God’s Sovereignty in the Midst of Kingdoms

Daniel Series # 11

Daniel 11

“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to support and strengthen him.

² “Now I will announce the truth to you. Three more kings shall arise in Persia. The fourth shall be far richer than all of them, and when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. ³ Then a warrior king shall arise who shall rule with great dominion and take action as he pleases. ⁴ And while still rising in power, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven but not to his posterity nor according to the dominion with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be uprooted and go to others besides these.

⁵ “Then the king of the south shall grow strong, but one of his officers shall grow stronger than he and shall rule a realm greater than his own realm. ⁶ After some years, they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to ratify the agreement. But she shall not retain her power, and his offspring shall not endure. She shall be given up, she and her attendants and her child and the one who supported her.

“In those times ⁷ a branch from her roots shall rise up in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall take action against them and prevail. ⁸ Even their gods, with their idols and with their precious vessels of silver and gold, he shall carry off to Egypt as spoils of war. For some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north; ⁹ then the latter shall invade the realm of the king of the south but will return to his own land.

¹⁰ “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces that shall advance like a flood and pass through and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. ¹¹ Moved with rage, the king of the south shall go out and do battle against the king of the north, who shall muster a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given over to his hand. ¹² When the multitude has been carried off, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall overthrow tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. ¹³ For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude larger than the former, and after some years he shall advance with a great army and abundant supplies.

¹⁴ “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south. The lawless among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. ¹⁵ Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, not even his picked troops, for there shall be no strength to resist. ¹⁶ But he who comes against him shall take the actions he pleases, and no one shall withstand him. He shall take a position in the beautiful land, and all of it shall be in his power. ¹⁷ He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom. He shall make peace with him and shall give him a woman in marriage, in order to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not succeed or be to his advantage. ¹⁸ Afterward he shall turn to the coastlands and shall capture many, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence; indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. ¹⁹ Then he shall turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall and shall not be found.

²⁰ “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an official for the glory of the kingdom, but within a few days he shall be broken, though not in anger or in battle. ²¹ In his place shall arise a contemptible person on whom royal majesty had not been conferred; he shall come in suddenly and seize the kingdom through intrigue. ²² Armies shall be utterly swept away and broken before him, and the prince of the covenant as well. ²³ And after an alliance is made with him, he shall act deceitfully and become strong with a small party. ²⁴ Suddenly he shall come into the richest parts of the province and do what none of his predecessors had ever done, lavishing plunder, spoil, and wealth on them. He shall devise plans against strongholds but only for a time. ²⁵ He shall stir up his power and determination against the king of the south with a great army, and the king of the south shall wage war with a much greater and stronger army. But he shall not succeed, for plots shall be devised against him. ²⁶ Those who eat of the royal rations shall break him, his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall slain. ²⁷ The two kings, their minds bent on evil, shall sit at one table and exchange lies. But it shall not succeed, for there remains an end at the time appointed. ²⁸ He shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. He shall work his will and return to his own land.

²⁹ “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but this time it shall not be as it was before. ³⁰ For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall lose heart and withdraw. He shall be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and come to an understanding with those who forsake the holy covenant. ³¹ Forces sent by him shall occupy and profane the temple and fortress. They shall abolish the regular burnt offering and set up the desolating sacrilege. ³² He will flatter with smooth words those who violate the covenant, but the people who are loyal to their God shall stand firm and take action. ³³ The wise among the people shall give understanding to many; for some days, however, they shall fall by sword and flame and suffer captivity and plunder. ³⁴ When they fall, they shall receive a little help, and many shall join them insincerely. ³⁵ Some of the wise shall fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed, until the time of the end, for there is still an interval until the time appointed.

³⁶ “The king shall act as he pleases. He shall exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god and shall speak horrendous things against the God of gods. He shall prosper until the period of wrath is completed, for what is determined shall be done. ³⁷ He shall pay no respect to the gods of his ancestors or to the one beloved by women; he shall pay no respect to any other god, for he shall consider himself greater than all. ³⁸ He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these; a god whom his ancestors did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. ³⁹ He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall make more wealthy and shall appoint them as rulers over many and shall distribute the land for a price. ⁴⁰ “At the time of the end the king of the south shall attack him. But the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen and with many ships. He shall advance against countries and pass through like a flood. ⁴¹ He shall come into the beautiful land, and tens of thousands shall fall victim, but Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites shall escape from his power. ⁴² He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. ⁴³ He shall gain control of the treasures of gold and of silver and all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. ⁴⁴ But reports from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to bring ruin and complete destruction to many. ⁴⁵ He shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him.

Let us get in the Right Headspace

Brothers and sisters, open your hearts and minds to the majestic tapestry woven by God throughout history as we turn to Daniel 11—a chapter teeming with prophecy, conflict, and the unmistakable hand of our sovereign Lord. In these verses, we witness the intricate interplay of earthly kingdoms, yet above all, we see the unwavering hand of God. Daniel 11 is a testimony that God is not a passive observer. He is the author and orchestrator, sovereign over all authorities, kingdoms, and eras. When the world seems complex—when rulers rise and fall, and when chaos appears to reign—Daniel reminds us that history unfolds precisely according to God’s redemptive design. Let’s delve into this chapter.

The Vision and Its Historical Fulfillment

The vision given to Daniel details a series of conflicts between the “king of the north” and the “king of the south.” Historically, these represent the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires, born from the fractured legacy of Alexander the Great. The accuracy of this prophecy is staggering. Centuries before the events took place, God revealed the flow of nations and leaders to Daniel. The “king of the north”—the Seleucid dynasty in Syria—and the “king of the south”—the Ptolemaic rulers in Egypt—fought for supremacy over the promised land. Their actions produced turmoil and suffering, yet every battle, alliance, betrayal, and the relentless vying for power was foreseen by the Almighty, and this vision aligns uncannily with the records of ancient world history.

As seen in a previous vision, Daniel is shown Antiochus IV Epiphanes, one of history’s most notorious persecutors of God’s people, who emerges from the vision as a figure of concentrated evil—foreshadowing the ultimate adversary of Israel and represented by cosmic evil too. His rise and fall shows us not only the consequences of human pride but the limitations of all worldly powers when it comes to God’s dominion. Remember from Chapter 10 that the cosmic veil has been lifted for Daniel. In this vision it is pulled back completely.

A quick warning before reading apocalyptic writings: Discernment in real-time

Before we look at Daniel through a Christian lens, we must understand that all scripture, including Daniel, invites us to discern the sovereign hand of God in History. Meaning we must understand the context of the writing, to us, to the first intended reader, and to future readers. We must seek to understand how others understand it, including men, women, children, those of other denominations, and those of different religions. For as many different people as there are, there are differing understandings. We must be careful not to approach a text through eisegesis.^[1] (Please see the footnote to define and understand this interesting and powerful word.)

One must be sure to seek the writer’s intent rather than a reader’s viewpoint. As hard as it may be, we must not allow personal agendas or cultural anxieties to color interpretation, resulting in selective reading and weaponizing verses according to personal preference. When one fails to discern the sacred tapestry meant to reveal God’s providence and Christ’s redemptive work, the message becomes instead a canvas for human ideology.

When eisegesis prevails, it can foster fundamentalism—a rigid, literalistic framework that refuses to recognize nuance, context, or the broader sweep of salvation history. Fundamentalism often elevates specific passages above others, ignoring the harmony of scripture and the ongoing revelation of God’s character from Genesis to Revelation. Prophecies, such as those in Daniel, may be twisted into proof texts for political agendas, divisive doctrines, or apocalyptic speculation unanchored from the gospel of grace.

Signs of eisegesis and non-discernment.

• Loss of Context: Extracting verses from their historical, literary, and theological context leads to distortion and confusion. (Usually, a sermon will use “cherry-picked verses”)

• Moral Certitude and Exclusion: Fundamentalism may breed exclusion, judgment, and self-righteousness, undermining Christ’s call to mercy, humility, and love. Any theology that lifts you up while pushing others down is a result of eisegesis. This form of theology is deadly.

• Spiritual Anxiety: Misinterpretations can sow fear, paranoia, and despair, particularly when prophecy is read as a code to be cracked rather than a promise of God’s ultimate victory. (I would list the multitude of books, cable TV shows, or “secrets revealed podcasts, but I only have so much time.) 

• Division and Discord: Communities fracture when scripture is used as a weapon, fragmenting the unity Christ prayed for among his followers. We are called to be servant-leaders; we must never forget the servant modifier in the title.

Significance of Daniel’s vision in the Christian Tradition

In considering what Daniel 11 means for us today through a Christian lens rooted in scripture, we understand that this vision underscores the sovereignty of God over all of history. As the rest of Daniel and all of scripture affirms, God's providence is at the heart of His governance. Proverbs 16:4 states, "The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble," telling us history is not a series of random events but part of God's divine plan. All scripture is written for His glory and the good of His people (Romans 8:28). Every kingdom and ruler—be it Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, or even future figures—is ultimately under God's sovereign will (Daniel 2:21). Prophecy, therefore, is not merely predictive but a guarantee of God's steadfast rule over the future, as sure as His reign over the past, echoing Isaiah 46:9-10 which declares God's purpose from the beginning to the end. The might of earthly principalities is temporary; Psalm 2 reminds us that earthly rulers conspire and plot, but the Lord's anointed, Christ, will establish His everlasting kingdom (Psalm 2:7-9). All political power is human in nature; therefore it is fleeting, and human ambitions are as fleeting as dust before the eternal throne of Christ, who alone is King and whose reign will endure forever (Revelation 11:15). In light of this, the ultimate purpose of history and prophecy is to point us to Christ, the King who reigns eternally, fulfilling God's sovereign plan for His glory and the salvation of His elect.

Application and Call to Action

In light of this provincial vision and its ultimate fulfillment in history, how do we respond as Christians. We are called to respond with unwavering trust in God’s providence. Even as the world trembles, nations rage, rulers fall, and uncertainty grips the age. Make it your firm conviction that God remains sovereign over all. Do not yield to anxiety over the powers of this passing world; instead, resolutely anchor your hope in the Lord who governs every detail of creation. The fleeting nature of earthly kingdoms frees us to serve Christ with undivided allegiance.

As you discern your place, your call, your mission in Christ’s kingdom, know with certainty that no earthly authority can frustrate His sovereign purposes for His people. With confidence, engage the course of history, bear faithful witness to the gospel, and live as citizens of heaven, not of this world. Do not falter, pray and submit to Christ, even in hardship, persecution, or doubt; do so especially in those times.  Just as Daniel did for his entire life. Rest in the assurance that history does not spiral toward chaos but advances toward Christ’s final victory. God’s plan is unassailable—He works all things together for the good of His people and for the praise of His glory. Let us, therefore, live boldly in hope, assured that the Lord’s purposes will stand.

Conclusion

Daniel 11 is not simply a record of battles and kings—it is a clarion call to trust, to hope, and to live in the light of God’s sovereignty. While kingdoms rise and fall, while history shifts and sways, we can rest assured that our Redeemer reigns. Stand firm in the certainty that you belong to an unshakable kingdom. Live your life reflecting Christ’s teachings of love and service. May your life declare the glory of the One who rules over all, and may we all anticipate the day when every knee will bow before Christ, the King eternal. Amen.

Bibliography

Calvin John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion [Book] / ed. McNeill, John T. / trans. Battles Ford Lewis. - Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960. - Vol. I: II: pp. 197-237.

Calvin John Comm on Daniel (V2) [Online] // ccel.org / ed. Pantinga Harry. - Calvin University, 1993-2020. - August 10, 2025. - https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom25/calcom25.i.html.

Meeks Wayne A. [et al.] The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books // NRSV Bible. - New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.

NRSVue // Holy Bible w/ With Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.. - Washington, D.C. : Zondervan, 2021. - Vol. Updated Edition. - National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

^[1] Eisegesis (eye-so-gee-sis) is the practice of interpreting a text by reading one's own ideas, opinions, or biases into it, rather than drawing meaning from the text itself in its original context. It's essentially the opposite of exegesis (ex-é-gee-sis), which aims to understand the text based on its historical and literary context. (This is the process by which all good preachers discern the Sunday message each week.)