The Forty Years    139 

favor of God. They shall achieve victory only with the help of God and His 

angels. They will defeat the Arabs everywhere, in Europe, and even into the 

Arab lands. This war will be both glorious and horrifying. Many will suffer 

unimaginable grief, loss, and pain. But in the end, the Christians will be 

victorious. 

    The great monarch is described in the book of Daniel. He is the one 

conspicuous horn (Dan 8:5), that is, the one conspicuous leader of the allied 

forces. He and his forces are represented in the book of Daniel by the 

he goat (Dan 8:6 7). He will be made leader of all Europe and king of 

Greece (Dan 8:21). 

God's Purpose in the Forty Years 

     Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger, the staff of my fury! Against a godless 

nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to 

take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the 

streets.  (Isaiah 10:5 6). 

  God will use the Arab nations as a rod to punish the Christian nations, 

which have become godless. Yet God does not excuse those Arabs who 

behave arrogantly, who think that their success in war comes from their own 

power (Isaiah 10:7 11). 

     When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on 

Jerusalem he will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his 

haughty pride.  (Isaiah 10:12). 

    When the time of the punishment of the Christian nations is completed, 

God will turn his wrath against the Arab oppressors (Isaiah 10:15). God will 

send a wasting disease upon the army of the Arab forces who are occupying 

Europe (Isaiah 10:16). God Himself will fight against those who are 

oppressing and persecuting the Christians. Yet only a remnant of the 

Christian people will remain, for the wrath of God against the sins of 

Christians will be brought to completion (Isaiah 10:21 23). 

The End of the Forty Years 

     Therefore thus says the Lord, the L

ORD

 of hosts: `O my people, who 

dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they smite with the rod 

and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. For in a very little 

while my indignation will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to 

their destruction.'   (Isaiah 10:24 25). 

    God is comparing the time of the Forty Years to the time when the 

Israelites were in slavery in Egypt. God will free the Christians from the 

persecution by the Arabs with great power, signs, and wonders, just as He