There has been concern raised by one Recording Brother in the UK that Israel will be scattered again based on Ezekiel 20:35-6. In context, the whole world will be affected shortly by events, even the isles shall not escape (Ezekiel 39:6). Despite knowing of the soon to be seen global effect of the earthquake of Zechariah 14, we as a body, still build new halls, schools and aged care facilities and our members new houses. This work is for today, and until our Lord comes.
Yet there is a point. The prophecy of the scripture is given to a number of prophets and those words had relevant points for the different times they were given. This means we have to piece them together. Typically we do better at that once they are fulfilled. But there is no harm in trying to put them together to understand the multi-dimensional events. Each of us may piece them together differently, and like the Bereans we welcome feedback.
The scriptures say clearly that when they come to the mountains of Israel, as they have since 1967, they will be fed, by which in context we can understand it as being ‘fed’ with the word of God.
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. (Ezekiel 34:13-16)
Bro. Paul Billington has documented that this has begun to occur on the mountains, specifically at Beit El, and in all our personal contacts in Beit El, and Shomron and in Judea we have found this also. We can see that now there is a work going on there which is not evident in Tel Aviv or Galilee.
Bro. Paul has documented that these seek David their king and wait hopefully, in sincerity, for Elijah to come literally and bodily to Israel. Out of Jerusalem the Hebrew teachers from ‘E-teacher Biblical’ teach Christians about the meaning of ‘satan’, and speak of a bodily resurrection and waiting for messiah. They even speak of Jesus as Y’shua and though they don’t believe he is the messiah, they know his words and read the New Testament in Hebrew.
In fulfilment of Bible prophecy, the Lord has caused the Jews to return to the mountains of Israel, (Ezekiel 23:34; 38:8)
Though Zechariah14-1:2 seems bleak, it is also a passage of significant promise,
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zec 14:2)
The half go to captivity, but they are not all slain. The point is that it says the people shall not be cut off from the city, which indicates that Israel will hold the key part. Zechariah 12 is related to the start of Zechariah 14, which recaps it,
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. (Zechiariah 12:3-5)
By putting the two passages together we see that it seems that because they are not cut off from the city, it strengthens the defenders of Judah.
The unbelief on the mountains is only of their Messiah, not in the God of Israel. I have heard a Jew explain to me popular opinion from Beit El. He was an ordinary guy who left the USA when he grew up to make Aliyah, who lives with his wife and kids in Beit El. He said that though he voted for Romney, he would accept whoever God chose. He also quotes the prophets to me. He quoted Ezekiel 37. I told him my faith about Ezekiel 38. He agrees. He is going to keep living there as he has faith beyond Ezekiel 38. He knows that there may be war but he has faith the Holy One of Israel watches over Israel – so far he has seen all that has happened in Beit El this year, including a challenge to demolish houses, has been for good.
There is an interesting passage in light of recent events since the USA began pressuring Israel not to build on the mountains, and caused Israel’s PM Netanyahu to announce a “freeze”, which only just ended with the Jewish new year October 2012.
Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. (Jeremiah 31:2-4)
I wonder if we might ponder that since the great persecutions from the dark middle ages till 1945 that since then there has been great favour shown to Israel. It is seen by many that those who bless Israel now are indeed blessed. ‘Start up Nation’ by Senor and Singer has had a great impact. The Zionists were in the political wilderness for many years and were even offered Uganda. After they have found grace they are built. It is precisely this issue of building which has been brought before the world, and despite all efforts to stop it, building has increased.
There is also this verse,
And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: (Ezekiel 35:3-10)
When is is that their iniquity has an end? Might it be after they are fed on the mountains?
The whole passage of Ezekiel 20 is interesting,
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
(was not this from 1882-1948? where indeed so many died going to Israel, even Aliyah ships sank)
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people
(is this wilderness of the people a physical wilderness, or the fact they had to go back to Germany and for 3 years after the war were in ‘limbo’, a wilderness of not having a country, until they learnt they had to place hope in the only one place them might to go: Palestine? Hosea wrote the valley of Achor (trouble) was to be a door of hope (2:15)
, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
( The “Exodus” ship was famous showing that Jews had to learn to plead based on the covenant, that it was the land of their fathers… the names of Aliyah ships after they learned to plead, are:
Hatikva (Hope) 1,422 May 1947
President Warfield/Exodus 4,493 July 1947
Paducah/Geula (Redemption) 1,385 October 1947
Northland/Jewish State 2,664 October 1947
Ingathering of Exiles 7,557 December 1947
Independence 7,612 December 1947)
And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. (Eze 20:33-44)
When they come to Israel, the ones that Yahweh chooses (Jeremiah 3:14), there they remember, there they are fed (see Ezekiel 34 above).
Is the pleading of Ezekiel 20 passed already in the wilderness of the people (not the wilderness of Sinai), as we can see in history? Also it can be put in the overall context with events: 1. there was an “Exodus” where Jews had to learn to seek God. 2. Jews have been living on the mountains since 1967. 3. Ezekiel says they will be fed on those mountains (as if not they are not prepared for Elijah) , and 4. that the feeding and ability to lie down securely there will occur before Gog comes to the mountains.
Half of Jerusalem are to be sent to captivity, but if so, they do not die. They might be sold to the Grecians (Joel 3:6). But we must put all the texts together- there is something special about Judah and the mountains (as opposed to the plains and Galilee).
There is also the Divine commission for the work of Elijah among the Jews (Mal.4:5-6).
For the work of Elijah to prosper among the Jews, it would help if they were in one place, not living in small numbers scattered from America to Britain. In context, in Malachi 3 again we see the emphasis on Judah – why?
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. (Mal 3:4)
It is as if they knew that Judea would be so distinct now. In 2012 Hebron is a leading city in Judah, and Judea/Judah is a recognisable region.
There is another point..
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Malachi 3:16-18)
Might we not encourage all to think on the name, and the purpose to do His will as expressed in the prophets? Should we ourselves think on that name as we see that day approach? How it is that name manifested in people, in us? (Col 1:27). How is Yahweh Elohim to do things on earth when he is not openly revealed (as in the days of Esther)? Mordechai was a faithful servant. Can he work through us if we are his servants, or does he use instead unbelievers to do his good will, as we watch?
There is a passage which says,
Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. (Isaiah 49:22)
Is this us? Would it be a shame if we were asked to do it, as it was written, yet we didn’t do it? What would happen if we left it to others? It will be done, it is being done by Christians such as “Christians for Israel”. Will we see it and do it, as we did in the past, or for this generation will it be left to others?
An invitation is extended to all to become involved. Some may decide not to. The invitation is extended on the principle that
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40). It was small ecclesias who were first to give.
If our brethren & sisters wish to comment on this as it is a work in progress, please contact us, see contact us.