Since the beginning of human history, God has demonstrated his power in spectacular ways. Maybe you know the incredible stories from the bible. Noah and the great flood was a global event, changing the world. The destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah with fire from heaven was directly due to the judgment of God. When Moses parted the Red Sea to save the people of Israel from the charging Egyptian armies, God make himself known in spectacular fashion.
God has directly intervened in human history many times. And now, in our day, as God moves toward the conclusion of human history on this earth, he has clearly demonstrated his power again.
This event was not a surprise at all. The book of Ezekiel in the bible tells us the exact story of what we have just witnessed. Ezekiel was a prophet appointed by God and he wrote this book of the bible over 2,500 years ago. Chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel tell the story of a great attempted invasion of Israel by a gigantic invading force of men. We refer to these chapters as bible prophecy, because they had not yet occurred in human history. In these two chapters, we are told that many nations including modern day Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, Sudan, plus many more would attempt to rise up against Israel.
They would be led by a powerful man from a country of the “far North”, who Ezekiel called “Gog”. The prophecy said those armies would be wiped out miraculously by God in supernatural fashion as they attempted to invade Israel. God himself would use plagues, a massive earthquake, huge storms and finally, fire and brimstone to destroy his enemies. Over the centuries many have asked, when will this prophecy be fulfilled?
Blessed are we to have seen the mighty works of God in our day, when his righteousness is so needed!
The detail provided to us by God in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is stunning and correlates exactly with this great event. With 100% certainty we can say: God has intervened in our world.
Why Did God Do This?
What is God’s purpose in this event, which I’ll call the “Ezekiel Event”? He clearly tells us in Ezekiel 38 & 39 multiple times. Here’s an example:
I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ Ezekiel 38:21-23
I’ve highlighted verse 23 to answer the “why” question. Throughout chapters 38 and 39, God gives a similar message multiple times: I am making myself known to the entire world and they will know that I am the Lord.
They Will Know My Name
Since the beginning of human history, God has always been revealing himself to his beloved children, you and me. The bible tells of God’s endless desire to have a relationship with all men and women. He wants us to know, without a doubt, that he loves us and has an eternal plan for us – and he has a plan for us this very day.
In the New Testament of the bible, we know that God came to earth as a man to reveal himself to us. Of course, that man was unique, in that he was fully God and fully man. In the person of Jesus Christ, God has given to us the complete and final revelation of himself. In Jesus, God was again making his name known to the world. Today, billions of people know and follow Jesus as Lord.
In the book of Hebrews from the bible, the author inspired by God, says this about the revealing of Jesus:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:1-3
Notice that Jesus is “appointed heir of all things” and was the one “through whom also he made the universe”. He is the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being”. Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus is Lord.
Time and time again, God has desired that his creation, mankind, know who he is. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God to us, so that we might have a life with him now, and for all eternity.
What Does This Mean for Me?
Throughout history, God has sought out his people through many means in order to restore them to a right relationship with him. Why do we need him? God clearly tells us in the bible that all men are sinful. Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Psalm 53:3 says this “all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
No one is sinless and none can approach his Glory. God, as the Holy One, does not allow sinful men and women in his presence. That statement literally means we cannot enter into a relationship with him, either now or in eternity. God also says this about our sin, “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23 The result of sin is always the eternal death of the sinner.
But we have the answer for sin! God, in his amazing love for us provided the solution. Not only was Jesus the full revelation of God to us, he was the final sacrifice for sin – yours and mine. Romans 5:8 says this “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus does not care about the depth or breadth of our sin – he can and will forgive it all. Personally, I am still amazed that a Holy God would leave heaven, become a man and sacrifice himself for me. God himself paid the price of death that sin requires. All so that you and I could enjoy his presence both now and forever. Our God is a loving and awesome God.
We Must Respond
In your heart of hearts, please answer this question: If you died today, are you absolutely certain you will go to heaven? I was asked this question by a Pastor named Brian Johnson when I was 19 years old. I did not have an answer.
Then he showed me what God says about sin in the bible. Pastor Johnson then asked me my thoughts on my own sin. In other words, would I admit, before God, that I was a sinner?
That answer I did know. I was not perfect, and I knew I was a sinner by God’s standards. Then he told me about Jesus and what I must do to accept the free gift of eternal life. Here’s what I did:
I admitted that my nature was sinful and was separating me from God. I asked Jesus to forgive all my sins, past, present and future, because as Lord, only he can forgive my sins. I asked him to now be Lord of my life and to guide me in his perfect wisdom. That day, Jesus became my Savior and my Lord. My sins were forgiven and my new spiritual life had begun. I was assured of entering God’s presence both today, in this life, and in eternity.
In following Jesus, he asks us to give up our sinful way of thinking and behaving. He asks us “to repent” of our sinful ways. To repent literally means “to change the mind”. We have a new way of thinking as his disciples: the right way, the Godly way! I started learning what it meant to be a follower, or disciple, of Jesus. God has led me, and he will lead you, on an unbelievable and joyous journey for the rest of your life until we meet him face to face in heaven.
What Should We Do Now?
“…all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence.” Ezekiel 38:20
If you accept the fact that this Ezekiel Event was truly God, and you have come to faith in Jesus through this event, then you are now part of the mission. God selected us to understand his plan and his grace at this very point in history. We have been predestined by Him to live in this generation and be ambassadors of his message of hope. We have work to do now, brothers and sisters. The world is frightened by the obvious might of the Living God. So, as we process these mind-blowing events, let’s understand God’s purposes and our responsibilities. We have an incredible message and now we have an incredible mission.
What’s The Message?
An unbelieving and sinful world must turn from their ways and follow the only path to a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus our Lord. The Lord himself is personally delivering a worldwide evangelistic message which leaves no doubt about who he is. His name is Jesus and he is calling the whole world to himself.
John 3:17-18: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
What’s The Mission?
God is calling everyone, everywhere into action to share the truth about him. Jesus asks us to be his representatives, because he has entrusted this message to us. Here’s what Jesus says of us, his disciples in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Please understand how critical your life purpose is from this moment forward. We all must work together to share the message of eternal hope found only in Jesus. Your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors must all hear this message of hope.
God will bless you in amazing ways for your obedience to his call. You now know His name!
What’s Next in God’s Plan?
In biblical prophecy, we can see that the Ezekiel Event was a major catalyst for many important future events still to come. God will continue to prove who he is to the world, as he fulfills more and more biblical prophecy in the next few years.
I’ll be writing about the exciting future biblical events to come, so stay tuned for that. I’ll be teaching, preaching, sharing the gospel and making disciples wherever I go. I pray you will join the good fight wherever you are.
What an amazing time to be alive in Jesus!