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To begin our study of the “Signs of the Times”, let’s take a
look at what Ezekiel has to say. Ezekiel 38:1 – 38:9
“The word of the Lord came to me: 2) “Son of man, set your
face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of
Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him 3) and say: ‘This
is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meschech and Tubal.
4) I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring
you out with your whole army – your horses, your horsemen
fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields,
all of them brandishing their swords. 5) Persia, Cush and
Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6) also
Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far
north will all its troops – the many nations with you.
7) “ ‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes
gathered about you, and take command of them. 8) After
many days you will be called to arms. In future years you
will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people
were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel,
which had long been desolate. They had been brought out
from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. 9)
You and all your troops and the many nations with you will
go up, advancing like a storm, you will be like a cloud
covering the land.”
Israel is that ‘land that has recovered from war’. Note
that ‘people were gathered from many nations to the
mountains of Israel’. In 1948, Israel was granted statehood
and Jews from all nations returned to their country. “They
had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them
live in safety.” So the prophecy of Ezekiel was fulfilled
when Israel once again became a nation in 1948, indicating
that the time of the end ‘is at the door’.
Most bible scholars believe that “Gog of the land of Magog”
is today’s Russia. Therefore, it may be Russia that God
will “turn around and bring you out with your whole army…”
Russia’s military strength is weakening rapidly, so if
Russia is to attack Israel, it must happen fairly soon while
she still has the strength. This is another clue that the
End Times may be at hand. Since the Arabs are allies of
Russia and enemies of Israel, it would make sense for the
attack to take place.
Keep your eye on Palestine, Russia and the Arabs. Israel,
and specifically the city of Jerusalem are critical keys to
events leading up to the “Second Coming”.
In their book “Are We Living in the End Times?”, Tim LaHaye
and Jerry Jenkins state:
“ The miraculous return of the Jews to their homeland after
seventeen hundred years in exile may well be the most
significant of the end-time signs, even the “Super Sign.”
Significantly, this return happened in our generation – more
weighty evidence that we are indeed living in the end
times.”
“Russia and her allies will go down to destroy the nation of
Israel, but will themselves be destroyed supernaturally by
God, No one knows for sure whether that precedes or follows
the Rapture. One thing is apparent: Russia’s attack and
the Rapture are the number one and two end-time events.”
They also state that the only reason that the Arab countries
do not attack Israel is the military strength of their
adversary. Israel is one of the best-armed countries in the
world today. “Hostilities are doomed to erupt sooner or
later.” What is important here is that Israel and her Arab
neighbors represent on 1/1000 of the world’s population, but
are at the worlds’ center stage, just as the Bible said they
would be in the end Times.
Wednesday: Signs, Part II “Deception”
© 2007
Bob Johnston
All
Rights Reserved
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