Will the Biblical “War of Gog & Magog” bring about the end of Radical Islam as we have known it? Here’s the answer, Part Three.

Reblogged from flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com  In Uncategorized on October 12, 2015 at 11:00 am

 
(Central Israel) — Today is Part Three of our study of Ezekiel 38 & 39 and the Biblical prophecies concerning the coming “War of Gog & Magog.”

The stunning move in recent weeks by Russia and Iran to intensify their military alliance and to actually engage in combat operations in Syria, not far from the borders of Israel, has prompted renewed interest in these ancient prophecies. So has Israel’s discovery this month of massive amounts of oil in the Golan Heights, the explosion of Radical Islam and Apocalyptic Islam in the region, and the surge of interest in eschatology (the study of End Times matters) among Muslims, Jews and Christians around the world.

• To read the notes from Part One, please click here.
• To read the notes from Part Two, please click here.

As I explain in my 2006 non-fiction book, Epicenter — and the updated 2008 paperback release, Epicenter 2.0 — the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 are critically important but often overlooked portions of Scripture. They are also quite controversial. Sincere and well-respected Bible scholars do not all agree on how to interpret these prophecies.
Of particular dispute, for example, is the identification of Magog. Many scholars and Bible teachers believe that the evidence suggests “Magog” is the nation we today call Russia and that “Gomer” is modern-day Turkey. (I am in this group, for reasons I describe in more detail in Epicenter.) Others believe “Magog” and “Gomer” are modern-day Turkey and that Russia isn’t involved in this prophecy at all.

Another dispute: Some Christians are asking whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is the “Gog” figure describe in the prophecies. (I say it’s too early to draw such a conclusion, though I admit Putin is certainly “Gog-esque.”) Other Christians are beginning to wonder if Turkish President  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (pronounced “Air-do-wan”) is “Gog.” (I don’t believe so, but he’s certainly emerging as an enemy of Israel and an ally of Putin.)

My objective in this series of studies is not to persuade you of my view, but to explain the prophecies the best I can and help you study them for yourselves. Indeed, I believe the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 & 39 deserve much more careful study, prayer and discussion in our time — both by scholars and by lay people — especially in light of current trends.
In our study today, let’s look at what the prophet Ezekiel says will happen to the enemies of Israel when the War of Gog and Magog concludes, and what happens with Israel and the Jewish people, as well.

1. As the forces of the Russian dictator (Gog) and his military coalition — including Iran (Persia), Libya & Algeria (Put), Sudan (Cush), Turkey (Gomer), and other Islamic nations (Beth Togarmah) — converges against the State of Israel in the “last days,” the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel tells us that at the last moment when there seems to be know hope for Israeli Jews, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is going to supernaturally intervene and come to the rescue.
2. Consider Ezekiel 38:18-19. “‘It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ declares the Lord God, ‘that My fury will mount up in My anger. In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.”
3. Ezekiel tells us that this earthquake will shake the entire globe and “all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence” (38:20).
4. The enemy forces will become so frightened and disoriented during this massive earthquake that they will turn and starting fighting each other (38:21).
5. Terrible diseases (pestilence) will start to spread through the enemy forces (38:21).
6. As God judges these enemies of Israel, Ezekiel explains that the Lord “will rain on him [Gog] and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire, and brimstone.” (38:22)
7. In a scene evocative of a Hollywood blockbuster, fire from heaven will fall on the enemies of Israel, consumes and destroying them in divine judgment.
8. The Lord also says “I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coast lands in safety.” (39:6) In other words, parts of Russia and other enemy countries will be devastated supernaturally by fire from heaven.
9. The Bible does not tell us exactly how this will happen, but it clearly describes a supernatural judgment. This does not appear in the text to be a war started by the Israeli Defense Forces. These do not appear to be missiles from the Israeli Air Force. There no evidence in the text of Israeli military forces on the move and defending themselves and their nation. Perhaps Israeli leaders at that point are engaged in diplomacy, trying to persuade the Russian leader to stand down and back off. Perhaps Israeli leaders at that time are hoping for the U.S. or the U.N. other nations to intervene diplomatically or even militarily to protect them. Whatever the case, the text does not provide clear evidence of the Israeli military going into action to protect their country and defeat their enemies. Rather, the text indicates that the God of Israel steps in and defends Israel Himself, raining fire and brimstone down on the enemy forces and utterly destroying them — and doing so at the very last possible moment, when all hope appears to have been lost.
10. Why does God act to protect the nation of Israel and defeat Israel’s enemies? The Lord tells us directly in Ezekiel 38:22-23 — to bring judgment and to reveal Himself and His power and glory to Israel and the nations. “With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him [Gog]….I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.”
11. As we head deeper into the “last days” (Ezekiel 38:16) and the Second Coming of Christ, many nations — and perhaps all nations — will have forgotten or refused to believe what the Bible teaches, that God does, in fact, love the Jewish people very much. The Lord God of the Bible does love the nation of Israel. The Jewish people are by no means perfect. Yet the Bible states that God loves them still and has made promises to them and that the Lord intends to keep those promises. Indeed, the Lord God wants Israel to know that He exists and is All-Powerful and that He loves His Chosen People, and He wants the rest of the world to know that He exists and is All-Powerful and that He loves His Chosen People.
12. The devastation that results from these divine judgments is so horrific that chapter 39 tells us it takes the Israelis seven months to bury all the bodies of the enemy forces (39:12-16).
13. Ezekiel tells us it would probably take longer than seven months but the birds of the air and the beasts of the field eat many of the bodies (39:17-20)
14. The prophesies regarding Gog & Magog remind us that sin has consequences. God said in Genesis 12:1-3 that those who bless the children of Abraham will be blessed, but those who curse them will be cursed. God is patient. He is slow to anger. But when pushed too far, He will act against those who hate the Jewish people and seek to rob, kill and destroy them. Let the nations be warned.
15. There is more to the story, however. Not only will the “War of Gog and Magog” be a day of great judgment; it will also be a day of great mercy. The Bible says that the militaries of these enemies will be destroyed. There are hints here and in other texts (Jeremiah 49, for example) that the governments of these countries will be judged, as well. But God is not going to wipe out all the people of these enemy countries. To the contrary, He wants them to see His glory and His mercy. Ezekiel 39:21 — “I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them.”
16. Consider that verse carefully. The text says that “all” the nations will “see” God’s glory and judgment. Today, we are living in the first generation in human history where because of the miracle of global satellite television technology people in every country on the planet will be able to watch the prophecies of the Bible come true before their very eyes. When the Russian-Iranian alliance converges against Israel, the world will be able to see it happen on television. When fire falls from heaven on the enemy forces, the world will be able to watch it on television. Anyone in any nation that has a television will be able to see the mighty hand of God reaching into human history to bring about divine judgment on Israel’s enemies and divine mercy on Israel’s people, both Jews and Arabs. It will a dramatic moment, and “all the nations” will “see” God’s glory and power.
17. As a result, I believe Ezekiel 38-39 describes the end of Radical and Apocalyptic Islam — and effectively the end of all of Islam — as we have known it. After all, when the God of Israel destroys these Islamic and Russian military forces supernaturally while Muslims watch live on Al Jazeera and other networks, how will Muslims wake up the day after and believe that the Qur’an is the true word of God and that Muhammad is a true prophet? As a result of the War of Gog & Magog, the vast majority of Muslims will abandon Islam. They will have seen their god and false prophet defeated before their very eyes, by the God of Israel, no less. As a result, their faith in Islam will be shattered. Many will turn to faith in Jesus Christ. Not all, of course, but many will because they will have seen the Word of God come true right in front of them and the Word was God and the Word is God and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and His name is Jesus the Messiah. (John chapter 1)
18. Thus, the War of Gog & Magog may very well turn out to be the most dramatic moment of Muslims converting to faith in Jesus Christ in fourteen centuries.
19. Meanwhile, Israelis will feel very afraid and very much alone as the crisis builds and unfolds, right up until the Lord shows His mighty hand. But at that point, when they see the judgment of their enemies, then even those who are secular will know there is a God in heaven.
20. Consider Ezekiel 39:22 — “And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God from that day onward.”
21. Consider Ezekiel 39:25-26,28 — “Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. They will forget their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid….Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land and I will leave none of them there any longer.’”
22. Israeli and Jewish secularism will be over, once and for all.
23. On top of all this, the Lord says He will no longer hide His face from the Jewish people and that He will pour out His Holy Spirit upon the Jewish people. “I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord.” (39:29)
24. As a result, many Jews will come to faith in Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, for that is the role of the Holy Spirit, to reveal the true identity of Jesus to people. Jesus said in John 14:26, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (see also John 16:13-15.) Not all Jews will come to faith in Jesus at that time, but many will because the Father will pour out His Holy Spirit on the house of Israel.
25. While we know these events will all happen in the “last days” (38:16), we cannot determine whether the “War of Gog and Magog” will happen before the Rapture (when the Lord suddenly snatches born again believers in Jesus off of the earth, prior to the Tribulation) or not, because the text does not tell us one way or the other.
26. That said, I believe it is very possible — not certain, but very possible — that these events will unfold within this generation, and possibly quite soon. We are certainly seeing geopolitical events unfolding in a way consistent with Ezekiel 38-39.
27. Therefore, the most important question we must ask is this: Since the Lord in Ezekiel 38:7 told Gog, the enemy of Israel, to “get ready, be prepared,” what then should Israelis themselves and friends of Israel be doing? Shouldn’t we, too, get ready and be prepared — spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, and in every other possible way, for the coming War of Gog & Magog?
28. These prophecies are some of the most interesting and important descriptions of End Times events in all of the Bible. Unfortunately, too few people in the world are aware of them, or have read them, much less studied them carefully. May the Lord bless you and reveal Himself and His heart to you as you get yourself ready for the prophecies coming our way.

In our next study, I will answer some frequently asked questions about these prophecies.

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

Prophecy Watchers

 Reposted from facebook.com

The Torah reading (Parsha) being read in Jewish synagogues all over the world this week comes from this passage in Ezekiel 38. It begins on Saturday, October 3rd. That's two days away. Oh my. Here it is. 

Ezekiel 38:18
And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.

And the Parsha reading ends with this verse. 

Ezekiel 39:7- So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

Who's ready to head on home? Was the Blood Moon a portend of this big event? Was the Shemitah a sign of things to come? Has Mr. Putin come to take a spoil? Hmmm. Stay tuned and keep watching everybody!

Bill Salus: The Prophetic Timeline - Part 1

Is This Sheba, Dedan and (the Merchants of) Tarsish’s Last Dance?

Reblogged from  bibleprophecyfortoday.com via servehiminthewaiting.com
Currently there are two factions engaged in an ongoing battle: The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as well as the Houthi rebels backed by Iran in Yemen.
The military coalition currently fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and the military coalition fighting to stop Iran in Yemen BOTH are comprised of allied Arab and Western military forces that are collaborating together. The rather interesting tidbit here is that this coalition is exactly identical to what the Lord prophesied to Ezekiel as “Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions…
 
Ezekiel 39:1-14––-And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,  To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

The irony here is that when the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 takes place, this same coalition actually questions the invasion and has no part in it. 
Genesis 10:7—And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

According to Genesis 10:7, Sheba and Dedan are the grandsons of Cush. But they are also the same names used of the grandsons of Abraham by his second wife Keturah. And they are the fathers of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is not necessarily from the lineage of Ishmael. They come from Sheba and Dedan who were the sons of Keturah, the 2nd wife of Abraham.
Genesis 25:1-3—Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
 
Haven’t you noticed recently that there seems to have been a sort of drift or separation between Saudi Arabia and the more fundamentalist Islamic countries? There are reports indicating that Saudi Arabia is very concerned about Isis making their way towards Saudi Arabia as well. 
The Saudi Kingdom is fed up with defending against ISIS raiding parties that routinely cross over the Iraqi border. In order to stave off these assaults, the Saudis have been building a gargantuan, 600-mile long border fence across the length of the country’s border with Iraq.

This fence is double layered with a concertina wire barrier in no man’s land. It is be equipped with underground movement sensors and fiber optic cables which are connected directly to authorities in Riyadh. On the Saudi side of the fence, 240 rapid response vehicles patrol the border along with helicopters that  support those manning the 38 communications towers and 32 military response stations strategically placed along the fence.

Most Muslims are divided into two major camps with many side issues. The two sides are Shiite, who are more fundamentalist and the Sunni, who are not as radical. The Saudi Arabians are Sunni and they control the holy sites of Mecca & Medina. There is Shi’ites are for the most part from Iran and anticipating the rise of the Mahdi.
Anyways, according to verse 13, they are merely questioning this invasion and not confronting it militarily. The question that needs to be asked is this: Is the House of Saud about to fall? And if that’s the case, now that the United States is openly endorsing a Palestinian state, is the U.S. about to fall? That being said…..

Now we are about to enter some touchy territory:
13 …and the merchants of Tarsish, with all the young lions thereof,…
Actually it’s the the word means to plant. As in planting villages. Let me explain. Hebraically speaking, it means the merchants of Tarsish planted villages somewhere in the world. In your Bible, the merchants of Tarsish are mentioned 24 times. Several of those passages connect them with ships. Thus, they are a seafaring people.
Psalm 72:10—The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
Psalm 72:10, refers to the kings of Tarsish and of the islands.
Ezekiel 27:12—Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.
Ezekiel 27:12 refers to a multitude of riches that they have including silver, iron, tin and lead.

Kind of interesting that the name Brittania, from which Great Britain gets its name, means a land of tin, and it is an island beyond Tarsish. Now in the ancient world, Tarsish was thought of being at the tip of Spain. The area we know as Gibraltar.
Recent archaeological finds inspired the book, America, B.C., by Professor Barry Fell of Harvard University. With an estimated date of 700-600 B.C., the findings suggest that voyagers were probably not explorers but rather merchants trading with the New England Celts who, by that dates, were already well established fur trappers and very likely also mining precious metals from those sites where ancient workings have been discovered. If the findings of Professor Fell are accurate, large colonies of Celts had been brought by ship from Tarshish, Spain, to mine for ore and trap for furs and thus to establish trading posts deep within the American continent. They must surely be recognized as belonging to Ezekiel’s “merchants of Tarshish.”

Now the Book of Ezekiel was written around 500 B.C., during Babylonian captivity. 300 years prior to that we have evidence that there were people here in America. All the way in Iowa as well as all over in New England they have found inscriptions. These have now been deciphered. And guess what, there in glowing terms unmistakable, we have the name merchants of Tarsish, who were here in America.
Apparently as a seafaring people , they had planted themselves in “the islands far away from Europe.” And these people, may have been apparently as far away as the British Isles. They had a vast network of economy and shipping that was taking place hundreds of years before Jesus Christ walked the face of the earth. This means that when Ezekiel wrote this, he would have known about them!

This is not a new revelatory “prophecy point.” There is accurate evidence that can prove its authenticity. You can do the research yourself. But we have an even greater accurate and authentic proof and that is the Bible itself.
So then this reference to merchants of Tarsish could not only refer to the British Isles, but it may also allude to The Unites States of America! And if that is true, then all we are doing is the same thing that Saudi Arabia is doing, which is not intervening in this war.
Recently , it seems as if we have been doing a lot of work with Saudi Arabia, who apparently have been very friendly with us. Nonetheless, it seems as if even the U.S. is just questioning about this invasion and not doing anything about it. This seems to indicate that there will be no deliberate military action engaged by any of these nations in opposition to the coalition of Gog and Magog which will be led by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Note that Ezekiel refers not just to Tarshish, but to “the merchants of Tarshish with all its young lions” (KJV). This phrase is a Hebrew idiom meaning nations that have come out of Tarshish. The young lions of Tarshish are a reference to the colonies that emerged from Britain and Europe – including the USA. Out of the Merchants of Tarshish came the colonial Empires. The most successful of these was Great Britain. The symbol of Great Britain is a lion. That symbol exists to this day and no other empire had more young lions than Great Britain. The present young lions are the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Commonwealth. These young lion nations that came out of the British Empire have generally been pro-Israel.

Therefore, ‘the young lions of Tarshish’ describes the USA in the last days joining in with her European and Saudi allies to lodge a formal protest against the Russian-Islamic aggressors.
My concern has always been that when the U.S., who currently seemed to be the only ally of Israel, ever decided to turn its back on Israel, watch out! Jerusalem will a trembling cup to ALL nations. ALL nations will gather to fight against Jerusalem.
I just mentioned in the previous post that our current administration has now given the long awaited “green light” to European governments to file a UN Security Council motion proclaiming an independent Palestinian state. Senior US officials reportedly collaborated with their French counterparts in Paris last week to sketch out the general outline of this motion. The United States has now joined 136 other nations who now are vouching for a Palestinian State.This will absolutely shatter U.S. relations with Israel and plunge the entire Middle East into chaos!

By the way, these  nations have a combined population of more than 5.5 billion people. And the Vatican has jumped in to endorse a Palestinian state as well. Whose left???

I believe it is very possible that the “Day of the LORD” is not too far off in the very near distant future. ( Here is a link to a previous post on the Day of the LORD:  http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/02/28/the-day-of-the-lord/
It is also very possible that if and when the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are weakened and or ready to be overtaken if not overtaken already, God forbid, then you will see the Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38-39 spring into action. 

If all of what I mentioned is indeed a reality then saints of God it’s just like that famous airline commercial: “pack your bags…..it’s on!”

Is the Ezekiel 38-39 Gog-Magog battle imminent?

Reblogged from Elizabeth Prata the-end-time.blogspot.com.br  

photo credit: a l-ust for all things pointless via photopin cc

God is setting the stage to bring Himself glory.

Hallelujah!

Here is the story:

In Ezekiel 38 and 39 a battle occurs. It is the most lengthy and detailed prophetic battle in the entire bible, even more than Armageddon. This future battle is a coalition which has never formed before in quite the configuration described. For this reason, bible scholars believe the battle to be yet future. I use the term battle and not war deliberately, because this seems to be a very short military foray. As a matter of fact, hardly any weapons are loosed, it is over so quick. It is a battle, and God wins it decisively.
In addition, the battle is not between nations. It is between this coalition of nations and God Himself. The coalition of nations doesn't know it, because they think they are marching against Israel. But it is God who intervenes and protects Israel by smiting the advancing army.

He does this in demonstrable and vivid ways. He wins the battle for Israel so clearly that the nations know it is God who is doing the fighting. More on those details below.

photo credit: MoudBarthez
via photopin cc

The coalition which is prophesied to come against Israel includes Iran, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan (i.e. northern tier of North Africa). Also Sheba and Dedan (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen? most likely). The merchants of Tarshish (no one quite knows who those people are) and all its leaders stand by. They don't participate in the evil coalition, but they don't help Israel either. They are interested sidelines quarterbacks. (Ezekiel 38:13).

The LORD said that He will plan this and execute it. He said in Ezekiel 38:4- "And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords".

He will do this to show the world that HE IS ISRAEL'S PROTECTOR! And to bring himself glory!!

"And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them." (Ezekiel 39:22-24)

He shows His protection of Israel and His glory by doing things that only God does:

"In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:19-22)

All the people on the face of the earth tremble at His presence??!?! Even the birds?! He rains brimstone down! Turns over mountains! He sends plague! Some estimate the number of dead invaders at three quarters of a million up to a billion dead. All the earth will know God is on the scene. It will be a momentous day. His wrath is a fearful thing.

Remember when the Japan 9.0 quake happened in March 2011? It was a powerful enough quake that it jolted the earth off its axis 8 feet. The quake in Ezekiel's Gog-Magog battle will be ten times worse. A hundred times worse. I can't quantify it because my brain can't comprehend all the mountains on earth turning over and every cliff and every wall falling down.

photo credit: chany14 via photopin cc

I am so thrilled when the LORD receives Glory and He magnifies Himself. He has been doing that in the Church Age the last 2000 years by redeeming lost sinners, cleansing them with His Son's blood. In the future Gog-Magog battle Ezekiel describes, He will give Himself glory by demonstrating both His raw power and His seriousness about keeping His covenant promise with Israel.

When does this Gog-Magog battle happen? No one is sure where it falls on the schedule of prophesied events, and there are a lot of opinions on this topic. The only collective thought is that it happens at or after the tribulation. All the stances have some biblical credibility, but some stances are weaker than others and some are stronger. Personally, I used to think it will happen at or just after the rapture. But in reading the verse about every mountain falling down, I am not so sure. In Revelation 6:14 we read that:

"The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place."

So the Ezekiel earthquake removes every mountain by overturning them but then the Revelation earthquake crumbles them ... again?

photo credit: ronsho © via photopin cc

If the Ezekiel battle happens at the outset of the Tribulation, then the verse where God says in Ezekiel 39:7 that "I will not let my Holy name be profaned any more" would not be true, since His holy name is continually profaned throughout the Tribulation. The antichrist is especially blasphemous. The verse mentions blasphemy three times in succession:

"And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,a that is, those who dwell in heaven." (Revelation 13:5-6).

Many have said that since the Ezekiel battle mentions in chapter 39 a special crew of buriers burying the dead over the course of 7 months, marking bones with a flag to identify another part of another body from the army God vanquished. And the people of Israel shall use the weapons for fuel for 7 years, so people believe the 7 years means the battle occurs at the outset of the Tribulation and Israel burns fuel for the duration of it, which is 7 years. However, there is no reason the 7 years could not refer to a battle toward the end of the Tribulation, and the fuel burning overlapping into the Millennium. Or it could occur at the end of the Millennium, a more likely prospect since during that 1000 years God's name is not profaned, AND Israel is dwelling peacefully and securely without walls (Ezekiel 38:11, Ezekiel 39:25).

In other words, the timing of this prophesied battle cannot be clearly and dogmatically stated.

In any case, it seems that the world stage is active and lively right now with prophetic implications of these battles to come. We see a potential Gog in Putin, and Russia rising. We see an isolated Israel, bemoaning they only have God and their military to rely on. God is stripping Israel of all, and when Israel finally says, 'we have ONLY God', He will bring them back to His bosom.

photo credit: Wessex Archaeology
via photopin cc

Since the chapters of Ezekiel 38-39 show the LORD bringing His people back into personal dealing again, the Gog-Magog battle cannot occur while the church is on earth. Since His program for the church and the nation Israel are separate, it seems the church will be gone when He resumes dealing with the nation of Jews.

During this Church Age, God is dealing with people via His Spirit and through Resurrected Jesus who is in heaven. It is an age of grace, not of wrath. During the Tribulation He parts the veil and personally intervenes on earth again- in wrath and not in grace.

Here are several progressive essays which examine the timing of the Gog-Magog battle. They are from Nathan Jones of Lamb and Lion Ministries, and one is from John MacArthur, who believes the Ezekiel battle will occur at the Millennium's close. As always, check out these things for yourself, pray, and think.

1. The Gog-Magog Battle - Search For Timing

2. The Gog-Magog Battle - Before the Tribulation?

3. The Gog-Magog Battle - During the Tribulation?

4. The Gog-Magog Battle - During the Millennium?

5. The Gog-Magog Battle - Unfolding; (their stance on the timing)

6. Twelve attributes of God the study of the Ezekiel Battle yields

John MacArthur: The Gog Magog battle timing- at the end of the Millennium

I hope that when you read those essays and especially when you read the bible, do so with a notion that God is great, and His purpose for all of it is to bring glory to Himself, and to bring people to holiness. End time studies are meant to revive our hearts in love and awe for a great and holy God, to make us aware of the temporal and fleeting time and body in which we live, and the eternal importance of souls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Further reading:

Joel C Rosenberg: What Netanyahu Is Learning from President Obama’s Vacillations on Syria

Joel C Rosenberg: Does Jeremiah 49 prophesy the destruction of Damascus?

Israel National News/Op-Ed: Obama has tripped over his own red line

Mother Jones: Oh Magog! Why End-Times Buffs Are Freaking Out About Syria

This article from two days ago from CBS notes that Russia's Putin threatens nuclear war of Syria is touched. It was that article that made me think of the Ezekiel battle in the first place, with the chapter 39 detailed explanation of the buriers burying for 7 months via a special clean up crew with flags marking bones and bodies. this is the protocol for nuclear cleanup. Also for biological clean up after plague.

Russia Warns Of Nuclear Disaster If Syria Is Attacked

The Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 … Part 1

Reblogged from: gracethrufaith.com/popular-posts-from-the-past/the-battle-of-ezekiel-38-39-part-1  

Table of contents for The Battle of Ezekiel 38-39

1. The Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 … Part 1
2. The Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 … Part 2
3. The Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 … Part 3
4. The Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 … Part 4, Conclusion

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
I first began studying Ezekiel 38 in the 1980′s and have watched with great interest as our changing world conforms more and more to Ezekiel’s words.  As the time of the end draws nearer the insights we gain from the changes around us give us a better understanding of Bible prophecy in general and Ezekiel 38 in particular.  In this update of our study we’ll apply these insights to Ezekiel’s 2600 year old prophecy.

What Time Is It?

First of all, let’s get some kind of time frame settled. Ezekiel’s prophecies are chronological.  Falling between the prophecies of Israel’s modern re-birth (Ezekiel 36-37) and the Millennium (Ezekiel 40-48),  the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 has to take place during a time of peace after 1948 but before the 2nd coming, and all agree it hasn’t happened yet. This has led some to see the passage as a description of Armageddon, but as we’ll see there are many prominent nations missing from this battle whereas Zechariah 14:2 prophecies that every nation will join the battle of Armageddon.  That being the case, the time frame narrows to sometime between 1948 and the beginning of the Great Tribulation, after which no place in the world will be at peace, especially Israel.

Ezekiel prophesied that the Lord would use this battle to turn Israel back to Him and to complete the return of Jews from all over the world to Israel, not leaving any behind (Ezekiel 39:28). This leads us to believe that the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 is the event that re-starts the clock on the 490-year period of time spoken of by Daniel, the famous 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24-27. 69 of those weeks (483 years) had come when the Messiah was crucified and the Temple destroyed, stopping the clock one week (seven years) short of fulfillment. I believe the dramatic victory the Lord wins over Israel’s enemies in Ezekiel’s battle will convince them to officially re-instate their Old Covenant relationship with Him to fulfill the remaining seven years of Daniel’s prophecy. 

This will require two things to happen.  First they’ll need a Temple for worship. It’s this Temple that’s later desecrated by the anti-Christ, kicking off the Great Tribulation.

And second, the Church will have to disappear. Paul wrote that Israel had been hardened in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25). That means as long as the Church is around Israel won’t be able to recognize God’s involvement in their national life.  But the Battle of Ezekiel 38 will be such a miraculous victory that it will re-awaken Israel to God’s presence. This means the Dispensation of Grace will have come to an end and the Church will be gone by the time this battle comes to an end.

With all this in mind, let’s begin a careful study of Ezekiel 38-39, to prepare us for these events should they become reality soon.
The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army-your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops-the many nations with you. (Ezek. 38:1-6)

In another study, I made the claim that Gog is a supernatural figure (perhaps Satan’s counterpart to the Archangel Michael) and the behind the scenes commander of this event, while Magog is listed in Genesis 10 as one of Noah’s grandsons, a son of Japeth. Over 130 historical references demonstrate that Magog is the father of today’s Russian people. (For a more detailed treatment on the modern names of all the nations mentioned in this passage, click here.)

The phrase “hooks in the jaw” comes from the equestrian world where a special bridle is used to make a rebellious horse obedient to its rider’s commands.  It symbolizes God forcing Russia to become involved in this battle to assure that His will is done. Persia is the ancient name for Iran, Cush and Put represent the North African nations, Gomer was Magog’s brother and settled along the Danube River in what would become Eastern Europe, and Togarmah, a son of Gomer, inhabited what’s now known as Turkey. The characteristic all these nations have in common today is their religion. They’re all Moslem.

“Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land. (Ezek. 38:7-9)

The fact that Israel is the target in this passage is self evident, but a controversy has developed around the Hebrew word “betach” translated “in safety” in verse 8. A secondary meaning, “carelessly” could mean that they’re not really safe but just think they are and so their guard is down.   To achieve either of the conditions this word implies would require a truly miraculous change in Israel’s current situation and for many years scholars were uncertain as to how this could ever happen.

But a little known prophecy in the Psalms might have the answer.  According to Psalm 83 all of Israel’s next door neighbors will unite in an effort to wipe Israel completely off the map.  But Israel will soundly defeat them and capture their lands as well. Enemies like Hezbollah, Lebanon, the Palestinians, Hamas, etc.  will cease to exist, and the lands they now occupy will once again belong to Israel.  (Many people don’t realize that even the land of Lebanon was originally given to Israel and will belong to Israel again in the Millennium.)

From events currently unfolding in Syria, it’s also beginning to look like the Isaiah 17 prophecy of the destruction of Damascus could be fulfilled at the same time.  Israel has officially declared that they’ll hold Syria responsible for any attack by Hezbollah, and will retaliate accordingly.

If the fulfillment of Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 precede the Battle Ezekiel 38, it helps explain how Israel could be taken by surprise when the Moslem coalition attacks and why none of Israel’s next door neighbors are mentioned in Ezekiel’s line up.
Next time we’ll look at the other nations that are not involved in this battle and you’ll see why it can’t be referring to Armageddon.  We’ll also see how the Lord chooses to reveal Himself to the nations. See you then.