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[0:00] We welcome you to the media ministry of Bethel Community Church, Knowing Jesus, Making Jesus Known. Anyway, I'm happy to have you all here this morning.

[0:16] And would you please turn with me to the little book of Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy, and then Titus, before Philemon and Hebrews.

[0:27] So it's a small book, only 46 verses. And my goal this morning is not actually to study the book of Titus, but to highlight it because when I get to a few verses in it, about four verses, that are very meaningful to me this morning, a very personal thing for me, then I think by setting the stage of letting you know what the entire book is about, then it makes whatever the context that I use it in, perhaps the proper use of it.

[0:57] So the little book of Titus. All right, it's a letter written to Titus from Paul when he was in Macedonia about A.D. 66. And Titus is a missionary now over on a little bit of island, not too little, about 100 miles wide, 25 miles deep, called Cyprus.

[1:21] No, that's Cyprus, I'm sorry. Wow. I'll remember it in a few moments.

[1:33] David, what? It's the island of Greece. And we'll get to it here. But anyway, there's probably only about four or five important things to remember about this book, that if somebody was to turn and study this particular book this morning, one would be that he starts out by recognizing that when he had been there before Paul, that these people lack leadership.

[2:03] And so the first thing he's going to bring up in chapter one on the island of Crete is the fact that a group of believers there in perhaps several cities that will be mentioned, because he says, I want you to appoint elders in every city, verse five of chapter one.

[2:24] And we get the idea that in the past 30-some years that the gospel has come to this island, and it has come there because perhaps somebody who was at the evening of the event of Pentecost, 120 people who had the Holy Spirit descend on them, that when they left that maybe one of them was heading for this particular island.

[2:50] And or it could be at the persecution of Stephen by at the hands of Paul and others, that they scattered, and perhaps someone took the gospel to the island of Crete and brought the word of God that back in Jerusalem some years before, there was a man who was taken to a cross and was placed on that cross and died for the sins of the world.

[3:25] And that in three days later, he arose from that grave and ascended 40 days later into heaven. And so we have developed on this island of Crete.

[3:37] We have perhaps a number of fellowship. And it could be fellowship that resulted from some Jewish communities, as we'll see, and perhaps from some Greek Gentile community.

[3:50] So that is what we'll probably see in this particular lesson. So the qualification of elders are spelled out. And perhaps in more detail, if you were to be reading 1 Timothy chapter 3, regarding the office of deacons and elders, and you would get a clear indication of quality, the quality of a type of person that was mentioned here.

[4:16] And just for a few verses that I would like to read about that. For this reason, verse 5, I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.

[4:30] Namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion, for the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving, what is good, sensible, just, devout, and self-controlled.

[5:02] And so, like I said, to expand on that further, we would have gone to 1 Timothy chapter 3 in regard to that. And then verse 9 is connected with that as well.

[5:14] Holding fast the faithful word, which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

[5:26] And so, this is the words of wisdom for this young church that needs a number of meetings in different cities, Bible studies or whatever it is, but they need leadership.

[5:38] They need some that will exhort to them and refute and so forth. And the reason why is because Paul is aware of this next problem and that there are some Judaizers that are very active.

[5:50] Verse 10, And then this is quite a revelation.

[6:11] One of them, one of those circumcised, a prophet of their own says, Christians are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy glutton.

[6:25] Now, he's not talking about other people who live on the island. He's talking about in the church. So, here we got some self-righteousness going on, which I like how Paul addresses that in Romans 3 in a very careful way.

[6:39] But we got this situation where not only some false teaching is going on, some Judaizing, but we have this case of some who feel superior to others.

[6:51] Verse 14, Oh, I like Paul's response. He didn't say, Oh, this may be likely true. He said, This testimony is true. Why would Paul say that?

[7:02] Well, Paul, let's see. For this reason, Reprove them severely, so that they may be sound in the faith. Well, in Paul, all of his journey, you think when he got to his city, he said, Hey, wait, and have all the Sunday school teachers meet me, and all the Sunday school kids, and I'll be happy to work with those groups.

[7:20] No. He entered synagogues. He met with sinners. He met with people that hate him because they're going to mess up their business. They're making idols and so forth. So, Paul says, Hey, I understand this.

[7:33] I understand somebody talking like this because that's what a sinner is. When the Lord says, I didn't come to save the righteous. I came to save sinners unto repentance.

[7:45] And so, here we have Paul understanding. And he said, Well, one way to solve this problem, he didn't say to kick them out. Later on, he may say, Like, if you've got a foolish person in the meeting, this is in chapter 3, and that person is not responding, reject the factious person after the first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning beyond being self-condemned.

[8:12] So, we have Paul understanding the situation of what's going on there. Another great reason for the selection as the Lord leads toward elders.

[8:25] And then, another point of just an overview of this book is that Paul is addressing how the different groups of people in that assembly should be behaving.

[8:38] And so, in chapter 2, verse 2, he said, Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and perseverant. Then he has something for the older women.

[8:52] Likewise, older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior. Not malicious gossip, not enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husband, so that the word of God may not be dishonored.

[9:21] And then, the word as well for the younger men, verses 6, they are likewise urged the younger men to be sensible. In all things, show yourself to be examples of good deed, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in the faith, or sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about you, about us.

[9:48] So, so we get a picture there of how Paul sees the role of different people by their testimony, that how this, these churches can flourish by the qualities that are necessary within the meeting.

[10:07] And then, over in chapter 3, there's a few reminders here. This has to do, perhaps, more now, with these assembly people, or these church people, dealing with the world around them.

[10:21] And, let's read a few from chapter, or chapter 3, verse 1. Reminding them, speaking of those in the assembly, to be subject to rulers, to authority, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceful, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

[10:43] For we also once were foolish ourselves. We were disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

[10:59] But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds, which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy and by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

[11:21] And so we get a nice example of there how this passage of Scripture can be used when we think of our relationship to governments and so forth.

[11:32] But really, a picture of how our life once was, our sinful life, and how through the grace of God things have drastically changed from the time we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

[11:48] Well, I skipped over the very verses that I really wanted to speak on. I did that purposely because now I can talk specifically about four verses. Chapter 2, verses 11 through 14.

[12:02] And it's like a vignette. It's like a portrait at this point of these verses. For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men.

[12:17] And, yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, I want to, not yet, fellas. Just hold on to me. I got another message I'm going to give after this one.

[12:29] Okay? So bear with me. All right. For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men. And so we know that from the fact that on this island of Crete that we have churches that have been developed.

[12:45] And it all happened because of the word of God that came to these folks and it was by the grace of God that many responded to the message of salvation. salvation. Now, this brings home something very personal to me today.

[12:59] That this week, on Saturday, August 15th, will be the 70th anniversary when I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

[13:10] And so the experience that these Crete responded to from the gospel was that as a boy at 11 years old up at a camp in New York State, at Pine Bush Bible camp.

[13:21] After hearing the gospel through Sunday school after Sunday school for several years before and listening to the Bible story, but listening to the mention very frequently about this man who went to the cross for me.

[13:37] And yet, as I kept thinking about it over the years, I said, no, I've got to do something about it. My mom said, when I take out the trash, I'll get a candy bar. Or my mom said, when I clean up my room, I'll get a special reward.

[13:49] And so forth. So I kept thinking, there's something I have to do. But it was at this camp, through a chalk artist, summing it all up with the Holy Spirit trying to speak to me for many years, to finally come to the point, by faith alone, in Christ alone.

[14:06] And it was at that moment, at that camp, that I responded to the Lord. So that's 70 years ago. I was 11 years old this coming Saturday.

[14:16] So it's a newborn birthday that I always like to remember. But anyway. So, all right, then it moves on in verse 12. It says, okay, we had the gospel presented by the grace of God.

[14:31] A synonym for the grace of God would be, of course, the Son of God because He is our grace. He is our gift from God the Father. Instructing us to deny ungodliness.

[14:42] So, number one, one of the things in the new life, in order to help us with our sanctification, is having denial, or denying, the ungodliness.

[14:55] And that's always been a struggle, as Paul would say in Romans chapter 7. A lot of times, I'm doing things that I know I'm not supposed to be doing. And there's times when I know things that I should be doing, I'm not bothering with them.

[15:09] So, oh, what a wretched man that I am. And so, he brings that. But that's the story of my life, too. That when the Lord, at that young age, is directing me to a life that would be pleasing to him, a life of holiness, it would be that there would be this struggle, this struggle of ungodliness and things that come to my mind and things that are thought about in my heart about others and so forth.

[15:37] And the actions that I would take that are ungodly, and yet, as a new believer, I realize that this is what the Lord wanted to perfect in my life. And likewise, he also would say that we should deny that same verse, worldly desires.

[15:53] Wow, you live in the United States. Worldly desires, man, you just name it, it's there. And so, I realized the struggle over the many years of dealing with worldly desires.

[16:08] But then, it has some positive aspects to it. To live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age. Well, sensibly, in most of your translation, actually, the little stronger word, to be sober, to be sober-minded, or to be under self-control.

[16:26] And, you know, I picture that island. Maybe the water doesn't taste so great, and maybe the grapes are some of the best in the Mediterranean, and so maybe the folks there often reach for a glass of wine rather than a glass of water.

[16:44] And so, because, you know, it had been mentioned already, one of the requirements are not to be a lover, enslaved to much wine, and so forth. And so, yeah, so that's one thing here, that to live sensibly, in other words, soberly, making right decisions, righteously, doing the right thing, and godly, of course, is very much the fact.

[17:10] Well, we get to the heart of my message today, and that would be verse 13. Because of what the Lord has shown here in this passage, the grace of salvation, the instruction from his word for clean living, toward growing in grace, growing in sanctification, we reach the point of looking, a very active verb in our life.

[17:35] So often, we are looking for solutions or an answer to a question. We're looking for a solution to a problem. We're looking for where should we move next.

[17:49] We're looking for should I change jobs, and so forth. And so, we just think in our lives that my wife used to say, now what are you looking for?

[18:01] Well, I dropped the screw, I can't find it. Or I dropped the battery, I don't know where I can't find that. And so, my ring, I mislaid it somewhere.

[18:11] So I'm always looking for something. But anyway, this morning, I thought, in case we run out of ideas of what we're looking for, we could always turn to Look Magazine. Now this is a 54-year-old copy.

[18:25] I have a number of these, from 1960. This is 1964, right after John F. Kennedy was assassinated. This is the January issue of it. And so, in a magazine, you know, a Look Magazine, that's the place to look for things, right?

[18:41] So, but I was thumbing through this the other day, and I have something for men. Men, here's a Buick station wagon, and it's got the price on it, $1,800. Wow, a lot of money, isn't it?

[18:53] $1,800. How much are they today? $36,000 or so? But anyway, so, so I thought that's interesting, and the magazine just loaded with car ads.

[19:04] So, if I'm looking for a car, that's the place to shop. But then I saw something in here that I think would be attractive for the ladies. So, let me see if I can find that.

[19:18] I'll turn to the right pages here. Bear with me. You get older, you get, you get a little more. Oh, here it is. Oh, look like a new woman.

[19:30] A guide to beauty. Your hair, your face, your shape. Oh, my goodness. A hundred and ninety two-page booklet, and dealing with all the subjects.

[19:43] Hairstyles that suit your faith. Professional hairstyles at home. Secrets of the comb-out, and so forth, and so on, and the makeup, and so forth. Well, ladies, you missed the bargain here, though.

[19:55] It said, it's now available in the supermarket. Remember, 192 pages, quite a booklet. It's only ninety-five cents. So, we've got a really, a bargain here.

[20:08] So, anyway, it's just an idea that we may be looking at things. But, in this passage, we are looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

[20:24] And as I thought about my years of knowing the Lord, I said, wow, would I like to turn back the clock, or would I like to spend more time looking for that blessed hope and that soon coming of my Savior.

[20:40] When I think of all the things that blotted that out, and I'm sure there were many moments through Bible prophecy conferences or times when he was glorified in such a great way, I said, wow, I want to see his presence.

[20:55] And it's not the issue of the event so much, although that's wonderful, or the chronology of things, but it's the person. We're talking about looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, looking for that person who we have by faith enjoyed for these many years, but we have this desire in our heart to know him, or I mean to enjoy him.

[21:29] So, if I, in the years left in my life, that may be, I would be with the idea that I would spend more time, wake up in the morning and say, Lord, are you coming today?

[21:41] I don't know if anybody here could volunteer to say, guess what I've been doing that for years? I know, that's not been my way, but it would be a beautiful thought to say, Lord, it's today's the day, are you coming?

[21:54] I want to see your appearance. I want to be with my Lord. Well, that's my first sermon. Now, my second sermon is connected with that because the next one will deal with an issue of prophecy and I've got my two young men here who were so ambitious to help me with, but this is a faction and I think you'll learn some very interesting things here.

[22:19] I want you to turn with me while they pass those out to Ezekiel chapter 38. Ezekiel 38. Passage that I have found amusing for some time now and I think you'll, this is going to read like a newspaper, so as I move along rather quickly, I want you to be right there with me because we're going to cover a lot of ground.

[22:47] And when we get to chapter 39, there will just be some summary thought in that. But let me start by reading the first nine verses in Ezekiel 38.

[22:59] And the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord, thus saith the Lord Gog.

[23:17] Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal. I will turn you about and put hooks in your jaw, 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, Persia, Ethiopia, and put with them, all of them with shield and helmet, Gomer, with all of its troop, Beth Tomagar, from the remote part of the north, with all its troop, many peoples with you.

[23:58] Be prepared and prepare yourself, you and all your company that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. After many days, you will be summoned in the latter years, and you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual wave, but its people were brought out from the nation, and they are living securely, all of them.

[24:34] Verse 9, you will go up, you will come like a storm, you will be like a cloud, covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.

[24:47] And so here we have a prophecy, now 2,600 years old, that someday in the latter years, in the later days, that this event will happen.

[25:03] Now when we see this idea in verse 4, I will turn you about and put hooks in your jaw, that may be like a figure of speed, that may be, there's going to be something that's going to urge you, God, to come on down from the Northland.

[25:18] They estimate the Northland, by many scholars, to be the area of Russia. And so there's this urge at a certain time in history when this one who will join up with the vast allies of nations to come down and enter the land of Israel to invade it.

[25:42] And it also had pointed out to us that when they come down, they're going to enter a land that is restored.

[25:54] Well, before 1948, if you were to visit Israel, you'd say, well, nothing's happened here for the last 1900 years.

[26:05] This place is desolate. And that's exactly the history of the nation from AD 70 to 1948, is that Palestine is a very desolate place.

[26:18] During that period, ruled by different Muslim nations, and also Persian nations, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire, for over 1600 of those years, roughly some of those dynasties being there for 400 years at a time, and not doing anything for the land, because the Lord allowed it to be left desolate.

[26:41] But now the scriptures here, it says, you will come into the land that is restored. And with my trip to Israel last year, that's all I saw.

[26:53] I saw new highways, I saw new reservoirs, I saw new high-speed rails to the airport, I saw cattle on the hills of, remember, in scripture it talks about the bulls of Basham, well I was up in that area, Basham, it's up near the Golan Heights, and there was cattle on the hills, and so everywhere you look, you see both in the people, and you see in the land, and the cattle, and the fruits, and the vegetables, you see a massive restoration in Israel today.

[27:21] So it's a land that this Gaga is going to come down with inhabitant, and that is that there are people, the inhabitant, who have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel.

[27:35] Well this, the inhabitants is speaking of Israelis themselves that have come home. So it's at a time when Israel is no longer, like in 1947, has maybe 600,000 people, it now has 7 million.

[27:52] The world population of Jews is about 14 to 15 million. So as of right now, 7 million are back home, in unbelief, at this point.

[28:06] And so we have that from verse 8, that when many days, in the latter years, coming down to a restored land, inhabitants gathered from any nation, that's the Israelites, and a land that had been a continual waste.

[28:24] And Samuel Clemens, you know that name? Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finde, he went to Israel two years after the Civil War, 1897.

[28:39] And he said, this is the most God awful place on earth. This place is so desolate. He said, there's just nothing attractive here. When he got to Jerusalem, he brightened up a little bit.

[28:53] But the roads and everywhere he went, his overview of Israel was a pretty desolate place. And it was.

[29:04] But things have changed in your time and my time. Now, I was nine years old, so some of you maybe weren't even born yet in 1948. I wasn't thinking about all this when I was nine years old, but I'm thinking about it now.

[29:18] So, anyway. All right, verse 9 tells us that, oh, and we also have to remark on several times you'll see when those who are living there, they are living securely, all of them.

[29:33] Verse 8. And you know, that's what I found in Israel. Even though there's some skirmishes with the Palestinians, basically when they were under the dominion of all those nations that I mentioned during those 1,900 years, those people had no security whatsoever.

[29:53] They could take your land, take your cattle, take your children, whatever they wanted to do. Now, the Lord mentioned that at this time, the people are living securely. And I could say that's what Israel is today.

[30:05] It's a change since 1948. They are now living securely. Another little idea of how things are fulfilling prophecy.

[30:16] You will go up, verse 9. You will come like a storm. So, that tells me from different passages here. First, he mentioned a mighty army and many people. And now he said a cloud.

[30:28] You're like a cloud. That's how many of you are. So, I wrote in my little factory. I said, perhaps in the million. And later on, I'll show you why there's a little bit of extra reinforcement of these large numbers.

[30:42] And then, let's look at verse 10. Thus says the Lord God, it will come about on that day that thoughts will come into your mind, speaking to God, and you will devise an evil plan.

[30:55] And you will say, I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. That's what Israel is today. I will go against those who are at rest. That's Israelites today.

[31:07] That live securely. Israel today. All of them living without walls and having no bars or gates. Well, you know how we read the old stories of Joshua.

[31:19] They opened up the gates to the city and all that and came out. But all the hills that I saw on my trip from Tel Aviv over to the Sea of Galilee are just villages and cities up on these hills.

[31:30] No walls. They're all unwalled. And so the Lord is bringing that. Okay, verse 12. Now what more people could you think of in the news today that really is at the center of the world because there's so much in a world of people who love Israel and so many nations who hate Israel.

[32:12] And so Israel is the very focus of the world's attention. And so these are, so that's what, okay. And look at who's looking on the side.

[32:23] Maybe some Arabians and others. Sheba and Dedham and the merchants of Tarshish with its villages will say to you, have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?

[32:44] And you know, I saw the statistic that I don't know if I mentioned in my sheet. They estimate out of the 7 million that are there, that over 6,600 of those inhabitants, those Jewish inhabitants, are millionaires.

[33:01] And it's probably a through billionaires thrown in as well. But that's, that's kind of, is there silver or gold waiting for somebody there? Yes. Is there cattle on the hills? Yes. And so we're seeing that in this.

[33:15] Okay. Then verse 14. Fear for prophesies, son of man, and say to God, thus saith the Lord God, on that day when my people Israel are living securely, won't you know it?

[33:32] Will you not know it? You will come out of your place, out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly, a mighty army.

[33:47] You will come up against my people, Israel, like a cloud covering the land, and 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 sanctify through you before their eyes, O God.

[34:09] And so what tremendous words from the Lord. He will be sanctified. He will be glorified through them. And then, okay, then here's what happened.

[34:22] They all come down, probably to northern. I didn't bring my relief map of Israel, but it would have shown a mountain region just below Lebanon that may be the likely place for this invasion to begin.

[34:34] Verse 19. In my zeal and in my blazing wrath, I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

[34:46] And history has shown that there was no other earthquake whereby an invasion was getting ready to happen and there was a massive earthquake. Israel has had earthquakes over the years.

[34:57] They say Jericho is actually 18 cities deep because of over the years. Fires, earthquakes, and so forth. But here's how deep this earthquake is.

[35:11] The fish of the sea, the birds of the heaven, verse 20, the beast of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth, the known world at that point, will shake at my presence.

[35:27] The mountains also will be thrown down, and steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. So number one, a giant earthquake.

[35:41] Many perhaps dying from that. And picture two, mountain passes, ruined by perhaps the rocks falling, valleys being upset by that.

[35:52] So keep that in mind because of something else I will read. And the second one, verse 21. I will call for a sword against him on all my mountains, declares the Lord God.

[36:05] Every man's sword will be against his brother. Friendly fire. We all know what friendly fire is. It's when you're shooting a cannon fire and you miscalculate it, and that bomb will fall on your own soldier.

[36:24] And so here is a case. We've got several things going. We've got all these people in the mass, maybe in the million. They don't speak each other's language. They come from all different places.

[36:34] They probably had no training on the other person's language before they gathered. But through the earthquake so tremendous, there's panic taking place whereby they get out their sword and they think the next ally is maybe Israel or maybe the enemy.

[36:52] And so we get this picture that the Lord is saying that every man's sword will be against his brother. Massive loss of life from that type of situation.

[37:05] Number three, verse 22. With pestilence and with blood. So we've got some diseases involved here. We've got some, like, you know, what we're going through. I will enter into judgment with him, with Gog and his people.

[37:19] And I will rain on him and on his troop and on his many people who are with him. And then in addition to that, torrential rain, hailstone, fire, brimstone.

[37:32] And the Lord sums it up. I will magnify myself. I will sanctify myself. I will make myself known in the sight of many nations.

[37:44] And they will know that I am the Lord. So we're not talking about Armageddon. Armageddon, through our lessons in Revelation on Wednesday night, is clearly showing we're talking about the Lord's presence physically there to do battle against the nation.

[38:00] But here we have an event that likely takes place after the rapture, maybe before the beginning of the tribulation, or maybe at the very beginning of the tribulation.

[38:11] It's not spelled out in scripture of that. That's why I didn't put it on the faction. So, but anyway, it's a thought in mind that, okay, now there's some fallouts from all that.

[38:24] In fact, the Lord says that he's going to send fire as well to, perhaps, back to those Muslim nations who sent these armies for him to destroy Muslims and schools where they taught the children to hate Jewish people and so forth.

[38:39] So somehow fires are involved in various places as well. But let's look at verse 9 of chapter 39. Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them.

[39:09] They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forest, for they will make fires with the weapons and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them, declares the Lord.

[39:28] And so we see that. Verse 12. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

[39:43] For all the people of the land, all the Israelites, got to help out, will bury them and who will be to their renown on the day that I glorify myself, declares the Lord God.

[39:58] And so there's just so much more in this passage. Our time is just about gone. But I just want to remind you by several other prophecies that fit well with this begin with Ezekiel 36, the prophecy of the Lord talking to the land itself.

[40:18] He said, you've been desolate all these years. I'm going to restore you. And then when we got to chapter 37, do you remember the dry bones?

[40:30] I remember in the Sunday school class, teachers might have been singing this dry bone song. And I thought, oh no, wait, is this an anatomy class? We're talking about the hip bone connected to the thigh bone, thigh bone connected to the knee bone, knee bone connected to the leg bone, leg bone connected to the ankle bone.

[40:52] And I said, they never did tell me to talk about Israel. But I think it's a portrayal in chapter 37 of the nation. Not individual people coming alive, so to speak.

[41:03] But a portrayal of a nation that's coming alive. And that's what I see. In fact, I even wrote in my Bible out of chapter 36 when all of this is happening.

[41:16] Chapter 36, verse 24. I will take you from the nation, speaking of Israel. Gather you from all the land and bring you into your own land.

[41:28] That began on May 14, 1948. As I said, there was just nomads in the land. So we see in our lifetime things that are happening.

[41:40] And here's what the Lord says about all this. And this is back in chapter 36, verse 22. Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, it is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

[42:07] I will vindicate the holiness of my name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst.

[42:18] Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when I prove myself holy among you in their son.

[42:29] And so the Lord's objective in all this, the prophecy, the fulfillment of it, is that he will ultimately be glorified, that his name will be lifted up, and he will be given the honor that he righteousness.

[42:45]  hmm.