Wonderful Heavenly Father, the world that you
made for us, to live in peace, we have made into
an armed camp. Until the only place in the world
where there is real peace is in the heart. Of
that one who is your child. We are afraid of
the terror that flies by night and the arrow
that flyeth by day and the pestilence that walks
in darkness and the destruction that wastes at
noonday. Please, Father God, please. Help us
to do your will. Help us to turn to you again
in faith and in confidence and be worthy of your
promise of peace on earth. Save us, dear God.
Save us from destruction before it is eternally
too late. Grant it. Amen. Well, sir, again today,
we're going to have a heart -to -heart talk regarding
a portion of the Word of God. The 37th chapter
of Ezekiel. I intend in our next heart -to -heart
talk to begin with the 38th chapter. And I shall,
therefore, talk just as rapidly as I possibly
can today. Because the 38th chapter of Ezekiel
is even more revealing than the 37th chapter.
And let me remind you again. Your Bible is this
very hour more up to date than your 11 o 'clock
news at night or your 6 o 'clock news. in the
evening are the early morning news. And it's
like that. It's more up to date than today's
newspaper. That's something. You don't know what
you're missing by not getting out the Bible and
study it. Well, sir, here we are again. And I
do not want to repeat anything that I've said
in a previous message except to read just a portion.
of this 37th chapter of Ezekiel, just to refresh
your memory. And he said unto me, Son of man,
these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold,
they say, our bones are dry, and our hope is
lost. We are cut off for our parts. Then prophesy
and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Behold,
O my people, I will open your graves and cause
you to come up out of your graves and bring you
into the land of Israel. All of that has been
fulfilled in our generation. And ye shall know
that I am the Lord. When I have opened your graves,
O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall
live, and I shall place you in your own land,
exactly where they are today, then shall ye know
that I, the Lord, have spoken it, performed it,
saith the Lord. Oh, this is glorious. Read it.
The entire 37th chapter of Ezekiel. I want to
just say something that is very thrilling and
I must give it to you before I pass on to the
38th chapter of Ezekiel. And that is the fact
that in the days of Moses, God told his people
that if they would obey him, he would give them
the reign of the land in his due season. the
first rain and the latter rain, that they might
gather in their corn and wine and oil. It's in
the 11th chapter of Deuteronomy. Then James,
writing to the Christian Jews many, many centuries
later, also spoke of the early and the latter
rain. It's in the 5th chapter of James, the 7th
verse. And for many long years, the early reigns
of Palestine had been insufficient. And the latter
reigns of little are no value. But a few years
ago, the latter reigns began to increase. Ask
any Jew. Ask any Israeli. These latter reigns
began to increase with the result. that in some
parts of the land, the soil is now able to produce
three crops a year. I was there myself. I saw,
believe me when I tell you, I saw acre after
acre of the finest orange groves that I'd ever
seen in my life. I'd been to Florida. I've seen
some mighty wonderful orange groves in California.
But I can honestly say some of the finest orange
groves that I've ever seen. I saw in Palestine.
Hmm? A few years ago, the latter rains began
to increase with the results that now the soil
is becoming productive. And the ancient pools
of Solomon, which even today supply Jerusalem
with water, have begun to overflow for the first
time in centuries. These pools were recently
measured and were found to have a capacity of
more than 60 million gallons. Oh, how all of
this must... thrill the hearts of those who know
Bible prophecy, who have confidence in the Word
of God. When we see all that is involved in the
transformation of Palestine into a land, as the
Bible described, flowing with milk and honey,
it's just but one of many significant signs which
points to just one thing. And you may wonder
why I've taken the time to give all of these
heart -to -heart talks about Israel, about Palestine,
about that nation who has literally caught the
fancy of every nation in the world. I dare say
there isn't a nation in the universe. But what
has eyes on Palestine? on Israel but the reason
that I'm taking this time and giving you these
heart -to -heart talks it's because I want you
to see that all of these significant signs point
to one thing and that is the fact that Israel
is again to behold her Messiah and that my friend
very soon and this time their true messiah the
very son the living god will come not as a babe
in bethlehem's manger he will come riding upon
a white horse as king of kings and lord of lords
read it it's there in the 19th chapter of the
book of the revelation oh Oh, beloved, we are
coming to the hour when prophecy is being fulfilled
very, very quickly. When you realize that at
the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, 25
prophecies were fulfilled in one person in just
24 hours time. Time is running out. Prophecy
today is being fulfilled as quickly, as rapidly,
leading to his second coming, as led to his first
coming. Sure, Israel now, these dry bones, now
have flesh, sinew, skin upon them, but breath,
spirit, spiritual breath has not yet taken place,
but it will very soon. I'm going to say something
else before I go into the 38th chapter of Ezekiel,
something that is almost uncanny. You know, there's
supposed to be some 40 -odd billions of tons
of salt, in the waters of the Dead Sea. As I
stood and looked at the Dead Sea, I was moved
literally to tears. You cannot appreciate the
things that I'm saying to you. You cannot stand
and look at the Dead Sea. You cannot walk the
roads of Palestine. You cannot read the front
pages of your newspaper and really appreciate
what's taking place unless you know the word
of God. Do you know that long before God called
Abraham from his tent to survey the land that
was the inheritance of his seed forever, the
waters from the melting snows of Mount Hermon,
and the surrounding peaks were flowing down through
Galilee into the river Jordan and on to the sea
which had no outlet. Consequently, as the rays
of the sun vaporized the moisture and lifted
it to the clouds, to pour it as rain upon some
other place, the mineral salts in the Dead Sea
became more and more dense. until today, this
huge amount of valuable mineral deposit is to
be recovered and utilized. It is a fact. There
is more potential wealth in the Dead Sea today
than the combined wealth of the world. Today,
this huge amount of valuable... mineral deposit
is to be utilized. I repeat, it is estimated
by those who surely ought to know that the wealth
of the minerals in the waters of the Dead Sea
totals $1 ,267 ,000 ,000 ,000. That's why, as
someone has said, if this estimate is true, there
are more potential riches in the waters of the
Dead Sea than the combined wealth of the nations
of the world. Why do you think over here in the
38th chapter of Ezekiel, and I don't want to
spoil it, but I'll just give you one reason why
when the enemies go down. To take a spoil. Watch.
Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm. They're
talking about that which is about to happen.
The enemies of Palestine. Thou shalt be like
a cloud to cover the land. Thou and all thy bands
and many peoples with thee. Thus saith the Lord
God, It shall also come to pass that at the same
time shall things come into thy mind. Thou shalt
think an evil thought. They are going down after
the wealth of the Dead Sea, after Israel, after
Palestine. Why? For one purpose, to take a spoil.
The wealth of the world. The riches of the world
are right now in the land that has caught the
attention of every nation in the universe. That's
right. I'm reading for the word of God. Please,
I implore you. If you don't believe what I say,
read the Bible. You can't take issue with the
Word of God. You can't. Oh, how wonderfully God
has prepared for this very day when Israel has
come into her own. All right, now watch. Let's
take the new birth of Israel at the second coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. This now is Israel's
future glory. We've already referred. to the
words of Zechariah when he said that Israel will
look upon him whom they have pierced in that
day when his feet shall stand upon the Mount
of Olives. That will be the long -looked -for
day of our Lord's appearing in power and great
glory. And as surely as he came the first time
as a babe in Bethlehem, he will return again.
He said he would. Who dares take issue with the
word of the master himself? I will come again.
And he is coming again in power and great glory.
And it was this day that Ezekiel wrote when he
obeyed the voice of the Lord to explain that
the breath entering into the exceeding great
army of nationally resurrected Israel. is none
other than the new life in Christ, which she
will receive from him when he comes again. Oh,
this is wonderful. When Israel looks up and sees
her once rejected king, Jesus Christ, she will
receive him, not only as king, but also as her
savior. and Lord and Redeemer. The remarkable
achievements of the Jew in Palestine today are
signs of God's working on behalf of Israel, preparing
her for one thing, for His glorious appearing.
Then God's ancient people will see that the suffering
that the Savior foretold in the 53rd chapter
of Isaiah was none other than Jesus, who... bore
the print of the nails in his hands for them
and for all the world, Jew and Gentile alike.
Now see something. As if to emphasize this marvelous
prophecy once more. And it is found literally
hundreds of times in the Old and the New Testaments.
God gave another sign to Ezekiel in the verses
which follow the vision of the Valley of Dry
Bones. Here in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, you
will remember that after the death of Solomon,
the kingdom of Israel was divided. Rehoboam,
Jeroboam, ruling over the separate kingdoms.
From that time on, Israel, meaning the northern
kingdom, had her kings, whereas Judah also had
hers. But in that day when Jesus comes again
to be the king of kings, he'll rule over a kingdom
united forever. And that is the message of the
signs of the two sticks. Let me take a half second
and read as much as I possibly can. Read it for
yourself. It's the last part. of the 37th chapter
of Ezekiel. And the word of the Lord came again,
saying unto me, Moreover, thou hast done a man,
take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah,
and for the children of Israel, his companions.
Then take another stick, and write upon it, for
Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, for all the house
of Israel, his companions. And join them one
to another into one stick. and they shall become
one in thine hand. And when the children of thy
people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou
not show us what thou meanest by these? Say unto
them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will
take the children of Israel from among the nations,
bring them into their own land. I will make them
one nation in the land upon the mountains of
Israel, and one... King shall be king to them
all. And they shall be no more two nations. Neither
shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore.
That's the word. And God, my friend, will keep
his word. My tabernacle. he said shall also be
with them yea I will be their God and they shall
be my people and the nations shall know that
I the Lord do sanctify Israel when my sanctuary
shall be in the midst of them forever