Daniel 11:15

Daniel 11:15 says, 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.  We will continue to see this ebb and flow of power back and forth during this period of history, much like we see in the world today.  What we must realize is that God was still in control of the ultimate outcome.  The king of the north was again attacking the king of the south.  Verse sixteen adds, 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.  In victory, the king of the north would do as he pleased, and Judah, the glorious land of God's people, would be caught in the middle.  God's people are still often caught in the middle of conflicts today, but that does not mean that God has failed.  God's victory is assured.  Verse seventeen continues, 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 people of God would stand with this ruler.  He would attempt to secure his position through the marriage of his daughter, but she would turn against him and side with her husband.  I believe that what this says to us today is that the plans of people shall fail, but God's plan never will.  We cannot attempt to force our plans on to God's plan.  Verse eighteen states, 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.  Matthew Henry says that in taking the isles that this king went to war with the Greeks and Romans.  Verse nineteen adds, Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.  Being defeated, he had to return to his own land and pay tribute to those who defeated him.  Verse twenty continues, 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.  Having to raise taxes to pay the tribute, this king would not fall in battle, but at the hands of his own people.  I believe that we can say that God does not need armies to accomplish His will, but it often comes about from within a kingdom itself, with people rising up against their oppressive rulers.