Israel may be said to come either from the north, or from the east; and coming from the north they may be, and are, spoken of as hail; and coming from the east, may be likened to and called the east wind, as it is said of Israel when she appeared in her height, "but she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit." It is also said of Ephraim in the day of rebuke, "Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come; the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up. . . . Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword" (Ezek. 19: 12; Hos. 13: 15-16). Thus the east wind is a great army which wields the sword upon the rebellious house to their destruction.

To dry up the waters of the great river Euphrates by the sword of the great Assyrian, and to tread the great wine-press of the wrath of God, which is done by the same power when they tread down the people of God's wrath as the mire of the streets, and to slay the third part of men (that is the men of Israel), which is done by the four angels who are the four great division commanders of the army of the locusts who are bound in the great river Euphrates, until they are loosed for that prupose,— all these three things are really but one and the same thing, only they are spoken of in the wisdom of God under different figures and similitudes, even as the Lord said by the prophet Hosea, "I have spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions and used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets " (12: 10).

THREE UNCLEAN SPIRITS LIKE FROGS (REV. 16:13)

After John speaks of drying up the great river Euphrates, under the pouring of the sixth vial, he continues saying, “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of the great day of God Almighty."

This saying, "unclean spirits like frogs," refers us to the plagues of Egypt and is a plain intimation to us that these unclean spirits which proceed from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet are the same as Jannes and Jambres employed to resist Moses and to deceive Pharaoh. For when Moses and Aaron at the command of the Lord cast down their rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent, then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; now the magicians of Egypt, they did in like manner with their enchantments, for they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

And when Moses and Aaron at the command of the Lord lifted up their rod and smote the waters that were in the river in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood, the magicians did so with their enchantments. And again when Aaron, at the command of the Lord and Moses, stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and the frogs came up and covered the land of

Egypt, the magicians also did so with their enchantments and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Again, "the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. . . . Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God." Thus Jannes and Jambres, the magicians of Egypt, withstood Moses before Pharaoh and worked three miracles. They cast down their rods and they became serpents; they smote the water and it turned to blood; and they smote the water and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt, but there their power ended; they brought forth frogs, but they could do no more.

Therefore when the three unclean spirits go forth out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, that is, out of the mouth of the king of Israel, the king of Assyria, and the king of Judah, they are said to be like frogs, which is as much as to say that the same unclean agency by which the magicians of Egypt wrought miracles by which they deceived Pharaoh and his people, will these three kings in the latter days employ to deceive the nations to gather them together for the great day of God Almighty, to go up and fall at Jerusalem, as it is said, "As Babylon (Jerusalem, mystical Babylon) hath caused the slain of Israel (the saints) to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth" (Jer. 51:49). So vast will be the numbers that will fall at Jerusalem and in the land of Israel, that it will require a period of seven months for the remnant of Israel to bury the dead and cleanse the land.

Jehoshaphat, a king of Judah, obtained a good report, yet he went down. to Ahab King of Israel at Samaria and was persuaded by Ahab to go up with. him to battle at Ramoth-gilead against the Syrians. But before going up, "Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to-day. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

"And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou have consumed them. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand.

And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.

"So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did not I tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?

"And he said, Hear thou, therefore, the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him, on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

"But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son; and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you. So the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-gilead. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put on thou thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle."

The sequel is soon told. Jehoshaphat came very near losing his life, for the captains of the Syrians compassed him about and he cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God moved them to depart from him. But a certain man at a venture drew a bow and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness, wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, “Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded." And the battle increased that day; and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians and died at even, and about the going down of the sun he died, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of his faithful prophet, Micaiah.

"So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king

in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; according to the word of the Lord by Elijah the Tishbite. For indeed the prophets of the Lord in Israel had spoken evil of Ahab, who walked in all the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin. And the Lord said, I will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, to make Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the Lord saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city, shall dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field, shall the fowls of the air eat. But there was none like unto Ahab which did sell himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."

These historical facts which are found in the annals of Israel and Judah (I Kings 22) are not only instructive to show us the way of the Lord with his people in times of old, but they serve also to throw light upon what the Lord will yet do in the latter days with the house of Israel and the house of Judah after they are again, from being one united nation, divided as in times of old into two warring nations.

This record shows how the Lord sent a lying spirit into the mouth of Ahab's prophets who numbered about four hundred and fifty men, who were valiant to prophesy lies to please their master, whereas the prophet of the Lord who spake what the Lord commanded him, Micaiah, him did Ahab treat with dishonor and affliction and imprisonment, after the manner that the Ahabs of the latter days will treat the prophets of the Lord in those times. Micaiah saw in vision the secret and true reason of Ahab's downfall which Ahab saw not, and he said, “I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? and he said, I will go forth and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also; go out and do so. Now therefore," said the prophet to Ahab himself in the presence of Jehoshaphat, "Behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee." The same unclean agency was now being employed to entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead that the magicians of Egypt employed to entice Pharaoh that the Lord might multiply his signs upon him and that in the end he might go up and fall in the Red Sea. Now these things serve to illustrate the manner and the means that the Lord will take when he sends forth unto all the world to gather them to the great day of God Almighty.

THE MOUTH OF THE DRAGON, THE BEAST, AND THE FALSE PROPHET (REV. 16:13-14)

In what does the mouth of these three notable characters consist? Aaron was given as a mouth to Moses, that is, he was his spokesman. When the Lord sent Moses to speak to Pharaoh, he shrunk from the task and tried to

excuse himself, and said, “I am of slow speech and of a slow tongue." And the Lord was angry with him, and gave him Aaron, saying, " He shall be thy spokesman unto the people, and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shall be to him instead of God." Therefore Moses spake to Pharaoh and the people by the mouth of Aaron, even as the Lord said to Moses, "Aaron, thy brother, shall be thy prophet."

On the same principle, Ahab's prophets numbering about four hundred men would be Ahab's mouth. And in the latter days the false prophets of the dragon king of Israel, and the false prophets of the king of Assyria, and the false prophets of the king of Judah, will be their mouths, to speak for them to the kings of the earth and the whole world; and as typical Ahab had about four hundred false prophets to speak for him, even so these three kings will doubtless each have as many prophets, if not more, to prophesy for them. Therefore out of the mouth of these false prophets (who are mouths to their masters) proceed three unclean spirits like frogs, working miracles like the magicians of Egypt whose power ceased with the production of frogs; thus showing that the power that Jannes and Jambres manifested before Pharaoh and his servants is the same as that by which the false prophets will do great signs and miracles in the latter day, so that if it were possible they would deceive even the very elect.

The power to work great signs and miracles by false Christs and false prophets in the latter days is fully attested by Christ and his apostles. Jesus says, For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." And Paul also speaks of the working of Satan (the man of sin) "with all power and signs and wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be condemned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.' The Lord himself sends them strong delusion, and gives them great power to work signs like the magicians of Egypt to deceive others who delight in wickedness that they may go on and perish.

66 THE BATTLE OF THE GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY

(REV. 16:14)

This great confederation of nations was shown to John by the figure of a beast that rises out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns. These seven heads of Gog's confederacy represent seven great nations with a multitude of lesser nations that come with them when they come from the north and encamp in Israel's land among the people of Israel. After that they gather into their confederacy the nations which have from the beginning lived round about Israel on the outskirts of Israel's land, a people whom the Lord speaks of as "mine evil neighbors which touch the inheritance, which I have caused my people of Israel to inherit." These nations were left round about Israel as briers and thorns: the Lord would not cut them off because the spirit of revolt and desire to go after strange gods was but too manifest among the children of Israel from the beginning; therefore the Lord said, "I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck an iron sinew, and thy brow brass, and thou wouldest