JULY 1971 - VOL. 3, NO. 5

INTRODUCTION:

ALTHOUGH OUR ARTICLE DOES NOT DEAL WITH THE ACTUAL BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. ONLY THE PRELUDE OR EVENTS LEADING TO ARMAGEDDON, WE SHALL DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

(1) WHAT THREE THINGS MUST BE FOUND IN THEIR PROPER SETTING BEFORE ARMAGEDDON CAN BE FOUGHT?
(2) WHAT DOES GOD MEAN BY THE PHRASE "PREPARE WAR" SEEING RECORDED HISTORY OF THE WORLD SHOWS ONLY 8 PERCENT OF PEACETIME?
(3) WHAT TWO POWERFUL FORCES SHALL BE PRE-EMINENT IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON?
(4) WHAT IMPORTANT PART DID WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II PLAY IN THE PRELUDE TO ARMAGEDDON?
(5) WHAT HAS BEEN THE PURPOSE OF THE CONSTANT CONFLICTS IN THE FAR EAST.

Making this message interesting will require one thing; it must be covered from the scriptural standpoint. What saith the Word of God concerning this great subject. Presenting my feelings on this matter would be of little importance however, if by the grace and guidance of the Lord we could take the scriptures and place them together, forming an overall picture of events in our spiritual minds, we would then have a meaningful message for Gentile Christians. We entitle this message PRELUDE TO ARMAGEDDON. Religious groups such as Jehovah Witnesses frequently refer to Armageddon. As a matter of fact, hardly a religious group anywhere having any feelings toward the second advent of Christ will not frequently mention this word.

ARMAGEDDON, FINAL LAND BATTLE

Armageddon is that final terrifying scriptural war that one day shall definitely be fought. No peace pact, no agreements can prevent it once the hour has arrived. It is the final land battle of the ages! Fowls of the air will be invited to it for dinner once it is accomplished. Nations the world over are being awakened in order to be present (already beating pruning hooks into spears, Joel 3:9-11.)

Our purpose in presenting this message is two fold, (1) That we may examine world conditions and events which have transpired over the years and bring them up to our present hour. (2) To stop much of this Gentile idea that one can run ahead of God's program, interpreting time to fit their own thinking! No one will ever do God that way! Remember, if God were to say there would be three glasses of water sitting in the middle of the floor, in a certain house six months from today, you could rest assured he would block everything until those three glasses of water were sitting in the middle of the floor - not five nor seven months from today but exactly six months as He spoke it, and there isn't one thing you can do about it! You might try substituting Coca Cola for water, yet if He said three glasses of water, three glasses of water it shall be! He means exactly what he says and he never accepts a substitute for what he wants. From a human standpoint and from the fact we would like very much to get out of here, I can easily realize how often we indulge in these things trying to fit the picture together to match our own thinking and not the word of God. Oh, if we could only hurry things up to get out of here, no one would question the fact that it would be wonderful. Jesus is coming soon and things that are going on today are events definitely pointing to that soon return of our Lord, however, just because we recognize scripture-wise events are transpiring that does not mean we may apply our ideas to any of the fulfillment of God's Word, hurrying up the process simply because I believe it should be a ceratin way. If God states a thing is going to be a certain way, my ideas by no means will influence nor hasten anything one minute sooner.

GOG AND MAGOG

All of these things work together to fulfill God's Word and shall bring everything into the climax with the Battle of Armageddon. As stated, Armageddon will be the final or last land-based war ever to be fought on this earth, yet someone may question our statement by referring to the scriptural battle recorded in Revelation 20 speaking of Gog and Magog which comes up after the completion of Christ's one thousand year reign. Go back and examine the scriptures and you will soon see that battle in Revelation 20 was never fought because according to verse 9, before one shot could ever be fired, fire came down from heaven and devoured them all. Therefore, I am perfectly justified in saying Armageddon will be the last land-based war ever to be fought upon the face of this earth using weapons, planes, whatever kind of war-power man has devised at that hour.

Naturally, after the thousand year reign, according to verses 7 & 8, Satan is loosed for a brief period out of his prison and goes out to deceive the nations which are upon the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them together to battle. Verse 8 declares Satan shall deceive a number of whom is as the sands of the sea. Recall, these are mortal human beings who have lived within this thousand year reign of Christ. What has now happened? During the thousand year reign according to verse 2 & 3, Satan was imprisoned in the bottomless pit, however, at the end of the thousand year reign he shall be loosed and shall go out seeking to overthrow the great Messianic kingdom that has been established throughout this thousand years of perfect peace. True, God will permit these deceived ones out of all the nations, referred to in number as the sands of the sea, to muster every materialistic means of warfare that can be found in that hour and shall compass about the beloved city and camp on the saints (which is Jerusalem) AND THAT IS AS FAR AS GOD PERMITS THEM TO GO. Find me one statement that even hints that a single shot by man was fired! No sir, not one shot was fired in the battle of Gog and Magog. Therefore, Armageddon is truly that last war in which actual combat and bloodshed is permitted to be executed by man himself, for after the thousand year reign God permits that deceived element among the nations to reach the point of no return. Man did not fire a shot although God fired one - FIRE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND DEVOURED THEM ALL, (Revelation 20:9). Am I not justified in saying Armageddon is the last land-based war ever to be fought? God permits that number of deceived people of the nations of Revelation 20 to go only so far. By their own actions they declare they are not only deceived but are furthermore willing to participate in Satan's plot to overthrow the Messianic kingdom. Therefore, like policemen standing in the shadows waiting for robbers to enter the bank before arresting them, aware of the fact arresting them before entering would actually be to not have anything against them however, to allow them to pick the lock in order to gain entrance though not a dollar in the safe was touched, was to have the goods on them. Likewise, in Revelation 20 God actually permits these people to go that far before destroying them. Do not confuse this battle with Armageddon! It is not Armageddon as it is not even a war that is actually fought. God allows it to accumulate up to a certain point, then fires the only shot himself as fire proceeds from heaven liquidating the complete affair. That was the judgment upon the deceived multitude of nations who allowed themselves to be given over to Satan and disturb the peaceful reign of the kingdom age.

Back to this side of the millennium! Back to the events leading up to the Battle of Armageddon! We must closely observe these events and watch how they transpire. No doubt today you are fully aware Israel as a nation is compassed about by the greatest world powers known today; outnumbered money-wise and every other way, yet we must never forget according to the scriptures, Joel 3:1, and many others, God brought these people back into their land therefore it is He who is holding the reins, not the nations of the world and I am positive that God has allowed certain things to exist only in order to begin setting the stage of action for that final battle of Armageddon. We gentile Christians should cease trying to establish or set the time to satisfy ourselves. As gentile christians, naturally we are constantly trying to apply all the natural settings to some spiritual application however we must remember that natural fulfillment of certain events which affect world conditions and events must all run parallel to lead up properly into that great battle. Therefore, don't run ahead of God, and God will not run ahead of you. Remember, God always brings events up parallel (even) and if we are wise enough without disturbing his program of events, we can still see the time in which we live, scripturally.

As has been stated, the world is a stage and human beings are actors in the drama. We shall see that two acts or two curtain calls have already been finished and the curtain is slowly preparing to open on part three of the Prelude to Armageddon. Recall, each act is only one step closer to that actual dreadful event itself which mankind is desperately trying to avoid but to no avail! Every setting of this GREAT drama only tends to bring certain characters more and more into focus who must be on stage once the dreaded event arrives.

ACT I

According to Joel 3, God speaks definitely of a precise time when he returns the children of Israel to their land showing what transpired, (mainly after 1945). From these verses we learn a great deal. God said in verse 1, "Behold, in those days and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem", placing this in our own phraseology and without distributing any of Joel's prophecy 2,800 years before it occurred, it would read, "For behold in those days, and in that who have been in captivity to have returned back into the land of Judah and Jerusalem." Are we aware of the impact of this verse wherein God states he will have already returned the captivity? He states here that in a certain allotted time, which is certainly not a matter of a few weeks, months or even a year, that He caused the captivity to return back into the land of Judah and Jerusalem. No, beloved, as history bears out the fact it took a certain allotted time to perform this, it was not accomplished overnight. Note, the verse further states, Jerusalem, the city itself, must be in the package deal and in no wise can be excluded from the land for it too must come to biblical fulfillment, therefore, watch closely as we analyze this special allotted time referred to in Joel 3:1, where God would return the Jew to his homeland.

ISRAEL BECOMES NATION

I am sure we all are aware of that memorable day in May 15, 1948, when a nation consisting of certain geographical boundaries, which included only one-half of the city of Jerusalem, was reborn. Israel became identified as a nation among nations after 1,900 years! Note, we made no reference to Israel being born spiritually, only nationally, HER SPIRITUAL BIRTH WILL COME NOT THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL BUT THROUGH TWO PROPHETS THAT GOD SHALL SEND TO THE NATION, (REVELATION 11). Therefore, in 1948, with only one-half of Jerusalem in her possession, Israel became identified as a nation among nations. However, according to the word of Joel's prophecy, God had no intentions of leaving Israel with only one-half of the city when the prophecy includes Jerusalem as a whole. Israel's miraculous birth came overnight, (less than 24 hour period) because as the U.N. troops (especially Britain who held the land since World War I), the Jews had already set up a government with a constitution within 24 hours. Recall, before England had withdrawn her troops on the announced day, May 14, the Arabs had previously declared they would go to war with Israel and they kept their word not 24 hours after the last of the troops had been withdrawn, Israel was fighting for survival.

MAY 15, 1948 - FIRST WAR

Not only had Israel become a nation overnight, overnight she was also in war! Before the sound of the dancing in the streets had died away over the celebrations of Israel becoming a nation, Arabs were firing upon Israel and Israel's first war was on. With only a hand-ful of bedraggled Jews crawling out into the open after many years living in German concentration camps, being beaten, tortured, half-starved yet tough as steel and with the driving initiative to live which they had learned in serving in the underground army, and with only a handful of obsolete weapons, and last but not least, that marvelous sovereign grace of God protecting them, Israel bitterly fought the Arabs to a standstill, holding every inch of their borderland granted by the U.N. for the Jewish State. Recall, this war did not last for years, but only for a brief few months. Skirmishes and wars around the middle East, especially surrounding that Holy Land, are not wars fought such as gentile powers fight theirs, lasting 3, 4, and 5 years, NO SIR, that is not God's way of doing things, it is just one tremendous thrust similar to a knock-out punch. To them it is a knock-out or it isn't. God has always worked in that respect. Recall, in Joel 3:1 God is saying, in those days and in that allotted time when the people had again returned from captivity back to Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, etc. Reading this verse it may sound as though these events may transpire rapidly, however, history (which shows God's prophecy unravel), teaches us these events did not transpire immediately, but in their transpiring Europe, along with many nations of the world were left in a helpless and bedraggled conditioned. However, it was only God's method of awakening Gentiles to prepare them for Armageddon! This time period was many years referred to in Joel 3:1, as in those days and in that time is that allotted time period God has set aside himself when He shall begin to pull the curtain on part one, part two and part three, which shall eventually lead, step by step, year by year, closer and closer to that great battle of Armageddon. No one jumps ahead of God, everything must set its own pace and don't forget, GOD IS THE PACESETTER. Yet, here He states in Joel, in those days (meaning all the accomplished time required to return Israel from captivity and awaken all nations to bring them up to the Valley of Jehosaphat for the greatest war of all times). Secondly, Joel 3:1 states. Concerning the gentile nations who have been guilty of mistreating Israel, I will bring them down into the Valley of Jehosaphat, there to plead with the nations.

VALLEY OF JEHOSAPHAT

Until I personally saw the Valley of Jehosaphat I had always believed this valley where Armageddon would be fought was perhaps a long huge canyon, hundreds of feet deep, with high rock bluffs from which looking down the people below would seem as very small objects. What a surprise to discover it had only a slight sloping descent from the city walls of Jerusalem to the valley floor. I venture to say, level wise, from the summit of Mt. Zion to the very floor level of the valley itself would only reach approximately 200-300 feet in elevation. It is only a gradual sloping terrain and as it leads off into the valley it is very shallow and narrow. At the bottom you start up a gradual slope to the Mount of Olives and actually as you stand at the city walls, looking over to the Mount of Olives it is no more than the distance of a Sabbath days journey, (Acts 1:12). While the valley is quite narrow, having only a small descent in the terrain, the valleys in itself running past the city of Jerusalem on the Eastern side between the Mount of Olives and the city is not very long in length. However, as the valley leads out to the north, it is this part of the valley that goes into Megiddeo country (where the actual battle will be fought).

GENTILES MISTREATED ISRAEL AFTER 70 A.D.

Joel 3:2-16, verse (12) "Let the heathens be awakened and come up to the valley Jehosaphat; for there will I sit to judge all heathens round about." Verse 2 says, "I will judge the for my people and my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the nations." Beloved, gentiles did this scattering around 70 A.D., yet we realize God permitted it. God permitted it to chasten and whip his people, nevertheless, Gentiles were responsible for it as they were permitted to execute their own personal feelings against the chosen race called the Jew and because of that in many respects, gentile nations are guilty of over-doing their part as they have allowed themselves to be worked up into anti-semitic feelings against them simply because gentiles realize they rejected Christ when saying, crucify him. Although this is true it does not give gentiles a right to execute the penalty upon them (God himself will do that.) Therefore in his final analysis God says he will bring the gentiles into this valley and will there plead for his chosen people. Joel 3:3 states gentiles have even cast lots. These verses show how the Jew had been mistreated and sold. In our modern age of the 20th century it doesn't mean much to us, however, back in 70 A.D., when those captured healthy Jews were brought from Jerusalem to Rome by Titus' army, every physically capable man, woman, boy and girl, able to do manual labor, was literally sold as slaves throughout the Roman empire, the others were either killed in Jerusalem and Judah or left to starve. Therefore, you cannot judge the penalty upon the nations simply on the basis of their treatment during the 20th century; God's memory reaches much farther back than that. He examines it from the standpoint of time itself, the inhuman ways the Gentile nations have dealt with his people through the centuries, however it is our present day nations He is judging in the valley of Jehosaphat upon the overall basis of treatment. Continuing, the prophecy in Joel chapter 3, verses 5-7, God says, (5) "Because you have taken my silver and gold and have carried it into your temples, my precious pleasant things: (6) The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have you sold unto the Grecians that you might remove them far from their borders. (7) Behold, I will raise them out of the place whether thou has sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head." (at Armageddon.) Thus fulfilling God's prophecy made to Abraham and his seed, I will bless him who blesses thee, and curse him how curses thee.

We realize that the Arab people are mortal human beings having a soul the same as we or the Jew. His soul is important also. However, we must realize that God, who permitted that Jew to be mistreated through the centuries in order to fulfill scripture, has definitely brought them back after having allowed them to wander throughout the nations and furthermore is seeking to plant them in Palestine, their original, national homeland! There is hardly a gentile power today that is willing to recognize that it is God returning these people to fulfill scripture. They only recognize it as a world condition or a political maneuver which they had to get their hands into, trying to shape it and fulfill political men's ideas. Nevertheless God says, irregardless as to how it looks or how certain people feel about it, He is going to do something right here in respect to all this. First, He is returning the Jew and after that is accomplished, He will then deal with all these nations harshly concerning their mistreatment, regardless to how it looks.

GENTILE SENTIMENT

I recall a certain incident that I was faced with shortly having returned from Israel in 1968, which certainly illustrates gentile feelings toward what is happening in Israel. Walking into a lumber company in a nearby town, one of the elder men having heard of our trip was asking how conditions were over there. In our discussion he asked the question, Are the Arabs really being mistreated? I said, Positively Not! A young fellow with this modern college philosophy, which had been pumped into him spoke up saying, Well, I have to say the Arabs are being mistreated. Israel has thousands of them off in the desert and are doing nothing for them. I said, Brother, do you know why they are out in the desert? He is there because he is too hot-headed to return and liver under an Israeli government; he is there because he is fulfilling his own vows that he would never live under Israeli government; he placed himself out there; he left and deserted his own property because to them there is that sentiment! But that young man couldn't see that. Furthermore, I said there is not one of these Arabs that was forced out there. Naturally, when the Arab army retreated, they retreated with them also with the feeling the Arab armies would later return and push the Jew into the sea whereby he wouldn't have to live under Israeli environment because he wanted to live strictly under an Arab government, however, for God to fulfill His word in Joel 3, He could not permit the Arab armies to return and push Israel into the sea. Again, I repeat, the Arabs are in refugee camps in the desert, not because they have been deported there, they left with the fleeing army thinking they would return and destroy Israel. Yet, notice I said, there were plenty of Arabs who chose to remain in the land and did not flee as the Arab armies retreated who still have their shops, their homes and their property and tourists continue to trade with them. So, I said you cannot blame that Jew for the Arab being stubborn, hot-headed and in the plight he is in. Nevertheless, it does create a situation and the world will always view it from the human standpoint.

PREPARE WAR - JOEL 3:9

Note, God is saying that He will bring the Gentiles down to the valley of Jehosaphat after having restored Israel in the land and giving her (all) Jerusalem, there shall He deal harshly with those nations for their treatment against his heritage Israel. Verse 9 is the verse that really begins looking down through time. Beloved, Joel and these other men prophesied and wrote exactly what God had instructed them, being absolutely confident every word which had been spoken would come to pass though they might never live to see it. Though death came for these men, their prophecies remained to hang right there until approximately 2,800 years later. Joel 3:9 leads up into that very day, passing through many developments which would cause these conditions to prevail and begin to fulfill themselves as God (would) say, (9) "Proclaim this among gentiles (nations) (Proclaim means, advocate, make it known, announcing. Proclaim what among the nations?) prepare war, wake up the might men. (No doubt Jews as well as gentiles have read this time and again until it has become common place, yet after 2,800 years we have lived through the hour of time when these very words which hung there through the centuries are now shaping the world for Armageddon!) Continuing he says, "let the men of war draw near; let them come up; (10) Beat their plowshares into swords and their pruninghooks into spears: let the weak (nations) say I am strong." Note, verse 9 covers a number of years of time, not merely a day nor a week, month or even a year. If you remember anything about history, you are conscious of the fact that as long as man has existed, peace has been rare while war has been plentiful, Right? If man has always been fighting, seeing only 8 percent of his recorded history has been years of peace, what does God mean by saying, DECLARE WAR? In over 3,100 years of recorded time only 286 of those years has been warless! Here God means as man has struggled through time to build his own various empires wherein God permitted four of them to come into fulfillment (Babylon, Media-Persia, Grecian and Roman) yet that hour "of prepare war" shall be God's method of taking all the conditions which exists with man bringing it into focus whereby He could use man's military preparedness to create conditions in this world to fulfill his word of prophecy in verse 9, (prepare war).

THREE THINGS TO BE IN PROPER SETTING BEFORE ARMAGEDDON

(1) Israel
(2) Ten horned beast of Europe
(3) Proper recognition of man of sin

Because we now face certain world-shaking events, let us approach this under three definite stages which must transpire within this world before Armageddon can be fought. Every prophecy dealing with events before Armageddon must transpire, not one can be left undone. Recall, I am referring only to those prophecies dealing with the end of this dispensation of grace closing out into the tribulation, ready to go over into the thousand year reign. As God has stated certain things would be, nothing can be substituted for them.

Sometime ago a person asked me if we could possible be farther along in time than what we think, could we not already be living in that hour of time, (Daniel 70th week)? My answer was NO! Why not, he remarked, Israel has already become a recognized nation over 20 years ago? True, I said, but before that last prophetic week involving Jacob's trouble can begin to express itself, those Jews must have in their possession that holy ground or spot. For recall the angel speaking unto Daniel in 9:24 declared seventy prophetic weeks of seven years each had been determined upon: (1) thy people, (2) thy holy city, to finish (6) things. One of those things according to verse 27 declared the angel was he, the wicked prince of Rome, must confirm the covenant with many for one week or seven years and in the middle of that final prophetic week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and may I remind you, Israel at this point, although she has been a nation over 20 years and does have in her possession the entire city of Jerusalem since 1967, certainly does not have in their possession the holy spot on the temple grounds called THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE, where the Antichrist who is permitted to rule for 42 months (Revelation13) or time, times and dividing of times, in the middle of the week will cause the sacrifice to cease!

ALL 70 WEEKS DETERMINED ON PEOPLE AND CITY

Recall, all the seventy prophetic weeks must not only be upon the people Israel, but upon the city Jerusalem as well and in Jerusalem is where the altar of sacrifice is located which at this time (June 1971) is not in their possession, however, in the middle of their seventieth week, the Antichrist, or false prince, shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease! Their last prophetic week according to the angel will not begin until the false prince makes his covenant with Israel where in the middle of the week he stops the sacrifice and at present the Jews do not have possession of the holy ground, only the western wall of the temple area. What is inside that wall is controlled by the Moslem faith. This spot is yet to be given unto Israel. Then everything within the city, according to Joel 3:1, will be in Israel's hands. Realize beloved, the importance of this one spot, THE ROCK OF SACRIFICE, enclosed today by the Moslem's Dome of the Rock which must fall into Israel's hands before God gathers those nations to the Valley of Jehosaphat and second before the man of sin, according to Paul, can be revealed declaring himself as God sitting in the temple (at Jerusalem) II Thessalonians 2:3-4, having broken his covenant in the midst of the 70th week. Therefore, somewhere out there still before us we await that final week which climaxes into Armageddon. Gentile people fail to recognize the importance of this holy spot on the temple grounds of Jerusalem which must be in Israel's hands before God's prophecy can be fulfilled. We gentiles pull everything to ourselves as long as we can see things being fulfilled in our behalf, dealing with our position. Seeing this, we are ready to jump ahead, to pull everything in line for fulfillment, but brother it can't be done this way. Events must run parallel, not one event ahead of the other. If one event somewhere does appear to get ahead, rest assured God will pull the reins on this thing, holding it up until the other events catch up, that is exactly what He is doing.

EVERY WAR HAS NOT AFFECTED PROPHECY

We realize not every war has been affected by prophecy nor has even affected prophecy. Such wars have only served as conditions to create less stability, unrest, etc. However, we must remember there are certain wars which definitely do shape world events and conditions in order to fulfill God's Word.

GUNS OF AUGUST - 1914

Return with us to that period of time designated around 1914-1918, better known as World War I. What was the advantage of World War I? Was there any prophetic fulfillment? There most certainly was! Is it not strange no war fought prior to that war was ever called a World War? Yet, this war did not constitute every nation represented in the world in that hour (only 23) but, for some reason it definitely set a pattern into which the world entered and has never been able to pull out of! For years I have carried a clipping taken from Reader's Digest called "Prelude to Armageddon", a condensed article from Guns of August 1914. The writer goes back a few years and picks up those days preceding the beginning of World War I showing how World War I was definitely ACT 1 leading the world unto Armageddon. How, you may ask? Let's go back a few years before World War I to actually see. The article I am quoting from shows how for quite a few years the world had lived in comparative peace. King Edward VII was king of England, while Kaiser Wilhelm was Kaiser in Germany. Recall, those European nations through the Reformation had prospered greatly being freed from the ironclad rule of the pope. It must be remembered many of those European nations were nothing more than the break-up of the old Roman Empire which for centuries was once ruled from Rome first by pagan Roman Emperors and lastly, far from least, the Pope himself was supreme ruler of church and state. As would be expected, many of these political western European nations set out upon a venture of their own trying to become a world power within themselves. We realize from about the 14th until the 17th Century these European nations had fought back and forth, shuffling for new positions of world power within Europe itself, however, for some unseen reason none of these could ever seem to be in position to gain leadership as a world power or figure in Europe. Recall, since they were broken up portions of the old Roman Empire and for one nation to rise and rule the others would in a sense only be trying to re-establish or resurrect the same amount of Roman Territory again under one power.

According to Revelation 17, God has already stated that these ten nations will one day receive such power with the beast for that one prophetical hour, (Revelation 17:12), making Europe for a very brief period recognizable as a one world kingdom within Europe itself or a united Europe although this could never take place until that hour. Those individuals European nations having failed through the centuries to have any effect in becoming a world figurehead in Europe, therefore swinging their efforts around they ceased trying to be a world power among themselves and away they went off into other territories, colonializing certain sections of Africa, South America, Far East and on into India, as European nations now majored upon colonializing certain sections of the world. This relieved somewhat the pressure within Europe itself although certain clashes among these nations did occur over colonialized territories. As a matter of fact, this period became recognized throughout the world as a period of colonialization. Britain, no doubt, did far more colonialization than the rest of Europe going to India establishing her great power and authority raising her flag over the isles of the sea, on into South America and even deep into Africa. France perhaps stood second to England, then Germany and Belgium along with all their sister nations were busy doing the same. Note, seeing that these nations within Europe could never gain that position of world power over the other European nations, they turned their attention to colonializing the world.

BINDING KINGDOMS THROUGH INTER-MARRIAGE

According to Daniel's vision it was God who would never permit one of these royal kingdoms to gain enough influence to conquer Europe, therefore in order to bind their kingdoms closer together on a friendly basis many of the royal families inter-married. Marriage within this period among royal families of various countries became quite common in their attempt to bind their kingdoms together, just as Daniel prophesied they would (mingled themselves among the seed of men). That beloved is how we find the stage set in the European situation at the hour of England and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany were relatives (uncle and nephew), Wilhelm's mother was King Edward's sister. The royal families of Denmark, Norway, Greece, Belgium and various countries were now inter-related cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. This article in my possession shows through these royal marriages over a period of time, various royal kingdoms had tried to unify and usher in peaceful co-existence among themselves, yet for some reason Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was one ruler who contained very jealous ambitions. King Edward VII of England over the years gained world recognization as the peacemaker of Europe and since being able to establish and influence peace, there had been no wars during his reign. When Edward passed away, behind his funeral procession rode nine European kings on horse back and one horse with empty saddle. The muffled tone of the Big Ben clock in London was striking 9 o'clock as the procession was leaving the palace, but on history's clock it was sunset and the sun of the old world was setting, approaching a point from which there was no turning - ARMAGEDDON. Nine kings, and had Edward been alive he would have made the tenth king, therefore in May 1910, nine European kings rode behind Edward VII's body as it was being ushered to its place of burial and even before the peacemaker's body could be laid to rest Kaiser Wilhelm, his nephew, had already been plotting with the ruler of France that should war ever break out France was to be on Germany's side and this continued until 1914, approximately four years after the death of this peacemaker with a certain dignitary of Austria, Frances Ferdinand, Crown Prince Arch Duke was assassinated and Germany, who was allied with Austria-Hungary, seized upon this opportunity and World War I was on its way.

WHERE WAS THE JEW?

Could we for a moment reminisce asking ourselves one important question? During the hour of 1914, WHERE WAS THE JEW? Answer - scattered all over the world, weren't they? Who was in possession of the Holy Land, that land where the Battle of Armageddon will one day be fought? The Turks, of course. Again I ask, where was the Jew as we approach Act I in the Prelude to Armageddon, what would be accomplished out of this Act (I)? Watch carefully, Kaiser Wilhelm with selfish ambitions of his own had set back long enough listening to his Uncle Edward. Edward had gotten all the praise and attention and Kaiser Wilhelm wanted some of this recognition and in order to obtain it was willing to do something to gain attention. The major difference between the two great leaders, one being deceased, was Edward had gained his recognition by becoming a peacemaker, the least Wilhelm could do was become a troublemaker. Isn't that the way of people, if they can't live right and gain attention they will do just the opposite! They must do something to gain attention, even if it requires doing something bad. Kaiser Wilhelm did just that! He used that entire plot leading to the assassination of the dignitary to start himself a private war. However, his motive did not go unnoticed by the Eternal God who definitely chose to use Wilhelm's war to begin fulfilling his own words of prophecy in Joel 3:1. Wilhelm's motive was to take a slice of Europe in order that the world might notice KAISER WILHELM. Feeling he had the ability to gain world recognition, Wilhelm harnessed up his horses, geared up his army and away he went into Belgium, Poland and on toward France.

Who would have ever thought this struggle for world pre-eminence by a monarch would develop into a World War and produce such a world setting as it did! Not only was England brought into the war but America and 21 other countries as well, causing every area of country within western Europe to become involved. And not only that but watch carefully, since Satan had a man on the scene who wanted to be a big wheel, God permitted that because time had now arrived in his program for something else to transpire and God was definitely going to allow this war to play a role in that also. Our God has plans one day of placing a king in Israel and just as if God was playing a game of checkers, He used these gentile kings as his men being moved around on the board to gain whatever He wants, as God has no interest in seeing any other gentile king, dictator or potentate coming out on top. His only interest is placing his king on a throne in the temple of Israel (Ezekiel 43:1-2), therefore He allowed Kaiser Wilhelm to begin his war. Dramatizing it in this manner we will say, the Lord's remarks to Wilhelm are, go ahead, begin your war fulfill my word on behalf of my people Israel!

THREE IMPORTANT INCIDENTS BEFORE ARMAGEDDON

Bear in mind, before Armageddon can be fought three very important things must transpire and be fulfilled. (1) The Jew must not only be back in his homeland, in possession of his land but he also must have his city Jerusalem and that holy spot (temple grounds) before Joel 3:1 can be fulfilled. Do not limit God to merely placing his people back in the land! He must be in full possession of those things just mentioned. See, He must be in complete control of his city Jerusalem as Daniel 9:24 says the seventh prophetic weeks are all determined upon the Jewish people and their city as well. (2) There must be in this world before Armageddon is fought a ten horned beast to rise up out of Europe. This ten horned beast coincides with the ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar's dream on the feet of the great gentile image where the stone hewed out of the mountain, not by human hands, smashed into it in the latter days (this clash of stone against ten toes is the second coming of Christ clashing into that ten horned beast or ten toes of the image which are ten western European nations, now being economically resurrected through the Common Market nations). Revelation 17 gives full details how the great whore is seen for a period riding the back of this beast. Revelation 17 further reveals the army which was in heaven following Christ on white horses are the ones to destroy this entire polluted system. (3) The third thing that must be before Armageddon can be fought is that the man of sin must fully come upon the scene, being introduced to the world falsely as a true peacemaker. Naturally, scriptural wise he is called the Antichrist and is the false peacemaker. You can spiritualize this all you want, but beloved we know that Antichrist office is fulfilled by the Pope, the wounded head that was healed on the beast. We recognize the spirit of it and realize it has harassed the church since its very beginning, there being referred to as the mystery of iniquity, man of sin, false prophet, Antichrist, yes, he is all of this, however, until he becomes the number one figurehead, until all these carnal dictators and potentates of the word bow their heads telling the man of sin (THE POPE) to take over, Armageddon will never be fought! These are positively three things that must be in their proper place and setting before Armageddon can be fought!

Therefore through the eye of the Spirit we can see how World War I set the stage for the beginning for what would climax in Armageddon. God, who was carefully observing the situation concerning Israel, says time has now arrived to free the land upon which shortly my people shall live. Time has come for Israel to return home to begin the fulfillment of Joel 3:1. It was not until around 1850, and through those latter years approaching the 20th Century do we find pressed upon the minds of Jewish rabbis the world over the stirring in their soul to begin a movement called Zionism, getting Israel a homeland. Jewish rabbis began holding conferences and conventions throughout various settlements of Jewish people instructing them it was time to return home seeing the land which was rightfully theirs had strictly been ruled by the Turks of the Moslem religion who had openly threatened any Jew returning to Palestine? Therefore around 1914, God, looking upon the scene observing Kaiser Wilhelm's plan to be recognized as a powerful dictator controlling a large portion of Europe, watches him begin his thrust for power across Belgium toward France. What move does God make? The Almighty simply impresses England, who entered the war against Germany the same day German troops tried to press across Belgium, to fulfill a role that no doubt she never dreamed was in the making.

OIL SUPPLY CUT IN MIDDLE EAST

Certainly England had no desire to control any part of the Middle East, yet if Satan could use Kaiser Wilhelm to shake Europe, God could certainly in the same process use England to perform his will, making it possible that one day the Almighty could set his king in Jerusalem. Satan cares not where he establishes anything, however God does! Therefore as Wilhelm began his war, England in order to do a military maneuver and cut off all oil supplies going to Germany through the Middle East from the south, sent troops into Asia.

Near the end of 1915, an Anglo-Indian expedition force appeared north of the Persian Gulf, its objective - Bagdad. In November, the British successfully attacked the Turks south of Bagdad and by December had defeated and driven them into Kutalamara where they were surrounded and besieged. On April 29, 1916, an entire British force of 10,000 men and officers surrendered because of threatened starvation.

Another force which had tried to relieve the first captured Bagdad in March 1917, and pushed on north from the city. To lessen the territory and influence of the central power of the sultan's territory, the British army pushed on and by December 1, 1917, had fought its way within three miles of Jerusalem where on December 9, General Allenby and his forces captured the city of Jerusalem, without firing a single shot, this being the only great allied victory of the entire year of 1917!

HOW JERUSALEM WAS CAPTURED (WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT)

Recall, it was the Turks who Britain had been fighting throughout Asia and who were also in charge of the city of Jerusalem which they had held for a considerable time. A Moslem prophet of the distant past had been known to prophesy concerning the length of time the Turks would hold Jerusalem. They were to hold Jerusalem until the waters of the Nile flowed into the city! Here is the most amazing thing ever heard. General Allenby, who was approaching the city, in fear the Turks might poison the water supply, laid a special pipeline from the Nile with him across the desert in his own private pipeline to take care of his men and horses, because of the sacredness of the city did not want to fire upon it and it is said that he prayed asking God what must he do? It seems that because of the nearness of his name to that name of the Moslem god, ALI that when the word was sounded, ALLENBY IS COMING in the confusion it sounded as if they said ALI IS COMING and the Turks, thinking it was their deity, threw down their weapons. As General Allenby marched into Jerusalem the pipeline ended and the waters of the Nile flowed freely through the streets, therefore the Turks knew it was time to give up the land which they had held successfully over 400 years and go home.

COST OF FREEING JERUSALEM

Beloved, could you possibly conceive that in order for the capture of Jerusalem to be accomplished without firing a shot thus freeing the land for Israel to begin her return home and fulfill the prophecy of Joel 3:1, it had required a four year World War involving 23 countries between July 23, 1914, and November 11, 1918, at the cost of almost eight million men in what is described as the greatest military struggle the world have ever witnessed, costing those 23 countries participating nations approximately $200 billion?

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

An article appearing in the National Geographical Magazine shows during the reign of these Turks over the Middle East countries, they had not only suppressed the 50 thousand Jews in the land, they had suppressed the Arabs as well and the Arabs were constantly battling the Turks in an attempt to throw off this oppression. No doubt you have heard of Lawrence of Arabia, a famous British military leader, who sympathized and lived within the boundaries of the Arabs holding hostile feelings toward the Turks, spending his time teaching and instructing the Arabs in the desert to fire weapons and carry on warfare, raiding Turkish camps whenever possible. Furthermore he was responsible for beginning the great Arab troops know as Arab Legion.

Therefore, with the capture of Jerusalem in 1917, God is definitely setting in motion Joel 3:1. For behold in those days and in that time when I shall bring again the captive (not that they are still captive) but will return them from captivity. Behold in those days in that time I will cause them to return back. May I ask a question? How could it be possible to return back with conditions as they had been before 1917? Rabbis, we recall, had felt inspired to urge the Jews everywhere to return home, but to the Jew it was a hopeless proposition. Go home to what, they would ask? Realizing for hundreds of years their homeland had been under Moslem rule of Turks and Arabs. However, just as prophecy had declared the land of Israel (in their absence) would remain in more or less a desolate state, the Turks never created any initiative within the land even allowing the cities to remain in just as ancient a makeup as they were 2,000 years ago. Arabs continued in their same mode of dress, travel, eating habits and everything. However, finally around 1917, God maneuvered that peace loving nation England into position to take over all the Palestinian land, kicking out the Turks.

FIRST JEWISH MIGRATION - 1882

Meanwhile another situation was developing, this time in Russia. Even before the Mulchavite revolution and communism take over of Russia, (1919-1921) was in process thousands of Jews from Russia and Rumania had managed to escape. Approximately 30% of these went to Palestine while the majority went to England and America. 1904, witnessed the second small migration to Palestine even before it became the Jewish homeland in 1917. According to the background sheet issued recently by the Jewish Agency only 700,000 Jews had migrated to Israel during the 70 years previous to 1948. (Naturally many thousands of these returned after 1945). With that tiny migration, Jews began to infiltrate and trickle slowly back into the land combining their small amounts of cash and purchasing what appeared to the Arabs to be worthless land such as swamps and grown up wilderness which the Arab was simply too lazy to clean up. However, being among western nations, the Jews had learned modern agricultural techniques and with his drive and initiative cleaned up those many acres of swamps and wilderness areas where he began carving out a living for himself. It wasn't long before the Arabs began resenting these noble efforts and trouble began brewing. Therefore to avoid trouble the British, who held a mandate on the land, stopped the returning Jew from entering the land. From that time until 1948, not over 700,000 Jews trickled back into the land to live.

(INSERT CHAIM WEIZMANN PICTURE)

Chaim Weizmann was responsible for England giving the Jews a homeland after the capture of Jerusalem in 1917. Weizmann was a Jewish chemist and also a Zionist leader. During World War I he performed invaluable service to the allies by discovering synthetic acetone, which was used in making ammunition. His government being most grateful for his discovery offered him an award, to which he replied, "give my people (the Jew) a section of the Holy Land for a homeland." Britain did! He succeeded in interesting British state men in the Zionist idea and was thus helpful in having the British government in 1917, issue the Balfour Declaration, which promised to make Palestine the Jewish national homeland and it had been approved by the League of Nations in 1922, still it seemed that only individual Jews desired to return home; only those who were able to muster up enough passage to return and pool their resources buying up worthless pieces of ground to set up their kibbutzes where all would live in a "community" type environment. By the time World War II enters the picture in 1938, numbers of these community centers have been established. Meanwhile the Arabs with resentment have stood back and watched what had rapidly transpired as Jews had entered the land. God, now having the land in proper gentile hands, is ready to begin ACT II. Yes, the curtain is rising for ACT II on the world stage beginning exactly where it fell closing ACT I. Recall those three act plays we all would attend in school, how the following act would begin where the curtain fell closing out the preceding act? This is a similar situation. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT WITH ACT II?

ACT II - PREPARING A NATION TO BE BORN

In ACT I we saw England in charge of the land of Palestine and for 20 years remained so while those few Jews had established without too much difficulty their community settlements although the Arab resentment was rising against them. England served as a police force in keeping the peace while Jews slowly returned to the homeland of Abraham.

BRIEF LOOK AT EUROPE

Closing ACT I, Europe was left in a destitute condition. This war which ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, had been most costly in every way. Europe faced mass starvation. Those countries involved in actual combat were torn and ripped and although the war had ended it would take years before the countries could ever get back on their feet. Had it not been for the help of the United States who sent needed aid, food, money and supplies to war torn Europe, no doubt she would not have survived, as this war, in money alone, had cost all nations combined some $200 billion dollars and nearly eight million men. Realizing that the world must never again face such a slaughter and to assure the peace, the League of Nations in 1920 was established. Too weak to enforce much it eventually faded from the picture.

Europe with American money began to reconstruct and for a few years lived in a peaceful atmosphere. Note, in order to free the land and take the city of Jerusalem without firing a shot, Europe had undergone her worst most costly war in their history. Out of the smouldering ruins of World War I these ten separate horns, seen (Joined Together) on the beast in Revelation 17, in Europe such as France, Germany, Belgium, Etc., slowly began to rebuild and reconstruct their society hoping within themselves this dreaded war had taught all nations a lesson they would never forget. What had World War I accomplished? Beloved, it had began to shape the world for God's word to be fulfilled in Joel 3 as we prepare to watch step two.

Twenty years have drifted by and England without too much difficulty had successfully held peacefully the land of Palestine although the Arabs had constantly flared up. As the Jew struggled in Palestine those in Europe prospered greatly continuing to gain their Millions and grow in vast numbers. However soon all this will be changed as a pressure will come against them from within the same country Kaiser Wilhelm led to defeat in World War I.. Up came another ambitious man, his name was Adolph Hitler who, during the World War had been nothing more than a corporal, but Hitler was another man possessed with selfish ambition as had Kaiser Wilhelm. Note, as the curtain rises on the world stage of ACT II we see Hitler with those same selfish ambitions as did Kaiser Wilhelm at the beginning of ACT I! It was in 1935, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini seized Ethiopia while once more the League of Nations was too weak to act. In the following year Mussolini and Hitler sent troops and supplies to help General Francisco Franco overthrow the legal government of the Spanish republic and set up a Fascist dictatorship, at this the League of Nations took no action and is not heard of any more. Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany and sets out to make himself a dictator changing Germany from a democratic republic to a totalitarian state appointing himself as dictator. World War II is definitely brewing and shaping rapidly in the mind of this mad dictator as in March 1938 Hitler's troops crossed into Austria and annexed a population of nearly seven million people to Germany. After hitting North Africa he now concentrates on taking a slice of Europe exactly as his predecessor before him. For some reason God had also been watching Hitler as he had Kaiser Wilhelm some 20 years before. Recall, God still intends one day to set that King in the temple to reign over Jerusalem during that thousand years and that day is fast approaching as all world events push toward that hour. (Read again Joel 3:1) Naturally, that verse covers a multitude of years all the way up to Armageddon, therefore time has arrived in the second stage of his program in returning the Jews to Palestine.

Europe had hoped there would never be another world clash, therefore to assure this the nations had tried to form a peace organization called the League of Nations. Although it was successful in helping nations settle some disputes and for a time disarming Germany and cutting down armaments of their own countries, it had tended to remain too weak to act and by 1935, when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia it seemingly had no power of speech. Note, it was a the point when the league of Nations had no power that Hitler puts forth a dramatic plan to liquidate all Jews. What is now in the making, the Jew must become very dissatisfied in his present rich environment to ever return to a land of nothing. Hitler, like the Pharaoh of Egypt in the days of Moses, is allowed to think an evil thought concerning the people of Israel. Recall, when the hour had arrived to fulfill the promise God made to Abraham concerning his seed so journeying in a strange land some 400 years until the cup of the Amorites had fulfilled itself, it was because of the dreaded persecution against the children of Israel in Egypt that made them cry out to leave Egypt. Regardless to where the Jew has ever gone he has prospered and in Egypt he prospered greatly until God raised up a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph and began to apply pressure against them. No Jew as long as he was prospering was going to leave Egypt after 400 years, leaving behind his stocks, bonds and property and everything else going into a land about which he know nothing. Certainly, they wouldn't and neither would you. We are built in the way that as long as everything is going good we don't make any moves whereby we would run the risk of a loss, therefore in order for God to get Israel out of Egypt he had to cause the Jew to become dissatisfied and to get the Jew out of Europe in 1945 He also had to make him very dissatisfied and to do that He raised up another Pharaoh called Hitler. As in Egypt he had to make them sick of their present environment. Pharaoh had been allowed to kill all the firstborn male children. Imagine poor helpless mothers watching their little babies being jerked from their breasts, butchered and fed to alligators; seeing their menfolk whipped, slaughtered, speared, in mud pits and brick mints. What do you think is going to come into their hearts? OH JEHOVAH, I want to get out or here!! Suddenly they have lost their vision and feeling to remain in Egypt. Their property, stocks and bonds undoubtedly confiscated only hardly enough clothes to cover their back is all that is left. In this condition God raises up Moses to lead them out. Yes, they were all ready to leave, no one had a desire to remain.