King of the North

[reddogs]

I came across this which is very interesting...

In "A Word to the Little Flock," one of the earliest S.D.A. publications, in which Sister White says: "I saw all that 'would not receive the mark of the Beast, and of his Image, in their foreheads or in their hands, could not buy or sell. I saw that the number (666) of the Image Beast was made up'." -- p. 19. "Michael is to stand up at the time that the last power in chap. 11, comes to his end, and none to help him. This power...is brought to view in Rev. 13:11-18. His number is 666." -- pp. 8, 9.

The above explains that the two-horned beast is the one to whom the number 666 belongs; and that this beast, of "Revelation 13:11-18," and the "King of the North" of Daniel 11:45, are the same power. Therefore, the nation represented by this particular beast, and the "King of the North," or the "man" who is to be the head king -- of that nation in the time when this "image beast" (the two-horned) enforces the worship of "his image," whose image is nothing less than the thing he made, are to make a likeness of the religio-political system of the "beast before him" (the leopard-like of Revelation 13:1-10); that is, a likeness of the papal system in the period before the leopard-like beast received his deadly wound.

The Identifying Acts of the King of the North.

(1) He defeats the king of the south, and takes his kingdom (Dan. 11:15, 16), after which he stands in the "glorious land" (Dan. 11:16) -- Palestine.

(2) In the glory of the kingdom, a raiser of taxes stands up (Dan. 11:20).

(3) His kingdom is "overflown" with arms of a flood from before him (Dan. 11:22), and he loses Egypt and Palestine.

(4) Afterwards he works deceitfully, and becomes strong with a small people (Dan. 11:23).

(5) He flatters wicked ones for their wickedness (Dan. 11:32).

(6) He divides the land for gain (Dan. 11:39).

(7) He becomes strong the second time, yet is defeated by the king of the south (Dan. 11:25, 29, 30).

(8) Both kings speak lies at one table (Dan. 11:27).

(9) Having become strong the second time, and having engaged in an unsuccessful war with the king of the south, he sets his heart against the holy covenant (Dan. 11:28).

(10) He pollutes the sanctuary of strength, and takes away the daily (Dan. 11:31).

(11) He forsakes the god of his fathers (Dan. 11:37), acknowledges a strange god (Dan. 11:39), and disregards the desire of women (Dan. 11:37).

(12) In the time of the end, he again defeats the king of the south, enters into the countries, overflows and passes over (Dan. 11:40); then once more stands in the glorious land. Following this, Edom and Moab and the chief children of Ammon, escape out of his hand (Dan. 11:41); and the Libyans, also the Ethiopians, follow at his steps (Dan. 11:43).

(13) Tidings out of the east and out of the north trouble him. Therefore, he goes forth with great fury, destroys, and utterly makes away many (Dan. 11:44).

(14) He also plants the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain, yet comes to his end, and no one helps him.

Beginning with the ancient Medo-Persian Empire (Dan. 11:2, 3), the chain of events of this prophecy reaches on to the time that the "king of the north" plants "the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain" (Dan. 11:45), and culminates, as the angel explained, with the events of Daniel 12: "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 12:1.

The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place. {9T 14.2}

 

[reddogs]

The book of Daniel itself is a progressive revelation of gospel truth. Its setting is the great struggle between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. As it opens, the powers of Satan in the form of ancient Babylon are in the ascendancy. Israel is in bondage, both to sin within and Satan's power without. It appears to Nebuchadnezzar that man's way of building a universal empire is the way of success and has triumphed over God's way of doing things.

In the light of this setting the God of Heaven came through to reveal to the king the ultimate outworking of his way and of God's way. For Satan's way, it will be but scattered dust, while God's way will result in the setting of an eternal kingdom of righteousness.

The great controvery, of which the books of both Daniel and the Revelation, along with every other book of the Bible, is the recorded history. As we know, it began up in Heaven before this world was even created. Lucifer aspired to take the place of the Son of God. To achieve this he bent all the powers of his master mind, but he failed to do this. He fell from Heaven, never again to enter its sacred precincts.

Of that fall, we read, "How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which dist weaken the nations!"

The question is asked here as to how it was that this all happened. The answer comes in the following verses:

"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." Isa.14:12-14.

Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. In aspiring to take His place, Lucifer sought to ascend into the sides of the north. Had he done so, then he would have become the King of the North in Heaven in the place of Christ who is the true King of the North.

Just why Christ as King should be in the sides of the north we do not know, at least as yet. But the Bible states the fact of it quite clearly in the verse above. Not only is it stated there but also elsewhere in the Scriptures of truth:

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, IN THE SIDES OF THE NORTH, the city of the great King." Ps.48:1,2.

So it is clear, then, that the capital city of God is designated as being, in the sides of the north, and it is to be the king of this Capital that Lucifer aspired to be. Now, what he failed to achieve in Heaven, he has been seeking ever since to achieve down here upon this earth. He could not replace Christ up in Heaven, but he has worked to replace Him below. He could not sit on the throne of God in Heaven, so he has sought to be the King of the North down here upon the earth.

"He shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain." Dan.11:45.

"In this world he has set up a kingdom of darkness, of which he, the leader in guilt, is prince. He desired to usurp the throne of God. Failing in this, he has worked in darkness, in crookedness, in deception, to usurp his place in the hearts of men. He has set up his throne between God and man, to appropriate the adoration that belongs to God." E.G. White, 6 B.C.1119.

"Satan has planted his satanic throne between the human worshiper and the divine Father." E.G. White, MR, 7,215.

So originally that counterfeit king of the north was located geographically far away from this earth altogether. He was up in Heaven sowing the seeds of rebellion and confusion among the angels. Then his geography changed very dramatically when he was cast out in the darkness of separation from God and Heaven. Then we see him in the heart of and spirit of Cain, the first murderer.

After the flood, Nimrod was upon this earth, the personation of the King of the North. Later still, the great city of Babylon is built. Now the geography is on the banks of the Euphrates River. The geography has changed, it is true, but has the character changed? There has not been the least change whatsoever. There, on the banks of the Euphrates, the devil is still the same. Here, he is working out his character, his spirit, his objectives, and his principles exactly as he did up in Heaven. Geography has made no difference whatsoever.

The time came when Babylon fell at the hand of the Medes and Persians. The city itself was broken down, never to be rebuilt anymore forever. The power which had supported the king of the north was gone, so far as that geographical location was concerned. But Babylon did not pass away, nor did the king of the north cease to exist. It simply moved to a new geography and enlisted the support of new armies, while she encased herself within the confines of new cities.

When Babylon was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians, the defeated Chaldeans fled to Asia Minor and fixed their central college at Pergamos. Previously, the very center of Satan's warfare against God was geographically located on the River Euphrates. Next it was located in Pergamos in Asia Minor. When it was in the former place, then that is where Satan's seat was, but when in Pergamos, then this became Satan's seat, as it is written: "And to the angel of the church of Pergamos write; These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, even where Satan's seat is." Rev.2:12,13.

Here in Pergamos, the priests of the Chaldeans carried on the rites of their religion, and plotted against the peace of the Persian Empire, caballing with the Greeks for that purpose.

Satan is: "The prince of this world." John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11. Therefore his seat is a throne. Where his seat or throne is, there is the center of his kingdom. That kingdom is his attempted replacement of the true kingdom of the north. Therefore, as surely as when his seat was on the River Euphrates, Babylon was the king of the north, so surely, when his throne was at Pergamos in the land of Asia Minor, there was the seat of the counterfeit king of the north to be found.

The geography changed but the king of the north does not change. His character is still the same, and his purposes know no variation. The Roman Empire with its legions came and conquered the territory around the throne of Pergamos. So Satan also found his seat in Rome on the River Tiber. There, the religion of Babylon was also established, and it is worthy of note to know that when the Romans marched westward, they found in Pergamos a very firm friend and ally.

So it was, then, that the power exercised on Satan's behalf by the inhabitants of Asia Minor was passed on to the Romans. Rome then replaced Pergamos in Asia Minor as the throne of Satan, and in its Papal form it became the Babylon of the middle Ages and the king of the north.

In these last days Babylon still lives on. It is still the great instrument in the hands of Satan, whereby he seeks to set himself up as the king of the north in the place of Jesus Christ, the true King of the North. Over the centuries the geography had changed again and again, but the character has never changed. Babylon is still Babylon. The counterfeit king of the north is still the counterfeit king of the north, wherever he may be found.

Always in the history of the past and of the present he has been and is at war with God and with His Son. Soon will come the final confrontation. That confrontation is known as the battle of the great day of God Almighty,--the Battle of Armageddon.