Though there is some talk about the ‘next war in the Middle East’ would be the one recorded in Ezekiel Chapter 38, sadly those who say so have OVERLOOKED “TWO important pieces of information” given in Verses 11 – 13 there.
1st one is in Verse 11, which clearly states that “ISRAEL WILL BE LIVING IN ‘PEACE’, WITHOUT walls, bars and gates”. Cities in the ancient world had ‘sturdy walls around them with strong gates at the entrances that were closed and locked up in the nights’ for security reasons. There were small doors in those gates to allow the inhabitants who came late to get in.
Hence what that Verse is stating in effect is “ISRAEL will have NO DEFENSES, WHEN that WAR recorded in Ezekiel 38 takes place”.
Can anyone, with any stretch of imagination say that AT PRESENT “ISRAEL is living in PEACE WITHOUT any DEFENSES”? HARDLY.
In fact they have the kind of defenses that other countries under any threat would wish they had. It was demonstrated in a small way a couple of months back, when Hamas fired 3000 or more rockets at cities in Israel, including Jerusalem, yet could NOT DO any serious damage as they were intercepted and destroyed, while STILL IN THE AIR.
As per Ezekiel 38:11 Israel will NOT have ANY defensive mechanisms such as the ‘Iron dome, David’s sling, Arrow 18 or any other Missile systems’. Neither will there be an IDF nor an Air Force to defend them when THAT WAR stated in Ezekiel Chapter 38 and also in the first part of Chapter 39 takes place.
2nd REASON WHY those armies would attack Israel is stated in Verses 12 & 13 in Ezekiel 38 and THAT reason is NOT ‘anti -Semitism’.
At present ‘anti – Semitism’ is displayed openly to a very high degree not only in the countries in the M. E. but also in rest of the world, as the U N and its various branches and EU also demonstrate quite often.
Currently the country of Iran and various terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah etc., quite categorically state IN PUBLIC that their aim is the ‘annihilation of the Jewish State’. They do NOT show any interest in Israel’s wealth.
Whereas Ezekiel 38: 12 & 13 state those armies invade the Land “To loot or plunder the WEALTH of Israel”.
So the question arises, will there be no war in the Middle East then?
There most certainly WILL BE A WAR and that WAR is the ONE stated in PSALMS 83, as well as ISAIAH 29.
NO, it is NOT with Iran directly either, BUT a full scale war waged by ALL the countries in the Middle East, except Syria, against the State of Israel,
There has to be a sound reason for that kind of war to take place and THAT reason is the ONE stated in Isaiah 17:1, which is the ‘Destruction of Damascus the capital of Syria’. Isaiah 17:1 clearly states that “Damascus will become a heap of ruins”.
Though cities like Aleppo and Homs have experienced various degrees of destruction due to the conflicts that have been happening in Syria, Damascus is STILL INTACT.
It is common knowledge that Iran supplies weapons etc. to practically all the terrorist groups and they send arms and ammunition to ‘Hezbollah’ in Lebanon via Syria and at present Israel keeps keeps on attacking those convoys, in order to destroy them.
Hence the possibility remains that Damascus would be a “Heap of rubble”, as Isaiah has Prophesied. It also could happen DUE TO a totally different reason, that we do not envisage at present.
Once THAT happens though, ALL the surrounding countries, except Syria will attack Israel, regardless of the various ‘Peace Treaties’ that have been signed. ‘Aram’, the ancient name of Syria is missing in Psalms 83, most probably because they no longer would be in a position to wage any war by then.
Some would wonder, “Will GOD allow them to attack Israel?”
YES and HE HAS STATED THE REASON for it. GOD hates pride and Israel has pride right now, thinking they are so powerful ‘nobody can defeat them’.
In Isaiah 29:1-4 GOD says HE would allow those armies mentioned in Psalms 83 to attack Israel, in order to HUMBLE them.
When Israel realizes that they CANNOT win that war, they will CRY UNTO GOD, as their ancestors did in the past, as recorded in many places in the Bible.
THAT PRAYER IS RECORDED IN VERSES 13-18 OF PSALMS 83.
Once Israel is HUMBLED, Isaiah 29:4 states “Brought low, you will speak from the ground; your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth; out of the dust, your speech will whisper”. Then Verses 5-8 state HOW GOD ALMIGHTY WILL DESTROY that army, which would come up against Israel, EXACTLY AS THE PRAYER, detailed in Psalms83:13 onwards, REQUESTS.
As a RESULT of all that, the ‘greatest threat’ to Israel’s existence WILL BE REMOVED.
THAT is WHY Ezekiel 38:11 very clearly shows that “ISRAEL will be living in PEACE, without ANY defenses”.
Then the ‘global empire’ with its 10 leaders shown to Daniel as he records in 7:7 and also is explained to him in Verses 23 & 24 there by an Angel, will come into existence. Apostle John was also shown a similar ‘beast with 10 horns’ as he records in Revelations 13:1 and 17:3 and again the interpretation given by an Angel is recorded in Revelations 17:12, “The ten horns you saw are 10 kings (Note: no indication of a female, but all male), who have NOT YET received a kingdom”. Hence they were NOT in power during John’s time, which was A D 90s, though the Roman Empire existed then. The Angel goes onto say that “they will receive authority as kings, for ONE hour along with the beast”.
In Daniel 7:8 he says, “Three of them were uprooted and another horn with eyes and a mouth that speaks blasphemies came up in their place”.
The Angel giving the explanation of the Vision Daniel had states in 7:23 “It will be different from ALL the other kingdoms and will DEVOUR the WHOLE earth, trampling it down and crushing it”. And as per Verse 24, first by the 10 leaders and after 3 of them are removed by the global ruler”.
Hence it is NOT just the European Union only.
Roman Empire did NOT rule the ‘WHOLE WORLD’. Their armies never went beyond the river Euphrates and so the whole continent of Asia, as well as countries like Australia, China and Russia were beyond their reach. Even most of the African countries were NOT ruled by them and NOT even Egypt for that matter. Also Americas were NOT even discovered at that time. The legal systems of ALL the countries were also NOT ‘fashioned’ after that of Rome down the centuries.
With regard to the time period of those 10 leaders, Revelations 17:12 only states “One hour”, which obviously means a “short time period”. There are some Bible Teachers who have come up with various ‘calculations’ and the possibility remains that one of them could be right. But at present we cannot be certain as to which one that would be. In the future more information could come to light and then in all probability we would have a better idea.
But we DO HAVE information as to WHO those 3 that would be eliminated.
THAT is the WAR Ezekiel Chapter 38 speaks about.
At the beginning of that Chapter those 3 are indicated as the Russian, European (Gomer meaning Germany) and Persian\Iranian ones that will attack Israel, which will be “Living in PEACE, without walls, gates and bars”.
As Israel will have NO defenses THEN, WHAT would be the outcome of that war?
Again GOD would protect Israel as stated in Ezekiel 38:17 to 39:6 and it will take Israel 9 months to bury the corpses of that vast army, as per Ezekiel 39:11 & 12.
And THAT IS WHEN the coming global ruler will ‘present himself’ to the Jewish People saying, “He is the one who protected them and therefore he is the ‘Messiah’ Predicted in the Scriptures”.
The MESSIAH shown in the Bible is NOT a religious figure but a RULING KING, WHO WOULD BRING PEACE, as the Angels also sang [Luke 1:31- 33 and 2:14]. Therefore as recorded in Daniel 9:27, this global ruler will confirm a “Peace Treaty” with the remaining 7, for a period of 7 years. Then the nation of Israel will accept him with joy as ‘their long awaited Messiah’ and he will take over the global empire as shown in Daniel Chapter 7 and also in many places in the Book of Revelation.
BUT the balance part of Daniel 9:27 records quite clearly that HALF WAY through that ‘7 year period’ he will VIOLATE the treaty and SET UP the ‘abomination of desolation’.
YAHSHUA [Jesus] also referred to it as recorded in Matthew 24:15, in which Chapter HE Prophesied about practically everything that is HAPPENING in the world RIGHT NOW and also YET to happen.
HE Said those ‘SIGNS’ would take place, BEFORE “HE” BEING THE “TRUE MESSIAH” RETURNS in the clouds [Daniel 7:13 and Revelations 1:7], in order to “ESTABLISH ‘THE KINGDOM OF GOD’ AND REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB SEATED ON THE THRONE OF KING DAVID”.
