Just as Daniel’s eyes were opened by the Holy Spirit to recognise that they have come to the end of their seventy-year period of captivity as prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah, so the Holy Spirit is opening our eyes to see that we, also, have come to the end of our captivity as Israel amongst the nations. Let’s have a look at Daniel’s account and Jeremiah’s prophecy as written in Dan. 1:1,2 and Jer. 29:10-14:
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
The Lord is calling us to study Scripture as we are standing in the midst of prophetic fulfilment as prophesied in Ezekiel 1. The vision that Ezekiel saw was that of a stormy wind coming out of the north and a great cloud with brightness around it. Join me in reading the introduction of this vision as written in Ez. 1:4-6:
As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.
As we know from Scripture, the northern nations represent the enemy nations of Israel. There is a vicious attack on western civilisation rooted in Christianity, freedom of religion and speech, and free democracy. The enemy has gained much ground through the ignorance of the majority, however, the Lord is exposing his wicked intentions and schemes that have infiltrated the very core of nations’ fibres. We see the censorship across social-media platforms and how they, together with all the mainstream media channels and publications, spread propaganda and blatant lies, no different to the CCP.
However, the Lord is on the side of the people whom they have tried to control, manipulate, and oppress. He has heard the cry of the nations and He is coming to our rescue. There is an opening up of eyes and ears like never before at this very moment. The spotlight is shining on the enemy and he is standing nakedly exposed. When reading Ezekiel 38 and 39, we see a detailed prophecy about the northern nations under the rulerships of the wicked Gog, joining against Israel. God said that He will turn them about and put hooks into their jaws, bringing them out with all their hordes and weaponry.
We see a correlation between Ezekiel’s vision and this prophecy concerning the northern nations in Ezekiel 38:9,15,16:
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.
You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
We recognise the same message here as what was spoken to Moses at the time of their deliverance. As the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh to show forth His glory amongst the nations, we are seeing hardened hearts and blinded minds in our current times, persistently fighting against Israel (Judeo Christian nations), fulfiling what is written in Ezekiel 38:10-12:
“Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 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,’ 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 centre of the earth.
We see a great storm set against Judeo-Christian nations with America at the forefront. America, with President Trump in the lead, stands as a firewall between every Judeo-Christian nation and socialism, which is directly tied to the Chinese Communist Party and the Deep State. The real war that’s waging is not the war against Trump, as the media would want us to believe, but rather the war of socialism to take over the nations, starting with America.
It is interesting to note that China has celebrated its 70th year anniversary as a communist party in 2019. This is significant as 70 marks the end of the period of captivity where God allows the enemy to oppress His nation, bringing forth a repentant, pure people, able to inherit His blessing.
Now let’s look at the Lord’s response to this great storm from the north as written in Ezekiel 39:1-8:
“And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and drive you forward, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
“And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken.
When reading the vision in Ezekiel 1, we can encourage ourselves by this fact: no storm can withstand the presence and glory of the Lord. During this election time, and beyond, we must pursue the presence of God above all else, for where He dwells, His throne is. Our prayers and praise cause Him to inhabit our atmosphere with brightness, fire, flashes of fire, gleaming metal, which refers to Christ, Himself, in our midst, and His living creatures who worship Him day and night. Revelation 4 describes the throne of God which mirrors the vision of Ezekiel, confirming thus: when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. (Is. 59:19)
Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”