War With Russia part 2

Transcript

GR 432
1/24/1982
War With Russian Part 2
Selected Verse
Gil Rugh

The Book of Ezekiel in your Bibles. We’re going to be back in chapter 38 and then into chapter 39 in our considerations this evening. We looked at the opening verses. Particularly the first six verses of chapter 38 to identify the nations that are allied against Israel in a coining conflict in which these nations will attempt to destroy Israel, plunder Israel for their own benefit. And we noted that Russia is the key nation here and then many peoples are allied with Russia. In verse 5, Persia, Ethiopia, Put or Lybia, Gomer, Beth-togarmah. In verse 6, the peoples of eastern Europe, Turkey and those areas. So you have the Arab world and the African nations joining together with Russia in an attack that is going to be launched.

Now I mentioned in our study this morning that I think probably the best support is for this attack taking place in the middle of the seven-years tribulation. Three and a half years approximately have transpired. I thought it might be good for us to look at some of the reasons for this from the evidence given. First let’s look at Israelis condition. What will be the setting for Israel in the time when this battle takes place? Which helps us to understand that I don’t believe the battle could take place today because the situation is not as such as Ezekiel describes it.

In chapter 38, verse 8, "After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword,” And that fits. Israel will be restored to the land. That is true today. Will be true when this conflict takes place, Israel will have been restored to the land. You saw this pictured in the valley of the dry bones where the bones are called together and skin and flesh again clothe the bones; but there’s no life in the bones, Israel is still an unbelieving nation. It has not submitted to Jesus Christ as Messiah. Well, in the days of this conflict, Israel will be restored into the land. Go on in verse 8: "The latter years you will come into the land that is 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 people were brought out from the nations, they are living securely, all of them." Verse 12, they come up "to capture spoil, to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places V7hich are now inhabited, against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle, goods, and live at the center of the world," Again, here from God's perspective, Palestine—the center of the world, The focal point of what He is going to be doing in the tribulation and then in the millennial kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ.

So it will be a time when Israel has been gathered into the land of Palestine,
And we noted that that has taken place in our own lifetime. Where they have been established as a nation.

Now, verse 11 of chapter 38, "You w7ill say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages, I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls, having no bars or gates,'" Now, this would not have been true in Old Testament times. They lived in walled cities with gates. Jerusalem was a walled city with gates for defense, Verse 11 indicates that Israel has a relative security and position of peace. We'll look at a couple of more verses along that line. Verse 8, the last part of the verse since we've already read the whole verse—the last statement: "But its people were brought out from the nations, they are living securely, all of them." Look at verse 14: "Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God, "On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it?"'" So they are living in the land in peace. They have unwalled cities--no bars, no gates, we read at the end of verse 11, But dwelling securely. In other words, they are in a situation of trust, They don't have their defenses up, That would not be true today, Israel is a nation that is prepared for war at any time. At the time when this conflict and attack takes place, Israel will be dwelling in peace. They'll be dwelling in prosperity. Verse 12—this northern alliance comes to "capture spoil, to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world. Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, with all its villages, will say to you, "Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?" So Israel will be dwelling in peace and security with great prosperity. And we see progress being made, but evidently Israel will be a very wealthy nation. Perhaps as a result of even further development of its resources. Perhaps a development of some of the mineral prosperity of the Dead Sea and so on. Its wealth is very great and it becomes a very attractive place for plunder and spoil.

Now, I don't believe this conflict could happen today, because Israel's not dwelling in peace. They're not in the midst of a war, but they are a walled city so to speak an armed camp. And a large portion of its budget goes to support its military. There are those who would even place this conflict in Ezekiel 38 at the Millennium, after the tribulation, I just mention it so that you're aware of it, I don't believe that it can take place in the Millennium because the Book of Isaiah, chapter 2 and verse 4 says that when Christ comes and sets up His kingdom, there will be no more wars—no more conflicts. So I don't believe that's really a possibility.

There are those who place this conflict at the end of the tribulation. Again that does not seem to fit because Israel will not be dwelling in peace during the last three and a half years of the tribulation. But they'll be undergoing great persecution and suffering as the antichrist attempts to annihilate the Jews from the face of the earth. I think perhaps the best time in locating it would be the middle of the tribulation for a couple of reasons. One, Israel will be dwelling in peace and safety during that three and a half year period. You remember we read Daniel chapter 9, verse 27 where the tribulation begins by the antichrist as representative of the revived Roman empire signing an agreement with the nation Israel which evidently guarantees the peace and security of that nation. The western w7orld is willing to guarantee the sovereignty of Israel. To put its forces behind Israel, to guarantee their protection. This will enable Israel to stop channeling its resources into a military budget and to turn those resources to the development of the land. I take it during those first three and a half years then there will be great strides taken in Israel developing its prosperity,

Also, and we'll look at this in a moment. The defeat of Russia as it’s described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will pave the way for antichrist to set up his power center in Palestine and Jerusalem and to assert his right to rule and dominate the world.

Now, let's look at some of the details of what happens in this conflict, I place it around the middle of the tribulation. That enables Israel to be dwelling in peace and security and prosperity under the protective umbrella of the antichrist. Now what happens is Israel seems to be defeated and sacked at this time, Verse 14, "Prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God, "On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it? You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many people (the army described). Verse 16, "You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It will come about in the last days that I shall bring you against my land, in order that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified through you before their eyes," I think this is the conflict that is seen in Zechariah, Why don't you turn to Zechariah, then we'll come back to Daniel.

The Book of Zechariah, the next to the last book in the Old Testament and you have a series of conflicts that begin to unfold in the last part of the tribulation that culminate with Armageddon. That may be why Revelation chapter 16 refers to the comp campaign of Armageddon. It seems to indicate that there are many conflicts involved that culminate in this one climatic battle. And this battle in the middle of the tribulation is a key one and it may be the one that’s described in the opening chapters of chapter 12 of Zechariah: "The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel," Zechariah 12 verse 1: "Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. ’Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah, And it will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured, And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it," And then God’s judgment upon those nations,

Now chapter 14 of Zechariah will describe in detail the battle of Armageddon, and the results of that conflict. So it would seem that Zechariah chapter 12 could be describing the battle we’re looking at in Ezekiel chapter 38,

Back up to Daniel, chapter 11. We were in Daniel chapter 11 briefly this morning. We’ll begin with verse 36. You have the willful king here which is another title for the antichrist. The political ruler of the revised Roman empire. Verse 36- "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done," Note again, God’s in control even of the most sinful conduct. He’s not responsible for it, but He determines when it will be allowed and how far it will be carried. "He will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done." No resisting it. Similar to the prophesies of a man like Jeremiah when Babylon was going to conquer Jerusalem, are an instrument of God in this situation. An instrument that God will eventually judge Himself. This man's described showing no regard for the God's of his fathers, desire of woman, any other god. He will magnify himself above them all, "Instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god -whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones, and treasures. He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him, and he will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price," Now on to verse 40; "At the time of the end—the end time the king of the South will collide with him," And this is an expression used somewhere around ten times in this section of Daniel—the king of the South—and it's always a reference to Egypt. Where does Egypt come in? Here you have Egypt in an alliance now, "The King of the South will collide with him and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, with many ships," And I think that what you have here is the conflict of Ezekiel 38, Now what has happened, at the beginning of the seven years tribulation the antichrist has signed an agreement with Israel guaranteeing their sovereignty and security. Now in the midst of the seven-year period, Russia and her allies attack Israel, You have the southern allies, We saw that, Egypt, Lybia, Ethiopia being joined together with the Arabs and Russia herself in descending into Palestine and attacking Israel, Now when the attack Israel, they're attacking the antichrist, But the antichrist has put his name, his authority, his power on the line in guaranteeing the security of Israel, So attacking Israel is attacking the antichrist as well. And here you have a challenge to his power, A challenge to the might of the western world in effect, And perhaps it’s a test to Russia not expecting the response from him that perhaps they'll be willing to sacrifice Israel.

Now in the end of the verse, "And he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through." I think that we have a change of persons involved. The section beginning with verse 36 is focusing on the antichrist, the willful king. The king of the south and the king of the north are significant as they are seen in connection with him. You don't have, "and they will enter countries, overflow them and pass through" but "he will enter." So I tell you what you have is the king of the north descending on Palestine and the southern allies—Egypt and the others— coming up and attacking Israel. This involves the mobilization of the western armies under the leadership of the antichrist and he enters in to Palestine. So "he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. He will also enter the beautiful land, many countries will fall," So you see he comes in now to conquer. You note, "these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost sons of Ammon," The trans-Jordan region is going to be spared. That's significant because this becomes the hiding place for the nation Israel, Jews will flee. Remember Jesus told them in Matthew 24, 'Don't come down off the roof to get your belongings. Don't go back in the city to gather things up. But flee'? And the place of refuge provided by God for the fleeing Jews is going to be in this region— Edom, Moab and Ammon—the trans-Jordan area, "Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, the land of Egypt will not escape," So you see, we have changed. We're not talking about Egypt now but Egypt is the one that is going to be punished, "He will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold, silver, over all the precious things of Egypt; Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels." They too are defeated, "Rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him," So you see, we are not talking about the northern army any longer, because rumors from the north disturb him. And so all indicative of that last statement in verse 40, "He will enter countries," we've picked up with our discussion of the willful king. With the attack from the north and the south, the willful king moves in to the middle east, "Rumors from the east and from the north will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him," Ultimate destruction. So you have a compressed situation here. You have him described in verses 36 to 39 as a willful king who exalts himself above everything. And then you have a an overview of that three and a half year period where he takes control by moving into Palestine in response to the challenge from Russia and Egypt and then he branches out to conquer the area, But, before this is all over, tidings, rumors (in verse 44) from the east and from the north will disturb him. He goes forward with great wrath—goes forth with great wrath. I take it that will carry us down to the time of Armageddon in verse 44, and we’ll look at that as we get further along. What will happen is the rumors of the resurrected remnant of the norther army. Even though there’s only a portion left, they begin to rumble again, to challenge him, a mighty army of 200 million described in the book of Revelation. These are the tidings from the east as the Euphrates River is dried up to make way for this mighty oriental army moving to challenge him and the stage is set for Armageddon.

Of particular interest to us is the statement in verse 40 describing this battle. It helps us to see how the antichrist gets set in Palestine, And gets his authority established, Jump back to the Book of Revelation, chapter 13 I think that it may be at this time that Revelation 13;4 sees its clearest fulfillment, realization. Revelation 13:4: "And they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, who is able to make war with him?' And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority was given to him to act for forty-two months." Forty-two months is three and a half years. So here you see the antichrist about the middle of the tribulation the world is in awe. Who is able to make war with the beast? And he rules with absolute dominion for three and a half years until tidings from the north and from the east trouble him.
I take it this declaration, "Who is able to make war with him?" is probably a result of the destruction of the northern array and its allies in the middle of the tribulation. That the only power adequate to challenge the antichrist at this point, is annihilated. And the world is in awe of him and I think it may be that the antichrist will take credit personally for the destruction of the northern army, even though it seems that they are supernaturally destroyed by God,

Come back to Ezekiel 38, We have this picture now, Here's Israel dwelling in prosperity and security. All of their financial resources are able to be channeled into the development of their country for the first time, They have the support of the antichrist and the revived Roman empire. It may be during the first three and a half years its then that the temple is rebuilt. It may be that they'll start before then, but we know it will be rebuilt during the first three and a half years if not before. Perhaps its all in this same context. Then Russia descends and attacks Israel and you have the description here beginning down with verse 17; "Thus, says the Lord God, 'Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them? It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,' declares the Lord God, 'that My fury will mount up in My anger" Now, historically God has brought other enemies from the north against Israel, Assyia, even Babylon, Even though it’s not to the north, their enemies would descend from the north because that was the channel in to Palestine rather than across the desert, So God would bring the enemies to chasten Israel from the North. All being a picture and a preview of the ultimate northern enemy that would come from the remote north to devastate Israel.

Verse 19; "In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, And the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. And I shall call for a sword against him on all My mountains,’ declares the Lord God. ’Every man's sword will be against his brother. And with pestilence and with blood I shall enter into judgment with him; and I shall rain on him, and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. And I shall magnify Myself, sanctify Myself and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord,'" Now some see here a description from Ezekiel’s perspective of atomic warfare. This army is rained upon with hailstones, fire and brimstone. And as Ezekiel would be privileged to behold this conflict, this is the way that it would be seen by him. Fire coming down from heaven, perhaps depicting bombs and rockets and so on. I think that that's a possibility and what you would have is Russia is attacked with the nuclear forces of the western world, There’s some passages in Revelation that seem to be descriptive along that- line as well. My problem with that and it causes me to go the other way, is that God seems to be the one who directly takes control here. My wrath—we’re told that there will be a great earthquake. Now that naturally too could be the result of an explosion. But it also could be that God directly intervenes with a massive earthquake that brings about tremendous destruction of these invading armies on the mountains surrounding Israel.

Such that in verse 20: "The mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground,” And also then the rain, the hailstones, fire and brimstone. We know that in the tribulation there are going to be hailstones of 100 pounds in weight. Now if we had hailstones of 100 pounds, the city of Lincoln, you wouldn't need a nuclear bomb to finish the job, There wouldn't be enough left to make it worthwhile. I don't know whether the hailstones will be that big on this occasion. We know that they will be that big, they are described that way in the Book of Revelation, so I think that perhaps it’s most natural to see God intervene here directly in a super natural way. This would also fit that Israel and this region is still fit to be populated. Now there is not a complete annihilation of Israel and ruin of the land from the standpoint to make it uninhabitable anywhere during the seven years tribulation. The antichrist is going to set up his throne in Jerusalem after this conflict and rule from there for three and a half years. Armageddon is going to focus in Jerusalem and to the north in the valley of Jehoshaphat, so some questions if this was nuclear warfare. Perhaps they’ll have clean-up techniques beyond what we have today,

I think most natural God takes the credit here. He’s called them up to the mountains of Jerusalem because He wants to destroy them Himself. And He intervenes let’s say, naturally. Supernaturally, but with earthquakes, torrential rains, massive hailstones, this army suffers tremendous destruction. Such great destruction is going to take seven months to bury the bodies. That’s a big burying job. You stop and think about it—seven months. You get some idea when God said He is angry, He’s angry.

Verse 18, "My fury will mount up in My anger,"Verse 19, "In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel," Now we've seen earthquakes in the world when tremendous numbers of people have died. So here you’re going to have an earthquake that’s going to outdo any earthquake. Not surprising that thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, are going to die in this catastrophe. Now look down in chapter 39. And a we don’t have time to read this entire chapter, I want to get down a little further, but let's just read some of the opening verses,

"And you son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold I am against you, 0 Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and I shall turn you around and drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel, And I shall strike your bow from your left hand and dash your arrows from your right hand. You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the peoples who are with you; I shall give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,' declares the Lord God. 'I shall send fire upon Magaog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the Lord,'" On in the description down to verse 9: "Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out, and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields, bucklers, bow, arrows, war clubs, spears and for seven years they will make fires of them. They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them, and seize the plunder of those who plundered them,' declares the Lord God." So you see, the armies—invading armies—have plundered Israel. Now as they retreat, they are caught in this great catastrophe on the mountains surrounding Israel so that they are destroyed there and now the remaining people are able to go out and plunder them. There's so much destruction in the weapons and so on that seven years it provides firewood for Israel, now there's a question there. What about making fires for seven years? You know, tanks, making fire with them, a question. You know and it says bows and arrows—are we going to go back that far? In verse 3, strike your bow from your left hand, your arrows from your right hand. Some of these answers I don't know. Naturally, what would Ezekiel talk about? Machine guns? Obviously he could not do that. So he'd have to describe weapons as they had weapons. But the burning? Some would say well this depicts the blowtorches that will be cutting up the metal for seven years to clean up the land, a possibility. Some Have projected talking about the fact that Russia has project… has developed a wood that they make guns out of. Compressed wood that is harder than steel yet it still burns. Some say that will be the kind of thing that we're talking about, I don't know. Whether because of the sensing devices that we have to detect metal and so on there will be other kinds of weapons developed. I don't know. All I do know is that it will take seven years. It's going to provide fire wood. And I think it’s going to be that kind of situation because verse 10 says, "they won't take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests," This is going to allow the trees to be developed. So it's actual wood here I would take it of one kind or another. Now all the details of that I don't understand. Maybe disarmament will come to that point, I don't know.

Jump down to verse 12. "For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land." Seven months it's going to take to get these bodies buried. They're going to have people whose full-time job is to go around and bury corpses. It's going to be quite a scene. So seven years burning the weapons. Seven months burning the—burying the bodies, so clearly, Russia's not destined to rule the world.

Now this is in the context of the middle of the tribulation, I take it this is in the context of Satan being cast out of heaven which we looked at in Revelation chapter 12 in a previous study. And he comes now he has great wrath knowing his time is short, And evidently Satan has a grasp of future events. He knows at this point time is short. So this has prepared the way for the antichrist now to assert himself. He has moved his armies, as we saw in Daniel chapter 11, into the region of Palestine, but there is no foe. Russia and her allies are corpses on the mountains, what a natural scene. Here is a man who claims to be God, who claims supernatural power, who has the ability in connection with the false prophet, to call down fire from heaven, Natural for him to claim the credit for the destruction of these armies. Who is able to make war with the beast? I mean what are you going to do? Here is a man who declares himself to be God and has demonstrated supernatural power in the destruction of the army. Now that's a projection, I don't know if that's the way it will be or not. But when he does get into Palestine, the armies of Russia are corpses. So who's able to make war with him? Evidently the armies of the orient, China and so on, are not in the position to challenge him at this point. Now by the end of the seven years, they will mobilize and come to challenge him. And we can understand that today. We see something of the impotence of China, Vast numbers of people but not in a position to challenge a major military power at this point like Russia or like the west. So he sets himself up now. The balance of power has been tilted and he is in Jerusalem, He does not need support now from anyone else. So now he begins his program of extermination of Israel, He declares himself to be God, Sets himself up in the temple and only the worship of him is allowed, I take it it would be here that the apostate church is destroyed because "what do I need them for now? I declare myself to be God and I destroy them as well as others,"

Now the purpose in all this, we ought to pick up back in chapter 38. From the human side, we saw in verses 12 and 13, Russia is coming to take plunder and there is this supernatural hate of Israel that is there and we see that in Russia today, In the hatred and the persecution directed toward the Jews, It's supernatural. Why should there be such a hatred of those people? But they see an opportunity to attack them, to vent their hatred, and also to take spoils. You ought to see it from God's standpoint. He sees it as vindicating His glory. And this may be also a turning point for the nation Israel, That Israel will see in this event the hand of God so that during the last three and a half years of the tribulation, we see Israel turning to God to be prepared to receive Christ as their Messiah.

So in chapter 38, verse 16, "You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It will come about in the last days that I shall bring you against My land, in order that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified through you before their eyes, 0 Gog," God is demonstrating His power to set Himself apart as God.in the sight of the people. Maybe this event will be perceived by people from all nations. We know that there are going to be people from every tribe and people and tongue and nation saved in the tribulation. Perhaps this will be one of the events that causes the elect that God has drawn to Himself to see the hand of God at work. They recognize it is God who has intervened,

Down to verse 23, "And I shall magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; they will know that I am the Lord, "Talk about the sovereignty of God, we talk about a selfish God, a God who is self-centered, who does all things for Himself, Here you see mighty vast armies brought to destruction so that God might magnify Himself, But it’s in the destruction of sinful people and these who have set themselves in rebellion against Him,

Down in chapter 39, verse 7, "And My holy name I shall make known in the midst of My people Israel; I shall not let My holy name be profaned anymore. The nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,' declares the Lord God, 'That is the day of which I have spoken,” ‘And you know you ought to mark verse 8, you see the finality of it? It is coming, it shall be done, and this is the day of which I have spoken. The events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 are just as sure as if they were history, because God said it's going to be and all the events are moving towards this fulfillment.

Down to verse 21 of chapter 39, "And I shall set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them," So all parts now, things begin to move rapidly. They accelerate for these last three and a half years, Persecution develops. The hand of God in displaying His glory and power is seen more clearly and more evidently, God is displaying His glory, Begins to see most clearly with the destruction of this great enemy of Israel and will continue to roll on as Israel is drawn to God, These last three and a half years, we'll see the national conversion of Israel, Not every single Jew, but the nation as a whole will turn to the Messiah, Perhaps they'll be reading those verses that we read about Moab and Ammon and the trans-Jordan area being the hiding place and learn from that where to flee, God's purpose in all that He's doing is the glorifying of Himself. Creation, destruction, all for God's glory. We saw that this will be part of causing the world to know Him. Now that does not mean that when this happens all the nations and all the people all of a sudden they're going to fall down and worship God. We know that's not true. What you see here is the unfolding of God's plan in drawing people from the nations and from Israel to Himself,

Look over to Revelation chapter 13, and let me see if we've got the verse here.
Well I'll pick up the other thing I wanted to say out of chapter 13 since you're here and maybe it'll come to me, the verse I wanted to use. We mentioned verse 4 already, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war with him?" And then down in verse 8, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear to hear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes, if anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and faith of the saints," Jump down to verse 13, the antichrist: "He performs great signs so that he makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men," This is what I was referring to earlier, "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," This is the false prophet. "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," Up in verse 7 he makes war and overcome the saints. All this happening in the context, He opposes those who worship God and at the same time, the world is deceived to follow him.

And then the great number of martyrs and that's the verse I was looking for. Jump over to chapter 14 and I'll pick it up from there since I don't have the other verse I jotted down—I thought I jotted down. In verse 3—verse—well this is the hundred and forty-four thousand. This will be Israel, Verse 1—the hundred and "forty-four thousand having His name written and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. A voice from heaven like the sound of many waters, the sound of loud thunder, the voice which I heard was the sound of harpists playing on their harps. They sang a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, the elders; no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. They are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God. No lie was found in their mouth," That’s—there are the hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, I'm looking for the verse that says the people from every tribe, tongue and nation; and you're going to have to find it for me. Yeah, back in 6? 14:6? Yeah, that’s the eternal gospel preached to those who live on earth. To every tribe, tongue, people and nation.

Now, interesting. You know this gospel of the kingdom must be preached to the ends of the earth, then shall the end come. Some say that that’s what we’re doing with radio—it has nothing to do with that. Although maybe radio will be used to proclaim the gospel and is used. We are told an angel flies in heaven proclaiming the gospel all over the world. But then where are those from every tribe, people, tongue and nation? Say it again? 7:9. 13:7? Now let me take 7:9 first. "After these things, I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, tongue, standing before the throne, before the Lamb clothed in white robes, palm branches in their hands, crying out," These are those then down in verse 14. John says, "Who are these? My Lord you know, He said to me, these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation. Indication of a great multitude from all nations and tribes being saved, That’s one of the passages, It’s repeated again later in Revelation,

In 13:7 that’s talking about the antichrist's power over all people, You see in the middle of the tribulation, that's when he asserts power over the entire world. Now that's that 42 month period that's mentioned in verse 5, His authority is over every tribe, peoples, tongues, and nations. All right, well that does the job anyway. There are going to be people—I don't know who wrote my notes Good thing that I wasn't Ezekiel or the Spirit would have had an extra hard job.

All right, so that's something of the program of God unfolded at that point in time. This is the turning point in the tribulation. Russia is now destroyed. Her allies are destroyed, but that doesn't mean that Israel now has peace. Now their great enemy is destroyed but that one and Isaiah chapter 28 speaks of the fact that Israel makes an alliance with Sheol, with hell in the King James, and it will not stand. In Isaiah 28:18, "Your covenant with death shall be cancelled. Your pact with Sheol shall not stand when the overwhelming scourge passes through, then you become its trampling place," I take it it's pact with death, its covenant with death, its pact with Sheol, refers to its agreement with the antichrist and at this point it's broken, They thought that they had entered into an agreement that was salvation, but it's an agreement which is destruction. But at this point God also intervenes to provide for their salvation. So encouraging. We see these nations in the news every day, what’s going to happen? Well, Russia is not going to be destroyed during our time on earth. Don't have to be thinking about that. They are going to survive until God's timetable and then they'll be brought to destruction all because God wants to glorify Himself,

What's the purpose in studying these things? Who cares? If I'm going to be in heaven, it doesn't matter does it? But it does matter. Because here we see the display of the glory of God, How important it is that all peoples on the earth recognize that He is God that He is sovereign and He has all things under control. Isn't it amazing? Here you have one of the mightiest armies in the world, God brings them up to Israel and then destroys them. Now, He's not in a bind. His hands aren't tied. He's not frustrated. Do you ever find yourself saying, "Why doesn't God do something?" Because it's got to be like He said. He's spoken it, He's said it, it will come to pass. That ought to have an effect on the way we live this week. God's moving all these events and all these details. Now I see myself as a representative of that God, I personally represent Him, I ought to be one who does it with courage and confidence and conviction wherever I am.

Let's pray.