Man or God?

Man or God? by Bill Wilson

There is some debate among Bible scholars and prophecy students about the end of days and how they will take place. We know, for example, that there is an antichrist-led battle against Israel that results in the mountains being leveled, a great earthquake, the sky rolling back like a scroll, hailstones, fire and brimstone, darkness, and flesh, eyes and tongues rotting while people are standing.

These all appear as descriptions of a nuclear holocaust. We also know in Isaiah 55:8 that God said, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways."

Certainly, there will be battles raging here on earth in the day of the Lord, but according to scripture, these times are God's times, not man's.

Chapter 8 of Revelation opens, "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour, and I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets."

The ensuing chapters describe the judgment on earth at the hands of these angels. These judgments correspond with accounts found in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Joel and other prophets speaking of the end of days. These are not manmade devastations. They are done by the hand of God. So while there will be wars and rumors of wars leading into and occurring during the seven years of Jacob's Troubles (the tribulation), and there may be nuclear conflict, the end will be at God's hands.

This is why I do not agree that Ezekiel 39 or Isaiah 17 or other such accounts on the nations under judgment are describing nuclear war or nuclear-induced devastation. Isaiah 17:1, for example, is often cited by scholars as a nuclear attack that levels Damascus, "Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap." Verse 7, says, "At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel."

Another example: Ezekiel 38 describes what will happen to Gog "in that day (verse 14)." It sounds like a nuclear event. But God says in verse 16, "I will bring you against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in you, O Gog, before their eyes."

The Lord then speaks of pestilence with blood, raining upon the people with great hailstones, fire and brimstone and in verse 23 says, "Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations and they shall know that I am the Lord."

This is the theme in that day when the nations are judged-earthly battles, but supernatural destruction. The Lord will leave no doubt in that day that He is Lord. If this were manmade destruction, doubters could use that to discredit God.

Just as it is known without a doubt that God led his people out of Egypt, His word is consistent in end of days prophecies that people will know, even the enemies of Israel, that God is God and there is no other.