| Seven times following 485 BC, the present-day conflict in Israel broke out on the Temple Mount in Sept. 2000. In this case the tables were turned: the Jews, instead of being routed, have done the routing. However, note that Israel in this case has been allied with the prevailing world order, while their foes, the PLO and other militant Islamic groups, have been in rebellion against that order. Seven times following 484 BC = in 2001 AD, the U.S. invaded and subdued Islamic Afghanistan and its rebels against the prevailing world order. The third war of Xerxes took place in 482 BC, according to Ency. Brit., although the precise date is obscure. In that war, the Persian Empire -- the prevailing world order of that era -- brutally subdued a rebellious Babylon. Seven Times from 482 BC is 2003 AD, at which time the war against Iraq/Babylonia -- which is rebelling against the modern prevailing world order -- is projected to take place. Are you starting to see a pattern here? The final and greatest war fought by Xerxes' empire was a great east-west conflict. Xerxes amassed the largest combined army-navy ever known, and invaded Greece in 480 BC. He burned Athens, but then saw his navy destroyed at the Battle of Salamis, so he fled from Greece. His occupying army was decimated in 479. [May 2, 2006 update and correction: The 480 and 479 dates are very broadly used in historical reference works. However, i have just recently discovered that they are probably wrong. While reading the History of Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian of this era, I saw that he recorded two eclipses of the Sun during this period. (History, VII 37, IX 10; cf. VIII 7-8, 20) The first eclipse occurred early in the march of Xerxes, while he was still in Asia Minor; and the second occurred in Greece, shortly before the destruction of his occupying army. These eclipses have been dated to Feb. 17, 478 and Aug. 1, 477 BC -- i.e., two years later that 480 and 479. Therefore, seven times from the day when Xerxes began his march in Dec. 479 or Jan. 478 comes to ca. late 2006 or in 2007 AD; from the burning of Athens and defeat at Salamis in Aug./Sept. 478, to 2007; and from the defeat of the occupying army in Aug. 477, to 2008. The current threats and counter-threats between the Western powers and Iran (Persia) and its allies appear to be leading up to a parallel latter-day east-west conflict in ca. 2007 - 2008 (rather than ca. 2005 - 2006.] Seven times from these events come to 2005-6 [2007-8]. Therefore, I believe the following scenario will take place: The Western powers will invade, overrun, and occupy the Middle East in 2003 or late 2002. They/he will sooner or later make Jerusalem their/his base of operations. In 2005 [2007], "tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many. [Y]et he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time ... there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation," etc., as foretold by Daniel, and also by the prophecy in Numbers. These events, of course, strongly suggest the Matthew 24 scenario. I will close this with 'three witnesses' to that effect. The following parallel texts should be self-explanatory to those with ears to hear. They will be presented without comment, except for a note on the Greek text: 1) Matt. 24:15 [Y]e therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place ... 1) Dan. 11:45 [The king of the north] shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain... 2) Matt. 24:21 ... then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 2) Dan. 12:1 ... and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time... 3) Matt. 24:24 [T]here shall be raised [the Greek word egerthesontai is found here, the exact same word used in 1 Cor. 15:52, "the dead shall be raised"] false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 3) Dan. 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, ... some to shame and ever-lasting contempt. May the Prince of Peace guide you throughout these coming times. William Return to part 1 Return to Index Go to August 16, 2003 Update |
| Biblical Analysis of the Coming War with Iraq continued |