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Ezekiel gave us a list of seven names of those who would physically attack Israel. Eze. 38:1-6 History leaves a record of these nations at one time or another coming against the land of Israel. Prophetically, the number seven is a divine complete number. Thus it portrays the amalgamated world, the united world which will be the kingdom of the devil and his antichrist. What will take place, though it is called a battle, is so one sided that it can hardly be considered a war such as we depict and see today. Note that the enemy has hooks in his jaws, in other words is under the absolute control of the Lord. The Lord will bring him out to do battle and at the same time turn him around in full flight and defeat. Eze. 38:4 Bear in mind also that there is a variety of armament evidenced among this army, for they are from all the nations of the world.
The Lord made it very apparent that this is a situation which will develop at the brink of time, the very end, that is the end of the last thousand years. The gathering together of the people of the Lord, this undesirable visitation, will take place ìin the latter years,î the end of the dealings of the Lord with mankind on earth. The people of the Lord occupy the land ìthat is brought back from the sword,î that is a land and a time of absolute peace and tranquility. The thousand years of rest and peace, the Lordës Sabbath. They are gathered from every nation, tribe and tongue and made to be the people of the Lord, regardless of their genealogy. They are the redeemed and resurrected. They are the chosen, eternal generation, the very elect of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:9 Of vital importance is the statement that they ìshall dwell safely all of them.î Eze. 38:8 This is a condition which does not exist today but is destined to prevail during and until the end of the Lordís Sabbath, at the conclusion of the Millennial reign of Christ on earth. Rev. 20:7
In this prophecy given by Ezekiel there are a number of important, key words which give an insight into the coming fulfillment of the prophecy, such as ìascend,î To ascend can mean going up to Jerusalem. Acts 25:1 As stated in Ezekiel, it is approaching or ascending against the New Jerusalem. Eze. 38:9 It is also used in relationship to the beast which will ascend from the bottomless pit, Rev. 11:7 The beast which will arise from the sea. Rev. 13:1 Then the beast which will come up out of the earth. Rev. 13:11 Thus we have the ungodly trilogy composed of the devil, the antichrist and the false prophet, all of whom ascend or come forth. The display of the powers of evil and darkness at this particular time is staggering and far more serious than we can even imagine.