Pastor Leslie Chua

The Antichrist has enemies. This is a little-known fact, and so, hardly anyone talks about it.

Most prophecy scholars and students believe that the Antichrist has absolute power and control over the whole world. Such a view is only partially correct.

While the Antichrist will exercise an iron-gripped control over the global financial and economic system, he will not have absolute geopolitical control of the world.

These facts are borne out in the End-Time prophecies of the prophet, Daniel, and the apostle, John.

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The Antichrist has enemies. This is a little-known fact, and so, hardly anyone talks about it.
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In Revelation chapter 13, we read that the Antichrist will impose the 666-mark-of-beast system to control all financial transactions globally. Without the 666 mark, no one can buy or sell and no nations and corporations can trade with one another. Many will have no choice but to pledge their allegiance and align their interests with the Antichrist.

Despite that, the Antichrist will not have total geopolitical control over all the nations. He has enemies and some of these enemies are extremely powerful. These countries will stand up against him.

The prophecy in the last part of Daniel chapter 11 reveals the identities of the Antichrist’s enemies. They are the king of the South, the king of the North, and the kings of the East. Bear in mind that the geographical point of reference is the land of Israel.

These kings will lead their armies to attack the military forces of the Antichrist which is stationed in the land of Israel – “He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountains” (Daniel 11:45).

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The prophecy in the last part of Daniel chapter 11 reveals the identities of the Antichrist’s enemies. They are the king of the South, the king of the North, and the kings of the East.
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While the kings of the east are not specifically mentioned, they are clearly hinted – “But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many” (Daniel 11:44).

This verse points to military threats coming from the direction of the north and east. John’s prophecy in Revelation 16:12 talks about “the kings from the East” – “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.”


A Prophecy of The Antichrist

Before I go any further, I would like to establish the fact that this passage in Daniel chapter 11 verse 36 onward is a prophecy of the end of this present age and the main character in view here is the Antichrist.

Daniel’s prophecies contained in verses 1 to 34 had already been fulfilled to its details historically.

In these verses, the king of the South refers to a king of Egypt while the king of the north refers to a monarch of Syria.

The main protagonist in these verses is an antichrist figure. We know from history that this man is Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus was a Greek king of the Seleucid kingdom who ruled over a region which encompassed Israel. He prefigured the Antichrist who will appear at the end of this present age.

The description of him in these verses gives us a glimpse of the character of the Antichrist. Antiochus was a contemptible person and he would resort to flatteries to achieve his political ambitions and obtain the kingdom (Daniel 11:21). He was deceitful (Daniel 11:23). He would oppose God directly (Daniel 11:28) and he would set up the abomination of desolation in God’s temple (Daniel 11:31). This prophecy was fulfilled in 167 BC when Antiochus defiled God’s temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar.

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So, from verse 36 onward until the end of the chapter, Daniel gave us a prophecy of the Antichrist, the ruler of the End-Time empire, who would wreak havoc on planet Earth.
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The turning point comes in verse 35 when the prophecies shift abruptly to the time of the end – “Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time” (Daniel 11:35).

So, from verse 36 onward until the end of the chapter, Daniel gave us a prophecy of the Antichrist, the ruler of the End-Time empire, who would wreak havoc on planet Earth.

In these verses, the prophecy reveals that the Antichrist will be engaged in a series of wars with 3 groups of enemies, namely, the king of the South, the king of the North, and the kings of the East.

These events have never been fulfilled in the past. It clearly points to a future fulfilment at the end of this present age.


The Identities of The Kings

In recent years, we have witnessed fascinating shifts in the geopolitical arena. The existing international order with the USA as the dominant hegemon is quickly disintegrating. Several years ago, the World Economic Forum boldly predicted that the US would no longer be a superpower by 2030. The world is in the process of transitioning from a unipolar world to a multipolar world with several emergent powers.

The rise of the Antichrist and his 10-nation alliance will be one of the new dominant power centres. Which other countries will pose a challenge to the Antichrist’s hegemony?

From the biblical perspective, the questions are: who are the kings of the South, North, and East? Which countries are these? Why are they at loggerheads with the Antichrist


The King of The South

The king of the South in the earlier verses of Daniel chapter 11 refers to the king of Egypt. We know this as a historical fact. But here in verse 40, this king of the South is most likely referring to the leader of an alliance of African nations. This king will lead a coalition of forces from the African continent to fight the Antichrist.

It can be inferred from the passage that the Antichrist is the aggressor. Many African countries are blessed with rich minerals and natural resources. The Western colonial powers have a history of exploiting them. The Antichrist, who will rise from the West, will do the same. He will overpower the king of the South and “gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission” (Daniell 11:43).

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But here in verse 40, this king of the South is most likely referring to the leader of an alliance of African nations. This king will lead a coalition of forces from the African continent to fight the Antichrist.
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The Antichrist will fairly easily subjugate the king of the South but he will have a much more difficult task dealing with the kings of the North and East.


The King of The North

As mentioned earlier, the king of the North in the first part of Daniel chapter 11 refers to the king of Syria.

However, judging from the present state of geopolitics and if the assumption that the return of Christ is near, then, the king of the North is most probably the ruler of Russia and not Syria.

While Türkiye is located to the north of Israel and it has the second largest military force in NATO, after the U.S. armed forces, the king of the North is unlikely to come from it for 2 reasons.

First, Russia, which is the furthest north of Israel, is much more powerful militarily. It is also a nuclear superpower. Russia has more nuclear weapons in its stockpile than the U.S.A.

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However, judging from the present state of geopolitics and if the assumption that the return of Christ is near, then, the king of the North is most probably the ruler of Russia.
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Second, Russia is featured prominently in geopolitics presently.

The U.S. and its Western allies consider Russia to be its mortal enemy. Their animosity toward Russia stretches back to the Soviet Union days. Then, the Soviet Union was the bastion of communism while the West was, and still is, the champion of capitalism.

Despite the dismantling of the Soviet Union in 1991, mutual distrust and suspicion linger on. Notwithstanding its promise not to expand NATO eastward, the U.S. has been pushing it to the doorstep of Russia. NATO is a political and military alliance of European countries and the U.S.

In 2014, the U.S. orchestrated a coup to remove the democratically elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who was pro-Kremlin, from office. Then, in the 2021 Brussels summit, NATO leaders reiterated their decision that Ukraine would become a member of the alliance.

That was the last straw for Russia. Ukraine is the red line for Russia. It is tantamount to a declaration of war. Russia retaliated by invading Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The war is still ongoing. The U.S. and the West are pushing Ukraine to continue fighting by pouring in billions of dollars and supplying it with military hardware and weapons.

Judging from the way things are going, the war is likely to escalate. Many geopolitical experts are worried that it may spark a wider conflict that will eventually lead to World War 3 and the use of nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Russia are also facing off in the Middle East with the Americans supporting Israel and some of the Gulf states while the Russians are backing Iran and Syria.

Bearing in mind that the Antichrist will rise from the West, can the war in Ukraine and the standoff in the Middle East between the West and Russia be a precursor of the conflict between the Antichrist and the king of the North that is prophesied in Daniel chapter 11?

I think so assuming that we are standing at the threshold of the end of this present age as these are the present geopolitical realities.


The Kings of The East

The same rationale can be applied to China, which I believe is the king of the East. China will lead a coalition of nations from the East.  They will cross the Euphrates and move toward Israel and the Middle East to attack the Antichrist and his forces.

It is most probably for the reasons that the Antichrist has choked off the oil supply from the Middle East and imposed the 666 financial system. Without oil and the ability to trade freely with other nations, these countries from the East will have no choice but to resolve their economic predicament by going to war with the Antichrist.

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The same rationale can be applied to China, which I believe is the king of the East. China will lead a coalition of nations from the East.  They will cross the Euphrates and move toward Israel and the Middle East to attack the Antichrist and his forces.
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Presently, we are seeing a steady buildup toward such a scenario of confrontation between the U.S. and China.

Many people are talking about the great-power conflict between these 2 powerful countries. Russia can be included in the mix. The international relations theory suggests that the new Cold War between the U.S., China and Russia is unlikely to be peaceful.

While the U.S. is still the world’s leading power according to nearly all objective measures, China has risen rapidly to occupy a strong second-place position in military and economic might.

Given that, the U.S. is worried, and it is trying very hard to contain China’s rise. For example, it blames China for its manufacturing overcapacity and dumping cheap goods such as solar panels and electric vehicles in the world markets. It has also imposed sanctions on China’s ability to procure advanced semiconductors used for supercomputing citing national security concerns.

Taiwan and the South China Sea are also flashpoints in the fast- deteriorating U.S.-China relationship. In the Middle East, China has also taken up a position opposite to that of the U.S. It supports countries like Iran that are hostile toward the U.S. and Israel.


The Eschatological Chess Pieces Are Now In Position

Interestingly, China and Russia have come closer together in the past 2 years. They are also part of the BRICS nations. The BRICS was established in 2009 to bring together the world’s most important developing countries to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations from the West. Egypt has just joined the BRICS in 2024.

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The eschatological chess pieces of the kings of the North, South, and East vis-à-vis the Antichrist from the West have now been put into position. It is fascinating to see the prophetic scenario of Daniel chapter 11 shaping up before our eyes.
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The BRICS nations are also concerned with how the U.S. is weaponizing the US-dollar-based trade system to arbitrarily target other countries. They are working toward establishing an alternative trade and payment system that is not based on the U.S. dollar.

Can you see that the kings of the North, South, and East have already taken a position diametrically opposite the West, from which the Antichrist will rise?

The eschatological chess pieces of the kings of the North, South, and East vis-à-vis the Antichrist from the West have now been put into position. It is fascinating to see the prophetic scenario of Daniel chapter 11 shaping up before our eyes.

This is another sign, among many other signs, of Jesus’ soon return and the end of this present age.