In order to understand these prophecies, you must understand the politics of the day. Assyria was declining, Babylon was rising and Egypt was siding with the Assyrians to neutralize Babylon. Jeremiah states it is during the “day of the Lord” over and over again (Jer 30.4-8). We must learn to translate the ancient into the modern. So, what do we have so far eschatologically. Amon is the fifth of the last ten kings of Judah, so he is a picture of the fifth year of the Birth-pains. The armies of the east are mobilizing. As we have seen in the sixth year illustrated by the sixth king named Josiah, a move is taking place among the Gentiles through the 144,000 and world events. These events get their attention and there is a move back to the Torah and away from the idolatry of Replacement Theology Christianity and the false messiah. As a result, the false messiah will hunt them down and the Gentiles will raise an army, or at least a resistance movement, and battle him near Megiddo. The false messiah will defeat them, and he will move on to challenge the armies of the east that are coming towards him. These armies are threatening the weakened Russian state who have come under the control of the false messiah following the defeat of Gog and Magog. This leads to two battles at the beginning of the seventh year of the Birth-pains (the sixth king Josiah is dead and he is followed by King Jehoahaz). Now, the last four kings of Judah are a picture of the seventh year of the Birth-pains. We need to note this for now. Jehoahaz rules 3 months, then Jehoichim rules 11 years, then he is followed by Jehoichin who rules 3 months and the final king is Zedekiah who rules 11 years. A pattern has been set.
We are going to develop the battles of Haran, Carchemish, Jordan, the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem. These battles illustrate the final battles of the Birth-pains. Joel 2.30-31 is a Passover verse. The Talmud says that when a red moon (blood moon) occurs on the evening of Passover and Sukkot, it is a sign of the great battles of the end. In 2014-2015, four blood red moons occurred during these festivals. The Lord is giving us a warning to wake up, the Birth-pains are coming and we are having “Braxton-Hicks” contractions, which is the body’s way of getting ready for the actual “birth-pains” to come, the “real” thing. We need to track events. It is like seeing a hurricane coming. You don’t leave your house right away, but you watch how everything develops.
With that said, let’s move into the events of the last year (the 7th) of the Birth-pains. Things today are setting up events for the Birth-pains, and events of the Birth-pains set up events of the 7th year. King Josiah became king at an early age. He turns to the Lord and set out to destroy all idols and he extends his purge into the north, an Assyrian province. Judah is a vassal state of the Assyrians, which is a different status. The worship in the north is of Assyrian gods. This was enough to bring Assyria down, but they can’t do what they want because of the power of Babylon. Josiah is a picture of the Gentiles who are turning to the Lord because of the preaching of the 144,000 who are among them, and these discern the signs of the times. They turn from idolatry, restore a purity in worship and do not follow the “ways of the Gentiles.” They return to the Torah as they discover the “book of the Torah” after reading it. Josiah’s death marks the end of the sixth year.
In Gen 36.8-12 we learn of Esau and there is a prophecy that says Israel will war with Esau (Amalek is his descendant) for all time (Exo 17.15). This will play a role in the battles of the last year. Gen 29.1 says that Jacob fled to Paddan-Aram for 20 years. Aram is Syria and Paddan means “across.” This means he crossed the “river” into Mesopotamia. This is a picture of Israel who have been dispersed for 2000 years and they too go to “Babylon” or America (Micah 4.10). Jacob eventually leaves and goes back to the land because the attitude of Laban and his sons change towards him (Gen 31.1-2) and this dialogue is related to Rosh ha Shannah. Jacob comes to the Jabbok River (Chapter 32) and wrestles with the Angel of the Lord and prevails, and his “life is preserved.” The terms used here are related to Yom Kippur. He renames the place “Peniel” which means “face of God” and this is a term for Yom Kippur. In Gen 32.31 it says the “sun” (a messianic term) rises on Israel (turns toward God). This is also prophesied to happen on Yom Kippur in Ezek 39.22. Jacob is changed and he walks with a limp, meaning his “walk” has changed. In Gen 33.17 we read that he comes to a place called Sukkot. Sukkot means “a stable” and this concept is alluded to in Mal 4.2 where the “sun of righteousness (the Messiah) will rise with healing on his wings (the corners of his garment, where the tzitzit hang) and Israel will “skip about like calves from the stall.” This term “calves from a stall” is an idiom for the festival of Sukkot. Eschatologically speaking, Jacobs return from Babylon to the land has themes related to Rosh ha Shannah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Remember, in Gen 32, Jacob is worried about Esau, but he reconciles with him in Chapter 33. This reconciliation will also happen in the Birth-pains (Isa 16.1-5; Jer 48.28; Isa 21.13-15, 42.10-12; Matt 25.34-40) after judgment on Ammon, Moab and Edom (Ezek 25.1-14).
Now, in prophecy, we need to know that the false messiah is pictured by Pharaoh and Europe is Egypt, Russia is Assyria and the armies of Babylon are the armies of the east. The land of Babylon is America, and she has been removed right before the Birth-pains began, so when you read these prophecies and want to interpret them for the Birth-pains, you must know that when the land of Babylon is mentioned it refers to America. When the armies of Babylon are referred to, is us the armies of the kings of the east. There are a number of battles in the last year of the Birth-pains. The armies of the east have attacked the remnant of the Russians in the north and this leads to a battle near Megiddo. In the 7th year, there are battles in Haran, Carchemish, the Jordanian plains (Egypt went into the mountains of Gilead, pursued by Babylon), the Gaza Strip (which was taken by Babylon in Jer 47, meaning the armies of the east will take this area in the 7th year of the Birth-pains). The last battle will be in Jerusalem, and it has two aspects. There is the first siege (Zech 12), and then a second siege (Zech 14) which leads to the coming of Yeshua. All of this is pictured in the ancient battles found in the prophecies of the 7th century prophets.
During King Hezekiah’s time, Merodach-Baladan of Babylon tries to overthrow Assyria, but they were too powerful because of Sennacherib. Sennacherib is murdered and succeeded by Esar-Haddon but he was very weak. He is succeeded by Asshur-Banipal and Assyria has gotten too big. He is no Sennacherib and the empire begins to crumble. From this time, it takes about ten years to fall. The Babylonians have a new ruler about this time, and his name is Nabopolasser. He overthrows the bloated Assyrian empire and drives them out of the city of Babylon. He builds up the city and sets new fortifications. His general is a man called Nebuchadnezzar, his son. As this is happening, Jeremiah begins to prophesy. Nabopolasser threatens Assyria as they move up the Euphrates (alluding to Rev 16). Pharoah Neco II comes to aid the Assyrians, and this sets up the battle that is fought near Megiddo. Nahum chapters 1 through 3 describes the fall of Assyria by Nebuchadnezzar, and this alludes to the fall of Russia, first by the false messiah (Ezek 39.1-6) and then the armies of the east in the Birth-pains as these armies move down towards Israel. Haran falls in 610 BC (Jeremiah has been prophesying 16 years) and the Assyrians establish a fort at Carchemish to stop Babylon. Pharaoh Neco II marches into Syria, but defeats Josiah first at Megiddo in 608 BC. Egypt joins the remnant of the Assyrian army at Carchemish to stop Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, but they will fail there also. This is all a picture of the battles in the seventh year of the Birth-pains.
In Part 15, we will pick up here and start to look at the prophecies of Moab, Edom and Jordan and how this relates to Dan 11.41. We will then talk about the battle of Carchemish and then relate all this to what happens in the seventh year of the Birth-pains, leading up to the coming of Yeshua at the end of the seventh year.
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