Is There A Future King of the South?

Is There A Future King of the South?
By COGwriter
Does the Bible teach that there will be a future King of the South? Did the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) teach that there would be another one? And who is the King of the South? This article will answer those questions.

In the July-August 2004 edition of the Living Church News, R.C. Meredith of the Living Church of God (LCG) wrote:

The final fulfillment of the prophecies about the coming King of the South are certainly yet to come. But, even now, it is obvious that many events now indicate that the stage is being set for the powerful Muslim leader indicated in Daniel 11:40–43. Our recent attack on Iraq, our constant backing of the state of Israel, and many other acts by the U.S. and Europe, have infuriated the Muslim world. The current situations in Israel and Iraq are causing the Arab world to unite in a manner unprecedented in recent times. This will certainly carry over into their backing for a truly powerful pan-Arab leader when God’s time comes.

What surprised me was not that statement (which is consistent with both the Bible and historical teachings), but critical statements that I received from some once part of the Global Church of God (GCG), but who are not part of LCG, that disagreed with it.

Specifically, they stated that Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) did not teach that there would be a future King of the South and that the Bible does not require a future King of the South.

Are they correct?

Church of the Eternal God and other GCG Splits

The Church of the Eternal God (CEG), which once had two of the board members involved in the GCG takeover, wrote this in its July 30, 2004 News Update:

...the prophecy in Daniel 11:40 has ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED. And verse 40 is the LAST TIME where the king of the South is mentioned! Beginning with the second half of verse 40, we read exclusively about the king of the North and his activities, and, in verse 44, about rumors from the east and the west. This means, then, that there DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ANOTHER end-time king of the South. If there were to rise one, following the historical and Biblical records, as set forth in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel, it would have to be -- mainly -- modern Ethiopia. But, as we said, ALL WHICH STILL NEEDS TO BE FULFILLED (and which the previous king of the North -- under Mussolini -- did NOT fulfill), is the invasion of the Glorious Land by the future and final king of the North (verse 41), including Jerusalem (verse 45), as well as the overthrow of "many countries" (verse 41), including Egypt, and the "Libyans and Ethiopians" following at his heels (verse 43).

Although CEG had referred to a 1972 article by HWA prior to reaching this conclusion, this is NOT what HWA actually concluded.It should also be pointed out that GCG-UK (a group with ties to CEG) posted about the same thing in August 2004. These statements are similar to those made by Harold Smith of Church of God Fellowship, Northwest (Harold Smith went along with the GCG takeover and is a former GCG member). Thus at least three groups that split off from the GCG takeover now have taken the position that the old WCG and the Bible do not require that there be a future King of the South.

Furthermore, David Pack, another who went along with the GCG takeover (now the head of his Restored Church of God, RCG), and who claims to stand for "precision of doctrine", essentially re-wrote HWA's Middle East in Prophecy booklet. But there is at least one editorial change that stands out. HWA's version states

Verse 43 says the Libyans and Ethiopians (observe that after its conquest by Mussolini, Ethiopia is not again referred to as the king of the south) shall be at his steps" (Armstrong, HW. Middle East in Prophecy (1972 version).

RCG's David Pack seems to have eliminated that insert from his version,
"Then, verse 43 says, “the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.” shall be at his steps.” (Pack, David. The Mid-East in Prophecy. Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2004 by David C. Pack).

Furthermore, RCG's position is clearly that Ethiopia is the King of the South, as David Pack specifically wrote:

The King of the South is Ethiopia

Once again, only Ethiopia continued and remained independent in East Africa from the time of the Roman Empire. Therefore, no other country or government could fit as the king of the south—i.e., by having been a part of the ancient land controlled by the “king of the south.” Remember, verse 40 explains that the setting is the time of the end. Once again, only Ethiopia continued and remained independent in East Africa from the time of the Roman Empire. Therefore, no other country or government could fit as the king of the south—i.e., by having been a part of the ancient land controlled by the “king of the south.”

David Pack also wrote:

The King of the South is Ethiopia

Once again, only Ethiopia continued and remained independent in East Africa from the time of the Roman Empire. Therefore, no other country or government could fit as the king of the south—i.e., by having been a part of the ancient land controlled by the “king of the south.” Remember, verse 40 explains that the setting is the time of the end (Pack, David. The MID-EAST in Bible Prophecy. RCG Booklet, online 12/17/06).

And although HWA once felt that Ethiopia was a king of the South, HWA changed his position on the future king of the South by 1963, but RCG has not.

Therefore, while many once part of the GCG takeover no longer believe that there will be a future King of the South, those that do seem to feel that if there is, it would seem to be Ethiopia.
For those unfamiliar with Ethiopia, perhaps it should be pointed out that Ethiopia is not Arabic, is only about 40% Moslem, does not have a powerful military (its recent fighting in Somalia suggested it only has a small amount of force), and does not have economic might (it is one of the poorer countries of the world), thus it is not likely to lead an Arab-Moslem dominated king of the South. It is not the type of country that would seem to be able to push at the King of the North and cause it to respond with a military whirlwind. And while this does not mean that it is not possible that one may rise from Ethiopia to lead the king of the South, it does not seem that Ethiopia itself is the likely leader.

It is dangerous to be wrong about the king of the South, for those that are clearly wrong will not understand when certain end-time prophecies are being fulfilled.

Perhaps I should add here that CG21's Raymond McNair holds a position like LCG does on this matter as he wrote:

Daniel 11 also mentions some of the Mideast peoples who will be involved in that struggle among the nations at the close of this age. The belligerents will include the “King of the North,” the leader of the European Union (or its final outgrowth, called the “Beast”). The “King of the South” (an Islamic leader—apparently from Egypt {or} some other Muslim state) is also referred to. The following lands/peoples are specifically mentioned: Egypt, the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine), the Ethiopians (modern Cushites, south of Egypt), Libya, Edom, Moab and Ammon. Many descendants of the ancient peoples known as Edomites or Idumeans now live in the West Bank, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Yemen, the Persian Gulf states, etc. (McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! Copyright Raymond F. McNair 2005, Church of God—21st Century).

Notice that Raymond McNair realizes that Egypt or some other Muslim country is where the king of the South will come from and that the term translated as Ethiopians really means the Cushite peoples who live in southern Egypt as well as elsewhere.

LCG has also reported:
The northern Sudan, anciently referred to as Cush, was once part of the Egyptian empire—a region where the future King of the South may headquarter (News and Prophecy. World Ahead Weekly Update, May 24, 2007).

It may be of interest to note that Isaiah 30:6-7 seems to tie the "beasts of the South" with "the Egyptians", which is further support that the Egyptians will most likely have significant involvement with the king of the South.

Additionally, Isaiah 31 lists the destruction of "the Egyptians" (1-3) ahead of "Assyria" (vss. 8-9), just like the Book of Daniel places the destruction of the king of the South (Daniel 11:40-43) ahead of the king of the North (11:45).

Iran and the Philadelphia Church of God, Intercontinental Church of God, and the United Church of God

Other COG-like groups seem to hold different position.

For example, who is the king of the South according to Gerald Flurry of the PCG?

Well, Iran.

A non-Arabic (though Muslim) country that is north, north-east of Jerusalem.

As Gerald Flurry wrote:
Daniel 11:42 implies that Egypt will be allied with the king of the south, or Iran...The king of the south, or Iran, is going to “push at him”—that is, the king of the north (the European Union)... The king of the south is about state-sponsored terrorism. That is how Iran became king! Daniel 11:40-43 is an end-time prophecy. It is about a nation that is always pushy in its foreign policy. It pushes until it starts a war. Having such power means that it must be a large oil-producing country. This king is close to Jerusalem, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya. Who else could it be in this end time but Iran? Iran is extremely radical and the king over radical Islam" (Flurry, G. The King of the South. PCG Booklet).

Notice this prophecy in Daniel 11:40: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.” Iran leads this “king of the south” (Flurry G. From the Editor: Why You Must Watch Europe. Philadelphia Trumpet. Nov-Dec 2006).

Hence, PCG clearly and repeatedly teaches that Iran will be the King of the South.

ICG's Mark Armstrong taught:

Even the UN’s IAEA worries in public that Iran is concealing the military ambitions of their nuclear program. There are further reports that Iranian bases involved in training and supplying insurgents in Iraq may soon come under U.S. attack. What should we make of all the talk of war? Is Iran the “King of the South” of Bible prophecy? Would military conflict with Iran by either the United States or Israel signal the beginning of “tribulation”? As many advances as we’ve seen in the overall scenario, it seems that there are major portions of the equation that are simply not yet in place (Weekly update. 6/06/08).

So, ICG believes that Iran may be the future King of the South, but it is not sure.

Like ICG, the United Church of God takes a more guarded position. In a UCG World News & Prophecy article titled Could Ahmadinejad Be Daniel's "King of the South"?:

Because Iran is, to this point, intractable in its demand to develop nuclear power, and because it produces the second highest amount of oil in OPEC, neither it nor its new president can be ignored.

Back to Daniel's enigmatic prediction. He spoke of two geopolitical configurations, kings of the south and north. It's too soon to tell whether Ahmadinejad will become the first "king," but it is possible that the group backing that king of the south could well be some form of the Islamic ummah (community) (Maranville C.E. Could Ahmadinejad Be Daniel's "King of the South"? World News & Prophecy, December 2005).

Hence, UCG's position once seemed to be that Iran may be the King of the South.

And although UCG confirmed that in something else I recall reading, two later UCG World News & Prophecy articles stated:

Eventually Israel will become subject to a European-centered superpower (the "king of the North") who will invade the Holy Land as a result of a "push" by the "king of the South" (possibly an Islamic group of peoples) as explained in Daniel 11:40-45. Schroeder JR. New Middle Eastern Conflicts: A Wake-up Call for Mankind. World News & Prophecy, August 2006).

...Daniel 11:40-45. These verses tell of a "king of the South" doing something so provocative to a "king of the North" that he reacts by taking over the region of Palestine. On the basis of what we can observe today, we anticipate that the king of the South will be an alliance of Muslim nations from northern Africa through the Middle East and that the king of the North will be a core of European nations, smaller than the present EU configuration (Maranville C.E. China Looks to Africa. World News & Prophecy, June 2007).

UCG tends to be a bit guarded and seems to change its position more easily than LCG does, but currently has a position similar to LCG's.

Though, LCG's R.C. Meredith has repeatedly and publicly stated that Iran will not be the King of the South (Meredith R.C. Last Great Day Sermon. Clearwater, Florida. October 25, 2005). But LCG does teach that Iran may support that king.

He has also specifically stated,

The King of the South is not Iran...The King of the South cannot be Iran. Iran is north of Jerusalem (Meredith RC. Endure with Faith. Sermon, Charlotte (NC), September 10, 2005).
I should probably add here that the Iranians are Persian, and not Arabic. They primarily speak Farsi, which is not an Arabic language. While the Iranians tend to be strict Moslems, they are NOT Arabs ethnically, but could provide some support to the King of the South.

The Old WCG Taught About the King of the South

Who is the 'king of the South' according to history and the old WCG?

Most worldly scholars and HWA felt that there were different ones at different times.
From HWA's Middle East in Prophecy booklet:

Here is verse 5: "And the king of the south [Egypt] shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion"...Syria's ruler, the king of the north, at this time was Antiochus II, called Theos. His wife was named Laodice. And, says Rawlinson's Ancient History, page 251, "Her influence ... engaged him in a war with Ptolemy Philadelphus [king of the south], B.C. 260, which is terminated, B.C. 252, by a marriage between Antiochus and Bernice, Ptolemy's daughter"...Verse 25 — Rawlinson, pages 255-256, says, "Threatened with war by the ministers of Ptolemy Philometor [now king of the south], who claim Coele-Syria and Palestine as the dowry of Cleopatra, the late queen-mother, Antiochus marches against Egypt ... B.C. 171" (pp. 277-278)...Who is today the "king of the south"? It cannot be the king of Egypt, for in 31 B.C. Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, swallowed up by the king of the north. Today Egypt is a republic ruled by native Arabs. It has no king of its own...Since that time, the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica says (article "Ethiopia") Egypt and Ethiopia were two or three times under the same government. Thus, the two were as one land. And the only portion of that land of the "king of the south" that remained independent until the 20th century is Ethiopia!...(observe that after its conquest by Mussolini, Ethiopia is not again referred to as the king of the south).

Thus, HWA and others taught that Egypt was the king of the South, that Egypt and Ethiopia had been under the same government at times, and that after Mussolini's conquest that Ethiopia is not again referred to as the king of the South.

Now, it is easy to demonstrate that HWA's WCG did teach that there would be a future King of the South and who WCG believed it would be.

One is a quote from the July 1963 Plain Truth article by Garner Ted Armstrong titled "And when you see the Abomination...":

Notice! And at the TIME OF THE END (this prophecy, then, is absolutely DATED as pertaining to OUR DAY, NOW) shall the king of the south push at him (the "king of the north") and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over" (verse 40). Bible scholars have recognized the FIRST, TYPICAL fulfillment of this surprising prophecy, but have failed to see its LITERAL application to OUR TIMES!...

The king of the South? EGYPT, of course. But not Egypt of today. Egypt of a few more years from now--Egypt as she continues to expand the U.A.R., bringing more and more of the North Africa Mohammedan nations into the same Afro-Arabian power block!. (p. 22).

Another is a quote from the August 1974 Good News article by Raymond McNair titled Watch the Middle East where he stated:

The longest prophecy of the Bible, the eleventh chapter of Daniel, specifically concerns the Middle East...verses 40-45 are yet to be fulfilled. They reveal that startling events are yet to take place in the Middle East... (p.12).

Thus, WCG was teaching, under HWA for at least the last 22 1/2 years of his life, that at least from verses 40 and on, that portions of Daniel 11 were yet to be fulfilled.

Daniel 11:40 states:

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through" (NKJV, except when noted or citing other writings).

It is clear that even in 1963 & 1974 HWA's WCG taught that there would be a future king of the South.

Garner Ted Armstrong in a May 3, 1975 Plain Truth article titled Watch the Middle East wrote
Prophecy says some sort of a 'shoving match' precipitated by the 'King of the South' will unleash whirlwind lightening-like MILITARY response by a 'King of the North'.

So the first two quotes from the literature show that WCG did believe in a future 'King of the South', but did not clearly identify who.

In a December 1979 Plain Truth article by Keith Stump titled The Arab World in Prophecy it states
But who is the "king of the south"?...in verse 40 we skip to "the time of the end"...The verse undoubtedly found partial fulfillment in the offensive of 1896...But Mussolini did not finish the prophecy...Just as there is yet to be a final "king of the north"...there may very well emerge in the same manner a final "king of the south"--an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly bearing the very title Mahdi......a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations...But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived...And the king of the north shall come against him [the king of the south]...The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion.

(Note: There is actually a Shiite prophecy that some believe points to Barack Obama as one who will help the final "Mahdi" (Arabic for "the guided one"), please see Obama in Islamic Prophecy?,Prophecies of Barack Obama?, and The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy.)

In the Plain Truth of December 1980--the year that HWA often claimed he now had the Church back on track--another article states:

Bible prophecy reveals the coming emergence of an Arab-Moslem confederation in the Middle East. It is referred to in prophecy as the 'king of the south' (Daniel 11:40). This confederation will play a crucial role in end-time events (Stump, K. Plain Truth. December 1980, p.26).

A related Plain Truth article states:
Bible prophecy reveals the coming emergence of an Arab-Moslem confederation in the Middle East. It is referred to in prophecy as "the king of the south" (Dan. 11:40). This confederation will play a crucial role in end-time events. (Stump K. Seeing the World Through Islamic Eyes. Plain Truth, June 1983, p.44).

These quotes make it clear that WCG's written position was that there would be a future King of the South--an Arabic-Islamic confederation.

Some Islamic Prophecy

Some in Islam have taught several things about the Mahdi that suggest that he is the King of the South of the Bible. Notice the following:

Rasaullah [Muhammed] said: "There will be four peace agreements between you and the Romans [Christians]. The fourth agreement will be mediated through a person who will be the progeny of Hadrat Haroon [Honorable Aaron -- Moses' brother] and will be upheld for seven years (Richardson J. Antichrist: Islam's Awaited Messiah. Pleasant Word, 2006, p. 48)

The above sounds similar to the seven year (one week in biblical language) agreement discussed in Daniel 9:27 that involves a "prince" who appears to be the one the Bible warns will become the King of the North and apparently the nation of Israel. It certainly would make sense that there would be Muslim representation in a peace deal.

However, the Bible shows that this deal will be broken (Daniel 9:27) and the King of the North will invade Jerusalem (Daniel 11:31) and ultimately the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43). Notice that this too, however, seems to be consistent with some Islamic prophecy:

...a life of peace as a result of a peace agreement between you and the Banil Asfaar (Romans) which they will break and attack you (Ibn Zubair Ali, Mohammed Ali. The minor signs of Last Days from: The Signs of Qiyamah. http://www.islamawareness.net/Prophecies/minor.html viewed 06/21/09).

More on the Madhi can be found in the article The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy.

What Did Herbert W. Armstrong Teach About the King of the South?

While Herbert W. Armstrong apparently felt that there was a partial fulfillment of this when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia before the USA entered World War II and that Ethiopia was the "king of the South" then, HWA did not feel that Ethiopia was the final king of the South, but that another would arise.

In addition to being the editor in chief of those official WCG publications previously quoted, HWA himself taught that there would be a future King of the South.

Specifically, RC Meredith told me (in August 2004) that HWA had him teach that there would be a future King of the South at HWA's Ambassador College. Additionally, former LCG evangelist Charles Bryce told me (also in August of 2004) that he heard HWA personally state that there would be a future King of the South.

The printed quotes and statements cited in this article clearly prove that HWA's WCG did teach that there would be a future King of the South, that it was probably not Ethiopia, that it may EMERGE in the same manner as the King of the North, and that it would apparently involve an Arab-Moslem confederation (Ethiopians are neither predominantly Moslem nor are they predominantly Arabic).

I should also add that in other literature, HWA's himself personally taught that even though there were historical fulfillments, that there would be a future fulfillment of many verses in Daniel 11 beginning with vs. 31 as well as events at least 45 days earlier:

And the abomination that maketh desolate set up." What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15...From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ's coming will be 1290 days. Now, verse 12, "Blessed is he that waiteth, and comes to the 1335 days." Never before have we understood these periods of 1260, 1290. and 1335 days. But it seems evident, now, a blessing is pronounced on us--GOD"S CHURCH--who wait and endure until the 1335 days--approximately 1335 days prior to Christ's coming. But since no one can know the day or hour of His coming, we probably shall not be able to know the exact day this 1335 days begins. But apparently that is the time when OUR WORK SHALL END. That will be a time when the UNITED Europe shall appear--the revival of the medieval "Holy Roman Empire." We shall then be warned, and readied to be taken to a place of refuge and safety from the Great Tribulation. Forty-five days later "the beasts armies" will surround Jerusalem PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT - VOL.1, NO.15 NOVEMBER 20, 1979 The Time We Are In, Now by Herbert W. Armstrong. Page 2; see also Armstrong HW. Personal. Good News magazine January 1980).

As the above shows, HWA himself admitted that he had questions about some of his earlier writings about the fulfilling of the sequence of Daniel 11. And he also told this to others including Raymond McNair who related that to me through his late brother, Carl McNair a few years ago. Furthermore, the Plain Truth magazine itself publicly admitted some ambiguity on some Middle East-related prophecies (see The Arab World in Prophecy in the Plain Truth, December 1979, p.12)--yet it (and earlier and later editions) clearly did teach that there would be a future king of the South and that it would appear to be an Arab-Moslem confederation of some sort.

And HWA himself clearly wrote that there would be a future fulfillment of Daniel 11:31 and other verses in Daniel. And as the above shows, he taught that something would stop the work forty-five days prior to Daniel 11:31 (more information on that is included in the article Who is the King of the North?.

The Bible Teaches About the King of the South

Of course, the main issue is whether or not the Bible teaches that there must be a future King of the South, and the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel (the only place where the term 'king of the South' is mentioned) does make this clear.

Daniel wrote:

He [the king of the North] shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South...Both these kings' hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time (Daniel 11:25,27).
Notice that these two kings make a deal together, but both sides are lying to each other. Thus, whatever agreement they make is not destined to be permanent.

Now when is the "end"? Verse 29 states:

At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter.

The 'he' in verse 29 is the king of the North. This verse says that the 'appointed time' is not only different than before, but, combined with vs. 27, that it is the appointed time that leads to the final end of both the king of the North and the king of the South (cf. vs. 27).

I state this because there is an ‘appointed time’ (Strong’s word #7150) in both vs. 27 which suggest it is in the future and vss. 29 and 35 which appear to be the specific time. The specific word translated as ‘the end’ is the same word (Strong’s 4150) in vs. 27 and vs. 45 where the king of the North comes to his final end it is also in vs. 40 when the king of the North invades the king of the South (which is the last time the term 'king of the South' is mentioned as this leads to his end).

Daniel 11:35 states:

And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

Daniel 11:40 states:

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.
Since the king of the South is prophesied in vs. 27 to come to his end at the appointed time, and I believe the Bible is clear that this particular appointed time of coming to his end has not come yet (especially since the king of the North is also supposed to come to his end during that appointed time), the Bible thus demonstrates the need of a future king of the South.

Notice that the King of the North is going to come into the Arabic portions of the world. And when the final contest between the King of the South vs. the King of the North occurs, the King of the South will lose:

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (Daniel 11:40-42).

It may be of interest to note that currently, many of the states of the European Union and the states of Northern Africa have gotten together in something that they call the "Union for the Mediterranean". An interesting part of this is that while they do not call them kings, at this time their is a president of the North (the president of France) and a president of the South (the president of Egypt) (for details, please see the article The Bible and the Arab World In History and Prophecy).

Does Daniel 11 Refer to Ethiopians or Nubians?

Although Daniel 11:40-42 is only mentioning peoples in predominantly Arabs lands, some may point to verse 43 as proof that Ethiopia is involved. Here is what the NKJV, perhaps incorrectly, shows:

He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.

The problem with the above translation is that the word "Ethiopians" is not in the Hebrew in the Old Testament. The word translated as "Ethiopians" is the plural of the word Kuwshiy, which according to Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary means descendants of Cush. Or in other words, people of dark color--and it is commonly translated as Cush or Cushite in many Old Testament passages.

It is not necessarily those from Ethiopia. There is one famous person that the Old Testament translated into English refers to as from Ethiopia, the famous Queen of Sheba. Yet, even term Sheba' does not usually refer to Ethiopia in the Bible, as it most of the time refers to specific, non-Ethiopian, people. Furthermore, notice the following from two different commentaries (bolding/italics theirs):

Our Saviour calls her the queen of the south, for Sheba lay south of Canaan. The common opinion is that it was in Africa; and the Christians in Ethiopia, to this day, are confident that she came from their country, and that Candace was her successor, who is mentioned Acts 8:27. But it is more probable that she came from the south part of Arabia (from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.).

The queen of Sheba has been identified as the ruler of the Sabeans (Job 1:15), who inhabited Arabia Felix (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press).

Thus the fact that Jesus referred to her as "the queen of the South" (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31), indicates that she was not necessarily from Ethiopia. And if she was from Ethiopia, Jesus could have clearly stated that, but He did not. Thus Jesus did not declared Ethiopia to be the kingdom of the South.

The New International Version translation of the Bible seems to get Daniel 11:43 translated correctly as follows:

He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission.

And while Ethiopians might possibly be indicated here, the reality is that Nubians makes a lot more sense.

Why?

Because the Nubians are Moslems and historically lived amongst the Egyptians and the other Arabs. The Nubians have been in so much contact with Arabs that Nubians speak that some of their peoples have been "Arabized" (http://www.thenubian.net/nubtoday.php 8/05/06).
Interestingly, although it uses the term "Ethiopians" while discussing Daniel 11:43, Matthew Henry's Commentary says that these are people who anciently lived next to Egypt.

Well, Nubians currently live in Egypt as well as in neighboring Sudan. The Sudanese, like the Nubians, are also Cushites, and are also mainly Moslem (especially since they recently killed many of the non-Moslems in the southern portion of their country)--plus Sudan is between Egypt and Ethiopia. Thus, even Daniel 11:43 is not teaching that those now called Ethiopians must be even be involved when the king of the North retaliates against the king of the South--and this is apparently one of the reasons that HWA changed his position on the identity of the future king of the South.

(It is also interesting to note that gold, silver, and other riches will be taken from Egypt--Egypt recently reopened an ancient gold mine which may become its largest source of wealth--see the news item Gold of Egypt; Egypt also has some oil resources that are now being developed. Thus even today we are seeing the prophetic scenario being fulfilled before our eyes--Egypt had to have significant amounts of gold, silver, and other wealth for the King of the North to invade it and take its gold, silver, and other treasures for Daniel 11:43 to come to pass. This did not happen in the 20th century. It also interesting to note that gold will be valuable at this time, it also apparently will be until sometime after the sixth trumpet, cf. Revelation 9:20)

The Final Fulfillment of Daniel 11 Has Not Come to Pass

Anyway, those who teach that the king of the South's 'end' occurred in the 1930s (which is what certain details from CEG, etc., suggest) are simply not being biblically logical.

The king of the North and the king of the South are supposed to come to their end reasonably close to one another (vs. 27). A seventy-eighty year gap between the end of the king of the South and the king of the North (as even they acknowledge that the king of the North has not yet come to his end--which occurs in vs. 45) does not seem to square with the intent of Daniel's writings in the Bible.

HWA's Middle East in Prophecy booklet also taught:

Verse 45 — the coming Roman Empire shall establish its palace, as capital of the revived Roman Empire, and eventually its religious headquarters, at Jerusalem! Zechariah 14:2 says the city shall be taken! "Yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him"! This language signifies the end of the "beast" and the "false prophet" at the hand of God! You will find this end described in Revelation 19:19-20 and Zechariah 14:12. And now what is the time of this end, at the close of this marvelous prophecy? The next verse, Daniel 12:1, says at the time of the resurrection of the just — at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ! This prophecy begins with the kingdoms of Syria and Egypt, soon after the death of Alexander the Great — 2,300 years ago. But it ends at the time of the resurrection and the Second Coming of Christ to bring peace at last to the region — and to the entire world! It is so plain, there can be no doubt of its right application!

Thus, the end is not yet. Yet, some now doubt its right application.

Jesus told His followers to "watch" (Mark 13:33-37).

This watching of events would certainly seem to include watching who logically could be a King of the South. World events seem to be showing that some type of Arab-Moslem confederation is coming to pass. And that is what HWA's WCG taught as well. Watching for Ethiopia to develop into a military power that others will rally around seems to be a longer, and probably fruitless, watch.

However, watching the Islamic world increase its military capacities and attempt to obtain nuclear weapons of various types (which they will undoubtedly use) seems to be a more biblically appropriate area to watch.

Furthermore, look at what Psalm 83:4-8 states:

They have said, "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 against You: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot.

Note that this passage of scripture is suggesting that the descendants of Israel (which not only includes the modern state of Israel, but also much of the English-speaking world) will be bothered by a confederation of basically Arabic/Islamic peoples from the Middle East (not Ethiopians), and Assyria (most likely the German led EU, which will also become the king of the North) will assist them--this apparently why the Plain Truth article of December 1979 stated:

Just as there is yet to be a final 'king of the north'...there may very well emerge in the same manner a final 'king of the south'--an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation...Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations...But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived...the 'king of the north' will ultimately turn against the Arab 'king of the south'...The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion...

Since Daniel 11:27 suggests some type of deal between the king of the North and the king of the South and Psalm 83 shows an Arabic/Turkish confederation that will make a deal with a northern representative, it appears that the idea of an Arab-Moslem confederacy representing the king of the South also has a biblical basis. The nations in Psalm 83 all tend to be Arabic or Turkish, hence the position that the king of the South is likely to be Arabic has biblical support.
It is of interest to note that Iran is not part of Psalm 83 (and this is something that PCG admits, though it will not change its view because of this).

Also notice that the Bible shows that a time is coming when the confederation with Egypt will be destroyed:

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"'Wail and say, "Alas for that day!" 3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.
5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.
6 "'This is what the LORD says:
"'The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her,declares the Sovereign LORD.
7 "'They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. 8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.
9 "'On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt's doom, for it is sure to come (Ezekiel 30:1-9, NIV).

And this seems to be the destruction of the King of the South by the King of the North in Daniel 11:40-43.

Concluding Comments of the King of the South

It is clear that LCG's position that there will be a future King of the South, and that the King of the South will lead an Arab-Moslem confederation is totally consistent with the Bible the teachings of HWA's WCG, and HWA himself. The view that the King of the South will most likely be an Arab-Moslem confederation is also consistent with world events.

It is also clear that the Bible shows, that since the end has not yet come, that there needs to be a future King of the South. Although the Bible does not make it absolutely clear who the King of the South must actually be (contrary to RCG's and PCG's positions), the old WCG's and current LCG's view is certainly not in contradiction of the Bible, and is the position that those who believe the Bible should hold--it is sad that many who once believed these things no longer wish to.

Those that do not have a correct understanding of who the King of the South will be simply will not understand the fulfillment of vital biblical prophecies.

There is a future king of the South who will eventually be destroyed by the future king of the North (a European confederation). Those who do not understand will probably not know who to listen to, nor when to flee, to the wilderness for protection as the Bible teaches (please see the articles Laodicean Warning for God's People, There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? and There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra).
Thus, the subject of the king of the South is a matter that should be of vital interest to true Christians.

Two articles of related interest may include The Bible and the Arab World In History and Prophecy and Who is the King of the North?

Back to home page
Thiel B. Is There A Future King of the South? http://www.cogwriter.com/
2004/2005/2006/2007/2008/2009 0626