Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39 are often commented on and speculated about with world affairs and the explanations follow as.

1.  Some claim this refers to a battle that takes place before the battle of Armageddon as they state that:

1. Israel is prosperous at that time and
2. It only lists some specific nations and not all nations

2.  Some claim that this will be a pre-millennial reign of Christ battle that is also described as Armageddon. The description of earthquake and great tribulation and destruction in Rev 19 matches much of Ezekiel 38.

3.  Some claim this in reference to the end of the millennium as stated in Rev. 20:8.

All of them may be correct. The first one or may not be the case as the descriptions of the end time are general in nature and can overlap between the return of Christ to the time of a New Heaven and a New Earth.

The outcomes of these battles remain the same. They are won by God – through Jesus. The main opponent He is fighting is the Devil.

We are shown this battle beginning in the Garden of Eden and ending with a new Garden of Renown.

In this ongoing battle we are either following Christ or the Anti-Christ.

The Anti-Christ is often displaying himself like the serpent (Genesis 3), as a buddy looking out for your good. He regularly twists the Word of God to have you refrain from following it. He is described as being more powerful then you are so don’t do battle with him. (Job 41)

Yet we are told he is easy to spot and that we can have the power to withstand all his attempts to control us. The ways to spot Him in anything are these. He is a son of lawlessness. "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 First, note the Lord is the one who will destroy him. He will be able to perform all power, signs and lying wonders but he will be lawless. Now lawless does not mean he wont have law as he is described as being the World’s leader at various times. It means he wont acknowledge the law of God. In place of that he will have laws that demonstrate the greatness of man, man’s rights and tolerance. These laws will have an appearance of goodness and will be thought of as more loving then God’s laws but they will lead to immorality and sin.

Contrast that with a description of Jesus found in Hebrews 1:8-9 of the Christ, "But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."

Jesus didn’t do away with law, he upheld its intent. He did away with the record of your sins and offered an offering once and for all time on your behalf. Law teaches us how to love our neighbour and God’s law is the way to do that. The first 5 commandments are about submitting to God and putting away ego, pride and arrogance. The last 5 deal with our covetousness, greed, jealousy and envy. We are instead to put on concern for others in self control, loyalty, truth and selfless service. There is no law against the Spirit of God for it embodies the Spirit of the Law. We are also to embody that Spirit.

He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." The commandments aren’t a fuzzy thing you feel the Holy Spirit wants you that is easily confused with your own Spirit so that people say ridiculous comments like, "God led me to divorce". The commandments are the same standards of morality that God has required of Israel and His elect from day one, excluding the things that changed. (covered in a later article)

Many Christians and all secularists go wrong here because they accept the worldly standards as opposed to God’s standards. This is why there is so much sexual immorality by those who claim to follow Christ but refuse to acknowledge His standards of the flesh in Leviticus 18 and in Exodus 20.

Another descriptive for the Anti-Christ is found in 1 John 2:22 "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son." This means that the anti-christ denies that Jesus, is the Son of God. This implies that there is God the Father and Jesus the Son and that is how God has described Himself to us. In the first chapter of the Bible it clearly states "Let us make man in our image". These are plural terms and in John 1 and Hebrews 1 it refers to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

How can you make sense of "The Lord our God is one" then. Quite easily actually. The context of that verse is with respect to the gods of Egypt and all the pagan religions which had gods for the wind, gods for the son, a god for this and a god for that and some thinking this god was greater then that god and which one should you worship.

Jesus said, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:" John 17:20-22

Obviously this doesn’t mean we are one being with different faces but that our whole being is consistent with God so that we are the same as he is in truth. Jesus and the Father aren’t competing but are one in goal and focus for Jesus came to the will of His Father.

Furthermore in 1 John 4:2-3 he states, "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

Most reasonable human beings would recognize how futile and ridiculous it is to deny that Jesus was a living, historical person. So the devil doesn’t usually try to deny this. He denies the miraculous birth that the Word of God became flesh in the virgin Mary and dwelt with man as flesh. They don’t deny Jesus was flesh – they deny he was anything but flesh before His birth and after His death.

This is where Jews, Muslims, and many Christians are antichrist because in so doing they deny that Jesus is the Son of God.

John Shelby Sponge and his followers, proclaiming to be Christians, are actually greater antichrists based on these simple tests then many Jews and Muslims.

There will be a battle and the devil plays to your lusts: the lust of your eyes, your flesh and the pride of life, yet you can withstand his wiles.

Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints; and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."   Ephesians 6:10-20

I hope this series enables you to have greater faith in your Saviour, built up your foundation of truth, motivates you to do righteousness, and encouraged your feet to spread the gospel. But always read the Word of God and pray for each other and me also a fellow sojourner with you to the Kingdom of God. May God Bless your journey.

When you keep the Testimony of Jesus and the Commandments of God (Rev 12:17) then Jesus promised, "I will be with you always – even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20 God says, "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me." Isaiah 49:16

The end of the matter is, the Christ will destroy the Anti-Christ. Make sure your worshipping the Christ.