Lesson 11 - Still in His Hands
The terms, “King of the North,” and, “King of the South,” are symbolic figures in the book of Daniel. We might ask, “North or south of what?” In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God. The temple manifested His glorious presence. The terms, “north,” or, “south,” were always in reference to God’s capital city, Jerusalem.
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Rome
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Babylon
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Mediterranean
Sea
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| Egypt |
The King of the South represents Egypt. The Egyptians challenged the true God with words of utter defiance—“Who is the Lord?” (Exodus 5:2). In a sense, the term, “King of the South,” represents all such rebellious, defiant, atheistic powers down through the ages. Every earthly political power which has persecuted Christians, avowing secular humanism and atheism, is represented in the symbolism of the King of the South.
The King of the North represents the false religious powers north of Jerusalem—first Babylon, then Rome. These two religious-political powers counterfeited God’s truth and substituted human commands for God’s law. The word of the king, or religious leader, became supreme. The King of the North represents false religion.
In the conflict between the King of the North and the King of the South, false religion and atheism battle for world supremacy. Just before the coming of Jesus, atheism crumbles. Totalitarian governments collapse. Countries once closed to the gospel open rapidly. With the demise of communism and unprecedented openings for the gospel, the prophecy of Daniel 11 is being fulfilled. The next event in the prophecy is the rise of false religion in a great counterfeit religious revival based on human commands rather than God’s Word.
A Glorious Ending: Questions 14-15
The term, “tidings,” or a message from the East, speaks of deliverance. When Israel was in Babylonian captivity, Cyrus, the king of the east, delivered her. In Revelation 19, Jesus, the King of kings, descends to deliver His children.
In the final moments of time, the King of the North, symbolizing Satan’s final attempt to unite church and state, attempts to plant His banner, or sign, between the sea (the masses of humanity, see Revelation 17:15) and the glorious Holy Mountain (God’s dwelling place, or church). Just as Nebuchadnezzar counterfeited the image of Daniel 2, compelling the entire kingdom to worship a false god, so a counterfeit political-religious leader in the last days establishes a counterfeit sign in opposition to God’s law. He places human tradition and the commandments of men above the commands of God. Yet his fate is certain. His ultimate destiny is determined. As political leaders before him utterly collapsed, so this religious-political kingdom collapses as well. He “comes to his end and none shall help him” (Daniel 11:45).
God is still in control. He is our true Redeemer. He is our true Saviour. He is our true Lawgiver, and He is our true King. His love endures forever. He still holds the world in His hands. No power on earth or in hell can wrest this world from His hands. Only He is worthy of our supreme homage, our highest praise, and our adoring worship.
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