In Ezekiel 36 and 37, we find one of the most incredible prophecies of the entire Bible. God said through the prophet Ezekiel that He would bring His people back to the promised land in Palestine after a dispersion of the Jews to the four corners of the earth. Let’s read what God said:
''Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.'' (Ezekiel 36:16-38)
In chapter 37, God gives a vision to the prophet and shows him a valley full of dry bones. Then God gives Ezekiel the interpretation of the vision:
''Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.''(Ezekiel 37:11-28)
This prophecy does not refer to the return of the Jews to the land of Israel after the Babylonian captivity, because in this passage God said that He would bring His people from all the nations of the earth, not solely from Babylon. The Jews were scattered for the first time to Assyria when the ten tribes of the northern kingdom known as Israel were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. In 605 B.C., the southern kingdom known as Judah, which had Jerusalem as its capital, was taken captive for a second time by king Nabuchadnezzar, this time to Babylon, where they stayed for 70 years and later were set free by the Persians in 536 B.C. after Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. But when the Romans destroyed the city and the temple under Titus Vespasian in 70 A.D., the Jews were scattered to all the nations of the earth. Therefore, according to these passages, the return of the Jews to the land of Israel would be after the third dispersion which was worldwide. This began to occur in the beginning of the first century when Jewish bankers that lived in England began to buy pieces of land that were forsaken and had become swamps. Then these smart Jews started to plant eucalyptus trees that began to absorb the waters of the swamps and the land became fertile for planting, fulfilling the prophecies that said when God brought His people back to the land, the land would be fertile again. See 36:29-30.
The return of the Jews to Israel was consummated on May 14, 1948, when the United Nations declared that Palestine would become the new Jewish state, thus fulfilling the prophecies of Ezekiel.
In fact, something very interesting has been discovered about the reestablishment of Israel in 1948. All of this is just conjecture, but is it worth checking it out just for fun. Dr. Chuck Missler, a prophecy scholar, summarizes this discovery with these words:
Prophetic Simile
"The Prophet Ezekiel was called upon to undertake a number of strange performances, one of which was to lie on his side for a total of 430 days. Each day was expressly to represent a year of judgment against the nation.
A number of commentators acknowledge a difficulty which appears when one attempts to apply this specifically to Israel's history. Seventy of the years would seem to be accounted for in the Babylonian Captivity, but that leaves 360 years (430 minus 70) unaccounted for. The 360 years do not seem to fit any period of their history.
Leviticus 26
It has been suggested by some that there might be a clue in Leviticus 26, where God indicates that:
...if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. -Leviticus 26:18
(In fact, this commitment is reiterated four times in that chapter for emphasis. )
It has been suggested that multiplying the "problem" 360 years by seven yields 2520 years, which is "approximately" the duration of time from the exile through the Diaspora.
This seemed rather contrived. Furthermore, it had bothered me since I never like to use the term "approximately" and "God" in the same sentence! I felt that if it was meant to fit, it would fit precisely.
Sir Robert Anderson, in his classic work The Coming Prince, noted that the Bible uses 360-day years in both Genesis and Revelation. However, I noticed that no one seemed to try to apply this insight to the 2520 years potentially suggested in Ezekiel Chapter 4.
In attempting to reconcile the 2520 360-day years to our Roman calendar, one is faced with the discrepancies between the sidereal year and the solar year. (The Julian year is 11 minutes and 10.46 seconds longer than the mean solar year.)
In 1572, it was recognized that errors had accumulated to 11 days too many, and adjustments were required. In the Gregorian Reform, September 4th was declared September 14th, and the formula for leap years was changed to exclude centuries unless divisible by four (and millennia by 400). Thus, 2520 360-day years contain 907,200 days, which are accounted for on our current calendar as 2483 years, 9 months and 21 days:
2483 x 365
= 906,295 days
= 906,295 days 9 months x 30= 270
= 270 21 days 21
21 Leap Years - 2483/4= 621
= 621 Subtract from the total leap year
days three excess days every four centuries. -18
-18 Eleven leap year days were accounted for in
the Gregorian Reform. +11
+11 614 2520 x 360= 907,200 days
= 907,200 days Great. But what do we do with this? Where do we begin to apply it?
Terminus Ad Quem
Another problem occurs when we examine more closely the "Babylonian Captivity." There are two different periods that are candidates: "the Servitude of the Nation," and the "Desolations of Jerusalem." Each of these was prophesied to be seventy years in duration and many assume they are synonymous of each other; however, they are not.
There were actually three sieges of Nebuchadnezzar upon Jerusalem. The first siege began the "Servitude of the Nation" and was prophesied to last 70 years. (And it did, to the very day. When Cyrus conquered Babylon he encountered the amazing letter written to him by Isaiah a century and a half earlier, which addressed him by name, highlighted his meteoric career, and predicted that he would free the captives. His astonishment resulted in his releasing the Hebrew captives to return to Judea to rebuild their temple.)
The vassal king that Nebuchadnezzar left later rebelled; a second siege resulted in his uncle, Zedekiah, being appointed to the throne. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel both went on to warn that if they persisted in rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. Yet Zedekiah ultimately yielded to the false prophets and rebelled.
A third siege resulted in the destruction and desolation of the city of Jerusalem. The "Desolations of Jerusalem" also lasted 70 years, until Nehemiah ultimately succeeded in getting the authority to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This, too, was precisely 70 years. To which of these two periods should we apply the 2520 years?
The "Servitude of the Nation"?
The 70 years of servitude, to be consistent, should be reckoned as 25,200 days, or two days short of 69 years on our Roman calendar. The first siege of Nebuchadnezzar, in 606 B.C., began the "Servitude of the Nation," which lasted until the summer of 537 B.C. If July 23, 537 B.C. was the time of their release:
-537y 7m 23d
+1 (no year "0")
2483y 9m 21d
1948 5 14
On May 14, 1948, the nation Israel was reestablished on the world scene. A remarkable coincidence. Isaiah appears to have highlighted this very restoration:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11, 12)
Yet, there is another alternative application of the 2520 years:
The "Desolations of Jerusalem"?
The third siege of Nebuchad-nezzar, in 587 B.C., began the "Desolations of Jerusalem," which lasted until 518 B.C. If August 16, 518 B.C. was the completion of the walls of Jerusalem, then:
-518y 8m 16d
+1 (no year "0")
2483y 9m 21d
1967 6 7
On June 7, 1967, as a result of the Six Day War, the Biblical city of Old Jerusalem was restored to the nation. Another remarkable coincidence!
It should be borne in mind that the "starting" dates are not known precisely to the day. More research needs to be done. But this certainly seems provocative enough to ponder."[1]
In chapter 38 of Ezekiel, we read of an invasion from an enemy that comes from the north to invade the land after the Jews were reestablished in the land after having returned from all the nations of the world. (Ezekiel 38:8)
Israel has been attacked many times since it became a nation, but this particular attack mentioned in Ezekiel will be a massive invasion like nothing before.
God says He will bring this enemy against His people to punish this enemy. The text says:
''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. "Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 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. 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? "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." (Ezekiel 38:1-23).NKJV
Who is Gog of the Land of Magog?
The word Gog may refer to the leader of the land of Magog. In this case it would be the king or as we call it today, the President or a Dictator.
Magog is mentioned for the first time in the Bible in Genesis 10 as one of the grandsons of Noah.
''Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.'' (Genesis 10:1-2)
Meshech and Tubal are also mentioned in this passage as sons of Japheth, son of Noah. Now we must identify who these nations are in our modern days.
Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian who lived at the time of Christ, identifies the Magogites as the Scythians.He writes:
''Now they were the grandchildren of Noah, in honor of whom names were imposed on the nations by those that first seized upon them. Japhet, the son of Noah, had seven sons: they inhabited so, that, beginning at the mountains Taurus and Amanus, they proceeded along Asia, as far as the river Tansis, and along Europe to Cadiz; and settling themselves on the lands which they light upon, which none had inhabited before, they called the nations by their own names. For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls,] but were then called Gomerites. Magog founded those that from him were named Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians.'' [2]
Nelson's New Illustrated BibleDdictionary says this about the Scythians:
"The Scythians were a barbaric race who lived in Scythia,an ancient region of southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia,now generally identified as Russia...Originally from western Siberia,the Scythians migrated to southern Russia about 2000 B.C." [3]
Josephus also says that Tubal founded the tribe of the Tobelites, known to the Greeks as Iberes, and Meshech as Cappadocians. [4]
Some modern writers identify Meshech and Tubal as Moscow and Tobolsk in Russia.
Dr. Henry Morris, a great scientist wrote in his commentary on the book of Genesis the following words:
"Meshech clearly is preserved in the name Muskovi (the former name of Russia) and Moscow. Tubal is known in the Assyrian monuments as the Tibareni, and probably has been preserved in the modern Russian city of Tobolsk. In Ezekiel 38:2 they are associated with "Rosh, a name from which modern "Russia" was derived. Generally speaking, therefore, these three sons of Japheth-Magog, Meshech, Tubal-can be considered as the progenitors of the modern Russian peoples." [5]
All the evidences point us to one common denominator. Russia will be the great enemy of Israel in the last days. Besides these extra-biblical evidences, the text itself informs us where the enemy comes from:
''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.'' (Ezekiel 38:15).
The phrase out of the far north, indicates the enemy will certainly be Russia. If we look at a map and follow a straight line from Israel to the north, we get to Moscow, Russia's capital.
We saw that the land of Magog mentioned in Ezekiel is proven by ancient historians and modern writers to be modern day Russia. But not every scholar agrees about the identity of Meshech and Tubal.
In his book The Late Great Planet Earth, which has sold millions of copies since 1970, Hal Lindsey says that Meshech and Tubal are a reference to Moscow and Tobolsk in Siberia. Quoting Wilhelm Genesius, he says:
"Wilhelm Genesius, a great Hebrew scholar of the early nineteenth century discusses these words in his unsurpassed Hebrew Lexicon. "Meshech", he says" was founder of the Moschi, a barbarous people, who dwelt in the Moschian mountains." This scholar went on to say that the Greek name, "Moschi" derived from the Hebrew name Meshech is the source of the name for the city of Moscow. In discussing Tubal he said, "Tubal is the son of Japheth, founder of the Tibereni, a people dwelling on the Black Sea to the west of Moschi". Genesius concludes by saying these people undoubtedly make up the modern Russian people" [6]
But on the other hand, scholars like Tim LaHaye, author of the Left Behind series, Charles Ryrie, author of the Ryrie Study Bible, Mark Hitchcock, author of the book The Second Coming of Babylon and many others do not accept Meshech and Tubal as references to parts of Russia, but peoples who lived in modern day Turkey.
Charles Ryrie, for example says in the book Countdown to Armageddon:
"The countries of that northern coalition are listed in Ezekiel 38;2-6;they include the territory of Magog, which will be ruled by Gog and was identified by Josephus as the Scythians, the region north and northeast of the Black Sea and east of the Caspian Sea. Today these are the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States including Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan and perhaps some of the smaller states of the commonwealth. Meshech and Tubal includes the area of modern Turkey." [7]
Ryrie also refers to Meshech and Tubal as modern day Turkey in his study Bible entitled The Ryrie Study Bible. [8]
A good Bible atlas locates Meshech and Tubal in the geographical area of modern day Turkey. The Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible locates Tubal in the area of Turkey, and Meshech, identified by Josephus as Cappadocia, is located in the area of Turkey.
I am including in this study a chart with ancient and modern names of these nations that is found in The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson. This chart shows Meshech and Tubal as being modern day Turkey, not Moscow and Tobolsk in Russia.[9]
Who are the Allies?
In verses 5 and 6 of Ezekiel 38, we see the allies of Russia in this attack against Israel:
''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.''
Persia changed its name to Iran in 1935. Ethiopia is modern day Sudan and Libya is located west of Egypt and may include modern day Algeria and Tunisia. Gomer and the house of Togarmah are also identified as Turkey.
Except for some parts of Russia, all these nations are Muslim. Keep in mind that Ezekiel received this prophecy more than 1,000 years before Islam even existed (2500 B.C.), and there is only one thing that brings all these nations together: the religion of Islam. The Muslims disagree on many things among themselves. The Shiite Muslims hate the Sunni Muslims and vice-versa, but there is one thing that unites them all, and that is "the destruction of Israel" as a nation. The Koran, which is the sacred book of Islam, teaches that every true Muslim must swear Jihad (Holy War) against every Jew on the face of the earth. Consider just two out of many verses in the Koran that support violence against the Jews:
''Fight those who believe not in Allah and his apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of truth [even if they are] people of the book [i.e. Jews and Christians] , until they pay with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued [enslaved] ''(Sura 9:29).
''Fight and slay the pagans (i.e. non-Muslims) wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them and lie in wait for them in every stratagem; but if they repent ... then open a way for them (Sura 9:123).
Now consider this phrase from the Hadith (sayings of Muhammed), the second most important piece of Islamic literature after the Koran:
''The Hour (last day) will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4, b. 52, Hadith # 177).
For lack of space we will not quote more verses of the Koran, but the two verses from the Koran and the one from the Hadith clearly show that the Islamic religion encourages Muslims to fight against the ”people of the book.” The phrase “the people of the book” refers to the people of the Bible, who are the Jews.
The Bible predicts an alliance of nations that will be against Israel and against God himself, leading us to conclude that this hatred among the Arab people has nothing to do with politics, geography, oil, or race, but with religion.
In Psalm 83,we find an incredible prediction.
O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
For, behold, Thine enemies make an uproar; And those who hate Thee have exalted themselves.
They make shrewd plans against Thy people, And conspire together against Thy treasured ones.
They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more."
For they have conspired together with one mind; Against Thee do they make a covenant:
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites;
Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot.
1. Verses 2-3, “who hate Thee,” “against Thy people”— Those who hate God will be against His people Israel.
2. Verse 4, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more."— This is an almost word for word prediction of the published statements of the PLO, Hamas, Hezbollah and other Muslim groups, and of the Iranian president. CHECK THEIR WEBSITES!
3. Verse 5, “Against Thee”— When they make their goal to wipe out Israel as a nation, they set themselves against God!
4. Verses 6-8, the nations “who hate Thee,” (v.2)
“Edom, Moab, Gebal, Ammon”— Jordan
“Ishmaelites, Hagrites”— Saudi Arabia peninsula
“Tyre”— Lebanon
“Assyria”— Syria, Iraq
“Philistia”— Gaza
“the children of Lot”— These were Moabites and Ammonites, which in modern terms is Jordan. Jordan is 95% Muslim. Included in Jordan’s population are a million and a half Palestinians. Note the phrase, “They [the other Islamic-Arabic nations] have become a help to “the children of Lot.” [10].
All these nations are trying to wipe Israel as a nation,but God declared this will never happen.
The indestructibility of the Jews has been spoken of even by secular writers who do not believe the Bible.Mark Twain for example writes:
"If the statistics are right,the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race.It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way.
Properly,the Jew ought hardly to be heard of,but he is heard of,has always been heard of.He is as prominent on the planet as any other people,and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk.
His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature,science,art,music,finance,medicine,and an abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.
He has made a marvelous fight in the world,in all the ages;and has done it with his hands tied behind him.He could be vain of himself,and be excused for it.
The Egyptians,the Babylonians,and the Persians rose,filled the planet with sound and splendor,then faded to dream-stuff and passed away;the Greek and the Roman followed,and made a vast noise,and they are gone;other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time.but it burned out,and they sit in twilight now,or have vanished.
The Jew saw them all,beat them all,and is now what he always was,exhibiting no decadence,no infirmities of age,no weakening of his parts,no slowing of his energies,no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind.
All things are mortal but the Jew;all other forces pass,but he remains.What is the secret of his immortality?" [11]
Mark Twain based this writing on secular history,but little did he know that all of this was predicted in the Bible centuries before they ever happened.I would like to answer Mark Twain's question in his last sentence:
" For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, LORD, have become their God."(2 Samuel 7:24)
Recently in the news Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been raising his voice against Israel, promising to wipe the Jews away from Palestine. Iran has been trying to build nuclear weapons, something that would be a great threat to Israel. According to the text in Ezekiel, Iran is the first nation to join Russia in this attack. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is also raising his voice and getting involved with the affairs of the Middle East. Russia has also made nuclear deals with Iran and is selling Weapons of Mass Destruction to that nation. We are NOT saying that Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be the ones responsible for fulfilling the prophecies of Ezekiel. We are saying that they are at least being allowed by God to set the stage for the fulfillment of the prophecy in the near future, be it with Putin and Ahmadinejad still in power, or be it with other future political leaders in control of Russia and Iran. For now, we can see that the alliance between Russia and Iran (necessary to invade the nation of Israel as prophesied) is being formed before our very eyes. For a thorough coverage on how this alliance is being formed from a political standpoint read Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change your Future by Joel C. Rosenberg. In this book, Joel takes the reader through an extraordinary political journey inside the minds of Russian and Islamic leaders and how their hatred for Israel is growing every minute.
Picture illustrating Vladimir Putin's desire for nuclear weapons
Pictures illustrating the political alliance between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
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As to the reason why Russia is going to invade Israel, we have no real information except for verse 13 of chapter 38 where we read that Sheba, Dedan and Tarshish with all of its young lions ask Russia if they are coming to carry away silver and gold and a great spoil. Sheba and Dedan are identified as modern day countries of northern Arabia such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Tarshish is believed by some to be either modern day Spain or modern day England. If Tarshish is a reference to England, then the young lions thereof would be nations that came out of that nation including the United States of America. Most likely Tarshish is a reference to Western Europe as a whole. The fact that these nations only ask why Russia is invading Israel and do not retaliate gives us the impression that they are not willing to help defend Israel from her enemies. That is when God Himself will intervene on behalf of Israel and destroy her enemies.
The reference to silver and gold could be a reference to great reserves of oil that have not yet been discovered in the land of Israel, as mentioned in Rosenberg's book, something that would cause Russia to be more than willing to have control over the region. But all of this awaits further confirmation. Another suggestion given by some is that Russia would be interested in the 45 billion tons of sodium, chlorine, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, and bromide contained in the Dead Sea.
Jehovah, the Keeper of Israel Who Never Slumbers nor Sleeps
(Psalm 121:4-5)
According to Ezekiel 39, God himself will intervene to protect Israel when Russia and its allies come to invade the land of Israel. This is what God says:
''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. "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."' "And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, 'Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field:"Assemble yourselves and come;Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you, A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel,That you may eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,Of rams and lambs,Of goats and bulls, All of them fatlings of Bashan. You shall eat fat till you are full, And drink blood till you are drunk, At My sacrificial meal which I am sacrificing for you. You shall be filled at My table With horses and riders,With mighty men And with all the men of war," says the Lord God. Israel Restored to the Land "I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward. The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name-- after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord God." (Ezekiel 39:1-29) NKJV
The interesting thing about this passage is that it seems to anticipate nuclear radioactivity. In 39:14 we read that professionals will be hired to bury the bodies of dead soldiers, and in verse 15 we read that when passengers walk by and see a dead man's bones, they will set up a sign by it until the professional buriers come to bury them. That sounds like radioactivity is present in the remains of dead soldiers' bodies. Will that be caused by nuclear weapons? Some believe that God will use Israel's nuclear weapons to destroy the invading armies. We know from the passage that the invading armies will be using some kind of unusual weapon in the days of Ezekiel because we read in 39:9 that Israel will burn the enemies’ weapons for seven years. The passage cannot be talking about literal spears, shields, bows and arrows because these were made of wood, and it would not take seven years to burn weapons made of wood. The passage seems to be talking about modern warfare technology.
Russia has been trying to update its arsenal with new weapon systems that will replace its old armament of Soviet times. The Russian president also declared in 2006 that he wants to bring Russia back to its military power of Soviet times. The Islamic birth rate is increasing every year in Russia, and in Russia's military, Muslim soldiers increasingly outnumber Slavic troops. All this points to a Russia that is eventually going to become one of Israel's worst enemies, forming an alliance with other Islamic nations to conduct a military invasion against the nation of Israel in fulfillment of the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 and 39. This alliance will probably be feared by the Western world. Islamic fundamentalism considers death in Jihad (Holy War) as total victory, thus causing the fearful West to turn its back on Israel, leaving the Jewish nation on her own. This will leave room for God to intervene on behalf of Israel. He will utterly destroy the Russian-Islamic invading armies, showing that He still considers Israel His chosen nation and cares for her. But why would God bring such a heavy judgment on the Russian nation? This author believes it is because of the history of the anti-christian, anti-semitic and outspokenly atheistic position that the Russian nation has taken in all of the twentieth century. Russia killed millions of Christian and Jews in the name of atheism, especially when Joseph Stalin was in power.
The destruction of Iran as predicted by Jeremiah the prophet may also happen at the same time of the destruction of Russia, if not after the Russian-Islamic Invasion. Jeremiah refers to Iran by using the name of its ancestor which was Elam (Genesis 10:22). Jeremiah prophesied in the seventh century B.C. Elam was also known as Persia in the 6th century B.C. as seen in the book of Daniel. At that time the Persians were friends with Israel, allowing the Jews to go back to Israel from their Babylonian captivity. Therefore this judgment of God against Elam is for a future time when the Elamites become the enemies of Israel. This is becoming a reality today with Iran's president saying that he will wipe Israel off the map. God pronounces a heavy judgment against the Elamites known today as the Iranians. In Jeremiah we read:
''The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.'' (Jeremiah 49:34-39)
Notice the underlined portion of the passage where God says that Iran is going to come under such a heavy destruction, that the outcasts or the Iranian people who remain alive will flee to all the nations of the world. But in the last verse God promises to bring the Iranian captives back to their nation.
"The prophecy concerning Elam referred to an area east of Babylon,known today as Iran.The destruction of Elam was described as breaking her bow,for,like Kedar,Elam was noted for archery.The complete destruction of Elam does not seem to have been fulfilled in history and may have its final chapter in the future in connection with judgements at the second coming of Christ.Elam was promised,however,restoration (v.39)." [12]
Picture illustrating Iran's threat against Israel and the US.Notice the broken American flag while the Israeli flag falls from the earth.That means that Iran plans to destroy America (The Great Satan) before destroying Israel (The Little Satan) according to Ahmadinejad's view.
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As we mentioned before, this destruction of Iran may happen during the Russian-Islamic invasion of Israel, or after, just as Walvoord stated that this destruction may happen in connection with judgments at the second coming of Christ. Whether this destruction of Iran is before or after the Russian invasion does not really matter, because our real focus is the destruction of the Russian-Islamic armies that will come against Israel in the last days. For a number of reasons, I personally believe this will happen before the period known as the Great Tribulation.
The Doom of Damascus
It is also possible that the destruction of Damascus as predicted in the Bible could happen during the time of this invasion. Tensions are growing between Israel and Syria as Syria forms a political alliance with Iran. Many terrorist organizations operate through Syria to attack Israel. Therefore God might use this event to bring judgment against Damascus, Syria's capital. In several passages, God declares that He is against Damascus:
''The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from [being] a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.The cities of Aroer [are] forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.'' (Isaiah 17:1-3)
''Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; [there is] sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.Damascus is waxed feeble, [and] turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on [her]: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail. How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy! Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.''(Jeremiah 49:23-27)
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:''But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.''(Amos 1:3-5)
Notice in the last passage that God says He is going to break the bar of Damascus and that the people of Syria shall go into captivity. It is hard to know how God will orchestrate these events. It is possible that the doom of Damascus will happen when the Russian-Islamic armies come against Israel. If these armies come through land they will have to come through Syria in the North. It has been reported that Russia helped Syria through spy satellites during the Yom Kippur war in 1973, when Syria invaded Israel from the North. This time Syria could be paying Russia back by allowing the Russian armies to cross Syria to invade Israel. Syria could also get involved in this battle by supplying troops for the battle. As we see tensions growing between Syria and Israel, we therefore conclude that the destruction of Damascus could happen during the Gog and Magog invasion.
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On this occasion, God will show the world that He has not forsaken His people and will once again show His power so that "I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:23)
Whether this invasion occurs before or after the Rapture I do not know. However this author personally feels that the Lord could use this very event to bring millions of people to faith in Christ before the Rapture, because the Lord Himself said that He will be known in the eyes of many nations when this invasion occurs. This could bring millions of Muslims all over the world to faith in Christ just prior to the Rapture. It is interesting to note that we are the first generation to have Global Satellite Technology capable of bringing any events happening in the Middle East simultaneously to every nation of the world through television and the Internet causing this event to be seen in the "eyes of many nations" just as the Lord declared.
NOTES
[2] ( Flavius Josephus,Antiquities of the Jews,book 1.6.1)
[3] (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers,Nashville Tennesse,USA."Scythians")
[5] (Henry Morris,The Genesis Record,Baker books,Grand Rapids,MI 1976,pg.248.)
[6] (Hal Lindsey,The Late Great Planet Earth,Zondervan,Geand rapids,MI,1970,pg.64-65)
[7] (Charles Ryrie,Countdown to Armageddon, Harvest House Publishers,Eugene,Oregon,pg 199)
[8] (Charles Ryrie,The Ryrie Study Bible,note on Ezekiel 38:2)
[9] (Tim LaHaye e Ed Hindson,The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy, Harvest House Publishers,Eugene ,Oregon,pgs 119 -120)
[11] (The Lamplighter Magazine,by Lamb Lion Ministries,P.O.Box 919,McKinney,TX.75070,January-February Edition 2007,pg15)
[12]( John F. Walvoord,Every Prophecy of the Bible,Chariot Victor Publishing,Colorado Springs, Colorado,1990,1999,pg.151)
Text revised and edited by G.Hubbard
Portland,OR
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