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| PentecostalTheology.comBible Prophecy
Russia, Iran, and Allies
Will Go To War … and Will Invade Israel
A Prophetic War of the Ages Ezekiel 38 – 39
GOD warns Iran (Persia), with Russia (Magog), and a coalition of allies (including Turkey, Libya, Sudan) will go to war and will invade Israel. In Ezekiel 38-39 the Bible warns this coming war between Iran (Persia) and Israel will take place sometime after Israel has been re-gathered into Her land as a nation (which was fulfilled on May 14, 1948) … this prophetic war has never yet taken place … the only time in history Persia (Iran) has ever gone to war against Israel was to help Israel throw off the yoke of the Byzantine Empire around 614 AD.
THIS WAR will be unlike any other war in history … this war will unleash a series of IRREVERSIBLE events which will change the world forever. God has set aside two whole chapters in the Bible to warn Mankind of this coming war …
THE BIBLE warns the US will NOT defend Israel. According to the Bible, Israel must stand alone … with God. For when this coming war does finally start, the United States will be unwilling (or unable) to help Israel defend herself. Even though the Bible warns the invading armies will be ultimately destroyed by God, it will be a devastating war for both Israel and the whole world. Bible scholars are divided as to whether this coming war is part of the prophetic battle of Armageddon or will just precede Armageddon in order to prepare a path for the Antichrist (a coming World Leader who will enforce a Peace Plan (“covenant”) upon Israel) which will trigger the final prophetic 7-Year period of time which God has set aside for Israel and the World which is sometimes called the “Apocalypse” …
ALL MANKIND should be sitting on the edge of their seats with white knuckles watching this terrible prophecy slowly start to unfold … while those who call themselves Christians (followers … both Jew and Gentile … of Jesus (Yeshua), the promised Messiah) are told to “examine” themselves in the Word and in their faith to insure they are not just ‘almost’ Christians (Matthew 7:21-23) who are “lukewarm” in their faith in Jesus (Yeshua) and God’s Word (Revelation 3:14-16) … for Jesus warns all to, “Watch, therefore, and pray always (not just sometimes), that you will be counted worthy (through His worthiness) to escape all these things (the terrible events of the coming ‘Apocalypse’) that will come to pass” … (Luke 21:36) … for the Bible promises believing Christians (faithful and sincere believers in Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha’Mashiach in Hebrew) who are alive at that time and have endured in their faith in God’s Word are not “appointed” to this coming time of “God’s wrath” that will be “poured out” upon the “whole world”… (1 Thessalonians 1:10 … 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)
Ezekiel 38:1-10 . . .
“Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
‘Son of man, set your face against Gog (a powerful leader),
of the land of Magog (translated ‘Scythia’ in Greek … the area of modern day RUSSIA),
the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, (Meshech and Tubal are in and around TURKEY)
and prophesy against him, and say,
Thus says the Lord GOD:
‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog (a powerful human or dark-angelic leader behind Russia),
the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. (Turkey)
I will turn you around,
put hooks into your jaws (Israel’s new gas fields, a mutual defense treaty, or UN effort?)
and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed,
a great company with bucklers and shields,
all of them handling swords (weapons). (The Russian army will march again)
Persia (IRAN), (Iran is listed first, meaning it will be the ‘lead’ ally)
Ethiopia (Sudan …”Cush”), and Libya (northern Africa) are with them,
all of them with shield and helmet.
Gomer and all its troops; (Germany-France, eastern Europe, or “Galatia”- Turkey)
the house of Togarmah (Armenia) from the far north and all its troops –
many people are with you. (NATO member Turkey will join this coalition)
Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you;
and be a guard for them. (Russia will act as a “guard” … and supplier of weapons)
After many days you will be visited. (Meaning, this would happen far from Ezekiel’s time)
In the LATTER YEARS you (Russia-Iran-Turkey)
will come into the land of those brought back from the sword (Israel!)
and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel,
which had long been desolate (this war will take place after Israel became a nation in 1948)
they (the children of Israel) were brought OUT of the nations,
and now all of them dwell safely.
You will ascend, coming like a storm,
covering the land (of Israel) like a cloud,
you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”
(Ezekiel 38:1-10)
The Bible warns Russia will also act as a GUARD (including weapons) for Iran and their allies …
“Prepare yourself (Russia – “Magog”)
and be ready,
you (Russia)
and all your companies (allies) that are gathered about you;
and be a GUARD for them.” (“Them” is Iran, Turkey, and the other allies listed)
(Ezekiel 38:7)
A “guard” protects, defends, blocks threats of “international sanctions”… and provides weapons, technology, intelligence, command, and control … and often stays quietly hidden in the shadows until the time is right.
Ezekiel 38:11-17 . . .
Thus says the Lord GOD:
“On that Day it shall come to pass
that thoughts will arise in your mind,
and you will make an evil plan:
You (the one who leads Russia) will say,
‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; (the cities in Israel are no longer ‘walled’)
I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely,
all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’
to take plunder and to take booty, (Greed, envy, and arrogance will fuel this invasion)
to stretch out your hand against the waste places
that are again inhabited, (look at Israel today)
and against a people gathered from the nations, (this will take place after 1948!)
who have acquired livestock and goods,
who dwell in the midst of the land.
Sheba (Saudi Arabia), Dedan (Kuwait), (Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will not join this invasion)
the merchants of Tarshish (may be England),
and all their young lions (may be former colonies like Canada, Australia, and the US)
will say to you,
‘Have you come to take plunder? (Greed, envy, and arrogance will fuel this invasion …)
Have you gathered your army to take booty,
to carry away silver and gold,
to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”’
“Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog,
Thus says the Lord God:
On that Day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it?
You will come from your place
OUT OF THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE NORTH,
(Russia now claims the Arctic and North Pole as theirs … and is deploying forces to defend it)
you and many peoples with you,
all of them riding on horses,
a great host, a mighty army.
You will come up against My people Israel, (not a good idea)
like a cloud covering the Land.
In the latter days (Far in the future from Ezekiel’s time …”the last days”… which we are in now)
I will bring you against My Land, (God says Israel is His Land … He gave it to Israel)
that the nations may know Me,
when through you, O Gog,
I vindicate My Holiness before their eyes.”
(For God will destroy this invading army …)
Thus says the Lord GOD:
“Are you (Gog) he of whom I have spoken in former days (Prophecy fulfilled!)
by My servants the prophets of Israel,
who prophesied for years in those days
that I (God) would bring you against them?”
(Ezekiel 38:11-17)
Ezekiel 38:18-23 . . .
“And it will come to pass at the same time,
when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD,
“that MY fury will show in My face.
For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken:
‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel,
so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field,
all creeping things that creep on the earth,
and all men who are on the face of the Earth shall shake at My presence.
The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall,
and every wall shall fall to the ground.’
I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD.
“Every man’s sword will be against his brother. (These armies will turn against themselves)
And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed;
I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him,
flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. (These armies will be destroyed by God!)
Thus I (God) will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself,
and I will be known in the eyes of many nations.
Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”’
(Ezekiel 38:18-23)
We are not exactly sure when this attack/invasion will take place … but, from current news headlines, it looks as though it is now getting very close. As noted above, if you study your history books you will find the only time in history Iran (Persia) has invaded Israel was in 614 AD, and this invasion was to help Israel break the yoke of the Byzantine Empire. The current threats of war Iran is making against Israel represent the first time in history the world has seen the imminent fulfillment of this prophecy. Add the fact Russia is fully backing Iran, andTurkey is quickly turning against Israel, and all of these nations either are, or soon will be, armed with nuclear weapons, you will find the world may soon be facing this terrible prophetic war . . .
It is notable that Syria (or its ancient name Aram) is not listed among the Russia-Iran allies. It may be the prophecy concerning the destruction of Damascus will be fulfilled just prior to this invasion.
The invading armies will be utterly destroyed . . . by GOD!!!
In Ezekiel 39 the Bible goes on to warn the invading armies will be utterly destroyed … by GOD! Also in Ezekiel 39 there are hints this coming war may go nuclear because Israel will wait months to enter the battlefield after the battle, they will “set apart men regularly employed” (professionals) to bury the dead, and later if a bone is spotted it is to be “marked” for the professionals to bury (exactly the same procedures that are now found in our military nuclear/biological/chemical “battlefield cleanup” manuals today) … the aftermath of this invasion will be very, very gruesome.
Some scholars feel it must be part of, or the beginning of “The Battle of Armageddon” (because of some of the terminology used), and others believe it must happen sometime before Armageddon and will set the stage for the coming “Antichrist” (who will rise over 10 nations which were part of the Roman Empire) to fill the world power vacuum that will be left after this coming war …
The United States will be “neutralized” sometime before this attack and will be unwilling or unable to help defend Israel, for the Bible warns Israel must stand alone … with God!
More importantly, many good Bible prophecy scholars believe the strange prophetic event called “The Rapture” must take place sometimebefore God intervenes in this coming battle …
Disaster coming for Iran …
Another ancient Biblical name for Iran (Persia) is “Elam.” In the book of Jeremiah, we find an additional prophecy concerning a coming judgment against Iran (Elam) …
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: (Lord of Armies)
‘Behold, I will break the bow of Iran (Elam),
The foremost of their might.
Against Elam I will bring the four winds
From the four quarters of heaven,
And scatter them toward all those winds;
There shall be no nations
where the outcasts of Iran (Elam) will not go.
For I will cause Iran (Elam) to be dismayed before their enemies
And before those who seek their life.
I will bring disaster upon them,
My fierce anger,’ says the Lord;
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
I will set My throne in Iran (Elam),
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord.
‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days:
I will bring back the captives of Iran (Elam),’ says the Lord.”
(Jeremiah 49:35-39)
Please do not ignore these Bible prophecies . . .
Many people will simply yawn and ignore these Bible prophecies and the headlines we are now seeing.
Yet, God does NOT fulfill His prophecies or prophetic warnings in secret, but so all the world can see. For many years now a number of Bible prophecy teachers and scholars have been warning the one piece of the puzzle missing was for Turkey (a NATO ally-nation) to turn toward Russia and Iran and against Israel (as this prophecy predicts, and we are now seeing.)
The world has waited over 2,500 years to see the headlines we are now seeing …
This prophetic war between Iran and Israel has never yet taken place … and it is very much a part of the coming “Apocalypse” and Armageddon scenario. God has been warning and preparing this generation for this coming war for well over 10 years … and the headlines concerning this coming war can now be found almost daily all around the world.
God is trying to get our attention and to draw those who are His back to Him before it is too late. With open arms and with tears of joyGod promises to welcome and to shelter and comfort ALL who will come to Him before these events take place (or before their earthly bodies die) … yet, the Bible warns God will not mourn, nor have mercy, on those who reject and ignore and mock His Word and His warnings.
A Prophetic War of the Ages
At The Mouth of Two Witnesses
“In the Mouths of 2 or 3 Witnesses Shall a Thing Be Established” (2 Corinthians. 13:1)
“At the Mouth of 2 Witnesses or 3 Witnesses Shall He That Is Worthy of Death Be Put To Death” (Deuteronomy 17:6)
The books of Ezekiel and the book of Enoch BOTH warn of a prophetic Russia-Iran war against Israel which will trigger an IRREVERSIBLEseries of events which will lead to the Battle of Armageddon (and the end of this Age.)
Note: The book of Enoch is an ancient book (Enoch was Noah’s great-grandfather), and portions of at least 10 copies of the book were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Although the book of Enoch is relatively unknown because it is in disfavor with many churches today for its detailed description of angelic interactions with mankind, many of the early church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Tatian, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Methodius of Philippi, and Ambrose of Milan also accepted the book of Enoch as Scriptural writing. The ancient Ethiopian Church and the Coptic Church in Egypt have always accepted it as Biblical canon. Another prophecy from Enoch is found quoted directly in the book of Jude in the New Testament (Jude 1:14-15).
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Book of Ezekiel | Book of Enoch |
Ezekiel: Persia and Magog Invasion of Israel
Ezekiel – The Book of Ezekiel 38
“The Word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog (Russia – Scythia), the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (Turkey). 4 And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.
5 Persia (Iran-Parthia), Cush (Sudan), and Put (Libya) are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer (around Germany) and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah (Armenia) from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
7 “Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you (Russia-Magog), and be a guard for them (Iran-Persia and allies).
8 After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. 9 You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.
15 You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north (Russia is now claiming the Arctic and North Pole as their territory), you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land.
In the latter days I will bring you against My Land, that the nations may know Me, when through you, O Gog, I will vindicate My holiness before their eyes. I (God) will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares the Lord God.
Every man’s sword will be against his brother (God will turn this invading army against themselves).
22 With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.
23 So I will show My greatness and My holiness and make Myself known in the eyes of many nations.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
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Enoch: Parthia and Medes Invasion of Israel
Enoch – Book of Parables (2nd Parable)
“And in those days, the Angels will gather together, and will throw themselves towards the east, upon the Parthians (an ancient empire which included Iran-Persia which was founded by a Russian-Scythian) and Medes.
They will stir up the kings so that a disturbing spirit will come upon them, and they will drive them from their thrones; and they will come out like lions from their lairs, and like hungry wolves in the middle of their flocks.
56.6 And they will go up and trample on the Land of My Chosen Ones (Israel), and the land of My chosen ones will become before them a tramping-ground and a beaten track.
56.7 But the City of My Righteous Ones (Jerusalem) will be a hindrance to their horses, and they will stir up slaughter amongst themselves (God will turn this invading army against themselves), and their own right hand will be strong against them.
And a man will not admit to knowing his neighbor, or his brother, nor a son his father, or his mother, until, through their death, there are corpses enough; and their punishment – it will not be in vain. And in those days Sheol (Hell) will open its mouth and they will sink into it and their destruction; Sheol will swallow up the sinners in front of the faces of the Chosen.”
57.1 And it came to pass, AFTER this that I saw another host of chariots with men riding on them, and they came upon the wind from the east and from the west, to the south. (The prophecies ofArmageddon in Revelation also describe a global East-West-South gathering of the world’s armies in Israel which many Bible scholars believe will take place sometime after the Iran-Russia invasion of Israel, which this passage may help confirm).
57.2 And the sound of the noise of their chariots was heard. And when this occurred the Holy Ones observed it from Heaven and the Pillars of the Earth were shaken from their foundations.
And the sound was heard from the ends of the Earth to the ends of Heaven throughout one day.
And all will fall down and worship the Lord of Spirits
And this is the end of the second parable.”
Note: This parable takes us to the END (of this Age.)
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The Identity of “Magog – Scythia” . . .
Note: “One of the earliest references to Magog was by Hesiod, “the father of Greek didactic poetry,” who identified Magog with the Scythians and southern Russia in the 7th century B.C.”
Note: “Strabo (xi, 515) says the first Parthian (Arsaces) was a SCYTHIAN” (www.parthia.com)
From the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus Flavius . . .
A major source on ancient Jewish-Roman history is Josephus Flavius, a Jewish-Roman historian who wrote of the Roman wars and witnessed the Roman siege on Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Josephus identified Magog in his ancient writings as he wrote … “Magog founded the Magogians, thus named after him, but who were by the Greeks called ‘Scythians.’” (Josephus, Antiquities, 1.123)
From the Wikipedia Encyclopedia – Scythia (Magog in Hebrew) comprised an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by Iranian nomadic peoples, speaking Iranian languages and known as the Scythians or Scyths. The location and extent of Scythia varied over time, from the Altay Mountains region where Mongolia, China, Russia, and Kazakhstan come together, across southern Ukraine to the lower Danube river area, Bulgaria and Georgia. The Chinese knew the Saka (Asian Scythians) as Sai. The Scythians first appear in Assyrian annals as Ishkuzai, reported as pouring in from the north some time around 700 BC and settling in Ascania and modern Azerbaijan as far as to the southeast of Lake Urmia. Archaeological remains of the Scythians include elaborate tombs containing gold, silk, horses and human sacrifices. Mummification techniques and permafrost have aided in the relative preservation of some remains.
From ‘Encyclopedia.com – Scythia (Magog in Hebrew), ancient region of Eurasia, extending from the Danube river on the west to the borders of China on the east. The Scythians flourished from the 8th to the 4th cent. BC They spoke an Indo-Iranian language but had no system of writing. They were nomadic conquerors and skilled horsemen. They seem to be related to the Saka, another nomadic tribe that roamed the steppes of central Asia at about the same time. The so-called Royal Scyths established a kingdom in the E Crimea before the 9th cent. BC They seem to have maintained themselves as a ruling class while others (probably native inhabitants) worked the grain fields. The Scythians are traditionally associated with the area between the Danube and the Don, but modern excavations in the Altai Mts., particularly at the site of Pazyryk, suggest that their origins were in Western Siberia (Russia) before they moved east into Southern Russia in the early 1st millennium BC. Scythian power was maintained in the 8th cent. BC in obscure warfare with the Cimmerians. In South Russia they were displaced (2nd or 1st century BC) by the related Sarmatians.
From Chuck Missler’s ‘Koinonia House’ Research and Article – Magog-Scythia . . .
(http://www.khouse.org/articles/2002/427/)
We know the descendants of Magog by their Greek designation as the Scythians (depicted in their legends as descending from Scythes , the youngest of the three sons of Heracles, from sleeping with a half viper and half woman). The name Scythian designates a number of nomadic tribes from the Russian steppes, one group of which invaded the Near East in the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. After being repulsed from Media, many of the later Scyths settled in the fertile area of the Ukraine north of the Black Sea. Other related tribes occupied the area to the east of the Caspian Sea.
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus (5th century B.C) describes them living in Scythia (i.e., the territory north of the Black Sea). He describes Scythia as a square, 20 days journey (360 miles) on a side. It encompassed the lower reaches of the Dniester, Bug, Dnieper, and Don Rivers where they flow into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The Scythian language belonged to the Iranian family of the Indo-European languages. The Ossetian dialect of central Caucasus appears to be a survivor. The original area in which Iranian was spoken extended from the mid-Volga and the Don regions to the northern Urals and beyond. From here, Iranian-speaking tribes colonized Media, Parthia, Persia, Central Asia, and as far as the Chinese border.
In the 7th century B.C. the Scythians swept across the area, displacing the Cimmerians from the steppes of the Ukraine east of Dnieper River, who fled from them across the Caucasus. It is provocative that even the name “Caucasus” appears to have been derived from Gog-hasan, or “Gog’s Fort.”
Have a hard time believing in God?
God says all the Bible prophecies we are now seeing being fulfilled are given both as a final warning sign to the world and as verifiable evidence and proof that He IS God … and the Bible is His Word.
“For I AM God,
and there is NO OTHER.
I am GOD,
and there is NONE like Me,
Declaring the End from the Beginning,
and from ancient times
things that are not yet done . . .”
(Isaiah 46:9-10)
“Surely, the Lord God does nothing
unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the Prophets …”
(Amos 3:7)
Please Remember . . .
The Kingdom of Heaven is available to every man, woman, boy, and girl in this world, no matter who they are, where they live, or what they have done. It is freely offered to any and all who will receive it. Simply learn of Jesus, the promised Messiah, believe He died on the Cross for all of your sins and rose from the grave the third day and is now seated on His Throne in the Kingdom of Heaven at the right hand of God waiting patiently for the Gospel (“Good News”) of Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha’Mashiach in Hebrew) to be spread around the world to every tongue, tribe, and nation. Learn of Him and believe in Him . . . for He was the only one who has ever loved you enough to substitute Himself for you on the Cross (which represents the suffering that will be found in Hell). He shed His blood, suffered, and died on the Cross to saveyou from your sins and from the utter darkness, aloneness, and torment of Hell, if you will accept it, believe it, and trust in it. This is why Jesus is called Savior … His Name in Hebrew means “Savior.” He now lovingly and graciously offers you life in Heaven (and we are warned it is a “take it or leave it” proposition.) We have to consciously receive it and accept it in faith. If you sincerely admit you have sinned (andneed a Savior to get into Heaven) and ask Jesus (Yeshua) to come into your life while fully trusting in Him alone to save you from your sins … and turn back to God while honestly trying to stop doing (and saying) those things God says are wrong, you will go to Heaven … and with open arms and tears of joy He will receive all who will come to Him in faith and in love … It’s God’s Promise!!!
The only unpardonable sin is to reject (or ignore as a common and unclean thing) God’s love and His free offer of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven by rejecting His Son … Jesus Christ… who stepped forth from Eternity (“from of old, from everlasting”… see Micah 5:2) … not to condemn the sinner, but to save the sinner (from the torment of Hell) and who willingly and lovingly shed His blood and bore all of our sins and guilt on the Cross so we can be “washed clean” and forgiven of all our sins. The Bible also warns there will be no peace in our heartsuntil we make peace with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus greatly loved us to save us from Hell … all God asks is we love Him for all He has done for us.
RichardAnna Boyce
this is after the rapture. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
The Thessalonian church had a major eschatological misconception. They were being shaken in mind or troubled. False teachers had been saying that the day of Christ had come. The reading, “the day of the Lord,” in the Critical Text refers to the Tribulation. However, the Majority Text reading, “the day of Christ,” which is preferred, always refers to the Judgment Seat of Christ (B¢ma) (cf. Phil 2:16). Similar expressions in Paul are “the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6,10) and “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:8).
If the day of Christ had already occurred, the believers in Thessalonica had missed the Rapture and the B¢ma. Thus they would think that they were in the Tribulation and that terrible days were just around the corner.
It is reasonable for unbelievers to fear the Tribulation. But it is not reasonable for believers, especially those who have been taught by the Apostle Paul.
2:3-5. Paul reminds them of things he told them before (v 5). He told them that two things would occur before the Day of Christ: the falling away, and the Man of Sin is revealed…who exalts himself…as God in the temple.
If Paul is indeed speaking about the Judgment Seat of Christ here, then he is saying that it will not occur until after the midpoint of the Tribulation, for that is when the abomination of desolation alluded to in v 4 will occur.
The expression the falling away or the apostasy (h¢ apostasia) need not mean that once apostasy occurs in the Church Age, the day of Christ is here. Admittedly the falling away is a vague expression. Since it is the apostasy, it might refer specifically to the abomination of desolation. If so, then the many false teachings of this age merely foreshadow the ultimate apostasy to come.
When Paul wrote, the temple still stood. However, in AD 70, the temple was destroyed and has not yet been rebuilt. The temple must be rebuilt either before the Tribulation starts, or during the first days of the Tribulation. The Man of Sin will not exalt himself as God in the temple until it is restored in Jerusalem.
Varnel Watson
Philip Williams I submit to yall @Hagee’s interpretation
Philip Williams
This goes back to the 19th century British origins of Dispensationalism, Russia the chief competitor to Great Britain for the control of India and the Near East. Naturally, the antiChrist would come from Russia.
Varnel Watson
Philip Williams actually the FIRST to interpret Russia in the Ezek. prophecy and AS the antiChrist were several popes and the RCC In return Tolstoy called Napoleon the antiChrist
Philip Williams
Troy Day Right. Western church would have seen the antiChrist come from the Orthodox.
Anonymous
this we wrote 2019 pre-covid and pre-war announced in the US though it was going on in Donetsk since 2014 Philip Williams Ilya Okhotnikov but now @Vladimir Josef Dubsky Nevsky asked:
Do you still think the Russian Federation is still a Marxist-Leninist Union using state Atheism as it’s policy?)))
The Russia that exists now is a complete Bourgeois Nation that operates on Pure Capitalism and Free Market, any Westerner looking into Russia’s economy would know it 🤣
The Government official Religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, in fact it promotes it strongly at the expense of Western Colonial emotionally manipulative Churches in their many hundreds)) it does not crush religions anymore it promotes it strongly again as the Third Rome)))