Notes on the Latter Years Wars

12 May 2010: Here are some brief notes regarding eschatological issues I have noticed more than a few brethren have been asking questions about concerning the series of imminent latter years wars.

During the Psalm 83/Isaiah17 (and associated prophecies) war, Israel does take an initial hit on its population, but it is not a devastating or incapacitating hit. Nor is it a hit which destroys the county's national infrastructure. This soon-to-be fact is manifest by the Lord in Ezekiel 38/39. Shortly thereafter the war of Psalm83/Isaiah17 the Lord declares that Israel has recovered from this war and is in possession of great wealth. The Word of God came upon Ezekiel describing Israel in the post-Psalm83/Isaiah 17 reality, saying: (bold emphasis added)

Ezekiel 38:8
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 38:11-13
You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”’

Notice in the above verses that Israel is living in complete safety. Israel has zero fear of any nuclear-armed or WMD-possessing enemy, not newly Islamist Turkey, not Shi'ite Iran under the Ayatollah and IRGC, nor Russia under KGB/FSB rule, nor any of the nations of the named Gog/Magog confederation. Is this not indicative of Israel becoming a superpower? In a type-contrast, did not the United States homeland continually live in peace and safety after WWII, until very recent times, due to our overwhelming military and economic superiority? This will almost pale in comparison to what Israel achieves in the near-term due to the sovereign will of God.

Also, notice in Ezekiel 39:21-29 the specific God-given purposes for which this prophetic and ultimate judgment against the Gog/Magog confederation will occur prior to Daniel's 70th Week.

“I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward. The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.""

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name— after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Brethren, none of us should make any eschatological mistake about these events and what follows them in relatively short order, including our own imminent Harpazo. The prophetic fact of that matter is that Daniel's 70th Week is Satan's and his demons direct intervention in human affairs, centered on Israel and Jerusalem's Temple Mount, in an attempt to physically destroy all of that which God has just accomplished through Psalm 83/Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38/39.

Daniel's 70th Week is brought to an end with the full and indescribably majestic Revelation of Jesus our God and Messiah to the whole world.