The Aftermath of The Battle of Gog And Magog!

The reason behind Dr. Cooper's conclusion is found in Ezekiel 39, where the prophet states that it will take seven years to clear away the rubble and burnt out weaponry left behind by the invading armies. Verses 9 and 10 describes the process in these words- "and they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall make fires of the weapons and burn them, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the hand staves, and the spears, and they shall make fires of them seven years; so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall make fires of the weapons; and they shall plunder those that plundered them, and rob those that robbed them, says the Lord Jehovah. "This seven-year period dovetails with the seven years biblically allotted to the tribulation, specifically noted in Daniel 9 and revelation 11. No similar seven-year period is mentioned anywhere else in the bible, including following the battle of Armageddon. Armageddon, which many people confuse with the battle of Gog and Magog, is a totally different war. Gog and Magog involve a limited number of nations in a confederacy to invade Israel, and God uses natural forces to destroy these invading armies. But even before the smoke and radiation clears, the world leader the bible calls the Antichrist will step forward to take and rob God of the credit for giving the victory to Israel. Surprisingly, not only will the rest of the world, including Israel, believe the Antichrist's boast and go along with his blatant theft of God's glory, this man of sin will even start believing his own story and self-promoting press‑clippings to see himself as a godlike personality. The European powers, from which the Antichrist comes and gets his power, will unify behind him so that he will be commissioned to step forward and forge a real peace treaty between Israel and her Arab neighbours. Where before, and even today, neither the Palestinians nor the other Arab and Moslem people are serious about resigning themselves to the reality of the Jewish homeland in their midst, in the aftermath of the deadly war and the hundreds of thousands of grieving families throughout their nations, they will at last be ready both emotionally and politically to sit down and sign some kind of interim peace accord with Israel.

The Period of The War of Gog And Magog!

Honestly speaking, there is controversy among scholars concerning the period of the battle of Gog and Magog. Some bible scholars and teachers even mistake this battle with the battle of Armageddon. The question now is- when can we expect this Mideast version of world war (3) to break out? As always, the bible holds the answer. A renowned bible scholar, the late dr. David l. Cooper, wrote knowledgeably about the war of Gog and Magog when he noted- "it is utterly impossible to locate the fulfillment of this prediction after the Millennial age. It cannot be placed at the beginning of the millennium, nor at the end of the tribulation. It must, therefore, be located prior to the tribulation, because there is no other logical place for it to occur since the three other dates are impossible. This war will certainly occur at a time between now and the beginning of the tribulation."

Israel's Humility And God's Exaltation!

Israel’s victory over the Arabs yet again was a reprieve to their existence. However, Israel will suffer losses and consequently be humbled but will not be vanquished. In fact, the losses suffered by Israel’s enemies will be so devastating, perhaps, it may lead to some of these Muslims and pagans to turn to Israel’s God, just as the Psalmist prayed in psalm 83- "those who said, "let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession, O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with your tempest, and frighten them with your storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; yes, let them be put to shame and perish, that they may know that you, whose name alone is the Lord, are the most high over all the earth." The defeat of Israel’s arch-enemy was a confirmation of God’s protective shield over them.

Description of The Battle of Gog And Magog!

As the hordes of invading troops still threaten to overrun Israel, the Israelis will likely opt to exercise their military strategy known as the "Sampson option." This is a contingency plan drafted by Israel after their war of 1973, when a surprise attacked by Arab nations on the Day of Atonement nearly resulted on the unprepared, outnumbered Jews being overrun by much greater Arab armies. So Prime Minister Golda Meier and Her war Ministers, passed a desperate plan ordering that any future Israeli government that sees enemy armies overwhelming their soldiers by sheer numbers, that government must resolve to unleash Israel's considerable arsenal of nuclear weapons against the invading nation's major cities. They called this desperate tactic the "Sampson-option" named after their biblical strongman Sampson. As described in the book of Judges, Sampson was captured and blinded by his Philistine enemies. He was chained to the pillars of the great Philistine temple, and being mocked and tortured by a hostile gathering of notables, Sampson tore down the supporting pillars and caused the roof to crush everyone present, himself along all his enemies. In this case, when Israel is faced with inevitable destruction, they have vowed to use all their nuclear might against their enemies, even if they would be destroyed along with their attackers. The evidence is powerful that nuclear weapons will be unleashed in this bloody Gog and Magog conflict. Besides the fire he promised to rain down on the home country coastlands of the Invading Armies, Ezekiel 39:11-13 tells us this "and it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place for burial in Israel, the valley of them that pass through on the east of the sea; and it shall stop them that pass through: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude; and they shall call it the valley of Hamon-Gog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them renowned in the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord Jehovah." Ezekiel continues to describe the aftermath of this coming war with words that read as if they were taken from a modern manual on how to deal with the lingering radiation of an atomic war. Hear how he portrays this radioactive aftermath in chapter 39, verses 14-16 "and they shall set apart men of continual employment that shall pass through the land and, with them that pass through, those that bury them that remain upon the face of the land, to cleanse it. After the end of seven months shall they search and they that pass through the land shall pass through; and when any see a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-Gog. And Hamonah shall also be the name of a city. Thus shall they cleanse the land and there will be an incredible number of dead and maimed soldiers, along with civilians left behind as a result of this disastrous war. Two prophecies found in the writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah suggests that Damascus, the Syrian capital, will experience the brunt of the nuclear onslaught. In Isaiah 17:1-2, we find these words- "the burden against Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap".

Israel Victory Against Arab Confederacy Foretold!

From our previous studies, we see some of the same nations in Ezekiel 38: Libya, Ethiopia, and Northern people of Gog and Magog. So it is apparent that there has been some sort of mutual defense pact between Israel and the nations behind the Antichrist. However, given the seemingly natural events of warfare, God Himself intervenes on Israel's behalf in a mighty way. Without doubt, God will cause these vastly numerical Arab Armies to turn their weapons against each other. We read about this in Ezekiel 39: 1-6 "and you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, 'thus says the Lord God: "behold, I am against You, o Gog, the prince of Rosh (Russia), Meshech, and Tubal; and I will turn You around and lead you on, 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. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, You and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken, "says the Lord God. And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord". Perhaps, God will cause disagreement among the confederacy, where one ethnic group will turn against others in this alliance- as ancient animosities and rivalries rise to the level of revenge. Israel on her part, faced with such an overwhelming invading force, may well decide with the consent of Antichrist, who already has military presence in the land, to employ battlefield nuclear weapons. These when detonated on a field of battle will heavily radiate all flesh and kill millions within a limited period.

The Battle of Gog And Magog: Israel's Affinity With The Antichrist!

When the invading armies move across Israel's borders "to take a spoil," what will the rest of the world do to stop the slaughter? According to Ezekiel chapter 38:13, they will not even lift a finger beyond shouting empty words. Here is how the prophet describes it- "Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, (representing the new nations) shall say unto thee, art thou come to take the spoil? Hast thou assembled thy company to take the prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take great spoil? No doubt, this spirited outcry will be heard in the debating section of the United Nations General Assembly without effect. But Israel will have one ally- no less than the antichrist! According to Daniel 11, the assault against Israel will be launched by Egypt, known biblically as the "King of the South," against the Antichrist. Let us look at those scriptures in Daniel now- "and the King (Antichrist) shall do according to his will; and He shall exalt Himself, and magnify Himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the god of gods; and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the gods of his Fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for He shall magnify himself above all. "And at the time of the end shall the King of the South contend with Him; and the King of the North shall come against Him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and He shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through. He shall enter also into the glorious land (Israel), and many [countries] shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon (Jordan). He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps." Waxing in the euphoria of his victory against these nations, the Antichrist close affinity with the Jews will not last. At the end, He breaks the covenant with the Jews and demands worship from them. Their refusal will lead the Antichrist to oppress and seek to destroy the Jews once and for all.

The War of Gog And Magog: A Confederacy Against Israel!

It is clear from many books of the scriptures especially the Old Testament that, the war of Gog and Magog has been predicted by Prophets of old. One of such book of scripture was Psalm 83. This chapter speaks about the conspiracy against God's covenant people, the Jews, and his nation Israel. Verses 2 to 4 describe this evil plot- "for behold, your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate you have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against your people, and consulted together against your sheltered ones. They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more. For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against you" This prophetic psalm was written by Asaph several thousand years ago, but has yet to be fulfilled to this day. Bible scholars tells us there is absolutely no evidence that such a massive regional conspiracy to destroy Israel ever occurred in ancient times. Though Israel's enemies will enjoy massive numerical superiority, the bible clearly tells us that by the power of God, tiny Israel "the apple of his eye" will utterly devastate the invading armies and her allies in this war, a war that historians of the day may likely call world war 3.

The Battle of Gog and Magog (3)

The Bible description of the war of Gog and Magog gives a distinctive insight on the nations that will involve in the battle- this insight has a historical view. Proponents of this view based their findings on the fact that, the nations mentioned in previous studies have old ancient names during Bible days. Presently, these nations bear new names which was listed in the last study already. However, some scholars still believe that the references to "Rosh, Meshech and Tubal" in Ezekiel 38 refers to Russia, Moscow and Tobolsk, two of Russia's major cities. Respected sources like Dwight Pentecost and John Walvoord believe that Russia will lead this invasion of Moslem nations. There is a certain degree of geo-political logic to bolster their view. Russia has for many years coveted a warm water port in the Middle East, and if she can take over the oil wells of the Arabian Peninsula, at one stroke the bear can regain her status as a world superpower to which the western world must plead on bended knees for the energy needs so vital to modern industrialized economies. But there is contrary evidence that limits the invading nations to a strictly Moslem confederacy. Research has found that in bible times, the terms "Rosh, Meshech and Tubal" described tribes that occupied the land mass just north of the Caucusus mountain range. Also, the Schaff-Herzog encyclopedia of religious knowledge, citing ancient Assyrian writings, places the location of Magog in the land mass between ancient Armenia and Media- in short, the republics south of Russia and north of Israel, which comprised of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkestan, Chechnya, Turkey, Iran and Dagestan- significantly all of them Moslem nations. Whether or not Russian troops will be taking part in this invasion, one thing is very clear. Russian weapons and advisers will certainly be involved, since Russia is heavily committed to arming and training the armed forces of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Ethiopia and Libya.

The Battle of Gog And Magog (2)

It is apparent to know that most of Bible many prophecies have already been fulfilled. These prophecies are in confirmation of the many dispersions and early gatherings of Israel back into their promised land; the many details of the Messiah's first appearance as the lamb of God; the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem; the almost 2000 years scattering of the Jews to all parts of the world, and finally, their coming back in the 19th and 20th century climaxed by the nation's resurrection as modern Israel in 1948- these are all undisputable facts of the historical records. But there are two prophecies of major importance to these last days that still have yet to happen. I speak now of the two great major wars that will serve to glorify God; the two wars the Bible tells us will precede the return of Jesus Christ to planet earth when he will set up his 1,000-year rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. One of these wars has been written about so much and so often, and has been the focus of so many books and motion pictures, which has made it become a universal symbol of mass destruction and catastrophe. Its name is Armageddon and it will involve hundreds of millions of soldiers who will come into the Middle East to destroy Israel at the end of the great tribulation period. But the second of these two wars has received much less attention. Yet, in its own way, it is almost as decisive in the scenario of these last days as its better known counterpart. The bible calls this war the "battle of Gog and Magog," Using the names given in Ezekiel 38 v 1-9 of the nations that will involve in this battle, they include: Russia (Gog), Iran, Libya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkey and the Moslem republics known as Magog. These will form a confederation to invade Israel and the Middle East, for the specific purpose of conquering the Jews and destroying their country. Theirs will be a religious crusade, what in Islam is called Jihad, with the sole motive of proving that the prophet Mohammed and his god Allah are superior to Moses and his God Jehovah.

The Battle of Gog And Magog!

Ezekiel prophecy gave a distinct description of the battle of Gog and Magog- a battle that was originally aimed at the total and complete destruction and annihilation of the Jewish nation and state; but turned out to be God proven ground for the Jewish people. Israel during this period, will be surrounded by Russia and his allied in an attempt to seize their sovereignty and to capture Jerusalem. However, God immediate intervention delivered and saved them just like He did during the six day war between Israel and the Arabs in 1967. As Ezekiel proclaimed that the allied soldiers carcases and their chariots are scattered all over the mountains of Israel. Without doubt, the defeat of Russia and its allied proves that the Almighty God rules in the affairs of men.

Disparity Between The Rapture And Christ Second Coming!

Many Christians and Bible readers don't really know the difference between the “rapture of the Church” and “Christ second coming”. They actually see these events as the same, but on the contrary, they are actually different. Some of the differences between these events are highlighted below: • The rapture was a mystery hidden from the foundation of the world; the second coming was not hidden but revealed to the prophets of old. • The rapture will occur before the great tribulation, while the second coming occurs after the great tribulation. • During the rapture, the dead in Christ and those alive in Christ, will be taken to heaven for the lamb marriage supper, on the other hand, the second coming sees the resurrection of the dead to shame and everlasting contempt. • During the rapture, Christ is seen by the raptured saints only, while during the second coming, Christ appears literally in the sky and is seen by the entire world. • The rapture marks the end of the Church and Gentiles age, while in the second coming God resumes his plan for the Jews.

The Second Coming of Christ!

The coming of Jesus marks the end for the Anti-Christ, the Beast and his false prophets. Jesus will appear immediately after the great tribulation, to save Israel and to deliver the tribulation saints. His eventual return marks the end of a long wait which has spanned over two millennia. Besides, His coming will be glorious to many, but to others- everlasting shame and contempt. Jesus appearance has been predicted by the prophets of old: Enoch, Moses, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Paul, John etc. After the Anti-Christ has been destroyed, Jesus sets up a millennial kingdom that will last for one thousand years, while the raptured saints become rulers and governors with Him. Israel under Christ Kingdom will do valiantly and prosper.

Signs of His Coming!

The coming of Jesus Christ is known by many as “the second coming”. In fact, the popular view is that, Jesus is coming back to judge the earth and to save the Jews from their hostile neighbours- the Arabians. His coming according to bible prophecy will occur after Israel is given international sovereignty and the subsequent threat of it by her neighbours; then will the Messiah come. On the hand, there are conflicting teachings concerning His second coming, though, our focus is to highlight the signs of the coming of Jesus Christ but not to dwell on this conflicts. Then, what are the signs of his coming especially as we approach the end of the six millennium. Without doubt, the rapture will take place before the great-tribulation and the second coming. Suffice to say that, between the rapture and the second coming, there is a seven year gap and period popularly described as the “great-tribulation”. However, before the coming of Jesus Christ, some prophets of old both in the old and new testament gave some signs. Some of these signs are: • Increase in knowledge- Daniel 12 v 4 • Discovery of vehicles and automobiles- Nahum 2 v 3-4 • Destruction of Jerusalem- Matthew 24 v 2; Deuteronomy 4 v 27-28 • Coming back of the Jews- Isaiah 10 v 20; Genesis 48 v 21 • Restoration of the Jewish State- Luke 21 v 24 • Outbreak of famine and diseases- Matthew 24 v 7 • Wars against nations and kingdoms- Matthew 24 v 6 • The Jews defeats his enemies- Genesis 49 v 8; Numbers 24 v 17 These signs are strong indications that the coming of Christ is near.

The Nature of the Anti-Christ!

The Antichrist! - Also described in the Bible as the "son of perdition" & the "beast". Like Hitler, who was one of history's antichrist archetypes, he will have great charisma & speaking ability, "a mouth speaking great things". The Antichrist will rise to power on a wave of world euphoria, as he temporarily saves the world from its desperate economic, military & political problems with a brilliant 7-year plan for world peace, economic stability & religious freedom. The prophet Ezekiel names him as the ruler of "Magog", a name that Biblical scholars agree denotes a country or region of peoples to the north of Israel. Many have interpreted this to mean modern day Russia. His power base will include the leading nations of Europe, whose leaders, the Bible says, will "give their power & strength unto the beast." The Bible even gives some clues about his personal characteristics. The prophet Daniel wrote that the Antichrist "does not regard the desire of women." This could imply that he is either celibate or a homosexual. Daniel also tells us that he will have a "fierce countenance" or stern look, and will be "more stout than his fellows"-more proud and boastful. The 7-year peace-pact (or covenant) that is engineered by the Antichrist is spoken of a number of times in the Bible. Under the terms of the Covenant, Jerusalem will likely be declared an international city to which Judaism, Islam & Christianity will have equal rights. Scripture indicates that the Jews will be permitted to rebuild their Temple on Mt. Moriah, where they revive their ancient rituals of animal sacrifice. The Anti-Christ seeks to establish his throne in Jerusalem and desire worship from the Jewish people and the entire world. According to prophecy, the Antichrist will not only be a master of political intrigue, but also a military genius. Daniel describes several major wars that he fights during his 7-year reign, apparently against the U.S. & Israel, who will oppose him during the second half of his reign. For a while, most of the world is going to think the Antichrist is wonderful, as he will seem to have solved so many of the world's problems. But, three-and-a-half years into his seven year reign he will break the covenant & invade Israel from the North. At this time he will make Jerusalem his world capital & outlaw all religions, except the worship of himself & his image. The Bible says that the Antichrist will sit in the Jewish Temple exalting himself as God & demanding to be worshipped. It is at this time that the Antichrist imposes his infamous "666" one-world economic system.

The Coming Antichrist!

World peace will be threatened towards the end of the Church age. The coming Anti-Christ will surface and promise the world peace and prosperity but at the end, the world is thrown into turmoil, tribulation and persecution. During this period, the mode of His operation will cause death, suffering and hardship. This personality is described as the ANTI-CHRIST: "the beast", "the little horn", "the king with fierce countenance", "the lamb like beast", "the man of sin", "the prince that shall come" and "the son of perdition". The Anti-Christ is a world figure that will emerge after the rapture of the Church. He harnessed political, religious and economic power through craft and intelligence. He appears like a LAMB but inwardly He is ravenous and heartless! He unleashes a period of untold suffering to the entire earth- the earth mourns because of the torture and evil of the Anti-Christ. His era is described by Jesus Christ as the “great tribulation”.

The Great Tribulation!

It is no news that persecution has always been in Church history and among the Jewish people. Beside, persecution occurs in our everyday life and endeavors; the life of a man is full of adversities and troubles. People, race, group and even smaller countries face persecution from dominating countries, and at such, their persecution could arise as a result of different reasons. These reasons are not farfetched, they are mostly: religion, race and beliefs. Contrary to this normal understanding of persecution, the Bible prophesy a tensed period of persecution, suffering and wickedness the world has never seen. This persecution will only affect the minority few (Christians and Jews) because of the common religious beliefs they share at that time. This period is described by Jesus as the “great-tribulation”- a tensed period of three and half years of suffering, persecution and killings of Christians and Jews that will reject the Anti-Christ and His economic and religious system. This period is so tensed that the Prophets of old made mention of it in their writings. The most prominent of these prophets are: Noah, Moses, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Zachariah all spoke about it. In fact, it is described as the time of Jacobs’s trouble (Jeremiah 30 v 5-7) and Jesus gave a vivid and a chilling picture on the events of the great-tribulation in Matthew 24. More so, Moses described it as the time of Israel’s tribulation (Deuteronomy 4 v 30) and the period it will occur- the latter days of Israel nationhood. Before all this occur, the Anti- Christ comes into the picture to promise the entire world peace and signs a seven years peace treaty with the Jews. He breaks the agreement reached between Israel and the Arab nations (Daniel 9 v 27). The Jews is frustrated and rebelled against the Anti- Christ. He unleashes terror and persecution against the Jews and the Christians. Soon after, He declares Himself as God and demanded to be worshipped by the world. His actions will bring a period of terror, anguish and war upon the face of the entire world. Millions will die!

Christ Resurrection and The Rapture of The Saints!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ remains the most disputed fact among Jews and non-Christians worldwide. To many people and religion, Christ never died at all. This dispute sends chills to the minds of believers because history and biblical records states otherwise- that Jesus died and resurrected after the third day. During the Ministry of Jesus Christ, He told His disciples repeatedly about his death on the cross (Mark 9 v 31) and His resurrection with the Saints (John 5 v 28-29). Christ resurrection triggered the resurrection of the dead Saints as many dead bodies were seen in the streets of Jerusalem (Matthew 27 v 51-53) and more so, open graves. This event is known today as the first resurrection as prophecy by David in the Psalms (Psalms 17 v 15) and Job (Job 19 v 25-29). It was apparent on the reasons many Patriarch e.g. Joseph, wanted their dead bodies moved back to Israel because they wanted to see the Messiah. On this note, it will be important to simply state that the nature of the Saints resurrection and their subsequent assumption can be likened to our present day teaching on the rapture of the Church. In the rapture, only the true believers dead and alive in Christ will be taken alive to Heaven after hearing the trumpet sound and the voice of Jesus Christ just like the first resurrection. This simply means; the first resurrection manifested on the physical body and flesh while the second resurrection (rapture) will manifest in the celestial body (the transformed man).

Nature of the Rapture!

The most anticipated event in the history of the Church and among Christians is the Rapture of the Church: An event that is set by God to change the course of history for mankind. According to the Bible, the Rapture is the catching away of all true Christian believers to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. It is an unprecedented event that will defy human logic, philosophy, understanding and science. This defiance will affect the nature of science itself because man physical body will change and be transformed to a celestial body that will stay afloat in the cloud in order to meet the Lord in the air. How true is the Rapture and has it ever occur before? Or is there evidence that it can even happen at all. Off course, the rapture is definitely true because Bible records confirmed it. The first recorded incidence of the Rapture was Enoch- He lived seven generations from Adam. Similarly, Elijah was also physical taken up to Heaven in a chariot of fire. More so, Jesus Christ was taken to heaven; his assumption was witnessed by all his Apostles and Disciples. From these instances, it is necessary to state that the Rapture is real and is much to be desired- for the Bible describes it as GLORIOUS! The Rapture will be triggered with the trump of God from Heaven, and its sound will be heard by only true Christians and believers. It will happen unexpectedly, and it will throw the whole world into chaos and confusion because millions of people will seemingly disappear from the face of the earth. To the believers, the Rapture is victory because death is swallowed up in victory; to the unbelievers it is regret and disappointment!