Matthew 24:3-8 NKJV — Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. “All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Bible prophecy is always a hot topic, especially now, when events around the world seem to point to something with biblical significance. The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These events have raised questions about end-time prophecy and the biggest one of all, are we really close to the end?
In the book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, the prophet Ezekiel writes about a battle that will take place in the latter days between Israel, Gog and Magog. A battle that many bible scholars claim will take place at the beginning of the tribulation period and a battle where God will supernaturally intervene and defeat the enemy of Israel. A battle so devastating for the enemy, it will take seven months to bury the dead. Is this battle near? Are coalitions gathering for this attack against Israel? There are indications that this is happening. Some biblical scholars are beginning to claim that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the actions of the King of the North who is written about in chapter 11 of the Book of Daniel. Chapters 11 and 12 of Daniel are traditionally looked upon as prophetic actions of a conflict that will bring the emergence of the Antichrist and the seven year tribulation. If this is correct, then the world might be frighteningly close to a climactic conclusion.
The actions of Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia and the Russian military, is disturbing and inhumane, but it also may be a distraction. An action to distract the world and its leaders from witnessing the gathering alliance forming in the Middle East, in which Russia and the King of the East, also known as China, would desire to be in charge of.
Ezekiel 38:1-6 NKJV — Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; “Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.
Several nations are named in the book of Ezekiel, but is the anti-semitic movement in these countries gaining momentum? The changes that have taken place in Turkey over the past decade and a half could possibly indicate the latest piece of the puzzle falling into place. Before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ascent to power, Turkey and Israel enjoyed a close working relationship, from tourism to trade to the military and beyond. That began to change when Erdogan was elected prime minister in 2003. Since that time, he has become increasingly open about his plan to reshape Turkey into an Islamic state. He wasn’t subtle and indeed was quick to oppress and/or arrest anyone who opposed him.
More than 2,700 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel listed Turkey in the Gog-Magog alliance, which included Russia (Magog), Iran (Persia), Sudan (Cush), Libya (Put); and Turkey (Gomer). Since his ascension to power nearly 15 years ago, Erdogan has not hidden his hatred toward Israel and the Jewish people. Turkey’s growing friendship with the Gog-Magog alliance is indisputable evidence of the coming fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39. The best part of this frightening scenario is God’s intervention on behalf of His covenant land and people. Still, God advises His people,
Ezekiel 38:7 NKJV — “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.
Israel has deployed anti-missile defense systems around the country ahead of a joint US-Israeli military exercise that takes place every two years. The five-day exercise is designed to prepare the response to a large-scale missile attack on Israel’s northern and southern border. Israel has informed Russian President Vladimir Putin that Israel will do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from embedding a military presence in Syria and turning Lebanon into a missile manufacturing base. Israel has made it very clear they will do whatever it takes to defend its citizens. The goal of the joint exercise is to strengthen cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces and the US Army European Command (EUCOM) against “regional threats.”
As the hostilities continue between Ukraine and Russia, many will keep a close watch on what will follow. The United States and the Biden administration seem reluctant to intervene and would rather be involved in talks with Venezuela, China and Iran on oil imports and nuclear development. A troubling part with these negotiations is the one country sitting at the negotiation table is Russia. Could an evil plan be contrived by these countries?
Since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the Middle East has become a prize to win because of the energy and economic wealth the region contains. The prophet Ezekiel addresses this in chapter 38;
Ezekiel 38:8-12 NKJV — “After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. “You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.” ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: “You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— “to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.
Many have asked about the United States and its involvement in end-time bible prophecy. Ezekiel 38:13 mentions Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions as a reference to the United Kingdom and the United States, but in the map displayed above we find Tarshish located on the Atlantic coast of Spain, so Tarshish cannot be the British Isles and their young guns cannot be the USA. Since Spain is a member of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the “Young Guns” mentioned could very well be them or even the European Union.
The New World and the Americas are never mentioned in bible prophecy, but it doesn’t mean they are non-existent, just not a major factor in end-time events.
Ezekiel 38:13-17 NKJV — “Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ” ’ “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? “Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. “You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?
Ezekiel 38:18-23 reveals the consequences Gog and Magog will face when God Jehovah intervenes.
Ezekiel 38:18-23 NKJV — “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “that My fury will show in My face. “For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, ‘so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ “I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. “And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. “Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’
What may be igniting in Ukraine could very well conclude in the valleys of Israel. Ezekial 39 goes into great detail of the battle and the conclusion of the conflict.
Ezekiel 39:1-10 NKJV — “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; “and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. “Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. “You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. “You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord GOD. “And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. “So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. “Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord GOD. “This is the day of which I have spoken. “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. “They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord GOD.
The enemies of Israel will be devastated. The large coalition of Gog and Magog would have given the appearance of a dominating victory, but it will not be so. The only way the world can explain the defeat of Gog and Magog is simply, “It was an act of God.”
Ezekiel 39:11-16 NKJV — “It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. “For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. “Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified,” says the Lord GOD. “They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. “The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. “The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land.” ’
During this time, a door will be opened to usher in a time never experienced since the world began. The clock is ticking fast and we must get ready for the Lord to return and receive His people unto Him. Are the final moves being made? We should not fear what is happening in Ukraine, Russia or China for God, our Heavenly Father, has given His Son to save us and redeem us from the perils of this world. Jesus reminds us,
Luke 21:28 NKJV — “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Conditions in the Middle East can literally change from day to day and though precautions are being made we must realize that the events written in Ezekiel are destined to happen and all of God’s people, Jew and Gentile, must pray for peace and time to minister the Gospel to those who need the salvation of the Lord.
Mark 13:32-37 NKJV — “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— “lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
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