"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you" (Gen. 17:7). Over the years, God's covenant with Abraham has come under fierce attack among Christians. Harsh vitriolic words and out-of-context scriptures have been used to justify antisemitism and undermine Israel's right to exist. However, the Bible clearly warns, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people's on earth will be bless through you" (Ge. 12:3). To many Christian's dismay, God's covenant with Abraham, his son, Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob, is an eternal covenant. God's calling for the Jewish people is irrevocable. However, despite this eternal covenant, Israel still had to be faithful to God's commands. For unfaithfulness, God has punished Israel extensively for their idolatry, wickedness, and failure to trust in His promises. The Egyptian bondage, Babylonian captivity, destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., etc. are all direct results of God's judgement on His people. However, God still has a perfect will for the Jewish people and the land He graciously entrusted to them. Before we get to Israel's destiny, we must take a brief, but hard look at the history of Christian Jew-hatred.
Many of the most well-known and accomplished church fathers held deep contempt for the Jews. Since Jesus Christ was crucified by His people, people have in essence cursed the entire Jewish race and their land despite the fact that only a few people conspired to kill Jesus. That is like saying that all Germans are responsible for the Holocaust. Anyways, Saint Augustine believed that the Jews should suffer for their murder of Christ. Likewise, Justin Martyr believed that the Jews should rightly suffer and that no Jews should enter Jerusalem. Origen of Alexandria even believed that the Jews would never return to their homeland (Too bad he wasn't alive in 1948). Sadly, Christian treatment of the Jews wasn't limited to slander. During the Crusades, the Christian Crusaders, who were supposed to represent Christ, killed many Jews during the siege of Jerusalem. While some argue that the Crusades were justified and that the Crusaders justly took back Muslim territory, their goal was to conquer Jerusalem, which they accomplished. In 1099, the Kingdom of Jerusalem was established and it lasted for around 200 years. Clearly, though, this kingdom was destined to fall because Jerusalem doesn't belong to the Christians.
315 A.D. was a significant event in the history of Christianity. Emperor Constantine, who had his capital at Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople, made Christianity the state religion. In 380, under the reign of Emperor Theodosius, Christianity eventually became the official religion of the Byzantine Empire. In other words, the church married the world. Don't get me wrong. Constantine did some great things. For example, he ended Christian persecution and allowed for freedom of religion, but the ending of separation of church and state gave Christianity the type of power it had never experience, thus watering down the entire religion. This also meant that any semblance of Jewish importance and practices were done away with. For example, at the Council of Nicaea, Biblical Passover and First fruits were replaced by Easter, a holiday with pagan origins. In addition, Constantine initiated Sunday worship, which a vast majority of church's recognize today. This Sunday worship, however, is pagan and refers to the idea of sun worship. I will expand on the pagan practices of the church in another post. The reason I outline this brief history is to show how the church's renunciation of God's chosen people and the Biblical feast days has led to an arrogant, vindictive Christianity, which Jesus warned us about. Instead of listening to emperors, popes, pastors, or theologians, we should listen to what the Bible says about Israel and the Jewish people in God's plan of salvation.
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:25-26). This one verse should be enough to entirely debunk replacement theology, the notion that the church replaced Israel. However, there are still many Christians, even sincere one's, who don't understand that Israel and the church are two distinct entities and have different purposes. Israel still needs to heed their calling and accept Yeshua as the Messiah, but their time will come. Despite the overwhelming number of Messianic prophecies pointing to Yeshua, Israel's hardening has been an ongoing process and will conclude at the end of the tribulation period, the time of Jacob's trouble. Notice how Romans 11:25 says "hardening in part". There are many Messianic Jews who recognize Yeshua as their messiah, but national Israel will have to wait at the end of the age, which will initiate Christ's millennial reign on earth.
Before moving on, I have to address the Jews as the root and the Gentiles as ingrafted branches. Some people misinterpret this section and say that the church is now "spiritual Israel". In essence, Israel's land and restoration is irrelevant, while the Gentiles are now the true branch or the "chosen" people. The problem with this is that Paul clearly makes a distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles. With Christ's death and resurrection, salvation was purchased for the Gentiles, while still leaving the door open to the Jews. In fact, in Romans 11:17-18, Paul states, "If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive tree, do not boast over those branches." The fact that we were grafted in and share in salvation doesn't give us the right to demonize the Jews. Salvation has been made known to the Gentiles because of Christ's free gift and overwhelming mercy. We are only entitled to eternal death, but thankfully that was paid for on the cross. Again, Paul states, "Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all. Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious" (Romans 11:11-12). This shows that there is still hope for the nation of Israel. Why is it that God is so patient with this stubborn and hardened nation? Paul answers that at the beginning of Romans 11. "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew." If we pick up at verse 4, it states, "I have reserved myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace." Despite Israel's wickedness and idolatry throughout human history, God always chose a remnant to follow Him. The same applies to the church. In a wicked, God-rejecting world, God has chosen a remnant of people to receive salvation. People who say that Israel rejected Christ and thus forfeited her promises don't understand scripture. If that were the case, why did Israel return to their homeland following the Babylonian captivity? Why did they return in 1948? Why is Israel's future restoration the central focus of Biblical eschatology? The answer is simple: grace and mercy.
Before 1948, a restoration of the Jewish state seemed unlikely, which helped fuel the notion that God had indeed abandoned Israel. When Israel became a reborn nation after nearly 2,000 years, Christian antisemitism and replacement theology should have been put to rest. Satan had other plans, though. In fact, replacement theology has been strengthened in recent years. Proponents of replacement theology are in full force today and their false ideology is held by some of the most well-known Evangelical pastors in the world. Much of this thinking has to do, not only with Palestinian Liberation theology, but also with Jewish bloodline. There is a wide held belief that the Jews who are living in Israel are imposters and not true descendants of Abraham. A majority of the world's Jewish population are a sect known as Ashkenazi Jews. Ashkenazi Jews have settled in Central and Eastern Europe for centuries and currently make up under half of Israel's total population. People like to say that Ashkenazi Jews don't have Middle Eastern origins, although genetic tests have been conducted, which points to their Levant heritage in the Middle East. While no one is completely sure about their genetics, rarely do people talk about Mizrahi Jews, who make up nearly 3 million Jews in Israel, not including Mizrahi populations of other Middle Eastern nations. It is arrogance to think that we can determine who the real Jews are or not. Only God truly knows who the authentic Jews are. In Revelation 7, an angel seals 144,000 Jews to accomplish His will. These 144,000 are separated according to their tribe. Not only does God know their bloodline, but he knows what tribe they're from. With this in mind, how does scripture describe Israel's future restoration?
Jeremiah 30-31 paints a powerful portrait of Israel's future restoration during Christ's millennial reign. To truly understand this, replacement theology is not a remotely viable option. Since all of these passages talk about a time yet future, if we substitute the church for references to Israel and Judah, we will leave with a confusing, discombobulated narrative. For example, in Jeremiah 31:4, it states, "I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin, Israel." This is clearly talking about the physical land of Israel, not some metaphorical reference to the church. Also, when God talks about the new covenant He will make with the house of Israel, it states, "It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 31:32). Since when did God rescue the church from Egyptian bondage? Throughout Jeremiah 30-31, literal cities in Israel are specifically mentioned such as Samaria, Ramah, and Zion (Jerusalem). Christians are often quick to point out that God doesn't care about cities and nations on earth because we're aliens in a foreign place and desire a Heavenly country. This is partially true, but during Christ's millennial reign, the nations will be restored with Christ ruling from Jerusalem. In Zechariah 14:16, we read, "Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King." It is unclear if every nation on earth will be restored during the millennial reign, but God will call out remnants, even from sinful nations such as Egypt, although nations that don't celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles will be punished during the millennium.
We must also address the word, Zion. This word has become a taboo word across many different lines. From Muslims to replacement theologians, liberals to conspiracy theorists, Zion is practically another name for Satan. However, Zion is another name for Jerusalem, the city which God has His name on. There is nothing special about Jerusalem, but as you will see throughout scripture, God uses less than desirable people and cities to accomplish His purpose. He was born in Bethlehem, a less-than-ordinary city and He hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners. God could have chosen Babylon, Ninevah, Egypt, Tyre, etc. to put His name. Instead, He chose a humble city with unremarkable grandeur. However, during His reign as the lion of the tribe of Judah, Jerusalem will be exalted while the nations that will attack Jerusalem will be humbled and brought low. In Zechariah 12, it says, "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling" (2). If we pick up in verse 3, we read, "I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves." This parallels what Joel says about nations who attack Israel and seek to divide her land. "In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehosphaphat. There I will enter into judgement against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land" (3:1-2). Not only does God judge people and nations who attack Israel, but dividing the land is a grave offense against God. If you hear politicians say that we need a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, with an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as a divided Jerusalem, don't support them. Satan uses people to masquerade as peacemakers. In reality, though, anyone who seeks a two-state solution is either naive or adamantly anti-Israel. We do know that Israel will be divided when the Antichrist makes a "covenant with many", initiating the 70th week of Daniel. If it weren't for God's protection, this future peace accord would be a death sentence for the nation of Israel. There are literally hostile nations surrounding her on every side. Above Israel is a hostile and unstable Syria. Also, Turkey, an aggressive enemy of Israel sits in waiting while the Middle East is destabilized. Above Turkey sits Russia, an ally of both Syria and Iran. To the east of Israel lies Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc., all of which would love to see Israel annihilated. While Saudi Arabia likes to play the moderate card, in reality, they are still one of the chief sponsors of global terror. To the west and south-west of Israel lies a plethora of aggressive northern African nations such as Libya, Sudan, and Egypt. While Libya and Sudan don't seem like major threats due to internal civil war and warring factions, they still present strategic locations for terrorists groups to set up shop. Egypt, similarly to Jordan, are peaceful toward Israel, but that could change in the near future, especially if we see another Arab Spring-type revolution. We also can't forget about Hamas in the Palestinian territories and Hezbollah in Lebanon. I bring these nations up to remind you that God will protect tiny Israel no matter how many nations attack her. You have to realize that God has just as much stake as Israel does in this conflict. God's eternal Abrahamic covenant is at stake, His name is on Jerusalem, and He has a deep and burning love for the land and people of Israel. Remember, if God dismissed His eternal covenant with Israel, it would not only make Him a liar or not all-powerful, but it would demonstrate that the new covenant which Jesus made with the church can be torn to pieces as well. That is why Christians need to support the nations of Israel regardless of popularity. "So do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel, declares the Lord. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I am with you and will save you, declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 30:10-11).
Sources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizrahi_Jews
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkenazi_Jews
3. http://www.yashanet.com/library/fathers.htm
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Jerusalem
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
The Valley of Dry Bones: Desolation and Restoration
Ezekiel 37 presents a powerful picture of a valley full of dead, dry bones. These bones have no hope and they are laying around in virtually a mass grave. God, however, commands Ezekiel to prophesy about these bones so that they would come to life. God asks Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?", in verse 3. Ezekiel replies, "O, sovereign Lord, you alone know." Ezekiel clearly trusts in God, but his answer seems to imply that there doesn't seem to be much hope. Regardless, Ezekiel obeys God and prophesies about these bones. Miraculously, these bones come to life and stand on their feet as a powerful army. God interprets the vision for Ezekiel and tells him that the bones represent the whole house of Israel. In verse 12, God powerfully states, "O, my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them." With this in mind, when has this restoration occurred?
Some people believe that the valley of dry bones raising from the dead refers to Israel's return to their land following the Babylonian captivity. While that would seem to fit, there is a deeper meaning to this chapter. These dried up bones imply that Israel was not only scattered, but almost annihilated. While many Jews died during Nebuchadnezzar's sieges of Judah, most of the Jews were physically taken to Babylon. In fact, around 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem after King Cyrus of Persia issued the decree to let the Jews return to their land. Additionally, Ezekiel prophesies that Israel would be gathered from the four winds of Heaven, whereas Babylon is only one nation. Therefore, we can conclude that this prophecy was partially fulfilled in 1948, but will have a complete fulfillment when Yeshua steps foot on Mount Zion to establish His throne. It is interesting to note that the Holocaust is likely the fulfillment of the dry bones.
While the Babylonian captivity was a mass enslavement of the Jews, the German Holocaust, dubbed the Final Solution, was a mass extermination of the Jews, similar to Haman's plans during the reign of Queen Esther. While some would suggest that the Holocaust began in 1933 when the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, rose to power, the actual start to the Holocaust likely began in 1938. On one night, known as Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), Germany's SA paramilitary forces and civilians waged a war on Jews in Germany. Hundreds of Jewish-owned shops, buildings, and synagogues were destroyed and 30,000 Jews were taken to Nazi concentration camps. From 1938 to 1945, the end of the Holocaust, over 6,000,000 Jews were killed in Europe. Aside from Germany, Hitler annexed many countries such as Italy, Poland, Austria, Norway, and Denmark. As a result, Europe became a mass hunting ground for the Jews. In fact, over 6 million Jews died during the Holocaust, which was around one third of the world's total Jewish population. In large part, the Holocaust, despite its catastrophic casualties, helped to initiate the final restoration of Israel, which fulfilled Isaiah 66:8. "Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children." That monumental day happened on May 14, 1948, a restoration 2,000 years in the making.
Prior to 1948, were there any signs of a major restoration? After the Hasmonean dynasty and Herodian kingdom in the land of Israel, the Romans took control of Judea in 6 A.D. This led to constant tensions between the Jews and the Roman Empire, although Rome generally left the Jews alone as long as they obeyed Roman laws. With the birth of Jesus Christ, His followers and the Jews who believed that He was the messiah had reason to hope that the kingdom of Israel would be restored. Little did they know that Jesus, during His first coming, atoned for the sins of humanity, not to take back David's throne...yet. Christ's mission ended with His death, resurrection, and ascension to Heaven. With still no restoration, the Jews in Judea led a revolt against the Roman Empire in 66 A.D. The purpose was to restore Israel, but it resulted in an overwhelming Roman victory, which included the destruction of the second temple in 70 A.D., prophesied by Daniel and Jesus. This event solidified Gentile control and influence over Judea. As Jesus said in Luke 21:24, "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Even when Roman control of Jerusalem came to an end, Israel and specifically, Jerusalem, continued to be controlled by foreign nations and empires including the Byzantines, the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the British. The Jews continued to survive over the centuries, but their hopes for a homeland of their own seemed to be a pipe-dream. The 1800's, however, began to restore hope in Jewish communities around the world.
Even before Israel became a state in 1948, mass waves of Jews began to return to their homeland in Palestine. Beginning in 1882, a series of Aliyah's (mass waves of Jewish immigration) occurred. The first Aliyah went from 1882 to 1903, followed by several more mass migrations. In fact, Jews became the majority in Jerusalem by 1890. All of these migrations coincided with the restoration of the Hebrew language, as well as the founding of the World Zionist Organization by Theodor Herzl. The goal of this organization was to counter European antisemitism by establishing a Jewish state in Palestine. 20 years later, in 1917, the Balfour Declaration was signed, giving the right to a Jewish state, although Britain occupied Palestine until 1948. Finally, on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again, much with the help of American president, Harry Truman. Truman even referred to himself as Cyrus, in reference to Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who allowed the Jews to return home after the Babylonian captivity. Despite the fact that Israel is firmly back to their land, there are still many detractors who seek to undermine Israel's legitimacy, even in Christian communities. The spread of replacement theology is prevalent, which states that Israel has forfeited all of its Biblical covenants and the Church has replaced Israel in God's plan of salvation. Additionally, Satan has used the Palestinian issue (see my Lie of Palestine post) and biased media outlets to demonize the Jewish state. In a world fascinated by conspiracy theories, no theory gotten quite as much traction as the Zionist theory. This theory, held by many people including Adolf Hitler, is nonfactual at best and dangerous at worst. I understand that there are many powerful Jews in the media, Hollywood, academia, politics, etc., but these people don't represent the whole house of Israel. During the days of Jesus Christ, the Pharisees and Sadducee's were powerful Jewish leaders who were sort of like the modern day Zionists. God's calling place on Israel has neither been replaced or has changed. The Jews still have to accept Jesus as their messiah, but their calling is irrevocable and will culminate in Israel's complete restoration, which hasn't happened yet. As it says in Romans, "All Israel will be saved."
Israel's survival as a nation has been a constant struggle. Satan has not forgotten about the Abrahamic covenant. Just like ancient Israel, modern Israel has surrounding enemies on all sides who are plotting their destruction. Just recently, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that Israel wouldn't survive another 25 years. In addition, Israel has been attacked numerous times since 1948 including the Six-Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the First Intifada, and the Gaza War, among others. As I states in Exodus 17:16, "Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation." The Biblical Amalekites are an extinct people group, but they are also a picture of Israel's surrounding enemies. Also, notice how it says that the Lord will fight against the Amalekites from generation to generation rather than Israel fighting them. Each time Israel has been outnumbered, they have pulled out miraculous victories over surrounding nations, not by their own strength, but by God's power. However, there will come a time in the future when Israel's very existence will hang by a thread. This time will be referred to as "The time of Jacob's trouble".
The time of Jacob's trouble, known as the tribulation or Daniel's 70th week, gets its name from one of the patriarchs of Judaism, Jacob, also known as Israel. Jacob had to work seven years for his father in-law, Laban, in order to marry his beautiful daughter, Rachel. Instead, after the seven years, Laban gave Jacob his older daughter, Leah, who wasn't as attractive as Rachel. Jacob, upset that Laban deceived him, worked another seven years and in turn, received Rachel as his wife. Are there any deeper truths to be found in this event? While we know the tribulation is seven years in length, why did Jacob have to work for fourteen years? It is interesting to note that the holocaust officially was around seven years in length. Is it possible that that Jacob's fourteen years of service is referring to the Jewish holocaust and the tribulation? It is quite possible and we are seeing the birth pangs to this final seven year period on the horizon.
As I mentioned, Israel's restoration as a nation was the defining prophetic restoration of this past century, but it wouldn't be complete without Jerusalem's restoration as Israel's eternal capital in 1967. During that year, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq launched an attack on Israel, but God once again intervened on behalf of His people. Israel regained complete control over Jerusalem, as well as taking the Golan Heights from Syria. We know from scripture that Jerusalem has to be in Jewish control at the time of the end. In Zechariah 14:2, we read, "I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city." If you aren't convinced by this passage, the next verse clearly references a day that has not happened yet. "Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south." On this day, the complete restoration of Israel and Jerusalem will be completed. In light of this, what still needs to be accomplished?
"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may live." While Israel boasts over 6 million Jews, a majority of the world's Jewish population still lives abroad, mostly in America. However, an interesting verse in Jeremiah 16 gives us reason to believe that mass migrations to Israel will continue to increase. It states, "But now I will send for many fishermen, declares the Lord, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks" (16). God will do whatever it takes to gather the Jewish people to their homeland. He has used people such as Theodor Herzl, Harry Truman, and David Ben-Gurion to fish his people back to their land. He has also used hunters such as Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, and Islamic fundamentalists to drive them back. I believe the time is soon coming when our present world instability will flat out collapse. Around a half of the world's Jewish population still lives in the United States. Currently, the U.S. economy is crumbling and the Obama administration is the most anti-Israel administration in United States history. It stands to reason that a U.S. and global catastrophe will drive mass waves of Jews back to Israel. Recently, after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in France, Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netenyahu, urged Jews to flock home to Israel. Aside from people, are there still any physical restorations that need to occur before and after Christ returns?
On a map, you will be hard pressed to find Israel. It is one of the smallest countries on earth, yet one of the most contested and sought over piece of land. However, Israel contains only a small fraction of the land God promised to them in the Old Testament. Originally, God promised Israel "a land flowing with milk and honey", which represents the land's natural resources, beauty, and fertility. This promised land encompassed all of modern day Israel, including the Palestinian territories such as the West Bank and Gaza Strip, all of Jordan, all of Lebanon, and parts of Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. However, while ancient Israel engulfed more territory than modern day Israel, they have never possessed their entire promised land that God entrusted to them. Why is that? For starters, the promised land was a conditional promise by God. This isn't the same as the Abrahamic covenant, which is everlasting and unconditional. If Israel turned to other gods and rebelled against the true God, they would be punished, often with exile or their land being ravaged. Also, an interesting prophecy in Numbers 33:55 states, "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land." Israel's failure to drive out all of their enemies resulted in constant attacks, as well as the prevalence of idolatry. Israel's enemies worshiped and sacrificed to pagan gods, which often enticed the Israelites to do the same, hastening God's repeated judgement on Israel. It is interesting to note that this prophecy in Numbers is having ramifications today. If Israel had driven out all of their enemies, especially the Philistines, there very well may not be a Palestinian-Israeli conflict today. There will come a time in the future where Israel will control of the promised land, which will be fulfilled when Jesus reigns from Jerusalem. However, Israel has had incremental land gains since independence. As I mentioned, Jerusalem was restored to Israel in 1967, as well as the Golan Heights (Bashan in the Bible). It stands to reason that Israel's survival at the Battle of Armageddon will allow her to possess the territories of her attacking enemies. There is another physical restoration in which I want to cover, which is, of course, the issue of the temple mount.
There has not been a Jewish temple in Jerusalem since 70 A.D. when Roman legions destroyed the second temple, which was initiated by Ezra after returning from Babylonian captivity. The first temple, built by King Solomon, was filled with splendor and majesty, but was destroyed in 586 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. There are clues in scripture, though, that suggest that a third temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem. In Daniel 9:27, it states, "He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven'. In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." This is referring to the Antichrist's abomination of desolation that will be set up half way through the tribulation period, which Jesus warns in Matthew 24. Don't confuse this event with Antiochus Epiphanes because he is simply a foreshadow of things to come. Daniel 9 definitely refers to the end of this age. Additionally, Revelation 11:1-2 says, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months." People have often wondered how there can be a Jewish temple in Jerusalem since the Muslim Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam, sits right on the temple mount. Revelation 11 seems to imply that the rebuilt temple could sit next to the Dome of the Rock, or an interfaith temple might suffice, giving the Jews access to the inner court and the altar, while the Gentiles are given the outer court. Regardless who will build the temple or how it will come together, we need to realize that the Temple Institute is passionately pursuing this project of rebuilding the temple. Many replicas of items used in the second temple are being crafted and on the temple institute official website, there is a donation to raise the perfect red Heifer. With our current level of technology, the temple could likely be rebuilt in a year or less. It is interesting to note that on the past two Jubilee cycles, major restorations occurred. In 1917, the Balfour Declaration was issued, giving the right to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Then, 50 years later, in 1967, Jerusalem was recaptured as Israel's eternal capital. As we are approaching the completion of the next Jubilee cycle, will there be another restoration? Could we see the rebuilding of the temple? We will have to patiently watch these signs, but prophecy tends to move in cyclical patterns. If we understand Biblical and secular history, we can conclude that Israel's final restoration is on the near horizon. As it states in Psalms 102:16, "For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in His glory."
Sources
1. http://www.templeinstitute.org/
2. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Promised+Land+Borders+Map&view=detailv2&&id=2E80F1B16EBDD2828A973E06599495855736B64C&selectedIndex=4&ccid=jwzrEk1P&simid=607994420089982661&thid=JN.SHu8UZzeMpYwWp1IwNmY7A&ajaxhist=0
3.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_population_by_country#Countries_and_Territories
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War
6.
http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ks3/life-in-nazi-occupied-europe/jews-in-occupied-countries/which-countries-did-the-nazi-occupy/#.VfczBPT3j3V
Some people believe that the valley of dry bones raising from the dead refers to Israel's return to their land following the Babylonian captivity. While that would seem to fit, there is a deeper meaning to this chapter. These dried up bones imply that Israel was not only scattered, but almost annihilated. While many Jews died during Nebuchadnezzar's sieges of Judah, most of the Jews were physically taken to Babylon. In fact, around 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem after King Cyrus of Persia issued the decree to let the Jews return to their land. Additionally, Ezekiel prophesies that Israel would be gathered from the four winds of Heaven, whereas Babylon is only one nation. Therefore, we can conclude that this prophecy was partially fulfilled in 1948, but will have a complete fulfillment when Yeshua steps foot on Mount Zion to establish His throne. It is interesting to note that the Holocaust is likely the fulfillment of the dry bones.
While the Babylonian captivity was a mass enslavement of the Jews, the German Holocaust, dubbed the Final Solution, was a mass extermination of the Jews, similar to Haman's plans during the reign of Queen Esther. While some would suggest that the Holocaust began in 1933 when the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, rose to power, the actual start to the Holocaust likely began in 1938. On one night, known as Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), Germany's SA paramilitary forces and civilians waged a war on Jews in Germany. Hundreds of Jewish-owned shops, buildings, and synagogues were destroyed and 30,000 Jews were taken to Nazi concentration camps. From 1938 to 1945, the end of the Holocaust, over 6,000,000 Jews were killed in Europe. Aside from Germany, Hitler annexed many countries such as Italy, Poland, Austria, Norway, and Denmark. As a result, Europe became a mass hunting ground for the Jews. In fact, over 6 million Jews died during the Holocaust, which was around one third of the world's total Jewish population. In large part, the Holocaust, despite its catastrophic casualties, helped to initiate the final restoration of Israel, which fulfilled Isaiah 66:8. "Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children." That monumental day happened on May 14, 1948, a restoration 2,000 years in the making.
Prior to 1948, were there any signs of a major restoration? After the Hasmonean dynasty and Herodian kingdom in the land of Israel, the Romans took control of Judea in 6 A.D. This led to constant tensions between the Jews and the Roman Empire, although Rome generally left the Jews alone as long as they obeyed Roman laws. With the birth of Jesus Christ, His followers and the Jews who believed that He was the messiah had reason to hope that the kingdom of Israel would be restored. Little did they know that Jesus, during His first coming, atoned for the sins of humanity, not to take back David's throne...yet. Christ's mission ended with His death, resurrection, and ascension to Heaven. With still no restoration, the Jews in Judea led a revolt against the Roman Empire in 66 A.D. The purpose was to restore Israel, but it resulted in an overwhelming Roman victory, which included the destruction of the second temple in 70 A.D., prophesied by Daniel and Jesus. This event solidified Gentile control and influence over Judea. As Jesus said in Luke 21:24, "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Even when Roman control of Jerusalem came to an end, Israel and specifically, Jerusalem, continued to be controlled by foreign nations and empires including the Byzantines, the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the British. The Jews continued to survive over the centuries, but their hopes for a homeland of their own seemed to be a pipe-dream. The 1800's, however, began to restore hope in Jewish communities around the world.
Even before Israel became a state in 1948, mass waves of Jews began to return to their homeland in Palestine. Beginning in 1882, a series of Aliyah's (mass waves of Jewish immigration) occurred. The first Aliyah went from 1882 to 1903, followed by several more mass migrations. In fact, Jews became the majority in Jerusalem by 1890. All of these migrations coincided with the restoration of the Hebrew language, as well as the founding of the World Zionist Organization by Theodor Herzl. The goal of this organization was to counter European antisemitism by establishing a Jewish state in Palestine. 20 years later, in 1917, the Balfour Declaration was signed, giving the right to a Jewish state, although Britain occupied Palestine until 1948. Finally, on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again, much with the help of American president, Harry Truman. Truman even referred to himself as Cyrus, in reference to Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who allowed the Jews to return home after the Babylonian captivity. Despite the fact that Israel is firmly back to their land, there are still many detractors who seek to undermine Israel's legitimacy, even in Christian communities. The spread of replacement theology is prevalent, which states that Israel has forfeited all of its Biblical covenants and the Church has replaced Israel in God's plan of salvation. Additionally, Satan has used the Palestinian issue (see my Lie of Palestine post) and biased media outlets to demonize the Jewish state. In a world fascinated by conspiracy theories, no theory gotten quite as much traction as the Zionist theory. This theory, held by many people including Adolf Hitler, is nonfactual at best and dangerous at worst. I understand that there are many powerful Jews in the media, Hollywood, academia, politics, etc., but these people don't represent the whole house of Israel. During the days of Jesus Christ, the Pharisees and Sadducee's were powerful Jewish leaders who were sort of like the modern day Zionists. God's calling place on Israel has neither been replaced or has changed. The Jews still have to accept Jesus as their messiah, but their calling is irrevocable and will culminate in Israel's complete restoration, which hasn't happened yet. As it says in Romans, "All Israel will be saved."
Israel's survival as a nation has been a constant struggle. Satan has not forgotten about the Abrahamic covenant. Just like ancient Israel, modern Israel has surrounding enemies on all sides who are plotting their destruction. Just recently, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that Israel wouldn't survive another 25 years. In addition, Israel has been attacked numerous times since 1948 including the Six-Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the First Intifada, and the Gaza War, among others. As I states in Exodus 17:16, "Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation." The Biblical Amalekites are an extinct people group, but they are also a picture of Israel's surrounding enemies. Also, notice how it says that the Lord will fight against the Amalekites from generation to generation rather than Israel fighting them. Each time Israel has been outnumbered, they have pulled out miraculous victories over surrounding nations, not by their own strength, but by God's power. However, there will come a time in the future when Israel's very existence will hang by a thread. This time will be referred to as "The time of Jacob's trouble".
The time of Jacob's trouble, known as the tribulation or Daniel's 70th week, gets its name from one of the patriarchs of Judaism, Jacob, also known as Israel. Jacob had to work seven years for his father in-law, Laban, in order to marry his beautiful daughter, Rachel. Instead, after the seven years, Laban gave Jacob his older daughter, Leah, who wasn't as attractive as Rachel. Jacob, upset that Laban deceived him, worked another seven years and in turn, received Rachel as his wife. Are there any deeper truths to be found in this event? While we know the tribulation is seven years in length, why did Jacob have to work for fourteen years? It is interesting to note that the holocaust officially was around seven years in length. Is it possible that that Jacob's fourteen years of service is referring to the Jewish holocaust and the tribulation? It is quite possible and we are seeing the birth pangs to this final seven year period on the horizon.
As I mentioned, Israel's restoration as a nation was the defining prophetic restoration of this past century, but it wouldn't be complete without Jerusalem's restoration as Israel's eternal capital in 1967. During that year, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq launched an attack on Israel, but God once again intervened on behalf of His people. Israel regained complete control over Jerusalem, as well as taking the Golan Heights from Syria. We know from scripture that Jerusalem has to be in Jewish control at the time of the end. In Zechariah 14:2, we read, "I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city." If you aren't convinced by this passage, the next verse clearly references a day that has not happened yet. "Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south." On this day, the complete restoration of Israel and Jerusalem will be completed. In light of this, what still needs to be accomplished?
"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may live." While Israel boasts over 6 million Jews, a majority of the world's Jewish population still lives abroad, mostly in America. However, an interesting verse in Jeremiah 16 gives us reason to believe that mass migrations to Israel will continue to increase. It states, "But now I will send for many fishermen, declares the Lord, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks" (16). God will do whatever it takes to gather the Jewish people to their homeland. He has used people such as Theodor Herzl, Harry Truman, and David Ben-Gurion to fish his people back to their land. He has also used hunters such as Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, and Islamic fundamentalists to drive them back. I believe the time is soon coming when our present world instability will flat out collapse. Around a half of the world's Jewish population still lives in the United States. Currently, the U.S. economy is crumbling and the Obama administration is the most anti-Israel administration in United States history. It stands to reason that a U.S. and global catastrophe will drive mass waves of Jews back to Israel. Recently, after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in France, Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netenyahu, urged Jews to flock home to Israel. Aside from people, are there still any physical restorations that need to occur before and after Christ returns?
On a map, you will be hard pressed to find Israel. It is one of the smallest countries on earth, yet one of the most contested and sought over piece of land. However, Israel contains only a small fraction of the land God promised to them in the Old Testament. Originally, God promised Israel "a land flowing with milk and honey", which represents the land's natural resources, beauty, and fertility. This promised land encompassed all of modern day Israel, including the Palestinian territories such as the West Bank and Gaza Strip, all of Jordan, all of Lebanon, and parts of Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. However, while ancient Israel engulfed more territory than modern day Israel, they have never possessed their entire promised land that God entrusted to them. Why is that? For starters, the promised land was a conditional promise by God. This isn't the same as the Abrahamic covenant, which is everlasting and unconditional. If Israel turned to other gods and rebelled against the true God, they would be punished, often with exile or their land being ravaged. Also, an interesting prophecy in Numbers 33:55 states, "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land." Israel's failure to drive out all of their enemies resulted in constant attacks, as well as the prevalence of idolatry. Israel's enemies worshiped and sacrificed to pagan gods, which often enticed the Israelites to do the same, hastening God's repeated judgement on Israel. It is interesting to note that this prophecy in Numbers is having ramifications today. If Israel had driven out all of their enemies, especially the Philistines, there very well may not be a Palestinian-Israeli conflict today. There will come a time in the future where Israel will control of the promised land, which will be fulfilled when Jesus reigns from Jerusalem. However, Israel has had incremental land gains since independence. As I mentioned, Jerusalem was restored to Israel in 1967, as well as the Golan Heights (Bashan in the Bible). It stands to reason that Israel's survival at the Battle of Armageddon will allow her to possess the territories of her attacking enemies. There is another physical restoration in which I want to cover, which is, of course, the issue of the temple mount.
There has not been a Jewish temple in Jerusalem since 70 A.D. when Roman legions destroyed the second temple, which was initiated by Ezra after returning from Babylonian captivity. The first temple, built by King Solomon, was filled with splendor and majesty, but was destroyed in 586 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. There are clues in scripture, though, that suggest that a third temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem. In Daniel 9:27, it states, "He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven'. In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." This is referring to the Antichrist's abomination of desolation that will be set up half way through the tribulation period, which Jesus warns in Matthew 24. Don't confuse this event with Antiochus Epiphanes because he is simply a foreshadow of things to come. Daniel 9 definitely refers to the end of this age. Additionally, Revelation 11:1-2 says, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months." People have often wondered how there can be a Jewish temple in Jerusalem since the Muslim Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam, sits right on the temple mount. Revelation 11 seems to imply that the rebuilt temple could sit next to the Dome of the Rock, or an interfaith temple might suffice, giving the Jews access to the inner court and the altar, while the Gentiles are given the outer court. Regardless who will build the temple or how it will come together, we need to realize that the Temple Institute is passionately pursuing this project of rebuilding the temple. Many replicas of items used in the second temple are being crafted and on the temple institute official website, there is a donation to raise the perfect red Heifer. With our current level of technology, the temple could likely be rebuilt in a year or less. It is interesting to note that on the past two Jubilee cycles, major restorations occurred. In 1917, the Balfour Declaration was issued, giving the right to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Then, 50 years later, in 1967, Jerusalem was recaptured as Israel's eternal capital. As we are approaching the completion of the next Jubilee cycle, will there be another restoration? Could we see the rebuilding of the temple? We will have to patiently watch these signs, but prophecy tends to move in cyclical patterns. If we understand Biblical and secular history, we can conclude that Israel's final restoration is on the near horizon. As it states in Psalms 102:16, "For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in His glory."
Sources
1. http://www.templeinstitute.org/
2. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Promised+Land+Borders+Map&view=detailv2&&id=2E80F1B16EBDD2828A973E06599495855736B64C&selectedIndex=4&ccid=jwzrEk1P&simid=607994420089982661&thid=JN.SHu8UZzeMpYwWp1IwNmY7A&ajaxhist=0
3.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_population_by_country#Countries_and_Territories
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War
6.
http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ks3/life-in-nazi-occupied-europe/jews-in-occupied-countries/which-countries-did-the-nazi-occupy/#.VfczBPT3j3V
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Lament for Tyre
Ezekiel 26-28 give a prophecy about the fall of Tyre. Tyre, on today's map, is a city in Lebanon, about 50 miles south of Beirut. In our current geopolitical landscape, Tyre might seem like an insignificant city in a country slightly larger than Israel. In ancient times, though, Tyre, the Phoenician center for trade and commerce, was one of the most important cities in the known world. Since it was a port city situated on the Mediterranean, its strategic location provided materials and supplies to various nations. Tyre was definitely an exporter nation much like modern-day China, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, etc. In fact, during the reigns of King David and King Solomon, Tyre became a chief ally of Israel. King Hiram of Tyre even helped David build his palace (2 Samuel 5:11), as well as providing supplies and men for the building of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem (I Kings 5). Despite Tyre's alliance with Israel and seemingly non-confrontational demeanor, why did Tyre face such strong rebuke and judgement from God in Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 26-28?
There is a combination of factors that led to Tyre's downfall, but their most blatant sin was pride. Isaiah 23:3 refers to Tyre as "the marketplace of the nations". Also, in verse 23:9, it states, "The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth." Not only did the merchants and people of Tyre trust in their prestige and riches, but their influence led other nations to put their trust in Tyre rather than God. Isaiah says that "When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre" (23:5). While Isaiah 23 focuses on Tyre, other Phoenician cities are mentioned as well such as Sidon, Tarshish, and Cyprus. Evidently, all of these strong Phoenician cities were engulfed in pride and dishonest gain. God warns Tyre later in Isaiah 23 that Tyre was in danger of ending up like Babylon. Keep in mind that Isaiah was writing his prophecies from 700-680 B.C. At that time, the Assyrian Empire was the dominant world empire. The Assyrians, under King Sargon, took 90,000 Babylonians captive from 710-709 B.C. Shortly thereafter, King Sennacherib, the prideful Assyrian king, destroyed Babylon in 689 B.C. while taking 208,000 people captive.
Now, we come to a very contested Biblical prophecy that most people overlook. In Isaiah 23:15, it states, "At that time, Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years, the span of a king's life." Isaiah picks up this prophecy at verse 17. "At the end of the 70 years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Yet, her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord, they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes." When was Tyre forgotten for 70 years and subsequently restored? This is one of the most difficult prophecies to locate due to historical evidence and the number of times Tyre was attacked. I believe that King Nebucadnezzar's siege of Tyre is the most likely fulfillment of this prophecy, which occurred in 586 B.C. and lasted 13 years. These 70 years are interesting because they correlate with the 70 years that Judah spent in Babylon. I believe that the key to this prophecy is found in Ezra 3:7. When Solomon's temple was rebuilt, Tyre and Sidon were instrumental in providing men and cedar logs for Jerusalem. Just like the prophecy in Isaiah, Tyre's restoration would help God's people and God would use Tyre's earnings for the His purposes. Nowhere does it say that Tyre repented or that the merchants of Tyre willfully used their earnings for the Lord's work. While she continued as a metaphorical prostitute, I believe God restored the fortunes of Tyre specifically to help rebuild the Jewish temple. Additionally, Ezra's account of the rebuilding of the temple were decreed by King Cyrus of Persia. As I mentioned previously, King Hiram of Tyre willfully helped Solomon build his first temple, but the rebuilding of the temple after Judah's captivity in Babylon was decreed or in other words, commanded. So, what else does the word of God say about Tyre's destiny?
Beginning in Ezekiel 26, Tyre's entire prophetic destiny is outlined. In verse 7, Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Tyre is prophesied, which tells of the massive destruction and death toll which will happen. Subtly, verse 13 begins to prophesy about Tyre's total destruction. "I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more. I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fish nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord." Obviously, Tyre continued after Nebuchadnezzar's 13 year siege and this prophecy is saying that Tyre won't be rebuilt. Just like many prophetic chapters and verses of the Bible, immediate fulfillment's and long-term fulfillment's are seamlessly intertwined. For example, the famous Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 states, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders." Obviously, Jesus Christ didn't take control of government after his birth. This will have its literal fulfillment when Christ establishes His millennial reign on earth, over 2,000 years since its initial fulfillment when Christ was born. Tyre, similarly, still has a prophetic destiny. While Tyre has been conquered numerous times throughout human history by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks under Alexander the Great, the Achaemenids, the Ottomans, etc., this famous port city still endures even today. Obviously, Tyre's grandeur has waned significantly, but it still continues one of the world's largest ports and is a popular tourist attraction. With this in mind, it stands to reason that there is more to the story.
Could it be that Tyre is more than a city, but a metaphor for pride and materialism? The literal city of Tyre has suffered devastating blows to their system of commerce and trade, but the lament for Tyre in Ezekiel 27 seems to hint at a deeper meaning. Many nations and cities are mentioned as trading partners with Tyre such as Cyprus, Egypt, Aram (Damascus), Arabia, Beth Togarmah (Turkey), Israel, Greece, Persia, etc. Also, expensive merchandise, military equipment, ships, animals, etc. are associated with Tyre's cultural and economic dominance. These things are characteristic of literal Tyre, but in the last verse of Ezekiel 27, we are given a revealing clue to the true nature of Tyre. "The merchants among the nations hiss at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more" (36). The weeping and mourning at Tyre's fall seem to uncannily resemble the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18. There is a ton of conjecture about whether the city of Babylon will arise again in the future as a powerful city in modern day Iraq, but this fall of Babylon in Revelation 18 seems to speak of the entire unjust world system. If we compare the two chapters in Ezekiel 27 and Revelation 18, we find many similarities. For example, in Revelation 18:9, John states, "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, then they will weep and mourn for her." Verse 11 states, "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more." Ezekiel 27 also speaks of great mourning and weeping over Tyre's fall. Also, Revelation 18:21 shares a striking parallel to Tyre's fate. "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists, flute players, and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again." Interestingly enough, the silence of harps and music are also a characteristic of Tyre's ultimate demise. While I don't believe that the cities of Tyre and Babylon will rise to international prominence in the future, I believe that their prideful pasts symbolize the future destruction of earth and the entire world system which is characterized by greed, violence, perversity, and death.
The true spirit behind Tyre is seen in Ezekiel 28 as the fall of the king of Tyre is prophesied. In verse 2, we are given a clue as to who this wicked king might be. "In the pride of your heart you say, I am a god; I sit on a throne of a god in the heart of the seas. But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god." In verse 10, the prideful king of Tyre will be killed. In verse 13, the mask comes off and the true nature of the king of Tyre is unveiled. "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God." Obviously, this is a reference to Satan. In verse 15, we see the fall of Lucifer. "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So, I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones." As I previously drew parallels between Tyre and Babylon, it is interesting to see that trade and violence are two of the chief characteristics of Satan, trade being linked to Tyre and violence associated with Babylon, along with idolatry. This parallel is fully realized in Isaiah 14.
Isaiah 14 prophesies about the fall of the king of Babylon. Much like the king of Tyre, this prophecy initially references the king's pride and tells of the his ultimate destruction. In Isaiah 14:12, the scene shifts into another veiled reference to Lucifer. "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart "I will ascend to Heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God." You see, the kings of Tyre and Babylon are not just wicked kings of antiquity, but will have their ultimate fulfillment in the Antichrist. While Satan obviously represents the true power behind these kings, he can't physically be their fulfillment since Satan is a cherub. He will, however, indwell a man during the tribulation, which will be the Antichrist. Ezekiel 28:19 perfectly sums up the Antichrist's demise. "All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more." Similarly, Isaiah 14:9 proclaims, "The grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming." If we pick up in verse 11, it states, "All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps." Verse 16 gives the most accurate description of the world's response to the Antichrist's death. "Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate. Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble?" While Israel will mourn for the one they pierced, but will accept their Messiah, Jesus Christ, at the end of the tribulation, the world will also mourn, but will be astonished at seeing the man who led them to their eternal damnation. If we skip over to verse 22 in Isaiah 14, we see that end times Babylon, in fact, is referencing the entire ungodly, wicked system and the individuals who partake in that system. "I will rise up against them, declares the Lord Almighty. I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants, declares the Lord." This shows emphatically that end times Babylon will not be a specific country or city, but instead, will include all people who reject Jesus Christ, persist in wickedness, and fail to repent. In Revelation, God commands people to come out of Babylon, which must refer to the ungodly world system in its entirety. Overall, Tyre and Babylon serve as warnings to not trust in material goods and riches, but to trust God, the maker of the universe.
Sources
1. http://www.dabhand.org/Essays/OT569_Is23_destruction_of_tyre.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre,_Lebanon#Early_history
There is a combination of factors that led to Tyre's downfall, but their most blatant sin was pride. Isaiah 23:3 refers to Tyre as "the marketplace of the nations". Also, in verse 23:9, it states, "The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth." Not only did the merchants and people of Tyre trust in their prestige and riches, but their influence led other nations to put their trust in Tyre rather than God. Isaiah says that "When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre" (23:5). While Isaiah 23 focuses on Tyre, other Phoenician cities are mentioned as well such as Sidon, Tarshish, and Cyprus. Evidently, all of these strong Phoenician cities were engulfed in pride and dishonest gain. God warns Tyre later in Isaiah 23 that Tyre was in danger of ending up like Babylon. Keep in mind that Isaiah was writing his prophecies from 700-680 B.C. At that time, the Assyrian Empire was the dominant world empire. The Assyrians, under King Sargon, took 90,000 Babylonians captive from 710-709 B.C. Shortly thereafter, King Sennacherib, the prideful Assyrian king, destroyed Babylon in 689 B.C. while taking 208,000 people captive.
Now, we come to a very contested Biblical prophecy that most people overlook. In Isaiah 23:15, it states, "At that time, Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years, the span of a king's life." Isaiah picks up this prophecy at verse 17. "At the end of the 70 years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Yet, her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord, they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes." When was Tyre forgotten for 70 years and subsequently restored? This is one of the most difficult prophecies to locate due to historical evidence and the number of times Tyre was attacked. I believe that King Nebucadnezzar's siege of Tyre is the most likely fulfillment of this prophecy, which occurred in 586 B.C. and lasted 13 years. These 70 years are interesting because they correlate with the 70 years that Judah spent in Babylon. I believe that the key to this prophecy is found in Ezra 3:7. When Solomon's temple was rebuilt, Tyre and Sidon were instrumental in providing men and cedar logs for Jerusalem. Just like the prophecy in Isaiah, Tyre's restoration would help God's people and God would use Tyre's earnings for the His purposes. Nowhere does it say that Tyre repented or that the merchants of Tyre willfully used their earnings for the Lord's work. While she continued as a metaphorical prostitute, I believe God restored the fortunes of Tyre specifically to help rebuild the Jewish temple. Additionally, Ezra's account of the rebuilding of the temple were decreed by King Cyrus of Persia. As I mentioned previously, King Hiram of Tyre willfully helped Solomon build his first temple, but the rebuilding of the temple after Judah's captivity in Babylon was decreed or in other words, commanded. So, what else does the word of God say about Tyre's destiny?
Beginning in Ezekiel 26, Tyre's entire prophetic destiny is outlined. In verse 7, Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Tyre is prophesied, which tells of the massive destruction and death toll which will happen. Subtly, verse 13 begins to prophesy about Tyre's total destruction. "I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more. I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fish nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord." Obviously, Tyre continued after Nebuchadnezzar's 13 year siege and this prophecy is saying that Tyre won't be rebuilt. Just like many prophetic chapters and verses of the Bible, immediate fulfillment's and long-term fulfillment's are seamlessly intertwined. For example, the famous Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 states, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders." Obviously, Jesus Christ didn't take control of government after his birth. This will have its literal fulfillment when Christ establishes His millennial reign on earth, over 2,000 years since its initial fulfillment when Christ was born. Tyre, similarly, still has a prophetic destiny. While Tyre has been conquered numerous times throughout human history by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks under Alexander the Great, the Achaemenids, the Ottomans, etc., this famous port city still endures even today. Obviously, Tyre's grandeur has waned significantly, but it still continues one of the world's largest ports and is a popular tourist attraction. With this in mind, it stands to reason that there is more to the story.
Could it be that Tyre is more than a city, but a metaphor for pride and materialism? The literal city of Tyre has suffered devastating blows to their system of commerce and trade, but the lament for Tyre in Ezekiel 27 seems to hint at a deeper meaning. Many nations and cities are mentioned as trading partners with Tyre such as Cyprus, Egypt, Aram (Damascus), Arabia, Beth Togarmah (Turkey), Israel, Greece, Persia, etc. Also, expensive merchandise, military equipment, ships, animals, etc. are associated with Tyre's cultural and economic dominance. These things are characteristic of literal Tyre, but in the last verse of Ezekiel 27, we are given a revealing clue to the true nature of Tyre. "The merchants among the nations hiss at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more" (36). The weeping and mourning at Tyre's fall seem to uncannily resemble the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18. There is a ton of conjecture about whether the city of Babylon will arise again in the future as a powerful city in modern day Iraq, but this fall of Babylon in Revelation 18 seems to speak of the entire unjust world system. If we compare the two chapters in Ezekiel 27 and Revelation 18, we find many similarities. For example, in Revelation 18:9, John states, "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, then they will weep and mourn for her." Verse 11 states, "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more." Ezekiel 27 also speaks of great mourning and weeping over Tyre's fall. Also, Revelation 18:21 shares a striking parallel to Tyre's fate. "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists, flute players, and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again." Interestingly enough, the silence of harps and music are also a characteristic of Tyre's ultimate demise. While I don't believe that the cities of Tyre and Babylon will rise to international prominence in the future, I believe that their prideful pasts symbolize the future destruction of earth and the entire world system which is characterized by greed, violence, perversity, and death.
The true spirit behind Tyre is seen in Ezekiel 28 as the fall of the king of Tyre is prophesied. In verse 2, we are given a clue as to who this wicked king might be. "In the pride of your heart you say, I am a god; I sit on a throne of a god in the heart of the seas. But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god." In verse 10, the prideful king of Tyre will be killed. In verse 13, the mask comes off and the true nature of the king of Tyre is unveiled. "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God." Obviously, this is a reference to Satan. In verse 15, we see the fall of Lucifer. "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So, I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones." As I previously drew parallels between Tyre and Babylon, it is interesting to see that trade and violence are two of the chief characteristics of Satan, trade being linked to Tyre and violence associated with Babylon, along with idolatry. This parallel is fully realized in Isaiah 14.
Isaiah 14 prophesies about the fall of the king of Babylon. Much like the king of Tyre, this prophecy initially references the king's pride and tells of the his ultimate destruction. In Isaiah 14:12, the scene shifts into another veiled reference to Lucifer. "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart "I will ascend to Heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God." You see, the kings of Tyre and Babylon are not just wicked kings of antiquity, but will have their ultimate fulfillment in the Antichrist. While Satan obviously represents the true power behind these kings, he can't physically be their fulfillment since Satan is a cherub. He will, however, indwell a man during the tribulation, which will be the Antichrist. Ezekiel 28:19 perfectly sums up the Antichrist's demise. "All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more." Similarly, Isaiah 14:9 proclaims, "The grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming." If we pick up in verse 11, it states, "All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps." Verse 16 gives the most accurate description of the world's response to the Antichrist's death. "Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate. Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble?" While Israel will mourn for the one they pierced, but will accept their Messiah, Jesus Christ, at the end of the tribulation, the world will also mourn, but will be astonished at seeing the man who led them to their eternal damnation. If we skip over to verse 22 in Isaiah 14, we see that end times Babylon, in fact, is referencing the entire ungodly, wicked system and the individuals who partake in that system. "I will rise up against them, declares the Lord Almighty. I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants, declares the Lord." This shows emphatically that end times Babylon will not be a specific country or city, but instead, will include all people who reject Jesus Christ, persist in wickedness, and fail to repent. In Revelation, God commands people to come out of Babylon, which must refer to the ungodly world system in its entirety. Overall, Tyre and Babylon serve as warnings to not trust in material goods and riches, but to trust God, the maker of the universe.
Sources
1. http://www.dabhand.org/Essays/OT569_Is23_destruction_of_tyre.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre,_Lebanon#Early_history
Monday, September 7, 2015
Daniel:The Goat and the Mystery of the End of Days
Daniel 8 and Daniel 11 give some of the most detailed and astonishing prophecies in the entire Bible. If the average person were to glance at these prophecies, they would read them as a history book. Daniel 8 begins by showing a dream of a ram with two horns, which represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The two horns represent the kings of the Medes and Persia. After this, a shaggy goat with a horn between his eyes came from the west and charged toward the ram. This goat was so powerful and swift that he crossed the earth without touching the ground. This goat represented the famed Grecian Empire and the horn represented its first king, the legendary Alexander the Great. Considered one of the most skilled military commanders in human history, Alexander conquered the known world in his 20's. The prophecy concerning Alexander's defeat of the Persian Empire occurred in 331 B.C. when King Darius III, King of Persia, was conquered at the Battle of Gaugamela. Several years later, Alexander's demise happened, which fulfills Daniel 8:8. "The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven." Alexander died in Babylon at the age of 32, although there are conflicting accounts of how he died. These four prominent horns represent Alexander's four generals who took control of the empire after his death. Lysimachus took Thrace and Asia Minor (Turkey), Cassander took Greece and Macedonia, Ptolemy took Egypt, and Seleucus took Syria, Babylon, Persia, and India. Before getting into the climax of Daniel 8, we need to take a hard look at Daniel 11 because an intense power struggle between the Selecuid dynasty and Ptolemaic dynasty occurs, which has major historical and prophetic implications.
The Kings of the South and North in Daniel 11 can only be understood by unpacking history. After a brief introduction of Alexander the Great's rise to power and fall, which parallels Daniel 8, we see a complex struggle emerge between the Seleucid dynasty (King of the North) and the Ptolemaic dynasty (King of the South). As I mentioned, the Seleucid dynasty primarily controlled Syria, Babylon (Iraq), and Persia (Iran), while the Ptolemaic dynasty controlled Egypt. In Daniel 11:5, it states, "The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power." The king of the South mentioned here is the first king of the South, Ptolemy I Soter and "one of his commanders" refers to his main counterpart, Seleucus I Nicator. Then, an alliance would emerge between the two dynasties. It says, "The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her" (11:6). This wasn't fulfilled directly during Seleucus I Nicator's reign, but rather during the reign of his son, Antiochus II Theos. After Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, married Antiochus II Theos, Laodice, the previous wife of Antiochus, killed Berenice, Antiochus II, and their son out of revenge. In verse 7, it says, "One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious." From Berenice's family line, Ptolemy III Euergetes, rose to power and defeated the king of the South, Seleucus II Callinicus, who was the son of Antiochus II Theos. There was peace between the two dynasties for a little while.
In verse 9, Daniel states, "Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress." The king of the North's sons in this case are Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III, although the king of the South, Ptolemy IV Philopater would defeat the large army of the North. Antiochus III, despite the defeat would conquer Israel by 197 B.C. and would try to conquer Egypt once again, although he suffered a defeat at the ends of the king of the South, Ptolemy V Epiphanes. A few years later, Antiochus III made a peace treaty with Egypt by giving his daughter, Cleopatra I, to Ptolemy V in marriage. Antiochus III died a few years later trying to plunder a pagan temple. The son of Antiochus III was Seleucus IV, although he was murdered by his finance minister, Heliodorus, which fulfills Daniel 11:20, which states, "In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle." All of this complex background information leads up to the successor of Seleucus IV, a man infamously known as Antiochus IV Epiphanes, also referred to as "the contemptible person".
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the brother of Seleucus IV, unlawfully became king even though the throne really belonged to Demetrius, the son of Seleucus IV. Because of intrigue and deception, Antiochus Epiphanes seized power with "a small people" (11:23). When cities and nations felt safe, he waged war on them and he also attacked Egypt numerous times. Among Antiochus Epiphanes' predecessors, Egypt generally dominated them militarily, but Antiochus IV was successful due to his deception and the fact that Egypt's allies abandoned them. This caused Antiochus Epiphanes to acquire wealth, power, and prestige. Later, in 168 B.C., he tried to attack Egypt again. This time, a Roman ambassador blocked his path and delivered a message saying that the Roman Republic would intervene on behalf of Egypt. Antiochus IV returned to Syria with great rage. He decided to attack Israel instead. In verse 31-32, it states, "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination of desolation. With flattery, he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist." Antiochus Epiphanes, because of his deep Jew-hatred, erected a statue of Zeus on the temple mount in Jerusalem and sacrificed a pig on the altar. Some apostate Jews joined Antiochus, but Judas Maccabeus led the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus and his army, which caused them to retreat. It took 2,300 days to rededicate the temple in Jerusalem, which fulfilled Daniel 8:14. This reconsecration is known as Hanukkah. Later, in verse 26, it states, "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future." This parallels Daniel 8:17, when the angel Gabriel tells Daniel, "Son of man, understand that the vision concerns the time of the end." If this was fulfilled in history, how could this have relevance in the future?
In Matthew 24:15, Jesus warns, "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination of desolation', spoken of through the prophet Daniel, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." As you may know, the Bible contains many types and shadows, some hidden and some plainly seen. For instance, Boaz, from the Book of Ruth, serves as a type of Jesus Christ, the "kinsman redeemer". Another example includes Enoch, which represents a prototype of the rapture of the church. Antiochus Epiphanes serves as a shadow of the end time antichrist. Just as Antiochus started small as a "little horn", the antichrist will start small, likely as a small-time politician, before persecuting God's people and leading the greatest rebellion the world has ever seen. While Daniel 7 speaks of this antichrist, Daniel 11:36 continues to elaborate on this infamous man. Daniel 11:21-25 talks about the career of Antiochus Epiphanes, but starting in verse 36, we see a sudden shift as the antichrist's career is outlined. While Antiochus was an arrogant, vile person, he didn't demand to be worshiped as a god. Conversely, the antichrist "will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all" (11:37). In the future abomination of desolation, the antichrist will not erect a statue of Zeus, but rather will have a statue of himself placed in the Jewish temple, which is still yet to be rebuilt. Additionally, the antichrist will invade many countries just like Antiochus, but he will specifically overthrow Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. While Antiochus defeated Egypt once, he never conquered Libya or Sudan. The antichrist will also attempt to defeat Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon, which are all located in modern day Jordan. Evidently, he will not succeed. Most scholars believe the Jewish remnant, after the abomination of desolation occurs, will flee to Petra in Jordan. There they will be protected for the last half of the tribulation. Just like Antiochus IV Epiphanes came to his end, God will protect His people and will supernaturally overthrow the antichrist
Evidently, in the future, there will be another king of the North and king of the South. Just as Antiochus was the king of the North in the past, the antichrist will be the king of the North in the future. Some people believe that the antichrist will be attacked by both a future king of the North and king of the South. Some translations are confusing and fail to completely acknowledge that the king of the South will attack the king of the South. They won't make an alliance to attack a separate antichrist. I believe that the New Living Translation gives the best translation. It states, "Then at the time of the end, the king of the South will attack the king of the North. The king of the North will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood" (11:40). With this in mind, does that mean that the antichrist will arise from the Seleucid territory, which spawned Antiochus Epiphanes? It is certainly possible that the antichrist will come from the Seleucid territory (Iraq/Syria/Iran), but I am not dogmatic about that. In my Ezekiel 38 post, Gog seemed to fit the identity of the antichrist and his territory in Turkey seems to be a likely place for the antichrist to arise from. Ultimately, though, there is still conjecture, but scripture seems to make it clear that Alexander's four generals seem to play a major role in identifying where the end times "man of sin" will come from. Stay tuned.
Sources
1. http://biblehub.com/daniel/11-40.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes#Final_years
3. http://www.neverthirsty.org/pp/series/DAN/D013/D0134.html
4. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/alexander.htm
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#Death_and_succession
The Kings of the South and North in Daniel 11 can only be understood by unpacking history. After a brief introduction of Alexander the Great's rise to power and fall, which parallels Daniel 8, we see a complex struggle emerge between the Seleucid dynasty (King of the North) and the Ptolemaic dynasty (King of the South). As I mentioned, the Seleucid dynasty primarily controlled Syria, Babylon (Iraq), and Persia (Iran), while the Ptolemaic dynasty controlled Egypt. In Daniel 11:5, it states, "The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power." The king of the South mentioned here is the first king of the South, Ptolemy I Soter and "one of his commanders" refers to his main counterpart, Seleucus I Nicator. Then, an alliance would emerge between the two dynasties. It says, "The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her" (11:6). This wasn't fulfilled directly during Seleucus I Nicator's reign, but rather during the reign of his son, Antiochus II Theos. After Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, married Antiochus II Theos, Laodice, the previous wife of Antiochus, killed Berenice, Antiochus II, and their son out of revenge. In verse 7, it says, "One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious." From Berenice's family line, Ptolemy III Euergetes, rose to power and defeated the king of the South, Seleucus II Callinicus, who was the son of Antiochus II Theos. There was peace between the two dynasties for a little while.
In verse 9, Daniel states, "Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress." The king of the North's sons in this case are Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III, although the king of the South, Ptolemy IV Philopater would defeat the large army of the North. Antiochus III, despite the defeat would conquer Israel by 197 B.C. and would try to conquer Egypt once again, although he suffered a defeat at the ends of the king of the South, Ptolemy V Epiphanes. A few years later, Antiochus III made a peace treaty with Egypt by giving his daughter, Cleopatra I, to Ptolemy V in marriage. Antiochus III died a few years later trying to plunder a pagan temple. The son of Antiochus III was Seleucus IV, although he was murdered by his finance minister, Heliodorus, which fulfills Daniel 11:20, which states, "In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle." All of this complex background information leads up to the successor of Seleucus IV, a man infamously known as Antiochus IV Epiphanes, also referred to as "the contemptible person".
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the brother of Seleucus IV, unlawfully became king even though the throne really belonged to Demetrius, the son of Seleucus IV. Because of intrigue and deception, Antiochus Epiphanes seized power with "a small people" (11:23). When cities and nations felt safe, he waged war on them and he also attacked Egypt numerous times. Among Antiochus Epiphanes' predecessors, Egypt generally dominated them militarily, but Antiochus IV was successful due to his deception and the fact that Egypt's allies abandoned them. This caused Antiochus Epiphanes to acquire wealth, power, and prestige. Later, in 168 B.C., he tried to attack Egypt again. This time, a Roman ambassador blocked his path and delivered a message saying that the Roman Republic would intervene on behalf of Egypt. Antiochus IV returned to Syria with great rage. He decided to attack Israel instead. In verse 31-32, it states, "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination of desolation. With flattery, he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist." Antiochus Epiphanes, because of his deep Jew-hatred, erected a statue of Zeus on the temple mount in Jerusalem and sacrificed a pig on the altar. Some apostate Jews joined Antiochus, but Judas Maccabeus led the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus and his army, which caused them to retreat. It took 2,300 days to rededicate the temple in Jerusalem, which fulfilled Daniel 8:14. This reconsecration is known as Hanukkah. Later, in verse 26, it states, "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future." This parallels Daniel 8:17, when the angel Gabriel tells Daniel, "Son of man, understand that the vision concerns the time of the end." If this was fulfilled in history, how could this have relevance in the future?
In Matthew 24:15, Jesus warns, "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination of desolation', spoken of through the prophet Daniel, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." As you may know, the Bible contains many types and shadows, some hidden and some plainly seen. For instance, Boaz, from the Book of Ruth, serves as a type of Jesus Christ, the "kinsman redeemer". Another example includes Enoch, which represents a prototype of the rapture of the church. Antiochus Epiphanes serves as a shadow of the end time antichrist. Just as Antiochus started small as a "little horn", the antichrist will start small, likely as a small-time politician, before persecuting God's people and leading the greatest rebellion the world has ever seen. While Daniel 7 speaks of this antichrist, Daniel 11:36 continues to elaborate on this infamous man. Daniel 11:21-25 talks about the career of Antiochus Epiphanes, but starting in verse 36, we see a sudden shift as the antichrist's career is outlined. While Antiochus was an arrogant, vile person, he didn't demand to be worshiped as a god. Conversely, the antichrist "will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all" (11:37). In the future abomination of desolation, the antichrist will not erect a statue of Zeus, but rather will have a statue of himself placed in the Jewish temple, which is still yet to be rebuilt. Additionally, the antichrist will invade many countries just like Antiochus, but he will specifically overthrow Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. While Antiochus defeated Egypt once, he never conquered Libya or Sudan. The antichrist will also attempt to defeat Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon, which are all located in modern day Jordan. Evidently, he will not succeed. Most scholars believe the Jewish remnant, after the abomination of desolation occurs, will flee to Petra in Jordan. There they will be protected for the last half of the tribulation. Just like Antiochus IV Epiphanes came to his end, God will protect His people and will supernaturally overthrow the antichrist
Evidently, in the future, there will be another king of the North and king of the South. Just as Antiochus was the king of the North in the past, the antichrist will be the king of the North in the future. Some people believe that the antichrist will be attacked by both a future king of the North and king of the South. Some translations are confusing and fail to completely acknowledge that the king of the South will attack the king of the South. They won't make an alliance to attack a separate antichrist. I believe that the New Living Translation gives the best translation. It states, "Then at the time of the end, the king of the South will attack the king of the North. The king of the North will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood" (11:40). With this in mind, does that mean that the antichrist will arise from the Seleucid territory, which spawned Antiochus Epiphanes? It is certainly possible that the antichrist will come from the Seleucid territory (Iraq/Syria/Iran), but I am not dogmatic about that. In my Ezekiel 38 post, Gog seemed to fit the identity of the antichrist and his territory in Turkey seems to be a likely place for the antichrist to arise from. Ultimately, though, there is still conjecture, but scripture seems to make it clear that Alexander's four generals seem to play a major role in identifying where the end times "man of sin" will come from. Stay tuned.
Sources
1. http://biblehub.com/daniel/11-40.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes#Final_years
3. http://www.neverthirsty.org/pp/series/DAN/D013/D0134.html
4. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/alexander.htm
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#Death_and_succession
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Daniel: The Mystery of the Four Empires
In chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar is burdened by a strange dream. It is so mysterious that no one could interpret this dream, not even his most accomplished magicians. The king, incensed, threatened to kill all of the wise men of Babylon if he didn't receive a suitable interpretation of his dream. This was deeply concerning to Daniel, so he interceded to God, so God graciously answered his prayer. Meanwhile, Daniel praises God and thanks him for giving him this supernatural wisdom. He then goes to the king's palace and boldly states, "No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in Heaven who reveals mysteries" (2:27-28). This powerful confrontation implies that there is a limit to Satan's knowledge and power, while God's mysteries are everlasting. Anyways, Nebuchadnezzar's dream consisted of a great statue which was majestic in appearance. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, and its legs and toes were made of iron and clay. After that, a rock struck the statue, preparing the way for a mountain that filled the entire earth. Daniel proceeded to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The Babylonian empire was symbolized by the head of gold. The chest and arms of silver would be fulfilled by an inferior empire to Babylon. This occurred in 539 B.C. when King Cyrus of Persia overthrew Babylon without a battle. Next, the bronze belly and thighs represent the Grecian Empire. The initial three empires are very straightforward, but the fourth empire, symbolized by the legs and toes made of iron and clay, is much more complex. While Rome appears to fulfill the fourth empire, we need to look at the entire context. In Daniel 2:44, it states, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people." Did God set up His eternal kingdom during the time of the Roman Empire?
This lies part of the mystery. While God did not set up His literal eternal kingdom during the reign of the Roman Empire, he was crucified and resurrected during that time. See, the Roman Empire, just like the Kingdom of God, is both a literal empire and an idea. For instance, believers in Jesus Christ are part of his eternal kingdom even though the literal fulfillment won't occur until we die and go to Heaven. The Roman Empire, just like Daniel says, would be divided, symbolized by the iron and clay. This literal, original division occurred around 453 A.D. when the Roman Empire was divided between west and east. This eastern leg, with its capital in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul, Turkey) was also known as the Byzantine Empire. The eastern leg continued a thousand years after Rome fell to moral decay and Germanic tribes. Did all vestiges of the Roman Empire literally fall in 1453 when the Ottoman Turks overthrew the Byzantine Empire? Yes, but the idea lived on. Many attempts were made to revive the Roman Empire, most notably the notion of the "Holy Roman Empire", which began when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor in 800 A.D. The "Holy Roman Empire" attempted to regain the glory and prestige of the Roman Empire, but it was not nearly as unified or powerful. Despite dissolving in 1806, the "Holy Roman Empire", I believe, has paved the way for the ultimate fulfillment of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. For instance, the Catholic Church system became one of the most powerful entities on earth during this period. Catholicism was made the state religion of the empire and popes were given tremendous authority over kings and political affairs. As it says in Revelation 17, which talks about Mystery Babylon, "With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries" (2). If you read my "Mystery Babylon" post, you will see strong evidence linking the Roman Catholic Church system to end times "Mystery Babylon". While kings and dynasties such as Charlemagne, the Carolingian's, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, etc. have, in essence, tried to revive a Roman Empire, the antichrist, whom we will see in Daniel 7, will be able to accomplish this goal.
I believe that the legs and toes made of iron and clay won't necessarily be a revived Roman Empire, but this empire will have similar characteristics. Ultimately, it seems likely that this fourth empire will be a world government system or popularly called a "New World Order". While the Roman Empire conquered more territory in world history than any other empire, this empire will be worldwide under the leadership of one man, similar to ancient Babel under the leadership of Nimrod. Revelation 17 gives us some insight on how to interpret Daniel 2. "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while" (9-10). In John's day, the major empires that had fallen were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. While Daniel focuses on the empires succeeding Babylon, John lists all of the major Biblical empires including Egypt and Assyria. Anyways, the empire that "is" represents Rome since Rome was the major empire ruling during John's day. The seventh empire in Revelation is the same as the fourth empire in Daniel 2. Since Revelation mentions that this empire will remain a little while, I believe that the first half of the seven-year tribulation will be controlled by this world government.
These world empires are clearly important to understanding end time prophecy because Nebuchadnezzar has another dream about these empires,this time in Daniel 7. Daniel 7 presents a terrifying picture of four great beasts. The first beast was like a lion and it had wings that were broken off. Then, it stood on two feet like man. This represents Babylon and the wings being torn off symbolize Nebuchadnezzar's fall from grace. The feet represent Nebuchadnezzar's redemption after realizing the sovereign power of God. After the first beast, a second beast emerges, representing Medo-Persia. This beast resembles a bear and three ribs are in its mouth. After that, a leopard emerges, representing the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great. This leopard has four wings, which represent Alexander's four generals who divided up his kingdom after his early death. Finally, the fourth beast, as I have mentioned in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17, comes on the scene. This beast, different than the others, is non-descriptive. No animal can accurately symbolize the sheer destructiveness and power of this dreaded beast. There are ten horns on this beast, paralleling the seven heads and ten horns mentioned in Revelation. These ten horns are referred to in Daniel 2 as "partly iron and partly clay", meaning that they are partly strong and partly weak. Then, a little horn will emerge, which we know as the antichrist. These ten horns are described in Revelation 17:12-13. "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast." Just like Rome was divided between east and west, I believe that these "ten toes" or ten kings will be a mixture of rulers between western powers and eastern powers. In Daniel 7:8, the antichrist "uproots" three of these kings. In Daniel 11, we read that the antichrist will take control of Egypt, Libya, and the Nubians (modern day Sudan), which are very likely are the "three horns" that he uproots.
We have to remember that God's eternal kingdom will trample the antichrist's beast kingdom and will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Also, the antichrist will not be known until these ten kings are established. It doesn't say that he won't appear until these kings are on the scene, but his ultimate goals won't be realized until these ten kings emerge. Many people believe that these ten kings will emerge during the first half of the tribulation period. The problem with this interpretation is that these kings won't be connected to a kingdom, which is mentioned in Revelation 17:12. It is important to realize that the antichrist forms this world government during the first half of the tribulation or Daniel's 70th week. Sometime after he "confirms a covenant with many for one week", this seventh empire will be established. While the first 3 and a half years of this time period will be chaotic, the antichrist's true intentions won't be known until he commits the abomination of desolation mid-way through the tribulation. Keep in mind, these ten kings get their authority from the antichrist and they will rule "one hour with the beast". In Revelation 17:11, it states, "The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction." I believe the antichrist will be involved in the world government system for the first half of the tribulation, but will eventually take control of this system to form his own empire, which would be the eighth empire and would be established the last half of the tribulation period. This eighth kingdom is still connected to the previous seven, though. There are definite signs that a world government will happen in the near future. In our age of globalization and the global elite's ambitions for a world government, the handwriting is on the wall. In George H.W. Bush's famous speech in 1992, he outlined a desire to see a New World Order. Many other politicians and world leaders including Henry Kissinger, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Pope Francis have also expressed the need for global governance. Don't be fooled by suave politicians. Not if, but when a global governance does happen, freedom will be lost and you will be required to have a mark on your head or forehead, which will control buying or selling. Only when Jesus Christ establishes His eternal throne will true leadership, peace, and justice be established. In Matthew 4:8, it states, "Again, the devil took Him on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give you if you bow down and worship me." Since Satan is called the "Prince of the power of the air", he is the ultimate ruler of these earthly kingdoms, along with principalities and demonic spirits. After the final earthly kingdom is destroyed, God's kingdom will be firmly established and will never be destroyed.
Sources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire
2. http://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Roman-Empire.html
This lies part of the mystery. While God did not set up His literal eternal kingdom during the reign of the Roman Empire, he was crucified and resurrected during that time. See, the Roman Empire, just like the Kingdom of God, is both a literal empire and an idea. For instance, believers in Jesus Christ are part of his eternal kingdom even though the literal fulfillment won't occur until we die and go to Heaven. The Roman Empire, just like Daniel says, would be divided, symbolized by the iron and clay. This literal, original division occurred around 453 A.D. when the Roman Empire was divided between west and east. This eastern leg, with its capital in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul, Turkey) was also known as the Byzantine Empire. The eastern leg continued a thousand years after Rome fell to moral decay and Germanic tribes. Did all vestiges of the Roman Empire literally fall in 1453 when the Ottoman Turks overthrew the Byzantine Empire? Yes, but the idea lived on. Many attempts were made to revive the Roman Empire, most notably the notion of the "Holy Roman Empire", which began when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor in 800 A.D. The "Holy Roman Empire" attempted to regain the glory and prestige of the Roman Empire, but it was not nearly as unified or powerful. Despite dissolving in 1806, the "Holy Roman Empire", I believe, has paved the way for the ultimate fulfillment of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. For instance, the Catholic Church system became one of the most powerful entities on earth during this period. Catholicism was made the state religion of the empire and popes were given tremendous authority over kings and political affairs. As it says in Revelation 17, which talks about Mystery Babylon, "With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries" (2). If you read my "Mystery Babylon" post, you will see strong evidence linking the Roman Catholic Church system to end times "Mystery Babylon". While kings and dynasties such as Charlemagne, the Carolingian's, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, etc. have, in essence, tried to revive a Roman Empire, the antichrist, whom we will see in Daniel 7, will be able to accomplish this goal.
I believe that the legs and toes made of iron and clay won't necessarily be a revived Roman Empire, but this empire will have similar characteristics. Ultimately, it seems likely that this fourth empire will be a world government system or popularly called a "New World Order". While the Roman Empire conquered more territory in world history than any other empire, this empire will be worldwide under the leadership of one man, similar to ancient Babel under the leadership of Nimrod. Revelation 17 gives us some insight on how to interpret Daniel 2. "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while" (9-10). In John's day, the major empires that had fallen were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. While Daniel focuses on the empires succeeding Babylon, John lists all of the major Biblical empires including Egypt and Assyria. Anyways, the empire that "is" represents Rome since Rome was the major empire ruling during John's day. The seventh empire in Revelation is the same as the fourth empire in Daniel 2. Since Revelation mentions that this empire will remain a little while, I believe that the first half of the seven-year tribulation will be controlled by this world government.
These world empires are clearly important to understanding end time prophecy because Nebuchadnezzar has another dream about these empires,this time in Daniel 7. Daniel 7 presents a terrifying picture of four great beasts. The first beast was like a lion and it had wings that were broken off. Then, it stood on two feet like man. This represents Babylon and the wings being torn off symbolize Nebuchadnezzar's fall from grace. The feet represent Nebuchadnezzar's redemption after realizing the sovereign power of God. After the first beast, a second beast emerges, representing Medo-Persia. This beast resembles a bear and three ribs are in its mouth. After that, a leopard emerges, representing the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great. This leopard has four wings, which represent Alexander's four generals who divided up his kingdom after his early death. Finally, the fourth beast, as I have mentioned in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17, comes on the scene. This beast, different than the others, is non-descriptive. No animal can accurately symbolize the sheer destructiveness and power of this dreaded beast. There are ten horns on this beast, paralleling the seven heads and ten horns mentioned in Revelation. These ten horns are referred to in Daniel 2 as "partly iron and partly clay", meaning that they are partly strong and partly weak. Then, a little horn will emerge, which we know as the antichrist. These ten horns are described in Revelation 17:12-13. "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast." Just like Rome was divided between east and west, I believe that these "ten toes" or ten kings will be a mixture of rulers between western powers and eastern powers. In Daniel 7:8, the antichrist "uproots" three of these kings. In Daniel 11, we read that the antichrist will take control of Egypt, Libya, and the Nubians (modern day Sudan), which are very likely are the "three horns" that he uproots.
We have to remember that God's eternal kingdom will trample the antichrist's beast kingdom and will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Also, the antichrist will not be known until these ten kings are established. It doesn't say that he won't appear until these kings are on the scene, but his ultimate goals won't be realized until these ten kings emerge. Many people believe that these ten kings will emerge during the first half of the tribulation period. The problem with this interpretation is that these kings won't be connected to a kingdom, which is mentioned in Revelation 17:12. It is important to realize that the antichrist forms this world government during the first half of the tribulation or Daniel's 70th week. Sometime after he "confirms a covenant with many for one week", this seventh empire will be established. While the first 3 and a half years of this time period will be chaotic, the antichrist's true intentions won't be known until he commits the abomination of desolation mid-way through the tribulation. Keep in mind, these ten kings get their authority from the antichrist and they will rule "one hour with the beast". In Revelation 17:11, it states, "The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction." I believe the antichrist will be involved in the world government system for the first half of the tribulation, but will eventually take control of this system to form his own empire, which would be the eighth empire and would be established the last half of the tribulation period. This eighth kingdom is still connected to the previous seven, though. There are definite signs that a world government will happen in the near future. In our age of globalization and the global elite's ambitions for a world government, the handwriting is on the wall. In George H.W. Bush's famous speech in 1992, he outlined a desire to see a New World Order. Many other politicians and world leaders including Henry Kissinger, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Pope Francis have also expressed the need for global governance. Don't be fooled by suave politicians. Not if, but when a global governance does happen, freedom will be lost and you will be required to have a mark on your head or forehead, which will control buying or selling. Only when Jesus Christ establishes His eternal throne will true leadership, peace, and justice be established. In Matthew 4:8, it states, "Again, the devil took Him on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give you if you bow down and worship me." Since Satan is called the "Prince of the power of the air", he is the ultimate ruler of these earthly kingdoms, along with principalities and demonic spirits. After the final earthly kingdom is destroyed, God's kingdom will be firmly established and will never be destroyed.
Sources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire
2. http://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Roman-Empire.html
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
The Rapture: Invented Myth or Biblical Truth?
There is a popular belief among Christian circles that the rapture is a heresy that was invented in 1830 by a man named John Darby. This "secret rapture", as so many argue, is never once mentioned in the pages of Holy scripture. Or is it? Just to clarify, I am not trying to set dates as many have tried to do over the years, but you would be surprised that the Bible has a ton to say on the concept of the rapture.
I understand that the word "rapture" is not found in any Bible translation. To counter that argument, trinity, demon, and millennium aren't listed in the Bible either. However, for example, evil spirit is used in place of demon. 1,000 years is used instead of millennial reign. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are what we know as the trinity. You get the point. You will find that phrases such as "catching away" and "gathering together" represent the concept known as the rapture. Before we analyze scripture, we need to look at the Greek word, "Harpazo". This word is where we get the concept of the rapture. According to Bible dictionary, this word means to seize, carry by force; to snatch out or away. This snatching out is evident in Matthew 24:40-41. It states, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." Prior to these verses, Jesus describes the time before the tribulation and compares it to Noah's day. "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away" (24:38-39). Basically, things would be business as usual. Even though Jesus lists end times signs in Matthew 24 or birth pangs such as earthquakes, famines, and war, life would still go on. Then, on a day unbeknownst to any man, the angels, or even Christ, God will take true believers to Heaven. Thus, we are expected to keep watch so Jesus won't come as a thief in the night. In Mark 13:36-37, Jesus warns, "If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!"
One of the most striking pieces of evidence for a pre-tribulation rapture occurs in 1 Thessalonians 4. Starting in verse 15, Paul states, "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have falling asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." The next verse, verse 18, is the key. "Therefore, encourage each other with these words." This gathering together is supposed to be an encouraging doctrine, not a doctrine that causes such animosity among believers. If the rapture were sometime during or after the tribulation, there would be great anguish and horror. Many post-tribbers like to say that the church will be protected during the tribulation. The problem with that is that Revelation states that many believers or what we call, tribulation saints, will be beheaded during this period. Additionally, even if the church was protected, it still wouldn't be an encouraging time to live in because of the unimaginable terror that will be unleashed on the earth. In Luke 21:36, it says, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." In addition, Revelation 3:10, in John's address to the Church in Philadelphia, states, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on earth." If the church had to endure the great tribulation, why are there promises to believers that they wouldn't endure God's wrath. Like it says in I Thessalonians 5:9, Paul emphatically states, "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Before we go further, we need to differentiate between natural trials/tribulations and the great tribulation.
The "Day of the Lord", also referred to as the tribulation period will occur during the last 7 years of human history, also called Daniel's 70th week. Just like the rapture, this period of time will come like a thief in the night. As it states in I Thessalonians 5:3, "While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." The next verse makes a clear distinction between two groups: the people calling for peace and safety, and believers in Jesus Christ. In verse 4, it states, "But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this day should surprise you like a thief." For the ungodly, God's wrath is already appointed and they will not escape. However, the godly who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will be delivered. Anyways, how does the Bible describe the "Day of the Lord"? In 2 Peter 3:10, it states, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." If everything in the earth will be destroyed by fire, why would believers have to endure that? I understand that there have been martyrs throughout history and believers have often been targets of vicious persecution. This is what I call Satan's wrath. Satan hates all human beings, but he especially has vitriol for God's people. This rage comes in many forms such as literally killing God's people through persecution and other means, temptation, disease, depression, etc. These are the types of things that exist because we live in a fallen world in which Satan and many of his demons are loosed. The great tribulation is perfectly described in Daniel 12:1. "There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then." This is a time designated by God to judge the world of sin, unrighteousness, and injustice. If you read the judgements of Revelation, you will understand why the church has to be absent from the world. There definitely will be multitudes of believers who come out of the tribulation, but they may have to suffer persecution from the antichrist and his world system. Overall, this period of tribulation will not only be designed to cleanse the world of sin and evil, but also to bring salvation to Israel.
Because so many Christians have cut off any ties to the Jewish people or the nation of Israel, the entire theology of the end times becomes confusing and inconsistent. The tribulation period is often referred to as "The time of Jacob's trouble". Jacob, also called Israel, was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. People who say that God eternally rejected Israel don't know scripture. As it states in Romans 11:25, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." As it says in Zechariah 12, Israel will "mourn for the one they pierced." This will happen at the end of the tribulation period when God pours out His spirit on Israel. Israel is still hardened and wallowing in sin. Therefore, it stands to reason that they will need to go through the tribulation to be purged of their sin and unbelief. Thankfully, God will preserve a remnant during the tribulation in which the Jews will be commanded to flee to the mountains after the abomination of desolation occurs. My point is, why would true believers in Jesus Christ have to go through this period of judgement? Our sins were taken care of on Calvary. We don't need to prove anything. Post-tribbers often indirectly deny the completion of Christ's atoning sacrifice by saying we need to suffer for Him. All believers in Christ, whether they are martyred or not, are redeemed by His blood. We should always be prepared to suffer for our faith, but no amount of works can redeem ourselves.
As I have clearly alluded to, Christ's coming for His bride (the church) will most likely occur before the tribulation period. As I stated previously, Christ's coming in the clouds for the church is described as a thief in the night. During this event, people will be caught off guard and there will be no fanfare prior to this mysterious event. The fact that "no man knows the day or the hour" should give us an important clue. Since the abomination of desolation in which the antichrist will desecrate the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem will happen at the mid-point of Daniel's 70th week, we can count 3 and a half years from that day to determine the exact day Christ will physically return to earth to judge its inhabitants. This works for mid-trib people as well. If we count 3 and a half years from the start of the 7 year tribulation, we will know the exact date of the abomination of desolation. The pre-trib theory is the only scenario that can accurately come as a thief in the night. In addition, especially with the post-trib theory, if Christ came for His bride at the end of the tribulation, we would go up in the clouds for a moment and then we could descend back down with Christ. This is also referred to as the "U-turn" theory. I firmly believe that the church will be in Heaven for the entire 7 year period while the earth descends into utter chaos and destruction.
Since the rapture is such a mysterious and supernatural event, are there any pictures of the rapture throughout scripture? Actually, you don't have to look any further than Genesis to see this event in motion. In Genesis 5:24, one of the strangest verses in the entire Bible occurs. "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Enoch, the seventh from Adam, lived 365 years before being taken by God. Enoch and Elijah are the only two people in the Bible to never experience death. Because of Enoch's righteousness, God decided not only to spare him from his wicked generation, but also to use him as a shadow of what is to come when the church is gathered in the clouds to meet Christ in the air. Enoch was also a prophet who predicted the end times. In Jude, we read, "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: See, the Lord is coming with thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (14-15). This verse is actually taken from the Book of Enoch. Even though Enoch lived a few thousand years even before Christ's first coming, God used him to reach the last generation, which I believe is our generation. Interestingly enough, Enoch says that all of God's holy one's would be with the Lord when he comes to judge the world. At this point, believers will have their glorified bodies which is explained in I Corinthians 15:51. "Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."
While Enoch is the principle type of the rapture in the Bible, there are others I wish to address. The ascension of Jesus Christ when He was taken up to Heaven after His mission was complete is an authentic picture of what is to come. An overlooked part of Christ's ascension takes place in Luke 24:52-53. After Christ is taken to Heaven, it states, "Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple praising God." Just as Christ's earthly followers praised Him and returned to Jerusalem, the bride of Christ will one day return with Him to Jerusalem and will praise Him for eternity. Another prophetic picture of the rapture unsurprisingly takes place in Revelation 4:1. "It states, "And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." The first three chapters of Revelation address the seven prominent churches in Asia Minor. In verse 4, John is taken to the throne room of Heaven, symbolizing the rapture. Also, a trumpet sound is heard, which ties back to I Thessalonians 4:16. Anyways, after John is caught up to God's throne, the church is not mentioned until Revelation 19 when we read that multitudes of people are in Heaven praising God for the destruction of end times Babylon. With this in mind, let's take a look at two Jewish traditions that pertain to this gathering together known as the rapture: the ancient Jewish wedding and Rosh Hashanah.
The ancient Jewish wedding is one of the most astounding pictures of the church's relationship with Jesus Christ. Before the actual wedding, the bridegroom would purchase a bride, symbolizing Christ's death on the cross and atonement for our sins. After this, the groom would enter into a covenant or betrothal with the bride. In terms of the church, this is established when we accept Christ as our savior. To symbolize this betrothal, the bride and the bridegroom would drink from the same cup, which represents communion. After the betrothal, the groom would return to his father's house to build an extension in preparation for the marriage. Keep in mind the verse in John 14:3 that states, "And if I go prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also be where I am." When the groom went to receive the bride, the bride didn't know the day or hour, but was still supposed to know the season. When the bridegroom shouted, the bride heard his voice and would run toward the bridegroom.This correlates to the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. The wise virgins represent the faithful believers who have a true relationship with the bridegroom or Christ. The foolish virgins, on the other hand, can either represent Israel or the lukewarm church who have not made a commitment to Christ. Anyways, after the bridegroom took the bride to the bridal chamber, the door was shut. An interesting prophecy in Isaiah 26 parallels this. It states, "Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by" (20). When the door was shut, the bride, bridegroom, and wedding guests would have a 7 day feast in the father's house. This symbolizes the 7 year tribulation, which is why I believe that the marriage supper of the lamb will last all 7 years of the tribulation. After the 7 days of feasting, the bridegroom would bring the bride with her veil removed out of his chamber. This represents Christ's physical return to earth.
So, how does Rosh Hashanah relate to the rapture? Rosh Hashanah, also called Yom Teruah or Feast of Trumpets is the first fall feast of Israel and the next puzzle piece on the prophetic calendar. As many know, the spring feasts all relate to Christ's first coming, which is astonishing because the Jews kept these feasts a couple thousands of years before Christ was even born. For example, Jesus died directly on Passover, He was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He was raised on the Feast of First Fruits, and the Church was born on Pentecost. Since He fulfilled the spring feasts to the day of His first coming, I believe He will fulfill the fall feasts directly to the day of His second coming. Anyways, the Feast of Trumpets is known the the wedding of the Messiah and will be the fulfillment of the last trump spoken about in I Thessalonians. Additionally, the Feast of Trumpets is the only feast that takes place on a New Moon. That might not sound significant, but two verses shed light on this. In Colossians 2:16, it states, "Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come." If you unpack this small verse, we find a profound mystery. Could the part about judging people according to what they eat refer to the Passover lamb? Could the religious festivals refer to each feast day, with New Moon highlighted as Rosh Hashanah? Could the Sabbath refer to the Shemitah year? There is not a ton of context in this verse, but I believe there is enough to show the significance to holding these feast days since they are the Lord's feasts, not merely Israel's. Another interesting prophecy regarding New Moon is found in Ezekiel 46:1, which states, "This is what the sovereign Lord says. The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened." Finally, people often take the verse that says that "no man will know the day or the hour" out of context. Since the Feast of Trumpets is a two day feast, no one will know the day or hour the Messiah or in the context of the Jewish wedding, the bridegroom, will come. So, when is Rosh Hashanah of September, 2015?
Rosh Hashanah will begin sunset on September 13, 2015 and end nightfall on September 15, 2015. Really, though, the feast will fully begin September 14. Interestingly enough, the Shemitah year will end right during the feast of trumpets. That could usher in a catastrophic economic collapse if it follows the same 7 year pattern of the previous several Shemitah years. There will even be a partial solar eclipse on September 13, which is significant to note considering the prophecy in Joel 2:31 that states, "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." This solar eclipse correlates with the final blood moon of the tetrad that will occur on September 28, which the Feast of Tabernacles. While blood moons and solar eclipses aren't extremely rare, when they are on feast days, we should be aware. I am not saying that the rapture has to happen this year on Rosh Hashanah, but we need to have dress rehearsals every year for the coming king. Just as Israel had their dress rehearsals every year before Christ's first coming, let's know the signs of the times so we won't miss the time of the Messiah like Israel unfortunately did. Its important to listen for the Shofar because Christ's return is imminent. Keep your lamps full so that you'll hear the voice of the Lord at the last trump.
Sources
1. http://www.waitingforjesus.com/jewishfeastsprophecy.html
2. http://raptureforums.com/Rapture/jewishwedding.cfm
3. http://www.seekfind.net/Bible_Dictionary__Define_harpazo__Definition_of_harpazo.html#.VeetiPT3j3V
I understand that the word "rapture" is not found in any Bible translation. To counter that argument, trinity, demon, and millennium aren't listed in the Bible either. However, for example, evil spirit is used in place of demon. 1,000 years is used instead of millennial reign. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are what we know as the trinity. You get the point. You will find that phrases such as "catching away" and "gathering together" represent the concept known as the rapture. Before we analyze scripture, we need to look at the Greek word, "Harpazo". This word is where we get the concept of the rapture. According to Bible dictionary, this word means to seize, carry by force; to snatch out or away. This snatching out is evident in Matthew 24:40-41. It states, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." Prior to these verses, Jesus describes the time before the tribulation and compares it to Noah's day. "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away" (24:38-39). Basically, things would be business as usual. Even though Jesus lists end times signs in Matthew 24 or birth pangs such as earthquakes, famines, and war, life would still go on. Then, on a day unbeknownst to any man, the angels, or even Christ, God will take true believers to Heaven. Thus, we are expected to keep watch so Jesus won't come as a thief in the night. In Mark 13:36-37, Jesus warns, "If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!"
One of the most striking pieces of evidence for a pre-tribulation rapture occurs in 1 Thessalonians 4. Starting in verse 15, Paul states, "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have falling asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." The next verse, verse 18, is the key. "Therefore, encourage each other with these words." This gathering together is supposed to be an encouraging doctrine, not a doctrine that causes such animosity among believers. If the rapture were sometime during or after the tribulation, there would be great anguish and horror. Many post-tribbers like to say that the church will be protected during the tribulation. The problem with that is that Revelation states that many believers or what we call, tribulation saints, will be beheaded during this period. Additionally, even if the church was protected, it still wouldn't be an encouraging time to live in because of the unimaginable terror that will be unleashed on the earth. In Luke 21:36, it says, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." In addition, Revelation 3:10, in John's address to the Church in Philadelphia, states, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on earth." If the church had to endure the great tribulation, why are there promises to believers that they wouldn't endure God's wrath. Like it says in I Thessalonians 5:9, Paul emphatically states, "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Before we go further, we need to differentiate between natural trials/tribulations and the great tribulation.
The "Day of the Lord", also referred to as the tribulation period will occur during the last 7 years of human history, also called Daniel's 70th week. Just like the rapture, this period of time will come like a thief in the night. As it states in I Thessalonians 5:3, "While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." The next verse makes a clear distinction between two groups: the people calling for peace and safety, and believers in Jesus Christ. In verse 4, it states, "But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this day should surprise you like a thief." For the ungodly, God's wrath is already appointed and they will not escape. However, the godly who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will be delivered. Anyways, how does the Bible describe the "Day of the Lord"? In 2 Peter 3:10, it states, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." If everything in the earth will be destroyed by fire, why would believers have to endure that? I understand that there have been martyrs throughout history and believers have often been targets of vicious persecution. This is what I call Satan's wrath. Satan hates all human beings, but he especially has vitriol for God's people. This rage comes in many forms such as literally killing God's people through persecution and other means, temptation, disease, depression, etc. These are the types of things that exist because we live in a fallen world in which Satan and many of his demons are loosed. The great tribulation is perfectly described in Daniel 12:1. "There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then." This is a time designated by God to judge the world of sin, unrighteousness, and injustice. If you read the judgements of Revelation, you will understand why the church has to be absent from the world. There definitely will be multitudes of believers who come out of the tribulation, but they may have to suffer persecution from the antichrist and his world system. Overall, this period of tribulation will not only be designed to cleanse the world of sin and evil, but also to bring salvation to Israel.
Because so many Christians have cut off any ties to the Jewish people or the nation of Israel, the entire theology of the end times becomes confusing and inconsistent. The tribulation period is often referred to as "The time of Jacob's trouble". Jacob, also called Israel, was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. People who say that God eternally rejected Israel don't know scripture. As it states in Romans 11:25, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." As it says in Zechariah 12, Israel will "mourn for the one they pierced." This will happen at the end of the tribulation period when God pours out His spirit on Israel. Israel is still hardened and wallowing in sin. Therefore, it stands to reason that they will need to go through the tribulation to be purged of their sin and unbelief. Thankfully, God will preserve a remnant during the tribulation in which the Jews will be commanded to flee to the mountains after the abomination of desolation occurs. My point is, why would true believers in Jesus Christ have to go through this period of judgement? Our sins were taken care of on Calvary. We don't need to prove anything. Post-tribbers often indirectly deny the completion of Christ's atoning sacrifice by saying we need to suffer for Him. All believers in Christ, whether they are martyred or not, are redeemed by His blood. We should always be prepared to suffer for our faith, but no amount of works can redeem ourselves.
As I have clearly alluded to, Christ's coming for His bride (the church) will most likely occur before the tribulation period. As I stated previously, Christ's coming in the clouds for the church is described as a thief in the night. During this event, people will be caught off guard and there will be no fanfare prior to this mysterious event. The fact that "no man knows the day or the hour" should give us an important clue. Since the abomination of desolation in which the antichrist will desecrate the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem will happen at the mid-point of Daniel's 70th week, we can count 3 and a half years from that day to determine the exact day Christ will physically return to earth to judge its inhabitants. This works for mid-trib people as well. If we count 3 and a half years from the start of the 7 year tribulation, we will know the exact date of the abomination of desolation. The pre-trib theory is the only scenario that can accurately come as a thief in the night. In addition, especially with the post-trib theory, if Christ came for His bride at the end of the tribulation, we would go up in the clouds for a moment and then we could descend back down with Christ. This is also referred to as the "U-turn" theory. I firmly believe that the church will be in Heaven for the entire 7 year period while the earth descends into utter chaos and destruction.
Since the rapture is such a mysterious and supernatural event, are there any pictures of the rapture throughout scripture? Actually, you don't have to look any further than Genesis to see this event in motion. In Genesis 5:24, one of the strangest verses in the entire Bible occurs. "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Enoch, the seventh from Adam, lived 365 years before being taken by God. Enoch and Elijah are the only two people in the Bible to never experience death. Because of Enoch's righteousness, God decided not only to spare him from his wicked generation, but also to use him as a shadow of what is to come when the church is gathered in the clouds to meet Christ in the air. Enoch was also a prophet who predicted the end times. In Jude, we read, "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: See, the Lord is coming with thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (14-15). This verse is actually taken from the Book of Enoch. Even though Enoch lived a few thousand years even before Christ's first coming, God used him to reach the last generation, which I believe is our generation. Interestingly enough, Enoch says that all of God's holy one's would be with the Lord when he comes to judge the world. At this point, believers will have their glorified bodies which is explained in I Corinthians 15:51. "Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."
While Enoch is the principle type of the rapture in the Bible, there are others I wish to address. The ascension of Jesus Christ when He was taken up to Heaven after His mission was complete is an authentic picture of what is to come. An overlooked part of Christ's ascension takes place in Luke 24:52-53. After Christ is taken to Heaven, it states, "Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple praising God." Just as Christ's earthly followers praised Him and returned to Jerusalem, the bride of Christ will one day return with Him to Jerusalem and will praise Him for eternity. Another prophetic picture of the rapture unsurprisingly takes place in Revelation 4:1. "It states, "And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." The first three chapters of Revelation address the seven prominent churches in Asia Minor. In verse 4, John is taken to the throne room of Heaven, symbolizing the rapture. Also, a trumpet sound is heard, which ties back to I Thessalonians 4:16. Anyways, after John is caught up to God's throne, the church is not mentioned until Revelation 19 when we read that multitudes of people are in Heaven praising God for the destruction of end times Babylon. With this in mind, let's take a look at two Jewish traditions that pertain to this gathering together known as the rapture: the ancient Jewish wedding and Rosh Hashanah.
The ancient Jewish wedding is one of the most astounding pictures of the church's relationship with Jesus Christ. Before the actual wedding, the bridegroom would purchase a bride, symbolizing Christ's death on the cross and atonement for our sins. After this, the groom would enter into a covenant or betrothal with the bride. In terms of the church, this is established when we accept Christ as our savior. To symbolize this betrothal, the bride and the bridegroom would drink from the same cup, which represents communion. After the betrothal, the groom would return to his father's house to build an extension in preparation for the marriage. Keep in mind the verse in John 14:3 that states, "And if I go prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also be where I am." When the groom went to receive the bride, the bride didn't know the day or hour, but was still supposed to know the season. When the bridegroom shouted, the bride heard his voice and would run toward the bridegroom.This correlates to the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. The wise virgins represent the faithful believers who have a true relationship with the bridegroom or Christ. The foolish virgins, on the other hand, can either represent Israel or the lukewarm church who have not made a commitment to Christ. Anyways, after the bridegroom took the bride to the bridal chamber, the door was shut. An interesting prophecy in Isaiah 26 parallels this. It states, "Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by" (20). When the door was shut, the bride, bridegroom, and wedding guests would have a 7 day feast in the father's house. This symbolizes the 7 year tribulation, which is why I believe that the marriage supper of the lamb will last all 7 years of the tribulation. After the 7 days of feasting, the bridegroom would bring the bride with her veil removed out of his chamber. This represents Christ's physical return to earth.
So, how does Rosh Hashanah relate to the rapture? Rosh Hashanah, also called Yom Teruah or Feast of Trumpets is the first fall feast of Israel and the next puzzle piece on the prophetic calendar. As many know, the spring feasts all relate to Christ's first coming, which is astonishing because the Jews kept these feasts a couple thousands of years before Christ was even born. For example, Jesus died directly on Passover, He was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He was raised on the Feast of First Fruits, and the Church was born on Pentecost. Since He fulfilled the spring feasts to the day of His first coming, I believe He will fulfill the fall feasts directly to the day of His second coming. Anyways, the Feast of Trumpets is known the the wedding of the Messiah and will be the fulfillment of the last trump spoken about in I Thessalonians. Additionally, the Feast of Trumpets is the only feast that takes place on a New Moon. That might not sound significant, but two verses shed light on this. In Colossians 2:16, it states, "Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come." If you unpack this small verse, we find a profound mystery. Could the part about judging people according to what they eat refer to the Passover lamb? Could the religious festivals refer to each feast day, with New Moon highlighted as Rosh Hashanah? Could the Sabbath refer to the Shemitah year? There is not a ton of context in this verse, but I believe there is enough to show the significance to holding these feast days since they are the Lord's feasts, not merely Israel's. Another interesting prophecy regarding New Moon is found in Ezekiel 46:1, which states, "This is what the sovereign Lord says. The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened." Finally, people often take the verse that says that "no man will know the day or the hour" out of context. Since the Feast of Trumpets is a two day feast, no one will know the day or hour the Messiah or in the context of the Jewish wedding, the bridegroom, will come. So, when is Rosh Hashanah of September, 2015?
Rosh Hashanah will begin sunset on September 13, 2015 and end nightfall on September 15, 2015. Really, though, the feast will fully begin September 14. Interestingly enough, the Shemitah year will end right during the feast of trumpets. That could usher in a catastrophic economic collapse if it follows the same 7 year pattern of the previous several Shemitah years. There will even be a partial solar eclipse on September 13, which is significant to note considering the prophecy in Joel 2:31 that states, "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." This solar eclipse correlates with the final blood moon of the tetrad that will occur on September 28, which the Feast of Tabernacles. While blood moons and solar eclipses aren't extremely rare, when they are on feast days, we should be aware. I am not saying that the rapture has to happen this year on Rosh Hashanah, but we need to have dress rehearsals every year for the coming king. Just as Israel had their dress rehearsals every year before Christ's first coming, let's know the signs of the times so we won't miss the time of the Messiah like Israel unfortunately did. Its important to listen for the Shofar because Christ's return is imminent. Keep your lamps full so that you'll hear the voice of the Lord at the last trump.
Sources
1. http://www.waitingforjesus.com/jewishfeastsprophecy.html
2. http://raptureforums.com/Rapture/jewishwedding.cfm
3. http://www.seekfind.net/Bible_Dictionary__Define_harpazo__Definition_of_harpazo.html#.VeetiPT3j3V
Monday, August 31, 2015
Ezekiel 38-39: "I am against you, O Gog"
Ezekiel 38-39, better known as the war of Gog of Magog, gives great detail into a key end times war involving Israel and a powerful horde of nations that wish to take plunder. This war causes a ton of controversy among Biblical scholars. Some people differ on the nations that are involved. Others differ on the timing of this battle. If we analyze every aspect of this prophecy, we can come up with a fairly accurate and close conclusion.
At the beginning of Ezekiel 38, it states, "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal." (2) We are already in a dilemma. Who is Gog and where is the land of Magog? Most prophecy scholars would argue that Magog is the territory encompassing modern day Russia. In verse 15, the far north is linked with Magog. On a map, if we go far north of Israel, we will find Russia. In fact, Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, linked Magog to the ancient Scythians, who were a nomadic people group who lived in Russia for a period, although in Ezekiel's day, they had not migrated to Russia yet. Prophecy scholar and author, Joel Richardson, however, believes Magog to be Turkey, not Russia. When we add Meshech and Tubal to the equation, there is strong evidence that links Magog, Mescech, and Tubal to the nation of Turkey. Later in the prophecy, Gomer and Beth Togarmah are also linked to this battle. If we go to Genesis 10, Gomer, Magog, Meshech, and Tubal were sons of Noah's son, Japheth. Togarmah was a son of Gomer. Most reputable scholars and sources connect Magog, Mescech, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth Togarmah to Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. For example, Greek historian, Herdodotus, noted that the ancient Scythians lived in Asia Minor. If we compare that to Josephus, we should take Herodotus' account because he lived around 150 years after Ezekiel's day while Josephus lived over 700 years after Josephus. Josephus is definitely a reputable historian, but the geopolitical landscape was way different in his day than it was during Ezekiel's day. In fact, Roman Christian theologian, Hippolytus, connected Magog to the Galations, which placed Magog in modern day Turkey. Additionally, Roman military commander and philosopher, Pliny the Elder, placed Magog on the border of Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. People tend to get hung up on the phrase, "far north". Since Russia is far north of Israel, people conclude that this is speaking of Russia. In verse 6 of Ezekiel 38, Beth Togarmah also is located far north of Israel. Togarmah is located in modern day Turkey, which most scholars can agree on. If we have our math right, we can confidently conclude that Magog is located in modern day Turkey. On a side note, just because all of these place names are supposedly in modern day Turkey doesn't mean anything. Keep in mind that the place names and boundaries in Ezekiel's day were vastly different that our modern day boundaries.
Now that we can confidently conclude that Magog is in Turkey, what about Gog? Often times, since Gog is called the chief prince, prophecy teachers refer to a president or world leader as Gog. Since Russia is identified with Magog so often, Russian presidents such as Vladimir Putin are often seen as "Gog" candidates per say. I believe that Revelation 20:7 gives us an important clue as to who Gog is. It states, "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth- Gog and Magog- to gather them for battle." I don't believe Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 20 refer to the same battle, but I believe we are dealing with both principalities and individuals. Even though Ezekiel 38-39 will involve real people and nations, Gog is likely a demon principality controlling that specific nation or it could even be a veiled reference to Satan. Just like Daniel refers to the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece in a spiritual sense, Ezekiel is likely doing the same thing with Gog. Also, Satan is referred to as the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14 and the King of Tyre Ezekiel 28. Satan uses these principalities and demon spirits to control the nations. As it says in Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Aside from Turkey, what other nations assist in attacking Israel? According to the prophecy, Persia, Put, and Cush will be the chief allies of Gog. Obviously, Persia is the modern nation of Iran, a fierce enemy of Israel. Put is likely modern day Libya, although ancient Put probably encompassed the modern day territory of other countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. Finally, Cush, although many prophecy scholars believe it be Ethiopia, is actually North Sudan. Interestingly enough, all of these aforementioned nations are Islamic and are hostile towards the nation of Israel. So, what are the specific goals of this alliance of nations and when will this battle take place?
In Ezekiel 38:7, this alliance will attack Israel after they have recovered from war. In verse 8, it says that Israel lives in safety and in verse 10, Israel is described as a land of unwalled villages. With this in mind, has Israel lived in peace and security since being "regathered from many nations, which had long been desolate"? (8) The answer is an unequivocal, no. This war of Gog of Magog would likely have to take place sometime after Daniel 9:27 in which a peace treaty with Israel is confirmed. One aspect of this prophecy that is often overlooked is the fact that this takes place after Israel has recovered from war. This could suggest Psalms 83, although I am not confidant that this is a literal prophecy even though literal nations are mentioned. Maybe, Israel could be involved in Isaiah 17 in which Damascus, Syria becomes a ruinous heap. It could, though, just refer to a regional war with Hamas or Hezbollah, though. We aren't given any specific details about the war prior to Gog's invasion. Anyways, in Ezekiel 38:12, it clearly says that this alliance of nations attack Israel to plunder, which makes sense since Israel has become a very prosperous nations since they became a nation again in 1948. Since the army of nations who plunders Israel is an Islamic coalition, their mission is likely two-fold: take plunder and annihilate Israel as a nation. The interesting part of this prophecy is that a few nations and people groups protest this war: Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and her villages (some translations say her young lions). Sheba and Dedan are considered to be located in modern day Saudi Arabia, although they possible could include some of the Arab gulf states. Tarshish is widely believed to be located in modern day Spain, although no one is quite sure who her young lions are. Some say they could include Britain and even the United States, but that is pure conjecture.
What will happen to Gog and his alliance? In Ezekiel 39:2, it states, "I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel." God will put it in their hearts to accomplish His sovereign will. He will supernaturally defend His people: Israel. In His wrath, a few things would occur. First, there would be a great earthquake in Israel. In Revelation 16, a severe earthquake will take place, although it is unclear if they are the same event. Additionally, Ezekiel 38 also says that mountains will be overturned, plagues would afflict people, burning sulfur and hailstones would fall on the nations, and people would tremble at God's presence. These judgements are also in Revelation 16, which occur after the 7th bowl judgement is unleashed. In addition, "every man's sword will be against his brother" (Ezekiel 38:21). In the midst of this vicious attack on Israel, the enemy armies will be divided, similarly to the ways Sunni and Shiite Muslims kill each other on a daily basis. Ultimately, God will severely judge Gog and his allies on the mountains of Israel. "On the mountains of Israel you will fall, and you and all your troops and the nations with you" (Ezekiel 39:4). God declared that Magog would be destroyed and wild animals would eat the dead carcasses of Gog and his armies.
After the war, Israel will use the weapons for fuel and burn them up. For seven years, they will use these weapons for fuel. They will also plunder those who plundered them. Because of this seven year period, people tend to tie it to Daniel's 70th week. The problem with this interpretation is that the outcomes of this war don't line up with events before or at the beginning of the tribulation. I will cover that more in a little while. Also, why would Israel burn up the weapons after such a brutal war? Wouldn't they keep weapons for defense? In addition, Ezekiel 39:12 indicates that Israel would spend 7 months burying the dead bodies and cleansing the land. There would be a great feast for birds and wild animals. As I mentioned previously, they would devour the dead carcasses, which parallels Revelation 21. With all this information in mind, we can conclude that the war of Gog of Magog is in fact the battle of Armageddon and Gog is the "antichrist". People argue that this isn't Armageddon because it mentions specific nations rather than all nations. To answer that, it says in Ezekiel 38:15 that Gog would lead many nations, so we can gather that not all the nations are mentioned in this prophecy, only the leaders of this battle. To be absolute certain, let's examine God's direct promises to Israel and the nations immediately following this war.
In Ezekiel 38:16, it states, "O, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I showed myself holy through you before their eyes." Not only does God refer to Israel here as His land, but gentile nations would acknowledge the true God of Israel. In chapter 39 verse 6, despite God setting fire to Magog, God even says that they "will know that I am the Lord", which means that God will preserve a remnant from Gog's nation. In verse 7, it states, "I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel". This occurs right after Gog is destroyed. If Gog isn't the antichrist, how can this promise be fulfilled? Until the antichrist and wickedness are annihilated, God's name will continue to be profaned. Thus, we can conclude that this will take place at the end of the tribulation. Verse 25 through 29 of Ezekiel show God's faithfulness to Israel. At this point, all Jews would return home to Israel, they would have zeal for God, and Israel would be a blessing to the nations. Only through the millennial reign of Jesus Christ will all of these things come to pass. If Gog is indeed the antichrist and Magog is indeed modern day Turkey, can we accurately conclude the antichrist will arise out of Turkey? It is important to not be dogmatic, but in light of these things, Turkey should definitely be on our radar. Interestingly enough, in Revelation 2:12, while John is addressing the Church in Pergamum, he states, "These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live- where Satan has his throne". The Church in Pergamum was located in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. This verse doesn't explicitly state the antichrist's seat of power would be in Turkey, but it is still an interesting verse to consider. Now, are there signs that this war is on the horizon?
Until the last 30 years or so, Turkey and Iran weren't major threats in the Middle East and the world. After the Ottoman Turkish Empire fell in 1917, Turkey became a moderate Muslim nation with friendly ties to the west under leadership of Kemal Attaturk. In 2003, with the election of Recep Tayipp Erdogan as prime minister and now serving as president, Turkey has become a dangerous enemy of Israel and western interests. Erdogan has been strategic in his attempts to destabilize the Middle East and reform the Ottoman Empire. His inconsistent alliances and decisions may seem strange, but they are calculated. For instance, Erdogan claims to be fighting ISIS, but there is evidence that Turkey is fighting against the Kurds in Iraq and Syria despite the fact that Kurds make up 20 percent of Turkey's population. Additionally, Erdogan's AKP party supplies Hamas with over 250 million dollars a year to wage terrorism on Israel. Turkey is also forming an alliance with Iran despite the fact that Turkey is Sunni Islam and Iran is Shiite Islam. Recently, Erdogan visited Iran to meet with Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani and supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei to discuss trade, Yemen's crisis, and other foreign policy matters. Iran, much like Turkey, had been friendly to Israel and the west under their Shah. When the Shah was deposed in 1979, Iran, under its first ayatollah, Ayatollah Khomenei, began its quest to destroy Israel and America while setting up a reign of terror in the Middle East. Erdogan's efforts to make peace with Iran seems strange since Turkey supports the Syrian rebels and opposes the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Iran, on the other hand, supports Bashar Al-Assad's Syrian government and the Houthi rebels. It is unclear what Erdogan's clear motives are, but I believe he wants to control the Middle East with the help of Iran despite their opposing ideologies. If Erdogan can take care of the Kurdish populations with the help of ISIS and use the Syrian rebels to overthrow Assad's regime in Syria, he can hold a firm grasp on the region. Then, with the help of Iran, ISIS can be taken care of. With these factors in mind, Turkey and Iran can then focus on Israel. Radical Muslim groups and nations are very divided on most issues, but they all share a unanimous hatred for Zionism. This is where Ezekiel 38 can literally be fulfilled, although pieces still need to fall into place. If you add Sudan and Libya to the mix, which are mentioned in the prophecy, we can conclude that this war is on the horizon. Sudan, under the leadership of president, Omar al-Bashir, has formed strong ties to Iran. On its own, Sudan isn't a giant threat to Israel because of constant civil war and conflict with South Sudan, but it is a strategic breeding ground for terrorism and has been used to funnel weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza. Libya presents a more interesting scenario since the demise of Colonel Muammar Gadaffi in 2011. Since Libya will be controlled by the antichrist as referenced in Daniel 11, stability doesn't necessarily need to be achieved in Libya since it is already there for the antichrist's taking. He will also control Egypt and Sudan (also translated as the Nubians). While Sudan has an active government, the level of chaos in that region should present no difficulty for the antichrist's armies. With all of these puzzle pieces falling into place, we should definitely watch Turkey, specifically their relationship with Iran. While the antichrist doesn't necessarily have to come from Turkey and Erdogan may not be the man to do Satan's bidding, Ezekiel 38-39 gives us some interesting and important clues that most Biblical scholars tend to overlook and misinterpret. We are definitely seeing the signs pointing to this end of days conflict in which God will rescue His people Israel. Stay tuned.
Sources
1. http://www.hope-of-israel.org/tarshish.html
2. http://www.joelstrumpet.com/?p=3772
3. http://www.joelstrumpet.com/?p=2681
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/implications-of-iran-and-_b_3742688.html
5. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-07/erdogan-says-turkey-iran-should-trade-in-their-own-currencies
6. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Erdogan-gambles-on-war-with-Kurds-Syria-412520
At the beginning of Ezekiel 38, it states, "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal." (2) We are already in a dilemma. Who is Gog and where is the land of Magog? Most prophecy scholars would argue that Magog is the territory encompassing modern day Russia. In verse 15, the far north is linked with Magog. On a map, if we go far north of Israel, we will find Russia. In fact, Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, linked Magog to the ancient Scythians, who were a nomadic people group who lived in Russia for a period, although in Ezekiel's day, they had not migrated to Russia yet. Prophecy scholar and author, Joel Richardson, however, believes Magog to be Turkey, not Russia. When we add Meshech and Tubal to the equation, there is strong evidence that links Magog, Mescech, and Tubal to the nation of Turkey. Later in the prophecy, Gomer and Beth Togarmah are also linked to this battle. If we go to Genesis 10, Gomer, Magog, Meshech, and Tubal were sons of Noah's son, Japheth. Togarmah was a son of Gomer. Most reputable scholars and sources connect Magog, Mescech, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth Togarmah to Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. For example, Greek historian, Herdodotus, noted that the ancient Scythians lived in Asia Minor. If we compare that to Josephus, we should take Herodotus' account because he lived around 150 years after Ezekiel's day while Josephus lived over 700 years after Josephus. Josephus is definitely a reputable historian, but the geopolitical landscape was way different in his day than it was during Ezekiel's day. In fact, Roman Christian theologian, Hippolytus, connected Magog to the Galations, which placed Magog in modern day Turkey. Additionally, Roman military commander and philosopher, Pliny the Elder, placed Magog on the border of Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. People tend to get hung up on the phrase, "far north". Since Russia is far north of Israel, people conclude that this is speaking of Russia. In verse 6 of Ezekiel 38, Beth Togarmah also is located far north of Israel. Togarmah is located in modern day Turkey, which most scholars can agree on. If we have our math right, we can confidently conclude that Magog is located in modern day Turkey. On a side note, just because all of these place names are supposedly in modern day Turkey doesn't mean anything. Keep in mind that the place names and boundaries in Ezekiel's day were vastly different that our modern day boundaries.
Now that we can confidently conclude that Magog is in Turkey, what about Gog? Often times, since Gog is called the chief prince, prophecy teachers refer to a president or world leader as Gog. Since Russia is identified with Magog so often, Russian presidents such as Vladimir Putin are often seen as "Gog" candidates per say. I believe that Revelation 20:7 gives us an important clue as to who Gog is. It states, "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth- Gog and Magog- to gather them for battle." I don't believe Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 20 refer to the same battle, but I believe we are dealing with both principalities and individuals. Even though Ezekiel 38-39 will involve real people and nations, Gog is likely a demon principality controlling that specific nation or it could even be a veiled reference to Satan. Just like Daniel refers to the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece in a spiritual sense, Ezekiel is likely doing the same thing with Gog. Also, Satan is referred to as the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14 and the King of Tyre Ezekiel 28. Satan uses these principalities and demon spirits to control the nations. As it says in Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Aside from Turkey, what other nations assist in attacking Israel? According to the prophecy, Persia, Put, and Cush will be the chief allies of Gog. Obviously, Persia is the modern nation of Iran, a fierce enemy of Israel. Put is likely modern day Libya, although ancient Put probably encompassed the modern day territory of other countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. Finally, Cush, although many prophecy scholars believe it be Ethiopia, is actually North Sudan. Interestingly enough, all of these aforementioned nations are Islamic and are hostile towards the nation of Israel. So, what are the specific goals of this alliance of nations and when will this battle take place?
In Ezekiel 38:7, this alliance will attack Israel after they have recovered from war. In verse 8, it says that Israel lives in safety and in verse 10, Israel is described as a land of unwalled villages. With this in mind, has Israel lived in peace and security since being "regathered from many nations, which had long been desolate"? (8) The answer is an unequivocal, no. This war of Gog of Magog would likely have to take place sometime after Daniel 9:27 in which a peace treaty with Israel is confirmed. One aspect of this prophecy that is often overlooked is the fact that this takes place after Israel has recovered from war. This could suggest Psalms 83, although I am not confidant that this is a literal prophecy even though literal nations are mentioned. Maybe, Israel could be involved in Isaiah 17 in which Damascus, Syria becomes a ruinous heap. It could, though, just refer to a regional war with Hamas or Hezbollah, though. We aren't given any specific details about the war prior to Gog's invasion. Anyways, in Ezekiel 38:12, it clearly says that this alliance of nations attack Israel to plunder, which makes sense since Israel has become a very prosperous nations since they became a nation again in 1948. Since the army of nations who plunders Israel is an Islamic coalition, their mission is likely two-fold: take plunder and annihilate Israel as a nation. The interesting part of this prophecy is that a few nations and people groups protest this war: Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and her villages (some translations say her young lions). Sheba and Dedan are considered to be located in modern day Saudi Arabia, although they possible could include some of the Arab gulf states. Tarshish is widely believed to be located in modern day Spain, although no one is quite sure who her young lions are. Some say they could include Britain and even the United States, but that is pure conjecture.
What will happen to Gog and his alliance? In Ezekiel 39:2, it states, "I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel." God will put it in their hearts to accomplish His sovereign will. He will supernaturally defend His people: Israel. In His wrath, a few things would occur. First, there would be a great earthquake in Israel. In Revelation 16, a severe earthquake will take place, although it is unclear if they are the same event. Additionally, Ezekiel 38 also says that mountains will be overturned, plagues would afflict people, burning sulfur and hailstones would fall on the nations, and people would tremble at God's presence. These judgements are also in Revelation 16, which occur after the 7th bowl judgement is unleashed. In addition, "every man's sword will be against his brother" (Ezekiel 38:21). In the midst of this vicious attack on Israel, the enemy armies will be divided, similarly to the ways Sunni and Shiite Muslims kill each other on a daily basis. Ultimately, God will severely judge Gog and his allies on the mountains of Israel. "On the mountains of Israel you will fall, and you and all your troops and the nations with you" (Ezekiel 39:4). God declared that Magog would be destroyed and wild animals would eat the dead carcasses of Gog and his armies.
After the war, Israel will use the weapons for fuel and burn them up. For seven years, they will use these weapons for fuel. They will also plunder those who plundered them. Because of this seven year period, people tend to tie it to Daniel's 70th week. The problem with this interpretation is that the outcomes of this war don't line up with events before or at the beginning of the tribulation. I will cover that more in a little while. Also, why would Israel burn up the weapons after such a brutal war? Wouldn't they keep weapons for defense? In addition, Ezekiel 39:12 indicates that Israel would spend 7 months burying the dead bodies and cleansing the land. There would be a great feast for birds and wild animals. As I mentioned previously, they would devour the dead carcasses, which parallels Revelation 21. With all this information in mind, we can conclude that the war of Gog of Magog is in fact the battle of Armageddon and Gog is the "antichrist". People argue that this isn't Armageddon because it mentions specific nations rather than all nations. To answer that, it says in Ezekiel 38:15 that Gog would lead many nations, so we can gather that not all the nations are mentioned in this prophecy, only the leaders of this battle. To be absolute certain, let's examine God's direct promises to Israel and the nations immediately following this war.
In Ezekiel 38:16, it states, "O, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I showed myself holy through you before their eyes." Not only does God refer to Israel here as His land, but gentile nations would acknowledge the true God of Israel. In chapter 39 verse 6, despite God setting fire to Magog, God even says that they "will know that I am the Lord", which means that God will preserve a remnant from Gog's nation. In verse 7, it states, "I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel". This occurs right after Gog is destroyed. If Gog isn't the antichrist, how can this promise be fulfilled? Until the antichrist and wickedness are annihilated, God's name will continue to be profaned. Thus, we can conclude that this will take place at the end of the tribulation. Verse 25 through 29 of Ezekiel show God's faithfulness to Israel. At this point, all Jews would return home to Israel, they would have zeal for God, and Israel would be a blessing to the nations. Only through the millennial reign of Jesus Christ will all of these things come to pass. If Gog is indeed the antichrist and Magog is indeed modern day Turkey, can we accurately conclude the antichrist will arise out of Turkey? It is important to not be dogmatic, but in light of these things, Turkey should definitely be on our radar. Interestingly enough, in Revelation 2:12, while John is addressing the Church in Pergamum, he states, "These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live- where Satan has his throne". The Church in Pergamum was located in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. This verse doesn't explicitly state the antichrist's seat of power would be in Turkey, but it is still an interesting verse to consider. Now, are there signs that this war is on the horizon?
Until the last 30 years or so, Turkey and Iran weren't major threats in the Middle East and the world. After the Ottoman Turkish Empire fell in 1917, Turkey became a moderate Muslim nation with friendly ties to the west under leadership of Kemal Attaturk. In 2003, with the election of Recep Tayipp Erdogan as prime minister and now serving as president, Turkey has become a dangerous enemy of Israel and western interests. Erdogan has been strategic in his attempts to destabilize the Middle East and reform the Ottoman Empire. His inconsistent alliances and decisions may seem strange, but they are calculated. For instance, Erdogan claims to be fighting ISIS, but there is evidence that Turkey is fighting against the Kurds in Iraq and Syria despite the fact that Kurds make up 20 percent of Turkey's population. Additionally, Erdogan's AKP party supplies Hamas with over 250 million dollars a year to wage terrorism on Israel. Turkey is also forming an alliance with Iran despite the fact that Turkey is Sunni Islam and Iran is Shiite Islam. Recently, Erdogan visited Iran to meet with Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani and supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei to discuss trade, Yemen's crisis, and other foreign policy matters. Iran, much like Turkey, had been friendly to Israel and the west under their Shah. When the Shah was deposed in 1979, Iran, under its first ayatollah, Ayatollah Khomenei, began its quest to destroy Israel and America while setting up a reign of terror in the Middle East. Erdogan's efforts to make peace with Iran seems strange since Turkey supports the Syrian rebels and opposes the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Iran, on the other hand, supports Bashar Al-Assad's Syrian government and the Houthi rebels. It is unclear what Erdogan's clear motives are, but I believe he wants to control the Middle East with the help of Iran despite their opposing ideologies. If Erdogan can take care of the Kurdish populations with the help of ISIS and use the Syrian rebels to overthrow Assad's regime in Syria, he can hold a firm grasp on the region. Then, with the help of Iran, ISIS can be taken care of. With these factors in mind, Turkey and Iran can then focus on Israel. Radical Muslim groups and nations are very divided on most issues, but they all share a unanimous hatred for Zionism. This is where Ezekiel 38 can literally be fulfilled, although pieces still need to fall into place. If you add Sudan and Libya to the mix, which are mentioned in the prophecy, we can conclude that this war is on the horizon. Sudan, under the leadership of president, Omar al-Bashir, has formed strong ties to Iran. On its own, Sudan isn't a giant threat to Israel because of constant civil war and conflict with South Sudan, but it is a strategic breeding ground for terrorism and has been used to funnel weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza. Libya presents a more interesting scenario since the demise of Colonel Muammar Gadaffi in 2011. Since Libya will be controlled by the antichrist as referenced in Daniel 11, stability doesn't necessarily need to be achieved in Libya since it is already there for the antichrist's taking. He will also control Egypt and Sudan (also translated as the Nubians). While Sudan has an active government, the level of chaos in that region should present no difficulty for the antichrist's armies. With all of these puzzle pieces falling into place, we should definitely watch Turkey, specifically their relationship with Iran. While the antichrist doesn't necessarily have to come from Turkey and Erdogan may not be the man to do Satan's bidding, Ezekiel 38-39 gives us some interesting and important clues that most Biblical scholars tend to overlook and misinterpret. We are definitely seeing the signs pointing to this end of days conflict in which God will rescue His people Israel. Stay tuned.
Sources
1. http://www.hope-of-israel.org/tarshish.html
2. http://www.joelstrumpet.com/?p=3772
3. http://www.joelstrumpet.com/?p=2681
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/implications-of-iran-and-_b_3742688.html
5. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-07/erdogan-says-turkey-iran-should-trade-in-their-own-currencies
6. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Erdogan-gambles-on-war-with-Kurds-Syria-412520
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)