This next event will be a major one! The Bible says that in the latter days, Russia and what appears to be Iran, Libya, Turkey and possibly Sudan will descend upon Israel and try to destroy her.
Israel will have no chance to win against this large army that will attempt to come against her. However, as you will see in the Scripture verse listed below, God the Father will come to her rescue and will literally wipe this army off the face of the earth. Here are the basic facts and Scripture verses that will tell you exactly what is going to happen with this awesome event.
1. The word "Gog" as will be mentioned in the Scripture verse below has been determined by many Bible historians to be referring to what is now the country of Russia.
The other strange names that you will see listed below have been determined to be Iran, Libya, Turkey and possibly Poland and Sudan. All of these countries will be joining forces with Russia to try and destroy Israel. You already know that most of the Arab nations hate Israel and would love nothing better than to have a chance to wipe her out.
2. When reading the Scripture verses listed below, you will notice that it appears to be God the Father who is the One who will be pulling Russia and her allies out to come against His chosen people. The Bible says:
"I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws and lead you out."
3. The Bible says that Israel will be dwelling safely in her land when this event happens - so this cannot be occurring at the midpoint of the Tribulation. It has to occur sometime before the midpoint. The Jews will not be living in peace and safety during the midpoint of the Tribulation because the Antichrist will be starting to massacre them once he sits himself in their temple proclaiming himself to be God.
The Bible says that after God destroys this army that will come against Israel, that it will take seven months to bury the dead and 7 years to burn all of their weapons left on the battlefield. If it is going to take 7 years to burn their weapons, this event will probably occur at least 7 years if not longer before the midpoint of the Tribulation to give the Jewish people that amount of time to be able to complete this kind of task. Remember, in the first half of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will make establish some kind of peace treaty with Israel -which may help explain how Israel could be in any kind of peace as described in the Scripture verse below.
4. How does God destroy this army coming against His people? He will do it in 6 ways. This will be the wrath of God coming into full manifestation against this invading army! God will be releasing the following judgments against this army:
The Bible says that God will have "FURY IN HIS FACE" and that He will render all of the above judgments because of the JEALOUSY FOR HIS OWN PEOPLE. His fury and jealousy in seeing this army try to come against His chosen people will cause Him to release His Wrath against them in full force.
The release of His wrath will be so powerful when He releases these specific judgments against this invading army - that the Bible says that all the creatures and all of the people on this earth will be shaking at His presence.I believe God is making a powerful statement to the rest of the world with this event. The Scripture verse listed below says that God will magnify Himself and that all of the nations of the world will know that He is the Lord after all of these events unfold!
I believe that this one event alone will cause a lot of people to get saved. It will be so supernatural in its outcome, that people will be looking for answers - and if the Church has not been raptured at this point, Christians will be able to provide answers to the rest of the world as to what just happened and how it all was prophesied to occur back in the Old Testament.
The Scripture Verse
1. Here is the main verse that very clearly and very graphically describes this incredible event. This verse is out of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
"Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meschech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him," and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God; "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meschech, 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. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them with shield and helmet ... After many days you will be visited.2. Now here is the verse that says that it will take 7 months to bury the dead after God personally destroys this invading army and 7 years to burn all of their weapons that are still left on the battlefield.In the LATTER YEARS you will come back into the land of those brought back from 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."
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: you will say, ‘I will go against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, 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 ...’
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. You will come against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land.
It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed on you O Gog, before their eyes ..."
"And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," says the Lord God, "That My fury will show in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence.
The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’
"I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountain," says the Lord God, "Every man's sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone.
Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:1-23)
"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 javelin and spears, and they will make fires with them for seven years ... It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel ... 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. (Ezekiel 39:9-13)
Conclusion
Just imagine all of the above events captured on our TV sets. The whole world is going to see the aftermath of God’s wrath on this invading army. If the Church is not raptured before this incredible event occurs, a lot of people will be looking to Christians for some of the answers to this event. By the time this event does occur, many Christians will have knowledge on all of these end time events. We will then be able to show others who are not saved how this entire event was already foretold to happen in the Old Testament.
This one event alone will help prove to others the existence of our God, that He is real and that the Bible is the one and only true Word of God. God will be making a very powerful statement to the rest of the world through this one main event in an effort to try and get as many people saved as He possibly can before things really start to heat up with all of the events that will be occurring in the Great Tribulation.Russia and all the Arab nations surrounding Israel need to be watched very closely in the coming years. Do you even wonder why so much time and attention is being focused on Israel and all of their "battles" with their Arab neighbors? That is because God is purposely focusing the world’s attention on Israel due to the prominent position she will be playing in all of these end time events. We have a lot to look forward to in the coming years as world events slowly start to take the shape and form as prophesied out of the Bible.
Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bible Knowledge, articles, commentary and teaching. They currently have over 100 Bible articles. All free of charge.
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Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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