Iraq's Significance

It is important to note that the capital city of ancient Babylon (Babylonia) is also called Babylon. Jerusalem, the biblical capital of Israel is commonly known as the City of God. That being true, the City of Babylon can be called the City of Satan. Prophetically, in the end times good will come to and from Jerusalem Zechariah 14:4-9 and bad and evil will come to and from Babylon Revelation 14:8; 17:5-6; 18:2-4. In light of the prophetic significance of Iraq/Babylon, I believe we need to understand the history of Iraq/Babylon in the Bible. You may be surprised when you see how big a place in the Bible Iraq plays.

Eden Was In Iraq Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 2:10-14. We see in verse 10 that "a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads." Then four rivers are named: Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, and the Euphrates. No one knows where the Pison was and neither do they know where the Gihon was. However, the Hiddekel River is sometimes called the Tigris River, even to this day. The Euphrates River is identified in the passage. Therefore, the greater part of Bible scholars believe that Eden was somewhere in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Eden was the perfect setting! Adam talked freely with the Lord in the cool of the day. But, their fellowship with God was shattered when Satan deceived Eve into eating the forbidden fruit and Adam knowingly ate of the forbidden fruit. Sin entered the world and spiritual death (separation from God) followed directly Genesis 3. Physical death followed later.

It seemed that all hope was lost. Man was doomed! However, God intervened and tucked in a promise, giving them hope. Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of a coming Savior in the Bible -- "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." But, Satan moved to block hope. He thrives on making people hopeless to this day. So, how did Satan try to block mankind’s hope. He tried to corrupt the entire human race. Genesis 6:1-2 tells us of the union between the sons of God and the daughters of men. Now I know that there are those like myself who believe the sons of God are fallen angelic beings who co-habited with human women. Others believe that this refers to intermarriage between the unrighteous line of Cain and the righteous line of Seth. I am not here to advocate either position, but merely to point out the result -- Genesis 6:5 "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." There was perpetual wickedness worldwide. God was grieved and regretted making man. It appeared that all of humanity was in the grip of Satan and had been totally corrupted by the unholy union between the sons of God and the daughters of men. However, not everyone had been corrupted as we see in Genesis 6:8 "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."

As you will recall, God sent a world wide flood, destroying every human on the face of the earth except Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives. On the other side of the flood God blessed faithful Noah and his family and gave them instructions to repopulate the world (Genesis 9:1). The line of the Savior was thus preserved.

The Establishment of Babylon & The Tower of Babel in Iraq If you follow the family tree of Noah, I would have you note his great Grandson. Turn to Genesis 10:8-9 "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." We know this from context that Nimrod was a rebel against God. "Nimrod" means let us revolt. Further, the phrase in verse 9 "a mighty hunter before the LORD" implies being a hunter of not only animals but of men. "Hunting," according to Aristotle, "is a part of the military art, which is to be used both on beasts, and on such men who are made to be ruled, but are not willing."

Further, we know that Nimrod was the builder of the city of Babel (later called Babylon) and several other cities in "the land of Shinar" which is the nation Babylon or Iraq (Genesis 10:10). He was also the prime mover in the building of the Tower of Babel. Herodotus informs us that "the tower of Babel, was a furlong, or 660 feet, in length and breadth;’ and, according to Strabo, it rose to the same altitude. It was of a pyramidical form, consisting of eight square towers, gradually decreasing in breadth, with a winding ascent on the outside, so very broad as to allow horses and carriages to pass each other, and even to turn.

The purpose of the city was to centralize power into a single kingdom. It was an effort at man-made unity and one world government (Genesis 11:4-6), when God had instructed the human race to spread all over the earth (Genesis 9:1). There’s more. Babel and its tower is the mother of all false religions. The tower was erected for the practice of astrology and to worship the sun. According to ancient writings, Semiramis was the wife of Nimrod. She became the high priestess of the Babylonian religion and was called the Queen of Heaven." As the ancient legend says, Nimrod died and became the sun god. His wife Semiramis was impregnated by a sunbeam and gives birth to her son Tammuz (a counterfeit miraculous birth). Later Tammuz is killed by a wild boar. However, after Semiramis cries for 40 days, Tammuz comes back to life again, which is a counterfeit of the resurrection. In fact, this is the origin of a counterfeit religious system that revolves around the worship of a mother and child. In fact, during the Babylonian captivity Jeremiah the prophet Israel’s worship of Semiramis "Queen of Heaven." (Jeremiah 7:18-19; 44:15-30). In fact, at Jerusalem, in the Temple, they were worshipping Tammuz, the son of Semiramis (Ezekiel 8:14-15). This diabolical worship spread across the world. In Egypt Semarimis is called Isis and her son is Osiris. In Assyria it was Ishtar and Bacchus. In Asia it was Cybele and Deoius. In ancient Greece it was Aphrodite and Eros and in ancient Rome it was Venus and Cupit. The names and places of mother-child worship change from country to country down though the ages. It permeates Roman Catholicism. But know this, from Babylon has emerged all the false religions of history. We should not be surprised when Babylon is called "…BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:5

Abram (Abraham) Came From Ur of the Chaldees Acts 7:2-4 "And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell."

I have a genuine cuneiform tablet that comes from the area of Abraham’s hometown, and from about the time that he lived there. We know that Abram lived in Mesopotamia, which is present day Iraq (Acts 7:2). Further, we know that Ur was the city he lived in when God called him. Genesis 11:31 "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Abraham’s native city is believed to have been in southern Mesopotamia, strategically situated about half way between the head of the Persian Gulf and Bagdad, in present day Iraq. The inhabitance of Ur worshipped the pagan moon-god Sin. We know that Abraham’s father Terah and his grandfather Nahor were worshippers of false gods (Joshua 24:2).

Abraham obeyed God and left Ur, traveling northwest about 800 miles to Haran called Charran in the New Testament. Terah obviously believed he was supposed to accompany his son into this "promised land." But, something happened before they got there which caused them to make a temporary stop at Haran. Haran was on the main trade route between Babylon and the Mediterranean Sea. They stayed there till his father Terah died. Then Abraham continued on to the land of Canaan, as the Lord had commanded him. While I do not know for sure, I would believe that God sidetracked Abraham because He knew the idolatrous influence of his father Terah would hinder the purpose He had for Abraham.

Please remember, God promised to bless all the nations of the earth through Abraham (Genesis 18:18) and, that comes to pass in two ways; 1) the recorded Word of God was committed the offspring of Abraham, the Jews (Romans 3:2) and 2) the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Savior is, called the "…son of Abraham." (Matthew 1:1). That is, Christ came through the line of Abraham.

Isaac’s Bride Came From Iraq Abraham sends Elieazar, his servant, to get Isaac a wife. He comes back with Rebekah from Mesopotamia (Iraq) who becomes his wife and later bares twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau is born first.

Genesis 24:3-4 & 10 "And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor." Probably located southeast of Haran.

Jacob Spent 20 Years In Iraq Jacob, whose name is later changed to Israel, was a schemer and deceiver. He traded his brother Esau the double portion of his father’s inheritance for bread and red lentil soup (Genesis 25:30-34). There was still the blessing of the eldest son that was to be Esau’s. However, Jacob wanted to strip Esau of that blessing too. So he, with his mother plotted, tricking his father Isaac into believing that he was Esau. His father is deceived and gives him Esau’s blessing. As a result, Esau hated Jacob and threatened to kill him (Genesis 27:41). As a result, his mother, who was party to the deception, urged him to flee to Haran and stay with her brother Laban until Esau calmed down (Genesis 27:42-45). Now, Laban has two daughters. The older was Leah. She had poor eyesight. Her younger sister, Rachel was very attractive. Jacob agreed to work for sever years for Rachel. When he had fulfilled the agreement, Laban tricked him and gave him Leah. When he discovered what had happened, he would not be deterred. He worked another seven years for Rachel (Genesis 29:15-28). The deceiver was deceived. All together, we know the Jacob spent twenty years in Iraq and God blessed him while he was there (Genesis 31:38).

The First World Empire Was In Iraq There is about 1500 years between the establishment of Babylon by Nimrod and the world wide Babylonian Empire established and ruled by Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 B.C.). Israel had rebelled against God. They were serving other gods. Therefore, God judged the nation Israel, using Babylon as His instrument of judgment. This took place "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah…" (Daniel 1:1). What was the result? "The Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah [609-597 B.C.] into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar [Babylon] to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god." (Daniel 1:2). Many of the best youth were taken captive to Babylon. "Now, among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah." (Daniel 1:6). Altogether, the Jews spent 70 years in Babylonian captivity.

So, why is that import to us? Nebuchadnezzar represent the beginning of what is called the times of the Gentiles. Luke 21:24 says, "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Let me give you a simple explanation of this verse. Gentile nations will dominate the Jewish nation beginning with Nebuchadnezzar until a divinely appointed ruler from the tribe of Judah and of the line of David sits on the throne in Jerusalem. That is none other than Jesus Christ the Lord.

Now, back to Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 2, we read the account of a dream that king Nebuchadnezzar had. He could not remember and did not know the meaning of his dream. The king calls in all of his occult advisers: magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, (the pagan priests of their occult religion). He demanded that they interpret his dream. However, they are totally helpless to give the king an answer. However, Daniel, one of the Israeli captives, comes forth and made this statement – "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;" Daniel 2:28. Daniel then recounted the dream the king had (Daniel 2:28) and then proceeds to interpret the prophetic dream. In our next message, we will look at the giant image Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about. We will look at the nations the image represented and find out what the identity of the stone that destroys the image.

Let’s look at the giant image Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about and find out what nations are represented. We will see that this image gives us an historical overview of the key Gentile powers that will reign during the Times of The Gentiles.

ü The Head Of Gold = Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar was the dread sovereign of the Babylonian Empire. You will recall that he was responsible for one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the hanging gardens of Babylon. Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that he is the head of gold. Turn to Daniel 2:36-38 "This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold."

ü The Chest & Arms Of Silver= Medo-Persia Empire

The chest and arms of silver was the kingdom of the Medes and Persians (vs.32, 39). Cyrus (580-529 BC) founded his empire by uniting the two original Iranian Tribes, the Medes and the Persians. The unity was enabled because his father was a Mede and his mother was a Persian. He did not conquer Babylon in the days of Nebuchadnezzar but during the reign of his grandson Belshazzar. Although he was known to be a great conqueror, who at one point controlled one of the greatest Empires ever seen, he is best remembered for his unprecedented tolerance and

magnanimous attitude towards those he defeated. When he conquered Babylon, he did so to cheers from the Jewish Community, who welcomed him as a liberator. In fact, he allowed the Jews, 40,000 of them, to return to the Promised Land. He showed great forbearance and respect towards the religious beliefs and cultural traditions of other races. These qualities earned him the respect and homage of all the people over whom he ruled. In Cyrus’ time his kingdom was opulent. However in the hands of later kings it shrunk much, in prosperity, grandeur and glory, especially in the reigns of Cyrus the younger, and of Artaxerxes Mnemon. The events of the book of Esther take place during his reign when wicked Haman saught to exterminate the remaining Jews from the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire. It is only through Queen Eshter, who is a Jew, that this disaster is prevented. I am reminded of the words of Mordecai to Esther -- Esther 4:14 "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" These words remind us that we are all here for a purpose under God’s plan! Finally, the Persian Empire ceased in reign of Darius III (Codomannus) (336–330 B.C.) because it was conquered by Alexander the Great. Today the country of Iran encompasses much of that old empire.

ü Belly and His Thighs of Brass = Grecian Empire

Alexander III, more commonly known as Alexander the Great, was one of the greatest military leaders in world history. The exact date of his birth is uncertain, but most likely he was morn either July 20 or 26, 356 B.C. He conquered Persia in a military campaign that lasted from 334 to 329 A.D. Alexander’s Grecian Empire is represented in the belly and thighs of brass (39b). Alexander had seven wives. Roxanne was his favorite wife. He married her in 327 B.C Roxanne was a Persian, and by the time he married her, he had total control of Persian Empire. However, his leadership of the Greek Empire was short-lived. Toward the end May 323 B.C. Alexander became ill after a party. He died in early June of that same year. He was just 32 when he died. His death hastened by his heavy drinking and being shot in the chest with an arrow. He was buried in Alexandria, Egypt. Out of this empire arises a diabolical leader named Antiochus Epiphanes. His persecution of the Jewish people and defilement of the Temple is prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 8:9-14. His atrocities are recorded in the first six chapters of the apocryphal book of Maccabees. To be sure the apocryphal books are not Holy Spirit inspired. However, some of them record important historical information.

ü Legs of Iron = Roman Empire

Next we come to the Roman Empire. Turn to Daniel 2:40 "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise." As you can see, the Roman Empire is depicted by the legs of Iron. It was the Roman Empire the ruled over Israel when Christ was born. In 66 A.D. the Roman came to Jerusalem to put down a rebellion. Four years later, they broke through the city wall, ransacked the city, destroyed the Temple and dispersed the Jews all over the face of the earth.

The Roman empire was never really conquered, it simply degenerated.

ü Feet of Iron and Clay = The Revived Roman Empire

The feet and 10 toes depicts the fourth empire’s revival in some form at the end of the age, only to be destroyed. Turn to Daniel 2:33-35 "His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

The stone is Christ and His kingdom.

• Saturday, August 30, 2014 ISIS= ISLAMIC STATE IRAQ SYRIA ISIL= ISLAMIC STATE IRAQ LEVANT

The Levant (/ləˈvænt/), also known as the Eastern Mediterranean, is a geographic and cultural region consisting of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt".[2] The Levant today consists of the island of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and part of southern Turkey (the former Aleppo Vilayet). Precise definitions have varied over time, and the term originally had a broader and less well-defined usage.[3] The Levant has been described as the "crossroads of western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and northeast Africa",[4] and the "northwest of the Arabian plate".[5]

SYRIA WILL FALL IN THE LAST DAYS One of most intriguing Bible prophecies in the end times has to do with Isaiah 17. The prophecies in Isaiah 17 point to the end times destruction of Damascus, Syria. The Bible states that the destruction of Damascus will be so great that the city will be nothing but a "ruinous heap" after the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy. This is noteworthy because presently the city is recognized as the world's longest constantly inhabited city.

VERSES DEALING WITH SYRIA: AMOS 1:3-5 Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors 3 This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, 4 I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. 5 I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in[b] the Valley of Aven[c] and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the LORD. 6 This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, 7 I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. 8 I will destroy the king[d] of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,”

MATTHEW 24:21-22 The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times 24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[b] 30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

ISAIAH 17 A Prophecy Against Damascus 17 A prophecy against Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. 2 The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. 3 The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty. 4 “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. 5 It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain, gathering the grain in their arms— as when someone gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. 6 Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel. 7 In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles[a] and the incense altars their fingers have made. 9 In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. 10 You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, 11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain. 12 Woe to the many nations that rage— they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar— they roar like the roaring of great waters! 13 Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. 14 In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.

Ezekiel 38-39 The LORD’s Great Victory Over the Nations 38 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of[a] Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[b] Meshek and Tubal. 4 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. 5 Persia, Cush[c] and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. 7 “‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8 After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you 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. 9 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. 10 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 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. 12 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.[d]” 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages[e] 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?”’ 14 “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? 15 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. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. 17 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You are 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. 18 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. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, 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. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment on 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. 23 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.’ Footnotes: a. Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh, b. Ezekiel 38:3 Or Gog, prince of Rosh, c. Ezekiel 38:5 That is, the upper Nile region d. Ezekiel 38:12 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth. e. Ezekiel 38:13 Or her strong lions

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[a] Meshek and Tubal. 2 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. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. 4 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. 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. 6 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. 7 “‘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. 8 It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of. 9 “‘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. 10 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. 11 “‘On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of 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.[b] 12 “‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I display my glory will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign LORD. 14 People will be continually employed in cleansing the land. They will spread out across the land and, along with others, they will bury any bodies that are lying on the ground. “‘After the seven months they will carry out a more detailed search. 15 As they go through the land, anyone who sees a human bone will leave a marker beside it until the gravediggers bury it in the Valley of Hamon Gog, 16 near a town called Hamonah.[c] And so they will cleanse the land.’ 17 “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. 18 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. 19 At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign LORD. 21 “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them. 22 From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. 23 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. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. 25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob[d] and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. 26 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. 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. 28 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. 29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.” Footnotes: f. Ezekiel 39:1 Or Gog, prince of Rosh, g. Ezekiel 39:11 Hamon Gog means hordes of Gog. h. Ezekiel 39:16 Hamonah means horde. i. Ezekiel 39:25 Or now bring Jacob back from captivity

Recent news headlines have shown that the Syrian goverment, led by Syrian President Bashar Assad, has moved the official state archives out of Damascus in an effort to protect them from an attack by Israel. It is being reported that Syria is expecting some sort of nuclear attack as the result of a conflict with Israel. Syria has played a steady role as an enemy of Israel. With the Middle East in constant turmoil and tensions rising daily, it would be sound advice that we all remain watchmen on the wall as it appears that this prophecy concerning Damascus could come to be fulfilled soon. However, only time will tell for sure when the prophecy will be fulfilled, we would be smart to keep watching the Middle East as we head towards the end of the age. The Bible says that when the end times signs come into view, to lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing nigh. by Phil Jobe at 8:12 AM in LWC NORTH

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