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KING OF THE NORTH AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH WILL MEET IN FINAL WAR – Part 1

THE RULERS OF JORDAN, EGYPT, AND SAUDI ARABIA HAVE GOOD REASON TO FEAR THE RULERS OF TURKEY, IRAN, AND GREATER SYRIA

Daniel 11:40,41 – And at the time of the end shall the king of the south (Israel) push at him: and the king of the north (Syria) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. [41] He shall enter also into THE GLORIOUS LAND, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these SHALL ESCAPE out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

He will by-pass Jordan as the Palestinians in Jordan overthrow the king of Jordan, then conquer Egypt and overflow Saudi Arabia.

The ancient boil of conflict between the descendants of Jacob, Ishmael, and the six sons of Keturah, with all its internal blend of impurities, is finally coming to a head in the Middle East. The current drastic rise in the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis will, in the end, be the catalyst that brings a temporary false peace between them. The reasons for this false peace have been outlined thoroughly in the last five prophecy updates. The apparently genuine peace will be shattered suddenly by a rapid blitzkrieg attack from the north by Syria. In league with Syria will be Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Morocco, and Turkey. Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran will move rapidly southward through the “glorious land” of Israel like a fast moving thunderstorm, bypassing the land where the people of Moab, Ammon, and Edom were settled when Daniel wrote his prophecies in about 600 B.C. The descendants of Edom (Jacob’s brother), and Ammon and Moab (the sons of Lot), as found on every published map for this time period, were settled immediately to the southeast, east, and northeast of the Dead Sea, precisely in the country we know as Jordan today. Hence, we can know that the antichrist will bypass Jordan as he moves south through Israel. Why would he bypass Jordan? She has no strategic, political, or economic advantage to offer him, but the Suez Canal and Egypt do, so he will head southwest toward that area after having driven the woman Israel into the Negev Wilderness south of Beersheva.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Daniel 11:42 – He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

The political, geophysical, and military positioning of Syria, Iran, and Iraq, from a prospective of having world influence, literally stinks. But the position of Egypt’s Suez Canal, and Cairo, her capital, is outstanding. The antichrist is supposed to be a man of genius in all areas. That being the case, he would be worse than a military academy dropout were he not to take the Suez Canal, and then make Cairo his empire’s capital.

Daniel 11:43 – But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

The three most “precious things” in Egypt are: the Suez Canal, the Nile River and its Delta, and Cairo, its capital. He will conquer the Suez Canal zone and all of Egypt. So just what is Egypt? Many are inclined to establish it as the land bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the west by Libya, on the south by Sudan, on the southeast by the Red Sea, and on the northeast by its Sinai border with Gaza and Israel’s Negev. And, geographically, that is quite correct. However, in reality, that is not Egypt. The real Egypt, where her people live, is much, much, smaller. Egypt is the land along her north and east coastlines up to about two miles inland, the Nile Delta, and the land along the Nile River extending about fifteen miles either side of its banks. The antichrist will send messages to leaders of two of the original 10 nations confederated with him, namely Libya and Sudan, requesting them to mass their troops along the northern coastal border with Libya, and along the border where the Nile enters Egypt from Sudan. This will cause the diversion of some Egyptian troops away from Cairo and the Suez Canal in order to protect their western and southern borders. And this will allow the antichrist to rapidly push across the Suez Canal into Cairo and along her western and eastern coastlines, then to quickly progress southward down the Nile with little resistance. I believe he will control Egypt within two weeks after he reaches the Suez Canal. Once he has conquered Egypt, he will make an assessment of his geopolitical position. After having done so, he would be a military fool to return to his home country. He will establish his capital at Cairo, and will remain there for more than three years. After three years he will receive news that causes him to quickly return to Jerusalem. If a military leader plans to put down his roots for a while, what would be one of his major concerns? The relationship he has with the rulers of the nations that are on his immediate borders. That is, how sure he is they will not pull a surprise attack on him. So, through the prestigious position he has gained in the eyes of the Islamic world by this time, it will allow him to use the terrorist groups, already in Sudan and Libya, to overthrow their leaders, and in their place to install two of his stooges, where they will remain in control for some three years. He will already have plucked up the ruler of Lebanon, and replaced him with a stooge. It will surprise me if Lebanon, Sudan, and Libya are not the countries from which his stooges will rule.

Daniel 7:7,24 – I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were THREE of the FIRST horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. [24] 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.

I believe the kings (rulers) of Lebanon, Libya, and Sudan will be subdued by being personally plucked up by the roots out of their positions of leadership in their own countries, and replaced by puppet rulers who do exactly as the antichrist directs.

Daniel 11:43 – But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

“At his steps” means “companionship” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance & Wilson’s O.T. Word Studies). This expression also appears in Judges 4:10, where it appears as “at his feet.”

Judges 4:10 – And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

It represents an Old Testament word picture of a conquered leader or country laying yearly tribute payments before the king of the conquering country, who is setting on his throne, and the tribute is being

placed at his feet on the steps leading up to his throne. So I believe the antichrist will place his puppet rulers on the thrones of Lebanon, Syria, and Sudan as those who are in “companionship” with him.

Revelation 16:15,16 – Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. [16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Revelation 22:14 – Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

KING OF THE NORTH AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH WILL MEET IN FINAL WAR – Part 2

In Part 1 Daniel 11:40-43 was covered and the Antichrist and his army was left in Egypt

Daniel 11:40-43 – And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. [41] He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. [42] He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43] But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MAHDI ANTICHRIST’S GREAT CALIPHATE!

After the Antichrist conquers Egypt the initial ten Islamic countries that supported him will be quickly joined by a multiplicity of Islamic nations. His great Caliphate will include Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, all the countries that make up the Saudi Arabian Peninsula, Israel north of Beersheba, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, many of the southern states of the former Soviet Union with large Arab populations, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Having gone to military schools, lived among, worked with, and trained those of the Islamic faith as a much younger man, plus being familiar with prophecy since my youth, I have not only been waiting for many years for the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, but I have also been waiting for the arrival of the 12th Imam on the scene prior to the arrival of Jesus. I have long believed the 12th Imam Mahdi will be the 11th little horn of Daniel, and the beast of John’s Revelation. His coming is the great hope of all Islam. The Iranian President is a fanatical believer of his coming, and believes Mahdi will cause universal acceptance of Allah.

For more than three years, with the Suez Canal under his control, he will gain worldwide recognition and acclaim in his capital city of Cairo. Israel will be trapped in the Negev for more than three years (See previous updates), and stability will have come to the troubled Middle East. He will supposedly have done what all nations say they are seeking, that is, brought stability to the Middle East. But, between the third and fourth year of his rule, something will cause him to quickly head for Jerusalem.

Daniel 11:44,45 – But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. [45] And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

Please bear in mind that Daniel does not bring him out of the Egypt he has conquered until verse 44, and that he heads back for the glorious holy mountain, which is the middle hill of the three hills upon which the eastern part of the city of Jerusalem rests. It is better known as the Mount of Moriah, where the first three temples sat, and is located between two seas, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Dead Sea. Before the mighty former Soviet Union of Joseph Stalin arose, some identified this troubling news out of the north as being about Attila the Hun, after him it was about the German Kaiser of WW1, then about Hitler of WW2, and so forth and so on. Before the great communist revolution of Mao brought forth the present huge sleeping giant of Red China, some identified the troubling news out of the east as being about Genghis Khan, the great Mongol conqueror from the east. But modern day expositors generally now tend to make it news concerning Russia in the north and China in the east. I do not believe it is either. When Daniel wrote his book, it was written to the people of his day. So it is important to consider what they knew to be immediately to the north and to the east of Egypt. But before we discuss what was, and still is, immediately north of Egypt, and what was, and still is, immediately east of Egypt, let me advise you why I do not believe it involves Russia or China. Get out a world map and measure how far it is from Cairo to the borders of China and Russia. The population of Russia today is more than 150 million, and the population of China is more than 1 billion, 300 million. Do you really think he is going to take them on? And are they not supposed to join forces with him at the final battle of Armageddon? If he were, it would be rank insanity to return to Jerusalem to take them on! And, besides all that, the land we know as China and Russia, for all practical purposes, was perhaps mentioned only in fables in Daniel’s day. Do you really think he will “go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly make away many” from two distant, vast, countries with a combined population of almost one and one-half billion?

So what is immediately north of Egypt? What touches its northern border? The Mediterranean Sea! And what land is immediately east of Egypt? What touches its eastern border? The Negev! And what could possibly be in the Mediterranean Sea that would trouble him? The U.S. Fleet! And what could possibly be in the Negev that would trouble him? Between 1.7 and 1.9 million Israelis! The U.S. Navy & Marine Corps publish periodical “TRANSITIONS” of “All the Ships at Sea.” You will find it amazing how many vessels we routinely have on scheduled patrols in the Mediterranean Sea. We keep a carrier constantly on station patrolling that section of the Mediterranean immediately south of Turkey and north of Egypt. The carriers USS Enterprise and the USS Theodore Roosevelt have often relieved each other on this permanent patrol station, along with other carriers. There is also a report issued periodically on marine units deployed on the many ships that patrol the seas of the Middle East from the Mediterranean through the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean and up into the Persian Gulf. It is simply called “All the Marines Deployed.” The U.S. Marines and IDF have been conducting joint operations in the Negev off and on for some 25 years.

So the antichrist has had Israel bottled up in the Negev for more than three years at this future point in time. I believe the news he hears is simply this: the U.S. Marines and IDF are planning to close his rear flank back to the country from which he originally came, Syria. He will have left a strip heavily fortified across Gaza and the northern Sinai, but he will begin to have reservations about the ability of his troops to hold it. He will then head back for Jerusalem to finally do what he wishes he had previously done, that is, to end the Jewish problem. He will “go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.” He will super fortify the northeast Sinai and Gaza Strip, and head northeast to Jerusalem to prepare for the destruction of Israel in the Negev.

Daniel 11:45 – And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

Philippians 2:12-16 – Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. [14] Do all things without murmurings and disputings: [15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; [16] Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Revelation 3:4 – Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

KING OF THE NORTH AND KING OF THE SOUTH WILL MEET IN FINAL WAR – Part 3

Daniel 11:41-44 – He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. [42] He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43] But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. [44] But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. [45] And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

He has returned to do what he was unable to more than three years before, that is, to end forever “the Jewish problem.” From his capital in Egypt, based on his former success against Israel, he has become the dimpled darling of ALL the Islamic world, and MOST of the Old World countries. So he plants himself as Allah’s Prophet on the sacred ground where Solomon’s Temple once stood, and sends out a call to all nations to come and help him forever eliminate the descendants of Jacob, the nation of Israel. These invitations are extended to those nations who were once part of the old Roman Empire, which reached its maximum expansion under Trajan. The nations will come from the known world at the time the Book of Revelation was written, which was “the whole world” of the prophetic writings. They will come from Europe, Eurasia, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The antichrist will direct them from the Temple mount in Jerusalem, and they will “go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.” The reason that “none can help him” does not mean no one will make the attempt, it means that 10,000 nations could not help him when God decides to destroy him and his army with the greatest display of geological and meteorological hell ever unleashed on this earth.

In verse 45 the word translated as “tabernacles” is OHEL. It always means “tents,” never a temple made of stone. The word translated as “palace” is APPEDEN, meaning a pavilion or palace tent, and it is never translated as “temple.” APPEDEN refers not to a rebuilt temple on Jerusalem’s temple mount, but to a command post pavilion on the Temple mount from which the antichrist issues his commands. At the time of Daniel’s writings, it was the custom for all kings to have a portable type of command post that could be quickly set up in a position from which the king could issue his orders to the men in the field. The picture painted in Daniel’s account is of the antichrist in his command post on the Temple Mount with the tents of his men stretching from Haifa, past the Tel of Armageddon, through the Plain of Jezreel, down the Jordan Valley, and up to Jerusalem. He will, by this time, consider himself a God, and his followers will follow him as the God of their final Jihad. He will sit in his pavilion command post on the Temple mount claiming to be like Allah. There are many who insist, because of what is written in Daniel 11:45 and II Thessalonians 2:4, that a temple must be rebuilt on the existing temple mount before Jesus returns. I rather doubt that this will happen. I KNOW that one will be built AFTER He returns, but I do not believe one will be built BEFORE He comes to rule and reign from Jerusalem.

II Thessalonians 2:4 – Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

When Paul wrote this verse he used the Greek word NAOS for “temple.” There are two Greek words in the New Testament that are translated as “temple,” NAOS and HIERON. HIERON is always used to refer to a temple made of stone, like the three that once historically stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. However, NAOS can refer to any type of container that houses something, such as a local one made up of human bodies as an assembly (ekklesia) among which the Spirit dwells, or an individual human body where the Spirit of Christ dwells, or as a collected family of people in which the Spirit dwells individually. Paul used NAOS a total of eight times in all his epistles. But he always used HIERON to refer to a temple of stone, that is, unless he used NAOS in II Thessalonians 2:4 for such a structure. My point is this: if Paul wanted to leave no doubt he was referring to the antichrist perched in a rebuilt temple of stone on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, he would have used HIERON, rather than NAOS in II Thessalonians 2:4.

The word NAOS means “an inner sanctuary, a dwelling place.” The suffix on it varies as to the part of speech it represents. The total number of times Paul used NAOS in his epistles, where it is translated as “temple,” are found in the following Scriptures.

I Corinthians 6:19 – What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

I Corinthians 3:16,17 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? [17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (The “you” and the two “ye’s” are plural)

II Corinthians 6:16 – And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (The two “in’s” may be translated as “among” or “in” – either is correct. The “ye” is plural).

Ephesians 2:21,22 – In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: [22] In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

II Thessalonians 2:4 – Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

I believe this pictures him as claiming to be the God of all men, and he is proving it to himself, and the whole world, by setting on God’s Temple Mount in his Command Pavilion to establish himself as the sanctuary of God. Paul only used the word HIERON twice where it is translated as “temple,” once by writing it himself, and again in dictating a previous episode in his life to Luke in the Book of Acts.

Acts 26:21 – For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

I Corinthians 9:13 – Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

In both these cases there is no doubt he meant the Jerusalem Temple of stone. For better, or for worst, I am convinced he would have used HIERON, rather than NAOS, if he meant a temple of stone in Jerusalem.

Daniel 11:45 – And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

The reason that “none shall help him” is very simple, it is because none CAN help him, as the first verse following in the 12th Chapter validates.

Daniel 11:45 to 12:1 – And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. [1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

SPECIAL ARCHIVE PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 125C, June 24, 2003

One or Two Wars Before Armageddon?

As a young man, living in the pre-Hal Linsey books age, I was taught that only one war occurred during the “latter days” before Armageddon. It was a war that began in the Middle East when the antichrist attacked the nation of Israel, and ended some 3 and ½ years later with the final battle of this age – Armageddon. But I now find myself surrounded by a large array of preachers and teachers who are convinced that the war led by Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and found in Ezekiel 38 and 39, occurs before the war that commences some 3 and ½ years before the battle of Armageddon, and that the antichrist is not Gog, but comes out the war led by Gog, and then leads 10 European Union nations against Israel. They teach that when Gog and his armies come against Israel they will be slaughtered, and that Israel will be absolutely successful in thoroughly routing them. Perhaps I overlooked it, but in all my years of looking in many old musty religious archives, I never found a manuscript published before 1812 that taught there were two back-to-back wars just before the battle of Armageddon. It would seem to me that the arrival of Napoleon in Europe set the stage for a shift from bringing the antichrist out of the southern flank of the old Roman Empire to a new scheme of bringing him out of the northern flank. This shift necessitated the invention of two wars. I do not believe the shift should ever have been made. I believe the attack of the antichrist is found in the following Scriptures, and I believe the attack occurs 1335 days before the end of this age at Armageddon.

Daniel 7:24,25 – 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. [25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Daniel 11:41 – He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

Micah 5:5 – And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

Zechariah 13:8 – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

Revelation 13:5,6 – And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. [6] And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Revelation 17:12.13 – And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

I believe that the following names all apply to the antichrist: He is Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal in Ezekiel 38 and 39, the eleventh horn in Daniel 7, the king of the north in Daniel 11:40, the Assyrian in Micah 5, the seventh wounded head on the beast in Revelation 13, and the eighth head on the beast in Revelation 17.

The 3 and ½ year war in all accounts follows a certain pattern from start to finish.

(1) The initial attack occurs, and is successful.

(2) After Jerusalem falls, then Israel is driven into the Negev

(3) The Lord leaves Israel in the Negev for 3 and ½ years.

(4) God protects Israel in the Negev during that period.

(5) Antichrist (Gog) attacks Israel in the Negev and fights for Her

(6) The Lord leaves most of the enemy bodies on the hills of Israel at the final battle of Armageddon.

Ezekiel 38:8,9 (1) – 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 been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. [9] Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

Zechariah 13:8 (1) – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

Zechariah 14:2,3 (2) – For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3] Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Daniel 7:25 (3) – And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Revelation 12:6 (4) – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Ezekiel 39:1-5 (5) – Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: [2] And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: [3] And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. [4] Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. [5] Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.

Revelation 19:17-21 (5) – And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; [18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. [19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Ezekiel 38:1,2 – And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

Gog is a person, the antichrist. Magog is a land, the land of Magog. God tells Ezekiel to set his face against a person, Gog, and against a land, Magog, which is Russia. Gog is NOT the chief prince of Magog (Russia). He is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. At the time of Ezekiel’s writings the descendants of Magog were settled in Russia, while the descendants of Meshech and Tubal were settled in Syria. The antichrist will come out of Syria to launch the initial attack. Some 3 and ½ years later Magog (Russia) will come down to join him at Armageddon. To make a long story short – I believe there is only one war, the war that begins when Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, attacks Israel, and ends three and one-half years later when Magog (Russia), along with all of Europe, Eurasia, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, comes down to join him against Israel at the final battle of Armageddon – Only to find the bodies of their great armies end up as buzzard bait on the hills of Israel.

BUT AM I PREPARED TO BE WRONG? CERTAINLY! WHAT WILL I DO IF THERE ARE TWO WARS? WELL, I WILL JUST SAY I WAS WRONG, AND WAIT FOR ANTICHRIST TO COME OUT OF THE FIRST WAR, THAT IS, IF I AM STILL HERE. BUT WHAT IF THERE IS ONLY ONE WAR? WELL, ONLY ONE THIRD OF ISRAEL WILL SURVIVE, JERUSALEM WILL FALL, ISRAEL WILL BE DRIVEN INTO THE NEGEV, AND YOU WILL BE WAITING FOR AN ANTICHRIST THAT IS ALREADY ON THE SCENE, THAT IS, IF YOU ARE STILL HERE.

My advice is to be prepared for either eventuality, even one that may be quite different from how many of these verses are commonly interpreted. I think that falls under the category of “watching.”

Mark 13:33-37 – Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. [34] For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left HIS HOUSE, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. [35] Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: [36] Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. [37] And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.