Command the Raven

Daniel 7:1, 13 [show/hide]Daniel 7:1 Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts [7:1]In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. (ESV)

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay upon his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, and told the gist of the matter.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, on the clouds of heavens cam One like a Son of man, and He came to the Ancient of days and was presented before Him. [The Amplified Bible].

“This chapter, in its matter as well as its position in the central part of the book, is to the book of Daniel what the eight chapter of Romans is to that epistle. Next to the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah and perhaps the ninth chapter also, we have here the most precious and prominent portion of the sure word of prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah.

The chapter is worthy of the most careful prayer and study. It is referred to directly or indirectly by Christ and His apostles perhaps more than other portions of the Old Testament of similar extent.

It appears to have been regarded by the Old Testament saints, in the centuries preceding the Messiah’s first advent, as pre-eminently the ‘word of prophecy’.” [Homiletic Commentary].

“Notice the four beasts of this seventh chapter of Daniel symbolize the same world kingdoms that were pictured by the image in chapter two, and the ten horns of the last beast answer to the ten toes of the image.

Most of both prophecies have been fulfilled, and at this writing “the blessed hope” of the ages is also showing every evidence of nearing realization.

Both visions show the end of Gentile world power. View today’s events in the light of these disclosures and they will fall into focus and make sense.

The individual child of God is challenged as never before in the world’s history to let go of the trivial and the transient, and yield himself unreservedly to Him Who is coming to fulfill the longings of every true believer – for ever and ever!”
- The Amplified Bible – Page 1005

From Albert Mohler

“Liberal Protestantism, in its determined policy of accommodation with the secular world, has succeeded in making itself dispensable.” That was the judgment of Thomas C. Reeves in The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Protestantism, published in 1996. Fast-forward another fourteen years and it becomes increasingly clear that liberal Protestantism continues its suicide — with even greater theological accommodations to the secular worldview.

The latest evidence for this pattern is found in a report just released by The Presbyterian Panel, a research group that serves the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) [PCUSA]. The panel’s report is presented as a “Religious and Demographic Profile of Presbyterians, 2008.” The report contains relatively few surprises, but it is filled with data about the beliefs of Presbyterian laypersons and clergy.

A majority of church members, pastors, elders, and specialized clergy describe themselves as moderate, liberal, or very liberal in theological outlook. Less than half of church members (44%) and elders (48%) report a conversion experience. Interestingly, ministers were not asked that question.

In general terms, elders were slightly more conservative in belief than other church members. Female pastors were significantly more likely (51%) than male pastors (23%) to identify themselves as liberal or very liberal. Among other ministers (identified as “specialized clergy”), 62% of females identified themselves as liberal or very liberal, compared to 45% of males.

Majorities of all groups indicated agreement with the statement, “There is life beyond death.” But the most significant theological question concerned the exclusivity of the Gospel and the necessity of belief in Jesus Christ for salvation. On that question there was great division, with over a third (36%) of PCUSA church members indicating that they “disagree” or “strongly disagree” with the statement that “only followers of Jesus Christ can be saved.”

Among ministers, the division is even more apparent, with 45% of pastors disagreeing with that statement and fully 60% of specialized clergy disagreeing. Roughly 20% of both pastors and specialized clergy reported themselves “neutral or unsure” about the question.

Only 43% of church members disagreed or strongly disagreed with the claim that “all the world’s religions are equally good ways of helping a person find ultimate truth.”

This is a church that has lost its confidence in the Gospel in terms of the clear biblical claim that salvation comes only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This latest report confirms the continued abandonment of the Gospel in an increasingly secularized denomination.

Liberal Protestantism — institutionalized in the old Protestant “mainline” denominations — has been following a path of theological accommodation for a century now, and there appears to be little hope for a major theological correction. Renewal groups have been working within these churches for decades, attempting to call the denominations back to biblical Christianity. To date, they have won only isolated battles in most of these churches.

As Reeves explains:

“And so the mainline churches wane — disheartened, aging, increasingly irrelevant, all too often satisfied to serve as a sort of sanctimonious echo of National Public Radio or the left wing of the Democratic Party. For a variety of reasons, many liberal Protestants, especially church leaders, have endorsed a view of reality and a way of life that have helped produce a society that is breaking up. And they have become part of the problem.”

But this report points to the most devastating reality among these churches — the loss of faith and doctrinal conviction among church members. Theological compromise appeared first among the pastors, theologians, church executives, and seminary professors. Denominational bureaucracies again and again prove themselves resistant to correction. For years, the hope had been that laypersons — the church members themselves — would force a correction and lead a return to evangelical conviction.

This report indicates just how distant that hope now appears, largely because the church members themselves have adopted liberal beliefs.

Back in 1994, a team of sociologists considered this phenomenon, looking particularly at the Baby Boomers in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Dean R. Hoge, Benton Johnson, and Donald A. Luidens published their findings in Vanishing Boundaries: The Religion of Protestant Baby Boomers. They identified the phenomenon of “lay liberalism” in the PCUSA and throughout liberal Protestantism.

As they explained, “This perspective is ‘liberal’ because its defining feature is a rejection of the orthodox teaching that Christianity is the only true religion. Lay liberals have a high regard for Jesus, but they do not affirm that He is God’s only son and that salvation is available only through Him.”

The title of their report points to the quandary of liberal Protestantism. As the boundaries between liberal Protestantism and the secular culture vanish, there is little reason for anyone to join one of these churches.

That report explained that “lay liberals who are active Presbyterians do not differ sharply in their religious views from the people who are not involved in a church but describe themselves as religious. There is, in short, no clear-cut ‘faith boundary’ separating active Presbyterians from those who no longer go to church.” The researchers also repeated their point that the defining mark of “lay liberalism” is “the rejection of the claim that Christianity, or any other faith, is the only true religion.”

This abandonment of biblical Christianity is a tragedy of the first order. Churches and denominations birthed in biblical orthodoxy have been ransacked and secularized. The crisis has migrated from the pulpits to the pews, and recovery is only a dim and distant hope.

Evangelicals should consider this tragedy with humility and theological perception. If similar trends are allowed to gain traction among evangelical churches and denominations, the same fate awaits. The larger issue here is not the continued vitality of any denomination as an end in itself, but the integrity of our witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Make no mistake — in the end, vanishing theological boundaries will amount to vanishing Christianity. This report makes that point with devastating clarity.

- From Prophecy News Watch

From WND

Some people are seeing a flying cross, or perhaps a Star of David.

Others say it resembles a ninja-style throwing blade or even a science-fiction spaceship from such Hollywood creations as “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “Babylon 5″ or “The Last Starfighter.”

The Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious, X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that may have been the result of a head-on collision between two asteroids.

While scientists don’t think it’s a comet, they’re not exactly sure of the precise origin of the incredible object soaring some 90 million miles from Earth, snapped just a few weeks ago by the Hubble Space Telescope.

“I’ve seen thousands of astronomical images over my career, but this is one of the few absolute jaw-droppers: A flying X-pattern with trailing streamers,” said Ray Villard, a contributing writer to Discovery News. “Whatever it is, nothing quite like it has ever before been seen in the heavens.”

Even the experts who study celestial phenomena seem somewhat perplexed.

“We’re still trying to really figure out what it is,” University of Arizona planetary scientist Jim Scotti told National Geographic. Scotti is on a team observing the object from the Kitt Peak National Observatory outside Tucson.

Some think the mysterious space object has a shape similar to that of a gunship depicted in the 1984 movie, “The Last Starfighter.”

“The truth is, we’re still struggling to understand what this means,” comet expert David Jewitt at UCLA told Britain’s Daily Mail. “It’s most likely the result of a recent collision between two asteroids.”

If it is indeed the result of such a collision, it would be the first time astronomers have gazed upon the immediate result of such a crash.

The official statement from America’s space agency indicates:

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that suggest a head-on collision between two asteroids. Astronomers have long thought the asteroid belt is being ground down through collisions, but such a smashup has never been seen before.
Asteroid collisions are energetic, with an average impact speed of more than 11,000 miles per hour, or five times faster than a rifle bullet.

“If this interpretation is correct, two small and previously unknown asteroids recently collided, creating a shower of debris that is being swept back into a tail from the collision site by the pressure of sunlight,” Jewitt said.

The discovery of the object, officially known as “P/2010 A2,” is sparking some chatter concerning a possible biblical message regarding end-time scenarios, as well as other theories.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ predicted celestial signs concerning the end of this current age and His return to Earth to govern the kingdom of God.

“And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:25-26 [show/hide]Mark 13:25-26 [25]and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. [26]And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (ESV)
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“And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” (Luke 21:11 [show/hide]Luke 21:11 [11]There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. (ESV)
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“With 2012 doomsday hysteria building, this might get attention on the Internet as yet another omen of the ‘End of Times,’” notes Villard. “Those who’ve overdosed on Nostradamus might see a flying Star of David, or a pentagram.”

- From Prophecy News Watch

The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:1 [show/hide]Lamentations 1:1 How Lonely Sits the City [1:1]How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.

How solitary and lonely sits the city [Jerusalem] that was full of people! How like a widow she has become! She who was great among nations and princess among the provinces has become a tributary – in bond service! – Amplified Bible

One may read the writings of the prophets only as valuable contributions to Old Testament history.

And he may become enriched by familiarity with their forecasts of events which have been startlingly fulfilled, thus proclaiming the divine inspiration of the books and the wisdom and power of the God Who prompted their writings.

But to stop there is by no means to grasp their full and outstanding purpose for today.

Through the prophets God is speaking definitely to every individual and nation on earth, right now DEMANDING THAT WE SEE OURSELVES AS HE SEES US, a world of nations and individuals tobogganing toward disaster; and He declares there is no alternative unless we repent and come to terms with Him.
- Amplified Bible: page 914

DISPENSATION OF FAITHFUL ANGELS AND
THE REDEEMED: THE AGE OF THE AGES

Revelation 21:22 [show/hide]Revelation 21:22 [22]And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. (ESV)

And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Ephesians 2:7 [show/hide]Ephesians 2:7 [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:11 [show/hide]Ephesians 3:11 [11]This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, (ESV)

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. NAME: So-called because faithful angels and resurrected saints will be helping God to administer the affairs of the universes from the earth which will be the eternal headquarters of His government. This dispensation is what we know as the New Heaven and new Earth. It could also be called the Eternal Future, the Eternal Perfect State, or the Eternal Sinless Career of the Earth, for it is to be an age of eternal ages, like an endless chain with endless links [Isa. 65:17 [show/hide]Isaiah 65:17 New Heavens and a New Earth [17]"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
; Isa. 66:22-24 [show/hide]Isaiah 66:22-24 [22]"For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. [23]From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD. [24]"And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." (ESV)
; 2 Pet. 3:10-13 [show/hide]2 Peter 3:10-13 [10]But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. [11]Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, [12]waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! [13]But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (ESV)
; Rev. 21:1-22 [show/hide]Revelation 21:1-22 The New Heaven and the New Earth [21:1]Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2]And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3]And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4]He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." [5]And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6]And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7]The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. [8]But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." The New Jerusalem [9]Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." [10]And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, [11]having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. [12]It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- [13]on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. [14]And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. [15]And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. [16]The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. [17]He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. [18]The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. [19]The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20]the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. [21]And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. [22]And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. (ESV)
:5].

2. LENGTH: - eternity; world without end. It will be the time of perpetual generations, endless perfection, and eternal life. [see 65 Other eternal things: Dake page 622]

3. FAVORABLE BEGINNING: Not only in the beginning but continuing throughout eternity, there will be perfect conditions and people [Isa. 65:17 [show/hide]Isaiah 65:17 New Heavens and a New Earth [17]"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
; Isa. 66:22-24 [show/hide]Isaiah 66:22-24 [22]"For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. [23]From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD. [24]"And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." (ESV)
; 2 Pet. 3:13 [show/hide]2 Peter 3:13 [13]But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (ESV)
; Rev. 21:22 [show/hide]Revelation 21:22 [22]And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. (ESV)
:5].

4. TEST: There will be no further need or moral or probationary test to see if angels or men will prove true and worthy of eternal trust. All in the eternal ruling class – the elect and faithful among angels and men – will have been purged of all possibility of falling. They will be obedient to God’s laws and will: and will be absolutely and eternally trusted by God to help Him administer the affairs of the vast creation [Eph. 2:7 [show/hide]Ephesians 2:7 [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
; Eph. 3:11 [show/hide]Ephesians 3:11 [11]This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, (ESV)
; Rev. 21 [show/hide]Revelation 21 The New Heaven and the New Earth [21:1]Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2]And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3]And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4]He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." [5]And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6]And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7]The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. [8]But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." The New Jerusalem [9]Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." [10]And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, [11]having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. [12]It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- [13]on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. [14]And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. [15]And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. [16]The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. [17]He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. [18]The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. [19]The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20]the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. [21]And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. [22]And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23]And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24]By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, [25]and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. [26]They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27]But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. (ESV)
– 22]. Perpetual generations to come, who will be ruled by resurrected saints and others, will be born sinless.

5. PURPOSE OF GOD. To be ALL IN ALL again, as before rebellion began with Lucifer and Adam [ 1 Cor. 15:24-28 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15:24-28 [24]Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. [25]For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. [26]The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27]For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. [28]When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (ESV)
; Eph. 1:10 [show/hide]Ephesians 1:10 [10]as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (ESV)
]; and to carry out His eternal plan of having creations and kingdoms which are willingly subject to Him and consecrated to the same end that He, Himself is consecrated to, which is the highest good of being for all in all the universes – that is the purpose of God in the future eternal dispensation. [see 10 fold purpose of God in the Millennial reign p. 311 of N.T. as this applies to the New Heaven and New Earth as well as to the Millennium.]

6. MEANS OF GOD IN ACCOMPLISHING HIS PURPOSE: Throughout eternity He will continue to use Jesus Christ, faithful angels, and redeemed men who will have proved themselves true to trust in ministering to the human race [Heb. 1:13 [show/hide]Hebrews 1:13 [13]And to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
; 2:9-18], and who will have come with Christ to take over the kingdoms of this world [Zech. 14:1-5 [show/hide]Zechariah 14:1-5 The Coming Day of the LORD [14:1]Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. [2]For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3]Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4]On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5]And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (ESV)
; Matt. 13:38-51 [show/hide]Matthew 13:38-51 [38]The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, [39]and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. [40]Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. [41]The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, [42]and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43]Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure [44]"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value [45]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, [46]who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. The Parable of the Net [47]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. [48]When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. [49]So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous [50]and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. New and Old Treasures [51]"Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes." (ESV)
; Matt. 24:29-31 [show/hide]Matthew 24:29-31 The Coming of the Son of Man [29]"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [30]Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31]And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (ESV)
; Matt. 25:31-46 [show/hide]Matthew 25:31-46 The Final Judgment [31]"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. [32]Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33]And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. [34]Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35]For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, [36]I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' [37]Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? [38]And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? [39]And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' [40]And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' [41]"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [42]For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, [43]I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' [44]Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' [45]Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' [46]And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (ESV)
; 2 Th. 1:7-10 [show/hide]2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 [7]and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels [8]in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9]They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, [10]when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (ESV)
; JUDE 14 – 15; Rev. 19:11-21 [show/hide]Revelation 19:11-21 The Rider on a White Horse [11]Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. [12]His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [13]He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. [14]And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. [15]From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. [16]On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. [17]Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, [18]to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." [19]And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. [20]And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. [21]And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (ESV)
].

7. FAILURE: There will be no failure throughout eternity with elect angels, elect resurrected men, or with elect natural men who will be carrying out their part of the program as natural people in the eternal purposes of God as His plan was, before Adam’s fall. THE FALL DID NOT do away with God’s original plant, it only postponed it until the restitution of all things in the new earth [Acts 3:21 [show/hide]Acts 3:21 [21]whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. (ESV)
; Rev. 21 [show/hide]Revelation 21 The New Heaven and the New Earth [21:1]Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2]And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3]And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4]He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." [5]And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6]And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7]The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. [8]But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." The New Jerusalem [9]Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." [10]And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, [11]having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. [12]It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- [13]on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. [14]And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. [15]And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. [16]The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. [17]He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. [18]The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. [19]The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20]the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. [21]And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. [22]And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23]And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24]By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, [25]and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. [26]They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27]But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. (ESV)
– 22]

8. JUDGMENT FOR SIN: There will be no judgment for sin again, for all will be righteous and holy. In Rev. 22:3-5 [show/hide]Revelation 22:3-5 [3]No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. [4]They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5]And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (ESV)
we read: “there shall be no more curse…his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face…and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

9. GOD’S PROVISION OF REDEMPTION: This is the same as stated in point 9 of the 7th Dispensation for man – Dispensation of Divine Government or Millennium. The redemption provided through Christ and the cross is eternal in its scope and benefits to mankind.
- Dake A.R. Bible: page 62

Daniel 11:44 [show/hide]Daniel 11:44 [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. (ESV)

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

Many teach that Russia is the king of the north of Daniel 11 [show/hide]Daniel 11 The Kings of the South and the North [11:1]"And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. [2]"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. [3]Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
, but this is impossible for the following reasons:

1. Russia never was a part of the old Roman Empire out of which 10 kingdoms must be formed in the last days and out of which Antichrist must come [Dan. 7:8, 23-24 [show/hide]Daniel 7:8 [8]I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. (ESV)
]

2. Russia never was a part of the old Grecian Empire, or the 4 divisions of that empire after the death of Alexander the Great, out of which Antichrist must come [Dan. 8:9-14, 20-23 [show/hide]Daniel 8:9-14 [9]Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. [10]It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. [11]It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. [12]And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. [13]Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, "For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?" [14]And he said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state." (ESV)
]

3. Russia is not once referred to in the wars of Dan. 11:4-34 [show/hide]Daniel 11:4-34 [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, (ESV)
. These were eventually fought between Syria and Egypt in a period of about 150 years, ending with the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, as seen in the notes on that section of Scripture. Therefore, to insert Russia into the future wear between the future king of the north [Syria] and the king of the south [Egypt] is adding to God’s Word. One might as well identify the U.S.A., Britain, or any other country we want to as the king of the north as to do so with Russia.

4. If Russia is the king of the north of Dan. 11:4-45 [show/hide]Daniel 11:4-45 [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
, then what countries are north of Russia that will make war on Russia, fulfilling the war tidings from the north and east of this king of the north of v 44? There are no countries north of Russia that could make war on her, fulfilling this verse. Hence, Russia is entirely out of the picture in Daniel 11 [show/hide]Daniel 11 The Kings of the South and the North [11:1]"And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. [2]"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. [3]Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
.

5. In the past Russia bordered the Syrian division of the 4 divisions of the old Grecian Empire, so in the formation of the 10 kingdoms this will perhaps be true of the border between future Syria and Russia. Hence, Russia could be the only country to fulfill making war on Syria at that time, for Turkey will have already been conquered by him and made part of the 10 kingdoms of Revised Rome, under the king of the north [Daniel 7 [show/hide]Daniel 7 Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts [7:1]In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. [2]Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. [3]And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. [4]The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. [5]And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.' [6]After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. [7]After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. [8]I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. The Ancient of Days Reigns [9]"As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. [10]A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. [11]"I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. [12]As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. The Son of Man Is Given Dominion [13]"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. [14]And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Daniel's Vision Interpreted [15]"As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. [16]I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. [17]'These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. [18]But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.' [19]"Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, [20]and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. [21]As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, [22]until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. [23]"Thus he said: 'As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. [24]As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. [25]He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. [26]But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. [27]And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.' [28]"Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart." (ESV)
: 23-24; Rev. 17:8-17 [show/hide]Revelation 17:8-17 [8]The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. [9]This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; [10]they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. [11]As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. [12]And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. [13]These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. [14]They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." [15]And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. [16]And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, [17]for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. (ESV)
].

ANOTHER FALACY ABOUT RUSSIA:

The only other major fallacy about Russia is that she will invade Palestine, fulfilling Ezek. 38-39. Many are the speculations regarding Russia being the country from which Antichrist comes, of her fulfilling Dan. 11 [show/hide]Daniel 11 The Kings of the South and the North [11:1]"And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. [2]"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. [3]Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
;40-45; Ezek. 38-39, and of her invading Palestine before the battle of Armageddon. Not one of these theories is true. Even if Russia did invade Palestine before Armageddon, no particular prophecy would be involved. Ezek. 38-39 could not be fulfilled by any such war, for these two chapters are to be fulfilled at Armageddon only, and not in some war before then. [see notes on Ezek. 38-39].

If Bible Scholars will recognize one thing, not only will Ezek. 38-39 be clear to them, but also Dan. 11:44 [show/hide]Daniel 11:44 [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. (ESV)
. That one thing is, Antichrist from Syria will get power over the 10 kingdoms of Revised Rome in the first 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th week, and then the war between him and his 10 kingdoms and the countries east and north of the old Roman Empire territory will be fought. Antichrist will conquer the eastern and northern countries and become the ruler of Russia by conquest, not by being a native of Russia and coming from her [v 44]. At that time he will become the Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal of Ezek. 38-39, at the end of this war or near the end of the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th week. Then, and then only, will Ezek. 38-39 be fulfilled. The antichrist will lead the newly conquered countries, together with the 10 kingdoms, and other nations that will co-operate with him, through the ministry of the 3 unclean spirits [Rev. 16 [show/hide]Revelation 16 The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath [16:1]Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." [2]So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. [3]The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. [4]The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. [5]And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. [6]For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!" [7]And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!" [8]The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. [9]They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. [10]The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish [11]and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. [12]The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. [13]And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. [14]For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. [15]("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!") [16]And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The Seventh Bowl [17]The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" [18]And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. [19]The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. [20]And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. [21]And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (ESV)
; Rev. 13-16 [show/hide]Revelation 13-16 The First Beast [13:1]And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. [2]And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. [3]One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. [4]And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?" [5]And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. [6]It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. [7]Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, [8]and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. [9]If anyone has an ear, let him hear: [10]If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. The Second Beast [11]Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. [12]It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. [13]It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, [14]and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. [15]And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. [16]Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, [17]so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. [18]This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. The Lamb and the 144,000 [14:1]Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. [2]And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, [3]and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. [4]It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, [5]and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. The Messages of the Three Angels [6]Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. [7]And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." [8]Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality." [9]And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, [10]he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. [11]And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." [12]Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. [13]And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" The Harvest of the Earth [14]Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. [15]And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." [16]So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. [17]Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. [18]And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." [19]So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [20]And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia. The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues [15:1]Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. [2]And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire--and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. [3]And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! [4]Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." [5]After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, [6]and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. [7]And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, [8]and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath [16:1]Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." [2]So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. [3]The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. [4]The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. [5]And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. [6]For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!" [7]And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!" [8]The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. [9]They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. [10]The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish [11]and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. [12]The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. [13]And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. [14]For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. [15]("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!") [16]And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The Seventh Bowl [17]The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" [18]And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. [19]The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. [20]And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. [21]And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (ESV)
], to their end at Armageddon [Ezek. 38-39; Joel 3 [show/hide]Joel 3 The LORD Judges the Nations [3:1] "For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, [2]I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, [3]and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it. [4]"What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. [5]For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. [6]You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. [7]Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. [8]I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the LORD has spoken." [9]Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. [10]Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am a warrior." [11]Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD. [12]Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. [13]Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. [14]Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. [15]The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. [16]The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. The Glorious Future of Judah [17]"So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. [18]"And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim. [19]"Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. [20]But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. [21]I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the LORD dwells in Zion."
; Zech. 14 [show/hide]Zechariah 14 The Coming Day of the LORD [14:1]Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. [2]For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3]Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4]On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5]And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. [6]On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. [7]And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. [8]On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. [9]And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. [10]The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. [11]And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. [12]And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. [13]And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. [14]Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. [15]And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. [16]Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. [17]And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. [18]And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [19]This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [20]And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. [21]And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. (ESV)
; Rev. 19:11-21 [show/hide]Revelation 19:11-21 The Rider on a White Horse [11]Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. [12]His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [13]He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. [14]And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. [15]From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. [16]On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. [17]Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, [18]to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." [19]And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. [20]And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. [21]And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (ESV)
].

Thus the king of the north [Syria], will war on the countries north and east of Syria, and they will be defeated, for Antichrist will go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly make away many [44]. Many, if not all the nations north and east of the old Roman Empire territory, will unite to put down this new conqueror who, in 3 ½ short years will have gained complete mastery of all the 10 kingdoms of the Roman Empire territory. Realizing he is set upon complete world conquest they will know that they must defeat him or be defeated eventually by him. So, before he recovers from his bloody wars inside the Roman Empire, they will unite to put an end to his conquest. Antichrist could perhaps conquer more of the world if it were not for Christ’s coming to earth to save Israel when half of Jerusalem is taken [Zech. 14 [show/hide]Zechariah 14 The Coming Day of the LORD [14:1]Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. [2]For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3]Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4]On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5]And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. [6]On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. [7]And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. [8]On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. [9]And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. [10]The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. [11]And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. [12]And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. [13]And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. [14]Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. [15]And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. [16]Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. [17]And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. [18]And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [19]This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [20]And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. [21]And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. (ESV)
]. Thus, Antichrist’s dream of being a total world-wide dictator will come far short of his goal. Christ will be the one and only world-wide ruler other than Adam and Noah of the human race and Lucifer of the angelic race.
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 879-880

RUSSIA NOT KING OF THE NORTH
Daniel 11:44 [show/hide]Daniel 11:44 [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. (ESV)

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

Many teach that Russia is the king of the north of Daniel 11 [show/hide]Daniel 11 The Kings of the South and the North [11:1]"And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. [2]"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. [3]Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
, but this is impossible for the following reasons:

1. Russia never was a part of the old Roman Empire out of which 10 kingdoms must be formed in the last days and out of which Antichrist must come [7:8, 23-24]
2. Russia never was a part of the old Grecian Empire, or the 4 divisions of that empire after the death of Alexander the Great, out of which Antichrist must come [8:9-14, 20-23]
3. Russia is not once referred to in the wars of Dan. 11:4-34 [show/hide]Daniel 11:4-34 [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, (ESV)
. These were eventually fought between Syria and Egypt in a period of about 150 years, ending with the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, as seen in the notes on that section of Scripture. Therefore, to insert Russia into the future wear between the future king of the north [Syria] and the king of the south [Egypt] is adding to God’s Word. One might as well identify the U.S.A., Britain, or any other country we want to as the king of the north as to do so with Russia.
4. If Russia is the king of the north of Dan. 11:4-45 [show/hide]Daniel 11:4-45 [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
, then what countries are north of Russia that will make war on Russia, fulfilling the war tidings from the north and east of this king of the north of v 44? There are no countries north of Russia that could make war on her, fulfilling this verse. Hence, Russia is entirely out of the picture in Daniel 11 [show/hide]Daniel 11 The Kings of the South and the North [11:1]"And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. [2]"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. [3]Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
.
5. In the past Russia bordered the Syrian division of the 4 divisions of the old Grecian Empire, so in the formation of the 10 kingdoms this will perhaps be true of the border between future Syria and Russia. Hence, Russia could be the only country to fulfill making war on Syria at that time, for Turkey will have already been conquered by him and made part of the 10 kingdoms of Revised Rome, under the king of the north [7: 23-24; Rev. 17:8-17 [show/hide]Revelation 17:8-17 [8]The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. [9]This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; [10]they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. [11]As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. [12]And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. [13]These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. [14]They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." [15]And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. [16]And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, [17]for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. (ESV)
].

ANOTHER FALACY ABOUT RUSSIA:

The only other major fallacy about Russia is that she will invade Palestine, fulfilling Ezek. 38-39. Many are the speculations regarding Russia being the country from which Antichrist comes, of her fulfilling Dan. 11 [show/hide]Daniel 11 The Kings of the South and the North [11:1]"And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. [2]"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. [3]Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. [4]And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. [5]"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. [6]After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. [7]"And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. [8]He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. [9]Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. [10]"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. [11]Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. [12]And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. [13]For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. [14]"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. [15]Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. [16]But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. [17]He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. [18]Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. [19]Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. [20]"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. [21]In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. [22]Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. [23]And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. [24]Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. [25]And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. [26]Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. [27]And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. [28]And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. [29]"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. [30]For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. [31]Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [32]He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. [33]And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. [34]When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, [35]and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. [36]"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37]He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38]He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. [39]He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. [40]"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. [41]He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. [42]He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43]He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. [45]And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (ESV)
;40-45; Ezek. 38-39, and of her invading Palestine before the battle of Armageddon. Not one of these theories is true. Even if Russia did invade Palestine before Armageddon, no particular prophecy would be involved. Ezek. 38-39 could not be fulfilled by any such war, for these two chapters are to be fulfilled at Armageddon only, and not in some war before then. [see notes on Ezek. 38-39].

If Bible Scholars will recognize one thing, not only will Ezek. 38-39 be clear to them, but also Dan. 11:44 [show/hide]Daniel 11:44 [44]But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. (ESV)
. That one thing is, Antichrist from Syria will get power over the 10 kingdoms of Revised Rome in the first 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th week, and then the war between him and his 10 kingdoms and the countries east and north of the old Roman Empire territory will be fought. Antichrist will conquer the eastern and northern countries and become the ruler of Russia by conquest, not by being a native of Russia and coming from her [v 44]. At that time he will become the Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal of Ezek. 38-39, at the end of this war or near the end of the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th week. Then, and then only, will Ezek. 38-39 be fulfilled. The antichrist will lead the newly conquered countries, together with the 10 kingdoms, and other nations that will co-operate with him, through the ministry of the 3 unclean spirits [Rev. 16 [show/hide]Revelation 16 The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath [16:1]Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." [2]So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. [3]The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. [4]The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. [5]And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. [6]For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!" [7]And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!" [8]The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. [9]They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. [10]The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish [11]and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. [12]The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. [13]And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. [14]For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. [15]("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!") [16]And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The Seventh Bowl [17]The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" [18]And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. [19]The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. [20]And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. [21]And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (ESV)
; 13-16], to their end at Armageddon [Ezek. 38-39; Joel 3 [show/hide]Joel 3 The LORD Judges the Nations [3:1] "For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, [2]I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, [3]and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it. [4]"What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. [5]For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. [6]You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. [7]Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. [8]I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the LORD has spoken." [9]Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. [10]Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am a warrior." [11]Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD. [12]Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. [13]Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. [14]Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. [15]The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. [16]The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. The Glorious Future of Judah [17]"So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. [18]"And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim. [19]"Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. [20]But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. [21]I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the LORD dwells in Zion."
; Zech. 14 [show/hide]Zechariah 14 The Coming Day of the LORD [14:1]Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. [2]For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3]Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4]On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5]And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. [6]On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. [7]And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. [8]On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. [9]And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. [10]The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. [11]And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. [12]And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. [13]And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. [14]Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. [15]And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. [16]Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. [17]And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. [18]And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [19]This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [20]And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. [21]And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. (ESV)
; Rev. 19:11-21 [show/hide]Revelation 19:11-21 The Rider on a White Horse [11]Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. [12]His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [13]He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. [14]And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. [15]From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. [16]On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. [17]Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, [18]to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." [19]And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. [20]And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. [21]And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (ESV)
].

Thus the king of the north [Syria], will war on the countries north and east of Syria, and they will be defeated, for Antichrist will go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly make away many [44]. Many, if not all the nations north and east of the old Roman Empire territory, will unite to put down this new conqueror who, in 3 ½ short years will have gained complete mastery of all the 10 kingdoms of the Roman Empire territory. Realizing he is set upon complete world conquest they will know that they must defeat him or be defeated eventually by him. So, before he recovers from his bloody wars inside the Roman Empire, they will unite to put an end to his conquest. Antichrist could perhaps conquer more of the world if it were not for Christ’s coming to earth to save Israel when half of Jerusalem is taken [Zech. 14 [show/hide]Zechariah 14 The Coming Day of the LORD [14:1]Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. [2]For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3]Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4]On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5]And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. [6]On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. [7]And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. [8]On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. [9]And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. [10]The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. [11]And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. [12]And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. [13]And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. [14]Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. [15]And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. [16]Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. [17]And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. [18]And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [19]This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [20]And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. [21]And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. (ESV)
]. Thus, Antichrist’s dream of being a total world-wide dictator will come far short of his goal. Christ will be the one and only world-wide ruler other than Adam and Noah of the human race and Lucifer of the angelic race.
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 879-880

From BP News Net

When it comes to the end of time, at least one thing is certain: Southern Baptists have a variety of opinions.

And according to leading Baptist theologians, nearly all of those opinions fall within the bounds of orthodoxy.

“On the whole Baptists have been model kingdom citizens when agreeing on the essentials of a doctrine of last things without attempting to press one another unrelentingly on the particular details,” wrote Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in the book “Baptist Faith and Message 2000: Critical Issues in America’s Largest Protestant Denomination.”

Patterson explained that the committee charged in 2000 with revising the Southern Baptist Convention’s confession of faith articulated the Bible’s core teachings on last things — also known as eschatology — without mentioning the secondary details on which inerrantists disagree. He listed 12 beliefs one must hold to be orthodox.

BEYOND CHRIST’S RETURN

Beyond those essential beliefs, Christians disagree significantly. Theologians have divided on such issues as what happens to believers between their deaths and Christ’s second coming, the nature of the resurrection body and the number of resurrections to occur.

“Frankly, I find some Christian eschatological interpretations embarrassing,” guest lecturer Craig Evans of Acadia Divinity School said during a discussion of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. “There are some pulpiteers, TV evangelists, and popular writers who think they’ve got this all figured out.”

When asked his interpretation of Bible prophecy from references to the armies of Belial, armies of Satan, and a mention of Magog, Evans said, “I just say to be cautious about that because we don’t always know what’s going on. Some of this is metaphorical, poetic and so forth, and to bring a scientific precision to it and pigeonhole everything — I think that’s a very questionable approach.”

The only views that qualify as unorthodox are those that deny a future coming of Christ, Russell D. Moore, senior vice president for academic administration and dean of the theology school at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., said.

“Any view that does not hold to a future day of what the church has called ‘the resurrection of the flesh’ is outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy,” Moore said. “Christians have and will continue to disagree about whether some of the events of Matthew 25 [show/hide]Matthew 25 The Parable of the Ten Virgins [25:1]"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. [2]Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. [3]For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, [4]but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. [5]As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. [6]But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' [7]Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. [8]And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' [9]But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' [10]And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. [11]Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' [12]But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' [13]Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. The Parable of the Talents [14]"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. [15]To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. [16]He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. [17]So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. [18]But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. [19]Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. [20]And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' [21]His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' [22]And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' [23]His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' [24]He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, [25]so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' [26]But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? [27]Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. [28]So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. [29]For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [30]And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' The Final Judgment [31]"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. [32]Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33]And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. [34]Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35]For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, [36]I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' [37]Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? [38]And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? [39]And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' [40]And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' [41]"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [42]For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, [43]I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' [44]Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' [45]Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' [46]And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (ESV)
or Mark 13 [show/hide]Mark 13 Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple [13:1]And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" [2]And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." Signs of the Close of the Age [3]And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, [4]"Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" [5]And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. [6]Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. [7]And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. [8]For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. [9]"But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. [10]And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. [11]And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. [12]And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. [13]And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. The Abomination of Desolation [14]"But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. [15]Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, [16]and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. [17]And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! [18]Pray that it may not happen in winter. [19]For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. [20]And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. [21]And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. [22]For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. [23]But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. The Coming of the Son of Man [24]"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, [25]and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. [26]And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. [27]And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. The Lesson of the Fig Tree [28]"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. [29]So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. [30]Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. [31]Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. No One Knows That Day or Hour [32]"But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [33]Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. [34]It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. [35]Therefore stay awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning-- [36]lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. [37]And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." (ESV)
or the book of Revelation were fulfilled at the fall of Jerusalem. That can be a disagreement among brothers.

“We, of course, will continue to disagree about the meaning of the millennium in Revelation 20 [show/hide]Revelation 20 The Thousand Years [20:1]Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. [2]And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, [3]and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. [4]Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5]The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. [6]Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. The Defeat of Satan [7]And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison [8]and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. [9]And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, [10]and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Judgment Before the Great White Throne [11]Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12]And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13]And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14]Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15]And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (ESV)
, probably until the millennium itself. We cannot disagree, however, about the future bodily coming of our Lord and the future resurrection of both the just and the unjust. This is clearly and indisputably taught in the Scripture and is essential to the Christian faith.”

THE MILLENNIUM

Among Southern Baptists, differences of opinion arise on the nature of the millennium referenced in Revelation 20 [show/hide]Revelation 20 The Thousand Years [20:1]Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. [2]And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, [3]and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. [4]Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5]The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. [6]Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. The Defeat of Satan [7]And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison [8]and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. [9]And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, [10]and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Judgment Before the Great White Throne [11]Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12]And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13]And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14]Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15]And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (ESV)
. That passage describes a 1,000-year period, known as the millennium, during which Satan is bound. Disagreement occurs regarding the timing of Christ’s return relative to the millennium and whether the number 1,000 is literal or symbolic.

Premillennialists believe Christ will return prior to a literal 1,000-year period.

Among premillennialists, there are varied opinions on whether Jesus will remove Christians from the earth prior to a tribulation preceding His return. Some, known as dispensational premillennialists or dispensationalists, believe in such a rescue for Christians. Others, known as historic premillennialists, believe Christians will not be taken out of the world until Jesus returns. A minority of premillennialists believe Christians will be raptured halfway through a period of tribulation preceding Christ’s return.

Postmillennialists believe the 1,000-year period will occur before Jesus returns. Adherents of this position generally believe the millennium will be a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity under the lordship of Christ. Although postmillennialism has enjoyed proponents such as Jonathan Edwards and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary founder B.H. Carroll, the view faded from Baptist life in the last century.

Amillennialists believe the number 1,000 is figurative and that we are currently in the millennium (some premillennialists and postmillennialists also believe 1,000 is figurative). They argue that Satan was bound by Christ through His finished work at the cross and has limited power until Christ returns. Thus, the millennium refers to the current era when Christ reigns in the hearts of believers without Satan’s interference. Christ’s return will mark the close of this era, amillennialists believe.

James Leo Garrett, distinguished professor of theology emeritus at Southwestern Seminary, said these millennial positions have a long history of interaction in the SBC. For the first half-century following the convention’s founding in 1845, premillennialism and postmillennialism were the two dominant viewpoints, he said.

“Heaven and hell, the bodily resurrection, final judgment, the second coming and all of that was pretty well set in the confessions of faith,” Garrett said. “But on the millennial question, which has become so important in America, there was a tendency at the beginning to be postmillennial and to have a continuous historical view of the book of Revelation so that the pope and others could be identified as various marks or symbols in the book of Revelation.”

Amillennialism’s origins often are traced to the fifth-century North African bishop Augustine of Hippo, but the view rose to prominence in the SBC between the 1930s and 1980s as postmillennialism died out. Many scholars date the decline of postmillennialism to World War I, when it seemed evident that the universe would not gradually improve leading up to a glorious millennial kingdom.

The late Oklahoma pastor and former SBC president Herschel Hobbs helped popularize amillennialism along with seminary professors H.E. Dana, Ray Summers, and Edward McDowell. At Southwestern Seminary, amillennialism was the dominant position among the faculty from the 1930s until the 1990s, Garrett said.

But not all sympathized with amillennialism. R.G. Lee, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis from 1927 to 1960, quipped that he refused to say “ah” even at the dentist, and many agreed.

Dispensational premillennialism arose as the major competitor to amillennialism in the 20th century. Initially developed by the Brethren Movement in early 19th century Britain, C.I. Scofield popularized dispensationalism by teaching it in the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible first published in 1909. Subsequent editions of the Scofield Bible continued to teach dispensationalism in revised forms. Today, the Scofield Bible is available at many LifeWay Christian Stores in the Holman Christian Standard translation.

Dispensationalism teaches that history is divided into different periods or dispensations, in which God deals with humans differently. While all evangelicals agree that God acted differently in different periods of history, dispensationalists hold some distinctive views of the dispensations which earned them their title.

In America, the Moody Bible Institute, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University) and Dallas Theological Seminary played important roles in spreading dispensationalism. Gradually other schools and even entire denominations embraced the system. Adrian Rogers, Charles Stanley and W.A. Criswell were among the most prominent Southern Baptist dispensationalists.

Although dispensationalism likely is the most popular eschatological position among Southern Baptists today, Garrett noted that it was a new development in the 19th century with no antecedent in the Baptist past.

“You had Graves, you had [Fort Worth pastor] J. Frank Norris, and then you had W.A. Criswell espousing dispensationalism,” he said. “But nobody back behind that period was at all inclined. And I would argue the reason is because it didn’t come before … the 19th century in Britain.”

‘ALREADY & ‘NOT YET’

By the mid-20th century, dispensationalism and amillennialism appeared to be hopelessly at odds in the SBC and the larger evangelical world. But a movement led by Baptist theologians Carl F.H. Henry and George Eldon Ladd brought the two poles together.

Henry and Ladd argued that both groups got something wrong. Dispensationalists, they said, viewed the Kingdom of God as entirely a future reality to be established during the millennium. On the other hand, amillennialists, who often fell in the Reformed tradition of “covenant theology,” argued that the Kingdom was entirely a present spiritual reality.

So Henry “combined the ‘already’ kingdom emphasis of the covenant theologians with the ‘not yet’ kingdom expectancy of the dispensationalists,” explains Moore in his book “The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective.” The resulting view, known as inaugurated eschatology, argued that the Kingdom is already present as Christ reigns spiritually in the hearts of believers but is also a future reality in which He will reign over the physical universe perfectly and eternally.

Because of Henry and Ladd, evangelicals who disagree on minor details of eschatology now agree on the overall “already-not yet” framework of God’s Kingdom, Moore writes.

“In a reaffirmation of the Protestant principle of sola Scriptura, covenantalists and dispensationalists have reexamined their respective systems in the light of biblical theology, and have come to strikingly similar conclusions,” he writes. “Thus, the topic of eschatology no longer serves to threaten the evangelical coalition, but actually may contribute to its doctrinal cohesion.”

Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary’s John Shouse, a Christian theology professor, is one who adopted Ladd’s view, describing himself as “premillenial, posttribulational and decidedly not dispensational.” Shouse told the Southern Baptist TEXAN, “I would hold the amillennial view if I could, however, I hold to the historic premillenial view of George Ladd, among others, as this does better justice, in my opinion, to the entirety of the biblical witness than do any of the other views.”

One position to emerge from the new consensus developed by Henry and Ladd is progressive dispensationalism. Developed in the late 20th century, this position agrees with older varieties of dispensationalism that God divided history into different eras and that there will be a secret rapture of the church prior to a period of tribulation on earth. However, progressive dispensationalists disagree with classic dispensationalists’ assertion that God has different plans of redemption for Israel on the one hand and the church on the other.

Craig Blaising, executive vice president and provost at Southwestern Seminary, coauthored with New Testament scholar Darrell Bock a pioneering book on progressive dispensationalism.

“The appearance of the church does not signal a secondary redemption plan, either to be fulfilled in heaven apart from the new earth or in an elite class of Jews and Gentiles who are forever distinguished from the rest of redeemed humanity,” Blaising writes in “Progressive Dispensationalism.” “Instead, the church today is a revelation of spiritual blessings which all the redeemed will share in spite of their ethnic and national differences.”

Patterson, himself a dispensationalist, told the TEXAN that progressive dispensationalism brought valuable correction to older forms of dispensationalism and he categorized himself as holding a position similar to Blaising’s.

“The problem with ‘revised dispensationalism’ [an older variety of the position] is that its advocates may actually hold that Israel and the church are forever separated,” Patterson said. “I see them instead as one people before God in the eternal state. The key to this, to me, is the 24 elders who appear before the throne in the Book of Revelation who seem to be representative of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles of the Lamb — hence, Israel and the church.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the distinction should be made in God’s work through Israel in the Old Testament and then again in the tribulation and the millennium, but there is also no question in my mind that once the eternal state is inaugurated, the church and Israel will all be together as the people of God.”

PROFS VARY ON VIEWS

SBC seminaries employ professors who hold a wide variety of eschatological positions but agree on inaugurated eschatology and the 12 basic beliefs cited earlier as a standard of orthodoxy. The TEXAN polled the six seminaries regarding the positions of their faculty and discovered that historic premillennialism may have slightly more adherents than any other position. Included in the survey’s findings:

– Among Southwestern School of Theology faculty, 20 are historic premillennialists, 15 hold to premillennial and pretribulational views, three are amillennialists and two abstained.

– Southern Seminary faculty members hold to historic premillennialism most often, although a small number hold to amillennialism or progressive dispensationalism.

– New Orleans Seminary faculty members tend to be historic premillennialists.

– Of the eight Midwestern Seminary faculty members who responded, all but one are premillennialists, two of them specifying historic premillennialism and another amillennialism.

– At Southeastern Seminary, premillennial, pretribulational faculty edged out historic premillennialists 12-6, while one professor is still undecided on his millennium commitment.

– A survey of Golden Gate faculty was incomplete. But President Jeff Iorg indicated that he holds to a premillennial, pretribulational view while two faculty members identified themselves as historic premillennialists.

In addition to debates regarding the millennium, Southern Baptists divide on several other eschatological issues. For example, Criswell College in Dallas requires professors to be premillennialists while some Southern Baptists see such a requirement as inappropriately narrow.

“The college has always required professors to believe in a premillennial return of Christ,” said James Bryant, senior professor of pastoral theology and Criswell’s founding dean. “While Dr. Criswell believed in a pretribulation rapture, which the sequential language in the [articles of faith] indicates, he never enforced a pretribulation rapture on professors that he hired,” adding that one former president held to a posttribulation rapture.

Still, Tom Nettles, a premillennialist and professor of historical theology at Southern Seminary, sees Criswell’s requirement as too restrictive. He said he does not fault anyone for being strongly convinced of a millennial position but thinks it an error to require a specific position given Scripture’s ambiguity.

“I would see it as something that is dubious confessionally to force a large group into taking a position in which there is obviously such massive disagreement and, it seems to me, a lack of certainty given the whole biblical record,” Nettles said. “I think it’s difficult to force everyone into a specific confessional position on that.”

“Admittedly, Criswell College has many narrow doctrinal perspectives that are in keeping with sound exegesis of the Word of God,” said Lamar Cooper, interim president, executive vice president, provost and professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Criswell College.

“We require professors to believe in the inerrancy of the Scripture, also a narrow doctrine…. We require professors to teach that Jesus is the only way to be saved — Acts 4:12 [show/hide]Acts 4:12 [12]And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (ESV)
— a narrow but true doctrine,” he added.

Cooper noted the college’s doctrinal statement is that of First Baptist Church in Dallas. Citing the college’s namesake, W.A. Criswell, who was senior pastor at the church for 50 years, Cooper said Criswell’s “eschatology flows naturally out of Scripture…. When he became pastor, the church added the statement on premillennialism to the church statement of faith, following Dr. Criswell’s leadership.”

“We have never had any problem hiring faculty, and no one has ever complained about having to sign the statement of faith annually. Professors are expected to teach all of the approaches to the doctrine of last things,” Cooper said. “They are then expected to be able to explain, in light of other positions, why they are premillennialist. Students are allowed to formulate their own eschatology.”

THE MIDDLE EAST

Another area of disagreement is the extent to which believers should look to current events in the Middle East as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Some dispensationalists see the state of Israel as playing a central role in the end times while historic premillennialists and amillennialists do not see God’s Kingdom as linked to a single political state.

Jim Sibley, director of the Pasche Institute of Jewish Studies and associate professor of Jewish ministry at Criswell, represents the dispensationalist side of the argument.

Current events in the Middle East “are prompting Christians to take a greater interest in eschatology,” Sibley said. “I think the novels of Joel Rosenberg have helped that. I think it’s fading now, but the influence of the ‘Left Behind’ series was certainly huge. But the fact that Iran and its surrogates are encircling Israel through Hamas and Hezbollah with the development of nuclear capability at the same time is causing a lot of Christians to sit up and pay attention.”

Moore, a historic premillennialist, disagrees. In his book “The Kingdom of Christ,” he argues, along with Reformed theologians and progressive dispensationalists, that the modern state of Israel does not now play a central role in God’s Kingdom.

“Developments toward a kingdom-oriented eschatology … do not give such a blanket endorsement of the present Israeli state, at least not on the basis of biblical prophecy,” Moore writes. “This is because of the Christocentric nature of the messianic kingdom, a theological contention covenant theologians have always maintained in relation to any future for the state of Israel.”

Sibley said most dispensationalists do not endorse everything the Israeli government does and see greater prophetic significance in the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel than to the actions of their secular state. He dismissed any caricature of dispensationalists “as Israeli flag-waving zealots who unthinkingly endorse everything the Israeli government does and whose theology was only cooked up in the 19th century.”

“When the apostles asked the Lord, ‘Is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel,’ he addressed the issue of the timing of the kingdom, but he did not dispute that it would be restored to Israel,” Sibley noted.

He referred to Jesus’ instruction to His apostles in Luke 22:28-30 [show/hide]Luke 22:28-30 [28]"You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, [29]and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, [30]that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (ESV)
, quoting: “You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and just as my Father has granted me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

“Just as the Father gave the kingdom to Christ, so Christ has related it to Israel, through the apostles,” he argued. “For those who think the relationship between the Kingdom and Israel is ambiguous or unclear, I would answer that it is no less clear than the relationship of the Kingdom to Christ.”

Despite minor disagreements, Patterson urged Southern Baptists to remain united on the beliefs articulated in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.

He wrote in “Baptist Faith and Message 2000: Critical Issues in America’s Largest Protestant Denomination”: “What may be seen as most remarkable about the 2000 statement is that within a postmodern ethos, which generally desires to skirt issues of judgment, the Southern Baptist Convention has maintained the emphasis from former years on the certainty of the judgment of God, associating that judgment with the return of the Lord, insisting that there are two classes of people — the righteous and the unrighteous — and that people will spend eternity in either heaven or hell.”

- From Prophecy News Watch

From Koinonia House

JESUS IN PROPHECY

As we consider instances of fulfilled prophecy, there is no more crucial example than the prophecies of the life of Jesus Christ. A central theme of the entire Biblical panorama is the actual presentation of the Coming One, the central person of all history whom the Hebrews call the Messiah: “The volume of the book is written of me” (Psalm 40:7 [show/hide]Psalm 40:7 [7]Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
, also quoted in Hebrews 10:7 [show/hide]Hebrews 10:7 [7]Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"
); “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39 [show/hide]John 5:39 [39]You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (ESV)
).

Jesus’ story is a love story written in blood on a wooden cross that was erected in Judea about two thousand years ago. His crucifixion wasn’t a tragedy; it was an achievement!  Announced in advance in the Garden of Eden at the dawn of history, He made His human debut in a manger in Bethlehem, paid a cosmic price on our behalf at the Cross, and now appears ready to finalize His climax of all human history on our near horizon.

In the Biblical record, every detail, every place name, every number, has been skillfully tailored by deliberate design. And they all point to Him. He is on every page, intricately hidden in every detail of the text. Deciphering these “codes” is our ultimate challenge.

Jesus: The Ultimate Prophecy Fulfilled
Jesus confounded the religious leaders of His day when they couldn’t break the code of the Old Testament text:

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They said unto him, The Son of David. He said unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? [Jesus is quoting Psalm 110:1 [show/hide]Psalm 110:1 Sit at My Right Hand A Psalm of David. [110:1]The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."
.] If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” -Matthew 22:41-46 [show/hide]Matthew 22:41-46 Whose Son Is the Christ? [41]Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, [42]saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." [43]He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, [44]"'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'? [45]If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" [46]And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. (ESV)

They couldn’t break the code. They couldn’t understand that He, Jesus Christ, was the embodiment of prophecies from the Old Testament. It is essential for each of us to make sure we don’t fall into the same quandary by failing to see Christ for who He was prophesied to be.

It is interesting that Jesus chose to open His ministry at the synagogue of Nazareth by reading from the prophet Isaiah:

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” - Luke 4:16-22 [show/hide]Luke 4:16-22 Jesus Rejected at Nazareth [16]And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. [17]And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, [18]"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, [19]to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [20]And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. [21]And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." [22]And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" (ESV)

Furthermore, it is interesting to compare His reading with the complete passage in Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God.” -Isaiah 61:1-2 [show/hide]Isaiah 61:1-2 The Year of the LORD's Favor [61:1]The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; [2]to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

It is significant that Jesus stopped at what is a comma in our text. He deliberately omitted the additional phrase, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” Because of details like this, I continue to embrace a very literal view of the Biblical text and have learned to respect its precision. Jesus intentionally limited His reading to the mission of His first coming: “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

The “day of vengeance” has been deferred until His Second Coming. The “pause” of that comma in Isaiah 61 [show/hide]Isaiah 61 The Year of the LORD's Favor [61:1]The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; [2]to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; [3]to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. [4]They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. [5]Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; [6]but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. [7]Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. [8]For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. [9]Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed. [10]I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. [11]For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
has lasted almost two thousand years, and it appears that it is about to be concluded. But by quoting the Old Testament, a prophecy all of His listeners were familiar with, He wanted to state clearly He was The Messiah, the long-awaited One.

And again, at one of His first appearances after His resurrection, on that Sunday afternoon walk to Emmaus, Jesus spoke of Himself in the context of Old Testament history: “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27 [show/hide]Luke 24:27 [27]And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (ESV)
).

Jesus led them in a Bible study entirely from the Old Testament, highlighting the very things that had so shaken them during the previous few days. He reinforced His Father’s sovereignty by speaking of a plan that had been unfolding for centuries, a plan that involved the salvation of mankind.

Some deny that He claimed to be God. But anyone who is unaware of His claims hasn’t read the Bible. His claim to be God was the very reason that they crucified Him. The issue is, were His claims valid? Our individual destinies will hinge on that issue.

There never has been a more exciting time to undertake a serious study of the Bible. I join many Biblical scholars who believe we are on the threshold of the most climactic era of all time. There is a classic Biblical scenario that has long been espoused by many who take the Bible seriously, and that may soon be subjected to some decisive empirical tests. Be ready! See www.StudyCenter.com to sign up with the Koinonia Institute.

[This article was excerpted from Chuck Missler's book, Prophecy 20/20.]

Related Links:

• Prophecy 20.20 by Chuck Missler - Koinonia House Store
• A Christmas Promise: The Scepter of Judah - Koinonia House
• The Messianic Prophet Zechariah - Koinonia House

Isaish 16:5, 13-14
Then in mercy and loving kindness shall a throne be established, and One shall sit upon it in truth and faithfulness in the tent of David, judging and seeking justice and being swift to do righteousness.
This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning Moab since that time [when Moab’s pride and resistance to God were first known].
But now the Lord has spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling [who will not serve longer than the allotted time], the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, in spite of all his mighty multitude of people; and the remnant that survives will be very small, feeble and no account. [Amplified Bible].

Isaiah apparently puts these words in the mouths of the Moabite ambassadors to the king of Judah, but in “language so divinely framed as to apply to ‘the latter days under King Messiah, when the Lord shall bring again [reverse] the captivity of Moab.’” [Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary.]

This prophecy was fulfilled after the death of King Ahaz of Judah [Chapter 14 – 28] and the third year of King Hezekiah, three years before the conquest of Israel by Assyria.

Moab was not left completely without population at this time; there was still a “remnant.”

The final desolation of Moab was reserved for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, five years after the taking of Jerusalem.

The ruins of Elealeh, Heshbon, Medeba, Dimon, etc., still exist definitely to confirm through modern research the accuracy of the fulfillment of the prophecy.
- Amplified Bible: page 779