Kingdomvision.co.za

ARMAGEDDON, GOG AND MAGOG
Orlando Mostert
Kingdomvision.co.za
INTRODUCTION
The common view in all popular prophecy books is that the great "end time" battle of Armageddon described in Revelations and in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is a coming invasion of Israel by a coalition of Arab armies led by Russia out of the north. This is totally false. There is no Russian invasion of Israel coming. The invasion of Israel by Gog out of the north has already happened in 37 BC and the battle of Armageddon already happened in 70 AD. Bible prophecy once again has been accu-rately fulfilled in history.
The Battle of Armageddon is certainly etched into the Russia does not have the logistical capability to popular mind as the last great battle between good and move an army into the Middle East and to sus- evil. The word itself has become synonymous with apocalyptic cataclysms. All popular prophecy books re- A Russian invasion of Israel has in fact already late this great battle to the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 and occurred when more than a million Russian Jews 39 where it speaks of Gog and Magog and a great army emigrated to Israel in the 1990's. They are happy composed of people from different nations that would to live there peacefully making money.
invade Israel when they have returned to their land and living peacefully. This great coalition of peoples would This Armageddon theory might have been very popular be destroyed supernaturally by God and the people of in 1979 when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and the Islamic fundamentalists kicked the Shah out of Iran, it seemed the whole Middle East was ready to explode. Add In the popular interpretation of these prophecies we are to that the fact of Greece becoming the 10th nation to join told by almost all prophetic books that these prophecies the EU (the supposed revived Roman empire with 10 refer to the modern state of Israel. The Gog and Magog horns!) in 1981 and the Rapture to take place before 1988 alliance of nations is composed of Russia and the sur- and of course everyone was ready for the climactic battle rounding Arab states. This invasion takes place some of Armageddon to unfold in the 1980's. No wonder Hal time after the Antichrist who is the head of the European Lindsey wrote his popular book " The1980's: Road to Union makes a peace treaty with Israel and the Jews have Armageddon". He and others like him of course made rebuilt their temple. For some reason never explained this millions off their fanciful predictions, none of which have supposed Antichrist head of Europe then enters the Jewish ever come true and never will come true.
temple to declare that he is in fact God! The coalition of invading armies is identified as Russia from "rosh" and What went wrong?
Moscow from "Meshech" and Tobolsk from "Tubal" etc.
Not one prophecy book nor one prophet in America pre- The reason for this invasion of Israel given in Ezekiel is dicted the fall of communism! Why? Because all of the that they have come to "take great spoil". But here things prophecy scenarios you read are obsessed with the defeat get even more difficult for these writers. What would and retreat of the Church and the victory of the Antichrist! Russia and the Arabs find so valuable in Israel that they The Church must be rescued out of the earth through the would risk war to get it? This of course is never properly Rapture to protect us from the Antichrist who will take answered. Some writers suggest that Israel is going to over the world! For them there is no world revival, there discover oil and others mention the large deposits of pot- is no prospect of discipling the nations. So here we are 30 ash in the Dead Sea. This whole scenario is of course in- years later and no Russian invasion of Israel, no 200 mil- creasingly implausible in the light of world affairs of the lion man army from China marching on the west, no Anti- christ ruling over Europe. Instead what have we? Accord-ing to the Economist magazine of Dec. 2006, we have 500 Russia couldn't successfully invade a weak na- million charismatic evangelicals in the world and still tion like Afghanistan in 1979, never mind a nu- growing strongly. In ten years? One billion? Russia has plenty of oil and potash, what would Are we desperately trying to smuggle Bibles into Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union praying for the underground Armageddon
Church? No! Churches are appearing all across Europe and Russia, Bibles are being downloaded from the Inter- It will help us to get the time of Armageddon right if we net by the millions and in China more than 100 million get the place of where Armageddon occurs right! evangelical Christians are meeting in homes for worship praying for the salvation of the pagan west.
The common interpretation of all prophecy books is that God gathers the armies of Satan in the valley of Jezreel What happened? Instead of a Russian invasion of Israel outside the town of Megiddo and there destroys them in a we had a gospel invasion of Russia! Instead of 200 mil- dramatic showdown. The valley of Jezreel outside Me- lion Chinese marching on the west we are seeing soon to giddo was the scene of some major battles in the history be 200 million Chinese evangelicals marching on commu- of Israel. So when you go on an Israel tour the guides nism! Folks get with the Kingdom Agenda! The gates of take you to this valley and show you how the armies from hell cannot stand up to the triumphant marching Church the north, the south and the east are going to come meet in of Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! this valley in battle and the valley will be drenched in He is the head of a victorious army in heaven and a victo- blood up to the horses' bridles. Very graphic and grue- some but not actually Biblical. Wrong town, wrong place! Do you think the current prophecy commentators on TBN The word "Armageddon" is only mentioned once in the Television and mass book sellers have learned from their Bible in Rev. 16:16 and never mentioned in the Old Tes- mistakes and will start to recognize that the Kingdom of tament even though it is a Hebrew word or words. John God has indeed come and in fact will cover the earth as writes in Revelation, "And He gathered them together into the waters cover the sea? Not a chance! They actually a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." So
take every opportunity to desperately look for any success first we must understand that this is a Hebrew word and of Satan and his kingdom and magnify this and announce not Greek and it is therefore in the Hebrew translation of this as proof that Satan and his kingdom is destined to the words that we must understand the meaning of where cover the earth. In this they do the same work as "Lord this place called Armageddon is located.
Haw-Haw" and "Tokyo Rose" the infamous broadcasters in Germany and Japan who during World War 2 would The word Armageddon comes from two Hebrew words broadcast to the Allied troops the victories of the Axis that you can look up in Strong's Concordance: "Har" Powers to discourage the British and American troops! meaning mountain or mount (Strong's word no. H2022) and "Megiddon" meaning gathering, assembly or congre- So what in fact then does the Bible say about Armaged- gation (Strong's word no. H4023). Putting these two don and what about Gog and Magog? What I am about to words together we have the phrase "the mount of the as- write is going to be highly controversial. You are at first sembly" from the words "har-megiddon". So we can see not going to accept it because you are so used to this enor- immediately that there is no indication here of a valley mous concentration of prophetic interpretation based on where armies are to be gathered but rather a mountain and the current nation of Israel. But in this article I am going not a town called Megiddo (otherwise the word would to show you that prophecy has already been fulfilled and have been "Armageddo") but a word "megiddon" mean- in my article "The Return of Israel and Christian Zion- ing "assembly". As we do not have the actual word ism" I prove to you that 1948 was not the year that Eze- "Armageddon" occurring anywhere else in the Bible we kiel prophesied Israel would be a nation once again.that need to look for the phrase "the mount of the assembly" in happened in 103 BC! So not only is there no great mili- the Bible to perhaps give us insight as to what is going on tary victory ahead for the nation state of Israel against here. Remember, scripture is always the best interpreter Russia but I believe the present state of Israel fulfills the of scripture. Are there any clues anywhere else in the prophecies about Israel's brother Esau (the Edomites) Bible as to where the location of this "mount of assem- and will in fact collapse in defeat. (Included in my previ- Hebrews 12:22-23 tells us that we are "come to mount This spectacular failure of accepted prophecy interpreta- Zion…the general assembly" and Isaiah 14:13 Satan says, tion is going to cause enormous problems within the "I will ascend to heaven….I will sit upon the mount of the worldwide evangelical movement. This problem was congregation". I am not going to do a study for you here highlighted to me years ago when I attended a prophetic of the wonderful spiritual truths behind the phrases, conference in Dallas and I spoke to a good brother who "Mount Zion', the "Heavenly Council", "the mount of the had some sort of mission to Israel looking for support and congregation". That is a separate study that has much hid- I asked him, "What would you do if Israel collapses? Are den truth that I will do in another article. Suffice it to say you so sure of your prophetic interpretation regarding the that "Armageddon" does not take place in valley outside nation of Israel?". His answer to me was that he would Megiddo. It is however the heavenly place also known as just tear up his Bible because then he cannot trust it to be "Mount Zion" where God will sit among His divine coun- the Word of God anymore. There are millions of good cil and gather the kings of the earth, the demons, Satan Bible believing evangelicals who feel the same way as and the people for judgment! But this heavenly "Mount this brother! So read carefully, there is a lot at stake here! Zion" also throughout scripture has an earthly counterpart If you cannot accept what I am writing now at least put …the city of Jerusalem built on Mt. Moriah where Abra- this in the back of your mind as "reasonable doubt" so ham was to have offered Isaac as a sacrifice (the Dome of that if the nation of Israel does collapse as I predict then the Rock on the Temple Mount). So the place where Ar- re-read my articles. Bible prophecy is accurate, human interpretations are fallible.including mine! mageddon takes place is not outside Megiddo in a valley The Historical Background
but in Jerusalem, built on Mt. Moriah, where God will bring a multinational army for a great slaughter. But has For those of you who wish to study this fascinating his- there ever been historically such a great battle in and tory of the historical fulfillment of Armageddon further I will give a series of clues on how to interpret Ezekiel 38 and 39. I will just give you a quick overview of the his- Yes, for it was here in 70 AD on the mount of assembly, torical and scriptural fulfillment of Armageddon. Yoou Mount Zion, Jerusalem, that God gathered the nations of can then follow my clues and make a deeper study of the the world represented by the Roman legions of Titus and history of this period to see how accurately this prophecy according to the Jewish historian Josephus (who was re- cording the whole event for posterity from the Roman side) the slaughter of 1,100,000 Jews crowded into Jeru- An important principle of Bible interpretation is wherever salem for the Feast of Tabernacles took place. Thus ful- possible, let scripture interpret scripture. So if Ezekiel 38 filling the prophecy of Jesus, "But those mine enemies talks about "Meshech" this does not mean Moscow as all who would not that I should reign over them, bring here the prophecy writers maintain. The Psalmist says in Psalm and slay them before me." (Luke 19:27) This resulted in 120:5 "Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshech". David had the great deliverance of the true Israel of God as I will to flee from Saul for his life and live among the Philis- show you. This was Jesus returning in the clouds of judg- tines in Meshech. He did not flee to Moscow! ment bringing destruction to "this generation" who was to see all these prophecies fulfilled as He promised in Mat- To find the meaning of "Gog", again you go back into scripture for clues for his identity. Ezekiel 38:17 the Lord specifically says of Gog, "…art thou he whom I have spo- The historical background to the great Jewish revolt ken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel against Rome from the years 66-70 AD culminating in the which prophesied in those days many years that I would destruction of Jerusalem and the temple give us the iden- bring thee against them". That means we will find clues tity of who Gog and Magog is and how they invaded Is- to who this ancient enemy of Israel is in other prophetic rael from the north to come and "take great spoil" as Eze- scriptures. Folks get real! This is not Russia! The context and the time element of the prophecy is im- Ezekiel's Prophecy of Israel's Return
portant. It occurs after Ezekiel 36 when the Lord prophe-sied the return of Israel back to the land. I have already The context of the great war described in Ezekiel 38 and shown you that this was dramatically fulfilled in 143 BC 39 is that Israel was first to return to their land which was when Israel regained their independence as a nation and prophesied by Ezekiel in chapter 36. Ezekiel was one of 103 BC when they had a restoration of the monarchy. It is the captives in Babylon taken along with Daniel in the also prophesied to occur in "the latter days". I have al- attack of Nebuchadnezzar on Jerusalem in 604 BC. In ready shown you in my article "Matthew 24 and the End 721 AD the Assyrians had taken the northern ten tribes of Times" from numerous scriptures that when the Bible Israel in captivity and deported them out of the land. Now speaks of "the last days" or "the latter days" it speaks of the Babylonians had done the same with the remaining the last days of the Jewish dispensation of the Old Cove- Israelites in the Kingdom of Judah. The nation of Israel nant which ended with the appearance of the Messiah was no more! Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. Jesus Christ. We are not living in "the latter days", we are And looking upon this national tragedy from his captivity living in the Kingdom Age. So Ezekiel 38 occurs before in Babylon the Lord shows Ezekiel a valley of bones rep- resenting Israel and asks, "can these bones live again?" (Ezekiel 37:3). Yes they can and they did! But it would also happen during a period when Ezekiel says that Israel is dwelling in peace and prosperity in un- In Ezekiel chapter 36 the Lord said Israel will return to walled villages (Ez.38:11). This is certainly not applicable their land and be a nation once again. In Ezekiel 4:4-6 the to Israel of today where there is no peace and where the Lord tells Ezekiel that it will take them 390 years of fight- world's biggest wall is being built to protect Israeli settle- ing before they are a nation again and 40 years after that ments. However the Israel of 37 BC when Gog and his before they have a king again (Israel stands for the nation invading army from the north captured Israel, it certainly and Judah for the crown!). In 533 BC their 70 year captiv- was peaceful and prosperous. In 63 BC the Roman gen- ity in Babylon ended as Jeremiah prophesied (Dan.9:2) eral Pompey marched through the Middle East region and 390 years after that they achieved their independence with his legions and annexed Judea and the surrounding from Syrian rule in 143 BC through the War of the Mac- countries. This was of great economic benefit for the cabees and in 103 BC they crowned their first king again region as it brought peace, international trade and prosper- after the captivity period. I am saying this to emphasize ity to a region beset with continual wars while allowing the following: the prophesied return of Israel as a nation the Jewish kings to continue their rule.
was not in 1948 but 103 BC. The battles with Gog and his armies are not in the future but happened after 103 BC Gog, this ancient enemy of Israel, is to come with an in- when Israel dwelt safe in un-walled villages in their own ternational invading force from the north to take "great spoil". As mentioned already, there is no "great spoil" to be had for Russia by invading Israel. But there was great spoil to be had in 37 BC which I will shortly show you.
The Identity of Gog
"And I hated Esau and laid his mountains and heritage waste…whereas Edom says, we are impoverished but we We can find other references to "Gog" in the Old Testa- will return and build the desolate places; Thus saith the ment but to do that you must understand something about Lord of hosts, they shall build but I will throw down; and how ancient Hebrew was written. In ancient Hebrew writ- they shall call them the border of wickedness, and the ten by Ezekiel and the prophets there were no vowels like people with whom the Lord has indignation forever." a,e,i,o,u. It was all just written as consonants. So Gog would be written GG. It was only later in about 900 AD The prophets declared that the descendants of Esau with the Masoritic text that vowels were added and then (Edomites and Amalekites) would throw off the yoke of sometimes it would be a guess as to which vowels you put Israel and would possess the land of Israel and take the in. There are two other references in the Old Testament dominion but the Lord will make a war against them and to an ancient enemy of Israel called "GG". He is called destroy them out of the land. This is the battle that Ezekiel "Agag" in our Bible (Nu.24:7 and 1 Sam.15:32-33) and it 38 is referring to and why the Lord says that Gog is the gives us a valuable clue to the identity of "GG" in Ezekiel one He has spoken of long before that He will have war 38. Agag in both cases is described as the king of the Amalekites. Thus the term "GG" is a title for a ruler such as Pharoah of the Egyptians or Abimalech of Philistia.
Israel Regains Independence
Amalek was a grandson of Esau the brother of Jacob and After the Israelites were taken into captivity the land was the descendants of Esau were generally known in the Bi- desolate. The northern 10 tribes were taken in captivity by ble as Edomites (they lived in Edom) who aligned them- the Assyrians in 721 BC and the southern kingdom of selves with their other family clan the Amalekites. The Judah was taken by the Babylonians in three deportations leader of this group of Esau's descendants had the title of with the last one 587 BC leaving the city of Jerusalem "GG". It is among these people that we can find the desolated, the temple destroyed and the land empty. The prophecies that the Lord refers to in Ezekiel 38 that He desolate places were soon filled by other people moving speaks of in times past. These prophecies refer to the an- in, including the Edomites taking over the southern por- cient hatred that Esau had for his brother for stealing his tions of Judea and establishing there the Kingdom of Idu- birthright blessing and his plot to gain back this lost in- In 533 BC a small group of about 42,000 Israelites re- In Gen. 27:36-41 we are told that after Jacob steals his turned out of Babylon to the land of Israel now occupied birthright Esau cries to his father Isaac and asks for a by others. They were called upon by the Lord to rebuild blessing for himself and his descendants. Isaac tells him Jerusalem and its walls and rebuild the Temple. All this he will dwell in the fat of the land but will serve his took place under the guidance of Ezra and Nehemiah. brother. But Isaac also prophecies to Esau that "the time During this time Palestine came under the rule of the Per- shall come to pass when thou shall have the dominion and sians and after Alexander the Great defeated the Persians shall break his yoke from off thy neck". But this was not the Greeks ruled Palestine. After Alexander's death his good enough for Esau who vowed "when the days of empire was divided into 4 kingdoms by his generals (as mourning for my father are at hand then I will slay my Daniel prophesied would happen). The Syrian kingdom now ruled Palestine under the Seleucid rulers. Things were peaceful for a number of years until a Seleucid ruler This war between the descendants of Esau and Jacob con- Antiochus Epiphanes decided he wanted all the Jews in tinued during the time of the Exodus when the Amalekites Palestine to stop worshiping the Lord and they must be converted to good Greeks, speaking Greek, worshiping " And the Lord said unto Moses, write this for a memorial Greek gods and adopt a Greek way of life. Antiochus in a book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; …because decided to desecrate the Jewish Temple by offering a pig the Lord has sworn that the Lord will have war with on the altar and setting up a statue of Zeus in the Temple Amalek from generation to generation." on 25th December of 167 BC. This was a declaration of war and also resulted in the fulfillment of Daniel's proph- This was such an important prophecy that the Lord made Moses write this down as a memorial for generation after generation. There is to be war with Amalek until they are "And from the time that the daily sacrifice be taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is The prophecies of Obadiah and Malachi further confirm he that waits and comes to the thousand three hundred the prophecy of Isaac that Esau (Edom) will break the yoke of Israel off his neck, take dominion and possess the land of Israel…but that God will destroy them after they The Maccabee family under the leadership of the father do this! The entire book of Obadiah is a prophecy against Matityahu and his five sons rallied the Jews into an upris- Esau/Edom that they will take Jacob's possession but that ing against Syria, and started the war for Israel's libera- tion and restoration as an independent nation in 167 BC against their Syrian overlords. Their first campaign was to liberate and cleanse the great temple mount in Jerusalem of the Syrian abominations. This was completed by 164 Herod the Idumean, King of the Jews, now set about the BC after 1290 days fighting (celebrated today by the Jews business of wealth extraction with great gusto. He rebuilt as Hanukkah, the feast of Purim). But all of Jerusalem the great temple in Jerusalem into one of the great won- still had to be liberated. This took another 1335 days of ders of the world allowing temple revenues to increase fighting and was completed in 160 BC. Daniel 12:11-12 dramatically. He built new cities (Caesarea), built tem- was fulfilled exactly in history, there is no future Anti- ples, amphitheaters, held games and spectacles.
christ coming to a future Temple in Jerusalem! The descendants of Esau had now broken the yoke of The great war campaigns the five Maccabee brothers Jacob and taken the dominion just as Isaac prophesied and eventually gained independence for Israel in 143 BC from they not only controlled the land of Israel but also the Syria. They consolidated their new nation with a series of Temple and the priesthood. They had it all. But they were battles to regain all the old territory that belonged to the not satisfied. They were still under Roman rule. After the nation of Israel. In 125 BC they defeated the southern death of their king Herod, the Romans decided to rule this kingdom of Idumea (home of the Edomites) and then region with their own leaders. No need to share the spoils forced them to convert to Judaism and had all the males with the Idumeans. But this was not acceptable to the circumcised. From that time on all the Edomites were also Zealots and Idumeans who started agitating for complete known as Jews as they not only were descended from independence from Rome. The Zealots believed in the Abraham through Esau but were now also living in Judea time prophecies of Daniel that the Messiah would come in (and therefore Judeans or Jews) and many also had con- their time to bring them a great deliverance from their verted to become religious Jews. Which is why the Jews enemies and restore to the Kingdom to Israel. They had told Jesus, "We be Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to any man" (John 8:33). The descendants of Jacob were in bondage in Egypt but not the descendants The Edomite Jews were not interested in Jesus as Mes- of Esau, yet both were Abraham's seed. Can you see now siah. They wanted a great military leader to deliver them why some Jews believed in Jesus and other Jews perse- from Roman rule. Jesus prophesied in Matthew 23 and 24 cuted Him and why Jesus twice said, "I know those who what was to come. He saw what was coming…Ezekiel 39 call themselves Jews but are not, but are of the synagogue and the prophecies of the destruction of Gog (the Edomite Jews) and his confederates (the Zealots). Armageddon was coming and it would happen to the generation that The rule of the Maccabbees continued until in 47 BC was then alive to hear the words of Christ.
Julius Caesar made Antipater the king of the Idumeans, A (they still retained a small kingdom in the south of Pales- Jesus Prophesies Armageddon
tine) the procurator of Judea. In 42 BC he was assassi-nated and through a struggle the last of the Maccabbees, Please refer to my article on "Matthew 24 and the End Antigonus took back the rulership of Judea. But the Times". I give you an outline of why the period leading Edomites were not finished…they intended to take the up to 70 AD was considered by the New Testament writ- ers to be the "last days". It was the last days of the old Jewish dispensation. The entire prophecy of Jesus in Mat- Gog Invades Israel
thew 23 and 24 was a prediction of the great destruction of Ezekiel 38 and 39 and came upon that generation of 33 Antipas the King of the Idumeans (and for a short while AD to 70 AD just as He said it would. This was the procurator of Judea) had a very clever and ambitious son "great tribulation" that He spoke of. called Herod. At the young age of 25 Anthony made Herod tetrarch of northern Palestine which he adminis- Background to the Destruction of Gog
tered very ably for the Romans extracting taxes and ex-tending the borders of his reign. In 37 BC Herod went to We have identified Gog and his allies as the Idumean hi- Rome where Anthony and Octavian gave him the crown erarchy who had taken over the Judean Kingdom. This of Judea making him king of the region and also gave him included both religious Jews who were Idumean converts a Roman army to kick the last Maccabbee king, Anti- to Judaism who called themselves Jews as well as secular gonus out of Jerusalem. This he proceeded to do.
Idumeans known in the Bible as " the Herodians" who were secularists who liked the Grecian lifestyle but were Thus Herod the Great fulfilled the prophecies of Gog of also Zealots and nationalists who wanted freedom from Ezekiel 38. He was the "GG" or leader of the Edomite/ Rome. The Lord organized a special set of circumstances Idumeans because he was the son of the King of Idumea. so that the prophecy of Ez. 38&39 could be fulfilled. Gog He was also the Chief Prince of Meshach (Tetrarch of- and his allies would be slaughtered by the Romans on all northern Palestine). He gathered an international Roman the mountains of Israel and even in distant cities like Al- army made up of men from all over the Roman empire exandria where 50,000 died in the Jewish revolt and thou- and invaded Israel from the north. He came to take great sands more in places like Damascus and other cities of the spoil. There were two great sources of income during this time. The collection of taxes for Rome (of which Rome was happy to share a large portion with those given fran- The Jewish Revolt
chises to extract tax) and the control of the Temple in-come in Jerusalem.
The Jewish revolt that led to Armageddon was not just a Result of the Messianic prophecies of the time but also by The Liberation of Israel
direct provocations from Rome. Caligula in 40 AD had decided that he was a god and demanded the Roman sen- The great theme of Ezekiel 38 and 39 was that the Lord ate worship him as god. He also demanded a statue of would bring about a great liberation of Israel from their himself be erected in the temple in Jerusalem. The Zeal- enemies. It is one thing to identify the time that these ots remembered this abomination from Antiochus prophecies are fulfilled and the historical actors involved, Epiphanes time in 167 BC and remembered how the Jews we must be careful also to keep the purpose of the whole revolted successfully against their Syrian masters through prophecy in mind. Israel was to be divinely liberated! divine intervention. They felt the same would happen And it is here that an objection comes to my contention again against Rome. They went throughout the Roman that the war of 66-70 AD could be Armageddon. The ob- empire to synagogues to spread sedition and independ- jection basically is this: How could Israel be liberated ence from Rome saying the Messiah was coming and according to Ezekiel 38 and 39 when in actual fact the Jewish nation was almost destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, where is the great liberation? At the same time the Apostles were going throughout the world also to the synagogues preaching Jesus is the Mes- It is here where Christian Zionists get Bible prophecy siah who had already come and that His Kingdom was not very wrong! Paul made it clear that just because you are a of this world. The disciples were persecuted everywhere genetic descendent of Abraham does not mean you are a by both the Sanhedrin as well as the Zealots. They were true Israelite! There is no salvation by race or DNA.
beaten, scourged and put to death. Jews all over the world "they are not all Israel who are of Israel" (Romans 9:6) had a choice: Jesus is the Messiah or the Messiah was to There is an Israel after the flesh (1 Cor. 10:18) and an still come to Jerusalem and deliver Israel from Rome and Israel of God (Gal. 6:16). ".therefore know that only establish the Kingdom. The wheat and the tares were those who are of faith are sons of Abraham" (Gal.3:6-7) being separated! The Lord's angels were going out to bring in His true sheep and separate them from the goats.
Not everyone in Judea who called themselves Jews were indeed true Israel, and Jesus said the wheat would be The resistance broke out into full scale revolt in 66 AD. separated from the tares. All these false Jews were the The Zealots forced the priests to stop the sacrifices for enemies of true Israel who persecuted Jesus and also per- Rome and the Emperor. Independence was declared. The secuted the early Church. The only persecution that both Roman garrison in Jerusalem was massacred, General Jesus and the disciples and the early Church had up to the Cestius and the Roman legions of Syria march on Jerusa- time of Nero were the false Jews who controlled the San- lem and surround the city and then mysteriously withdraw hedrin and the political and economic hierarchy of Judea.
back to Syria. The Christians inside Jerusalem recognize this as Jesus warning to them to flee Jerusalem when they So when Ezekiel 38 and 39 talk about the salvation of see it surrounded by armies. They fled to Petra. Israel and the deliverance of Israel it means salvation and deliverance from their real enemies who were persecuting Eventually Rome had to mobilize its largest army ever of and oppressing them.the Idumean nationalists and Jews.
60,000 men under Vespasian and his son Titus to put After 70 AD all that persecution stopped. The Judaizers down the rebellion. It took 42 months of campaigning in who had infiltrated the Church and were persecuting Paul Judea from 66 AD to the final destruction of Jerusalem in were gone with the destruction of Jerusalem. Their cause 70 AD to finalize the destruction of Gog and his allies. As All over the Roman world the Jews who had rejected the Rev. 20 speaks of Gog and Magog once again emerging gospel gathered in Israel for the great deliverance that did and trying to deceive and persecute the Church. Once not come. Josephus tells is that over 1,100,000 of them again they will try to possess the land of Palestine as they had gathered for the great Feast of Tabernacles of 70 AD did in Herod's time. That time came in 1948. The Israeli expecting a miraculous deliverance. They were all caught state is not the prophesied return of Israel to the land. It is up inside the city surrounded by legions of Rome. Inside once again Edom trying to gain their stolen inheritance. the city it was chaos! As Ezekiel 38:21 prophesied, There is no blessing there where you get locked up for ".every man's sword will be against his brother" There passing out Bible tracts and cannot preach the Gospel. was an Idumean army inside the walls, a Zealot army, This is not a holy land, it is an unholy land that is still gangsters and factions.and they all slaughtered each persecuting the true Israel of God. There is no blessing other until the city streets ran with blood. By the time the Romans breached the walls most of the city was already But like old blind Isaac in his old age who was deceived by Jacob who made himself up to be like Esau his brother so that he could fool his blind father in giving him Esau's The survivors of this great war spent years burning the blessing.the descendants of Esau are making themselves wood of the siege weapons that Rome built to breach the out to be Jacob to fool a blind evangelical Church out of walls of Jerusalem in fulfillment of Ezekiel 39:9-10. The our inheritance. It is we the triumphant Church of Jesus great wealth of the Temple that Rome looted from this Christ that will bring in the Kingdom of God on earth, not war was enough to build the Coliseum in Rome which a supposed 144,000 Jews from Israel. When Israel col- Vespasian did after becoming Emporer.
lapses that deception will also pass away, liberating the evangelical Church to fulfill its Kingdom mandate!

Source: http://www.kingdomvision.co.za/Arts/Armageddon,_Gog_and_Magog.pdf