END TIMES PROPHECY

While we watch the seizing of freedom in America and the steady march to the collapse of the dollar [which is taking world economies with it], the Middle East is starting to come unglued. We are a front row witness to the prophetic setting of the stage for the War of Gog & Magog. We have seen alliances form between lifelong enemies Russia and Iran while at the same time countries like Turkey move from leaning to the west to path of strategic alliance with Russia and Iran. We are very close to the War of Gog & Magog, but before this happens there will be a Middle East war that will quickly start, rapidly conclude, and then soon followed by the War of Gog & Magog.

Looking at the road ahead, Israel is on the verge of a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. It is likely that this strike will either initiate this war or start a chain reaction of events that will quickly lead to this war.

The Bible tells us that the nation of Israel accomplishes all the prerequisites for the War of Gog & Magog via a military solution. In victory, they will become primed for the future events of the Russian-Iranian coalition destined to form against them. At the conclusion of this war [the war preceding the War of Gog & Magog known as the Psalm 83 War], Israel’s conquest over the inner circle of the surrounding Arab populations of Palestinians, Syrians, Saudi Arabians, Egyptians, Lebanese, and Jordanians will see Israel’s borders enlarged, prosperity increased, and national stature remarkably enhanced.

Ezekiel 28:24-26
"No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."

Simply paraphrased: “Yes, they will dwell securely when I [God] execute judgments on all those [Arab Nations] around them who despise them.” The Bible tells us that the national security Israel so desperately seeks today occurs via the judgments executed “on all those around them who despise them”

Surprisingly, “all those [Arab Nations] around them who despise” the emerging Jewish State of Israel, are conspicuously absent from the Russian/Iranian led coalition which includes Ethiopia, Libya, and Turkey along with several modern nations. Prophecy buffs have long wondered why this would be the case since presently “all those [Arab nations] around them who despise” Israel are some of the most vehement enemies of Israel. Coincidently, the Arab nations in question are members of a distinctly separate and yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy in the form of a petition to God found in Psalm 83:

Psalm 83:1-8
"Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You:  The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot. Selah"

We know that the Russian-Iranian led coalition will attempt to invade a militarily secure Israel. This condition of security becomes a reality only after the judgments are executed upon the surrounding Psalm 83 nations. The adversaries of Israel who seek to cut the Jews off from being a nation will form their own coalition. Unfortunately for them, they are described in Ezekiel 28:24-26 as “all those around them who despise them.” They are those upon whom God will execute devastating judgments prior to the formation of the Russian-Iranian coalition via the IDF [Israeli Defense Force].

Two Different Wars
Many have confused the events of the War of Gog & Magog with a preceding war describe in Psalm, Ezekiel, Obadiah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Zephaniah. Keep in mind that it is God and God alone who destroys the Russian/Iranian coalition. However, in this war [the Psalm 83 War], it is the Israeli army who blessed by God destroys a different Arab coalition.

Ezekiel 25:13-14
"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill its men and their animals. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan [Saudi Arabia] they will fall by the sword. I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel [Israeli Defense Force IDF], and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign LORD."

We must also look at the prerequisites for War of Gog & Magog:
1) Israel must be reestablished as a sovereign Jewish Nation.
2) Living securely “without walls” [Military secure].
3) Be living at peace in the Middle East.
4) One of, if not the richest nations on earth.

Ezekiel 38:10-12 tells us that at the time of the advancing Russian-Iranian led coalition, Israel will be “a people, who dwell safely, all if them dwelling without walls.” Israel will be a nation at peace in the Middle East.

Here are the two different coalitions:

Psalm 83 Coalition:
Tents of Edom = [decedents of Esau] Palestinian Refugees and Southern Jordanians
Ishmaelites = Saudi Arabians
Moab = Palestinian Refugees and Central Jordanians
Hagrites = Egyptians
Gebal = Northern Lebanese
Ammon = Palestinian Refugees and Northern Jordanians
Amalek = Arabs South of Israel
Philista = Palestinian Refugees and Hamas of Gaza Strip
Inhabitants of Tyre = Hezbollah and Southern Lebanese
Assyria = Syrians and perhaps Northern Iraqis included
Children of Lot = Moab and Ammon

Palestinians is the ethnic label tossed around loosely in modern times to identify three predominantly Arab groups of people: the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians of the West Bank, and the Palestinian refugees. These groups inhabit the territories that most closely approach the borders of modern-day Israel. We generally understand that these groups are comprised of a mixture of peoples who descend from various origins, the main one of these being traceable back to Esau, father of the Edomites.

Gog Magog Coalition:
Magog, Rosh = Russia and the former Soviet republics
Persia = Iran
Cush = Sudan, Ethiopia, and Possibly Eritrea
Put = Libya, Algeria, and Tunisa
Gomer, Meshech, and Tubal = Turkey (and possibly Germany and Austria)
Beth-togarmah = Turkey, Armenia, and the Turkish-speaking people of Asia Minor & Central Asia

Fast Approaching War
This impending war in the Middle East will be a major and devastating war. The Arab confederacy of Psalm 83 will be defeated and destroyed by the army of Israel:

Jeremiah 49:2
"But the days are coming, "declares the LORD," when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites [Ammon, Jordan]; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out," says the LORD."

Jeremiah 49:8
"Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan [Saudi Arabia], for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him [Southern Jordan]."

Jeremiah 49:19
"Like a lion [confederacy of Esau] coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland [Israel], I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?"

These are just three of many scriptures that point to a Middle East war that is fast approaching. Interestingly enough, many Bible scholars apparently do not recognize how soon. Some scholars place this war within the seven-year Tribulation period. This is however not the case.

Obadiah 1:15-16
"The day of the LORD [Tribulation] is near for all nations [not yet happened]. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. Just as you [Esau] drank [experience judgment] on my holy hill [Israel], so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been."

Obadiah 1:15-16 is a key scripture which reveals that Esau’s judgment will happen before Tribulation or "the day of the Lord."

Some have lumped this battle in with Armageddon, but as we have already seen this must take place before Armageddon and before Tribulation. There are two judgments that come against the territory of Edom in the latter years. The first by the Jews against the Palestinians and their confederate neighbors, and the second is by Jesus Christ against all the armies assembled in the campaign of Armageddon. If we compare Jeremiah 49:19-22 to the counterpart passage found in Jeremiah 50:43-46, we see depicted in both cases a military effort staged at the “flood plain of Jordan” against the Jews. The first campaign is by the Psalm 83 confederacy led by Edom, and the second is the campaign of Armageddon led by the Antichrist. In the first campaign, the objective is to destroy the Jews. In the second [Armageddon], all the armies of the world will converge with many gathering to fight against the Antichrist. It is at that point that Jesus Christ will return and they will all turn to fight him but will be completely destroyed.

The Psalm 83 War will occur soon, in advance of both the Russian-Iranian invasion attempt and the seventieth week of Daniel [seven year Tribulation period]. During the Tribulation period, the much feared Israeli army will be sidelined for the first three-and-one-half years while a false and temporary peace accord is in place. Then, in the second three-and-one-half years, this army is defeated and the Jews flee Israel for safety elsewhere as the Antichrist advances in an attempt to destroy them.

What Will Happen in This War
While Psalm 83 [and other already noted books in the Bible] tells us of this coming war, the Book of Obadiah which is a single book made up of 21 passages is a record of Obadiah’s vision given to him by God about this coming Middle East War.

Obadiah 1:18
"The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will set it on fire and consume it. There will be no survivors from the house of Esau. The LORD has spoken."

Israel, represented by the house of Jacob and Joseph reduces Southern Jordan, which is represented by Esau, to rubble. This defeat is thorough leaving no survivors.

Obadiah 1:9
"Your warriors, O Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down in the slaughter."

Obadiah 1:9 describes the soldiers of Teman, as having been slaughtered. This emphasizes the severity of Israel’s victory over the Palestinian descendants of Edom. Teman’s modern day equivalent may be Taiwan, about 3 miles east of Petra. However Teman and the mountains of Esau appear to be representative of the entire region of Edom in this passage.

Ezekiel 25:13-14
"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill its men and their animals. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan [Saudi Arabia] they will fall by the sword. I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel [Israeli Defense Force IDF], and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign LORD."

This war extends into Saudi Arabia.

Jeremiah 49:8
"Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him."

This is a warning to the Saudis to disengage from their confederate allegiance with the Palestinians. They are instructed to flee from the slaughter and go back into the depths of Saudi Arabia. The historical location of “Dedan” was in Northwest Saudi Arabia. Ezekiel tells us that the Saudis do not heed Jeremiah’s warning.

Ezekiel 25:13
"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill its men and their animals. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword."

This reference to Dedan, Arabia offers a connection to the confederacy of Esau/Edom found in Psalm 83:4-8 and Obadiah 1:7. In Psalm 83:6, the Saudis are represented by their ancestor Ishmael and are labeled as the “Ishmaelites.” Esau is Edom, according to Genesis 36:1, much like his twin bother Jacob is also called Israel [Genesis 32:28]

The army of Israel advances beyond the southern border of Jordan into northwest Saudi Arabia, represented by Dedan, as far south as the Red Sea.

Jeremiah 49:20-21
"Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; he will completely destroy their pasture because of them. At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea."
This places the confederate members of Saudi Arabia, Southern Jordan, and Egypt within this war's scope.

The army of Israel will cut off its confederate adversaries and then come down upon the Gaza territory. In continuing their conquest, they plunder the people of the East, which according to its scriptural usage in Genesis 29:1, would be Syria. They then lay their hands on all of Jordan causing its capitol to fall under Jewish sovereignty. Ammon represents northern Jordan, the location of the capitol city of Amman. Isaiah says the people of Ammon shall obey them, depicting the surrender of Jordanian sovereignty.

As this war rages, Isaiah 17 describes what will happen in the north with Syria. The description here is quite amazing. Please take a few seconds to open up and read Isaiah 17:1-14

Isaiah 17:1-9, is describing one of two events:
1) Syria [who we know has chemical and bio-weapons: http://www.meforum.org/493/guile-gas-and-germs-syrias-ultimate-weapons] launches some kind of chemical or biological attack that kills many in northern Israel which is then follow by a nuclear attack from Israel that wipes out Damascus.

OR EITHER

2) Israel fighting on all fronts and facing a Syrian army sweeping through the north utilize a limited version of its Samson Option [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_Option] to avoid being overrun. This nuclear strike is clearly going hit Damascus which is just over the Israeli northern border. It could be that Isaiah 17:4-6 is describing the radiation poisoning experienced in the north due to the fallout.

The results [from either event] are clearly spelled out. Damascus, the oldest continually inhabited city on earth, will be instantly and completely destroyed and Syria will be crushed by the IDF [Israeli Defense Force].

Isaiah 17:1,9,14
"An oracle concerning Damascus: "See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us."

From Isaiah 11:14 & Isaiah 17:1 we know that Israel will destroy Damascus and completely take over Syria. Presently, almost every known Middle Easter terrorist organization has representation in Damascus. How fitting that the city that is the most adversarial to the nation of Israel will cease to exist.

Both Jeremiah and Isaiah tell us how Egypt, another member of this Arab coalition, will react to the news of what the IDF [Israeli Defense Force] has done to Syria:

Isaiah 19:16-17
"In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them."

The picture that Isaiah aptly portrays is that of a fragile, unarmed female fighting a skilled male warrior wielding a mighty sword. The woman is freighted as the warrior waves his sword in the air.

Jeremiah 49:23-26
"Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, for they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; there is trouble on the sea; it cannot be quiet. Damascus has grown feeble; she turns to flee, and fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. Why is the city of praise [Jerusalem] not deserted, the city of My joy? Therefore her young men shall fall in her [Damascus] streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the LORD of hosts."

Israel’s Borders Expand: The New Middle East
The Bible tells us that as a result of this massive military victory given to Israel from God via the IDF, the face of the Middle East will drastically change. Israel will significantly increase in size. The tiny nation of Israel as we currently know it will soon encompass a major portion of the Middle East. The nations that form this Arab coalition fall [for the most part] within the scope of land from the covenant that God made with Abraham. At the end of this war, Israel’s borders will be reset to that of, or very close to, the borders that God established for Israel in is covenant with Abraham. Genesis 15:18

Obadiah 1:19
"The South shall possess the mountains of Esau [Southern Jordan], and the Lowland shall possess Philistia [Gaza Strip]. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria [West Bank]. Benjamin shall possess Gilead [West Bank & Golan Heights]."

The Negev will possess Southern Jordan. The lowland of Judah will possess the Gaza Strip and the southern parts of the West Bank. Northern Israel will possess the northern part of the West Bank, the Golan Heights, much of northern Jordan, and southern Syria.

Jeremiah 49:2
"Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war In Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the LORD."

Much of modern-day Jordan was once part of the inheritance of Israel. The tribes of East Manasseh, Benjamin, Gad, and Reuben once possessed land that is presently under Jordanian sovereignty but this land will soon pass back to its rightful owner.

Isaiah 19:18-19
"In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border."

Isaiah tells us that the expansion of Israeli sovereignty in the region will even reach into Egypt to some degree. Five Hebrew speaking cities will be established in the land of Egypt. There will be an altar erected to God as well as a pillar erected to God on the border.

Israel will be elevated to a condition of regional superiority due to their decisive victory over the Arab confederacy. As such, they dwell securely in the Middle East [for a time].

Prisoners of war
Israel will take prisoners of war. They will establish future detention camps in the regions of Southern Lebanon and the Negev.

Jeremiah 49:3,6
"Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, O inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molech will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. "Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites," declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 48:46-47
"Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity. "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come," declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab.

Jeremiah 49:11
"Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me."

The refugees left behind are the fatherless and the widows. The “mighty men” [soldiers] as they are called in Obadiah 1:9 are slaughtered in defeat, and the refugees left behind are instructed to trust in the Lord.

Obadiah 1:9
"Your warriors, O Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down in the slaughter."

According to Obadiah, these fatherless children and widows are transported to internment camps.

Obadiah 1:18-20
"The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,” For the LORD has spoken. The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, And the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim And the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captives of this host of the children of Israel Shall possess the land of the Canaanites As far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad Shall possess the cities of the South."

Some teach that the “the captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad” refers to the return of Jewish people back into Israel from Spain and other associated areas. However, the Hebrew word Obadiah uses for “this host,” is cheyl, which is defined as “a collateral form of; an army; also [by analogy] an entrenchment, or bulwark.” “This Host,” the ones referred to in verse 18 as the “houses of Jacob and Joseph” and known in verse 19 as “the possessors” of the expanded territories; “This Host” in verse 20 relocates Palestinian exiles. The Hebrew word used here by Obadiah for “possess,” is yaresh, and in this instance we can translate it as “supplanted.”

The inference here is that the Israeli army will take prisoners of war and detain them in designated areas. Israel will establish two camps for these POWs: one in the north “as far Zarephath,” which is modern day Lebanon, and one to “the south,” referring to the Negev also identified in verse 19.

The Nations Freak Out
Jeremiah 49:21
"At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea."

Jeremiah says the Earth shakes at the sound of their fall. This shows the magnitude of the affect that this war will have on the international community. The Hebrew word used here is “rash”, which expresses the trembling experienced during a devastating earthquake and its aftershock.

Isaiah 17:12-13 describes it this way:
"Oh, the raging of many nations— they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples— they roar like the roaring of great waters! 13 Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale."

Setting the stage for the Antichrist
It is also important to understand what the prophet Daniel declared regarding Edom and the end-time faithful Jewish remnant. He states that the Antichrist enters into the “Glorious Land” which is Israel with her new pre-ordained borders which at that time should encompass parts of what are modern day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.

Daniel 11:41
"He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand."

The Antichrist comes in heavy-handedly conquering many countries, but he does not overthrow Edom, Moab, and Ammon. These three territories comprise what today referred to as the nation of Jordan. Jordan became a nation in 1946 but prior to this was referred to down through the generations as Edom, Moab, and Ammon which as we already know will be under Jewish control. Daniel declares that Jordan escapes the hands of the Antichrist, yet Isaiah informs us that Jordanians do not escape the grasp of Israel’s army.

The sequence of events prophesied over Edom, Moab, and Ammon are first that the people of Jordan align themselves with the Psalm 83:6-8 confederacy. Second, this confederacy goes to war against Israel. Third, Israel defeats them. Fourth, Israel establishes sovereignty over Jordan. Fifth, the Antichrist initiates a campaign to destroy Israel. Sixth, the Antichrist avoids Jordan, and marches through Israel proper instead. We can tell by the path the Antichrist will take that his aim is to kill the Jews.

By connecting the dots, we can determine that the people whom Isaiah says, “Ammon shall Obey,” are those reigning over them. Since the events Daniel describes occur after the events Isaiah describes, we can surmise “the prominent people of Ammon” referred to by Daniel are those governing Jordan at the time that the Antichrist marches into Israel. According to Isaiah, those sovereign over Jordan at the time are the Jews.

Therefore “the prominent people of Ammon” whom Daniel declares will escape the march of the Antichrist will either be Jewish governors or some form of vassal Jordanian government subservient to Israeli sovereignty. Because the Antichrist is on a campaign to overthrow the Jews and kill them, his focus is on the supreme leadership of the Jews headquartered in Israel, rather than their ambassadors stationed in Amman [Amman, with an “a”, is the present day capital of Jordan]. This could be the reason the prominent people of Ammon escape.

Daniel 11:42-43 tells us that he will then go down into Egypt and he will take their treasure. He’ll probably use the excuse of taking out the [by then] established Jewish cities there as a reason for moving into the area but Daniel makes it clear that he will be taking the treasure from this area which is probably his real motivation.

IMPORTANT: A Signal To Christians
The judgment to befall Edom will serve as a precursor to the judgment that will come in “the day of the Lord upon all the nations.” Zephaniah 2 [Amplified Bible] makes clear that this judgment against Edom, which also extends to the other confederate member nations, is to serve as an example to the other nations but more importantly it is a call to the “meek of the Earth” to get right before “the day of the Lord” and the Rapture of the Church occurs.

Zephaniah 2:3-5
"Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger. For [hear the fate of the Philistines:] Gaza shall be forsaken and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; the people of Ashdod shall be driven out at noonday and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left."

Zephaniah sets the stage as follows: The Jews return into the land of Israel then conquer the Arab alliance which is really an Iranian plot. As a result, Israeli fortunes are greatly enhanced. Then Zephaniah appears to allude to the advance against the regionally superior Israel by the Russian/Iranian coalition spoken of in chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel, which is commonly referred to as the war of Gog & Magog.

Lastly, he declares that these events occur before the day of the Lord arrives, which is the period of time known as Tribulation. He prophesizes all of the above for the primary purpose of invoking the “meek of the Earth” [Christians] into the worship of God.

Included with the return of the Jewish people to their homeland is the restoration of their fortunes. This is an important area of Biblical prophecy not to be overlooked! Zephaniah, in his call to caution, causes the meek of the earth to consider very carefully this important episode. When they [you] witness Israel empowered, they are to recognize that the time to take action and be hidden from the day of the Lord is running out.