Collierville First Baptist Church

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 39:1-29The battle of Gog and Magog described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is one of the most debated events in biblical prophecy…§ Some approach these chapters as non-literal, having only an idealist or figurative meaning, without any historical reality. § Others approach these chapters as having a literal fulfillment, being an invasion of some kind, but differ on its participants, location, and timing. Last week we moved to the deep end of the prophetic pool as we considered the war of Gog and Magog. The Bible predicts an end-time alliance between Russia, Iran and Turkey (along with other countries) that will come against Israel in the last days leading up to the return of Jesus. As they cover the land like a storm it will look like a slam dunk for the invading forces, that is until God steps in! We saw in last week’s study that God will not allow this invading force to prevail but will supernaturally wipe them out on the mountains of Israel. This turn of events will literally leave an unbelieving world gasping for answers! It will, the Bible says, be an event that will be used by God to make His name known again to both Israel and the nations of the world.In Hebrew literature, it was common to give an account and then to repeat it to give emphasis and to add a few additional details. Ezekiel 39:1-8 is a summary of what was described in Ezekiel 38. ÞChapter 38 concentrates on the danger this evil coalition presents to Israel.ÞChapter 38 concentrates on the defeat of Gog.ÞChapter 39 concentrates on the disposal of Gog.ÞChapter 39 concentrates on the deliverance of God’s people.Ezekiel 39:1–6… “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 “I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. 4 “You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. 5 “You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares the Lord God. 6 “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the Lord. Verse 4 reveals some new information not found in Ezekiel 38. It states that the armies associated with this evil coalition will fall on the Mountains of Israel and their bodies will be given to the birds and to the beasts to eat. This is similar to the events of Armageddon as described in Revelation 19:17-18. Some have suggested that the Gog and Magog invasion is actually describing the war of Armageddon. While there are similarities there are also some major differences. The most notable is that this war of Gog and Magog will come at a time when Israel is living in peace and security, in unwalled villages. This certainly WILL NOT be the case at the end of the tribulation as the inhabitants of Israel has to flee for their lives at the mid-point of the tribulation. (Matt 24:15-22, Rev 12:6,13-17)For another new piece of information look at verse 6. This verse speaks of a fire in Magog (Russia) itself. Let’s piece together the scenario we’ve already been presented…§ This massive army covers the mountains of Israel and bears down on the people of God.§ God sends an earthquake that wipes out a large segment of the troops.§ Chaos breaks out within the ranks of the remaining army, and they begin to kill each other. § Next, fire and hail are poured out on what remains of the invading army. This is a picture of the total devastation of a vastly superior army that attacked a noticeably inferior nation. Surely anyone in their right mind would assume that these events have the supernatural fingerprints of God all over them. Well, if that weren’t enough, God unleashes His judgment on Magog (Russia) itself. Fire falls from heaven. All doubt as to the source of this judgment is removed. This is the hand of Almighty God!“Not only is the Russian and allied army destroyed in Israel, but the land of Russia itself is devastated by the raining of brimstone, causing much destruction to the nation itself. It will cause Russia to cease being a political force in world affairs.” Arnold Fructenbaum, Footsteps of the Messiah, page 115.I want you to see how verse 6 ends—“…And they will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.” Even hard-hearted unbelievers will finally recognize that there is a sovereign, holy, and righteous God to whom everyone must answer to. Ezekiel 39:7–8… “My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. 8 “Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the Lord God. “That is the day of which I

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 38:10-23Before we get into the text tonight, I want to call your attention to the placement of these important prophetic chapters. For instance, in Ezekiel 37, the vision of the dry bones coming to life pictures the rebirth and reconstitution of the nation of Israel. In AD 70, they were driven out their land and disbursed throughout the world. This prophecy about their rebirth as a nation was fulfilled on May 14, 1948. Here's a fact we can’t overlook or explain away. The Jews are the indigenous people of this tiny strip of land. God promised it to Abraham and his descendants…Genesis 15:18… On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.Ezekiel 40-48 speaks of the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus shall rule and reign from Jerusalem after His return.Squeezed in between Ezekiel 37 and Ezekiel 40-48 are these two prophetic chapters (38-39) which depict a massive war that will take place in the last days. Last week we drilled down into the first part of chapter 38 to identify the nations that will come against Israel before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems that the three major players will be Russia, Turkey, and Iran. The other nations that will join them will be Libya, Sudan (Ethiopia), and possibly Germany (Gomer). The leader of this coalition of rabid antisemites will be Gog, who will likely be a Russian dictator or czar. I find it interesting that none of Israel’s neighboring nations are mentioned. One possible explanation is that Psalm 83 pictures a war with the inner circle of nations that could result in the peaceful conditions that Israel experiences before the war of Gog and Magog. The nations involved in this end-time drama are moving into place even now. Furthermore, we are witnessing a global resurgence of antisemitism. According to University of Massachusetts professor of criminology Arlie Perliger… The U.S. is currently experiencing one of the most significant waves of antisemitism that it has ever seen. This wave predates the October 7 massacre that initiated the war between Israel and Hamas. In 2022, “Incidents of harassment rose 29% compared to 2021; acts of vandalism surged 51%; and physical assaults jumped 26% to an average of 10 reported incidents a day.” The week after Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli civilians, antisemitic incidents tripled compared to the same week in 2022. What’s the source of this incessant hatred of the Jewish people? Ultimately, you can trace it back to Satan himself. Consider these verses…Revelation 12:1–6… A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. “The woman” represents the nation of Israel. This nation has repeatedly failed to honor God through the ages. However, she belongs to God and through this nation God has provided a Savior for the world. Jesus was born in Israel to Jewish parents. He grew up in Israel and his ministry was centered there. He died on the cross in Jerusalem. He was buried there, raised from the dead there, and ascended back to heaven from there. One day He is coming again, and He is coming to Israel and will rule there for 1000 years.Romans 9:3–5… For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. “The dragon” in Revelation 12 is none other than Satan. His consuming passion is to exterminate the Jews. This text speaks of the sufferings of the Jewish people. John Stonestreet and Timothy Padgett observed, “The prince of darkness can never win his fight with heaven, but in defiant desperation, he incites people to commit evil and inflict pain, especially on those through whom God works in redemption.” John Phillips wrote…“No nation on earth has suffered so severely and for so long as Israel.”“The Son” is th

Pastor A.J. Keyte | Isaiah 9:6; Mark 5:21-43

Dr. Chuck Herring | Isaiah 9:6

Dr. Roc Collins

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 38:1-9Without a doubt, this is the time to study Ezekiel 36-39. Tonight, Jewish families are still dealing with the brutal and evil attack that took place on October 7th. Many are mourning the deaths of loved ones. Others are nursing physical and emotional wounds that have left them devastated. The IDF has moved into Gaza searching for Hamas terrorists while at the same time giving innocent Palestinians multiple warnings and opportunities to move their families to safety. Even now, Israel has agreed to a cease fire and Palestinian prisoners are being swapped for innocent captives. Russia, Iran, and Turkey seem to be forming a new axis of evil. All three of them literally hate Israel. In fact, a new wave of antisemitism is sweeping through America, Europe, and the world. Israel has a target on its back and the Middle East appears to be a ticking time bomb that could detonate at any moment.John F. Walvoord commented…If Ezekiel 38-39 is studied carefully, it reveals a future invasion of the land of Israel by the armies of Russia (and its allies). Though sometimes confused with the battle of Armageddon, which will be a world conflict before the second coming, this war will be distinct in its objectives, its character, and its outcome. According to Scripture, the invaders will be completely destroyed. Undoubtedly this will have an effect on the world power struggle in which Russia is now a major factor. As this prophecy was written over 2500 years ago, the question remains whether this has ever been fulfilled in the past. A search of history finds no such battle or outcome….Though it may leave some questions unanswered, the study of these two chapters supplies an important segment of prophecy as it relates to the end-time period leading up to the second coming of Christ.[1]What did God reveal to Ezekiel about Israel and the nations in the last days? Here are a few prophecies that we’ve already discovered and discussed. § God’s plan for the nation of Israel in the last days§ The restoration of the nation of Israel (May 14, 1948)§ God will make His name known to Israel and the nations in the last days§ The Gog and Magog war with Israel that is sure to comeThis war will occur at some point between Israel becoming a nation again and the second coming of Jesus. As we shall see, the nations involved in this war are seriously moving into postion right now. Okay, let’s get into the text itself…Ezekiel 38:1–2… And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.These first six verses lay out the players in this end-time prophetic drama. Let’s examine these unusual names and see if we can identify exactly who these players are in today’s terms…GogIn all likelihood, this is not a personal name. It is more likely a title, like czar or prince. In the future, we should not expect a man named Gog to suddenly rise to prominence as a world leader. Whoever is leading Magog at the time of the invasion will be this 'Gog'. He is addressed several times in Ezekiel 38-39 such as 38:2, 38:14, 39:1.MagogFirst, let’s look at the Geographical Evidence. What does the Scripture reveal about the location of this “land?” Ezekiel 38:14–15… “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it? 15 “You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army…”A quick check of a world map shows that there are only 5 countries that are due north of Israel. These include Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. The one farthest north is Russia. This is the geographical evidence for assuming that the major player in this last days war will probably be Russia and the leader of Russia will be one spoken of here as Gog. Now, let’s take a close look at the Historical Evidence. Let’s go back to the time of Noah and his descendants.Genesis 10:1–2… Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. You can see from verse 2 that Magog, mentioned in Ezekiel, was the second son of Japheth, the son of Noah. So, he was the grandson of Noah. You see Tubal and Meshech mentioned, they are the fifth and the sixth sons of Japheth.§ Josephus, the first century AD historian and scholar, assures us that the descendants of Magog migrated to an area north of Palestine. Even before Josephus wrote those words, the famous Greek historian spoke about this matter…§ Herodotus in the fifth century BC, wrote that Meshech's descendants settled north of Palestine. § Jerome, who was an early Church Father, a prominent leader from AD 345 to AD 420, declared that

Dr. Chuck Herring | 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Dr. Chuck Herring | Acts 4:23-31

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 37:15-28ONE KINGDOM UNDER ONE KING Here’s a summary statement I want you to get firmly fixed in your mind and heart…Ezekiel clearly envisioned the transformed land of Israel in chap. 36 and the national resurrection of Israel in chap. 37.[1]1. Two Sticks Become One StickEzekiel 37:15–17… The word of the Lord came again to me saying, 16 “And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 “Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.”(16) And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions’— At God’s instruction, Ezekiel took two sticks. On one was writing identifying it with Judah and on the other was writing identifying it with Ephraim (that is, Israel). The sticks represented the kingdom of the northern ten tribes (Israel) and the kingdom of the southern two tribes (Judah).§ In Ezekiel’s day the northern kingdom had been conquered and destroyed for some 150 years. Yet God still considered them a people, even though they were scattered among the nations.§ “Incidentally, these same scriptures show the folly of the ten lost tribes.… The prophets all recognized the northern tribes as still in existence and knew of no such error as ‘lost’ tribes.” (Feinberg)Isaiah 49:5–6… And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength), 6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” § Joseph represents the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel. The tribe of Ephraim was the largest and most influential tribe of the northern kingdom. In fact, several times in the Old Testament the northern kingdom was called Ephraim. Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom, was from the tribe of Ephraim. (17) Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand—God told Ezekiel to join the two sticks together so they would become one.“Certainly no basis exists in this text for the strange Mormon teaching that the sticks refer to two scrolls. According to the convoluted interpretation of this cult, Ezekiel was prophesying that one day the Book of Mormon (the stick or scroll of Ephraim) would be joined to the Bible (the stick or scroll of Judah) to form the complete revelation of God.” (Smith)This new section begins with a command to perform a symbolic action (vv 16–17) and continues with a question and answer format that in Ezekiel is used to create a hinge between a symbolic action and its meaning.2. The Meaning Of The Joined SticksEzekiel 37:18–20… “When the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 “The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. (18) Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?— Ezekiel’s audience among the exiles were somewhat mystified by this acted-out prophecy. Perhaps they wondered what God would do with the northern kingdom (Joseph/Ephraim) some 150 years after their apparent extinction. (19) Make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand—Here’s the meaning. When God would ultimately restore the tribes of Israel, He would restore them all. That which was previously divided in the days of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12-14) would be restored as one. Douglas Stuart observed…The north and the south of Israel had not been unified politically since the revolt of Jeroboam, after the death of Solomon in 931 b.c., nearly 350 years prior to this prophecy. Since 722 b.c., when the north lost its political identity and was annexed by the Assyrians, and especially since 586 b.c., when Judah had also fallen, the idea of a reunified Israel of the sort that David and Solomon had ruled over in the ninth century would have seemed ludicrous to any observer of international events in Ezekiel’s day.This prophecy about the two kingdoms again becoming one and never ever again becoming divided would have provided immense assurance that the Lord was not through with His covenant people. He does have a plan for Israel in the last days.

Dr. Chuck Herring | Romans 13:8-14 | 11-05-23cfbcfamily.org

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 37:1-14Interesting things happen in cemeteries. Tonight, I want us to take a trip with the prophet Ezekiel to a very unusual one to say the least. Keep in mind that He is writing to God’s covenant people who are in exile in Babylon. They’ve been there for several years, and they are incredibly discouraged even bordering on sheer hopelessness (37:11). Is there a future for Israel? Some say, “No, for all these OT prophecies must be applied spiritually to the church.” Wait. These prophecies are too detailed to be “spiritualized” and applied only to the church today. Jesus taught a future for the Jews (Luke 22:29-30); so did Paul (Rom. 11); and so did John (Rev. 7:4-8, 14:1-5).[1]Ezekiel 37 easily may be divided into two sections by the introductory phrases “the hand of the Lord was upon me” in v. 1 and “the word of the Lord came again to me” in v. 15. This chapter illustrates Israel’s failed past, frustrated present, and future hope. With that in mind, let’s focus on an unusual vision that has often been referred to as…1. The Valley of Dry BonesEzekiel 37:1–3… The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” (1) The hand of the LORD came upon me: Ezekiel’s remarkable prophetic experience is not specifically called a vision, but it certainly has all the markings of a vision. Notice how the Scripture emphasizes that “He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD.” (1) In the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones: This was truly Death Valley; the floor of the valley was covered with human bones. The people represented by these bones were Jews and they were not only dead; they were also disgraced. (In the thinking of ancient Israel, an unburied corpse with exposed remains was a shocking disgrace to the dead.) (2) They were very dry: These dry bones are not only dead; they have been dead for a long time. When something or someone has been dead for so long, we give up hope that it will ever live again. It was a picture of utter defeat and desolation. What a vivid description of the Jewish people! [2](3) Can these bones live? Here’s the crux of the issue. Can a dead and impotent nation in exile and under the control of a godless nation be resurrected and become a living, thriving kingdom once again?One might hope that a recently dead corpse might somehow be resuscitated. However, no one hopes that scattered, detached bones might live. Ezekiel responded to God’s question the only way he could, saying “O Lord GOD, You know.”§ Ezekiel had no hope for the bones, but he did have hope in God.§ Ezekiel did not presume to know what God wanted to do with the bones.§ Ezekiel was confident that God did know.2. Speaking Life To Dead Bones.Ezekiel 37:4–6… Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ 5 “Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” (4) Prophesy to these bones: In the previous verse, Ezekiel deliberately left the matter with God, to His power and wisdom. In turn, God gave the prophet something to do. God commanded him to speak, to prophesy, to preach to the dry, dead bones. By all outward observation this was a vain and foolish act. (4) O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD: Ezekiel could only preach this message by faith—faith in God’s ability to do the impossible. knew God’s word had supernatural power. (5) Behold I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life: God promised to fill the dry bones with breath—the breath of life. (6) I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive: God promised to raise the Jewish people to life again. This was not the creation of life from nothing; it was the restoration of life to something that had been long dead.The word for “breath” means wind or spirit. Here is a promise that God would one day give the Holy Spirit to His covenant people under the blessings of the New Covenant…Ezekiel 36:24–28… “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in

Dr. Chuck Herring | 1 Corinthians 11:23-32Collierville, TN

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 36:16-38Why is there so much antisemitism in the world? Zechariah 12:1–3… The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, 2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. 3 “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. After discussing Israel’s sinful past (vv. 16–21), Ezekiel laid out the nation’s future restoration.1 I want you to see that his presentation is divided into three parts (verses 22,33,37) and each of them is introduced with these words—“Thus says the Lord God.” This passage unfolds the process and the benefits of the restoration of Israel as a nation. However, one thought dominates this portion of prophetic Scripture—God’s primary motivation is to vindicate His holy name before the watching nations. God refuses to allow the nations to interpret the desolation of Israel’s land and the dispersion of the Jewish people as any type of reflection on His inability to execute His sovereignty and to accomplish His ultimate purposes for His chosen people. God is speaking to a people he has blessed in remarkable ways, yet a people who have spurned him. He accuses them of defiling the land (Ezek. 36:17). This they did by their conduct and their action of ignoring God.2 Ezekiel 36:16–21… Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18 “Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 “Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 “When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of His land.’ 21 “But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. Before dealing with Israel’s restoration and future cleansing, Ezekiel reminded the exiles of their past sin which ushered in their judgment in the first place. The Jewish people were guilty of polluting God’s land and profaning God’s name! The polluting and profaning were like a menstrual discharge that rendered a woman ceremonially unclean and defiled everything she touched (Lev. 15:19–23).3 These verses clarify what the Scripture means here… Ezekiel 16:36… Thus says the Lord God, “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols.” Ezekiel 23:37–39… “For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to them as food. 38 “Again, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have profaned My sabbaths. 39 “For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.” Israel in the north and Judah in the south were exiled because of their idolatry described here as spiritual adultery. Even in their exile they profaned God’s holy name. That is, they did not glorify God in those foreign lands. The Babylonians would have concluded that Yahweh was a weak God because he allowed his people to be conquered and his temple to be destroyed. Ezekiel 36:22–23… “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 “I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.” The revelation of God’s name or character was a major aspect of God’s dealing with Israel from the beginning.4 Exodus 9:13–16… Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 14 “For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 “For if by now I

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 36:1-15Like a well-worn baseball, the world seems to be coming apart at the seams. I don’t need to remind you of that. You’ve read or worse, seen the horrific images of Hamas violence against Israelis. Women were raped, babies beheaded, hostages were taken, and people were tortured. Over 1,300 were massacred. Over 3,400 were injured and 200+ were kidnapped. 16 million Jews worldwide are mourning the worst attack since the Holocaust.The IDF is poised on the border of Gaza with the full intention of destroying the terrorist group, Hamas, while at the same time giving innocent Palestinians a chance to get out of harm’s way. America has sent aircraft carriers and even troops to make sure that other nations do not get involved. As a result, Iran has unleashed wicked threats against both Israel and America. Hezbollah in Lebanon is firing rockets into northern Israel, and they are threatening to open a northern front in this expanding war. It seems that the entire Middle East is a tinder box that is ready to explode at any moment. What are the prophetic implications of all of this? Open your Bible to Ezekiel. This is one of those books in the Bible that attracts you with its vivid imagery, symbolism, parables, allegories, and apocalyptic visions. However, when you actually start to read it, you suddenly realize that it’s hard to understand. Before we jump into our study, I want to read Psalm 83. Here are a few references to Gaza in the Bible…Genesis 10:19… The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. Judges 1:18–19… And Judah took Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory. 19 Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots. Amos 1:6–7… Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they deported an entire population To deliver it up to Edom. 7 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. Zechariah 9:5… Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza too will writhe in great pain; Also Ekron, for her expectation has been confounded. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be inhabited. Ezekiel was a priest by vocation, married, and among those exiled to Babylon. His name means “God strengthens” and he was a contemporary of Daniel. God called him to confront the root causes of their sinful rebellion against God and their failure to listen to God’s Word and to obey it. His Spirit-inspired book may be divided into three sections, following the prophet’s call in 1–3…(1) God’s judgment on Jerusalem, 4–24(2) God’s judgment on the surrounding nations, 25–32(3) God’s restoration of the Jews in the kingdom, 33–48.[1]Have you ever tried to skip rocks across the surface of a lake? It hits the surface and then takes to the air again. The process is repeated until it just runs out of steam. That’s what we’re going to do tonight. We’re going to skip through Ezekiel 36 touching down at significant points in the text. We’ve already seen how the book itself breaks down. Now, I want you to see how the chapter itself seems to breaks down …(1) The Promise to renew the land of Israel –Verses 1-15(2) The Promise to renew the people of Israel –Verses 16-38Okay, with this in mind, let’s dive into the first section which deals with the renewal of the land of Israel.Ezekiel 36:1–7… “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. 2 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’ 3 therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people.” ’ ” 4 ‘Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, 5 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.” 6 ‘Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.’ 7 “Therefo

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