Ezekiel 38 war on Israel UKRAINE Russia and Syria

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Israel has just gone through a horrible and furious war between its neighbors, the war described in Psalm 83 and elsewhere is now over. Israel’s borders have expanded dramatically, forever changing the landscape of power in the region. Fulfilling the promise of Jeremiah 49:2, Israel will then look something like this:

Jeremiah 49:2 Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war In Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the LORD.

Egypt will have witnessed this onslaught that Israel unleashes and will tremble in fear.

Isaiah 19:16-17 In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them. And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them.

Syria will have suffered a horrendous defeat, having their capital of Damascus completely destroyed in a nuclear attack in one evening!

Jeremiah 49:23-26 Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, for they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; there is trouble on the sea; it cannot be quiet. Damascus has grown feeble; she turns to flee, and fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. Why is the city of praise [Jerusalem] not deserted, the city of My joy? Therefore her young men shall fall in her [Damascus] streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 17:1,9,14 1 An oracle concerning Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. 9 In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. 14 In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.

The nations of the world will see this nuclear attack and they will panic. They will cause such a stir with their moaning and complaining against Israel, their roar will sound like the rushing waves of the sea. They will try to stop Israel but God turns them away.

Isaiah 17:12, 13 Woe to the multitude of many people, [which] make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, [that] make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but [God] shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

Jordan, because of their traitorous actions, will now be under Israeli control. This fact becomes crucially important later on during the Tribulation because the surviving remnant of Israel will be forced to flee into Jordan’s hills, escaping the Antichrist.

Obadiah 1:19 19 The South shall possess the mountains of Esau [Southern Jordan], and the Lowland shall possess Philistia [Gaza Strip]. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria [West Bank]. Benjamin shall possess Gilead [West Bank & Golan Heights].

And Egypt will have gone at least partially under Israeli control as well.

Isaiah 19:18-19 18 In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. 19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.

This war will have laid waste to every minor nation in the area that has called for the destruction of Israel. And possibly because of an earlier surgical military strike against Iran, Israel will be temporarily at peace. This now transitions into the period described in Ezekiel 38 where Israel is at peace and is soon attacked by Iran, Russia, Libya and Turkey. Israel will be overflowing with wealth from the spoils of war. They will be in possession of vast oil fields from the Northwest portions of Saudi Arabia. They will have treasures from Egypt and vast fortunes from Syria and Jordan’s Kingdom. This will pose as quite the temptation for Russia as Iran plots their revenge.

Ezekiel 38:11-14 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places [that are now] inhabited, and upon the people [that are] gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know [it]?

Israel will be fat and at peace, proudly relishing the spoils of war as they celebrate their victory over such foes. Can you fathom the fury in the remaining Muslims when Israel, land of the Jews, has control of much of Saudi Arabia, home of Mecca, their most holy city?

Ezekiel 38: 15, 16 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

Here is described the purpose of bringing these nations to Israel, so that the heathen might know the Lord. This is a prophecy that has been proclaimed, studied, read and deciphered for thousands of years and finally it takes place. This gives such a testimony on the validity of the word of God, where millions will come to know him over such truths.

Ezekiel 38:18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, [that] my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that [are] upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

This time it is not Israel that fights back and wins the victory, it is the Lord himself! Confusion sweeps through the ranks as they enter Israel’s territory. Russia, along with Iran, Libya and Turkey will invade with a massive army, described as a cloud covering the land. A great earthquake will strike the land as God’s fury is unleashed. Floods, great hailstones, fire from heaven will obliterate the attacking armies, giving no other answer as to how this happened other than by God’s own hand!

Israel will see God giving them this victory and this will cause such a stir in their hearts that they will tear down the dome of the rock and set out to rebuild their Temple. This is not the response God was looking for. In fact, this is the last straw for the Lord. So much so that he now allows the Antichrist to be made known as the Great Tribulation is ushered upon us.

Answering those who dismiss Jeremiah 49 regarding the future of #ISRAEL

Is the beginning of the end of the world upon us? Well, that depends upon who you ask.

In case you haven’t noticed, End Times theology has become a hot topic in media this summer. From discussions surrounding Syria and its alleged role in Biblical prophesy to grander curiosities about Jesus Christ’s supposed Second Coming, the debate over these themes has been a spirited one, as TheBlaze recently noted. And as supporters continuously speak out, critics of End Times theology are vocal of late, highlighting their contention that applying Old Testament Bible verses to future unforeseen events and happenings is haphazard (we highlighted some of the main arguments against this prophetic inclination in past coverage of the issue).

Considering these critiques, TheBlaze once again interviewed author and Bible expert Joel Rosenberg to see what he has to say in response to those who disagree with his interpretation of scripture. Rosenberg, who believes that Isaiah 17:1-3, among other verses, highlight what’s to come, attempted to poke holes in counterarguments, charging that those who dismiss the view that the Bible holds many keys to the End Times fail to see the full picture.

As a refresher, Isaiah 17:1-3 reads, “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Considering the current international conflict, this is obviously capturing attention. Some critics dismiss the application of these verses to future prophecy and note that Damascus has been attacked numerous times throughout its history. Thus, they believe prophecy has already been fulfilled. Some hold that there’s no remaining foresight at any level and simply believe that what is described already unfolded in 732 B.C.

1. Damascus Has Been Attacked Before, But… TheBlaze asked Rosenberg to respond to this latter claim and he noted, first and foremost, that Damascus certainly has been attacked in the past – but the Bible expert added an important caveat: Damascus has never ceased to be a city, something that Rosenberg believes is clearly prophesied in Isaiah 17.

“There’s no question that Damascus has been attacked and conquered numerous times through history. Nobody is debating that,” said the author. “The question is whether the actual text has come to fulfillment.”

Rosenberg pointed out a unique fact about Damascus, the capital of Syria: It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the earth. It is first mentioned in Genesis and yet it still appears in modern-day headlines.

While he agrees that the 732 B.C. attack undeniably unfolded (Isaiah 7 and 8 predict this event, Rosenberg believes), he also holds that the prophesy in Isaiah 17:1-3 hasn’t yet been fulfilled, because Damascus continued to be a city following the attack by the Assyrians — and it remains an active and inhabited locality even today.

2. Rosenberg Says Isaiah Didn’t Receive the Prophecy Until After 732 B.C. Rosenberg’s second argument is that Isaiah, in the expert’s estimation, didn’t receive the contents of Isaiah 17 until after 732 B.C. If this is true, it would mean that the Assyrian attack on Damascus was not what was being referenced in the text.

“It’s true that Isaiah prophesied about the conquering of Damascus — that happens in chapter 7 and 8 — and that is exactly what came to fulfillment in 732 B.C., but in chapter 14, in verse 28, Isaiah says something that’s fascinating and relevant,” argued the author.

Isaiah 14:28 reads, “This prophecy came in the year King Ahaz died.” Rosenberg believes this line is key to the debate. Since King Ahaz (king of Judah) died around 710 B.C., Rosenberg (who said the year of death was closer to 715 B.C.) runs through some logic that would, at the least, force his critics to respond with their own timeline of events. Perhaps only the text in Isaiah 14 and not 17 came in 710, but regardless the language does create some questions.

“This means that the prophesies of Isaiah 17 were not given to the prophet until 715 B.C., which is nearly two decades after the conquering of Damascus [in 732], so this helps us have assurance that Isaiah 17 wasn’t fulfilled in 732,” he continued.

Rosenberg said that it’s easy to overlook the verse referencing the king – one that seemingly provides context to Isaiah 17. The 732 B.C. prophesy, Rosenberg argues, gives Isaiah credibility, however what he promises in chapter 17 has yet to, in the Bible expert’s view, come to fruition.

“When he gives us end times prophesies, we can be assured that those will happen one day because the other things he had said had already come true,” Rosenberg told TheBlaze.

3. Isaiah 17 Isn’t the Only Alleged Prophecy to Come The “Damascus Countdown” author also notes that it’s not only Isaiah 17 that makes apparent End Times references. You have to look at Jeremiah, too.

While the Syria conflict has shed light on the first three verses of that chapter, Rosenberg made it clear that Isaiah 11 through 24 is filled with “big picture” prophesies that he believes are set to take place in the future. These even include timestamps, Rosenberg claims.

“It’s really sad what the Bible says will happen to Damascus one day and I’m not saying that I know when it will happen,” he added. “I don’t know when these prophesies will come to pass. Will they happen in our lifetime? Well, they could.”

Regardless of where people stand on the issue, Rosenberg said that it’s important for individuals to be aware of what is said in the scriptures. The impact of the End Times — and the theories surrounding the controversial theology — are worth understanding, he told TheBlaze. Rosenberg also recommends that people who are interested in the subject read a parallel passage in Jeremiah 49:23-27 – a prophetic word that he believes couldn’t have possibly happened in 732 B.C., as Jeremiah wasn’t born yet (he died in 570 B.C.).

“It backs up Isaiah 17 and gives us more details and it comes in a section about End Times prophecies,” he said. “It refers to the judgment of Iran, which was known at that time as Elam.”

Rosenberg noted that these verses, again, describe Damascus. Here are those scripture references:

End Times Bible Expert Joel Rosenberg Delivers 3 Key Reasons Why Those Dismissing Syria Related Prophecies May Be Dead Wrong

Again, he cautioned that we may not yet be seeing this come to pass, despite the fact that Syria is currently in the headlines. But Rosenberg did describe some of the modern-day happenings that cause some pause. In the current crisis, millions have fled Syria and the United Nations recently estimated that five million people are internally displaced. In sum, seven million Syrians have attempted to escape to either internal or external locations. “I want to be the most conservative guy on this … I’m not claiming that this prophesy is going to come true in our lives,” he said. “[But] it’s worth at least being aware of these prophecies.”

What is Aroer? Isaiah 17:1-3 also claims that “the cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks.” Considering that this often gets little attention (after all, if Damascus’ destruction has apparently yet to come, what about “Aroer?”) TheBlaze asked for Rosenberg’s understanding of the word.

“The word Aroer in Hebrew means ruins. It comes from a root word, which can be interpreted — it either means destitute, stripped naked or it can also be translated in other places as a bush or a tree,” explained Rosenberg, noting that there are questions about whether it’s a proper name or a descriptor. He added that the Bible does name at least a few small towns by this name that are located far away from Damascus.

If Aroer is a separate location, critics could argue – pending there’s evidence of an attack – then the verses have already come to fruition or are baseless, as Aroer is no longer a standing locality. But Rosenberg tends to lean against the idea that the word is referencing a specific place, siding with those who believe it really just means “ruins.” “I personally lean against the idea that it’s referencing these specific three small largely unknown places…not a lot happened there of Biblical import,” he said.

There’s No Definitive Timeline Rosenberg encouraged cautiousness when attributing current events to scriptures written long ago and he noted that there is no solid timeline through which people can presume when the End Times might unfold. “Neither Isaiah 17 nor Jeremiah 49 give us any detail about precisely when these prophecies will come to pass,” Rosenberg said. “We know that they would happen prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, because there aren’t judgments that are happening during the Millennial Kingdom” (Christ’s reign before the final judgment). These events, he insists, will happen sometime between today and Jesus’ return.

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