The man in linen now comes to a part of history that he especially seeks to clarify. The Persian Empire and the coming of Alexander the Great will not have much impact on God’s people in Canaan. The big change comes when Alexander’s Greek Empire is divided into four. The people of Israel will then experience how the struggle between those four kingdoms affects them time and again. It also continuously causes their existence as an independent state to be very difficult. This section of Daniel 11 is from about 300 to 175 years BC.
The Holy Spirit speaks here of the king of the south and the king of the north. These very designations show how Israel is involved in all of this. The designations north
and south
do not apply to Babylon where Daniel is now living. No, the reference point is Canaan where God’s people are living at the time. It is from these two points of the compass that danger continually threatens in those days. The south is Egypt and everything under the influence of Egypt. The north is the Seleucid Empire of which Babylon is the capital.
When we continue reading this chapter we see how the Lord tells his people what is about to happen, even in the smallest details. This also has great value for us today. The Holy Spirit shows us here that when God’s people are attacked, everything goes according to his plan, down to the smallest detail. He never forgets the protection and gathering of his people. Nothing overwhelms the Lord. He ensures that in everything the course of history remains in the scope of the salvation of his people.
We read here that the king of the south will become strong. Later we see that it is exactly in the first period after the sudden death of Alexander the Great when the general who rules from Egypt is the strongest one. One of his army commanders even conquers Babylon at a certain point. Consequently, this army captain no longer wants to serve the kingdom of the south. He proclaims himself king in Babylon. Then, he comes from the north to face his former king in Egypt. His name is Seleucus. The empire, with Babylon as its capital, is called the Seleucid Empire from that time on. These two empires that emerged from the Greek Empire now face each other for quite some time.
5 “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority.