cemetery space for Gog

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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cemetery space for Gog

Ezekiel 39:11-16 (JDV)

Ezekiel 39:11 ” ‘Now on that day, I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel – the Travelers’ Valley east of the Sea. It will block those who travel through, for Gog and all his processions will be buried there. So it will be called processions of Gog Valley.
Ezekiel 39:12 The house of Israel will spend seven months burying them in order to cleanse the land.
Ezekiel 39:13 All the people of the land will bury them and their fame will spread on the day I display my impressive appearance. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.
Ezekiel 39:14 ” ‘They will appoint men on a full-time basis to pass through the land and bury the invaders who remain on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. They will make their search at the end of the seven months.
Ezekiel 39:15 When they pass through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker next to it until the buriers have buried it in processions of Gog Valley.
Ezekiel 39:16 There will even be a city named Hamonah there. So they will cleanse the land.’

cemetery space for Gog

The evil king’s army will not go home. They will be buried where they fell, as a monument to the power of the God who defeated them. It will take a long time to bury all the fallen warriors. All that time the surrounding nations will learn that the God of Israel is not to be threatened. He takes care of his people.

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weapons of mass combustion

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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weapons of mass combustion

Ezekiel 39:9-10 (JDV)

Ezekiel 39:9 ” ‘Then the residents of Israel’s cities will go out, kindle fires, and burn the weapons – the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them to make fires.
Ezekiel 39:10 They will not gather wood from the countryside or cut it down from the forests, for they will use the weapons to make fires. They will take the loot from those who looted them and plunder those who plundered them. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.

weapons of mass combustion

The weapons that were intended to destroy Israel would be dropped where their owners fell, and picked up for firewood by the rescued Israelites. For seven years, no trees would have to be cut down because those unused weapons would provide all the firewood the Israelites would need.

What a picture that is for us. Our God has a plan to undo all the plans of our enemy. Not only would Gog’s plan to destroy be stopped, but even the aftermath of the threat would turn out to be a blessing.

Trust God in the midst of threatened trouble.

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our choice

Posted on December 26, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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our choice

Ezekiel 39:7-8 (JDV)

Ezekiel 39:7 So I will make my sacred name known among my people Israel and will no longer allow it to be polluted. Then the nations will know that I am Yahveh, the sacred One in Israel.
Ezekiel 39:8 Yes, it is coming, and it will happen. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh. This is the day I have spoken about.

our choice

The Israelites could have worried about Gog, and his coming invasion. Or, they could have taken comfort in God’s promise to defeat him. It was their choice.

We are told that in this world, we will have trouble. We can choose to worry about that. Or, we can choose to trust in Christ, who has overcome this world. Our choice.

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they will fall

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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they will fall

Ezekiel 39:1-6 (JDV)

Ezekiel 39:1 “As for you, son of Adam, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Notice, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Ezekiel 39:2 I will turn you around, drive you on, and lead you up from the remotest parts of the north. I will bring you against the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel 39:3 Then I will knock your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand.
Ezekiel 39:4 You, all your troops, and the peoples who are with you will fall on the mountains of Israel. I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and to the wild animals.
Ezekiel 39:5 You will fall on the open field, for I have spoken. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.
Ezekiel 39:6 ” ‘I will send fire against Magog and those who live securely on the coasts and islands. Then they will know that I am Yahveh.

they will fall

The evil king plans to attack an innocent land and considers himself invincible. But God is watching, and he will knock the weapons from the evil king’s hand and will cause the troops to fall on the mountains — the mountains of Israel.

The weapons formed against God’s people will not prevail. The plans of the evil king will not succeed. God is against him.

No matter what you face today, God knows. He has a plan to defeat your enemies.

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Merry Christmas, Gog

Posted on December 24, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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Merry Christmas, Gog

Ezekiel 38:17-23 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:17 ” ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Are you the one I spoke about in former times through my servants, the prophets of Israel, who for years prophesied in those times that I would bring you against them?
Ezekiel 38:18 Now on that day, the day when Gog comes against the land of Israel– this is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh– my wrath will flare up.
Ezekiel 38:19 I swear in my zeal and fiery rage: On that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 38:20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, every creature that crawls on the ground, and every human being on the face of the land will tremble before me. The mountains will be demolished, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.
Ezekiel 38:21 I will call for a sword against him on all my mountains – this is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh – and every man’s sword will be against his brother.
Ezekiel 38:22 I will execute judgment on him with epidemic and bloodshed. I will pour out torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur on him, as well as his troops and the many peoples who are with him.
Ezekiel 38:23 I will display my greatness and sacredness and will reveal myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am Yahveh.’

Merry Christmas, Gog

This is obviously not a passage about the birth of Christ, and I considered posting a special holiday message instead of continuing my study of Ezekiel. But it occurred to me that the message of today’s text is appropriate. The story of Christmas is — as Pastor Marty Gibbs preached — “We interrupt this message.”

The evil tyrant Gog advances upon Israel and prepares to invade and destroy it. All of a sudden, God shows up. He had predicted this. He is not afraid. God waits for Gog to appear in history because he has a present for this bad boy.

Whatever you are facing this Christmas season, don’t worry. God knows the end from the beginning. If evil comes to your house, God will be there to meet it.

Merry Christmas.

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praying about war

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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praying about war

Ezekiel 38:14-16 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:14 “Therefore prophesy, son of Adam, and say to Gog, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know this
Ezekiel 38:15 and come from your place in the remotest parts of the north – you and many peoples with you, who are all riding horses – a huge mob, a powerful army?
Ezekiel 38:16 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 sacred through you in their sight.

praying about war

Sometimes when we look at war, it all seems so meaningless and unnecessary, inflicting pain and chaos in such a way as to defy explanation. Most wars are like that, but not all. The battle Ezekiel describes will happen because God wants the nations to know him — to see how he defends his people.

We should always seek peace, and try to avoid confrontations and violence. But when wars happen, we should also pray for God to prevail, and for his gospel to become known.

LORD, we confess that we fear war, and we ask you to prevent it — and stop the ones that are taking place. But may you be glorified in all things.

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what Gog thought

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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what Gog thought

Ezekiel 38:10-13 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:10 ” ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.
Ezekiel 38:11 You will say, “I will advance against a land of open villages; I will come against a tranquil people who are living securely, all of them living without walls and without bars or gates” –
Ezekiel 38:12 in order to seize plunder and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against ruins now inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations, who have been acquiring cattle and possessions and who live at the center of the world.
Ezekiel 38:13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its rulers will ask you, “Have you come to seize plunder? Have you mobilized your mob to carry off plunder, to make off with silver and gold, to take cattle and possessions, to seize plenty of plunder?” ‘

what Gog thought

No, that is not a typo. These are the thoughts that arose in the mind of Gog, as he was contemplating the attack on Israel. He saw a vulnerability that he wanted to take advantage of. He saw weakness and the plunder that could be his for the taking.

When evil men think thoughts like this, they need to know that there are powers in this world and above it that will hold them accountable for their crimes. As we keep reading, we will see that God will not allow Gog and his empire Magog to succeed.

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and many peoples with you

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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and many peoples with you

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Ezekiel 38:7-9 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:7 ” ‘Be prepared and get yourself ready, you and your whole mob that has been mobilized around you; you will be their guard.
Ezekiel 38:8 After a long time you will be summoned. In the last years, you will enter a land that has been restored from war and regathered from many peoples to the mountains of Israel, which had long been a ruin. They were brought out from the peoples, and all of them now live securely.
Ezekiel 38:9 You, all of your troops, and many peoples with you will advance, coming like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

and many peoples with you

In October 2013 I wrote about this chapter and prayed for the LORD to “help us to reach the nations with your good news, and so keep them from living out the terror of this bad news.”

Now, we see more clearly how a northern land could aggressively move toward Israel as part of its wider campaign to fulfill its destiny. So, Israel, long after it has been restored to the land and regathered to it, will have to prepare for another battle — but Israel will have allies among “many peoples” and will be miraculously helped by God himself.

A day is soon coming when every nation will have to choose whether to fight or not to fight. At that time, it will be essential to know who is fighting, and whose side God will be fighting for.

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Yahveh against Gog

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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Yahveh against Gog

Ezekiel 38:1-6 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 38:2 “Son of Adam, face Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him
Ezekiel 38:3 and say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Notice, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Ezekiel 38:4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, including horses and riders, who are all splendidly dressed, a huge mob armed with large and small shields, all of them brandishing swords.
Ezekiel 38:5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shields and helmets;
Ezekiel 38:6 Gomer with all its troops; and Beth-togarmah from the remotest parts of the north along with all its troops – many peoples are with you.

Yahveh against Gog

When the Lord Yahveh is against you, you do not have a chance. It does not matter how bug your army is. He is going to win in the end. You can count on it.

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one shepherd for all of them

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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one shepherd for all of them

Ezekiel 37:24-28 (JDV)

Ezekiel 37:24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my rules, keep my prescriptions, and obey them.
Ezekiel 37:25 ” ‘They will live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and my servant David will be their prince forever.
Ezekiel 37:26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a permanent covenant with them. I will establish and multiply them and will set my sanctuary among them forever.
Ezekiel 37:27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Ezekiel 37:28 When my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, Yahveh, sanctify Israel.'”

one shepherd for all of them

The Book of Hebrews, in the New Testament –, explains the permanent covenant that Ezekiel predicts. He says that it will replace the first covenant under Moses, that Christ will be its mediator, and that it will set God’s people free from their violations under that previous covenant — by his death (Hebrews 9:15).

He says that our Lord Jesus Christ is the “great shepherd of the sheep” — the “one shepherd” Ezekiel mentions in 37:24. He also explains that the death of Christ is crucial in this plan — by mentioning the “blood of the permanent covenant.” He also shows that God will prove that Jesus is that predicted shepherd by raising him from the dead (Hebrews 13:20).

There are not two permanent covenants: one for Israel and one for the church. God has one plan, one Messiah, and one permanent covenant.

LORD, thank you for our one shepherd.

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