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NOVEMBER 18
Ezekiel
37-38
Resurrection at any level is
actually creation. When you look at the raising of Lazarus or Jesus, after days
of death, their bodies were not "livable" in any respect. Their
bodies had to be re-created before their spirits could return to them. Dead
tissue is no longer tissue. Dead blood is no longer blood. You get the picture,
right? God is, after all, God, and He can do that stuff in a milli-second. But
what about bringing to life an entire nation? Israel, north and south, were
both scattered among the nations. For most nations, when this happened, they
ceased to be a people ever again. Since we've read Ezra and Nehemiah, we know
that God brought Judah back. In Daniel we'll see how He did it. Here, Ezekiel
is given a vision and a message that the nation of Israel will not only rise
again, but that they will be a nation before God forever.
Again, keep observing and
underlining stuff.
Ezekiel 37
Vs. 1-14 I can't imagine what
this vision looked like. I'll bet it was graphic and powerful for Ezekiel. And,
what an amazing promise for the nation.
Vs. 1-6 Here is the set-up
and the question to Ezekiel. Could God bring life again? Ezekiel had seen the glory
of the Lord so He gave a wise answer.
Vs. 7-10 They became an army
full of life. Ready for a mission? This will certainly be Israel at the
beginning of the Tribulation, preaching the gospel of the kingdom throughout
the whole world as a testimony to all nations. See Matthew 24:14.
Vs. 11-14 Twice God says here
that they will know that He is the Lord. In a way, I don't think this is
referring to the resurrection of the OT believers, but rather to the raising up
of a believing nation. Those who are with Christ awaiting resurrection already
know the Lord. They don't need to be convinced. At the beginning of the
Tribulation, Israel will not only be convinced and know the Lord, but they will
be willing to give their lives so that mankind can hear the gospel and be
saved.
Vs. 15-23 Israel had been a
divided nation since the death of Solomon about 400 years earlier. Once God
"raised" the nation, He would unify them. Here is where it pays to
remember Genesis. Remember that Jacob gave the firstborn blessing to Joseph,
signified in blessing Ephraim. But God, for some reasons we can understand,
blessed Judah and gave his descendants the kingship of the nation, which came
to David and then to Jesus. When Israel divided as a nation, Judah and Benjamin
stayed together, symbolized by Judah; and the other ten tribes joined together,
symbolized by Ephraim. When Judah was taken into captivity, there were people
of all 12 tribes living in the southern kingdom. They came to Judah because the
true worship of God was in the temple and most of the kings of Judah still
respected that. The kings of the northern tribes never worshiped Yahweh. When
you see the register of who returned to Israel from the Babylonian captivity
(exiles from Judah) in 1 Chronicles and Ezra, all the tribes are represented.
V. 22 Just for interest,
notice the mention of the mountains of
Israel. We've seen these mountains mentioned before and we'll see them
again. And by the way, who will that king be?
Vs. 24-27 This is a very cool
section. Notice the three things God will do here. The people won't be
resurrected believers because they can have children. This prophecy of David
has to be literal and will obviously be for the Millennial Kingdom. He is the
first resurrected person we know of who will have a job.
Notice here the mentions of
the sanctuary. We'll be getting the
blueprints soon. This is a big deal.
Ezekiel 38
Men have written books about
this nation. Some people suggest it is Russia or parts of Russia and its
allies, because of the references to the uttermost
parts of the north. If you look far above Israel on the map, guess who's
there. You'll notice that Iran is also part of this group. But as you make your
observations on this chapter, here are some guiding thoughts.
Vs. 1-6 God has just spoken
of giving peace to Israel. This foe will represent the greatest future threat
to the nation of Israel. God is going to use this nation to show who He is and
to show that Israel is His own possession. In principle, this is the same thing
God did with Egypt in the Exodus.
Vs. 7-9 The best time for
this battle is during the Tribulation. And the best time during the Tribulation
is in the first 3.5 years, possibly near the end of that time. Israel will be
at peace and will dwell securely (v. 14, also). These nations will come in to
loot and destroy Israel. It is possible that this is at the instigation of the
antichrist and this defeat might be what tips him over the edge. Their staging
area will be the mountains.
Vs. 10-13 During the first
3.5 years of the Tribulation, much of the earth will be destroyed by natural
events, and up to two thirds of the world's population will be gone. It will
not be a world we recognize, and our dependence on high tech will paralyze the
world. Transportation and communication will be reduced drastically. Things
like running water and electricity will be gone or very limited. Governments
and nations will be in disarray. I don't know if cell phones or the internet
will work. I don't think there will be smart bombs or the money and factories
to make them, and there may be very little ammunition. I think Einstein is
credited with saying, "The third world war will be fought with atomic
weapons. The fourth world war will be fought with clubs." It could look
pretty primitive, and materials of any kind will be scarce. So the idea of
looting Israel might be very accurate, particularly if Israel misses some of
the destruction like Goshen did before the Exodus.
Also, the antichrist will not
be followed by all nations. Sure, he'll have a very powerful, dark, spiritual
backing; but humans are notorious at being rebellious to all spiritual
authority, light or darkness. The line I like in C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle
is "The dwarfs are for the dwarfs." And so we are. The battle of
Armageddon, at the end of the Tribulation, can only happen if forces are coming
against the antichrist. In the case of the battle talked about here, this
battle will probably happen just before the antichrist walks into the temple
and declares himself to be god.
Vs. 14-16 God makes a point
of calling on the arrogance of these nations to come down to Israel and be
broken. God will vindicate Israel and show the world that He is God. This will
be a very important event for several reasons. It will be a testimony to the
earth about Israel. As a result, there will be the kind of faith that will
cause people around the world to protect the believers of Jesus. There will be
godly, spiritual understanding. Those who believe and help the followers of
Jesus with just a cup of water will enter the Millennial Kingdom. That will
make the antichrist and Satan really mad. And, this army that comes to loot and
destroy will bring so many supplies with them that Israel will be able to live
off of those supplies for 3.5 years of hiding in the mountains and in the
wilderness.
Vs. 17-23 This seems to
indicate that this nation will symbolically represent all nations that Satan
has used to oppose Israel, Israel being the nation that was to have proclaimed
God's redemption to the world. Israel will fulfill this mission during and
after the Tribulation. Israel's greatest enemies always came from the north.
This will be the ultimate northern enemy.
Vs. 19-23 If you look at what
God does here, as seen also in the result stated in v. 23, there will be
something about the way God saves Israel that will cause the antichrist to
snap. After this, the antichrist will himself attack Jerusalem, kill the two
witnesses in Jerusalem, desecrate the temple and begin to exterminate Israel.
The people will flee to the mountains, and thankfully, there will be lots of
resources of the fallen army so they can hold out in the hills. Remember back
to the large armies King Asa and King Jehoshaphat went up against. When God
overthrew those armies, the people lived off of the supplies of those armies
for years.
Again, when we see how
difficult warfare is in a mountainous place like Afghanistan, even with smart
bombs and drones, imagine how the antichrist will fare with few weapons and
little gasoline. And, the people God is saving, who are scattered in the
mountains, will have God supplying resources for them.
James
1:19-2:17
So, just for chuckles,
imagine that there is a fairly consistent theme in James. One of the old
"criticisms" against James was the seemingly random presentation of
topics. Actually, compared to Proverbs, James is a tight formula. So, just for
fun, let's think of these people being written to as encountering very hard
circumstances because of their faith (kind of like in Hebrews). Stress has a
way of breaking us down. Personally we fall apart, and our attitudes,
disciplines and routines get shabby. Our relationships start looking messy and
our marriages and families begin to unravel. And, of course, it doesn't do
church any good either. You'll hear James taught many different ways, so for
this time, try to think of those introductory words in 1:2-4, as presenting the
general atmosphere or framework for the different situations mentioned in
instructing these believers.
James 1:19-27
Vs. 19-21 When life seems out
of control, it is easy to react and lose your temper. Anger never works.
Notice the call to meekness.
This sounds a little like Peter saying in 1 Peter 5:6, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at
the proper time he may exalt you. Meekness in trials, accepting the working
of God, holding tightly to the Word of God, seems to be the recipe throughout
all of Scripture. We definitely have seen this in David in The Psalms.
Vs. 22-25 And in these
trials, what God shows you in the Word about yourself, you need to respond to.
Obviously this is a wonderful general principle seen throughout all of Jesus'
teaching (Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it! Luke 11:28); but
particularly in times of trial, we see something different, sometimes ugly,
sometimes rebellious and unfaithful, coming out of us. As we spend time in the
Word, in meekness, we need to submit to God and act on what He shows us.
Vs. 26-27 What are you like
when events squeeze you? Do you complain and criticize? Or do you huddle closer
to God and show compassion to others? Remember in Hebrews, at the end, how the
author told the people to go and visit (show mercy) to those in prison? It is
the same thought. A true relationship with God gives us a reserve of peace that
helps control our tongues and moves us to show compassion. Otherwise, we are
just stuck in our own worlds. That doesn't show we belong to Christ.
James 2:1-17
Vs. 1-7 Verses 6-7 return to
the difficult situation these believers were facing. It puts the entire
situation in perspective. We would normally have a problem with showing
partiality, but in times of stress, the situation is intensified.
Vs. 8-13 This sounds very
much like what Paul says in Romans 13:8-14, also a chapter about Christians in
stress with the Roman government. As disciples in the harvest, we carry our
death following our Lord. It is no news to us that we are to face death and
danger in the harvest. So, showing His love and compassion and mercy to the
lost and to brothers and sisters in Christ is our duty. To allow our love to
grow cold because of hard times shows that we are too anchored to this earth
and our treasure is down here. See Matthew 24:12.
Vs. 14-17 In good times, you
could understand what James is saying. Now, add to this the threat that in
showing mercy to others, you yourself could be punished for it, or if you are
under stress because of trials and someone shows up at your door. In stress,
the temptation is to withdraw into ourselves and to let our hearts shrink. That
may be natural, but it is not the supernatural life of Christ in us. We can say
we believe, but where is the power and the evidence thereof? Paul told Timothy
to suffer by the power of God, and
that Timothy had not received a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self control (2 Tim. 1:7).
Looking at the book of James
like this makes it a discipleship guide for times of stress. Sometimes
suffering for Christ in the power of God is not only God's perfect will for us,
but it is the most powerful witness. Just think, two men came to faith in
Christ as Jesus hung on the cross. One was the criminal hanging on Jesus' right
and the other was a Roman centurion. Jesus never uttered a word. He just
suffered. His enemies did all the talking.
Psalm
117
This is a very simple psalm,
so I would imagine that as they sang it, there was some repetition and the
music must have framed the song well. Notice the steadfast love and faithfulness
of the Lord. This is David's and
God's favorite combination.
Also, wouldn't you know it,
v. 1 is quoted in the New Testament as the result of Christ's work on the cross
and as showing that in God's eternal plan and unfathomable wisdom, He was
always planning to save the Gentiles. And
again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”
(Rom. 15:11)
I'm kind of humbled and
amazed at how well Paul knew The Psalms and how often The Psalms are quoted
regarding Jesus.
Proverbs
28:1
I wonder if this
is because the righteous know that God is present, or as Paul says in Philippians
4:5, Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.
If you think about it, this might also be what James is saying to the
persecuted believers to whom he is writing.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome
to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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