DavidT
Member
Did you know that the Gog-Magog army of nations listed in Ezekiel 38 that will come upon Israel on the last day is pointing to 2 different concepts of God's Israel? Did you even know per Bible history that God split old Israel into two separate kingdoms and nations back in Solomon's day? (1 Kings 11)
Ezekiel 38 is describing some features about Israel that do not apply to the nation state of Israel in the holy land.
Ezek 38:8-16
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
Wait a minute. What Israel is that, which dwells safely all of them? Is today's nation state of Israel in the holy land dwelling safely from radical Muslims raining rockets and mortar attacks upon Israel, is that dwelling safely?
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
Wait another minute. Doesn't the nation state of Israel in the middle east have gates and walls around Jerusalem? Yeah, it does. The Israelis also closely guard the West Bank barrier wall on their western border. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier#/media/File:Barrier_route_July_2011.png)
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, "Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?"
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16 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, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes."
KJV
God covers all bases in His Word. In Ezekiel 38:16 above He is actually pointing to 2 separate areas and groups of His people Israel. He is pointing to the Israel in the middle east ("My land"), and also the Israel in the Christian West ("may people of Israel"). How's that, you might say?
There are TWO branches of Israel taught in God's Word, not just one.
This is why the prior Ezekiel 37 chapter showed the joining of the two sticks representing "two nations". And we were supposed to understand that Ezekiel 37 prophecy of the two sticks before... we got here to Ezekiel 38.
Ezek 37:19-22
19 Say unto them, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.
20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
KJV
That above joining of the two sticks won't happen until Jesus returns, as Jesus is that "one king" that shall be "king to them all". So right now still today, God's Israel is actually divided into TWO NATIONS.
Where is that other... nation of God's Israel today then, the one that dwells safely 'without gates and walls'?
(Continued...)
Ezekiel 38 is describing some features about Israel that do not apply to the nation state of Israel in the holy land.
Ezek 38:8-16
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
Wait a minute. What Israel is that, which dwells safely all of them? Is today's nation state of Israel in the holy land dwelling safely from radical Muslims raining rockets and mortar attacks upon Israel, is that dwelling safely?
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
Wait another minute. Doesn't the nation state of Israel in the middle east have gates and walls around Jerusalem? Yeah, it does. The Israelis also closely guard the West Bank barrier wall on their western border. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier#/media/File:Barrier_route_July_2011.png)
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, "Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?"
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16 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, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes."
KJV
God covers all bases in His Word. In Ezekiel 38:16 above He is actually pointing to 2 separate areas and groups of His people Israel. He is pointing to the Israel in the middle east ("My land"), and also the Israel in the Christian West ("may people of Israel"). How's that, you might say?
There are TWO branches of Israel taught in God's Word, not just one.
This is why the prior Ezekiel 37 chapter showed the joining of the two sticks representing "two nations". And we were supposed to understand that Ezekiel 37 prophecy of the two sticks before... we got here to Ezekiel 38.
Ezek 37:19-22
19 Say unto them, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.
20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
KJV
That above joining of the two sticks won't happen until Jesus returns, as Jesus is that "one king" that shall be "king to them all". So right now still today, God's Israel is actually divided into TWO NATIONS.
Where is that other... nation of God's Israel today then, the one that dwells safely 'without gates and walls'?
(Continued...)