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The Battle of Gog and Magog |
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| Iranian President Ahmadinejad |
Many Christians believe the next major battle in the Middle East will be the battle of Armageddon. This is not so. In Ezekiel 38-39, the prophet describes a battle which happens before this event. It is commonly known as the Battle of Gog and Magog. This is a battle in which Russia and the countries north of Israel ally with Iran and other Muslim countries to the south, west, and east of Israel. It is a coalition which attacks Israel with a view toward plundering the country. In this battle, Ezekiel seems to say that Israel will be left to defend itself without help from other countries. In this particular battle however, God supernaturally comes to the aid of Israel and destroys the invading armies in a devastating way. With the current alliances Russia is negotiating with Iran and other Muslim countries, this battle may not be far in the future. Some Bible scholars believe it could even happen before the Rapture.
Prophecy is like a jigsaw puzzle. Prophetic events are scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments, with major portions being in the books of Daniel, Revelation, and the Major and Minor Prophets. For various reasons, it appears the Battle of Gog and Magog will probably happen before the midpoint of the Tribulation and possibly even as early as the start of the Tribulation. One of the reasons for this view is that Ezekiel describes the weapons left over from the battle being used for heating fuel for seven years. Also, since it is possible that up to 80 percent of Russia's military will be destroyed in this event, according to the King James Version of the Bible, they would need several years to rebuild their military in order to participate in the Battle of Armageddon as prophesied in Revelation. Because of this some Bible teachers think the Battle of Gog and Magog could even happen before the Rapture takes place.
Why It Could Happen Within The Next Few Years
There are several reasons why this battle could take place within the next few years.
1. Iran is developing nuclear weapons. This fact is probably the biggest threat which will soon have to be dealt with by Israel. The theology of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad makes it highly likely that Iran will initiate a strike against Israel within the near future. Ahmadinejad has publically declared a number of times that Israel must be destroyed. He also believes a global holocaust has to occur before the Islamic messiah can be revealed. He has gone on record that this is the sole purpose he has been appointed President of Iran, that is to create a global catastrophe and havoc to bring in the Islamic messiah. The Islamic mindset does not negotiate except for the purpose of preparing for jihad. Past "peace treaties" have been for the sole purpose of regrouping or preparing to wage war. This has been borne out time and again in the history of Muslims. It is common knowledge that militant Islam does not want to share land with Israel. The very doctrine of Islam is to wipe out all unbelievers who do not convert to the Islamic faith.
2. Russia has been in the process for some time in forming alliances with Muslim nations and groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah and equipping them with arms and military and nuclear know-how and assistance. The Russian leader Putin is known to be a hardliner set on the process of restoring Russia to its former status as an empire.
3. Israel is believed to have large deposits of oil and natural gas waiting to be discovered and exploited. It is believed to even possibly be more oil than the main Arabic oil exporting countries. There are even cryptic Biblical passages which seem to confirm this belief in massive oil deposits in Israel. If a major oil strike were to happen in Israel in the near future, this would lead to it becoming a major source of oil thereby reducing the Arab oil producing countries to a secondary status. This in itself would be ample motive for a coalition of Russian and Islamic countries to invade Israel.
4. Israel also has other major mineral resources in the Dead Sea. One of the minerals is potash, which is used as a fertilizer. This is being developed into a major source of income for Israel; a mineral which has extensive use in countries where food development is sorely needed.
For those Christians who keep up-to-date on the events in the Middle East, it is obvious the events which are happening are setting the stage for some of the major events foretold in Scripture. With the tensions being what they are, it's like the hair-trigger of a Smith and Wesson revolver just waiting for someone to set it off.
A Pre-emptive Strike By Israel Is Possible
 As a result of the recent Israeli elections, it would appear Netanyahu will be the next Prime Minister. He is attempting to form a right centrist coalition in the Israeli government. He has gone on record that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. In a recent speech, Netanyahu referred to the challenges facing Israel: "Iran is developing nuclear weapons and poses the greatest threat to our existence since the War of Independence. Iran's terror wings surround us from the north and south."
In the past, negotiations with Iran and other Muslim countries has always failed to bring about a lasting compromise. It may be that Israel will see a pre-emptive strike to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities as the only option. This could ignite the powder keg which leads to the Battle of Gog and Magog in the near future.
When Will It Happen?
Although there are some Bible scholars who believe it can happen before the Rapture of the Church, most do not think this is the case. In fact, Ezekiel 38 says that Gog (Russia) will attack Israel as "a land of unwalled villages...a peaceful and unsuspecting people..." At the present time, Israel is certainly not at peace with its neighbors. The peace mentioned in Ezekiel, seems to point to a time during the first part of the tribulational period after Israel has signed the covenant with the Antichrist. This treaty will "guarantee" Israel seven years of peace which will be broken after the first three and one half years by the Antichrist according to Daniel 9. After God supernaturally destroys the invaders (Gog and his allies), Israel will collect the weapons and use them for fuel for seven years, according to Ezekiel 39:9. Because of this, it is probably during the first part of the seven year tribulational period in which the battle of Gog and Magog takes place. Some scholars, however, place the battle near the end of the tribulational period, possibly just before the Battle of Armageddon.
In all probability, the Battle of Gog and Magog happens sometime during the Tribulation. We can see political events lining up for the fulfillment of these events even today. Russia is in the process of forming alliances with Islamic countries, especially Iran as Iran continues to develop its nuclear capabilities with Russia's help. Coalitions are also forming between countries in Northern Africa which will be part of this great battle in the last days.
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