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The prophet Ezekiel, a priest, was one of the 10,000 Jews taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C., when King Jehoiachin was carried to Babylon.
In the 5th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity, 593/92, Ezekiel had his first vision by “the river Chebar,” a canal near the famous city of Nippur in lower Babylonia (chapter 1:1-3).
Enigmatic is his statement that this 5th year of captivity was also the “thirtieth year.”
It is believed that the prophet refers either to his own age or to that year as the 30th year reckoned from the reform which took place during the 18th year of Josiah.
Several of the prophet’s messages are dated exactly, and the last of these dated prophetic messages was received in the 27th year of Ezekiel’s captivity (chapter 29:17), 571/70.
This leaves Ezekiel with a ministry of at least 22 years, from 593/92 to 571/70.
However, it is possible that some of his undated prophecies were given at a later time.
Hence the year 571/70 must not be considered as necessarily marking the end of his ministry.
God disciplines because He loves us and wants to produce righteousness in us and through us (see Heb 12:3–11).
God’s discipline is always in the right amount and has as its aim our repentance and not just our remorse.
Timeline: 590–570 B.C.
Theme: The glory of the Lord
Author: Ezekiel
Setting: Babylon
Chapters 1–3 The Call of Ezekiel The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem takes place in stages, and the Jewish people are taken captive in three deportations (see page 60).
Ezekiel, a priest, is taken to Babylon in the second deportation, in 597 B.C.
While there, Ezekiel has a vision of God’s heavenly glory.
In the vision, God commissions Ezekiel to become a prophet to the Jewish people living in Babylon.
Ezekiel is clearly warned by God that the people are rebellious and won’t listen to his message.
The Mission
God didn’t send Ezekiel out without preparing him and getting him ready for the assignment.
Chapters 4–24 The Judgment of Jerusalem God’s judgment of the people of Judah and Jerusalem is already under way, with many Jewish people already taken captive in Babylon.
Through Ezekiel, God continues to warn the people of Jerusalem’s eventual collapse, and urges them to turn from their wicked ways.
Ezekiel announces that God’s glory will leave the temple, and that the temple will be destroyed.
Chapters 25–32 The Judgment of the Nations After pronouncing judgment upon Jerusalem, Ezekiel goes on to pronounce God’s retribution against several of the enemy nations surrounding Israel.
These judgments affirm God’s sovereign power over all kings and nations.
Chapters 33–39 The Restoration of God’s People Ezekiel announces the fall of Jerusalem and calls the Jewish people to repentance.
Though the city and the temple are now in ruins, this is not the end.
If the people are willing to turn from their rebellion against God, He will restore them and bring them back to their land.
We ended last week looking at the dry bones coming back to life in Chapter 37.
This is a picture of God not being finished with Israel and that they were coming back to life.
D. Repudiation of Gog and Magog, Chapters 38, 39
Chapter 38 — That Gog and Magog may be identified with Russia is supported by a threefold reason:
1. Linguistic phenomenon —
These two chapters have to do with one of the most amazing prophecies in all of the Word of God.
God gave to Ezekiel, that rather eccentric and unusual prophet of God, a series of visions.
When you come to the third section of Ezekiel, you come to the chapters that have to do with Judah’s future and the great hope that God has for the people of God.
Back in the 37th chapter we had the vision of dry bones.
Though it has application to us and our daily life, the primary application was a word of hope for God’s people Israel.
They felt like they were beyond hope and in the 11th verse of the 37th chapter they said, “These bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.â€
But God said, I’m going to raise you from the dead.
Those bones are going to live again.
Now, in chapter 38, right on to the conclusion, we have some great passages which give great hope to God’s people Israel and also great hope to us.
This is indeed one of the most remarkable prophecies in all of the Bible.
It is one of the most difficult of the prophecies to understand.
IT is the rather astonishing prediction that in the end time there is going to be an invasion of Israel by nations from the north.
It is a prediction that God Himself is going to intervene in this invasion.
So devastating and so complete will be the destruction of this invading army that it will take seven months for them to bury all of the bodies of the slain.
The prediction of the invasion of Gog of Magog into the land of Israel.
The question comes to mind when is this going to take place?
At what point is it going to occur?
You will notice in verse 8 we are told specifically that it is going to happen in the latter days.
“After many days thou shalt be visited; in the latter years thou shalt come into the land.â€
This invasion will be in the latter days.
In verse 16 he says, And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land.
We are told specifically that this invasion will occur in the latter days.
Now, the question comes when in the latter days will this be?
In order for us to be able to move in and focus in to when this will occur, it is good for us to have in mind the framework of end time prophecy.
There are several events given to us in end time prophecy which we need to put in the proper order.
The next event on God’s Bible end time calendar is the rapture.
First Thessalonians 4. We do not know when this will occur.
All we know is that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout.
Born again believers who have died will be raised.
Born again believers who are alive when Jesus comes, will be caught up, raptured up to meet the Lord.
We do not know when this will occur, but it is the next event on God’s prophetic calendar.
Then the Bible says there will begin on this earth a period of time known in the Bible as the Great Tribulation.
We have studied this in our survey of the book of Revelation on Sunday nights.
We know that Revelation 6-19 give us this period of time known as the Great Tribulation.
We know from chapter 9 that the great tribulation is going to last approximately seven years.
We also know that this seven-year period of time is going to be divided into two parts.
There will be the first three and ½ years and then the latter three and ½ years.
In that latter three and ½ years the wrath of God is going to be poured out.
So, the Great Tribulation 3 ½ years the first part; 3 ½ years the latter part.
After the Great Tribulation, the next event is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 19.
Jesus Christ, with all the saints will return to this earth.
In the rapture, Jesus comes in the air FOR the saints.
In the return, Jesus Christ will come to the earth WITH the saints.
At that point in time, there will be the battle of Armageddon, the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There will be that final battle mentioned in Revelation 20.
Then we will move into the eternal state.
When you look at the prophecy as it is given in Ezekiel 38 and 39, it seems very clear that this prophecy will occur during that period known as the Great Tribulation.
That means that invasion will occur before the millennium.
All indications are that this invasion will occur in the first half of the Great Tribulation.
Why is that so?
It is so because we are told that during the Great Tribulation, antichrist is going to solve the Middle Eastern Crisis.
I am grateful for all efforts that are made today to try solve the Middle Eastern crisis.
But I must tell you, according to Bible prophecy, it will not be resolved until antichrist goes into a seven-year treaty with the Jewish people.
They will be allowed to rebuild their temple.
Evidently it is the rebuilding of this temple that is going to trigger the invasion which is predicted right here.
Also I believe it is in the first part of the Great Tribulation because of what is said in this passage here.
The invasion is going to come at a time when Israel will have peace or they will seem to be dwelling safely.
2. Geographic phenomenon — (v. 6) “North quarters” means north of Israel.
Directions in Scripture are in relationship to the land of Israel.
Russia is north of Israel and fills the entire area.
Assyria in ancient times is a type of Russia (as Babylon is a type of the restored Roman Empire) in the “latter days.”
3. Philosophical or ideological phenomenon — God’s mercy was extended to all nations of the past which were polytheistic: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, etc.
But here it is stated from the beginning, “I am against thee, O Gog” (v.
3).
Russia is the first nation of the world to adopt an atheistic philosophy of life and government.
“It is possible,” said Plutarch, “to find cities without walls, without kings, without wealth, without letters, without theaters, but a city without a temple or that practiceth not worship no man ever saw.”
Stalin boasted, “We have deposed the czars of the earth, we shall now dethrone the Lord of Heaven.”
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