With the current crisis in Egypt, those who study the Bible for the Prophetic implications of such events are looking with great interest.
Where does Egypt fit in the global perspective of Bible Prophecy? What will be the role of Egypt in the last days, the return of Jesus and the beginning of the seven year tribulation period.
The Bible is very specific as to the events that will transpire in the final days just before the seven year tribulation begins. There will be a battle that occurs approximate to the tribulation period, either just before or slightly thereafter.
Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 are a description of an attack on Israel that will also occur during the last days, also just prior to or just after Jesus removes His church from the earth. Surprisingly—we see all of the key players in position now in the Middle East, ready to fulfill Ezekiel 38 and 39.
Many people do not understand that the attack on Israel is not the same event that has commonly been called “Armageddon”. They are clearly two separate events happening in two distinct times, at two different places.
1. The events of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 are clearly declared to happen in the “Last Days”, therefore, they have not been fulfilled at any time previously in history.
2. This battle described in Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39, is not “Armageddon”, this event will happen just as Jesus is returning to the Earth with His Church, after the seven year Tribulation and Great tribulation period are concluded.
3. The battle of Armageddon will be a world wide war, involving many nations of the world, with the western powers against the eastern powers. The powers of the east, will come to fight against Antichrist and his western powers.
4. In the book of Daniel, the antichrist is leading his western powers into Africa for the purpose of conquer ring Africa. Aas he does, he will hear of trouble in the East and out of the North.
5. The Euphrates river will supernaturally be dried up to allow the kings of the east to come together against the antichrist and his western powers as they all meet in the “Valley of Megiddo” for this final battle called “Armageddon”.
6. This entire war will be interrupted by the return of Jesus, where He will destroy the entire armies of East and West by the Words of His Mouth.
7. The battle described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is a very limited battle, with the goal of taking Israel only. The battle will take place in Israel only.
8. The nations that come to attack Israel in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the Islamic nations and Russia.
9. Armageddon involves the nations of the world and is located in the valley of Megiddo, in the “Valley of the Passengers” which is east of the Dead sea. The, time and placement of the these 2 battles are different.
As we go through the verses of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, I will translate the Hebrew words into English to gain the correct translation of which nations are described as coming to attack Israel.
Ezekiel 38:1-2 “Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,“
1. Notice that “Magog” is the land, “Gog” is the “Prince of this land”.
2. These lands of “Magog” include “Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal”.
3. Historians have identified the land of Magog as “The Scythians”.
4. They lived in the areas north of the Caucus Mountains between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
5. Today we know this area as the southern territory of Russia. The people who live there are largely Moslem.
6. “Meshech” and “Tubal” have been thought to be the ancient “Tibareni”, and “Moschi”, which know to us today as “Moscow” and “Tobolsk”
7. This means that this confederacy of people who are descending from the North to Attack Israel are, coming from the modern day southern portion of Russia.
Ezekiel 38:3-4 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.”
Notice that the Lord is the One that is drawing out “Gog” to come down and attack Israel. When Russia comes down over the mountains of Israel it will be the Lord who has drawn them there.
It is interesting that in the past history of the people of this area north of Israel, they have tried to wipe out Israel before as a nation and a people.
Now we arrive at the nations that will be coming with Russia to attack Israel:
Ezekiel 38:5 “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;”
Persia today we know as Iran. They have a mission to take back Jerusalem for the Religion of Islam.
Ethiopia and Libya are a part of the communist nations that are mostly Muslim. In recent history we know that Moamar Khadafi has made it clear that his mission to destroy the Jews of Israel.
Ezekiel 38:6 “Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops–many people are with you.”
Gomer was the area just north of Turkey. Again, a Moslem nation who would like nothing better than to push all of the Jews of Israel in the Mediterranean Sea.
Togarmah, also in the area of the present day Turkey. A nation and people who are Moslem and who are openly against the nation of Israel.
We have Russia descending over the mountains north of Israel with a confederacy of Moslem nations in what is apparently a “Holy Jihad” against Israel, “A Holy war…”
Then there are surprisingly a number of Moslem nations that are not listed here. More important than the nations that Ezekiel 38 mentions are those nations that should be a part of this list but are conspicuously omitted.
Notice that Egypt is not named as coming with this confederacy of Moslem nations coming against Israel.
Also Syria, another strong Muslim nation outspoken against Israel is surprisingly not mentioned. But also. Presently Syria has been trying to negotiate peace with Israel to regain some of their former possession; the Golan Heights.
Iraq is also not mentioned in Ezekiel’s list of nations, why? One would expect that this nation would clearly want Israel destroyed. In the United States conflict with Iraq we greatly diminished Iraq’s ability to attack anything after the Gulf war and years following the Gulf war.
Jordan is not mentioned in this list. The Bible describes Jordan as a nation that the antichrist has no power over when he comes to rule the world. For some reason Jordan has chosen to not to be involved in the conflict between the Moslem nations and Israel, why? This is interesting because Jordan is where the Rock city of Petra is located, the location where many of those who study this prophecy believe that the Lord will protect and shelter Israel for the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation, after she flees Jerusalem at the “abomination of desolation”.
There is an very interesting verse of scripture in the book of Isaiah where the Lord asks Moab, which is the present day nation of Jordan, to “Let my outcasts dwell with you…”
Isaiah 16:4 “Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; Be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler. For the extortioner is at an end, Devastation ceases, The oppressors are consumed out of the land.”
The King of Jordan has stated that he does not want to be involved in the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.
If someone were going to put together a coalition of Moslem nations to attack Israel, they undoubtedly would have chosen all of these that are not mentioned in this list of Ezekiel chapter 38. The fact that the Holy Spirit knew in advance to omit them from the list is stunning proof that the Bible was not written by just men, but inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The nations that are listed in Ezekiel 38 as coming to attack Israel, are in place and ready to do so as you are reading this short study.
Ezekiel 38:7 “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.”
At any moment, the Lord will draw these in this list of nations to come down upon Israel and attack her, just as Ezekiel foretold.
Ezekiel 38:8-9 “After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”
Before May of 1948 and the rebirth of Israel as a nation, this prophecy was not possible. Beginning in Ezekiel 36 the Lord began to predict that in the “Last Days” Israel as a nation would begin to blossom and bud forth as a fruitful and productive nation again.
Ezekiel 36:8-10 “But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.“
Today Israel is the 4th largest supplier of the worlds fruits and Vegetables. A country that is about the size of the state of New Jersey has become one of the world’s leading producers of fruits vegetables and flowers. This happened in fulfillment of Ezekiel 36, which is the preparation for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38, in our lifetime.
Ezekiel 38:9-11 “You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.” ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 1 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell confidently, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates”
In this invasion force against Israel there will be a huge number of personnel, this is not a small army but a major invasion force! They will come up against “A land of unwalled villages”. In Israel today the only walled portion of the city is the old city of Jerusalem where the walls were built by Solomon. The largest part of Jerusalem is outside of this original walled section and has no walls whatsoever around most of Jerusalem that stretches for miles.
Ezekiel 38:12 “to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.”
Here in verse 12 we see the reason that Russia is coming down to attack Israel:
“To take the Valuable resources” of Israel; their vast food supplies, warm water ports, military technology and supplies. One of Russia’s greatest current problems is that they just do not have enough food supplies to feed all of their people.
As small as Israel is the Lord has mad them extremely productive at producing food, cattle and food supplies.
Ezekiel 38:13 “Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”
Sheba and Dedan is the current country of Saudi Arabia. Here they are portrayed as speaking up for Israel during the attack and asking the question: “Why are you come to take their resources?”
Because Saudi Arabia has been favorable to Israel and the United States it is possible that they are fearful that they will be invaded next by this tremendous army. The Oil reserves and the financial riches alone would make Saudi Arabia a very valuable conquest.
It has appeared that Saddam Hussein has always wanted to take Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He would have surely continued on to take Saudi Arabia had it not been for the American forces stopping him before he got there.
One of the major reasons that the United States military stopped Iraq and Saddam Hussein was that we knew that if Saddam took Saudi Arabia our oil supply would be cut off. The United States cannot survive without the oil that comes from Saudi Arabia. Any disruption to the current oil supply that the U.S. receives from Saudi Arabia would drastically affect the United States economy. This was clearly a major reason that the United States went into Iraq in the first place.
It is quite well known in the Persian Gulf area that “The one that controls the Oil, controls the worlds economy.”
Iran, also called “Persia”is one of those nations listed in Ezekiel’s prophecy that will come with Russia to attack Israel. Soldiers in Iran have been training for a land invasion of Saudi Arabia from the Sea.
Here in Ezekiel’s description as Iran comes with Russia in this massive invasion force, it is possible that they will be attempting to do what Saddam Hussein could not do, conquer Saudi Arabia’s for her rich oil supply.
This may be the reason that Saudi Arabia is listed in Ezekiel’s prophecy objecting to this invasion force of Moslem nations with Russia against Israel.
There are varying opinions as to who the nation is here in verse 13 described as “Tarshish”. Some say that it is Spain, the most credible sources seem to indicate that this is England. This places an interesting light on this verse. Due to the fact that verse 13 also speaks of the “Young Lions of Tarshish”.
The United States was originally established as an English Colony and therefore could be the “Young lions of Tarshish” listed here in Ezekiel’s prophecy. If the Young Lions of Tarshish are in fact the United States, then it makes perfect sense that we would be concerned about an invasion of Saudi Arabia because it will mean the loss of much of our oil supplies.
The shocking aspect of the Young Lions being the U.S. is that Ezekiel’s prophecy indicates that this objection is nothing more than an objection to the invasion force against Israel and Saudi Arabia. How is it possible that the greatest military power in the world would do nothing more than object to an invasion of two of our closest allies?
When the Rapture takes place perhaps 1/3 of the people in the United States will be trusting in Jesus as their Savior, perhaps even many our federal and state government leaders are believers. What would be the effect of a mass disappearance of millions of people in the United States, including many of those in leadership positions of our Government?
It very well may be that as this invasion force descends down from the North against Israel, that the United States will have been so weakened by the loss of so many important people that we no longer have the ability to do anything about the invasion force…
Perhaps the United States will voice a protest over the invasion but not be capable of launching a military strike. In Ezekiel’s description the U.S. simply asks: “Why have you come to take Israel? “Is this your object?” It almost sounds like an appeal to the United Nations to ask the United Nations to sanction these nations for invading Israel.
Ezekiel’s prophecy does not say that we are going to be moving any of our military forces. Only that there will be a verbal objection. Perhaps the Filing of documents with the security counsel of the United Nations asking for a condemnation of these actions of aggression against Israel.
Ezekiel 38:14-15 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.”
If you look at the following map in this study, you will see that the area known as “Magog” is directly north of Israel. The capitol of Russia is Moscow, directly north of Jerusalem!
Ezekiel 39:1-3 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and I will turn you around and lead you on, and leave but the sixth part of you bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.”
Ezekiel describes the fact that 5 out of 6 men in the invading force will be destroyed by the Lord and that the bloodshed and casualties of this battle will be unimaginable.
It is interesting that in the Hebrew Language the word “Arrows” is “Hayts or “A Piercer”. These could be airborne Missiles. It is possible that Russia will launch their missiles at Israel and the Lord will knock them out of the sky.
During The gulf war the United States gave Israel the “Patriot Anti-Missile defense system” that has the capacity to knock a missile out of the sky before it gets to it’s target. Perhaps this is the kind of system that Israel will be using. This technology did not exist 12 years ago. Isn’t it amazing that this technology exists today in the last days that the Bible predicts these things will happen during.
Ezekiel 39:8-15 “Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord GOD. “This is the day of which I have spoken.”
This “Day in which the Lord has spoken” is a day specially prepared for the final days of the earth.
There are certain events that must happen in order for this day to be a possibility. I want to suggest to you that the events happening right now in Israel and with Egypt have made it possible for all of the things spoken of in Ezekiel 38 and 39 to happen.
1. Israel must be back in their own land again…
2. There must be turmoil in Israel that is not resolvable by conventional means.
3. This will make it possible for the antichrist to propose a peace plan that will be so amazing that it will make peace between the Palestinians and the Jews and give them the right to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem.
4. This peace plan will be proposed to last for 7 years.
5. When it is signed it will begin the 7 year tribulation period.
6. The events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 are certain to happen during this time.
I believe that it is possible that Before the peace plan is signed between Israel and the surrounding nations, those who believe in Jesus will be removed from the earth during the Rapture.
In Chapter 39, Ezekiel makes further stunning predictions of this invasion of Israel:
Ezekiel 39 “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years”.
This verse is a further indication that this attack from the North by Russia, along with the Moslem nations, must happen before Jesus returns…
Ezekiel 39 “They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord GOD. “It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. Indeed all the people of the land will be burying them, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified,” says the Lord GOD.“
In previous wars Israel has gained from her attackers the implements and weapons of those wars. Recently when Israel moved into southern Lebanon to create a “buffer zone” they discovered hidden in the caves along the border, many varieties of Russian equipment, tanks, mortars, as well as numerous kinds of weapons.
In fact it took Israel more than three months to remove all of the weapons found in these cave. This vast cache of weapons was carried in huge semi trucks, some twenty six of them, working day and night for three months to transfer these weapons.
Israel put this vast supply of weaponry on display for a time. All of these weapons were supplied by Russia and had been moved into southern Lebanon and were stored in caves in preparation for an invasion of Israel. Here again, as Ezekiel 39 describes, Israel is going to profit from the spoils of this war.
Ezekiel 39 “They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. The search party will pass through the land; and whenever anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog.”
Verse 14 speaks of “Men who will be hired to search for and bury the dead who are killed by the Lord in this battle.”
The Hebrew word for “Regularly employed” is: “Tamiyd”, meaning specially trained. These are Men that are “Specially trained” or “Hired Professionals” to bury the dead. Why Professionals? If these bodies contain nuclear or biological agents they will require special protective clothing, instruments and training to handle and remove their remains.
In other words, they will be searching for seven months for the bodies that have been destroyed by the hand of God throughout the area. This could be an indication that nuclear weapons or biological weapons will be used in the attack of Israel.
In the book of Zechariah chapter 14, there is an interesting couple of verses about Israel being restored to her own land again and an attack in the later years by Israel’s enemies as they seek to destroy the nation and her people.
The Lord will fight for Israel and He will strike all of the people that have fought against Jerusalem. The enemies that attack Israel; “Their flesh shall consume away while they stand on their feet. Their eyes will be consumed in their sockets, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth.”
It sounds like death from a “Neutron Bomb”. A heat generated that is so intense that the flesh burns off of the skeletons before they fall to the ground.
Zechariah 14:12 “And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.”
It is for certain that as we read in the news of Egypt and those nations described in Ezekiel’s prophecy in chapters 38 and 39, we realize how important Bible Prophecy is and that Jesus coming for those who love Him is near.
Whatever the final outcome of Egypt, whether they revamp the current administration and make the kinds of changes the people are crying out for, or should their come and entirely new leadership in Egypt, it is for certain that as Egypt is not mentioned as being a part of those who come to attack Israel in Ezekiel’s prophecy, that they will continue to be a neutral nation with no plans to attack Israel.
Rob Robinson
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