A Suggested Timetable of End-time Events

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• Israel was reestablished as a nation in 1948 fulfilling Ezek. 36:24.

• Israel regained control over Jerusalem in the astonishing Six-Days’ War of 1969.

Israel not only had to exist as a nation for end-times prophecy to be fulfilled, she also had to have control of old Jerusalem and the Temple Mount (Matt. 24:15-21; Rev. 11:1-2; 2 Thess. 2:4).

Furthermore, the Gog/Magog prophecy (Ezek. 38-39) says that Israel’s enemies will die on the “mountains of Israel.” The fulfillment of this prophecy has only been possible since the Six Days War of 1967. Before that time, virtually all of the “mountains of Israel” were the “mountains of Jordan” because they were controlled by Jordanian Arabs, not Israelites (Ezek. 39:2).

• Israel will face mounting opposition from her neighbors. At this time, she will definitely NOT be living securely in peace. She will NOT be a land of “unwalled villages” (cf., the Gog/Magog prophecy of Ezek. 38:10-12). The current Israel/Hamas War, then, is NOT the Gog/Magog War.

The technologically-advanced Gaza/Israel wall took more than three years to build and ran 40 miles long and 20’ high. Yet, surveillance video shows how the Hamas terrorists simply cut holes in the fence large enough for motorcycles to enter and then bulldozed a section of the fence down. When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 of this year, she was certainly NOT dwelling securely!

• Israel’s neighbors rise up against her in a 10-nation coalition. The Psalm 83 War begins (83:2-8).

It is obvious that Israel will defeat all of these enemies, to the shock of the world. We know this because they will be living securely in the land when the next war, Gog/Magog, begins.

In the Psalm 83 War, Damascus may be destroyed (Isa. 17:1:“Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins”). To this day, Damascus has never ceased to be a city, although she’s been attacked many times. We cannot be sure when this will happen. It could occur during the Tribulation, but it fits the Psalm 83 War scenario very well. I also find the language used to describe the fate of Damascus in Jer. 49:24 interesting: “Damascus has become feeble, she turned to flee, and panic seized her; anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in labor.” Jesus, of course, described the days prior to the Tribulation as “the beginning of the birth pains” (Matt. 24:8). So, there’s that.

Bottom line: we may be witnessing the beginning of the Psalm 83 War in the current Israel/Hamas conflict. This is buttressed by the fact that none of Israel’s neighbors listed in Psalm 83:6-8 are named among the invading forces of the Gog/Magog War.¹ Why not? They’ve been subdued.

• As a result of this victory over her neighbors, Israel may grow into a “greater Israel.”

Bill Salus and others have suggested that Israel may expand her borders as a result of this victory.² While it is certainly possible that Israel could control these nations (post-war) as territories of some kind, I DO NOT believe that the Psalm 83 War annihilates Israel’s neighbors; I believe it subdues them and renders them powerless to threaten Israel. Why do I believe this? Because Scripture is clear that Jesus Christ Himself will judge some of these nations at His return.^{3 4}

• The Third Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.

While we can’t be sure of the timing, we know this Temple must be built (Matt. 24:15-21; Rev. 11:1-2; 2 Thess. 2:4). It makes sense to me that it would be rebuilt during the relatively brief season of security between the Psalm 83 and Gog/Magog wars. This Temple, as we all know, is ready to go up tomorrow – priesthood, red heifers and all!

• Gog/Magog begins:

The outcome of The Psalm 83 War will be intolerable to Iran. Iran had financially sponsored many of the groups/nations Israel has just conquered: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas & Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the Shi’ite Militia in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis Militia in Yemen.

In fury, Iran will instigate the Gog/Magog War among her allies Russia and others (Ezek. 38-39). God will put it in their mind to “go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples” (38:8). They will “devise an evil scheme” and “go up against the land of unwalled villages.” They’ll say, “I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates” (38:10-11). ⁵

• God Himself will defeat this coalition and, again, astonish the entire world bringing glory to His name (Ezek. 38:18-23,39:1-13).

The invaders will fall by the direct intervention of YHWH using several agents of destruction: (1) a great earthquake; (2) confusion and friendly-fire; (3) pestilence; (4) horrific bloodshed; (5) floods or ‘torrential rain’; (6) and storms of hail, fire and brimstone (or sulfur). These agents will annihilate the invading armies (38:19-22).⁶

Through this event, God will sanctify His name before both the Jews and the Gentiles (38:23, 39:7). These armies will fall on the “mountains of Israel” (39:4) – the mountains which run through the center of Israel from north to south.

• The Church may be raptured at this time, although the Rapture may occur a bit sooner or later (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 4:1).

• The Antichrist will approach Israel, hot on the heels of their miraculous victory, offering to insure their peace and protection for 7 years. Though Israel has rejected Jesus, her true Messiah, she will receive Antichrist, in accordance with Jesus’ prophecy (John 5:43). This will mark the start of the Tribulation – the “time of distress for Jacob” (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7).

• Half way through the 7-year Tribulation period, the Antichrist will be killed and resurrected from the dead. The astonished earth-dwellers will wonder after him and worship him (Rev. 13:3-4).

• In a megalomanic fever, the resurrected Antichrist will establish his throne in the Temple of God in Jerusalem declaring himself to be very God (Matt. 24:15-21; 2 Thess. 2:3-4). Through his proxy the False Prophet, he will demand worship from all the earth-dwellers, insisting they receive his mark and worship his animated image. Unbelievers will receive this mark to their eternal damnation. Believers will not (Rev. 13:8, 12, 14-17, 14:9-11, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4).

• Jesus will return to put down the Antichrist and his forces at the Battle of Armageddon – the earth’s final battle (Psa. 2; 2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 16:12-16).

• The inhabitants of the earth will be judged by the Lord Jesus in two distinct judgements (Gentiles: Joel 3:1–3 & Matt. 25:31-46; Israel: Ezek. 20:35-38). Those found worthy, will enter alive into the Millennial Kingdom. The others will be confined to Torments to await the Great White Throne.

• The 1000-year reign of Christ begins. Jesus shall rule from Mt. Zion, the earth’s most elevated place at that time (Psalm 48:1; Isa. 2:2-4, 40:1-5; Rev. 20:1-6).

• At the end of the Kingdom Age, Satan will be released for a short time and will stir up an insurrection against Christ. He will be defeated by Christ, and will be cast once-and-for-all into the Lake of Fire where the Antichrist and False Prophet already are (Rev. 20:7-10).

• Our Lord Jesus Christ will gather all the unbelievers of all time before His White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). This is the final judgement. All who appear before this Great White Throne are unsaved and are cast into the Lake of Fire.

• God will create a “new heavens and a new earth.” The Eternal Day begins (Rev. 21:1-22:4; Isa. 65:17, 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13).

1 With the possible exception of parts of Turkey.

2 Bill Salus writes, “Because of this Israeli conquest over the inner circle of the core surrounding Arab populations of Palestinians, Syrians, Saudi Arabians, Egyptians, Lebanese, and Jordanians, Israel’s borders are enlarged, prosperity increases, and national stature is enhanced” (Salus, Bill, Israelestine: The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East). See also, Salus, Psalm 83, the Missing Prophecy Revealed – How Israel Becomes the Next Mideast Superpower, (Prophecy Depot, 2013) chapter 26.

3 The ultimate judgment of these nations occurs at the return of Jesus Christ: Edom & Moab – Numbers 24:17-19; Edom – Isaiah 34 & 63, compared with Revelation 19:15; Edom – Obediah 1:21; Moab – Isaiah 25, Amos 2 & Zephaniah 2:9; Philistia and Assyria – Zephaniah 2; Philistia and Lebanon (Tyre and Gebal) – Joel 3; Arabia – Ezekiel 30, etc.

4 However, there are prophecies like Ezekiel 25:13-14 where God judges Edom through Israel: “Thus says the Lord God, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate … I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath …”

5 Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum suggests an alternative reading of “securely” in Ezekiel 39:8. He says this of the Hebrew word batach, (“security”): “This is not the security due to a state of peace, but a security due to confidence in their own strength” (Fruchtenbaum, Footsteps of the Messiah, p.121). If this is the correct reading, it would eliminate the need for a political peace prerequisite in Israel before the Gog/Magog invasion to take place. However, I do not think this interpretation sits well with the normal reading of the text. It seems forced, almost as if to explain of why Gog/Magog can occur at a time when Israel is not literally at peace and dwelling securely in the land.

6 In Ezekiel 39:2, the KJV states that 1/6 of the army survives. This is not found in the Hebrew text. The entire army is destroyed.