Armageddon, Oil, and the Middle East Crisis: What the Bible Says about the Future of the Middle East and the End of Western Civilization

The late Dr. John F. Walvoord is recognized as one of the foremost scholars of "end-times theology". He was a Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary for many years where he authored several books on this subject. If you wish to know where the world as we know it is headed (perhaps much sooner than later?), then this page-turner is for you! I've read it 3 times over the years and have given numerous copies as gifts. Dr. Walvoord points out Bible prophecies that have come true in our life-time and what to watch for in the future as events occur at a hasting pace. There may be a few parts readers have difficulty with(?), but overall a sound work. This writer knew his stuff! Varalagom

I read this book when it was first published in 1974. It left a lasting impression on me and I tried very hard to hold on to it through the years. Somewhere along the way I lost it, to my great dismay. I remember thinking, this book was truly reveolutionary for its time. When I read it I thought, "I will likely be alive when these events occur!" And sure enough, I am! This book was and is truly prophetical. Unless my memory fails me, this is a must read book for all those seriously interested in end times as outlined in the Bible.

John F. Walvoord's Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East Crisis remains an interesting and timely read, despite the fact that the book was originally published in 1974 and revised in 1990. Drawing heavily from the myriad of prophecies in the Bible, particularly those in Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelations, Walvoord paints a vivid picture of the end of days and argues rather convincingly that the end is indeed quite near. Central to his thesis is the perpetual hotbed that is the Middle East. It is here that the final battle of Armageddon will take place, and Israel will stand at the very center of the ultimate conflict. The restoration of Israel as a nation in Palestine was the final critical piece of the puzzle that worked to set the stage for the fulfillment of the prophecies of old. The Arab-Israeli conflict over land will be the powder keg that sets everything in motion, according to the author. The oil embargoes of the 1970s clearly impressed Walvoord in terms of the growing wealth and power in the Middle East, and he implies that the importance of oil throughout the world will shape future events quite radically. It is Europe that is most dependent on the import of oil from the Middle East, and this leads Walvoord to conclude that the ten-headed beast of Biblical prophecy will take the form of a ten-nation confederation of European, Arab, and possibly north African nations - it will be the equivalent of a new Roman empire centered around the Mediterranean, and from this group a powerful leader will emerge to somehow force a peace settlement between Israel and its neighbors. This leader will then seize power over three of the ten allied nations and go on to proclaim himself the world dictator and supreme deity. Three and a half years after securing Israel a seemingly lasting peace, the Antichrist will turn and destroy the country. By this time, armies from the north, south, and east will march on Jerusalem in an attempt to overthrow the self-proclaimed world dictator, at which point Jesus will return to Earth to punish the evil-doers and establish His millennial kingdom.Walvoord does a very nice job explaining the terrible things that will take place on earth in the last days, particularly after the Antichrist declares himself to the world and before Jesus' triumphant return. Descriptions of all of these catastrophic punishments can all be found in the Bible, and they make for a decidedly grim period of time. Walvoord clearly espouses his conclusion that the Rapture of the church will take place before the time of tribulation on earth begins. Unlike Armageddon, the Bible provides no real clues as to when the Rapture will take place, but Walvoord's conviction that the time of tribulation is drawing nigh leads him to infer that the preceding Rapture could happen at any time. Interestingly, Walvoord theorizes that the United States will not play a central role in these events, having fallen into a state of isolation. Russia will hold e

Dr. Walvoord, past President of Dallas Theological Seminary has many tremendous books. He wrote this in the 70's and updated it in the 90's with no changes and adding current events. Some chapter titles. The Israeli-Arab Conflict, The Oil Blackmail, Watch Jerusalem, Changing Europe, The Day of World Catastrophe.In the light of September 11, and the world events daily of the esculating violence in the Middle East, this book is a must readfor today about the end of Western civilization.