God’s GLORY!

That seems to be the ultimate Theme of this two-chapter Span in Ezekiel.

Here’s what I mean.

Our Lord is clearly preparing a “feast,” one of dead bodies!

In an event that will recur at the Battle of Armageddon, the predatory birds of the air (but here, the beasts of the field too) are divinely summoned to eat their fill!

“And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. And I WILL SET MY GLORY AMONG THE HEATHEN, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.” Ezekiel 39:17-21

Without irreverence, this is like another “Lord’s Supper!”

At the expense of Russia and her (dead) allies!

The noun “sacrifice” in our text (“gather yourselves on every side to my SACRIFICE that I do sacrifice for you”) is “zebach,” meaning “slaughter!” It is translated “kill” or “slay” nearly a dozen times. God the Avenger!

Mankind has a “choice” here it seems.

One can eat Jesus’ Flesh and drink Jesus’ Blood and go to Heaven, the internalizing (eating and drinking) being a “picture” of faith and belief and salvation … “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man EAT OF THIS BREAD, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

Add to this John 6:53 … “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye EAT THE FLESH of the Son of man, and DRINK HIS BLOOD, ye have no life in you.”

Wow!

That’s the first choice!

The second?

Or … the ravenous birds and wild beasts of God’s Wrath will “eat” your flesh and “drink” your blood some day. Here at the defeat of Gog and his gang this threat is actualized, or will be. “Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may EAT FLESH, and DRINK BLOOD. Ye shall EAT THE FLESH of the mighty, and DRINK THE BLOOD of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And YE SHALL EAT FAT till ye be full, and DRINK BLOOD till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.” God does feed the birds!

But still, WHY?

To defeat a long standing group of Israel’s enemies.

To show Israel God’s mercy and love, to protect her from annihilation.

And … to bring glory to our great God!

Our last verse today … “And I WILL SET MY GLORY among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.” Verse 21

Note here God’s Glory is associated with His Judgment!

In our day, to us Believers … God’s glory is most often associated with His GRACE!

How blessed we are.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The reference to “Bashan” (meaning “fruitful” in Hebrew) in our text indicates a part of the Holy Land east of the River Jordan, and sometimes associated with the fattest, most wealthy (and often most wicked) of all the area. The devil’s wicked “champions” will be defeated.

And I am just now noticing God’s inviting the birds and beasts to “His table!” Wow, God the Caterer! “Thus ye shall be filled at MY TABLE with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.” Verse 20

The Lord willing, more tomorrow.

 

My paragraph divisions in these Ezekiel lessons may see arbitrary. But really, if I know my heart, I’ve been discussing these chapter sections as “led of the Lord.” Plus (I trust) a little dose of human “logic” … which He has so graciously bestowed on us all.

This morning Ezekiel 39:8-16 just “jumped out” at me! Telling the story of Israel’s “burying the dead” (multitudes of soldiers) after Russia’s (and her Arab allies) failed attempt at overrunning God’s “Promised Land.” Nine verses of “clean-up!” Plus … a couple of “enigmatic” lines, hard-to-explain places!

“Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.” Again, this is Ezekiel 39:8-16.

Now, as I have done recently, let me clarify the adjectives, giving their antecedents. Some of you have indicated this is helpful. And of course keep in mind, this is the King James Version.

“Behold, it is come (the due day, judgment), and it is done (the destruction of that wicked army), saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken (prophesied). And they that dwell in the cities (still unharmed, mind you) of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire (literally) and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves (some weapon designed for hand-to-hand combat), and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: so that they shall take no wood (for heating or cooking) out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests (God’s love for trees); for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil (plunder, prey upon) those that spoiled them, and rob (take away) those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give (God the Donor) unto Gog (the Russo-Arabic Confederation) a place there of graves (burying places) in Israel, the valley of the passengers (a location, like ‘Travelers Rest’) on the east of the sea (Mediterranean): and it shall stop the noses (a stench?) of the passengers (nearby travelers): and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude (cohorts, helpers): and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog (like a national cemetery) . And seven months (over half a year) shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse (to make pure, for ceremonial/religious reasons) the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown (name, fame, glory) the day that I SHALL BE GLORIFIED (God properly recognized, honored), saith the Lord GOD. And they shall sever (hire, maybe even ‘draft’) out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers (the passers-by) those (dead) that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. And the passengers (those ‘on-the-road’ travelers) that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone (the flesh having decomposed), then shall he set up a sign (marker) by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog (a massive burial ground). And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah (means ‘multitudes’). Thus shall they cleanse the land.”

What a paragraph!

God has not only predicted who wins the Battle, He does! But for the sake of Israel, His darling people. Now we’ve also learned God has also pre-described the “burial details,” of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, likely both men and women. Dead (foolishly advised) military warriors, who tried to “rob” Israel of he possessions!

The Text nearly speaks for itself.

And, personally speaking, I can see the preliminary alignment of these hordes! Of Russia and all her allies! Can’t you too?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

I know a man who was a noted non-Believer in Jesus. Brilliant too, an honor graduate of Georgia-Tech. Who sought to disprove the Bible! And yet as he studied (particularly) the prophecies of Scripture … he was converted to Christianity!

Oh, the POWER of Bible Prophecy!

 

A scientist reading Ezekiel (or any other Book of the Bible) will see certain things that I miss. Of course, that scientist must be a “Believer” in the things of God, not a skeptic. Certain “links,” or “logical developments.”

Today’s verses show such a situation, with our God speaking. “And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. And I WILL SEND A FIRE on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.” Ezekiel 39:3-7

Now, using the same Text, let me identify the pronouns and explain a term or two.

“And I (the Lord) will smite (beat) thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine (Russia and company) arrows to fall out of thy right hand (stripping this enemy of all weapons). Thou shalt fall (means ‘fail’ 318 times) upon the mountains (in Hebrew ‘har’) of Israel, thou, and all thy bands (allies), and the people (a throng) that is with thee: I will give (God’s gift to the buzzards) thee unto the ravenous (root word means ‘to scream, to shriek’) birds of every sort, and to the beasts (‘living creatures’ ) of the field to be devoured (to be ‘fuel’ for God’s creatures). Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. And I will send (‘to let go, to stretch out’) A FIRE (‘burning, hot’) on Magog (north of Israel, ‘Russia and her allies’ many say), and among them that dwell carelessly (‘safely’) in the isles: and they (the island dwellers) shall know (‘perceive, understand’) that I am the LORD. So will I make my holy (in Hebrew ‘qodesh’ = set apart, dedicated, consecrated, different) name (‘shem’ = reputation, fame, renown) known in the midst of my people (God still ‘owns’ them, ‘loves’ them) Israel; and I will not let them pollute (defile, profane, wound) my holy name (God speaking of Himself) any more: and the heathen (gentiles) shall know that I am the LORD (Jehovah), the Holy One in Israel.”

It seems to me that Ezekiel chapter 38 describes the battle, HOW God overcomes this selfish bloc of Israel’s attackers. Now chapter 39 is giving us more of the specifics.

But back to the “scientist’s” perspective I mentioned earlier. In chapter 38 God told of a great “earthquake” He was sending. One that would help decimate Russia and her gang. “Surely in that day there shall be A GREAT SHAKING in the land of Israel; so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, SHALL SHAKE AT MY (THE LORD’S) PRESENCE, and THE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE THROWN DOWN, and the STEEP PLACES SHALL FALL, and EVERY WALL SHALL FALL to the ground.” Ezekiel 38:19-20, WOW! God several times through Scripture is said to cause these mighty upheavals, “earthquakes” indeed.

But that saved scientist I noted ties the “earthquake” of yesterday’s Lesson to the intense “fire” in today’s Lesson. He believes the “earthquake” causes the “fire!” In other words, the earth shakes and vibrates and lunges so violently that (cracks, deep fissures in its surface, core occur) … with violent VOLCANOES resulting!

Seems logical.

And that, to me anyway, puts a fresh perspective on these events!

After all, the God Who created is also the God Who judges!

To Him be Glory and Praise.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

God knows mathematics.

He, being the Creator, even knows fractions!

And Bible Prophecy is FULL of numbers.

For example, today’s Text … “Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 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.” Ezekiel 39:1-2

I am glad God is “for” us! “What shall we then say to these things? If God be FOR us, who can be AGAINST us?” Romans 8:31

Because God can, clearly, be AGAINST some things, some people!

Like the anti-Jewish confederation of Ezekiel chapters 38-39. I say such (anti-Jewish) because this marching (wicked) army is attempting to rob the Land of Israel of all her treasures. Sounds “anti” to me!

So … when that rebellious crowd wars AGAINST God’s people … God in turn will fight AGAINST them! “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I AM AGAINST THREE, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.”

“Turn thee back” is a verb, of course. Translating the Hebrew word “shub,” carrying the idea of making something do a 180 degree reversal! God will not allow these aggressors to come into the Land, not into its heart! He will repel them! “Shub” here is grammatically intensive in its nature, God will energetically do this! Mightily so!

Now to the math.

God calculating, promising: “I will turn thee back, and leave but THE SIXTH PART of thee.” Only 17% of that army will survive! Does this mean that 83% of them will perish? If my math is correct, that’s the case!

One sixth!

And there’s more detail tomorrow, in the Lesson, about their defeat.

God intervening in a Battle!

God defending His people!

That’s exactly what will happen in this Ezekiel context.

Nations who will never rise to prominence again!

God caring for “the apple of His Eye,” Israel!

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; after the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled (attacked, plundered) you: for he that toucheth you (Israel) toucheth the apple of his eye.” Zechariah 2:8

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

We’re in the middle of the “marathon” battle of “God and Magog.” Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, actually the “Battle that was not!” Because God defeated Israel’s confederate enemies before they ever did the least bit of damage to her unique Land! Or should I say, “God’s Unique Land?”

Today Ezekiel 38:17-23 is our focus, our Text.

Watch how it begins. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou (Gog) he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them (the Jews)?” Verse 17, where the clear (though implied) answer to the question is YES! Gog is the one! 

“And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken ….” Verse 18 and most of 19 … perhaps one of the “angriest” paragraphs ever written about our great God, in all the Bible anyway! God’s “Fury,” translated “rage” 2 times elsewhere (King James Version) and “poison” 6 times! God’s “jealousy,” also translated “zeal” 9 times and “envy” 8 times and “for My Sake” 1 time! Plus God says, “the fire of my Wrath,” a phrase used only 4 times in Scripture, each of which was employed by Ezekiel!

God is very upset at these Jew-haters!

Now God begins His Plan of Destruction against this invading army with an “earthquake!” Read: “Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel (the earthquake); so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.” The remainder of verse 19 and all of verse 20, catastrophic! The earth’s topography is rearranged, seems like! Not a wall left standing!

The look! “And I (the Lord) will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.” Verse 21, such confusion (perhaps initiated by such a “great” earthquake) that the Russian Confederation’s soldiers will begin to fight and kill each other! Sheer panic, God induced!

Wow!

But the Lord is not through yet! It’s a whole list! “And I will plead (“shaphat,” judge) against him with pestilence (plague, disease) and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands (hordes, armies), and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain (flood), and great hailstones (literally, stones or gems of God), fire (lightning), and brimstone (molten sulfur).” Verse 22, which will be written in the annals of warfare, for sure! (Sounds like Sodom and Gomorrah’s demise!)

So devastating that no one (not even the so-called atheists) will say “merely another war!” This can only be attributed to God Almighty! Such a “perfect storm” of destruction!

Which apparently was God’s ultimate goal, all along! Read the last verse of the chapter: “Thus will I (God) magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.” God’s Glory made known!

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, DEAD!

Ezekiel 38, concluded.

Ezekiel 39, coming next, beginning tomorrow, the Lord willing.

But now, in the narrative, the battle is over!

The rest is “clean-up,” the aftermath.

And good news for Israel!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Praise the Lord!