Sure, sounds interesting.
I said that the scriptures speak more of "thje Assyrian" than of any other end time individual. But to understand the fullness of this, I need to add two more posts with my reasons for saying that other scriptures also speak of this same individual.
The King of the North is the king of the revived northern splinter of the empire of Alexander the Great, that is, the Seleucid empire, in Daniel 11:40-45. The third verse of this chapter says that a mighty king would arise. We then read that when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these. (Daniel 11:4) The next twenty-seven verses (Daniel 11:5-32) describe a long series of wars between the king of the North and the king of the South. This account covers a number of generations, mentioning events which took place over a period of approximately 130 years. Every act of the king of the North in this account was actually committed by one of the Seleucids, a family that ruled out of Antioch in Syria. Every act of the king of the South was actually committed by one of the Ptolemies, a family that ruled out of Alexandria in Egypt.
The Ptolemies ruled only over Egypt, but the Seleucids, the kings of the North, ruled over a vast empire. If you compare a map of the ancient Selucid Empire with a map of the previous Assyrian Empire, you will see that aside from a few sections at the edges, these two empires covered the same area.
8 (The region of todays Syria and Iraq.) From this we understand that the prophetic character called the Assyrian is the same individual as the character called the King of the North.
It is remarkable that many otherwise competent students of prophecy miss the plain testimony of this passage. They recognize that in the first twenty-seven verses the king of the North in each generation is the current ruler of the Seleucid empire. But then they say that in the last part of the chapter (the part that remains to be fulfilled) the meaning of this term changes. In the future portion of this prophecy (verses 40-45) they interpret this term to mean Gog, the king of Russia who attacks Israel in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Why would the Holy Spirit use a full twenty-seven verses to identify the king of the North, only to have the meaning change when He came to the application? This idea rebels against reason. But it is not only unreasonable, it twists the entire fabric of prophecy into a hopeless muddle.
There are significant differences between the attacks of Gog and the king of the North. First, these attackers will be destroyed in different places. The Lord tells Gog You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 39:3-5) Gog will fall upon the mountains of Israel and upon the open field. But these are only general. Specific detail is also given. It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. (Ezekiel 39:11) Gog will be buried in the valley of those who pass by east of the sea. This cannot be the place where the northern army is destroyed, for its stench will come up from a barren and desolate land between the eastern sea and the western sea. (Joel 2:20) A place in Israel between the eastern sea and the western sea and also east of the sea
9 would have to be on the Mediterranean Sea coast. But the coast of the Mediterranean between the eastern sea and the western sea is a fertile plain. No part of this plain is barren and desolate.
Also, the attack in Daniel 11 ushers in a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. (Daniel 12:1) But the attack in Ezekiel 38 and 39 ushers in a time when I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 39:29) Again, this time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. (Daniel 12:1) corresponds exactly with the great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be we read about in Matthew 24:21. This great tribulation will come upon those who are in Judea. (Matthew 24:16) But Gog will attack My people Israel,(Ezekiel 38:14-16) not Judah. Some would consider this nit-picking about words, but in the Bible, every word is significant. This is particularly true in regard to end time prophecy. Every detail is significant. Every change in wording is significant. Even so, the North, the realm of the king of the North, is a different term than the far north, from which Gog will come. (Ezekiel 38:15) This is highlighted by the fact that in Daniel 11:44 the attacker is troubled by tidings, not only out of the east, but also out of the north. This implies that there is another nation further north than that of the king of the North.
Finally, the land of Egypt shall not escape from the king of the North, and the Libyans and the Ethiopians are listed among those he subdues. (Daniel 11:42-43) But we are not told that Gog will invade Egypt, and Ethiopia and Libya are listed among among his allies. (Ezekiel 38:5) All this makes it plain that Gog and the king of the North are two different prophetic characters.
Returning now to Daniel 11, it is important to remember that when Alexander the Great died, his four generals divided his kingdom toward the four winds of heaven, as we read in Daniel 11:4. Two of these generals were Seleucus and Ptolemy, the first kings of these warring families. At the time of the division, Ptolemy took the southern portion of the kingdom and Seleucus got the eastern portion. But soon after, Seleucus also took over the northern portion and moved his throne there. When we remember this, we realize that the king of the North is not just the king of some northern land. He is the king of a particular northern land, that is, the northern splinter of Alexanders kingdom.
In Daniel 11:36-39 we read of a wilful king who will arise. His wickedness is punished by a two pronged attack. At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. (Daniel 11:40) But the king of the South quickly drops out of the picture, and the rest of the account deals only with the king of the North. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. (Daniel 11:41-45) This passage begins with the king of the North entering the Glorious land, and ends with him between the seas and the glorious holy mountain. This is the same area as the one the Assyrian will attack. As this takes place at the time of the end(verse 40), we realize that this attack takes place in the same general time as the attack by the Assyrian.
But now we must concentrate on two other details of this account. In verse 40 we see the wilful king being attacked by the king of the South and the king of the North, evidently at the same time. But then the king of the North subdues many other countries, including the land of Egypt and the Libyans and Ethiopians. With reference to these details we now need to notice two other prophecies about the Assyrian. The first of these is in Isaiah 7.
The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your fathers housedays that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah. And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures. In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard. (Isaiah 7:17-20) In verse 13 this prophecy had been specifically addressed to the house of David, so this prophecy specifically states that the king of Assyria will come against the land ruled by the house of David, that is, the land of Judea, which is now called Israel. But attached to this explicit prophecy is a very interesting detail. This attack will be accompanied by swarms from Egypt and Assyria. While the swarms in the prophecy are only swarms of insects, it seems obvious from the context that this is typical language. That the real meaning is swarms of soldiers, so many that they resemble swarms of insects. But they come from both of these distant lands at the same time, just as we read of the king of the North in Daniel 11:40.
But now we go to Isaiah 20 and read: the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. (Isaiah 20:2-4) So we now read that the king of Assyria will lead away as captives both the Egyptians and the Ethiopians. This is exactly what the king of the North does in Daniel 11:43, although the passage in Isaiah does not add that The king of Assyria will also lead away the Libyans as prisoners.
Thus we see that these two attackers, that is, the Assyrian and the king of the North are identified as future rulers over the same geographic area. They will both attack at approximately the same time. They will also both attack Judea, which is now called Israel. And they will both do this at the same time that Egypt attacks. And both of them will also attack Egypt and Ethiopia. In view of this remarkable number of similarities, is it reasonable to doubt that these two prophetic designations represent the same future individual?
8 Since the Seleucids ruled out of Antioch in Syria, they are sometimes called the kings of Syria. While this is technically correct, referring to them in this way masks the true identity of the Assyrian.
9 Some translations, including the New Century Version, Gods Word to the Nations, and the New Living Translation, read east of the Dead Sea instead of east of the sea. This is based on a conclusion that the Hebrew text implies the Dead Sea, even though it is not named. Only a few scholars have come to this conclusion. But if correct, this is further proof that these places are different. For a valley east of the Dead Sea could not be between the eastern sea and the western sea.
Further, In Daniel 8 the prophet saw a male goat, which had a notable horn between his eyes. (verse 5) But the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. (verse 8) Daniel was then told that the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power. (verses 21-22) As we have already noticed, four kingdoms arose out of the empire of Alexander the Great, the first of the great Grecian kings. And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. (verse 9) The detail that this little horn came out of one of the four kingdoms shows that it can not represent either the Roman leader or the Russian one; for Alexanders empire did not include Rome or any part of Russia. But Seleucus, the first of the Seleucid kings, that is, the first king of the North, was one of the four that rose out of Alexander's empire. So we see that this attacker will rise from a geographic area that includes the areas ruled by both the Assyrian and the king of the North.
We are specifically told these things will happen in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness. (verse 23) So we know this is an end time prophecy. That is, that this prophecy applies to the same general time period as those about the Assyrian and the king of the North.We are also told that this will happen in the latter time of the indignation. (verse 19) Other translations render this as at the final period of the indignation, (NASB) at the latter end of the indignation, (RSV) and in the last end of the indignation. (KJV) Comparing this with Isaiah 10:25, which we have already examined, we again recognize the Assyrian, for the indignation will cease in his destruction.
Finally, we are specifically told that this evil attacker shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. So we know that he will attack the same area as that attacked by the Assyrian and the king of the North. So again, is it reasonable to doubt that this prophetic designation also represents the same future individual as the Assyrian and the king of the North?