WHAT DOES EZEKIEL 38 and 39 REALLY SAY?
A NEW LOOK AT EZEKIEL 38 and 39!
Part 3 of 4 - Chapter 39by Brig. Gen. Jack Mohr, C.P.D.L.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God; a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15Ezekiel Chapter 39 continued:-
While Almighty God does not balance His books at the end of every year, He has a way of "balancing the scales" and we see His final plan in operation in Ezekiel 39.Let's get on with our study:
Ezekiel 39
Vs 1 - In this verse we see where the prophet Ezekiel is ordered by god to prophecy against the leaders of the Communist world. God's message to them is: "I (God) am against thee, 0 Gog, the chief prince of Mesech (Moscow) and Tubal (Tubolosk.)"Vs 2 - TURN - (7725) - "shuwb" meaning: "cause to retreat; send back; cause to turn."
BACK - (7725) - The same word as TURN.
LEAVE - (8338) - "showshow" meaning: "annhilate."
SIXTH - The same word as LEAVE, meaning 1/6th.
PART - (2677) - "chetsiy" meaning: "the half or middle; two parts."
CAUSE - (4941) - "mishpat" meaning: "a sentence or formal decree."
COME - (5927) - " 'alah" meaning: "ascend up; come up; rise un."
(Notice once again that the direction of this Communist attack is away from Old Palestine, to the North.)NORTH - (6828) - "tsaphan" meaning: "north quarter, a gloomy, unknown place."
PARTS - (3411) - "yrekah" meaning: "rear; border; coast."
BRING - (935) - "bow" meaning: "to go or come; to come against; to go to war; to invade."
MOUNTAINS - (2022) - "har" meaning: "hill country; sometimes used figuratively to mean people, tribes, or nations."
So we find verse 2 saying in essence: "And I (God) will cause thee (the Communist alliance) to retreat. And I will annihilate you and leave only one-sixth of your forces alive and will cause thee (Russia) to ascend up from your northern parts, and will bring thee (Russia) upon the tribes (nations) of Israel." (Notice once again that this attack is not towards Old Palestine, but is to the north, over the North Pole into the heartlands of Israel nations, Canada and the United States.)
Vs 3 -
SMITH - (5221) - "nakah" meaning: "to strike severely."
BOW - (7198) - "quesheth" meaning: "a bow for shooting; an archer."
LEFT - (8040) "smo'1" meaning: "the left hand." (Here again we see the absolute necessity of looking up every key word. The English word LEFT is used 17 times in the Book of Ezekiel, but it has 8 different meanings.)
CAUSE - (5414) - "nathan" meaning: "make, strike."
ARROWS - (2671) - "chets" meaning. a piercer; spear; dart; arrow; weapon of war."
FALL - (5307) - "naphal" meaning: "cast; fall away; smite out."
RIGHT - (3225) - "yamiyn" meaning: "the right hand."
(The wording of this verse is interesting, since it speaks of holding the bow in the left hand and the arrows in the right. This was normal for most archers and is the method most soldiers use to hold their weapons, since most men are right handed.)
Verse three could be translated to read: "And I (God) will severely strike your weapons of war from your left hand and will make your missiles fall from your right hand." (Missiles, bullets, grenades, etc.) In clear terminology, God will cause His enemies to become absolutely impotent."
Vs 4 -
FALL - (5307) - "naphal" meaning: "die; perish."
MOUNTAINS - (2022) - "har" meaning. hills; or nations.
RAVENOUS - (5861)-" 'ayit" meaning: "birds of prey."
BIRDS - (6833) - "tsippor" meaning: "fowl."
SORT - (3671) - "kanaph" meaning: "referring to the outer edges of a birds wings: or to the wings of an army."
BEASTS - (2416) - "chay" meaning: "wild beasts."
FIELD - (7704) - "saday" meaning: "country; field."
DEVOURED - (402)-" 'oklah" meaning: "consumed; eaten for food."
So we could translate this verse to read "Thou (Russia) shall fall on the hills of Israel (not necessarily in Old Palestine) thou (Russia) and all thy troops (armies) with thee, and all the nations with thee I (God) will give thee (Russian alliance) unto the fowls of prey unto the wings of my army and to the wild beasts of the field who will devour you for food
Vs 5 -
FALL - (5307) "naphal" meaning: "die; perish."
UPON - (5921) - " 'al" meaning: "upon; among."
OPEN - (6440) - "paneh" meaning. open.
FIELD - (7704) - "saday" meaning: "country."
TRANSLATION: "Thou (Russia) shall perish in the open country: for I (God) have spoken it, saith the Lord."
Vs 6 -
SEND - (7971) - "shalach" meaning: "bring; spread."
FIRE - (784) - " 'esh" meaning: "a burning; fiery; flaming; hot."
MAGOG - (4031) - "Magowg" meaning: "the barbarous northern region" hence Russia.
AMONG - (996) - "beyn" meaning: "within."
DWELL - (3427) - "yashab" meaning: "remain; abide; inhabit."
CARELESSLY - (983) - "betach" meaning: "feeling of security; assurance; confidence."
ISLES - (339) - " 'iy" meaning: "coastlands; islands."
KNOW - (3045) - "yada" meaning: "to recognize; acknowledge; be aware of."
TRANSLATION OF VS 6: "And I (God) will bring a burning on Magog (the barbarous northern people known as Russia), and within those people who live in apathy, without care, in the coastlands, and the islands; and these people shall acknowledge that I (God) am the Lord."
The devastation of God, when it comes, will not only be against the anti-Christs of the Zionist-Communist alliance, but against those people in the world who dwell in apathy, without a care. (I personally believe that many of these will be Israelites. They have heard and rejected the Kingdom message. God says He will "purge out from among Israel the rebels, and them that transgress against Him" (Ezekiel 20:38). That word PURGE (1305) means: "to purify; to cleanse; to purge out." So it could mean that God will whip these apathetic Israelites into shape and purify them. I have felt for many years, that the average American Christian will refuse to listen to God until he has been driven to his knees and had his nose rubbed in the dirt. Or this verse could have an even more solemn meaning and say: "when I (God) come back, I will say to the rebels, 'I never knew you', depart from me!" (Matthew 25:41). These will be forced to acknowledge Jesus as King, before they are banished from the Kingdom forever.
Vs 7 -
HOLY - (6944) - "quadesh" meaning: "hallowed; sacred."
NAME - (8034) - "shem" meaning: "character; honor; authority."
KNOWN - (3045) - "yada" meaning: "recognize; acknowledge; declare; respect."
MIDST - (8432) - "taveh" meaning: "among."
PEOPLE - (5971) - " 'am" meaning: "tribes; nations; troops."
LET - (7503) - "raphah" meaning: "leave; let alone."
POLLUTE - (2490) - "chalal" meaning: "to profane; break one's word; defile; prostitute."
HOLY - (6944) - same as above.
NAME - (8034) - same as above.
MORE - (5750) - " 'od" meaning: "again; at all; any longer."
HEATHEN - (1471) - "goy" meaning: "a foreign nation."
KNOW - (3045) - same as KNOWN above.
LORD - (3068) - "YHOVAH" meaning: "the Self-Existent One; the Creator."
HOLY - (6918) - meaning. sacred."
ONE - (259) - "echod" meaning. "alone; only."
TRANSLATION VS 7: "So I (God) will make my sacred character acknowledged among my (God's) Israel nations; and I (God) will not leave them alone to defile my (God's) sacred name any longer; and the foreign (non-Israel) nations shall recognize me as the Creator, the sacred One alone among Israel."
Notice this verse does not speak about a single nation, such as the Jewish nation now in Palestine. It speaks of the "nations of Israel," those which were promised to Father Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, centuries ago: In Genesis 17:4-6, Abraham, the father of the Israelite people was given a promise by Almighty God, when He said: vs 4: "As for Me (God), behold My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of MANY nations." You might say, "This has reference to the Arab people who are also Abraham's descendants." But God clarifies this, just as He does any other Scripture if you are diligent to search for the truth, when He narrows down these nations in vs 16 and says to Abraham's wife Sarah: "she shall be a mother of nations." Remember, these promises were made to Abraham, 1200 years before there were any people on earth, who were known as Jews. Then to be doubly sure the truth would be known, God gives the same promise to Abraham's grandson Jacob, in Genesis 35:11, when He says: "...a nation, and a company of nations, shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins." This promise has only been fulfilled in the nations of Christendom. It has certainly not been fulfilled in the people we know as Jews. Then in Genesis 48:19 we see Jacob-Israel, as he passes on this promise to the youngest of Joseph's sons, Ephraim: "his younger (Manasseh's) brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a MULTITUDE OF NATIONS."
Vs 8 -
BEHOLD - (2009) - "hinneh" meaning: "lo, see."
COME - (935) - "bow" meaning. "befall; cause to; invade; go to war."
DONE - (6213) - " 'asah" meaning: "accomplished; executed; come to pass."
DAY - (3117) - "youwm" meaning: "age."
SPOKEN - (1696) - "dabar" meaning. "arranged; to speak; talk."
TRANSLATION: "See, I (God) have caused it to come to pass, saith the Lord: this is the age of which I have spoken."
Vs 9 -
THEY - (1992) - "hemmah" meaning: "many; those."
DWELL - (3427) - "yashab" meaning. remain; dwelling; habitation.
CITIES - (5892) - "a'ayar" meaning: "a city; town."
FORTH - (3318) - "yatsa" meaning: "break out; go out; issue out."
SET - (1197) - "boor" meaning: "consume with fire; burn; set on fire."
FIRE - (784)-" 'esh" meaning: "burning; fiery; flaming; hot."
BURN - (5400) - "nasag" meaning: "catch on fire; burn; kindle."
WEAPONS - (5402) - "nesheg" meaning: "offensive arms; arsenal; weapons."
BOTH - (8147) - "shttayin" meaning: "both."
SHIELDS - (4043) - "mginnah" meaning: "small shields; defensive weapons."
BUCKLERS - (6793) - "tsinnah" meaning. "large shields."
BOWS - (7198) - "gesheth" meaning: "bow as an offensive weapon."
HANDSTAVES - (4731) - "magglah" meaning: "rod for offensive striking
SPEARS - (7420) - "ramath" meaning: "lance; javelin, spear."
BURN - (1197) - "boor" meaning: "to consume with fire."
FIRE - (784) - same as above.
SEVEN - (7651) - "shib'ah" meaning. "an indefinite number; by implication a week."
YEARS - (8141) - "shanah" meaning. a whole year."
TRANSLATION: "And many which remain in the cities and towns of Israel shall issue out of those cities and will consume with fire and burn the defensive weapons and the offensive weapons, and they will burn them for seven whole years."
At about this point, the skeptic, or the doubter, may say: "See, the prophet was not talking about some war in the distant future, for we no longer use spears and bow. Our weapons are made of metal which will not burn."
There are several interesting assumptions we can make at this point. One is that the prophet, looking far into the future, could not know about tanks, guns, and artillery, so he described the terrible war which would take place, in terms his readers could understand.
But there is an even more intriguing possibility. This is that he had a vision of that future war and the strange weapons which would be used. He knew these metal weapons would burn.
For a number of years, the Soviets have been experimenting with a new plastic called "ligonite." This is much harder than steel, is almost impenetrable by armor piercing shells and much lighter than steel. This makes it an ideal armor for tank and personnel carriers. The one drawback is that when it catches on fire, it burns with an intensity that is hotter than that of anthracite coal. Could it be possible that our Israel people, issuing forth on the battle field after the enemy has been destroyed, will actually be able to burn these metal weapons? Or could it be that the prophet was referring to them burning the fuel that these war engines contained? You be the judge. Verse 10 will give a further explanation.
Vs 10 -
WOOD - (6086) - " 'ets" meaning: "trees; timber; sticks."
OUT - (4480) - "minney" meaning: "from among; out of."
FIELD - (7704) - "saday" meaning: "countryside; field; ground."
NEITHER - (3808) - "loh" meaning: "never; much less; out of."
FORESTS - (3293) - "Ya'ar" meaning: "thickets; forests; woods."
BURN - (1197) - "a'ar" meaning: "to kindle; consume; cause to burn; set on fire."
WEAPONS - (5402) - "nesheg" meaning: "offensive weapons; arsenal."
FIRE - (784) - " 'esh" meaning. 'fiery flame; burning; hot."
SPOIL - (7997) - "shalal" meaning: "booty; prey."
THOSE - (1992) - "hemmah" meaning: "whomsoever; the same; such as; those."
SPOILED - (7997) - "shalal" meaning: "plundered; make a prey; spoil."
ROB - (962) - "bazez" meaning: "take a prey; spoiled."
ROBBED - (962) - same as above.
TRANSLATION: "So Israel shall take no firewood out of the open fields, nor cut down any wood out of the forests; for Israel shall burn the offensive weapons with a fierce flame; and Israel shall take a prey of those who sought to spoil them, and spoil those that robbed them."
It becomes apparent in this verse that the enemy will retreat in great panic, leaving their weapons of war and supplies behind. Whether Israel will acutally be able to burn these weapons we do not know. Very possibly they will burn the fuel from the mechanized vehicles and use it to warm their homes and cook their food. Anyone who has ever traveled with an armored division in combat or in maneuvers, knows the vast amount of fuel it will consume. Much of this is transported by oil trucks. In this specific war, the enemy will leave enough fuel behind to last the Israel people for seven years. (See verse 9).
Vs 11 -
COME - (1961) - "hayah" meaning: "come to pass; be accomplished; happen."
DAY - (3117) - "yowm" meaning: "space of time."
GOG - (1463) - "Gowg" meaning: "northern nation, in this case Russia."
PLACE - (4725) - "magomah" meaning: "country; place; space."
GRAVES - (6913) - "qibrah" meaning: "burying place."
VALLEY (1516) - "gay" meaning: "a gorge with steep sides."
PASENGERS - (5674) - " 'abar" meaning: "make way; overrun; passage; take away."
EAST - (6926) - "qidmah" meaning: "in front of; eastward; forward part."
SEA - (3220) - "yom" meaning. 'a sea; large body of water (a big sea); sometimes a large river; western."
STOP - (2629) - "chacam" meaning: "to stop the nose; muzzle."
PASSENGERS - (5674)-" 'abar" meaning: "enter; go through."
BURY - (6912) - "gabor" meaning: "to bury."
GOG - (1463) - same as above.
MULTITUDE - (1995) - "hamon" meaning: "crowd; company."
CALL - (7121) - "gara" meaning: "address by name."
VALLEY - (1516) - "gay" meaning: "gorge."
HAMON-GOG - (1996) - "Hamon-Gowg" meaning: "the multitude of the northern country (Russia).
TRANSLATION: "And it shall happen in that space of time, that I (God) will give unto that northern country (Russia) a space there for a burying place in Israel, the gorge of the passage, eastward of the great sea; and it (the smell of decaying bodies) shall muzzle (stop) the noses of those who pass through; and there Israel shall bury Russia and all his company: and Israel shall call it the gorge of the army of the north."
There is no place in Old Palestine that can match this description of the place where Russia shall fall and be buried, (5/6ths of her army vs 2). But east from the Pacific Ocean, in the wilderness of Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, are many deep gorges, where millions of bodies could be buried. I believe this is the "valley of the passengers" which is mentioned here.
Vs 12 -
SEVEN - (7651) - "shi'bah" meaning: "literal number seven."
CLEANSE - (2891) - "taher" meaning: "to purify; decontaminate."
MONTHS - (2320) - "codesh" meaning: "by implication a month of 30 days."
TRANSLATION: "And the house of Israel will take seven months to bury the Communist soldiers that they may decontaminate the land."
Vs 13 -
PEOPLE - (5971) - "am" meaning. congregation, tribes; nations; men."
LAND - (776) - " 'erets" meaning: "country; nations."
BURY - (6912) - "gabar" meaning: "bury."
RENOWN - (8034) - "shen" meaning: "a memorial; an honor."
DAY - (3117) - "yowm" meaning: "time; day; age.
GLORIFIED - (3513) - "kabed" meaning: "receive glory; honored."
LORD - (136) - "Adonay" meaning: "the proper name of God only when capitalized."
TRANSLATION: "yea, every person in the land shall bury the Communists, and it shall be to Israel a time of honor, the day when I (God) shall be honored, saith Adonay, the Lord God."
(I have specifically used the word LORD here, since there are those who teach that this word represents the heathen deity Ba'al and should never be used. In this instance, since it is capitalized, it refers to ADONAY, the Creator, the Self-Existent One. This is true of the word LORD whenever you find it capitalized. It has absolutely nothing to do with Ba'al.)
Vs 14 -
SEVER - (914) - "bodal" meaning: "separate."
CONTINUAL - (8548) - "tamiyd" meaning: "constant; regular; daily."
EMPLOYMENT - (5975) - "amad" meaning: "to be employed; serve."
PASSING - (5674) - " 'abar" meaning: "covering."
BURY - (6912) - "gabar" meaning: "to inter or bury."
PASSENGERS - (5674) - "abar" meaning: "those that cover; wayfaring men."
BURIED - (6912) - meaning: same as above.
THOSE - (1992) - "hemmah" meaning: "those."
REMAIN - (3498) - "yathar" meaning: "are left; preserved; left behind."
FACE - (6440) - "paneh" meaning: "surface; upon."
CLEANSE - (2891) - "taber" meaning: "to purify; decontaminate."
END - (7097) - "getseh" meaning: "end."
SEARCH - (2713) - "chaqar" meaning: "to penetrate; search out; seek."
TRANSLATION: "And they (Israel) shall separate out men for regular employment, whose task will be to cover the land and bury those bodies that were left behind on the surface of the land; for seven months shall these men seek out the dead."
Vs 15 -
PASSENGERS - (5674) - " 'abar" meaning: "pass through; wayfaring man."
PASS - (5674) - same as above.
THROUGH - same as above.
(Notice these three key English words all have the same meaning. Why then did the translators confuse the issue by using different words? These could have been condensed into one phrase which said: "when the wayfaring man passes through the land.")
SEEST - (7200) - "ra'ah" meaning: "lean on; mark; spy; view."
BONE - (6106) - "estem" meaning: "extension of the body; a body; a bone."
SET - (1129) - "banah" meaning: "set up."
(Here is another good example of the necessity of looking up each key word. In Chapter 39 alone, the English word SET has three different Hebrew meanings (1197, 1129 and 5414).
SIGN - (6725) - "tsituwm" meaning: "a guiding pillar or post."
BURIERS - (6912) - "gabar" meaning: "burying party."
VALLEY - (1516) - "gay" meaning: "gorge."
HAMON-GOG - (1996) - "Hamown-Gowg" meaning: "the multitude of Gog."
TRANSLATION: "Any wayfaring man (traveler) who passes through the land and sees a body or bone of a man, he shall set up a guiding post by it, until the burying party shall bury it in the gorge where the multitude of Gog (Russia) are buried."
(Note, there were to be no individual graves, but a mass burying in a deep and huge gorge.)Vs 16 -
NAME - (8034) - "shem" meaning: name.
HAMMONAH - (1997) - "Hamownah" meaning: "the multitude of Gowg." (Russia)
CLEANSE - (2891) - "taher" meaning: "purify; decontaminate."
LAND - (776) - " 'erets" meaning. nation."
TRANSLATION: "And also the name of that city shall be Hamonah, the multitude of (Russia). In this way shall Israel purify the land (nation)."
Vs 17 -
LORD - (136) - "Adonay" meaning: "the self-existent One."
SPEAK - (559) - amar meaning: say, command; demand of; speak."
EVERY - (3605) - "kal" meaning: "everyone; all."
FEATHERED - (3671) - "kanaph" meaning: "feathered; flying."
FOWL - (6833) - "tsippor" meaning: "bird."
BEAST - (2416) - "chay" meaning. wild beast."
FIELD - (7704) - "saday" meaning. country."
ASSEMBLE - (6908) - "gabats" meaning: "gather; assemble; come together."
YOURSELVES - (5315) - "nephesh" meaning: "any breathing creature or animal; yourselves."
COME - (935) - "bow" meaning: "to gather."
GATHER - (622) - "acaph" meaning: "to gather for any purpose; gather together."
EVERY - (5437) - "cabab" meaning: "be about on every side; beset; round about."
SACRIFICE - (2077) - "zebach" meaning: "slaughter; offering."
GREAT - (1419) - "gadol" meaning: "high; mighty."
SACRIFICE - (2076) - same as above.
MOUNTAINS - (2022) - "har" meaning: "hills; hill country."
EAT - (398) - " 'akol" meaning: "to eat; consume; feed."
FLESH - (1320) - "basar" meaning: "flesh."
DRINK - (8354) - "shathah" meaning: "drink."
BLOOD - (1818) - "dam" meaning: "blood which when shed causes death, hence life blood."
TRANSLATION: (This verse paints a terrifying picture, completely opposite of that one painted by most of our churches. Here we see God, the Son, in Jesus Christ, rather than the "meek and lowly babe of Bethlehem." Here we see Christ as the Avenger, the Destroyer:) "And Thou (Ezekiel), son of man, thus saith Adonay, the Self-Existent One, command all the feathered birds, and all the wild beasts of the country, to come together, for my slaughter, that I (God) will kill for you, even a mighty slaying on the hills of Israel, that you (the birds and wild beasts) may feed upon flesh and drink life blood of my enemies.
Continue on to Part 4 of 4:- WHAT DOES EZEKIEL 38 and 39 REALLY SAY?