Heavenly Father, as we prepare to embark on another year, we ask that you give us a fresh revelation of you and your Word. We ask for direction and guidance into our destiny and the ability to see new territories and new opportunities that you have for us. We ask for prophetic insight that we would be able to see the religious scene from your viewpoint and help us to see things from a kingdom perspective and not a worldly perspective. We ask for discernment so that we could tell when it is you at work and when it is the great deceiver at work. We pray for anointing, and empowering, and favor so that we could see how we influence others both positively and negatively in the church and in the secular world. We pray for a continual blessing of your presence in our lives. We pray that we are aligned with your purpose, and if we are not aligned with your purpose, we ask that you remove that which hinders us in this way so that we can advance down the path that is chosen for us. Finally, we ask for a breakthrough in this coming year and a season of recovery that will enable us to move past the hurts and the pains from the past and have our enthusiasm and joy renewed in you.
Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan was a world-renowned Torah authority known popularly as the Chofetz Chaim. Rabbi Kagan passed away in 1933, after the First World War but before the beginning of World War II.
The Chofetz Chaim wrote that Gog and Magog would be a three-stage war. He believed that World War One, what was called at the time the War to end all wars, was the first stage. Though he did not live to see World War II, we can assume that was the second stage. He predicted that the final war would be the worst of all.
Iran announced last week that they will, for the first time, hold joint war drills with China, and Russia. One rabbi, an end-of-days expert, stated that this will bring together all the elements “to end all of history.”
O mortal, turn your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him Ezekiel 38:2
Rabbi Shvili understood the Hebrew word in the verse, rosh (chief) as identifying Russia to be the leader of the Gog and Magog coalition. Rabbi Shvili predicted that the Russian-led coalition will be opposed by a coalition of comparable size, comprising soldiers from all 70 nations.
The Bible explicitly identifies Iran’s role in the War of Gog and Magog.
I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws, and lead you out with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all of them clothed in splendor, a vast assembly, all of them with bucklers and shields, wielding swords. Among them shall be Persia, Nubia, and Put, everyone with shield and helmet; Ezekiel 38:4-5
Iran is the modern incarnation of Persia (name changed in 1935). (Ref. Daniel 10:13)
It is interesting to note that some Medieval Christian travelers to China reported the Mongol belief that their nation was descended from Magog. The Mongolian Empire once included sections of Russia, China, and North Korea. The Chinese and all the minority groups living in China are of the Mongoloid race, which stems from Noah’s son Japheth. Etymologists have conjectured that the name Mongol is derived from the name Magog. (https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/140996/descendants-gog-magog-join-russia-iran-joint-military-drill/)
Honestly, no one knows when the final battle will take place. No one knows what events will trigger the final battle, but it is important to understand that the world sees time as an endless cycle that will continue on for eternity. The Bible on the other hand, explicitly states that time as we know it will come to an end.
When I first saw the ‘war games’ that these three countries were doing, something inside of me felt extremely uneasy. Now I know, that as we continue to read in Exekiel 38-39, we are informed that these events will take place.
Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah will invade Israel for the purpose of (1) erasing them from existence and (2) to try to take away the riches that Israel has been blessed with. Some nations will protest against this, but will not fight against it. These nations include Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and their Young Lions (which could all be Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UK, North America, South America). The ‘protests’ could actually be other nations silently waiting to see how they could benefit from Israel’s defeat. (REMAINING SILENT WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE ARE BEING PERSECUTED IS ACTUALLY A VOICE FAVORING THE PERSECUTION).
This battle may happen before the beginning of the last seven-year period of human government before the glorious return of Jesus Christ, and may in some way usher in the dominance of the final world leader and his government.
· This battle may happen in the middle of the last seven-year period of human government before the glorious return of Jesus Christ. It may mark the promised hostility against Israel and the Jewish people and their promised protection by God.
· This battle may happen at the end of the last seven-year period of human government before the glorious return of Jesus Christ. There is a connection between Revelation 19:17-18 and Ezekiel 39:17-20.
· This battle may happen as referenced by Revelation 20:7-9. Not all Christians agree on the specific concepts of God’s plan for the future, but some of those who see the establishment of a physical, material kingdom of Jesus over this earth for 1,000 years think that the Gog invasion happens at the end of that 1,000 years, as Revelation 20:7-9 mentions Gog and Magog.
As we continue to read in 38-39, we also see that God will be the one to protect Israel and defeat the opposing armies. So He claims that people will know that God is the Lord due to his ‘greatness and holiness.’
With all this said, let me simply say that no matter what the enemy tries to throw at you, If God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31) God has already invested everything He has in us so that we can continue to live without fear of eternal death. If somebody or something invests everything they can in us, you can be certain that He will protect us.
Isaiah 54:17--no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.
There are two things that are obvious from this scripture:
1. Weapons need to be formed before they come to you
2. Weapons are being deployed against Christians. Psa 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
Like I said earlier, we don’t know when this final battle will take place. We don’t know how it will all unfold. WE DO KNOW that there will be a battle and all of eternity hangs in the balance for many people. For those who are saved, this is something that is expected and we also know it will usher in the final days of the last days. But if you are not saved, or right with Jesus, this can be an extremely terrifying time.
