The Antichrist’s Actions During the Armageddon Campaign as Described in Daniel 11:44

Daniel 11:40-45 presents a description of the Antichrist’s actions during the Armageddon campaign.

Daniel 11:40 “Now, during the end time, the king ruling the south will cause himself to go to war against him. Also, the king ruling the north will cause himself to storm against him with a military chariot group, with a cavalry as well as with a large armada of ships. However, despite this, he will wage attacks against countries so that he will overflow, yes, pass through like a flood. 41 “He will even wage an attack against the beautiful land. Indeed, many will be defeated. However, these will for their own benefit escape from his power: Edom as well as Moab and in addition the leadership of the citizens of Ammon. 42 Yes, he will exercise his power against countries with the Egyptian people by no means being able to escape. 43 He will even be in control over hidden treasures, namely their gold as well as their silver, indeed, over all Egypt’s valuable commodities. Also, the Libyans as well as the Cushites will be under his control. 44 However, reports from the east as well as the north will alarm him. Consequently, he will march out in a great rage in order to kill, yes, annihilate many.” (My translation)

Since we have already established that this king in Daniel 11:36-39 is the Antichrist, this prophetic statement in Daniel 11:44 teaches that intelligence reports from the east and the north will alarm him but who are these armies from the east and the north?

First of all, the army from the east would appear to be the armies from the Far East such as China and Japan which is supported by the prophecies in Revelation 16 which teaches that a massive army of 200 million men will march across the dried up Euphrates River to oppose the Antichrist.

This attack against the Antichrist by the armies from the east is the direct result of the sixth bowl judgment mentioned in the book of Revelation.

Therefore, in Daniel 11:44, the army from the east which will oppose the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week is the direct result of the sixth bowl judgment.

It will be composed by China, Japan, India, Persia, and Afghanistan.

This massive army from the east will oppose Antichrist because of his actions in conquering militarily the Middle East and demanded that the world worship him.

The army from the north is more than likely Syria and her allies since in Ezekiel 38-39 no invasion from Egypt is mentioned as is the case in Daniel 11:40.

Also, the army invading Israel in Ezekiel 38-39 comes from the remotest parts of the north of Israel whereas in Daniel 11:40 the Antichrist is attacked by an army from the north with no mention as to how far north as was the case in Ezekiel 38-39.

This would suggest that the king of the north in Daniel 11:40 is not the same as the northern ruler who attacks Israel in Ezekiel 38-39.

Now, as we noted the king of the north throughout Daniel chapter eleven is referring to the Seleucid Empire which was located to the immediate north of Israel, which was Syria as it is today.

Why is it that expositors consistently identify the king of the north in Daniel 11:5-35 as being a reference to Syria but then in Daniel 11:40 they interpret the king of the north as Russia?

This is not a consistent hermeneutic.

It is hermeneutically inconsistent to interpret the king of the north this way.

In fact, many of these expositors who argue that the king of the north in Daniel 11:40 is Russia, also say that the king of the south in Daniel 11:40 is Egypt since Egypt has been referred to throughout chapter eleven as the king of the south.

Why does this reasoning not apply to the king of the north?

What is consistent is to identify the king of the north as Syria since this is how the king of the north was used throughout Daniel 11:5-35.

Therefore, the identity of the king of the north in Daniel 11:40 should be determined in light of the Seleucid Empire or in others in light of the fact that throughout Daniel 11:5-35, the king of the north is a reference to this empire which was located to the immediate north of Israel, which today would be Syria.

We must also keep in mind that the Seleucid Empire was composed of more than present day Syria since it originally extended from European Thrace east to the borders of India.

When Rome defeated her, the authority of the Seleucid Empire was confined to Syria and Cilicia.

At times, the Seleucid Empire included not only Syria but also areas of Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Bactria, Arachosia and much of Anatolia.

Today the national boundaries of the Seleucid Empire would include Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan as well as parts of Pakistan.

Therefore, we should interpret the king of the north in Daniel 11:40 as a confederation of nations located geographically to the immediate north of Israel.

Thus, during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week, both Egypt and her allies in her region as well as Syria and her allies will attack the Antichrist.

If you notice in Daniel 11:40-45, the angel does not say if the army from the north will be defeated by the Antichrist.

He does say that the army from the south will be defeated which we noted is a reference to Egypt.

The reason for this could be that Syria and her allies will join forces with the armies from the Far East to fight Antichrist during the Armageddon campaign until the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

In other words, the armies of the final stage of the Roman Empire under Antichrist will be at war with the armies of Syria and the Far East until Jesus Christ’s Second Advent which will end this war.

So Antichrist would be fighting on two fronts during this war of Armageddon.

Now, we also must remember that the attack from the south and the north against the Antichrist mentioned in Daniel 11:40 will not be a simultaneous attack since the prophetic statements in this verse summarize Daniel 11:41-45.

The army from the north in Syria will along with the armies from the East oppose Antichrist after the Antichrist has conquered Israel and Egypt and other countries in the Middle East.

The chronology in Daniel 11:41-45 indicates this since this passage reveals that the armies from the east and north oppose Antichrist after he has captured Israel and Egypt.

Revelation 16 and Daniel 11:40-45 do not mention Antichrist defeating these armies from Syria and her allies and the armies from the Far East led by China which would suggest that the armies of Antichrist, the Far East and Syria and her allies will fight each other up to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Our Lord’s statements in Matthew 24:22 that His Second Advent will prevent the extinction of the human race indicates that this final war during the last three and a half years would result in the extinction of the human race if it were not for Jesus Christ returning to end this war.

Revelation 19:19 reveals that the armies during the Armageddon campaign will turn their weapons from facing each other and turn them against Jesus Christ when He returns at His Second Advent.

He will exterminate these armies and have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown alive into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20-21).

Also, Satan will be imprisoned at this time for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6).