THE WALL: a blog of Baptist Voice Ministries

This is the conclusion of a 6-part series from T. Getterman concerning the role of Israel in the end times.

Dr. Mike Harmon
Director, BVM

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Now let’s look at some of the events in Ezekiel 38-39.  Ezekiel 38 tells us that Gog will send his “whole army” against Israel.  My belief is thatGod will wipe out both the entire Russian army and radical Islam in this battle, thus paving the way for the world of non-believers to follow and worship the Antichrist during the Tribulation.

Per Ezekiel 38, Russia’s leader will send his armies, both Russian and Muslim, to “invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel”.  Many of the Jewish people have already been gathered to Israel from the many nations to which they were dispersed.  This is continuing today, and I think that it will increase even more when Israel is attacked in thePsalm 83 Battle.  I believe that it will be that war from which they are recovering in Ezekiel 38.

After the Psalm 83 Battle, the Israelis will be living in safety, as they will have wiped out the armies of their neighboring countries.  They will be “a peaceful and unsuspecting people”.

Ezekiel 38 also says that Israel will be wealthy prior to the attack by Gog and his armies.  They will be “rich in livestock and goods” and will have silver and gold and “much plunder”.  It will be God, and not the might of Israel, who will execute judgment upon Gog and his armies by destroying them. 

This is part 5 of a 6-part series from T. Getterman concerning the role of Israel in the end times.  Part 6 will be published tomorrow, May 31th at 6pm CST.

Dr. Mike Harmon
Director, BVM

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EZEKIEL  38-39  BATTLE

The Ezekiel 38-39 Battle is also called the Gog of the Land of Magog Battle, and the attacking forces have often been called Gog and his Islamic armies.  Let’s look at that battle by first looking at Scripture.

Ezekiel 38       The word of the LORD came to me:  “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshechand Tubal; prophesy against him and say:  ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:  I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.  I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army – your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.  Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops – the many nations with you.  Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them.  After many days you will be called to arms.  In future yearsyou will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate.  They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.  You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.’”  This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme.  You will say, ‘I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people – all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.  I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.’  Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to plunder?  Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?’  “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog:  ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:  In that day, when My people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it?  You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.  You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud that covers the land.  In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you before their eyes.’”  This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel?  At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.  This is what will happen in that day:  When Gog attacks the land of Israel, My hot anger will be aroused,” declares the Sovereign LORD.  “In My zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.  The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the Earth will tremble at My presence.  The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.  I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains,” declares the Sovereign LORD.  “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.  I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.  And so I will show My greatness and My holiness, and I will make Myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 39       “Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say:  ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:  I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.  I will turn you around and drag you along.  I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel.  Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand.  On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you.  I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals.  You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken,” declares the Sovereign LORD.  “I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD.  I will make known My holy name among My people Israel.  I will no longer let My holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel.  It is coming!  It will surely take place,” declares the Sovereign LORD.  “This is the day I have spoken of.  Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up – the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the war clubs and spears.  For seven years they will use them for fuel. They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel.  And they will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them,” declares the Sovereign LORD.  “On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east toward the Sea.  It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there.  So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.  For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I am glorified will be a memorable day for them,” declares the Sovereign LORD.  “Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land.  Some will go throughout the land and, in addition to them, others will bury those that remain on the ground.  At the end of the seven months they will begin their search.  As they go through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker beside it until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog.  (Also a town called Hamonah will be there.)  And so they will cleanse the land.”  Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says:  “Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals:  Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel.  There you will eat flesh and drink blood.  You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the Earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls – all of them fattened animals from Bashan.  At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk.  At My table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,” declares the Sovereign LORD.  “I will display My glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them.  From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God.  And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to Me.  So I hid My face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.  I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid My face from them.”  Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:  “I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for My holy name.  They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward Me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid.  When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show Myself holy through them in the sight of many nations.  Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.  I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Sovereign LORD.

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We looked at the “players” from Psalm 83.  Now let’s look at those from Ezekiel 38-39.  It is important to know what person, peoples, countries or areas the ancient names refer to.  You will see that these are the outer ring of countries around Israel.

GOG – He will be the chief prince, which means the dictator in charge.  Gog will use his time in power/office to gather his military forces and political allies to prepare for the coming war with Israel.

The name Gog is sometimes identified with Gyges, the king of Lydia (present-day western Turkey) from approximately 687 to 652 BC.  Gyges was the founder of the third, or Mermnad, dynasty of Lydian kings.  He reigned shortly after the famous king Midas of the golden touch lore. Gyges supposedly bought his way to power by giving six golden mixing bowls worth approximately $14 million in today’s dollars to the Oracle at Delphi, who endorsed his reign.  The traditional capital of Lydia was in Sardis, which is one of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.

I could see this association of Gog with the name of Gyges (and, therefore, present-day Turkey) if we were given no other information in Scripture.  However, when Gog is called “the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” and we are told that he is “of the land of Magog”, I think it is an indication that he will come from much farther north than present-day Turkey.  Both Ezekiel 38 and 39 say that he will come from the “far north”.  I believe that he will be the leader of present-day Russia.

MAGOG – This was a tribe on the Volga River in present-day Russia.  It appears to strongly tie Gog to present-day Russia.  Magog was one of the sons of Noah’s son Japheth according to Genesis 10:2.

MESHECH – Some scholars believe that this is a reference to Moscow.  Others say that it refers to present-day Georgia and/or part of the Caucasus Mountains and/or a location around the border of present-day Turkey and Georgia.  Many Georgians claim that they are descended from Meshech, who was also a son of Noah’s son Japheth according to Genesis 10:2.  Keep in mind that Russia invaded Georgia not too long ago and, realistically, controls Georgia.  In one sense, it doesn’t matter whether Meshech is a reference to Moscow or Georgia, because the Russian leader is in charge of both of them.  These armies will come against Israel from the north and northeast.

I might add that “Rosh” was the original name for present-day Russia.  Byzantine writers of the tenth century mention “Ros” as dwelling to the north of Taurus, which was in present-day Turkey.  This appears to be a clear reference to present-day Russia also so, in case you read of either of them, “Rosh” and “Ros” appear to be synonymous.

TUBAL – Tubal was also a son of Noah’s son Japheth as we see in Genesis 10:2.  Descendants of Tubal are also thought by many to be ancestors of present-day Georgians. Some Bible scholars say that Tubal is a reference to Tobolsk, the modern Siberian oil city on the Tubal River, which would place it in present-day Russia.  As discussed above, the Russian leader is in charge of both Russia and Georgia.

Note that some other people believe that Meshech and Tubal refer to ancient tribes that settled portions of modern-day Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Kosovo.  Every possibility for Magog, Meshech and Tubal indicate that these future armies will come against Israel from the north, northwest and northeast.

Also note that Isaiah 66:18-19 tells us that, during the Millennial Kingdom, Christ will send some of His Jewish remnant to Tubal to proclaim His glory.  Those verses say, “‘And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory.  I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations – to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. They will proclaim My glory among the nations.’”

Tubal’s armies will be destroyed in the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle but, because we know that Christ will send some of His future disciples there, we know that the area will not be totally destroyed as Damascus will have been earlier.

PERSIA – It is indisputable that this is a reference to present-day Iran, which lies to the east of Israel.  The Persians/Iranians are descended from Noah’s son Shem.  They will attack Israel from the east.

Note that Isaiah 22:5-8 says that Elam, which was in present-day Iran, “takes up the quiver with her charioteers and horses” and that “the defenses of Judah are stripped away”.  These most likely refer to the future Ezekiel 38-39 Battle.

Also note the alliance between Magog/Russia and Persia/Iran.  Since this prophecy was written in the 500’s BC, there has never been such an alliance and, instead, there has been pure hatred between these two groups.  Now we are seeing the beginnings of an alliance as Vladimir Putin of Russia and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran have worked very closely together on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

CUSH – According to Genesis 10:6, Cush was a son of Noah’s son Ham.  It is a reference to present-day Ethiopia on the African continent. Its armies will come against Israel from the south.

PUT – Genesis 10:6 tells us that Put was also a son of Noah’s son Ham.  This is a reference to present-day Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, all of which lie in North Africa.  Their future armies will come against Israel from the south and southwest.  Like present-day Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya are in states of upheaval and chaos as I write this.  Isaiah 66:18-19 tells us that, during the Millennial Kingdom, the Messiah will also send some of His Jewish remnant to Libya to proclaim His glory, so we know that Libya will not be totally destroyed.

GOMER – According to Genesis 10:2, Gomer was a son of Noah’s son Japheth.  This is a somewhat difficult reference as some scholars place its location in present-day Turkey, as did first century AD historian Flavius Josephus, who placed it in ancient Asia Minor.  Others think it refers to present-day Germany and Poland.  In either case, this reference appears to be to armies moving against Israel from the north and northwest.

Isaiah 66:18-19 also says that, during the Millennial Kingdom, Christ will send some of His Jewish remnant to Lydia, which was part of present-day Turkey, to proclaim His glory.  If Gomer refers to Turkey, then that verse also applies here.

BETH TOGARMAH – Genesis 10:3 tells us that Togarmah was a son of Gomer, so they are descendants of Noah’s son Japheth.  All references are to present-day Armenia and western Russia.  These future armies will come against Israel from the north and northeast.

SHEBA and DEDAN – According to Genesis 10:7 and 1 Chronicles 1:8-10, they were grandsons of Cush, who was a son of Noah’s son Ham. However, 1 Chronicles 1:32 says that they were Abraham’s grandsons through his second wife Keturah.  Abraham was descended through Noah’s son Shem.  By the way, Shem’s descendants were called Semites.  If you were against Shem’s descendants, you were anti-Semitic. This term has come into our language to mean anti-Jewish, but its original meaning was against all of Shem’s descendants, including the present-day Iranians.

Are the Sheba and Dedan of Ezekiel 38 descended from Abraham, a descendant of Shem, or from Ham?  It doesn’t really matter.  It could be both, as Jokshan, Abraham’s son, could have had children with one of Ham’s descendants, or Keturah, Abraham’s second wife, could have been a descendant of Ham.  We just know that they will go against Israel.  All references point to Sheba and Dedan having been trading centers in Arabia, which is primarily present-day Saudi Arabia.  These armies will come against Israel from the south and southeast.

TARSHISH – Genesis 10:4 says that he was a grandson of Noah’s son Japheth.  Most scholars believe that this is a reference to a leading trade center in the West, possibly in present-day Spain.  Others believe that it is a reference to present-day Turkey.  These future armies will move against Israel from the west or north.

Note that Isaiah 23:14 tells us that Tarshish will be destroyed.  This will likely take place in the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle.  However, Tarshish will not be totally destroyed as Damascus will have been earlier, as Isaiah 66:18-19 says that the Messiah will also send some of His Jewish remnant to Tarshish to proclaim His glory.  This will take place during the Millennial Kingdom.

This is part 4 of a 6-part series from T. Getterman concerning the role of Israel in the end times.  Part 5 will be published tomorrow, May 30th at 6pm CST.

Dr. Mike Harmon
Director, BVM

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It could be argued that the Psalm 83 Battle has already taken place and was either the Jewish War of Independence, which began on May 15, 1948, or the Six Days War, which was fought in June 1967.  In each of these wars, Israel fought virtually all of the countries with which she shares borders.  While either of these is a possibility, I believe that the Psalm 83 Battle has not yet occurred because, in both of these prior instances, Israel’s neighbors were not devastated to the point that Israel lived in total safety as Ezekiel 38 says that they will, and Israel did not plunder their conquered neighbors at either time as Obadiah and Zephaniah say will happen.

It does not appear that the Psalm 83 Battle could have been fought before 1948 because of the references to “nation” and “Israel”.  From the time that this Psalm was written during King David’s reign until the mid-20^th Century, there were three times when Israel could have been considered a “nation”.  The first of these was during the time of the United Jewish Kingdom under King David and King Solomon.  That “nation” ended in approximately 931 BC.

That time was followed by the second pre-1948 possibility of Israel being considered a “nation”.  This was during the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel.  Israel was defeated by Assyria in 722 BC and Judah was defeated by Babylon in 586 BC.

The third pre-1948 time that Israel could have been considered a “nation” was during the rule of the Maccabees from 145 to 63 BC.  It ended with their conquest by Rome.

In each of these time periods, the Jewish nation (or nations) was never in an all-out war against all of her neighbors at the same time, and the Jewish people certainly never devastated them to the point that the Israelis could live in safety as Ezekiel 38 says.  Therefore, I do not think the Psalm 83 Battle occurred before 1948.

On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation, thus fulfilling the Isaiah 66:8 prophesy.  It says, “Who has ever heard of such a thing?  Who has ever seen such things?  Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?  Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”  May 14, 1948 is the only time in the history of the world that a nation has come about in a single day.  The next day, Israel’s War of Independence began when she was attacked by her neighbors.  Note that it took seven years for the United States to become a nation.  It only took Israel one day.

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Again, I believe that the Psalm 83 Battle is a future battle.  Scripture tells us not to lose all hope for Egypt.  Look at the remainder of Isaiah 19.

Isaiah 19:18-25          In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty.  One of them will be called the City of Destruction.  In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border.  It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt.  When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a Savior and Defender, and He will rescue them.  So the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD.  They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them.  The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them and heal them.  They will turn to the LORD, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them.  In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria.  The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria.  The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.  In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the Earth.  The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.”

Isaiah 19:18-25 speaks of three different times.  One is when the Lord strikes them with a plague.  This could be during the Psalm 83 Battle, or it could refer to a different time altogether.  It doesn’t really matter for purposes of this discussion.

Another time mentioned in Isaiah 19:18-25 is when Jesus returns as Egypt’s Savior and Defender and rescues them from the Antichrist and the evil of the Tribulation.

The third time mentioned is the Millennial Kingdom, which is when “there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border”.  During the Millennial Kingdom, they will worship Christ with sacrifices and grain offerings, and Jesus will heal them.

Look at the last part of these verses, which speaks of the “highway from Egypt to Assyria”, the Egyptians and Assyrians worshiping together, and the Lord blessing Egypt, Assyria and Israel.  Compare this to Genesis 15:18, which says, “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.’”  The Euphrates River was in ancient Assyria.

These Isaiah verses are speaking of when the full extent of the land promised to Abraham’s descendants are inherited by the Jewish remnant. Remember 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.”

The Psalm 83 Battle is part of what God planned long ago.  He doesn’t cause the evil, but He allows it to happen.  He will use the evil of these countries’ attack on Israel to fulfill His plan.

This is part 3 of a 6-part series from T. Getterman concerning the role of Israel in the end times.  Part 4 will be published tomorrow, May 29th at 6pm CST.

Dr. Mike Harmon
Director, BVM

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Isaiah 19

A Prophecy About Egypt

 ¹ An oracle concerning Egypt:

See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them. ² “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian— brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. ³ The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists. ⁴ I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. ⁵ The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry. ⁶ The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. The reeds and rushes will wither, ⁷ also the plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the river. Every sown field along the Nile will become parched, will blow away and be no more. ⁸ The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away. ⁹ Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope. ¹⁰ The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart. ¹¹ The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings”? ¹² Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known  what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt. ¹³ The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis^[a] are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray. ¹⁴ The LORD has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit. ¹⁵ There is nothing Egypt can do— head or tail, palm branch or reed.

 ¹⁶ In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them. ¹⁷ And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them.

Since these verses were written in the 700’s BC, “the land of Judah” has not brought “terror to the Egyptians”, and“everyone to whom Judah is mentioned” has not been terrified.  I believe that this prophecy will be fulfilled in the Psalm 83 Battle.  It will not take place in the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle, as Egypt is not a participant.  It will not take place during the Tribulation because Judah will not be a terror to anyone at that time.  It will not take place during the Millennial Kingdom because, as Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 say, “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Nations will not do battle during that time.  The prophecy about the land of Judah being a terror to the Egyptians can only take place during the Psalm 83 Battle.

As I discussed previously, it is my belief that the Psalm 83 Battle will be followed by the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle, and then by the Tribulation.  Isaiah 19:4 says, “‘I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,’ declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.”  I feel very strongly that “cruel master” and “fierce king” are references to the Antichrist, who will reign during the Tribulation.  At that time, the Egyptians will no longer worship Allah.  They will worship the Antichrist.

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Another reference that I believe is to the Psalm 83 Battle is in the Book of Zephaniah.  When prophecies were written, they often had a near-term fulfillment as well as a long-term fulfillment.  They could also refer to multiple time periods within a single verse or consecutive verses.  Keep that in mind as you look at these verses out of Zephaniah, which was written in the late 600’s BC and not long before the conquest of Judah by Babylon.

Zephaniah 2:8-11      “I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted My people and made threats against their land.  Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel,“surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah – a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever.  The remnant of My people will plunder them; the survivors of My nation will inherit their land.”  This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty.  The LORD will be awesome to them when He destroys all the gods of the land.  The nations on every shore will worship Him, every one in its own land. 

When God says that “Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah – a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever”, there is no doubt that this is talking about the total destruction of Moab and Ammon.  It hasn’t happened yet.  I believe that this is most likely a reference to when Jesus returns.

The next verse is “The remnant of My people will plunder them; the survivors of My nation will inherit their land.” This hasn’t happened yet either.  Since this was written, the Jewish people have not owned or controlled ancient Moab and Ammon, which are in present-day Jordan.  I think this verse is specifically talking about the Psalm 83 Battle in which Israel will be overwhelmingly successful against present-day Jordan.  At that point, they will “plunder them” and “inherit their land”.  If these areas were totally destroyed, there would be nothing left to plunder and inherit.

Look at the verse which says “The LORD will be awesome to them when He destroys all the gods of the land.” Ancient Moab worshiped Chemosh and ancient Ammon worshiped Molech, who was also known as Moloch.  These were the same false gods which can be traced back to the Tower of Babel.  Today, the people in that area worship Allah.  All of these false gods will be destroyed, but it hasn’t happened yet.  I think that it will take place near the end of the Tribulation when Babylon is destroyed.  All of the false gods originated at the Tower of Babel, which was in ancient Babylon and is in present-day Iraq.

The next verse is “The nations on every shore will worship Him, every one in its own land.”  The nations’ worshiping of Jesus will definitely be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom.

This is part 2 of a 6-part series from T. Getterman concerning the role of Israel in the end times.  Part 3 will be published tomorrow, May 28th at 6pm CST.

Dr. Mike Harmon
Director, BVM

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Who are the “players” in this Psalm?  Let’s look at them.

ASAPH – He appears to have been a musician in King David’s court.  David reigned in approximately 1009-970 BC.

EDOM – This is the name of the land of the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob/Israel.  Esau and Jacob were the sons of Isaac and the grandsons of Abraham.  Edom was just east of the Jordan River near southern Israel. It was in present-day Jordan, of which I believe Psalm 83 is referring.

During the second half of the Tribulation, the Jewish remnant will be divinely protected by God in Bozrah, which is in ancient Edom.  I believe that Bozrah is present-day Petra, Jordan.  When Jesus returns, He will go first to Bozrah/Edom to rescue His Jewish remnant.  Isaiah 34:6-17, Jeremiah 49:13 and Amos 1:12 tell us that Edom will be totally destroyed at that time, and that “its smoke will rise forever”.  Again, this will not happen until near the end of the Tribulation.  In the Psalm 83 Battle, Jordan’s armies will be destroyed and the portion of Jordan which was ancient Edom will be severely damaged, but not destroyed.  I think Obadiah confirms this.

Obadiah 6-9   

⁶ But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!
⁷ All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you,^[b] but you will not detect it.

⁸ “In that day,” declares the LORD, “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, men of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
⁹ Your warriors, O Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter.

Edom’s/Esau’s armies will be destroyed, but Jordan will be left intact enough for the hidden treasures to be pillaged.

ISHMAELITES – These are the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and his concubine Hagar.  Ishmael’s mother and wife were both Egyptian, so his children were three quarters Egyptian.  I believe that this is a reference topresent-day Egypt.

MOAB – These were the descendants of Moab, the son of Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and one of Lot’s daughters. Moab was just east of the Jordan River near central Israel.  It was also in present-day Jordan.

HAGRITES – The name of these people is also spelled “Hagarites”.  They were a nomadic tribe descended from Hagar, who was the mother of Abraham’s son Ishmael.  Hagar, who was Egyptian, was the maidservant of Abraham’s wife Sarah.  The Hagrites/Hagarites lived primarily east of the Jordan River.  I believe that this is a reference to either present-day Jordan or Egypt.

GEBEL – This appears to be a reference to pagan worshipers in present-day Lebanon.

AMMON – These were the descendants of Ben-Ami, the son of Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and one of Lot’s daughters. Ammon was just east of the Jordan River near northern Israel.  It was also in present-day Jordan.

AMALEK – Amalek was the grandson of Esau, and was chief of an Edomite tribe.  There are some references, both Biblical and non-Biblical, that indicate that the Amalekites did not descend from Esau’s grandson, but rather from someone after whom he was named.  Some Arab historians speak of the Amalekites being Canaanites, which would make them descendants of Noah’s son Ham.  Note that Esau was descended from Noah’s son Shem.  If this is a reference to the grandson of Esau, it would refer to present-day Jordan.  If it is a reference to the Canaanites, it could refer to any of the countries immediately surrounding Israel.

PHILISTIA – This was the land of the Philistines which was located primarily in the area of the Gaza Strip today.  The Philistines were sea-invaders from the Aegean Sea, near Greece.  They appear to be descendants of Noah’s son Japheth and, therefore, were not Arab.  After being repulsed from an attempted invasion of Egypt, they obtained firm control of the southwestern coast of Canaan in approximately 1194 BC, where they founded five settlements.  The threat from the Philistines is what forged a union of the Israelite tribes during the time of the Judges.  King David finally crushed the Philistines.  This Psalm 83 reference is to the present-day Gaza Strip.

TYRE – This was in present-day Lebanon, to which Psalm 83 refers.  In ancient times, Tyre was part of Phoenicia, which was an ancient civilization centered to the north of ancient Canaan.  Isaiah 23:1a says that Tyre will be “destroyed and left without house or harbor”.  This hasn’t happened since Isaiah wrote this in the 700’s BC.  I think it will take place in the Psalm 83 Battle.

ASSYRIA – This ancient empire was centered on the upper Tigris River in the area of Turkey, Syria and upper Iraq. The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern Jewish kingdom of Israel in 722 BC.  I believe that this name in Psalm 83 is a reference to present-day Syria and possibly Iraq, as neither of these present-day countries are mentioned in regard to the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle.  Isaiah 17:1-3 says that Damascus, which is the present-day capital of Syria, “will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins” and that it will disappear.  This hasn’t yet happened.  I believe that it will happen in the Psalm 83 Battle.

LOT – He was the nephew of Abraham.  Lot’s two daughters got him drunk and slept with him.  They each conceived, with one giving birth to Ben-Ami, the father of the Ammonites, and the other giving birth to Moab, the father of the Moabites.  This is a reference to present-day Jordan.

SELAH – This is not a place or people.  It is thought to be a reference to worship music.  Asaph, who wrote this Psalm, appears to have been a musician in King David’s court.  Note that some people believe that it means to pause and contemplate what has just been read.

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MIDIAN – Midian was the fourth son of Abraham and Keturah, Abraham’s second wife.  Abraham sent his sons by Keturah to live in the east, and far from Isaac, his son by Sarah.  Midian’s descendants settled in the territory east of the Jordan River and east of the Dead Sea.  Much of this area would be known as Edom in subsequent centuries.  We know it as present-day Jordan today.

The Midianite territory also included part of the Sinai Peninsula, which is present-day Egypt, during the time of the Exodus.  Moses married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian.  Numbers 12:1 tells us that Zipporah was also Cushite, which means that her ancestors came from Cush.  Cush is present-day Ethiopia.  They will be one of Israel’s attackers in the Ezekiel battle.

As for Midian, God’s occurrence in the burning bush appears to have taken place in Midian.  During the time of the Judges, Gideon defeated the Midianites.

JABIN and SISERA – Jabin was a Canaanite king and Sisera was the commander of his army.  God enabled them to be defeated by Deborah and Barak in Judges 4.

OREB and ZEEB – These were Midianite leaders whom God enabled Gideon to defeat in Judges 7.

ZEBAH and ZALMUNNA – These were kings of Midian whom God enabled Gideon to defeat in Judges 8.

In summary, the Psalm 83 Battle is most likely a future battle in which Israel is attacked from all sides.  The references to Edom, Moab, Ammon, Lot and possibly the Hagrites tell us that Jordan will come at her from the east. References to the Ishmaelites and possibly the Hagrites tell us that Egypt will come against Israel from the south and west.  Gebel and Tyre say that Lebanon will attack her from the north.  Philistia tells us that the Gaza Strip will come at Israel from the west.  The reference to Assyria says that Syria and possibly Iraq will attack her from the north and northeast.  Note that none of these countries are involved in the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle so, at a minimum, their armies will be obliterated during the Psalm 83 Battle.

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.