Douggg
anytime rapture, non-dispensationalist, futurist
- May 28, 2009
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TS, you are in denial. It names some of the nations in Ezekiel 38.You don't get it because you are blind with physical nation of Israel which is not where God talked about. You have a lot to learn and only if you have spiritual ears to hear.
In Ezekiel 38/39, God did not talk about physical nations armed with some physical weapons to wage physical war against a physical nation called "Israel" here. Rather, God is talking about His Congregation where He has redeemed many people out of the nations. You need to understand that it will be a time when God shall "visit" in the "latter days" to test the faithfulness of His Congregation, the Church, after 2,000 years of testimony to the world. Finding that she is not faithful, He will bring the army of Gog and Magog as a tool of judgment against this Congregation.
Do you really understand what "bought back" God was talking about? It is the past tense of "bring again." The term to bring again is salvation language altogether. God states in verse eight of our study that after many days He (God) will visit Gog and Magog, meaning He will bring judgment upon the nations of the world. In the latter years thou (Gog and Magog) shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword. To be “brought back” is past tense and can certainly be said of it that at one time prior to its fulfillment it would look forward to bringing again. Thus it is with our salvation. We were once lost and without Christ in the world and in our hearts. God, in His mercy, made a covenant that He would bring His chosen back into His fold as it was prior to our fall in the Garden of Eden. This is simple doctrine and needs no interpretation. After our fall we were eternally separated from God. We would one day be
brought back (from the sword) or another way of stating this is that God would one day bring again that which was lost or driven away, which was our fellowship and covenant with the Living Creator!
This is the spiritual house of Israel is to be brought back. This is the lost sheep of the house of Israel that Christ will bring back. Christ will bring again the captivity of Jacob, and this is NOT hightlighting the physical rebirth of the nation of Israel.
Ezekiel 34:11-13
[11] For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
[12] As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
[13] And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
At first glance, this may appear totally ludicrous to many in that we are stating that the mountains of Israel are NOT the literal mountains of the "latter days" rebirth of the nation of Israel. Yes, God has told us that He would gather us from all nations and bring us into "our own land." God SPIRITUALLY identifies this "land" as the mountains of Israel. These are not literal mountains nor are they located in a literal nation or country called Israel. Old Testament Israel was a nation lead of God to PREFIGURE or FORESHADOW His New Testament spiritual nation of all believers, both Jews and Gentiles. This is a spiritual "land" - the land of salvation, the land of milk and honey, etc. Eternal salvation is God's gift to those whom He has chosen and has given them an eternal home in an eternal land:
Psalms 143:10
[10] Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
The land of uprightness is indeed the spiritual land of Israel - the mountains thereof. It is the land in which our father Abraham sought after:
Hebrews 11:9-10
[9] By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
[10] For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
It is a spiritual city whose builder and maker is God, This spiritual city is represented here on earth by the Church of Jesus Christ which is a TARGET of God and Magog attack at the end of time:
Ezekiel 34:13-14
[13] And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
[14] I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
God was NOT talking about feeding His people with literal good pastures, but with good pastures of SPIRITUAL FOOD which is GOSPEL that only can be found upon HIGH Mountains of Israel! Selah! There they will lie down in a good fold, and in a fat pasture. This is what Gospel nourishment is about! It sustains spiritual life and this is only found WITHIN the Kingdom of God which is symbolized as the Mountains of Israel! Selah!
This is where God will use the armies of Gog and Magog will attack upon THIS mountains of Israel (Church) to "spoil and to take prey" upon Gospel itself! They will destroy everything that the Gospel stands for.
Joel warned about it:
Joel 2:1-4
[1] Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
[2] A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
[3] A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
[4] The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
The armies of Gog and Magog are NOT Russians or Islamic nations. They are the false prophets and christs! God compared them as the horsemen of Revelation 9! They will come with false gospel and doctrines that will replace or destroy true Gospel, leaving destruction left within God's congregation! Haven't you note it today?
It is a warning from God that only His Chosen Elect will "hear" and "see" this judgment that is taking place upon the unfaithful congregations all over the Earth - Gog and Magog!
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