"IN THAT DAY" - 8 DISTINCT TIME PERIODS GIVEN IN THE BIBLE,
(They are not all the same, but can be confusing, 'time-wise'.)
We share Biblical insights to some future events in the wider Middle East.

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We recommend that you look at other, related articles, along side this one. Some are about Iran or Egypt and 'God's Plans for the M.E',
 [and in addition, we offer "E.T. Timelines", 2 long ones, 2 short ones!]
You will see that we use the New International Version of the Bible, and the Words of Scripture are in purple italics to reverence God's Word.
We try to link the Word of God to current events,
as we understand them, to challenge and warn us in these serious times, but we respect your beliefs as you pray and study.
The Holy Bible shows us God’s concerns are for all the Peoples of the M.E.
 A well known writer, Joel Rosenberg, calls it "The Epi-center'.
Being in this central part of the world and being part of the diverse, yet gifted Peoples, (stemming from very ancient roots), means that we can look on them, and their future with great hope and expectation of great blessings!

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INTRODUCTION.
> The nations (especially in the ‘Middle East’) that are mentioned in the Bible from very early times have been an integral and very important part of God’s plans for mankind. Today, we think of the Middle East being - Israel and other, surrounding ~ mainly Arab nations, also Egypt, and the Persian People of Iran.

> God hoped from the very first pages of Genesis that mankind would spread out and develop and enjoy the wider blessings of the entire Earth. [Genesis 1 & 2.] Therefore we read of His concern for nations, (as well as individuals) - and His plans for them as a whole. [This can be see in the books of the Major Prophets - as well, especially, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.]

> We read of His patience with them, His help for them in times of trouble and often His displeasure, and even judgements - but also His great longing to bless every one of them! Israel especially as God's 'chosen nation' so that they could be a "Light to the Gentile Nations" through Jesus. Isaiah 42: 6.

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A. ~ SPECIAL EVENTS FOR ALL PEOPLES IN BIBLICAL HISTORY. ~

>>From Creation to the Flood.
God waited a long time for the skills and privileges He had given to the first descendants of Adam and Eve to be used for good. But though those ancient people used their great God-given skills very well, (as archaeology has shown with great cities and even ‘indoor plumbing’ and good facilities, as well as art and music), it was all for selfish and godless aims. Sadly as it says, “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness had become and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the Earth, and His heart was filled with pain.”  (Genesis 6.) The resulting story of God’s choice of Noah, to arrange a way of saving innocent animals and birds and any people who would accept the offer during Noah’s patient 120-year building and preaching programme, is well known. (Genesis 6 –9.) In fact, in God’s dealing with nations, (especially the word or concept) of God’s mercy and patience comes through, many times!

>>After the attempt to build a Tower in Babel, ('Babylon' to this day.)
We would think that in the years of living memory the lesson of the punishment of the Flood would have lasted in the minds of the People! Yet it was Noah’s own great-grandson, Nimrod, (through Cush, son of Ham) who was a leader of this next revolt against God’s plans for mankind to "spread throughout the Earth" (to enjoy and administer it well). So God's dispersion of those who were building the Tower "up to the Heavens so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole Earth" was the beginning of the great divergence of tribes, languages and ethnic groups which developed. Each group came to be both possessive of their own areas and aggressive to others, creating many ensuing years of racial and ‘land’ wars and strife. (Genesis 11: 1 - 9.) Every modern piece of equipment is used for this!
These wars have persisted to the present times, and will into the future…

>>God’s next plan was to choose one man, then one family and from them one Nation to honour His Name and His loving way of life.
So we have the Biblical narrative of God’s special dealing with the insignificant Nation of Israel, being the descendants, ethnically of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in a very deliberate set of events, (such as miraculous births to mothers unable, without God’s help to have sons). Also God gave specific promises to each son of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and later these were confirmed to Moses and Joshua, and right through to King David.
[You could check by beginning to read Genesis 12 - 33, & ch. 35 esp. Then the book of Joshua and see Psalm 105.]

> God also promised some blessings for his other descendants through Ishmael, the natural born son of Abraham. Other members of the family such as Jacob's brother Esau - from whom the Edomites came, and even the tribe of Dan, actually forfeited any blessings they might have had by their sinfulness.
At different times other Gentiles were included into the nation of Israel but were expected to worship ADONAI - Israel's God. Some were a great blessing to Israel. An example is King Cyrus, (Ezra 1:1 -4.) & Artaxerxes, (Nehemiah ch.2)

It is very, very important to remember that God never chose anyone simply for his or her own benefit. It was always so that they (as an individual) would teach and show the true relationship anyone could have with their holy, powerful and loving God! God’s way was “to bless you and make you a blessing.” Therefore, because even Israel often sinned against their special God, ADONAI Elohim, they were punished in love, but always with a view to blessing them,
and then making them a blessing to the entire world!
This is still God’s way!
 God loves all peoples. God cares deeply about you!
Here is a poem by Roy Lessin:
 “Just think,
You are not here by chance, but by GOD’S choosing!
HIS hand formed you and made you the Person you are.
HE compares you with no one else- you are one of a kind!
You lack nothing that HIS grace cannot give you…
HE has allowed you to be here at this time in History,
For YOU to fulfill His special purpose for this generation.”
Psalm 138:8 says: “The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me.
Your love, O LORD endures forever.”

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B. HOWEVER THE BIBLE ACCOUNTS OF ALL THE OTHER NATIONS
ARE IN RELATION TO ISRAEL ~ AND HER GOD.
These national events were spread out over 8 different time periods, often denoted by the phrase "in that day", which we go through later.

BUT FIRST, HOW GOD MADE EVENTS HAPPEN IN RELATION TO ISRAEL.

>Sometimes other nations were used by God to be a blessing to ~ Hebrew people, as Egypt was, for a period of at least 14 years, (using the Hebrew son, Joseph, especially to help both peoples.) Later on they were called 'Israelites' and it was in Egypt they grew to be a nation, for some 400* years, albeit as slaves for part of the time. God even used the hateful attitude of Pharaoh, to show His love and magnificent power as a lesson to Israel and every Bible reading person, since. [Exodus ch 4 - 12.] This was true of the events of 'Esther', too!

>Sometimes God used other nations to punish Israel. The prophet Habakkuk had to understand that this was sometimes God’s way.
So the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were exiled in waves of 'deportations' to Assyria then Babylon for 70+ years from 586 BCE - on.

>Sometimes God waited hundreds of years for a nation to turn to Him.
We can remember the almost 400* years of God’s patience with the Amorite people and their neighbours, as God explained in the special vision He gave to Abraham. (Genesis 15: 12 –19.) “In the fourth generation,” (after Abraham),“your descendants will come back here,” (to ‘the Promised Land’), “for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” It is wise to notice that God did not give their Land to the Israelites, “from the River of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” – without due notice to the very cruel and evil peoples, that Israel would replace in the land of Canaan.

> Even among them, when there was one person who respected God as Caleb, (a Kenizzite descendant -Gen. 15:19/ Joshua 14:6) and even Gentile women like Ruth, and Rahab (Josh. 6: 25) God noted, included them, and recorded it in His Word! So God was kind to godly, honourable people, accepting them into the nation of Israel. Although God had chosen this People to be His special representatives He several times included other peoples.
He now includes all who accept His Son by faith, into His Kingdom Family.

> Later, God, through Hebrew prophets like Obadiah foretold the destruction of Edom, (descendants of Esau), as did other prophets, but it did not finally happen until hundreds of years later. In fact it was a descendant of Edom, Herod, no less, (also called an Idumean), who adopted a form of Judaism and paid Rome to be allowed to administer the Land of Israel as ‘the king of the Jews’ around the time of Jesus. It was his father who tried to kill Jesus along with many children, but he was the false 'King of the Jews' who caused Yeshua/ Isa the true ‘King of the Jews’ to die, because Satan was behind the tragic events of His death, but it was allowed by God for our salvation!  See Isaiah chapter 53, that clearly says this!

> Sometimes God sent His Prophets to warn Nations to repent, as Jonah and later Nahum did for Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Obadiah warned Edom, and God used even Jewish Captives like Daniel and Mordecai and Esther to make God and His ways known to the Nations of the Babylonians and later the Medes and Persians. Ezekiel, also a captive in Babylon, gave serious warning to many of Israel’s neighbours, Ammon, (Jordan) Moab, Tyre, Egypt, Lebanon, Edom and Israel also!
You can read about them in Ezekiel 25 to 32, serious, and sad, and meaningful!

GOD IS ETERNAL ~
Outside our time dimension, although He understands and uses time for mankind, ever since He created Space, Time, Matter, and Energy.
Therefore, it is very important that you use a good Bible Commentary when you read these prophetic events.
Very many of them actually happened B.C.E. or before a date like 100'A.D'.
[B.C.E. is: 'Before the Common Era', - or B.C. ~ 'Before Christ'.]
Sadly some Bible teachers still expect some prophecies in Scripture to happen in the future which have been fulfilled, but linked with all other Scriptures that could not be repeated again, such as some prophecies of Zechariah, [e.g. 9:9.]

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UNDERSTANDING THE PHRASE 'IN THAT DAY'.
It is also called 'The DAY of the LORD'
and finally in Rev. 16:14, "The Day of God Almighty"!
It is used in many places in Scripture... both Old Testament and New.

> Knowing some ancient history is very important for all the Prophetic books, because often the warnings of judgement did actually take place B.C.E, or shortly after the New Testament times, to 100 A.D. and will not be repeated.

>Yet of course some prophecies have been only partly fulfilled -with part of the message still in the future. Jeremiah 49:35 -39 about Iran is one modern example! [See study here.]

>Therefore it is very important to ask, “Has this ever actually happened?”
If all the information indicates that an event has not happened in the past, then, of course, because it is the Word of God it will happen sometime in the future. It has been carefully noted that 80% of all prophecies have been fulfilled accurately. The other 20% are still waiting for events to happen in our future.

> Of course, readers will know that many Christians believe - we, in this 21st century, are in a special, intense period of time the Bible calls "The Last days".

>>We are now living in times when a number of prophecies are being fulfilled that were given about 2,500 years ago! Ezekiel 36: 24 has happened over the past 100 years for Jews returning to Israel. But note verse 25 - 38!

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Therefore we need to understand these
words that were used often by the Prophets:
 “In that Day” or “on that Day”, used about 75 times in the Old Testament, and a number of times in the N.T. ~ even by Jesus Himself!

GOD'S PURPOSES FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE EAST. ~
IS THAT “GOD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH”.
The writers of this web site believe that this statement governs all that God has allowed to happen and ~ that will happen in the Middle East - for the entire peoples of the M.E. - Arab, Muslim, Egyptian, Persian or Jews.

~ SO WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN WHEN IT SAYS? ~
“IN THAT DAY”?

You may find many Bible teachers with different ideas about this. Like all the Bible chapters about the future, we cannot know everything yet, so this writer wants you to know that we do not ‘know it all’! But we believe God has put enough teachings and warnings and encouragements in the Bible for us to take notice of them ~ and be blessed! [Sometimes it takes time for us to study all these amazing things!] So we are making these suggestions.

~ GOD's SPECIAL TIMING IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS ~
"IN THAT DAY..." or "THE DAY OF THE LORD".

It seems there are 8 different, special times
that it means when it says, “In that Day…”

* Note that it depends which translation of the Bible you use, whether the exact words, "in that Day" are used, but they will means the same concept - of a special period of time, but different periods throughout History.

* When we quote the words "In that day", it always means 'a period of time', usually many years, (not 24 hours as at Creation. One period is actually 2,000 years, being the 'Church age' - or the time between the first and second Coming of Jesus/ Yeshua/ Isa, or the names we recognise our Saviour and Lord, by.

* This is significant, because the ‘Eighth Day’ in Scripture was often a very special day, which maybe we can refer to later. Knowing what "THE DAY" means, can be a help to know what blessings we can still look forward to!
And quite naturally, (it seems to us) the 8th Day is the climax to this world's History, being all about Yeshua/ Jesus' Return to reign on Earth! 2 Thess. 1: 10
"On the Day He comes to be glorified in His Holy People, and to be marvelled at, among all those that have believed!"

* We cannot give you ALL the references because there are very many! Often these “Days” over-lap and are intertwined with events for another group of people.  We recommend that you look at a 'concordance' with Scripture references, if you feel this is a concept that helps to separate different major events, foretold or described in the Bible often for Nations in the Middle East.

* God is in charge of all the events of the world AND the times of them.

* Some of these ‘Days’ are now past, some are present, some are still future.

* We can only briefly refer to them, without much detail or many Scripture references. Maybe start a study subject for you to follow up on for yourself?

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A. EVENTS FULFILLED IN THE PAST.

Day 1. ‘A Day of Punishment’ of Israel by Exile to other nations, 722 - 586B.C.
The prophets in the Old Testament, warned Israel over and over again that if they did not live according to the kind, honest, holy Laws God had given them, then He would send them into Exile far away in another country, among people with very different ways. This happened in stages, starting as early as 722 B.C. with foreign armies coming until the first exile of the Northern Kingdom, (called ‘Israel’ or ‘Ephraim’) to Babylon in 701. Later the people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah were also taken away in ‘waves’ so that Daniel and his friends went into exile in 605 B.C. More were taken in 598 until the city of Jerusalem was taken in 586. This was as you can see a period of time, called “that Day.” The Prophets warned Israel over and over about - 'The Day of their Exile'. See Isaiah 3 and Jeremiah and Habakkuk! Too many refs, to list them all.

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Day 2. A Day of partial restoration for Israel before the New Testament Times. This is what the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are about, as well as the wonderful prophecies made by Isaiah and Ezekiel, before they happened!
This was a ‘good’ Day that was only partly true, as many of the promises of great blessings still have not happened –(but see later notes). Isaiah 12, & 25: 9, and many more verses foretold the end of the Exile (the time was measured from the last exile from Jerusalem to Babylon) and the restoration to their Land, after 70 years. See Jeremiah 25: 11 & 12, and cp. Daniel 9: 1 - 3. "I, Daniel understood from the Scriptures, according to the Word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last for 70 years. So I turned to the LORD my God, and pleaded with Him in prayer..." This is a precious example of the involvement one can have in prayer, in God's Plans. So we too can now pray for the promised Return of Our Saviour and Messiah! Matt. 24:36, and Mark 14: 25 refer to "that day".

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Day 3. A Day of Judgement on other Middle East nations before the N.T. Times. There are very, very many of these prophecies of punishments in all the Prophets in the O.T. These can be traced through many chapters of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. But it is best you find these and read them for yourself, with a Commentary that can give you the dates of their fulfillments, [such as a good ‘Study Bible’.] It included nations like Assyria, Babylon, Cush, Edom, Egypt, Greece, Medo-Persia & Tyre.
These places still exist geographically, but the political kingdoms have changed.

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Day 4. Another Day of Dispersion and dreadful sorrows for Israel, ‘A.D.’
This very long time started for Israel, after the death and resurrection of their Messiah Jesus, and the fall of Jerusalem under the Romans, including the destruction of their Temple for the second time. Jesus/ Isa also told about this time in Matthew 24: 2, in connection with the Temple being destroyed. This time had been prophesied clearly by Zechariah in chapter 13: 8 – 9, and it did happen as he described between 66 & 138 A.D. “In the whole Land” [of Israel] “declares the LORD, two thirds will be struck down and perish, yet one third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire;” [like the holocaust in Europe in W.W.II], “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.”  So this too is now in the past, (although you will find Bible Teachers who are still teaching that the present regathering of Israel is ‘in unbelief’ and that this means they will be destroyed again as a nation and dispersed around the world. This seems sad and unlikely.) see Isaiah 60: 1 - 13.
The truth is they were dispersed all around the world, and now are returning ‘for good’, not ever to be uprooted, Amos 9: 15! [But this will not be till Day 7]

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Day 5. A Day of judgement against Rome, (Daniel 2) and the rise and fall of many Nations over the last 2000 years is also implied, though not always specifically named. This is woven together in the prophecies of serious destruction for some nations, yet blessings for others, as we will see, later in this study. Daniel 2 describes the 4 powerful Nations from his day in Babylon, to the Medo-Persian Empire, then Greece, and lastly Rome, and the total destruction of each culture, by "a Rock was cut out, but not by human hands. it struck... and smashed them... they were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor... The wind swept them away without leaving a trace." [For this reason we do not believe in a 'revived Roman Empire', though a Satanic 'Babylon' will rule in the 'Last Days'.]

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B. PROPHECIES OF EVENTS BEING FULFILLED,
 ‘DAYS’ HAPPENING NOW:

Day 6. A Day of Blessings for some Middle East ‘End Time’ Nations.
Just as in Isaiah, God gave specific messages of doom “on that day” in some chapters, yet these are followed by messages of blessings for some people from Cush (Ethiopia) in 18, and Egypt in 19! [See later notes.]  But this is where our rule about seeing if these serious events have already happened, is very important!  [See notes & links below]. In other words some blessings are still future for many M.E. Nations. Others will be destroyed as Isaiah 17:1.

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C. ‘DAYS’ STILL MAINLY FUTURE: but starting in the 20th C.

7. This special ‘End Time Day’ – actually many years, has two aspects to it.
a) A Day of amazing blessing and restoration, with regathering and revival for * Israel. * [We will not repeat these here, but you can read about them in our other article about ‘Israel’s Glorious Future’.] This is clearly described in Ezekiel 39:29, Romans 11: 12 & 15 and 26. A ‘key’ is: ~ “then they will know that I AM the LORD,” with all the other details of a wonderful restoration in Eze. 36!

b). However THIS ‘Day’ [21st C] will also be a Day of disaster for God’s enemies against Israel. There will be a great ‘show down’ between the forces of Islam, (a strong religious army, called 'Magog'), backed by Communistic and Fascist forces, which will change the world from this time on. We have given the details in another article, but the significance of this event will be very serious for millions of people. (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Gulf States will not be directly involved). However it will be serious for those in the mainly Shi'ite Islamic Military Forces that do gather, (probably in Syria) ready to attack Israel with chemical weapons, to kill every person in that Land and claim it finally for Allah. The full description is in Ezekiel 38 & 39, Joel 2: 1 - 27, Ps 83.
God will stop this with the punishment of a great earthquake; resulting in the deaths of every soldier or person living in that area. Allah will no longer be worshipped. [See our article, 'Gog and Magog, What do they mean?']

Therefore we believe right NOW is the time for every person in the M.E. especially, to come to knowledge of the True God, as we explained above.
Also many of us are already praying urgently for any residents in the M. E. who will be innocently involved, to also come to know the True God, through Isa Maseeh / El Massih / Jesus the Messiah. John 17; 1 -2

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THE LAST GREAT 8th "DAY OF THE LORD"
~ With many details and descriptions of the
good and 'bad ' events ~ of 'THAT DAY'!

Day 8. Finally there will be another future GREAT DAY – Also called ‘The GREAT DAY of the LORD'. This will include the “Battle of Armageddon”, and the Glorious Coming of Isa Maseeh and all Believers in Him will be resurrected and ‘snatched up’ to meet Him in the air, and return to Earth to reign with Him, here! This will be as it says ‘the Day’ that we are called by, “we are of The Day, not of the night.” [The 8th Day of Hebrew Feasts were special, and Yeshua rose from the dead on the 8th/ 1st day of the week.] This will be a great DAY for every true Believer in Isa Maseeh, in the Middle East and in fact for every Christian or Messianic Believer, everyone who longs for the Return of Jesus/ Yeshua/ our Saviour to Earth! Both the O.T. and the N.T. have so much about this it is great! It seems as if the N.T. prophecies were concealed in the O.T. but the O.T. prophecies are explained and added to more fully in the N.T. See here to read a lot about 'Messiah Jesus is Returning to Earth'.
Revelation 19 describes it well.
But to show what it will mean to the persecuted Christians still on Earth, we could do nothing better, than to type here a great description for you!
This is how it is described to suffering Believers in 2 Thess.1, by the Church Leader, Paul, "we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trails that you are enduring..." (So very MANY are suffering this way right now, and will, right up to the Return of their God and Saviour, and ours). But Paul goes on to say: All this is evidence that God's Judgement is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. GOD IS JUST: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you, and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. THIS WILL HAPPEN when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven, in blazing fire, with the powerful angels. HE will punish those who do not know God, and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.  

[Now comes a description of Hell for the people just described.]
They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the Presence of the LORD and from the Majesty of His power ~
On The DAY He comes to be glorified in His Holy People,
and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed!
So we have a vivid description of 'the Last Day' we listed above, as number 8.

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We have now come to the end of this study on an especially wonderful subject, but we have simply been weaving together some key Scriptures to come to these conclusions of God’s real Plans! You need to study and pray about them for yourself. No doubt there is a lot of inter-weaving, and over-lapping of specific sets of events, so often described as "in that Day" but each in God's Hands

Whenever the last, "the Great Day of God Almighty" comes
[Rev. 16: 14] it is God’s overall Plan to bless the whole world
~ is what we must remember and pray for!

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SO AS WE COME TO THE END OF THIS STUDY, SHOWING GOD’S CAREFUL TIMING OF EVENTS ~ FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE...
Trusting that it will bless and encourage all who read it,
especially those from your part of the world.

We invite you to see other studies related to this one.
'God's Plans for the Middle East'.
'Prophetic Focus on Egypt',
 'Iran ~ Israel ~ Egypt ~ Background Facts'.
'Gog and Magog - What do they Mean?'
Or 'The Endtime Time lines' 2 long, 2 shorter ones
please find them on our home, index page.

PLEASE PRAY AND PREPARE YOURSELF
NOW TO BE PART OF GOD’S PLANS!

As always, we ask you to read and pray over the Scriptures in the whole Bible for yourself, remembering God Loves you and has His plans for YOU!

Our other reason for sharing these is to encourage readers,
~ especially regarding coming know the true God ~ through the only Saviour and Redeemer from sin ~ [Isa Maseeh, Yeshua Meshiach ~ the Name you know Him by] ~ but the ONLY One Who can give us real HOPE IN THE FUTURE!

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