Doves,
Some of you may have read my posts of late that have focused on the multiple aspects of the 7 year tribulation period. I have referenced Zechariah 14 often in these posts and I tried to stay within what he described as to what the tribulation scenario would be without injecting too much of my own speculation. I also used other end time prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah to add to and enforce the story line.
In reviewing my research I discovered what I believe is a glaring discrepancy / mistake on my part concerning that story line.
As part of the whole end time scenario we all know that Israel is attacked and when all seems lost God who has a covenant with Israel intervenes on her behalf.
In my posts to 5Doves (recent and prior) I expressed “the company line” (so to speak) as to who attacks Israel in the soon coming scenario....... I expressed they are the forces as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
This part of the tribulation story line, the attack upon Israel by the forces described in Ezekiel 38 has literally been indisputable for as long as I can remember. Bible scholars, Christian ministries and untold bible prophecy conference speakers have addressed and promoted the now seemingly “poured in concrete” notion that it would be Russia, Iran, Turkey and the others listed in Ezekiel 38 who would attack Israel during the time of Jacob's trouble. And with those forces presently front and center on the Middle East stage it certainly would appear this would be the final outcome.
I personally when along with this “majority thought process” when I wrote my posts to 5Doves... including my recent ones.... without checking the facts because I believed that this part of biblical prophecy was settled doctrine. But when one checks God's wording in Zechariah, in Revelation in Ezekiel and other places one quickly comes to the realization that things don't add up....don't agree....and when the wording is compared, it appears God is contradicting Himself..... and..... we know that can't be the case.
Let me explain....
Here is a list of several places in scripture that indicate that it will be all nations coming against Israel when Israel is attacked......not just the few listed in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
The list stating all nations.....
Zechariah 12:3
Zechariah 14:4
Haggai 2:22-23
Matthew 24:9
Haggai 2:6
Joel 3:2
Obadiah 1:15
Isaiah 34:2
Isaiah 52
Isaiah 29:8
Psalm 59
Psalm 118
That said, let's now take a much closer look at Ezekiel 38 and 39 to see exactly when this war, this attack really happens.
First of all we know that this attack is led by Gog, a prince that rules over Magog.
Let's now forget about Ezekiel 38 for a moment and fast forward to Revelation 20 which also has a lot to say about Gog and Magog. It says there that this Gog / Magog war happens at the end of the 1000 year millennial period after Satan has been released from his 1000 year imprisonment. At that point he (Satan) as per Revelation 20 deceives the nations and gathers them together to attack Israel.
If this is the case lets go back to Ezekiel 38 and 39 to see if there is wording there that would authenticate this war being at the end of the millennial reign and not before or during the 7 year tribulation period.
OK... Ezekiel says that this war happens in the latter years. Wouldn't the latter years be at the at the end of the millennial period just before the new heavens and the new earth?
Ezekiel says in verse 8 that this attack against Israel comes against “those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, those who were brought out of the nations, and now all of these dwell safely”.
Ezekiel, in this quote is referencing the people he prophesied about in chapter 37 “the whole house of Jacob” who were dead, then were reborn / resurrected and he's also talking about the Jewish remnant that survived the attack on Israel by “all nations” in the tribulation period..... these people sought refuge in / on the mountains of Israel meaning the new valley, the new security zone set up there as is expressed in Zechariah 14. He also references those who were “brought out of the nations”. That would be both the Christian church and part of the Jewish remnant that were gathered by God's angels and taken to this new valley / security zone near and including half of Jerusalem. Matthew 24:31, Zechariah 14:3-5
Ezekiel 38 says that these people were dwelling safely when they were attacked. Are the people in Israel today living in safety? Absolutely not
Will they be living in safety during the millennial reign of 1000 years? Yes...until the very end as per Revelation 20
Ezekiel 38:11 says that this war will be orchestrated against a land of unwalled villages and peaceful people who dwell safety without walls, bars or gates.
Is that what we have in Israel presently? No...the statement in verse 11 couldn't be farther from the present day reality in Israel
Could the people at the end of the millennial reign be described as what is quoted in verse 11? As per scripture......most definitely
Ezekiel 38 and 39 doesn't report an casualties of the Israeli populous. It says that God intervenes mightily in numerous ways totally destroying these attacking forces. Contrast that with the war against Israel during the tribulation period and there we see in scripture only a remnant of the Jewish state / race survive.
It describes in Ezekiel 39 that the peoples living in the Israeli territories after this conflict spend 7 years burning up all the weapons of war for fuel and gathering the bodies and bones of their aggressors.. This time frame and scenario doesn't fit into the tribulation story line well at all....IMHO. But fits well into what is expressed in Revelation 20 at the end of the millennial period.
So what does all this mean?
It means that yet again we have been led astray.....led astray into believing that it would be a rather small confederation of nations that is to attack Israel during the tribulation period. The nations listed in Ezekiel 38.
When put under the light of God's word this is a complete falsehood.....one that I personally have been sucked into and one that I have promoted in my writings.
Well let it now be said and shouted from the rooftops that I disagree completely with the soon coming Ezekiel 38 war which has been promoted again and again and again.
As I stated above there are many places in scripture that say “all nations” will come against Israel during the tribulation period......and all means all.
What does that tell us?
It tells me that in the next few years something happens, something terrible which may have been propagated by the State of Israel. Whatever it is, it will cause / prompt the United Nations....which represents “all nations”, including The United States to come against / attack Israel.
It also tells me that in all likelihood Trump will not be in office because I don't believe he or his administration would desert Israel.
Will he lose the election in 2020? Will he somehow be removed before then?
Obviously someone who hates Israel will be in charge in the White House.
Scripture indicates that the evil in this world will continue to wax worse and worse. This is portrayed in the Book of Timothy and Micah 7.
So bottom line I will not be looking for an attack on Israel by the “speculated” countries described in Ezekiel 38 spearheaded by Russia. That's not what God's word says at all. But I will be looking for some “false flag” abomination blamed on Israel. Something so severe that “all the nations” of the world decide once and for all to eradicate Israel......which (this attack) may seem to be going well until God the Father who has a contract / covenant with Israel decides to intervene.
Scripture indicates that all the armies of the world will be destroyed by God in His vengeance after this world wide assault on Israel.
I have written much to 5Doves over the years on God's own “end times army” as it is described in Ezekiel 37 and Revelation 9. He uses this resurrected Jewish army, “the whole house of Israel”, meaning all the deceased Jewish descendants of Jacob that have ever lived to formulate an army of 200 million spirit beings indwelled by the Spirit of the Father Himself (Ezekiel 37:14) riding fire breathing horses to kill one third of the population of earth.
There are many, many places in scripture that detail and describe the ride of this army as it traverses earth. An army that doesn't need rest, doesn't need food, doesn't need to be re-supplied, an army that sees no physical thing as an obstacle like oceans or mountains. The horror of this army and it's ride across earth will be unprecedented …...read Joel 2, Isaiah 13, Habakkuk 3, Isaiah 34, Isaiah 24, Isaiah 11 to name a few.
I have written all of this to apologize for mis-stating the bible. I mis-stated it when I advocated (along with almost everyone else) that the Ezekiel 38 war will happen during the tribulation period. As per scripture......it will not.
Blessings Doves..........John B
P.S. I also wanted to express my belief that all of Ezekiel 38 and 39 refer to the end of the millennial period .....except....the last 8 verses of Ezekiel 39 in which Ezekiel is then referring back to the period before the tribulation begins.