AN UPDATE ON ISRAEL AND IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES (CONTINUING MY LAST POST)
Very recently I submitted a message about the Israel-Iraq conflict looking at prophecy. I don’t want to make capital out of the Middle East situation but there are additional points that I want to make since that last post. I do so because I think the times are very strategic right now.
If you have followed my posts you will know that I speak and write on much of scripture not just prophetic matters in that big word “eschatology”. I have especially studied that though, since I was 16 and that was over 65 years ago.
Let us get into it.
DONALD TRUMP
The last time I raised this item the President was non-committal about involving B2s to destroy the underground sites, but since that time he authorised the B2s and the bunker buster bombs. I believe there are several reasons he did that (again as an outsider, not an American citizen). This is how I see it.
(a). He is probably the most supportive President of the Jews ever, and certainly the most loyal President for Israel since the nation came into being in 1948. As I write this, a cease fire has been called and we don’t know what the outcome will be, say, a week from that.
(b). He – and the world – knows that Iran will not cease from pursuing nuclear weapons. All Iran has done for years is to stall talks and continue with their objective. Their stockpiles of enriched uranium have been removed and Israel knows where it is being stored. They decided not to attack.
(c). Iran had begun firing ballistic missiles that are deadly and accurate and are killing Israeli citizens. Iran is not attacking military targets but ordinary citizens. These weapons are being supplied by Russia and definitely China (more on that later). I think Trump wanted to end that indiscriminate killing.
(d). Trump has the unwritten support of the Middle East nations who are frightened of Iran’s Shi’a military EXPANSIONISM as most Islamic nations are Sunni. To act against Iran in the way he did, would not upset any of them.
WHAT IS BEING SPOKEN ABOUT THE GOG/MAGOG WAR?
Much is being written and spoken about the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 and much of it is wrong. This is particularly so of many YouTube spectacular videos. I want to state what the different positions are on this and tell you what I think can be the only correct one.
(a). THE GOG WAR HAS STARTED. A lot of YouTube videos of the last month take this position. It is like they see Israel and Iran in the News and therefore conclude it has to be the Gog war. This is shocking exegesis. Too much sensationalism is on YouTube just to gain numbers of views. Let us look at two small passages from Ezekiel that I did quote last time :-
[1]. {{Ezekiel 38:15 “and you will come FROM YOUR PLACE OUT OF THE REMOTE PARTS OF THE NORTH, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army,”}}. {{Ezekiel 39:2 “and I shall turn you around, drive you on, take you up from THE REMOTEST PARTS OF THE NORTH, and bring you against the mountains of Israel”}}. Iran is not the “remote north”. Strong’s says for this word “remote” or “far” – “flank, side, extreme parts, recesses.”
The ESV = the uttermost parts of the north.” The Holman bible = “the remotest parts of the north.” Those translations of the word are the most common across the various translations. The remotest parts of the north lie in the Russian area. Look at a map of what is the remotest region north of Israel.
[2]. {{Ezekiel 38:5-6 “PERSIA, ETHIOPIA, AND PUT with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops — many peoples with you.”}} That is not the full list of nations that comprise the Gog alliance – just some of them, headed up by Russia probably. Note that Ethiopia is mentioned as well as Libya (Put). Neither of those had anything to do with the current situation.
(b). THE GOG WAR CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME NOW
This position is so wrong. It just can’t be the case as I will show. Those who adopt this position usually try to force the war before the Rapture or in the first half of the Tribulation. Both are just so incorrect. Am I being dogmatic as I would be accused of? No, I am not and here is the proof.
THE PROOF
*** Notice this verse that speaks of the end of the Gog nations and their alliance – {{Ezekiel 38:22-23 “With pestilence and with blood I shall enter into judgment with him, and I shall rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain with hailstones, fire, and brimstone. I shall magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and MAKE MYSELF KNOWN in the sight of many nations and THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.”}}
This is the Lord’s personal intervention in the affairs of the world and is so dramatic that the whole world will know about it. An intervention like that just can’t happen before the Rapture as we are in the age of grace. Nor can it happen in the first half of the Tribulation for the following reason –
*** THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! {{Ezekiel 39:6-8 “I shall send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety and they will know that I am the LORD. “MY HOLY NAME I SHALL MAKE KNOWN IN THE MIDST OF MY PEOPLE ISRAEL and I SHALL NOT LET MY HOLY NAME BE PROFANED ANYMORE AND THE NATIONS WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD, THE HOLY ONE IN ISRAEL. Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken.”}}
When God defeats the Gog alliance, two things will happen. THE FIRST is that the LORD makes known His holy name in Israel. That is a momentous thing. The very God of Israel will be known to the people living there. Many, many scriptures point to that time as being when the Lord returns to Israel, to the Mount of Olives. That is at the Second Coming. His name will not be known or honoured BEFORE the Second Coming, meaning that the Gog war can not happen until close to the Second Coming (but it happens leading up to the Second Coming). I know people want to place themselves into groups like pre-Rapture, post-Rapture, pre-Tribulation, post-Tribulation, pre-Millennium, post Millennium, no-Millennium, Preterist, Historicist, and probably a lot of others also. All I would ask is seriously consider these scriptures and let them speak for themselves.
*** THE SECOND is this important statement – “I SHALL NOT LET MY HOLY NAME BE PROFANED ANYMORE.” That is eternal. Anymore, is not ever again. That can not happen before the Second Coming because we know right up to that Coming, the world’s armies blaspheme God and Israel, under the Antichrist and the False Prophet and they meet their end at the Battle of Armageddon at the Second Coming. Therefore Ezekiel 39:7 is impossible to happen before the Second Coming.
These scriptures can not be spiritualised or allegorised to alter their meaning. God does not speak in fairytales or fantasies. All this is literal and will happen.
(c). THE GOG WAR HAPPENS ALONG WITH THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
The Battle of Armageddon is large but the armies will be small. 7 years of pounding Tribulation has reduced the earth’s population by over 60% and chaos reigns. Armageddon is when all the enemies of God and Israel face their own destruction. {{Revelation 16:13-14 “I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs, for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, TO GATHER THEM TOGETHER FOR THE WAR of the great day of God, the Almighty.”}} That is really sad but it is a biblical truth. It is the position I have been outlining, and the only one that makes sense. All the enemies come together.
THE DESTRUCTION AND END OF THE GOG/MAGOG ALLIANCE
Russia heads this up. It is the nation from the remotest north (and Rosh) and you have other nations from the north which I think are Islamic ones. You have Iran, and Ethiopia (an unusual grouping) and Libya and others.
At the same time the kings of the east have moved into the Middle East, namely to Israel – {{Revelation 16:12-14 “The sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates, and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for THE KINGS FROM THE EAST. I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs, for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”}}
These kings of the east (ruling nations) will come from east of Israel and there you have Korea, Japan, India probably, but especially China. Keep watching, because right now Russia and China have ties with Iran. Russia supplies the ballistic missiles, and many cargo ships from China have been bringing to the Middle East (TO Iran) solid fuel for the rockets. Already we see the embryo of the gathering of nations, and the Gog members and the kings of the east are starting to awaken.
THIS IS THE END OF GOG! THE FULL END! AND OF IRAN!
{{Ezekiel 39:17-19 “As for you, son of man,” thus says the Lord GOD, ‘SPEAK TO EVERY KIND OF BIRD and to every beast of the field. Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice ON THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. YOU SHALL EAT THE FLESH OF MIGHTY MEN, AND DRINK THE BLOOD OF THE PRINCES OF THE EARTH, as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. You will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you,”}}
Those verses describe the full end of this Gog alliance. They will be devoured by the birds and the beasts. However this passage has a parallel equivalent also.
Now let us look at a description of the Second Coming and the Battle of Armageddon for that parallel passage. Here it is - {{Revelation 19:17-18 I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all THE BIRDS WHICH FLY IN MID-HEAVEN, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, in order that you may EAT THE FLESH OF KINGS AND THE FLESH OF COMMANDERS AND THE FLESH OF MIGHTY MEN and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”}}. You can see the close connection between the Ezekiel and Revelation passages, and that is because Gog’s defeat and the Battle of Armageddon are at the same time. All those who will come against Israel will become food for the predators of the earth.
I will always warn you against speculation that goes off in tangents. I will say something I can not prove; just say it and leave it at that. I have read that there is a growing population of predatory birds in the Middle East.
NO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
I did say last time that when the Church goes in the Rapture the very next event to happen on earth is the white horse that is revealed with the breaking of the first seal – Revelation 6:1-2. That is the revelation of the world ruler, the Antichrist. As mentioned last time in Daniel he draws up this covenant with Israel for 7 years. This is a covenant of peace and other involvements. The very reason this will have to be done is that the Middle East will have no peace before the Rapture and this miracle worker fully empowered by Satan will broker this peace covenant. We can see the playing field already being set for that. Donald trump is trying for peace, and praise to him for trying, but it won’t happen or last. Blessed are the peacemakers.
ANOTHER MOST INTERESTING PASSAGE IN ISAIAH
Those of you who follow the traditional evangelical teaching of eschatology hold to the Church age ending with the Rapture, then the 7 year Tribulation that ends with the Second Coming (the Coming in Glory), followed by the Millennium reign of Christ as Messiah in Jerusalem.
The Millennium is a time of great peace and prosperity. There are many Old Testament prophecies set in the Millennium, but one I do want to raise. Let us have some verses speaking of the conditions in that time when Jesus reigns –
{{Isaiah 11:4 “but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth, and HE WILL STRIKE THE EARTH WITH THE ROD OF HIS MOUTH AND WITH THE BREATH OF HIS LIPS HE WILL SLAY THE WICKED. Isaiah 11:5 ALSO RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE THE BELT ABOUT HIS LOINS, and FAITHFULNESS the belt about His waist. Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will dwell with the lamb and the leopard will lie down with the kid and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little boy will lead them. Isaiah 11:7 Also the cow and the bear will graze. Their young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox. Isaiah 11:8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. Isaiah 11:9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”}}.
Verse 4 is judgement before blessing. It is judgement on wickedness and then the Millennium Kingdom will follow. This is exactly what the Second Coming is about – judgement on wickedness, and blessing for Israel and the sheep nations. Do you see the expression “the rod of His mouth”, and “breath of His lips He will slay the wicked” (v 4)? That is none other than His Coming in Glory matching Revelation 19 – {{Revelation 19:15 “FROM HIS MOUTH COMES A SHARP SWORD so that with it HE MAY SMITE THE NATIONS, and He will rule them with a rod of iron, and HE TREADS THE WINE PRESS OF THE FIERCE WRATH OF GOD, the Almighty.”}} Those descriptions in Isaiah and Revelation are of Armageddon, parallel passages.
Again look at this Isaiah verse – {{Isaiah 11:5 ALSO RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE THE BELT ABOUT HIS LOINS, and FAITHFULNESS the belt about His waist.}} and compare it with a Revelation 19 verse, one of the Second Coming – {{Revelation 19:11 “I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called FAITHFUL AND TRUE, and IN RIGHTEOUSNESS HE JUDGES and wages war.”}}. Here He is! The Lord of righteousness and faithfulness! That too, will govern His Kingdom.
Jesus comes, to Armageddon, and then to establish His Millennium Kingdom on earth after He has cleansed the earth of war. {{Isaiah 2:4 “He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples, and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. NATION WILL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION, AND NEVER AGAIN WILL THEY LEARN WAR.”}}. It will be a time of peace and great productivity and nature will be restored to its happiness in the Millennium, for at this present time it is groaning for that –
{{Romans 8:19-22 “THE ANXIOUS LONGING OF THE CREATION WAITS EAGERLY for the revealing of the sons of God, for THE CREATION WAS SUBJECTED TO FUTILITY, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it - in hope that THE CREATION ITSELF ALSO WILL BE SET FREE FROM ITS SLAVERY TO CORRUPTION, into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that THE WHOLE CREATION GROANS AND SUFFERS THE PAINS OF CHILDBIRTH TOGETHER UNTIL NOW”}}
THE UNITED STATES AND THE FUTURE
I have mentioned the United States, but it is no better or worse than all our western nations. We all know the USA is special in many ways but it (like Britain, Europe, and other nations) is a bit like the images I remember from the years I used to go to a dairy farm to visit my friend for 6 weeks a year in the 1950s.
We’d milk the cows and the milk would end up in the separator that used centrifugal force to separate the cream from the milk. However, if that was delayed then you would distinctly notice the cream sitting on top of the milk because it was lighter. We used to have proper milk delivered in bottles to our houses in those days and the same thing with the cream would happen. Now they call it homogenised milk or something, but so much stuff is added and it is not proper milk in Australia. I can’t speak for other nations.
Anyway, what I mean by that cream image is this. In the USA there is a reasonable percentage of Christians who sit at “the top of the nation” like the cream. The same is true of others nations even though the very thin “cream layer” is all Australia has, because as far as I can estimate it, there are no more than 1% born again Christians.
Christians are a measure of the health of society. The higher the percentage, the better and more just the society is. I don’t know the percentage of born again Christians in the USA but I would think it is 10 to 12% even 15%. (I believe China is about 7 to 8% at best estimates.)
Well, when the Rapture comes and the Christians go, what is left behind? Can you imagine a society where there are no Christians whatsoever, and the Holy Spirit has gone with the Christians? It becomes so godless and wicked and lawless, especially when the man of lawlessness/wickedness (Antichrist) will take control. As in the days of Noah . . .
That is what the USA finishes as, the same as every nation on earth. All nations will degenerate and will come under the wrath of God (omit Israel), but the Lord will remove His own precious Church from all that before it happens – {{1 Thessalonians 1:10 “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, JESUS WHO DELIVERS US FROM THE WRATH TO COME.”}}
The most powerful nation the world has ever known is this mixture of godly Christians and wicked people but the USA has one very positive feature and that is why there is blessing in that nation even above other nations. It is because of this - God will bless those people and nations who bless Israel. This is the promise – {{Genesis 12:2-3 “and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing. I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU and the one who curses you I will curse. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,”}}
May the gracious Lord call many to Himself in repentance, and bless the people and nations who bless and not curse His earthly people Israel. As for Iran I outlined last time what will happen to that nation (the Gog destruction).
If anyone ever gets this far in reading, and if you are a student of prophecy, I will share a problem I have but can’t answer. God said he would bless Abraham and we know the direct blessing went through Isaac/Jacob but I have wondered about Ishmael. Saudi Arabia is true Arab, descended from Ismael. Will God bring that nation and other smaller ones like the UAE into special blessing after the Tribulation?
God bless you all.
