How does Daniel 11:40 relate to end-times prophecy in Revelation? The verse under focus “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships; he will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.” (Daniel 11:40) Placing Daniel 11:40 in its immediate context • Verses 36-45 describe the final career of “the king”—the last-days Antichrist. • The time marker “at the time of the end” anchors the passage in the closing period just before Christ’s return (cf. Daniel 12:1, 4, 9). • Daniel 11:40-45 expands on earlier visions of the same ruler (Daniel 7:8, 24-26; 9:27). Key prophetic details within the verse • Two regional coalitions—“king of the South” and “king of the North”—clash with the Antichrist. • Massive military hardware: chariots, horsemen, and “many ships,” hinting at a global, multi-front conflict. • The Antichrist’s forces “sweep through…like a flood,” portraying swift, overwhelming conquest (cf. Isaiah 8:7-8). How Revelation picks up these themes 1. A final world ruler – Daniel’s “king” = Revelation’s “beast” (Revelation 13:1-8; 17:12-14). 2. International coalitions and kings – Ten kings give power to the beast (Revelation 17:12-13). – Rival kings gather for a climactic campaign (Revelation 16:13-14). 3. Global war and unprecedented mobility – Second seal: “peace is taken from the earth” (Revelation 6:4). – Sixth trumpet: a 200-million army crosses from the east (Revelation 9:14-16), echoing Daniel 11:44. 4. Geographic focus on the Middle East – Antichrist plants “his royal tents between the seas and the beautiful holy mountain” (Daniel 11:45). – Armageddon assembly point lies in northern Israel (Revelation 16:16). 5. The same outcome – Daniel omits details of the Antichrist’s demise in 11:45; Revelation fills in the picture: “the beast was captured… and thrown alive into the lake of fire” (Revelation 19:20). A step-by-step harmony of the two passages • Rise of the Antichrist (Daniel 11:36-39 = Revelation 13:1-8). • Southern coalition attacks; northern coalition counters (Daniel 11:40). • Antichrist sweeps through the Middle East, occupying Israel (Daniel 11:40-41; Revelation 11:2). • Resistance pockets (Edom, Moab, Ammon) escape (Daniel 11:41), mirroring a remnant protected in the wilderness (Revelation 12:6, 14). • Plunder of Egypt and control of world resources (Daniel 11:42-43; cf. Revelation 13:16-17). • Troubling news from east and north (Daniel 11:44) answered by the drying of the Euphrates for “the kings of the east” (Revelation 16:12). • Final military staging at Armageddon (Daniel 11:45 implied; Revelation 16:16). • Sudden intervention of Christ, annihilating the beast (Daniel 12:1-2; Revelation 19:11-21). Why the connection matters today • Scripture weaves a single, consistent prophetic tapestry; Daniel and Revelation complement rather than compete. • Recognizing the literal fulfillment still ahead keeps believers alert (Matthew 24:42-44) and confident in God’s sovereign control over history (Isaiah 46:9-10). |
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