The Rise and Fall of Kings
A long, unglamorous forecast of kings of the north and south — alliances by marriage, sieges, betrayals, a desecrated sanctuary and a king who exalts himself against our Father. No visions or beasts here, only history told in advance, ending with him coming to his end, unhelped.
11 1And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to support and strengthen him.
2Now I'll tell you the truth: look, three more kings will rise in Persia, then a fourth far richer than all. Strengthened by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against Greece's kingdom. 3Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great dominion and do as he pleases. 4Once he rises, his kingdom will break apart and split toward the four winds of heaven—not to his descendants, nor with the power he held, for his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others besides them.
5The king of the south will grow strong; one of his commanders will grow stronger than him and rule—his dominion will be vast. 6After some years they will ally: the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she won't keep her strength, nor will he or his arm stand. She will be handed over—with her escort, her father, and her supporter—in those times.
7A shoot from her roots will rise in his place, attack the army, enter the north king's fortress, act against them, and prevail. 8He will take their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and precious silver and gold vessels; for years he will stay away from the king of the north. 9The king of the north will invade the king of the south's realm, then return home. 10His sons will arm for war, gather a vast army that keeps coming, overflows, sweeps through, then renews war to his stronghold. 11The southern king, enraged, will march out to fight the northern king, who musters a vast army; but the army is given into the southern king's hand. 12When the crowd is carried off, his heart grows proud; he strikes down tens of thousands, yet fails. 13The king of the north will again raise a horde bigger than before, then after years come with a great army and vast supplies.
14In those times many will rise against the king of the south; violent men of your people will lift themselves up to fulfill the vision, but fail. 15The king of the north will come, raise a siege ramp, and take a fortified city; the south's forces will not stand, nor its elite troops—no strength remains to stand. 16His invader does as he pleases; none can stand before him. He will stand in the splendid land, destruction in his hand. 17He will set out to enter with his kingdom's full strength, and make terms with him; he will give him a daughter of women to ruin it, but it will not stand or benefit him. 18Then he'll turn to the coastlands and take many, but a commander will end his arrogance, turning it back on him. 19Then he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, stumble, fall, and be found no more.
20In his place will rise one who sends a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; within a few days he'll be broken—not in anger, not in battle.
21A despised man will rise in his place, denied royal honor. He'll come in a time of ease and seize the kingdom through flattery. 22Armies will be swept away before him and broken, and the prince of the covenant as well. 23Once allied with him, he will act dishonestly and grow strong with only a few people. 24In a time of security, he will enter the province's richest regions and do what neither his fathers nor their fathers did—scattering plunder, spoil, and goods among them, devising schemes against fortresses, but only for a time.
25He will rouse his strength and courage against the king of the south with a great army. The king of the south will fight with a very great, mighty army—but won't stand, for plots will be devised against him. 26Those who eat his food will break him; his army is swept away, and many fall slain. 27Both kings' hearts bent on evil will speak lies at one table, but it will fail—the end awaits its appointed time. 28He returns to his land with great wealth, heart against the holy covenant; he acts, then returns to his land.
29At the appointed time he will return and head south, but this time won't match the earlier or the latter. 30For ships of Kittim will come against him; he loses heart, turns back, rages against the holy covenant, and acts. He returns and favors those who abandon the holy covenant. a a v30 Kittim: an ancient name for western Mediterranean sea powers, most likely Rome. 31His forces will rise, defile the sanctuary fortress, end the daily sacrifice, and set up the abomination that causes desolation. b b v31 Jesus pointed back to this prophecy as a warning still to come in his own day (Matthew 24:15). 32He will corrupt those who violate the covenant with flattery, but people who know their Father will stand firm and act. 33The wise among the people will teach many, but will fall for a time by sword, flame, captivity, and plunder. 34When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many will join them with flattery. 35Some of the wise will stumble, to be refined, purified, and cleansed until the end time, for it still awaits the set time.
36The king will do as he pleases, lifting and enlarging himself above every god, speaking shocking things against our Father. He will flourish until the wrath is spent, since what is decreed will happen. 37He will disregard his fathers' gods, women's desired one, and every god—he will set himself above them all. 38Instead he'll honor a god of fortresses, unknown to his fathers, with gold, silver, precious stones, and costly gifts. 39With a foreign god he attacks the strongest fortresses. He greatly honors those who acknowledge him, gives them rule over many, and divides land for a price.
40At the end time, the king of the south will engage him, and the king of the north will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade the lands, overflow, and pass through. 41He enters the beautiful land; many fall, but Edom, Moab, and Ammon's chief sons escape his hand. 42He will stretch out his hand against the lands, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43He will rule gold and silver treasures, and all Egypt's riches, with Libyans and Cushites at his heels. 44But news from the east and north will terrify him, and he'll set out in great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45He will pitch his palace tents between the seas and the beautiful holy mountain, then come to his end with no helper.
