Question 1

Who is the king who “shall do according to his will” in this passage?

Accepted Answer

This passage speaks of a powerful ruler who does whatever he wants, exalts himself above every god, and speaks proudly against the true God. Faithful readers have understood this king in more than one way. Some see Antiochus, the cruel ruler who attacked the Jews and defiled the temple. Others see the Roman Empire, which ruled harshly and set itself above all. Still others see here a picture of the final Antichrist. In any case, the focus is on a proud, godless power that rises high for a time, yet remains under God’s set limits.

Question 2

What does it mean that he shall exalt himself above every god and speak against the God of gods?

Accepted Answer

The words describe a ruler who has no real respect for any god, including the true God. He makes himself the highest authority, ignores former worship, and even speaks bold, arrogant things against the “God of gods.” This fits a pattern seen in cruel kings, in the power of Rome, and in the spirit of Antichrist, where human power claims a place that belongs to God alone. Yet the passage also says he prospers only “till the indignation is accomplished,” showing his pride is limited by God’s plan.

Question 3

What is the “God of forces” that this king honors in his estate?

Accepted Answer

The “God of forces” points to a false kind of trust and worship linked to power, strongholds, and wealth. Instead of honoring the true God, the ruler, and the empire pictured with him, treat military strength, riches, and their own system as what really saves them. They pour gold, silver, and precious things into this worship. Some see this in the way Rome prized its own might and treasures. Others connect it to later religious honors given to created things rather than to God. In all cases, it shows a shift from true worship to idolatry.

Question 4

What are the roles of the king of the south and the king of the north here?

Accepted Answer

The “king of the south” and the “king of the north” are powers that clash with the proud king described in the passage. Historically, the south points to Egypt and the north to Syria or later northern invaders. Some understand these verses as later wars between Rome and southern and eastern powers. Others connect them to conflicts involving Muslim powers or future end-time battles. What is clear is that even the strongest empire faces attack from different directions, showing that human rule is always unstable and cannot escape God’s rule over history.

Question 5

What is meant by the king entering the glorious land and planting his palace on the holy mountain?

Accepted Answer

The “glorious land” points to the land of Israel, the place God chose for his people. The king entering it shows that this proud power will invade, trample, and rule there. Planting the tents of his palace “between the seas in the glorious holy mountain” pictures him setting up his royal base right in the area of God’s holy hill, claiming full control. Yet the verse ends, “he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” So even when evil power seems to sit in the very heart of God’s land, its fall is already fixed by God.

Question 6

Why does the passage say he will prosper till the indignation is accomplished?

Accepted Answer

“Indignation” here points to God’s anger and discipline at work in history. The ruler prospers only for as long as God allows, to carry out his purposes, including correcting and testing his people. This helps explain why evil powers can seem to rule unchecked for a season. Their success is not because God is weak, but because he is using even their pride as part of his plan. Once the set time is finished, what God has determined comes to pass, and the ruler falls suddenly, with no one able to save him.

Question 7

Why does this passage seem hard to understand and have different interpretations?

Accepted Answer

These verses use brief, intense pictures to cover long stretches of history, and the “king” sometimes stands for a whole empire, not just one man. Because the details can fit more than one period, faithful readers have understood them in different ways. Some focus on Antiochus, others on Rome, others on later church corruption, and some on a future Antichrist. The wording invites us to see patterns of proud, godless power that repeat through time. The main point is not to solve every detail, but to see that God rules over all of it and brings proud rulers down.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s control over proud rulers and empires?

Accepted Answer

The passage shows a ruler who seems unstoppable. He ignores former worship, exalts himself, takes treasures, divides lands for gain, invades many countries, and even enters the glorious land. Yet two clear limits appear. First, he prospers only “till the indignation be accomplished,” meaning God sets the length of his success. Second, the vision ends simply, “he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” This teaches that no matter how strong a ruler or empire seems, it cannot pass beyond what God has decided, and in the end it falls helpless before him.

Question 9

How can believers today apply the message of this prophecy to their own lives?

Accepted Answer

This prophecy encourages believers not to be shaken when they see arrogant leaders, unjust systems, or attacks on God’s people. Proud powers have risen before and will rise again, but they all share the same pattern: they seem strong for a time, they trust in their own might and riches, and then they fall at God’s appointed moment. Knowing this, believers are called to hold to God’s covenant, refuse to bow to false worship, and remember that God’s rule is higher than any human power. This helps us endure hardship without losing faith.

Question 10

Why does the passage mention Edom, Moab, and Ammon escaping out of his hand?

Accepted Answer

These names refer to neighboring peoples east and southeast of Israel. The prophecy says that when this proud power overruns many lands, these groups will escape. This detail shows that even while a strong ruler seems to crush everything, God still draws boundaries. Some are allowed to fall, others are spared, not by chance but by God’s choice. For the original readers, it was a sign that God knew the map of their sufferings ahead of time. For us, it reminds us that God’s control reaches down to very specific events and places.

Daniel 11:36

And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

The King Who Exalts Himself

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Daniel 11:36

And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

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The King Who Exalts Himself

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