Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Daniel 11
Daniel 11:32He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
This verse highlights that while an oppressor may use lies to win people over, those who have a deep relationship with God will have the courage to resist.Daniel 11:35And some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.
It explains that even when the wise suffer, God uses those difficult times to clean, purify, and prepare His people for the end.Daniel 11:45And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.
This passage reminds us that even the most arrogant and powerful tyrants will eventually meet their end with no one to save them.
Historical & Cultural Context
Heavenly Guidance Behind Earthly Thrones
Following the vision in chapter 10, a heavenly messenger continues to speak to Daniel by the Tigris River. The messenger explains that he has been working behind the scenes to support and strengthen leaders like Darius the Mede (Daniel 11:1). This sets the stage for a revelation about the coming shift from the Persian Empire to the Greek Empire. It shows that spiritual forces are active in the political affairs of the world.
The Endless Cycle of War and Betrayal
The messenger describes a long and complicated series of wars and political marriages between the 'King of the North' and the 'King of the South.' These leaders represent the divided parts of Alexander the Great's former empire, specifically the Seleucids and the Ptolemies. The narrative is filled with broken promises, deceitful alliances, and constant power struggles. Through all this, the 'Glorious Land' of Israel is caught in the middle of the conflict.
The Blueprint of Future Empires
In Daniel 11:1-45, the messenger provides a chronological map of the conflicts that will impact God's people. The scene moves from the Persian kings to the sudden rise and division of the Greek empire, eventually focusing on a specific, arrogant ruler who persecutes the faithful. This detailed prophecy was given to Daniel to prepare the people for the difficult years ahead.
The Rise of Greece (Daniel 11:1-4)
1 "And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him."
2 And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.
3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills.
4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
Commentary:
A powerful king rises to rule the world, but his empire is quickly split apart after his death.
The North and South Conflict (Daniel 11:5-20)
5 "Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority."
6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.
7 "But one from her offspring shall arise in his place, and he shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail."
8 Then he shall carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north.
9 Then the king of the south shall come into the realm of the king of the north, but he shall return to his own land.
10 "His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress."
11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand.
12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.
13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.
14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail.
15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand.
16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand.
17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage.
18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence; indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him.
19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.
20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle.
Commentary:
Two rival kingdoms engage in a long series of wars, alliances, and betrayals that fail to bring lasting peace.
The Contemptible Oppressor (Daniel 11:21-35)
21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
22 Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant.
23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people.
24 In a time of security he shall come even upon the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers. He shall scatter among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time.
25 "And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him."
26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.
27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.
28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.
29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before.
30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. So he shall turn back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.
32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder.
34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help.
35 And some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.
Commentary:
A deceitful leader rises to power, attacks God's people, and pollutes the temple, testing the faith of the wise.
The King of Pride (Daniel 11:36-45)
36 "And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done."
37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.
39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.
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."
41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites.
42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train.
44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction.
45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.
Commentary:
An arrogant king who thinks he is a god eventually faces his end without any help.
Spiritual Truths in the Midst of Political Chaos
The Sovereignty of God
The chapter reveals that God is not surprised by the rise of tyrants or the shifting of borders. By describing these events in such detail before they happen, God shows that He is the one who ultimately allows kings to rise and fall according to His 'appointed time.'
The Power of Knowing God
In the middle of intense persecution and deceit, the text emphasizes that 'the people who know their God shall stand firm.' This suggests that a personal, deep relationship with the Creator is the only thing that provides true stability when the world is falling apart.
Refining Through Trial
Suffering is not portrayed as a sign of God's absence, but as a process of being 'refined, purified, and made white.' These difficult seasons serve to strengthen the character of the faithful and prepare them for the final fulfillment of God's plans.
Applying Daniel's Vision to Your Life
Daniel 11 shows that God has already seen the end from the beginning, as seen in verse 2. You can find peace by remembering that no matter how loud or scary the news becomes, God is still the one who holds the 'appointed time' for every event in history.
Standing firm, as mentioned in verse 32, means refusing to let the 'flatteries' or pressures of the world change your commitment to God. It involves staying true to your values and your relationship with Him even when it is unpopular or difficult to do so.
Verse 35 teaches that stumbling can actually lead to being 'refined' and 'purified.' When you face trials, you can ask God to use that pain to grow your character and make your faith more sincere, knowing that the struggle has a purpose.
The Unshakable Kingdom of God
Daniel 11 reveals that human history is a series of rising and falling powers, all of which are temporary and prone to pride. In the midst of these shifting empires, God remains the constant authority who protects His people and refines them through their trials. The message is clear: while earthly kings may do as they will for a season, their time is limited, and God's purposes will always prevail. We are invited to trust in the God who knows the future and provides the strength to stand firm regardless of who sits on an earthly throne.
What This Means for Us Today
History is not a series of random accidents, but a story moving toward a specific conclusion. Daniel 11 invites us to stop putting our ultimate hope in political leaders or human strength and instead anchor our lives in the God who rules them all. By knowing Him deeply, we can face any 'appointed time' of trouble with courage and hope.
- In what areas of your life are you trusting in human 'fortresses' instead of God?
- How can you encourage someone else who is currently 'stumbling' or feeling overwhelmed by the world?
- What is one step you can take today to deepen your personal knowledge of God?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Connections Across Scripture
Jesus references the 'abomination of desolation' mentioned in Daniel 11 to warn about future trials.
Describes a future world leader who, like the king in Daniel 11, exalts himself and speaks against God.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think God gave Daniel such a detailed look at future wars and political conflicts?
- Daniel 11:32 says those who 'know their God' will take action. What are some practical ways we can 'know' God better in our daily lives?
- The chapter mentions that some of the wise will 'stumble' to be refined. How have you seen a difficult time in your life actually make your faith stronger?