Antichrist Will Get Revenge on Egypt
The Bible talks about how the Antichrist invades Egypt in the end times.
He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. (Dan. 11:42-43 ESV)
This invasion is in retaliation for the time when Egypt attacked the Antichrist with Russia, as we discussed before. The Antichrist takes control of the mines in Egypt. Interestingly, Egypt has a long history of gold mining, as the passage indicates. (1) Furthermore, he takes control of Libya and the “Cushites” as well. The Cushites likely refer to people in Ethiopia and possibly Sudan. (2, 3)
However, the Nile River also dries up during this time. As Isaiah 19 says:
and I will give over the Egyptians
into the hand of a hard master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,
declares the Lord God of hosts.
And the waters of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will be dry and parched,
and its canals will become foul,
and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up,
reeds and rushes will rot away.
There will be bare places by the Nile,
on the brink of the Nile,
and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched,
will be driven away, and will be no more.
The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all who cast a hook in the Nile;
and they will languish
who spread nets on the water.
The workers in combed flax will be in despair,
and the weavers of white cotton.
Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed,
and all who work for pay will be grieved. (Isa. 19:4-10 ESV)
As you can see, the discussion about the Nile drying up is in proximity to the hard master who will rule over Egypt in the end times. This hard master is the Antichrist, as indicated by Daniel.
Ezekiel also talks about the Nile drying up and being given to the hands of foreigners and evildoers.
And I will dry up the Nile
and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers;
I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it,
by the hand of foreigners;
I am the Lord; I have spoken. (Ezek. 30:12 ESV)
It is not clear whether the Nile dries up supernaturally or by natural causes, or some combination of the two. However, when God does something to punish a nation, he sometimes uses another nation to do it. Here again in Ezekiel we see the close connection between invaders and the drying up of the Nile.
Egypt is already experiencing a reduction in water supply from the Nile river, due to a prolonged drought. (4, 5) However, with the absence of water, political problems usually ensue as well. Ethiopia is building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile river. Although they are building it for electric power, Egypt fears that it will reduce its water supply. As it stands now, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt are in talks to resolve the dispute. Currently, there is a political deadlock over this dam, because it would drastically reduce the amount of water that goes to Egypt. (5, 6, 7)
After invading Egypt in the end times, the Antichrist could force an unfair resolution, wherein Ethiopia would take most of the water. As top Antichrist candidate, Javier Solana, said in 2015, the Nile Dam situation is a “serious problem.” (8) The Antichrist could use this water situation as an opportunity to punish Egypt for invading him. Or during his occupation, he rules in favor of Ethiopia, who has historically not had as much water as Egypt does.
After this time of oppression, the Egyptians call out to God, who sends them a savior and defender.
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. (Isa. 19: 19-22 ESV)
This terrible situation ultimately leads to the conversion of those in Egypt as well as Syria. It is obvious that Jesus himself is the savior and defender who saves Egypt from her oppressors.
References:
- “Mining Industry of Egypt.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, January 30, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_industry_of_Egypt.
- “Cushitic Peoples.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, June 16, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cushitic_peoples.
- “Cush (Bible).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, June 3, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cush_(Bible).
- Ebrahim, Nadeen. “Water Crisis Builds in Egypt as Dam Talks Falter, Temperatures Rise.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, November 7, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-water/water-crisis-builds-in-egypt-as-dam-talks-falter-temperatures-rise-idUSKBN1XG223.
- Mackinnon, Amy. “The Clock Is Ticking on Ethiopia's Dam Dispute.” Foreign Policy, June 26, 2020. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/06/26/clock-ticking-ethiopia-renaissance-dam-dispute-egypt-sudan-blue-nile-water-conflict/.
- Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia Feud over Nile Dam Project | DW News. DW News, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF841nm_7RQ.
- Lederer, Edith M. “Sudan Warns Window Closing in Nile Dam Dispute, Asks UN Help.” Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, June 25, 2020. https://news.yahoo.com/sudan-warns-window-closing-nile-235126093.html.
- Solana, Javier. “Serious Problem. "@AJEnglish:Egypt Is Being Challenged by Countries Upstream for a Greater Say on the Nile Http://T.co/k1mRJUiWLG.” Twitter. Twitter, March 18, 2015. https://twitter.com/javiersolana/status/577998768525697024.
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