The Rebirth of the Assyrians

It is breathtaking to watch a culture that almost everyone perceived to be dead to suddenly experience a rebirth. There is no question but this is presently happening to the ancient Assyrians. It is happening because it had to happen by prophetic design. There are two prophetic facts that demand an Assyrian presents in this world and especially in Iraq. The antichrist will be an Assyrian and will be known to the world by that identification. Second, the Assyrian culture will progressively rise to dominance in Northern Iraq until during the Millenium of Jesus Christ on this earth. They will be one of only three main nations in the Middle East during this coming thousand years of perfect peace. The prophet Isaiah settled this twenty-seven hundred years ago.

Let’s look at this incredible prophesy. "In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptian shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:" (Isaiah 19:23-24)

When you learn the continuation of this Assyrian culture with its clear distinction for twenty-six hundred years since they were decimated by a coalition of armies in 612 B.C. (another date given is 603 B.C.), it shows the Sovereign Hand of God in everything. I have been studying and learning of the many different events during these long years for these descendants of this distinct society and it’s nothing less than supernatural that they have survived. They claim that they were one of the first homogenous groups to embrace Christianity in the first century of the Christian faith. There are presently five_small church denominations linked together representing Assyrians. All of them claim an orthodox form of Christianity.

The Assyrian churches claimed great success during the first five hundred years of Christianity. They supported several colleges and were part of spreading the faith until the fall of Constantinople to the Muslim aggressors. After Mohammed founded the Islam faith and sought to subdue the entire Middle East for the Moslem religion, their fortune has been up and down depending on the tolerance of each different ruler. The Assyrians are practically the only true Mesopotamians living in Iraq at present. The Arabs’ first empire in Iraq did not occur until the sixth century after Christ.

There are approximately one-and one-half million Assyrians living presently in Iraq. In l935 A.D., the League of Nations settled a great number of Assyrians in an area presently governed by Syria. This appeared to have been an appeasement effort because the Assyrian people were left out of the original configuration of nations. Saddam Hussein destroyed many of their villages and massacred thousands of their citizens. Their history is clearly one of survival amidst incredible suffering and privation. Their statistics place over four hundred thousand Assyrians presently living in America. Already, there are beautiful stories of Assyrians returning to their homeland from different countries where they had migrated to survive.

One present member of the Iraqi Governing Council is an Assyrian. His name is Younadim Kana. The Assyrians held a World Assyrian Conference in Moscow on May 10-11, 2002. These distinct people are uniting and seeking a specific geographical area as an Assyrian state in the country of Iraq. Their success appears to be very limited at this point. Every movement that has Biblical significance experiences tremendous resistance. The Devil hates the Word of God and probably knows it better than most Christians. Every ounce of progress by Biblical truth will be measured and attacked but it will prevail on God’s schedule.

The Assyrians appear to be America’s best friends in the entire country of Iraq. The sole Assyrian on the Iraqi Council recently stated in his plea to Washington, "We are calling on…America not to stop; to go on with us on this blessed mission, which the Iraq people will never forget: this blessed mission of liberation, of democracy, and of freedom." They document that over 90% of the Assyrians support the Coalition and America.

The Antichrist
I have documented in other articles that the antichrist will be of Assyrian nationality. Bible prophecy leaves no doubt for those who take prophecy literally. Probably the reason this idea has been rejected by almost every prophecy teacher is that most teachers wait for the facts to begin to unfold before they dare to speak. The Word of God can be trusted when there is not one proof in sight. Prophecy is history written in advance. This fact by no means suggests or accuses the Assyrian people as a culture of being anti-christ themselves. In fact, the opposite is true.

Daniel shows us that the antichrist comes from a people that believe in the God of Holy Scripture. He plainly teaches that the antichrist rejects the God of his fathers. Daniel prophesies, "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things." (Daniel 11:37-38).

The word "fathers" suggest that this evil dictator comes from a lineage of people that believed in the God of the Holy Bible. It fits perfectly as always when God said it by His Infallible Book.

The Assyrians have a glorious future. They will be revived, thoroughly renewed to fundamental Christianity and become a great nation during the Millenium.. They will serve the Lord Jesus Christ as King of Kings and will help make the Middle East the center of a Millenium theocracy. The utopia for which men have dreamed, armies have fought and billions have died will fill this earth. The earth will become a Garden of Eden.