Isaiah 8:12-14

"Do not call conspiracy all this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling..."

In context, this prophecy of Isaiah refers to both houses of Israel and their impending judgment at the hands of the Bablylonians and Assyrians. As I was meditating on this passage, I was thinking of it in terms of the coming judgment, how God will judge the earth in the last days.

May we not fear what the people fear nor be in dread of man. Even powerful men will cry out for mercy at the hand of the Judge. Let us fear only the Lord, and may he be our sanctuary in time of trouble. Oh Lord, open our minds and help us to understand your coming judgments that we may not be offended by your ways. God, help your people to fear you and understand what your Word says about the Second Coming of the Lord. Give us revelation and peace to endure.

Comparative Study - The Last Battle

In our home group we've been studying Joel and recently compared different passages thought to describe the last battle. Here's some of my notes. If you'd like the information in chart form just send me an email.

A. Description of people being attacked (Israel)

Ezekiel 38:7-12
- a land restored from war
- people gathered from many peoples
-on the mountains of Israel
-which had been a continual waste
-they dwell securely
-no walls, bars, gates
-livestock & goods

Ezekiel 39:23
-they dealt with God treacherously

B. Description of attackers

Ezekiel 38
-a great host, army
-from the land of Gog, Magog
-coalition of many peoples from the north
-will advance like a storm cloud
-riding on horses
-will design an evil scheme to attack Israel
-has been prophesied about for years

Revelation 19
-kings, captains, mighty men, beasts, great & small
-sitting on horses
-fighting against “him who is sitting on the horse”

C. How Israel will be judged (What will happen? What will God do?)

Ezekiel 38
-city plundered
-earthquake (19)

Revelation 16
-dry up the Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the east
-demons will assemble kings for battle at Armageddon

Luke 21
-Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies
-many will fall by the sword
-led captive among the nations
-Jerusalem trampled by Gentiles

Zechariah 14
-all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem
-city taken, houses plundered, women raped
-half of the city → exile

D. How the attacker will be judged

Ezekiel 38-39
-great earthquake (19)
-all shall quake at his presence (20)
-mountains thrown down, cliffs fall, walls tumble (20)
-every man’s sword against his brother (21)
-pestilence, bloodshed, torrential rains, hailstones, fire, sulfur (21-22)
-led against Israel – mountains (39:2)
-strike bows and arrows and fall in Israel (39:3)
-send fire on Magog (6)

Revelation 16
-lightning, thunder, earthquake, city split in 3
-islands and mountains flee
-100 lb hailstones

Zechariah 14
-The Lord will go out and fight those nations (3)
-flesh will rot will they are standing (12)
-all will fight each other (13)

Revelation 19:20
-Beast and false prophet captured and thrown alive in the lake of fire and sulfur
-rest of followers will be slain and eaten by birds

E. Immediate effects of D

Ezekiel 39
-Gog and Magog devoured by birds and beasts in an open field (4-5)
-Israel will make fires of weapons for 7 years (9-10)
-seize the spoil (10)
-valley of travelers→ burial place for Gog → block travelers (11)
-7 months Israel will bury the bodies → cleanse the land (11-16)
-birds and beasts will feast on the corpses (17-20)

Zechariah 14
-Mount of Olives will split in 2 (4)
-people will flee (5)
-no light, no cold or frost (6)

Revelation 19:21
-birds eat the flesh of the slain

F. God’s promises of blessing to Israel

Joel 2
-They will be satisfied and provided for (18)
-no more a reproach (19)
-remove the northerner (20)
-send the rains (23)
-plentiful harvest (24)
-restore the years the locust has eaten (25)

Ezekiel 39
-They shall know He is the Lord (22)
-restore fortunes of Jacob (25)
-forget their shame and treachery (26)
-dwell in safety (26)
-be gathered from enemy lands (27)
-not hide His face (29)
-pour out His spirit (29)

Zechariah 14
-living waters shall flow out of Jerusalem (8)
-Lord will be king over all the earth (9)
-Jerusalem will be secure (11)

G. Why God does what is described in the passage

Ezekiel 38
-so nations may know Him
-vindicate holiness
-wrath/anger (18)
-jealousy (19)
-greatness, holiness, make himself known (23)

Ezekiel 39
-holy name not profaned (7)
-glory among nations (21)
-nations see judgment, particularly on Israel (23)

H. Other observations

Luke 21
-nation will rise against nation (10)
-great earthquakes, famines, pestilences (11)
-terrors, great signs (11)
-saints to endure (12-19)
-signs in sun, moon & star, distress of nations, roaring sea, fear (25)
-the Son of Man will come (27)

Zechariah 14:16-19
-everyone ‘who survives’ will worship the Lord in Jerusalem once a year
-if any people don’t go up to Jerusalem, they will have no rain

Revelation 19
-picture of Jesus ‘sitting on the white horse’