March 21, 1998
It has been said, "The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine." The slow pace of prophecy does not set well with teachers who see themselves as "scoop" reporters on the world prophecy beat. Not content to wait for true Biblical prophecy to unfold, they rush their stories into print, cataloguing this fulfillment or that. Unfortunately, one is at a loss to determine just what these fulfillments have to do with prophetic Scripture. Case in point: I recently came across a web site entitled the Prophetic Top 10. Among the issues listed were the dangerously high U.S. stock market, El Nino, and the Clinton Sex scandels. Obviously, no chapter and verse references are offered which might somehow tie these issues into Biblical prophecy.
In the third chapter of Joel we find a remarkable insight into the battle of Armageddon. There, the prophet reveals who it is that causes Armageddon and why. Clearly, this climactic battle is brought about by our sovereign God, the Holy One of Israel. "I will gather all the nations, and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land" (Joel 3:2). From this, we see the Lord reveals two reasons for Armageddon: (1) the treatment of His people, Israel, and (2) the fact that they divided up His land.
The treatment of My people, Israel
What you must understand is that those Jews and Gentiles who have come to faith in Jesus the Messiah (Christ) are God's people. This speaks of everyone who has been joined together through Him in the new covenant. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Hebrews 8:10). It should be mentioned that Paul made it clear the whole house of Israel (speaking specifically of the Jews) would also be saved at some future point (see Romans 11:26).
So, what new evidence of mistreatment of Christians and Jews has surfaced in recent days? Let's begin with the Jews. There is perhaps no more blatant fulfillment of this prophecy than the recent actions of the Palestinians. During February, in Ramallah, Jenin and Gaza, it was reported that thousands of Palestinians marched in support of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. According to HA'ARETZ, they were carrying Iraqi flags and calling on Hussein to "hit Tel Aviv with chemicals and missiles."
Despicable as this sounds, it should come as no surprise since it was clearly prophesied in the writings of Ezekiel. In the 35th chapter the Prophet provides a graphic description of the unbridled hatred which present-day Palestinians feel toward Israel. (Ezekiel calls them Edom, referring to the ancient land which now encompasses modern Jordan, the home to a majority of the Palestinians.) Here are a couple of verses from that remarkable chapter: "Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end [clearly speaking of the last days], therefore, as I live," declares the Lord God, "I will give you over to bloodshed..." (vs. 5-6). And in verse 11, "I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your envy which you showed because of your hatred against them; so I will make Myself known among them when I judge you." Reading Chapter 35 makes one think Ezekiel had a subscription to today's Jerusalem Times.
What about mistreatment of Christians? Last week two Swedish missionaries were kidnapped in southern Russia. They were a husband and wife, both 21 years of age. In Quinche Equidor, a newly built evangelical church was torched. Television footage showed a local Catholic priest was at the head of a mob which set fire to the church. In Egypt reports surfaced that Coptic Christian businessmen are being targeted by "unknown arsonists." A threatening declaration stated that these businessmen must "leave Egypt or be killed." The European Court of Human Rights recently condemned Greece for sentencing Pentecostal military airmen who had prosyletized civilians. However, the court did not overturn their convictions. In India a Hindu mob attacked a Christian prayer and healing service in the town of Baroda. In Japan the lower house of parliament passed a bill restricting Bible study, prayer, and worship. The bill was designed to silence the many Christian organizations and volunteer agencies that were involved in relief work during the 1995 Kobe earthquake. In Laos the government is still holding 13 Christians in a jail in Vientiane. It has been more than a month since police raided their Bible study group. In Pakistan a Presbyterian Minister was stabbed to death in his home, and his church, which was under construction, was demolished. In Sudan a Christian convert, Faisel Abdallah, has been put on trial for his life over an alleged political conspiracy. According to Sudanese Christians, the charge was concocted as the only judicial means of executing the former Muslim without rousing international criticism.
These reports, by the way, are from Compass Direct, an organization whose purpose is to raise awareness of Christians who are persecuted for their faith. You can subscribe to their reports by calling 714-862-0300 or by writing to P.O. Box 27250, Santa Ana, CA 92799. I would also draw your attention to a current book on the subject of Christian persecution: THEIR BLOOD CRIES OUT, by Paul Marshall, published through Word Publishing.
They divided up My land.
The second irritant leading to Armageddon has to do with dividing the land of Israel. Strange as it must seem, the creator of the universe has reserved for Himself the small strip of land known as Israel. Recent American administrations do not appear to have the slightest awareness of this fact, though it is prominently mentioned in the Bible (see Leviticus 25:23). According to Scripture, the Lord gave this land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as an everlasting possession. Yet, the U.S. is now pressuring Israel to give up even more of its God-given land to the Palestinians. (This is supposed to advance the "peace process.")
This week, the U.S. drafted a proposal for "three stages of Israeli redeployment from a combined 13.1 percent of the West Bank over a twelve week period." And what does Israel get in return? More unenforceable, empty promises from the Palestinians. Under this latest U.S. plan, the PA would (1) issue an "official order" forbidding any type of incitement in its territories [I am trying very hard not to laugh out loud at this one], and (2) the Palestinian National Council would remove the articles calling for Israel's destruction from the Palestinian covenant. You will remember, of course, that those articles were supposed to have been removed as part of the Oslo Accords signed in 1993!
It is my sincere hope that these comments will be helpful to you in gauging where we are on the so-called "prophetic clock." It would appear there is nothing which must transpire before the end-times begin in earnest. But I must also remind you, there is also nothing to indicate those days will commence any time in the immediate future. El Nino and the Clinton sex scandals, notwithstanding, we could be looking at a period of years, perhaps even decades, before the end-times begin.
Lord willing, it is my plan to do these prophecy reviews every week or so. If there are issues you would like to discuss, do not hesitate to contact me. Perhaps your thoughts and ideas will benefit us all.
Till He returns...
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Last Updated March 21, 1998 by Larry Simmons