Let us examine the scriptures every day 2025
Tuesday March 18, 2025
In the time of the end, the king of the south will engage in conflict with him. Then the king of the north will attack him (Dan. 11:40).
Daniel chapter 11 talks about two kings or governments fighting each other to control the world. Comparing this and other prophecies in the Bible, we know that today “the king of the north” is Russia and its allies, and that “the king of the south” is the world power formed by the United Kingdom and the United States. “The king of the north” is persecuting the servants of God who live in the territories he dominates. Some Witnesses have been beaten and imprisoned because of their beliefs. But our brothers have not been intimidated by the actions of the “king of the north.” On the contrary, his faith is now stronger. Because? Because you know that this persecution was predicted in the book that Daniel wrote (Dan. 11:41). Keeping in mind the fulfillment of this detail of the prophecy will also help us to keep our hope alive and remain loyal to Jehovah. w23.08 11 paras. 15, 16.
What difficulties do the servants of God face in the territories dominated by “the king of the north”?
“The king of the north” is persecuting the servants of God who live in the territories he dominates. Some Witnesses have been beaten and imprisoned because of their beliefs. But our brothers have not been intimidated by the actions of the “king of the north.” On the contrary, his faith is now stronger. Because? Because they know that this persecution was predicted in the book that Daniel wrote (Dan. 11:41).d Keeping in mind the fulfillment of this detail of the prophecy will also help us to keep our hope alive and remain loyal to Jehovah.
What difficulties have the servants of God faced in the territories dominated by “the king of the south”?
In the past, “the king of the south” also launched direct attacks against Jehovah’s people. During the first half of the twentieth century, many brothers were imprisoned and some Witness children were expelled from schools for being neutral. But in recent years, the loyalty of Jehovah's servants to the Kingdom of God has been tested in other, less direct ways. For example, during election campaigns, a Christian may be tempted to support a political party or candidate. Of course, although you will not vote for anyone, perhaps in your mind and heart you would prefer someone to win. But to be completely neutral, we must be careful not only about what we do, but also what we think and what we feel (John 15:18, 19; 18:36).
How do we feel when we see the fight between these two rival kings? (See also images).
Those who do not have faith in Bible prophecies may feel very distressed when they see “the king of the south” clashing “horns” with “the king of the north” (Dan. 11:40, note). With the nuclear weapons they have, the two kings could end life on Earth. But we know that Jehovah is not going to allow that to happen (Isa. 45:18). So we are not worried or afraid. On the contrary, when we see the rivalry between “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”, our faith becomes stronger, because this confirms that the end of this system is near.
What should we recognize about biblical prophecies?
We do not know how some biblical prophecies will be fulfilled. Not even the prophet Daniel understood the meaning of everything he wrote (Dan. 12:8, 9). But just because we don't fully understand how a prophecy will be fulfilled doesn't mean it won't be fulfilled. We are fully convinced that Jehovah will reveal to us at the right time what we need to know, just as he did in the past (Amos 3:7).
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