Is the Ezekiel Prophecy Nearing Fulfillment?

While surfing the other day, not in the ocean but on the web, I came across a popular teacher of end-times prophecy. His article captured my attention because of the theme he was stressing. He was basically saying that the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy of the Gog/Magog war is nowhere near fulfillment. His premise was simple. He based his opinion solely on Ezekiel 38:10 which speaks of the waring coalition thinking to itself; "I will go up against a land of unwalled villages..."

Interestingly, the man's premise was that there had to be some sort of peace agreement put into place that would cause Israel to disarm...or at least feel so at peace that it would not have to defend itself. Not wanting to brush aside his opinion, I decided to do a bit of a word study in order to get at the bottom of the text. I wanted to see what the words meant in the Hebrew, the original language of Ezekiel. This is what I found and how I put it all together. Warning: this is how I read the text by using the original language. Things may play out quite differently, and God is the sovereign one here. However, I calls em like I sees em!

First, it is God that instigates the movement of the peoples led by Magog. In Ezekiel 38:10, the Lord is the one who puts the thought into Magog's head....God is the one that puts the spin on what Magog is going to be thinking. Here is what it says.

"This is what the sovereign Lord says; On that day thoughts will come into your head and you will devise and evil scheme. You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people, all of them living without gates and without bars."

On the surface this sounds like a land that has given up arms and is completely at peace. But remember, this is a thought that is evil...devoid of truth....and does not necessarily mean Israel will be living as peaceniks. Unbarred windows and ungated doors speaks of openness as well as a state of peace. The word for "unwalled villages" is perazah....which literally means an open country and also conveys a message of "ripe for the picking."

Then comes the word "safely." Verse 14 says this; "...In that day, when my people Israel are living safely" some translations say.. "living in safety." Again, my prophecy teaching friend surmised that Israel's safety is the result of some sort of peace agreement. So, let's look at the word a little more closely.

Betach is the word used. It means safety, yes, but it also is used many times in the Old Testament to describe strength and security. In other words, safety is a matter of being secure and strong enough to insure safety. It is much like the old Cold War. America was safe from nuclear attack, not because we are nice guys, but because we have enough fire power to obliterate anyone who would try to harm us. Could "betach" be portraying the same sense in verse 14? If you put the unwalled village...or open country...with security, you may get a different picture than the one given by the guys who believe there will be a peace agreement.

Remember, other scripture has to come into play. I speak of Psalm 83, Jeremiah 12, Ezekiel 25, and Obadiah 15-18. Those passages give clear indication that the nations immediately surrounding Israel are going to manufacture an attempt to destroy the Jews once and for all. Ezekiel 25 clearly states that the Lord will use his people Israel to exact vengeance on those nations so that they would know that "I am" is the Lord. Isaiah 17 also gives the prophetic word that Damascus would be destroyed....not in the Ezekiel 38-39 attack, but before. Israel will have responded to the threat by destroying the enemies that are closest to it. I would say that constitutes security. I can also imagine that in the immediate aftermath Israel will become unsuspecting of a greater invasion perpetrated by Russia, Turkey, Iran, and others.

God will use Israel's strength to do the job in round one. However, round two will happen quickly and with such overwhelming ferocity that God will have to intervene for his covenant people. He will be the one that destroys Gog and his hordes on the mountains of Israel. PTL

If you are following my take on the coming events, you can clearly see that round one could happen at any moment. This is especially so if Israel takes the first step by attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. I don't believe Israel would do anything more than attack the facilities. They might even wipe them out. But you can also imagine that nations like Jordan, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Lebanon, and the Palestinians in Gaza would be so alarmed and angered that there response would be an immediate uprising. Israel will be forced to respond with enough response to remove the threat. A spiral toward the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy would be created.

To look for the signing of some agreement that would bring sweeping peace to the region should probably be left for those hunting of the anti-christ. It is time to pray and prepare now for the immediate aftermath of the above scenario, for it is the moment that I believe we will see the greatest period of evangelism the world has ever, or will ever know.


Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,

Obama...Israel....and a Great Big Bus

The plot thickens against Israel. We've seen it coming, and now it's almost here. Thursday, Barack Obama purses his lips in order to kiss Islam. But to make the smooch juicy, Obama will have to lean toward the side of the Palestinians and a Two State solution. Israel is getting the boot, not from the land, but in the teeth. The only true American ally in the entire Middle East is being betrayed. Suprised? I hope not. It is prophesied. Read the following from the American Thinker.

American Thinker
June 01, 2009
Are we about to ditch Israel at the UN?
Rick Moran
The Obama administration is making noises about withdrawing our unconditional support for Israel at the UN as a means to put pressure on the Israelis to 'freeze' settlement growth.This move is not unexpected, even if the freezing of settlements - whatever that means - were not an issue. Our UN ambassador Susan Rice has had a stone in her shoe regarding Israel since she walked through the UN doors and would have found some other excuse to stick it to the Jews.Not only is this move stupid on several levels, but according to this piece by Helene Cooper in the New York Times, the Obama administration is absolutely clueless about Israeli domestic politics as well as the danger such "smart diplomacy" entails:

Mr. Obama is to give a much-anticipated speech to the Muslim world from Egypt on Thursday. "There are things that could get the attention of the Israeli public," a senior administration official said, touching on the widespread belief within the administration that any Israeli prime minister risks political peril if the Israeli electorate views him as endangering the country's relationship with the United States. But, the official added, "Israel is a critical United States ally, and no one in this administration expects that not to continue." He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.White House officials said Mr. Obama would not make the Cairo speech entirely about the Arab-Israeli conflict, but would instead seek to engage Muslims on the panoply of issues facing Islam and the West, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.But the core issue, administration officials said, is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "I want to use the occasion to deliver a broader message about how the United States can change for the better its relationship with the Muslim world," Mr. Obama told reporters last week. "But certainly, the issue of Middle East peace is something that is going to need to be addressed. On matters of national security - which most Israelis see the settlement issue - the public is supportive. The idea that the US-Israeli relationship is more important to the Israeli people than the security that the settlements give the Jewish state is almost certainly wrong. This is especially true if Netanyahu can paint the administration's demands on a settlement freeze as unreasonable and unachievable - as indeed they are. Obama's "no growth" demand is laughable. Not only has the Obama administration demanded that Israel stop construction but that there should be no allowance for "natural growth" of the settlements.

A frustrated Netanyahu has simply thrown up his hands according to Herb Keinon of the Jerusalem Post, and has decided to defy Washington on the issue:
Israel will not freeze settlement construction for natural growth, despite intense pressure from the Obama administration to do so, The Jerusalem Post has learned. While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has indicated that he will remove illegal settlement outposts, he is determined, the Post has learned, to continue building for natural growth in settlements beyond the security barrier. In Netanyahu's view, it is further understood that there is no reason housing units cannot be built inside the major settlement blocs for people who want to move there, as well as for natural growth.

In light of unequivocal comments made over the last week by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for an end to all settlement construction, including for natural growth, as well as US and Israeli officials' failure to reach an agreement on this issue in London last week, there is a great deal of frustration over the matter in the Prime Minister's Office. I don't think anything that happens at the UN matters much to the Israelis although it might cause Obama some problems domestically. But with the anti-Israel crowd at State and the White House now fully in charge, we should expect more trouble for the strategic relationship between Israel and America in the future. Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,

Turkey's Slow Turn....Away from the West and Toward the East

For those of you who keep your eyes open to the changing current of events tied to Ezekiel's Gog/Magog war, this should make your ears perk up too. In chapters 38 & 39, Ezekiel mention
Gomer and Beth-Togarmah as members of the coalition that will descend to the mountains of Israel in order to snuff out the Jews, once and for all. Those ancient tribes can be traced directly to modern day Turkey. It is not a stretch to see God telling Ezekiel that He will put a hook in Magog's mouth and draw him down from the north will all his allies.

For thirty years, Turkey has tied itself to the coat tails of western Europe, and most lately, with the United States. Because it is a member of NATO, it has been practically inconceivable to the west that Turkey might eventually "walk away" from the alliance in favor of joining its radical Islamic cousins. Well, God has other thoughts. He shuffles the pawns to bring about the fulfillment of his promises, and that is exactly what appears to be taking place. Another important puzzle piece is coming together.

Now, before you read this piece from www.raptureready.com, I want you to keep your eyes on the countries of the Balkans, especially beleaguered Georgia. It appears Russia's foray into that little country last year was a test to see Turkey's resilience. Turkey proved wishy-washy. This time, Russia will go in and clean house of democracy. The threat to Turkey's independence will be pronounced, and Turkey will cave in to Russia's over lordship. How soon it will happen is any one's guess, but it WILL happen. I think it will be sooner than later. Go ahead and read this article and let me know what you think.
Jimmy Root Jr
ISTANBUL - Turkey’s allies are confused by the shift in its foreign policy and its pronounced Eurasian and/or Middle Eastern bent, an independent Finnish research agency finds. Although some believe the country is turning its back on the West; others say Ankara’s foreign policy is well balanced in all directions, while yet others find Turkey’s conduct to be essentially ‘directionless’.
Turkey’s recent flurry of diplomatic activity has been confusing to the country’s partners and neighbors despite projecting the image of a dynamic and assertive international actor, according to a report by an independent Finnish research institute.

The perceptions of Turkey’s international behavior range from the country turning its back on the West; to Ankara’s foreign policy being well balanced in all directions; to Turkey’s conduct being essentially "directionless," according to a report published by the Institute of International Affairs, or UPI. The UPI is an independent research institute that produces topical information on international relations and the European Union.

"For quite some time, the Turkish top leadership has been tirelessly crisscrossing the globe," read the report. "Everywhere they go the Turks tend to air new diplomatic initiatives, offer mediation, advance blueprints for new regional security regimes and, last but not least, seek to boost trade ties."

According to the report, one feature of recent Turkish policy that catches the eye is that almost all of Turkey’s foreign policy moves have a pronounced Eurasian and/or Middle Eastern bent. "The key questions that trouble Western analysts would appear to be: To what extent will Turkey’s new assertiveness and ambitions remain compatible with the West’s strategic objectives? How independent is Ankara prepared to be in crafting good neighborly relations with the countries that the West regards as ‘problematic?’" asked the report. One concern among some of Turkey’s Western allies is that Turkey is increasingly moving away from its pro-Western orientation and Euro-Atlantic institutions. "Instead, this outlook holds, Turkish foreign policy’s center of gravity is shifting towards other regions, mostly the Muslim Middle East," read the report. Yet some believe Turkey’s new foreign policy and Ankara’s aspirations to play a more assertive role in its immediate geopolitical neighborhood should be seen as complementary, rather than contradictory, to its more traditional Western strategic alignments. According to this train of thought, Ankara’s enhanced regional profile can be regarded as an asset that potentially increases Turkey’s strategic attractiveness for its Western partners, read the report.

Citing European and U.S. goals for a more peaceful region in the neighborhood, the report added: "Turkey is well able to contribute to reaching these goals while pursuing its regional agenda – provided it reinvigorates efforts to realize its European bid."

Yet another view is that the Turkish government is pursuing a highly contradictory foreign policy devoid of any clear-cut conceptual or strategic basis. "For these critics, the [Justice and Development Party] AKP’s foreign policy outlook is at heart a highly unprincipled one, being influenced mainly by populist considerations, naked opportunism and the desire of the AKP elite to retain political power," read the report. It added that the result was chaotic policies and a "directionless Turkey."

New strategic identity taking shapeThe report found that Turkish behavior is shaped by both domestic and external factors. It is being influenced by the shifts in the country’s international identity and the changes in Turkey’s vision of its new geopolitical role. These, in turn, are the result of powerful processes that are reshaping the socio-political life of the country. These processes are the economic development in the Anatolian hinterland, the broadening of the elite through the emergence of the new ambitious provincial social actors, who are economically dynamic and culturally conservative, and the increasing role of elected officials and thus a stronger government. "These changes generate important shifts in national identity, leading (among other things) to the rise of religious sentiment, which paves the way for identification and affinity with Turkey’s Muslim neighborhood," read the report.The report found that the trend toward greater strategic independence became more apparent with new Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. Instead of being perceived as a perennially peripheral country that sits on the outer margins of the European Union, NATO or Asia, Turkey, according to Davutoğlu’s strategic vision, should be seen as being located in the very heart of Eurasia.

Ankara’s new, and seemingly more ambitious, international outlook appears to be driven by three main factors: the shifts in Turkey’s own international identity, new threat perceptions, and an acute awareness of the intimate interconnectedness between external and domestic developments. Turkey’s growing strategic interest in and involvement with the troubled region of the Middle East is a perfect illustration of those important factors at work. The report cites a Western commentator on Ankara’s new strategic vision: "[It] is at once independent, nationalistic, Islamic, pan-Turkist, global, and Western." However, the true challenge, the commentary continues, "is to integrate and reconcile these various interests with specific policies."

Ezekiel's Valley of Dry Bones and the Rebirth of Israel

Ezekiel Saw The Rebirth of Israel. There can be no doubt that the covenant promises given by Jehovah to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will hold true. Jesus said "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word shall never pass away." Some miss the point when they see today's nation of Israel and wonder how a secular nation can be the fulfillment of Ezekiel's famous prophecy in Chapter 37. Some have mistakenly attempted to place the Church into the position of fulfilling those covenants. Neither bits of reasoning work. God will restore Israel to a place of true faith and worship in Jehovah (Including a national receiving of Jesus (Yeshua) Messiah), but the first step was to bring his covenant people back to their land. Read how I portray that prophecy in my new book, "Distant Thunder" to be released in August 2009.

DISTANT THUNDER
Book One of the Lightning Chronicles

Prologue
568 B.C.

The old man kicked at a clump of drying grass, while he wiped away the sweat that was burning his eyes. Just standing in this heat weakened his spindly legs, and a scorching wind seared his lungs. It was the season when relentless summer winds sucked the life out of just about every living thing in this "heart of Babylon," greatest of all kingdoms, center of the universe. "Bah," spat Ezekiel, the crusty old prophet. "There is one King who will lay claim, and it is not Nebuchadnezzar!"

He wasn't concerned about his words falling on the ears of a stray Chaldean; he was already known by most as a lunatic. In reality, only a handful of his own people actually listened to him. Mostly, he was mocked as a babbling fool, and that only sharpened his frustration.

He was meandering along the eastern bank of the Chebar Canal, alone with his tortured thoughts and nagging regrets. So many hopes and dreams had been piled up like refuse on a trash heap, sometimes he wondered if there was any point in continuing what seemed to be a fruitless ministry. Worse, Ezekiel knew he was nearing his last breath.

The reality that he would not see his beloved Jerusalem again weighed heavily upon him. Stolen away from his homeland by the King of Babylon some thirty years earlier, the prophet had nearly forgotten the beauty and blessing of Judah. Only images remained. Some were pleasant ponderings; others were memories of shattered possibilities. But most glaring were the remembrances of a greater invasion of wickedness that had consumed his people. He'd cried out fervently while still in Israel, trying to awaken the people to the abomination of it all. Few listened. Wretchedness had been unleashed upon the people, and it came from the iniquities of the people themselves. No matter how passionately he'd challenged the depravity, there seemed to be no power behind his words. None of his pronouncements carried the necessary weight to bring about change. His desire to call upon the conscience of his people was simply not enough. So, with a heaviness that accompanies a sense of failure, Ezekiel had left prophetic utterance to the few who claimed to have the power.

It wasn’t until he’d settled in the hovel called Tel-abib, situated beside this dirty river, that he first began to feel an odd stirring in his belly. Strangely, it signaled the arrival of a power that would energize his words. It was also when his dreams began to turn dark. He was shown things he, to this day, could not comprehend. His visions were so horrifyingly real that he’d developed a tremor in his hands and a slight twitch had become noticeable under his eye. Whenever he shared the dreams and visions, the quaking and twitching became so prominent that people would either discount him as sick or denounce him as a fool. With a wave of a hand he was dismissed. But the inner stirring only intensified until it became a raging storm.

He lifted his head and looked toward a setting sun smeared by distant dust-filled winds. Slowly, his thoughts turned to his once lovely Jerusalem, and it made him mourn. Worse, his wild visions concerned that once great city. Over the last few weeks his waking dreams had disturbed him so much that he’d hardly been able to stomach his food.

Whenever the trance fell, a huge valley would be stretched before him, a valley filled with nothing but dust, dry bones and armor. It was a place of defeat and death, where all flesh had been picked clean by vultures and jackals. Some great battle had been waged and an army had met complete annihilation. With each repetition of the vision, the prophet would end up puzzled and confused. But the last few times, some-thing different had happened. What seemed to have been a messenger from the Almighty had appeared beside him. The figure was beyond comprehension, yet exuding a sorrowful compassion for this lost people lying before him.

“What do you see, son of man? Describe it to me,” the bronze-hued, light shrouded being commanded. Ezekiel’s knees were banging together like drums being played at a wedding feast.

“I see bones, nothing but bones. Bones separated from one another and piled high. Swords, helms, bucklers, and shields,” Ezekiel answered weakly.

“Can these bones live again?” the being asked. “Can there be life in place of death?” Ezekiel strained his eyes out over the valley looking for any sign of a survivor, any life at all. Not even a bird remained to pick at the bones. Everything was desolate. With a shrug and a sigh, he let the question stand for a moment. How does one give answer to such a riddle-speaking majestic being, when words fall short of holiness and are shrouded in trepidation? “You know, my Lord, you know,” was the prophet’s feeble reply.

“I tell you, son of man, these bones will live again.”

Suddenly, a swirling wind blew outward from the messenger and passed down the entire length of the valley. It was accompanied by bursts of lightning as it rolled forward in raw, creative power. A clicking sound could be heard, something far beyond Ezekiel’s knocking knees. It was the sickly pop of bone reconnecting with bone.

He looked toward the nearest pile of death and gasped as a soldier was swiftly reassembled, then another. He witnessed a torrent of bones flying as if they were looking for the correct skeleton to connect to. Then, sinew and tendon began to form in joints and spread rapidly over each body. Flesh appeared. It was followed by clothing. Armor flew into place on one lone soldier nearby. The new man took his place among the hundreds of companies that were being formed across the entire valley. Then, silence. The army was standing, living, breathing, and ready to march to war. Fear-generated sweat poured down Ezekiel’s face as he turned to the messenger.

“I tell you, that which was dead will come to life. My wayward people were crushed under my discipline, but they shall be restored. Jacob shall live again, and my servant David shall be king. I will make a covenant of peace with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the whole world will see my sanctuary standing in their company forever.” Then the man was gone.

It was the same nearly every night for the last moon cycle. Ezekiel grunted as he thought of how he was getting to the point where he could repeat the words with each night’s visitation. “Must be careful to not offend the Great Light,” he said to no one in particular. At least thinking through these manifestations seemed to help lessen the distance he had to cover between settlements as he faithfully conveyed God’s message to his people. However, this last part of the vision needed a bit more consideration before he shared it. The people were already raising their eyebrows, no need to confirm his lunacy just yet.

Suddenly, the prophet felt himself driven to his knees by the weight of a massive hand. He was pushed mercilessly downward until his sunburned forehead touched the parched earth he’d been kicking moments before. Then a voice said, “Son of man, set your face to the north, to Gog of the land of Magog, to the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him…”