Hi Donna, John and Doves, 

Re: your post “Which is the next Battle in the Middle East?”, and “Where does Daniel’s ‘little horn’ fit in? 

I have been writing on these topics since 2003 on this forum and have almost completed the manuscripts ready for printing in a book form.  The topics are – 

1.  The Beast and the False Prophet - ISLAM (Oct 2005)

2.  The Little horn of Daniel 4^th Empire and the Kingdom of the Jews.”  (Sept.2006)

3.  Mystery, Babylon the Great – Not finished yet!!

4.  The White horse and the Red Horse (April 2003 - May 2006 - Feb 2006)

5.  The Timing of the Gog and Magog War (Aug 2006)

6.  Daniel’s prophecy of 70 Weeks and the Covenant.  ( May 2006 - Sept. 2006 - April 2007)

Most of what I have previously posted on 5 doves has been edited, enlarged and improved.  However,  I have attached the latest version of the “Little Horn of Daniel’s 4^th Empire and the Kingdom of the Jews” to this post also.  This is where I believe the “little horn” of Daniel 7 fits in,  i.e. he is the reason that the Jews received their Kingdom base in 1948.. (link)

There is also quite a body of work being published on these topics, and three books that I have recently purchased are –

“Christianity and Islam: The Final Clash” by Robert Livingston – Pleasant Word (Winepress Publishing) 2004.

“Anti-Christ – Islam’s awaited Messiah” by Joel Richardson – Pleasant Word (Winepress Publishing (2006)

“From 9/11 to 666” by Ralph W., Stice – ACW Press -  2005.

These books have “some” insight into the topics.   However, we should remember that prophecy is a rather scattered subject, found right through the scriptures, and neither the prophets who wrote the words down, nor those of us who are interpreting them in today’s environment, can see the complete big picture, but it is becoming clearer.  At least it is becoming clearer for those who have not been diverted into looking for a revived Roman Empire with a European Anti-Christ – as preached by the mainstream prophetic commentators since the 1950’s in particular.  See –

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/mar2007/ear37.htm

 

Regarding Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38/39) versus Assorted Enemies (Psalm 83).  Which is next?

I believe the passage in Revelation 19:19 – 20:10 puts the time-table of the future battles in the right order, but we have to look at other scriptures to find the details and see how the details fit together.

1. The Beast and the false prophet war against “the saints” = Jews and Christians  - (Rev. 13:7 and Rev. 12:17) for 42 months (Rev. 13:5) and finally against Christ on the white horse with the army that returns with him (Rev. 19:19).  This is the “sword experience” from which Israel recovers, (cf. Ezek. 38:8) which has been wielded by the rider on the Red Horse,  (Rev. 6:4),  which I believe stands for Esau (Red = Edom) and his “friends” who are listed in Psalm 83.   I equate the Beast and the False prophet with those Psalm 83 enemies who want to take Israel’s “houses of God for their possession” (Ps. 83:12) and want to make Israel “Cease from being a Nation” (i.e. it must happen after 1948.)  (Ps. 83:4).  These are the two things that the Palestinians, Hamas,(Gaza); Hez’ballah,(Lebanon); Fatah,(West Bank)  and Syria (Golan Heights) - (Israel’s near neighbours) together with their backers Iran and Syria want the most.   They want Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in their possession, and they want “Israel to be wiped off the map”.   

2. After Christ and the Righteous Army is triumphant over these near neighbours, the Beast and the False Prophet are cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Rev. 19:20).  These two had been empowered by Satan (Rev. 13:2b) and possessed by evil spirits (Rev. 16:13).

3. It takes an Angel with a great chain to restrain Satan who is then bound, locked up and sealed in the “bottomless pit” for 1,000 years.

4. Then we have the Millennial reign of Christ who “rules with a rod of iron” – Rev. 2:27 – 12:5 – 19:15.  It appears from these references that it is not all “roses” during this period.   Those who were beheaded and killed for their testimony and faith (cf. Rev. 6:9-11) come to life and  rule and reign with him (Rev. 20:4b and 6b.) during this time.

5. This Millennial period is described in Ezekiel 37:16-28 prior to the final battle.

Israel is described as one Nation with the joining of the two sticks.  Israel in Canaan is the stick of Judah – i.e. 41% of the World’s Jews now live there, and it appears that the other stick is the Jews in U.S.A. and elsewhere in the World - i.e. Ephraim, who join with them (Ezek. 37:17-19).   They will have one King (described as David my servant – Ezek. 37:22-24) and the Millennial Temple will be in existence (Ezek. 37:26-28).  For the extent of the Millennial Kingdom see  below.

 

6. a)   Satan is then released to deceive the remaining rebels – Gog and Magog from the four quarters of the earth (Rev. 20:8 and Ezekiel 38:5)   They are composed of  Persia from the East, Ethiopia from the South, Libya from the West, and Gomer and Togarmah from the North.  At this time Israel has recovered from the “sword experience”, is gathered out of all the nations, is wealthy and at peace without walls. (Ezek. 38:11-12)

b)   It is obvious that these Nations mentioned in the Gog and Magog scenario are NOT NEAR NEIGHBOURS of Israel.   What has happened to the people groups out of Southern Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt???  Well you might recall that the original inheritance of Israel covered the land area between the Euphrates and the Nile.   That these enemies come from outside of that area and from so far away, could indicate that as a result of the “sword experience” war carried out by the Rider on the Red horse and his terrorist mercenaries, (i.e. the radical elements in the Nations immediately surrounding Israel), that the people groups listed in Psalm 83 are no longer viable enemies.  If this conjecture is correct, it appears that Israel has expanded her borders once again just as it did in 1967.  The area ruled by “King David” – Christ – and His faithful resurrected witnesses during the millennial period might actually cover the original inheritance of Israel, between the Rivers.  The “spoil” sought by Gog and Magog could therefore be what remains of the oil fields of the Middle East.  Does this mean that the Arab Nations are converted to the God of Israel, by the presence of the returned Christ and righteous saints, and that the rift between Isaac and Ishmael and Jacob and Esau has been healed? 

c)   Gog and Magog. It seems that a personage called GOG , the Chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal, is the ring leader of a rebellion that occurs at the end of the millennial period, and he gathers a rather assorted (Ezek. 38:4) lot of enemies of Israel and Christ to one last battle. They have come from their base in the North Eastern area of Turkey (between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea) i.e. Meshech and Tubal territory, but their troops are made up of people from Persia, Ethiopia, Libya and Gomer and Togarmah (Israel’s more distant neighbours).

7. This battle is enjoined when Israel has been brought back from the “sword experience” Ezek. 38:8  (see No. 1 above).  The sword was wielded by the rider on the Red Horse  (Rev. 6:4), but after that war Israel remained at peace for 1,000 years.    HOWEVER, it appears that this rag-tag lot are destroyed on the mountains of Israel in the “open field” before they can do any damage to Israel. (Ezek. 38:18-23 and 39:3-7).

8. At the end of this battle  (Rev. 20: 7-10) Satan finally joins the Beast and the False Prophet in the lake of fire where the THREE remain tormented forever.

9. Judgement is then carried out by God and anyone whose name is not written in the Lambs book of life, is also cast into the lake of fire.

 

This all seems quite straight forward to me, and makes good sense according to the passage in Rev. 19:19 – 20:10.    It also ties in with Ezekiel 37 – (which people don’t seem to read) and the fate of Gog and Magog described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Hope all this helps. 

God Bless.     EAR