Quote for Saturday 02 August 2025   ^#63

When they look on him whom they pierced then He will bring about national repentance and regeneration. He's going to bring them back and multiply them, they will be safe in the land

The nation is in a deep spirit of pessimism, feeling that all hope is lost. If they were asked, "Can these bones live?" they would answer, "no". In spite of these wonderful truths Ezekiel has revealed, they are not dreaming it is a possibility.

There is no hope for humanity in man. The dry bones can live only in the Word and Spirit of God. They are a great army.

This chapter teaches many things about how God works in revival. One of the things about revival is that there is unity. Psalm 133 tells that God commands a blessing when are are together.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site). Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

God was known for bringing them out of Egypt and into Canaan. Now that God has scattered them and left he land desolate and empty, there is the possibility that the heathen nations could accuse God of being weak and unable to protect his people.

The law had a significant weakness. They said they would obey the law, but the flesh got in the way and they were not able. A new work was required.

Ezekiel was a priest, so he would understand the ceremonial washing with water. Now he is describing a complete work of cleansing and justification. A cleansing only made possible by the death of the Lord Jesus. Not covering sin, but removing it completely.

Everyone will be touched with broken repentance, and that fountain will be opened to them for sin and cleansing, and they will be a whole, new people, no longer indifferent towards sin.

This new covenant: nobody will ever enjoy its benefits without recognising the Lord Jesus as the mediator. Moses was the mediator of the old, now it is Jesus.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site). Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

This is another chapter that deals with the amazing blessings of the new covenant. We are going to see three significant elements: The restoration of the nation of Israel, forgiveness of their sins, and the in-dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. God will change them from inside out.

There are those that take delight in spiritualising the text of Scripture. Passages like this make no sense unless you take them literally.

When Israel went into the land in 1948 one of the things they embarked upon was a reforestation project.

From v10 onwards we see 18 times the phrase, "I will". God has not finished with Israel. He has a plan for them still. God always takes his people from glory to glory, bringing them to better.

The land will be a peaceful one. Never again will the people be displaced or put to the sword. In the next verses God shows how he's going to do that.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site). Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Why was this chapter not included in the section on the judgment on the nations, from chapters 25 through 32? There was a section of judgment on Esau in chapter 25; why wasn't this added to that section?

Israel might ask how they can be restored with such enemies about, and this answers that question. Edom was Israel's most bitter enemy, going back to when Jacob and Esau fought while still in the womb. Through the Old Testament we see many kings of Israel were in conflict with Edom: Saul, Solomon, Jehoshephat, Jehoram, Ahaz, David, etc. So this conflict had been going on for a long time, and continues today.

God explains through Ezekiel the cause and effect for the things that will soon come to pass. We can see historically that the things promised in Ezekiel did become reality.

A very sobering chapter, very sobering for those who are hostile against Israel today. The spirit of the Edomites is alive and well, even though the Edomites themselves are gone. God says be careful about what you say about Israel and what you try to do to them: there will be consequences.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site). Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Ezekiel 34 is a chapter of contrasts. First we saw the shepherds of Israel who had failed miserably contrasted to God himself as shepherd. Here in Ezekiel it is YHWH God who says he will be the shepherd, and in John 10 Jesus says that he is the Good Shepherd, identifying himself as being one with YHWH.

David is referred to as a prince over them, rather than a king, so it does not appear to be talking about Jesus. The Lord Jesus will be king over all Earth in that great coming day, but according to the text a resurrected David will also be a prince over the people.

We've gone through a lot of judgment passages, and now we have much more positive ones. "a covenant of peace..." points to the new covenant in its perfection and culmination in the millennial kingdom. This new covenant will bring peace to the world, restore Israel and their temple, and more. What drives the text of Scriptures are the covenants, when God swares by an oath that He will do something. It started with Noah, then Abraham, and then Moses -- the first time it was conditional: the people had to agree to certain things, i.e., t he Law.

There is one covenant that guarantees the success of all the others: The New Covenant.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site). Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

1. Christ is risen
2. The same body
3. An orderly rising from the dead
4. A spiritual kingdom, not a worldly kingdom
5. We won't take anything with us into Heaven
6. The grave is empty
7. Burial and not burning
8. A most glorious hope
9. Remembered on the Sabbath day
10. Christ the firstfruits