Sound The Trumpet : The coming invasion of Israel

Must Listen

Must Read

What Art Thinks

Pre-Millennialism

Today's Headlines

Sorry... Not Available

Locally Contributed...

Audio

Video

Special Interest

Main Stories

3168

“The coming invasion of Israel”
by Art Sadlier
September 1st, 2008

Satan now has a kingdom in this world as we see in 2 Corinthians 4:4 and John 14:30. This kingdom of Satan is limited, in that it is subject to the permissive will of God. According to Isaiah 14:13-14 Satan desires to throw off these restraints and rule in place of God. Satan knows that Christ has promised to take the kingdom from him and rule this world in righteousness and peace. (Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15). Satan knows three things that will be involved in God's plan:

A redeemed Israel dwelling in the promised land.
Christ coming to rule over Israel and the world from David’s throne in Jerusalem.
A resulting termination of the prospect of Satan’s Kingdom.

Satan's goal therefore is:

To drive Israel off the promised land
To annihilate Israel.

Satan rationalizes that if he can do that, Christ cannot come and establish His kingdom and he will have defeated God. All down through history Satan has sought to annihilate Israel. Today that effort is what dominates the current world scene. Satan will make one final great attempt to destroy Israel, that attempt is recorded in Ezekiel 38-39. This attempt comes through an ALLIANCE of NATIONS and a GREAT ATTACK.

1..Who launches this attack? Russia is the one who launches and leads this attack, Ezekiel 38:2-3, without entering into a study, these verses refer to Russia. Russia will be the leader of a large alliance of mid-east nations. We learn the identity of those nations in verse 5-6. This alliance is made up of Persia (Iran), and a group of Arab nations that surround Israel.

Today Russia is working to form this very alliance with Iran, Syria, Turkey, Libya, Sudan and other Muslim nations in the vicinity of Israel. Since the invasion of Georgia, the mid-east nations that oppose Israel have come alive with new enthusiasm to destroy Israel. These nations now have a new champion against the West and Israel as the rift between Russia and the West grows.

It is possible that Psalm 83 refers to the present attacks on Israel. But Ezekiel 38-39 tells us about a massive all out attempt to utterly destroy Israel.

2...When will this attack take place?

In Ezekiel 38:8 we have the first clue, “in the latter years”, that is the present time. “The land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people”, this is the present time. “And is brought forth out of the nations,” this is Israel today. For 2,000 years Israel has been scattered among the nations, Israel has been a wasteland; the land has been under the sword of many conquerors. But now they have been regathered, that is true of no other time in history.

Further Evidence of the timing, “and they shall dwell safely all of them”.

This is not the present time, it’s not today. Today missiles are flying, terror attacks are rampant and war is constantly on the horizon.
This is not the second half of the tribulation period. The tribulation period will be a time of unprecedented war, terror and destruction, there will be no peace in those days.
The only time Israel will experience peace is a brief period, very early tribulation period. Verse 11, describes this time of peace. This is the time immediately following the peace treaty of antichrist. Paul tells us that this peace will be for but a short period of time (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). Therefore this attack on Israel will be very early in the tribulation period. (See also Ezekiel 39:9 N.B.- Remember that in the chronology of the kings of Israel any portion of a year that a king reigned was reckoned to be a year.)

The burning of the weapons will take 7 years and that will not overlap the Millennial kingdom, therefore this war must take place early in the tribulation.

The world is clamoring today for Israel to tear down the wall of protection they have built, (verse 11). No doubt after the peace treaty is signed they will take it down. The world has been seeking a peace treaty for 25 years, they haven’t found it, they won’t, and they can’t. The peace treaty will not be confirmed until antichrist comes on the scene to sign it. We conclude that the war of Ezekiel 38-39 will not take place until the church is raptured and the peace treaty is signed, but it will be very early in the tribulation. If this alliance is rapidly forming and the preparations for this war are well underway, then the trumpet is soon to sound!

3...The Invasion in Ezekiel 38:9, the peace treaty has been signed; Israel and the nations have disarmed; antichrist has pledged Israel’s security. The attack is massive and it is a surprise attack. Russia, with her former republic states, along with an unbelievable number of people from Muslim nations, descending on Israel to destroy Her. Iran has a million man army and a ten million man militia. Multiplied millions will come, verse 15. The west will be somehow neutralized, America will be out of the equation, perhaps the judgment of God will have fallen on America, in whatever form He chooses. Notice the response of the West in Ezekiel 38:13, their passive response is not unlike the response to the recent invasion of Georgia.

4...The Weapons described in Ezekiel 38:4 don’t sound like modern weapons, what is this all about? Remember, world-wide disarmament has taken place and this attack is dependant on massive numbers of men with makeshift weapons.

5...The Final Outcome today the stage is being set for that battle, described in verses 18 & 22. The Muslim world is preparing for a war of annihilation against Israel. Ahmahdinejad is calling for an alliance of Muslim nations to wage a war of annihilation against Israel. Listen to the words of the President of Iran: “The skirmishes in the occupied land are a part of a war of destiny. The outcome of hundreds of years of war will be defined on Palestinian land. As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map”, and they are preparing to do it! He also said, “Israel is a tyrannical regime that will one day be destroyed”. He further stated, “Israel is a rotten, dried tree that will one day be annihilated in one storm.” Amazing that after 2,600 years Ezekiel’s very words are echoed by the President of Iran. Listen to Ezekiel 38:9, “Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm”, do you think the Spirit of God is trying to get our attention? Do you understand what is happening in our world? Let the words of Ahmadinejad explain it for you. “Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury.” That is an explanation of the terror the world is now facing. The Lord will intervene and destroy these nations, verses 18-22. Ezekiel 39:2 tells that 5 out of every 6 men in this army will die. As the battle ends, Russia is totally neutralized and Islam is eliminated as force in world affairs; apparently America has already been eliminated. At that point antichrist will be the only one left standing and the oil of the mid-east will be his. He can then proceed to expand his kingdom

On November 20, 2007, Hamas stated in a letter to the UN, “Palestine is Arab Islamic land, from the river to the sea, including Jerusalem; there is no room for the Jews”. As we see the frantic preparations being made to obliterate Israel and the coming together of this alliance, we know that the Trumpet is soon to sound! Are you ready?

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28

The shadows of these events are being cast on the walls of our news media, the day is far spent, and the time is at hand.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13