End of Days What s Going On? Pt. 8 March 16, 2014

Transcription

1 End of Days What s Going On? Pt. 8 March 16, 2014 The Coming Invasion of Israel described as the Battle of Gog and Magog Scripture Passages: Ezekiel Chapters 38 and Introduction: The prophet Ezekiel recorded (by way of the Holy Spirit s leading) some 2600 years ago, and in great detail, one of the most horrific battles in Biblical history. We see in Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39 a detailed description involving an immensely large coalition of nations led by Russia and Iran. This is aptly described as a last days invasion. 2. The Timing: The battle is believed to occur just prior to the Rapture of Christian believers or the trigger of it could be coming just after the beginning of the Tribulation period. WE can examine both views later. 3. The Invaders: A coalition of Russia, Iran and several other nations which are below described along with their possible counterpart nations today. 4. Iran s Leader: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A driven leader who, when speaking to a group of Islamic students in 2005, is reported to have stated that he will eventually wipe Israel off the map! He went on to say that, with Allah s help, he will eliminate all Zionism altogether. 5. Two Battles titled God and Magog: The Ezekiel battle is used by God to draw Israel to Himself and God does the fighting for Israel. In contrast, the battle in Revelation (described in Revelation 20: 7-9) occurs at the end of the Millennium. In this battle, God has already drawn Israel to Himself for 1,000 years during the Millennium. 6. Motive behind the Ezekiel 38, 39 Battle: This battle is largely Islamic inspired and spearheaded by Russia, Iran and other nations who have supreme motives for invading Israel. Israel: Smaller than New Jersey Magog, Rosh = Russia and the former Soviet republics Persia = Iran (today called the Islamic Republic of Iran) Cush = Sudan, Ethiopia, and Possibly Eritrea Put = Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia Gomer, Meshech, and Tubal = Turkey (and possibly Germany and Austria) Beth-togarmah = Turkey, Armenia, Turkish-speaking people of Asia Minor & Central Asia The basic motives are: (1.) The nations want to steal Israel s land. (2.) The nations avidly want Israel s wealth. Israeli people have an amazing ability to make money, a sign of very gifted people. It is reputed that there are nearly 7,000 millionaires in this small nation. 7. When will this Battle happen? Views vary. (1.) As a result of the previously studied Psalm 83 war, which involves a totally different group of Israel s enemies, Israel is expected to supply their own defense force and to tend to begin enjoying a sense of peace and security in their land. As a result, some believe that the next battle in line would be the Ezekiel 38,39 invasion and BEFORE Antichrist arrives on the scene. (2.) Another view is that, In Ezekiel 38: 14 16, Israel is described as living securely. Due to this, it is believed by some that, directly after the signing of the peace treaty with Israel (with antichrist behind that), Israel will drop their guard and feel secure. The above mentioned verses show that this is when the coalition f nations will make their move. PAGE 1

2 8. Who will spearhead this invasion? Ezekiel 38:2 identifies the leader as Gog. Is he a man? No. He is a title, like Pharaoh or Czar. Gog is a military or political leader, a tyrant, or a demagogue. In Ezekiel 38:10, he is described as developing an evil plan. 9. Do we have some insight as to where Gog comes from? MAGOG ROSH The Hebrew prophet gives us more clues. This Gog is going to be from the land of Magog. One has to do some historical detective work to determine what Magog is, but it is possible. Flavius Josephus, the first century Roman historian, wrote in his famous book, The Antiquities of the Jews, that the people of Magog are the people whom the Greeks called Scythians. This is a critical clue because we know from history that the Scythians were a people group that migrated from the Middle East northward and settled north of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the region we know today as Russia and the former Soviet Republics. There are other interesting clues, as well. Ezekiel 38:15 says that Gog will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north. Ezekiel 39:2 says Gog will come from the remotest parts of the north and come against the mountains of Israel. The country that is farthest to the north in relation Israel is Russia! (2.) Page 2

3 10. Who, then, are the allies in this invasion? IRAN ETHIOPIA (SUDAN) PUT (LIBYA & ALGERIA) GOMER (MESCHECH & TUBAL) (TURKEY, GERMANY, AUSTRIA) BETH-TOGORMAH TURKEY, ARMENIA, SOME TURKISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE OF ASIA MINOR AND CENTRAL ASIAN AREAS (a.) In Ezekiel 38:5, we learn that the first ally Russia will have is Persia. Until 1935, of course, Persia was the legal name of the country we know today as. So we know that Russia and Iran will build an alliance in the last days to attack Israel. (b) Ezekiel tells us that another country in the alliance will be what many English Bible translate as Ethiopia. The Hebrew word, however, is Cush and Cush is the upper Nile region that we now know as Sudan. While the current state of Ethiopia may also be involved in the war, the focus is really Sudan, which today, of course, is a radical Islamic Sunni state closely allied with Iran and Russia and deeply anti-semitic and anti-israel. (c.) Next, Ezekiel says a nation called Put will be part of the alliance. Josephus identifies Put as ancient Lybios the territory that today we call Libya and Algeria. Interestingly, both countries today are deeply hostile to Israel and closely allied with Russia. (d.) The next country mentioned is Gomer. Doing the Sherlock Holmes detective work, we discover that Gomer may be aligned With Meschech and Tubal, but that Gomer may be primarily Turkey. NOTE: For much of the past 80 years, it didn t make sense that Turkey would turn against Israel. Why? Because Turkey was a NATO ally, and a friend of Israel, the U.S. and the European Union. But in the last few years, the Turkish government has swung dramatically away from the West, towards Russia and Iran, and become deeply hostile towards the State of Israel. (e.) Next country mentioned is Beth Togormah. Turkish speaking people who spread from Turkey into Central Asia. (f.) COMMON GROUND OF THESE COUNTRIES: (1.) They are nearly all Muslim countries. (2.) They, then, possess animosity against Israel. (3.) True Muslims who follow the Qu ran are told to Pray for Jews destruction and destruction of Jewish allies! Page 3

4 11. How can we be sure that the attack is imminent? The subject is timely. As nearly eight million Israelis are celebrating this week the 63rd birthday of the modern State of Israel, there are real questions in the region about how much longer the Jewish State can and will survive. A growing number of Radical Islamic leaders are declaring that Israel will soon be wiped off the map, and are vowing to assist in that effort. Iran is feverishly trying to build nuclear weapons and the ballistic missiles to deliver them. Hezbollah in Lebanon has built up a force of more than 40,000 rockets aimed at Israel. The bloodthirsty regime in Syria is slaughtering opponents of the regime while buying weapons systems aimed at Israel. Egypt s Muslim Brotherhood is rapidly rising in power and the current presidential candidate front-runners in Egypt are speaking with growing hostility towards the Jewish State. Fatah has chosen to make peace with the Hamas terrorist organization rather than with Israel. Meanwhile, a growing number of Orthodox rabbis in Israel believe recent events are indicators that the War of Gog and Magog is coming soon. A growing number of Christians around the world think the War of Gog and Magog is coming soon, as well. Are they right? 12. How, then, does Israel become the target of all this aggression? (a.) The Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel describes a Russian dictator (Gog) who will form a military coalition with Iran, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Turkey and a group of other North African, Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries in the last days (Ezekiel 38:16). In the days of Ezekiel, of course, there was no Islam. Today we know that most of the nations Ezekiel mentions are majority Muslim countries, and Russia is about 20% Muslim and increasingly allied with Radicalized Islamic countries. (b.) The Bible explains very clearly that the target of this military coalition in the End Times will be Israel. (c.) Ezekiel 38:8 says in the latter years, you [Gog and his coalition] will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations and they are living securely, all of them. (d.) Ezekiel 38:16 says that the coalition will come up against My people Israel and that it shall come about in the last days that I will bring you [Gog] against My land. (e.) Ezekiel 39:2 says that Gog will come from the remotest parts of the north against the mountains of Israel. (f.) Clearly, then, the main pre-requisite for this prophecy regarding the War of Gog and Magog to come true is that the State of Israel has to be prophetically reborn in the last days. Indeed, this is what the prophecies of Ezekiel chapters 36 and 37 describe in detail. 13. Is Iraq listed in this invasion? Iraq isn t listed in this alliance against Israel, yet THEY ARE CLASSIC ENEMIES OF ISRAEL! 14. Are the lands of Syria and Lebanon part of the alliance? Neither are they mentioned, but again, as the invasion is from the north and that means the travel route is through Lebanon and Syria. 15. What is the prerequisite for this war of Gog and Magog to become true? The nation of Israel must be reborn in the last days. See Ezekiel 36, 37. Page Summarize the Jewish people in exile and the buildup to the invasion.

5 (a.) Jews were scattered throughout the world due to sin and disobedience. ( (See Ezekiel 36: 8 21) (b.) God in mercy and grace promised to regather His people. (c.) The Lord said that first the physical restoration of Israel and the Jewish return to the land would be set into motion. (See Ezekiel 37: 4 8) (d.) After the physical restoration of the state of Israel, then comes The SPIRITUAL restoration. (See Ezekiel 37: 9 14) (e.) Then, once Israel was reestablished as a State, and the Jewish people were being regathered to the Land, and the Lord was drawing the Jewish people back into a relationship with Him, and Israel was living securely in the Land (Ezekiel 38:8) with a degree of prosperity even (Ezekiel 38:12), then and only then would the Russian-Iranian coalition be set into motion to rob, kill and destroy Israel and the Jewish people. (f.) It should be noted that Ezekiel does not describe Israel having peace. Rather, twice Israel is described as living securely. This, then, causes us to not be sure as to when this battle could happen. (1.) Could it happen at the end of the Psalm 83 war? (2.) Could it happen after Israel has signed a peace treaty involving antichrist and they can say, Peace at last!? (See Ezekiel 38: 8 and 38:11) 17. Can we find insight and comfort as Christians knowing about these battles and Israel s future? (a.) Ezekiel 37 describes: 1. Restoration of Israel (verses 1-14) 2. Reuniting of Israel (verses 15 28) LIKELY OCCURING AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST! (b.) Ezekiel 38 describes: 1. The Russian alliance s invasion of Israel (verses 38: 1-16) 2. God intervenes, Israel wins! (verses 17-39:29) (c.) Ezekiel 39 describes: 1. Destruction of the invading armies (Verse 4-6) 2. Seven months to bury the dead (verses 11-12) 3. BELIEVED BY SOME THAT EZEKIEL 38, 39 SPELL THE END OF RADICAL ISLAM AS WE KNOW IT TODAY! PAGE 5 Today, Israel has the world's third most powerful air force and possesses more tanks than any other nation except the United States and Russia. The Israeli Defense Forces have rewritten the military manuals of the world with their audacious and brilliant tactics. Today (according to many military analysts), the small nation of Israel has the fourth most powerful armed forces on earth after America, Russia, and China.

6 End of Days What s going On? Part 8 Israel s Gog and Magog War Main Text: Ezekiel 38, 39 Summing It Up Basic Facts It is believed that this invasion will be Muslim based. It is believed by some that the conclusion of this battle will be the eradication of the Muslim faith. Islam is a violent and destructive ideology that possesses a hatred for both Jews and allies of Jews! The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter. (From, The ReligionofPeace.com) What are we as Christians to do? (1.) Philippians 4: 6,7 Depend on the Lord! (2.) 2 Timothy 2:15 Devour the word! (3.) Titus 2: 12, 13 Determine to watch! (4.) I Peter 3:15 Defend the faith! DON T LET END TIME EVENTS CAUSE YOU TO FEAR. LET END TIMES EVENTS MOTIVATE YOU TO BE MORE FAITHFUL IN YOUR SERVICE!