Welcome to The Bible in the News, this is David Billington and I'm happy you have been able to join us, as we consider world events in the light of Bible prophecy. The prophecy of Gog's invasion of Israel in Ezekiel chapter 38, predicts a future conflagration upon the mountains of Israel. A coalition of nations led by "Gog of the land of Magog" from the uttermost parts of the north, moves down upon God's people the Jews, who have been gathered out of the nations. At that moment the God of Israel intervenes and destroys the gathered confederacy upon the mountains of Israel.

While visiting Israel a couple of weeks ago we met with a very nice Jewish lady who lives on the "mountains of Israel" in Efrat. This Jewish community is one of the ones referred to in the media as a settlement. It is named after and is close to the Biblical Jewish community of Efratah nearby Bethlehem. Sharon is the type of person everybody would be happy to have in their community; she is very active in her community and is involved in all kinds of charity work. As we looked out from her living room window at the nearby hills, vineyards and olive groves, she explained to us how the "charity" Oxfam is heavily involved in grabbing land for the Arabs. It is a very simple procedure. The local Arab farmers have for years farmed small plots of land without heavy machinery or even tractors. Oxfam provides the Arabs with tractors, and so forth and enables them to farm much larger plots of vacant land, which subsequently becomes "theirs". Meanwhile Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria have to endure a construction freeze and are unable to build. Just yesterday morning in the Jewish community of Efrat, the foundations of a synagogue were destroyed by the government in order to try and show Joe Biden that Israel is interested in peace. By the afternoon Joe Biden was in a better mood.

Meanwhile the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria are very active in trying to establish  Jewish communities on as many hill tops as possible; an exercise the international community takes a very dim view of. The European funded organization in Israel called "Peace Now", has documented over 100 of these Jewish settlements in addition to the over 100 communities officially recognized by the Israeli government. Wikipedia states that as of November 2009, approximately 400,000 Israelis live in the 168 officially-recognised settlements in the West Bank, and 280,000 Israelis live in East Jerusalem. It is quite plain to see that the Jewish population in Judea and Samaria, may have passed the point of no return, as relocating 300,000 people may be virtually impossible - especially when they don't want to move. The idea of a Palestinian state on a small landlocked piece of mountainous land may be also be unsustainable.

Today in the disputed areas of Judea and Samaria; Jewish residents are working hard to try and start new communities and expand existing ones; Arabs are trying to get the Jews out and the international community is helping them through charities, non governmental organizations and other means. Yesterday the Vice President of the United States condemned Israel for building new homes on the mountains of Israel - incidentally Joe Biden is the first Catholic to hold this position. Today Netanyahu got a call from Hillary Clinton with another condemnation; also today, the Quartet condemned Israel for granting the approval to build these homes which are in a suburb of Jerusalem. Israel announces plans to build a few homes and there is a chorus of condemnations from all over the world, meanwhile an Arab shooting attack takes places and there is a deafening silence. The Europeans want to boycott Israeli products made in the West Bank, they want all the Jewish residents out. So the war over the mountains of Israel has already started. Every hilltop is contested, every plot of land is being disputed.

This isn't the invasion of Gog as described by the prophet Ezekiel - however we can see all the elements outlined in the prophecy falling into place. Ezekiel seems to focus on the mountainous region in the midst of the land, as being one of the primary targets of the invasion - Ezekiel 38:12 says Gog comes:

"To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land."

It would seem that the focus of Gog's invasion is the Jewish resettlement in the midst of the land. Those settlements are a fulfilment of Bible prophecy. This brings up an important question. How should we feel about the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria? Are you indifferent? Do you feel that maybe the media and the international community is right and the Jews shouldn't be there? When Gog invades this area of Israel God has very strong feelings. Ezekiel 38:18 tells us about this reaction: "And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face."

So we see things falling into place in the land of Israel that will set the scene for these events. However, it is not just in the land of Israel, where we see events moving forward. Magog in the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 is the area of Germany today. This week's Economist magazine has the cover dedicated to "Europe's engine. Living with a stronger Germany." The article notes that "...for the rest of Europe, there is a lot to be said for having a strong economy at the continent’s geographical and political centre." Once again Europe is led by Germany and it is again turning to its antisemetic roots.

This is all very chilling, but thankfully we know that God is in control and He will ultimately be glorified in these events. May we be found watching and waiting. Join us again next week, God Willing, on the Bible in the News - www.bibleinthenews.com.