How did you get that out of Ezekiel 37? That is quite a stretch.
>>>In fact, it is not time for Eze 38 yet, since God promised in Eze 39:28 that no Jew would be left behind.>>>
This is the context:
"After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there." (Eze 39:26-28 KJV)
What are the names of the enemy lands where Jews are held captive today? New York City? LOL!
The Lord sent Antiochus (Gog) against Israel (Eze 38:16) because they had become complacent after more than 300 years of peace: peace that began during the reign of Darius. Antiochus had taken captives (Dan 11:33,) and in this prophecy the Lord promised they would all be allowed to return. Regarding the captives, Josephus said:
"And when he had pillaged the whole city, some of the inhabitants he slew, and some he carried captive, together with their wives and children, so that the multitude of those captives that were taken alive amounted to about ten thousand." [Antiquities XII.5.4]
Recall that under Cyrus all were allowed to return, but many chose not to. I assume the same here. When the Lord says "he left none any more there," I would be hesitant to take that as if he dragged them back into Israel. Rather, I see it as simply releasing them from captivity.
Of course, if you insist on taking that literally, and you have exhausted all Hebrew and Greek translations and have assumed there is no ambiguity; then should you not also take 39:9-13 literally?
For example, imagine the size of the army where Israel would need no firewood for seven years, but the wood of the army's shields, bucklers, spears, handstaves, and bows and arrows (Eze 39:9-12.) Can you think of any army today that carries any kind of wood? Even rifle stocks are plastic these days. And does Israel even use firewood these days?
Now imagine the number of corpses from Gog's army that are scattered about that would require all the people of Israel (millions of Israeli's) a total of 7 months to bury (Eze 39:11-15.)
Either it is all literal, or it is all figurative. You can't have it both ways.
>>>Another reason I don’t think the Maccabean Revolt was Eze 38 is that Israel was not “a land of unwalled villages; [...]a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates” (Eze 38:11). <<<
I recall the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt during Ezra, but I don't recall the villages having walls. Do you have scriptural references for that?
>>>When do I think Eze 38 will take place? Well, not before Israel lives at peace, which makes me think that another war with Israel’s neighbors have to take place first. Psalm 83? Isa 17?<<<
I understand there was a great period of peace for Israel, beginning in the reign of Darius, that lasted over 300 years, even during the reign of Alexander. That peace ended upon the invasion of Antiochus IV.
Philip
Most rabbis and Christian commentators see the Valley of Dry Bones as the Holocaust, and the bones coming together, forming bodies and becoming alive, the rebirth of the State of Israel.
What are the names of the enemy lands where Jews are held captive today? New York City? LOL!
The Jews are not held captive today, but they were taken captive from Israel and can be found today all over the world. I think part of Eze 39:28 is that all Jews will return to Israel. Look at the Aliyah numbers from Europe, the US... it is happening!
more than 300 years of peace: peace that began during the reign of Darius
Like you wrote to another poster, this "peace" is based on historical silence. Lack of evidence is not evidence of something not happening.
I don't recall the villages having walls.
Archeology shows that at that time all villages were walled or did not exist for long!
So if everything has already taken place, all prophecy fulfilled, we must be living in heaven...I gotta say I am sorely disappointed...And you don't want to listen to John Hagee???