Forgotten Valley

IT IS OUR SINCERE HOPE THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL SERVE TO AWAKEN THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE HOUR IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING.

THERE IS MUCH CONTROVERSY AS TO WHERE ISRAEL FITS INTO THE WORLD PICTURE. IT IS OUR AIM IN THIS MESSAGE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT ISRAEL IS THE . . . KEY . . . TO FUTURE WORLD CONDITIONS. WHATEVER HAPPENS TO ISRAEL, POLITICALLY, WILL CAUSE REPERCUSSIONS AROUND THE WORLD.

IN THIS MESSAGE YOU WILL FIND OUT WHERE THE VALLEY FULL OF DRY BONES, (SPOKEN OF IN EZEKIEL, CHAPTER 37,) IS LOCATED. YOU WILL ALSO DISCOVER WHAT GIVES THEM LIFE AND CAUSES THEM TO STAND UP. YOU WILL ALSO SEE THAT THE TEN LOST TRIBES ARE NOT LOST AFTER ALL.

YOU WILL FIND OUT WHO GOG IS, AND WHAT THE HOOKS IN HIS JAWS REPRESENT. ALSO, WHAT WILL CAUSE GOG TO THINK AN EVIL THOUGHT?

LEARN FROM THIS MESSAGE WHY ISRAEL CAN NOT BE GIVING UP LAND, BUT INSTEAD MUST TAKE MORE TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURES.

YOU WILL DISCOVER AS YOU READ THIS MESSAGE WHY IT IS UNSCRIPTURAL TO PRAY FOR WORLD PEACE IN THIS LATE HOUR.

EZEKIEL CHAPTER 37

Our message is built around Ezekiel, chapter 37, however, before going into it, I would like to read you the first 8 verses of I Thessalonians, chapter 5, to serve as a launching pad for what we are going to say.

Speaking of the coming of the Lord Jesus, for the purpose of catching away the saints, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write, (1) “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”

Believing as we do, that we are living in the last days of this age of Grace to the Gentiles, it behooves us to do everything that we can to be in the stream of God’s will as we see the light of this age fading out. We know from our study of the Bible, as well as history books, that, before the gospel was given to the Gentiles, they were idolatrous pagans who were looked upon as dogs by the Jews. The Gentiles at the time of the ministry of Christ were still in idolatry worshiping every kind of man made god that the human mind was capable of imagining, even to the point of making human sacrifices and immoral acts of every sort in some kind of ritual, to some god. They had a sun god, moon god, earth god, a god of fertility; whatever they could think of they had a god for it.

You may be thinking right about now, Bro. Jackson: why did you announce a text from Ezekiel 37, which we all know deals with the children of Israel, and then start talking about Gentile pagan practices? What has that got to do with a message on Israel? I will answer that question like this. Jesus said, “No man knows the exact day nor hour of His coming, only the Father knows that,” but He did give us some signs that we could watch so that we would know when the time was getting close. One of the signs that we are watching has to do with the behavior of Gentile people in our present age.

It is true, the 37th chapter of Ezekiel is speaking of the re-gathering of the house of Israel, but that chapter was written hundreds of years ago. When is this re-gathering supposed to take place? Ezekiel might have though that it would take place right away, but 2600 years have come and gone since God spoke to him on this matter. We see that the Jews were partially restored to the land to be there for the first advent of Christ, and then they were scattered again, but the whole house of Israel was never re-gathered from the time that King Nebuchadnezzar carried the two southern tribes into Babylon and destroyed their first temple that was built by King Solomon, until this present time. In other words, the house of Israel has been scattered for approximately 2700 years, and the land has been controlled by Gentiles through all of these years until 1948, when they became an independent nation once again. Through most of those years, men who believed that every word of God must be fulfilled, have read these scriptures such as we find in our text as well as many other places in the prophecies concerning Israel being gathered from all nations, and one king set over them forever, and have wondered, when will this be? Brothers and Sisters: there is very little left of all that had to be fulfilled before God would move on the scene to climax this great re-gathering of Israel.

WHERE ARE WE?

We are living in an hour that we are able to observe the things going on around us, and know that the time of the Gentiles is running out, for we see perversion and ungodliness on every hand. Governments are corrupt, and it seems that there is not a wise man left among politicians and world leaders that will give God any place to lead them. Religious organizations of the world have compromised for the sake of gaining paying members, until there is no life left in them. We read in the papers (almost daily), of some new cult that has come on the scene. People are turning to all forms of witchcraft and idol worship. The setting seems to match what we have read about Sodom and Gomorrah before God rained fire and brimstone down upon them, in that, there is fornication and adultery on every hand with every kind of a perverted act that degenerate mankind is capable of dreaming up.

I call your attention to these things in order to cause you to see that the gospel light is getting very dim among the Gentiles. As the light gets dimmer, the works of darkness manifest more and more. The ungodliness on every hand proves that the spirit of God is leaving the Gentiles. I will say this also, when the spirit of God leaves the Gentiles, it will go to the Jews for the seventieth week of Daniel to be fulfilled. By that time the house of Israel will be fully represented in the homeland, for it will be time for the two prophets, (with the spirit of Moses and Elijah), to seal the 144,000 servants of God, 12,000 men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Therefore, I ask you, time wise, and age wise, where are we now?

DRY BONES

Let us now open our Bibles to the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, and beginning with the 1st verse we will see if we can find out something about all these bones. We have heard much about these dry bones, haven’t we? The different songs that have been sung about them, all declare that they will walk again. Let me say just a few words to acquaint you with this chapter before we read. Ezekiel was a young man. He was part of a royal family of the house of Israel. He had been carried away to Babylon along with many of the other young men of the Jewish people. He was of the two southern tribes that was carried away to Babylon. More than 130 years before this, the 10 northern tribes which were referred to as Israel, were carried away captives to Assyria. Therefore, when Judah, (which is what the two southern tribes were called) was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon, the whole house of Israel was then in bondage.

JUDAH OR ISRAEL

Many people who hear reference made concerning the Jews as a particular time and then another time a reference to Israel seem to think that we are talking about two different groups of people when actually we are not. It is true that the kingdom of Israel became divided in the 9th century B.C. whereby, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, known as the two southern tribes, and called by the name of Judah which was the predominant tribe, were ruled by Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, from Jerusalem, while the ten northern tribes, which were known as Israel, were ruled by Jeroboam, who was the son of one of Solomon’s servants. Nevertheless, most of the time when we speak of Israel or the Jews, we are speaking of them as a collective body of people, giving no thought to the divisions of former days. Furthermore, Jerusalem has always been the place of true worship for the Israelites. Even though Jeroboam erected two golden calves, (one in Bethel, and the other in Dan), and said to the people of the ten northern tribes that they should worship God is these two places because it was too far for them to go to Jerusalem, God never did meet them there, for He had chosen Mount Morriah, (which was at Jerusalem), as a place where He would place His name. You will notice though, that from the time that Israel was divided, and onward, the prophets who came on the scene would either speak to Israel or Judah, and not to both. From that time on, God dealt with them as a divided people. The ten northern tribes went immediately into idolatry causing God to raise up prophets such as Amos and Hosea and others to prophesy against their idolatrous ways. It was because of this that God allowed Assyria to come and take them captive. The two southern tribes were not captured completely until the 6th century B.C. It was because of the whole house of Israel being then in captivity that caused God to approach Ezekiel, as we find in our text. The captivity had been accomplished in phases, so that by the time of Ezekiel’s prophecy they were truly scattered, as they are pictured here in this 37th chapter.

EZEKIEL’S VISION

Now let us read, Verse 1, “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.” It was not portrayed as a cemetery, just a valley full of dry bones. (2) “And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.” In this verse where Ezekiel says that God caused him to pass by round about, that means that he was instructed to walk through the length of the valley, and then walk from side to side where he could view its entire setting. If we look at this valley right, we will understand that there was no river running down through it, as we have the Ohio River flowing here. These bones were very dry. This lets me know that this valley could be typical of any one of a number of valleys such as you might find in the Mojave and Death Valley, etc., for on every major continent there is a valley that runs for thousands of miles. Also, in practically every area of the globe, you will find places where the foot of man has never touched. In thinking like this we can more easily visualize such a place where a pile of bones could lay without being noticed. Of course you realize by now, that this is not a literal valley that we are reading about here, but it had to be pictured like this in order to carry a message that was to be recorded in the scriptures to be understood in our day. This valley is pictured as being very dry, and there was not vegetative life here, for that would have required moisture, and if there had been moisture there, the bones would not have lasted that long. The humidity would have caused them to decay. We could say also, that if there had been moisture, there would have been animal life which would have carried the bones away and eventually destroyed them. This valley, typically, is so forlorn, and in such a forgotten state, that it could only represent something that the state of Israel was to pass through. There in that valley was every bone, dry and bleached white in the hot sun, in a place where man in his daily walk of life would never even be concerned enough to explore the area, or to even care about its existence. Though man did not care about these bones, God did, and He knew exactly where they were, and had every part accounted for. This setting symbolically represents such a forsaken place that there wasn’t even found a man to bury the dead, a place that was completely forgotten about.

THE QUESTION

Verse 3, “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?” Oh, we have many people today that really hold on to that SON OF MAN title. I would like to emphasize the fact that Son of Man carries a greater meaning than a lot of carnal minded people who use this term realize. Did you know that Ezekiel was a contemporary prophet along with Daniel? Why did God not call Daniel, Son of Man, if that title belongs to every prophet, as some say that it does? Through this man Ezekiel was the millennium of Christ, (who is the Son of Man), represented, for it was all shown through the prophesy of Ezekiel. It was not every prophet in the old testament that was addressed as Son of Man, but they were all prophets.

Daniel and Ezekiel were both contemporary prophets, living in the same generation, both coming from the royal seed of the house of Israel, both were carried away into Babylonian captivity, and they both played a very noticeable role in end-time prophesies.

INSTRUCTION

Now, after Ezekiel had finished walking to and fro and back and forth through this valley, he was asked a question by God. “Son of man, can these bones live?” He had been caught up in the spirit, and taken to a remote place and set down in this valley. There was nothing there but these very dry bones. There was no one but the Lord for him to talk to. He was not able to get counsel from anyone, and from the standpoint of the natural, he knew that it was impossible for these bones to live. It was very obvious, (looking at these bones scattered all over the valley,) that there was no life among them, and certainly, there was no way to identify them, but Ezekiel realized that he also was made from a similar substance, and he knew that God was not just playing games, so he answered like any mortal human would. He answered, “O Lord God, thou knowest.” This is the exact way that John answered the elder, (recorded in Revelation 7:13-14), when he asked him, “What are these which are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they?” You will notice that the response is the same, THOU KNOWEST. In other words, you are going to have to tell me. Then look what God said next, (4) “Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” Do they have a mind of their own? No, the marrow in the bones is already dried up. Literally speaking, there is no life left in them. But, Ezekiel was listening to the Lord, who said, (5) “Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” Isn’t it strange that God went through the complete order in which these various elements would be placed in the body? These were the words that the man Ezekiel was to speak to the bones that he was walking through the midst of. It was what God told him to say. Now we will see just exactly how it all happens, for up until this point Ezekiel has only been getting his instructions.

FAITH IN ACTION

Now notice how verse 7 begins, “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.” Please try to catch the picture as God has it so perfectly displayed here. This lets us see that God has a perfect order in which He does things, and everything must be kept in that order or it will not function properly. We are seeing from this re-gathering of these bones that God always does first things first. When Ezekiel began to prophesy, bones began to rattle as they slid together from the places where they had been scattered to. It was time itself, and the shifting of the terrain that had caused these bones to drift apart, for as we said before, this was represented as a deserted and forgotten place. There was no man or beast to destroy or scatter the bones. We will see here how God has a perfect order in doing things. First the bones came together, then the next thing that took place was the forming of the sinews, or tendons. After that, the flesh was formed, and then the skin to cover it. You will notice the last words of verse 7, (bone to his bone), in other words, there was no extra bones, and certainly no shortage, for this is going to represent something that God is going to do at a later time. (8) “And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.”

THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE

To Ezekiel, (as he considered these things), all of this looked impossible, but he did what God had instructed him to do. As he stood there in amazement watching these bones from into individual bodies, complete, with tendons, flesh and skin to cover them, he suddenly realized that there was no breath in them. Even though breath was the first thing mentioned in God’s instruction to Ezekiel, and he had watched these bones move about and come together, he was suddenly aware of the fact that in spite of all that moving about, he was looking at a valley full of dead bodies, for they were not breathing. Then God spoke again. (9) “Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” Now, after what he had seen already, Ezekiel knew that all he had to do was speak the word and God would do the rest. (10) “So I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, and exceeding great army.” Where did they stand up? In the forgotten valley. You might say, just where is this valley, and who are these people that are resurrected? The next verse will tell you who they are, and we will let the message open up to you as we go along, as to the whereabouts of such a valley. Remember though, that this is all symbolic of something that is going to take place later. Not in Ezekiel’s day. Let’s read the next verse. (11) “Then said he unto me, Son of man, these bones are the WHOLE house of Israel; behold they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lot; we are cut off for our parts. (12) Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves (NOT CEMETERIES), and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. (13) And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. (14) 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.”

It is very strange, how carnal minded, some people who profess to be children of God really are. A few days ago, one group of preachers, who have a call in type of program on one of the radio stations, was heard to say that is would be impossible for the Israelites to be restored to their land in our age, for they said, most of them do not have the slightest idea as to what tribe they are from. Who do they think is keeping score anyhow? Who do they think was marking time when the sixty-nine weeks of Daniels prophesy was to be fulfilled, where the Messiah would be cut off, but not for Himself, Daniel 9:26? The same God who caused that prophesy to be fulfilled right to the exact year, is the one that has said through Ezekiel, that he would restore the whole house of Israel to their land. It is not our business to question God, as to how He will do it, regardless of how impossible it may look to the natural mind. Remember, God works circumstances to get people into the place where they are supposed to be. In verse 14, God said, “I will 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.”

PROPHECY BEING FULFILLED

Brothers and Sisters, we are living in the days to see the Lord doing just exactly what He said that He would do. Jewish people are returning to the land of Israel from all over the world, and now they have a man as their leader who is not willing to make any trades that will require them to give up any of that land. We have already discussed the division of the house of Israel in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, and the fact that both tribes eventually wound up in captivity, but now we will go into more detail. Ezekiel was a prophet at the time that he was carried to Babylon by the Gentile army of Nebuchadnezzar. Being of the two southern tribes, which was called by the name of Judah, he knows that Jerusalem is now laying in ruins at this time, which is approximately 587 B.C. He knows that the beautiful sanctuary of God has been destroyed, and all of the gold and wealth had been carried away to Babylon. He is familiar with the total history of Israel, the total nation. He knows that somewhere around 725 B.C., the ten northern tribes had been carried away to Assyria, and sold on the slave blocks of heathen nations.

Let me say this, here, the black man today is angry because of the way that he has been treated, but did you know that they have a very short history behind them? The world in general does not know today, that when these ten tribes were taken to Assyria, they were not given homesteads. No, those were the days when rising empires cared little for their enemy. They took their enemies captive and made them slaves. It is no wonder that for many centuries the world population grew very slow. Human life was very cheap. Think of the agony of those people, where the husband would be sold to one person, the wife to another, and the children to another, never to be seen again. It is hard for us to imagine such suffering, for we have not experienced anything like this in our lifetime.

At the time of Ezekiel’s vision, the ten northern tribes had been out of the land for more than a hundred years. Now you know that a lot of brush can grow up in a land for more than a hundred years. I can see this young man being very concerned about his people, for God has prophesied through Hosea, that the valley of Jezreel, (which was the pride of the ten northern tribes), would become a waste place.

SPIRIT OF APOSTASY

God, (who is longsuffering), had pleaded with these ten northern tribes to flee from their idolatrous ways and return to him.

Hosea was a man who was a prophet of God in the days of Israel’s worst apostasy. He saw Israel so corrupted that a Holy God could have no part in her ways. We are witnessing the same condition today, as a spirit of apostasy has crept into the Gentile church world. It is not just one or two denominations, but the whole Gentile church world that has been captured. In former days, most of the denominations churches had deep convictions concerning godliness, (and especially in the area of morality) that they have had to give up in order to hold their structure together. It seems that we are living in a day when people will do almost anything in the name of religion, and it seems like God is letting them get by with it, but remember, it is only because God is longsuffering. THERE WILL BE AN END TO IT, WHEN THEIR CUP OF ABOMINATION IS FULL.

REBELLION BRINGS JUDGMENT

God had given Israel a chance to repent, while He waited through the years of the prophesy of Isaiah, Amos, and others. Instead of repenting, they got worse until their cup was full. By this time, God had prepared a people that would fulfill His word and cut the ten northern tribes off from their land.

Let us look for just a moment, at the way that God chose to give Israel her final warning. You remember how God spoke to Abraham and called him out from his familiar surroundings in the land of Haran, making a promise to Abraham that of him he would make a great nation. Also that he would make his name great, Genesis 12:1-3, saying “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” This was the humble beginning of this great nation that we are speaking of in this message. Jehovah, in the old testament, that great, sovereign, eternal spirit that created all things, and fills all of His creation with His presence, looked upon Israel as His wife. His purpose in doing this was that He might be able to foreshadow, through the natural, certain things which would pertain to this age of grace and salvation of all who would believe. Therefore, when Israel, (the wife of God, the Eternal Spirit), began to worship idols which was of another spirit, God called them fornicators and adulterers. Why such terminology? It was because they were having intimate relations with another spirit. This was at the beginning of Hosea’s prophesy that God chose to speak to them by the means that we are going to discuss now.

HOSEA’S PROPHECY

Open your Bibles to Hosea, chapter 1:2-11. (2) “The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea, and the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the LAND HATH COMMITTED GREAT WHOREDOM, departing from the Lord.” This is strange sounding talk, coming from a holy God, is it not? Remember though, they would not take heed to the words of the prophets as they warned them to turn from their adulterous ways, therefore, God is going to paint a picture before them, something that they can see. The word land in verse 2, implies that they are all guilty, and not just a few, here and there. (3) “So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.” God is going to speak to them through the names of this woman and her children. The name Gomer, (Hosea’s wife), means, to end, in the sense of completion or failure. (4) “And the Lord said unto him, call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.” The name given to this firstborn son is significant of what God is going to do among these 10 tribes. The name Jezreel pertains to a valley of these northern tribes. This valley is also referred to as Megiddo, or Megiddon, and also referred to as the plain of Esdraelon. It being such a strategic valley, whoever controlled it, controlled Israel. It is positioned in such a way so that one route leads from it to the sea, while the route to the north divides and leads into Lebanon or Syria. Then, right in the valley is the ancient fortress, called the fortress of Megiddon.

History will bear record to the fact, that as the various empires came against Israel, the battles were fought in the valley of Jezreel. This will be the location where the last land battle of this world will be fought. You all know what I am talking about. It is the battle of Armageddon. This is the war that will end all wars. You will read about it in the 14th and 16th chapters of the book of Revelation. God is going to see that all of this world conflict winds up right back in the place that we know as the land of Israel, the place known as the cradle of civilization. Prophesy is going to be fulfilled in the very land where the prophets had their beginning.

ISRAEL’S BREADBASKET

This valley of Jezreel has been known as the breadbasket of the land of Israel because of its strategic location. It is to be thought of as the wheat belt of the United States is to this country. When a nation is cut loose from their breadbasket, their resistance soon comes to an end. Therefore, when God said through Hosea, I will cause the kingdom of Israel to cease, look where he pointed to, (Jezreel). Verse 5, “And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.” Breaking the bow is like saying, “I will destroy your military potential.” Now the ten tribes remained in the land for quite some time after the birth of this child, but the name was to call their attention to something that God would do against them at a later time. It would be in this valley that God would gather them, in all of their military strength, to defend their pride and joy, (their breadbasket). Any nation will fight to defend her agricultural land, but God has said, “I will break her bow.” In other words, she won’t be able to shoot anymore. This is where judgment fell on her. Why? Because she wouldn’t listen to her prophets that had been sent to warn her of the judgment that was ahead.

NO MORE MERCY

Let us continue reading, to see what else God was saying, through the names of these children. (6) “And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah; for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.” First, said God, “I will destroy your ability to defend yourselves,” and then He said they would be taken away from the land. The name of this daughter meant, no more pity, or mercy. God is longsuffering and merciful, but there comes an end to His mercy and grace, if the people continue to ignore and rebel against Him.

In the next verses, we find a great span of time covered, for it reaches all the way into our present and near future. God begins in verse 7, showing something of how He will deal with Judah, (the Royal tribe). They are destined to be captured and scattered also, but not at the same time that the northern tribes are taken. The southern tribes, (Judah and Benjamin), called by the name of Judah, kept the true form of worship, and God’s appointed place of worship much longer than the ten northern tribes. It was the tribe of Judah that their Messiah was to come from. Let us now watch God deal with that tribe. Verse (7), “But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.” God will have mercy upon the tribe of Judah, but not the tribe called by the name Israel. He is going to let them, (Judah), be taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar, and carried to Babylon, for they had, by no means, been perfect in the sight of God. Then, after they were in captivity, God said to them through Jeremiah, chapter 29, “I have caused you to be carried into Babylon. Go ahead and build yourselves houses, and dwell in the, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. Take ye wives and beget sons and daughters, and cause them to do likewise, so that you will increase and not diminish.” God also told them to pray for the peace of the city that they had been taken to. He further warned them not to listen to false prophets or to trust in the dreams that they might have. For, said He, after 70 years are accomplished, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place, (meaning the land of Israel). God had determined that they should be out of the land 70 years, all because they had refused to let the land rest seventy Sabbaths. Then, after that, God would have mercy upon them, but they would not be able to help themselves with the bow, or the sword, nor any other kind of weapon. It would be an act of God that would set them free. You recall how God put it in the heart of Cyrus, a Persian king, to release Judah. That is when that particular element of people went back to the homeland, and began building the temple that was standing in the days of the ministry of Jesus. It was in the plan of God for it to be as it was.

YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE

Look at verse 8, “Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. (9) Then said God, call his name Loammi; for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.” The birth of this child was to show something that God was going to do in 70 A.D., for the name Laommi, meant ( not my people). This is what the apostle Paul picked up over in the letter to the Romans 9:22-26, speaking to them about how God bestowed His goodness upon the vessels of His mercy. First though, before reading in Romans, let’s finish reading here, verse 10, “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, ye are the sons of the living God.” That is exactly what has happened. Though they were scattered to the four corners of the earth, the Jews have continued to multiply until, today they are that hard to count or number. Furthermore, let us consider the last part of the 10th verse, where it says, “In the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people (meaning the two southern tribes), there it shall be said unto them, (the Gentiles), ye are the sons of the living God.” Now the word place, means in the time, or in the period of time, wherein this prophesy is fulfilled, where God would look upon Judah, (the two southern tribes), and say you are not my people. Remember, when Christ came, (in what we refer to as His first advent), it was the two southern tribes that was in the land. That is the period of time when Jesus came to His own, (the Jewish nation), and was offered to them on the basis of His Kingship, but they did not recognize, nor receive Him. What they did say, was, away with Him, crucify Him, He is a devil. Give us Barabbas, they cried. Well, God gave them Barabbas, and a short time after that, somewhere around 70 A.D. he gave them Titus, with his Roman army. When that army finished their destruction, these Jews probably remembered the words of Hosea, but it was too late. The axe had already been laid at the roots of these trees. It was at such a time as this that they could probably hear the words of Hosea ringing in their ears, Ye are not my people. Hosea had spoken these words more than 800 years prior to the time of their fulfillment, but when they rejected their Messiah, and had Him crucified, it caused God to fulfill His word. He had them scattered around this world from that time on. The northern tribes were already scattered, and now that these two southern tribes were thrown to the four winds, (sold as slaves), it meant that the whole house of Israel, (all twelve tribes), were an universal dispersion. It was in this period of time that the remainder of verse 10 has had its fulfillment, (for that was spoken concerning the Gentiles), YE ARE THE SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.

SONSHIP EXPLAINED

Now we will look at Romans 9:22-26 to catch the understanding that the apostle Paul had of the prophecy of Hosea. We read, “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. (23) And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of his mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, (24) Even us, whom he had called, NOT OF THE JEWS ONLY, BUT ALSO OF THE GENTILES? (25) As he saith also in Osee, (or Hosea), I will call them my people which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. (26) And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.” Paul, (who received his revelation from Jesus Christ, according to his own testimony, in Colossians chapter 1), understood that while the Jews were out of the land that was rightfully their inheritance, God would look over to the Gentiles, (who, up until this time were without hope in God, Ephesians 2:12), and say to them, “Ye are the sons of the living God.” You will notice, (as you study the scriptures), that God never did speak of the Jews as His sons. They were always referred to as servants of God. The sons of God title was not restored to mankind on this side of the flood until after Jesus paid the supreme price of reconciliation at Calvary. Then it could be said, (I John 3:2), “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” Why? How did we get to be sons of God? We will look at St. John 1:10-13, (speaking to Jesus), (10) “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew him not. (11) He came unto his own, (the Jews), and his own received him not. (They had Him crucified). (12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his NAME: (13) Which were BORN, not of blood, (not a physical birth), nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (We were born of God, who is spirit.) Galatians 4:6, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying, Abba Father.” Therefore, Romans 8:14, “As many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” This is all to help you see that the sonship title belongs to the people who believe God’s word, receive His spirit, and walk with Him.

Just one more scripture to establish this 10th verse of Hosea, chapter 1, We will look at Acts chapter 13:45-46, where the gospel was actually turned to the Gentiles. Verse 46, “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” You can read the verses before this to get the setting for such a statement.

RE-GATHERING OF THE JEWS

Please notice now, (as we return to Hosea for the last verse of chapter 1, which is verse 11), that the dispensation of grace to the Gentiles, actually falls between verses 10 and 11. Let’s read verse 11, “Then, (WHEN? After the Gentiles have had the gospel for hundreds of years), shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.” During the time that the tribe of Judah would lie in dispersion, God would say to them, “ye are not my people.” It would be during this time that God would cause it to be said to the Gentiles, “Ye are the sons of the living God.” But, this age of grace to the Gentiles will have to come to a close, just as every other age has. That is why we are printing this message. We are living in the days of the fulfillment of Hosea 1:11. God has brought about conditions ever since the days of World War II that has caused the Jews to return home to their land. Hitler’s great hatred for the Jewish people caused him to slaughter millions of them, leaving the remainder of that race of people full of fear, and ready to flee, back to the land of their fathers. In May 1948, when they became an independent nation once again, the stage was set to begin the fulfillment of that which Hosea spoke, concerning Judah and Israel being gathered together under one head. This will take many years though, for the Lord Jesus Christ is the one head that is spoken of, and that can only be in the Millennium. In the meantime, God is causing them to come up out of the land of their dispersion. You might say, “Bro. Jackson: where are the ten northern tribes? We thought they were lost.” I’ll say this, God knows where they are, and they will hear their call to go home when the time and conditions are right. Basically, the ten northern tribes are within the confines of northern Europe, and central Asia. Now when I say it will take many years, I do not mean that it will take hundreds of years, for God is able to make a fast work out of bringing the Jews out of Russia and the various other places that they must come from to fulfill this prophecy. The point that I want to make is this, it will require a vast number of people from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to be back in their homeland, to start the week of Daniel, and to fulfill Hosea 1:11. Therefore, as we see conditions which will be the fulfilling of verse 11, we know that verse 10 to the Gentiles is just about completed.

JEWS IN RUSSIA

We take the Jerusalem Post, which is a paper printed in Jerusalem. In the past 6 or 7 years, we have read much about how the Jews in Russia are pleading to get out, and come home. There was part of a letter printed in that paper about 4 years ago that had been written to Jerusalem, stating that many of the Georgian Jews in Russia have been heard to say, “we know that we are the remnant from the 10 northern tribes of Israel.” Brothers and Sisters, it is known that there are more than three million Jews in Russia, and when we say Georgian Jews, we are referring to those that live in a part of Russia that is known as, the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the many republics that make up the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

Georgia had its beginning as an independent kingdom about 2,300 years ago. During most of the last 1,500 years, Georgia has been ruled by the Armenians, but about 170 years ago most of it was taken by Russia. For a short time after 1917, Georgia was an independent republic. Then in 1921 it became part of the U.S.S.R. For many years the Georgians were almost all farmers and raisers of livestock. (That sounds like Jews, does it not?) In the southern part of Georgia, they raised mulberry trees for silk and also grew grapes. Life there now is quite different though, for in the last 50 or 60 years they have become very industrialized, especially in the areas of coal, oil, and lumber.

Next to the United States, which has more than five million Jews, Russia has the next largest population of them with their more than three million. The big difference between them is this, the Jews in the United Stares are wealthy and very satisfied to stay here, where the ones in Russia are not allowed to accumulate much of their own, and certainly, when they turn them loose they make sure that they do not leave with much more than the clothes that they are wearing. That is why we are hearing reports of the Jews in Russia screaming for the chance to go home to the land of Israel.

THE DEFENDING TRIBE

God had to get that element of Jews out of Europe first though, for they were actually the heart of Judah. That’s where the governmental blood line lay. He, (Judah) is the tribe that would stand up and defend his cause. He fought the war for their independence which was climaxed in May 1948. He fought down through the Sinai in 1956. He fought the miracle war in 1967, and the Yom Kippur war in 1973. Now he is re-equipped and polishing his sword, ready to fight another one. They are flying their own flag, (the star of David), and are no longer under Gentile dominion. Everything is pointing right to Ezekiel 37.

I realize that there are many people in the world today who would not agree with or be thrilled about a message such as this, but the people of God who are familiar with the scriptures will be glad to know that we are living in the last days, just before the coming of the Lord. How do we know this? We know if by the things that we are seeing in the newspapers, and on the television almost daily. You might say, what has that got to do with anything? That is why we are using these scriptures of the various prophets. They tell us what is to come, and the signs that Jesus gave us to watch for, (so that we would know when the time was at hand) are the things that we are reading about in the news everyday.

JUDGMENT THEN BLESSING

We left our text in Ezekiel 37, after reading 14 verses that deal with the dry bones, and went to Hosea to try and lay a foundation for the thought that we are dealing with. Hosea’s prophecy, being 200 years before that of Ezekiel and Daniel, it gives us a chance to see exactly what the conditions were that led up to Ezekiel’s day. Through Hosea, Jeremiah, and Amos, etc., God showed what He was going to do to Israel in the way of judgment for her rebellion and idolatry. Then, through Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and others, God showed what He would do in restoring her back to her land and national identity.

Let us go now, back to the Book of Ezekiel, and look for a few minutes at the 36th chapter. We find in the first 15 verses that God has Ezekiel prophesying to the land and the mountains, (not the people), as in verse 8, “But ye O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. (9) For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you and ye shall be tilled and sown:” I know that the world is full of, (so called), preachers, who will say that this scripture has been fulfilled already, but let me remind you once again that it was only the two southern tribes that was allowed to go back to be in the land for the first advent of Christ. These next few verses will reveal something, let us read. (10) “And I will multiply men upon you, all the House of Israel, even all of it, (did you get that? ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL), and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:” This ancient valley of Jezreel was nothing more than a waste place during the years of dispersion, even up into the 1900. When the Jews began going back there, even as late as 50 or 60 years ago, the valley of Jezreel was just swamp land, but today there is not one swamp left. This word must be fulfilled. The Jews that came from Australia, knew how the Australians drained their swamps by planting a certain type of tree that has a large tap root, which would go right down and pierce through that hard crust, letting the water drain out, and that is exactly what they did there in that valley of Jezreel. They have cleared that land, and today they are growing wheat, barley, oats, and even cotton, in the valley that had been a waste place. God is still running His great program of redemption. He don’t need any man to instruct him. Verse 11, “And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, (STILL TALKING TO THE LAND), and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the lord. (12) Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they SHALL POSSESS THEE, (did you catch that statement? My people Israel shall possess thee. The Jews did not possess the land in the days of Christ. The Romans were in possession of it, but God is speaking through his prophet Ezekiel of something that He is going to do at a time when Israel is in possession of their land again.) And thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.”

When God gets finished speaking to the land, He begins speaking to Ezekiel about how the house of Israel had sinned against Him when they were still in the land, of how they became defiled as an unclean woman, and the fact the He scattered them among the heathen nations to chasten them. Then in verse 21, God reveals His reason for showing mercy to the Jews in the end. (21) “But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. (22) Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. (23) And I will sanctify my great name which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.” You will notice as you study these verses that God will uproot every manmade doctrine and tradition, (If He needs to), in order to keep His word. God makes it very plain that the people do not deserve to be restored, or blessed, for they have continued profaning the name of the Lord even in all of the places where they have been scattered to. He also states that the heathen, (unregenerate mankind), will know that He is the Lord, (when?), after He has restored the nation of Israel. It is no wonder that people cannot believe it is possible for such a thing to take place. They do not believe the Bible to be the emphatic word of God. But God has said that He will bring them back into their own land, and He will keep His word. The Jews are not scattered to the four winds because of their own choice. It is, as we said earlier, because their ancestors were sold as slaves to empires in every known part of the world in that day. Remember, these Jews that are going to the homeland, have been born out of the land. They are not going back to something that they, (as individuals), had left. It is simply that God has put it in their hearts to go there, some through desire, and others because of adverse circumstances in the land of their birth. All of this is in fulfillment of what God spoke to the Israelites while bringing them through the wilderness. Let us read in Deuteronomy chapter 4, beginning with the 25th verse, to see what God told them about being scattered among the nations, and how He would hear them when they repented, and cried unto Him.

SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND

Deuteronomy chapter 4, verse (25) “When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger: (26) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. (27) AND THE LORD SHALL SCATTER YOU AMONG THE NATIONS, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen wither the Lord shall lead you. (28) And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. (29) BUT IF FROM THENCE THOU SHALT SEEK THE LORD THY GOD, THOU SHALT FIND HIM, IF THOU SEEK HIM WITH ALL THY HEART AND WITH ALL THY SOUL.” You can be sure of this one thing, Ezekiel knew this scripture, and he was, no doubt, seeking God with all of his heart when the vision began coming to him, where God showed him all of these things that were going to come to pass. God said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee.” (Ezekiel 2:1) “And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers, have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.” (Ezekiel 2:3) From there, God showed Ezekiel a panoramic vision of his dealings with the children of Israel all the way into the millennium. Of course he was not told exactly when these various things would take place, but in the back of his mind he was remembering something else that he had read in Deuteronomy 4:30-31, “WHEN THOU ART IN TRIBULATION, and all these things are come upon thee, (EVEN IN THE LAST DAYS), if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice, (31) (For the lord thy god is a merciful god;) he will not forsake thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them” Even though he had to prophesy the bad things to come upon the house of Israel because of their rebellion, Ezekiel was also allowed to prophesy concerning the good things to come upon them. Notice verse 24 and following verses of chapter 36, “For I will take you from among the heathen, and GATHER YOU OUT OF ALL COUNTRIES, and will bring you into your own land.” Not just the 2 southern tribes in this setting. This is going to affect the whole nation, (all twelve tribes), for look what God is going to do, after He has gathered them from out of all countries. Verse 25, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” When will God do this for Israel? Not until the week of Daniel has begun. It will take place as a result of the ministry of the two prophets, recorded in Revelation chapter 11, and chapter 7. See our article of the Chronology of Revelation, Vol. 9, No. 2 and 3, for a more complete understanding of their ministry. Right now we want to concentrate on this valley full of dry bones. Are you beginning to see where the valley is? No, it is not the valley of Jezreel. That is where they are being brought back to.

ISRAEL NATIONALLY DEAD

The Israelites have been scattered all over this world, for century upon century, until, as far as the world was concerned, they were as though they were dead. Who has cared enough in centuries past, to say, we ought to do something for the Jewish race of people, they need to be back in their land? You and I know that they were as same as forgotten, as far as a national identity was concerned. Hosea said that the house of Israel would abide many days without a king, without a prince, without an ephod, without a sacrifice. “Then afterwards, shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.” Ezekiel was just a mortal man. Therefore, after seeing what he has in the vision, with all of the future promises, he must have had a great question in his mind. Lord, when will these things be? How long will it take to accomplish these things?

God just picked Ezekiel up and carried him out to that very large valley. Then, in symbolic language, God began telling him, it is going to be so long that the world will have forgotten, and not even be concerned, that your people were ever a nation. That was God’s way of telling him that this promise of the future is going to be so far off that it will, (one day), cause your own people to say, our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts. Go back to the 26th verse and we will continue reading these promises for Israel’s future.

NEW HEART – NEW SPIRIT

(26) “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (28) And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Does that sound like a maybe situation, or would you agree that this is positive language? Where are those scholars who do not believe in election and predestination? Let them account for these words here. “I WILL TAKE YOU FROM AMONG THE HEATHEN, I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART, I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, I WILL BE YOUR GOD.” It doesn’t sound too much like He is going to take any kind of vote on this, does it? You might say, why would God wait so long? He is waiting for the fullness of the Gentiles. He does not leave His program to be worked out by wavering human beings. He worked out all of the details when He counseled with Himself, (meditated), before the foundation of the world. Maybe it will help some of you to better understand this message, if we turn at this time to Ephesians, chapter 1, and begin reading with verse 3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, (does that sound like God needs anyone to instruct Him?) That we should be holy and WITHOUT BLAME before him in love. (5) Having PREDESTINATED US unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL. (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED.” You thought God accepted you because you quit drinking, cursing, smoking, chewing tobacco, and all of that. I know you people know better than that, but this world is full of people who think the salvation of a soul is dependent on these things. That is why we are constantly reminding you, that every idea that does not dovetail with the scriptures should be cast aside. Verse 7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE: (8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (now notice this), (9) Having made known unto us the mystery of HIS WILL according to HIS GOOD PLEASURE WHICH HE HATH PURPOSED IN HIMSELF: (10) That in the dispensation of the FULLNESS OF TIMES . . . HE . . . might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (11) In whom also we have obtained in inheritance, being PREDESTINATED according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of HIS OWN WILL: (12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (13) In whom he also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, YE WERE SEALED WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE.” I believe that will be enough to establish the thought we are on. Now, what were those points? Let us review them briefly. He chose us before the foundation of the world. He predestinated us unto adoption. It was for the good pleasure of His own will. It was strictly a work of grace. It was after the counsel of His own will, and He sealed us with that spirit of promise. That is exactly what He was determined to do for the Jews who believe as a result of the ministry of the two prophets of Revelation 11. That is what verse 37 of Ezekiel 36 is pointing to, the day when God will fill those Jews with the Holy Ghost. “I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU.”

THE TWO STICKS

God did not tell Ezekiel that this promise was for a time that would be more than 2,600 years in the future, but rather, after showing him his valley full of dry bones, and causing him to prophesy to them, He then instructed Ezekiel to take two sticks; Upon one stick he was to write for JUDAH, and upon the other stick, he was to write for JOSEPH, which would be EPHRIAM. Now this is not to be thought of as just any two old sticks that Ezekiel might find out in the woods somewhere. These two sticks were to represent the broken scepter of the house of Israel. The scepter, (which was the staff of ruling kings), became a divided scepter, as the kingdom became divided in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam. Now that we are talking about the two sticks, we will finish reading this 37th chapter of Ezekiel. We read the first 14 verses already, so we will take up with verse 15, “ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, (16) Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: (17) And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. (18) And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? (This was God’s way of getting their attention. He knew they would ask Ezekiel why he had done such a thing.) (19) Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. (20) And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. (21) And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: (22) And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: (This should be enough to disprove any theory that a person might have, about this particular scripture being fulfilled already, when a simple study of history will reveal the fact that the whole house of Israel has never been under one king since the kingdom was divided, almost 3000 years ago. The one king will be the Lord Jesus Christ, ruling throughout the millennium), And they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. (23) 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 dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.”

SIGNS OF THE TIME

Let me say something here before going on with the reading. I know that there are some who would say, Bro. Jackson: why does the bride need to know all these things about Israel? I would like to remind you once again, that the nation of Israel serves as a time clock for the Gentile bride to make herself ready by. We are using these prophetic scriptures in an effort to try and awaken the Gentile church to the hour that she is living in. Brothers and Sisters: do you not think it significant that God saw fit to place the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 right after the chapter that deals with her, (Israel), coming alive nationally and being restored back to her homeland? The signs of the time point to the fact that we are living right on the threshold of a great shaking. We all know that the Jews who are under communist rule in the various countries around this world should gladly go to the land of Israel, if they were given the opportunity, but how about the five million, more or less, who live in the United States, where money is plentiful, and they have all the luxuries that this nation is so noted for? What will cause them to go to the homeland where they would have to suffer much hardship and disappointment? It will not be an easy decision for most of them. No doubt, it will take some great calamity, such as Russia hitting us with a few of their rockets, which they probably have our name on already. When portions of this country are destroyed, and our economy is ruptured beyond repair, then you will probably see a great number of the Jews in this country suddenly pack up their belongings and head for the homeland. Maybe you think this sounds preposterous, when there is so much talk in the political circles about peace and prosperity. If you had been living in Germany before World War II, you probably would have thought it just as preposterous, for someone to have said that those German Jews should be among the first to migrate to the land that God had promised to Abraham and his seed.

UNIVERSAL PEACE PACT

By now it has become common knowledge that their great hatred for the Jewish people caused Adolph Hitler and Adolph Eichmann to butcher more than six million of them during those years of World War II. After that, the remaining Jews in Europe were glad to go home. They would not have left without some kind of a shaking. Neither will the Jews in the United States and Canada leave their way of life to go to Israel, unless God allows something to shake them loose. Now the Bible tells us what the land of Israel has to watch for in these last days. Therefore, it would be wise for those who are allies to Israel, to recognize that a power like Russia will not strike Israel without striking her allies. When a condition like this arises, it will send the world leaders to the peace bargaining tables. They will suddenly realize that a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen again. They will be ready for a universal peace pact, and they will be ready for a very smart, very sharp man to sit at the head of it all. The Bible also tells us where that man will come from. You can read it in the 9th chapter of Daniel. We offer, for your help in studying this subject, Vol. 4. No. 8, of the Contender, which will be sent free to all who request it. Daniel 9:26-27 tells us that a prince of the people that destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary, will make a peace covenant with many for one week, and in the middle of the week, (the week being a week of years, 7 years), he will break the covenant, and we know that the people who destroyed the city and the sanctuary around 70 A.D., were Romans led by Titus. Therefore, we are watching for that Roman prince to be revealed to the world, as the apostle Paul said that he would be before our time of gathering together unto Him, (Christ). II Thessalonians 2:1-4. He will be revealed to the world as a great peace maker or keeper, but only the bride will know that he is, in truth, the antichrist that is to come.

GOG OF MAGOG – RUSSIA

Let us look at a few verses in Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39 and we will begin to tie all of this together. 38:1-4, “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, (3) And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: (4) And I will turn thee back, and put hooks in thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.”

Ezekiel had to describe this army and their equipment in terms that were known in his day. He didn’t know anything about motorized tanks, and motorized troop carriers, and such like. Therefore, he was instructed to write in this way, but we know that modern warfare has no place for horsemen, or swords, or shields. This would be as out of place as a Model A Ford on one of these super highways. You might say, didn’t God know what it would be like in the day when this prophecy would be fulfilled? Yes, God knew, but He allowed the prophets to write in their own language, as we find the apostle John doing in the book of Revelation. John wrote, in the 13th chapter of Revelation, how the two horned beast that would come up out of the land would do great wonders, in so much that he would make fire come down from heaven in the sight of men. That has been fulfilled every time this country brought one of her rockets through the sky with fire blazing from it.

HOOKS IN THEIR JAWS

God said, Ezekiel: you tell them that I will put hooks in their jaws and bring them forth. What do you suppose He meant by that? Just try to imagine how helpless a person would be if someone had hooks in their jaws to lead them by. You certainly would not be pulling back against the hooks. You would try to keep up to relieve the pull of the flesh, as the hooks dug in. This, of course, is merely symbolic. This is God’s way of saying, “Russia, you will do what I want you to do.” How do we know it is going to be Russia? It will not be just Russia, but rather Russia and her allies. In verses 5 and 6, we find some of the allies called by name, who will make up this great army from the north parts. In verse 14 and following, we read, “Therefore, Son of man, Prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou know it?” Or he could have said, you will know it, and that anti semitic spirit will have reached its peak by then. In other words, a great hatred for the Jews, as in the days of Hitler. (15) “And thou shalt come from the NORTH PARTS, THOU, AND MANY WITH THEE, (check your globe and you will see who is to the north of Israel), all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: (16) 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.” That sure sounds like a mighty large army to come against a little nation like Israel, so many men that they are like a cloud that covers the land. Now we will go back to verses 9-12, to see why they will do such a thing, but first I want to call your attention to a verse over in Revelation 17:17, “FOR GOD HATH PUT IT IN THEIR HEARTS TO FULFILL HIS WILL.” That is how the hooks in the jaw work. How can anyone doubt or disbelieve the word of God in this age, when so much of what the prophets spoke of is being fulfilled before our very eyes. There is a lot of jealousy and hatred for the Jewish race being built up all because they have taken back a little strip of the land that God gave to them, and they refuse to give it up.

ISRAEL MUST KEEP LAND

In the paper recently, we read an article where Prime Minister Menahem Begin says his new Israeli government will not, “under any circumstances” give up all of the West Bank of the Jordan, or allow a Palestinian state to be formed there, as some have proposed.. To do so would put “every city and home in Israel” in Arab artillery sights.

At the same time Mr. Begin was making this statement, we find that the Middle East News Agency was revealing a statement made recently by Syrain President Hafez Assad, where he told reporters that the Arabs will not give up an inch of the Arab land that has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 war. Assad said, time and world opinion are on the Arab’s side, and added, that the Arabs would wage a hundred wars against Israel if necessary. They may have time and world opinion on their side, but Israel has God on her side, and that is what will make the difference. I would rather have God on my side than all the armies of the world. Oh, He works his plan so perfectly! In verses 9-12, we see how He works this out. (9) “Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the lands, thou, AND ALL THY BANDS, AND MANY PEOPLE WITH THEE. (There are the allies that will join Russia.) (10) Thus saith the Lord God: It shall also come to pass, that at the same time SHALL THINGS COME INTO THY MIND, (God said, more than 2500 years ago, that in these last days, Gog would have some thoughts come into his mind, to do what?) And thou shalt think an evil thought. (11) And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates. (Brothers and Sisters: what good would walls around a city be, in such a day as this? Those walls were only beneficial in the days of hand to hand combat). (12) To take a spoil and to take a prey, to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the PEOPLE THAT ARE GATHERED OUT OF THE NATIONS, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.”

GOG WILL THINK EVIL

We find in verse 10, that the things which come into the mind of Gog will lead him to think an evil thought. In other words, he will begin to meditate upon the people that have come from every nation around this globe, to reside in this land that, (in the opinion of the world) has been unjustly taken away from the Arabs. He, (Gog the prince or ruler of Russia) will begin to think of how they have come from foreign lands bringing the knowledge that they have gained in those lands and applied it to the progress of the land of Israel. Many of them will have brought wealth, (especially those who return from places such as the United States and Canada) purely for the purpose of contributing something to the restoration of the land of their forefathers. He will notice how sure they are of themselves, living there in unwalled villages, with the eyes of the whole world upon them, watching their every move. Yet they will seem to be at rest and undisturbed by the conditions building up around them. At such a time as this hatred for the Jews will be at such a peak that it will seem good to Russia and her allies to go down and wipe the Jews from off the land completely.

GOD CREATED EVIL

As we look back to verse 4, we find that God is in control of this situation, therefore, we must conclude that the evil thought must have come from the Lord. WHAT! Bro. Jackson, do you mean to say that God would cause an evil thought? Yes, all we need do is look at the scriptures. Keep in mind though that the word evil, as used in these verses, does not carry the idea of sin against God, for when we look at Isaiah 45:7, we find these words. I FORM THE LIGHT, AND CREATE DARKNESS: I MAKE PEACE, AND CREATE EVIL: I THE LORD DO ALL THESE THINGS. The word evil, as we find it used in these verses and some other which we will call to your attention, carries the thought of misery, woe, and affliction. On the other hand, Satan is the creator of sin, for SIN IS UNBELIEF toward God, and that unbelief is full of attributes. It is the manifestation of these attributes that we call SINS, and it is for the remission of SINS that we are baptized after having believed the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, which cancels out the penalty of condemnation to our spirit, which was there because of SIN, (UNBELIEF) until you believed.

SATAN CREATED SIN

Now the Bible teaches us that Satan created SIN, (UNBELIEF) and God created EVIL, (misery, woe, and affliction) and we believe it because God’s word says it, and we are believers. For a couple more examples of the use of this word evil let us look first at I Samuel 18:10. “And it came to pass on the morrow that the evil spirit from the Lord God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house.” We can also read Amos 3:6, “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be EVIL in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?”

If people could only have confidence in this old black book, which we call the Bible, they could know the plan of God for the ages, for it is all told, and nothing held back, except the time it will take place. Even then we have signs to watch for, such as the things that we are considering in this message.

ISRAEL CLEANSES THE LAND

I would like to call your attention to two or three things in the 39th chapter of Ezekiel and then we will summarize the message briefly. First, we notice in verse 2, (God speaking to Gog) “And I will turn thee back and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel.” Here we see once again that God himself has caused this invasion, then He intervenes in such a way that only one-sixth of the total army is left alive to tell the story. God says to Gog, also, (3) “I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. (4) Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee.” First they are disarmed, then five-sixths of them are killed. When it is all over the Israelites begin a great cleanup campaign. Look at verse 9, “And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and THEY SHALL BURN THEM WITH FIRE SEVEN YEARS: (10) So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests, for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God.” The particular thing that I would have you take note of, is that Israel will be seven years burning the weapons that are left there by this great army. Then we read in verses 11-12 that it is going to take them seven months to bury the dead that fall there in that great battle. I call it a great battle, only because of the great multitude of people that come against the little nation of Israel. But actually, before they can do what they come to do, God will intervene by some supernatural means to destroy the armies of Israel’s enemies. Whatever the means that God will use, we notice that it will cause the eyes of many nations to be opened, and they shall recognize the fact that Israel has God on their side. God has Ezekiel to speak to the fowls of the air, and invite them to come to the great feast that He has prepared for them and the beast of the fields. That is why you find in verse 15 that it speaks of burying the bones of them that are found. After a few months, that is all that is left to bury. They bury them in a valley that God says will be called the valley of Hamongog. It will be someplace there in Israel. During this time they shall sever out men for continual employment burying the dead bodies.

WORLD SEEKING PEACE

The whole world is crying for peace, and there shall no peace be found for it, until the Prince of Peace, (Jesus Christ) is seated on the throne of King David, to rule and reign for a thousand years of peace. Between now and then we can look for much blood shed, for the scriptures must be fulfilled.

Prime Minister Menahem Begin, of the State of Israel, is coming to Washington, D.C., around the middle of July for a meeting with President Carter. Naturally, the world is waiting with hopeful expectations for the results of such a meeting, and rightly so, for the world in general does not accept the scriptures as the unchangeable, unalterable, word of God. If it were not for the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, Joel, etc., as well as the book of Revelation, I, myself, might be looking for world peace through negotiation, but in the light of what we know from the word of God, I am looking for great destruction in various regions throughout the world in the very near future. Not as a skeptic, but as a believer of the word of God.

I, therefore, am endeavoring to warn the people of God that the time is short. You do not have very many months left to play around. It is time for each of us, by an honest evaluation, to determine exactly where we stand with God. After making such a determination, let us place our faith and trust in God, putting on the whole armour of God, (as we find it listed in Ephesians chapter 6) without wavering.

FAITH WILL GET RESULTS

Just to refresh your memory, let me read to you something that the apostle James was inspired to write. His remarks were pertaining to wisdom, but the same principle applies to our complete makeup, for we are children of faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6. But here is what I want to read to you. I will start with verse 2 of the 1st chapter of James. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers, (or various) temptations; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” The word perfect, as used here, does not imply perfection in this mortal makeup, but rather, perfect desire, perfect motive, perfect ambition, the things that make up the inner man, who is to be like God. Some might say, how do we reach such a place? That is what James is dealing with. If you are not quite sure, then listen to the next verses. (5) “If any of you lack WISDOM, let him ASK, (not beg) of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it SHALL BE given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, NOTHING WAVERING, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. (8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Brothers and Sisters: One thing that I would have you to understand is that many of us are going to be severely tested in the days ahead, so much so, that only a genuine faith and trust in God will be sufficient to carry your through.

We have already stated that pressure is mounting in the middle east, and the lid will soon blow off of it to such a degree that it will affect the whole world. Now, I want to read an article that came out in the Jerusalem Post, dated July 5, 1977. The Prime Minister of Israel is in the spotlight in these days, and it will be to our enlightment to hear what he says.

BEGIN’S PLEA TO U.S.

BEGIN CALLS ON U.S. NOT TO ABANDON FREE WORLD – Prime Minister Menahem Begin of Friday, appealed to the United States to maintain it’s lead of the remaining free nations, “in resisting tyranny and preserving human dignity” now, as it has already done three times in the last sixty years. Begin was addressing a festive dinner held jointly by the commercial and industrial club, and the Israel America Society at Zoa House here.

It was America, said he, that had saved mankind in World War I, and then again in World War II.

The third U.S. intervention to save the world, the Prime Minister said, had been the effort up to now to prevent Communist subjugation “by proxy” of the shrinking number of free nations, particularly in the Middle East.

Begin toasted the President of the United States on the occasion of America’s Independence Day. Recalling that a year ago the Entebbe rescue was called “the best present Israel could give the free world on the Fourth of July.” Begin said, “Today, the very existence of Israel, its country UNCONQUERABLE, its army INVINCIBLE, its people UNBREAKABLE, is the best present we can offer.”

I just wanted you to have some idea as to what Israel is expecting from this country. The United States is about all that Israel has to look to, as far as military power is concerned.

U.S. MILITARY IN ISRAEL

It is reported that a Washington source has revealed possible plans for a U.S. military installation within Israel’s boundaries. The idea would be to guarantee this country’s commitment to them. It would act as an insurance policy for the Israelis.

One possibility of such a move, it is stated, would be an American Naval Base at Haifa. There is nothing definite, (as far as the public is permitted to know) on this as yet. I only mention these things to get your minds pointed in the right direction. It remains to be seen just what extremes mortal mankind will go to in trying to prevent, or at least hold off the inevitable. But at this time, I would like to conclude this message by making a projection of what I believe is ahead for the world. We have gone into much detail in establishing from the scriptures the events that are to come. The only thing that I am going to do now is just briefly run through them.

First, to begin right where we are, the Gentiles are turning back to paganism and witchcraft, which proves that the gospel light is getting dim, and at the present pace, cannot burn much longer among Gentiles.

Secondly, the Jews are returning to their ancestral homeland with urgency, as if by great inspiration. This is causing much concern and alarm, among the other Middle East countries. It is like a great powder keg with a short fuse that could explode at any time.

RUSSIA MAKES HER MOVE

Russia is working her way into these surrounding areas by trade agreements and arms supplying. All of which is gaining her allies that she will need to fulfill Ezekiel 38 & 39. Before too long, Gog, (the ruler of Russia) will begin to have the evil thoughts, (Ezekiel 38:10-11) that will cause them to go down against Israel. But, since Israel has the United States as her ally, it will be necessary for them to strike this country at such a time, to try to prevent our intervention. There will not be much left of our economy after such an attack; destruction will be widespread. This will cause great hoards of American Jews to pack up and go to Israel; (for all twelve tribes must be represented there when the week of Daniel goes into effect) especially after witnessing how God fights for Israel in this attack. They will suddenly realize that Israel is the safest place that they could be, and their businesses will be wiped out to the extent that there will be nothing left here to hold them. This is when God kills five-sixths of that great army, leaving only one sixth to return home.

WORLD PEACE PACT

World leaders will be so shaken by so much sudden destruction that it will cause them to rush to the peace negotiating tables, and this time they will not spend months arguing about who will sit where. They will get right to the business at hand. Their great theme will be, we cannot allow a thing like this to happen again. We must have a world peace agreement immediately. They will work out the details to the point where they will realize that they need a genius, who is world renown, to sit at the head of such an agreement. That is where the Roman Pope will be accepted, and make a covenant with many for one week. The peace covenant will not specify that it is for 7 years, but God is the one who keeps time, and He will cause it to move according to Daniel 9:26-27, so that after three and one-half years the Pope, (who is the antichrist) will have become so provoked by the ministry of the two prophets of Revelation 11, that he will make a decree, causing the Jewish sacrifice and evening oblation to cease. Naturally, this will cause the orthodox Jews to rebel, and then is when the great persecution of the Jews will begin again. By this time the ministry of the two prophets will be finished, the first half of the week of Daniel will be gone, the Bride will have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air, leaving the foolish virgins to be killed by the armies of the antichrist beast system that will rule for the last half of the week of Daniel, along with the great multitude of Jews who will be killed, rather than renounce God. This brings time to the end of the week of Daniel, where the Lord Jesus Christ comes from heaven with His Bride on white horses, (the power of the word) to fight against that beast system. By this time the western communist forces will be fighting against the communist forces from the East. This will be the battle of Armageddon, which will be finished up by the coming of the Lord Jesus with His saints to end it all. That will be the last battle among mankind. After a period of cleansing the temple, and rededicating the altar, Jesus with His bride, will separate the sheep people among the nations from the goats, and usher the sheep people into the millennium.

I know this is a brief summary, but we have covered most of the events mentioned, either in this message or the Chronology of Revelation, which you may request if you desire to do so.