Awaken Bible Prophecy Update 6-8-22: Timing of Ezekiel’s War

Confusion seems to reign regarding the timing of Ezekiel’s War, which we know well as the War of Gog of Magog, as the prophet described in Ezekiel 38-39.  There are three primary periods in which Bible teachers slot this critical conflict.  They are:

  1. Prior to the Tribulation
  2. Within the 7-year Tribulation period
  3. At the conclusion of the Millennium

I am very much wedded to the first timing, i.e. prior to the Tribulation.  My reasons are exceedingly Scriptural and, I believe are based on simple logic.  The other two suggestions for this war cannot work per the Biblical text.  What we must do is apply good hermeneutics to the issue, i.e. good Biblical interpretation.  More than that, we need to allow the text to reveal itself and not interject our biases.  This is called exegesis.  When someone determines beforehand what he believes about a Bible passage and reads that prejudice into the account, this process is called eisegesis and is ripe with error.

Given the continuing chaos that conflicts the Middle East with the various ongoing pressures that face Israel – from the unending push to implement a two-state solution, to the terrorist factions at Israel’s doorstep with their only desire being to annihilate her, to the triumvirate of state actors sitting at Israel’s northern border across the Golan Heights in Syria, it won’t be long before God withdraws His restraining hand and allows this war to begin.

 

Transcript:

Confusion seems to reign regarding the timing of Ezekiel’s War, which we know well as the War of Gog of Magog, as the prophet described in Ezekiel 38-39.  There are three primary periods in which Bible teachers slot this critical conflict.  They are:

 

  1. Prior to the Tribulation
  2. Within the 7-year Tribulation period
  3. At the conclusion of the Millennium

 

I am very much wedded to the first timing, i.e. prior to the Tribulation.  My reasons are exceedingly Scriptural and, I believe are based on simple logic.  The other two suggestions for this war cannot work per the Biblical text.  What we must do is apply good hermeneutics to the issue, i.e. good Biblical interpretation.  More than that, we need to allow the text to reveal itself and not interject our biases.  This is called exegesis.  When someone determines beforehand what he believes about a Bible passage and reads that prejudice into the account, this process is called eisegesis and is ripe with error.

 

Given the continuing chaos that conflicts the Middle East with the various ongoing pressures that face Israel – from the unending push to implement a two-state solution, to the terrorist factions at Israel’s doorstep with their only desire being to annihilate her, to the triumvirate of state actors sitting at Israel’s northern border across the Golan Heights in Syria, it won’t be long before God withdraws His restraining hand and allows this war to begin.

 

This Update is a little longer today, so I hope you’ll stick with me to get the full picture of this study.  First we’ll pray and read a Scripture.

 

<PRAY>

 

Scripture

Isaiah 43:15

“I am the Lord, your Holy One,

The Creator of Israel, your King.”

 

Exodus 15:11

“Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?

Who is like You, majestic in holiness,

Awesome in praises, working wonders?

 

Timing of Ezekiel’s War

 

Introduction

  • This is a war that the vast majority of Bible teachers and students believe has not yet occurred in history
  • There has never been a time when any events of this magnitude as described in Ezekiel have erupted in Israel
  • Even those who look at the Bible symbolically or allegorically must confess that anything they could make up in their imaginations concerning this war having taken place in some way would be an absolute stretch
  • That being the case, we must consider this conflict as a literal future event that will have significant ramifications for Israel and the world
  • In fact, because of how momentous this war is with its aftereffects, people who believe in anything but a pre-Tribulation Rapture have to go to great lengths to figure out how this will play out in times to come
  • In that respect, let’s first consider timings #2 and #3 before we get to #1, which I think is ironclad

 

 

#2 – Ezekiel’s War within the 7-year Tribulation period

  • The idea behind this timing of the war is that the Rapture occurs and the 7-year Tribulation officially begins at some point following that
  • I guess some people could also look at the Tribulation period as starting but with no Rapture having occurred
  • However, if that’s the case, it makes no Biblical or logical sense whatsoever
  • I’ve explored that perspective numerous times and won’t comment further regarding it in this discussion
  • A pre-Tribulation Rapture is the only Biblical AND logical approach to how these end-times will play out
  • The official start date of the Tribulation – note when I say the “official” start date, as that will be quite pertinent later in our discussion
  • So, the official start date of the Tribulation is predicated on the covenant agreement that Antichrist confirms between Israel and another entity noted as “the many”
  • The determination for this covenant timing comes from Daniel 9:27:

 

“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

 

  • The person described as “he” in this verse is Antichrist
  • One week is Biblical terminology for a week of years, i.e. 7 years
  • Half the week denotes 3 1/2 years – which BTW means that the Tribulation is a full 7 years – not just 3 1/2 years as some people try to make it
  • At that specific midpoint, Antichrist will halt all religious services and offerings in the newly constructed 3rd (Tribulation) Temple by desecrating it in some abominable way when he declares himself as God
  • This means, of course, that sometime between now and then this 3rd temple will be built
  • Many people believe that the covenant agreement itself is what paves the way for the temple to be built
  • I have a different perspective on that which I’ll articulate when I explore option #1 of our timing discussion
  • Per Daniel 9:27, after desecrating the temple, Antichrist will continue in his evil ways until God makes an end of him

 

  • In this thinking, presumably Ezekiel’s War becomes a part of the wars noted by the opening of the 2nd Seal Judgment beginning once the official Tribulation period has begun
  • It’s easy to see how people could believe this, but it creates problems that are antithetical to the Biblical text
  • Let’s consider 2 such passages
  • First is Ezekiel 38:10-11:

 

“Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,’

 

  • The key here is the prophecy of unwalled villages with the people of Israel dwelling securely with no walls, bars, or gates
  • A couple other contextual verses also note that Israel dwells in safety at this point, namely Ezekiel 38:8,18
  • This is problematic because it certainly doesn’t describe Israel today
  • I love Amir Tsarfati, but he either tends to overlook these verses or he says that Israel currently meets this description
  • Amir does not hold to Ezekiel’s war occurring within the Tribulation period, but his perspective is effectively the same in this instance as those who do place the war here
  • Israel must be in a place where she considers herself safe and literally immune to external threats
  • Looking through this lens, we have to believe that Israel doesn’t have the dangers of Hezbollah on the north in Lebanon or Hamas in Gaza, both of which are hindered from more attacks than they already commit BECAUSE of exceedingly long and high walls preventing them from further atrocities against Israel
  • The fact of the existence of the Islamic entities of Hezbollah and Hamas ready to strike whenever it pleases them creates huge problems in accurately fulfilling this aspect of the prophecy
  • Are we to believe that somehow Antichrist in his covenant negotiations puts a lid on these hostile entities to such an extent that Israel considers herself dwelling safely and securely?
  • For that to happen, Antichrist would have to convince Israel that Islam is trustworthy and will uphold its end of the bargain
  • Israel would have to forget about Islam’s absolute hatred of her and ignore Hamas’s charter which specifically states that part of the reason for this terrorist group’s existence is to completely obliterate Israel
  • In addition, Israel would have to totally disregard the Islamic doctrine of taqiyya
  • Taqiyya declares that Muslims can lie to their hearts’ content when in the interests of Islam
  • Their god Allah has no problems with Muslims lying in this regard
  • Why wouldn’t the Muslims lie if they thought they’d gain the upper hand with Israel?
  • The people of Israel may have a spiritual veil over their eyes that prevents their accepting Jesus Christ as the true Messiah, but they aren’t stupid
  • They’ve been dealing with Islam and its loathing toward them for much too long
  • I can’t imagine their agreeing to such a covenant, given the charter of these enemies being that they are dedicated to the total elimination of Israel and their propensity to lie for Islamic gain
  • A treaty without military victory on Israel’s part will not stay the hand of these adversaries
  • Because of this, it’s extremely unlikely that Israel suddenly believes herself to be dwelling in security immediately following the covenant agreement with the subsequent action of tearing down all walls, bars, and gates – thus no longer fearing an attack from her Islamic enemies

 

  • Now let’s consider a really important verse that counters this timing narrative of Ezekiel’s War taking place inside the 7-year Tribulation
  • It is Ezekiel 39:9-11:

 

“Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and make fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bow and arrows, clubs and spears; and they will make fires of them for seven years, so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons. They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God.

 

  • Think about this
  • Antichrist desecrates the newly built temple after 3 1/2 years into the 7-year treaty
  • Once he decrees that he is God, and that Israel and all the world must worship him, the Jews realize they have a problem
  • Not only does Antichrist prove through this declaration that he is not their Messiah, he begins rabidly persecuting the Jews in Israel
  • This is why Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:15-16 these words:

 

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

 

  • Those who will heed the Lord’s warning will need to at least have some sense as to who He is, i.e. having read or heard this New Testament passage
  • There will certainly be Christians among them, but likely unsaved Jews as well who understand their peril
  • These Jews who are aware in some sense flee to the stronghold of Petra in Jordan
  • Regardless of who runs for the hills, so to speak, the climate in Jerusalem and Israel will change dramatically
  • However normal life might have been in the first 3 1/2 years after the treaty, that ends in an instant
  • The Jews are immediately prey to Antichrist and his minions – to be hunted down and killed
  • The process of gathering the weapons of war from the Ezekiel conflict halts right then
  • Whenever the war might have happened in this timing scenario, you have to believe that the clean-up continues as if nothing momentous just occurred
  • How would it be possible for the complete 7-year clean-up to run the entire period prophesied when Jews are scattered and fleeing for their lives at the 3 1/2 year mark?
  • What do you think the odds are of that?
  • How about zero?
  • The fact of Antichrist’s actions completely negates the potential for the fulfillment of this very specific aspect of the prophecy
  • It’s an absolute non-starter thinking that Ezekiel’s War can occur within the Tribulation

 

#3 – Ezekiel’s War at the conclusion of the Millennium

  • Where in the world does this idea come from?
  • People get this timing when they read Revelation 20:7-8:

 

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

 

  • Because this reference to Gog and Magog occurs at the end of the 1,000 years of Millennial peace, it is thought that Ezekiel’s prophecy pertains to this period
  • One argument people who support this use is that Israel is surely dwelling in peace and security
  • After all, Christ has been on the throne in Jerusalem for all this time and nothing – but nothing – can or would disrupt the peace of His reign
  • Of course they would have no walls, bars, or gates during this period
  • We know that Satan has spent the last 10 centuries stewing in the Abyss waiting for his chance at revenge
  • We also know that both man’s freewill and his sin nature continue unabated
  • Mortal men – i.e. those people remaining in human, non-glorified bodies – still have the ability to choose
  • Their forebears who remained alive and entered the Millennium period ALL were saved and had chosen to follow Jesus to the end of the Tribulation
  • However, the generations to follow had the ability to choose salvation through Jesus or to rebel and follow their own sin nature
  • These verses in Revelation indicate that untold millions decide for this option
  • When Satan is released, these are the people he goes after
  • Of course, Satan has help
  • He’s not omnipresent
  • Although the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us this, logic indicates that the demonic realm is opened when Satan is freed
  • Demons and fallen angels will no doubt be at his beck and call to go throughout the world to deceive and gather mankind for this final encounter against God
  • The question then becomes: Does it work Biblically for Ezekiel’s War to occur at the very end of the Millennium?
  • Logistically, once again, the answer in no
  • The same verses of Ezekiel 39:9-11 discussed earlier also apply to this timing option
  • Again, they say that Israel will spend 7 years cleaning up after this war
  • Say what?
  • Revelation at this point describes a chronological series of events
  • Sinful humanity gathers on the plains of Armageddon
  • God sends down fire and everyone dies
  • Satan is tossed into the Lake of Fire to join Antichrist and the False Prophet
  • Presumably all the demonic entities roaming the earth likewise are sent to this place of torment forever
  • Remember, hell was devised for Satan and his angels
  • At the Great White Throne Judgment at the second resurrection of all the dead throughout history, all people from all ages are judged
  • All are cast into the Lake of Fire whose names are not written in the Book of Life
  • THEN, God creates a new heaven and new earth, destroying the old one with fire
  • And it’s this which creates a massive problem for this timing option
  • Nowhere in this chronology does it provide a period whereby Israel will conduct a 7-year clean-up of the land
  • Now let’s consider one more really important verse that also counters this timing narrative – that being Ezekiel 39:12-15:

 

For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day that I show my glory, declares the Lord God. They will set apart men to travel through the land regularly and bury those travelers remaining on the face of the land, so as to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make their search. And when these travel through the land and anyone sees a human bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog.

 

  • When does this possibly take place when the Gog-Magog War is slotted at the end of the Millennium?
  • What’s the point of this removal of the human remains from the war when God will be immediately cleansing the entire earth from its sin since time immemorial through the fire which results in the new heaven and new earth?
  • In fact, the description in Ezekiel 39:11 also becomes highly problematic:

 

“On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog.

 

  • If the earth is destroyed and through that sin and its consequences totally eradicated from earth, there won’t be any such valley for burial required
  • The whole earth is made new
  • Nothing remains of our sin nature
  • The earth is cleansed, with death and its consequences gone-gone-gone
  • The reference to Gog and Magog in Revelation is one of a spiritual nature
  • The rebellious heart of sinful man continues beating as such during the Millennium
  • What causes Ezekiel’s war to occur earlier as we’ll see in a moment, is exactly the same spiritual heart condition that is present at the end of the 1,000 years, despite Jesus having been present on the earth
  • Even with Him on the throne and accessible to all mankind, it’s not enough
  • Man will do what man will do until the very end when everything is completely made new

 

#1 – Ezekiel’s War prior to the Tribulation

  • Now we come to the only possible option for the timing of this war
  • The two passages noted regarding the 7-year clean-up of Israel’s land from the debris of war and the 7-month clean-up of human remains noted in Ezekiel 39:9-11, 12-15 both work in a pre-Tribulation war scenario
  • What is necessary is for there to be a gap period between the Rapture of the church and the official beginning of the Tribulation
  • More Bible teachers have come around to this thinking in recent years
  • It used to be that many thought the Rapture would occur and the Tribulation began immediately
  • This approach has many problems, not least of which is that in the natural realm of this earth, it takes time for events to develop
  • Again looking at this logically, does it make sense for the 1st Seal to be broken, Antichrist to be revealed, and then for him to instantly – on the same day as the Rapture – coordinate and oversee the covenant agreement?
  • If there is a gap following the Rapture and the covenant, events in the natural realm can play out much more reasonably
  • So, the question is: How much of a gap?
  • I believe the gap between the Rapture and the official beginning of the Tribulation – as noted by the covenant treaty – must be at least 3 1/2 years
  • Why?
  • It goes back to the 7-year clean-up of Israel that Scripture specifies following the war
  • Remember, once the midpoint of the Tribulation occurs with Antichrist declaring himself God in the temple, and his immediate persecution of the Jews, all normal and religious activities halt in Israel as the people flee – either to Petra or elsewhere to keep from being killed
  • This means that Ezekiel’s war must begin at least 3 1/2 years prior to the Tribulation start in order to conclude by the midpoint at 3 1/2 years into this period
  • Likewise, the 7-month clean-up of human remains easily slotted into the 3 1/2 year period following the war but before the Tribulation officially begins
  • Now, what about Israel dwelling in safety and security without walls, bars, and gates?
  • If Israel doesn’t meet that criteria today – just as it truly wouldn’t be if Ezekiel’s war were to take place within the Tribulation period – what could change this dynamic?
  • I believe that Bill Salus has called it correctly in his groundbreaking book Psalm 83 – The Missing Prophecy Revealed
  • As Bill details in his book, there must be a Psalm 83 War prior to Ezekiel that sets the appropriate conditions on the ground for Gog-Magog to occur
  • Many Bible scholars have overlooked Psalm 83 for many years, thinking that it is strictly an imprecatory psalm
  • However, its author Asaph was called a prophet in 2 Chronicles 29:30:

 

And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.

 

  • He was a seer – a prophet – thus not just a psalmist
  • Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 13:35 by pointing to Psalm 78 written by Asaph:

 

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

 

  • Now, it is thought by many that the events noted in Psalm 83 occurred in the aftermath of Israel becoming a nation on May 14, 1948
  • There were a couple more wars instigated by Israel’s neighbors in 1956, 1967, and 1973 which involved many of the same hostile entities described in Psalm 83
  • Somewhere among these conflicts, various Bible teachers see the Psalm 83 War occurring
  • However, we know that Bible prophecy is a tricky business at times
  • Some prophetic descriptions apply both sooner and later
  • Depending on which end of the telescope we look through, we’ll see the near-term events or the long-term events
  • Often the prophets had no indication if that there were separate instances of time being foretold in what they predicted
  • They often mashed together various events to seem as one
  • This is even true with how Jesus spoke in Matthew 24
  • There are references to both the Rapture and His 2nd Coming within that discourse
  • There are some number of Bible teachers who don’t see the Rapture in what Jesus describes, but it’s there very clearly in Matthew 24:36-44

 

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 

  • Jesus is speaking not just about Israel here but about the church as well which will be gathered to Him
  • As a result of how prophecies may be relevant short- AND long-term, if we consider Psalm 83 as one of these, what do we get?
  • Psalm 83:2-5 tells us of those who plot Israel’s destruction:

 

For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your treasured ones.
They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—

 

  • This has certainly been the case since that astounding prophecy of Isaiah 66:8 whereby Israel became a nation in a single day on May 14, 1948:

 

Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
For as soon as Zion was in labor
she brought forth her children.

 

  • Critical in this to understand is that because this was of God, nothing could prevent it
  • The Muslim nations surrounding Israel immediately tried to wipe out this upstart nation, and attempted multiple times afterward – all with no success
  • Does that mean that because they’ve tried in the past that Israel’s neighbors won’t attempt it again?
  • I don’t think so
  • That’s why the prophecy of Psalm 83 is pertinent today
  • Those enemies remain
  • They are as hostile now as in the past
  • Something must happen because they are not satisfied with Israel’s continued existence
  • Note also that the purpose of the Psalm 83 coalition is to eliminate Israel, whereas the Ezekiel confederacy intends to take plunder as described in Ezekiel 38:13:

 

Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?’

 

  • These are two very different objectives
  • Let’s also consider that none of the nations listed in Psalm 83 appear as hostile entities in Ezekiel 38-39
  • Are we to believe that when Russia, Iran, and Turkey, plus other confederate nations, swoop down on Israel in the Gog-Magog War that neither Hezbollah nor Hamas join in the festivities?
  • Is that a reasonable assumption?
  • I don’t think so
  • In fact, in Ezekiel’s War NONE of any neighboring nations to Israel surrounding her and touching her borders are shown as enemy combatants
  • Why wouldn’t at least some of them join the party in determining to invade Israel in that conflict?
  • I propose it’s because they cannot
  • Psalm 83 indicates that the coalition of nations attacking Israel to eliminate her end up as Psalm 83:13-18 declares:

 

O my God, make them like whirling dust,
like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest,
as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so may you pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your hurricane!
Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O Lord.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace,
that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth.

 

  • Instead of annihilating Israel by pushing her into the sea, these attacking nations are swept away as by a hurricane so that they are no more
  • If that’s the case, what happens to Israel’s borders?
  • What happens to the walls, bars, and gates?
  • None of Israel’s surrounding enemies exist anymore as an existential threat
  • No longer does Israel need to maintain a Gaza wall because there is no more Hamas
  • The same is true for Hezbollah in Lebanon and even her adversaries in Jordan or Egypt
  • What this overwhelming victory accomplishes is to actually extend Israel’s borders, as has always been the case with a nation defeating its foes
  • Even more than that, the Muslim god Allah of these nations has been shown to be feckless
  • Islam as an immediate threat on all sides of Israel literally disappears
  • It is this war that creates the condition of safety and security that is foretold in Ezekiel 38, thus fulfilling that specific aspect of the prophecy and paving the way for Gog-Magog to take place

 

  • What else occurs as a result of a Psalm 83 War that solidifies the requirement for it to occur prior to Ezekiel?

 

  • There’s a very important detail which Ezekiel 39:11 specifies:

 

“On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog.

 

  • Why is this important?
  • Because the prophecy speaks of this place for burial EAST of the sea
  • It can’t be the Mediterranean because that would spoil Israel’s heartland
  • It can’t be the Sea of Galilee because that area includes the Golan, which is both a rich agricultural region and which contains untapped petroleum reserves
  • Burying there would totally negate using that land productively
  • The only other sea to consider is the Dead Sea, but there’s a problem today
  • The east side of the Dead Sea is owned by Jordan
  • Would Jordan allow Israel to bury her dead there after the Gog-Magog War?
  • Unlikely
  • However, under a Psalm 83 scenario, Israel expands her territory to encompass this area when Jordan is defeated
  • Prevailing winds blow west to east and no taint from the dead comes within Israel’s heartland

 

  • Two more prophetic aspects arise when we place Ezekiel’s War before the Tribulation in the gap after the Rapture
  • The first arises from Ezekiel 39:6 which says:

 

I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

 

  • At the conclusion of Ezekiel’s War, God expands the knowledge of His power and might far beyond the borders of Israel
  • It is highly likely given this description that God effectively destroys the nation known as Magog
  • Not only are all of Israel’s invading armies destroyed on the mountains of the Golan Heights, but God also sends devastating fire upon Magog AND – presumably – all the other cooperating nations which attacked Israel as part of the coalition
  • Thus, Russia is probably ruined by this supernatural rain of annihilation, but also Iran, Turkey, and the other nations that joined in the assault
  • If that’s the case, what does this do to Islam?
  • Psalm 83 already wiped out all Muslim hostility surrounding Israel
  • Ezekiel completes the task and leaves no more Islam
  • What does that mean?
  • For one, the idea of a Muslim Antichrist goes away as a non-starter
  • More importantly, it changes the dynamic of who might be coming to the table for the covenant agreement confirmed by Antichrist that begins the Tribulation
  • Consider as well, either the Psalm 83 or Ezekiel wars could result in the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque
  • These factors could very well mean that nothing stands in Israel’s way to build her 3rd temple:
    • No Islam – no existing Muslim structures
  • The building of the temple might not even be a negotiating point in the covenant treaty
  • If Islam isn’t involved in this agreement, who is?
  • I’ve dealt with this previously, but – in brief – I believe, along with Bill Salus and other Bible teachers, that “the many” who are participants at the negotiating table are actually representatives of the harlot Catholic church, which has grown, demonically prospered, and begun persecuting all who don’t submit to the tenets of the Romanish faith with its wide-open arms to all religions except Christians and Jews
  • In my Kindle Vella story titled Tribulation Rising, I suggest one possible reason why Israel comes to the negotiating table with the Vatican and Antichrist
  • That story is linked below on the Rumble page

 

  • The second thing which develops instantaneously as a result of Ezekiel’s War is how both Israel and the rest of the world view God
  • The power and might of the Lord are gloriously on display in this overwhelming victory for Israel and defeat for all opposing forces
  • The outcome is described in Ezekiel 38:23 and Ezekiel 39:7:

 

So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

 

“And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.

 

  • The nations of the world see what God has done and fear Him
  • This fact, along with Psalm 83’s outcome, demonstrate that Israel is protected by God and that Allah is no more
  • As Bill Salus says through these events, “Allah loses his Akbar”
  • It may be these very things that prevent the Catholic church from fully exercising its authority in the world at that time
  • For many years, the Vatican has encroached upon Jerusalem with its holy shrines and claims of sovereignty
  • These victories may cause the Vatican to negotiate for what it perceives as its rights rather than try to take them by force
  • This could result in the 7-year peace agreement

 

  • Finally, with God showing up as He does to claim Israel as His own, many Jews will certainly abandon their secular ways and turn to Yahweh
  • It won’t be just the observant Jews of today, but it will include many non-religious Jews who will realize they have been far from God
  • He is real and is One to be reckoned with
  • As the verse says, they will no longer profane the Holy One of Israel
  • Given that these wars pave the way for the new temple, many in Israel will worship there and take part in the sacrificial offerings
  • Of course, this will still be the Old Testament system with all its legalities, but many will obey both in fear and joy
  • The problem which remains, though, is that Israel as a whole will continue to despise Jesus Christ as Messiah
  • Antichrist will have raised his stature in Israel through brokering the covenant agreement, perhaps even being seen as Messiah in Israel’s eyes
  • For the first 3 1/2 years, all is well with this arrangement
  • But, it breaks down terribly at the midpoint of the Tribulation when Antichrist declares himself as god
  • Then Israel as a whole realizes her mistake
  • Those who have listened to the Two Witnesses – likely Moses and Elijah – or to any of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists – they will flee to safety in Petra
  • The rest of Israel will be persecuted and overall, 2/3 of the people will perish as Zechariah 13:8-9 declares:

 

In the whole land, declares the Lord,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

 

  • In summary, the proper placement of Ezekiel’s war – along with seeing the necessity for a Psalm 83 War – sets the stage for all that is yet to come in the land of Israel and with her people

 

  • The question then becomes: Why should we as Christians this side of the Rapture care?
  • Israel is God’s Chosen People
  • In God’s eyes, the land is His
  • It is beautiful and glorious
  • He is the Holy One of Israel
  • He always has been and always will be
  • Ultimately Jesus will sit on His throne in Jerusalem
  • God has a marvelous plan for Israel’s future just as He has for Gentile believers outside of Israel
  • Because God loves Israel, so should we
  • There are those within Christian ranks – presumably born-again – who seem to hate Israel
  • Never forget Genesis 12:3 in which God declares:

 

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

 

  • It’s not a good idea to disdain Israel and not be concerned with her welfare
  • Taking that approach brings down the curse of God upon people’s heads who think that way
  • What we want to do as faithful and obedient believers in Christ Jesus is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem just as Scripture commands us
  • That peace will only come following the Tribulation for the 1000 years of the Millennium
  • Aren’t you eager for this coming time of glory?
  • I certainly am!
  • The sooner Israel achieves this peace, the sooner we’re there enjoying it as well

 

4 Responses to “Awaken Bible Prophecy Update 6-8-22: Timing of Ezekiel’s War”

  1. Reply RobinL

    Wow Gary, this is outstanding! A tremendous amount of study and prayer must have gone into this article.

    Based on what you have discerned, it seems with all other factors at play…Ai, military technology, supply chain crisis, food shortages, viruses, natural phenomena, Agenda 2030 which has been moved up to more like Agenda 2025, rampant violence, lawlessness and all the other Romans 1 activities….our Lord must be right at the door!

    This would mean that from the moment of the Rapture to the end of the Tribulation and Jesus’s second coming, it could be no sooner than the end of 2034…if we are Raptured this year.

    This year, this week, yes, today! would be A+ with me. Thank you for a wonderful lesson in well-researched eschatology!

    • Reply Gary Ritter

      Thanks, Robin. I’m still thinking Rapture anytime, but given the 2030 agenda (and maybe God playing along with it?), I can see a Gap Period lasting until 2030 when the Tribulation begins. In that timeframe, of course, would be the Psalm 83 War and Ezekiel. I can just see God saying, “Okay, you want a Great Reset? I’ll give you one.” – per Psalm 2.

      Rapture today works for me!

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