WEBVTT 00:00:00.999 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.719 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:08.960 in a year. Today's reading is from the book of 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:14.000 Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. Chapter 38 Now the 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:16.699 word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:19.739 set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.920 the prince of Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal, and prophesy 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:26.399 against him, and say, Thus says the Lord God, 00:00:26.829 --> 00:00:29.530 Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of 00:00:29.530 --> 00:00:32.549 Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal. I will turn you around, 00:00:32.750 --> 00:00:36.090 put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out with 00:00:36.090 --> 00:00:39.710 all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly 00:00:39.710 --> 00:00:42.969 clothed, a great company, with bucklers and shields, 00:00:43.229 --> 00:00:46.609 all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, 00:00:46.770 --> 00:00:49.789 and Libya are with them, all of them with shield 00:00:49.789 --> 00:00:53.509 and helmet. Gomer and all its troops, the house 00:00:53.509 --> 00:00:56.289 of Togarmah, From the far north and all its troops, 00:00:56.530 --> 00:00:59.590 many people are with you. Prepare yourself and 00:00:59.590 --> 00:01:02.210 be ready, you and all your companies that are 00:01:02.210 --> 00:01:04.609 gathered about you, and be a guard for them. 00:01:04.769 --> 00:01:07.870 After many days you will be visited. In the latter 00:01:07.870 --> 00:01:10.629 years you will come into the land of those brought 00:01:10.629 --> 00:01:13.829 back from the sword and gathered from many people 00:01:13.829 --> 00:01:16.329 on the mountains of Israel, which had long been 00:01:16.329 --> 00:01:19.030 desolate. They were brought out of the nations, 00:01:19.189 --> 00:01:22.409 and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, 00:01:22.629 --> 00:01:25.109 coming like a storm. covering the land like a 00:01:25.109 --> 00:01:27.890 cloud, you and all your troops, and many peoples 00:01:27.890 --> 00:01:31.010 with you. Thus says the Lord God, On that day 00:01:31.010 --> 00:01:33.530 it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise 00:01:33.530 --> 00:01:35.870 in your mind, and you will make an evil plan. 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.120 You will say, I will go up against the land of 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:42.019 unwalled villages. I will go to a peaceful people 00:01:42.019 --> 00:01:44.900 who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without 00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:48.420 walls and having neither bars nor gates, to take 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:51.280 plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:53.900 hand against the waste places that are again 00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:56.799 inhabited, and against the people gathered from 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:59.780 the nations who have acquired livestock and goods, 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:03.099 who dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, Dedan. 00:02:03.450 --> 00:02:05.810 the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young 00:02:05.810 --> 00:02:08.229 lions will say to you, Have you come to take 00:02:08.229 --> 00:02:10.610 plunder? Have you gathered your army to take 00:02:10.610 --> 00:02:13.389 booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take 00:02:13.389 --> 00:02:16.110 away livestock and goods, to take great plunder? 00:02:16.650 --> 00:02:19.569 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 00:02:19.750 --> 00:02:22.750 Thus says the Lord God, On that day, when my 00:02:22.750 --> 00:02:25.430 people Israel dwell safely, will you not know 00:02:25.430 --> 00:02:28.050 it? Then you will come from your place out of 00:02:28.050 --> 00:02:30.629 the far north, you and many peoples with you. 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:33.259 all of them riding on horses, a great company 00:02:33.259 --> 00:02:36.319 and a mighty army. You will come up against my 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:38.740 people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. 00:02:38.939 --> 00:02:41.520 It will be in the latter days that I will bring 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:43.979 you against my land, so that the nations may 00:02:43.979 --> 00:02:47.159 know me when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:50.219 their eyes. Thus says the Lord God, Are you he 00:02:50.219 --> 00:02:53.560 of whom I have spoken in former days by my servants 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:56.360 the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years 00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:58.900 in those days that I would bring you against 00:02:58.900 --> 00:03:01.879 them? And it will come to pass at the same time 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:04.939 when Gog comes against the land of Israel, says 00:03:04.939 --> 00:03:08.060 the Lord God, that my fury will show in my face. 00:03:08.419 --> 00:03:10.900 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath 00:03:10.900 --> 00:03:13.860 I have spoken. Surely in that day there shall 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:15.979 be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:18.639 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:21.479 heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping 00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:24.120 things that creep on the earth, and all men who 00:03:24.120 --> 00:03:26.400 are on the face of the earth, shall shake at 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.199 my presence. The mountains shall be thrown down. 00:03:29.550 --> 00:03:32.349 The steep places shall fall, and every wall shall 00:03:32.349 --> 00:03:35.090 fall to the ground. I will call for a sword against 00:03:35.090 --> 00:03:38.129 Gog throughout all my mountains, says the Lord 00:03:38.129 --> 00:03:41.229 God. Every man's sword will be against his brother, 00:03:41.370 --> 00:03:44.050 and I will bring him to judgment with pestilence 00:03:44.050 --> 00:03:47.409 and bloodshed. I will rain down on him, on his 00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:49.729 troops, and on the many peoples who are with 00:03:49.729 --> 00:03:53.590 him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and 00:03:53.590 --> 00:03:56.860 brimstone. Thus I will magnify myself and sanctify 00:03:56.860 --> 00:03:59.379 myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many 00:03:59.379 --> 00:04:02.599 nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:09.139 Chapter 39 A new son of man prophesy against 00:04:09.139 --> 00:04:12.400 Gog and say, Thus says the Lord God, Behold, 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:15.060 I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:17.600 Meshach, and Tubal, and I will turn you around 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.339 and lead you on, bringing you up from the far 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:22.800 north and bring you against the mountains of 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:25.420 Israel. Then I will knock the bow out of your 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:27.879 left hand and cause the arrows to fall out of 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:30.660 your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains 00:04:30.660 --> 00:04:33.779 of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples 00:04:33.779 --> 00:04:36.279 who are with you. I will give you to birds of 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:39.139 prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field 00:04:39.139 --> 00:04:42.240 to be devoured. You shall fall on the open field, 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:45.660 for I have spoken, says the Lord God. And I will 00:04:45.660 --> 00:04:49.000 send fire on Magog and on those who live in security 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:51.600 in the coastlands. Then they shall know that 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:54.329 I am the Lord. So I will make my holy name known 00:04:54.329 --> 00:04:56.589 in the midst of my people Israel, and I will 00:04:56.589 --> 00:04:59.670 not let them profane my holy name anymore. Then 00:04:59.670 --> 00:05:02.170 the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the 00:05:02.170 --> 00:05:05.230 Holy One in Israel. Surely it is coming, and 00:05:05.230 --> 00:05:07.769 it shall be done, says the Lord God. This is 00:05:07.769 --> 00:05:10.600 the day of which I have spoken. Then those who 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:13.100 dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and 00:05:13.100 --> 00:05:16.100 set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields 00:05:16.100 --> 00:05:19.000 and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:21.600 and spears, and they will make fires with them 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:24.319 for seven years. They will not take wood from 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:27.139 the field, nor cut down any from the forests, 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:29.639 because they will make fires with the weapons, 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:32.220 and they will plunder those who plundered them, 00:05:32.339 --> 00:05:34.839 and pillage those who pillaged them, says the 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:38.769 Lord God. It will come to pass in that day that 00:05:38.769 --> 00:05:41.589 I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, 00:05:41.730 --> 00:05:44.649 the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, 00:05:44.790 --> 00:05:47.509 and it will obstruct travelers, because there 00:05:47.509 --> 00:05:50.449 they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore 00:05:50.449 --> 00:05:53.769 they will call it the valley of Haman -Gog. For 00:05:53.769 --> 00:05:56.370 seven months the house of Israel will be burying 00:05:56.370 --> 00:05:59.629 them, in order to cleanse the land. Indeed, all 00:05:59.629 --> 00:06:02.209 the people of the land will be burying, and they 00:06:02.209 --> 00:06:04.649 will gain renown for it on the day that I am 00:06:04.649 --> 00:06:07.870 glorified, says the Lord God. They will set apart 00:06:07.870 --> 00:06:11.069 men regularly employed with the help of a search 00:06:11.069 --> 00:06:13.850 party to pass through the land and bury those 00:06:13.850 --> 00:06:16.870 bodies remaining on the ground in order to cleanse 00:06:16.870 --> 00:06:19.709 it. At the end of seven months, they will make 00:06:19.709 --> 00:06:22.269 a search. The search party will pass through 00:06:22.269 --> 00:06:24.740 the land. And when anyone sees a man's bone, 00:06:24.899 --> 00:06:27.959 he shall set up a marker by it till the barriers 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:31.420 have buried it in the valley of Hamon -Gog. The 00:06:31.420 --> 00:06:34.939 name of the city will also be Hamona. Thus they 00:06:34.939 --> 00:06:37.800 shall cleanse the land. And as for you, son of 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:40.480 man, thus says the Lord God, speak to every sort 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.680 of bird and to every beast of the field. Assemble 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:46.579 yourselves now and come. Gather together from 00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:49.680 all sides to my sacrificial meal, which I am 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.759 sacrificing for you. a great sacrificial meal 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:55.139 on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat 00:06:55.139 --> 00:06:58.480 flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:00.680 of the mighty, drink the blood of the princes 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:04.300 of the earth, of rams and lambs, of goats and 00:07:04.300 --> 00:07:08.079 bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. You shall 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.980 eat fat till you are full, and drink blood till 00:07:10.980 --> 00:07:13.660 you are drunk, at my sacrificial meal which I 00:07:13.660 --> 00:07:16.639 am sacrificing for you. You shall be filled at 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:19.490 my table. with horses and riders, with mighty 00:07:19.490 --> 00:07:22.009 men, and with all the men of war, says the Lord 00:07:22.009 --> 00:07:25.709 God. I will set my glory among the nations. All 00:07:25.709 --> 00:07:28.089 the nations shall see my judgment, which I have 00:07:28.089 --> 00:07:30.910 executed, and my hand, which I have laid on them. 00:07:31.069 --> 00:07:33.589 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the 00:07:33.589 --> 00:07:37.149 Lord their God from that day forward. The Gentiles 00:07:37.149 --> 00:07:39.509 shall know that the house of Israel went into 00:07:39.509 --> 00:07:42.350 captivity for their iniquity, because they were 00:07:42.350 --> 00:07:45.279 unfaithful to me. Therefore I hid my face from 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.800 them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, 00:07:47.980 --> 00:07:50.879 and they all fell by the sword. According to 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:53.500 their uncleanness and according to their transgressions, 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:56.180 I have dealt with them and hidden my face from 00:07:56.180 --> 00:07:59.439 them. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, Now 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:02.060 I will bring back the captives of Jacob and have 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:04.459 mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will 00:08:04.459 --> 00:08:07.600 be jealous for my holy name, after they have 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.240 borne their shame and all their unfaithfulness 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:13.019 in which they were unfaithful to me. when they 00:08:13.019 --> 00:08:16.379 dwelt safely in their own land and no one made 00:08:16.379 --> 00:08:19.139 them afraid. When I have brought them back from 00:08:19.139 --> 00:08:21.459 the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:24.220 lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight 00:08:24.220 --> 00:08:26.740 of many nations, then they shall know that I 00:08:26.740 --> 00:08:29.379 am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity 00:08:29.379 --> 00:08:32.139 among the nations, but also brought them back 00:08:32.139 --> 00:08:35.259 to their land and left none of them captive any 00:08:35.259 --> 00:08:38.159 longer. And I will not hide my face from them 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:41.240 any more, for I shall have poured out my Spirit 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:49.879 on the house of Israel, says the Lord God. I 00:08:49.879 --> 00:08:51.720 hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:54.000 did and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.519 to continue on our journey. God bless you and 00:08:56.519 --> 00:08:57.200 have a great day.