Daniel's Prophecies, Part 1

Hi Friends! I hope you all are well. We’ve experienced some very cold weather here in Wyoming. Sub-zero temperatures outside and some snow. It’s a little warmer now, but we’ll probably light up the fireplace this evening and enjoy the scent of burning wood and the bright, cheerful flames. Spiced tea and pumpkin custards with whipped cream sound good, too. Wherever you are, I hope you will enjoy today’s look at the prophecies of Daniel.

Blessings to you!

Sheri

Daniel’s Prophecies Part 1

By Sheri Schofield

   Timelines are helpful to understanding the Bible’s authors. Ezekiel and Daniel were both taken to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar, probably in 597 BC, the first time Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem. Other Hebrew captives were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego).

   Nebuchadnezzar returned to Jerusalem ten years later and completely destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple. He took approximately 10,000 Hebrews (Jews & Levites) back to Babylon. Among those captives would have been forefathers of Esther, Nehemiah, and Ezra. Ezekiel was among the captives taken. So Ezekiel’s visions came well before Daniel’s time. There are similarities between the prophecies.

   Ezekiel was given his visions as he stood beside the Kebar river in Babylon. The Kebar is a tributary of the Euphrates River. Daniel received his vision in Daniel 10 as he stood beside the Tigris River in Babylon.

   Many times, when God speaks to us, we are in quiet places where we can be alone with him. It is easier to receive God’s messages when we are alone in a quiet place. I’m sure Ezekiel and Daniel both looked for precious moments alone with God, to commune with his Spirit.

   Daniel was one of four young men who kept their faith in God during their captivity. Because of their faith, they were given wisdom. But Daniel was also given a gift of prophecy and interpreting dreams.

   In Daniel 2, we read about the first time Daniel interpreted a dream for the king. One night, King Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he could not sleep. He called for the wise men of Babylon to see if they could help him. But he was no fool. He knew the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers might just make things up. And Nebuchadnezzar was in no mood to be told soothing lies. He said, “I’ve had a disturbing dream, and I want you to tell me what it was, then interpret it.”

   The wise men were alarmed. “Tell us your dream, then we’ll interpret it!”

   “The king replies, ‘I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious about when I say, “If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.” So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means” Daniel 2:8,9 (NLT).

   The wise men could not do it. They said it was impossible, that no one but the gods could tell him the dream, and the gods did not live in Babylon. So the king ordered all the wise men in Babylon to be executed.

   But when the commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s guard came to kill them, Daniel, who had not been in the group before the king, asked why they were to be killed. When the commander told him, Daniel asked to be taken to Nebuchadnezzar. He asked for more time and it was granted. That night, God revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel, and the wise men were all spared.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream & Interpretation

  The king saw a huge statue of a man standing. The head of the statue was pure gold. The chest and arms were silver. It’s stomach and thighs were bronze. Its legs were iron. Its feet and toes were a combination of iron and baked clay.

   Then a rock not made by human hands was cut out of a mountain and was hurled to earth. It smashed the feet of the statue. The entire statue was crushed into small pieces and dust, and the winds blew the entire statue away like it was grass. The rock grew into a mighty mountain and covered the whole earth. (See Daniel 2:31-35)

   Daniel told the king that the gold head represented Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, and the one true God of heaven had given him great power, strength and honor, making him ruler over all people on earth, and gave him power over even the animals and birds.

   After Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, however, another kingdom would arise. It would be inferior to Babylon, but it would rule the world. It was the silver portion of the statue. Then would come a third kingdom to rule the world, this one represented by bronze. After that, a fourth kingdom would arise represented by iron. It would crush all previous kingdoms. Finally, a kingdom would arise represented by iron and baked clay. It would be divided but would have some of the strength of iron as well as areas of weakness, like baked clay. This kingdom would try to become strong through their alliances, but the alliances wouldn’t hold together.

  Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar (in 2:44-45), “’During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set  up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. This is the meaning of the rock cut out from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.’”

   We now know what three of those kingdoms are. First, the Babylonian kingdom ruled the world. That is clear from the passage. Bible scholars are not fully in agreement about the kingdoms which followed, but this seems to be the general consensus:

   The kingdom of silver: Medeo-Persian Empire

   The kingdom of bronze: Greek.

   The kingdom of iron: Rome.

   The kingdom of mixed iron & clay with 10 toes: An alliance of 10 nations (kings) which were once parts of the Roman empire (Italy). There is some division of thought about the fourth kingdom.  

  This is the general interpretation of that vision. Many Bible scholars think we are living in that iron and clay portion of the vision now, and the alliance is European, which was once part of the Roman empire, and Italy is in this alliance. But it could be the United Nations—all the kingdoms of this world. One reason is because the UN is governed by the Roman Statute—the rule of Rome. Some think the old Roman empire, represented by iron, will be the leading ruler of the kingdom. However, I believe ALL the kingdoms of the world will be conquered by the coming King—Jesus, not merely Europe. Only time will tell the composition of this final kingdom.

   The number 10 represents “complete” in the Bible. It could be that the 10 kingdoms represent the complete world—all the nations together would be a complete kingdom represented by the number 10. Most Bible scholars think the 10 is literal, and for a while, there were 10 nations in the European Economic Union that had all the Bible scholars excited. But now there are 27 nations. It is possible/probable that this final kingdom has not yet come into existence.

   We do not know for sure if our current world represents the feet of iron mixed with clay. Most Bible scholars think we are living in the times of that final kingdom. I do not think the characteristics of the final ruling kingdom are visible yet, for later in Daniel (chapter 7) the vision speaks of a kingdom that devours and crushes its victims and tramples their remains beneath its feet. (Daniel 7:7—But we aren’t there yet in our study.)

   The last kingdom before the return of Jesus will probably have the characteristics of the ancient Roman empire. Whether it will be a revival of the territory of that ancient empire, or whether it will be around the globe, I cannot say. We will recognize it when it comes, though.

   The rock torn out of the mountain represents Jesus. Someday he will return to earth, conquer all the kingdoms, and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords forever. We find the prophecies of his return in the Book of Revelation, which I will cover later.

Daniel’s Angel Encounters

   Daniel 7-8 go into more detail about the fourth kingdom. I promised you a glimpse of what God’s angels look like. In Daneil 8:15-18 we read this:

   “As I, Daniel, was trying to understand the meaning of this vision, someone who looked like a man stood in front of me. And I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai River, ‘Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of his vision.’ As Gabriel approached the place where I was standing, I became so terrified that I fell with my face to the ground. ‘Son of man,’ he said, ‘you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end.’ While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.”

   The angel Gabriel, who also spoke to Mary to announce she would conceive the Christ, looks like a man. But his presence is so overpowering that Daniel was terrified and fell to the ground.

   Our next description of an angel is In Daniel 10. There we read about another messenger (angel) from God. Daniel writes that he saw this vision on April 23. Scholars have researched the date, and it was April 23, 536 BC. Daniel describes the angel messenger in Daniel 10:4-6.

   “On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flushed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches.”

   Though Daniel’s companions saw nothing, they were suddenly terrified and ran away, while Daniel himself was drained of strength and his face went pale.

   This may not have been Gabriel, or the angel may have been Gabriel with the glory of heaven still around him. Or this may have been the angel of the Lord, who is seen throughout the Bible, and whom many believe is Jesus before he became man. There is nothing in the passage to tell us who the angel was.

The Fourth Kingdom

   Daniel’s interest was in the fourth kingdom described in the dream. This kingdom was different from the other three kingdoms. From what I have gathered, this kingdom is so different that it is probably from a much later time. It would have to be, because it precedes the return of Jesus as King. Also, the crushing power seems to be far greater than the Romans displayed when they conquered the world. Rome, though violent, brought law and order to the world- the law of Rome. We have that law now ruling the United Nations – it’s called the Statute of Rome.    

   We do not know if this fourth kingdom rules the entire world, though the passage declares that it does. But previous prophecies describe Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and ancient Rome as ruling the entire earth, yet we know even Rome did not cover the entire globe. Its rule reached into Great Britain and the northern countries of Europe, and as far south as Egypt, but it did not rule over the entire planet. So the fourth kingdom may rule only over the European nations to begin with. We do not know how large it will become.

   Most of the Bible’s prophecies are about the nations surrounding Israel and how they impact Israel. I keep this in mind when reading the Bible’s prophecies about end times.

   As far as I can tell, the prophecies of Daniel about the fourth kingdom begin where Ezekiel’s prophecies end: after the rebuilding of the (third) Temple in Jerusalem.

      Most of the conditions are here for this mysterious fourth kingdom to emerge. But the fourth kingdom cannot emerge until the Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem. We may see it in our time. I will cover it in my next blog post.

The Temple

Hi Friends. I hope you all are staying warm and comfortable through the cold season. We are experiencing the coldest part of year out here in Wyoming. Most of the wild birds have flown south, but every so often, we’ll see a wild turkey or two wandering through someone’s yard. The antelope have migrated south, but they’ll be back again in the springtime. The song “Home on the Range, where the deer and the antelope play” was probably written by someone who knew nothing about deer and antelope. They don’t play. They just eat and concentrate on the business of surviving. Some of the animals hibernate through the winter. But soon we will begin seeing them again, the geese and ducks and other birds will come back, and the days will begin to warm up. And before you know it, rodeo season will arrive. For those of you who enjoy reading about the west and life out here, check out my book Sunflower Love under adult books. There are a lot of western stories in that book that are woven into Bible thoughts.

Today’s Bible study on prophecy is about what will happen after the war I wrote about in my last post. It ties in with the Book of Revelation.

The Temple

By Sheri Schofield

Short review & history

   Titus, the Roman conqueror, destroyed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. He burned the interior, which was paneled with wood and gold, saving the gold in containers as it rolled down the walls. He ordered his soldiers to tear the building down stone by stone. All that remains of the Temple is the part now known as the Wailing Wall, where Jews from all over the world come to pray and ask for restoration of the Temple.

   Currently, the Dome of the Rock (Al-Aqsa) occupies the area where the Temple once stood. Inside the building is a large rock. Jews and Christians believe this could be the very place where Abraham once offered his son Isaac to the Lord, but the Lord provided a ram to take Isaac’s place. The Muslim’s teach that this is where Muhammad was taken up into heaven from there and met with the prophets, including Jesus, and God the Father who was surrounded by angels. All three religions revere this site, called the Temple Mount. It is where the great Temple of the Jews will one day be rebuilt, according to Ezekiel. But how will Israel rebuild its temple if the Dome of the Rock is already there? Wouldn’t the surrounding Muslim nations strenuously object? Wouldn’t it cause a war? Let’s take a look at what Ezekiel tells us.

   In Ezekiel’s day, the Romans were not yet an empire. Babylon was the ruling empire. Babylon conquered the remaining two tribes of Israel, Judah and Levi, and carted them off to Babylon as captives. Ezekiel, a priest’s son, was taken to Babylon in about 597 BC by Nebuchadnezzar. A young man named Daniel was taken as well. Daniel was also given prophecies involving a future Temple. But today let’s look at what Ezekiel tells us.

   In our last study, we looked at the great battle coming to Israel from allied nations, led by Gog and Magog, which most scholars think are the ruler of Russia and the Russian military. Their allies for the battle are Turkey, Iran, Libya, Ethiopia and many other nations in the region. These nations are Islamic. These nations have never been allies in the past. It is only recently that they have come into alliances with Russia. The prophecies of Ezekiel 38 & 39 could not have been fulfilled even fifty years ago. But now they can.

   Ezekiel tells us God will wipe out Gog, Magog and other invaders when they approach the mountains of Israel, and they will be buried in the Valley of the Travelers, which is a pass above the Dead Sea. Ezekiel tells us it will take Israel seven months to bury all the bodies, and the burial ground will be so vast that it will shut off the Valley of the Travelers from future use. The weapons Israel will confiscate after the battle will provide fuel in Israel for seven years.

The Temple Prophecy

  After that battle, Ezekiel tells us the Jews will rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem. Who could stop them? Their enemies will all be dead. Ezekiel 40-43 explains the plan for building the Temple. It’s a written blueprint. The Temple will be massive. The Temple’s surroundings will occupy the entire top of the mountain. Animal sacrifices will resume in the new Temple.

   Ezekiel 43:1-4 (New Living Translation) tells us: “After this, the man (Ezekiel’s guide in the vision) brought me back around to the east gateway. Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory. This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came in to destroy Jerusalem. I fell face down on the ground. And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway.”

Understanding prophetic scenes

   The order in which prophecies are given are not always in chronological order. They are presented in dreams at different times. Not every prophecy gives a clear picture of timing or how long each segment will last. God gives the prophet and overview of what will happen. But not a time frame.

   It’s like climbing a mountain. You reach the first high point, and you think you’ve reached the top. But no! There’s a valley, then another slope ahead which leads to another high point. This will happen several times before you finally reach the top of the mountain. In the same way, prophets are shown scenes, but those scenes are not end-to-end. There are valleys and future mountains ahead before the next part of the vision is revealed.

   What we can say is this: These things will happen. Because so many of scenes from the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew and Revelation are being fulfilled in our time, we suspect they may all be fulfilled in our lifetime or in our children’s lifetime. But we cannot know this with certainty. We can only keep track of what appear to be fulfillments and wait for the next prophecy of the end days to be fulfilled.

Connecting prophecies

   The remainder of Ezekiel mostly tells us how the land will be divided, who will be in charge, and how the Temple will be used.

   But there is one more feature of Ezekiel’s prophecy which resembles a prophecy in the Book of Revelation, the visions of the Apostle John. Let’s take a look.

   Ezekiel 47 tells us that a stream will flow east from the Temple. It will flow through the desert and into the Dead Sea. The water from this river will make the salty waters fresh and pure. Fish will return to the sea. Wherever the waters flow, plants will flourish. Fruit trees will grow along the river, and their leaves will never turn brown. The fruit will be for food, and the leaves will be for healing.

Leading into the matching prophecy

   This prophecy is very much like the ending chapters of the Book of Revelation.  Revelation 21:2-7 (NLT) leads up to the part that matches Ezekiel 47. It tells us, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’ And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making all things new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.’”

 The match

   Here’s the part that matches with Ezekiel 47—Revelation 22:1-5 (NLT) tells us, “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.”

   Because of how alike the verses in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 21-22 are, it is very likely they are describing the same scene/event. They take us to the return of Jesus the Messiah to earth. Knowledge about Messiah was very limited during Ezekiel’s day. David wrote about the coming Messiah in some of the psalms. Isaiah describes the Messiah in Isaiah 53. But Ezekiel speaks only of God. Jesus is God the Son, who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6 (New International Version). Understanding about Messiah was not well-developed in the Old Testament. There were clues. Isaiah 53, which speaks of Messiah’s suffering and dying for our sins, pointing toward Calvary, is now called “the forbidden chapter” in the Jewish readings, because they have rejected Jesus. They do not want to hear verses which speak of a suffering Messiah. But there will come a day when they will see Jesus returning to earth and will mourn because they rejected their true Messiah. (See Zechariah 12:10.)

Preview

  Next time I write, I will share some prophecies found in the Book of Daniel. There is one passage that tells what a mighty angel-warrior looks like and what he tells Daniel. We’ll look in on the supernatural world, invisible to human eyes most of the time.

The Coming War

Hi friends. Here in Wyoming, we have had both snow and sunshine this month, with temperatures dropping below zero at times. There are times I wish we were in Boquete, Panama where it is eternally pleasant and warm! During these cold days, I’ve been studying the Ezekiel 37-39 passage to make sure I get it right when I share it with you. Here it is.

The Coming War

By Sheri Schofield

            Our generation has seen more prophecies fulfilled than previous generations. Many people have been writing books and theorizing about the order of events which lead up to the return of Jesus to earth. The number of books on prophecy are amazing. Bible scholars have come up with timelines of how things will happen in the future and speculate on when Jesus will catch believers up to be with him forever.

            Those timelines change as prophesied events happen. The timelines are man’s attempts to understand God’s plan for the world, to tell the future. The Bible encourages us to study these prophecies. (See Revelation 1:3)

            Having studied the prophecies extensively, and knowing about how prophecy works, I suspect these events will not happen the way people think. The subject is very complex. Timelines are hard to justify. My feelings on this are that we should be aware of the prophecies and welcome them when we recognize their fulfillment. But I do not think the prophecies are orderly enough for us to insist on a timetable. At this point in time, we are still guessing.

            We can look at how events are lining up and say we are nearing the return of Jesus. He is coming soon. However, since “a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day” to God, we cannot know what “soon” means. We can guess with some accuracy because of current events when certain prophecies are starting to happen. But we cannot know these things for sure until they happen. We know Ezekiel 36 has been fulfilled because Israel has become a great nation again. But we do not know with certainty how the rest of these prophecies play out. I will give you my observations, as a Bible teacher.

            The prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 tell of a massive war we might witness soon, maybe in this generation. Events in Israel and the Middle East seem to be lining up for these things to happen.

The Book of Ezekiel was written between 593 and 571 BC. So why is it important now? Because it seems that it is being fulfilled in our time and that it will affect us. Since shortly before World War II, the world has seen God resurrect the nation of Israel. It had been scattered for about two thousand years. But God brought the nation back to life. The prophecies of Ezekiel 36-37 have been mostly fulfilled. If we want to know what is coming to our world next, we need to see what the prophecy says will happen next.

When will the battle of Ezekiel 37-39 happen?

            Ezekiel wrote this prophecy over 500 years before Christ came. He said this battle would happen “in the distant future.” We are certainly distant from those times! It has been over 2,500 years!

            It will also happen “at a time when Israel will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel.” (See Ezekiel 38:8)

Who will be involved?

            Ezekiel 37-39 tells us that God will draw the enemies of Israel down on the nation—for a great purpose, not to harm Israel, but to rescue the nation from her enemies.  

            Ezekiel 37-38:  The names of Israel’s enemies in this passage in Ezekiel’s times were Gog, Magog, Meshech, Tubal and Magog’s allies. What are the modern names of these nations? Bible scholars are mostly in agreement on this:

            Gog is a person, a ruler over Magog. Magog is a country. Ezekiel 38:15 tells us Gog and the land he rules (Magog) are in the far north. Most Bible scholars think this is Russia.

            Meshech is one of the nations which will invade Israel with Gog. This group is also from the north. They are thought to be the allies of Russia. Many think this is central Turkey, Russia and Georgia .Possibly Ukraine as well.

Tubal is eastern Turkey

Persia (present-day Iran).

Ethiopia,

Libya

Beth Togarmah (Armenia, if scholars have correctly identified it)

Many other allies are included. Russia’s Middle East allies are mostly Muslim nations which hate Israel.

The “prince” of Russia will lead his people to take over Israel. He  and his people will be joined by Turkey, Georgia, Iran, Ethiopia, Libya and (probably) Armenia and their allies.

This is significant in our times because this alliance between those nations has never existed until now. Which means we are living in the day when this battle can and probably will happen.

What will happen during this battle? Where will it happen?

Ezekiel 39:1-6 (NLT) tells us “Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him a message from the Sovereign Lord: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. I will knock the bow from your left hand and the arrows from your right hand, and I will leave you helpless. You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals. You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord. And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

The enemy’s dead will be buried in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. From the context of the passage, it appears that the battle will be fought in that location. The way through that passage will be blocked in the future because of the vast number of graves there after the battle.

Ezekiel writes that the enemies of Israel will be drawn to the mountains of Israel. Among the mountains surrounding the Valley of the Travelers there are many volcanoes. It is an unstable region of earthquakes.

Ezekiel describes in detail what will happen as the enemy armies approach the mountains of Israel. “But this is what the Sovereign Lord says: When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over! In my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day. All living things, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people on earth—will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth.”
 (this is probably a huge earthquake) (v.18-20)

“I will summon the sword against you (Israel’s enemies) on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord. Your men will turn their swords against each other.” (v.21) (absolute terror, turning each against the other)

“I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed.” (v. 22)

“I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!” (v. 22) (massive hail, great quantities of rain, plus probably volcanic eruptions)

Purpose of God’s judgment:

“In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (v.23) (NLT)

            Some scholars think this battle describes a nuclear weapon. But I do not think it is. Here’s why:

1) A nuclear weapon would send fallout into Israel, endangering them.

2) People would not recognize that the LORD did this. God will not share his glory with anyone. Not even Israel. He is intervening to save Israel in a supernatural manner. But God often uses nature to accomplish supernatural things like this. The location of the battle reinforces the probability that he will use nature in a supernatural way in this case.

            Some scholars think this passage describes the Battle of Armageddon. I do not think it is.

Why? Because---

1) The passage does not mention the return of Christ, which happens at the Battle of Armageddon.

2) The passage mentions Russia and its allies. But in Relation 16:14, which tells of the Battle of Armageddon, it does not. It tells us ALL the nations of the world will gather for the final battle (Armegeddon).

3) And finally, I do not think this is the Battle of Armageddon because Armageddon (Har-Mageddon in Hebrew) means “Mount Mageddon.” This is specific location. Historically, Israel fought its battles in the valley below Mt. Mageddon, which is called Megiddo. Mount Mageddon is not close to the Valley of the Travelers. It is 29 miles away as the bird flies. But the drive is 46 minutes.

This particular battle is very likely going to be fought in or around the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea, on the route Ruth and Naomi would have traveled when they returned to Israel from Moab. The Valley of the Travelers is between Jordan and Israel. It is located in the northern part of the Dead Sea fault area, a deep ravine, where the tectonic plates of Arabia and Africa overlap It is a place of many earthquakes and dormant volcanoes.

I believe God will use the fault area, which dips down low in a long gorge surrounded by mountains. The fault will hem the enemy in and produce the earthquake. The volcanoes will produce the fire and sulfur which will rain down on Israel’s enemies at that time. Great hailstones will fall on the enemy, as well as torrents of rain. This is definitely God coordinating the destruction of Israel’s enemies. He will use the natural terrain against them as well as supernatural rain and hailstones.

Will America be involved in that battle? I do not know. No other nations are mentioned besides Russia and its allies. If America arms Israel for this battle, the Bible does not tell us. But God will not share his glory with America either. He draws the nations into battle in order to show his mighty power, not to show theirs. He rescues Israel because they are the people of the Abrahamic Covenant. He calls them his own. He loves them.

Current Events Are Setting the Table

            Russia is allied with the Muslim nations of the Middle East at this time. They have never been united like this before. The Iranians, for instance, have a treaty with Russia. Other surrounding nations may also have treaties with Russia. Certainly, many Muslim countries have treaties with Iran and Russia, major players in end time events. It took World War II to bring about these alliances among nations which were not united until now.

            Current events have made these alliances stronger and bolder. This is the first time anything of this nature has ever happened in the history of Earth. It is significant. This battle may usher in the Great Tribulation, but we can only speculate on that issue.

This battle precedes a time when Israel will accomplish something they have longed for. I will cover that in my next blog post.

Background to Ezekiel's Prophecies

by Sheri Schofield

Abrahamic Covenant

Abram (later called Abraham) lived in Ur. This city was located close to where the Euphrates River joins the Persian Gulf. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Bible tells us this:

   “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.’”

   The people of Ur had mostly abandoned the one true God. They worshipped the moon. God wanted Abram to move away from his environment and go to a new place. He had great plans for Abram, and they could not be fulfilled in Ur.

   The Abrahamic Covenant is a forever-covenant. God sealed it with Abram in a ceremony found in Genesis 15:17-21. God gave Abram the measurements of the land he would give him. On a map, it looks roughly like a triangle. It stretches from today’s border where Syria and Turkey meet on the Mediterranean in the north; then from where the Euphrates flows into the Persian Gulf on the east; and on the south, from the Euphrates River to the Nile River. Israel has never fully occupied that area. Today, they are bound to a very small area along the Mediterranean Sea. That will change someday when God fulfills his covenant with Abraham and his descendants through Isaac, which are the nation of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:6-15

   Ezekiel tells what will happen in Israel when the Israelis return from where they were scattered.

   vs. 8-15 – The mountains of Israel will produce heavy crops of fruit. The Israelis will plow the ground and plant crops. God will greatly increase the population of Israel and their animals. They will be more prosperous than ever. The other nations will no longer despise them or speak evil of them. They will worship the one true God again. No one will be able to rob them. (This has not yet been completely fulfilled yet.)

  vs. 35 says –“And when I bring you back, people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’”

Historical Information About the Land Prior to Israel’s return

   The Arabs living in the land called Palestine were mostly the poor peasants. Their overlords who owned the land lived mainly in European cities where they could spend their great wealth. The land was neglected. It ranged from rugged mountains, to swamps filled with mosquitos, to desert land. The people were very poor.

   When Israel began returning, they drained the swamps and channeled the water for crops. They planted trees to soak up the excess water. They developed farms. Many lived in kibbutzim, small communities who all worked together for the common good. The children born there in the land were called “sabras.”

   In cultivating the land and bringing it into good use again, the people fulfilled much of Ezekiel’s prophecy in chapter 36 about their return.

   God said he would bring this about so that everyone will know that he is the Lord. The book of Ezekiel was written between 593-571 BC. It is now being fulfilled.

How Israel Became A Nation Again

   During World War II, the German Nazis murdered about six-million Jews in Europe. The Arabs worked with the Nazis in Palestine to try to destroy the Jews who had returned to their land. The massacre caused world-wide anger. The British occupied Israel during the war. They kept a kind of peace. After the war, they left. The Israeli people had to defend themselves against the surrounding Arabs who wanted to drive them out of the land. Though many nations believed the Jews should have their own land after the horrendous massacres of the war. But they did not help the Jews. They let them fight it out on their own. Gradually, the Jews were able to overcome those who were trying to kill them and establish their own country. In 1948, the United Nations voted to let the Jews have a portion of the land of Israel, dividing it between the Jews and Arabs in the region. When the Jewish nation was recognized by the whole world, they called their country “Israel.” They are not just the tribes of Judah & Levi (known as the Jews). There are now people from the other tribes of Israel living in the land also. This fulfills Ezekiel 37:15-20.

Ezekiel 37-38 –Valley of Dry Bones

   In this passage, Ezekiel describes the people of Israel before their return.

  “The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with dry bones. He led me all among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones become living people again?’ ‘O Sovereign Lord,’ I replied, ‘you alone know the answer to that’” (37:1-3).

   The Lord told Ezekiel to speak over the dry bones and tell them to rise up, be covered with muscles and flesh, and to breathe again and come to life. The dry bones did so. Then God said to Ezekiel, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, “We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished’” (v.11). But God then said to tell Israel he would bring them back to the land, he would fill them with his Spirit, and they would know that he is the Lord and he has spoken. “David” will rule on the throne of Israel forever. “David” is generally understood to be a reference to the coming Messiah. The Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt. (vs. 24-28) Currently, the Temple site is occupied by the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim temple.

   This prophecy has been partially fulfilled. Yes, Israel has returned to their land. But not all of them have been filled with God’s Spirit yet. Not all worship God yet. They have not yet rebuilt their Temple, and Messiah has not returned.

   At this time, I have been told there are approximately 36,000 Israeli Christians in Israel. The day is coming when all will change and Israel will know the true Messiah, Jesus.

This brings us up to present-day and the prophecies which have not yet happened. I will introduce Ezekiel 38-39:

   The prophecy of Ezekiel 38 speaks of God drawing Israel’s enemies to their land. He will “put a hook in the jaw” of several enemies, led by “the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal” and his allies. Bible scholars believe Meshech and Tubal are the ares settled by two sons of Japheth, one of Noah’s sons. The area where they settled is generally in the region of Russia/Ukraine/Georgia. God will draw them and their armies to Israel to destroy them and their allies, for they are all enemies of Israel.

   This battle has not yet happened. Next week I will expand on it as we look at Ezekiel 38-39.

For further reading:   A good fiction book based on the early days of the Jews’ return to Israel is Leon Uris’ book, “Exodus.” Uris interviewed over 1,500 people to gather all the facts of the return and the events surrounding it. A movie starring Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint was made in the 60s based on this book. It also was called “Exodus.” The book is a remarkable account of what happened during the years of the Jews’ return to the land and when Israel became a nation again.