Ezekiel's War on the Horizon

Ezekiel's War on the Horizon - Pastor Mike Taylor -

http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2017/09/ezekiels-war-on-horizon.html

 

2 "Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:" (Ezekiel 38:2-4)

 

On Christian forums that I host, many questions arise about when the prophesied war that is spoken of in this passage found in your Bible will happen. Especially the question is who will make up this vast invading force that will be decimated on the mountains of Israel.

 

"16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

17 Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face.

19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother.

22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone." (Ezekiel 38:16-22)

 

This is a massive invasion that God comes to fight against with Divine intervention that slays all but a 1/6 of this army that the bible calls a cloud "thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee." (Ezekiel 38:9b).

 

But the question is raised, who are these people, and where do they come from? Let us explore what is happening right now in our own news channels and what the Bible foretells who this invading army will consist of and how close we are to seeing this come to pass.

 

According to the prophet Ezekiel, there will arise in the last days, a massive military and political alliance known in the bible as the Gog-Magog Alliance.

 

Ezekiel prophesies that a conglomeration of many nations and their armies will think to come into Israel to finally destroy the nation and murder her inhabitants. The Bible also speaks of the disastrous results that will happen on the mountains of the reborn nation that was formed in 1948 and has been in existence now, near 70 years.

 

In Ezekiel 38, verse 3, Ezekiel clearly identifies Gog as a person, rather than a place, "3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:"

 

The Scofield Reference Bible's notes to Ezekiel claim that "Meshech" is a Hebrew form of Moscow, and that "Tubal" represents the Siberian capital Tobolsk.

 

This interpretation would make Gog both a "place" or the Russian Federation of Nations, AND a 'person' as in the sense of the leadership of this Russian Federation.

 

The Interlinear Bible (Hebrew - Greek - English) renders that verse as:

 

"Son of man, set your face toward Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and prophesy concerning him."

 

(In Hebrew, the word 'Rosh' meant, 'chief prince', or, the 'chief of the chief princes.') Would Vladimir Putin be considered the chief prince amongst princes of Communist Russia? Let us examine.

 

HISTORY OF THE ANCESTORS OF THE PEOPLE

 

In examining ancient history, we find that Magog was a son of Japeth, who together with his brothers Tubal, Meshech and Togarmah settled in what is modern day Russia and the southern steps of the Caucasus Mountains..

 

10 "Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

 

2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah." (Genesis 10:1-3)

 

The prophet Ezekiel identifies 'Gog' as coming from the north of Israel. If you follow the compass to due north of Jerusalem, it will take you through the center of Moscow.

 

The army of Gog and Magog primarily includes people from the nations of Gog, Gomer, Tubal, Meshech, and the house of Togarmah from the "north parts." They will be joined by Persians from the East, Put from the West, Cushites from the South, and others.

 

"Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. . . " (Ezekiel 38:5-6)

 

"Gomer" is mentioned in Genesis as well as Ezekiel. The Jewish-turned-Roman historian Flavius Josephus identified Gomer with the Galatians.

"For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls,] but were then called Gomerites." (Antiquities of the Jews, I:6.)

 

Without getting too involved in the geographical landscape of the ancient land of Galatia, the land is part of Turkey and the modern capital of Ankara, Turkey is part of Ancient Galatia.

 

Historically, 'Gomer' is also linked to the ancient Cimmerians. The Cimmerians eventually settled the regions north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, in what is now parts of Russia and the Ukraine. The same can be said for Gomerites who spoke a form of the Persian language, and the Soviet State of Georgia is where the son of Japeth, Tubal settled according to the historian Josephus.

 

Note that Ezekiel begins his listing of the Gog-Magog alliance by naming Persia as the main instigator of this invasion, but with help from his allies of Ethiopia and Libya, but known in Ancient times at Phut for Libya, and Cush for Ethiopia. Most likely, the Russian federation will be the financial supporters of these people.

 

(Some versions of Scripture render 'Libya' (as does the KJV) whereas others render it 'Put' -- a grandson of Noah.)

 

Put settled an area that included most of North Africa including Libya and parts of modern Egypt. Let us name the ancient followed by the modern names of each of these players that will comprise the coming Ezekiel prophesied invasion of Israel in the "last days".

 

-Rosh and Magog-Russia

-Meshech and Tubal-Turkish nation

-Cush-Ethiopia

-Put-Libya

-Gomer-from eastern Europe, even to Germany

 

Note that each of these invading nations have one thing in common...they are all Muslim and have a natural hatred of Israel that has festered since the time of Isaac and Ishmael.

 

WHAT DO WE SEE TODAY?

 

Let us stand back and look at what is happening right now in the Middle East. I have written about this in times' past, but the details keep getting stronger and more into focus as the days pass by. Nowhere has there been an alliance in the past, where Iran and Russia were thick as thieves in their relationship, as has been in the last 20 years or so. In the past, they have been natural enemies, but all that has changed. Russia has taken a major interest in propping up the Iranian regime with help in the military search for the nuclear bomb, by giving the Iranians nuclear reactors, thereby giving the Persians access to nuclear material. This was all done for Russian political purposes and control of the region.

 

Also, war in Syria has been raging for some years now, as the Russian regime seeks to keep Assad in power and use its military to build bases and airfields that are beginning to surround the tiny nation of Israel. We read about Iranian troops on the border of the Golan Heights to its east, Hezbollah creating more missiles that can reach every city in Israel to the north and are itching for the next war that will seek to destroy their hated cousins to the south. We read about Hamas feverishly building more sophisticated missiles in the Gaza strip, that Israel has been trying to keep tabs on both of these players on their borders with fighter jet sorties to knock out advanced chemical, biological, or computer directed missiles to deliver destruction to the tiny nation of Israel. And we read about the Muslim Brotherhood, into factions such as ISIS and AlQueda rampaging in northern Africa down into Central Africa and Egypt.

 

If you look at any map of the area, it can be plainly seen that Israel is surrounded on all sides by enemies that have longed to destroy her. It is prophesied in Psalm 83 that an inner ring of these Muslim nations will think to attack, much as they did in the 1967 and 1973 wars that caught Israel off guard in the last war listed and nearly caused their defeat, if it were not for the God of Heaven who was directing their paths and protecting their flanks from a fanatical enemy. We have been watching and wondering when this war of Psalm 83 might happen, and I believe the stage is being set right now for a skirmish that will bring a big increase in the real estate that Israel will claim for it's own. This is the run-up to the war we are discussing, but Israel will have a short-lived peace, when the enemies that border her are defeated.

 

2" For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;

7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. " (Psalm 83:2-8)

 

I believe this is the next war that is on the horizon. Maneuvers are being taken to surround Israel from all sides with military muscle that they feel, will insure their victory. Only one problem. The God of Heaven is in their corner of Israel, and will not allow that to happen. Our Amazing God will bring victory by His Hand, that will direct the nation of Israel to complete victory. We may see this coming war, before the Church leaves this world, and we may not for the timing of God's body of believers could leave at any moment.

 

LET US EXAMINE WHAT WE KNOW

 

We know that in the latter days, the chief of the chief princes of an alliance called Gog-Magog will arise from a location to the uttermost north regions of Israel. We know that Moscow is on the same longitude (south and north) from the city of Jerusalem and is directly north of the captial city of Israel.

 

We know that this 'Gog' will be reluctantly drawn into a conflict with Israel, to where that Ezekiel says that the nation that comprises Rosh and Magog will be drawn as "hooks in its jaws" into this conflict. It may be over natural resources that they covet, or an alliance that has formed that makes them obliged to honor with resources to support the effort...Both could be right.

 

The Gog Magog alliance includes modern Russia, the Ukraine, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, North Africa, and the Middle East extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf.

 

We also know that the target of the Gog Magog Alliance is the restored nation of Israel. And finally, we know the time frame. Ezekiel says it will take place 'in the latter days'. Here is something else we know. Ezekiel's alignment of nations was never possible in previous generations.

 

To begin with Ezekiel's scenario, the nation of Israel must exist and was created in 1948, as spoken in this passage

 

"the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations . . " (Ezekiel 38:8-9)

 

As we all know, that day was completed in May 1948 and there was never a place called Israel until then. Prior to this date, Russia has no to little interest in the dry and barren land in the Middle East, as it had been part of the Ottoman Empire since the time of America being discovered by Columbus.

 

There has been 2500 years since Ezekiel's prophesy and the formation of a reconstituted nation called Israel, and the prophecy depends on the simultaneous development of two events. The rebirth of Israel and the birth of Mohammedan-style, radical Islam to fulfill this prophecy. How could Ezekiel have known that this would come to pass, unless God had him to write these words?

 

ARE WE IN THE SEASON OF THIS FULFILLMENT?

 

Look at Ezekiel's main protagonists. There are three.

 

The first is Gog and Magog, the modern Russian federation. Gog and Magog's participation in the invasion force, according to Ezekiel, comes as a result of God's promise to,

 

"turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth. . ." (Ezekiel 38:4)

 

I've wondered about the phrase "turn thee back" (Hebrew 'paqad' or 'call to remembrance')....There is a story is about when the new Russian parliament ca. 1992 rushed out of the halls of the Duma where newly admitted Western missionaries were handing out free New Testaments.

 

The people were so hungry for the Word of God, that the missionaries were welcomed with open arms. After a life long bout with Communism the people were eager to read the Words of God.

 

For several years, Russians were offered this 'call to remembrance' of Scripture before former KGB operative Vladimir Putin slammed the door shut on foreign missionaries. The Russian Orthodox Church -- which was heavily infiltrated by the KGB during the Communist era -- the only legal Christian religion in Russia was all that is allowed. All other outside Christian influence is banned.

 

This call of remembrance was now officially over, and when Russia entered into a nuclear alliance with Iran, the hook was set. The support of Iran by the communist country was now set in stone.

 

THE SECOND IS THE ALLIANCE ITSELF

 

As mentioned before, and it is part of the alliance is that every single nation and of the region of the Gog-Magog allies is part of the Islamic world. All of them.

 

Islamic North Africa, [Ethiopia and Libya] including the Sudan, whose Islamic government is currently conducted genocide against its Christian population.

 

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and the heart and soul of radical Wahabbist jihadist Islam.

 

Turkey, (ruled by the Islamic Party), together with most of the Russian Republic's Islamic 'stans'.

 

Persia, or modern Iran, the 'hook' in Gog's jaw. Iran's nuclear program was built by, overseen, guarded and maintained by Russian scientists, technicians and military forces. Iran's leader has made it something of a habit to mention the destruction of Israel in every speech.

 

Which brings us to the third protagonist in Ezekiel's prophecy-Israel itself.

 

The focus of this alliance of Muslim nations has but one focus, the destruction of Israel. Israel now has two choices, and neither of them are good for Israel.

 

She can pray that the international community will restrain the mad mullahs, which with the climate we see of Anti-Semitism taking a rise in the last few years, the doesn't seem likely in the United Nations that is populated with mostly Muslim nations, and even with veto power by the USA, she may be powerless to stop the the forces beyond a official protest., as even the rest of the Gentile nations have risen to condemn her in the European Union and elsewhere.

 

13 "Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" (Ezekiel 38:13)

 

The names of the protestors are Sheba and Dedan, most likely from Saudi Arabia, and young lions of the merchants of Tarshish, which is believed to be the British and the American continent, who are somehow powerless to stop such an invasion.

 

Second choice is that Israel can mount a military response to remove the threat themselves, but the from reading scripture, they are militarily overwhelmed by the extent of the invasion from all sides. I remember that they were surprised in the 1973 war and could have conceivably lost, as the invasion was on one of the Holy Days that the nation observes and they were not prepared for the sudden invasion, but regrouped and became victorious, and in some explanations of the events, Divine intervention was mentioned and was most obvious.

.

A third possibility, although not among Israel's choices, is that the United States will act to remove Iran's nuclear facilities before Israel faces the point of no return. The possibility the US will act in time is just that -- a possibility. But according to scripture, American is not in the mix when it comes to this war. Why? Has an event happened that could cripple their ability to respond effectively to this threat of invasion by this massive Islamic invasion? The Western nations of the American continent is the last bastion of the Christian world, although we have been going the route of Laodecia and have had major falls with the apostacy of the Church, but if those who still seek the Lord God in Spirit and in Truth, were suddenly removed from the military, from the halls of government, from government agencies, from the leadership of this nation in a flash and with out warning, then that might explain why the nation is not in a position to respond effectively to this threat.

 

Why do I say that American will not be able to respond? First, I believe that we as the Church will not see the war we speak of. When this war is finished and it will come in a flash, as God will be the Champion of Israel and will fight for them in His Fury.

 

18 "And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face.

19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother.

22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:18-23)

 

There are several reason why I believe that the Church will not be here.

 

First, the USA has always been the protector of Israel and its ally since her birth, and for the USA not to be in this war, says she is not able.

 

Second, God will not share His glory with anyone, not the USA or anyone else. God will show His people that He is still very much alive.

 

Third, on the heels of this war that slays 5/6 of the invading army on the mountains of Israel, and follows the survivors back to their homeland, where the plague of death follows them to the own countries, that this war will devastate the Muslim World to its knees.

 

Fourth, I see a man coming upon the scene who will try and prevent another war such as this one that has decimated the entire Muslim population and decimated Russia's hegemony war machine. This man will be a person of charismatic personality and will come from a premier nation that Israel will somehow trust. He will "confirm" a covenant with Israel, that could even be the Oslo Accords that no one has enforced yet. .The only nation that I could conceivably argue that Israel would trust, would be the USA. But who knows where this man will come from. Will he be from a revived Roman Empire, or from an outside Muslim country, or from Turkish background? Many possibilities, but only one solution. The glass is dark and we can't see the image just yet.

 

Note that Israel is looking for nothing more than peace and security to live their lives without fear, and have been looking for a "political messiah" since the time of Jesus to rid themselves of domination by other nations. In Jesus time, it was the Romans. In the modern era, it will be the Muslim nations, that even though they have been victorious, they will accept this "political messiah" who will give them permission in the international community to rebuild their Temple and resume animal sacrifices. Israel has never realized they needed a "Spiritual Messiah" found in the Lord Jesus Christ, as they had the law of Moses, and didn't need a Savior, at least in their blinded minds. They didn't believe it then, they do not believe it now...At least they won't just yet when this "confirmation of a covenant" is signed giving them what they have longed for "peace and security" within their borders...but it will be a false peace.

 

The Bible says that this "politician" ..this Anti-Christ will not come into view on the political scene until the Holy Spirit is removed from this planet to Old Testament manifestations that were present prior to the Day of Pentecost, some near 2000 years ago..

 

6 "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-10)

As I've preached in prior messages, the HE is a Person who is preventing the full sway of evil to rule this earth. The only Power that can hold back this unrelenting evil to engulf this earth, is God's Holy Spirit. It's not an angel, as they are equal in power to the fallen angel, Lucifer, now Satan, and it's not any person on earth. God's Spirit resides in every impregnated believer with God's Holy Spirit as an earnest deposit of our future glory and our being "BORN AGAIN" into the Kingdom of God.

13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

 

From all indications, the event could happen in the next few years. If the Church is not present, as the Bible plainly says, if you discern with a Spirit directed mind, then when this war happens, the man of Sin, the son of Perdition will be forthcoming...and his revealing will be the trigger that starts the tribulation. Many believe that there is a "gap period" between the rapture of the Church, and the start of the Tribulation. That would be the period in Revelation between Revelation 4:1 and Revelation 6:1...how long is this period is conjecture on anyone's part, but how long will it be before the Anti-Christ is revealed after the Church is removed? It could happen at any future Holy Day, that I have offered as the Feast of Trumpets. Will it be this fall, the next fall, or the one after that? We don't know which Feast Jesus will break through the clouds and call with the sound of a trumpet, "COME UP HITHER"...It could be that soon, or wait a few years, as we don't know. BUT we keep our focus on the signs that are screaming of His coming...the signs in the heavens. The alignment of planets that have never happened in any recent past. The solar eclipses that spell trouble for the Gentile nations, according to many Jewish and prophecy related teachers. Then we all remember the past Blood Moons that spelled something happening to Israel. And recently, hurricane after hurricane coming from the path of this last solar eclipse. Was that the warning?

 

ARE YOU READY?

 

Should any of these prophecies happen tomorrow, would you be ready to meet Jesus? Note that the Bible says that they come in waves chronologically and each event triggers the next. The triggers that set this all in motion are right there on the horizon. It just takes one domino to fall for the sequence to begin. Will you be counted as ready to meet the Lord in the air?

 

16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

 

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

 

In a nutshell, the above verses are how you are counted worthy and to be ready to meet the Lord in the air. The above scenario that I have outlined could happen very soon, and the coming of the Lord, even sooner...make that decision for Jesus Christ Today, as Ezekiel's war is on the horizon.

 

 

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