Yahweh is the King of the North & the King of the South is the King of Egypt: Always
Yahweh is the King of the North
Ultimately, Yahweh is the True King of the North. This title is not explicitly linked to Yahweh like it is to earthly rulers in Daniel 11. However, it is easy to derive this title as applicable to Yahweh because many verses proclaim both His habitation and kingship. The oldest reference to this concept comes from the book of Job which is traditionally believed to pre-date all other scriptures.
“He comes from the north as golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty.” Job 37:22
A reference by the sons of Korah must be about the heavenly Mount Zion because the earthly Zion is not found in the north, nor is an earthly Zion the city of the Great King.
“Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the Great King.” Psalm 48:1-2
The Prophet Isaiah introduces the idea that ultimately Yahweh is the King of the North, and yet, there is a deceiver who seeks that title for himself.
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” Isaiah 14:12-14
Lucifer, or Satan then, is a pretender king of the north, who works through human empires. It is these human empires that Daniel references as the kings of the north in chapter 11. We must not forget however, that it is Satan, the dragon (Revelation 12:9) who gives power to the beast (Revelation 13:2). The beast of Revelation being a parallel to the final “King of the North” in Daniel 11. The four beasts found in the vision of Daniel 7 represent the same empires as the kings of the north throughout Daniel 11.
In introducing Daniel 11, Gabriel states that he must “fight with the prince of Persia...” and “...the prince of Greece” (Daniel 10:20). Gabriel is unable to overcome these princes without the help of Michael the archangel. These princes are not human, but demonic powers equal to, or greater than Gabriel. These princes are really a single prince in successive order, first Persia, then Greece. This prince, who influences empires, is the adversary, Satan, who can only be defeated by Michael (Daniel 10:21).
False Kings of the North
The vision of Nebuchadnezzar of the statue in Daniel 2 is also a prophecy parallel to the beasts of Daniel 7 and the kings of the north in Daniel 11. These parallel prophecies detail for us a chain of successive human empires. Babylon is identified as the first (Daniel 2:38). By the time Daniel receives the prophecy recorded in Daniel 11, the Babylonian Empire had been conquered by the Persians and so this final prophecy explicitly details the next two empires as Persia and then Greece. There is only one other metal in the statue of Daniel 2, or beast in the vision of Daniel 7, therefore only one other empire between Greece and the end. As Greece was no longer an empire by the time of Yeshua, I think it is clear that Rome, which supplanted Greece and which is still alive today in an apostate religious form, is the final “King of the North” on earth.
The Bible is clear to draw attention to the fact that these kings, or empires, seek to exalt themselves in place of God as the rightful king of the north. There is no indication from scripture that any other than the following four empires would be considered as a “King of the North”:
1. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attempted to have everyone worship him, not just as the head of gold in the vision of Daniel 2, but by making an entire statue of gold (Daniel 3).
2. Darius of Persia had a decree written that no one can pray to any god, but only to him for 30 days (Daniel 6).
3. The Roman Empire grew out of the Greek Empire and a single beast, a goat with unusual horns, is used to represent both in the vision of Daniel 8. In Daniel 8:25 it is written that this empire “shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule” and “even rise against the prince of princes”. This deceiver even rises against the Messiah. Further, in Daniel 7:25 we read that this power “intends to change times and laws”, which is to say that it seeks to claim the prerogatives of God. I could go on with many other scriptures detailing the deceptions, blasphemies, and self-exaltation of this final earthly empire. It is alive and well even today.
4. Ultimately, Satan himself, the first and last deceiver, also attempts to take the throne of God before finally being destroyed in the lake of fire.
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
Thankfully, that is not the end of the story because ultimately the true and rightful King of the North returns. It is at this time that the saints receive the kingdom setup by God, specifically replacing the false kingdoms of the preceding beasts which are the four successive kingdoms of the north in history.
“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this.The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” Daniel 2:44-45
“But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.” Daniel 7:18
Kings of North & South Before Daniel
When Daniel was a young man, the empires of the world were in a state of upheaval. The Assyrian and Egyptian Empires were declining and a new power was arising in Babylon. The impending conflict would significantly affect the Kingdom of Judea and so the events of this time period were faithfully recorded for us in scripture.
“In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went to the aid of the king of Assyria, to the River Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him. And Pharaoh Necho killed him at Megiddo when he confronted him.” 2 Kings 23:29
“Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, King of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon defeated...The daughter of Egypt shall be ashamed; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.” Jeremiah 46:2 & 24
First we read that Necho marched with his army to aid the King of Assyria and was delayed en-route by King Josiah of Judea. I will discuss Josiah’s actions, their consequences, and the lesson for us later in this paper. But for now I want to focus on who Necho was intent on battling. The prophet Jeremiah clearly states for us that it was Nebuchadnezzar and that they met at the Battle of Carchemish. The eventual result of this battle was that Egypt was “delivered into the hand of the people of the north.” Clearly then, we can say that during the time of Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar was already seen as the king of the north, even though this term was not used as a title like it would be in Daniel 11. We can also derive that Pharaoh, King of Egypt, was understood to be the king of the south because he was the opponent of Nebuchadnezzar the king of the north.
Egyptians and Babylonians at the Battle of Carchemish
The King of the South in Daniel
Having already identified the usurper kings of the north in Daniel 11 as four successive world empires, let us now turn our attention to identifying the “King of the South”. During the lifetime of Daniel, Egypt was not a world empire, having been defeated by Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon was conquered by Persia during the lifetime of Daniel and the prophecy of chapter 11 was revealed to Daniel shortly thereafter. The prophecy begins with the Persian emperor Cambyses I, the first of three prophesied kings. Cambyses also invaded Egypt. The fact that Egypt was not an independent kingdom during this time should mean that there would be no mention of the “King of the South” in these verses that deal with the early period of the Persian Empire. Indeed, that is the case.
The first mention of the “King of the South”, as a title in scripture, is for the successor of the “mighty king” in verse 3, who is Alexander the Great. Ptolemy I, the King of Egypt, then, is the first king to receive the title “King of the South” in verse 5. This title appears many times in the following verses, all speaking of successive kings of Egypt. The last of these in this part of the prophecy comes in verse 17. This is Ptolemy V, the husband of Cleopatra I who was the daughter of Antiochus III, the “King of the North”.
Antiochus III is the last Greek “King of the North” having been defeated by Rome. Egypt was likewise conquered by Rome during the reign of Cleopatra VII. Egypt was once again no longer a world empire during this time and so we again find no mention of the “King of the South” from verse 17 until verse 25. In the last half of Daniel 11, we only find the “King of the South” mentioned in two verses: 25 & 40. We also find only the word “south” in between these in verse 29.
“At the MOED he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. For TZIM from KITTIM shall come against him.” Daniel 11:29-30a
This middle mention of “south”, and the information that surrounds it, I believe proves to be the most enlightening passage as we endeavor to identify the “King of the South” in the former and latter verses. In all of my scripture references I have simply used the New King James translation. However, in this verse, I have left 3 key words only transliterated from the original Hebrew. These 3 key words identify critical tests we can apply to any interpretation of this prophecy to understand its legitimacy. The correct historical interpretation will stand only if the event fulfills these 3 keys:
1. MOED first appears in Genesis 1:14 where it states: “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and MOEDIM, and for days and years.’” Clearly then, whatever these MOED are, they are just as easily discernible as any other celestial marker of time. Leviticus 23 spells out exactly on what day of the month, and which month of the year, these MOED occur.
2. TZIM are very well described in Isaiah 33:21-23 as majestic war galleys powered by oars and sails: “But there the majestic Yahweh will be for us, a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will sail, nor majestic TZI pass by (For Yahweh is our Judge, Yahweh is our Lawgiver, Yahweh is our King; He will save us); Your tackle is loosed, they could not strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail.”
3. KITTIM is a place name, well known from ancient extra-Biblical sources as being the island of Cyprus. For Biblical sources as to where this is, we read in Isaiah 23:12 that it is over the sea from Sidon: “...O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, cross over to KITTIM; there also you will have no rest.” In Jeremiah 2:10 the word translated as “coasts” can also be translated as an island: “For pass beyond the coasts (or island) of KITTIM and see...” Looking at both Isaiah and Jeremiah we can identify KITTIM as an island, west across the sea from Sidon which would match the historical and archeological placement of KITTIM as modern-day Cyprus.
I have tested many historical interpretations of Daniel 11 with these 3 unusually specific prophetic keys. The only fulfillment of which I can find is the Battle of Lepanto. The detail with which the prophecy was fulfilled is truly astounding.
The fulfillment of Daniel 11:29-30 during the Battle of Lepanto, 1571
1. It was fought on October 7th, 1571 CE during the last MOED of the year mentioned in Leviticus 23, the Hebrew festival of Sukkot.
2. It was the last major naval battle fought using oared war galleys matching the description of TZIM in Isaiah.
3. The war galleys, which came from the south, had most recently departed the island of Cyprus, or KITTIM. These were the war galleys of the Ottomans who had just conquered the island of Cyprus. They began their invasion by landing troops at the ancient site of the city of KITION, which shares the same etymology as KITTIM. It is very likely that these ships then also departed KITION as their last port-of-call on Cyprus before leaving for Lepanto.
The opposing forces were made up of the Holy League and the Ottoman Empire. The Holy League was arranged by Pope Pius V. The popes of Rome inherited the power of pagan Rome as the fourth “King of the North” empire. Does this make their opponent, the Ottoman Turks, the “King of the South”? The verse only says that the ships came from the “south” and the Ottoman navy fulfilled this. However, the word “king” is missing here. The Ottoman Turks controlled Egypt at the time, however, there was no king in Egypt. This may be one of the ways in which this middle conflict was different than “the former or the latter”. What we can say is that there are 3 periods of conflict prophesied in the last half of Daniel 11.
Now that we have identified apostate Christianity and an Islamic Caliphate as the two empires in conflict in this middle period, is there a “former” period where these same powers fought that we can identify in history? Indeed there is, and we find it in the First Crusade which resulted in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099 CE. In response, a large army was quickly dispatched from the capital of the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt, and yet they suffered defeat at the Battle of Ascalon the following month. There is a striking match between this prophecy, and the former verse which uses the actual title “King of the South” as indeed, there was a king in Egypt at this time.
“He shall stir up his power and his courage against the King of the South with a great army. And the King of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him.” Daniel 11:25
The interpretation of this prophecy presented in this paper consistently identifies the “King of the South” as the King of Egypt. If we identify Egypt as always retaining this title throughout all of history, then we should expect Egypt to still posses this title in the future. Indeed, to the end of history as yet un-written. So what about the “latter” period of conflict still to come?
“At the time of the end the King of the South shall attack him; and the King of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.” Daniel 11:40-42
In these verses we find both the “King of the South” and “Egypt”, which is presented as the ultimate conquest. I believe the “King of the South” has always been, and will always be the King of Egypt. This is an ancient understanding that could very well go all the way back to the time of Abram where we see the first instances of the words “south” and “Egypt” in scripture, appearing together!
“So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.” Genesis 12:9-10
The very first kings of the south, are nation-kings, ruling over the nation of Egypt. This is true from the very first Pharaoh who Yahweh, the True King of the North contended with in the book of Exodus, to Pharaoh Necho, to the Ptolemies. After the Ptolemies and Seleucids, we find that the kings of south and north in the second half of Daniel 11 are no longer just nation-kings, but multi-national religious systems: the Islamic Caliphates and Holy Roman Empire, respectively. The historical interpretation presented in this paper and the final, future fulfillment of Daniel 11:40-45 must be consistent if the historical interpretation is indeed accurate. Therefore, this paper makes a bold prediction for the future: Before the time of the end, we will witness the rise of a “latter” Islamic Caliphate whose king will be the King of Egypt.
Lessons from Josiah
Interpretations of prophecy are not truly helpful unless they give us guidance in how to live our lives today. Even the ability to predict a future event is meaningless unless we can derive some useful lesson to apply to ourselves today. The purpose of this paper is not only to identify the “King of the South” in history and prophecy, but to also propose a course of action that we should follow in the present. The story of King Josiah provides such an example because it is not just about the kings of north and south going to battle. The story is about a third king, the leader of Yahweh’s chosen people. At the time, these people comprised the Kingdom of Judea.
“After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.” 2 Chronicles 35:20-22
The lesson for us today, is not to interfere in the warfare between the kings of the north and south. The Messiah teaches us that his ultimate kingdom “is not of this world” (John 18:36). All to often, the people of God and their leaders fail to remember this just as Josiah did. The end result of Josiah’s failure was that he was the last truly independent King of Judea. The kingdom continued for a time, but ultimately the city of Jerusalem was completely destroyed and the population exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. They chose earthly politics instead of God’s way of peace. So, God brought judgement upon them. Yahweh, through Jeremiah His prophet, even called Nebuchadnezzar His servant in accomplishing this judgement:
“‘Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,” says Yahweh, “and Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land.’” Jeremiah 25:9
“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” Jeremiah 29:7
Sadly, the mistake of aligning with one political faction over another is often repeated. Not long after Antiochus III, in 161 BCE, the Kingdom of Judea once again chose to side with the rising Roman “King of the North”. The Jewish people would go on to side with Rome even in rejecting the Messiah. Eventually the Romans likewise destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE. And thus a pattern emerges that we can apply to the future fulfillment.
“After a long and difficult journey, Eupolemus and Jason reached Rome and entered the Senate. They addressed the assembly in these terms: Judas Maccabeus, his brothers, and the Jewish people have sent us here to make a mutual defense treaty with you, so that we may be officially recorded as your friends and allies.The Romans accepted the proposal.” 1 Maccabees 8:19-21
If the people of Yahweh, whether Jew, Christian, or Muslim, side once again with the future “King of the North”, will the end result be that Jerusalem is conquered once again? Will this future deceiver “plant the tents of his palace” at the “glorious holy mountain” (Daniel 11:45) just as Nebuchadnezzar did after Josiah placed politics over the kingdom of Yahweh?
A Note on Islamic Eschatology
As a final note, there are three main figures in Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi, the Dajjal, and the Messiah. This interpretation recognizes that there is conflict between the majority of Christianity and Islam, but also that there is a remnant people of Yahweh from each of these. Interestingly, in this final prophecy of Daniel we also find three final figures, the kings of north and south, and the Messiah. In Islamic eschatology, it is the Messiah who kills the Dajjal. In the Bible, the ultimate Dajjal, Arabic for “deceiver”, is Satan himself, killed by the Messiah. I have shown how Satan seeks to exalt himself as king of the north, and works through successive human kings of the north. Therefore, it is my belief that the Islamic Dajjal and the final “King of the North” in Daniel 11 are one and the same.
That leaves us with the question then, is the “King of the South” in the final verses of Daniel, the Islamic Mahdi? Muslims believe the Mahdi also wars against the Dajjal after being popularly acclaimed in Makkah. Today, the Islamic world is deeply fractured. It would require an earth-shaking event in the Islamic world for them to join together as a new Caliphate under a singular “King of the South”. Makkah lies along the a major fault trend and the shaking of the foundations of Islam might be just the catalyst the Islamic world needs to unite and form the final Caliphate predicted by the interpretation presented in this paper.
“I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian trembled.” Habakkuk 3:7