READINGS ON EZEKIEL (8)
[p. 162] READINGS ON EZEKIEL (8)
Ezekiel 37: 1 - 28; Ezekiel 39: 11 - 16
JT In our previous readings we have been mainly occupied with the judgment of God on Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, and then on certain nations in proximity to Israel; that is, we have traced a judicial course of dealings from God. At our last reading we touched on chapter 36, in which is begun what may be termed the constructive work of God in the book. It is God’s way, in His dealings, whether with nations or individuals, to first pull down and then to build up. The book from chapter 36 onward mainly presents the constructive work of God, with a view to the final settlement of His people Israel in their own land, and the procurement of His dwelling place, or sanctuary, amongst them. Chapter 36, as we have seen, speaks of cleansing, and of God’s proposal to give His people a new heart and a new spirit, and to give them His own Spirit, speaking of new birth. Chapter 37 continues on constructive lines and deals with resurrection; then the judgment of God in chapters 38 and 39; and following on that, the subject of the house, which will engage us at our next reading. What we have observed in regard to chapter 36 should be kept in mind as we consider chapter 37; particularly the thought of cleansing: “And I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols will I cleanse you” (Ezekiel 36: 24, 25). New birth carries with it not only the thought of “spirit”, but cleansing.
WR John 3: 5 says: “Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”.
JT It was no doubt chapter 36 to which the Lord alluded when He spoke to Nicodemus about new birth; being born not only of the Spirit, but of water. Chapter 37 is more than new birth, but developing from it; it is life in a complete sense, of which new birth is the initial thought. First we have the figure of the bones, which came together and were covered with sinews, flesh and skin and then breathed upon, made to live and to stand upon their feet. So that these chapters are clearly constructive with a view to God having His people in resurrection in a national sense, in their own land, that He might dwell amongst them, as He says at the end of chapter 37. “I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever. And my tabernacle shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the nations shall know that I Jehovah do hallow Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever” (Ezekiel 37: 26 - 28).
WB-w Would the expressions “new heart” and ‘’new spirit’’ refer to new birth?
JT I think that the Lord, in speaking to Nicodemus, alluded to this — first the cleansing, as seen in the water, and then the positive element; that is, a new heart and a new spirit. It is in principle a change of man.
ANW It does not quite say that they shall live, in chapter 36. I notice you spoke of new birth, with a view to life.
JT Yes; whilst the cleansing can only be by the death of Christ, it is not the whole feature of redemption. The blood, which is not mentioned, is also necessary. We need the blood for completing the thought of redemption, and then the thought of life comes in in chapter 37. Life contemplates the whole person; the whole man. Chapter 36 lays the basis for the new man — “a new heart” and “a new spirit” in the cleansing,
[p. 164] but there is more than that; there is the idea of bone coming to bone.
CAM The thought is not complete until we get the body. Resurrection includes the body.
JT It does in chapter 37. That is what is in mind in the figure used, Of course it goes on to the whole house of Israel, but there is the idea of the body in bone coming to bone and the other details given. Life is primarily in view. It says, “And he said unto me, Son of man, Shall these bones live? And I said, Lord Jehovah, thou knowest. And he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, Ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live” (Ezekiel 37: 3 - 5). Life does not actually take place until bone comes to bone with sinews and flesh and skin. Then the life comes, for it says in verse 8: “And I looked, and behold, sinews and flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them” Ezekiel 37: 8. There is the whole body, with its constituent parts, and Jehovah’s word that they should live, but as yet there is no life; “there was no breath in them”. That is the main thought in life here.
FHC Why is there no mention of blood in relation to the body in verses 5 and 6?
JT From another point of view, the blood is life, but that is not mentioned here; it is rather the thought of breath. Of course, in the life that we shall have in resurrection, there will be no blood. The humanity which God has in mind as answering to His purpose, is not blood and flesh, but that which Christ has now. He said: “Handle me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as ye see me having”, Luke 24: 39. Our eternal condition will be like Christ’s — not flesh and blood, but flesh and bones; a new condition altogether, and the Spirit, as given, agrees with that. It says here, “there was no breath in them”, which, according to [p. 165] the footnote to verse 5, would be “spirit”; it is not said that there was no blood in them. The Spirit carries the idea of eternal life, so the Lord breathed into His disciples the breath of life (John 20: 22).
FHL John 5 speaks of resurrection and quickening. Is that suggested here?
JT I think so. Christ quickens and raises. “The Father raises the dead and quickens them, thus the Son also quickens whom he will”. John 5: 21.
AR Will you say something more about the thought of prophesying over the bones? They are affected by prophecy, and then Ezekiel also prophesies to the wind. It is a rare thought.
JT We have to view the whole scene as symbolic, but still we get the main thought of life, what is in the mind of God, whether for His earthly people or His heavenly people.
It is said in verse 1: “The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and Jehovah carried me out in the Spirit, and set me down in the midst of a valley” Ezekiel 37: 1. That is the first thing to notice — it is “in the midst of a valley”. If we are to get a true idea of anything, God will put us into the circumstances surrounding it. We may talk about death and resurrection in a mere academic way and never touch the thing itself in our souls; so that the prophet is taken by God, as he says, “and set ... down in the midst of a valley”. It is necessary to get into the circumstances in which the thing to be understood is set out or displayed. This was a valley “full of bones”. Verse 2 says, “And he caused me to pass by them round about; and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and behold, they were very dry” Ezekiel 37: 2; that is, one is to get the full view of what is to be dealt with; whether it be himself or others, and to see how God operates. I do not speak in a theoretical way when I get this view; I see, in a practical way, how the matter stands. It is a figure, and suggests the place of death, by the condition of these bones; and the question is,
“Shall these bones live?” Ezekiel 37: 3. Jehovah does not tell the prophet they are dry bones. He sees that they are dry. As brought into the circumstances, I name the thing as it is. That is where I think we ought to begin: to name what we see from the position in which God places us. He has placed us where we can see the thing as it is.
RWS Is there a certain urgency about it? It is not the word of Jehovah, but the hand of Jehovah upon him.
JT Just so; God seems to be taking on this service Himself, so that His servant should get a full intelligent view of the matter, and so He allows him to name what he sees. He says, “And behold, there were very many in the open valley; and behold, they were very dry” (Ezekiel 37: 2). He is able to examine them and name the condition. There is to be another condition, but it is well to name the condition that exists.
CHH That is what Nehemiah saw when he went out by the valley gate (Nehemiah 2:13).
JT That is a good passage to bring forward here. He came to Jerusalem, and he remained there three days; indicating that he had a composed state of mind in view of what he had to do. God would bring us round carefully to a right view of things that our minds might be restful; and we are brought into the circumstances with which we have to do. Nehemiah had been three days in Jerusalem, and then he went out by night to make a survey of the conditions. He tells us in detail what he did. So it is like the circumstances in our scripture. God would place us in the circumstances that enter into the subject on hand, and would let us look around and name what we see. Are we able to do it, or are we merely dealing with things theoretically? If it be only this, we shall never arrive at the spiritual thought.
JHE Was that the trouble with the Sadducees? The Lord says, “Ye err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God”, Matthew 22: 29. “God is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22: 32).
JT That is what comes out in the gospels in a general way. The Lord was constantly speaking about current conditions in Israel, and anyone who sought to get a right view would listen to Him. So His disciples, as with Him, got a right view of things, as did Elisha by being with Elijah in the different points which he visited before he was taken up to heaven.
Rem Nicodemus knew the Scriptures theoretically, but not concretely.
JT I am sure that is right. He was a sincere man, but had not a right judgment of things; hence, the Lord has to put it to him: “Thou art the teacher of Israel and knowest not these things!” John 3: 10. He had never been in the valley to see how dry the bones were. At God’s direction Ezekiel goes into the valley. He takes him there, and then, “he caused me to pass by them round about”, and then, without God saying anything to him, he says, “and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and behold, they were very dry” (Ezekiel 37: 2). He could name the condition. And that is what marked the Lord here below. He was in the midst of the condition and named it. The gospels are largely taken up with telling us how He named things; and then He changed the condition by dying.
WR Is not Jeremiah’s career at the outset marked by this insight? He says in chapter 1: “And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree. And Jehovah said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watchful over my word to perform it. And the word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething-pot, and its face is from the north” (Jeremiah 1: 11 - 13).
JT That is good. You get it constantly in Scripture, and more particularly in the Lord’s ministry, because everything was then under review. The Lord came into the position. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1: 14); He was not at a distance, but amongst the people, and saw things just as they were and named them. The great burden was to bring the true state of everything into evidence; to name it, and then to deal with it sacrificially. The Lord did that.
Ques Is this prophecy to be considered in two sections, the first of which relates to bringing the dry bones together?
JT Yes. It runs on to the end of verse 14, and then we have another part relative to unity.
AFM This chapter refers to breath and to wind. Are the thoughts combined?
JT In the original here the word is the same for breath and wind. The word is, first of all, “Shall these bones live?” Ezekiel said, “Lord Jehovah, thou knowest”. And then, “Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, Ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live” (Ezekiel 37: 3 - 5). The proper name of wind when it is operating in the lungs, is breath. We have to notice here that it is not simply prophesying about the bones now, but to them. The ministry is to them; so that they are symbolic of a condition amongst God’s people. The bones are really God’s people, and the figure used indicates a condition in them under certain circumstances; hence, the prophecy is not about them, but to them, as I said. So he says, “and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a rustling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews and flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them” (Ezekiel 37: 7, 8). It is now a matter of “breath”, the word covering life in us by wind or air, which operates in the lungs. Although there was actual formation, there was no breath; and as has been remarked, blood [p. 169] is not mentioned. It is not the state of man in blood and flesh that is in mind; it is in principle the state contemplated in the Lord’s breathing into His disciples. As applied at the present time, that is what is in mind. And then he is told to prophesy unto the wind: “Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O breath” (Ezekiel 37: 9). It is the wind, active in the lungs, that God has in mind; that is, life in the sense of spirit. The Spirit is life.
EEH How would you differentiate between the life that we get in Genesis, and the breath we are speaking of here?
JT It is the same idea. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils. He must have used the ordinary atmosphere; but then, think of God doing that. We can only accept the fact that God did it; that He breathed into his nostrils and Adam became a living soul by that procedure.
RWS Would you say something more about these bones: they are made much of in this scripture.
JT They are figurative of Israel, of course; “these bones are the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37: 11). They are symbolic of the state of Israel; a dry condition amongst the people of God; but then, applying the thought to an individual, it is a question of arriving at his individuality. The epistle to the Romans teaches us how one arrives at his individuality; that is, “I myself” Romans 7:25. The whole man is there before you get the idea of life in him. The writer arrived at the whole thought — “I myself” — in the end of chapter 7; and then in chapter 8, there is a state of life; life developed in him.
CAM In John 3 we have the thought of wind; in John 4 the idea of water, and if I understand rightly, what is before us now is the idea of the wind in the upper part of the body — the lungs.
JT The lower affections are in view in the water, as a figure of the Spirit, in chapter 4, but in the upper,
[p. 170] the wind or breath represents the Spirit; only John 3 does not say the believer gets the Spirit, it is rather the effect of the operation of the Spirit in him. “Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God”, John 3: 3.
CAM You were referring to John 20, to the Lord breathing into His disciples; but does it not seem that there is a sort of intimation in chapter 3 as to what was coming finally?
JT There is; “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” John 3: 6. That is the principle of the believer’s being. The water does not produce what is positive. It does not say, Whatever is born of water is water. There is no positive thing produced by water; it is negative, as you might say. The Spirit brings in what is positive; new birth by the Spirit is a positive thing. It is spirit, the passage says; not Holy Spirit, but rather what corresponds to what we have in Ezekiel 36: 26. “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you”. In addition to that, redemption makes way for the reception of God’s Holy Spirit; so chapter 36 also says, “And I will put my Spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36: 27). That contemplates redemption.
ANW When the Lord speaks of the wind blowing where it will, has He not the sovereignty of the Spirit in mind?
JT Yes; the wind is a symbol of the Spirit; indeed, it is the same word. The wind blowing is the inscrutable working of the Spirit in man; “The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes”, John 3: 8. That is very much like what we get in Ezekiel 37, only it does not imply the Spirit given to the believer: “Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live” (Ezekiel 37: 9). The winds are prophesied to. So that it is undoubtedly [p. 171] the divine operation that is in view. But chapter 37 is more than new birth. It is that the Spirit of God is within them, symbolised in the winds.
ABP Would you say new birth disregards past history, whereas resurrection embraces it?
JT Well, it deals with a condition of past history, the condition of the dryness of the bones, and they are going to be changed. Bone is coming to bone, and sinews and flesh and skin coming on, so that you have a body in result. Past history is really obliterated. The identity, of course, goes through, but as regards past history it is, in principle at least, obliterated, because it runs into this: “Behold all things have become new: and all things are of ... God”, 2 Corinthians 5: 17,18.
The inner organs are not mentioned here. It is just the general idea of a body — a person. We do not get the inwards at all — the lungs and reins which operate automatically inside — but they are assumed to be there; otherwise the wind would not become breath. It is in the lungs that the wind becomes breath.
JTJr Would you connect 1 Corinthians 15 with this subject? It tells us that the body is sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body.
JT That chapter treats of the resurrection of believers in a literal, physical sense; what is before us now, as already said, is the resurrection of Israel in a collective or national sense. The application of this passage today therefore can only be in a moral and spiritual sense; it may be used profitably in relation to christians in whom there is little or no life or spiritual freshness. Help may come in through prophecy. That could not refer to literal death and resurrection. The Lord does not prophesy to those in their graves. They hear His voice and come forth. The use of prophecy here would show that these dry bones are symbolic of a condition among God’s earthly people, and, as intimated, amongst ourselves at [p. 172] times.
AR I was wondering if we could say that prophecy amongst us today brings about a condition of life and freshness. Our prophetic meetings have this view.
JT Yes. We may find gatherings which are “dry”, like this symbol suggests. You come to a given place, look around at the brethren, and you may be obliged to say, There is a very barren state of things here; although there is the breaking of bread, the condition is not right. What this chapter presents would cover circumstances of that kind.
Rem The woman in John 4 seems to be an apt illustration of what you are saying. She perceived that Christ was a prophet, and life began to come into evidence as the result of the searching words He used to get at her condition.
JT Yes. But primarily this is “the whole house of Israel”. It is not literal death that is in mind. It is symbolical of their actual national condition; and as we were saying, we might find that state among brethren in many localities, and what is needed is prophetic ministry.
Ques Would the condition at Corinth be similar in a sense — the apostle Paul being one who looked around?
JT Yes; he discerned what was there, and stressed the necessity for prophecy.
FHC Is there a parallel thought between what comes out here and Acts 2: 2, where we get the “violent impetuous blowing”? It is explained: “this is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel”, Acts 2:16.
JT Yes; that was the gift of the Spirit; the Spirit from heaven, for testimony here. It brought about living conditions amongst the saints, too. This is strikingly a symbol of dry conditions among the people of God.
FSC Should a prophet understand the condition in a locality before [p. 173] he prophesies?
JT Yes. We were remarking about Nehemiah. He stayed in Jerusalem three days before he did anything, and then he went out by night and viewed the walls of Jerusalem. We should notice how God brings a servant into accord with His mind in placing him in the conditions that have to be dealt with, and then He indicates what He is going to do. He questions him as to whether these bones can live, and the prophet replied, “Thou knowest”; and then Jehovah directed him to prophesy. There was to be prophesying to the bones, and then to the wind. The mind of God appears in the power of prophecy so that the divine results are reached. Ezekiel says, “And I prophesied as he had commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezekiel 37: 10). That is the result. They are acting themselves now. They stand up on their feet, “an exceeding great army”.
Now having reached that point, we shall have to go on to the second half of the chapter which involves unity in the hand of Christ, that all these living persons gravitate towards each other and become one stick in the hand of Christ. That is the next lesson; how God will bring about unity in His earthly people; first, by bringing in a living state of things, and then unity in the hand of Christ.
Ques There is a good deal of service today, and it is increasing, perhaps, but do you not think that if there is to be any result for God, the servants must be in the good of life themselves as Ezekiel was?
JT Exactly; being themselves in a place where they can form a judgment of what they have to deal with. That is what the prophet comes to here. He forms a judgment of what he must deal with, and then he prophesies, and the result is an army standing upon its feet. It does not say that they were told to stand up. They are acting of themselves now. Self-action is a well-known feature of life. They do what they should [p. 174] do. Then the next thing is unity. “And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel, his companions. And take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions. And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thy hand” (Ezekiel 37: 15 - 17). If you get the saints living, there will be self-action; it is expressed in the operation of the Spirit as living water, according to John 4, and as this exists there will be unity in the hand of Christ. Thus He can use us as in assembly.
JHE So the one who ministers, as remarked, must be in the good of the thing. Ezekiel and Nehemiah are examples.
JT Yes. The result — unity — is reached, as indicated in the two sticks becoming one, and then there is a place for the sanctuary; that is the order in which the truth operates. The prophet first forms a judgment, he prophesies, and then he has two sticks denoting all Israel, and they are one in his hand. God uses them in unity, and then we get David as their king (verse 24). We have already had it before us that Christ is to reign as David, but then He is to be known in the last days of the assembly’s history as David, too, which no doubt alludes to the sanctuary — the service of God — which is going on now; for the Davidic character of Christ’s ministry at the end of the dispensation is clearly going on now. “These things saith the holy, the true; he that has the key of David, he who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open”, Revelation 3: 7. So the unity here is marked by “David my servant”. He is seen as king, and shepherd, and prince. We have already noticed this in chapter 34, but now Christ is seen typically, in a living state of things as “David my servant”; and He is King, and Shepherd, and Prince in this chapter as in chapter 34; hence the sanctuary is brought in. So the end of the chapter says, “And I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever. And my tabernacle shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the nations shall know that I Jehovah do hallow Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever” (Ezekiel 37: 26 - 28). I think what we have outlined is the teaching of this chapter. I believe it corresponds to what is going on at the present time. We shall have David ruling in Israel presently in a military way, but He is now operating in the assembly in relation to the service of God, which is the great feature of David.
AFM Would that bring in the body according to 1 Corinthians? What is the difference between a stick and a rod? There are rods brought to Aaron earlier in the history of Israel; here it is a stick — one stick.
JT “Stick” is more ordinary than the rod or staff used by Moses and Aaron. “Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel, his companions. And take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph” (Ezekiel 37: 16). It is material, wood, that can be written on, but it is in the hand as a stick. It is here symbolic of what, as in his hand, may be used for the expression of his will or thought. I believe the point to all this is being in the hand of Christ, in unity, for the service that He has in mind at any time.
Rem The prophetic word comes first, and then the functioning of the assembly, in the latter part of the chapter.
JT I think we see from the passage that life takes place — there is self-action — they stand up on their feet. They are in liberty, we may say. Sonship, as applied, would enter into this in a practical way. And now we are in the hand of a Person who uses us for His own will or pleasure. That is the idea of the sticks, I think; they represent both houses of Israel. They are both in one hand; no more in a divided condition, but at the will of another. And then the sanctuary is [p. 176] mentioned. It is very beautiful to see the function of David here. He is called “my servant”, and he is king, and shepherd, and prince. As prince, I think personality is in mind, so that God might be known and have a sanctuary, and the nations should know that He hallows Israel. All this is in mind in God’s disciplinary ways with His people.
FSC Would you tell us the difference between the everlasting covenant here, and the new covenant in Jeremiah 31?
JT The new covenant is with the house of Israel and Judah and would enter into this. The thought of newness is stressed there, the first being made old and abrogated: in the new covenant God began afresh with His people. The everlasting covenant implies permanency: it goes right through.
FSC Is Hebrews 13 the same thought?
JT That is right; the word “everlasting” would be that it goes through; it is not temporary. It marked God’s covenants with Noah, Abraham, David, and (involving the new covenant) Israel. A covenant thus presented depends wholly on God Himself.
ABP Does the word, “Let everything that hath breath praise Jah”, Psalm 150: 6, suggest unity and self-action?
JT Yes; the service of God requires persons in life and liberty. We are made to live in sonship. And, as seen here, we are in the hand of Christ. That is what you get in the second part of the chapter, where, as said, we have David the king, David the shepherd, and David the prince. So we have a sanctuary in full testimony to God (verse 28).
ANW Would you say a word about the element of inquiry suggested in verse 18? “And when the children of my people speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not declare unto us what thou meanest by these?” Ezekiel 37: 18. Would you think that in reaching the high level of [p. 177] which we have been speaking, there was that incitement of inquiry, even before the prophetic word is given?
JT Quite so; the idea of inquiry runs right through. It indicates intelligence — that we are thoughtful — that we are not inert. Even the prophet here is inquired of by Jehovah, “Shall these bones live?” Thus He brings us into what He is unfolding, and normally the believer wants to know. It is a mark of intelligence when in this respect there is inquiry.
WB-w The prophet is called upon here to join them one to another. How does that work out today? Does the prophetic ministry come in to join one to another?
JT “Join them one to another into one stick” would be the Lord’s action. It is the prophet, as a type; but he merges into the idea of Christ in David. The Lord is constantly seeking to bring us into unity.
WB-w Is it not through the prophetic ministry that it is being worked out?
JT Where the prophetic ministry is introduced, at the end of 1 Corinthians 12 we have, “But desire earnestly the greater gifts, and yet show I unto you a way of more surpassing excellence” (1 Corinthians 12: 31); that is, before you have the effect of the gift of prophecy, you must have love. So that the way of “surpassing excellence” is the working out of love in chapter 13, and that has in mind the making of one stick, as seen here. How can we be joined one to another and made one, save as we love one another? We are of the same material; there is cohesion amongst us when love is operative and no foreign element is allowed place.
WB-w This would be in advance of “an exceeding great army”. Joining one to another is the principle of Levi, is it not?
JT Quite so; Levi means “joined”.
JTJr Would that be seen in Peter and John in Acts at the Beautiful gate? The thought of unity is in those two men, and the result of their ministry is really [p. 178] the sanctuary.
JT That brings up another important point: the insertion of the word “assembly” at the end of Acts 2 is disputed, and no doubt rightly. It is probably “the Lord added together”, in verse 47. It is the Lord doing it — adding daily “those that were to be saved”; and then Peter and John going up to the temple said, “Look on us”. It is a beautiful result that they are joined in holy love. There can be no true joining except in love.
Ques If the summit is now reached in this chapter, what is the import of Gog and Magog?
JT Well, that is the next thing to observe. We must first reach the great position of chapter 37, which can only be entered into on the principle of life and unity and the service of God in the sanctuary. Gog is perhaps the most powerful enemy that comes against Israel, according to the description of him, but the point in these chapters is to show that God brings him up against His people to destroy him and to show in him His power on behalf of His people; so that the greatest display of opposition is ordered of God to manifest how much He loves His people. He says, in effect, I brought you up for that purpose. He is behind this great combination under Gog as He was behind the existence of Pharaoh. “And for this very cause have I raised thee up, to shew thee my power”, Exodus 9: 16. The greatest opposition of power against the people of God, as represented in Gog and Magog and Persia, Cush, Phut, Gomer, and the house of Togarmah only becomes the means with God of showing His power, and that He loves His people. That is the lesson in chapters 38 and 39. God says in effect to them, You are going up to the land that had been uninhabited because I had to deal with My people. Now the inhabitants have come back to it, and you think they are defenceless and you are coming up to take a spoil, and I am going to show you what I think of them by what I will do with you. So God destroys this immense army in the land of Israel.
[p. 179] The burial place is in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea, according to the prophecy, and it takes seven months to bury Gog and his multitude, and all in the land are engaged in it. That is remarkable! It is simply a question of burying them; to put them out of sight for ever. In solemn irony (verses 17 - 20), God invites the birds and beasts to His “great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel” to eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth. It is the fierce judgment of God against the enemies of His people. Thus He shows to all that He loves His people. Although He had to discipline them severely, He had brought them back now, and would not allow their enemies to touch them. He rained great hailstones, fire and brimstone upon them, as in the days of Joshua; so there is complete destruction of this the greatest enemy that ever came up against God’s people. “And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord Jehovah: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many peoples that are with him, overflowing rain and great hailstones, fire and brimstone” (Ezekiel 38: 21, 22).
Ques Does it coincide somewhat with the attack upon the beloved city?
JT It is the same enemy. That attack will be a later one; it will be after the millennium, but still it is the same sort of thing. In Revelation 20 the enemies come up on “the breadth of the earth”. It is man generally, in Satan’s domain, but this is a northern enemy.
CAM Fire only is used for their destruction in Revelation 20, which would be a feature of final judgment. I was thinking of the remarks made as to David; especially as relating to the service of God. It seems to give great meaning to what the Lord is doing at the present [p. 180] moment.
JT That is what I thought we might see. There is going on today, the service of Christ as David in relation to the service of God; presently, in Israel, it will be the military prowess of Christ as David. So that this immense invading army is brought on to the very territory of God’s people, but they are utterly destroyed. It seems to be human power combined against the people of God. What can man do? The greatest military effort that he has ever made is seen here, and now they are lying on the ground unburied. Their carcases defile the land, and it takes seven months or more to bury them, so that the land may be cleansed (verse 16). And for seven years fires are made with the weapons of war (verse 9). In all this God pours scorn on modern huge armies and armaments.
Ques Coming from the north would suggest discipline; but of a kind that would bring out favourable conditions in the end, do you think?
JT It is to bring out what God does for His people. He could have prevented this attack, but instead, He brought this immense army up so that He might show His power on behalf of His people in destroying it in their land.
RWS Does this furnish material for praise in the sanctuary?
JT I am sure it does. The Psalms furnish such material as the result of victories granted to God’s people. Psalm 18 is a good example.
AR Do you think that we can count on divine intervention now, to the end of the assembly’s history on earth, in order that the service of song may go on?
JT I think that is the lesson here in chapters 38 and 39; that God will deal with human power, however great, and He signalises His people in doing so, so we need not fear. God can deal effectively with the greatest array of human power against [p. 181] His people.
ANW Does not the light of chapter 37 — the bones becoming an “exceeding great army” — have a direct bearing on this chapter?
JT I think so. The first, the raising; the second, the burial of their enemies.
WGT Burial in this sense is important today as regards assembly judgment. It speaks here of a sign to be put up wherever burial is needed, as if the judgment is to be carried to the end, being divinely required.
JT Quite so; so that discipline amongst us ought to culminate in burial; the removal, in this sense, of what is offensive amongst the people of God. For seven months they will have searched the land, and if they find a bone, they will put a sign on it; that is, if anything is wrong with one, a sign is put on him to show he is a brother that has to be looked after, to see that what is offensive is fully dealt with. That can be brought about by faithful prophetic ministry.
AR Does the last verse of chapter 39 indicate how great the position is? God says, “I will not hide my face any more from them” (Ezekiel 39: 29). The Lord hid Himself from Israel (John 12: 36).
JT In the prophet Isaiah it says He hides His face from the house of Jacob; but He is not doing it at the time contemplated in our chapter. In Isaiah, Messiah says, “And I will wait for Jehovah, who hideth his face from the house of Jacob”, Isaiah 8: 17. Here we have, “And I will not hide my face any more from them, for I shall have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel”, Ezekiel 39: 29.