Strategic Trends 2011: Energy, China, Cyber Warfare & Smart Weap

Chuck Missler
Koinonia House
P.O. Box D
Coeur d’Alene, ID
83816-0347
1-800-KHOUSE-1
www.khouse.org

Whether it is olive oil, pitch, coal, petroleum, nuclear,
or alternative energy, energy has been the driving
force in civilization. Energy has a direct impact on the
economic well-being of a country.
The total world consumption of energy will increase by
50% between now and 2030. The two countries leading
that trend are China and India. Since 1990, these two
countries accounted for about 10% of the world’s total
energy consumption in 1990 and 20% in 2007. This
demand is expected to rise to 30% in 2035. In contrast,
the U.S. share of world energy consumption will fall
from 21% in 2007 to about 16% during the same period.
China will have the biggest impact on energy supplies
of any country in the world. China contributes 36% to
the projected growth in global energy use, its demand
rising by 75% between 2008 and 2035. China has
become the world’s largest energy user in the world.
Global demand for each fuel source increases, with fossil
fuels—coal, oil and gas—accounting for over 50% of
the increase in total primary energy demand. Rising
fossil-fuel prices for end users, resulting from upward
price pressures in international markets and increasingly
onerous carbon penalties in many countries,
together with policies to encourage energy savings and
switching to low carbon energy sources, help to restrain
demand growth for all three fuels.
Energy comes in a variety of forms, but the largest
single source of energy today is oil.
Oil
While coal powered the industrial revolution and
ushered the world into the Age of Steel, it was oil
that brought about the modern age. Since oil was first
successfully drilled in 1859, the world has struggled
over oil. The U.S. embargo of oil supplies to Japan
precipitated the United States entry into WWII with
the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Wars Over Oil
• Iran – Iraq War (1980-1988): The U.S. gave logistical
and intelligence support to Iraq to prevent Iran
from becoming the regional hegemon and threaten
Middle East oil supplies
• “Tanker War” (1987-1988): The U.S. provided naval
protection for Kuwaiti oil tankers in the Persian
Gulf which led to multiple clashes with the Iranian
military.
• First Persian Gulf War: In response to Iraq’s seizing
Kuwait’s oil fields.
• Second Persian Gulf War: While WMDs were part
of the reason for the war, protecting the oil reserves
of Saudi Arabia was a contributing factor.
• Third Gulf War? The 2nd Gulf War left Iraq weak
and allowed Iran to be the regional hegemon and may
cause the U.S. to maintain a presence in the region.
The Oil Curse
Besides wars, nations have also suffered from “The
Oil Curse.” (Poor countries with rich oil resources
have fallen prey to both inside and outside forces in
their struggle over the reserves.) Countries suffering
from the Oil Curse are: Nigeria, Sudan, and “Chaosstan”
– No Real Governing Authority: Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Russia and China vie for
their oil reserves.
Page 4 Page 5
The Era of Cheap Oil is Over
More oil is yet to be found, but it will be more expensive.
Oil will be found in deep water, in Arctic regions,
and in oil shale and tar sands. Much of the “cheap” oil
is being kept off the market for environmental reasons.
Bakken Discovery
The U. S. has more oil inside their borders than all the
other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official
estimates:
• 8 times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
• 18 times as much oil as Iraq
• 21 times as much oil as Kuwait
• 22 times as much oil as Iran
• 500 times as much oil as Yemen
...and it’s all within the Western United States.
President Obama has stopped drilling, refused drilling
permits, and stopped the U.S. from exploiting its
known oil finds.
OPEC
Oil supplies are tightening, making alternative energy
sources more competitive. OPEC kept the price of oil
at a level that made alternative energy sources not
competitive. The June 2011 OPEC Meeting changed all
that. It resulted in a oil price spike and makes alternative
energy more attractive. OPEC will lose influence
and revenue as oil demand decreases. While the largest
source of energy, oil is not the only energy source
available in the world.
Wood
Advantages: Still an important part of the world’s
energy mix. Still the main source of energy for over two
billion people and provides 14% of the world’s energy
supply. Disadvantages: Contributed to deforestation
and desert creation in many areas.
Coal
Advantages: Still plentiful and relatively inexpensive.
Coal can be easily transported to power stations and
industrial plants with existing infrastructure. Demand
for coal will rise through to 2020. Disadvantages:
Coal is perceived as a “dirty fuel” and is a contributing
factor in acid rain problem and CO2 emissions (environmentalists
call for CO2 sequestration).
Tar Sands / Oil Shale
Advantages: It is easily accessible and can be transported
and processed with existing infrastructure.
There are large reserves worldwide. Disadvantages:
It is considered the “dirtiest” of “dirty oil.” Much of the
reserves are located in inhospitable places. Recovery
requires HUGE amounts of water; large environmental
considerations. Unconventional oil is set to play an
increasingly important role in world oil supply through
to 2035, regardless of what governments do to curb
demand. It will meet about 10% of world oil demand
by 2035 compared with less than 3% today.
Natural Gas
Advantages: It is clean and has a high energy content
per volume of fuel. It is easily burned in existing
equipment. Disadvantages: Difficult to transport long
distances except by pipeline; can transport Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG), but many ports will not allow
ships entry. A large amount of energy needed to convert
from gas to liquid.
Natural gas is set to play a central role in meeting the
world’s energy needs. Demand will increase by 44%
between 2008 and 2035—an average rate of increase
of 1.4% per year. China’s gas demand grows fastest,
accounting for more than one-fifth of the increase in
global demand to 2035. The Middle East leads the expansion
of gas production, its output doubling by 2035.
Page 6 Page 7
Nuclear
Advantages: Seen for years as a “clean” energy fuel,
there are 440 commercial reactors operating in 30
countries, providing 14% of the worlds energy. Disadvantages:
High generating cost per KWH. Large
environmental fears: Three Mile Island / Chernobyl
/ Fukushima. Problems with spent fuel processing or
storage (ex: Yucca Mountain disposal site).
Wind
Advantages: It’s renewable; domestic as opposed
to imported; one of the cheapest alternative energy
sources. Disadvantages: Inconsistent source of supply;
not suitable for all locations. Wind energy has
high maintenance and noise pollution issues, and it
can endanger wildlife.
Water
Advantages: It’s an inexhaustible fuel source with
relatively useful levels of energy production, and it can
be used throughout the world. Disadvantages: Fast
flowing streams or rivers are usually needed. It can
displace large numbers of people; hydroelectric plants
can impact the mobility of fish and other river life.
Geothermal
Advantages: Theoretically an inexhaustible energy
source; minimal environmental impact and an excellent
supplement to other renewable sources. It does not
require structures such as solar panels or windmills
to collect the energy. Disadvantages: Not available
in many locations; low amount of power available per
thermal vent.
Solar
Advantages: It’s an inexhaustible fuel source; no
pollution. It’s versatile—used for powering items as
diverse as solar cars and satellites. Disadvantages:
Low power generation per sq. ft., which means large
surface areas are required to produce useful amounts
of energy. It’s limited to areas of the world with large
amounts of sunlight; high maintenance.
The Future of Energy
Energy from Space: Solar panels would be placed in
orbit around the earth and energy would be beamed
down to earth via microwaves. The U.S.-based Pacific
Gas and Electric has contracted to draw solar power
from space and deliver it to California customers beginning
in 2016.
Bottom Line
The era of “cheap oil” is over. Oil will be the largest
part of the energy mix for the next 30+ years. China
will be driving energy markets for the foreseeable
future.
New Zealand Energy Picture
• Exporting advanced wave power technology to the
world.
– Wave power generator exported to the United States.
• Revolutionary electricity transmission.
– New superconductor technology.
• Building a hydrogen economy.
– Converting coal to hydrogen.
• Energy from the Sea.
– Quest to commercialize frozen methane.
• Geothermal energy could make up to 20% of electricity
production.
– Setting a new energy standard.
New Zealand is well on its way towards its national
goal of powering the country with 100% renewable
energy.
Page 8 Page 9
China: Preparing for a Global Power Shift
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the
great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was
dried up, that the way of the kings of the east
might be prepared.
Revelation 16:12
China Update
China has the world’s largest military, with 2.3 million
active personnel and 1.2 million in reserve. By
comparison America has under 3 million in total active
and reserve personnel. China says it spent $98.8 billion
on its military in 2010, but analysts say spending could
be more than 3X that amount.
China has now developed and tested its first stealth
fighter jet, the J-20. The U.S. is the only other country
in the world to have a stealth fighter. China bought the
rights to license and reproduce the Sukhoi-27 fighter
jet from the Soviet Union, after its collapse. Pentagon
officials believe that China has secretly built a base,
capable of housing up to 20 nuclear submarines, on
Hainan Island.
China’s Missile Arsenal
The Dong Feng 21D is a land-based missile capable
of striking an aircraft carrier as far as 2,000 miles
offshore.
China Caveats?
Some analysts are suggesting caution:
1) Exaggerated forecasts; may peak this year.
2) Blind faith on “trophy projects”; overly aggressive
targets.
3) Government funded investment boom.
4) Overreaching real estate (20-40x household
income).
5) Surges in corruption, fraud.
6) Easy money, risky lending practices.
7) Fixed currency; credit-driven bubble…making
the same mistakes that led to America’s bust.
Little is known of its cyber-warfare programs that
may give it unknown advantages. IPV6, the most
advanced form of the Internet, was installed prior to
the Olympics.
Cyber Warfare ...and its unintended consequences!
Stuxnet
The recent cyber attack on Iran’s nuclear program has
been called by analysts as the first use of a specially
designed cyber weapon. Some fear that cyber warfare
will replace nuclear war as the greatest threat to the
world today.
Cyber security analysts are increasingly viewing the
Stuxnet virus, which sabotaged the Iranian nuclear
centrifuges, as a watershed moment in cyber warfare.
This attack is the first instance of a specially designed
cyber weapon used to attack the industrial infrastructure
of a sovereign nation.
New Era in Warfare
David Gerwitz, advisor to the International Association
for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals,
argues that the Stuxnet virus has ushered in an era in
warfare and will spark a virtual arms race similar to
how Hiroshima sparked the nuclear arms race.
He calls the Stuxnet virus the “Little Boy and Fat Man
of the digital age,” referring to the two atomic weapons
used by the United States in World War II.
Early Viruses
Those people who started using IBM PCs in the
mid-80s got their first taste of computer viruses with
programs such as: “Brain,” “Vienna,” and “Cascade.”
These viruses appeared in the 1987-1989 time frame
Page 10 Page 11
and wreaked havoc on those machines. Letters were
dropping from displays, hard disks seemed to be failing
and computers started playing a hymn called “Yankee
Doodle.”
After being inundated with calls from customers,
service representatives soon realized that they were
dealing with a new kind of code that became known
as a virus (the term came from the fact that connected
computers seemed to come down with the identical
symptoms such as one would with catching a cold form
another person.)
The 1990s saw the appearance of what is called a
“polymorphic virus.” This is a virus that can change
its behavior (called its binary pattern) every time it
moves to a new computer. This makes it very hard
for antivirus programs to detect them. This was also
the appearance of a virus on a world-wide scale. The
fact that the virus was able to change its behavior and
protect itself from deactivation led some pundits to call
it a “life-form.”
What makes the cyber threat so threatening is its invisibility.
“Not only are they [infrastructures] invisible,
but it is hard to detect who has launched them.”
A practical example of what could happen during a cyber
attack occurred in May 2010. The U.S. stock market
suffered what was called a “flash crash.” A single
keystroke mistake caused the entire Stock Exchange to
move 20% in just 15 minutes.
In 2009, the entire Internet was compromised by Chinese
hackers. For 18 minutes, China’s state-controlled
telecommunications company hijacked 15 percent of
the world’s Internet traffic, including data from U.S.
military, civilian organizations and those of other U.S.
allies.
Who Uses The Tools to Fight Hackers?
The threats from cyber attacks on businesses and
infrastructures are real and can have a devastating
effect on our lives. An equally serious threat is from
the tools being developed to fight these attacks being
used improperly. The technology being used to protect
countries from an outside threat are increasingly being
used against the citizens inside their own country.
A new tool being developed is the Future Attribute
Screening Technology (FAST) Project. FAST uses
high-tech sensors to detect indicators of potential
criminal activity. DHS has identified a need for new
technical capabilities that can rapidly identify suspicious
behavior indicators to provide real-time decision
support to security and law enforcement personnel.
Information Awareness Office
Established in January 2002 by Adm. John Poindexter,
President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Advisor,
who went to prison for his role in the Reagan Administration’s
“Iran-Contra Affair” (conviction reversed on
appeal). He served a brief stint as the director of the
Information Awareness Office for the George W. Bush
administration.
This office established a central database to store
personal information on everyone in the United States
including email, phone calls, medical records, credit
Page 12 Page 13
card reports, and social networks. Information is analyzed
for suspicious activities. Includes funding for biometric
surveillance technologies to identify and track
individuals. While the program was defunded, several
facets of the program continue to be funded.
U.S. Cyber Command
There is a new U.S. Strategic Command led by former
National Security Agency director Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander.
“USCYBERCOM” conducts activities to “...direct
the operations and defense of specified Department of
Defense information networks...in order to enable actions
in all domains…”
Chinese Surveillance
Meanwhile, China has been installing spying devices
on cars in Hong Kong since July 2007—they are installed
as “inspection and quarantine cards.” Over
20,000 cars have the devices installed. In addition, a
Chinese software company placed security holes in its
products sold to chemical defense and energy companies.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned
that the security holes can let hackers issue a attack
or remotely run programs on computer systems. Unfortunately,
the trend today is toward a greater loss of
privacy and freedoms,
Weapons Technologies: Smart Weapons
For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against
Babylon an assembly of great nations from the
north country: and they shall set themselves in
array against her; from thence she shall be taken:
their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man;
none shall return in vain.
Jeremiah 50:9
“...arrow”: #xe khayts, lit., shot from engine of war; or
shot from a bow by hand; LXX: boli.j a missile; or anything
thrown, such as an arrow or javelin;
“...as of a mighty expert”: lk;f’ sakal: to be prudent, be
circumspect, wisely understand, prosper. The Hiphil
participle is masculine singular absolute: to have insight;
to give attention to, consider, ponder, be prudent;
have comprehension; LLX: suneto,j, intelligent, possessing
understanding
ISV: “Their arrows will be like a skilled warrior; they
won’t miss their targets.”
NAS: “Their arrows will be like an expert warrior who
does not return empty-handed.”
NIV: “Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do
not return empty-handed.”
The intelligence is in the arrow; they can’t miss.
i.e.,“smart weapons”: missiles, bombs, etc.
XM-25
Coming to a war near you. The XM25 Counter
Defilade Target Engagement System has a range of
roughly 2,300 feet, and is to be deployed in Afghanistan
soon,The rifle’s gun sight uses a laser range finder
to determine the exact distance to the obstruction,
after which the soldier can add or subtract up to 3
meters from that distance to enable the bullets to clear
the barrier and explode above or beside the target.
A “Game Changer”
Soldiers will be able to use them to target snipers hidden
in trenches rather than calling in air strikes.
The 25-millimeter round contains a chip that receives
a radio signal from the gun sight as to the precise
distance to the target. The XM25 appears perfect
for street-to-street fighting that troops in Afghanistan
have to engage in, with enemy fighters hiding behind
walls and only breaking cover to fire occasionally.
The weapon’s laser finder would work out how far
away the enemy was and then the U.S. soldier would
Page 14 Page 15
add one meter using a button near the trigger. When
fired, the explosive round would carry exactly one meter
past the wall and explode with the force of a hand
grenade above the Taliban fighter. Lt. Col. Christopher
Lehner, project manager for the system, described the
weapon as a “game-changer” that other nations will
try to copy. He expects the Army to buy 12,500 of
the XM25 rifles this year.
Koinonia Institute: “For such a time as this…”
Are you saved? Well, then, have you discovered your
calling? Are you in a fellowship committed to help preparing
you for that calling? What have you invested in
that preparation? Your Time? Your Priorities?
The Koinonia Institute is a volunteer “think tank”
for Christians in a worldwide lifetime fellowship.
It’s non-denominational, but very fundamental. It’s
considered a supplement, not a replacement for your
local church—a transnational fellowship committed to
support your personal calling—whatever it turns out
to be… “On your own clock” & schedule…Check it out!
Strategic Trends 2011: Volume 2
Session 2: Jerusalem,
The Magog Invasion/Psalm 83
Israel’s Defensive Requirements
• Surrounded by countries 650 times as large.
• Only 44 miles across (1949 borders: 9 miles across).
• Attacked by 4 armies on 3 fronts: UN Resolution 242
calls for “new defensible borders.”
• Jordan Valley: natural 4200 ft. barrier for Iraq and Iran
Shelters 70% of population; 80% of industry.
• Control of Air space; 10 mile strike zone.
• Control of trans-Israel highways: essential arteries.
• Demilitarized Palestinian State
Two-State Solution?
On the surface, a two-state solution is not only not
Biblical, it is illogical:
1. There are currently two Palestinian entities which
are hostile to each other: Gaza (Hamas) and the West
Bank (Fatah)
2. The geography and economy of any Palestinian state
is too reliant on Israel to be truly independent
3. No Palestinian government would have the power
to guarantee that rogue elements would not launch
rockets at Israel’s heartland—the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem
corridor.
4. Neither Israelis or Palestinians have the domestic
political coherence to allow any negotiation from
a position of confidence—any agreement could be
destroyed or revised by political rivals.
I don’t worry about Israel: they are in good hands! God
has even put His imprint on the land, their history,
and their destiny.
Beth-El
The Land belongs to God
and He gave it to Israel.
One can even see the
engraving of the name of
God (YHWH), just above
Bethel—where Jacob
laid his head and saw
that vision of a stairway
to heaven in the region
we now call the West
Bank.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem where the
city itself is laid out
in the form of the HePage
16 Page 17
brew letter Shin X, with
the Kidron, Tyropoeon,
and Hinnom Valleys, with
Mount Zion, Mount Moriah,
and the Mount of Olives in
the western, middle and the
eastern side.
I DO worry about America.
Their policies are poking
their finger at the eye of
God…But there also may
be a big surprise on the
horizon!
The Magog Invasion: Ezekiel 38 & 39
1) The occasion in which God Himself intervenes to
quell the ill-fated invasion of Israel by Magog and its
allies (Persia, Cush, Phut, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah,
Meshech, Tubal).
2) The passage appears to anticipate the use of nuclear
weapons.
The Magog Identity
• Hesiod, Greek Didactic Poet, 8th century b.c.: Magogians
= Scythians.
• Herodotus, “Father of History,” 5th century b.c.:
Scythians (10th - 3rd century b.c.).
• Philo, Josephus, et al.: The Great Wall of China:
“Ramparts of Gog & Magog.”
• Soviet archaeologists’ discoveries.
• From the “Uttermost parts of the north.”
The Scythians
After being repulsed from Media, many of the later
Scyths settled in the fertile area of the Ukraine north
of the Black Sea. Other related tribes occupied the area
to the east of the Caspian Sea. Herodotus describes
them living in Scythia. Scythia was mapped out as a
square, 20 days journey (360 miles) on a side. It encompassed
the lower reaches of the Dniester, Bug, Dnieper,
and Don Rivers, where they flow into the Black Sea
and the Sea of Azov.
In the seventh century b.c., the Scythians swept across
the area, displacing the Cimmerians from the steppes
of the Ukraine east of Dnieper River, who fled from
them across the Caucasus. [Herodotus 4.12.] Even the
name “Caucasus” appears to have been derived from
Gog-hasan, or “Gog’s Fort.”
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into
thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all
thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them
clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great
company with bucklers and shields, all of them
handling swords:
Ezekiel 38:4
Don’t be misled by a myopic vocabulary: sWs soos
= leaper, (from a root, “to skip”); “bird” (Jer 8:7 );
“chariot rider” (Ex 14:9).
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of
them with shield and helmet:
Ezekiel 38:5
• Elam: or Iran
• Cush: Ethiopia, Kassites, E of Assyria (Settled S of
the 2nd cataract of the Nile)
• Phut: Libya, N Africa (Settled W of Egypt)
Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah
of the north quarters, and all his bands: and
many people with thee.
Ezekiel 38:6
• Gomer: Cimmerians settled along the Danube and
Rhine: Poland, Czechoslovakia East Germany, et al.
[Herodotus, Plutarch, Josephus, et al.]
• Togarmah: Armenians, Turkey, Turkestan.
Page 18 Page 19
• “The uttermost part of the north” (Ezek 38:6, 15; 39:2).
In the Hebrew, the word for North has been modified
to imply the extreme or uttermost parts of the North.
Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou,
and all thy company that are assembled unto thee,
and be thou a guard unto them.
Ezekiel 38:7
So who is currently supplying Persia, Cush, Phut,
Gomer and Togarmah their arms? Russia.
After many days thou shalt be visited: in the
latter years thou shalt come into the land that
is brought back from the sword, and is gathered
out of many people, against the mountains of
Israel, which have been always waste: but it is
brought forth out of the nations, and they shall
dwell safely all of them.
Ezekiel 38:8
The Land has been restored from its desolation and
they are dwelling safely?
Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou
shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and
all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus
saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass,
that at the same time shall things come into thy
mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And
thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled
villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that
dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls,
and having neither bars nor gates,
Ezekiel 38:9-11
Major (Political) Walls? China, 200 b.c.; Berlin, 1961;
Israel today: 25 ft high, 430 miles?
To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine
hand upon the desolate places that are now
inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered
out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and
goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
Ezekiel 38:12
Notice the motivation.
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of
Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall
say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast
thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to
carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle
and goods, to take a great spoil?
Ezekiel 38:13
Spectators, not participants: Sheba = Yemen; Dedan =
Saudi Arabia. Tarshish: many conjectures, everything
from Spain to Sardinia, to Britain…
Tarshish?
A source of tin (Ezek 27:12). Britannia is from a word
meaning tin; the Phoenicians brought tin from Cornwall.
Jonah bought a ticket to that area; but he never
saw it—instead he saw the interior of a big fish! The
“ships of Tarshish” were the larger merchant vessels
that were made for distant ocean-going traffic (2 year
voyages?); cf. 1 Kgs 22:48; Isa 2:16; Cf. Ezek 27:12, 25
Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto
Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day
when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt
thou not know it?
Ezekiel 38:14
One of the reasons that many scholars believe this is a
“post-Harpazo” event (cf. Hos 1:8-10).
And thou shalt come from thy place out of the
north parts, thou, and many people with thee,
all of them riding upon horses, a great company,
and a mighty army:
Ezekiel 38:15
Grammatically: “the uttermost parts of the north.”
Page 20 Page 21
And thou shalt come up against my people of
Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be
in the latter days, and I will bring thee against
my land, that the heathen may know me, when I
shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom
I have spoken in old time by my servants the
prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days
many years that I would bring thee against them?
Ezekiel 38:16,17
A reference to Amos 7:1(LXX)?
And it shall come to pass at the same time when
Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith
the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in
my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my
wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there
shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of
the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all
creeping things that creep upon the earth, and
all the men that are upon the face of the earth,
shall shake at my presence, and the mountains
shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall
fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
Ezekiel 38:18-20
25-megaton warheads could alter the orbit of the
Earth. [Classified Research Report.]
And I will plead against him with pestilence and
with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his
bands, and upon the many people that are with him,
an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire,
and brimstone.
Ezekiel 38:22
Also references a “3rd party” in Ezekiel 39:6
And I will send a fire on Magog, and among
them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they
shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 39:6
Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself;
and I will be known in the eyes of many nations,
and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 38:23
(As opposed to whom? Allah?)
Nuclear Weapons?
• Leftover weapons provide all the energy for the nation
Israel for 7 years.
• Professionals hired to clear the battlefield. They wait
7 months; then clear for 7 months. Bury the dead
east of the Dead Sea (downwind).
• If a traveler finds something the professionals have
missed, he doesn’t touch it: he marks the location and
lets the professionals deal with it.
Current Preparatory Steps?
• The Arab-Israeli conflict.
• The Iranian nuclear emergence.
• The oil discoveries in the region (Over $1 trillion of
energy discoveries recently!)
…all are but preparatory steps in advance of the big show.
But why no mention of Israel’s immediate neighbors?
The Missing Nations (from Ezekiel 38 & 39)
Lebanese? Syrians? Iraqis? Jordanians? Egyptians?
Saudi Arabians? Palestinians!
Four Prerequisites
1) The Nation reestablished as a sovereign state…
2) A nation militarily secure?
3) A nation at apparent peace in the Middle East?
4) A nation of restored material fortunes?
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
breath came into them, and they lived, and stood
up upon their feet, an exceeding[ly] great army.
Ezekiel 37:10
Page 22 Page 23
Four Steps in the “Dry bones” Vision
1) They were scattered.
2) They came together, with flesh and skin (still represented
as “dead” bodies).
3) They came to life.
4) They become an daom. me`od “exceedingly” (adverb!)
great army.
A Surprise Coming?
Is there (an overlooked) event that precedes the illfated
invasion attempt featured in Ezekiel 38 & 39?
[Many thanks to Bill Salus and his book, Isralestine,
from which much of the material in this section was
taken.]
Psalm 83: The Forthcoming Scenario?
Keep not
thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace,
and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make
a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the
head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy
people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They
have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being
a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more
in remembrance. For they have consulted together
with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites;
of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon,
and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants
of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have
holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
Psalm 83:1-8
Edomite History
The Edomite’s ascent into the Land of Israel officially
began in 586 b.c., with the destruction of Jerusalem by
the Babylonians. Hebron, 19 mi S of Jerusalem, began
their new frontier—unlike Jerusalem it was left intact
as prime real estate.
Migration into “Idumea”
The nomadic Nabateans migrated out of Arabia into
Edom and drove the Edomites westward. Directly west
of Edom were established routes of passage. The land
there was historically more prosperous and resourceful
than the land of Edom: infertile deserts and jagged
mountains. The land bore a family association: Esau
with Jacob. The Land was vacated since the Jews were
being exported into captivity.
Gebal
Hebrew: gebhal; a line or natural boundary, as a mountain
range: two possibilities:
1) A tract in the land of Edom southeast of the Dead
Sea; now called Djebal. Called Gobolitis by Josephus
Ant., II, i, 2.
2) A Phoenician city, not far from the sea coast, to the
north of Beirut called by the Greeks Byblos. Now
Jibeil (Ezek 27:9). Also mentioned in the Amarna
tablets.
The position of Gebal between the “Hagarenes” and
“Ammon” favors them being Idumeans.
Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera,
as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: Which perished
at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
Psalm 83:9,10
In the Book of Judges we read how God judged those
nations. There are those who say that God will not
judge that way in the future. He won’t? He has judged
that way in the past. God has not changed. What He
has done in the past, He will do in the future. For that
reason this is impressive.
Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb:
yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God
in possession. O my God, make them like a wheel;
Page 24 Page 25
as the stubble before the wind. As the fire
burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the
mountains on fire; So persecute them with thy
tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek
thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded
and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put
to shame, and perish: That men may know
that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH,
art the most high over all the earth.
Psalm 83:11-18
Judgment Upon the Nations
Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and
Egypt—all are Muslim!
The Enemies
At the present time Israel is surrounded by immediate
neighbors committed to “wiping them off the map.” It
is misleading to represent them as “Arabs”: they are
Muslims. It would appear that a prerequisite victory
for Israel will set the stage for the subsequent ill-fated
attempt of the “outer ring” nations seeking spoils…
Order of Events?
1) Israel regathered in the Land (Ezek 37:12; Isa
11:11,12; Deut 30:3-5).
2) Ancient cities rebuilt and inhabited (Ezek 36:1-5,
8-10).
3) They meet Muslim/“Arab” resistance (Jer 49:16; Zeph
2:8; Ezek 25:12; 32:5; 36:2; Obad 1:10).
4) Israel establishes an army for defence (Ezek 36:6,7;
38:8).
5) Adjacent Muslim nations Confederate (Ps 83:1-8).
6) Confederacy committed to the destruction of Israel
(Ps 83:1-5, 12).
7) War starts between Confederacy & Israel (Jer 49:2,
8, 19).
8) Title regained: “My people Israel” (Hos 1:8-10; Rom
9:25,26; Ezek 36:8-12).
9) Israel decisively defeats the Confederacy (Obad 1:9,
18; Ezek 25:13,14; Jer 49:10,20,21, 23-26; Isa 11:12-
14; 17:1; 19:16,17).
10) Israel has become “an exceedingly great army.”
(Ezek 37:10; Jer 49:21).
11) Israel takes prisoners of war (Jer 48:46,47; 49:3,6,11;
Zeph 2:10,11).
12) The Region is reshaped (Isa 17:1; Jer 49:2, 10; Zeph 2:4).
13) Israel expands its borders (Obad 1:19; Jer 49:2; Isa
19:18,19).
14) Israel then “dwells securely” in the Land (Ezek
38:10-12).
[Source: Isralestine, Bill Salus, High Way, a division of
Anomalos Publishing House, Crane MO 65633.]
Which would then set the stage for the attempted
invasion by Magog and his bands (Ezekiel 38). Which
attempt, however, is thwarted by the active intervention
of God as (Ezekiel 39). From a variety of considerations,
we believe that the Magog invasion is after
the Harpazo…
They have taken crafty counsel against thy people,
and consulted against thy hidden ones.
Psalm 83:3
Who are [the, your, His] “hidden ones”?
^yn<)Wpc.-l[; “against His hidden treasured ones.” (Thus, a
possible post-Harpazo reference?)
The Everlasting Hatred: hb’yae ~l’A[ olam eybah
The struggle began with Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel)
in Genesis 25:19-26. The Herods of the NT were
Edomites. One of them killed the Jewish babies in his
attempt to destroy Christ (Mt 2:16-18). Another Herod
murdered John the Baptist; another one killed James
the brother of John (Acts 12). The struggle between
the Israelis and the “Arabs” today is a continuation of
this battle that started in Gen 25:19-26.
Page 26 Page 27
Emergence of “Idumea”
At the Babylonian captivity, Edomites seized on the
Amalekite territory, so that Idumea came to mean the
region between the Arabah and the Mediterranean.
Hebron, 19 mi S of Jerusalem, began their new frontier
and at 3400 ft. above sea level, unlike Jerusalem it was
left intact as prime real estate.
Forced Conversions to Judaism
Hebron remained under Edomite control until Judas
Maccabeus retook the city under Jewish control in
164 b.c. Thirty-eight years later, in 126 b.c., they had
to be reconquered by the Jewish Army under prince
and high priest John Hyrcanus. Idumeans were
forced to die, flee or be proselytized into Judaism.
[1 Macc 10:84–89; 11:60–62; Josephus Antiquities,
13.17; 12.11.]
Rise of Idumeans
In 47 b.c. Julius Caesar promoted Idumean Antipater
as procurator over Judea, Samaria and Galilee. In
37 b.c., the Romans named Herod, son of Antipater,
as King over Israel. His mother was Nabatean. The
Idumeans had five centuries of prior history in Israel
by the time of arrival of the Messiah Jesus (Mk 3:8).
Fall of Jerusalem, 70 a.d.
At the time of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 a.d, there was
civil turmoil among the Zealots, the Idumeans, and the
Orthodox Jews. 20,000 Idumean infantry slaughtered
many of the Orthodox Jews. Many were killed, sold
into slavery, or enjoined among the 40,000 set free by
Caesar.
The Renaming of the Land
Bar Kokhba had about 200,000 men at his command,
and had recaptured Jerusalem and many strongholds
throughout the country. Emperor Hadrian called legion
upon legion to crush the Jewish insurgents. Over
580,000 lost their lives. Hadrian purposed to stamp
out Jewish nationalism entirely. Traditions such as
circumcision, the Sabbath, and reading the Torah was
forbidden under penalty of death. In their choice of
the Jews’ worst enemy, the Romans had two choices:
Idumea and Philistia. Idumeans were viewed as practitioners
of Judaism, and not as great an enemy as were
the Philistines.
Edomites Today
Maps until 135 a.d., after the Bar Kokhba revolt,
still displayed Idumea. After the Romans chose to
name the Land “Palestina,” Idumea disappeared
from future maps and history. The Edomites, later
known as Idumeans, became assimilated into the
“Palestinians” of today (There are many who still
appear today as “Jews” but are really not…Rev 2:9;
3:9.) The Judgment against Edom is mentioned in
more Old Testament books than it is against any
other foreign nation (Isa 11:14; 34:5-17; 63:1-6;
Jer 9:25-26; 25:17-26; 49:7-22; Lam 4:21-22; Ezek
25:12-14; 35:15; Joel 3:19; Amos 1:11-12; 9:11-12; Obad
1:1-21; Mal 1:4).
Your Challenge
So what do we do? We are being plunged into a period
of time about which the Bible says more than it does
about any other period of time in history . . .
Your Action Plan?
What is God calling YOU to do? “Raise the bar” on your
personal walk with Him. Commit to a systematic program
to really learn your Bible. Join (or start) a weekly
Small Study Group. Respond to His calling…NOW!