6. The Northern Invasion
It will be seen by and by, that this chapter is
almost certainly out of place chronologically. But it becomes necessary to deal
with it here because of certain mistaken assumptions of a serious character
which are very commonly made about Ezekiel 38, and which tend to cloud
understanding of other Scriptures.
All students of Bible prophecy are aware that
Ezekiel 38, 39 describe in vivid fashion an invasion of the Land of Israel in
the Last Days. This invasion, headed by Russia ("the uttermost parts of the
north" RV is halted by a dramatic outpouring of divine judgment. Thus the whole
world is made to recognise this assertion of the authority of God; and Israel,
exalted as never before to be God's favoured nation, sighs with relief and
thankfulness that at last all their tribulations are at an end. The kingdom of
God has arrived.
The serious error, which has crept into the
understanding of this terrific prophecy, is in the assumption that this northern
invasion will inaugurate the great crisis of the end-time and will
culminate in the coming of the Messiah and the establishing of his
Kingdom.
In fact, all the details in these chapters, save
one (to be examined in due course) point to a different conclusion, namely, that
Ezekiel 38, 39 will be fulfilled after Christ has returned and begun his
reign as King of the Holy Land.
- It was the late Peter Watkins who pointed out very incisively
that Ezekiel 37, 38, 39 are to be read as one prophecy. It cannot be accident
that ch. 37 begins with the dry bones of Israel scattered in Gentile lands (Ez.
37: 21), and ch. 39: 11 speaks of Gentile bones scattered in Israel's Land. If
this is accepted, then what of the fine picture presented in ch. 37 of God's
tabernacle planted in the midst of a sanctified Israel, and "my servant David
being their prince for ever" (37: 25,27)? The northern invasion follows on
after this.
- Repeatedly Israel is described as "dwelling
safely" or "securely" (38: 8,11; 39: 26). This is a phrase which, in the
prophets, is always associated with the Kingdom; e.g. Ez. 34: 25,27,28; Hos. 2:
18; Zec.14:
11.
Then ought not the same meaning to dominate these
passages in ch.38, 39 also? On the other hand, can it be said, with any stretch
of imagination, in 1989, or in any succeeding year before Messiah's coming, that
Israel dwells safely? In July of 1988 the Jewish Chronicle carried a especially
prominent leading article headed: "The Six Hour War". Its purpose was to draw
attention to the fact that the Arab nations round Israel are now in a position
to bring Israel to its knees in such a sensational fashion as will make the 1967
Six Day War look like a boy-scout exercise. More on this in chapter
8.
- "Dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates"
(38:11) is a strange way of describing a people, which spends a higher
percentage of its national income on armaments than any other nation on the face
of the earth. But, apply the words to Israel dwelling in peace under its Messiah
("first that which is natural, then that which is spiritual"), and there is no
difficulty. On the other hand Zechariah 2:4,5 uses very similar language about
Jerusalem in its Kingdom Glory
- The invader is intent on
carrying away "silver and gold, cattle and goods- a great spoil" (38: 13). But
with Israel as it is today, what nation would risk an international
conflagration for the sake of appropriating little Israel's dubious wealth?
Those enthusiasts intent on making this prophecy pre-Messianic skate round the
difficulty here by turning "spoil" into OIL- a most un- Biblical
conclusion, for, the gross misapplication of Deuteronomy 33: 24 notwithstanding,
only the tiniest trickle of oil has ever been found in Israel. Israel is the
only Middle East country without oil. Of course, for did not God burn up all the
oil of that Land when He destroyed the cities of the
plain?
- Some readers will also appreciate this point. The
only other Gog-Magog prophecy is in Revelation 20: 8. Normally these two
Scriptures - Ez. 38; Rev. 20 -would be used to interpret each other, according
to the well established method of Bible study. In "The Last Days" ch.13 and in "
Revelation - a Biblical Approach" ch. 38, identification of these two passages
has been argued for, and difficulties cleared, thus leaving the way to refer
Ezekiel 38 to an international rebellion against Messiah in the early days
of his reign, for certainly Revelation 20 describes what happens after
Messiah's coming.
- It can now be readily perceived that
Ezekiel 38 is a parallel prophecy to Psalm 2: "The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against
His Anointed... Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion" (2,6). The
experience of David after his capture of Jerusalem (2 Sam. 8) makes an
impressive prototype.
Over against this accumulation of details all
pointing to the same conclusion there is (so it is believed) only one passage
which might be read as pointing to the alternative
conclusion:
"After that they have borne their shame. . . when
they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid" (Ez. 39:
26).
These words have been read as meaning that the
deliverance of Israel comes before their repentance, and before their Messiah
appears.
However, this turns out to be a very unsure prop
for such an interpretation:
- There is a double textual doubt about the reading of the
Hebrew word translated "bear". Tanakh 1985 J.P.S. has a special footnote at this
verse, reading ´´bear", or “forget”.
(Technicalities omitted here for simplicity's
sake).
- There is an elided consonant, which may be
supplied in more than one way, leading possibly to a different double meaning
Hebrew word.
- The A.V. reading is inexact
here.
- Thus an equally possible reading could be: "and
they shall forget their shame. . ." - a very different idea from what has just
been mentioned.
- "When they dwelt safely. . ." is, more
exactly: "in their dwelling safely". What has been advanced earlier about this
phrase also needs to be borne in mind
here.
This 39: 26 AV reading is surely too precarious
to lean on, especially when contrasted with the contrary evidence already set
out.
Thus the overwhelming evidence is that this
prophecy will be fulfilled after the coming of the Lord and not before
it.
