“The Euphrates is linked with the most important events in ancient history.
On its banks stood the city of Babylon; the army of Necho was defeated on its
banks by Nebuchadnezzar; Cyrus the Younger and Crassus perished after crossing
it; Alexander crossed it, and Trajan and Severus descended it.”—Appleton’s
Cyclopedia8
It was near the Euphrates that sin began, the first lie was told, the first
murder was committed, and the tower of Babel (the origin of an entire complex of
false religions that spread across the world) was built. The Euphrates was the
eastern boundary of the Promised Land (Gen. Gen. 15:18; Ex. Ex. 23:31; Deu. Deu.
11:24), and Israel’s influence extended to the Euphrates during the reigns of
David (1Chr. 1Chr. 18:3) and Solomon (Sos. 2:1Chr. 9:26). The region near the
Euphrates was the central location of three world powers that oppressed Israel:
Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia. It was on the banks of the Euphrates that
Israel endured seventy long, bitter, wearisome years of captivity (cf. Ps. Ps.
137:1-4). It is the river over which the enemies of God will cross to engage in
the battle of Armageddon (Rev. Rev. 16:12-16+).9
Attention has been abundantly called by commentators to the region of the
Euphrates as that place where human sin began and also Satan’s empire over man;
where the first murder was committed; where the first war confederacy was made
(Genesis Gen. 14:1); and back of this it is where Nimrod began to be “a mighty
one in the earth,” and where the vast system of Babylonian idolatry, with its
trinity of evil—“father, mother and son” originated, to deceive the whole world
by the Satanic fable of “the queen of heaven.” Here, moreover, as we saw in
Zechariah Zec. 5:1, iniquity is to have its last stage on earth (see Revelation
Rev. 18:1+ also).10
Surprised that there is no mention of what is happening there, other than
your article. Keep us informed, dear.
MARY E ADAMS