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TH1206: On-Line

EZEKIEL

Please turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 39, as we continue our study through the Word of God. Now keep in mind, as you are turning in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel, that the events of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 come into being after Israel has been re-established in the land. And this occurred in 1948, when, after almost 2,000 years of not having a homeland, the Jews returned to Israel and a nation was born!

Thus, this massive army we read about in Ezekiel chapter 38, with Russia and her Muslim allies, will descend upon Israel to destroy the Jews and take the land from them. And truly the key to all of this is their Muslim faith, it is the thing that unites them together, for not all of them are Arabs, but they are all Muslim in faith. And even their own scriptures, the Koran, testifies of their hatred towards anyone who is not Muslim, especially the Jews. The Koran says:

Fight and slay the pagans (infidels) wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war.

Koran, Sura 9:5

Believers (Muslims), take neither Jews nor Christians to be your friends: they are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship shall become one of their number. And God does not guide (those Jewish and Christian) wrongdoers.

Koran, Sura 5:51-5:74

It is this hatred towards the Jews that brings these Muslim nations into a battle against the nation of Israel, and Russia, because of the treaty’s they have signed with these Muslim nations, will be drawn into this battle. Yes they want the land and they want the resources, but Russia was not ready to get into this battle, but they are drawn into it. Now, as we get to Ezekiel chapter 39 this evening, the battle has started and God is going to intervene!

EZEKIEL 39

VERSES 1-5

1. We must understand that we have enjoyed a period of nuclear stability that has lasted for some 50 years. And that stability has been based upon a doctrine known as "Mutually Assured Destruction." And this was based upon there being only two adversaries, the United States and the Soviet Union. These two nations had a fairly equal balance of power. And both nations, for the most part, were rational.

Folks, that no longer exists. Many nations have in their possession nuclear weapons. More than 11 Third World countries have nuclear weapons, and the number continues to grow. Over 22 countries have or are developing intercontinental ballistic missiles. And 66 countries have the ability to launch surface-skimming cruise missiles. There is no longer a stable balance of power. There is no longer a sense of being rational with many of these countries. And, as Robert Hunter said at a private briefing at NATO headquarters in Brussels, "A nuclear confrontation in the Middle East is not just likely, it is certain. It is just a matter of timing."

And, Robin Beard, Assistant Secretary of Defense, said at this same meeting in Brussels, "When the Soviets were in power, we knew the procedures [to put into] place to prevent an accident. Today, we don’t even know who has the button - and there’s a power grab going on."

Now, in Ezekiel chapter 39, we see them coming down upon Israel to destroy the Jews and take back the land. It truly does seem that God has placed the players in position, and in His time He will allow this war to begin!

2. In verse 3 it speaks of "the bows" and "the arrows." Don’t come to the conclusion that in this battle they are going to be using bows and arrows to fight with. Not at all! When the Scriptures were translated into the King James language or English back in 1611, they translated these words to fit with the technology they had back then, bows and arrows! But, these Hebrew words can easily be translated "launchers" and "missiles," which can mean a variety of different technologies we have for war today!

3. Also, something that doesn’t come across in the New King James version but is clear in the King James, is the amount of destruction that comes upon this massive army. Verse 2 can be translated, "And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel." You see, 5/6 of this army, of these people, will be destroyed, only leaving 1/6 to make it through. And thus, no longer is Russia a threat, or these Muslim nations, but the European Community will rise up as a world power with no one to challenge them. And this carnage is so massive, that the bodies of these soldiers are scattered all over the open field, left for the birds of the air and the wild animals to devour them before the professional’s come in to bury them.

VERSES 6-7

1. Here we see not only the land of Magog, Russia, being hit, but also all those nations who have sided with her in this battle. Could this be speaking of nuclear weapons that are being launched? It is very possible, for the destruction is immense, only 1/6 of the people surviving!

VERSE 8

1. We read of these things and at times maybe we doubt them. Maybe we think that life is going to just continue on. We have heard of the Lord’s return for years and maybe we have grown accustomed to it, to the point of maybe even doubting it. Don’t! The Lord is saying to us "Surely it is coming, and it shall be done." Make no mistake about that. It is as Numbers 23:19 says "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" Make no mistake about that, these things will come to pass!

2. Also, we are warned that in the last days many will doubt, many will laugh, many will put down the promises of God’s return. Peter tells us "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." II Peter 3:3-7.

Peter is reminding us of what God has done in the past to assure us that what He has said of the future will also come to pass. Tragically, many will "willfully forget" the things that God has said. The word "willfully" is the Greek word THELO, which speaks of "not only willing something, but also pressing on to action." In other words, this is what you want to believe, and it has caused you to act in this manner. You might say that they are denying the Lords return, the judgment that is coming and it has caused them to live in a manner that satisfies the flesh rather than pleasing God. Their mentality is to "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die!" But, they have forgotten the judgment that is coming!

VERSES 9-10

1. First of all, here is another reason why I feel this war with Magog and her allies must take place prior to the start of the tribulation period. Verse 9 tells us that the immense weapons that have been left by the destruction of this massive army will burn for seven years. If this took place during the battle of Armageddon, then these seven years would extend into the millennial kingdom, which doesn’t make sense to me. But, if this war started at the start of the tribulation period, these weapons could be burned for the entire seven years of the tribulation period.

Also, to try to fit these nations here in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, into the battle of Armageddon spoken of in Daniel chapter 11, you will find different nations. So I view these two wars as separate. Ezekiel 38 and 39 occurs just prior to the tribulation period, while the battle of Armageddon occurs at the end of the tribulation period.

2. Now, when you think about it, not too many weapons are made of wood today. That has caused many to speculate this is just symbolic and not literal. The Pulpit Commentary said this: "...Schroder, as indicating that for Israel these warlike instruments should then so completely lose their power to terrify that they might be looked upon simply as so much firewood; and by Keil, as designer to annihilate the enemy and remove every trace of him."

3. I disagree. I do take this very literally even though this does not sound like conventional weapons! David Hocking, from his April, 2000 newsletter, Hope for Today, said this: "...Russians are manufacturing weapons made out of wood. It is a product developed by Dutch scientists called Lignostone. It is stronger than steel, is very elastic when heated and molded, and burns better than coal." And I guess it does, for the weapons that have been left over from this battle will burn for seven years!

VERSE 11

1. The Jews pick a place east of the Dead Sea, in the area of Jordan, down wind, to bury all these bodies of soldiers. Why bury them down wind on the east side of the Dead Sea? I believe the next few verses give to us a clue to the reason why!

VERSES 12-16

1. Now verse 14 tells us that the burying of these bodies will not take place for seven months? Why? Zechariah 14:12 may give us a clue to this. It says "And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths." What Zechariah could be describing is a neutron bomb, which is a device that Israel has developed, and from what I understand, the United States has not. This bomb is designed to produce lethal neutrons but less blast and fire damage than other nuclear bombs!

2. Think this is far fetched? Listen to this article by David Hocking from his May, 2000 newsletter, Hope for Today. He said: "On March 23^rd the Sunday Times of London carried a report that Israel plans to lay nuclear mines on the Golan Heights to prevent a Syrian attack after it withdraws. The paper identified them as "neutron mines" developed in Israel and the deployment plan is called "David’s Sling." The paper also indicated that the plan was an effort to placate Israeli Hawks on the Golan issue."

"‘The Neutron bombs differ from conventional nuclear weapons, because they emit a greater amount of radiation and cause little damage to buildings and other infrastructure.’ The newspaper also reported that the neutron artillery shells have been tested and that laser-guided rockets with neutron warheads are "ready for use" (The Sunday Times of London, 3/23/200 as quoted in Jerusalem Post, March 27^th) ."

"...The paper also reported that Israeli scientists have perfected a tactical neutron bomb that weighs less than 100 kg, and can be carried by two soldiers. It is said to have a yield of 250 tons and could kill anyone within a radius of several hundred meters, while leaving military vehicles largely intact."

I find it very interesting that what Ezekiel said some 2,600 years ago, the Sunday Times of London seems to depict for us. A coincidence? I don’t think so!

3. Also, they hire professionals to bury these bodies? Why? Because if this is the result of nuclear weapons, even low level ones, you just can’t go in and touch them or you will be contaminated. So the professionals come in and for several months they are burying these bodies. And, if you happen to pass by a dead body as you are traveling, you are not to touch it, but place a marker there so the professionals can come and bury them. And these bodies will be buried on the Golan Heights, (Bashan), in the Trans Jordan area, east of the Dead Sea.

VERSES 17-20

1. Here we see the severity of God’s destruction of Magog, as we are told of all the bloody carnage that the land will be covered with. It will be like a great feast for these birds and wild animals to feed upon! It is as Psalm 75:6-8 says "For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: he puts down one, and exalts another. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is fully mixed, and He pours it out; surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down."

VERSES 21-24

1. Israel went into captivity not because God couldn’t save them or stop it, but because of their sin, their immorality and their refusal to repent and get right with God. Prophet after prophet tried to warn them, but they refused to listen, and judgment came.

2. Today, even though the Jews are back in the land of Israel. Even though they have been victorious in every war they have fought in since they became a nation once again in 1948. Even though they are surrounded by 80 million enemies on three sides, the forth side is the Mediterranean Sea, they still exist as a nation, they have not been destroyed. Even the day after they became a nation in 1948, their enemies attacked them and tried to push them into the Sea. But Israel was victorious even though they were outnumbered and out gunned!

And you look at all of that and you can easily see the hand of God being upon them. That God is the one who brought them through all of this. God is the one who brought them back to life once again. But, sadly to say, most of the nation of Israel feels that all that has happened to them is a result of their efforts, their strength, their might, their intelligence, and-so-on. They have left God completely out of the picture. But one day they will see their error and return to the Lord. They will give Him the glory that is due His name. They will humble themselves before the Lord and He will lift them up!

VERSES 25-29

1. Here we see the complete restoration of Israel. Yes, God has physically raised up His people that were as good as dead. On the heals of the Holocaust, God brought them back to life. But spiritually speaking they are dead! Most of the nation believes that you can’t know God or there is no God. How sad. But here God says that He will pour out His spirit on them. When will this occur?

2. First of all, yes the Jews are in the land once again, but they are going to be scattered once more. Jesus said in Matthew 24:15-22, "Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."

As the Antichrist enters the Holy of Holies of the rebuilt temple, he will demand to be worshiped as god. At this point the Jews will recognize that he is not their Messiah and they will flee for their lives as this man comes after them to destroy them for their rebellion. And they will head to the rock city of Petra where God will protect them for 3½ years.

Remember, as Jesus was lamenting over Jerusalem, He said "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’" Matthew 23:37-39.

What Jesus said, He meant! As the Jews are hiding in Petra, they will call upon the Lord, they will call upon Jesus to forgive them of their sins and to be Lord of their life! It is then that God will pour out His Spirit upon them and as we move on, the tribulation period is over and we will be moving into the millennial kingdom next time. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:31, "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." And this will be the last time that they are re-gathered, no longer will they be scattered, but they will be before their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

3. Let me leave you with these thoughts of what God is going to do with His people, the Jews, when they return to Him. First of all, in Jeremiah 31:31-34 we read "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah– not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Today, as even in the tribulation period, salvation is only in Christ, and the Jews will recognize this and God will give them a new heart, and pour His Spirit upon them.

Also, in Jeremiah 32:37-41 we read "Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul."

Make no mistake about it, these things will come to pass, just as God has said. You see, He has been right 100% of the time so far, and that will never change! As Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." Matthew 24:35. Keep your eyes focused upon Him, for His return is drawing closer!