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The Great And Final
BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON 
Is Ezekiel's War Armageddon?Will Britain, the United States, and Saudi Arabia engage in the epic BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON against Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya and Ethiopia, on Israel's soil? Will armies of the Spirit of Antichrist be Russian-equipped Muslims coming to destroy Israel and support a newly-established Palestinian State? By Ken Raggio This article was first written in December, 1998. It has been frequently updated, latest version - December, 2011 Antichrist Meets Christ The great and final Battle of Armageddon will be the epic showdown between the great powers of the earth at Jerusalem. It will be so horrific that "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved," Matthew 24:22. Those days WILL be shortened when Jesus Christ comes with "the army of Heaven," and thoroughly destroys all these earthly armies of His and Israel's enemies. The early stages of this war will begin when THE MOST EVIL MAN OF ALL TIME rises to power in Jerusalem. A world war will break out involving the armies of this EVIL MAN against his opponents, whom he will defeat. Jesus Christ will come to rescue Israel and the world from this MAN OF SIN. The Battle of Armageddon will actually begin before Jesus returns, but Jesus will strike the victorious blow that will terminate the MAN OF SIN and his accomplices, and set the stage for the 1000-year Kingdom of Christ. We are witnessing at this very moment, the staging of the Battle of Armageddon. The purpose of this article is to explain how these events will soon unfold. Most people do not really comprehend any of the critical Biblical facts that accurately define who the Antichrist is. Consequently, there are many outrageous theories about who the Antichrist is going to be. Before you believe ANY of the wild things that are being said about the Antichrist, you need to know exactly what the Bible says about Antichrist. A good place to start is in Daniel 11. I have written a major article on that topic, and you should read it when you can. The SPIRIT of ANTICHRIST is Satan himself. The ANTICHRIST SPIRIT will be manifest in THREE ENTITIES: 1. The Seven-Headed, Ten-Horned Beast of Revelation 13.
A LION: Britain A BEAR: Russia A 4-HEAD LEOPARD with WINGS OF A FOWL: Europe, dominated by Germany (Leopard) and France (Rooster) A DREADFUL BEAST: The United Nations
provoking the Second Coming of Jesus at Armageddon. These THREE ENTITIES: * A European/United Nations coalition * The Roman Catholic Church * A Muslim/Assyrian Man of Sin will make the FINAL ASSAULT on Jerusalem and Israel. In its very simplest form, HERE IS THE PLAN:
2. The FIRST BEAST of Revelation 13 (the last world government, dominated by Europe) will collaborate WITH THE POPE of the Roman Catholic Church to INSTALL AN ASSYRIAN Governor over Jerusalem, in the newly-formed Palestinian State. 3. Halfway through that 7-year Covenant, the Man of Sin will commit the Abomination of Desolation in the Third Temple in Jerusalem. 4. That Assyrian governor will, with the backing of Europe and the Roman Catholic Church, perpetrate the GREAT TRIBULATION, during which all Jews will be forced out of the West Bank (God's Chosen 144,000 will be sealed and protected at that time). 5. The rest of the world will fall into GREAT TRIBULATION as well, enslaved by the MARK OF THE BEAST, like no other time in the history of man. 6. The SIXTH TRUMPET WAR will occur, killing 1/3 of mankind. This will be an EAST versus WEST "Clash of Civilizations." I expect this war will be a showdown between Russia and China (supporting SHIA ISLAM of Iran, Turkey, etc.) AGAINST SUNNI ISLAM, supported by the WEST. 7. The BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON will soon follow. These THREE POWERS - World Government, the Pope, and the Assyrian will constitute the ANTICHRIST SYSTEM. These THREE POWERS will effectively destroy Israel and enslave the entire world. According to Revelation 13, the FALSE PROPHET / Pope will cause the MARK OF THE BEAST to be introduced. I have written extensively about the BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET controlling JERUSALEM. I believe that, as crazy as it sounds, the Vatican will actually endorse and install a Muslim "Assyrian" governor over Jerusalem. There are MANY Biblical, prophetic reasons why I believe this, but do not have the time or space to explain it all here. Nevertheless, I believe we can expect to see EUROPE, the POPE, and an ASSYRIAN leader to bring all the major prophecies of the last days into complete fulfillment. Although the POPE will have powerful influence in orchestrating the POWER-GRAB in Jerusalem, I believe that it will actually be the ASSYRIAN who will stand in the Third Temple and commit the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Daniel 9 and Matthew 24. After studying this matter for thousands of hours, I have come to the conclusion that the POPE (at that time) will be the person that most people call the ANTICHRIST, but A MUSLIM from the region of Turkey, Syria, Iran or Iraq will be the Biblical "ASSYRIAN." In the most literal terms, all three of these men occupy a very "antichrist" role! 1. President of the European-driven World Government 2. The Pope 3. The Assyrian In fact, ALL THREE will be personally destroyed at Armageddon - by Jesus Christ and His Heavenly army. I urge you to to study all the Revelation prophecies and their interpretations at "Lessons from the Book of Revelation," which is a MAJOR point-by-point Bible study! You will then see the entire logic and reasoning behind my conclusions here. The Pope and the Roman Catholic Church have ENORMOUS influence in Israeli politics and government. I expect to see the Pope bearing unimaginable influence in bringing about the establishment of a Palestinian State, AND in the installation of "THE ASSYRIAN" as its governor. Jerusalem and the government of Palestine will be given to an Assyrian, who will ultimately be destroyed when Jesus Christ returns for the Battle of Armageddon. In fact, all three leaders - the Beast, the False Prophet, and the Assyrian will be destroyed by Christ when He comes. The Prophet Daniel called the Assyrian the "King of the North." In Daniel's days, that was the region of the old Assyrian Empire. Today, it includes the countries of modern Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Several Bible prophecies reveal that Jesus Christ will meet and defeat "the Assyrian" on the mountains of Jerusalem during the Battle of Armageddon. This article will help you see more exactly how it will all unfold. The graphic below comes from my lesson on Daniel 11, and shows the general area of the "King of the North" from which the ASSYRIAN will come.
The Purpose That Is Purposed Upon The Whole Earth
The PURPOSE of Armageddon is made clear in Isaiah's prophecy: "I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth," Isaiah 14:25-26. In other prophecies, the Assyrian is called "the King of the North," a term which refers throughout Biblical history to the region of the ancient Assyrian Empire. Daniel prophesied, "At the time of the end shall the king of the south [Egypt] push at him: and the king of the north [The ASSYRIAN] shall come against him like a whirlwind, ...and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over ...all the precious things of Egypt," Daniel 11:40,42-43. 
The Allies Of The Spirit Of Antichrist Will Assault Jerusalem Let me just go straight to a preliminary conclusion here, before going into a lot of explanations. The armies that are most immediately allied with the Spirit of Antichrist will come from ancient Assyrian roots. At first, the armies of the Man of Sin will defeat all other armies before JESUS CHRIST appears on the holy mountains of Jerusalem to overthrow and terminate Spirit of Antichrist's earthly prince. To teach Ezekiel's prophecies to you, I will use a unique format for this article. I will simply present the actual scriptures pertaining to Ezekiel's War. Then I will paraphrase them, for your understanding. The conclusions should be obvious. Pay close attention.
Ezekiel 38:1-3
We must first define FIVE NEW TERMS found in the verses above:"And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 1. Gog 2. Magog 3. Chief Prince 4. Meshech 5. Tubal This we will do in this first section. God says to Ezekiel, "Turn facing Gog, the land of Magog." 1. Who is Gog? "Gog" comes from the Hebrew phrase "nesi rosh," or "leader." The Brown, Driver, and Briggs lexicon of the Hebrew language states "Rosh" is also the "proper name of a people ... today's Russia." But many scholars do NOT agree with that conclusion. On most of the continent, Russia's roots are derived from Slavic and Finish ancestry. But it is different in Southern Russia. The Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have Arabic ancestry. Anciently, the entire region was called Scythia. So Scythia is Gog, the land of Magog. 2. Who is Magog? Josephus, the ancient Hebrew historian, referred to Magog, "whom the Greeks call Scythia." Ancient Scythia was found in what is now southern Russia. Let us restate the verse, using the names of modern nations instead of Gog and Magog. "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against the region of Southern Russia, the Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan..." 
"the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal..." 3. Who is the CHIEF PRINCE of Meshech and Tubal? This term "chief prince," refers to the DEMON PRINCIPALITY of that region. Paul said that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," (Ephesians 6:12). "Gog, the land of Magog" (Russia) is called the CHIEF PRINCE of Meshech and Tubal. (If you need more proof that this "PRINCE" is a DEMON, I urge you read this important article entitled, " Spiritual War." It will explain that subject in detail.) 4. Who is Meshech? Who is Tubal? "Meshech" and "Tubal" were sons of Japheth whose descendants settled near the Black Sea, which is now in modern Russia. All of my life, I have heard that "Meshech" referred to what is now the city of Moscow, and that "Tubal" referred to the Russian city of Tobolsky on the Tobal (Tubal) River, but that proved to be incorrect, and I no longer believe it. Here is why... Numerous historical sources prove that both Meshech and Tubal were parts of Scythia (Southern Russia). MESHECH is associated with the MESKHITI mountain range and the MESKHI tribes. That immediate area is now TBILISI, the Capital of GEORGIA. Many Georgians claim to be descendants of Meshech. (See the map below.) 
So what does that mean?
Gog and Magog, Meshech and Tubal ARE NOT IN RUSSIA PROPER. They are NOT MOSCOW OR TOBALSKY. The area is now known as Georgia and Armenia. What can we make of this? The ARMIES that will come to JERUSALEM to fight in behalf of the ANTICHRIST will come from the direction of these states on the southern border of Russia. It is shocking to learn that Russian military forces are presently occupying two Georgian provinces - South Ossetia and Abkhazia! South Ossetia recently declared its independence from Georgia and is allied with Russia, although Western nations do not recognize their independence. Russia and Georgia are not predominately Muslim, but Russia's invasion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia CLEARLY demonstrates Russia's expansionist intentions into that region. We have also seen Russia's diligent efforts to provide armaments to the Muslim states in this region, especially Syria and Iran. Slowly but surely, Russia is moving southward toward the Middle East, and it is coming down between the BLACK SEA and the CASPIAN SEA. In Ezekiel's words, MAGOG (Russia), the CHIEF PRINCE of MESHECH and TUBAL (GEORGIA) will attack ISRAEL. Study this map, and you will see the arrows showing recent military movements of Russian troops into Georgia, moving southward toward the Middle East. This movement, I believe, is extremely prophetic in nature.
This is a current picture of
Gog-Magog (Russia) exercising dominion as Chief Prince over Meshech and Tubal (by invading Georgia)!! 
ALL the other states mentioned in these verses are NOW MUSLIM nations! Iran, Syria, Turkey, even Iraq, are all predominantly Muslim - fundamentalists and often radical Muslim at that. Quite obviously, this invasion of Israel is going to be carried out by Communists and Muslims. The Bible clearly teaches us that AN ASSYRIAN will be CRUSHED by GOD on the mountains of Jerusalem. So it is of great significance that the ASSYRIAN NATIONS of Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq are in great upheaval at this time, and ALL are threatening the destruction of ISRAEL!! The REGION in which all these events are taking place is that of the ancient Assyrian Empire.
Ezekiel 38:4
"And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: "Tell Prince Gog of Russia that I will drag him and his armies into a heavily-armed battle." I suspect that the Palestinian Authority, or a newly-formed Palestinian State, will be the "hook" that forces Russia to come to the aid of its Arab-Muslim allies who sympathize with him against Israel. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has visited with Vladimir Putin several times, and Russia is empathic to the Fatah government.
Ezekiel 38:5
"Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Ancient Persia is Modern Iran. Ethiopia and Libya are still in the same place. In ancient times, Gomer was the region that is now western Turkey. Togarmah was the region that is now eastern Turkey and portions of Armenia. Ancient scholars like Josephus and Hippolytus of Rome wrote that Meshech and Tubal were in the region north of the Black Sea, from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on the east to Bulgaria and Romania in the west. (There appears to be a slight possibility that NATO could be involved in this attack on Israel, since Turkey is a member of NATO.) So Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, and Turkey will be Russia's allies, which constitute a Russian-Muslim coalition. 
Ezekiel 38:7
"Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them." "Prince Gog of Southern Russia, you will be guardian to Iran, Ethiopia, Libya and Turkey." Amazingly, Russia is a principal armaments provider to these nations at present. We are presently seeing all of these Biblical coalitions and political scenarios developing. How could anyone but God have revealed these remarkable modern political alliances... 2,500 years ago?
Ezekiel 38:8
"After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. "Prince Gog of Russia, someone will visit you and you will find yourself going against the resurrected State of Israel." This amazing prophecy predated both the dispersion and eventual regathering of Israel (that occurred in 1948).
Ezekiel 38:9
"Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. "Prince Gog of Russia, you will fly upon Israel with your many allies."
Ezekiel 38:10
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:" "At the same time you are flying upon Israel, you will have an evil idea."
Ezekiel 38:11
"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," "Your evil thought will cause you to say, 'I will move on this vulnerable land.'"
Ezekiel 38:12
"To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places 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." "Your evil scheme will involve taking spoils and prey from this restored and prosperous nation." The most important "SPOIL" or "PREY" that could motivate this war is the land of Israel itself. Practically the entire world wants to strip Israel of its land holdings. I can only speculate about the reasons RUSSIA might have for this historic aggression, but I strongly suspect two reasons. 1. Russia is allied with Tehran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Iran is a client state of Russia. Many political and economic forces are at work. 2. The Palestinian Authority will plead for Russian assistance in defending a newly formed Palestinian State against Israel, and the Russian-Muslim coalition will answer the call. Since the Arab world is rich with oil reserves, Russia has enormous incentives for siding with Arabs instead of the Jews. This will certainly create an Armageddon-like scenario, since one of the Palestinians' stated objectives is to demand (at least East) Jerusalem as its capital city.
Ezekiel 38:13
"Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto 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? 1. Who is Sheba and Dedan? Dedan was anciently in Northwest Arabia. Sheba and Dedan could be a reference to the entire country of Saudi Arabia, or it could refer to a coalition of those countries on the Arabian Peninsula. 2. Who is Tarshish and the young lions? I believe that Tarshish and "the young lions" thereof refers to the British Isles and the USA. Here’s why: First of all, Tarshish is an ambiguous reference. No one knows exactly where ancient Tarshish was. Many scholars agree that it was a far off destination through the Mediterranean Sea. The ships of Tarshish brought gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks according to 2 Chronicles 9:21. We don't know if Tarshish was the source or destination of those ships. It sounds as though merchant vessels were bringing back this exotic merchandise for points afar. Most Bible scholars accept the notion that Tarshish was in the direction of Cyprus and Spain. Some suspect there might have been a town on the coast of Spain from which these ships came. Another notion worth considering is that these ships came from the British Isles, since the British Isles are around the coast of Spain to the North. Psalm 72:10, "The kings of Tarshish and OF THE ISLES shall bring presents:" Lebanon's port of Tyre (North of Israel) was a receiving port for the ships of Tarshish (Isaiah 23:1), discounting the possibility that they came from a southern destination. Several references link Tarshish with "the isles" (Psalm 72:10, Isaiah 60:9, 66:19). In addition, the DISTANCE between Israel and the British Isles could explain why no one in Bible days actually knew where it was. We have plenty of circumstantial evidence in favor of this interpretation, and absolutely no hard evidence to prove it wrong. Secondly, the "young lions of Tarshish" adds an interesting twist. Isaiah 5:29 speaks of God bringing enemies from around the world against rebellious Israel. "Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it." The young lions came from "THE NATIONS FROM AFAR," (verse 6). Jeremiah 2:14-16 says, "Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head." Here Noph and Tahapanes are both cities of EGYPT. Are they the young lions? In the book of Nahum, references are made to NINEVAH and her young lions. Ezekiel himself even refers to ISRAEL’S OWN young lions (chapter 19). The overall conclusion seems to be that young lions refers to the youth or offspring of any people or nation. Who would be the offspring of the British Isles? No better answer seems available than THE UNITED STATES! Remember, the original 13 American colonies were British Colonies! If these arguments have any merit, (and I think they have far more merit than any other prospects), then Tarshish and her young lions is Britain and the United States. If not, then who else could Tarshish be? Who else in world politics could play this role, if not Britain? None that I can think of. Furthermore, we must not dismiss this prophecy as unknowable. Why would God give us such a crucial prophecy if there is no possible interpretation? With these keys, however, verse 13 paraphrased says a lot. "Saudia Arabia, along with Britain and the US will call Russia and her allies to give account for their motives." Now we have an extremely interesting scenario, because Saudi Arabia has ALREADY BEEN in a coalition with Britain and the United States against its own Arab and Muslim neighbors (namely, in the Gulf War of 1990-91). Saudi Arabia is still very much in cahoots with the American military. Saudi Arabia, along with Britain and the United States are almost certain to be the only PRACTICAL voices to stand up to a Russian-Muslim aggression in the Middle East. If this is truly the case, then Ezekiel's prophecy is amazingly pointing to a confrontation that is developing RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES. In reality, BOTH SIDES of this great war are likely to involve Muslims. I suspect that we will see a SHIA MUSLIM "ASSYRIAN" supported by IRAN, RUSSIA, TURKEY, et al, FACING RESISTANCE FROM A WESTERN COALITION THAT INCLUDES SAUDI ARABIA and Sunni Muslims. According to the prophecies, the Russian coalition will prevail over the Western coalition, as the (Shia?) "ASSYRIAN" rises to power in Jerusalem. Ultimately, it looks like Jesus Christ is going to have a personal confrontation with Shia Islam's purported "Twelfth Mahdi." If you want to know about the Twelfth Mahdi, read my article entitled, "Will The Real Antichrist Please Stand Up?"
Ezekiel 38:14-16
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. "God said to the prophet, 'Tell the Prince of Russia that when he goes with his allies to battle against Israel, I am causing you to do it so the entire world will know that this is an act of God.'"
Ezekiel 38:17-18
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. "Warn the Prince of Russia that I have known that this would happen since ancient times, and when it happens, I am going to show my fury against you." These are the Divine emotions associated with the Day of the Lord, or Armageddon.
Ezekiel 38:19-22
"For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD. "God says that when this Russian coalition aggression begins, He is going to shake everything in Israel, from the seas to the heavens, creatures and mankind. Every man on earth will tremble, and the land itself will experience dramatic earthquakes." A world war will break out, as all of Russia’s enemies rise up against this aggression. Russia will suffer a magnificent defeat when Jesus comes, and God will be magnified in the eyes of all the world. These horrific calamities which lead to Armageddon are also identical to the calamities mentioned in the Book of Revelation 9 and 19.
Ezekiel 39:1-8
Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. 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. 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. Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken. This world war (III? IV?) between the Russian-Muslim coalition and British-American-Saudi coalition will end when God Himself intervenes. That intervention will come in the body of Jesus Christ, standing on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, destroying all His enemies at Armageddon. The prophecy says that He will make His holy name known (verse 7). The name of the LORD is JESUS. At the conclusion of Ezekiel's War, the name of Jesus will be revealed to Israel, and it will NEVER BE POLLUTED again. If Ezekiel's war took place earlier in the seven years, (or if, for instance, it was the Sixth Trumpet war of Revelation 9:13), that statement could not be true. Only when Jesus comes back as Israel's Savior, and they "look upon Him whom they pierced" (Zechariah 12:10) will His Name be sanctified forever. As a result of Jesus' appearance, the heathen will know that He is the Lord (verse 7). This is the LONG-AWAITED, LONG-PROPHESIED appearance, the great moment of Jesus Christ revealing Himself to the world!
Ezekiel 39:9-11
"And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog." "God says that Israel will take a spoil of all the military equipment left behind from the defeated Russian coalition armies. The Russian coalition casualties will be buried in Israel."
Ezekiel 39:12-16
"And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land." At the end of this world war, Israel will need seven months to bury the dead. It will be a major clean-up project, involving civilians hired specifically for that purpose. Some may object to the notion of Israel cleaning up the dead during the Millennium, but there is no apparent reason why that cannot happen.
Ye Shall Be Filled At My Table
Ezekiel 39:17-20 "And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. The war dead, including high ranking officers from this Russian invasion will leave behind a huge feast for the vultures and beasts of the field. This is the same great feast that is announced in Revelation:
The Supper Of The Great God
Revelation 19:16-18, 21-22 "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. ...And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I [Jesus] am the LORD their God from that day and forward." All the world, as well as all of Israel will plainly understand that this was the judgment of the Lord God. From that day forward, the Lord Jesus will be known throughout Israel. That could not happen before His return at Armageddon.
Revelation 9:23-24
"And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them." Everyone will know that Israel was first punished for her evil. The whole world will recognize in that day that Israel suffered around the world for many centuries because of its sins against God.
Revelation 9:25-29
"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD." "God says that after Israel's dispersion and punishment, He has put them back in their land, brought new enemies against them, and DELIVERED THEM from these enemies. He will defend them from now on." Will Jesus Christ Himself appear for this magnificent defeat? Obviously. There can be no doubt. In every way, this APPEARS to be the place where Jesus comes back to fight against the enemies of Israel. This really looks like Armageddon. In fact, it IS Armageddon. Zechariah 12 plainly refers to the Valley of Megiddon where Armageddon will be fought.
Zechariah 12:9-11 provides further support:
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: AND THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon." (Note: "Armageddon" is derived from "Har-Meggido" - "mountain of Megiddo.") Zechariah 14:1-4 "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And HIS FEET SHALL STAND in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." Ezekiel 37:12-14 "Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD." Ezekiel 37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all." [King Jesus!] Ezekiel 37:27 "My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Romans 11:26-27 "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins."
As the Battle of Armageddon comes to a close,
the following choice quotations tell the final story: "I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle." "Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And HIS FEET SHALL STAND in that day upon the mount of Olives." "I will bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel." "O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: AND THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED." "And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land." "Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel." "I will be their God, and they shall be my people." "Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God." "So the house of Israel shall know that I [Jesus] am the LORD their God from that day and forward." "And so all Israel shall be saved." These AMAZING truths should convert every one of us into radical believers in the infallible Word of God! In view of these mind-boggling developments, no warning is too strong to provoke us to prepare spiritually, mentally and physically for the days ahead. It's time to get ready for the end of this age. For the Church, it's time to look up. Our redemption draweth nigh. If you are not ready to meet God, your immediate question must be, "What must I do to be saved?" Please refer to this article for instructions in the plan of salvation. What Are We Bracing For? and especially, When Will The Rapture Take Place? You need to know these things, so you will be prepared. E-mail this article to a Friend
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