(vrs. 5) is Ethiopia. T h a t name means “burned face,” referring to a dark-skinned people. In Scripture, it does not always refer to the nation in Africa which bears that name today. It is properly rendered here Cush who was one of the grandchildren of Noah, and the eldest son of Ham. Note that Ezekiel is speaking of those who come from the uttermost parts of the North. This could not be the southern continent. Rather, his torically, it was a people inhabiting the land adjacent to Persia. Listed for us next is Libya , known by translators as Phut. This is somewhat more difficult to iden tify. Some dictionaries and encyclo pedias would look toward the land of Egypt; our reference is again of a northerly direction. It would seem to answer more questions to place it in the Near East by Iran as well. Verse six refers to “Gomer and all his bands.” There has been conjec ture as to this land, although most Biblical scholars would place it in the heart of Europe known today as mod ern Germany. Gomer was the eldest son of Japheth as we have recorded in the table of nations (Gen. 10). After this there is the house of To- garmah which both J ew i s h and Christian historians identify as Tur key. These were the tribes of the cen tral flats and provinces of Asia. The bands are considered as the people which were a part of Armenia and the Tartar nations, especially in the vicinity of the Caspian Sea. Togar- mah was the third son of Gomer. This shows some of the force Russia will have amassed to attack Israel. I wonder how soon will be the coming of the Lord! D r . T albot : Another interesting as pect is the fact that we will see a re vival of the old Roman Empire. Many of these same nations will again be aligned. Consider how that Germany in our own day has been divided. A part of it is now a satellite of Rus- 30
sia’s. But Palestine will also be at tacked by the forces of the East, who, according to the ninth chapter of Revelation, will cross the Euphra tes River. Many translators would re fer to these great world powers as the kings of the sunrising which could well include China, Japan and India. Think of the potential in man power of these fantastically populat ed lands! The eastern confederacy will include over a billion. DR. A nderson : Revelation refers to the drying up of the Euphrates that a way might be madie ready for the kings who come from the East. His tory and geography are replete with stories of this river of antiquity. It is actually a boundary and was where ancient Baby l on was located. It flows t h r o u g h the Mesopotamian plain. Not only was it the boundary for the garden of Eden, but also it is prophetically to be the e a s t e r n boundary for Israel’s final possession. The area west of the Euphrates is called Occidental. It has always been a line of demarcation, and what a day it will be when this great river will be dried up to allow the free passage of forces to attack Israel’s eastern flank! D r . T albot : Again, let us remember that God is going to have His re straining hand upon the armies of the North and East until the Church has been translated. Then the Holy Spirit’s restraining influence will be lifted during the Tribulation. May the Lord help us to be faithful wit nesses during these days of spiritual privilege and responsibility. D r . T albot : We have been talking about the four great confederacies which, according to Daniel 9, as well as what we see taking place in the world today, will shape up in the end times. Daniel 9 gives us a very clear picture of this fact. The 11th chapter gives us the grand finale as we see
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