Today’s blog is the first in a six-part series featuring a lesson taught by T. Getterman to students in his home bible study. He is the CFO of a franchised business with it’s headquarters here in Austin, Texas. He is a member of High Pointe Baptist Church, and is gifted in interpreting and teaching the Bible.

A few weeks ago he sent this lesson to my son and others. I read it and found it to be very informative. With Israel and the Middle East being in the news on a daily basis, we decided to share Mr. Getterman’s lesson with our many friends. The lesson is unedited by us. Tomorrow, May 27, at 6:00 p.m., we will publish Part 2 and continue daily until Tuesday, May 31.

No one at BVM recieves a salary. Each team member donates their time and expertise to help spread the Word of God to the world. We ask that you help us by sharing these blogs with your family and friends. –

Dr. Mike Harmon
Director, BVM

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THE PSALM  83  BATTLE

Let’s start off by looking at Isaiah 25:1, which says, “O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your Name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”  God has had a plan from the beginning to bring believers back into a perfect relationship with Him.

Since the Fall of Man, we have lived in a fallen world.  In the future, it will be perfect again, but until then, there are still a lot of terrible things yet to come.  We’re going to talk about some of those things tonight.

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Probably all of us have had some discussion about the events in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria, Algeria and Libya over recent weeks.  The Muslim Brotherhood has been behind many of these protests.  Let’s look at how these events might relate to End Times prophecies.

Let me emphasize that I will go through various events as I read Scripture.  Some people see future events happening in a little different order.  That’s okay.  They haven’t happened yet, and they are not salvation issues.

Most students of the Bible believe that there are at least three, and many of us believe four, great battles yet to come.  One of these great battles will be the Gog of the Land of Magog Battle, which is described in Ezekiel 38-39.  In it, countries in an outer ring around Israel, including Tunisia, will attack her.  None of the countries adjacent to Israel are mentioned in this battle.

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After the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle takes place, the Tribulation will occur.  I, for one, believe that it will begin almost immediately after the Ezekiel battle ceases.  Other people think that it will begin 3½ years after the end of the Ezekiel battle.

The Tribulation will be a horrific seven-year time period in which the Antichrist, who is the “little horn” in Daniel 7, reigns.  Over half of the Earth’s population will die during this time.  It is also called Daniel’s 70^th “Seven” from Daniel 9.  It is addressed in a number of Old Testament books, including Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel and Zechariah, as well as the books of Matthew and Revelation out of the New Testament.

At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus will return.  This is addressed in Leviticus 23 and elsewhere in the Bible.  It is at that time that a second great battle – the Battle of Armageddon – will take place.  It is mentioned by name in Revelation 16:16, but is described in more detail in other books of the Bible.  Zechariah probably gives as much detail as any other book about this battle.  The name “Armageddon” is derived from Megiddo, which is an ancient city in Israel that is situated on the edge of the Plain of Jezreel.  In the future, armies will gather at Armageddon on the Plain of Jezreel, but the attack will be against Jerusalem.  After this battle, Satan will be bound for 1,000 years.

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Jesus’ return will be followed by the 1,000-year period known as the Millennial Kingdom.  That time period is addressed in a lot of detail in a lot of books of the Bible, and especially in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Psalms and Revelation.

It is during this time that the Jewish people will receive the full extent of land which God promised to Abraham’s descendants.  It has not yet happened, and will not be fulfilled until the Millennial Kingdom.

At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, Satan will be released and go and deceive the nations.  That will lead to the last great battle of the future.  It is called the Battle of Gog and Magog.  We read of it in Revelation 20:8-9.  In it, Jerusalem will be surrounded by the armies of evil.  Fire will come down from Heaven and destroy these evil armies.

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The Battle of Gog and Magog will be followed by the Great White Throne Judgment, in which Christ judges non-believers.  That is followed by the New Jerusalem, in which we, as believers, tabernacle (live) with Jesus in eternity. Again, this is addressed in numerous books of the Bible.  All of these times are for other discussions.

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In this discussion, I want to talk about what I believe is a fourth great battle which is yet to come.  It is known as the Psalm 83 Battle.  In the Psalm 83 Battle, the countries adjacent to Israel will attack her.  Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinians and possibly Iraq will be participants in this battle.

My belief is that the Psalm 83 Battle will occur before the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle.  That would explain why none of Israel’s immediate neighbors are involved in the Ezekiel battle.

Some people believe that the Psalm 83 Battle is the same battle as the Battle of Armageddon.  I do not agree but, again, this isn’t a salvation issue.  Let’s look at Scripture.

Psalm 83

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.
2 See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

5 With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal,[a] Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot.  Selah

9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD— that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.