God`s Judgment.
The prophet Joel prophesied that God would be `zealous for His land, and pity for His people.` (Joel 2: 18) He will remove the northern army far from them.
`I will remove far from you the northern army, and will drive him away into a barren and desolate land. With his face towards the eastern sea and his back towards the western sea; his stench will come up, and his foul odour will rise, because he has done monstrous things.` (Joel 2: 20)
God then brings the
The War.
`Therefore, son of man, prophecy and say to Gog, “Thus says the Lord God: “On that day when my people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it?
Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.` (Ez. 38: 14 & 15)
The translators have put in `riding on horses,` but that is not what the Hebrew says.
Horses - Hebrew `cuc` meaning moving rapidly.
Toda
The Opposition.
`Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, “Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?” (Ez. 38: 13)
Saudi Arabia - Sheba and Dedan. They originated from the grandson of Cush, a descendant of Ham. (Gen. 10: 7) Today they are the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula - Saudi Arabia.
Note the Queen of Sheb
God`s Appointed Time.
``I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army...` (Ez. 38: 4)
At God`s appointed time He turns the Russian army around and leads them in another direction. The `hook` I believe is their desire for wealth, oil and gas etc.
`After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been
The Great Army.
`Persia, Cush, and Phut are with them, all with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops - many people are with you.` (Ez. 38: 5 & 6)
This gives us insight into who aligns with Russia.
Iran - ancient Persia.
Ethiopia - Cush from Ham`s descendants. (Gen. 10: 6)
The Russian War in the Ukraine.
`I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.` (Ez. 38: 4)
The description of the army has been translated in old fashioned terms whereas the Hebrew words are -
Horses - `cuc` meaning moving rapidly.
Shields -`
The Origins of Russia.
`Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, Thus says the Lord God; behold I am against you, O Gog, the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal.” (Ez. 38: 1 - 3)
God`s word tells of the origin of this people, their ethnic group. In Genesis 10 we see that Noah had three sons - Japheth, Ham and Shem.
They and their families went in differe
Returning to the Land of Israel.
Ezekiel was the young faithful prophet to the exiles in Babylon. (approx 600 B.C.) With God`s word Ezekiel was to encourage the people that there would come a time of national restoration. After 70 years of being exiled in Babylon they would be able to return to the land of Israel.
Then God gives Ezekiel another prophecy concerning another exile. This occurred in 70 A.D. when the Romans burned Jerusalem and the Jews fled to all corners of the world. Th
INTRODUCTION
We live in momentous times. There are many wars and rumours of wars in various places - Afghanistan, Syria, Ethiopia, Armenia, North Africa, Yemen, etc.
Now Russia has invaded the Ukraine and NATO is aiding those against Russia. Many people fear that the world may be plunged into a nuclear war.
What does God`s word say concerning these events and who is involved?
I believe God gave various Old Testament Prophets the details of coming events. Thus it is important
The Aftermath.
This amazing victory by the Lord against the enemies of God`s people and his land of Israel has some far reaching consequences.
Israel
Israel repents and turns again to God.
`I will set my glory among the nations; all the nations shall see my judgment which I have executed, and my hand which I have laid on them.
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.` (Ex. 39: 21 & 22)
Israel celebrates the fea
God`s Word: Judgment.
God will be `zealous for His land, and pity for His people.` (v. 18) He will remove the northern army far from them.
`I will remove far from you the northern army, and will drive him away into a barren and desolate land. With his face towards the eastern sea and his back towards the western sea; his stench will come up, and his foul odour will rise, because he has done monstrous things.` (Joel 2: 20)
God then invokes the elements in a series of judgmental cat
God`s Word: God`s Timing.
`I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and lead you out.....You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you...
You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.` (Ez. 38: 4, 9 & 16)
The prophet
God`s Word: Russia`s Evil Plan.
` Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: You will say,
`I will go up against a land of unwalled villages I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates `,-
To take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people g
God`s Word: Russia, Iran and Turkey Planning.
Iran is with the Russian Federation - `Iran...with them.` (Ez. 38: 5)
The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi will visit Russia early this year after receiving an invitation from Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Iran is one of the nations outside the former Soviet bloc, who will join forces with Russia.
They have said for many years that they desire to `wipe Israel off the face of the map.` So the talks with Russia could involve much m
God`s Word: The Great Company. (CSTO)
Russia`s `army,.....a great company......many people are with you. (Ez. 38: 4 & 6)
This `great company,` `many people` with the Russian army are the some of the former Soviet nations. They have come together to form an Alliance -
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation, (CSTO).
This is a Russian-led alliance with Belarus, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
According to the Treaty if one member is subject
God`s Word : Russia Preparing for War. (Ukraine)
The Prophet Ezekiel prophesies of a war between the northern Federation (Russia) and Israel. God tells the Russian Federation to prepare itself.
`Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the Prince of Rosh, (Russia)....and prophesy against him....
`Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.....It will be in the latter days that I will bring you
INTRODUCTION
We are living in momentous times. Events in the Middle East and further north are escalating and unfolding as God`s word foretold. As we see these things come to pass we are to fix our eyes upon the Lord and trust Him to ready us for His return.
The Middle East has always been a volatile region and more so because of God`s people Israel who have returned to their land. Their return was in 1948 and many surrounding nations then sought to wipe them out. However
CONCLUSION
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Head, is bringing His Body to maturity in Himself. He is in the final stage of completing that which He has begun over 2,000 years ago. With great insight, wisdom and unsurpassed strength, Christ has been building His Body over the centuries and across the world.
With great joy, Jesus the Head of the Body is completing this amazing task which He purposed in Himself to gather together many sons to glory to rule and reign with Him in th
In Christ Alone.
The Lord says -
`It is not the towering ability of individual men that will bring the close of this dispensation to an end, but it will be the ripening, the moulding, the perfecting of a Body of People that will be peculiarly Mine.
There will be no possibility for `flesh` to glory, for all will be interwoven one into the other, and in the centre of them will be the fires of Divine Affection, in the centre of them will be the seeds of Divine Love, in the cen
Overcoming the Spirit of Fear.
The Lord warns that in the end times people will be overcome by a spirit of fear.
`And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men`s hearts failing for fear and the expectation of those things, which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.` (Luke 21: 25 & 26)
However He encourages us, saying -
`
The Fresh Anointing.
As the Lord brings His Body to maturity He pours out a fresh anointing. First there is a fresh vision of the Lord as Head of His Body. Then the believers begin to see Him actually working in their lives and then out to others. The realisation comes that the Body of Christ is connected through meaningful relationships and not focused on man`s organisation.
The Body Ministry.
It will not be the great ability of individual men that will bring
Holding Fast to the Head.
God the Father sums up His Eternal Purposes.
` God...having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, He might gather together in one (harmony) all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him.` (Eph. 1: 9 & 10)
The first purpose in Christ, which is being completed, is His Body of believ
Contemporary Move of God.
The Whole Counsel of God.
Looking back over the last 2000 years we see the amazing work, the Lord Jesus, the Head of the Body has been doing amid the great battle. Satan and his demons have sought to overpower the believers with errors and false teachings. The battle has been fierce with many people having to die for their belief in Christ.
The Apostle Paul taught the whole counsel of God to the disciples; however those truths were challenged and s
