THE LORD SPOKE (November 23)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Ezekiel 39

Don’t you wonder sometimes if maybe it has already all happened? If maybe the biblical prophecies about Israel were already fulfilled at some time in the past?

The first question, of course, would be when. There is no point in the historical record when it could be said that the prophecies of Ezekiel 39 have taken place. Apart from the difficulty of understanding exactly who is Gog (vs. 1) and where is Magog (vs. 6), there is no candidate in time that matches the descriptions of the aftermath of war in Israel in terms of weapon collection (vs. 9-10) and grave-digging (vs. 11-16). For sure, there was never a Temple like Ezekiel describes in chapter 40.

There are three possible approaches to this: (1) None of it has ever happened and it never will. At best, the Bible is just a good story and this is part of the fairytale. (2) It has not happened yet but it will because the Bible is to be interpreted literally. (3) It has happened in some allegorical or mystical sense. We just need to “interpret” it spiritually.

That has driven some to spiritualize the very concept of Israel and these future events. Many today see the Church as the fulfillment of the prophecies made concerning Israel. Israel was “the church in the Old Testament” and the Church today is “the Israel of God”. Covenant Theology, across the board, has bought into this and takes these clear biblical statements in some mystical or spiritual sense. It’s a handy-dandy hermeneutic that deftly applies all the curses to Israel and all the blessings to the Church. It amounts to a bankrupt system that doesn’t explain Scripture!

Taken literally, the Bible demands a future for ethnic Israel. If “Israel” means Israel and if God is not a liar, how can we not conclude that there is yet to be a restoration of Israel that matches these words from Ezekiel 39:22-29?

From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. 29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (emphasis added)

If “Israel” means Israel and if God is not a liar, we may yet look forward to the fulfillment of this prophecy. As Jewish people commonly say, “May it be speedily and in our days!”


Psalms 135-136

Framed with “hallelujahs”, Psalm 135 is part of “the Great Hallel”. Along with and coming just after the 15 “Songs of Ascent” (Ps. 121-134) it was especially intended for the Temple liturgy. It would have been fantastic to hear it recited in its original setting but it still speaks to us today.

It speaks of a gracious God who is an integral part of His creation. He is “in the heavens and on the earth” (vs. 6). He is in control of things like clouds and rain, lightning and storms (vs. 7), but He has “compassion on his servants” (vs. 14). He is greater than all other gods (vs. 5) for He really does speak and see and hear (vs. 16-17).

His love for Israel is notorious. He chose Jacob (vs. 4) and, when the time came, He led Jacob’s sons out of Egypt and to the Land of Promise. In doing so He “struck down many nations” (vs. 10) and gave their land as an inheritance to the people of Israel (vs. 12).

In this process, God chose a particular place for Himself to dwell among his people. This has been a recurring theme in the last several psalms:

132:13-14 - For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it....”

133:3 - ...on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

134:3 - May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth bless you from Zion.

135:21 - Praise to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.

The theme of Mount Zion becomes a picture for heaven in the New Testament (see Heb. 11:10, 13-16; 12: 22-24;13:14. And so we sing also...

Come, we that love the Lord,
and let our joys be known;
join in a song with sweet accord,
join in a song with sweet accord
and thus surround the throne,
and thus surround the throne.

We're marching to Zion,
beautiful, beautiful Zion;
we're marching upward to Zion,
the beautiful city of God.

Then let our songs abound,
and every tear be dry;
we're marching through Emmanuel's ground,
we're marching through Emmanuel's ground,
to fairer worlds on high,
to fairer worlds on high.
Isaac Watts

THE LORD SPOKE (November 22)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Ezekiel 37-38

Same song; stanza two. The tune is definitely the same and the chorus is repeated. Both chapter 36 and chapter 37 give melody to the restoration of the People of Israel to the Land of Israel. Both repeat the refrain, “Then they will know that I am the Lord” (36:38 and 37:6). Both bring in the harmonic theme: “I will put my Spirit in them” (36:27 and 37:14).

The new variation that is introduced in chapter 37 is the resurrection of David as their king (vs. 24). But in that same paragraph (vs. 24-28) the dominant chords of Old Testament biblical theology are all struck:

POSSESSION/LAND (vs. 25) - “they will live in the land”
PRINCE (vs. 25) - “David my servant will be their prince forever”
PROMISE (vs. 25) - “I will make a covenant of peace with them”
PRESERVATION (vs. 25) - “I will establish them”
PEOPLE (vs. 25) - “I will be their god and they will be my people”

And did you notice? Five times in four verses it’s repeated that this is everlasting and forever!

What we have seen in Israel in the last 60+ years is exactly what we should have expected from this prophecy. First, dry (and often smelly) bones coming together (vs. 1-3). Then flesh and tendons appearing; some skin spreading (vs. 4-6). More flesh appearing as the bones came together and began to stand erect (vs. 7-8). What hasn’t happened yet is the Spirit of God breathing true Life into those bones (vs. 9-10) but, by the order of the prophecy, that day must be close!

With Paul we cry out:

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they might be saved. (Romans 10:1)

Check out the context of that verse and see how it is to happen in Romans 10:14-15.


Psalms 133-134

May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.
Psalm 134:3

How is it possible to be blessed from Zion? Isn’t that place just all messed up and about to be blown up? Aren’t they all just killing each other over there?

No! That’s the warped view you’ll get from the media but it’s not an accurate description of Israel today. Here are some suggestions for how you can experience the Lord’s “blessing from Zion”.

1. Inform yourself of the Jewish believers in Israel today. Over 80 messianic congregations are actively preaching the Gospel. Many of them would put us to shame by what they’re doing in terms of evangelism. They’ll bless and challenge you!
2. Visit Israel and see for yourself. It’s a thriving democracy (the only one in the Middle East!) And experiencing growth in almost every sector. Thousands of new immigrants continue to pour in every year. It is arguably the most dynamic society anywhere on earth.
3. Study the history of modern Israel. (Graduate from the Zion Chronicles to the real thing.) It’s a story of real heroes and amazing exploits. At many points you’ll have to shake your head and say “only God”. You’ll be blessed from Zion when you know the historical accounts of what’s happened in our generation.
4. Learn some Hebrew so you can read the biblical text in the original language. It will open up many new vistas and you’ll be “blessed from Zion” again and again when you see the links to the Land, the culture, and the people of Israel.

We know it must be done,
For God hath spoke the word.
And all Israel shall their Savior own,
To their first state restored;
Rebuilt by His command,
Jerusalem shall rise;
Her temple on Moriah stand
Again and touch the skies.

Send then Thy servants forth,
To call the Hebrews home.
From East and West and South and North,
Let all the wanderers come.
Wherever in lands unknown,
The fugitives remain,
Bid every creature help them on,
Thy holy mount to gain.

(from John Wesley’s unpublished “Zionist Hymn”)

THE LORD SPOKE (October 10)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Isaiah 62-64

It looks like the church bulletin or a missionary prayer letter. “Praise and Prayer” is at the top (the NIV heading before Is. 63:7). The requests section might sound a little different. After all, our city doesn’t lie in ruins (yet) and our temples (churches) are still standing. We’ve all been moved at some point to say, “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us....”

But then, haven’t we also pled with God that He would “rend the heavens and come down” (64:1)? Aren’t there times when we wonder “where is He” who kept us going in the past? And then we’re reminded that it is our own sin that has broken that relationship. Even “our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (64:6) because we do them with the wrong motivation - for our own selfish ends rather than to His praise. And so we “shrivel up...and waste away” (64:6-7).

Why didn’t Israel turn back to Him? Just take a look at the verbs in this section that describe God’s care of Israel. He sustained them, supported them, redeemed them, carried them, shepherded them, guided them. He treated them with compassion, kindness, love, mercy, tenderness. Why didn’t Israel turn back to Him?

Why don’t we turn back to Him? Why do we, like Israel, rebel against Him, grieve Him, harden our hearts against Him, continue to sin, and fail to call upon Him? Let us instead, remember Him, call upon Him, strive to lay hold of Him.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to help those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
Isaiah 64:4-5

Psalms 47-48

Why do people spend thousands of dollars every year to go visit Jerusalem? Mark Twain put into words the feeling of many after such an ordeal:

Rags, wretchedness, poverty and dirt, those signs and symbols that indicate the presence of Moslem rule more surely than the crescent-flag itself, abound. Lepers, cripples, the blind, and the idiotic, assail you on every hand, and they know but one word of but one language apparently - the eternal "bucksheesh." To see the numbers of maimed, malformed and diseased humanity that throng the holy places and obstruct the gates, one might suppose that the ancient days had come again, and that the angel of the Lord was expected to descend at any moment to stir the waters of Bethesda. Jerusalem is mournful, and dreary, and lifeless. I would not desire to live here. (Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad, from chapter 53 [1867])

If you can get past the street urchins and pick-pockets, the Arab shop keepers will eat you for lunch. The cacophony and strange smells that assault the senses are innumerable. Even after you’ve bartered the price down to 30% of the original tag you still walk away knowing that you paid twice as much as that silly piece of olive wood is really worth.

But Psalm 48 reminds us that “God is in her citadels” (Ps. 48:3). Though He is omnipresent, there is a sense in which He has chosen to dwell forever in Jerusalem (see Ps. 68:16; 76:2; 132:13-14). He is what sets this city high above any other city on earth, to this very day.

While many world capitols and famous cities have a Round-About Line of city buses for tourists to see all the main sites on a 2-3 hour circuit, only Jerusalem has a biblical basis for such a tour:

Walk about Zion, go around her...view her.... (Ps. 48:12-13)

The passage gives several other valuable touring suggestions: “count her towers”, “consider her ramparts”, “view her citadels”. Five thousand years of continual history will keep you well-occupied for some time! You won’t soon run out of what to do. But, in your doing, do the rest of what it says: “tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever” (Ps. 48:13-14). Touring Jerusalem has a purpose and it’s more than olive wood camels.

Sacred history was enacted in Jerusalem on more than one occasion. It’s where:

• Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek
• David established the kingdom and Solomon built the Temple
• Hezekiah saw Sennacherib’s whole army decimated as God protected the city
• Isaiah and the other prophets proclaimed God’s truth
• Jesus bled and died to secure our salvation

And God will part the heavens and break through again in Jerusalem. It’s where the Messiah will reign over the whole earth for the first thousand years of His eternal kingdom. Will you be there?