A Line by Line Exposition of Ezekiel 38 – Part 7
March 22, 2009
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We concluded Prophecy Update Number 6 expositing on Ezekiel 38:13, which we have done continuously from Ezekiel 38:1 for some time.
We will continue this exposition, beginning with Ezekiel 38:14.
Ezekiel 38:14 – 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
?
The question of verse 14 is directed personally by God to Gog . It is a question to which both know the answer, as attested by “shalt thou not know it?” Gog will be well aware of it, because he will have made the truce agreement allowing Israel to dwell in safety. And this will be one of the reasons the antiChrist’s blitzkrieg attack will be so successful. It will catch Israel by surprise.
Ezekiel 38:15 – 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:
Verse 15 reveals some very important new information when it states: “And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts.” When Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, the expression “the north parts,” to those who read it in those days, meant the area we call Syria and Lebanon today.
I am certain that the Antichrist will arise to power as the head of some country which satisfies the requirements of being from “the north parts” as they were identified in Ezekiel’s day. Antichrist may arise in southern Turkey or northwestern Iraq, but in Ezekiel’s day “the north parts” encompassed the area occupied by Lebanon and Syria today. His army will be composed of troops from ten Arab nations.
The initial attack will be conducted primarily by Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, but others will participate in various ways.
When the Scripture says: “all of them riding upon horses,” it is picturing to the readers of Ezekiel’s day what would be a “fully equipped” army. His army will be equipped with all of today’s modern weapons to meet this requirement.
Ezekiel 38:16 – 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.
We are advised that the character of the attack will be like a lightning blitzkrieg strike. His armies shall move south across the land like a fast moving thunderstorm cloud races across an area, leaving havoc in its wake.
It is to occur in “the latter days” of this Gentile age. We are advised that God, not Gog, will determine when the attack occurs. When the conflict is finished God will be set-apart (sanctified) in the eyes of all nations as having used Gog for the setting apart of Israel in the Negev to await God’s deliverance some 1260 days later. God is in charge!
He will determine the time of the attack by putting it in the minds of the attackers. These 10 Arab nations will surrender their power to Gog, but after Israel has suffered in the Negev for some 3 and ½ years, Christ will then return with the saints to end the Battle of Armageddon, and God will the sanctified (set-apart) in Christ as the all powerful King of kings.
Revelation 17:12-14 – And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
[13] These have one mind, and shall give their power
and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
It will be highly advisable to watch the efforts of Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon to reconcile their political and military differences during the coming months.
They, along with the terrorist groups, after continuing attacks by the terrorist groups they control, will come to realize that in order to come up with a plan to meet their common objective, the end of the Jewish State, they must fully cooperate and coordinate with one another.
They all want to get Israel out of the land from Dan to Beersheba.
The continuation of terrorist attacks, no matter how numerous or violent they become, will never accomplish their objective.
If they will stop the terrorist attacks, and settle for whatever they can get in concessions for the Golan Heights and the West Bank, Israel can be led into a false sense of security after a few years of what seems to be a genuine truce.
Then and only then, can Israel be driven into the Negev by a blitzkrieg attack from “the north parts.”
There can never be a true and lasting peace in the Land of the Bible until Jesus returns to reign on this planet. However, out of this ungodly act of infamy by Gog, there will eventually come a brief period of calm, and many will believe it will be genuine and lasting. But the terrorist groups will only hold off their activities for a short period of time, and they will do this only as a ruse to lead Israel, and the rest of the free world, into a false sense of security. But this brief period of calm will be broken by a blitzkrieg attack from the north of Israel.
Lord willing, we will continue our exposition of the 38th Chapter of Ezekiel in Part 8.