Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ezekiel/ Gog and Magog

Have you ever taken the time to read the book of Ezekiel? It is the longest book in the Bible and it is not the easiest of books to read. There is much in the way of prophecy against all the nations, including Judah and Israel, and a whole lot of it isn't terribly pretty to read. I ask you this because if you haven't I would highly recommend that you do in light of all the things going on in this world ,especially in Israel ,and the entire middle east.

Ezekiel is a book that is full of dark and foreboding prophecies concerning Israel and Judah along with the nations that are around them. Judah is condemned for looking the other way when Israel is put into exile. The nations around both Israel and Judah are condemned for mocking both Israel and Judah when they are taken away and doing nothing to help them and this type of condemnation goes on and on. But then you have these brief moments where G-D speaks and says ( Uncle Iggy's condensed version ) that he would remember His people in their captivity, that he would remember those that he has scattered to the 4 winds and that he would bring them back to their ancestral homes and bring unity and peace back to Judah and Israel. In one place He even says that he will bring Egypt back under His wing along with Edom. Imagine that! That would truly be real peace in the Middle East when that day comes.

The last part of Ezekiel, chapters 40 -48 is a description of the third temple that is to come, may that day be soon, that G-D showed Ezekiel, but it's primarily Chapters 38-39 that I want to point out to you in conjunction as to what is going on in today's world.

Chapters 38-39 deal with a leader that is known as Gog and his nation Magog that decides to invade that land of Israel and destroy it. It tells how G-D is very much against him and his nation and is going to lead him and his nation against Israel so that G-d can destroy him and his nation. Along the way it speaks of many nations siding with Gog and Magog and joining in the assault against Israel. It speaks of an army so massive that it's like "a cloud covering the earth" and that they will attempt to attack the areas first that have been newly resettled by the returned people of Israel (see chapters 36-37)places that have no walls protecting them. But all of this is a part of G-D's plan. He is essentially going to lead Magog into it's own destruction as they try to destroy Israel. His purpose is two fold, first it is to punish Gog and Magog, along with the rest of the nations that join them, for their sins against G-D and the people of Israel, but it's main purpose is so that G-D's name will be honored and worshiped on the earth because all will see that G-D has done this and their will be no doubt that He has, and His eternal Kingdom will be established on the earth at that time.

This is what I like to refer to as Uncle Iggy's short condensed version because there is so much more there to read but I wanted to make it short and to the point, so please read all of it and decide for yourself.

The reason that I bring this up is it has been suggested by some religious leaders in both the Jewish world and the Evangelical world, that what we are seeing , with this flotilla is but the beginning of what is to come and is perhaps the start of Gog and Magog. Nations, Iran and Turkey, that have been identified as possible locations of Magog, and there are several others depending on who you ask, have offered to have military escorts for ships that are bringing "Aid" to Gaza. That would put Israel in a position that they would have to defend their borders against those that have vowed to wipe them off the map, Iran for instance,and further isolate them from the rest of the world. They are in a no win situation.

Israel is already surrounded by many nations that want to destroy her and, I might add, they have tried over and over, and now it would seem that all of the world, including the United States is going to take a stand against Israel this next week at the UN over the issue of the flotilla. Whats next? UN troops trying to invade Israel and keeping her from defending her borders?

The biggest battle and world event is quite possibly playing out, right in front of us,and the vast majority of the world is ignorant of it, why? Because many have taken the "Old Testament" scriptures and have either relegated them as to being irrelevant or to being nothing but a bunch of stories and fables. Or they live in a nation that doesn't allow the scriptures thus leaving the people ignorant of whats happening.

Christians see the end as being a battle over what they believe, never quite understanding that this has never been about them, but has always been about Israel and G-D's promises to both Judah and Israel. Does Christianity have a role to play in all this? Yes. You at least believe in the G-D of Israel and it may very well come down to you having to decide if you are going to stand with G-D's chosen people, Israel,and the G-D of Israel or if you are going to stand with the world in it's attempt to destroy Israel.
Some of you reading this, may discover that the prophecies that concern the return of Israel to it's land, concerns you because your ancestry is of the house of Israel, I didn't say of the house of Judah, though that is possible as well, but of the house of Israel which consisted of all the 10 tribes that were dispersed by G-D. With that thought in mind the battle lines become more clear and it becomes very personal for all of us.

Before you just disregard this as the ravings of a mad man or someone whom you consider to be "lost" go and read those chapters, in fact read from chapter 36 on , with an open heart and mind and come to your own conclusions.
I don't know for sure whether we are seeing the beginning of the end events or not, I can only live the life that G-D has given me and write that which He has put in my heart, but I do believe that we are seeing what I would believe is the set up for it, if not the main event itself.

Pray for Israel,pray that our nation will wake up to the danger before we become numbered amongst the nations with Gog and Magog.

Shalom,
Ignacio

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