Gog-Magog posturing continuing!

by Michael G. Mickey

(9-23-05)

In the 38th & 39th chapters of the book of Ezekiel, a prophecy of a yet-to-be-fulfilled battle most students of Bible prophecy refer to as the Gog-Magog invasion is described in detail. Among the nations listed and expected to participate in the invasion attempt which will be thwarted by God (in the early Tribulation Period, in my opinion) are the following:

Magog - Most agree this is a reference to Russia.
Meshech - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia, but some say it refers to the Moscow area.
Tubal - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia
Persia - modern Iran
Ethiopia
Libya
Gomer - eastern Europe or Turkey
Togarmah - southeastern Europe or Turkey

As everyone knows who is following the news lately, Iran (Persia) is making a lot of waves with its nuclear program which many nations suspect exists solely for the purpose of making nuclear weapons. As a result, the so-called 'EU3' (Britain, France and Germany) have been attempting to negotiate an end to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Having been unsuccessful in doing so, the EU threatened earlier this week to take the matter before the United Nations Security Council, as seen in a Yahoo News story, but opposition came from two sources of concern to them - Russia and China - both of whom will play a huge role in the fulfillment of Tribulation Period prophecies. Interestingly, faced with the prospect of having to deal with Russia and China, the EU3 started considering backing down, as seen in a Yahoo News story which stated the following, in part:

The EU's three biggest powers are considering backing down from a demand that the U.N. nuclear watchdog report Iran to the U.N. Security Council due to fierce opposition from Russia and China, diplomats said on Wednesday.
Both Russia and China have warned the United States, France, Britain and Germany against escalating the nuclear standoff with Iran, potentially blocking their drive to haul Tehran before the U.N.'s highest body for possible sanctions.

In the end, as a Haaretz article demonstrates, the EU's three biggest powers have now, only days later, backed down from their demand that the UN nuclear watchdog report Iran to the UN Security Council because of opposition from Russia and China.

Isn't it interesting that we see Russia coming to the aid of a future Gog-Magog ally in the form of Iran and 3 EU nations succumbing to them at this juncture in the end times? Several things come to mind in light of this. The obvious thing that comes to mind is Russia is in cahoots with Iran, but I'm fascinated, secondly, by the EU3's sudden collapse under the threat of opposition from Russia and China. Why? Not only does Bible prophecy tell us Russia and Iran will be military allies in an attack on the nation of Israel which I believe will take place in the early Tribulation Period, the prophesied Antichrist, who will someday lead the revived Roman empire we today call the European Union, is eventually, according to prophecy, going to pluck up three horns from among his ranks by the roots, as seen in Daniel 7:8.

Could it be the prophesied Antichrist will arrive in the world spotlight by fulfilling Daniel 9:27's prophecy of a seven-year peace plan being confirmed in the Middle East "with many" only to have the EU3's lack of willpower to stand up in the face of Iran, Russia, and China come back to haunt him in the early Tribulation Period when the Gog-Magog attack happens, causing him to sever them from among his ranks in spite of the fact he and his forces will come out of the Gog-Magog battle with few to no casualties as a direct result of God's intervention on behalf of Israel as a result of the existential threat posed by the massive forces brought against the Jewish nation by the Gog-Magog confederacy? Admittedly, the potential plucking of the EU3 for this reason is 100% conjecture on my part. Even so, there's little doubt whatsoever the EU is eventually going to look back on the EU3's decision to back off of Iran and conclude they made a very bad decision.

Why will the Gog-Magog invasion take place?

Ezekiel 38:13 prophesies several nations are going to inquire as to why the Gog-Magog attack is taking place when it does (emphasis added mine):

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?

What could cause Iran with all its oil wealth, for example, to be motivated to attack Israel out of greed of the Jewish nation's wealth, especially when we have seen, even within the last week, evidence in the news of our world today that clearly demonstrates how much Israel and Iran dislike one another?

From Haaretz:

Israel and Iran engaged in a running exchange of insults at Tuesday General Assembly session, sparring over each others' nuclear programs and terrorism.

Shalom [the Israeli Foreign Minister] launched the verbal barrage by calling the Islamic Republic an "evil regime" governed by "the tyrants of Tehran" who sought to "terrorize the world with nuclear weapons."

That prompted a riposte from Iranian envoy Ahmad Sadeghi, who called Israel a "Zionist regime" with a "dark history" and a "lack of legitimacy" ruled by "culprits of various crimes against humanity and war crimes."

"Israel's nuclear danger, and its missile capability, coupled with its wicked behavior and satanic intentions present a real threat not only to regional peace and security but also to the whole world," Sadeghi told the 191-nation assembly.

That unleashed a one-sentence reply from Israel's UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman, who expressed appreciation "for a lecture on human rights, on world terror and on nuclear proliferation from one of the world's greatest experts on that field."

Given their open dislike of Israel, it is odd to picture the wealthy, terrorist-supporting nation of Iran someday looking to go after Israel for monetary reasons, isn't it? But what if Israel suddenly came into tremendous wealth in the not-too-distant future?

In April of 2004, Hal Lindsey wrote an article for WorldNetDaily in which he described how a company was in Israel looking for oil fields based on information contained in the Bible. In a follow-up of sorts to that, WorldNetDaily is, in an article dated 9-22-05, asking the following question: Is Israel sitting
on enormous oil reserve? The founder of Zion Gas and Oil is quoted in the latest article as saying the following, which I believe is quite noteworthy of consideration in light of the Gog-Magog invasion participants' motives of greed:

"The Bible spells out where the oil is. It's very specific. Now we're here to find it, and I know that when we do, the Scriptures will come alive for everyone who hears about it. And Israel will have enough oil not to worry about all the implications of the Arab states using their oil to threaten and gain power."

Talk about turning the world upside down! If Israel is found to be in possession of a massive oil field as Brown believes it eventually will be, Russia and the Arab world may soon have a HUGE motive to eyeball Israel. Why? Because there is little doubt the Western world would, as soon as possible, begin trading with Israel as opposed to the Arab world, essentially wiping out the Arab world's largest international bargaining chip.

Can you imagine a time more opportune for Israel to strike it rich in oil than right now? I know I can't. Is it going to happen? I don't know but, one way or another, Israel's wealth is going to become an issue in the prophetic future as seen in Ezekiel's prophecy.

Conclusion

Much as everything else is moving along according to the prophetic script of God detailed in the Bible, the images and concepts associated with Ezekiel's prophecy of Russia and an Arab-Muslim confederacy coming against the nation of Israel are easier to imagine taking place all the time - a reminder that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's return is right around the prophetic corner!

Keep looking up!

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