re: Kent Ullom's "gog/magog question?"Ezekiel 38:4,7 says, "And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army...Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them."
That suggests that a reluctant Russia is dragged into a conflict in order to protect its allies. Russia has financial ties with Iran worth billions of dollars, and it has always been interested in maintaining an influence in the strategic central asia region that is rich in oil and provides access to open water for landlocked Russia. If Russia lets the USA control Iraq, Iran, Afganistan, and Pakistan - then Russia is dangerously exposed and vunerable from their point of view.
Ezekiel also says the motivation is to spoil Israel: verse 12 "To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate p! laces that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land."
But the problem is that Israel is not at peace yet. Verse 11 "And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,"
My guess is that a comprehensive "Peace Agreement" will be signed very soon that will entail Israel's withdrawl from the "occupied territories" (!!) and the internationalization of Jerusalem. Somehow Russia will move closer to Persia to forestall the expected Israeli air-strike by providing assurances that the Iranians won't attack. Israel - they will then think they are at total peace and let down their guard.
Another verse says, "Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say u! nto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" (v. 13)
That suggests the USA & EU (Tarshish and its young lions) & Saudi Arabia (Sheba and Dedan) are bystanders who don't initially move to protect Israel when it is attacked. That might be because the UN is against Israel in the dispute and decides for Russia and Persia.
The next chapter says, 39:6, says "And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD."
That might suggest that the US is belately pulled into the conflict, and shares a nuclear exchange with the Russians.
That scenario would leave the EU as the sole remaining superpower in the world (along with the Kings of the East - China), and a terrified world population that is finally ready for a one-world religion and ! one-world government. The tribulation thus ensues. And the leading religious figure to take the reigns of power, would, of course, be the Roman Pontiff - fulfilling Revelation chapter 17.
(Interesting that Bagdad/Babylon does not get destroyed at this point - leaving the possibility that EU regional headquarters are relocated to this city for its later destruction by the Kings of the East).
Somewhere in this timeline, but before the AntiChrist is actually revealed, the Rapture would occur. It all does not seem very far away!
Another point of view is that all these prophesies of war will be fulfilled in one single war at the end of the tribulation. That is because it says that these events cause Israel and the world to know that God is the LORD, suggesting the conversion of the Jews and the nations. (Ezekiel 39:7 "So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more! : and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.") On the other hand, it might be that this means that the events cause the world to merely become "religious" - and is therefore easily decieved to follow the antiChrist thinking that the "vicar of Christ on Earth" and the "mother of God" should be worshipped.
Maranatha!
M