Role: Executive Director of The Pre-Trib Research Center |
Dr. Ice is Executive Director of The Pre-Trib Research Center. He founded The Center in 1994 with Dr. Tim LaHaye to research, teach, and defend the pre-tribulational rapture and related Bible prophecy doctrines.
Dr. Ice has co-authored about 30 books, written hundreds of articles, and is a frequent conference speaker. He has served as a pastor for 15 years. Dr. Ice has a B.A. from Howard Payne University, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from Tyndale Theological Seminary, and is a Doctoral Candidate at The University of Wales in Church History. Dr. Ice lives in Justin, Texas with his wife Janice and is a member of the Chafer Theological Seminary faculty.
Support for the Gog and Magog invasion occurring after the rapture but before the tribulation can be seen from the fact that the invasion is said to take place "after many days" and "in the latter years" (Ezek. 38:8), and "in the last days" (Ezek. 38:16). These are time indicators that place these events near the end of history because it is an absolute phrase referring to the span of history. The term "latter years" is only used in this passage in the entire Old Testament, however, since "last days" is used in verse 16 describing the same event, it is safe to conclude that the more frequently used phrase "last days" is synonymous with "latter years." ...
As I continue defense of the pretribulational, post-rapture view of the timing of the Battle of Gog and Magog, I believe that the current situation that Israel finds herself in the middle of 2009 is very similar to that described in the Ezekiel passage, except for the statement in 38:11 that Israel will be "at rest" during the time when this invasion comes...
The view that the battle described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will occur at the end of the tribulation and is one and the same with the campaign of Armageddon is not widely held today. In fact, the only individual that I know personally who holds this view is Dave Hunt. Louis Bowman and Harry Ironside, Bible teachers of a previous generation, are ones who have taken this view...
The final view concerning the time within God’s end-time prophetic program when Gog’s invasion of Israel will take place is at the end of the millennium. Having stated the view previously, I now will lay out a number of reasons why this view does not best explain the text in Ezekiel 38–39, especially since the end of the millennium results in the end of history and the beginning of eternity...
In this final installment of this series on the invasion of Israel by Gog and his allies as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39, I want to summarize my conclusions that have been presented and defended throughout the detailed handling of this passage. I will not be rehashing the items and views with which I disagree, instead, I will present a synopsis of my conclusions about this text...