The Late Great Planet Earth: How it was all supposed to end?

Lindsey writing in 1970:
The end comes 40 years after the foundation of Israel

1948 The establishment of the State of Israel
The Rebirth of the State of Israel

The one event which many Bible students in the past overlooked was this paramount prophetic sign: Israel had to be a nation again in the land of its forefathers.

Israel a nation — a dream for so many years, made a reality on 14 May 1948 when David Ben-Gurion read the Declaration of Independence announcing the establishment of a Jewish nation to be known as the State of Israel.

In 1949, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion said that Israel’s policy “consists of bringing all Jews to Israel… we are still at the beginning.” ¹Ibid., 43.

——————–

1967 the repossession of ancient Jerusalem/recapture

Another important event that had to take place before the stage would be fully set for the “seven-year countdown” was the repossession of ancient Jerusalem. Much of what is to happen to the Jewish people at the return of the Messiah is to occur in the vicinity of the ancient city. ²Ibid., 54.

PREDICTION: 1. [1981] Rapture (a secret event where the believers will join Christ in the air)

1981 the secret Rapture of believers
Rapture will happen. A secret event. True believers will join Christ in the air. There will be terror on earth for those “left behind.”

“There I was, driving down the freeway and all of a sudden the place went crazy. . . . cars going in all directions . . . and not one of them had a driver. I mean it was wild!

I think we’ve got an invasion from outer space!”

“It was the last quarter of the championship game and the other side was ahead. Our boys had the ball. We made a touchdown and tied it up. The crowd went crazy. Only one minute to go and they fumbled — our quarterback recovered — he was about a yard from the goal when — zap — no more quarterback — completely gone, just like that!”

“It was puzzling — very puzzling. I was teaching my course in the Philosophy of Religion when all of a sudden three of my students vanished. They simply vanished! They were quite argumentative — always trying to prove their point from the Bible. No great loss to the class. However, I do find this disappearance very difficult to explain.”

“As an official spokesman for the United Nations I wish to inform all peace-loving people of the world that we are making every human effort to assist those nations whose leaders have disappeared. We have issued a general declaration of condemnation in the General Assembly concerning these heads of state. Their irresponsibility is shocking.”

“My dear friends in the congregation. Bless you for coming to church today. I know that many of you have lost loved ones in this unusual disappearance of so many people. However, I believe that God’s judgment has come upon them for their continued dissension and quarreling with the great advances of the church in our century. Now that the reactionaries are removed, we can progress toward our great and glorious goal of uniting all mankind into a brotherhood of reconciliation and understanding.”

“You really want to know what I think? I think all that talk about the Rapture and going to meet Jesus Christ in the air wasn’t crazy after all. I don’t know about you, brother, but I’m going to find myself a Bible and read all those verses my wife underlined. I wouldn’t listen to her while she was here, and now she’s — I don’t know where she is.” (p. 136-137)

The word “rapture” means to snatch away or take out. But whether we call this event “the Rapture” or the “translation” makes no difference — the important thing is that it will happen.

It will happen!

Someday, a day that only God knows, Jesus Christ is coming to take away all those who believe in Him. He is coming to meet all true believers in the air. Without benefit of science, space suits, or interplanetary rockets, there will be those who will be transported into a glorious place more beautiful, more awesome, than we can possibly comprehend. Earth and all its thrills, excitement, and pleasures will be nothing in contrast to this great event.

It will be the living end. The ultimate trip. (p. 137)

We have been examining the push of world events which the prophets foretold would lead the way to the seven-year countdown before the return of Jesus Christ to earth. The big question is, will you be here during this seven-year countdown? Will you be here during the time of the Tribulation when the Antichrist and the False Prophet are in charge for a time? Will you be here when the world is plagued by mankind’s darkest days?

It may come as a surprise to you, but the decision concerning your presence during this last seven-year period in history is entirely up to you.

God’s Word tells us that there will be one generation of believers who will never know death. These believers will be removed from the earth before the Great Tribulation — before that period of the most ghastly pestilence, bloodshed, and starvation the world has ever known. (p. 137-138)

If you have grown in a school of Christian thought that uses the “translation,” simply substitute this word when you are reading.

In I Corinthians 15:50 important things are revealed about the Rapture. We are told that Christians cannot inherit the Kingdom of God in the type of bodies we now have — that is, in bodies of flesh and blood.

However, according to the gospels and the Old Testament, there will be certain people who will inherit for a time the Kingdom of God in their mortal bodies. This is the Kingdom that Christ will establish after He returns to earth. This does not contradict the previous statement. The Bible is speaking of two separate events*

The distinction between God’s dealing with the church and His dealing with another group of believers who are largely gathered around Israel is very important* Revelation 20 and Matthew 25 speak of the time w r hen Jesus will return to the earth and separate the believers from the nonbelievers. For us, as believers, our hope is different from Israel’s. This will be clear when we distinguish between the second advent, or the second coming of Christ, and the Rapture.

We are told that we cannot enter the Kingdom of God until we are changed from the type of body we now have into a new model. Then we have this fascinating verse: “Behold, I tell you a mystery ; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (I Corinthians 15:51 NASB). (p. 139)

What about the mystery? The mystery has to do with the believers who will be alive when Christ comes for them. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (I Corinthians 15: 52 NASB). (p. 140)

When the seventh trumpet, which was the last trumpet, sounded, this meant — move out!

The idea in this passage is that when God has the last trumpet blow it means He will move out all the Christians — and at that point we shall be changed. (p. 141)

If you’re not too satisfied with the face or body you now have, you will have a glorious new body. However, you will be recognizable, just as you will recognize others. (p. 141)

When the Scripture says, “the dead will be raised imperishable” and “for this perishable must put on the imperishable,” it refers to the Christians who have died physically. They will be resurrected to meet Christ in the air.

However, when it says, “this mortal must put on immortality,” it is referring to those who are alive at the coming of Christ. That’s the mystery, the Rapture or translation. That is the hope that Paul offered for the generation which will be alive when Christ returns. (p. 141)

The Thessalonians were evidently worried about something that might be concerning you also. They wondered if those who had died and would be resurrected when Christ returned might be in some separate part of God’s Kingdom. No Christian would want to miss seeing their loved ones throughout eternity. (p. 141)

However, the apostle Paul assured them that God’s plan was perfect: those who had “fallen asleep in Jesus,” or the Christians who had died, will join the Lord first. Then the Christians who are alive at that time will be caught up “together with them in the clouds” to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

What a great reunion that will be!

The world will not know what has happened, because it occurs in an atom of time. (p. 142)

Christians sometimes have a theological debate about whether the Rapture occurs at the same time as the second coming of Christ or whether it takes place before the second coming, even before the Tribulation.

It is only fair to sincere Christians who differ about this time element for us Lo develop the reasons why we believe the Bible distinguishes between the Rapture and the second coming of Christ and why they do not occur simultaneously.

First, there is a great distinction between God’s purpose for the nation of Israel and His purpose for the church, which is His main program today. The church is composed of both Gentiles and Jews. We are now living during the church age and the responsibility for evangelizing the world rests upon the church. (p. 142)

Another reason why we support the idea that the Rapture and the second coming are separate events is that the second coming is said to be visible to the whole earth (Revelation 1:7). However, in the Rapture, only the Christians see Him — it’s a mystery, a secret. When the living believers are taken out, the world is going to be mystified.

Furthermore, we are told when Christ comes at the second coming it is at the height of a global war. Everyone will know that this is the great war predicted by the prophets. There will be no doubt about it. But when Christ comes for the believers, it will not necessarily be at the time of a war.

More proof — when Christ comes to earth for the second time we are told in Matthew 25 that He will divide the believers from the unbelievers. Now if the Rapture were to take place at the same time as the second coming how could the believers and unbelievers be separated on earth? At the Rapture all the living believers will be caught up to join Him in the clouds.

Here is the chief reason why we believe the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation: the prophets have said that God will set up a Kingdom on earth over which the Messiah will rule. There will be mortal people in that kingdom. If the Rapture took place at the same time as the second coming, there would be no mortals left who would be believers; therefore, there would be no one to go into the Kingdom and repopulate the earth.

We need to understand that during the seven-year Tribulation there will be people who will become believers at that time. In spite of persecution as described in the previous chapter, they will survive this terrible period of history and will be taken by Christ to reign with Him for 1000 years. This is the Kingdom which is God’s prelude to eternity. (p. 143)

PREDICTION: 2. [1981-1984] A ten-nation confederacy of the European Common Market (a revived Roman Empire) would have emerged

Rome: Phase 2

In phase two of the fourth kingdom, Rome, the kingdom will be in the form of a ten-nation confederacy. “And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows” (Daniel 7:20 KJV). (p. 92)

To continue with the second phase of the Roman empire, the Scripture says that the ten horns which were just described are ten kings, or ten nations: “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings” (Daniel 7:24 KJV).

When the Scripture says “out of” it means the ten nations (ten kings) which will come out of Rome, since Rome was the fourth kingdom. But who is “another”? This is the beast, the Antichrist.

After these ten nations arise out of the cultural inheritance of the Ancient Roman Empire, another king shall rise “diverse from the first.” In other words, he will be different. He will not only be a political leader, but a religious leader. (We shall see this in the next two chapters.) When he comes to power, he will subdue three of these kings or nations. Seven of them, however, will give him authority willingly. (p. 93)

We believe that the Common Market and the trend toward unification of Europe may well be the beginning of the ten-nation confederacy predicted by Daniel and the Book of Revelation. (p. 94)

A friend who lives in Germany sent us this translated statement of Dr. Walter Hallstein, who was formerly the president of the European Economic Community. Our correspondent, knowing our interest in Bible prophecy, thought there was significance in Hallstein’s words. We’ll let you judge.

“Three phases of the European unification are to be noted. First, the customs union, second, the economic union, third, the political union . . . what we have created on the way to uniting Europe is a mighty economic-political union of which nothing may be sacrificed for any reason. Its value exists not only in what it is, but more in what it promises to become … At about 1980 we may fully expect the great fusion of all economic, military, and political communities together into the United States of Europe.” (p. 96)

Heading the revived Roman Empire will be a man of such magnetism, such power, and such influence, that he will for a time be the greatest dictator the world has ever known. He will be the completely godless, diabolically evil “future fuehrer.” (p. 97)

The enigma of the Fourth Kingdom

Under the subtitle of “The Greatest Chapter in the Old Testament,” the author puts forward a claim that he solved the question that befuddled biblical scholars for centuries. The ancient prophecy speaks of four beasts, the last of which would have 10 horns.

Critical scholars generally agree that the four beasts, similar to the four materials of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, represent Babylon (the lion), Media (the bear), Persia (the leopard) and the Greek Empire (the fourth beast). But believers would disagree and claim that the four beasts are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome (often a metaphorical “Rome”).

What could be easily concluded is that the horns represent kings, unlike the beasts (kingdoms). Critical scholars view the ten horns as the ten kings of the Seleucid dynasty who preceded Antiochus Epiphanes, aka Antiochus IV. He looms large in the text as someone who persecuted the Jews. In that interpretation, he is represented by the rising “little horn.” The three uprooted (overthrown) horns represent the three men, King Seleucus Philopator, aka Seleucus IV, and his two sons Demetrius and Antiochus, who had the right to the throne before Antiochus Epiphanes replaced them. The father and one of the sons were killed.

One great indication that the little horn is most likely Antiochus Epiphanes is in Daniel 7:21 where the author describes him as someone who “made war with the holy ones” and blasphemes against God (Daniel 7:25). That is a reference to the great persecution of Jews during the author’s era and the desecration of their holy temple.

But it still does not add up! And that is what makes the Book of Daniel ideal for reinterpretation to fit the predictions of every era

The reason that theory is not water-tight is that Antiochus Epiphanes was not the eleventh king (the “little horn”) in the line, but the eighth. (Scholars respond that the number ten is just approximate as was sometimes used in ancient cultures.) Reality was more complicated than one horn “uprooting” three. King Seleucus Philopator was assassinated by his minister Heliodorus. In other words, Antiochus Epiphanes was not responsible, though the author might have wanted to lay all the “evil” charges at his target. Also, if all horns are kings, well, the sons were never reigning kings. A possible response is that usage is just for “dramatization purposes” or perhaps an ancient culture might have seen them as kings even if they never reigned.

One major puzzle that followed believers for centuries is in Daniel 7:20—22 where the author declares that the evil king’s reign would end and God would arrive to establish his never-ending kingdom. Well, many kingdoms, since the Seleucids, have risen and fallen and that prophecy never materialized. Since most believers take the verses literally, they try to find an exit by moving changing the “king in question” every era. That first happened in the early centuries of Christianity when the fourth kingdom was supposed to be Rome. Rome fell, so believers claimed that the Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire still existed. That one fell too and at the same time the Protestant movement emerged in Europe, that made the Pope the “little horn.”

Many Christians would then approach the fourth kingdom as yet to arrive. The ten horns are to emerge in the future. Christian interpreters throughout the ages have put the label of the “little horn” on Islam’s prophet Mohammed, the Papacy, the Islamic Ottoman Empire, or a future antichrist figure that is yet to emerge.

Hal Lindsey as part of the American Evangelical movement, writes that the ten horns represent a ten-nation confederacy (a European Union organization) from which the Antichrist would emerge. He conveniently ignores the fact the author of Daniel stated clearly that the ten horns are ten kings, not nations (Daniel 7:24). But that does not matter if you are twisting the ancient words to make it fit any theory! He does not explain either who are the three kings who will be subdued. At the time of the author’s writing in 1970, there were only 6 member nations in the European Community with talks of expanding. What Lindsey did not expect that that whole schema would collapse when the total EU members cross the threshold of ten by almost three fold (27 countries as of 2024).

PREDICTION: USA ceases to be the leader of the West and collapses into a lesser nation under the European influence

It seems that the author put together timeline for the book, based on Biblical prophecies, but thought to himself at the end: Oh, my script does not include the most world’s leading superpower today. Ok, if the Bible does not mention it, then it will just disappear, it will lose power and decline! The “breakdown of morality” could be the culprit for that, as it always was in sermons! Do not look for any “supposed” basis in the Bible for that.

[T]he United States will cease being the leader of the West and will probably become in some way a part of the new European sphere of power.

Sheath your weapons, please. We realize that the United States is not mentioned in the Bible. However, it is certain that the leadership of the West must shift to Rome, in its revived form, and if the U.S. is still around at that time, it will not be the power it now is. (p. 95-96)

Rome disintegrated from within; unfortunately, there is in America the same trend in moral decay that led to the downfall of Rome. (p. 93)

As the United States loses power, Western Europe will be forced to unite and become the standard-bearer of the western world. Look for the emergence of a “United States of Europe” composed of ten inner member nations. The Common Market is laying the groundwork for this political confederacy which will become the mightiest coalition on earth. It will stop the Communist take-over of the world and will for a short while control both Russia and Red China through the persona] genius of the Antichrist who will become ruler of the European confederacy.

Look for the papacy to become even more involved in world politics, especially in proposals for bringing world peace and world-wide economic prosperity.

Look for a growing desire around the world for a man who can govern the entire world.

Look for some limited use of modern nuclear weapons somewhere in the world that will so terrify people of the horrors of war that when the Antichrist comes they will immediately respond to his ingenious proposal for bringing world peace and security from war. This limited use could occur between Russia and China, or upon the continental United States. (p. 185)

The United States will not hold its present position of leadership in the western world; financially, the future leader will be Western Europe. Internal political chaos caused by student rebellions and Communist subversion will begin to erode the economy of our nation. Lack of moral principle by citizens and leaders will so weaken law and order that a state of anarchy will finally result. The military capability of the United States, though it is at present the most powerful in the world, has already been neutralized because no one has the courage to use it decisively. When the economy collapses so will the military.

The only chance of slowing up this decline in America is a widespread spiritual awakening. (p. 184)

PREDICTION: Before the above events, the world would have been already under a one-world religion: That religion will control and aid the yet-to-emerge Antichrist

We are told in the Bible that before the seven-year period of tribulation there will be an all-powerful religious system which will aid the Antichrist in subjecting the world to his absolute authority. For a time this religious system will actually have control of the Dictator.

There are several names given to this one-world religion, all of them drawing a perfect analogy in meaning. It is called the Great Harlot, or prostitute; the “harlot” represents a religion which prostitutes the true meaning of being wedded to Christ, and sells out to all the false religions of man.

“Babylon” is another term used for the one-world religion.(p. 114-115)

[T]he Satan-worship which will be initiated at the time of the world reign of the Future Fuehrer will make today’s antics of the cultists look like nursery school. (p. 107)

Emergence of the One-world Religion

Now we are coming to some of the most important pieces of the prophetic puzzle which are shown in the Scriptures. In Revelation 17 the apostle John has a vision which shows the future and precisely what is going to happen on earth the last seven years before Christ returns. In Revelation 17 John is given one of the most important prophecies for us to understand because he is exposing a one- world religious system which will bring all false religions together in one unit. Through this system Satan’s Antichrist will take over the world — and he is going to do it first with Rome as home base and then from Jerusalem.

Scarlet O’ Harlot

Look what John says in Revelation 17:3-5: “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, ‘BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH’ ” (NASB).

It is sometimes difficult for the Bible reader to grasp this symbolism. Understanding “the mother of harlots,” or the great harlot, is important to the basic understanding of the Christian belief, versus all religions. This church which the prophet describes claims to be united to Jesus Christ in mystical marriage, but is really an adulteress in the spiritual sense. This church professes an allegiance to God, but worships a false religious system.

The main thrust of this passage in Revelation 17 is about Mystery, Babylon, who is typified by this woman. “And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, ‘Why do you wonder? I shall tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns’” (Revelation 17:6, 7 NASB).

We know the meaning of the “beast,” for we studied this in the chapter on “The Future Fuehrer.” The ten horns, as we have seen, refers to the revived Roman Empire, or a ten-nation confederacy.

The fact that this woman, who is the Mystery, Babylon, is riding upon this beast shows that she controls him. Historically this “religion” has controlled many empires. Notice what John the Apostle, writing in about A.D. 95, says about these empires which the “woman” has controlled: “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when be comes, he must remain a little while” (Revelation 17:9, 10 NASB).

We must look at this from the apostle John’s perspective. He speaks of seven kingdoms, five of which have fallen. We must examine what five kingdoms over which this mystery religion of Babylon exerted authority have fallen. The first great kingdom where the Babylonian religion had great sway was the Chaldean. The second world power which was virtually controlled by this religion was Egypt. The great Egyptian pyramids had astrological significance, as well as being a burial place for the kings, and the sphinx is the key to where the earth starts in the twelve sections of the Zodiac. The head of the sphinx is a woman, with the body of a lion. The word “sphinx” means to “join together” in Greek — it shows that the first part of the circle of the zodiac is the woman, Virgo, and the last part is the lion, Leo. What the sphinx does is to put the two together and show the beginning and the end of the Zodiac.

The next great world kingdom to be controlled by the mystery religion was, of course, Babylon itself under the great Babylonian rulers. The fourth kingdom was the Media-Persian empire, and the fifth was the Greek empire.

John says that “five have fallen, one is.” The kingdom which was present at the time John wrote this was Rome. The mystery religion of Babylon was in Rome, exerting its great influence over the decisions of the empire. The other kingdom which “has not yet come” is referring to the revived Roman Empire.

The Antichrist will come up out of the culture of the ancient Roman Empire. He will come to the ten-nation confederacy, take it over, and make it an eighth form of power. (p. 122-124)

Lindsey wants to lead us towards a prophecy that an evil man will control the world. So he walks back through unrelated biblical chapters to reach that conclusion. Here he drops the scheme of four kingdoms that is found in the Book of Daniel and speaks of seven kingdoms. Chaldean, Egyptian, Babylonian, Media-Persian, Greek, Roman empires. Then he mentions an eighth empire, though that is a list of only six empires! In any case, he conveniently skips over many empire that appeared after Rome: e.g. the Ottoman, Britain, French, Russian and Mongolian and Han empires, just to mention a few.

Endless speculation has been put forward regarding the meaning or identity of the Whore of Babylon. Most likely, the writer of the Book of Revelation was referring to the city of Rome where Christians were persecuted. However, Lindsey here, used her a symbol of a false religion which is not different from what other Christian authors and pastors in the West have been preaching following the Protestant Reformation. While in the early centuries and until now, Eastern Christians have preferred to use her symbolism as one for evil (since the Imperial Rome is no longer there), in the West, the papacy was accused at some point of being that “whore.” That view changed over the decades where some Christians like Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah Witnesses embraced the view that she represents traditional Christianity. With the rise of Evangelical occupation with the End Times, she became a representative of a false religion that is yet to appear.

We believe that we are seeing, with all of the other signs, the revival of Mystery, Babylon — not just in astrology, but also in spiritism, a return to the supernatural, and in drugs.

More insight into this last one-world religion is given in Revelation 9:20: “And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk” (NASB).

Some may scoff at the idea that idol worship will become prevalent. Even in America, however, there are growing cults which actually do worship stone and metal idols. At one of California’s colleges some young men were seen at dawn, indulging in a primitive sort of sun- god worship on the lawn of a fraternity house. When they were questioned about their rather strange activities they said, “There’s a bunch of us up at Big Sur who worship idols and stuff.”

And what else will be seen during these times preceding Christ’s return? “And they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:21 NASH).

One of the words here is extremely important — the word “sorceries,” It comes from the Greek word pharmakeia , which is the word from which we get our English word, pharmacy, it means a kind of occult worship or black magic, associated with the use of drugs. This word is mentioned several times in the Book of Revelation. It is said of the great religious system that “all the nations were deceived by your sorcery” (Revelation 18:23).

If there is anyone today who is not conscious of the spread of drug addiction, particularly among college and high school students, and now reaching down into the junior high and even the grade school level, then they are blind to what is happening. The increase in the use of narcotics and all forms of dangerous drugs has spiralled to such an extent that statistics written today would be out of date by the time this book is published.

A newspaper we saw recently quoted narcotics officials in the juvenile division of a police department saying that they were so alarmed that they thought the situation should be labeled a “Drug Epidemic.” (p. 124-125)

PREDICTION: Right after the Rapture: The Antichrist (aka the Roman Dictator) reigns over the ten-nation confederacy from Rome

The time is ripe and getting riper for the Great Dictator, the one we call the “Future Fuehrer” This is the one who is predicted in the Scriptures very clearly and called the “Antichrist.” (p. 103)

The Scripture says that a Great Dictator is coming and he will be boosted to power, and strengthened in his grasp upon the world with the assistance of the ancient religion called Mystery, Babylon. This is the very religion which started in the Genesis account and made possible the first world dictator. (p. 117-118)

It doesn’t take a “religious” person to discern the fact that what is happening is setting the world in the proper frame for a dictator. We see anarchy growing in every country. We see established standards of morality thrown aside for a hedonistic brand w r hich is attractively labeled the “New Morality.” We see the super-weapons and the threats of atheistic leaders
in world powers who would not hesitate to use those weapons if they would further their drive for conquest. (p. 102)

“And he stood on the sand of the seashore. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority” (Revelation 13:1, 2 NASB).

You may be saying that this doesn’t sound like a human being to you, but just press on and follow carefully how the mystery unfolds.

Revelation continues with this description : “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain. . . Mark carefully the “as if 1 in the phrase above. “. . , and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?* ” (Revelation 13:3, 4 NAS8).

This person, the Antichrist, is called the “beast” because from God’s viewpoint that is exactly what he is. The passage is obviously talking about a person because the personal pronoun “he” is used. He is also described as a person of great authority.

In the seventeenth chapter of Revelation we are given the meaning of this description of the beast coming out of the sea. Revelation 17:15 says: “And he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues’ 55 (NASH).

The “harlot” refers to the religious system which will be tied in with this dictator. (p. 103-104)

When it says that the beast will emerge out of the sea, it means that he will come out of the chaos of the nations.

In the Old Testament, Isaiah speaks of the chaos of the nations that is to come and says there is no peace for the wicked . . . they are like the “troubled sea,” which is a symbolic picture of the Gentile nations (Isaiah 57:20, 21). (p. 104)

“And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion” (Revelation 13:2 NASB),

To understand the meaning of this zoo which is described in Revelation, we go back to the predictive ministry of Daniel. As we studied in the previous chapter, Daniel describes his vision of four great beasts who come up out of the sea in succession. These beasts are the great Gentile empires w f hich would rule the world, Daniel described these kingdoms using figurative expressions of wild animals.

Daniel 8 tells who the first, second, and third empires are; thus we can identify the animal figure by the order of the kingdoms. The first one of these empires which Daniel described was like a lion, which was the Babylonian empire. He said the second great kingdom was like a bear, which was the Media-Persian empire. The third kingdom would be like a leopard, and this was the Greek empire.

Then Daniel said there would arise a fourth kingdom, which would take over what was left of the Greek empire. That was Rome.

In Daniel 7:23, 24, Daniel predicts the fourth kingdom . . . and especially the person who would put it together. He says that the fourth kingdom (Rome) shall “devour the whole earth,”

However, we saw in “Rome on the Revival Road” that there is a “phase 2” to the Roman Empire. Daniel says that out of the culture of the first Roman Empire ten kings shall arise, and another king after that who is different from the ten. This king is going to subdue three of the kings.

In other words, when this Roman dictator comes, he is going to take over the ten-nation confederacy. Seven of the kings or leaders will willingly give him their allegiance, but three of them will not. So he will overthrow these three leaders.

Now we are able to see how Scripture fits together. If you return to Revelation 13 and look again at verse one you will understand that the “ten horns” refer to this ten-nation confederacy and the “seven heads” are the seven leaders who form a coalition with the Antichrist. (p. 104-105)

The fourth kingdom, Rome, was not given the name of any animal, but it would be a beast unlike any other — more ferocious than all the rest. “Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet” (Daniel 7:19 KJV),

This verse speaks of the first phase of this fourth kingdom. In phase 1 this kingdom gains world authority (as Rome did), and then disappears to merge again just before Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God. (p. 91-92)

The Antichrist makes a treaty with the Jews (the State of Israel) allowing them to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple in the next three and a half years, which is currently occupied by the Islamic Dome of the Rock.

Israel’s Treaty With Hell

According to the Bible, the Middle East crisis will continue to escalate until it threatens the peace of the whole world. The focus of all nations will be upon this unsolvable and complex problem which keeps bringing the world to the precipice of a thermonuclear holocaust. This is apparently the first major problem that the incredible Roman leader will solve after taking over the ten-nation confederacy of European nations.

Some 2500 years ago the prophet Daniel said that a prince would come to power from the people who would destroy the city of Jerusalem and the second Temple (Daniel 9:27). The Romans under Titus did the destroying, so the coming prince would have to be someone out of the Roman culture. This Roman prince, as we described in “The Future Fuehrer,” will come to power just before the return of Christ. He will make “a strong covenant” with the Israelis, guaranteeing their safety and protection. The word translated “strong covenant” has the idea of a treaty or mutual protection pact. The Israelis will then be permitted to reinstitute the sacrifice and offering aspect of the law of Moses. This demands that the Temple be rebuilt, because according to the law of Moses, sacrifices can be offered only in the Temple at Jerusalem. Apparently all this will be done under the protection of the Antichrist of Rome.

(P.S. The Arabs are not going to like this idea of rebuilding the Temple one bit.)

According to Daniel’s prophetic chronology, the minute the Israeli leader and the Roman leader sign this pact, God starts His great timepiece which has seven allotted years left on it. This event marks the beginning of the period of Biblical history previously noted as the Tribulation.

Isaiah prophetically expressed warning to the Jews concerning this covenant when he declared: “Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Shcol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter’; Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through you will be beaten down by it” (Isaiah 28: 15, 18).

It is through an ingenuous settlement of the Middle East problem that the Antichrist will make good his promise to bring peace to a world terrified of war. After this he will rapidly bring all nations under his control. The world will experience great hope and put its full trust in the genius of Rome. He will begin to bring in fantastic plans of economic prosperity, even to the underdeveloped countries. War will seem to be a curious game that men used to play. The world will be universally acclaiming the Dictator. (p. 151-152)

The Temple: He will sign a protection treaty with the State of Israel which will enable the Israelis to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple in three and one-half years and to re-institute its sacrificial services (Dan 9:27; Matt 24: 15-16)
The temple of Solomon will be rebuilt on Mount [..] currently occupied by the Dome of the Rock (2nd most sacred mosque in the Muslim world / there might be an earthquake

The Third Temple
There remains but one more event to completely set the stage for Israel’s part in the last great act of her historical drama. This is to rebuild the ancient Temple of worship upon its old site. There is only one place that this Temple can be built, according to the Law of Moses. This is upon Mount Moriah. It is there that two previous Temples were built: the first was built by Solomon 3000 years ago. The second was built by the returning Babylonian exiles 2400 years ago. This one was completely refurbished by Herod the Great later on in an effort to win the favor and acceptance of the Jews. The second Temple was totally destroyed by Titus and the
Roman Legions in a.d. 70.

There is one major problem barring the construction of a third Temple. That obstacle is the second holiest place of the Moslem faith, the Dome of the Rock. This is believed to be built squarely in the middle of the old temple site.

Obstacle or no obstacle, it is certain that the Temple will be rebuilt. Prophecy demands it. ³Ibid., 55-56.

When the Jews re-established their nation in Palestine they created an unsolvable problem; they displaced Arabs who had dwelt in Palestine for several centuries. (p. 151)

The Antichrist promises and delivers world peace (temporarily)

It is said here that the beast (the Roman dictator, the Future Fuehrer, or the Antichrist) will be like a leopard, a bear, and lion. A leopard is quick to seize his prey. The leopard was the Greek Empire. Alexander the Great, the Greek military genius, was known for the speed with which he overcame his enemies. He was fearless and strong, a human counterpart of the great leopard. Alexander was a world conqueror who led his armies to the outermost fringes of the known world of his time.

“A bear” referred to the Media-Persian Empire, which was conquered by Alexander. This kingdom, similar to the animal it exemplifies, was very strong and powerful.

The lion (Babylon) is regal. The way he walks and holds his proud head has class, Babylon was an elegant monarchy. Its palaces were splendid and the famous “hanging gardens of Babylon” were considered one of the seven wonders of the world.

Now we are beginning to see, little by little, the picture emerging of the Future Fuehrer. His conquest will be rapid, he will be very strong and powerful, and there will be an air about him which is self-assured and proud.

It is important to note as we follow in Revelation 13 that “the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority” (verse 2b).

Who is the dragon?

If we turn back to Revelation 12:9 we are told who he is.

It says, “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the Devil and Satan” (NASB).

We read that the dragon is going to give the Antichrist his power. In other words, Satan himself is going to give him fantastic power. He is going to be able to work all kinds of miracles. This is one reason that Christians should not get too excited when they see a miracle. It may not be a miracle of God. Satan is a miracle-worker and he has been able to work miracles from the beginning.

But there is going to be a time when Satan is allowed to work all kinds of supernatural acts through men. It is said that Satan is going to send this man, his masterpiece, with all sorts of signs and wonders and miracles (II Thessalonians 2:9).

The second thing that will be given this man is a throne. This means world government. (p. 105-106)

We recall that the Pax Romana, the Roman peace, was the reason the provincials willingly turned to Rome and eventually initiated Caesar worship. Law and order — peace and security — freedom from war. The same needs, the same desires were expressed in ancient times that the Bible says will be prevalent before the Antichrist begins his rule. He will be swept in at a time when
people are so tired of war, so anxious for peace at any price, that they willingly give their allegiance to the world dictator
who will promise them peace. (p. 109)

Unexplained: In the quotes here, “the world” is a reference to the entire world or the Western world?

He displays fantastic powers with the aid of Satan and is allied with a false prophet

We are told in Revelation 13:3 that this great world leader will have a fatal head wound which will be miraculously healed. Many people have not known just what to make of this statement. Some have thought that what this means is that one of the empires of the ancient Roman Empire would be miraculously revived and brought back to existence. That is one possible interpretation. However, I do not believe that is the right interpretation. Here is why, . , .

Look for a moment at Revelation 13:14, This is speaking of the False Prophet, who will be an associate of the Great Roman Dictator. The verse says: “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life” (NASB). (p. 107-108)

We believe that the dramatic elements which are occurring in the world today are setting the stage for this magnetic, diabolical Future Fuehrer to make his entrance. However, we must not indulge in speculation about whether any of the current world figures is the Antichrist. He will not be known until his sudden miraculous recovery from a fatal wound.

There would be no earthly advantage in being alive when the Antichrist rules. We believe that Christians will not be around to w r atch the debacle brought about by the cruelest dictator of all time. (p. 113)

We could draw a comparison to the tragic death of John F, Kennedy. Imagine what would have happened if the President of the United States, after being shot and declared dead, had come to life again! The impact of an event like that would shake the world.

It is not difficult to imagine what will happen when this coming world leader makes his miraculous recovery. This man, the Antichrist, will probably not be known as a great leader until the time of his revival from the fatal wound. After that the whole world will follow him.

He will have a magnetic personality, be personally attractive, and a powerful speaker. He will be able to mesmerize an audience with his oratory. (p. 108)

The Antichrist, who is called by many names in the Bible, but in II Thessalonians is called the “lawless one/” will come
in on a wave of anarchy. This is why the world will be ready to receive him.

You may be asking, “How can this possibly happen while Christians are in the world?”

It can’t. As we understand II Thessalonians 2:6-12, the restraining power of the Spirit of God, within believing Christians, will hold back the rise of this World Dictator, We believe it is not until this “restrained 1 is removed that his power
and might will be exerted over the entire world. (p. 109)

The Antichrist will need a lot of help to carry out his diabolical schemes. His staunchest ally will be

The False Prophet

In Revelation 13:11-18 we are introduced to this infamous character. This person, who is called the second beast, is going to be a Jew. (p. 112)

During the first half of the Tribulation, 144,000 Jews will convert to Christianity and start evangelizing and converting people all over Earth

After the Christians are gone God is going to reveal Himself in a special way to 144,000 physical, literal Jew’s w r ho are going to believe with a vengeance that Jesus is the Messiah. They are going to be 144,000 Jewish Billy Grahams turned loose on this earth — – the earth will never know a period of evangelism like this period. These Jewish people are going to make up for lost time. They are going to have the greatest number of converts in all history. Revelation 7:9-14 says they bring so many to Christ that they can’t be numbered. (p. 111)

During the Tribulation the spotlight is on the Jew — in the Book of Revelation the Jew is responsible for evangelizing the world again (Revelation 7:1-4). (p. 142)

——————–
[1984] The Antichrist rebels against that one-world religion and destroys it

Although this great religious system of the time of the Tribulation, or the final seven-year period before the return of Christ, will be godless, it will also be powerful.

John says in Revelation 17 that this system would dominate the beast, or the Great Dictator who will be the head of the ten-nation confederacy. As we have said, it would seem that fear of Communism and the need for a common defense against the “King of the North” would drive the one-world political system into the arms of the “harlot” or the one-world religious system. The “harlot” will be “clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls …” (Revelation 17:4 NASB). In other words, this religious system will be splendid on the outside, but corrupt to the core.

This harlot, as described in Revelation, is not only a system, but also a city. There is no question about where the city would be — it was Rome. It says that the woman sits (or rules) on seven mountains. Most elementary students of history or geography know that Rome is the city of seven hills. It is there that the religious system will reign for a time in coalition w r ith the political system.

However, the Bible tells us about the end of this system. The political system and its dictator will hate this religious system after a time, because it controls the Antichrist and he wants to proclaim himself to be God, without any interference. The Great Dictator is not going to be a puppet; if strings arc to be pulled, he wants to do the manipulating.

Revelation 18:2 shows that the destruction of the religious system will take place in two phases. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” The first “fallen” refers to the destruction of the religious system by the dictator. This will take place in the middle of the Tribulation, at the end of three and one-half years* The second “fallen” refers to the sudden destruction of the city of Rome. (p. 132-133)

Abomination of Desolation: The Antichrist goes to Jerusalem where he breaks his covenant with the Jews and enters the Temple from which he claims to be the incarnation of God (Start of the second half, the three and half years of his reign)

The Antichrist will deify himself — just like the Caesars did. He will proclaim himself to be God. He will demand that he be worshiped and will establish him self in the Temple of God (II Thessalonians 2:4).

There is only one place where this temple of God can be and that is on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, on the site where the Dome of the Rock and other Moslem shrines now stand. (p. 109)

Jesus Christ predicted an event which would trigger a time of unparalleled catastrophe for the Jewish nation shortly before His second coming. This “abomination of desolation” or desecration of the inner sanctum of the Temple would occur at the midway point of God’s last seven years of dealing with the Jewish people before setting up the long-awaited Kingdom of God ( Daniel 9:27).

Daniel’s prediction also indicates that a prince would rise up from among the people who destroyed the second Temple (who were the Romans in a.d. 70) and that he “would make a firm covenant” with the Jewish people. This treaty would guarantee the religious freedom to reinstitute the old “sacrifices and oblations” of the Law of Moses.

This “prince” must be from a revived form of the ancient Roman Empire. (More about this in a later chapter.)

The apostle Paul predicts the activities of this Roman prince in great detail and gives us insight into the act that is called “the abomination of desolation.” Paul speaks of this person as one who “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (II Thessalonians 2:4 NASB ) . By this act, the Roman prince, who is also called “the Lawless One” and “the Antichrist,” breaks his covenant with the Jewish people and causes the Jewish temple worship, according to the law of Moses, to cease (Daniel 9:27). ⁴Ibid., 56-57.

Riding upon the crest of public worship the Roman Dictator will go to Jerusalem and in the Temple proclaim himself to be God incarnate (II Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15). As mentioned, this will be the great warning sign to the believers of that day that Armageddon is about to begin. (p. 153)

The Red Horse Unleashed

“And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men should slay one another; and a great sword was given to him” (Revelation 6:4 NASB),

Almost immediately after the Antichrist declares himself to be God, God releases the dreaded second of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, This is a figure of the unleashing of war upon the earth.

That beautiful balance of power established by the Antichrist is suddenly ruptured, God begins to show man that the Antichrist’s promises cannot stand. The thing which man feared most, an all-out war, now rushes upon him. (p. 153)

Under the Antichrist, every living person will be marked with the number of the beast (666). Those (around the world?) who refuse to worship him and reject the Mark of the Beast would be persecuted.

The False Prophet (he is called that in Revelation 19:20 and 20:10) will be a master of satanic magic. This future False Prophet is going to be a devilish John the Baptist. He will aid and glorify this Roman Dictator; he will proclaim him the savior of the world and make people worship him as God.

It is logical to ask how the False Prophet will force this worship of the Roman Dictator. He will be given control over the economics of the world system and cause everyone who will not swear allegiance to the Dictator to be put to death or to be in a situation where they cannot buy or sell or hold a job. Everyone will be given a tattoo or mark on either his forehead or forehand, only if he swears allegiance to the Dictator as being God.

Symbolically, this mark will be 666. Six is said to be the number of man in Scripture and a triad or three is the number for God. Consequently, when you triple “six” it is the symbol of man making himself God.

The cleverness of this economic vise is ghastly to contemplate, But no one could ever accuse Satan of not being clever. (p. 112-113)

Do you believe it will be possible for people to be controlled economically? In our computerized society, where we are all “numbered” from birth to death, it seems completely plausible that some day in the near future the numbers racket will consolidate and we will have just one number for all our business, money, and credit transactions. Leading members of the business community are now planning that all money matters will be handled electronically. (p. 113)

After three and a half years of remarkable progress, the Antichrist will become worshiped for his brilliant statesmanship and the wonderful progress in the world. The believers in Christ will oppose his rule and be ruthlessly exposed. Publicly, they will not be able to buy, sell, or hold a job. They will be executed en masse as examples to those who would hinder the “brotherhood of man,” because they will insist that Christ is the only lasting hope for man. (p. 152-153)

Now we are studying a man who will accept this throne wholeheartedly. He will be worshiped as Satan is worshiped, with forms of idolatry that we can only guess in our wildest leaps of imagination.

All around the world today the increase in the mystic, occult, and even devil-worship is so pronounced that people are beginning to question what it’s all about. There are churches in some of the major cities of America which actually incorporate into their “religious ceremonies” the worship of the devil. A newspaper report said, “Moving hand-in-hand with astrology in some cities is a rising interest in witchcraft and hypnosis. Courses in the art of the history of witchcraft have popped up at a few recognized colleges and at most ‘free universities’ (where students design the curricula.)” (p. 107)

“And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him” (Revelation 13:5 NASB),

Forty -two months is three and one-half years and this is the three and one-half years prior to Christ’s personal, visible return to this earth. This period of time will make the regimes of Hitler, Mao, and Stalin look like Girl Scouts weaving a daisy chain by comparison. The Antichrist is going to be given absolute authority to act with the power of Satan,

“And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven” (Revelation 13:6 NASB).

This is interesting* Why would he “blaspheme” or “badmouth” those who will dwell in heaven? And who are the ones who dwell in heaven; why would he even bother with them? You and I are the ones who are going to dwell in heaven, if we are true believers in Jesus Christ* If we are gone from the earth at this period, which this writer believes the Scriptures prove, how is this fellow going to explain the fact that a few million “religious kooks” are missing? He will, of course, have to discredit die Christian belief, explain it away, or “blaspheme” it and the believers.

“And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them . . (Revelation 13:7a NASB).

It is logical to ask at this point, how is he going to make war with the saints when they are gone from the earth? “The saints” are the people who are going to believe in Christ during this great period of conflict.

[…] [After the Christians are gone, 144,000 Jews will convert to Christianity and evangelize around the world]

However, the Antichrist is going to unleash a total persecution of these people, “And it was given to him , * . authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation . , (Revelation 13:7b NASB).

He will be the absolute dictator of the whole world!

This is the Future Fuehrer,

Who Will Worship Him?

“And all who dw^ell on the earth will worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain” (Revelation 13:8 NASB).

He has a book. That book contains the names of everyone who simply puts his faith in Jesus for having paid the penalty for his sins. Throughout the history of the Jewish people the Passover Lamb typified a sacrifice. What an incredible thing that so many Jews would not see Jesus as the personification of the Lamb. He was the real Lamb of God. (p. 110-112)

CONTRADICTION: How is it possible that the Antichrist leads the Western world but still be the dictator of the whole world?

Jews who converted to Christianity fear the Antichrist’s persecution and flee Israel to the mountains and canyons

The residents of Israel who believe in Jesus will flee to the mountains and canyons of Petra for divine protection, as promised (Matthew 24:16; Revelation 12:6, 14). (p. 153)

——————

[1984-1988]

Israel is under the control of a false Messiah, allied with the Roman Dictator (the Antichrist); an Arab-African confederacy, led by Egypt, attacks Israel, triggering an invasion of Israel by Russia and her allies

Our interest here is the revelation that Egypt will attack the revived state of Israel, which will then be under the control of a false Messiah. This man will probably be a Jew who works closely with the world dictator who will come to power in Rome. (Meet the “Future Fuehrer” in Chapter 9.)

Notice what Daniel says about this attack on Israel: “And at the time of the end the king of the south shall push at and attack him” (Daniel 11:40 Amplified).

This immediately triggers another invasion of Israel by Russia who is here called “the king of the north.” (p. 77)

“At the time of the end the king of the south shall attack him (Israeli leader)” (Daniel 11:40a),

[…] The Arab- African confederacy headed by Egypt (King of the South) launches an invasion of Israel. This fatal mistake spells their doom and begins the Armageddon campaign. (p. 153)

Invasion of Israel and the spark the War of Armageddon: A northern confederacy led by Magog (Russia), will ally with a confederacy of Arabs and Africans (headed by Egypt, “the King of the South”) to invade Israel
War of Armageddon could refer to the entire conflict (WW III) that lasts for three and a half years or the final battle

“…but the king of the north shall rush upon him (the Israeli leader) like a whirlwind, with chariots (mechanized army) and horsemen (cavalry), and with many ships” (Daniel 11:40b),

Chart one shows the movement of troops.

Russia and her allies use this occasion to launch an invasion of the Middle East, which Russia has longed to do since the Napoleonic wars. Ezekiel 38 describes the development of this great Russian force, and its plan to attack Israel.

Twenty-six centuries ago Ezekiel described the plot of the Russian leaders against revived Israel: “Thus says the Lord God; On that day thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme and say, ‘I will go up against the land of un walled villages; I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls (i.e. fortifications), and having no bars or gates’; to seize spoil and carry off plunder; to assail the waste places which are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth” (Ezekiel 38:10-12).

The Russians will make a great tactical blunder by invading Israel. They will construe the defenseless posture of Israel, who will be trusting in the Antichrist’s protection, as an opportunity to finally conquer the great land bridge of the Middle East. They will be motivated by the great material wealth of the restored nation of Israel. Their purpose is thus revealed by Ezekiel . . to seize spoil and carry off plunder. . . (p. 153-154)

Shortly after the restoration of the Jews in the land of Israel, an incredible enemy will arise to its “uttermost north.” This enemy will be composed of one great nation which will gather around it a number of allies. It is this “Northern Confederacy” that is destined to plunge the world into its final great war which Christ will return to end. ⁵Ibid., 59.

Ezekiel describes this northern commander as “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince (or ruler) of Rosh, of Meschech and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:2 Amplified). This gives the ethnic background of this commander and his people.

In other words, the prophet gives the family tree of this northern commander so that we can trace the migrations of these tribes to the modem nation that we know.

Gog is the symbolic name of the nation’s leader and Magog is his land. He is also the prince of the ancient people who were called Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.

In the Biblical chapter commonly called the “Table of Nations” by scholars these names are mentioned. (See Genesis 10.) They are described as the grandsons of Noah through his son Japheth, with the exception of Rosh (Genesis 10:1, 2). Magog is the second son; Tubal is the fifth son; and Meshech is the sixth son. (p.63)

Ezekiel puts great stress on this by saying three times that this great enemy of Israel would come from their “uttermost north.” It is mentioned in 38:6 and 15, and 39:2. The King James Version doesn’t translate this accurately, but the Revised Standard and Amplified Versions of the Bible do. The Hebrew word that qualifies “north” means either “uttermost” or “extreme.”

You need only to take a globe to verify this exact geographical fix. There is only one nation to the “uttermost north” of Israel — the U.S.S.R.

“Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I have spoken in olden times by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for years that I would bring you, Gog, against them?” (Ezekiel 38:17 Amplified). The answer to this challenging question thrown down by God through Ezekiel centuries ago is now rather obvious, wouldn’t you say? (p. 66)

Just think for a moment how incredible a thing we are considering here. How could Ezekiel 2600 years ago have forecast so accurately the rise of Russia to its current military might and its direct and obvious designs upon the Middle East, not to mention the fact that it is now an implacable enemy of the new state of Israel? (p. 66)

Ethiopia is a translation of the Hebrew word, Cush. Cush was the first son of Ham, one of the sons of Noah.

Moses mentions “the land of Cush” as originally being adjacent to an area near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (Genesis 2:13).

After examining many authorities on the subject, the writer discovered once again why Dr. Gesenius is recognized as one of the great scholars of history. Genesis summarized all of the evidence as follows : ( 1 ) The Cushites were black men. (2) They migrated first to the Arabian peninsula and then across the Red Sea to the area south of Egypt. (3) All the black people of Africa are descended from Cush. (p. 68)

The sobering conclusion is this: many of the African nations will be united and allied with the Russians in the invasion of Israel. This is in accord with Daniel’s graphic description of this invasion (Daniel 11:36-45).

The Russian force is called “the King of the North” and the sphere of power which the African (Cush) force will be a part of is called “the King of the South.”

One of the most active areas of evangelism for the Communist “gospel” is in Africa. As we see further developments in this area in the future, we realize that it will become converted to Communism. (p. 68)

Libya is the translation of the original Hebrew word, Put. We have the same problem pinpointing these people as with Cush. Put was the third son of Ham (Genesis 10:6). The descendants of Put migrated to the land west of Egypt and became the source of the North African Arab nations, such as Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. The first settlement of Put was called Libya by the ancient historians, Josephus and Pliny. 11 The Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, called the Septuagint, translates Put as Libya in about 165 b.c.

The conclusion is that Russia’s ally, Put, certainly included more than what is now called Libya. Once again there are current events to show the beginning of this alliance.

The territory of Northern Africa is becoming solidly pro-Soviet. 12 Algeria appears to be already Communist and allied with Russia.

As we watch this area in the next few years we shall see indications that it is destined to join the southern sphere of power which will attack Israel along with the “King of the North.” (p. 69)

Gomer was the eldest son of Japheth, and the father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. These people make up an extremely important part of the future Russian invasion force. (p. 69)

Josephus called the sons of Ashkenaz, “The Rheginians” and a map of the ancient Roman Empire places them in the area of modern Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany to the banks of the Danube River. The modern Jewish Talmud confirms the same geographical picture.

The conclusion is that Gomer and its hordes are a part of the vast area of modem Eastern Europe which is totally behind the Iron Curtain. This includes East Germany and the Slovak countries. (p. 70)

In Ezekiel 38:6 “the house of Togarmah, and all its hordes” are specifically pointed out as being from “the uttermost north.” Gesenius says that “they are a northern nation and country sprung from Gomer abounding in horses and mules.” Some of the sons of Togarmah founded Armenia, according to their own claim today, Gesenius continued.

Dr. Bauman traces evidence of some of the sons of Togarmah to the Turkoman tribes of Central Asia. This would explain the statement, “. . , of the uttermost north, and all its hordes.”

The conclusion is that Togarmah is part of modem Southern Russia and is probably the origin of the Cossacks and other people of the Eastern part of Russia. It is interesting to note that the Cossacks have always loved horses and have been recognized as producing the finest army of cavalry in the world. Today they are reported to have several divisions of cavalry. It is believed by some military men that cavalry will actually be used in the invasion of the Middle East just as Ezekiel and other prophets literally predicted. During the Korean War the Red Chinese proved that in rugged mountainous terrain, horses are still the fastest means of moving a large attacking force into battle zones.

Isn’t it a coincidence that such terrain stands between Russia and the Israeli? (p. 70)

Ezekiel indicates that he hasn’t given a complete list of allies. Enough is given, however, to make this writer amazed by the number of people and nations which will be involved. (p. 71)

Ezekiel, prophetically addressing the Russian ruler, commands him to, . . be prepared; yes prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and you be a guard and a commander for them” (Ezekiel 38:7 Amplified).

In other words, the Russian ruler is to equip his confederates with arms and to assume command.

If you have doubts about all that has been said in this chapter, isn’t it a bit unnerving to note that almost all of the
countries predicted as part of this great army are already armed with weapons created and manufactured in Russia? (p. 71)

The Bible says that Egypt, the Arabic nations, and countries of black Africa will form an alliance, a sphere of power which will be called the King of the South. Allied with Russia, the King of the North, this formidable confederacy will rise up against the restored state of Israel. (p. 72)

This country is in a strategic spot in the prophetic landscape, which is the reason we should follow the events in the Middle East with great interest.

Egypt is located at the southern end of “the land bridge” which connects the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. The value of this important piece of real estate, which has been established by centuries of fighting will play an important part in events which we will show in the chapter on World War HI. Conveniently for Egypt, it has an ideal location for its role of leadership in the Afro -Arab world. (p. 74)

The Egyptian plan to unite the Arabs and the black Africans into a “third world force” seems to be fulfilling what the prophets have said. (p. 79)

Isaiah warns of a terrible judgment which would fall on Egypt in the last days. He speaks of Egypt’s very life source being judged: “And the waters of the Nile will be dried up, and the river will be parched and dry; and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up” (Isaiah 19:5, 6). (p. 79)

But Russia and her allies will double-cross their allies, conquering and taking over Egypt and attacking its allies. It conquers the Arab and African armies and invades Egypt.

[T]he Russian bloc will double-cross the Arabs, Egyptians, and Africans, and for a short while conquer the Middle East. (p. 158)

The might of the Red Army is predicted. It wilt sweep over the Arab countries as well as Israel in a rapid assault over to Egypt to secure the entire land bridge. It is at this point that Russia double-crosses the United Arab Republic leader, Egypt. After sweeping over tens of thousands of people Daniel says of the Red army: “He shall stretch out his hand against the countries [i.e. Arab countries of the Middle East], and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He [Russian leader] shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans (African Arabs] and the Ethiopians [African blacks] shall follow in his train” (Daniel 11:42, 43). (p. 158)

The movement of Russia and its northern confederacy through “the land bridge of the Middle-East” into Egypt serves an ominous warning to Egypt. Speaking of the Russian invader, Daniel prophesies: “He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all die precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps” (Daniel 11:42, 43 KJV). (p. 78)

When the Russians invade the Middle East with amphibious and mechanized land forces, they will make a “blitzkrieg” type of offensive through the area. As Daniel saw it centuries ago: £i . * . and he [Russians] shall come into countries [of the Middle-East] and shall overflow and pass through. He will come into the glorious land [Israel], And tens of thousands shall fall” (Daniel 11:40b, 41a),

Ezekiel describes the same invasion as follows: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog [the Russian leader]. Thus says the Lord God: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, you will bestir yourself and come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north [Darnel’s king of the North], you and many peoples with you [i.e., the European iron curtain countries], 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, T will bring you against my land . , (Ezekiel 38:14-16).

As previously quoted the Russians will make both an amphibious and land invasion of Israel, The current build-up of Russian ships in the Mediterranean serves as another significant sign of the possible nearness of Armageddon, They now have more ships in the Mediterranean than the United States, according to several recent news releases. The amphibious landings will facilitate a rapid encirclement of the middle section of “the land bridge.” (p. 157)

As we saw in the last chapter, the Hebrew words “Cush” and “Put.” which are translated Ethiopia and Libya, represent the black Africans and African Arabs, respectively. Aside from the obvious evidence of a Russian double-cross of the Egyptians, this passage also indicates that the “black African” and “Arab-African” countries will be involved with Egypt and in line for Russian conquest as well. The statement, . . the Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his (the Russian invader) steps,” indicates one of two things: they will be next in line for conquest, or they will submit totally to the Russian will and be assimilated into the northern confederacy. (p. 78)

This invasion of Cush and Put, along with Egypt, and their fall together is mentioned more specifically by the prophet Ezekiel: “And a sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall be in Ethiopia (Cush), when the slain fall in Egypt, and her wealth is carried away, and her foundations are torn down. Ethiopia, and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya, and the people of the land that is in league shall fall with them by the sword” (Ezekiel 30:4, 5). (p. 78)

The Russians consolidate their forces in Jerusalem after they get alarming news that the Western camp under the Antichrist, along with Eastern allies (Red China and other Asian nations) are readying for their attack. Now they seek to destroy all Jewish people

The Russians will be alarmed at the news of the Roman Dictator mobilizing forces around the world to put down this breach of peace. Apparently it will surprise the Russian leader who underestimated the revived Roman Empire’s will to fight.

It is conjecture on this writer’s part, but it appears that the Oriental powers, headed by Red China, will be permitted to mobilize its vast army by (he Roman Dictator, thinking that they would be loyal to him against Russia. However, the Orientals will eventually double-cross him, and move a 200 million man army against the Antichrist, as we have seen in Chapter 7.

This Russian double-cross of the Arabs is predictable by any astute observer of the Middle East situation today. It is obvious that the Russians are playing games with the Arabs in order to accomplish the old Russian dream of year-round seaports and oil supplies. The Arab leaders think that they can accept Russian loans and supplies without strings, but there are steel cables of conditions behind every Russian ruble given in aid and they are used eventually to pull a country behind the iron curtain. (p. 158-160)

As the Russian commander confidently prepares to meet the forces of the revived Roman Empire in Palestine, he seeks to utterly destroy the Jewish people. This is the apparent meaning of verses 44 and 45.

At this time (Russia’s invasion of Israel and the Middle East), with the main Russian force in Egypt, the commander will hear alarming news: “But rumors from the east [the Orient mobilizing] and from the north [the Western Europeans mobilizing] shall alarm and hasten him. And he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many” (Daniel 11:44 Amplified).

As shown in Chart two, the Russian force will retrace its steps from Egypt to consolidate for a counter-attack in Israel.(p. 158)

Russian army makes Jerusalem their HQ

The Russian force will establish command headquarters on Mount Moriah or the Temple area in Jerusalem. Daniel pointed this out when he said: “And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the seas [Dead Sea and Mediterranean Sea] and the glorious holy mount Zion; yet he shall come to his end with none to help him” {Daniel 11:45 Amplified).(p. xx)

In response to Russian invasion of the Middle East, the Roman Antichrist will mobilize a huge army from the Roman Confederacy and from Red China. They will destroy the Russian army in Israel. God guides/allows the West, which is under the control of the Antichrist, to destroy the Russian army with nuclear weapons. Russia and her confederates are completely destroyed.

Note that Russian army will be destroyed here and Arab-African armies are already destroyed (view above).

Perhaps no other great army of history has ever been so totally destroyed as this one will be.

The Russian Waterloo

Ezekiel sounded the fatal collapse of the Red Army centuries ago when inspired by the Spirit of the living God he said: “But on that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, my wrath will be roused. For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. I will summon every kind of terror against Gog, says the Lord God; every man’s sword will be against his brother. With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples that are with him, torrential rains and hailstones, fire and brimstone” (Ezekiel 38:18-22).

. . then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the people that are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the wild beasts to be devoured. You shall fall in the open field; for I have spoken, says the Lord God” (Ezekiel 39:3-5).

The description of torrents of fire and brimstone raining down upon the Red Army, coupled with an unprecedented shaking of the land of Israel could well be describing the use of tactical nuclear weapons against them by the Romans. It explicitly says that this force would fall “in the open field,” so apparently this position enables the use of nuclear weapons.

God consigns this whole barbarous army, which will seek to annihilate the Jewish race, to an utter and complete decimation. Ezekiel speaks of the Russians and “. . . all your hosts and the peoples who are with you . . being destroyed in Israel. (p. 160-161)

The Antichrist of Rome takes over Egypt after Russia is destroyed

Isaiah warns of a powerful dictator who will invade and take them over: “… I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master; and a fierce [merciless] king will rule over them” (Isaiah 19:4 RSV). This refers to the Antichrist of Rome who will possess Egypt after Russia is destroyed.

All of these things will happen to the Egyptians until many cry out to the true Savior, Jesus. Isaiah says, “. . . when they cry to the Lord because of oppressors he will send them a savior, and will defend and deliver them” (Isaiah 19:20).

What a great demonstration of God’s loving heart! (p. 79-80)

Either resulting nuclear exchange will destroy nations or God will send torrents of fire; USA could be annihilated

Nuclear Exchange Begins

A fearful thing is predicted as occurring at the time of the Red Army’s destruction. God says, “I will send fire on Magog [Russia] and upon those who dwell securely [false hope] in the coastlands [various continents] . . (Ezekiel 39:6 Amplified). According to this, Russia, as well as many countries who thought they were secure under the Antichrist’s protection, will have fire fall upon them. Once again, this could be a direct judgment from God, or God could allow the various countries to launch a nuclear exchange of ballistic missiles upon each other. (p. 161)

What About the United States?

The United States may be aligned with the Western forces headed by the ten-nation Revived Roman Empire of Europe. It is clear that the U.S. cannot be the leader of the West in the future. It is quite possible that Ezekiel was referring to the U.S. in part when he said : “I will send fire — upon those who dwell securely in the coastlands, . .

The word translated “coastlands” or “isle” in the Hebrew is ai. It was used by the ancients in the sense of “continents”
today. It designated the great Gentile civilizations across the seas which were usually settled most densely along the coast-
lands. The idea here is that the Gentile nations on distant continents would all experience the impact of sudden tor-
rents of fire raining down upon them. This can include prophetically the populated continents and islands of the Western
hemisphere as well as the Far East. It pictures cataclysmic events which affect the whole inhabited earth.
(p. 161-162)

The attack upon the Russian confederacy and the resulting conflict will escalate into the last war of the world, involving
all nations. (p. 71)

Two thirds of Jews in Israel would have perished. The remaining Jews of Israel view their salvation as an act of God leading many Jews to turn to Christ. (Or is that correct: the first nuclear exchange is to avenge the martyred saints-killed by who?)

As Armageddon begins with the invasion of Israel by the Arabs and the Russian confederacy, and their consequent swift destruction, the greatest period of Jewish conversion to their true Messiah will begin. Ezekiel predicts that the destruction of the great Russian invading force will have a supernatural element to it which will cause great numbers of Jews to see the hand of the Lord in it. Through the miraculous sign of the destruction of this enemy who sought to destroy all Jews they come to see the name of their true God and Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel quotes God as saying: “I will send fire on Magog [Russia] and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands; and they shall know that I am the Lord. And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let my holy name be profaned any more; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, says the Lord God. That is the day of which I have spoken” [i.e., in the prophecies] (Ezekiel 39:6-8).

Zechariah predicts that one-third of the Jews alive during this period will be converted to Christ and miraculously preserved.

“In the whole land, says the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will
pul this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my
name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God’ ” (Zechariah 13:8, 9). (p. 167)

It is extremely important to note the accuracy of Bible prophecy in relation to this last conflict. In this day of H-bombs and super weapons, it seems incredible that there could ever be another great land/war fought by basically conventional means, yet the Chinese believe that with a vastly superior numerical force, they can absorb devastating losses and still win a war. They also believe that all war is still determined on the ground by land forces.

Another interesting fact is that a force of 200 million soldiers could not be transported by China and its forseeable allies by air or sea. They do not possess the industry to produce a transportation system for such an army. This necessitates the movement of troops across the land as is indicated in Revelation 16:12.

India has revealed recently an important development. It is reported that 1 2,000 Chinese soldiers are at work inside Pakistan-held Kashmir on the road which would give Chinese troops in Tibet a shortcut to the subcontinent. India calls the Chinese road -building activities a “threat to peace in Asia.” It was said that “a flurry of road -building throughout the Himalayas is taking on increasing strategic importance.” 8

When this road is completed, it will make possible the rapid movement of millions of Chinese troops into the Middle East. It will literally pave the way for John’s prophecy to be fulfilled: . . unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved . . (Matthew 24:22 NASB).

So here it is — – the last great conflict. After the Antichrist assembles the forces of the rest of the whole world together, they meet the onrushing charge of the kings of the East in a battle line which will extend throughout Israel with the vortex centered at the Valley of Megiddo.

According to Zechariah, terrible fighting will center around the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2, 3; 14:1, 2).

Isaiah speaks of a frightful carnage taking place south of the Dead Sea in ancient Edom (Isaiah 63:1-4),

The apostle John predicts that so many people will be slaughtered in the conflict that blood will stand to the horses’ bridles for a total distance of 200 miles northward and southward of Jerusalem ( Revelation 14:20).

It seems incredible! The human mind cannot conceive of such inhumanity of man to man, yet God will allow man’s nature to fully display itself in that day. No wonder Jesus said: . . for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall” (Matthew 24:21 NASB). (p. 165-166)

Russia and her confederates will be destroyed completely by an act that Israel will acknowledge as being from their God. This act will bring many in Israel to believe in their true Messiah ( Ezekiel 38:15 ff. ) . (p. 71)

Study Ezekiel 38 and 39. The most significant part of this chain of events is established here. These chapters indicate with certainty that after the physical restoration of the nation, but before the spiritual rebirth, the great northern enemy will invade Israel (Ezekiel 38:8, 16). Then God will supernaturally judge the northern invaders, and this is the very act which will impel the Israeli people to know’ and believe in their true Messiah, Jesus Christ (Ezekiel 39:6-8). ⁶Ibid., 62.

Zechariah beautifully described this scene when he quotes God as saying, “And I will pour out upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child . . .” (Zechariah 12:10).

Ezekiel speaks in chapters 40 through 48 of a new worship pattern which will be established after the Messiah, Jesus Christ, comes to reign on earth over the Kingdom of God. ⁷Ibid., 62.

-Global economic collapse and food shortage from the above mentioned Gog-Magog war (Fady: Source?)

The annihilation of both the Russian and Arab-African armies will leave only two great powers fighting over world domination: the combined forces of Western Civilization under the Roman Antichrist’s leadership and the Orient led by Red China sending vast hordes of marching fighters (200 million) to attack the Antichrist in the Middle East.

Under the subtitle “THE YELLOW PERIL”

In the twenty odd years since the fall of China to the Communists there has been a steady relentless preparation for all-out war with the free world. Though the living conditions of the eight hundred million or more people of Red China are still basically like the nineteenth century, they have made remarkable progress in the production of weapons for war. (p. 84)

Red China is definitely on the road to becoming a world power, but her design for the use of this stature is not peace. Within one year after the take-over of China her Communist leaders started the war in Korea. They have since fomented the war in Viet Nam and have traveled to several countries in Africa and the Middle East seeking to aggravate internal subversion and “Communist wars of liberation.”

The vaunted Sino-Soviet split is over an interpretation of Communist doctrine. The Chinese insist that the world can be captured only by force of arms and violence: the Russians now believe that the free world can be captured by the relatively limited violence of internal subversion . . . while masquerading under the guise of “peaceful coexistence.” It should be marked well, however, that neither have disembarked from their goal of total world conquest for Communism. This is an integral part of the Communist doctrine. Without the total destruction of the capitalist system the basic promise and goal of Communism could not be attained. (p. 85)

We believe that China is the beginning of the formation of this great power called “the kings of the east” by the apostle
John. We live at a time in history when it is no longer incredible to think of the Orient with an army of 200 million soldiers. In fact, a recent television documentary on Red China, called “The Voice of the Dragon,” quoted the boast
of the Chinese themselves that they could field a “people’s army” of 200 million militiamen. In their own boast they
named the same number as the Biblical prediction. Coincidence? (p. 86)

The sobering fact that Red China will have ICBM’s capable of delivering H-bombs by 1980 at the latest, presents another grisly potential for fulfilling prophecy regarding this Oriental power. Within a decade China alone will have the capacity to destroy one-third of the world’s population just as John predicted. (p. 87)

Another important detail involving this Oriental army is unlocked by the clue involving the Euphrates. The apostle John speaks of the release of four vicious, depraved angelic beings which have been kept bound by God at the Euphrates River (Revelation 9:14-16), Immediately after their release an incredible army emerges from the Euphrates … it numbers “200 million” (Revelation 9:16). The four demonic spirit-beings somehow incite this great army to invade the Middle East and apparently they are the ones who make the river dry up so that the army can quickly cross this ancient barrier of east and west.(p. 82)

There may be a short lapse of hostility in the world after the destruction of Russia and allies while the armies mobilize.
The apostle John predicts the mobilization of the oriental power as mentioned in Chapter 7, “And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east” (Revelation 16:12 NASB).

The Chinese, as previously discussed, will be the most logical leader of this great army. They will use the chaos caused by this conflict in the Middle East to march against the Roman Dictator in a challenge for world control.

As this incredible Oriental army of 200 million soldiers marches to the eastern banks of the Euphrates, the Roman Dictator will begin to prepare his armies to meet them for the showdown in the Middle East. The apostle John predicts the supernatural power that the Antichrist and the False Prophet will use to gather all remaining nations together to confront the Oriental armies: “And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan] and out of the mouth of the beast [Roman Dictator] and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for war of the great day of God, the Almighty. And they gathered them together
to the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon” (Revelation 16:13, 14, 16 NASD).

Several things must be noted from this passage. First, this whole sequence of events constitutes the final judgments of God against the Christ-re jeering world. They are called in the Book of Revelation the seven bowl or vial judgments and they occur just before and during the visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Secondly, the passage shows that the Roman Dictator and his sensational religious cohort, the False Prophet, will speak a satan ically originated message to the non-oriental world – — a message energized with great demonic power. They will persuade the nations of the whole world (he, not aligned with China) that they should send armies to the land of Palestine to destroy the last great warlike force on earth. They will probably promise an age of everlasting peace after the troublesome communist forces of the Orient are destroyed. Thirdly, the passage indicates that “leaders of the whole world” will send armies to the Middle East to fight under the Antichrist’s command against “the kings of the east,” Such countries as Western Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, and Australia undoubtedly will be represented.

Fourthly, these armies will be assembled and deployed for battle in the place called “Armageddon” or “Harmageddon.” (p. 162-163)

It is extremely important to note the accuracy of Bible prophecy in relation to this last conflict. In this day of H-bombs and super weapons, it seems incredible that there could ever be another great land/war fought by basically conventional means, yet the Chinese believe that with a vastly superior numerical force, they can absorb devastating losses and still win a war. They also believe that all war is still determined on the ground by land forces.

Another interesting fact is that a force of 200 million soldiers could not be transported by China and its forseeable allies by air or sea. They do not possess the industry to produce a transportation system for such an army. This necessitates the movement of troops across the land as is indicated in Revelation 16:12.

India has revealed recently an important development. It is reported that 1 2,000 Chinese soldiers are at work inside
Pakistan-held Kashmir on the road which would give Chinese troops in Tibet a shortcut to the subcontinent. India calls
the Chinese road -building activities a “threat to peace in Asia.” It was said that “a flurry of road -building throughout the
Himalayas is taking on increasing strategic importance.” 8

When this road is completed, it will make possible the rapid movement of millions of Chinese troops into the Middle East. It will literally pave the way for John’s prophecy to be fulfilled: . . unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved . . (Matthew 24:22 NASB).

So here it is — – the last great conflict. After the Antichrist assembles the forces of the rest of the whole world together, they meet the onrushing charge of the kings of the East in a battle line which will extend throughout Israel with the vortex centered at the Valley of Megiddo.

According to Zechariah, terrible fighting will center around the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2, 3; 14:1, 2).

Isaiah speaks of a frightful carnage taking place south of the Dead Sea in ancient Edom (Isaiah 63:1-4),

The apostle John predicts that so many people will be
slaughtered in the conflict that blood will stand to the horses’ bridles for a total distance of 200 miles northward and southward of Jerusalem ( Revelation 14:20).

It seems incredible! The human mind cannot conceive of such inhumanity of man to man, yet God will allow man’s nature to fully display itself in that day. No wonder Jesus said: . . for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall” (Matthew 24:21 NASB). (p. 165-166)

The Battle of Armageddon: The two armies will fight in the final battle for world control in an ancient Middle Eastern place called Armageddon. The thermonuclear holocaust will bring apocalyptic destruction to the planet. The Tribulation culminates in the holocaust of Armageddon

The Greatest Battle of All Time

With the United Arab and African armies neutralized by the Russian invasion, and the consequent complete annihilation of the Russian forces and their homeland, we have only two great spheres of power left to fight the final climactic battle of Armageddon: the combined forces of the Western civilization united under the leadership of the Roman Dictator and the vast hordes of the Orient probably united under the Red Chinese war machine. (p. 162)

A terrifying prophecy is made about the destiny of this Asian horde. They will wipe out a third of the earth’s population (Revelation 9:18). The phenomena by which this destruction of life will take place is given: it will be by fire, smoke (or air pollution), and brimstone (or melted earth). The thought may have occurred to you that this is strikingly similar to the phenomena associated with thermonuclear warfare. In fact, many Bible expositors believe that this is an accurate first-century description of a twentieth-century thermonuclear war. (p. 82)

World-wide Destruction

The conflict will not be limited to the Middle East. The apostle John warns that when these two great forces meet in battle the greatest shock wave ever to hit the earth will occur. Whether by natural force of an earthquake or by some super weapon isn’t clear. John says that all the cities of the nations will be destroyed (Revelation 16:19).

Imagine, cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago — obliterated! John says that the Eastern force alone will wipe out a third of the earth’s population (Revelation 9:15-18).

He also predicts that entire islands and mountains would be blown off the map. It seems to indicate an all-out attack of ballistic missiles upon the great metropolitan areas of the world. (p. 166)

Isaiah predicts in Chapter 24 concerning this time: “Behold, the Lord will lay waste the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.”

“The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants.” (Perhaps this refers in part to water and air pollution.)

“Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth
are scorched [burned], and few men are left” (verses 1, 5, 6 ). (p. 166)

In the same chapter Isaiah says: “The earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man, it sways like a hut…” (verses 19, 20).

All of these verses scent to indicate the unleashing of incredible weapons the world over. (p. 167)

It was reported to me that an oil company doing seismic studies of this area in quest of oil discovered a gigantic fault running east and west precisely through the center of the Mount of Olives. The fault is so severe that it could split at any time. It is awaiting “the foot.”

Zechariah predicts a strange thing with regard to the ensuing split in the earth. The believing Jewish remnant in Jerusalem will rush into the crack instead of doing the natural thing of running from it. They will know this prophecy and realize that this great cavern has opened up for the Lord to protect them from the terrible devastation that He is about to pour out upon the godless armies all around. It will be used as a type of bomb shelter.

The nature of the forces which the Lord will unleash on that day against the armies gathered in the Middle East is described in Zechariah 14:12: “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their llesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (KJV).

A frightening picture, isn’t it? Has it occurred to you that this is exactly what happens to those who are in a thermonuclear blast? It appears that this will be the case at the return of Christ. (p. 174-175)

[1988] The glorious, visible and violent return of Christ. He returns at the valley of Megiddo with raptured “saints” to destroys his enemies, everyone and everything ungodly. That Last Judgement marks the end of history.

As the battle of Armageddon reaches its awful climax and it appears that all life will be destroyed on earth — in this very moment Jesus Christ will return and save man from self-extinction. (p. 168)

[E]ach one of these spheres of power is a major factor in the final great war called “Armageddon,” which is to be triggered by an invasion of the new state of Israel.

Third, each one of these spheres of power will be judged and destroyed for invading the new state of Israel, by the personal return of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ. ⁸Ibid., 43.

Some twenty-seven centuries ago the prophet Joel focused upon this same scene and said: “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war, stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am a warrior.’ Hasten and come, all you nations round about, gather yourselves there. Bring down thy warriors, O Lord. Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to Judge all the nations round about. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:9-14).

Joel reveals that it is in this very place that the Messiah will destroy the armies of the world and establish his kingdom of true peace and everlasting happiness. He also confirms the world-wide assemblage of armies there. (p. 164)

At the climactic moment of the Battle of Armageddon, Christ will return with the Church to destroy all the ungodly and to set up the millennial kingdom of God, which He will rule out of Jerusalem.

The apostle John said: “Behold, He [Jesus] is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him” (Revelation 1:7 NASB). (p. 172)

Jesus promised under oath before the high priest at His trial: . . nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power [God], and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64 NASB). (p. 172)

The second is from Daniel, predicted about 550 b.c.: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13, 14 KJV). (p. 172)

And again He said: “…and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30 NASB).

Perhaps the “sign of the Son of Man” will be a gigantic celestial image of Jesus flashed upon the heavens for all to see. This would explain how all men suddenly recognize who He is and see the scars from His piercing at the cross. (p. 173)

As Zechariah referred to the Messiah’s second coming he said: . . and the Lord my God, shall come, and all the saints with thee” (14:5 KJV). (p. 173)

The apostle John speaks of the apparel of the saints as they return with Christ: “And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses” (Revelation 19:14 NASH).

John explains the white linen robes: “And it was given to her [the church made up of all believers who have been eaught up in the Rapture] to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and dean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8 NASB). (p. 174)

His Coming Will Be With Violent Judgment

When Jesus came the first time it was not to judge the world, but to save it. He came as the Lamb of God who gave His life to take away the sin of the world. The one thing that God has established for man to do is to believe in His Son as Savior, When Jesus returns the second time it will be as a lion to judge those who rejected the free gift of salvation from sin. Man will have completely demonstrated his worthiness of judgment.

According to Zechariah, “all nations will be gathered against Jerusalem to battle.” The Jews who live in the area will be on the verge of annihilation when God gives them supernatural strength to fight. Then the Lord will go forth to fight for them and save them. (p. 174)

Christ launches a thousand-year reign (the the millennial kingdom of God). He rules the world out of Jerusalem.

His Return Will Be to Set Up God’s Kingdom on Earth

After Christ destroys all ungodly kingdoms, Zechariah says, “The Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one.”

Most ministers and religious leaders today reject even the possibility that Christ will establish an actual physical kingdom of God upon the earth. Many who believe in a personal return of Christ reject that He will establish a thousand year kingdom of God and rule mortals from the throne of David out of Jerusalem after His return.

The Latin word for “1000” is “millennium” and down through history the teaching concerning this earthly kingdom came Vo be known as the “millennial kingdom.” Those who reject that Christ will establish a 1000 year kingdom after His return are known theologically as “amillennialists,” meaning “no millennium.” Those who believe that Christ will return and set up a 1000 year kingdom are called “premillennialists,” meaning Christ returns first, then establishes the kingdom on earth. (p. 175-176)

Jerusalem will be the spiritual center of the entire world and that all people of the earth will come annually to worship Jesus who will rule there (Zechariah 14:16-21; Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:1-3). The Jewish believing remnant will be the spiritual leaders of the world and teach all nations the ways of the Lord (Zechariah 8:20-23; Isaiah 66:23). (p. 177)

Paradise Restored

God’s kingdom will be characterized by peace and equity, and by universal spirituality and knowledge of the Lord. Even the animals and reptiles will lose their ferocity and no longer be carnivorous. All men will have plenty and be secure. There will be a chicken in every pot and no one will steal it! The Great Society which human rulers throughout the centuries have promised, but never produced, will at last be realized under Christ’s rule. The meek and not the arrogant will inherit the earth (Isaiah 11).

[…]

This kingdom will begin in time with mortal subjects (Revelation 20:4-6), last 1000 years, and at the end of that time some of the children of the believers who started in the kingdom will apparently prove to be unbelievers and start a rebellion against Christ and His rule. Christ will bring swift judgment upon them before the rebellion reaches the actual fighting stage (Revelation 20:7-10).

Alter this event there will be no more human history with mortal men. All unbelievers, it seems, will be judged in the crushing of the last rebellion which is led by God’s old adversary, Satan. Satan wilt have been bound for a thousand years, but is released momentarily so that he could reveal the rebellion in the unbelieving hearts of those who rejected Christ as Savior (Revelation 20:7, 8). All who remain as mortals will be changed into immortality at this point, and the Kingdom of God will not cease, but simply change form and be reestablished in a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21).

The sequence is clear in the last chapters of Revelation. First there is the return of Christ at the climax of the greatest war of all time. Second, Christ separates the surviving believers from the surviving unbelievers; the unbelievers will be judged and cast off the earth (Revelation 20:1-6; cf. Matthew 25:41-46). Third, Christ establishes the millennial kingdom and the surviving believers go into it as mortals and repopulate the earth (Revelation 20:11-15; cf. Matthew 25: 31-40). Fourth, at the end of a thousand years the unbelieving children rebel, Christ judges them, then He completely changes the old heaven and earth and creates a new one (Revelation 21; Isaiah 65:17; II Peter 3:8-13). This is the ultimate destiny of all persons who arc redeemed by Christ.

How many times have we wondered what heaven will be like? According to such passages as Revelation 21 and 22, heaven is a real and breath-taking place. We will not wander about as disembodied spirits, playing harps throughout an ethereal expanse. We shall live forever in the presence of God, fellow heirs with Christ, as kings and priests forever, with no more sorrows or tears. We shall know an ecstatic, endless joy surrounded by an earth and heaven of indescribable beauty. (p. 177-178)

Peter describes the process the Lord will use in renovating the heaven and earth that now exist: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat. But according to His promise we arc looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness [only] dwells” (II Peter 3:10-13 NASB). (p. 179)

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Did Ezekiel predict the Russian ambitions in the Middle East? Did the Bible predict a thermonuclear war?
The Russians want a stranglehold of the oil supply of the west

The Russian invasion of the Middle East will be of short duration, because Ezekiel (38:18-22; 39:3-5) supposedly predicts that the Roman Antichrist will mobilize a vast army consisting of soldiers from the Roman Confederacy (Common Market countries) and from Red China, which will utterly destroy the Russian army in Israel.

The seven-year Tribulation events/seven year countdown
Then SEVEN years (Great Tribulation), a nightmarish period when the Antichrist will be ruling the world

To be specific about Israel’s great significance as a sign of the time, there are three things that were to happen. First, the Jewish nation would be reborn in the land of Palestine. Secondly, the Jews would repossess old Jerusalem and the sacred sites. Thirdly, they would rebuild their ancient temple of worship upon its historic site. ⁹Ibid., 50-51.

The apostle John counted out seven years for this period when he spoke of the second half being forty-two months (i.e., 3 1/2 years), and the first half being 1260 days (i.e., 3 1/2 x 360 days, which is the Biblical year) {Revelation 11:2, 3).

The prophet Jeremiah spoke of the time when Cod would return His people of Israel and Judah from a great captivity and dispersion. He calls this period “the time of Jacob’s trouble.”

As Christ told of the world conditions that would immediately precede His coming, He said, “For then there will be great tribulation [affliction, distress and oppression] such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved” (Matthew 24:21, 22 ).

In other words, this period will be marked by the greatest devastation that man has ever brought upon himself. Mankind will be on the brink of self-annihilation when Christ suddenly returns to put an end to the war of wars called Armageddon. ¹⁰Ibid., 44.

A definite international realignment of nations into four spheres of political power had to occur in the same era as this rebirth of Israel Each sphere of power had to be led by a certain predicted nation and allied with certain other nations. ¹¹Ibid., 42.

It should be obvious that these predicted movements of history are interrelated in their general time of beginning and ending. This is why the prophecies can be pieced together to make a coherent picture, even though the pieces are scattered in small bits throughout the Old and New Testaments. ¹²Ibid., 43.

Whenever a person gets sold out by things like astrology, it will be like the Israelis. Israel was judged and virtually destroyed and taken to Babylon in 606 b.c. because the people became devoted to idolatry, especially astrology. II Kings 23 makes this clear when it says that God wiped out the high places and all of the places where they burned incense to the stars of heaven, or to the constellation (the twelve signs of the Zodiac). (p. 122)

Many people have stopped talking about the “crime rate” They now refer to the “crime epidemic.”

Crime is waged on a grand scale by nations. Since World War II the world has been embroiled in conflict that seems to grow increasingly vicious. There has been a rebirth of guerrilla warfare; revolutions and revolutionary movements are becoming a way of life during this latter part of the twentieth century.

War and more war. Has there ever been a time when the potential for self-destruction was as great as it is today? (p. 101)

Look for the present sociological problems such as crime, riots, lack of employment, poverty, illiteracy, mental illness, illegitimacy, etc., to increase as the population explosion begins to multiply geometrically in the late ’70’s.

Look for the beginning of the widest spread famines in the history of the world.

Look for drug addiction to further permeate the U.S. and other free- world countries. Drug addicts will run for high political offices and win through support of the young adults.

Look for drugs and forms of religion to be merged together. There will be a great general increase of belief in extrasensory phenomena, which will not be related to the true God, but to Satan.

Astrology, witchcraft, and oriental religions will become predominant in the western world. (p. 185)

Now I am about to walk into the lion’s den. Perhaps it would be wise to follow Churchill’s tactic when he said, “You know I always avoid prophesying beforehand, it is much better policy to prophesy after the event has already taken place.” However, in this chapter I will make a number of forecasts about the future which are based on a careful study of the prophetic truth and the writings of many scholars on the subject. I believe that these forecasts are based upon sound deductions; however, please don’t get the idea that I think that I am infallibly right in the same way that a Biblical prophet speaking under the direct inspiration of God’s Spirit was. I believe that God today gives us illumination to what has been written, but that He doesn’t give us infallible revelation as He gave the authors of the Bible. Here, then, are the things that I believe will happen and develop in the near future. (p. 181)

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There used to be a group called “postmillennialists,” They believed that the Christians would root out the evil in the world, abolish godless rulers, and convert the world through ever increasing evangelism until they brought about the Kingdom of God on earth through their own efforts. Then after 1000 years of the institutional church reigning on earth with peace, equality, and righteousness, Christ would return and time would end. These people rejected much of the Scripture as being literal and believed in the inherent goodness of man. World War I greatly disheartened this group and World War II virtually wiped out this viewpoint. No self-respecting scholar who looks at the world conditions and the accelerating decline of Christian influence today is a “postmillennialist.”

We are “premillennialists” in viewpoint. The real issue between the amillennial and the premillennial viewpoints is whether prophecy should be interpreted literally or allegorically. As it has been demonstrated many times in this book, all prophecy about past events has been fulfilled literally, particularly the predictions regarding the first coming of Christ. The words of prophecy were demonstrated as being literal, that is, having the normal meaning understood by the people of the time in which it was written. The words were not intended to be explained away by men who cannot believe what is clearly predicted.

The opponents of the premillennial view all agree grudgingly that if you interpret prophecy literally it does teach that Christ will set up a literal kingdom in time which will last in history a thousand years and then go into an eternal form which will never be destroyed. (p. 176)