Hi John and Doves,

Prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes…

Maranatha,

EAR

The King of the South ‘pushes’ at the King of the North (Dan. 11:40)

Today, major controversies surround the timing of the tribulation, the identity of the combatants, the and the reason for its occurrence.

The general belief amongst Dispensationalist commentators is that after the Church has been ‘secretly’ raptured to heaven, ‘Antichrist’ is revealed, causing a seven year period called the Great tribulation on earth (i.e., expressing God’s wrath upon the Jews and Israel, and those left behind);  then Jesus returns to resurrect His saints and establish His millennial kingdom.

Conservative commentators generally disregard the ‘secret rapture,’ and believe that both Christians  and Jews will experience suffering and tribulation (i.e., persecution and trouble) on the earth during the whole period called the times of the Gentiles, which will come to a major climax. Then, with celestial signs proceeding… Jesus’ Second Coming will coincide with the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the transformation of elect believers living on earth, who will participate in His kingdom reign for 1,000 years. (Matt. 24:29–31, cf. Rev. 20:4–6)

With applications, relating to both of these scenarios: Paul further tells us that tribulation augurs the anarchy, lawlessness, apostasy, betrayal and hatred that will be prevalent on earth, before the manifestation/revelation of the God-opposing individuals described in 2 Thess. 2:3–10; while Jesus teaches… that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matt. 24:9–14)

These scenarios represent the ‘broad interpretations’ of scripture, which have evolved during the centuries—with many variations and minor adjustments that affect both parties’ beliefs about end time events—regarding who is in, who is out, and when these things will occur. One of the sticking-points of interpretation that divides end time belief into two creeds, is Jesus’ reference to ‘great tribulation’ (Matt. 24:21–22, 29), and whether those words mean trouble and persecution, or God’s wrath! 

However, since Jesus indicated that the celestial events that precede and herald His return are described in Matthew 24:29, as occurring… Immediately after the tribulation of those days… my chief aim in this letter is to show who causes it, and when it happens.  In seeking to answer—according to scripture—we need to first find out what those days refer to, and I suspect they are probably defined elsewhere in scripture.

Since most commentators apply those days to the end that Jesus said will come (above), and since the old prophet Daniel was preoccupied with the time of the end, he might have the answer to the denouement previously announced by Gabriel; especially since Daniel was concerned for the salvation of his people. So, notably, at the end of Daniel’s Prophecy of 70 Weeks, there is an undefined period of time described as: … the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate. (Daniel 9:27b; or desolator—in the margin.)

The word consummation means destruction or completion… with reference to the end of the age… so this word may indeed mean both! (Cf. the indignation, Dan. 8:19; Heb. 10:27; the wrath, Dan. 11:36b; the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. Rev. 14:10.)  

Daniel further indicates…

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; [i.e. the king of the North] and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships, and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through… (Dan. 11:40)

And he [king of the North] shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. (Dan. 11:45)

(Note: this could refer either to Israel’s Mediterranean Sea coast that stretches from Haifa, Tel Aviv and Ashdod, to the Gaza strip west of Jerusalem; or perhaps to the area that lies to the east of Jerusalem called the West Bank, situated between the seas, i.e. Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea.)

At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; [i.e., Judah’s future descendants] and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time… (Dan. 12:1a)

Since these two events are closely linked, it is helpful to remember that—following the death of Alexander the Great the very large Macedon-Grecian Empire was divided into four smaller empires—two of which became biblically important— i.e., the king of the South who ruled the Ptolemy dynasty in Egypt; while the king of the North ruled the Seleucid dynasty in Syria.

The extensive record of their history in Daniel 11:2–36, highlights the intrigues and wars between these two dynastic rulers and their descendants (whose oscillating wars subjugated Judaea from both north and south), until the Roman Empire conquered their territories. However, the ‘linked’ verses (printed above) show that the traceable history of these two hostile ‘territorial entities’ has been transferred from past history, to the time of the end (i.e., the end of the time appointed by God when, what He has determined/decided will be concluded).  

So it seems that certain ‘elements’ remaining from the territory previously ruled by the king of the South (which includes Judaea/aka the Glorious Land), will once again—at the time of the end—push at or attack the northern power (i.e., the king of the North, the final enemy of God).  In retaliation, the Northern force comes against the king of the south with vengeance, like a whirlwind; he invades several countries and enters into the Glorious Land, via an invasion that contributes to the refining and purifying of the people of God (cf. Dan. 11:32b–35).

The picture conveyed above, speaks into the present-day circumstances faced by Israel following the barbaric attack on its sovereign territory perpetrated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on October 7, 2023; they were just two of the many proxy non-state militant forces—supported and funded by Iran—forming Iran’s newly created Axis of Resistance, who were responsible for that attack, and who are committed to jihad and the destruction of Israel!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, Israel has increased its intensity of attacks on Syria. From 12 to 22 October 2023, Israel launched at least three attacks on airports in Syria, particularly on Damascus and Aleppo. Notably, Israel carried out the assassination of Razi Mousav;I, a senior Iranian general, in the Syrian capital of Damascus on 25 December 2023, and Brigadier General Sadegh Omidzadeh, an intelligence officer with the IRGC Quds Force, on 20 January 2024. 2024 Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus - Wikipedia

It seems therefore, that for the last six months Israel has been ‘pushing’ at the king of the North with growing intensity. More recently, as a result of Israel’s daring attack on the Iranian consulate building (annexed to the Iranian Embassy) in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, 2024, which killed Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, six IRGC officers and several others. Hence, through its actions and via the paradigms recorded in Daniel, Israel is identifying itself as the king of the South, the protagonist at the time of the end.

Now, following the multiple drone and missile attacks on Israel by Iran on April 13/14, 2024— occurring before our eyes, in real time via the media—this conflict appears to have reached a stage demanding an escalating tit-for-tat retaliation between the southern nation of Israel, and the northern nation of Iran and its proxies, which could engulf the Middle East and wider world.

Only time and circumstances will tell if this is the tribulation of those days that Daniel warned about, which Jesus said will precede His Second Coming.

…and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. (Dan. 12:1b)

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be, and unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matt. 24:21–22)

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:29–30)

So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors. (Matt. 24:33)

Thus Jesus will return to earth—in exactly the same manner as He ascended into heaven in AD 30. (Acts 1:9–11)

Maranatha…