From Gaza to the Golan Heights in 3 Steps.

[Marilyn C]

10 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

There is a lot to unpack in Joel chapters two and three. It has been a while since I have studied them. I will say upfront I am not confident in my thoughts.

It is clear from the imagery (day of darkness, gloominess, clouds) that this is future judgment coming from God, and He controls and directs it. The locusts symbolize massive armies devouring the land and a “scorched earth” policy. Further, this invasion accompanies the Day of the Lord or precedes it.  

I define the “Day of the Lord” as the judgments before His second coming, including the Tribulation.

If I were to gander a guess, this sounds like the Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39 invasion of Gog-Magog or the final Megiddo battle. I am not sure.

I suspect when all is said and done with this current regional war breaking out, as with all previous wars, Israel will annex more land, expanding their borders to hinder another invasion of aggression. Having a little more room to breathe, a little more safety and security (sound familiar).

If the IDF attacks Iran to cut off the snake’s head and nuclear weapons program or levels Damascus, Syria, I believe prophetic end-time events are going to heat up fast.

What I have not noticed before in Joel chapter 3 is interesting. The world has been trying to divide Israel for decades (land for peace). With current events, this again will be on the front political burner.

My interpretation of the below seems to indicate this land-for-peace deal will eventually occur, potentially soon.

                For, behold, in those days, and in that time, [our generation]

When I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, [May 14, 1948]

²               I will also gather all nations, [United Nations?]

And will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,

And will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, [the land, Israel is God’s portion]

Whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. [Two-state solution]

³               And they have cast lots for my people; [U.N. vote, sanction, enforcement?]

And have given a boy for an harlot,

And sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. [Give away the store]

Hi Dennis,

I agree, and lots of good thoughts there. I also see Joel 2 as the start of the Day of the LORD. It is when the northern army (& others) are brought down to Israel to be dealt with by God. 

Joel 3, I see as the world`s armies brought down to Jerusalem to be judged by God at the end of the trib. 

Now, the bit that I wanted to look at was - 

`...a people come great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations.` (Joel 2: 2)

See there a great army that ever was or will be. That means greater than Armageddon, (with the world`s armies) for the population of the world would have been markedly reduced by the end of the trib.

Thus, to have such a great army not only Russia, but many of the former Soviet nations will join, (Turkey included) plus Iran, Libya & Ethiopia, (as you know). So I don`t see that Iran will go against Israel yet. God`s restraining will keep them till God decides to bring them all down for judgment. 

So, I still hold to my 3 step proposal in the OP.  

Any thoughts on this great army?

 

[Dennis1209]

55 minutes ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi Dennis,

I agree, and lots of good thoughts there. I also see Joel 2 as the start of the Day of the LORD. It is when the northern army (& others) are brought down to Israel to be dealt with by God. 

Joel 3, I see as the world`s armies brought down to Jerusalem to be judged by God at the end of the trib. 

Now, the bit that I wanted to look at was - 

`...a people come great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations.` (Joel 2: 2)

See there a great army that ever was or will be. That means greater than Armageddon, (with the world`s armies) for the population of the world would have been markedly reduced by the end of the trib.

Thus, to have such a great army not only Russia, but many of the former Soviet nations will join, (Turkey included) plus Iran, Libya & Ethiopia, (as you know). So I don`t see that Iran will go against Israel yet. God`s restraining will keep them till God decides to bring them all down for judgment. 

So, I still hold to my 3 step proposal in the OP.  

Any thoughts on this great army?

 

Well, again, these are only thoughts.

All the nations you describe fit the Gog-Mago invasion. They will be as locusts. I do not see this invasion until after a couple of other events. To emphasize this a final time, it is a logical, fallible personal deduction, and I could be in error.

I have shared my thoughts several times on this. One-sixth of Iran is going to be destroyed and uninhabitable for a lengthy time. I suspect that radioactive fallout will cause a tremendous humanitarian crisis. The residents of Elam flee to every country on earth.

That one-sixth of S.W. Iran is the ancient land of Elam, as described in Jerimiah chapter 49. The bulk of Iran's nuclear facilities and centrifuges are located here, in and around Bushehr, Iran, on the Persian Gulf coast. Elam is surrounded by a mountain range that probably contains radioactivity from spreading to the remaining five-sixths of Iran.

Iran is in a proxy war with Israel, using Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups to do their fighting thus far. Iran is supplying and funding these groups, mainly through Damascus, Syria, and, therefore, the hundreds of Israeli sorties bombing around Damascus.

Israel has vowed, never again, not to allow Iran to obtain nuclear capabilities, period! Damascus will be leveled overnight by the children of Israel (IDF, most likely).

The Bible does not mention who or how Elam will be destroyed. Elam sits upon one of the planet's most active and devastating seismic zones. Or, perhaps Israel strikes the Bushehr area. I can imagine the five-sixths of Iran not affected much by the fallout if that is what it turns out to be.

So, based on those two events and other current events and Israel's forthcoming land annexation, I suspect the Gog-Mago invasion occurs right before or at the beginning of the Tribulation.

I am confident current events will be a catalyst for coming events. We live in interesting prophetic times.  

I believe the next major prophetic event will be the Rapture.

 

[PATrobas]

1 hour ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi Dennis,

I agree, and lots of good thoughts there. I also see Joel 2 as the start of the Day of the LORD. It is when the northern army (& others) are brought down to Israel to be dealt with by God. 

Joel 3, I see as the world`s armies brought down to Jerusalem to be judged by God at the end of the trib. 

Now, the bit that I wanted to look at was - 

`...a people come great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations.` (Joel 2: 2)

See there a great army that ever was or will be. That means greater than Armageddon, (with the world`s armies) for the population of the world would have been markedly reduced by the end of the trib.

Thus, to have such a great army not only Russia, but many of the former Soviet nations will join, (Turkey included) plus Iran, Libya & Ethiopia, (as you know). So I don`t see that Iran will go against Israel yet. God`s restraining will keep them till God decides to bring them all down for judgment. 

So, I still hold to my 3 step proposal in the OP.  

Any thoughts on this great army?

 

Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. =  200,000,000 horsemen. Chinese? Combination?

[Marilyn C]

4 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

 

So, based on those two events and other current events and Israel's forthcoming land annexation, I suspect the Gog-Mago invasion occurs right before or at the beginning of the Tribulation.

I am confident current events will be a catalyst for coming events. We live in interesting prophetic times.  

I believe the next major prophetic event will be the Rapture.

 

Really good there Dennis, thank you. I so agree.

[Marilyn C]

4 hours ago, PATrobas said:

Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. =  200,000,000 horsemen. Chinese? Combination?

Yes, 200 million - the demonic army when Satan and his fallen angels get cast to the earth.

[Dennis1209]

11 hours ago, PATrobas said:

Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. =  200,000,000 horsemen. Chinese? Combination?

Indeed, this is very interesting. These four angels must have done something incredibly evil to warrant premature confinement under the Euphrates River, comparable to:

Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

These four angels are evil generals influencing and leading this confederation. Historically, the Euphrates River has been a ground army barrier for invasion from east to west, taking planning and time to forge.

If we live as deep into the end times as I suspect, we ought to be able to make some assumptions. China has openly stated they would have no problem mustering a 200-million-man Army. Some think these might be a Muslim confederation and others demons. I suspect China, currently the King of the East and a belligerent.

The Bible uses much symbology, so people of all ages can relate and understand the meaning. Horses and chariots are likely military equipment for the Army and Air Force in Revelation. The description given in Revelation 9:17-18 implies to me modern high-tech military equipment. The apostle John (or anyone else in antiquity) would not have the technical vocabulary to describe tanks, rockets, missiles, attack helicopters, drones, artillery, battlefield nuclear weapons, bombers, and fighter jets.

There may be a relationship between this 200-million-man force and the following:

Isaiah 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 18. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

Limited to the words and technology available in John’s day, and you witnessed the pictures below, how would you describe it?

 

 

 

 

[Marilyn C]

9 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

 

Limited to the words and technology available in John’s day, and you witnessed the pictures below, how would you describe it?

 

I agree. Now looking at the Hebrew words we see that translators have added their own words. 

`I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.` (Ez. 38: 4)

The description of the army has been translated in old fashioned terms whereas the Hebrew words are -  

Horses - `cuc` meaning moving rapidly. 

Shields - `megiinah` meaning a protector.

Bucklers - `tsinnah,` meaning something piercing.

Swords - `chereb,` meaning a cutting instrument.     

 

And in Joel 2 we read of a great army coming `like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.` (planes?)

`With a noise like chariots over mountaintops they leap,..` (helicopters?)                                                                    

 

[Marilyn C]

9 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Indeed, this is very interesting. These four angels must have done something incredibly evil to warrant premature confinement under the Euphrates River, comparable to:

Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

These four angels are evil generals influencing and leading this confederation. Historically, the Euphrates River has been a ground army barrier for invasion from east to west, taking planning and time to forge.

If we live as deep into the end times as I suspect, we ought to be able to make some assumptions. China has openly stated they would have no problem mustering a 200-million-man Army. Some think these might be a Muslim confederation and others demons. I suspect China, currently the King of the East and a belligerent.

 

Just a note on this 200 million army. That would make it the largest army there ever was, (I think). 

Now, we know from God`s word that the Russian Federation (with others) is the largest army (of man) there ever was or will be, (Joel 2: 2) and thus (I have been thinking recently) that the 200 million great army is a demonic army for at that time Satan and his demonic angels have been cast to the earth. 

 

[Dennis1209]

1 hour ago, Marilyn C said:

Just a note on this 200 million army. That would make it the largest army there ever was, (I think). 

Now, we know from God`s word that the Russian Federation (with others) is the largest army (of man) there ever was or will be, (Joel 2: 2) and thus (I have been thinking recently) that the 200 million great army is a demonic army for at that time Satan and his demonic angels have been cast to the earth. 

 

You are in good company in your assessment of them being demons, and many other fine theologians also think that. They sound somewhat comparable to the demon locusts released upon the earth dwellers.

Joel 2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

Joel 2:2, in my opinion, is talking about humans, not demons, as underscored above.

Fortunately, I am not a theologian or scholar, so that I can contradict my opinions. LOL

Yes, this would have to be the largest military in history. I would go so far as to call it an overflowing scourge.

Isaiah 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

While I do not favor this Army as a demon hoard, I think demons are involved, just as their involvement with Hamas, Hezbollah, and the spirit of the antichrist today.

Two hundred million is a lot of troops to feed, support, and supply. An Army marches with their bellies and boots. Behind every fighting soldier, airman, and sailor, there are at least three that support his direct effort. So, in reality, we are talking at least 800 million people behind this effort.

To date, I cannot fathom Russia, even with all of its allies, mutual defense treaties, and alliances, coming close to these numbers in the Bible. I can see the king of the East (likely China) with a population of 1.42 billion and its allies quickly making those numbers.

Either way, I do not expect to be around to witness ANY OF IT!  😊

[Marilyn C]

Good thoughts there Dennis. Though with China and the kings of the East, I don`t see them coming over to Israel till Armageddon. (Rev. 16: 12)

Also, a thought I had that the 200 million `possessed` humans will be under the A/C`s control who is possessed by Satan, (Rev. 13: 4) and they will go throughout the world killing all who do not worship, (give allegiance) to the A/C.