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Ezekiel 38 (ESV)
17 “Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? 18 But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger. 19 For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. 23 So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
REFLECTION:
Ezekiel revealed in Chapter 37 how God’s people will return to their homeland from all over the world. This chapter reveals that once Israel becomes strong, the northern alliance will attack it, headed by Gog (see Revelation 20:8). Their purpose is to destroy the people of God. The Gog alliance includes regions from the mountains in the southeast of the Black Sea and the southwest of the Caspian Sea to today’s Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, and perhaps Russia. Gog may be the name of a powerful king in the world at that time, or a symbol of evil in the world. Whether it is symbolic or actual, Gog represents the entire military power against God. No matter what the source of the threat of Gog is, God will step in to protect. No matter when and where this battle takes place, Ezekiel’s message is clear: God wants to save His people, and there is no enemy that can stand before God’s supreme power. God will personally take action to bring severe natural disasters to the invaders from the north. Those pagan countries affected by the disaster will eventually fall into chaos and pain. All those who oppose God are finally destroyed. This is not only an actual war that can be seen on earth, but also a spiritual war in heaven that is invisible. Today’s spiritual warfare does not require us to learn how to fight for the Lord, but to learn how to obey God and see God’s mighty salvation. As Exodus 14:13 says, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.”
PRAYER:
Pray for God to enlighten you and make you understand that even though you are always far away from Him, He has never forsaken you for a moment. God’s grace and power are with you, and you are protected by Him in everything; pray for God to give you faith in everything that will enable you to rely on Him to prevail in spiritual battles.
HYMN:
Hear the Call of the Kingdom – youtu.be/I5e53YiGbLU
