Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

In studying Bible Prophecy for over 20 years I used to believe that the war of Gog and Magog was a war that preceded Armageddon. Many of the teachers I read taught that. I still very much love to learn under those teachers. Even the Left Behind series refers to the War of Gog and Magog that took place a short time prior to the rapture in that book. Love the series by the way. However about six years ago I noticed that two teachers I like also very much saw it differently. Both Dave Hunt and Hal Lindsay, which are very close to the other teacher’s I like, were saying that the Gog and Magog war had to be at the end.

Why?

Well, if you don’t pay close enough to the literal wordage it’s easy to want to move the war as a precursor that will set up the final stage. Here’s where the problem lies with that.

Ezekiel 39:21-22 – ²¹ “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them. ²² From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God.

This is at the end of the Gog and Magog war. Israel cannot make a 7 year peace treaty with the antichrist (thinking he’s their Messiah) after this war, if they know the Lord their God. It has to be at the end before his return.

Now to share the simple thing I have overlooked for many years. This is the way it usually works. Simple and right in front our face.

Because Israel has not seen peace since they have been back in the land (and now is as a good a reminder than ever of that) this verse popped out to me today. The first part of Ezekiel 38 explains those who will gather to make war. Chuck Missler does a good study and breakdown on that. Starting in verse seven we read this:

Ezekiel 38:7-10-   ⁷ “‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. ⁸ After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. ⁹ You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land. ¹⁰ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme.

And then here comes the easy verse I read over a hundred plus times.

Ezekiel 38:11 – ¹¹ You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.

When has Israel since they became a nation again felt like they have been at peace or unsuspecting of an attack? ????

Then because I realized six years ago this had to be around the time of Armageddon it finally dawned on me. When will Israel feel safe? When they sign a peace treaty with who they think is the Messiah. Unfortunately it is really the antichrist. We know he breaks the treaty half way into it (Daniel 9:27).

For some who read this, they’re thinking way to go Einstein. If you’re like me though, some the most elementary things are the ones that come to life. I never seem to miss it because it’s harder to understand. No I usually miss it when it was literally easier.

Now that I don’t see a warning precursor war, I believe we are closer than ever to our Lord snatching away His Church. Live for Him daily. Make Him Lord. If you don’t know how to, I have put a page on the front of my website to the right. As always shoot me a line if you have made that commitment. I’d love to hear about it.