Looking Into The End Of This Age, As We Enter The New Year.

Happy New Year.
Although the Gregorian Calendar has thrown a man-made (monkey – hah!) wrench into the understanding of time by most of mankind, believers nonetheless can take great comfort in knowing that our Lord is neither intimidated by, nor confused about, His plans for the timing of this age, and its glorious, traumatic and conclusive outcome.

The scriptures are chock full of hints and prophetic visual clips as to what will happen, and when. I chuckle at the arrogance of anyone proclaiming full understanding of all biblical mysteries, when even Daniel, and John on Patmos, were told to seal things up. Some things will be clarified and will make sense when they appear, and not before that time.

We’re of course accountable to delve into the word of God to learn what we can learn, so “pan-millennialism” (“it’ll all pan out”) is a weak statement to justify ignorance. We are called to be students of the scriptures. Additionally/thankfully, there also exists a component of experiential faith for us to know who God is, what He HAS already revealed to us through scripture, and what the Spirit might continue to reveal to us (John 16:12-13), as this age moves forward.

Ezekiel 39 provides us insight into some critical end-of-age occurrences.

This chapter is a turning point in this prophetic book, as chapter 40 and onward clearly describe a third temple, with specific dimensions and features. Folks, myself included, believe this temple will be functioning as described, in the next millennium. God clearly wanted/wants people to know about this temple – even during the times of Ezekiel’s writings while in captivity, so it would be logical to conclude that our Lord would want us aware of it as well, to the degree He has revealed these things to us.

Here’s the command to Ezekiel about letting others know God’s third-temple plans:

Ezekiel 40:4
4 And the man said to me, “ Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.

Unlike the predominantly next-age status of Ezekiel 40 and forward, Ezekiel 39 looks forward to the culmination of OUR age. It is clearly HHY (Hasn’t Happened Yet), in that there is zero historical corroboration of any of these words having yet been accomplished. That means it is yet to occur, per our Lord’s clear statement in Matt 5:18 re every jot and tittle of the law being fulfilled.

We’re looking at this for multiple reasons.
1. We want to know what the Lord has spoken (and has had written by the prophets) for us to know. (1 Peter 1:10-12)
2. In that knowing will be a better understanding of some of the battle engagements in the heavenly as well as earthly realms (which will equip us to pray and to live most effectively, now).
3. We will discover and/or confirm certain truths of God that are simply not-yet-known by a blinded world – and we, as ministering believers, can then work to remedy that, in compassion and truth.

Ezekiel 39:21-29 – in its entirety
21 “I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.
24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’
25 “ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name —
26 after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid.
27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies ’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations,
28 then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer.
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.

Ezekiel 39:21-29 – dissected for our study and analysis.
21 “I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them.

We see that the end of the age will be marked by the judgment of God on all nations (it will be a complete and thorough work), and once that judgment has been executed, it is THEN (and only then) that survivors in those nations will be in the proper mode of humility and repentance to receive the glory of God.

22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.

Israel, until that time (which includes as I type and as you read), will remain in some condition of spiritual blindness. It therefore ought to ignite our prayers for the salvation of Israel, for revival, for a removal of the veil of blindness. There is an end-of-age work that God has intended, that HAS to involve His Jewish people. There is an outpouring of the Spirit upon Jews right now. They are coming to their Messiah in Israel (containing 6 million Jews), in America (containing 6 million Jews), and elsewhere (containing the remaining 1 million Jews). Still, it is a small fraction.

Remember what Paul told the replacement-theology-plagued church in Rome:
Romans 11:12
12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

BACK TO EZEKIEL 39
23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.

This is quite an amazing verse, and a hard verse. It speaks to the plight of Israel and also to the terrible testimony of Israel. Called to be a nation of priests (ministering to a fallen world – Ex 19:6 – “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’), they failed even in functioning as a tribe of priests ministering to their own fallen nation. The Gentile nations therefore witnessed the “woodshed anointing” of Israel – their often severe correction by their God. The nations thus saw God judging His people (as He said He would – Lev 26:14-22), and the nations therefore failed to see a testimony of the glory, safety, and blessing of God – which is reserved for those who would choose to walk in obedience (Isa 1:18-20). This, in part, contributed to the other nations’ vulnerability to accept demonic religion.

Happily, Ezekiel tells us the nations will eventually understand that Israel went into captivity NOT because the (false) gods of those other nations were more potent, but because the God of Israel had used those nations as corrective tools against His own people (2 Sam 7:14), and was eventually going to sovereignly rescue them, in divine mercy and for divine purpose (Ezek 37:28). It will be a time of great clarification. Those deceived Gentile nations will eventually not be deceived.

24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’

God, via Ezekiel, is speaking about Israel, not about the Gentile nations.
Lesson: do the will of God and He will be with you. It worked for Jesus (John 8:29). And Paul in 1 Cor 10 didn’t want the New Testament believer ignorant as to how God had worked and continues to work with His people through the ages.

25 “ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name —

Here’s God revealing the timing of His plans for the restoration of apostate Israel. “NOW” means at the time of the end of this age. It is coming upon us. Yea God!

26 after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid.

We clearly see the troubles of Israel even to this day. In fact, anti-Semitism is on the increase, worldwide. To this day they still are not yet dwelling safely in their own land. That brief upcoming season (when folks, worldwide, cry “peace and safety” – although false – has not yet come).

27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations,
28 then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer.

Verses 27-28 look forward to the Big WHEN – when God has sovereignly rescued Israel and gathered them out of enemies’ lands, at which time He is finally hallowed (enthroned as holy both by word and lifestyle) – THEN and not until then Israel will fully understand that their many thousands of years of suffering was largely a result of their own obstinance and rebellion.

This is a critical understanding for the church of God in these days, both for Jewish as well as Gentile believers in Y’Shua. Jesus is the ONLY Savior, and Repentance is the only door to Salvation. Often, in our human compassion, we might incline ourselves to present a Victim’s-Gospel to the Jewish people. Surely they/we (if you are reading this and are a Jew) have suffered and continue to suffer. Still, repentance remains the only door to salvation. And the Jewish people, in love, need to know that truth. John The Baptist, Jesus, Paul, Peter, all launched and laced their ministries with the same word of hope and action: Repent. And those great men, by the way, were speaking in their own time, to a mostly Jewish audience.

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.

There’s a sober implication of a certain degree of hiding, by God, from His Jewish people, until such time as they, at the conclusion of this age, encounter Him and come to Him on His terms. Is there biblical precedence for God hiding until His people acknowledge their offence, and repent? Indeed. Hosea’s prophetic word contains a profound “TILL” (meaning “UNTIL”) in it:

Hosea 5:15
I will return again to My place
Till they acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me

We ought to read the final verse of Ezekiel 39 one more time, as its promise of ongoing, unbroken relationship between Redeemer-God and redeemed Israel ought to excite and encourage us. The next age is going to be spectacular:

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.

AND ONCE AGAIN:
Romans 11:12
12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Happy New Year all.
Lord, teach us to pray and live in knowledge and understanding and hope. (1 Cor 14:15)
Help us to redeem the time, as the days are evil. (Eph 5:16)

Come soon.

Revelation 22:20-21
20 He who testifies to these things says, “ Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

All Scriptures NKJV

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About ez3728

I am a believer in Jesus - that He is the One and Only Messiah of the world. I believe the Bible is the perfect and complete Word of God, and that God is absolutely competent and capable of keeping His Word perfect, undefiled, and uncorrupted. Jesus was born Jewish. So was I. He lived a perfect life, and is worshiped. I live an imperfect life, and I worship Him.
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