“The Drum Beats Of War” by Pastor Fee Soliven Matthew 24:21-22 Sunday Morning February 10, 2013

Matthew 24: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Psalm 83:1-8 1 Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! 2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. 3 They have taken crafty

counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. 4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 5 For they have consulted together with one consent; they

form a confederacy against You: 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot.

Psalm 83 Coalition: Tents of Edom = [decedents of Esau] Palestinian Refugees and Southern Jordanians Ishmaelites = Saudi Arabians Moab = Palestinian Refugees and Central Jordanians

Hagrites = Egyptians Gebal = Northern Lebanese Ammon = Palestinian Refugees and Northern Jordanians Amalek = Arabs South of Israel

Philista = Palestinian Refugees and Hamas of Gaza Strip Inhabitants of Tyre = Hezbollah and Southern Lebanese Assyria = Syrians and perhaps Northern Iraqis included Children of Lot = Moab and Ammon

1. Palestinians of the Gaza Strip 2. Palestinians of the West Bank 3. Palestinian refugees

Genesis 16:9-12 (New Living Translation) 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” 11 And the angel also said, “You

are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 12 This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise

his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

Genesis 27:41 "So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

1. In 1948 in one day Israel became a Nation!

Deuteronomy 30:3-5 1 "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives

you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have

compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will

bring you. 5 Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.

Isaiah 43:5-6 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; 6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth...

2. In 1967 Jerusalem was taken back from the Gentile Rule and Israel re- established Jerusalem as its Capitol!

Luke 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled"

Fast Approaching War

Jeremiah 49:2 But the days are coming, "declares the LORD," when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites [Ammon, Jordan]; it will become a mound

of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 49:8 Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan [Saudi Arabia], for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him [Southern Jordan].

Jeremiah 49:19 "Like a lion [confederacy of Esau] coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland [Israel], I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the

chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?"

Obadiah 1: "The day of the LORD [Tribulation] is near for all nations [not yet happened]. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. 16 Just as you [Esau] drank

[experience judgment] on my holy hill [Israel], so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been.

Psalm 83: Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, 10 Who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth. 11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all

their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12 Who said, "Let us take for ourselves The pastures of God for a possession." 13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind! 14 As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame

sets the mountains on fire, 15 So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm. 16 Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. 17 Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes,

let them be put to shame and perish, 18 That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.

How does this next Middle Eastern War Pertain to Us?

Ezekiel

Gog Magog Coalition: Magog, Rosh = Russia and the former Soviet republics Persia = Iran Cush = Sudan, Ethiopia, and Possibly Eritrea

Put = Libya, Algeria, and Tunisa Gomer, Meshech, and Tubal = Turkey (and possibly Germany and Austria) Beth-togarmah = Turkey, Armenia, and the Turkish-speaking people of Asia Minor & Central Asia

Ezekiel 38:1-6 1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, 'Thus

says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia,

Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops--many people are with you.

Psalm 83 Coalition: Tents of Edom = [decedents of Esau] Palestinian Refugees and Southern Jordanians Ishmaelites = Saudi Arabians Moab = Palestinian Refugees and Central Jordanians

Hagrites = Egyptians Gebal = Northern Lebanese Ammon = Palestinian Refugees and Northern Jordanians Amalek = Arabs South of Israel

Philista = Palestinian Refugees and Hamas of Gaza Strip Inhabitants of Tyre = Hezbollah and Southern Lebanese Assyria = Syrians and perhaps Northern Iraqis included Children of Lot = Moab and Ammon

Ezekiel 39:1-8 1 "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing

you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. 4 You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your

troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken," says the Lord GOD. 6 And I will send fire on Magog and

on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. 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. Then the nations

shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Surely it is coming, and it shall be done," says the Lord GOD. "This is the day of which I have spoken.

Zechariah 12:1-6 1 The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 "Behold, I will

make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will

surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4 In that day," says the LORD, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse

of the peoples with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.' 6 "In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and

like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place-- Jerusalem.

Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you."

John 16: Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have

spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Daniel Chapter 3 (New Living Translation) 1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide* and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the

provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. 3 So all these officials* came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! 5 When you hear the sound

of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments,* bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. 6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 7 So at the sound of the musical instruments,* all the people, whatever their race or nation or

language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 8 But some of the astrologers* went to the king and informed on the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! 10 You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue

when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. 11 That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego— whom you have put in charge of the province

of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”13 Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to

them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments.* But if you refuse, you will be thrown

immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will

rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” The Blazing Furnace 19 Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his

face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up and threw them into the

furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. 24 But

suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. 25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire

unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god*!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the

high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He

sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.