Gog of Magog and His Allies (Ezekiel 38-39)

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Gog of Magog and His Allies (Ezekiel 38-39)

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We come now to a remarkable prophecy, spanning chapters 38 and 39. It is God's message to Gog of Magog and his allies, who dwell far to the north of the Promised Land and of Ezekiel's place of exile in Babylon but will one day come down into the land of Israel with a vast invasion force. Notice that Gog's invasion will occur "after many days...in the latter years...in the latter days" (38:8, 16). So we are clearly dealing with an end-time prophecy.
Before more specifically examining the time factor, let's look at the identities of the various peoples mentioned.
"Gog, of the land of Magog," is called the "prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal" (verses 2-3; 39:1). He is allied with "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya" (verse 5)-or, as Ezekiel actually wrote, "Peras, Cush and Put" (Living Bible)-as well as "Gomer and...the house of Togarmah" (verse 6).
Most of these names can be found in the Table of Nations of Genesis 10, which lists the families of humanity descended from Noah. Notice: "Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.... The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan...." (verses 1-2, 6 emphasis added).
Notice that Gog is not mentioned here. That may be because the name Magog actually means "land of Gog"-so that perhaps the actual son of Japheth was named Gog and the nation he founded became known as Magog. The name Gog could in a later context designate anyone who was from the land of Gog (i.e., from Magog).
The first-century Jewish historian Josephus wrote: "Magog founded those that from him were named Magogites, but who by the Greeks were called Scythians" (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, chap. 6, sec. 2). The name Scythians denoted a wide array of peoples who ranged across the Russian Steppes all the way into China. (The Western Scythians were heavily Israelite and Germanic in nationality.)
One researcher writes of the Eastern-ranging Scythians: "The Assyrians called them Mat Gugi (Ma-Gog) which means 'the country of Gog'.... Let Milner, famous for his writings on the Japhetic races, add further to our understanding: 'Magog, as a geographical term used by Hebrews of old and Arabs today (Majaj), denoted that vast stretch of country to the north of the Black Sea, Caucasus, Caspian Sea, Hindu Kush, and Altai, known to the Greek geographers as Skythia'....
"The term Mongol, sometimes written as Mongoul, appears to be directly derived from Magog. In India, for example, Mongol becomes Moghul and a large part of China was known as Mangi when Europeans first visited it. The Arabs called the Scythian tribes of Tartary Yajuj and Majuj which is Gog and Magog and the Great Wall of China as the 'wall of al Magog'....
"Where is Magog located today? They migrated via southern Russia to their current homeland, leaving behind such place-names as: Mogliev city, Mogiolistan, Mugojar Mountains, Mogol-Tau Mountains. Among the people of Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, central and much of northern and southern China...and even some Japanese are also descended from Magog. Here are the hundreds of millions of China today. No wonder the name of ancestor Japhet means 'expansion,' implying a large or expanding race. Other peoples descended from Magog [as well]" (Craig White, In Search of...The Origin of Nations, 2003, pp. 189-190, available at www.originofnations.org).
Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names states in its entry on Magog: "[English biblical commentator Bishop] Lowth on this place says: 'The Mogul Tatars, a people of the Scythian race, are still called so by the Arabian writers.... By Gog and Magog may most probably be meant the Turks, who were originally natives of Tartary, called Turcheston [Turkestan] by the eastern writers, and whose language is derived from that of the Tartars'" (Alfred Jones, 1997).
Indeed, the Turkish peoples of Central Asia may be included-and are, at the very least, included in the broader alliance, as many of the Eastern Turks appear to derive from Togarmah (see White, p. 198). The Western Turks, as noted in the Bible Reading Program comments on Obadiah, appear to derive from Edom. As also explained there, one such group that appears to have migrated into Central Asia is the Edomite tribe of Amalek (see also White, p. 65). Interestingly, Amalekite kings bore the name Agag (Numbers 24:7; 1 Samuel 15:8) and we later see the enemy in the book of Esther, Haman, referred to as an Agagite (3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24). Josephus refers to him as an Amalekite (Antiquities, Book 11, chap. 6, sec. 5). Agag is written in the Septuagint as Agog, and there could conceivably be some relation to the name Gog-some, such as Milner cited above, suggesting that Agog is a compound of A (number 1) and Gog (great or high), denoting the ruler (see White, p. 65).
Indeed, it is possible that the names Gog and Magog may be figurative labels on some level in Ezekiel 38-39. Gog basically means "rooftop" and is also thought to mean mountain. As it seems to indicate a peak or highest point, some have viewed it as designating a supreme ruler-a despot or dictator. In that case, Gog of Magog becomes "dictator of the dictatorship." That would certainly fit the description given. Perhaps both the figurative and national meanings are intended.
On the other peoples listed, a footnote to Ezekiel 38:2-3 in The Living Bible states: "The names of Gog's confederates (Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth-togarmah) can be identified as Mushki, Tabal, Gimaraya, Tegerama, peoples who lived in the mountainous area southeast of the Black Sea and southwest of the Caspian." This would place them in the region of eastern Turkey and Armenia, just south of the Caucasus Mountains.
The New Unger's Bible Dictionary states in its entry on Tubal: "Tubal and Meschech, the Tabali and Mushki of the Assyrian monuments, were the representatives of eastern Asia Minor. Their territory originally extended far to the S[outh]. In the time of [Assyrian emperors] Sargon and Sennacherib, the territory of the Tabali adjoined Cilicia [in southeast Asia Minor], while the Mushki inhabited the highlands to the E[ast] of them, where they were in contact with the Hittites. In later days, however, Meshech had retreated to the N[orth], and the classical geographers place the Tibereni and the Mushki not far from the Black Sea." Thus we see a clear northward progression.
Meshech evidently "migrated with Tubal up to the Black Sea and into the Russian plains. Dr. Gesenius [the famous Hebrew lexicographer] wrote in the nineteenth century that Meshech became the Moschi.... They dwelt, he said, in the Moschian Mountains. The Moschian Mountains were the connecting chain between the Caucasus and Anti Taurus Mountains. The Scofield Reference Bible says that the 'reference to Meschech and Tubal (Moscow [the Russian capital] and Tobolsk [in West Siberia]) is a very clear mark of identification.... Milner explains: '...The whole district within five hundred miles of Moscow seems to be saturated with the name of Meschech.' He then refers...to the following place names: Moscow; the Moskva River; the Novo-Mosc-owsk on a tributary of the Dnieper; Mosch-Aisk near Borodino; Mosch-ok between Moscow and Nijini Novogorod; Mosch-arki stood on a tributary of the Volga River; Misch-etski stood between Moskow and the Tula...Mesch-a, a branch of the Dwina River; Mesch-Tschowsk near Tula [etc.]...." (White, pp. 178-179).
What about the name Rosh in Ezekiel 38-39? This name is not found in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10. Some translators prefer to view the word as the Hebrew word for "head" or "chief" and link it with the word prince in the verse as denoting "chief ruler" rather than as a tribal name. However, other translators prefer Rosh as a name. Interestingly, the Mitanni kingdom in eastern Asia Minor became known as the land of Rashu, "Rash or Rosh meaning 'blond.' Also, nearby dwelt the Urartians [ancient Armenians].... Their last great ruler was Rusa II who built great cities and huge defences. He established the religious center and fortress of Rusai-urau-tur or Rusa-patari which means 'the small city of Rusa'.... Herodotus wrote that the Matienaians from the land of Rosh were with the peoples of Tubal and Meschech; while Pliny wrote of the Matiani as moving into southern Russia over the Caucasus" (White, p. 267; see also p. 268).
It is commonly believed that the Varangian Rus, Vikings from Sweden, gave their name to Russia. However, "while western scholars accept this as the origin of the Rus, Soviet scholars contend that the Rus were Slavs from the southern steppes.Both are probably correct.... There is no evidence of a tribe from Scandinavia called Ros or Rus. But a tribe of the Antes was known as the 'Ros' and later modified to 'Rus' which resided along the river Ros, a tributary of the Dnieper in the southern Ukraine, just north of the Black Sea" (White, pp. 268-269).
So far, then, we have an alliance stretching from Russia and Turkestan in Western Asia to Mongolia and China in the Far East. Are other eastern peoples listed in Ezekiel 38-39?
Notice the listing of Gomer. This name has caused a lot of confusion as the ancient people near Armenia known as the Gimirrai or Cimmerians migrated around both sides of the Black Sea into Europe-becoming the Celts. For this reason, many equate Gomer with Europe. But the Gimirrai or Cimmerians who migrated into Europe were actually the people known to the Assyrians as Bit Khumri, the "house of Omri"-that is, the northern tribes of Israel (once ruled by the dynasty of Omri), who were taken captive to northern Assyria.
The actual people of Gomer (that is, of Japheth's son Gomer), migrated not to Europe but in the exact opposite direction-to southeast Asia. "Gomer gave rise to the Siamese [Thai], Burmese, Indonesians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians who all have the same sub-racial anthropological classifications.... The Cambodians' real name is the Khmer which is very likely derived from Gomer. Similarly, one of the regions of Burma is known as Khemarata. Also, Kamara was the original name of Sumatra.... We also find the area of Kemarat in Thailand and the Gimaras island in the Philippines. Given the aforementioned, it is highly likely that these place and ethnic names are ultimately traceable back to Gomer. While it is impossible to prove, it is most likely and should be included in our list of strong probabilities" (White, p. 194).
Consider next the people of Gomer's son Togarmah, who appears, as noted earlier, to be the progenitor of some of the peoples of eastern Turkestan. "The name may be preserved in the E[ast] Cappadocian city of Til-garimmu, listed in the Assyrian records" ("Togarmah," New Unger's Bible Dictionary). This location was in what is now central Turkey.
The Hittite name, given above in The Living Bible footnote, was Tegerama. The people of this region "lived on the border with Tabal. Other names for this people were Tegaram a Tilgarimma, Trochmi and Trogmades. The Tegarma or Tegarama migrated from Cappadocia into Armenia.... From there they moved into Turcoman territory (Turkistan) a possible derivation of Tegarama. In Turkistan, among the tablelands of Pamir, rose a great mount, Tagharma.... These were the Mongoloid peoples of the eastern division of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia" (White, p. 197).
An apocryphal Hebrew work known as the Book of Jasher, though contradictory of Scripture in a number of regards, may nevertheless contain some accurate historical traditions. It states that "the children of Tugarma are ten families, and these are their names: Buzar, Parzunac, Balgar, Elicanum, Ragbib, Tarki [another possible origin of the name Turk], Bid, Zebuc, Ongal and Tilmaz; all these spread and rested in the north and built themselves cities" (10:10).
"Among the sign-posts indicating where Togarmah settled we find: Tagarchi in eastern Turkestan; Tigranoama in eastern Turkey; Tagarma mountains in eastern Turkestan; the city of Tagarma in western China; Taganrog, Tigeretsk Mountain, Togur town, Turgai province and Turgins, a town in Siberia; many Uighur peoples may be a derivative of Togarmah.
"Tradition speaks in terms of a certain son of Japheth known as Tork [Togarmah or Tarki?]. He in turn had a son Taunak Chan. He was in turn succeeded by Jelza Khan, Dibbakui Khan, Kajuk Khan and Ilingeh (or Alanza) Khan. Ilingeh Khan in turn had two sons: Tatar Khan-progenitor of the Tartars; and Mongul Khan-progenitor of some of the Mongols or Moghuls" (White, pp. 197-198).
If these people did indeed migrate to eastern Turkestan and then up into Siberia and Mongolia, as appears likely, that would certainly fit the biblical description of "the house of Togarmah from the far north" (Ezekiel 38:6).
The only ones left to identify in Gog's confederation are "Peras, Cush and Put" (Ezekiel 38:5, The Living Bible). Peras is correctly translated in the NKJV and other versions as Persia. Persia is modern-day Iran. The descendants of the ancient Persians may still be found in their homeland of Iran. They can also be found, as noted in the Bible Reading Program comments on Isaiah 21, in parts of Eastern Europe and of India.
What then of Cush and Put? The NKJV and other translations usually render these as Ethiopia and Libya. Cush and Put (or Phut) were, according to the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, sons of Ham, father of many of the dark-skinned people of the world. Cush, it is generally acknowledged, became Ethiopia and other black peoples of East Africa. And the people of Put were indeed the ancient Libyans, whose descendants may be found throughout black Africa (see White, pp. 89-97).
Yet these two would seem to be the odd men out in this prophecy, being African while all the rest of the confederation is Eurasian. Indeed, the alliance thus far appears to include all of Asia north and east of the Euphrates River except for most of the people of the Indian subcontinent. However, when we better understand the identity of Cush and Put, we can see that the people of South Asia are not left out at all (and that the African branch of these peoples are probably not intended by the prophecy).
Concerning the identity of the people of India, 19th-century author George Faber wrote: "Their military nobility is acknowledged to be of the same family as the Sacas or Chasas, who maintain that their great common ancestor was Cusha or Cush... But we read in a special manner of two lands of Cush, the Asiatic and the African. These were by the Greeks called the two Ethiopias...but by the Hindoos [Hindus], as by the sacred writers, they are denominated the land of Cush within and the land of Cush without" (The Origin of Pagan Idolatry, 1816, qtd. by White, p. 99).
In Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization, author Martin Bernal writes: "The tradition of two Ethiopias is much older than [the 5th-century-B.C. Greek historian] Herodotus. In the Odyssey [of the Greek writer Homer], the Ethiopians are described as dwelling 'sundered in twain, the farthermost of men, some where Hyperion [the sun] sets and some where he rises.' Thus, there were Black men, Aithiopes...from Western Libya (Africa) to Eastern Mesopotamia" (qtd. by White, pp. 100-101).
Those on the east of Mesopotamia evidently migrated further east, giving their name to the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. "A few other tell-tale signs of the movement eastwards of the sons of Cush include a land called Kushian, in modern Pakistan. Just to the north of India also lay the land Kashgana. And in the south of India ran a river called Kishna. All of these names are variously derivatives of 'Cush'" (White, p. 102). Thus, many of the dark-skinned people of the Indian subcontinent are evidently Cushite.
Regarding the people of Put or Phut, historian George Rawlinson wrote: "This term is obscure.... In most {scriptures} Phut is joined with tribes which are distinctively African; but in two of them (Ezek [27].10, and [38].5), the accompanying nations seem to be Asiatic. The explanation of this may possibly be that, as there were two Cushes, so there were two Phuts, one Asiatic, and the other African" (qtd. by White, p. 97).
The eastern branch of Put "may have migrated from the east Mediterranean region as this is where anthropologists trace the northern Indians to. All one can say is that large parts of India were known as Rajputna (modern Rajasthan state). Rajputna was a group of princely states ruled over by a warrior-caste called the Rajputs (meaning 'chief of Put' or 'chief over Put'). In northern India, near Bhutan, we find the town called Panta, later Patali-putra, the capital city of Maghada State. The Rajputs and others drove the Dravidian Cushites into Central and Southern India. Those Phutites which settled in Central India mixed with the Dravidians. In the east some mixed with the Mongoloids" (White, pp. 97-98).
So rather than present-day Ethiopia and Libya in Africa, it appears much more likely that Ezekiel 38:5 is speaking of the people of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Consider then: the vast hordes of India, China, Indonesia, Russia, Turkestan and more combined-an unimaginable force and staggeringly formidable foe to be sure...
But no match at all for Almighty God.

When Will Gog's Forces Invade and Be Destroyed? (Ezekiel 38-39)

We have already seen that Ezekiel 38-39 is a prophecy of the latter days (38:8, 16). Yet where does it fit in the march of end-time events?
Some, thinking the Israelites brought out of the nations and back to the Promised Land in Ezekiel 38:8 is referring to the Jews who have returned to the land during the past century, conclude that this prophecy concerns an invasion of the modern Jewish state of Israel prior to Christ's return. But this view simply does not fit the picture here. The returned Israelites are described in this prophecy as dwelling in peace and safety-in a "land of unwalled villages...without walls, and having neither bars nor gates" (verse 11). While modern cities don't normally have defensive walls, the image here is mainly a figurative one-of living in complete peace, free from invasion or harm. And that certainly does not describe the modern Israeli state. Israel today is constantly under grave threat from hostile neighbors and from terrorists within. In fact, the Israelis are currently building an actual wall or security fence to protect them against Palestinian suicide bombers.
Neither can the prophecy refer to, as some assume, the gathering of forces at Armageddon referred to in Revelation 16 and their destruction in Revelation 19. There is some parallel symbolism, as the sacrificial feast of fallen troops given to birds and beasts is found in both Ezekiel 39 and Revelation 19. However, similar imagery is also used of the defeat of Egypt, as we will next read in Ezekiel 32:4-5. Moreover, the people of Israel will by no means be dwelling safely as the gathering at Armageddon occurs, with the forces of the European-centered Beast power, end-time Babylon, still occupying the Holy Land. And having just experienced the Great Tribulation, with the cataclysmic Day of the Lord still ongoing, the Israelites will not yet be enriched with "livestock and goods" (compare Ezekiel 38:12).
Considering these factors, the only time that fits what is described is the period after the return of Jesus Christ. When He comes, He will defeat Israel's enemies and gather those who are left of all Israel in the Promised Land, where they will at last dwell in peace and safety under His rule.
As that stage of Christ's reign will last 1,000 years (the Millennium), during which time Satan the devil will be imprisoned (Revelation 20:1-6), the question now becomes: At what point following the commencement of the Millennium will the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39 come to pass?
Some think it comes at the end, when there definitely will be a march to battle by Gog and Magog. Revelation 20:7-9 states: "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." It is also claimed that because armaments such as shields, bucklers, bows, arrows, javelins and spears will be able to be burned for seven years (Ezekiel 39:9-10), this must indicate not modern weaponry but wooden implements-fashioned by people at the end of the Millennium who will be without military technology and hardware.
But there are problems with this view. For one, Gog and Magog in Revelation 20 are said to be from the four corners of the earth and therefore apparently represent people of all nationalities. In Ezekiel 38, it is clear the forces are of specific ethnicities and associated with a particular northern region.
Notice also what God says to Gog in Ezekiel 38:17: "Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them" (NIV). How then could Ezekiel 38 be a postmillennial reference, as none of the prophets appear to have mentioned this in any other prophecy (unless it was simply not recorded)-the only reference being in the New Testament book of Revelation?
(Granted, there do not seem to be any other references to an invasion early in the Millennium either. Yet the destruction of Gog's forces at that point in time may simply be part of the fulfillment of God's general prophecies of calamitous judgment accompanying the Messiah's coming. Indeed, if Gog is a leader of Edom, which seems possible given that the western Turks may have blended to some degree with those of the East and that Gog may be short for Agog or Agag, there may be more specific prophecies regarding him-that is, those that foretell Edom's great downfall at the time of Christ's return.)
A more serious objection to Gog's invasion in Ezekiel being postmillennial is that it evidently occurs soon after the return of Israel to the Promised Land-not after they have dwelt there for a thousand years. Notice Ezekiel 39:7: "So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore." Clearly, if the Israelites had been living under Christ's rule for a thousand years at this point, this statement would not seem to make any sense.
Notice also: "So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward" (verse 22). Yet at the end of the Millennium, Israel will already have been living under God's covenant for a thousand years, wherein "no more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying 'Know the Lord,' for they all shall know [Him], from the least of them to the greatest of them" (Jeremiah 31:34). It thus seems to make more sense to view verse 22 as applying to a time early in the Millennium. (It's interesting that up to this point, many Israelites are still confused about the identity and character of Jesus Christ and the unlimited extent of His power. It appears that up to this time they have not yet fully and reverently submitted to His rule.)
By the end of the Millennium, the gentiles too will know the Lord-indeed, they will know Him throughout most of the Millennium, for of Christ's 1,000-year reign we are told that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9). And yet Ezekiel 38-39 presents the defeat of Gog as resulting in the gentiles coming to know God. It appears, then, that the defeat of Gog described in Ezekiel must come during the early part of the Millennium.
Further, God says that in the wake of Gog's defeat "the Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity" (39:23)-that is, this is the point at which the nations would come to understand it. "Then," He continues, "they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent [the Israelites] into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land...And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel" (verses 28-29). Again, it seems obvious that this is describing events that take place shortly after Christ's return.
Indeed, the arrangement of Ezekiel's final chapters may have some bearing here. God spoke of giving His Spirit to His people after the return of Christ in Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 37 continues on that theme. Though it briefly flashes forward to the period after the Millennium to show that even all the Israelites who have died will ultimately receive the same opportunity, the story flow then returns to the beginning of the Millennium, when the nations of Israel and Judah are at last fused together as one nation. Continuing with that flow, it would appear that the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39 will come next in time order-followed by that of chapters 40-48, concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its temple and the reorganization of the Promised Land, events that will also transpire early in the Millennium.
Of course, many of Gog's forces will evidently be destroyed when Christ first returns. For Revelation 16:14-16 says that "the kings...of the whole world" will gather at Armageddon for the "battle of that great day of God Almighty." Yet, understanding the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39 to come early in the Millennium, it is evident that only part of Gog's army will be present in the Holy Land to be destroyed at Christ's coming. It seems likely that vast numbers will yet be stretched across Eurasia-apparently what remains of the 200-million-man force described in Revelation 9. Sometime after Christ smites the forces gathered against Him (which, again, would necessarily include only part of Gog's forces), perhaps even a few years later, the remainder of Gog's forces then marches down for the onslaught described in Ezekiel. (This is consistent with the fact that when Jesus returns, He will not bring the entire world into instant compliance with His way. Rather, Isaiah 2:2-4 and Zechariah 14:16-19 demonstrate that there will be a period of bringing the nations into line through both instruction and disciplinary measures.)
What then of the seemingly archaic military equipment? Certainly ancient weaponry has been used in other end-time passages to represent modern war implements. Yet does the fact that these armaments are used as fuel for fire for seven years mean none of them can be metal or modern? Many guns and rifles, and most notably the AK-47 assault rifle so popular in third world nations, have wooden stocks. Consider also that there are many flammable elements to even jeeps, tanks and jet planes-not least of which is their fuel. The fuel and reserve fuel for thousands upon thousands of military vehicles is staggering to contemplate. Small quantities of material can be used as a fire starter-and there would be vast quantities available. Furthermore, consider all the possessions of an enormous military force on the move-this one perhaps two thirds as large as the current U.S. population. There would be an unimaginable amount of burnable material for the few million Israelites then living in the Promised Land. Also, perhaps new technology, whether invented by man or given by God, could allow even metal to be converted to usable energy.
Of course, it should also be mentioned that a vast Eurasian army would have not only well-trained troops with sophisticated equipment but also huge numbers of poorly outfitted infantry and cavalry. Among hordes of Chinese peasantry and third-world Muslim jihadis, it would not at all be surprising to find large numbers of wooden spears, clubs, crossbows, wood-handled machetes and sabers-even hoes and pitchforks.
So if it is describing a later episode than Ezekiel 38-39, why does Revelation 20 mention Gog and Magog? As already noted, these names seem to be used there in a representative sense for a Satan-led force coming from all nations at the end of the Millennium. It may be that the great invasion of Gog and Magog that occurs near the beginning of the Millennium is being viewed as a forerunner of the postmillennial invasion. The first was a multinational force. The later will be as well-though encompassing even more nations. It may even be that Gog and Magog will constitute the largest portion of this final rebellious force. Some, it should be noted, see numerical significance to the use of Gog and Magog in Revelation, explaining that the words numerically add up to 70, a number the Jews see as representative of all nations (as 70 nations are listed in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10). Or given that Gog and Magog can perhaps mean "dictator" and "dictatorship" respectively, perhaps that is the parallel. In any case, the invasion of Ezekiel 38-39 does not appear to be the invasion of Revelation 20, though there is apparently some tie between them, if only a figurative one.
By the defeat of Gog's forces, God says He will set His glory among the nations-they will know His great power and majesty. The Israelites will come to know Him as their personal Savior and Protector. And the gentiles will see that as well-leading them, at last, to desire to become God's people too.

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Thanksgiving vs. Christmas

 by Denny Luker 8 comments Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

America just largely ignored its most biblical holiday: Thanksgiving.
Christmas shopping ad campaigns like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Tuesday—even Black Friday Month—dominated advertising and even news coverage at the end of November. But so little attention was given to Thanksgiving.
Some Christians denounce the commercializing of the religious meaning of Christmas, but sadly, they miss many vital points of truth. However, our premise with The Good News magazine is that you don’t have to miss those points!

Three reasons why Thanksgiving is more biblical than Christmas:

1. Jesus Christ did give thanks to God the Father.
When He fed the 4,000 and the 5,000 hungry men plus women and children, Jesus gave thanks and blessed the food (Matthew 15:30-39; John 6:1-14). At the end of His ministry He specifically thanked God for the unleavened bread and wine of the Passover ceremony that commemorated the sacrifice of His own life for our sins (Luke 22:14-23).
The principle of thanking God for all our physical and spiritual blessings and for life itself is woven throughout the Bible. As national holidays America’s and Canada’s Thanksgiving Days are based on honoring the blessings that God has given their people. ( Is Thanksgiving Rooted in a Biblical Festival? )
2. Jesus Christ did not command that His birthday be observed.
Part of developing Christianity decided to observe Christ’s day of birth, but “Christ-mass,” as it came to be called, was not widely observed until A.D. 354! However, Jesus, His disciples and the apostles did not observe His birthday.
Instead of His day of birth, Christ commanded His followers to observe the day of His death—the Passover (1 Corinthians 11:26). Unfortunately, Christianity long ago rejected the Passover and substituted Easter—a day named after and honoring the pagan fertility goddess Ishtar. This is something that Jesus doesn’t approve of!  ( Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth )
3. Jesus Christ was not born on December 25.
Despite the popular idea, the shepherds did not stay out at night with their flocks in mid-winter. It got too cold for that during winter near Bethlehem! Also, the Christmas-observing part of Christianity had no clear idea when He was born, so they suggested dates from all over the calendar during the early centuries after Christ.
However, had they more carefully read the details in the Bible, those early church leaders could have found that although the exact day of His birth is not revealed, Jesus of Nazareth was born in the autumn—not in the winter. ( Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Wasn't Born on December 25 )
We want to thank you for being a reader of The Good News and encourage you to share it with your friends and family. Keep reading and learning more!

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An Overlooked Aspect of the Climate Change Debate

 by Mike Bennett Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The Bible talks about a cause of future climate change that no scientific model can predict and that no amount of debate can debunk. The core of the Bible teaching is simple, but the future predictions are earthshaking.

On Monday the UN climate change conference began in Copenhagen with 192 countries represented. About 100 world leaders are expected to attend various parts of the two-week conference intended to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. An international survey commissioned by the BBC found that “64% of people questioned said that they considered global warming a very serious problem—up 20% from a 1998 poll.” But the recent so-called “ClimateGate” scandal has led to “widening concern about the state of climate science” that “could jeopardize any agreement at this week’s summit in Copenhagen,” said CBS correspondent Declan McCullagh. “To be sure, many—perhaps even most—climate researchers say any flaw in the leaked data assembled by the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU) does not mean the theory of man-made global warming is false. Nicholas Stern, chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, calls evidence for that theory ‘overwhelming,’” Mr. McCullagh wrote. Still, a Rasmussen Reports survey shows many Americans are not convinced. Over half think it is likely that some scientists have falsified research data, and 35 percent believe it is “very likely.” Also 49 percent think the United Nations is not a reliable source of information on global warming. Besides these doubts, economic realities and different priorities between industrialized and developing countries seem likely to limit the final agreements of the conference. But in all the debate, is there an important aspect of climate change that is being totally overlooked? The Bible talks about a cause of future climate change that no scientific model can predict and that no amount of debate can debunk. The core of the Bible teaching is simple, but the future predictions are earthshaking. Cause and effect One of the key lessons of the Bible is the lesson of cause and effect. There’s the farming analogy that says you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). The wisdom of Proverbs 26:2 tells us that “a curse without cause shall not alight.” And two long chapters in the books of Moses spell out the causes of blessings and the causes of curses (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). These blessings and curses include physical things like good or bad weather and agricultural abundance or famine. Interestingly, the cause of these climate changes goes far beyond our decisions about how to treat the environment. God says the blessings and curses are the consequences of whether we obey His laws (Deuteronomy 28:1, 15). Part of God’s commands deal with how we care for His earth, and God is angry with those who destroy the earth (Genesis 2:15; Revelation 11:18). But God tells us that how we treat each other and how we treat Him is also a part of the cause-and-effect equation. Sin—disobedience to God’s laws—will lead to disastrous climate changes. Punishment for sin The mysterious book of Revelation is full of warnings of end-time plagues brought about because of humanity’s rejection of God. The calamities predicted include the death of “every living creature in the sea” and the sun scorching people with “great heat” (Revelation 16:3, 9). Sadly, God tells us that these plagues on the physical environment are necessary to wake people up to the evil effects of sin. But thankfully the God who sends these plagues will also reverse them, and will create a beautiful new environment in which to start over. In the Kingdom of God under Jesus Christ’s rule, the nations of the world will learn not only to care for the environment, but to obey the spiritual laws that create a peaceful climate between people and with God. The prophet Isaiah pictured it like a return to Eden, with hunger and disease removed and joy and gladness in their place (Isaiah 51:3; 35:1-2, 5-7) For a deeper understanding of God’s warnings for the end time and the hope He offers on beyond, read Are We Living in the Time of the End? More details are available in “The Destruction of Satan’s Kingdom” from the booklet The Book of Revelation Unveiled.

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Syria's Assad Threatens to Rain Missiles on Tel Aviv

 by Tom Robinson 5 comments Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Bashar al-Assad tightens his grip on his power, threatening attacks on Israel if outside intervention is taken to stop him.

Wikipedia

Syria's Assad Threatens to Rain Missiles on Tel Aviv

With the death of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, things have gotten terribly uncomfortable for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—and his worry has led to serious threats.
Gaddafi was the latest Middle East dictator to fall in the wave of the Arab Spring. Fighting against his own people helped to bring NATO forces in to support the revolutionaries. Assad, who has violently clamped down on his own nation, fears similar intervention in Syria.
In early October, the Syrian leader threatened to set fire to the Middle East by striking Israel, stating in a meeting with the foreign minister of Turkey, a NATO member, “If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need no more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv” (quoted in “Report: Assad Threatens to Attack Tel Aviv in Case of NATO Strike,” Ynet News, Oct. 4, 2011).
He further “stressed that Damascus will also call on Hezbollah in Lebanon to launch a fierce rocket and missile attack on Israel, one that Israeli intelligence could never imagine. ‘All these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran will attack US warships in the Persian Gulf as American and European interests will be targeted simultaneously,’ Assad reportedly said” (ibid.).
According to the intelligence and security news service DEBKA file: “Israel reacted with a warning of its own: If a single Syrian missile explodes in Tel Aviv, Damascus will be first to pay the price, and if the missile offensive persists, one Syrian town after another will be destroyed. The Israeli message to Assad cited the warnings Defense Minister Ehud Barak and other government members addressed in the past year to Hizballah, that if Tel Aviv comes under attack from its missiles, not only Beirut but all of Lebanon would go up in flames. Assad was given to understand that Syria would go the same way as Lebanon if it engaged in missile belligerence against Israel” (“Turkish Military Exercise on Syrian Border. Assad Threatens Tel Aviv if Attacked,” Oct. 4, 2011).
Some see the building tensions as leading up to the fulfillment of a prophecy in Isaiah 17:1: “Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1). The fulfillment of this prophecy is clearly yet future, as Damascus, while it has been overthrown in the past, has never ceased from being a city. (In fact, it’s reputedly the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.)
But the timing and cause of this destruction are not clear. While it could conceivably result from an Israeli retaliatory strike, there are reasons from other prophecies to place the destruction of Damascus in the same context as the judgment on others of Israel’s neighbors during the period of the Day of the Lord, just prior to Christ’s return.
In any case, a massive attack on Tel Aviv would certainly set the Middle East on fire—a fire that could well devastate Damascus and the rest of Syria.
For a broader overview of events to come in the region, send for or download our free booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy (Sources: Ynet News, DEBKAfile.)

Star Wars III What Makes a Hero Go Bad?

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Star Wars III

What Makes a Hero Go Bad?

Posted on Nov 4, 2005 by John Gould Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

As the Star Wars series finally comes to a close, what lessons can we learn from its story line and characters?

Beginning with the initial offering of the saga of Star Wars in 1977, we watched with fascination as Luke Skywalker battled the evil Darth Vader. In many ways the six episodes were as suspenseful as an old-time serial melodrama. If you’re an older person, you may recall the ones they showed, 10 minutes at a time, in the local movie theater. They kept us on the edge of our seats, and we came back to the theater over and over again until we saw the end of the series.
Throughout history, people have loved epic stories with heroes. Some conquered dragons and saved maidens from sure death. Others fought the invading enemies; and even if their own lives were lost, they saved the lives of many others. Some followed complex paths of one demanding task after another, until the authorities were satisfied that the hero was really a prince in disguise, and gave him a crown.
What happens, then, when such a hero turns bad? That is the underlying theme and question behind the Star Wars saga.
To the cynic, Star Wars is either a massive effort to make money in the name of entertainment or it is a gigantic retelling of a heroic epic based on the continual struggle between good and evil.

You make the choice!

The six-part epic is based on a simple premise: We are responsible for the choices we make. Almost all literature has a theme of choosing between good and evil. This probably goes back to our original parents, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. When they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3), they accepted both good and evil into their lives.
Anakin Skywalker was born to a woman of lowly status, who supposedly had never had sexual relations with a man. As a child, he gains knowledge and skills far beyond his own contemporaries, and is recognized as having the potential to “bring balance to the Force.” In other words, he is perceived as a “hero” but, as yet, an untrained one.

There is a moral to the story of Anakin Skywalker: “The choices we make define our destiny.”

As he reaches the stage of young manhood, he is tempted to use his powers in a situation, that is above the law, thus becoming a law-breaker, all as a result of his anger at the death of his mother. In seeking justice, he oversteps the bounds of social responsibility, and turns to vengeance. The act is an irreversible one, in which he eventually turns away from the path of truth (including the path of protecting the weak from evil) to a life of focusing on gain and self.
In the Bible, Judas Iscariot faced a similar crisis. Judas was chosen by Jesus to become one of His closest companions. He participated in the early evangelistic tours—God’s miracles and healing went with them, and even demons were subject to their commands. He was even treasurer of the group, but the power of such responsibility turned his heart; he became a thief and eventually betrayed Jesus.
Star Wars IV follows a new hero, Luke, the son of Anakin, from a humble beginning to learning the ways of truth and the difference between right and wrong. He is the hero that his father could have been. He sticks with obedience to law and a commitment to restore right behavior in the universe. He then becomes a Jedi knight, and a champion who fights against the evil that seduced his father.
In the end, there is a battle, a contest of the will between Luke and what his father had become. It is a struggle, and there is temptation. He can either die or turn over to a lust for power, control and selfishness. This is what George Lucas has termed the “dark side of the Force.”
There is a moral to the story of Anakin Skywalker: “The choices we make define our destiny.” It is equally true regarding our human potential. God created mankind with free moral agency. He instructed the first man and woman to follow His ways and laws or face death. And today He presents us with the same choice. If we will submit to Him, and follow His plan for success, we will eventually become like God.
Behind this story, we realize Anakin was strongly influenced by his mentors. Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had strong streaks of independence! We see this same streak of independence repeats itself—a resistance to listen to the advice of friends or to the wise opinions of the Jedi Council. Eventually, Anakin decides to allow the dark side, which is in reality his own selfishness, into his life.
This process bears a strong resemblance to what turned Lucifer from a beautiful angel of light into the devil, a process that was revealed when he decided, “I will be[come] like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14).
At the end of episode VI, Luke gains the self-control needed to become and remain a successful Jedi knight. He seems destined to become a leader of a new dynasty, a family of rulers that will serve for the greater good of all life.
It is much like the promise that God made to humanity in Revelation 19 There is a hero, Jesus the Messiah, riding in from outer space (heaven) to fight against evil and restoring good to all humanity. He then leads us toward a wonderful world tomorrow.

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The Paris Attacks

  by Darris McNeely Listen

Video of BT Daily: The Paris Attacks

Terrorism continues to impact the nations. What can we learn from this latest tragedy?

Transcript

[Darris McNeely] Like so many others, we’ve been sobered by the attacks in Paris last Friday night that left 129 people dead and more than 300 wounded as they were setting out on a weekend of entertainment and activities at a stadium and a theater and in the streets of Paris, when suddenly, terror struck that city, leaving the nation stunned and the world watching exactly what was taking place. Our thoughts and certainly our sympathies go out toward the city, toward the nation, toward the people and all who have been involved in that. We recognize, after having been through it in America, just how close these things hit. And you begin to wonder if you’ve got friends, family, acquaintances in those areas – are they safe and are they okay?
This is going to be playing out for a number of days and the ultimate ramifications of it. I feel a bit sobered by it because just a day earlier I had done a Beyond Today program along the lines of why they hate us and the spirit of hatred – speaking about the hatred focused on the west by Islamic fundamentalist groups out in the Middle East over the recent years and the real root cause of these problems. In that program, we went back to the deeper spiritual roots – that’ll be airing in a few weeks on Beyond Today television – but as we look at this and wait and see what the reactions will be, it’s sobering to recognize that Europe itself is going through a number of changes with all of the migrants that are coming in – one million slated to come into Germany this year – it is changing the entire European continent. And now with this most recent attack and the threat of others, the reaction is going to be something that is long-term and far beyond probably what most pundits and experts even understand can happen in a nation like France, the continent of Europe, and certainly the Middle East and the impact upon the world.
To bring us down to our own level, again, my program last week was focused in on the book of Daniel, and I’ve been going through a series on that. We just recently aired a program on the handwriting on the wall, that story that comes out of Daniel chapter 5 – the finger that appeared in the night of Belshazzar’s feast and trumpeted the collapse of the Babylonian Empire.
There’s a very personal lesson from that. As Babylon was numbered and weighed and divided and found wanting, and judged by God, all of us can take a lesson from that. And as we look at what has happened in France and what yet might happen, these are very serious times, and the handwriting is on the wall for many nations. And if we recognize this as an opportunity, perhaps we can see that the handwriting is on the wall for us. And God is judging us. And how do we react to the events of the world today? How do we act what’s taking place in our life? Do we use them to motivate us to a serious reflection of worship of God, getting our lives in order, to understand the seriousness of the times in which we live? That perhaps for all of us is very sobering, and can be motivating to help us all recognize that these are the times for us to look at our own lives, and to be moved to godly righteousness and godly action, and to consider exactly where we are in our relationship with God as nations should also look and understand where they are in relation to God and His ultimate plan and purpose.
It’s a lesson – it’s a thought out of these most tragic events of the last few days.
That’s BT Daily .

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Can the U.S. Consumer Save the World?

 by Mike Bennett Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Will Americans spend or save? Which should they do?

After decades of growing consumer debt that contributed to the global economic crisis, American consumers are being asked to do two contradictory things to help bring the United States and the world out of the crisis: Spend and save.

Christmas spending likely to disappoint many

MarketWatch reports that the madness of Black Friday, with all its sales and discounts, only brought in a half percent increase in retail sales. The Friday after American Thanksgiving is considered the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season, the most important period for retailers. The small increase in sales is a reminder that the American consumer, once considered the engine of the world economy, is still overstretched and cannot serve as the catalyst of another boom.
Spending was a bit stronger in the Internet world. “Analytics firm comScore said Sunday that U.S. online spending on Black Friday was the strongest it has ever been, up 11 percent over the prior year, with $595 million spent online,” reported Reuters . Still that online figure is dwarfed by the $10.66 billion spent at brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday.
The National Retail Federation noted that consumer traffic increased over the four-day period from Nov. 26 to 29, but total sales still only rose half a percent to $41.2 billion. “The higher turnout and lower average spending were in line with expectations, the NRF said. The group is sticking to a forecast for a 1% drop in spending this holiday season,” reported BusinessWeek  .
“For investors who were looking for material topline growth and a return of the consumer, that's not in the cards for 2010,” Eric Beder, an analyst at Brean Murray Carret & Co., told Reuters . Many analysts had predicted that retail sales would improve since sales figures were so bad in 2008, at the height of recession and the credit crisis. For these analysts, this year's results are especially disappointing.
Why is this important? Because consumer spending makes up about 70 percent of the U.S. economy. Reuters says, “Economists and analysts are watching the holiday shopping season closely this year for signs consumers are willing to spend again.”

Savings rate disappoints the rest

On the other side of the ledger are the realists who note that no society can continue indefinitely to borrow more than it saves. As the Bible says, “The borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).
America, as the world's superpower with what has been the world's easiest currency to trade, has seemingly had a free pass. We have received the benefit of the doubt, though that benefit appears to be coming to an end. Up to this point, countries like China have sold us far more than they have purchased from us. And they have turned around and loaned trillions of dollars to the U.S. government to finance its debt.
A smaller, less powerful country that did not control the world's reserve currency would have been forced to shape up long ago. Government spending would have been curtailed, and taxes raised. Household debt, which grew as much, relative to income, from 2000 to 2007 as it had in the previous 25 years, would have been restricted. Personal savings, which reached a low of -0.7 percent in 2005, would have been encouraged.
As it is, the recession has forced many consumers to reduce their debt, and fears of unemployment have caused some to increase their savings. But the rate is still very low compared to most countries.
In fact, the only sustainable economic approach would be for Americans to save more and spend less. But this tough medicine has its dangers. We're in so deep, the prudent thing in the long run can be foolish in the short run.
Research from the McKinsey Global Institute shows that “each percentage point increase in the savings rate would reduce spending by more than $100 billion—a serious drag on any recovery.”
And so we see economists and government leaders playing this precarious balancing act of encouraging people to spend, but not too much, and encouraging people to save, but not too much of that either.
On the microeconomic level of your own family, what are the prudent steps to take? The Bible contains a great deal of advice about the wise use of money, and we have collected much of it in a free resource called Managing Your Finances . Read it online or download your own copy.

Treasures of Thankfulness

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Treasures of Thankfulness

 by Dan Dowd 2 comments Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Reflecting on the Sabbath, the lessons of the week, and God’s Word.

freeimages.com/mjamesno

VT Sabbath Focus: Treasures of Thankfulness

Thursday of next week is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S.A. Originally established to thank God for the blessings received in this country, yet as a nation we seem to have forgotten the meaning of Thanksgiving Day. Consequently it has morphed into the opening bell for the Christmas buying season. Retailers have been feeling the economic pinch in recent years, and so have become even more aggressive in luring potential customers into their stores on Thanksgiving or even before that day.
Some years ago I was interested in getting a new computer for my wife and decided that I would go out early on Black Friday hoping to get a great deal. I arrived at the computer store shortly before 5 a.m. and witnessed a mob of people already there. Literally, standing room only. The line for the checkout stretched half-way around the interior of the store. Needless to say, the computer bargain I was looking for was long gone. This scenario has not improved over the years. People now camp out in front of retail stores days before Thanksgiving so that they can be one of the first in the store on Black Friday.
Remembering my experience, some questions come to my mind:
- Are we as zealous for what God has given us? What does Christ tell us to set as our priority in Matthew 6:33? God wants us to desire His way actively, not passively – desiring what God desires should come first in our lives. Do we value the calling God has given to us now, more than all of those shoppers giving up their sleep on a day off from work in order to get the greatest bargains?
- If you had to purchase the truth of God, what would you be willing to pay? What if you had the treasure in your back yard to purchase such a truth and didn’t even know it? Read Matthew 13:44-46.
Do we value the truth God gives us that much? Are we deeply thankful for the calling God has given to us now – to be part of the firstfruits? Are we thankful to have the hope of His Kingdom – to know that there are solutions to the problems mankind has created in this world? Are we thankful to be called to serve, and be able to practice that in this lifetime and see the blessings that come from living God’s way of life?
- Perhaps on this Sabbath day, before the holiday of Thanksgiving you could make a personal list of what you are thankful for – both physical and spiritually – that God has given to you.
It’s easy to see what the world values during this time of year. Very few celebrate Thanksgiving with true thankfulness. Few are seeking something bigger than the latest gadget in their life. And few are willing to invest in changing themselves so that they can be part of changing the world for the better.
Having been called out of that world, we need to constantly remind ourselves what God has given us to value. Let us be thankful for the physical and spiritual blessings of God. And let’s remember to be thankful for the knowledge that our God is loving, merciful, patient, and giving.

70 Years After World War II What Have We Learned?

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70 Years After World War II

What Have We Learned?

 by Darris McNeely Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Do you ever wonder what prevents evil from triumphing? This year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Looking at these related issues should make us think about the deep currents of good and evil that flow in this world.

On May 9, 60 world leaders gathered in Moscow to celebrate the end of World War II—“the Last Good War,” as some call it. Over 40 million people perished in that conflict. It is fitting that Russia hosted the event since the Soviet Union lost more people, 27 million, than any other nation. Sixty years later they still reflect on what that conflict meant to the world.
In August the commemoration of the end of the war in the Pacific with the atomic bomb will follow, and we'll see more reflection over that event. Last year it was the 60th anniversary of D-Day that brought leaders to France to remember. Considering the age of the veterans of that astounding struggle—most of those still living are in their 80s—this will be the last great commemoration for the generation that fought in that global conflict.
Recently I heard former U.S. Senator Robert Dole, himself a veteran who was gravely wounded in Italy during the last days of the war, commenting on radio about how few Americans who fought then are still alive. The “greatest generation” is rapidly leaving us. Their story is truly one of heroic proportions.
Evil defeated—yet forgotten
Good and evil were clearly defined in that war. Nazi fascism was embodied in Benito Mussolini of Italy, Emperor Hirohito of Japan and, worst of all, Germany's Adolf Hitler. Had this original “axis of evil” won, it is likely I would not be writing to you in English. The whole history of the past 60 years would be much different.
But they did not win. America came late to that conflict yet made the decisive difference—turning the tide along with the other Allied powers.
But time marches on, and America's role in that conflict is gradually being forgotten by a new generation in Europe. This collective amnesia is part of the growing divide between Europe and the United States and has serious consequences.
One is that few Europeans today feel indebted to America for saving them from Nazism and returning freedom to their soil. World War II is the one item of European history about which Americans are likely to be well versed. It has been the theme of movies, books and memory for 60 years.
That is part of why Americans puzzle over the European failure to support U.S. intervention in Iraq. “We spent our blood to give you freedom; now why can't you support the same for another nation?,” Americans ask. Yet the past is forgotten, as if it didn't happen.
Europeans avidly consume American films and follow American politics. They are generally better informed about America than Americans are about them and can explain reasons for the vast gulf. The European view of America was largely shaped well before the recent Iraq war.
Another consequence of the European amnesia is the failure to see potential for a sudden shift in governmental policy toward a reduction of personal liberties. People may vote for European anti-immigration parties without thinking they are supporting ideas that once led to the ovens of Treblinka or Auschwitz. Sadly, some have even forgotten what the names of these extermination camps stand for.
Some observers speculate that an attack on a major European nation on the scale of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America could quickly tip the scales of democracy toward a totalitarian form of government. Sixty years after the war one hears the strains of Rudyard Kipling's poem “Recessional,” with its haunting refrain of “lest we forget, lest we forget!”
A war that shaped the century
The 20th century was one of mankind's bloodiest periods. World War II was really a continuation of World War I and represents the high-water mark of a century of tragedy. Its shadow defined the next 50 years, not only for the nations but for many individuals as well.
My father went to the war as a young man, newly married and with a newborn son, my older brother. Three of his brothers went off with him. They were descended from a stock of people who historically heeded the call of their country to fight its battles.
My father left the small family farm near a small Missouri town, not knowing anything of the horrors of war. He fought his way from the beaches of France to the forests of Germany before returning home.
What he did and saw during that time was locked deep within his mind and heart. But it altered his personality just enough that the woman he married could tell. Years later my mother would say, with a note of melancholy in her voice, that my father was not the same man when he returned from the war. The war cast a long shadow in our family.
How much have we learned?
From the ashes of this epic conflict came the idea for the United Nations, a world body dedicated to preventing another global catastrophe. The United Nations has a spotty record. It hasn't prevented many wars and sometimes its own troops have participated in acts of atrocity. At times it has given its stage to despots such as Yasser Arafat, whose legacy is terror and conflict rather than peace.
Senator Dole summed up much of the legacy of the past 60 years in a piece published in The Wall Street Journal May 6. He wrote: “Admittedly, our victory was not total. No victory ever is. As the Cold War demonstrated, our way of life remained imperiled, and millions of east Europeans were trapped in tyranny.
“Today, many have still not fully accepted the state of Israel, and the Middle East remains troubled. Many governments are no more willing than before to grant freedom to their people. The slaughters orchestrated by Hitler and Stalin have given way to mass murder in Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. Though many claim to have learned from the unparalleled horrors of the 20th century, it is often not evident. Sadly, we know there will be more genocide.”
God is in control
So let me go back to my question, what keeps evil from triumphing in this world? The answer is that there must be a God who controls the course of nations and keeps one nation, empire or ideology from gaining total control over all others. Should that ever happen the world could be plunged into another dark age.
Notice what the prophet Daniel was inspired to tell one of the great imperial despots of the ancient world, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It is a message that helps us understand that God oversees the course of world events.
Notice in Daniel 2:20-22: “Daniel answered and said: 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.'”
Here is one of the little-known keys to understanding world history. You won't hear it taught in most classrooms or discussed by newsmen and commentators.
Nebuchadnezzar ruled over a vast realm and desired to bring his version of “the good life” to all others. History has seen that when messianic rulers arise with the ambition to extend their world vision over all others, the result is always war and destruction.
You see, there has never been one political, religious or philosophical system with which all races and nations could agree. The world is too divided by language and ethnic custom to see everyone come together under one banner of thought.
Jesus Christ's window on the future
Jesus said that the biblical “time of the end” would be one of nations rising against other nations in constant conflict. Notice what Christ said to His disciples in His prophecy recorded in Matthew 24: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places … All these are the beginning of sorrows” (verses 6-8).
In this prophecy Christ gives a strong warning about some pretty bad world conditions. It reads like a lot of our news headlines today—war, famine, pestilence and bad government causing a lot of suffering.
Yet through this chapter runs a thread of promise from Jesus Christ that the Father is in control of events. And He assures us that “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (verse 13). He indicates that His protection will be on a small group of people who can discern the times and see the hand of God behind world events, and who remain close to Him no matter what.
He also says that for the sake of this small group, called “the elect,” this time of turmoil will be cut short and the human race will not be extinguished (verse 22).
The horrors of war are both arbitrary and complete. The great wars of the 20th century destroyed and altered the faith of so many. The story of one 10-year-old girl perhaps says it best. One of the German bombing raids on London blew the roof off her parents' house. She struggled to understand where God was in all the destruction of her neighborhood: “I wondered why the God that my mother always prayed to had taken our neighbors' lives, but left our piano untouched.”
That is indeed a lot to understand. God is the one who keeps evil from overcoming this world and bringing the human experience to a tragic close. God is the one who is ultimately overseeing events and guiding this world to a time when His good and His way will triumph over all other ideas. GN

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Ronald Reagan Remembered

 by Melvin Rhodes Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

It's hard to believe looking back now, but there was a time not so long ago when the "domino theory" seemed inevitable. One country after another was falling to international communism. Until Ronald Reagan.

The first communist country in the aftermath of World War I was Russia, renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Millions in the West thought that the new U.S.S.R. was “the workers' paradise.” American journalist John Reed visited the country and proclaimed, “I have seen the future and it works.”
Neighboring Mongolia soon followed. After World War II more countries joined the communist empire–the nations of Eastern Europe forcibly annexed into the Stalinist Soviet system. China's communist government took power in 1949. North Korea and North Vietnam soon followed; Cuba a decade later.
In the 1970s communists took control of much of Indochina (South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Angola. Grenada in the Caribbean and Yemen on the Arabian peninsula had also fallen to communism.
One after another they fell like dominoes until almost half the world's landmass was communist and a great deal of the rest flirted with various forms of socialism, communism watered down.
Until Ronald Reagan.
The 40th President of the United States took over the leadership of the country at a troubled time.
Americans had lost confidence in their institutions during the Watergate scandal and the defeat in Vietnam. The resignation in disgrace of President Richard Nixon in 1974 came at a time of economic trouble caused by events in the Middle East. The brief interim presidency of Gerald Ford was followed by that of Jimmy Carter. Well-meaning and idealistic President Carter was seen around the world as a lightweight, more interested in advancing humanitarian programs than in leading the free world.
The 1979 revolution in Iran was a turning point in Mr. Carter's presidency and led inevitably to his fall from power. The seizure of American diplomatic staff as hostages and their 444-day captivity showed the impotence of the United States and the incompetence of its leadership at the end of a bad 15-year period.
Within minutes of Ronald Reagan being sworn in as President in January 1981, it was announced that the hostages had been released by Iran's revolutionary Islamic government.
By the end of his presidency, the communist system was in a state of collapse, the handwriting on the wall. At least four other leaders can be given some credit for this. Among them were the Polish Pope, John Paul II, who inspired the people of Poland to revolt against their atheistic leaders; British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who turned back the tide of socialism in her own country and inspired the Polish dockyard workers of Gdansk to do the same; Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who chose not to resist the inevitable, and the Pakistani President General Zia who shipped American arms through his territory to help those rebelling against the Soviet invaders.
But, without Ronald Reagan, communism would still be a threat to the peace and security of the world. It was his single-minded vision—“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” —which brought down the Berlin Wall and ended over four decades of division in Europe.
At the beginning of his presidency he described the Soviet empire as an “evil empire,” thereby going directly against the diplomacy of decades. Just a few months after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan he chose to substantially increase U.S. defense spending. Unable to match the increase, bogged down in a war it could not win and with an economic system that had failed miserably to deliver the goods, Moscow was doomed. The Soviet Union staggered on until 1991, but it was Reagan's vision that led directly to its fall.
American columnist George Will wrote following Mr. Reagan's death: “One measure of a leader's greatness is this: By the time he dies, the dangers that summoned him to greatness have been so thoroughly defeated, in no small measure by what he did, it is difficult to recall the magnitude of those dangers, or of his achievements.”
Certainly, communism is totally discredited and no longer remains a credible threat.
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Americans were floundering when Ronald Reagan became president. After his eight years in the White House, Americans once again had a vision, a sense of purpose and a determined resolve.
In remembering Mr. Reagan we should also take notice of the presence of one other world leader at his state funeral. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, now in ill health following a series of strokes, will be there. Mrs. Thatcher, now Baroness Thatcher, did for Britain what Mr. Reagan accomplished in America–turning a country around after a period of decline. Together, the two revived the strong Anglo-American alliance that continues to this day.
To better understand America's place in the world, and how it was foretold thousands of years ago in the Bible, please request or download our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy .