Tim Moore: We remain heavy-hearted by all the terrible events that have been transpiring in Israel. We've watched in dismay as Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to massacre men, women, and children, and as they took hostages back to the Gaza Strip trying to prevent Israel from engaging.
Nathan Jones: Some people watching this unfold have in the past interpreted nearly every conflict with Israel as having the potential of fulfilling a prophetic end times war. This phenomenon was something that our ministry's founder, Dr. David Reagan, used to note all the way back in the 1980s. Some skirmish or war would break out in the Middle East and he would immediately get flooded by questions if it was the battle of Armageddon, as most Christians have only ever heard of that prophetic battle. In truth, there are actually nine wars of the end times.
What's going on now between Israel and Hamas, well, we don't know just yet if it'll become prophetic. Israel has waged numerous wars, even as early as when they were founded in 1948. The War of Independence of 1948-49 was followed by the Suez War of 1956. Then came the Six Day War of 1967, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the Lebanese War in 1982, the First Intifada or Arab Uprising from 1987 to 1993, the First Gulf War of 1990-91, the Second Intifada from 2000-05, the Hezbollah War of 2006, the First Gaza War with Hamas in 2009, the Second Gaza War in 2012, and the Third Gaza War in 2014. This fight could become merely the Fourth Gaza War of 2023. So, no, Israel's latest war with Hamas is clearly not the war to end all wars — Armageddon.
But, the question remains, will this lead to a prophetic war? What we can tell you is that, no, we do not think at this stage that this engagement between Israel and Hamas is one of the prophesied end times wars, but it could lead to an actual end times war if it gets bigger.
Tim Moore: 39% of Americans now believe that we are now living in the end times. They understand that we are living in the season of the Lord's return.
The Birth Pains
Nathan Jones: We must realize how prophetically important it is that Israel is even back in their land again. After all, what nation comes back from the dead after 1900 years. It's a modern-day miracle! And for the end time prophecies to happen, Israel has to actually be living in their land as prophesied.
The Bible prophesied that the Jewish people would return a second time to transform a barren and desolate wasteland and make it bountiful again, which it now is. Prophecy also foretold that once the nation of Israel was reborn, that's when it would actually begin to experience birth pains (Isaiah 66:7-9). And that's exactly what's been happening since May of 1948. The newly reborn nation of Israel has been experiencing war after war as hostile Arab neighbors long to completely destroy her.
The Psalm 83 War
Tim Moore: No nation has had greater animosity towards Israel than the terrorist groups who are occupying Gaza. I say occupying because Hamas overthrew the government that was in Gaza and took control. This Mafia-type organization is motivated solely by their hatred for the Jews and Israel. Destroying Israel is Hamas' only objective, and that's the same motivation with Hezbollah up in Lebanon. Their actions show that they are only inspired by their hatred to kill the Jews.
It's this satanically inspired hatred that causes us to anticipate the next prophetic war to be the Psalm 83 War. Israel will defeat those immediate neighboring nations in a manner that would allow Israel to live securely with cities that don't have walls around them. We're not there yet, but this new war with Hamas could become the precursor to the larger Psalm 83 conflict that would leave Israel more secure than it is today.
Nathan Jones: As part of the birth pains, the Lord is funneling the politics so that Israel will have no friends to turn to for help as the whole world eventually comes together against it, all so that the Jews turn to God alone for deliverance. So, maybe we are watching the advent of the Psalm 83 War as Israel conquers its hostile bordering neighbors — Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt — that yearn for her destruction.
The War of Gog and Magog
Nathan Jones: Following the Psalm 83 War looms a much larger war. Behind Hamas is Iran. Another prophetic war that Psalm 83 is leading up to involves Iran — the War of Gog and Magog.
Tim Moore: We believe the following prophetic end times war is described in Ezekiel 38-39. Ezekiel prophesies how Iran allies with Russia and Turkey in what is called the War of Gog and Magog. The leader of this coalition of nations lies north of Israel — Russia — which Ezekiel designates as Gog. This alliance of nations — this axis of evil — also includes the nations in northern Africa and the 'Stan nations'. Combined, these nations form an outer ring of Islamic aggression. Along with Russia, the Islamic world attempts to gain spoil by plundering Israel in its attempt to destroy her. Israel will defeat the inner ring of hostile Muslim nations according to Psalm 83, but that will lead to a much more massive war with the outer ring of Islamic nations plus Russia.
The World For Israel... For Now
Tim Moore: President Biden once was told that Israel's secret weapon is that they've got nowhere else to go. In other words, they fight because there is nowhere else the Jews can flee to but Israel. They’ve been rejected and ejected from every other country.
Israel was born out of the horror of the Holocaust, and now there are people even in our nation who are advocating "gas the Jews," as we heard students protesting at Harvard University and on the streets of New York. These people are filled with a satanic hatred for the Jewish people. But, at least for now, the United States and other nations are standing with Israel.
Nathan Jones: The Arabs and the Palestinians, which are pretty much one and the same, are masters at public relations. So, yes, the world right now is saying, "Israel, yeah, we're behind you!" But, the world is infected with a satanic hatred of the Jews. Once Israel starts fighting on the ground in Gaza, the tide of public opinion will likely change. Then there's a good chance that Hezbollah in Lebanon will jump into this conflict which will then soon morph into the Psalm 83 War. As a result, Israel will enlarge its territory.
We can trace the drones that hit Israel's borders and the money behind Hamas to Iran and Russia. Ezekiel 38-39 foretells Russia coming down against Israel because it yearns to plunder Israel. Israel is now a direct threat to Russia's economy when it comes to selling natural gas, especially to Europe. That "hook in the jaw" God uses to draw Gog down to Israel is already here.
It's clear that these prophetic wars are so close as every day something happens that reveals their nearness. Of course, we're not rejoicing that this new Israel-Hamas war is happening, but rather we look to what happens after the Gog-Magog War when God supernaturally steps in and destroys the threat of Russia and Iran and Turkey and Gog's remaining coalition. The Jews will turn to God, though not yet to His Son.
Then, once the Tribulation commences, the whole world will turn against Israel. Tragically, that means the United States will turn against Israel on that day.
Blessed Promises
Tim Moore: All of these end times signs merely demonstrate that Jesus Christ is at the very gates of Heaven and that we are currently living in the season of Christ's return. We know God is still on His throne. He is still in control. And He will bring a great remnant of the Jewish people to salvation.
Nathan Jones: How blessed it is to read Psalm 121:4, "Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." The Jews are not alone, for God is on their side.
How to Help
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Learn More
The Wars of the End Times (Article)
The Psalm 83 War (Articles/Videos)
The War of Gog and Magog [Ezekiel 38-39] (Article/Video)
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