Now the
word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of
the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against
him, “and
say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of
Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and
lead you out, with all your army, Ezekiel 38:1-4 NKJV
Like
many people who love the outdoors, I have spent a good portion of my free time
enjoying the sport of fishing. While not
all that proficient at it, I do enjoy it and have had the opportunity to fish
with people I would describe as expert at convincing fish to take what is
offered to them. I would also say that
a great portion of what makes up a person’s expertise at fishing, and something
I have struggled to learn, is knowing exactly what sort of bait the fish finds
irresistible. Over the years, while
reading and studying the Word, for many reasons I have come to the conclusion
that Jesus is a great fisherman.
We
talked last week about setting the table in the Middle East, and how current
events certainly seem to appear as if God is setting the table for the events
of Ezekiel 38-39 to occur. Well to no
surprise, this week yet another event happened in Israel which not only
reinforces that belief for me, but certainly makes it appear that not only is
dinner just about ready but the main course looks to be a fish called Gog. Now if this sounds a little odd to you, stay
with me while I explain my thinking. You
see, when talking about Gog’s decision to attempt an invasion of Israel, not
only does God reveal that He chooses to use “hooks in the jaw” to bring Gog in,
God goes on to explain the bait He uses to do so.
‘Thus
says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise
in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: “You will say, ‘I
will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people,
who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars
nor gates’—“to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against
the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from
the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of
the land. Ezekiel 38:10-12 NKJV
Obviously
there will be something of great value in Israel which will tempt Gog to gather
his armies along the northern border of Israel and attempt an invasion with the
intent of taking plunder. Many scholars have identified Magog as Russia, and I would be inclined to agree based upon my own study. However, considering
the size of Russia, and especially the size of their economy as opposed to
Israel’s, what could Israel possibly possess that would tempt them to
invade? A fact that I learned long ago
as a history student in college was the importance of oil as a factor in so
many of the wars of the past. It has
been said by many that in order to rule the world; one must first control the
world’s supply of oil, and by studying the conflicts of the past it is apparent
that many have believed that is true.
Russia’s
economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas production and export to provide
the income for their economy. Estimates
run between 40 and 60 percent of their budget depend on this income, which is
staggering considering the volatility of oil and gas prices. Simply consider that if the price of oil
drops 50%, you immediately lose half of your income. The result is dramatic inflation, a loss of
buying power, and a very angry population wanting to know just what the
government is going to do about it. Of
course, it follows that the volatility of the oil market occurs because too
many countries produce the oil at different rates which affect the supply
available at any given time. Consider
however, the power one government would hold over the world if it controlled
the majority of the oil available at any given time?
In
doing a little research I found the following figures. Russia produces approximately 38% of the world’s
natural gas, and 25% of its oil. The
Middle East produces 35% of the world’s natural gas and 45% of its oil. Now if Russia were to control the Middle East
production they would suddenly hold sway over almost 75% of the world’s natural
gas and oil as well. What kind of power
do you think they would then possess over the rest of the world? Is it possible that the presence of Russia in
the Middle East is a sign of their intentions to possibly attempt to take
control of these resources? If so, where
does Israel fit in?
Most
are aware that in the past few years Israel has discovered massive fields of
natural gas off of the coast of Israel which some estimates have put in the “trillions”
of cubic feet. In and of itself, there
you have a very tempting “booty and spoil” for someone to consider
stealing, but if that were not enough, how interesting was it to
see just this past week the announcement in Israel that they have discovered
oil in the Golan Heights? Early
estimates put that discovery in the “billions” of barrels and could possibly be
even higher. Now suddenly Israel finds itself in
the position of owning two of the world’s most desirable and necessary resources,
and quite possibly the motivation for an invasion by an aggressor. Will these discoveries prove to be the plunder Gog is seeking? Only time will tell, but it would not surprise me in the least if it were.
Again
it would appear we see the possibility that God is setting the table for the
fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the future of Israel that we find
occur just before the tribulation begins.
Is the time short? That is a
question all of us should be asking ourselves, as well as making sure we are
prepared for that time in history that the Bible speaks so much about. Have you made the decision to accept the
salvation offered to you by God in the person of His Son Jesus Christ? If not, I would suggest there is no better
time than right now, especially as we see the day approaching when Jesus will
call all those who believe to come up to Him and escape the wrath that is to
come upon this world.
If
you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ
into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I
urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and
accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and
resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
Father, I know I am a
sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the
cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive
your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and
follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Keep
watching.
