Dan 11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, [even] I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

The angel is speaking here. He helped establish Darius as king in the first year of his reign.

Dan 11:2 And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than [they] all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

There were three other kings of Persia after Cyrus: Ahasureus, Artaxerxes, and Darius. These were followed by a fourth, Xerxes, who trained an army of two million men. After training his army, he attacked and conquered Greece.

Dan 11:3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

The "mighty king" here is Alexander the Great.

Dan 11:4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

The prophecy here says that Alexander would be cut off in his prime. His kingdom was divided between four of his generals.

Dan 11:5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion.

The "king of the south" was Ptolemy, the general who ruled Egypt. The "king of the north" was Seleucus, the general who took Syria. Israel was between the two kingdoms and suffered from the continual warfare between them.

Dan 11:6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in [these] times.
Dan 11:7 But out of a branch of her roots shall [one] stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:

The kings of Egypt and Syria made a peace pact after Ptolemy helped Seleucus regain control of Syria. To seal the bargain Ptolemy gave his daughter, Berenice, to Seleucus for his wife. Seleucus divorced his wife and married Berenice. However when Ptolemy died, Seleucus left Berenice and took back his former wife. She poisoned Seleucus and had Berenice and her son assassinated. Then the former wife's son became the new Syrian king.

Dan 11:8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, [and] with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue [more] years than the king of the north.

Berenice's brother was now the Egyptian king. He invaded and defeated Syria to avenge his sister's death. He took the fortresses and plundered Syria of its gods, gold, and costly vessels.

Dan 11:9 So the king of the south shall come into [his] kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
Dan 11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and [one] shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, [even] to his fortress.

The king of Syria and his brothers attacked Egypt.

Dan 11:11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, [even] with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
Dan 11:12 [And] when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down [many] ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened [by it].

Egypt again fought with Syria and again defeated her, but the Egyptian king didn't follow up his victory by strengthening his position.

Dan 11:13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
Dan 11:14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

Syria again attacked Egypt. Some of the Jews turned against their brothers to help the Syrian king.

Dan 11:15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither [shall there be any] strength to withstand.
Dan 11:16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

The "glorious land" is Israel.

Dan 11:17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand [on his side], neither be for him.

The Syrian king gave his daughter, Cleopatra, to the young Egyptian king. However, Cleopatra turned against Syria and stood with Egypt. She was very ambitious for Egypt and began to make political deals with Rome, a rising power.

Dan 11:18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause [it] to turn upon him.
Dan 11:19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

The Syrian king began to attack Rome along the shores of Asia Minor. He was defeated, and the terms of peace called for him to pay huge taxes. He was killed when he tried to plunder a temple for tax money.

Dan 11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes [in] the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

His son was mysteriously poisoned.

Dan 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

Antiochus Epiphanes was the next king of Syria. He won his throne by flattery.

Dan 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
Dan 11:23 And after the league [made] with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

Antiochus killed any people he perceived were a challenge to his reign.

Dan 11:24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do [that] which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: [yea], and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

Antiochus hated the Jews. He killed and enslaved thousands of them.

Dan 11:25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

He attacked Egypt and defeated her.

Dan 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
Dan 11:27 And both these kings' hearts [shall be] to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end [shall be] at the time appointed.
Dan 11:28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart [shall be] against the holy covenant; and he shall do [exploits], and return to his own land.
Dan 11:29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

He again tried to attack Egypt, but the Roman navy fought him off.

Dan 11:30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
Dan 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

Antiochus was angry and frustrated by the Roman defense. He lashed out at Israel and on God's temple. His sacrifice of a pig on the holy altar was "the abomination which maketh desolate." Antiochus is a symbolic Antichrist. The Antichrist will also stop the daily sacrifices and prayers in the temple and will pollute the sanctuary with the demand that he be worshipped. This will be the "abomination of desolation."

Dan 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits].

Judas Maccabaeus and other young Jewish men were angered by the pollution of the temple. They took revenge on Syria.

Dan 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, [many] days.
Dan 11:34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
Dan 11:35 And [some] of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make [them] white, [even] to the time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time appointed.

This prophecy concerns the plight of the Jews and the sufferings they have endured. They will still be in great danger until the end of the Great Tribulation. Though the United States has been a close ally of Israel, our country has lately been moving away from this position (because of our dependence on Arab oil). When we finally abandon Israel, Russia will feel free to attack her without any retaliation from the U.S.

Dan 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 marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

The king described here is the Antichrist. He'll put himself forward and seek the people's worship and praise just as Satan has always craved worship (Isaiah 14:12-14, Matthew 4:8-10, II Thessalonians 2:4). "Indignation" here refers to the Great Tribulation. It's God's indignation against a sinning world          (Isaiah 26:19-21).

Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

This Scripture has led many people to believe that the Antichrist will be an apostate Jew. He may be homosexual. The "desire of women" could refer to every Jewish woman's hope that she would bear the child who would bruise the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15). Jesus was the Child who fulfilled this prophecy with His atoning death on the cross. So this verse could mean that the Antichrist will not regard God or Jesus.

Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

The Antichrist will worship and be obsessed with military force. He'll build a huge and expensive army equipped with tremendous military hardware.

Dan 11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge [and] increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

The Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel. He'll work out a Middle East peace plan that will divide the land of Israel for his gain. The covenant will be broken by the Antichrist after three and one-half years when he stops the sacrifices in the temple and demands that he himself be worshipped as God. At this point those Jews who are close to God will flee to the Jordanian rock city of Petra (Matthew 24:15-21, Isaiah 16:1-4, Revelation 12:14-17, [Sela is Petra])

Dan 11:40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

The "chariots" will be tanks.

Dan 11:41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
Dan 11:42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

The "glorious land" is the land of Israel. Ammon is Jordan and Iraq.

Dan 11:43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians [shall be] at his steps.

The Antichrist will be at the borders of Libya and Ethiopia. It will probably be a planned attempt to conquer the continent of Africa.

Dan 11:44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

The Antichrist's European federation of nations begins to move against Africa, passing through Israel and taking Egypt. The Chinese will send their armies, along with the remnant of the Russian army, to battle his forces (Revelation 16:12). These armies will meet in the Valley of Megiddo for the great and final battle of Armageddon.

Dan 11:45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

The Antichrist will set up his throne in Jerusalem and will seek to rule the world from there. Jesus will destroy the Antichrist with the words from His mouth (Jude 14-15, Colossians 3:4, Revelation 19:11-17). Jesus wants us to understand the prophecies in Daniel (Matthew 24:15).