This Article: (5 Pages)
- 1. Understanding Zechariah 14
- 2. The Biggest Earthquake
- 3. One Form of Worship for Whole... World
- 4. World War 3: Who, Where and then... Earthquake
- 5. Why the Huge Earthquake?
4) World War 3: Who, Where and then Earthquake
Zechariah is not the only prophet who prophesies of this war, in which the nations rise up against the re-established nation of Israel, and then are destroyed. They say this will precede the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Other prophecies give details of aspects of this war, including such things as the participants and location of the war and its outcome. These prophecies also speak of a huge earthquake.
These accounts support Zechariah 14 and give more details about this invasion and the results and the world wide effects of the invasion. Who are the invaders? Can we identify them?
The Prophet Ezekiel Names the Invaders of Israel
Ezekiel 38:1-6 gives a parallel account of this prophecy naming the nations that invade Israel, including Russia (Rosh/head), Germany (Gog), France (Gomer), Persia (Iran/Iraq) and Ethiopia and Libya. This is a mighty force of powerful nations and we can easily identify them today. In the twenty- first century the competition for oil and resources is leading to ever increasing tension. Cultural and racial conflict and terrorism further add to the unrest that pervades society. The following account is given in Ezekiel 38 and names the opponents of Israel.
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog (Huns & Magyars), the chief (Rosh/head/Russia) prince of Meshech and Tubal (The Georgians claim descent from Meshech and Tubal), and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus said the Lord Yahweh; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the-chief (Russia) prince of Meshech and Tubal:
4 And I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you 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:
5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer (Gauls /Celts), and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (Turkey/Armenia) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. (Ezekiel 38:1-6)
That these verses must be prophetic is supported by the fact that in the history of mankind, a force of the nations named here has never invaded Israel. Ezekiel 38:18-20 also describes the effects of an earthquake when a confederation of nations invades Israel.
18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, said the Lord Yahweh, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 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;
20 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)
Gog is defined by the English and Hebrew Bible Students' Concordance as “the one at the top”, such as it means a dictator. The word “chief” is Rosh, a Hebrew proper noun, and should be translated as such. The Historian Gibbon wrote that “among the Greeks, Russia was known as Ros.” It was the ancient name of Russia. Gog is thus represented as the chief of a European force together with nations hostile to Israel.
The Prophet Joel Names the Location of the Battle
Another parallel account of this war is given in Joel 3, which also states that the “earth will shake” (Joel 3:16), or that there will be a huge earthquake. Zechariah, as we have noted, stated that Yahweh would fight for His people Israel, `As when he fought in the day of battle.' (Zech 14: 3) The battle in which, not the people, but the Lord fought for Israel was in the days of king Jehoshaphat in a place called the Valley of Jehoshaphat, or Berechah, which is also linked to Revelation 16 and a great battle of the nations called Armageddon. Consider Joel 3: 11-17.
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Yahweh.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 Yahweh also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Yahweh will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
17 So shall ye know that I am Yahweh your Elohim dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. (Joel 3: 11-17).
Armageddon in the book of Revelation
In Joel 3:11-17, the details, that have just been referred to about this battle, are linked to the battle of Armageddon, which is prophesied in Revelation 16:14–18, when many nations gather for the great day of the Almighty.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. (Revelation 16:14–18).
Joel 3: 14-17 connects the Valley of Jehoshaphat closely to Revelation 16:16 and Armageddon through the statement, “multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.” The `valley of decision' is more correctly translated valley of `threshing'. Armageddon can thus be linked to the Valley of Jehoshaphat in Joel 3, which was the valley of threshing, where the sheaves were threshed and where the nation of Israel, during the reign of King Jehoshaphat, witnessed the defeat of their enemies, but not by their power or might.
For more deatil see Armageddon and the Valley of Jehoshaphat
Revelation 16: 18, referred to above, mentions an earthquake unlike any other experienced on this earth. The earthquakes recorded in the book of Revelation always relate to great political upheavals in the course of history since A.D 96. The results of the defeat of the international force that invades Israel will result in a world-wide change in government, when God's Kingdom is established on earth with the Messiah as king over all the earth.
The fact that Zechariah, Ezekiel, Isaiah and Joel describe the effects of a massive earthquake may suggest that Revelation 16:18 also could include a prophecy of the physical earthquake, as well as the world-wide political changes that will occur when Yahweh's son, Yeshua reigns as King over all the earth bringing justice, peace and equity for all those who survive the Almighty's great judgements.
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