(3) Numbers 24:20-25

In this parable of Balaam we learn what will happen in the last days of Israel (v. 14). Asshur (the Assyrians -- a type of the King of the North and his armies) will invade the whole land and leave it in ruins. On that occasion Israel will be desolated by a destroyer coming from the north, which is not mentioned in this prophecy because Balaam's parables do not contemplate Israel in its sin, nor under Jehovah's chastisement -- the Assyrians being Jehovah's rod (Isa. 10:5,6). Amalek (v. 20) will also be affected by Asshur. The lineage of Amalek's ancestors can be traced back in time to Gen. 14:7. Their descendants later mixed with the descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12-16) who, in turn, mixed with Ishmael (Gen. 28:9). They are the progenitors of the Arab nations of our day. It seems that their judgment will begin at the time of the destruction of the whole land by the King of the North. After judging Amalek, Asshur will destroy the Kenites, a branch of the Midianite people that settled in the extreme south of the land of Judah and in its desolate places, but who are apparently originally from Egypt.#19# If we can understand this as being Egypt, we will learn that the destroying armies of Asshur will continue their course until they reach Egypt and devastate it. This is related to point No. 2.

When Asshur has swept the land from north to south, the ships of Kittim will come from the west to afflict Asshur. Kittim refers not only to Cyprus, but to all the maritime powers of the Western Mediterranean, particularly Rome (Jer. 2:10; Ezek. 27:6; Dan. 11:30). This explains the movement of the armies of the reestablished Roman Empire, the Western Confederation, when it comes from the west with the intention of blocking the King of the North in his conquest. This is point No. 3. "Exterminated forever" is the appropriate sentence for the Beast, the great leader of the west*, who will meet his end by the judgment that will fall upon him, coming from the Lord at the time of His coming. This is point No. 4.

[ Note: *It is doubtful that such a thing applies to Asshur, for it is never mentioned that Assyria will be destroyed forever -- being removed from the earth as a nation, as is the case with the Philistines (Zeph. 2:5), Edomites (Obad. 10,18), Amalekites (Num. 24:20), and Babylon (Isa. 13:20; Jer. 50:3; 51:29,43,62). The judgment of Babylon is a figure of the judgment of the western powers that we are considering. However Assyria, after having been judged, will actually be restored to a position of prominence in the Millennium (Isa. 19:24).#20# ] Although only a few points of the summary are seen here in this prophecy, Balaam's parable is valuable because it demonstrates that the western powers come to battle after the King of the North has passed through the land heading toward Egypt.

(4) The Incursions of Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans in the Time of Zedekiah The prevailing condition among the Jews in the period preceding the fall of Jerusalem is analogous to the conditions that will prevail among the Jews who will be brought back and gathered into their land in the tribulation. It is a typical foreshadowing of future events. The final condition, evidently, will be worse (Matt. 12:43-45).

The Jews, under their wicked king Zedekiah (Ezek. 21:25), abandoned the Lord and despised the warnings of Jeremiah the prophet (Jer. 37:2). The land was filled with iniquity, violence (Ezek. 22), and idolatry (Ezek. 8). It was also a time when famine and pestilence prevailed (Jer. 14:1-22). The Jews will find themselves again in similar conditions during the great tribulation. The multitude of apostate Jews who will return to gather in their land will also place themselves under a wicked king (the Antichrist, the false Messiah -- Dan. 11:36-39) and will be delivered to every kind of iniquity, violence (Ps. 10 and 11), and idolatry (Rev. 13:14,15). There will also be a remnant of faithful Jews who will be persecuted for preaching the Word of God, of whom Jeremiah and Baruch are a type.

God brought judgment upon His guilty people of old by raising up Nebuchadnezzar and his Chaldean army, which is a type of the King of the North (the Assyrians of later times*). Nebuchadnezzar had a great coalition of many nations that assisted him (Jer. 34:1; 2 Kings 24:1,2; Obad. 11- 14; Hab. 2:5). They are a type of the Arab confederation that will help the King of the North (Ps. 83:5-8). Nebuchadnezzar came down from the north (Jer. 1:13-15; 4:6,7; 6:1-9,22; 10:22; 13:19,20; 25:9- 11; 46:20) and desolated the whole land (Jer. 25:9-11). He destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple (Jer. 52). When his armies were destroying Jerusalem, Zedekiah, the wicked king of the Jews, fled (Jer. 52:7-11), exactly what the false Messiah, the obstinate Antichrist king, will do (Zech. 11:17; John 10:12,13). After Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem, he deceived some of his own allies whose countries were located around Israel and plundered them#22# (2 Kings 24:7; Obad. 7; Jer. 25:9). Nebuchadnezzar then continued his conquest toward the south, going as far as Egypt and deceiving his armies (Jer. 46:13-26). All this is a clear foreshadowing of the prophetic future when the King of the North will come down through the land of Israel until he enters Egypt. (Dan. 11:40-45; Joel 2:1-11; etc.) This explains point No. 2. [ Note: *"I have always thought of Nebuchadnezzar, in his capacity as conqueror, as being a type of the Assyrians of a later time" - J.N.Darby.#21# ] After Nebuchadnezzar had completed his conquests throughout the land of Egypt, God judged Babylon.

(Approximately 32 years after the fall of Egypt). The judgment of Babylon typifies the judgment of the western powers, the Roman Empire re-established under the leadership of the Beast and the Antichrist. (In some cases reference is made to it as political Babylon, Rev. 16:17-21). God raised up Cyrus, king of Persia, to execute judgment on Babylon (Isa. 45). He is called the Lord's "anointed" and is, obviously, a type of Christ. This also foreshadows the coming events, for after the King of the North has passed through the land toward Egypt, the Western Confederation (political Babylon) will enter the land and will be destroyed by the Lord Himself coming from heaven. These are points 3 and 4. After Cyrus had conquered Babylon (with the help of Darius the Mede -- Dan. 5:30,31) he freed the Jews and rebuilt Jerusalem (Isa. 45:13; Ezra 1:1-4). This is a type of the deliverance that the faithful Jewish remnant will receive at the coming of Christ. Historically, Babylon kept the Jews in captivity and will do the same again in the future when the Beast and the Antichrist take control of the land of Israel in the last half of the week. The fall of the re-established Roman Empire, together with the Beast and the Antichrist, its leaders, will result in the deliverance of the land and of the Jews (the remnant) who are in it.#23# It is interesting to note that in Daniel 9 the period of the seventy years of captivity (vv. 1,2) is connected with the seventy weeks of prophecy. Daniel prayed for the deliverance of the Jews after the seventy years had expired, but God revealed to him that the complete and full deliverance of the Jews would not happen until seventy weeks of years had passed (490 years). We learn from this that the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon in the past is a small figure of the coming deliverance that the faithful Jewish remnant will have from the (political) Babylon of the book of Revelation, and which will happen at the end of the seventy weeks of Daniel.#24# Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon (Jer. 50:4-8) also contemplates the return of the ten tribes (Jer. 50:17-20). This would explain the interval between points 5 and 6.

Understanding the historical setting of the times in which the prophets of the Babylonian period lived* not only gives us a preview of future events but also provides us with the key to understanding many of their prophecies, as the outlines that follow will demonstrate.

[ Note: *There are three main periods in which the prophets prophesied; the Assyrian period, the Babylonian period and the Medo-Persian period. The prophets of the Assyrian period are Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah and Nahum. They cover a period that goes from the time of the appearance of the Assyrian power to its destruction; Nahum is the one who presents its fall. The prophets of the Babylonian period are Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Obadiah, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. These cover the Babylonian period, from its rise to world supremacy to its fall; Daniel presents its destruction. The prophets of the Persian period are Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. They prophesied at the time when the Medes and the Persians held power. ]