Right Invasion! Wrong Timing!
by Pastor F.M. Riley

“Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion,” Jeremiah 6:22-23.

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God;  In that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against My people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land;  it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against My land, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes,”  Ezekiel 38:14-16. 

Introduction

I often receive letters and emails from God’s people inquiring about the current situation in Israel and the Middle East.  In this brief study I purpose to answer some of these questions, not with my personal opinion, but with what is actually and literally stated in the Scriptures, Acts 3:3-4. 

Yes! Israel and the Middle East is a powder keg that will explode at any minute.  A red hot war will break out there at any time now.  Yes!  It could be a nuclear war involving limited use of nuclear bombs.  Such a war will involve Israel and the Palestinians, and perhaps several Middle Eastern nations.  No! It will not be the invasion of Israel by Russia and her allies that is predicted in Ezekiel 38 – 39.

Folks, one thing that I have learned over the many years I have been studying and preaching God’s Word, is that Bible prophecy is not always fulfilled like it may appear that it is going to be at a given time.  What a situation appears to be, and what the situation actually is, are often two different things. God knows!  Often men just think they know.  But rest assured, Bible prophecy is always fulfilled word for word exactly as it is set forth in the inspired Word of God. 

Many prophecy teachers today are telling God’s people that Russia and her allies will invade Israel just before the beginning of the Tribulation.  Others claim that the invasion takes place just after the Tribulation begins.  Two conflicting views!  My! My! What confusion, 1 Corinthians 14:33.  Don’t they know?  Which view is correct?

Neither view is correct!  Both views falsely assume that the “seven years” referred to in Ezekiel 39:9 just has to be the seven year Tribulation.  Nonsense!  Just plain nonsense! This false assumption is not supported by the context of Ezekiel 38 – 39, nor by any other Scriptures dealing with end-time prophecy.  But don’t take my word for it!  I will prove the assumption to be nonsense, right from the inspired Word, 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

Nine Irrefutable Facts

 ONE…..It is a fact that beginning in 1987 Mikhail Gorbachev declared “perestroika” [openness] for the United Soviet Socialist Republic.  His declaration resulted in political upheaval throughout the Communist empire.  During that upheaval Russia lost political and military control over approximately five-sixth of the territory that the U.S.S.R. formerly ruled over.  See Ezekiel 39:2.  On December 26, 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the General Secretary of the Communist Party and the U.S.S.R. officially came to an end.    Russia then set up a democratic form of government over the territory [one-sixth] which it still retained.  In 2004-05 Putin began suspending liberties that the Russian people had been granted under a democratic form of government, and started turning the country back to Communism.  This process is continuing even as I write. Significantly, both Ezekiel 38:4 and 39:2 predicted this return to Communism nearly 2600 years in advance; “…I will turn thee back…” However, Russia is returning to Communism “…as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps,” Hosea 13:8. Five-sixth of her former territory is gone.  Both Ezekiel 38 and 39 clearly indicate that Russia will not invade Israel until she has rid herself of democracy, and is once again a Communist nation.  That has not happened yet!   

TWO… It is a fact that when Russia invades Israel, she will lead a coalition of nations which include “Persia [Iran], Ethiopia, and Libya [North Africa]…..Gomer, and all his bands [the Germanic people of Europe]; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands [Turkey and other races related to the Turks]; and many people with thee,” Ezekiel 38:4-7.  Folks, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that such a coalition of nations does not exist today.  Many of the Germanic people of Europe actually despise Communism and distrust the Russians.  There will have to be major political or military [or both] upheaval in Europe before the Germanic peoples come into the Russian camp.  The careful Bible student can see some of the nations in this prophesied coalition beginning to line up, but until the whole coalition is complete there will be no invasion of Israel by Russia.  This ought to be plain enough for any reader to understand.

THREE… It is a fact that the prophesied invasion of Israel will occur when Israel is “dwelling safely” [Ezekiel 38:8] and is “at rest,” Ezekiel 38:11.  Israel is not dwelling safely today, nor is the nation “at rest.”  Israel has not had even one day of “peace and safety” since becoming a nation in 1948.  The Jews in Israel have to be constantly alert and on guard against terrorism, rocket and mortar attacks, suicide bombers, infiltrators, snipers, kidnappers, ambushes, etc.  Israel will not have such a period of “safety and rest” until “the covenant” of Daniel 9:27 [cp Isaiah 28:14-18] is confirmed by the Antichrist.  Then and only then will Israel experience 3½ years of peace.  It is true that it will be a false peace designed to lull Israel to sleep, but it will still be a period of peace for Israel.  Until that time arrives there is no way that Russia is going to invade Israel.

FOUR… It is a fact that “…at the same time…” Russia and her allies invade Israel , the Lord declares, “…My fury shall come up in My face,” Ezekiel 38:18.  The careful Bible student will recognize that this is a “time marker” placed in God’s Word by Divine inspiration.  Isaiah 28:21, Revelation 11:18, 14:6-7, 15:1, 15:7, and 16:1, when studied in context, clearly indicate that the Lord’s “fury” [wrath; anger; rage] will come up in His face at, or just after, the middle of the Tribulation.  It is then obvious that the Russian invasion of Israel will not take place before the middle of the Tribulation. 

FIVE… It is a fact that at or during the time when Russia invades Israel , there will be a great world wide earthquake that will cause “the mountains” to be “thrown down,” the “steep places” to fall, and “every wall shall fall to the ground,” Ezekiel 38:19-20. At least two such earthquakes are going to occur during the Tribulation.  I suggest our readers compare Ezekiel’s statement with Revelation 6:12-17 and 16:17-21.  The “great earthquake” in Revelation 6 occurs right at or just before the middle of the Tribulation.  It begins the last half of the Tribulation period [the same time Russia invades Israel].  The “great earthquake” in Revelation 16 brings to an end the last half of the Tribulation period [the same time the Lord destroys Russia].  By comparing these Scriptures, it should be obvious that Ezekiel 38:19-20 is describing the final destruction that occurs at the end of the Tribulation.  So where does this place Russia ’s invasion of Israel?  You figure it out!

SIX… It is a fact that the battle that brings Russia ’s invasion of Israel to an end results in the destruction of “all men of war,” Ezekiel 39:20.  This ought to make it obvious that the battle described in Ezekiel 38:21-22 and 39:1-6 is the very same battle commonly referred to as “Armageddon.”  Compare Isaiah 34:1-6, 63:1-6, Revelation 14:19-20, 16:12-16, and 19:11-21.   It is quite plain that “all men of war” are destroyed in this same battle in which the Lord destroys Russia and her allies, Ezekiel 39:20.  If this battle should then occur before the Tribulation, as some teach, or even right after the beginning of the Tribulation, as others teach, then who would fight during the Tribulation?  Remember, “all men of war” are destroyed in this battle.  I take this to mean that every human being who has “war” in their heart will be destroyed from among men.  Who then would fight during the Tribulation if “all men of war” have already been wiped out when the Lord destroys Russia and her allies?  Well…???

SEVEN… It is a fact that most [not all] of the Jews will flee into “the wilderness” [to Petra] at the middle of the Tribulation, [Isaiah 16:1-4; Ezekiel 20:33-38; Revelation 12:6; 12:14] where they will remain until the Lord Himself leads them out and back to Jerusalem at the end of the Tribulation, Micah 2:12-13.  It is also a fact that Ezekiel 39:9-10 clearly states that “they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons…..they shall burn them with fire seven years.”  Now some prophecy teachers today insist that the “seven years” in this verse are the seven years of the Tribulation. That would mean that Russia would have to invade Israel [and be destroyed] either right before the Tribulation, or right after the Tribulation begins.  If that is correct, as some insist, then  perhaps they would like to explain to the rest of us just how Israel is going to “burn the weapons” of the Russians and their allies for the seven years of the Tribulation, since the Jews will be shut up in Petra during the last 3½ half years of the Tribulation?  Uh – uh – duh?  Well…???

EIGHT… It is a fact that God’s Word clearly states, “So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward,” Ezekiel 39:22.  This is obviously speaking of the spiritual redemption [salvation] of the nation of Israel.  According to many passages of Scripture, the main purpose of the Tribulation is to bring Israel to a saving knowledge of their Messiah and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore back into the covenant relationship [Abrahamic Covenant] with the Lord that they once enjoyed after leaving Egypt.  Numerous passages of Scripture also indicate that the national salvation of Israel will occur right at or just slightly before the end of the Tribulation.  This would then again indicate that Russia and her allies are destroyed right at the end of the Tribulation.  Is this too hard for some to see and understand? 

NINE… It is a fact that the context of Ezekiel 39 indicates that every living Jew will have been brought back to the land of Israel by the time Russia and her allies are destroyed upon the mountains of Israel.  Ezekiel 39:28 plainly states, “Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.”  Could it be stated any plainer?  Folks, today there are more Jews living in New York City than there are living in Israel.  But God’s Word says that at the time Russia and her allies are destroyed, all the Jews will have been regathered to Israel.  Glory!  This is plain enough for anyone to understand.  There is no way that Russia and her allies are going to invade Israel before the regathering of Israel back to their land.  God’s Word says so!  Now believe it! 

Conclusion

Folks, quit looking for Russia to invade Israel.  It isn’t going to happen!  At least not on the “time schedule” that some are teaching.  Russia most certainly is going to invade Israel , just as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 – 39.  But while God’s Word upholds the invasion, many are totally wrong about the timing of it.  There is no way that Russia is going to invade Israel before the middle of the Tribulation.  And I have given our readers nine irrefutable proofs of this truth.  Study them for yourselves.   God’s Word will stand when all of the opinions of men have fallen into the dust. 

Folks, let’s get back to looking for the coming of the Lord.  Keep your heart, your mind, your hope, and your eyes on “…heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:  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,” Philippians 3:20-21.  I have had people actually tell me that they aren’t really concerned about the coming of Christ, because Russia has not invaded Israel yet.  Folks, this is tragic!  Instead of looking for the Lord, these deceived people are looking for Russia to invade Israel.  And they are doing so because of shallow Bible study on the part of some who imagine themselves to be “great prophecy scholars.”  Sic! 

Friends, we are living on the very threshold of the Lord’s coming to resurrect and rapture His people to glory.  Are you ready?  Really ready?  If there has ever been a time when people need to be seriously searching the Scriptures and seeking the Lord, that time is today.  Failure to study the Word and live in the Word, is an open invitation for deception and disaster.  

“I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say,” 1 Corinthians 10:15. 

SOURCE: Last Call Gospel Ministry