By ANDY WOODS, J.D., Ph.D.
Contributing Author
One of the greatest factors that will motivate geopolitical activity during the coming seven-year tribulation period will be anti-Semitism.
Ezekiel 38:10 prophesies: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan.’” Consequently, verse 16 states, “You will come up against My people Israel.”
Who is it that puts evil thoughts into people’s minds? It is the devil, of course. As we see in Ezekiel 38:10, at some future point these hostile nations will surmise that the time has come to take Israel down.
Why would Satan put such thoughts into the minds of these leaders? Satan hates the nation of Israel with a passion. The reason for this animosity relates to what God said back in Genesis 12:2-3 to Abraham and his physical descendants:
“I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Consequently, every spiritual blessing that we currently enjoy has come to us through the nation of Israel. For example, the Scriptures have come to us through the Jewish people (cf. Rom. 3:2). Jesus Christ the Messiah and Savior was a Jew (cf. John 4:22; Rom. 9:5). However, there is yet a third blessing on the horizon. God has not finished blessing the world through Israel. In this sense, Israel is “the gift that keeps on giving.” This third blessing that is yet to come will be the kingdom. This coming kingdom will not be headquartered in Washington, D. C., New York, Brussels or any other Gentile city. Rather, the coming kingdom will be headquartered in the city of Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 2:2-3; Zech. 14:16-18; Rev. 20:9). The day is coming when Christ will govern the entire world from the city of Jerusalem.
During this glorious kingdom age, Satan will be “bound… for a thousand years” in a place of temporary incarceration called “the bottomless pit” (Rev. 20:2-3). At the conclusion of Christ’s earthly kingdom, Satan will be permanently “cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:10).
Thus, Satan works preemptively in history in an attempt to prevent God’s promises from ever coming to pass (cf. Rev. 12:1-5). And Satan has always wanted to take Israel out prematurely so that these blessings cannot unfold (cf. Rev. 12:6-17).
Ezekiel 38 describes one last, grand and final attempt that he will make by prompting surrounding nations to attack and eradicate Israel from the earth so that the second coming (Matt. 23:38-39), the subsequent kingdom and his own dethronement from over the earth can be prevented.
Dr. Andy Woods is a prolific author and speaks nationally on Bible prophecy and related issues. He is senior pastor of Sugar Land Bible Church in Sugar Land, Texas, a full professor at the College of Biblical Studies in Houston and an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. We greatly value the opportunity to work with him as a contributing author to Dispensational Publishing House.
Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Andy Woods. Used by permission of the author.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
It’s great to have Dr. Andy Woods on our team! Thanks for this instructive post, Andy.
I love the truth that is so obvious by understanding this biblical doctrine. Thank you and all that God has raised up to preach and teach this doctrine