A glimpse into the future

Wonder what’s really going down in the Middle East? Once again, nobody has it put together as well as Joel Rosenberg.

In terms of biblical prophecy, the growing relationship of Russia with Syria and Iran is particularly worrisome. This is the Ezekiel 38 scenario—the coming invasion of Israel, the final confrontation that the New Testament book of Revelation calls the battle of Armageddon.

Here’s the complete End Times anti-Israel coalition, as Joel has assembled it for us:

* Russia and former Soviet states (what Ezekiel called Magog, Rosh, Meshech and Tubal)
* Iran (Persia)
* Sudan and Ethiopia (Cush)
* Libya, Tunisia and Algeria (Put)
* Turkey (Gomer)
* Syria, Lebanon, possibly Jordan ("many peoples with you" including those along the "mountains of Israel")
* Central Asian Islamic republics (Beth Togarmah)

He notes that Egypt and Iraq are conspicuous by their absence from this list, but it makes sense: Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, and Iraq is preoccupied with regime change. See Joel’s blog for more.

Also conspicuously absent: The United States of America. In the battle of Armageddon, Israel is all alone—without its faithful sidekick Uncle Sam. Why’s that? Dunno. Either the United States has finally abandoned Israel or some huge catastrophe has befallen the last superpower.

Our guess: This doesn’t happen in 2006, but in 2008—after America has elected a cut-and-run appeasement President (probably a Democrat) who exploits war-fatigue to get elected and then gets us totally disengaged from the Middle East. This also makes sense from the standpoint of Russia. At present, Vladimir Putin doesn’t quite seem to fit the mold of Gog the dictator who “thinks an evil thought” and attacks Israel. Sounds to us more like a ruler to come.

So, if we’re correct, we may have two more years. That’s not much. Are your affairs in order? Do you have a saving faith in Christ? (If not, let us know—we can help.) He’s the only one who can stand against the evil that is about to overwhelm the world. In fact, that's the reason for his return.

More about that in coming days. In fact, if you recall our mention of From 9/11 to 666 by our friend Ralph Stice, we’re going to be exploring the scenario that we ourselves have come to believe—Islam as the beast of the End Times. Fasten your seatbelts.