End Times Dawning: Get Ready!

By Steve Ashburn

We are rapidly approaching a time period that the Bible refers to as "the end times." This forty-year period begins with a nuclear war in the Middle East and end with the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ. Other events include the third US-led coalition invasion of Iraq, a period of complacency during which Israel will prosper and become like the garden of Eden, the rapture, the Ezekiel 38-39 Russian invasion of Israel and the seven-year tribulation. Dr. Steve Ashburn puts all this into perspective in this concise, systematic guide to the end times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Ashburn
• Release date: Mar 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9798215445303

Book preview

Part I:

Th

e Beginning of the End Times: Nuclear War in the Middle East 1. A Forty-Year Period (War with Egypt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

2. War with Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

3. War with Sidon (Lebanon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

4. Judgment on Tyre (Lebanon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

5. Judgment on Palestine (Gaza Strip) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

6. Judgment on Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

7. Judgment on Moab and Ammon (Jordan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

8. Judgment on Edom (West Bank and Jordan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

9. Judgment on Arabia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Part II:

Th

e Rapture

10. Th

e United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

11. End-Times Prophecies in Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

Part III:

Transitional Government and the Great Tribulation 12. War with Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

13. Transitional Government (Prior to the Great Tribulation) . . . . .153

14. Th

e Olivet Discourse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

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15. Th

e Antichrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

16. Th

e False Prophet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

17. Th

e Judgments of Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195

Part IV:

Th

e Millennium and the New Earth

18. End-Times Prophecies in Zechariah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227

19. End-Times Prophecies in Isaiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311

Index of End-Times Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325

Glossary of Place Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327

Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333

INTRODUCTION

Th

is book is a sequel to Th

e Next Nuclear War: Are We on the Edge of the End Times? (Deep River Books, 2014). Th e subject is the same—endtimes prophecies in the Bible—but told from the perspective of Isaiah.

Th

e book of Isaiah, which contains end-times or millennial prophecy in most of its sixty-six chapters, is a rich source of information about these future events, and mainly is meant to be used in conjunction with the rest of Scripture taken as a whole. By itself, it serves as an in-depth reference guide, providing the student of the Bible with more detailed information of the end times which more generally is presented in other books in the Old and New Testaments. Th

e present book presents a

detailed analysis of end-times and millennial prophecies in Isaiah, with sections also quoted from other books in the Bible in order to fi ll in the gaps.

A familiarity with the general sequence of events of the end times (recounted in Th

e Next Nuclear War) is assumed. Th ese events begin

with a nuclear war in the Middle East (generally outlined in Psalm 83, with more specifi c descriptions of the nations involved in other books in the Old Testament, e.g., Isaiah 19); a third coalition invasion of Iraq (Isaiah 13); a period of complacency, followed by the rapture (Isaiah 18); a northern invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39); the tribulation; the glorious second coming of Christ; and the Millennial Kingdom. Many of these events are prophesied in Isaiah, although some—in particular concerning the tribulation and millennium—tend to be scattered throughout the book. Th

e purpose of the present work is to arrange and describe these prophecies sequentially and concisely, within the context of the end times. A chapter summary of Isaiah also is provided in the last section.

9

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Th

e signs marking the beginning of this time period continue to accrue: Israel is surrounded by hostile nations which progressively are becoming more Islamist; a rare four lunar and two solar eclipses occurred in 2014–2015, all on Jewish holy days; a magnitude 7.3 earthquake recently struck Japan’s southern island of Kyushu; a multiyear drought has continued to extend across the US; the pine beetle epidemic continues, ravaging forests across the Western US; the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus continues to spread, resulting in the deaths of millions of pigs across the US; the deadly, mosquito-borne Zika virus has appeared in Europe and South America; our national debt is over $20 trillion and continuing to increase, resulting in forced austerity, unemployment, and defl ationary depression in our country, and with a similar economic picture in others; and there is political paralysis in dealing with fi scal problems. All these are signs Jesus predicted would occur at the beginning of the end times.

Th

e Bible fortunately gives us an important defi nition in Ezekiel 29 and also Micah 7 of the forty-year period known as the time of the end. Th

is period begins with the nuclear destruction of Egypt and nearby nations in the Middle East; includes the rapture and the Ezekiel 38–39 invasion of Israel; and has the tribulation as its fi nal seven-year segment, culminating with the physical, glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign upon the earth for one thousand years. Th e present

book describes these events from the point of view of Isaiah, which adds fascinating details of this time period not found in other books in the Bible. It systematically and concisely goes through these prophecies and puts them in their proper place in relation to the end times, along with a proper timeline of this period and defi nition of terms.

Understanding this period requires a study of several books in the Old Testament, for in them is contained a somewhat detailed—

if fragmented—description of the beginning of the end times leading up to the tribulation, with the book of Revelation providing a detailed description of the tribulation itself. It is the purpose of this book to provide for the reader a description of this end-times period compiled from the various Old Testament prophecies, and in particular those in

Steve Ashburn 11

Isaiah; this covers a forty-year time span culminating with the battle of Armageddon. A description of the millennial kingdom of Christ also is provided, with Israel as our Lord’s chief nation and Jerusalem as his capital—which is a recurring theme in Isaiah.

Perhaps the reason why many end-times prophecies in Isaiah have not been understood until now—in addition to their being fragmented—can be found in Daniel 12:4: shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Th is means that many Old

Testament prophecies relating to the beginning of the end times—for example, the regional nuclear war in the Middle East, and subsequent coalition invasion of Iraq (Isaiah 13) which begins this time period—

have been sealed thus far because the time was not yet at hand. With the publication of this book (and its predecessor, Th e Next Nuclear War),

many of these prophecies which God commanded Daniel to seal now can be clearly understood. Th

is means, by implication, that the end

times are at hand.

I personally was amazed, while reading these prophecies, to discover that many of them fell neatly into place in the context of a forty-year time period—which begins with an Arab attack on Israel (met with nuclear retaliation), and subsequently includes a third US-led coalition invasion of Iraq, the rapture of the saints, the tribulation, and ends with the glorious second coming of Christ. I also was amazed to read the many descriptions of the future millennial earth which include, for example, the restoration of the primeval ice canopy around the earth (which Genesis called the waters which were above the fi rmament), the complete absence of thorns or briers, and the docility of formerly carnivorous animals.

I hope that the reader will gain a broader understanding of the end times from Isaiah, and in particular the reality of the future millennial kingdom of Christ, when our Lord will in fact rule over the earth from his capital of Jerusalem; and that his covenant nation of Israel—

after having long rejected him as their Messiah—will be a nation of ministers and priests before God in Christ, and administratively will be chief of the nations of the world. Th

is, more than any other, is a

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recurring theme in Isaiah. Finally, in view of the imminent fulfi llment of Scripture, including the return of our Lord for his church, the reader is advised to stand fi rm in his witness for Christ, bearing much fruit in this present wicked world, and work while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work (John 9:4).

DEFINITIONS

Th

e following defi nitions of common terms in Bible prophecy are provided for the reader’s convenience:

Antichrist—Th

e leader of the one-world government during the tribulation. He will force everyone to worship himself or else be killed. Also called the Assyrian (Isaiah 10:5–12), the beast, the man of sin, and the son of perdition.

Day of the Lord—A period of time that begins with the rapture, continues through the tribulation and millennium, and ends with the great white throne judgment of God more than one thousand years later (2

Peter 3:10). A special subset of the day of the Lord is the day of his preparation (Nahum 2:3), which begins with the rapture and ends with the second coming of Christ at the battle of Armageddon.

End times—Th

e forty-year period of time beginning with the destruction of Egypt as prophesied in Ezekiel 29–30; also referred to the last days or latter years. Th

is period includes the rapture (see below) and the invasion of Israel by the kingdom of the north (Ezekiel 38–39), and ends after the seven-year tribulation period.

Ensign—A signal or banner. An identifying sign or emblem. In particular, Isaiah 18:3 speaks of an ensign occurring simultaneously with a

trumpet, which taken in proper context refers to the rapture.

False Prophet—Second-in-command under the Antichrist during the tribulation. He forces everyone to take the mark of the beast in order to buy and sell, and to either worship the beast or be killed (Revelation 13).

Great white throne judgment—Th

e fi nal judgment of God upon the

unsaved dead; this will occur after the millennium, when the heavens 13

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and the earth are burned up and the very elements themselves shall melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10). At this judgment, all whose names are not found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fi re (Revelation 20:15).

In that day —Refers to a period of time that begins with the end times, continues through the rapture, tribulation, and millennium, and ends with the great white throne judgment (Isaiah 19; Zechariah 12–14); this term is equivalent to in that time (Isaiah 18; Jeremiah 50; Joel 3) and has a length of 1,040 years.

Millennium—Th

e one-thousand-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ as king over all the earth; his throne will be in the temple in Jerusalem. Also known as the kingdom age, this period immediate follows the tribulation.

Mountain—Used as another term for nation. A great mountain

would be a large nation; a hill would be a small nation.

Olivet Discourse—Th

e prophecy of Jesus that he gave to his disciples on the Mount of Olives, describing the signs of his coming and of the end of the world; it contains an overview of history from his time, through the succeeding two thousand years and into the end times, including the rapture, tribulation and glorious second coming. Th is teaching is

recounted in Matthew 24–25, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Rapture—Th

e sudden, invisible return of the Lord Jesus Christ for his church. Th

is will be accompanied by "a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise fi rst: Th

en we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Th

essalonians 4:16–17).

Tribulation—Th

e seven-year period of intense suff ering on earth, punctuated by nineteen direct judgments from God upon the earth and its inhabitants. Th

is period will end with the physical, glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ to judge the nations, restore the devastated earth, and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

PART I

THE BEGINNING OF THE END TIMES:

NUCLEAR WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

CHAPTER 1

A FORTY-YEAR PERIOD

(WAR WITH EGYPT)

In my previous book Th

e Next Nuclear War, I provided a defi nition of the end times, and explained the sequence of events of this period according to several books in the Old and New Testaments. Rather than prove my thesis a second time, a general summary of the end times is recounted below, with an emphasis on the nuclear war with Egypt which begins this time period.

Ezekiel 29–30 and 32 describe an end-times battle with Egypt which renders the land desolate for forty years—in the midst of other cities and nations which also are desolate: Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.

No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. (Ezekiel 29:10–12) Th

is attack apparently involves nuclear destruction of the Aswan Dam (the tower of Syene) by Israel. When this happens, the Nile River fl oods up to the level of the hills on either side of its fl oodplain, 17

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and the bodies of Egyptians and others are left to rot in the desert after the water recedes, their bodies picked over by wild animals: And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fi sh of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fi elds; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the fi eld and to the fowls of the heaven (Ezekiel 29:5).1

In addition to fl oodwaters, Egypt also is judged by radioactive fallout from nuclear detonations, so that the southern two-thirds of the land becomes uninhabitable (from the Aswan Dam to the border of ancient Ethiopia, which in Ezekiel’s day was about two hundred miles north of there). Ezekiel describes the sun as being darkened during this time, probably from clouds of radioactive dust.

I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee. And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. (Ezekiel 32:6–7) Not only does this prophecy apply to Egypt, but also the other nearby cities and nations in the Middle East, which also will be

desolate and wasted. Th

is regional nuclear war generally is described in Psalm 83, which specifi es the nations which will attack Israel during this confl ict, in terms of their ancient ethnic origins. Th e nations listed

in this invasion are those immediately surrounding Israel all joined together: Edom, Moab and Ammon (Jordan); Hagarenes, Gebal, and Amalek (West Bank and Jordan, and trans-Jordanian Arabs in general); Philistines (Gaza); Tyre (Lebanon); and Assur (Iraq). In modern-day terms, this includes all the Arab countries immediately adjacent to Israel. Th

ese countries will attempt a blitzkrieg invasion so massive and sudden that Israel will have no choice but to use nuclear weapons to defend herself. Her back will be up against the wall and there simply will not be any other choice but to use these weapons, along with the full military might of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Steve Ashburn 19

For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: Th

e tabernacles of Edom, and

the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. (Psalm 83:5–8)

After the war, Israel will be in possession of all of her ancient land, including that originally promised by God to Abraham. Generally speaking, this includes Lebanon from the vicinity of Sidon, southward to the Sinai, eastward into Jordan, and north to the Euphrates River. Isaiah 49:19–20

indicates there will be massive immigration of Jews to Israel after this war, so that the land shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants

and immigrants will demand, "Th

e place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. In fact, Isaiah 54:1 infers that the population of Israel will more than double during the end times due to this massive wave of immigration: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife." Israel’s newly acquired territory in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, West Bank, and Gaza will provide them room. Obadiah 1 specifi es some of this territory which will be gained after the war: And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau

[Jordan]; and they of the plain the Philistines [Gaza]: and they shall possess the fi elds of Ephraim [West Bank], and the fi elds of Samaria [West Bank]: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead [Jordan]. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel [still living in foreign lands] shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath [Lebanon & Syria]; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad [a province of ancient Assyria, symbolizing Jews still living in foreign lands], shall possess the cities of the south [Jordan & the Sinai]. (Obadiah 1:19–20)

After this, God will bless Israel exceedingly abundantly, so that she will overfl ow with agricultural produce and livestock. In addition, recent

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discoveries of off shore natural gas near Haifa, as well as off shore fi elds in the Mediterranean north of Egypt, may well make Israel a major oil and gas producer. A recently proposed pipeline from Qatar to Europe (which Syria currently opposes) also will be feasible after Israel takes possession of this territory, providing for additional income through toll pipeline charges. Th

us God will bless Israel exceedingly, so that she will

overfl ow with wine and oil [incl. petroleum?] (Joel 2:24) and become like the garden of Eden (Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 36:35; Joel 2:23–24).

After forty years, the Lord Jesus Christ will return, and establish his thousand-year kingdom upon earth. Th

is will involve repairing all

the damage done by the judgments of the tribulation, and restoring the earth to its antediluvian condition as it was in the garden of Eden, probably as a single land mass with no more curse; meaning for example, no more thorns, briers, carnivorous animals or a life of hard work ending in death. At that time, Egypt will be restored as a nation: Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered: And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. (Ezekiel 29:13–15) Th

is millennial kingdom of Christ is a major theme of Isaiah, with all nations on the restored earth bringing sacrifi ces to off er to the Lord in Jerusalem, in particular during the feast of tabernacles, with Israel acting as ministers and priests of God in this regard. We will cover this theme in more detail in Part IV of this book.

With that summary of end-times events regarding Egypt, let’s now focus on Isaiah 19. Th

is chapter recounts the same events as Ezekiel 29–30 and 32, but with a diff erent perspective and with additional information. Isaiah 19:1 begins: "Th

e burden of Egypt. Behold, the

Steve Ashburn 21

Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it."

Th

e Hebrew word translated burden in verse 1 ( massa) is only used in Scripture when a vision relates to extremely severe judgment.

For example, a similar wording is found in Nahum 1:1—"Th e burden

of Nineveh—which refers to the complete and utter destruction of Nineveh: Isaiah 23:1 also records a judgment on Tyre: Th e burden of

Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste." Th is latter judgment in context refers to the Psalm 83 end-times war with Lebanon, and will be the subject of chapters 3–4 of this book.

In a similar fashion, God now pronounces judgment on Egypt.

Th

e next part of Isaiah 19:1 describes how God will execute this judgment: Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt. In context, this probably refers to an Israeli nuclear missile (or several) with a contrail behind it, heading for Egypt at supersonic speeds. Th

is explains the description of a swift cloud which the Lord

rides upon to execute his judgment upon Egypt, which witnesses are encouraged to look up and Behold. (Th

is reminds me of that epi-

sode in the fi lm Dr. Strangelove where a B-52 bomber pilot over Russia straddles a nuclear bomb on the way down, waving his cowboy hat and yelling, Yee Haa! Yes, I know this sounds irreverent, but I’m from Texas so I have to smile.)

Verse 1 then describes what will happen after that: the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence [thermonuclear detonations], and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it [nuclear fi reballs turning sand into melted glass]. Egypt is by and large a Moslem country, whose adherents worship Allah (Arabic, the god), formerly the pagan moon-god in Mecca, and renamed Allah in an attempt at monothe-ism. Our text verse describes God’s judgment on this idolatry of Egypt (thunderous detonations) and the hopeless condition of the Egyptians despite their religious faith and their determination to attack Israel (their heart melting). Th

e Hebrew word translated heart in this

verse ( ulebab) means will of the inner man and denotes a failure of

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faith or determination, as well as the more concrete implications of a land consisting of thermonuclear-melted glass.

Verse 2 describes a strange sort of mental illness whereby Egyptian troops attack each other: And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fi ght every one against his brother. Ezekiel 38:21 describes a similar judgment against the kingdom of the north

in their end-times invasion of Israel: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. Zechariah 14:13 also describes the same judgment as Ezekiel: they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. Even today there is much sectarian strife among adherents of Islam, and the only common ground many Moslem nations seem to have is their hatred of Israel. Th

is seems to be a favorite method God has in dealing with Israel’s enemies: divide and conquer. In fact, the remainder of verse 2 seems to imply civil war, and war between erstwhile allies of Egypt: city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. Ezekiel 30:5 lists the nations that will be allied with Egypt in this war: Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub. It is these nations and peoples—Libya (Put, the eastern coastal region), Ethiopia (Sudan), Lydia (western Libya), all the mingled people (all Arabs), Chub (remainder of Libya), and enemies within Israel (and the men of the land that is in league)—that the Bible predicts will attack and kill each other.

After Egypt is attacked, their social, political and religious underpinnings as a nation will be destroyed, as verse 3 indicates: And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. Th e radical

Islamist philosophy (the spirit of Egypt) which provided the impetus for attacking Israel shall fail, as also will the political policy of the government (the counsel thereof ). Interestingly, our text verse says that the Egyptians will seek comfort in their religion (they shall seek to the idols), and describes their imams as charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. Th is, of course, clearly defi nes

their religious system as occult ("charmers . . . them that have familiar

Steve Ashburn 23

spirits . . . wizards). In Old Testament Israel, such people were commanded to be put to death: A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death" (Leviticus 20:27).

Of course, in modern times they simply would be considered evil and foolish.

As a result of this war, Egypt will be a radioactively contaminated wasteland: desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years; God will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries (Ezekiel 29:12). Th e last seven years

of this forty-year end-times period is known as the tribulation, during which time the Antichrist will reign as ruler of the one-world government (described in more detail in Daniel and Revelation). Verse 4 of our text passage apparently looks forward to this period: And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fi erce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. In this verse, the Antichrist is described as a cruel lord and a fi erce king. In fact, Daniel 8:23 describes the Antichrist as king of fi erce countenance; and in Isaiah 14:17, he opened not the house of his prisoners (a cruel lord).

Th

e destruction of the Aswan Dam will cause a tremendous fl ood of the Nile River, so that the bodies of the Egyptians will be washed up

even to the mountains bordering its fl oodplain (Ezekiel 32:6); such a fl ood initially would be extremely turbulent ("Th en will I make their

waters deep) but afterward the river would become relatively placid and smooth-fl owing (and cause their rivers to run like oil") as Ezekiel 32:14 indicates. In addition, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia (GERD)—currently under construction—upstream of the Aswan likely will reduce the fl ow of the Nile into Egypt to a trickle. Our text passage looks forward to this event: And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. And they shall turn the rivers far away

[GERD]; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and fl ags shall wither. Th e paper reeds by

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the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.

Th

e fi shers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. Moreover they that work in fi ne fl ax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded. And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fi sh. (Isaiah 19:5–10)

Indeed, the waters shall fail from the sea after the Aswan Dam is destroyed and GERD becomes operational, and perhaps also because of droughts prophesied by our Lord in the Olivet Discourse (there shall be famines, Matthew 24:7) in the beginning of the end times. To an astute student of the Bible, this passage infers that the end times will not begin until GERD is fi nished. Th

is dam was slated for completion

in July 2017 and as of the date of this writing (summer 2017) is nearly complete. However, the government of Egypt has threatened to bomb the dam should its construction be fi nished.

Our text passage perhaps also may have an ancient fulfi llment. In biblical times, papyrus and fl ax plants grew abundantly along the lower Nile, but they are now largely extinct. Th ese plants were used to produce paper (from papyrus or paper reeds) and fi ber (from fl ax). In addition, these plants provided a breeding ground for fi sh, and with their disappearance, fi sh populations—which once were abundant—

have decreased. Today there is virtually no commercial fi shing in the Nile. Several ancient tributaries of the Nile (brooks of defence) also have dried up. It appears that this judgment of Egypt, which began in ancient times, fi nally will be completely fulfi lled in the nuclear war which begins the end times.

Th

e decision of the government of Egypt to attack Israel—together with Libya, Sudan, and other Arabic peoples (Ezekiel 30:5)—seems foolish in view of the military might of the IDF and their determination to never again let their people be slaughtered like they were in the Holocaust.

Indeed, this action seems tantamount to poking a rattlesnake with a

Steve Ashburn 25

stick—what do you expect the snake to do?—and Egypt and their allies unfortunately fi nd out the hard way the natural result of their misguided (and ill-advised) aggression. Th

us, verses 11–14 of our text passage fi nd God questioning the judgment (sanity?) of the rulers of Egypt: Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

Where are they? where are thy wise