Ezequiel 38

Ezequiel 38

Constable - God used Gog do demonstrate His holiness (unique deity) in their eyes. Yahweh would raise up Gog as He had raised up the Pharaoh of the Exodus to demonstrate His power when He overthrew him. "Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored (Hebrew = kabad = to be heavy, "weighty" worthy of respect) through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so. (Ex 14:4, 7:5, 17) Ezekiel 38:17 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them?: Ezek 38:17-23 is in a way a preview of the destruction of Magog and her armies in Ezekiel 39! Are you the one whom I spoke in former days through my servants the prophets of Israel - God had apparently prophesied Gog's attack. Bible Knowledge Commentary says that "This has caused some confusion among interpreters because no direct reference to Gog is made by any of the previous writing prophets. Perhaps this means earlier prophets had predicted the coming of invading armies against Israel in the last days, which Ezekiel now associated specifically with Gog (cf. Joel 3:9-14; Zeph. 3:15-20)." Constable - The Lord asked rhetorically if it was Gog about whom He had spoken through His other servants the prophets many years earlier. “Are you he of whom the prophets spoke?” Yes, he was. This was not the first revelation of a powerful enemy whom God would bring against the Israelites (cf. Deut. 30:7; Ps. 2:1-3; Isa 14:24-25; Isa 26:20-21; Isa 29:1-8; Jer. 4:5; Jer 6:26; Jer 30:18-24; Joel 2:20; 3:9-21; Zeph. 1:14-18; Zeph 3:8, 15-20). Ezekiel 38:18 "It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the Land of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "that My fury will mount up in My anger.: God will avenge His people by shaking the earth (Ezek 38:19), causing the attackers to kill each other (Ezek 38:21) and a rain of hailstones, fire and brimstone (Ezek 38:23). On that day (Ezek 38:10, 14, 18, 19, 39:11) The land (Erets) - The Promised Land. Israel. God's land ("My land" - Ezek 38:16) It is notable that Israel is NEVER called "Palestine" in the Bible. Other names of "the land" include "Canaan" and "the land of Israel." The Land - This specific phrase 12x in 12v - Ezek 38:2, 8, 9, 11, 16, 18, 19; 39:12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and all but Ezek 38:2 refer to the Land of Israel. My anger (Come up doth My fury in My face) - "Face is literally, “nose”; in Hebrew, the idiomatic expression for anger, as men in anger breathe strongly through the nostrils. Anthropopathy: God stooping to human modes of thought (Ps 18:8)." (Jamieson) Because we spend so much time in the Modern Church in the New Testament and so little time in the Old Testament, we have lost site of the truth that God is a God of righteous anger and that He is always just in displaying His anger. Joel Rosenberg - As the forces of the Russian dictator (Gog) and his military coalition — including Iran, Libya, Algeria, Sudan, Turkey and other key Islamic nations — converges against the State of Israel in the last days, the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel tells us that at the last moment when there seems to be know hope for Israeli Jews the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is going to supernaturally intervene. Ezekiel 38:19 "In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the Land of Israel.: My zeal and in My blazing wrath - God intervenes to save His people. This is another confirmation of God's promise in the Abrahamic covenant... And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Ge 12:3) On that day (Ezek 38:10, 14, 18, 19, 39:11) Joel Rosenberg reminds us - What you won’t find when you study Ezekiel 38 and 39 is any country coming to Israel’s aid. It will look like Israel is about to be wiped off the map, but you won’t find the E. U. coming in to help. You won’t find the United Nations— The European Union. The European Union is not in here. You won’t see any evidence of that. You won’t see the United Nations coming to Israel’s rescue. You won’t find the United States, no— there’s no country that comes to Israel’s rescue according to the text. And that’s what we have to focus on is the text, not our own desires or what will happen. But One does come to Israel’s aid, and it’s the Lord God Himself....It’s amazing because God says that for the first time really since since He intervened with Pharaoh back in Egypt and parted the Red Sea and brought the plagues He is going to intervene in a similar manner, to that degree of a dramatic intervention. A great earthquake - The same phrase is found in Rev 6:12-note, Rev 11:13-note and Rev 16:18-note. As discussed in the next verse, although the earthquake is in the land of Israel, all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence, implying the whole earth is shaken! The earthquake in Rev 16:18, 20 is not a possibility as Israel could hardly be described at living securely during the Great Tribulation (Mt 24:15-20, 21, Da 9:27-note, Da 12:1-note). Ezekiel 38:20 "The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground.: The fish of the sea (etc) - The point is that all the earth would "shake at" God's presence. This implies that the earthquake was felt worldwide (in the oceans, the air, the forest, all mankind). HCSB - Such listings of animals are used to allude to the entire created order in the creation story (Gen 1) and elsewhere (Gen 9:2; 1Ki 4:33; Job 12:7-8). All the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence - Of what will this shaking consist? Will it be a financial shaking, a spiritual shaking, an emotional shaking? Undoubtedly it will include all those elements, but we don't need to spiritualize it, for it will also be a literal physical shaking caused by the great earthquake described in Ezekiel 38:19. In the recorded history of the world, there has never been an earthquake that has shaken the entire world! God is shaking things up so that He might get every person's attention so that all will know that God is the LORD (Ezek 38:23)! The mountains also will be thrown down - Interpreted literally, there apparently will be major upheavals in some of the mountains of the earth as a result of this earthquake. As an aside, when these events take place (Gog invading Israel, a great earthquake, etc), it will be clear to those who are alive at this time and who know the Word of God, that God is fulfilling the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39. As of September, 2013, one can only give an "educated speculation" about the timing of these "earth shaking" events. One thing can be said for certain - the geo-political scene is such that these events could all transpire in the not too distant future. Regardless, one of the major purposes of prophecy and our anticipation of God's fulfilling of prophecy, is that this expectation and assurance of this prophecy's perfect fulfillment in God's perfect timing, should cause all saints to daily walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called! Prophecy is not given to stimulate our curiosity, but to spur us on to godly living in this present evil age! Is that the effect your study of Ezekiel 36-39 is having on your life? If not then perhaps you might want to examine your motives for studying these great prophetic chapters. Peter would "Amen" this "exhortative caution" for he wrote that... the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for (what you are looking for will or should radically impact for what or Whom you are living!) and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!...Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent (aorist imperative - Do this Now! This command comes as if from a general in a great battle and conveys a sense of urgency!) be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless (2Peter 3:10-12-note, 2Pe 3:14-note) Joel Rosenberg - Ezekiel tells us that this earthquake will shake the entire globe and “all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence” Ezekiel 38:21 "I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains," declares the Lord GOD. "Every man's sword will be against his brother.: Every man's sword will be against his brother - The enemy forces will become so frightened and disoriented by the great earthquake that they will turn and starting fighting each other. (See similar descriptions in Jdg 7:22, 1Sa 14:20, 2Chr 20:23, Hag. 2:22; Zech. 14:13). Joel Rosenberg - The devastation is so horrific that Ezekiel 39 tells us it takes the Israelis seven months to bury all the bodies of the enemy forces (Ezekiel 39:12-16). Ezekiel 38:22 "With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone.: NLT - I will punish you and your hordes with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! I will enter into judgment with him - Who? Gog, one many conservative, literal commentators feel is Russia. HCSB - These judgments against Gog are consistent with the covenant curses of plague (Dt 32:24), bloodshed (Dt 32:42), flood (Gen 6), hail, fire, and brimstone (Josh 10:11). The defeat of Gog by the sword and natural elements highlights God's role as Creator and Governor of nature. The destruction is also reminiscent of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18-19). (Holman Christian Study Bible - Type in Scripture - under Study Bible click "Read" for full note - very nice!) John MacArthur feels that "The descriptions here are identical to that of the last half of the 7 year tribulation in Rev 6:12-17; 11:19; 16:17-21; 19:11-21." This interpretation certainly is worth considering. Fire and brimstone - This day ("on that day" Ezek 38:19) is the most horrifying day in human history in modern times and recalls God's destruction of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Beloved, do we not see the world catapulting into a moral cesspool, a rapidly escalating wickedness and evil that casts off all restraints, especially the "restraints" from the Almighty God! Are these days not becoming like the evil, amoral days of Sodom and Gomorrah? And what was God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah? Ge 19:24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven Ezekiel 38:23 "I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD."'.: They (many nations) will know that I am the LORD - God's purpose in bringing about these tumultuous events in His Land of Israel which is at the "center of the world" (Ezek 38:12) is repeated from Ezek 38:16 ("in order that the nations may know Me") Joel Rosenberg - Why does the Lord act? The Lord tells us directly in 38:23. The nations have forgotten that God still loves the Jewish people. He still loves the nation of Israel. They are not perfect, but He loves them and has made promises to them and He intends to keep those promises (Ed: Despite the teaching of the increasing popular belief in "Replacement Theology."). And He wants the rest of the world to know there is a God in Israel. Know (yada; Lxx uses ginosko = know by experience) means the nations will know by observing and reflecting (thinking) and by experiencing these events - they will come to see and understand God is the One and Only Living and True God. This "revelation" of His character to the entire world suggests that this is at the end of this age and at the dawn of the "new age" of the Millennium, which would place these events in the last 7 years (Daniel's Seventieth Week - The Seven Year Period). This is of course not meant to be a dogmatic statement, but is presented for you to ponder. Know that I am the LORD - 63x - Ezek 6:7, 10, 13f; 7:4, 27; 11:10, 12; 12:15f, 20; 13:9, 14, 21, 23; 14:8; 15:7; 16:62; 17:24; 20:12, 20, 26, 38, 42, 44; 22:16; 23:49; 24:24, 27; 25:5, 7, 11, 17; 26:6; 28:22ff, 26; 29:6, 9, 16, 21; 30:8, 19, 25f; 32:15; 33:29; 34:27; 35:4, 9, 15; 36:11, 23, 38; 37:6, 13, 28; 38:23; 39:6f, 22, 28 Creationist Henry