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Two Kings in ConflictPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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Chapter Thirteen
Two Kings in Conflict
1, 2. Why should we be interested in the prophecy recorded in Daniel chapter 11?
TWO rival kings are locked in an all-out struggle for supremacy. As the years pass, first one, then the other, gains ascendancy. At times, one king rules supreme while the other becomes inactive, and there are periods of no conflict. But then another battle suddenly erupts, and the conflict continues. Among the participants in this drama have been Syrian King Seleucus I Nicator, Egyptian King Ptolemy Lagus, Syrian Princess and Egyptian Queen Cleopatra I, Roman Emperors Augustus and Tiberius, and Palmyrene Queen Zenobia. As the conflict nears its end, Nazi Germany, the Communist bloc of nations, the Anglo-American World Power, the League of Nations, and the United Nations have also been involved. The finale is an episode unforeseen by any of these political entities. Jehovah’s angel declared this exciting prophecy to the prophet Daniel some 2,500 years ago.—Daniel, chapter 11.
2 How thrilled Daniel must have been to hear the angel reveal to him in detail the rivalry between two forthcoming kings! The drama is of interest to us as well, for the power struggle between the two kings stretches into our day. Seeing how history has shown the first part of the prophecy to be true will strengthen our faith and confidence in the certainty of fulfillment of the last part of the prophetic account. Paying attention to this prophecy will give us a clear view of where we are in the stream of time. It will also fortify our resolve to remain neutral in the conflict as we patiently wait for God to act in our behalf. (Psalm 146:3, 5) With keen attention, then, let us listen as Jehovah’s angel speaks to Daniel.
AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF GREECE
3. Whom did the angel support “in the first year of Darius the Mede”?
3 “As for me,” said the angel, “in the first year of Darius the Mede [539/538 B.C.E.] I stood up as a strengthener and as a fortress to him.” (Daniel 11:1) Darius was no longer living, but the angel referred to his reign as the starting point of the prophetic message. It was this king who had ordered that Daniel be taken out of the lions’ pit. Darius had also decreed that all his subjects should fear Daniel’s God. (Daniel 6:21-27) However, the one for whom the angel stood up as a supporter was, not Darius the Mede, but the angel’s associate Michael—the prince of Daniel’s people. (Compare Daniel 10:12-14.) God’s angel provided this support while Michael contended with the demon prince of Medo-Persia.
4, 5. Who were the foretold four kings of Persia?
4 God’s angel continued: “Look! There will yet be three kings standing up for Persia, and the fourth one will amass greater riches than all others. And as soon as he has become strong in his riches, he will rouse up everything against the kingdom of Greece.” (Daniel 11:2) Just who were these Persian rulers?
5 The first three kings were Cyrus the Great, Cambyses II, and Darius I (Hystaspes). Since Bardiya (or perhaps a pretender named Gaumata) ruled for only seven months, the prophecy did not take his brief reign into consideration. In 490 B.C.E., the third king, Darius I, attempted to invade Greece for the second time. However, the Persians were routed at Marathon and retreated to Asia Minor. Though Darius made careful preparations for a further campaign against Greece, he could not carry it out before his death four years later. That was left up to his son and successor, the “fourth” king, Xerxes I. He was the King Ahasuerus who married Esther.—Esther 1:1; 2:15-17.
6, 7. (a) How did the fourth king “rouse up everything against the kingdom of Greece”? (b) What was the result of Xerxes’ campaign against Greece?
6 Xerxes I did indeed “rouse up everything against the kingdom of Greece,” that is, the independent Grecian states as a group. “Urged on by ambitious courtiers,” says the book The Medes and Persians—Conquerors and Diplomats, “Xerxes launched an assault by land and sea.” Greek historian Herodotus, of the fifth century B.C.E., writes that “no other expedition compared to this seems of any account.” His record states that the sea force “amounted in all to 517,610 men. The number of the foot soldiers was 1,700,000; that of the horsemen 80,000; to which must be added the Arabs who rode on camels, and the Libyans who fought in chariots, whom I reckon at 20,000. The whole number, therefore, of the land and sea forces added together amounts to 2,317,610 men.”
7 Planning on nothing less than a complete conquest, Xerxes I moved his huge force against Greece in 480 B.C.E. Overcoming a Greek delaying action at Thermopylae, the Persians ravaged Athens. At Salamis, though, they met with terrible defeat. Another Greek victory took place at Plataea, in 479 B.C.E. None of the seven kings who succeeded Xerxes on the throne of the Persian Empire during the next 143 years carried war into Greece. But then there arose a mighty king in Greece.
A GREAT KINGDOM DIVIDED INTO FOUR
8. What “mighty king” stood up, and how did he come to “rule with extensive dominion”?
8 “A mighty king will certainly stand up and rule with extensive dominion and do according to his will,” said the angel. (Daniel 11:3) Twenty-year-old Alexander ‘stood up’ as king of Macedonia in 336 B.C.E. He did become “a mighty king”—Alexander the Great. Driven by a plan of his father, Philip II, he took the Persian provinces in the Middle East. Crossing the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, his 47,000 men scattered the 250,000 troops of Darius III at Gaugamela. Subsequently, Darius fled and was murdered, ending the Persian dynasty. Greece now became the world power, and Alexander ‘ruled with extensive dominion and did according to his will.’
9, 10. How did the prophecy prove true that Alexander’s kingdom would not go to his posterity?
9 Alexander’s rulership over the world was to be brief, for God’s angel added: “When he will have stood up, his kingdom will be broken and be divided toward the four winds of the heavens, but not to his posterity and not according to his dominion with which he had ruled; because his kingdom will be uprooted, even for others than these.” (Daniel 11:4) Alexander was not quite 33 years old when sudden illness took his life in Babylon in 323 B.C.E.
10 Alexander’s vast empire did not pass to “his posterity.” His brother Philip III Arrhidaeus reigned for less than seven years and was murdered at the instance of Olympias, Alexander’s mother, in 317 B.C.E. Alexander’s son Alexander IV ruled until 311 B.C.E. when he met death at the hands of Cassander, one of his father’s generals. Alexander’s illegitimate son Heracles sought to rule in his father’s name but was murdered in 309 B.C.E. Thus ended the line of Alexander, “his dominion” departing from his family.
11. How was Alexander’s kingdom “divided toward the four winds of the heavens”?
11 Following the death of Alexander, his kingdom was “divided toward the four winds.” His many generals quarreled among themselves as they grabbed for territory. One-eyed General Antigonus I tried to bring all of Alexander’s empire under his control. But he was killed in a battle at Ipsus in Phrygia. By the year 301 B.C.E., four of Alexander’s generals were in power over the vast territory that their commander had conquered. Cassander ruled Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus gained control over Asia Minor and Thrace. Seleucus I Nicator secured Mesopotamia and Syria. And Ptolemy Lagus took Egypt and Palestine. True to the prophetic word, Alexander’s great empire was divided into four Hellenistic kingdoms.
TWO RIVAL KINGS EMERGE
12, 13. (a) How were four Hellenistic kingdoms reduced to two? (b) What dynasty did Seleucus establish in Syria?
12 A few years after coming to power, Cassander died, and in 285 B.C.E., Lysimachus took possession of the European part of the Greek Empire. In 281 B.C.E., Lysimachus fell in battle before Seleucus I Nicator, giving Seleucus control over the major portion of the Asiatic territories. Antigonus II Gonatas, grandson of one of Alexander’s generals, ascended to the throne of Macedonia in 276 B.C.E. In time, Macedonia became dependent upon Rome and ended up as a Roman province in 146 B.C.E.
13 Only two of the four Hellenistic kingdoms now remained prominent—one under Seleucus I Nicator and the other under Ptolemy Lagus. Seleucus established the Seleucid dynasty in Syria. Among the cities he founded were Antioch—the new Syrian capital—and the seaport of Seleucia. The apostle Paul later taught in Antioch, where the followers of Jesus first came to be called Christians. (Acts 11:25, 26; 13:1-4) Seleucus was assassinated in 281 B.C.E., but his dynasty ruled until 64 B.C.E. when Roman General Gnaeus Pompey made Syria a Roman province.
14. When was the Ptolemaic dynasty established in Egypt?
14 The Hellenistic kingdom that lasted the longest of the four was that of Ptolemy Lagus, or Ptolemy I, who assumed the title of king in 305 B.C.E. The Ptolemaic dynasty that he established continued to rule Egypt until it fell to Rome in 30 B.C.E.
15. What two strong kings emerged out of the four Hellenistic kingdoms, and what struggle did they begin?
15 Thus out of four Hellenistic kingdoms, there emerged two strong kings—Seleucus I Nicator over Syria and Ptolemy I over Egypt. With these two kings began the long struggle between “the king of the north” and “the king of the south,” described in Daniel chapter 11. Jehovah’s angel left the names of the kings unmentioned, for the identity and nationality of these two kings would change throughout the centuries. Omitting unnecessary details, the angel mentioned only rulers and events that have a bearing on the conflict.
THE CONFLICT BEGINS
16. (a) The two kings were to the north and to the south of whom? (b) What kings first assumed the roles of “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”?
16 Listen! Describing the start of this dramatic conflict, Jehovah’s angel says: “The king of the south will become strong, even one of his [Alexander’s] princes; and he [the king of the north] will prevail against him and will certainly rule with extensive dominion greater than that one’s ruling power.” (Daniel 11:5) The designations “the king of the north” and “the king of the south” refer to kings north and south of Daniel’s people, who were by then freed from Babylonian captivity and restored to the land of Judah. The initial “king of the south” was Ptolemy I of Egypt. One of Alexander’s generals who prevailed against Ptolemy I and ruled “with extensive dominion” was Syrian King Seleucus I Nicator. He assumed the role of “the king of the north.”
17. Under whose dominion was the land of Judah at the onset of the conflict between the king of the north and the king of the south?
17 At the onset of the conflict, the land of Judah was under the dominion of the king of the south. From about 320 B.C.E., Ptolemy I influenced Jews to come to Egypt as colonists. A Jewish colony flourished in Alexandria, where Ptolemy I founded a famous library. The Jews in Judah remained under the control of Ptolemaic Egypt, the king of the south, until 198 B.C.E.
18, 19. In the course of time, how did the two rival kings enter into “an equitable arrangement”?
18 Concerning the two kings, the angel prophesied: “At the end of some years they will ally themselves with each other, and the very daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north in order to make an equitable arrangement. But she will not retain the power of her arm; and he will not stand, neither his arm; and she will be given up, she herself, and those bringing her in, and he who caused her birth, and the one making her strong in those times.” (Daniel 11:6) How did this come to be?
19 The prophecy did not take note of Seleucus I Nicator’s son and successor, Antiochus I, because he did not wage a decisive war against the king of the south. But his successor, Antiochus II, fought a long war against Ptolemy II, the son of Ptolemy I. Antiochus II and Ptolemy II respectively constituted the king of the north and the king of the south. Antiochus II was married to Laodice, and they had a son named Seleucus II, whereas Ptolemy II had a daughter named Berenice. In 250 B.C.E., these two kings entered into “an equitable arrangement.” To pay the price of this alliance, Antiochus II divorced his wife Laodice and married Berenice, “the very daughter of the king of the south.” By Berenice, he had a son who became heir to the Syrian throne instead of the sons of Laodice.
20. (a) How did Berenice’s “arm” not stand? (b) How were Berenice, “those bringing her in,” and “the one making her strong” given up? (c) Who became the Syrian king after Antiochus II lost “his arm,” or power?
20 Berenice’s “arm,” or supporting power, was her father, Ptolemy II. When he died in 246 B.C.E., she did not “retain the power of her arm” with her husband. Antiochus II rejected her, remarried Laodice, and named their son to be his successor. As Laodice planned, Berenice and her son were murdered. Evidently, the attendants who had brought Berenice from Egypt to Syria—“those bringing her in”—suffered the same end. Laodice even poisoned Antiochus II, and thus “his arm,” or power, also did “not stand.” Hence, Berenice’s father—“he who caused her birth”—and her Syrian husband—who had temporarily made her “strong”—both died. This left Seleucus II, the son of Laodice, as Syrian king. How would the next Ptolemaic king react to all of this?
A KING AVENGES HIS SISTER’S MURDER
21. (a) Who was “one from the sprout” of Berenice’s “roots,” and how did he “stand up”? (b) How did Ptolemy III “come against the fortress of the king of the north” and prevail against him?
21 “One from the sprout of her roots will certainly stand up in his position,” said the angel, “and he will come to the military force and come against the fortress of the king of the north and will certainly act against them and prevail.” (Daniel 11:7) “One from the sprout” of Berenice’s parents, or “roots,” was her brother. At his father’s death, he ‘stood up’ as the king of the south, the Egyptian Pharaoh Ptolemy III. At once he set out to avenge his sister’s murder. Marching against Syrian King Seleucus II, who Laodice had used to murder Berenice and her son, he came against “the fortress of the king of the north.” Ptolemy III took the fortified part of Antioch and dealt a deathblow to Laodice. Moving eastward through the domain of the king of the north, he plundered Babylonia and marched on to India.
22. What did Ptolemy III bring back to Egypt, and why did he “for some years stand off from the king of the north”?
22 What happened next? God’s angel tells us: “And also with their gods, with their molten images, with their desirable articles of silver and of gold, and with the captives he will come to Egypt. And he himself will for some years stand off from the king of the north.” (Daniel 11:8) Over 200 years earlier, Persian King Cambyses II had conquered Egypt and carried home Egyptian gods, “their molten images.” Plundering Persia’s former royal capital Susa, Ptolemy III recovered these gods and took them ‘captive’ to Egypt. He also brought back as spoils of war a great many “desirable articles of silver and of gold.” Obliged to quell revolt at home, Ptolemy III ‘stood off from the king of the north,’ inflicting no further injuries upon him.
THE SYRIAN KING RETALIATES
23. Why did the king of the north “go back to his own soil” after coming into the kingdom of the king of the south?
23 How did the king of the north react? Daniel was told: “He will actually come into the kingdom of the king of the south and go back to his own soil.” (Daniel 11:9) The king of the north—Syrian King Seleucus II—struck back. He entered “the kingdom,” or realm, of the Egyptian king of the south but met defeat. With only a small remnant of his army, Seleucus II ‘went back to his own soil,’ retreating to the Syrian capital Antioch in about 242 B.C.E. At his death, his son Seleucus III succeeded him.
24. (a) What happened to Seleucus III? (b) How did Syrian King Antiochus III “come and flood over and pass through” the domain of the king of the south?
24 What was foretold concerning the offspring of Syrian King Seleucus II? The angel told Daniel: “Now as for his sons, they will excite themselves and actually gather together a crowd of large military forces. And in coming he will certainly come and flood over and pass through. But he will go back, and he will excite himself all the way to his fortress.” (Daniel 11:10) Assassination ended the reign of Seleucus III in less than three years. His brother, Antiochus III, succeeded him on the Syrian throne. This son of Seleucus II assembled great forces for an assault on the king of the south, who was by then Ptolemy IV. The new Syrian king of the north successfully fought against Egypt and won back the seaport of Seleucia, the province of Coele-Syria, the cities of Tyre and Ptolemaïs, and nearby towns. He routed an army of King Ptolemy IV and took many cities of Judah. In the spring of 217 B.C.E., Antiochus III left Ptolemaïs and went north, “all the way to his fortress” in Syria. But a change was in sight.
THE TIDE TURNS
25. Where did Ptolemy IV meet Antiochus III in battle, and what was “given into the hand” of the Egyptian king of the south?
25 Like Daniel, we expectantly listen as Jehovah’s angel next foretells: “The king of the south will embitter himself and will have to go forth and fight with him, that is, with the king of the north; and he will certainly have a large crowd stand up, and the crowd will actually be given into the hand of that one.” (Daniel 11:11) With 75,000 troops, the king of the south, Ptolemy IV, moved northward against the enemy. The Syrian king of the north, Antiochus III, had raised “a large crowd” of 68,000 to stand up against him. But “the crowd” was “given into the hand” of the king of the south in battle at the coastal city of Raphia, not far from Egypt’s border.
26. (a) What “crowd” was carried away by the king of the south at the battle at Raphia, and what were the terms of the peace treaty made there? (b) How did Ptolemy IV “not use his strong position”? (c) Who became the next king of the south?
26 The prophecy continues: “And the crowd will certainly be carried away. His heart will become exalted, and he will actually cause tens of thousands to fall; but he will not use his strong position.” (Daniel 11:12) Ptolemy IV, the king of the south, “carried away” 10,000 Syrian infantry and 300 cavalry into death and took 4,000 as prisoners. The kings then made a treaty whereby Antiochus III kept his Syrian seaport of Seleucia but lost Phoenicia and Coele-Syria. Over this victory, the heart of the Egyptian king of the south ‘became exalted,’ especially against Jehovah. Judah remained under the control of Ptolemy IV. However, he did not “use his strong position” to follow up his victory against the Syrian king of the north. Instead, Ptolemy IV turned to a life of debauchery, and his five-year-old son, Ptolemy V, became the next king of the south some years before the death of Antiochus III.
THE EXPLOITER RETURNS
27. How did the king of the north return “at the end of the times” to recover territory from Egypt?
27 Because of all his exploits, Antiochus III came to be called Antiochus the Great. Of him, the angel said: “The king of the north must return and set up a crowd larger than the first; and at the end of the times, some years, he will come, doing so with a great military force and with a great deal of goods.” (Daniel 11:13) These “times” were 16 or more years after the Egyptians defeated the Syrians at Raphia. When young Ptolemy V became king of the south, Antiochus III set out with “a crowd larger than the first” to recover the territories he had lost to the Egyptian king of the south. To that end, he joined forces with Macedonian King Philip V.
28. What troubles did the young king of the south have?
28 The king of the south also had troubles within his kingdom. “In those times there will be many who will stand up against the king of the south,” said the angel. (Daniel 11:14a) Many did “stand up against the king of the south.” Besides facing the forces of Antiochus III and his Macedonian ally, the young king of the south faced problems at home in Egypt. Because his guardian Agathocles, who ruled in his name, dealt arrogantly with the Egyptians, many revolted. The angel added: “And the sons of the robbers belonging to your people will, for their part, be carried along to try making a vision come true; and they will have to stumble.” (Daniel 11:14b) Even some of Daniel’s people became ‘sons of robbers,’ or revolutionaries. But any “vision” such Jewish men had of ending Gentile domination of their homeland was false, and they would fail, or “stumble.”
29, 30. (a) How did “the arms of the south” succumb to the assault from the north? (b) How did the king of the north come to “stand in the land of the Decoration”?
29 Jehovah’s angel further foretold: “The king of the north will come and throw up a siege rampart and actually capture a city with fortifications. And as for the arms of the south, they will not stand, neither the people of his picked ones; and there will be no power to keep standing. And the one coming against him will do according to his will, and there will be no one standing before him. And he will stand in the land of the Decoration, and there will be extermination in his hand.”—Daniel 11:15, 16.
30 Military forces under Ptolemy V, or “arms of the south,” succumbed to assault from the north. At Paneas (Caesarea Philippi), Antiochus III drove Egypt’s General Scopas and 10,000 select men, or “picked ones,” into Sidon, “a city with fortifications.” There Antiochus III ‘threw up a siege rampart,’ taking that Phoenician seaport in 198 B.C.E. He acted “according to his will” because the forces of the Egyptian king of the south were unable to stand before him. Antiochus III then marched against Jerusalem, the capital of “the land of the Decoration,” Judah. In 198 B.C.E., Jerusalem and Judah passed from domination by the Egyptian king of the south to that of the Syrian king of the north. And Antiochus III, the king of the north, began to “stand in the land of the Decoration.” There was “extermination in his hand” for all opposing Jews and Egyptians. For how long would this king of the north be able to do as he pleased?
ROME CONSTRAINS THE EXPLOITER
31, 32. Why did the king of the north end up making “equitable terms” of peace with the king of the south?
31 Jehovah’s angel gives us this answer: “He [the king of the north] will set his face to come with the forcefulness of his entire kingdom, and there will be equitable terms with him; and he will act effectively. And as regards the daughter of womankind, it will be granted to him to bring her to ruin. And she will not stand, and she will not continue to be his.”—Daniel 11:17.
32 The king of the north, Antiochus III, “set his face” to dominate Egypt “with the forcefulness of his entire kingdom.” But he ended up making “equitable terms” of peace with Ptolemy V, the king of the south. Rome’s demands had caused Antiochus III to change his plan. When he and King Philip V of Macedonia leagued against the Egyptian king of tender years to take over his territories, the guardians of Ptolemy V turned to Rome for protection. Taking advantage of the opportunity to expand its sphere of influence, Rome flexed its muscles.
33. (a) What were the terms of peace between Antiochus III and Ptolemy V? (b) What was the purpose of the marriage between Cleopatra I and Ptolemy V, and why did the scheme fail?
33 Under compulsion by Rome, Antiochus III brought terms of peace to the king of the south. Rather than surrendering conquered territories, as Rome had demanded, Antiochus III planned to make a nominal transfer of them by having his daughter Cleopatra I—“the daughter of womankind”—marry Ptolemy V. Provinces that included Judah, “the land of the Decoration,” would be given as her dowry. At the marriage in 193 B.C.E., however, the Syrian king did not let these provinces go to Ptolemy V. This was a political marriage, formed to make Egypt subject to Syria. But the scheme failed because Cleopatra I did “not continue to be his,” for she later sided with her husband. When war broke out between Antiochus III and the Romans, Egypt took the side of Rome.
34, 35. (a) To what “coastlands” did the king of the north turn his face? (b) How did Rome bring an end to “the reproach” from the king of the north? (c) How did Antiochus III die, and who came to be the next king of the north?
34 Referring to the reverses of the king of the north, the angel added: “And he [Antiochus III] will turn his face back to the coastlands and will actually capture many. And a commander [Rome] will have to make the reproach from him cease for himself [Rome], so that his reproach [that from Antiochus III] will not be. He [Rome] will make it turn back upon that one. And he [Antiochus III] will turn his face back to the fortresses of his own land, and he will certainly stumble and fall, and he will not be found.”—Daniel 11:18, 19.
35 The “coastlands” were those of Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor. A war broke out in Greece in 192 B.C.E., and Antiochus III was induced to come to Greece. Displeased because of the Syrian king’s efforts to capture additional territories there, Rome formally declared war on him. At Thermopylae he suffered a defeat at Roman hands. About a year after losing the battle of Magnesia in 190 B.C.E., he had to give up everything in Greece, Asia Minor, and in areas west of the Taurus Mountains. Rome exacted a heavy fine and established its domination over the Syrian king of the north. Driven from Greece and Asia Minor and having lost nearly all his fleet, Antiochus III ‘turned his face back to the fortresses of his own land,’ Syria. The Romans had ‘turned back upon him his reproach against them.’ Antiochus III died while trying to rob a temple at Elymaïs, Persia, in 187 B.C.E. He thus ‘fell’ in death and was succeeded by his son Seleucus IV, the next king of the north.
THE CONFLICT CONTINUES
36. (a) How did the king of the south try to continue the struggle, but what became of him? (b) How did Seleucus IV fall, and who succeeded him?
36 As the king of the south, Ptolemy V tried to gain the provinces that should have come to him as Cleopatra’s dowry, but poison ended his efforts. He was succeeded by Ptolemy VI. What about Seleucus IV? In need of money to pay the heavy fine owed to Rome, he sent his treasurer Heliodorus to seize riches said to be stored in Jerusalem’s temple. Desiring the throne, Heliodorus murdered Seleucus IV. However, King Eumenes of Pergamum and his brother Attalus had the slain king’s brother Antiochus IV enthroned.
37. (a) How did Antiochus IV try to show himself mightier than Jehovah God? (b) To what did the desecration of the temple in Jerusalem by Antiochus IV lead?
37 The new king of the north, Antiochus IV, sought to show himself mightier than God by trying to eradicate Jehovah’s arrangement of worship. Defying Jehovah, he dedicated Jerusalem’s temple to Zeus, or Jupiter. In December 167 B.C.E., a pagan altar was erected on top of the great altar in the temple courtyard where a daily burnt offering had been made to Jehovah. Ten days later, a sacrifice to Zeus was offered on the pagan altar. This desecration led to a Jewish uprising under the Maccabees. Antiochus IV battled them for three years. In 164 B.C.E., on the anniversary of the desecration, Judas Maccabaeus rededicated the temple to Jehovah and the festival of dedication—Hanukkah—was instituted.—John 10:22.
38. How did Maccabean rule come to an end?
38 The Maccabees probably made a treaty with Rome in 161 B.C.E. and established a kingdom in 104 B.C.E. But the friction between them and the Syrian king of the north continued. Finally, Rome was called upon to intervene. The Roman General Gnaeus Pompey took Jerusalem in 63 B.C.E. after a three-month siege. In 39 B.C.E., the Roman Senate appointed Herod—an Edomite—to be king of Judea. Ending the Maccabean rule, he took Jerusalem in 37 B.C.E.
39. How have you benefited from considering Daniel 11:1-19?
39 How thrilling it is to see the first part of the prophecy of the two kings in conflict fulfilled in detail! Indeed, how exciting to peer into the history of some 500 years after the prophetic message was delivered to Daniel and identify the rulers occupying the positions of the king of the north and the king of the south! However, the political identities of these two kings change as the battle between them continues through the time when Jesus Christ walked the earth and down into our day. By matching historical developments with intriguing details revealed in this prophecy, we will be able to identify these two contending kings.
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Two Kings in ConflictPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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[Chart/Pictures on page 228]
KINGS IN DANIEL 11:5-19
The King The King
of the North of the South
Daniel 11:5 Seleucus I Nicator Ptolemy I
Daniel 11:6 Antiochus II Ptolemy II
(wife Laodice) (daughter Berenice)
Daniel 11:7-9 Seleucus II Ptolemy III
Daniel 11:10-12 Antiochus III Ptolemy IV
Daniel 11:13-19 Antiochus III Ptolemy V
(daughter Cleopatra I) Successor:
Successors: Ptolemy VI
Seleucus IV and
Antiochus IV
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The Two Kings Change IdentitiesPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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Chapter Fourteen
The Two Kings Change Identities
1, 2. (a) What led Antiochus IV to bow to Rome’s demands? (b) When did Syria become a Roman province?
SYRIAN monarch Antiochus IV invades Egypt and crowns himself its king. At the request of Egyptian King Ptolemy VI, Rome sends Ambassador Caius Popilius Laenas to Egypt. He has with him an impressive fleet and orders from the Roman Senate that Antiochus IV renounce his kingship of Egypt and withdraw from the country. At Eleusis, a suburb of Alexandria, the Syrian king and the Roman ambassador come face-to-face. Antiochus IV requests time for consultation with his advisers, but Laenas draws a circle around the king and tells him to answer before stepping across the line. Humiliated, Antiochus IV complies with Roman demands and returns to Syria in 168 B.C.E. Thus ends the confrontation between the Syrian king of the north and the Egyptian king of the south.
2 Playing a dominant role in the affairs of the Middle East, Rome goes on dictating to Syria. Hence, even though other kings of the Seleucid dynasty rule Syria after Antiochus IV dies in 163 B.C.E., they do not occupy the position of “the king of the north.” (Daniel 11:15) Syria finally becomes a Roman province in 64 B.C.E.
3. When and how did Rome gain supremacy over Egypt?
3 Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty continues to hold the position of “king of the south” for a little over 130 years after the death of Antiochus IV. (Daniel 11:14) During the battle of Actium, in 31 B.C.E., Roman ruler Octavian defeats the combined forces of the last Ptolemaic queen—Cleopatra VII—and her Roman lover, Mark Antony. After Cleopatra’s suicide the following year, Egypt too becomes a Roman province and no longer plays the role of the king of the south. By the year 30 B.C.E., Rome has supremacy over both Syria and Egypt. Should we now expect other rulerships to assume the roles of the king of the north and the king of the south?
A NEW KING SENDS OUT “AN EXACTOR”
4. Why should we expect another ruling entity to assume the identity of the king of the north?
4 In the spring of 33 C.E., Jesus Christ told his disciples: “When you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, . . . then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15, 16) Quoting from Daniel 11:31, Jesus warned his followers about a future ‘disgusting thing causing desolation.’ This prophecy involving the king of the north was given some 195 years after the death of Antiochus IV, the last Syrian king in that role. Surely, another ruling entity would have to assume the identity of the king of the north. Who would that be?
5. Who stood up as the king of the north, taking the position once occupied by Antiochus IV?
5 Jehovah God’s angel foretold: “There must stand up in his position [that of Antiochus IV] one who is causing an exactor to pass through the splendid kingdom, and in a few days he will be broken, but not in anger nor in warfare.” (Daniel 11:20) The one ‘standing up’ in this way proved to be the first Roman emperor, Octavian, who was known as Caesar Augustus.—See “One Honored, the Other Despised,” on page 248.
6. (a) When was “an exactor” caused to pass through “the splendid kingdom,” and what was the importance of this? (b) Why can it be said that Augustus died “not in anger nor in warfare”? (c) What change took place in the identity of the king of the north?
6 “The splendid kingdom” of Augustus included “the land of the Decoration”—the Roman province of Judea. (Daniel 11:16) In 2 B.C.E., Augustus sent out “an exactor” by ordering a registration, or census, probably so that he could learn the number of the population for purposes of taxation and military conscription. Because of this decree, Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem for registration, resulting in Jesus’ birth at that foretold location. (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1-12) In August 14 C.E.—“in a few days,” or not long after decreeing the registration—Augustus died at the age of 76, neither “in anger” at an assassin’s hands nor “in warfare,” but as a result of illness. The king of the north had indeed changed identity! This king had by now become the Roman Empire in the person of its emperors.
‘THE DESPISED ONE STANDS UP’
7, 8. (a) Who stood up in Augustus’ position as the king of the north? (b) Why was “the dignity of the kingdom” unwillingly bestowed upon the successor of Augustus Caesar?
7 Continuing with the prophecy, the angel said: “There must stand up in his [Augustus’] position one who is to be despised, and they will certainly not set upon him the dignity of the kingdom; and he will actually come in during a freedom from care and take hold of the kingdom by means of smoothness. And as regards the arms of the flood, they will be flooded over on account of him, and they will be broken; as will also the Leader of the covenant.”—Daniel 11:21, 22.
8 The “one who is to be despised” was Tiberius Caesar, the son of Livia, Augustus’ third wife. (See “One Honored, the Other Despised,” on page 248.) Augustus hated this stepson because of his bad traits and did not want him to become the next Caesar. “The dignity of the kingdom” was unwillingly bestowed upon him only after all other likely successors were dead. Augustus adopted Tiberius in 4 C.E. and made him heir to the throne. After the death of Augustus, 54-year-old Tiberius—the despised one—‘stood up,’ assuming power as the Roman emperor and the king of the north.
9. How did Tiberius “take hold of the kingdom by means of smoothness”?
9 “Tiberius,” says The New Encyclopædia Britannica, “played politics with the Senate and did not allow it to name him emperor for almost a month [after Augustus died].” He told the Senate that no one but Augustus was capable of carrying the burden of ruling the Roman Empire and asked the senators to restore the republic by entrusting such authority to a group of men rather than to one man. “Not daring to take him at his word,” wrote historian Will Durant, “the Senate exchanged bows with him until at last he accepted power.” Durant added: “The play was well acted on both sides. Tiberius wanted the principate, or he would have found some way to evade it; the Senate feared and hated him, but shrank from re-establishing a republic based, like the old, upon theoretically sovereign assemblies.” Thus Tiberius ‘took hold of the kingdom by means of smoothness.’
10. How were ‘the arms of the flood broken’?
10 “As regards the arms of the flood”—the military forces of the surrounding kingdoms—the angel said: ‘They will be flooded over and will be broken.’ When Tiberius became the king of the north, his nephew Germanicus Caesar was commander of the Roman troops on the Rhine River. In 15 C.E., Germanicus led his forces against the German hero Arminius, with some success. However, the limited victories were won at great cost, and Tiberius thereafter aborted operations in Germany. Instead, by promoting civil war, he tried to prevent German tribes from uniting. Tiberius generally favored a defensive foreign policy and focused on strengthening the frontiers. This stance was fairly successful. In this way “the arms of the flood” were controlled and were “broken.”
11. How was ‘the Leader of the covenant broken’?
11 “Broken” too was “the Leader of the covenant” that Jehovah God had made with Abraham for blessing all the families of the earth. Jesus Christ was the Seed of Abraham promised in that covenant. (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16) On Nisan 14, 33 C.E., Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate in the Roman governor’s palace in Jerusalem. The Jewish priests had charged Jesus with treason against the emperor. But Jesus told Pilate: “My kingdom is no part of this world. . . . My kingdom is not from this source.” So that the Roman governor might not free the faultless Jesus, the Jews shouted: “If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar. Every man making himself a king speaks against Caesar.” After calling for Jesus’ execution, they said: “We have no king but Caesar.” According to the law of “injured majesty,” which Tiberius had broadened to include virtually any insult to Caesar, Pilate handed Jesus over to be “broken,” or impaled on a torture stake.—John 18:36; 19:12-16; Mark 15:14-20.
A TYRANT ‘SCHEMES OUT HIS SCHEMES’
12. (a) Who allied themselves with Tiberius? (b) How did Tiberius “become mighty by means of a little nation”?
12 Still prophesying about Tiberius, the angel said: “Because of their allying themselves with him he will carry on deception and actually come up and become mighty by means of a little nation.” (Daniel 11:23) Members of the Roman Senate had constitutionally ‘allied themselves’ with Tiberius, and he formally depended upon them. But he was deceptive, actually becoming “mighty by means of a little nation.” That little nation was the Roman Praetorian Guard, encamped close to Rome’s walls. Its proximity intimidated the Senate and helped Tiberius keep in check any uprisings against his authority among the populace. By means of some 10,000 guards, therefore, Tiberius remained mighty.
13. In what way did Tiberius exceed his forefathers?
13 The angel added prophetically: “During freedom from care, even into the fatness of the jurisdictional district he will enter in and actually do what his fathers and the fathers of his fathers have not done. Plunder and spoil and goods he will scatter among them; and against fortified places he will scheme out his schemes, but only until a time.” (Daniel 11:24) Tiberius was extremely suspicious, and his reign abounded with ordered killings. Largely because of the influence of Sejanus, commander of the Praetorian Guard, the latter part of his reign was marked by terror. Finally, Sejanus himself fell under suspicion and was executed. In tyrannizing over people, Tiberius exceeded his forefathers.
14. (a) How did Tiberius scatter “plunder and spoil and goods” throughout the Roman provinces? (b) In what way was Tiberius regarded by the time he died?
14 Tiberius, however, scattered “plunder and spoil and goods” throughout the Roman provinces. By the time of his death, all the subject peoples were enjoying prosperity. Taxes were light, and he could be generous to those in areas undergoing hard times. If soldiers or officials oppressed anyone or promoted irregularity in handling matters, they could expect imperial vengeance. A firm grip on power maintained public security, and an improved communications system helped commerce. Tiberius made sure that affairs were administered fairly and steadily inside and outside Rome. The laws were improved, and social and moral codes were enhanced by the furthering of reforms instituted by Augustus Caesar. Yet, Tiberius ‘schemed out his schemes,’ so that Roman historian Tacitus described him as a hypocritical man, skilled at putting on false appearances. By the time he died in March 37 C.E., Tiberius was considered to be a tyrant.
15. How did Rome fare in the late first and early second centuries C.E.?
15 The successors to Tiberius who filled the role of the king of the north included Gaius Caesar (Caligula), Claudius I, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian. “For the most part,” says The New Encyclopædia Britannica, “the successors to Augustus continued his administrative policies and building program, though with less innovation and more ostentation.” The same reference work further points out: “In the late 1st and early 2nd centuries Rome was at the peak of its grandeur and population.” Although Rome had some trouble on the imperial frontiers during this time, its first foretold confrontation with the king of the south did not occur until the third century C.E.
AROUSED AGAINST THE KING OF THE SOUTH
16, 17. (a) Who took on the role of the king of the north referred to at Daniel 11:25? (b) Who came to occupy the position of the king of the south, and how did this occur?
16 God’s angel continued with the prophecy, saying: “He [the king of the north] will arouse his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great military force; and the king of the south, for his part, will excite himself for the war with an exceedingly great and mighty military force. And he [the king of the north] will not stand, because they will scheme out against him schemes. And the very ones eating his delicacies will bring his breakdown. And as for his military force, it will be flooded away, and many will certainly fall down slain.”—Daniel 11:25, 26.
17 About 300 years after Octavian had made Egypt a Roman province, Roman Emperor Aurelian assumed the role of the king of the north. Meanwhile, Queen Septimia Zenobia of the Roman colony of Palmyra occupied the position of the king of the south.a (See “Zenobia—The Warrior Queen of Palmyra,” on page 252.) The Palmyrene army occupied Egypt in 269 C.E. under the pretext of making it secure for Rome. Zenobia wanted to make Palmyra the dominant city in the east and wanted to rule over Rome’s eastern provinces. Alarmed by her ambition, Aurelian aroused “his power and his heart” to proceed against Zenobia.
18. What was the outcome of the conflict between Emperor Aurelian, the king of the north, and Queen Zenobia, the king of the south?
18 As the ruling entity headed by Zenobia, the king of the south ‘excited himself’ for warfare against the king of the north “with an exceedingly great and mighty military force” under two generals, Zabdas and Zabbai. But Aurelian took Egypt and then launched an expedition into Asia Minor and Syria. Zenobia was defeated at Emesa (now Homs), whereupon she retreated to Palmyra. When Aurelian besieged that city, Zenobia valiantly defended it but without success. She and her son fled toward Persia, only to be captured by the Romans at the Euphrates River. The Palmyrenes surrendered their city in 272 C.E. Aurelian spared Zenobia, making her the prize feature in his triumphal procession through Rome in 274 C.E. She spent the rest of her life as a Roman matron.
19. How did Aurelian fall ‘because of schemes against him’?
19 Aurelian himself ‘did not stand because of schemes against him.’ In 275 C.E., he set out on an expedition against the Persians. While he was waiting in Thrace for the opportunity to cross the straits into Asia Minor, those who ‘ate his food’ carried out schemes against him and brought about his “breakdown.” He was going to call his secretary Eros to account for irregularities. Eros, however, forged a list of names of certain officers marked for death. The sight of this list moved the officers to plot Aurelian’s assassination and to murder him.
20. How was the “military force” of the king of the north “flooded away”?
20 The career of the king of the north did not end with the death of Emperor Aurelian. Other Roman rulers followed. For a time, there was an emperor of the west and one of the east. Under these men the “military force” of the king of the north was “flooded away,” or “scattered,”b and many ‘fell down slain’ because of the invasions of the Germanic tribes from the north. Goths broke through the Roman frontiers in the fourth century C.E. Invasions continued, one after the other. In 476 C.E., German leader Odoacer removed the last emperor ruling from Rome. By the beginning of the sixth century, the Roman Empire in the west had been shattered, and German kings ruled in Britannia, Gaul, Italy, North Africa, and Spain. The eastern part of the empire lasted into the 15th century.
A GREAT EMPIRE IS DIVIDED
21, 22. What changes did Constantine bring about in the fourth century C.E.?
21 Without giving unnecessary details about the breakdown of the Roman Empire, which stretched over centuries, Jehovah’s angel went on to foretell further exploits of the king of the north and the king of the south. However, a brief review of certain developments in the Roman Empire will help us to identify the two rival kings in later times.
22 In the fourth century, Roman Emperor Constantine gave State recognition to apostate Christianity. He even called and personally presided over a church council at Nicaea, Asia Minor, in 325 C.E. Later, Constantine moved the imperial residence from Rome to Byzantium, or Constantinople, making that city his new capital. The Roman Empire continued under the rulership of a single emperor until the death of Emperor Theodosius I, on January 17, 395 C.E.
23. (a) What division of the Roman Empire took place after the death of Theodosius? (b) When did the Eastern Empire come to an end? (c) Who ruled Egypt by 1517?
23 Following the death of Theodosius, the Roman Empire was divided between his sons. Honorius received the western part, and Arcadius the eastern, with Constantinople as his capital. Britannia, Gaul, Italy, Spain, and North Africa were among the provinces of the western division. Macedonia, Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt were provinces of the eastern division. In 642 C.E., the Egyptian capital, Alexandria, fell to the Saracens (Arabs), and Egypt became a province of the caliphs. In January 1449, Constantine XI became the last emperor of the east. Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II took Constantinople on May 29, 1453, ending the Eastern Roman Empire. The year 1517 saw Egypt become a Turkish province. In time, though, this land of the ancient king of the south would come under the control of another empire from the western sector.
24, 25. (a) According to some historians, what marked the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire? (b) What finally happened to the title of “emperor” of the Holy Roman Empire?
24 In the western wing of the Roman Empire arose the Catholic bishop of Rome, notably Pope Leo I, who was renowned for asserting papal authority in the fifth century C.E. In time, the pope took it upon himself to crown the emperor of the western section. This occurred in Rome on Christmas day of 800 C.E., when Pope Leo III crowned Frankish King Charles (Charlemagne) emperor of the new Western Roman Empire. This coronation revived the emperorship in Rome and, according to some historians, marked the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire. From then on there existed the Eastern Empire and the Holy Roman Empire to the west, both claiming to be Christian.
25 As time passed, the successors of Charlemagne proved to be ineffectual rulers. The office of the emperor even lay vacant for a time. Meanwhile, German King Otto I had gained control of much of northern and central Italy. He proclaimed himself king of Italy. On February 2, 962 C.E., Pope John XII crowned Otto I emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was in Germany, and the emperors were Germans, as were most of their subjects. Five centuries later the Austrian house of Hapsburg obtained the title of “emperor” and held it for most of the remaining years of the Holy Roman Empire.
THE TWO KINGS AGAIN IN CLEAR FOCUS
26. (a) What can be said about the end of the Holy Roman Empire? (b) Who emerged as the king of the north?
26 Napoléon I delivered a deathblow to the Holy Roman Empire when he refused to recognize its existence following his victories in Germany during the year 1805. Unable to defend the crown, Emperor Francis II resigned from Roman imperial status on August 6, 1806, and withdrew to his national government as emperor of Austria. After 1,006 years, the Holy Roman Empire—founded by Leo III, a Roman Catholic pope, and Charlemagne, a Frankish king—came to an end. In 1870, Rome became the capital of the kingdom of Italy, independent of the Vatican. The following year, a Germanic empire began with Wilhelm I being named caesar, or kaiser. Thus the modern-day king of the north—Germany—was on the world scene.
27. (a) How did Egypt become a British protectorate? (b) Who came into the position of the king of the south?
27 But what was the identity of the modern-day king of the south? History shows that Britain took on imperial power in the 17th century. Wanting to disrupt British trade routes, Napoléon I conquered Egypt in 1798. War ensued, and a British-Ottoman alliance forced the French to withdraw from Egypt, identified as the king of the south at the onset of the conflict. During the following century, British influence in Egypt increased. After 1882, Egypt was actually a British dependency. When World War I broke out in 1914, Egypt belonged to Turkey and was ruled by a khedive, or viceroy. After Turkey sided with Germany in that war, however, Britain deposed the khedive and declared Egypt a British protectorate. Gradually forming close ties, Britain and the United States of America became the Anglo-American World Power. Together, they came into the position of the king of the south.
[Footnotes]
a Since the designations “the king of the north” and “the king of the south” are titles, they can refer to any ruling entity, including a king, a queen, or a bloc of nations.
b See the footnote on Daniel 11:26 in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
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The Two Kings Change IdentitiesPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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[Box/Picture on page 248-251]
ONE HONORED, THE OTHER DESPISED
ONE transformed a strife-ridden republic into a world empire. The other increased its wealth twentyfold in 23 years. One was honored when he died, but the other was despised. The reigns of these two emperors of Rome spanned Jesus’ life and ministry. Who were they? And why was one honored, whereas the other was not?
HE “FOUND ROME BRICK AND LEFT IT MARBLE”
In 44 B.C.E. when Julius Caesar was assassinated, his sister’s grandson Gaius Octavian was only 18 years of age. Being an adopted son of Julius Caesar and his chief personal heir, young Octavian immediately set out for Rome to claim his inheritance. There he encountered a formidable opponent—Caesar’s chief lieutenant, Mark Antony, who expected to be the principal heir. The political intrigue and power struggle that followed lasted 13 years.
Only after defeating the combined forces of Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony (in 31 B.C.E.) did Octavian emerge as the undisputed ruler of the Roman Empire. The following year Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, and Octavian annexed Egypt. The last vestige of the Grecian Empire was thus removed, and Rome became the world power.
Remembering that Julius Caesar’s exercise of despotic power had led to his assassination, Octavian was careful not to repeat the mistake. So as not to offend Roman sentiments favoring a republic, he disguised his monarchy under a republican garment. He declined the titles “king” and “dictator.” Going a step further, he announced his intention to turn over the control of all provinces to the Roman Senate and offered to resign from the offices he held. This tactic worked. The appreciative Senate urged Octavian to retain his positions and keep control of some of the provinces.
Additionally, on January 16, 27 B.C.E., the Senate bestowed upon Octavian the title “Augustus,” meaning “Exalted, Sacred.” Octavian not only accepted the title but also renamed a month for himself and borrowed a day from February so that August would have as many days as July, the month named after Julius Caesar. Octavian thus became the first emperor of Rome and was thereafter known as Caesar Augustus or “August One.” Later he also assumed the title “pontifex maximus” (high priest), and in 2 B.C.E.—the year of Jesus’ birth—the Senate gave him the title Pater Patriae, “Father of His Country.”
In that same year, “a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered; . . . and all people went traveling to be registered, each one to his own city.” (Luke 2:1-3) As a result of this decree, Jesus was born in Bethlehem in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.—Daniel 11:20; Micah 5:2.
The government under Augustus was marked by a measure of honesty and a sound currency. Augustus also established an effective postal system and constructed roads and bridges. He reorganized the army, created a permanent navy, and established an elite band of imperial bodyguards known as the Praetorian Guard. (Philippians 1:13) Under his patronage, such writers as Virgil and Horace flourished and sculptors created beautiful works in what is now called the classical style. Augustus completed buildings left unfinished by Julius Caesar and restored many temples. The Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”) that he introduced lasted more than 200 years. On August 19, 14 C.E., at the age of 76, Augustus died and was deified thereafter.
Augustus boasted that he had “found Rome brick and left it marble.” Not wanting Rome to revert to the strife-filled days of the former republic, he intended to groom the next emperor. But he had little choice regarding a successor. His nephew, two grandsons, a son-in-law, and a stepson had all died, leaving only his stepson Tiberius to take over.
THE “ONE WHO IS TO BE DESPISED”
Less than a month after Augustus’ death, the Roman Senate named 54-year-old Tiberius emperor. Tiberius lived and ruled until March 37 C.E. Hence, he was the emperor of Rome for the duration of Jesus’ public ministry.
As an emperor, Tiberius had both virtues and vices. Among his virtues was a reluctance to spend money on luxuries. As a result, the empire prospered and he had funds to assist in recovery from disasters and bad times. To his credit, Tiberius viewed himself as but a man, declined many honorary titles, and generally directed emperor worship to Augustus rather than to himself. He did not name a calendar month after himself as Augustus and Julius Caesar had done for themselves, nor did he allow others to honor him in that way.
Tiberius’ vices, however, exceeded his virtues. He was extremely suspicious and hypocritical in his dealings with others, and his reign abounded with ordered killings—many of his former friends being counted among the victims. He extended the law of lèse-majesté (injured majesty) to include, in addition to seditious acts, merely libelous words against his own person. Presumably on the strength of this law, the Jews pressured Roman Governor Pontius Pilate to have Jesus killed.—John 19:12-16.
Tiberius concentrated the Praetorian Guard in the proximity of Rome by constructing fortified barracks north of the walls of the city. The Guard’s presence intimidated the Roman Senate, which was a threat to his power, and kept any unruliness of the people in check. Tiberius also encouraged the informer system, and terror marked the latter part of his rule.
At the time of his death, Tiberius was considered to be a tyrant. When he died, the Romans rejoiced and the Senate refused to deify him. For these reasons and others, we see in Tiberius a fulfillment of the prophecy saying that “one who is to be despised” would arise as “the king of the north.”—Daniel 11:15, 21.
WHAT DID YOU DISCERN?
• How did Octavian come to be the first emperor of Rome?
• What can be said about the accomplishments of the government of Augustus?
• What were the virtues and vices of Tiberius?
• How was the prophecy concerning the “one who is to be despised” fulfilled in Tiberius?
[Picture]
Tiberius
[Box/Pictures on page 252-255]
ZENOBIA—THE WARRIOR QUEEN OF PALMYRA
“SHE was of a dark complexion . . . Her teeth were of a pearly whiteness, and her large black eyes sparkled with uncommon fire, tempered by the most attractive sweetness. Her voice was strong and harmonious. Her manly understanding was strengthened and adorned by study. She was not ignorant of the Latin tongue, but possessed in equal perfection the Greek, the Syriac, and the Egyptian languages.” Such were the praises that historian Edward Gibbon bestowed upon Zenobia—the warrior queen of the Syrian city of Palmyra.
Zenobia’s husband was the Palmyrene noble Odaenathus, who was awarded the rank of consul of Rome in 258 C.E. because he had successfully campaigned against Persia on behalf of the Roman Empire. Two years later, Odaenathus received from Roman Emperor Gallienus the title corrector totius Orientis (governor of all the East). This was in recognition of his victory over King Shāpūr I of Persia. Odaenathus eventually gave himself the title “king of kings.” These successes of Odaenathus may to a large extent be attributed to Zenobia’s courage and prudence.
ZENOBIA ASPIRES TO CREATE AN EMPIRE
In 267 C.E., at the height of his career, Odaenathus and his heir were assassinated. Zenobia took over her husband’s position, since her son was too young to do so. Beautiful, ambitious, capable as an administrator, accustomed to campaigning with her husband, and fluent in several languages, she managed to command the respect and support of her subjects. Zenobia had a love for learning and surrounded herself with intellectuals. One of her advisers was philosopher and rhetorician Cassius Longinus—said to have been “a living library and a walking museum.” In the book Palmyra and Its Empire—Zenobia’s Revolt Against Rome, author Richard Stoneman notes: “During the five years after the death of Odenathus . . . , Zenobia had established herself in the minds of her people as mistress of the East.”
On one side of Zenobia’s domain was Persia, which she and her husband had crippled, and on the other was foundering Rome. Regarding conditions in the Roman Empire at that time, historian J. M. Roberts says: “The third century was . . . a terrible time for Rome on the frontiers east and west alike, while at home a new period of civil war and disputed successions had begun. Twenty-two emperors (excluding pretenders) came and went.” The Syrian mistress, on the other hand, was a well-established absolute monarch in her realm. “Controlling the balance of two empires [Persian and Roman],” observes Stoneman, “she could aspire to create a third that would dominate them both.”
An opportunity for Zenobia to expand her regal powers came in 269 C.E. when a pretender disputing Roman rulership appeared in Egypt. Zenobia’s army swiftly marched into Egypt, crushed the rebel, and took possession of the country. Proclaiming herself queen of Egypt, she minted coins in her own name. Her kingdom now stretched from the river Nile to the river Euphrates. It was at this point in her life that Zenobia came to occupy the position of “the king of the south.”—Daniel 11:25, 26.
ZENOBIA’S CAPITAL CITY
Zenobia strengthened and embellished her capital, Palmyra, to such an extent that it ranked with the larger cities of the Roman world. Its estimated population reached over 150,000. Splendid public buildings, temples, gardens, pillars, and monuments filled Palmyra, a city encircled by walls said to be 13 miles [21 km] in circumference. A colonnade of Corinthian pillars over 50 feet [15 m] high—some 1,500 of them—lined the principal avenue. Statues and busts of heroes and wealthy benefactors abounded in the city. In 271 C.E., Zenobia erected statues of herself and her late husband.
The Temple of the Sun was one of the finest structures in Palmyra and no doubt dominated the religious scene in the city. Zenobia herself may have worshiped a deity associated with the sun-god. Syria of the third century, however, was a land of many religions. In Zenobia’s domain there were professing Christians, Jews, and worshipers of the sun and moon. What was her attitude toward these various forms of worship? Author Stoneman observes: “A wise ruler will not neglect any customs that seem appropriate to her people. . . . The gods, it was . . . hoped, had been marshaled on Palmyra’s side.” Apparently, Zenobia was religiously tolerant.
With her colorful personality, Zenobia won the admiration of many. Of greatest significance was her role in representing a political entity foretold in Daniel’s prophecy. Her reign, however, lasted no more than five years. Roman Emperor Aurelian defeated Zenobia in 272 C.E. and subsequently sacked Palmyra beyond repair. Zenobia was granted clemency. She is said to have married a Roman senator and presumably spent the rest of her life in retirement.
WHAT DID YOU DISCERN?
• How has Zenobia’s personality been described?
• What were some of the exploits of Zenobia?
• What was Zenobia’s attitude toward religion?
[Picture]
Queen Zenobia addressing her soldiers
[Chart/Pictures on page 246]
KINGS IN DANIEL 11:20-26
The King The King
of the North of the South
Daniel 11:20 Augustus
Daniel 11:21-24 Tiberius
Daniel 11:25, 26 Aurelian Queen Zenobia
The foretold The Germanic Britain,
breakdown Empire followed by the
of the Roman Anglo-American
Empire leads to World Power
the formation of
[Picture]
Tiberius
[Picture]
Aurelian
[Picture]
Statuette of Charlemagne
[Picture]
Augustus
[Picture]
17th-century British warship
[Full-page picture on page 230]
[Picture on page 233]
Augustus
[Picture on page 234]
Tiberius
[Picture on page 235]
Because of Augustus’ decree, Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem
[Picture on page 237]
As foretold, Jesus was “broken” in death
[Pictures on page 245]
1. Charlemagne 2. Napoléon I 3. Wilhelm I 4. German soldiers, World War I
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The Rival Kings Enter the 20th CenturyPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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Chapter Fifteen
The Rival Kings Enter the 20th Century
1. Who does one historian say were the leaders of 19th-century Europe?
“THERE is a dynamism about nineteenth-century Europe that far exceeds anything previously known,” writes historian Norman Davies. He adds: “Europe vibrated with power as never before: with technical power, economic power, cultural power, intercontinental power.” The leaders of “Europe’s triumphant ‘power century,’” says Davies, “were in the first instance Great Britain . . . and in the later decades Germany.”
“INCLINED TO DOING WHAT IS BAD”
2. As the 19th century ended, what powers filled the roles of “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”?
2 As the 19th century neared its end, the German Empire was “the king of the north” and Britain stood in the position of “the king of the south.” (Daniel 11:14, 15) “As regards these two kings,” said Jehovah’s angel, “their heart will be inclined to doing what is bad, and at one table a lie is what they will keep speaking.” He continued: “But nothing will succeed, because the end is yet for the time appointed.”—Daniel 11:27.
3, 4. (a) Who became the first emperor of the German Reich, and what alliance was formed? (b) What policy did Kaiser Wilhelm follow?
3 On January 18, 1871, Wilhelm I became the first emperor of the German Reich, or Empire. He appointed Otto von Bismarck as chancellor. With his focus on developing the new empire, Bismarck avoided conflicts with other nations and formed an alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy, known as the Triple Alliance. But the interests of this new king of the north soon clashed with those of the king of the south.
4 After Wilhelm I and his successor, Frederick III, died in 1888, 29-year-old Wilhelm II ascended the throne. Wilhelm II, or Kaiser Wilhelm, forced Bismarck to resign and followed a policy of expanding Germany’s influence throughout the world. “Under Wilhelm II,” says one historian, “[Germany] assumed an arrogant and a truculent air.”
5. How did the two kings sit “at one table,” and what did they speak there?
5 When Czar Nicholas II of Russia called a peace conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on August 24, 1898, the atmosphere was one of international tension. This conference and the one that followed it in 1907 established the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. By becoming members of this court, the German Reich as well as Great Britain gave the appearance that they favored peace. They sat “at one table,” appearing to be friendly, but ‘their hearts were inclined to do what was bad.’ The diplomatic tactic of ‘speaking a lie at one table’ could not promote real peace. As to their political, commercial, and military ambitions, ‘nothing could succeed’ because the end of the two kings “is yet for the time appointed” by Jehovah God.
“AGAINST THE HOLY COVENANT”
6, 7. (a) In what way did the king of the north “go back to his land”? (b) How did the king of the south respond to the expanding influence of the king of the north?
6 Continuing on, God’s angel said: “And he [the king of the north] will go back to his land with a great amount of goods, and his heart will be against the holy covenant. And he will act effectively and certainly go back to his land.”—Daniel 11:28.
7 Kaiser Wilhelm went back to the “land,” or earthly condition, of the ancient king of the north. How? By building up an imperial rule designed to expand the German Reich and extend its influence. Wilhelm II pursued colonial goals in Africa and other places. Wanting to challenge British supremacy at sea, he proceeded to build a powerful navy. “Germany’s naval power went from being negligible to being second only to Britain’s in little more than a decade,” says The New Encyclopædia Britannica. In order to maintain its supremacy, Britain actually had to expand its own naval program. Britain also negotiated the entente cordiale (cordial understanding) with France and a similar agreement with Russia, forming the Triple Entente. Europe was now divided into two military camps—the Triple Alliance on one side and the Triple Entente on the other.
8. How did the German Empire come to have “a great amount of goods”?
8 The German Empire followed an aggressive policy, resulting in “a great amount of goods” for Germany because it was the chief part of the Triple Alliance. Austria-Hungary and Italy were Roman Catholic. Therefore, the Triple Alliance also enjoyed papal favor, whereas the king of the south, with his largely non-Catholic Triple Entente, did not.
9. How was the king of the north “against the holy covenant” at heart?
9 What about Jehovah’s people? They had long declared that “the appointed times of the nations” would end in 1914.a (Luke 21:24) In that year, God’s Kingdom in the hands of King David’s Heir, Jesus Christ, was established in the heavens. (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Luke 22:28, 29) As far back as March 1880, the Watch Tower magazine linked the rule of God’s Kingdom with the ending of “the appointed times of the nations,” or “the times of the Gentiles.” (King James Version) But the heart of the Germanic king of the north was ‘against the holy Kingdom covenant.’ Instead of acknowledging Kingdom rule, Kaiser Wilhelm ‘acted effectively’ by promoting his schemes for world domination. In so doing, though, he sowed the seeds for World War I.
THE KING BECOMES “DEJECTED” IN A WAR
10, 11. How did World War I start, and how was this “at the time appointed”?
10 “At the time appointed he [the king of the north] will go back,” the angel foretold, “and he will actually come against the south; but it will not prove to be at the last the same as at the first.” (Daniel 11:29) God’s “time appointed” to end Gentile domination of the earth came in 1914 when he set up the heavenly Kingdom. On June 28 of that year, Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian terrorist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. That was the spark that touched off World War I.
11 Kaiser Wilhelm urged Austria-Hungary to retaliate against Serbia. Assured of German support, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. But Russia came to Serbia’s aid. When Germany declared war on Russia, France (an ally in the Triple Entente) gave support to Russia. Germany then declared war on France. To make Paris more readily accessible, Germany invaded Belgium, whose neutrality had been guaranteed by Britain. So Britain declared war on Germany. Other nations became involved, and Italy switched sides. During the war, Britain made Egypt her protectorate in order to prevent the king of the north from cutting off the Suez Canal and invading Egypt, the ancient land of the king of the south.
12. During the first world war, in what way did things not turn out “the same as at the first”?
12 “Despite the size and strength of the Allies,” says The World Book Encyclopedia, “Germany seemed close to winning the war.” In previous conflicts between the two kings, the Roman Empire, as king of the north, had consistently been victorious. But this time, ‘things were not the same as at the first.’ The king of the north lost the war. Giving the reason for this, the angel said: “There will certainly come against him the ships of Kittim, and he will have to become dejected.” (Daniel 11:30a) What were “the ships of Kittim”?
13, 14. (a) What mainly were “the ships of Kittim” that came up against the king of the north? (b) How did more ships of Kittim come as the first world war continued?
13 In Daniel’s time Kittim was Cyprus. Early in the first world war, Cyprus was annexed by Britain. Moreover, according to The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, the name Kittim “is extended to include the W[est] in general, but esp[ecially] the seafaring W[est].” The New International Version renders the expression “ships of Kittim” as “ships of the western coastlands.” During the first world war, the ships of Kittim proved to be mainly the ships of Britain, lying off the western coast of Europe.
14 As the war dragged on, the British Navy was strengthened by more ships of Kittim. On May 7, 1915, the German submarine U-20 sank the civilian liner Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland. Among the dead were 128 Americans. Later, Germany extended submarine warfare into the Atlantic. Subsequently, on April 6, 1917, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany. Augmented by U.S. warships and troops, the king of the south—now the Anglo-American World Power—was fully at war with its rival king.
15. When did the king of the north become “dejected”?
15 Under assault by the Anglo-American World Power, the king of the north became “dejected” and conceded defeat in November 1918. Wilhelm II fled into exile in the Netherlands, and Germany became a republic. But the king of the north was not yet finished.
THE KING ACTS “EFFECTIVELY”
16. According to the prophecy, how would the king of the north react to his defeat?
16 “He [the king of the north] will actually go back and hurl denunciations against the holy covenant and act effectively; and he will have to go back and will give consideration to those leaving the holy covenant.” (Daniel 11:30b) So prophesied the angel, and so it proved to be.
17. What led to the rise of Adolf Hitler?
17 After the war ended, in 1918, the victorious Allies imposed a punitive peace treaty on Germany. The German people found the terms of the treaty harsh, and the new republic was weak from the start. Germany staggered for some years in extreme distress and experienced the Great Depression that ultimately left six million unemployed. By the early 1930’s, conditions were ripe for the rise of Adolf Hitler. He became chancellor in January 1933 and the following year assumed the presidency of what the Nazis called the Third Reich.b
18. How did Hitler “act effectively”?
18 Immediately after coming to power, Hitler launched a vicious attack against “the holy covenant,” represented by the anointed brothers of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 25:40) In this he acted “effectively” against these loyal Christians, cruelly persecuting many of them. Hitler enjoyed economic and diplomatic successes, acting “effectively” in those fields also. In a few years, he made Germany a power to be reckoned with on the world scene.
19. Seeking support, Hitler courted whom?
19 Hitler gave “consideration to those leaving the holy covenant.” Who were these? Evidently, the leaders of Christendom, who claimed to have a covenant relationship with God but had ceased to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Hitler successfully called on “those leaving the holy covenant” for their support. For example, he made a concordat with the pope in Rome. In 1935, Hitler created the Ministry for Church Affairs. One of his goals was to bring Evangelical churches under state control.
THE “ARMS” PROCEED FROM THE KING
20. What “arms” did the king of the north utilize, and against whom?
20 Hitler soon went to war, as the angel had correctly foretold: “There will be arms that will stand up, proceeding from him; and they will actually profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the constant feature.” (Daniel 11:31a) The “arms” were the military forces that the king of the north used in order to fight the king of the south in World War II. On September 1, 1939, Nazi “arms” invaded Poland. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany in order to help Poland. Thus began World War II. Poland collapsed quickly, and soon thereafter, German forces occupied Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. “At the end of 1941,” says The World Book Encyclopedia, “Nazi Germany dominated the continent.”
21. How did the tide turn against the king of the north during World War II, resulting in what outcome?
21 Even though Germany and the Soviet Union had signed a Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation, and Demarcation, Hitler proceeded to invade Soviet territory on June 22, 1941. This action brought the Soviet Union to the side of Britain. The Soviet army put up strong resistance despite spectacular early advances of the German forces. On December 6, 1941, the German army actually suffered defeat at Moscow. The following day, Germany’s ally Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Learning of this, Hitler told his aides: “Now it is impossible for us to lose the war.” On December 11 he rashly declared war on the United States. But he underestimated the strength of both the Soviet Union and the United States. With the Soviet army attacking from the east and British and American forces closing in from the west, the tide soon turned against Hitler. German forces began losing territory after territory. Following Hitler’s suicide, Germany surrendered to the Allies, on May 7, 1945.
22. How did the king of the north ‘profane the sanctuary and remove the constant feature’?
22 “They [Nazi arms] will actually profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the constant feature,” said the angel. In ancient Judah the sanctuary was part of the temple in Jerusalem. However, when the Jews rejected Jesus, Jehovah rejected them and their temple. (Matthew 23:37–24:2) Since the first century C.E., Jehovah’s temple has actually been a spiritual one, with its holy of holies in the heavens and with a spiritual courtyard on earth, in which the anointed brothers of Jesus, the High Priest, serve. From the 1930’s onward, the “great crowd” have worshiped in association with the anointed remnant and are therefore said to serve ‘in God’s temple.’ (Revelation 7:9, 15; 11:1, 2; Hebrews 9:11, 12, 24) In lands under his control, the king of the north profaned the earthly courtyard of the temple by relentlessly persecuting the anointed remnant and their companions. So severe was the persecution that “the constant feature”—the public sacrifice of praise to Jehovah’s name—was removed. (Hebrews 13:15) Despite horrible suffering, however, faithful anointed Christians together with the “other sheep” kept on preaching during World War II.—John 10:16.
‘THE DISGUSTING THING IS PUT IN PLACE’
23. What was “the disgusting thing” in the first century?
23 When the end of the second world war was in sight, another development occurred, just as God’s angel had foretold. “They will certainly put in place the disgusting thing that is causing desolation.” (Daniel 11:31b) Jesus had also spoken of “the disgusting thing.” In the first century, it proved to be the Roman army that came to Jerusalem in 66 C.E. to put down Jewish rebellion.c—Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9:27.
24, 25. (a) What is “the disgusting thing” in modern times? (b) When and how was ‘the disgusting thing put in place’?
24 What “disgusting thing” has been “put in place” in modern times? Apparently, it is a “disgusting” counterfeit of God’s Kingdom. This was the League of Nations, the scarlet-colored wild beast that went into the abyss, or ceased to exist as a world-peace organization, when World War II erupted. (Revelation 17:8) “The wild beast,” however, was “to ascend out of the abyss.” This it did when the United Nations, with 50 member nations including the former Soviet Union, was established on October 24, 1945. Thus “the disgusting thing” foretold by the angel—the United Nations—was put in place.
25 Germany had been a leading enemy of the king of the south during both world wars and had occupied the position of the king of the north. Who would be next in that position?
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The Rival Kings Enter the 20th CenturyPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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[Chart/Pictures on page 268]
KINGS IN DANIEL 11:27-31
The King of The King of
the North the South
Daniel 11:30b, 31 Hitler’s Third Reich Anglo-American
(World War II) World Power
[Picture]
President Woodrow Wilson with King George V
[Picture]
Many Christians were persecuted in concentration camps
[Picture]
Leaders in Christendom supported Hitler
[Picture]
Automobile in which Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated
[Picture]
German soldiers, World War I
[Picture on page 257]
At Yalta in 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin agreed on plans to occupy Germany, form a new government in Poland, and hold a conference to set up the United Nations
[Pictures on page 258]
1. Archduke Ferdinand 2. German navy 3. British navy 4. Lusitania 5. U.S. declaration of war
[Pictures on page 263]
Adolf Hitler felt confident of victory after Germany’s wartime ally Japan bombed Pearl Harbor
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The Contending Kings Near Their EndPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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Chapter Sixteen
The Contending Kings Near Their End
1, 2. How did the identity of the king of the north change after the second world war?
REFLECTING on the political climate of the United States and Russia, the French philosopher and historian Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in 1835: “One has freedom as the principal means of action; the other has servitude. Their . . . paths [are] diverse; nevertheless, each seems called by some secret design of Providence one day to hold in its hands the destinies of half the world.” How did this prediction fare in the wake of World War II? Historian J. M. Roberts writes: “At the end of a second World War the destinies of the world did, indeed, at last appear to be likely to be dominated by two great and very differing systems of power, one based in what had been Russia, one in the United States of America.”
2 During the two world wars, Germany had been the chief enemy of the king of the south—the Anglo-American World Power—and had occupied the position of the king of the north. After World War II, however, that nation stood divided. West Germany became an ally of the king of the south, and East Germany aligned itself with another powerful entity—the Communist bloc of nations headed by the Soviet Union. This bloc, or political entity, stood up as the king of the north, in strong opposition to the Anglo-American alliance. And the rivalry between the two kings became a Cold War that lasted from 1948 to 1989. Previously, the German king of the north had acted “against the holy covenant.” (Daniel 11:28, 30) How would the Communist bloc act with regard to the covenant?
TRUE CHRISTIANS STUMBLE BUT PREVAIL
3, 4. Who are those “acting wickedly against the covenant,” and what relationship have they had with the king of the north?
3 “Those who are acting wickedly against the covenant,” said God’s angel, “he [the king of the north] will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words.” The angel added: “But as regards the people who are knowing their God, they will prevail and act effectively. And as regards those having insight among the people, they will impart understanding to the many. And they will certainly be made to stumble by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plundering, for some days.”—Daniel 11:32, 33.
4 The ones “acting wickedly against the covenant” can only be the leaders of Christendom, who claim to be Christian but by their actions profane the very name of Christianity. In his book Religion in the Soviet Union, Walter Kolarz says: “[During the second world war] the Soviet Government made an effort to enlist the material and moral assistance of the Churches for the defence of the motherland.” After the war church leaders tried to maintain that friendship, despite the atheistic policy of the power that was now the king of the north. Thus, Christendom became more than ever a part of this world—a disgusting apostasy in Jehovah’s eyes.—John 17:16; James 4:4.
5, 6. Who were ‘the people knowing their God,’ and how did they fare under the king of the north?
5 What of genuine Christians—“the people who are knowing their God” and “those having insight”? Although they were properly “in subjection to the superior authorities,” Christians living under the rulership of the king of the north were not a part of this world. (Romans 13:1; John 18:36) Careful to pay back “Caesar’s things to Caesar,” they also gave “God’s things to God.” (Matthew 22:21) Because of this, their integrity was challenged.—2 Timothy 3:12.
6 As a result, true Christians both ‘stumbled’ and ‘prevailed.’ They stumbled in that they suffered intense persecution, some even being killed. But they prevailed in that the vast majority remained faithful. They conquered the world, just as Jesus did. (John 16:33) Moreover, they never stopped preaching, even if they found themselves in prison or in concentration camps. In so doing, they ‘imparted understanding to the many.’ Despite persecution in most lands ruled over by the king of the north, the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses increased. Thanks to the faithfulness of “those having insight,” an ever-expanding part of the “great crowd” has appeared in those lands.—Revelation 7:9-14.
JEHOVAH’S PEOPLE ARE REFINED
7. What “little help” did the anointed Christians living under the king of the north receive?
7 “When they [God’s people] are made to stumble they will be helped with a little help,” said the angel. (Daniel 11:34a) The triumph of the king of the south in the second world war had resulted in some relief for Christians living under the rival king. (Compare Revelation 12:15, 16.) Similarly, those who were persecuted by the successor king experienced relief from time to time. As the Cold War wound down, many leaders came to realize that faithful Christians are no threat and thus granted them legal recognition. Help came, too, from the swelling numbers of the great crowd, who responded to the faithful preaching of the anointed ones and helped them.—Matthew 25:34-40.
8. How did some join themselves to God’s people “by means of smoothness”?
8 Not all who professed to have an interest in serving God during the Cold War years had good motives. The angel had warned: “Many will certainly join themselves to them by means of smoothness.” (Daniel 11:34b) A considerable number showed an interest in the truth but were not willing to make a dedication to God. Yet others who seemed to accept the good news were really spies for the authorities. A report from one land reads: “Some of these unscrupulous characters were avowed Communists who had crept into the Lord’s organization, made a great display of zeal, and had even been appointed to high positions of service.”
9. Why did Jehovah allow some faithful Christians “to stumble” because of infiltrators?
9 The angel continued: “And some of those having insight will be made to stumble, in order to do a refining work because of them and to do a cleansing and to do a whitening, until the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.” (Daniel 11:35) The infiltrators caused some faithful ones to fall into the hands of the authorities. Jehovah allowed such things to happen for a refining and a cleansing of his people. Just as Jesus “learned obedience from the things he suffered,” so these faithful ones learned endurance from the testing of their faith. (Hebrews 5:8; James 1:2, 3; compare Malachi 3:3.) They are thus ‘refined, cleansed, and whitened.’
10. What is meant by the expression “until the time of the end”?
10 Jehovah’s people were to experience stumbling and refining “until the time of the end.” Of course, they expect to be persecuted until the end of this wicked system of things. However, the cleansing and whitening of God’s people as a result of the intrusion from the king of the north was “for the time appointed.” Hence, at Daniel 11:35, “the time of the end” must relate to the end of the period of time needed for God’s people to be refined while enduring the assault of the king of the north. The stumbling evidently ended at the time appointed by Jehovah.
THE KING MAGNIFIES HIMSELF
11. What did the angel say about the attitude of the king of the north toward Jehovah’s sovereignty?
11 Regarding the king of the north, the angel added: “The king will actually do according to his own will, and he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; and [refusing to acknowledge Jehovah’s sovereignty] against the God of gods he will speak marvelous things. And he will certainly prove successful until the denunciation will have come to a finish; because the thing decided upon must be done. And to the God of his fathers he will give no consideration; and to the desire of women and to every other god he will give no consideration, but over everyone he will magnify himself.”—Daniel 11:36, 37.
12, 13. (a) In what way did the king of the north reject “the God of his fathers”? (b) Who were the “women” whose “desire” the king of the north did not consider? (c) To which “god” did the king of the north give glory?
12 Fulfilling these prophetic words, the king of the north rejected “the God of his fathers,” such as the Trinitarian divinity of Christendom. The Communist bloc promoted outright atheism. Thus the king of the north made a god of himself, ‘magnifying himself over everyone.’ Giving no consideration “to the desire of women”—subservient lands, such as North Vietnam, that served as handmaids of his regime—the king acted “according to his own will.”
13 Continuing with the prophecy, the angel said: “To the god of fortresses, in his position he will give glory; and to a god that his fathers did not know he will give glory by means of gold and by means of silver and by means of precious stone and by means of desirable things.” (Daniel 11:38) In fact, the king of the north placed his trust in modern scientific militarism, “the god of fortresses.” He sought salvation through this “god,” sacrificing enormous wealth on its altar.
14. How did the king of the north “act effectively”?
14 “He will act effectively against the most fortified strongholds, along with a foreign god. Whoever has given him recognition he will make abound with glory, and he will actually make them rule among many; and the ground he will apportion out for a price.” (Daniel 11:39) Trusting in his militaristic “foreign god,” the king of the north acted most “effectively,” proving to be a formidable military power in “the last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1) Those who supported his ideology were rewarded with political, financial, and sometimes military support.
“A PUSHING” IN THE TIME OF THE END
15. How did the king of the south engage with the king of the north in “a pushing”?
15 “In the time of the end the king of the south will engage with him in a pushing,” the angel told Daniel. (Daniel 11:40a) Has the king of the south ‘pushed’ the king of the north during “the time of the end”? (Daniel 12:4, 9) Yes, indeed. After the first world war, the punitive peace treaty imposed upon the then king of the north—Germany—was surely “a pushing,” an incitement to retaliation. After his victory in the second world war, the king of the south targeted fearsome nuclear weapons on his rival and organized against him a powerful military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Concerning NATO’s function, a British historian says: “It was the prime instrument for the ‘containment’ of the USSR, which was now perceived as the principal threat to European peace. Its mission lasted for 40 years, and was carried out with indisputable success.” As the years of the Cold War went by, the “pushing” by the king of the south included high-tech espionage as well as diplomatic and military offensives.
16. How did the king of the north react to the pushing by the king of the south?
16 How did the king of the north react? “Against him the king of the north will storm with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships; and he will certainly enter into the lands and flood over and pass through.” (Daniel 11:40b) The history of the last days has featured the expansionism of the king of the north. During the second world war, the Nazi “king” flooded over his borders into the surrounding lands. At the end of that war, the successor “king” built a powerful empire. During the Cold War, the king of the north fought his rival in proxy wars and insurgencies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He persecuted genuine Christians, hindering—but by no means stopping—their activity. And his military and political offensives brought a number of lands under his control. This is exactly what the angel had prophesied: “He will also actually enter into the land of the Decoration [the spiritual estate of Jehovah’s people], and there will be many lands that will be made to stumble.”—Daniel 11:41a.
17. What limits were there to the expansionism of the king of the north?
17 Nevertheless, the king of the north did not achieve world conquest. The angel foretold: “These are the ones that will escape out of his hand, Edom and Moab and the main part of the sons of Ammon.” (Daniel 11:41b) In ancient times, Edom, Moab, and Ammon were situated between the domains of the Egyptian king of the south and the Syrian king of the north. In modern times they represent nations and organizations that the king of the north targeted but was unable to bring under his influence.
EGYPT DOES NOT ESCAPE
18, 19. In what ways did the king of the south feel the influence of his rival?
18 Jehovah’s angel continued: “He [the king of the north] will keep thrusting out his hand against the lands; and as regards the land of Egypt, she will not prove to be an escapee. And he will actually rule over the hidden treasures of the gold and the silver and over all the desirable things of Egypt. And the Libyans and the Ethiopians will be at his steps.” (Daniel 11:42, 43) Even the king of the south, “Egypt,” did not escape the effects of the expansionist policies of the king of the north. For example, the king of the south suffered a notable defeat in Vietnam. And what of “the Libyans and the Ethiopians”? These neighbors of ancient Egypt might well foreshadow nations that are, geographically speaking, neighbors of modern “Egypt” (the king of the south). At times, they have been followers of—‘at the steps of’—the king of the north.
19 Has the king of the north ruled over ‘the hidden treasures of Egypt’? He has indeed had a powerful influence on the way that the king of the south has used his financial resources. Because of fear of his rival, the king of the south has devoted huge sums to maintaining a formidable army, navy, and air force. To this extent, the king of the north ‘ruled over,’ or controlled, the disposition of the wealth of the king of the south.
THE FINAL CAMPAIGN
20. How does the angel describe the final campaign of the king of the north?
20 The rivalry between the king of the north and the king of the south—whether by military, economic, or other means—is nearing its end. Revealing the details of a conflict yet to come, Jehovah’s angel said: “There will be reports that will disturb him [the king of the north], out of the sunrising and out of the north, and he will certainly go forth in a great rage in order to annihilate and to devote many to destruction. And he will plant his palatial tents between the grand sea and the holy mountain of Decoration; and he will have to come all the way to his end, and there will be no helper for him.”—Daniel 11:44, 45.
21. What is there yet to learn about the king of the north?
21 With the disbanding of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the king of the north suffered a serious setback. Who will be this king when Daniel 11:44, 45 is fulfilled? Will he be identified with one of the countries that were part of the former Soviet Union? Or will he change identity completely, as he has done a number of times before? Will the development of nuclear weapons by additional nations result in a new arms race and have a bearing on the identity of that king? Only time will provide answers to these questions. We are wise not to speculate. When the king of the north embarks on his final campaign, the fulfillment of prophecy will be clearly discerned by all who have Bible-based insight.—See “Kings in Daniel Chapter 11,” on page 284.
22. What questions arise about the final attack by the king of the north?
22 However, we do know what action the king of the north will soon take. Moved by the reports “out of the sunrising and out of the north,” he will conduct a campaign ‘in order to annihilate many.’ Against whom is this campaign directed? And what “reports” trigger such an attack?
ALARMED BY DISTURBING REPORTS
23. (a) What outstanding event must take place before Armageddon? (b) Who are “the kings from the rising of the sun”?
23 Consider what the book of Revelation has to say about the end of Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. Before “the war of the great day of God the Almighty,” Armageddon, this great enemy of true worship “will be completely burned with fire.” (Revelation 16:14, 16; 18:2-8) Her destruction is foreshadowed by the pouring out of the sixth bowl of God’s wrath on the symbolic river Euphrates. The river is dried up so that “the way might be prepared for the kings from the rising of the sun.” (Revelation 16:12) Who are these kings? None other than Jehovah God and Jesus Christ!—Compare Isaiah 41:2; 46:10, 11.
24. What act of Jehovah may disturb the king of the north?
24 The destruction of Babylon the Great is graphically described in the book of Revelation, which states: “The ten horns that you saw [the kings ruling in the time of the end], and the wild beast [the United Nations], these will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire.” (Revelation 17:16) Why will the rulers destroy Babylon the Great? Because ‘God puts it into their hearts to carry out his thought.’ (Revelation 17:17) Included among these rulers is the king of the north. What he hears “out of the sunrising” may well refer to this act of Jehovah, when he puts it into the hearts of human leaders to annihilate the great religious harlot.
25. (a) What special target does the king of the north have? (b) Where does the king of the north “plant his palatial tents”?
25 But there is a special target for the wrath of the king of the north. He will “plant his palatial tents between the grand sea and the holy mountain of Decoration,” says the angel. In Daniel’s time the grand sea was the Mediterranean and the holy mountain was Zion, once the site of God’s temple. Hence, in the prophecy’s fulfillment, the enraged king of the north conducts a campaign against God’s people. In a spiritual sense, the location “between the grand sea and the holy mountain” represents the spiritual estate of Jehovah’s anointed servants. They have come out of “the sea” of mankind alienated from God and have the hope of ruling on heavenly Mount Zion with Jesus Christ.—Isaiah 57:20; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:1.
26. As indicated by Ezekiel’s prophecy, what may be the origin of the news “out of the north”?
26 Ezekiel, a contemporary of Daniel, also prophesied an attack on God’s people “in the final part of the days.” He said that the hostilities would be initiated by Gog of Magog, that is, by Satan the Devil. (Ezekiel 38:14, 16) Symbolically, from which direction does Gog come? “From the remotest parts of the north,” says Jehovah, through Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 38:15) However vicious this assault, it will not destroy Jehovah’s people. This dramatic encounter will result from a strategic move on Jehovah’s part to annihilate Gog’s forces. Thus, Jehovah says to Satan: “I shall certainly . . . put hooks in your jaws and bring you forth.” “I will . . . cause you to come up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you in upon the mountains of Israel.” (Ezekiel 38:4; 39:2) The news “out of the north” that enrages the king of the north, therefore, must originate with Jehovah. But just what the reports “out of the sunrising and out of the north” will finally contain, only God will determine and time will tell.
27. (a) Why will Gog incite the nations, including the king of the north, to attack Jehovah’s people? (b) How will Gog’s attack turn out?
27 As for Gog, he organizes his all-out assault because of the prosperity of “the Israel of God,” who, along with the “great crowd” of “other sheep,” are no longer part of his world. (Galatians 6:16; Revelation 7:9; John 10:16; 17:15, 16; 1 John 5:19) Gog looks askance upon “a people gathered together out of the nations, one that is accumulating [spiritual] wealth and property.” (Ezekiel 38:12) Viewing the Christian spiritual estate as “open rural country” ripe for the taking, Gog makes a supreme effort to wipe out this obstacle to his total control of mankind. But he fails. (Ezekiel 38:11, 18; 39:4) When the kings of the earth, including the king of the north, attack Jehovah’s people, they will ‘come all the way to their end.’
‘THE KING WILL COME TO HIS END’
28. What do we know about the future of the king of the north and the king of the south?
28 The final campaign of the king of the north is not directed against the king of the south. Therefore, the king of the north does not come to his end at the hands of his great rival. Similarly, the king of the south is not destroyed by the king of the north. The king of the south is destroyed, “without [human] hand,” by God’s Kingdom.a (Daniel 8:25) In fact, at the battle of Armageddon, all earthly kings are to be removed by God’s Kingdom, and this evidently is what happens to the king of the north. (Daniel 2:44) Daniel 11:44, 45 describes events leading up to that final battle. No wonder “there will be no helper” when the king of the north meets his end!
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The Contending Kings Near Their EndPay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
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[Chart/Picture on page 284]
KINGS IN DANIEL CHAPTER 11
The King of The King of
the North the South
Daniel 11:5 Seleucus I Nicator Ptolemy I
Daniel 11:6 Antiochus II Ptolemy II
(wife Laodice) (daughter Berenice)
Daniel 11:7-9 Seleucus II Ptolemy III
Daniel 11:10-12 Antiochus III Ptolemy IV
Daniel 11:13-19 Antiochus III Ptolemy V
(daughter Cleopatra I) Successor: Ptolemy VI
Successors:
Seleucus IV and
Antiochus IV
Daniel 11:20 Augustus
Daniel 11:21-24 Tiberius
Daniel 11:30b, 31 Hitler’s Third Reich Anglo-American
(World War II) World Power
Daniel 11:32-43 Communist bloc Anglo-American
(Cold War) World Power
Daniel 11:44, 45 Yet to riseb Anglo-American
World Power
[Footnote]
b The prophecy in Daniel chapter 11 does not foretell the names of the political entities that occupy the positions of the king of the north and the king of the south at various times. Their identities become known only after the events start to occur. Moreover, since the conflict occurs in episodes, there are intervals of no conflict—one king holds sway while the other remains inactive.
[Full-page picture on page 271]
[Pictures on page 279]
“Pushing” by the king of the south has included high-tech espionage and the threat of military action
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