| Highlights of DAWN | October 1978 |
Israel—A Prophetic Time Clock
THROUGH his servants the Heavenly Father has given prophecies primarily for the instruction and encouragement of his people. Many of these prophecies are related to the experiences which were to come to Israel. They foretold disciplines to be received, such as being led into captivity because of unfaithful and idolatrous behavior. By such prophecies God’s true people realized that the difficulties experienced by the nation were not due to his inability to save them but rather were permitted because of their own course of action.
As children of God we realize that ultimately there will be a fulfillment of the prayer given us by Jesus: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:9,10) In the Bible there are prophecies concerning Israel’s experiences which indicate steps being reached toward the fulfillment of the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth.
This study will deal with prophecies which indicate Israel would be driven out of their land and wander through other nations. We will consider briefly the manner in which God would at last return them to their homeland. When once they are again settled, there is to come to them a climactic experience in which there will be divine intervention. When this occurs it will mark the end of this evil order and the establishment of the kingdom of peace and life for which his people have for so very long prayed.
Jesus prophesied of divine intervention in Matthew 24:21,22, where we read: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but [by] the elect, … those days shall be shortened.” (corrected translation)
The prophet Joel foretold that when Israel would be regathered to their homeland there would be an unprecedented preparation for war by the Gentile nations. “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and parted my land.”—Joel 3:1,2
Verses 9 and 10 prophesy of the unprecedented preparation for war. “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake 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 strong.”
Our generation has seen Israel regathered to their homeland. We have witnessed also the mad rush of the superpowers to arm themselves and provide military armaments to others, of the lesser nations. Recently (July 1978) the U.S. Government reported that during 1976 the nations of the world spent more than $750,000 a minute for military purposes. The United States and the Soviet Union, the report said, accounted for two-thirds of the weapons, and of those sold the Middle East was the biggest customer.
Even the African nations spent $5.9 billions in 1976. Hence the small nations of the Middle East and those of Africa are fulfilling that part of the prophecy where the “weak say, I am strong.”
In Joel 3:2, we read that God states he “will plead with them [the Gentile nations] there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” It is true that the Gentile nations were willing agents in scattering and persecuting the people of Israel. But we must keep in mind God permitted it and did not intervene because of Israel’s continued disobedience.
Jeremiah chapter 16 emphasizes why God allowed their dispersion; also it is revealed in this prophecy the area to which, in the main, they would be scattered. But just as clearly it finally states he would return them to their land.
Verse 10 of the 16th chapter shows their concern and inquiry why the prophet would pronounce this evil of being cast out of their land. “And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?”
The Lord’s instructions to the prophet are unmistakably clear. “Then thou shalt say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law.” (Jer. 16:11) Then follows in verse 13 the pronouncement: “Therefore I will cast you out of this land, into a land ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; and I will not show you favor.”
Then the prophet states the Lord would surely return them to their land and in so doing indicates that they would have been scattered mainly in the countries north of Palestine. It will be said in that day: “The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.” (Jer. 16:15) Later on in this chapter there is highly pictorial language, which describes the manner used by the Lord to return them. This is a study in itself.
In this lesson we desire to stress this final cataclysmic trouble in which there will be divine intervention on behalf of Israel. The prophecy concerning this is in the 38th and 39th chapters of Ezekiel.
Verse 8 of Ezekiel 38 places the prophecy in our day. “After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have always been waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.”
Thus Israel is regathered in their land at this time and then a northern confederacy of nations with others will decide to destroy Israel. Verses 15 and 16 show the attack and the divine intervention which will follow. “And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee. … And thou shalt come against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.”
Then the Lord in verses 22 and 23 shows his destruction of the invaders and why he so acts. “And I will plead against him (the Invading hosts) with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself and sanctify myself: and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know I am the Lord.”
The first part of Jeremiah 39 details some of the destruction of the invading hosts. It also describes the thoroughness of their destruction and rout. The closing verses of Ezekiel 39 (vss. 28, 29) show Israel reconciled to God, with a promise of continuing peace thereafter. “Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them anymore there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 38:1-9 identifies the attackers, but the names of the northern nations are strange—the “land of Magog,” “Meshech” and “Tubal” also “Gomer” and “Togarmah.” We cannot be certain in identifying them, but it speaks of Gomer and Togarmah of the north quarters. (vs. 6) Also in verses 14 and 15 the prophecy indicates Gog shall “come from thy place out of the north parts.” In verse 2 Gog is identified as the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Hence we are certain that the northern confederacy are Meshech and Tubal, Gomer and Togarmah.
The names noted above are grandsons of Noah. The details are found in Genesis chapter 10 and I Chronicles 1:5,6. Students of the gradual settling of the offspring of Noah’s son Japheth place the final location of these peoples as north of Israel, which in the main is the U.S.S.R. In this study we must keep in mind that Russia is composed of many different ethnic groups. Hence the full meaning of their name—the United States of Soviet Republics.
We believe, then, that the names “Magog,” “Meshech,” “Tubal,” “Gomer,” and “Togarmah” represent the U.S.S.R. The other attackers are readily identified: Persia (Iran of today), Ethiopia, and Libya. We are aware that Ethiopia has become communistic. Libya has a peace pact now with Russia and is a deadly enemy of Israel. It is documented that Khadafi, their premier, has been instrumental in channeling funds from their oil revenues to help the PLO. At this point the Shah of Iran (Persia) is identified with the west; however, there is reported much internal unrest and strong communist leanings by dissenters to his rule.
In describing the attack by this northern confederacy there is a strong statement made: “I [God] will turn thee back, and put hooks in thy jaws and will bring thee forth.” (Ezek. 38:4) Similar language is used in verse 16, “I will bring thee against my land that the heathen may know me.” It seems as though God is enticing them or forcing them to attack. What could this mean?
When Israel was in Egypt and being oppressed, we read that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. A study of the facts reveals that when trouble was brought upon Pharaoh and he asked for relief and it was granted, it made him worse. Exodus 9:28 records Pharaoh pleading for relief: “Intreat the Lord, (for it Is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.” But when relief came we read, “And when Pharoah saw the rain and the hail and thunders ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart.”—vs. 34
Because of the ingrained evil in the king, God knew such relief would not soften his heart but would make him more intent on evil towards Israel. Hence, it appears that the oil discoveries in the Arabian Peninsula in the 1930’s caused an evil thought to come into Russia’s mind.
“Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; and I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely [confidently, margin], all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey.”—Ezek. 38:10-12
Could one say Israel is dwelling without defense, “without walls and having neither bars nor gates”? Such is not true in relation to Egypt or Lebanon. However, in contrast to a superpower like Russia, they are defenseless. Their “confidence” now is in the U.S. as an ally, but Jeremiah 30:14 states the time will come when “thy lovers have forgotten thee.”
We do not believe Russia is interested in the little parcel of land called Israel, which is about the size of the State of New Jersey. Israel has been a barrier against Russia’s getting the rich oil district of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia because of the support of the United States. Even now we see the present administration becoming irritated with this tiny nation. Doubtless the U.S. would think long and hard before risking nuclear war because of Israel.
In a book entitled KGB, written by John Barron, there is a chapter on a Russian KGB agent who defected, presumably to the U.S. One paragraph in this chapter reads: “Soviet leaders coveted control of the Middle East petroleum, which comprises about 60 percent of the earth’s reserves. Already, Western Europe and Japan depend almost entirely upon the Middle East for the oil that fuels their economies. According to some projectionists, unless American domestic sources are better exploited by 1990 the United States will have to buy fully half of its petroleum from the Middle East. Thus, Soviet strategists accurately equated the power to control or interrupt the flow of oil from the Middle East with the ability to blackmail the West and Japan.” Hence, knowing Russia’s long-range plans, the oil found in the Middle East put “hooks in their jaws” and drew them toward the critical area.
In the Ezekiel prophecy (38:13) it mentions other nations who object but do nothing. “Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee [the attackers], Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” Of course, in the day of the prophecy petroleum was not known, and hence the spoil was described as gold and silver, which were the treasures of that day.
Notice those who question the attackers do not themselves attack but rather demonstrate a critical attitude yet take no action. Who could these nations be? Smith’s Bible Dictionary states Sheba and Dedan were progenators of the inhabitants of Southern Arabia, i.e., the present-day Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, with the largest oil reserves. But who would Tarshish and her young lions be? Ezekiel 27:12 mentions Tarshish trading in tin. This calls to mind the tin mines of Cornwall, England. Before the British Isles were so called they were known as the Barrantanic (Tin) Isles. The fact that Tarshish is spoken of as having young lions (not pups) makes one think of the lion as being a symbol of England, and her young lions could represent those English-speaking nations spawned by her. Such would be the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
In a study such as this there must be some speculation. But we are sure that the prophecy covers our time because Israel is in her land again. It is during a time of trouble and tremendous buildup of arms. The attackers are from the north, joined with others. There will be divine intervention. But not until the prophecy is fulfilled will all the details be clear.
When it is fulfilled, however, how glorious is the thought that “the desert shall … [then] blossom as the rose. … Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.”—Isa. 35:1,5,6
Then, too, it shall be true: “He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” (Ps. 46:9) “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. … And he said unto me, “Write: for these words are true and faithful.”—Rev. 21:4,5