(6) Rev Series: The Gog and Magog War - Who? - YouTube
This is the second video released by Joe Schimmel promoting the questionable doctrine of Gog Magog, Armageddon and the Islamic Antichrist. It is true that Schimmel has released some good teachings in the past and that he has built up trust amongst many believers. Nevertheless, no matter how much we esteem certain teachers, it is essential to test the spirits. (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11). The Islamic Antichrist teaching has some significant errors that can easily be identified. (1 John 4:6). I have already debunked this false teaching in previous posts, but I will address the main points of Schimmel's sermon below.
Where does this teaching come from?
Prior to the early 1990's the Islamic Antichrist theory was entirely unknown. This new teaching was introduced in response to contemporary issues and concerns about the growth of Islam, in other words, it is based upon "newspaper eisegesis" rather than on the scriptures. When we go down the rabbit trail, the Islamic Antichrist teaching is promoted by known false teachers. It is vital that we test the character of anyone introducing a new or novel teaching into the church.
In 1993, pre-trib teacher Phillip Goodman wrote a book called The Assyrian Connection with the subtitle The Roots of the Antichrist and the Signs of Armageddon. Goodman falsely identifies Psalm 83 as a pre-Magog event and Ezekiel 38-39 as the Magog-Islamic Invasion of Israel. Goodman's impressive sounding arguments and elaborate charts can be found on the following link: Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 83: Relationship and Timing - by Phillip Goodman - The Pre-Trib Research Cente
In 1992 false prophet Perry Stone began to teach the prospect of an Islamic Antichrist. In 2007, Perry Stone's associate, Joe VanKoevering, actually named the Antichrist as Crown Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan in Unveiling The Man Of Sin. In 2011, Perry Stone released "Unleashing the Beast - The coming reign of terror by a fanatical Islamic dictator and his ten-nation coalition." I am assuming that readers of this post are familiar with Perry Stone's reputation.
These days the main proponent of the Islamic Antichrist theory is Joel Richardson. I have written a few posts critiquing Richardson's teaching and also his questionable associations. Richardson openly admits that the catalyst that started his "ministry" was a "prophetic endorsement" by "Latter Rain" false prophet Paul Cain. {1} Richardson regularly appears with various false teachers on CNN and TBN, many of whom are ecumenical and apostate.
In 2006 Richardson released his book The Antichrist - Islam's Awaited Messiah, later republished as The Islamic Antichrist. In 2008 Joel Richardson and Walid Shoebat co-authored God's War On Terror - Islam Prophecy and the Bible.
Details regarding Walid Shoebat's tenuous claim to be a PLO terrorist was reported by the Jerusalem Post in 2008. {2} I have added some links at the end of this post regarding Shoebat's colourful history and irregular hermeneutics. Richardson's latest associate, Dalton Thomas (Frontier Alliance International), also has some very questionable teachings and is disqualified from the ministry:
mikereynolds.orgRome or Islam?
Be wary of those who deride the assertion that the fourth beast in Nebuchadnezzar's vision is Rome. Richardson and other Islamic Antichrist proponents promote the Islamic Caliphate as Daniel's fourth beast, and they disdain anyone who identifies Rome with such phrases as:
it is out of date and no longer relevant.
Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece are the first three kingdoms definitively identified in Nebuchadnezzar's vision. The text of Daniel 2 implies that successive kingdoms will come into existence following Babylon: But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; (Daniel 2:39-40) If we allow Islam to be the fourth kingdom, then there is a significant gap of over seven hundred years between Greece, which fell to the Romans in 146 BC, and Islam which was founded in the 7th century (ca. 570–632 AD). Since the Roman Empire directly succeeded the Grecian Empire, Rome has been traditionally identified as the fourth kingdom. Richardson et al reject the logical implications of the scriptures regarding successive kingdoms, and they do not consider a gap of more than seven hundred years to be problematic. Richardson's argument that the Parthian Empire is also excluded from Nebuchadnezzar's vision is spurious. The Parthian Empire was never a world empire.
The skewed logic of Shoebat and Richardson
Most scholars believe that the Antichrist will in some sense be of Roman derivation based on Daniel 9:26: And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The case for an Islamic Antichrist is based on evidence that the Roman legions that carried out the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD comprised primarily of Arabs, mainly Syrians and Turks. This is yet another example of the skewed logic of Shoebat, Richardson and other Islamic Antichrist proponents.
Chris White: "..after the Assyrian Empire conquered a country, they simply forced people to fight in their army or die, but when we hear about Assyrian armies in Scripture, we do not have to stop and think, 'Well, where were the Assyrian soldiers in this particular battle stolen from originally?' No, we simply accept that Assyrian soldiers are part of the Assyrian Empire regardless of where they were born If the Scripture had said that the prince— that is, Titus in this view— destroyed the temple, it would have been factually inaccurate. Instead, it says 'the people of the prince' destroyed it." {3}
David Reagan: "A good example of Shoebat’s tortuous logic can be found in his attempt to explain away the meaning of Daniel 9:26. The plain sense meaning of this passage is that the Antichrist will come from the people who will destroy the Temple. Shoebat and Richardson argue that the Roman legions that carried out the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD were composed primarily of Arabs, mainly Syrians and Turks. They therefore conclude that the Antichrist will arise from the Syrians or Turks and will be a Muslim. This is really grasping at straws in the wind! It doesn’t matter whether or not the legions were composed of Australian Aborigines, it was the Roman government that decided to destroy Jerusalem, it was the Roman government that gave the orders, and it was Roman generals who carried out the destruction. Rome was the rod of God’s judgment and it is from the Roman people that the Antichrist will arise." {4}
*Reagan is pre-trib, but he makes a good point.
Josephus
There are various interpretations of just how far north the Japhethites migrated from the Black Sea, and whether they migrated to neighboring Russia. Turkic peoples such as Meshech, Tubal, and Togarmah—and/or eastern Europe, rather than Russia, are implicated by Ezekiel 38. Herodotus identifies Armenia. The obsession many have with Gog/Magog and Russia is exaggerated out of all proportion and is another example of "newspaper eisegesis". Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north.. (Ezekiel 38:6,15). Gomer is identified with the Cimmerians, a nomadic people, most likely of Iranian origin. Togarmah is identified as the Armenians. {5} Schimmel's assumption that "the uttermost parts of the north" has to be Russia is purely speculative.
Jewish historian Flavius Josephus identified Meshech as an area in modern Turkey (
Asia Minor).
Josephus: ..and the Mosocheni were founded by Mosoch; now they are Cappadocians. {6}
Josephus: Magog founded those that from him were named Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians. {6}
Herodotus: "Then, for the first time, we won the friendship of the Moschi, a nation which became pre-eminently attached to Rome, and they overran the wilds of Armenia." {7}
According to Herodotus, the Scythians originally inhabited Asia. They were pushed west by a hostile tribe and eventually reached the Black Sea region and the eastern outskirts of Europe. In the first century BC Greek writer Diodorus Siculus claimed that the Scythians moved north into the steppe region from the south, possibly from the modern area of Armenia or even farther south along the western border with India.
Heroditus: "There is yet another story, to which account I myself especially incline. It is to this effect. The nomadic Scythians inhabiting Asia, when hard pressed in war by the Massagetae, fled across the Araxes river to the Cimmerian country (for the country which the Scythians now inhabit is said to have belonged to the Cimmerians before).." {8}
According to the non-canonical book of Jasher, the children of Meshech built cities by the Caspian Sea (Jabus Sea) which lies to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the vast steppe of Central Asia. The river Cura (Kura?) is situated in the South Caucasus.
And the children of Meshech are the Shibashni and the children of Tiras are Rushash, Cushni, and Ongolis ; all these went and built themselves cities ; those are the cities that are situate by the sea Jabus by the river Cura, which empties itself in the river Tragan. (Jasher 10:14). {9}
Peace and Safety / Unwalled Villages? (Ezekiel 38:11).
How is is possible to claim that Israel will be dwelling in peace and safety prior to Armageddon?
The Antichrist's covenant of false peace with Israel at the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel cannot be identified with Armageddon. (Daniel 9:27). At the mid point of the week, the so called
"false peace" will be shattered when the
abomination of desolation event takes place. (Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15). This event occurs 3.5 years prior to Armageddon. Following the
abomination of desolation event, the Antichrist will launch the greatest persecution of all time against the Jewish people. In other words, there is no peace and safety in Israel prior to the battle of Armageddon i.e. during the second half of the 70th week of Daniel. (Matthew 24:21).
The time of
"Jacob's trouble" during the second half of the 70th week identifies unprecedented distress for Israel.
Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7).
In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. (Zechariah 13:8).
At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (Daniel 11:40-45 cf. Revelation 13:4; Revelation 6:2).
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. (Revelation 12:13-14).
The only realistic explanation for Gog's attack against "unwalled villages" in Ezekiel 38:11 is when God's enemies have been destroyed and Satan is incarcerated in the abyss during the millennium when true peace will be established by Jesus Christ. At the end of the millennium, when Satan is released, he will deceive the nations for the final battle. (Revelation 20:7-10).
There are similarities between the Gog/Magog event in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and Armageddon, but the differences are too significant to gloss over. Similarities between events do not indicate an identical situation.
The danger of this teaching is that the Antichrist, in his initial role as "protector of the Jews", will be misidentified either as a powerful friend and ally of Jews and Christians, or perhaps even the Messiah himself. His wars with Islamic nations in the Middle East during the first half of the 70th week will no doubt strengthen those beliefs. We should be prepared for a powerful delusion. (2 Thessalonians 2:11). I am very surprised and alarmed that Joe Schimmel has jumped onto this particular bandwagon.
Further Links
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