I. Video. Ezekiel 38 War: Nations mentioned in the Bible.
II. Video Data. John Ankerberg Show. Dr. John Ankerberg, (M. Div., D. Min.), (Dr. Jimmy DeYoung (M. Div., Ph. D., 1940-2021).
III. Video Comment.
God brings about the Ezekiel 38-39 Russian attack on Israel. 38:4 “I will put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out.” [Note from the 1909 Scofield Study Bible, “The northern powers have often been the persecutors of dispersed Israel, and is congruous both with divine justice and with the covenants of God that destruction should fall in connection with the attempt to exterminate the remnant of Israel in Jerusalem. The entire prophecy belongs to the yet future day of the Lord.”] [Moody Bible Commentary note,” All of the countries mentioned by Ezekiel here are today Muslim countries, including much of Russia, which will lead this Islamic invasion, with the invasion under the leadership of these Muslim governments.”]
IV. Introduction To Daniel’ Fulfillment.
A. In the previous articles of Daniel Prophecy we looked into the chapters and verses of the first twelve chapters of the prophecy. In this series of articles, we will look outward from the each chapter, and discuss how Daniel was given visions of the world system that began during the Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:4), and will proceed through the Tribulation period (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1), and will end at the beginning of the thousand-year millennial age of the Kingdom, which, even in today’s world, is “yet to come,” (Mattthew 24:29-30; Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 19:11-20;4-6; Matthew 25:31-34; 41-46 ).
B. The Times of the Gentiles is that period of time during which Israel does not have a King on the throne. The beginning of the time follows the invasion of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzer (607-586 B.C.), and will proceed through the Tribulation and will end at the second coming of Christ, when He will return from heaven with His redeemed saints, and set up the Kingdom, which will come, then. While Christ was on earth, offering the Kingdom to Israel, he told those Jews to pray for the Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).There can be no kingdom when there is no King seated on the throne.
C. During this course of study we will consider such sayings of “latter years,” “last days” and “day of the Lord.” Of course, context must be considered as we examine such related Scriptures.
D. Ezekiel uses two expressions in chapter thirty-eight which may give an indication as to the time of this invasion. In verse eight, there appears the expression “latter years,” and in verse sixteen is the “last days” of Israel’s history. This, of course, can have no reference to the “last days” of the church age, for God is dealing with Israel in His divine economy at this time of the invasion of Israel. (Things To Come, p 351, Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, Th. B., Th. M., Th., D., 1915-2014).
E. Consider three verses that relate to latter years and last days (NASB 1995 translation).
1. Ezekiel 38:8. After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.
2. Ezekiel 38:16. and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.”
3. 2 Timothy 3:1. But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
F. Consider the following introduction and verses that relate to “the Day of the Lord,” with the following explanation. (NASB 1995).
1. Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
2. Note: Ryrie Study Bible. Dr. Charles C. Ryrie (Th. M., Th. D., Ph. D., Litt. D.,1925-2016).
3. Joel Introduction. The Day of the Lord, the major theme of this prophecy, involves God’s special intervention in the affairs of human history. Three facets of the Day of the Lord are discernable: (1) the historical, that is, God’s intervention in the affairs of Israel (Zeph 1:14-18; Joel 1:15) and heathen nations (Isa 13:6; Jer 46:10; Ezek 30:3); (2) the illustrative, whereby an historical incident represents a partial fulfillment of the eschatalogical Day of the Lord (Joel 2:1-11; Isa 13:6-13); (3) the eschatological. This eschatologial “day” includes the time of the Great Tribulation (Isa 2:12-19; 4:1), the second coming of Christ (Joel 2:30-32, and the Millennium (Isa 4:2; 19:23-25; Jer 30:7-9).
4. Joel 2:1. Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near (Ryrie note: 2:1-11. The locust army is regarded as a foretaste of an invading army in the “day of the Lord (vs 1); i.e., in the tribulation period. The future reference may be to the demon-locusts described in Rev 9:1-12, or to the invasion of the king of the North (Ezek 38:15; Dan 11:40). Resembling the Garden of Eden before the invasion, the land of Israel will be reduced to a wilderness afterward (v 3). The same (or similar) disturbances described in verse 10 are predicted in Rev 6:12-13; 8:12.
5. Daniel 11:40-45 note. “in the tribulation period “the king of the South and the king of the North” will attempt a pincer movement against Antichrist (v 40). But with Israel as his base (v 41), he will first defeat Egypt, then Libya and Ethiopia (Sudan). “will follow at his heels (v 43). Shall be part of his dominion. “rumors from the East and from the North” (v 44). May relate to the armies of Rev 9:13-21; 16;12, The threat of these armies will cause Antichrist to return to Israel, making his headquarters between Jerudalem and the Mediterranean (v 45). But he will “come to his end” at the hands of the victorious, returning Christ.
V. Mysteries of Scripture For The New Testament.
A. It is important to understand that the Jewish Prophets of the Old Testament had been given no prophecies by God that relate to the period of the church age. Such a time period is known as a “mystery.” Such a mystery is not something that can not be understood, but revelation that comes from God only at the time that “the mystery” is received by God’s intended recipient. Notice that such “mysteries” were not known during the OT. See the Ryrie note for Romans 16:25-26. Romans 16: 25 “…according to the revelation of “the mystery” which has been kept secret for long ages past,”
B. Ryrie note: “the mystery” (Rom 16:25). A definition of a scriptural mystery: something unknown in times past, but revealed in the NT. See note on Eph 3:3-5. Here the mystery is the gospel of Christ. OT prophecies of Messiah could now be understood, once the mystery was revealed (Eph 5:32; 6:19; 1 Cor 15:50-51; Col 1:26-27; Rom 11:25).
C. The inter advent age of Matthew 13, Christ and the church, and the rapture, were not known during the OT. The OT prophets were given prophecies that related to the tribulation and millennium, because those time periods were pertinent to Israel, and only to Israel. Unsaved Gentiles will be left behind from the rapture (1 Thes 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:50-54), and will suffer from the same tribulation judgments of God that will come upon unsaved Jews; both groups are “all who dwell upon the earth” (Rev 3:10), who will be left behind from the rapture.
D. Anyone who is left behind from the rapture will not be allowed to enter the millennium without having come to accept Jesus as God’s chosen king (Deu 17:15). Gentiles and Jews who accept Jesus as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS,” (Rev 19:16) during the tribulation may be martyred (Rev 7:9,15-17); they may also survive the tribulation (Jews, Matt 24:39-41…not the rapture), and (Gentiles, Matt 25:31-33…not the rapture).
E. The key provision of the tribulation is to bring Israel to belief in Messiah/Christ (Jer 30:7). The key provision of the millennial age of the kingdom is for Israel to receive Christ as God’s chosen king (Deu 17:15), and for Christ to rule and reign from the throne of David in the physical land of Israel (2 Sam 7:8-17; Mt 24:29-30; Rev 19:11-16; 20:6).
F. As will be discussed in this study, the kingdom is not the born again experience, but is a physical blessing upon Israel (2 Samuel 7:8-17), and Gentiles who will be blessed by Israel (Gen 12:3), and will be grafted into the blessings of the Jews (Rom 11:17-24). Gentiles are a bloodline of “nations.” Jews are a bloodline of the promise of the Abrahamic covenant which runs through Isaac and Jacob, with the bloodline of Judah being the bloodline of Mary and the birth of Jesus. Gentiles will not be grafted into the Jewish bloodline, but will be grafted into the promises of the Abrahamic covenant’s blessings for Israel.
VI. A Study Of New Testament Mysteries.
A. This course of study will lead to areas of Scripture that relate to current times of pre-tribulation, which is also known as the “Times Of The Gentiles.” We will study “mystery times of Scripture,” of which OT Jewish prophets had no revelation. Such areas of “mystery” will relate to the Matthew Chapter 13 parables, which discuss a “mystery form of the kingdom,” and form an inner advent age, which covers a time period which began when Israel formally rejected the offer of the Kingdom in Matthew 12:24, and will extend until the second coming of Christ in Matthew 24:29-30.
B. Consider the exchange between Jesus and His disciples in Matthew 13:10-11,”10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. At the time of the rejection of Christ by Israel, Jesus began a personal ministry to his disciples for them to be prepared for the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20).
C. As mentioned V. C., above, we will study the mysteries of Christ and the Church, to include the mystery of the rapture and resurrection of church age deceased believers. Revelation Chapters 2-3, closely parallel Chapter 13 of Matthew. Because the Church is a mystery to OT prophets, this inner advent age will also be discussed.
D. Because the prophecies of Daniel lead to the tribulation and millennial age of the Kingdom, we will study those two areas of Israel’s future, that are described in Scripture as being latter days, latter years, last days. We will also study the last days of the church age, which are also known as the last times of the church age.
E. It is important for us to not choose terms that relate to Israel in their time of tribulation and kingdom, and place the church in those same passages of Scripture, or word and time context. At the time of the rapture, the church will be caught up from the earth and will never again be mentioned as “the church.” The mission of the church will end when it is caught up and taken to heaven. Everyone who is present on earth during the Kingdom Age, including the raptured former church which returns to earth with Christ, will be expected to participate in the feasts that Jews were required to observe prior to the time of tribulation and Kingdom Age: (Passover, Ezekiel 45:21-25, Matthew 26:17, 29; Tabernacles, Zechariah 14:16).
VII. My Bucket List shows the references, of people and documents, that I use when I write my articles; you can check it in my list of Pages.
Eternity 