Making sense of Daniel 11.

Surprisingly, it's one of the most

Christ- centered parts of scripture.
William Barclay once said that the study of the book of Revelation either finds
or leaves a man mad.1
Some people would say the same thing about the study of certain passages
from the book of Daniel, especially chapter 11--which belongs to the category
of some of the most difficult biblical texts to interpret. The chapter is long and
packed with detailed descriptions of political, military, and religious action. The
reader of the English Bible might be interested in knowing that the Hebrew
original text is even more complicated and in several places even appears
ambiguous.2
The presence of difficulties and complications in the text has led to a great
variety of approaches and interpretations, all of which have resulted in
differing, and sometimes conflicting, conclusions.

A Personal Confession
My own encounter with the challenge of interpreting Daniel 11 began during
my seminary studies when I audited an excellent course on Daniel. Toward the
end of the term, to my surprise, the professor said something like this: All that
I know about Daniel 11 I can tell you in five minutes.
Later on, as I was given the privilege of teaching this same subject and doing
seminars in churches, I always dreaded the moment when someone from the
audience would ask me: What can you tell us about Daniel 11, especially the
last part of that chapter? On those occasions my answers most often
consisted of what Id heard from others or what Id read from various
commentaries. Yet, somehow, deep within my heart I had a desire to study this
passage in depth so that I would have something truly reliable and exciting to
share with others.

I should also mention that I have witnessed in the past 10 years a renewed
interest in the message of Daniel 11 and 12 among many people. As a result, a
growing number of people forcefully argue that some of the prophetic symbols
and numbers found in these chapters should be reapplied in a new way to the
time of the end.3 This phenomenon was one more reason that I decided to take
time to pray over this passage, read it in the original Hebrew, and then study it
diligently in its biblical context.
At the end of my study I came to the firm conclusion that this extremely

important part of the Bible is also one of the most Christ-centered. Moreover, I
became convinced that Jesus Christ, who was a diligent student of Daniels
book, when speaking about His second coming from the Mount of Olives (Matt.
24; Mark 13; Luke 21), said a number of things that are very similar to what we
read in the closing chapters of Daniel. Of course, all my studies notwithstanding, I remain aware that I do not have all the pieces of the chapters
jigsaw puzzle in place. Yet what Ive learned so far has made this part of
Daniels book one of my favorite scriptures.
In the rest of this article I will share what Ive learned from my in-depth study of
Daniel 11.4 Lets begin with a survey of the contexts of the chapter.

Contextual Considerations
The book of Daniel consists of an introductory chapter (Dan. 1), followed by five
stories about the life of Daniel and his friends in Babylon (Dan. 26). Next
comes the prophetic part of the book, containing the records of four prophetic
revelations received by Daniel (Dan. 7, 8, 9, 1012). Each of these revelations
is introduced with a precise dating. The first two found in chapters 7 and 8 are
dated to Belshazzars first and third years, respectively. The last two are found
in chapters 9 and 1012, and dated to the first year of Darius and the third
year of Cyrus, respectively.5
In Daniels book Belshazzar is presented as a negative person, and thus serves
as a type of the future enemy of God and His people.6 The coming to power of
the Medo-Persian kings, on the other hand, signaled the end of Babylons
supremacy and rekindled the hope of a return from exile (Dan. 1:21). The
prophet Isaiah had spoken of King Cyrus as an anointed one who would
conquer Babylon and allow exiles to return home (Isa. 44, 45). In such a
capacity, Cyrus was a type of the Anointed One, the promised Messiah, whose
work is mentioned in Daniel 9:25-27. It is important to notice that Daniel
1012 (including chap. 11) is dated to the reign of this king whose role is cast
in a positive light in biblical prophecy.
Chapters 10-12 of Daniel form a single unit. All three chapters are dated to
the same year, and the same angel speaks to Daniel in all three. As such, they
should be studied together and no passage from them should be read in
isolation from the rest of this unit. But while chapters 10 and 12 present the
vision of the divine person dressed in linen and seen by Daniel as standing
above the waters of the river, chapter 11 contains not a vision but a long
audition.7
How is the audition from chapter 11 related to the vision found in chapters 10
and 12? In the opening verse of chapter 10 Daniel informs the reader that the
key to the revelation about the great (long) war recorded in chapter 11 is to be
found in the vision which he saw. In the verses that follow, he describes the

vision of the person dressed in linen, and a short report on the vision of the
same being is also found in the second part of chapter 12. After reading
Daniels description of the person dressed in linen, the reader of the Bible is
convinced that the prophet saw not a created being but a divine person.8
A summary of the long war described in chapter 11 is found in the closing
words of chapter 10. It is recorded in the Book of Truth, the angel Gabriel says,
that no one supports me [Gabriel] against them [the princes of Persia and
Greece] except Michael, your prince (verse 21). In other words, thanks to
Michael, Gabriel was able to prevail against the prince of Persia and come to
Daniels rescue. In the same way, thanks to Michael, Gabriel confidently stated
that he will win in the battle against the coming prince of Greece.
Now we come to the most important question in this article: What is Daniel 11
about?

The Big Picture of Daniel 11

Both stories and prophecies in Daniels book are char-acterized by plots and
conflicts. In the stories Daniel and his friends are often targets of
professional jealousy and intrigue. In the prophetic chapters the faithful are
often described as persecuted by political and religious powers that wage wars
against one another and against God and His people. Much like the rest of the
prophetic visions from Daniel, chapter 11 talks about political conflicts on earth
(the horizontal level) stirred up by pride, arrogance, and greed that at some
point in history assume religious characteristics (the vertical level) and, as
such, appear to go out of control on toward their intended triumph.9 Yet the
clear message coming from these (story) chapters is also present in Daniel
1012, namely, the message of Gods supreme control over earths history
and over the lives of individual human beings.
But even though Daniel 11 shares certain common characteristics with the
earlier revelations from the book, this chapter has some notable differences. In
the first place, its unusually long and presents a great number of details
pertaining to future events. Also, its language appears to be more literal than
the highly symbolic expressions used in the previous chapters. The main
reason for these differences is the fact that Daniel 11 is the record of an
audition and not of a vision. In other words, what we read from chapter 11
Daniel did not see but only heard from the angel, who most likely was Gabriel.
The chapter begins with a brief sketch of the conflicts between the kings of
east and west (verses 2-4), which in the next phase switch to the wars between
north and south (verses 15 ff.). Students of Daniels book have for a long time
been debating the issue as to at which point in the chapter the conflicts
between the two powers cease to be literal and assume more of a symbolic
character 10 In reading Daniel 11 we should consider the bigger picture, the

whole forest rather than individual trees. When we do that, we come to the
conclusion that the chapter is a long report about conflicts on the face of the
earth east and west, as well as north and south.11
The revelation recorded in chapter 11 was communicated to Daniel in such a
way that it created a deep impression on his mind. For an extended period of
time the prophet had been listening to Gabriels report of wars and rumors of
wars. From heavens perspective most of our earths history looks like an
endless series of conflicts prompted by pride, arrogance, and greed, and
costing the precious God-given lives of tens and even hundreds of thousands of
people. When the conflict assumes a religious character, the target of the
persecuting power becomes Gods representatives on earth, Gods truth, and
Gods worship.
Where was Daniels attention directed during this long audition?

Details from chapters 10 and 12 tell us that during this audition the prophet
was watching the great vision of the man dressed in linen standing over the
waters of the great rivers (which in the Bible often symbolize the hostile powers
of the world). According to the original text of Daniel 10, the divine person was
seen as completely controlling the power from the north (the Tigris River),
while according to chapter 12 he is also in control over the power from the
south (the river of Egypt).12
At Michaels rise toward the end of earths history, he effectively puts an end to
the end-time power that had intended to rule the whole world. The pretender is
broken down and no one will be able to help him. Michael is most likely the
same being as the person dressed in linen, and he is mentioned both in the
beginning and at the end of Gabriels lengthy speech. Thus, he is presented as
the Alpha and the Omega of earths history (Isa. 44:6; 48:12; Rev. 1:8, 17).
Also called the great prince guardian of Daniels people (Dan. 12:1), Michael
can be identified with the commander of Gods armies (Joshua 5:13-15) who
defeated Satan and his angels (Rev. 12:7-9). For that reason many have rightly
considered the term as another name for Christ, the Savior of the world.
Moreover, since the person dressed in linen in Daniel 10 and 12 is portrayed as
a divine being, it is safe to say that this person, who revived Daniel three times
during the vision, is the same Michael who will stand up in the end to defend
His people. It is most likely that this being is the same person called one like a
son of man in Daniel 7:13, 14.
As for Daniel, he was able to endure listening to this great revelation only
because his eyes were transfixed on this divine being whose powerful hand

touched him and revived him no less than three times. The opening and closing
verses of chapter 12 state that Michaels rise at the end of the long conflict
precedes Daniels rise to receive his allotted inheritance. Verses 2 and 3
enlarge this same blessing on all the faithful in history.

A Life Application
I would like to propose that the original purpose for which the revelation found
in chapter 11 was given to Daniel goes far beyond a mere decoding of
historical details (that concern individuals, nations, or events mentioned in the
chapter). This revelation was primarily given to create an impression on the
readers mind about the length and extent of the long conflict on earth
between good and evil.
Moreover, the record of the conflict was placed in the context of the assured
outcome predestined by God, the One who is in full control of our destinies.
Since the readers of Daniels book already know the outcome of this long
conflict, they are called to be brave and faithful in spite of constant adversities
in their lives of faith. Their eyes, just like Daniels, should be fixed on Michael,
and thus they will not become discouraged or afraid of the activities of evil
powers in this world.
It may be demonstrated exegetically that Jesus Christ was well acquainted with
the message of Daniel 11 in its surrounding context. One example comes from
His lengthy speech about the signs of His second coming, in which He explicitly
mentioned Daniels name (Matt. 24:15). Christ, as did Gabriel, also talked about
wars and rumors of wars, tragedies, persecutions, and deceptions that will
characterize the ongoing and increasing conflicts in the world. Yet He called His
followers to hold their heads up and fix their eyes on the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30).
Reading and rereading Daniel 11 makes us long for another impending
intervention of our God in earths history. It also makes us hungry and thirsty
for Jesus abiding presence here among us and also for His coming, which will
bring about His final saving act in behalf of all of us who long for His return.
This chapter gives us courage so that we will not fear, regardless of what may
come in life. It calls us, rather, to fix our eyes on the Lord, who is still in control
of our own destinies. And if we would like to act as the wise children of God
referred to in Daniels book, we will live our lives in such a way that through our
witness many will be led to righteousness and will shine for God like the stars
forever and ever (Dan. 12:3).
____________
1William Barclay, The Revelation of John, 2nd ed., The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia,
Pa.: Westminster, 1960), 1:2.

2This is especially true of the usage of the personal pronoun he. In many cases in the chapter
it is not clear to whom the pronoun is referring, hence the translators attempts to bring in
some clarity.
3Some students of Daniel have argued that some of the numbers found at the end of chapter
12 should be applied to future time periods as literal days.
4This was a part of my study of the whole book of Daniel, which resulted in a published work
titled Daniel: Wisdom to the Wise (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press, 2007).
5Donald J. Wiseman has persuasively argued that Darius the Mede was another throne title of
Cyrus the Persian (W. H. Shea, Darius the Mede in His Persian-Babylonian Setting, Andrews
University Seminary Studies 29/3 [1991]: pp. 235-257).
6P. R. Davies, Daniel, Old Testament Guides (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1985), p. 49.
7Auditions are found elsewhere in the prophetic chapters in the book, for example, in 8:13, 14
and 9:22-27.
8Cf. Eze. 1:25-28 and Rev. 1:12-18.
9Combinations of the horizontal and vertical dimensions are commonly found in biblical
apocalyptic texts.
10Jacques B. Doukhan in Secrets of Daniel: Wisdom and Dreams of a Jewish Friend in Exile
(Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald, 2000) proposed that beginning with verse 5 the
allusions to the north and south become abstract and metaphorical (p. 168).
11Merism(us): a literary figure in which opposite elements are used together in order to
express the concept of totality.
12The original Hebrew term is yeo-r, which is most often used in the Bible for the river of
Egypt.

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Zdravko Stefanovic teaches Biblical studies in the school of theology at Walla
Walla University in College Place, Washington.