Taken from a talk by Philip Wren given at Answers in Prophecy, 13 January 2018. Please see the advert in the events section above for future talks in this series
Egypt is mentioned more often than any nation beside Israel in the Bible. Philip Wren gives an overview of her role and destiny
Egyptian Christians are particularly proud of their mention in Isaiah 19:25: “Blessed is Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my inheritance.”
It follows these well-known verses: “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the midst of the land.” (Isaiah 19:23-24)
In fact Egypt is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible, more than any nation beside Israel and a number are prophecies of a future time. The prophet Ezekiel wrote down seven oracles which he received, which range from the imminent conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, through to the time when the land would be left desolate and no longer have a native born ruler.
An intriguing prophecy recorded in Daniel 11 gives an account of a conflict between the ‘king of the North’ and the ‘king of the South’. Its detail is such that it can easily be related to historical events.
The king of the North is clearly a reference to the Seleucid Empire, centred on the area around Babylon.The king of the South refers to the Ptolemaic Empire, centred in Egypt; both were in conflict for the 200 years covered by the prophecy.
Most prophetic commentators agree that there is a break in the Daniel prophecy in which it jumps on to what was then the distant future. It tells us that their conflict will resume at the very end of the present age.
Interestingly, the areas which were ruled by the two kings are now Muslim majority nations. One area – largely modern Iraq – is Shia-dominated, the other, Egypt, is Sunni. There is no love lost between these two branches of Islam and today we see the Muslim nations of the Middle East divided by this allegiance.
According to the prophecy, the king of the South will rise up against the king of the North but he will be defeated. The wealth of Egypt will be looted by the king of the North who will prove to be a cruel master. Isaiah says that at that time Egypt will cry out to the Lord to send them a saviour.
These events are all a prelude to the return of Jesus Christ who will reign on the earth. When Jesus returns he will heal the land of Egypt, but not all will receive him.
The prophet Zechariah warns that Egypt will be punished for not worshipping at the feast of Tabernacles. In Joel we read that for a time the land will be desolate. Isaiah writes that the Lord will have to strike Egypt in order to heal it. In the end Egypt will submit to the reign of Christ and be blessed. And at that time the prophecy of Isaiah will be gloriously fulfilled: “Blessed is Egypt my people”.