NOV 16

Ezekiel 38:1-8
Memorise 1 John 2:18-29
“and not be ashamed before him at his coming”

Israel is looking for peace. Will peace come? Yes, but it will be a false peace. Read Daniel 9:27 - 69 weeks have passed. When the Tribulation begins, we will enter the 70th week of Daniel which will last for 7 years comprising 2 halves: 3½ years of peace, 3½ years of war, engineered by the Antichrist. In the middle of the 7 years, Antichrist will break the peace treaty and persecute Israel. World War III begins. World War III is a 3½-year war that begins in the middle of the Tribulation week. What is the scenario like? Let us look at Ezekiel 38:1-8.

The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a Mid-tribulational War involving (1) the Northern nations, viz, Gog/Magog (38:2 cf v. 14-16) which are countries north of Israel (Russia, Armenia, Turkey), (2) the Eastern nations (v 5a) which are Persia (Iran), her neighbours (Iraq and Afghanistan), and all Arab nations east of Israel, (3) the Southern nations (v 5b) which are Ethiopia and Libya representing the African nations. This war against the Antichrist will be fought in the land of Israel. They will attack the Antichrist, like a desert storm that covers the land. The revived Roman empire led by the Antichrist will defeat them (Daniel 11:36-45). However, after fighting off the Northern, Southern and Eastern nations, the Antichrist himself will turn against Israel. He will set himself as God—the abomination of desolation, and persecute the Jews (Daniel 9:27, Revelation 12:6, 13-14). This will last for 3½ years. World War III will reach its grand finale at the end of the Great Tribulation.

The vision of reaping the grapes of God’s wrath and having them trampled in the winepress outside the city of Jerusalem so that blood flowed from the winepress, reaching to the horse bridles for a stretch of 1,600 furlongs (Revelation 14:16-20) or 200 miles is a picture of total bloody carnage along the whole length of the land of Israel. From the battlefield of Armageddon in the north near Haifa to the southern desert, even to Eilat on the Red Sea, this 200-mile river of blood rises as high as the mouth of a horse (about 5 feet above the ground). This preview of Armageddon teaches a lesson on the theology of war: that it is God who uses the wrath of men to execute His divine purposes according to His counsel, to His own glory.

Thought: Only God can grant us true peace. Read Philippians 4:6-7
Prayer: Lord, may Thou grant me peace in my heart whenever I feel troubled.