Jordan in Prophecy

The title of the sermon today is, Jordan in Prophecy. A tiny nation of Jordan is one of the most strategically located nations on the face of the earth. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East, and its government often plays the role of mediator between neighboring countries and factions. Jordan came into being in the 20th century as part of a French and British division of the Arabian Peninsula. Of course, this happened after the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of World War I. Jordan, Iraq, and other countries were created, which were not countries prior to that time.

Because of the British mandate, those countries were created. Jordan is wedged between Israel and Iraq and bordered by Syria to the north and west. Both are new nations created largely by Britain after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, as we've already seen. Now we would like to show a map of Jordan. You see how it's sandwiched there between Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. It's standing all the way down to Egypt. And I think of it sort of like the handle of a pistol up at the top and the barrel extending down. And you see the tiny nation of Israel. Then outlined is the West Bank. And the Palestinians, when they fled a Jerusalem during the 1948 war, they're called Palestinians, but they are Arabs who were settled in Jerusalem and surrounding areas, fled for their lives and across the Jordan River into the nation of Israel. Next slide, please. Jordan is the home of Petra, and this shows the this is hewn out of the rock. It's called the treasury. It is at the end of the Sikh leading into Petra. Now let's see the peak itself. We have a picture of the Sikh.

No picture of the Sikh. Anyhow, there's a long trail way about, I would guess, about a mile or two leading into Jordan. We'll probably mention Petra again in the sermon.

Even though Jordan has been subject to great pressure by her neighbors, she's been a moderating voice of peace and stability in the Middle East. Ethnically, most ordainians are of Arab descent. Religiously, they are an Islamic nation with a Sunni majority. And we'll talk about the two main divisions of Islam a little bit later.

Wanda and I spent a week in Jordan interacting with the royal family back in 1988. We had tea at the home of the then Crown Prince, King Hussein's brother, and during that time we visited Petra and other points of interest at that time. It was also a time of the Arab intifada, and Jericho and Bethlehem were shut up. The intifada was declaration by the Arabs and the Palestinians, whichever one you want to call them. It was a time in which they said, we're going to commit terrorist acts, or we're going to ensure that we get our just desserts from the action that the Israelis have taken.

And so we drove from Amman across the Jordan River and through Jericho. There was not a sign of a person or anything as we drove through Jericho. Everything was locked up tight. And we went on up to Jerusalem. No matter where you're located in, in the Middle East, you go up to Jerusalem. And Jerusalem is on a mountain, and one of the chief sites in Jordan, or in Israel, is Mount Zion. So here we are about 37 years later, and not much has changed regarding the chaos and confusion that is extant in the Middle East.

The genealogy of Jordan begins in the book of Genesis. So let's turn to Genesis 11 and verse 27. Genesis 11 and verse 27. Now these are the generations of Terah. Remember, Terah came from Shem. After the flood, Noah had the three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Shem is the father of the Shemites, or some call it the father of the Jews.

And she was the father of the Jews. And she was the father of the Jews and the counted Jews. And Shem was the father of the Jews. And Shem was the father of the Jews. And shem is the father of the Shemites, or some call it the Caucasian race. Terah beget Abram, Nahor, Haran, Haran, and beget Hubiget Lot. And Haran died before his father, before his father Terah in the land of Nativity of Ur, the Chaldees, and Abram and Nahor took them wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milchai, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milchai, and the father of Ischai.

But Sarai was barren, she had no child, and Terah took Abram his son and Lot, the son of Haran and son-son, and Sarah's daughter-in-law and Abram's wife, and they went forth from the Chaldees to go into the land of Canaan. They came unto Haran and dwelt there. And so, Abraham took the son of his brother Haran a lot, and Lot was oftentimes referred to as the son of...

he was often referred to as the son of... of... of... Nahor of Lot, but... I'm sorry, of Nahor, but actually, he was nephew with regard to Lot because Lot and Nahor were brothers. Now, continuing in chapter 12, the political Zionists quoting this scripture all the time, as if this was the fulfillment that the political Zion and state of Israel would be the fulfillment of this scripture. But actually, as we have noted many times in Galatians chapter 3, that if you are in Christ, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

So this promise is to those who have been converted and have Jesus Christ as their Savior. I will bless them that bless you and curse them that curses you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

Well, all the families of the earth will only be blessed through Jesus Christ. We're not turning to Galatians 3 right now, but that is a reference you should look at and to see for sure who are the spiritual children of God. It is those who are in Christ. They are the seed of Abraham. And Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him.

And Abram was 75 years old when he departed out of Iran. And Abram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son. So that made Lot Abraham's nephew. And all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Iran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan, they came. So the genealogy of Jordan can be traced back to that time, all the way back to, actually back to Shem, but especially back to Abraham.

Jordanians are descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew, and they descended, and they descended, and actually you would say they were the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites. The Moabites are mentioned 181 times in the Old Testament. The Ammonites are mentioned 105 times, and Edom and Esau are also mentioned 100 times. But the Moabites, especially, are given a lot of ink in the Old Testament. But Abram and Lot had large herds of cattle, and eventually striked between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot, as you read in Genesis 13-8.

If you want to turn there. And Abraham said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brethren. That's Genesis 13, verse 8. Here we see that Lot chose the well-watered plain of Jordan and pitched his tent toward Sodom. And if you pitch your tent toward Sodom, you will wind up in Sodom. And so we have a lot of young people today who pitched their tents toward Sodom. And for that matter, we have the old people, even the baby boomers, who are now in their 70s. Many of them are pitching their tents toward Sodom. And if you pitch your tent toward Sodom, you will wind up in Sodom as Lot did.

That's why so many young people wind up there, and they focus their desires in the wrong direction. In Genesis 18, God makes known to Abraham what he's going to do to Sodom. You know, Abraham then begins to bargain with God, as it were, to negotiate, and say, if you find 50 righteous, he came all the way down to 10. And God said, I won't destroy it if there are 10 righteous people in Sodom. But of course, he didn't find really any, except maybe you could say Lot was righteous.

And so Lot and his wife—and God was working out a great plan through Lot and his descendants, his two daughters— Lot and his wife and two daughters are forced to leave Sodom. Now, when the day came, it says, get out of here, after the two angels had appeared to Abraham in Genesis— I mean to Lot in Genesis 19. And Lot had to spare them because the people of Sodom wanted to know them, have sexual relations with them.

And so Lot pulled them into his house, and God struck those that were pursuing them with blindness. And then God told Lot and his family to get out of Sodom. And really, God picked them up by the nape of the neck and brought them out of Sodom. And Lot went up out of Zor. There were five cities in the area of Sodom and Gomorrah. And Zor was the smallest of the cities.

And eventually, as we shall see, he dwelt in the mountains. And his two daughters went with him. Remember, his wife turned back and looked back at Zor being destroyed in the other cities in Sodom and Gomorrah. And she turned to a pillar of salt. Zor is a city in the southwest end of the Dead Sea area, a group with Sodom and Gomorrah. And as it said, there were five cities that God destroyed at that time. But Zor was the place where Lot fled from. And then he was forced to flee up into the mountains when they saw what was happening to Sodom and Gomorrah and Zohar.

And there we pick up the story again in Genesis 19 and verse 29. And this, remember the title is Jordan and Prophecy. And of course, there are much more to it than that. And we'll begin in verse 29. Well, let's just read 30 as well. And Lot went up out of Zohar and dwelt in the mountains. And his two daughters with him, for they feared to dwell in Zohar, and he dwelt in a cave and his two daughters. You can imagine that God rained fire and brimstone down on Sodom and Gomorrah. And even those who are excavating that area today have found traces of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone.

And the firstborn, verse 31, the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth who come in unto us after the manner of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drunk with wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

And they made their father drunk with wine, that they might that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he perceived not when she lay down nor when she left. And he came to pass on the morrow after the firstborn, said to the younger, Behold, I lay yesterday with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight, make him drunk again, that we might preserve seed. Verse 35, they made him drunk, and the younger rose up, and she rose, went to her father, and thus were both daughters a lot with child by their fathers. Of course, they did this through alcohol, which is a deadly enemy of it seems of God's people.

Those were both the daughters of lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bear a son and called his name Moab, and the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger she bear a son and called his name Benam, Biam, Biam, Biam, Biam.

Same is the father of the children of Ammon, or Ammon to this day. And of course, Ammon excels in the capital city of Jordan. It's a very feeling to be in Jordan. We were at a hotel there in Jordan, and one time I walked by myself down the streets to downtown Ammon to go to the gold soot. That's what they call the gold market, and the ring I have on this finger came from the gold soot in Ammon, Jordan. Of course, I wouldn't be buying this ring today. At that time, the gold prices were at all time low and allowed me to get something.

I said, I'll pass this on to my grandson or kin one of these days and hope to do so. So, a lot as the father of the Moabites and the Ammonites, God has nothing to say good about either one of these peoples. That's amazing. They are offsprings from Abraham, and Abraham traces back to his father and all the way back to Shem, really. When you talk about anti-Semitic today, actually, most of the Arabs are Semites.

To say anti-Semitic is saying anti-Shem in a sense because they descended from Shem. But the term has come to mean just against Israel today, and that's one of the main things you hear about in the news today is anti-Semitism. Well, actually, you can see that about the Palestinians as well. Now we'll see more about the origin of some of the peoples.

First, let's consider the origin of the Arabs. Let's look at Genesis 17 and verse 18. Genesis 17 and verse 18. Genesis 17 and verse 18.

She went along with that, and she got pregnant, and the result was the birth of Ishmael. God said, verse 19, Sarah, your wife, shall bear you a son, indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant. Now many of the peoples of the Islamic world, Islamic religion, faith, as they call it, claim that the promises go to us. We are also the sons of Abraham, and so they are. He engendered Ishmael. He begeted Ishmael, and he was born an everlasting covenant with his seed after him. So the covenantal promises went to Isaac, not to Ishmael. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall be begotten of you. Now there were twelve princes begotten by Ishmael, and if you look at Genesis 36, Genesis 36, verses 1 and 2, you'll see that they call them dukes here, and some translations. Genesis 36, verse 1, we'll see that Esau, who is Edom, as we shall see here, had twelve dukes or princes. This is Genesis 36, verse 1. Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. Esau is Edom. Remember, Esau is Jacob's twin brother. Through deceit, Jacob and Rebekah deceived Isaac, and the birthright was given to Esau. So Esau is Edom. Esau took wives of the daughters of Canaan, Adah, the daughter of Yulan, Dahitite, and Aholaba, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Highlight, and so on. So there was tremendous amount of intermarriage and also a mixing of the various houses. Now we're back at Genesis 17, and the promise to Isaac, that the covenant would be with him, and Ishmael would have twelve princes come out of him. But with my covenant, this is Genesis 17, 21, but with my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto you at this set time in the next year. Several times in the Bible you will see at the appointed time or the set time. God has an appointed time or a set time for various events to occur. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and he circumcised them. So circumcision is a part of what the Islamic religion does under this day. According to Bible prophecy, as we shall see, Jordan will play a significant role in end-time events. Very important and germane to Jordan's role in the end-time event centers around the Hashemite family, the royal family that rules Jordan. The royal family after the 67 war was given the responsibility of taking care of what is called a waaf in Arabic. It's a four-letter word that is pronounced waaf. It's something like W-A-Q-F, something like that. The waaf or the waif is taken care of the Temple Mount. To understand the Hashemite family is necessary to understand the major split that occurred in Islam after the death of Mohammed in 632 A.D. After his death, a great dispute arose over the question of succession. We had several students in Jordan on the program. We called it in Jerusalem to dig. In other countries, it was helping the royal family establish various programs to help the disadvantaged in Thailand, in Jordan, and in other countries.

Those that were in Jordan, the students that were in Jordan, were staying in Oman at the house of the personal assistant of King Hussein. King Hussein was the one that Mr. Armstrong interfaced with, and the one through whom we were able to get into Jordan. They were staying at the personal assistant of King Hussein. His name was Abba Odi. I remember giving a sermon there in Abba Odi's house to the students who were assembled there. When one Abba Odi invited us down into his house in the Jordan Valley, and we drove from Oman and crossed the Jordan into Israel. When we came to, and remember the end of Friday, is on when we were there. So after we crossed the Jordan, we had to go through Israeli security, and it was indeed serenious. I had packed away two snicker bars to eat in emergency. When the Israeli officials discovered the two snicker bars, they said, you eat. I wasn't hungry, so he said, either you eat or we throw away. So the Corey Erickson and the other name, I remember his first name was Cliff. I can't think of his last name. They ate the two snickers, and we went on.

We went on to Jerusalem. Now, after the death of Mohammed, there was a great dispute over the question of succession. And that night, we had dinner down in the Jordan Valley with Abba Odi. He told us about this dispute over the succession. The Sunnis believed that the Caleb, the successor to Mohammed, should always be elected by the community and not conferred by heredity. And the majority of the Islamic peoples are Sunnis.

Over 70% are Sunnis. They claimed they are the true followers of the faith, and until 1959, they refused to recognize the Shiites as the true Muslims. Now, the Shiites claimed that they believed that the Caleb or Imon must be a direct descendant of Mohammed. And this bitter disagreement of succession has continued from that time to the present. Moreover, several radical sects of Islam, S-E-C-T-S, emerged over the centuries.

Sunnis and Shiites have been killing each other for 1,300 years. Sunnis and Shiites have killed dozens of Shiites in recent years as they march toward various mosques, and they go to the mosque, especially on Friday. That is their, quote, holy day. And they try to go to the mosque more often than just on Friday. Much of the blood that has been spilled from Syria to Pakistan, Pakistan is, of course, on the other side of Iran, stems from the bitter division among these two sects, S-E-C-T-S, of Islam.

Shiites believed that the Battle of Karbala, which is in modern Iraq, was between the forces of good and evil. Iman Hussein, grandson of Mohammed, represented good. We're talking about the Battle of Karbala, which is in Iraq. And on a certain day on Ashra, Ashra is a big holy day in the Islamic world, and they journey to the city, to Karbala. The Sunnis go there to commemorate the death of Hussein, who is supposedly a descendant of Mohammed, and the Shiites go there to honor Moses, delivering the children of Israel from Pharaoh.

So, many Shiites make the pilgrimages to Karbala in Iraq on Ashura. That's the holy day. And it really means a day of remembrance. Sunni Muslims fast to commemorate the day Allah saved the Prophet Moses and his followers from Pharaoh. The Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Iman Hussein, the beloved grandson of Mohammed, who was killed at the Battle of Karbala. Now, not so long ago, just before the Iraqi War, when the US invaded Iraq, there was a war ended between Iraq and Iran, which had lasted some nine years.

And it was over this very thing that is over the Battle of Karbala, and who is the rightful successor to Mohammed. To express the remorse for not saving Iman Hussein during the Battle of Karbala in 680, and in 680 this battle was fought. Thousands poured into the streets, this is in recent times, flaying themselves with chains, slicing the front of their scouts with swords and knives, with blood streaming from their heads and backs.

Men of all ages dressed in white walked toward the tomb of Iman Hussein from dawn to dark. In Ali, Mohammed, age 30, this is one of the people who was in the march, cut his head with a sword and stated, This is the least that we can do for Iman Hussein, who sacrificed himself and his family to save the real religion. He said, we do not feel pain. In fact, we feel we are one with Iman Hussein. You and I may not understand this religious fervor, and neither do the leaders of the West understand this. They think that through them, they have one of two choices, one choice is mental chariasm to conquer the enemy or diplomacy.

And so far, they've used both in trying to bring about peace in the Middle East. But really, it is spiritual warfare. Western forces try to defeat through the weapons of men, but the enemy is obsessed and motivated by demonic spiritual powers. Satan the Devil. Satan the Devil is behind the chaos and confusion in this world. Paradoxically, the world will eventually turn to devil worship and worship him as their God. Now we go to Ephesians 6, verse 10. In the New Testament, Ephesians 6, verse 10. Ephesians 6, verse 10. Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, and put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, in view of that, take place, take unto yourselves the whole arm of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and have done all to stand. The day of judgment is coming upon all of the world.

And the parable of the ten versions, of course, is ever before us. We want our cup, we want our vessel filled with oil, we want our being filled with oil, which is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. So we're engaged in spiritual warfare. There is no human solution to the problem. This religious fervor is astounding to the Western mind that are under the leadership of various leaders, but it all goes back to Satan the devil.

The Hashemite family, the royal family of Jordan, claims to be direct descendants of Muhammad, and Muhammad claims to be a descendant of Abraham through Ishmael. One of the ironies of Jordan is that the nation itself, the predominant religion in Jordan, is Sunni. That is, the caliph is elected through the community, but the fact of the matter in Jordan is it is the Hashemite kingdom through Hussein, who claims to be a direct descendant, and probably is, of Muhammad. King Hussein, the one that knew Mr. Armstrong, came to power after his grandfather, King Abdullah I, was assassinated on July 20, 1951, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds.

Now, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is that smaller mosque that you see on the Temple Mount. You see a lot of pictures. You see the Dome of the Rock, and then just south of that is the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the smaller mosque. The Arabs called the Arab word for Jerusalem is Al-Quds, A-L-Q-U-E-D-S, Al-Quds, or I don't know exactly how each one would say it.

Remember now, Hussein came to power after his grandfather was assassinated July 20, 1951. Hussein was there with his grandfather. They went regularly to perform Friday prayers. A medal king Abdullah, the grandfather, had recently given the young prince Hussein, which he wore at his grandfather's insistence, saved Hussein from the assassination's bullet that day. A bullet hit him on the medal, and he fell, but the medal saved his life. But his grandfather was assassinated. On September 6, 1951, King Abdullah's eldest son, King Talal, assumed the throne, that is, the throne of Jordan. But he was weak and unable to take on the role.

He was soon followed by his brother Hussein, that's the one through whom we were able to get into Jordan, who was proclaimed king of the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan on August 11, 1952. A regency council was appointed with King Hussein's formal ascension to the throne when he assumed his constitutional powers after reaching the age of 18, according to the Islamic calendar. When King Hussein died, that is the one who knew Mr.

Armstrong, Abdullah II became king. Now, when we were in Jordan, it was assumed that King Hussein's brother, the crown prince, would ascend to the throne. But when Hussein died, it wasn't his brother who ascended, it was his son, Abdullah II. Remember, Abdullah I was assassinated.

So, Abdullah arranged as King Abdullah II.

As the ruler of the Hashemites, he is considered the chief ruler of all the Islamic world, the defender of the Islamic religion and culture. This includes the holy shrines and mosques of Islam. The current king of Jordan, Abdullah II, is the son of King Hussein, as I said, the one that we interface with. In fact, that often escapes commentators. The fact that Esau, who is Edom in Bible prophecy, intermarries with the Ishmaelites, often escapes Bible prophecy. Now we want to go back to Genesis 28 and verse 9.

One of the principal things you take away from this is that, I guess you would say, that the peoples of the Middle East are hopelessly intermarried. Though they kill each other, if you kill one of them, like the whole Arab world, in a sense will come against you, but at the same time they kill each other.

So in Genesis 28 and verse 9, Genesis 28 verse 9, Then when Esau unto Ishmael, see, Esau goes to Ishmael. Remember, Ishmael was birthed by Hagar, Abraham was the father. When Ishmael, fathered by Abraham, birthed by Hagar, he went to Esau. Then when Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto him wives, which he had Mahalalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, and the sister of Nehaboth, to be his wife. So you have this inner marriage in the Arab Islamic world that is, would be almost impossible to sort out. Now, it is of great interest to note that Abraham's son, Ishmael, and his grandson, wind up in the same geographical area with a common southern border, Moab to the north, and Edom to the south. That's from Numbers chapter 22 verses 1 through 5. So Moab and Ammon cease to exist as identifiable people among the tribes of the Middle East, yet they are spoken of in prophecy as if they are in existence when Christ returns to establish his kingdom. The prophet Zephaniah prophesies of the fate of Moab. Moab. So let's go to Zephaniah. We have a turn to Zephaniah today.

Zephaniah is hiding somewhere in the mind of prophets. One time, an extra credit question was, what is the name of the book that is between Habakkuk and Haggai? That book is Zephaniah chapter 1 verse 14.

The great day of the Lord is near, it is at hand, and hastest greatly in the voice of the day of the Lord, the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fence-cities and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord, and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as gum. Neither silver or gold will be able to destroy them. So that is a picture, a depiction of when God intervenes. Now we look at Zephaniah 2 in verse 1. Gather yourselves together, O nation not desired. That's the Church of God. Before the decree, before it brings forth, before the day of the chat, before the fierce anger of the Lord. In other words, now, before that day comes upon you, really as a thief in the night, before the Lord's anger comes upon you. Seek the Lord, you meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment and righteousness, seek meekness, it may be that you shall be spared in the day of the Lord. Now you look at verse 8.

Remember, they were a lot, and his two daughters had escaped, but they will not escape God's judgment at the end of the age. The children of Amaham, they shall be as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of Hosts. They did this especially during the days of Amos, and you can read about this in Amos chapter 1.

In Amos chapter 1, verse 2, And I will break the bar of Damascus, cut off the inhabitants of the soul. Thus says the Lord for three transgressions of Gaza, and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they carried away captive the whole captivity to deliver them up to Eden. And I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces, and I will cut out the inhabitants of Ashdod, and him that holds the scepter from Ashkelon. And I will turn my hand against Echorot, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish as the Lord God. And it goes on and on. One more verse I'll read. Thus says the Lord for three transgressions of Tyreus, and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they delivered up the whole captivity to Eden, and remembered not the brotherly covenant. Remember, Edom, who is Esau, or Esau who is Edom, was Jacob's brother, their father, was Isaac, Isaac's father, was Abraham, and so on. Now, this terrible prophecy against Moab and Ammon, because of her association with the beast at the end of the age. Now, let's notice this. Now we go to Daniel 11, one of the longest prophecies in the whole Bible. You remember the statue and verse in chapter 2 of the kingdoms of Babylon, the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians, the kingdom of Alexander, and the Romans. Now we come to Daniel 11, which focuses on the end of the age. In Daniel 11, we're going to pick it up in verse 36.

And the king shall do according to his will. Now, who is this king? It's the key to a lot of end-time events. I have here the textbook I use when I taught the minor prophets at ambassador. It is Daniel, the key to prophetic revelation by John F. Volvoord, the Debut pronounced as a V Volvoord, who was the president and dean of theological studies at the Southwestern University in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He wrote several books. I just want to read a line or two. The king mentioned in Daniel 11, 36, 39, is attacked by the king of the South and the king of the North. Now, a lot of the commentators will say that the king of the North pushes against the king of the South, and the king of the South pushes against the king of the North. That is foreign to any right or a medical structure, as we will see in just a moment. So we're at Daniel 11 and 36. Remember Volvoord says there are three parties involved here. And the king shall do according to his will. He will exalt himself, magnify himself above every god. And we find that in Revelation 13, also in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 4, where this one sits in the temple of God, saying that he is God and magnifies himself above everyone that is called God, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished, for that is determined shall be done. That what is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers nor the desire of women. Now, the commentators, the desire of women, a lot of commentators say that's Jesus Christ, others say not Jesus Christ.

A lot of the people who are the Jewish women, especially in years gone by when they were pregnant, said maybe I'm giving birth to the Messiah, nor regard any God, for he shall magnify himself above all. And in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 4, Revelation 13 says that one will sit in the temple of God, saying that he is God and magnify himself above everything that is called God. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces, and the God whom his fathers knew not, and the God of his fathers is oftentimes, it is a Hebrew idiom that is oftentimes used, the God of his fathers, indicating Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and so on. And do not he shall honor gold and silver with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in his most strong holy holes, with a strange God whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory, and he shall cause him to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

Now, the land is probably the holy land, and of course, one of the big items being discussed today is, will there be a Palestinian state? One of the big news items yesterday was that France has honored the referendum that makes a Palestinian state. Of course, the nation of Israel and the U.S. will veto that amendment. If you want a description of the end time beast, you look at Daniel chapter 8.

We'll start in 19. And he said, Behold, I will make you know what shall be the end of the ending nation, for it is for the time appointed. Remember what I said about the time appointed. The time appointed, the end, and it literally means the end, shall be the realm which you saw. Having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grisha, Alexander the Great. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king, Alexander the Great. Now this being broken, whereas four stood in its place, four kingdoms shall stand up of the nation, but not in his own power. Satan the Devil gives him his power. After Alexander died, Alexander did not have a dynasty, a successor, so his kingdom was divided among his four generals. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to a full, a king of fierce countenance shall understand, a king of fierce countenance and understanding, dark sentences shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper in practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

Now that word destroy should be translated corrupt. He doesn't literally destroy them. He corrupts them. In the name of peace, and through his policy also he shall cause witchcraft to prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the prince of princes. Now this shows that it is the end time one. He stands up against the prince of princes, but he shall be broken without hand. God speaks in the Battle of Armageddon, in the battle that is described in Daniel, not in Daniel, but in Revelation 19, that God speaks, and they are consumed. The beast and the false prophet are taken and put in the bottomless pit.

Now we go back to Daniel chapter 11. So that was a description of how this one comes to power.

And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him, who is the nearest referent pronoun, the hymn, and the king of the north shall come against him. Remember, Bauboard says three powers are indicated. Most commentators, and historically, the Church of God has said that the Roman Empire comes in as the king of the north and takes over the Middle East. And with the horsemen and with many ships, and he shall come into the countries and shall overflow and pass over, he shall enter into the glorious land, into the promised land, into Israel. And many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape out of his hand, Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon, or Ammon. So, the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and the children of Edom, escape the hand of the beast. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Edom shall not escape. Remember, Edom was ruled by the Ptolemies. One of the divisions of the Alexandine Empire included the Holy Land and Egypt, and a general by the name of Ptolemy, P-T-O-L-E-M-Y, and his family, among whom were Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Mark Antony of Rome and Cleopatra, the movie has been made about them, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. So, Edom is under the sway of the beast's power. It is an Islamic country. But these three entities, named in verse 41, Edom, Moab, and Ammon, escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold, and of silver, and all of the precious things, and all of the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him. Therefore shall he go about with great fury to destroy and utterly take away many. Well, to the east would be India, China, to the north would be Russia, to the northwest would be Turkey, and he shall plant his tabernacles, his headquarters, his palace, in the glorious holy mountain in Jerusalem, and yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. I was giving a Bible study in Sydney, Australia, back in 1996, 1997, somewhere along there, in Sydney. And I said, the beast power plants his headquarters in Jerusalem, and somebody spoke up from the audience, oh no, that is not right. I said, look at Daniel 11, verse 45. It will tell you clearly that the beast power sets up his headquarters in Jerusalem. It says it right here.

So, brethren, as we look at the world today, there are many unanswered questions. As I have noted, the Bible is clear that many countries shall escape, but Moab, Ammon, and Edom are in the bay.

They are not taken, they are spared. And it's ironic, of course, the people in the Church of God are very familiar with Petra, because the Church has said, I sat beside Mr. Armstrong in the year 1983, or 1984, faculty dining here at Big Sandy Campus, and a certain evangelist had just come through and said, some of our people have been de-pietrified. And I said, Mr. Armstrong, we have a lot of our ministers who say that Petra is a place of safety. And he said, I never said that. I said, if the Bible says any place, it may be Petra. And perhaps it is, because Petra is in Moab and Ammon. It is a part of that nation. Now, I have been there, and I know what it's like, but God rained down manna, took care of it, and brought water out of a rock, which you would have to do in Petra.

God took care of the Israelites as they wandered in the desert, finally into the promised land.

So, I'll leave you with this here today. The recent wars that have taken place have done little to settle the issues, extend in the Middle East, and it continues, and Feroar continues, and will continue until the bitter end. And the bitter end ends in the judgments that we read from Zephaniah, from Amos, and there are many, many other places in Scripture that talk about that judgment. So, God is using people. He even uses Gentile rulers to accomplish His will, as He did with Cyrus, who made a decree that Judah could go back to the Holy Land and build the Second Temple. And today, the big word is that Israel is getting ready to build a Third Temple, I think I said. The Second Temple was the one that Cyrus gave the decree to rebuild, and now, the much talked is about building the Third Temple. So, brethren, keep your eyes on the Middle East, and keep your eyes especially on the tiny nation of Jordan.