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 a talent
I have struggled to learn, is knowing exactly what sort of bait the fish finds
irresistible. Of course, something we
can never overlook is that while a fish can be tempted to take the bait, it
goes without saying that they regret it immediately when they feel the
hook. Over the years, while reading and
studying the Word, for many reasons I have come to the conclusion that Jesus is
a great fisherman.
Many
believers feel strongly that current events certainly make it seem as if God is
setting the table for the events of Ezekiel 38-39 to occur. Not a week goes by now that something major
happens in the Middle East to fuel this belief and this past week was no
exception with the news of Israel’s acquisition of documents proving Iran’s
pursuit of a nuclear weapon. This
certainly makes it appear that not only is dinner just about ready but the main
course looks to be fish. Now if this
sounds a little odd to you, stay with me while I explain my thinking. You see, when talking about the decision to
attempt an invasion of Israel by these countries, God reveals that He chooses
to use “hooks in the jaw” to bring
them in.
‘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
From
the fight that occurs after the fish feels the hook, it is reasonable to assume
that the fish is not interested in coming to you willingly. I believe this is an important fact to notice
when looking at this passage of scripture because of God’s use of the phrase “I
will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out”. I believe that what God is making
clear here is that while these countries may not actually want to come, it is He who leads them to make the attempt, possibly
by using some sort of bait that they find irresistible, or that at least can be
used by them to justify their attack on Israel.
The
animosity that Iran and Turkey have for Israel is well known, and the threats
of violence are so frequent lately that many believe that war is inevitable if
not imminent. What should never be
forgotten as well is the relationship between Iran and Russia, and the treaties
in place that would compel Russia to defend Iran in case of a conflict. Could these agreements be the “hook” that
brings Gog into this conflict or could there be something more that provides
some justification for their actions against Israel? Remember, God also tells us these countries
devise a plan “to take plunder and to take booty”.
For
this to occur, obviously there will be something of great value in Israel which
will tempt Gog to gather his armies along the northern border of Israel to
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 proves to be true.
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 know
occur just before the tribulation begins.
Is the time really that 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 which 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.
