10 December 2015: The global corporate media might not report the full truth of this matter, particularly here in the U.S., in order to keep the Obama nuclear deal with Iran from imploding. However, the fact is that the leaking of details found within the forthcoming IAEA report over the past week by former IAEA officials will ultimately result in confirmation that the Iranian nuclear program was purposed for and in the pursuit of the development of indigenous nuclear weapons. The report also reveals that nuclear weapons testing did occur at the secret Parchin military nuclear facility.
Other tidbits of information that have been forthcoming include the fact that the unverifiable JCPOA between Iran and the five other nations never became a signed nuclear accord. That's right, none of the heads of state or negotiators of the JCPOA, or designated authorities of the nations involved, put ink to paper to make this accord an official agreement. In other words, there is nothing binding in this agreement upon any party to it.
Therefore and in essence, brothers and sisters, what I've noticed here is that the JCPOA amounts to a 10-year "covenant among many" which has never been confirmed. A very near-term foreshadowing of the you-know-who confirmed "covenant among many" of the 70th Week the current JCPOA may well be.
The JCPOA could be unilaterally abrogated by Iran or the U.S. or E.U. or E3 at any time. And the fact here is that Iran has been routinely ignoring specific provisions of the JCPOA as well as the ban on testing of ballistic missiles. So what is to keep the other parties to this accord from initiating the much talked about military option to deprive Iran of its nuclear weapons capability?
At this point and in a single word, nothing.
Therefore and in essence, brothers and sisters, what I've noticed here is that the JCPOA amounts to a 10-year "covenant among many" which has never been confirmed. A very near-term foreshadowing of the you-know-who confirmed "covenant among many" of the 70th Week the current JCPOA may well be.
The JCPOA could be unilaterally abrogated by Iran or the U.S. or E.U. or E3 at any time. And the fact here is that Iran has been routinely ignoring specific provisions of the JCPOA as well as the ban on testing of ballistic missiles. So what is to keep the other parties to this accord from initiating the much talked about military option to deprive Iran of its nuclear weapons capability?
At this point and in a single word, nothing.
Sean, as always, thanks. It's stunning how weak and blind the U.S., minus a small remnant, has gotten. Then again, it's 'God-sifted' to render us less of a player on the world stage. I think there's only a handful of media types who realize that indeed, Zero is actively, purposely conquering us day by day. And the mainstream conservative media is angry and surprised but absent Bible doctrine, lost as to its ultimate meaning.
ReplyDeleteScipio,
ReplyDeleteIt is true there are a very few media who understand what is going on.
On the other hand there are quite literally millions of the bride and the unsaved in this country, who are active duty military, prior-service military or just plain civilian (many of which are kin of the military service members) who understand completely that Obama, supported by his muslim brethren and the Left plus some RINO republicans and independents, are all about the business of "fundamentally" changing the character of this country.
The vast majority of these believe in the Constitutional system of law; that is the ballot box vice the cartridge box. 2016 will certainly be a critical year, for both us getting Bible doctrine to those who need it most, and for the near-term future of this country. Even so...
Marana'tha... It's the Father's call, and He will make it. I am ready.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteI can't even describe the awe anymore...
This is all speeding up exponentially and moving so fast!
So Elam is developing their bow...
Ken B
Sean, Is this info leaked so far have to do with the explosion you informed us about a few month's back when all those building disappeared or is this something more.?
ReplyDeletejmoll106,
ReplyDeleteNo, none of that info is what has been leaked about the JCPOA. However, I have now completed this SITREP with the pertinent details I believe we all should should be aware of.
On a side note, and I'm not sure to what degree this is related, but with these developments many prophecy teachers are now speculating that it's Russia and iran that will cause the destruction of Damascus in accordance with Isaiah 17. To me that seems like unwarranted speculation based on these developments. Personally, I think that these developments will fulfilled Jeremiah 49 PRIOR TO Isaiah 17.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, I tell all my friends what the Bible says, then I tell them what's happening, (I also tell them that they won't get what's happening on the 11:00 o'clock news), then I tell them to put 2 and 2 together.
After which I tell them that
1) this all proves the word of God and
2) the Lord's coming is very near
Sean,
ReplyDeleteMy question has to do with the release of billions of dollars to the mullahs. Has this actually happened? The absence of a "signed" or "unsigned" deal with the devil is bad enough, but the real issue is if our nation (and those who conspired with The Won) have actually now become the largest collective sponsor of terror funding in the world.
LD
hartdawg,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on all points.
I don't know why Russia or Iran would complete the annihilation of Damascus; it's the still functioning capital city of the al-Assad regime they are fighting to preserve.
All functioning organs of governance within the al-Assad regime remain in Damascus as do the embassies and consulates of dozens and dozens of foreign countries.
I think these prophecy teachers need to apply the full scope of the text in Jeremiah 49:23-27 and Isaiah 17. These two prophesies go together like soup and salad, bread and butter or nuts and bolts. They are inseparable, no sound exegesis can omit the details of either of them.
Also, since Wednesday there has been in full effect a ceasefire in the city of Homs, the next big city directly to the north of Damascus on the major M5 highway. The rebels and the government have agreed to a truce under which the Sunni jihadist rebels retreat from Homs northwards toward Hama. Major convoys of buses and other vehicles are on the move right now. This is a major development because Homs has been the center of the Sunni rebellion since day one.
If I were to guess on why this agreement was reached, it is because the various rebel groups in Homs have been encircled and this is a tactical retreat.
LD,
ReplyDeleteObama's pending action of lifting all sanction against Iran would be another blatant and unconstitutional illegality perpetrated by his administration.
However, the good news is that the sanctions regime has not yet been lifted. The so-called "Implementation Day" of lifting sanction against Iran is supposed to occur sometime in early 2016.
There are a sequence of actions that must precede that day.
The first, according to the text of the JCPOA, is "Finalization Day" which an official endorsement of the JCPOA agreement by all 8 parties to it (US, UK, France, Germany, EU, Russia, China and Iran). This has not yet occurred.
Then there is "Adoption Day" by the UN Security Council resolution which occurs 90 days after Finalization Day.
The full list of details is to be found HERE
Sean,
ReplyDeleteSeveral weeks ago I almost made a comment to you that the JCPOA sounds eerily like the agreement that is "enforced" (and begins the 70th week). At that time, I was asking based on my belief that the treaty will not be enforced by any current administration, but the framework would still be there for someone to come along and strike a "peace" accord by enforcing the JCPOA. I'm guessing probably all of the readers of this blog felt the same way about the total lack of enforcement this treaty will receive. It's probably not the THE treaty, but it is uncanny how the wording in scripture seems to fit.
Lance
Lance,
ReplyDeleteConfirmed nor not confirmed, the JCPOA is not the "covenant among many" of Daniel 9:27 for the simple reason that Israel is not a party to it.
When the time comes, which will be the immediate aftermath of the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38/39 (a nuclear war), Israel will be a critical part of that "covenant among many."
Noted...got caught up in the wording & the lack of enforcement of the JCPOA.
ReplyDeleteThere are a very few 'last days' prophesies which do not directly involve Israel in some manner. They can be counted with the fingers of one hand, so few in number are they.
ReplyDeleteThe primary example of this is Daniel 9:24-27. These verses are the angel Gabriel's overview of Israel's future, from the order to rebuild the 2nd Temple through time to the time of the 70th Week.
This prophecy was given to Daniel as an all but instantaneous response to his prayer to God on behalf of all Israel, confessing his own sins and the sins of all Israel.
And Daniel says right from the get-go in verse 2 of Daniel 9 that he understood the 70 years per the prophecy of Jeremiah about the desolations of Jerusalem. Daniel knew that Israel would return back to the land after those 70 years had come to pass.
(Side bar: 70 years! I think this is important, because Israel will have spent its current 70th year still in disbelief (for the most part)upon the arrival of May 2018. I have to believe 2018 will mark something very special for Israel in these last days as it was at the end of their first exile. But I digress... )
So, Israel spent 70 years in exile in Babylon as punishment for disobedience to God, Daniel acknowledges this.
And so Babylon, still holding Israel captive in Mesopotamia, specifically in the land which we know as ancient Elam (Susa to be specific), which is then subsequently militarily conquered by Medo-Persia.
So then appears Gabriel in the first year of the new Medo-Persian Darius (Darius, pronounced Daw-reh-yaw-vaysh, is a Persian royal title, not a proper name) to give Daniel the prophecy of the 70 Weeks of years and the ability for his mind to understand everything Gabriel was about to prophecy regarding Israel's future.
Gabriel prophesied there was to be 7 weeks of years (49 years) and that was to be followed by 62 more weeks of years (434 years) for a total of 69 weeks (483 years).
The final week in this prophecy, the 70th Week, is all about the redemption of Israel and Jerusalem, and the return of "Messiah the Prince." That makes for a total of 490 years total from the Persian king's order to restore Israel to the land and to rebuild Jerusalem.
In this I notice and understand two things:
1) Daniel was physically in Susa, the former capital of Elam, and the new capital of the Medo-Persian Empire.
2) Daniel also referenced understanding the prophecy of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah begins the Lord's prophetic series of judgment upon gentile nations in Jeremiah 46. First there's Egypt, which is conquered by Babylon, and Israel is promised to be preserved. See Jeremiah 46:27-28. Are these two verses the assurance of what Daniel understood regarding Jeremiah's prophecy; about the 70 years of captivity? I think maybe so.
Then in Jeremiah 47 we have the judgment on Philistia; in chapter 48 there's judgment on Moab; and in chapter 49 we find the continuing judgments on Ammon (Amman), Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor (today part of Saudi Arabia) and finally Elam. This is a series, with a reference back at the beginning of them in chapter 46 of Israel being preserved.
Yes, I am all but certain that the advent of modern Israel's 70th year in 2018 will be extremely significant.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteThanks as always for your very solid Bible teachings on this blog. In an earlier comment today, you wrote this:
"When the time comes, which will be the immediate aftermath of the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38/39 (a nuclear war), Israel will be a critical part of that 'covenant among many'."
My question is this: Why are you so certain that the Gog and Magog war prophecy explained for us in such amazing detail in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is a nuclear war? You're not the only Bible teacher I've seen make this claim. Before you provide an answer, though, may I humbly suggest you re-read those two chapters and count how many times the calamities mentioned are attributed to God Himself ("I will" do this, "I will" do that) vs. Israel's armies? I suggest everyone do this. It's a very enlightening exercise and one that should cause some Aha! moments to pop in your head.
- Brian from Florida
Brian,
ReplyDeleteWhen one is convicted by the Holy Spirit about the meaning of a prophecy, that meaning remains with one permanently. In this case with Ezekiel 38/39 we're talking about a period of 40+ years. And there is a reason why I am not the only student of prophecy to speak of Ezekiel 38/39 being a war in which weapons of mass destruction are utilized... it's the same Spirit convicting each of us.
Let me address this issue in an unconventional way by asking a couple of thought provoking questions. To begin I will preface these question with a statement.
Ezekiel 38/39 is the final war prior to the start of the 70th Week. With this as the basis for what follows...
What is it that does Israel do at the very beginning of the 70th Week? According to the Gospel of John, what did Jesus Christ Himself say that the Jews that they would do at this time?
(Hint - I reference this all of the time)
"I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive."
With the 70th Week commencing after Ezekiel 38/39, and its commencement signaled by the confirming of a covenant among many by the Antichrist, and of which Israel is a key or integral part, Israel will fulfill this prophecy from our Lord by accepting the Antichrist as their own expect Moshiach ben David.
How can this be given what God says through the prophet Ezekiel about His purposes of that judgment?
Well, does God say through Ezekiel 38/39 that those ultimate results are immediate, or are those result something that will be achieved in due course of time and per His plan, His will in the ultimate redemption of Israel as well as the salvation of millions of Tribulation Saints during the 70th Week?
What God says will be in Ezekiel 38/39 is what will be, and it will be realized during the 70th Week. Gentiles all over the world will come to salvation, and all Israel will be saved when God pours out His Spirit upon them during the 70th Week.
Getting back to the destruction of Gog of Magog's military invasion force, and the destruction of all but a sixth part of those enemies. Ezekiel 38:22 says this judgment is destruction via... "And I will plead (shaphat = judge) against him with pestilence (deber = plague = biological weaponry) and blood (dam = blood being extruded from the body like juice from a grape); and I will rain (matar = rain down upon) upon him (the man Gog), and upon his bands, and the many people who are with him an overflowing (shataph = scouring) rain (geshem = violent rain), and great hailstones ('elgabiysh 'eben = stones of fire), fire ('esh gophriyth = burning sulfur)."
This is completely descriptive of biological warfare and nuclear weaponry being sent upon the invaders and the lands they come from. The verse prior to this (verse 21) tell where this horrific judgment originates: "I will call out for for a sword (chereb = cutting implements, tools) against him (Gog) throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD, every man's sword (chereb = cutting implements, tools) shall be against his brother.
These are the weapons of man bringing judgment upon Gog of Magog and all of his aligned confederate armies. Ezekiel 38/39 includes a brief weapons of mass destruction world war (every mans weapons against his brother - all men are brothers descended from the sons of Noah).
It is into this catastrophic nearly Armageddon-like scenario that the Antichrist will step in as a false peacemaker to confirm a "covenant of peace among many" (of whom Israel is a primary) and the whole world will will fall at his feet, including Israel per Jesus as recorded in John 5:43.
I hope this helps your understanding of Ezekiel 38/39.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of Moshiach Ben Joseph? Since this is an orthodox Jewish belief, how does it fit into our eschatology (or does it)?
How do you see this figure coming about...arising out of the coming pre 70th week wars?
Lance
Lance,
ReplyDeleteThe Jews have their eschatology; the Sunni and Shi'a each have their own eschatologies, but none of these have anything to do with our eschatology.
However, each belief is a driving force in these last days within their respective religions.
Hence, the emergence of the Sunni caliphate (Islamic State led by their al-Mahdi), the Shi'a Twelver hastening of their al-Mahdi, and the expectation of Orthoodx Jews of their two Moshiachs.
I'll be back to speak to your question in detail. This post was just for background.
The expectation of Judaism is the arrival of the "Messianic era."
ReplyDeleteObservant Jews believe that two mortal men will be messiahs who deliver Israel into the "Messianic era."
They are known as Moshiach ben Joseph (Yosef) and Moshiach ben David.
The first to arrive of the two is Moshiach ben Joseph and he is believed to be from the bloodline of Joseph of the tribe of Ephraim. The second is and Moshiach ben David from the bloodline of David of the tribe of Judah. Moshiach ben David is the most important of the two as he is the one who is to usher in the kingdom of YHWH on the Earth.
Moshiach ben Joseph is the lead the battle against Israel's enemies and prepare the way for the arrival of Moshiach ben David and the messianic kingdom of YHWH. The sum total of all the enemies of God and of Israel that are to be fought by Moshiach ben Joseph are collectively known as "Edom." These wars are a process known as Ikvot Moshiach, or Footsteps of the Messiah.
The Orthodox rabbis rely on Obadiah 1 in their eschatological expectation of Moshiach ben Joseph to be the first messiah to appear:
"The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau shall be stubble;
They shall kindle them and devour them,
And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken." Obadiah 1:18
Read this verse in the context of the others in Obadiah 1 and you will immediately see the sum of all of the pre-70th Week wars directly related to the whole Psalm-83 scenario that we anticipate in Christian eschatology. Bill Salus' 2008 book Isralestine is the overall best Christian eschatological book to read after reading the various Scriptures themselves.
The Jewish rabbis also believe that according to their misinterpretation of Zechariah 12:10 that Moshiach ben Joseph will be killed in one of the final battles in leading Israel to its victory over these (Arab Muslim) enemies.
Again, all of this is to lead to the arrival of Moshiach ben David. This is extremely important for us to be aware of because according to the Jewish eschatological expectations the arrival of Moshiach ben David is expected in the period immediately after Ezekiel 38/39. The 70th Week. The Antichrist.
Hopefully this now has fully illuminated this issue, or at the minimum given a greater understanding of it than existed previously for many.
Thanks Sean....how well do the Jewish people know their lineage? Do they have adequate records (since they were scattered for so long) to be able to trace their lines back to the original tribes?
ReplyDeleteJewish genealogy is a virtual science, even to this day.
ReplyDeleteThe Gospels are replete with genealogy of Jesus, both Joseph and Mary. But Joseph's was invalid because of Jeconiah; Mary was the true Davidic line.
As Dr. Fruchtenbaum notes in his book, it's all about bloodlines. DNA.
"The second is and Moshiach ben David from the bloodline of David of the tribe of Judah. Moshiach ben David is the most important of the two as he is the one who is to usher in the kingdom of YHWH on the Earth."
ReplyDeleteThis fact alone trumps the Muslim AC theory. They would never accept a Muslim AC, especially after their victorius wars/battles over Muslim armies. On the other hand, I'm not sure if the AC from the Western world will fit this criterion.
Nora
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your site, but glad I've found it - some good oil here !.
OK, you've again hit soon the significance of the biblical number "70" in relation to Daniel,'s 70th week, relating to our times now - modern Israel's 70th year anniversary of independence from exile as a nation-people. (May 2018 - year 5778)
Well I've just noticed some thing that might be an extraordinary sign post Shavuot of course falls in may, which as we know commemorates the giving of the law - Torah. Now Messiah Jesus emphasised He was the "forfilment - completion of the law". OK, how do we believers understand this to be FINISHED in first testament prophecy ....? ., Sean might your reference to may 2018 be related in an extraordinary way .......
Shalom,
Rob
Rob,
ReplyDeleteThis coming 70th anniversary of Israel also includes the 10th sequential HaShemittah year in accordance with Deuteronomy 31:10-13.
Shavuot ("Weeks") marks the giving of Torah, and is commemorate on the 6th of Sivan, which occurs on our calendar in late May or early June. In the year 2018 (5778) Shavuot will commence on the evening of Saturday, May 19, and conclude on the evening of Monday, May 21.
I do expect that at about this time the construction of the 3rd Temple should commence, because it will be standing at the start of the 70th Week. This was covered in Global SITREP C9-15 (June 2015), in the the Two Witnesses commance their 42 month ministry at the start of the 70th Week and the Temple is standing and functioning at that time.
Jesus said in the commonly referred to "Sermon on the Mount" that He came fulfill the Law and the prophets, not abolish them:
Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”
See also Luke 24:44.
His Kingdom must yet come.
You have good insight, Sean, and a solid understanding of scripture. I agree that Israel signs a treaty with the Antichrist shortly after the conclusion of the Gog/Magog war. I don't agree that battle is a nuclear war, however, because the Bible says God is the agent who destroys the invading armies -- not Israel or its military forces. This is a clear teaching from the text, not something ambiguous or nebulous that can be interpreted in different ways.
ReplyDeleteNo. God Himself takes credit for the outcome of this unique battle and it's such an astonishing victory that it will leave no doubt in the minds of the Israelis of whom delivered them to victory. Beyond this, though, the text says ALL NATIONS will know who delivered victory for Israel as well. Had Israel's military used nuclear weapons to defend itself, no nation would ascribe Israel's victory to Almighty God. But because it will be such a clear, lopsided victory for Israel when its military did nothing to stop the invasion, the WHOLE WORLD will know that Israel's God is sovereign and the one true living God.
Again, this isn't anything I'm making up. It's printed clearly in the text for all to see. That's why I humbly suggested that you and all readers of this blog re-read the text and count how many times it ascribes what's going on to Israel's military vs. to God Himself.
- Brian from Florida
Brian,
ReplyDeleteTwo things.
Firstly, this is something which I did not address previously per my own choice, you incorrectly assumed that in my 40+ years of study on Ezekiel 38/39 I have never bothered to count the number of times the judgments that come upon Gog of Magog are attributed to God Himself.
On the contrary, I have been through that essential exercise several times over several of the years in which I have prayerfully studied these two chapters by the Spirit.
Not only did I count the attributions on several occasions but I have written about them in this blog previously, just as I have written about the eschatological fact that there is no mention of Antichrist, or Jerusalem or of a standing Temple within Ezekiel 38/39 (Tremendous indicators to the actual timing of this prophecy!).
Also there stands the eschatological fact that this is a prophecy which appears nowhere else within the Word of God except for Ezekiel 38/39, and which not even the angel Gabriel revealed to Daniel about the end times when Gabriel had revealed such exquisite detail in so many other issues relating DIRECTLY and of such tremendous importance to Israel in these last days. After all, God reveals Himself to Israel and to the gentile nations in the fulfillment of this prophecy, does he not? So the text states several times!
However, that said, apparently I did not provoke quite enough thought with my response to your question; or perhaps you've not fully read what I have written in this blog over the course of the past several years, including as recently as February 2015?
There is something here of great importance that simply cannot be glossed over as it is staring all of us in face and we must acknowledge it.
Since the stated purpose of the hooks in the jaws is to bring Gog of Magog and all of his allies down onto the mountains of Israel in order to judge them in the manner described AND for God to reveal Himself to the gentile nations (38:23 and 39:6) and Israel (39:7)...
...how is it then that within a very short span of time after the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38/39 and... "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 that the nation of Israel accepts the one who comes in his own name (John 5:43), the Antichrist, Satan incarnate, as Moshiach ben David and signs a binding covenant with him?
Have an answer to this? I will stand by and wait on your answer before writing anything else.
Good dialogue. Thanks Sean.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to point out that when the leaders of Israel sign the treaty with the Antichrist, those leaders will not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and guiding them as the Body of Christ does today. They will be unsaved people at that time, not yet knowing or trusting in their Messiah.
So it's very easy to see how they, thinking the worst of their troubles are over, would willingly sign any sort of "peace" treaty to be left alone. But God does not want them to be left alone. That's one reason He will send the Great Tribulation, God's call to His people Israel to finally accept Jesus as their Messiah, which He was all along.
Israel's leaders at that time will be no different than they are today. Israel's secular leadership today is not infallible. They take foolish measures in good faith efforts to make peace with their enemies. Giving up Gaza to the Palestinian Arabs is one example of this.
God wants Israel to rely solely upon Him. Unfortunately, they're very stubborn, proud people who are slow to learn this lesson, and that's perhaps the clearest answer to your question.
- Brian from Florida
The answer is that Ezekiel 38/39 has a series of God's declarative statements such as "I will" and "They will."
ReplyDeleteThis is the literary manner in which Ezekiel always proclaimed the prophetic word of God that he received.
Another of these "I will" declarative statements is found in chapter 39 verse 11, and has God saying He will give Gog a burial place in Israel. Well that place is the Valley of the Passengers, and it is the valley east of the Dead Sea near present day Dhiban, Jordan. The manner in which God "I will give" this burial place to Gog and his hordes is through the conquest of this region by the IDF in the coming final act of the Psalm 83 war.
Another example of this is found in Jeremiah 49:34 where the prophet makes a declarative statement for God saying "I will break the bow of Elam... I will bring the four winds... I will cause... I will bring disaster upon them... I will send the sword after them... I will set my throne in Elam..."
Does God unilaterally do all of these things by Himself or does He bring these things to fulfillment and manifestation via human agents or agencies?
He is sovereign and can do when and how He pleases, and in these prophecies the implements utilized over history have been human hands executing His will. He is in total control by whatever method He chooses.
As for why the Jews immediately accept the Antichrist following Ezekiel 38/39 and all of the declarations therein about "they will know that I am..." they are declarative of the future. Also, see Ezekiel 39:29 - and note that this verse is written in the past tense, not a future tense.
These issues prove some very important eschatological truths that are staring us in the face, but very, very few, if any prophecy teachers teach.
God will pour out His Holy Spirit upon members of every tribe of Israel - 144,000 of them in all, 12,000 of every tribe, and they will preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation. This is literal, And it happens after the Harpazo/Rapture and in the beginning of the 70th Week, at the same time as the Two Witnesses begin their ministry, at the same time as the government and religious leaders of Israel is accepting the covenant of the Antichrist who they will declare to be Moshiach ben David!
You're correct. God can act through human agents to accomplish His will. He raised up leaders like President Truman to bring about the rebirth of the State of Israel, for example. And, yes, He can empower militaries to do His bidding, as the examples you cite from His Word clearly demonstrate.
ReplyDeleteI think the Gog/Magog war we have been discussing is different, though, in that it is like the Exodus story of the Jews fleeing from Pharaoh. The Jews were unable to defeat the superpower of that day, Egypt, so God stepped in and supernaturally accomplished the task for them. I believe the Gog/Magog war will be much like the Exodus story, where God steps into history and becomes obvious again for all to see.
Remember, one of the reasons He loves the Church so much is because we choose to accept Him by faith. After the church age is over, God will once again be obvious to all mankind. No one in those days will doubt His existence. That debate will be over. Everyone will know there is a God. But not everyone will choose to follow Him.
Finally, it's worth pointing out that Bill Salus, the fine Bible teacher and author whom you sometimes mention here, shares the belief that Gog/Magog is a supernatural event. The Rev. David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in suburban San Diego and a bestselling author, also teaches that Gog/Magog is a supernatural event. (His 2008 book on Bible prophecy, "What In The World Is Going On?", devotes an entire chapter to unpacking the Gog/Magog war.)
- Brian from Florida
Brian,
ReplyDeleteIn my continuing prayerful study of Ezekiel 38/39 it is becoming more and more clear that this prophecy is one of the major events in human experience, let alone one that uniquely involves Israel.
I am increasingly certain that there are few if any human beings alive today who possess a complete understanding of the particulars of this prophecy. This prophecy tells of many certain things, but also has left a great many things unmentioned.
I believe Ezekiel 38/39 is of monumental importance in that prior to it all Israel is (for the most part) living peacefully in all the land without any concern for their security against enemies foreign or domestic, yet incredibly they are in disbelief according to the text; there is neither mention of a national leader or a king; Jerusalem or a functioning Temple with ritual oblations and sacrifice is completely absent from the text.
Possibly of great importance is the fact that Ezekiel 38/39 is apparently older than the written word of God; according to Ezekiel 38:17 dated to a time prior to Torah when only the oral tradition existed because none of those ancient and unknown prophets wrote this incredibly important prophecy down in stone or ink. Also, of possibly great importance is the fact that this prophecy appears in only two places of accepted canon: the Book of Ezekiel and The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Due to these texts this prophecy either just barely fits (some would say it is shoe-horned) into pre-70th Week events or its is an event that cannot be trifled with simply because it comes from The Revelation of Jesus Christ and places it firmly at the end of Christ's Millennial Kingdom and clearly evokes a Divine supernatural destruction of the innumerable enemy hordes.
Pending further study guided by the Holy Spirit i have to say that any dogmatic statement about this is humanly impossible.
Sean, I am roughly a D2 or D3 quality student of prophecy; you and Brian seem to me to be D1 quality (though as you say, some of these things demand PhD amounts of constant study). Yes, the aspect of "dwelling peacefully" is compelling because of the vicious hatred toward Israel. It's a 'mind-blower' but the end of the Millenium does seem very plausible.
ReplyDelete'Shoehorn' is appropriate - say Jer 49 is 2016/2017, then EZ 38 would follow a year later, approximately to place all of the TRib before 2028.
Scipio, Personally, I believe that Gog of Magog of Eze 38 has to take place before the Millennium. Eze 38:23 says "Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD."
ReplyDeleteDuring the Millennium all nations will at first be Christian and Jesus will be ruling on this earth and the New Jerusalem will be very evident to all. For a thousand years they will see him. In Eze 38:23 God does these things "and they shall KNOW that I am the Lord" showing these nations as of yet do not know God.Thus this is a pre-millinium battle.
God's sovereign will is going to allow satan to be loosed at the end of the Millennium to deceive nations to rebel and who are now as the sands of the sea (not much dying going on at this time) and will surround Jesus' earthly throne
where they will be consumed by fire.
Rev 20:8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
I think we all want the truth of the matter and talking about it prevents complacency and fans the flames of truth.
The duty of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth and to show us things to come. So be it..Amen :)
Thanks for the dialogue, Sean, and thanks so much for your service to our country. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may your new year be a bright one.
ReplyDelete- Brian from Florida