End Times Bible Reading

There are many prophecies of Jesus Christ as well as of the End times,  throughout the Bible. Some have been fulfilled. Some are being fulfilled NOW and some of the Bible prophecies will be fulfilled in the future, however soon that might be.

Though much of the Bible deals with End Times Prophecy, there are three books of the Bible that are key to Biblical End Times Prophecies. In no specific order, they are:

Ezekiel,

Daniel & 

Revelation

For many these 3 books have things difficult to understand but yet if you read through them anyway, their are certain sections in each of these Bible books simple enough that the Holy Spirit will be able to speak to you through them. Also, for those with reading disabilities, you can listen to the Bible on tape, on CD, and even online.

I often listen to while reading the Bible online at BibleGateway.

Then for more understanding as you read through Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation a second time begin to look up Cross References in each of those Bible books. 

If your Bible does not have any study helps/cross-references many Bible bookstores have such Bibles available even some dollar stores sell Bibles (and usually they have a few cross-references on each page).

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Ezekiel Reveiw Lessons 1 to 7, Ezekiel 1:1 - 3:4

Since to review you can read through the previous lessons;
I decided not to post my summarized review here.

If you really want to read my summarized review it is at my
archived Back Issues in the following edition:
August 2007 Pastor Bill's Newsletter,

Click the above high-lighted hypertext
then go down to section 3
for that review of our Ezekiel Lessons.

Until next time,
keep seeking more of God.
Get a vision of Jesus Christ in ALL of His GLORY
and live accordingly!

Sincerely in Christ,
internet Pastor Bill

Lesson 7

Note:
This cartoon is used
with permission from
The Back Pew.




Ezekiel
Chapter 2:8 - 3:4


8 But thou, son of man,hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
3:1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.


Lesson 7 Ezekiel 2:8 - 3:4

To review all of the lessons;
you might want to read
and study the earlier lessons,
starting with this blog's first post.

As was stated in previous lessons;
The Holy Spirit entered Ezekiel to give him the strength to
stand in God's awesome, mighty, Holy Presence.
The Holy Spirit will be helping Ezekiel to live up to his name
"strength of God". Even in Ezekiel's initial calling which
begins here in Ezekiel chapter 2 and continues into chapter 3.
Rebellious is a theme in verses 2 through 8 of how the people
of Israel are at this time and yet that is Ezekiel's commission
to go preach to them anyway.

Now on to this lesson, Lesson #7
God tells Ezekiel to eat the scroll, the book that is filled with mournings and woe. John in Revelation (10:9-11) also ate a scroll given from God. It is one thing to speak about God and about His Word, it is another thing to proclaim the anointed Holy Word of God, popular or not! To proclaim an anointed Word that God has put on your heart is even more powerful then sharing a little from our head knowledge of God's Word.
That is what Ezekiel and John both had to do.
Proclaim the Word of God that became a part of them.
No wonder Jeremiah, said he could not be quiet because
God's Word burned within his soul.
When you have an anointed Word from God, it will burn in your Spirit until you have to share what God is saying. If not behind the pulpit then in Sunday school, if not that then at a church supper, if now within church then share with your family, your co-workers, your neighbors as God leads, or even perhaps sahring through blogs and/or internet groups. Often times an anointed prophetic message needs to be shared again and again because it is a message for many in your church, in the church world.
Often, it is a message for many in your neighborhood, your town, your state or province even for many in your nation.
God still needs anointed prophets to speak out to the nations and the world as well as to the church world.
Too many (thank God not all) have laid aside the porophetic ministry that are messages for the l;eaders of the church world and for leaders in their own towns, states and nations.
Why? because often times many realize like Ezekiel in this chapter and Jeremiah weeping through his whole ministry, they might not be popular.

God's message through Ezekiel and many of His prophecies are going to be those of fire and brimstone, of repent or else and this to a rebellious people that most likely will mock Him for it. Yet Ezekiel is to eat all of it and then proclaim those warnings of God. Even in Revelation for John, it hints at this.
For both Ezekiel and John the scroll was sweet as honey.
God's Word is sweet to believers and messengers of God.
However sometimes to proclaim the mournings and woes of judgement are "bitter to our stomach" because our human nature does not want to be rejected and because if we, the messenger of God, the prophet of God, have the heart oif God then we will weep over the people's rebellion like Jesus wept over Jerusalem for rejecting Him.

Notice:
that He is to eat all of this scroll/book
and notice that there

"was written within and
without mournings and woes."

Two things:

1. We cannot heed and preach only part of God's Word BUT we need to take in, obey all and preach all of God's Word to be effective servants of God, especially in these Last Days.

2. The scroll/book was written within and without. There is no space to add our own ideas.
No space to add our own words and/or traditions. If we try to add our own traditions and ideas to God's message then we end up "denying the power of God" and end up with only a powerless form (imitation of godliness).


The Holy Spirit strengthens and enables us to go beyond our abilities and even beyond our natural courage.
The Apostle Peter denied our Lord Jesus 3 times yet after Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost he, Peter preached boldly to thousands.

I fear for America.
Not an ungodly fear but a godly fear and concern for America!
Some American Christians think of the rapture (the catching away of the saints) as an escape from the worst of the Last Days as an escape from persecution.
But if America does not repent as a people and as a nation,
America is headed for judgements worse then 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina combined.
Here in America, Canada and Europe: murder of unborn children is rampant, killing of the elderly is gaining (usually under the guise of a nurse or doctor accidentally(?) overdosing, sometimes more blatantly claiming it is merciful. There was nothing merciful about the way Terri Schiavo was starved and dehydrated to death for 2 weeks. If our suppoosedly civilized courts think that is justice.... then God have mercy on us ALL!
God's judgement is overdue!
Then on top of that sinful perversions are so accepted that many public schools are teaching children as young as kindergarten that homosexuality/lesbianism, cross-dressing etc. are normal.

In fact there is legislation in progress in Washington DC that would make it a hate crime to believe or speak against homosexuality. If it passes, and I wrote a Newsletter or article like this one I could go to jail for saying homsexuality is sinful.
Possibly in America there will be a wave of persecution before we are caught away in the air to be with Jesus. Possibly before the Great Tribulation starts.
Jesus said blessed are you when you are persecuted for my righteousness sake.
Those of us in the Western world have not yet seen real persecution like those who have been under Nazi rule, Communists regimes, ungodly dictatorships or under Muslim rule.
Judgement is coming to America unless more Christians interceed for our nation. And when that judgement comes physical persecution with arrests and torture will come to the Christians from; by then, a clearly ungodly government.

The good news is if most Christians would start interceeding for America and for all Christian churches, if all Christians realized they are also ministers for Jesus Christ and received the boldness of God' s Holy Ghost to witness the hope of salvation which Christ offers to those who repent, to witness boldness to speak of the power of God to deliver from all sin including God's power to deliver from the bondage of all sexual sins, from drugs and alcohol THEN it would be possible to see a powerful Last Days Revival poured out by God's Holy Spirit.
We need many intercessors for this.
Every historical revival started with believers praying and interceeding.


Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray that every reader of this lesson will heed to your word, eat (absorb) your Word into their Spirit and boldly proclaim your Word to those around them.

Lord, God,
I ask that by your Holy Spirit you inspire those who read this lesson to proclaim this message boldly,
to also copy and forward this lesson to many of their family and friends.

God,
we pray for America, we pray that your anointing will come upon preachers teachers, and all Christians; that as we live for you we will be bolder through the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim ALL of God's Word around us.
God, please stir many up to be intercessors and proclaim what they hear from God before it is too late for us.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that there is still hope and that you will answer us as we ask these things in faith, trusting anhd believing in you.
We pray all of this in Jesus Name.
AMEN!

Lesson 6

Their have 5 previous lessons but previously I was labeling them only as
"Ezekiel OverView,"
or "Part 2 of Chapter 1",
or " More Comments on Chapter 1" etc.
I now realize to keep track of where we are it is best if I also number the Lessons,
starting with this Lesson so this Lesson on Ezekiel is Lesson 6.


Lesson 6
Part 2 of Chapter 2
Originally from
Pastor Bill's Newsletter
and retrieved from our
Back Issues Newsletter archives.

Ezekiel Chapter 2:3-10
3 And he said unto me,
Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel,
to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted.
I do send thee unto them;
and thou shalt say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord GOD.
5 And they, whether they will hear,
or whether they will forbear,
(for they are a rebellious house,)
yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
6 And thou, son of man,
be not afraid of them,
neither be afraid of their words,
though briers and thorns be with thee,
and thou dost dwell among scorpions:
be not afraid of their words,
nor be dismayed at their looks,
though they be a rebellious house.
7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them,
whether they will hear,
or whether they will forbear:
for they are most rebellious.
8 But thou, son of man,
hear what I say unto thee;
Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house:
open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

To review you might want to read our earlier posts.

As was stated in previous lessons;
The Holy Spirit entered Ezekiel to give him the strength to stand in God's awesome, mighty, Holy Presence.

The Holy Spirit will be helping Ezekiel to live up to his name "strength of God". Even in Ezekiel's initial calling which begins here in Ezekiel chapter 2 and continues into chapter 3.

Rebellious is a theme in verses 2 through 8 of how the people of Israel are at this time and yet that is Ezekiel's commission to go preach to them anyway.

Rebellious nation, rebelled, transgressed, impudent children, stiffhearted, most rebellious, rebellious house are God's description of Israel at that time.
WOW! Most of us would be tempted to say to God;
"but why go because they will not listen and receive anything spiritual?".
Yet this is Ezekiel's commission to go to rebellious Israel and preach and prophesy.

When God calls us, and HE calls every believer to be a witness, God is not asking us to decide if they are too rebellious and closed to hear the Gospel of the Cross of Jesus Christ that is the message of Jesus death for all sin for forgiveness and of His Resurrection.
God is just asking us to live a witness, walk a witness and be ready to speak our witness to all who we possibly can. To be open to those opportunities of sharing about Jesus.
If you and I do that then those around us will know a follower of Jesus, a CHRISTian, a Christ-like person has been in their presence.

That is like what God said to Ezekiel in verse 5,
whether they listen or not;
"yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them".
Now you can see why Ezekiel needs the strength of God from the Holy Spirit!


Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you that there are records of Holy men who lived for you in difficult times. Please help us to be bold through the power of your Holy Spirit to be a witness for our Saviour, your son, Jesus Christ.
Help us to live so others will know that their was a woman of God or a man of God among them!
If some feel they are not there yet, I know sometimes I feel that way, help them and all of us to humbly grow into a life in which we find our fulfilment through you and that others will see Jesus Christ in us because of the working of the Holy Ghost in and through our lifes.
Father, we thank you for hearing our prayer.
We ask all of this In the Name of Jesus
AMEN!

Lesson 4

More Comments on Chapter One

This post is final comments on our study of Ezekiel Chapter One.
Then we will go on to study Chapter 2.

Now on to this week's study.
A little review is beneficial.
In conclusion of the last devotion we mentioned that
"In Verse 28 when Ezekiel saw the Lord and His glory,
He fell on His face"
I also mentioned how
"in past years, great men of God sought God on rough floors on their face".
That is a heritage that needs to be restored!

Now for some further thoughts.
I have read that in the midst of winter,
one man of God dropped on his knees,
outdoors in the winter and had a time of prayer.
It was told by witnesses that though it was freezing out
that he prayed so intently that the snow melted all
around him for a large space.

Another man of God said something to the effect that;
"after praying for lost souls
if you do not feel like you just did 8 hours of intense labor
then you were not praying hard enough."

I am doing these quotes from memory.
It might have been more then 8 hours.

Most of the church world has quite a ways to go to get back to that.

But WOW!
Compared to these 2 people of faith in Church history
(sorry I don't remember their names)
I have a long ways to go.
No, maybe we do not need to pray in the snow and maybe not all of us even
when praying intently will feel like we have done hard labor for many hours
but they are good examples to us.

In fact Jesus prayed many times all night to the next morning.
Instead of being tired and weak the next morning, this empowered Him.
Also, in the garden of Gethsemane' Jesus prayed till he sweat drops of blood.
That is a rare medical condition where a person is under so much pressure
that the smallest blood vessels near the skin break
and bleed out through the skin pores with the sweat.

So Jesus our example did get very intense in both
His praying and His obeying His Heavenly Father.

So much the more we should strive to be obedient
and not only have a good prayer life
but go into intercession for the hurting and lost.

Let us all strive towards Jesus's example!
Amen!

Lesson 3

Ezekiel Chapter 1 Part 2
Ezekiel 1:10-28

This is Ezekiel Chapter One part 2 of our study on the book of Ezekiel and then in the next post I will add final comments for Chapter One..

I would recommend that you read all of Ezekiel Chapter One, if you have not yet done that recently. Even if you do not understand all of Ezekiel Chapter One, it is a powerful vision Ezekiel had. If you have read Ezekiel Chapter One sometime in the recent month the please reread Ezekiel 1:10-28.

Now on to this week's study.

10 As for the likeness of their faces,
they four had the face of a man,
and the face of a lion, on the right side:
and they four had the face of an ox on the left side;
they four also had the face of an eagle.

The commentators can not agree if this corresponds
to the 4 Living Creatures in Revelation
and to the four Gospels
or if it is just a coincidental siimilarity.
Here are the verses frome Revelation Chazpter 4:


6 And before the throne there was
a sea of glass like unto crystal:
and in the midst of the throne,
and round about the throne,
were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion,
and the second beast like a calf,
and the third beast had a face as a man,
and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

The only face that is different is the ox in Ezekiel
and a calf in Revelation
except that a calf is a baby ox
so they are still both oxen.
Also, in Revelation it said that
these Heavenly Beings had 6 wings
and Ezekiel only mentions 4.
If they are the same heavenly creatures that both
Ezekiel saw and John saw in the Revelation,
then maybe Ezekiel was just emphasizing what stood out to him.

Also, in the 4 Gospels,
these are accepted among most scholars;
Matthew
portrays Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe
of Judah for the Jews.
Mark
portrays Jesus as the burden bearer (the ox/calf).
Luke
portrayed Jesus humaness, the man's face
and also as the compassiontae healer.
John
portrayed Jesus divineness the Eagle
symbolizing Heavenly heights.

Now you all decide.
Is Ezekiel's Heavenly Creatures
the same as the ones in Revelation?
Does Ezekiel's vision of the Heavenly Creatures,
perhaps in a prophetic way,
correspond with the 4 Gospels?

Please post what you think.
Since Bible scholars a lot smarter then me can not agree about this,
it will not upset me if there are various and contrary opinions
in the answer to this question.
In fact I might learn something from all of you.

Now to the last verses of this chapter .
If you have not yet read all of Ezekiel Chapter One,
please at least at this point read verses 22-28.

In a sense these glorious Heveanly Creatures are only God's footstool
because Ezekiel tells us that a firmament was over their heads
and over the firmament was the likeness of a throne.
I do not have time to go over all of this
but if you read verses 22-28 in Ezekiel Chapter One;
you will see a wonderful and powerful description
as to how God's throne appeared to Ezekiel.

As I mentioned these angelic heavenly creatures had their wings up.
Their wings were up I believe for worship as well as moving about
since their other sets of wings were covering their bodies
in modesty and humility.


25 And there was a voice from the firmament
that was over their heads, when they stood,
and had let down their wings.

Though these heavenly beings already
were covering their bodies in humility with one set of wings,
they lowered their other set of wings in even deeper humility.

We should learn to take God's voice as serious,
God's voice through His Word, the Holy Bible,
His voice through the worship
when we gather with other saints,
His voice through the sermons
and teachings we hear and read.
His voice during prayer times,
both with others and alone with God.
Jesus said that "my sheep know my voice".


In Verse 28 when Ezekiel saw the Lord and His glory,
He fell on His face.
In past years, great men of God sought God on rough floors on their face.
This is a heritage that needs to be restored but to get to that place takes much devotion and dedication, working up to hours in concentrated prayer.
I know I am not there yet.

Lesson One

Introduction to Ezekiel Study

The Ezekiel studies authored by myself will always be exclusively published in our Newsletter and our archives, Back Issues Newsletter group, first before being posted here or anywhere else.
From Pastor Bill's Newsletter & found in our archives and discussion group for our Newsletter which is Back Issues Newsletter group.


Ezekiel Overview

Introduction to Ezekiel Study:
By Pastor Bill

Since the name of our Internet ministry is Ezekiel 37 Bible Watch Ministries
and our original web-site is Ezekiel 37 Bible Watch,
I have decided it is time for me to tackle posting a study on Ezekiel chapter 37.

However as I thought about this, I felt it would be most beneficial if we would do a brief overview of Ezekiel like one or two chapters at a time. And then once we are done studying the chapters, we will go back to Ezekiel chapter 37 and study it verse by verse.

For starters on our web-page called
"The Reason For The Name Ezekiel 37 Bible Watch For This Web-site!"
tells a little about my perspective on Ezekiel chapter 37.

From that webpage:
"To put it simply Ezekiel's vision of the 'Valley Of Dry Bones' is prophecy of Israel being restored to the promised land in Palestine in these Last Days going all the way up to the Millennium Jesus Christ's 1000 years of ruling the Earth which is when Israel will finally have true peace. Ezekiel 37 and Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones secondary meaning is about National Revival, Church Revival and Personal Revival."

To read more about why we used the name
Ezekiel 37 Bible Watch
for our web-site and ministry name click here.


As far covering Ezekiel 37 in detail I will do that after we are done covering each chapter briefly.

Now on to the introduction of the prophet Ezekiel:
Ezekiel was born a priest from a priestly lineage.
He was called to be a prophet though God knew the people were rebellious and would not listen.
See Ezekiel 2:4-6.
Even when no one listens, if God sent you then obey for you do not know how many seeds are planted and you have spared yourself of having their blood on your hands.
Also, God said in Ezekiel 2:5 that whether they listened or not, whether they obeyed or not that the people would know that a prophet (Ezekiel) was among them.
Do the people around you know that a Christian, a Jesus follower,
a Holy Ghost filled believer is among them?
If not, we should examine ourselves and pray to God about this.

Ezekiel's ministry and prophecies were during the early years of the 70 year of captivity.
Daniel and Ezekiel are unique in that they are the only prophets that preached from foreign soil and not Israel, Judah or Samaria.
Jonah also preached on foreign soil but he was not residing in Nineveh and he was a reluctant prophet disobeying God at first whereas Daniel and Ezekiel were living in Babylon as captives and obedient to God even though they were in captivity not for their sins but for the sin of the nation of Judah.
This shows us that sometimes the innocent and Godly do suffer when God pours out His judgment upon a disobedient nation. This is one more reason for Christians to pray for America!

Some scholars believe that since Jeremiah was older that Ezekiel may have sat under Jeremiah's ministry and teachings when Ezekiel was younger, before Ezekiel was taken to Babylon. Jeremiah and Ezekiel preached many of the same things, Jeremiah in Jerusalem and Ezekiel in exile in Babylon but that would be a separate in depth study.

Scholars also believe that since Daniel was in captivity in the Palace and Ezekiel was in exile in the country that since both were in Babylon, they could have met each other and encouraged each other in the Lord frequently.
We as Christians should like David encourage ourselves in the Lord and then encourager one another.

Ezekiel's name means
"God strengthens" or "strengthened by God".
Ezekiel 3:8-9

Now notice both Daniel and Ezekiel though in captivity, though circumstances are against them, they stand strong for God. In Ezekiel's case we see that God is faithful to bless Ezekiel that his name is not just a religious saying but God truly strengthened him!
Jesus promised that He would never leave nor forsake us.
Jesus also promised us that we would receive His Holy Spirit and power to be His witnesses. Acts 1:8
Are you believing, walking in and receiving the strength
and power of God through His Holy Spirit?

This brings me to the theme of the book of Ezekiel and his prophecies.
The theme is the Word of the Lord, the Power of the Holy Spirit and visions of God's Glory along with God's Holiness which judges sin, including not only other nations but also God's people. God is so good though because God's promises of restoration to God's people, that is Israel are the ending chapter of Ezekiel.
In fact the last words are that the name of His City will be:
"The LORD is there".


How wonderful!
To be in God's presence forever!
Truly to be in God's presence forever makes it worth it to be another Ezekiel if that is required of us.
Just that thought should strengthen us to serve God through the rest of our life into eternity.
Then on top of that our ezekiel that is our strength from God comes from God's Holy Word, from Jesus our Saviour and from the Holy Spirit our teacher, our advocate and comforter. WOW!
If only all that could be fully realized in our Spirit we would be running through troops and leaping over walls!

So be an Ezekiel today!
AMEN.

Introduction to this Blog

I have a Newsletter called Pastor Bill's Newsletter with a devotional and sometimes with web info. It usually is sent out by e-mail twice per month.

I have started doing a Bible Study on the book of Ezekiel.
Every one of the posts made at this site are written by
myself, Pastor Bill Mazzulla,unless otherwise stated,

I hope to do at least one study per month for Pastor Bill's Newsletter
but sometimes it might be less.
Anyway, I plan on posting the lessons about the book of Ezekiel that are already done here on this blog and then post the new lessons here in this blog, sometime after they are sent out in Pastor Bill's Newsletter.


After posting the lessons here on this blog;
I will probably announce the post in

Ezekiel 37 Bible Watch Prayer Warriors chat group,

the Online Bible Church,

and the God and Disasters forum.



Sincerely in Christ,
internet Pastor,
Pastor Bill