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Countdown to Amageddon.
Part 1. Setting the Stage.
Armageddon Video
Armageddon. Nicholas Roerich, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Conquest of Jerusalem by Titus. Nicholas Poussin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In the bible there is a thing called double fulfilment of prophecy. That is, there is a clear historical fulfilment of prophecy and also another fulfilment of the same prophecy relating to the “end times” or “last days”. For example there are prophecies relating to Jerusalem which point to its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD but also relate to its fate in the last days. Similarly there are prophecies which relate to the coming of Jesus when he came the first time but also relate to his future coming as King of Kings to rule on earth.
Current world events involve different power blocks, or groupings of nations, which are coming together around the world. These power blocks are the modern embodiment of biblical powers of the past. The following chart shows how the nations are forming alliances according to God’s plan.
Biblical powers and their modern equivalents
The Flag of China. Reinhold Mölle, via Wikimedia Commons
There is only one verse in the bible about the Kings of the East. This is Revelation 16:12. They seem to be related to the 200 million man army from the east mentioned in Revelation chapter 9
[Rev 9:14-16 KJV] 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen [were] two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Only China can field an army of that size. Currently China is building its armed services. China is a world of its own. It does not really have allies. Currently it is tenuously allied with Russia but when the time comes its huge army will roll right through Russia. This will happen in the last days when China marches to face the armies of the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16).
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Vladimir Putin and Ali Khamenei, leader of Iran, via Wikimedia Commons
The next power block is the Kings of the North. In the book of Daniel the Kings of the North were prophesied and referred to the Seleucid Empire which existed from about 312 BC to 61 BC. After the death of Alexander the Great four kingdoms emerged from his empire.
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Cassander ruled Greece and surrounding areas.
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Lysimachus ruled areas in what is present day Turkey
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Ptolemy ruled Egypt
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Seleucus ruled an area that comprised present day Iran, Iraq, Syria, and parts of Central Asia.
Seleucus, one of Alexander’s generals, founded the Seleucid dynasty which was constantly trying to expand westwards and launched numerous attacks on the land of Israel. The modern embodiment of this empire is the alliance between Russia, Iran and Syria. We can currently see this alliance taking shape.
The Kings of the South are mentioned in the Book of Daniel. He prophesied about the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Ptolemy was another of Alexander’s generals who started a dynasty. One of the Ptolemy rulers was Cleopatra VII who became famous for her relationship with Caesar and Mark Anthony. The Ptolemaic empire was based in Egypt. The modern embodiment of the Kings of the South are the Sunni Muslim Arab and North African nations.
Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims disagree over many issues. So much so that Shiite extremists have attempted to blow up the shrine of the black stone at Mecca as they consider this idolatry. As a result of their differences the Shiites tend to side with the Kings of the North and the Sunnis with the Kings of the South. The Shiites are more vehemently opposed to the state of Israel.
Ptolemy I as Pharaoh of Egypt. Stella, via Wikimedia Commons
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The Tower of Babel. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In the bible Europe was basically the Roman Empire. The modern embodiment of the Roman Empire is The European Union. For more more on this see the web page “Why Britain had to Leave the European Union”. Today the allies of Europe are those countries in the world that have retained Roman Catholicism as their religion.
The time will come when God removes His restraining hand and the Wicked one who we know as the Antichrist will be revealed.
[2Th 2:7-8 KJV] 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Europe will then be under the control of the Antichrist and he will attempt to bring the whole world under his control.
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HMS Shoreham at the Royal Navy Base in Bahrain. Lt Nicholas Stevenson RN, via Wikimedia Commons
The Tarshish nations are the Commonwealth nations and the USA. You can see more on this on the web page “Great Britain is Tarshish”. These are basically the free democracies of the world. According to Ezekiel they will object to the Antichrist’s attempted invasion of Israel but not do anything about it.
[Eze 38:13 KJV] 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?
Sheba and Dedan approximate to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states. It is interesting to observe how Britain has started to increase its naval presence in the Gulf and its ties with the Gulf States.
The Tarshish nations and the Sunni Gulf Arab states will ally themselves with Israel up until the final period of the Great Tribulation.
The Flag of Israel, Dr. Zachi Evenor, via Wikimedia Commons
Countdown to Amageddon.
Part 2. The Timing of Events
Israel existed in biblical times and also exists in the present day. This is all part of God’s plan. Bible believers always knew that the nation of Israel would be restored and it happened in 1948. Israel is the apple of God’s eye and it will grow and prosper until the time of the Great Tribulation. You can read more about this period on the web page “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble” .
Its allies are the Tarshish nations who will support it up until the Tribulation.
Its great enemy is currently the Kings of the North alliance. Russia and its allies are becoming weaker and they will at some point hatch a plan to invade Israel and grab its resources as a means of asserting their world power ambitions. However this will not happen for a while yet. See Part 2 of this series for the timing of events.
Armageddon Video Part 2
Previously we saw how world events are causing nations to form alliances that reflect the final groupings of nations in the last days. However God has not revealed the actual date when the Last Days and the Great Tribulation period will happen. All we can do is look for the signs of the times.
[Mat 16:3 KJV] 3 And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not [discern] the signs of the times?
Firstly the fact that the nations are forming power blocks that reflect the alliances of the last days does not mean that Armageddon is imminent. There is always a Satanic tendency for things to move in the direction of the final rule of the Antichrist but this won’t happen until God allows it.
Red Sky at Morning. slworking2 from Santee, California, USA, via Wikimedia Commons
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Separation Barrier in Israel. Upyernoz from Haverford, USA,via Wikimedia Commons
The central event we are concerned with here is the Gog Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. There is a web site page on this called “The Gog Magog War”. This is the war where the Kings of the North (Russia and its allies) invade the land of Israel. This huge army will be destroyed by God in the mountains of Israel.
This invasion happens when Israel is dwelling peacefully in unwalled villages
[Eze 38:11-12 KJV] 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, 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.
Israel is currently not dwelling safely. It is subject to many rocket attacks and it has created walls for its own security. Consequently the invasion cannot happen yet.
We can infer from the above verse that the time is coming when Israel will have a time of peace and prosperity. This will happen when it has overcome the immediate enemies that currently surround it, Psalm 83 prophecies this event. It lists Israel’s neighbours who are its enemies. Bill Salus has written about this in his book “Psalm 83”. Ten nations are listed in Psalm 83 which equate to the immediate neighbours of modern Israel. These nations hatch a plan to destroy Israel
[Psa 83:4 KJV] 4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from [being] a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
However their plans will be thwarted by the Lord.
[Psa 83:17-18 KJV] 17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: 18 That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.
The following chart shows who these nations are.
Israel and its neighbours. Un.org, via Wikimedia Commons
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The prophet Ezekiel. Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
Somehow all the current threats to Israel will be neutralised and Israel will enter a period of peace and prosperity. This will last until the Gog Magog invasion, where the forces of Russia and its allies will attempt to invade Israel. They will be destroyed in an earthquake and Israel will take seven years clearing up the mess.
[Eze 39:9 KJV] 9 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:
Only after this event can we start looking ahead to Armageddon. While the Holy Spirit and the Church are in the world the Antichrist will not be revealed. The Church started in the Book of Acts when God poured out his Spirit at Pentecost and it will leave the earth at the Catching Away, also known as The Rapture. When this happens the Antichrist will be revealed and the seven year Time of Jacob’s Trouble, or Tribulation, will begin. There is more information on this on the web page “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”.
The Jezreel Valley, or Marj Ibn Amir, also known as the Valley of Megiddo, Thomasccnawik, via Wikimedia Commons
The actual battle of Armageddon will happen at the end of the seven year Tribulation period. It is a time when all the armies of the world will converge on Israel in the plain of Megiddo. This is an expression of human sin, violence and rebellion against God.
[Rev 16:14, 16 KJV] 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ... 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The armies of the world may have come to fight each other but they will unite in opposition to the return of Jesus Christ. He will return on a white horse with his army and defeat them,
[Rev 19:19 KJV] 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
The following chart gives an approximate timeline of events.
