You may have heard it before, but since today is March 16, we thought it would be great to share one of the most well-known scriptures ever written - John 3:16.

For GOD so loved the World that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whosoever believeth in HIM should NOT perish, but have everlasting life!

Today we challenge you to take a few moments to just meditate on these words.   We challenge you to ponder each word in this awesome statement and remember that GOD loved you sooooo much, that HE gave HIS Son to die in your place to pay a debt HE did not owe, at a price that we could never pay!

Take a moment to THANK HIM today!

​In Matthew 24, Jesus tells HIS disciples:
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My    name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24: 4-8 NKJV) {emphasis added}

The month of February began with the declaration we have been looking forward to hearing that the pandemic is over (or at least it will be officially over on May 11, 2023) as declared by the White House on January 30, 2023!  Even though it was nice to hear this news, it was a harsh reminder of all who have lost their lives throughout the pandemic along with the realization that COVID will still be with us in some form throughout the months ahead.
  
A few days after that announcement, we received news that the first of a series of earthquakes had struck Turkey and Syria.   Throughout the month, we have come to learn that as a result of all of these earthquakes, sadly over 40,000 people lost their lives.  

In February, we also saw a further decline in the financial markets, with the S&P 500 down 2.61%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 4.19%  and the S&P MidCap  400 down 1.95% for the month.   Also during the month, the price of GOLD dropped from ~$1,953 per ounce down to ~$1,825 per ounce, an almost 6.5% drop.

February also saw continued food shortages, most notably was the highlight of the egg shortage!  That coupled with higher fuel prices and an inflation rate for February expected to exceed 7% makes me think that pretty much every area of our lives is being “SHAKEN”.   Think about it, pretty much every area of our lives is being “SHAKEN” right before our very eyes!   There is certainly a “whole lot of shaking going on” (to quote a famous song).   Just in the month of February 2023 alone, the daily news has told us about “Famines, Pestilences and Earthquakes in various places”!    The good news is that none of this should surprise us, because JESUS told us that these things would occur!  

People are once again asking “is this the end?”, “are we in the tribulation?”, "is this the end of the world?".   The short answer is a resounding, NO….NOT YET, but it is getting closer by the moment!

The convergence of all the these events occurring so closely together let’s us know that the time of HIS return is getting closer!  The verse above from Matthew 24 uses the phrase, “the beginning of sorrows” in verse 8, however another translation (NASB) states it as, “but all these are merely the beginning of the birth pangs”.   Much like the frequency of contractions which occur with a greater strength and frequency as the time for the birth of a baby comes to be, so we should expect these signs to occur with greater frequency and greater strength as we approach the time of HIS return!

The scary thing is that what we saw during the last few weeks is nothing compared to what will occur during the Tribulation.  The book of Revelation describes 21 judgements which include multiple famines, pestilences and severe earthquakes which are all so severe that billions of people will lose their lives. 

Over the coming weeks, I expect that we will hear more about “wars and rumors of wars”, we will see a further “intensifying of the birth bangs” and we will also see a "great falling away".  Why? Because that is what Jesus told us would happen in Scripture!   

Today I want to remind you that none of this should drive us to fear, this should drive us to take action!  Are you sure that you are saved?  If not, get yourself right with GOD today!!    If you are sure that you are saved, then who else in your sphere of influence needs to be saved?   Now is the time for us as Christians to prepare ourselves, to pray for our loved ones and to stand firm for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Be encouraged friends, the time of HIS return is very near!
 
 
 
 

With everything going on with the COVID-19 Global Pandemic, there are a lot of people asking:
                                                               “Is this the end?”
                                                          “Is this the Tribulation?”
                                                 “Is this the time of God’s Wrath?”
The short answer is no, not yet….but what we are seeing may be a pre-cursor of events yet to come!

A pre-cursor of an event is an event which comes before and indicates its approach; a forerunner; a harbinger.    Let’s take a look at a few scripture references on this topic of pre-cursors.  Amos 3:7 tells us that “…GOD does nothing unless HE reveals HIS secret counsel to HIS servants the prophets.” (NASB)    In Matthew 24, JESUS told HIS disciples what signs to look for in advance of HIS return.   In fact, 2 Kings chapter 2 tells of the time when the prophet Elijah was taken to heaven.  In this account we see that not only was Elisha aware of the event that would occur that day, but so were the “sons of the prophets who were at Bethel”.   Clearly there have been times where GOD shows HIS people pre-cursors of events that will soon come!

According to scripture, the Tribulation will be a time of unprecedented terror which will come upon the inhabitants of the earth.   It will be a seven-year period of time occurring right before the return of Christ to the earth and after the rapture of the church.  (At least for those of us who interpret scripture as a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.)  The seven-year tribulation period will actually begin with the signing of a covenant between the nation of Israel and the Antichrist.   You may have also heard the Tribulation referred to as “Daniel’s 70th week” or “the time of Jacob’s trouble”.   Whatever words you use to refer to it, the Tribulation is a period of time nobody would want to be on the earth to see, since this period will be a time of the outpouring of God’s Wrath upon the earth through a series of 21 specific judgements.

The book of Revelation, Chapter 6 verses 1 through 8, tells us about the first of these judgements and is sometimes referred to as “the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.   Let’s take a look: 

Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Each of these four horses is used to describe a specific judgement which will come upon the inhabitants of the earth during the tribulation. 

The first Horse is the White Horse which represents a world leader who will come to power and be at the forefront throughout much of the Tribulation Period.  Most bible scholars believe that this Ruler on the White Horse refers to the Antichrist.  The description here which speaks of the Antichrist having a bow and a crown is important because it does not refer to him having arrows with his bow.   This implies that the rider on the White Horse will take control through means of diplomacy rather than war.   It is interesting to note that until very recently, one person taking on leadership for the whole world would have been inconceivable.   However, look at what has happened this year with the Global Pandemic and how the entire world was essentially shut down by the edict of a few leaders who used the “well-being”, “health” and “safety” of the people as the rationale to shut everything down and force people into their homes.

The second Horse is the Red Horse and this horse represents war or violence.   Could it be that there are some who will rebel after the “rider on the White Horse” comes to power and those same people are made to “come under control” through the use of violence?   Jesus spoke of “wars and rumors of wars” (Matt 24:6) as a sign of HIS return.   Have you noticed the increase in violence that we have seen throughout the first 20 years of this century?   There is no doubt that we are heading to this time where the Red Horse of Violence will be used to bring people into alignment.

The third Horse is the Black Horse and is a symbol of famine.   Consider the behavior we saw during the early part of the Global Pandemic this spring with people hoarding things like toilet paper and disinfectant.  A behavior that led to shelves at supermarkets being empty for several weeks sending some into panic.   This hoarding behavior quickly became even worse with people buying up more meat than they could eat which coupled with sickness of individuals at meat packing plants led to limits on the amount of meat people could buy.   This scarcity also served to drive up the price of meat over the last few months.  In fact, on May 12 2020, CNBC reported that US grocery costs jump the most in 46 years, led by rising prices for meat and eggs.  Meanwhile, we are also seeing one of the worst Locust outbreaks around the world, the full impact of which is yet to be seen.   The famine referred to in the book of Revelation during the Tribulation will be much worse than anything we have yet seen, however, suddenly, we can see how it can happen.

The fourth Horse it the Pale Horse and it represents Death most likely as a result of war, famine and PESTILENCE.   The definition of a PESTILENCE is a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating.    Up until 2020 it was pretty hard to imagine how something like a contagious disease could impact the whole world.   Now after living with COVID-19 throughout the last few months and seeing over 6.7 Million people infected and almost 400 thousand deaths worldwide, it no longer takes a stretch of the imagination to see how a pestilence can cripple the entire world.
 
The good news today is that we are starting to see clear signs of recovery from the global pandemic.   The even better news is that no, we are not yet in the tribulation.   This gives us the best news, which is that we can get right with the LORD today to ensure we are with HIM, enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, while the earth is facing the Tribulation.   Do not delay your decision any longer…the time of HIS return is VERY CLOSE!

I recently watched the movie “Oceans 8”.   Although I really enjoyed the movie, I couldn’t help but notice that while watching the movie, I was cheering for the thieves to win!    If you have watched any of the “Oceans” movies, you will realize that is nothing new, since these movies are all about watching the “con-men” win.   It is not just the “Oceans” movies that have us cheering for those on the wrong side of the law.   In 2016, DC put out their movie “Suicide Squad”, where a group of convicted thieves and murderers are called together to become a cohort of true “Anti-Heroes” whose mission is to defeat impossible enemies and if they die in the process….so be it.
The Rise of the Anti-Hero is not limited to just what we see in entertainment, we are seeing it in politics, in the media, seemingly everywhere we look.    This really shouldn’t surprise us as this was prophesied thousands of years ago by Timothy.   Timothy tells us in scripture that this is a sign of the Last Days.   Specifically, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 states:

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power…”

​ 
Earlier this year, the new U.S. Congress was sworn into office.   The major headline that January day was not about the legislative plans or the positive actions we would see from this Congress.   The major headline was instead a foul-mouthed comment made by a freshman representative.   Comments that not too long ago would have been considered treason.    Instead these comments were celebrated and applauded by the mainstream media and this representative was lauded as a “hero” by the late-night talking heads.        
On January 22, 2019 we were told that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York Legislature signed into law the Reproductive Health Act.  This new law expands the already existing abortion laws that were in place in New York.   With this new act, “non-physicians” are now allowed to perform abortions.   Furthermore, the law allows for abortions through the third trimester of pregnancy, up to and including the time of birth.  Additionally, the new law removes protections for babies who survive an abortion procedure.  Instead of an outcry against the murdering of innocent lives, this law was met with thunderous applause.   In fact, the Governor of NY stated:

        “Today we are taking a giant step forward in the hard-fought battle to ensure a woman's right to make               her own decisions about her own personal health, including the ability to access an abortion."
                                                                                                                         --Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
 
The Governor of New York was lauded as a “hero of woman’s rights” by some.  Within days of this NY bill passing, we were told of a similar bill making it’s way through the Virginia legislature.   A bill that is seemingly supported by the Governor of Virginia as well as the mainstream media.
As a Christian living in 2019, it is easy to throw up our hands and shrink back in depression when seeing all of this, but I want to encourage you today to take heart – there is HOPE!    None of this is a surprise to GOD, nor should it be a surprise to any of us.   The rise of these “Anti-Hero’s” reminds us that we are in the last days as prophesied by Timothy.   I believe that this is the time when it is most critical for Christians to stand up for what they believe.   By standing up, we will set a standard reminding those that are seeking what is truly right.  Standing firm for the gospel of Jesus Christ will become less and less popular in the days ahead, however it will be more and more important.   You never know how many lives you will impact in these last days, by just standing for what is right according to scripture.  
 

                                         Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
                                   Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
                                      Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
                                                                                                    -- Isaiah 5:20 (NASB)

Over the last few weeks, I have seen a plethora of articles discussing the acceleration of “end times” events.   Just to name a few of these events … 

• A Christian woman from Kentucky, put in jail for taking a stand for a biblical view of marriage
  Four million Syrian refugees fleeing their homeland and pouring into other countries
  
• A significant Russian military buildup in Syria
  
• Much debate regarding the UN General Assembly meeting on September 25 where both the Pope and Iranian President Rouhani’s are scheduled to make speeches.   Reportedly, President Rouhani is going to focus on the issue of Palestine.
  
• An apparent end to “if you see something / say something” which occurred when a 14 year old muslim boy brought a homemade “clock” to school which was mistaken by a teacher for a bomb.   The school and teacher have since been portrayed negatively in the press, social media and even the white house, instead of being applauded for being careful.
  
• Much speculation over the recent “Shemitah” and potential impact on financial markets.
  
• Much speculation over the pending fourth “blood moon” to coincide with the Jewish holiday – Yom Kippur
  
  

Although I agree that these events may be significant from an end times perspective, most of the articles I read left the readers in a state of fear and confusion.   Today, I want to remind you that the portions of scripture which refer to the end times and descriptions of significant end times events are meant to bring HOPE and not fear.  

During the Olivet Discourse- found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 - Jesus responds to a question from His disciples and tells of the events that would indicate that the last days were approaching.   In Mark 13:23, Jesus ends the discussion by stating “So be on your guard: I have told you everything ahead of time.”    Luke adds some more detail to this in Luke 21:34 when he reports the words of JESUS saying: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”    Clearly Jesus didn’t want anyone to be caught by surprise.   These words were not meant to put fear into the hearts of men...on the contrary, they were meant to bring Hope!  

Maybe you are thinking, “how can say that this is about hope when everything preceding those verses is about the awful things and persecution that we would see as the end times approaches?”   If that is you, I would remind you that the end times for the believer is a time of reuniting with JESUS CHRIST!   In Titus 2:13, Paul reminds us that we are waiting for “…the blessed Hope – the glorious appearing of our great GOD and Savior, JESUS CHRIST”!    In John 14:3 Jesus Himself said “…I go and prepare a place for you, [and] I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”! 


This is the real message of the end times…a message of HOPE as we are physically reunited with our LORD and Savior JESUS CHRIST and will be with HIM forever.   End times prophecy is not meant to help us “time the stock market” or cause our “hearts to fail for fear”.   It is meant to encourage us to focus on that which is truly important and to ensure that we are prepared for the return of Jesus Christ!   Now THAT is a message of HOPE….to be with JESUS our SAVIOR forever!

Today, be sure that you are saved.   If you have never asked JESUS to be Lord of your life, do it today!   Confess your sins to HIM, tell HIM that you believe in HIM and give JESUS full control over your life.  Do not fear, but be encouraged and have HOPE, because Jesus will be returning soon for those who believe in HIM – just as HE said!

There has been quite a bit of news this week, related to an increased acceptance of cryptocurrency.   One of the primary drivers of this phenomenon has been the economic situation in Greece.   Fortune magazine published an article entitled: “Bitcoin: Greece’s new Euro workaround?”, which  highlights the fact that Greece’s Bitcoin use has grown 500% in the last four weeks!   With banking restrictions and limits on the amount of currency that can be withdrawn in Greece, it appears that individuals are flocking to digital currency in an attempt to minimize the impact on their daily lives.  The Fortune article further states that, “You buy a bitcoin now because you think sometime in the future you’ll have your banks shut and your currency reintroduced,” he adds. “Gold was the old hedge against this sort of thing. Bitcoin is the new one.”   Apparently other European countries are also buying Bitcoins in speculation that it is being used as a “Euro workaround”.  Although this is an interesting phenomenon, there are two other items that occurred this week which make this even more “prophetically significant”.

On Wednesday, July 8, Yahoo! Finance published an article stating that Citigroup, has developed their own digital currency dubbed - Citicoin.    Citigroup is the third largest bank in the US (behind Chase and Bank of America) based on Asset size.   With this announcement, Citi helped to validate the trend towards digital currencies and confirmed that this is not just a “passing fad”.   In addition to this admission by Citigroup, it is interesting to note that Yahoo! Finance published this article on Wednesday, July 8 – the same day that New York Stock Exchange was shut down for 3½ hours due to a “computer glitch”.    Interesting, huh?

The technology that supports both the Bitcoin and Citicoin is called “Blockchain distributed ledger technologies”.   Without getting too technical, essentially “Blockchain” is a decentralized, secure, transparent method  for processing and verifying peer-to-peer transactions.   Many experts believe that this “Blockchain” technology has far reaching potential uses beyond digital currency including: electronic voting, patent tracking and taxes.    Beyond the technology itself, this is all very interesting as it was first released in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, a name which is believed to be an alias for an individual or a group of developers.   Although there have been numerous suggestions, the true identify of Nakamoto has not yet been confirmed.   Furthermore, this unregulated digital currency is a “borderless currency” which means it sets the stage for the first truly global currency.

The Bible tells of an event, which will occur during the early part of the 7-year tribulation, that is directly related to a full global financial collapse.  In Revelation, chapter 6 we read a description of the “Seal Judgments”.   The first four verses talk about the first two seals: a white horse signifying the introduction of the antichrist and a red horse signifying a global war.   In verses five and six, we are told about a black horse:

“When HE broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.   And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

Most commentators believe this third horse represents famine.   However, I believe that the “pair of scales”  described in verse five, implies that this is also about control over the financial system to purchase critical goods -  such as food.  (Additionally, verses seven and eight describe the fourth judgment which specifically calls out famine as a component of the judgment.)    The details in verse six essentially sets the cost of “a day’s worth of food” at a cost of “a day’s wages”.   Today there is a lot of variation on what actually defines “a day’s worth of food” and even more variation on what is described as “a day’s wages”.   This verse seems to imply that during this early point of the tribulation, this will be a more standardized definition of both the quantity of food (rations) as well as the related cost.    

Currently, there are more than 160 active global currencies in existence.   Even though the two primary currencies today are the US dollar and the Euro, it would be incredibly difficult for an individual to control all of them in such a way that there would be a common global price for a specific item such as a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley.   Just think how much easier it would be to control the cost for these and other items with a single, global currency.

A few chapters later, in Revelation chapter 13, John describes another layer of control over the financial system.  Revelation 13: 16 & 17 state:

“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the name of the beast or the number of his name. “

The mark described in this verse will be some type of identifier which will enable commerce.   It is important to note that individuals will need to accept this as a form of worship of the beast.    Although this mark will allow the bearers to buy and sell critical items, it will also have severe consequences in that bearers will be putting the beast in the place of the ONE TRUE GOD in their lives.   In recent years the technology to enable this type of control with either a digital tattoo or a digital implant has been created, however, the type of currency still presented a bit of dilemma.    Clearly a single, global, “uncontrolled”, digital currency would facilitate this as well!

The US Dollar, along with many other currencies throughout history, was at one time backed by gold.   Historically, gold has been the “go to” in times of economic uncertainty.  That is no longer the case as we are now seeing by these news events.   Clearly a digital cryptocurrency facilitates much of what is to come during the tribulation.   Get all excited friends; the return of Christ is closer now than it ever has been before!        

God Bless!

There continues to be a lot of attention in the media on the topic of Illegal Immigration.    It is now being reported that unaccompanied illegal immigrant children are being shipped around the US to all 50 states and even the US Virgin Islands.    Did you know that in just the first six (6) months of 2014, over 30,000 unaccompanied illegal immigrant children were identified and shipped across the USA by the Office of Refugee settlement?   According to media reports, the majority of these 30,000 illegal immigrants were young boys between the ages of 12 and 17.

I admit that when I first heard this I started to get really angry and even began to question GOD on why HE would let this happen.   I remember thinking what a risk this is, allowing an “illegal army” to amass within our borders at US Taxpayer expense.   The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I became.  

As I began to pray about this topic, I felt prompted by the LORD to read Matthew 24:14 which says:

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.   (Matthew 24:14 NASB)

After reading those words, I became excited and began to think, “could it be that GOD was allowing these children to come to the US so that they could hear about the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST before the end comes”?    Could it be that these children entering US borders - even illegally - is another sign of the soon return of CHRIST?   Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that illegal immigration shoudl be allowed, but I do believe that this is an opportunity for those of us that are Christians to reach even “the least of these”.   (Matt 25:40)

My challenge to you isthat you would tell someone - even an illegal immigrant - about the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST today!   Instead of just complaining about Illegal Immigration…do something about it, tell them about JESUS CHRIST!

Ezekiel 38 tells of an epic battle that is yet to be played out with a cast of characters who, at first glance, appear to not exist on our modern day maps.   This prophecy speaks of armies from countries such as: Magog, Rosh, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Beth Togarmah, Sheba and Dedan being drawn out to attack God’s People – the nation of Israel.   All of these countries seem, to the casual observer, to be nonexistent in this modern era.  Ezekiel’s prophecy then goes on to detail how GOD will miraculously intervene (verses 17-23)  to protect the nation  of Israel and destroy all of the invading forces.   But who are these ancient named pawns that are used as part of God’s plan?    

It is interesting to note that many of the countries listed in Ezekiel 38 are actually seen in other portions of scripture.   In fact, Genesis 10, which is often referred to as the “Table of Nations” refers to several of these same countries.   The first eight verses of Genesis 10 (NASB) tell us:

“…Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

6 The sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth…”   (emphasis added)

Did you catch all of those similarities to the countries identified by Ezekiel?   Let’s take a closer look at some of the main characters detailed by Ezekiel more than 2,500 years ago.  
 
Gog
Ezekiel 38:2 details the first of the main characters when he states  “…Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him…”.   This first person, and yes it is a person not a county, is called Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.   Gog as used here would actually be more of a ‘title’ not a specific name.  Think of it as you would the title ‘Pharaoh’, ‘Czar’ or ‘President’.     So essentially he is the President of Magog, Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.   


Magog, Rosh, Meshech and Tubal
The Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire combined with the writings of Josephus in “The Antiquities of the Jews” (Book 1, Chapter 6), give us a clue as to the modern day identity of Magog as they are referred to as the Scythians.   Josephus tells us that “Magog founded the Magogians, and the Magogogites were the people called Scythians by the Greeks”.   The Scythians were a nomadic tribe who ultimately inhabited what is now referred to as Russia and the “Stans” (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, etc.).  

The Masoretic Text and Septuagint both point to Rosh being a specific place.   In fact in Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament written in the 19th Century, Rosh was referred to as Russia.   This same researcher, Wilhelm Gesenius, identified Meshech as the founder of Moschi (meaning mountains) now referred to as Moscow.   Tubal is believed by most to refer to the Tobolsk region in Russia.

Persia
The next in our cast of characters is Persia which is now referred to as Iran.   In fact, prior to 1935, modern day Iran was actually called Persia.

Cush and Put
Cush and Put are both named in Genesis chapter 10 and were two of the sons of Ham and grandsons of Noah.   According to the writings of Josephus, Cush, the son of Ham, was in possession of the lands south of Egypt, specifically modern day Ethiopia and the Sudan.   Put, the son of Ham, was referred to as Phut by Josephus and his territory included modern day Libya and most likely Tunisia and Algeria.

Sheba and Dedan
Sheba and Dedan are mentioned as the grandsons of Cush in Genesis 10:7.   There is also a reference in Genesis 25:3 naming Sheba and Dedan as two of the grandsons of Abraham.  It is not clear exactly which pair of men are the ones referenced by Ezekiel, however, most commentaries identify the countries represented as modern day Saudi Arabia and parts of the Persian Gulf Region.

Beth Togarmah
Beth Togarmah literally means “the house of Togarmah”.   There is still some lack of clarity over the exact identity of Togarmah, however the most convincing evidence points to Armenia and parts of modern day Turkey.    In fact, there are Assyrian records which refer to modern day Armenia as “the house of Togarmah”.   Many commentaries refer to these people as individuals who migrated from Cappdocia (Turkey), which in Ezekiel’s time included a city known as “Tegarma” or “Tagarma”, into Armenia and then up into Turkistan and even further north into Siberia and Mongolia.

Gomer
Finally we have Gomer.   There is much debate over the identity of this country.   Voltaire claimed that Gomer was a reference to modern day France or Spain.   Some have identified this as other parts of Eastern Europe as Gomer may have inhabited areas of the Rhine and Danube Valleys in Germany.   However, one of the most compelling identifications is that the Gomerites were the ancient Cimmerians.   The Cimmerians were expelled in 700 BC from the Southern portion of Russia into the land we refer to today as Turkey.  

Overall, we can see that all of these ancient characters still exist today and that they are beginning to align together based on their mutual enemy – the nation of Israel.   In fact a recent Yahoo! news article mentioned that with the latest unrest occurring in Iraq, the United States has begun to pull it’s citizens out of the country due to safety concerns.   This void is giving Russia an opportunity to step into Iraq to “help” provide resources to fill this occupancy vaccuum.   This development is especially interesting when coupled with the fact that Iraq is not specifically referred to in Ezekiel 38. 

In the fall of 2007, Russia (Rosh) and Iran (Persia) declared a military alliance largely based on their desire to “defend against western aggression”.   This alliance has continued to strengthen and expand over the last seven years.   In 2014, we have seen a real resurgence and re-strengthening of Russia with the annexation of Crimea and now the border battle with the Ukraine.    

Ezekiel does not tell us specifically when this war will happen, but he does give us four clues as to the timing of the event.   Specifically verses 8-14 tell us:

• This will happen in future years (latter days).
• The land (Israel) will be recovering from war.
• The residents of the land (Israel) will be gathered from many nations and brought out from the nations.
• The land will be made up of unwalled villages and a peaceful, prospering and unsuspecting people.
  

Since we are over 2,500 years past the date of the prophecy, I would say that the first condition of future years is definitely met.   History shows us that Israel has grown quickly since it’s “re-birth” in 1948 with Israeli’s returning to their homeland from the nations, meeting the third condition above.    Additionally a look at the Israeli business news allows us to realize that Israel is a prosperous nation – fulfilling a portion of the fourth point above.      

However, the current military actions this month in Gaza show clearly that Israel is not currently at peace.   Israel is currently at war, not recovering from war.  Could a victory in this current military situation lead to Israel being a “land recovering from war”?  

It is also interesting to note that Hamas has built tunnels from Gaza into Israel.  On July 19, 2014, the New York Times reported that “…Israeli troops have uncovered 13 tunnels from Gaza into Israel since the start of the ground operation, some of them as much as 30 yards underground, with multiple entry points beneath greenhouses and open fields, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman, said on Saturday. He said that the 13 tunnels, now under Israeli control, were all over the periphery of Gaza and that he believed there were “tens” more…”    Could this be the beginnings of “unwalled villages”?

These are exciting times for those awaiting the return of the Messiah!   Keep your heart focused on the Lord and your ears listening for that trumpet sound…HE is coming quickly!