Article 1
It could very well be…maybe it could be the beginnings. We need to look at so many markers that show us where we could be on God’s calendar.
Isaiah 60:18-19 tells us that after Israel is brought back as a nation, which was done in 1948, then Jerusalem in 1967, they will never again suffer like they have in the diaspora…the last being the Holocaust. The Magog War, and then the wrath of the Lamb, which is Jacob’s trouble, is the next time and final when Israel will suffer in a major way.
On October 7, 2023 Israel was invaded and every player of Ezekiel 38 seems to be doing exactly what God says they will do. Let’s look:
Ezekiel says this battle will come to a nation of unwalled villages. But then he tells us what he means by unwalled villages. Ezekiel is not referring to a city or village without an actual wall. He is referring to a nation still blinded to Jesus and unsaved…nationally speaking. Unwalled = unsaved. Israel is still in the partially blinded state Jesus said they would be in as a nation until they are unblinded and see Him at last. Ezekiel says “and your walls will be salvation”. This refers to Israel once they receive Jesus. Isaiah, referring to this same time period, also says, then your walls will be salvation.
Look at what he means: He is saying that the walls they will have is salvation. Salvation will be the only wall they need. All their trouble comes as judgment, using wicked nations to press them to see their God once and for all. If they will open their eyes then they will have walls of salvation…not needing any actual wall. Jesus will be their wall.
So Ezekiel is setting the timing for this battle. He says it comes to Israel in the last day when Israel is still yet unsaved. They as a nation still do not recognize Jesus as their Messiah so they are still blind…unsaved, therefore unwalled.
Here is another marker for the timing of the Magog War: Ezekiel says it comes, and as a result of this war, Israel’s eyes will be opened and they will declare God to be their God at last and forever. So this is a final opening of Israel’s eyes and it is forever. Once Israel as a nation recognizes Jesus as their Messiah then they are unblinded forever. This is a reversal of the blindness He proclaimed over them when they rejected Him as their Messiah, when He came to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world. There is no hint of duration concerning this war. It could be days. But Israel’s unblinding happens when antichrist is revealed at the 3.5 year mark. So Magog, along with antichrist setting up the abomination in the holy place, and also the rapture, all are used to open Israel’s eyes. This locks in our timing for the Magog War. It’s abundantly clear.
What else happens, and when is the timing on the prophetic calendar at this point? Let’s look:
Antichrist or the beast of the sea sets himself up as God and declaring to himself that he is God, in the temple of God.
Here is a possibility that this could happen any minute: We see the word temple used even before one existed. We also see it used where we know there isn’t one. New Jerusalem has no temple. Jesus said His body was the temple. We are told that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah speaks of the tabernacle. Jerusalem is called the tabernacle of God in Isaiah 33. Does he just set himself up in Jerusalem?
We have to be very alert here and examine what the use of the word temple could possibly mean in certain verses.
Look to the original Hebrew words. Then look at the Greek of the New testament. At least two different words in Greek are used in the New Testament and each refers to an innermost room of a sacred place. There is no reference to the coming place that antichrist defiles as being the rebuilt stone temple that the Romans tore down. In fact, I would say that there might not be one. The reason the last one was torn down is because a believer’s heart, their body, is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. I see that this could be just a sacred inner place in the nation Israel’s mind…one they consider to be holy perhaps? So is there a tabernacle in existence? I’ve seen pictures of what looks just like one underground. It certainly fits the description in every way of what the Word of God tells us is coming. Is the tabernacle going to be on the Temple Mount? Tremendous evidence says that is what was a Roman Garrison and not the temple location. Also, a tabernacle could be set up in hours. We have to look at these things and discern if these can be fulfilled already. Are we looking for something that the Bible never says is coming but that many have assumed would be coming?
This war happens mid part of the last 7 years, not at the beginning. But we could easily be almost there. A peace covenant was set up in August of 2020. The Abraham Accords. Two witnesses appeared on the scene in Washington DC September 20, 2020. These two witnesses were not in actual Jerusalem but could easily be spiritual Jerusalem in the same Way the Holy Spirit calls defiled Jerusalem, spiritual Sodom and Gomorrah. The event was called “The Return”.
The rapture happens right at this same time. All prophecy overwhelmingly shows us this is the correct timing and not at the beginning of the last 7 years.
Ezekiel 37 tells us about dry bones that come together. This is Israel gathered back into their land as they were in 1948.
The bones come together but have no breath. This means they are gathered in the land but in unbelief still. They have no breath, these dry bones, which means they have not the Spirit of God…yet.
So God says He will put His breath into them, this is His Spirit.
Now Ezekiel 38 fills in details of the overview of Ezekiel 37. Most, if not all prophecy is given this way. Genesis 2 isn’t what happens after Genesis 1, it rather fills in details of chapter 1. This is how God speaks and how the prophets write.
God mentions a war that is coming, and with scrutiny we can see that this war is used to accomplish what we see will happen in chapter 37. Even great teachers are missing the fact that chapter 38 isn’t just an event after 37. It begins with filling in details of 37. Many say that no no, Magog can’t begin until the Spirit of God comes to Israel. No. In fact all prophecy shows us that the Magog war is what brings about the Spirit coming to Israel…because the war is what unblinds them, along with corresponding events, including the great earthquake of Revelation that kills 7 thousand people in Israel.
The truly amazing thing at the end of 37 is that Jesus is talking and saying, once they receive Him as their God, then He will establish a covenant of peace with them (37:26). Forever! But does this sound familiar? It does! Antichrist does this. He is masquerading as Jesus remember. He is the “instead of” Christ. So he mimics Jesus and tries doing what Jesus said He is coming to do so he can get Israel to follow him and not Jesus.
The second thing Jesus says in 37:26 is that He will set up His tabernacle (dwelling, in whatever form that might take) among them. Again, He mentions FOREVER. Remember that God knows everything. He knows antichrist will mimic Him so He is giving a clue. In both cases He closes it with FOREVER.
Now we know for certain that the beast of the sea signs a peace covenant with Israel at the beginning of the 7 years. Daniel is told this. In the middle of that 7 years, he breaks it. Ah! It’s NOT forever. Therefore it is not their true Messiah who is promising peace. Then he sets himself up as God in the temple, some translations say sanctuary which is correct, of God and says to himself (to himself) that he is God. Daniel tells us this and Paul also reminds us in 2 Thessalonians 2.
Daniel and Paul also show us that this beast of the sea will be received by a world asking for peace at all costs. He will destroy by peace Daniel tells us and Paul tells us in 2 Thess. that the people who want this peace at all costs rather than the truth, will be sent a lie and will believe the lie.
So Jesus shows us what He declares. Then He tells us antichrist will do the same things only not forever. Satan copies to deceive. And he will destroy by peace remember.
Now Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 reveal this. It is Lucifer, Satan, who will set himself up and says that he is God. So this beast of the sea is so much empowered by Satan that he does what Satan says he, himself will do…these are the devil’s “ I will” statements the prophet Isaiah reveals to us.
This also opens the door for us to consider the first beast… the beast that comes up out of the sea…and who or what he will actually be or look like. Remember that Bible prophecy is always veiled to a degree and always fulfilled with not many at all even seeing it. I would say that too many in the “church” have never recognized the gathering in 1948, 1967, as having been fulfilled, but it was!!!
After Jesus tells Israel what happens at the end of this battle, He then has Ezekiel begin to give the details of what must happen before that.
So we see the encouragement before the raging storm that has to come before He can do what He promises.
The storm begins.
Ezekiel sets his face against Gog, leader of Magog. Gog must be the name or title of a demonic entity. Magog has to refer to Russia. So the demonic entity who inhabits the ruler of Russia is spoken to. God brings Magog (Russia) down to Israel’s mountains in the north for an invasion. Gog is called a chief prince. This is a demonic entity. He shows up more than a thousand years later and does a similar thing. Also, Missler discovered that in the Septuagint, Amos mentions Gog as being the leader of the demonic locust like creatures.
Gog comes with all his army. Persia (Iran) Ethiopia and Lybia are with them; in league with them. Gomer (Turkey) and all his bands with Togarmah (Includes Syria) of the North quarters and all his bands.
Continued in next post…