Unleashing the Beast

168 / U NLEASHING THE B EAST

phrase is used by Old Testament prophets to indicate the time frame on earth prior to the final great battle and the return of the Lord to the earth. The phrase latter days is used 11 times in the Scripture. The words last days are recorded eight times in the Bible. In the New Testament, the phrase is connected to the time prior to the return of the Lord (see James 5:3; 2 Peter 3:3). In summary, this Scripture makes it clear that the battle, called the war with Gog and Magog, will occur in the future. Several important features mark this battle: And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search (Ezekiel 39:14). Why would anyone wait seven months before searching for the remains of those slain in battle? I believe this could be a clue revealing that chemical or biological weapons may be used in this battle. Nations such as Iran and Iraq have been working on developing weapons of mass destruction, including chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons. With the fall of the Soviet Union, several of the southern Russian nations are Muslim and have in their possession weapons that have been stolen or purchased and sold to radical Islamic nations. The weapons in the former Soviet T HE L AND W ILL B E P OLLUTED FOR S EVEN M ONTHS