News today continues to prove Bible prophecy truth. Stage-setting for fulfillment of things foretold to come moves forward.

In the realm of setting the stage for the horrific wars that are predicted at the windup of the days leading to Christ’s return, the prophet Ezekiel’s words are front and center:

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands: and many people with thee. (Ezekiel 38:1–6)

Dr. Harry A. Ironside, one of the most recognized of those who had a literal, futurist view of Bible prophecy, wrote the following early in the twentieth century:

In the last days, the final head of the Russian people will look with covetous eyes upon the great developments in the land of Palestine. They will determine that Russia must have her part of the wealth there produced. Consequently, we have the picture of a vast army, augmented by warriors from Persia, Cush, Phut, marching down toward Palestine.

Dr. Jack Van Impe, who recently went to be home with the Lord, wrote the following about Ezekiel’s prophecy:

There is no need to marshal the scholars of the past to confirm the place or purpose of this war. Ezekiel explained:

“After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.” (Ezek. 38:8).

What a clear and up-to-date description of Israel! She is certainly the land that is brought back from the sword—gathered out of many people—a former wasteland—brought forth out of the nations. (“The Coming War with Russia,” Dr. Jack VanImpe, Perhaps Today magazine)

There is little question that Russia is the nation or people of Rosh, as Ezekiel terms it, which will be the lead nation in the Gog-Magog assault. Its chief prince, i.e., its leader, will be the leader of the coalition that will invade Israel. The reason, according to the prophet, will be to take “spoil.” That is, they will desire to plunder Israel’s wealth.

It is rational to ask what could induce a coalition of nations to conspire to do such a thing in these days of nuclear weaponry. Israel reportedly has one of the top nuclear arsenals in terms of number of weapons. It would be foolhardy to attack as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This is especially a relevant question since Israel has demonstrated on many occasions that it will defend its territory. And, in modern times, it has never lost!

Ezekiel gives the reason Gog gets the evil thought. It is apparently because Israel will be dwelling in “unwalled villages.” That is, it will be without defense, as walls were for the defense of nations in so-called Bible times.

But there is the factor also of that matter of Gog’s “evil thought” including, apparently, the knowledge that there are “spoils” to be garnered by such an attack. It must be that the “spoil” is desperately needed for some reason.

Now we consider the way things are shaping in the Middle East in these times. One must concede they are strange, I think. Never has there been a world completely shut down because of something proven to be not much more than a flu bug with somewhat of an extra bite.

So, with these strange times and all other considerations we’ve discussed in these commentaries many times, it is prudent to ask whether the Gog-Magog war might be in view.

It is my opinion that this assault won’t take place until after the Rapture of the Church. My belief revolves around a number of factors covered before. Space here doesn’t allow that we go over that territory again.

So what do we see in the news at the moment that might be setting the stage for the Gog-Magog war, which the Lord Himself will win for Israel?

A quick look at the three major players in that coalition and one more minor nation involved in the attack will help clue us.

The first news item involves Iran, Israel’s chief Middle East enemy of dangerous proportion. Iran, of course, covers much of what was Persia in Ezekiel’s time.

Iran will support any nation or group that fights Israel, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, ahead of this week’s annual observance of Quds (Jerusalem) Day to express support for Palestinians.

We will support and assist any nation or any group anywhere who opposes and fights the Zionist regime, and we do not hesitate to say this,” Khamenei said in a post on his official English-language Twitter account.

Iran, Israel’s arch-enemy in the Middle East, has been a key supporter, along with Russia, of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s civil war, sending military advisers as well as material and regional Shi’ite militias. (“Iran: Will Support Any Nation or Group That Fights Israel Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Launches Threat,” Reuters, May 22, 2020)

The second story brings into view a major and a minor player as listed by Ezekiel. These two nations, close in proximity in military affairs, prove they’re already closing in on conflict that might bring Libya totally into the Turkish orbit. The way things go with strongmen bullying and bashing their way around in the region, it might be just a matter of time before joint battle strategy is forthcoming.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said Haftar’s LNA received warplanes with ‘foreign support’ [File: Cem Ozdel/Anadolu]

Turkey has warned that attacks on its interests in Libya by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces will have “grave consequences” after advances by the country’s Turkish-backed government.

Ankara has provided military support to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, which has been battling to fend off a year-long offensive by Haftar’s forces to take control of the capital Tripoli.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy on Thursday said Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) had received warplanes with “foreign support” and that they had vowed to target Turkish positions in Libya with an air campaign.

“In the event Turkish interests in Libya are targeted, this will have very grave consequences,” Aksoy said on Thursday, adding that the LNA’s statements were “delusional.” (“Grave Consequences: Turkey Warns Libya’s Haftar Against Attacks | Turkey News, Al Jazeera May 21, 2020)

The third nation in the news will lead the coalition against God’s chosen people, according to Ezekiel. Russia, already strapped for cash because of falling petroleum and natural gas prices and myriad other economic woes, was hit harder by the COVID-19 crisis than has been reported.

MOSCOW (Reuters)—Russia’s economy could contract by more than 8% in the second quarter of 2020, central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina said on Friday, adding that the bank would revise its most recent gross domestic product forecast.

Nabiullina said cutting Russia’s benchmark interest rate by 100 basis points from 5.5% will be considered in June.

On inflation, Nabiullina said the bank’s year-end forecast was 3.8-4.8%, with peak annual inflation expected in the summer. (“Russian GDP Could Fall by More than 8% Second Quarter 2020, Nabiullina, May 22, 2020)

Russia’s Gross National Product figures are dismal and scheduled to get much, much worse. Israel is all but certain to pick up Russian clients in Europe and elsewhere because of tremendous finds in and around Israel. Could it all have to do with the “evil thought” the Russian leader of that day will have, thus bring Russia, Turkey (Togarmah), Iran (Persia), and Libya down over the mountains of Israel to take “great spoil”?

Can there be little doubt that we have witnessed over these recent, past years, deception that has turned the nation upside down? Is the chaos and turmoil still not broiling almost every facet of life in America on a continuing basis? Anyone with the capability to comprehend their own presence on the planet should answer “yes,” if they are of the age to understand things going on within America and the world.

Of course, many among us have no concern for what they see happening, except as it might affect their ability to buy, sell, and access their favorite entertainment outlets. However, the COVID-19 matter has brought even most of these who are disinterested in the politics of things into the “we care” group with the rest of us.

This includes even the teen-agers who normally have their noses stuck in their devices. They are now more than inconvenienced by the social distancing and other restrictions imposed by increasingly dictatorial-like edicts.

In our town, for example, the mayor issued an order that no children below 16 years of age can go outside until the order is lifted. That was several weeks ago, and I think that has been lifted since. At any rate, it didn’t work around here. Children out of school because the schools were shut down for the balance of the year had no concept of the order, and parents ignored it for the most part, according to what I observed.

Nonetheless, the many gathering places for the teens and young adults have been off-limits. No more than ten people in the few stores that have been opened during the coronavirus “crisis” has discombobulated many others, young and old alike.

We now learn that many things about the “pandemic” have been without legitimate foundation, scientifically and even medically speaking.

The entrenched governmental bureaucrats continue to fight against the president, who vowed to “drain the swamp.” The conclusion is obvious–with only a scant possibility of that conclusion being unreasonably conspiratorial in my estimation.

What the deep state couldn’t accomplish through all of the things they tried–that is, to overturn the 2016 presidential election—they are now trying to do through a Mafia-like terror tactic. They are, in effect, threatening the very lifeblood of the American populace, both literally and figuratively. Literally, by telling people they will die if they don’t acquiesce to their draconian restrictions, figuratively by working to destroy the economy of the nation, thereby destroying ability to earn livelihoods, in order to take the president down at the voting booths in November…thus to regain the political power they insanely crave.

The Apostle Paul’s prophecy has emerged with stark revelation at this time so near the end of the Age of Grace: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

We see the deception within the manipulations of the entrenched bureaucracy, through revelations learned by reports such as the following.

As reported weeks ago — in mid April, Dr. Fauci admitted that it was he and Dr. Birx who persuaded President Trump to lock down the US economy knowing the massive destruction this would cause in jobs, lives and commerce.

The president admitted that during a press conference in April that “two very smart people” came into his office and urged him to lock down the economy or 2.2 million Americans would die from the China virus. But President Trump did not say who those “two very smart people” were.

President Trump: “The big projection being that 2.2 million people would die if we did nothing. That was another decision we made, close it up. That was a big decision that we made. Two very smart people walked into my office and said listen these are your alternatives. And that was a projection of 1.5 to 2.2 million people would die if we didn’t close it up. That’s a lot of people.”…

After Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci sat with the president the US went into lockdown and since that time over 30 MILLION Americans have lost their jobs and thousands of companies have gone bankrupt.

In late March, Neil Ferguson, who was behind the Imperial College coronavirus study, backtracked and said 20,000 Brits may die from the coronavirus instead of his original estimates of 500,000.

Neil Ferguson resigned from his government post as researcher this week after he was caught breaking his own lockdown rules by meeting with his married mistress at his home. (Jim Hoft, “Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx Used Imperial College Model—NOW CONFIRMED AS A COMPLETE FRAUD—To Persuade President Trump to Lock Down Entire US Economy!” Gateway Pundit, May 8, 2020)

Many medical experts, physicians, and others have weighed in, pointing to the fact that the “modeling” on which this disastrous shutdown occurred is erroneous at best and a complete fraud at worst. Mainstream media news has refused to acknowledge these contradictory expert findings, because it doesn’t fit their narrative—the model—that they deem necessary to take down this president and, in effect, overthrow the 2016 election results, which have driven them to the madness we have witnessed since that election.

Proof of Paul’s prophecy was further validated the past week as having emerged in these troubled times through the matter of General Michael Flynn and the railroading done to him by the deep-state, intelligence-agency top officials. The lying and deceit was so vicious that it reached the point that those who were sent to entrap General Flynn threatened to destroy his son and family if he didn’t plead guilty to the totally false charges they concocted.

Here is a brief account of last week’s findings in the Flynn case.

The U.S. Department of Justice is dropping its case against former national security advisor and retired Army general Michael Flynn, according to new court documents on Thursday.

The DOJ filed new documents on Thursday to drop the case, “after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case, including newly discovered and disclosed information.”

The DOJ further contended that Flynn’s Jan. 24, 2017 interview was “conducted without any legitimate investigative basis” and was “untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn.”…

U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen, who reviewed the Flynn case, recommended that Attorney General Bill Barr dismiss the case last week.

“Through the course of my review of General Flynn’s case, I concluded the proper and just course was to dismiss the case,” Jensen said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. “I briefed Attorney General Barr on my findings, advised him on these conclusions, and he agreed.”…

Flynn, 61, had pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1, 2017, for providing a false statement to the FBI about his contact with Moscow’s then-ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislya, during President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Flynn was an advisor on the Trump campaign.

Internal FBI notes unsealed last week suggest agents deliberated a “goal” of getting Flynn to lie during an interview that ultimately resulted in his firing from the White House and prosecuted by Robert Mueller’s special counsel team.

The notes, handwritten by the FBI’s former head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap after a meeting with then-FBI Director James Comey and then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, suggest the FBI wanted to draw Flynn into a lie if they couldn’t get him to admit to a violation of the Logan Act, which forbids U.S. citizens from conducting foreign diplomacy without authorization.

“What is our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” said the note, which was shared on Twitter. (Laura Widener, “DOJ Drops Case against Gen. Michael Flynn,” Rapture Ready News, May 8, 2020)

Shakespeare’s Mark Antony said in his words about Julius Caesar: “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” We sure have endured the evil men and seducers have done in contravention of God’s precepts for dealings in this life. Considering there being any “good” in these Washington, would-be Caesars, I think had he lived today in America, the great Bard might have changed his tune in the case of the D.C. swamp creatures.