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Why Israel Must Be Saved BEFORE The Great Tribulation
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/01-preface-wgc.mp3
On Wednesday, June 7th, 1967, one of my first Bible teachers turned on the radio as he drove to work and heard the one thing that he never expected to ever hear. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were in the hands of Israel. In Bible college, he had been taught that The Rapture would happen at the moment that this occurred. So, when he got to work, he called his wife. No answer. He called his mom. No answer. He called his pastor. No answer.
For a moment in time, he had missed The Rapture.
Teachers of Bible prophecy struggled to understand how they could have gotten it wrong - but, only for a moment. Instead of looking again at their understanding of prophecy, they redefined what it means to control Jerusalem and moved on (Luke 21:24). They failed in their test of truth, but my Bible teacher did not.
He and his wife gnawed on this problem until they realized that Gog and Magog must come before the Antichrist arrives. When confronted with evidence of their own error, they chose truth, instead of something more comfortable.
Fast forward fifty years, and I found myself caught in the midst of my own struggle with Bible prophecy. I had just finished the 4th edition of Ezekiel's Fire, and realized that I was missing a vital bit of proof about timing. That’s when I discovered that Bible teachers could not prove when Gog and Magog come – which coincides with Ezekiel's Fire. That left me with a glimmer of hope that maybe – just maybe – my timing was wrong and that we would not see the awful catastrophe that I had just described.
So, I launched into a reexamination of the prophets who spoke of this great invasion of Israel, hoping to find evidence that it would occur after the Antichrist appeared. To my dismay, I found not only confirmation that I was right, but evidence that Ezekiel's Fire was much bigger than I expected. I discovered it in Revelation 6 and that it was not merely a superflare but a nova event and earthquake so big that billions of people would die. Billions.
Worse, I discovered that this would probably happen within our lifetime.
The events occurring right now have no precedent in human history. Never have we had so much power, influence and knowledge. Never have we been able to produce so much food, so much wealth or so many gigantic cities. Never since Abraham have we lived so long and had such comfortable lives. And never has any civilization ever rushed to the brink of total catastrophe so quickly.
For ten years, I've written about the forces driving our civilization to its inevitable collapse, and it has become clear to some of us that the first four seals of Revelation Six are all about the shattering of our way of life. And, only after the Seven Seals have all been opened will the Antichrist and his system rise from the rubble.
Unfortunately, you and I have been blind to these events that are crashing down upon us. Our vision has been obscured by preconceived notions about what the Last Days would be like. We held an irrational view of how durable our way of life was. We thought that our lives would continue as normal until the Antichrist miraculously took the stage.
We just couldn't imagine it any other way.
But, there comes a time when God tests our foolish notions - giving us an opportunity to look again at what the prophets say. They have been speaking for thousands of years, and we must hear them - or fail our test and suffer the consequences.
You can ignore the prophets, but...
...you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring the prophets.
One way of looking at what they said, is to examine a specific event that several of them describe independently. Think of such events as signposts, and one of them is Gog and Magog. That signpost is also labeled ‘The Return of Jacob’. There’s also one called Jacob’s Trouble. Another is ‘The King of the North’. The one that I call ‘Ezekiel’s Fire’ could just as easily have been called Isaiah’s Sun – or Zechariah’s Horses. But, since we want to correct the timeline of the Last Days, we should focus on Gog and Magog, to find out When Gog Comes.
Understanding the timing of When Gog Comes unlocks all that, and so much more.
It will confirm Ezekiel's Fire and show us the Ride of the Four Horsemen of Revelation 6. And, this knowledge will help us survive, so that we can continue the purpose of the gospel that has been set before us.
Those who survive and prosper will have the greatest opportunity to share the gospel in almost two thousand years. When prophecy unfolds before their eyes, the world will see that the Bible's description of God is true and that there is no other name than Jesus Christ by which we can be saved.
But we first must pass a test:
When does Gog come?
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NOTE: This book was completed just two weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The speed of events described have now accelerated.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/02-introduction-wgc.mp3
Timing. The Bible proclaims it everywhere, and it acts as a centerpiece of prophecy. The order of Creation. The Exodus. The coming of Messiah. The Last Days. They all center on timing, while also illustrating the price for getting it wrong.
As I discovered when I wrote Ezekiel's Fire, many will die when Gog and Magog come. Those who survive will suffer greatly, and preparing for it will give us a greater chance of survival and even prosperity. The title of Ezekiel's Fire comes from this verse:
And I will send a fire on Magog, and on them that dwell securely in the isles; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
- Ezekiel 39:6 (ASV)
It's a fire described in Ezekiel, so it's Ezekiel's Fire. And, it's not just a bad bit of lightning. That fire is a solar event so big that it will make the sun seven times brighter and the moon as bright as the sun (Isaiah 30:26). Cars and trucks will cease working (Zechariah 12:4), and there will be a global earthquake that will knock down every building of any size (Isaiah 30:25). And, a vast cloud of dust will be ejected from the sun out into the solar system, obscuring the stars as it spreads outward (Revelation 6:14). And, every single bit of that will be connected to:
The coming of Gog and Magog.
Oh, and there's one other thing that this event is connected to, something that we have struggled to understand for two thousand years:
The Return of Jacob to God
The salvation of Israel is tightly woven into the prophecies of the Last Days. Since very few dispute that fact, the only question in our mind should be about WHEN. This 'when' should consume our interest because When Gog Comes and when the children of Jacob return will also tell us when Ezekiel's Fire will flatten our civilization.
Unfortunately, I have discovered that most Christians assume that Gog and Magog come at some point after the Rapture and/or around the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Because the Millennium which follows has a geographical focus on Jerusalem, it is easy to see why so many make this assumption. All of us tend to latch on to such similarities and move on to deal with the other challenges of life. But, these assumptions will be fatal, if Ezekiel's Fire catches us unprepared.
If I'm right, at some point in our future, the lights will go out, buildings will collapse and many many people will die. Some places will fare better than others. But, there's no way that our current civilization can survive such a catastrophic event. It will be that bad. And, it also looks like this might be the deadly wound that the Beast System suffers (Revelation 13).
When looked at carefully, the description in the Bible is pretty clear. There's no other way to view the events of Isaiah 30, Zechariah 12 and Ezekiel 39, when you understand that those three chapters describe the same moment in time. Worse, there is evidence that an event like Ezekiel's Fire has already happened at least once before. But...
The issue is timing.
Unfortunately, well-meaning commentators in the 1800s muddied our understanding by inserting their own ideas. The return of the Jews to the Land of Israel seemed utterly impossible to them, let alone the idea of some guy named Gog, gathering an army and attacking Israel. So, they either cut Gog out or shoved him into the Millennium. They could not even envision the fall of the Ottoman empire, much less the idea of computers, electricity, telephones, flush toilets and the Internet. And yes, it is common for people to interpret the Bible according to what they see around them. We do it all the time.
The good thing is that we are better able to imagine what 19th century Bible teachers could not. The bad thing is that many of us are still caught up in ideas that were introduced two centuries ago. So, we need to look again at our assumptions and ask if they are as true as we thought they were.
However, we are not done with error, and there's one that sits underneath these badly formed theories - bad translations. I don't understand why, but our Bibles are full of translation mistakes. Big ones. The majority of these errors must have been made in good faith. But, far too many appear to be deliberate distortions of what the Bible actually says.
Let me be clear that the Bible itself is without error. The errors only crop up when we translate or interpret the Bible. I will talk about those errors as we come to them, but you need to know that what you think of as The Bible, is only a translation. The true Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek and a smattering of Aramaic.
Unfortunately for most English speakers, the vast majority of End Times Prophecies were written in Hebrew. And Hebrew is a hard language to learn. I know this, because I had to. Living and working in Israel is difficult if you can't speak the language. But, being immersed in a Hebrew-language environment definitely gives a boost to anyone's ability to understand the Old Testament. I highly recommend it.
I think that we all owe a great debt of gratitude to Eliezer ben Yehudah, who made Biblical Hebrew the modern language that is today. He was a fanatic in his devotion to its accuracy and tireless in his efforts to make it the language of Israel. We should sing the praises of Eliezer, and in Israel... they do.
However, Hebrew isn't the biggest barrier to understanding the prophecies of the Last Days. God specifically laid out prophecy in a way that requires us to fit the pieces together properly. And yes, this was God's intent:
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.
- Isaiah 28:10 (ESV)
Of course, that verse is for those who love God and are led by the Holy Spirit. For those who are in rebellion, God has this to say:
But the word of the Lord was to them,
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.
- Isaiah 28:13 (NKJV)
That was true for the Jews who rebelled against their Messiah and crucified Him, and it will be true for us if we are not careful with the prophecies about the time in which we live. Think of this book as my best attempt at embracing verse ten and avoiding verse thirteen.
Now, this doesn't mean that the Bible teachers of bygone eras were rebels. There is a time and place for understanding the Last Days. Even Daniel was denied the ability to understand:
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
- Daniel 12:4 (NKJV)
There was just no way that any of us were going to understand The Time Of The End, until it came. It just wasn't going to happen. And, even now, I must ask myself if what I have written is correct. If we are not living in the The Last Days, the prophecy that we are talking about here is still sealed, and I got it all wrong. And, I would actually love for that to be so. You'll understand why, as you read on.
Having said that, the attempt still needs to be made, because Daniel 12 also says this:
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.
- Daniel 12:9-10 (NKJV)
I think that it's pretty clear that we live at 'the time of the end', so I think that we need to do our best to get this right. But as we do that, we need to remember that there have been many times over the past 2000 years when people felt the same way. Even though we might feel a strong conviction about this, we could be wrong.
However, as difficult as this is, we have a strong guide for building our understanding:
Precept upon precept.
That is the basis upon which this book stands. Each decree by God (precept) is laid upon another decree by God until an accurate picture of the Last Days emerges. If all of the precepts have been laid down properly, the conclusion will be structurally sound. If not, it will fall apart.
We can see an example of doing this incorrectly, with this verse:
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV)
That verse gets quoted a lot, and it's definitely true - but not in the way that most use it.
Why?
Because, we ARE appointed to wrath, if we are in rebellion to God. The Bible is full of God's wrath upon His people who are sinning against Him. And, I believe that a lot of what is coming is precisely due to the carnality and wickedness within our churches. We have become indistinguishable from the world, and the price that we will pay for this will be terrible. So, let's describe God's decrees carefully.
One of the precepts that we will use to build our understanding is the acknowledgment that we have corrupted ourselves, and that God is angry with our sin. The shocking statistics about how sinful we have become, should be more than enough to convince anyone of what is in our future.
Another decree of God will be the coming of Gog and his armies to attack Israel. And, on top of that one will be the prophecy that Jacob would Return to God after this attack. Furthermore, since they happen at the same moment in time, wherever we see one of them, we know that the other is also there - even if we don't see it in that passage. If a passage refers to the Return of Jacob, we know that Gog and Magog are included - even if they aren't mentioned.
This allows us to assemble and compile many passages that add a lot of detail to the picture that we are trying to bring into focus - along with the timing of these events. If we are thorough enough, we should see the future of what will happen when Gog comes and the salvation of Israel occurs.
Unfortunately, this montage comes with a host of horrifying imagery. Our cities will die. The technology that we depend upon will become useless. Those who survive the earthquakes will often die of violence, thirst and starvation. And, I shudder at this thought.
Just remember that good things will come of this. God will be glorified. The words of the Bible will be validated. People will have a chance to see the power of God and the opportunity to choose eternal salvation. It will also be a kind of final warning of the judgment that is coming - a final chance to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. And, in this moment of truth, there will be a great need for us to proclaim the gospel.
This will be the greatest moment in the history of the world, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At no other time will there have been so much visible evidence of the truth of the Bible, as this. And there will be a tremendous need for brothers and sisters to share the Light of Christ.
We will all be needed, wherever we are, to help the injured and to ease suffering. And when I talk about the need to prepare, I say that not just for ourselves - but for everyone around us. In this time that is coming, we will have opportunities to serve God in ways that few have ever seen.
But, you can't serve God in this life...
...if you're dead.
That's a big reason why this book exists - to show you what is coming, so that you can still serve God in the midst of apocalyptic disaster. Hopefully, this will be a starting point for your own search into these events.
In this book, we begin with:
And then add:
The Core Chapters are those that directly describe the events that we want to examine. They provide the most detail and give us the most context. They lay the foundation that other chapters will build upon.
The Supporting Passages provide additional detail that help us verify what we see in the Core Chapters. These passages show us different viewpoints and add evidence that the Core Chapters do not include.
In our first 'core chapter', we begin with the Antichrist. He is called many things - Man of Sin, Son of Perdition, Man of Fierce Countenance, etc. He is also called the King of the North in Daniel 11. The problem is that many theologians believe that he is also Gog. And, there's no way that we can even begin talking about When Gog Comes, until we have laid to rest the question about any connection between Gog and the Antichrist.
For those who understand the fundamental nature of this question, once we show that Gog cannot be the Antichrist, we could stop right there and go home. Once you prove that the King of the North cannot be the Gog of Gog and Magog, almost all of the other theories about the Last Days collapse. Not only that, but...
If Gog is not the Antichrist...
...then Gog must come years - even decades - before the Antichrist.
That might not seem like an obvious truth to you now, but keep reading. By the time that we're done, it will be so clear and undeniable that you will wonder why you didn't see it before. I understand this process, since it took me a while to understand the significance of this point. And, I have less excuse than almost anyone else. I was in the perfect position to see all of what I am talking about, and still didn't get it. But, God is gracious and will not leave His children in darkness, if they seek Him with a faithful heart - and when the time is right.
Once we have deconstructed the question of the Antichrist - as he relates to Gog - we can then move on to talking about who Gog is, and the best place to begin is Ezekiel 38 and 39. Those two chapters are a single prophecy that give us the most comprehensive description of Gog and Magog and when they descend upon Israel. They will also be the chapters that introduce us to the global catastrophe that happens, When Gog Comes. And, like what I said before, you could probably stop there once you understand that something awful was coming.
Unfortunately, the details of this fire in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are somewhat vague. Again, this fire is why I call the coming cataclysm, Ezekiel's Fire. But, you could have called it Zechariah's Horses or Isaiah's Sun, because Zechariah and Isaiah are key witnesses to the same event described by Ezekiel.
If you are already familiar with what I wrote in Ezekiel's Fire, it will be extremely clear about what we are talking about. Zechariah shows us that electricity, communications and modern transportation will cease to function. Isaiah will show us that it will be our sun that causes it, while telling us that every building of any size will be knocked down - all over the world. And, there is a tremendous amount of science that supports what the Bible says about this.
We have seen stars just like our own sun, flash brightly with superflares thousands of times bigger than anything that we have ever seen from our own sun. But, when Isaiah describes our sun as becoming seven times brighter, with our moon becoming as bright as the sun, we've gone well beyond something like a superflare and straight into the idea of a small nova event.
A small nova that blasts away the outer shell of a star, is less common than a superflare, but the description fits extremely well with what is said in Isaiah 30. More importantly, it helps us understand why every building of any size around the world will be knocked down. In fact, of all the deadly events that we will describe, that earthquake will probably kill more people than any other.
My hope is that you will grasp the enormity of this. Major cities around the world will be destroyed by the earthquake, and those trapped under the rubble will not have anyone to rescue them. Those who survive, will be without electricity, running water or transportation.
It will be the worst catastrophe since The Great Flood.
(And yes, the Great Flood may have also been a nova event)
At the same time that this global cataclysm engulfs the world, we'll see the Return of the Children of Jacob to God. And, we have absolute proof that this moment of salvation must come long before the Antichrist rises. After looking at just this evidence alone, there can be no way that anyone would believe that Gog is the Antichrist. Israel must be saved many years - even decades - before the Antichrist invades Israel. There cannot be any doubt of this, once you see the proof for yourself. There is a mountain of evidence that shows this happening, exactly as the Bible describes. And when you get to it, you will wonder why you didn't see it before.
We could end at these main points and feel satisfied that we have completed our task of proving that Gog and Magog are coming before the Antichrist, and that we need to start working on preparing for this event. But, there is more to be said.
Isaiah 17 and Isaiah 19 will give us another snapshot of this moment in time. Chapter 17 will talk about how and why Damascus will be destroyed, never to rise again as a city. Chapter 19 will show us an Egypt turned upside down, but also turning to Christ and becoming our brothers and sisters.
Jeremiah 30 and 31 emphasize the connection between the great catastrophe and the salvation of Israel. But, those two chapters will add detail to Isaiah 30's global earthquake. And there will be no doubt that we will be talking about the same moment in time, with every building of any size around the world being knocked flat.
Micah 5 will reinforce all that we've seen. In it's own way, that chapter in Micah will put it all together. But, you might not have seen it as clearly, if you hadn't looked at the other prophets first.
Then, we get a bit out into the weeds with the Seven Seals of Revelation 6 and 7. It was a late addition to this book, and I wasn't sure if I should discuss these seals, but Seal Six is unmistakable proof of what we are talking about. If you were wondering where the coming of Gog lies in the Book of Revelation, it's the last part of Revelation 6 - the Sixth Seal.
Feel free to try and prove any and all of this wrong. In fact, I would be profoundly relieved if you did so. I did not enjoy writing any of this book, and I would love to find that I was wrong.
Now, why do I keep referring to Israel and the Jews as the Children of Jacob?
The simplest reason is that this is the correct response to those who teach Replacement Theology (aka, Supersessionism). Replacement theologians claim that every reference to Israel in the Bible is now pointed right at them - at Christians. That is a patently illogical position, but many Christians still hold this idea. So, it helps a bit to clarify my point by referring to the physical descendants of Israel as the children of Jacob - just as the Bible also does, many times. However, there is a far deeper, more spiritual reason for referring to them as The Children of Jacob.
When Jacob left his father and mother and went searching for a wife, he was not a follower of God. That might surprise you, so I hope that you were sitting down when I said that. But, it's true. To put it in Christian terms:
Jacob was an unsaved man, when he left his parents and the land of Canaan.
God still promised to bless him, and in the dream of Jacob's Ladder (Genesis 28), God said that He would give Jacob the land upon which he slept and make his descendants so numerous that they could not be counted. God went on to say that He would be with Jacob, everywhere that he went and would bring Jacob back to the land that he was leaving.
Unfortunately, Jacob wasn't completely convinced:
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.
- Genesis 28:20-21 (NKJV)
That IF-THEN statement is not something that any man with faith in God would say - at least, not like that. Those who have faith in God would never say, "IF God does such-and-so, THEN I will follow Him." But, each of us had a moment in time in which we did not believe. And, all of us needed a nudge or two from God to put us on the path of salvation. Jacob was no different.
The good thing is that Jacob did come to faith in God, and our Lord changed his name to Israel.
Then, as we dive into the time of this horrifying disaster that is coming, we need to see something very important coming out of this:
Yes, many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’
- Zechariah 8:22 (NKJV)
Many theologians would have you believe that this is the Millennium. It isn't. The proof that they are wrong is in this book. But, proving theologians wrong is less important than understanding that, something wonderful is going to happen, and some of us will have an important role to play in that.
After Gog comes...
...and after Ezekiel's Fire...
...many nations will join themselves to Christ.
As much as it pains me to see how terrible these events will be, the fact that millions upon millions of people will know Christ as their Lord and Savior will be a great compensation for what many of us will go through.
I don't like suffering. Not even a little. But, if it means the salvation of many people, I will embrace it, and I hope that you will be with me in this.
Now, let's get on to proving the identity and timing of Gog and Magog. And, we will start by examining the military campaigns of the Antichrist. Then, we will look at what the Bible says about Gog and Magog - chapters that also talk about the salvation and spiritual transformation of the Children of Jacob. It will be clear that Gog is NOT the Antichrist and that their armies are not the same.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/03-core-chapters-wgc.mp3
The Bible has just one author, God. This means that we could start with any chapter that describes the coming of Gog, and work from there. However, wisdom encourages us to start with the best detail and the most thorough description. That's why this section is called the 'Core Chapters'. These chapters will lay the foundation for our understanding of the coming of Gog and Magog, and the key events and details that are a part of that description.
Here are a few of the details that you will see:
A vast army will be destroyed.
That army will be headed by someone described as Gog, ruler of the land of Magog.
Names will be referred to that are found in the Genesis 10 Table of Nations.
A fire will descend upon the world.
The Moon will become as bright as the sun, and the sun will become seven times brighter than it is today.
The biggest earthquake since the Great Flood will occur.
Planes, trains, trucks and tanks will cease to operate.
Everyone will know who God is.
The Nations will be sifted.
The Holy Spirit will descend upon the people of Israel.
All of that, and more, will be found in these core chapters. However, before launching into all of that, we will look at a different description, and we will see how Gog and Magog compare to the coming of the Antichrist.
For some reason, theologians don't like to talk about the Antichrist as having an army, or even needing one. Nor do they talk about how many times he invades Israel. We need to fix that, and now is the time.
How many times does the Antichrist invade Israel?
About five times.
You might classify one or two of those 'invasions' a little differently. The takeover of Jerusalem might be better classified as a military coup or some kind of insurrection that he supports with troops from his army. And, setting up the 'tents of his palace' in northern Israel might not be an invasion. But, the point remains that there are five military operations by the Antichrist, and no one talks about them.
Furthermore, a lot of what we know about the Antichrist comes from Daniel 8 and Daniel 11. Daniel tells us where the Antichrist must come from. He tells us how many times he invades Israel. And, he gives us a picture of what the world will be like, when the Antichrist rises.
The world that the Antichrist rises from, will be much different from ours and a difficult place to live.
Once we have established what the Antichrist looks like, we will need good description of Gog's invasion of Israel. We'll find most of what we are looking for in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Then, we'll compare what we see in Ezekiel with what is described about the Antichrist. When we're done...
It will be clear that Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
After Ezekiel, our next stop will be Zechariah 12 and 13, which adds a lot of detail. Some of it spells trouble for the technological infrastructure that lies at the foundation of our civilization. And, it's this sentence in Zechariah that makes me shiver:
Horses will be smitten with astonishment and blindness.
That's from Zechariah 12:4, and it leaves us with two disturbing options. Either our civilization collapses beforehand to such a low level that we have turned back to horses, OR this is a euphemism for cars, trucks and military vehicles being immobilized. We know the scientific principles at work here. So, we can see how our sun could make it happen. But, if these really ARE horses, then our civilization will have already collapsed and billions would have died in the process.
The key element is time. If Gog comes decades - or even centuries - from now, the destructive processes already at work within our civilization will have led to complete collapse by the time Zechariah 12 is fulfilled. And yes, we are talking about the destruction of private and public transportation, political systems and even world trade. Distribution networks will have failed and most of humanity will have gone back to a subsistence level of farming. Depending on how far this will progress before Gog and Magog, as many as five billion people would die before we get to Zechariah 12 - if these horses are four-footed beasts of burden.
This leads us to questions from Revelation 6:
How many people will die when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are riding?
How long will they ride?
My assumption is that their 'ride' will not be decades long, and that Gog will come before complete collapse happens. The picture in my mind, is that our civilization will have suffered serious shocks and will have begun to crumble, before this invasion begins. In fact, I believe that Gog will invade Israel precisely because he and his allies need more resources and want greater power.
So, if you believe that we have several decades before Gog and Magog, you'll still need to get ready for terrible events that will crush our current way of life. And, it would take another book to describe all that properly. (Which I plan to write.)
Isaiah 30 adds a crushing finality, confirming what Ezekiel and Zechariah talk about - while adding some important revelations. We will see confirmation that Ezekiel's Fire is a nova event. God will describe a devouring fire and the sifting of the nations. We'll see the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon the people of Israel.
There will also be an earthquake so huge that cities around the world will be flattened.
Just thinking about all that devastation, makes me shudder. I don't like pondering something like this, but our safety lies in acknowledging and accepting the truth. Hiding from it will not make it go away. Worse, it will be a disobedience to the command of Jesus for us to watch.
Then, to finalize our discussion with the most important point of all, we prove that the Children of Jacob must return to God years - even decades - before the coming of the Antichrist. And, the reasons will become incredibly obvious, once you see them. Unfortunately, the obvious is often obscured by theologians who don't understand the Bible as well as they should.
So, let's begin our journey with a detailed look at the army of the Antichrist.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/04-army-of-the-antichrist-wgc.mp3
Growing up, no one ever told me that the Antichrist would have an army that invades Israel multiple times - that he would even need an army. I don't think that anyone ever really thought about it. Those theologians who tried to think this through either said that we'd never see it, or that it had already happened. Some even proclaimed that it was all symbolic, anyway. So, everyone ignored what the Bible said about the army created and led by the Antichrist.
I find that position to be very disturbing, since Jesus specifically commanded us to watch for the events that we are examining in this chapter. Jesus told us to 'stay alert' or 'be watching' for the time of the Antichrist. This was not a suggestion, yet far too many teachers have convinced their followers to disobey the command of our Lord.
Well, we will try and fix this mistake by looking at the army of the Antichrist, and we will focus on the words of Jesus, the Book of Revelation and Zechariah 14. In the next chapter, the Book of Daniel will give us even more detail, but we want to lay the foundation of our discussion first, before adding what Daniel offers.
Just remember that our goal is to compare Gog and Magog with the five invasions of Israel that are led by the Antichrist:
Two invasions before he proclaims himself to be god
A third invasion where where he takes over Jerusalem and proclaims himself to be god
A fourth invasion, when the King of the Negev (King of the South) attacks him
A fifth invasion, where he places his tents in the valley of Jezreel. (Although, tent construction might not be an invasion.)
Then, Armageddon - which includes the Kings of the East
The description of these invasions are found in both the Old and New Testaments, and their identity should be clear. We know the key players. We know the circumstances surrounding these events. So, it should not be hard to determine where they fit within the order of events of the Last Days.
Unfortunately, what should be easy becomes difficult when theologians attempt to force the Bible into saying something that it does not. Most 'scholars' claim that Gog is the Antichrist. They might not make such a claim very loudly, since their arguments are weak, but they still say it - or at least imply it.
Yes, Gog comes from the north of Israel, just like the Antichrist does. He also has a gigantic army that comes from quite a few countries. But, it's not the similarities that are important here. It's the differences. They really are two different armies, and we'll describe why they are different. And, when we are done looking at how different they are, one thing will be very, very clear:
Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
For those who are unsure, the two key questions are these:
Does the coming of Gog and Magog belong in one of those five invasions?
Or, does Gog and Magog come before them?
(And no, he can't come after)
So we need to look at each of the battles that are led by the Antichrist, and then - in later chapters - compare them with what we know about the Return of Jacob and the coming of Gog and Magog. Again, if the description of Gog and Magog does not fit with any of the battles led by the Antichrist, then the Return of Jacob must happen before the Antichrist arrives. There is no third alternative - assuming that we wish to submit ourselves to what the Bible actually says. And, you cannot call yourself a Christian, if you refuse to submit to the words of God.
So, let's look at what God has told us about these battles, and we start with a look at the first three invasions by the Antichrist, especially the one in which he stands up and proclaims himself to be god. And, we will start with the words of Jesus in the New Testament.
It's natural to think of the Man of Lawlessness as springing out of the ground with sufficient magical power to make everyone follow him. And, it's true that he - or, at least his 'prophet' - does have the ability to do 'signs and wonders' and persuade most of the world, but the fact that the Antichrist has an army, tells us that not everyone is completely impressed.
You don't create an army, if you already have everyone under your control. You might need a police force. Everyone needs one of those, but not an army. Armies are for defending your territory and conquering others. So, this is a sign that the Antichrist has opposition, and that's something important to consider as we move further into the dark days ahead. But, let's examine this army.
Our first hint about the third invasion of the Antichrist - for most of us - would have come from the words of Jesus:
15 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
- Matthew 24:15-18 (NKJV)
NOTE: Most 'scholars' will tell you that the abomination of desolation is talking about Daniel 9:27. This is emphatically not true, if you look at the original Hebrew. Daniel 9, is about the coming of Messiah. Not the Antichrist. Daniel 8:13 and Daniel 11:31 are a more accurate connection to Matthew 24:15.
I've spent many years contemplating Matthew 24:15-18, and the verses like it. There's an intensity about what Jesus says that should make all of us pay close attention. Jesus is telling us that even a few minutes of hesitation will cause us to be captured by the forces - the army - of the Antichrist. And, the Book of Revelation gives us another snapshot of this invasion of Israel:
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
- Revelation 12:13-14 (ASV)
The woman who flees is clearly Israel. And just as clearly, this is a massive and speedy migration of God's people from the Jerusalem and Judea.
Why is there such an urgency for people to flee so quickly?
...cuz it's a coup.
Like you, I always thought that this would be like all the other invasions that Jerusalem has suffered throughout history. But, the Bible points to something that isn't quite normal. While we would still call it an 'invasion', it is far more similar to a military coup or an insurrection. And, this leads us to some interesting thoughts.
Throughout history, revolutions have almost never been successful unless the military and the police switch sides - or at least, stand down. The rare exceptions occur when there are a lot of foreign mercenaries among the rebels, and if there is a large foreign sponsor that is paying for the revolution or coup. For instance, the American Revolution could not have succeeded without the financial help of the French. But, the beginning of such things starts with a plot to overthrow the government - a plot that includes the help of an outsider. In this case, the Antichrist.
Here's the verse in Daniel that helps us think along these lines:
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
- Daniel 11:30 (KJV)
The words 'have intelligence with' is more accurately 'have understanding with' or even in this instance 'conspire with'. The Hebrew words are יבן על (yah-ven ahl).
So, this will actually be an internal coup supported by the Antichrist.
What God is telling us in Daniel 11, is that there will be apostates in Jerusalem who will bring in soldiers from the Antichrist to help them seize power. It sounds a lot like what happens when a larger power encourages a coup to take place in a neighboring country, and then rushes in to support it when the coup plotters 'ask' for help. Rome took over Israel by supporting a tiny minority group led by Herod. The Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown by America in a similar way, and the US gained access to Panama by supporting a revolution against Colombia.
The Romans had two sayings that were the hallmark of their governance:
Divide et Impera (pronounced: dee-vee-day ett Im-peh-rah) - divide and command
and
Divide ut Regnes (pronounced: dee-vee-day oot reg-ness) - divide and reign
They are both effective tools for the takeover and rule of areas where your power is not strong enough to impose your will directly. And, this appears to be how the Antichrist takes over Jerusalem. Unfortunately, it's also how most governments rule their countries - whether they are democratic, or not.
So, the Antichrist will conspire with a group of apostates who wish to overthrow the rulers of Jerusalem and impose their own control. When they succeed, they will set up something called the 'abomination of desolation'. This might be a signal for the forces of the Antichrist to come to the aid of these apostates. Or, it might just be the first outward sign of this coup.
The leaders of his coup will call for help, and the Antichrist will send in his soldiers to support the new regime. These soldiers will be foreign to Jerusalem, and will be the ones to do the killing, which has always been how successful coups work. You bring in foreigners when you want to kill your citizens.
If you are American, do you remember how the British tried to suppress the American Revolution?
They brought in Germans to shoot the colonists. One of my relatives was shot and killed by a German mercenary from Hesse, on January 2nd, 1777. His name was also John Little, which makes this topic kind of personal.
Other countries have done the same thing. Iran brought in Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon to shoot Iranian protesters in Tehran. China uses Han soldiers and Han officials to suppress the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Cubans have been used to shoot Africans in Africa, and so on and so forth.
Also, notice that successful coups usually win within minutes of being launched. And, this one will be so quick that Jesus said that you wouldn't even have time to go inside to get your jacket. Once the abomination of desolation is set up, you'll need to immediately run for your life - and we'll see later that half of Jerusalem does so. There's more about this coup, in the next verse:
Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
- Daniel 11:31 (NASB)
So, foreign units from the Antichrist will infiltrate Jerusalem to support this faction of apostate Christians who will conspire with the Antichrist to betray their brothers and sisters. Then, as the coup develops, the Antichrist will send in a larger force that will have been positioned close by, to strengthen the apostates and destroy any opposition to him in Jerusalem.
Oh, and if you want to know the biggest reason why they will be Christians, jump ahead and read this chapter:
Why Israel Must Be Saved BEFORE The Great Tribulation
https://whengogcomes.com/10-why-israel-saved-before-great-tribulation.html
One thing that bothers me is that Israel's military seems to no longer exist. Israeli soldiers would not hesitate to disobey orders and defend Jerusalem if there was a takeover that invited foreign soldiers to occupy the city. We'll get into more about this in the next chapter, but it indicates that something catastrophic has already happened to Israel. Even if the Antichrist had taken over the Israeli government and its intelligence services, it is difficult to understand how Israel could be this helpless.
Remember that the IDF is a citizen military made up of Israelis who have a history of 'creative rebellion' when it comes to orders that they don't like. They've done it in the past, and it makes no sense that they would not do so again, when this coup happens.
Like I said, we'll delve deeper into the details of this later. What you need to understand at this moment is that a gigantic and radical change will have taken place in the Middle East long before the Antichrist rises.
Now, let's get back to what the New Testament says about the invasion of Jerusalem by the Antichrist. In this case, we want to look at some interesting limitations to this coup/overthrow:
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
- Revelation 12:15-17 (ASV)
Because his soldiers could not catch those fleeing the Antichrist, he had to release a flood of water that is stopped by the earth cracking open and swallowing it. We could speculate on how that happens, but it's clear that the Antichrist is unable to catch those who are running away - even though he really, really wants to seize and kill them.
By the way, that flood is probably from a dam - either from one that exists now, or from one that will be built in the future. That dam might be blown up, or have big enough sluice gates to open and create a wave of water that would block the escape of 'the woman'.
The most likely targets for this flood would be the Allenby Bridge crossing, on the Jordan River, just north of the Dead Sea, and the Wadi Mujib, east of the Dead Sea. Both rivers are likely crossing points with dams that are upstream. However, this assumes that the hydrology of the Jordan River basin will remain the same. The massive earthquake described in Ezekiel 38 and Isaiah 30 will change many rivers in the Middle East, so what seems likely now, might not be in the future.
Another important point to gather from Revelation 12 is that the escape of 'the woman' shows the limitations of the Antichrist that we are not used to thinking about. And, for some reason, the man of lawlessness is unable to get to the place in the wilderness where the woman is nourished for three and a half years.
Why doesn't the Antichrist bomb that place flat?
Where is the air force of the Antichrist?
Why can't he send a detachment of soldiers to attack them?
In fact, now that I think of it, there doesn't seem to be any indication of an air force anywhere in the Bible, when referring to events of the Last Days. A 'lack of evidence' is not 'evidence of lack', but it is interesting that the Antichrist doesn't seem to have airplanes that can attack these fleeing Christians.
But, for whatever reason, this army is not large enough to capture Jerusalem with enough speed to grab all the Christians in Judea - if they run away fast enough. And, I find it interesting that one reason why this army must stop chasing the fleeing Christians is due to another group of people that is resisting the Antichrist.
But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.
- Daniel 11:44 (NKJV)
How fascinating to think that there would be an organized and threatening resistance to what the Antichrist is trying to do. We could speculate on who that is, but it's a big enough threat that he can't capture or kill the Christians fleeing Jerusalem.
So, is this invasion of Jerusalem, the coming of Gog and Magog?
Sorry, no. This is NOT and CANNOT be the coming of Gog and Magog. We'll get into the details of the alliance formed by Gog, and what it will look like, later. But, for now, the answer is an emphatic no. Not Gog and Magog. But, let's not stop there.
Why is this not Gog and Magog?
Because the Antichrist successfully captures Jerusalem.
Gog does not.
To put this another way:
Israelis won't need to run away from Gog, but they will need to run away from the Antichrist.
But, we aren't done, so let's continue with our discussion about the army of the Antichrist in the New Testament.
After the takeover of Jerusalem, there are one or two more invasions of Israel by the Antichrist before the last big battle. The New Testament identifies this 'last battle' in a couple of ways:
Armageddon
The Kings of the East
We know what Armageddon is. We just aren't sure who these Kings of the East are. And, Revelation speaks of both:
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
- Revelation 16:12-16 (NKJV)
There's no 'h' in Greek, so Har Megiddo comes out as 'Ar', and 'Mageddon' - all fused together. And, Mount Megiddo is the main exit out of the Jezreel valley, into the coastal plain of Israel. And, for some reason, God allows the Kings of the East and the rest of the world's armies to assemble in the Jezreel valley.
Why did God choose Jezreel?
Why not the coastal plains?
Why not further north, in Syria or Lebanon?
Why would this army of the Antichrist assemble in Jezreel, anyway?
We'll find out later, that the Antichrist rules the world - at least, in terms of his military - from the Jezreel valley. He doesn't command his army from Jerusalem, Rome, New York or Damascus. And, choosing not to set up in Damascus is pretty important, all by itself.
For thousands of years, the capital of the Levant - the area encompassing Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and the Sinai - has been Damascus. It is the perfect place to rule the Middle East from. Except, there's a problem that keeps the Antichrist from doing that.
You'll find that problem explained here:
Isaiah 17 and 19
https://whengogcomes.com/13-isaiah-17-and-19.html
Damascus will have been knocked flat by the biggest earthquake in five thousand years, and all the water sources that fed Damascus with water, will have been diverted or destroyed by that earthquake. That's part of the explanation for why the Antichrist sets up in the Jezreel Valley. There's water there, but not in Damascus.
Jezreel is also an easy place to defend, since the choke points leading into the valley are easy to block. It's also a great assembly point for any army wishing to invade Jerusalem, attack Egypt and Africa, or invade the Arabian Peninsula. Lots of water. It's a large flat area. Perfect. At least in the summer. In the winter, it's a muddy mess.
The opposite is true about Jerusalem. There are no good assembly points for large military formations. It's difficult to get to, and is not on the path to anywhere you want to control. And, it's the number one reason why the Middle East was always administered from Damascus and not Jerusalem. Yes, Jerusalem is a 'holy city', but it's a bad place for a 'capital' if you aren't God.
If you've ever driven from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, you'll know what I'm talking about.
The one good thing about Jerusalem is that it is pretty easy to defend. That's undoubtedly why the Antichrist ignores Jerusalem in his first two invasions of Israel. So, let's take a brief moment to look at that.
In theory, it is possible to invade Jerusalem by going down through the Jordan Valley, but you would only do that if you were insane. The way is narrow and would cause any large army to be strung out in a rather long, thin line - making it extremely vulnerable to counterattack. And, when you reached the point where you need to turn up towards Jerusalem, you'd find yourself fighting the worst uphill battle ever. Invading from the west is so much easier.
This is why the most common path for an invasion of Jerusalem is to march past Megiddo and through the valley into Wadi Ara. Once you've done that, you now have access to assembly points in the coastal plain of Israel that would allow you to regroup and prepare for a final assault. From that point, you can attack Jerusalem from more than one direction. You can enter from the west, following the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. Or, you could loop around the Jerusalem hills and attack from the south - if you go down to Hebron and then up through Bethlehem.
The interesting thing is that God doesn't use such logic when He Returns to rescue the world from the Antichrist. He starts at Jerusalem, conquers that first, before moving northwards. You can see that in Zechariah 14:4.
Jesus puts His feet upon the mount of Olives, and it splits right across the middle. This retaking of Jerusalem by Jesus causes the army of the Antichrist to gather in Jezreel - along with reinforcements from the rest of the world - to counterattack against... (I'm having trouble even saying it) ...God.
And, why would ANYONE think that they could fight against God?
(We humans are a special kind of stupid.)
The other place in Revelation that talks about Armageddon is chapter 19:
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
- Revelation 19:19-21 (NKJV)
I find it interesting that God gives the Antichrist enough time to gather everyone. The AC will make his 'last stand' in Jezreel, and God will give him all the time that he needs. As Napoleon once said:
"Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake."
- Napoleon Bonaparte
So, God waits for Satan and his Antichrist to bring everyone to one place so that they can be completely destroyed.
I know that we haven't gotten to our discussion of Gog and Magog, in Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39, but I feel the need to make this comparison:
The Antichrist will not be buried, and will be thrown alive into Hell.
Gog will be buried and will have a grave in a special place called Hamon Gog.
Notice another difference:
Gog assembles a specific set of nations to invade Israel.
The Antichrist has ALL OF THEM.
Then, there is a third difference:
There are merely hours or maybe days between the destruction of the Antichrist and the Millennium
After Gog is destroyed, there are a minimum of at least seven years.
Those are big differences, but there's more to talk about. However, we've run out of evidence for the army of the Antichrist in the New Testament. If we want more detail, we need to turn to the Old Testament.
We can be reasonably confident that these are the main passages in the Old Testament that talk about the invasions of Israel by the Antichrist, and of the final, premillennial battle that we call Armageddon:
There might be other chapters and verses that speak of Armageddon, but we cannot be quite as sure about those. In fact, a previous version of this chapter listed more passages than above. But, when I looked at them again, I realized that I had cast too wide of a net. When proving the truth about something difficult, start with the clearest evidence. And, that means we begin with Zechariah 14.
Zechariah 14 has always been deeply troubling because it talks of the conquest of Jerusalem and great suffering, and the thought of that happening to a city that I care so much about is hard. Of course, the end of that chapter speaks of the return of Jesus and His thousand year reign. That's a great victory, but the price will be terrible. The mere thought of it is difficult to contemplate. But, we must not shrink from looking at this chapter and embracing what we see.
So, let's start with the first two verses of chapter 14, which seems to include the first invasion of Jerusalem:
1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
- Zechariah 14:1-2 (ESV)
The plunder and rape of Jerusalem is NOT something that I want to see. But, since this is a part of God's plan to defeat Satan, it must be necessary. This is especially apparent, since God says that He will bring everyone against Jerusalem. God causes this to happen. And, that's a second thing that is hard to contemplate.
God uses Jerusalem as a lure, to draw the Antichrist and his army to Jerusalem. And, once this great army is sucked in, it gets hammered. It's a necessary strategy, but the wear and tear on Jerusalem is going to be hard. But, the second verse tells us something interesting, something that you will not see if you read the King James Version of that verse.
"Half of the city shall go out into exile"
The KJV says 'captivity', instead of 'exile'. And, that's incorrect. Yes, there have been times when 'exile' might have included captivity. But, the Hebrew word for captivity is entirely different than the word for exile. And, there's a reason for why the distinction is important.
Here is a snapshot of one part of the same event, from the Book of Revelation:
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
- Revelation 12:13-14 (ESV)
So, the 'half of Jerusalem' that goes into exile, looks like it is actually the great escape from the dragon, which makes the first two verses of Zecharia 14 about the third invasion/coup of Israel by the Antichrist - but more on that, when we get to Daniel.
Again, the words of Jesus confirm the suddenness of this military operation by the Antichrist:
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
- Matthew 24:15-18 (ESV)
So, upon closer inspection, it's actually a positive thing for 'half the city' to go into exile. It means that half the population of Jerusalem followed the commands of Jesus and got out before the Antichrist could catch them. So, part of Zechariah 14:2 is good, even though the rest is awful.
I find it deeply disturbing to discover that this KJV translation error had corrupted my view of what Zechariah 14:2 said. For decades, I had assumed that the Antichrist was the one forcefully depopulating Jerusalem, when the truth was that the people of Jerusalem were running away - just like Jesus told them to.
More importantly, if I had known that the word was EXILE, instead of CAPTIVITY, I would not have been as puzzled by Zechariah 14. This is yet another reason why the KJV cannot be trusted completely. You need to double-check what it says.
Unfortunately, you also need to double-check all the other translations, too. I am truly amazed at how awful the English translations of the Bible are. The publishing houses that commissioned these translations should be ashamed of themselves.
Then in verse three, all the English translations of the Bible get the first word completely wrong - at least, for the translations that I've seen:
Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
- Zechariah 14:3 (KJV)
That word 'Then' is deeply incorrect. The original Hebrew says 'And' and NOT 'Then'. The word 'then' indicates a moment that is immediately after the events of verse two. But, since the word is 'and', the gap between verse two and three could be much, much longer than 'immediately after'. And yes, for years I was caught by the false usage of 'then' in that verse. To put it another way:
The first three verses of Zechariah 14 are three and a half years long.
Even though I knew that the KJV was imperfect, I still made the mistake of not double-checking the translation by looking at the original Hebrew. That's why I - and so many others - have assumed that the events of verse three MUST come immediately after the events of verse two.
So anyway, verse three begins the liberation of Jerusalem from the Antichrist, and is where the Battle of Armageddon really begins. And, the next verse describes HOW Jesus begins His war upon the Antichrist and the nations:
On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south.
- Zechariah 14:4 (NASB)
Jesus will descend upon the Mount of Olives, and they will split in two. This is the Second Coming, as promised in the first chapter of Acts:
11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
- Acts 1:11 (NKJV)
Jesus will return in the same way that He left, with one difference:
The Mount of Olives will split in two.
Oh, and this indicates a very, very important point:
Yehovah is Jesus
If you are surprised by that, you might need to spend more time reading the Old Testament - not just the new. If you aren't reading both, you are doomed to a stunted spiritual growth. Oh, and there are a lot more proofs that Yehovah is Yeshua (Jesus).
Zechariah 14 goes on to talk about the escape of those who are left in Jerusalem, followed by the plagues that God inflicts upon those nations that fight against Him. This description of Armageddon is followed by a discussion of what the Millennium will be like.
Oh, and we know that God rescues Jerusalem BEFORE the Battle of Armageddon, because of this verse in Joel 3
16 The Lord also will roar from Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel.
- Joel 3:16 (NKJV)
Jerusalem will be rescued first, THEN the Battle of Armageddon starts. Furthermore, the people of God who live during this time will be sheltered by God, from the wrath that He will pour out upon the nations.
Now, this gives us an opportunity to connect a passage from the Old Testament, with one from the New Testament. Since we know that Jesus splits the Mount of Olives in two, we have a clearer view of these two verses in Revelation 16:
18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
- Revelation 16:18-19 (KJV)
This will be an even BIGGER earthquake than the one that will happen during Ezekiel's Fire, and maybe even bigger than the one that happened during the Great Flood. I talk more in my other book, about the earthquake that happens during Ezekiel's Fire, but it is understandable if you think that the earthquake in Revelation 16 is the same one that occurs in Isaiah 30. But, as we go through the other evidence about Gog and Magog it will be clear that they are not the same.
Now, it's obvious to me that 'the great city' refers to Jerusalem. If you believe that it is some other city, that's okay. But, we have some evidence in the form of Zechariah 14:4, when Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives and splits it in half.
Imagine what would happen to the rest of Jerusalem when that occurs. Where the Mount of Olives once stood, a newly created valley described as גדול מאד (very big) will be created. And, I know from personal experience that the Mount of Olives is right up against the Old City of Jerusalem. The fulfillment of Zechariah 14:4 by creating a very big valley at the Mount of Olives, would DEFINITELY split Jerusalem into three parts. And NOTHING in Jerusalem would be left standing.
Since the rest of Zechariah 14 speaks about events that follow Armageddon, and then the Millennium, I will leave that for you to look at. But, before moving on to the Book of Daniel, let's ask ourselves if the description of the Antichrist is like the coming of Gog and Magog.
Zechariah 14 is definitely not about Gog and Magog. Here's why:
The context of spiritual salvation is absent in Zechariah 14.
With Gog and Magog, the children of Jacob accept Jesus as their Savior for the first time.
In Zechariah 14 ALL NATIONS are gathered
With Gog and Magog, a limited number of nations are gathered
Then, in Zechariah 12 we'll see that God saves Jerusalem LAST, while in chapter 14, God saves Jerusalem FIRST.
So, let's turn to the Book of Daniel to learn more about the Antichrist and his army.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/05-the-antichrist-in-daniel-wgc.mp3
Now, let’s turn to those parts of the Book of Daniel that refer to what the Antichrist does. And, these will be some of the more interesting points:
There are Five invasions of Israel by the Antichrist.
(Gog is described as invading once)
The Israel at the time of the Antichrist will not look like the Israel of today.
The Antichrist has opposition – lots of it.
The Antichrist will not be buried, but he and his false prophet will be thrown alive into Hell.
(Gog will be buried and will have a grave in a special place called Hamon Gog.)
Daniel 8 is NOT about Antiochus Epiphanes.
Daniel 8 does NOT refer to sacrifices, but the continual worship of God at Jerusalem.
Daniel 9 is about Jesus and NOT the Antichrist.
The King of the South is actually called the King of the Negev.
A massive change to Israel, points directly to Ezekiel's Fire happening BEFORE the Antichrist rises.
Gog cannot be the Antichrist, because Israel accepts Christ BEFORE the Antichrist rises, while Ezekiel and Zechariah describe the salvation of Israel AFTER Gog is destroyed.
If any of that is new to you, you're in good company. Some of it was pretty new to me as well. I'm not used to thinking of the Antichrist having organized opposition or that the actual name for the King of the South is really 'King of the Negev'. And, the kinds of changes to Israel that Daniel describes is disconcerting. The Israel of today will not be the same Israel when the Man of Sin arrives.
And that bothers me, a lot.
However, not all change is bad, and God is controlling these changes. So, let's talk about what Daniel has to say about the Antichrist.
The vision in Daniel 8 begins with verse three. And, from that verse until verse nine, it’s all ancient history.
Daniel 8:3-4 – The kings of Persia and the Medes
Daniel 8:5-8 – Alexander the Great
Daniel 8:8 – Alexander’s Generals
Then, we skip more than 2000 years to the Antichrist. And no, Antiochus Epiphanes is not ‘the little horn’, and yes... this is a 'gap theory'. But, unlike the gap inserted into Daniel 9, there is no defined time frame that I need to artificially split apart to insert a two millennia gap into.
By the way, the other theory that's running around chucks out Daniel 8 into the future. The whole thing. It basically obliterates our understanding of verses one through eight. And actually, I would love that interpretation to be true. It would mean that the fulfillment of these events is even further into the future than I think, and I love the thought of that. But, we need to apply ourselves to what the truth actually is, instead of what we want it to be.
So, let's look at verse nine:
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.
– Daniel 8:9 (KJV)
Wait. The word, ‘little’.
Is that correct?
No, it actually means young (מצעירה, pronounced: meh-tsa-eer-ah). Of course, a ‘young horn’ will also be a small one, so maybe this translation error doesn’t matter. Or, maybe it does… since it grows. And, since the horns are also kingdoms or empires…
…is this ‘young horn’ a young empire?
Maybe.
So, the Antichrist grows toward the south, east and into Israel – The Glorious Land. (Although, the Hebrew doesn’t actually say ‘Glorious Land’)
So, the Antichrist goes South, East and into Israel… from where?
From one of the nations, in an area that Alexander the Great once controlled.
(Seriously, the President of the United States cannot be the Antichrist!)
Now, let’s deal with a question that some hold tightly to:
Is the Young Horn, Antiochus Epiphanes?
mmm…. NO.
There are four reasons. The first reason is that Antiochus Epiphanes did not grow up to the host of heaven and did not cast down any of the stars of heaven (Daniel 8:10). Sorry, it just didn’t happen.
Second, the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV, only lasted from 168 BC, until 164 BC. Less than four years. Daniel 8:14 says that the situation will last for 6.3 years. And, while it’s true that the Ptolemaic kingdom declared war on Antiochus IV in 170 BC, that still doesn’t give us 6.3 years.
Third, Daniel 8:19 says that this period is for the time of the very end – למועד קץ (pronounced: leh-mo-ed ketz). The word קץ (pronounced: ketz) doesn’t just mean end. It means the edge, the very end. Also, verse 26 speaks of this prophecy as occurring many days in the future – not just 270 years after Daniel.
Fourth, Jesus refers to Daniel 8:13 (and Daniel 11:31), when He mentions the Abomination of Desolation. Therefore, Jesus cannot be referring to something that has already happened (i.e., Antiochus Epiphanes). Jesus MUST be referring to an event in the future.
Fifth, the vision is sealed. If this prophecy was going to be fulfilled within 270 years, it would NOT have been sealed. Otherwise, there would be no point to this prophecy.
Yes, I understand other similarities between Antiochus IV and the ‘young horn’ in Daniel 8. But, we need to look carefully at what history actually says about this guy, and compare it to what Daniel 8 says. Remember that many Bible teachers preach things that they want to believe, because the alternative would change their world too much. Comfortable fantasies are always more popular than hard realities.
Now, think about the army that Daniel 8 refers to. It’s here:
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
– Daniel 8:12 (KJV)
Unfortunately, that’s not quite what it says. The Hebrew says:
An army was given to the daily in transgression, and he cast truth (to the) ground. And, he acted and prospered.
[John Little Version]
An army is given to the Antichrist. And, I find that to be interesting. Someone or something GIVES him an army. And, the purpose of that army will be to stop ‘The daily’ (in Hebrew, The Continual or The Always). The word ‘sacrifice’ does not appear here.
Someone made an important point about this, and I think that it's worth noting here:
There is no way that God will bring back temple sacrifices.
Jesus was the final sacrifice. To institute any other sacrifice would be an affront to the eternal righteousness and eternal forgiveness of sins that our Savior bought for us on the Cross. The Blood of Christ covers and cleanses all of God's people from their sins. All of them. Forever.
So, what could this 'daily/continual/always' be referring to in Daniel 8:12?
Actually, it's quite simple, and I'm sorry that I didn't think of it myself:
There will be continual worship services 24/7 in Jerusalem, and the Antichrist will put a stop to them.
Now THAT sounds like what will happen. There literally cannot be a better explanation for that.
(Thanks, Kris!)
In verses thirteen and fourteen, a holy one speaks to another holy one, asking about how long this will go on.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
– Daniel 8:13-14 (NKJV)
The answer is two thousand three hundred days. And, the Hebrew is very specific that these days are not symbolic. They are ‘evening-morning’ (ערב בוקר), and singular. And no, you can’t divide that number in half without violating the Hebrew syntax. This really is 2300 days. (A previous version of When Gog Comes used a more inaccurate translation of that verse.)
Unfortunately, Daniel doesn’t understand anything that he sees in this vision. And, as he tries to figure it out, a ‘man’ appears and commands the angel Gabriel to give comprehension to Daniel. So, Gabriel comes over to do just that, causing Daniel to faint.
15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”
18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.
– Daniel 8:15-18 (NKJV)
Please note that Daniel was a really tough guy. With all that he’d been through, I doubt that there’s very much that would scare him. But, the appearance of Gabriel knocked him flat. If a really strong guy like Daniel faints when an angel appears, you would definitely do the same. You’d probably faint AND have to change your pants afterwards.
So, Gabriel revives Daniel and proceeds to explain what he just saw. He goes through the whole vision again and adds detail.
19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.”
– Daniel 8:19-26 (NKJV)
Gabriel says that a king with a fierce face (עז פנים - literally: 'goat face') will stand up and have power. But, it won’t be his own power. And the Hebrew word is כח (ko-ach, ‘ch’ as in Bach), or strength. Someone gives him strength. And, this king uses it to crush the holy people (or, עם קדשים). He’s clever and deceitful and grows and destroys many through peace. He even goes after the Prince of Princes.
Then, Gabriel tells Daniel to seal (literally: plug up) the vision, since it’s a really long time in the future. And then… poor Daniel passes out again. And, Daniel just doesn’t understand the vision.
27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.
– Daniel 8:27 (NKJV)
So, you might even say – although I wouldn’t say it very loudly – that Gabriel was less than successful in giving Daniel the understanding that he was looking for.
Furthermore, keep this last verse of Daniel 8 in mind as we briefly turn to the next chapter. Daniel does not understand the vision of chapter 8, but he understands the one in chapter 9.
When the vision of Daniel 9 occurs, it’s a completely different moment in time. A completely different setting. This time, Daniel is pouring out his heart towards God, admitting the sins of his people and begging God for forgiveness. And, Gabriel arrives yet again to give Daniel a glimpse of the future – but not the same future of Daniel 8.
This inability to understand the core difference between chapter 8 and chapter 9 has led to a huge error that centers on Daniel 9:27 and the claim that it’s about the Antichrist. It’s not. Not even close.
Nowhere in Daniel 9:27 is there ANY discussion of the Antichrist.
Here’s my translation of Daniel 9:27:
And, a covenant shall be confirmed to many, for one week. And, [at] half of the week, there is a ceasing of sacrifice and offering. And, on a wing of abominations, devastation – until completeness and destruction is poured on [the] devastated.
– Daniel 9:27 (JLV – John Little Version)
You will not find that translation anywhere, because they all get it wrong. Every. Single. One. Which is why I had to do it myself.
TRANSLATION NOTE: The word for sacrifice used there is completely different than the one used for 'daily sacrifice' (התמיד) in Daniel 8:12. That word just meant 'the continual' or 'the always'. But, the word for sacrifice in Daniel 9:27 is completely different:
זבח - pronounced zeh-vach (ch as in Bach)
That literally means a 'sacrificial slaughter'. Not at all like what we saw in Daniel 8. And, Jesus really did end the zeh-vach.
Again, where is the Antichrist in that verse?
It’s not there, but that hasn’t stopped teachers and translators from inserting that idea into Daniel 9:27. And, this demonstration of an appalling lack of ability makes me hopping mad. There’s no excuse for translators to have such a poor understanding of Hebrew.
Furthermore, unlike chapters 8, 10, 11 and 12, Daniel seems to understand what he’s hearing in chapter 9. There is every indication that Gabriel was successful in helping Daniel comprehend the full meaning of this prophecy. And, history tells us that Jesus actually came, preached and died – exactly as described in Daniel 9. He ended the zeh-vach.
This means that inserting a two thousand year gap between week 69 and week 70, in Daniel 9 is just wrong at so many levels that I have a hard time understanding where such insanity comes from, and I’m not sure that I want to. But whatever the reason, it needs to stop. Daniel 9 is NOT about the Antichrist or the Last Days, at all. Period. End of Statement. It’s not in there, and no one can prove that it is. But, as someone who holds to a certain eschatology said to me:
"We put a gap in there, because we have to."
You're not a bad Christian if you believe that. But, it's a really foolish thing to do. Having said that, I've had more than my fair share of foolish ideas of my own, and I don't think that Daniel 9 will be on the final exam for getting into heaven. (And, if you believe that there is one, I have a bridge to sell you...)
Since there’s absolutely no reference to the Antichrist in Daniel 9, we’ve probably spent too much time talking about it. So, let’s move on to the rest of what we are here for, the army of the Antichrist.
Daniel’s final prophecy takes up the last three chapters of his book. And, the core of that vision is in chapter eleven. Chapter ten is the introduction, and chapter twelve is the conclusion.
Unfortunately, the first verse of chapter ten gives us our first translation error. The King James Version says this:
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
– Daniel 10:1 (KJV)
Here’s my translation:
In the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel – who was called [by] his name Belteshazzar – the word was true and a large army. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.
– Daniel 10:1 (John Little Version)
In Hebrew, ‘word’ and ‘thing’ are spelled exactly the same. So, the KJV gets a pass for saying ‘thing’ instead of ‘word’. But, there is no excuse for saying ‘the time appointed was long’. That is NOT in the original Hebrew.
The Hebrew words in question are:
וצבא גדול (veh’Tsava Gadol)
ו (veh) = and
צבא (Tsava) = army
גדול (Gadol) = large
Tsava has NEVER meant ‘appointed time’. Not ever, and I am disgusted yet again with the Anglican/Catholic translators of the KJV. Smooth move, guys.
Now, most other translations say that ‘Tsava’ means ‘conflict’ or ‘war’. That’s pretty weak, but there is some Hebrew usage that might allow them to get away with that. And, the last three chapters of Daniel do actually speak of a large conflict/war.
Oh, and your Interlinear Bible probably also gets it wrong. And, I’m amazed that a translation that is supposed to be literal can be so incorrect. It is a shameful thing for translators to make such gigantic mistakes. But, let’s move on to the next verse.
Verse two describes Daniel as mourning for ‘three weeks of days’.
Was he mourning over what he saw in Daniel 9?
No. There was nothing to mourn over. He understood the vision of Daniel 9. But, remember his response in chapter 8 – at the very end of the chapter. That’s right, he was shocked/appalled/astonished at the vision of chapter 8. He didn’t understand it. No one did.
Furthermore, we see the reason why Daniel was mourning for 21 days, when the angel appears to him. The angel says that he was sent from the moment that Daniel began his period of mourning, and the angel explains the message that he is bringing:
14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
– Daniel 10:14 (NKJV)
So, this angel is talking about the same period of time that was spoken of in Daniel 8. If chapter ten was about the coming of Messiah, the angel would have said that. He didn’t, and we need to remember that.
There’s not much else that we need to say about Daniel 10, other than a curious reference to a book or ‘writing’ that is not referred to anywhere else except maybe Revelation:
בכתב אמת
bee-chtav emet (ch as in Bach)
‘in a book of truth’ or ‘in a writing of truth’
It's in Daniel 10:21, and it sounds like there is a book or scroll in heaven, where the future has been written down. And, this might be the scroll that we see in the Book of Revelation that has been sealed with seven seals. And, when the seals are broken in Revelation, the book seems to open, allowing future events to unfold. But, this is speculation on my part.
(Go here for more on the Seven Seals.)
Let’s move on to the core chapter of this last vision of Daniel.
Daniel 11 is the core of the prophecy that this angel has brought to Daniel, and this message covers all the ground that Daniel 8 describes – but with a lot more detail. However, this raises a question about what part of this is the future, and what is in the past.
The first few verses of chapter eleven are definitely historical, and the last few verses of this vision – which are in chapter twelve – are definitely in our future. In fact, let me point out the verse that makes it absolutely clear that this is a Last Days prophecy:
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
– Daniel 12:2 (KJV)
Remember that the chapter divisions are artificial. We didn't have chapters in the Bible until a few hundred years ago. So, chapter 11 and chapter 12 are one chapter. And, those of you who know about what Jesus said about the First Resurrection, will know that this is it. This is the First Resurrection. And, since it hasn't happened yet, we know that Daniel 12 is in the future. But wait, we haven't looked at the previous verse:
“At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
- Daniel 12:1 (NKJV)
So, not only is this the First Resurrection, but it's also the Great Tribulation. But, more important for our current discussion, the words 'At that time' tell us that - at a minimum - the last part of Daniel 11 comes around the same time as this verse. In fact, there is no amount of time between the last part of Daniel 11 and the first verse of Daniel 12. Inserting a 2000 year gap between these two chapters would be a grave sin.
However, there is a two thousand year gap in Daniel 11, somewhere. It could be at the beginning, meaning that everything in Daniel 11 is in the future, or it could be somewhere in the middle. I would love to dig into the arguments for and against, but our subject is the Antichrist. It's enough that we have established that he is the one being talked about, in Daniel 11:21 and afterwards.
SIDE NOTE: Not everyone awakens. Only ‘many’ – i.e. all who were in covenant relationship with God. Unfortunately, some of those in covenant relationship with God will suffer ‘everlasting contempt’. That might not be as bad as the Lake of Fire in Hell where those who do not awaken go, but it’s still pretty bad. Eternally bad.
Oh, and remember what Jesus said about the First Resurrection – the sheep and the goats?
The passage is here:
That’s what Daniel 12:2 is talking about.
And if all of that isn't enough clear, in-your-face proof, we also have confirmation that part of Daniel 11 is describing the Last Days, because of this verse:
He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.
– Daniel 12:9 (ESV)
And, that word ‘end’ is the same one that appeared in Daniel 8:
קץ (ketz)
And, as I’ve said before, the word ‘ketz’ isn’t just the end. It’s the VERY end. The edge. Take one more teeny tiny step, and you will fall off. So, the ‘time of the end’ referred to in verse 9, really is the Last Days.
Now that we have identified the point where the Antichrist begins, let's look at that verse:
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
– Daniel 11:21 (KJV)
Say what you want about the verses that come before verse 21, but from this verse onward, we are referring to the time of the last king – the Antichrist. And, after this king falls (11:45), the resurrection happens (12:2). There literally cannot be any other explanation.
Also, notice the reference to 'obtaining the kingdom by flatteries'. That is exactly like what Daniel 8 says, when he refers to the Antichrist as 'Who understands sinister schemes'. Someone who is good at intrigue and games of power, would also be someone who is exceptionally good at flattery.
Now, where are the invasions of Israel in this passage?
Not verse 24. Most translations get it wrong. The KJV comes close, and I’m not completely sure that I’ll translate it right. But, I’ll try anyway:
In peace and in fatness, a country he shall enter. And, he will not do that which his fathers and forefathers – distributing plunder, loot and wealth, and to strongholds, he will think thoughts and to a time.
– Daniel 11:24 (JLV, John Little Version)
That’s not exactly an invasion. That’s the Antichrist coming in with peace and handing out lots of goodies. Where he gets those goodies is hard to say. It sounds like he will have been conquering other areas in the world, but whatever the reason, he has plunder, loot and wealth to give. And, he’s a sneaky sneak, making sneaky plans.
Remember that this guy obtained his power through flattery and schemes. And, it seems that he tries that before committing troops to combat. Only when words and bribes fail, does he go to war.
He then tries to dominate the ‘King of the South’, and the King of the South responds with a huge army that gets completely defeated – destroyed from within. As a result, the Antichrist engages in dishonest peace talks and returns to the north. He only starts thinking about the ‘Holy Covenant’ in verse 28.
By the way, is verse 28 the moment he actually BECOMES the Antichrist?
He was undoubtedly against any form of faith in Christ before this. And, there have been people throughout history who have been against Christ - i.e., anti Christ. My neighbors here in Taiwan are antichrist. But, this King of the North doesn't seem to become THE Antichrist at least until verse 28. Or, maybe he becomes the Antichrist a couple verses later.
In verse 30, the Antichrist tries to return and fight again, against the King of the South, but a fleet of ships stops him.
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
– Daniel 11:30 (KJV)
The word for Chittim (כתים) doesn’t correspond with any group of people that we know of, except one. In Genesis, Chittim is the son of Javan. And, Javan (actually Yavan) is the word that we use for Greece. So, this fleet would seem to be Greek in one form or another.
Now, why would ships be able to oppose an army marching on land?
Very simple: Logistics
If you spend enough time reading about war, you’ll hear a phrase that has been common for thousands of years, in many different languages:
An army marches on its stomach.
Without a steady and dependable supply of food, an army quickly falls apart. And, the most normal way to supply a big army is by water – ships. But, if those supply ships are stopped and/or sunk by the ‘ships of Chittim’, you have to abandon your invasion plans.
So, to be extra clear, the ships of Chittim aren’t stopping the army of the Antichrist directly. These ships are just stopping the ability of the Antichrist to supply his army with food.
By the way, this also indicates a radically changed world. Today, our advanced technology allows large military forces to be supplied over land. But, when the Antichrist rises, it looks like something will have reduced our access to the kinds of rapid transport that we have today. And all you need to do, to find out one of those reasons is read Ezekiel's Fire.
Notice also who the Antichrist is fighting against:
The King of the South
Yes, he eventually turns against the ‘Holy Covenant’, but that’s only AFTER he starts his war against the King of the South.
Where is Israel’s military in all of this?
Seemingly nowhere.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) does not appear to be anywhere in this story. The IDF – if it still exists – seems unable to oppose the Antichrist as he moves up and down the eastern shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. And, it should be absolutely clear that his army is also marching back and forth through the choke point at Har Megiddo – where the Battle of Armageddon will eventually be.
Unless you can find some way to prove that the King of the South is Israel, the Land of Israel that we know today, will not be the Land of Israel that we will know when the Antichrist rises. This doesn’t mean that Israel has ceased to exist, but it does mean that she is not strong enough to stop the Antichrist from moving through the Galil (aka, Galilee) and the coastal plain where Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Netanya and Caesarea are located.
This is pretty strong proof that something bad happens to Israel BEFORE the Antichrist arrives. And, we see an indication of terrible tragedy, before the Antichrist, here:
And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
– Zechariah 13:8 (ASV)
That would certainly make Israel unable to stop the Antichrist from attacking the King of the South. We’ll get into more detail about this when we talk about Zechariah 12 and 13, but the fact that northern Israel cannot oppose the Antichrist is strong evidence that Gog and Magog has happened BEFORE the rise of the Antichrist.
Oh, and who is the King of the South?
I once thought that this was Egypt, but that is definitely not the case. Later in Daniel 11, Egypt is referred to in a way that is different from this ‘King of the South’. And, in Hebrew, this ‘King of the South’ actually says:
מלך הנגב
Melech haNegev (ch as in Bach)
King of the Negev
The word for ‘south’ in Hebrew is normally דרום (pronounced: dah-rome). Negev is also used in the Bible to mean ‘south’, but it literally means ‘dry’. Nagav is the root, and it means ‘to dry’. And, the driest part of Israel, is the wilderness area of southern Israel that everyone calls The Negev.
Is it possible that the political center of Israel shifts southwards?
When Gog and Magog comes, there will be a massive earthquake that knocks everything down. The cities along the Mediterranean Sea will be destroyed. Every building of any size in Jerusalem will be knocked down. And, Ezekiel’s Fire will knock out all the electricity. We will discuss that earthquake described in Isaiah 30:25, when we get to the chapter on Isaiah 30.
The point is that all the infrastructure that currently exists along the Mediterranean coast will be useless for a long time after Ezekiel’s Fire hits the Earth. And, it might be that areas in southern Israel like Be’er Sheva actually survive this cataclysm better than areas farther north. There is even some indication that weather patterns will shift, bringing more rain to the south, turning the Negev into a fertile plain. But whatever the cause, the Israel that we see today, will not be the Israel that the Antichrist will invade multiple times.
Something drastic will change the political face of Israel, and even the geography.
And, with the increased agriculture in the Negev...
Could it be that the political capital of Israel shifts to Be’er Sheva?
Remember that Isaiah also talks about an extreme political event that happens in Isaiah 19. Egypt will one day join in a confederation with Israel and a new entity called Assyria. So it might make sense for the political center of this new confederation be located in The Negev. You can read more about that, here:
Isaiah 17 And 19
https://whengogcomes.com/13-isaiah-17-and-19.html
My hope is that you will begin to realize that the world at the time of the rise of the Antichrist, will look a lot different than the world that we see today. And, that is a key point of this book. Not only do you need to be ready for the time when the Antichrist comes, you also need to be ready for the massive devastation that will happen BEFORE the Antichrist comes. I call that massive devastation, Ezekiel’s Fire. And, you really, Really, REALLY need to be ready for that. But, let’s get back to Daniel 11.
Again, this massive change to Israel, points directly to Gog and Magog happening BEFORE the Antichrist rises.
So again, in verse 30, the Antichrist makes a second attempt to invade the King of the Negev, and the Chittim navy stops him. As a result, the Antichrist gets mad at the Holy Covenant. And this is when he makes a serious investment in conspiring with those who leave the Holy Covenant - the apostates.
Here’s verse 30 again:
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
– Daniel 11:30 (KJV)
The KJV uses the word ‘indignation’, but the Hebrew word is much stronger than that. It’s זעם (zah-am), and it means ‘wrath’ or ‘rage’. Also, the word ‘intelligence’ is also a little bit incorrect. The word is יבן (yah-ven), and it’s a part of the same root as the Hebrew word for ‘understanding’ – מבין (mah-veen).
So, when the ships of Chittim block his invasion, he flies into a rage and starts conspiring with those who are apostates. And, these apostates have forsaken…
Wait…
…The Holy Covenant.
There’s a Holy Covenant in Israel BEFORE the Antichrist?
BEFORE the Antichrist rises, there will be a Holy Covenant. That means there are followers of God in Israel, who are obedient in every way.
Again, this is BEFORE the Antichrist.
And no, this will NOT be Judaism. Judaism is a synthetic religion formulated after the fall of the second temple as a way to get around the inability to properly sacrifice, AND to keep Jewish men and women from becoming Christian. If you live in Israel long enough, you'll figure this out.
The Rabbinic Judaism that sprang up in the first and second century AD, is not anything close to a ‘holy covenant’. But, it’s bigger than that.
Is it possible to have a holy covenant that is different than the one paid for by Jesus on the cross, and sanctified by His Blood?
Let me make this point as clearly as possible:
JESUS IS THE ONLY COVENANT!!!
If you think that there is any other way to salvation, except through faith and obedience in Jesus Christ, you are not a Christian. There is only one eternal sacrifice that paid for all the sins of the world. That covenant was made in His blood and sacrifice. Adding the blood of bulls and goats would be blasphemy.
Therefore, the Holy Covenant in Daniel 11:30 is faith in Christ.
That’s right, Christians. These are followers of Christ, like you and me. Israeli Christians that are faithfully worshiping God in the area of the Middle East where the Antichrist will run around in. These Israeli Christians do not begin their Life in Christ after the Antichrist. They begin their Life in Christ BEFORE the Antichrist. And, I can’t help but point out here that Ezekiel 38 and 39 show that Israel doesn’t join the Holy Covenant until AFTER Gog and Magog has been destroyed. Not before.
Gog and Magog is destroyed.
After that, Israel accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior.
It’s that simple, and it is absolute and undeniable proof that:
Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
With that completely obvious conclusion, we could stop this book right here and move on to the next book, Ezekiel's Fire. There is literally no other way to interpret what the Bible has said here.
So, let me say again - Gog just cannot be the Antichrist, especially, since Gog DIES during the Battle of Gog and Magog and is buried. The Antichrist is NOT buried, but is cast alive into the Lake of Fire. Nor have we seen any battles that look like the coming of Gog and Magog in Daniel 11. So, let’s keep going.
To summarize this point:
Gog cannot be the Antichrist, because Daniel describes an Israel that has accepted Christ BEFORE the Antichrist rises.
Ezekiel and Zechariah describe the salvation of Israel AFTER Gog is destroyed.
For more on that, jump ahead to this chapter:
Why Israel Must Be Saved BEFORE The Great Tribulation
https://whengogcomes.com/10-why-israel-saved-before-great-tribulation.html
Here is what appears to be the best translation for the next verse:
Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
– Daniel 11:31 (NASB)
However, the phrase ‘forces from him’ is interesting:
וזרעים ממנו (oo-zro-eem mee-meh-no)
When I first saw that phrase, I thought “SEEDS!” And yes, זרע (zeh-ra) means seed. But… not in this case. I was looking at the wrong Hebrew root for this word. Here’s the correct root:
זרוע
(zro-ah)
It means arm, and everyone has two of them – unless you’ve had an accident. It also means tentacle, so any octopus that is reading this will have a lot more than that. (Just sayin’)
So, these arms will come from the Antichrist, defile the building of the holy place, stop whatever worship of God that is happening there and then set up the Abomination of Desolation. And, this isn’t the Antichrist doing it directly. It is these ‘arms’, plural that are doing it.
Hebrew is specific when it comes to word agreement. Plural nouns have plural verbs. Singular nouns have singular verbs. So, this isn’t the Antichrist (singular) doing this. It’s these arms (plural) that are setting up the Abomination of Desolation.
Now, notice that phrase, Abomination of Desolation. The Hebrew is this:
השקוץ משומם (ha-shee-koots meh-sho-mem)
Where did we hear of this before?
Right here:
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
– Matthew 24:15-18 (ESV)
And, right here:
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”
– Daniel 8:13 (ESV)
Here’s Daniel 11:31 again:
Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
– Daniel 11:31 (NASB)
It’s clear that Daniel 11 and Matthew 24 are talking about the same moment in time. And, Daniel 8 is so close that you need to assume that it is also the same moment in time. The only difference for Daniel 8:13 is that Gabriel says ‘transgression’ instead of ‘abomination’. But, abomination is always transgression, and transgression is always an abomination.
So, I think that we must conclude that…
Jesus was talking about BOTH Daniel 8:13 and Daniel 11:31!
SIDE NOTE:
WHAT is this Abomination of Desolation?
We are used to assuming that this is the Antichrist himself, but now that I’ve looked at Daniel 11 more closely, I don’t think so. Remember that the Book of Revelation talks about an ‘image’ that people are required to worship. The setting up of a statue or image seems to fit better than just having the Antichrist stand there. Ultimately, we’ll see it, when it happens.
Whatever this Abomination of Desolation is, it means that verse 31 is at the beginning of the persecution phase of the Great Tribulation, and verses 32 to 39 confirm that with a description of persecution – as well as a discussion of what the Antichrist does. And, it all conforms to the description of Revelation.
Daniel 11:32-39 is a terrible account of betrayal, persecution and great suffering. Apostate Christians will betray those who follow Christ. Christian men and women will be imprisoned and killed. The Antichrist will blaspheme God and place himself above Yehovah and all other gods. He even places another god, a god of fortresses, above other gods. And, he will use this god against the strongest fortresses.
What is this new ‘god of fortresses’ that the Antichrist will use as a tool to defeat those who continue to stand against him?
I could give you theory after theory about what all that could be, but that would be meaningless. I would undoubtedly get all of those theories wrong, and divert your attention from the main point. All that we know is that it's new, and useful.
Oh, and one more thing. And, this extra bit is important. This passage in Daniel about the Great Tribulation describes an important outcome for all Christians who go through this time and stay faithful:
Purification
Given enough time and enough prosperity, Christians become corrupted. The history of Christianity is full of churches that started out well, and ended up falling from grace. And, right now, Christians in the developed world are a horrifying mess. We have corrupted ourselves so badly, that I wonder how many of us are still in Christ.
We need to be purified. And, if we don’t choose purity now, God will impose it upon us. I believe that Gog and Magog will be a time of purification. The coming of the Antichrist will be the last one.
But, let’s get back to looking at the Army of the Antichrist.
Then, in verse 40, the King of the Negev attacks again and loses badly.
40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.
– Daniel 11:40-41 (NKJV)
In response to the attack by the King of the Negev, the Antichrist hits back, invading Israel in verse 41 and taking over Egypt and lots of Africa in verses 42 and 43.
But, who escapes from being conquered by the Antichrist?
Most of what we call the Kingdom of Jordan
After rushing about and capturing so much territory, the one place that he doesn’t get to, is the mountainous area to the east and southeast of the Jordan River. And, one reason why he can’t, is that he runs out of time, in verse 44:
But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction.
– Daniel 11:44 (ESV)
All of the above adds detail to what we see in Revelation 12:
14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
– Revelation 12:14-17 (ASV)
So, the news that the Antichrist hears from 'the east' and 'the north' in Daniel 11:44, might be a message from his people, saying that there are Christians that are defying and even rising up against him. And, this news happens just at the right time, before he can destroy the Christians fleeing from Jerusalem and Judea. The Israeli Christians escape to a place of safety, and the Antichrist can’t do much about them.
Now, claiming that verse 44 is about Christians defying him, is speculation. There could be any number of reasons for why ‘news from the east and the north would alarm him’. It could be a disgruntled political faction. It could even be a group that’s upset over Allah or Muhammad or Buddha being blasphemed. But, since the Antichrist hates Christians more than any other group of people, I feel like the best explanation would be one that points to Christians defying the Antichrist in the north and east. But, as always… we’ll see when it happens.
Then, in Daniel 11:45, the last verse of the chapter, the Antichrist is destroyed.
And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
– Daniel 11:45 (NKJV)
In the original Hebrew, ‘plant’ is literally a verb that you would use when describing how you would insert seeds into the ground for the purposes of growing a plant. So, the Antichrist PLANTS his tent between two seas and TO the glorious holy mountain.
Not ‘in’.
‘To’.
The Antichrist firmly places his tents – yes, tents – BETWEEN two seas and TOWARDS the ‘glorious holy mountain’. Most translations garble this verse badly. They say that the Antichrist puts his tents in/on/at Jerusalem, but that’s not what it says.
A careful look at the original Hebrew – along with a little triangulation – makes it pretty clear that the tents of the Antichrist are in the Jezreel Valley, which is where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought in Revelation 16. And, the destruction of Damascus would be one of the reasons why he would choose Jezreel. I get into what happens to Damascus, here:
Isaiah 17 and 19
https://whengogcomes.com/13-isaiah-17-and-19.html
Damascus has always been the best location for a regional capital for the Levant - the area of land directly east of the Mediterranean Sea. Conquerors of Syria, Jordan and Israel have always placed the regional capital for the area, at Damascus. There was plenty of water. It was at the crossroads for what is modern-day Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Arabia and Africa. Everything going back and forth overland between Europe and Asia and Africa, had to go through Damascus. Yes, there were other routes, but you had to be insane to use them.
The other thing about Damascus is that it was a great place to put an army. It was the perfect staging area for invading other provinces, or defending the provinces that you had. But, when Damascus is destroyed with its source of water eliminated, you can't put your army there. You have to put it in a similar location.
And, that's why the Antichrist chooses to put his palace in the Jezreel valley.
Armageddon is at the entrance to the Jezreel valley, and it will be the place that the ‘Kings of the East’ will rush to, in hopes of rescuing the Antichrist from the armies of heaven.
Up to this point, we’ve done our very best to look at the invasion(s) of Israel by the Antichrist. And, we’ve had a chance to look at identifiers that are unique to the Antichrist, that Gog would not have.
There are Five invasions of Israel by the Antichrist
(Gog is described as invading once)
The Israel at the time of the Antichrist will not look like the Israel of today
The Antichrist has opposition – lots of it
The Antichrist captures Jerusalem.
(Gog does NOT capture Jerusalem.)
Israelis need to run away from the Antichrist
(Israelis do not need to run away for Gog)
The Antichrist will not be buried, but he and his false prophet will be thrown alive into Hell.
(Gog will be buried and will have a grave in a special place called Hamon Gog.)
The Antichrist assembles ALL NATIONS – even though God is the one really doing it.
(Gog assembles a specific set of nations to invade Israel.)
There are merely hours or maybe days between the destruction of the Antichrist and the Millennium
(After Gog is destroyed, there cannot be less than seven years.)
When the Antichrist invades Israel, the context of spiritual salvation is absent.
(With Gog and Magog, the children of Jacob accept Jesus as their savior.)
Daniel 8 is NOT about Antiochus Epiphanes
Daniel 8 does NOT refer to sacrifices, but the continual worship of God at Jerusalem.
Daniel 9 is about Jesus and NOT the Antichrist
Daniel 11 is about the Antichrist – NOT Antiochus Epiphanes
The King of the South is actually the King of the Negev
The massive change to Israel, points directly to Gog and Magog happening BEFORE the Antichrist rises.
Gog cannot be the Antichrist, because Israel accepts Christ BEFORE the Antichrist rises, while Ezekiel and Zechariah describe the salvation of Israel AFTER Gog is destroyed.
Again, I need to reiterate this to be absolutely clear for everyone:
Israel must be Christian long before the Antichrist invades Israel.
That statement alone should be all the proof that anyone would need that Gog comes years before the Antichrist rises. There just cannot be any other conclusion. No other conclusion is possible.
Anyway, those are a lot of points, and some of those require evidence from other books in the Bible, and we will get to those. And, we will go to Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah to pull out the details that describe Gog and Magog directly and then compare them to what we know about the Antichrist.
By the time that we are done, we should have a clearer understanding of the wars of the Last Days. Most important of all, we will be able to accurately place the Return of Jacob on this timeline of events.
Having said all that, don't get distracted from a vital conclusion that you should not miss:
If Gog and Magog and the Return of Jacob happen BEFORE the coming of the Antichrist...
...you need to be ready for Ezekiel’s Fire.
So, let’s turn our attention to Gog and Magog.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/06-ezekiel-38-wgc.mp3
The final nail in the coffin of our current civilization happens here.
In the previous two chapters, we talked about what the Bible says about this takeover by the Antichrist, and it’s pretty disturbing. Not just because the Man of Lawlessness is so awful, but also because of how damaged our world will be when the Antichrist begins to take power. Catastrophe and cataclysm barely seem strong enough words to describe what the world will be like when the Son of Perdition rises.
Here are some of the interesting things that we'll talk about in this chapter:
The Lost Ten Tribes are not lost.
Common errors people make about Ezekiel 38 and 39.
Why Gog and Magog cannot be the Battle of Armageddon.
The impact of declining oil production.
A dramatically weakened or destroyed America.
The Great Earthquake.
The nova event of Seal Six in Revelation 6.
THE TEST.
Again, a global catastrophe of unimaginable proportions will afflict the world long before the Antichrist comes. Few of our pastors and Bible teachers see this, so it’s time to get this right. Think of it as a test of our ability to understand the words of the prophets. But, before getting into that, we need to lay the groundwork for Ezekiel 38 and 39.
The biggest reason for why Gog and Magog come, is found in Ezekiel 36 and 37. Those two chapters talk about something that we have been looking forward to, for two thousand years:
The Return of Jacob
The amount of material in the Bible that describes this return is huge. Every part of the Bible points to it. It will be the biggest social and spiritual earthquake since the coming of Jesus. Nothing during the past two thousand years will compare to it. And, the best place to start talking about this massive event, is Ezekiel 36.
That chapter lays out all the conditions that must be in place, for this Return to occur. They must have physically returned to the land of Israel. The land must be an awful place before it is transformed into a place of beauty and prosperity. And, the people must be refugees, fleeing their exile, desperate for a place of safety, no matter how tenuous.
That portion of Ezekiel 36 has been fulfilled.
Ezekiel 37 describes the spiritual condition of Israel – the dead, dry bones. They lie in spiritual graves, with their only hope being the promise made by God that He would breathe life into them and bring them back to Himself. And He does, but chapter 37 adds one other interesting thought.
Please pay attention here, because it’s vital and important for you to see this. In chapter 37, God combines all the tribes of Israel into one: Yehuda – The Jews. I am truly amazed that so few seem to remember this verse:
say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand.
– Ezekiel 37:19 (ASV)
With so many chasing around the world, searching for the Lost Ten Tribes, we forgot the one place that God promised to put them:
In the Tribe of Judah
The confusion over this, is visible proof that people need to read the Bible more. The proof of where the ‘lost’ ten tribes are, is right in Ezekiel. Yes, I know that it’s important to bring back the Kaiphong Jews, the Ethiopian Jews and all the other Asian Jews. It’s important, and it’s money well spent. Bringing the Jews home is a good thing. But, it’s NOT good to be so ignorant of what the Bible says.
If you want to find the Lost Tribes of Israel, just go to the eastern shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. Yafo, Tel Aviv, Caesaria, Netanya, Jerusalem, Hebron… they’re all there. The Lost Ten Tribes are not lost. God knows who and where they are.
So, mark this prophecy as fulfilled.
After looking at what the rest of the Bible says about the Salvation of Israel, there is just no way that anyone, in their right mind, can avoid seeing what God has planned for Jacob. However, chapters 36 and 37 speak in very general terms of how Jacob would return to God. What’s missing is the central moment in time, the key event that acts as a catalyst for the Return of Jacob. And that’s where Ezekiel 38 and 39 come in.
That catalyst, that ‘key event’ is one of the reasons why this book was written. I have been looking forward to Jacob's Return for almost all of my Christian life, and my first instinct was to talk about that exclusively. But, that was before I realized just how many of us were in danger of losing our lives when this happened. That's why the book, When Jacob Returns actually turned into When Gog Comes.
Once I realized that Ezekiel’s Fire could kill five billion people, I had to shift focus. As much as I wanted to reflect upon the glorious return of Israel to God, I just could not do that while knowing the danger that our brothers and sisters were in. Those who know that Gog and Magog are coming will have a greater opportunity to survive than those who do not.
You REALLY need to be ready for Ezekiel’s Fire.
Now that we have established the central point, we should start our discussion of Ezekiel 38 with a look at some common errors that people have made about Ezekiel 38 and 39. We will see how both chapters are a single vision and that they connect directly to Ezekiel 36 and 37. We will look at why the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel is not the same Gog and Magog of Revelation 20. We'll look at the incredible size of the military alliance of Gog and Magog – as well as who is NOT in this alliance. And, we will look at who God was actually speaking to in chapters 38 and 39.
Now, notice something important:
Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 are one chapter.
There is nothing in the original Hebrew that indicates that these are separate chapters. Remember that chapters did not exist in the Bible until Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury put them there in 1227, about 800 years ago. So, we should never assume that the division between two chapters is natural, unless we have proof that it is. And, we have proof in the wording that chapters 38 and 39 are a single chapter.
This is important because Ezekiel 39 gives us three vital verses:
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.
– Ezekiel 39:7 (NKJV)
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
– Ezekiel 39:22 (NKJV)
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 39:29 (NKJV)
That’s the salvation of Israel, the Return of Jacob to God. And, they show a direct connection to this important verse:
Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
– Ezekiel 36:31 (NKJV)
For many of us who come to Christ, it can take some truly agonizing events to bring us to the point where we realize that there’s no way out, except through Jesus. And, for the Children of Jacob, those ‘agonizing events’ will be found in Ezekiel 38 and 39, as well as Zechariah 12 and 13. God will take Israel to a point where all of their self-deceptions are stripped away. They will be brought to the place where it is no longer possible to resist acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah, their Lord and Savior.
Then, they will see their sins and loathe themselves.
That is exactly how you and I came to salvation. We saw our sins and loathed ourselves. Then we sought the forgiveness of God and the way of salvation through faith in Christ. The Israelis will do that also and become our spiritual brothers and sisters.
I worry about those who are not sickened by their sins and their capacity to sin. Those who do not see this are in danger of falling away, since we are all awful. All of us. You. Me. Everyone. And, it is only by the grace of a merciful God that we are not destined for Hell. But, I will assume that you understand all this and move on…
One question that I routinely get, is this one:
Isn’t the Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39 the same Gog and Magog described in Revelation 20?
I have received countless versions of that question over the years, and I completely understand why this question is asked. So, let’s read what Revelation 20 says about the Gog and Magog at the end of the Millennium:
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
– Revelation 20:7-9 (NKJV)
Of course, we can see some superficial similarities between this account in Revelation 20 and Ezekiel 38 and 39. For instance, we have the inclusion of these rather unique names, Gog and Magog. And, we have fire coming down upon them, which resembles some of what we see in Ezekiel 39. However, the similarities actually aren’t important. It’s the differences that we need to look for.
FIRST, the account in Revelation 20 is at the END of the Millennium – AFTER Jesus has come and ruled the world for a thousand years.
How much time is there between the end of the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment?
Zero.
After the coming of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39, we’ll see that there is quite a bit of time described after this army is destroyed. Years of time.
SECOND:
Is the army in Revelation 20 the same as the army in Ezekiel 38?
No they are NOT the same. The army in Revelation 20 is everyone. The army in Ezekiel 38 is drawn from a select number of Asian nations – and a couple African ones.
THIRD, Revelation 20:9 says ‘camp of the saints’. Well, in Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jerusalem doesn’t become the ‘camp of the saints’ until AFTER Gog and Magog happens. You just can't have a 'camp of the saints' without being saved first.
FOURTH, Gog and Magog is about the return of Jacob and the glorification of God. God draws Gog down to demonstrate His power to the world and bring a chosen people back to Himself. That's Ezekiel 38 and 39. What happens in the Revelation 20 is the complete end of all creation that will be followed by the judgment of humanity and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. That’s a dramatic difference.
It is disturbing that so many have been taken in by the idea that the events in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are the same as Revelation 20 – just because they see the words Gog and Magog in both places. Far too many have stumbled over this, and I sincerely hope that you are not caught by their error.
There is another error that is swirling around, trying to gain some ascendancy. It’s this idea that the nations in the alliance created by Gog, come from a small area of the world. It's as if they claim that the sons of Noah never got much farther than Anatolia – modern day Turkey. It's as if they are claiming that this prophecy is about physical geography instead of physical descendants.
Yes, God speaks to Ezekiel of geography. There’s no question about that. But, the identity of this vast army created by Gog is described as coming from certain descendants of Japheth and Ham – wherever they may be right now. It does not matter about where these descendants were during the time of Ezekiel. What matters is their location, when Gog and Magog gather their alliance.
However, even if we wanted to claim that this was all about geography at the time of Ezekiel, we’d still be in a completely ridiculous position. By the time that Ezekiel made his first prophecies, the sons and grandsons of Shem, Ham and Japheth had spread to the ends of the world. The tribes of Japheth had already migrated to every point in Europe and West Asia. The descendants of Ham had already settled Africa, India, Oceania – along with East and Southeast Asia. China had already established its first dynasty almost 1500 years before Ezekiel was even born.
Let me repeat that last bit again:
The Xia dynasty of China began almost 1500 years before the birth of Ezekiel.
That should tell you that mankind had already spread far and wide by the time that this prophecy was given. Trying to claim that Gog and Magog is basically Turkey+ is really foolish.
Unfortunately, too many theologians are unable to grasp this idea that mankind had spread so far, so quickly. And, this inability is why you will see so many ‘Gog and Magog maps’ with most of the sons of Japheth shoved into the immediate vicinity of Turkey.
We really need to be a little more careful about making confident claims in areas of scripture that are not clear. Yes, I believe that Turkey is probably involved, but it’s pretty clear that more than just Turkey is involved.
But wait…
…why do people want to claim that Gog and Magog are Turkey?
Because they want to say that Gog is the Antichrist.
If you look carefully at all the arguments Bible teachers make about the Last Days, they are all – almost without exception – claiming that Gog is the Antichrist. And, since the Antichrist must come from one of the kingdoms of Alexander the Great, they’ve chosen Turkey to be the Land of Magog.
Those who claim that the Land of Magog is Russia, probably don’t realize that they have destroyed the idea that Gog is the Antichrist. Of course, you knew that already, because we have clearly proven that Gog isn’t the Antichrist and…
…Gog and Magog must come BEFORE the Antichrist.
Having said all that, if Gog turns out to be the president of Turkey, that’s fine. My objection is about making false claims with fake evidence. Being a follower of Christ, is about truth and not fables.
Another common problem is that, for many who examine prophecy, there is an improper perspective. They don’t understand that prophecies are often messages to people who would live thousands of years after they were given.
Chapters like Ezekiel 36, 37, 38 and 39 were NOT written for those who were living at the time that the prophet was writing – at least, not primarily. Yes, people 2500 years ago needed to know that Jacob would one day return to the Land of Israel and to God. This would have been of great value, and would have given comfort to the righteous. But, the people that God was most concerned with, would have been – and still are – those who would live during the fulfillment of these prophesies.
You and Me.
(or, maybe our children and grandchildren)
These prophecies aren’t just demonstrations of God’s power and will. They are vital warnings for God’s people who would live during the time being spoken of. Think of these prophecies as personal letters, from God, to those who needed to prepare – us.
So, let’s look at what God is telling us about Gog and Magog, in Ezekiel 38.
Here are the first six verses:
1 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 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. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.
– Ezekiel 38:1-6 (NKJV)
Is this all the world?
Nope. Not even close.
We can’t be completely certain who all these people are, but it’s clear that this list does not include everyone. Our understanding of Eurasian and African ethnic groups is better than it was a hundred years ago. Some of them are Turks, but only some.
I know that I'm repeating myself, but the identity of those who are in the Gog and Magog alliance is important because it proves a vital point:
Gog and Magog cannot be the Battle of Armageddon.
The specificity of those first six verses is one way for God to explain to us that only a certain part of the world is involved. In the Battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16, all the nations of the world are involved. None are left out. Revelation also includes a group called ‘The Kings of the East’, and I suspect that China and other East Asian countries are part of those ‘Kings’. Yet, in Ezekiel 38, we only see a smaller part of the world take part. Furthermore, in addition to all the other reasons…
It also proves that Gog and Magog cannot be the first invasion of Israel by the Antichrist.
I said this previously, but theologians for two hundred years have been trying to claim that Gog is the Antichrist. And it’s just not possible. So, I think that it’s time for the current batch of theologians to stop corrupting our view of the Bible and take up a more useful occupation.
Also remember that modern theologians are basing many of their views upon commentaries written during the time of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, it would have been natural for commentary writers to assume that the region of Anatolia (modern day Turkey) is the main villain of the story.
Okay, all of that has brought us to the end of verse six. That was a lot, but we still have important information to get to in the rest of chapter 38. So, let’s continue with verse seven:
7 “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.
– Ezekiel 38:7 (NKJV)
Hmmm… Gog is a ‘guard’.
Maybe Gog is able to block the UN Security Council from agreeing to do anything about this invasion?
I have made the point in the past that Russia seems to be the Land of Magog, with Gog being the ruler. If that is true (and it might not be), there are lots of other ways that Russia could act as a ‘guard’ to this great army. They could use the threat of their nuclear weapons to keep other nations from attacking this army. They could also provide advanced aircraft and superior anti-air defenses. They might be the biggest supplier of the weapons that this army would carry. (Russia sells a LOT of weapons.)
The point is that Gog occupies a unique position. He is able to provide protection for this vast army, that the others cannot. Gog also appears to be a ‘unifier’, able to bring people together – people that would normally try to kill each other. And, we are starting to see Russia playing the role of peacemaker and advisor in the Middle East and Africa. All of these clues seem to point to Russia as Magog and the leader of Russia as Gog.
Having said that, I am NOT proclaiming Russia to be the Land of Magog. Even though secular evidence seems to point to that, I am more than willing to entertain any other reasonable interpretation.
Now, compare this next verse with what Ezekiel 36 says:
8 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.
– Ezekiel 38:8 (NKJV)
Notice the language here. Let’s compare that verse with what we see in Ezekiel 36.
Ezekiel 38 says:
…gathered from many people
Ezekiel 36 says:
24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.
– Ezekiel 36:24 (NKJV)
That’s a match, so let’s keep going.
Ezekiel 38 says:
…on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate
Ezekiel 36 says:
4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around—
– Ezekiel 36:4 (NKJV)
That is ALSO a match. So, let’s look at a third possible match.
However, that last word in verse eight has caused some people to claim that we are far away from Gog and Magog. They say that Israel does not live ‘safely’.
They are incorrect because the word in Hebrew is not ‘safely’. It’s actually ‘securely’ – בטח, pronounced beh-tach (ch as in Bach). It also means certainly. In Israel, if someone asked me if I could help them, I would say, “!בטח” “Certainly!” – assuming that I was enthusiastic about being able to do so. But, maybe you aren’t as certain as I am. You might not have lived in Israel for the years that I have. You might not have seen the confidence with which Israel handles violence and threats. So, let’s talk about how we define safely/securely/certainly.
If we interpret Ezekiel 38:8 as describing an Israel that lives confidently, without worrying about threats to her existence, then I think that Israel currently fits that description. They certainly DO live confidently, right now. In fact, they live more confidently now, than I have ever seen them. If anything, they are too confident. Some Israelis might even be accused of hubris. The only real threat to their existence – right now – is Iran. And that threat is somewhat theoretical at the moment. The military and political leadership of Israel believe that they can defeat any threat from Iran.
This does not mean that Israel is happy with Iran’s nuclear program, or the missiles that Iran has given Hezbollah. Israel is actively engaged in trying to slow down and stop this program with a fair amount of success. Iran has had a surprising amount of difficultly in getting to the point where they could produce nuclear warheads. There have been numerous (ahem!) accidents. Yes… (ahem!) …accidents. It’s funny how those (ahem!) accidents seem to happen to the Iranian nuclear program. How (ahem!) unfortunate.
Yes… (ahem!) …very.
However, if we claim that Ezekiel 38:8 refers to a people that do not need to maintain a standing army and does not suffer from a threat of terrorism, then the answer is no. If things continue the way that they are, right now, Israel will need her army for quite some time, and there will always be a threat of terrorism. As long as Islam is being followed in our world, there will ALWAYS be a threat of terrorism and war against Israel. In fact, Islam will be a threat to EVERYONE until the Lord returns. Just look at the makeup of Gog and Magog. That army is FULL of Muslim countries. And, that leads me to believe that maybe the threat of terrorism and war shouldn’t be a part of our consideration.
Furthermore, having lived for quite some time in Israel, I can offer some insight into what Israel faces. Terrorism is a terrible thing, but – if you look at it carefully – it’s really just a different form of crime. And, it is fought with some of the same methods that the police use to fight criminal activity – although, with a LOT more intensity.
Back in the late '90s, I got a chance to see how Israel fights terrorism, by working for a civilian company that had been formed around an Israeli military intelligence unit. That unit had developed software that hunted for terrorist communications and then turned their expertise into customer service application that helped businesses respond to the email that you send them. I helped write the documentation for the programming interface for this software, and the artificial intelligence behind it eventually became a part of IBM's efforts in AI. The point is that, even though the military was involved in the suppression of terrorist attacks, it was still just police work - not a lot different than what the NYPD, LAPD or Scotland Yard are engaged in.
Later, I lived through the Second Intifada in Jerusalem, and several bombs blew up near where I worked and lived. My neighborhood was shot up for a year by Arafat’s Tanzim militia. The emotional and physical scars are real. And, Israel worked very, very hard to stop this terrorism.
But, you know what is more dangerous than terrorism or even war, in Israel?
Driving.
More Israelis have been injured and killed in traffic accidents than in all the wars and terrorism suffered by Israel. In fact, soldiers are more likely to be killed when they are driving home from their base, than at any other time of their military service.
So, I personally believe that we can say that Israel lives securely, even though there is still a threat of terrorism, Iranian nuclear weapons and Hezbollah rockets. At the very least, I think that we should consider that Israel may have enough security right now, to fulfill the ‘requirement’ of verse eight. Oh, and if you follow the standard interpretation of ‘securely’ given to us by most theologians, ancient Israel was never secure. Think about how ridiculous that is.
In fact, was there EVER a time in which Israel's neighbors weren't plotting Israel's destruction?
There is an additional point to consider about Israel living securely, and we aren't used to thinking about this:
The first five seals in Revelation 6 will do terrible damage to Israel's enemies.
As the traditional adversaries of Israel fall apart and collapse, Israel's need for military defenses will also shrink. In fact, Israel might even need to reduce her military for economic and financial reasons. If you read what I have been writing for the past decade, you'll understand the kinds of events that we face when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride.
Then, verse nine tells us a little about the character of Gog’s invasion of Israel:
9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”
– Ezekiel 38:9 (NKJV)
This will be a quick and sharp surprise attack. This makes me wonder if there will be any warning. That bothers me, because I would like to have enough time to make final preparations before this attack begins. Once Gog and Magog starts, we may have very little time before Ezekiel’s Fire.
(Remember that Ezekiel’s Fire is what we are concerned about!)
Watch Iran. When you see the Iranian army training with the Russian army – or any other really big army – then, you know that the time is getting close.
Unfortunately, recent events in Syria indicate that Iran is ALREADY training with Russia – on the battlefield. We also see Russia growing more and more involved in Africa, sending special forces unites under the guise of Private Military Companies (PMCs). So, a lot of training and coordination experience is already happening, right now. Furthermore, China and Russia have been training with Iran in the Indian Ocean.
Of course, this Gog and Magog alliance will need to become far more visible before we start getting really worried. (I hope.)
Then, the next four verses name some of those who are NOT in this alliance, as well as a possible reason for why Gog is attacking Israel:
10 ‘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: 11 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’— 12 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. 13 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?’ ” ’
– Ezekiel 38:10-13 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: About ‘young lions’. Some translations claim that the Hebrew word כפריה (pronounced kah-fee-rey-ha) is ‘villages’ or even ‘rulers’. Ezekiel had already used versions of that word before in Ezekiel 19 and Ezekiel 32 and Ezekiel 41. All of those uses are clearly ‘young lion’. Worse, nowhere in the Bible does the word כפר (pronounced kah-far) appear with the meaning ‘village’. Modern Hebrew describes a village as a k'phar, but the ancient Hebrew in the Bible does not.
I am horrified by how poorly educated Bible translators are. This is shameful.
Okay, this shows us some people who are not a part of this huge army:
Sheba
Dedan
Merchants of Tarshish
Young Lions
Sheba and Dedan are grandsons of Cush, which make them great-grandsons of Ham. There are indications that the kingdom of Saba was Sheba. And, they seem to have existed south of Egypt and in southwest Arabia. Josephus claims that the Meroe civilization was originally called Saba. We also know that Sheba traded with Tyre (Ezek 27:22). Ezekiel’s reference to Raamah might actually be Dedan. So, it might be safe to assume that Sheba and Dedan are southern Arabia and/or northeast Africa.
Having said that, south and southeast Asia are FULL of the descendants of the grandchildren of Cush. Southern Arabia and northeast Africa would only have been initial settlements as they spread around the globe.
Unfortunately, we are clueless about the ‘Merchants of Tarshish’. Tarshish was a son of Javan and the grandson of Japheth. And, as I said before, Javan is the Hebrew name for Greece. We know that Jonah tried to flee to Tarshish. We just don’t know WHERE Tarshish is. All that we have are speculations. There IS a Tarsus on the southern coast of Turkey, and we know that this is where the Apostle Paul came from. And, it sounds a bit like Tarshish. But, some have speculated that Tarshish was in Spain. Some have even thought that Tarshish was on the southern coast of Britain – which is very doubtful.
Again, all that we have are speculations, which are prone to error.
The only other clue that we have are the words ‘merchants of’. Part of the criticism of this invasion will come from cities or nations that are heavily involved in international trade.
Who are these merchants?
These are obviously nations that are directly involved in the global shipment of raw materials and manufactured items. But, when you look at the largest ports or the largest shipping companies, you don’t find anything that looks like ‘Tarshish’. So, we’ll have to wait and see.
We have a better idea of what the term ‘young lions’ means. It is a pretty safe assumption to say that these are the ‘younger nations’. The ones that sprung up the most recently. They will also be nations that are vigorous. You might even claim that they have strong militaries. And, the only places that seem to fit this description are North and South America – along with Australia and New Zealand. Of all the countries of the world, none are younger – or, in some cases, more fierce. I don’t think that any other group of people would fit the description of ‘young lion’.
Furthermore, when the Gog and Magog alliance comes down to attack Israel, they will be accused of coming for the purpose of plunder.
What would it be that they could hope to capture?
Unless the situation in the Middle East changes – and it might – there is really only one thing that we can think of:
Oil and natural gas.
You have undoubtedly noticed what’s happened to Syria. Part of the Syrian conflict is due to a natural gas pipeline that Russia wanted to build from Iran, through Iraq and Syria, to the Mediterranean Sea. America, Turkey and the Persian Gulf Arabs wanted to lay a different pipeline to a different destination.
You may also have noticed, that Israel has discovered massive undersea natural gas reserves. If and when Israel starts selling that natural gas to Europe, Russia could feel damaged by this and attack Israel to stop it. However, as of this writing, delivering natural gas to Europe has become a difficult challenge for Israel.
By the way, Turkey wants a piece of the action. They have also been pushing for a more-than-fair share of the natural gas under the Mediterranean Sea. Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Egypt have not been interested in complying with Turkish demands.
Israel is also the linchpin of the Middle East, and is at the strategic core of an area of the Middle East called The Levant. And The Levant is key for anyone who wants to dominate Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. If Russia – or any other Eurasian entity – wants to take control of Middle East oil production, they will need to capture The Levant and destroy Israel.
And, what do the nations of the world do when this great army comes down?
Hang back and whine in shock and dismay – while doing nothing.
Sound familiar?
It’s what every other country in the world did, when the Arabs attacked Israel. The only exception has been the United States. Unfortunately, it seems that this time America really does do nothing – or… can do nothing.
Now, let me add one more bit of information about a disaster that is already here, but hard to see because few are reporting on it:
The Decline In Oil Production
As I write this in early 2022, global oil production is right about 100 million barrels a day. Many trumpet this figure as proof that the future is bright, and we have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Every year, it is becoming harder and harder for oil producing countries to increase oil production. The cost per barrel to extract oil is going up. And, the easy-to-produce conventional reserves are declining. And, there will come a moment in time in which we will hit the absolute global peak in oil. When that happens, it will be a death-blow to our way of life, one that I have been warning about since 2011. It will be the scariest era of human history:
Permanent Decline
Not just permanent decline in oil production – permanent decline in the global economy. This decline actually started in 2005, but the effects were papered over by financial trickery.
We knew that conventional oil production would start falling in 2005, and it did. The subsequent rise in the price of oil was one of the reasons why we had The Great Recession in 2007/08. Then, we started throwing lots of money at companies producing oil through hydraulic fracturing – also known as fracking. And, after more than a decade of this, we know that it doesn’t really work.
Yes, fracking produces oil. And, America has produced lots of it. The problem is that no one has been able to do it and remain financially viable. The only way that fracking companies have been able to stay alive, is by telling big stories of future wealth and borrowing more and More and MORE money. And, people have been lending them that money because they believed the stories about the price of oil growing to the sky and allowing frackers to turn a profit.
Unfortunately, frackers didn’t make money, even when the price of oil was really high. And, no first-world country can survive a really high price of oil - at least, not in the way that our civilization is currently organized. And since no civilization has ever survived a decline in energy production, this will turn into the worst disaster since the Great Flood.
When will this disaster become obvious?
Making predictions is a chancy game, but look at what happens when interest rates are forced to rise. We have had artificially low interest rates for a very long time, and that has made the junk bonds issued by frackers look really appealing. But, once the artificially low interest rates stop being artificially low, fracking companies will not be able to keep borrowing money.
To a certain degree, this is already happening, since bond investors have begun to wake up to the impossibility of fracking as a financially profitable industry. So, fracking companies have reduced borrowing, which has caused a reduction in the number of wells that they have been drilling. When drilling slows, within months oil production will begin to fall. And, like I said, there will come a point in time in which we will have passed the peak in oil production.
This will become a catastrophic problem, since oil runs everything. When you have less of it, you have less of everything. Yes, there are substitutes to oil, but those alternatives are far, far less beneficial and also suffer some of the same problems that oil is experiencing. So, get ready for a reduction in everything.
You will have less.
It will cost more.
It will hurt.
A lot.
In fact, the damage to the global economy will be so great that the world will go to war. We will start killing each other because we are unable to accept the reality of a life with less and less energy. As weak nations get weaker, strong countries will seek to expand their control. As the average person is forced to pay more for less and less, anger and violence will become normal in our streets. And, as scarcity bites even deeper, people will be reduced to working hard to have less-than-enough food to eat. Since famine and starvation leave people vulnerable to disease, pandemics and plagues will sweep those areas that were affected the most. And, if that sounds familiar...
That is exactly what the ride of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse looks like.
History shows that such catastrophes provide opportunities for the strongest to expand their territory. Because the Byzantine and Persian empires had been weakened by war and plague, a relatively small number of Arab marauders were able to invade and defeat both empires - resulting in an Islamic empire that stretched from central Asia into southern Europe and North Africa. Alexander the Great took advantage of a similar situation, conquering Persia and Egypt in just a handful of years.
All of that will be a big reason for Gog and Magog.
Again, if that sounds exactly like the events of Revelation 6, you'd be right. We’ll talk about this a little later in this chapter, but you can read even more here:
The Seven Seals Of Revelation
https://whengogcomes.com/16-the-seven-seals-of-revelation.html
For those of you living in North America, there’s another cause for deep, deep concern. The fact that no one is able or willing to stop Gog and Magog tells us a lot about the condition of the US, and her allies. The Middle East is vital to America's interests in ways that would take a book to completely describe. American and European leaders have understood this exceptionally well, expending trillions of dollars and killing millions of people to maintain control of the Middle East. And, they would be more than willing to use nuclear weapons if their interests in the Middle East were threatened. So, there is no way that this attack could happen if America had operational nuclear weapons and a willingness to use them.
When Gog and Magog come, either America has been destroyed, or is so morally weakened that she is unwilling to protect her own interests or defend Israel from genocide. And, this would have nothing to do with any negative feelings toward Israel.
Even the most antisemitic politician would threaten the use of nukes to stop such an invasion, because such an invasion would threaten the economy and financial power of the US. Even if the American economy collapsed to levels that did not allow her to fund the military, the United States should still be able to hold on to her nuclear weapons and the ability to launch them. And, we have the Soviet Union as an example.
When the USSR broke into pieces, Russia never lost her nuclear deterrent. She never lost the ability to launch nuclear missiles at the US, or anyone else.
Does this mean that the United States falls harder than even the Soviet Union did?
Believe it or not, there has been talk for decades, of the US breaking apart. And, as the Left pushes harder and harder for power and influence, the socio-political cracks and chasms in America grow larger and wider.
Is it possible that Washington loses control of the nuclear silos located in the middle of the US?
It would take something like a civil war, but such a thing has become more and more likely as political corruption and the Left continue on the path that they are leading Americans down. This is a scary thought to contemplate, but we Americans have been on this course since World War II – if not before.
However, I believe that it is also likely that America’s enemies will take steps to neutralize the US by more direct means. Most do not know that just three evenly spaced nuclear explosions, a couple hundred miles above the US, would destroy all national and local power grids, along with electronic systems across the country. And it has been projected that within a year, up to 90% of the American population would be dead if this happened. And, the thought of an EMP attack on the US leaves me with a feeling of dread.
Whatever happens, at some point in the all-too-near future, America will no longer be able to stand in the way of this invasion. That should make all of us think hard about preparing for something truly catastrophic.
However, we haven’t talked about Israel’s purported cache of nuclear weapons. There has always been something of a question mark over that stockpile.
Do they actually HAVE any?
We don’t really know for sure. The evidence that we have of Israel’s nuclear program is extremely circumstantial and may only be a very clever ruse to make us think that they DO have nuclear weapons.
Remember that the THREAT of nuclear weapons is as useful as HAVING nuclear weapons. To put it another way, a threat is much cheaper than the weapon, itself – especially if your ethics would never allow you to use such weapons.
‘To save a life’ is a core principle of Israeli culture, and even though the government of Israel is very secular – they are still influenced by this ethic. The western media never report on the soul-searching that goes on when Israelis are forced to kill Arabs in self-defense. The biggest critics of Israel have always been Israelis themselves. But, let’s assume that Israel actually has nuclear warheads for their Jericho III missiles.
How might Israel lose its nuclear weapons capability?
By using it.
If Israel used a nuclear weapon against… say …Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the rest of the world would demand that Israel give up her nukes. Of course, Israel would NOT give up her nuclear weapons without security guarantees.
America might offer those guarantees in the form of a large military presence in the Middle East – in Israel, Jordan and even Lebanon and Syria. Or, Russia might actually offer those guarantees – and eventually break them.
The other possibility is that Israel’s nuclear weapons are taken out by nuclear strikes. We will read Zechariah's account of two thirds of everyone in the Land of Israel being cut off and dying. I believe that the death toll will be mostly due to the gigantic earthquake that happens, but a nuclear attack could account for some of those casualties.
These are horrifying thoughts, but as I always say in such situations:
We’ll see.
(But, I’m not sure that I want to.)
Let’s continue with verse fourteen:
14 “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?
– Ezekiel 38:14 (NKJV)
So, Israel is both secure and certain, when Gog and Magog attacks. And then, the attack happens in the next verse:
15 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. 16 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.”
– Ezekiel 38:15-16 (NKJV)
The interesting thing about all this, is that God is the one who brings Gog down.
Do you remember those hooks in verse four?
Here’s that verse again:
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.
– Ezekiel 38:4 (NKJV)
Ouch. That has got to be painful. And, it tells us that Gog doesn’t have a choice in the matter. They are forced to come down against Israel. And, since there are hooks, there is more than one reason for Gog to come against Israel.
Now, part of the reason why I’m writing all of this is to help people see that the next big event is NOT the Antichrist. The fact that there is so much hysteria over the coming of the Antichrist, means that there is an acknowledgment that we’re close to that time.
So, ask yourself this:
Doesn’t God always give a warning?
Doesn’t He give people a chance to acknowledge Him – and to repent – before judgment comes?
God says that He is going to use this opportunity to proclaim Himself to the world, and it will be clear that the world will be without excuse, when they reject God and turn towards the Antichrist. My hope is that all who chose to follow foolish theories will know that they were wrong, and repent.
Hopefully.
If they survive.
Let’s continue with the next verse:
17 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 38:17 (NKJV)
Many prophets have written about this moment in time, even though none of them have gone as far as to mention the names ‘Gog’ and ‘Magog’. And when this vast army invades Israel, the world will know that the prophets were right, and that God spoke through them.
Verses 18 through 20 bring us our first mention of the great earthquake that everyone will suffer, as a result of this invasion:
18 “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. 19 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, 20 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.’
– Ezekiel 38:18-20 (NKJV)
There will be a titanic earthquake and EVERYTHING will fall down. EVERYTHING. And, I believe that this gigantic earthquake is the number one reason why two thirds of everyone in the Land of Israel is killed - and why every city around the world will probably be destroyed. If every wall falls to the ground, then everyone in buildings of any size will die. Even the smallest building might kill you.
Later we will examine these two verses from Isaiah 30:
25 There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:25-26 (NKJV)
The day of Israel’s salvation will be marked by an earthquake so big that every tall building will fall. Walls will fall, and people will be crushed. It will be a day of great slaughter.
The problem is that this earthquake won’t be limited to just Israel. Yes, Ezekiel says Land of Israel, and I would love to believe that this earthquake will be limited to just the Middle East. Unfortunately, the driver of this great earthquake will be our sun.
We have already seen a direct connection between earthquakes and solar events. And, when the biggest solar event in 5000 years happens, it will also be the biggest, most global earthquake in 5000 years. I call it Ezekiel’s Fire, and you need to be ready for the destruction of every city on earth. And, there will be no one to free the people trapped under the rubble, repair broken pipes or fight the fires that spring up and consume what's left.
But, where else do we see a great earthquake that is also associated with the salvation of the Children of Jacob?
That’s right, it’s here, during the sixth seal:
12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
– Revelation 6:12-17 (NKJV)
That is not the only thing that happens during the Sixth Seal. All of Revelation 7 is included in the Sixth Seal, and Revelation 7 CONFIRMS the salvation of the Children of Jacob. But, not just salvation, but also their growth in spiritual maturity to the point where they bear the signature of God in their foreheads.
Then, notice the absolute proof that this is a nova event caused by God:
…Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up…
I never understood that sentence, until I saw what can happen during certain kinds of nova events. In a certain kind of small nova, the outermost shell of a star explodes outward and dumps a truly massive amount of material outward, into the space around it. Initially, this material will glow brightly, for hours. But then, the expanding shell will begin to cool and become a fine dust.
This is what the last part of Revelation 6 appears to describe. The outer shell of our sun will explode, generating a lot of light. As this outer shell expands out into the solar system, it will stop glowing as it cools - becoming like an expanding sphere of dust. As the leading edge of this cloud of dust races past earth and outward into the Solar System, the sun will become ‘black like sackcloth’ and the moon will become ‘like blood’. Some of that dust will have clumped together, and some of those 'clumps' will hit and burn up in earth's atmosphere and look like ‘stars falling to Earth’. Furthermore, as this cloud of Solar dust continues outward past earth, the night sky will look like it is ‘rolling up’ – just like when a storm front moves through at night.
Oh, and how long does the Sixth Seal last?
Well, we know that the other seals take time to fulfill, and I believe that it’s clear that at least years pass for each seal. But, Revelation 7 says this:
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
– Revelation 7:2-4 (NKJV)
(Again, go here for a deeper look at the Seven Seals.)
God will wait until 144 thousand Israeli men reach a sufficient level of spiritual maturity to become servants of God – and then be sealed in their foreheads. This will take years. Maybe, even decades. I would not want to put a time limit on this.
I’ve spent most of my life lumping Seal Six in with all the other fantastic events of Revelation, thinking of it as just another miracle that we could never understand. Now we have a reasonably good explanation for this, even though it is no less fantastic. And, it gives us the ability to firmly place Gog and Magog and the salvation of Israel into the Book of Revelation.
For the first time in my life, Seal Six makes perfect sense.
Back to this earthquake, if I was in Israel and saw evidence that this army was getting ready to come down, I would yell at the top of my lungs 24/7, to warn as many Israelis as possible to stay outside. Those who do, will live. Those who do not, won’t. And, maybe this will be a kind of test, to see who will listen to the Christians that are warning their neighbors of what is coming. Maybe this would be a test of the Christians themselves, whether THEY would believe what is about to happen. And, as I said, this will NOT be limited to just Israel.
Wherever you are in the world, when you see a huge army that looks like what we’re talking about… when they look ready to invade Israel… get out of your house and stay out. Go camping. And, tell everyone about what is going to happen.
Then, as we continue with the next verse in Ezekiel 38, the soldiers in this great alliance of Gog and Magog turn and start killing each other:
21 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.
– Ezekiel 38:21 (NKJV)
There will be more than one reason why this army will start to turn on each other. A big one lies with the next verse:
22 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.
– Ezekiel 38:22 (NKJV)
This will terrify that massive army, and they will try to run away. And when a massive group like that starts running away, the better word to use would be stampede. And, stampedes are mindless.
Think about the individual soldiers involved. They will be terrified and pushing their vehicles to their maximum, driving too fast, having flat tires, thrown treads, running into each other, etc. Very quickly, their over-stressed vehicles will break down.
What happens when a vehicle breaks down, during a rush like this?
Vehicles behind them are forced to stop.
It will be the biggest military traffic jam ever.
Unfortunately, just because traffic has stopped, the feelings of terror won’t. If you thought road rage during rush hour was bad, this will be a million times worse.
What happens to people when they are terrified, desperately fleeing the battlefield, and run smack-dab into a blockage that keeps them from escaping what they consider to be certain death?
They panic. They go berserk.
What happens when someone THAT upset has a gun?
They use the gun to unblock the way out.
What happens if the people you are shooting at also have guns and are really upset?
They shoot back.
And… on …and on.
They will literally kill each other, and the survivors will die of disease. It will be… awful. Add to this the fact of multiple factions, nationalities and ethnicities in this army, and it will be easy to see these groups turning on each other.
Let me also add one more twist to this story.
What do you think would happen when Ezekiel’s Fire lights up the sky?
They might know (or have been told) that their vehicles would stop working within a VERY short amount of time – since the most dangerous part of this nova event will be the CME, or Coronal Mass Ejection, which would arrive hours AFTER this solar event begins. Anyone who understands the danger would immediately turn around and try to get home as fast as possible – and shoot ANYONE who gets in the way. But whether or not they know about what is coming, one thing is certain. Flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone would terrify anyone.
Oh, that word, ‘brimstone’ from verse 22. We should look a little more carefully at that.
A large part of Gog’s army looks like it will be destroyed in or around the Golan Heights. In fact, I would venture to say that they would be STUCK on the Golan Heights.
For those of you who have never been to the Golan, it’s made up of volcanoes that are merely dormant. If you walk around the Golan and places nearby, you’ll see lots of dark, volcanic rock and many ancient buildings that have been made with it. The Jerusalem hills have no such volcanic rock. All of that evidence, plus the mention of ‘fire and brimstone’ in verse 22, points to the volcanoes in the Golan Heights blowing up in a spectacular fashion, and taking a big part of this massive army with it.
This brings us to the last verse of chapter 38:
23 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 38:23 (NKJV)
In the process of all this… because it will happen in the exact way that the Lord describes here …God will be glorified. Because it will happen exactly as described, people will be unable to claim that these events were mere coincidence.
My hope is that you will have prepared for all this and be able to survive Ezekiel’s Fire and the incredible destruction that follows in its wake. It's why I wrote this book.
Okay, now what we’ve been through chapter 38 and have had our first real look at the coming of Gog and Magog, let’s try and compare this invasion with the Army of the Antichrist.
How do they compare?
Well, it’s pretty clear that Ezekiel 38 is not about the Antichrist.
When the Antichrist rises, his army won’t blow up on the Golan Heights. In fact, the Antichrist invades Israel multiple times and is not stopped until years later, in the Jezreel Valley at Armageddon. Moreover, if we are right about the location of Magog (and, we might not be), that would be another reason why this cannot be the coming of the Antichrist, since the Antichrist must rise from the area that Alexander the Great conquered. Another argument is that many nations object to what Gog and Magog does - but the Antichrist doesn't seem to face that kind of opposition.
Also, Ezekiel 38 does NOT fit with the description of Armageddon. Armageddon includes all the nations of the world. Gog and Magog encompasses a select number, especially when we think of the ‘Kings of the East’.
As much as I would love for Gog to be the Antichrist, Ezekiel 38 proves that he isn't:
We’re not done yet, but just from this chapter it's hard to see how anyone could claim that the Antichrist is Gog. You would need to distort both history and the Bible to make it happen, and such distortion is wrong. But, for those who remain unconvinced…
…watch Iran.
Whoever Iran makes an alliance with, will probably be Gog. And, right now, that alliance is with Russia and not Turkey.
I’m not going to say ‘case closed’ here, but I think that we’ve established a lot of evidence that is hard to ignore. However, there is more to look at than just Ezekiel 38, and we owe it to ourselves to examine all the evidence before making firm conclusions.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/07-ezekiel-39-wgc.mp3
Here is the finale grande for the four chapter prophecy that started in Ezekiel 36. It’s also where we see the one event that knocks down our civilization:
Here are some of the interesting points that you'll be introduced to:
The Solar Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
Gog and Magog are reluctant to invade.
Ezekiel's Fire will protect a newly Christian Israel from being corrupted by the Carnal Church.
If that's real wood, we're in REAL trouble!
The Valley of Hamon Gog
A setback for Satan and a victory for our Lord.
Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
However, the point that we need to reinforce here is that the chapter division between chapter 38 and chapter 39 is artificial and was not inspired by God. And, we know that Ezekiel 39 is a continuation of 38, because it starts with ‘and’. It also speaks of Gog without additional identifiers, indicating that this is the same Gog as in the previous chapter. Also, notice that Ezekiel 39 confirms what happens in chapter 38 and adds important detail. Ezekiel 39 also connects directly with Ezekiel 36:31, which is God’s objective:
31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
– Ezekiel 36:31 (NKJV)
However, we will not see the parallel to that verse, until we get to Ezekiel 39:7. Only then will the children of Jacob embrace the One True God as their own.
Please remember that this is God’s objective for us – for everyone. WE need to see how we have been evil and committed actions that were not good. WE need to loathe ourselves for our terrible behavior. THIS is for EVERYONE who wishes to be a child of God. If you want God to rescue you from your current situation, you also need to be at Ezekiel 36:31.
In fact, when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, if you did NOT loathe yourself in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations…
…you just aren’t saved.
I hope that you understand this, because it’s important. If you aren’t sorry from the bottom of your wretched heart for how terrible and awful you were – and are – I suggest that you search your heart to see if you are really saved.
But, let me take this a step further.
If you do not loathe yourself RIGHT NOW for the sins you still commit, then I suggest that you have an eternal problem. In this filthy, evil society in which we live, it is easy for any of us to be lured into committing sins that are awful in the eyes of God.
Let’s also not forget that a righteous person mourns and is grieved by the sins of a society that has turned towards evil. It should grieve us that our families, our neighbors and our communities are so wretched and sinful. It should grieve us that our churches and our pastors are so sinful. It should grieve us that our nation claims God on our money, but corrupts the world with awful movies and pornography.
Here’s an example of how every Christian needs to feel:
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—
– 2 Peter 2:7-8 (NKJV)
When Jerusalem was about to go into captivity for her iniquities and abominations, God said this to a very special angel:
4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
– Ezekiel 9:4 (NKJV)
Is your righteous soul vexed by the unlawful deeds of our society?
Do you sigh and cry for all the abominations that are being done by our fellow citizens?
If not, then you might have a problem. A righteous man or woman should be grieved over the evils of this society. If you are not, then you might be caught in the grip of sin. So please search your heart and repent of the sin that you find there – before it is too late.
Okay, let’s begin Ezekiel 39.
1 “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; 2 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. 3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.
– Ezekiel 39:1-3 (NKJV)
Notice also what happens to Gog:
I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
That is a very interesting phrase.
What could these arrows be?
Well Israel has a missile system called:
The Arrow
They use it for shooting down other arro… I mean …other missiles.
But, how could a bow be smitten out of Gog’s left hand, and his arrows fall out of his right hand?
Well, we have a verse from Zechariah 12 that also gives us a clue:
4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
– Zechariah 12:4 (KJV)
When we get to Zechariah 12, it will be clear that Zechariah is talking about the exact same moment in time. It will also be clear – once you see the evidence – that we will be talking about a solar event so enormous that it will bring with it an Electromagnetic Pulse – or, EMP – that will destroy the electronics of the missiles and missile launchers in this army. Yes, I know that most solar flares do not normally produce an EMP that would knock out vehicles, but this will not be anything like a normal solar flare.
In fact, there is evidence to indicate that this will be a nova event.
But, I am getting ahead of myself.
Now, let me ask you another question:
Did you see Gog’s reluctance to do this invasion in Ezekiel 38:4?
Yeah, me too. Gog wouldn’t need hooks to draw him down, if he was enthusiastic about invading Israel. But, God inexorably draws Gog and Magog to the mountains of Israel, and He repeats this in verse two, when God says that He will turn this army around and draw it down (or, ‘up’) from the far north.
Interesting thought, no?
Next verse.
4 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. 5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord God.
– Ezekiel 39:4-5 (NKJV)
That was very similar to what chapter 38 said, but this next verse is where the title of my book, Ezekiel’s Fire, comes from:
6 “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.
– Ezekiel 39:6 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: The word, ‘coastlands’ is incorrect. The word is האיים (hah-ee-yeem), 'the islands'!
I could have just as easily called Ezekiel’s Fire by a different name, such as Zechariah’s Horses or Isaiah’s Sun, but these four chapters in Ezekiel – this Ezekiel Tetrad – are so powerful that it was more appropriate to talk about fire.
Now, here’s a question:
How do we know that this is a solar event like a small nova event - a micronova - and not some other kind of fire?
Well, Isaiah 30:26 makes it clear that God is using our sun, but let’s assume that we haven’t read Isaiah yet and concentrate on figuring this out, by what we find in Ezekiel 39.
First of all, we should ask ourselves this question:
Does God use the natural elements of the Universe to perform His miracles?
Yes, He does. He does this throughout the Bible:
I believe that it would be irresponsible to assume that this Fire upon Gog and Magog was not natural in some way. Just waving our hands at Ezekiel 39:6 and saying that it will just be a miracle is an irresponsible way of handling this. And, none of you are irresponsible.
So, let’s figure out what natural force this ‘fire’ could be. Here are our options:
I can’t think of anything else that falls out of the sky that could seem like fire and could be both ‘natural’ and attributed to God.
A meteor or comet strike might look a lot like fire coming out of the sky. And, if a lot of them hit the Earth, it would be REALLY impressive. And, we’ve had some very close shaves by asteroids. But, if this ‘fire’ was a meteor swarm hitting the earth, it would need to be a pretty massive swarm, and there would need to be lots of these meteors – because they would be hitting earth in a lot more places than just the land of Magog. And, if this were going to be more than just a symbolic fire coming down from heaven, they would need to be big enough to do real damage and enough of them to cause widespread catastrophe.
It would be pretty miraculous to have a swarm of space rocks hit us all at once and do so much damage. And frankly, I would prefer massive meteor strikes over a solar flare.
Why?
Destroying our electricity and electronics would do more damage to our civilization than a massive swarm of meteors.
We could rebuild a high tech society if we had enough of our custom-built power station transformers still working. We would have a better chance of repairing the external damage to electricity generators, and we would also have more equipment available to help rebuild our power grid. But, a massive, global geomagnetic event caused by a micronova would fry these transformers and all our electronics from the inside out.
But, a really big swarm of large meteors would certainly be impressive. If there were enough of them, and if they were big enough, the nations hit by them would feel like they had been judged by God. However, as I said before, we have other parts of the Bible that point us away from meteor showers.
I also mentioned ‘lots and lots of lightning’. Lightning is dangerous, and if it hits you… well …you won’t feel very good. And, if enough lightning hits enough people and vehicles and power lines and power stations, there would be trouble.
But, do you really think that ‘lots and lots of lightning’ is what God is speaking of here?
God is angry, and He is going to judge this vast army. He’s also going to judge the nations that sent this army, and as well as the nations who stood by and did nothing. So, it’s doubtful that there’s just ‘lots and lots of lightning’. But, lightning probably would occur with a solar flare of this size. Just remember that there would need to be something that would cause this lightning to occur.
Since, meteor strikes and lots of lightning do not adequately describe this event, we really need to consider the sun as the source of this fire that God strikes the Earth with. And, since Isaiah 30 talks about the same moment in time as Ezekiel 38 and 39, we can look at Isaiah 30:25-26:
25 There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:25-26 (NKJV)
Sorry. But, THAT is a nova event - a micronova. There can be no other explanation. And, since the context is the salvation of the Children of Jacob, we are stuck with this explanation – even though the implications are unsettling.
Also, we have identified a direct connection between big solar events and earthquakes. At the moment, we are still doing research into the link between the sun and some of the earthquakes that we have seen. Most of the evidence is statistical, but the scientific explanation behind this correlation makes way too much sense to ignore.
Again, I would prefer to get hit from space by lots and lots of rocks – or merely lots of lightning. Our civilization could survive such events. But, meteors and lightning would not make the Moon as bright as the Sun. Only a micronova could do that.
And, since our civilization will be knocked flat, the effects of this solar event will provide Israel with enough breathing room to grow spiritually – unhindered by the corrupting influence of the rest of the world. That corrupting influence will eventually reach Israel, but only years later – after the world has struggled back from the devastation of this micronova.
Oh, and just because I say that this is where our civilization ends, that doesn’t mean that nothing replaces it. If I am right that the seventh head of the beast of Revelation 13 is our current civilization, then a high tech society much like our own will return. But, it won't be a good thing.
It appears to me that Ezekiel's Fire is what causes the mortal wound, here:
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
- Revelation 13:3 (NKJV)
Some popular Bible teachers have claimed that this verse refers to an assassination attempt against the Antichrist himself. However, we don't have any other passages in the Bible that back up this claim. But, we do have the many passages that point directly to our civilization being destroyed. And, it sounds far, far more plausible that the Antichrist, with the power of the Red Dragon, revives our civilization, turning it into the eighth head of this beast. But, I can't be dogmatic about this, since Revelation 17 also says this:
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
- Revelation 17:9-11 (NKJV)
Those three verses may - or may not - mean that I'm wrong about my interpretation of the seventh and eighth head of The Beast. And, the last thing that I want to do is corrupt your understanding of Revelation. But, one thing is for sure, there will be a new, sufficiently high tech civilization that will rise and replace the one destroyed by Ezekiel's Fire. And, our civilization will deserve the destruction we receive.
Think of the spiritual corruption within our churches. Our sinfulness is literally begging for such a calamity. We have truly sinned against God, and this micronova would be a just consequence for those sins.
And, let me take this thought a bit further:
Can you imagine what would happen to Israel if every Israeli immediately, right now, accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
Israel would be deluged by every corrupt pastor on the planet, looking to get involved in ‘guiding’ this nation of new Christians. The Benny Hinns and Joel Osteens of this world would just jump at the chance to take over and corrupt these new Christians before they had a chance to grow.
The American church has become filthy and obscene. Half of American pastors are addicted to pornography. Christians are murdering their unborn children almost as often as non-Christians. Christians engage in sex before marriage, and their marriages are ending in divorce almost as frequently as those who are not Christian. And, the amount of adultery in our churches is horrifying.
And, when you think of the Catholics, the Greek Orthodox and all the others…
…well, it would be a chaos of the cults.
Then, think of the New World Order wanting to come in and snuff out this new Christian movement. Every multimedia empire would love to grab a hold of this tiny country and twist it to their own ends. Multinational companies and organizations would want to grab the profit opportunities. Oh, and think of the World Bank and other NGOs that would want to ‘help’ with the cleanup effort if the damage from Gog and Magog were limited to just Israel. They all would love to further enslave Israel under mountains of debt.
No, I believe that this fire that comes from our sun will knock back the New World Order and protect Israel from corrupt Christians and corrupt politicians who would poison what God is doing in Israel. I believe that it is the number one reason why this must be a global catastrophe, and not something confined to the Middle East.
Yes, billions will die, but Israel would be saved.
Now, I noted that ‘coastlands’ in verse six is yet another translation corruption. The Hebrew word is האיים (pronounced ha-ee-yeem), and it means the islands!! It does NOT mean ‘the coastlands’. ‘Coastlands’ – or coastal areas – is שטחי החוף (pronounced sh-tach-ay ha-chofe, ch as in Bach). The Hebrew word for island is so basic and simple that any translator should know it, which means that there was a deliberate choice in this corruption.
However, now that I’ve vented my outrage, there’s an interesting reason why God might have told Ezekiel to use the word for ‘islands’. Look at a map of the Earth sometime. A lot of the continents on that map look really similar to extremely large islands. Africa, the Americas and Australia all look like really big islands. And, in between, there are lots and lots of small islands, too. I cannot be dogmatic about this, but it is one explanation.
God will send fire upon the islands, big and small.
But, let’s move on.
Here is where we see the final conclusion of Ezekiel 36:
7 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.
– Ezekiel 39:7 (NKJV)
Yup. After a fantastic solar event that conforms directly to prophecy, people will know that God is who He says He is. And, when God says:
And my holy name will I make known in the midst of my people Israel
What does that mean?
Well, let me ask you this:
What happened to you, when God made Himself known to you?
That’s right. You accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. To put it another way:
You got saved.
Ezekiel 39:7 is giving us another perspective of this salvation verse:
31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
– Ezekiel 36:31 (NKJV)
Again, if that wasn’t your experience when you were saved, then I would have to ask if your salvation was real. If you have not recognized your sins and confessed them before God and were not sorry for them… then I am worried that your conversion was not real. And yes, this is so important that it's worth extra emphasis.
We were vile and evil sinners, destined for Hell, before we were saved. And, there is no salvation without an acknowledgement of that important fact. We were dead in our sins, and then God gave us life through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. We needed a sacrifice to pay for our sins, and we needed the blood of that sacrifice to cleanse us of those sins. And, because He loved us, Jesus became that sacrifice.
My true hope is that you have acknowledged your sins, repented and accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for you.
Unfortunately, we will continue to sin, even as Christians - just far less often. None of us are able to live completely and utterly without sin. We are all flawed Christians in need of forgiveness. And, God has promised to forgive us as we repent and turn away from our unrighteousness, bringing our sins before Him.
And, for those who doubt that this prophecy will be fulfilled, God has something to say about such doubts in this next verse in Ezekiel 39:
8 Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord God. “This is the day of which I have spoken.
– Ezekiel 39:8 (NKJV)
God spoke about this moment in time, through many prophets. And, this fulfillment of prophecy will be astounding.
Now, the next two verses pose some interesting questions for us:
9 “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. 10 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.
– Ezekiel 39:9-10 (NKJV)
It is going to take SEVEN YEARS for Israel to clean up the area where this great destruction occurred. Think about that for a second.
The current population of the Land of Israel – Israel, West Bank and Gaza – currently numbers about 14 million people.
With all the modern construction equipment and industrial capacity in Israel today, how long would it take for Israel to clean up from this invasion?
Certainly not seven years. Unless, there was something that had damaged that capacity. Like… oh …the biggest solar event in 5000 years, that knocks out the tractors and other equipment that you would normally use in such a cleanup.
That’s right. What takes out Gog and Magog, appears to also take out the electrical and petrochemical infrastructure of Israel. Like everyone else, Israel will need to rebuild right along with the rest of the world.
The other thing that will happen is that Israel will use the massive amount of metal and fuel that this army brought with them, for their own use. Tanks, armored personnel carriers, mobile artillery, and rocket launchers will have brought with them lots and lots of tanker trucks full of lots and lots of fuel. So, all those fuel trucks will be taken by Israel for their own use – to help them recover from this great cataclysm.
However, that is assuming that I'm right about the symbolism of horses, horsemen, archers and arrows. If I'm wrong, woe unto all of us. If our world collapses to the point where we have to use horses and bows and arrows... we're in a lot worse trouble than any of us could possibly imagine.
If it's real wood that Israel is burning for those seven years, billions of people will have died long before Ezekiel's Fire occurs. There is no way that eight billion people can have enough food to eat in a horse-powered society. Horses need too much grazing land, to pull enough plows, to plow enough farmland, to feed eight billion people - at least, not in the way our civilization is currently organized.
Maybe if we collapse slowly enough, our society might have a chance to transition to a new subsistence form of agriculture. If our decline is gradual, maybe we could shrink the cities, clear more land for horses and learn to plow our fields by hand. A collapse that takes long enough, might give us enough time to adjust without the death of five or six billion people.
But, does history show us ever doing that?
Sorry, but no.
History shows that even the slowest collapse causes widespread death and destruction as nations fight to the death over scarce resources. So, I say again:
Woe unto us, if that's real wood that Israel is burning for seven years!
This next verse speaks of a place that will be given a new and unique name:
11 “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.
– Ezekiel 39:11 (NKJV)
The word ‘hamon’ means ‘multitude’ and is singular. Also the Valley of Hamon Gog is described as ‘east of the sea’.
Which sea is God referring to?
The Mediterranean Sea?
No, the Sea of Galilee.
Everything in Israel is east of the Mediterranean, so saying that it’s east of the sea is like saying that the stars are far away. No, God is making a specific reference here. God reinforces that by referring to ‘the valley of those who pass by’ that is ‘east of the sea’. I suspect that this is the valley that the Yarmouk River runs through. It could also be a new valley formed after the vast volcanic eruptions on the Golan have ended.
This cannot be a valley that is east of the Dead Sea. Moving all those dead bodies, that far south, would be virtually impossible under the conditions that we are talking about. But, that hasn’t stopped some people from trying to claim that the Valley of Hamon Gog is near the Dead Sea. Only someone who does not understand the terrain of the Jordan Valley, would ever say something like that.
Ezekiel 39:11 is more proof that Gog cannot be the Antichrist.
Why?
Well, because of what happens to the Antichrist in Revelation 19:
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
– Revelation 19:19-21 (NKJV)
When Revelation says ‘cast alive’, the original Greek literally says that they will still be living and breathing when they are thrown into the Lake of Fire. They will be picked up and directly transported to Hell. The Antichrist and his ‘prophet’ will not have a grave, anywhere.
This means that Gog cannot be the Antichrist.
Now, just imagine the stink of the rotting bodies. What a horrible situation, and the next verses emphasize that:
12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. 13 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. 14 “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. 15 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. 16 The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land.” ’
– Ezekiel 39:12-16 (NKJV)
And, this will be a very serious health situation. EVERYONE will need to pitch in to get these bodies buried before diseases break out and become epidemic. And, it will take everyone, because all of those labor-saving devices that we have grown used to, won’t work.
However, God sends help in verses 17 through 20:
17 “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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
– Ezekiel 39:17-20 (NKJV)
Close to half a billion birds migrate north-to-south, through Israel in the fall. And, the best time to get a look at these birds is in November. And, one of the best places to see these birds is in northern Israel, where God will destroy this massive army.
Will Gog and Magog come in the fall?
Those of you who know the terrain of Israel, will understand that a large invasion in spring would be impossible. Mud and flash floods would bog down and even destroy an invasion. And, Israel could use such inhospitable conditions to defeat this army. So, Gog would definitely invade the Middle East in the summer and be defeated in Israel by the fall - just in time for the twice yearly migration of birds to help with the cleanup.
Then, God explains WHY Ezekiel’s Fire was necessary, in verse 21:
21 “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.
– Ezekiel 39:21 (NKJV)
Now, the last few words in that verse are interesting.
…and My hand which I have laid on them.
His hand upon… THEM.
Which them?
Israel?
Well, the subject of that statement is NOT Israel. It’s the nations – or as the King James Version puts it – the Gentiles. That, my friends, is us – you and me. And yes, we really deserve this micronova that is coming – this hand of the Lord that will be laid upon us.
And WE – all of us – will see it. God will be glorified and it will be AWESOME – at least for those of us who were smart enough to prepare and survive what is coming.
Jeremiah 30 which also speaks of Jacob’s Return, describes this moment in time as a judgment upon those who harmed the Jewish people:
16 ‘Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
Those who plunder you shall become plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you
And heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord,
‘Because they called you an outcast saying:
“This is Zion;
No one seeks her.” ’
– Jeremiah 30:16-17 (NKJV)
This is why God sends Ezekiel’s Fire at the time of the coming of Gog and Magog. This is more than just a defense of Israel. This is the judgment of those who tormented the Jews. This is even a judgment upon those who claimed to be Christian, but reject God’s promise towards the Jews.
Every nation that participated in the persecution of the Jews, throughout history, will be judged. The only places that did not persecute the Jews are East Asia, Southeast Asia, India and South America. North America might be spared, but it is certain that Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia will be judged by God.
Again, the purpose of this will not be the full judgment of the nations like we see at Armageddon or at the end of the Millennium. This is a far more limited and focused punishment. This is especially not the White Throne in Revelation 20.
Then, we see yet another connection to the salvation of Jacob in Ezekiel 36 in this verse:
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
– Ezekiel 39:22 (NKJV)
All of us and everyone will know EXACTLY what the truth is, at that moment. All the world will realize – at least for a moment in time – that Yehovah is God, and that the Bible is true. (Just like Seal Six) But, God says that Israel will know it for more than just a short time. No, Israel will know it from that day – and forever. And, that day will be the same day that Isaiah 30:26 talks about:
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:26 (NKJV)
You and I naturally want to concentrate on the micronova that this verse talks about. But, God’s focus is on healing the spiritual wounds of His people. The whole world will see it, and later we will see a worldwide recognition that this was the work of God.
Unfortunately, history shows that our view of this event will change over time. Just like those who doubt that the Holocaust really happened, given enough time some will start to claim that God didn't do this. They’ll say that it was just a freak solar event - or, something foolish like aliens. Satan will promote and feed these thoughts and claims until the Antichrist is ready to take the stage.
In fact, let's take a moment to investigate our tendency towards mass psychosis. It's often triggered by fear, something that we are seeing right now over the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But, there are many other factors involved as well:
Fear of Social Exclusion - Wanting to not be excluded from the 'in-crowd'.
Cognitive Dissonance - which often requires changing the past to fit the current version of reality running in someone's head.
Greed - never forget that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Inflated Self-worth - The need to feel special, that you have something that others do not have.
Sheer Gullibility - Listening to people that we like and believing them.
(and on and on...)
We could go all day about the number of reasons why billions of people believe things that cannot possibly be true. Evolution. The Big Bang. The Flat Earth. Holocaust Denial. Socialism. Stalin. Mao. Mormonism. Atheism. Hinduism. Islam. And how government is 'here to help'. They all have psychological (and sinful) reasons for why they believe the way that they do.
Our history of human insanity should convince us that the Antichrist will be more than able to twist the minds of those who do not wish to believe that the God of the Bible is real. All you need is a little time and an incentive. A few decades and the offer of cheap electricity would probably do it for almost everyone living at that time.
But, this chapter is NOT about the Antichrist, so let's get back to what will happen When Gog Comes.
Then, the last six verses of Ezekiel 39 emphasize again the core reason for why all of this will happen:
23 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. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’
25 “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— 26 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. 27 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, 28 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. 29 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 39:23-29 (NKJV)
Again, notice the connection with Ezekiel 36 and 37:
…I will not hide My face from them anymore…
That is salvation, the same kind of salvation described in Ezekiel 36. The same kind of salvation in Isaiah 30 and Zechariah 12 and 13. Those passages are connected to one event – the return of Jacob to God. But, the price will be Ezekiel’s Fire.
This will be an incredible moment in time. Great joy will be mixed with terrible sorrow. The world will be devastated, but God will be glorified. It will also knock back the New World Order, and the Antichrist system that is rising even as you read this. It will be a MASSIVE setback for Satan and a gigantic victory for God and His people.
However, those Christians who have not been following the command of our Lord to watch (Luke 21:36), will suffer greatly - assuming that they survive. Too many of our brothers and sisters are asleep, and there is a terrible price for that.
Okay, now that we’ve been through Ezekiel 39, let’s see how this chapter compares with what we know about the army of the Antichrist.
Do we see a connection with either of those two armies?
Well, this cannot be the army led by the Antichrist, because of how limited this judgment is, by God, upon the nations – as well as the reasons for why He judges them. Unless you want to twist the Bible completely out of shape, there's no way that this can be about the coming of the Antichrist. Like chapter 38, Ezekiel 39 describes the destruction of Gog and Magog on the Mountains of Israel after God calls them down to Israel. And, it's not at all like the multiple invasions of Israel that the Antichrist makes.
If the army of the Antichrist was destroyed so quickly, how would he be able to impose a reign of terror on the world for three and a half years?
Then, we see the micronova that affects earth in verse six. The Antichrist would be toast after that. There’s no way that he could rule the world, when that happens.
Also, the Bible records what happens at the time of the destruction of Gog and Magog:
The spiritual salvation of Israel.
That is NOT what happens after the Antichrist invades Israel.
But wait, what if all that is Armageddon?
Wouldn't that fit the picture that we see in Ezekiel 39?
Nope. Not even close.
First, we have the amount of time AFTER Gog and Magog that is devoted to burying the dead bodies. It will take nine months for the initial cleanup, and that just does not fit – since the Millennium begins within hours and days of Armageddon.
And then, there's the way that the army of the Antichrist is destroyed. Jesus and the armies of heaven destroy the army of the Antichrist, capture the beast and the false prophet before casting them alive into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19).
Does that sound ANYTHING like the description of Gog and Magog?
Of course not.
Then, in this chapter of Ezekiel, God speaks of the nations that survive Gog and Magog. After Armageddon, no nations will survive. After Armageddon, everyone who took the Mark of the Beast will be dead. The only survivors will be those too young to receive the Mark, and maybe those who - by chance - were in some far off place that was untouched by the Antichrist (if such a thing is possible). The First Resurrection and the Rapture will have taken away everyone else.
From all that we have seen, there is just no way that Gog can be the Antichrist – and therefore this cannot be Armageddon. Gog actually dies, and his body is buried with the rest of his army. In Revelation 19, we see that the Antichrist is NOT buried, and that he is taken directly to the Lake of Fire.
That alone is serious proof that Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
Remember also that the burden of proof is on those who wish to claim that the coming of Gog and Magog is the same as the coming of the Antichrist. All that we really need to do is show that the prophecies of the Return of Jacob do not fit in any way with the coming of the Antichrist.
But, we aren’t even close to being finished with the evidence that we have. There is a lot more to look at, and our next stop will be Zechariah, and I hope that you will be sitting down when you see what is in those chapters.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/08-zechariah-12-13-wgc.mp3
We will kill billions of people in the first four verses, but there’s also a blessing that cannot come without this horrifying event.
Like Ezekiel 38 and 39, Zechariah 12 and 13 are a single vision. Stephen Langton, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, broke this vision into two pieces, and was very foolish in doing so. And, putting that artificial break in the middle made it harder to see that Zechariah 14 is not connected at all to the previous two chapters. Chapters 12 and 13 begin with an attack upon Jerusalem and the region of Judah. It continues with their repentance and the acceptance of Jesus as their savior. Zechariah 14 is a completely different story.
And, here are some interesting points that we will cover:
God's love of a physical place called Zion.
The Solar EMP.
Woe unto us, if those are horses!
The Generals and Jerusalem.
Why this is NOT the defeat of the Antichrist.
Modern idolatry in Jerusalem.
Jacob's Trouble.
A comparison with Zechariah 14.
So, let's get into that.
So, let’s begin with Zechariah 12.
Unfortunately, like so much of this effort to understand the timing of Jacob’s return, this chapter has numerous translation errors. Worse, these are very basic errors that no expert in Hebrew should make, which leaves me wondering about the competence (or laziness) of Bible translators.
How is it possible that anyone would hire translators with such an awful understanding of Hebrew?
Here are the first three verses of the best translation that I could find:
1 The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel, saith the Lord, which spread the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of poison unto all the people round about: and also with Judah will he be in the siege against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem an heavy stone for all people: all that lift it up, shall be torn, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
– Zechariah 12:1-3 (GNV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: For verse two, most translations say ‘cup of trembling’ (KJV) or ‘cup of reeling’ (ASV). However, the 1599 Geneva Bible actually gets it right. The word is ‘poison‘ (רעל, pronounced: rah-ahl), and it also means ‘venom’ or ‘toxin’. Yes, a poison, venom or toxin can give you symptoms of ‘drunkenness’ or make you ‘reel’, but translators should stick to the original word and not corrupt our interpretation of the Bible with bad wording.
In verse three, the words, ‘lift it up‘ is עמסיה (pronounced: ohm-sey-ha), mean ‘burden’ or ‘load’. If you want to load something onto a truck, you use a cognate of that word: עומס. The idea is that they want to carry it or even control it.
Also in verse three, there is a lesser issue. The word ‘against‘ is עליה (pronounced: ah-leh-yah). It means to go up to. Yes, in the context of the verse, it means ‘against’, but translators should not be making these kinds of decisions for us. It’s less egregious in its error, but it’s still a misrepresentation of the word.
When God talks about Israel, His primary focus is Jerusalem. Zion. It’s why it is entirely appropriate to call anyone who is pro-Israel, a Zionist. You simply do not have an ‘Israel’ without a ‘Zion’. Zion – Jerusalem – is the center and focus of Israel. It’s the center and focus of God. And, THAT is why I say that God is a Zionist.
And, if God is a Zionist…
…you should be one, too.
He will one day rule from Zion, and He has made it abundantly clear that the tiny patch of ground where King David’s city stood, is more important than any other place on Earth.
In fact, God says in verses two and three that He will claw apart anyone and everyone that causes trouble for Jerusalem and for Israel. If you mess with Zion, God will crush you. You will be damaged so thoroughly, that you will deeply regret ever thinking even negative thoughts about the Jewish ownership of Jerusalem.
And in this next verse, we see the Solar Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that happens to those nations that come against Jerusalem:
4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
– Zechariah 12:4 (NKJV)
Now, think carefully about what this means. Horses will be confused and blind. Riders – humans – will be driven mad. Most will think of this as something supernatural, and I’m sure that it will seem like that. But, we have scientific evidence that this really should be considered a natural phenomena from a single event – even though it is caused by God directly.
Ezekiel’s Fire – The Biggest Solar Event in World History
https://www.ezekielsfire.com/
I’ve already mentioned some of the reasons why this is a micronova. Getting into all the details would require a book to explain it properly, which is why I wrote Ezekiel’s Fire. So, I’m going to avoid talking about most of the reasons for why this points directly to a massive solar event. It is more important to talk about the effects. And, let’s start doing that by considering a more literal interpretation of this passage.
Let’s assume that God really is talking about horses.
How is it that horses could be struck with confusion or even blindness?
How could human beings be struck with madness by such a powerful solar flare?
Over the years, those who pay attention to solar flare activity have noticed that big solar flares tend to correspond with outbreaks of psychosis. And, if there was a really, Really, REALLY big solar flare or micronova, we could safely assume that there would be an even larger outbreak of psychotic events – i.e., madness.
Would horses be struck with confusion?
Well, I would assume that horses could get confused, in the same way that humans were struck mad. But, blindness is another thing altogether.
Are these horses really being struck blind?
Or, maybe we should ask this question:
Are these really horses?
As I said in the chapters about Ezekiel, if our civilization has fallen so far that we are using wood and horses, billions of people will have already died, and our civilization would already have been crushed. It would mean that farm tractors no longer work and that up to six billion people had already starved to death.
If these really were horses, medical care, entertainment, news media, and education would only exist at an early 19th century level - or worse. There would be no electricity. No running water. Big cities would collapse. Governments would shrink and fracture. Plagues would sweep through our societies. The suffering would be terrible.
If these really were horses, we would not only lose the resources to create and maintain the machines and tools that our current civilization needs. We would also lose the knowledge of how to create those machines.
It would be a billion times worse than the Dark Ages that Europe went through after the fall of the Roman Empire. That’s how bad the situation would be, if Zechariah is talking about real, honest-to-goodness horses. It would be just as bad as anything that I describe in Ezekiel's Fire.
So yes, these COULD be horses, but you had better hope that they aren't.
No matter how you slice this, you're going to get five to six billion people dying. And by the way, there are processes at work right now that are leading us to a complete collapse to bronze age conditions. I believe that we could avoid this worst-case scenario if we massively localized political power and commerce, but our politicians seem uninterested in doing so.
However, discussing how our civilization could collapse into a new dark age would take a book to describe adequately. Lord willing, I will try to do that when I write my next book on the first five Seals of Revelation 6.
NOTE: I intend to build a website called RevelationSix.com. Lord willing that site should be working during the first few months of 2022.
But, let's assume for now that our high tech civilization will continue up to the coming of Gog and Magog. And, we would understand this because we already know that God uses metaphors in prophecy. A quick read of the Book of Daniel would quickly demonstrate that our Lord does this routinely. So, let’s look at the thought that the reference to horses is metaphorical. And, let’s start by talking about WHY God would use metaphor.
So, why did God refer to horses?
People at the time of Zechariah could not have imagined any other form of transportation. Therefore, God referred to horses because that was what Zechariah – and everyone else living before the 1800s – could understand. Imagine the confusion if God had described people riding inside wheeled, metal and glass boxes that consume a nasty black goo that came from deep underground.
It would be incomprehensible. Of course, a different kind of incomprehension may have been the goal here. God told Daniel to seal up the vision, and it has truly been sealed – since very few seem able to understand it.
The bottom line is that we are forced to accept the fact that the mention of horses here as almost surely metaphorical. If it isn’t, we are in much worse trouble than what I describe in Ezekiel’s Fire. I shudder to think of that, but I also know that it's possible.
So, if the mention of horses is symbolic…
…what does it mean to strike them with blindness?
Let’s think a bit about what the Lord is trying to say to us here. When you strike a horse with blindness, you aren’t killing the horse. However, you would be keeping it from ever doing anything useful. A blind horse won’t start. It won’t go anywhere on its own. To everyone looking at the horse, it would appear to be fine, except that the horse just wouldn’t move.
You turn the key in the ignition and nothing happens. Everything looks okay, except for the fact that the car/tank/truck won’t go.
Do we have any examples of something like this?
We do.
In the 1960s, the Soviet Union exploded a nuclear weapon at extremely high altitude. When they did this, they found that the starters were burnt out in all the cars within a certain radius around the test site. The same kind of thing happened when America detonated a nuclear bomb at high altitude over the Pacific Ocean. We call this phenomenon a nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse, or a nuclear EMP.
An EMP can come in many different forms. It can be man-made, by detonating a nuclear weapon at high altitude. It could be a short-range weapon, used to knock out nearby electronics. Or, it could come in the form of a massive solar event like Ezekiel’s Fire:
And I will send a fire on Magog, and on them that dwell securely in the isles; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
– Ezekiel 39:6 ASV
When Ezekiel’s Fire comes, your horses – planes, trains and automobiles – will go blind. They won’t start. They will cease to operate. They will look fine on the outside, but God will have turned them into useless hunks of metal and plastic that will quietly sit in your driveway or on your street – immobile. Forever.
Just as bad will be the elimination of electricity networks across the globe. Everything electrical that was not directly destroyed by this EMP, will cease to work, because all the gigantic, custom-built transformers at every power station will be destroyed. This means that water will stop being distributed to buildings and homes. Manufacturing plants will not operate. Food will not be distributed. Water will not be purified. Sanitation will break down. Hospitals will close.
In just a few days after this event, vast numbers of people will die – if they do not have access to free-standing, drinkable water. And, that’s due to the fact that electric water pumps are the number one way that water is distributed throughout the developed world, and even the less-developed world. A billion people could die of thirst alone, when Ezekiel’s Fire strikes.
There might be places in the world where the effects of such a solar EMP would be reduced. Some have said that countries near the earth’s equator will suffer fewer effects than those farther north or south. This is due to the nature of Geomagnetically Induced Current (GIC), which is weaker near the equator, during solar storms. However, Ezekiel’s Fire will be so tremendous that it’s hard to think of any place that would truly be safe. And, let’s not forget the global earthquake!
Whatever your location, you need to ask yourself this question:
Can you survive without electricity, running water and transportation?
If you can’t, then you had better start working on an alternative. You can live three days without water and thirty days without food.
Think about it.
So, we’ve killed billions of people in just the first four verses of Zechariah 12. Let’s look at the next two verses:
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’ 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.
– Zechariah 12:5-6 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: The word for ‘governor’ in that verse is actually ‘general’ or ‘military leader’ – אלוף (pronounced: ah-loof). It actually comes from the word אלף (pronounced: eh-lef), meaning thousand – the implication being that a general in ancient times was a leader of a thousand soldiers. But, NOT a governor. Why the translators chose ‘governor’ is a mystery.
Verses five and six mean that the Israeli military, called the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), will be fighting in the countryside around Jerusalem, and south of Jerusalem. The Palestinians and the leading elements of the Gog and Magog alliance will be attempting to kill the Jews, and the IDF will be doing its best to defend the settlements like Gush Etzion, Efrat, Har Adar, Giv’at Ze’ev, Ma’ale Adumim and a host of others.
Including the Jerusalem neighborhood that I lived in for years – Gilo.
At the same time, the main army of Gog and Magog will be advancing into Israel from the north. And, just as in 1967, the only soldiers defending Jerusalem itself will be reserve units, made up of Jerusalem residents. When it says ‘the inhabitants of Jerusalem’ in verse five, it means that the situation will be so bad that everyone will be issued some kind of weapon and asked to defend the city. When we get to chapter 13 of Zechariah, we’ll see that it will be a desperate time in which two thirds of everyone in the land of Israel will die. Most will die from the earthquake (Isaiah 30), but at least some will die in the fighting.
Furthermore, I am dismayed by the reference to the ‘generals of Judah’ and not the ‘generals of Israel’. If so much of the IDF has been destroyed that only ‘IDF Southern Command’ (in Judah) survives as an organized force… well …that’s bad. Really bad.
But, the next verse injects a bitter and ironic point:
7 “The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah.
– Zechariah 12:7 (NKJV)
God hates pride with a passion, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have a history of incredible hubris. God is going to make sure that Jerusalem cannot claim the glory that she does not deserve.
I really wish that we human beings were not so awful. But, we are, and it’s a very sad thing.
Now, notice a striking difference between verse seven and the result of the Battle of Armageddon in Zechariah 14. We’ve already looked at that chapter, but the issue is important enough for a little review:
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem becomes the center of the world.
In Zechariah 12:7, God makes sure that Jerusalem is NOT.
In Zechariah 14, God saves Jerusalem first.
In Zechariah 12:7, Jerusalem is saved LAST.
That’s a HUGE difference, but we aren’t done yet. This next verse is where we see the average citizen engaged in fighting:
8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them.
– Zechariah 12:8 (NKJV)
This is where some might want to jump in and say that Jesus returns with His armies and defends Jerusalem. But, that’s not what Zechariah says here. This verse clearly says that God will give strength to each inhabitant of Jerusalem, and that these inhabitants will fight and overcome their enemies.
In Zechariah 14, we see the opposite – with Jesus standing on the Mount of Olives and splitting it in two. We will also see the armies of heaven in that chapter. But, we see none of that here, and it would be wrong to inject Zechariah 14 into this verse.
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem is conquered, the women raped and half the city flees into exile.
In Zechariah 12:8, the inhabitants of Jerusalem successfully defend the city, with even the weakest being so incredibly strong that they will slay all their enemies, just like David did.
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem is rescued by God Himself.
In Zechariah 12:8, God gives the inhabitants of Jerusalem the supernatural strength and ability to defend themselves.
These are profound differences that we should NOT ignore. Gog and Magog is clearly NOT the time of the Antichrist. Even if you wished to argue that God waits until Jerusalem is conquered before giving the citizens of Jerusalem the power to fight back, you could not prove that in this passage or in Ezekiel.
From this alone, you can confidently claim that Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
And as we continue through Zechariah 12, the next verse shows us Ezekiel’s Fire and Gog and Magog:
9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
– Zechariah 12:9 (NKJV)
Those nations are the ones in the Gog and Magog alliance that attack Israel. And, as you look at the history Israel for the last century, the target has ALWAYS been Jerusalem – which makes no sense from a secular point of view.
Then, those who sought to take Jerusalem are destroyed. That’s Ezekiel’s Fire. That’s the micronova that knocks down our civilization and throws us back to the pre-industrial era. Having said that, this gives me some hope that maybe… just maybe …those nations not in this alliance will suffer less damage.
Now, why can I be so confident that this is the coming of Gog and Magog?
Remember what we saw in Ezekiel 38 and 39, which directly describes Gog and Magog. The last nine verses includes this:
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
– Ezekiel 39:22 (NKJV)
Then, compare that verse with the last five verses of Zechariah 12, which are just a more detailed retelling of what Ezekiel 39:22 says:
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.
– Zechariah 12:10-14 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: The word for ‘look’ in verse 10 is הביט (pronounced: hee-beet), and it’s not the same as ‘see’ רואה (pronounced: roh-eh). The word ‘look’ (הביט) would be more accurately translated as ‘regard’ or ‘consider’. It’s a seeing from the heart, not the eyes. The word for ‘see’ (רואה) is about the eyes, and you don’t find that here.
Later, in Zechariah 14, the Lord will be visible. They will see Him with their eyes. This is in direct contrast with chapter 12, where God pours out His Holy Spirit upon them. Seeing with the eyes and regarding via the Holy Spirit are two very different things. Yet, that doesn’t stop false teachers from claiming that they are the same thing.
What is happening here, in Zechariah 12, is salvation through faith. Most of you should know the following passage:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
– Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
I could quote verse after verse about salvation coming through faith in Jesus Christ. If there was any other way, God would have told us. And, it is clear to me that salvation through faith and the indwelling – and baptism – of the Holy Spirit is what is happening here.
In Zechariah 12:10-14, we see the realization that the One that they had been rejecting for 2000 years, was (and is) the Messiah that they were looking for. The veil on their heart that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 3:16 will be torn away, and they will see the truth clearly – as you and I see it.
When you and I came to Christ, it was a deeply personal moment in time. We saw Jesus as the one and only true Savior. We asked God to forgive us of our sins and accept us as His children. We turned from sinful ways and embraced the salvation that can only come through Jesus Christ. We accepted the perfect gift of Jesus and entered into the kingdom of God.
The Israelis will do the same thing.
But for these Israelis, that acceptance will bring with it a crushing realization that all of their culture… all of their yearning and learning was in rebellion to God. They will discover that their rabbis and sages were worse than just wrong. They will realize that their great teachers had deceived and blinded them. And, they will understand that their proud deceptions sent all their ancestors into the eternal suffering and condemnation of Hell.
This will be a crushing realization. But, their days of mourning will be only for a moment, as their joy in the Lord overflows. To paraphrase Charles Dickens in the Tale of Two Cities:
It will be the best of times.
It will be the worst of times.
Those of us who survive that moment will be glad that we did, but it will be a very, very hard time. In fact, I believe that it will be the most difficult period of time since the Great Flood. The only thing worse than this, will be The Great Tribulation.
And, this vision given to Zechariah continues into chapter 13.
(Remember that the chapter divisions were NOT inspired by God.)
In chapter 13 God reinforces the idea that the children of Jacob will be saved from their sins in the exact same way that we have been saved from ours. Just as each of us turned from our wicked ways and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior – through faith – they too will do the same. And, some very important points are made that will help us understand that Zechariah 14 is very different from Zechariah 13.
Here’s the first verse of Zechariah 13 that verifies that this is a continuation of chapter 12:
1 “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
– Zechariah 13:1 (NKJV)
When you see words like ‘in that day’ in the first verse of a chapter, it’s clear that this chapter is directly connected to the previous chapter. It means that we are still speaking of the same prophecy that began in chapter 12.
But, how long is the ‘day’ in the phrase ‘in that day’?
Those of you who have been reading your Bible for long enough know the answer to that.
…'that day' could last for YEARS!
THAT DAY will only end, when the events described are complete. Days, weeks, months, years and even decades could go by, and THAT DAY will not be complete until all has been accomplished. Verse two continues with what will be accomplished:
2 “It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.
– Zechariah 13:2 (NKJV)
Wait. God is speaking of idols. We understand about false prophets and unclean spirits…
…but what are these idols?
Years ago, My wife and I had the chance to witness a new Torah scroll being installed in a local synagogue, nearby our apartment. It was remarkably like what happens with an idol in the kind of pagan temple that you find in Taiwan.
As I write this, I am in Taiwan, and we see almost exactly the same kind of procession. When the priests in a local temple in Taiwan decide that it is time for their god or goddess to go on a procession around the neighborhood, or when they want to install a new idol, that procession looks remarkably like what happens when a new Torah scroll is installed in a synagogue.
Yes, that Torah scroll has the words of God printed on it, but that doesn’t matter. If you worship and bow down to ink and paper, it’s still idolatry. It doesn’t matter if that ink and paper is formed into the words of God. It is still idolatry.
There is only one person that we should bow down and worship:
God, and God alone.
Bowing down to ink and paper is a sin, no matter what the words say.
And, there is also the idol worship of the heart. Any kind of worship that is not of God is idolatry. The religious veneration of ANYTHING that is not the truth is idolatry, and that includes Judaism. And yes, Judaism is nowhere close to anything Biblical. Those who say otherwise, do not understand what the rabbis did to their religion after AD 70 and after the failure of the Bar Kochba revolt. I love the Jewish people, but they are in rebellion against God – for now.
I was going to skip the next few verses, but then I reconsidered.
Why?
Because it identifies the spiritual condition of Israel, after these events. It shows the passion with which the average Israeli will worship God. So, let’s look at verses three through six:
3 It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.
4 “And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. 5 But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’ 6 And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’
– Zechariah 13:3-6 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: When verse three says ‘shall thrust him through‘, the word does not mean thrust a sword or knife in so strongly that it goes out the other side. It just means ‘stab him‘ – דקרהו , (pronounced dah-kar-roo-ho).
In another error, the word ‘arms‘ is actually ‘hands‘. I know that suffering a wound ‘between your hands’ doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s what the Bible actually says. Translators should translate the Bible and leave the interpretation up to the reader.
This will mean that the Children of Israel will love God more than their own children. This will be a gigantic change from the way that Israeli parents raise their children now. Right now, the average child is put on a pedestal. If there’s anything that the average Israeli worships, it’s their children. There is no sacrifice too big, when it comes to their kids.
This created something of a problem for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in the early years of Israel’s founding. Israel’s little darlings had to be straightened out and given a strong dose of discipline, if Israel was to survive. This has placed the IDF in the role of ‘tough parent’. And, there probably isn’t any military in the world that is better at turning pampered, irresponsible brats into mature, trustworthy adults.
So, this is a very big deal. Israeli parents will truly place God first. In every way. And, probably for the first time ever, Israelis will be on the lookout for heresy, and won’t tolerate it when they find it – even if it is in their children.
Now, think about the depth of this change of heart.
Is this something imposed upon them from outside?
By the imposition of Torah, the Law?
No, this is the operation of God, where He takes away the heart of stone, and replaces it with a living heart. This is a spiritual transformation from the inside out. It’s the kind of transformation that you and I have gone through. The verses that describe the Millennium don’t reflect such a transformation.
And, we will prove that this cannot be the Millennium, when we get to this chapter:
Why Israel Must Be Saved BEFORE The Great Tribulation
https://whengogcomes.com/10-why-israel-saved-before-great-tribulation.html
But, we aren’t done. There are three verses left in this prophecy, and the next one was quoted by Jesus:
7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
– Zechariah 13:7 (NKJV)
Jesus quoted Zechariah, here:
31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
– Matthew 26:31 (NKJV)
Jesus was referring to His arrest and trial, and the scattering of His disciples. Yet, the context seems to be more than just Messiah, because of the rest of Zechariah 13. But, this isn’t the only time that God throws in a Messianic verse that appears in an unusual place.
Just look at Isaiah 7:14-17. That passage talks about the virgin birth of Christ, even though the context is the coming destruction of Israel’s northern kingdom. It seems completely out of place. But, we know that Jesus was born of a virgin, and we know that the northern kingdom was destroyed. So, we shouldn’t stumble over a verse that talks about Messiah, even though that verse appears in an unusual way.
However, I do not mind admitting that I don’t quite understand why verse seven appears like that. We could speculate over a possible dual nature to this verse. Unfortunately, the words ‘dual prophecy’ are usually just an excuse to be lazy and engage in wishful thinking. If you want to believe that this also refers to the destruction of Israel’s leadership, that’s fine. But, do NOT take away from the core meaning of this verse – the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Then, we come to the last two verses that fill me with dread:
8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
9 I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
– Zechariah 13:8-9 (NKJV)
The fact that two thirds of Israel will be killed is horrifying.
I know that there are many who claim that this doesn’t mean physical death, and I understand why they want to say that. The thought of two thirds of Israelis dying through violence and earthquake is just too much for many of us to think about. But, the Hebrew speaks for itself.
The Hebrew word for die, in the above passage is יגועו (pronounced: yig-va-oo). It means ‘they will die’. And, the root word is גוע (pronounced: gah-va). It literally means to physically expire. In fact, a variation of that word includes agony in that death. The word does NOT indicate a spiritual death in any way.
Also, those who advocate the ‘spiritual death theory’ aren’t thinking this through. The people of Israel were ALREADY spiritually dead. Someone who was never spiritually alive, cannot spiritually die. You cannot kill someone spiritually until after someone is made spiritually alive. Israel is not spiritually alive today, so to spiritually kill two thirds of Israel is completely impossible. So, please discard this ‘spiritual death’ theory, if you hold it.
But, the physical death of so many… it will be a terrible thing to see.
Now, for those of you who have already looked at Ezekiel's Fire, you'll know that death and destruction is not limited to Israel or even the Middle East. It will be everywhere, around the world. Every city will be destroyed, and billions will die. In fact, I would venture to say that at least two thirds of the world's population will die also - if not more than that.
Accepting the sheer horror of this event is one of the reasons why I finally understood that ‘Jacob’s Trouble’ really is about Gog and Magog and the Return of Jacob to God. This is the core verse:
Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.
– Jeremiah 30:7 (NKJV)
I’ll discuss Jeremiah 30, much later.There is literally no other way to look at this. This really is talking about the time of the coming of Gog and Magog. It cannot be any other time, and I am not looking forward to this - should I live long enough to see it.
This death and destruction – coupled with spiritual salvation – is a bittersweet note for Zechariah 13 to end on. All the survivors of this great tragedy, in Israel, will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but it will also mean a tremendous amount of terrible difficulty and suffering.
As it says in Zechariah 13:9, there will be a refining process, and it should be clear that it will be very, very hard. In fact, I am sure that many will wish that they HAD died, instead of going through what will come after.
Many of you have experienced moments in time when you wished that you had died, instead of surviving. The time is coming in which it will be the turn of Israel and the rest of the world. And, I hate the thought of it, but this is the will of God. And He really knows that this is the best way. So, we must accept this as necessary – and prepare for it, as best we can. To do otherwise would be rebellion against God.
Now, contrast what we have seen in Zechariah 12 and 13 with what we have already seen, in Zechariah 14.
Do they match?
Zechariah 12 and 13 are a direct match with Ezekiel 38 and 39. Those two chapters directly link the salvation of the Children of Jacob with the attack on Israel and Jerusalem. There’s no doubt about that. Israel receives the same kind of spiritual salvation that you and I received.
But, which battle is this?
Unfortunately, people have spent a lot of time trying to make Zechariah 12 and 13 about the coming of the Antichrist – when he captures Jerusalem after his second invasion of Israel. But, that just cannot be true. For instance, during Gog and Magog, the attack on Jerusalem fails to succeed. Vehicles are neutralized. The generals of Israel ‘burn up’ those around Jerusalem. And then… the Lord gives the residents of Jerusalem the ability to defeat their enemies.
That is completely different from the description of the Antichrist capturing Jerusalem. The Antichrist succeeds in his conquest, while Gog does not. That’s an extremely clear point that no one should ignore.
We could argue over the other details in Zechariah 12 and 13, but there’s just no way that those two chapters could be describing the capture of Jerusalem by the Antichrist.
Then, there are those who try to claim that this is the Battle of Armageddon. But, saying that means ignoring a huge number of passages that also talk about the Return of Jacob to God and the coming of Gog and Magog. And, you cannot claim to follow Christ, while throwing out the parts of the Bible that don’t fit your dogma. But, at the same time, I sympathize with any difficulty that you might have.
I struggled with Zechariah 14 for a long time, partly because the translators did such a bad job of rendering the Hebrew into English. But, once God finally opened my eyes, there was no question about what chapter 14 talked about.
Zechariah 14 is clearly about Armageddon.
Just as clearly, Zechariah 12 and 13 are NOT.
Remember that army of Gog and Magog represents just one part of the nations of the world. But, in Zechariah 14, God says that ALL of them are brought down against Jerusalem. Not some. All.
Notice also that there is no mention of anything like a Millennium in chapters 12 and 13. There are none of the utterly fantastic events that are described in chapter 14. Again, Jerusalem is captured in Zechariah 14. Jerusalem is not captured in 12 and 13.
In fact, let me repeat a bit of what I said earlier:
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem becomes the center of the world.
In Zechariah 12, God makes sure that Jerusalem is NOT.
In Zechariah 14, God saves Jerusalem first.
In Zechariah 12, Jerusalem is only rescued AFTER Judea.
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem is conquered, the women raped and half the city goes into exile
In Zechariah 12, the inhabitants of Jerusalem successfully defend the city, with even the weakest being so incredibly strong that they will slay all their enemies, just like David did. In fact, the weakest woman could slay the strongest soldiers with just a few smooth stones and a sling.
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem is rescued by God Himself.
In Zechariah 12, God gives the inhabitants of Jerusalem the supernatural strength and ability to defend themselves.
In Zechariah 14, God PHYSICALLY saves Jerusalem and Israel.
In Zechariah 12 and 13, God SPIRITUALLY saves them. And, there’s no description in chapter 14 of Israel finally returning to God. The Children of Israel must be following God long before chapter 14 begins. After all, there’s a reason why the people of Jerusalem are fleeing the Antichrist - which they would not do, if they were not saved.
There are real, tangible differences between Zechariah 14 and the two chapters that come just before it. The wording alone – of chapter 14 – indicates that it is a separate prophecy that is not connected to the previous two chapters. Furthermore, it should be completely clear that…
…Ezekiel 12 and 13 cannot be about the army of the Antichrist that captures Jerusalem.
It’s just not possible.
So, let's summarize what we've discovered so far:
God loves a physical place called Zion.
This will be a massive, civilization destroying Electromagnetic Pulse from our sun.
We hope that Zechariah's horses are not really horses.
Zechariah 12 and 13 cannot be the defeat of the Antichrist.
Zechariah 13 describes Jacob's Trouble - which is NOT the Great Tribulation.
Many years separate Zechariah 14 from chapters 12 and 13.
Therefore, it is absolutely conclusive that Zechariah 12 and 13 are about the coming of Gog and Magog and not the Antichrist. But, we still have more conclusive evidence in our next core chapter, Isaiah 30.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/09-isaiah-30-wgc.mp3
This is where we see that Ezekiel’s Fire is a micronova.
In this chapter, we’ll see:
That last one should look awfully familiar, since we have clearly seen it several times already. Binding up the bruise and healing wounds is the kind of wording that is central to salvation.
We’ve also seen the other four points, but not quite like this. Isaiah 30 gives us a snapshot of something global and earth shattering. This planet-wide catastrophe will leave no one unaffected and knock everything down.
However, this passage sits in the middle of a prophecy that is 11 chapters long. It starts with Isaiah 24 and ends with Isaiah 35. And, the chapter divisions in between are not inspired by God. Also, this eleven chapter long prophecy is full of the same kind of imagery that we see in Revelation - which might be why many have claimed that the salvation of Israel occurs during the Great Tribulation of Revelation, even though this cannot be true.
NOTE: Stephen Langton, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury was the one who set the chapter divisions into the Bible, and we should not feel bound by them – especially since we have no proof that Stephen was a Christian. And yes, I know that I am repeating myself, but this issue is really important.
Unfortunately, those who do not prepare for Ezekiel's Fire will suffer greatly – assuming that they survive. Isaiah 30 describes a global earthquake that will knock down every building of any size. And, those inside such buildings will not have anyone to dig them out. The micronova that briefly brightens the sun by seven times will destroy electricity around the world and shatter electronics and communications. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
The first seventeen verses of Isaiah 30 are a painful indictment of Israel’s rejection of God. The irony is that we Christians have rebelled against God in similar ways. When I read Isaiah 30:1-17, I see a lot of churches with the same spiritual problems. I can hardly believe some of the spiritual and moral corruptions that our pastors and seminaries have led us into.
We MUST repent of our sins so that God will return His hand of protection to us.
It’s time for your church to pray that God will reveal the sins in your midst. I was in a church once, that did that. We came together to pray that God would reveal sin in our church, and days later, we found that the assistant pastor had been committing adultery. But, moving on…
So, up to verse 17, Isaiah 30 was talking about the past – for Israel. But, God does not leave His people in the past without a promise. And that is what happens in verse 18:
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
– Isaiah 30:18 (NKJV)
Isaiah lived at the time of the beginning of God’s judgment upon Israel.
So, when God spoke of the beginning of that judgment, through Isaiah, who was He speaking about?
Was He speaking about Christians?
I know. Silly question. But, there are lots and lots of Christians who believe that this isn’t so silly. They think that the promises that God made to the Children of Jacob are no longer for the physical descendants of Israel.
Does God abandon His promises, after He has made them?
Of course not.
When we become rebellious, God reaches out and gives us a thump – to teach us that our rebellion is futile. God has done that with Israel. For two thousand years – and more – the Lord has demonstrated to the children of Jacob that they could not save themselves by their own might and power – that they needed the Lord. And, the only way that you can have the Lord is by faith and obedience.
God promised that He would wait. The fact that this pause is two thousand years longer than we would like, means nothing. When the time is right, it will happen. But, let’s move on to the next verse.
Again, this is a physical people, at a physical place, at a specific point in time. I know that some are surprised by my need to stress this, but there are lots of Christians who are confused about this issue.
For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.
– Isaiah 30:19 (NKJV)
Just to hammer the point home:
When God said ‘Zion at Jerusalem’, was He using allegory, here?
OF COURSE NOT!!!
When God speaks about a specific geographical point on Earth, God really is talking about a definite and distinct location. If you think otherwise, then I’m not sure how you can continue to believe that the Bible is true.
Who were the people that God was referring to?
The children of Jacob… Israel!
And, who will God respond to and hear?
The people at Jerusalem. A time will come when God will pay extra attention to them. Those who refuse to see this will have a rough ride ahead of them.
Moving on…
And though the Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
– Isaiah 30:20 (NKJV)
Verse 20 reinforces the spiritual transformation of the previous two verses by saying that their teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore and that their eyes will see their teachers. This is important because God will give the residents of Jerusalem something that no one would look forward to:
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction
And, I believe that this points to what God said in Zechariah 13:
I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
– Zechariah 13:9 (NKJV)
It appears that – when God refines the Children of Jacob – that He will cause them to suffer great physical hardship. Jerusalem and the rest of Israel will be devastated. All transportation networks will be destroyed. All the power will be out. No cars or trucks will run. Any large buildings will have been turned into rubble. For those buildings that survive, the plumbing and electricity won’t work. If any refrigeration units survive, there will be nothing to keep them running. And, it would take months – if not years – for Jerusalem to recover to a point where it could become a city that thrives again.
The suffering will be terrible. But, it will be suffering that has a purpose. The next verse describes eloquently:
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
– Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)
THAT is the Holy Spirit.
There is nothing in this world that is more precious than eternal salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That is worth any amount of suffering. But, my heart is heavy at the thought of what they will go through.
And, how will God grant them eternal salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
When Peter spoke of Jesus to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, he said this:
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
– Acts 4:12 (NKJV)
There is literally no other way to salvation and to having the Holy Spirit, except through Christ. And, there is no other way to Christ, except through faith. And, faith is…
…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
– Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
You should read all of Hebrews 11. It’s the most powerful chapter on faith in the Bible. It demonstrates conclusively that salvation is impossible without faith.
In verse 22, we see the result of their changed heart:
You will also defile the covering of your images of silver,
And the ornament of your molded images of gold.
You will throw them away as an unclean thing;
You will say to them, “Get away!”
– Isaiah 30:22 (NKJV)
These new Christians in Israel will no longer study the Talmud. They will no longer worship their rabbis, or their gold and silver plated Torah scrolls. They will no longer look to their traditions and their customs as their source of purity and righteousness. They will no longer wrestle with God, but will submit to Him.
And no, this will NOT be a return to the Torah. The New Testament is very, very clear that the Law was ONLY a foreshadow of Jesus Christ. Those who claim that the Millennium will mark the return of the observance of the 613 laws of Moses, are deeply in error.
In fact, those who persist in making those claims are – by implication – denying Christ.
It’s one of many reasons why this book is so important. We need to stop this blasphemous attack upon the principle of salvation through faith. But, let’s move on to the next two verses that describe the blessing that Israel will receive after this time of suffering is over:
23 Then He will give the rain for your seed
With which you sow the ground,
And bread of the increase of the earth;
It will be fat and plentiful.
In that day your cattle will feed
In large pastures.
24 Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground
Will eat cured fodder,
Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
– Isaiah 30:23-24 (NKJV)
Notice how this parallels exactly what God promised to do for Israel in Ezekiel 36 and Ezekiel 37. And, in one sense, this blessing has already begun in the Land of Israel. Before the Jews came, it was a barren, disease-ridden land. After the Jews took possession of their land, it became a lush, productive paradise. But, as good as it is now, it will be even better.
Now, these next two verses demonstrate that prophecies flip back and forth between the event being prophesied and the results of that event. Verses 23 and 24 describe the end result of verses 18 to 22. Then, we flip back to the event itself, to emphasize the catastrophe that brings the children of Jacob back to God:
25 There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:25-26 (NKJV)
In the day of great slaughter?
Who is being slaughtered?
Well, we know, from Ezekiel that the army of Gog and Magog gets slaughtered. In fact, they will turn on each other as they run away, in addition to being slain by fire, brimstone and pestilence. But, Zechariah also speaks of a terrible number of people dying in the Land of Israel itself. Two thirds of those in Israel will die. That’s close to ten million people. But, ‘the great slaughter’ won’t be limited to just Israel. In fact, there is a shaky case that could be made that Zechariah 13:8 refers to the whole world and that two thirds of all the world will be cut off and die.
Whatever the case, this will be a global catastrophe. This is why I believe that it will be our job, as Christians, to warn everyone to get out of their buildings when Gog and Magog comes, even if you are living in Zap, North Dakota.
By the way, those of us who understand the connection between seismic activity and solar events will definitely understand why the world will suffer catastrophic earthquakes when the micronova of Isaiah 30:26 happens. But, I’ve gotten ahead of myself.
This book is about timing, and it is the second half of verse 26 that gives us what we need to see:
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
THAT is salvation. You cannot interpret that phrase in any other way, unless you twist the context of the chapter, itself. Therefore, every passage in the Bible that talks about the salvation of Israel… must also be directly talking about this moment of catastrophe and cataclysm. And, it is this salvation narrative that links the core prophecies together.
This allows us to collect each description of the salvation of Israel and combine them together. When we do that, it becomes clear that a catastrophic nova event is coming. Again, here is where Isaiah 30 describes this solar event:
Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
That is the first part of Isaiah 30:26, and the implications are truly horrifying. For a moment in time, the Sun expands in brightness by seven times. That is exactly what a micronova would do, and it will crush our civilization and bring our society to its knees.
What do OTHER passages say about this moment in time?
Well, Ezekiel says this:
And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord.
– Ezekiel 39:6 (ASV)
And THAT is why I wrote the book Ezekiel’s Fire – and why you should read it!
Of course, there is another ‘fire’ from the sun, in the Bible, and we find it in the Book of Revelation:
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
– Revelation 16:8-9 (NKJV)
I would LOVE for that passage in Revelation to be Ezekiel’s Fire. If anyone could prove that Revelation 16 encompasses all the terrible events that we have described so far, I would be truly overjoyed – since it would mean that we will not be around to see them.
The problem is that no one can make that proof, since it just does not fit the pattern laid out for us in the Old Testament. You cannot connect Revelation 16 with Ezekiel 38 and 39. The timing is all wrong.
When does God send fire upon Magog and the other nations in Ezekiel 39?
AFTER the invasion of Gog and Magog.
When does the fourth angel pour out his bowl upon the Sun?
BEFORE Armageddon and the Kings of the East.
Unfortunately, lots of our brothers and sisters do not understand the difference between the words ‘BEFORE’ and ‘AFTER’. This is in addition to all the other problems that you will have, if you try to force Revelation 16 to be a retelling of Ezekiel 38 and 39. You just cannot get around the issue of timing. Having said all that, I would LOVE to be proven wrong. If you do that, I will gladly burn every copy of this book.
I particularly do not want to actually see the second half of Isaiah 30:25. I want to place this with all the other terrible times described in Revelation that happen after the Resurrection. Here again is that part of the verse that I dread so much:
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
If you remember what we talked about in the previous chapter, you see the connection with this verse:
And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
– Zechariah 13:8 (NKJV)
Zechariah 12 and Zechariah 13 both speak of Israel’s return to God, in the same way that Isaiah 30 and Ezekiel 36-39 do. But, Zechariah’s account adds another dimension:
The death of two thirds of those in the Land of Israel.
This is the ‘great slaughter’ that Isaiah 30:25 is talking about. And, it represents another confirmation that Isaiah 30 and Zechariah 12-13 speak of the same moment in time. But wait, this great slaughter is connected to the last four words of Isaiah 30:25:
When towers will fall.
What could those words refer to?
Okay, you know the answer already, but we're going to repeat the core verses in Ezekiel 38, anyway:
19 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, 20 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.’ 21 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. 22 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. 23 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 38:19-23 (NKJV)
Now THAT is an earthquake. In fact, it will be so big that it will awaken the sleeping volcanoes up on the Golan Heights. That’s the ‘brimstone’ that the passage above refers to. You don’t get ‘brimstone’ any other way.
And yes, there are volcanoes in Israel – up on the Golan Heights.
In fact, the Golan is chock full of dormant volcanoes. But, not the Jerusalem mountain range. If you walk around the Golan and places nearby, you’ll see lots of dark, volcanic rock, and many of the ancient buildings that archeologists have uncovered were made with it. You will not see any volcanic rock anywhere in the Judean hills.
So, not only do we have the biggest solar flare in the history of the world, but we also have the coming of Gog and Magog, the destruction of that army, the death of two thirds of everyone in Israel and a massive earthquake - not just in Ezekiel and Zechariah, but also Isaiah.
However, I said ‘earthquake’, as if there is just one. But, I’m afraid that these gigantic earthquakes will be all over the world. This will be a truly global destruction, and we see it in the next two verses of Isaiah 30:
27 Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,
Burning with His anger,
And His burden is heavy;
His lips are full of indignation,
And His tongue like a devouring fire.
28 His breath is like an overflowing stream,
Which reaches up to the neck,
To sift the nations with the sieve of futility;
And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people,
Causing them to err.
– Isaiah 30:27-28 (NKJV)
Okay, this describes why it’s important for you to accept this as deeply as you can. God is going to do something terrible to the world, and you must prepare for what is coming. So, let’s talk a bit about what God is going to do, in terms of these two verses.
First of all, verses 27 and 28 speak of nations and peoples, so this is not about what happens just within the land of Israel. This is about what God does to the rest of the world, those nations OUTSIDE of Israel. Here is what will happen:
Are the hooks in the Jaws of Gog like a bridle?
The point is that God is going to cause a massive amount of destruction in the world. It is going to be a horrific time for almost everyone, which is the reason why I am writing this. I do NOT want you to be caught by what is going to happen.
And for those of you who think that this passage speaks of a different time… well …I have only one thing to say:
Theories won’t protect you.
Now, I could go on, and I would love to. But, we need to stay focused on our topic. Just remember that, as you read through Isaiah 24 through 35, the Return of Jacob is at the core of end times prophecy.
So, Isaiah 30 gives us more insight into the events surrounding the coming of Gog and Magog, but not so much about the army. But, our goal for this chapter was less about armies and more about:
That last point brings us to the most important chapter of this book, and the key to all of this.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/10-why-israel-saved-before-great-tribulation-wgc.mp3
Having taken you through five key chapters from Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah, you will undoubtedly see that there is a thread running through all of those chapters:
The spiritual return of the children of Jacob to God.
The focus of this book has been the timing of Gog and Magog and the disasters that happen at that moment. But, that’s not God’s focus. Yes, He wants His children to be safe from what is coming, which is why He has warned us. But, God’s focus is:
The Return of Jacob.
Remember what Jesus said about a moment when the times of the Gentiles would be over:
…And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
– Luke 21:24b (NKJV)
Our time is over. We had 2000 years to serve God and spread the Gospel to every tongue and nation. We did that, and now the time has come for the Jews to return to God. And, as a part of this handover, we have a test to pass. If we see what the Bible actually says about this moment in time and prepare for it, we pass. If we don’t, we fail and suffer the consequences. It’s a life and death issue that almost no one is talking about.
Unfortunately, pastors and Bible teachers have largely ignored the timing of the salvation of Israel. Most of those who teach about the Jews coming to Christ one day are wonderful people, but they believe that we won't be around when it happens. The rest of 'Christendom' largely believes that the church has replaced Israel and that Jacob will never return to God, so timing means nothing to them. Those tiny few who are left, who agree with Paul that all Israel will be saved (Romans 11) and who believe that the timing is important, are stuck in between both camps and have to negotiate the minefield that lies between the two of them.
So, before we dive into the important issue of timing let's reinforce the point that the Bible makes many many times, that Jacob will return to God, embracing Jesus as their Messiah:
Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
– Ezekiel 36:31 (NKJV)
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.
– Ezekiel 39:7 (NKJV)
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
– Ezekiel 39:22 (NKJV)
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 39:29 (NKJV)
...In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:26 (NKJV)
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
– Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV)
..They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
– Zechariah 13:9 (NKJV)
Then, for those who are STILL not convinced, read Romans 11. These two verses should hit home especially hard:
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
- Romans 11:26-27 (NKJV)
Believe it or not, but most who call themselves christian can read those two verses and deny that God intends to save Israel. It makes me wonder if any of them know that Jesus was a Jew.
So, with all the evidence in the Bible about the return of Jacob to God...
...how could the salvation of Israel be so confusing?
For most of the past two millennia, the subject of Israel’s salvation just wasn’t important. The struggle of daily life-in-Christ was hard enough, without having to figure out the return of Israel, and their salvation. The Land of Israel was an awful place - ruled by violent, villainous barbarians. So, the idea of this fulfillment of prophecy was just… unimaginable. And, it was unimaginable, right up to the 20th century.
But today, the Children of Jacob have returned to the Land of Israel, and there are Christian Israelis sharing the gospel with other Israelis. And, I have seen with my own eyes that the Body of Christ is growing in Israel. So now, the unimaginable is perfectly imaginable.
But still, no one wants to talk about it.
Why?
Well it’s because of all the books written by doctor this or theologian that – PhDs who ALSO don’t talk about the salvation of Israel. And those who DO talk about the salvation of Israel – get it wrong.
Here are the three main groups who seem to get this idea all mixed up:
Those Christians who fall into one of the above, automatically don’t feel any need or have an interest in the topic of the Salvation of Israel. It's not that they don't care. It's just theoretical to them. Those of us who do not fall into one of the above… well …we are such a small group that no one writes books or has a loud enough voice to be heard.
Another problem lies in our focus on the New Testament. The Old Testament is… well …old.
Who needs the Old Testament?
Well, Paul said that we ALL need it:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
– 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)
When Paul wrote that, the New Testament did not exist. Therefore he was telling Timothy to read the Old Testament. And, there is more said about the Last Days in the Old Testament, than in the ‘new’. The 'Noble Bereans' understood this quite well:
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
- Acts 17:10-11 (KJV)
The Jews of Berea were willing to search the Old Testament to verify the claims that Paul and Silas were making, and we should not hesitate to do the same.
Okay, now that we have thoroughly established the core point, let’s talk about the five big reasons why we should expect the Israelis to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior BEFORE the Antichrist makes an appearance. You might argue with any one of these five points, but it’s hard to believe that you could successfully argue against all of them.
Remember, if you are a Christian, you believe that there is no other way to salvation except through faith in Christ. You can’t be a Christian and believe any other way. And, the Bible is clear that the sacrifice of Jesus was the ONLY SACRIFICE.
Why would people claim otherwise?
If you remain unsure, here are three verses that should be pretty convincing:
All who dwell on the earth will worship him [The Beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
- Revelation 13:8 (NKJV)
For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
- Hebrews 4:3 (NKJV)
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
- Hebrews 10:4 (NKJV)
We'll get into more of that when we talk about Galatians and Hebrews a bit later. But, it should be absolutely clear that there is literally no possible way for any future sacrifices to ever be a part of those who are saved. To put it another way:
You are not a follower of Christ, if you need to make sacrifices for sin in a temple.
This is such a big issue that you would need some pretty conclusive proof that the Children of Jacob are saved in some other way than faith in Christ. Yet, the main theories about The Last Days either claim that the question doesn't matter, or that they have a different path to Christ - without a shred of proof.
If you want to claim that the Jews are saved AFTER THE RESURRECTION, you have a lot of explaining to do. In fact, the idea that the Children of Jacob would not be in the Resurrection of the Just (Luke 14:14) is unimaginable. No, it’s actually impossible.
To make that work, you would need to make one or more of the following anti-Biblical claims:
There are more than two resurrections.
There is more than one Rapture.
The blood of bulls and goats will matter again.
Salvation isn't the same for Jew and Gentile.
To claim that the Jews would be saved in a different way than ourselves is a kind of blasphemy, since Jesus is at the core of everything that we are and everything that the Bible teaches. Faith in Christ is the universal requirement for salvation, so we should assume that this is how the Children of Jacob return to God.
Tell me again how faith in Christ happens?
Here’s the best definition of faith that I know:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
– Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
The vast majority of the theories about Israel’s salvation require that this Jewish faith will be by sight. They claim that they will see Jesus at His Second Coming. I have already proven over and over and over that Israel must be saved before the Antichrist, and I will prove it again later. But, think about the foolish theories that so many have.
Why are we assuming that the Jews will have a different faith than our own?
Shouldn’t the burden of proof be the opposite of what most people are assuming?
Some believe that the Salvation of Israel happens right at the beginning of the reign of the Antichrist. That’s a little better than some of the other theories, even though it’s still wrong.
But, why would you assume that Israel has faith in Christ for only 3.5 years? Or, even seven?
To assume that Israel has no time to mature spiritually before facing the worst persecution in human history is… bizarre - in addition to being an assumption without any basis in scripture.
Seriously, I have to ask...
God gives Jewish Christians no time to spiritually prepare for the coming of the Antichrist?
Really?
Salvation is not like some ‘quickie marriage’. Salvation is about a new birth in Christ. And, because God loves us, each of us is given time to drink the milk of the word, and then mature to the deeper things of God – the meat. That is the experience of each and every one of us.
So, why do we assume that God will not give this opportunity to Israel?
If God loves Israel so much – and He does – why would He NOT give them time to mature?
Lots of Christians keep repeating that ‘we are not appointed unto wrath’, while implying that the Jews are. How ironic that the Bible actually says the opposite, that we who have corrupted our faith in Christ will suffer wrath, while newly Christian Israel will be protected from our heresy.
Why would God punish the Jews for their sins, while not chastising us for ours?
The irony is that God shows us in Revelation 6, that Israel will have as much time as they need, to mature into the kind of grown men and women of God that I hope that you and I are. And, Israel will need every bit of that spiritual growth and maturity to withstand the evil doctrines of the Antichrist - the seeds of which, already corrupt our churches today.
Again, the burden of proof is on those who say otherwise.
And, the proof just isn’t there.
And then, there are those who believe that Israel – the physical descendants of Jacob – will not be saved. If you are such a person, I’m amazed that you’ve gotten this far. To believe that we replace Israel, and that the promises to Jacob are null and void… well …I’m astounded. It’s hard to believe that anyone could follow Christ while believing that the promises of God are frivolous and inconsistent.
Is it possible for God to not fulfill every single promise?
The burden of proof is squarely on your shoulders, if you wish to claim that the Jews will never be saved – or will be saved sometime after the rise of the Antichrist.
Just remember that we have allowed non-Biblical ideas to change the default proposition, via one man-made theory after another. And, the only reason why these theories still exist have everything to do with the wave of rhetoric and emotion that has obscured the true meaning of the Bible.
Our default position should always be that the Children of Jacob are saved long before the coming of the Antichrist in the same way that you and I came to Christ. It should also be our default position that the Children of Jacob have time to mature in their faith so that they are ready for what happens during the Great Tribulation.
The burden of proof should lie upon those who believe otherwise.
Another way of saying that is:
What proof is there that Israel is saved AFTER the Tribulation begins?
Of course, the answer is none, but we should not be afraid to examine this issue carefully. And, when you look at what God thinks about the Law of Moses, this ‘default position’ looks really strong. And, this brings us to Reason Two.
For those who think that Israel will turn back to the Law, think again. Read Hebrews 8. That chapter is a powerful indictment to all who want Israel to return to the sacrifice of bulls and goats for the covering of sin.
In fact, let’s look at the relevant part of that chapter:
6 But now [Jesus] has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
– Hebrews 8:6-13 (NKJV)
During the time of Paul, there was a church in Galatia that didn’t understand this. They thought that following the Law was a good idea. Here is some of what Paul had to say to them:
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
– Galatians 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
– Galatians 5:1-4 (NKJV)
Those are powerful, powerful statements that demonstrate that Torah cannot and will not return as a way of salvation. Furthermore, Paul calls any desire to return to the Law of Moses as a ‘different gospel’. He says this here:
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
– Galatians 1:6-9 (NKJV)
Whether they know it or not, those who preach that the Jews will return to God via The Law (aka Torah), are actually preaching a different gospel. They are preaching a perversion of the foundation of salvation through Christ, and Paul calls those who preach such perversion to be accursed.
If you preach that the Jews will return to God through Torah and Temple sacrifices, there is literally a curse upon you.
Unfortunately, it is clear to me that many of our churches have been cursed. Instead of following what God says in the Bible, they have chased after the foolish ideas that their pastors were taught in seminary. Worse, things have gotten so bad in our churches that there is a growing movement to erase the writings of Paul from the New Testament. You might not see it in your own church, but it’s happening right now.
The bottom line is that a perfect covenant was made in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no greater covenant, and there is no other covenant by which men and women can be saved. So, I ask all who wish to claim a return to Torah by the Jews:
Prove to me that there is a greater salvation than Jesus Christ.
Even having to write that sentence is horrifying to me. Anything that takes away from that foundation laid by God, is complete and damnable heresy.
I find Revelation 12 to be fascinating, as well as offering hope that we will be able to escape the Antichrist. I like hope, and will grab hold of any legitimate form of it – every chance that I get.
Revelation 12 centers around a woman.
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
– Revelation 12:1 (KJV)
The twelve stars tell us that this is Israel. And, we have a bit of confirmation with verse five:
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
– Revelation 12:5 (KJV)
She then flees into the wilderness. I have some suspicions, but I’m not completely certain what the ‘wilderness’ is, other than the protection she receives in it for 1,260 days.
Who is the child?
Well, that is an easy one:
Jesus Christ
Therefore, this is confirmation that the woman with 12 stars is true-blue, through-and-through, physical Israel.
Then, there’s this:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
– Revelation 12:7-8 (KJV)
(I’ve always wondered how you could have a war in heaven. I’m sure that God will tell us, when we get there.)
God’s angels are victorious in their war with Satan, and that vile being is cast to Earth – out of heaven. The next few verses indicate that God’s people were also victorious – because we were willing to give our lives for Christ.
God's people were NOT victorious because they were in a rapture that took them away before they could suffer persecution. No, they were victorious because they sacrificed their lives for their Lord and Savior. They died. Terribly. And, that's how they defeated Satan.
Then, there is this verse:
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
– Revelation 12:12 (KJV)
So, there will come a point in time when Satan and his angels are thrown out of heaven, and Satan will then do his very best to kill and destroy the people of Earth.
Has this happened yet?
Not that I can tell. Of course, events are beginning to accelerate, so… we’ll see. But, here is the point when it will become clear:
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
– Revelation 12:13 (KJV)
You might make a case that this happened at AD 70 or in the Holocaust. But, verse 14 clarifies when this happens:
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
– Revelation 12:14 (KJV)
That phrase, ‘time, and times, and half a time’ should give you all the clues that you need to place this moment in time:
The Tribulation
The Antichrist will begin The Tribulation by trying to kill those Israelis who have chosen to follow Christ.
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
– Revelation 12:15-17 (KJV)
For some reason, the Antichrist is unable to go after those who flee into the wilderness. So, he turns his vile attention to those Christians living in the rest of the world.
Now, I mentioned hope at the beginning of this section of text about Revelation 12:
Why does Revelation 12 give me hope?
Because that chapter demonstrates that there are limits to the power of the Antichrist.
What those limits are – and why – is hard to figure out exactly. But, it gives me some basis for thinking that there might be places in the world that will be able to escape the Antichrist. Having said that, the Bible only speaks of one place, and that is this 'wilderness' that Revelation 12 is talking about. My hope is that you will be able to get to this ‘wilderness’, when the time comes.
Now, why do I include this under the topic of Israel being saved before the Tribulation?
Because, before The Woman (Israel) can flee into the wilderness, she must be in covenant relationship with God – otherwise, she could not BE the woman. She must be saved. These are not unsaved Israelis who flee into the wilderness. These are followers of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior.
Furthermore, all the prophesies in the Old Testament indicate that Israel will be saved while they are in the Land of Israel. Therefore, they CANNOT be saved while they are in the wilderness – after having LEFT Israel.
Let me make this point extra clear:
This means that there will have been a moment in time, before this event, when they will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And as I described previously, it cannot be immediately prior to the coming of the Antichrist.
The question of HOW MUCH time that Israel will have before the coming of the Antichrist is hard to answer exactly. But, when you look at all the other evidence of Israel’s salvation… well …it should be clear that this salvation happens years before the Antichrist comes – more likely, decades.
Lots of foolishness has been written about the one hundred and forty four thousand. So, let me lay something to rest at the outset:
These are men.
They are virgins.
They are NOT Gentiles.
There are ONLY 144 thousand.
So, let’s talk about them. (Go here, for a discussion of the Seven Seals)
We first see these 144 thousand, here in Revelation 7:
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
– Revelation 7:2-4 (KJV)
Notice that this happens when the sixth seal is opened, and it indicates that there needs to be extra time for this seal to finish, before the seventh and final seal.
Is this delay – this pause – required because it takes time to place these seals upon their foreheads?
Is this a time-consuming task?
I’m not sure that we completely understand what this means, but at the very least, we’re talking about 144 thousand Christians who have been given something special. They are 12 thousand men from 12 tribes. And, at a minimum, it means that the Return of Jacob – the salvation of Israel – happens during Seal Six, if not before. (And yes, I add a note of uncertainty here because even I have struggled to see this.)
You will also notice that each seal in Revelation 6 takes a certain amount of time to accomplish. Years of time. Yes, they undoubtedly overlap. Yes, they might even happen concurrently. But, the seals of Revelation take years to accomplish. And, the sealing of these 144 thousand – Seal Six – is actually given even MORE time.
So, consider this:
If seals one through five take years, seal six should take decades.
(Again, go here for a discussion of the Seven Seals.)
And, we can say with absolute assurance that you cannot get past Seal Six, without the salvation of Israel happening. But, I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
We also see the 144,000 here:
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
– Revelation 14:1-5 (KJV)
There’s a little problem when you starting thinking about those 144 thousand virgin men.
Where are you going to get them?
And again, please don’t play games with the Bible. It says 144 thousand virgin men, and that means male humans that have never had sex. It means that they are not women. And, they are descendants of Jacob.
THESE ARE NOT GENTILES!
Sorry to shout like that, but I am so very tired of those who wish to twist the Bible. If the Bible says that something is so… then it is so.
Again, where are you going to get these 144 thousand?
How large must the population of Israeli Christians be, to get 144 thousand virgin men, who are mature followers of Jesus Christ?
But, before you answer that, remember that two thirds of everyone in the Land of Israel is killed when Gog and Magog comes – according to Zechariah 13:8 . As I write this, there appears to be about 14 million people living in what we call the Land of Israel, today. Close to seven million of those people identify themselves as Jewish.
This means that a maximum of four to five million Jewish Israelis will survive Gog and Magog.
Can you get 144 thousand virgin men from that size of a population?
Depending upon the resulting population size, we’re talking about three percent of the population needing to be virgin, male and reasonably mature believers in Jesus Christ. So yeah. That is a reasonable number. (And yes, I also was worried that it wasn't.)
Furthermore, Ezekiel’s Fire will knock out electricity all over planet earth and probably also kill two thirds of the world's population. It will take years for the world to recover enough to enable the Antichrist to take over. In fact, the Antichrist might even be the one who helps the world recover. If the Antichrist helps bring high-tech civilization back to the world, it certainly would make him famous and make the world grateful. But, I digress.
Those years will enable Israel to develop to spiritual maturity, so that the 144,000 men of Revelation 7 will be able to fulfill the task set for them. And, I am assuming that their ‘task’ is to spread the gospel throughout the world before and even during the rise of the Antichrist. That's a pretty big assumption, but since sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is at the very core of what it means to be a Christian...
The main point is that Israel MUST be saved before the coming of the Antichrist, and they must be saved for long enough to give 144 thousand men the time to gain a minimum level of spiritual maturity.
The description of the Return of Jacob to God is profoundly spiritual. All the passages that refer to this moment in time describe what happened to you and me, when we became followers of Christ.
They will be reborn. Dry bones will live. The Holy Spirit will guide each and every one of them. They will become a new creature in Jesus Christ. And, their faith will be just like ours – not by sight, but by the Spirit. The only difference is that it will probably be stronger than ours.
Do you remember that I recommended that you read Romans 11?
Well, here is what Paul says about the Return of Jacob:
Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
- Romans 11:12 (NKJV)
For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
- Romans 11:15 (NKJV)
For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
- Romans 11:24 (NKJV)
I can hear the Supersessionists howl all the way over here, where I live in Taiwan. But, since followers of 'replacement theology' are full of many other kinds of heresy, their outrage is music to my ears. But, Supersessionist outrage isn't the point. What matters is the incredible transformation of spiritually dead Israelis into fantastic followers of Christ.
The Jews will go from death to life, and it must come long before the Antichrist arrives. Trying to force their salvation into the time of the Great Tribulation just doesn't work.
I know that this goes against what popular Bible teachers have been saying, but there’s only one conclusion that we can make:
Israel MUST Be Saved Years BEFORE The Great Tribulation
To say otherwise would be to argue against a mountain of evidence.
So, think about my answers to those who would tell you that Israel will be saved just before the Antichrist comes, or at the return of Jesus:
There is one more thing that I want to add. It’s not a proof. But, it is a powerful reason.
With all the evil that is coming upon the world, it is easy to think that the Antichrist is about to arrive. But, that is not what the Bible says. The Bible says that Israel must be saved first, and it makes sense that this is true.
Remember that God does not send judgment without a warning. And, I cannot think of a greater demonstration of the existence of God – and of His power – than Ezekiel’s Fire and the salvation of Israel in Christ. It will be God’s way of showing the world – one last time – that He is God. God will show His power and His might, and the world will be left without an excuse when they reject Him and follow the Antichrist.
God always warns, and that warning will be more powerful than anything that we have ever seen.
All of the above – and more – tell me that we should expect the coming of Gog and Magog, the salvation of Israel and Ezekiel’s Fire several years before the Antichrist proclaims himself. So please take this to heart. This is not some intellectual exercise in esoteric theology that may never arrive.
Ezekiel’s Fire is as certain as tomorrow’s sunrise.
It won’t be here tomorrow, next week or next month. But, when I start to think in years… well …I must pause. I don’t know how many years we have to prepare, and I hope that we have a lot more than just years. But, I'm not willing to gamble on how much time we have.
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Writing the core chapters of this book, was one of the most difficult challenges that I’ve ever faced. It turned my world upside down and forced me realize how bleak the future is for our way of life. And, few will survive what is coming.
The death toll will be in the billions. Years ago, I thought that 'merely' millions would die. Then, I realized that it would be tens... then hundreds ...of millions - before realizing that most of the world that would perish by the time that the first six seals of Revelation 6 were opened. Some of those billions will die for completely man-made reasons, as people and nations struggle over vital resources that are in decline. Then, as scarcity bites ever more deeply, starvation and then disease will wipe out many.
Yes, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse begin their ride before Gog and Magog descend upon Israel. And, that's another thing that I did not understand when I started writing this book. Now, it's so obvious, I wonder at my inability to see it before. I talk about the Seven Seals of Revelation in the penultimate chapter of this book:
The Seven Seals Of Revelation
https://whengogcomes.com/16-the-seven-seals-of-revelation.html
Just remember that what is seen cannot be unseen. That chapter was the result of a fierce internal struggle that I had not wanted anything to do with.
Gog and Magog are part of Seal Six of Revelation Six?
Had I lost my mind?
Maybe, but it doesn't change what's coming. And, by the time you read this, the Four Horsemen may have already begun their ride. Their time is closing upon us quickly, since the reasons for why they ride the world are already here. But, that's the story for a different book.
The point is all about your survival. You can't serve God in this life, if you are dead. And, the Body of Christ will need your help when the most difficult moment in time since the Great Flood arrives. The civilization that we know today will cease to exist. Cities will be destroyed. Electricity will fail. Water distribution will be stop. Crops will not be harvested. Food will not be distributed. Cars and trucks will not work. As people die of thirst and starvation, they will rob and kill those who have what they need. Governments will fail as social order collapses.
Communities with enough preparation have a chance to survive – if there are enough people with moral values to glue a community together. And there is no better glue than Christians who are willing to prepare for others and sacrifice what they have to help bring their neighborhoods and towns back from the brink of destruction.
Yes, you must prepare not just for yourself and your family. You MUST prepare for your community. Part of our job as Christians is to help those in need. You cannot be a Christian and not want to help those who are in desperate circumstances. But, there’s something even bigger than ‘disaster preparation’.
Think of how the gospel will spread as people realize that Christians are willing to sacrifice themselves to save others. They will realize that there’s something special about what it means to follow Christ. Our job is to seek the salvation of those who are lost, and this will be a great opportunity to do that.
Now, let’s summarize what we have discovered so far about When Gog Comes.
(And no, we aren’t done, yet!)
The list of reasons is long for why Gog and Magog must come years before the Antichrist, so let me give the three most important ones:
The invasion of Israel by Gog and Magog is not at all like the invasion of the Antichrist.
The events surrounding Gog and Magog are not at all like the events surrounding the Antichrist.
But, here’s the most important reason of all:
The salvation of Israel happens years BEFORE the coming of the Antichrist…
…while the Bible records this Return of Jacob as happening AFTER Gog and Magog.
Those three reasons, by themselves, are enough to prove completely that Gog is NOT the Antichrist, and that Gog and Magog are coming long before the Antichrist arrives. It also proves that you MUST prepare for the great catastrophe that will also come, when Gog leads his military alliance against Israel. But, let’s look at the full list.
There are five invasions of Israel by the Antichrist
(Gog is described as invading once)
The Israel at the time of the Antichrist will not look like the Israel of today
(What Daniel 11 indicates is deeply disturbing. Israel will have suffered heavy damage, long before the Antichrist rises.)
The Antichrist comes during a time of war.
(Gog comes during a time of peace.)
The Antichrist has opposition – lots of it
(That realization was a new one for me – the ‘lots of it’ part.)
The Antichrist captures Jerusalem.
(Gog does NOT capture Jerusalem.)
Israelis need to run away from the Antichrist
(Israelis do not need to run away from Gog)
The Antichrist will not be buried, but he and his false prophet will be thrown alive into Hell
(Gog will be buried and will have a grave in a valley called Hamon Gog.)
The Antichrist assembles ALL NATIONS
(Gog assembles a specific set of nations to invade Israel.)
There are merely hours or maybe days between the destruction of the Antichrist and the Millennium
(After Gog is destroyed, there must be enough time for Israeli Christians to reach spiritual maturity and to seal the 144 thousand.)
Daniel 9 is about Jesus and NOT about the Antichrist
(Seriously kids, stop the false teaching about Daniel’s 70th Week. Not one verse in Daniel 9 is about the Antichrist.)
Daniel 8 and 11 are about the Antichrist – NOT Antiochus Epiphanes
(That’s right. BOTH. You need to get that.)
The King of the South is actually the King of the Negev
(Could Be’er Sheva be this king’s capital?)
Israel accepts Christ and is Christian BEFORE the Antichrist rises
(Ezekiel and Zechariah say that the salvation of Israel is AFTER Gog is destroyed)
The Antichrist rules all the world
(Gog’s influence is over only part of the world)
Hooks are not in the mouth of the Antichrist, to invade Israel and Jerusalem
(But, Gog has those hooks in his jaws – not a strong argument, but worth keeping in mind)
The Antichrist is cast alive into Hell (Revelation 19:20)
(Gog is not. Gog is buried in the Valley of Hamon Gog.)
This is where we see Ezekiel mention the fire that is sent upon Magog and upon those who dwell carelessly – Ezekiel’s Fire.
When the Antichrist comes, the wrath of God will be absolute – few will survive
(When Gog comes, God’s wrath will be more limited. Many will die, but billions will survive.)
The Antichrist is NOT reluctant to invade Israel and does so several times
(Gog doesn’t want to invade, and requires hooks to force him to attack Israel)
The Return of Jacob must happen BEFORE the Antichrist invades Israel
(Only after Gog is destroyed, will Israel be saved.)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles are knocked out. And this is also where we compare and contrast Zechariah 12 and 13 (Gog and Magog) with the chapter about Armageddon and the Millennium – Zechariah 14.
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem becomes the center of the world
(In Zechariah 12, God makes sure that Jerusalem is NOT.)
In Zechariah 14, God saves Jerusalem first
(In Zechariah 12, Jerusalem comes second.)
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem is conquered, the women raped and half the city flees into the wilderness
(In Zechariah 12, the inhabitants of Jerusalem successfully defend the city, with even the weakest being so incredibly strong that they will slay all their enemies, just like David did.)
In Zechariah 14, Jerusalem is rescued by God Himself
(In Zechariah 12, God gives the inhabitants of Jerusalem supernatural strength and the ability to defend themselves.)
In Zechariah 14, God PHYSICALLY saves Jerusalem and Israel
(In Zechariah 12 and 13, God SPIRITUALLY saves them. And, there’s no description in chapter 14 of Israel finally returning to God. Israel will already be Christian, when Jesus returns. After all, there’s a reason why the people of Jerusalem are fleeing the Antichrist.)
In this chapter, we don’t see the names of 'Gog' and 'Magog', but Isaiah 30 ties itself directly to them when it talks about:
That last point is salvation and can only be salvation. But, that salvation comes after the great slaughter that we see in Zechariah 13. Two thirds of everyone in the Land of Israel will die, but the third that survives will accept Jesus as their Savior.
However, this discussion in Isaiah 30 brought up some interesting thoughts.
When does God send fire upon Magog and the other nations in Ezekiel 39?
AFTER the invasion of Gog and Magog has begun.
When does the fourth angel pour out his bowl upon the Sun in Revelation 16?
BEFORE the invasion of The Kings of the East and the battle of Armageddon.
That alone means that Gog CANNOT be the Antichrist.
Then, we come to the last point that should make it absolutely clear that Gog is NOT the Antichrist, and that Gog must come years before the Antichrist. It literally does not get more clear than this. And, it has everything to do with the nature of salvation itself and the fact that God will save Jacob BEFORE the Antichrist arrives.
Here are the key points:
If nothing else, the sealing of the 144 thousand Israelis in Revelation 7 should be enough of a clue that Israel must be following Christ long before the Antichrist arrives – enough of a clue that we all should have serious questions about current theories concerning the Last Days. There is just no way that you can look at Revelation seven and see anything else.
(Although yes, I understand that this is all very difficult.)
The evidence is absolutely clear:
Gog is NOT the Antichrist, and he’s coming long before the Antichrist arrives.
Unfortunately, that also means that something else must be true:
Ezekiel’s Fire and great devastation come BEFORE the Antichrist arrives.
This cannot be more clear, or more awful. The Four Horsemen of Revelation 6 and Ezekiel's Fire, will lead to billions of people dying terribly. And a lot of those will be our brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, it is our duty before God to accept the truth of this and take action. We must help the Body of Christ prepare for what is coming.
This knowledge brings a truly crushing responsibility, and you do not have the choice of avoiding it. The fact that you know what is coming means that you must act. If you do not act, the blood of all who suffer and die needlessly will be on your hands. Read Ezekiel 3, if you doubt me in this. But, before you act, there is one thing that you must do:
I will be right there with you. I’ve been at this for a very long time, and I don’t intend to stop until God calls me home.
My hope is that God will allow someone to take this warning to Jerusalem – to help them prepare and to warn them that the earthquake is coming, that their electricity will fail, that every building will be knocked down and that two thirds of all the people in all the land of Israel will die. It will mean being there before it happens, and doing our best to help while it happens.
Israel will need our help, when Gog comes.
If I am still alive when the final warning comes…
…I hope to see you in Jerusalem.
There’s a note of finality to what I just said, but we still have more that we can add to our understanding. There are more prophecies and more detail. It’s great that you understand the core of what is coming, but there’s more to be said. So, let’s keep going, with the supporting passages.
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The Core Chapters have given us almost everything that we need to know, to decide that Gog is not the Antichrist, and that the Gog and Magog invasion comes years - even decades - before the Antichrist arrives. But, there’s more to this than just an attempted conquest of Israel.
Isaiah 17 speaks about Damascus being destroyed, but in such a way that it is never rebuilt. And, when we look at the history of that city, water is the key. Water that made the capital of Syria the perfect location for a strategic city, and it will be taken away. And, the most likely moment for this event is the great earthquake that knocks everything down and changes the geology and hydrology of the Middle East. This will be the same earthquake that kills two thirds of the people in the land of Israel and that destroys cities around the world.
As I write this, the prophecy about Egypt’s fall is being fulfilled, right now. Isaiah 19 says that the rivers that feed the Nile will be ‘turned away’, and that is happening. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam sits on the Blue Nile and is being filled far too quickly. The hardship of the average Egyptian will turn into civil war, and the already shaky government will fall. This will mean the suffering and death of many Egyptians.
However, this will result in a great blessing, but the process will be terrible. God will call Egypt ‘my people’, but getting through to that moment will be hard. As a result, we will see a political entity rise that will encompass Egypt, Israel and something both old and new – Assyria.
This confederation will be the one that the Antichrist seeks to destroy. The ‘King of the Negev’ referred to in Daniel 11, sounds a lot like a result of Isaiah 19.
For two hundred years, Bible commentaries have proclaimed that Jacob’s Trouble – Jeremiah 30 – is the coming of the Antichrist. Their reasons for saying that are completely understandable, but wrong. What we will discover in Jeremiah 30 and 31 will demonstrate that this moment is the coming of Gog and Magog.
Micah 5 speaks of all the cities and strongholds thrown down. The chariots and horses will be destroyed. And, vengeance and anger will be executed upon the nations. And all of this will happen during the time of Israel’s restoration.
Micah 5 proclaims the coming of our Messiah, while also saying that He would wait to save His people. We now understand what Micah wrote, but it had to have been perplexing to those living before Jesus came.
Micah goes on to describe events that are exactly like what we have seen in the parts of the Bible that describe the coming of Gog and Magog. Chapter five talks about the destruction of Israel’s military power and the fall of ‘strongholds’ – just like Isaiah’s reference to the fall of towers. And when that happens, God will exact vengeance upon the world.
All of that conforms exactly to Ezekiel’s Fire. Billions will die, and I hope that you are not one of them.
Everything that we’ve talked about fits exactly with the events that occur when Seal Six is opened in heaven. But, there are other seals to look at. And, I’m afraid that it looks like Seal Three is preparing to open. I very much want to be wrong about this, but all the other explanations are worse.
If the Black Horse of the Apocalypse is worse than what we are starting to see – as I write this – then I don’t have the words to describe how bad Seal Three will be. And, what I see coming is beyond comprehension. It will be the destruction of our way of life, and it started years ago - with few people noticing.
So, let's talk about all of that and begin with the fall of Damascus and the drying up of the Nile in Isaiah 17 and 19.
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There are two events that will happen around the same time as the coming of Gog and Magog. More importantly, both of these events may have already started. They are:
The permanent destruction of Damascus
The drying up of the Nile
Neither of those has ever happened. Ever. Damascus has been conquered many times, but never permanently destroyed. And, the Nile has never been dammed up like this, nor has the population of Egypt ever been this large or such a big consumer of water.
As we go through these two chapters, we'll discover a few things:
Israel will suffer a massive change
God will rebuke the nations
Egypt will become Christian
Israel, Egypt and Assyria will unite in a confederation
The fulfillment of Isaiah 17 and Isaiah 19 will glorify God and prove to the world that the Bible is true. But as always, there is a price. So, let’s look at that.
Some time ago, a friend of mine called me up from the Netherlands. We talked about what we were up to and mutual friends that were still in Israel. Then we stumbled onto the subject of eschatology, and I said that the next big thing that’s going to happen is Gog and Magog and the salvation of Israel.
“No it’s not,” he responded.
I was taken aback. What? Really?
“Why?” I growled.
“Damascus hasn’t been destroyed yet,” he replied – blissfully ignorant of how close he was to being rhetorically torn limb from limb.
I sat and blinked for a moment. I remembered reading something in the Bible about Damascus being destroyed, but I thought that it had already happened – and that there was no need to think about this prophecy as the future. I sputtered a bit in deflated indignation before flipping through the scriptures that referred to Damascus. Sure enough, it needed to be permanently destroyed – with an emphasis on permanent.
(Maybe I wasn’t quite the expert that I thought that I was.)
Once THAT was clear, I did a quick search of the history of Damascus and found that it had NEVER been destroyed. It had only been damaged and then quickly repaired. And Isaiah said that it wasn’t just going to be destroyed, but that the damage would be forever – that it would never rise again as a city.
That is an incredibly serious problem.
Why?
Well, if Damascus has never been permanently destroyed, then Isaiah 17 is about the future. And, there’s not a whole lot of future left in our ‘future’ – if you know what I mean.
But, there’s worse.
It appears that a lot of Israelis are killed also. A LOT of Israelis. In fact, I can see how this fits with Zechariah 13 when it speaks about the same time frame:
And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
– Zechariah 13:8 (NKJV)
Again, if there is anyone out there that can prove that all of this has already happened, and that millions of Israelis will not die…
Well, my joy would be boundless.
However, until someone can prove that Isaiah 17 and Zechariah 13:8 have ALREADY been fulfilled, I live in dread of what is coming. But, let’s start working through the terrible predictions of Isaiah 17.
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
– Isaiah 17:1-2 (KJV)
Again, never has Damascus suffered this kind of annihilation. Every time it was conquered, the battle damage was repaired and city life resumed. No one ever completely destroyed Damascus, mainly because no one wanted to.
Damascus has always been the perfect place for a regional capital, which is why everyone chose to rule the eastern shores of the Mediterranean from Damascus, instead of Tyre, Sidon, Yaffo or even Jerusalem. There was more water. It was easy to defend. It was at a key location to control trade routes. It was perfect.
So perfect, that every empire ruled this part of the Middle East from Damascus. The Babylonians, Persians, Hellenes, Seleucids, Romans and all the Muslim empires – they all made Damascus the regional capital for that part of the Middle East.
In fact, do this search:
“oldest continuously inhabited cities”
Damascus is on almost every list that you will find in that search, but Isaiah 17 indicates it will one day join a different kind of list:
It will start out as a ‘ghost town’, and then – depending on how long this period lasts – it will become a ‘lost city’. And, when you do the research into why major cities are abandoned and never rebuilt, you’ll see a lot of possible reasons. However, in Isaiah 30, we see something that explains everything:
There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
– Isaiah 30:25 (NKJV)
There will be an earthquake so big, that everything will be knocked down. So, you can see how Damascus would be destroyed. But, there’s also something else, and it’s connected to the first part of the verse:
There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
This means that underground rivers and aquifers will change where they are and how they flow. What Isaiah describes is a LOT of underground change. In fact, almost everything will be altered – including the sources of water for Damascus (via the Barada River). So, not only will the city be knocked down, but the reason for why the city exists will disappear – forever.
You can’t have a city, if you don’t have water.
By the way, that would also explain why the ‘cities of Aroer’ would be ‘forsaken’ (verse 2). If the underground rivers that feed Damascus are blocked or changed, then you can bet that the same thing will happen to other areas in this part of the Middle East – like Aroer, which is now the Wadi Mujib area of Jordan, near the Dead Sea.
Having said that, there’s some possibility that the reference to Aroer, is about something else. The same Hebrew word – ערער – also means juniper, as in the juniper berries that are used in the making of gin. Another, modern form of the word – ערערות – also means desolation (or, ‘appeals’). However, locating Aroer is a problem for a different time.
There is also a distinct possibility of a change in the mountains that affect rainfall in the Middle East. If the Lebanese mountains grow too high, rain won't get to Syria. Also, the air currents that bring rain to the Levant in the winter are directed by mountain ranges in southern Europe. Any change in the height of those mountains could shift rain southwards - giving us a reason for why there is a King of the Negev in Daniel 11.
This King of the Negev - usually translated as King of the South - would likely occur because Israel's Negev got more rain. It's currently a waste howling wilderness, but won't stay that way. Spend some time in southern Israel, southern Jordan and the Sinai if you want to understand what I mean. You literally cannot have a King of the South without more rain - lots more rain.
Unfortunately, the next two verses in Isaiah are not something that I want to see:
3 The fortress also will cease from Ephraim,
The kingdom from Damascus,
And the remnant of Syria;
They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
4 “In that day it shall come to pass
That the glory of Jacob will wane,
And the fatness of his flesh grow lean.
– Isaiah 17:3-4 (NKJV)
Syria will become even more of a ‘failed state’ than it already is, but the fortress ceasing from Ephraim is something more than just the destruction of a city. This shows northern Israel – Ephraim – becoming defenseless. And, it doesn’t look like it’s voluntary, since the glory or honor of Israel diminishes. In fact, the word ‘impoverished’ comes to mind. This is not something that I want to contemplate, so I can understand if you don’t either.
Of course, when you knock everything down with the biggest earthquake since the Great Flood, you would expect a lot of poverty. And, the next two verses continue with this idea:
5 It shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain,
And reaps the heads with his arm;
It shall be as he who gathers heads of grain
In the Valley of Rephaim.
6 Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it,
Like the shaking of an olive tree,
Two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough,
Four or five in its most fruitful branches,”
Says the Lord God of Israel.
– Isaiah 17:5-6 (NKJV)
These verses mean that a lot of Israelis will be killed. And that is so far beyond disturbing that it’s horrifying.
Unless someone can prove to me, beyond the shadow of doubt, that all of this has happened already and that there is no possibility that this will happen in the future – I will live in dread of this. And, the grim nature of this prophecy continues, even though the Return of Jacob is a part of it:
7 In that day a man will look to his Maker,
And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.
8 He will not look to the altars,
The work of his hands;
He will not respect what his fingers have made,
Nor the wooden images nor the incense altars.
9 In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough
And an uppermost branch,
Which they left because of the children of Israel;
And there will be desolation.
– Isaiah 17:7-9 (NKJV)
This is exactly like what Zechariah 13 says. In Zechariah 13:8, many Israelis are killed. And, in verse nine, the survivors are put through great suffering by God to refine them. And, the result is described in the second half of that verse:
I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
– Zechariah 13:9 (NKJV)
Zechariah and Isaiah are clearly speaking of the same moment in time. At least, the same period of time. The differences are that Zechariah speaks of an invasion – Gog and Magog – while Isaiah speaks of a gigantic earthquake. And, most of you probably know that earthquakes happen most often along the borders of tectonic plates. One of those borders follows the Jordan Valley, from northern Syria down to the East African Rift.
This seismology of Israel reinforces our understanding of how terrible these events will be. Yet, almost any amount of horror is worthwhile if it ends in redemption, but you will forgive me if I do not look forward to the suffering. This will be really bad.
Unfortunately, God has good reasons for allowing this to happen:
10 Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation,
And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold,
Therefore you will plant pleasant plants
And set out foreign seedlings;
11 In the day you will make your plant to grow,
And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish;
But the harvest will be a heap of ruins
In the day of grief and desperate sorrow.
– Isaiah 17:10-11 (NKJV)
Because they rejected God, they will bring this upon themselves. Instead of embracing Jesus, they spent two thousand years rejecting Him. And, as bad as these events will be, it is far, far worse to reject God for two thousand years – condemning your people to an eternity in Hell. It would be better to suffer terrible tragedy, and go to heaven – than to be prosperous and suffer for all of eternity, after you die. No suffering in this life will ever equal what awaits those who reject God.
Then, to clarify all of this, God shows us that this prophecy is about the coming of Gog and Magog:
12 Woe to the multitude of many people
Who make a noise like the roar of the seas,
And to the rushing of nations
That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters;
But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away,
And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind,
Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 Then behold, at eventide, trouble!
And before the morning, he is no more.
This is the portion of those who plunder us,
And the lot of those who rob us.
– Isaiah 17:12-14 (NKJV)
Everything that we have talked about, up to this point is reinforced in these last three verses of Isaiah 17. This is Gog and Magog. For those of us who will be elsewhere in the world, the ‘rebuke’ referred in verse 13 will be Ezekiel’s Fire:
And I will send a fire on Magog, and on them that dwell securely in the isles; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
– Ezekiel 39:6 (ASV)
That fiery rebuke will destroy electronics around the world and knock down all tall buildings. Electricity will cease to work. All communications will fail. Those without ready access to water will die within days, and die terribly. Those who don’t perish from thirst will probably die of violence, followed by starvation. The cities will be consumed and billions will die.
Many of those who do not lose their lives, will probably wish that they had.
Please, please be ready for the worst moment in human history since the Great Flood. I know that it’s hard to believe that this is coming. I have struggled to believe it myself. But, the Bible is clear that it cannot be avoided. So, if you accept what the Bible says, you had better get ready for this.
Think of it as a test.
Isaiah 19 has never ceased to amaze me. This chapter foretells of the Nile drying up, Egypt becoming Christian and uniting in a confederation with Israel and northern Syria (Assyria).
Astounding.
No, it’s more than that.
It’s positively mind blowing.
Actually, there really are no words to adequately describe how incredible all that sounds, from the viewpoint of where we are today. Furthermore, since this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled, we must assume that this is also in our future. And as I’ve said before, we are in the Last Days, so there isn’t much future left for us. And, from everything that we have seen so far, Isaiah 19 MUST play a role in the Return of Jacob.
(Unless someone can prove to me that it has already happened?)
It’s just so hard to imagine how all this will come about, even though we are already seeing the first signs of it happening. But, our failure in imagination is no barrier to God’s will. God said that He would do this, so it will be done.
Now, the reason why this is important to us, is that this appears to be a sign that we are on the doorstep of Gog and Magog. And, it’s verse six that should capture our attention:
5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.
6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.
7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.
– Isaiah 19:5-7 (KJV)
The King James Version comes closer to the original Hebrew than the more corrupt and modern versions. And yes, the KJV is also corrupt, but they got this verse almost correct. Here’s a more literal translation:
And, they will dry, water from the sea, and a river will be destroyed and dried.
They will cast away the rivers, they will diminish and they will ruin – Niles (rivers) of Egypt, reed and bulrush will wither.
Bareness by/on the Nile on the mouth of the Nile, everything sown [by] the Nile will dry [up] be scattered and no more.
– Isaiah 19:5-7 (John Little Version)
The ‘they’ in this verse is not described. But, it does not appear – when reading the original Hebrew – that this is a natural occurrence. Someone takes action to diminish (make thin) and ruin the Nile river. The only thing that I can think of that would cause this, is a really big dam.
Like this one:
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – GERD
That dam will be the largest in Africa, when it is finally completed. And, it is pretty much finished. In fact, the Ethiopians have already started filling it up.
If they fill it too fast, Egypt dies.
(They're filling it too fast.)
Isaiah 19 seems to be saying that the Ethiopians will fill their dam too fast, and I’ve been talking about this threat to Egypt since 2015, when I first heard about it.
Why is this dam a threat?
Because it will block most of the Nile River, until the reservoir behind it has been completely filled. If Ethiopia fills this dam slowly, maybe Egypt will survive. But, it looks like Ethiopia needs to fill their dam as quickly as possible, because they need the electricity that it will generate. And, they have bills to pay, including Chinese loans.
Oh, and there’s another problem. Egypt is already consuming almost all of the flow of the Nile River. Very little of it actually reaches the Mediterranean Sea right now, and their consumption of the Nile is increasing every year – since Egypt’s population grows by almost 2% every twelve months. There are estimates that Egypt would completely consume the Nile by 2025 – even without the Ethiopian dam.
But wait… there’s more.
At the same time that the Nile is drying up – or even before – there will be a massive civil war. It will be everyone against everyone. The spirit of the Egyptians will be crushed and a hard and fierce lord will rule over them.
In one sense, the fire of this civil war was ignited in January, 2011, in response to the brutal murder of Khaled Said by Egyptian police in June 2010. Egyptians were angry at this horrific killing by the police, and when National Police Day arrived on January 25, it was just too much for the average person. They were angry and took to the streets.
The result was the fall of Hosni Mubarak and the explosion of political chaos.
Finally, when the dust settled in 2014, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was President of Egypt. And, you can bet that he will remain as president of Egypt until he dies. It’s how they do things in Cairo.
Is al-Sisi the ‘cruel master’ and ‘fierce king’ of Isaiah 19?
Well, I maintain that the civil war in Egypt isn’t over. The death of Khaled Said and the Arab Spring that swept North Africa were merely the sparks that touched off the conflagration.
The basic problem was – and still is – food. The average Egyptian isn’t getting enough, and the quality of their food is declining. Egypt has had to import more and more wheat, as well as the natural gas that they need to make bread. And, Egypt has less and less money to pay for all of that.
If the Egyptians had been getting enough food to eat, they wouldn’t have rioted in the streets, and Mubarak would not have fallen. But, there’s a ‘cosmic irony’ at play here.
If the Arab Spring had not happened… if Mubarak had stayed in power …the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would not have been built. When the Ethiopians drew up plans to build this dam in 2009, Mubarak threatened to build an air base in Sudan and attack the dam. But, when Mubarak fell from power, Ethiopia began construction.
So, civil war and the drying up of the Nile - we get it, and it's happening. But, this is the Hand of God, and the reason why He is doing this is important - because it is all about what comes after this. And, the next ten verses (Isaiah 19:8-18) sound like a reasonable result of everything that Egypt will experience. I'll leave you to read that for yourself, while we jump to the verses that describe something absolutely extraordinary:
19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. 20 And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. 21 Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. 22 And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.
23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.
– Isaiah 19:19-23 (NKJV)
And, before you think that this is the Millennium, remember what happens here, when the Antichrist comes:
42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.
– Daniel 11:42-43 (NKJV)
The ‘he’ in those two verses is the Antichrist. And, Egypt opposes him. And, that is hard to understand when you look at Egyptian history. For more than two thousand years, Egypt hasn't been able to oppose anyone. And, with everyone in the world falling all over themselves to worship the Antichrist, you would think that the Egyptians would do that same. But, they don't.
This time, Egypt opposes the Antichrist, and the Man of Lawlessness is forced to invade Egypt and take it over by force. And, there’s literally only one reason that I can think of for why that is possible:
All Egyptians will be strong believers in Christ and won't fall for the lies of Antichrist.
Almost everyone else will follow the Antichrist willingly. But, not Egypt, and not the King of the Negev (aka, King of the South). This speaks to a transformation that is just as astounding as the Return of Jacob. And, God connects the salvation of Israel with Egypt’s redemption, in the last two verses of Isaiah 19:
24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:
25 Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
– Isaiah 19:24-25 (KJV)
Say what you want about the verses that come before this. But, the words ‘Egypt my people’ are more than a little surprising. And, there’s only one way that I can possibly understand that phrase:
Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
I know that people want to say that this is during the Millennium. And, I understand why some would want to do that. But, I have a question for those who wish to push that narrative:
Does that fit with what we know about the Millennium?
When Jesus reigns for a thousand years from Jerusalem, it is hard to believe that there would be any nations. The world will be ruled by a single government, so this confederation between Egypt, Israel and Assyria would not make sense if it was during the Millennium.
And, what is this ‘Assyria’ that Isaiah is talking about?
It’s not the Assyria that invaded northern Israel and captured the ten tribes. That ‘Assyria’ no longer exists. Furthermore, Assyria, Israel and Egypt were NEVER in a confederation that was serving the Lord. So, this must be a moment in the future.
My best understanding is this:
This is the period of time alongside the salvation of Israel and before the coming of the Antichrist.
How long this period lasts is hard to know. But, what we do see is that the fulfillment of Isaiah 19 has begun. And, it’s something that will act as a sign of how close we are to the end.
The events described in Isaiah 17 and 19 are completely unprecedented. Nothing like this has ever happened. And, it's so astonishing that most want to put these two chapters into the Millennium. And yes, the Millennium is a fantastic time, but these two chapters must occur before Armageddon. Chapter 17 fits perfectly with the coming of Gog and Ezekiel's Fire - as described by Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah 30. And, Isaiah 19 explains why the King of the North in Daniel 11 must fight Egypt, which would not make sense unless they were true followers of God. And, the fulfillment of these prophecies will point the way to what comes later.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/14-jeremiah-30-and-31-wgc.mp3
Jeremiah had to watch Israel destroy herself, after warning them that judgment was coming. Yet, even in the midst of great suffering and death, there was still a note of hope. You and I will need some of that hope as we warn our own churches that judgment is coming. We’ll see a lot of terrible things happen. Our churches have corrupted themselves, and we must warn them to repent and turn back to God - even though they aren’t listening. Only a few are paying attention, and doom is on its way.
Yet, there will be those Christians who survive this judgment and purification. The process will be hard. It always is. But, the result will be a Body of Christ that is ready to survive the deception and persecution of the Antichrist.
In Jeremiah 30 and 31 we will see:
The Children of Jacob return to the Land of Israel
Jacob's Trouble is not the Great Tribulation
Israel will be purified
The enemies of the Jews will be destroyed
Jerusalem will be rebuilt from its ruins
Only in the Last Days will we understand what Jeremiah was talking about
Israel will have a new covenant that they will follow
And, just as we have seen previously, these two chapters are actually a single vision. The chapter break between them is completely artificial.
As depressing as life was for Jeremiah, he was not left without a hopeful message from God. He shares it with us at the beginning of chapter 30.
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ ”
– Jeremiah 30:1-3 (NKJV)
These opening verses firmly connect Jeremiah with what we talked about in Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah. And, this chapter perfectly demonstrates what we’ve already talked about. And, it confirms the terrible conditions that surround the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Can we point to any other moment in history where God caused Israel to possess the land?
No.
At no time after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, did this prophecy even come close to being fulfilled. After the Babylonian captivity some Israelis did return, but only some. Even during the brief period under the Hasmonean Kings (which were NOT of the line of King David) Israel never had full sovereignty in the land. During the height of the Hasmonean dynasty, the Jews were only able to control the Judean hills. And, shortly thereafter, they descended into a pathetic and foolish civil war over who should be the next king, giving Rome the ability to insert herself into the conflict and take over.
Even 1948 cannot be considered The Return. After the War of Independence finally came to an end in May of 1949, the Jews only controlled a part of the Land of Israel, and did not even have Jerusalem. To see Israel in full control, we need to fast forward to June 7th, 1967, when Jerusalem was captured by the 55th Paratroop Brigade during the ‘Six Day War’. Only with the taking of Jerusalem along with the territories of Judea, Samaria and the Golan, could Israel be considered to have ‘Returned’.
This capture of Jerusalem by the Jewish people was indicated by Jesus as part of the Last Days – or, at least the end of the period of time given to the Gentiles. We were given two thousand years, and that time is over.
Here are those words of Jesus:
And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
– Luke 21:24 (NKJV)
Jesus said that Jerusalem would be controlled and abused by non-Jews until the time of the Gentiles is over. And, having been a resident of Jerusalem for 15 years, I can tell you with complete certainty that the Jews firmly rule over every square inch of Jerusalem.
So, does this mean that the time of the Gentiles has been fulfilled?
It certainly looks like it to me - for more than just that reason.
Another question is whether this marks the beginning of the Last Days. My instinct is to say that the Last Days began then, but there has not been a lot of activity that seemed very ‘Last Days-ish’. It’s almost as if there was a 50 year pause before letting all the other events take place.
Was there a pause?
Are we about to see a wave of End Times events?
Here’s the verse at the heart of this question:
So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.
– Luke 21:31-32 (NKJV)
When Jesus said ‘these things’, He appeared to be talking about a list of events starting with Jerusalem, continuing with Ezekiel’s Fire and the Great Tribulation and ending with the Second Coming of Jesus. That’s what ‘these things’ are - as described by Jesus in Luke 21:25-28.
And the generation that will not pass away indicates to us that:
The generation that sees these events begin, will not die out until the Last Days are finished.
Unfortunately, the generation that saw 1967 is getting pretty old. I was alive when it happened, and I’m feeling my age.
Is it any wonder that events appear to be accelerating?
Having said that, I am perfectly willing to be wrong about when the Last Days begin, or even my interpretation of Luke 21:24. In fact, I hope that I am. Really.
After having examined the horrors that we will need to go through to see the finish of these Last Days, I now suffer from a small desire to not see them myself. I do not want to see the death and destruction that will come when Ezekiel’s Fire arrives. Nor do I want to see the pain, suffering and violence of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. So, when I say that the capture of Jerusalem in 1967 marks the beginning of the events of the Last Days…
…I want to be wrong.
I want there to be an even longer pause. I want some other event to mark the beginning of the Last Days. However, a close look at modern history shows us that the events following The Six Day War, were also turning points for our own civilization. So, the idea that the Last Days began with the completion of the ‘times of the Gentiles’ more than 50 years ago, on June 7th, 1967, makes way too much sense.
Expect events to move quickly.
Jeremiah then reaffirms what the other prophets say about the horrendous difficulty that we will all face. It’s in the next few verses of chapter 30:
4 Now these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah.
5 “For thus says the Lord:
‘We have heard a voice of trembling,
Of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.
– Jeremiah 30:4-7 (KJV)
Far too many believe that ‘Jacob’s Trouble’ is The Great Tribulation. And, they say that because of how difficult that day will be. But, we’ve already established that the Coming of Gog, Ezekiel’s Fire and the Return of Jacob must happen before the Great Tribulation. They will be horrific times that will shake the world.
But, they will NOT be the Great Tribulation.
And, just to show how the process of rewriting this book has forced me to reexamine and fix my own errors, I discovered that I had written this sentence in a previous version of this chapter:
“But, when you try to fit it into the events prophesied in the Book of Revelation… it doesn’t seem to fit anywhere.”
I’m afraid that this was a deeply flawed statement - not my first nor my last. You can find where I now believe these events fit in the Book of Revelation, in this chapter:
I hate being wrong with a passion. But, I want to be wrong about Seal Six. I really do. Prove me wrong on the Seven Seals, and you will have my undying gratitude.
Now, let’s remind ourselves of how bad Jacob’s Trouble will be:
8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
9 I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested…
– Zechariah 13:8-9a (NKJV)
THAT will be terrifying and unimaginable. I would do anything to stop it. However, I left out the second half of verse nine from the above passage. That ‘second half’ indicates that something wonderful will happen as a result of all that death and suffering:
…They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
– Zechariah 13:9b (NKJV)
Again, this is a firm and unshakeable connection between Jeremiah 30 and the prophesied return of Israel in Zechariah. You cannot separate them – which means that Jacob’s Trouble CANNOT be the Great Tribulation.
The question is whether Christians around the world will wake up to what is coming. If they don’t , they will suffer greatly – along with the rest of the world. As we have said before, this will be a level of death and destruction that is almost unimaginable. And, I do not wish for any brother or sister to go through that. But, this is the will of God, and I trust Him. God knows what He is doing.
You can get more of the details of this civilization killing disaster, here:
Ezekiel’s Fire
https://ezekielsfire.com/
That event will shake our civilization to her knees. Nothing will be the same afterwards. Nothing.
Let’s continue with the next two verses of Jeremiah 30:
8 ‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘That I will break his yoke from your neck,
And will burst your bonds;
Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
9 But they shall serve the Lord their God,
And David their king,
Whom I will raise up for them.
– Jeremiah 30:8-9 (NKJV)
Those two verses coincide exactly with the second half of Zechariah 13:9. The Jews will finally, after two thousand years of rebellion, serve Yehovah. They will no longer be in resistance to God. They will also serve the One True Heir to the Throne of David – Jesus Christ. How awesome and wonderful it is that Jesus and Yehovah are the same person.
If you were surprised by the idea that Jesus and Yehovah are the same, do a careful search of the Old Testament. Put all the descriptions together of the pre-incarnate Christ. There is no question whatsoever that Jesus is Yehovah.
Let’s continue with the next verse:
‘Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the Lord,
‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you from afar,
And your seed from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet,
And no one shall make him afraid.
– Jeremiah 30:10 (NKJV)
Wait. We just saw terrible tragedy and a level of destruction so vast that it’s hard to imagine. Two thirds of those in Israel are killed. Every building of any size around the world is knocked down. Yet, God says this:
Do not fear.
Do not be dismayed.
We’ll understand what God means after it happens, but until that moment, we only have speculation. One possible reason is that all of Israel’s enemies are destroyed. ALL. OF. THEM. Without a single survivor. The other thought that I have is that those who perish in this catastrophe were never going to accept God, anyway. Zechariah speaks of purification in chapter 13, and eliminating all who would oppose God… well …that would do the job.
Remember that this is not the first time that God has purified Israel. Read the Book of Exodus, where God removed the rebels over the course of 40 years in the desert of Sinai, after Israel left Egypt. So, it should not surprise us that the Lord would do this again.
So, God will use Ezekiel’s Fire to destroy what is left of Israel’s enemies. In fact, the next verse offers confirmation of that – in addition to a reference to judgment:
For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you;
Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
But I will correct you in justice,
And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’
– Jeremiah 30:11 (NKJV)
Unfortunately, the NKJV makes the same mistake that the KJV makes. That word ‘though’ is actually ‘because’ – or sometimes ‘for’. It is NOT ‘Though’. ‘Though’ indicates possibility, when the reality is that God WILL make a full end of all the nations.
The word that we are talking about is כי (pronounced ‘kee’). If someone in Israel asks you why you did something, the first word that you would use is ‘kee’ – ‘because’. However, using the word ‘because’ in this verse would be bad English grammar. So, the word ‘for’ is probably a more accurate usage, and that’s how the American Standard Version translates ‘kee’:
…for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee
The point is, that everywhere that the Jews have been scattered to…
…will be destroyed.
Now, does it mean that God kills off everyone living in the nations that persecuted the Jews?
Not exactly. Lots of people will die, especially in large cities and towns. Europe, North America and Central Asia will be shattered. And, the quickest to die will be those who are most dependent upon technology to survive. So, in that sense, yes… nations will die. But, notice what the Bible speaks of, about the Ten Kings that precede the Antichrist.
Those Ten Kings must rise BEFORE the Antichrist, and they are direct evidence that the political systems of today will have been destroyed. As things stand, right now, there is no way for Ten Kings Without A Kingdom to rise and rule the world. It would take massive, global devastation for those Ten Kings to be granted their power.
It will be Ezekiel’s Fire that destroys the current set of nations that rule the world, so that – eventually – the Ten Kings will rise.
I know that many people speak of the rise of globalism and a vast web of hidden connections being made throughout the world, and there is truth to that idea. But, I've spent too long at the center of geopolitics - Jerusalem - to not see the local motivations that govern international decisions. Tip O'Neill made famous the proverb 'All politics is local', but it's fame comes from its truth. But, let's continue looking at Jeremiah 30.
I am going to skip the next four verses (12 through 15), but I invite you to read them for yourself in your own Bible. They talk about God’s affliction of Israel for her sins. But, the Gentiles that God used to punish Israel sinned greatly in their hatred of the Jews. So, God says that He will do this to them:
16 ‘Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
Those who plunder you shall become plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you
And heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord,
‘Because they called you an outcast saying:
“This is Zion;
No one seeks her.” ’
– Jeremiah 30:16-17 (NKJV)
Those two verses tell us that:
And, for those of you who have claimed that Jerusalem is nothing, and of no importance…
And yes, there are prominent Bible teachers who preach against Zion – Jerusalem. One of those ‘prominent’ men wrote to me with supreme arrogance to tell me that God no longer cares about Jerusalem and the Children of Jacob. Others have made it clear in their public pronouncements.
As I look out over the world, these are the places that have done terrible harm to the Jewish people:
The exceptions to the above are:
For those of you who are shocked at my inclusion of the US, please let me point out that America allied herself with Hitler in his rise to power - even in the extermination of the Jews. It was IBM that knowingly helped Hitler track the Jews. It was Franklin Roosevelt that closed the doors to the Jewish people trying to flee Nazi Germany. Ford supplied Hitler with trucks and engines. Rockefeller's Standard Oil supplied Hitler with a crucial fuel additive - tetraethyl lead. Americans provided almost everything Hitler needed to fight World War II and murder six million Jews.
Oh, and notice where most of the nations that God will destroy are located?
The Northern Hemisphere.
Furthermore, obscene murders of the Jews have happened throughout America, and American Jews suffered discrimination throughout US history. It took the civil rights movement of the 1960s to stop hotels, restaurants and other businesses from discriminating against Jewish Americans. And, when I run into Americans who despise the Jews, my instinct is to bash heads.
Those who despise the Jews in any way, bring God's judgment upon themselves.
Worse, Americans and the American government have spent a long time supporting the enemies of Israel. The US State Department has constantly opposed Israel’s interests, while supporting the Arabs who sought to kill every Israeli. They even went as far as to seek the defeat of Israel during the Yom Kippur war. Nixon had to threaten to fire Kissinger and Schlesinger if they did not begin an emergency air lift of supplies to Israel. The antisemitism of the American Deep State is part of an anti-Jewish undercurrent to US history, and now has a more modern expression in American universities and American elites.
My hope is that God will spare North America. If there is enough good left in her, there’s a chance that God will be merciful towards those who have not corrupted themselves.
But, what about those parts of the world who have NOT persecuted the Jews?
Well, they might not suffer as much as others do. Here are the countries that do not seem to have a history of persecuting the Jews:
I honestly don’t know if we can claim that these places will be safer than others. They certainly have their own issues that deserve judgment from God. The world is soaked in the blood of the innocent, and corruption and repression are everywhere. But, if Ezekiel’s Fire is God’s judgment for our hatred of the Jews, then the Southern Hemisphere and parts of Asia might suffer least.
The interesting irony that partly explains why the Southern Hemisphere would survive, is that these areas represent the bulk of the Third World. They are less reliant on electricity, and have far fewer tall buildings. Yes, their big cities will suffer, but the poorer countryside will probably survive much better than those in wealthier areas of the world.
Think about this for a moment:
The poorest among us will probably survive Ezekiel’s Fire far better than the wealthiest.
There is an element of justice in that. The greatest corruption is among the wealthy. The greatest sin. The most pornography. The most drug use. Aside from China, the most abortions. The most adultery. And the wealthiest Christians are almost always the most corrupt Christians.
That last one is vital to remember:
The Christians of wealthy nations are the most corrupt of all Christians.
There are poor countries with corrupt Christians. I've seen quite a few of those myself. But, the most corrupt churches in the world are found in North America and Europe. And, one of the many reasons why I live in Taiwan, is that I can no longer bear to be a part of the massive corruption in Christian churches in America. However, that is a lesser reason. The biggest reason why I am in Taiwan is to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
The next part of Jeremiah is another example of corrupt translations. Not a single English Bible translates Jeremiah 30:18-22 correctly. It’s utterly maddening to see translators do this, but let’s pick the best version of this passage:
18 “Thus says the Lord,
‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And have compassion on his dwelling places;
And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin,
And the palace will stand on its rightful place.
19 ‘From them will proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who celebrate;
And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished;
I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.
20 ‘Their children also will be as formerly,
And their congregation shall be established before Me;
And I will punish all their oppressors.
21 ‘Their leader shall be one of them,
And their ruler shall come forth from their midst;
And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me;
For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the Lord.
22 ‘You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’”
– Jeremiah 30:18-22 – (NASB1995)
Unfortunately, the NASB gets verse 21 wrong. The NKJV does better with that verse:
Their nobles shall be from among them, And their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near, And he shall approach Me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the Lord.
– Jeremiah 30:21 (NKJV)
It means that the leadership of Israel, will be CHRISTIAN. No longer will the leaders of Israel follow a false religion. (Spend any time around Rabbinic Judaism, and you'll see how false it is.)
Now, notice what the LORD says in verse 18. The NASB tells it like this:
the city will be rebuilt on its ruin
The actual Hebrew is this:
ונבנתה עיר על-תלה
(veh-niv-neh-tah eer ahl-tee-lah)
That literally says:
‘and was built a city on her mound/ruin’
The Hebrew does NOT say ‘rebuilt’. But, the meaning of that verse is probably as the NASB says:
…the city will be rebuilt on its ruin…
Some versions replace ‘city’ with ‘Jerusalem’. That is not what the Hebrew says, but since the previous verse refers to Jerusalem, that is probably also correct.
Why does it use that strange word תלה (pronounced tee-lah)?
In Israel, the word for the site where archeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient city is called a תל (pronounced tel). And, since it’s always a hill that is thousands of layers deep, it fits. Having said that, they will also refer to regular hills as ‘tels’, like Tel Aviv – which means ‘Hill of Spring’. However, ‘tel’ is a masculine noun, and the word for city is feminine. The word, Zion, is also feminine. So, it looks like Jeremiah feminized the word for ‘ruin’ in verse 18 to make sure that we understood the connection to the previous verse – Zion.
Unfortunately, the reference to ruins reminds us of what Ezekiel and Isaiah said about this moment:
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.’
– Ezekiel 38:20 (NKJV)
There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
– Isaiah 30:25 (NKJV)
Every wall and every tall building will fall to the ground. All around the world. Cities will lie in ruins. The cities of Israel will be destroyed, and it looks like there is one city that will also suffer a similar fate, but be rebuilt:
Jerusalem
Other cities might be so destroyed that rebuilding them will likely be a problem – especially, if there is no electricity and if all heavy machinery has been disabled.
Oh, and don’t forget what Ezekiel is saying here:
All men will shake
fish will shake
This earthquake will be everywhere, and there will be Tsunamis in every coastal region of the world - depending upon the direction of undersea quakes. It will be a disaster of truly shocking proportions. So, you not only need to get out of the cities, but you will also need to get away from coastal areas.
My completely irrational hope is that not every city around the world will be destroyed. I would love to see some cities escape this terrible event, but I am not being logical or reasonable in this desire. No one should think that any place in the world will avoid what is coming. And, if some cities do survive this earthquake, I do not think that we can predict which ones will.
When Gog comes to attack Israel, get out of the cities. Stay away from tall buildings. Get away from any sea shore. Do not camp on the side of a hill or mountain. Get to a flat, open area and stay there until long after Ezekiel's Fire is over.
By the way, how many earthquakes are there in the Book of Revelation?
Five.
That’s right, there are FIVE earthquakes in the Book of Revelation. And, Ezekiel’s Fire appears to be the first of them.
What should catch special attention is the last line of Jeremiah 30:
23 Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord
Goes forth with fury,
A continuing whirlwind;
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.
In the latter days you will consider it.
– Jeremiah 30:23-24 (NKJV)
Since those two verses are spoken of in context with the salvation of Israel, it would be wrong to shift the interpretation of those verses onto the ‘catchall’ of the Wrath of God, as described in Revelation.
That phrase ‘In the latter days you will consider it.’ should cause us to be careful. There’s a reason why we will consider and understand this tempest that is going to fall upon the wicked. And, I believe that part of the reason has everything to do with our understanding of how fragile our technological civilization is.
Scientists and engineers are already warning us about how dangerous a large solar flare would be, if it hit the Earth. The Carrington Event of 1859, if repeated, would do terrible damage to our our way of life. A billion could die from that alone. But, the micronova that the Bible is warning us about, will dwarf that solar flare by thousands of times.
Worse, we have seen stars like our own sun, explode with cataclysmic events. Some stars do this multiple times. And, some astronomers have claimed that we are due to have one of those, in the coming decades. And yes, it will be the second nova event.
Do you want to guess when the first one happened?
Right. The Great Flood.
(Read Ezekiel's Fire to understand what that means.)
The bottom line is that we UNDERSTAND what Ezekiel’s Fire is. And, we UNDERSTAND what it will do to our technological society. Therefore, I think that THIS is why we are now able to understand – or, consider – what God is saying to us through Jeremiah.
Just a hundred years ago, no one would have had a CLUE about the dangers of such a massive solar event. Now, we do.
I truly hope that you’ll be ready for this.
The prophecy that began in Jeremiah 30, continues with the next chapter.
This chapter stands as a reminder that God was not the author of these chapter divisions. Chapter breaks were put into the Bible only a few hundred years ago, by 13th century Catholic Archbishop, Stephen Langton. Generally, these divisions are helpful, but they can be misleading to the unwary.
Thankfully, the first verse of this chapter makes it clear that we are still within the prophecy that started with Jeremiah 30:
“At the same time,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
– Jeremiah 31:1 (NKJV)
This confirms that Jeremiah 31 is a continuation of Jeremiah 30. We are still within the same vision and prophecy that began with the previous chapter. Moreover, verse one implies something interesting. It indicates that before this time, Yehovah was NOT the God of all the families of Israel – that there was a time when Israel was not His people.
Looking back, it is clear that this has been the case for two thousand years – as it is the case now. But, when this prophecy is finished, it will no longer be the case. Some might be puzzled by this distinction. So, let’s talk about that a little bit.
When we talk about the Jews being the Chosen people, we do not mean that they are in a current state of perfect relationship with God. They aren’t, and they cannot be in perfect relationship with God without the Messiah. The Savior.
Without Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, you cannot have a relationship with God. Period.
Yet, an eternal promise was given, and a people have been chosen to fulfill that promise at a certain moment in our future. When that moment comes, Yehovah will be the God of all the families of Israel. How that happens is what we are talking about. But, let’s get back to what Jeremiah 31 says.
The next verse brings to mind not just the great earthquake that will knock down the cities of Israel and the world, but also the terrible fighting described in Zechariah and Ezekiel:
2 Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when I went to give him rest.”
– Jeremiah 31:2 (NKJV)
Again, Zechariah says that only a third of those living in the Land of Israel will survive what is coming (Zech 13:8). I live in dread of this fact, but I must remind myself that God knows what He’s doing and has His reasons for why He does what He does.
However, God might be referring to the exodus from Egypt, when they fled the murderous tyranny of Pharoah (the sword) and found safety in the Sinai (grace in the wilderness). Oh, and the word for ‘wilderness’ is actually מדבר (pronounced meed-bar) – literally, dry place or desert. The Sinai, is definitely a desert.
The next verse clarifies God’s attitude towards the children of Jacob:
3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
– Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)
This verse presents us with yet another translation mistake. The words, ‘of old’, should actually say, ‘from far away’ or ‘from afar’. The Hebrew word is מרחוק (pronounced meh-rah-hoke). If I want to say that something is ‘far away’, I say that it’s רחוק (rah-hoke). Rahoke has NOTHING to do with age. It’s about distance. I consider it to be a crime that the translators of the Bible are so sloppy. If you can’t translate the Bible properly, you shouldn’t do it at all. And yes, the KJV also makes this mistake.
Yet, the meaning of the verse is still obvious and visible:
God’s love for the children of Jacob does not end, and has never ended.
Yet, they rejected Him and crucified His Son on a cross, to die for our sins. They did it in ignorance and rebellion, and have suffered terribly for that, for 2000 years. And, when the final tragedy of Jacob’s Trouble hits, only a third will survive.
Yet, the point of this chapter is that these survivors will be greatly blessed. They will receive all of what we’ll be talking about below.
However, the next line is confirmation of the great earthquake that will happen:
Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built,
– Jeremiah 31:4a (KJV)
God will need to build Israel, after the terrible disaster that has happened to her. It will need to be rebuilt, with an extra blessing:
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.
6 For there shall be a day
When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’ ”
– Jeremiah 31:4-6 (NKJV)
Think about the amount of time that would need to pass, for such rejoicing to begin again. The years of burying so many loved ones will be over. The rebuilding will be accomplished. Jerusalem will again be the center of faith in Israel.
I am tempted to go into detail about the rest of the verses of Jeremiah 31, but most of them are about the blessing that God will give to the remnant of what we often call ‘The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel’. They might not know the tribe that they belong to, or that they are of any tribe, but they will be there. And, they will be blessed. Just remember that God speaks about replacing the identity of these tribes with that of Judah (Ezekiel 37:19).
However, there is one passage, later in this chapter, that is of specific importance:
31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
– Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NKJV)
A new covenant?
That’s right. There will be a New Covenant, and we know what that covenant is, and Who it is that makes it. Moses spoke about Him, here:
The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
– Deuteronomy 18:15 (NKJV)
That Prophet is Jesus. There can be no other that Moses was referring to. Nor can there be any other that Jeremiah is referring to. And, ANYONE who claims that this new covenant is different than the one that Jesus gave us, is a liar and a false teacher.
Jesus was, is and always will be, the final sacrifice.
The lamb, slain from the foundation of the world - Revelation 13:8.
Unfortunately, far too many are claiming that Israel will go back to the Torah. They say that burnt offerings will begin again. They say that there will be a rebuilt temple and the sacrifice of bulls and goats.
What a truly awful and misguided thing to teach.
Don’t they know that they are denying our Lord and Savior as they teach such foolish falsehoods?
Don’t they know that there is no other way to salvation except through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
And, if they do know this, why would they dare to preach the rebuilding of the Third Temple?
This willingness to believe such a lie, needs to stop. Lies have corrupted our understanding of the Last Days and made us unable to see what is coming. The Bible has warned us of the great disaster that will befall our world. So, we are without excuse.
Now, let's take a moment to recap what we've seen:
The Children of Jacob return to the Land of Israel
Jacob's Trouble is not the Great Tribulation
Israel will be purified
The enemies of the Jews will be destroyed
Jerusalem will be rebuilt from its ruins
Only in the Last Days will we understand what Jeremiah was talking about.
Israel will have a new covenant that they will follow - NOT the old one.
That's a lot. In fact, it speaks to the terrible difficulty that the whole world will go through. But, as hard as it will be, the result will be entirely worth it. God will be glorified. People will be saved for eternity. What an incredible time that will be. And, Micah 5 will confirm much of what we have said here.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/15-micah-5-wgc.mp3
Like the other prophets of the Bible, most of the Book of Micah is about the judgment and condemnation of Israel. But, in the middle of Micah’s description of God’s wrath, we have three chapters that speak of His intention to return Jacob to Himself. Chapter four speaks of the Millennium. Chapter five describes the coming of Jesus, as well as Gog and Magog. And, chapter seven talks about God’s forgiveness that will come. But, for those of us who are seeking to understand the events that surround the moment when the Children of Jacob return to God, we should take a closer look at chapter five.
Here are the five things that we will see in this chapter:
The coming of Jesus Christ - born in Bethlehem
Christians bring Jacob back to God before the Antichrist comes
The triumph of the Jews
Jacob purified
Ezekiel's Fire and the great earthquake that knocks everything down.
It begins in verse two with the coming of Jesus Christ - born a landless peasant in a country occupied by Roman armies. That verse pointed the wise men to Bethlehem and terrified Herod into committing mass murder. The next verse foretold the coming of Christians to lead the Jews to their true Messiah, proving that the Children of Jacob must be saved before the Antichrist comes. But later in this chapter, we see the terrible moment of Ezekiel's Fire:
10 “And it shall be in that day,” says the Lord,
“That I will cut off your horses from your midst
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land
And throw down all your strongholds.
– Micah 5:10-11 (NKJV)
That is Zechariah 12 and 13, Isaiah 30 and Jeremiah 30 and 31. Those two verses are the massive electromagnetic pulse from the sun that shatters modern transportation, and the great earthquake that knocks down every building of any size and destroys cities across the world. But, we haven’t gotten to that passage yet, so let’s start with the most important verse of Micah 5.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”
– Micah 5:2 (NKJV)
There is literally nothing more important than the coming of Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection. Nothing. Of all the things that I talk about in this book nothing is more important than Jesus. And, the only reason why I am NOT talking more about this, is my assumption that you have already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
NOTE: Please, if you are not a follower of Christ, stop reading this and speak to a believer about why you must repent of your sins and accept the gift of salvation by Jesus Christ. What I write here is worthless, if you do not understand that.
But, the next verse speaks about you and me:
3 Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
– Micah 5:3 (NKJV)
What a huge message in just a few words. Israel was given up for two thousand years. Then, when the times of the Gentiles are complete, those remaining Christians who are still faithful will return – to Israel. And, it was the Christians of the US and Britain who helped give birth to Israel with the ‘Balfour Declaration’ and America’s recognition of modern Israel’s sovereignty. Christians around the world supported the modern State of Israel. But, there’s more to that in this verse.
One of the amazing truths that Jesus constantly shared during His ministry on Earth, was that we are His brethren. I am continually astounded by the thought that we are brothers and sisters to the One who rescued us from eternal damnation. And, even though I believe what Jesus said, I still don’t understand why God would lift us so high.
Why would God love us this much?
Words cannot express how amazed and grateful I am.
Unfortunately, only a remnant of this family of ours will return to the children of Israel. In fact, only a remnant will be left. Our churches are full of rebellion against God. And in our rebellion, we have allowed antisemitism to rise in the Body of Christ. What an utterly horrifying situation.
Now, who is this that is in labor and giving birth?
Well, giving birth is the final stage of a nine month process. And, that ‘process’ is the bringing forth of life.
So, what process have you and I – and the rest of the Body of Christ – been engaged in for the past 2000 years?
Sharing the gospel.
It’s the Great Commission. It’s the final commandment. It is the one thing that we have been tasked with. And, Jesus said that the gospel would be preached to all nations before the end would come (Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10). And, there really has been an acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in every part of the globe. There is not a single nation that has not heard the good news. And, it has been a difficult and often painful process – like giving birth.
So, there are two possible explanations for what is being born here.
Unfortunately, it’s all too clear about who God is referring to at the beginning of this verse. The nation of Israel was ‘given up’. And, it’s a truly sad thing. But, one day, the veil that is over the eyes of the Jews (2 Corinthians 3:12-18), will be removed.
NOTE: Even though God gave up the Nation of Israel, He did not give upon on the millions upon millions of Jews who came to Christ for 2000 years. In fact, if we were to count the numbers of Jews who came to Christ in the past, they would many times outnumber the Jews that will be saved When Gog Comes.
The next verse speaks of Jesus as the shepherd and that He will be great to the ends of the Earth.
4 And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
– Micah 5:4 (NKJV)
And, as I was reading that, something struck me.
Ends?
So, I looked up the original Hebrew word.
Sorry, but it doesn’t mean ‘ends’ or ‘end’. It means ‘nothing’. And, for some reason, it’s plural.
The word is אפס (pronounced eh-fess). It’s the word that we use for zero, nothing, naught. It normally does NOT mean ‘end’. But, this word does mean ‘ending’ in the sense that the Earth will be dissolved and replaced by a new heavens and a new Earth. There will be a moment of nothing, of ending. Of eh-fess. Basically, what God is saying here, is that Jesus will be great until the Earth ceases to exist.
So, the ‘ends of the earth’ is about time, and not geography – unless you want to claim that the Earth is flat.
The next two verses - five and six - seem to bring us to Gog and Magog:
5 And this One shall be peace.
When the Assyrian comes into our land,
And when he treads in our palaces,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight princely men.
6 They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria,
And the land of Nimrod at its entrances;
Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian,
When he comes into our land
And when he treads within our borders.
– Micah 5:5-6 (NKJV)
It actually doesn’t say ‘Assyrian’ in verse five. It actually just says ‘Assyria’. But, that’s less important than our puzzlement over why Assyria is included in this prophecy. Ezekiel’s prophecy about Gog and Magog does not mention Assyria. So, this is a little puzzling.
And, who are these ‘seven shepherds and eight princely men’?
Is there a connection to Isaiah 19 where Egypt, Israel and Assyria become a kind of confederation?
Is there a connection to the destruction of Damascus in Isaiah 17, since the country of Syria encompasses part of what was once Assyria?
This is a puzzling reference that we probably won't understand until after it happens.
So, let’s leave these question marks and look at the next three verses:
7 Then the remnant of Jacob
Shall be in the midst of many peoples,
Like dew from the Lord,
Like showers on the grass,
That tarry for no man
Nor wait for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob
Shall be among the Gentiles,
In the midst of many peoples,
Like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Who, if he passes through,
Both treads down and tears in pieces,
And none can deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries,
And all your enemies shall be cut off.
– Micah 5:7-9 (NKJV)
Whenever the antisemites complain about how powerful the Jews are, I always think of this passage. The Jewish people have risen in influence all over the world, and they have knocked down their enemies, everywhere. So, if you hear someone complain about the Jews being over-represented in positions of authority and significance, remind that person that this is God’s doing. Even when you see someone Jewish being awful, even that might be a part of what God is doing. Remember that Europe and America richly deserve judgment.
Be careful to never become an enemy of the Jews, or you too will be cut off.
Then we get to Ezekiel’s Fire:
10 “And it shall be in that day,” says the Lord,
“That I will cut off your horses from your midst
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land
And throw down all your strongholds.
– Micah 5:10-11 (NKJV)
Zechariah talks about this here:
In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
– Zechariah 12:4 (NKJV)
And then, Isaiah says something about those ‘stongholds’:
There will be on every high mountain And on every high hill Rivers and streams of waters, In the day of the great slaughter, When the towers fall.
– Isaiah 30:25 (NKJV)
The uniting factors between these three verses is the salvation of the children of Jacob AND the coming of the second nova event in human history. The horses and chariots that are destroyed here, are the cars and tanks that will no longer work because their electrical and electronic systems will have been fried. And, the gigantic earthquake that comes along with this micronova will knock everything down. And yes, there is a connection between solar cataclysms and earthquakes. Please read all about this here:
Ezekiel’s Fire
https://ezekielsfire.com/
You really need to be ready for this. And, very few are.
Oh, and just to repeat an important point for those who think that the horses mentioned above are the four-footed, tail waving kind:
You. Don't. Want. That.
I'm not sure which would be worse - five billion people dying from earthquake and the cutoff of electricity and transportation OR the death of five billion because our civilization collapsed. Either way, it will be really bad.
Then, God speaks of the purification of Israel, from their idolatry:
12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
And you shall have no soothsayers.
13 Your carved images I will also cut off,
And your sacred pillars from your midst;
You shall no more worship the work of your hands;
– Micah 5:12-13 (NKJV)
The earthquake that God sends will do a great deal of destruction, all by itself. But, an even larger earthquake will happen in the hearts and minds of Israelis. They will turn away from their idols and towards the One who died for them, Jesus Christ.
But wait…
…where are these idols?
The Jews don’t worship idols, right?
Unfortunately, they do.
As I write this, I live in a country that is full of idols – Taiwan. Temples are everywhere, and the temple worship here is just like what Paul talked about in his writings. Food is offered up to demons. People bow down to these false deities and burn incense to them. And, on and on. And, some of the ways that the Taiwanese worship their idols are dramatically similar to how Judaism worships their rabbis and Torah scrolls.
A Bible is ink on paper. A Bible – itself – is nothing. It’s an object. It is a construction. It is forbidden to bow down to such things. Yes, the ink in a Bible is formed into symbols and letters that represent the words of God. But, the ink itself is not God.
We reverence the thoughts and commandments that God has given us, not the ink and paper on which they were printed. Those who do not understand the difference are in danger of falling into the same trap that the Jews have fallen into.
Worship God.
Not printed paper.
Also, the Jews worship and venerate their rabbis. They pray at their tombs. They adorn their homes and shops with pictures of them. They treat their writings as if they are from God. This is idolatry, and God will bring it to an end.
And, the last two verses of Micah 5 bring us back to Ezekiel’s Fire:
14 I will pluck your wooden images from your midst;
Thus I will destroy your cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury
On the nations that have not heard.”
– Micah 5:14-15 (NKJV)
That last verse is where Ezekiel’s Fire comes in. This massive solar event will destroy electricity networks, power stations and fragile electronics across the globe. The lights will go out because the gigantic, custom-built transformers at electricity stations will have been fried. Water will stop pouring from faucets because the water pumps will no longer work. Computers will cease to operate because they have either been destroyed or they no longer have electricity to keep them running.
In short, the most advanced countries in the world will start to die.
First, by the hundreds of millions...
...and then, billions.
But God also says this to Israel:
I will destroy your cities
God is talking to Israel here. He doesn’t start talking about the rest of the world, until AFTER that line. But, as bad as what happens to Israel, I do not wish to be in the target zone of God’s anger and fury. And yes, I believe that preparation will help to keep you safe from what's coming.
I wish that we had definitive proof of the best places to be when this happens. However, God has spoken of the judgment upon those nations that have afflicted the Jews, so that might be a big clue. This might mean that East Asia, India, Latin America and parts of Africa might escape the worst of what is coming.
Now, those who have not been reading the previous chapters will claim that this sounds a lot like the judgments described in Revelation. If that’s you, then consider this:
How can you have an ‘Antichrist System’, if the electricity has been turned off and every city has been destroyed?
But, if you say that this happens at the END of the Antichrist System…
…may I remind you that you still need millions of Israeli Christians to get 144,000 young men who are virgins?
You can’t ‘have it both ways’. You can’t have Israel saved at the beginning of the reign of the Antichrist, because everything will be knocked down – and no electricity. And, it can’t be at the end of the Antichrist, because you need the 144,000 Israelis to grow to spiritual maturity. After all, the angel pretty much said so. But, as I have proven, the Salvation of Israel must happen years before the Antichrist rises. Years. Probably decades.
And, when we consider the Antichrist, he cannot rise to power unless the elites of our current civilization have been knocked down. The leaders of our world would never voluntarily give their power to the Antichrist. And, there’s one thing that is common to all men and women of power:
They never, ever give up their power voluntarily...
...unless they can survive no other way.
For the Antichrist to arise, there needs to be a catastrophe so big, so wide, so all-encompassing, that those elites who survive will give the Antichrist what he wants, as long as he saves them from their doom. So, let me remind you of what Revelation says about this:
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
– Revelation 13:3 (NKJV)
and…
And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
– Revelation 13:12 (NKJV)
Something causes the world system – our civilization – to crash so hard that no one sees a way for it to survive. In fact, it dies. But then… someone stands up and heals the ‘mortal wound’. That person or entity will demand that everyone worship the Antichrist. And, the elites of the world will gladly comply because they have no other way to regain their wealth and power.
I hate to think about the violent demise of our civilization and the death of so many. Those who survive will suffer terribly. It will be awful, but our sins are great. The price for rebellion and wickedness has always been destruction. Always.
However, let us not forget the hope in the midst of this tragedy:
There will be a remnant that survives and prospers
The Children of Jacob will know Jesus as their Lord and Savior
And, it will all happen before the Antichrist rises.
As always, our goal should be to share the gospel wherever we can and to serve God whenever possible. This is why we should prepare for Ezekiel’s Fire. Not to save a worthless life, but to reflect the light of Christ into a world headed for eternal suffering.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/16-the-seven-seals-of-revelation-wgc.mp3
I have mentioned before that this book came out of an attempt to verify the timing of Ezekiel’s Fire. But, it’s also about something that God is focused on:
The Return of Jacob
That was my original focus for this book, until I realized the need to concentrate on the timing of Jacob's Return, and that meant Gog and Magog. And, this book has proved – without doubt – that the Children of Jacob must return to God, before the Antichrist takes power. That chapter is utterly conclusive - as is the rest of the book. There just isn’t any other way to look at the salvation of Israel. But, talking about when Israel is saved, also points us to the 144 thousand Israelis, sealed in Revelation 7.
Those Israelis are sealed in their foreheads after the sixth seal is opened in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 6:12). And, every time that I’ve examined that passage, I would scratch my head and wonder about the timing of this event. It wasn't possible for that to happen during the rule of the Antichrist, and it certainly cannot be afterwards.
Well, I was pushed into looking at this more carefully by some very smart and tenacious readers, and I just cannot escape the most logical conclusion. And, I find it interesting to see that I have fought so hard against accepting the obvious. With everything that we have already talked about, it should be clear what Seal Six is all about:
Gog and Magog and the salvation of the Children of Jacob
And, it has taken me forever to accept that. So, I understand if it takes time for you to also get to this point. Those of us who love Israel and the Jewish people, do not want to see them go through such grave difficulty. But, this is the will of God, and His purposes are more wise than our own. And, He loves His Chosen.
Here are a few other points that we will also talk about in this chapter:
144,000 Israelis - 12 thousand virgin men from each tribe - are sealed in their foreheads
Seal Six describes the aftermath of a nova event - a micronova
God will be recognized and glorified
The bow is not a symbol of military conquest (even though conquest happens)
Maybe Seal One was opened in 1967
In Seal Two, when children go hungry parents turn to violence
Among other things, Seal Three shows how energy decline increases the cost of food
The Pale Horse in Seal Four is actually green and shows how plague routinely follows in the footsteps of starvation
The Antichrist does not come until AFTER the Seals have been opened
The Book of Truth in Daniel 10, may be the scroll that is opened after the Seals are removed
Be careful about speculating
That's mind-blowing stuff, and you would think that starting with the beginning would be a great idea. But our focus is on the timing of Gog and Magog and the coming of Ezekiel's Fire. So, we'll start at the end of Revelation Six, before talking about the first Seal.
The signature of God upon the foreheads of 12 thousand Israelis from each tribe of Israel is rock solid evidence that Gog comes before the Antichrist. You can’t get that many virgin men (Revelation 14) if you don’t have millions of Israelis saved many years before the first invasion by the Man of Lawlessness. But, that hasn’t stopped theologians from trying to downplay that evidence.
Again….
…when are these 144 thousand sealed?
Seal Six
Here is when Seal Six is opened:
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.
– Revelation 6:12 (NKJV)
That… earthquake. And, what happens to the sun and moon. That sounds so much like what the prophets describe about the coming of Gog and Magog, that we cannot ignore this.
Furthermore, this is EXACTLY what can happen AFTER a nova event. And, just because verse 12 does not describe the initial explosion of light, means nothing. Isaiah 28 makes it absolutely clear that God does not reveal everything in a single prophecy. So, we must add the prophecies together, in a proper way, to see the whole thing. Those who are in rebellion against God will not be able to do so. But, back to this micronova…
I know that it’s hard to see how this is exactly what would happen in the hours and days after a micronova. In fact, you still might not be entirely certain what such a micronova is.
A micronova is an explosion in a star that causes the star’s outermost layer to explode outward. This cataclysm dumps a truly massive amount of material into the area around the star. This blast will cause the star to glow brightly, for hours. But then, as the outer shell of the star expands out into space, all of that material will cool down and become like a cloud. As this cloud expands, the star will appear to grow dim, and other objects in orbit around that star will take on a different color.
Here’s a good explanation of what I’m talking about:
Solar Superstorms | Superflare vs Micronova [Part 2]
Earth Catastrophe Cycle | SOLAR MICRONOVA II
So, when Revelation 6:12 says that the sun will become ‘black like sackcloth’ and the moon will become ‘like blood’, it fits some of what we would expect from a small nova event that we are calling a micronova. Then, as some of this material from the Sun clumps together and hits Earth, there will be shooting ‘stars falling to Earth’. Also, as this cloud of Solar material continues outward, the night sky will look like it is ‘rolling up’ – just like when a storm front moves through at night.
All of this is after the initial brilliance of the micronova that is described in Isaiah 30. Only after this massive explosion from the sun will our star be darkened and the moon turn red as blood. Again, all of this fits exactly with our understanding of how some small novae could happen.
This expanding sphere will glow brightly and will briefly be seven times brighter than the sun, before cooling down and turning into dust. From a perspective far away from our sun, it will look like an expanding ball. Of course, you’d probably need to be sitting on Mars or in the Asteroid Belt, to see it properly. As this cloud cools and races past Earth, the sun will be darkened, the moon will appear red like blood, and the stars of the night sky will seem as if they were rolling up like a scroll.
Again, just because Revelation 6 does not describe the initial burst of light – i.e., the brightness of the sun and moon described in Isaiah 30 – well, that means nothing. Isaiah 30:26 and Revelation 6:12 fit together perfectly.
The following verses describe events that are also exactly what we would expect from a micronova:
13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
– Revelation 6:13-14 (NKJV)
The wave front of this micronova dust cloud will obscure the galaxies and stars at night. And, as it moves outward from the sun, it will look like the sky is being rolled up. We will also see ‘shooting stars’ as bits of matter formed by this explosion hit the atmosphere of Earth. And, when it says that every mountain and island will be moved out of its place, this is again exactly what we would expect. The resulting earthquake will be global and bigger than anything that we’ve ever seen, at least since the Great Flood - which I believe was the previous time this happened.
Now, is it possible that this event is different than the one described in Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah?
When it comes to the Book of Revelation, I am always willing to agree that I could be wrong. You’ll see why, at the end of this chapter. But, it’s hard to believe that we can look at all the evidence that we have collected so far, and not see a direct connection to these verses in Revelation 6.
Moreover, there’s an important connection between Seal Six of Revelation and the prophecies that we’ve already covered:
God will be revealed to be exactly who the Bible says that He is.
Here’s the connection:
15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
– Revelation 6:15-17 (NKJV)
Everyone around the world will all recognize who God was. Who He is. And, who He will always be. The Creator will be recognized. It will be one final warning that judgment is coming. Here’s how that passage connects with the coming of Gog and Magog:
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.”
– Ezekiel 38:16 (NKJV)
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 38:23 (NKJV)
“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.
– Ezekiel 39:6 (NKJV)
…Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
– Ezekiel 39:7b (NKJV)
“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.
– Ezekiel 39:21 (NKJV)
This will be a titanic demonstration by God that He is real, showing the world that everything in the Bible is true. Never before will so many see the Truth with absolutely no possibility of miscommunication. It will be clear. It will be in-your-face. There will be no excuse for not seeing the reality of God. Everyone around the world will know and fear. It will be a big opportunity for everyone to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. There will be other chances, but none will be as big as this one.
God always gives warning, and this one will be impossible to ignore.
Furthermore, the connection between Revelation 6 and the coming of Gog and Magog is far too strong to be ignored. You might not think that it is the same level of ‘rock solid’ evidence that I have provided elsewhere, and that’s your choice.
But, do you really want to claim that Gog and Magog does not come in Revelation 6:12?
Not me. I am NOT going to make such a claim. Unless someone can come up with a ‘rock solid’ argument for why this cannot be Ezekiel 38 and 39, I have no choice but to make this my central conclusion.
The good thing is that we have the first five seals in Revelation 6 to look at. When we see evidence that these seals have been opened, we’ll know that we should be looking for Seal Six to happen soon. Unfortunately, I have absolute proof that the core reason behind the scarcity of Seal Three was set in motion years ago. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Our discussion of the Seven Seals begins with the first two verses of Revelation 6:
1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
– Revelation 6:1-2 (NKJV)
The first question that everyone asks, is:
Is this the Antichrist?
Anything is possible, but that doesn’t fit the order of events described elsewhere in the Bible. Remember that we have lots of proof that certain things must happen before the Antichrist begins his rise to power.
Do you remember the ten kings?
You will find them in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17. And, those ten kings are NOT in power today.
But, will they be in power tomorrow?
I have studied and lived geopolitics for most of my life. After 25 years in Asia, I can tell you with certainty that there is only one empire – Pax Americana. You could make a case for this ’empire’ to actually be Euro-American, and there would be a lot of truth to that. But, there aren’t ten empires that control the world.
China and India are rising, but they are not yet at the level of these ten kings. We have rising regional alliances, all around the world, but there aren’t ten of those – at least, not yet. Nor are they strong enough.
We could speculate all day about who or what these ‘ten kings’ are, and we’ve all had fun doing that in the past. But, there’s something that we should all realize, as we think about this:
The world of the Ten Kings is not the world that we live in today.
For the ten kings to rise, or for a political structure to rise that would be ruled by these ten kings, the world would need to change, drastically, dramatically, catastrophically. As I write this, it’s 2022. The reaction to the CCP Virus has done terrible damage to economies and political confidence around the world. Uncertainty rules the hearts and minds of almost everyone.
That’s bad, but it’s going to get much worse.
When I started the Omega Shock website, in 2011, I knew that one of the biggest challenges to our current civilization, was the decline in available energy – specifically, transportation fuel. That decline actually began in 2005, but the financial markets reversed the fall in oil production by throwing lots of debt at it, allowing us to live on borrowed time.
One day, we will turn a corner in our civilization, and it will mark the absolute maximum in the global production of crude oil – currently around 100 million barrels a day. After the peak happens, there will be only two words for our future:
Permanent Decline
No civilization handles permanent decline well. Every time it has happened in the past, the result was war. An empire in decline will fight to keep what it has. The nations around it will seek for ways to take advantage of the failing empire. Greed and fear will rule the world until these ten kings take power – and, even afterwards.
The rise of Gog and his rule of the Land of Magog, will probably be one such attempt to take advantage of a weakened America and Europe. China is already attempting to carve out its own empire. Russia is trying to hold on to what it already has, while expanding its influence. Turkey wants to recreate the Ottoman Empire.
Will another country do the same?
We can only speculate over who is represented by the rider of the white horse. There are a lot of candidates to look at. And, maybe it's all of them. But, one thing to think about are the wars that happen as an empire fails. And, the damage that these wars will do to our civilization will shake our lives.
The whole idea of recognized international borders will be tossed out, and only the strongest nations will survive.
It makes me sick to think of how much war and violence will erupt because our way of life has entered permanent decline. This will be very, very hard to watch. The only question is about how long it will take.
And now that I’ve written the above, I have a question:
How much of what is coming – and is happening now – is actually the Red Horse of Seal Two?
But, hold that thought as we look at a few more points regarding the first seal.
Some thoughtful readers put forward ideas and questions about the bow given to the rider of the white horse. I don’t wish to speculate too much, since a lot of damage has already been done by those who are just a bit too enthusiastic about Revelation 6 – something that you could accuse me of being.
A bow is an interesting weapon, when used on the battlefield. Archers on foot always need to stand behind other soldiers for protection. They rarely can act on their own.
The exception to this is the horse archer of the Mongols (or the Huns and Turks). They were able to use weaker bows for hit and run attacks, harassing foot soldiers to death. (But, were less effective against archers on foot) But, I don’t think that we’re dealing central Asian nomads.
Or, are we?
The point is that...
The bow is not the normal symbol of the conqueror.
So, what point is being made here, with this symbol?
I have more questions than answers. But, I've noticed that a lot of people are trying to connect the COVID-19 pandemic (and our response to it) to the Greek word for this bow:
τόξον - toxon
Because Greek soldiers put poison on the heads of their arrows, we began to refer to venomous practices as toxic - from the Greek word toxon. This also has its parallels to other words, like plumber.
Did you know that we get the word for plumber from the Latin word for lead?
The Romans used lead pipes to deliver water around their cities. The Latin word for lead is plumbum, and their word for the guy who laid these lead pipes was a plumbarius - or, plumber. So, remember:
Similar sounding words do not mean that they have similar meanings.
Many thoughts have been brought forward about when Seal One would be opened. Most have claimed that the rider of the White Horse will be the Antichrist, without a single shred of evidence whatsoever. Not only is there no proof of that, but Seal Six proves that this just cannot be – since that Seal knocks everything down.
So, if the first Seal isn’t going to be opened when the Antichrist rises…
…when will it be opened?
This is where we dig a little deeper into speculation. Part of the problem lies in how we would identify the ride of the White Horse. And unless some major power launches a huge invasion of at least some part of Europe or Asia, I cannot tell you with any certainty how we would know that Seal One has been opened.
Here are some possibilities for who/what this rider of the White Horse is, in no certain order:
The rise of the Gog and Magog alliance
The rise of regional alliances as US power declines
The attempt by China to dominate East Asia
The rise of globalist institutions
The rise of the League of Nations, followed by the United Nations
Something that replaces the UN
The rise of networks similar to what we have for banking, transportation and communications
The rise of Westphalian sovereignty that began in 1648 with the treaties that ended the Thirty Years War
(and yes, that's a thing)
The fall in power of monarchies in the first half of the 20th century
The rise of European colonialism in the 16th century
It could be any one of those, all of them or something else that takes us completely by surprise. I am not hanging my hat on any one theory. The best that I can do is say that Seal One must open soon, if it hasn't already - because we are well on our way to Seal Three. (More on that later.)
However, there is something that is easy to forget as we look at all these possibilities:
Jerusalem is at the center of prophecy
According to the Bible, there is no patch of ground that is more important than Jerusalem. And, there is no place in Jerusalem more important than Zion, where the City of David was built. And, I believe that Jerusalem is at the center of everything that happens in End Times prophecy.
Here are two things to consider as we think about that:
Historical evidence that The Book of Revelation was written after AD 70.
The words of Jesus in Luke 21.
Preterists love to claim that John wrote Revelation before the fall of Jerusalem. But, our best evidence indicates otherwise. Now, historical evidence is not Biblical truth, but the words of Jesus should remove our doubts:
24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
– Luke 21:24 (NKJV)
Jesus said that the Jews would go into exile and that Jerusalem would be trampled (abusively controlled) by the Gentiles until their time is over. And, we know the beginning point of these words:
AD 70
That is the beginning of this time period that Jesus was talking about. The Jews were scattered. Jerusalem was destroyed and trampled by the non-Jews for almost two thousand years.
Think of Luke 21:24 as a verse that is 1897 years long. It starts with the Fall of Jerusalem, and it ends with the Return of Jerusalem to her people. The cornerstone of Last Days prophecy has always been that tiny patch of land called:
Jerusalem.
On June 7th, 1967, the IDF’s 55th Paratroop Brigade captured the Old City, and Motta Gur gave a shout that was heard around the world:
הר הבית בידינו
(Har ha-bayeet be-ya-deynu)
The Temple Mount is in our hands!
From that moment in time, Jewish Israeli law reigned over all Jerusalem. Today, no matter where you are in the Old City, if you break Israeli law, you go before an Israeli judge and – if convicted of a serious crime – you go to an Israeli prison. There are no exceptions to this. None.
So, one thing should be absolutely clear:
The Gentiles no longer trample Jerusalem.
Yes, I know that the nations of the world keep trying to get Jerusalem back, and I know that the UN keeps passing one stupid resolution after another, claiming this or that about Jerusalem. But, that doesn’t change the single most basic fact:
The Gentiles do NOT rule Jerusalem.
If you don’t believe me, take a look at this picture and tell me what you see:
Israeli police officers walk in front of the Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount.
March 17, 2010. (photo by REUTERS/Baz Ratner)
Those are Israeli policemen.
If you break Israeli law, they will arrest you. You just cannot get more clear than that.
So, what does that have to do with the First Seal?
Maybe nothing. But, let’s continue the words of Jesus that we quoted earlier. This time, we’ll look at words that came AFTER Luke 21:24.
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
– Luke 21:25-28 (NKJV)
That sounds a lot like the Book of Revelation. And, when I see these phrases:
That sounds exactly like When Gog Comes and Ezekiel's Fire - along with the events described in Revelation 6. And, Revelation 6 is about the first six seals. Now, ‘sounds exactly like’ is not the same as ‘thus saith the Lord’. I’m not the angel Gabriel, and I’m not a prophet like Daniel. I’m just a writer who believes in Jesus and doing my best to connect dots. Feel free to disagree and throw a stone or two. I don’t mind.
But, is there some evidence that I can point to, that shows a rider of a white horse, conquering the world right now?
I believe so.
I have written extensively on the rise of globalist entities, regional power structures, the international heroin network, OPEC, communications networks, etc. And, 1967 seems to mark an important turning point for much of what I've talked about. Having said that, we've hit some other significant turning points as well. But, of all the developments that I've covered, nothing - and I mean absolutely nothing - has been bigger than this:
The Decline In Energy
I hope that it will be years before you feel the effects of this, but I doubt that it will be very long before you see it for yourself. And, when that happens, nations will kill each other to gain access to energy resources. And, that brings us to the next seal.
The second seal confirms that we are not talking about individual human beings riding horses. And, this seal also falls in line with the cause of the first one:
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.
– Revelation 6:3-4 (NKJV)
Why would people kill each other?
Revelation specifically says that the rider of this horse has been granted the right, power and obligation to take peace from the earth. So, this spirit of violence is real and should not be questioned. So, maybe we should ask about the method this rider will use. And, there are a couple of questions that we could ask ourselves.
How do people react, when they expected to get something that they wanted, but got a lot less than that?
What happens when a strong nation needs what a weak nation has?
What happens when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?
What happens when those in power seek to secure their rule, by turning one part of society against the other?
We saw an example of that in 2011, during what they called the Arab Spring. The mainstream media said that Egypt rose up against Hosni Mubarak because they wanted democracy. Sure, some wanted free elections, but that wasn’t why they were in the streets, trying to tear down the government.
Their kids were hungry.
Yes, the police had been brutal to the average Egyptian, and 'National Police Day' was just too much for people to handle. But, law enforcement brutality was just that one little extra thing to push Egypt over the brink. And, the seething anger of the masses had everything to do with hunger.
All of that is connected to how Egypt fed its people. For the vast majority of Egyptians the only thing standing between their families and starvation was subsidized cooking gas and subsidized flour. When those subsidies were taken away, Egyptians began to suffer malnutrition and anxiety about the future. So, when the police beat up one person too many, anxiety turned into riots and the fall of Hosni Mubarak.
Of course, that was then, and Egypt was poor. And, most of you live in rich countries, unless you are an expat like me. But, the wealth of your country will decline in the coming years - maybe quickly. And, that leads us to an interesting thought:
As once-prosperous citizens have less and less, when they were expecting more...
...they will start tearing their neighborhoods apart.
(especially, if their version of morality gives them permission to do so.)
Sound familiar?
The Fall of Rome was the perfect example. The government offered free food and free entertainment to the mobs in exchange for their political support. Eventually, they couldn’t keep handing out free stuff, and the citizens of Rome tore the city and empire apart. And like Rome, we built our world on the promise of prosperity. When we fail to deliver those promises, people will turn to violence. And, if you need a more personal example…
How many marriages fail because of unrealistic expectations and weak morality?
Yeah. That phrase:
Unrealistic expectations
That is everywhere in our society and culture. TV, movies, music, books and our education system have all programmed us to believe that the future is bright. Worse, our preachers tell us that God doesn’t want us to suffer, and that we can have our ‘best life now’. But, that’s not how this sinful world works.
The unfortunate reality is that we have stolen from our future, without any intention of paying back what we have taken. We forgot that there’s a limit to how long the real world will accept our empty promises. And, as our permanent decline increases in speed and ferocity, it will be our youngest generations that will make us pay.
Their currency of choice?
Looting, violence and burned out buildings.
This brings us to the third seal, and my horror at what is happening right now in 2022. With all that I see happening right now, under the surface, I’ve come to wonder if Seal Three has either been opened already or is about to be opened. I truly hope that I'm wrong, but let’s read the passage first:
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
– Revelation 6:5-6 (NKJV)
This Seal is about the cost of food getting so expensive that your wages will only be enough to cover the cost of what you eat each day. Some claim that this is just normal everyday inflation, but ‘inflation’ is a term that describes what happens when the number of currency units in circulation grows faster than the economy. And, we’ve seen inflation at work for centuries. But, this inflation will be different.
This is where we get into the question of causes and effects.
And, I want you to pause for a moment, to think about this, because it's vitally important:
Does the Black Horse start its ride when we see the effects?
Or, does it ride when the causes are introduced?
The rise in the cost of food will be due to the rise in the cost of oil and natural gas. Tractors need it to plow and plant crops. Harvesters need it to reap what was sown. Trucks need it to transport food. And, the fertilizer that farmers need to grow all that food, requires natural gas to make a key component. And, when the price of oil and natural gas go up, people starve.
The rise in oil prices in 2006 – due to the drop in oil production in 2005 – caused the price of food to rise to its highest point in 2008. We ‘solved’ this crisis by injecting debt into hydraulic fracturing – aka, ‘fracking’. It didn’t work as well as they had hoped, and the debt ‘gravy train’ is grinding to a halt. This means that we are now back where we started, but this time… with less money and more trouble. This is very bad news for everyone, but the poor of the Third World will suffer the most.
It’s one thing to pay the price for our own stupidity. It’s only right that we do so, and we’ve all had personal examples of that. But, to cause someone else to suffer because we failed in our responsibility to warn of the disaster that’s coming…
…that’s an abomination
I’ve been sounding the alarm for more than a decade, and the poorest among us will suffer greatly in the years ahead.
And then…
…it will all get much, much worse.
As I keep repeating, the absolute peak on total oil production worldwide will happen some time in the near future. This will be a death-blow to our way of life, one that I have been warning about since 2011. And, we are now starting to see the first to suffer:
The Third World
As I write this, emerging market food prices are going up, and this is a devastating sign of suffering to come. But, even now, there are fools who still refuse to see what should be obvious. The current rise in the cost of food is not about COVID-19. Yes, there is some connection, but it is not the core reason.
I understand why people do not want to believe in the seriousness of the eventual decline in energy production. I don’t want to believe it either, but history shows us that disaster only gets worse when we ignore it. Unfortunately, we ignored it for too long, and now it’s not just here… it’s obvious.
For those who do not care about the suffering of the poorest countries, we will also be seeing the permanent decline in our own ability to create the goods and services that a nation needs to prosper. I introduced the term Permanent Decline in Seal One, and the decline in crude oil production will not only accelerate the progress of the white horse, but also the red horse of Seal Two.
The rising cost of food is already taking a larger share of your budget. Eventually, the rising cost of basic necessities will consume more and more of your income, and one day all our efforts will only be enough to cover the food that we eat – and maybe, not even then.
Again, this will be directly connected to the decline in our ability to produce transportation fuel. As gasoline/petrol becomes more and more expensive, the cost of food will go up dramatically. Farmers will plow less land. The cost of fertilizer will go up. The cost of transporting food will go up. The great food producers of the world will not be able to export as much as before. What we eat today, will be considered a luxury tomorrow.
Life will eventually become a desperate struggle for everyone.
Again, this future has become so obvious, that I wonder if Seal Three was opened years ago. But, if the rider of the Black Horse hasn't left the stable, he's saddling up.
By the way, we are seeing production problems across the commodity spectrum – in both quality and quantity. For instance, take a look at copper.
Did you know that the amount of copper per ton of earth and rock, has been falling since 1988?
That’s right. 1988. And copper is a key component for every economy. And, in terms of total tonnage produced, 2019 might have been the last year that we produce 20.4 million metric tons of copper. So, if you don’t want to look at oil production, there are a host of natural resources to look at, that are also in decline.
Then, there’s Seal Four. Many have come to me with different views on what the ride of the Pale Horse represents:
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
– Revelation 6:7-8 (NKJV)
The word for ‘pale’ in that verse is this one:
χλωρος (pronounced kloros)
That’s Greek for green.
If you know any biology, you have probably come across that special something that allows plants to turn sunlight into growth:
chlorophyll
That’s the same kind of ‘green’ that we’re talking about. It’s a ‘tender’ form of green. But, we’ll need to speculate to think about what that color represents. The colors of the previous horses seemed to fit with what their riders were doing. White for conquest. Red for violence. Black for scarcity.
But, what does green connect to?
Again, we’re speculating, and ONLY speculating. None of us have complete answers, but we do have possibilities.
ISLAM – Except for the past century, no other religion has killed more people than Islam. And, the symbol of that evil religion is the sword and the green flag. And, wherever those two symbols go, death follows.
STARVATION – when the cost of food goes up, the poorest starve, and starvation makes you vulnerable to disease. In fact, most people usually die of infections before they suffer organ failure from lack of food. Also, those without food will try to kill those who have it.
Also, famine is a common weapon in the hands of cruel governments. Millions of Ukrainians were killed by an artificial famine created by Stalin. Tens of millions died in China from starvation because of the Chinese Communist Party. And, Hitler starved the Jews as he worked them to death in his concentration camps – at least, when he was not murdering them in his gas chambers.
Then, as starvation and death depopulates an area, animals will move in and fight over what’s left. Also, those animals that have depended on human activity, will have to fight harder for what food is left. Deer feed on the grain that farmers plant. Wolves eat the deer. When wolves go hungry, they look for other sources of food.
The irony is that starvation and Islam, often go together.
The question is…
…what ‘fourth of the world’ is this?
There are a number of possible regions of the world that would fail because they were not able to adjust to these changes. I have often heard people claim that Africa was the most likely region for the ‘pale horse’ to ride, but most people don’t know how fragile India and China are. And, as Europe and North America continue to decline, they become candidates for this rider, also.
However, as indicated in the discussion of Seal Three, those Third World countries that must import food will suffer the worst. Their cost of food already consumes an abnormally large part of their income, so starvation and disease will follow the rise in food prices. We’ll see what happens, and I don’t really want to.
Seal Five is a lot harder to place and understand:
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
– Revelation 6:9-11 (NKJV)
Most people don’t know this, but more people are being persecuted and killed for Christ right now, than at any other time in human history. And today's biggest persecutor of Christians is China. No one talks about what China is doing to Christians, but the news that we are getting, about Chinese Communist Party persecution of believers, shows that the situation is getting worse and worse and worse. In Muslim countries, Christians are being killed almost on a whim. Islamic terror groups are murdering Christians in Africa and Asia, and there doesn’t seem to be an end to this escalation in evil.
Does any of that explain this Seal?
I don’t know. It could be that Seal Five represents a time of even more terrible persecution, and societies under stress do tend to do such things. Or, it might be something else.
However, the vision of Seal Five describes an event in heaven that would seem to encompass all the persecution that has ever happened – thousands of years of persecution. So, even though the first four Seals correspond to events on earth – as with Seal Six…
Can we say that this coincides with persecution on earth at that time?
Again, I honestly don’t know. But, I also know that we should always be ready to give our lives for Christ.
Are you ready to die for the One who gave you eternal life?
If you cannot answer yes to that question, right now, you have some work to do.
We’ve already talked about the first part of Seal Six and the 144 thousand Israelis with the signature of God in their foreheads. The beginning of this seal is the most likely moment when Gog comes to attack Israel. It’s also the most likely moment for Ezekiel’s Fire – the micronova that knocks our civilization flat.
But, of all these seals, it appears to be the longest one.
Here’s why:
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
– Revelation 7:2-3 (NKJV)
Seals One through Four take years of time, each. We can be reasonably sure that these seals overlap, but they still take time for the actions of the four horsemen to take effect. It takes years to conquer. It takes years for violence to reach peak disorder. It takes years for economies to fully collapse. It takes years for starvation, epidemics and violence to crush a quarter of the world.
We could speculate endlessly about how long each seal would take, and how much each seal overlaps the others. If history is any guide – and I admit that it might not be – the most reasonable estimate is years of time for each Seal. Even decades. So, as we think of how long the first five seals take, we need to consider what this angel says:
Wait an extra amount of time.
If the previous seals take years, does Seal Six take decades?
Again, this is speculation, but it should give us a clue that there will be plenty of time for the events that I have already described in previous chapters. Gog will come. Ezekiel’s Fire will strike. And, a new a civilization will rise with the Ten Kings and then… the Antichrist. We need to think of these Seals as working over a long span of time, and our pastors and theologians have not been teaching us that. I certainly never heard anyone speak of this in my hearing.
So, Seal Six will be extra long, and after the sealing of the 144 thousand Israelis, it introduces something else:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
– Revelation 7:9-12 (NKJV)
That ‘great multitude’ is not the 12 thousand from each of the 12 tribes. This is a lot more than that. All the angels. And, millions of people. So many millions – maybe billions – that they could not be counted. That sounds like everyone who was ever been a follower of God, up to that point in time.
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The description of this multitude continues:
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
– Revelation 7:13-17 (NKJV)
And, since it says that this multitude comes out of ‘the great tribulation’:
Are these the Christians who died during the time of the Antichrist?
No, and we can confirm this by looking at three different groups of souls that appear in heaven. We already saw the group that appeared when Seal Five was opened. The one above, from chapter 7, is from Seal Six. But then, there’s this group from Revelation 15:
1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
– Revelation 15:1-2 (NKJV)
That is a much, much smaller group than the ‘great multitude’ in Revelation 7. In fact, I think that we are required to say that they are different. Those in chapter 15 are a very specific group of people that have a very special place – those who had victory over the Antichrist. This is not like the multitude in Revelation 7. Not even close.
Each group – Seal Five, Seal Six and Revelation 15 – is different. Seal Five is about those who were murdered because they were followers of God. Seal Six contains the group in Seal Five, but adds all the other followers of God who died for more peaceful reasons. Revelation 15 is the smallest of these three groups and only contains those who were killed by the Antichrist.
That’s pretty conclusive. Unless someone can point out a different interpretation, there just isn’t any possible way for the ‘great multitude’ of Seal Six, to be those who were murdered by the Antichrist.
Also, notice that the King James Version doesn’t say ‘the great tribulation’ in Revelation 7. It just says ‘great tribulation’. So, I’m not sure that we should place special significance upon the addition of ‘the’ into verse 14.
The good thing is that we will have time to get all this right as we see the first four seals happening. Then, assuming that we survive, we'll be able to anticipate Seal Six more accurately. I just hope that the first three horseman of the Apocalypse have not already begun their ride.
Then, the final seal – Seal Seven – is removed and the book opens. Seven angels with seven trumpets get ready to sound. And, when they sound their trumpets, bad things happen to the Earth.
What is the difference between the Seals and the Trumpets?
The seals appear to be the result of the actions of mankind, in one way or another. The trumpets appear to be supernatural disasters – even though they might appear to be natural. And no, I’m not sure that I want to be around to see them and verify that I am correct.
Then, as we look at these Seals and Trumpets we are interested in this question:
Where does the Antichrist come in?
He figures prominently in our concerns, but we don’t see him in the Seals. We don’t even see him until after Trumpet Six sounds. And, the description that we have of the Antichrist does not seem to be chronological. He kills the Two Witnesses in Revelation 11, but the Woman doesn’t begin her flight into the wilderness until Revelation 12. And, the description of the rise of The Beast happens in Revelation 13.
Very confusing.
At least some of that confusion comes from our desire to make The Book of Revelation chronological. Some have argued that everything in Revelation happens one after the other, and I won’t say that they are wrong. But, the description does not appear to be so. Yes, it is clear that the Seals come before the Trumpets which come before the Bowls. And, each Seal, Trumpet and Bowl occurs in the order described.
But, where does the Antichrist, the False Prophet and the judgment of the Great Harlot fit in?
I would say that those three would need to happen before Trumpet Seven. But, I don’t feel safe in speculating beyond that.
The least probable place for the Antichrist to appear, is before Seal Six. It is just not possible for him to have declared himself to be a god until many years AFTER Seal Six has been opened. Nor can you fit Seal Five into the description of the Antichrist in Daniel 11. You can’t do it without distorting the Bible and damaging the Book of Revelation – something that you do NOT want to do, which we will talk about in a moment.
However, we still have one more question:
What is the scroll that these seals keep closed?
Well, Revelation 5 introduces the scroll in this way:
1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
– Revelation 5:1-3 (NKJV)
Those seals keep a certain book closed. And, when that book cannot be opened, there was great distress among those looking at it:
So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
– Revelation 5:4 (NKJV)
This book was of great importance to the followers of God in the throne room in heaven. Either something bad would happen, if it could not be opened, or something good could NOT happen if it stayed closed.
Is this the Book of Life?
That would be a great guess, since Jesus is the One who opens this scroll that is held shut by seven seals. He purchased the right to open it through His death, burial and resurrection. His sacrifice allows Him to open this book. I would be fully satisfied with that explanation, and I would be okay if we stopped right there. But, I don't really like that explanation, since we see the opening of the Book of Life later in Revelation.
Also, what comes after the opening of this book, makes me think that it could be something else. Again, I caution you that we are speculating here, but the result of this scroll opening sounds like the coming of the Antichrist and the wrath of God upon those who rebel against Him. It also sounds like the final battle before the Millennium. And, I am reminded of another book that has a name that no one talks about:
The Book of Truth
It’s also referred to as the Scripture of Truth, Writing of Truth and Scroll of Truth. Here’s the proper name in Hebrew:
כתב אמת
chtav emet (ch as in Bach)
‘book of truth’ or ‘writing of truth’
And, I made reference to it in my chapter about the Army of the Antichrist. Here’s the verse where we find it:
But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.)
– Daniel 10:21 (NKJV)
What follows in the verses after that (Daniel 11) is a description of empires rising and falling – and the coming of the Antichrist. In fact, the key part of Daniel 11, is the Antichrist.
Is it a coincidence that the description of what’s in the Book of Truth (in Daniel 11) is also in the description of what happens after the Seventh Seal is opened?
Yeah. It could just be a simple coincidence. Or, this scroll that is sealed with seven seals really could be the Book of Truth described in Daniel 10, 11 and 12. But, we will not know for sure until we stand before God, after this life is over. And, speculating too much here is more than a little dangerous. And, I think that I need to explain why I keep saying that.
Here’s the warning that we all need to pay attention to, from the last chapter of Revelation:
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
– Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV)
If you add to Revelation, you will suffer in this life. If you take away from Revelation, you will suffer after you die, FOREVER. And, we have evidence that people have done both, and are doing both. And, I do not want any of us to be caught by the curse described in those two verses. And, it’s why I was reluctant to write this chapter. But since we seem to be approaching the events described in Revelation, I felt a strong need to talk this.
As I said before, it took a very real struggle for me to accept that Seal Six and the coming of Gog and Magog are at the same moment in time. In fact, it's so mind-boggling that I wanted to leave the Seven Seals of Revelation out of this book. But, withholding the truth from you would be wrong, so we needed to look at it.
So, I understand why you might also struggle with the idea that Gog and Magog and Seal Six are a description of the same moment in time. I understand that all too well, but aside from the similarities there's something really big that should convince you to at least consider all this carefully:
Our civilization is collapsing in exactly the way that Seal One, Seal Two, Seal Three and Seal Four describe.
It's almost as if our leaders decided to use Revelation 6 as their guide book. I've written a lot about this elsewhere, and the reasons for our current mess are complex. And, very few are talking about the core reasons why our way of life is headed over a cliff.
It would take a book to lay out the complete picture of what is happening right now, but the details aren't as important as watching for the Four Horsemen of Revelation 6. They will show you where we are headed, and our destination is not pleasant. Not even a little.
It has become clear to me that:
By the time Gog comes, we will have already seen great disaster and maybe even the death of billions.
However, I rest in the fact that God knows what He's doing, and His purpose is good.
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Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/17-conclusion-wgc.mp3
Did you pass the test?
You probably didn't know that there was one. But, when it comes to the Truth, there's always a test. Always. Read enough of the Bible, and you'll see it clearly - along with the fact that we usually fail. The only question is whether we are willing to acknowledge our failures. Acknowledging failure is hard, so kudos if you're able to do that.
I actually hate being wrong about the Truth and feel dismay when I find that I was in error about something, no matter how minor. Yes, finding new insights into the Bible is wonderful, but that's not the same as seeing proof of a decades-long mistake that you've been talking about for years. I've done that, and I hate it.
I really wish that I could go back to my younger self and tell him to be less dogmatic about certain ideas. That conversation would be long, and my younger self probably wouldn't listen. I had to learn some things the hard way, and I bet that you've had some of that, too.
Unfortunately, this is a 'life or death' test. If you see the truth of what was said here, you'll put some thought into preparing for disaster - for yourself and others. You'll also do your best to help others do the same. If you fail this test, you won't.
Of course, God is merciful, so He might preserve your life, anyway. But, there's always a price for ignorance, and I do not want anyone to pay that. So, I ask again:
Did you pass the test?
Did you see the truth about what is coming?
Are you ready to do something about this knowledge that you have?
As with any problem, the first step is to admit that you have one. Solving it might take time, but God is the Author of solutions. Keep asking Him for the answer, and you will do well.
Speaking of answers...
...what was the question?
Right. This one:
When does Gog come?
Well, if you have been reading what I wrote and haven't found a fundamental error, the answer is clear:
Gog comes years - even decades - before the Antichrist.
No other conclusion is possible. Unfortunately for 99.9% of all theologians, this destroys their theories about the Last Days. It knocks out every claim that Gog is the Antichrist. It eliminates the idea that the Antichrist could be just around the corner. It also collapses the argument that we are in The Millennium or that we shouldn't be concerned about the dire events ahead of us.
Just saying that Gog is not the Antichrist crushes and wipes out the vast majority of our ideas about the Great Tribulation and what the Millennium will be like. It negates the need for a Third Temple. It shatters thoughts about any return to Torah observance. It puts an end to false notions that the church has replaced Israel. And, I find it interesting that few - if any - pastors understand this.
You might be lucky to have a pastor that gets the significance of this point, but I have yet to meet one who does. I'm not even sure about how many seminary professors understand the gravity and magnitude of this observation. In fact, I would be curious to know whether teachers of eschatology would get this.
Every Bible teacher should at least know that there is even a question about the identity of Gog and the Antichrist. So far, I only know a few people who even spend time thinking about the question, even though they get it all upside down. This astounding ignorance by our leadership is appalling. And wrong. Even a sin.
Bible teachers have a special responsibility to teach the truth, even if it is unpopular. If we do not, we will be condemned by God when we stand before Him and suffer loss for eternity (James 3:1). It would be better to be a voiceless deacon than to neglect the truth that God has entrusted to us.
They failed their test. When the time came to reexamine closely held beliefs, they chose badly. They sought consensus and took comfort in 'group think' instead of submitting to what the Bible actually says. And, this is only one in a growing list of failures.
I could write a book on the shocking level of corruption that has swept through our churches. Adultery, pornography, abortion, theft, arrogance, hatred, worldliness, faithlessness, and a terrible level of ignorance. I've seen brothers and sisters abused, and very little compassion for those who suffer.
I despair over how bad the best of our churches have become. We have set up idols made in our own image, that reflect what we want God to be, instead of who He really is. And, I'm wondering if this isn't one of the tests that separate the sheep from the wolves.
If your pastor or elder cannot address this question properly, find someone who can. Great difficulty is coming, and good leadership will be required for guidance. To help navigate the terrible times ahead. I can only pray that there will be enough time for our congregations to wake up and realize how dire our situation is.
Unfortunately, 'waking up' might cost you everything. I've seen it happen. I've been through it. It's what it means to love the truth. To buy the truth and not compromise it (Proverbs 23:23). If you are an elder or pastor and preach that Gog is not the Antichrist, you will probably lose your church.
I have a friend who pastors a church in Indiana. He faced a similar question, but couldn't face the thought that preaching the truth might cause him to lose his church. At a minimum, he said to me, two thirds of his congregation would leave. And, he was too much of a coward to preach what he knew to be true.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't just be pastors with ruined careers. Lots and lots of prophecy watchers and end times commentators would face ruin if they taught that Gog and Magog come before the Antichrist. The fear and hysteria industry would have to find something else to be fearful about. Books would be burned, radio shows turned off and eschatology conferences cancelled. And, there's just no way that our leadership would be willing to suffer that.
Most pastors and elders have too much invested in their views of the Last Days to ever make such a supreme sacrifice. They don't have the courage to face it. It's too much for them. And, because of their weak leadership, it's probably too much for their congregations.
Of course, there is another kind of sacrifice that is just as painful:
Realizing that your warm, cuddly world view just ain't so...
...is just too hard for some people.
One pastor claimed that he would reject Christ, if he discovered that we were destined to go through the Great Tribulation. And, one pre-trib pastor freaked out when he discovered that we were going to see the Antichrist - eventually going full Preterist and deciding that political violence in the name of 'freedom' was okay. And, there are many similar stories of pastors being unable to handle the emotional cost of the truth.
The irony is that I understand a little bit of that. Some of the observations in this book are almost too much for me also. In fact, I doubt that I could have embraced all this twenty years ago, or even ten. Yes, I knew that something was coming, but it was vague enough in my mind that I could still hold on to my cherished delusions.
And, I suspect that I still want to hold on to some of those delusions a little longer because I hope that the seals of Revelation Six take a very long time to open - long enough that the burden of these events will fall upon the shoulders of some other generation than our own. I'm certainly in no rush to see any of this happen, and I want as many people as possible to be spiritually, mentally and physically prepared for what is coming.
I want extra time...
...but, I don't think that we're going to get it.
But, even if God grants us another thousand years before these things happen, that doesn't change our duty to embrace the truth. The love of the truth is part of what defines a follower of Christ. And, we are not allowed to remain quiet about the truth that we have. We have a solemn responsibility to share what God has given us. We were given the gospel along with a firm command to share it, and the same goes for those who see the enemy coming:
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
- Ezekiel 33:6 (NKJV)
Everyone in the Body of Christ is a watchman. Everyone. And, if we see that trouble is coming, and say nothing - woe unto us. We will all stand before God one day, and be required to answer for what we did and did not do. And, since I wish to hear Him say that I have done well, I will do my best to give warning to any who will listen.
You must do the same.
You and I do not have a choice in this matter. We cannot keep quiet about When Gog Comes. We must warn our brothers and sisters of where our world is headed. I hope that you will join me in doing that.
Just don't forget the tremendous opportunity that comes with this moment in time. When Gog Comes, we will have an awesome chance to share the gospel as we help others in need. More importantly, the whole world will see that the Bible is true and that Jesus is the only Lord and Savior of the world. In the midst of terrible tragedy, many will receive the greatest blessing that anyone could possibly have - eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Is there any price too high, for that?
Times of difficulty always do more to prepare people's hearts to hear the gospel than times that are easy. Great revival never comes when everything is wonderful. As much as we hate adversity and suffering, we should embrace it for the love of God and His people.
So, as we look at the hard days ahead, we should rejoice at the opportunity to rescue the lost. It will be our generation's greatest chance to reflect the light of Christ into a world destined for eternal suffering. Whatever price we might pay is nothing if it means someone escapes the road to Hell.
Just remember...
...you can't share the gospel or help those who do, if you're dead.
Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost, and we must do the same. We must also feed and nurture those who have been rescued from their sins so that they might go on to fulfill The Great Commission as well. No matter how terrible the future might be, the cause of Christ must continue. And, it will.
So, fill your lamps with oil and prepare for the darkness that comes (Matthew 25:1-13). The blessings that we receive will be eternal.
So, let's summarize the main points that we covered in When Gog Comes:
The evidence is conclusive and inarguable, and I devoutly wish that we could ignore those irrefutable points. But, we cannot because When Gog Comes, this also happens:
If that sounds like Apocalypse, you’d be right. It is so similar to the opening of the Sixth Seal of Revelation 6, that it’s impossible to not see that they are the same. It’s so obvious that it must be our default position. So, we must state clearly that this will be true:
The Sixth Seal will be opened When Gog Comes
Unfortunately, there will always be those who reject God, even though they are given direct evidence that He exists and is exactly who the Bible describes. For them, this will be the final warning before the final rebellion. Revelation 6 shows us that they will see and understand that warning. They will know who God is…
…but, they will reject Him.
When the rest of Revelation and the other prophecies about the Last Days take place exactly as described, the world will not be able to claim that they were not warned. They will know, for one last time, that God is true, even though they are determined to reject Him.
The question is whether our brothers and sisters will wake up in time to prepare for what is coming. As I write this in 2022, it appears to me that the Seals of Revelation are opening and that the Black Horse is saddled and ready to ride. I certainly hear the beat of his hooves in the decline of energy reserves that is already causing food prices to rise. Yes, COVID and government mismanagement played a role, but the decline in oil over the coming years will mean famine for many and misery for everyone else. It will be very, very bad.
The only question in my mind is when Christians will wake up to the great disaster that is rolling down upon us. The prophets have warned us repeatedly, but we have been unable to understand. But now, when events should be most clear, our pastors and teachers refuse to see what is happening.
Their ears are clogged.
Their minds are closed.
Their hearts are cold.
But, their failings should not keep us from embracing the truth that we see and prepare to serve God in the difficult days that are coming. And, what I write about in this book is just the culmination of a series of global tragedies that will sweep the globe. There are five Seals that come before Seal Six, so you need to be ready for those as well.
By the time that Gog and Magog descend upon the Land of Israel, the world will be a mess, so you will need to follow some of these preparations long before this happens. So, here are some obvious things to do:
Again, we don’t stop being followers of Christ, when disaster strikes. In fact, when death and destruction surrounds us, it will be even MORE important to be loving, kind and generous. It is the mark of Christ to give when times are hard. And, the time to start preparing for such Christian generosity begins now.
For those of you, like me, who have dedicated much of their lives to Israel and the Jewish people, go to Jerusalem and warn Israel about what is coming. If I’m still alive when the time comes, and if the Lord allows, I’ll be there with you.
As a guy, I'll never know what it's like to give birth. But, we know that a woman who is pregnant already loves her child so much that she's willing to go through all of the pain and suffering of childbirth, so that she can hold her baby in her arms and rejoice in the life that she was given. I want that goodness for all of us, so I want you to be ready for the hardships that are coming.
Just remember...
It's kinda hard to share the Gospel, if you’re dead.
NOTE: If you cheated and went here before reading the rest of the book, go back to the beginning and read everything that you missed. You owe it to yourself to see all the evidence laid out properly – assuming that I’ve done that.
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John accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior almost 50 years ago. He’s been passionate about his commitment to God, even passionately wrong sometimes. He now hopes to share some of the insights gleaned from time spent in the Bible and 26 years in Asia.
John’s career began in the computer industry in Indiana, before working in financial services for an investment firm in Jerusalem. After a couple years writing about price-to-earnings ratios and the Hang Seng index, he went on to write for a Texas-based computer company, in Tel Aviv, and then a software company, in Jerusalem. When the dot-com bubble burst, he wound up in a small company in Kfar Saba, followed by a tiny encrypted email communications firm in Givat Ram. Back in Indiana, he wrote for a state government IT department.
In 2010, John went back to Asia, to do evangelism. He’s not very good at it, but it’s the attempt that counts.
And an MBA? Oh yeah, he has one of those too. He keeps it in the closet somewhere.
John is married to the most beautiful woman on the planet, and he tells everyone that she’s the second-best thing that ever happened to him. This gives him a chance to talk about the First-Best. Everyone who knows him, has lots of sympathy for Mrs. Little.
Right now, John lives in Taiwan. The southern part. It’s hot there.
You can also find lots of his writing here:
Now, if John can get back to writing in the first person, he’d appreciate it.
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© 2022 John Little. All rights reserved.
May God preserve the words that are true
and cast away those that are not.
When Gog and Magog descend upon Israel, God will strike the earth with a great solar storm that will knock our civilization back to the stone age. Electricity generation, transportation networks, water distribution and food production will cease. At the same time, a global earthquake will shatter ever city around the world. Those who do not die in the earthquake, will perish from thirst, starvation and violence.
This is what the prophets have said would happen, but we have struggled to understand what they were talking about. However, we now have scientific evidence that such a solar event and earthquake has happened before, and will happen again.
Those who are prepared for this moment in time will able to survive and continue sharing the Gospel to a dying world. Those who do not, have little hope of doing so.