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this revived Roman Empire will
become involved militarily
in the
Middle East!
Israelí and Arab
alike will feel the impact of this
great military power.
Despite genuine and sincere
efforts towards peace in the
region, a great crisis is yet to
occur throughout the Middle
East!
In the prophecies of Daniel,
the Beast is known as the "king of
the north" (for details, request
our free article, "The Middle
East in Prophecy" by Herbert W.
Armstrong) . At the "time of the
end," Daniel reveals, many na–
tions and peoples of the Middle
East are to be overthrown by the
Beast's military intervention in
the region (Daniel 11 :40-41).
Among these occupied areas
will be the Holy Land. The Beast,
says Daniel, "shall enter also into
the glorious land (the Holy
Land) " (11:41). The present-day
state of Israel will be occupied–
just as Judea had been occupied
more than 19 centuries earlier by
the ancient Roman Empire!
Foreign troops will yet s tand
on Israelí soil!
The invasion of tbe state of
Israel-and Arab countries as
well-by the restored Roman
Empire is foretold in both the
Old and New Testaments. Now
notice sorne of these prophecies.
Jerusalem to Be Trodden Down
Jesus Christ prophesied that at
the end of this present age Jeru–
salem would be "compassed with
armies" (Luke 21 :20), and that
"there shaU be great distress in
the land" (v. 23). The people
would be "led away captive into
all nations: and Jerusalem shall be
trodden down of the Gentiles,
until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled" (v. 24).
Daniel calls this period "a time
of trouble, such as never was
since there was a nation even to
that same time ... ( 12:1 ). This
corresponds to the "Great Tribu–
lation," a time of unparalleled
global chaos and turmoil, spoken
of by Jesus (Matthew 24:21;
Luke 21 :22).
January
1981
N umerous prophecies reveal
the length of this occupation of
Jerusalem. An angel disclosed to
Daniel that "it shall be for a time,
times, andan half' ' (Daniel
J
2:7),
or 3
Y2
years.
Revelation
11 :2
corroborates
this, stating that "the holy city
shall they [the armies of the reli–
gious-political end-time reviva) of
the Roman Empire] tread under
foot forty and two months"–
equivalent to
1
,260 days or 3
Y2
years.
Prophecy clearly indicates that
the children of Judah-along
with their "brother" nations, the
United States, Britain and other
modero descendapts of the House
of lsrael-will have to learn the
bitter lesson of their sins through
utter humiliation and crushing
national defeat at the hands of
their enemies!
Jerusalem the Focal Point
Jerusalem will become the focal
point of an all-out struggle for
world supremacy.
"Behold, the day of the Lord
cometh," declares the prophet
Zechariah, " ... For
1
will gather
all nations against Jerusalem to
battle; and the city shall be tak–
en ... " (14:1-2) .
As the conflict escalates, man–
kind will stand on the very
threshold of total annihilation!
But God will suddenly intervene
mightily in world affairs! Jesus
Christ will return from .heaven
with a vast army. Unlike at Ma–
sada 19 centuries ago, the Mes–
siah
will
interce<le this time to
save H is people.
lnstead of fighting eacb other,
the world's armies will turn their
attack against
Him.
The result
will be the "battle of the great
day of God Almighty" (Revela–
tion 16:12- 16; Joel 3:1-2, 9-17),
often erroneously referred to as
the "Battle of Armageddon." The
returning Christ will destroy the
Beast, the supportive kings of the
earth and their armies gathered at
Jerusalem (Revelation 19:19-
20).
With the coming of the Mes–
siah, the "times of the Gentiles" ·
will .come to an end. Christ will
deliver Jerusalem from the gen–
tite forces.
All
12 tribes of Israel
will be gathered from captivity
and be brought back to the Prom–
ised Land (Jeremiah 23:3-8; 50:4-
5, 19-20; Ezekiel 20:34-43;
36:24-28; 39:25-29).
God's Government will then be
established over the entire earth
(Daniel 2:44; Revelation
11:
15).
Jerusalem will become His world
headquarters (Jeremiah 3:17).
The "Messianic Age" so long
awaited by the Jews will at last be
realized!
As the Jews were among the
first to receive corrective punish–
ment, they will be among the first
to be delivered and resettled,
along with the other tribes of
Israel (Jeremiah 3:18). But
Christ will not return as the Mes–
siah of Israel only, but of the
entire world!
The prophet Zecha–
riah reveals that ultimately
"many people
and strong nations
shall come to seek the Lord of
hosts in . Jerusalem, and to pray
befare the Lord" (8:22).
"1
n those days," Zechariah
continues, "it shall come to pass,
that ten men shall take hold out
of all languages of the nations,
even shall take hold of the skirt of
him that is a Jew, saying, We will
go with you: for we have heard
tbat God is with you" (8:23).
How different this outcome than
the tragic conclusion to the events
of Masada 19 centuries ago.
Follo~ing
the tumultuous cri–
sis of the Great Tribulation, the
Jews will
not
bave to say, as they
did on that calamitous last day at
Masada: "The same God, who
had of old taken the Jewish
nation into his favor, has now
condemned them to destruc–
tion."
But rather they will joyfully
declare, along with all of Israel, to
the gentiles: "The Lord liveth,
which brought up and which led
the seed of the house of Israel out
of the north country, and from all
countries whither l had driven
them; and they shall dwell in
their own land" (Jeremiah
23:8). o
25