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The friends of Job who came “to mourn with him, and to comfort him” (2:11 KJV) based many of their responses to him on their personal experiences.  For example, the first words from Eliphaz revealed this basis when he said, “Even as I have seen, …” (4:8 KJV).  The basis for human experience, wisdom, and reasoning is based upon being able to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste.  Since none of his friends could rationalize the truth of Job’s innocence, they criticized and condemned his persistent defense of innocence which led Job to call them “miserable comforters” (16:2). 

Unlike the human wisdom and reasoning of the miserable comforter friends of Job, faith only requires exposure to the Word of God.  Since the Word of God originates by/from Him, it is more dependable than everything of the flesh.  In 2 Peter 1:16-21, the apostle plainly declares the Word of God to be more dependable than any, and all, personal experience.  In the phrase “a more sure word of prophecy” (19), Peter is inspired to declare the existence of something more dependable than the personal experience of seeing Jesus transfigured.  The Word of God is more dependable than all personal experience and is the source of the “word of prophecy” (19).

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, the apostle Paul refers to the Scriptural basis of/for the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, the Anointed One of God.  With respect to Christ’s resurrection, he refers to some who saw the resurrected Messiah.  He concluded with his own personal experience with Jesus (8) and identifies himself as being the last one in a series or sequence of seeing the resurrected Christ.  If seeing the resurrected Christ, by any other means than faith, is necessary then we are doomed.  There is no doubt at all that all those who were alive and saw the resurrected Christ have since died.  This means there are no more witnesses to the resurrection.  But, it does not mean the resurrection witness is dead.

When the Lord’s churches live in agreement with the Scriptures, the foundation of “the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1), they supply, by the enabling of the Holy Spirit, the witness, or testimony, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When church people will live like the people of God and not the people of the world, the evidence of the resurrection of Christ is declared and made known. 

For example, in Colossians 3:1-4 (HCSB)

So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. ⁴When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

As we approach Easter and our attention turns to the resurrection of Christ, let us renew our resolve and commitment to rejoicing in the truth of the resurrection every day and to live in agreement with the inspired message of God which is more dependable than any, and every, personal experience.  By doing so, we will show forth the evidence of the resurrection of Christ until the day He returns.

Romans 12:1-2 (HCSB)

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

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Ezekiel was instructed by God to declare, or speak forth, a message unto Gog.  The message originated with God and was presented to Ezekiel with great detail.  This post will not address all the details of the message of/from God delivered by Ezekiel unto “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” (Ezek. 38:2 HCSB). 

From 2 Timothy 3:16 we are taught “All scripture is God-breathed …” (NIV).  Believing this to be true, we learn from 2 Peter 1:21 “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (ESV).  An example of this truth is found several times in Ezekiel 38.  In Ezekiel 38:14, the following is recorded:  “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog:  This is what the Lord GOD says: …” (HCSB).  The message Ezekiel declared, or prophesied, originated with/from God. 

One of the details included in the declarations to Gog addresses the “many peoples” (38:15 ESV) who accompany Gog, as identified as the “army” (4), which includes those listed in verses 5,6.  This “army” which will be identified with Gog is further described as “a large assembly and a mighty army” (NASB); “a great multitude and a mighty army” (1599 Geneva Bible) and “a mighty horde, a huge army” (HCSB). 

IF Gog and his army, who will attack Israel “in the last days” (Ezek. 38:16), are identified as the final world empire, or kingdom, perhaps the kingdom of the Antichrist, then there is a direct correlation/connection to the feet and toes of the great statue seen by King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2) in his dream.  At the same time there is also a correlation/connection to the fourth beast with ten horns seen by Daniel (Dan. 7) in his dream.  Additionally, there is also a direct correlation/connection to the vision of the 10 horn kings seen by John in Revelation 17:12. 

How will “the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron” (Dan. 2:41 KJV), which clearly identify “the kingdom shall be divided” (Dan. 2:21 KJV), this unmixable group be brought together and molded into “a mighty horde, a huge army” (Ezek. 38:15 HCSB)?

The following articles address the new role China is filling in the world of Middle East politics:

APNEWS

https://apnews.com/article/china-saudi-arabia-iran-global-mediator-45ec807c8fd2b2aa65eef4cc313b739d

APNEWS

https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-syria-restore-relations-192c4b2086b34288bdd530e06fc4a32a

MIDDLE EAST INSTITUE

https://www.mei.edu/publications/25-year-iran-china-agreement-endangering-2500-years-heritage

China is, it appears, easily bringing countries together and strengthening its economic and political power.  There is a common thread to be identified in some of the economic and political agreements in which China is engaged.  First, there is direct connection with Russia.  Russia supports Syrian president Assad.  Second, there is direct connection with Iran.  Iran supports Russia and Syrian president Assad.  Additionally, Iran supports terrorist groups surrounding Israel:  Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to name a few. 

I do not know if it is the intention of China to prepare and equip “the army” of Gog, but, that may be what is taking place.  As we watch to see what is happening north of Israel, let us watch to see, not only, the head of the serpent but also its body as it coils itself and prepares to strike. 

Israel will be attacked by Gog!  How can we be sure?  God said it will happen.

One of the most fundamental truths to believe and embrace concerns the origin of God’s Word, the Scriptures.  God, through Paul as he wrote to Timothy and the assembly at Ephesus, declares the origin of the Scriptures:  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16 KJV).  The phrase “inspiration of God” is defined as “divinely breathed” in Strong’s Concordance (#G2315).  The only divinity addressed is God.  Therefore, the understanding to be gained and embraced is that all Scripture comes from God and, if it does not come from God it is not Scripture.  In 2 Peter 1:16-21, we learn additional details concerning the “inspiration (breath) of God” with respect to the origin of the Scriptures.  The word “moved” (21, KJV) is defined as “to be carried along, to be borne along.  The word was used of a ship carried along by the wind (Acts 27:15, 17,)” (Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament)”.  To continue the definition and corresponding imagery:  “and the metaphor here is that the prophets raised their sails and the Holy Spirit filled them and carried their craft along in the direction He (God) wished”.  Therefore, we believe and embrace the truth concerning the origin of the Scriptures – what God said.

The post last week, March 6, 2023, emphasized a phrase from Ezekiel 38 “the latter (last) days” (8).  Clearly, the focus of Ezekiel 38 is an attack against the nation of Israel, whom God calls “my people of Israel” (14, KJV).  The language and imagery of Ezekiel 38 describes Israel as living securely in their own land, the land God gave them.  At the time of the declaration by Ezekiel, the nation of Israel, as a whole, was not living in the land God gave them.  Before the attack can occur, the nation of Israel, as a whole, will need to be restored to the land God gave them by being re-gathered from the areas into which they had been dispersed. 

In Ezekiel 37:1-14, God showed the prophet a graphic image of a valley full of dry bones.  He then asked Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (3, KJV).  God instructs Ezekiel to “Prophesy over these bones” (4, ESV).  The word “prophesy” is defined by Strong’s Concordance (#H5012) as “to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse) :- prophesy (-ing), make self a prophet.”  So, a prophet is one who proclaims, or speaks forth, the inspired message from God.  A prophesy may be a prediction of future events, and/or may be a simple discourse or declaration of what God said (2 Peter 1:21).  The conclusion is the message comes from God (2 Tim. 3:16).  The word of/from God, through Ezekiel, contains the promise of restoring and re-gathering all Israel together into the land God gave them. 

This is an excerpt from the National Archives concerning the nation of Israel:  “At midnight on May 14, 1948, the Provisional Government of Israel proclaimed a new State of Israel.”  (National Archives, www.archives.gov).

Since that time, the people of Israel have been returning to the land God gave them.  Click the following links to articles detailing the record setting numbers of people, some 70,000, who returned home to the land of Israel in 2022: 

Jerusalem Post:  https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-725547

The Times Of Israel:  https://www.timesofisrael.com/immigration-to-israel-hits-23-year-high-driven-by-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/

In 1960, the total population of Israel was just over 2 million.

In 1980, the total population of Israel was just over 4 million.

As of March 12, 2023, the total population of Israel is over 9 million. 

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/israel-population/#:~:text=The%20current%20population%20of%20Israel, of%20the%20total%20world%20population.

How will we know when the re-gathering is complete?  When Israel is attacked – which may be the first event that initiates numerous others about which Daniel and John and wrote. 

Correctly understanding the meaning of a future event which has been recorded in the Scriptures can be challenging.  Equipped with the belief and confidence that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV) and was never the product of human intellect “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21 NIV) we know we can trust what God said.  The challenge is to understand what God said. 

Since the Scriptures originate with and from God, it does not matter how many people we may ask concerning the meaning of particular passage.  In reality, the answers we receive to our questions are determined by the people we ask.  Therefore, it should make sense for our understanding of the future events spoken forth in the Scriptures to be built upon the foundation of the Scriptures which ‘God breathed’ (inspiration of God – 2 Tim. 3:16) and not human opinion.

In Ezekiel 38, the prophet was instructed to speak forth (prophesy) the message of God against Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal in the land of Magog (1-2).  God, through Ezekiel, forecasts the future attack against the people of Israel.  Within the context of the prophecy, of which everything is important, are a couple of key phrases:  (8) “in the latter (last or end, Strong’s) years” (KJV); and (14) “when my people of Israel dwelleth safely (securely HCSB)” (KJV). 

Is it possible that “the latter (last) years” might be identified by the reality of Israel existing in a state of safety and/or security?  Also, might it be possible for Israel to take action to secure her safety and, at the same time, identify the beginning of “the latter (last) years”? 

At present, the most formidable threat to the safety and security of Israel appears to be the nation of Iran.  The following links are to news articles, from a variety of sources, that illuminate the awareness and willingness of the nation of Israel to do what is necessary in order to provide for her own safety and security.

The first article is about how close Iran is to weapons grade enriched uranium:  https://abc13.com/iran-can-make-enough-material-for-nuclear-device-in-about-12-days/12894906/

The second article is about the comments by the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency concerning Iran’s enrichment of uranium and the speculation of an attack by Israel or Israel and the U.S.: 

https://www.voanews.com/a/netanyahu-rebuffs-iaea-chief-s-remarks-against-possible-attack-on-iran-/6990408.html

The third article is about a secret nuclear deal between Russia and Iran concerning the transfer of uranium which Iran enriched prior to agreeing to participate in the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action):  https://www.foxnews.com/world/russia-iran-secret-nuclear-deal-would-allow-uranium-transfers-tehrans-illicit-weapons-program-sources

This last article is the response by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the remarks by director-general Grossi:  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/netanyahu-rebuffs-iaea-chiefs-remarks-against-possible-attack-iran-2023-03-05/

Are we seeing the stage being set for the eventual attack against Israel and, quite possibly, the introduction to “the latter (last) years”?  Might an Israeli strike against the nuclear program of Iran be a key event in setting the stage for the future attack from the north?

Ezekiel 38:14-16 (HCSB)

“Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know ⌊this⌋ ¹⁵ and come from your place in the remotest parts of the north – you and many peoples with you, who are all riding horses – a mighty horde, a huge army? ¹⁶ You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the last days, Gog, that I will bring you against My land so that the nations may know Me, when I show Myself holy through you in their sight.”