The Enemy From The North

The Enemy From The North

If you hold to a certain kind of eschatology, or end times view, right now, it is really hard not to see that we are living in the end times. All the ducks appear to be lining up in a row. There is a prominent strain of futurism in the church that looks at the books like Daniel, Revelation, passages in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and other books as all, and see their prophecies as pointing to a future end times event that centres around the nation of Israel in the land of Canaan.  

Generally, those who hold such an end time’s view tend to be Christian Zionists, or dispensationalists. These are broad categories, and I am sure there are people who will read what I am writing and say, “Hey, I’m a dispensationalist and that’s not my view.” Or there might be people who hold this sort of end times view but not be strictly in those categories. But broadly speaking Christian Zionists are believers who categorize the Jewish people as God’s primary people. They see the fate of the Jews and Israel as central to God’s plan. They tend to see this as all coming about at an unspecified future date, but think it will probably happen imminently. And they tend to see nations like Iran, Russia, and China, to one degree or another, along with the religion of Islam, as major players in the end times events that immediately precede, or happen during the Great Tribulation, which many in that school of thought would also call the “time of Jacob’s struggle” (cf. Jer. 30:7).

One of the most consistent things you will hear coming out of this school of end times belief is the idea that Iran is one of the enemies that will attack Israel from the north in a coalition of nations, and will help precipitate the final battle, or one of the final battles.

Now, just consider for a moment how the world currently looks if this is your theological perspective? You have a war in the far north between Russia and Ukraine. Just put aside all the political discussions from both sides about what led to it, you have Russia on the move, even if in a moderate way. You have China rising and spreading its influence around the world. East Asia experts are making predictions about when China will make its move on Taiwan, and you have a slowly escalating competition for dominance between China and the United States in the South China Sea region. And in the Middle East Israel is at war against the Palestinians in Gaza, it is making moves against the Palestinians in the West Bank, it is under rocket attack from the North from Hezbollah, and it has exchanged fire with Iran. If you have the eschatology that says these nations will rise up in a coalition against Israel, then this is going to be sending your end times radar into overdrive mode. How could it not? All these key players in what you consider to be rock solid biblical prophecies are stepping up to the plate. This feels like slam dunk to someone with this end time's view.

 

A more astute observer will point out here that Iran is not to the north of Israel, it is to the far east. However, in the ancient world when attacks from the major Mesopotamian powers came towards Israel, they came across west to the north of Syria and then would attack down through Syria into the land of Canaan, sometimes going all the way to Egypt. This was just the route that horse and infantry-based forces were required to take to avoid the Arabian desert which would kill any army that tried to cross it. So though none of the nations which attacked from the major Mesopotamian powers were actually north of Israel, that is the route they would have taken.

But what do these passages about an attack by a coalition from the north actually say? Do they point to a last day battle between “God’s people” in Israel, and the forces of the evil being constituted by Iran and co? Let’s examine some of these prophecies.

The first mention of a direct threat from the north explicitly in the Bible is in Isaiah 14 and it is actually given to the Philistines, and refers to them being attacked by Babylon,

“28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29 Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent. 30 And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay. 31 Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.”

Earlier in Isaiah we see that God threatens to bring Assyria down to bear on Israel and Judah (Isa. 7:17). But there is no explicit mention of the “enemy from the north” in that passage, though of course Assyria did attack from that direction. Here in Isaiah 14 God is warning the Philistines (Palestinians) that danger is coming to them from the north, “For smoke comes out of the north…” This is a reference to the burning cities they will see in the distance as the Babylonian armies come to bear on their nation. This would also apply to the camp fires of a mighty host of soldiers on the move.

The next explicit mention of an attack from the north comes from Isaiah 41:25 which says, “25 I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.” The context makes it very clear that this is referring to Babylon. For instance, we know from the historical record that it was Babylon that eventually came and was used by God to discipline Israel. And Isaiah 39:6 tells us that, “Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord.” But we should also note that Isaiah 43:14 also says this, “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.” God is going to use Babylon to discipline Israel, but he is also going to bring back the fugitives and we will see later also punish Babylon for their attack. So, the threat to the north here is clearly Assyria first, and then Babylon. Which is precisely what we know from the historical record, and many other passages in the Bible, actually happened to Israel.

Our next significant mention of a threat from the north comes from Jeremiah. We read in chapter 1 of Jeremiah that,

“13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.”

Now this is interesting, isn’t it. We see here a clear mention of a dangerous threat from many nations to the north of Judah. But what does this refer to? Well all we have to do is read the rest of the book of Jeremiah and we can see that this is referring to the coalition of subject peoples that will be coming with Nebuchadnezzar when he conquers Israel. For instance, Jeremiah 25:9 says this,

“9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.”

Something that a lot of people may not be aware of is that the Mesopotamian powers bordered the great steppe nations of the central Asian and East European steppes. From these steppe tribes came the Scythians, the Cimmerians, Sarmatians, the Medes, the Persians and countless other conquering tribes. These were dangerous peoples that continually emerged from the steppes and conquered various people. The control of these tribes changed hands, sometimes they conquered the settled lands, sometimes the settled lands conquered some of them, but only on the outskirts of the steppes. Never were they fully conquered or tamed in this era. That would not happen until the musket was introduced to warfare. However, under Nebuchadnezzar a coalition of these tribes and other nations would make up the threat from the north that Israel would have to deal with. We see Jeremiah mention this threat again and again,

Jeremiah 4:5-6 – “Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, “Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble, and let us go into the fortified cities!’ Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction.

Jeremiah 6:1 – “Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms out of the north, and great destruction.

Jeremiah 6:22 – “Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.

Jeremiah 10:22 – “A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!— a great commotion out of the north country to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a lair of jackals.

The context of Jeremiah shows that these warnings about a threat from the north apply to the nation of Babylon, and all these prophecies were fulfilled in the days of Jeremiah. Babylon attacked Jerusalem, destroyed it, broke down the temple and carried the people off into exile. Babylon even defeated Egypt at the time (Jer. 46:24), there is also another prophecy against the Philistines as well that they will be attacked from the north (Jer. 47). The book of Jeremiah clearly identifies this threat as the historical Chaldean, or Babylonian empire, technically the Neo-Babylonian empire.

What is interesting is that Babylon is also warned that a nation will destroy them from the north. Remember the Medes and Persians were originally steppe peoples that came into the settled areas and eventually conquered much of the known world. So, as the Persians are identified as the kingdom that defeated Babylon in the Bible, you could argue they are a kingdom from the north that are a genuine military threat. But they were not a threat to Israel, they in fact destroyed Israel’s greatest enemy and it was a Persian king who sent the Judeans home from exile. In fact, a Persian king, Cyrus, (remember the Iranians are Persians), is even identified as the Messiah in Isaiah 44:28-45:7. So they can hardly be described as the enemies of Israel in the Bible, as it is Cyrus who proclaims one of the only Jubilees in the Bible and sets the captive people free, and it is Persia that funds the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. This hardly puts them in the category of mortal enemies, does it?

Even Ezekiel identifies the Babylonians as the threat to Israel from the north,

“22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 And they shall come against you from the north with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments” (Ez. 23:24).

Babylon is identified as the threat from the north also in Chapter 32. Also Ezekiel mentions Nebuchadnezzar by name, the same as Jeremiah did, in Ezekiel 26:7. This is a consistent string of identifications stretching across multiple major biblical prophets, and also different eras of the history of Judah.

So, when we come to Ezekiel 38, the famous passage about Gog and Magog that mentions Persia by name as an enemy from the north that comes against Israel, we need not immediately think of this as some future battle. When Babylon attacked Israel it would have brought with it auxiliary troops from every nation around it, including Persia (which at this point was still a relatively minor player). In fact, many of these passages we read have noted that very fact. Babylon would come with a “host of peoples.” This would be peoples from the breadth of its empire, and beyond, because they would have put the call out to mercenaries, and other troops to join with them in their conquest. This is just how ancient empires did battle.

However, let’s look at what Ezekiel 38 does say,  

“1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you” (Eze. 38:1-6).

You could read this as a reference to the last days. But it could also be a reference to the fact that when Babylon attacks Israel, they will bring with them many other nations, including Persians, and then God will judge Babylon. In fact, 1 Chronicles 1:17 notes that Meshech and Tubal are sons of Aram, who is related to Asshur. The Arameans have been historically connected to the Amorite peoples who were the founders of the original Babylonian empire. Here we have synchronicity. Which is always nice.

Also, if you read Jeremiah 50-51 you will see that these passages prophecy that God will judge Babylon for what it did to Israel, along with a host of other reasons, and there is good reason to believe that Ezekiel is saying the same thing here in Ezekiel 38-39. Babylon was defeated by the Persians and taken over, and its people humiliated, after all. Though, you can see why some think this is all future and is pointing to a final battle where Iran, or Persia, joins with a host of other nations to attack Israel. But there is no requirement to read it this way, and a lot of good reasons to read this as fulfilled prophecy.

A good one in the immediate context is that Ezekiel 39 appears to tie this prophecy to the time of Israel’s conquest by Babylon,

“21 And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. 22 The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 23 And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them” (Ez. 39:21-24).

All these prophecies appear to have been fulfilled, at least in larger measure. Israel and Judah were attacked from the north, by Assyria and Babylon respectively, and Judah was sent into exile in Babylon. Babylon was then later attacked from the north and destroyed, by Persia and a host of other steppe tribes and other nations. And it was Persia that restored Judah to its land and funded the building of the temple and the city. So, there is really no reason to believe that there will be a repeat of this in some final battle. All of these prophecies have been fulfilled, and this is recorded both in the Bible and in history. To apply these prophecies to a future date is unnecessary and flies in the face of them having been fulfilled in the ancient world. Note, also that when Israel is destroyed in the New Testament era, it is by Rome, who is not identified in these passages at all. It is best to leave these prophecies where they belong, as examples of God’s word having been fulfilled in the past, so we know that we can trust in his promises that we do have for the future.

We should no longer think of the nations of the north to what is today called Israel as a threat to the people of God, but rather as the mission field for the church. We read in Psalm 107 this, “1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” And of course Jesus says the same thing, Luke 13:29, “And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.” Don’t look to the north in fear of what might be the end of days, look at every point on the compass and see the places God wants his church to seek to reach people.

It is desperately sad that so many Christians are stuck in an Old Testament framework for how we should think of the nations of the world. Nations exist of course still, they will be there are the end, but as I noted each one should be seen as mission field. This is not the era of thinking of who is a threat to a nation of Israel in Canaan from the north. That was something for the days of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Today we should be thinking in terms of how the gospel can be taken to these places. And this is important; the West’s, and the evangelicals church’s, favouritism for Israel, because of a bad reading of these ancient prophecies (among other reasons of empire of course), is a stumbling block to evangelizing many countries in this world and bringing them the good news of Jesus Christ. An Israel first message is not going to help the gospel spread to the nations of the world. But a universal call where national identity is no advantage to faith in God and salvation through Jesus, will.

When you consider this topic in these terms, you can understand why the devil has worked so hard to sidetrack the church on this issue. So many Christians are concerned that all the end time events have to centre around a small nation in the Middle East. But one, that God says he will redeem the people of Israel in the future, according to Paul in Romans 11, does not mean this has to have anything to do with the modern nation called Israel. Secondly, there are simply no biblical prophecies that must be read this way. And third, Jesus said it hinged on taking the gospel to all nations and tongues. So, we better be about the king's business then, right?