Before Christ, the battle of the great controversy was largely physical. Now it is spiritual. Likewise, the prophecies...

Israel (God's people) before the crucifixion, was literal (physical - son's of Abraham). After the crucifixion, Israel (God's people - son's of God) is spiritual (figurative - the Kingdom of Yahweh).

Israel (the literal nation), for a short time after the crucifixion, was like a dead man walking. Because of their crucifixion of the Son of God, the nation had completely and corporately rejected Yahweh and his Son. The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the subsequent revolts, eliminated it as a literal (physical) nation.

"...the eventual Roman effort defeated Bar Kokhba's rebels. The result was an almost complete genocide of the Jews, a ban on Judaism, and the renaming of the province from Judea to Syria Palaestina. Although Hadrian's death (in 137 CE) eased restrictions and persecution of the Jews, the survivors of his campaign were not many. Only a small Jewish community of several thousand survived in Galilee, with smaller communities in other parts of the Mediterranean." (see Wikipedia)

Many Christians have been misled and side-tracked by the sleight-of-hand attempt of Christian leaders to "resurrect" and rehabilitate Israel as a literal nation restoring it to its previous splendor and claiming that it still qualifies to reap the many Biblical promises and prophecies. Those promises were ALL conditional. Israel failed to meet the conditions and no longer qualifies. Only individuals within that nation accepting individually the promises of the Son can qualify. But not as part of literal Israel, only as part of the newer spiritual Israel. (see Spiritual Israel)

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 2:28-29

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Romans 9:6-8

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29

Just as Israel was literal and is now spiritual, so are many prophecies. Prophecies fulfilled before Christ were mostly (all?) literal:

Map of Noah's World



Jeremiah says that evil and destruction come "out of the north".

Jer 1:14,15, 4:6, 6:1, 10:22, 46:20,24, 50:3

Notice how Babylon and Assyria are NORTH (not east as largely assumed) of Jerusalem. They extend from western Turkey past the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea.

Babylon (the head of gold in Daniel 2) was literally a "King of the North" (Ezekiel 26:7)

For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. Ezekiel 26:7

And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. Zephaniah 2:13 (note, Nineveh is as far north as the Caspian Sea almost to Mt. Ararat).

Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. Zechariah 2:6-7

Gog and Magog were literally "from the north". Ezekiel 38 and 39 (notice in the map above that Gog and Magog are in North Turkey between the Black and Caspian Seas - certainly north of Israel.)

More specifically to Daniel 11, the king of the north appears to refer to the literal northern branch of the divided Greek empire, that of the General Seleucis, while the King of the south refers to the southern branch, that of the General Ptolemy. (see Wikipedia). The Seleucid Empire largely overlaid the Babylonian, Assyrian and Medo-Persian empires.

Seleucid Empire



All these "kings of the north" were before Christ, literal, brought destruction and ultimately, we are to flee them. Daniel 12, however, brings this prophecy clearly to the "time of the end" (see "When is the End")

After Christ, literal Israel has been replaced by the spiritual Kingdom of Yahweh (see "Gospel of the Kingdom"). It has no literal physical location, so nothing is literally "north" of it. It is "within you".

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

Yet, there are still applications to these prophecies. They are still referred to as "north" and / or "Babylon". But now, they are spiritual and we are spiritually called to come out.

Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. Zechariah 2:6-7

The spiritual warfare is best illustrated by Satan's exalted claims, sitting in "the sides of the north".

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:13-14

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Revelation 18:1-4

The prophecies regarding the King(s) of the North, at the end of time are begging God's people to "Come out" - to leave Satan's destructive kingdom of the north and enter the Kingdom of Yahweh.