“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” (Daniel 11:36).

This “king” is clearly the king of the north or vile person by the description given (similar to the little horn of chapter 8).

•     He exalts himself (8:11, 25)

•     He magnifies himself above every god (8:25)

•     He speaks against God (8:23, 25)

•     He prospers (8:12, 8:24-25)

This cross-references with II Thessalonians 2:4.

•     Exalteth himself

•     Exalteth himself above all that is called God

The king of the north had indignation (zaam) against the holy covenant (11:30). But at the appointed time the indignation or wrath (zaam) of God will turn against him. He prospers until then. Again, in Daniel 8:19 it is at the appointed time when God’s wrath is exhibited. It says the little horn will come to its end – “he shall be broken without hand” (8:25). Only God intervenes. No man, army or political force brings it to its end. That is exactly what is described in Revelation 16:19. Babylon comes into remembrance before God “to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.”

The final phrase, “that is determined shall be done,” simply means that what God has already decreed will be done. The vile person, the little horn and the king of the north are destined for destruction. God has foretold its final demise. That was declared a second time in Daniel 9:26-27.

Expositor White understood Daniel 11. She applied verses 31-36 to the emerging time of tribulation, future to 1904, when her thoughts were penned. This is what she observed: “We have no time to lose. Troublous times are before us. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place. The prophecy in the eleventh of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated. In the thirtieth verse a power is spoken of that ‘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.’ [Verses 31-36 quoted.]

“Scenes similar to those described in these words will take place. We see evidence that Satan is fast obtaining the control of human minds who have not the fear of God before them. Let all read and understand the prophecies of this book, for we are now entering upon the time of trouble spoken of [Dan. 12:1-4 quoted.]”[1]

This insight helps us to put into perspective the setting and meaning of the last third of this remarkable chapter.

“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” (Daniel 11:37).

This verse sequentially flows from the previous one. The king of the north – the papacy – has no regard for the God of his fathers – nor any god. The Apostolic Church had a pure faith and unswerving interest to uphold the God of truth. As Rome gradually became the center of administrative Christian power, anti-Semitism and pagan influences tainted truth. Compromise and tolerance brought terrible changes to a church still in its youth. The seeds of apostate Christianity, of “Romanism,” sprouted into Catholicism. Bishops, and later popes, were elevated as God. Finally, they ruled against the very Being they claimed to represent. Salvation was deemed only through the church. The priest became the arbiter of forgiveness and the gatekeepers to heaven or hell.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (II Thessalonians 2:3-4).

The disregard for women is reflected in the coercive rule of celibacy, the denial of women’s role in the priesthood and prohibition of marriage to tens of thousands of nuns who serve the church, often in a state of forced poverty.

Celibacy was instituted by the early Roman Church – not as an issue of purity but to preserve property. Many kings and nobles donated property to priests (who were married) for their long and devoted spiritual services. When they died, the wives would be the heirs. Thus, the church would lose out. In celibacy the church became the heir. This became church dogma, finally eliciting guilt, sin and sacrilege on the part of anyone who opposed or broke a celibacy vow.

Keeping the nuns single became a tool to control and extract loyalty to the church or its priest leadership. This coercive administrative ploy automatically rejects women’s ordination. Ordination would make women equal to men, something the Catholic Church functionally resists.

Reviewing Catholic literature, one is struck with the moral and elevated spiritual values they see in being celibate and single. All those were an afterthought to the original financial and power objectives of Rome. “For he shall magnify himself above all” – an arrogant theme that Scripture reminds us of repeatedly. They control and manipulate lives, acting as God but representing the character of Satan.

“But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things” (Daniel 11:38).

The context flows from the previous verse where in the parting thought it noted that the papacy magnified itself (himself) above every god/God. This new verse transcends even that horror by noting that he honors or promotes the god (the King James Version’s capitalizing of “God” here is incorrect) of strongholds.

This setting implies that because of the papal arrogance, power and elevated honor by the world, it assumes it is its own fortress – impervious to any opposition or powers that might seek to curtail its authority.

Once again, a negative point is made that this power has deviated from the God of heaven and paid loyalty to a god the early Christian church did not know. Immediately, this introduces gods from paganism/mysticism, and what follows confirms this insight.

The papacy honors gods of gold, silver, precious stones and pleasant things. This conjures up the massive system within Catholicism of idols, icons, expensive ornaments, opulent clothing, jewelry and churches that cost many times that of Protestant edifices. The Catholic Church readily admits its rites and worship styles have come heavily from pagan traditions.

Perhaps most reprehensible is the transference of worship from the God of heaven to man himself – the pope. This theme continues what was introduced in verse 37. The pope is seen as, worshiped as and declared to be “god on earth.”

The New York Catholic Catechism says: “The Pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth … by divine right the pope has supreme and full power in faith and morals over each and every pastor and his flock. He is the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the entire church, the father and teacher of all Christians. He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by one, God himself on earth.”

In his encyclical, The Reunion of Christendom (1885), Pope Leo XIII stated that the pope holds “upon this earth the place of God Almighty.”

The Council of Trent declared: “Sitting in that chair in which Peter, the prince of the Apostles, sat to the close of life, the Catholic Church recognizes in his person the most exalted degree of dignity, and the full jurisdiction not based on constitutions, but emanating from no less authority than from God Himself. As the Successor of St. Peter and the true and legitimate Vicar of Jesus Christ, he therefore, presides over the Universal Church, the Father and Governor of all the faithful, of Bishops also, and of all other prelates, be their station, rank, or power, what they may be.”

The Catholic book, My Catholic Faith, which is based on the Baltimore Catechism, says on page 251, “The Pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Church; his authority is supreme and unquestioned. Every bishop, every priest, every member of the Church is subject to him.”

“The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God and the vicar of God….

“The Pope is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief of kings, having plenitude of power, to whom has been intrusted by the omnipotent God direction not only of the earthly but also of the heavenly kingdom….

“The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws….

“The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth with most ample power of binding and loosing sheep.” (Translated from Lucius Ferraris, Papa II, Prompts Bibliotheca, vol. VI, pp. 25-29).

That is blasphemy of the highest order against the sovereign God of the universe!

“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” (Daniel 11:39).

The wording of this verse is difficult to grasp. In the context of the previous verse the papacy will continue with those deeds, using the cover of their strong holds (their great cathedrals and churches, which they claim to be Christian) as their protection. The mysticism of that cover and its rites and traditions will safeguard the strange god of the papacy – the pope. The world will be enamored with him. This ties to “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” (Revelation 13:4). The mysticism of the papacy so intrigues the minds of the world that they capitulate to it, feeling it all-powerful.

Whoever acknowledges him is allegedly rewarded with glory (kabowd), honor or a sense of moral security.

These dynamics were effective in the past and will be repeated in a far more persuasive and deceptive manner at the end: “As her power increased, the darkness deepened. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator and that none could approach God except through him; and, further, that he stood in the place of God to them and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed…. Thus the minds of the people were turned away from God to fallible, erring, and cruel men, nay, more, to the prince of darkness himself, who exercised his power through them. Sin was disguised in a garb of sanctity. When the Scriptures are suppressed, and man comes to regard himself as supreme, we need look only for fraud, deception, and debasing iniquity. With the elevation of human laws and traditions was manifest the corruption that ever results from setting aside the law of God.”[2]

Catholicism creates a psychological magnetism that ensnares millions of minds. Verse 39 portrays a magnetic attraction the world will have for that authority. It reveals an intriguing dependency in a coercive, submissive bond.

“And this is the religion which Protestants are beginning to look upon with so much favor, and which will eventually be united with Protestantism. This union will not, however, be effected by a change in Catholicism, for Rome never changes. She claims infallibility. It is Protestantism that will change. The adoption of liberal ideas on its part will bring it where it can clasp the hand of Catholicism.–RH June 1, 1886.

“The professed Protestant world will form a confederacy with the man of sin, and the church and the world will be in corrupt harmony. – 7BC 975 (1891).”[3]

The final thoughts of this verse reveal that this vile person, the king of the north, the papacy, will reward land and kingship over the masses (many) to those who have been loyal to its authority. Not only will the religious world give submissive honor to the papacy, but here, the secular world experiences gain. We must turn to Revelation 17 for added understanding.

The harlot (that blasphemous woman), symbolizing Babylon (the Roman Catholic Church), makes the “inhabitants of the earth … drunk with the wine of her fornication” (17:2). The world is enamored with her deceptive, abominable teachings. These are depicted by the “abominations” in the “golden cup in her hand” (17:4). It doesn’t stop there. The scarlet beast or papal power upon which she rides has ten horns, which are “ten kings” which haven’t received their kingdom as yet (the time in which this prophecy begins to unfold). BUT – they will “receive power as kings one hour with the beast” (17:12).

When does that occur? At the very end of time, which is described here in Daniel 11:39! The world has already been divided into ten great divisions for a future time by the United Nations and The Club of Rome. Those are the ten horns depicted here, soon to become future “kingdoms” that rule under the administrative guise of the papacy.