Global SITREP D9:18: The Prophecy of Ezekiel

Artistic rendering of Ezekiel at the River Chebar, Ezekiel 1:4

17 November 2018: One of the most important verses regarding the salvation of all Israel occurs, according to Scripture, in the aftermath of the one-sided military engagement between all of the forces brought against Israel by Gog of Magog and the Lord GOD Himself. That verse is Ezekiel 39:29.

"'And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”

Before expounding upon this verse and its meaning, there first must be established from Scripture the proper background.

Ezekiel, one of ancient Israel's (Judah), greaterst prophets, needs to be understood in the terms of his calling to be a prophet. I would urge reading the first chapter (image above) when the likeness of the glory of the Lord appeared before him. This incredible scene of the calling of Ezekiel to be a prophet to Israel occurred at the River Chebar in Mesopotamia at the time noted in the text. I would also urge to continue reading chapters two and three for the full measure of Ezekiel's calling to be a prophet and watchman background material, but will add a quick synopsis here.

As most human beings would be certain to do upon seeing the same thing that Ezekiel was seeing in the opening verses of chapter one, he swiftly fell prone in planting his face on the ground. But the Lord GOD said, "Son of man, stand upright upon your feet and I will speak to you." Immediately the Holy Spirit entered into Ezekiel and set him uprught upon his feet. the Lord GOD then informs Ezekiel of his mission to speak prophecy to Israel, a rebellious nation; that Israel whether the heed Ezekiel's God-breathed words or reject them will know for certain that a prophet was among them. 

And then, in a scene very similar to what occurred to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord God hands Ezekiel a scoll and instructs him to eat it. This Scripture makes clear that all prophecy Ezekiel would speak to Israel came from the scroll he was given to consume; it literally became a part of his body, it was the literal word of God that Ezekiel would speak. Ezekiel is also informed that he is being sent not to a foreign land of strange language, but to Israel, his own people captive in Babylon; but that in a foreign land they would surely accept what Ezekiel would speak to them. But for rebellious Israel, whether they will hear these words or not, nevertheless, the word of the Lord GOD must be spoken to them.

This is, to my thinking, strong evidence of why to this very day Ezekiel 38/39 are of such importance to many Jews that they, deliberately or not, overlook or misinterpret the other just as Divinely inspired 'last days' words of the other Jewish prophets. 

Continuing, the Lord GOD also makes Ezekiel a watchman for all Israel. Now, in a nutshell, being a watchman for the Lord GOD is no simple or easy task. Whatever the Lord tells you to speak, if you don't say it to those you are told to say it to, either the wicked or the righteous, then their affliction will become your affliction; and their blood will be required of you. If you do speak,and they heed the words, then all is well. And this goes well beyond speaking His word to mere individuals; it regards the whole of the nation of Israel as you will learn next.    

Getting back now to Ezekiel 39:29, and the Lord GOD pouring out the Holy Spirit upon all Israel. Has all Israel first accepted Jesus Christ as Messiah to make this pouring out of the Lord's Spirit possible? No, Scripture clearly does not say that. Many Christians are there who maintain that it is a must; that what what about ot be stated here is what they refer to a "Dual Covenant" theology. I assure you it is nothing of the sort. It is the word of God direct from Scripture. 

So, this is where reading the text of Ezekiel 36 is essential to understanding Ezekiel 39:29 and the Lord's pouring out of His Spirit, and, to be sure, the fulness of what Paul wrote in Romans 11 regarding the salvation of all Israel.

Ezekiel 36, verses 1 through 15, begins with God preparing the land of (Eretz) Israel for the return of the nation, the people, of Israel. Then at Ezekiel 36:16 the role of Ezekiel as a watchman for Israel, speaking that which the Lord GOD commands him to say, begins. The numbering of the verses 16 through 21 have been edited out so the text of the the Lord GOD is saying through Ezekiel is continuous; bold text of verse 21 has been added for emphasis.

"Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went."

This section speaks as if the point of reference is the time of Christ's visitation, ministry, crucifixion, rising from the dead and ascension into Heaven, circa 33 AD, and the resultant destruction of the city of Jerusalem, the 2nd Temple and the global exile of the Jews by the Roman Empire and which all occurred in the 7 years from 67 to 73 AD, as prophesied by Isaiah 29. And then there's verse 21 which is the core of the matter, and is now explained in the subsequent eleven verses (22-32), also in bold for emphasis.

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will [e]loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”

We leave the final five verses of chapter 36 for the reader to read for themselves, they are self explanatory. Of these verses quoted above, we should recongnize that they are found in the same thematic discourse found in the closing verses of Ezekiel 39 begining at verse 25 where God shows mercy on the whole house of Israel in jealousy for His holy name. These things, the restoration of the land (eretz) Israel and the Lord God pouring His Spirit upon all Israel is not for their sake, but for His holy name's sake. 

There is a consistent theme here as well, and it runs from the Covenant of Moab in Deuteronomy 29:4 (an addition to the Covenant of Horeb), to Isaiah 29:10, and the whole of Romans 11. And the time for this 'last days' redemption of Israel was identified by Paul in Romans 11:25-27. 

"For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

 

For this is My covenant with them,

When I take away their sins.”"

So, it is after the Lord God has poured out His Spirit that those who recieve it that the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 comes to fulfillment (again, bold for emphasis) and Israel recognizes Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah:

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for hisonly son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."