At “the Time Appointed”

11. (a) In 1914, what was the identity of the king of the north and the king of the south? (b) What prophecy was fulfilled “at the time appointed”?

¹¹ Eventually, the prophecy brings us down to “the time appointed,” in 1914. (Daniel 11:27; Luke 21:24) By now, there has been a change in the identity of God’s people. Since fleshly Israel rejected the Messiah, Jehovah’s chosen people has become spiritual Israel, the congregation of anointed Christians. (1 Peter 2:9, 10) The identity of the two kings has also changed. Britain, with its political partner the United States of America, has evidently become the king of the south, while the king of the north is now Germany. World War I was foretold in these words: “At the time appointed [the king of the north] will go back, and he will actually come against the south; but it will not prove to be at the last the same as at the first.” (Daniel 11:29) The king of the south won that war. The situation was thus different from what was true “at the first,” that is, when all-conquering Rome was king of the north.

12. Describe features of world events since 1914 that were foretold in the angel’s prophetic words to Daniel.

¹² The angel goes on to tell of the competition between the two kings since 1914 and, particularly, of the way that both would oppose Jehovah’s people. He also prophesies the appearance of “the disgusting thing that is causing desolation,” which exists today as the United Nations organization. (Daniel 11:31) The setting up of the UN was a political effort in which both kings cooperated to bring peace. But it is doomed to fail because it is in opposition to God’s Kingdom.b (Matthew 24:15; Revelation 17:3, 8) Finally, the angel directs our attention to “the time of the end.”​—Daniel 11:40.

“The Time of the End”

13. (a) To what does the expression “the time of the end” refer in this part of the prophecy? (b) Who have fulfilled the roles of the king of the north and the king of the south since the end of the second world war?

¹³ What time is this? Sometimes the expression “time of the end” refers to the time of the end of this system of things, from 1914 to Armageddon. (Daniel 8:17, 19; 12:4) But events in the year 1914, “the time appointed,” were foretold back in Dan 11 verse 29, and the angel’s prophecy has brought us far beyond that.c Hence, “the time of the end” here in Dan 11 verse 40 must refer to the final stages of the 2,300-year-long struggle between the king of the north and the king of the south. We read on, then, with great interest, since we now learn of events to take place in the near future. By now, shifts in power on the world scene have led to further developments in the identity of the two kings. Since the collapse of the Nazi-Fascist powers at the end of World War II, we have witnessed rivalry between two superpowers, one represented as the king of the north, dominating a mostly socialistic bloc of nations, and the other represented as the king of the south, dominating a largely capitalistic bloc.

15, 16. (a) How will affairs develop between the king of the north and the king of the south? (b) What will this mean for God’s people?

¹⁵ So, what finally happens between these two kings? The angel says: “And in the time of the end [the end of the history of the two kings] the king of the south will engage with him in a pushing, and against him the king of the north will storm with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships.” (Daniel 11:40; Matthew 24:3) Clearly, summit conferences are no solution to the superpower rivalry. The tensions caused by the ‘pushing’ of the king of the south and the expansionism of the king of the north may go through more or less intense phases; but eventually, in some way, the king of the north will be provoked into the excessively violent action described by Daniel.d