Daniel 11:37KJV
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.
----The Setup----
If we read through all of Daniel 11 we notice that both Dan 11 and Dan 12 are one continuous narrative if we removed chapter markings.
With this understanding, we notice that if Dan 11 starts off describing 3 Persian kings, with a 4th who stirs up against the realm of
Grecia/Greece (a kingdom that no longer exists)...
...but ends with Dan 12 describing archangel Michael standing up for Daniel's people, with a time of great trouble beginning for them (which we know is the
end-times great tribulation)...
...then it's safe to conclude that the angel is explaining to Daniel a
summary timeline of events that spans
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years (from Daniel's perspective). In other words, Daniel 11-12 is not exclusively an "end time" prophecy.
This means that those described as "King of the North" and "King of the South" are not individual people but
kingdoms, most likely ruled by
principalities (as was explained to Daniel when the "Prince of Persia" prevented Gabriel from reaching Daniel without Michael's help).
So it follows that these kingdom territories are "north" and "south" of Daniel's pov (i.e. the middle-east area ruled by Medes at the time). No matter the
name a kingdom takes on - or which human currently sits on those thrones from one rule to the next - the kingdom that's based "north" of the middle-east // Jerusalem area is the "king of the north" and the kingdom based "south" of that area is the "king of the south".
----Critical Point----
At the beginning of the narrative, the "King of the north" was the Grecian Empire because Greece is "north" of the middle-east. And the "king of the south" was the Seleucid Empire based in Egypt, "south" of the middle-east.
But then during the time of Messiah, the "king of the north" was the Roman Empire because Rome is "north" of the middle-east area.
This Empire spanned many, many years until the "king of the south" challenged the "king of the north" for the "glorious land" (Jerusalem): the Islamic Empire based in Mecca // Arabia, "south" of the middle-east.
----Text in Context----
Daniel 11:45
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.
"The
glorious holy mountain" = Mt. Moriah; Jerusalem
"between the seas" (of that mountain) = the Dead Sea & Mediterranean Sea
"His tabernacles/Palace" is planted (before a time of trouble begins for the Jews; Dan 12) = ???
----Historical Confirmation----
Q: What historic "dwelling place" was planted smack dab on Holy Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem that could either be claimed by the Roman Empire
OR the Islamic Empire?
A: The Dome of the Rock. It is of Roman architecture but used for Islamic worship.
Prior to the Dome of the Rock, Papal Rome ("Holy" Roman Empire, based in Rome...the NORTH) fought with Islamic Saracens (based in Mecca...the SOUTH).
Following the Dome of the Rock, the crusades involved the Pope's army ("Holy" Roman Empire, based in Rome...the NORTH) trying to reclaim the holy land from Islamic rule (based in Mecca...the SOUTH).
----Fulfillment----
I went through all of this to set the boundaries for confirming who the "King of the North" is as described in
Daniel 11:36-39.
The King of the North was/is currently Papal Rome. Regardless of who sits on the throne, the king historically...
- IS a kingdom with an army.
- Exalts & magnifies himself above every god (i.e. caesar & pope claimed to be "god in the flesh")
- Has documented proof of speaking blasphemously against the God of gods ("a pope can change biblical law")
- Propers throughout the dark ages
- Did not regard the god of forefathers (the Greco-Roman pantheon; paganism)
- Doesn't desire women (since celibacy is a requirement)
- Honors the god of forces/fortresses (i.e. Cybele the god of fortresses [literally has a fortress as her crown] was renamed Mary, Queen of heaven)
- Causes strongholds to rule over many (as popes would install kings throughout lands)
- Divides the Holy Land for gain.
- Then Islamic Saracens pushed at him from the south but he came like a whirlwind (declaring war on them)
- Daniel 9 - It was Rome's people who
destroyed the city (of Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (of the temple) in 70 AD....and that destruction came
like a relentless flood where no one within those walls survived. And why? Because they rejected the Messiah. The entire city was razed to the ground as far as historians detail. One testimony said the soldiers were so bloodthirsty it was as if they were possessed.
----Conclusion----
It doesn't matter which incarnation Rome takes on (Pagan, "Holy", or Modern/political), Rome is the "King of the North". Rome is the "antichrist kingdom".
There were only 4 beasts in Daniel's vision before the Son of Man appeared, and the 4th one had
iron teeth. Rome was known as the
Iron Empire. The 4th beast was described as terrible-looking, while a dragon is described in Revelation 12. On Rome's banner flew "Drago" (
the dragon), just like the lion represented Babylon both in Daniel's vision as well as on their actual banner.
This kingdom - and yes it's STILL officially recognized as a sovereign kingdom today - is currently weakened because of its mortal wound from France (i.e. when the French ended the Papal state in 1798 because of persecution), only to be "healed" through the Lateran Concordat of 1929...but Papal Rome never regained its former power.
...and not many people will see it until the Messiah comes to reveal this "man of lawlessness" with the breath of His mouth and brightness of His coming.