The Next Nuclear War: Are We on the Edge of the End Times?

By Steve Ashburn

We are rapidly approaching what the Bible refers to as the "End Times."

Many of us have questions about this confusing period:

-What will happen according to Bible prophecy?

-What roles will various nations play, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank?

-Which countries will attack Israel, signalling the begining of this 40-year period?

-What role will the United States play?

 

In "the Next Nuclear War," author Steve Ashburn compiles Old Testament prophecies to shed light on the End Times period. He provides a concise and systematic examination of each prophecy, placing them in relation to the final timeline.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Ashburn
• Release date: May 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9798215441794

Book preview

T H E N E X T

NUCLEAR

WAR

"This is quite a provocative look at things to come from this point to Christ’s Second Advent and beyond. In The Next Nuclear War, Steve Ashburn provides unique, groundbreaking food for thought, as this generation moves ever closer to the final hours of this dispensation.

—TERRY JAMES, co-partner in raptureready.com; author of The American Apocalypse.

The Next Nuclear War: Are We on the Edge of the End Times? is a factual presentation of the times in which we live. The author has brought concrete evidence proving Bible prophecy is coming to pass in this present generation. Ashburn has brilliantly tied in biblical history and made the connections to the coming events which have not yet been fulfilled. This book is a must-read for anyone who doesn’t know about the future Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 wars yet to be fought.

—FRANK DIMORA, author of The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth

T H E N E X T

NUCLEAR

WAR

ARE WE ON THE EDGE OF

THE END TIMES?

ST E V E A S H B U R N

The Next Nuclear War: Are We on the Edge of the End Times?

© 2014 by Stephen Patrick Ashburn

Published by Deep River Books

Sisters, Oregon

www.deepriverbooks.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Public Domain.

US map by Erin Greb Cartography.

ISBN–13: 9781940269092

9798215441794

ISBN–10: 1940269091

8215441793

Library of Congress: 2014935846

Printed in the USA

Author photo by T & M Photographic Studio Cover design by David Litwin, Pure Fusion Media

CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

1. A Forty-Year Period (War with Egypt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2. War with Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3. War with Sidon (Lebanon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

4. Judgment on Tyre (Lebanon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

5. Judgment on Palestine (Gaza Strip) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

6. Judgment on Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

7. Judgment on Edom (West Bank and Jordan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

8. The United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

9. End-Times Prophecies in Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

10. War with Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

11. Transitional Government (Prior to the Great Tribulation) . . . . . .112

12. End-Times Prophecies in Zechariah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

13. The Olivet Discourse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

14. The Antichrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

15. The False Prophet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

16. The Judgments of Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

INTRODUCTION

The signs of our times are beginning to converge toward the end times, and our generation almost certainly will be the one privileged to see these momentous events begin to unfold. Israel rapidly is being surrounded by radical Islamist nations; strong earthquakes are being reported worldwide; the US is being affected by a multi-year drought which has diminished crop yields; influenza, sexually transmitted infections and other epidemic diseases are becoming more widespread; large meteors have started impacting the earth’s atmosphere; governments worldwide have accrued insurmountable sovereign-debt loads, resulting in forced austerity, unemployment, and deflationary depression in many countries; and there is political paralysis in dealing with economic problems. All these are signs Jesus predicted would occur at the beginning of the end times.

Most people are unaware of the Old Testament prophecies relating to the end times (or even what this term means); for example, most Christians aren’t aware of the significance of the prophesy in Ezekiel 29

which says that no foot of man or beast will walk across Egypt for forty years, and describes what can only be a nuclear attack. Most Christians also aren’t aware of the many other amazing prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and other books in the Old Testament which describe this time period—they think they’ve already been fulfilled, or that they’re far in the future, or are simply too difficult to understand.

This book 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 definition of terms.

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In particular, the Bible speaks of a forty-year period of time in the future called by various names, such as the end times, the last days,

or the latter years. This period includes the tribulation as its final seven-year segment, culminating with the physical, glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign upon the earth for one thousand years.

What is somewhat unclear in Scripture is what events begin this forty-year period, and which subsequently lead up to the tribulation.

Understanding this period requires a study of several books in the Old Testament, for in them is contained a somewhat detailed—if frag-mented—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 the beginning and middle of this end-times period compiled from the various Old Testament prophecies; this covers a thirty-three-year time span leading up to the tribulation.

Perhaps the reason why most of these Old Testament books have not been understood until now can be found in Daniel 12:4: . .shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. This 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 which begins this time period—

have been sealed thus far because the time was not yet at hand. With the publication of this book, many of these prophecies which God commanded Daniel to seal now can be clearly understood. This means, by implication, that the end times are at hand.

I personally was amazed when reading these prophecies that many of them fell neatly into place in the context of a forty-year time period, which begins with a regional nuclear war in the Middle East and subsequently includes a third coalition invasion of Iraq, the rapture of the saints, the tribulation, and ends with the glorious second coming of Christ. I was gratified to learn from Scripture that God would—among other things—

restore Israel to her ancient boundaries at the beginning of this conflict,

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solve the Palestinian terrorist problem for good, and bless Israel exceedingly so that she would overflow with wine and oil (Joel 2:24).

Finally, in view of the imminent fulfillment of Scripture and the subsequent return of our Lord for his church, the reader is advised to remember the real purpose of prophecy: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). It is my heartfelt hope that this book will awaken many of you to the fact that the return of our Lord is very near, and motivate you to order your hearts and your lives so as to be ready to meet him when he comes!

DEFINITIONS

The following definitions of common terms in Bible prophecy are provided for the reader’s convenience:

Antichrist—The 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, 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—The forty-year period of time beginning with the destruction of Egypt as prophesied in Ezekiel 29–30; also referred to as the last days or latter years. This 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).

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Great white throne judgment—The final judgment of God upon the unsaved dead; this will occur after the mil ennium, when the heavens 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 fire (Revelation 20:15).

In that day —Refers to a period of time that begins with the end times, continues through the rapture, tribulation, and mil ennium, and ends with the great white throne judgment (Isaiah 19 and 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—The 1,000-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 immediately 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—The 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. This teaching is recounted in Matthew 24–25, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Rapture—The sudden, invisible return of the Lord Jesus Christ for his church. This 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 first: Then 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 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

Tribulation—The seven-year period of intense suffering on earth, punctuated by nineteen direct judgments from God upon the earth and its inhabitants. This 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.

C H A P T E R 1

A FORTY-YEAR PERIOD

(WAR WITH EGYPT)

Many people wonder what the term end times actually means, including many Christians. Although it is generally agreed among Christians that this period ends with the second coming of Christ, its beginning is not well understood and has been ascribed to various dates such as World War I, World War II, the 1948 establishment of Israel as a nation, other Israeli wars (1956, 1967, or 1973), or sometime in the future. Fortunately the Bible provides a definition of this very important time period in Ezekiel 29, and also Micah 7. Once this definition is understood and applied, other prophecies in the Bible then fall neatly into place.

The book of Ezekiel records prophecies against the nations surrounding Israel: biblical Ammon, Moab, and Edom (present-day Jordan); Philistia (present-day Gaza); Egypt; and Tyre and Sidon (present-day Lebanon). Some of these prophecies have been fulfilled; some are still in the future. An important prophecy which defines the beginning of the end times is found in chapter 29, which describes an overwhelming attack on Egypt:

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, 15

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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) The Bible indicates the land of Egypt will be completely destroyed so that [n]o foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. This implies widespread radioactive contamination—something that was unknown in Ezekiel’s day. Our Scripture passage indicates that other cities and nations in the area also will be destroyed. This, of course, implies regional nuclear war.

It’s interesting to speculate exactly how this prophesied destruction of Egypt will be accomplished. The Bible indicates that it will be both by fire and by flood. Ezekiel 29 seems to refer to destruction by a great flood.

Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt: Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.

And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven. (Ezekiel 29:2–5) At first glance, this prophecy seems to be directed against Pharaoh king of Egypt, but its real target is "the great dragon that lieth in the

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midst of his rivers. This is, of course, Satan—and all those who follow him (all the fish of thy rivers"). The Bible uses in this passage both symbolic and literal meaning—which can be confusing. The flooding of the Nile River is an actual event. The spiritual force behind the leader of Egypt, however, is described