Eze. 38:10-12

10 Thus saith ['amar] the Lord ['Adonay] GOD [Yahovih]; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time [yowm] shall things [dabar] come [`alah] into thy mind [lebab], and thou shalt think [chashab] an evil [ra`] thought [machashabah]:

11 And thou shalt say ['amar], I will go up [`alah] to the land ['erets] of unwalled villages [parazah]; I will go [bow'] to them that are at rest [shaqat], that dwell [yashab] safely [betach], all of them dwelling [yashab] without walls [chowmah], and having neither bars [bariyach] nor gates [deleth],

12 To take [shalal] a spoil [shalal], and to take [bazaz] a prey [baz]; to turn [shuwb] thine hand [yad] upon the desolate places [chorbah] that are now inhabited [yashab], and upon the people [`am] that are gathered ['acaph] out of the nations [gowy], which have gotten [`asah] cattle [miqneh] and goods [qinyan], that dwell [yashab] in the midst [tabbuwr] of the land ['erets]. KJV-Interlinear

10 'Thus says the Lord GOD, It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan, 11 and you will say,' I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls, and having no bars or gates, 12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.' NASB

The Bible reflects the duality of purpose for both God and man. While God allows man to have his free will thinking, to think and decide as he pleases, and to some extent to do as he pleases, God still has an over riding purpose for all creatures. The purpose of the good far outweighing the agenda of evil.

In eternity past, God looked down through the tunnel of time and considered all of the possible scenarios for human history. He selected the best scenario, one that works out the very best for each and every one of us. We call this selection, the divine plan or the divine decrees.

This plan allows man to run his own life with his own decision making process. God overrules and intervenes in the process by setting the dates, times, places, and circumstances of our birth and death.

God also allows the complaints of Satan (the book of Job) to demonstrate that Satan s and man s (through the pattern of Satan s complaints), intentions, desires, lusts, and overall plans will always work out toward evil and ultimate self-destruction.

Throughout history, Satan has designed his own plans to destroy humanity. Throughout history, man has designed various plans to rule the world. All of these plans have failed. Whenever evil raises up its head, God will bring about some form of counter force, perhaps good or perhaps another evil force, in order to balance out that which would do greater harm to humanity.

God has looked down through the tunnel of time to the very last generation of human history, and human history will not terminate until that last generation arrives. Though, there have probably been many attempts to destroy humanity over the centuries, today is not our scheduled end. The current plans of various violent terrorists around the world, serve to keep us on our toes. How we face them will determine the degree of just how far they will be able to go in causing trouble for the world.

However, we have the restraining power of the Holy Spirit with us, which aids in the restraint of these evil forces.

But, when the Tribulation arrives, then that restraint will likewise disappear, and evil will have a freer hand. All of the scenarios, all of the complaints, all of the criticisms that Satan has proposed through history, will have been dealt with. He will now be on his last argument where he tries to do better than God.

Man, without Gods help cannot control history let alone his own destiny. God holds the universe together. Man cannot even control the weather.

In that future time, toward the end of the Tribulation, the power to the north of Israel, will conjure up a plan to take control of a very desperate world. God will allow that plan, in that future time, to move forward.

Israel will be a wealthy nation, despite all of the trouble that is occurring around the world. And that wealth is the ultimate objective of the invasion plans of the King of the North.

Israel will be very wealthy, it will be very populated. Even the desert and arid regions in the present countryside of that nation, will be well populated. There will be no walled cities as was common in ancient history. The nation will be thriving.

This is a picture of many nations and cities in our present day world. And, certainly as the population of the world increases, more and more lands in the rural areas of our present day countryside, will be turned into housing developments.

Throughout history, cities have grown up generally along waterways, primarily for the source of water, but also for their transportation and trade advantages. But here we have the description of a population boom in areas that lack water ( waste places ). That alone is an indicator of a very large population. A small population would find most people living along sources of water, rather than out in the boondocks (away from sources of water).

Israel will be a wealthy nation, thus it will be able to pay tribute to the anti-christ. We always assume that this wealth is founded in oil, which would make sense out of why the anti-christ would initiate a treaty with Israel in the first place. Presumably, Europe will need the wealth (resources) that Israel possesses.

And, if oil is the source of their wealth, then it will probably be expensive. This only makes sense given the current prices of a barrel of oil today. I think it is around $70 a barrel, or thereabouts. In addition, if that price continues to rise in the future, then Israel will be wealthy indeed. Add to that, its manufacturing capabilities, its position in the Middle East for trade and such ( center of the world ), and you have a picture of a very wealthy and prosperous nation.

Since the world will be in a very bad way, in the Tribulation, then Israel becomes the target of envy, jealousy, and greed. Thus, the plans for an invasion of Israel (and the rest of the Middle East), by the King of the North. The northern power probably will think that since the world is in a bad way, he will be able to roll into the Middle East unopposed and after he is there, no one will try to drive him out.

His plan is to capture the wealth of Israel. Spoil and plunder refer to the wealth that exists. Cattle and goods refer to consumer goods of all kinds.

Israel will be wealthy. God will have made it so, and in so doing, Israel will be the trap, which will draw all evil in the world to its ultimate doom.

Likewise, since Israel most probably will be very wealthy, it will be the origin, and focus of the attentions of the world s news stories and so forth. Especially with respect to the two witnesses who will evangelize the world from Jerusalem. This places God, Christ, and doctrine (especially prophecy) at the forefront of every persons mind, in those future days.

No one will have any excuse for not knowing, or at the very least wondering about what is really going on in their contemporary history.

This same knowledge of doctrine in general, or wondering, should apply to you as well, in your current life. You should always be pondering the things that you learn from the Bible. What they mean in history, but more importantly what they mean to you personally.

Your spiritual life is your most important possession. You should treat it as such.

Now is the time to post a prayer.