I swear every time I go over there I find more and more madness. But, here's today's intellectual endeavor. I thought I would add comments in bold for purposes of clarification.
Modern day Gog and MagogPosted on 12/10/2006 1:03:27 PM PST by F15Eagle
Current world events are beginning to increasingly resemble the 2,500 year old bible prophecy made by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Ezekiel foresaw the rise of Russia (or Turkey, depending on the interpretation)
(Or any other country from the current news you might want to put in to make it work) in a coalition with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries (Sudan, Ethiopia and Libya).
The coalition is foretold to attack Israel from the north in a bid to destroy it during the earth's "last days," commonly known as the "war of Gog and Magog."
(Hmmm, I always thought it was the war of "Dog and Eggnog" but whatever) Throughout history it was thought that the prophecy had been put on hold, until perhaps today when it seems frighteningly more feasible.
(In other words when past predictions of this nature did work out which to date has been all of them)In Joel C. Rosenberg's book "The Ezekiel Option," the author points to Ezekiel's prophecies in chapters 36-37, which have largely come true.
(Oh, and which one's would that be?)Rosenberg then asks the obvious question: If prophecies such as "the rebirth of the State of Israel, the return of the Jews to the Holy Land after centuries in exile, the re-blossoming of desolate desert land to produce abundant food, fruit and foliage, and the creation of an exceedingly great army" materialized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then why shouldn't the next prophecies come true in our lifetime?
Let's try and place the biblical names and locations into today's reality, and see the parallel unfolding of events:
(Reality? I don't think the author is going to find that in their range of experiences.) Gog is commonly believed to represent a person's name rather than a place, a tyrannical leader who may hatch an evil plan – in today's reality this "honor" could be most suited to the President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, or perhaps Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.
(Or any one else who comes along that you don't like. But for now I think we can stick we these two)Magog, according to some scholars, refers to Russia and the republics of the former Soviet Union, or perhaps Turkey.
( Or perhaps Iraq or Saudi Arabia or Syria) Others will argue that the exact location has not been fully ascertained and that the word Magog may simply be a generalization for an enemy of Israel, leaving the location open.
Under attack
(Christians persecuted) According to the prophecy in question, "many peoples with you" who will attack along "the mountains of Israel" implies that other countries will be involved in the Russian (or Turkish), Iranian, Sudanese, Ethiopian and Libyan coalition, and who border on the mountains of Israel. This includes Lebanon, Syria and possibly Jordan as well.
( And potentially aliens from outer space) Is it so farfetched to imagine the axis between Hizbullah, Iran and Syria, especially after the second war in Lebanon when these three forces overtly united and continue to support each other's goal to destroy Israel?
(Not really)In his book, Rosenberg notes a conspicuous absence of Egypt and Iraq in the original prophecy, which also makes a lot of sense at this point in time. Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979
(And of course Egypt would never break a treaty) and Iraq is embroiled in its own war of survival
(O.K. your spot on there) and both are unlikely to join a coalition against Israel.
According to the prophecy Magog "will build a military coalition and prepare a strike against Israel." Gog "will use overwhelming force against Israel" - could this be referring to nuclear force? And his coalition will "come like a storm…like a cloud covering the land."
( Or could it be that the translators got it wrong and the correct name inserted should have been Iraq?)But let's not become hysterical.
(Oh no, Never!) According to the prophecy, there is no need for Israel to become alarmed, "as the Lord God will bring judgment upon the enemies of Israel beginning with Gog (the tyrant)."
(Well then I guess we can all rest easy tonight)Ezekial prophesies a great earthquake
(Now earthquakes in Turkey is something you don't see all of the time) and the turning of Gog's forces against each other. The next step, which prophesies God subjecting the enemy to "pestilence, blood, torrential rains, hailstones and fire from heaven," is unclear and sounds like someone pressed the nuclear button, and if so, then who,
(Say maybe George Bush? Just a guess.) and who in the region would survive it?
(Uhmmm, pretty much no one?)But as in all happy endings, Israel, it is prophesied, will regain its economic prosperity.
( LOL Well I for one am certainly glad the Jews get to keep the money) So the question remains: Should we wait for future developments and hope for the best, or look more closely at Ezekiel's prophecy and consider preemptive action to stop what may be seen as an imminent threat rising from the "anti-Israel coalition?"
(Hmmm, tough question) With this said, Ezekiel's prophecy says nothing about an Israeli pre-emptive strike to avert a possible attack – and indeed, it appears such strike is unlikely considering the current state of our dubious, weak leadership.
(Thank G-d for little things I guess)Link at:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1751399/posts