The Future Western World Government

Transcript

GRM 831
1/19/2003
The Future Western World Government
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

We’ve been talking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, matters relating to future events, Biblical prophecy. It all centers on the coming again of Jesus Christ to this earth to rule and reign in power and great glory. Future study yet, we’re going to be talking about the rapture of the Church and the Second Coming to earth. We’ve talked about events associated with that and the kingdom that He will establish, something of heaven and eternity as we anticipate glory in His presence.

The next events that the Bible prophesies are in anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ to earth. The Old and New Testament alike indicate that there is a 7-year period yet to be carried out before Jesus Christ will come again to this earth to establish His kingdom. People talk about things like perhaps we’re near Armageddon, perhaps Armageddon is going to begin soon. Armageddon cannot come to fruition for at least 7 years. Now there are a series of campaigns that comprise Armageddon, but the climactic conclusion of Armageddon with the return of Christ to earth is at least 7 years away. The return of Christ in glory to establish a kingdom on this earth is at least 7 years away. The Old Testament prophesied, and it’s developed also in the New Testament, that for the nation Israel there would be a 7-year period that would conclude with the Messiah’s intervening in the affairs of this world, then establishing a kingdom for Israel.

I want to start with you in Daniel chapter 9. This is where we usually begin with this kind of consideration. What we’re going to do is just overview some of the major events that the Bible says must take place before Christ can return to this earth. They become particularly significant to us because these are events that primarily occur after the rapture of the Church-the removal of the Church to glory. Daniel chapter 9 verse 24, verses 24-27 of Daniel 9, really give the framework or backbone of God’s prophetic program for Israel in a nutshell. From where Daniel is, he writes regarding Israel’s future. It’s very simple. Verse 24, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city.” The 70 weeks, and if you have a Bible that has marginal notes you’ll note the word is literally sevens. Seventy sevens have been decreed for your people and your holy city. What he’s talking about pertains to the Jews and Jerusalem. The Church began in Acts chapter 2 and will conclude with the rapture of the Church. The 70 weeks of Daniel are not concerned with the Church, the 70 weeks of Daniel are concerned with the nation Israel and the holy city Jerusalem. The 70 weeks are 70 7-year periods, they are not 7-day periods, they are 7-year periods. This will come out in several passages of scripture that we will be in later, so we won’t run to those now. But it also comes out in this context as he breaks it down. It will tell us down in verses 25 and 26 that from the giving of the decree to establish and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah is a total of 69 weeks or 483 years. That carries us to Jesus Christ. The decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem happened, I believe, in 444 or 445 B.C. Some give one date; some give the other. Nehemiah chapter 2 records that.

We are told in verse 26 that after the 62 weeks, which was after 7 weeks, he said first a 7-week period then a 62-week, so a total of 69 weeks you’ll note, Messiah will be cut off and have nothing. This 483-year period will carry us to the time of the Messiah and after the end of the 69th week, 483rd year, the Messiah will be executed. There is one 7-year period. You’ll note what will happen with the completion of the 70 weeks. We get back to verse 24, six things take place relating to Israel. Finish the transgression, make an end of sin, make atonement for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy, anoint the most holy place. When you get to the completion of the 70th week of Daniel, you will have the Messiah present to establish a kingdom for Israel. You’ll note verse 26 said after 69 weeks, after 62 weeks which was after 7 weeks, Messiah will be cut off. It’s interesting it does not say Messiah will be cut off in the 70th week. That’s because there is a gap between the 69th and 70th week, as many of you are aware, and is not uncommon in Old Testament prophecy. The Old Testament prophets wrote about the coming of the Messiah, they wrote about His first coming, His suffering, His rejection, His death. They wrote about His ruling and reigning in glory, and they would often just write about those events right together. They recorded nothing about the fact there would be a 2000-year space between His suffering and death and His ruling and reigning in glory, and God would create a new people called the Church during that time. Old Testament prophecy is concerned just with the nation Israel, God’s future for that nation. That happens here. Looking back, we can see the indication of a gap. Just like you can read prophecies regarding Christ and you’re reading in Isaiah, and he writes about events that were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ, and the next verse you’re talking about things that will happen 2000 years later at His Second Coming. Here we’re told after the 69th week Messiah will be cut off. He will not be cut off in the 70th week because there is a gap between the 69th week of Daniel and the 70th week of Daniel. That last 7-year period is given its own beginning.

Verse 27, “He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week.” So that last 7-year period begins when the individual referred to makes an agreement with the nation Israel. That will mark the beginning of the last 7-year period, which will complete God’s program for the nation Israel in bringing in the kingdom He promised them. Who is this individual? Look at verse 26, “After the 62 weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” Now again, that’s happened. After 69 weeks, you can pick up a booklet or a pamphlet in Sound Words. Several of them will walk you through the chronology of the 69 weeks and show you when it begins and figure it out. One of those has come up with Christ entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday at the end of the 69th week. After that He was crucified. The people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.? The temple? The Romans. They are the people of the prince who is to come, and that prince who is to come, verse 27, will make a firm covenant with the many for one week. I think that indicates that the coming prince we also known as the Antichrist, who is called the little horn in Daniel chapter 7, the lawless one in II Thessalonians chapter 2, and so on, will be a Roman. It says the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city. Who destroyed the city? Who destroyed the city in 70 A.D.? The Romans. He is of those people. He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week.

In the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offerings, and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate. Now we’ve got a lot of information packed in that other places of scripture expand. I want you to just note a few things here and then we’ll look at some other places. The one week is a 7-year period. You’ll note it’s divided into two 3 ½-year segments, because we’re told in the middle of the week, he acts to put an end to offerings and so on. That means 3 ½ years alone. Divide 7 into two pieces and you get 3 ½ on each side. That becomes significant because we’ll see some other passages are going to talk about one-half of this period as being 42 months or 1260 days. The scripture is quite clear, we’re talking about a specific time period. Just like the first 69 weeks, 483 years were actual literal years that we can mark a beginning and end of. After that 69th week the Messiah was crucified, so this last 7-year period is an actual literal, physical 7-year period. It can be divided into two sections, much of scripture is concerned about the last half of that period. We’ll refer to it as 42 months, 1260 days.

Now note here what he does half-way through. In the middle of the week, he’ll put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering. That’s a reminder, Israel will be back in the land and the temple will have been rebuilt. There is no sacrifice going on in Israel today. Why? There is no temple. Other passages of scripture will make this even more clear, but the very fact that in the middle of the 7 years he’s going to put an end to the sacrifices and the offerings indicates that for the first half of that 7-year period this has been going on.

What we have, if I can summarize-then I’m going to take you to earlier in Daniel-you’re going to have a political ruler rise in the west, out of Europe, Rome. He’s going to act on behalf of a revived Roman empire. You know what you see on the news, you know what you see in the newspapers day in and day out? We need some kind of peace agreement in the Middle East. We’ve got emissaries back and forth, going on, some we hear about, some we don't. Why? We’ve got to have some kind of resolution to the conflict in the Middle East. At the heart of that is the issue with Israel. I mean, let’s face it. You look on the map and you see the vast expanse of territory that is controlled by the Muslims and then you have this little strip controlled by the Jews. You know what you could do to resolve most of the problems in that whole part of the world? Take out the Jews. But you can’t do that, and it won’t happen. But you know what will happen? Finally, there is going to be a Western world ruler who is of such brilliance, such ability he is going to negotiate a peace, and he is going to sign the agreement that puts the Western world powers behind that agreement. Israel is going to be celebrating, the world is going to be celebrating. Finally, peace has come. There will be a temple rebuilt. I don’t know whether it will be rebuilt before the 7 years begins, or as a result of this covenant. All I know is by the time you get to the middle of this 7-year period there is a temple. Several things come together with Israel being in the land, and we see Europe. Now we have the euro currency, we have Europe federating together and continuing to grow. One of the magazines in the last week or two talking about all the problems Europe faces, high unemployment, the struggle with their new currency. But they say you know what? After an extensive article, at the end it says, “but none of this changes the fact that it continues to grow and more people want to be part of it.” There are ups and downs, but we are relentlessly moving toward what? What Daniel prophesied 500 years before Christ. Twenty-five hundred years later, you know what? It’s not so hard to imagine a united Europe. We don’t have to even imagine it. It’s a concrete reality; with their own currency. It’s not so hard to imagine that the Jews would be back in possession of the land-the possession of the temple site. Lots of conflict but here they are, back where the Bible said.

Back up a couple of chapters to Daniel 7. What you have in Daniel 7-and it’s a repeat of what was in Daniel chapter 2-different imagery, but the same truth is being conveyed. Daniel is given a vision of the coming empires of the world, from his day looking forward. He doesn’t go into past empires; he starts with Babylon. Remember Daniel was taken as a captive to Babylon and became a prominent person. God gives him a vision of coming world empires, starting with Babylon, then Medo-Persia which will replace Babylon, then Greece which will replace Medo-Persia, then Rome. And you know what? Rome is the final empire. You read in verse 7 of Daniel 7, “after this I kept looking in the night visions and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying, extremely strong. It had large iron teeth, it devoured and crushed, trampled down the remainder with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it.” We wonder what this is. Verse 23 the angel tells us, “The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth.” It’s not well we’re just making up an interpretation. The Bible gave the interpretation of this vision. We’re talking about four successive kingdoms. Daniel says I want to know about the fourth one. “The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth which will be different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, tread it down and crush it.” It’s the most powerful, the most vicious, most dominant of any of the kingdoms.
Back in chapter 7 verse 7, on this fourth beast…look at the last statement in verse 7, “it had ten horns.” Verse 8, “while I was contemplating the horns behold another horn, a little one, came up among them and three of the first horns were pulled out by its roots. And behold this one possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.” Then verses 9 to 14 talk about the coming kingdom of Christ on the earth. Jump over to verse 24, this fourth beast, in verse 23, is a coming powerful kingdom. Look at verse 24, “as for the 10 horns, out of this kingdom 10 kings will arise. So that’s why we talk about a revived Roman empire. This is not a fifth beast comprising a fifth world kingdom. This is a continuation of the fourth beast. These are 10 horns on that fourth kingdom which was Rome. Now you know what? Rome has come and gone, so to speak, as an empire, but it is not gone. We are seeing a revived Roman empire, and many of the nations that comprise that empire now being regathered, and as the Bible presents it that’s what would happen. This is not a new kingdom that comes from the Far East or something like that. No, this is the Roman empire continuing on in a new form. So out of the fourth beast there are 10 kings or kingdoms, a king and a kingdom are interchangeable, that will arise. “Another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.” Now we’re getting a little more. You have Rome, then out of Rome there is going to come a 10-nation confederacy; and out of that 10-nation confederacy there’s going to rise one individual who will crush or root out three of those nations or kingdoms and become the dominant power on the earth. Simple unfolding. Some people struggle with this, the fact that there is such a gap. It seems like the fourth empire has come and gone, but there’s not. There’s a revived Roman empire. We don’t have time to go into all that at this time. We see the nations of Europe, where Rome was the heart of that empire, pulling together. We say well we’ve got a lot more than 10. Well, all I know is God has the final word, and He says when all is said and done there will be 10 at the heart and center of this confederacy. They will rule together, while one is the rising star and rising power. By the middle of that 7-year period he will assert full authority, and the rest of the 10 will willingly and gladly give all authority and power to him and recognize him as their ruler.

Let’s go to the New Testament, to the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is chronological. Chapter 1 gives you the introduction, chapters 2-3 talk about the letters to the churches, which would pertain to you and me. Chapters 4-5 give a vision of the throne room of heaven and the worship of heaven. Chapters 6-19 deal in detail with this 7-year period we are talking about. They are chronological. Also, chapters 6, 7, 8 and 9 deal with the first 3 ½ years. Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 deal with events in the middle of that 7-year period, and chapters 15-19 deal with the last half, chapter 19 being the climax with the return of Christ from heaven to the earth. Chapter 20 we have the kingdom. Chapter 21 into chapter 22 we have the eternal dimension of the kingdom. So, it’s an unfolding chronology.

In Revelation chapter 12 we’re dealing with events that take place in the middle of the 7-year tribulation. One of those is there is a war in heaven between the devil and Michael the archangel. The devil has lost his position in heaven, he has not lost his access to heaven. We read about that in Job chapters 1-2 where satan appears in the presence of God when the angels of God appear before Him. As a result of the war in heaven satan is cast out of heaven and he comes to earth with an intention of destroying Israel. Verse 7 says, “there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels wage war”, and the dragon loses.

Verse 9, “The great dragon was thrown down.” In case you don’t know who we’re talking about, that’s the serpent of old, the devil, satan, the one who deceives the whole world. Some people don’t believe in a literal devil, they have been deceived by the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth and the angels of heaven celebrated because they knew this is the beginning of the end. We are now within 3 ½ years of the return of Christ to the earth. How do we know? I read the end of verse 6, 1260 days. Twelve hundred and sixty days is a prophetic year. Three hundred sixty days is a prophetic year, and we divide that in half for half a year. This same period, in case you don’t have it figured out yet, over in chapter 13 the end of verse 5, authority to act for 42 months was given to the antichrist. So, you see we’ve had it called a 7-year period divided into two in Daniel, we’ve had it called 1260 days (half of it), we’ve had half of it called 42 months. I just don’t understand how some people can say they don’t know there’s a literal 7-year period coming. I’m not a great mathematician, math wasn’t my best subject. I can find the verses well enough. But I can understand half of 7 is 3 ½, I can understand that 1260 days is 3 ½ years, I can understand 42 months. So that’s the period of time we’re talking about.

That middle of the 7-year period becomes a major event. Look at chapter 13 of Revelation. John says “I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having 10 horns and 7 heads. And on its horns were 10 diadems and, on its heads, blasphemous names.” I say now some of this is familiar. Ten horns, and the horns are wearing crowns, diadem crowns, crowns of kings, rulers. Sounds a little bit like Daniel chapter 7. Well, we have 7 heads, 10 horns, 7 heads. Let’s see in Daniel we had 4 wild beasts. That doesn’t help us too much, does it. But it does.

Turn over to chapter 17. We’re going to hear the mystery of the woman. Verse 7, and of the beast which carries her which has the 7 heads and 10 horns. Oh good, just like Daniel. You read far enough, and you get an explanation. You know some people’s problem with the Bible is they read a verse and quit. Try reading two, maybe even read the next chapter. Here we are, we’re going to get an answer. I love it. Verse 8, “The beast you saw was and is not, it’s about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. Those that dwell on the earth will wonder.” Here is the mind which has wisdom.

Verse 9, the 7 heads are 7 mountains. Now some people say aha it’s Rome because Rome sits on the 7 mountains, doesn’t it? Seven hills of Rome. We’re not going to quibble, a mountain, a hill, close enough. The 7 heads are 7 mountains on which the woman sits. However, I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about here, because you’ll note the explanation. You have to read on, don’t stop. The 7 heads are 7 mountains. Verse 10, and they are 7 kings. The heads, the mountains and the kings all refer to the same thing. The mountains, as is true in Old Testament prophecy, refer to a king. A mountain refers to a king, his presence and power. The 7 heads, the 7 mountains and the 7 kings all refer to the same thing. These 7 heads are kings, the 7 mountains are kings, the kings are kings.

What John does, look at verse 10, 7 kings—let me tell you who they are. Five have fallen, a king and a kingdom. Now remember Daniel just started at his day and went forward, starting with Babylon, the existing kingdom. What John does is go back to the beginning, and the Bible is concerned about the empires that impact Israel. People say well why aren’t empires like China or other empires in view? Because the Bible is only concerned with those that intersect with Israel. Where do we start? Egypt, Assyria, now we’re to Babylon. Egypt and Assyria being the 2 empires. Egypt is in power when Israel comes into existence. Where did Abraham go? Where did Jacob go with his family, with Joseph? To Egypt. What was the empire then that took the northern 10 tribes into captivity? Assyria. We go to Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece. Verse 10, “five have fallen.” Okay we have our five. One is. Okay 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; one is, 6. Six would be what one was when John was writing, Rome. That’s the one that is. One is Rome. The other has not yet come. We know that because we read Daniel chapter 7. Ten kings. We read Revelation chapter 13. When he comes, he must remain a little while. That’s going to be a short one. Oops there’s another one. Verse 11, “and the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, is one of the seven.” Well, that fits pretty well Daniel, didn’t it. You have a coming form of the revived Roman empire, 10 horns. Then from among the 10 horns comes a little horn. He can be called an eighth, even though he’s of the 7, because he was part of the 10. But he becomes so unique you could even consider him an 8th kingdom, but don’t forget he’s part of the 7. Read verse 12, and the 10 horns which you saw are 10 kings, in case we forgot he reminds us, who have not yet received a kingdom. This form is yet future John says, this is yet to come. “And they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” But you’ll note, they have one purpose. They give their power and authority to the beast. Ultimately Christ will bring an end to it. Same place, we didn’t read it all in Daniel chapter 7, I just referred to it. When you get done with the 10 horns, the rise of the little horn, where does Daniel take you? To the setting up the throne, the Ancient of Days sit, one like the Son of Man came before Him and received a kingdom. That’s the same place Daniel chapter 2 goes, when Christ intervenes and crushes all the kingdoms of the world, the days of the toes of that image of a man. How many toes on the image? If you were going to make a lifelike structure of a man, I say how many toes? I say that because some writers say oh you can’t say there are 10 toes. Well maybe we ought to send them back to nursery school and take off their booties and let them count toes. 10. If you have any doubt, go to chapter 7. I don’t care if you don’t want to take it from Daniel chapter 2, go to Daniel chapter 7 where Daniel counted for you, and it says 10. If you don’t like that come to Revelation chapter 13, and if that’s not good enough come to Revelation chapter 17. If those are not good enough, see me after, I have a few more.

Things are going to happen. We’ve got an overview now of the final form of western world government, a 10-nation confederacy rising out of Europe led by a Roman. I don’t believe it’s the pope. There are some differences. Revived religious empire, there is a strong religious empire during the first part of the revived Roman empire. But it’s going to be destroyed in a moment. In fact, we can read about it, we’re in chapter 17 verse 16, “And the 10 horns which you saw on the beast, these all hate the harlot.” The harlot is the apostate church in existence during the first 3 ½ years. They’ll “make her desolate and naked, they destroy her.” Verse 17, “God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast.” Do you have this underlined in your Bible? “Until the word of God should be fulfilled.” Everything will happen exactly as God said, down to the minutest detail.

All right, we have Israel back in the land. We know they’re there today. We have a revived Roman empire that has come into existence. I think the European community seems to be at least in the initial stages of that. You take the rapture of the Church where all true believers will be removed from the world, some things can come together rather quickly, overnight so to speak, let alone other things that will take place. We have this man who is part of these 10 nations, and he negotiates a peace that guarantees the security and sovereignty of the nation Israel. Their temple now is functioning, if it has not been built by that time it will be built as a result of that. Nobody has any doubt about that. I’ve brought articles on other occasions, so I didn’t bring any this time. In the city of Jerusalem there is a school training priests for the rebuilt temple. This comes out of secular news media, it’s just not speculation of preachers. I’ve shared with you the article I clipped out of Time magazine some time ago of the group in Jerusalem that is making the articles of clothing and the articles of furniture for the temple, when the temple is rebuilt. Time magazine had a series of pictures of all the different things that have already been made according to the requirements of the Old Testament scripture, so that when the temple gets built, they’ll be ready to get underway. We remember all the stuff in the news some time back about the red heifer, because they needed the ashes of the red heifer for cleansing. The big fuss there was because they thought they had found a red heifer without blemish. Why is that so important? It’s not important if there’s not going to be a temple. A number of prominent Jews said, “It’s not if we build the temple, it’s when we build the temple.” Oh boy, I see a lot of problems with that. Well, I saw a lot of problems with a lot of things that have been washed away pretty quickly, even in my lifetime. These things are going to come together during this 7-year period. The start of it will be when the western world ruler signs that agreement. Then it will be a matter of solidifying his power, getting rid of three of the kings so he becomes the dominant power, until you get to the middle of that 7-year period when he as such a person, he can take full control.

Back up to chapter 13. Several things happen in the middle here. I don’t want to go back to the first half again. The end of verse 2 of chapter 13 says “the dragon gave him his power and throne and great authority.” This will be the man who will more completely personify what the devil has desired, and the world has wanted than anyone prior. We’ve seen earthly kingdoms come and go, powerful men who ruled the world come and go, and the devil has attempted to assert himself and establish a kingdom to prevent Christ from ruling and reigning. Here will be his greatest masterpiece, the mightiest emperors who ever lived will be nothing compared to him. He is empowered by Satan in a greater way than anyone else has. Now with that will come a more intense hatred of the people of God than has ever been experienced. This man will have a driving motivation to destroy the Jews. During the first 3 ½ years he’s their friend, he’s a counterfeit Messiah to them, he’s brought peace to the land. Israel now dwells securely, their defenses are collapsed, they trust him fully. But he will reveal his colors when you get to the middle of that 7-year period.

Verse 3 of Revelation 13, “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, his fatal wound was healed, the whole world was amazed and followed after the beast. They worshipped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. They worshipped the beast saying who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war with him?” So he is given freedom for 42 months to function with his arrogance. He’ll declare that he is God and require all to worship him.

The last part of chapter 13 talks about the events of the last half of the tribulation under him, including the infamous number 666.

I want you to back up to Ezekiel chapter 38. I said that Israel will be living peacefully and securely. Incidentally chapter 37 of Ezekiel when it talks about God bringing Israel back into the land, remember those dry bones? Well chapter 37 of Ezekiel they refer to Israel, and God is going to gather them back wherever they are and gather them into the land and so on. Just one of those passages. Ezekiel 22 would have talked about the gathering of Israel. No doubt we’re talking about Israel because he tells us in 37:11, “son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel.” We come to chapter 38, and this is the famous Gog and Magog. Verse 2, “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.” And we’ve got an alliance of nations that are going to come and attack Israel. We are about the middle of the 7-year tribulation, maybe just before the middle because it seems that what happens in chapter 38 and 39 will help prepare the way for the climactic events that take place in the middle when the antichrist declares himself God. Perhaps he himself is killed in this battle; we don’t know. But you’ll note he was given a death wound in Revelation 13 and then he’s resurrected and the whole world is in awe. The counterfeit Messiah. Only thing Christ was crucified and raised, but nobody believed it. But here is a man who will display himself before the world as the resurrected one, I mean he’s got to be God. Who can make war with the beast? We’re glad to worship him will be the attitude of the world. In Ezekiel chapter 38 all these nations God is going to bring down into Israel and some of them are named. Along with Rosh, Meshech and Tubal in verse 2, you have Persia, Ethiopia and Put, verse 6, Gomer, Beth-togarmah. Studies have been done on this; we’ve looked at it. Rosh is Russia, Magog would include central Asia, Afghanistan and part of that area. What is significant about these countries is they’re almost all, not everyone, but almost all Muslim countries in our day. It’s not hard to understand how they could…Meshech is Turkey as is Tubal, Persia of course is Iran, Ethiopia is the Sudan, Put is Libya, Gomer is Turkey also. Many other peoples have come with them, and you think of other Islamic nations that are joined together in such a confederacy. You’ll note He is going to bring them from the remote parts of the north. I take it Rosh is Russia who has maintained its alliance and friendship with these people, and we’re always trying to negotiate in the Middle East situation to get Russia to help. Why? Because Russia is the friend of the Islamic nations and has its influence there and has been noted for its anti-Semitism as well. They’re going to come from the remote parts of the north and they’re going to descend on Israel.

When will this happen? Verse 8, “After many days you will be summoned, in the latter days you will come into the land that is restored from the sword.” Now what has happened to Israel? They’ve been restored from the sword. “Whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste. But its peoples were brought from the nations.” Have we not seen that that has been unfolding before our eyes? You’ll note, “and they are living securely, all of them.” Then they will come up against them at that time when they live securely. Come about, verse 10, “they’ll devise an evil plan.” Verse 11, “you will say I will go up against the land of unwalled villages.” Unwalled villages meant there were no defenses. You are aware in Biblical times what did they do? They built walls around their city. People might live in farming areas outside the walls, but the city was where everybody went for safety and security. “I will go up against those who are at rest, who live securely, living without walls, having no bars or gates.”

Down at the end of verse 14 it is emphasized again, they are living securely when this army, verse 15, comes from remote parts of the north. That’s not true today, Israel lives on high alert. Israel is ready to battle. A strength of Israel has been what? It has the best defenses in the Middle East. There’s going to come a day, how are they going to give that up? Well even today Israel groans under what? The weight of its military responsibilities. There’s even a peace movement in Israel and that will come. Think of what Israel could be like if it could turn all its resources, didn’t have to worry about any military issues, any conflicts with enemies, could devote all of its resources and attention to develop the nation. Say, how could they ever believe that? They will believe a lie. This will be so convincing. The antichrist will be so convincing, an agreement seems so sure that Israel does it.

But you know now as you move through that first 3 ½ years the hatred of Israel has not changed by these nations. You know it’s like the anti-Semitism that can be pushed down. People in the world are always surprised at how quickly it bubbled up and say where did that come from? Today you have so-called educated people who say there never was a holocaust, the Jews made that up, and on it goes. People want to believe a lie and the hate the people of God. We saw in Revelation chapter 12 when the devil is cast out of heaven you know what he wants to do? Destroy Israel? You know why? He knows he only has a short time I saw a program, very interesting, on Nazi Germany the last couple of weeks. Some of you may have seen it. The thing that amazed me, you know Germany is crumbling, Hitler knows the end is coming. You know what in the last weeks of his existence was? To send out the word that all the Jews must die. Now here’s a man who everything he does is crumbling around him and he’s consumed with one thing. We have to destroy the Jews. I thought of that as I thought of the coming antichrist, and that a consuming passion to destroy Israel is there. When the devil is cast out of heaven what’s he going to use? The man that is under his total control. That’s why the last 3 ½ years are going to be a suffering for Israel like they’ve never experienced.

They come down to attack Israel, but they are supernaturally destroyed by God. When they attack Israel, you know what they are attacking? They are attacking the western alliance, they are attacking the antichrist, the little horn because he’s entered into an agreement and the revived Roman empire, and nations with him, are part of that agreement. When you attack Israel, you have attacked them. Like if we had an agreement with a nation, if anyone attacks you in any way we will come to your aid. Anyone who did that in effect attacks us; and that’s the way the Bible puts it.

Just after Ezekiel go into Daniel chapter 11 verse 40, Daniel 11:40, “And at the end of time the king of the south, (that’s Egypt,) will collide with him.” We are talking about the willful king here, as he’ll be called, the antichrist. They’ll collide with him, so you have an alliance now from the south attacking him. You have an alliance from the north, “the king of the north, storming against him with chariots, horsemen, many ships. He will enter the countries, overflow them and pass through them. He will enter the Beautiful Land; many countries will fall. But these will be rescued out of his hand, Edom, Moab, the foremost of the sons of Ammon.” You know why? They are preserved by God to be a place of refuge for the Jews. This, I take it, we are talking about the same battle described in Ezekiel 38. We are preparing a place where the Jews are going to have to run to hide, things are going to take a dramatic turn here. This alliance, this northern alliance along with the king of the south, Egypt, another Muslim country joined together to what? Attack Israel and destroy it. Then you have the antichrist who will come into the scene, verse 42, “he’ll stretch out his hand against other countries, the land of Egypt will not escape. He will gain control over the hidden treasures and precious things of Egypt. Libyans, Ethiopians will follow at his heels.” Some of those people were named in Ezekiel 38. “But rumors from the east and north will trouble him and then the time of the end comes.” So, you have events transpiring here. What happens evidently is when the forces of the northern alliance with Egypt attack Israel, the antichrist marshals the forces of the west to move in to do battle. Something happens, supernatural calamity, destroys these nations who have attacked him, seen in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Now he has moved in, and he is the power and the enemies have been destroyed, and the charade can be put aside.



Turn over to II Thessalonians 2, and we’re done. The Thessalonians were under such great persecution they thought maybe they were in the tribulation. They are the Church, but they were wondering if maybe something had gone wrong and they’ve ended up in the tribulation, and they were supposed to escape with the rapture according to the first letter to the Thessalonians. Paul tells them don’t be quickly shaken from your composure, verse 2, as though the Day of the Lord has come. The Day of the Lord is the tribulation. Verse 3, “Let no one deceive you in any way, it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” Two more names for the antichrist, the little horn. “He is the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction,” the one doomed to destruction. He’s the 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.” There we have it. The temple has been constructed. What does he do? He enters into the temple and now enters into the holy of holies itself. I am God, there is no other, and requires all to worship him. He displays himself as being God. How would he do that? One of the things we’re told in Revelation 13 is they are going to make an image of this man and it’s going to be given life, or literally spirit. Perhaps a demon inhabits this block of marble or whatever that has been carved into an image of the antichrist and it begins to move. Now if that’s not a display that you are God, when you have a marble image or a stone image or whatever carved of you, and you speak, and it comes to life. Who can give life but God? That would fit because in Matthew chapter 24 Jesus warned the Jews that when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, then flee to the mountains. Remember Daniel 9:27? “There comes one on the wings of abomination and makes desolate.” Jesus was talking about that in Matthew 24:15 when He talked about “when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place.” Here is the one who sets himself in the temple and displays himself as being God. It is such a powerful display that according to Revelation 13 the whole world falls to worship him with the exception of the elect.

Now we’re ready for the last 3 ½ years. There’s a lot more going on in the first 3 ½. You have the judgments beginning with the seals in the book of Revelation, that lead into the trumpets. Chapters 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Revelation deal with the first 3 ½ years with massive destruction going on through what we call natural calamities that God brings on the world—earthquakes, famines and all kinds of destruction. Those early judgments, one-quarter of the earth is going to be destroyed. People say well what is going to happen to the United States? Where are we? Perhaps we’re allied with the western nations, they are our friends now. Or one writer suggested perhaps that’s the one-quarter of the world that is destroyed early. North America, he figured, is about one-quarter of the world. Maybe that’s the one-quarter of the world that’s destroyed in the early judgments of the tribulation and we are just not a factor. We saw two planes hit two towers in one of our major cities and much of our country gets paralyzed, and we’re still struggling to recover from the impact of that. What would it be like with a series of major earthquakes going through major cities, and add to those volcanoes going on, and add to that the other natural calamities. I don’t know where we are. You hate to think that the best option is we’ll be the friend of the antichrist. But we’ll either be alive with the western confederacy, or we’ll be in trouble. Now I say we, I’m talking about the nation. The me you and me are gone, we’re saving the best part for last.

I trust you’re ready. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. The message of the Spirit of God right now is come and partake of the water of life that you might experience the salvation He has provided and not the judgment that He has promised.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the revelation of your truth. Thank you, Lord, that your Word is sure, that as you have spoken so it will happen. Lord we are in awe to consider some of these events that are prophesied to occur the 7 years prior to the coming of Christ, we see even those things coming together in preparation for that time. To know before that 7-year period begins we will be called into the glory of your presence. Lord, may we be people living holy and godly lives, looking for and expecting the return in glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.