One of the more challenging exercises in the study of the Bible is the process of converting or understanding who or where the ancient lands, peoples, or areas exist today.  Sometimes it’s fairly straightforward, such as with the Roman, Grecian, or Persian Empires.  All three still have remnants that exist today.  You can still visit the still existing ancient capitals of these former empires, and participate in the modern day variants of these cultures.

** There will be a PDF version of this project available in the near future.

However, there are many named cities, states, kingdoms, cultures and peoples in the Bible which are not readily apparent today.  Some of them no longer exist in any form due to judgments unleashed by God.  Some of them simply withered on the vine.  Still, others exists in a somewhat different form while maintain distant ties to who they once were.  There are also peoples which morphed into completely different cultures.

The Abraham Accords – The Players

Where this issue really comes front and center is the study of end time’s prophecy.  There are multiple lands, kingdoms and peoples that the Bible declares will become central players in the end time.  However, most of them are called by their ancient names which make no sense to most Bible students.  So, these students are required to dig through myriad resources to determine who these ancient peoples were, and who they are today.

When it comes to transposing ancient cultures into modern times, there are two issues which can really muddy the waters.  The first issue is navigating between two or more modern geographic descriptions for ancient lands.  What I mean is this.  It is not uncommon to see different interpretations and estimates of where an ancient people or kingdom actually existed.  Gomer is one such example.  I have seen scholars and maps place this kingdom anywhere from Germany to Turkey.  I have seen Gomer moved all over the map like a chess piece.

The second consideration in this process is determining the exact extent of the ancient borders of a particular kingdom.  Even when we have evidence or know approximately where a kingdom was located, in most cases we cannot know definitively where the ancient borders actually started and stopped.  This is the reason why most of these ancient kingdoms are shown on modern maps as approximate regions, rather than specific geographic entities with set borders.  I cite the Roman Empire as the best example to illustrate this.  Today we can tell you nearly exactly where any given point of the Empire’s borders existed.

At best, the most we can ascertain when it comes to many of the ancient kingdoms is the approximate region where they once existed.  Where we have conflicting information and positions from experts, we must look to additional factors to help place the approximate boundaries of those kingdoms.

Among those additional factors that can be utilized are the current, or modern, geopolitical conditions of the various regions of the world, and more specifically of the smaller regions of the Middle and Far East, Northern Africa, and Romans Europe.  Stated differently, the current political climate of the nation’s surrounding or dealing with Israel are the very best source of information when we need to decipher the sometimes cryptic evidence pointing to the modern version of very ancient kingdoms.

To understand the prophetic relevance of not just the current players in the Abraham Accords, but also where those current player originated, we must first identify the original players and where they existed.  Once we know who the original player are, we will be able to see and discern who the modern players will be.

Let’s start first with Isaiah 17:

Damascus, Aroer, Ephraim, Valley of Rephaim

Now, Psalms 83:

Edom, Ishmaelites, Moab, Hagrites, Byblos, Ammon, Amalek, Tyre, Philistia and Assyria

And finally, Ezekiel 38 and 39:

Magog, Meshek, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Togarmah, Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish

We will add in a map I found that is fairly accurate, though requires several corrections that really open up the understanding of exactly what the Abraham Accords are lining up.

Psalms 83 and Ezekiel 38-39

First addition we need to make is Ephraim and the Valley of Rephaim, which is the general area in the red diamond and maroon oval, respectively:

There is an additional insight that which needs to be made before moving forward.  It is in regards to who Cush is.  Most maps put Cush in roughly the same place, in the general region of Sudan.  Here is a map of the most commonly accepted general locations for both Cush and Phut:

There are a couple observations that need to be made.  First is that in the three primary pre-tribulation conflicts we are discussing, Cush, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia are all mentioned either by their modern names, or their ancient names (if different from their modern names) in different translations of the Bible.  Between the different translations you still arrive at the same place – what we are talking about is Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia.  While these ancient kingdoms ebbed and waned at different periods, including sharing overlapping geography in different periods, the different mentions of all of them with regards to modern prophecy require that all four must be dealt with in their modern terms.  It is only in their modern terms and modern geography that all four of them can exist in the three blocks of scripture regarding the three upcoming conflicts.

Of the four, Cush is the most interesting in light of the Abraham Accords.  In it’s ancient geography, Cush comprised of most of Sudan, a small section of southern Egypt, and what is now the nation of Eritrea.  Cush extended to the Red Sea.

As I study maps of ancient biblical lands, I am always aware of the fact that there will be variances between what different scholars present with regards to the ancient borders.  This is to be expected, and typically they are close enough in their assertions that the scholar is still able to come away with the correct general idea.  However, knowing this, I tend to study multiple maps and opinions, trying to garner the best overall information.    There are some wild variations out there as well.  Gomer is one such example.  There are maps which declare that Gomer is what we now know as Germany.  Another example would be Rosh and Meshach.  I have seem them attributed to Russia and Moscow proper.  Of course there is geographic evidence that Russia will indeed play a part, and fits in that “King of the North” mold – especially since Turkey is in the process of allying with Russia, Iran and Russia are allies, and Russia is heavily involved in Syria.

That said, the is a key fact which must be remembered when it comes to biblical prophecy.  The ancient lands mentioned in the Bible correspond to geographic equivalents that exist today in the areas we typically think of when it comes to the Bibles.  The better way to think of this is to take the area of the major biblical empires and you will have an idea of the outer boundaries of where all of these ancient kingdoms could have existed.  Lets bring Gomer back as our example.  While the Roman Empire was vast, the territory encompassing modern Germany was never truly a part of the Empire.  That rules Germany out as a part of the core confederation that will come against Israel.  That said, it does not rule Germany, or any other nation out from having a hand in what will come.  Indeed, there are a lot of nations that will be party to the events that are soon to unfold.

Where this comes into play with Cush is with something I began to discover as I was looking at the different maps.  Let me take a step back.  I was looking at another aspect of the Abraham Accords when the Lord emphasized a key characteristic that will come into play in future events.  More on that in a moment.  This other aspect took me to the maps and the ancient territories.  As I was studying the different kingdoms I came across something with regards to Cush that really  stuck out.  As it turns out, there is evidence that Cush existed on both sides of the Red Sea.

This map best illustrates what I was discovering.  Bear in mind that Ethiopia is mentioned, so its modern borders must be taken into account for prophecy.  Likewise, Sudan most also have it’s modern borders recognized.  That said, here is the key piece that jumped out at me:

The significance of this will become apparent in a few moments.  The key takeaway is that there is evidence that Cush did indeed extend across the narrow section of the Red Sea into what we now know as Yemen.  With that, we have the requisite background to examine the current and potential impact and players in the Abraham Accords.  However, we need to start with an obvious question that figures prominently into prophecy – do the Abraham Accords divide the land?

There is one final point that needs made with regards to ancient lands and modern prophetic equivalents.  When the prophets or Apostles were shown prophetic events involving nations, they would see the modern nations, yet they would not know the modern names.  They would see smaller regions within larger nations known to them at the time.   Likewise, if they were given an understanding, it might be of the ancient land,  but the modern fulfillment may be a smaller geographic region within a larger kingdom.  Philistia is a good example.   When Asaph wrote what would become the 83 Psalm, he may have had a picture of what he knew to be the Philistines in his mind, and therefore wrote “the Philistines”.  Likewise, he may have seen a picture in his mind of an area inside the Philistine kingdom where the attack of Psalms 83 would originate from, and simply knew that to be a part of the Philistine kingdom.  Hence, Asaph knew either direction the result was the same – the region he knew as Philistia would be involved in the battle he was seeing and writing about.

The Abraham Accords – Do They Divide the Lands?

The Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-6 – The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath[b] to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

To divide the land, there must be an enforceable instrument in place which cedes full control of a distinct section of the land to an outside authority. The key here is full control. Here is why.

The agreement by Israel to stop annexation in the West Bank is central to what full control means. At present there are several common myths that need dispelled. The first of which is that the Palestinian Authority already has full control of the West Bank, and of the Gaza strip. This is not the case. The PA has, at best, a limited civil authority over smaller sections of the West Bank, and only civil authority in Gaza. With regards to the West Bank, what this amounts to is the same authority that a mayor and city council would exercise anywhere else in Israel. This civil authority consists of issues such as zoning, emergency medical response, law enforcement (security), commercial development, etc. Likewise, the amount of the territory covered by this authority amounts to a handful of small cities, or more accurately, areas akin to what we know as counties which contain small cities.

Here is the critical distinction and premise that comes into play with the West Bank. None of the areas under the control of the PA are completely connected. They are separated by the areas of Israeli control and completely landlocked. Second, these areas have declined in size. The reasons for this are three fold. First, it allows Israel to respond militarily to any uprising or unrest in any area under control of the PA. By segmenting the PA territories, it restricts the ability for terrorist elements to move from city to city, settlement to settlement. Secondly, it allows for a rapid military response if the Israeli settlements in the West Bank are attacked. This is akin to the system of Roman roads which allowed the legions to move very rapidly throughout the Empire.

However, the third reason is the most telling, and actually has nothing to do with the Palestinians. When you look at a map of the political control of the West Bank, you find that Israel maintains full control of the entire Eastern corridor running the entire length of the West Bank. This Eastern corridor also includes the strategic Jordan Valley – a chunk of territory absolutely vital to the survival of Israel in the event of an invasion from the East.

From the moment forward, Israel has continued to capture land and expand. While the two state solution has been mentioned at nearly every turn when Middle East peace is discussed, Israel has continued to expand it area of control and sovereignty. The key takeaway here is that when the Lord moved to fulfill Ezekiel 37 (the Valley of Dry Bones), it was to the original lines proposed in the partition of 1948.

The same issues exist with regards to Jerusalem, which is the real prize with regards to dividing the land. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital. For those who are unfamiliar with East Jerusalem, it is the section of the city which contains the geography known as the City of David, or the old city. It’s what you think of most when you think of Jerusalem. It contains the Temple Mount, ancient walls, most of the Holy sites, and the iconic images we all see in our minds and on the news.

The Abraham Accords – Where are We Headed?

Like many others I watched the announcements on the Abraham Accords with great interest.  Anybody with even a passing fascination in Bible prophecy recognized that even one of these agreements  had significant ramifications.  Like most other prophecy scholars, I spent a great deal of time contemplating what exactly they meant, and where things would head from here.

First came the agreement with the UAE.  Then came the rumors of another agreement in the works with Bahrain.  We started getting rumors of negotiations Qatar, Oman, and Sudan.  We then started to hear the Saudi Arabia was also warming to the idea of signing a similar agreements to normalize relations.  While I wasn’t sure what it was, I began to get that familiar sensation that there was something there that we needed to see.  The premise that the Lord gave me was to look at the map and see where all of these parties were located.  The second premise was to see which nations already had agreements with Israel.  The third premise was to look at who wasn’t involved in either a past or present agreement, or possible negotiations for a present agreement.  So this was what I did.  It revealed a fascinating picture, but there was still something missing.  I needed a tie piece.  Something that opened the door to understanding what was being set in motion.  Then the Lord dropped something into my soul which connected the dots and revealed a massive piece of the puzzle.

“Are these areas Shiite, Sunni, or both?”

When it comes to Islam, there are four primary sects – Sunni, Shia, Ibadi, and Wahhabi.  We won’t go into the primary distinctions between the four on this page.  It is enough to know that they are not all that dissimilar in their associations with each other as the different denominations are within the Christian faith.  The two largest, Sunni and Shia, share a history more akin to that of Protestant and Catholic – complete with the requisite bad blood and violence.  However, Catholics and Protestants have largely emerged from their more violent proclivities when it comes to each other.  The same cannot be said for the Sunnis and Shiites.

With that, I went digging around for the different maps and resources which showed the geographic breakdown for each sect.  While most of the resources were similar, here is the map I settled on for this project:

The first thing that jumped out at me (though it should come as no surprise) was the concentration of Shia in the Iran, and how it bled into areas of Iraq, with an equal blending of Sunni into Iran, as well the Shia concentrations in Lebanon, the mixture in Turkey, the concentrations in the northern territory above Iran in Azerbaijan, and a very curious concentration all the way down in Yemen.

It needs to be noted that this is some flux to a map such as this.  These areas will ebb and flow.  Also, the will be bleed over into other areas of one denomination into areas where another denomination is the primary denomination.  Likewise, just because two sects (a more accurate term than denomination, so we will go with sect moving forward) are traditional enemies does not mean they cannot find ways to coexist in different circumstances.  Likewise, it also means that they cannot learn to cooperate when in their best interest to do so.  The Protestants and Catholics are a good example of what this can look like.  There is still bad blood between them in Great Britain, but for the most part they keep in in check.  However, in the United States they are viewed as two sides of the same coin and get along very well.  However, what can happen – and is presently happening in the Middle East – is that these sectarian divisions are opening a door to something prophetic.

Turkey and Iran are a good example of mutual cooperation which is the best interest of both nations.  We won’t go into all of the aspects of this warming relationship between Ankara and Tehran.  However, a good example is the Kurdish regions of both Iraq and Syria.  The Kurds are general viewed and pot of trouble which can boil over at any moment.  The potential rise of an independent Kurdish state that extends into Syria, Iraq, Turkey and potentially a small sliver of Iran is seen as a potentially destabilizing development.

Immediately, a Kurdish state would seek normalization of relations with both the United States and Israel.  That places the potential for US and Israeli military assistance to the geographic center of all four nations, with no means to stop this from developing outside of a full invasion.  The nations involved know that this would incur an armed US response.  It would be less of an issue with Iraq as the US still maintains a usable military presence there, though it is decreasing.  However, the US involvement in Iraq means that a new Kurdish state already has access the US and Israeli military technology, and the air corridors through Iraqi airspace to get it there.  Those same corridors can also be used to ferry intelligence assets for both the US and Israel into the heart of the Middle East, where they could operate with impunity.  CIA and Mossad quick reaction forces could remain staged and ready to deploy at a moments notice.

With that, notice first that Iran is Shiite.  Pure and simple this is who they are.  Not only are they Shiite, they are fairly fanatical about it.  Much of their foreign policy is based on their sectarian proclivities.  This explains the links between Iran and Lebanon, specifically with Hezbollah.  I then noticed that Bahrain was primarily Shiite as well.  However, Bahrain is the second nation to sign on to the Abraham Accords.  So I took a closer look.  The map reviewed the how and why this was possible:

Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for its survival.  The area of Saudi Arabia where Bahrain is connected is also primarily Shiite.  However, Saudi Arabia itself is overwhelmingly Sunni, followed by Wahabi.  The Wahabi sect plays a large part in the politics of the Kingdom as well.  The larger point is that three of the four sects reside in Saudi Arabia and they coexist.  Likewise, the link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is more akin a small state within a larger nation.  There is traffic to and from both nations daily via King Fahad Causeway.  Stated differently, these two nations are truly linked.  It also helps that Bahrain needs economic normalization with Israel.  It will be a resource that helps propel the tiny nation into a new stratosphere.  Then there is the security component, which we will discuss in a few moments.

That aside, the key similarity between the nations that have signed on to the Abraham Accords, and those that are currently in negotiations, is that they are primarily Sunni.  Bahrain is the exception.  However, we understand the difference between Bahrain and other Shiite nations.  Already, that puts the Sunni accord nations at odds with Iran.  However, their geographic location means that there is a disconnect between how they view Iran, and how their “cousins” in Turkey view Iran.  Simply stated, there are not the same issues and concerns between the two geographic regions with  respect to Iran.  To the contrary, the differences could not be greater.  While it is beyond the scope of this project to delve into those differences, suffice it to say that they are tremendous in their scope, and play a major part in how each Sunni region of the Middle East deals with their Shiite antagonists in Iran.

Second, there is enough diversity within these nations to allow the Accord negotiations to go forward (never mind that even considering the Accords was a miracle in and of itself given the history between Israel and her Arab neighbors) absent a resolution to the issues between Palestine and Israel.  Stated differently, Israel is a sovereign nation that has established itself as the military superpower in the region, as well and the technological superpower also.  However, there is an economic component that gets downplayed when world media outlet discuss the politics of the region.  Israel is growing into an economic powerhouse.  This is linked to its world class technological capabilities and research, its extremely close ties with the US, and the fact that it has never known defeat in its very short modern existence.  However, there is a piece that gets absolutely no attention – its prophetic prosperity.

The Bible tells us that when the Lord brings Israel back into the land, He will bring the land back to life.  There will be water flowing in the desert, the land will come alive, Jerusalem will be built up and flourish, and the land as a whole will enjoy unprecedented blessings from the Most High God.  These promises are three fold in their purpose.  First, this brings a level of prosperity and strength that allow the nations of the region to look past old hatred and usher in a new period of cooperation.  Second, this level of prosperity will serve as a later catalyst for the soon to come wars that the Bible speaks of.  This prosperity will be one of the primary factors in the final invasion of the Antichrist heading into the second half if the tribulation.

Third, and most important, is that these are promises which are not possible short of a miracle.  These promises are the proof that the God of Israel IS God.  In each war Israel has fought, there come reports of literal miracles happening which save the Jewish nation from extinction.  There are a multitude of battlefield accounts from Arab soldiers that were eyewitnesses to things that simply cannot be explained away, or explained outside the realm of miracles.

The next thing that the Lord emphasized to me was to look at the nations which had already signed treaties with Israel,  That was a task that did not take long, given that it’s a very short list.  It consists of two nations – Jordan and Egypt.  The amazing thing about this is that even through the Arab spring which began in 2011, and ultimately saw the ouster of the Egyptian government, the new government headed by General Al-Sisi continues to maintain full diplomatic ties and alliances with Israel.  To be fair it’s not really his choice.  These ties are central to biblical prophecy and the Lord will maintain them until their purposes are fulfilled.  The key point that the Lord wanted me to pick up on was the geography:

The key piece here is that the Lord brought piece between Israel and her neighbors to the east and south.  This served the purpose of creating a geographic continuity from a diplomatic standpoint.  That is absolutely critical for economic partnership.  It allows commerce to flow between neighbors.  However, it served two additional prophetic purposes.  First, it secured Jordan as an ally in advance of its role in the tribulation and its role in the protection of the Jewish remnant during the second 42 months.  The second purpose was this – it opened up the south to biblical prophecy.  This will make more sense in a few moments.

Next, the Lord wanted me to look at the two nations which had signed.  It should be noted that when I started this project only the UAE had signed.  Shortly after I started to examine everything Bahrain signed.  It was at this point that the Lord was giving the geographic component we are discussing now.  However, it’s during the final phases of writing this project that Sudan stepped up, which the Lord used to emphasize to me that it was time to finish my work on this.  That is also the reason why there seems to be several different timelines active in this project.  It extended across three different phases of the Abraham Accords, and as such, is reflected in the writing.  That said, here were the two nations that had joined the accords at the time the Lord had me to look:

This map is a bit inaccurate in as much as Bahrain is simply two small to highlight at this scale.  So, the contiguous landmass in Saudi Arabia is highlighted to reveal where Bahrain would be located.  However, in the grand scheme of what is happening with the accords, this slight difference ultimately will not matter.

Next the Lord had me look at the nations which where next up on the block, or all indications were that they would be joining the accords:

This brings Sudan, Qatar and Oman into the picture.  of this group, the order of importance from a prophecy standpoint is Sudan, then Oman,  followed by Qatar.  Next, the Lord wanted me to look at the biggest player rumored to be in the mix – the one player which changes the entire equation:

Saudi Arabia.

It was at this point that something clicked, which we will discuss momentarily.  For now, we can take a look at the net total of what we have discussed to this point:

Here is the net result of the Abraham Accords, and the nations that are in play at this point.  As I stated a moment ago, Sudan signed onto the accords on October 23rd, 2020, just two days from the time of this writing.

With that, there was something that was sticking with me.  I could not escape an obvious observation that was staring me in the face.  What about that big block on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula?  What nation is that,  and why has there been no talk of them entering the accords?  Was it something that could come later?  Certainly.  But why not yet?  What was I missing?  That was when the Lord took me back to the Bible, and the three blocks of scripture concerning the three primary pretribulation conflicts that occur just prior to the advent of the tribulation – Isaiah 17, Psalms 83, and Ezekiel 38 – 39.

That was when the Lord had me look again at the nations involved.  Specifically, I was to look at the ancient names and boundaries, as opposed to the modern states that exist today.  As we covered earlier, there can be geographic differences with regards to where an ancient kingdom was located, and the modern states that exist today.  Specifically, Cush was what I was meant to examine in closer detail.  I began to go through the different positions held by various scholars, and that was when I began to see something interesting.  With that, lets bring back several maps I shared earlier:

I began looking at these, and it hit me like a rock.  Suddenly I knew the critical detail that was alluding me!

The nation in question is Yemen.  At present it is embroiled in a civil war between Iranian backed rebels in the predominately Shiite southern region of the nation, and the coalition government forces which are Sunni.  Here is a map from a BBC article which details the conflict.  You can click on the link above to read the article:

You can compare the three maps above and see why Yemen is not at present involved in the Abraham Accords.  Unfortunately for the nation, the Bible doesn’t paint a pleasant picture for the results of this conflict.  While we cannot know how things will go in Yemen, the most logical conclusions are that the Houti rebels will be successful, the civil war will simply continue to drag on, or that the country will split and Yemen will become two nations – one of which will geographically match the territory of ancient Cush!

I don’t think it’s a matter of the civil war dragging on.  Most likely, there will be an Iranian backed nation emerging in the near future, over the next couple of years.  Here is why I say that.  It stems from a question I have had for a number of years that originates in the translations of the  Bible that use the modern national name for Cush.  That would be Ethiopia.  Granted, Cush was more than Ethiopia.  It encompassed nearly all of Ethiopia, but also all of Eritrea, most of Somalia, a quarter of Sudan, and the southern portion of Yemen.  Keeping this in mind, here was my question:

How could Ethiopia be enough of a force to be involved in the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39?

For that matter the same question applies to any of the three nations on the African side of the ancient kingdom.  Certainly they could have a supporting role in the conflict.  I imagine there will be a number of Israel’s enemies that are involved to some capacity in the battle.  Yet, the Bible typically doesn’t lay out all of the minor players in the events it covers – especially when speaking of those who the Lord will hold accountable.  So, a 2,500 man detachment that supports the logistics operation in the rear isn’t typically going to get you mentioned in the Bible.  The same would go for any of the minor roles that Ethiopia would be in a position to play.  The same goes for the other two minor nations on the African side of Cush.

Now, it is possible that Ethiopia could attempt to throw it’s very limited armed forces into an all-or-nothing campaign against Israel in the hopes of greater spoils on the back end.  However, doing so leaves the nations open to militant Islamic incursions.  That brings up the next point – Ethiopia is Sunni, the same as the nations signing onto the Abraham Accords.  That means the militant Islamic aggression they would be facing would be Shiite, which brings us back to Iran.  The other issue facing Ethiopia is logistics.  Ethiopia has no way to transport a substantial portion of their military from their homeland to a theater suitable for them to be a viable part of the campaign against Israel.

This brings up another point about the battles Israel will face.  While a nation may be prophesied to be a part of a particular battle, the Bible does not say where these nations will attack from.  That is simply an assumption made on the part of just about every Biblical scholar.  However, that is not the reality of modern times.  Nations are no longer relegated to launching military operations from their own borders.  Many times, they are part of joint operations when it comes to multinational conflicts.  Take Libya for example.  The Bible tells us that they will be involved in Ezekiel 38 and 39.  However, their land forces would have to invade Egypt according to conventional biblical thinking.  Of course their involvement could be limited to an air campaign.  However, unless their land forces are transported by air or sea to a staging point elsewhere, the Libyan land forces will not be a part of this invasion, lest they open up a war with Egypt to participate in a war with Israel.  The most logical option is to participate from a different theater of operations.

What about the possibility of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia joining and three nation alliance under a single joint command for the invasion of Israel?  I suppose it’s possible.  However, all three nations are Sunni.  Aside from Turkey, which is a mixture of Shiite and Sunni Muslims, the rest of the nations involved in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are primarily Shiite.  In the case of Turkey, it is a mixture so Shiite isn’t out of the picture, and her own politics are taking the nation down an inevitable path where it has increasingly friendly relationships with Tehran and Moscow.

That leaves Yemen as the the nation to pick up the banner for Cush.  Whether the nation splits into two nations, or the Houti rebels are successful in capturing the entire nation, Yemen’s geographic position on the Arabian Peninsula makes them uniquely positioned to play an integral role in the events that the Bible tells us will come.  We will speak on this more in a moment.

Where We Go From Here.

To understand what comes next we must have an understanding of which nations are exerting influence, and where that influence is being exerted at.  The first area that we can look at is Libya.

The key to understanding why Libya is drawn into the coming conflicts with Israel, specifically Ezekiel 38 and 39, is to understand who is exercising power there.  It should be noted that while we are also addressing Psalms 83 and Isaiah 17, it is Ezekiel 38 and 39 which are the keystone events to the tribulation.  Isaiah 17, followed by Psalms 83 are the smaller regional conflicts which set up and make possible Ezekiel 38 and 39.  As we detail elsewhere on this site, it is the war in Ezekiel which occurs after the rapture, and directly brings about the seven year accord that starts the tribulation.

Daniel 9:27 –And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

With Libya, the most obvious player with their hand in the pot is Turkey.  Both nations are primarily Sunni.  Libya would give Ankara a southern platform on the Mediterranean Sea with which to exert influence.  Never underestimate the Turkish desire to rebuild their recently lost empire and empire that was itself biblical and prophetic.

With that, we can bring Iran and Yemen back into the equation:

You may already be seeing the biblical and geographic implications that are starting to unfold.  We’ll tie is all together in a few moments.  For now, there is something else we need to address.

However, when it comes to Libya, Turkey is not the only game in town.  That is hardly a surprise.  There are a number of nations presently working to influence the direction in which Libya is rebuilt.  However, there is one player who has tried to maintain a bit of anonymity is the Libyan situation:

Iran.

Tehran has been working very quietly behind the scenes to prop up and support the growing influence of the Libyan warlord, General Khalifa Haftar through the direct supply of arms such as the Iranian Dehlaviyeh anti-tank guided missile system.  General Haftar has been fighting the GNA – the UN recognized Government of National Accord – the official executive governing body of Libya.  As you may have already guessed, Ankara is an ally of the GNA, and supports is against the aggression of Haftar.

It is beyond the scope of this project to delve into the weeds of the full extent of the politics at play in the region.  However, it is well within the scope of the project to declare that all of the political narratives currently playing out will ultimately end at the same place – Libya will be one of the nations which attempt to invade Israel in the days immediately following the rapture.  That said, the following appears to be the more accurate map given the success Iran typically enjoys when it interferes in the affairs of other nations:

With that, lets bring back in the biblical names for the regions that will play a part in the coming battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39, and their closest modern geographic borders.

Persia:

Magog, Meshek, Tubal, Gomer, Togarmah:

Put:

Cush:

One of the interesting possibilities that exists with regards to Iran and Yemen is the probability that the Shiite agitation in Yemen will likely spill over into neighboring states.  Eritrea and Djibouti are the most likely landing spots for this conflict to spill into, especially given that they are part of ancient Cush, and have not yet been mentioned among those nations which have been mentioned with regards to the Abraham Accords.  Certainly they could join the accords.  The net effect would be the same – Yemen would fulfill the ancient prophecy concerning Cush in the coming battle.

It should be noted that Yemen occupies and fascinating piece of real estate.  We talked about it earlier, but it bears mentioning again.  From this geographic region, Iran gains the possibility of exercising control of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  This gives Iran the ability to affect and possibly control all major sea going shipping lanes to and from the Middle East.  This will result in massive repercussions for the Antichrist during his first 42 months “in office”, during his build up to the final, successful invasion of Israel and the events we see transpire at the mid-trib period.  Likewise, Yemen is the perfect geographic staging ground for Persian forces to to begin a quiet strategic buildup, placing a joint Persian-Yemeni army on a western coastal invasion route up the Arabian Peninsula straight to Israel.

The Key to the Accords – the Endgame.

At this point we can bring back in the pieces and players, and see what we have on our hands:

Daniel 11:25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

27 And both of these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

What we have forming now are three distinct pieces of end times prophecy.  Highlighted in orange are the first iteration of an empire which the Antichrist will eventually assume control over – with one caveat we will discuss momentarily.  The second piece, highlighted in blue, is the formation of a Southern Empire which will rival that of the Northern Empire that the Antichrist will control during his first 42 months in power.  Bear in mind that that the power of the Antichrist prior to the events at mid-trib and the Abomination of Desolation are nothing in comparison to what he will amass after those events.  His crown jewel will be the second 42 months, and every waking moment of his time in power prior to that will be spent in preparation for his time of complete and total global power.  However, that is a subject for the other projects on this site.

With that said, there are a couple “oddities” on this map that are worth pointing out.  The first is the island nation of Cyprus.  Scholars are in agreement that this is the ancient land of Chittim, and ancient naval power in the Mediterranean Sea.  You can see by its location nearly due west of Syria that it is strategically positioned for use as a staging area for naval operations against the Northern Empire.  It is also well positioned for air operations against both the Libyan and Syrian based contingents of the Northern Empire.  It is little wonder why tiny Cyprus has found its way into prominent biblical end times prophecy.

The second area that notes mentioning is the unshaded area encompassed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as the shaded area above these three nations.

What makes this area so interesting is the current conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the current tensions between Russia and Georgia, and the resulting Russian occupation of portions of Georgia.

The first thing to note about this area is that it was the homeland of the ancient Scythian Empire.  This matters for this reason – it was the one region that even Alexander the Great had no interest in conquering.  The Scythians were renowned for their brutality and viciousness.  They never rose to the same prominence as the primary biblical empires.  Yet, they figure prominently into end times prophesy.   As it turns out, the Scythian Empire had another name – one a bit more familiar to biblical scholars.

The Scythian Empire was also known as Magog!

The utter brutality with which the Scythians conducted themselves was legendry in the ancient world.  So much so that even Alexander steered clear of their lands.  They were a people of a nearly demonic level of brutality – so much so that the Chief Prince spirit of this region is eventually unleashed against Israel in a battle that is meant to display  the might of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to the world!

The three primary conflicts in this region have succeeded in bringing Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria, and even Israel into the mix with regards to what will soon take place there.  Even China has a vested interest (according to them) in what goes on in this part of the world!  There is a massive oil and gas pipeline which runs through this region that feeds resources to the Eurasian regions both north and northeast of the territory once known as Magog.  Ultimately, it will result in Russia exercising undue influence over Turkish affairs.  The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan will serve as the catalyst to get the three primary sides of the Ezekiel war talking – Iran, Turkey, and Russia.

This leaves one final area of interest that merits a quick discussion:

You will notice that Iraq is outlined in red.  The question is why?  Up to this point, Iraq has not been mentioned in any of the discussions we have had regarding these three conflicts.  Here is the things – Iraq is largely absent from most of the conversations regarding end times prophecy.  Notice I said “largely”.  I did not say that it was absent – just “mostly”.

Understand that Iraq occupies the single most important biblical distinction outside of Israel when it comes to geographic regions.  Iraq is ancient Babylon!

The reason it is absent from all of the conflicts connected to the end times battles is due to the role it has to play in end times prophesy.  Babylon becomes the capital of the Antichrist once he assumes power over his initial empire that takes him into the first 42 months.  It will become the seat of his first government.  During the second 42 months it will become the primary operational center for the global operations of the Antichrist, including his financial center of operations.  It will join Rome as one of two secondary centers or capitals of power, with Jerusalem becoming the defacto capital of the Antichrist himself.

After the three primary conflicts that we have talked about, and especially Ezekiel 38 and 39, much of the Middle East will be decimated from a military standpoint.  When combined with the effects of the rapture, ancient Babylon will be the very best location for the AC to work first for the seven year peace agreement, then to utilize as the operational capital of the empire he will assume control over.  Ancient Babylon will start out as a territory analogous to a UN Security Zone.  What constitutes the Southern Empire will not be in play for this function as they are allies of Israel, even though they will be in far better condition than what we are referring to as the Northern Empire.

At this point we need to understand what has changed in world politics to allow the Abraham Accords to come to pass, and what these changes will bring that precipitates the coming conflicts especially Ezekiel 38 and 39.  How all of this came together is due something we can refer to as the Trump effect.  What that means is this.  Prior US administrations have taken a traditional two pronged approach to peace in the Middle East.  First, peace in the the Middle East has always been contingent on the Palestinian question.  However, this approach leaves all other possibilities off the table.  As we are learning with the Abraham Accords, there are a number of nations which have maintained unofficial, back door relations with Israel, while publicly touting the recognized Arab line of no peace with Israel without a Palestinian homeland.  As it turns out, these nations have grown tired of waiting on the Palestinians to negotiate in good faith.  They have had multiple opportunities over the years to get this issue resolved.  Yet, no offer ever seems to be enough for them.  The nations signing onto the Abraham Accords are showing they simply are not willing to wait any longer, and they are tired of the specter of continuous war with Israel.

They have much to gain with regards to normalized relations with Israel.  Besides the fact that Israel is becoming an economic powerhouse in its own right, the UAE and Bahrain are flush with cash.  What these two nations do not have is ready access to the advanced technology that Israel offers, including medical advances that are nothing short of miraculous.  However, the primary benefit is something covered by the second prong of the two pronged approach – security.

Until Donald Trump, prior US administrations have viewed Middle East relations with regards to the question of Iran.  While there has been a willingness to embrace sanctions and operate through the UN, it has always been an understood premise that Iran was going to do as it wished.  The dirty little secret is that this is tolerated to keep Iran placated.  However, Iran continues to advance its own aims.  However, it has allowed the façade to remain just enough to allow prior administrations to keep up the appearances of being “tough on Iran”, without truly getting their hands dirty.  This has effectively kicked the can down the road.

Then came the Obama Administration.  To call their Iran policy a disaster is a true understatement.  The disastrous Iran nuclear deal did not prevent Iran from continuing their weapons development program, and it infused the Iranian economy with billions of dollars that allowed Iran to expand its terror campaign.  There are other implications which are beyond the scope of this project, but will have a direct effect on end times prophecy.

Enter Donald Trump.  President Trump quickly recognized three facts critical to the Trump Effect.  First, an empowered and emboldened Iran was not just a threat to the US, but to the Middle East as a whole.  Second, the Iran nuclear deal achieved this very thing, and that Iran was never going to abide by the terms of the agreement.  Third, as long as the Palestinians were front and center to any Israeli peace deal, then there would be no peace deals possible.  So, President Trump proceeded to dump the Iran nuclear deal, and he began negotiations with multiple nations without the pre-conditions of a Palestinian state as a requirement to peace and relations with Israel.

There was an added, unofficial caveat to these peace agreements – the US under Donald Trump could be counted on to have the backs of the signatory nations against Iran.  Furthermore, President Trump brought to the table possibilities which would allow these nations to defend themselves against Iran once he was no longer in the White House.  The key component to this policy is the willingness to extend to the UAE a deal for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter.  The announcement of the mere possibility sent shockwaves through Tehran.  They live with the prospect of an Israeli airstrike.  However, the possibility of a contingent of F35’s in the UAE represents an existential threat to Iran.  Here is the thing – the F35 deal doesn’t need to stop at the UAE.  It is reasonable to expect Bahrain to negotiate for rights to the fighter as well.  A cursory look at  the map of the area reveals what Iran, Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and the US all understand:

At present, an F35 deal with the UAE opens up a second air corridor into Iran.  If the deal is extended to Bahrain it opens a third.  If Oman is extended the same deal – contingent upon their signing the accords – it can open a fourth.  Likewise, the F35 deal rebalances the power in the Persian Gulf.  Stated differently, the prospect of the F35 deal is one that Iran cannot ignore.  It will force Iran to to seek to rebalance to power in the region.  This, in turn, will expedite the need to normalize relations with Turkey, and in turn, bring Russia into deeper relations with both nations.

Another aspect to the Abraham Accords that has Tehran on its heels is the mutual compact for security between the member nations.  Effectively, this lays the groundwork for a NATO style form of cooperation.  While it would not start as a defense compact in the beginning, it lays the framework for that to be included down the road.  However, what it does provide is the legal framework for the intelligence agencies of these nations to work together openly.  This puts in place the mechanisms for the CIA, Mossad, the SIA (UAE), the BIA (Bahrain), the GIS (Sudan), and the possible inclusion of the ISS (Oman) and the GID (Saudi Arabia) to begin working in close cooperation nearly from day one.  Not only are there facilities already in place to facilitate this cooperation between the CIA and Mossad alone, but the other nations can have their intelligence operations rolled into a joint service utilizing these existing facilities and capabilities.

Here is the real kicker with this – the addition of the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, as well as the potential addition of Oman and Saudi Arabia – introduce a level of authenticity deception that was not possible with just US and Israeli intelligence assets.  Stated differently, the best way to have your intelligence operatives “look” like they belong in a Middle Eastern nation is to have actual assets from that very region.  The Abraham Accords just kicked the current US and Israeli intelligence operations into overdrive.

Another aspect to this cooperation on the intelligence front is the ability to conduct covert and antiterror operations against Iran.  The native knowledge and ground game that the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Oman and Saudi Arabia opens up an entirely new dimension in the soft war against Tehran.

Then there is this – take everything we just discussed, and roll the Egyptian GIS and the Jordanian GID (the two nations that have long standing treaties with Israel) into the picture, and you have the making of a potential joint Middle East Intelligence Agency the likes of which has never existed.  This is the equivalent of a Middle East INTERPOL on steroids, as this INTERPOL would have full military capability at its disposal.  In short, the Iranian nuclear program would see its days numbered.

Tehran, as we know it, could also see its days numbered.

This single fact alone will shift the balance of power in the Middle East.  Iran alone cannot withstand the pressure that this new Middle East super state will bring to bear.  The fact that it will be viewed as controlled from Jerusalem makes the situation untenable.  Make no mistake – it will be controlled by Jerusalem, likely through both Cairo and Riyadh.  This won’t be a publicized fact, but it will be well know in dark corners.  It stands to reason when you think about it.  Out of sheer necessity, and the grace of God, Israel is the military super power in the Middle East.  For that matter, they are one of the most powerful military forces on the planet.  That aside, the combined military strength of Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and now the UAE once the F35 deal is done and delivered, will make this new southern empire the predominant military in the Middle East – a military power that has the capability of projecting influence outside the region.  This will also open the door to an increase in US arms sales to these nations which puts a great deal of US firepower and US military training in the region, without the commitment of a single US soldier to direct action.

Doubtless it is becoming more clear why the Abraham Accords are a much bigger deal than the MSM wants to disclose.  The accords are a function of the Trump Doctrine that keeps the promise to remove the US from foreign wars, yet ensure that the regions are not left destabilized.  Not only that, but this burgeoning new Middle East super power represents an entirely new market for commerce and trade.  Do not underestimate this piece of the puzzle.  It is also a key piece of biblical prophecy.  How many have wondered exactly where and how the following scripture comes into play?

Ezekiel 38:13 – Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

Sheba and Dedan are in Saudi Arabia.  The merchants of Tarshish are international merchants, representing the potential global trade that is now on the table.  Scholars vary on their position of Tarshish, with the two predominate points being that it was a state in southern Spain on the Strait of Gibraltar (making it a potential shipping port for the nations of the Mediterranean region) – especially for oil leaving the region, and that Tarshish represents the British Empire.  This position, when taken with the adage “the young lions thereof”, seems to support this as a distinct possibility with regards to the US, and the players in the accords.  Indeed, both ship bound oil and international commerce are on the table with regards to the accords, and I submit that Tarshish is potentially a prophetic double reference to both.

There is one final piece of this puzzle that needs addressed – the US election.

The catalyst for the Abraham Accords is the political climate in the US.  It was a Trump Presidency which made this possible.  It wasn’t until the Administration of Donald Trump that the signatory nations felt that they had the necessary protections in place to defy Tehran.  The offer of the White House to do a deal with the UAE for the F35 was also a crucial piece.  Everybody still remembers the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.  It is not lost on the nations that are signing on – especially the UAE and Bahrain – that Iran is just a hop, skip, and a jump across the Persian Gulf.  Iran currently possesses the military capability to punish  both of these tiny nations if so desired.

By signing the Abraham Accords, these nations have taken a massive gamble on their future, as have the other nations now in negotiations to join.  At the moment, Iran can either directly hit each of them, or foment a Shiite uprising the likes of which none of them have ever seen before.

The success and advancement of the Abraham Accords into what it will become is dependent on the White House.  That said, the Lord can use any President of the United States to deliver what needs delivered to bring these things to pass.  He could move the nation to write in an unknown candidate, and that individual complete the process of backing the accords to completion.

That said, the Lord has a pattern of using leaders and heads of state as they are.  Cyrus was still Cyrus when he befriended Daniel and issued a decree to let the Jews return home.  Pilate was still a brutal Roman Governor when he inexplicably washed his hands of the blood of Christ and declared Him innocent.  David was already a man after God’s own heart when he was chosen as a boy to replace King Saul.  Donald Trump was, well, Donald Trump when he was inexplicably swept into office back in 2016.  Yet, it was only Donald Trump that had the natural inclination to do things differently.  As such, the Abraham Accords became possible without dealing with the Palestinian people on board.

The Lord can use anybody He so desires to fulfill His purposes.  Certainly that includes Joe Biden, or anybody else.  However, the operating pattern of using people as they are seems to suggest where the US election will go, or how quickly the past pieces will fall in place for the accords, including Saudi Arabia signing on and the F35 deal being completed.  I am not making any predictions on the outcome of the election.  I am simply stating what the most likely course of action appears to be based on the patterns of the Lord.  Joe Biden is not predisposed to the kind of thinking and action which made all of this possible in the first place, nor that makes its completion possible on the back end.  Remember, he was Vice President in the administration of Barack Obama – the same administration that effectively gifted Iran free reign to do whatsoever they desired,  and paid them to do it.  It was also the administration that said Middle East peace was simply not possible without a divided Israel, and a divided Jerusalem, for the Palestinian people.

At any rate, its fair to say that the Abraham Accords are a far larger issue than the MSM in the US wants to acknowledge.  They are biblical in scope, and they are the next direct prophetic step in the preparation for the rapture and tribulation.  They are truly something to behold.

And just think what might be possible tomorrow!

In the name of our most blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.