Welcome to Prophecy Q & A with Jimmy DeYoung!
According to Revelation 16:12, the sixth angel will pour out his vial and dry up the river Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings from the East. There is a lot of speculation as to who the kings of the East are and where they come from. A survey of 100 commentators on the Book of Revelation reveals at least 50 interpretations of the identity of the kings of the East.
We do know, according to Scripture, that we can determine certain nations. In fact, by the alignment of nations, we can tell how close we are to the Rapture of the Church (Ezekiel 38, Daniel 11, Psalm 83). The nations will align and come against Israel.
In Genesis 10, these nations were divided. After the Flood, the descendants of Noah were divided, needing a place to go. As we read Bible prophecy, we can see where these descendants went, and who those people are today.
The simplest and best explanation is that it refers to the kings or rulers from the Orient or the East who will participate in the final world war. In light of the context of this passage, it indicates the near approach of the Second Coming of Christ and the contemporary world situation in which the Orient today contains a large portion of the world’s population with tremendous military potential.
Any other interpretation, other than a literal one, doesn’t make sense.
Ezekiel 38 talks about Persia. Persia, up until 1937, was divided into three areas: Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
I believe that the kings of the East would be India and China, countries with large masses of people that will play a role in the future. According to Revelation 16, the great river Euphrates with its water boundary between the Holy Land and Asia to the east will dry up and make a way for these nations to be drawn to the city of Jerusalem as the Antichrist draws them to the final battle, the Battle of Armageddon. It begins in Jerusalem and then makes its way up to the Jezreel Valley, the Valley of the Mountains.
Jimmy DeYoung was a prophecy teacher and journalist who travelled the country and the world educating the Body of Christ of the future events foretold in God’s prophetic Word. His goal was to equip Christians with the knowledge and understanding of what God’s Word says will happen someday soon, so that they can make better decisions today. Dr. DeYoung went home to be with his Savior on August 15, 2021.
