>>>Ezekiel 34: 22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. 23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 24 And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.<<<
>>>God “literally” told us who He was talking about and He is “literally” currently re-gathering Israel to the land He gave them just as He promised He would.<<<
>>>Hosea 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: 5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.<<<
>>>The nation of Israel has been without a king, prince, and without sacrifice for “many days”. God is now re-gathering them in the land He gave them and will finish what He promised. Stay tuned. Your “it’s all past” is falling apart as Israel is being set back in their land.<<<
And David literally will be their King? Not Jesus?
If David will be their King, are dispensationalists spiritualizing the scripture by claiming Jesus will be the earthly King? Or is the mention of David as king implying a spiritual king?
How does that work?
>>>Ezekiel 48 – all that land will once again belong to the nation of Israel.<<<
Let's check it out. Ezekiel 48 lists the 12 tribes, by verse, as follows:
1 … a portion for Dan.
2 … a portion for Asher.
3 … a portion for Naphtali.
4 … a portion for Manasseh.
5 … a portion for Ephraim.
6 … a portion for Reuben.
7 … a portion for Judah.
23 …Benjamin shall have a portion.
24 …Simeon shall have a portion.
25 … Issachar a portion.
26 … Zebulun a portion.
27 … Gad a portion.
In Revelation 7:5-8, the tribes listed are: Reuben, Gad, Juda, Aser, Nephthalim, Manasses, Levi, Simeon, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Two of those tribes listed in Ezekiel as receiving land portions, Dan and Ephraim, do not match the tribes listed in the Revelation of Jesus Christ; and Joseph from the Revelation is not mentioned in Ezekiel.
How do you explain these discrepancies, Cynical? Was Ezekiel writing about the restoration of land to Israel after their return from Babylon, rather than 2500 years in the future as dispensationalists claim?
Philip
It’s rather easy really. Just some study could have told you that. Whenever the twelve tribes are listed with names as Patriarchs of the tribe there is always twelve. But the names are not always the same. There is a reason for that. In Ezekiel 48 the land is being allocated and Levi is left off the list. That’s because Levi was the father of the Priestly tribe and they didn’t get land allotted to them so are left off the list when land is being discussed. On the other hand Levi is credited in Revelation since it’s not land being discussed but who it is that is protected through the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. Dan and Ephraim are left off getting credit in Revelation because they were the instigators of Idolatry as seen in 1 Kings 12. In every case of a list there is always twelve and always the descendents of Jacob.
Bottom line is that in Revelation Joseph gets credit for the tribe of Ephraim Dan is not given credit but Levi is. God knows who is who.
>>Was Ezekiel writing about the restoration of land to Israel after their return from Babylon, rather than 2500 years in the future as dispensationalists claim?<<
No, he was not. When is Israel’s history have they ever “dwelt safely” in the land since the days of Solomon?
Ezekiel 34: 28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. 30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.