The New Axis of Evil

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked; for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out” (Proverbs 24:19-20, citations from RSV).

Four months after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States, President George W. Bush coined the term “The Axis of Evil” to describe Iran, Iraq, and North Korea due to their pursuit of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, as well as the establishment of terrorist training camps.

Bush warned, “States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world.” The president then declared a “Global War on Terrorism.” He proceeded with an authorized invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and overthrow their Taliban supporters. Later, the invasion of Iraq followed to eliminate Saddam Hussein’s chemical and biological weapons. Iran remains on the “terrorism” list.

In an October 2023 interview on TV’s Face the Nation, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell revised the “axis of evil” to include Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China. Merrill Matthews, a resident scholar at the Institute for Policy Innovation, wrote, “The biggest difference in the 2023 Axis of Evil is that at least three of the four countries want much more land and power. It’s also something of an unholy alliance. North Korea and China are officially atheistic and communist. Iran is a theocratic state operating under its view of Islamic law. And Russia used to be atheistic and communist under the USSR, but now Russian President Vladimir Putin claims to be a Christian, and his invasion of Ukraine is sanctioned by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The countries have no shared culture, ideology, or vision. It’s an alliance of convenience to grab more land and power” (The Hill, 4/16/2024).

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, killed many civilians with drones supplied by China, executed prisoners of war, and deported thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. Thousands of Uyghur minorities were imprisoned. Iran has supported terrorism against Israel by arming proxy groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, as well as jihadist groups in Iraq and Houthi rebels in Yemen. North Korea supplies Russia with both artillery and missiles while supporting global computer hacking, which costs billions of dollars.

In September 2025, twenty-six world leaders attended China’s 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. A large military parade was highlighted by China’s President Xi Jinping walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Newsweek reported a live microphone conversation between Putin and Xi discussing their possibility of immortality.

NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, at a forum in Bucharest, summarized the axis of evil (although he didn’t call it that) this way: “For the foreseeable future, Russia will remain a destabilizing force in Europe and the world. And Russia is not alone in its efforts to undermine the global rules … It is working with China, North Korea, Iran, and others. They are increasing their defense industrial collaboration to unprecedented levels. They are preparing for long-term confrontation.”

In his recent book Confronting Evil, TV journalist Bill O’Reilly defines evil as “harming a human being without remorse.” He describes Vladimir Putin as one such person. “Putin is an unstable individual who obviously does not value human life at all … Putin’s entire life has been based on violence.” O’Reilly also includes Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah: “Hatred fostered by the Ayatollah Khomeini continues to be embraced by millions of fundamentalist Muslims … His legacy of evil remains intact. The nation is the single greatest sponsor of terrorism on earth.”

Evil Manifested Against Israel

In the Psalms, King David questions why wicked and evil people persist and boast about themselves while the LORD seems to ignore their actions: “O LORD … how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words, they boast, all the evildoers. They crush thy people … and they say, ‘The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive’ ”(Psalms 94:3-7). Elsewhere, the Bible assures us that God will eliminate evil when the time is due.

Psalms 83:2-8 prophetically describes many nations and groups that attempt to destroy Israel. “They lay crafty plans against thy people … They say, ‘Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!’ ” Starting in 1948 and continuing through 1973, Arab nations failed to destroy Israel. As noted previously, terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have tried. The October 2023 attack by Hamas, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, has renewed focus on the presence of evil in the Middle East. Israel’s preemptive strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon prevented further attacks. Houthis in Yemen and Iran were deterred from drone and missile attacks on Israel through U.S. intervention.

The Bible predicts a final attack on Israel coming from the north — probably led by Russia and including Iran (Persia): “set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince Meshech and Tubal … Persia, Cush, and Put are with them … You will advance, coming on like a storm” (Ezekiel 38:2-9). This attack will serve as evidence of Jehovah’s miraculous intervention, showing the world that Israel will be the center of Jesus’ kingdom: “You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes … I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the wild beasts to be devoured” (Ezekiel 39:4).

Punishment of Evil

The end of evil and its alliances against the innocent of the world will occur with the establishment of God’s Millennial Kingdom. “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless” (Isaiah 13:11). The wicked will be punished: “for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:6). “For wicked shall be cut off; but those who wait for the LORD shall possess the land.” (Psalm 37:9).

Those who refuse to reform will ultimately face eternal destruction: “If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals perversely and does not see the majesty of the LORD … They are dead; they will not live. They are shades [a memory]; they will not arise” (Isaiah 26:10,14).

The Righteous Kingdom

The Millennial Kingdom will be a time of learning for everyone. “They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).”

The long reign of evil and death will finally come to an end. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalms 30:5 KJV). “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Let us continue to pray as instructed by Jesus, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on EARTH as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-13).