December 17, 2006

• Ezekiel prophesies and today’s news part 2 by Pastor Don

       

  

  In the above map, to the north west of Put mentally note the country Libya
  to the south of Put is Ethiopia

  Between the Amorites and Canaan is the valley of Meggido. Between Gomer and the Hittites is Turkey. Magog is to the north of Togarman. North of Ashkenaz is the USSR.  To the north of Madai is Iraq, and to its east is Iran. Needless to say, Canaan is Israel.

  Now when we read Ezekiel 38, by using this map we can see the scope of world events of today being played out in Israel. Israel is truly surrounded by countries seeking to dominate her, and these were predicted in the time of Ezekiel. Israel truly is a cup of trembling for the nations.

  Ezekiel 38:1-8 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah, from the far north and all its troops–many people are with you. Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. (8) After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.

  Verse 8 has started coming true, in these latter years, the Israelites have been brought back from all over the world, gathered into Israel – a land that we have seen has long been desolate. They dwell safely, but are surrounded on all sides by these countries seeking to devour her. God is specific in this prophesy and names names. When these events start occurring, we can then point to the Bible and say, God told of this happening over 2000 years ago.

  Ezekiel 38:9-11 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you. Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan. You will say, “I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.

  Pastor Don pointed out that in the time of Ezekiel all the cities had walls. It is only today that we live with unwalled cities. This dovetails with Thessalonians and Revelation, and other prophet’s prophesies. There will come a time when someone will come to Israel declaring, “Peace, peace, but there will be no peace.” There will be a 7 year peace treaty which will be broken in 3 1/2 years by the antichrist who will be in power during this time.

  Ezekiel 38:12 To take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.

  So all these nations are going to come against Israel who is prospering in the barren land that came back to life because of their presence and God’s prospering of them. Pastor Don pointed out that Israel has riches that are desired by many nations. Besides two growing seasons, the dead sea has minerals that are desired by other nations, and Russia has fought two wars hoping to gain one possession, an all season Port. Israel has such a port, and that would be so desirous for any nation who wanted great power.

  Ezekiel 38:13-15 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, “Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and old, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder. Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to God, “Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day when My people, Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.”

  The North is Russia.

  Ezekiel 38:16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”

  It is through this great battle that God will be hallowed in all eyes.

  Ezekiel 38:19-20 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken, “Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

  This has not happened yet, and we see this prophesied in other places in the Bible. The kind of shaking that this and Zechariah 14 refers to for example in verse 12 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” Sure sounds like nuclear warfare.

  If you glance at the map and look at how Israel is surrounded and by whom, you can see that all is in position for these latter days events. We gain 20% of our oil from Iran and at some point, when these muslim nations come together our lifestyle will change dramatically when we have the oil supply dramatically cut off. The muslims are not afraid to die, and consider it an honor to die for allah, they would have no fear about setting off a nuclear bomb. Russia has been supporting the nuclear development of these muslim nations with the promise of joining them on a conquest of Israel. Remember, they do not have a year round port for trading.

  Those who stress making peace with the muslim nations are not aware of the fact that their thinking about things is radically different from ours. While we honor our peace treaties and deal in such a way that we try not to break our promises. They are taught to say what is necessary to get into power and once in power to either force the infidels (us) to convert or to kill the infidels. Our country is not looked on in favor by the Muslims for the importing of many of the vices that they do not like come from our country, liquor, cigarettes, pornography, etc. Pastor Don said that a line from the movie Shrek comes to his mind, “I’ve got a dragon and I am not afraid to use it.” They have nuclear power and are not afraid to use it.

  America has a policy of defeat, we lost the war in Korea, the war in Viet Nam, and now politicians are lobbying for us to lose the war in Iraq. If we bail out of Iraq now, we will be in a worse mess. Muslims do not care whether they die or not for their cause. We are making assumptions that are not in line with how radical Muslims think. Muslims do not function from the same moral base.

  We are not dealing with reasonable people, and right now it seems that only Israel is aware of this. We stopped the Israeli government at the border of Lebanon, and that was the worst thing for their national defense.

  America is trapped. Pastor Don pointed out that if someone calls a person a racist, homophobe, etc, they tend to have to backpedal to prove that they are not what they are being accused of being. What the Muslims are doing is pointing out how Americans are killing innocent women and children, etc. But they are not sharing the whole story, pointing out the truth about what is really going on. Pastor Don gets to listen on his satellite TV to the muslim newscasts and he says that it is a far different picture painted on that channel than what we see on CNN. If we pull out now they will see us as weak and every terrorist will try to start their terrorism on our soil. He said much more about this, but I honestly couldn’t write fast enough to take down all the notes. But this should give you a picture.

  All that we are reading in Ezekiel does not mention the United States, if we abandon Israel, we are sunk as a nation, for God will protect those who protect Israel.

  Ezekiel 38:22-23 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify My self and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.

  Ezekiel 39:7 So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

  Ezekiel 39:9-10 Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord GOD.

  Ezekiel did not know about tanks and oil, etc. This is implying that the amount of weaponry that will be abandoned after this war will be so significant that it will power the nation of Israel for 7 years.

  Ezekiel 39:11-16 It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place, there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers; because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified,” says the Lord GOD. “They will set apart men regularly employed with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search.. The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land.

  Think about all the burying of things that had to go on after the nuclear leak at Chernoybl. This sounds so much like a major disaster similar to that.

  Pastor Don pointed out that the United States is not in the valley of Meggido, nor are we fallen Babylon

  Pastor Don said that we don’t know if the Church will be on the earth when this happens or not. We are not to be afraid because of the above scenario, but we must be ready to share the Gospel with people, to point out to them from the Bible where the events that are currently occurring are mentioned in the Bible. Through this, we can reach people for Christ.

  Isaiah 19:21-25 Then the LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. And the LORD will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it, they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of the three with Egypt and Assyria–a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LOD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt, My people, and Assyria, the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

  What makes the difference for Egypt and Assyria, they helped Israel. We as a nation should take note of that, God does reward those who help Israel.

  We need to keep our eyes and ears open for the signs of the times, for what is happening on the news, pray, and trust God. We need to realize that the fields are ripe for harvest and get out and do God’s work to bring in the Harvest. Now is not a time to sit back and wait.

  Have a blessed day.

  Heather

  • 2:46 pm
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