We found in our study last month, that the world dictator shall arise in one of the divisions of the Grecian empire.  After the death of Alexander the Great, the empire was divided into four parts—Greece; Macedonia, which lay north and north-east of Greece; Syria, which embraced Asia Minor, Syria, the old Assyria and Babylonia; and Egypt, in Northeast Africa.  Our question now, is, "From which of these divisions of the Grecian Empire shall the dictator come?"  

Micah 5:2—"And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no respect, least among the governors of Judah, for out of you will come a Governor Who shall be shepherding My people, Israel,"—was written that it might be known where the Messiah was to be born.  It was used to impart this information when the magi from the east were seeking the Child, Christ, Matt. 2:1-8.  Micah 5:6 contains a statement to the effect that this One is to be "our peace"—the peace of Israel—when Assyrian comes into the land.  The Assyrian is to come, treading in the palaces of the Jews, and the Governor Who was born in Bethlehem is to rescue His people from the invader.  

History furnishes no instance of this having been fulfilled.  It is yet future.  Nor is there promise of any future deliverance for Israel, except the one just before the "Millennium."  The conclusion seems inescapable, that the Assyrian is the world dictator.  

Thus the question is answered.  The dictator is to arise in that part of the Grecian Empire, that is known as Syria.  As I have already said, Syria included the old Assyrian Empire.  Nineveh was the capital of that empire.  It was built by Asshur, who migrated thence from the old Babylonian Empire, not a great many years after the deluge, or "flood,"  Gen. 10:11.  Nineveh, the political center of the Assyrian Empire, was roughly speaking, 600 miles northeast of Jerusalem.  The territory of the Assyrian Empire has been held by others since those days.  It has belonged to the second Babylonian government; the Medes had the Persians; the Greeks; Syria; the Romans; and others.  

There is no apparent reason to believe that the world dictator will be of that region of the earth.  Appearances are against such a supposition.  Twentieth century civilization is found in its zenith, in the nations of central, western and northern Europe, in England, and in the Americas.  Inventions have sprung up in those sections; strong governments have been built; weapons of warfare, surpassing any thing in past history, have been constructed.  Some of these nations are "first-rate powers."  Surely, if we judge by appearance, we would say that if the world is to have a dictator, he will be a man of one of these powers.  

Let us remember, however, that the earliest civilization was in southwestern Asia and northeastern Africa.  For centuries civilization flourished there, while in the lands that are now Germany, England, France, Spain, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, and the Western hemisphere, barbarians roved, without the slightest idea of civilization.  When we begin to boast of our achievements, it may puncture our pride if we remember that our ancestors were centuries behind, in starting on the road to organized governments, written languages, and other matters that go to make civilization.  Indeed, when the forbears of the Germans, the British and the Americans had progressed no further than tribal government, Greece, in the Mediterranean region, had built the mightiest empire man had ever known.  

It is evident that the Mediterranean Sea was so named, because it was believed to be in the middle of earth's surface.  And this is true, in point of events of importance to the human family, if not in geographical location.  It was in the land not more than a few hundred miles from the shores of that sea, that man was created, and the garden of Eden was established.  It was there that sin entered into the human family, to be followed more than a millennium later, by the deluge.  There came about the confusion of tongues, and there earth's mightiest empires have been established.  

It was in a land whose western shores were washed by the waters of that sea, that God established His earthly people, and in that country the Christ was born, lived, died and arose.  From one of its mountains He ascended to heaven, and the same mountain has the promise that His blessed feet shall touch it again, when He comes to establish His kingdom. 

The region I am considering, has  produced men who have built the greatest empires that the earth has ever seen.  Men of other regions have not done so much.  Some have tried it.  Napoleon undertook to build an empire that would compare with those of Nebuchadnezzer, Darius and Alexander, but he failed.  Others have undertaken it.  

No man now on the scene will succeed.  Hitler is not destined to become ruler of the world.  Churchill cannot do so.  Roosevelt will never become head of all the nations.  The world dictator is to be of one of the divisions of the Grecian Empire, (according to Daniel 8), an Assyrian (according to Micah 5).  

In other words, the region near the Mediterranean, which has furnished the greatest rulers and warriors, will yet furnish one greater than those of the past.  But he shall be overthrown by One Who is infinitely greater.  And, humanly speaking. He also hails from that region.  I mean Christ.  

Can it be possible that the leading nations of earth will support, as dictator, a man from old Assyria?  Strange as it may seem to those who are not familiar with the scriptures, this condition will come about by the joint working of God and Satan.  The dragon, (Satan), Un. 13, will give the dictator, or wild beast, his power, throne and authority, and God will impart to the heart of the nations, to form His opinion and to form one opinion, Un. 17:17.  

Seven stable governments (figuratively called mountains, Un. 17), will provide stability for the reign of the dictator, and ten military powers, (figuratively called horns) will provide the fighting power.  That these are so-called Christian nations, according to Dan. 8, seems certain.  They are some of the very nations that are now fighting each other.  

The order of events after the ecclesia is snatched away to meet the Lord in the air, seem to be about as follows: I do not speak dogmatically here, but as best I understand, the Jews will re-establish worship in Jerusalem, but this will be stopped by the dictator for a period of 2,300 days, or six years and 140 days (counting 360 days to the year, as was the case in Daniel's time).  How long it will be after the ecclesia is snatched away, before this interruption of Jewish worship takes place, no one can say.  It seems evident to me, that it will be some years, for, during the period between the present and the beginning of the "great tribulation," a group of rich Jews will move from Jerusalem to Babylon and build the mightiest city the world has ever known.  

Building the city may not require so much time as one would think, for these Jews have the nations by the throat, so to speak, in the matter of indebtedness.  Babylon is the false woman of Un. 17, and it may be that those Jews will force the dictator to place every facility at their disposal, that the work may proceed rapidly.  Babylon will have a king, according to Isaiah 14, and for a while he shall exercise authority even over the gentile dictator.  The woman will ride the beast, according to Un. 17.  Perhaps this is why it will be so easy to acquire the town of Babylon, and to build it into such a magnificent city.  

The oppression heaped on the nations by Babylon will become unbearable, and they will arise in indignation and destroy the city and its people, Un. 17.  

After 2,300 days, the dictator will allow the Jews in Jerusalem to resume their worship.  Is this the time when he makes a seven-year covenant with them?  Perhaps so.  This covenant guarantees their peace for a heptad, or seven years, according to Dan. 9.  

I have recently received a printed card from a man who believes he is one of the witnesses of Un. 11.  He said that on June 3, Mussolini would make the seven-year covenant with the Jews in Jerusalem.  I thought at the time, that Mussolini is in no position to make a covenant, and anyway, there is no Jewish government in Palestine with which to make it.  June passed, and nothing happened.  The man sent out another card, saying he believes such a covenant was make secretly.  This is not according to the inspired record.  II Duce is not the man who will make this covenant.  That man is to be an Assyrian, from one of the divisions of the empire of Alexander the Great.  

Events after the breaking of the covenant—the great affliction and the establishing of the kingdom of Christ—are mentioned in the Messenger for July, and need not be repeated here.  

While world events seem to point to the soon ending of this eon and the sooner snatching away of the ecclesia, that which should be more convincing to us, is the deepening of the apostasy.  Paul said the apostasy is to come before the day of the Lord, II Thess. 2.  In Paul's day the secret phase of lawlessness, which was to bring in the apostasy, was in operation.  The dictator, called by Paul, the man of lawlessness, will be openly and boastfully lawless.  The secret phase is lawlessness in secret, while openly claiming the opposite.  As God is the Author of all order, lawlessness is a defiance of His authority.  According to the "church" of today, God's admonition to correctly partition the word of truth is to be disregarded.  His oft-repeated declarations as to the undesirability of sectarianism is such an out-of-date doctrine, that no one is worthy of fellowship, unless he is sectarian.  In spite of His statement that He is operating the universe in accord with the counsel of His will, Christendom teaches that He cannot do as He wills, unless man is also willing.  The preachers see no distinction between the evangel of the Circumcision and that of the Uncircumcision, notwithstanding Paul pronounces an anathema on those who disregard the distinction, Gal. 1.  

The apostasy becomes deeper and deeper.  Surely not much more time will elapse before we take the aerial flight to keep our appointment with our Lord in the air!  May He help us to rejoice in this prospect while we wait!  

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