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Saturday, 18 August 2012
JOHN McTERNAN'S LATEST EXCELLENT SUMMARY OF WORLD EVENTS.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
ANTICHRIST - ROMAN EUROPEAN OR TURKISH ASSYRIAN???
THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCE TO COME: A ROMAN-EUROPEAN ANTICHRIST?? PROBABLY NOT!!!
By ICA
Daniel 9:26, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
Many have traditionally believed that since the army that destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70 AD was considered Roman then this, therefore, must mean that according to Daniel 9:26 the Antichrist would rise out of Europe. The majority of popular Biblical eschatology teachers today, even in light of events happening on the global stage, still teach an Antichrist who comes out of Europe, a charismatic leader that rises from within the European Union to then lead a One World Government. Writers have published novels such as the “Left Behind” series promoting it, even Christian movies have been inspired and produced by this very idea. However, although the people of the prince to come mentioned in Daniel 9:26 may have been considered “Roman” soldiers merely because they were (supposedly) under the command of Rome, many of these same teachers have either ignored or were just not aware of the following very significant fact.
The People…
By the time Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD, the Legions responsible for the destruction were dominated by eastern peoples from Syria, Egypt, Asia Minor (Turkey) and that general area. This is confirmed by Tacitus, Josephus and numerous scholars and historians. Thus, although the Legions responsible for the destruction of the city and the sanctuary in 70 AD were by that time considered Roman citizens, they were not European people. (The Wars of The Jews, History of the Destruction of Jerusalem By Flavius Josephus, Trans. William Whiston BOOK V: Chapter 13; and Soldiers, Cities, and Civilians in Roman Syria by Nigel Pollard, Ph.D, p. 115).
Prior to the turn of the 1st Century the majority of the men who served in the Roman armies were Italians. That is true. But as the Roman Empire grew it became virtually impossible for it to be manned with only Italian soldiers, so Emperor Augustus was forced to change the ethnic demographic of men who made up the Roman armies, and after the reforms were completed early in the 1st Century just a small part of the Roman army consisted of only Italian men — the Praetorian Guard [1, 2]. The rest of the army was expanding to be increasingly made up of citizens who were from the outer provinces far away from Rome.
Some may say, however, that since Rome gave the order to destroy the city and the sanctuary then Rome is therefore responsible, but this is not the case at all. Josephus records that Caesar did not want the temple destroyed, writing:
History bears witness to the very fact that the people who destroyed the city and the sanctuary were almost exclusively Arab/Egyptian/Syrian/Asia Minorian, etc. and from that general area. From Tacitus in The History New Ed edition Book 5.1 Editor: Moses Hadas (Translated by Alfred Church and William Brodribb; Modern Library, 2003 NY):
Additionally, Clarence Larkin in “Dispensational Truth Or God’s Plan and Purpose in the Ages“, which many Western AC proponents consider to be one of the best dispensational authors of all time, disagreed with the now popular Roman theory and through Scripture recognized in his own way why Antichrist cannot come from Europe, writing:
… Of The Prince That Shall Come
With Daniel 9:26 we have a specific reference to the prince that shall come after Messiah is “cut off”, a prince whose people are not only associated with the destruction of the city and the sanctuary, but who are also associated with wars and desolations ‘unto the end’. For the sake of argument let’s consider that Daniel is also referring here to an eschatonic leader and people that many consider to be the End-of-Days Antichrist and his kingdom (who would seek to destroy the foundations of the spiritual city and the spiritual temple in the Last Days) since the teachers I am arguing against use this very verse to support the idea of a European Antichrist.
With this in mind, let’s ask ourselves the following question: If the Antichrist is European, why was Daniel not inspired by the Holy Spirit to say “the country/region (erets – H776) of the prince to come”, but was instead moved by the Spirit to use the word “am” (H5971) which means “people” or “nation“? Does it not stand to reason that this is because the prince and the people who would destroy the city and the sanctuary — and therefore by extension the Last Days Antichrist and his people — are not necessarily identified geographically with Europe, but are instead identified primarily through ethnicity? I say yes indeed, and it matters not if they were considered Roman soldiers (even the Apostle Paul called himself Roman, yet he was ethnically a Jew) because there is nothing in the verse to identify the prince to come with Europe geographically.
In closing, the overwhelming evidence that we are now beginning to watch unfold before our very eyes in these Last Days, underscored by authors and teachers such as Joel Richardson, Walid Shoebat and now other like-minded thinkers who have begun to re-examine this question such as Chuck Missler, Dr. John MacArthur, Ray Gano and others, is that the Antichrist of these Last Days will not be coming out of Rome or Europe. For many, the blinders of tradition and pop-theology has locked them into a state of eschatological tunnel-vision while a prowling Beast creeps beside them, rising out of the Middle East and ready to devour. But a close examination of Daniel 9:26 along with a brief lesson in history and an even cursory look at current events leaves little doubt about it — Antichrist and the spirit of Antichrist is rising out of the Middle East, and from within radical Islam. Christian author Joseph Chambers concurs, and sums it up nicely by saying:
Daniel 9:26, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”Many have traditionally believed that since the army that destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70 AD was considered Roman then this, therefore, must mean that according to Daniel 9:26 the Antichrist would rise out of Europe. The majority of popular Biblical eschatology teachers today, even in light of events happening on the global stage, still teach an Antichrist who comes out of Europe, a charismatic leader that rises from within the European Union to then lead a One World Government. Writers have published novels such as the “Left Behind” series promoting it, even Christian movies have been inspired and produced by this very idea. However, although the people of the prince to come mentioned in Daniel 9:26 may have been considered “Roman” soldiers merely because they were (supposedly) under the command of Rome, many of these same teachers have either ignored or were just not aware of the following very significant fact.
The People…
By the time Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD, the Legions responsible for the destruction were dominated by eastern peoples from Syria, Egypt, Asia Minor (Turkey) and that general area. This is confirmed by Tacitus, Josephus and numerous scholars and historians. Thus, although the Legions responsible for the destruction of the city and the sanctuary in 70 AD were by that time considered Roman citizens, they were not European people. (The Wars of The Jews, History of the Destruction of Jerusalem By Flavius Josephus, Trans. William Whiston BOOK V: Chapter 13; and Soldiers, Cities, and Civilians in Roman Syria by Nigel Pollard, Ph.D, p. 115).
Prior to the turn of the 1st Century the majority of the men who served in the Roman armies were Italians. That is true. But as the Roman Empire grew it became virtually impossible for it to be manned with only Italian soldiers, so Emperor Augustus was forced to change the ethnic demographic of men who made up the Roman armies, and after the reforms were completed early in the 1st Century just a small part of the Roman army consisted of only Italian men — the Praetorian Guard [1, 2]. The rest of the army was expanding to be increasingly made up of citizens who were from the outer provinces far away from Rome.
Some may say, however, that since Rome gave the order to destroy the city and the sanctuary then Rome is therefore responsible, but this is not the case at all. Josephus records that Caesar did not want the temple destroyed, writing:
“And now a certain person came running to Titus, and told him of this fire … whereupon he rose up in great haste, and, as he was, ran to the holy house, in order to have a stop put to the fire; after him followed all his commanders, and after them followed the several legions, in great astonishment; so there was a great clamor and tumult raised, as was natural upon the disorderly motion of so great an army. Then did Caesar, both by calling to the soldiers that were fighting, with a loud voice, and by giving a signal to them with his right hand, order them to quench the fire.“ (Josephus War of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 4).The soldiers were hell bent on destroying the sanctuary, despite Caesar’s orders to put out the fire. But they hated the Jews. And as Josephus later writes, “And thus was the holy house burnt down, without Caesar’s approbation.“
History bears witness to the very fact that the people who destroyed the city and the sanctuary were almost exclusively Arab/Egyptian/Syrian/Asia Minorian, etc. and from that general area. From Tacitus in The History New Ed edition Book 5.1 Editor: Moses Hadas (Translated by Alfred Church and William Brodribb; Modern Library, 2003 NY):
“Titus Caesar … found in Judaea three legions, the 5th, the 10th, and the 15th .. To these he added the 12th from Syria, and some men belonging to the 18th and 3rd, whom he had withdrawn from Alexandria. This force was accompanied … by a strong contingent of Arabs, who hated the Jews with the usual hatred of neighbors …”From Josephus in The Complete Works of Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews Or The History Of The Destruction Of Jerusalem(Book III, Chapter 1):
“So Vespasian sent his son Titus [who], came by land into Syria, where he gathered together the Roman forces, with a considerable number of auxiliaries from the kings in that neighborhood.“In the next chapter Josephus writes:
“Malchus also, the king of Arabia, sent a thousand horsemen, besides five thousand footmen, the greatest part of which were archers; so that the whole army, including the auxiliaries sent by the kings, as well horsemen and footmen, when all were united together, amounted to sixty thousand.“Virtually all Roman scholars concur that the overwhelming majority of soldiers would have been Eastern provincial conscripts by the time Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD.
Additionally, Clarence Larkin in “Dispensational Truth Or God’s Plan and Purpose in the Ages“, which many Western AC proponents consider to be one of the best dispensational authors of all time, disagreed with the now popular Roman theory and through Scripture recognized in his own way why Antichrist cannot come from Europe, writing:
“The ‘King of the North’ was the King of Syria, and his character and conduct is described (Dan. 11:36-39) as similar to that of the ‘Little Horn’ that came out of one of the ‘Four Horns’ it is clear that the Antichrist is to come from Syria… The term ‘North’ and ‘South’ are applied to Syria and Egypt because of their geographic relation to Palestine (the Pleasant of Glorious land. Dan. 8:9, 11:16, 41). In the thought of Jehovah, Jerusalem is at once the geographic and moral centre of the earth. We are to understand therefore by the ‘King of the North’ the King of Syria, which also included Assyria. This fixes the locality from which the Antichrist shall come…” (p. 118)Since Scripture calls Antichrist “the Assyrian” numerous times throughout the Old Testament, which would hardly be accurate if he were to come from Rome (Zechariah 10:10-12, Isaiah 30:30-31, Micah 5:2-6, Isaiah 10:12-13 cf Daniel 7:20, Isaiah 14:24-25), Clarence Larkin would in all likelihood be among those to conclude that the Antichrist would arise out of Islam if he were alive today.
… Of The Prince That Shall Come
With Daniel 9:26 we have a specific reference to the prince that shall come after Messiah is “cut off”, a prince whose people are not only associated with the destruction of the city and the sanctuary, but who are also associated with wars and desolations ‘unto the end’. For the sake of argument let’s consider that Daniel is also referring here to an eschatonic leader and people that many consider to be the End-of-Days Antichrist and his kingdom (who would seek to destroy the foundations of the spiritual city and the spiritual temple in the Last Days) since the teachers I am arguing against use this very verse to support the idea of a European Antichrist.
With this in mind, let’s ask ourselves the following question: If the Antichrist is European, why was Daniel not inspired by the Holy Spirit to say “the country/region (erets – H776) of the prince to come”, but was instead moved by the Spirit to use the word “am” (H5971) which means “people” or “nation“? Does it not stand to reason that this is because the prince and the people who would destroy the city and the sanctuary — and therefore by extension the Last Days Antichrist and his people — are not necessarily identified geographically with Europe, but are instead identified primarily through ethnicity? I say yes indeed, and it matters not if they were considered Roman soldiers (even the Apostle Paul called himself Roman, yet he was ethnically a Jew) because there is nothing in the verse to identify the prince to come with Europe geographically.
In closing, the overwhelming evidence that we are now beginning to watch unfold before our very eyes in these Last Days, underscored by authors and teachers such as Joel Richardson, Walid Shoebat and now other like-minded thinkers who have begun to re-examine this question such as Chuck Missler, Dr. John MacArthur, Ray Gano and others, is that the Antichrist of these Last Days will not be coming out of Rome or Europe. For many, the blinders of tradition and pop-theology has locked them into a state of eschatological tunnel-vision while a prowling Beast creeps beside them, rising out of the Middle East and ready to devour. But a close examination of Daniel 9:26 along with a brief lesson in history and an even cursory look at current events leaves little doubt about it — Antichrist and the spirit of Antichrist is rising out of the Middle East, and from within radical Islam. Christian author Joseph Chambers concurs, and sums it up nicely by saying:
“There is no other geographical area on planet Earth where the Antichrist could appear but the Middle East. Those who continue to look only toward the European Common Market as the primary movement toward the Antichrist will soon be disappointed… To look for Satan’s final activities in any other area than the Middle East is to look in vain and in error…. The Islam or Moslem religion provides an excellent covering for the rise of the Antichrist.” (A Palace for the Antichrist, News Leaf Press, 1996, pages 136-142).Credit: For more information please be sure to read Joel Richardson’s excellent article titled “Daniel 9:26: Who Are The People of the Prince To Come?” here.
Sunday, 12 August 2012
PART THREE OF MY NEW SERIES ON "WHY THE ANTICHRIST WILL PROBABLY BE A MUSLIM" BY NEVILLE STEPHENS.
I have been running a little late this month with holiday, business, and family arrangments, therefore part three of my series on "Why The Antichrist Will Probably Be A Muslim" has been put onto a back burner.
To fill the gap, while I finish off chapter three, I post here a superb article by Amy Van Gerpen, in a critique of the latest book by Tim LaHaye called "Revelation Unveiled". In it, Amy supports my theory that the Antichrist will be an Assyrian from the Eastern Leg of the Revived Roman Empire, and not someone from the European Union, or the Western Leg (Rome) which collapsed approximately fourteen centuries before the demise of the Turkish Empire.
It is good to see expert prophecy scholars such as Chuck Missler, Ron Matsen, all of the WND team led by Joel Richardson and Walid Shoebat, plus the likes of Amy Van Gerpen present this fresh eschatological approach to challenge the mainstream end times teachings, which lead so many people astray.
Nev.
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The Nationality of the Antichrist. "Daniel 9:26 refers to [the antichrist] as the ruler of the people that will come, meaning that he will be of the royal lineage of the race that destroyed
To fill the gap, while I finish off chapter three, I post here a superb article by Amy Van Gerpen, in a critique of the latest book by Tim LaHaye called "Revelation Unveiled". In it, Amy supports my theory that the Antichrist will be an Assyrian from the Eastern Leg of the Revived Roman Empire, and not someone from the European Union, or the Western Leg (Rome) which collapsed approximately fourteen centuries before the demise of the Turkish Empire.
It is good to see expert prophecy scholars such as Chuck Missler, Ron Matsen, all of the WND team led by Joel Richardson and Walid Shoebat, plus the likes of Amy Van Gerpen present this fresh eschatological approach to challenge the mainstream end times teachings, which lead so many people astray.
Nev.
******************************************
The Nationality of the Antichrist. "Daniel 9:26 refers to [the antichrist] as the ruler of the people that will come, meaning that he will be of the royal lineage of the race that destroyed Jerusalem Roman Empire ; therefore he will be predominantly Roman."
("Revelation Unveiled" - By Tim LaHaye)
The antichrist will indeed arise out of the historic Roman Empire based on Daniel 9. It is possible that the antichrist may even have Roman blood. However, his nationality will probably not be European.
Lahaye, and most other Bible scholars are quick to suggest that the antichrist will come out of Europe , based on this one passage in Daniel. Further study reveals this is not likely the case.
The historic Roman Empire became too large to be governed effectively and so it was divided:
The statue in Daniel depicts this with the two legs of iron (Daniel 2:33). So we see that the "people" that the "ruler" will come from not only includes the European nations (the west leg), but also includes the Middle East nations (the east leg). The western leg eventually fell, but the eastern leg continued as the Byzantine Empire for almost 1000 more years, and was headquartered in Turkey
The Ottomans conquered the Byzantine Empire near the turn of the 14th century, and ruled until the 1920's. It is interesting to note, that Satan had his throne in the eastern leg, in the area of Turkey
The original seven churches in Revelation were also in Turkey Middle East .
Revelation 13:2 and Daniel 7:3-7 depict the beast as a combination of the previous beasts or kingdoms. So it would make sense that the origin of the antichrist will be associated with all of these kingdoms; much like Christ was born in Bethleham, came out of Egypt Babylon Israel Turkey Armenia Egypt Lebanon Syria Jordan Israel
The Bible also refers to the antichrist as the Assyrian (Isaiah 10, 14 & Micah 5) and the King of the North (Daniel 11:40-45). Assyria was a kingdom centered in Mesopotamia , or Babylonia , which was north of Israel Assyria and be called "New Assyria" with "New Babylon" as its capitol. This kingdom would likely emerge after the "Great Middle East" and "Gog and Magog" wars (See "Amy's Speculation Corner"). Let's not forget that the strongest foreshadow of the antichrist was Antiochus IV., Epiphanes, who was King of Assyria from 175-164BC.
Antiochus carried out an "abomination of desolation", defiling the Jewish Temple, which is prophesied to take place again during the middle of the 70th Week in Daniel 9:27, by the antichrist, who is also called the king of Assyria . It is also interesting to note, that the Assyrian Empire included modern day Iraq Babylon
Lahaye also suggests in his book the possibility of the antichrist having Jewish blood. In light of the prophecy from Jacob in Genesis 49:17, where Dan is said to be like a serpent in the last days, we should not rule it out. However, it is probable that the false prophet of the beast could fulfill this prophecy about Dan instead. This is because the false prophet will arise out of the land, a type of Israel
To me, it makes sense that the antichrist will be of the bloodline of Abraham, but come from the line of Ishmael, who is considered a Gentile. Ishmael was cursed to be a wild donkey of a man; he also did not get God's blessing. As we know today, Ishmael's descendants are still cursed and being led by Satan against God's chosen people.
The last Gentile kingdom, we haven't touched on, is Egypt Babylon Assyria were. Ishmael's mother Hagar was Egyptian. So if the antichrist is from the line of Ishmael, he also has ties to Egypt Lebanon Syria Turkey Jordan Armenia
If the antichrist was from a country that was included in all the Gentile kingdoms, this would then literally fulfill Revelation 13:1, where the beast will come from all seven heads or kingdoms (1. Egypt Assyria - 3. Babylon Greece Roman Empire - 7. Revived Roman Empire ).
And then there was Esau. Why did God say that He hated Esau? I believe it was because he married two of Ishmael's daughters in disobedience. Genesis 28:8 tells us that Ishmael's daughters lived in Canaan . Interestingly, Canaan was cursed back in Genesis 9:25 for the sin of his father Ham. Ham, Canaan , Ishmael, and Esau are then all tied together in disobedience to God, and have all been cursed. Satan has used their offspring, the Arab Muslims, as enemies and a continual stumbling block to God's chosen people under the umbrella of the religion of Islam.
It is no wonder that the headlines and wars today are centered on the continual conflict between the Jews and the Muslims with this spiritual battle going on. The Muslim eschatology even has their own messiah, the Mahdi, with the return of Jesus as a prophet, which is strikingly similar to the Biblical antichrist and false prophet. Is Satan trying to force the hand of God, or has he figured out from Scripture where the antichrist will originate from?
The Bible tells us that the antichrist will come as a peacemaker (Daniel 11:21-24 & Revelation 6:1-2). Does it even seem plausible that a leader from the European Union would be able to make peace, with the difference in ideologies so strong in the region? I think it makes more sense that the antichrist will have a Muslim background.
In my mind, someone that is Muslim would be more successful in being able to bring the people in the Middle East together for peace. However, I don't think that the antichrist will be a radical or fundamental Muslim as these groups appear to be targeted in the "Gog and Magog War" of Ezekiel 38 & 39, which will likely take place near the beginning, or before the Tribulation begins.
While Islam will be judged in the "Gog and Magog War", the Muslims that are left after that war will likely be absorbed into the One World Religion of Mystery Babylon. Islam, fundamentally speaking, will likely cease to exist as God says he will "reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth" in that war (Zephaniah 2:11).
Another point to keep in mind is that one can be born a Muslim, but be lukewarm in their beliefs, much like a Christian of the Laodicean church is (Revelation 3:14-22). In fact, the antichrist will not hold to the god of his father (Allah?) or any gods (Daniel 11:37-38), but that doesn't mean he won't hold on to Muslim traditions or encourage his Muslim brethren to join the One World Religion to gain power through his push for peace.
Prophecy teachers have also traditionally held that the European Union will fulfill the prophecy in Revelation 17:9-11, which predicts the re-birth of the Roman Empire . This may come from the widely held belief that the antichrist will be European. I have no doubt that the European Union is a prototype for the revived Roman Empire , but I do not believe it fulfills this prophecy. The emerging Mediterranean Union seems more likely to fulfill the prophecy in Revelation.
What the Mediterranean Union has that the European Union lacks is the northern Africa and Middle East countries that were part of the original Roman Empire . Not only is the Mediterranean Union more geographically similar to the Roman Empire, but it also could fulfill the prophecies in Daniel about the mixing of iron and clay (European and Arab seed?) and having 10 "toes".
Daniel 2:40-43 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
Currently, the Mediterranean Union is more of a forum for strengthening relations between Europe and the Arabs rather than a real economic or political union. Interestingly, the Mediterranean Union framework is a "5+5" forum, a group of 10 leading nations; five from Europe and five from northern Africa (source). Time will tell if this framework becomes the 10 toes of the revived Roman Empire . If it is, the European Union will crumble and the Mediterranean Union will rise from the ashes.
There are a myriad of catalysts that could force the move to strengthen the Mediterranean Union. The most prominent in the works now, being the worsening of the current economic crisis of the European Union. The rapture of the Church and the resulting "sudden destruction" (1 Thessalonians 5:3) could also crumble the European Union, as well as the other struggling world powers.
In conclusion, not only do the scriptures point to the antichrist being from a Middle Eastern Country, but the geographical area of the original Roman Empire supports this notion. The Mediterranean Union appears to fit what will become the revived Roman Empire better than the current European Union. The only country that seems to be missing from the Mediterranean Union, is Babylon Babylon Babylon Roman Empire in the geographical sense.
AMY VAN GERPEN from "TrackingBibleProphecy.com".
PS. All three chapters are grouped together at the bottom of this page for your convenience (Nev).
PS. All three chapters are grouped together at the bottom of this page for your convenience (Nev).
JOEL RICHARDSON ON ETHIOPIA AND SUDAN IN BIBLE PROPHECY.
ETHIOPIA AND SUDAN IN BIBLE PROPHECY.
Open up nearly any English translation of the Bible and you will find numerous references to “Ethiopia.” Many of these references place Ethiopia in a negative light. In the book of the prophet Ezekiel for example, we find a prophetic oracle against Ethiopia, Egypt, Arabia, Libya, and Turkey (Lud):
A sword will come upon Egypt, and anguish will be in Ethiopia; when the slain fall in Egypt, they take away her wealth, And her foundations are torn down. Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya and the people of the land that is in league will fall with them by the sword. —Ezekiel 30: 4-5
Later in the infamous Gog of Magog oracle of Ezekiel 38 & 39, Ethiopia is included among the alliance of nations that are prophesied to invade the Nation of Israel:
Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet. —Ezekiel 38:3-5
All of the nations of Ezekiel’s Gog oracle are destroyed. Is Ethiopia thus destined to be decimated by God?
Far from it. The truth is that the modern day nation of Ethiopia is largely unrelated to the Ethiopia mentioned by Ezekiel. The translation of “Cush” as “Ethiopia” is actually quite misleading. Yet as a result of this widely used, but faulty translation, the poor Ethiopian people today, one of the most ancient, noble and largely Christian cultures in the earth, have gotten a seriously bad rap.
How did this confusion come about? The Hebrew word translated as Ethiopia is “Cush.” Cush was the son of Ham, and grandson of Noah. Many of Cush’s descendants settled in the region of southern Egypt, from Aswan to the place where the Nile River meets the Blue and White Nile rivers. The confusion comes from the historical name swap between Ethiopia and Abyssinia. The region that the Bible refers to as Cush became known as Nubia, which the Greeks called Aithiopia. But today this region is southern Egypt and Northern Sudan. On the other hand, the ancient region of Abyssinia was much more southeast. This is where modern Ethiopia is now located. In others words, ancient Abyssinia is modern Ethiopia and ancient Aithiopia is modern day North Sudan.
Because of this confusion, many students of prophecy are awaiting the Christian majority nation of Ethiopia to join with the Islamic alliance described in Ezekiel 38-39. But a correct understanding of the name Cush points us to North Sudan, not Ethiopia.
Modern Day North Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia & surrounding nations. The grey oval around the three Nile rivers represents ancient Cush, which most Bibles translate as “Ethiopia.” The Green nations of Ethiopia and Eritrea were called Abyssinia in ancient times and do not correlate to the Biblical Cush.
But the judgment prophecies of Ezekiel concerning Cush/Ethiopia do not merely point us to the Sudan in general, but specifically North Sudan. From the perspective of Biblical prophecy, this is all very significant. The recent cessation of South Sudan, is a significant development, bringing greater clarity to Ezekiel’s prophecies. The Biblical region of Cush was centered at Meroe where the Nile river meets the White Nile and the Blue Nile roughly 75 miles northeast of the city of Khartoum, the capital city of North Sudan. Today, an ideological and military Islamist alliance is already forming against Israel, which includes the Islamic nation of North Sudan and Libya. These two nations represent the southern branch of Ezekiel’s Gog alliance.
But while North Sudan is well known as an Islamist stronghold, South Sudan has a significant Christian population. And beyond having a large Christian population, like Ethiopia, South Sudan also has a large number of believers whose faith has many distinctly Messianic-Jewish characteristics. Many of these Christian groups trace their roots back to the early Messianic Jewish communities. And many of these Messianic believers are also supporters of the Nation of Israel who would have no part in an invasion of Israel.
While this may seem a bit academic, there are actually a few essential lessons here. First, it is imperative to accurately understand what nations and regions the ancient names in Scripture are pointing us to. In my new book, Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case For An Islamic Antichrist, I bring the reader up to date with the consensus among modern scholarship concerning many of the ancient names found throughout the prophetic Scriptures, equipping students of the Bible with an accurate understanding of which nations they correlate to today. Beyond this, an accurate understanding of what the prophets are actually saying helps the Church as we seek to join with the LORD’s purposes. Understanding these prophecies will help Christians determine where to allocate their time, resources, energy and money. Where we direct our intercessory prayers and which missionaries and ministries we choose to support should all be influenced by what we believe the LORD is doing today in the earth. It is imperative that the Church aligns its purposes with what the LORD is doing in the earth now.
Today the new nation of South Sudan is deeply in need of prayer, rebuilding and overcoming the effects of war. Beyond this, the ravaging effects of decades of United Nations miseducation has devastated families and actually ruined the faith of tens of thousands. Meanwhile, both South Sudan and Ethiopia are at the front-lines of the radical Islamic agenda to exterminate the ancient African Christian communities. While some students of prophecy today, due to the outdated and misleading translations found in most Bibles, are simply sitting back waiting for Ethiopia and South Sudan to join a forthcoming anti-Zionist, Islamist invasion of Israel, those who know the truth will understand that now is the moment for the global Church to rise up and stand with these beautiful shining gems that are the Christian communities of South Sudan and Ethiopia.
JOEL RICHARDSON.
Saturday, 11 August 2012
JOEL RICHARDSON WITH A REASONED ACCOUNT OF WHY ISAIAH 17, PSALM 83, AND EZEKIEL 38/39 ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY ON THE HORIZON?
Isaiah 17:1, “An oracle concerning Damascus: ‘See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins …’”
By Joel Richardson – “With all of the chaos, bloodshed and now the openly acknowledged presence of chemical and biological weapons within Syria, many students of prophecy are wondering if Isaiah’s oracle concerning Damascus is about to be fulfilled. Many believe Israel might actually utilize nuclear weapons against its neighbors to the north. One prophecy teacher recently stated, ‘the fact that Israel has nuclear weapons makes the destruction of Damascus predicted in Isaiah 17:1 entirely possible.’With all of the chaos in Syria continually growing more and more unstable, it is certainly understandable that many students of Scripture are looking to Isaiah 17 and asking if its fulfillment could be imminent. But if we simply examine the actual text a bit more carefully, then we will see that this view is simply not what Isaiah was speaking about.
First, it is important to understand exactly what many within the prophecy community are expecting. According to this emerging popular view, there are three major prophetic events that are about to be imminently fulfilled, each one in succession. According to this popular scenario, the order of prophetic events is as follows:
- Isaiah 17: Damascus is destroyed by a nuclear bomb.
- Psalm 83: All of Israel’s remaining Arab neighbors launch an attack. Israel, however, is victorious and will actually occupy all these nations.
- Ezekiel 38,39: Another outer band of nations invade Israel, but they are all supernaturally destroyed by God in Israel.
Now, let’s consider the actual text of Isaiah 17 to examine why a looming Israeli nuclear strike is not what the prophecy is speaking of.
The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks to lie down in, and there will be no one to frighten them. … sovereignty [will disappear] from Damascus and the remnant of Aram …”According to the text, there are a few things this judgment will bring about. All of them must be taken into consideration.
– Isaiah 17:1-3
First, Damascus will be removed from being a city as well as all of ‘Aram.’ Aram speaks of the greater region of southern Syria.
Second, ‘the cities of Aroer’ will be so adversely affected by the Isaiah 17 judgment that they will be ‘forsaken.’ A survey of the opinions of commentators, biblical scholars and Bible atlases tell us that Aroer is a reference to the region of northern modern-day Jordan. This would include the capital city of Amman.
Third, ‘Ephraim,’ which speaks of the ancient northern kingdom of Israel, or simply modern-day northern Israel, will also become virtually desolate:
The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim. … Now in that day the glory of Jacob will fade, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean. … Yet gleanings will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives on the topmost bough, four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel. … In that day their strong cities will be like forsaken places in the forest, Or like branches which they abandoned before the sons of Israel; and the land will be a desolation.Beyond northern Israel, the text is also clear that the ‘glory of Jacob will fade.’ ‘Jacob,’ of course, is simply a reference to all of Israel. So Israel’s glory will fade to the point of being sparsely populated. Isaiah likens Israel to the fields after harvest. He then says that Israel’s ‘strong cities will be like forsaken places in the forest.’
– Isaiah 17:3-7
Yet despite the fact that the prophecy speaks not only of the destruction of Damascus, but also of a major desolation of all of Israel, in none of the popular discussions of this text does anyone ever bring attention to Israel’s desolation. It is as if they read only the first verse and ignore the remainder of the passage!
For those sensationalists who are predisposed to believe that Israel is about to hit Damascus with a nuclear bomb, the question must be asked: How wise would it be to drop a nuclear bomb on a city that lies less than 50 miles from your own border? The city of Damascus is only: 60 miles from Safed, 90 miles from Haifa, 133 miles from Tel Aviv, 135 miles from Jerusalem. The following map shows the region that would be adversely affected by the radiation fallout if Israel were to ‘nuke’ Damascus:
But most importantly, for those who believe the whole Isaiah 17 – Psalm 83 – Ezekiel 38, 39 succession of events scenario, if Israel is as sparsely populated and desolated as the passage states, how in the world would she be in the position not only to repel an attack from several other Arab nations, but also to occupy them? According to this text, after the judgments of Isaiah 17, there are barely enough survivors to inhabit Israeli cities, never mind all of the surrounding Arab nations! Once again, this entire popular view that so many seem to be embracing is a view that simply cannot be reconciled with the Scriptures.
In conclusion then, this passage is not speaking of an imminent nuclear attack. Isaiah 17 is simply one piece of the larger section of Isaiah’s prophecy (Chapters 13-23) that speaks of judgment not only against Israel, but all of her adversarial Gentile neighbors.
When will all of this occur? If one examines this larger portion of Isaiah’s prophecy in its proper context, rather pulling out a single verse here or there, then it is clear that its ultimate context is the Day of the LORD, the judgment against the nations and the return of Jesus. On this point, I find myself in full agreement with Dr. Tommy Ice:
It appears to be an event that will occur at the end of the seven-year tribulation as the Lord not only judges and destroy Damascus, but all of Israel’s historic enemies that surround her. If one examines the broader context of Isaiah 17 and takes account of the section where it is located, it becomes clear that it is a section in which the Lord prophesizes (sic) judgment upon all the Gentile nations that have opposed Israel. This will all happen at the end of the tribulation in conjunction with the second coming of Christ to the earth.In my new book, ‘Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist,’ I walk the student of prophecy through many of the Bible’s most important prophetic passages so as to properly understand what comes next in God’s prophetic calendar.” Source – WND.
Friday, 3 August 2012
"DO NOT TOUCH THE MUSLIM TEMPLE MOUNT" WARNING TO ISRAEL FROM THE ARAB LEAGUE!!
The Arab League Warns Israel: Don’t Touch The Muslim Temple Mount
The Arab League made up of twenty-two Arab member states has issued a warning to Israel to stay away from al -Aqsa Mosque which is located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This location is a very sacred spot for the Jewish people and the location of the first and second Jewish Temples over a one thousand year period of time.
Surprisingly, the Arab League’s statement termed, "the Mosque on the Temple Mount" – the holiest of the Arab and Islamic holy sites which is contrary to Islamic law that sets Mecca as Islam’s holiest site. The Arab League statement said al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line that must not be crossed and any attack would endanger the safety and the stability of the entire Middle Eastern region.
Jimmy’s Prophetic Prospective on the News
The Arab League’s warning to Israel not to touch the Muslim Temple Mount is contradictory to history and Bible prophecy as well.
The Arab League, an organization of 22 Arab states, is very strong in the Middle East and when they issue a warning, it should get everybody’s attention. The Muslim world does have custodial responsibility over the Temple Mount but not to the extent that it can be referred to as the Muslim Temple Mount. History contradicts these Muslim claims.
The Bible states that King David captured the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem in 1048 BC. This is the time when David made Jerusalem the political capital of the Jewish people, II Samuel 5. Several years later, King David made Jerusalem the spiritual capital of the Jewish people when he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city. In 1012 BC, Solomon, David’s son, built a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount referred to as Mt. Moriah in II Chronicles 3:1. Mt. Moriah is that sacred spot where Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice unto the Lord, Genesis 22 in 1872 BC. This history lesson proves that the Temple Mount belongs to the Jews and has belonged to them for almost 4000 years. In addition to that, Bible prophecy says the Temple Mount will be where the Lord will dwell among the Jewish people, His people forever, Psalm 132:13-14.
History has been recorded and Bible prophecy will be fulfilled.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
NEW SLANT ON THE 200,000,000 HORSEMEN OF REVELATION 9:16, BUT A LITTLE FAR FETCHED TO MY MIND (NEV).
The 200,000,000 Horsemen: “And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.” (Revelation 9:16) Historically, most prophecy teachers have taken the number 200,000,000 in this text to mean a vast army moving from the Far East toward Israel for what is often called “The Battle of Armageddon”. This interpretation is based, at least to some degree, on prophetic facts. But, the facts most often cited in support of this interpretation actually have no relevance to the text before us.
Goose-stepping Chinese Soldiers on Parade
The Valley of Jezreel, commonly called The Valley of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation this area will be void of crops due to the ravages of God's wrath, but will be the ideal place to stage the international armies of the anti-Christ.
It is true that Armageddon is the place where anti-Christ will marshal his human armies in preparation for a final showdown with Jesus for ownership of the earth. Note, however, Armageddon will not be the end of the world as most people believe (see CSM website for “Is Armageddon the End of the World?” April 2011 newsletter). It is also true that China has a vast army that numbers about 3.2 million men, and that prior to the late 20th Century it would have been impossible for China, or any other nation for that matter, to field such an army in order to fulfill this prophecy. It is also true that the sixth angel of Revelation 16:12 will pour out a bowl judgment that will dry up the Euphrates River in order to expedite the movement of the armies from the east as they converge upon Israel. Still, those facts are not related contextually to the 200,000,000 horsemen of Revelation 9:16.
If this number does not refer to a human army, then what does it mean? In my opinion the number refers to a type of horrid, demonically associated creature that has been heretofore unknown to humanity, and whose purpose is to torment and kill people during the tribulation period. These creatures are not evil angels, but are directly associated with the release of the four evil angels in verse 14. They will number 200,000,000 and will kill one-third of mankind.
Two kinds of angels are seen in verse 14. The angel with the trumpet is what we might call a “good” angel whose service is to God. The second kind of angel is “bad”. There are four of them, and they will be released at the sixth trumpet for the purpose of executing judgment by means of the horse-creatures.
That these four angels are incorrigibly evil is clear in that the only angels that are bound are evil. In Jude 6 we are told that some are so terrible in their character that they are kept in chains in the abyss until their day of judgment. The four in this text, however, happen to be confined at the Euphrates River. They are not released to be judged, but are released at this specific time for the purpose of killing a multitude of people. Their own judgment is later.
So, why are they bound at the Euphrates River instead of in the abyss? There is no definitive answer to that question, so we may only speculate. However, J.A. Seiss in his book “The Apocalypse”, offers an interesting observation about a possible connection.
Seiss points out that Babylon was built on the Euphrates River, in the same general area where God had created the Garden, the original home of Adam and Eve. It was there that Satan first presented himself to mankind with the sole purpose of destroying God’s perfect intentions. The descendants of Noah, in rebellion against God’s command, returned there and officially mapped out sinful man’s anti-God agenda. And, by the scattering of Noah’s descendants from Babylon there was created a connection between that area and all the blasphemous and vile religions ever conceived in the mind of mankind. Further, it will be in that area that the final Gentile world system will be rooted; the headquarters of man’s last great Gentile Fuhrer, and the sanctum sanctorum of the most beautiful, yet most vile and putrid of all human religions as described in Revelation 17.
We might ask, could those four angels have been involved in the wretchedness of Babylon’s past? And of more interest is the question, have they been restrained there for the express purpose of using Babylon, the political, economic and religious epicenter of the anti-Christ, as the starting point in their gory rampage? Could it be that many in anti-Christ’s own staff will be among the first to die? If so, that would be the epitome of the term “sending a message”!
At the release of the four angels, two-hundred million creatures — horrendous in appearance — begin roaming the earth with slaughter in mind. That these creatures are described as strange-looking horses should not surprise us, for there are several instances in the Bible of locusts and horses being used as descriptive terms for unearthly creatures.
They need no prompting to do their evil. Such is in their nature and, like ravenous wolves suddenly released from their confines in the middle of a sheep-fold, they immediately begin the frenzied slaughter of 33% of the people who are still alive at that point in the tribulation. The horses are the actual weapons of death, and are seemingly under the guidance of the riders whose breastplates are red, blue and yellow. People are killed by these creatures in two ways: with the fire, the smoke and the brimstone that come from their mouths, and with their tails by which they “do harm”.
In past centuries some expositors saw this as a human army in the form of a vast Islamic horde. More modern expositors see these horses as a type of modern weaponry with artillery, rockets and missiles delivering fire, smoke and chemical ordinance. In particular some see the horses as representing modern attack helicopters and fixed-wing tactical aircraft with forward and rearward delivery systems. Three things stand out in opposition to this viewpoint. Modern armies do not commit to battle in bright colors for obvious reasons, no army or combination of eastern armies can muster two-hundred million pieces of artillery, missiles, armored vehicles, helicopters, etc., and God does not need humanly-manufactured weapons of warfare to do what is going to be done in this text.
To believe these are indeed bizarre creatures instead of something normal should not be a stretch for our thinking. In the Old Testament Elijah’s sudden trip into heaven was accompanied by chariots and horsemen of fire (2 Kings 2:11). When Elisha was in Dothan the Lord opened the eyes of the fearful servant to see they were surrounded by horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). What were those horses and chariots of fire? We would be hard-pressed to say with absolute certainty, but we can be quite certain they were not helicopters. Further, the book of Revelation itself, at its near conclusion, shows Jesus and His people coming from heaven to earth on white horses. Surely, these are not machines of human origin.
Consider that the use of fire, smoke and brimstone, or sulfur as brimstone is known today, is not a stand-alone incident. In Revelation 11 the two witnesses in Jerusalem will not only kill their enemies with fire that proceeds from their mouths, but will have power over weather, water and pestilence. Exactly how will this happen? I don’t know, but two things I do know: it will happen, and they won’t use military flame-throwers.
It is unknown as to what is meant precisely by the power of the horses being in their mouths and in their tails. Maybe something like the locusts described in the early part of the ninth chapter; at least it seems reasonable. Further, while the torment of the locusts will be limited to five months, the period set aside for the horses of the sixth trumpet could last for a total of 1 year, 1 month, 1 day and 1 hour, as some interpret the time periods listed in verse 15.
There is possibly one more reason the horses of judgment in Revelation 9:16 will be supernatural creatures of some kind instead of a vast human army, and that is the terrifying, gut-wrenching fear that they will bring to the situation. Human armies and their weapons can be dealt with, at least to some degree, but that is not the case in this instance. These creatures cannot be stopped or killed, and just the mere knowledge that people are helpless against such a force is terrifying beyond belief. No relief, no escape, no defense...unavoidable subjection to merciless torment and death brings a feeling that is totally beyond the pall. Add to that the fact that a man will be unable to protect himself, much less his loved ones and the emotional effect is indescribable.
The purpose of this event is not limited to mere judgment. Its intent is also to foster repentance in the hearts of stiff-necked people, and that is why the judgments are so appalling and terrifying. God’s overriding desire is to bring people to the place of surrendering their obstinate will to His, but people refuse to be moved even in the face of these highly extraordinary means. Verse 20 clearly says that the collective human heart will only grow more resistant. People will know why judgment is falling, but any semblance of repentance is suppressed while anger and hatred toward God grow.
This scenario is impossible for rational minds to understand because it simply goes beyond normal comprehension that the 66% that will witness the death of the 33% will continue to shake their fists in the face of God. There is a truth here, however, that must not be overlooked. When deceived and estranged from God, there is absolutely no limit whatsoever to the foolish obstinacy of the human heart. And that pretty much torpedoes the humanist principle that human rationalism cultivates a state of bliss.
The people in this text are guilty of idolatry (which is demon worship — 1 Corinthians 10:20), murder, drug-associated invocations, sexual immorality and thievery. Just as the severe judgment of Korah for his rejection of God’s word did not change the hearts of the people who witnessed it (Numbers 16:41), so will this judgment at the hands of the 200,000,000 demonic horses not change the hardened hearts of these people during the tribulation. Amazingly, this attitude will be repeated in Revelation 16:9 when the fourth bowl of wrath is poured out on the sun resulting in people being scorched with fire.
With heads like lions and tails like snakes these beasts from hell exact judgment upon a world gone mad; a world in total rebellion against its Creator. With fire, smoke and sulfur belching forth from their mouths, and with snake heads at the ends of their tails dealing out misery the human race is hit with a terrible blow.
The Chinese army? A consortium of armies from the east? Probably not. Though the Euphrates will later become dry, and though the armies of the east will later move toward Jezreel for assembly, that is not the case in this text. That the number refers to demonic creatures instead of human beings does no injustice to those other prophecies, and does not force a skewed interpretation upon any other prophecy. Our responsibility is not to “make it fit”, but to simply believe what has been written knowing that our God will make even this happen. (DLM)
Don McGee of http://secure.campaigner.com/Campaigner/Public/t.show?Tdsj--EThi-mfXBN7
Editor's Note: I often publish articles on this blog which I do not agree with. This is a case in point. But I like to provoke interest, discussion and debate on these possible end times scenarios, for after all, none of us have the complete truth. Personally I tend to go with the teaching that the 200,000,000 warriors will be a Muslim army from the east, and not the more popular idea that this voluminous army comes from China, or the idea put forward above.
Nev.
Goose-stepping Chinese Soldiers on Parade
The Valley of Jezreel, commonly called The Valley of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation this area will be void of crops due to the ravages of God's wrath, but will be the ideal place to stage the international armies of the anti-Christ.
It is true that Armageddon is the place where anti-Christ will marshal his human armies in preparation for a final showdown with Jesus for ownership of the earth. Note, however, Armageddon will not be the end of the world as most people believe (see CSM website for “Is Armageddon the End of the World?” April 2011 newsletter). It is also true that China has a vast army that numbers about 3.2 million men, and that prior to the late 20th Century it would have been impossible for China, or any other nation for that matter, to field such an army in order to fulfill this prophecy. It is also true that the sixth angel of Revelation 16:12 will pour out a bowl judgment that will dry up the Euphrates River in order to expedite the movement of the armies from the east as they converge upon Israel. Still, those facts are not related contextually to the 200,000,000 horsemen of Revelation 9:16.
If this number does not refer to a human army, then what does it mean? In my opinion the number refers to a type of horrid, demonically associated creature that has been heretofore unknown to humanity, and whose purpose is to torment and kill people during the tribulation period. These creatures are not evil angels, but are directly associated with the release of the four evil angels in verse 14. They will number 200,000,000 and will kill one-third of mankind.
Two kinds of angels are seen in verse 14. The angel with the trumpet is what we might call a “good” angel whose service is to God. The second kind of angel is “bad”. There are four of them, and they will be released at the sixth trumpet for the purpose of executing judgment by means of the horse-creatures.
That these four angels are incorrigibly evil is clear in that the only angels that are bound are evil. In Jude 6 we are told that some are so terrible in their character that they are kept in chains in the abyss until their day of judgment. The four in this text, however, happen to be confined at the Euphrates River. They are not released to be judged, but are released at this specific time for the purpose of killing a multitude of people. Their own judgment is later.
So, why are they bound at the Euphrates River instead of in the abyss? There is no definitive answer to that question, so we may only speculate. However, J.A. Seiss in his book “The Apocalypse”, offers an interesting observation about a possible connection.
Seiss points out that Babylon was built on the Euphrates River, in the same general area where God had created the Garden, the original home of Adam and Eve. It was there that Satan first presented himself to mankind with the sole purpose of destroying God’s perfect intentions. The descendants of Noah, in rebellion against God’s command, returned there and officially mapped out sinful man’s anti-God agenda. And, by the scattering of Noah’s descendants from Babylon there was created a connection between that area and all the blasphemous and vile religions ever conceived in the mind of mankind. Further, it will be in that area that the final Gentile world system will be rooted; the headquarters of man’s last great Gentile Fuhrer, and the sanctum sanctorum of the most beautiful, yet most vile and putrid of all human religions as described in Revelation 17.
We might ask, could those four angels have been involved in the wretchedness of Babylon’s past? And of more interest is the question, have they been restrained there for the express purpose of using Babylon, the political, economic and religious epicenter of the anti-Christ, as the starting point in their gory rampage? Could it be that many in anti-Christ’s own staff will be among the first to die? If so, that would be the epitome of the term “sending a message”!
At the release of the four angels, two-hundred million creatures — horrendous in appearance — begin roaming the earth with slaughter in mind. That these creatures are described as strange-looking horses should not surprise us, for there are several instances in the Bible of locusts and horses being used as descriptive terms for unearthly creatures.
They need no prompting to do their evil. Such is in their nature and, like ravenous wolves suddenly released from their confines in the middle of a sheep-fold, they immediately begin the frenzied slaughter of 33% of the people who are still alive at that point in the tribulation. The horses are the actual weapons of death, and are seemingly under the guidance of the riders whose breastplates are red, blue and yellow. People are killed by these creatures in two ways: with the fire, the smoke and the brimstone that come from their mouths, and with their tails by which they “do harm”.
In past centuries some expositors saw this as a human army in the form of a vast Islamic horde. More modern expositors see these horses as a type of modern weaponry with artillery, rockets and missiles delivering fire, smoke and chemical ordinance. In particular some see the horses as representing modern attack helicopters and fixed-wing tactical aircraft with forward and rearward delivery systems. Three things stand out in opposition to this viewpoint. Modern armies do not commit to battle in bright colors for obvious reasons, no army or combination of eastern armies can muster two-hundred million pieces of artillery, missiles, armored vehicles, helicopters, etc., and God does not need humanly-manufactured weapons of warfare to do what is going to be done in this text.
To believe these are indeed bizarre creatures instead of something normal should not be a stretch for our thinking. In the Old Testament Elijah’s sudden trip into heaven was accompanied by chariots and horsemen of fire (2 Kings 2:11). When Elisha was in Dothan the Lord opened the eyes of the fearful servant to see they were surrounded by horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). What were those horses and chariots of fire? We would be hard-pressed to say with absolute certainty, but we can be quite certain they were not helicopters. Further, the book of Revelation itself, at its near conclusion, shows Jesus and His people coming from heaven to earth on white horses. Surely, these are not machines of human origin.
Consider that the use of fire, smoke and brimstone, or sulfur as brimstone is known today, is not a stand-alone incident. In Revelation 11 the two witnesses in Jerusalem will not only kill their enemies with fire that proceeds from their mouths, but will have power over weather, water and pestilence. Exactly how will this happen? I don’t know, but two things I do know: it will happen, and they won’t use military flame-throwers.It is unknown as to what is meant precisely by the power of the horses being in their mouths and in their tails. Maybe something like the locusts described in the early part of the ninth chapter; at least it seems reasonable. Further, while the torment of the locusts will be limited to five months, the period set aside for the horses of the sixth trumpet could last for a total of 1 year, 1 month, 1 day and 1 hour, as some interpret the time periods listed in verse 15.
There is possibly one more reason the horses of judgment in Revelation 9:16 will be supernatural creatures of some kind instead of a vast human army, and that is the terrifying, gut-wrenching fear that they will bring to the situation. Human armies and their weapons can be dealt with, at least to some degree, but that is not the case in this instance. These creatures cannot be stopped or killed, and just the mere knowledge that people are helpless against such a force is terrifying beyond belief. No relief, no escape, no defense...unavoidable subjection to merciless torment and death brings a feeling that is totally beyond the pall. Add to that the fact that a man will be unable to protect himself, much less his loved ones and the emotional effect is indescribable.
The purpose of this event is not limited to mere judgment. Its intent is also to foster repentance in the hearts of stiff-necked people, and that is why the judgments are so appalling and terrifying. God’s overriding desire is to bring people to the place of surrendering their obstinate will to His, but people refuse to be moved even in the face of these highly extraordinary means. Verse 20 clearly says that the collective human heart will only grow more resistant. People will know why judgment is falling, but any semblance of repentance is suppressed while anger and hatred toward God grow.
This scenario is impossible for rational minds to understand because it simply goes beyond normal comprehension that the 66% that will witness the death of the 33% will continue to shake their fists in the face of God. There is a truth here, however, that must not be overlooked. When deceived and estranged from God, there is absolutely no limit whatsoever to the foolish obstinacy of the human heart. And that pretty much torpedoes the humanist principle that human rationalism cultivates a state of bliss.
The people in this text are guilty of idolatry (which is demon worship — 1 Corinthians 10:20), murder, drug-associated invocations, sexual immorality and thievery. Just as the severe judgment of Korah for his rejection of God’s word did not change the hearts of the people who witnessed it (Numbers 16:41), so will this judgment at the hands of the 200,000,000 demonic horses not change the hardened hearts of these people during the tribulation. Amazingly, this attitude will be repeated in Revelation 16:9 when the fourth bowl of wrath is poured out on the sun resulting in people being scorched with fire.With heads like lions and tails like snakes these beasts from hell exact judgment upon a world gone mad; a world in total rebellion against its Creator. With fire, smoke and sulfur belching forth from their mouths, and with snake heads at the ends of their tails dealing out misery the human race is hit with a terrible blow.
The Chinese army? A consortium of armies from the east? Probably not. Though the Euphrates will later become dry, and though the armies of the east will later move toward Jezreel for assembly, that is not the case in this text. That the number refers to demonic creatures instead of human beings does no injustice to those other prophecies, and does not force a skewed interpretation upon any other prophecy. Our responsibility is not to “make it fit”, but to simply believe what has been written knowing that our God will make even this happen. (DLM)
Don McGee of http://secure.campaigner.com/Campaigner/Public/t.show?Tdsj--EThi-mfXBN7
Editor's Note: I often publish articles on this blog which I do not agree with. This is a case in point. But I like to provoke interest, discussion and debate on these possible end times scenarios, for after all, none of us have the complete truth. Personally I tend to go with the teaching that the 200,000,000 warriors will be a Muslim army from the east, and not the more popular idea that this voluminous army comes from China, or the idea put forward above.
Nev.