Wars & Rumors of Wars...

World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history. Over 60 million people were killed, which was over 2.5% of the world population. At no other point in history does Mark 13:6-8 prophetically tell us the time we are presently living, "Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and will mislead many. "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. "For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.…” The word war from Greek polemos, or polemōn “war(s)," etymology is of unknown origin. War (n.) late Old English (c.1050), wyrre, werre, from Old North French werre "war" (Modern French guerre), from Frankish *werra, from Proto-Germanic *werso (cf. Old Saxon werran, Old High German werran, German verwirren "to confuse, perplex"). Cognates suggest the original sense was "to bring into confusion." It should be emphasized that the Greek word polemōn (war) is not being used in Mark 13:7 as a verb "to make war on,” instead of using a noun "to bring into confusion."

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Galatians 1:6-9.

The word confusion (n.) late 13c., "overthrow, ruin," from Old French confusion (11c.), "disorder, confusion, shame," from Latin confusionem (nominative confusio) "a mingling, mixing, blending; confusion, disorder," noun of action from confundere "to pour together," also "to confuse" The word “mix, or combine,” in Hebrew the word is עֲרַב, translated arab. Arab (n.) late 14c. (Arabes, a plural form), from Old French Arabi, from Latin Arabs (accusative Arabem), from Greek Araps (genitive Arabos), from Arabic 'arab, indigenous name of the people, perhaps literally "inhabitant of the desert" and related to Hebrew arabha "desert." Arab is the Hebrew primitive root; to braid ("to plait, knit, weave, twist together,") i.e. “Intermix.” In the Aramaic corresponding to Arab; “to commingle -- mingle (self), mix.” We see in Jeremiah 3:2, “Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? By the ways have you sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.”

We see the pattern of this pugnacious system in Daniel 2:40, “Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. "In that, you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. "As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdoms will be strong and part of it will be brittle.…” 

This model of war, prophesied by Daniel who lived in 7th Century BCE, well before Rome existed. The Roman Empire began when Augustus Caesar, who became the first emperor of Rome (31 BCE) and ended, in the west, when the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the Germanic King Odoacer (476 CE). We like to think of war as the murderous outcome stemming from a dispute. Instead, the actual meaning of war, in this case, is the condition that brings us into confusion or distorts our perception of truth. The Hebrew word liwyah "wreath," from Hebrew root l-w-h, "to wind, turn, and twist" is also used as the word meaning to twist or distort the truth. As well l-w-h is also the Hebrew root for leviathan (n.) meaning, "sea monster, sea serpent," also regarded as Satan and the Devil, from Late Latin leviathan, from Hebrew livyathan "dragon, serpent, huge sea animal.” Wreath from PIE *wreit- "to turn, bend" (cf. Old English wriða "band," wriðan "to twist, torture," wraþ "angry"), from root *wer- "to turn, bend, twist.” So war is confusion, and we know from 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.” The author of confusion, the twisting of truth is the serpent—Satan. In Isaiah 27:1, bari'aḥ ("fleeing serpent") and ʿaqallaton ("twisting serpent"; cf. Gordon, ibid., 67, 1:2–3).

In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea. In that day, "A vineyard of wine, sing of it! Isaiah 27:1, 2

We see in John 19:2, this battle of symbolism manifested, “And the soldiers, twisting twigs of thorn into a wreath, put it on His head, and threw round Him a crimson cloak.” The symbolism and patterns between the words in scripture are brilliant and divinely written. They tell a greater story of the battle between good and evil. We see another example in Micah 3:9, “Then give ear to this, you heads of the children of Jacob, you rulers of the children of Israel, hating what is right, twisting what is straight.” For Jesus said in Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Any confused or collection or state of things; a confused mixture; confusion; the disorder is called chaos. Chaos (n.) late 14c., "gaping void," from Old French chaos (14c.) or directly from Latin chaos, from Greek khaos "abyss, that which gapes wide open, is vast and empty," from *khnwos, from PIE root *gheu- "to gape, yawn.” Chaos meaning "utter confusion" (c.1600) is extended from theological use of chaos for "the void at the beginning of creation" in the Vulgate version of Genesis. The word chasm (n.) has an etymological source meaning "deep crack in the earth," from Latin chasma, from Greek khasma "yawning hollow, gulf," related to khaskein "to yawn," and thus to chaos (Greek khaos meaning "abyss”). We can now get a greater understanding of Luke 16:26, 'And along with all these things, there stands a great abyss between us and you, so that those who would pass from here to you are not able, neither is whoever is there able to pass over to us.'” That abyss or chasm is confusion or the lack of faith. Now if we look at Revelation 11:7 we can get a greater understanding, “When they have finished their testimony, the beast (violent, fierce, wild; proud) that comes up out of the abyss (confusion) will make war (to bring into confusion) with them, and overcome them and kill them.” Regarding Israel, we see in Isaiah 5:14, “Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; And Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her din ("roaring, a rushing waters, a flood") of revelry and the jubilant within her, descend into it.…”

War (werran, “to bring into confusion”), and confusion is the vehicle that indoctrinates generally docile people into a state of thérion (beast-like, violent, fierce, wild; proud), thus brings about chaos (Khaos, “abyss”), and by way of this progression causes those to descend into it. Now let’s look at Revelation 17:13-14 again, “These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called and chosen, and faithful.” Finally, in Revelation 17:17, “for God has put it into their [adversaries] hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.” Those advisories that are of “one mind” are the adversaries of Christians one mind we share for Jesus. We see in 2 Corinthians 13:11, “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” Scriptures tell us about the adversaries of Jesus, Psalm 83:4-6 “They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more." 5For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You, they make a covenant: 6The tents of Edom (Edomites, descendants of Esau) and the Ishmaelites, Moab (present day Egypt) and the Hagrites.”

Ishmaelite ish'-ma-el-its (yishme`e'lim): A name formerly given (especially by Jews) to Arabs, as descendants of Ishmael (q.v.), and in part from Arabic Ismaili, name of the Shiite sect that after 765 C.E. followed the Imamship through descendants of Ismail (Arabic for Ishmael), eldest son of Jafar, the sixth Imam. The descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, whom Abraham sent away from him after the birth of Isaac (Genesis 21:14-21). The sons of Ishmael are given in Genesis 25:13,14; they were twelve in number and gave rise to as many tribes, but the term Ishmaelite has a broader signification, as appears from Genesis 37:28. 36, where it is identified with Midianite. From Genesis 16:12 it may be inferred that it was applied to the Bedouin of the desert region east of the Jordan generally, for the character they're assigned to Ishmael, "His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him," fits the habits of Bedouin in all ages. Such was the character of the Midianites as described in Judges 7, who are again identified with the Ishmaelites (8:24). These references show that the Ishmaelites were not confined to the descendants of the son of Abraham and Hagar, but refer to the desert tribes in general, like "the children of the east" (Judges 7:12). International Standard Bible Encyclopedia – author, H. Porter.

Hagarites hag'-rits (haghri'im): An Arab tribe, or confederation of tribes (1 Chronicles 5:10,19,20 the King James Version "Hagarites"; 1 Chronicles 27:31 the King James Version "Hagerite"; Psalms 83:6 "Hagarenes"), against which the Reubenites fought in the days of Saul. In Genesis 25:12-18 are recorded the descendants, "generations," of Ishmael, "whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, who bore Ishmael for Abraham." Two, and possibly three, of these tribes, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah (Genesis 25:15), appear to be identical with the 3 tribes whom the Reubenites and the other Israelite tribes East of the Jordan conquered and dispossessed (1 Chronicle 5). The correspondence of names in Genesis and 1 Chronicle leaves little doubt that "Hagrite" is a generic term roughly synonymous with "Ishmaelite," designating the irregular and shifting line of desert tribes stretching along the East and South of Palestine. Those "East of Gilead," "Jetur, Naphish, and Nodah," were overcome by Reuben: "The Hagrites were delivered into their hand and all that were with them. .... And they took away their cattle .... they dwelt in their stead until the captivity" (1 Chronicle 5:20-22). 

These along with other Arab tribes are mentioned in the inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 BC). Jetur gave his name to the Itureans of Roman times, who were famed soldiers dwelling in Anti-Libanus. Compare Curtis, Commentary on Chronicles; Skinner, "Gen," ICC, in the place cited. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia – author, Edward Mack. The Ishmaelites and Hagarites, are the patriarchs of Islam.