January 2024 Newsletter

Setting the Table for the Gog – Magog Invasion of Israel?

As we enter the year 2024, let’s first review the prophetic events of 2023, and how the Israel – Hamas war is setting the table for the Prophet Ezekiel’s Gog-Magog Invasion of Israel.

Fulfillment of End Times prophecy can be like watching the grass grow. You never notice the daily change, then after an extended period become aware of the change that is taking place. In the prophetic world prophecy fulfillment does not occur in weeks or even months, but generally in years and decades. Mankind’s attention span is short, and we easily become impatient, distracted, and lose sight of the prophetic progression.  There is a hyperbole called the ‘Boiling Frog Syndrome’ which implies a frog put into boiling water will jump out, but a frog in temperate water which is slowly heated to a boil will remain oblivious to its changing environment until death occurs.  While this is not true, it is meant as an example of how we can become mentally immune to gradual changes and societal deterioration as we simply adapt to our changing environment. In 2023 the prophetic grass grew significantly toward the year’s end, and the growth rate appears to be accelerating rapidly. But, as the prophetic pot heats up, much of the world remains oblivious to the gradual fulfillment of the End-Times prophecies foretold in God’s Word.

At the beginning of 2023, the Islamic faith’s continual growth rate reached 25% of the world’s population and we now await the appointment of a religious authority (Islamic Caliph) in prophetic fulfillment of the 4th horsemen of,

Revelation 6:8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given (religious) power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Note: English scripture only indicates power, but the original Greek refers to the power of a religious nature. One-quarter of today’s world population is of the Islamic faith and the appointment of a Calip (head of the faith, like the Pope to Catholics) would begin to satisfy the 4th horseman prophecy. Further details concerning the Islamic basis of the 4 Horsemen are provided in my book ‘AWAKE’.

In May of 2023, Tayyip Erdogan (Turkish president) was reelected for a third 5-year term in a close election.  Before the election, he indicated this would be his last term, but after he was elected changed his tone stating, that he would only leave office upon his death.  I suspect he will fulfill this statement via his planned change of Turkey away from a Democratic state.  In the mid-1990’s Erdogan stated Democracy is like a tram (bus), you ride it until you reach your destination and then step off  https://www.turkeyinstitute.org.uk/commentary/democracy-like-tram/ . About a month after his reelection, President Erdogan was addressing a senior military group about a substantial change coming, which even the governmental administration was yet to be aware of.  Something we should watch in the coming year or two. As noted in the book ‘AWAKE’, 2024 is the year of the 100^th anniversary of the disbandment of the Ottoman Caliph and Erdogan has openly stated his desire to have the Caliph reinstated during this anniversary year as a beginning to reestablish elements of the Ottoman Empire, in the form of religious unification and a potential regional security alliance of Islamic countries (possible End-Times 10-nation prophecy fulfillment). Towards the end of this year, numerous NATO countries began to discuss the possible removal of Turkey from the NATO alliance. Removing Turkey from the NATO alliance would likely further precipitate Erdogan’s pursuit of forming a new Islamic security alliance. All this is well known publicly in Turkey, as it was one of the major issues of Turkey’s past election. Many Turkish voters are against the Ottoman revival concept as they view Erdogan’s desires as a shift toward an Autocratic rule of government. This was one of the reasons for the close election. The ongoing war in Israel with Hamas may well support Erdogan’s ambitions as well.  We should watch what happens in Turkey very closely in the coming year and beyond.

The most significant prophetic event, Israel’s war with Hamas, began in the last few months of 2023 and continues into 2024. Besides the possible need to establish an Islamic security alliance, 2 other major prophetic events could very well come into view, due to Israel’s Hamas war in the next few years. They are the Gog-Magog attempted invasion of Israel event and the start of the building of the 3rd Jewish Worship Temple. While all scholars recognize the existence of the 3rd Jewish temple as a requirement of Daniel’s 70th week, there is some debate as to when the Gog-Magog invasion attempt of Israel will occur. Many scholars see it as occurring before Daniel’s 70th week, others attempt to equate it to Armageddon at the end of Daniel’s week, and some believe it occurs at the end of the Millennium (Jesus’s 1,000-year reign). If you are unfamiliar with the Gog-Magog event, it was prophesized in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 and involves the attempted invasion of Israel by an alliance of Muslim entities which include Russia (Rosh, Magog), Turkey (Tubal, Meshech, Gomer, Togarmah), Iran (Persia), Libya (Put), and Ethiopia, to eliminate the State of Israel and her people.  Note: scripture uses the original, ancient, tribal names of the regions involved. Both Saudia Arabia (Sheba and Dedan) and Egypt appear to be nonparticipants. Syria, Iraq, and Jordan are not mentioned, but they were probably considered tribally as part of Persia.  The present-day names of these countries came about later in history.

For those interested in a short and accurate video presentation, I would recommend Dr. Chuck Missler’s 12-minute video. If you are familiar with the Gog-Magog scenario, I would still recommend viewing this video, as Dr. Missler highlights some possible connections to Psalm 83.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0UAriN2HKA  

Dr. Missler also has a more in-depth 1-hour video available, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZqSLOlfSs&t=1452s 

You may notice that Gog is not listed on the map. The reason is that Gog is not a tribal region but the name of the demon entity behind Magog. Dr Missler provides the scriptural explanation in the following 8-minute video from the book of Amos.

https://www.youtube.com/walink..v=-boD8PYU5JU 

I do not equate the Gog-Magog war with Armageddon as scripture indicates these events occur in separate locations, about 100 miles apart. Ezekiel 39:16 indicates the location of Gog-Magog as Hamonah (Dibon or Dhiban, Jordan today – https://bibleatlas.org/hamonah.htm ) and Armageddon occurs in the valley of Megiddo. Hamonah (Dibon) is located East of the Dead Sea in Jordan and Megiddo is in northwest Israel making these different events by location.

As for Gog-Magog occurring at the end of the Millennium, the event strongly alludes to the use of nuclear weapons via the unique cleanup, burial, and future area restriction requirements of Ezekiel 39:12-16.  The existence of nuclear weapons on Earth during Jesus’s 1,000-year reign does not align well.  Eliminating Armageddon and the Millennium theories only leaves pre-Daniel’s 70^th week as the most probable timing. I suspect the current events of Israel’s war are God setting the table for the Gog-Magog event as we witness the world turning against Israel as a result. This appears to be a required World condition of the prophecy as Israel’s allies do not appear to come to her aid, as her enemies amass on her borders. Presently the World’s demand for Israel to accept another 2-State solution is growing more forceful and will lead to further World isolation as Israel will not abide by these demands, for internal security and scriptural reasons. Russia’s growing alliance with Iran due to its Ukraine war (combined with the diminishing Western financial support of Ukraine), Iran’s Nuclear program development, and Turkey’s deteriorating relationship with Israel are all items to watch over the coming year as the Gog-Magog table is probably being set by these events.  Will the Gog-Magog event occur in 2024, possibly, but more probably in the next few years as the prophetic grass grows slow.  When it does occur, there are 2 important scriptural items to note. First, in Ezekiel 39:7, God indicates he will save Israel miraculously, such that Israel and the world will have no choice but to recognize the outcome was by the hand of God alone.  Second, the scripture indicates Israel is religiously revived by this event, probably leading to an urgent national outpouring to begin the construction of the 3^rd temple, regardless of World opinion (We will address, Israel’s present extensive 3^rd temple readiness, in a subsequent Newsletter). Interestingly Ezekiel 39:10 indicates Israel will use the weapon spoil of Gog-Magog as fuel for 7 years, and Daniel 8:14 indicates building the 3^rd temple, through consecration, will take 2300 days (about 6 years, 4 months). I strongly suspect these 2 event periods are closely aligned. It is to be determined when the calling of Christ’s bride occurs in relation to these 2 events. In the meantime, Jesus instructed his bride to watch, and these are the most imminent events (Calip appointment, Gog-Magog, and 3^rd temple) we should closely watch for over the next few years.

The other prophetic news of 2023 was the developing world famine crisis. In July 2023, the UN reported the world food shortage has grown by 6-fold between 2019 to 2023 reaching 783 million people facing hunger and food shortage.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138612#:~:text=The%20State%20of%20Food%20Security,million%20people%20compared%20to%202019   

This means 10% of the world population was affected in 2023.  These numbers are about direct effects and do not account for the indirect effects we all encounter every time we go to the grocery store. Food shortages have been one of the most significant drivers of the inflation dilemma all countries are presently facing. Famine begins with the poorest of society and slowly works its way up the social ladder as time progresses. With the world weather extremes of the past year, the expectations are that world food shortages will continue its rise in 2024. World food shortage is presently at an all-time high in Human history as it continues its yearly climb. History has shown that the pressures of food shortage lead to civil unrest and eventually regional conflicts.

The growing World turmoil feeds well into Autocratic leaders’ often-spoken plans of a ‘New World Order’. A lasting ‘New World Order’ is coming, but it will be when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords rules the world in the Millennium. End Times Prophecy fulfillment isn’t about gloom and doom, as many perceive, but of believer’s hope in the time of peace to come.

So fellow Brides, watch with patience and hope, as the prophetic grass continues to grow this coming year. Look past the darkness of the coming days, and into the light of our eternal hope. In our next Newsletter we will discuss the Islamic Mahdi belief and why, based on this End-Times belief, Muslims will never cease their continual pursuit of the elimination of Israel and its people.

I would like to extend to everyone, ‘A Hopeful New Year’.

Maranatha (found in 1 Corinthians 16:22) which means in Aramaic, ‘Our Lord, come’,

Gerry S Sager