Showing posts with label Ezechiel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ezechiel. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Hagee: Spiritual Awakening Coming to 'Dry Bones' Israel


Bones
(Flickr/Incase)
God's chosen people, the Jews, and the promised land of Israel are the hub that forms the wheel of prophecy. All end-time prophecy focuses first and foremost on Israel's importance to God and His eternal covenant with them: "All the land of Canaan, where you now live as strangers, I will give to you and to your descendants for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God" (Gen. 17:8). But because of the Jews' disobedience and rebellion, they were scattered around the globe, and control of their promised land of Israel slipped right out of their fingers for hundreds of years.
More than 2,600 years ago the prophet Ezekiel prophesied the resurrection of Israel from the Gentile graves in the lands to which she had been scattered, predicting the rebirth of Israel, which took place on May 14, 1948. Ezekiel also prophesied about the holy war that would take place in Israel some time after Israel's restoration to independence.
God gave Ezekiel a vision of a valley full of dry bones. I want to make it very clear that I do not believe that Ezekiel's vision has anything to do with the resurrection of the dead saints of the church. In Ezekiel 37:11, God told Ezekiel, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel." There is no doubt in the text that this could only be Israel.
In a vision, God took Ezekiel to a valley full of dead bones that were very dry and scattered. This was God's physical portrayal of the nation of Israel. Israel ceased to be a nation in A.D. 70 when the Jews were scattered to the ends of the earth by the Roman army under Titus. It would be more than 2,000 years before Israel became a recognized state again in May 1948—and the bones grew very dry!
God asked Ezekiel a perplexing question: "He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'"(Ezek. 37:3).
Ezekiel responded to God by saying, "O Lord GOD, You know" (v. 3). In other words, he was saying, "I don't see how it's possible. Death has done its work. Life is gone. Lord, if these bones live, it will require the miracle-working power of Jehovah God."
For nearly 50 years I have preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to audiences all over the earth. I have stood in churches, cathedrals, auditoriums, football stadiums and a preaching field in Nigeria with more than 3,000,000 people attending. Yet, like Ezekiel, as I have looked over the audiences large and small, I have often thought, "Can these bones live?"
In response to Ezekiel's question, God told him to do something very strange. It was the strangest message to the deadest congregation in the history of preaching! God told him to preach the Word of the Lord to the dry bones. "Again He said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones and say to them, "O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord"'" (v. 4).
The word "prophesy" doesn't always mean to foretell or to predict. Here, it means to speak out or to preach a message to the people of God. There is supernatural power in the spoken Word of God.
Ezekiel's faith conquered the limitations of his carnal mind, and he obeyed the voice of God. It is a Bible fact: Obedience brings blessing, and disobedience brings judgment. Ezekiel looked at the valley full of scattered, very dry bones and preached this message: 
Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord."
—Ezekiel 37:5–6
Ezekiel proclaimed that God was going to do a supernatural work that would make those dry, lifeless, scattered bones live again. It would be a reversal of death and corruption.
In perfect obedience to the Word of God, Ezekiel said:
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
—Ezekiel 37:7–8
Notice that the restoration to life for the bones was a process. It was not an instantaneous event. The bones were dry, scattered, and dead for a very long time. The dry bones in Ezekiel's vision represent the nation of Israel during the Diaspora, beginning in A.D. 70 (Ezek. 37:11). Gradually the bones came together, and the sinews and flesh came upon them.
It was at this point of Israel's gradual restoration that people like Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, began to call the Jews back to Israel. The "sinews and flesh" continued to come together as the Jews of the earth returned to Eretz, Israel, to drain the swamps and transform the desert into a rose. On May 14, 1948, at 4:32 p.m., the State of Israel, after 2,000 years, was reborn. Ezekiel's prophetic vision was fulfilled:
Then say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land.'"
—Ezekiel 37:21
God made it exceedingly clear that He would bring the Jews back to "their own land." He would not bring them back to the Palestinians' land—He would restore them to the promised land of the eternal covenant God had made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants.
At the conclusion of Ezekiel 37, the nation of Israel had been physically reborn. Today they have a flag; they have a constitution; they have a prime minister and a Knesset. They have a police force, a powerful military and the world's best intelligence agencies. They have Jerusalem, the city of God. They have a nation. They have everything but spiritual life.
Like the dry bones of Ezekiel 37, Israel awaits the spiritual awakening of the breath of God and to the coming of Messiah.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Lion Roars Prophetic Newsletter - "The Great Eagle Shall Rise Again - Part III" - Karla Shrake (Mantles of Glory Ministries)



A Prophetic Newsletter www.MantlesOfGlory.org

By Karla Shrake

July, 2013 - Vol. 21

And the Lord Roars from Zion...And utters  His voice from Jerusalem." Joel 3:16

"The Lord utters His Voice before His Army; Surely His camp is Very Great,For Strong is he who Carries out His Word." Joel 2:11



The Great Eagle Shall Rise Again - Part III

(*Note from author Karla Shrake: Below are excerpts taken from the last section of my book "Mantles of Glory." This section received and penned in 1999, published 2001.) 
 
The wise and loving Father of all is preparing His beloved children for the greatest challenges and the greatest battle of all time. Does not an earthly father instruct, train and even admonish his children in order to equip them for the challenges of life? In anticipation of a great war is it not the wise and caring general who presses his troops to the maximum, training them for the rigors of the battlefield ahead and preparing them not just for survival, but for victory?

Mothers and Fathers Speak Truth

The Father-General is now raising up mothers and fathers who will speak His truth for the purpose of maturing and preparing the Body for the great battle ahead. We must put aside milk and diapers "and grow up into Him who is the head." This battlefield is only for those who are spiritually strong and developed. It is time to go into the gyms of daily life to exercise God's truths and to develop strength and stamina. 

We cannot wait until the heat of the great battle to begin exercising and learning the weapons of our warfare for it will be too late and we will be overcome. His voice to the Body in this hour is the voice of preparation, instruction and exhortation and of loving admonishment. "The time is short," warns the Father-General, "and there is much to learn and overcome in order to be ready for what lies ahead."

It is imperative that you follow the Lamb-Lion wherever He goes in this critical hour, obeying Him as your Commanding General not only when you understand but even when you do not. You must follow Him not only when you feel good and rested but also when you are battle-worn and weary for the time of preparation is shorter than you realize. 

Remember you will be able to stand in this rigorous and challenging latter day only in the Lord's strength that has been deposited within you from the beginning.



"He (Eleazar) arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder." II Sam. 23:10

The Warrior-Eagle Makes Resolution

America you must resolve to seek your Father as never before. You must resolve to grasp Him even as the warrior-Eleazar of David's three mighty men. This mighty warrior stood alone defying the entire Philistine army that had gathered for battle while the men of Israel retreated. Alone and in his weariness he continued to stand against all odds. He grasped his sword until his hand 'stuck' to it. 

 It is imperative that you grasp Him Warrior-Eagle as Eleazar grasped his sword. You must grasp His Word, His anointing, and even His very own heart in this late hour until you are 'stuck' to them, becoming one with them.

"Even as I used Eleazar to stand against many bringing about a great victory for Israel," says the Lord, "so will I use you in this late day My courageous Warrior-Eagle. You will indeed stand against the very hordes of hell itself to bring about great last-day victory as I manifest the triumph of Calvary through you."

New Winds are Blowing

"Even as I blew into Adam's nostrils the breath of life in the beginning so am I now as the Father of all again blowing My eternal life-breath deeply into the hearts of men in this late hour. As I commanded My servant Ezekiel to prophesy to the dead bones in the midst of the valley so am I now commanding life into the dead bones of the valleys of America in this urgent hour:


" 'Oh dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. Come from the four winds, Oh breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.' " Ezekiel 37:4-5, 9

The Spirit of Elijah Will Resurrect the Eagle

Beloved Eagle-America allow the Lord of Glory once again to be intimate with you to overshadow you and to blow His eternal life-breath deeply into you. He will resurrect you even as He resurrected the son of the widow of Zarepheth and the son of the Shunamite woman. Even as He sent his prophets to them so is He now sending His spirit of Elijah/Elisha, His prophetic spirit of restoration, to resurrect that which has died within you.

Both these prophets stretched themselves out laying their own bodies upon the bodies of the dead sons as they prayed. Even so the Lord is now stretching Himself out upon that which is dead within you Eagle-America, laying His Spirit of resurrection upon you, breathing His very own life-breath into you once again until you are warmed and restored. 

Yes He did lay His presence upon you in the beginning when He conceived and formed you but know that He is now coming to you a second time.



"I hear the cries of My faithful children across this land welcoming Me in this day," says your Father, "even as the widow and the Shunamite who welcomed Me into their homes long ago. This is truly your appointed day to rise again My beloved Eagle-America," commands your Father.

You will Live Again Eagle-America!

"Your heart will beat again with the fervor and the passion of your first love toward Me. You will rise up stretching and exercising your great wings, again catching the winds of My Spirit and purpose, becoming airborne. As you fellowship with Me in the heights of My Spirit your eyes will again become clear as you 'come to yourself' remembering who you are and for what great purpose you were conceived."

"You will be strengthened," promises your faithful Father. "You will endure and overcome, accomplishing all that I have ordained for you from the beginning. Long ago My last day servant Joel prophesied last-day restoration:

"Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust...." Joel 2:25



"Receive My resurrection life-breath even now My beloved Eagle for your latter days will be much more glorious than your former. It is time now to hoist up your welcome banners toward Heaven beseeching My precious Holy Spirit to invade your deepest hearts, lives and families. Welcome My eternal life-breath into all that has been dead to Me and you will receive My resurrection power. Rejoice for your hour of deliverance, vindication and commissioning has come...your restoration is truly at hand!"