The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301-R, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 20." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1982. All Rights Reserved.
Question
I’ve been going through the Second Coming of Christ with you on radio. And
I’ve really been studying all those Scriptures, and I’m still a little confused
here and there because there’s so much. But recently there was an article in the
Israeli paper saying that they are ready now to push the PLO and Syria into war
and back into Jordan. And of course this could, I thought, would be a
possibility of the hook that would bring Russia down on them, and some others
have thought the same thing. Now in Ezekiel 38 and 39, this is also confusing to
me as to when this is supposed to start or begin, if this would be before the
Tribulation would begin, or in the middle of the Tribulation?
Answer
I tend to think that Russia’s coming down occurs in the middle of the
Tribulation, because it’s when they cry “peace and safety” then sudden
destruction comes. And the first seal that is opened in the sixth chapter of
Revelation seems to be identifying a peaceful conquering. Also, Daniel 9 says
they’ll sign a pact with antichrist. And I think that Israel for 3 ½ years has
peace and safety, and then comes Russia sweeping down, and the whole thing
breaks loose. I think that’s in the middle of the Tribulation time. But there is
also an indication of a Gog and Magog kind of battle that I believe also will
occur at the end of the Millennial kingdom. Some people get confused because
those terms are used in both situations.
Question continued
Also, now Russia will be attacked, it says “from the east and from the
north,” and I couldn’t remember what verse it was, if that was in Zechariah or
where. I just didn’t have time to look it up again, and so I was thinking like
you had mentioned that the East would probably be China, and you didn’t know who
it would be from the North.
Answer continued
Well, I think basically Russia is the power in the North.
Question continued
Could it be America coming in over through the North Pole, coming across?
Answer continued
Well, if they flew, I guess they would fly the North Pole route. No, I don’t think the United States is there; that’s pure speculation. There’s no way to see the United States. People have said they’re the cubs or the lions in Jeremiah and all that stuff. Some people think it’s described in Babylon in Revelation 18. I do not see the United States there. I think we may be a part of the whole western European thing, the power in the West. I think the northern power is Russia and whatever allies...Russia of course allied with the various Arab states around the south, and it indicates that too. But I think the East could very well be Red China; it’s 200 million horsemen. And the Red Chinese army as of 1959 numbered 200 million; we don’t know what it is now.
So in Armageddon, you have Russia coming down from the North; you have the
army coming from the East. And of course everybody is going to converge because
of the oil crisis on the Middle East. Russia is already, you know, moving in
there—Afghanistan and Russia’s fomenting all the discord that’s there now. And
then of course Red China’s got an eye on Russia, and that thing is easy to
understand. And the other obvious enemy in the deal is Europe; Europe’s got to
get in and save its rights so I think it’s going to be Europe, Russia, Red
China, and then of course Israel in the middle of it all. And the Lord comes and
wins the battle.
I think that the general thing that you want to see is that Israel continues to
be the theater of the world—just constantly. You just keep looking there, and
keep looking there, and keep looking—it’s all happening there. And all the
fomentation and all the agitation and all the irritation is in that part of the
world. And that just keeps the focus right there. And it will all break loose—I
believe that the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel—Daniel 11 particularly—the
prophecies of Revelation, really start to happen after the rapture of the
church. And what we’re seeing now is just sort of like before the play begins
and the actors are taking their places, but the curtain hasn’t gone up yet.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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