God throughout the Bible spoke through his prophets to prove he was the only god. He always foretold the future through them to verify who he was, to prove to the people that those who spoke were true prophets, and to draw mankind to worship him only. The 100% accuracy of the hundreds (possibly thousands) of prophecies in the Bible that came true are proof Yahweh is the God of truth. Not even Nostradamus can match this record! Here are ten of those prophecies and the years they were fulfilled:
- Predicted ca. 855 BC: The prophet Elijah predicts Jezebel would be eaten by dogs upon her death in Jezreel. (1 Kings 21:23)– Fulfilled ca. 841 BC: Jezebel is killed in Jezreel and dogs eat her body (2 Kings 9:36).
- Predicted ca. 760 BC: Amos predicts Israel would be restored as a nation and would never be uprooted again (Amos 9:15)–Fulfilled in 1948.
- Predicted ca 732 BC: Isaiah predicts the Medo-Persian empire will conquer Babylon [Isaiah 13:17-18] and Babylon would become a wasteland.–Fulfilled in 538 BC when the Medes took over Babylon and 275 BC when the Seleucids forced all of the inhabitants to leave.
- Predicted ca. 732 BC: Isaiah says Egypt and Ethiopia would be conquered by Assyria (Isaiah 20:3-5).–Fulfilled ca. 673-670 BC when Assyria conquers the northeast African nations.
- Predicted ca. 701 BC: Isaiah claims Israel will be taken captive by the Babylonian empire (Isaiah 39).–Fulfilled ca. 597 & 586 BC: Babylon takes captives and sacks Jerusalem the first time then totally destroys Jerusalem about 10 years later.
- Predicted ca. 589 BC: Ezekiel tells about the destruction of the great city Tyre (Ezekiel 27).–Fulfilled in 1291: Muslims destroy the city.
- Predicted ca. 543 BC: Daniel tells of a great Grecian king who would conquer the Persian empire but would have his kingdom divided four ways after his death (Daniel 8).–Fulfilled in 330 BC when Alexander the Great defeats Persia and 281 BC after the Greek generals who succeed Alexander reach an agreement after years of war to split the kingdom four ways.
- Predicted ca. 536 BC: Daniel prophesies that the Greek empire would not go to Alexander the Great’s heirs (Daniel 11).–Fulfilled ca. 323-281 BC after Alexander’s death when his generals fight over the kingdom while shutting out (and killing) his heirs.
- Predicted ca. 430 BC: Malachi prophesies that Yahweh’s name would be honored by the Gentiles (pagans) (Malachi 1:11).–Fulfilled 1st century AD to the present: Pagans worldwide have forsaken their paganism and have confessed that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
- Predicted ca. 30 AD: Jesus tells his disciples that they will be persecuted and hated by the majority of the people on the earth because they follow him (Matthew 24:9).–Fulfilled 1st century AD to the present: Ever since the gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached, millions of true Christians worldwide have been mistreated or killed for the faith.
“I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isaiah 46:10-11).
–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–
June 6, 2008 at 4:30 pm |
i think some of these are a stretch. some of these are thousands of years apart – is that really a fulfilled prophecy, or just a guess that had time and the odds on its side?
also, to say israel will never be uprooted is not a certainty at this point.
and the dating on a lot of the prophecies is not a certainty either.
and when the witness himself is the lone confessor of the facts about fulfillment (ie, the bible prophesies, and then the bible says it came true), one has to wonder about that validity, too.
most of the disciples – especially peter, and later paul – expected Jesus’ return in their lifetimes. and yet the ‘end times’ have been claimed by every generation since Jesus left the earth.
i saw a book in the cbd catalog yesterday: the title was something like “what you can do to speed up jesus’ return”. you didn’t write that, did you?
this kind of scripture handling is why my m. div. sits on my shelf. we christians need to spend less time trying to ‘prove’ the faith and let our living it provide any proof anyone needs. i read the first nine chapters of acts the other night; man, are we out of sync.
“by this will all men know you are my disciples – if you can outline all the right doctrines and command a great apologetic skill.”
at least that’s how most christians remember the verse…
mike rucker
fairburn, ga, usa
http://mikerucker.wordpress.com
July 25, 2009 at 7:15 pm |
Actually those who are practicing christianity they are pagans by practicing religious holidays that have long been held high by the crete’s and the druids and other sun and moon, mo lech, astarte, baal, zeus, jupiter and nimrod worshipers… Even the statues at the christian vatican and all of its obelisks are nothing but pagan with new names given to them. The word je-sus is pagan as is g.o.d. but lets not forget that the bible was stolen from the Israelite people when it was called its true name “TORAH” and “TANAK” just before they would begin to be AS the heathen gentile and later be carried off to slavery here in the U.S. of A. YAHWEH and YESHUA are the true names just in case you wanted to know. The Father and the MOST HIGH is the NAME and his Son YESHUA is the WORD so it might be a good idea to stop using the wrong names now that you know they ARE wrong concerning the etymology of the names contained in scripture. Also read Leviticus 26 if you wanna know what it is everybody that says they love YAHWEH ought to be doing and what has and will happen if you do not do this.
Be Blessed
All Praise Be To The Most High YAHWEH!!!!!!!!!
July 25, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I agree that religious holidays are of pagan origin. But I don’t agree that the Vatican is “Christian.” They’re only thought of as being Christian because they’ve marketed themselves under that brand for centuries when, in fact, they are a cheap imitation of the true church of God.
The word Jesus is not pagan as you claim. You’ve been horribly misinformed. The New Testament (NT) was originally written in Greek and the name “Iesous” is the Greek version of the name “Yeshua.” Jesus is the English version of the name “Iesous.” Just like Peter is the English version of the NT Greek name “Petros.”
The word “God” is not pagan either. In Genesis 1:1, God is called “Elohim” in the Hebrew. And in Exodus 20:2-3, God identifies himself to the Hebrews as “Yehovah,” or “Yahweh” thy “Elohim.” Then he commands that they shall have no other “elohim” before him. So the word “elohim” can refer to the one true God or a pagan god, depending on the context. In the same way, the word god can be used with a capital G for the true “Elohim” or small g for an idol, depending on the context of scripture.
I can tell by your being hung up on the Old Testament that you are into trying to fulfill Mosaic laws to reach salvation. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which the Hebrews were not even able to bear? [Acts 15:10]. You can be in bondage to the law if you choose, but I choose the freedom of the New Testament which was established by the blood of Jesus. Yes, I said JESUS.
Using the name “Jesus” can cast out devils just like using his Hebrew name “Yeshua” can. If God makes no requirements as to using the Hebrew over the English version of his name in casting out devils, who are you to try to require such a personal preference on the believers in Christ?
June 6, 2008 at 8:34 pm |
[some of these are thousands of years apart]
The fact that they’re thousands of years apart doesn’t take away from their validity. God is sovereign and works on his own timetable. If you knew the Bible, you’d know that.
[to say israel will never be uprooted is not a certainty at this point]
And what are you basing your opinion on? Let me guess–you’re one of those Christians who hates Israel.
[the dating on a lot of the prophecies is not a certainty either]
Actually, the dating on the prophecies is pretty accurate. The manuscripts which record many of the Biblical events have been verified by other ancient sources that have recorded the same events. I’ll grant you that 100% of the events in the Bible have not been verified yet, but the amount of them that have been show how accurate and truthful the Bible is. And none of them have been shown to be lies yet although plenty of people have come up with unproven theories to try to knock the Bible.
[the ‘end times’ have been claimed by every generation since Jesus left the earth.]
Judging by your statement, you sound like the scoffers spoken of in 1 Peter 3:3-4 who say “Where is the promise of his coming?” You can read 1 Peter 3 for yourself to find out the mindset we’re supposed to have about the Lord’s return. But based on your comments, you sound like someone who claims to be Christian, but you really don’t believe what God’s word says, so that probably won’t help you.
[this kind of scripture handling is why my m. div. sits on my shelf]
First of all, I seriously doubt God has ever been, or will ever be, impressed with such degrees, so an m. div. is worthless when it comes to matters of God’s truth. What matters is what relationship a person has to Christ.
I make no apologies for my handling of the scriptures since my goal is to glorify the true and living God who is blessed forever. God established a principle in Deuteronomy on how to tell liars from those who are true prophets representing the true God. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:22
He also said in Deuteronomy 13:1-4 that if a prophet or dreamer predicts a sign or wonder that encourages people to turn away from God and their sign or wonder is fulfilled, we shouldn’t listen to that prophet or dreamer. So making a note of God’s fulfillments, as I’ve done in this post, is exactly how God wants us to know that what he spoke through the Spirit-filled men of the Bible is the real deal.
Furthermore, how could anyone have known or figured out that Jesus is the Messiah if he didn’t fulfill God’s messianic prophecies?
I can only conclude by your smug comments that you have a hardened heart that resists the truth of God’s word because you really don’t believe it. You pick and choose from it what you’ll accept by leaning to your own understanding. Is your doubting of God’s word a by-product of your religious education or of your using a weakened Bible version? I wonder.
January 8, 2009 at 4:30 am |
harryagaylord doesnt know anything. “God is sovereign and works on his own timetable. If you knew the Bible, you’d know that”. Christians say anything to justify what they believe. Thats why its funny when christians argue amoungst themselves
January 10, 2009 at 4:02 pm |
Wow, that’s interesting…An anonymous person leaving a comment claiming I don’t know anything.
If I don’t know anything then why would you waste your time leaving a comment? Could it be that something I’ve said struck a nerve? I hope so.
[Christians say anything to justify what they believe]
Maybe some will, but not all of us do. But I’ve noticed that those who aren’t Christian will say almost anything to justify their sins. What lies have you told yourself to justify your wrongs? I wonder.
I’ve heard people say all kinds of things to justify cheating on their spouse, stealing from their employer, cheating on exams, cursing out their young children, physically or sexually abusing other people, and the list goes on. At least most Christians are trying to make the world better, unlike unbelievers who mostly tend to be self-serving, which is one reason why our economy is the way it is right now.
February 18, 2009 at 10:12 am |
‘At least most Christians are trying to make the world better, unlike unbelievers who mostly tend to be self-serving, which is one reason why our economy is the way it is right now.’
‘I’ve noticed that those who aren’t Christian will say almost anything to justify their sins. What lies have you told yourself to justify your wrongs? I wonder.’
I don’t think thats quite fair.. I consider myself to be of a united faith, unaware what to believe in anymore. If its not the ‘more holy than thou’ Catholics, its Christians grasping at their bibles spouting off their interpretation of it all and looking down on those who havent chosen a ’side’. Whats so wrong with just living life as a an individual? are we to be damned because we don’t share your specific point of view? that to me seems sinful in its own. Can you tell me that Christians do no wrong? All non- believers are going to hell? Come on now. Its all in the way we live. People should just live their lives being compassionate to the needs of others, respecting one another as well as listening to their conscience and stop putting labels on it!
Im sick of religious types looking down on good people simply because they are not of that particular faith. Non believers are just as deserving as anyone on a regimented religious diet, to whatever comes after this life if they are good people.
But I bet if feels nice to be able to place the blame somewhere instead of accepting responsibility as a nation.
February 19, 2009 at 11:20 pm |
LJ,
No man who is born into this world is naturally righteous or good. All of us are conceived and born in a sinful, evil state. Many of us may be “innocent” by man’s laws, but we are all evil in God’s eyes.
You’re trying to push a false religion that claims we can be saved by our works. The word of God says that no man can stand justified (righteous) before God by the works of any law. We can only be considered good or righteous by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are comparing yourself to the standards of men–how you stack up to your fellow man. This is not wise since all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You can sit there and try to knock Christians and Christianity by your distorted views all you want, but God holds us accountable to what he commands in his word. Each of us is obligated to find out for ourselves what God is saying to us in the Bible. Your comment shows that you have hardened your heart against the true and living God and you’re not willing to listen to him, so you try to justify your sin by attacking Christians.
You can attack Christians all you want, but this is not going to let you off the hook for your own sins. Whether you believe it or not, everyone of us will have to stand before Jesus Christ to be judged to answer for our own actions. You will be judged by what he commands in his word, not by how you think things should be.
July 10, 2009 at 9:22 pm |
Logical proof of Monotheism & Pantheism.
Syllogisms that I submitted in 1998, which were recognized by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – Dr Mary Robinson and the Hon. Justice Michael D. Kirby AC CMG of the High Court of Australia.
Time must exist before matter can be created, and only an animate entity can conceive of space-time. Time must be a stabilized and uniform condition before matter can form, thus Monotheism is a Truth.
The Universe consists of space-time; which is functionally active and growing but remains stable. These combined characteristics are indicative of an animate entity only, thus Pantheism is a fact.
As a consequence, all mortals’ behaviour and attitudes become conspicuous by our Creator.
Reality is the dream of a Universal sentient being. Sensations of all mortals are merely light flashes within elongated fractal crystals, flowing in a white mist which is time itself; ensconced within a beige coloured and velvet textured Pearl, that is, a holographic Universe.
If all electrical particles were in different time zones – matter would not form, thus time is a controlled electromagnetic radiation (energy) E = mc2.
To be perfect – one must know the past, present and future, there is only one, the one that created Time.
July 14, 2009 at 4:15 pm |
Pantheism is the belief that God = the forces and laws of the universe. Forces and laws of the universe are inanimate things. God is a being, a spiritual person. Therefore, since he is a person, he is animated. Pantheism, then, cannot be true. God is the being who created the forces and laws of the universe.
Pantheism also says that man should worship a host of gods and that it doesn’t matter which gods they are. Jehovah in the Bible proclaims and proves that he is the only God and that it is not acceptable to worship any other gods.
Reality is not “the dream of a Universal sentient being” as you stated. Reality is that a Universal sentient being exists who is not a dream, and his name is Yahweh. Your take on a person’s senses and your explanation of time are off as well.
July 10, 2009 at 9:24 pm |
Dear Editor,
In 1998 I produced a thesis on an environmentally based economy [Gaiaism] for a one-world community, to which – the UN’s Dr. Mary Robinson, PM’s Blair, Clark (NZ) & Lee Kwain Yew (Singapore), as well as the Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG of the High Court of Australia and five chiefs justices sent me positive responses… but since then, there has been no affirmative action!
“In a polar region there is a continual deposition of ice, which is not symmetrically distributed about the pole. The earth’s rotation acts on these asymmetrically deposited masses [of ice], and produces centrifugal momentum that is transmitted to the rigid crust of the earth. The constantly increasing centrifugal momentum produced in this way will, when it has reached a certain point, produce a movement of the earth’s crust over the rest of the earth’s body, and this will displace the polar regions toward the equator.”
Albert Einstein From The Path of the Pole by Charles Hapgood.
God help us?
John Berbatis Perth, Australia 11th July, 2009
July 14, 2009 at 4:21 pm |
Your concern over the environment is admirable, but mixing it with the New Age belief of Gaiaism is idolatry. I really couldn’t care less about what person from whatever man-made organization thinks of your theories and beliefs. If your beliefs are based on worshipping the Earth (Gaiaism), then you should probably be more concerned about your spiritual state than whether or not polar regions are headed for the equator.
If you were to turn away from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord, God can help you correct your scientific mistakes and point you in the direction of scientific theories or reveal scientific facts that are greater than what you believe currently.
July 12, 2009 at 3:10 pm |
I may disagree with you on a few tiny points but I believe your views and trust in God are right on target. I admire your strength in standing up to unitarianism. Sin is sin. We shall all soon see the truth.
July 12, 2009 at 9:36 pm |
It’s sickening and yet frightful that people will ignore prophecies come true out of scripture (being as no other sacred writ can hold a candle to the biblical prophets) and yet today people engross themselves in hoo-doo and mumbo jumbo like Nostrodomus, Astrologers, Runes, Meteorology (as we all know the weather man is WAY off so very much) and etc…
Now what about the prophecies of the return of the Watchers in Genesis 6 and Enoch, how many people do YOU know that see spooks, ghosts, UFO’s and other strange stuff?
What about the prophecies of men wearing more beautified clothing, makeup, and jewelry than a woman? Hmmm, I moved to the country for a reason people…
What about the prophecies that Yahuah Elohim’s NAME would be replaced by Baal’s name? (Baal means Lord, Adonai comes from Adom/Woden/Oden, also meaning Lord, LORD is a derivative of Loki, Jesus comes fom Iosus the son of Zeus when Messiah’s true name was Yahushuah Englisised as Joshuah, and Chist comes fom Circe).
What about the Prophecies that say in the last day there will be wars and famine and pestilence? Seriously, even the talking heads on your TV can’t be asleep to the birthing pains!!!!
Wake up ye of little faith and common sence!
Sholom!
July 14, 2009 at 6:42 pm |
Your arguments about where the names of God in the English Bible came from are totally untrue. Adonai, for example, is Hebrew while the forms of Oden are Nordic. The word “Christ” comes from the Greek word “chrio” which means “anointed” and has nothing to do with Circe, the word “kirke” in Greek.
Maybe you should do more research on your etymology.
July 13, 2009 at 4:40 pm |
Harry,
i appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to list some prophecies that have been fulfilled, this is good “evidence” that what the scriptures state are true and come to us from a super-intelligence (the only true God) and not just from men, for there is no other which with 100% accuracy declares to us what will happen before it happens.
Having said that I would, however, object to two of your 10 fulfillments, points 2 and 9:
Firstly you state: 2) Predicted ca. 760 BC: Amos predicts Israel would be restored as a nation and would never be uprooted again (Amos 9:15)–Fulfilled in 1948.
However, as mikerucker mentioned above, this is not a certainty at this time. In fact, he is biblically correct. The scriptures clearly predict that Israel will at least once more lose possession of the land, when overrun by the antichrist. It is only when Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) returns that the land will be fully established as a permanent possession to Israel:
“Behold, a day of Jehovah comes, when your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (Zechariah 14:1–2). This text tells us that in the future, during the Great Tribulation, just before the visible return of Messiah Jesus, all the armies of all the nations will gather against Jerusalem. So at least once again, Jerusalem will fall into Gentile hands, and half of the Jewish population will be taken into slavery while the other half will be allowed to remain in the city to await a later fate.
Secondly you state: 9) Predicted ca. 430 BC: Malachi prophesies that Yahweh’s name would be honored by the Gentiles (pagans) (Malachi 1:11).–Fulfilled 1st century AD to the present: Pagans worldwide have forsaken their paganism and have confessed that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
However, the entire text actually says, “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts.”
Incense and grain offerings are not offered in “every place” at this time and the name of the Lord is not recognized as “Great” everywhere. So although the Name of the Lord is being taken to all the world since the death and resurrection of Messiah, nevertheless, this process is far from complete and there certainly are not “grain offerings” and “Incense” being offered “everywhere”. So, again, this is another prophecy that will only be fully fulfilled when Messiah Yeshua returns and establishes the Millennial Kingdom.
These two prophecies (of the ten you list) have not been fulfilled at this time.
In conclusion, therefore, only eight of the ten you listed have already been fulfilled. It is important to be very careful and biblical in our claims regarding prophetic fulfillment so as not to leave ourselves open to criticism or ridicule due to poor exegesis of scripture.
July 14, 2009 at 8:55 pm |
Thanks for your observations, Terry. However, you overlooked some prophecies about #2 on my list that tell us about how things will unfold when several nations come against Israel. Where Zechariah’s prophecy mentions taking Israel into captivity, the prophecies in Ezekiel 38 & 39 and Revelation 16 & 19 don’t mention captivity as their purpose. During the Great Tribulation, these nations will seek to wipe out Israel, but Jesus Christ shows up to totally thwart their plans.
These nations will not even get to the point of taking any captives from Israel because God will stop them cold. Ezekiel 39 even mentions that the Israelis will come out of their cities to bury their enemies for seven months and burn their enemies’ weapons. So both Ezekiel and Revelation state clearly that Israelis will be occupying Jerusalem and Israel throughout the tribulation period. That’s why a temple will be built in Jerusalem. So #2 is correct and is fulfilled.
As you have stated, it is important to get exegesis of scripture correct. And concerning my #9 on the list, I believe that I’ve gotten it correct. One thing that you have to understand about prophecies is that part of a prophetic statement can be fulfilled without the whole thing being fulfilled.
For instance, when Jesus stood up and read from Isaiah 61 in Luke 4 and proclaimed that he was the fulfillment of it, he quoted only part of the scripture because the whole thing wasn’t fulfilled. Sometimes unfulfilled parts of a scripture in the Old Testament are quoted alongside the fulfilled parts of it in the New Testament. In Matthew 12:15 when Jesus healed many people, he told them not to broadcast who he was. Then Matthew quoted Isaiah 42:1-4 to say Jesus had fulfilled it. But Jesus only fulfilled the part that said he would do his works in a quiet manner, not the parts that talked about Gentiles trusting in him.
By quoting Malachi 1:11, I have followed what Jesus and his apostles did. Jesus’ name is, in fact, great in every place, because John tells us in Revelation 7, which occurs after the Rapture, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;” [Revelation 7:9] This means that the greatness of Christ’s name precedes Christ’s 1000-yr. reign.
I believe that just as Elijah was unaware of the thousands who had not bowed their knee to Baal when he felt like the only one, there are thousands in every nation that are Christians that we don’t know about. So I’m sticking by #9 also as being correct.
July 24, 2009 at 3:33 pm |
Greetings Harry,
Thank you for your gracious response. You responded:
“…you overlooked some prophecies about #2 on my list that tell us about how things will unfold when several nations come against Israel. Where Zechariah’s prophecy mentions taking Israel into captivity, the prophecies in Ezekiel 38 & 39 and Revelation 16 & 19 don’t mention captivity as their purpose. During the Great Tribulation, these nations will seek to wipe out Israel, but Jesus Christ shows up to totally thwart their plans. These nations will not even get to the point of taking any captives from Israel because God will stop them cold. Ezekiel 39 even mentions that the Israelis will come out of their cities to bury their enemies for seven months and burn their enemies’ weapons. So both Ezekiel and Revelation state clearly that Israelis will be occupying Jerusalem and Israel throughout the tribulation period. That’s why a temple will be built in Jerusalem. So #2 is correct and is fulfilled.”
Unfortunately Harry you are confusing two different invasions here. You have attributed the invasion of Ezekiel 38 and 39 as taking place at the same time as the Zechariah invasion (which takes place during the last 7 years There are a number of problems with your view. The key objection lies in the clear distinction between the Ezekiel 38–39 invasion and Armageddon. First, in Ezekiel there are definite allies mentioned and they are limited in number, while other nations stand in opposition. In the Campaign of Armageddon, all nations are allied together against Jerusalem without exception. Second, the Ezekiel invasion comes from the north, but the Armageddon invasion comes from the whole earth. Third, the purpose of the Russian invasion is to take the spoil; the purpose of the Armageddon Campaign is to destroy all the Jews. Fourth, in the Ezekiel invasion, there is a protest against the invasion; in the Armageddon Campaign, there is no protest because all the nations are involved. Fifth, the Ezekiel invasion is destroyed through convulsions of nature; the Armageddon invasion is destroyed by the personal Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah. Sixth, the Ezekiel invasion is destroyed on the mountains of Israel; the Armageddon Campaign is destroyed in the area between Petra and Jerusalem. Seventh, the Russian invasion takes place while Israel is living securely in the Land; the Armageddon Campaign takes place while Israel is in flight and in hiding. Furthermore, this view fails to solve the problem of the seven years spoken of in the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecy, since this 7 years would have to continue into the Millennium to be accomplished. Again, this is inconsistent with other revelation regarding the Kingdom, which starts out with a thoroughly cleansed earth upon the visible return of Messiah and only a 75 day interval before ushering in of the Millennial Kingdom
The Gog, (Russian-led confederacy of nations) invasion will occur before the Tribulation actually begins. From the text of Ezekiel 38:1–39:16 we understand that First, Israel is established before the Tribulation and is dwelling securely. Second, the Russian confederacy invades Israel during this time of security before the Tribulation. Third, the confederacy is destroyed in Israel before the Tribulation. There are several points which confirm this. First, the description of Israel found in this passage fits well with the nation as she is now, established before the Tribulation. Israel is a land brought back from the sword (38:8). After 1900 years, 46 invasions, and the War of Independence, the Land is Jewish again and free from foreign domination. This nation is gathered from many nations and peoples (38:8, 12). The Jews in Israel today come from 80–90 different nations. The continual waste places are now inhabited (38:8, 12). The Israelis today are rebuilding the ancient places and turning them into modern towns and cities. They dwell securely (38:11, 14). This has often been misconstrued as meaning a state of peace, but this is not the meaning of the Hebrew root batach. The nominal form of this root means “security.” This is not the security due to a state of peace, but a security due to confidence in their own strength. This, too, 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. Israel is dwelling in unwalled villages (38:11). This is very descriptive of the present-day kibbutzim in Israel.
Second, Russia today, in spite of the fall of communism, is still a major world power before the Tribulation. Her rise to this position coincided with the reestablishment of Israel following World War II.
Third, this addresses the issue of the seven months and seven years. Putting this invasion in the beginning of the Tribulation presents no real problem with the seven months, but it does have problems with the seven years. This would put it at a time when Israel would be in flight and would not have time to finish the burning of the weapons. If you try to place this Russian-led invasion in the middle of the Tribulation then there are problems with both the seven months and the seven years. The seven months would extend into the second half of the Tribulation, a time when Israel has to worry about her own dead, let alone the Russians. The seven years would extend throughout the rest of the Tribulation and 3½ years into the Millennium, making it inconsistent with the biblical view of the Millennium. Furthermore, Israel would need these weapons in the second half of the Tribulation. If you placed The Ezekiel invasion at the end of the Tribulation then there is a problem with both the seven months and the seven years, since both would extend into the Millennium. If you try to place the invasion in the interlude between the return of Messiah and the beginning of the Millennium there is a problem with both the seven months and the seven years, since both would extend into the Millennium due to the fact that according to the Prophet Daniel the interlude is only 75 days. The end of the Millennium view has problems with both seven months and the seven years. The seven months of burial seem pointless when there is a resurrection after the invasion. The seven years would have to extend into the Eternal Order, an impossibility since there is a whole new earth created. Therefore, the before the Tribulation view is the only one which has no problems with either the seven months or the seven years. The Jews continue to dwell in the Land after this invasion and remain there until the middle of the Tribulation. Hence, the seven months of burial is no problem. The seven years also create no problem since they would begin before the Tribulation and can extend as far as the middle of the Tribulation if at all necessary. According to this view, this invasion must take place at least 3½ years or more before the Tribulation starts. All of these facts force us to understand that this Russian-led Ezekiel 38-39 invasion is the only view that is consistent with the Scriptures. The Ezekiel 38-39 Russian invasion is another birth pang that will occur before the Tribulation begins and before the prophecies of Zechariah 14:1-2, the loss of possession of the Land, the attack by the Antichrist and accompanying holocaust and death of two-thirds of the Jews while only one-third escape to Petra to be supernaturally protected by God for the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation.
July 24, 2009 at 5:12 pm |
[You have attributed the invasion of Ezekiel 38 and 39 as taking place at the same time as the Zechariah invasion]
No, Terry, I didn’t say or imply that Ezekiel 38-39 and the invasion mentioned in Zechariah take place at the same time. My comment was pointing out the fact that Zechariah and Ezekiel were talking about two separate incidents.
Your rather lengthy comment is going off on a tangent. I was simply defending the fact that Israel is established forever now as a nation and they will not go into captivity again. You can argue all you want about timelines when this battle or that battle occurs, but #2 on my list is accurate and correct, according to the scriptures. Furthermore, just because Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 16 & 19 have slightly different details does not mean they are necessarily different occurrences. God has many times given different details about the same occurrence throughout scriptures that are hundreds of years apart. And don’t forget that one prophecy can refer to more than one incident in history.
The Bible is rather simple, but you seem to only be trying to cause confusion with your comment and God is not the author of confusion. If you were more concise with your explanations as opposed to being verbose, it would be easier for those who are not as advanced as you in your knowledge to have a better understanding of your point. Not everyone who reads this blog is a Bible scholar with multiple letters after their name. That’s why I try to keep my commentaries and explanations as simple as possible. I may not always be successful at it, but that is one of my goals when I write.
Also in your studies, please don’t forget this pertinent piece of information from Revelation 12:
“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman [Israel] which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood [of persecution] after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
If God was not interested in preserving the present nation of Israel, why was Israel able to defeat her enemies who attacked her in 1948 when she had just been re-established and again in 1967 during the Six Days’ war? Especially since they were outnumbered and outgunned both times.
July 28, 2009 at 9:07 am |
Greetings Harry,
You say you were not confusing Ezekiel and Zechariah, but then you again seem to be defending the fact that the passages refer to an invasion which takes palce at the very end. I have demonstrated that the Armageddon invasion is at the end and the Ezekiel invasion precedes Armageddon. Enough on that. It seems to me you are the one confusing things here Harry. However i will conclude my remarks on your blog by pointing out that you quote Revelation 12 which tells us that because of the attack on Israel by the antichrist the woman (Israel) is forced to flee into “her place” in “the wilderness” for 3 1/2 years. Other passages tell us that it is only 1/3 of the Jews who escape the persecution and escape thus (2/3s perish), and this “place” is Bozrah (modern day Petra in southern Jordan) where the 1/3 which escape will be supernaturally protected by God for the last 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation. So again, this passage is also another passage which affirms the fact that Israel will lose possession of the Land at least one more time. In regard to your question about why did God protect Israel in 48 and 67, the answer is because He wanted to, He is sovereign. He can do as he pleases. This in no way takes away from the fact that Israel is prophecied to lose possession at least one more time. These are still the times and empires of the Gentiles – from the empire of Babylon to the return of Messiah. According to Daniel the earth will be ruled by 4 “gentile” empires leading up to the return of Messiah. Although it is possible for Israel to take “temporary” possession of the land as has happened several times (like under the Macabees, 1948, etc.), until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (when Messiah returns) it is always temporary.
July 28, 2009 at 8:58 pm |
OK, Terry.
I looked back at my first reply to your first comment and said there would be no captives taken in Israel’s war with the whole world. I also said Ezekiel and Zechariah were separate incidents in my second reply to your second comment. On these two points, I was mistaken.
Ezekiel and Zechariah and Armageddon are all the same incident. There are a whole host of prophecies which give the same details or varying details about this battle. Joel, for instance, calls Armageddon the “valley of Jehoshaphat” and the “valley of decision” in Joel 3. Zechariah 14 tells us only 1/2 of Jerusalem will be captives when all nations come against her while the other 1/2 remains in the city. Then the Lord will arrive with his saints on the Mount of Olives to fight for them. So in this battle, the people of Israel still inhabit the land.
Rev. 16 tells us how the Antichrist & his false prophet start Armageddon–”And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 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. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”
Then Rev. 19:17-21 gives us more details about Armageddon after Christ returns with his saints–”And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
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.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
The language used here about Armageddon tells us that Ezekiel and Zechariah and Revelation speak of the same battle. Ezekiel says in 38:19-20 there will be a great shaking in Israel and mountains will fall. Zechariah 14:4 also says mountains shall be moved and removed, which of course will cause the earth to shake. Rev. 16:18 also talks about a great earthquake occurring during Armageddon.
In the same way the angel in Rev. 19:17-18 calls the birds to feast on great men and their horses, Ezekiel 39:17-20 says “And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.”
As you can see, same language, same battle.
So here is a general summary of events:
–Israel makes plans to build a temple (Jesus speaks of this holy place in Matthew 24 and Paul talks about it in 2 Thessalonians 2)
–The Antichrist establishes some peace agreement with Israel to help build the temple and/or to gain access to the temple.
–He enters the temple and exalts himself as God (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
–Jews who know about what Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24 about the abomination of desolation flee into the wilderness.
–Other Jews openly reject the Antichrist’s claims of being God and refuse to worship him (this is the time of the two witnesses in Revelation and the time when some of God’s remnant will be protected from the dragon’s persecution in Revelation 12)
–The Antichrist gets fed up with the Jews’ refusal to worship him and gathers up the armies of the whole world to destroy them.
–The Antichrist is only allowed to conquer a portion of Israel before Christ returns with his saints to wipe him and his armies out.
All in all, Israel will lose some of their land but will keep possession of about half of it, according to Zechariah. So based on the prophecies, #2 is still correct.
July 29, 2009 at 12:34 pm |
Harry,
In my July 24th response to you I enumerated seven specific biblical reasons that the Ezekiel invasion and the Armageddon invasion cannot possibly be the same battle, as well as supplying significant additional biblical evidence. It almost seems like you didn’t bother to read the points I established in that post and you didn’t respond to any of those points, yet you accused me of being verbose. I really think we have gone over this more than adequately at this point.
Therefore, in closing, I encourage you to carefully and prayerfully work through the pertinent biblical issues which have been raised which simply and clearly biblically establish that the two battles are different invasions with the Ezekiel invasion preceding the Armageddon battle.
Specifically for your further and more concise biblical understanding of bible prophecy I highly recommend to you the preeminent volume on the subject written by Messianic Jewish Scholar Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum entitled “Footsteps of Messiah – A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events”, Revised Edition – http://www.amazon.com/Footsteps-Messiah-Sequence-Prophetic-Revised/dp/0914863096. This volume not only addresses the few issues we have raised here but gives a scholarly and rock-solid biblical exposition of the entire sweep of bible prophecy from Genesis through Revelation. The work addresses and responds to all of the objections we have talked about here and much, much more. There is no other work which even comes close to this volume in terms of solid and concise biblical exposition of the subject. You can also find additional study materials at the Ariel Ministries website at http://www.ariel.org
Meanwhile, may God continue to richly bless you as you grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus the Messiah.
I remain your servant in Jesus the Messiah,
Terry
July 29, 2009 at 9:10 pm |
Terry,
Thanks for a lively discussion/debate. I did read your July 24 comment but chose not to go point by point about it. Although I’m glad you made our discussion interesting, I don’t agree with all of your views. My opinions differ from yours in that I believe it’s clear that Ezekiel is the same as Armageddon because of the finality of the language used in the prophecy.
Ezekiel 39:20-22 God says that after the battle he describes “…I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.”
This speaks of how Israel will come to a saving knowledge of the Lord and will accept him as Lord which they will not do until the very end of the tribulation. He will set his glory among the heathen by establishing his Millenial kingdom which is when all heathen will see his judgment. So this clearly says that the battle in Ezekiel occurs at the end of the tribulation just as Armageddon does because Ezekiel’s prophecy is about Armageddon.
The battle in Ezekiel may mention definite allies, but this is only to highlight those nations that give the largest support to the Antichrist and Russia is leading the charge. This list is not an exhaustive list of allies since it is commonly believed that Psalm 83 also speaks of Armageddon and it lists different nations than the ones Ezekiel mentions. Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish were not opposing the invasion when they asked Gog (Russia) about the invasion. They merely wanted to know the purpose of the invasion.
August 31, 2009 at 11:32 am |
I wish I could be as faithful as you.
August 31, 2009 at 9:51 pm |
I don’t know if you’re saying this as a believer or unbeliever, but those of us who believe struggle with our faith sometimes. When we still possess a sinful nature living alongside our new godly nature, there will constantly be struggles of one nature versus the other, which is why it’s so important to read, study, and meditate on God’s word with prayer. The more we do these things, the stronger our faith becomes because “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
September 1, 2009 at 12:50 pm |
Well I must humbly submit that actually, the scriptures teach that those who have truly been born again (believers) only have “one” nature and NOT two. The new and ONLY nature of the believer is the “new” man — new nature, new creation — in Christ Jesus. He “is” a new creation (not a “new” and an “old” creation):
”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he IS a new creation. THE OLD HAS PASSED AWAY; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
The scriptures establish that for the believer, the “old” man (that is the sin nature inherited from Adam) has “passed away” forever and was “crucified” (in the past, with Christ) and it is now Christ (through the new nature) who lives in us:
”I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20)
However, it is true that “sin” still dwells IN OUR FLESH, but that “sin” is no longer our “nature” since we ARE now (by NATURE) only new creations in Christ). Nevertheless “sin” (that is the “power of sin”) still dwells in our mortal flesh. This is an extremely important doctrinal point to understand. As the Apostle Paul establishes for us:
”Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. SO NOW IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLS WITHIN ME. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLS WITHIN ME.” (Romans 7:16-20)
Again, the “flesh” is NOT our “nature” now that we are in Christ: but is sort of an “external” enemy (that is, external in regard to our “inner” new spirit man). But “sin” still resides and is active in our mortal “flesh” bodies, and so we experience a battle that seems to be “within” us (because it is actually happening within our “bodies”.
”For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Gal. 5:17)
Thus, while the believer lives in his mortal body the “flesh” (sin in the flesh) wars against the “spirit” (our new nature) and “spirit” against the “flesh”. Yes, there is a struggle; nevertheless the bible teaches that it is not two “natures” the believer has warring, but rather “sin” in the flesh warring against the believer’s one new nature in Christ:
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:17)
Finally, the scriptures assure us once again:
”But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)
I hope this helps clarify the matter.
September 1, 2009 at 9:56 pm |
Thanks, Terry, for sharing your insight.
September 29, 2009 at 6:27 pm |
Praise the Lord for someone who speaks the truth. “cast not your pearls before swine” . I have a great respect for that scripture.
We have to live the way the Lord Jesus said for us to. The 10 commandments, and to love one another. So much bickering. Love and forgiveness is the greatest of the things we are to do. Rather than to argue the scriptures, go help someone in need. Windows and orphans, there are so many people in need of help. AS Christians we need to do what we can. Our work is to bring as many into the fold as we can while we are here. Anything else is a moot point.
God Bless you all
September 29, 2009 at 10:07 pm |
[Rather than to argue the scriptures, go help someone in need.]
Actually, our Christian walk has many facets and responsibilities. Yes it’s very important to help people in need, but in addition to that we are to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,” [2 Timothy 4:2-3]. The words “reprove” and “rebuke” by definition mean that those who share the word correct faulty ways of thinking and this at times means arguing the scriptures. Even Jesus, Peter, Paul and other disciples in the Bible argued the scriptures with people who had wrong ways of thinking.
[Our work is to bring as many into the fold as we can while we are here.]
Yes this is what Christ commanded us in Matthew 28. But in order for them to come into the fold, people have to have faith, and “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” [Romans 10:17]. Furthermore, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” [Romans 10:14-15]
And wherever God sends preachers, controversy will follow as shown in the book of Acts. Although the evangelists and apostles were not looking for arguments when they preached, since there were resisters of the truth wherever they went, arguments became inevitable. Arguments come with the territory when one is trying to reach people for Christ. That’s why Christianity is now even being openly attacked in the U.S., which was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Therefore, discussions to try to increase understanding of Biblical doctrines are not moot if they go beyond just the basics of getting people saved or helping widows and orphans.
But I’m saying this in love, not to slam you.