Centennial Park Baptist Church – Sunday, February 1st, 2009 – 10:30 am

 

DO YOU HAVE AN AXIS TO GRIND?

 

Ezekiel 38: 1-6; 12; 16

1 And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.  4 "I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; 5 Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops--many peoples with you.

 

12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.'

 

16 and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog."

 

“There is a new axis of evil, the members of which are arming to threaten the peace of the world.” George Bush

 

New Axis same as OLD Axis of Ezekiel 38, 39

 

I           THE AXIS OF EVIL PROPHESIED

 

- Ezekiel’s detailed prophecy predicts an invasion of Israel comprised of enormous masses of troops from a coalition of nations led by Russia and Iran. – Why?

 

            * Spoil is OIL

 

* Islamic people believe in a messiah, the TWELFTH IMAM who can appear only during a time of world-wide chaos

 

a.  GOG =  PRINCE of ROSH – vs. 2

 

b. ROSH = RUSSIA - vs. 2 – location is the distant north

 

1809 – “I can’t explain it, but I think the Bible says that Russia will become a power in the world in the ‘last days’.”  Quoted in “The Next Move” – Rob Linsted pg. 33

 

- Did Russia really collapse in the 1990’s?

 

“ Russia is reasserting its military muscle, intensely pursuing global energy markets, coercing neighbouring nations back into the old Soviet orbit.”

 

c. MAGOG – vs. 2 – parts of the old Soviet Union, Afghanistan

 

d. PRINCE OF ROSH – “We Russians are striving to create a fairer world, time has shown our views find support in Arab and other Muslim states.”  Vladimir Putin

 

e. MESHECH AND TUBAL – vs. 2 = TURKEY

 

f. PERSIA – vs. 5 = IRAN - 70,000,000 people

 

            * Focal point of DEFYING- the world

 

            * October 2005 – Ahmadinejad’s World Without Zionism Conference

 

g. ETHIPOIA - vs. 5

 

h. PUT – vs. 5 – LYBIA

 

i. GOMER – vs. 6 – part of Turkey that borders IRAQ

 

j. BETH-TOGAR MAH – vs. 6 = also part of Turkey

 

II          THE AXIS OF EVIL REALIZED

 

Why invade Israel?

 

            * ECONOMIC- oil – vs. 12

 

            * RELIGIOUS - vs. 16 – hatred of God’s Chosen People

 

III        AXIS OF EVIL ANAESTHETIZED  - vs. 17-22

 

What’s the purpose of this MASSIVE ATTACK followed

 

by a MIRACULOUS REPRIEVE?

 

Purpose #1 – RECOGNITION

 

            “ That the nations may know Me.”  -  38: 16

            “ They shall know that I am the Lord.” – 39: 6

 

Purpose # 2 – SALVATION of God’s people

 

Ezekiel 39: 22 -  22"And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward.

 

Ezekiel 39: 29 - 29"I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.

 

Israel’s peace will be rudely shattered by this coalition of nations, the Axis of Evil.  Jesus offers us a peace that is unbreakable –

 John 14:27 - 27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.