Presents
Pamphlet #6308
The Lord GOD will open the mouths of His servants and He will speak through them.
The Lord GOD will open the mouths of His servants and He will speak through them.
Let's continue with, and finish, the incredible 29th chapter of the Book of EZEK-I-EL and continue to be strengthened by the scroll.
If you have a Companion Bible, on page 1105 you will find a chronological chart of the dates given in Ezekiel and a lengthy note explaining that this 27th year has no obvious connection to the 30th year given Ezekiel 1:1. There is also no hint given as to what the 30th year in Ezekiel 1:1 is reckoned from, yet it begins the very book of strengthening (EZEK-I-EL means "God is my strength"). However, here are some observations concerning the numeric significance of the numbers 30 and 27:Ezekiel 29:17
And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
"THIRTY, being 3 x 10, denotes in a higher degree the perfection of Divine order, as marking the right moment. Christ was thirty years of age at the commencement of His ministry, Luke 3:23." ("Number in Scripture", E.W. Bullinger, pg. 265)The Book of Ezekiel was written for the "right moment" in the Divine order of His Plan. It was written to the "watchmen" of this final generation, to those who possess a "higher degree" of knowledge and understanding of His Word, to those servants of His who have "eaten the scroll and digested it in their bowels" (chpt. 3:1-3).
The number 27 is 3 x 3, or 3 cubed, and is the number denoting the " preaching of the gospel". (See "Number in Scripture", by E.W. Bullinger, pg. 265, and "Biblical Mathematics", by Ed Vallowe, pg. 150). We will find that in the last verse (vs. 21) of this chapter that the LORD says "in that day" He will "give you the opening of the mouth in the midst of them". The meaning of both these numbers will then become apparent to those with eyes to see.
To understand what is happening here, one must first understand that God raised up and used king Nebuchaddrezzar*, as a type of the king of Babylon to come in this final generation, to execute His judgments against both Israel and the other nations. So, just because Nebuchaddnezzar* fulfilled a negative role doesn't mean he wasn't God's servant. He most surely was, as is documented in Jeremiah 43:10: "And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them." In fact, Nebuchaddnezzar will eventually be converted and even write a chapter in God's Word, which is the beautiful prayer in chapter 4 of Daniel. Just so we know and understand, our Father will use whosoever He will in fulfilling His plan.[18]Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
The sayings in verse 18 that "every head was made bald, and every shoulder peeled" simply express the great amount of hard work and effort that Nebuchaddnezzar's soldiers exerted in the 13 years of fighting against Tyrus. Some scholars believe this is a reference to the soldiers carrying baskets of earth and stones for the siege-works and engines [catapults]. Others believe it refers to their wearing helmets and bearing arms so long. Since history shows that the soldiers did both we'll agree with both scholars. (Personally, I believe they got so frustrated they "pulled their hair out". LOL)
Note: Nebuchaddnezzar is sometimes spelled Nebuchaddrezzar with an "r" instead of an "n". However, he is one and the same person. Some names are just like that, aren't they. Kathy's often get mail addressed to Cathy. And then there are those consonant loving folks who have last names like Wzskycxwzcky. They are lucky they even get mail.
Nebuchaddnezzar spent a great amount of time and resources in his 13 years of "service against Tyre", and actually he never completely destroyed her. That would be accomplished by Alexander the Great at a later time. Therefore he never received the full "spoils" that comes from complete military victory. But remember, even though he didn't know it, Nebuchaddnezzar was actually doing service work for God. And when you work for Him, He sees to it that you get paid. That which Nebuchaddnezzar received in compensation from Tyre hardly paid the expenses for his army. No problem, God would see to it that he got paid well for his efforts.[19] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
However, since Regis' "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" wouldn't appear on the scene in time to get Nebuchaddnezzar on the show as a contestant so he could easily win a million bucks (which he would have because "nebo" means "knowledge" which Nebuchadnezzar loved), God wasn't without a plan to pay His servant. Since our Father gave the judgment against Egypt that she would be reduced to a "base" nation for the rest of this flesh age, He simply gave Nebuchaddnezzar the job of "downsizing" Egypt, and in the process gave her multitudes (even of her captives) and her riches and spoils to Nebuchaddnezzar as a performance bonus for pounding Tyrus for 13 years.
This is a prime example of what is called a Win-Win situation. And when you do service for God, you always win.
"Good job, Nebuchaddnezzar. As compensation, here's a nation full of money for you."Ezekiel 29:20
I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.
Remember how many times we have seen and read that history repeats itself? As Paul stated, the physical types and events of the past, happened as "ensamples" for us today upon whom the ends of the earth (age) have come.Ezekiel 29:21
In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
So the king of Babylon will come once again in these last days, as the "destroyer", only this time the devastation and warfare will be spiritual, not of flesh and blood. And at that time, i.e. "in that day", God will cause the horn, which means "a ray (of light)" and is figurative of "power" to bud forth. And that "power" will "bud forth" through the mouths of His Ezekiels, which He Himself will open in the "midst of them (the nations)". Why? Did you have you ask? It is written and we just read it: It is so that "they shall know that He is the LORD"!1 Cor. 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.
You see, Ezekiel was told to go and speak to the house of Israel in the manner of "Thus saith the Lord God", i.e. with the words which God gave to him in the "scroll" which he was to eat and digest. He was sent to his own people, not to people whose language he didn't understand. Here it is from the 3rd chapter. This is God speaking to Ezekiel:
But it is written, i.e. "Thus saith the Lord", that before Jesus Christ returns, and while the king of Babylon (antichrist) is here, all the nations (ethos) of the world are going to hear the gospel from the mouths of God's servants. Jesus Christ said so as He gave the "signs" that would occur before His second advent.Ezekiel 3:4
And He said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.[5] For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;
[6]Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
The Greek word translated "published" is "kerusso" and it actually means "heralded", i.e. "proclaimed", and the word "nations" is "ethnos", which are the ethic peoples, people with languages most "watchmen" don't speak. Got it?Mark 13:10
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
So how are God's servants going to accomplish the task of proclaiming the gospel to the ethnic (gentile) nations of the world? Actually, they aren't. God is going to take care of that Himself, in the manner we just read in Ezekiel 29:21. Let's not lose sight of what is being said to Ezekiel. Here it is again:
The Lord GOD will open the mouths of His servants and He will speak through them. And when the Holy Spirit speaks through His servants, every man, woman, and child from every race, color and creed who hears, will hear what is said in their own native language! That is EXACTLY what happened on Pentecost Day in Acts chapter 2!Ezekiel 29:21
In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
The Holy Spirit opened their mouths and spoke through them (gave them utterance)!Acts 2:2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.[3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Everyone, from every nation, heard God's servants speak to them in their own native language. Wow![5]And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.[6] Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
"Hey", they said, "we know these Galileans aren't scholars with PhD's and can't speak all these different foreign languages. What's going on here? What's shaken, dudes?"[7]And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?[8]And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Did you notice the nation of Egypt is represented here too?[9]Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,[10]Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Were they just "gobbling" unintelligible syllables in unrecognizable languages? NO! They were speaking the wonderful works of God and everyone from every nation (and they are listed) heard those wonderful works being spoken in their own language. There is no interpreter needed when God opens your mouth and does the speaking![11]Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
And you see, Peter stood up and explained that what was happening on that Pentecost Day was just an EXAMPLE of what is going to happen in the LAST DAYS, during the final generation. Jesus Christ gave us more details about this proclaiming of the gospel during that time.
We just learned from Ezekiel that these will be God's "watchmen" who are delivered up and brought before kings and rulers, for His name's sake! So when these watchmen are "in the midst of them", the rulers and kings of nations, what did God say He would do? He would open their mouths with His "power" and speak so that they [the nations] would know that HE is the Lord GOD! Since Ezekiel types don't know any of these foreign languages anyway, they don't even need to bother to premeditate on what they are going to say.Luke 21:12
But before all these [final events are finished], they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.[13]And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
[14] Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:[15] For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
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