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EARNESTLY CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH:
BIBLE PROPHECY:
THE GENTILE NATIONS PART 2
(A PDF copy of this file is available here)
(A WordPerfect Version Of This File Is Available here)
(The audio of this series is located here)

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH. THAT IS WHY HE IS GOD.

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Sermon Number 1 – The Origin of the Nations Sermon Number 2 – The Babylonian System Sermon Number 3 – Broad Overview Of Biblical History Sermon Number 4 – Daniel Chapter 7 – Introduction To The Antichrist Sermon Number 5 – The Antichrist Continued Sermon Number 6 – The Son of God and The Son Of Man Sermon Number 7 – Daniel Chapter 8 Sermon Number 8 – Lead Up To Armageddon Sermon Number 9 – The Rapture Of The Saints Sermon Number 10 – The Western Alliance Sermon Number 11 – The Restoration Of The Nation of Israel Sermon Number 12 – The Northern And Southern Alliance Sermon Number 13 – More of The Northern and Southern Alliance Sermon Number 14 – The Eastern Alliance – Armageddon Sermon Number 15 – The Conclusion Of Armageddon Sermon Number 16 – A Suggested Order Of Events Sermon Number 17 – The Judgement Of The Nations And The Gentile Nations In The Millennium SERMON NUMBER 7 – DANIEL CHAPTER 8 Back To Top I want to remind you again that the Book of Daniel is not recorded in chronological order. The proof of that statement is in the last two verses of Daniel 5:30-31, Daniel 7:1, and in Daniel 8:1. The dreams and visions of Daniel chapters 7 and 8 are recorded in order. Daniel 5:30-31 30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. Daniel 7:1 1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel 8:1 1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. Belshazzar was slain at the end of Daniel chapter 5, but he appears in the dreams and visions of Daniel 7:1 in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar and in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign in Daniel 8:1. People are generally warned away from highly symbolic books like Daniel and Revelation because they are told that you cannot understand the symbols anyhow. That is a lie of Satan who does not want you to understand Bible Prophecy especially that which concerns his eventual casting into the Lake of Fire for eternity. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15: 2 Timothy 2:15 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. There is not a symbol that is given in the books of Daniel and Revelation that is not explained in the context of those books. In other words, the symbol is given and then the interpretation is given in the context. One of the keys to understanding them is to be a workman and study, study, study. The most important key to understanding Daniel and Revelation is literal interpretation. Do not seek a mystical interpretation of figurative symbols when those symbols are literally explained in the context. In other words, God says what he means and means what He says. If God did not say what He meant, then you have no way of determining what he meant and you are left to sheer speculation. Speculation opens you up to false prophets and their deceptive, wild-eyed Satanic predictions and interpretations. The book of Revelation opens up and further expands upon the book of Daniel. Daniel 12:9 9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Revelation 1:3 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. The Book of Revelation incorporates the symbols of the Book of Daniel and further expands upon them and explains them. The words are sealed in the Book of Daniel and the words are opened up in the Book of Revelation. Note again the promise of Revelation 1:3. How are we to keep the things written in the Book of Revelation if we cannot understand them? Satan wants to keep folks out of the Book of Revelation because it opens the door to understanding his massive end times deception. Satan wants to keep folks out of the Book of Revelation because it prophesies of his destruction. Turn in your Bibles to: Daniel 8:1-27 1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. 2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. 13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. 18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. 19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. 26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. Once again the pattern is repeated in Daniel chapter 8. The vision and all its symbols are given in verses 1-14 with the interpretation given in verses 15-27. The ram of Daniel 8:4 is interpreted as being the Medes and Persians in Daniel 8:20. The Medes and Persians would make up what we know as Iran today. The he goat of Daniel 8:5 is interpreted as being the king of Greece in Daniel 8:21 who was Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great is also identified in Daniel 11:2-4. The four notable ones of Daniel 8:8 are interpreted as being the four kingdoms of Daniel 8:22 that will stand in Alexander the Great’s place after he dies. These four kings that divided Alexander the Great’s empire were (1) Ptolemy who took Egypt, Israel, and some parts of Asia Minor; (2) Cassander who took Macedonia and Greece; (3) Lysimachus who took Bithynia, Thrace, Mysia, and etc.; (4) Seleucus who took Syria, Armenia and the territory east of the Euphrates River. It was out of this line of Seleucid kings that Antiochus Epiphanes came. The events in Daniel 8:9-14 were fulfilled in the near term by Antiochus Epiphanes, but shall be typical of the rule of the Antichrist. While many of the events in Daniel 8 are interpreted of Antiochus Epiphanes as already having been fulfilled, it is obvious from the context that they also apply to the future Antichrist. Antiochus Epiphanes is yet another type of the Antichrist. Though Antiochus Epiphanes was of Greek ancestry, he was king of Seleucid Assyria. Being an Assyrian king, he is tied in type to the Assyrian of Isaiah 14:24-32 that will be destroyed in Palestina (Palestine). The Assyrian is but another title for the Antichrist. Palestine is the place of judgment for the Antichrist and his armies. According to Joel 3:1-17, Palestine is the place where God brings the Gentile nations to their destruction at Armageddon. The 2,300 day period identified in verses 13 and 14 was fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes. The desecration of the 2,300 day period began with the assassination of the high priest Onias III in 171 B.C. The sanctuary was cleansed by Judas Maccabeus at the close of 165 B.C.. This accounts for the 2,300 day period. The altar in the Temple at Jerusalem was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes when he sacrificed a sow on it on December 25, 167 B.C.. At this same time, a statue of Zeus was set up in the Temple. Antiochus Epiphanes died of disease in 164 B.C.. While Daniel 8:9-14 are rightfully applied to Antiochus Epiphanes, the little horn of Daniel 8:23-25 cannot be applied to Antiochus Epiphanes for two reasons: (1) He did stand in his own power unlike the Antichrist who will not stand by his own power, but who will instead stand by the power of Satan; (2) this little horn is said to stand up against the Prince of princes who is the Lord Jesus Christ. When Antiochus Epiphanes roamed this earth, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was still at least 160 years in the future. So, he could not have stood up against Him. Before we move on, I want to do a quick review of the kingdoms represented in the Book of Daniel. The kingdom of Babylon is represented by the head of gold of chapter 2 and the winged lion of chapter 7. The kingdom of the Medes and Persians is represented by the breast and arms of silver of chapter 2, the bear of chapter 7, and the ram of chapter 8. The kingdom of Greece is represented by the belly and thighs of brass of chapter 2, the leopard of chapter 7, and the he goat of chapter 8. The Roman Empire is represented by the legs of iron of chapter 2 and the fourth beast of chapter 7. The revived Roman empire is the ten toes of chapter 2 and the ten horns of chapter 7. The little horn of chapter 7 and chapter 8 is the Antichrist. The Lord Jesus Christ is the uncut stone of chapter 2 and the Ancient of Days of chapter 7. What we have just heard is a broad overview from the perspective of Daniel the prophet of the times of the Gentiles that are described in Luke 21:24. The Book of Daniel still has much more to say about end times events. Daniel 11:1-35 describes events that have already taken place in the wars between the Seleucian kings of the north and the Ptolemaic kings of the north. It is these verses that have perhaps suffered from the vilest attacks of Satan’s scholars because the scholars maintain that there is no way that the verses could have been written before the events they describe! While verses 21-35 of chapter 11 describe the events of the reign of Antiochus (IV) Epiphanes, they also describe in type the Antichrist. In the context, that vile person of verse 21 also represents the Antichrist. The events in chapter 11 run all the way through to Daniel 12:1 where it is stated that Michael the Archangel stands for the people of the nation of Israel Daniel 12:1 says: Daniel 12:1 1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. It is at this particular point, when the Archangel Michael stands for the nation of Israel, that war takes place in heaven. We read of this war in Revelation 12:7-9 where the Scriptures state: Revelation 12:7-9 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. While war is taking place in heaven wars are taking place on the face of the earth that involve the Antichrist. When Satan is cast from heaven, all hell will literally break loose on the face of this earth. It is the objective of the Antichrist to make war against the saints of the Most High God. Let’s read the following Scriptures: Psalm 2:1-6 1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Daniel 7:21-22 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Revelation 6:2 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Revelation 12:17 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The woman of Revelation chapter 12 is none other than the nation of Israel. For further documentation, read Genesis 37:9-11. SERMON NUMBER 8 – LEAD UP TO ARMAGEDDON Back To Top Those verses will open up our next subject and that is the military events that will bring this world to its knees before God at Armageddon. The only place Armageddon is mentioned in the Scriptures is in Revelation 16:16. Armageddon is connected to the Valley of Megiddon in Zechariah 12:11 where Jerusalem has become a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to all those nations that are gathered against it. Megiddo is west of the Jordan River in north central Israel. It is located on the southern rim of the plain of Esdraelon 6 miles from Mount Carmel and 11 miles from Nazareth. If we drew a straight line from Caesarea to Nazareth, Megiddo would lie on that line about half way between the two cities. Megiddo sits approximately fifteen miles from the Mediterranean Sea. The plain of Esdraelon has seen practically every nation under the sun fight on it. Napoleon said that every army of the world could be assembled on this plain. The plain of Esdraelon has seen the defeat of the Canaanites by Deborah and Barak (Judges 4-5), the defeat of the Midianites by Gideon (Judges 7), Saul slain in the battle with the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:8), Ahaziah slain by Jehu (2 Kings 9:27), and Josiah slain in the invasion by the Egyptians (2 Kings 23:29-30). Let me state that neither you nor I can be dogmatic about the timing of the battles and/or wars that lead up to the battle of Armageddon. Regardless of what you or I may think of the timing of these events, we must remember that all events will take place literally and on a timetable established by God Himself. Every jot and tittle of the prophecy related to Armageddon will be fulfilled. During this study, I will put forth a suggested order of fulfillment of some of these prophecies. In some cases, that interpretation will differ from the mainstream of opinion concerning these events. I will attempt to present the differing points of view where I can. Notice that I used the phrase “differing points of view” rather than “opposing points of view”. It is my intent with the help of God to explain my point of view using the Scriptures while understanding that my version of the timing of the events is not set in stone since the Scriptures do not give a detailed time line that says that this event will take place first, this event second, etc. A very careful study of the Scriptures, the statements from this series, and a study of the works of others may lead you to slightly different conclusions than I have drawn here. If this series leads you to diligently search the Scriptures, then I will have achieved one of my purposes in it. With all that said, it is my hope and prayer that you will learn from this study and receive a blessing from it. Before the events that take place in the Tribulation, including Armageddon, could occur the Jewish people had to be restored to the land of Israel. Israel was miraculously reformed as a nation in one day in fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah chapter 66:8. The day of that fulfillment was May 14, 1948. Isaiah 66:8 says: Isaiah 66:8 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. The prophet Ezekiel saw this restoration in his vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37:1-28. These Scriptures state: Ezekiel 37:1-28 1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. 15 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. Though not yet fully restored to all the land promised by God to them, they have now become one stick in the hand of God and God carries the biggest stick of all. God will take that stick and turn it into a rod of iron to punish the nations that have abused Israel and the Jewish people. The United States of America ought to be thanking and praising God that He has given us the opportunity to befriend and help the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Woe be unto us should we turn our backs on Israel! Many believe that the war that will take place in Ezekiel 38 and 39 takes place at the mid point of the Tribulation while many believe they will not take place until the end of the Tribulation. We have at least fifty different books on Bible Prophecy and every one of those authors have their own viewpoint as to when the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 takes place. There is but one of these authors that we could recommend because most of those authors are so puffed up in their knowledge that they figure they are smarter than the Holy Ghost and can correct the King James Bible. We teach a Bible Prophecy course in our church’s Bible Institute where we use the text “Landmarks of Bible Prophecy” by Pastor Robert Sargent. It is an outstanding text. Pastor Sargent’s textbook is the only one that we could recommend. Let’s return to the subject at hand. It is our opinion, and I emphasize opinion, that it is the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 that kick off the wars that lead up to the final battle of Armageddon. By that I mean, that the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will probably occur either at the beginning of the Tribulation, or just prior to the beginning of the Tribulation. I believe that the supernatural destruction of the armies described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will force the Antichrist to make a seven year treaty with Israel that is referred to by the prophet Daniel and the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 28:18 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. Daniel 9:27 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Many times we hear Armageddon being referred to as the battle of Armageddon when it would be better referred to as the war of Armageddon. Armageddon is the final battle that will take place before the Millennium. Armageddon is also the final battle that will take place in a series of battles during the Tribulation. In speaking of the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus Christ stated in Matthew 24:6 that there would be wars and rumours of wars during this period of time. Revelation 14:20 describes this as a period of time when the blood will come up to horse bridles over a distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs which is roughly equivalent to two hundred miles. What this shows is that the battles will be scattered out all over Israel. SERMON NUMBER 9 – THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS Back To Top Before the events of the Tribulation take place, the Rapture of the saints and the revealing of the Antichrist must take place. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:9, God has not appointed his saints of his church to wrath. However, he has appointed the unbelievers, heretics, and apostates of Satan’s church to the wrath of the Tribulation. It is important what church you belong to. Do you belong to the Church of the Living God, or, do you belong to the synagogue of Satan? Continuing on, we see the rapture take place in Romans 8:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Philippians 3:20-21, and Revelation 4:1. Turn in your Bibles to: Romans 8:18-23 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Philippians 3:20-21 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Revelation 4:1 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. We know that the word “rapture” is not in our King James Bible. It is the transliterated English version of the Latin word “rapturo”. “The Rapture” is the theological term we use to refer to the biblical term “caught up together” from 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The rapture refers only to the redemption of people’s bodies. We use the phrase “rapture of the saints” rather than the phrase “rapture of the church” because the visible church is full of unsaved, hell bound sinners. In the apostate day and age that we live in, it is very important that you specifically define the terms that you use to limit them to a Biblical definition. If you are going to use the phrase “rapture of the church” you need to specify the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The term saint is not some dead heretic that the Roman Catholic harlot has exalted to a place of worship in lieu of the Lord Jesus Christ. A saint is a man or woman that is either dead in Christ or alive in Christ. Our Bibles use the term sleep or asleep in 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:18, 1 Corinthians 15:51, 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, and 1 Thessalonians 4:15 to refer to those saved individuals who have passed from this life into eternity. Hallelujah! The Lord Jesus Christ used the same term to apply to the sleeping Lazarus in John 11:11. For the Roman Catholic heretics out there, I want to remind you that he called Lazarus forth from the grave and not from a heretics purgatory. Purgatory is another name for the Devil’s hell. Purgatory denies the sufficiency of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered our hell for us. I want to remind those that push the soul sleep heresy as do the Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, and Christadelphians that the Lord Jesus Christ called forth only the body of Lazarus from the grave. Lazarus’s soul and spirit were in Paradise. Following the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the believer’s blessing to be with him in heaven. For to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. The word “resurrection” refers strictly to the body and never to the soul and spirit. The terms that God uses to refer to the new life in Christ is “born again”, “regeneration”, and “quickening”. These terms refer strictly to the spirit of man. Man’s soul is God’s communication between man’s spirit and man’s body. Death is the separation of a person’s soul and spirit from their body. Death always means separation. When Daniel 12:2 refers to those that sleep in the dust it is a reference strictly to their bodies. When Daniel referred to those that sleep in the dust, their souls and spirits were in Paradise in the lower parts of the earth. Those souls and spirits are now in heaven awaiting the resurrection of their bodies in a glorified state. The proof of that statement is in Ephesians where we see these verses: Ephesians 4:8-9 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? Now, turn in your Bibles to: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Second Thessalonians chapter 2 is the revealing of the son of Satan. The Antichrist is literally Satan incarnate. He is the son of perdition: that man of sin. In verse 1, we see the rapture of the saints. Following in verse 2, we see the Day of Christ begin: and it is the Day of Christ and NOT the Day of the Lord. If the book that you have that claims to be a Bible says the day of the Lord throw that perversion in the trash and get yourself a King James Bible. While the Day of Christ and the day of the Lord begin at the same instant, the Day of Christ is only seven years long while the day of the Lord is at least 1,007 years long. Verse 3 describes a great falling away into the lustful arms of Satan and his MOTHER OF HARLOTS wife who produces twice dead children. Verses 3 and 4 show the revealing of the Antichrist in the newly rebuilt temple at Jerusalem showing himself to be God. We want to warn everyone today that the Day of Christ could start at any moment. The He of verse 7 is the Holy Ghost that restrains the mystery of iniquity. The spirit of His mouth is the WORD of GOD and the truth that it reveals. The mystery of iniquity in verse 7 is rooted in MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH of Revelation 17:5. This wicked harlot is controlled by the spirit of Jezebel from Revelation 2:20 and as embodied in Mary, Queen of heaven. In verses 8-10 of 2 Thessalonians 2, we see the evil character of that Wicked one that uses deceit, lies, and lying wonders to lure unbelievers into the pits of hell. If I were in a church that puts much emphasis on miracles and signs and wonders to the exclusion of the warnings in the Bible, I would be in great fear and would run from that church shaking and quaking in my spiritual boots. The Pentecostal/Charismatic movement will be used as a tool of Satan to deceive false religion into the delusion that what they have is Bible believing salvation. Satan will also use his power of false miracles and signs and wonders to deceive the apostate end times church into believing that they have the power of God upon them. They will have the power of god on them, but it will be the power of the god of this world who is none other than Satan. According to 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13, the miracles and signs and wonders movement is the pathway into hell. We are not to seek after miracles and signs and wonders. We are to seek after the Lord Jesus Christ. What most professing Christians have today is a soul damning covenant of prayer with Satan. They have been led down a primrose path into the pits of hell by a 1-2-3 prayer that does not walk together hand-in-hand with Bible believing repentance. If you have not repented and experienced the change of attitude and the change of action that goes with it since you professed to be saved, then you are still on your way to hell. It is either repent or burn. The Lord Jesus Christ will not save you and leave you in your sin. It is false salvations and false doctrine that lead people to reject the truth of the Word of God. It is those same conditions that lead people to reject the truth of the Word of God as it relates to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Once you refuse to receive the love of the truth you are twice doomed: once by the deceitfulness of Satan and once by the strong delusion sent from God. What a fearful position to be in. Satan and the Antichrist will use that rejection of the truth as a tool to launch the greatest persecution and slaughter of God’s people that the world has ever seen. That brings us back to the wars of the Tribulation. Second Thessalonians chapter 2:8 also shows us the destruction of the Antichrist and according to Ezekiel 28:18: Ezekiel 28:18 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. According to Revelation 19:20, the doom of the Antichrist and the False Prophet are sealed in the Lake of Fire. Now, let’s take a look at the Gentile nations at war during the Tribulation. SERMON NUMBER 10 – THE WESTERN ALLIANCE Back To Top The Tribulation will be characterized by wars and rumours of wars. During the Tribulation, we will see huge alliances of nations battling each other in the land of Israel. The Bible shows us a western alliance, an eastern alliance, a northern alliance, and a southern alliance. In other words, war is coming from the four corners of the earth. These are the subject of many passages in our Bibles. We will deal with the western alliance first in the books of Daniel and Revelation. Daniel 11:36-45 states: Daniel 11:36-45 36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. 40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44 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. 45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. Notice that the Southern armies located in North Africa in Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia will come under attack from the Antichrist who heads up the western alliance. The Antichrist will put those three nations to tribute, but will face an immediate threat from the eastern armies and the northern armies. It seems those threats will cause him to launch massive preemptive strikes that will result in huge numbers of deaths. That is the meaning of the phrase “utterly to make away many” in verse 44. The king of Daniel 11:36 is from the western alliance and is none other than the Antichrist. He will be a man of great military might who honours the God of forces. He will divide the land of Israel for gain. Does the phrase “land for peace deals” mean anything to you? According to Joel 3:2, “land for peace” deals brings God’s wrath upon those that participate in them. The king of Daniel 11:36 is that little horn speaking great things against the Most High God of Daniel 7:8 and Daniel 7:25. He is also the king of fierce countenance of Daniel 8:23-25. He is the beast of Revelation 13:1-8 that speaks great things and blasphemies against God. This king will magnify himself above God as Lucifer did in Isaiah 14:14, as the King of Tyrus did in Ezekiel 28:6-9, and as the man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Now, turn in your Bibles to 17:3 and Revelation 17:8-18 which says: Revelation 17:3 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:8-18 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. The two legs of the image in Daniel 2 represent the eastern and western divisions of the old Roman empire. The Roman Empire is also represented by the dreadful and terrible beast of Daniel 7:7 and Daniel 7:19. Ten toes sprouted out of the two legs of Nebuchadnezzar’s image of Daniel chapter 2. They are represented in Daniel 7:20-24 by ten horns which Daniel tells us are ten kings that come out of the dreadful and terrible beast. When horns are used as symbols in Scripture they almost always represent political powers. That is why both the prophet Daniel and the apostle John said that the ten horns are ten kings. From Daniel 7:24-25, it is obvious that these ten kingdoms arise out of a revived Roman Empire. It is also obvious from these same verses that the Antichrist will rise out of one of these ten kingdoms. Since the Holy Ghost moved the apostle John to pen the Book of Revelation, there has been endless wild speculation about who the ten kings are and what countries they represent. One of the more recent speculations is that the ten nations were made up of the European Union. There is a big problem with that interpretation because as of April 6, 2013 there are 27 member nations of the European Union. It would take volumes to document the historical speculation involving these ten kings and their ten kingdoms. Inquiring minds want to know, but we would be better off stopping the speculation and sticking to the bounds of Scripture. That is why I can honestly tell you that I do not have a specific Scriptural clue who those nations are. The only thing I can conclusively state is that they were at some point a part of the old Roman Empire. The only speculation that exceeds that of the ten kings is that concerning who the Antichrist is and what the mark of the beast is. The only incident involving what might be called reincarnation in the Bible is authored by Satan just as he is the author of reincarnation in eastern religions such as Hinduism. When Revelation 17:10-11 states: “10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition” it is talking about the reincarnation of “THE SON OF PERDITION” who is none other than Satan incarnate who goeth into perdition. We know from John 17:12 that Judas is referred to as “the son of perdition”. We also know from Acts 1:25 that Judas went to “his own place”. From 2 Thessalonians 2:3, we know that the Antichrist is referred to as “that man of sin, the son of perdition”. Can the Antichrist and Judas be one and the same individual? Can the Antichrist be a resurrected Judas from “his own place”? We think that quite possibly he could be. Let’s look at the phrase “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition”. When speaking of these seven kings, we must remember that our point of reference is the apostle John’s day. So, the five kings, or kingdoms, that already have fallen would include Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. The one that is during John’s time is Rome. The one that “is not yet come” is the revived Roman Empire that will produce the Antichrist. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN JUDGMENT OF EDOM, MOAB, AND AMMON Now, let’s go back and look at Daniel 11:41. The revelation in Daniel 11:41 concerning Edom, Moab, and Ammon seems strange in light of the crushing victories by the western armies of the Antichrist. Why is it and how is it that these small nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon escape out of the hand of the Antichrist and his armies? We have yet to find a commentator who will attempt to do an in depth Scriptural analysis of the why and how these small nations escape out of the hand of the Antichrist. The keys to answering these questions are contained in Numbers 20:14-21, Numbers 24:15-20, Deuteronomy 23:3-4, Isaiah 34:1-6, Isaiah 63:1-6, Jeremiah 49:1-2, Jeremiah 49:12-13, Obadiah 1:7-9, Revelation 14:20, and Revelation 19:11-14. Let’s turn and read some of those Scriptures so that we can gain insight into the questions before us: Numbers 20:14-21 14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: 15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: 16 And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: 17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. 18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. 19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. 20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him. Numbers 24:15-20 15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. 18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. 20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. Deuteronomy 23:3-4 3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: 4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. Isaiah 34:1-6 1 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. 2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. 3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. 5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. 6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. Isaiah 63:1-6 1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. 6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. Jeremiah 49:1-2 1 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities? 2 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 49:12-13 12 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. 13 For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. Obadiah 7-9 7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him. 8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? 9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. Revelation 14:20 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. Revelation 19:11-14 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. We have thus solved an enigma that has puzzled me for years since I first read Daniel 11:41: that enigma being why Moab, Edom, and Ammon were spared from the armies of the Antichrist. The reasons behind it came clear to me this week. Some of the conclusions that we can draw from the above Scriptures that we just read are as follows. If the prophecy of Numbers 24:15-20 is to realize complete fulfillment, then the Lord Jesus Christ will have to smite Moab and Edom. That is yet in the future. According to Genesis 49:10, Numbers 24:17, and Hebrews 1:8, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Star out of Jacob and the Sceptre out of Israel. It also follows that the reason Moab, Edom, and Ammon escape from the Antichrist is because they will be the object of the special wrath of the Lord Jesus Christ. That wrath is the subject of the prophecy of Isaiah 34, Isaiah 63, Jeremiah 49, and Obadiah which we have just read. It also explains why the Lord Jesus Christ comes out of heaven with His vesture already dipped in blood in Revelation 19:13. He has already been to Bozrah in judgment prior to the start of Armageddon so that the events prophesied of in Numbers 24, Isaiah 34, Isaiah 63, Jeremiah 49, and Obadiah can be fulfilled. When the Lord Jesus Christ shows up in Revelation 19:13, those events have already taken place. The reason Edom receives special attention from the Lord Jesus Christ was given in Numbers 20:14-21. The reason the Moab and the Ammon receive special attention from the Lord Jesus Christ was given in Deuteronomy 23:3-4. The doctrine of Balaam is a special object of the wrath of God as evidenced by 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 11, and Revelation 2:14. Couple this with the fact that The Angel of the LORD shows up ten times when dealing with Balaam in Numbers 22 and you can add a prophetic exclamation point to the prophetic events involving Moab and Ammon. The Lord Jesus Christ was there with Balaam. For those of you who have studied the subject throughly, you will know that appearances of The Angel of the LORD are preincarnate appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, if you look a little further into Isaiah 63 (Isaiah 63:9), you will see the Lord Jesus Christ referred to as the angel of his presence! Amazing! If you would place Moab, Ammon, and Edom on a modern map they would touch the eastern and southeastern shores of the Dead Sea in what we now call Jordan and western Saudi Arabia. In fact, Amman, Jordan takes its name from Ammon. Many folks that study Bible prophecy believe that when Satan is cast down in Revelation 12 that many of the Jewish people will flee to Petra which is a fortress located in what is now Jordan off of the southeastern tip of the Dead Sea.