. All his treasures cannot buy him a single ally. He dies alone, abandoned, and helpless. This is the end of all who set themselves against the Lord and His Anointed. God doesn't need an army to deal with them. He simply withdraws His hand, and they collapse into the nothingness from which they came.

Application

The first and most obvious application is that God is sovereign over the affairs of nations. The kings and presidents and prime ministers who strut and fret their hour upon the stage are all playing parts in a story He is writing. They imagine they are in control, but they are puppets, and God holds the strings. This should fill the Christian with a profound sense of peace. We are not to be dismayed by the headlines, by the rumors of wars, or by the rise of arrogant and godless rulers. Their end is written.

Second, we see the utter futility of worldly power and wealth. The king of the North had everything the world esteems: military might, political control, and immense riches. And what did it get him in the end? An unassisted death in a land that was not his. We are called to seek a different kind of kingdom, a different kind of treasure. Our citizenship is in heaven, and our King is Jesus Christ, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion. We are to invest in that which cannot be taken away, the riches of glory in Christ Jesus.

Finally, this passage is a great encouragement to faithfulness in the midst of turmoil. The king of the North specifically targets the "Beautiful Land" and sets up his pavilion on the "beautiful Holy Mountain." The enemies of God will always direct their fury against the people of God. We should not be surprised when the world rages against the church. But like this king, their rage has a limit, and their time is short. Our duty is to remain faithful, to trust in our sovereign God, and to know that the one who comes to his end with no one to help him is the enemy, not the saint. For the saint, when he comes to his end, finds that he is not alone at all, but is rather welcomed into the presence of the one who has conquered all kings and holds all of history in His hand.