"AGAINST THE HOLY COVENANT

Continuing on, God's angel said: "And he [the king of the north] will go back to his land with a great amount of goods, and his heart will be against the holy covenant. And he will act effectively and certainly go back to his land." -Daniel 11:28.

Kaiser Wilhelm went back to the "land," or earthly condition, of the ancient king of the north.  How?  By building up an imperial rule designed to expand the German Reich and extend its influence.  Wilhelm II pursued colonial goals in Africa and other places. Wanting to challenge British supremacy at sea, he proceeded to build  a powerful navy.  "Germany's naval power went from being negligible to being second  only Britain's in little more than a decade," says The New Encyclopedia Britannica. In order to maintain its supremacy, Britain actually had to expand its own naval program. Britain also negotiated the entente cordiale (cordial understanding) with France and a similar agreement with Russia, forming the Triple Entente. Europe was now divided into two military camps-the Triple Alliance on one side and the Triple Entente on the other.

The German Empire followed an aggressive policy resulting in "a great amount of goods" for Germany because it was the chief part of the Triple Alliance.  Austria-Hungary and Italy were Roman Catholic.  Therefore, the Triple Alliance also enjoyed papal favor, whereas the king of the south, with his largely non-Catholic Triple Entente, did not.

What about Jehovah's people?  They had long, declared that "the appointed times of the nations" would end in 1914.  (Luke 21:24) In that year, God's Kingdom in the hands of King David's Heir, Jesus Christ, was established in the heavens.  (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Luke 22:28, 29)  As far back as March 1880, the  Watchtower magazine linked the rule of God's Kingdom with the ending of "the appointed times of the nations," or "the times of the Gentiles." (King James Version) But the heart of the Germanic king of the north was 'against the holy Kingdom covenant.' Instead of acknowledging Kingdom rule, Kaiser Wilhelm 'acted effectively' by promoting his schemes for world domination. In so doing, though, he sowed the seeds for World War I.

Next time: THE KING BECOMES "DEJECTED" IN A WAR

From the book: PAY ATTENTION TO DANIEL'S PROPHECY! 1999