Gog, Magog and Ezekial's Later Prophecies --- incomplete

When a beginner asks the meaning of these passages in the later chapters of Ezekiel, I usually say, "The Bible is a divine Book. It has messages that absolutely every sincere soul can entirely comprehend. Therefore, begin with the basic lessons on salvation, then on the growth of the Christian, and gradually get into the obscure passages, doing that with humility and realizing we mortals may understand only what is revealed by the Holy Spirit, not by a course in advanced theology which usually produces controversy."

But I am writing here, not for new converts, but for you who have been a long time in the Way, but desire to clear up some passages that have seemed bothersome in your Bible readings.

Not only in Ezekiel, but in other places, Old AND New Testament, there are many references to the re-unity of Israel and Judah. Let us keep in mind all along then that the present country called Israel is not the complete 12 tribes at all, but only the Jews. That is, Judah and Benjamin. The other ten tribes, the Northern Kingdom, has been separated from Judah ever since Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Ephraim was the principal tribe of divided Israel, and many Bible references to Ephraim really mean to all the ten tribes inclusive. They were captured by the Assyrians over 100 years before Babylon captured Judah.

Where are those lost ten tribes today? Every pocket in every land is known and mapped, but if one collects all related Bile references a clear picture emerges. They were not hidden into some unified pocket somewhere, but SIFTED among the nations, more of less invisible to ordinary ethnic studies, BUT NOT ONE GRAIN IS TO BE LOST OR HIDDEN FROM GOD. They are the modern nations which have traces of those early Israelites! They turn out to be just exactly the countries that have since become Christian; England, Germany, Norway, Sweden, The United States, etc..

Notice now in reading these later chapters of Ezekiel how the unifying of Israel with Judah is related to Christ's coming to the earth. We are now heading rapidly for the double crises when Christ will come to call out His Bride in the Rapture, and then the Tribulation will develop over the rest of the world. After seven years Christ will come again to the earth to bring a millennium of peace, just about the first real real peace since the fall. Christ is going to reign with His saints, which wonderful miracle, turns out to be the Christians, and they turn out also to be just the ones who have a trace of original Israelite blood. We do not need to worry one whit about studying genealogies and history of races. The Fountain of the Blood of Christ is open to ALL> Those who reject Him will not be saved because of some racial traces. These studies here are just to understand a bit clearer that which God has put into His Word for us to study.

After a thousand years, the devil is going to loosed again. Evidently God does not want people to slide into heaven for eternity without ever exerting themselves, or suffering as He and other Christians of this dispensation all have had to suffer, going through every kind of trial and temptation to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

So, the devil moves in the mind and heart of old Gog and his great hosts and they start another war, thinking it should be an easy victory since Palestine and the Christian-Israel nations have all along been at peace and are completely unarmed.

That prophecy could hardly refer to the present age, where every nation is armed to the teeth with every armament it can afford, and a lot of weapons it cannot really afford. But, this clears at once if we think of the prophecy referring to the time at the end of the Millennium. Many strange references of the use of horses and weapons made of wood are understandable for that future age, but not for the present. At that time, Christian Israel and the Jews will be living in unity under the reign of Jesus Christ and His saints.

Are there some points of the Gog-Magog prophesies that could refer to the present age? Yes! Most details may refer to the near future, but most are surely for the post-Millennium.

THE NEW TEMPLE and DIVIDING THE LAND.

The whole series of these chapters sees completely obscure and unrelated to our New Testament doctrine. But if we read it as relating to the new Dispensation in the Millennium when Christ and Christian Israel are reigning in the earth, then much will be clearer. We may ask, "Why all the details of measurements?" When we read the OT details of the Tabernacle we find similar detailed plans, and God specifying they be followed carefully. We later learn from NT studies each detail had its doctrinal NT meaning. Remember how the outward covering of the Tabernacle was very humble appearing with badger skins, but the interior was the finest cloth they could make, colored in reds and blues or left as pure white linen. So Christianity has always been rejected of men, unappealing, the cross rugged, the Christian bearing its reproach, but once inside the torn veil, washed in the crimson fount and made white and pure by that blood, then the disciple testifies that this is like heaven to me, the only true beauty there is, and the love of