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What Does the Bible Say
About
the War in the Middle East?
By Betty Miller
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The Bible Predicts Wars and Tribulation in the Last Days
The summer of 2006 has brought many trials to people all
over the world. One of which is the war escalating in the Middle East. Along
with war, we are seeing a plethora of other evils and tribulations abounding in
the world. Some people have experienced drought, while
others have lost everything
by floods. We are seeing many different kinds of natural disasters all over the
globe, with tsunamis, hurricanes, mudslides, volcanoes, earthquakes, tornados and
fires. We are living in an hour when these things are described with adjectives
like catastrophic, extreme, massive, intense, acute, excessive, tremendous, severe, huge,
record-breaking, unheard of, frightening, gigantic and uncontrollable. The
upheavals in the earth are pictures of the upheavals in society with terrorist
attacks, wars (physical as well as cultural wars), anarchy, violence, and
murder. The evils in the earth are producing fear in mankind. The Bible tells us
that when we, as Christians, see these things happening on a worldwide scale, we
should look up, for our redemption is drawing near. We are told by Jesus
not to be troubled. The only way we can remain free from being troubled is to
know the One who has overcome all things and stay close to Him. Jesus is
the only One who can sustain us in the hour of tribulation.
A Time of Sorrows Precedes the Great Tribulation
Matthew 24:6-8: "And ye shall hear of wars and
rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to
pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,
in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."
We are currently experiencing the "time of
sorrows" that is spoken about in this verse. Other verses call this the
"time of birth pains or travail." War is one of those birth pangs and
especially the war in the Middle East.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-10:
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write
unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon
them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of
the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken
in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith
and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with
him.
Bible Prophecy Declares Israel Will be in the
Center of End Time Events
The war in the Middle East is actually a threat of
tribulation for the entire world. Prophecies in the Bible spoke of this day and
told how Israel would suffer under the siege of armies that would try to destroy
them. In the end, they will not be destroyed as a people, as they are destined
to have their eyes opened to Jesus, the Messiah, and many Jews will find
redemption and salvation in Christ. The words of Jesus recorded in the Bible speak of a time of trouble that has never been experienced in
history, but is soon to break out, that will be the trigger for the beginning of
what Jesus called "The Great Tribulation." This event will occur
in the Holy Land among the Jewish people.
Matthew 24:21-22: "For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
The book of Daniel also speaks of this same time in history.
Daniel 12:1: "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."
Mark 13:5-14:
5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for
such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there
shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles:
these are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in
the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and
kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand
what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given
you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy
Ghost.
12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son;
and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put
to death.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure
unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then
let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.
Luke 21:20-24 (NIV):
20"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know
that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who
are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those
in the country not enter the city. 22For this is
the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.
23How dreadful it will be in those days for
pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and
wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the
sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. 25"There
will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in
anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
26Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what
is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these
things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption is drawing near."
What Is the Abomination of Desolation?
The Bible says that when we see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
that an event called the "abomination of desolation" will occur there, and
those living there should flee to the mountains for safety. This "abomination of
desolation" will cause great sorrow for women who are pregnant and those
who have young children. We know that nuclear radiation causes deformities in
unborn children, as well as children and this scenario would be a dreadful one
for pregnant women and nursing mothers. I realize that this scripture has been
interpreted in many different ways, but I would like to share with you what I
believe this scripture means and challenge my readers to ask the Holy Spirit for
a witness to this interpretation.
God wants us to understand the Bible and He promises that if we
wholeheartedly seek Him, He will hear and answer (Jeremiah 29: 12, 13).
If we want to understand, we can. It may not come all at once, but as we seek
Him, He will open our eyes. One of our shortcomings as Christians is that many
of us have listened to end-time teachings but never have asked the Holy Spirit
if the teaching is the truth. We have considered ourselves ignorant and assumed
the teachers must have all the answers. But God wants each one of us to
understand His Word, and He will give us understanding as we seek Him for it. He
will confirm His true teachers and teachings if we seek Him by faith, with a
pure heart. We have a responsibility to "Prove all things; hold fast that
which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21).
The word "desolation" comes from the word "desolate" which means
"uninhabited, deserted and barren." What kind of war would leave a city
desolate so that it could not be inhabited? This would be a horrible abomination
on any land. This is a perfect description of the aftermath of a nuclear
blast.
Matthew 24:15: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
We all know that Jerusalem is referred to as the "Holy Land" or
the "Holy Place" so if the "abomination of desolation" is the result of a
nuclear attack, then this scripture tells those who live in Judea to flee to the
mountains to escape the fallout.
The book of Isaiah also gives a description of the daughters of
Jerusalem who will become bald and mourn the many dead in the land. Baldness is
one of the things that happens as a result of radiation.
Isaiah 3:24-26 (AMP): "And
it shall come to pass that instead of the sweet odor of spices there shall be
the stench of rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of
well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and
searing [of captives by the scorching heat] instead of beauty. Your men shall
fall by the sword, and your mighty men in battle. And [Jerusalem's] gates shall
lament and mourn [as those who wail for the dead]; and she, being ruined and
desolate, shall sit upon the ground."
What Event Triggers World War III?
This war is not the battle of Armageddon, but rather a third
world war that occurs at the beginning of the tribulation, while Armageddon
happens at the end of the tribulation the way that I see it. This causes some
confusion for some in the time line of end time events. The news of the day is already speaking
about World War III and the inhabitants of Israel are already prepared for the
threat of a nuclear bomb. Men of God recorded these prophetic words of Jesus
over 2,000 years ago, proving the Bible to be the inspired Word of God.
Some people believe that the scripture in Matthew 24, regarding
Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, was already fulfilled in 70 AD when Titus
and his armies laid siege upon Jerusalem in the first Jewish-Roman war and
totally destroyed the city and the temple. However, if we pay close attention to
the scripture in these verses, we will notice that his disciples asked Jesus
three questions. So there are actually three prophetic events that Jesus talked
about. One of which did occur in 70 AD, but the other events are still
futuristic.
1.) Tell us when shall these things be (the temple stones thrown down)?
2.) What shall the sign of thy coming be?
3.) When shall the end of the world (age) be?
Matthew 24:1-4:
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to
him for to show him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you,
There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown
down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy
coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
We are also warned that deception will be one of the major
things that will abound right before the coming of the Lord. Therefore, we must
seek the truth with our whole heart in order to avoid being misled.
When was the Jewish Temple Destroyed?
Matthew 24:3 (AMP): "While He was seated on the Mount of
Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said, Tell us, when will this
take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the
completion, the consummation) of the age?"
1.) The first question as to when the temple stones would be
thrown down did occur during the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, as Titus
not only destroyed and burned the temple, he also destroyed the wall around
Jerusalem, except for one small portion that was used for a camp, according to
Josephus, a historian of the times.1 But the
rest of the wall was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug
it up to the foundation, that there was nothing left to make those that came to
Jerusalem to believe it was even inhabited. Even the trees were cut down
and the country became desolate in every way.
However, verses 21-22 of Matthew 24 have not been
fulfilled yet, as the world has not experienced the kind of tribulation that
Jesus describes here as being so terrible that no flesh would be saved without
the Lord intervening by shortening those days of tribulation. "For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
What is the Sign of the Coming of the Lord?
2.) What is the sign of the coming of the Lord? In Chapter 12
of the book of Revelation we find a description of the church that
was a great wonder and sign in heaven. Isaiah speaks of a people who will be a
holy people who will show forth the glory of the Lord in the time of the end. So
the "sign of the Lord" will be an overcoming church who will preach and
demonstrate the gospel of the kingdom of God during a time of great tribulation.
Revelation 12:1: "And there appeared a great
wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and
upon her head a crown of twelve stars."
Isaiah 66:18-20:
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather
all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them
unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and
Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my
glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of
all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and
upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the
children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the
LORD.
When Shall the End of this Age Occur?
3.) When shall the end of this age be? Matthew 24:13-14 says,
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come." Notice the end comes after the
"gospel of the kingdom" is preached, not after the "gospel of salvation" is
preached. No one knows the exact timing for this event as the Bible only
tells us the signs of the times we are to watch for and instructs us that the
most important thing is to be ready to meet the Lord as many will be taken
unaware.
2 Peter 3:10:
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons
ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat?
Matthew 24:19-24:
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those
days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of
the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:
but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it
not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the
very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
Matthew 24:36-44:
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my
Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the
other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the
thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house
to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of
man cometh.
God Will Use His Overcomers to Demonstrate His
Kingdom Power
The end will only come after God demonstrates His kingdom power
and authority in the earth through a remnant of His people who are totally
dedicated and committed to His will. This company of believers are known
by a number of names. the Bible describes them as:
The Bride of Christ, the Overcomers, the Remnant, the Chosen
Generation, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a Peculiar People, the Joshua
Generation, and the Third Day Company. This company of believers will perform
signs and wonders and do exploits in the name of the Lord, so that the message
of salvation will go out into the whole world during the time of the abomination
of desolation.
1 Peter 2:9: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
Daniel 11:31-32:
31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of
strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the
abomination that maketh desolate.
32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries:
but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Revelation 1:5-6:
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even
so, Amen.
Revelation 3:21-22:
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 21:5-8:
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he
said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life
freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part
in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Jesus is Our Refuge in Tribulation
Luke 21:25-28:
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and
upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves
roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which
are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great
glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your
heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Psalm 91:1-11:
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I
trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the
noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that
flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that
wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it
shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy
habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy
dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
There is only one way that we can overcome the
fear and anxiety of the age during this time of sorrows and tribulation, and that is to give our hearts to
the Lord, as we can only find our refuge
in Him. We are to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. We must all
remember that God is in control, even if things around us are out of control. We
are also instructed in the Bible to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as these
evil wars are never the will of God, but come about because of the will of
fallen men who rebel and reject God.
Psalm 122:6: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love
thee."
Jesus does not want us to be fearful during this hour, but rather to look to Him
for our guidance, safety and peace.
John 16:33: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have
peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world."
If you want to know Jesus click here.
End Notes:
1 Wikipedia Encyclopedia:
Seige of Jerusalem (70 AD)
