"Rabbi Lazer Brody stated, “When you hear that the Russians have captured the city of Crimea, you should know that the times of the Messiah have started, that his steps are being heard. And when you hear that the Russians have reached the city of Constantinople [today’s Istanbul], you should put on your Shabbat clothes and don’t take them off, because it means that the Messiah is about to come any minute.” Dear Blake, Thanks for liking my posts. I haven't seen you on this site for a while, and I miss you. I wanted to tell you that I am still praying for you. Thank you for the post Patricia. I feel like someone is about to light the match. Do we need to be here for that?! TR tr- hope not! makes sense to me that God might rapture us beforehand so that Christians in the nations that will come against Israel will not be affected by God's judgement/wrath for their brazen attempted attack I've never felt we were destined to be here for that! We shall see! Hopefully see God! TR In Ezekiel 38 it mentions God Wrath. We are not appointed to wrath so we will not be here for that. One would have to think that there would be a few born again Christians in Gog's army. They would have to be gone before God's Wrath was poured out. Judgment on Gog I think the rabbis take on this is a perfect representation of what Paul talked about in I Corinthians 2 about the natural man's discernment vs. the spiritual man's discernment. Gog is a supernatural entity that will command a supernatural army who, for a specific purpose and on a specific day, arises to set upon Israel. How that gets reduced to Russia taking Crimea, I will never know. Amos 7:1 in the Septuagint tells us Gog is the king of the locusts. This is part of the reason we know Ez 38 is pre-70th Week. When next we're introduced to the locusts, it's in Rev 9 and Gog isn't their king anymore because God already disposed of him. Abbadon/Apollyon is. There is nothing natural about Ez 38-39 except for the hangers' on who use the opportunity to join Gog for their own ends. (How that gets reduced to Russia taking Crimea, I will never know”) That is because what you’re referencing are 2 separate events. The locust that comes out of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9 occurs AFTER the 7th seal is broken and included in the Trumpet Judgments. If you look back at Revelation 6 1st seal broken White Horse (AC is on center stage) 2nd seal broken Red Horse (war unfolds) most watchers place the first G/M War in this time slot. The Ezekiel 38:18-23 passage that Arthur references ... clearly shows God’s wrath is against human beings (many nations - includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, etc. ) ... blood shed is going to occur. I don’t think locust/demons have blood. Humans are going after the spoils that Israel has .. why would locust/demons go after the spoils of oil/gas/ technology, etc.? The purpose of the locust/demons that come out of the pit of hell in Chapter 9 is to torment (sting) the unsaved for 5 months that have taken the mark and worshipping the beast. They are told not to hurt the grass, any green thing nor the trees and they are not to bother the tribulation saints that have the seal of God in their foreheads. Judgment on Gog Ezekiel 38:18-23 I was thinking that G/M has to happen before the 70th week because the covenant has to be confirmed with Israel and that is what initiates the 70th week and thus the seals; and it has been mentioned that more countries will be content and eager to sign the covenant with Israel once the Lord steps in and destroys those that come against her in the G/M war. Once we are gone, the supernatural evil forces will be free to get busy with their plan and deception which will likely include ET type things ( which we have all talked about) and that would represent the supernatural forces? I am just talking out loud and jumping in the discussion, certainly not dogmatic about any of it with the exception of pre-trib rapture.......hehe 🙂
Ezekiel 38:18-23
18 “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ 21 I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’
18 “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ 21 I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”
