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Consider the partial fulfillment of the above. In the year 1917, the Balfour Declaration was proclaimed inviting the Jewish people to return to their ancient homeland, and establish therein "a national home for the Jews". Point one has had partial fulfillment.

Thirty years later, in 1948 Israel became a nation through the decree of the UNO the year before. Point two has had partial fulfillment.

Part's three and four have yet to be fulfilled, and Bible prophecy clearly reveals what they will be. Indeed, the amazing events taking place in the Land in recent years, witness to the fact that God is working among the nations to that end. Israel's king, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to return, and will discipline them, finally educating them in the Truth, and so "cleansing" them.

Paul the Apostle clearly predicts that also, in the following words:

"I would not, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery. . . . that blindness in part is happened to Israel UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies . . . but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sake".

It is obvious from this statement, that God has a future for Israel, and that the present revival of the nation is a step towards that consummation.

Israel is to form the nucleus of the world-wide reign of Christ, that it is the purpose of God to establish upon the earth:

"The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all (other) kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:44). In the events taking place in the Middle East relating to Israel, the miracle of Bible prophecy is taking shape, leading to that end.

Other passages clearly reveal the vast changes to take place. Jerusalem shall be called "the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall flow unto it" (Jeremiah 3:17), the "city of the great king" (Matthew 5:35), the center of divine worship (Zechariah 14:16), and the "place of His throne were He will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever," and they shall no more defile themselves (Ezekiel 43:7).

And the restoration of the Jews to their ancient land is the guarantee that this will take place. God says concerning them:

"Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the nations whither ye went . . . For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land" (Ezekiel 36:22-24).

God declares that He does not do this for Israel's sake, so much as for His holy name's sake. He does it to vindicate His name, to fulfil His promises and prophecies; to demonstrate that perfect confidence may be placed in anything that He has declared He would do in the earth.

In other words, the restoration of the Jews to their land, and the revival of the ancient nation of Israel, is a sure and certain sign of the imminence of Christ's return to fulfil the purpose that he initiated 1900 years ago. Christ is to return, to set up his power in Jerusalem, to discipline the Jewish people and bring them as a converted nation under his rule, and to extend his authority throughout the earth. When the existence of the Jewish state was threatened by war in 1956 and again in 1967, Radio Jerusalem broadcast the words of the Lord through the prophet Amos: "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them, said the Lord your God" (Amos 9:14-15).

Why has all this happened to the Jewish people? Because the purpose of God requires it.

God Is Interested in World Politics

It may come as a surprise to Bible loving people, that God is interested in world politics. But such is indeed the case.

Through Daniel the prophet, the declaration is made:

"This matter is by decree . . . to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men" (Daniel 4:17).

This Scripture epitomizes the whole purpose of prophecy. It teaches that the great events of world history are governed by a destiny determined of God. He guides the destiny of nations to His predetermined end: the establishment on earth of His Kingdom. In the original language of Daniel 4:17, the last statement is couched in the future tense, and can be rendered: "He will set up over it him that is set at nought of men." The declaration teaches that God rules in the kingdom of men. and giveth it to whomsoever He will, but that, ultimately, He will set up over it him that is set at naught of men.

Who is it, whose claims to rule are set at naught of men? It is a clear reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified by the Jews because he claimed to be king, and is rejected and ridiculed by Gentiles today. God's purpose is to establish him as King upon earth, bringing all mankind subject to his rule.

Christ's Coming Reign On Earth

The Lord Jesus Christ was born and died as King of the Jews, but has never yet assumed that position. When he was born, wise men came from the east asking, "Where is he born King of the Jews" (Matthew 2:2); when he died the caption was placed over his cross: This is Jesus the King of the Jews (Matt. 27:37). Later, when he was about to ascend into heaven, the apostles asked him: "Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?" to which he replied: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power" (Acts 1:7). Notice that the Lord did not deny that the Kingdom would be again vested in Israel, but that the time when that should take place was not then known to him. Earlier, he had told the Apostles:

"They (the Jews) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).

Christ predicted that the dispersion of the Jewish people would be for a limited period only, after which they would return and take over their ancient possessions once a gain. He indicated this by stating that Jerusalem "shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until. . ."

In 1967 Israel was attacked by Jordan, and in the victory won, she annexed Jerusalem. Christ's until had been brought to a dramatic end.

The Coming Crisis In The Middle East

However, the complete restoration of the people and nation of Israel will be preceded by a great international crisis, the nature of which is clearly revealed in the prophecies of the Bible.

It has relationship to the great national judgment described as Armageddon. The details are given in numerous places in the Bible, but two in particular have specific reference to the subject of this booklet: Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 11:40-45.

Both show the impact of the Egyptian-Israeli peace pact recently signed.

The former predicts an invasion of the Middle East "in the latter days" that shall involve all the world in war (v. 16). This latter-day invasion is directed by one described as "the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" (Ezekiel 38:2). But this statement should be rendered, as it is in the Revised Version of the Bible, as "Prince of Ros, Meshech and Tubal". Ros is the most ancient form of Russia, whilst Meshech and Tubal can be aligned with Moscow and Tobolsk prominent cities of modern Russia. Moscow is its capital, whilst Tubal is the name of an old state in Siberia, the capital of which is Tobolsk. In Russian Bibles, printed before 1917 (when the Communist revolution took place), these place-names were clearly identified in the text of Scripture: "Chief prince of Meshech (Moscow) and Tubal (Tobolsk)" so that the identification of this invading power by Russians who read their Bible would be clearly obvious. To make it clear beyond doubt as to the identity of the power referred to, and against whom it will move, the prophecy declares:

"Thou shalt come from thy place out of the UTRERMOST PARTS OF THE NORTH (R.V.) ... and thou shalt come up against My people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days . (vv. 15-16).

Moreover, the prophecy not only clearly identifies the time of fulfillment as the "latter days", but it also shows the condition of Israel at the time of invasion:

"Thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages, I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land" (vv. 11-12).

In that statement Israel is described as having returned from dispersion inhabited desolate places, and brought a measure of fertility to land previously sterile.

That precisely describes the modern-day restoration of the people and nation of Israel.

Thus, for 2500 years, the Bible has clearly identified conditions as they would exist in the Middle East in the latter days.

One aspect of the prophecy, however, is missing. Israel is described as being "at rest" and "dwelling safely" -- and that has not been the case in the land today, surrounded as it has been by bitter, hating enemies.

Change In Egyptian-Israeli Attitudes

But it now appears as though conditions are altering in the Middle East, even in that particular. The most bitter enemy of Israel until recently was the nation of Egypt. On no less than four occasions, the Egyptians invaded Israel in an attempt to drive the Jews into the sea, but failed on each occasion. Nasser, the former President of Egypt, vowed to accomplish that objective, and was preparing to invade Israel again when his death took place. He was followed by Sadat, but under his guidance, a vast change has taken place in Egypt, one that goes far to vindicate this aspect of Ezekiel's prophecy. In a dramatic and unexpected move to bring peace to the Middle East, Sadat flew to Israel and in Jerusalem extended the olive branch to the Jewish people. President Carter of USA took the matter up, and in a series of dramatic moves, and by great patience, succeeded in bringing the two great enemies together in a pact of peace. The terms of peace as signed by the three countries, calls upon the presence of American or UN troops in the Middle Last, the restoration of some territories by Israel, and the guarantee of the final borders by USA. The implementation of the treated will relieve the pressure of an hostile army on the southern borders of Israel, and will strengthen her ability to resist other enemies to the east and north of her land.

The signing of the treaty has greatly assisted to develop a greater confidence in the people of Israel in their ability to develop their nation. The Hebrew word tendered "safely" in the passage quoted above (Ezekiel 38:11), actually signifies confidently; and peace with Egypt has contributed greatly to that end.

What is also of greatest significance prophetically, is the ensuing relationships between Egypt and Russia. The peace act signed by Egypt with Israel has only been accomplished by Egypt breaking its ties with Russia. Previously, under Nasser, Egypt was closely aligned with the Soviet, and relied on that nation for arms and economy. It was Russian weapons of war and military potential that comprised the basis of the Egyptian fighting forces.

That has now changed, and changed in accordance with Bible prophecy. Indeed, during the epoch of Nasser, when Egypt was closely united to Russia and was hostile to Israel, we showed by an appeal to the prophetic word that such an attitude must change, and that Russia would manifest hostility towards Egypt.

We made this prognostication, because it is clearly revealed in the Bible. Daniel 11:40-45 provides a companion prophecy to that of Ezekiel 38, relating to the "king of the north" at the time of the end. It describes how this power will invade the Middle East, and will attack not only Israel, styled "the glorious land" but also:

"He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps".

This amazing prophecy declares that, at the "time of the end" (v. 40), Russia will attack Israel and Egypt, whilst numbering among its allies "the Libyans and Ethiopians".

Today the last two powers are closely tied to Russia, whereas there is a growing antagonism manifested between the Soviet and Egypt.

The peace plan signed at Camp David between Israel and Egypt is developing this latter-day crisis which will contribute to the humbling of the people of Israel.

God Does Not Favor The Peace Pact

For God is not in favor of that peace treaty. The very security it could bring Israel could contribute to the Jewish people becoming self-satisfied with what they have developed in the Land, so that they turn further from God. The true source of safety which they should seek is peace with God, not peace with Egypt, and that is what they fail to do. In signing with Sadat, the Israelites are placing their confidence in the flesh to secure their borders; and their own Scriptures warn them against doing this. The prophet Isaiah warned them saying: "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of Me . . . that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at My mouth; to strengthen themselves . . . and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!" (Isaiah 30:1-2).

Isaiah's words have primary application to a crisis that took place in his own day, when Sennacherib, the ruthless Assyrian conqueror, invaded the land "to take a spoil and to take a prey". Israel should have sought the help of God; instead the nation turned to Egypt for assistance. But Egypt was no help, and the Assyrian took most of the cities of Judah, and besieged Jerusalem. But then an amazing thing occurred, an extraordinary occurrence that is confirmed by history. Hezekiah prayed to God for help, and the angel of death destroyed the Assyrian forces on the slopes of Mount Scopus to the north east of Jerusalem (see Isaiah 38:36). History has its explanation of the disaster, and attributes the amazing demise of the soldiers to a virulent plague that swept through the Assyrian army. But the Bible is insistent that it was due to the overshadowing hand of God, extended on the behalf of His people.

Certainly, the warning words of Isaiah were vindicated in the events of Isaiah's time, 3000 years ago.

But what is most significant is that Isaiah presents that as a type of what will take place in the last days. He was told:

"Now go, write it before them (the Israelites) in a tablet, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever" (Isaiah 30:8).

But those words can be rendered: "Note it in a book, that it may be for the latter day; as a testimony reaching to the age to come".

The peace pact between Egypt and Israel today shows that the instructions given to Isaiah are relevant. There is seen a repetition today in the Middle East of those things that happened in the days of Isaiah the prophet and Hezekiah the King, which. however, in their latter-day manifestation, will effect the whole world, including you, the reader of this article.

Russia is going to enact the part of the Assyrian who besieged Jerusalem, and was unexpectedly overwhelmed by disaster through a divine hand. That is to be the experience of the Russian forces to be sent down into the Middle East at the time of the end. Ezekiel declares that the Gogian army shall come to its end through divine intervention (Ezekiel 38:17-23): through the Lord Jesus Christ, and his resurrected and immortalized followers. Daniel, in his prophecy of the same invasion and defeat says that "he shall come to his end, with none to help him" (Daniel 11:45). The expression denotes that he would be brought to his end by means other than those of human agency.

As God was displeased with the pact signed between embattled Judah in the days of Hezekiah and Egypt, so He is with the present pact between Israel and Egypt. Israel should place its confidence in God, not in flesh. If it did that, it would not do so in vain.

Hence it is that Ezekiel the prophet is instructed to indict Israel for its indifference towards God in these days, and particularly during the period that it is "at rest, dwelling safely" in the land. Ezekiel describes the people as being like that I when the Russian Gog invades modern-day Israel (Ezekiel 38).

In the next chapter, that describes developments in the land consequent upon the defeat of the Russian invasion, the prophet is told to address Israel of the latter-days:

"Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for My holy name; after that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against Me WHEN THEY DWELT SAFELY IN THEIR LAND, and none made them afraid" (Ezekiel 39:25-26).

The prophet declares that Israel will trespass against God under conditions (now developing through the peace treaty) when they are "at rest, dwelling safely" in the land. God's purpose in restoring the people of Israel as we see them today, is not that they should build a nation and establish their individual prosperity under present conditions, but that they should form the nucleus for the establishment of the Kingdom of God under Christ. Hence, because of their manipulation of politics to bring about their own desires, God will permit the Russian invasion to take place. that Israel may be disciplined and humbled, and ultimately, be forced to accept those principles of righteousness, which He has set before them ever since they were a nation, 3,500 years ago.

Oil: As A Bait For The Russian Invasion

The prophecy claims that Russia will invade the land "to take a spoil, and to take a prey" (Ezekiel 38:12). It describes the confederated Eurasian forces under Gog as being drawn out like a huge whale with hooks in its jaws in the midst of the seas. God is represented as saying: "I will put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth . . ." (v. 4).

There are some well baited hooks in the Middle East, well calculated to draw the Gogian forces to their doom. Part of the bait is the lure of oil which is a key element in modern conditions. At the present time, Russia has ample oil, and supplies much of this commodity to those nations behind the Iron Curtain; but it is assessed, that by 1985, Soviet Russia will have to become an importer of oil. And the rich oil of the Middle East will comprise most attractive bait to the Russian dictator.

A further "bait" is the strategic position of Israel and Egypt; for the Middle East is the bridgehead to three main continents: Europe, Asia and Africa, and its domination is necessary to a nation bent on world conquest.

A third attractive "bait" is the fact that Jerusalem is a holy city to the three great religions of the world: Catholic Christianity, Judaism and Mohammedism; and the recent moves between Catholicism and Communism on the one hand, and Russia and the Moslems on the other, could make that consideration of prime importance to an invading force that desires to unite the world under one Communistic rule.

As far as oil is concerned, it is significant that Egypt today is self-supporting in oil, and her potential in that regard is increasing. One of the terms of the Camp David peace treaty is that Israel return the sources of Egyptian oil she captured in the Six Days War, whist Egypt has agreed to supply Israel with whatever oil that country needs.

So here is portion of the bait that will cause Soviet Russia, with the confederated forces of Europe, to turn covetous eyes towards the Middle East.

But what of the Western powers?

The prophecy speaks of nations who will protest against the Russian invasion of the Middle East:

"Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil, hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? ... to take a great spoil" (Ezekiel 38:13).

Sheba and Dedan are the ancient names for Arab countries that today remain sympathetic to the West, and are opposed to Russia. Tarshish can be identified with Great Britain, whilst "the young lions" are familiar symbols of English speaking nations.

The statement, therefore, relates to the English speaking world, whose officials will make an ineffectual protest against the Russian invasion of the Middle East. And well they might protest, for a Soviet dominated Middle East, with its wealth of oil, will spell doom for the future of Western Democracy.

And here, again, the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel is of greatest significance. For one of the terms, signed by President Carter on behalf of the USA, is that military forces will be established in the Middle East to buttress the terms of the treaty. Accordingly, this peace treaty will bring USA and other English speaking nations, physically back into the Middle East, in such a way as to justify the protest suggested by the prophet Ezekiel as emanating from powers that can be identified with Britain, USA, Australia, Canada and so forth.

Events now taking place in the world answer exactly to the requirements of this amazing prophecy of Ezekiel 38.

And this shows that Christ is at the door.

For two protests are voiced in Ezekiel 38: an ineffectual one, and a powerful one. The ineffectual one is represented as coming from the powers of the West, as cited above; the effectual one, is that uttered by God's representative then returned to earth: the Lord Jesus Christ.

The former one is expressed in the terms of enquiry: "Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey?" (v. 13). It is the type of ineffectual protest that is normal with the UNO, and which might well be ignored by an aggressor like Russia.

Nevertheless, it would appear from Daniel's prophecy, that the West will make preparations to resist the Russian challenge for world domination, and will aim to fortify Jerusalem, and so cut off Gog's line of communications, because, the prophet declares, "tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him" (Daniel 11:44). These shall cause him to withdraw his main troops from Egypt, and aim at the conquest of Jerusalem. He shall set up his headquarters "between the seas (the Mediterranean and Dead Seas) in the glorious holy mountain" but there his might shall be broken "without hand" (Daniel 8:25; 11:45), that is, by divine instrumentality.

And this introduces us to the second protest. It is a protest made with power. God through Ezekiel declares:

"It shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that My fury shall come up in My face. . ." (Ezekiel 38:18).

God's anger at the power-crazed attack of Gog, will be manifested through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. For Bible prophecy indicates that before the judgment of Armageddon on the nations, Christ will return; the resurrection of those responsible (a comparatively small percentage of humanity. See Psalm 49:19-20; Isaiah 26:14; Ephesians 2:12) will take place, and those judged worthy will receive eternal life, and will be appointed positions of responsibility in the government to be set up by the Lord.

Daniel predicted these events. He wrote:

"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. And many (not all) of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:1-2).

The time referred to is "the time of the end" of Daniel 11:40: the time that will witness the attack of the power of the north against Israel and Egypt. Whilst that is taking place, Christ will be supervising the judgment of those resurrected from the dead. The site of the Judgment, most likely, will be in the isolated area of Sinai. This is east of Egypt, and probably will comprise the "tidings out of the east" that shall trouble the king of the north. If so, they will be tidings that he will not understand, and, therefore, tidings that he will ignore, as he makes his drive towards Jerusalem, to meet the threat in the north. His action will bring him, and "all nations to Jerusalem to battle" (Zech. 14:1).

But the prophet, having predicted such a gathering of nations to Jerusalem, and current events illustrating how such a battle is likely in these days when the Middle East is the key to world domination and power, proceeds to state:

"Then shall the Lord go forth to fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle . . . and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee" (Zechariah 14:3,5).

Consider the significance of such a statement. It means that when Russia attacks Israel and Egypt, Christ already will have returned. And as a Russian attack on the Middle East is already a possibility, how close is Christ's coming?

And how important is it that we make our peace with God in the way appointed, for at the Lord's return the door of opportunity to attain eternal life at his coming will close.