This is just a draft, for now:
In 2006, I wrote a series of Sunday School Lessons, I called modern prophecy. I started by drawing parallels to Ariel Sharon’s expulsion of Jews from Gaza and Ehud Olmert’s refusal to help citizens of Sderot to Ezekiel chapter 34, and carried that all of the way through what I theorized as a Russian invasion of Israel in Ezekiel 38 and 39. The combination of the passage of time and recent events has inspired me to revisit this topic and write about these chapters again. This paper will cover all chapters of Ezekiel from chapter 34 through 39 in the same context.
The theory I am proposing is, this is a prophecy that is in the process of being fulfilled now. I was proposing this same theory in 2006. I still think I was right then. It’s not happening in an instant. It is taking time to for these events to progress.
Chapter 34 anounces God’s judgement against the shepherds of Israel as well as some of the flock. This is a metaphor that is explained in verse 31. “And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.” There is no need to speculate who this passage is talking about. It is very clearly stated. “The flock are men”. The flock of Israel is the men of Israel. Thus, the shepherds of Israel are the men who are supposed to protect the men of Israel. There’s 4 groups of people who are described in this chapter. 1) The shepherds. I am interpreting this as Israel’s government. 2) The flock that is rams. 3) The flock that is goats. 4) The beasts. I am interpreting the beasts as the nations that surround Israel that constantly seek to destroy Israel.
Verse 17 describes the rams and the goats. “…Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.” Not only does God make a distinction between the government and the governed, God makes a distintion among the governed. …the rams and the goats. I think he is calling the rams the fat cattle and the goats the lean cattle. Verses 17 through 22 seem to anounce God’s judgement against these rams… these fat cattle. Verse 21 says, “Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad”
I wrote about this originally, because Israel’s government kicked the Jews out of Gaza, and then refused to respond to their own citizens getting attacked as a result. October 7, 2023 Hamas attacked Israel. I would like to source this information a little better than it is. Time may assist us. In the months leading up to the attack Israel withrew 80% of it’s troops from the border and removed all rapid response units from the south. Although there was some shelling and air strikes in the early hours of the Hamas invasion, the ground troops had a stand down order for the first 7 hours. They could have responded and probably reduced the civilian deaths and kidnappings.
I am not suggesting Hamas isn’t responsible. They clearly did what they did. What I am suggesting is, Israel’s government understood that Hamas would attack if they were ever given the opportunity. I will propose three theories as to why they may have done this. 1) Israel’s government was under pressure for several recent decisions, and they were trying to use war an an excuse to shut down dissent. 2) The population of hostiles near their borders has signifcantly increased over the last couple of decades. They wanted an excuse to clear it out, and establish buffer zones. 3) Ukraine is loosing to Russia, and Israeli allies want a distraction to cover it up. Any or none of these may be true. Regardless of why, it is a fact, Israel’s government ordered a withdrawal and stand down of military that allowed the attack. The point of proposing these theories is, Israel’s government had their own reason for their actions, even if it doesn’t make sense to us.
Verse 8 says, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;” Ruminate on these last couple of paragraphs for a moment, then read all of Ezkiel 34.
I heard someone ask, “Where is God in all of this?” If you’re having doubts about the authenticity of the Bible, ponder this statement from Isaiah 43. “Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.” Let’s gather the nations together for a moment. Muslims, declare to us. Show us where it is written in the Quran these things will happen. This passage I just wrote isn’t even in favor of Israel. It points out wicked things they will do. I just want to hear from a Muslim witness. Show me the truth, as it was written 3000 years ago? Hindus… Do you have a witness? Buddhists… Do you have a witness? Also, go ahead and read Isaiah 43. It’s not even out of context of our current discussion. It’s about the sons of Israel being gathered to the land of Israel in the later days.
Chapter 35 is anounces judgement against mount Seir. Seir is a range of mountains along the east side of the Jordan River and Dead Sea. This is where the country of Jordan is. I think it is talking about the people who dwell in this region. Verse 5 tells us why the anouncement is made. “Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end” …perpetual hatred. Does it seem like the Muslims that dwell around Israel perpetually hate the children of Israel? Do they shed their blood? Does Verse 10 sound familiar? “Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it…” That is the two state solution.
This is worth noting. UK possessed the land for a few decades following 1917. They split it into two nations in 1922 along the Jordan River. The Muslims would keep the East Bank. That Nation became known as Jordan. The Jews would keep the West Bank. They kept the ancient name, Israel. Part of the reason for the desolation warned about in Ezekiel 35 is for trying to divide Israel into two nations. Verse 11 says, God will do to Seir what according to their anger, and envy, and hatred. If I may suggest, it is a very dangerous thing to try to divide Israel and call for the destruction of the Jews.
Ezekiel 36 is a prophecy to the mountains of Israel. Verse 10 is the first of several times it is written that it will be the men of Israel who dwells on the mountains of Israel. “And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:” There seems to be some confusion who Israel is and where it is. This should remove any doubt. This isn’t talking about some metaphorical Israel that could apply to Christians in some other country. The children of Israel (the people) will dwell on the mountains of Israel (the land). Don’t make this confusing.
I want to skip briefly to chapter 37 and come back. Chapter 37 is the dry bones chapter. There’s a lot of imagry in this chapter. There’s two verses I want to focus on. 14 reads, “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.” 23 reads, “Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.” This has not happened yet. If you see Israel doing something wrong, they don’t have God’s spirit, yet. They haven’t been cleansed, yet. These are still the people who are going to build the third temple and accept the anti-Christ.
Let’s return to chapter 36. Recently, Rabbi Chaim Richman, who has been in charge of the project to build The Third Temple, said, “You guys are worshipping one Jew. That’s a mistake. You should be worshipping every single one of us.” I’m pretty sure that is blasphemy, not only to Christians, but also to Jews. Verses 20 and 21 read, “And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.” God is speaks clearly here. The Sons of Israel have not done anything to deserve The Land of Israel. In fact, they have done the exact opposite. God is returning them to the land, because he said he would.
My advice is this. Don’t just blindly go along with everything Israel does, but don’t attack them either. It’s easy to distinguish the shepherds from the sheep. It’s a little harder to distinguish between the rams and the goats. If you want to do something to bless Israel, try to figure out who the goats are. I’m pretty sure it’s not anyone who’s in charge.
Chapters 38 and 39 are almost a whole other issue. Verse 3 reads, “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” There is a lot of interpretation here, but what is clear, whoever Meshech and Tubal are, they are ruled by Gog. One theory is, this is talking about Russia. The word translated as prince here is often translated as president in modern Hebrew. Russia has a president with two capitols. Moscow and Tobolsk. Gog has some allies. I will go from the most definate to the least definate. It’s only in the last hundred years or so, Persia was renamed Iran. To this day, many people from Iran still call themselves Persians. We know who Persia is. Kush is translated as Ethiopia here. The land of Kush was roughly where Sudan is today, but as Islam swept across northern Africa, the people were pushed just a little further south. It could be either country. Put is translated as Libya. Togarmah isn’t even translated. Some people think it’s Turkey.
We should view alliances between Russia and Muslim nations and any build up of Russian military in the region in light of these chapters. Verses 15 and 16 reads, “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: 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.” Moscow (55N,37E) is almost directly north of Jerusalem (31N,35E). Whoever it is, their failure is such, the heathen know The Lord is God.
I don’t think this is the battle of Megiddo. (Armageddon) Not all nations are involved in this. Verse 13 reads, “Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” Sheba is in Africa. Tarshish is thought to be Spain. That’s other nations of the world questioning why Gog thinks it’s a good idea to attack Israel.
Verse 17 is interesting. “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?” When Gog attacks, people will ask if he’s is whom the prophets spoke about.
Verses 21 and 22 read, “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. 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.” Can you see an army of various Muslims nations getting in a fight with each other, while they are in the middle of another war? …then add to it a storm that hits them in the process. This is the part that is supposed to be obvious divine intervention.
This site is mostly focused on the seven seals. The events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 aren’t necessarily unrelated. The third seal describes a situation. Wheat costs a day’s wage, but oil and wine isn’t effected. Much of the world’s wheat comes from Russia and The Ukraine. This is also true for Israel. It is entirely possible a Russian embargo of wheat shipments to Israel will create such a situation. That doesn’t even necessarily have to coincide with the events of chapters 38 and 39, but I suspect they will be close in time.
The globalists have been importing Muslims into western countries. One theory suggests, they are intended as the shock troops for destabilization. They are being paid for moving into these countries. In New York, they get as much as $10,000 per month for hotel rent, food, etc. They are also given free cell phones, which comes with instructions as to how to obtain services. As Matthew 24 points out, if these days were not shortened, it would be the end of all flesh. These globalists arrogantly think they can control everything. It looks like internal strife in Israel has lead to a situation which has inspired the Muslims to become violent again, before the globalists planned it. Indeed, some nations are beginning to stop the flow of immigrants, in response to violent ‘protests’.