I recently read your series of articles on “7 Things you must know to understand Bible Prophecy”–a very excellent portion. Thank you so much! I do have a question however, concerning Ezek. 38.
Everyone seems to think this could be fulfilled any day now, given the current situation in Iran, and their connections with Russia. If that were true, then of course the Rapture could be at anytime also.
However, in reading that portion of Ezekiel, it seems to me there are some very important criteria that have not been met, and that don’t seem likely to happen anytime soon. It seems very clear that when this portion of prophecy will be fulfilled Israel will be at peace and dwelling securely in the land. That is certainly not the case at this time–far from it!
It also mentions the attack is on horseback, and with quite primitive weapons. Is it possible that this portion is really an expansion of Rev 20, at the very end of the Millennium when the final rebellion takes place? It just does not seem to me to fit our current situation by any stretch of the imagination.
If not, then would it not be more likely that after some global crisis ( like Iran nuking us and Israel and everybody retaliating) that Antichrist appears on the scene to bring his “utopian” false peace out of the chaos? It is possible the church could still be here at that point, but then when the world is finally saying at last,”peace and safety”, God brings sudden destruction on them with the beginning of the seal judgments and the Rapture of the church. It could be at that time that Israel is dwelling “securely” in the land with no more walled villages, and builds their temple, due to their relationship to Antichrist.
Anyway,to me, it just does not seem likely to have Ez38/39 happening any time now… just wanted your thoughts.
I’ve stated that there are at least two things that have to occur before Ezekiel’s battle. First the USA has to be neutralized. No invasion of Israel can happen as long as the threat of US retaliation exists. (Iran is working hard to side line the US on both the economic and military fronts.) And then Israel has to be convinced they’re at peace with their neighbors. That obviously isn’t the case today.
Since the Book of Ezekiel is chronological, the invasion has to happen sometime after the emergence of Modern Israel as foretold in Ezekiel 36-37, but before the beginning of the Millennium, described in Ezekiel 40-48.
As far as primitive weapons are concerned, Ezekiel was trying to describe things in terms of his vocabulary, and the early English translations followed suit. The Hebrew words he used can just as easily describe modern weaponry. For instance the Herbrew word meaning “Chariot” in the Old Testament is the name of one of Israel’s current battle tanks. And parts of Ezekiel 39 only make sense if some kind of WMD’s have been employed.
The Book of Revelation is also chronological. The seal judgments begin the time of God’s wrath (Rev. 6:17) and several passages promise that the Church will be rescued from its time and place. (1 Thes 1:10 & 5:9, Rev. 3:10) I believe the Rapture is shown in Rev.4.
I think that it’s more likely that some kind of flare up that damages Israel and destroys Damascus as foretold in Isaiah 17 could produce a false peace, setting Israel up for the Moslem attack.