Dead Sea Scroll Eschatology

THE WAR SCROLL

1. The Rule of the War is for the Instructor (1QM [+1Q33] 1:1, p. 95)

2. The sons of Levi, Judah, and Benjamin will first launch an attack against the army of Belial, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, Kittim of Ashur, and the wicked that help them (1QM [+1Q33] 1:1-2, p. 95)

3. They will go to war when the exiled sons of light return from the desert to the desert of Jerusalem (1QM [+1Q33] 1:3, p. 95)

   1. After their war, they will go up to fight the Kittim in Egypt (1QM [+1Q33] 1:3-4, p. 95)

   2. They will go in an angry war against the kings of the North and cut off a horn (1QM [+1Q33] 1:4, p. 95)

4. After, God’s lot will be saved and Belial’s lot will have everlasting destruction (1QM [+1Q33] 1:5-10, p. 95)

5. The day when there would be a war to end the sons of darkness was determined by God in ancient times (1QM [+1Q33] 1:9-10, p. 95)

6. The sons of god and humans will battle between themselves and amongst themselves (1QM [+1Q33] 1:10-11, p. 95)

7. God’s people will suffer like has never happened until eternal redemption is fulfilled (1QM [+1Q33] 1:11-12, p. 95)

8. In three lots, the sons of light will strike down their enemies (1QM [+1Q33] 1:13, p. 95)

   1. In the other three lots, the army of Belial will force the sons of light back in battle (1QM [+1Q33] 1:13-14, p. 95)

   2. They will make God’s army discouraged and afraid but God will strengthen them and defeat Belial in the seventh lot (1QM [+1Q33] 1:14-16, p. 95)

9. During the 33 years of war, the men called to the assembly and cheifs of the fathers of the congregation should choose men to fight for all the nations (1QM [+1Q33] 2:6-7, p. 96)

   1. These fearless men should go out to war year after year (1QM [+1Q33] 2:7-8, p. 96)

   2. In the years of release, no one should go out to war since it is a sabbath (1QM [+1Q33] 2:8-9, p. 96)

10. There will be 35 years of service (1QM [+1Q33] 2:9, p. 96)

    1. The congregation should spent 6 years preparing for war (1QM [+1Q33] 2:9, p. 96)

    2. The war of the divisions will take place in the 29 years after (1QM [+1Q33] 2:10, p. 96)

       1. The first year of war will be against Aram-Naharaim (1QM [+1Q33] 2:10, p. 96)

       2. The second year of war will be against the sons of Lud (1QM [+1Q33] 2:10, p. 96)

       3. The third year of war will be against the remnant of the sons of Aram, Uz, Hul, Togal, and Mesha, beyond the Euphrates (1QM [+1Q33] 2:10-11, p. 96)

       4. The fourth and fifth year of war will be against the sons of Arphchsad (1QM [+1Q33] 2:11, p. 96)

       5. The sixth and seventh years of war will be against all the sons of Assyria and Persia, and the eastern peoples to the great desert (1QM [+1Q33] 2:12, p. 96)

       6. The eighth year of war will be against the Sons of Elam (1QM [+1Q33] 2:12-13, p. 96)

       7. The ninth year of war will be against the sons of Ishmael and Ketura (1QM [+1Q33] 2:13, p. 96)

       8. The next 10 years of war will be divided among the sons of Ham according to their clans (1QM [+1Q33] 2:13-14, p. 96)

       9. The last 10 years of war will be against the sons of Japhet (1QM [+1Q33] 10:14, p. 10)