From the Book of Daniel    89 

will be a change in leaders and in direction of leadership. The new leaders 

will not be as holy, nor as dedicated to God, as the monarch. 

    As the years pass, people slip into greater and greater sins. At some point, 

wars and conflicts resume. For a time, the Church is holy in contrast to the 

world. But as the world's sinfulness worsens, many members of the Church 

and many Church leaders fall into sinful ways also. And with an increase in 

sin comes an increase in sufferings, wars, and crimes of every kind. 

    Notice that in this passage (Dan 11:5 20) the king of the  North and the 

king of the  South wage repeated and very destructive wars.  These two 

kingdoms, the North (Europe) and the South (Israel, the Middle East, 

northern Africa) were formerly the northern and southern parts of the great 

monarch's kingdom. The North and the  South wage war against one 

another for generations. In this way, they develop the most powerful and 

technologically advanced militaries in the world. They become the two most 

powerful kingdoms of the ten kingdoms. The Antichrist uses this fact to his 

advantage in gaining control over the whole world. 

The Antichrist's Rise to Power 

      `And there will stand up in his place one who is most worthless and 

unworthy of kingly honor. And in a short time, he will be worn out, but not 

in fury, nor in battle. And there will stand up in his place the despicable one, 

and he will not be assigned the honor of a king. And he will arrive in secret, 

and he will obtain the kingdom by deceitfulness.'   (Dan 11:20 21). 

    A leader who rules for only a short time precedes the Antichrist's rise to 

power. The despicable one (or contemptible person) is the Antichrist. He is 

not of royal descent, nor is he initially treated as a king. He obtains power 

over the kingdom of the North (Europe) by flatteries, by clever and deceitful 

words, not by war or internal coup. Recall how much power Hitler attained 

in the beginning of his reign by mere words. 

    In his rise to power, Antichrist replaces the king of the North (Dan 11:14 

20), who is one of the ten kings. He  arrives in secret  because he was born 

and raised in the kingdom of the South; the North and the South have been 

at war for generations. He takes power suddenly, without warning; he is not 

elected by popular vote, nor is he a life long politician who gradually gains 

power. At first he has limited power, and some in the North oppose him. 

      `And the arms of the fighting will be assaulted before his face and will be 

shattered, and, in addition, the leader of the federation.'   (Dan 11:22). 

    Once he takes the place of the former leader of the North, the Antichrist 

must consolidate power in his own kingdom (the North, i.e. Europe). He is 

opposed in battle within his own kingdom and he himself faces the weapons 

of the opposition, but this attempt against him fails and their weapons and