Ezekiel 38-39 Message 3

INTRO: Our subject is Armageddon and Ezekeil 38-39. The big question of this battle is when does it occur? The most common views are that it happens either before the tribulation or just before the middle of the tribulation. Let me mention a few other things as well to get you familiar with the ideas. Along with the views of the Ezekiel war and the possibility of this war being fulfilled before the tribulation, in recent years a view has been put forward that Psalm 83 is prophetic of the future. This prophecy involves the countries that immediately surround Israel. It is believed that most likely this battle will happen before the tribulation as well, and most likely before the war of Ezekiel. Furthermore, Isaiah 17 speaks of the destruction of Damascus in such a way that it will never be inhabited again. It is one of the oldest cities in the world that has had continuous inhabitants. This prophecy has not been fulfilled yet and must happen sometime in the future. Some hold that this may happen before the tribulation as well.

Let me mention something important here. One of the objections to any of these prophecies being fulfilled before the rapture, puts imminency in question. The teaching of the imminent return of Christ means Christ could come at any time. So David Hocking, for instance, believes that the Ezekiel war will likely happen after the rapture but before the tribulation. In that way the timing does not affect imminency.