How are God’s people doing?
For this it is time to turn to Ezekiel 38 and lift a few verses from its pages. In that chapter and the 39th some parallels can be drawn with Revelation 20. Again skip over in your mind the pieces of this passage which speak to the army coming. Concentrate on the way of life around Jerusalem.
8 After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. 9 You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.
10 “Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11 and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,’ 12 to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. (Ezekiel 38:8-12–ESV)
What do we see?
- Land restored from war (verse 8)
- People gathered (verses 8, 12)
- Land no longer a waste (verse 8)
- People dwelling securely (verse 8)
- Unwalled villages (verse 11)
- Waste places inhabited (verse 11)
- Quiet people (verse 11)
- Dwell securely (verse 11)
- Have livestock, goods,
- Dwell in the middle of the earth (verse 12)
Do you see what has happened with those who follow the Lord? It worked. Life, as people need it, is painted here. Don’t we all want life with peace and safety, food and shelter? In the world as God offers it, without Satan to smash his deceit into it life proceeds with great perfection. They don’t even need walls or weapons. They are not a warring people, but people keeping to their tasks and living well.
This works now too. God’s way always works. Is faith required? Yes. Absolutely. Shortly, even, we are going to see that this people is not really safe without God. But God will orchestrate some amazing things to wrap up his world. Will it be scary for them. It seems like it should be.
Lane Ulrich says
After I wrote this and was tooling around on the news I came across this page: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/mike-pence-s-holocaust-day-message-sparks-jewish-outrage-1.5768602
The author, Allison Sommer, pointed out that much of the language used by Mr. Pence was had legitimate Jewish roots. I found myself intrigued by this article for two reasons. First, my curiosity was piqued by the author not making the tweets a platform for a similar rant. It seemed to be a legitimate look at what was actually going on. It was not merely reactionary journalism. Second, the tweets grounded me, again, in the nature of interpersonal conflict. The people Satan brings against Israel in the future will be of similar vehemence. That vehemence exists in many quarters today even though my day-to-day experience is somewhat isolated from it.