With today’s events correlating so closely with
scriptures regarding the ‘latter days’ we can be confident those days are upon
us. However there is one very specific event that assures us we are in those
days.
Hosea 3:4-5 states that Israel will be without a
kingdom or the means to practice their religion for many ‘an abundance’ of
days’, but after these many days they would return in the ‘latter days’.
The scriptural passage that pinpoints it to a
specific event is Isaiah 66:7-8. “Who has ever heard of such a thing? And who
ever sees such things? Can a country be born in a single day, or can a nation
be brought forth in a single moment? Yet no sooner was Zion in labour than she
delivered her children.” This ISV rendition leaves no room for ambiguity in the
meaning of this passage. It brings our attention to the Zionist movement of the
late 1800s and early 1900s, and the birth of Israel which occurred on May 14th
1948… On the 13th May 1948 it was prophecy; on the 15th May 1948 it was
history.
Other events future to our day are graphically
described but with scattered information as to when.
Daniel’s seventieth week is the last seven years
of a period of time designated as seventy weeks or 490 years. It is a time period allocated
for the ‘finishing
of the transgression, for making an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision
and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24).
Those years and all
that was determined for them were interrupted by the death of Messiah who was
‘cut off but not for himself’ (Daniel 9:26).
The word translated ‘cut off’ is karath
and has included in its meaning ‘to covenant (that is, make an alliance
or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces) as is seen
in the covenant the LORD made with Abraham (Genesis 15:9-18). This interruption can only be interpreted as
the age of the Christian Church with its beginnings on the day of Pentecost
after Christ’s crucifixion to somewhere in the near future (according to the
signs which we will discuss further along).
These events bracket the church age near to or perhaps exactly 2000
years. Until the catching away of the church
we just do not know.
We know from the New
Testament that Messiah was cut off for the ‘finishing of the
transgression, for making an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity’ but that “the bringing in of everlasting righteousness, the sealing
up the vision and prophecy, and the anointing of the most Holy” have not yet
been accomplished. This awaits the
completion of the final seven years, Daniel’s seventieth week.
This seven year period is delineated by the
‘confirming of the covenant with many’ by a future world ruler, and the coming
again of Messiah/Christ who will bring in everlasting righteousness, will seal up the
vision and prophecy, and will anoint the most Holy.
It is the time dominated by a revived empire
of the past with its ten horned confederation (kingdoms), and a dominating
little horn (ruler). From other
scripture it is clear the little horn is the future Prince of Daniel 9:27 who will
confirm the covenant and be the dominating figure of these last years until
Messiah/Christ returns to set up his own 1000 year kingdom.
According to pre-mil eschatology the Church will not see this ‘confirming of the covenant’ or be part
of these last seven years, but because it will take some time for these
entities to all be in place (perhaps several years), can we (the Church) establish
from events of today, some Biblically sound scenario that could lead to the formation
of a world dominating ten member confederacy (kingdoms) and the emergence of an
individual from among them; an individual powerful enough for the world to turn
to and who has the authority to confirm and enforce any treaty? At the moment the US is in the process of being
neutered by its current Marxist/Islamist administration; Russia and Europe
neutralise each other and China is not yet influential enough in military
matters. But these are the current world
powers therefore must be players in these last days.
We do see the rise of Islam in the US, Europe,
Russia and in the world generally; Islam who’s militant and world dominating doctrines
are manifesting themselves in terrorist acts everywhere. Israel has had to erect walls to separate her
citizens from these acts of terror, and Europe is beginning to fence its
borders and Russia has her internal problems with Islam (the US, being even now
neutered by her Marxist/Islamist Administration is not mentioned in the last day’s
events).
Is there any likelihood of the coming ten
kingdoms being Islamic? No none at all. Islam’s very nature does not allow for a
confederacy, it is monotheistic and its aims are a single Islamic caliphate,
not a confederacy. This is a major
reason to believe Islam will be defeated, and a likely means for that defeat
will be a backlash from the US and Greater European citizenry. In the Middle East Israel could use this
backlash as reason enough for a counter offensive against her Arab/Islamic
enemies.
The Russian people are Caucasian and therefore
culturally more aligned with Europe than with the Middle East. If it comes to a
clash of civilizations (which the conflict with Islam will be) it will affect
the Russian people as much as Europeans. In this clash Russia will almost
certainly become an ally to the rest of the non Islamic world. This alliance is
also likely from an economic sense as well; for it is clear Putin wants to
control oil production/supply and will need the European markets. Europe’s
cultural survival should be sufficient motivation to ensure his alliance with
Europe.
If this thought is legitimate we could see Putin at
odds with terrorist Iran as well as Turkey, with both nations coming under his
control in the aftermath of this cultural war.
And it is hard to imagine Europe condemning Israel
for any counter offensive against the Arabs when Europe herself will be
fighting for her own cultural survival, therefore the answering of the
imprecatory prayer of Psalm 83 would probably occur at this time. A victorious aftermath of such worldwide
conflict would lead Israel to believe herself at rest from Arab terror and at
peace with her ‘allies’ including Russia. In the light of Ezekiel 38:11 this would be a
situation ripe for the invasion of Israel by Gog of Magog. A mercenary Gog will take the opportunity of
a world wearied by bloodshed to take over the Middle East including Israel. The
world is seen to admonish him for his greedy opportunism in Ezekiel
38:13.
A brutal and bloody war with Islam will almost certainly lead to the ten
kingdom confederation, and could see the emergence of the one who will become
the little horn, the head of the beast or the man of sin etc. A military leader with the loyalty of his
troops behind him, and public veneration because of a major role in defeating Islam
(think Charles Martel), could come to the fore and eventually take total
control and be the 'Coming Prince', the 'man of sin' etc. Although
this man might be believed to be the Coming Prince beforehand, he would certainly
be identified as such by his confirmation of the covenant.
In the light of all that has been said here, if accurate, the invasion
of Israel by Gog must happen in the aftermath of the world conflict with Islam,
but must precede the rise of Anti-Christ, for Israel will be seven years
burning Gog’s weapons; i.e. three and a half years up to the confirming of the
covenant, another three and a half years to the abomination of desolations, for
after that abomination Israel will not have the freedom of movement to do so.
When the abomination that makes desolates is set up
in the rebuilt temple (Matthew 24:15), Israel will flee to the mountains for
refuge and the ‘Great Tribulation’ will begin… the time of Jacob’s trouble. This will be the time when Israel will be
purged, and gentile dominion will be destroyed by the coming in power of the
Lord Jesus Christ when he comes to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up
the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. He will deliver the
remnant of Israel and set up the Kingdom promised to David in the land promised
to Abraham.
We the Church will have been removed… When? From pre-mil eschatology it is clear the
rapture will occur prior to the signing of the covenant, and because by means
of the destruction of Gog and his armies, God will make his holy name known in the midst of his people Israel, and
that he will not let them pollute his holy name any more (Ezekiel 39:7); it is my belief we, believers of the church age, will be taken home
before or during that supernatural event.
Although this catching away of the
church could occur at any time I believe Christians must be prepared to
continue as the salt of the earth during the coming clash with Islam, and play
our part in the salvation of those whom the Lord places in our way.
