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Now, as to those who will be saved during this period the Lord Himself said to His disciples, whom He had sent forth to preach the kingdom of heaven, “Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come” (Matt. 10:2323But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:23)). As before remarked, the same work in which the disciples were then engaged will be taken up again by servants of God amongst the faithful remnant of Israel in a future day, in preparing a people to receive the coming kingdom.
It is during this same time also that the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:66And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (Revelation 14:6)) will be proclaimed to them that dwell on the earth and to the nations, kindreds, and tongues; “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” This gospel is entirely different from the gospel of the grace of God which is preached to-day, telling of remission of sins through faith in the Lord Jesus, and the blessed news of a full and free salvation though His atoning work on the cross. It is a call to fear God because He is about to judge, and to acknowledge Him in creation. Such a message will be most appropriate to those who have never heard the gospel of to-day, and at a time when Satan's special aim will be to supplant God's authority by that of the beast and false prophet And so (while it is true that apostate Christendom will meet its terrible judgment) the book of Revelation gives us views of several saved companies, both from amongst the Jews and Gentiles, some of whom will suffer martyrdom rather than bow to the authority of the Antichrist, and some will be spared to participate in the blessings of the millennial kingdom under the righteous reign of the Lord Himself (chap. 7:14-17; 14:1-5; 20: 2, 4, etc.).
We now come to speak of THE ASSYRIAN, the last of the three chief actors in the events of this period; and this brings us to the close, at the appearing of the Lord in glory. But, before speaking of the Assyrian, it may be well to remark that we find in the prophet Daniel another title, namely, the “King of the North,” and in Ezekiel, “Gog." It would not be wise to speak too dogmatically as to how far these latter are to be identified with the Assyrian, who is not mentioned by this name in Daniel, but is the subject of frequent prophetic testimony in several of the other prophets. We must remember that Daniel wrote when Israel was in captivity in Babylon, and Ezekiel wrote when among the captives by the river Chebar. It may be that “the Assyrian” is used in prophecy in reference to the last days, as covering more than one person or power. We find in Psa. 83 and other passages various nations confederated with the Assyrian, just as the ten kings are associated with the chief of the Roman Empire in Rev. 13 and 17. But it would be outside the object of this paper to go into the matter in minute detail. Whatever power or grouping of powers may be indicated by this name, it is clear that they come of those parts which are situated to the north of Palestine.
The Antichrist, acting in league with the head of the revived Roman Empire, will hive the seat of his authority at Jerusalem, and will be the inward corrupter of the apostate Jews; the Assyrian will be the enemy and corrupter from outside. The Assyrian of the past occupied chiefly the territory north of Palestine, which we call Asia Minor, now under the rule partly of Turkey and partly of Persia.
When the Assyrian came on the scene of old, Israel, or at least the two tribes, were still owned of God as His people. Afterwards, the wickedness of the kings of the house of David had led to God's pronouncing upon them the sentence of “Lo-ammi,” that is, “not my people” (Hos. 1:99Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. (Hosea 1:9)). When they were carried away captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, the people became actually “Lo-ammi” (though God still watched over them in mercy), and the “times of the Gentiles” began. Thus it was that, when Israel failed and turned to idolatry, God gave power into the hands of the Gentiles and His throne was no longer found on earth, as it had been at Jerusalem, where He dwelt in the house which was built for His name. Since that time (though God, of course, controls the course of events in the world) He no longer rules amidst His people as He did in Israel. This giving of power into the hands of the Gentiles, which began with Nebuchadnezzar, is a fact of immense importance in the history of the world, and it is also very necessary to bear it in mind for the true interpretation of prophecy.
But, to resume, our subject, in process of time Christ came, and He was crucified. Thus the Jews remain still “Lo-ammi,” and continue in their unbelief and judicial blindness till this day; and this will be so until, in a future day, the Spirit of God works sorrow and repentance in the heart of the godly remnant. God will then once more own them as His people (Hos. 2:11Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah. (Hosea 2:1)). It is when they are thus owned by Him once more that the Assyrian of the future will make His final attack upon the city and the land. This is an essential fact for us to remember in order to truly understand these prophecies.
It was by the Assyrian that the ten tribes were carried away captive (2 Kings 17), and the Assyrian of the past was a type or foreshadowing. of the Assyrian of the future. The overthrow of Sennacherib and his great host, in answer to Hezekiah's prayer of faith, prefigured the final overthrow of the Assyrian of the last days. In the past, Babylon (where the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin were carried captive after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar) arose after the Assyrian monarchy; and, in fact, out of the ruins of that empire, which preceded it. But in the future to which we now refer, the Assyrian will be the last enemy of Israel; this is just the reverse of history.
Now this consideration confirms the application of many prophetic scriptures on this subject to the events of the last days, though they may have had a partial fulfillment or foreshadowing in the past. We find many references to the Assyrian in the prophets— “Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.” God uses this rod for the chastisement of His guilty people Israel. But at length God judges this haughty enemy, and with this judgment, His indignation against Israel comes to a close; “when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will publish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks” (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)). Now dearly the Lord has not yet performed His whole work on mount Zion and Jerusalem; this punishment of the Assyrian is, therefore, unquestionably future. Again, in chapter 14 we read, “I will break the Assyrian in my land, and, upon my mountains tread him under foot.” He may be proud and powerful, but who can withstand the Lord of Hosts in His purposes, or who can disannul His decrees?
Again, we find in Isa. 30, “Through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be broken in pieces, which smote with a rod. And every stroke of the appointed staff, which the LORD shall lay upon him, shall be with tabrets and harps,” etc. (R.V.). It is plain that what is here brought before us is still future, and goes on to the final judgment of the Assyrian, for whom Topheth, or the fire of God, is prepared; and the passage describes the rejoicing which will follow the Lord's judgment of this powerful and haughty enemy of Israel; whom God had used as a rod to chasten them for their good.
We may now refer to a passage in the prophet Micah— “And this man (the Ruler of Israel, the Messiah) shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land; and when he shall tread in our palaces.” It is Christ Himself, the true “Judge of Israel,” once smitten and rejected by them; but in that future day to which the prophet refers, their deliverer from the power of the Assyrian. Indeed, this chapter takes in, in its scope, the final victory when “the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people, as a lion amongst the beasts of the forest,” etc. God Himself will purge the land and the people. He will purge them inwardly from their idolatry, and outwardly He will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the nations who come up against Zion. But, even in view of this, the true saint of God can enjoy the most profound rest and peace of mind, for he is brought, through grace, into the secret of God's thoughts about everything. These mighty nations think that they can carry out their own will and do as they like, “but they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.” God will be the deliverer Himself in that day, and He will strengthen His people and give them complete victory.
Finally, in this connection, let us look at Dan. 8. In the vision given to the prophet we have the “rough goat,” who is the king of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes was the first king, Alexander the Great. But, arising out of the fragments of his empire, there came forth a “little horn,” which became exceeding great. No doubt the passage, to a certain extent, refers to a person well known in history, Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syro-Macedonia; but, taking it in its completeness, and especially the explanation given in the latter part of the chapter itself, it goes much beyond this and takes in the events of the last days (see ver. 23). This little horn magnifies himself to the Prince of the host (Christ, Jehovah), and from Him (that is Christ, the Messiah) the daily sacrifice is taken away and the place of His sanctuary cast down.
We cannot say who will, in a future day, rule the territory in the east, north of Palestine; which is here referred to; but the prophecy makes it plain that he will be possessed of remarkable intelligence; as it is expressed, he understands “dark sentences” and carries out his aims through policy and craft, as well as by force of arms. His military power, however, will be derived from elsewhere, for it is “not by his own power.” He will be allowed to cast down some of the leaders of the Jews; will interfere with their system of worship, prospering by craft; and finally will exalt himself against the “Prince of princes,” as Antichrist does against the “God of gods” (Dan. 11:3636And 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)).
From the geographic position of the territory in Asia Minor occupied by this king, as well as from other considerations, it would seem probable that he is to be identified with “the Assyrian.” His action in corrupting the Jews by his craft, as well as his more active opposition, is exercised “in the last end of the indignation” (i.e., God's indignation against Israel), “at the latter time of their kingdom, when transgressors shall have come to the full.” It is, therefore, near the time when the Lord will be manifested in glory for the deliverance of His people and the establishment of His kingdom. It is clear, as already remarked, that he derives his power from some outside source; more than probably he acts under the direction and authority of the ruler of the Russian empire.
But, whatever may be the crafty machinations of unscrupulous men, or their military prowess, it all comes to an end the moment God interposes on behalf of His people. And so he is “broken without hand.”
Let us now look briefly at the “GOG” of Ezekiel whom we must carefully distinguish from “Gog and Magog” of Rev. 20. The latter is an enemy who comes against the camp of the saints after the millennium, whilst the former is before it.
We read that “The word of the LORD” came to the prophet, saying, “Son of man, set thy face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal” (Ezek. 38:22Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, (Ezekiel 38:2)). In the word “Rosh” we have the first traces of a country now included in the Russian Empire; but at the time the prophet wrote, it was probably peopled by Scythian tribes, dwelling on the shores of the Black Sea, etc., then spreading themselves abroad in those lands now under the rule of the Czar.
In the last days, to which the prophet refers, Israel will have been once more settled in their land, “In the latter days, I will bring thee against my land.” They will have been again owned by Jehovah as His people, and will be dwelling safely, just before the millennial reign begins, and Gog comes up, fully intending to take a spoil and a prey.
The words of Ezekiel show us that Gog had been the subject of prophetic testimony previously; as we read, “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah; Art thou not he of whom I have spoken of old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them (i.e., Israel)?” (38:17).
We are told that Gog comes out of the “north parts;” or the “uttermost north,” with his “many peoples” and “a great assembly, and mighty army.” Geographically, therefore, there is ground for believing Gog to be closely linked with the king of the North or Assyrian; and the suggestion made by the late Mr. Darby, that he believed Gog to be “the last phase of the Assyrian,” appears to be very probably correct. If so, this explains what Ezekiel says as to previous prophetic testimony, for we know that the Assyrian is largely spoken of in the prophets.
When Gog appears, he comes with an immense host, like a storm, and like a cloud to cover the land; but his audaciousness draws down upon him the indignation of Jehovah, who comes in to deliver his people; and Gog perishes with all his host upon the mountains of Israel under the judgment of God.
It is to be remarked also that we find a very distinct reference to the northern invader in the prophet Joel. He says, “And I will remove far off from you him [that cometh] from the north” (Joel 2:2020But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things. (Joel 2:20)). So it is clear that this great enemy of Israel will occupy an important place in the closing scenes just before their final deliverance.
We have already seen that Jehovah's indignation—that is His anger against Israel on account of their idolatry and their sins—ceases with the judgment of the Assyrian. But there will be some lapse of time after the Lord descends from heaven in judgment upon the various actors in the scenes we have been looking at; and the establishment of full peace and blessing. In fact, He will reign first in the character of David, putting down His, enemies, before He reigns in the character of Solomon in peace and tranquility. We have three periods noted at the close in Daniel—three years and a half, or 1,26o days; 1,290 days; and 1,335 days. The first commences in the middle of the week, when the covenant with the people, made by the head of the revived Roman Empire, is broken, and their worship is stopped; and it ends with the overthrow of the beast and Antichrist (Rev. 19). But the full establishment of Israel in settled peace in their land does not come about till the close, 75 days later on, or perhaps more.
It would seem that the great northern power to which we have already referred, will be allowed to come against Jerusalem on account of the exceeding wickedness of the Antichrist and of the beast, with whom he is linked, and of the apostate part of the nation of Israel. The prophet Daniel (who never carries us into the millennium as Isaiah and other prophets do, but just up to it and no further) closes chapter 11 with a reference to the “King of the North,” who comes down against the seat of Antichrist's power (i.e. Jerusalem) like a whirlwind with his vast armies, overflows many countries, and passes on to Egypt. Tidings, however, out of the east and north trouble him, and he returns to Palestine, here called “the pleasant land,” and plants the tent of his palace between the Mediterranean Sea and Jerusalem: but “he shall come to his end and none shall help him.” This is very similar to what we have already seen concerning the fate of the Assyrian and Gog. Whether the tidings that he hears are that the Lord has appeared to crush the beast and the false prophet (Rev. 19), or that the ten tribes, many of whom may be within his territory, are being brought back to the land, it would, perhaps, be unwise to say definitely—though it may be so—but he comes to his end by judgment at the hands of the Lord Himself, and not merely by being defeated in battle by some other power.
Jerusalem will be the center of a conflict of nations in that day; “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it” (Zech. 12:2-32Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zechariah 12:2‑3)). Again. “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished: and half of the city shall go forth into captivity,” etc. (14: 2). This first attack is partially successful; the city is taken and some are carried away captive. But when the second attack is made, the Lord is Himself there, having already crushed the beast and false prophet; and He will go forth and fight against those nations; “and his feet shall stand, in that day, upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east.” From that mount of Olives a cloud received Him out of the sight of His disciples; now He comes to that same place in judgment on the nations, “and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,” etc. an actual physical convulsion will take place which will open a way of escape for His people (14:5).
And here we would like to draw the reader's attention to the following extract from “Notes on Zechariah” by H. R.— “In the 'last day,' after the judgment of the Antichrist and the Roman beast, Jerusalem will be attacked by the surrounding nations. This attack will take place, if not under the personal direction of the Assyrian, at least under his patronage. Jerusalem will be taken and sacked; half the inhabitants of the city will be led captive, but the remainder of the people will not be cut off. Amongst those who will be spared there will be the feeble 'Remnant,' a part of which, the 'two witnesses' of Revelation, had already been martyred. It is the last trial which awaits the unhappy and guilty city.
“Later on, the King of the North or, the Assyrian, comes back from Egypt with his immense army, surrounds the beloved city, and it is then that the events mentioned in verse 3 of Zech. 14 take place: 'And the LORD will go forth and fight with those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.' There is an allusion here to what had passed when the Lord, having come out of heaven with all His armies (Rev. 19), had destroyed hose of the beast and false prophet. But now a new event has taken place; And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem toward the east. 'Then will be fulfilled what the angels announced to the disciples, witnesses of the ascension of the Lord on the mount of Olives.' ‘This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven'.... 'And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee' (Zech. 14:55And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:5)). All that this chapter reveals to us is as the prelude to this great fact: Jehovah, the God of the prophets, will come.”
[F.G.B.]
(To be continued)