In the Days of These Kings (Part 1, Invasion of Ukraine)

 And in the days of these kings the God of Heaven

will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed… 

(Daniel 2:44)

See the series here

At the time of this writing, the independent nation of Ukraine is under relentless attack by Russia, its next door neighbor. This invasion represents the most significant military event in Europe since World War II. This post seeks to articulate the spiritual framework within which this event can be considered.

Some Bible scholars erroneously opine that the above verse speaks of The Lord’s spiritual kingdom, established in the first century A.D., shortly after His resurrection and ascension/return to Heaven. Such opinions seem to ignore the very clear predictions given to Daniel concerning successive major hegemon nations after Babylon. ¹ These predictions conclude with the remnant nations of The Roman Empire, colloquially referred to today as ‘the west’. ² These principally include the nations of western Europe and other nations that have embraced various aspects of The Roman Empire’s political, legal, socio-cultural and economic systems. Among these nations, the U.S. is currently the most dominant, economically, militarily, and socio-culturally. Thus, through the prophet, Daniel, The Lord clearly signals the remnant nations of The Roman Empire are not only on His mind, but they will play a significant role in the timing of His plan to establish His everlasting physical Kingdom on Earth. This prophecy speaks not only of His physical, millennial kingdom, referred to as The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ and His saints from across the ages – an event examined in many posts in this blog, but ALSO of the eventual, eternal continuation of that physical kingdom, as predicted in the closing 3 chapters of The Book of Revelation. Another interpretation of the reference to “…these nations” is to those nations (initially 10, reduced to 7) that will choose to be closely allied with the anti-Christ government. (See: Daniel 7:24)

There is considerable speculation concerning what event(s) might trigger actualization of this prophecy. Perhaps the most often event that is cited is the predicted resurrection and rapture of all 3rd and 4th ages saints, dead and alive, since Christ was raised. ³ This event will be followed by the predicted revealing of the final anti-Christ, a man who will exhibit the full powers as the son of satan – a sleight mimicking Jesus, The Son of God. Through deception and intrigue, he will accrue global powers over nations whose populations will have missed the first-resurrection, and who will, thus, experience The Lord’s longest-lasting, worst-ever judgments poured on Earth – the great tribulation. ⁴ The culmination of the anti-Christ kingdom will be the War of Armageddon. ⁵ That’s a summary of the physical dimension of several linked Bible prophecies.

Insights into the spiritual dimension of these events are sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments of The Bible. A pivotal insight is provided in Ezekiel 38, in which The Lord declares He is ‘against gog and magog,’ likely satan’s deceiving demon spirits assigned over the nation ‘in the far north’, presumably of Israel, currently The Russian Federation. Why is this insight so pivotal?

There are 15 recorded statements in 3 books of The Old Testament in which The Lord emphatically declares, ‘I am against you…’, before pronouncing and executing judgments on the accused, and declaring, ‘Then they/he will know I AM The Lord.’ ⁶ One of these declarations is against a mountain, namely Mt. Seir, the land inhabited by the descendants of Esau/Edomites. Very uniquely, 2 such declarations are against two demon spirits, gog and magog. (Ezekiel 38 and 39). So the operative question is, WHY would The Lord interrupt His declarations against various individuals, people groups and the land of the Edomites, to single out these two demon spirits??

Posing this question to the average Christian who might be somewhat familiar with the topic, the answer may well be, ‘Because they will have attacked Israel someday.’ The problem with this answer is that Ezekiel 38 cites that predicted attack occurring AFTER The Lord declares He is against these spirits, not before! This should not be discounted. The clear message in this chapter is that, because He is against them, He will personally prompt them to catalyze a military attack against Israel, and use this attack as an opportunity to (a) wipe out the multi-national, invading Armageddon army, and (2) later during His Millennial Reign (the 5th age of history), He promises He'll ‘seek to destroy’ the soldiers’ home nations. ⁷

So we’re still left to ponder why does The Lord, in His string of ‘I am against you’ declarations, single out these demon spirits. What will they be so guilty of, notably un-related to Israel, to provoke such fierce wrath as never displayed anywhere on Earth? ⁸ Of course, only He knows.

Could it be the invasion of Ukraine, and all that it signifies?

Ponder this: 

--Land-wise, the largest nation in Asia/Eurasia is invading the largest nation, land-wise, in Europe.

--Ukraine has a small, declining Jewish population. The president is Jewish.

--The invasion is widely regarded as the largest/worst military event in Europe since World War II, allegedly significantly disrupting the world order The Lord allowed to be established in October 1945, when the United Nations opened for business. 2022 will be the 77th year of its establishment.

--It is clearly occurring ‘in the days of these kings’, i.e., during this time when the remnant nations of The Roman Empire are collectively stressed, unlike any time since WW II. 

--Both Ukraine and Russia are renown for their sinful corruption, for which both have received The Lord's long-term Grace to repent. As confirmed in Jeremiah 9:23-24, when our response to Grace is refusal to repent, The Lord promises to send harsh judgments, the purpose of which is to extract a more righteous remnant group from among those who are judged. As confirmed in Ezekiel 14:12-13, The Lord promises to use His four judgment henchmen as instruments of His judgment, His tactical agents -- famine, wild beasts attacks, warfare, and pestilence. (See also: Leviticus 26 and Numbers 32.) The wise reader will perceive the synergy among these judgment instruments, as each one can easily trigger several others. To trigger warfare on the nation being judged, The Lord uses another sinful nation, since all nations are sinful. The Bible is replete with examples in which that nation sent to initiate The Lord's warfare judgment on another nation is, itself, later judged by one or more of The Lord's judgment henchmen. As if to confirm The Lord's judgment strategy, the leader of Russia, himself, said the western nations have declared 'economic warfare' on his nation!

--Thrice, The Lord affirms, 'Vengeance is Mine...' (Deuteronomy 32:5, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30), and once He promises the righteous will see the reward of un-repentant wicked people and nations. (Psalm 91:8)

--As if to console Ezekiel (and folks like us, today) who will witness His harsh judgments on persistent sinfulness/unfaithfulness, The Lord affirms: 

Yet behold, there shall be left in it (the nation judged) a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you (i.e., internally displaced people and refugees), and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 14:22-23)

--A total of 68 times in The Bible, The Lord declares ‘Then [you, he or they] will know I am The Lord,’ 57 of which (over 83%) are recorded in The Book of Ezekiel, where in chapter 38, He also reveals His plan for the first of three future attacks in Israel, the predicted 1st War of Gog and Magog, a precursor to the more massive Armageddon War, described in Revelation 19. Ezekiel 38 describes the 1st War of Gog and Magog:

 

It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 38:16)

“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. 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. Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says The Lord God. “This is the day of which I have spoken. (Ezekiel 39:6-8)

In essence, He will use the 1st War of Gog and Magog as His open introduction to the non-believing world, before the Armageddon War which will end the great tribulation at the end of the tribulation age, the year, 4th age of history. (See: Human History Ages (Series))

Conclusion

To people, The Lord’s revealed strategy initially gives long-term Grace, intended to lead us to repentance; followed by short-term corrective Judgments, intended to produce Righteousness in our lifestyles. ⁹ Let’s watch ‘n wait to see how the invasion of Ukraine, significant as it is, may ultimately pan out in His unfolding strategic plan for humanity.

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¹ Medo-Persia/Persia, Greece, Rome and finally, nation remnants of The Roman Empire, representing the toes of mixed clay and iron in the statue vision given in Daniel chapter 2. 

² See: When Westward Becomes Eastward and Iron and Clay Won’t Mix (Poem)

³ See: The Rapture - When? Part 1 and Part 2 and also Ponder This... (First Resurrection, Second Death, Hell)

⁴ See: The Worst of the Worst (Poem) and Tribulation Precursors: Lawlessness (Poem)

⁵ See: Armageddon, Tribulation Age Journalists (Series), and Revelation - Future Attacks in Israel

⁶ See: Then They Will Know (Series)

⁷ See: A Forced Reconciliation (Poem) and also footnote 5

⁸ See: Gog and Magog (Q&A). Zechariah 14:12-15 paint a particularly gruesome picture of the plague The Lord will unleash on soldiers and mixed livestock in the 1st War of Gog and Magog. (Ezekiel 38) Don’t believe Armageddon will involve livestock for transportation and food as The Lord predicts?? See: Armageddon, Low Tech?! (Poem)

⁹ See: What’s Really Going On …(Inside), God’s Self-Proclaimed Job Description, and also For Readers in Russia…

The Goshen Effect, Personalized (Poem, Part 6)

See the series here

For me, and I trust for you, it has been exhilarating,

To review The Lord’s six major ‘group-protective events’,

Referred herein as His Goshen Effects --

His promised, unique, strategic plans for evacuating,

Those of ‘a certain kind’ before on folks He pours judgments.

Sustaining righteousness He thus perfects.

But if to His Word your life is attuned,

With faith that is very strong and unshakable,

In life there will be much evidence of varying kinds,

That when folks are judged, you’ll not be marooned!

In thousands of ways in His Word, immutable,

He promises personal escapes of …the Goshen kind.

From Genesis-to-Revelation, His Hand is revealed,

Confirming this as His nature and will,

With every ‘i’ that is dotted, and ‘t’ that is crossed.

But to folks who for sins are being judged, this is concealed, 

Because in their hearts and minds, …He ain’t real!

They refuse to believe for their sins …He paid the cost!

So while we to whom The Lord God has imputed righteousness,

Patiently await ‘group difference-making’ Goshen Effects, ¹

Let’s walk in His Spirit, meditate on His Word,

Anticipating and appreciating His restfulness. ²

Let’s believe that, as the graceful Hand of the good Lord directs,

To inspect our differences, …folks will be stirred.

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¹ See: The Goshen Effect (Part 1) and also Collateral Damages or Blessings? (Poem)

² Learn how to do this in Two Prayer Challenges (Poem) 

The Goshen Effect, Grand Finale (Poem, Part 5)

See the series here

This series has discussed five effects of the Goshen-type,

Protective measures introduced in Egypt’s protype.

In total, I understand there’ll be a total of six,

As The Lord’s multi-millennial strategy predicts. ¹

The fifth effect has brought us to His Great White Throne,

When He and first-resurrection saints are back home, ²

Following our awesome thousand-year reign,

known as The Lord’s Day,

During which our power and glory on Earth were on display.

Since then, by the kingdom of satan, the whole world is beset,

A choice season to enlarge the catch in his deceptive net.

As an angel said long ago, satan knows his time is short,

Thus he promotes his two top demons onto the world’s court. ³

Voila! They’ll have GREAT success captivating hearts and minds,

With all conceivable, despicable, wicked designs,

Culminating in the most egregious attack in history,

On Israel and Jerusalem, The Lord’s most holy city. 

Thus, you might say Armageddon was …just a mere practice run,

For a worse attack sometime after the new millennium!!!

From Heaven, The Lord will rain down fire on this invasion, massive,

Then sometime afterward, He’ll end all human life, comprehensive! ⁴

The stage in Heaven is thus set for the second-resurrection,

For folks long dead who missed the first, due to their sinful condition,

And folks who weren’t born before the first resurrection.

From death, they’ll be awakened, for their …life inspection. 

Before The Lord, all these folks will stand and give account.

But above all, one key question will be paramount:

In life, whom did you evidence that I, The Lord, am?  

He’ll consult The Book of Life to expose any sham. ⁵

Judgments over, time for …the grand finale Goshen Effect,

With a modification concerning whom He will collect.

Rather than assembling the righteous for unique protection, ⁶

The un-righteous He’ll assemble …for their hellish induction.

Into the Lake of Eternal Fire, satan’s kingdom will be cast,

With every un-repentant sinner whom his imps will have amassed,

Since the beginning of our history!

Imagine such an odious bevy!

In the lake of fire they will will join its first residents,

And thus together, they will fulfill its complement.

For a thousand years plus, the anti-Christ and his prophet,

Will have been there, cognizant, in body, soul and spirit. 

Don’t dare think this evil throng will be …‘in spirit form’.

Or that the flames might be …a little hotter than warm. 

Not a chance!

As immortal, asexual humans they will be!

Don’t worry… 

I'm not offended if you choose not to believe me.

Proof of my assertion that even devils will become human,

Is based on various insights from The Bible I have gotten.

First, in all creation, fire is fire, not a metaphor.

Second, in hell, ‘there’ll be gnashing of (real) teeth’, in rancor. ⁷

News Flash: Spirits don’t have teeth!!!

Pause to ponder:

Would it be just to resurrect folks in bodies immortal,

And leave devils as spirits who hell’s flames could not lick?! 

Third, through Isaiah, The Lord pre-pronounced satan’s judgment,

And quoted folks who would gaze upon him in resentment:

‘Is this the man who made Earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,

and destroyed cities,

Who made the world as a wilderness, 

and showed his prisoners no mercies?' ⁸

Fourth, recall the demons who made an error that was grossly huge,

Becoming humans, corrupting our species, causing the deluge.

While The Bible affirms they were locked away pending judgment,

It never says they were allowed …to reverse their infringement!!!

Therefore, it’s safe to conclude all demons will be thus transformed,

And will be judged by every righteous human

whose world they stormed. ⁹

Do you agree The Lord’s judgment is righteously fitting?

And in the judgment seat, are you prepared to be sitting?

If you’re not sure whether in this evil throng you’ll be counted,

Or in the judgment seat with Jesus Christ you’ll be anointed,

There’s still time to make your righteous reservation,

And to embrace the free gift He calls …salvation. ¹⁰

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¹ The Holy Bible

² In Heaven. NB: The first resurrection and rapture speaks of the first one in the third age of humanity, called the church age or age of Grace. There clearly were raptures that occurred in both the first (pre-flood) and second (post-flood) ages of humanity. Matthew 27:51-53 is likely the only historical record of the last resurrection (and implied rapture) of the second age of humanity, which age ended on the Day of Pentecost, signaling the start of the current, post-cross age. See: Bible Raptures (Q&A)

³ See: Revelation 12:12. It is significantly instructive to compare the roles of Gog and Magog in triggering the 1st and 2nd Wars of Gog and Magog (the 1st likely during the apocalypse, and the 2nd at the end of the post-Millennial Reign age.   (Revelation 20). Ezekiel 38:6 & 15 cite these demons as controlling/influencing events across the land in ‘the far north’ (presumably north of Israel, i.e., currently The Russian Federation). After the Millennial Reign, Revelation 20:8 cites these same demons as having global influence, inferring a MAJOR PROMOTION!!! I intuit these fellas might be satan’s ‘go-to’ demons for his ‘heavy-lift’ assignments! See: Revelation - Future Attacks in Israel and also Armageddon (Series)

⁴ Including folks whose lives were spared during the invasion

⁵ See: Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12-15, 21:27 and 22:18-9. Just after the post-Millennial Reign age, everyone who will not yet have been resurrected, will be resurrected (dating back to the 1st age of history!), and along with everyone who is alive at that time, and will all be raptured to appear at the Great White Throne Judgment. (Revelation 20:11-15) This is the last resurrection in The Lord's resurrection series. This huge group will include those who will become saints likely after The Millennial Reign age. (See: Salvation in The Millennium (Series))Their names will have been written in The Lord’s Book of Eternal Life, which He will consult at that time. This is when He will 'separate the sheep from the goats', spiritually referring to saints from the post-Millennial Reign age, and sinners from the all ages in this massive crowd. Each person will be in his/her immortal corporeal form! Revelation 22:18-9 are effectively Jesus’ clear, stern ‘copyright’ on all things revealed in what would become The Book of Revelation, with a stern warning to anyone who would dare modify His and Heaven’s final, authoritative revelation of Him, His deity, and His closing chapter plans for humanity. Carefully consider what this means for all subsequent religions that posit significantly different end-time predictions. See: Is Jesus God? (Part 5)

⁶ As was done/will be done in earlier Goshen Effects

⁷ Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30, and Luke 13:28 each speak of ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ in the eternal lake of fire. As you read these verses, recall, a key principle in Scripture is to ‘let every key point be confirmed by 2 or 3 witnesses’. (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15, Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Timothy 5:19, and Hebrews 10:28) So what message is The Lord signaling by confirming this point about gnashing of teeth in the lake of fire 7 times?!

Rancor: bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice. 

⁸ See: Isaiah 14:12-17. In the midst of a predicted future, proverbial upbraiding the king of Babylon, the proverb addresses Lucifer, who became satan, and who apparently was the king’s motivating spirit. Some Bible scholars flatly deny this, while others question at which verse the proverb, inspired by The Lord, returns to addressing the king of Babylon. Read it and form your own opinion in context of the entire Bible, including what happened in Genesis 6:1-3, Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, and their relationship to the global flood.

⁹ See: Humans’ DNA Hacked (Poem). Paul affirms the born-again righteous …’will judge angels’. (1 Corinthians 6:3) I can’t imagine why we would need to judge the holy angels, but we all know …demons are fallen angels!

10 Please see, listen to and ponder these messages: Album 8: Must Be, Gotta Be (Lyrics & Video) and Prayer of Salvation (Poem)

The Goshen Effect, Post-Millennial (Poem, Part 4)

See the series here

Earlier-noted Goshen effects are pre-Millennial Reign.

But are they the end of this awesome strategic tactic,

Heaven’s protection for folks in situations frantic,

Against harsh outcomes that would otherwise be quite drastic??

In human affairs, effective tactics are the ones …we retain! 

On this point, it appears Heaven is in agreement,

With what you and I would also decide:

Stick with tactics previously applied,

To protect folks who with Christ are allied.

So who are these folks in the post-Millennial Reign contingent? 

Post-Millennial Reign?? 

With this concept, some may have considerable consternation,

Believing, upon His return, Jesus will rule forever!

If you’re among those to whom this concept is not familiar,

Hang in there. Let’s become …eschatologically wiser. ;o)

Recall, millennium is a thousand years, by definition.

During the Millennial Reign, this is what I understand:

--Tribulation survivors won’t be saved with marks of the beast. ¹

--There will likely be no salvation till satan is released,

   Along with his demons, the post-millennial world to fleece.

--Folks who’re born in the millennium will thus have long lifespans.²

After the Millennial Reign, life as today will resume.

Evil will quickly regain its stronghold,

Folks believing lies by demons are told.

All things un-righteous will quickly unfold!

Yet in Israel, the growing numbers of saints …might mushroom!

Some folks then living in Jerusalem and Israel,

May be unshakingly convinced that Jesus is still God,

Though He is no longer ruling Earth with His iron rod. ³

But for all others, ‘Good riddance!’ may be what they applaud.

They may be eying the wealth in Israel, colossal!!! ⁴

To trap folks the world over in his deception net,

Two demons are promoted for this assignment,

With global powers of deceptive enticement,

To tempt the world to attack the saints’ encampment.

Thus, the stage is again set for the Goshen Effect! ⁵

By a rain of fire, the saints will be saved.

Folks in number like the sands of the sea,

Will be totally devoured, instantly,

Much quicker than Armageddon’s armies,

Will anything be left to put in graves?! ⁶

Then comes the end, featuring Jesus, The Lord’s 

Great White Throne judgment,

Vividly summarized in Revelation 20,

How The Lord ‘makes a difference’ in eternity,

Between folks who did and didn’t want His salvation, free.

To us who do, The Goshen Effect is His ...tactic dominant. ⁷

See Part 5

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¹ See: Revelation 14:9-12

² This will likely not apply to people who will survive the great tribulation. See: Salvation in the Millennium? (Series) and also Why The Millennial Reign Age? (Series)

³ If there will be no salvation during the Millennial Reign, this could logically be the reason why ‘satan must be released for a little while’ -- to deceive and tempt the vast global population of long-livers on the Earth, folks born during the thousand years, who will not have been exposed to the kingdom of satan. (Revelation 20:3) Once deceived and tempted after The Millennial Reign, some will likely embrace salvation (post-Millennial Reign age saints), but the vast majority won’t. Some Bible teachers believe the word, saints, in Revelation 20:9 refers to all first-resurrection saints, who then will be immortal, shining beings (like Jesus). But this belief totally ignores the reason satan must be released after the Millennial Reign. It also ignores the likely results of such temptation, i.e., some folks being saved, just as is happening in our pre-Millennial Reign days. Moreover, it would be INSANE for mortals to attack hordes of immortal beings who will have proven our awesome powers during the Millennial Reign! Thus, the only logical conclusion is that, after His reign, Jesus will have returned to Heaven along with the saints raised in the first, post-cross resurrection, plus those who were saved (most martyred) during the tribulation, and ergo the saints noted in Revelation 20:9 are those who will become such AFTER the Millennial Reign. In fact, except for the first and last three chapters, saints noted in The Book of Revelation are only those who will have been saved during the great tribulation, after the rapture of church age saints. Revelation 20:12 gives another KEY reason for this conclusion: If no one will be saved during satan’s post-Millennial Reign temptations, there would be no need for The Lord to consult His Book of (Eternal) Life during the Great White Throne Judgment. (Revelation 20:12. Think...

⁴ Isaiah 60 gives a summary of MASSIVE global wealth that will accumulate in Israel during Christ’s reign, from a fertile population of long-living folks seeking to curry favor with Jesus and His saints during a thousand years on a significantly refreshed (the third Eden-like) Earth.  See: Understanding Eden (Series) This wealth will become the bait that will trigger the massive attack on Israel, i.e., the War of Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:8), just as how considerably less massive wealth in Israel will have been bait to trigger the first War of Armageddon. (Ezekiel 38:10-13) See: Booty, Pre/Post Millennial Reign (Series) It is significant to note on a much smaller scale, the wealth in the first Jewish Temple was, in part, the bait that attracted the three Babylonian invasions, and was used (by King Hezekiah and others) to pay tribute to, and prevent invasion by neighboring nations. So wealth, especially in Jerusalem, has played its ‘baiting’ part in Israel’s history, and will continue to do so until the end.

⁵ It is significantly instructive to compare the roles of Gog and Magog in triggering the first Armageddon war at the end of the tribulation, with their roles in triggering the War of Gog and Magog, at the end of the Millennial Reign. Before the first War of Gog and Magog, Ezekiel 38:6 & 15 cite these demons as controlling/influencing events across the land in ‘the far north’ (presumably of Israel, i.e., currently The Russian Federation). After the Millennial Reign, Revelation 20:8 cites these same demons as having global influence, inferring a MAJOR PROMOTION!!! I intuit these fellas might be satan’s ‘go-to’ demons for his ‘heavy-lift’ assignments! And man-o-man, do they deliver!

⁶ It is instructive to compare the demise of folks in Revelation 20:9 with the demise of invading soldiers in the 1st (Ezekiel 38, 39 and Zechariah 14:12) and the 2nd Wars of Gog and Magog (Revelation 19). See: Revelation - Future Attacks in Israel and also Armageddon (Series).

⁷ Stay tuned for the grand finale of The Lord's Goshen Effects!