by Tim Buck | Jul 15, 2022 | America, Gog and Magog, Isreal, Joe Biden, Saudi Arabia, Tim's Articles
President Joe BidenProphecy In The News This Week
7/15/22 by Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Note: There is so much news in relation to Bible Prophecy this week, I’ve decided to include multiple current events articles here, all at once.
In a UAV strike this past Tuesday, the US assassinated the leader of ISIS in Syria, while severely wounding another senior ISIS official who eventually succumbed to his wounds.
The two terrorists were traveling outside Jindayris in northwest Syria at the time. Maher al-Agal was responsible for many attacks within the country, and was developing ISIS outside of Syria and Iraq. “The removal of these ISIS leaders will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out global attacks,” said CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino.
President Joe Biden landed in Israel Wednesday, arriving with a record low approval rating of 33% and a 40-year high inflation rate of 9.1%. He is destroying the American economy.
Yet, with that record and the knowledge that nearly two-thirds of those in his own party don’t want him to run again in 2024, he did his best to tell Israel how he will help them make everything happy with the Palestinians.
While there, he pushed the two-state solution and reaffirmed his intention to open a Palestinian Consulate in Jerusalem, a slap in the face to the Israeli government.
There have now been 12 US presidential visits to Israel. One each from Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. Bill Clinton came calling 4 times, George W. Bush (twice), Barack Obama (twice) and Donald Trump (once).
Out of all these, none – not even Trump, Israel’s best friend ever in the White House – attempted to verbalize support for the Jewish state as did President Joe Biden on this trip. He appears to model the spirit of Antichrist who will “come in peaceably” with many flatteries (Daniel 11:32) and woo Israel with promises of peace and security before turning against them and seeking their extermination.
Today he’s in Saudi Arabia. While there, he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a man he once said must be held accountable for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. That get-together could be awkward. I do not expect that Biden will receive the same kind of celebratory reception when he arrives as did President Trump.
Russia continues to strangle Ukraine. Moscow has taken over 22% of the agricultural land and has burned wheat fields in other parts. The 20% of Ukraine that Putin already controls contributes approximately half of the nation’s GDP. If they take the districts of Mykolaiv and Odessa, Ukraine will be left with only 25% of their GDP and no seaports for trade.
The Ukraine war continues to have a crippling effect on the world’s food industry and economy.
Moscow’s relationship with other Central European nations continues to deteriorate. On Monday, the Russian #KILLNET hacking network launched a cyberattack on the Polish Tax Authority causing all sorts of havoc. Tensions with Lithuania were continuing to grow as the Baltic country expanded its restrictions on goods that they would allow to pass through to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
However, just yesterday, the EU caved to Moscow’s pressure and said that it was okay for Russian goods to travel through Lithuania by rail to Kaliningrad. The Vilnius government, which had only been following the EU’s sanctions, breathed a sigh of relief and said that it would not ignore “the positions and assessments” of the other nations.
Gog and Magog: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it popular for prophecy teachers today to tout the ongoing war in Ukraine as having a connection to the Battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39. However there is simply NO CONNECTION. Putin is not Gog and Magog is not Russia. In Ezekiel 38-39, Gog is Antichrist and Magog points to Turkey not Russia.
The Battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel is simply the prophet Ezekiel unpacking the story of the Battle of Armageddon which takes place at the end of the Tribulation not during the Church-Age. We should not assume Russia’s actions are a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. To hear my teaching on the Magog Invasion go HERE.
Turkey, Iran and Russia: Next Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Tehran, where he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
One of the primary purposes for the trilateral summit is the boosting of economic cooperation with Iran. The ties between these countries continues to grow.
Just on Monday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced that Iran was preparing to provide several hundred military drones to Russia for use against Ukraine. Over just the past several weeks, 25 military cargo flights have been conducted to Russia from Iran.
Iran continues to supply arms to its proxy militias in Iraq and Syria. However, the actual delivery of these supplies isn’t always successful. On Saturday, a shipment from Iran that had passed through Iraq was destroyed in Deir a-Zor, Syria. In other Iranian weapons news, Iran has reached the capability for the 90% enrichment threshold needed for nuclear bombs. This adds them to the list of other threshold countries who have the technology and resources for nuclear weapons, but has not taken the step of building them yet.
Ahmad Sales, member of the Popular Defense militia that is connected to Hezbollah in the Golan area, was assassinated in southern Syria. It appears to be an Israeli targeted killing.
Finally, on Tuesday, the Israeli Air Force and the Greek Air Force conducted another joint training simulation. The exercise included both air-to-air combat, as well as refueling operations. While already enjoying close diplomatic relations, the two countries are drawing even closer as they see great opportunities ahead in the area of energy.
The Ministry
Thank you again for your prayers and your financial support of this ministry.
Attention all FOTET friends, you are invited to join us next spring for our tour of Israel. We will also be visiting the country of Jordan where you will experience the amazing rock city of Petra and here my teaching on, “Six reasons why Petra is likely where God protects the Jewish remnant during the Tribulation.”
The dates are April 25-May 6, 2023. We would love you to join us on this trip of a lifetime. You can reserve your seat HERE while we still have room.
We are looking forward to our next teaching on August 9 from the prophet Zechariah which I’m now calling Part One!
Chapters 12-14 are packed with such a sweeping overview of end time prophecy events, from the modern wars of Israel through the Tribulation and into the Millennial Kingdom, that it will take multiple classes to cover these wonderful chapters. Please read Zechariah 12-14 and discover what a blessing they are.
We are grateful to everyone for the positive response to the “Fill The Tables” challenge to help the ministry grow in 2022. We are living in a fascinating period of the last days and people are hungry for truth about our upside-down world.
Bible prophecy is not like fortune-telling, which is occasionally accurate but most of the time not. God’s requirement was that a prophet be accurate 100 percent of the time or be stoned to death (Dt. 18:20–22).
God has called our ministry to teach Bible prophecy which is serious business making up some 27% of scripture. Sadly, the topic of prophecy is neglected by most pulpits today even though preachers are commanded to “preach the whole counsel of God.”
During these next couple weeks in particular we would appreciate your intercession.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Awaiting His Return,
Tim
by Tim Buck | Mar 4, 2022 | Gog and Magog, How to Live the Last Days, Nations, Tim's Articles, Ukraine
Special Ukraine UpdateIs The War in Ukraine Part of Ezekiel’s Gog/Magog Invasion?
Are there prophetic implications to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – could it trigger The War of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39?
Does Russia have a role in end-times Bible prophecy? Who/what are Gog and Magog? Is the Russian invasion of Ukraine part of end-time prophecy?
The goal is to reestablish the Russian Empire, however the real story is Israel. Is the stage being set for the Gog & Magog War of Ezekiel 38 & 39?
It seems that many Christian leaders are watching closely to find out. Some have made a leap of faith and claim God’s prophecy is being fulfilled, while others have cautioned it is just too early to tell.
In recent days, videos have popped up all over the Internet, including on social media, the websites of Christian ministries and on Christian media outlets, citing passages from Ezekiel 38 and claiming that the end times are here.
The decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch an illegal invasion of Ukraine has dominated global headlines and social media for over a week. As of today, over 1 million have fled Ukraine.
It has also generated a wave of questions about Bible prophecy and the last days.
First, are there prophetic implications to this horrible new war in Ukraine and fears throughout Europe that Putin may invade other countries as well?
Second, could this war in Europe trigger the end times scenario that Ezekiel described as the “War of Gog and Magog” in chapters 38-39 of Ezekiel?
You can watch my teaching on this, “The Magog Invasion” HERE.
Old and New Testament prophecies that describe future end-time events, particularly what the Bible describes as the “Battle of Gog and Magog,” remain a mystery to many.
Unfortunately, very few pastors or Bible teachers have ever carefully studied these prophecies, much less take the time to explain them to lay people. Indeed, most pastors tend to ignore end-time prophecies altogether.
That leaves lay people, who have hungry hearts to understand Bible prophecy, to form opinions that are web based and driven by social media or by watching TV “prophecy experts.” With these as our training tools, there’s no shortage of confusing opinions and this just may be the least reliable places to learn Bible prophecy!
The cruel and horrific war that Russia has unleashed on Ukraine has created a tragic situation as innocent Ukrainians are being killed for no reason other than the evil heart of Russian dictator, President Putin.It is apparent that there is a great need for humanitarian assistance that will likely continue for some time as most Ukrainians are losing their income while costs of available necessities have skyrocketed.
by Tim Buck | Nov 30, 2021 | Gog and Magog, Islam, Tim's Articles
As some conjecture…Will Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 Cause Islam to Disappear in the End Times?
Tim Buck
FOTET.org
The purpose of this article is to address what has in recent years become a widely held prophecy theory regarding Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39. The theory, popularized by Bill Salus in his book Isralestine, holds that the Bible predicts two specific invasions before the Tribulation Period begins that change the demographics of the end times.
The Christian church and the rest of the non-Muslim world is about to have a head-on clash with a very real demographic giant. Recognizing the epic proportions of this coming clash, some people (like myself) are shouting from the rooftops to prepare for the massive challenge ahead. Others, however, seem to be determined to lull the church back to sleep. “Don’t worry,” they say, “The giant will suffer a massive heart attack before he even arrives at the battle lines. Go back to sleep.”
Present demographic realities make it clear that as the church continues to slow down its growth globally, the religion of Islam is simply outpacing us. An acknowledgment of demographic trends today and understanding the Islamic connection to end-times prophecy make it clear that Islam represents the single greatest challenge the Christian church will face before the return of Jesus. But the church is largely asleep to the danger of this reality, assisted by a new theory.
One of the more successful false teachings to invade Bible prophecy over the last decade is rooted in a false interpretation of the Scriptures, and a poor understanding of global demographics. The giant in the room is Islam and to remove it, the teaching says that through two end-time wars, before the start of the Tribulation, the religion of Islam will be wiped off the face of the earth and pave the way for Antichrist to rise from Europe. Hmmm.
The two wars used to try to prove their “Islam is dead” theory is a supposed war in Psalms 83 and the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39. Most scholars reject the view that Psalm 83 is even an actual prophecy but is simply a national prayer of lament. It is also abundantly clear that the Battle of Gog and Magog is simply telling the Old Testament story of the Battle of Armageddon that takes place at the end of the Tribulation and ends in Israel’s salvation.
The “Islam is dead” theory is a recent invention to discredit the Islamic end-time paradigm which correctly believes the religion of Islam will give rise to Antichrist. Driving the movement is also the need to find support for the outdated and unsupportive, “revived Roman empire” theory.
The “Rome is coming back” theory is falsely rooted in a misinterpretation of Daniel’s fourth empire that is discussed in both Daniel chapters two and seven. A more careful analyses of these two chapters reveals that the fourth empire that Daniel talks about points to the Islamic Caliphate not the ancient Roman empire. For numerous reasons outlined in chapter two of my book, The Empire of Antichrist, the ancient Roman empire simply does not meet the requirements of the text describing Daniel’s fourth empire. However, the historic Islamic empire meets all the textual requirements perfectly.
According to the theory, Salus postulates that the two wars of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 are pre-tribulation battles that wipe out 100% of the world’s Muslim population. He theorizes that as a result of these two wars, the world’s Muslim’s will simply vanish before the Tribulation begins, perhaps even quite soon.
He refers to the Psalm 83 battle as the removal of the “inner circle” of Muslim nations around Israel today. The “Inner Circle” map overlays the ancient names of Psalm 83 (in red) with their supposed modern-day counterparts map. Then he refers to his map of Ezekiel 38 as the removal of the “Outer Ring” of Muslim nations around Israel. And WAHLAH, there you have it… the Muslim’s are gone! Now you see ‘em… now you don’t!
To rescue the revival of the Roman empire idea, unfortunately, multiple modern prophecy writers have grabbed onto this theory like a rescue line to a drowning swimmer. If you don’t believe the theory is widely taught, consider a sampling of comments made by popular prophecy teachers as they do their best to articulate the view:
“There is no need whatsoever to warn the Bride of Christ [the church] about some non-existent Islamic (sic) myth … Islam will not exist by the time the 70th Week begins.” – Sean Osborne
“The war of Psalm 83 followed by the war of Ezekiel 38 will result in the annihilation of nearly all the armies of the Muslim nations of the Middle East … The Middle East will be reduced to ashes! … There are two wars that are indicated most likely before or just at the beginning of the Tribulation… In my opinion, those wars are going to pretty well wipe out the Muslims in the Middle East.” – David Reagan
“Islam is just another system that will be wiped out before the Antichrist instills (sic) his system … The Gog-Magog Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 that will soon end the Islamic threat before the Antichrist even comes on the scene. Islam’s days are numbered well before the Antichrist’s empire.” – Nathan Jones
The problem with the comments of these good men is they fail to recognize the actual demographics of the Muslim world. Apparently they believe that most of the world’s Muslims live in the Middle East. The truth, however, is that the vast majority of Muslims live outside of the Middle East. In fact, almost half of all Muslims globally live in the four countries of Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Indonesia has a Muslim population of 276 million, Pakistan has 225 million, India has 300 million and Bangladesh has 153 million. Yet neither Psalm 83 nor Ezekiel 38-39, the two passages that this view claims will soon “wipe out” Muslims and Islam globally, include these nations.
The large majority of the World’s Muslims live outside of the Middle East. For example, today there are more Muslims in either France (3.5 million) or Germany (5.5 million) than in Lebanon (2.5 million).
This is where Bible prophecy and fantasy collide with the harsh realities of demographics. If we listed every nation suggested as part of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39, this would still represent less than one-third of the world’s Muslim population.
So let’s test the demographics of this theory. If every soldier and every active-duty member of the nations suggested as being part of the supposed Psalm 83 invasion and Ezekiel 38-39 were gone, it would approximately represent
31,213,730 soldiers, less than 2 percent of the total 1.8 billion Muslims of the world. So because a mere 2 percent of the Muslims of the world are defeated, somehow this means that the other 1.6 billion Muslims no longer exist?
Let’s take this scenario one step further. Let’s imagine that not just the active-duty soldiers but every single person in every one of these nations was removed from the picture, leaving not a single survivor, man, woman, or child, from Russian to Sudan, something no one is suggesting will occur, how would this change things? Would Islam be “wiped out” as they claim? Far from it. In fact, there would still remain well over a billion Muslims worldwide. Islam would continue to have more adherents than Protestant Christianity globally. Muslims would continue to be a vast and vibrant force worldwide.
As we can see, even if all the nations suggested within the Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 wars were wiped out, there would still remain more than two-thirds of all Muslims in the world and the four largest Muslim nations would be untouched. Any suggestion that Islam will disappear from earth before the rise of Antichrist and the 7-year Tribulation is a fantasy.
No amount of denial, prophetic manipulation, or wishful thinking will make Islam go away. It’s not going to happen. It’s time for the church to wake up to the reality that Europe is dead not Islam. It takes the European Union five years to decide on the most mundane matters. The overwhelming biblical evidence is that Muslim’s are deceived by Satan today and are already positioned to participate in the great clash of the Tribulation aimed at destroying the non-Muslim world and Israel.
Far too many Christians have chosen to ignore the looming danger and rising threat and are sitting back and daydreaming about the time when Islam will go away. Instead we need a more aggressive approach, like David took toward the giant, of reaching Muslim’s with the Gospel of Christ and warning our fellow believers of the danger closing in.
Then it happened when Goliath the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
You know the rest of the story.
by Tim Buck | May 3, 2021 | Anti-Christ, Armageddon, Gog and Magog, Tim's Articles
The world today is like a bomb with a lighted fuse!
Conditions everywhere indicate that it is only a matter of time before the bomb is ignited. Once lit, 7-years later, the Day of the Lord will end with the traumatic events of the Battle of Armageddon on the mountains of Israel.
But when does the Battle of Gog and Magog take place? Is it different than Armageddon? If so, should we be looking for Russia to invade Israel soon?
For the last five decades, the Battle of Gog and Magog has caused a lot of confusion in the church regarding who, what, when and why the battle takes place. It is almost universally accepted that Ezekiel’s invasion of Israel will be led by Russia and could take place any day now.
So should we be looking for Russia to invade Israel soon?
I don’t think so!
In a few weeks we are going to study this controversial end-time war from Ezekiel 38 and 39. For decades, popular prophecy teachers have told us this is a preliminary invasion of Israel led by Russia that has nothing to do with the Battle of Armageddon. We’re going to explain why the Russian theory is misplaced and simply not correct.
The Prophet Ezekiel describes this end-time invasion of Israel from the north. He refers to Gog as the prince or leader of a coalition of Muslim nations who I believe is Antichrist. Ezekiel tells us that the ruler Gog is from the land of Magog which is a reference to Turkey.
So in a nutshell, I see this as Antichrist leading the Caliphate armies into Israel for the final Battle of Armageddon. In-other-words, like most prophecies in the Book of Revelation, Ezekiel’s prophecy is simply telling the Old Testament version (Amos 3:7) of the same story of the New Testament Battle of Armageddon that John tells in Revelation 14, 16, 19 and 20.
Read Ezekiel 38 and 39
So to help prepare for the May 18 class, please take the time to read and study Ezekiel 38 and 39. I recommend the MacArthur Study Bible (large print). You can also get the App.
Four Study Questions
Here are Four Study Questions to ponder about the Ezekiel War:
1. Is Ezekiel 39:11-16 describing the clean up of modern nuclear weapons? Are nuclear weapons described elsewhere specifically during the Battle of Armageddon? See Zech. 14:12-15
2. Is Ezekiel 38 and 39 a pre-Armageddon invasion of Israel that’s not mentioned anywhere else in Bible prophecy? Asked another way, is Russia prophesied anywhere else in the Bible to fulfill the requirement of Ezek. 39:8?
3. If the battle takes place before the Battle of Armageddon, either before the Tribulation begins or during the first half of the Tribulation, how is it possible that God pronounces the result of the battle is the salvation of Israel? See Ezek. 39:29.
4. Is Gog, Antichrist, or is he some unknown preliminary invader (Putin?) disconnected from all other Bible prophecy? If Russia isn’t found somewhere else in Old Testament Bible prophecies than how can it fulfill Ezek. 38:17?
So the House of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward.
Ezekiel 39.22
by Tim Buck | Oct 21, 2016 | Blog, Gog and Magog
Almost every prophecy teacher today holds that Russia and their Islamic allies will invade Israel before the start of the Tribulation. With Russia positioning itself as the strongman of the Middle East it’s prompting many students of prophecy to ask… Is Russia preparing for the Battle of Gog and Magog?
Chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel reveal an apocalyptic battle at the end of the age. The battle is described as “against Gog, of the land of Magog.” This unusual and difficult passage has been the subject of endless discussion and speculation among prophecy students as to the identification of the mysterious participants.
The two chapters in Ezekiel describe a large military assault on Israel in the end times led by an unknown leader named Gog from Magog. Gog leads a coalition of Islamic nations that launch a surprise attack on Israel. In the midst of the war, God intervenes, crushes the participants and supernaturally saves Israel. The question is… who are the participants and when is the battle?
One view holds that the text is referring to a Russia-led invasion of the Middle East. This interpretation rose during the Cold War when the atheistic Soviet Union was deeply involved in the Middle East supporting Israel’s Arab enemies. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, a growing number of scholars, however, realize that the Russian invasion theory rests upon scant foundations.
Russia or Turkey?
Turkish President Recep Tayyeb Erdogan is on a quest to reestablish the
Islamic Ottoman Empire:
“The Justice and Development Party
is a party in which the spirit of the Ottoman’s is deeply rooted”
There is growing evidence of a more plausible view showing that the prophecy is not about Russia at all. Instead, Ezekiel 38 and 39 teaches that Antichrist is Gog and the battle depicts Turkey leading the Caliphate into Israel for the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation. The One who enters the scene in none other than Jesus Christ at His Second Coming. As such, the Battle of Gog and Magog is simply an Old Testament portrayal of the New Testament Battle of Armageddon. The battle takes place on the mountains of Israel and Jesus intervenes on behalf of His covenant people.
Notice in the map below that five of the eight ancient names mentioned as participants in the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38:1-6, are lands found within modern day Turkey. God is warning us of the leadership role Turkey plays as the head of the Caliphate in the end times.
Map: Muslim Nations in the Battle of Gog and Magog – Ezekiel 38:1-6
Here are a few points to consider substantiating that it’s not possible for the battle of Gog and Magog to take place before the Tribulation and that the war must occur at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus the Messiah returns in power and great glory.
1. Gog is Antichrist – the one prophesied by other prophets – Ezek. 38:17
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?
Amos gives us insight into how God reveals prophecy. He tells us that God doesn’t reveal anything without first revealing it through His prophets, “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
Ezekiel 38:17 is a key verse to interpret this prophecy. This verse affirms that God through His prophets spoke about Gog in former times. That tells us that the leader of the battle, Gog, has been prophesied about before in previous biblical prophets. What great military leader has been prophesied about to attack Israel in the end times? The only candidate that meets this requirement would be the one we call Antichrist, Satan’s tyrant. Importantly, both the prophetic books of Micah and Daniel were written before Ezekiel and both talk about Antichrist in their respective books leading Israel’s enemies and waging war in the end times against Israel (Micah 5; Dan. 7). Nowhere in the biblical record is there another mighty warrior mentioned that leads an assault on Israel in the end times. And certainly, there is no mention of a Russian leader in any prophetic writings prior to Ezekiel. This leads us to the conclusion that Gog is a reference to Antichrist (not Putin) leading this invasion against Israel.
2. The battle was previously prophesied – Ezek. 39:8
Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord God. “This is the day of which I have spoken.
Here God declares that the battle “is the day that I have spoken”. Not only was Gog prophesied about previously, but the battle itself has been previously spoken about in the prophets before Ezekiel. Once again, the question to ask is what Old Testament prophets, previous to Ezekiel, spoke about the details of a great end times battle? The prophet Joel, long before Ezekiel, spoke of the day that God will return to judge the nations in the “Valley of Jehosophat,” a reference to the Battle of Armageddon (Joel 3:1-2):
“For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.
There is no pre-Ezekiel prophet referencing a Russian invasion of Israel. This leads us to conclude that since the only other battle prophesied about in the Old Testament is the Battle of Armageddon, then the Ezekiel battle is just another depiction of the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation.
3. Israel will be saved – God will pour out His Spirit – Ezek. 39:22, 29
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
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.
One of the great themes of Old Testament prophecy is the salvation of the Jewish remnant that survives the 7 year Tribulation. The Jewish people will see Jesus when He breaks through the clouds which brings them to repentance (Zech. 12:10-14) at the intersection of the Battle of Armageddon and Christ’s Second Coming. What a blessing! God is faithful to redeem His people just like He promised. (Ezek. 36:23-38; Dan. 12:1; Hosea 14:1-9; Joel 2:32; 3:16-21; Amos 9:11-15; Zeph. 3:14-20 Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:16-4:4; Rom. 11:25-27)
Isa. 40:3 mentions a “highway” called – “the way of the Lord” when Israel returns to the Lord on His highway of Salvation. This happens at the end of the Tribulation, not before the Tribulation like the Russian theory proponents suggest. The above two verses clearly broadcast Israel’s salvation at the end of Gog and Magog, “Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward” (vs. 22). To further clarify what that means, verse 29 says, “for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel”. This phrase is used elsewhere (Isa. 59:20-21; Zech. 12:10) to describe Israel’s future glorious day of salvation at the return of the Lord. Once again, we are left with the same conclusion. Ezekiel’s Battle of Gog and Magog, which results in Israel’s national repentance and salvation, is an Old Testament commentary on the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 14:14-20; 19:11-21).
4. The Messiah has Arrived – Ezek. 38:19-20
The Book of Revelation, chapter 19, contains what is perhaps the most famous Biblical passage concerning the return of Jesus. There, Jesus the Messiah is seen to burst forth from heaven, riding on a white horse with the armies of heaven following Him. But as powerful and well known as this prophetic portrayal of the return of Jesus is, few are aware of the fact that the Battle of Gog of Magog, also concludes with the return of Jesus.
As the final proof that Gog is Antichrist, Ezekiel reveals that at the conclusion of Gog’s destruction, Jesus the Messiah is physically present on the ground, in the land:
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.’
The Lord says that both animals and people will “shake at My presence.” That’s because the Holy One of Israel has arrived. Ezekiel’s description of people shaking in fear of God’s face reveals that at the conclusion of the Battle of Gog and Magog, Jesus the Messiah, God incarnate, is physically present on the earth, in the land of Zion! As a result of the presence of Jesus, at the conclusion of the battle, Ezekiel 39:7 says:
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.
This is the only time that the phrase “the Holy One in Israel” is used. Notice it refers to the Holy One “in” Israel. A similar phrase, the Holy One of Israel” is used thirty-one times in scripture (Isa. 12:6; 43:3; 55:5; 60:9). But in Ezekiel 39:7, the Lord is not merely the Holy One “of” Israel; He is actually present in the land just as promised (Zech. 14:4). This means His feet have touched down on the Mt. of Olives.
While the popular Russia invasion theory holds that this battle concludes several years before the return of Jesus, this verse makes that theory an absolute impossibility. As a practical matter, as long as the USA stands beside Israel, Ezekiel’s battle can’t take place.
For all those worried about Russia’s maneuvers in the Middle East, don’t fret, Russia’s not in this battle. More importantly… the church will never see this battle!
Rumble
