FOREWORD by John Price, author of THE END OF AMERICA
Recent public opinion polls confirm that increasing numbers of Americans believe that we are now living in what the Bible describes as “the end times”.
In his latest book, The Next Great War in the Middle East, S. Douglas Woodward convincingly demonstrates that Americans’ impressions of our troubled world today are correct and aligned with the Scripture. The author, who has penned an impressive series of books based on factual analysis and prophecy, makes a significant contribution to our understanding of these troubled days in this current publication. Like the Sons of Issachar, Doug helps us understand our times (I Chronicles 12:32).
The Next Great War in the Middle East contains an in-depth look at what Russia is doing in the Middle East, what America is not doing, and what the consequences of both are likely to be. Although challenged by some present-day “pop” prophecy speakers, Woodward returns to classic scholarship demonstrating the identity of Gog and Magog to be Russia. He cites currently available military statistics to show that “Russia looks the part (of Gog) more than ever before”. For Americans confused by what they read and hear coming from the battles swirling around Syria and ISIS, Woodward’s book is their answer. The book demonstrates that Russia entered the Syrian conflict for strategic reasons which, from Russia’s viewpoint, make perfect sense. Likewise, he shows why America’s globalist geopolitical philosophy today underlies its failure to engage and support Israel. Ultimately, this fatal flaw will result in America’s demise.
Having recently punted away its best opportunities, Woodward carefully outlines the options left for the U.S. After delineating these unattractive alternatives, he notes, “The options intensify the probability of the Ezekiel 38-39 conflict, the Battle of Gog and Magog.” Bible students know that Ezekiel reveals in these two chapters a coming invasion of Israel by Gog (Russia), Persia/Medes (Iran) and other nations all of which are today Muslim, though the prophecies were written many centuries before the Quran. When the Ezekiel 38-39 invasion of Israel commences, he writes, “Israel will be virtually alone with no superpower to defend it, other than the God of Israel.”
Americans who follow the news should have no trouble believing that the U.S. will abandon Israel when it is invaded by Russia, Iran and other Muslim nations. The current administration has ignored, disregarded, mistreated and betrayed Israel on frequent occasions. Imagine if the Ezekiel invasion started tomorrow morning and Israel cried out to America for help. Do we really think that the current Commander-in-chief would order American armed forces to defend Israel with deadly force? Not likely.
Woodward proves by careful original language analysis of prophetic verses that Gog (Russia) and its allies will launch an attack on America (seen by the prophets as The Daughter of Babylon) during the same period of time as its invasion of Israel. I completely agree. Jeremiah (50:51) refers to the destruction of the Daughter of Babylon as God’s vengeance for this nation’s betrayal of Israel when Gog and the Muslim invaders descend from the north to sweep Israel into the sea. The Prophets tell us that Gog, along with the Kings of the Medes (Iran), will not only conspire to invade Israel (Ezekiel 38 and 39), they will also be used by the Lord to annihilate the Daughter of Babylon (Jeremiah 51:11, 28). Doug’s book makes the case that much of what the U.S. has been doing in Syria and purportedly against ISIS is, in fact, aimed at Russia, attempting to blunt, if not eliminate, its influence in the Middle East.
Since God promises in His Word that those who curse Israel will themselves be cursed (Genesis 12:3), a nation which stabs Israel in the back cannot expect to survive. Thus, this book helps us understand that when Russia and Iran invade Israel, God will permit them to take out America, the primary traitor of Israel, described by Woodward as “a nation unwilling or unable to come to the aid of Israel in its predicted future war against Gog and its company.”
Doug Woodward has researched and authored what I consider to be a major addition to prophetic analysis. In Ezekiel 38 we read:
10 Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
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?
When I wrote The End of America in 2009, I assumed that the verses describing the “land of unwalled villages” were references to Israel. Woodward carefully unpacks the prophecies to show that “on that day” when Gog invades Israel it will also attack the land resting “carelessly” and “dwelling confidently”, which is the Daughter of Babylon. He sees the Ezekiel invasion and the assault on the Daughter of Babylon as happening “almost simultaneously”. His analysis is not only Biblically based, it is centered on geopolitical reality. American Defense Department strategists should study this book and prepare accordingly. In failing to comply with our written promise to Israel (as signed at Camp David), America’s not coming to Israel’s defense will be our undoing.
Doug Woodward also convincingly warns Christian authors who imply the end of days remain decades away, that what we witness daily mirrors exactly the Bible’s forecasted harvest of those final days. He writes “the apocalypse is not comfortably distant”. Just so.
I am pleased to recommend S. Douglas Woodward’s latest book, as it is truly an eye-opener on matters prophetic. His words could not be more true: “The alarm clock triggering the bomb we call World War III continues to tick away.”
Tick. Tick. Tick.
John Price
December 2015
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