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Return 1: Israel
The diaspora of Israel and their return has been prophesied in hundreds of Bible passages. They were intended to be taken literally, not allegorically. The Jews were scattered for years, literally scattered and now many of the same passages which predicted their scattering also predicted their return to the land of Israel. And they are back in the land, not all Jews, but with the increase of anti-Semitism in many countries, the influx of Jews back to Israel will surly increase. (Isaiah 11:11-12; Hosea 3:4-5; Ezekiel 39:23-28)
The passage in Ezekiel is a deadly passage to replacement theology and the Preterist because the phrase, ‘I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations,’ ties the scattering AND the return to the Land of Israel. Both phrases need to interpreted using the same method. There are many other passages which tie the scattering and the gathering together are linked in the same passage. There is no form of logic which will allow the interpreter to interpret half a sentence using one method and the other half using another method.
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Return 2: Babylon
There are more verses in the Bible about Babylon than any other city except Jerusalem. Many preachers have preached on the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and Persians on the night of Belshazzar’s Feast; however they are wrong. The Persians never destroyed Babylon, but made it their administrative capital. Then when Alexander conquered the Persian Empire, he made it one of his capitals and planed extensive renovations and to make Babylon a port city. When he returned from his battles, it was also in his plan to raise another army to conquer India, but instead died in Babylon in a drunken stupor.
With Alexander’s death, his kingdom was divided between four generals who fought for control of his kingdom and Babylon was caught in the middle. The constant turmoil virtually emptied the city of Babylon. Christianity came to Mesopotamia in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, and Babylon was the seat of a Bishop of the Church of the East until well after the Islamic conquest. In the mid-7th century AD Mesopotamia was invaded and settled by the expanding Muslim Empire. A period of Islamification followed. Babylon was dissolved as a province and Aramaic and the Church of the East Christianity eventually became marginalized, although both still exist today
The great prophecies concerning the city of Babylon in Isaiah chapters 13 and 14 and Jeremiah 50 and 51 have never been fulfilled. Isaiah 13 says the Babylon will be destroyed and never inhabited, but several villages occupy the land once occupied by the ancient city of Babylon.
Jeremiah 50 states that Babylon will be overthrown as Sodom and Gomorrah, which has not happened. Also, in chapter 51 there is a reference to the non-use of remaining materials. Witnesses to Babylon in the late 1800’s saw sections of the old city being mined for bricks.
In Zachariah 5, one of the visions shown to him, a woman in an ephah is flown to the land of Shinar. Shinar is the land where ancient Babylon was located. The woman is always an evil religious system in scripture, the ephah and talent are units of commerce. This has a parallel in Revelation 17 where a woman rides the beast. The woman is not the beast, but separate from the beast. She controls the beast for a time but then is destroyed by him.
The destruction of Babylon continues in Chapter 18, with commercial as well as religious overtones. Three groups that bemoan her fall: kings, merchants, and those who trade by sea. Notice that here are 28 literal commodities listed: making it difficult to allegorize and make references to Babylon only spiritual.
The return of the city of Babylon to a world class city, a world leader in commerce and religious stature is predicted by the Bible. This is necessary so God can destroy Babylon as a great city as the Bible prophesies, not a little village.
Return 3: The Assyrian and Assyria
After WWII there was an increase in discussions about the identity of the antichrist and his kingdom, the revived Roman Empire. These discussions happened because of several movements in politics. First Israel became a nation in 1948, indicating we were entering the last days. Then NATO was formed in 1949 which united Europe militarily.
Then in 1957 the foundation was laid for the European Union. It went by several names; the European Economic Community, the Common Market, the European Community and, finally the European Union. The name of the treaty which created the union was what grabbed the prophecy watcher’s attention; it was called the Treaty of Rome and its purpose was to unite Europe, first economically then politically. Attention of the prophecy watchers was then focused on Europe and where the leader would emerge, who would become the Antichrist. In all this attention, one important fact was missed. The Roman Empire extended into the Middle East and North Africa. A person didn’t have to be born in Italy or live in Italy to be called a Roman. The Apostle Paul was a Roman; he was born in Turkey. St. Augustine was born in Algeria.
Europe was the western half of the Roman Empire. The eastern half lasted 1000 years after Rome fell and was called the Byzantine Empire. The book of Daniel indicates that the Antichrist will come from the eastern half of the empire. Daniel chapter 8 tells of how Alexander the Great would conquer the Medo-Persian Empire and that the antichrist would rise from one of those four kingdoms into which Alexander’s dominion was broken. The four kingdoms were Thrace, Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt.
Daniel chapter 8 speaks of the eastern part of Alexander’s empire as where the antichrist will arise or Syria (Modern day Syria and Iraq/Iran). This parallel’s Revelation 13 where the beast has characteristics that is like a leopard (Greece), with feet of a bear (Medo-Persia/Iran), and the mouth of a lion (Babylon/Iraq)
The eastern part of Alexander’s empire will be North Jordan/Iraq initially. Later it will extend itself as follows: Daniel 8:9 “And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” The pleasant land would be Israel and moving south and east would encompass Saudi Arabia and Iran.
As for the antichrist, many believe the only thing we know about him is the number of his name. (Revelation 13:18) However there is a lot more information about him in the Bible than just the number of his name. There is a physical description of him in Zachariah 11:17 and there are more than 30 names listed in the Bible, which reveal some things about his character. We miss a lot by using only the name Antichrist because it is used, as a name, in only one place, 1 John 2:18.
The most common name for the Antichrist in the Old Testament is the Assyrian. The following passages cover the events of this future leader and end times; Isaiah 10, 28, 30, 31 and Micah 5. The Passage in Micah indicates the Assyrian will invade Jerusalem after the Messiah is born in Bethlehem. This passage can’t be a reference to Sennacherib, because his army was destroyed outside Jerusalem. He never got inside the walls of Jerusalem.
Let’s look at the history of the Assyrian people and their leaders:
The Assyrian people get their name from Asshur, Noah’s grandson and the founder of Nineveh. They had several periods of influence and expanded control using an army famed for ruthless efficiency. During one of their periods of expansion, which extended from 911 BC to 612 BC, they came into contact with the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. They conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, but lost 185,000 men in one night outside the walls of Jerusalem in 701 BC. Their king, Sennacherib returned home and was assassinated by two of his sons.
Then in 612 BC when the City of Nineveh was destroyed by the Babylonian army united with an army of Medes and Scythians. This is considered the end of the Assyrian empire, but the people continued to exist. The religion of the Assyrian Empire (sometimes called Ashurism by Modern Assyrians) centered in the god Assur, patron deity of the city of Assur, and Ishtar (Venus) patroness of Nineveh.
After Jesus rose from the dead and His Disciples went out from Jerusalem, the first church outside of Jerusalem was among the Assyrian people at Antioch. The Assyrian Church was led by Thaddeus, Bartholomew and Thomas. The Assyrian church grew and at one time was larger than the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches combined. By the fourth century AD, they had sent missionaries as far as China. When Muslim influence reached the Assyrians, they were given a choice of converting or death. Many converted, but many refused and were slaughtered. Through all of the persecution, the Assyrian people and the Assyrian church survived and never retaliated. This supports the idea that the Assyrians were truly Christian.
The Assyrian missionary enterprise, which had been so successful throughout Asia, came to an abrupt end with the coming of Timur the Mongol in the 1300’s. The indiscriminate destruction leveled by Timur the Mongol against the civilizations he encountered put to a permanent end the Assyrian missionary enterprise. A large segment of the Assyrian population escaped the ravages of Timur by fleeing into the mountains of present-day eastern Turkey. The remaining Assyrians continued to live in their homelands (presently North Iraq and Syria).
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Assyrian people again faced multiple persecutions and many fled the Middle East in what has been called the Assyrian Diaspora. It is estimated that there are four million Assyrians worldwide and there is a longing in their hearts to return to their homeland in Iraq. The Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) is calling for the establishment of an Assyrian province in the historical Assyrian lands in Northern Iraq as part of the modern-day Republic of Iraq. There is a petition by Assyrians in Australia to the nation of Iraq to establish an independent province of Assyria in the nation of Iraq with its capital in Mosul, the site of ancient Ninevah.
The Assyrians, although representing but one single nation as the direct heirs of the ancient Assyrian Empire, are now doctrinally divided, into five religious sects with their own distinct church governments, namely, Church of the East, Chaldean, Maronite, Syriac Catholic (Universal) and Syriac Orthodox. Since Daniel 11:37 states that the he (the antichrist) shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, this passage could be a reference to the Christian heritage of the Assyrian.
According to Psalm 83, the next war could be the War of extermination of Islamic terrorist organizations in the countries that border Israel. This will result in peace and expanded territories for Israel. The territories conquered would be Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Northwest Iraq, Syria, Gaza and the Sanai. This would give Israel room for settling the influx of Jews who are fleeing worldwide persecution and a moment of peace from attacks. It would also give Israel access to oil fields and allow them to increase exports, driving oil price down. This would give Israel a temporary boost in good will among the nations of the world, but also make them a tempting target for invasion by Russia. The establishment of a ‘Christian Nation of Assyria’ would infuriate the Muslim nations who would push their allies of Russia, Turkey, and Iran (Persia) to attack and recapture the lands for Islam.
The first Battle of Gog and Magog (Ez. 38 &39) will have Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, and Ethiopia attacking Israel. They will be stopped supernaturally by God (more on this in a later post) but the antichrist will take credit for their defeat, Because of the power vacuum caused by these wars, the antichrist will rise very rapidly to become a leader with worldwide clout.
After the Assyrian’s defeat, referenced in Micah 5, when the LORD returns to earth and sets up His kingdom, the Assyrian people will have a homeland in the Middle East. (see Isaiah 19:23-25)
Recommended reading:
The Assyrian Connection by Phillip Goodman
Asshur the Assyrian by Allen Bonck
Isralestine by Bill Salus
Northern Storm Rising by Ron Rhodes
Return 4: The host of heaven
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom. I Corinthians 1:22
The fourth return is the host of heaven (Isaiah 24:21).
The purpose of the return of Israel is to purge the Jews of so they recognize Jesus as their Messiah and prepare them for entry into the His Messianic Kingdom. Babylon must return since Babylon has never been destroyed in the way the Bible describes in Jeremiah 50:39-40. The city must return to power so that Babylon’s permanent destruction will be fulfilled as described in the Old Testament and in Revelation 18. Assyria must return and be purged to prepare them for their place in the Millennial Kingdom (Is 19:22-25).
The identity of the host of heaven is lost on many because of the language barrier and Greek logic. The planets/gods were worshipped by the heathen and at times by the Israelites also. The name Baal was the Canaanite name for the planet Mars, Ashura was Venus and Moloch was Saturn. Modern man sees the host of heaven as only spirit beings because Greek logic permits only one answer to a question. Jewish logic, called Pilpul, allows for more than one answer to a question. Christian theology has several doctrines which can be explained with Pilpul; the nature of God for example. Is God one or is God three? Both answers are correct. The nature of Jesus Christ; is he God or man? Both answers are correct. The inspiration of Scripture; written by men or The Holy Spirit?
Here’s a tough one; free will or election? If you picked one answer and think your proof disproves the other answer, you’ve just applied Greek logic to a Jewish problem.
Even science uses Pilpul. They Theory of Relativity is really two theories. One theory says light is made up of particles which travel in straight lines. The second theory says that light is energy which travels in waves. Light travels in straight lines and in waves at the same time? How can that be? Science accepts both theories discovered by Albert Einstein, a Jew.
This Pilpul logic was practiced by many ancient civilizations. The dual view that accepted the planets as gods was widespread. There were two views of the planets. The first was that they were gods which controlled the future of man and the view that they were angels (Gr meaning messenger) controlled by the one true God. This practice goes back to Abraham and probably before his time. The following is an excerpt from Josephus:
“Berosus mentions our father Abram without naming him, when he says thus: – ‘In the tenth generation after the flood there was among the Chaldeans a man righteous and great and skillful in the celestial science. For he was the first that ventured to publish that there was but one God, the creator of this universe; and that, as to other gods, if they contributed anything to the happiness of men that each of them afforded it only according to their appointment, and not by their own power. This opinion was derived from the irregular phenomena that were visible at land and sea, as well as those that happen to the sun and moon and all the heavenly bodies thus: – If [said he] these bodies had power of their own, they would certainly take care of their own regular motion; but since they do not preserve such regularity they make it plain that insofar as they cooperate to our advantage , they do it not according to their abilities , but they are subservient to Him that commands them; to whom alone we ought justly to offer our honor and thanksgiving.’” Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews Book I, Ch VII
The ‘irregular phenomena,’ as Abraham put it, was our solar system in a different configuration than what we see today. The first modern writer to notice this was Immanuel Velikovsky. In his book “Worlds in Collision” he postulated that around the 15th century BC, Venus was ejected from Jupiter as a comet-like object, and passed near Earth. The object changed Earth’s orbit and axis, causing innumerable catastrophes that were mentioned in early mythologies and religions around the world.
Vilekovsky’s book challenged and inspired many people, among them David Talbot, who envisioned a different configuration of planets than Velikovsky. Mr. Talbot championed a configuration of planets that were physically close to the earth in ancient times in which “the five planets Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mars and the Earth orbited the Sun as a single linear unit, which rotated about a point close to Saturn, before its break-up at the end of the Golden Age”. (for a detailed description go to Thunderbolts.info, “Symbols of an ancient Sky – part 1.”
The breakup of this configuration was what caused the many chaotic episodes in the Bible from Exodus in 1447 BC to the prolonged day of King Hezekiah in 701 BC. There were other days like the prolonged night of Exodus and the prolonged day of King Hezekiah. There was the long day of Joshua, three days of plague in David’s time, the earthquake of King Uzziah among others. (see Catastrophism and the Old Testament: the Mars Earth Conflicts by Donald Patten)
The year 701 BC was the time when the shadow of the sun went backwards on the sundial and caused King Hezekiah to order a calendar reform. Moses created a calendar (Ex 12:2) in which a year was 360 days. This calendar was used by the Israelites as accurate until the calendar reform of King Hezekiah. This reform was accomplished sometime between the year 694 BC and 690 BC. The reform was a lunar/solar calendar. Each month started on the new moon which made the year 354 days long. Then approx. every 3 years a leap month was added to bring the calendar into line with the new 365 day year. The Jews still use this reformed calendar of King Hezekiah.
During the seven year Tribulation period, the order will be reversed. God will bring back the host of heaven to judge them (Is 24:23) and cause the year to be shortened (Mt 24:22, 29-31) to a 360 day year. (Rev 11:2-3; 13:5; Dan 12:11)
The change will not come quietly. There will be earthquakes (Lk21:11; Rev6:13-14; 8:7, 16:21) meteorites (Lk 21:11; Rev 6:13-14; 8:8-12;16:21) and a shift in the earth’s orbit. The orbit change will cause the calendar to revert back to a 360-day year and the configuration of the solar system to go back to the polar configuration. (see Symbols of an Alien Sky, part 1 at Thunderbolts.info)
How will this change start? God will bring it to pass, of course, but I believe it will be a mirror of the beginning of the history of Israel with the goddess Venus and the god Mars. In recent years scientists have expressed concerns that a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the sun will strike earth and disrupt the Earth’s environment, alter the Earth’s outer atmosphere, disrupting long-distance radio communications. The CME’s would also result in strong geomagnetic storms and electrical power blackouts.
I don’t believe the real concern is a CME hitting the earth but hitting Venus, knocking Venus out of orbit and beginning the wide spread havoc in our solar system.
This action will signal the end of ‘The Times of the Gentiles,’ and the beginning of God placing Israel back in the front of His plan for them and through them, His plan for Babylon, Assyria, the host of heaven and the nations.
Bibliography
Patten, Donald Wesley. “The Long Day of Joshua and Six Other Catastrophes.” Seattle WA: Pacific Meridian Publishers, 1973
Patten, Donald Wesley. “Catastrophism and the Old Testament: the Mars Earth Conflicts.” Randel WA: Pacific Meridian Publishers, 1988
Rosen, Moishe. “Share the New Life with a Jew.” Chicago Ill: Moody Press, 1976
Whiston, William; Editor, “The Complete Works of Josephus.” Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids MI, 1960
Velikovsky, Immanuel. “Earth in Upheaval.” Garden City NY: Doubleday , 1955
Velikovsky, Immanuel. “Worlds in Collision.” New York: Macmillan, 1950
Newsletters
Armstrong, Michael, Editor: “Thoth: A Catastrophics Newsletter.” Published January 25, 1997 to March 31, 2005
Videos
“Symbols of an Alien Sky, Episode one.” Thunderbolts.info, Mikmar publications, 2009
“Remembering the End of the World.” Kronia Communications, 1996.