MY GLORY AMONG THE HEATHEN
Ezekiel 39:17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. 18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. 19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. 20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. 21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. 22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward. 23 ¶ And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
The Lord is instructing his prophet that he intends to destroy his relationship with national Israel, by commanding him to call for the fowl and beasts to come eat their dead carcasses. And the Lord Christ also informed them of this in his earthly ministry. Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
But in this proclamation from the Lord to Ezekiel there is an amazing statement. For in verse twenty-one of our text we read, And I will set my glory among the heathen, No more to be just associated with national Israel only, but now to spiritual Israel – the church, which includes both individual Jews and Gentiles. For this includes all kinds of men, from every nation! Again, listen to the Lord Jesus speak of this in his earthly ministry. John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
And compare Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And the Apostle Paul – the apostle to the Gentiles – wrote and preached extensively of this. Consider these passages: Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Then “the Israel of God” is only made up of “new creatures,” or “creations” in Christ Jesus! For only those born again can enter the kingdom! (See John 3:3,5,8)
Romans 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: (That is, not all natural born citizens of national Israel are believers.) 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Therefore it is not just being able to trace one’s lineage back to Abraham that constitutes one as a true Israelite. For Ishmael was also born of Abraham. And he had no part with the spiritual seed. Abraham also had five sons by Keturah. But no one has ever thought them to be of Israel. Genesis 25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
But the line of true Israel (all true believers) is only through Isaac – the child of promise. Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Romans 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And Isaac was brought forth through barren Sarah. For the true Israel of God is only related to faith, not physical lineage! Genesis 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. Hebrews 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
But we must understand that God has never cast off a single true Israelite! But a true Israelite is only one associated with the birth of grace in the heart. Romans 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew…. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
But now let us consider why is it so hard to understand the Old Testament prophets? They have such dark sayings. It is because God dealt with them in the literal, then comes the spiritual by the apostles in the New Testament, who lead us on to the glorious in Christ. (Those are the three stages of revelation; the literal, then the spiritual, and then the glorious.) Therefore it requires an apostle to interpret for us the sayings of the prophets. For one’s faith in Christ is only built up by studying both the prophets and apostles. Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Here is the Apostle Peter writing to us of this situation. 1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Let us consider one such matter. Let us consider Pentecost, and what the Apostle Peter said it was, as described by the Prophet Joel. Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
He specifically stated, “this is that!” Then there can be no doubt that Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophesy! But the sun did not literally go dark! And the moon did not literally turn to blood! Therefore, with Peter expressly declaring that this which was then happening on the day of Pentecost is the complete fulfillment of Joel’s prophesy, we must then understand Joel’s words spiritually! There was a great upheaval in the previous scheme of things. “The prince of the power of the air,” – Satan – was cast out of his spiritual seat by the victory of Christ, obtained by his death on Calvary.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. When the Lamb of God was lifted up on the cross, Satan was defeated and removed from the heavenly places. He was destroyed through the death of Jesus! Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Therefore the atmosphere was cleansed of Satan by the coming of the Holy Spirit to make application of Christ’s provided atonement. For the Lord Jesus finished justification on the cross. John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. And at that time, his perfect life and death brought satisfaction to the Father! Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
And it was in the old realm of the literal that the Holy Spirit revealed to the Prophet Joel what the coming in of the new realm of the spiritual would be like. It would be as if it were a complete overthrow of the natural scheme of things. There would be such an upheaval in the order of things eternal, that it could only be described as if there was a bloody moon and a darkened sun!
It was the church, the Bride of Christ, which John saw descending from heaven. It was then that God, by coming not to just dwell WITH his people, but IN them by the Holy Spirit, that all things were made new! John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
It is a drastic explanation for a most drastic change. And only those given a spiritual mind may be given understanding of them. 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
And that being the case is the reason we have had the serpent open his mouth and flood our world with massive amounts of erroneous religious writings and preachings concerning these end times. Revelation 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Those who are of the earth swallow this up. But let not those spiritual beings, who sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus provide it a place in our thoughts or hearts! We are in the end times! They started at Calvary! 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
We have Peter’s words preached at Pentecost, and listed above, that the sun being darkness and the moon turned to blood would happen before that great and notable day of the Lord come. And then he stated, this is that! This which was occurring at Pentecost IS THAT! But the multitude of our preachers, and the volumes of their writings direct our minds to a yet future day when this shall ‘literally’ occur! But this is the “strong delusion” sent of God to deceive all who receive not the love of the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Pastor Gene Breed
April 25, 2018