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Gog, Magog, Israel and Islam
Introduction to Gog and Magog and Israel
The link between Islam and Israel is illustrated
not only in the history the Jewish and Arab
peoples who both can claim a link to Abraham,
but in their future. The creation of the nation
of Israel in 1948 was an event foretold by the
Jewish prophets, including Moses,
Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel
among others. The creation of Israel however has
created a dilemma for the other ancestors of
Abraham who have occupied the land in their
absence.
These two groups of Abraham’s descendents,
the Jews and the Arabs, both groups have their
own unique view from not only a political, but
also a religious perspective. In the absence
of the Jewish nation, peoples came to occupy the
lands of Israel, after their dispersion from the
land by the Romans in A.D. 70 under Titus, and
A.D 135 under Hadrian. Therefore, when Jacob’s
descendents came back to the land, as a nation,
rather then a subject people, of the Muslim
nations, they faced both ethnic and religious
opposition. On May 14, 1948, the day state of
Israel into existence, they were attacked by
five Arab armies who refused to allow a Jewish
state to exist. Israel won the war and
established Jerusalem as their capital city.
Opposition to their existence continued, as
Muslim nations waged a series of wars, they lost
more territory to Israel.
This was not the first time a resettled
Jewish population faced a gauntlet of
opposition. Twenty-five-hundred years ago, the
Jews faced similar opposition following the
Babylonian captivity (605-539 B.C). Cyrus
the Great, the Persian king who defeated the
Babylonians allowed the Jewish captives to
return to the land (Ezra 1:1-3). As the Jews
migrated back to the land, the people who had
occupied Jerusalem and the surrounding lands in
their absence did not welcome their arrival. A
struggle ensued, with nearly entire Jewish
population being destroyed during the time of
Xerxes, (486-465 B.C.) (Esther 3;13). The story
of Ester details how they were saved, from
Haman’s holocaust. The same struggle continued
during the time of Xerxes’ son, who allowed
Nehemiah to rebuild the walls and city of
Jerusalem.
In the Book of Nehemiah, the Old
Testament records the threats and opposition the
Jews received from the occupants of Jerusalem,
and the outlying areas. In Nehemiah, we are told
how the builders carried a sword and half the
men stood guard as the walls were built. Over
2400-years ago, Nehemiah records a similar
opposition to the Jews, which we see today.
7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah,
the Arabs, the Ammonites (Jordan) and
the Ashdodites (Palestinians) heard that
the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and
the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they
became very angry,
8 and all of them conspired together to come and
attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nehemiah
4:7-8
Though this scripture was written 2500 years
ago, we see the same nations and peoples
involved in today’s conflict,
being
both Arab and Muslim.
Ezekiel over 2500 years ago, actually
prophesied about today’s nation of Israel, how
the people gathered from the nations, settled
back in the land, following a period of
desolations, they would be opposed by the
surrounding nations. Israel would face a massive
invasion by a group of allied nations, including
Persia (Iran), Libya (Put), Ethiopia (Cush) and
a group of nations from the north, which many
see as Russia.
Israel compared to the days of Nehemiah,
faces even greater odds, on all sides and even
within its own borders, Israel is surrounded by
enemy nations. These enemy nations, Muslim
nations, see Israel and the Jews, from the view
of the Quran and Islamic tradition. In addition
to Islamic opposition from its neighbors,
distant nations, such as Iran have threaten to
annihilate the Jewish State, once they have
nuclear capability.
Another problem faced by Israel, is its
lack of friends in the world, even in Europe,
anti-Semitism is growing, and there is little
compassion for the nation of Israel. For a
couple of reasons;
·
European countries have large Muslim
populations, these populations vote against
Israel.
·
European populations are oil dependent, and they
need the oil supplied by Arab/Muslim nations.
·
Europe has a long built in history of animosity
towards the Jews, passed down from generations.
·
Europe has adopted a humanist philosophy which
is anti-biblical, the Jews being the focus of
the Bible brings with it Europe’s distain.
For anybody viewing the situation from the
surface the outlook for Israel looks bleak, with
so much opposition, how could such a small
nation of 5-million Jews expect to survive, when
surrounded by such hostility, numbering in the
hundreds of millions. Just as in the days of
Esther and Nehemiah, the days seems bleak as
well, however, for those who understood Bible
Prophecy, the mere creation of the nation of
Israel was a prophetic event waiting to happen.
However, not only was the nation’s creation
foretold, but the coming opposition was also
foretold, thousands of years ago, even listing
the nations which would come against Israel in
the last days.
The prophet Ezekiel covers this period of
Israel’s existence in detail in Chapters 36-43.
In these chapters, Ezekiel records the three
phases of Israel during the last days.
·
The creation of the nation of Israel gathered
from the nations. Ezekiel 36-37
·
The battle of Gog and Magog, following its
creation Ezekiel 38-39
·
The building of the Temple, following the defeat
of Gog and Magog Ezekiel 40-43
The Nation of Israel and the Temple
The Bible clearly demonstrates in Bible
prophecy, the nation of Israel will come into
existence in the last days, and the Thrid
Jewish Temple will replace, the third most
holy site to the Muslims, the Dome of the
Rock or Noble Sanctuary. We know this
because the Abomination of Desolation,
requires a Third temple, and the only place a
Third temple can be is located on the same
location of the Dome of the Rock.
Prior to the building of the Third Temple,
Islam as a force against Israel needs to be
removed, in order for the
Temple
to be built. The Muslim world has threatened
world war if the Dome of the Rock is harmed in
any way. While, the Muslims threaten war over
the Third Temple, preparations are under way to
put the Third Temple in place. Among these
preparations is the establishment of a
Sanhedrin, a ruling body of 71 Jews who will
oversee the establishment of the Third Temple.
Quoting the Jewish publication Arutz Sheva
The recently re-established Sanhedrin - ideally,
Judaism's top legal assembly - of 71 rabbis and
scholars also moved to solidify logistical
aspects of the body.
The Sanhedrin heard expert testimony on the
various opinions as to the exact part of the
Temple Mount upon which the Holy Temple stood.
The fact that there has never been an
archaeological expedition or dig on the Temple
Mount, coupled with continuous Muslim efforts to
destroy historical evidence of the Holy Temple
at the site, have made determining the exact
location difficult.
Identifying the spot on which the Temple stood
is a matter of controversy among scholars, and
has serious ramifications for those wishing to
visit the Temple Mount. It is also critical for
the renewal of the Passover sacrifice, and
ultimately for the building of the third and
final Holy Temple.
Also established in Israel is the
Temple Institute with the purpose of
planning and preparing for the establishment of
the Third Temple. Quoting from the Temple
Institute’s website,
The Institute's work touches upon the history of
the Holy Temple's past, an understanding of the
present day, and the Divine promise of Israel's
future. The scope of these activities includes
education, research, and development. The Temple
Institute's ultimate goal is to see Israel
rebuild the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah in
Jerusalem, in accord with the Biblical
commandments.
All the excitement and plans by Jewish
groups, for the Third Temple has not escaped the
notice of Muslims either. The recent
announcement by Israeli Knesset Member Uri Ariel
(NRP), on plans to build a synagogue on a vacant
section of the Temple Mount received this rebuke
and warning from a leading Muslim Sheik in
Jerusalem. Quoting the publication Arutz Sheva,
Sheikh Raad Salah - head of the Islamic Movement
in Israel, a Hamas supporter, and an outspoken
enemy of Israel - warns that Israeli plans to
build a synagogue on the Temple Mount could lead
to violence and bloodshed. "The day will never
come when a Moslem or an Arab will have the
right to cede even one foot of the Al-Aqsa
Mosque or of Jerusalem," the Sheikh's Al-Aqsa
movement announced............................
"We remind the Israeli establishment, which
stands behind these plans, that the problem of
Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem is not just a Palestinian
problem, but a Palestinian, Arab and Islamic
problem. The day the Al-Aqsa Mosque is harmed,
Heaven forbid, all the Arab and Islamic nations
will call to prevent this damage. Watch out!
Beware of merely the thought of hurting or
desecrating the mosque."
This is only a small sampling of the incredible
amount of pressure boiling between Orthodox
Jewish groups and Islamic fundamentalist groups
regarding the Temple Mount. Regardless what we
wish happens, scripture is clear a Third Temple
is coming, and the rest or the world will hear
about it. God through the nation of Israel will
make an appeal to all nations, through Israel
came the Messiah, who Israel rejected. Moreover,
in the end of days, Israel will again be
presented with the 
Messiah,
this time however they will accept Him.
Israel’s existence and rebirth is essential part
of both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus
himself declared, He would not be seen again
until Israel acknowledged Him as their Messiah.
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills
the prophets and stones those who are sent to
her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, but you were not willing! 38 "See! Your
house is left to you desolate;
39 "for I say to you, you shall see Me no
more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord!' " Matthew 23:37-39
The restoration of Israel as a nation
Islam plays a central role in the End-times as
they oppose the nation of Israel and the
fulfillment of scripture, which clearly shows a
restored Israel, the descendents of Jacob, back
in the land of Israel. Ezekiel clearly
proclaims a restored Israel in the last-days;
however, Ezekiel is not alone in this prophecy.
Both Old and New Testament prophets declare a
restored Israel in the last days.
Israel as a nation needs to be restored for
several reasons:
·
God had made covenant promises to Abraham
regarding the land of Israel and his descendents
through Isaac and Jacob.
·
God redemptive plan includes a restored Israel,
which accepts Messiah in the last days.
·
God uses Israel to judge the nations
·
Scripture requires a Third Jewish Temple to be
in place at the Second Coming, we can only have
a Jewish Temple if there are Jewish people and
priests in the land of Israel.
·
God word places the nations gathering against
the land of Israel and the Jews in the last
Days.
|
Scripture Quote about Israel’s
restoration |
|
1For
the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and
will still choose Israel, and
settle them in their own land.
The strangers will be joined with them,
and they will cling to the house of
Jacob. 2Then people will take
them and bring them to their place, and
the house of Israel will possess them
for servants and maids in the land of
the LORD; they will take them captive
whose captives they were, and rule over
their oppressors.Isaiah
14:1-2 |
|
22Thus
says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will lift
My hand in an oath to the nations, And
set up My standard for the peoples; They
shall bring your sons in their
arms, And your daughters
shall be carried on their
shoulders;23 Kings shall be
your foster fathers, And their queens
your nursing mothers; They shall bow
down to you with their faces to
the earth, And lick up the dust of your
feet. Then you will know that I am
the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed
who wait for Me.”24 hall the
prey be taken from the mighty, Or the
captives £of the righteous be
delivered?25But thus says the
LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty
shall be taken away, And the prey of the
terrible be delivered;For I
will contend with him who contends with
you, And I will save your childrenIsaiah 49:22-24 |
|
6 “I will strengthen the house of
Judah, And I will save the house of
Joseph.I
will bring them back,
Because I have mercy on them.They
shall be as though I had not cast them
aside;For
I am the LORD their God, And I will hear
them. Those of Ephraim shall be like a
mighty man, And their heart shall
rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their
children shall see it and be glad; Their
heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8 I
will whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them; And they shall
increase as they once increased. 9 “I
will sow them among the peoples, Andthey
shall remember Me in far countries;They
shall live, together with their
children, And they shall return. 10 I
will also bring them back from the land
of Egypt, And gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of
Gilead and Lebanon, Until no more room
is found for them. 11 He shall pass
through the sea with affliction, And
strike the waves of the sea: All the
depths of the £River shall dry up. Then
the pride of Assyria shall be brought
down, And the scepter of Egypt shall
depart. 12 “So I will strengthen them in
the LORD, And they shall walk up and
down in His name,” Says the LORD. Zechariah
10:6-12 |
|
7“Thus
says the LORD of hosts:‘ Behold,I will
save My people from the land of the east
And from the land of the west;8
I will bring them back, Andthey
shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
They shall be My people And I will be
their God, In truth and righteousness.’
Zechariah 8:7-8 |
|
6“Up,
up! Flee from the land of the north,”
says the LORD; “for I have spread you
abroad like the four winds of heaven,”
says the LORD. 7“Up, Zion!
Escape, you who dwell with the daughter
of Babylon.”8For thus says
the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after
glory, to the nations which plunder you;
for he who touches you touches the apple
of His eye. 9For surely I
will shake My hand against them, and
they shall become spoil for their
servants. Then you will know that the
LORD of hosts has sent Me.Zechariah
2:6-9 |
|
0
“Yet the number ofthe
children of Israel Shall be as the sand
of the sea, Which cannot be measured or
numbered. And it shall come to
pass In the place where it was said to
them, ‘You are £not My
people,’ There it shall be said
to them, ‘You are sons of the
living God.’11Then
the children of Judah and the children
of Israel Shall be gathered together,
And appoint for themselves one head; Andthey
shall come up out of the land,
For great will be the day of
Jezreel
Hosea 1:10-11 |
|
1The
word that came to Jeremiah from the
LORD, saying, 2“Thus speaks
the LORD God of Israel, saying: ‘Write
in a book for yourself all the words
that I have spoken to you. 3For
behold, the days are coming,’ says the
LORD, ‘that I will bring back from
captivity My people Israel and Judah,’
says the LORD. ‘AndI will
cause them to return to the land that I
gave to their fathers, and they shall
possess it.’”11
For I am with you,’ says the
LORD, ‘to save you; Though I make a full
end of all nations whereI have
scattered you, Yet I will not make a
complete end of you. But I will
correct you in justice, And will not let
you go altogether unpunished.’18“Thus
says the LORD: Behold, I will bring back
the captivity of Jacob’s tents, And have
mercy on his dwelling places; The city
shall be built upon its own mound, And
the palace shall remain according to its
own plan. Jeremiah
30:1-3, 11,18 |
|
8
Behold, I will bring them from the north
country, And gather them from the ends
of the earth, Among them the
blind and the lame, The woman with child
And the one who labors with child,
together; A great throng shall return
there.9 They
shall come with weeping, And with
supplications I will lead them. I will
cause them to walk by the rivers of
waters, In a straight way in which they
shall not stumble; For I am a Father to
Israel, And Ephraim is My
firstborn.10 “Hear
the word of the LORD, O nations, And
declare it in the isles afar off,
and say, He who scattered Israel will
gather him, And keep him as a
shepherd does his flock.’
Jeremiah 31:8-10 |
|
For the children of Israel shall abide
many days without king or prince,without sacrifice or sacred pillar,
without ephod or teraphim.5Afterward the children of
Israel shall return and seek the LORD
their God and David their king. They
shall fear the LORD and His goodness in
the latter days.Hosea
3:4 |
|
2 "and you return to the Lord your God
and obey His voice, according to all
that I command you today, you and your
children, with all your heart and with
all your soul, 3 "that the Lord your
God will bring you back from captivity,
and have compassion on you, andgather
you again from all the nations where the
Lord your God has scattered you.
4 "If any of you are driven out to the
farthest parts under heaven, from there
the Lord your God will gather you, and
from there He will bring you. 5 "Then
the Lord your God will bring you to the
land which your fathers possessed, and
you shall possess it.He will
prosper you and multiply you more than
your fathers. Deuteronomy
30:2-5
|
|
1 “For behold, in those daysand
at that time, When I bring back
the captives of Judah and
Jerusalem,2 I will also gather all
nations, And bring them down
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will
enter into judgment with them there On
account of My people, My heritage
Israel, Whom they have scattered among
the nations; They have also divided up
My land. Joel 3:1-2 |
|
11
It shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord shall set His hand again
the second time
To recover the remnant of His people
who are left, From Assyria and Egypt,
From Pathros and Cush, From Elam
and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands
of the sea.12He will set up a
banner for the nations, And will
assemble the outcasts of Israel, Andgather
together the dispersed of Judah From the
four corners of the earth. Isaiah
11:11-12 |
Today, many groups who condemn Israel’s claim to
the land, reject the Bible as a reference to
validate that claim. This
is
understandable, because they don’t believe the
Bible. There is however no excuse for Christian
leaders, who reject Israel’s claim to the
land. People such as Hank Hanegraaff,
Stephen Sizer
reject the Bible in its literal form. Instead,
they try to reinterpret the Bible, claiming God
did not really mean what the prophets wrote.
There is really no excuse for such a rejection
of scripture. Scripture rejects their view, by
the creation of the state of Israel, and the
gathering of the Jewish people on the lands of
their ancestors. It is very sad to see people
who claim to believe the Bible, reject the
Bible, when it does come out the way they think
it should.
This rejection of scripture is what leads many
churches to endorse homosexual marriage and
abortion. Since apostate churches want to
believe in "Gay rights" they need to reinterpret
scripture from its literal meaning.
Non-literalists say, "God did really mean to
speak against these acts", the prophets really
meant something esle.. Those who reject
scripture and yet to claim to leaders in
evangelical Christianity need to be challenged,
on what Bible they are reading.
In addition to these quotes, Ezekiel
declares the nation of Israel would come back
into existence in the last days, and its
existence would be preceding the Messiah’s rule
on earth. We need to keep in mind, when Ezekiel
wrote these words, there was no Islam, and
therefore we see the footprints of Islam, not
the image of Islam in these prophecies.
Ezekiel wrote during the Babylonian
captivity about 592 B.C., he himself was a
captive in Babylon. On a short-term basis, some
have applied these prophecies to the Babylonian
captivity; however, they have a greater
fulfillment following the Roman exile, which
lasted 1900-years verses the 70-years of
Babylon.
Ezekiel description actually is
fulfilled in the current era, as opposed to the
Babylonian and Persian era.
Israel’s
enemies surround them
Ezekiel 36
1 "And you, son of man, prophesy to the
mountains of Israel, and say, 'O mountains of
Israel, hear the word of the Lord!
2 'Thus says the Lord God: "Because the enemy
has said of you, 'Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession,' " '
3 "therefore prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the
Lord God: "Because they made you desolate and
swallowed you up on every side, so that you
became the possession of the rest of the
nations, and you are taken up by the lips of
talkers and slandered by the people"-
4 'therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the
word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to
the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the
valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities
that have been forsaken, which became plunder
and mockery to the rest of the nations all
around-
5 'therefore thus says the Lord God: "Surely I
have spoken in My burning jealousy against the
rest of the nations and against all Edom, who
gave My land to themselves as a possession, with
whole-hearted joy and spiteful minds, in order
to plunder its open country." '
Ezekiel 36:1-5
Ezekiel paints the picture of Israel, verses the
nations, specifically the nations, which
surround Israel. Verse 2, quoting the nations
refers to the ancient heights, which is
pictured by fight over the ancient lands and
mountains of Israel, which were not so ancient
in his day.
The land is physical Israel
6 "Therefore prophesy concerning the land of
Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills,
the rivers, and the valleys, 'Thus says the Lord
God: "Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and
My fury, because you have borne the shame of the
nations."
7 'Therefore thus says the Lord God: "I have
raised My hand in an oath that surely the
nations that are around you shall bear their own
shame. Ezekiel 36:6-7
God, through Ezekiel wants the reader to
understand, he is not talking in metaphor, this
prophecy regards the actual “Land of Israel”
including the mountains, hills and rivers. Now
God specifically contrasts Israel to the
“Nations...around you”. They will bear their
own shame. The nations surrounding Israel are
the Muslim nations, which threaten to destroy
and wipe the nation out of existence.
God’s promise to Israel
8 "But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall
shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit
to My people Israel, for they are
about to come.
9 "For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to
you, and you shall be tilled and sown.
10 "I will multiply men upon you, all the house
of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be
inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
11 "I will multiply upon you man and beast; and
they shall increase and bear young; I will make
you inhabited as in former times, and do better
for you than at your beginnings. Then you
shall know that I am the Lord.
12 "Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My
people Israel; they shall take possession of
you, and you shall be their inheritance; no
more shall you bereave them of children."
Ezekiel 36:8-12
Ezekiel contrasts Israel to the nations, which
surround them as enemies. The Lord proclaims
the return of “My people” in the physical
land of Israel. Not only will the people
return, they will prosper and surpass their
former condition. To further illustrate this,
in verse 12, we are told that Israel shall know
“I am Lord” and they shall “No more” be bereaved
of children. Ezekiel is looking toward Israel’s
redemption in the days of Messiah. God is
referring to literal Israel, not a metaphor as
non-literalists try to infer.
The promises to Israel, when applied to the
current nation, can only be applied to the
current nation. In verse 12, no more,
means time when the nation will no longer
threatened by its enemies. Here Ezekiel is
looking forward to a time, when Israel will
blessed in the days of Messiah, when the nation
will be victorious over its enemies, when they
come to know the Messiah.
Why was Israel cast out of the land?
17 "Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt
in their own land, they defiled it by their own
ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the
uncleanness of a woman in her customary
impurity.
18 "Therefore I poured out My fury on them for
the blood they had shed on the land, and for
their idols with which they had defiled it.
19 "So I scattered them among the nations,
and they were dispersed throughout the countries;
I judged them according to their ways and their
deeds.
20 "When they came to the nations, wherever they
went, they profaned My holy name-when they said
of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and
yet they have gone out of His land.' Ezekiel
36:17-20
Israel’s occupation of the land is contingent on
their obedience, according to the Book of
Deuteronomy, if Israel transgressed, they
would be scattered amongst the nations. Only
two times has Israel been scattered as a nation,
once in 605-586 B.C., during the Babylonian
captivity. The second time was during the Roman
exile in A.D. 70.
Israel was scattered the first time for idol
worship and disobedience, see
Ezekiel 8,
Jeremiah 7:30-34. The second
time in A.D. 70, was for the rejection of
Messiah, when Messiah the Prince (Daniel
9:25-26) was cut off and killed (Isaiah 53).
Daniel links the Messiah’s (death) “cut off”
with the Temple and Jerusalem’s destruction.
Why is Israel gathered?
21 "But I had concern for My holy name, which
the house of Israel had profaned among the
nations wherever they went.
22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus
says the Lord God: "I do not do this for your
sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's
sake, which you have profaned among the nations
wherever you went.
23 "And I will sanctify My great name,
which has been profaned among the nations, which
you have profaned in their midst; and the
nations shall know that I am the Lord," says
the Lord God, "when I am hallowed in you
before their eyes. Ezekiel 36:21-23
Israel was gathered so the Lord would receive
the glory, not Israel. In fact, among the
Gentile nations Israel caused God’s name to be
profaned. God purpose for restoring Israel is
so the nations (Gentiles) might know the Lord is
restoring Israel. God wants the world to know
Him; therefore, God through Israel will identify
Himself to a lost world. God in the Old and New
Testaments has identified Himself as the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel is the
offspring of this family line.
Israel is to receive the Spirit of God
The evidence, which clearly places this prophecy
in the last days and prior to the return of
Christ, is the following section. Here in
verses 24 to 38, God makes a promise to Israel,
yes physical and literal Israel, he says I will
“Take you from among the nations” (The world)
and “bring you into your own land”
(Palestine/Israel)(vs.24). This restoration of
“physical” Israel, then is followed by the
promise of the nation receiving a “new heart”
and “new spirit”, which is linked to the
Messianic era.
24 “For I will take you from among the nations,
gather you out of all countries, and bring you
into your own land.
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and
you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all
your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit within you; I will take the heart of
stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh.
27 “I will put My Spirit within you and
cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will
keep My judgments and do them.
28 “Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave
to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I
will be your God.
29 “I will deliver you from all your
uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and
multiply it, and bring no famine upon you.
Ezekiel 36:24-29
The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31), which
the Church has been grafted (Romans 11:22-26),
was promised to Israel, is the focus of Ezekiel
vs. 27. Israel’s rejection of the Messiah,
caused Jerusalem and the Temple to be destroyed
(Daniel 9:26), followed by the nation being
scattered amongst the gentiles (nations),
fulfilling the words of Moses. They have yet to
receive the promises made here, when the Lord
puts His “Spirit” in the people of Israel, so
this future prophecy is yet to be fulfilled,
63 "And it shall be, that just as the Lord
rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply
you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to
destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you
shall be plucked from off the land which you go
to possess. 64 "Then the Lord will scatter you
among all peoples, from one end of the earth to
the other, and there you shall serve other gods,
which neither you nor your fathers have
known-wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:63-64
So we can see how Islam plays a role here in the
end times, God has made the promises of
redemption to His people, Israel. Their
redemption is also linked to the restoration of
the nation back in the physical land of Israel.
So Islam, as an opponent to restoration, is
actually at war with God’s plan. We must
remember this battle is ultimately spiritual,
not physical, we see the physical realities of
the spiritual conflict.
“On the day”!
33
‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day thatI cleanse you from all your iniquities, I
will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and
the ruins shall be rebuilt.
34 “The desolate land shall be tilled instead of
lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by.
35 “So they will say, ‘This land that was
desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and
the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now
fortified and inhabited.’
36 “Then the nations which are left all
around you shall know that I, the Lord, have
rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was
desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I
will do it.”
God clearly links the “Time” of Israel’s
restoration back in the land of Israel as the
time of the nations redemption, so in other
words God qualifies the time, by linking it with
the physical restoration in the land of Israel.
Its important to understand, the Muslim world
looks on the day Israel was founded, May 14th
1948, as “The Great Catastrophe”, it is a
day of mourning in the Muslim world.
Following the promises of the 36th
Chapter, where the restoration of Israel is
linked with redemption, Ezekiel is then taken to
a valley of dry bones in chapter 37. Here
Israel as a nation is literally, resurrected in
the site of the nations. God refers to this
restored nation as “a great army”.
Israel
resurrected
Ezekiel’s
vision is taking place in the “In the Spirit”,
the Lord take Ezekiel in the spirit, into a
valley of dry bones.
Ezekiel 37
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me and
brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord,
and set me down in the midst of the valley; and
it was full of bones.
2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around,
and behold, there were very many in the open
valley; and indeed they were very dry.
3 And He said to me, "Son of man, can these
bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You
know."
4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones,
and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of
the Lord!
5 'Thus says the Lord God to these bones:
"Surely I will cause breath to enter into you,
and you shall live.
6 "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon
you, cover you with skin and put breath in you;
and you shall live. Then you shall know that I
am the Lord." ' "
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I
prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a
rattling; and the bones came together, bone to
bone.
8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh
came upon them, and the skin covered them over;
but there was no breath in them.
9 Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath,
prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath,
'Thus says the Lord God: "Come from the four
winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain,
that they may live." ' "
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and
breath came into them, and they lived, and stood
upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Ezekiel 37:1-10
The apostle Paul in Romans links the spiritual
restoration of Israel with the resurrection
itself. The spiritual restoration, follows the
physical, at the spiritual restoration of
Israel, the resurrection occurs (Romans 11:12).
The spiritual condition of Israel
11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones
are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say,
'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we
ourselves are cut off!'
12 "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus
says the Lord God: "Behold, O My people, I
will open your graves and cause you to come up
from your graves, and bring you into the land of
Israel.
13 "Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when
I have opened your graves, O My people, and
brought you up from your graves.
14 "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall
live, and I will place you in your own land.
Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have
spoken it and performed it," says the Lord.' "
Israel’s physical restoration (vs.12) is
followed by their spiritual restoration (vs.
14), when the people of Israel shall know “the
Lord”.
One nation, a united people
Israel will no longer be a divided people with a
northern kingdom Israel and a southern kingdom
Judah. They will be one people, eventually
united under the Messiah, Jesus Christ who will
rule over the nations, along with His saints.
15 Again the word of the Lord came to me,
saying,
16 "As for you, son of man, take a stick for
yourself and write on it: 'For Judah and for the
children of Israel, his companions.' Then take
another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the
stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of
Israel, his companions.'
17 "Then join them one to another for
yourself into one stick, and they will
become one in your hand.
18 "And when the children of your people speak
to you, saying, 'Will you not show us what you
mean by these?'-
19 "say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God:
"Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which
is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of
Israel, his companions; and I will join them
with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them
one stick, and they will be one in My hand." '
20 "And the sticks on which you write will be in
your hand before their eyes.
21 "Then say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God:
"Surely I will take the children of Israel from
among the nations, wherever they have gone, and
will gather them from every side and bring them
into their own land;
22 "and I will make them one nation in the
land, on the mountains of Israel; and one
king shall be king over them all; they shall no
longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be
divided into two kingdoms again.
Israel united under King Messiah
During this period the resurrection is clearly
in mind because, David is referred to as a
prince, over the nation, since David has died
3000-years ago; 400 –years before Ezekiel
himself. Therefore, Ezekiel is referring to the
coming age, the Messianic age when the dead are
resurrected (Daniel 12:2-3).
23 "They shall not defile themselves anymore
with their idols, nor with their detestable
things, nor with any of their transgressions;
but I will deliver them from all their dwelling
places in which they have sinned, and will
cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and
I will be their God.
24 "David My servant shall be king over them,
and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall
also walk in My judgments and observe My
statutes, and do them.
25 "Then they shall dwell in the land that I
have given to Jacob My servant, where your
fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they,
their children, and their children's children,
forever; and My servant David shall be their
prince forever.
26 "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace
with them, and it shall be an everlasting
covenant with them; I will establish them
and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary
in their midst forevermore.
27 "My tabernacle also shall be with them;
indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My
people.
28 "The nations also will know that I, the Lord,
sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their
midst forevermore." ' "
The timing here is important, when we try to
understand the role Islam plays, they are part
of the transition of the world, from the kingdom
of men, to the kingdom of God, when the
resurrection occurs.
