THE BOOK "END TIMES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER" BY RON RHODES.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PROTESTANT PROPHETS TEACH EZEKIEL 38 AND 39 - THE INVASION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL WILL BE BEFORE CHRIST RETURNS.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER.
THE BOOK:
The Invasion of Israel
IN THIS CHAPTER
Israel at Peace in the Land
Israel Invaded by a Northern Military Coalition...
Israel at Peace in the Land
Some 2600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel prophesied that the Jews would be regathered from many nations to the land of Israel in the end times (Ezekiel 36—37). He then predicted an all-out invasion of Israel by a massive northern assault force composed of Russia, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, Libya, and others. The goal of the assault force will be to utterly obliterate the Jews. With the sheer size of this assault force, Israel will have virtually no chance of defending itself.
(THE AUTHOR HAS NO CLUE ABOUT THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL - Keith Hunt)
Before I address this invasion in detail, I want to emphasize that a precondition for this end-times invasion is that Israel must be living in security and at rest. Ezekiel makes this quite clear in his prophecy about the invaders.
After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them (Ezekiel 38:8).
(SERIOUSLY NOW, DO THE JEWS IN THE HOLY LAND REALLY DWELL IN SECURITY TODAY? I THINK NOT! THEY HAVE ARAB NATIONS WHO WANT TO BLOW THEM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH - Keith Hunt)
We are also told that this invasion force will move against Israel, a "land of unwalled villages.. .the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates" (38:11). This invasion by the northern military coalition simply cannot take place until this state of security exists for Israel. But what brings about this sense of security? There are at least two possible interpretive scenarios.
(SO THE AUTHOR ADMITS THE JEWS IN THE HOLY LAND ARE NOT TODAY DWELLING IN A STATE OF SECURITY WITH NO WALLS [THEY'VE BUILT A WALL AROUND THEIR LAND], HAVING NO BARS OR GATES, BUT HE GOES ON TO GIVE REASONS THIS WILL COME ABOUT BEFORE CHRIST RETURNS - Keith Hunt)
A Present Reality
Some prophecy scholars and teachers believe that Israel is already in a state of relative security. Joel Rosenberg, for example, believes that Israels present level of security is based on multiple factors, including the fall of Saddam Husseins regime, the death of Yasser Arafat, Israels peace treaties with some nations in the Middle East, the withdrawal of the Syrians from Lebanon, and Israels well-equipped army, first-rate air force, effective missile-defense system, strong economy, and strong relationship with the United States.
Note that the Hebrew prophet does not go so far as to say there will be a comprehensive peace treaty between Israel and all of her neighbors, or that all or even most hostilities in the Middle East will have ceased. But he does make it clear that in "the last days" (Ezekiel 38:16 nasb) before the Russian-Iranian attack, the Jewish people are "living securely" in "the land that is restored from the sword" (Ezekiel 38:8 nasb).1
Rosenberg thus feels that present conditions in Israel fulfill the spirit of Ezekiels prophecy. This view is also held by prophecy scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum.
This is not a security due to a state of peace, but a security due to confidence in their own strength. This.. .is a good description of Israel today. The Israeli army has fought four major wars since its founding and won them swiftly each time. Today Israel is secure, confident that her army can repel any invasion from the Arab states. Hence, Israel is dwelling securely.2
(NO IT IS NEITHER OF THE ABOVE. AS THE AUTHOR LATER SAYS, WE ARE TO TAKE THIS PROPHECY LITERALLY, SO IN DOING SO, IT LITERALLY MEANS NO WALLS, BARS, OR GATES, TO KEEP OUT THE ENEMY, FOR READING THE CONTEXT, THE MESSIAH IS DWELLING WITH THEM - Keith Hunt)
A Future Reality
Other Christians take a different view. They say that since Israel became a nation in 1948, it has had to stay on high alert because of the danger from all its Arab and Muslim neighbors. Israel has never been able to let her guard down. Because of the constant conflict and tension in the Middle East, one Western leader after another has tried to broker a peace deal for the region. Stability in the oil-producing Middle East and Persian Gulf area is a high priority for the entire world.
In view of this, some believe that Israel will experience true security only when the leader of a revived Roman Empire—-a European superstate-—-signs a peace pact or covenant with Israel, an event that will officially begin the tribulation period (Daniel 9:27). This leader-—the antichrist—-will seemingly accomplish the impossible, solving the Middle East peace puzzle. These Bible interpreters suggest that from the moment of the signing of the covenant on through the next three and a half years, Israel will enjoy a heightened sense of security, and this security will be backed by the military might of the most powerful political leader in the world.
(SUCH IDEAS ARE BASED UPON THE INCORRECT AND SILLY UNDERSTANDING OF DANIEL 9:27, WHICH CAN BE CORRECTLY UNDERSTOOD IF THE PROTESTANTS WOULD READ THEIR OWN BIBLE COMMENTARIES, SUCH AS MATTHEW HENRY, ADAM CLARKE, ALBERT BARNES. NO SUCH COVENANT WILL BE SIGNED BETWEEN THE BEAST OF EUROPE AND THE JEWS!! Keith Hunt)
Chronological Options
Both of these views are entirely possible, and both sides of the debate are supported by good Bible scholars. In terms of the chronology of end-times biblical prophecy, these scenarios unfold a bit differently.
(NO, THEIR BIBLE SCHOLARS ARE NO BIBLE SCHOLARS - THEY ARE HOPELESS WHEN IT COMES TO UNDERSTANDING BIBLE PROPHECY - Keith Hunt)
In the first scenario, Israel is presently in a state of security, and this sense of security does not depend on the antichrists signing of the covenant with Israel. Seen in this light, the invasion of the northern military coalition could take place at any time before the tribulation period begins.
In the second scenario, however, Israels state of security depends on the antichrists signing of the covenant with Israel. This means that the invasion cannot take place until the tribulation period begins—perhaps right after the tribulation period begins.
My Assessment
My assessment is that Israel is already in a state of relative security and that the invasion will likely take place sometime after the rapture but before the beginning of the tribulation period. Prophecy scholar Thomas Ice agrees and suggests that the invasion "will be during the interval of days, weeks, months, or years between the rapture and the start of the seven-year tribulation."3 Here are five arguments that support this view.
The world will likely be in a state of chaos following the rapture. The rapture will have a devastating effect on the United States, which has a heavy population of Christians. Russia and her Muslim allies may well seize the moment, considering this the ideal time to launch a massive attack against Israel, which had been protected by the United States.
Once God destroys the Russian and Muslim invaders prior to the tribulation period, the door may be open for the rise of the antichrist as the leader of a European superstate—the revived Roman Empire.
I have always thought that one of the strengths of this view is the way in which it could set the stage for the biblical scenario of the tribulation. If the tribulation is closely preceded by a failed regional invasion of Israel (by Russia and her Muslim allies), then this would remove much of the Russian and Muslim influence currendy in the world to day and allow a Euro-centric orientation to arise.4
With the Muslim invaders having already been destroyed prior to the beginning of the tribulation period, the antichrist could easily sign a peace pact with Israel (Daniel 9:27), guaranteeing that Israel will be protected. In other words, Israel will be easier to protect if the Muslim forces are already out of the picture.
This scenario may account for Israels ability to construct the Jewish temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem. With Muslim forces destroyed, Muslim resistance will be greatly minimized.
(SO ONCE MORE THE "SECRET RAPTURE" IS BROUGHT INTO THE PICTURE - THE TWO PHASED RETURN OF CHRIST IS AGAIN BEING TAUGHT. IN MANY STUDIES ON MY WEBSITE UNDER THE "PROPHECY" SECTION, I PROVE THERE WILL BE NO SECRET RAPTURE, NO TWO-PHASED RETURN OF CHRIST, NO PEACE TREATY WITH THE BEAST OF EUROPE AND THE JEWS, NO PHYSICAL TEMPLE BUILT, NO DESTROYING OF THE EASTERN POWERS BEFORE THE TRIBULATION PERIOD - Keith Hunt)
If the invasion takes place after the rapture, and the rapture takes place at least three and a half years prior to the beginning of the tribulation period, the weapons used in the invasion could be completely burned for seven years (Ezekiel 39:9-10) prior to the midpoint of the tribulation, when Israel takes flight from Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15-21). Therefore, a significant lapse of time may separate the rapture from the beginning of the tribulation.
(ALL WRONG! THINK, USE SOME COMMON SENSE. IF THE EAST ATTACKS THE JEWS IN THE HOLY LAND, WITH WHAT WEAPONS WILL THEY USE? WHY OF COURSE, IF NOT ATOMIC BOMBS, IT WILL BE ROCKETS, TANKS, MEN WITH ASSAULT RIFLES, SHOULD LAUNCHING BOMBS, JET FIGHTERS. NOW DO THESE THINGS BURN? CAN YOU BURN SUCH WEAPONS FOR SEVEN YEARS? THE WHOLE IDEA PUT FORTH BY THE AUTHOR AND HIS KIND, IS LACKING SUCH COMMON SENSE, THAT THEIR MENTALITY MUST BE FROM PLANET PLUTO [WHICH IS NOW NO PLANET AT ALL] - Keith Hunt)
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THERE IS MORE TO COME ON THIS PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL 38, 39.
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