Today’s bible study is titled, Who is the king of the north in Daniel 11. It is presented by Dwight Nelson.
Daniel chapters 10-12 are probably the most difficult chapters of the book of Daniel in terms of interpretation. There is simply little agreement on the correct interpretation of these prophecies.
This is despite the fact that these prophecies do not use symbols in the same way as the other prophecies in the book of Daniel i.e. Daniel 2,7,8 and 10.
There have been a myriad of interpretations as regards the identity of the king of the north. Most of the interpretations have based their interpretations on the political climate of their day in determining as to who is or who is the king of the north.
I, however, believe that when Daniel was writing the book of Daniel he must have looked at Babylon and its successors as the king of the north. He also had Egypt in mind when he heard about the king of the south in the vision.
This interpretation is based on the geographical location of the state of Israel and the influential players in that area. In those days it was Egypt to the South and Babylon to the north.
Whether the focus should still be on the state of Israel in view of the fact that the New Testament now refers to the Christian Church as the New spiritual Israel is something that has been fiercely debated. Even if we were to agree on this, we would still have to identify the king of the north and the king of the south.
When the Ottoman Empire held sway in the Middle East, most scholars interpreted the king of the north as standing for the Ottoman Empire. Some still see Turkey as the king of the north but most people have moved on since the demise of the Ottoman empire.
Back in the day when the Soviet Union was still intact with its vast nuclear arsenal most people interpreted the king of the north to stand for the Soviet Union. In fact so many expositors still see Russia as the king of the north.
Now that we have the Islamic State and other terrorist groups causing all sorts of problems in the Middle East and the rest of the world; the attention on the identity of the king of the north has once again shifted to Islam as representing the king of the north.
From the foregoing, you can actually see that the last chapters of Daniel present all sorts of problems for expositors.
The focus of the below is on the identification of the king of the north as found in the book of Daniel 11. The presenter, Dr. Dwight Nelson is perhaps one of the most eloquent preachers in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
May God bless you as you read this sermon and I encourage you to leave your comments in the comments box below. I need to know your opinions whether negative or positive.
Who Is The King of The North in Daniel 11 – Dwight Nelson Sermon
Please find below the bible study guide for this study as found on http://www.pmchurch.tv
“Rumors from the East (9): King of the North”
www.pmchurch.tv
A careful reading of Daniel 11 reveals that the “king of the north” is a metaphor to describe a succession of earth powers that will subjugate the people of God throughout the rest sacred history: Persia, Greece (Seleucids), and Rome.
From Daniel’s perspective as a faithful Israelite, all these powers are north of the homeland of his people.
And so when the prophets described impending crisis, it was from the north that calamity would come (see Jeremiah 1:13, 14).
Daniel 11’s defining characteristics of the King of the North:
v 31—He defiles the sanctuary and takes away the daily sacrifices and replaces them with the “abomination of desolation.”
vv 32-35—He persecutes the people of God.
v 36—He exalts and magnifies himself above every god and speaks blasphemies against the God of gods.
v 37—He will not regard the God of his fathers nor the desire of women nor any god.
v 38, 39—He shall honor a god which his fathers did not know, a “foreign god” whose “glory” he will advance.
v 39—He will rule over many and profit from his sales.
v 40—He is mortally wounded by eventually recovers.
v 40—He conquers the King of the South or Egypt, identified by some commentators as a symbol of atheism or godlessness (see Exodus 5:2).
vv 41-43—He is a global power.
v 44—He is threatened by spiritual rumors from the east.
v 45—He panics and sets out to possess “the glorious holy mountain,” a prophetic symbol for Mt. Zion, the loyal remnant of God (see Joel 2:32; Revelation 14:1; Psalm 48:2).
v 45—He is suddenly brought to his end at the end of time.
So who is this power, this King of the North?
Clearly he is not a single individual, for Daniel 11’s prophetic history spans too long a time period for one man to live and rule.
And if he is not a person, then he must be a power (nation, kingdom, institution, etc).
#It is a religious, not a secular power—since it receives worship, exalts itself above God, and speaks blasphemies against God.
#It is a militant if not military power, for it commands armies and attacks fortresses.
#It is a ruling, global power, for it possesses a palace, conquers nations, and seeks to control a people.
Thus, the King of the North symbolizes a geo-religio-political power that succeeded the empire of Rome and has effectively dominated religious and political history since, except for the time of its mortal wounding, after which it would be healed and exert an even greater global dominance.
Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan: “And if a man considers the original of this great ecclesiastical dominion, he will easily perceive, that the _________is no other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.” (http://oll.libertyfund.org/Texts/Hobbes0123/Works/HTMLs/Vol03/0051-03_Pt05_Part4.html)
See also II Thes 2:3-8 and Rev 17
What are the three “rumors from the east” that bring down the final curtain?
Rumor #1—the global revival of God’s glory shining in the face of Jesus and shining out from the followers of Christ (Rev 18:1; Ez 43:1,2).
Christ’s Object Lessons 415, 416: “The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character, they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them. The light of the Sun of Righteousness is to shine forth in good works–in words of truth and deeds of holiness.”
Rumor #2—the global revival of God’s seventh-day Sabbath, “the seal of the living God” placed upon a final generation’s choice to remain loyal to their Creator (Rev 7:1-4).
Great Controversy 605: “The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not…..While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.”
Rumor #3—the global withdrawal of support for the King of the North, suddenly preparing the way for the coming of the King of the East (Rev 16:12).
This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. . . . Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. . . .Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only?” (GC 625)
Three rumors, two kings, one choice
-The End-
Related:
Dwight Nelson Sermons: The Truth About Hell: Is Hell Everlasting?
Understanding The Trinity Doctrine in the Bible – Dr Dwight Nelson
