There will be another great man to arise who has a very prominent place in the prophetic word. His destiny is closely linked with that of Russia.
This person is termed the king of the North. Since Palestine was and is again to be the center of God’s counsels in the earth, all geographical positions in Scripture are given in relation to it.
This king of the North shall occupy a position north of Palestine, now possessed by Turkey in Asia.
It is a matter of history that on the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided among four of his generals, and two of these came into conflict with Palestine. They are designated in Scripture as “King of the North” and “King of the South.” (Dan. 11).
The king of the North occupied Syria and Asia Minor, which were then part of Assyria. The king of the South ruled over Egypt.
There is yet to arise a great king who shall represent the third beast, (Greece), as the “prince” will the fourth beast (Roman Empire). He shall play a very important part in the future of the world, especially that of the Jews.
“At the time of the end shall be the vision,” “in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up.” The king of the North, probably Turkey (?) (Dan. 8:23, 2423And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. (Daniel 8:23‑24)) But though his power shall be mighty, it shall not be by his own power. There shall be back of this fierce and powerful king another power (Russia), who shall be mightier than he.
The Jews are soon to return to their land. There is to arise among them the man referred to in a previous chapter, as the “lawless one.” He is also called the “man of sin,” the “false prophet” and the “antichrist.” He shall be a Jew (see Dan. 11:3737Neither 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)), claiming to be the Messiah, deceiving the mass. He shall sit in the temple which is to be rebuilt “showing himself that he is God.” Many of the Jews will worship him.
There shall be a treaty between the beast and the Jews for seven years (Daniel’s seventieth week) to insure protection to Israel from the king of the North, their aggressor. This alliance, (another scrap of paper) is to be broken by the beast at the end of three and one-half years. The “overflowing scourge” (the king of the North, Isa. 28:1818And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Isaiah 28:18)) shall pass through, the Jews shall be trodden down and Jerusalem taken, at least one-half of it. Thence, he will carry his conquest down into Egypt. While there, tidings out of the East and North shall trouble him (Dan. 11:4444But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. (Daniel 11:44)), and cause him to return with great fury.
At this time shall take place a great battle around Jerusalem. “When the Lord hath performed His whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish... the king of Assyria.” (Isa. 10:1212Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. (Isaiah 10:12)). “Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man,” for it will be directly from the hand of God. (See also Micah, 5).
As early as 587 B. C. the prophet Ezekiel not only prophesied of Russia, which is destined to become a mighty nation, but even mentioned it by name. (Read Ezek. 38 and 39 N. T.). “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying ‘Son of man, set thy face against Gog and the land of Rosh (Russia), Mesheck (Moscow), and Tubal (Tobolsk) and prophesy against him.’
This nation, with its Eastern allies, China and Japan, will form the Northeastern confederacy. The alliance of Russia with France, England and Italy cannot last; for these last three will be included in the coming Roman Empire, while Russia will be the dominating power in the North.
Russia today occupies half of Europe and the whole of northern Asia. Europe is alarmed at her progress and fears the rising again, through her, of what they are now trying to put down—militarism. Russia and many peoples with her, shall come up against the Jews as a cloud to cover the land, but they shall fall upon the mountains of Israel. So great shall the slaughter be that it shall require seven months to bury the dead and seven years to burn the weapons of war. (Ezek. 39:9-129And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: 10So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God. 11And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog. 12And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. (Ezekiel 39:9‑12)).
God is about to deal with the earth—with men in the midst of their plans.
(Continued from page 251).
(To be continued).