As we watch the maneuverings in the Middle East between Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Russia, Turkey and the United States we see the jockeying for position in the coming war the Bible calls “Gog-Magog.” Russia is a skillful opponent, playing a game of chess while most of the West has trouble understanding checkers.
Putin plays the ends against the middle. One day he is our opponent, the next our ally. Then quickly again the media trumpets how diabolical he is acting. Hopefully, he has met his match in Donald Trump. Patriots as well as traitors can play the games of world war (if they are being used by God) and the corner in which we presently find ourselves was created largely by traitors. The following illustration succinctly puts in a nutshell.
For decades, even centuries, Satan’s henchmen have played a deadly game intent on destroying God’s world including God’s people with the goal of herding us all into a vast concentration camp to be presided over by the Devil himself. Temporarily he will succeed.
God’s Word says there is coming a day (apparently soon) when a ruler out of the north will come against Israel with the intent of destroying her. The story is detailed in Ezekiel 38 and 39. It will be a very large and vast army equipped
38:4… with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords
We understand the above are probably symbols of war, however if nukes destroy much of modern armament, then perhaps it will really be again, shields and swords. The invading forces will suppose they are there by choice, but in actuality they are merely pawns in the grand plan of God designed to bring as many men as possible to repentance and salvation before the end of this present age. The Almighty names the combatants:
38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
Who is that talking about? We can’t know for certain who Gog is, though many think they can. Many students believe he is the ruler of Russia which we would assume would be Vladimir Putin, though that is not certain because we don’t know when. Gog is apparently the ruler of a country called “Magog” (is it really Russia?) that lies to the north of Israel. Several other authors though, argue with merit that Magog is modern day Turkey, with its present ruler Erdogan who seems to be insane and who would quickly mobilize his armies if he thought he could overcome Israel.
Turkey rattles its sword in the area of the eastern Mediterranean, recently even blocking a deep water oil drilling platform from getting started offshore from Cyprus. Who knows next what the Turkish dictator will attempt?
Persia, we understand is present day Iran and their sword rattling fits well with prophecy. Ethiopia is a backward country (but heavy with manpower) in North Africa as is Libya. Gomer, some argue represents Germany but it seems more likely to be remnants of Turkey i.e. the Balkan nations.
Togarmah, according to Smith’s Dictionary was “…a son of Gomer, of the family of Japheth, and brother of Ashkenaz and Riphath.’ “Togarmah’s descendants became a people engaged in agriculture, breeding horses and mules to be sold in Tyre. They were also a military people, well skilled in the use of arms. Togarmah was probably the ancient name of Armenia.” In other words, the historical enemies of Israel are still scheming as to how they can once and for all eliminate the Chosen People.
It will be a memorable war,
“9 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.
Israel will be under attack like never before and it will seem the entire world is invading their land. God says the aggressor’s hearts will be darkened. Logic will flee and the invading armies will believe they will finally be able to achieve their goal. Not only the nations named above will come but they will be joined by 13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, “Sheba and Dedan” are identified by some as Arab tribes that dwell primarily on the Persian Gulf. If so it looks like most of the Arab world will unite in common cause in the attempted destruction of Israel.
In the 4th verse of Ezek 38 the Bible says God will “put a hook in the mouth” of the invaders to draw them down to battle. What could the hook be? Many think in the future there will be an oil strike in Zion that will be the envy of the world. A great incentive will be placed before the invaders, here will be a chance to destroy the hated Jews and to enrich themselves beyond measure while doing so. Some believe we have just seen, this week, the beginning of the Gog-Magog war.
Waving a piece of the drone, Netanyahu warned Iran:
“Mr. Zarif, do you recognize this? You should, it’s yours. You can take back with you a message to the tyrants of Tehran — do not test Israel’s resolve!” proclaimed Netanyahu at the Munich Security Conference, which was also attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. (Watch.org)
God prophesies His intentions:
Eze 38:16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
Sometimes we puzzle as to why the Lord Himself would bring an horrendous war against the Jews. If they are His Chosen People why would He punish them so? For the same reasons He is bringing about calamity upon America. The world has lost its common sense when it comes to teaching a child a lesson, but God has not. Punishment is given not for vengeance but for correction. “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” Both Israel and America are far past due to be straightened out. The coming wars, Gog-Magog and later Armageddon will accomplish that purpose.
At precisely the right moment, Heaven will intervene in the Mid-East and the Jewish nation will be rescued from certain destruction,
21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
Will the Divine bring lightning and kill the invaders? No. Look closely at verse 21. “…every man's sword shall be against his brother.” Just as He has done numerous times in the past the Almighty will blind the minds of the warriors and
“It appears there may first be an invasion of Israel by conventional warfare that will somehow escalate into atomic-type conflict and in the aftermath of that, the remaining troops, the apparent invading survivors, will then inexplicably turn their swords (weapons) on each other. That sequence of events will result in the final destruction of any who raises his arm against the Chosen People of God.
“It will be a supernatural destruction. It will be unexplainable in natural terms. Just when victory is in sight, just when Jerusalem’s life seems to hang by a thread, just when it seems destined to fall, the Muslim invasion will disintegrate and Islam will destroy itself.” (Ancient Prophecies of the Burdens).
When Gideon went against the Midianites and the Amalekites, they had supernatural help,
Jg 7:22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath
God also did it with the force of an earthquake as He moved for Jonathan when just two men attacked and initiated the defeat of an army of Philistines,
16 ¶ And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
An account of another battle won by confusion is given in 2nd Chronicles wherein the children of Ishmael fought tribe against tribe and after an apparent victory turned their weapons on themselves:
2Ch 20:23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
It will happen again, not only in Egypt but also in the war of Gog-Magog. When Gog brings his armies against Israel in the last days, God will arise in His fury and bring “a great shaking (Ezek 38:19)” and the invaders of Israel will destroy themselves.
Eze 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all our mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
Who else will be a major player? Will it be Russia, or will it be Turkey? Will the U.S. actually be involved or is that just a supposition?
Whoever the participants, once again Israel will be favored by God. Once again they will be dragged a little closer to repentance and eventually to Salvation by trusting only in the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.
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