STAND FIRM: Prophecy Fulfilled Before Our Eyes (Part 3)

      While in Israel, as I saw evidence of the recent attacks and events on the ground and heard from experts living there, I felt three prophecies were unfolding before my eyes. As I have clarified in sharing about each of those, we must not forget the fact that Jews are back in the land is a huge fulfillment of prophecy, but other prophecies in Scripture foretell what will happen after Jews have returned.

      The first of the three I saw unfolding was the move toward building a new temple and starting sacrifices again. Evidence of the next two prophecies unfolding was revealed in briefings with military leaders. One is the possible fulfillment of Daniel 8, which comes with the rise of Iran and an eventual war between Iran and Turkey, I wrote about that in my last article. The second to come from those briefings is the start of the fulfillment of Daniel 11.

      Daniel 11 has the potential to give the most detailed information about the events of the Last Days, but it is the most difficult to work through. I have been trying to work through it over this past year, but I am far from feeling comfortable that I have figured it all out yet. It is clear that there will be two rival factions in the Middle East in those times — a northern and southern coalition of nations. This concept contrasts with the modern idea that there will be a one-world government. Biblical prophecy is clear that there will be a leader and regime that will impact and influence the world, but even as the Antichrist and his army gathers on the plains of Armageddon, nations will still have their identity — “…the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three impure spirits… they are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty… Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon” (Rev. 16:12-16 NIV).

      This is just one passage that reveals that many nations keep their identity. Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 11 clarify this further by showing nations that give initial resistance against the Antichrist or remain neutral and indifferent during his invasion of Israel.

      Daniel 11 tells of a king of the north (which the Bible provides a solid case to be the Antichrist) warring with the king of the south and especially warring with Egypt. Egypt is the only nation mentioned, but it is said to belong to the southern coalition — “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will also invade the Beautiful Land (Israel). Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape” (Daniel 11:40-42).

      This chapter in Daniel is tricky, just like Daniel 8. If you read that article (see March 13, 2024 issue of the Baptist Trumpet), I shared how the typical interpretation of it is that the first part of the prophecy deals with the past, while the second deals with the future. The same is true with Daniel 11. The common interpretation is that the first half tells about when Alexander the Great’s kingdom was divided and the ruler (king) of the Syrian or Seleucidan Empire in the north — which encompassed the modern-day nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — warred with the ruler (king) of the Egyptian or Ptolemaic Empire in the south, which included the modern-day nations Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Israel and Jordan. Then in verse 21, the prophecy transitions to a future king of the north and south.

      Along with the many other details given in Daniel 11, one thing we can know will happen in the last days is two coalitions will form. Knowing that this is coming someday, I was awestruck to see the lines already being drawn up in the Middle East. Col. Danny Tirza of the Israeli Defense Force presented about the deeper issues happening in the Middle East. He shared first how groups like Hamas and Hezbollah were just proxies fighting on behalf of Iran. Then he put up another map — the map of the Abraham Accords. The Abraham Accords are the latest in peace agreements involving Israel since they have become a state. Very few could talk with authority about these agreements like Col. Tirza can. He has been involved in each peace talk from the Oslo Accords beginning in 1993 to the Abraham Accords in 2020.

      I’ve also viewed the different peace talks in Israel as repeats of the same conversation, and they are in a sense, but they also represent a progression of building peace and normalized relations between Israel and Arab nations. The first peace agreement with an Arab nation came in 1979, when Egypt and Israel agreed to peace and a normalization of relations. In 1994, the same finally followed with Jordan. So, until 2020, Israel and Jordan were the only Arab nations to view Israel as a legitimate nation. In 2020, through the Abraham Accords, this progressed greatly as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco signed to normalize relations with Israel. In 2023, Saudi Arabia seemed on the edge of signing as well, and that was derailed by the Oct. 7 attacks.

      The nations who have normalized relations with Israel in the past or signed the Abraham Accords are in the south. The Abraham Accords may or may not have anything to do with Daniel 11, but right now it is creating a coalition in the north and in the south.

         — Jake is a state missionary and would love to share about the work in Northwest Arkansas and encourage your church to stand firm. (standfirmministries.com)