Daniel 11: The Kings of the North and South (Part 2: The Prophetic Pause and the Foreshadowing of the Antichrist)

In the last study, we covered Daniel 11 verse by verse up to verse 20. You can see that every verse was not a vague prophecy that could be fulfilled by anyone, anywhere, or at any time. Instead, it was a sequence of specific events in a precise order. Because of this, many have tried to claim it must have been written after the fact. But as I have already shown in a previous study, this is not the case.

However, something happens in verse 21 that needs to be addressed very carefully. While most Christian scholars agree that Daniel introduces the Antichrist in this chapter, there is no agreement on which verse he is introduced in. Remember, any time we disagree on an interpretation, that does not mean there is no right or wrong answer.

We don’t need to throw up our hands and declare that we just don’t know. We need to dive into the Scriptures with a fine-tooth comb and discover what we are missing.

The Pause in Prophecy

Remember that the entire book of Daniel presents the same overarching timeline of events. In chapter 2, we are told about the four world empires. In Daniel 7, the focus narrows to the second, third, and fourth empires. In Daniel 8, it narrows further to the third and fourth. Yet the timeline itself remains consistent.

Daniel 11 does not change that pattern. It begins with the second world empire, describing the next four kings it would have before the third empire takes over. From there, it follows the course of history—unknown to Daniel at the time—all the way through the end of the chapter.

When we open chapter 12, we see the transition from the fourth world empire to the final kingdom of God coming to earth, as prophesied in chapter 2.

But there are two important things you need to know. First, not all of Daniel 11 has come to pass. Second, if Daniel were attempting to present events in strict chronological order without skipping anything, the timeline would have ended before Jesus ever arrived.

That means either Daniel was wrong, or Daniel intentionally introduced a pause in the timeline—one that will resume and unfold at the time appointed in the future. If you are wise, you would do well to remember this: if God says something and it does not align with what you think you know, then what you think you know should be the first thing you question.

Daniel does indeed introduce a pause in the timeline. In fact, he introduces a pause (an unaccounted for period of time) in every one of these prophecies.

In Daniel 2, Rome is the fourth empire, but something changes between its beginning as iron and its feet of mixed iron and clay. There is a transition between what the empire was and what it will be. It is subtle, but it is there. That is the pause (an unaccounted for period of time).

In Daniel 7, the fourth beast rules until the end, when Jesus establishes His literal kingdom on earth. Since that has not yet happened, it is obvious that there is a span of time not directly described. That time is implied in verse 23, where it says the beast will tread down, break, and devour the whole earth. That takes an unaccounted for period of time. A pause in the timeline.

In Daniel 8, a pause is signaled in verse 23, moving from the beginning of the prophecy to “the latter time of their kingdom.” In Daniel 9, there is a pause in the seventy weeks between the crucifixion of Jesus and the final half of the seventieth week at the end.

Daniel has been consistent in pausing the timeline and then picking it up again later. In fact, if you notice, Daniel never mentions the Messiah anywhere in chapter 11. For something so important, you would expect it to be mentioned at least once—but it is skipped entirely.

Clearly, there is plenty of textual evidence to show that even if Daniel does not explicitly state that he is pausing the timeline, it is still evident from the context. The question in chapter 11 is not if the timeline pauses, but where.

The Foreshadowing of the Antichrist

What becomes confusing at this point is that Daniel does not directly state that he is skipping ahead to the Antichrist. Because of this, there has always been debate over who is being described and what is supposed to happen next. What I find especially interesting, however, is that this appears to be intentional.

The next individual who historically came to power in verse 21—if Daniel were not skipping ahead—actually fulfilled almost everything that was prophesied to follow. Almost. Let’s examine the verses in question first, and then I’ll explain why not everything is as it seems.

Historically, the next person to come to power was Antiochus IV. After Seleucus IV was assassinated, the throne should have gone to Seleucus’s son, Demetrius. Instead, Antiochus IV gained permission from Rome to take the throne by presenting himself as loyal to Rome and flattering them.

He used cunning and persuasion rather than open battle. During his campaigns in Egypt, he employed diplomacy and false promises of peace to weaken the king of the south before attacking. The Jewish high priest Onias III, who was deposed and later murdered, is often identified as the “prince of the covenant.”

Antiochus gained power through deceptive alliances, distributed wealth to loyal supporters, and launched multiple campaigns against Egypt, achieving success through betrayal within Egypt’s leadership—though he was ultimately stopped by Rome.

He then redirected his hostility toward Judea, plundered Jerusalem, halted Jewish worship, and worked with Hellenized Jews who abandoned the covenant. His forces desecrated the temple, stopped the daily sacrifices, and established an abomination of desolation, resulting in severe persecution of faithful Jews.

Some resisted by teaching the law and remaining faithful, suffering martyrdom as a result. Limited assistance arose through the early stages of the Maccabean revolt.

Why It Isn’t Antiochus

At first glance, it appears that Antiochus fulfilled this prophecy. But appearances can be deceiving.

Antiochus did not fulfill the entire prophecy as written. The phrase “arms of a flood” in verse 22 suggests overwhelming military conquest, whereas Antiochus’ rise was primarily political rather than militarily decisive. Identifying Onias III as the “prince of the covenant” is also a problem, as Scripture never explicitly refers to a high priest by that title. Furthermore, Onias was murdered through intrigue, not by direct conquest.

More importantly—and this point settles the debate—Jesus Himself tells us that Antiochus’ actions were not what Daniel was ultimately describing.

Antiochus lived before the time of Jesus. If Jesus says this event is still future, then it cannot have been fulfilled by Antiochus. Therefore, no interpretation that treats verses 31 onward as fully fulfilled in the past can be valid—even if it appears convincing.

In addition, when we read further in the chapter, we find several other discrepancies between Antiochus and the individual Daniel describes. Antiochus actively worshiped Zeus, Apollo, and other Greek deities; he did not reject gods—he enforced them. Moreover, he did not die in Judea or anywhere near Jerusalem. Instead, he died in the eastern part of his empire during a failed attempt to rob a temple.

Some may suggest that Antiochus fulfilled part of the prophecy, but that Daniel shifts to introduce the Antichrist in verses 27 or 29. However, those verses do not introduce a new individual. While Daniel consistently follows offices rather than naming individuals, he also consistently introduces the players at the beginning of each section.

Throughout the chapter, we repeatedly read phrases such as “the king of the south” or “the king of the north.” Even at the start of a new sequence of events, Daniel clearly identifies who is acting. Verses 27 and 29 do not introduce new players; they continue the same line of action already in progress. They are part of a continuous stream of thought.

Verse 27 assumes the reader already knows who the kings are when it says, “both of these kings.” This is a clear reference back to individuals already discussed. The same reasoning applies to verse 29.

Therefore, if verse 35 and onward have not yet been fulfilled, and no new individual is introduced anywhere in the sequence following verse 21, then only verse 21 remains as the point at which this final Antichrist enters the prophecy.

Mirrored Fulfillment

God often foreshadows the future for us. That is what Antiochus was. He was not the Antichrist; he was a shadow of what was to come. If you remember from an earlier study, God did this in Isaiah as well.

This prophecy is clearly speaking of Jesus. Yet it is often argued that Isaiah’s son was the fulfillment of this prophecy, since he is described in similar terms in the next chapter. However, God did not fulfill the prophecy at that time—He provided a foreshadowing of it. That is exactly what is happening here.

Antiochus is not the fulfillment, but he is not irrelevant either. He is a foreshadow. It is often said that history repeats itself, and this is why: God has set things in motion to give us examples and lessons from the past.

Why Daniel Skips Here

Throughout the book, Daniel has been consistent in showing that his timeline revolves around world empires. After verse 20, Rome has become the dominant empire, and the king of the north is no longer the central focus. As Daniel has done repeatedly, he gives no explicit indication that he has shifted away from the previous empire—he simply does so, because the context has changed.

At this point, when the course of history now falls under Roman rule, Daniel is no longer concerned with identifying the next ruler of the Greek northern empire. Instead, he skips ahead until that northern territory becomes prophetically relevant again. This time, it is relevant not merely as a geographic region, but as the origin of a vile ruler who gains power from among the many nations worldwide that embraced Rome’s ideas in the end times.

So, at this stage in our study, we have established the timeline, identified where the pause begins and ends, and arrived at the time of Jesus. Today He has come and fulfilled the first sixty-nine and a half weeks of the seventy-week prophecy, and we are currently living in the period before the final Antichrist arises.

At this point in our study, I am about to step outside the book of Daniel. Before the Antichrist appears, there are several other biblical prophecies that must take place first. While Daniel skips ahead, we will continue moving forward in chronological order, following the events Scripture tells us will occur from this point onward.

We will return to the remainder of Daniel and to the Antichrist once we reach that stage. For now, it is important that we understand what was meant to happen after Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. We will begin to see this in our next study, when the first seal in the book of Revelation is opened.

Continue To Unit 7:13 – From Daniel to Revelation: The Prophetic Timeline and the First Four Seals OR

Return To Christianity 101 Unit 7 – The Latter Days – A Detailed Look