EZEKIEL 38
<Vs. 16-23>
[4/10/11]
Review:
Ezekiel 38:15 {KJV} 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:
QUESTION: What major military power is north of Israel?
ANSWER: Russia.
QUESTION: Who would the “many people with thee” be?
ANSWER: Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Kosovo, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Germany, & Armenia.
QUESTION: Will this massive army attack Israel on horseback?
ANSWER: I have heard teachers give modern day reasons why they believe this army will be on horseback, but I don’t believe so.
Revelation 9:14-19 {KJV} Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 {KJV} And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 {KJV} And the number of the army of the horsemen [were] two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 {KJV} And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses [were] as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 {KJV} By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 {KJV} For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails [were] like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
NOTE: God is showing a first century A.D. man, John, a modern day event. He showed John in pictures he could understand. He knew about horses, lions, and serpents. He didn’t know about Army Stykers with grenade launchers and 50 caliber machine guns; he didn’t know about traditional tanks; he didn’t know about the M67 flamethrower tank. These vehicles would certainly produce “fire, smoke, and brimstone.”
On To This Week’s Lesson:
Ezekiel 38:16 {KJV} 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.
Ezekiel 38:9 {KJV} 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.
QUESTION: Who is behind Russia’s, and her allies’ plan to attack Israel?
ANSWER: Almighty God!
QUESTION: Why?
ANSWER: God is going to show Himself mighty on behalf of Israel!
(GW) You will attack my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In the days to come, I will let you attack my land so that nations will know me. I will use you for my holy purpose as they watch [verse 16 in God’s Word translation].
QUESTION: When God shows Himself mighty will the nations repent and turn to Him for salvation?
ANSWER: No!
Ezekiel 38:17-18 {KJV} Thus saith the Lord GOD; [Art] thou 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?
18 {KJV} 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.
(MSG) And when the day comes, Gog, you will attack that land of Israel. Decree of GOD, the Master. My raging anger will erupt.
(GNB) The Sovereign LORD says, “On the day when Gog invades Israel, I will become furious.
QUESTION: What will happen when this massive army attacks Israel?
ANSWER: Almighty God will erupt in anger. That’s not a good thing for this evil coalition.
QUESTION: Is it right for God to draw this coalition into Israel, the get angry at them for being there?
ANSWER: Absolutely!
QUESTION: Are these nations to blame is Almighty God draws them into this battle?
ANSWER: Yes! It has been in the hearts of these nations, especially the Arab ones, for a long time to destroy Israel. God simply controls the timing. When it suits the timing of God He will draw them into Israel, and then bring His destruction upon them for the evil desire to destroy Israel that has been in their collective hearts all along. He is punishing them for their sin.
Ezekiel 38:19-20 {KJV} For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
20 {KJV} 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.
(GNB) I declare in the heat of my anger that on that day there will be a severe earthquake in the land of Israel.
Every fish and bird, every animal large and small, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble for fear of me. Mountains will fall, cliffs will crumble, and every wall will collapse.
QUESTION: Because of God’s anger what will happen in Israel?
ANSWER: An enormous earthquake will shake Israel! Mountains and cliffs will fall; every wall will collapse! Every living thing, including every person will tremble in fear of God!
Ezekiel 38:21-23 {KJV} And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
22 {KJV} And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23 {KJV} Thus will I 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.
21 {GW} I will declare war against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Almighty LORD. Each person will use his sword against his relative.
22 {GW} I will punish Gog with plagues and death. I will send rainstorms, large hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur on his troops and on the many armies with him.
23 {GW} I will show my greatness and my holiness. I will reveal myself to many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
QUESTION: What will happen next:
ANSWER: Gog had declared war on Israel! God will declare war on Gog!
QUESTION: What will happen to Gog’s army at this time?
ANSWER: 1) God will confuse them, and they will begin to turn their weapons on one another.
2) Severe rainstorms with enormous hailstones will beat against them.
3) God will rain fire and burning sulfur on the troops of this evil coalition.
QUESTION: What will take place on this planet as a result of this?
ANSWER: The many nations of the earth will recognize that God is doing these things, and will tremble before Him.
QUESTION: If that’s true, then why don’t they repent and follow God?
ANSWER: A strong delusion will overtake them and they will come to believe that a new world leader did this miraculous thing. More about that at another time.