Now, let’s look deeper into the war of Gog and Magog, and we are talking about eschatology. We have a changing world today, and Russia is in Syria as of 2017. But, we are not concentrating on eschatology in this study, but we are talking about the “appointed times” or “moedim.” This not only applies to the appointed times, like the Sabbath and the festivals, but there are appointed times during the day for prayer. In a Jewish Prayer book, it is good to see what was prayed during these appointed times because it will teach us about eschatology. Prophecies will relate to these appointed times. For example, we know Ezek 39-39 and Zech 12 were read at Sukkot. So, lets look at Isaiah, chapters 7 through 10, 22, 36 through 38.
In Isa 7.1 we have Ahaz as king, symbolizing the second year of the Birth Pains. During this time we have a confederacy formed among among the Arabs to overthrow Israel. It will come from Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Lebanon and will be assisted by the Syrians and Jordanians. Psa 83 deals with this. The question as of 2017 is, could ISIS be involved with this? Assyria is on the list, so Russia has joined with them. The Children of Lot are the Ammonites and the Moabites, or the Jordanians. Right now, the Jordanians have authority over the Temple Mount through the WAQF, which is an Islamic religious “trust” organization. Here is a possible scenario.
The war of the second year will be centered over the Temple Mount. Gog and Magog has joined with them and we find that Ahaz appealed to Assyria for help, and takes riches from the Temple Mount to pay Assyria (Russia). On one account, Assyria won’t come to help and in another account they did. Both are true because Assyria was holding out. Israel in the future will do the same. They will believe that they cannot defeat the Arabs, so they will call on Russia for help (USA is gone), but Israel must pay them and give concessions. They will enforce a peace by making the Arabs back down (they control them), but Israel will need to do something, too. We read about this in Ezek 38.8-16.
Today there are many cities and settlements in the area of Samaria, but they are outnumbered by the Arabs, with terrorists among them. What is being described in Isa 7.2-9 is not the Jewish people attacking the south, but the Arab Muslim terrorists, with Syria making a move from the north, with the Palestinians Arab terrorists coming from Gaza. This will be supported by Arabs coming from Jordan.
Isa 7.1-17 describes a sign that was given to Ahaz (we will get back to that). The land will be devastated by war, so the people will eat “curds and honey.” This means that the land was uncultivated, similar to the phrase “the land of milk and honey.” Isa 7.18-19 refers to the idiom “in that day” and so this is a double reference prophecy. God will whistle for the “fly” that is in Egypt and the “bee” that is in Assyria. This is a classic battle between the “Behemoth” and “Leviathan” found in Job 40 and 41. Behemoth is Assyria/Gog and Magog/Russia while Leviathan is is Egypt/Europe. In the prayer “Akdamut” found in the Mesorah Siddur for Shavuot, we have a long prayer concerning this battle between Behemoth and Leviathan. We will not quote all of it here, but a part of it says, “They sport with the Leviathan and the ox of lofty mountains when they interlock with one another and engage in combat, with his horns the Behemoth will gore with strength, the fish will leap to meet him with his fins, with power. Their Creator will approach them with his mighty sword. A banquet for the righteous will he prepare, and feast.” This banquet is the Wedding Supper that is given after Yeshua returns and destroys the false messiah and false prophet (Isa 25.6; Matt 8.11; Luke 12.35, 13.29; Rev 19.7,9,21; Matt 22.1-14).
In the commentary on page 714-719 it says, “According to the Talmud and Midrash, the Leviathan is a giant fish, created on the fifth day of creation, and the ruler of all the creatures of the sea. The Behemoth is a gigantic bull, created on the fifth day of creation, that, like the Leviathan, possesses enormous strength. The Talmud and Midrash tell of the huge size and appetite of these monsters. The commentators explain that these accounts, as well as the description of their violent battle to the death are allegorical and refer to spiritual values. From the beautiful skin of Leviathan, God will construct canopies to shelter the righteous who will eat the meat of behemoth and the Leviathan amid great joy and merriment at a huge banquet that will be given for them.” So, these passages describe the battle between Europe (Leviathan) and Russia (Behemoth) in the last days. Eschatologically, Leviathan comes from the sea (Job 41.1; Rev 13.1) and Behemoth comes from the land (Job 40.15; Rev 13.11). This also describes the false messiah and false prophet. There is so much here to go into here, but we need to move on.
Isa 7.20-25 tells us that the Assyrians will come and devastate everything in front of them, like a barber with a razor that gets all the body hair (7.20). To remove the beard was seen as a humiliation (1 Chr 19.1-5; 2 Sam 10.1-5). Curds and honey will be all they can find to eat because the land is devastated by war. This is a Hebrew idiom for “uncultivated and no agriculture.” Russia will do the same thing.
Isa 8.1-8 says that Isaiah has a son, the one prophesied in Isa 7.14. He is named “Maher-shalal hash-baz” which means “plunder hastens, the spoil quickens.” Before this child even knows to cry out “My father” or “My mother” the wealth of Damascus and Samaria will be carried away by Assyria. If you notice in Isa 83, Assyria was helping this confederacy, but here, they have turned against them. The waters of “Shiloach” (meaning “Sent”) is used during Sukkot. The people have rejected these “gentle waters” so the Lord is going to send a “river” which is a Hebrew idiom for an army (Jer 12.5; Rev 12.16; Ezek 38.9). This army will “overflow its channels” meaning this army will cover the land and go wherever it wants.
We see in Isa 8.8 that this son, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, is the son of the “almah” in Isa 7.14. This was the eighth century B.C. There will be three fulfillments of Isa 7.14. It was fulfilled with Isaiah’s son, it was fulfilled with Yeshua and Miriam and in the last days Messiah will come from the “virgin” Israel. Isa 8.8-9 refers to this son, called “Immanuel” meaning “God with us.” Isa 8.11-15 tells us of a “conspiracy” which is alluding to what we have seen in Psa 83. God is saying that Israel should not be afraid of this conspiracy, but to fear the Lord. However, some will stumble over him (Isa 8.14-15) like they did with Yeshua (Matt 21.42; 1 Pet 2.6-8). Then Isa 8.16 22 says they were to bind the Torah and the Testimony (the Edut). In other words, they were to go to the Torah and the Prophets and not to mediums and spiritists. If they do not speak according to this word (the Torah and the Prophets), it is because they have no light (understanding). That means they were to test things with Scripture (Acts 17.11; John 5.39; Deut 18.18-22; Deut 13.1-5).
Isa 9.1 is the last verse of Chapter 8 in a Jewish Tanak. So, let’s pick up in Isa 9.2-7. As you read these verses, you will see many Sukkot terms used, so this is a Sukkot passage and a prophecy. In v 2 it says “to those who live in the shadow of death” alludes to the Kidron Valley just outside the Temple. This valley was illuminated during Sukkot. The terms “gladness”, “glad”, “gladness”, “rejoice” and “of harvest” are Sukkot terms. Sukkot is called the “feast of Ingathering” in Exo 23.16. Eschatologically, Sukkot is five days after Gog and Magog/Russia will be defeated. Assyria was defeated before Sukkot. Isa 7-8 and Isa 9.1 deal with the first two years of the Birth Pains. These passages deal with the war with Gog and Magog in year three of the Birth Pains because it was King Hezekiah )the third king) that had to deal with it. Isa 9.2-7 deals with the first day of Sukkot, five days later. The people are celebrating a great military victory over the “rod of their oppressor’ (Isa 10.5; Micah 5.1). This is talking about the Assyrian invasion. Isa 9.6 in the Talmud, Sanhedrin 47a, attributes this verse to Hezekiah, which shows this was associated with the defeat of Assyria.
Isa 9.6 refers to “a child will be born to us,” Yeshua will be born at Sukkot physically, as we have shown in other teachings. But, after Gog and Magog/Russia is defeated right at the end of the third year of the Birth Pains and just into the fourth year (From Rosh Ha Shannah to Yom Kippur. This extension is pictured by Hezekiah’s life being extended by 15 years), Yeshua will be born into the hearts of Israel corporately (Isa 10.12; Ezek 39.22).
In the conclusion, we will pick up here in Isa 9.8-12 and get back to before Gog and Magog attacks. The people did not learn their lesson, even after the land has been devastated and they will defy the Lord even more. If God tore things down, the people were going to build it again even better. That attitude is acceptable if there was repentance to go along with it, but that will not be the case here, and this will be the attitude of Israel at the end of the second year of the Birth Pains going into the third year.
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