THE LAST HOUR …. June 1, 2026

Is this the terminal generation? That is the purpose of this writing. Fair warning: this article is lengthy — although considerably abbreviated from the original study. Included are excellent commentary from scholars of the past as well as from the present. You may or not agree with summations this writer has presented, but it is for you the reader to search the Scriptures and decide for yourself if there is merit to what has been presented below. Don’t miss the conclusion which presents comforting thoughts from the Holy Spirit for us all as believers — especially in this terminal generation…

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Famous scientist and mathematician, Isaac Newton (1642-1727), had many notable quotes attributed to him. One referred to this very time in history we find ourselves in today:

“About the time of the End, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation, in the midst of much clamor and opposition.”  

Our world has always had so-called prophets / foretellers who claim the ability to foretell the future. It is no less the case today. There are fortune-tellers, palm-readers, psychics, and supposed religious prophets who make themselves available to anyone seeking to know something about the future. There is, however, only one true source that has foretold the future with 100% accuracy, and that is the Bible. The Living God, who was the true author behind the human writers of the 66 books in today’s Bible, exists outside of TIME and is therefore the only One who has a perfect, unblemished view of the Past, Present, and Future — all at the same time. 

As Isaac Newton predicted, there are now an increasing number of Christ-followers, some of them well-known leaders — others not so much — who have seen the handwriting on the wall and are not content to keep quiet. The souls of multitudes of people are at stake who need to be made aware of what is about to take place. It is the compassionate thing to do, and is actually the command of God. Note these words in the Book of Ezekiel:

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.   Ezekiel 33:6

In both the American game of football and European soccer, there is a 2-minute warning just prior to the end of regulation play time. It is my contention that, in this world’s system, we are now near the end of that 2-minute warning. Because of what is unfolding on our planet, a strong — although not popular — word of warning must be given because we have run out of time. 

Roughly 30% of the Bible is prophetic in nature, with a substantial portion of this 30% referring to events that are to unfold in the very generation in which we are living today. It is unfortunate that the subjects of the End of the Age, the Return of Jesus Christ, the Rapture of the Church, and the world events foretold in the Scriptures leading up to, and including the 7 year Great Tribulation / Apocalypse, statistically are avoided by most pastors and Christian leaders today. Some may offer a few rare off-hand remarks or make casual reference to these subjects, but do not offer in-depth teaching of any kind. Is it because of a lack of knowledge about the subject; fear of offending; it’s too controversial; no personal belief in the subject, or because it seems like too much gloom and doom? The problem is that we are instructed to present the whole counsel of God, which means — the whole Book! It is a colossal error to offer only occasional lip-service to the Rapture (Catching up) of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus, our Messiah. 

American songwriter Bob Dylan once penned the words, “There’s a Slow Train Coming Around the Bend…” That slow train is now upon us. Unfortunately, many people are too short-sighted or distracted to notice what is now directly in front of us. It doesn’t matter what an individual’s belief system may be, the ‘end of the age’ prophecies foretold in the Bible are now quickly unfolding and escalating, and they will affect people the world over — including the United States of America.

Jesus’ Church Age Warnings

In Matthew 24:1-3, as the disciples pointed out the beautiful Temple buildings to Jesus in Jerusalem, He told them that the time was coming when not one stone would be left upon another. All would be destroyed. The disciples responded with three questions which opened the door for Him to present them with a synopsis of future events. The questions were: (1) When will these things be? (2) What will be the sign of Your coming… (3) and of the end of the world? Jesus then gave them a litany of events that would transpire leading up to His return. What the disciples didn’t realize was that there would be two millennia between Jesus’ first coming and His return. Because of the time differential between Jesus’ first and second comings, many have allowed themselves to be deceived into believing that the prophecies of His return and events surrounding it, are largely not literal, but symbolic. I emphatically disagree with this assessment. Prophecies were fulfilled literally at Jesus’ first coming and they will be fulfilled literally at His second coming. Famed Christian theologian John Walvoord put it in these words:

“…the picture before us, in word, is God’s revelation of the dramatic and terrible judgment which will climax the present age. This constitutes a warning to those who are living carelessly in unbelief to beware lest the age engulf them. The prophecy of the end of the age is a spur to Christians to snatch souls as brands from the burning and thus prepare them for the coming of the LORD.”

As I write today, our world is facing unprecedented threats. We are facing the threat of WW3 — which will inevitably involve weapons of mass destruction. Not only is there a real threat of WW3, but nations around the globe are embroiled in civil wars — or the threats thereof, ethnic wars, and perhaps the worst of all — religious wars. Jesus warned of this in Matthew 24:

6 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows.”  Matthew 24:6-8

Some will say, “these things have been found throughout world history,” and this is true. It is interesting to note that Zechariah the priest is shown a Red Horse and Rider with companions of differing colors as we find described and labeled as the Apocalyptic Horse & Riders in Revelation 6. God used these entities for His purposes in Old Testament times but then at the inception of the Church on the Day of Pentecost, these prophecies rose to an even greater level of fulfillment. All of the things described by Jesus in the early verses of Matthew 24 have been in evidence for the past 2,000 years. Now that we are in the last of the last days, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse are beginning their last stampede around the earth and the final fulfillment is ramping up. The final birth pangs of the Age have begun.

Birth Pangs and Jerusalem

It has been said that the Epicenter of the world is Israel, with Jerusalem as its focal point, and the Temple Mount as the Bullseye. The most contested piece of real estate in the entire world is the Temple Mount. Daily news from around the world continues to be filled with the conflicts surrounding the rightful ownership of the land of Israel — or Palestine, as it is known by the Arab world. The Jewish people see the land of Israel as their God-given inheritance with Jerusalem as their capital beginning at least 3,000 years ago during the reign of King David. The Muslim world however intends to build an Islamic world state in the Middle East with Jerusalem as their capital. This would require the Jews to vacate the land entirely. Islam intends to force the rest of the world to accept Islam as the only true faith and is willing to enforce this with their combined military might if the rest of the world does not submit.  

As we are celebrating the 78th anniversary of Israel’s independence in 1948, the fires in the Middle East cauldron continue to heat up, and, just like a volcano that has gone past the point of no return, the unleashing of violence is not a matter of if it is going to happen, but rather, when. Not only has the anger of much of the Arab world been stoked due to Israel’s continued anniversaries one year after another, but so has Islam’s inability to use Israel’s enemies to drive them from the land since their independence. Additionally, US President Trump’s confirmation of Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital and the move of the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has added gasoline to the raging fire. 

It is an amazing phenomenon to witness the world’s obsession with this small sliver of land. Israel’s current population is roughly 9.6 million. This is a miniscule .12% of today’s world population of 8 billion. About 75% of this population is Jewish. The actual physical size of the nation is barely the size of the tiny American State of New Jersey. The entire land area of the nation of Israel would fit inside my own American home State of Oregon 12 times! The actual area size of Israel is 8,019 square miles. The West Bank and Gaza Strip consist of about another 2,400 square miles of Israel’s present territory. How is it possible that such a small nation, with such a relatively small population is the focus of such an inordinate percentage of our world’s news? 

How about the city of Jerusalem? At a metropolitan population of a little over one million, it is not a small city but when compared to today’s megalopolises, for instance Shanghai, China with its population of approximately 31 million, it is not all that significant. Jerusalem does not have a strategic harbor, it is not built on a river or any other important body of water. Jerusalem doesn’t even have its own international airport! Yet, this city has been fought over 16 times, destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times! What makes this ancient city such a target of controversy and a magnet for conflict? It truly is amazing, is it not? Let’s see what the Old Testament prophet Zechariah had to say about Jerusalem’s future:

¹…Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: ² “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem, ³and it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”   Zechariah 12:1-3

Most of the world has no idea what this phenomenon is all about, and unfortunately, most of the Christian world hardly understands it either — nor does it seem to care to. Yet, God has provided us with an abundance of information in the Bible about it, even giving us His reason for providing it to us. Over 25% of the Bible has to do with foretelling the future of our world and the human race — from beginning to end, yet, Bible prophecy centers around the tiny nation of Israel. We should have an interest in what God has to say about Israel and its people because all of human history is intertwined with it. Listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about the times and seasons and the necessity for us to recognize these times and seasons for what they are:

¹But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ²For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³For when they say, “Peace and safety!” Then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵You are all sons of light and sons of the day, We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. ¹¹Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

The Zechariah 12 passage we read is not a prophecy that concerns itself with all of Israel’s history, but rather one specified unique time in history, and that time slot happens to be this generation; our generation. Zechariah is describing a time when the world literally goes insane in its obsession with the Jewish people and the small piece of land that they once again, after having been scattered around the world for nearly 1,900 years, are allowed to call as their own. Israel has always had enemies, but it took no time at all — in fact, it was on the very day of its independence that the newly formed nation of Israel was attacked by the surrounding nations!

The Ancient Hatred 

Israel celebrated its independence on May 14, 1948. It was immediately after the announcement, that very evening, that there was an air attack on Tel Aviv by Arab military forces. The infant nation managed to resist this air attack but it was followed with a ground attack by Arab armies from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, with Saudi Arabia who sent a formation of soldiers to fight under the Egyptian army. Although the United Nations brokered two ceasefires, the fighting continued into 1949. This unfortunately, was only the beginning of a struggle with its neighbors that Israel continues to have today. Much of it centers on the Palestinian issue — which we will not take the time to investigate in detail at this point — except to say that the Palestinians are not a nation, nor a single ethnic group. The genealogies of the Palestinian people can be traced back to the Edomites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Philistines, Sidonians, Ammonites, Moabites, Yemenites, Saudi Arabians, Moroccans, Christians from Greece, Muslim Sherkas from Russia, and Muslims from Bosnia, as well as others.

An interesting fact found in Bible prophecy is that the Palestinian’s own allies will use them as pawns to ignite an all-out Mideast war against Israel, hoping to finally push them into the Mediterranean Sea. The animosity displayed by the Palestinians and praised by the Arabs will not subside. It is deeply rooted and will inevitably bring about the major conflict described by Asaph the seer in Psalm 83 — although written in the form of a prayer. Has this already happened? Some of the details given by Asaph may have been fulfilled since 1948 but the majority of it has not — but, appears to be about to unfold in real time as I write these words.

The Psalm 83 War / Obadiah’s War 

In the Old Testament’s 83rd Psalm, we have recorded a unique prayer petition which is not just an imprecatory prayer. It is in fact a prophecy of a conflict that Israel is going to face at the end of the age. It is one of several Old Testament prophecies that predict a specific conflict with Israel’s enemies — a war that is distinct from other conflicts. It also appears to be distinct from the more familiar Gog / Magog war foretold by the prophet Ezekiel in chapters 38-39 — although the two wars could unfold in tandem. Although Asaph’s psalm is written in the form of a prayer, the scriptures contain prophecies that foretell Asaph’s prayer petition being fulfilled as a physical reality very near the time frame of the onset of the much expected Day of the Lord. Asaph’s prayer-prophecy reads like this:

¹Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! ²For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. ³They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against your sheltered ones. ⁴They have said, “Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” ⁵For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against you: ⁶The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; ⁷Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; ⁸Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot.

⁹Deal with them as with Midian, as with Sisera, as with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, ¹⁰who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth. ¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, ¹²who said, “Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession. ¹³O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! ¹⁴As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, ¹⁵so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm. ¹⁶Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD. ¹⁷Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, ¹⁸that they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, are the most high over all the earth.  Psalm 83:1-18

Another prophecy that coincides with Asaph’s prayer in Psalm 83 was written by the prophet Obadiah in his short one chapter book in the Old Testament. Another prophet who appears to have been a contemporary of Obadiah and was given prophetic information that coincides with what Obadiah saw was the prophet Jeremiah. Much of what Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 49:7-22 is found confirmed by Obadiah. For the sake of time, we won’t go through every single verse of Obadiah’s prophecy but we will take a brief look at some of the basics of what God showed him. Incidentally, the Psalm 83 war is also known by some as the Obadiah war. A few of the verses in Obadiah’s prophecy read like this:

¹The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom (We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying, “Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle): ² “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be greatly despised.  Verses 1-2

⁸ “Will I not in that day,” says the LORD, “even destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountains of Esau? ⁹Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. ¹⁰For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you and you shall be cut off forever…”  verses 8-10

¹⁵For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. ¹⁶For as you drank on My holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yes, they shall drink, and swallow, and they shall be as though they had never been. ¹⁷But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; ¹⁸the 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. ¹⁹The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, and the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead. ²⁰And the captives of this host of the children of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South.  Verses 15-20

Historically, it is Esau who was the father of all of the Edomites. Remnants of the Edomites are today represented within the Palestinian populations located within Israel, Jordan, and other Middle East nations. It is quite telling, in light of the hundreds of thousands who live in mideast tent cities today, that the Bible refers to one of Israel’s enemies at the end of the age as a Middle East population group as “The Tents of Edom”. One example is found in Psalm 83:6. These are the modern-day Palestinians, descendants of their patriarch, Esau.

The message in the report of verse 1 is easy to determine. “Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle.” In Jeremiah 49:14, we find another detail, An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!”  We are given the detail that it is an envoy who is spreading this message. Whether this envoy is a human person of authority gathering a coalition is not specifically stated. One source for this message for sure is demonic. Throughout history, the forces of hell have repeatedly attempted and intended to annihilate the Jewish people but have failed.

Although the main object of God’s anger in Obadiah’s prophecy are the Edomites — as is clear by the details later in the prophecy, the coalition being gathered is also going to face the fury of God’s wrath. The Scriptures even provide us with the tool God is going to use in dealing — not only with the remnant of the Edomites, but also their allies. Although God steps in with His own raw power later in the Gog-Magog conflict as He so often had in the Old Testament, He appears to use Israel’s powerful military for this judgment on Israel’s enemies within and on their borders. 

What is it that this coalition of Israel’s enemies are guilty of? We find the answer in Psalm 83:4: “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” Once again, that demonic spirit raises its ugly head. But, not without God’s notice. At this point, we’ll identify who is included in this coalition because when this war begins in full, it will affect the entire Middle East. Realizing that nations throughout history come and go and national boundaries are redrawn by those who happen to be in power at the time, we will identify the entities in Asaph’s list of Israel’s enemies in Psalm 83 to their modern-day counterparts. 

• Edom: Southern Jordan and Palestinian refugees
• Ishmaelites: Saudi Arabia 
• Moab: Central Jordan and Palestinian refugees
• Hagrites: Egypt
• Gebal: Northern Lebanon
• Ammon: Northern Jordan and Palestinian refugees
• Amalek: The Negev and Sinai Peninsula areas
• Philistia: The Gaza Strip and Hamas
• Tyre: Southern Lebanon and Hezbollah
• Assyria: Syria and Northern Iraq

How soon do we expect this to unfold? There is a rather pointed Old Testament passage which we will reference several times as we take a look at what is unfolding today in real time.

1⁴Thus says the LORD: “Against all My evil neighbors who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit — behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. ¹⁵Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. ¹⁶And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the LORD lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people. ¹⁷But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the LORD.  Jeremiah 12:14-17

Throughout Israel’s history in the Old Testament, God had always made provision for Gentiles to join with the household of Israel and enjoy the same benefits as the Jewish people with the condition that they follow God’s laws as taught by His prophet Moses and recorded in the Torah. Today, Israel is more than willing to live at peace with its Arab neighbors but this is not happening.

This brings us back to the passage in Jeremiah. God had made provision for Gentiles to become part of the Jewish nation, not the other way around. As we see in this Scripture, if the Gentiles refuse to recognize the true Creator, Jehovah GOD, they will eventually be plucked out from amongst the Jewish people and due to their unending insistence on taking God’s promised land from the Jews and attempting to enslave or even kill them, God will wipe them out. This is what we are now seeing coming.

Week after week at Muslim prayer gatherings on Fridays, the Imams have told the Palestinians that this was now the beginning of an uncompromising religious war for Islam against the Jews. They are continually told that the Jews are the enemies of Islam; that they are representatives of Satan. They are told that this battle that has begun is the one described in the Quran as “the final promise”, leading to the complete destruction of the Children of Israel. This sounds just like Hitler’s “Final Solution!” 

Many Muslims believe that, whether they are prepared for this war or not; no matter how much chaos or carnage, their Mahdi will show up and win the war for them. They also teach that “Isa” (Jesus) will be the Mahdi’s deputy and will help in the extermination of all people of the Book, both Jews and Christians! Keep in mind that this “theology” or belief system was birthed at the beginning of the start of the 7th century, 600 years after the inception of Christianity. What a huge deception it has become for a large part of the world! Do you think that the knowledge of this unfolding war would embolden Muslims? Absolutely!

Once again, we must remember what our Jeremiah passage says. If Israel’s enemy neighbors continue in their headstrong intentions to destroy Israel He, GOD, will pluck them out from among the Jews and destroy them! Another passage of Scripture that confirms what Jeremiah had to say is found in the Book of Zephaniah:

¹Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, ²before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD”s anger comes upon you! ³Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD”s anger. ⁴For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be uprooted. ⁵Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you; so there shall be no inhabitant. ⁶The seacoast shall be pastures with shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. ⁷The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of  Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; in the houses of Ashkelon they shall like down  at evening. For the LORD their God will intervene for them, and return their captives.  Zephaniah 2:1-7

This passage begins with statements clearly indicating it is a “latter day” prophecy. Verse 2 sets the time-frame of this chapter as being just “before the day of the LORD’s anger,” and verse 3 reconfirms that this prophecy applies to the time just prior to “The Day of the LORD.” Verses 4-5 pronounce “woe” upon the cities and inhabitants “of the seacoast,” and it is clear that the “seacoast”  of Palestine is being discussed due to the mention of the cities of Gaza, Ashdod, and Ekron. Verse 7 describes the “woe” that will befall these people (also called “Cherethites” and “Philistines” in verse 5) in the following prophecy of God: “the coast shall be for the remnant of Judah; they shall feed thereupon; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.” 

This prophecy clearly says that God will give the historic land of the Philistines to “Judah” just prior to the “Day of the LORD.” The phrase, “turn away their captivity” is a little confusing; the literal meaning is “end their captivity.”

The Old Testament prophets confirm in numerous passages that Israel will be in complete control of not only the Gaza Strip, but of other lands not presently under their sovereignty. What is about to happen? More war!. A MAJOR war is coming, and it may very well prove out that it actually began in Gaza. The war with Hamas that began in 2023 has since brought conflict between Israel and Hezbollah as well as the Houthis in Yemen. Most are also well aware of the 12 day war with Iran in 2025. Then there was the major conflict with Iran which began on February 28, 2026. The US and Israel are presently in position and poised to enter into a much greater conflict with Iran. The US has an enormous amount of military assets in place around Iran, including three full aircraft carrier battle groups. A much greater conflict is set to begin at any moment, and may very well have begun by the time this is being read. 

How will it affect the surrounding nations in the Middle East? It is expected to affect the entire region. One reason is that it will likely turn into a religious war. Islamists of differing sects will join forces to fight non-Muslim infidels. It is common knowledge that the US is known as the Great Satan and Israel, as the Little Satan. Other western nations aren’t seen much differently in the Islamic world. 

According to the Old Testament prophets, God intervenes and plucks Israel’s enemies out of their way. What will happen when Islam suffers such a heavy defeat? Will it affect the beliefs of the Muslim people? God spoke through Jeremiah, saying…”If they had just believed…” 

Islamic clerics are telling the Muslim people that the promised final Islamic holy war against the Jews has already begun! I don’t believe that Hezbollah, Iran, Syria’s military forces, Iraq’s militants, and the rest of Israel’s enemies will sit back and allow Israel to become the Mideast superpower without a fight. How long will it be until Damascus and its surrounding territories are destroyed? How long until ancient Elam is destroyed as is foretold in Jeremiah 49? It will all happen in very short order! Almighty God, who is outside of time, said these things would unfold just prior the beginning of the Apocalypse described by the Apostle John. That is where we are on God’s timeline today!

The purpose of this writing is not to give an accounting of the current news, but rather to point out how the God of the Bible foretold details thousands of years ago — details that we are witnessing in real time today. In John 14:29, Jesus said, “And  now I have told you before it comes to pass so that when it does come to pass, you may believe.” There are many so-called “holy books” in our world today, but there is only one that has foretold world history in intricate detail, and with 100% accuracy before it ever becomes history. Over 70% of Bible prophecy has already been fulfilled and the bulk of the remaining 30% will now unfold in a very short period of time. We truly are at the end of the age!

The stage is definitely being set for much greater conflicts than what we have witnessed to this point in time. One of these conflicts will eventually be the familiar Gog-Magog war detailed in Ezekiel 38-39. It does appear that an all-out Middle East war between Israel and her neighbor enemies will precede this great war — or may possibly unfold in tandem with it? Bible prophecy provides us considerable detail.

Three nations that are mentioned by Asaph the seer in Psalm 83 are Syria, Egypt, and Jordan. We will briefly look at what Scripture has to say about them before moving on. 

Syria is definitely a “high watch” area. Ever since Assad’s regime was brought down, the self-proclaimed president, Ahmed Al-Shaara, has been working at consolidating the nation. Syria has been in chaos for years now, but the chaos has, in a sense, served Al-Shaara well. It is easy for him, with his al-Qaeda background to use his thugs to search out and slaughter those he considers deserving of death, such as Alawites, Druze, and Christians, and innumerable other sects he does not approve of. At the request of the Druze, who have many relatives in Israel, the Israeli military has placed themselves in a position as protector in southern Syria. Incidentally, the House of Blessing has been able to reach a large number from both the Druze and Alawite communities with the Gospel. Unfortunately many hundreds of them got caught up in the slaughters. Yet, the Gospel continues reaching thousands. 

Of the ten enemies specifically mentioned by the seer Asaph in his prayer of complaint and petition to GOD in Psalm 83, three are located within Israel’s neighbor, Jordan, and are identified as Ammon in the north, Moab in central Jordan, and Edom in the south. In light of an existing treaty between Israel and Jordan, some Bible prophecy teachers have found it difficult to accept that Jordan might become part of a coalition attacking Israel once again. Yet, Asaph documented these specific enemies from north, central, and southern Jordan. One way or another, Jordan’s soon to come actions will prove God’s Word to be right again. 

The relationship between Jordan and Israel has often been contentious over the past years, but the treaty between them has held. King Abdullah and Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, have strained relations for quite some time. King Abdullah, is also under enormous pressure from his citizens which are roughly 70% Palestinian, not to cooperate with Israel. Eventually, something will come about to cancel the treaty Jordan has with Israel. Jordan’s king is presently rebuilding relations with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with Syria and Qatar, as well as with other middle eastern nations. This provides a compelling insight into what is about to happen.

Damascus 

This, at long last, brings us to Damascus. Is it truly possible that Damascus, which has been a continuous city for about 5,000 years, will be totally destroyed? This is what the Bible tells us.

Many voices will say that Damascus is already destroyed. Video footage taken with drones flying over the city show miles of infrastructure destroyed. Bridges, buildings, and residences destroyed beyond repair, just heaps of ruin. Yet, the Bible describes a coming destruction many times worse than what is seen today.

There are also those who would say that Damascus was destroyed in 732 BC when the Assyrians overran the city. What happened to Damascus at that time does not fit the destruction foretold by the Hebrew prophets. 

Isaiah takes a complete chapter to describe what happens to the city. He starts by saying:

¹The burden against Damascus, “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap. ²The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be for flocks which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”  Isaiah 17:1-2 

Then the prophet Jeremiah wrote about the destruction of Damascus about 1,500 years later. This means that Damascus would have to have been restored in order for Jeremiah to write about another destruction of Damascus at some time in the future. 

The prophet Amos writes about Damascus’ destruction in Amos 1:3-5, saying:

³Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron, ⁴but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad. 

Is it possible that the three transgressions of Damascus were fulfilled in the Arab – Israeli wars of 1948, 1967, and 1973? Some, as do I, believe this is the case. Syria was one of the main enemies Israel faced in these wars and I believe that Syria’s involvement in the coming major Mideast war will become the fourth and final straw that brings God’s judgement on Damascus as Amos prophesied. 

As we look again at Isaiah’s prophecy, this passage alone makes it quite clear that the prophecy has never been fulfilled to this very day. No matter how much destruction is a reality in Damascus today, the city still exists. The full destruction is still in the future. Another factor that is made clear in this passage is that the destruction of Damascus is quite widespread. The destruction of Damascus is apparently so vast that the populations of nearby cities need to be evacuated and the lands rezoned for agricultural purposes. 

Damascus is located in southern Syria and is only 109 miles (175 km) from modern day Amman, Jordan. Aroer was part of the tribal territory of the patriarch Jacob’s son, Gad. We find in Numbers 32 that the tribe of Gad requested and was given this territory because he had sizable flocks and the land was most suitable for his purposes. This tells us that the destruction of Damascus spills over into northern Jordan. When we look into Jeremiah’s description of what happens, we are given some more details about the northern Jordanian cities. 

¹Against the Ammonites (northern Jordan today); Thus says the LORD: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Milcom inherit (Aroer) Gad, and his people dwell in its cities? ²Therefore behold, the days are coming”, says the LORD, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war in Rabbah of the Ammonites; it shall be a desolate mound, and her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the LORD.  Jeremiah 49:1-2

Rabbah was the chief city of an ancient semitic nation on the eastern side of the Jordan river. So, we find in this passage that Israel comes against Damascus and as the destruction is so vast, it dooms what was ancient Rabbah, or today’s Amman, Jordan. At the time when Jeremiah wrote this prophecy, Milcom was the Ammonite god. Since Milcom and all the other pagan Arab gods have all since been replaced by Allah, Jeremiah likely is referring to Islam in this prophecy.

 In verse 9, we find Biblical proof of who is responsible for the destruction of Damascus. The verse reads:

In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel; and there will be desolation. 

The destruction Isaiah refers to is of a militarily strong city, not a weak city, not a weak Syria. This devastation that affects Damascus and even down as far as Amman, Jordan, also appears to affect the large cities to the north of Damascus. These are identified as an “uppermost branch.” 

¹⁰Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, therefore you will plant pleasant plants and set out foreign seedlings; ¹¹in the day you will make your plant to grow, and in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; but the harvest will be a heap of ruins in the day of grief and desperate sorrow. ¹²Woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like the roar of mighty waters! ¹³The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; but God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, and be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.  Isaiah 17:10-13

We see here that Damascus, identified by the pronoun “you”, is paying no attention to God. This passage also points out that Syria, represented by its chief city, Damascus, comes against Israel as part of a confederated force of nations. “Seas” generally represent Gentile nations in the Bible, and in these verses they are roaring and rushing like mighty waters. We have a picture of a mighty military invasion. We know that it is an invasion of Israel because it is Israel that retaliates. 

The disaster for Damascus is shown by these verses by describing a “heap of ruins”, and the “day of grief and desperate sorrow” experienced by Israel’s enemies. We find a direct connection with Isaiah’s prophecy here and Psalm 83. If we were to examine the original Hebrew, we would find that six identical Hebrew words describing this destruction are used in both passages.

O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm.  Psalm 83:13-15

The nations will rush in like the rushing of many waters; but God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, and be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.  Isaiah 17:13Isaiah penned these words in the last verse of Isaiah 17:

Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And before the morning he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us.

This short little verse tells us how long it takes for Damascus to be totally destroyed. Overnight! Israel’s enemies eventually all face the judgment spoken by God in Genesis 12:3: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you…”

Ancient Elam

We will now take a look at what the Bible foretells about Iran. Aside from the politics of the international relationships between Iran, its allies, and the West, let’s examine what Old Testament prophets tell us is going to unfold with Iran on the world stage in these closing hours of the age. 

With even a minimal knowledge of eschatology (the study of end time events), most observers are aware that there is an overwhelming attack soon to come on the nation of Israel involving Russia, Iran, Turkey, and at least six other nations. This is generally known as the Gog-Magog war, or the Ezekiel 38-39 war. We will give a detailed description of this great war, but first we will examine a lesser known prophecy, with details once again being provided by Jeremiah.

One of the things that I am increasingly convinced of is that the Scriptures are not only inerrant, but also very specific. When it comes to the understanding of Bible prophecy, many will avoid the subject completely, saying it is too controversial and there are just too many opinions. Yet, as we watch world events unfold we find that the Bible has described our specific time in history in great detail. And, as time passes, we are given more and more understanding of what we are reading. This is so that we recognize what time it is.

The main portion of Scripture we will be examining here is found in Jeremiah 49:34-39. The 49th chapter is packed with prophecies directed at a number of people groups. The passage below is specifically directed at modern day Iran, but limited to what was known as ancient Elam.  

³⁴The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, ³⁵ “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the foremost of their might. ³⁶Against Elam I will bring the four winds, from the four quarters of heaven, and scatter them toward all those winds; there shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go. ³⁷For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,’ says the LORD. ‘And I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them. ³⁸I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from there the king and the princes, says the LORD.’ ³⁹‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days, I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the LORD.”  Jeremiah 49:34-39

Considerable time has been spent in describing enemies that the Bible warned would rise up at the end of the age and once again attempt to wipe the nation of Israel out of existence. To this point we have looked at an inner ring of national entities that Scripture says will confederate with the intent of overrunning the Jewish nation. This should be no surprise since the Scriptures have been very clear in foretelling the return of the Jews from around the world to their ancestral home. The Bible also specifically says this will happen at the end of the age; in fact, just prior to the unleashing of the Great and Terrible Day of the LORD. 

Most of the emphasis on Iran’s prophetic involvement in conflicts at the end of the age — in particular with the nation of Israel, are centered on ancient Persia, or what we recognize as modern day Iran. There is no question about Persia’s participation with the overwhelming confederation described in Ezekiel 38-39. In this prophecy by Jeremiah however, the Almighty specifically has His finger of judgment pointed directly at Elam. The ancient land of Elam, located mostly within modern-day Iran, existed many centuries before Persia ever became part of the world scene. 

Biblically, it was one of Persia’s first kings, in fact her greatest king, Cyrus the Great, who brought Persia much of its world recognition. Elam’s history on the other hand reaches all the way back to the patriarch Abraham’s time in the early chapters of Genesis. From my studies I have found differing historical boundaries of ancient Elam. One of the boundaries, which for the purposes of this article we will designate “Lesser Elam”, was located along the Persian Gulf, the western border of Iran, north of the Straits of Hormuz, and a small portion of land along the southeastern portion of modern-day Iraq. “Lesser Elam” only comprises about 20% of what is known as Iran today.

There is, however, considerable historical evidence for a “Greater Elam” whose boundaries would reach considerably farther than the smaller portion of land mentioned above. There is no time, nor reason, in this brief explanation of the prophecy about Elam to give the full history of the Elamites, but there is a strong argument for allowing for a much wider spread of the boundaries of Elam. Elam has a long and complicated history but we will forego the details at this time. 

Some might ask: “What does it really matter and why should I care about a 2600-year-old prophecy?” The short answer is that these ancient prophecies concerning “Elam,” are about to be fulfilled right before our eyes. If it didn’t matter, God would not have included it in the Bible which we should be reading from cover to cover. 

There are several contrasting details given in Scripture to distinguish between the involvement of Iran in the conflict involving Elam and that of Iran in the Gog-Magog conflict. One of these is the fact that the Gog-Magog war will be fought in the mountains of Israel, whereas the disaster that comes upon Elam will be located mostly within the confines of ancient Elam itself, allowing for “the greater Elam.”  Another detail worth mentioning is that Ezekiel seems to purposely ignore Elam in his listing of Israel’s enemies in Ezekiel 38. It is interesting to note that the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel were contemporaries. For some reason, Ezekiel wrote about Persia and Jeremiah wrote about Elam. Yet, Ezekiel was very familiar with Elam. In Ezekiel 32:24-25, the prophet had this to say concerning Elam:

²⁴There is Elam and all her multitude, all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living; now they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit. ²⁵They have set her bed in the midst of the slain, with all her multitude, with her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit; it was put in the midst of the slain.

As the Scriptures dealing with Elam are laid alongside those dealing with Gog-Magog, we find that both prophets were quite specific in the listing of nations participating in each of the conflicts. The prophet Ezekiel made a point of ignoring every one of Israel’s enemies listed in Asaph’s prayer in Psalm 83, and he seemed to ignore Elam — which he spoke about six chapters earlier. All of these enemies are today located along Israel’s borders with the exception of ancient Elam. Why did Ezekiel not list them along with his listing of Israel’s enemies in chapters 38-39? Possibly because they have already been defeated prior to the Gog-Magog war.

In Jeremiah 49:35 God says, “I will break the bow of Elam, the foremost of their might.”  One of the first things I think of is Iran’s continual threat to obliterate Israel. Some of their test missiles have even had threats to the Jewish State painted on their sides in Hebrew. How often have we heard rhetoric coming out of Iran describing America as the Great Satan and Israel as the Little Satan? How often have we seen demonstrations in Iran where the crowds were shouting “Death to America, Death to Israel?”  

Is it possible that God finds it necessary at some point in time to intervene in Iran’s feverish drive to deliver nuclear weapons onto Israeli cities with ballistic missiles? I believe this is what Jeremiah was referring to 2600 years ago. God is saying that He will see to it that their capability to deliver (the bow) their “arrows” (missiles) is broken / destroyed. This is in direct contrast to the fact that in Ezekiel 38-39, God destroys both the “bow” and the “arrows” of the combined forces attacking Israel. It is also interesting to find that early Bible history records mention the ancient Elamites as being masters of archery warfare. I particularly find it intriguing that the American president recently said that the United States military was considering a limited strike first, knocking out all of Iran’s nuclear facilities as well as all of its missile launchers, particularly in western Iran, which is where ancient Elam is located. As this was not totally successful and negotiations have failed repeatedly, it looks as if the US and Israel’s combined military will attack in much greater force in order to destroy Iran’s ability to launch its missiles and drones.   

If God sees to it that Elam’s “bow” is broken, the arrows (or missiles) cannot be launched. Even back as far as 2014, Mr. Netanyahu made this comment to Angela Merkel of Germany: “The goal is to prevent Iran from having the capability to manufacture and deliver nuclear weapons. I believe that means zero enrichment, zero centrifuges, zero plutonium, and of course an end to ICBM development. This is because none of these elements — none of them — are necessary for developing civilian nuclear energy, which is what Iran has claimed that it wants.”  

Most of Iran’s enemies are located to the west of Iran. This is naturally where they would place the lion’s share of their military muscle. It is interesting to note how many of Iran’s missile launching sites that concern the Jewish State are located within or near the territory of ancient Elam. Estimates of the sites even in “lesser Elam” are put at nearly 50%, with the Bushehr nuclear plant centered on the coastline of ancient Elam. However, as we look at a map of Iran, showing the location of all of its provinces, the number of “problem” sites for Israel’s security needs, located in “greater Elam,” is much greater. The four northwestern provinces where most of the Iranian Kurds live today extend all the way up to the northern borders of Iran, sandwiched between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

As we continue with God’s promise to “break the bow of Elam,” He also added…”the foremost of their might.” What could God have meant when He had Jeremiah pen those words? Could it be that He will see to it that Iran (or ancient Elam) has their missile and rocket launching facilities destroyed? Is this something that will be done by the Israeli Defense Forces or possibly a combination of their military and that of the United States working in concert? Could their launching ability be neutralized through use of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) weapon? One way or another, at the time of this event, they will suffer a great loss of their ability to launch, and the means to do so are presently surrounding Iran. It also appears by Scripture that that area will experience a terrible disaster of some kind. Does the Bashir Nuclear Plant get damaged, causing a leak of nuclear radiation? Is it possible, due to the military standoff between Iran and the U.S., that the oil is ignited, causing a series of massive explosions? Only God knows a catastrophic event of one kind or another is foretold.

As mentioned earlier, ancient Elam was known for their archers in war. It seems that God made it a point to say that He would break their bows, but said nothing about their arrows. In the coming Gog-Magog war in Ezekiel 38-39, God specifically worded His actions differently by saying:

“Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.”  Ezekiel 39:3

Gog-Magog War

Of all the “end of the age” wars we have discussed so far, the “War of Gog and Magog” is the better known. It is also called the “Ezekiel 38-39 War.” This huge conflict, like the other wars that Israel is about to face in our time, is not without controversy amongst Bible scholars. My purpose is not to convince the reader of my exegesis of the prophetic Scriptures, but rather to open the Scriptures up, share my understanding of them, why I see them being fulfilled as I do, and leave it to the reader to make up their own mind. I also pray that a greater desire to dig into the Word of God will be inspired. 

A question that is periodically asked is: “Why should I even care about Israel’s wars?”  It was Jesus Himself who instructed His followers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. In several passages He also instructed the believers to “watch and pray.”  Watch what? Jesus explains it this way in the Book of Mark:

³²But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father. ³³Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. ³⁴It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. ³⁵Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — ³⁶lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. ³⁷And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”  Mark 13:32-37 (added emphasis, mine)

All Scriptures provided for us by the Holy Spirit — who is the real author of the Bible, are given for us to study and show ourselves approved and equipped. Why is so much of the Bible composed of prophecy? It is so that we can recognize the season we are living in. What time in history did God choose to put you and I into? We are in the last generation before the second coming of the Messiah. Although the world around us is blind to what is about to happen, the people of God are instructed not to be caught by surprise. When we search the Scriptures, we find that God has provided an abundance of signs for our times.

We understand from the study of history and the study of God’s Word that we, the human race, have been in a struggle between good and evil; God’s plans and the plans of the Usurper, the god of this world, the fallen Lucifer. Because the fallen one knows that God’s ultimate plans for the human race are intertwined with the nation of Israel, he has tried throughout history to annihilate the Jewish people. His agenda has not changed, and neither has God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God will see the nation of Israel all the way through to the return of Jesus Christ Himself, the creator and descendant of King David, to rule on Earth from the one and only city with His Name on it…..Jerusalem.

After the Jewish people had been scattered around the world for nearly 2,000 years, God brought the nation of Israel back onto the world stage. The drive to destroy the Jewish people has only intensified since they again became sovereign over even a small portion of their ancient lands on May 14, 1948. The closer we get to The Time of Jacob’s Trouble, or The Great Tribulation, the more intense the hatred for the Jewish people will become. 

It may very well be that Israel will feel a bit more at ease after the dust clears from the  great regional Middle East war, which seems imminent now, but it likely will not last very long. Even though the world may express relief that the immediate conflict between Israel and her surrounding Arab nations is finally resolved, the condemnation of the world will erupt as well. The response from the Muslim world will be absolute shock that Allah’s power will have been so humiliated. And, the fury that will arise from the nations of the world is prophesied by many Old Testament prophets. As mentioned earlier, the prophet Zechariah spoke these prophetic words inspired by Israel’s Protector, Jehovah God:

²“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. ³And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples, all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it…” Zechariah 12: 2-3

Ezekiel 38 begins with these words:

¹Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, ²“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, ³and say: ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.  Ezekiel 38:1-3

In these first few verses, God identifies several entities, the first being “Gog.” There is some discrepancy between scholars regarding whether this is a descriptor of a nation or of a person. Since the passage says that Gog is a “prince” and a “him’, Gog has to be a man. My understanding of the Scripture though is that the name Gog is probably more of a title like Czar, Caesar, Kaiser or Emperor, rather than the name of a man.

Our passage at the beginning of Ezekiel additionally tells us that Gog is of the land of Magog, and the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. History shows that the connection between Magog and Russia is to a degree through the ancient Scythians. The Scythians, historically known as the Scoloti, a nomadic race — or collection of races, dwelt mostly on the north of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, stretching into inner Asia.

As we look at a map of the modern world overlaid with the ancient world, we find that Magog comprises the approximate territories of modern-day Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Rosh is represented by modern-day Russia. Ancient Meshech is the area between the Black and Caspian Seas where modern maps show the nations of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. Ancient Tubal was located in part of what is today, the nation of Turkey. 

As we look back at the last part of Ezekiel 38:3, God makes a point of saying that He was against Gog, the leader of this coalition, and was here in effect, challenging him. Let’s read a bit farther into what Ezekiel prophesized:

⁴“I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. ⁵Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet, ⁶Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops — many peoples are with you. ⁷Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you, and be a guard for them.    

⁸“After many days you will be visited. 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. ⁹You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.” verses 4-9

Here we are given the additional members of the nine-member coalition. They are Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah. Persia is of course modern-day Iran. Ancient Ethiopia however would include the approximate territories of both modern-day Ethiopia and North and South Sudan. Ancient Libya would include the territories of modern-day Libya, Algeria, and possibly Morocco. The House of Togarmah would be referring to much of the modern nation of Turkey and overlapping some into the lands between the Black and Caspian Seas. (Note: It must be remembered that national boundaries have changed or been erased many times through the millennia). The ninth member mentioned in the passage above is Gomer. Most believe that ancient Gomer is represented within modern-day Turkey.

One recurring theme throughout much of the Old Testament speaks of a time when Israel will no longer be able to profane the name of the Lord their GOD. One of these passages is found in Ezekiel 39:7-8:

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. ⁸Surely, it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord GOD. “This is the day of which I have spoken.”

Throughout history, the Israelites have gone through a continual cycle of following the Lord their God and His dictates for a time, and then slipping back into the ways of the pagan nations around them. God would send prophet after prophet to confront them. In a very real sense, all peoples that have gained a true knowledge of God, go through this same struggle. With Israel however, the forces of hell have been especially relentless. From the very beginning, all the way back to when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s simple command in the Garden and thus bringing sin and death to the human race, God had a plan for man’s redemption. The plan was the Messiah, who would be brought into the world by supernatural means through the young Jewish virgin, Mary. Knowing that the Messiah was to come into the world through God’s chosen people, the Hebrews, Satan did everything he could to destroy the Hebrew people before God’s plan could come to completion. When the Messiah did come, Satan thought that killing Him would doom the human race. Wrong! 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 tells us: 

⁷…we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸which none of the rulers of this age knew, for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Just as the demonic rulers of this world thought they would defeat God’s plan of salvation for mankind by killing the Messiah at His first coming — and failed — so they think that annihilating God’s chosen people before the Messiah’s second coming will defeat God’s plan by proving Him a covenant breaker and liar. It will never happen because God will not allow the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be destroyed. He said so! There are many Scriptures that speak to Israel’s unfaithfulness to God; yet there are also His promises that He will not allow them to be destroyed.

Not a single one of God’s covenants, promises, or decrees can be broken by men, nations, or even the kingdom of hell. Israel will continue to exist as a nation, and although they still today do not recognize their Messiah, they soon will. Their eyes are soon to be opened. All of God’s covenant promises to them as a nation will be fulfilled, but in the meantime, the evil god of this world will continue trying to obliterate the nation from the face of the earth. We will see in Ezekiel 38 and 39, as this massive conglomerate force invades the mountains of Israel, that God’s fury will rise up in His face, because He has had enough! God’s prophetic warning to Gog is beyond ominous!

¹⁸ “And it shall come to pass, at the same time when Gog comes against the land of Israel”, says the Lord GOD, “that My fury will show in My face. ¹⁹For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken…”  Ezekiel 38:18-19a

For a moment, let’s back up to verses 10-13. There are some important things to notice in these verses in Ezekiel 38.

¹⁰Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan. ¹¹You 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 — ¹²to 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. 1³Sheba, 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?’” 

In this passage starting in verse 10 we find a dual prophecy. I believe there are two entities being referred to that will suffer a massive attack. We will look at the most obvious in today’s writing. Gog’s evil plan specifically says that Gog will attack a people who are living without walls; a peaceful people dwelling safely without bars and gates. It has generally been understood by most prophecy experts that this is referring to Israel, and — to a point, this is true. There is, however, more than Israel being referred to here.

It will become apparent to Gog that after the successful defeat of Israel’s border enemies in the Psalm 83 war (Obadiah’s War), Israel will somewhat let its guard down. This is referred to in verses 14-16a:

¹⁴…Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? ¹⁵Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. ¹⁶You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land; it will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land…”  Ezekiel 38:14-16a

He will take advantage of this fact and come with his overwhelming forces with full intent of totally decimating Israel and stripping away her wealth. It is only fairly recently that Israel could be seen as a nation with enviable wealth. God has prospered the Jewish people who have returned to their ancient land in a multitude of ways, just as He promised He would. It was only a few years ago that it would have seemed absurd to think that a massive military force would think it worthwhile to attack Israel for its resources, but the opposite is the case today. Yet, Gog may have another motive for his attack which lies beyond Israel’s “booty.” Is there a second nation on Gog’s mind? Could it be the United States of America? This necessitates a more in depth look at verses 10-13 of Ezekiel 38.

Who or where is “the land of unwalled villages?” It has been the assumption by many that Israel will be living at relative peace without walls when Gog attacks. What if this is not referring to Israel? Is it possible that it is a nation far from the Middle East?  I would like to offer another possible explanation to the passage and then after considering its implications, you decide for yourself if it has merit. 

Verse 10 in most Bible translations read: “on that day it shall come to pass that thoughts shall arise in your mind and you will make an evil plan… (NKJV); “on that day thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme…” (NIV). Most versions have some form of the above. The old KJV translation, however, as well as the Septuagint, Young’s translation, Noah Webster’s translation and some others are a bit more specific and translate the phrase as: “at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought…” 

What happens “at the same time”, and what is “the evil thought?”  Verse 11 tells us the evil thought is to “attack the land of unwalled villages — those that dwell safely without bars in their windows or gates…” Building walls with gates around cities was an old world phenomenon and is not characteristic of our modern day world. Israel, however, is an obvious exception. The nation of Israel today has more walls to protect its citizens from its surrounding enemies (including some within) than any other nation on earth. How could Israel be “the nation of unwalled villages” described by Ezekiel? If this ‘unwalled’ nation is not Israel as being described by Jeremiah, who is this nation? 

Whoever this nation is, Jeremiah adds some attributes in the above passage concerning the people of the nation in question that must be considered: 

1. They are at rest
2. They dwell safely
3. Land of desolate places that are now inhabited                        
4. A people gathered out of the nations
5. A very wealthy nation 

In consideration of the points above, can one really say that Israel is at rest and dwelling safely? This is only the case as long as Israel’s police and military exercise a very strong hand in dealing with terrorist attacks within the nation and a formidable deterrence against external enemy nations. Israel could partially qualify as a land of desolate places that are now inhabited — at least since the Jews began coming back to their ancient homeland in the last century. This would indicate that Israel could also partially qualify as a people gathered out of the nations, but is there another? Israel is now considered a relatively wealthy nation as well, but so is another, much larger nation. 

The attributes mentioned above, as well as a long list of additional attributes mentioned in other chapters of Jeremiah (particularly chapters 50 and 51) are a description of the Daughter of Babylon which I suggest is the United States of America. It is America that is living at ease with an ocean on either coast, the Gulf of Mexico on its south, and bordered by nations with whom she is presently at peace. Some may argue that America has a partial wall built on its southern border, but as we know, to this date, it is only a partial wall. America is not a “walled” nation. As to the desolate places now inhabited, the North American continent had been a wide open frontier land, basically untamed, until settlers immigrated from the Old World, built homesteads, settlements, towns, cities, and eventually a unified nation. Is Israel a nation having people gathered out of the nations? Yes, of course. It is, however, America that is known worldwide as the melting pot of peoples from every nation on earth. And as to this mystery nation’s worldwide power, never in history has there been a nation with as much accumulated wealth, economic influence and military power as the United States of America. 

A major factor to keep in mind is that a large percentage of Gog’s gathered armies will be Muslim, and we cannot dismiss the impact of Muslim hatred for the Zionists. Islamic traditions foretell an all-out war between the Muslim world and the Jews at the end of the age. When this war erupts, all prior treaties or agreements between Israel and Muslim nations will be discarded. 

If this conclusion is correct, and if we were to take the time, there are many arguments that could be made to support an attack on Israel happening nearly in concert with an attack on the United States of America. Is an attack on America that hard to imagine? Consider the fact that Israel is considered the “Little Satan” and America the “Great Satan.” This makes sense for a number of reasons. Today, America is a big brother and protector of Israel. In order for Gog and his allies to successfully attack and destroy Israel, America’s ability to come to the aid of Israel must be eliminated. Israel must stand alone so that she has nothing but God as the source of her survival. Even though many eschatology experts are convinced that America is nowhere referred to in Scripture, I would have to politely disagree. Even though it is not referred to by name, there are many passages of prophetic Scriptures that can only fit one end of the age nation — The United States of America. This is, however,  a subject for another time. 

The nations of the world are today sitting upon a dangerous precipice, one that leads to world conflict. America will not be able to avoid it and it will not be able to survive and continue functioning as the superpower it is today.  

Of all nations on this earth, Israel and America were set aside by God to bring about His will and eternal agenda. It is important to understand, however, that there is a major difference between what happens to the two nations when this attack happens. Israel will survive because of God’s covenant with Abraham, and subsequently with Abraham’s descendants, the nation of Israel. God does not have such a covenant with America. While God intervenes with His mighty hand to stop Gog’s forces from utterly decimating the nation of Israel, America, who gets attacked “at the same time” will not be spared. America has constantly pushed God and His ways farther and farther aside, and so after nearly 250 years of God’s blessing on this great nation, He will allow its defeat — both from within the nation, as well as from external forces aligned against it. Tragic, but prophetic.

As we turn back to Ezekiel 38, we are told what happens when Gog comes against the land of Israel.

¹⁸“And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “that My fury will show in My face. ¹⁹For 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, ²⁰so 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. ²¹I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD, “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. ²²And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.“   Ezekiel 38:18-22

As the prophet ends chapter 38 and continues into chapter 39, he provides more details of God’s actions against Gog and his military forces:

¹And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; ²and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. ³Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. ⁴You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. ⁵You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord GOD.   Ezekiel 39:1-5.

It is quite clear that God decides to deal with Israel’s enemies in His own way, much as He did with Israel’s enemies early in their history. We find a number of details showing mankind is always outmatched when rising up in rebellion to God’s will. We remember God’s reaction in chapter 38:18, when He sees the attack coming; His fury rises up in His face. We are then told that God hits the mountains of Israel, where they have congregated, with a terrible earthquake. This is in fact a world-wide quake. God also hits Israel’s enemies with a massive hail storm mixed with fire and brimstone — a meteor storm. God destroys their rocket and missile launchers while knocking the missiles right out of the air. God causes the troops to turn on each other and this great amassed military force becomes a feast for the vultures and carnivores that God sends for the purpose. 

According to several translations, God destroys 85% of the combined forces right there on the mountains of Israel. The battle is so decisive and the slaughter so great that the whole world becomes aware that there is a God in Israel. God describes it in these words:

“Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”  Ezekiel 38:23

As we read further in Ezekiel 39, God makes it clear to the world why the Jews were dispersed, and why they, through His sovereignty, were brought back to their ancient land again. We find these words prophesied below:

²³ “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. ²⁴According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them. ²⁵Therefore 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 — ²⁶after 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. ²⁷When 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, ²⁸then 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. ²⁹And 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.”  Ezekiel 39: 23-29 (emphasis, mine)

God goes to great length in this passage to tell the world why the Jews, His chosen people, were scattered all across the world, and the fact that it was HE who brought them back to their ancient land. 

As we conclude our examination of Ezekiel 38-39 (the war of Gog and Magog), a legitimate question could be asked: Could this war be synonymous with World War 3? It is my contention that they will be synonymous. Not only that, if we were to take the time to compare the details of how God destroys Gog and his allies, with the effects of the Sixth Seal of Revelation 6:12-17 being opened, the similarities are quite striking. But, that is another subject for another time. 

So, in light of all the signs of the end of the age that Jesus forewarned us about, is there any hope or comfort for us? There is indeed!

Comfort One Another With These Words

The title for this article stems from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the first century church in Thessaloniki, Turkey. It is actually said twice: Once in chapter 4:18: “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” It is mentioned a second time in chapter 5:11: “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another…” 

There is another passage written by the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, that I would like to add: 

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned…”  Isaiah 40:1-2a

The passage in Isaiah was, of course, written specifically to Isaiah’s nation, Israel. There is, however, an application that can be made which is appropriate for our generation, some 2,700 years later. There is a day coming very soon when God’s people, those whose iniquities have been forgiven through the acceptance of God’s free gift of salvation, will be snatched off the face of the earth. This will happen just prior to God’s judgment upon this Christ-rejecting world. Our warfare with the sufferings, afflictions, and persecutions of this life will then be over, forever! 

I am aware that there are differing understandings in relation to the “catching up / harpazo” event of the true Church. In this writing I hope to present convincing scriptural evidence that this event will not happen in the middle of the Apocalypse, nor at the end, but rather just prior to its onset. Please read through to the end and then decide for yourself if the evidence I have presented is valid. 

We will begin with a passage found in Matthew 24:

³² “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³You also, when you see all these things, know it is near — at the doors! ³⁴ Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” 

There are several questions that need to be answered in this passage.

• What does the fig tree represent?
• What are the all things referring to?
• What generation is Jesus referring to?

There are three ‘trees’ that are used in reference to the nation of Israel in Scripture. One is the fig tree, another is the olive tree, and the third is the vine. The Bible uses the fig tree as a representation of national Israel. This is also the reason for the common reference, the fig tree generation, we often hear from prophecy teachers today. 

As to the second question, what are the “all things” referred to? This is referring to a litany of events listed in Matthew 24 that Jesus predicted would come about before His return. We will reference the “all things” shortly.

Understanding the answer to the third question helps us to accurately understand the perplexing question concerning the timing of the harpazo / rapture event. Jesus’ very words were: “This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”  It has been assumed by many for many years that “this” was a reference to the 1st century, the generation in which the apostles established the Church.  If we believe that Jesus was the infallible Almighty God who came in the flesh of a man, and if that 1st century generation did not see the “all things” events which Jesus described, then either Jesus was guilty of a false prophecy, or He was referring to a future generation. As God in the flesh, He was certainly not guilty of a false prophecy. This means He was referring to a future generation, and Scripture confirms this. 

The Jewish survivors of the Roman onslaught on national Israel in 70-71 AD were scattered all around the known world. Those who had not been displaced were ultimately destroyed in the Bar Kochba revolt in 132-135 AD. For all practical purposes, after 135 AD Israel was no longer a nation until it was once again restored on May 14, 1948. Then Israel, represented by the fig tree, again came to life and soon began to flourish — just as God had said. This is the generation Jesus was referring to. Our generation! In researching the phrase “this generation” in Strong’s concordance, the implication is “this one, absolutely.” The word “generation” has more than one definition, but the definition that is applicable according to the context is: “the whole multitude of men living at the same time, an age.” So how do we determine which generation? The context of the passage makes it clear that it is referring to the generation in which the fig tree blossoms again. 

Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus specifically about the end of the age in Matthew 24:3:

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world.” 

Their questions had to do with the End of the Age and what precedes that end. This was Jesus’ answer::

⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 

After presenting His list of upcoming events, Jesus says 8 “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”  

The definition of “sorrows” in Strong’s Concordance is: “a pang or throe, especially of childbirth; — pain, sorrow, travail.” Thayer’s Lexicon gives two definitions: #1: “Pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs” and #2: “intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities that precede the advent of the Messiah.”

The “sorrows” are symbolism for a woman giving birth to a child. It is crucial for us to understand who this Woman is. We will take a look at a number of Scriptures that confirm that the nation of Israel is represented by the Woman:  Let’s take a look at Isaiah 66:7-8:

⁷Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. ⁸Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. (emphasis added)

The word before is used twice in verse 7, emphasizing the timing of this delivery which in this case is before her actual birth pangs begin. Then, as we see, the word “children” is used, so there is no mistaking there are plural children being referenced. This is a representation of two groups of people. What are their identities? Let’s see what Isaiah had to say in Isaiah 26:

¹⁷ As a woman with child is in pain and cries out in her pangs, when she draws near the time of her delivery, so have we been in Your sight, O LORD. ¹⁸We have been with child, we have been in pain; we have, as it were, brought forth wind; we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen. (emphasis added)

By the time we get to verse 17, Isaiah describes Israel as a Woman experiencing the pains of her pregnancy. Israel was foretold to be the physical vehicle of God’s promise of a Messiah. This promise was delivered to Satan in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God’s words to Satan were:

“…And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.”  Genesis 3:15

From the time of God’s proclamation, right on through the centuries since, God’s plan was in constant motion. The Old Testament records God’s interactions with Israel’s patriarchs — beginning with Abraham, Israel’s prophets, priests, kings and innumerable others whom God worked through – His plan of bringing the Messiah into the world continued to unfold. The fallen Lucifer (Satan) did everything in his power to thwart God’s plan. This of course included his attempt to corrupt the entire human genome through the defilement brought about by fallen angels who, through their ability to shape-shift, enticed beautiful women of Adam’s race into mating with them, producing the Demi-gods of antiquity, called Nephilim in the Bible. Satan’s purpose of course was to corrupt the human genome to the point that it would be impossible for the promised Seed, the Messiah, to enter the human race without being infected with the same corruption. 

This spiritual war has continued throughout the known world, but has been concentrated especially on God’s chosen race of people, the Jews, the vehicle God chose to bring the Messiah into the world. In Isaiah 26, the prophet describes Israel’s unending struggle, symbolized as a Woman in labor who, despite her efforts, was unable to deliver. We find the word “we” used five times in verses 17 and 18. 

• We have been in Your sight, O LORD.
• We have been with child
• We have been in pain
• We have, as it were, brought forth wind
• We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth

The Woman Israel, under God’s oversight had carried the burden of the promise of deliverance to the world (the Seed, the Man-Child / Messiah), and had experienced the pains associated with her “pregnancy” —  yet had not managed to bring deliverance to an evil fallen world, in fact, nothing but wind.

This prophecy, however, has an underlying “pregnancy” embedded within Isaiah’s words. This same Woman, Israel, was pregnant with another “child.” This child would be delivered before the Woman’s pains are to begin. We will see that there is an expectation of a Deliverance that involves a Resurrection. These resurrected people are to be taken somewhere safe while the world is judged for its rebellion and rejection of God’s Messiah. 

It is crucial that we recognize the sequence of events Isaiah (by inspiration of the Holy Spirit) has laid out for us. There is a clear progression. Verse 19 reads:

Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

In the New Testament Book of Hebrews, chapter 11, we have an extensive list of Old Testament saints who had paid the ultimate price for their allegiance to the God of the Bible — the One who had created them, and believed His promises. The words “by faith” precede each of the names mentioned. What was it that they were looking forward to beyond the fallen world they had suffered and died in? We find the answers in verses 13-16:

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland, ¹⁵ and truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He had prepared a city for them.  Hebrews 11:13-16

Verse 19 of Isaiah 26 contains God’s promise of Resurrection. This is what the saints of Hebrews 11 were looking for. God’s promise is that those of His who had died would at a given time be resurrected from the dead to live in His Kingdom forever. An eternity without suffering, sorrow, pain, death, or tears of regret, sadness, or grief.

The progression of events in the latter part of Isaiah 26 leads us to verse 20, where we are told what happens to those who will be resurrected: 

“Come my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.”

Who are His people? God is referring to those who have believed and followed Him and His ways. God’s people in the Old Testament followed God’s ways, either by their God-given conscience before the Law was given to Moses, or by the Old Covenant. God prescribed a leadership system through the guidance of His true prophets and priests. Under the New Covenant which was confirmed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s people are those who receive the free gift of salvation provided through the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God. 

Question: Where do we “enter our chambers, and shut the doors behind us, and hide for a little moment?” Scriptures that we will look at momentarily will show that this is God’s promised “catching up / harpazo” event. Verse 20-21 also tells us what transpires on this earth after we are relocated from off the earth. Isaiah says “until the indignation is past.” The Geseneas’ Hebrew-Chaldean Lexicon defines “indignation” as: “fierceness, anger, or indignation, especially the wrath of God; as in the infliction of punishment; punishment sent from God; until the punishment sent from God is completed.” Verse 21 confirms the definition of “indignation.” 

“For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

I am reminded of a clear warning given by God Himself in the first few verses of Psalm 2:

¹ “Why do the heathen rage, and the people plot a vain thing? ²The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ³ Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’ ⁴He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. ⁵Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure.”  Psalm 2:1-5

Humans in rebellion to God will express their hatred for His “narrow-minded” views on life and how it should be lived, forgetting that He is the One who created them. As the All-Knowing One, His laws were set in place to protect and bless us throughout our lives, not confine us. Rebelling against God’s parameters only leaves man under the control of the Fallen One. It was Jesus who said: “The devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy, whereas I came to give life, and life more abundantly.” 

After having unpacked at least a small portion of the final verses of Isaiah 26, we will now explore some additional Scriptures which will help to confirm observations we have made so far.  We must remember that one of the keys to the underlying pregnancy of the Woman, Israel, is found in the Isaiah 66:7-8 passage we examined earlier. “Before she was in labor, she gave birth.” The last phrase of verse 8 informs us that the Woman gave birth to her Children (plural).” As we continue with our study, we will gain more understanding of what Isaiah was referring to.

It is at the end of the beginning of sorrows, before her pain comes, before Jacob’s trouble begins, there is a Resurrection of a group of dead people, and these dead people are taken somewhere else. These are then joined by a great multitude of those still living. Who are these people? As we just saw above, the rest of the living inhabitants of the earth have entered a judgment. A passage in 1 Thessalonians helps us put this together. 

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. ¹⁵For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

As we read the passage above, we can see that it follows the same sequence of events as we found in Isaiah 26. The 1 Thessalonians 4 passage makes several things clear:

• God did not intend for us to be ignorant of end of the age events
• There is a hope available for those who have passed from this life
• That hope lies in belief and acceptance that Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sins
• Jesus will resurrect and retrieve His followers from this earth, dead or alive 
• The dead are raised first and those of us alive will subsequently join them
• The Lord will descend with a shout, the voice of God’s Trumpet, and the voice of the archangel
• The dead in Christ, as well as the living Christ-followers will be gathered into the clouds with the Lord to be taken into His presence
• We will then forever be with the Lord
• These are words to comfort one another with as we await the time of His return for us

The coming of the Lord in this Scripture is not referring to the Second Coming of Christ when He brings the saints with Him and sets His foot on the Mount of Olives. The “coming” the Apostle Paul is speaking of here is when Jesus comes in the clouds and gathers His saints to take them back to Heaven with Him until the Great Tribulation / Apocalypse is over. It is not until then that Jesus returns to Earth to set up His millennial kingdom. 

As we continue to look at the progression of events we uncovered in Isaiah 26, we must not forget that the Woman in travail represents Israel and she is going to experience a birth of sorts. We will now examine a Scripture passage in the Book of Revelation that will help to nail down  some conclusions. 

¹Now a great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. ²Then being with child, she cried out in labor and pain to give birth.  Revelation 12:1-2

In this passage, we have the Woman being represented as a grand sign in the heavens. God quite often displays signs in the heavens as a warning or harbinger of coming events. For those that might not be familiar with this event, the “Revelation 12 sign”, it refers to the Biblical passage above, describing the Apostle John’s vision of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head — interpreted as a symbolic representation of the Virgin Mary or the nation of Israel, with the “twelve stars” symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. This “sign” has been widely recognized as an astronomical alignment in the constellations Virgo (the Woman), Leo (the crown of stars), and the sun and moon in specific positions. The September 23, 2017 alignment, like none other, perfectly matched this description.  

The Woman pictured in the stars of the heavens in Revelation 12 is the same Woman described at the time of the “beginning of sorrows.” This time, however, in Revelation 12, God is giving a warning to the entire world that soon she is entering the time of her pain. This is what we are given a description of in Revelation 12:1-2.  Juxtapose that with Isaiah 66:7: Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child.

Again, this is a Revelation 12 warning that Israel is about to go into her time of trouble, but before she goes into her pain, she delivers a manchild.

³And another sign appeared in heaven; behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. ⁵She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne. 

I included verses 3-4 for the sake of context, but we will not go into much of the symbolism embedded in these two verses at this time. Let’s go directly to verse 5: “She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne.” The listing of events that Jesus foretold in Matthew 24 are things that have been unfolding throughout the church age. They have, however, greatly escalated since the Revelation 12 sign was displayed in the heavens. It is not hard to recognize that there is a set-up in process for what verse 5 refers to. 

It has traditionally been taught that the delivery of the male child in verse 5 is referring back in history to when Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. That is obviously a historical event but I believe there is more to this verse than what has been traditionally taught. Bible prophecy often, in fact, most of the time has layers of fulfillment included. In verses 3 and 4 of the passage, there is a description of the appearance of another sign in the heavens; the sign of a Great Red Dragon. This Dragon, which is symbolic of Satan (and his evil kingdom), is positioned before the Woman who is about to deliver, in order to destroy her child as soon as it is born. 

It is true that this is what was happening when King Herod ordered all of the male children aged 2 and under to be slaughtered in Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth. Verse 5 also tells us that this “child” is to rule the nations with a rod of iron. But there is yet more for us to understand in this verse. We are told that this child was caught up to God and His throne. It is true that Jesus ascended to God’s throne from the Mount of Olives 40 days after His resurrection, but He did not ascend under duress of any kind. This child mentioned in Revelation 12:5 is said to be “caught up.” The Greek word used is “harpazo.” The definition of harpazo is” “to snatch or catch away. This verb conveys the idea of force; suddenly exercised; to pluck, pull, snatch, take.”  The Greek word used in Acts 1:9, however, where we find the account of Jesus’ ascension, is “epairo.” The definition of epairo is: “to lift up, to hoist up, like hoisting the foresail of a vessel.” The contrast between the two definitions is quite clear. 

There is one more interesting observation we can make about Revelation 12:5. Although it is obvious that Jesus Christ is going to be ruling Planet Earth with a rod of iron as the all-powerful GOD-KING, there is a reference in Revelation 2 we need to take into consideration.

²⁶ “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, in him I will give power over the nations: ²⁷ ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’, as I also have received from my Father.”  Revelation 2:26-27

Who is this referring to? It is Jesus who is dictating this letter to the Church of Thyatira. He makes the promise of a shared rule with those who are overcomers. Who are the overcomers?  The Church! Verse 27 begins with a direct quote from Psalm 2:9, a statement made by God the Father to God the Son. In this Revelation 2 passage, Jesus promises a shared rulership over His Kingdom during the Millennium. 

These facts point out some of the contrasts between the “Child” born to Mary and the “child” referred to in Revelation 12:5. The Child born to Mary was lifted up before His disciples at the beginning of the Age of Grace (the Church Age), while the child in verse 5 is yanked out, practically out of the jaws of the Dragon, at the end of the Age of Grace. This child is also the one who is going to reign under the supervision of the Child.  This manchild is a representation of the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Head and the Church is the Body. And, it is the Body that is birthed and caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds.

This is the birth the Woman is to have just prior to her pain, Jacob’s trouble. Who is this child? The Church! God has promised to yank the true Church out — literally, out of the jaws of death!

This brings us back to Isaiah 66:8, which makes a clear reference to the Woman and her children — plural:

Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. 

In this generation, those who pay attention to Biblical prophetic events, are aware that there was an End of the Age prophetic clock that began its countdown on May 14, 1948 when Israel was reestablished as a nation. In verse 8 above, we see a conspicuous reference to Israel’s rebirth as a nation. As is with so many prophetic Scriptures, however, I believe there is an underlying reference to the Woman — Israel, giving birth. As already discussed, we recognize this in the prediction that the Woman is to give birth to a manchild, whose identity is confirmed to be the followers of Jesus, who for the most part are part of the Gentile Church. Jesus made a cryptic comment referring to the Gentile Church in John 10:

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”  John 10:16

What we have is the Woman – Israel, once again on the scene, and truly, Israel was born in a day. It was a miraculous event. The Scriptures, however, speak of this same Woman giving birth to a manchild. This is one group of people coming out of another (this is the Gentile Church which is grafted into the original Jewish Olive Tree Vine — Romans 11:17-24). Now, as we examine Isaiah 66:8 there is reference to children. Who else could it be referring to? What other children? I believe Revelation 12:17 may provide us an answer:

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Who are these people? I believe they are the Tribulation saints — the left over, left behind, left below. These are the ones who had, for whatever reason, either ignored the Good News of the Gospel, or just rejected it outright. Then after loved ones and friends who were believers having disappeared, they had their own “Come to Jesus” moment. The Bible warns us, of course, that the time of the Great Tribulation / Apocalypse will be the worst time in humanity’s past history as well as in the future. Billions will die. Most believers in Jesus will be murdered for their beliefs during that time. Thank God we are still in the Age of Grace. The door for the Ark of Safety is, however, closing very, very quickly!

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father without Me.” But by acknowledging that He came into the world as God in the flesh so that he could become the perfect sacrifice for humanity’s sins, and believing that He rose again from the dead, and accepting His free gift of Salvation, you will automatically become one of God’s blood-bought children who will be “caught up” with all of the Redeemed who happen to be alive at the time of the removal of His faithful remnant. That’s when life really begins! 

Forever in His Service,

Jake Geier