War of Gog and Magog (Pt. 2)

As the coalition of nations plots its attack, consideration must be given as to why these nations would openly attack Israel. The fact that verse 4 mentions that God will put "hooks" in their jaws and draw them down is some indication. They will not be able to resist the temptation to destroy Israel by mounting an open attack. Verses 7-9 make it clear that Israel is the target.

7 “Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 

8 “After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. 

9 “You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.” 

The latter years speak of the end times and Israel is the nation gathered from many nations. In fact, Ezekiel makes this perfectly clear in verse 8. The coalition of nations will be vast and appear as a cloud over the land. This is a frightening vision and one with much fear if there was no intervention by God. 

Again, it must be understood that the one common denominator here is Islam. This is a holy war and in this holy war the objective is to  annihilate Israel. The coalition of Islamic nations will believe that they are acting on their own. But in reality God is using them to bring about His plan and end. Christians should never fear the climate of governments because God has all of it in His control and all of it is according to His plan and purpose.

When the question of why is applied to the attack there comes to the forefront a better understanding than one may anticipate. To get this picture the next portion of Scripture needs to be examined.

10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, 

11 and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, 

12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.’ 

13 “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’ ” ’

Here, thoughts come into the minds of the attackers. The thoughts do not actually come to fruition but there is a plan formulated. The plan is to attack another nation. Caution should always be given to reading too much into Scripture but the clues here are very tempting. 

First, the nation is a land of unwalled villages. America is the only nation on the planet that does not have a history of walled villages. There were walled fortifications and maybe to some lesser degrees there were a few walled villages but nothing in comparison to the rest of the world. 

Secondly, the nation is at rest. The Hebrew word used here is “Shaqat” and it means to keep quiet or to keep quiet in a direction. This word, coupled with “securely,” paints an important picture. This nation is keeping quiet because of its own security.

Verse 12 mentions that this nation is a nation where waste places used to be but now there is a nation. This describes the expanse of America through the years. This verse also mentions that this nation is a nation of people gathered from many nations and is wealthy as well as dwells at the center of the world. This is a graphic description of the great melting pot called America. In every area, America has been the center of the world. When America falls, so does everyone else. But what happens to her? 

America is Israel’s strongest ally but during this time it appears that America will keep quiet about the attack. America will be unwilling or unable to prevent the attack. America will cease to be a super-power (it really already has) and through economic and moral collapse, America will be in no position to defend Israel. 

With America’s teeth pulled, the Islamic coalition will not be able to resist an open attack on Israel. It appears that the rise of Islam will come to a crescendo with this attack. They will believe that nothing stands in their way of destroying Israel and America. So, what about Europe? Surely Europe will defend Israel and America.

13 “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’ ” ’

Sheba and Dedan represent Arabia and Tarshish is in Spain. Tarshish was the farthest trading point from the middle east. Notice that nothing is done. There is merely a vocal complaint about what is occurring. No, Europe nor Arabia will be able to prevent the attack. There will be merely talk which is the norm currently where Israel is concerned. 

In conclusion, the war is mounting. The Islamic nations have joined together for jihad against Israel. America will not be able to prevent the attack because of internal concerns. Europe and Arabia will not care or at least will be prevented from caring. With the influx of Islam into Europe there is little doubt as to the position that Europe will take.

Whatever has occurred by this point, the world has been forced back into a pre 1900’s way of living. People will be forced into the barter system once again and the power of super nations will be no more. Perhaps, internal chaos in America will force the nation to concentrate on purely internal security. The world will seem to collapse but everything is according to God’s plan. 

At this point it may seem hopeless but check back in with this blog to see what God does. How will this play out for the world? Check back in for part three.

Much Shalom,

Lonnie

War of Gog and Magog (Pt. 1)

Ezekiel, chapters 37-39 are pivotal in understanding the stages of society that must be endured if the Messiah is to come. There has been much said about these verses but there is also much misunderstanding concerning them as well. However, once the countries are brought into light as to where they are and who they currently are, then a clearer picture is painted into what must happen. 

Ezekiel 37 is the first piece of the puzzle. This is the chapter of the vision of the valley of dry bones. God is clear that this passage refers to Israel and this chapter is widely accepted to point to the gathering of Israel back into the land to become a nation once again. This occurred in 1948 and was solidified in 1967 after the six-day war. There is much to be said here but the consideration must simply be that before anything else can happen prophetically, Israel must become a nation again. It has.

Turning to Ezekiel 38, a war looms on the horizon. Identifying the participants is key to understanding the events that take place. For convenience sake, I have added the current locations of these places in order to make the interpretation easier. 

1 And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 

2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog (Iraq), the prince of Rosh (The prince of Rosh is chief prince -- see below), Meshech and Tubal (Turkey), and prophesy against him 

3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. 

4 “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; 

5 Persia (Iran), Ethiopia (Sudan) and Put (Libya) with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 

6 Gomer (Turkey) with all its troops; Beth-togarmah (Turkey) from the remote parts of the north with all its troops—many peoples with you. 

There has been much speculation as to the meaning of the prince of Rosh. Some have suggested that this is Russia and Meshech is Moscow. This is a flimsy speculation in that overlaying an English word over a Hebrew phrase is not evidence enough to support that claim. The Hebrew word Rosh means chief, head or beginning. Similarly, Rosh Hashanah or “New Year” is the head of the year. No one would suggest that Rosh Hashanah is “Russia” year simply because Rosh looks like Russia. 

In light of this, Gog is a person who is the chief prince. There suddenly seems to be an alliance against Israel here. The alliance is Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Sudan and Libya. When taken together there arises one common denominator -- Islam. A coalition of Islamic states striking Israel is not something that is unfathomable. Many of the states mentioned above have openly desired to wipe Israel from the face of the map. 

The fact that God is going to put hooks in their jaws and bring them against Israel reveals that this is the overall plan of God to bring about His kingdom. So, at this point there are some factors that must be considered. 

First of all, why do these nations suddenly feel as though they can attack Israel? This says a great deal about the situation in America. America is Israel’s strongest ally and if America was either, unable or unwilling to defend Israel, then the temptation to attack Israel would be too great for this coalition of nations to resist. Given the current climate in America, it could go either way. But, when examining the first part of this passage (as well as most of it) there is a fact that must not be overlooked. Ezekiel saw horsemen, shields, bucklers, chariots, etc. 

Many scholars have explained this away by simply stating that Ezekiel could not describe tanks, jets and other modern war machines. But there is no need to stretch the Scripture this far. Ezekiel saw what he saw and he knew perfectly well what the war machine looked like. Instead of bending the Scripture into a modern way of thinking, the opposite needs to be investigated. 

If Ezekiel did indeed see horses, swords, archers and so on then there has to be some cataclysmic event or events that will propel society back to a pre 1900’s way of life. This is a more intriguing and accurate view of the text. By not bending the text there is more accuracy in its interpretation. 

This also solves the problem of America’s position in preventing an open attack on Israel. With the current economic and political situation in America, it is not a stretch of the imagination to see the collapse of the U.S. There could be more natural disasters such as earthquakes that could greatly speed up the process. It cannot be overstated enough that the bible is accurate in all things. There are many symbols in Scripture but when the plain sense makes sense then interpretation should follow the plain sense.

In light of this, a working theory takes place. America will not recover from the economic situation that she is in. A nation who has killed more than 53,000,000 babies in the womb will never have the blessing of God upon it. God cannot bless a nation with that much innocent blood on its hands. 

There may be spikes of improvement but there will not be any lasting improvement. Many Christians believe that the rapture will occur before anything “bad” happens. However, the war of Gog and Magog must occur before the tribulation and thus must preclude the rapture. Even so, the collapse of the global economy that propels all humanity into more primitive lifestyles must occur before the war of Gog and Magog takes place. 

The warning cannot be clearer. Christians need to be prepared for what is to come. Times are going to be even more difficult and God’s Word is explicitly warning His people of what is to come. 

To keep this teaching in manageable sections, I plan on presenting it in parts. Please feel free to join my blog to get the updates or simply check back in. Thank you for your interest in this blog and I pray that you will be ready for what is to come. 

Much shalom,

Lonnie

Ezekiel's Wheels Within Wheels

I am always amazed at how the world attempts to explain spiritual occurrences with humanistic philosophies. I saw a program on one of the Discovery channels that proposed the theory that the vision of Ezekiel’s wheels within wheels were some sort of Alien visitation and Ezekiel attributed this experience with some deity. 

The problem is that many Christians have also fallen into this trap and thus failed to see the message of this all-important vision. I would like to look at this vision in a logical and methodical way and maybe shed some light on a very confusing passage of Scripture.

To do so, I would like to examine the text in steps and then at the end put the pieces together to see the big picture of what is being revealed to Ezekiel. The passage occurs at the very beginning of the book of Ezekiel and is really the key for understanding the entire book. So, it is essential to the understanding of the entire book that an understanding of this vision is had. The passage spans from chapter 1 verse 4 through the remainder of the chapter. My goal in this is to present a basic understanding of this passage without getting too deeply into the text. There is a vast wealth of information here and it would take a lot of time to really dig all there is out of this. So, I hope to whet your appetite for this passage and maybe encourage you to think in ways that you haven’t before and seek the deeper meaning in this passage. 

4 As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire. 

The whirlwind and great cloud unfolding itself and coming from the north signifies the coming judgment. Ezekiel was taken into Babylon during Nebuchadnezzar’s second invasion of Jerusalem somewhere between 598 / 597 B.C. The judgment is the invasion of Jerusalem that will bring the city and temple to destruction. However, there is a broader judgment here as well. Ezekiel deals with judgment of the entire world and the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. This judgment has a deeper meaning in that it speaks of eternal judgment and the eternal glory of God.

5 Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. 

6 Each of them had four faces and four wings. 

7 Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. 

8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 

9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 

10 As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. 

11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. 

12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 

13 In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.  

The four living creatures are not a great mystery. John gives a glimpse of these beings in the Revelation 4:6,7

6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 

7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 

The fact that these living creatures are so closely connected to the throne of God suggests that they have a higher rank than many of the other angelic hosts. The throne of God is the place of government as you would expect the throne of the king to be. Therefore these living creatures have something to do with God’s government. 

Each had four faces and they each represent authority over some part of God’s creation.

1. Lion - strength at its greatest. Dominion of the wild beasts of the earth.
2. Ox - service at its meekest. Dominion over the domesticated animals.
3. Man - intelligence at its fullest. Dominion over humanity.
4. Eagle - spirituality it its highest. Dominion over the fowl of the air.

Their four faces faced north, south east and west which reveals that they are all-seeing. Their appearance was like burning coals of fire which suggests pure holiness. Recall what happened when Isaiah came into the presence of God? Consider Isaiah 6:5-7.

5 Then I said, 

“Woe is me, for I am ruined! 

Because I am a man of unclean lips, 

And I live among a people of unclean lips; 

For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” 

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 

7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.” 

Continuing in Ezekiel 1:

14 And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning. 

15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them. 

16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another. 

17 Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved. 

18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about. 

19 Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 

20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. 

21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. 

Moving as flashes of lightning reveals the sheer swiftness of judgment. We see this in the coming of Christ:

27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

 (Matthew 24:27)

Many often think that God is slow and that His judgment is slow in coming. However, when God brings about judgment on the world (and much of it is already occurring) that judgment will happen quickly.

The four wheels beside each cherubim with a vast circumference connect heaven and earth. Many people do not believe in God. Some say that if there is a God then He is not connected to His creation. Simply put, He created and then left us to our own devices. The wheels being connected to the earth reveal that God is connected to the earth as well. 

Each wheel is crisscrossed with another wheel, revolving north and south and east and west. They do not have to turn which suggests that they are connected in every way to the earth. The vast rims, full of eyes again reveal the all-seeing nature of God.

The life of the Cherubim were in the wheels so that the wheels expressed, with preciseness, the will of those heavenly beings. As the wheels joined earth with heaven, the living creatures joined the wheels to the very throne of God. So, God in heaven is connected to the earth in a very real way and these living creatures are somewhat in between. 

Ezekiel heard a voice from the firmament above the Cherubim. He looked up and saw a throne and on the throne sat the fire-enveloped Supreme Being. The meaning in all of this is impending judgment. Christ is seen in the Revelation with fiery eyes that represent the fierceness of His anger and the impending judgment to come.

Behind and above the judgment were the divine all-seeing wheels and the four divine executors as well as the Divine Being. Therefore, all events that take place on earth are the operations of the Divine Being - the over-ruling will and purpose of God.

So what? The fact is that we live in a world where people are disconnected with themselves and world around them. This disconnection is also seen in their relationship with God. Many believe that God is not in control or that He is disconnected with His creation. 

Therefore, people are looking at the situation of the world with a sense of hopelessness. They believe that the economy is out of control and that the government is somehow their source of salvation. The problem is that politicians fail to produce what they promise and the sense and feeling of hopelessness increases. 

There is a solution. This vision teaches us that God is not out of control but rather that He is in control of all events and that He sees all things. The executors enact God’s sovereign will throughout the earth. There is a plan for all the chaos that we see today and that plan is to bring about the eternal kingdom of Jesus the Messiah. 

So take heart and be encouraged. God knows what He is doing and those who put their faith in Jesus are all coming to a better world where justice and peace will rule. There will be no more economic hardships, death, disease or chaos. Our God knows what He is doing and we can trust Him in all things. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Amen.