In Philippians 3, Paul explained how his “righteous merit” exceeded any on the planet. If anyone could have earned heaven it would have been him. Yet Paul knew we can never earn God’s favor. The only hope we have is the righteousness of Jesus Christ given to us as a gift when we embrace Him by faith. Though the specifics are different, the boasts are the same: I was born in America. I grew up in a devout Christian family. I was baptized. I read my Bible and pray every morning. I faithfully attend church. I serve in the church. I participate in the Lord’s Supper each month. I am blameless in my obedience to the Scriptures. All of these are excellent, but when we use them to earn God’s saving favor, they are but “rubbish.”
Randy Smith

Israels Boundaries During The

Israels Boundaries During The

Israel’s Boundaries During The Tribulation

QUESTION: The Tigris River is the northern boundary. What’s the extent of Israel’s boundaries during the Tribulation?

All right, first of all, turn to Genesis. And in Genesis, you want to notice this original land grant that God gave to Abraham in Genesis chapter 15. Then get 2 Samuel, and notice that when David is become king, that David tries to give this original land grant back to Israel.

All right, in Genesis 15, verse 18: “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” Then He describes it.

All right now, in 2 Samuel chapter 8, here is David going after the land. Second Samuel 8:3: “David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.”

Now, the river the gentleman asked about is the Tigris River. And the Tigris River, of course, the way that thing looks, is like this. It’s coming down here, the Sinaitic Peninsula is coming down here, the Dead Sea and Jordan are there, Africa coming down here, Arabia coming down around like this. And here’s where all the trouble is, right here in the Persian Gulf. And up from there comes the Euphrates–this way, like this. And the Tigris almost joins it down here, and goes off like this. And the Israeli border, given to Abraham, is a piece of land that runs from the river of Egypt to the River Euphrates. So that land is like that. Now, that’s the land grant to Abraham. And in the Millennium, they get that piece of land back. So, when you hear these fellows talking about, “Well, the West Bank and the East Bank”–that’s nonsense. All of Saudi Arabia north of that line belongs to Israel. And they’ll get it in the Millennium.

And in the Millennium, you’ll find out that land is divided off into twelve strips, for each one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and goes clear across there. And when the Bible says, “The desert shall bloom like a rose, blossom like a rose,” it has nothing to do with anything in the land of Palestine. It has to do with the Arabian desert.

What you have today are a bunch of Bible expositors who are always “jumping the gun.” They’re saying, “Well, that’s being fulfilled now, it’s being fulfilled”–no, it’s not being fulfilled! And what they’re trying to do is make you think that the desert blooming like a rose is caused by the irrigation coming down from Galilee into the Jordan–that’s nonsense. This place here–this bituminous strip of asphalt and sand–will bring out the roses.

Now, the question is about the Tigris. Now, the Tigris sits over here like this. The land grant is only to the Euphrates. This land is the promise. This land here is for Assyria. This land here is Syria. And, of course, Babylon is sitting down here. And in the Old Testament, what you had called Media-Persia, sits off in here this way. Now, Assyria–that land there–in the Millennium is not Israel’s land. You get that from Isaiah. Turn to Isaiah, and there’s a strange passage in Isaiah–one of the few places I know of in the Bible, where the Lord’s people are not said to be Israel, but said to be Assyria. And that thing, of course, will take place in the Millennium.

(I’m using a borrowed Bible this morning. I don’t bring my Bible with me any more on a trip. It’s got 32,000 notes in it, and I can’t afford to lose it. I leave it home locked up in a safe. I want a verse, which is the last verse in a chapter in Isaiah, that says, “Egypt mine inheritance, and Assyria my people.”)

Isaiah 19:25: “Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people…” Here it comes; Egypt is called His people there instead of Israel “…and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.” All right, verse 24: “In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land.”

So, in the Millennium you’ve got three sections. And one of them is this one here; and one of them is that one there. And between them, in their midst, is the land of Israel. That’s the Millennial set-up.

And in the Tribulation, of course, Israel is not only not going to get that land; they’re going to get killed in their own land, literally like sheep, and sacrificed like sheep, and eaten like sheep!

Now, all this stuff you’re going through over there now, your expositors are now saying, “Oh, send in and hear about Iraq and Prophecy.” They always say what’s going to happen after it’s happened. Did you ever notice that? Now, what did you read about Iraq two years ago in “prophetic news”? All you got from Salem Kirban and Lindsay and Webber and all that bunch for five years is, “Russia’s going to attack Palestine, Russia’s going to attack Palestine, Russia’s going to attack Palestine,” kind of stuff. And you never heard a peep about the mines in the woods. And the reason why you didn’t is because nobody knows where Ezekiel 38 goes anyway! Ezekiel 38 is the battle of Magog and Gog, and that’s in the Millennium–it’s not in the Tribulation!

So, I just keep my mouth shut and wait.

Now, this kind of stuff comes from wanting the Lord to come back. You want the Lord to come back so bad, you want to jump the gun and jump the gun and jump the gun. Now, I’ll show you what’s significant. There is something significant about this. But it’s not fulfilled yet. All right, here’s Babylon sitting here. And here’s this bird here, running this place. Ane he’s an Assyrian!

Come to Isaiah 10. That’s the title of the Antichrist. I taught you people for 40 years that the Antichrist would be a Syrian Jew. A half-breed. A Syrian Jew. So, that bird can qualify! Isaiah 10:5: “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand…” That’s the Antichrist! Look at verse 10: “As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols.” The first Gentile kingdom in the Bible is Genesis 10:10, and it’s Babylon and Assyria. And the place is in Assyria–that’s where Assyria is.

Look at that thing in verses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18–it’s the devil! Look at it in verse 14; look at verse 15. See that thing?

When the children of Israel were down in the land of Egypt, the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, said, “Lest the children of Israel become more than we, multiply and become mightier than we.” That couldn’t be; they couldn’t outnumber the Egyptians. So that Pharaoh of the Exodus is not an Egyptian! He’s an Assyrian. And when you study history, that bunch of kings from Assyria are called Hyksos kings–just like that. And that’s a bunch of dynasties down in the land of Egypt that came from Assyria, down there. So that king is from Syria, and he’s the greatest type of Antichrist in the Bible.

Now, Saddam Hussein has thirteen letters in his name. And he’s an Assyrian, and he professes to be a reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar. So, he’s got pretty good credentials! And he’s connected with Babylon, so he’s got even better credentials!

And he has two credentials you know nothing about, because CBS and NBC never give you the news. His foreign minister is a Roman Catholic! They just don’t tell you about that. That doesn’t get on Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw, and the other people who never keep up with the news. Now, see, I take Roman Catholic magazines, printed by Roman Catholics. All of his domestic servants are Roman Catholics. The Archbishop of Baghdad is not a Muslim; he’s a Roman Catholic.

So, when you take an anti-Israeli stand, then you get the Roman Catholic Church behind you, because they don’t recognize Israel as a state. So you’re moving pretty well forward.

Now, there’s one other thing. You see that big board is on Syria? O.K. Come back to Deuteronomy. When you get back to Deuteronomy, look what that Jew was supposed to say when he came up to the place that God had chosen for him to come. He was to do something, and he was to offer what he had to the Lord. And then he was to make a certain confession before the Lord God. This fellow has come to the Temple, and he’s thanking God for all his offerings. Deuteronomy 26:5: “And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God…” Now watch this thing; this is a beaut! “A Syrian ready to perish was my father.” A Jew was to say that! He’s to say he’s a Syrian. Because the one he’s talking about is Jacob.

All right, now see why Jacob is a Syrian. Come back here to Genesis, and watch ol’ Jacob try to get away from Laban the Syrian. Genesis chapter 30. Now, you see what I’m doing? I’m showing you a King James Bible. What you can’t find in CBS, NBC, and ABC, and what you can’t find in Salem Kirban and Lindsay and Church and Mars Rosenthal and all these blankety-blank bunkos that mess with this Book–what you can’t find is in the Book!

All right, here’s Genesis 30. Here’s Jacob having trouble with Laban. He gets up and leaves. When he leaves, Laban chases him. Genesis 31:24; watch this one: “And God came to Laban the Syrian…” you see that? “…in a dream by night.” All right, he comes and talks with Jacob. When he gets through talking with Jacob, verse 44, “Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant.” See that? There’s a covenant there between Syria and Israel. “And let it be for a witness between me and thee.” All right, they make this covenant, verses 45, 46, and 47, and then they say this (verse 52): “This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.”

Now, that pillar and that heap are right there. It’s called Gilead, or Galeed, or Mizpeh. And what he’s saying is, Syria can’t cross that thing there, and Israel can’t cross that thing there. That’s a covenant.

You read in your Bible that the Antichrist in the book of Daniel makes a covenant with Israel, and then breaks that covenant in the middle of the week.

So somebody from here is going to cross that junction. And when they do, it’s busted! Now, that’ll take place in the middle of the Tribulation. Which means, you are right up at the last jumping off place! There ain’t fifteen minutes left! That’s where you are.