Paraphrased Specific Details and A Summary of The End Times

INDEX FOR THIS SECTION

1. THE SCENARIO FROM JER 50-51, ISA 13-14 (AND REV 17-18)

2. THE SCENARIO IN EZEKIEL 38-39

3. EZEKIEL 38-39 TIMELINE

4. SUMMARY OF SCRIPTURES DESCRIBING LIFE DURING THE MILLENNIUM

5. SUMMARY OF GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

SCENARIO FROM Jer 50-51, Isa 13-14

• Babylon (Iraq) will be destroyed by strangers and nations from the north, including the Medes (northern Iran), Jer 51:11, 28, 48, Isa 13:3-5, 17. This also includes the nations from Ararat (Black Sea area), Minni (Iran), and Ashkenaz (Black Sea Area, south western Russia), Jer 51:27. This is basically the same nations listed in Ezek 38. Also see the table in this section listing these nations.
• God’s orders are to destroy Iraq and to leave no remnant, Jer 50:21, 26. He declares this because they opposed him; they would not accept Israel as God’s people, Jer 51:24, and Jesus as God, Jer 50:24. They also attacked Israel and killed many Jews, Jer 51:49. They will fall because they first attack Israel, Jer 51:49. They worship a false god, Jer 50:36, 51:17-18, 44, 47, 52.
• God is behind this judgment. Another stated reason has to do with the temple, (possibly because the antichrist desecrates the temple in the middle of the tribulation period, Jer 50:28, 51:11, 51, or possibly because of their destruction of the temple in 586 BC).
• This judgment will apparently include use of nuclear weapons; the judgment is described as being as high as the clouds, Jer 51:9.
• God’s people are warned to flee from Iraq, Jer 50:8, 51:6, 45, when they hear the rumors, possibly the rumors of the coming asteroid hitting the earth, or because God brings an alliance of nations from the north, Jer 50:9, 41, 43, 51:46, to attack Iraq with nuclear weapons, Jer 50:32, 51:16, Isa 13:9-13.
• The roaring waves of the sea will rise over Babylon and cover her, Jer 51:42.
• Iraq will be destroyed to the extent that it becomes uninhabitable, Jer 50:3, 13, 39-40, 51:25-26, 29, 37, 43, Isa 13:19-22, 14:22-23. The land will also be devastated, Jer 51:2.
• There will be a drought to the extent that the rivers and lakes dry up, Jer 50:38, 51:36.
• During that time the people of Israel will flock to the Lord and apparently seek Jesus (Jer 50:4).
• God originally promised that Babylon or Iraq would be made desolate forever because of their destruction of Jerusalem, the temple and the nation, and also because of their 70 year exile of the people of Israel. He said that this would happen at the end of the 70 year captivity, Jer 25:12-13, 30:11, 16. God also promised Israel that he would send the sword, famine and plague to them because even after the 70 year captivity they did not listen to his prophets, Jer 29:17-19. When did this 70 year captivity end so that God could fulfill these promises? God extended the punishment by (430-70=360) x 7 = 2520 x .9856 = 2484 years because they had not listened to his prophets and repented of their sins, Ezek 4:1-8, 5:1-12. Thus the punishment for the nation ended in 1948, for the city in 1967 and the prophecy may possibly point to the punishment involving the temple ending in 2040. God’s punishment of Iraq for their treatment of his people will not begin until after that time. The destruction of the temple in 586 BC is likely what is being mentioned in Jer 50:28, 51:11, 51. This punishment of Iraq may be a part of the nuclear war that ushers in the tribulation period.

SCENARIO FROM Ezek 38-39

• Ezekiel 38-39 describe a war in the end times in which a number of nations from the north of Israel attack her. God says in Ezek 38:16 that he is behind this and brings these nations against Israel so that he can convince the nations of the world that he is holy, that he is God. The nations listed in the table in this section are said in Ezek 38:1-6 to be those nations attacking Israel. God further names the nations that will ally with Israel in her defense, Ezek 38:13. These nations are also listed in the table in this section and may be the United States, Britain and a couple of Middle East nations that are currently allied with them.
• Ezek 38:8, 14 says that at some time in the future after Israel has been re-gathered from the nations and is back in her land (after 1948), God will send these nations to attack Israel. This will be in a time during which Israel has just recovered from another war and is living in safety. The tribulation period starts with a nuclear war involving Israel in the first judgment. The antichrist emerges onto the world scene when he brokers a seven year peace treaty between Israel and her enemies to end this war.
• In Ezek 39:2 God repeats that it is he who sends the nations from the far north against Israel. He says in verses 3-6 that he does this so that he can bring judgment against those lands from the far north. God says that he will defeat them in such a supernatural way that the nations of the earth will recognize that he is their God. Ezek 39:22 says that God does this in such a way that from that day forward Israel will recognize that God is their Lord, which I interpret to mean that Jesus is their Lord and God. They will be so soundly defeated that Israel will use the weapons that they capture as fuel for seven years, Ezek 39:9-10. Ezek 39:12-13 says that it will take seven months to bury the enemy dead.
• Ezek 39:29 says that God will pour out his Spirit on Israel, which means to me that they will accept Jesus as their Savior.

EZEKIEL 38 CLEARLY TAKES PLACE IN THE 1ST AND 2ND JUDGMENTS AND EZEKIEL 39 TAKES PLACE IN THE 6TH AND 7TH JUDGMENTS

BOUNDARIES OF THE PROMISED LAND IN THE MILLENNIUM

• The Antichrist apparently takes advantage of the situation and his position and brokers a seven year peace treaty between Israel and the nations that attacked her. Determining exactly which nations are involved is an inexact science. At the time that these books of prophecy were being written the Scythians, called the kings of the north by Daniel, and the Egyptians, called the kings of the south by Daniel, had repeated wars with each other as they fought for domination of that area of the world. They marched and fought across the holy land several times as they battled each other and conquered the territories. They were greatly feared by the Israelites. The language used in the books of prophecy seems to make it clear that these events were models for end time events. It is impossible to know exactly how the historic nations match up with end time nations. We can assume, however, that it is safe to draw general conclusions and we can get a fairly clear picture of what is in store for the world in the end times. Rev 20:7 tells us how to interpret Gog and Magog as they relate to end time events; they represent the unbelieving nations fo the earth. Gog may represent the leading nation in the coalition of unbelieving nations or it may represent the leader, who is called Gog. A table describing nations involved in the end time battles involving Israel is included on page 27.
• A close reading of Ezek 38 reveals that it takes place largely during the first and second Revelation judgments while Ezek 39 takes place during the sixth and seventh judgments. The following tables show this to be the case.

COMPARING EZEKIEL 38 WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND REVELATION JUDGMENTS​

COMPARING EZEKIEL 38-39 WITH THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH REV JUDGMENTS

A SUMMARY OF SCRIPTURES DESCRIBING LIFE ON EARTH DURING THE MILLENNIUM

We will do many things in the millennial kingdom including

• Rule over the nations of the earth: Dan 7:18, 27, Micah 4:8, Matt 5:5, 2 Tim 2:12, Rev 2:26-28, 3:21, 5:10, 20:6. Be in charge of many things: Matt 25:21, 23. Be leaders over cities, according to our service record: Luke 19:11-19.
• Be judges: Dan 12:7-12, Matt 19:28, 25:31, 1 Cor 6:2-3, Jude 14-15.
• Teach and make Jesus better known among the nations; be shepherds who pass on knowledge about Jesus: Isa 12:4, Jer 3:14-15, Rev 5:10, 20:6 (priests).
• Sing and give praises to Jesus all over the world: Isa 12:5-6, 26:1. We will sing the chorus “All my fountains are in you:” Ps 87:7. We will also sing and play musical instruments: Ps 68:24-25.
• Rejoice because we were saved by Jesus and he allowed us to be there with him: Isa 25:9, 65:13. Share in Jesus’ happiness: Matt 25:21, 23.
• Eat and drink: Isa 65:13, Matt 26:29.
• Not consider past phases of our lives important: Isa 65:17.
• Be called holy, redeemed, sought after, the residence of the Lord (the New Jerusalem), belongs to God, The Lord is there: Ps 46:4-5, Ezek 48:35, Isa 56:5, 62:2, 12, 65:15, Rev 3:12, 14:1, 19:13, 16, 20:9, 21:2-3, 9-10, 22:3-4, Gal 4:26-31, Heb 12:22-24, Eph 2:19-22. [Figuratively speaking, everyone will have a mark on his forehead indicating who he belongs to, God or Satan. Rev 13:16-18 and 14:9 discuss the mark of Satan], [members of the 7 churches receive an engraving, Zech 3:8-9, Rev 3:12-13].
• Receive crowns, rewards, and eternal life: Rev 2:10, 17, 23.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE END TIMES: SUMMARY OF GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

• There are multiple Old Testament prophecies of each of the seven tribulation judgments described in Revelation. The language used in the Old Testament prophecies is remarkably similar to the language used in Revelation.
• We can get details that add significantly to our understanding of the end time prophecies given in Revelation.
• The day of the Lord will be bitter, a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, of trouble and ruin, of darkness and gloom, of clouds and blackness, of trumpets and battle cry and of death to most people on earth.
• All of the false gods of the world will disappear and never resurface again. The one and only Almighty God who created the universe and everything in existence with his son Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit, will finally be recognized by all of mankind as the one and only true God.
• God scattered the Jews all over the world because they would not listed to and obey him; They accepted and worshipped the false gods of other nations and rejected their true Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
• In the end times God will re-gather the Jews from all over the world, first in unbelief and then finally one more time in belief. Their nation will be re-established in their original homeland with expanded boundaries in one day.
• In order to make all of the pieces of the puzzle that are presented in the Old Testament regarding the wars and nations involved in the tribulation period fit together nicely I will present one possible scenario for events that precedes the rapture and the tribulation: Events in the Middle East lead Israel to invade and capture Syria. Syria then becomes a part of Israel so to speak. Israel allows them to govern themselves after some time and they install a Syrian to lead the government. This leader is Muslim but does not follow the Islamic code. This leader is a great orator and quickly wins the confidence of other world leaders. He eventually turns out to be the antichrist.
• The nations of the earth, including Iran, attach Israel and Syria, apparently with nuclear weapons. God supernaturally intercepts the nuclear weapons and keeps them from hitting Israel. Israel and Syria counterattack and capture several of the surrounding countries.
• There is a rapture of all of the believers on earth just as this war breaks out. Something, apparently a combination of the rapture event and the supernatural intervention of God to protect Israel from the nuclear weapons, results in a very large number of people on earth becoming believers in Jesus.
• The nations that attack Israel and Syria also attack Iraq at the same time. Iraq (Babylon) suffers catastrophic damage at this time. Iraq is attacked because they have become an ally of Israel. While the nuclear weapons fired upon Israel are intercepted and do not reach their target, those aimed at Iraq do reach their target with dire consequences.
• Because of his great oratorical skills and the confidence that others have gained in him, the leader of Syria negotiates a seven year peace treaty between Israel and the nations of the world that attack her. Israel is permitted to rebuild her temple in Jerusalem. The reason Israel can finally do this is not stated but could result from either the peace treaty or the capturing of the countries surrounding her in the just concluded battle.
• This new leader, who we refer to as the antichrist, soon forges a coalition of several nations and consolidates his power, eventually becoming the most powerful leader in the world. This leader is called the Canaanite, which means that he lived in Israel but was not a Jew. He was also called the Assyrian, meaning that he was likely Muslim with roots in the former Assyrian empire, as we surmised above. His right eye and arm were injured in the short nuclear war (Zech 12:17). At the middle of the 7 year tribulation period the antichrist goes into the newly built temple in Jerusalem and declares himself to be God and demands to be worshipped. He thus abandons his flock (Zech 12:17).
• The war and accompanying destruction that we have just described was the first of the seven coming judgments in the tribulation period. Israel received some minimal level of destruction, but most of the destruction of Israel will not occur until the second half of the tribulation period.
• The second judgment apparently follows the first judgment very closely. It is a judgment sent by God upon many of the nations that attacked Israel, and of course it also affects Israel to a lesser degree. It is apparently a heavenly body that hits an ocean of the earth, possibly the Indian Ocean. We see that extremely high floodwaters cover much of the Middle East. The effects would also disrupt their primary source of income, accumulating and shipping oil to nations all over the world.
• In the second judgment we also see that neighbor will fight against neighbor, brother will fight brother just to stay alive because of the effects of what is happening on earth. We also see people and animals will suffer from radiation sores caused by the effects of the just concluded nuclear war. Men will be stricken by the Lord with great panic (because of what they see coming in the skies). God will do something (he calls it an earthquake) that will cause all of the people living on earth and all of the animals on earth to tremble in fear. People will recognize that it is supernatural and an act of God. Even the fish of the sea and birds of the air will be affected. The roaring waves of the sea will cover Babylon. Babylon, Egypt and other surrounding countries will become desolate, dry and abandoned as a result of the effects of an asteroid hitting the Indian Ocean.
• In the third judgment we see the waters of the earth becoming poisoned and not able to support life. This is likely a consequence of the asteroid hitting the ocean.
• In the fourth judgment we see the sun, moon and stars darkened by a cloud cover, apparently caused by the combination of the nuclear war and the asteroid hitting an ocean. We see a great drought, vegetation and grass withering and a great famine.
• In the fifth judgment we see the nations of the earth coming to Jerusalem again to fight against it. Jerusalem will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. (It is at this time that the antichrist goes into the temple and declares himself to be God.). Half of the people will go into exile and the other half will remain. The antichrist will speak out against the Most High, Jesus. He will rule over the Israel and the world for 3 ½ years during the second half of the tribulation. The antichrist becomes the leader of a 10 leader empire. He personally overcomes the other leaders and rules their nations. God uses a swarm of locusts (evil angels) to devastate Babylon. God will gather the Jews together and pour out his wrath and fiery anger upon them as he melts them with intense heat.
• In the sixth judgment we see a continuation of the past judgments with the rivers continuing to dry up, darkness continuing, heat continuing, etc. God supernaturally attacks the countries that have attack Israel in the past and they are now being burned up with fire. A large and mighty army comes, larger than any in the past or in the future. Fire is in front of and behind them; they have the appearance of horses and the sound of chariots. (Their appearance is described in Joel.) They consume everything in front of them. At the sight of them nations are in anguish, every face turns pale. Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles. The sun and moon are darkened, the stars no longer shine. The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number and mighty are those who obey his command. (This army of the Lord is the army of 200 million of Rev 9:16 and 16:12 which comes from the east, just as Jesus returns from the east, Ezek 43:4. Rev 9:17-18 taken with Rev 14:9-11 seems to indicate that this army is an army composed of the Lord’s angels, under his command. God calls this “his army” in Joel 2:25. Sulfur came from the mouths of the horses in Rev 9:17-18 and sulfur was used to torment those who followed the antichrist in Rev14:9-11. This sulfur seems to represent the fires of hell into which they will be thrown. Rev 14:14-20 makes it clear that it is angels who are executing the sixth judgment on earth. They swing their sickles and harvest those under the wrath of God.) This is the day of the Lord and it is dreadful. An angel precedes the army giving the residents of earth one final chance to accept Jesus and his gospel or face certain and eternal death (Rev 14:6-7, Joel 2:13).
• In the seventh and final judgment Jesus returns at the Second Coming in great power. He shakes the earth as it has never before been shaken. Two thirds of the people on earth are dead by now. The Jews finally call on Jesus to come to earth and save them and he then waits for 3 ½ days and returns. The bridegroom, Jesus, and his bride the church, then leave their chambers in heaven and return to earth. The Lord takes pity on his people on earth and saves them from sure destruction. At the Second Coming Jesus feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. It will be a truly unique day, as Jesus supernaturally reconfigures the earth, repairs the damage, and places it back into its Garden of Eden like state. When Jesus returns he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold or silver. Then he will have men who can stand before him. Satan will be thrown into Hades and be met there by the spirits of the departed; they say to him, “You have become weak like us and your pomp is now gone.” Those who follow Satan will not be resurrected to inherit the earth as will those who follow God. When Jesus returns he brings all of the redeemed with him in resurrected bodies.
• The Jews will be re-gathered one last time at the end of the tribulation period. They will finally recognize Jesus as their God and Savior and he will hear their call and come to save them.
• Soon after his return Jesus will punish the powers in the heavens and the kings of the earth below; they will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon, they will be shut up in prison and punished after many days. In that day God will remove the evil from the land and leave only those who trust in the Lord. This takes place at what is called the sheep-goat judgment. Only those who believe in Jesus will be allowed to remain on earth to begin the millennium. All others will be sent to Hades to await their final judgment after the millennium. Jesus will then return the earth to a Garden of Eden like state. He will rebuild the earth and install the Jews in a place of prominence.
• Jesus will reign on earth as King of Kings for 1000 years and will be recognized by everyone as God and the Messiah. He will also he judge and high priest.
• Jesus will reign from a very large millennial temple in Jerusalem. People from all of the nations on earth will be required to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles once each year.
• The promised land, the territory occupied by the Jews, will be significantly enlarged in that day.
• A large portion of the promised land will apparently be set aside for those who have returned to earth from heaven in their resurrected bodies. We are told that this land is set aside for David, who we are told will be the prince. David will certainly be on earth in his resurrected body.
• God’s people will be blessed by the Lord and their descendents with them. In that day all of the prayers of his people will be heard and answered, even before they are spoken.
• In the millennium the earth will be a literal paradise as people will live for hundreds of years, there will be continuing peace, the climate will be perfect, food will be plentiful, the wild animals and insects of the earth will no longer hurt humans or each other, diseases will be under control, and best of all God will be living on earth with man.
• Finally, at the end of the age after God has destroyed Satan and all evil, he will create a new heaven and a new earth for all eternity.