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The Mysterious Origin of German-Speaking Peoples and Their Prophetic Destiny
The following material reveals from a biblical viewpoint the gravity and highly significant importance of German-speaking peoples and their role in the not-too-distant future. This booklet will show Germany’s history and prophetic destiny and how it will impact Europe and the Middle East, including Jerusalem, as well as the USA and Great Britain.
Some scientists, writers and theologians say that many of the German peoples descended from the ancient Assyrians. Generally, this idea is rejected as absurd. However, historical annals, as well as myths and legends, show that the Assyrian tribes are, indeed, the ancestors of modern German-speaking peoples. Certainly, this finding has far-reaching consequences, as we will cover herein. The Bible has much to say about the origin and the immediate future of the Assyrians.
Who Were the Assyrians?
The term “Assyria” literally means “land of Asshur.” It denotes “strength” or “power.” In the Bible, Assyria may refer to a man or warrior or to his descendants, or even to the entire country. This way of using a word is not peculiar to the name Assyria, as the Bible also uses other names in the same way, such as Israel and Esau.
In Genesis 10:21-22 we read that Asshur was a son of Shem, and thus a grandson of Noah. Therefore, Assyria was of Semitic origin. The word “Semitic” is an adjective derived from the word “Shem”–more precisely, from the Greek derivative of that name, Σημ (Sēm). The noun form referring to a person of that ancestry is Semite.
So often in ancient times, famous people were worshipped as gods. The same applies to Asshur. The Assyrians worshipped him as the supreme god of the Assyrian “pantheon”—a huge assembly of “gods.”
Historical records reveal that ancient Assyrians were a large, powerful and warring nation. They were perfectly organized and were famous for their well-functioning war machines, and, along with that, they were also well known for their cruelty and ruthlessness toward their enemies. Even modern writers have emphasized parallels between the ancient Assyrians and the Germans.
Surprising Comparisons
In his well-documented book, “Nazi Germany – A New History,” which was published in 1995, German-born author Klaus P. Fischer describes Hitler’s custom of staging parades of lights, as follows: “It was a gleam of sinister beauty the world had not seen since the days of ancient Assyrians” (page 342). Speaking of Hitler’s intentions to subjugate peoples, he states on page 496: “Most of these grandiose plans were postponed by the exigencies of war, but they reflect the Assyrian nature of German policy toward conquered peoples.”
Language Confusion
How is it that the German peoples are of Assyrian ancestry? Didn’t the Assyrians speak a Semitic language, while the German language is Indo-Germanic?
Although they were Semitic in origin, apparently the Assyrians acquired the Indo-Germanic language after the Babylonian confusion of tongues. The famous commentator, Josephus, claims in “Antiquities of the Jews,” Book I, Chapter 9, that some of the kings described in Genesis 14:1 were Assyrians. He specifically mentions “Tidal king of nations” in this context as one of the commanders of the Assyrian army. It is notable that Tidal is not a Semitic name, but rather an Indo-Germanic name. This leads one to suppose that the Assyrians had adopted an Indo-Germanic language.
In addition, the Greek historian, Ctesias, names all the Assyrian kings from 1970 B.C. to 1850 B.C. They include such kings as Arelios, Xerxes, Armanithos, Shaeros and Tentamos. All of these names are of Indo-Germanic origin; they are not of Semitic origin.
The Assyriologist, Sydney Smith, says in his book “Early History of Assyria to 1000 B.C.,” that documents that were found in Asia Minor and in areas east of the Tigris were written in the Semitic dialect, although the Assyrians, who lived there, could not even pronounce all of the Semitic consonants.
However, if the Assyrians did not speak a Semitic language, why then do we find Assyrian written documents in the Semitic language?
The “Oxford Companion to the Bible” commentary, in its 1993 edition, explains on page 63 that the Assyrian ruler Ashurnasirpal II (884-859 B.C.) brought large numbers of western Arameans or Syrians into the heartland of Assyria, who were then swelling the ranks of the court, and that by the early seventh century, the Assyrian language had been replaced as the vernacular with Aramaic [a Semitic language].
Again, we see that the court and literary language of the Assyrians had become Semitic, while the common spoken word continued to remain Indo-Germanic, and from this spoken language the Germanic language is derived. This development is not unusual and was actually repeated later in Germany. We recall that Latin became the official language for written documents, while the German language was continually spoken.
Appearance of the Assyrian
It is interesting to visualize the original appearance of the Assyrians. When the Greeks wanted to differentiate the Assyrians from the darker Arameans, or Syrians, living in Mesopotamia, they called them “Leucosyri”; i.e., “white” or “blonde.” This is well established throughout ancient Greek writings.
In a work by C. Leonard Woolley, entitled “The Sumerians,” which was published in 1929 by Oxford University Press in New York, it says on page 5:
“In the Zagros hills and across the plain to the Tigris, there lived a… fair-haired… people akin to the Guti [the Goths] who… remained in what was afterwards [called] Assyria, the neighbour land to Akkad.”
Bravo of Troy
Who has not heard of the famous Trojan horse that was built at the time of the Trojan War? In 1183 B.C., the famous city of Troy fell into Greek hands. This occurred during the time of the biblical judges, about 200 years before King Solomon. Well-known poet Plato tells us that Troy was an Assyrian sanctuary. During the war, the Assyrian king, Tatarnis, sent weapons and soldiers to the Trojans; however, as we know, ultimately without success. When Troy was finally captured after a ten-year siege, an Assyrian soldier named Bravo fled Troy and migrated to Europe where he settled in the area around the German city of Trier. An old chronicle tells us that Bravo was filled with joy when he met the Assyrian descendants there who had followed Trebeta [an Assyrian prince] and who had settled in the area.
The Mysterious Origin of Trier
This brings us to the question of the origin of Trier. Official records teach us that Trier was built by the Romans. But there is also another version:
In the market square in Trier, there is a building called “Rotes Haus” (“Red House”). A Latin inscription on the house proclaims that Trier existed 1300 years before the founding of Rome. It says: “Ante RomamTreverisstetitannis mille trecentisperstetetaeterna pace fruatur Amen.” Translated into English, it means: “Treveris [Trier] existed 1300 years before Rome; let it continue to exist and enjoy eternal peace. Amen.” Rome was founded in 753 B.C. If the inscription is true, Trier was already in existence at the time of Abraham and Noah.
German books and newspaper articles about Trier tell of a legend whereupon Trier had been built 4000 years ago by the Assyrian prince Trebeta. Supposedly the name “Trier” is derived from “Trebeta.” Joseph K. L. Bihl wrote in “In DeutschenLanden” (“In German Lands”) on page 69 [re-published in 1953 in Cambridge, Massachusetts]:
“The inhabitants of Trier maintain that their city is the oldest in all Europe. Trier was founded by Trebeta, a son of the famous Assyrian King Ninus.” The fact that Ninus was an Assyrian king is confirmed by Deodorus of Sicily (History, Volume II).
Legend has it that with the death of King Ninus, his son Trebeta fled from his wicked stepmother Semiramis, emigrated with a large following of Assyrians to Europe and settled in an area not far from the Rhine, where he built a town called Trebetam or Treverum, today’s Trier.
Next to the Red House is a building called “Steipe.” Eyewitnesses reported seeing on the second floor of this house a picture that represents Ninus and Trebeta. Today, that painting can be viewed in the “StadtmuseumSimeonstift,” which is located next to the Tourist Office and the famous PortaNigra.
In this painting, which states at the bottom that it was painted in 1559 A.D., Ninus is wearing a crown with the inscription “Ninus Rex”, or “King Ninus.” At the bottom of the painting is a caption saying that Trier was founded by Trebeta. In our StandingWatch program (www.StandingWatch.org), featuring the history of Trier, pictures of this historically interesting painting are shown.
In an old book that was originally published in 1851, “Trier und seine Umgebungen in Sagen und Liedern,” it is stated on page v that the ancient oral legend that Trebeta built Trier had already been reduced to writing prior to 909 A.D., in the “GestisTrevirorum,” through the monk Eberhard of the St. Matthew monastery.
If, therefore, Trebeta, son of King Ninus, founded Trier and settled there with many Assyrian subjects, then it is no wonder that later the Assyrian soldier Bravo was welcomed to the area around Trier by Assyrians, who at that time (around 1180 B.C.) still lived there.
Assyrian Migrations After Nineveh’s Downfall
Around 1000 B.C., the “neo-Assyrian empire” began. In 612 B.C. the capitol of this empire, Nineveh, in present-day Iraq, fell into Babylonian and Median hands and was completely destroyed. The biblical book of Jonah warns of the destruction of Nineveh, but because of the repentance of the Assyrians, the city was not destroyed at that time. Soon after, though, the Assyrians returned to their old habits, so that Nahum prophetically told of Nineveh’s ultimate obliteration. Some of the conquered Assyrians remained in their country, which is today in Iraq. Their descendants still live there now, constituting a persecuted Christian minority in a predominantlyIslamic environment.
At the time of the destruction of Nineveh, some Assyrians followed a leader named AssurUbalit, who established a short-lived government in Haran. However, he was defeated in war in the year 609 B.C.
Still other Assyrians migrated to the East and settled in present-day Iran, but most Assyrians went westward, as Charles Pfeiffer explains in “Old Testament History.”
Sylax wrote around 550 B.C., in “Periplus,” that the coast of the Black Sea was called Assyria. According to Diodorus, Assyria was a large colony in northern Asia Minor and south of the Black Sea.
Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.) wrote in “Natural History,” Volume 4, paragraph 12, on page 183, that in his time the “Assyriani” lived north of the Black Sea.
Taking all of these statements together, we can see that after the fall of Nineveh, most of the surviving Assyrians emigrated in due time to the Caucasus, and from there to Western Europe.
Asshur—An Indo-Germanic Tribe?
Jerome lived around 340 A.D., during the time of the great Indo-European migrations. In one of his letters, which is quoted in “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Letter 123, Section 16), Jerome wrote: “For ‘Assur also is joined with them.’” He quoted a statement in Psalm 83:8, and in mentioning Assyria, he identified it with one of the Indo-Germanic tribes who invaded Western Europe.
Notice the similarity of the immigration of Assyria into Europe and the historically known immigration of the Germans into Europe. Smith’s Classical Dictionary states in the article “Germania,” on page 361:
“There can be no doubt that they [the Germans] immigrated to Europe from the Caucasus and the countries around the Black and Caspian seas.”
As we have seen, the Assyrians also emigrated from the countries along the Black Sea to Europe. Since Assyria “also is joined with them”—the Indo-Germanic tribes as Jerome tells us—the Assyrians were synonymous with the Germans as part of the Indo-Germanic tribes that settled in Europe.
Assyrian Ancestors of Modern German Peoples?
How can we establish the connection between the ancient Assyrians and modern German-speaking peoples? To answer this question, we must investigate the ancestry of the “Germans” from various historical records.
The Origin of the Germans
Early annals identify the progenitor of all Germans as a man named “Tuysco” or “Tuisco”, sometimes also called “Tuisto” or “Tuitsch.”
Verstegan remarked in 1605 in “A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence in Antiquities”: “Of this Tuisco, the first and chiefest man of many among the Germans, and after whom they do call themselves Tuytshen, that is, duytsches or duytsch people, I have already spoken…”
The “DTV-Lexikon” conveys this about “Tuisto”:
“[According to Tacitus’ ‘Germania’, Tuisto was] among the Teutons the first person [who] sprang from the earth… his son had the designation ‘Mannus’ (i.e., man).”
Then the same lexicon writes under “Germania”:
“The oldest tribal division traditionally reports, according to Tacitus, of a deity Tuisto, his son Mannus, and his three sons, after whom the three Western Germanic tribal groups, the Ingwäonen, the Istwäonen and the Herminones, are named.”
In his work, “Die BayrischeChronik” (“The Bavarian Chronicle”), which was published in Abendsberg in 1526, Johannes Turmair states that Tuitsch or Tuisto reigned from 2214 B.C. to 2038 B.C. and that he was said to be a son of Noah. His son Mannus would have been the father of Trebeta, who, according to legend, founded Trier. We already know that Trebeta’s father was the Assyrian king Ninus. Thus Ninus and Mannus were the same person – Mannus would merely be the German name for Ninus. This would also mean that Ninus or Mannus was identical with Asshur, and that Asshur’s father Shem, the son of Noah, was none other than the German Tuitsch or Tuisto.
|
Lineage |
Associated Names |
Comments |
| Shem | Tuitsch; Tuisto; Tuisco; Tuysco | Followers: Tuytshen, duytsches, or duytsch people |
| Asshur | Ninus; Mannus | Wife: Semiramis |
| Trebeta | Trebetam; Treverum | “Trier” possibly derived from these names |
Again we see here the account of a legend, equating the Assyrian kings with German kings or emperors.
Further Evidence
The Teutons, ancestors of the German-speaking people, worshiped a pantheon of pagan gods. Their main god was Tieu, the god of war, sometimes known as Thor or Thur. This could designate the Assyrian god Assur (recall that the Assyrians later revered their ancestor Asshur as a god). In ancient manuscripts Assur is often referred to as Athur or Thur, and the country of Assyria is repeatedly designated as “Athuria.”
As mentioned, some Assyrians migrated during the fall of Nineveh to the east and settled among the Persians. Herodotus referred to these tribes of the Assyrians as the “Germanii” (“History,” Book 1, paragraph 125). This also shows that Assyrians were considered to be Germans.
History tells us that in the years 1650 B.C. and 1649 B.C., Indian King Sahadeva of Magadha battled with the “Asuras.” Indian scholars claim that these Asuras were Assyrians. It is interesting that these Asuras or Assyrians are referred to in Indian writings as “Daityas”—”Daityas” in Sanskrit has the meaning of “German.”
Further, it is noteworthy to identify some of the modern descendants of Asshur’s German-speaking tribes. Some of Asshur’s descendants are called the Almani or the Halmani. The Romans called a Germanic tribe “Allemanni,” and still today, Germany is called in Spanish “Alemania” and in French “Allemagne.”
The Mysterious Hatti
We have already determined that the Assyrians, after the Babylonian confusion of tongues, had accepted an Indo-Germanic language and were no longer speaking a Semitic language. The linguist Edgar Sturtevant compared the Assyrian with the Germanic language and came to surprising results, which he recorded in his book “A Comparative Grammar.” His book was published in 1933 in Philadelphia. Sturtevant wrote on page 240:
“To me it seems incredible that so remarkable a situation developed in two languages independently. I feel compelled to trace the Germanic… to a common origin [with the language of Hatti, which was a common language of the Western Assyrians].”
The language of Hatti was an Indo-Germanic language, and not a Semitic language. Many words of Hatti re-appear in the Old High German language. But who were the Hatti? Sturtevant called them Western Assyrians. But why were they called Hatti?
Assyrians lived in the land of the Hittites, who were descendants of Canaan. The Hittites were a brown, yellowish or reddish-colored people with protruding noses, full lips, beardless faces, dark brown eyes and black hair. Compared to them, the Assyrians appeared, as stated earlier, blonde or white. The name “Hatti” or “Chatti” was applied to the Hittites as well as to the Assyrians living among them. The word “Heth,” from which “Hittites” is derived, and the word “Chatti” mean the same thing—”warrior” or “man of war.” [It is interesting that the syllable “ger” in “Germane” is an old German word for “Wurfspiess,” i.e., “spear.” So a “Germane” is a man of the spear or a man of war. The names for “Chatti” “and “Heth,” meaning “warrior” or “man of war,” are therefore identical with the meaning of the word “Germane.”]
Other Assyrian tribes and kings knew very well that Assyrians lived among the Hittites. Luckenbill wrote in his book “Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylon”, volume 2, paragraph 29, which was published in 1926, that kings of certain tribes of the Hatti were regarded as “Assyrians.” Obviously, that referred to those Assyrians who were living among the Hittites. The old kings of the Assyrian Empire were called “Khatti-sars”; i.e., Czar, Emperor or King of the Hatti or Khatti.
As previously described, Genesis 14 mentions the Assyrian king Tidal who also belonged to the Assyrian tribe of the Hatti—the name “Tidal” was very common among the old kings of the Hatti. The Hatti were in fact Assyrians—and the kingdom of Hatti was the western part of the Assyrian Empire.
Origin of the Modern Hessian
As did the linguist Edgar Sturtevandt, other researchers have also recognized the relationship between the Assyrian Hatti and modern German tribes. The “Encyclopedia Britannica” writes in its article about Germany that the Hatti were a tribe living among the Teutons who invaded Europe. In another article (in Volume 6) on the “Chatti,” it is explained that they were an ancient Germanic tribe that often mixed with the Romans during the early first century conflict. Of course, not all Teutons are German. However, in an article about the Hessians, the “Encyclopedia Britannica” wrote in volume 13 that the early inhabitants of Germany were the Chatti, who lived here during the first century, and that the Chatti and the Hessians were identical.
If one understands this identity, certain historical events become very clear. For example, the Assyrian Hatti coined the term “master race.” They invented, or at least adopted, the double-headed eagle, the iron cross and the swastika. Ancient Assyrians are represented with a feather headdress and other insignia that emerged as emblems in the Third Reich, like the swastika and the concept of the master race.
Assyria—Ancestors of Modern German-Speaking People
The idea that the Assyrians are the ancestors of German peoples was not unknown in the past. Various authors from different backgrounds have expressed their beliefs in this regard. To note a few:
In 1870, the British author E. Hines published a book in London with the title “Forty-seven Identifications of the British Nation with the Lost Ten Tribes.” He claims in that book that the Germans are identical with the Assyrians.
Dr. Swaner, former editor of a German publication, stated in an essay, which was published in the Daily Mail in 1910, that many Germans are descendants of the ancient Assyrians.
D.J. Pilkey pointed out in his work, “The Origin of Nations,” which was published in San Diego in 1984, that many Germans descended from the Assyrians.
In summary, it can be stated that both legends and historical annals confirm that at least some modern German-speaking peoples, including the Hessians, are descendants of the ancient Assyrians. This knowledge is a necessary prerequisite for a correct understanding of the biblical prophecies about the immediate future of Germany.
What the Bible Reveals
Who would not like to know what the future brings? For sure, there is a certain curiosity about the unseen future, and people will use various means to grasp at what is ahead of us. However, true spiritual understanding, even when it refers to future events, can only come from God.
Biblical prophecy is the ultimate source of what the future holds for all of mankind, but with it comes a responsibility to use the information correctly and for the right reason. God does nothing unless He proclaims it beforehand to His servants the prophets (compare Amos 3:7). God has prompted the biblical prophets to write down what will shortly occur (compare Revelation 1:1).
Relevant to our discussion on Germany, God has shown in His Word, the Bible, what will befall the modern Assyrians. The future monumental role of the German people will drastically change the world! We must understand this, and keep a careful eye on world events so that impending danger does not overtake us like a thief in the night!
Assyria Cannot Help
There is currently an apparent concord between Germany and the State of Israel as well as the United States and, to a lesser extent, Great Britain. But according to the Bible, the time will soon come when this friendly relationship will come to an end. The days of calamity are looming, when the United States, Great Britain and the modern state of Israel will seek the help of the modern Assyrians, without receiving it.
The book of Jeremiah and the book of Hosea tell of this upcoming attempt to obtain help. When reading these prophecies, we must understand that the biblical term “house of Israel” or “house of Jacob” refers to the USA and Great Britain, and possibly other Anglo-Saxon nations, while the “house of Judah” refers to the present day state of Israel. (For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”)
In Jeremiah 2:4, 8-9, 15, 18, 36, the futile attempt of those nations to receive support from Assyria is described:
“Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel… ‘The priests did not say, “Where is the LORD?” And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit. Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,’ says the LORD, ‘And against your children’s children I will bring charges… The young lions roared at him [Israel, see verse 14], and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant… And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River?… Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were ashamed of Assyria.’”
The prophet Hosea also describes the futile undertaking of modern Israelites and Jews, at the time of godly punishment, to try to obtain protection and help from human powers, especially the modern Assyrians. The time of godly punishment and direct intervention, which will begin just prior to Christ’s return, is many times described in Scripture as the “day of the Lord,” the “day of wrath,” the “day of anger,” “the latter days,” or simply, “that day.” Hosea sometimes uses the term, “day of rebuke.” These designations can also apply to and include the time just right after Christ’s return. We read God’s words in Hosea 5:9-14:
“Ephraim [modern Great Britain and possibly, by extension, the USA] shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. The princes of Judah [modern Jews] are like those who remove a landmark; I will pour out My wrath on them like water. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, Because he willingly walked by human precept. Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth, And to the house of Judah like rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah saw his wound, Then Ephraim went to Assyria And [the Menge Bible says: “…and Judah…”] sent to King Jareb [Note that the “ElberfelderBibel” explains that “Jareb” means, “fighter; or one who seeks quarrels”]; Yet he cannot cure you, Nor heal you of your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.”
Considering the former greatness of the British Empire and comparing it with today’s British Isles, we can see how accurate the following descriptions are in Hosea 7:8-9, 11-12. Beginning with verse 8:
“‘Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned…’”
The Nelson Study Bible has the following interesting annotation: “Instead of depending on the Lord for political stability, Israel [Ephraim] formed [and forms] alliances with surrounding nations. The destructive outcome of this policy is compared to a cake that has been placed over a fire and left unturned.”
Continuing with Hosea 7:9, 11-12:
“‘Aliens have devoured his strength, But he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, Yet he does not know it… Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense—They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria. Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them According to what their congregation has heard.’”
Interesting details of relevant prophetic developments are also imparted to us in Hosea 12:1-2. We read:
‘”Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt. The LORD also brings a charge against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways…’”
If God punishes the modern Israelite nations, they will finally understand that help can only come from God and not from any human powers or accumulation of physical things, including a strong military force. And so Israel will finally, after a time of the greatest calamity ever, follow God’s calling and gain true knowledge:
“Take words with you, And return to the LORD. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, “You are our gods.” For in You the fatherless finds mercy.’ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him” (Hosea 14:2-4).
Assyria Will Wage War Against Israel and Judah
Modern Israel and modern Judah will try in vain, at their time of distress, to obtain assistance from Assyria. Rather, as the Bible reveals, the current “amicable” relationships among certain nations will turn around. Another war is prophesied—the Assyrians will fight against modern Israel and Judah.
The prophecies in the book of Ezekiel show that the initial peaceful and friendly relations between the modern house of Israel and the modern Assyrians will be quickly reversed. Ezekiel 23:5-7, 9-10, describes what shortly will happen:
‘”Oholah [that is Samaria, see verse 4; i.e., the whole house of Israel, whose capital had been Samaria in ancient times] played the harlot even though she was Mine; And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians… All of them desirable young men, Horsemen riding on horses. Thus she committed her harlotry with them, All of them choice men of Assyria; And with all for whom she lusted, With all their idols, she defiled herself… Therefore I have delivered her Into the hand of her lovers, Into the hand of the Assyrians, For whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness, Took away her sons and daughters, And slew her with the sword; She became a byword among women, For they had executed judgment on her.”
However, Assyria will not go to battle only against the house of Israel. As in the past, modern Assyria will also (in the near future) wage war against the Jews (the State of Israel in the Middle East), as clearly revealed in Isaiah 8:7-8:
“…the Lord brings up over them [Judah] The waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks. He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.”
Enslavement and mass deportation of peoples will be the result. Assyria, which will invade the territories of the modern Israelites and Jews, will bring some of the prisoners into its own country (as in the Second World War many of the imprisoned Poles and Yugoslavs were deported to Germany as forced laborers). Other Israelite and Jewish prisoners of war will be deported to various countries. Isaiah 11:12, 11, tells us more about this:
“He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth… It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros [a part of Egypt, see Ezekiel 30:14] and Cush [Ethiopia], From Elam [Iran] and Shinar [that is the former Babylon, Genesis 10:10], From Hamath [either a region in ancient Babylon, see 2 Kings 17:24, or more likely, a designation for the descendants of Ham’s son Canaan (Genesis 10:18), possibly including Egyptians, Arabs, Ethiopians, North Africans, Palestinians and Libyans] and the islands of the sea.”
Assyria Will Also Wage War Against Egypt
In the coming war, Assyria will actually go to battle against Egypt, and just as Israel and Judah will hope for the help of Assyria, they will also think they can obtain help from Egypt (see again Jeremiah 2:18). However, that hope will remain unfulfilled in both cases. Assyria will not allow Egypt to help Israel or Judah:
“… 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. Then they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory. And the inhabitant of this territory will say in that day, ‘Surely such is our expectation, wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?’” (Isaiah 20:4-6)
God will free the Israelite and Jewish prisoners of war and bring them into the Promised Land. Notice again from where they will come to worship God:
“So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:13).
The prophet Hosea also describes where the modern Israelites and Jews will end up as captives and slaves in the next great war:
“’They [Israel, Hosea 9:1] shall not dwell in the LORD’s land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, And shall eat unclean things in Assyria… I drew them [Israel, compare Hosea 11:1; and in particular, Ephraim, compare verse 3] with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them. He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent… They shall walk after the LORD. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, Then His sons shall come trembling from the west; They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt, Like a dove from the land of Assyria. And I will let them dwell in their houses,’ Says the LORD” (Hosea 9:3; 11:4-5, 10-11).
The prophet Zechariah tells of these future developments:
“I will sow them [the house of Judah and the house of Joseph, verse 6 in particular, Ephraim, verse 7] among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall live, together with their children, And they shall return. I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, And gather them from Assyria… He shall pass through the sea with affliction, And strike the waves of the sea: All the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the scepter of Egypt shall depart” (Zechariah 10:9-11).
Assyria—Leader of Warlike Powers
Assyria will not be alone in the next war against Israel and Judah. Rather, the modern Assyrians will be backed by many more nations. In Ezekiel 23:22-24 we read the following prophecy:
“Therefore, Oholibah [that is Jerusalem, verse 4, the modern State of Israel], thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, From whom you have alienated yourself, And I will bring them against you from every side: The Babylonians, All the Chaldeans [originally a social class and religious group of leaders in Babylon, Isaiah 13:19, Daniel 2:2, and today perhaps the Babylonian religious system]… All the Assyrians with them… And they shall come against you With chariots, wagons, and war-horses, With a horde of people. They shall array against you Buckler, shield, and helmet all around. I will delegate judgment to them, And they shall judge you according to their judgments.’”
In Psalm 83:4-8 a remarkable prophecy is found about a multilateral agreement of many nations that will ally against Israel—apparently against the modern descendants of the house of Israel as well as the Jews. Note who is being mentioned here, by name:
“They have said, ‘Let us come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy [literally, “cut a covenant”] against You: The tents of Edom [Turkey] and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; Moab [parts of Jordan, perhaps also Western Iraq] and the Hagrites [originally cattle breeding nomads in East Canaan]; Gebal [originally a city in Phoenicia, Ezekiel 27:9, perhaps today, Lebanon], Ammon [Jordan], and Amalek [perhaps modern description for PLO]; Philistia [modern Palestinians from the Gaza Strip] with the inhabitants of Tyre [city of the Phoenicians, Joshua 19:29; 2 Samuel 24:7; today perhaps a label for Rome, Italy and the political Babylonian system]; Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot [Jordan].”
Assyria Will Not Remain Victorious Forever
God will use Assyria to execute His punishment on the house of Israel and on the house of Judah. The next great prophesied war that Assyria will conduct against Israel and Judah, is expressly described as a punishment from God on a “faithless” or even “godless” people, the modern Israelites and Jews. However, Assyria will go too far, so that God will then punish them. We can realize from this that the next world war, as seen from God’s perspective, will have no distinction between guilty or innocent parties—rather, all human powers will be guilty in God’s sight. Isaiah 10 tells us more about this:
“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation [Israel and Judah], And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so [i.e.; he does not see himself as a tool of God to execute righteous judgment]; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations.
“For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings?… As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols… As I have done to Samaria [house of Israel] and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem [house of Judah] and her idols?'” Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.’ For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man…”
“Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul [the entire human being] and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them. And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth…
“‘O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt [i.e.; Assyria will enslave Israel and Judah, as had been the case in Egypt]…’ And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him [Assyria] like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb [as the two princes of Midian fell in the war]; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt [as the army of Pharaoh perished in the flood]. It shall come to pass in that dayThat his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck…” (Isaiah 10:5-27).
Although God will use Assyria to punish Israel and Judah, Assyria will not actually see itself as God’s instrument, but will be determined to destroy many nations “all by itself.” It has no justification for its behavior. Assyria will by no means be more “just” than modern Israel and Judah. Hence we read in Isaiah 52:4-5:
“For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause… My people are taken away for nothing (i.e., without a cause)… Those who rule over them Make them wail,’ says the LORD…”
Because of this arrogance and unnecessary cruelty, God will not let Assyria go unpunished:
“The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders’” (Isaiah 14:24-25).
It is most notably the king of Assyria (Isaiah 10:12), who “will be broken” in God’s land—the “Promised Land”—and on “God’s mountains” of Israel. In Daniel 11 we read about an end-time personality, the “king of the North,” who will conquer Egypt, invade the Holy Land and perish without anyone to “help” him (Daniel 11:41-42, 45). The king of Assyria and the king of the North are one and the same person.
The destruction of Assyria and its end-time leader, who is also called the “king of Assyria,” is described in powerful images in Isaiah 30:
“The LORD will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the LORD Assyria will be beaten down, As He strikes with the rod. And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, Which the LORD lays on him, It will be with tambourines and harps; And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it. For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it” (Isaiah 30: 30-33).
God emphasized again and again that it is He who will deal with Assyria, and that He Himself will execute the king or ruler of Assyria. Obviously God could achieve this through human forces or armies. It seems, however, that God will intervene personally, directly and immediately in regard to Assyria. Isaiah 31:4-9 states firmly:
“As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey… So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it… ‘Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him… And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,’ Says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.”
Zechariah 14 teaches similarly, that the Lord, Jesus Christ, will return to the Mount of Olives, to fight against those who have invaded Jerusalem (verses 1-4). As Assyria will be destroyed in one day (see Isaiah 10:17), so will a terrible plague also wipe out the armies in one day (Zechariah 14:7, 12, 15). A parallel account of the destruction of these armies is found in Revelation 19:21.
We also read that the king of Assyria will not die by the sword of a man in the Promised Land, but rather, he will find his end directly through God’s intervention. The book of Revelation describes a political system in Europe as well as a political leader, that are both called “the beast,” wreaking much havoc (Revelation 11:3,7; 13:7; 16:13-14). In the end, the political and military leader will even fight with government leaders of other nations against the returning Christ (Revelation 17:12-14; 19:19). This senseless undertaking will remain unsuccessful—Christ will seize the “beast” and throw him alive “into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20). If we compare this with the statements in Isaiah 30 about the king of Assyria, who is also thrown into a pit of fire, like a sulfur stream, it is clearly apparent that the beast—the designated political leader—is the king of Assyria. Thus the beast—the king of the North in Daniel 11—and the king of Assyria all describe the same person.
Historically, German-born leaders have repeatedly sat on the “throne of the beast” (the political system, compare Revelation 16:10), so that an end-time repetition to this extent would constitute nothing unusual. Historical Assyrian predecessors were, among others: Otto the Great (who was crowned in 962 by Pope John X as Emperor of the “Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”); Charles V of Habsburg (who in 1530 was crowned “Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire” by Pope Clement VII); and Adolf Hitler (who wanted to establish a 1000-year Reich under an Aryan, Germanic master race). There is still dispute among historians whether Frankish Emperor Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, who was crowned as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800 A.D., was German or French. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”
Assyria—The Work of the Hands of God
God regards no person or nation as being exempt from His authority. He wants everyone to turn to Him. The next great war will give no person or nation an occasion to gloat in their own fame, glory and “justice.” In God’s eyes, all who participate in this war will be guilty. The good news, though, is that after this terrible devastation caused by nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that will lead to mass murders, just short of annihilation of all life on this planet, mankind will finally have had enough of war! Isaiah 2:2-4 tells us:
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter daysThat the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains… Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD… He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths…’ He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.”
And so Assyria, Egypt and Israel will ultimately find their way to God, and it will be that His judgment and corrections will finally achieve the intended purpose–for man to turn from his evil deeds and toward his Creator. All peoples and nations, including Assyria, by and large, are not ready for this now, but the time will come:
“Then the LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day… they will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. And the LORD will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance’” (Isaiah 19:21-25).
May God grant this time of universal peace to come soon…
