Prophecy today, Ezekiel 34 and where we are now

Free Republic ^ | Aug 13, 2005 | American in Israel

[American in Israel]

Ezekiel 34, 35, 36 are all parallel prophecys, they all happen at the same time. They are a long timeframe, they are the story of the end of this era. But what is most important is that they are not beginning, but have already begun. I will take them quickly because we could write a book about them and there is no room on Free Republic for a book.

As we go over 35 and 36 it wall become more an more apparent that these are parallel fuses to the payload of Ezekiel 37. But for now, bear with me as I explain what I think God is talking about here:

Irresponsible Shepherds

Ezekiel 34:1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.

This is the present and past rulers of Israel, and the shoe fits the present foot of the government of Israel far too well. Instead of the Government welcoming Jews of all flavors home, it only allows the politically correct to come home, those the present rulers do not favor are driven from the land with economic and political persecution. Jews cannot even marry who they wish, unless the religious political arm of the government approves of the "bloodlines" of those who are Jews by birth, faith and heart, they are forced to leave the country to marry whom they wish, and then must battle for the right for their spouse to stay in the land, a battle that is not always successful. Which Rabbi you choose has radical implications on what job you may or may not be allowed to have, your tax status, or even your ability to get a work permit.

The present tax structure in Israel is Horrendous, a 50% tax is the income tax starting rate, with a 17% sales tax on simple store purchases on top. That does not include the Value Added Tax that sometimes is over 100% of the value of the item that is added on at the governments whim. For two examples, a battery operated Makita drill has a 100% VAT, so for a $150 dollar drill, you pay 150 dollars added VAT tax and then 17 percent of the 300 dollar Government price. Total price of a 12volt Makita drill is $351 dollars after taxes. A car is the same tax bracket, so an average car in Israel is over $50,000 after taxes.

Another example is a package I mailed to myself with less than $10 worth of canned food in it. I had to pay $35 dollars taxes for it when I picked it up in Jerusalem. As the canned food did not seem worth charging taxes on, they charged the taxes on the shipping cost instead.

Ezekiel 34:4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.
5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them."

7 'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
8 "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock"—

This is the circumstance of the Jews at the hands of the Government of Israel now. The Arabs can shoot them in the streets and the IDF will not even chase them past the village gates. It is allah, allah, income free for all Arabs who kill Jews if they can reach the nearest village. But if a Jew so much as tosses a rock at a lynch mob, or wears a T-Shirt that says "No Arabs, no Terrorism" the Jew is jailed and persecuted to the highest extent of the law.

Arabs can build anywhere, without building permits or taxes, but Jews so much as change the windows in their house and the tax man not only charges for the building permits but raises taxes to equal the value increase. And a building permit does not mean you have the right to keep what you build, the Government my decide to give the house to the Arab that has been trying to kill you to appease him. As an Arab, you can buy land, but as a Jew you can only lease it for 99 years from the Government! The home you build for your family is on land you are not allowed to own in the first place.

In the house I live in the windows were so rotted out you could not close them. So the next winter the landlord replaced them with new windows. It was great! My energy bill lowered by $50 a month in supplemental heating costs. The tax man demanded the $50 a month in increased taxes, so my rent went up the exact same amount I saved from my electric bill with the net total loss of the cost of the windows. Now as those windows wear down, do you think the taxes will be lowered?

Ezekiel 34:9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!
10 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them."

This government of rulers in Israel has set up a "democracy" that has no representatives of the people. You can vote for a party, but who runs that party is up to the party itself. The party does not have to follow any guidelines put forth in the elections and there are no regional representatives, if you have a land dispute, there is nobody to speak to. Your tax or zoning comes from the blue with nobody to dispute it with but the supreme court. There is nothing but a office with a petty "civil"servant at a desk to speak to, no other recourse if he decides to rule on your case, who most likely is on strike anyway for the eighty eleventh time this year for higher pay, or more vacation time or what ever socialist dream they can come up with.

For an example, it took me five months to get a parking permit on my car, because they decided my lease was expiring in three months and did not count. So I had to pay for parking my own car in front of my own house that I have lived in for two+ years until the next lease time came around. They then decided as the end of the year was coming up in two months I should wait an additional two months as it was too "difficult" to hand me a sticker that was only valid for two months. So I paid another daily parking fee for another two months. Then then handed me a sticker that was valid for a year, but written on it was a clause that canceled it in 6 months as my lease was up. No amount of explaining to them that I have lived here for years and intend to live there next year counted, I had to start the whole process over again and I had a 30 day window to apply for it before I got bit by the lease is too short again bug.

There is only 30 days every six months that I can apply for a simple parking permit to park in front of my house, or pay a dollar an hour for the "Privilege" for the entire year.

God goes on in this prophecy to say He will remove the government that oppresses his people so. This part has not happened yet. So at this point, you can draw in an arrow in your Bible and date it with today's date. The timer clock has ticked to this point.

And I will move onto Ezekiel 35, where the rubber really hits the road a prophecy that is ticking right beside the one we just went over...

[American in Israel]

This seems to have become a marathon writing fest. Time for some good Coffee. I got some remaining Starbucks I brought back in my suitcase, It is time to dig it out and celebrate!

[BlackVeil]

There is only 30 days every six months that I can apply for a simple parking permit to park in front of my house, or pay a dollar an hour for the "Privilege" for the entire year.

It sounds most frustrating. But ... do you really think that when they wrote that book of the Bible, that this was what the Prophecy referred to? Might not it have been something rather more important?

[TomSmedley]

And what, exactly, does this Christ-hating socialist secular entity have to do with the Israel of God, composed of all those who are one body through faithin Christ?

[American in Israel]

Before I even try to answer that slap in the face of the scriptures, I demand you read Romans Chapter 10 and 11.

It is your answer.

[American in Israel]

When the end times come to pass, they will all come at the same time, because after all, there is only one end of this time that is spoken about.

While my parking ticket situation was a illustration of the lack of care of the Shepperd's, I tend to think the fact that the IDF does not protect the Jews from Arab terrorism by wiping out the invading army, but serves them on the plate of Political restraint for the wolves to eat as, frankly, very important. And of course a complete fulfillment of the scriptures.

Remember that this week the entire power of the IDF will not be brought to bear on the terrorists or terrorism, but on displacing Jews from their own land, they bought and paid for years ago.

[American in Israel]

Ping again to continuing series of prophecy and eschatology study articles. This is Ezek 34

[TomSmedley]

OK, I've read Romans 10 and 11 dozens of times in English, 10-15 times in the original koine greek, five or six times in French, once in Afrikaans, twice in Italian, once in Esperanto, and hope to do so in Turkish sometime in the next few months. (the New Testament is an excellent tool for learning a new language.)

I've also read the rest of the Bible, including John's first letter, which defines antichrists rather precisely -- the myth, and those who proclaim it, that you can know the God of the Bible while abhorring/neglecting/ignoring Jesus Christ.

In other words, talmudic/rabbinic judaism. The faith that howled for the crucifiction of God's ambassador in the first century AD (that means Anno Domini, the Year of our Lord) -- and has spent the following two millenia trying to justify that decision.

Or does the Son of God pale to insignificance in your eschatology, next to the political fortunes of a Christ-hating socialist entity?

[American in Israel]

Goes to show you, can bring a horse to water and some will not drink no matter how many streams lay before their feet..
Silly boy, do you not know that the Jews are returned to the land in unbelief, but will be sprinkled by the latter rains and have their heart of stone removed and replace by a heart of flesh. Then the scriptures say they will know their God.

Now how can they return in unbelief if they first do not unbelieve? And how can you stand there still in arrogance, Since you have read Chapter 11 so many times in so many languages, that you have no excuse to not understand the dangers of looking down at your nose at the Jews, when you are but a wild grafted olive branch? Fear, indeed as the Scriptures say to do, that you will not be cut again from that tree and piled on the pile of branches for burning.

Here again is the scripture you are so familiar with, one that you have read in so many languages but never understood, that is the answer to your question. Your question that was never a question but was instead an accusation. For you did not glean an answer, but only reaped further bitterness and enmity towards me.

Romans 11:11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
5 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

16 For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,
18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."
20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, *goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

There, go forth and be ignorant no more!

[Quix]

GREAT WORK AII!

THANKS TONS.

END TIMES DREAMS VISIONS PROPHETIC PING LIST PING.

Please let me know if you want on or off the list.

This is an uncommon number of pings in a short time but worth it, imho.

And, hopefully, later in the day or this evening, I'll get another installment in on the latest quality study affirming the viability of the Bible Codes. I won't ping the list again for those--please watch for them if you are interested.

The link is:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1462113/posts?page=4

[monkeywrench]

"It sounds most frustrating. But ... do you really think that when they wrote that book of the Bible, that this was what the Prophecy referred to? Might not it have been something rather more important?"

God notices the smallest things. Jesus said something like, 'He who can't be trusted in the least things, can't be trusted with greater things.' Biblical principles were violated.

[Marysecretary]

I never knew the government was so oppressing. Thanks for cluing us on on that. We will have to pray for that government! God bless you. Maryxx

[OB1kNOb]

Bttt! For later study.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."

Hence my screen name! Nice series of posts! Please do not stop!

[Quix]

THANKS THANKS.

GREAT STUFF, STILL.

Just wanted to throw this in . . . an encouragement to me and another sign of our times:

SHIITE MUSLIM SEES JESUS!!!

AND IS SHOWN THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE

---

Out of His great love, God is mercifully dealing with the Muslim people in supernatural and irresistible ways, no doubt because they are in such religious and cultural bondage. There have been many documented cases of Jesus personally appearing to Muslims, identifying Himself, and telling them they must believe. For example, He appeared to an entire classroom of Muslim students on the Arabian peninsula, and I have personally met two Iranian girls, now Christian missionaries in their own country, whose mother had this happen to her. Because of these verified instances, I give special credence to and take especially seriously the story below.

Last night I spoke with a former Shiite Muslim from Iran who had this experience. For security purposes, I will call him Mohammed. He was living on the West coast of the United States. One day in 1988, he had a night vision, or dream, and Jesus appeared to him. Evidence of this reality is that the man was miraculously converted to Christ and has been a Spirit-filled Christian ever since.

Just a few months later, Mohammed had another vivid night vision, this time about the pre-tribulation rapture. The Lord actually allowed him to experience the rapture and showed him in what city he would be living in when it happened and who he would be with at the time. (The dramatic reality of the first vision gives credence to the reality of the second.)

In the vision the rapture happened in a certain Midwestern city that I will not name. He was with his Muslim uncle, who was left behind in tears, because the uncle suddenly realized that everything Mohammed had told him was true, and the tribulation was about to start.

Mohammed waited, not understanding how this would all happen. But two years later he surprisingly got a telephone call from this uncle who asked him to move to that same Midwestern city and manage his store! He did, and he is there now in that city where it was shown that he will be raptured.

Mohammed told me last night that in the rapture vision he and his uncle appeared to be the same age as they are right now. Mohammed is very knowledgeable of the Bible and is, in fact, a teacher. For the above and mostly biblical reasons, he believes the rapture is absolutely imminent, although he will not speculate exactly when. He is also saddened that so few pastors are talking and teaching about it, leaving most flocks in the dark.

This is just one more evidence among many that Jesus is coming very, very soon!

[Thinkin' Gal]

Thank you for writing about your personal experiences of living there. Please ping me to your threads.