ON THE PROPHETIC HORIZON

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Attack on Israel by surrounding nations not in Gog’s coalition

It is mainly the fact that these nations are not part of Gog’s coalition that makes me believe the coalition described in Psalm 83 will make an attack on Israel that precedes the attack of Gog’s coalition.  The nations today known as Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria along with the “Palestinians” of Gaza and the West Bank make up this coalition and have borders in common with Israel.

Psalms 83:4–8 “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.”

The UN vote to recognize a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders only adds fuel to the fire for this future conflict.

Destruction of Damascus

Damascus is widely recognized as the oldest continuously populated city on the planet.  The prophet Isaiah tells us that the day is coming when Damascus will be completely destroyed. 

Isaiah 17:1 “Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.”

I must admit that events in the news today have me puzzled.  I think it is still possible that Iran will be able to influence those of Hamas in leadership over the Palestinians in Israel to provoke a conflict with Israel that will force the Muslim Brotherhood to join their ranks.  Conditions in Jordan are such that I believe they would join this coalition just to pacify the Muslim Brotherhood that is causing unrest in their own nation.  Hizbullah, the controlling arm of Iran’s influence in Lebanon, would not fail to take advantage of the opportunity to become part of a coalition determined to destroy Israel.  Interestingly enough, this could result in the destruction of Damascus and the fall of Assad from power.  Only time will reveal how this prophecy is fulfilled.

Gog leads a coalition of Moslem nations against Israel

As pointed out in the previous blog post, Ezekiel prophesies that “in the latter years” a coalition of Islamic nations led by Russia will attack Israel at a time when they are living with a false sense of security.  It is the fact that they are living with such a false sense of security that makes me believe that this attack will happen after the threat from their bordering nations has been removed due to their victory over the coalition of nations identified in Psalm 83.

Ezekiel 38:8–12 “…in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee….And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations….”

Establishment of a Global Government, Economy & Religion

Scripture records that the Antichrist that will rise to power during the tribulation period will establish a global government that will control worldwide economics.  He will have an assistant that will exhibit miraculous powers and will administer control of the worldwide economic system that will be implemented during the last 3.5 years of the tribulation period.  No one will be able to buy or sell without taking the mark of the Antichrist in his right hand or forehead.  Those who refuse to worship the Antichrist will be killed.

Revelation 13:1–8 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea….and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority….And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Revelation 13:11–17 “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

It is clear from the headlines around the world in recent times, that the establishment of a global government and economy is looming on the horizon.  The economies of the world are so interconnected that this will be seen as the only viable option to maintain any type of worldwide stability.  Incremental steps have already been taken to pave the way for the implementation of just such a system through the establishment of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.  I found this quote regarding government control of the internet from Bill Binney, the former head of the National Security Agency's Signals Intelligence Division, "...all the infrastructure has been built for absolute totalitarianism."

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Rapture

Personally, this is the event that I most anticipate.  Scripture is clear in declaring that there is a generation of believers that will escape death and will experience immediate transformation to resurrected bodies that are incorruptible and immortal.

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

1 Thessalonians 4:14–17 “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

The Lord Jesus clearly declared that no man could know the day or hour of His return. 

Matthew 24:36–37 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

I think, however, that He clearly expects us to recognize the signs of the times as revealed in His word; that is why He revealed those signs.  He severely rebuked the religious leaders of His day for not recognizing Him as their Messiah since the works and miracles He would do had been revealed by the prophet Isaiah, and Daniel had even revealed the time to expect Him.

Matthew 16:1–3 “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

Isaiah 61:1–2 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD….”

Isaiah 35:5–6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing….”

Daniel 9:24–25 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks….”

Daniel specified that from the time that the commandment was issued for the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, 483 years would pass until Messiah was revealed; and Jesus was living in that time.

(to be continued…)