“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: Let the weak say I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: FOR THERE WILL I SIT TO JUDGE ALL THE HEATHEN ROUND ABOUT (capitals mine).”

Joel 3:9-12

Here we see clearly God will always judge all Gentiles/heathen that wage war against His people, the Jews of Israel. Basically, He encourages the heathen to prepare and get ready to invade Israel where He will punish them for the entire world to witness. And, it won’t be just one invasion but several that we have not yet seen happen.

Just east of Jerusalem, near the Garden of Gethsemane, is the Valley of Jehoshaphat where God will finally Judge the Gentile nations of the world for their long lasting hatred and wars against the people of the Nation of Israel. His Judgement will be swift and just, but it didn’t start there. Throughout history we have seen multiple occasions where various people have attempted to overthrow and annihilate the Jewish people. Interestingly, not one country in the history of the world has ever been successful in their Satanic plans. Babylon, Egypt, Greece, the Romans, the German Nazis, the Soviet Union Communists, various Mideast Islamic countries, many parts of Europe, etc. have ALL failed, oftentimes resulting in their ultimate overthrow and destruction.

I have written on numerous occasions about those yet prophesied coming wars but have never associated them with any single event that highlights not only their ultimate fulfillment, but the fact they will all occur during this generation. If you believe, as I do, that we are today witnessing the lead up to the prophesied 7 year Tribulation and Second Coming of Jesus Christ, these wars MUST happen very soon. If you have followed my posts since the beginning you may recall some of the Biblical prophecies concerning these yet unfulfilled wars and turmoil in the Middle East:

1. War of Psalm 83 – The War of Psalm 83 (the Arab countries directly surrounding Israel will attack them and be defeated)
2. War of Gog and Magog – The War of Gog and Magog, Why would Russia, Turkey and Iran Invade Israel TODAY? (the non-Arab countries near Israel – Russia, Iran, Turkey, etc. will invade and be totally defeated in ONE DAY)
3. Destruction of Damascus – The Destruction of Damascus Revisited (one of the longest continuously lived in cities in the history of the world will be totally destroyed, never to be inhabited again)
4. War of Armageddon – What Does the Bible Say will Happen at the End of 3 1/2 Years? (the FINAL war between the armies of the world and Israel prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ)

In researching for this post, I found a number of other wars/battles told to us which must yet happen for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. Before I get to that  however, let me remind you what could quickly ignite the tension between Israel and the other countries in the Mideast, starting wars:

1. President Trump announced the “Deal of the Century” which would create a two state solution (Jewish and Palestinian) in Israel, including the West Bank. While many Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, etc.  embrace this move towards peace, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has refused to consider it. While it would give the Palestinians their own state within the borders of Israel (the West Bank – Judea and Samaria)  with a capital in East Jerusalem, it does not give them control of the Temple Mount where they have built two holy sites.
2. President Trump recently recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, land given to the Jews by the League of Nations in 1920 and reverified by the United Nations in 1948 but captured by the Jordanians when they invaded Israel after Israel declared their Independence on May 14, 1948. When Israel was invaded again during the 6 Day War in 1967, Israel recaptured the Golan Heights from Syria and retook the entire City of Jerusalem from Jordan. Due to the U.S. abstention in late 2016 from a United Nations condemnation of Israeli “occupation” of their land, President Obama opened the door to an international vote against Israel declaring their lands to be “occupied”..
3. Because of Iranian arms shipments into Syria and Lebanon, Israel has aggressively and repeatedly hit military targets in those countries to destroy those weapons. Of course this has caused much anger in Iran with their expected vows of revenge.
4. Iran is again moving quickly to produce an atomic bomb and the Supreme Leader of Iran has vowed recently to “wipe Israel off the map.” Of course any move by Iran to further escalate the tension will be met by an Israeli counterattack. Even Israeli intelligence pointing to a soon use of any form of military power will cause them to respond accordingly.
5. There is much conjecture that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will announce the annexation of the West Bank by July 1, 2020. Part of his reasoning is that should President Trump not be reelected, Israel will not have the support from the Democrats they have received from President Trump. He wants to get this done before our elections. Jordan has said if that were to happen, it could cause military conflict in the area.

So, if you read those posts highlighted above you can tell there will be a number of very serious military events PRIOR to the signing of the 7 year Peace Covenant between Israel and the Arabs which we know begins the Tribulation period. In fact, it makes sense to me the 7 year Peace Covenant may be signed to finally cease the wars that had already disrupted the area.  And, because these are separate but related events, they could start at any moment. But the Bible also gives us other, more obscure events that must happen but which have not yet occurred up to this time.

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam (in western Iran), the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them: And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord. BUT IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LATTER DAYS, THAT I WILL BRING AGAIN THE CAPTIVITY OF ELAM, SAITH THE LORD (capitals mine).”

Jeremiah 49:35-39

Did you know Elam is in Western Iran and is part of the original land God Promised to Abraham to be part of Israel? Did you know the biggest site where Iran is enriching uranium is in the land formerly known as Elam, right on the Persian Gulf? If Israel is convinced Iran is close to making a nuclear bomb and is making enriched uranium for their bomb from their site in Elam, what would you do? Of course! Just as the Israelis secretly destroyed the nuclear reactor in Iraq decades ago to keep Iraq from getting material for a nuclear bomb, I believe they would act quickly to “remove” this site.

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites (people of modern day Jordan); and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: THEN ISRAEL SHALL BE HEIR UNTO THEM THAT WERE HIS HEIRS, SAITH THE LORD (capitals mine).”

Jeremiah 49:1-6

Did you know that Ammon, or current day Jordan, is in the land God Promised to Abraham to be part of Israel? Jordan has participated in a number of Arab invasions of Israel since 1948 and current King Abdullah II has warned Israel about annexing parts of the West Bank. Does anyone actually doubt how Israel would respond if Jordan invaded again to keep the sovereignty of the West Bank? Remember, it was President Obama’s abstention from vetoing the UN vote proclaiming the West Bank as “occupied” territory. This was the first time in the history of the United States where we have not stood up for Israel at the UN. Fortunately, God NEVER lies and he will protect His people from everyone that wishes their destruction.

“I have heard the reproach of Moab (also in Jordan, on the Dead Sea), and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: THE RESIDUE OF MY PEOPLE SHALL SPOIL THEM, AND THE REMNANT OF MY PEOPLE SHALL POSSESS THEM (capitals mine).”

Zephaniah 2:8-9

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF), the Israeli army, is one of the strongest armies in the world even though they have nowhere near the number of soldiers of other larger countries. Apparently, here God is allowing the IDF to defeat Jordan (obviously He always has their back), much like in Jeremiah 49:1-6 above. But, it is not just Jordan that Israel will defeat in the Last Days:

“In that day will I make the governors of Judah (Israel) like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; AND THEY SHALL DEVOUR ALL THE PEOPLE ROUND ABOUT, ON THE RIGHT HAND AND ON THE LEFT: AND JERUSALEM  SHALL BE INHABITED AGAIN IN HER OWN PLACE, EVEN IN JERSUALEM (capitals mine).”

Zechariah 12:6

 While many may attribute this Scripture to the 6 Day War of 1967, to this day Israel does not have total control over Jerusalem and will not until the first half of the 7 year Tribulation, after the Peace Covenant is signed. Finally, because the two best known coming wars, outside of Armageddon, are the War of Psalm 83 and the War of Gog and Magog, it is important to point out the major differences between them. Those differences are:

War of Psalm 83

This war will be a war of Arabs versus Jews. The nations that will invade are those countries on Israel’s borders today. The invaders are coming to take the land, to obliterate the Nation of Israel. They will be defeated by the IDF.

War of Gog and Magog

This war will be between non-Arabs (Russian, Turkey, Iranian, etc.) and the Jews. None of the invading nations sit on Israel’s borders. They are primarily coming from north of Israel. Whereas the invaders of the Psalm 83 War are coming to take the land, these invaders are asked by others (the U.S., Saudi Arabia, etc.) if they are coming to take a “spoil’,  i.e., the riches of Israel. As I wrote about in “Have you come to take a spoil?” it has only been in the past few years Israel has discovered an enormous amount of oil and has recently signed an agreement to build an underwater pipeline to supply Europe with their natural gas. This pipeline going through Cyprus to Greece to Europe is expected to be completed by 2024. Today Russia sells much of their natural gas to Europe and Turkey believes the underwater pipeline infringes on their territorial rights. Where as the War of Psalm 83 shows Israel defeating the invaders, God in one day supernaturally will defeat the other invaders in the War of Gog and Magog.

When it is all said and done we are about to see unparalleled war and destruction in the Middle East. Damascus will be totally destroyed NEVER to be occupied again. The countries of Russia, Turkey, Iran and others will see five out of every six of their invaders die on the mountains of Israel. Jordan will be defeated and will become part of Israel. Iran will be attacked by Israel and much of their land will become part of Israel. And, of course, Jesus will Return at the Battle of Armageddon and by speaking His Word will destroy the armies of the world who have gathered to defeat Him. All of these things should not scare us as they will usher in the perfect 1,000 year Reign of Jesus on this earth. But we have been told beforehand about these so when we see them happening we will know not only about them but we will know the ultimate outcome! That is so comforting to have that knowledge before His Wrath is unleashed on this unbelieving, sinful world. It is up to each of us to tell others so that when they see the prophecies in the Bible fulfilled it will hopefully bring them closer to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You can do this as we are all instructed, and that is to “…therefore comfort one another with these words.” These being the Words of the Holy Bible that told us before we were even born what would be happening in these Last Days.

Take GREAT comfort in knowing this beforehand! May God Bless you as we watch and pray for His Soon Coming!