Who shall assist Israel in its final conflict with the nations?

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The clear and decisive answer to this question is NOBODY, and NO NATION ON EARTH. This claim is in direct contradiction of the opinion expressed in a magazine article some time ago which claims that Israel will have a protector – Tarshish – defined in the article as the English-speaking peoples. It boldly claims that the statement that “Israel is to be deserted does not conform to the Scriptures.” We were only recently reminded of this article.

We are fully aware that this (erroneous) notion was long held by prophecy scholars. But it has always been the wrong conclusion. The reasons why it was first put forth were numerous but all these, too, were false interpretations. We emphasize “interpretations” because there is no concrete testimony of any kind supporting these claims.

This declaration has no basis whatever in prophetic models. The supposition that Israel is to be protected by any worldly, secular power is contrary to several distinct passages in scripture, only a few of which we shall examine. But let’s initially consider some details of the article.

A.    Citation of Numbers 23:9 and Micah 7:14 come under the article’s attempt to support the thesis of support for Israel. It states that these are the only two passages the author is aware of that might seem to support Israel’s having no support in her final conflicts. Let’s examine these.

Numbers 23:9 – “For, from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.”

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This prophecy of Balaam has nothing primarily to do with Israel standing alone in combat against the nations in the Endtime Wars. It indicates, and certainly even dictates, primarily that instead of being mixed (assimilated) with all the other populations, the people of Israel would FOREVER remain a peculiar, segregated people that is not assimilable into the populations of the nations into which they would be scattered. Secondarily it reveals a nation opposed by all the other nations when the showdown comes.

As an extension of this characteristic, the Jews would remain a discrete people who could, when the time comes, be drawn again from the Gentiles as a distinctive body, and be re-gathered to their own Land as foretold in numerous passages, including Isaiah 11:11. [Of course, even if the Jewish people had become completely assimilated among the Gentiles, He could still reassemble them to their Land, but the impact of His action would be lost on the nations to whom that particular re-gathering is a testimony of his sovereignty and omnipotence … that He had re-gathered specifically Israel back to the Land, and had not simply re-populated it with “people” from all over the earth.]

Furthermore: Numbers 23:9 clearly indicates that the God of Israel was never going to allow His people – His witnesses – to become assimilated and dissolved among the nations, and that Israel, even as now re-constituted, would be considered by all the other states as a pariah among them; Israel and its people do not fit into their society nor concepts of normalcy. The State of today is officially rejected as being a fulfilled prophecy – this uniquely unprecedented restoration of Israel to its Land in the last days. It is a supreme embarrassment to the RC Church that Israel has been regathered and reestablished in the Land, for Rome has always contended that God has cast Israel aside and has no further use for her – not knowing His word, of course! That is why Rome has resisted Israel’s rights and circumstances all these years since 1948. Yes, Israel wants to be a nation equal among the nations;but God will even now NOT PERMIT IT! Their destiny is far more important than that – and far beyond the acquiescence of the secular or religious powers of the earth today!

The second passage is likewise irrelevant:

Micah 7: 14 – “Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.”   

This passage has nothing whatever to do with Israel standing alone against the nations. It refers to the incontrovertible fact that Israel ALONE (solitarily, purely) shall, in the kingdom age, inhabit the wood of Carmel, the fields and mountains of Galilee, Gilead and Bashan (their Land of promise), “as in the days of old.” – that is, when Israel autonomously occupied those areas with no (or few) foreigners living in their midst. It refers to their futuresole possession of the Land, when there shall be no Canaanite in the Land. Zechariah 14:21 – “Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.”

The named passage has no relationship to Israel standing alone or not alone against the nations in battle!

B.    The article’s second argument nominates Ezekiel 38 to prove that “British/U.S., Sheba and Dedan … would resist Gogian aggression.”

A simple, objective reading of Ezekiel 38 indicates no response from Sheba and Dedan except their obviously tremulous interrogatory, “Art thou come to take a spoil and a prey?” There is no internal implication whatever here of any British/U.S. forces resisting Gog or being in military league with Israel!

This is only a question about Gog’s geopolitical INTENT. I am firmly and scripturally convinced that only (1) the Proximal (or nearby) Arab/Islamic enemies and (2) the Gogian host come physically against Israel with armies and with intention to destroy the state and its people. These are instead destroyed outrightly by the intervention of Christ by His supernatural powers of destruction; and neither of them will be permitted to approach anywhere near Jerusalem itself.

One exception to this claim is that the PA/PLO are resident not only in Jerusalem but throughout all Israel. If they remain so distributed among the Israelis, it must be understood that they will be dealt with by both the IDF and Christ’s wrath on a divinely selected, one-on-one basis – each one destroyed the moment he strives to resist either the IDF or the Man from Bethlehem! They are already inside the camp, and must be destroyed there. There is no indication that the invading armies of nearby Islam or Gog are even allowed to approach Jerusalem itself!

Now, having said that, I think it already quite clear that the nations of the world will abandon Israel. [Haven’t they actually done so already?] The core issue of Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem, its eternal capital, is now becoming ultra-heated; the “Palestinians” are absolutely demanding Jerusalem as capital of their proposed State. The issue of Jerusalem will soon be THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE of strife which will break out in warfare – doubtless the final war of the Arab-Israeli crisis of the past 60+ years. Zechariah 12:1-3.

It’s no big consideration, however. Why should Christ or Israel care a fig about the USA, Britain, and even Europe’s opinions or acceptance? These nations are even now doing their best to de-legitimize Israel, cut it off both economically and politically from any first-class association with themselves.

Anti-Semitism is on a steep rise in Europe. But, as I have written extensively in Twilight of the Prophets, I don’t believe that the European Beast nations will have the will or the time to attack Israel before Christ’s Everlasting Gospel goes forth to them, which seems sure to occur soon after the destruction of Gog.

 This conveyed “Gospel” will challenge them to accept the Christ’s sovereignty and to serve Him only. It is The Gospel of Christ, but it is not the gospel that they have heard throughout their existence, during all their affiliation with (subjugation to) the Roman Catholic System as well as that of her Protestant daughters. His Gospel is not recognized by them. They will not submit to it by any means. They will resist it with all their force.

But that does not necessarily mean that they will actively send armies against Jerusalem (although of that we may not have sufficient information and surely cannot be certain!). One fact is certain: the entities styled the Beast and the Harlot cannot be destroyed in Israel or in the Middle East primarily. They must be destroyed in Europe, primarily, but also in all the recesses of the world into which the power and influence of the Harlot extends.

The destruction will be worldwide when the Stone Power rises up from Zion and insinuates Itself into their domains in order to place them under subjection to His will! Rome cannot be thrown into the sea in Israel – that has to take place in Rome. It takes place as Christ “speaks peace to the heathen.” His authority and eminence is challenged by them; but He shall succumb to no challenges. They cry, “Let us cast His bands from us,” but He commands, “Submit to My Gospel.”

It must be noted that “Armageddon” is only mentioned in Revelation 16, and I believe has solely, at least primarily, to do with the overthrow of the Beast and the False Prophet. The earlier conflicts are part of the judgment of the Valley of Jehoshaphat (the Valley of Decision), of Joel 3. There is certainly some valid question as to the extent and character of Armageddon as well as the combatants, but this is my belief.

 The Church, during the Phase Three Conflict, believing its power to be supreme on earth, rejects this “Messiah” of Israel, and prepares to resist Him in their ignorance. When they do, He will come to them, and destroy the now revived Image by which their regime and doctrine is symbolized, grinding it (them) to powder!

 C.    The article’s third argument refers to Daniel 11: 44 – a passage which has nothing whatever to do with the Gogian host! That conviction comes from the mistaken notion that Gog is also identifiable as the King of the North of Daniel 11.

I have done a complete electronic search of Elpis Israel and Eureka, and find that in those works John Thomas never acknowledged – and possibly never even recognized – that The Ottoman Empire constituted the King of the North of his day, or that Egypt’s dynasty that was driven from the Land in 1517 by the Ottomans, had been King of the South – indeed, the LAST King of the South. (He even believed Britain would become a King of the South, but there is great textual difficulty, even denial, of this: no further King of the South is mentioned after Daniel 11:40 – only the King of the North, who comes to his end with none to help!)

Having long ago recognized that the Ottomans were the last King of the North (the last of a long line) we concluded (in retrospect) that the resurrection of Israel from the nations is the next consideration of the beginning of Daniel 12 (it being a type of the physical resurrection of His called and chosen and faithful Ones from the dead) under the direction of Michael, the Archangel, who is NOT Christ and the Saints, but clearly as named: Michael the Archangel! It is he who is charged with Israel’s care; it is HE who has supervised the resurrected polity of Israel in these End-times, and regathered its people.

He conceivably was also in charge of the Holocaust, the mechanism instituted to IMPEL the Jews back to their Land to settle it and develop it, there to await their final redemption! It is surely Michael who was responsible for the spectacular victories of Israel against its enemies to date – in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, the War of Attrition, the Intifadas #1 and #2.

That interpretation of Gog as King of the North is so inane as to be ludicrous! These entities – Gog and the King of the North – are entirely and obviously separate from each other.

1.      They occupy entirely different times in history,

2.     arise from entirely different premises,

3.     have entirely different identities (named participants),

4.     have entirely different goals and aspirations,

5.     end completely differently,

6.     and must not be confused with each other.

I refer readers of this present article to the work, The Twilight of the Prophets by the present author, self-published in 2000, in which this matter is discussed in depth and scripturally. If that resort is not satisfactory he invites personal correspondence on the subject, email address available at  http://www.gpl.org.au  (this web site). 

Since the time in the 19th century when this claim of Britain’s assistance to the work of the Christ may have seemed more likely, a multitude of prophetic fulfillment has occurred which now obviates it entirely!  Times and circumstances have moved unmistakably ahead of those early speculations; future events have become markedly clearer and more meaningful to scholars.

The notion is null and void. It is indefensible. It is erroneous!

D.    The article attempts to show that recent events indicate improved links between Israel and her protectors, implying  more solid relations between them.

To those blinded by this concept, that may have seemed to be true in 2002, when this article was published; but it is clearly NOT true today. Anti-Semitism in Europe and in the USA is growing rapidly. Britain is becoming even more adamantly opposed to Israel, and even the historically loyal USA is now distancing itself from Israel. Pressure from the Obama administration is increasing to force Israel to extend its construction freeze, and to concede “land for peace” to the Palestinian Authority, which wishes to erase Israel and take their entire land.

E.     The article ended with the assertion that “Israel is to be deserted does NOT conform to the Scriptures.” (p.103)

 That global statement will now be challenged.

 The pervasive issue of Jerusalem’s sovereignty under Israel is under intense assault at this moment in history – even more than at earlier times. Zechariah 12: 1-3 indicates that Jerusalem is the “burdensome stone” with which the Almighty will grind the nations to powder! It is integral to the “controversy of Zion” (indeed, it IS Zion!) which shall precipitate the final showdown with the Islamic entities opposing Israeli existence.

 And there will be “none to help” in Messiah’s combat with the house of Edom in Bozrah – as specifically stated in Isaiah 63:3:

 

“I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there

was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and

trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled

upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4  For the

 day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my

 redeemed is come. 5  And I looked, and there was none to help;

 and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine

 own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld

 me.”

 There shall be no assistance or palpable sympathy from the USA, Britain, Tarshish, Sheba, or Dedan – none! That passage, as well as others, show clearly that Messiah is in the earth, waging war on Israel’s behalf, and that He is alone in that initiative; although accompanied, in this writer’s opinion, by the immortalized Saints; He is therefore constituted the One Man, or the Multitudinous Christ of the Second Advent.

 Other sets of passages apply here, among them:

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” Isa 54:17

 

This verse is a summary of the entire previous text of this wonderfully enlightening chapter in Isaiah.

 

Isaiah 54:4 – “Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither

 be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for

 thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not

 remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5  For thy

 Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy

Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth

shall he be called. 6  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman

forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou

wast refused, saith thy God. 7  For a small moment have I

forsaken thee; but with  great mercies will I gather thee. 8  In a

little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with

everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD

thy Redeemer.”

The factor of the Almighty’s “forsaking” of His people is prominent here – and quite important to our overall understanding of His Plan. Micah also indicates the importance of the Father’s  abandonment (giving them up) in this telling revelation in Micah 5:2 – which then forecasts the end of His abandonment at a certain time:

     “ But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He (Jesus) come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 3 – Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.”

 

It must be noted carefully here that his “giving them up” (other

translations say “abandon them”) UNTIL a certain time

Israel’s rebirth in 1948 – when they again become the

abundant recipients of His favor and strength, because they are

then involved in the active process of “returning to Me” as

admonished by the Father in Malachi 3:7; Jeremiah 24:7; and

Isaiah 44:22.

 At that time, He ceased to abandon them and began to assist them mightily … “with great mercies will I gather thee:” please note that He indicates NO OTHERS who shall be involved in their regathering and survival in the Land!

Note that in none of the verses quoted above is there mention of gratuitous assistance of any mortals beside the Almighty. The LORD is their Redeemer. He is their Deliverer and Saviour. All other nations have abandoned her to the evil aggressors who strive to devour and tear her apart, take her capitol and lands, disperse her people yet again. This is blessed assurance that these curses shall NOT be exercised upon Israel, the People of God!

 Isaiah 49 treats of the Endtime redemption of Israel in detail – and the time of their deliverance from the nations. Its narrative reflects that day in which we are extremely privileged to live. Isaiah 49:8 – “Thus saith the LORD, ‘In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages …’”

Note well, please, that NO OTHER assistance by anyone is indicated here. “I have heard thee … I have helped thee … I will preserve thee …” If there were to be outside aid would we not see it recorded in passages such as these?

Besides that, WHAT help does the Almighty need to perform His work? His glorious Savior and His immortalized Saints are easily up to the task!

Isaiah again addresses the solitude of Christ in His work for His people: “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (resist Him). And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the lord.” (Isaiah 59: 19-20)

 This Endtime response is the direct result of His previous instruction that “… the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor;therefore His own arm brought salvation unto Him, and His righteousness, it sustained Him.” (verses 15, 16) In other words, His people are delivered  not with the deference of Britain or Tarshish or Sheba/Dedan [there was NO intercessor! Would not these be definable as “intercesssors” if they were to so intervene?].

 Think about it! The preservation of Israel to these ends is contrary to the ambition of every other national power in the world. None of them want Israel to have the pre-eminence for which it is absolutely destined under the rule of Christ! NONE!

 So why should they assist Him in His work of exonerating Israel?

 Isaiah 2 is a similar commentary upon Israel’s Endtime circumstances: Isaiah 2: 11 et seq.,

 

11  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. [If other nations were to assist Israel, should they not be “exalted” as well?]

12  For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: [Is there a nation upon earth that is not “proud and lofty?” Their destiny is to be “brought low” by Him.]

13  And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,

14  And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,

15  And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, [Note that all these elements – cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, towers, walls – are symbols of MAN’S might, which is decidedly inferior and in opposition to God’s might in Christ. They are not appointed to assist, but to resist and denigrate, if anything.]

16  And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. [We easily observe here that the ships of Tarshish are specifically not allowed to assist in preserving Israel but are condemned with the blanket condemnation of all the other nations, for theirs is not to ASSIST but to RESIST His plan. Psalm 48:7 likewise is unmistakable in this matter! In reality, ONLY THESE REFERENCES are needed unequivocally to disprove the quoted author’s claim that “Israel is to be deserted does NOT conform to the Scriptures.” The entirely opposite position of the nations is scripturally verified: ISRAEL IS TO BE DESERTED by them – ALL of them!

17  And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.  [Any secular power that might assist Christ would be constituted “lofty, and haughty.” But these shall be brought low. “The Lord ALONE shall be exalted in that day.”]

 So, in addition to there being NO indication of any cooperation with Israel’s redemption by any of the contemporary worldly powers, there are myriads of statements on record which refute this erroneous notion of any national assistance for Israel in her final breakout from the oppression of the Gentiles!

 

Our Father has clearly proclaimed that “My glory will I not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8); this includes NOT allowing or soliciting ‘outside help’ in executing His holy plan for His people! It is not (and shall not be) in Britain’s mind, heart, or destiny to assist Israel in that day. Why on earth should they do so when, except for the unique character of the Balfour Declaration, that nation has ALWAYS VIGOROUSLY resisted God’s people’s return and nationalization but instead have aided and abetted the Arab enemies of Israel wholeheartedly???

 The popular hymn proclaims this truth long believed among us: “Zion’s King shall reign victorious; All the world shall own His sway; He shall make His kingdom glorious; He shall rule through endless day. What, though all the world resist Him, God shall realize His plan!”

So, I believe it mandatory that we hasten to accept God’s word in this matter as in all others; submit to His will, not our own notions; attribute NOT His glory to any other. Accept the transparent will of God in this matter, leaving it to him to bring about in His prearranged plan, and to give HIM the glory for having done so.

 No man or nation has the power or ability to do otherwise!

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