The Coming War

Hi friends. Here in Wyoming, we have had both snow and sunshine this month, with temperatures dropping below zero at times. There are times I wish we were in Boquete, Panama where it is eternally pleasant and warm! During these cold days, I’ve been studying the Ezekiel 37-39 passage to make sure I get it right when I share it with you. Here it is.

The Coming War

By Sheri Schofield

            Our generation has seen more prophecies fulfilled than previous generations. Many people have been writing books and theorizing about the order of events which lead up to the return of Jesus to earth. The number of books on prophecy are amazing. Bible scholars have come up with timelines of how things will happen in the future and speculate on when Jesus will catch believers up to be with him forever.

            Those timelines change as prophesied events happen. The timelines are man’s attempts to understand God’s plan for the world, to tell the future. The Bible encourages us to study these prophecies. (See Revelation 1:3)

            Having studied the prophecies extensively, and knowing about how prophecy works, I suspect these events will not happen the way people think. The subject is very complex. Timelines are hard to justify. My feelings on this are that we should be aware of the prophecies and welcome them when we recognize their fulfillment. But I do not think the prophecies are orderly enough for us to insist on a timetable. At this point in time, we are still guessing.

            We can look at how events are lining up and say we are nearing the return of Jesus. He is coming soon. However, since “a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day” to God, we cannot know what “soon” means. We can guess with some accuracy because of current events when certain prophecies are starting to happen. But we cannot know these things for sure until they happen. We know Ezekiel 36 has been fulfilled because Israel has become a great nation again. But we do not know with certainty how the rest of these prophecies play out. I will give you my observations, as a Bible teacher.

            The prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 tell of a massive war we might witness soon, maybe in this generation. Events in Israel and the Middle East seem to be lining up for these things to happen.

The Book of Ezekiel was written between 593 and 571 BC. So why is it important now? Because it seems that it is being fulfilled in our time and that it will affect us. Since shortly before World War II, the world has seen God resurrect the nation of Israel. It had been scattered for about two thousand years. But God brought the nation back to life. The prophecies of Ezekiel 36-37 have been mostly fulfilled. If we want to know what is coming to our world next, we need to see what the prophecy says will happen next.

When will the battle of Ezekiel 37-39 happen?

            Ezekiel wrote this prophecy over 500 years before Christ came. He said this battle would happen “in the distant future.” We are certainly distant from those times! It has been over 2,500 years!

            It will also happen “at a time when Israel will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel.” (See Ezekiel 38:8)

Who will be involved?

            Ezekiel 37-39 tells us that God will draw the enemies of Israel down on the nation—for a great purpose, not to harm Israel, but to rescue the nation from her enemies.  

            Ezekiel 37-38:  The names of Israel’s enemies in this passage in Ezekiel’s times were Gog, Magog, Meshech, Tubal and Magog’s allies. What are the modern names of these nations? Bible scholars are mostly in agreement on this:

            Gog is a person, a ruler over Magog. Magog is a country. Ezekiel 38:15 tells us Gog and the land he rules (Magog) are in the far north. Most Bible scholars think this is Russia.

            Meshech is one of the nations which will invade Israel with Gog. This group is also from the north. They are thought to be the allies of Russia. Many think this is central Turkey, Russia and Georgia .Possibly Ukraine as well.

Tubal is eastern Turkey

Persia (present-day Iran).

Ethiopia,

Libya

Beth Togarmah (Armenia, if scholars have correctly identified it)

Many other allies are included. Russia’s Middle East allies are mostly Muslim nations which hate Israel.

The “prince” of Russia will lead his people to take over Israel. He  and his people will be joined by Turkey, Georgia, Iran, Ethiopia, Libya and (probably) Armenia and their allies.

This is significant in our times because this alliance between those nations has never existed until now. Which means we are living in the day when this battle can and probably will happen.

What will happen during this battle? Where will it happen?

Ezekiel 39:1-6 (NLT) tells us “Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him a message from the Sovereign Lord: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. I will knock the bow from your left hand and the arrows from your right hand, and I will leave you helpless. You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals. You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord. And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

The enemy’s dead will be buried in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. From the context of the passage, it appears that the battle will be fought in that location. The way through that passage will be blocked in the future because of the vast number of graves there after the battle.

Ezekiel writes that the enemies of Israel will be drawn to the mountains of Israel. Among the mountains surrounding the Valley of the Travelers there are many volcanoes. It is an unstable region of earthquakes.

Ezekiel describes in detail what will happen as the enemy armies approach the mountains of Israel. “But this is what the Sovereign Lord says: When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over! In my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day. All living things, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people on earth—will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth.”
 (this is probably a huge earthquake) (v.18-20)

“I will summon the sword against you (Israel’s enemies) on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord. Your men will turn their swords against each other.” (v.21) (absolute terror, turning each against the other)

“I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed.” (v. 22)

“I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!” (v. 22) (massive hail, great quantities of rain, plus probably volcanic eruptions)

Purpose of God’s judgment:

“In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (v.23) (NLT)

            Some scholars think this battle describes a nuclear weapon. But I do not think it is. Here’s why:

1) A nuclear weapon would send fallout into Israel, endangering them.

2) People would not recognize that the LORD did this. God will not share his glory with anyone. Not even Israel. He is intervening to save Israel in a supernatural manner. But God often uses nature to accomplish supernatural things like this. The location of the battle reinforces the probability that he will use nature in a supernatural way in this case.

            Some scholars think this passage describes the Battle of Armageddon. I do not think it is.

Why? Because---

1) The passage does not mention the return of Christ, which happens at the Battle of Armageddon.

2) The passage mentions Russia and its allies. But in Relation 16:14, which tells of the Battle of Armageddon, it does not. It tells us ALL the nations of the world will gather for the final battle (Armegeddon).

3) And finally, I do not think this is the Battle of Armageddon because Armageddon (Har-Mageddon in Hebrew) means “Mount Mageddon.” This is specific location. Historically, Israel fought its battles in the valley below Mt. Mageddon, which is called Megiddo. Mount Mageddon is not close to the Valley of the Travelers. It is 29 miles away as the bird flies. But the drive is 46 minutes.

This particular battle is very likely going to be fought in or around the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea, on the route Ruth and Naomi would have traveled when they returned to Israel from Moab. The Valley of the Travelers is between Jordan and Israel. It is located in the northern part of the Dead Sea fault area, a deep ravine, where the tectonic plates of Arabia and Africa overlap It is a place of many earthquakes and dormant volcanoes.

I believe God will use the fault area, which dips down low in a long gorge surrounded by mountains. The fault will hem the enemy in and produce the earthquake. The volcanoes will produce the fire and sulfur which will rain down on Israel’s enemies at that time. Great hailstones will fall on the enemy, as well as torrents of rain. This is definitely God coordinating the destruction of Israel’s enemies. He will use the natural terrain against them as well as supernatural rain and hailstones.

Will America be involved in that battle? I do not know. No other nations are mentioned besides Russia and its allies. If America arms Israel for this battle, the Bible does not tell us. But God will not share his glory with America either. He draws the nations into battle in order to show his mighty power, not to show theirs. He rescues Israel because they are the people of the Abrahamic Covenant. He calls them his own. He loves them.

Current Events Are Setting the Table

            Russia is allied with the Muslim nations of the Middle East at this time. They have never been united like this before. The Iranians, for instance, have a treaty with Russia. Other surrounding nations may also have treaties with Russia. Certainly, many Muslim countries have treaties with Iran and Russia, major players in end time events. It took World War II to bring about these alliances among nations which were not united until now.

            Current events have made these alliances stronger and bolder. This is the first time anything of this nature has ever happened in the history of Earth. It is significant. This battle may usher in the Great Tribulation, but we can only speculate on that issue.

This battle precedes a time when Israel will accomplish something they have longed for. I will cover that in my next blog post.

Background to Ezekiel's Prophecies

by Sheri Schofield

Abrahamic Covenant

Abram (later called Abraham) lived in Ur. This city was located close to where the Euphrates River joins the Persian Gulf. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Bible tells us this:

   “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.’”

   The people of Ur had mostly abandoned the one true God. They worshipped the moon. God wanted Abram to move away from his environment and go to a new place. He had great plans for Abram, and they could not be fulfilled in Ur.

   The Abrahamic Covenant is a forever-covenant. God sealed it with Abram in a ceremony found in Genesis 15:17-21. God gave Abram the measurements of the land he would give him. On a map, it looks roughly like a triangle. It stretches from today’s border where Syria and Turkey meet on the Mediterranean in the north; then from where the Euphrates flows into the Persian Gulf on the east; and on the south, from the Euphrates River to the Nile River. Israel has never fully occupied that area. Today, they are bound to a very small area along the Mediterranean Sea. That will change someday when God fulfills his covenant with Abraham and his descendants through Isaac, which are the nation of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:6-15

   Ezekiel tells what will happen in Israel when the Israelis return from where they were scattered.

   vs. 8-15 – The mountains of Israel will produce heavy crops of fruit. The Israelis will plow the ground and plant crops. God will greatly increase the population of Israel and their animals. They will be more prosperous than ever. The other nations will no longer despise them or speak evil of them. They will worship the one true God again. No one will be able to rob them. (This has not yet been completely fulfilled yet.)

  vs. 35 says –“And when I bring you back, people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’”

Historical Information About the Land Prior to Israel’s return

   The Arabs living in the land called Palestine were mostly the poor peasants. Their overlords who owned the land lived mainly in European cities where they could spend their great wealth. The land was neglected. It ranged from rugged mountains, to swamps filled with mosquitos, to desert land. The people were very poor.

   When Israel began returning, they drained the swamps and channeled the water for crops. They planted trees to soak up the excess water. They developed farms. Many lived in kibbutzim, small communities who all worked together for the common good. The children born there in the land were called “sabras.”

   In cultivating the land and bringing it into good use again, the people fulfilled much of Ezekiel’s prophecy in chapter 36 about their return.

   God said he would bring this about so that everyone will know that he is the Lord. The book of Ezekiel was written between 593-571 BC. It is now being fulfilled.

How Israel Became A Nation Again

   During World War II, the German Nazis murdered about six-million Jews in Europe. The Arabs worked with the Nazis in Palestine to try to destroy the Jews who had returned to their land. The massacre caused world-wide anger. The British occupied Israel during the war. They kept a kind of peace. After the war, they left. The Israeli people had to defend themselves against the surrounding Arabs who wanted to drive them out of the land. Though many nations believed the Jews should have their own land after the horrendous massacres of the war. But they did not help the Jews. They let them fight it out on their own. Gradually, the Jews were able to overcome those who were trying to kill them and establish their own country. In 1948, the United Nations voted to let the Jews have a portion of the land of Israel, dividing it between the Jews and Arabs in the region. When the Jewish nation was recognized by the whole world, they called their country “Israel.” They are not just the tribes of Judah & Levi (known as the Jews). There are now people from the other tribes of Israel living in the land also. This fulfills Ezekiel 37:15-20.

Ezekiel 37-38 –Valley of Dry Bones

   In this passage, Ezekiel describes the people of Israel before their return.

  “The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with dry bones. He led me all among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones become living people again?’ ‘O Sovereign Lord,’ I replied, ‘you alone know the answer to that’” (37:1-3).

   The Lord told Ezekiel to speak over the dry bones and tell them to rise up, be covered with muscles and flesh, and to breathe again and come to life. The dry bones did so. Then God said to Ezekiel, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, “We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished’” (v.11). But God then said to tell Israel he would bring them back to the land, he would fill them with his Spirit, and they would know that he is the Lord and he has spoken. “David” will rule on the throne of Israel forever. “David” is generally understood to be a reference to the coming Messiah. The Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt. (vs. 24-28) Currently, the Temple site is occupied by the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim temple.

   This prophecy has been partially fulfilled. Yes, Israel has returned to their land. But not all of them have been filled with God’s Spirit yet. Not all worship God yet. They have not yet rebuilt their Temple, and Messiah has not returned.

   At this time, I have been told there are approximately 36,000 Israeli Christians in Israel. The day is coming when all will change and Israel will know the true Messiah, Jesus.

This brings us up to present-day and the prophecies which have not yet happened. I will introduce Ezekiel 38-39:

   The prophecy of Ezekiel 38 speaks of God drawing Israel’s enemies to their land. He will “put a hook in the jaw” of several enemies, led by “the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal” and his allies. Bible scholars believe Meshech and Tubal are the ares settled by two sons of Japheth, one of Noah’s sons. The area where they settled is generally in the region of Russia/Ukraine/Georgia. God will draw them and their armies to Israel to destroy them and their allies, for they are all enemies of Israel.

   This battle has not yet happened. Next week I will expand on it as we look at Ezekiel 38-39.

For further reading:   A good fiction book based on the early days of the Jews’ return to Israel is Leon Uris’ book, “Exodus.” Uris interviewed over 1,500 people to gather all the facts of the return and the events surrounding it. A movie starring Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint was made in the 60s based on this book. It also was called “Exodus.” The book is a remarkable account of what happened during the years of the Jews’ return to the land and when Israel became a nation again.

An Ancient Prophecy Being Fulfilled Today

An Ancient Prophecy Being Fulfilled Today

By Sheri Schofield

 The events happening in Israel today are amazing. While there is tragedy, there is also great hope promised to Israel by the prophet Ezekiel. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, is very familiar with this prophecy, as are many others who still believe in God.

Ezekiel prophesied that God would scatter Israel throughout the nations because of their disobedience to him. In Ezekiel’s day, the people of Israel were not obeying God, and there was much wickedness. Murders and idol worship were common. (See Ezekiel 36:13-19) Though Ezekiel didn’t know how the details would play out, God saw their future rejection of Jesus, the Messiah. He would scatter the nation because of that.

 At Jesus’s trial before Pilate, the Jews were crying out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” They wanted Jesus tortured and nailed to the cross, the most painful death available at the time. It would not only kill him, but it would humiliate him and send a message to his disciples that the same could be done to them if they continued following Jesus.

 Pilate, reluctant to crucify Jesus, whom he saw as innocent, did not want Jesus’s blood on his hands. He sent for a bowl of water and symbolically washed his hands. He said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” 

And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children’” Matthew 27:24, 25 (NKJV).

 A few years later, the Roman emperor Vespasian sent his son Titus to conquer Jerusalem. On September 8, 70 A.D., Jerusalem fell. The inhabitants of the city were butchered in one of the most brutal destructions of the Roman Empire. The Temple was burned and torn apart. The remaining Jewish people living in the area fled in many directions. The northern Israeli tribes had already been scattered. This fulfilled the first part of the prophecy God gave Ezekiel:

 God spoke through Ezekiel saying, “…I poured out my fury on them. I scattered them to many lands to punish them for the evil way they had lived” Ezekiel 36:18, 19 (NLT).

 But God didn’t leave Israel without hope. He told of a return to the land:

 “But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said, ‘These are the people of the Lord, but he couldn’t keep them safe in his own land!’ Then I was concerned for my holy name, on which my people brought shame among the nations. Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations…I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. Then I will sprinkle water on you, and you will be clean….I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you….” Ezekiel 36:20-26 (NLT).

Israel began returning to the land of their ancestors before the first World War. Their return to Israel became a mighty flood during and after World War II, when the Nazi Germans and their allies tried to destroy all the Jews.

 The Balfour Declaration was issued by the British government during World War I, supporting the idea of a Jewish homeland being re-established in Israel. The Jews responded to that declaration. At the time, the land was called Palestine, a name given to the region by the Romans. It is a variation of the name Philistine, the people who inhabited the land before God, through Moses, brought Israel from slavery in Egypt back to their original homeland. The Romans later called the land Palestine in an attempt to erase all connection between the Jews and the land.

 When the Jews returned, they had to fight the Arab inhabitants to stay alive, for the Arabs refused to let them live in peace. During World War II, a large number of the Arabs fought against Israel for the Nazis as well as for their own purposes. In 1948, the world agreed that the Jews should have a homeland because of the horrible destruction the Jews had faced during World War II. The United Nations voted on it, and the world chose to recognize the Jewish homeland. The Jews called their nation “Israel.” The Arabs who wished to live in peace, were accepted by the Israelis. They live in the area today. Those who would not live in peace were expelled.

 This massive return to the land of Israel fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel 36:16-38.

 Those who do not wish to live in peace are still at war with Israel. This includes those living in Gaza. The nations around Israel have never let the Jews live in peace. The latest war against Israel was started by Hamas out of Gaza on October 7, 2023. Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen (all Muslim nations) have been bombing Israel tirelessly since that day.

 The prophecy of Ezekiel 36 is seen by many as a sign of Jesus’ return because of the next few chapters of Ezekiel, which I will talk about in my next blog. Ezekiel 37 covers more details of the prophecy in chapter 36. Chapters 38-39 take us into the future events expected to happen in Israel.

Israel & the Middle East

Hi Friends. A friend from overseas asked me to answer some questions about Israel yesterday. “Why is the Middle East always in turmoil? And will Israel ever have peace?” This friend asked me to do some Bible teaching as well. Although I have enjoyed writing short stories, I think this request is more important, especially as a second friend asked to join the lessons.

   So today I am going to begin teaching simple answers to questions like these. You will be seeing a new banner on this page as soon as my computer tech can set it up. The new banner will be this: Unlocking Ancient Words & Wisdom with Sheri Schofield.

   I’ve studied this theology in college at Prairie Bible Institute (Now Prairie College) and BIOLA University and have been teaching and writing about the Bible for over forty years. I hope I can answer questions you may have as well. On the menu bar, there is a Contact feature. If you have questions, please post them there. Thanks!

Sheri Schofield

Israel & the Middle East

So why is the Middle East always in turmoil? And will Israel ever have peace?

The answer to this question goes all the way back to Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve, the first people God created, disobeyed God. The penalty was separation from their relationship with God, and their bodies would someday die. But God promised he would someday provide a way for humans to break the power of death and separation. He told Satan, who had taken on the body of a serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he (the woman’s offspring) will crush your head, and you will strike his heel,” Genesis 3:15 (New International Version).

This seemed to be a mystery. But it was a clue to how God would someday restore humanity’s relationship with him.

The next clue was given to Abraham, whose name was Abram until God changed it: “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates…” Genesis 15:18.

Later, God gave Abraham a promise known as the Abrahamic Covenant. “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring, all the nations of the world will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” Genesis 22:16-18 (NIV).

God declared that because Abraham had been willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to the Lord, God would greatly bless Abraham, all his descendants and all nations on earth.

This set of verses gives enough clues that Satan knew the coming Savior would be a descendant of Abraham through Isaac. Through this line from Abraham, God would rescue humanity from Satan’s rule. Therefore, Satan turned his fierce wrath on Isaac’s descendants: the Israeli people.

The Islamic nations, which descended from Abraham through Hagar and Ishmael, have changed the story recorded in the Holy Bible. They have insisted that Abraham offered Ishmael, not Isaac, to God. They claim Ismael was to inherit the land and a messiah would come from Ishmael’s line. They speak of the Twelfth Imam coming to rule the earth, not Jesus, the true Messiah.

And there lies the heart of the problem. Both the Arabs and the Jews claim to be God’s chosen people. Both claim they were to inherit the land. Both claim a messiah coming from their own people.

For this reason, this deep jealousy and hatred, the Arab/Islamic nations want to destroy the Israeli people. The closer we come to the return of Jesus to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, the more violent the fight becomes. Satan is determined to destroy Israel.

This conflict is at the heart of the Middle East conflict.

Will Israel ever have peace? Yes! When Jesus returns to earth and establishes his kingdom and sits on the throne in Jerusalem. The day is coming soon!

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord” Ezekiel 39:25-29 (NIV).