Friday, February 12, 2010

Who are Daniel's kings of the South and North?

Question from Joseph:
Brother Bob, I was reading Daniel 11, and I don't understand who it is talking about when it describes the "king of the South" and the "king of the North." Who does this mean?

Answer from Pastor Bob:
Although it may bring to the mind of some Americans the Civil War, it does not refer to Confederates and Yankees!
This passage is a prophecy about Alexander the Great ("a mighty king" from Greece mentioned in Daniel 11:2-3), whose "empire will be broken up" (11:4). We know from history that Alexander's empire was divided after his death. "The king of the South" refers to Ptolemaic rulers in Egypt, and "the king of the North" refers to Seleucid rulers whose empire stretched from Syria to part of India. A good study Bible can list the specific rulers and dates of the battles described in the chapter.
The king who exalts himself described in Daniel 11:36 and following seems to shift from kings known in history to the future Antichrist.

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