(Continued from chapter III)

There are several reasons why I cannot accept this position. In the first place, we are told in Ezekiel 39 that, when this force has been overthrown, there will be a period of seven months during which men assigned especially to the task of hunting for the bodies of the slain will be engaged in this special work. Wherever they find a body, a skeleton, or bones, they set up a stake indicating that fact. Thus those burying the dead will go throughout the length and breadth of the country for seven months, working in connection with others, in order that the land might be freed from the ceremonial defilement caused by the dead bodies of those slain by the judgments which fall upon them. It is impossible for me to believe that, for seven months after our Lord has come and has established His reign upon the earth in Palestine, the Holy Land will be defiled. Such an idea as this is not in harmony with my conception of Christ and His glorious reign--when the glory of God shall encircle the earth as the waters cover the sea.

In the second place, we are told that the weapons brought by the invaders will be used for firewood for a period of seven years and that there will be no necessity of one's going to the forests to procure fuel. It is likewise hard for me to conceive of the idea that during the first seven years of the Millennial reign of Christ, the people in Palestine will be dependent upon the use of wood that is brought in by the invading army. Somehow this idea does not fit into the Old Testament conception of the glorious and wonderful reign of our Lord.

In the third place, we may note the fact that when Christ returns, He will slay all the wicked. That this proposition is correct is seen by the following quotation:

"This saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth. And the slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered nor buried; they shall be dung upon the face of the ground" (Jer. 25:32,33)

Without doubt God will know where the wicked are and He, by the brightness of His coming, will slay all of them. That He will destroy the wicked from the face of the earth is spoken of again and again by the Psalmists. From this consideration we can see that it is very highly improbable that this invasion could occur after God has destroyed all the wicked.

In the fourth place, when the Lord returns He will gather those peoples who survive the great tribulation before the throne upon which He will be seated. Then He will divide them as the shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. The basis of this judgment is not for the condemnation of wicked men; on the contrary, it is one which is founded upon the principle of the extension of mercy for the performance of good works, by those judged, to the Lord's brethren according to the flesh. From this passage it becomes evident that there will not be those of a wicked nature who will be left, and who will attempt to match swords with Christ.

And fifthly, since the Lord upon His return to this earth will demolish all the weapons of war, as we are told in Isaiah 9:4,5, we may conclude that there could not be an armed force, equipped as we see these armies, at any time during the Millennial Age.

And in the sixth place, we see from Isaiah 2:1-4 that when our Lord returns, all the usable material of the weapons of warfare will be converted into agricultural implements. There will be no more war; neither shall they learn war any more. That the reader may see this glorious picture, I will quote these verses:

"The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. 4 And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isa. 2:1-4).

For these reasons it is utterly impossible for me to believe that such an invasion as this could occur after Christ has returned and has taken His seat upon the throne of David and has established His righteous reign over the earth. This prediction, therefore, cannot refer to an event which will be in the beginning of the Millennial Age.


C. At the End of the Tribulation

Still another group of scholars are thoroughly convinced that Ezekiel was speaking in this prediction concerning what is usually termed "The Battle of Ar-Magedon."*

As we have already seen in Chapter II there is no battle nor war foretold in Ezekiel 38:1-39:16. All that is seen in this prediction, as we have repeatedly observed, is the invasion of the land of Israel by the armies of the Northeastern Confederacy for the purpose of taking the spoil. The Western Democracies issue a protest. Before any action can be taken by them, the Lord by a divine stroke of judgment blots out the armies of these aliens.

On the other hand, at the end of the tribulation we know that the armies of the world will invest Jerusalem with the idea of exterminating the Jewish race. This seems to be reflected in such passages as Psalm 79 and is clearly set forth in Zechariah 14 and parallel passages. If for no other reason than that set forth in the preceding paragraph, one cannot identify the prediction of Ezekiel 38 and 39 as a forecast of  "The War of the Great Day of God the Almighty." There are, however, other weighty reasons for rejecting this position.

When this invasion occurs, these armed forces as has already been seen, are destroyed by a direct judgment from God. There is no intimation that all the wicked throughout the whole world will be destroyed when these armies are overthrown. We have already seen that, at the time of this future crisis, not only will fire rain down from heaven upon these forces gathered in Palestine, but also upon Magog--Russia--and upon them that "dwell securely in the isles" (Ezek. 39:6). Thus we are told exactly where the judgments fall in the case of this prediction. On the contrary, we are informed in Jeremiah 25 that upon the coming of our Lord at the conclusion of the tribulation all the wicked throughout the entire world will be slain. In view of these facts it seems impossible to identify Ezekiel's prophecy as a forecast of "The War of the Great Day of God the Almighty."

A third reason for my being unable to identify this prediction as referring to the conflict at the end of the tribulation is this: When Israel is thus invaded, the Jews will be dwelling securely in Palestine. This is seen in the following quotation:

"After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, upon the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they shall dwell securely, all of them ... 10 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: It shall come to pass in that day, that things shall come into thy mind, and thou shalt devise an evil device: 11 and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates; 12 to take the spoil and to take the prey; to turn thy hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against the people that are gathered out of the nations, that have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the middle of the earth ... 14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In that day when my people Israel dwelleth securely, shalt thou not know it?" (Ezek. 38:8,10,11,12,14).

From these verses we can see clearly and unmistakably that, when the invasion occurs, the Jews will be dwelling in unwalled villages and resting securely in the land of their fathers. About this position there can be no question in the minds of those who accept the Word of God at its face value. Will those who shall be in the land at the end of the tribulation be dwelling securely and at rest? Everyone who is familiar with the Scriptures will answer in the negative.

From Daniel 9 we learn that the world dictator will enter into a covenant with Israel for a period of seven years. After three and one half years he will ruthlessly renounce his treaty obligation and will launch a campaign against God and all who recognize Him. At that time he will assume the position of God and demand that he alone be worshipped. This prediction is found in II Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13.

The prediction found in Psalm 2 seems to fit into the situation that arises in the middle of the tribulation as it does at no other place in the entire prophetic scheme. The portion of the psalm that deals with the point under discussion is verses 1-3.

  1. Why do the nations rage,
    And the peoples meditate a vain thing?

  2. The kings of the earth set themselves,
    And the rulers take counsel together,
    Against Jehovah, and against his anointed saying,

  3. Let us break their bonds asunder,
    And cast away their cords from us.

This prediction foretells the calling of an international, atheistic, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, politico-religious convention. It will be an international gathering because the delegates are the kings of the earth and the rulers. It will be atheistic because it will be against "Jehovah." It will be anti-Semitic in that it will be against the Almighty who revealed Himself to Israel as Jehovah, and who has throughout the centuries called Himself the God of Israel. It will be anti-Christian in that it will be "against His (Jehovah's) Messiah"--anointed. It will be political in that men who are simply politicians will be the delegates. At the same time it will be a religious convention, in that it is called to settle the question of religion--to replace the worship of God and Christ with that of the beast, the world emperor. This convention, therefore, is called to put all religion under the ban and to require the worship and the service of all humanity. In the light of these facts it is evident that Paul was speaking of this same monstrous, blasphemous act of the man of sin who exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped in that he takes his seat in the temple of God (rebuilt in Jerusalem by the Jews), setting himself forth as God. From this point of view it is quite obvious that there will be launched against the Jews, as well as against all the followers of God, a campaign of compulsory worship of the man of sin, or of extermination.

This position is confirmed by the message found in Revelation 12. In this passage we see a woman clothed with the sun and with a crown of twelve stars upon her head. She is the one who brings forth the manchild. The dragon is present to destroy him at his birth. A sound sane, scholarly exegesis of this marvelous chapter reveals the result that the woman symbolizes Israel. Accepting this interpretation as correct, we see that the dragon, who is none other than Satan, persecutes the woman for the last three and one half years of the tribulation. At the beginning of this persecution she flees into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by the Lord. From this fact we can see clearly that Israel during the latter half of the tribulation period is not dwelling in the land securely. In fact, all but the apostate, renegade Jews will flee for their lives from the country into Ammon, Moab, and Edom. From this consideration we are driven to the inevitable conclusion that the prediction of Ezekiel 38:1-39:16 cannot be a reference to the events that occur at the conclusion of the great tribulation period. This theory, therefore, must be discarded in the face of the facts of the prediction read in the light of related passages.


D. Before the Tribulation

Thus far in this discussion we have seen that it is utterly impossible for one to locate the fulfillment of this prediction after the Millennial Age. It cannot be placed in the beginning of the Millennium, nor at the end of the tribulation. It must, therefore, be located before the tribulation because there is no other place for it to occur since the three other suggested dates are impossible. When, therefore, before the tribulation, does this mighty event take place?

In answer to this question one cannot be dogmatic. This much, however, he may assert with all confidence and boldness: It occurs at a time when Israel is dwelling in unwalled villages and is at rest in the land. From this position there can be no recourse. Since it must come to pass before the tribulation and since Israel will be dwelling securely and at rest in the land when it occurs, we cannot avoid the conclusion that there will be a time before the tribulation when Israel will thus be enjoying security and prosperity in the land of the fathers. During such a period as this the foretold invasion takes place.

As to when this delightful and longed-for period of dwelling in security springs into realization and the exact time when it will come to pass, it is utterly impossible for anyone to say. But I am bold to state, upon the authority of God's Word which presents the facts given in this book, that there will be a time between now and the beginning of the tribulation when the Jews will  be dwelling in the Land in unwalled cities and will be at rest. Let us bear in mind, that the rapture of the church will occur before the tribulation. Since God has asserted that such will be the case, we with absolute confidence may look forward to that time. Since no word from God is without power, and since He watches over His word to perform it, we know that this prediction will be fulfilled literally.

At the time of this writing, January 1940, the hostilities, distrurbing Palestine since 1936, have somewhat subsided. The enmity between the Arabs and the Jews seems to have been dropped and friendly relationships are being encouraged, according to the latest authentic reports. Whether or not this happy condition may continue from now on until the tribulation begins, no mortal can tell. It would indeed be unwise for anyone to venture any assertion or prediction along this line. Only when one has an unmistakably clear "Thus-saith-the-Lord" for such a position, can he afford to be assertive and dogmatic.


III. THE INVASION OF EZEKIEL 38:1—39:16
DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT OF JOEL 2 AND DANIEL 11


A. Prophecy of Joel

The Scriptures clearly foretell several invasions of Palestine which have never come to pass. As we have already seen in the last section, the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:1-39:16 is fulfilled before the tribulation. Both Daniel and Joel likewise predict an invasion of Palestine which we shall see cannot possibly be the one foretold by Ezekiel. Zechariah, on the other hand, gives us a forecast of an invasion of the land which we know occurs at the end of the tribulation--at the time our Lord manifests Himself in glory. The last invasion of Palestine, however, is scheduled to come at the end of the Millennial Age. Each of these acts of aggression will cause great damage materially and will bring untold suffering to innocent ones--unless we can make an exception of the one at the end of the Millennial Age. We are not told, however, how much damage will be wrought by that one; but as to the other, we are fully informed.

It is necessary for us to determine, if possible, the time of the invasion of Palestine as foretold by Joel and Daniel. In order that we may have the picture clearly before our minds, I will quote that portion of Joel's prophecy which pertains to this special subject:

"15 Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come 16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? 17 The seeds rot under their clods; the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the grain is withered. 18 How do the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. 19 O Jehovah, to thee do I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. 20 Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so do they run. 5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6 At their presence the people are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale. 7 They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and they break not their ranks. 8 Niether doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their course. 9 They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble; the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 11 And Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?" (Joel 1:15-2:11).

From this passage it is very evident that Joel saw the day of Jehovah, which is none other than the tribulation period. At the time foreseen the land of Israel "is as the garden of Eden before them (the invading armies), and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them." From these words it is obvious that Palestine at the time of this invasion is in a prosperous condition, for it is as the garden of Eden before these armies march into it. Since the prophet was discussing the day of Jehovah--the tribulation--we can be certain that this invasion occurs either before it starts, or what is more likely, in the middle of it. It is not at all possible that Joel was speaking about the same invasion as that foretold by Ezekiel in the passage which we have been discussing, because Palestine will be in a prosperous condition, as we have seen, at the time the host foreseen by Ezekiel enters the land. Since some Bible scholars identify these two predictions as referring to one and the same event, I shall not be dogmatic. Ezekiel did not link his prediction with the day of Jehovah as Joel did. The prophets usually, though not always, told us that their predictions were in connection with the day of Jehovah, if such was the case. At times they intimated the same without asserting it in so many words. We have already seen that Ezekiel's prophecy must be fulfilled before the day of Jehovah, but Joel's prediction is linked with that time of judgment. These considerations lead me at least to differentiate between the prediction of Ezekiel and that of Joel.

Where can we locate Joel's prophecy? It may be at the very beginning of the tribulation before any of God's judgments have fallen upon the earth. The statement that the land is like the garden of Eden before the invasion rather favors this position, although one cannot be dogmatic on this point. It is altogether possible that the first judgments of the tribulation may not affect Palestine so as to destroy the beauty and prosperity of the land.

A study of Revelation, chapters 6 to 9, gives us a vivid picture of conditions that will exist upon the earth during the first half of the tribulation period. As we learn from Revelation 6, the first judgment coming upon the earth in the tribulation is the rise of Antichrist to power and his starting on his period of conquest. This is indicated by the rider on the white horse (Rev. 6:1,2). The second judgment is presented under the rider on the red horse, who symbolizes, in his racing through the earth with a drawn sword, a world war. The third judgment is that of famine, signified by the rider on the black horse. The fourth stroke of divine wrath comes in the form of a war and political upheaval which affects one-fourth of the earth. This is set forth in Revelation 6:7,8.

At the breaking of the fifth seal persecution is launched against the tribulation saints (Rev. 6:9-11). The sixth judgment is a general upheaval throughout the material universe. Speaking in terms of the human body, I would say that the whole universe suffers from great convulsions which seem to affect every part of the globe. This last stroke of judgment brings us to the end of the first quarter of the tribulation. If this literally affects Palestine, then it is quite likely that such an upheaval will cause great destruction throughout the country. If this is true, facts almost demand that the invasion mentioned by Joel come before the falling of this judgment, but one cannot afford to be dogmatic on this point.

Chapter 7 of the book of Revelation tells about the world-wide revival that will be conducted in the first half of the tribulation by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, who, having been given the truth by the people of God before the rapture, will take their stand upon it and will accept Christ when the judgments of the tribulation begin. They will then go forth into every nook and corner of the earth and bring about the worldwide revival in which multiplied millions of people will be brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 8 and 9 describe in detail the six following judgments that will cover the second quarters of the Day of Jehovah. The first four of them affect consecutively only one-third part of the earth, the sea, the rivers and fountains, and the heavenly bodies. It is altogether possible, therefore, that Palestine may not be included in the sphere of these plagues. The fifth and sixth trumpets which are the first and second woes, foretell graphically an invasion of this world by hosts of evil spirits that will torment the people without the seal of God upon the earth. The seal and trumpet judgments cover the first half of the tribulation. Having made this brief survey of them, we see how Palestine may be spared the destruction which will be in evidence in many places throughout the earth. It is therefore, possible that Palestine may be brought to the condition that it looks like the garden of Eden before the tribulation and may continue in that state throughout the first and second quarters of this time of judgment--without being destroyed. It is, therefore altogether possible that the invasion mentioned by Joel may come in the middle of the tribulation. Without being too positive, I am rather inclined to believe that this time is the correct date for it.

When one reads Daniel 9:27 and Mathew 24:15 in their connections together with II Thessalonians 2:1-13 and Revelation 12 and 13, he comes to the conclusion that the beast with all of his forces invades Palestine in the middle of the tribulation. It is altogether possible, therefore, that Joel was speaking of this same thing. We know from various passages of Scripture that the world government, in the middle of the tribulation, will overrun Palestine and do what it can to destroy the Jew. Psalm 74 gives certain details concerning this special persecution which will be launched against the Jews in Palestine. During this time the temple which will be erected by the Jews will be destroyed together with all the synagogues throughout the land. Most of the Jews will have to flee from the country to to save their lives. A careful study of this Psalm brings many startling things to light. When, therefore, all the evidence from the Psalm together with Joel's prediction and Revelation 6 to 9 studied in connection with Psalm 2 is taken into consideration, one is inclined most strongly to believe that the upheaval which comes to Palestine as mentioned by Joel occurs in the middle of the tribulation.


B. The Prophecy of Daniel

"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god; whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.

40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

12 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.


Footnotes:

* The term, "The Battle of Ar-Magedon," is a household word in prophetic, premillennial circles. By this expression one means the battle at the final siege of Jerusalem described by Zechariah 14 and Revelation 16:12-16:

"And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising. 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: 14 for they were spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.) 16 And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon" (Rev. 16:12-16).

John, by the Spirit, told us that the three demons, mentioned in the quotation above, at the pouring out of the sixth bowl of the wrath of God, go forth and stir up the kings of the whole earth to gather them together unto the "war of the great day of God, the Almighty." Verse 15, which follows this quotation, is a parenthetical expression sounding a note of warning to those who will be living upon the earth at that time. Verse 16, therefore, takes up the thought dropped in the last expression of verse 14, which has just been quoted. "And they (these three spirits of demons) gather them (the kings of the whole earth) together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon." According to this prediction the kings of the earth will gather together at the place which is called Har-Magedon; they come together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty." In the light of all the facts it seems to be the thought that the kings of the earth gather together at the place called Har-Magedon for conference concerning the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. In other words, this is a convention, the delegates of which are the kings of the earth, called for the purpose of laying plans for the war of the great day of God the Almighty, of which conflict one reads in Revelation 19:11-21.

In view of the facts it seems that it would be more accurate for one to speak, not of the battle of Ar-Magedon, but of the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. It is always wise to speak of Biblical things in terms of the Scripture when possible.


(Continued on the next page)