Finally the nations of the earth will come up against Jerusalem to battle. God will permit Antichrist to enter the Holy Land. Then there will be a period of trouble for the Jews. Many will flee from Judea. These are the days of "Jacob's trouble," of the great tribulation.

Antichrist will sit in the Temple of God in Jerusalem for a season. There will be massive signs in the heavens, the sun and the moon turning dark. The "powers of the heavens" will be shaken in some manner. The "stars shall fall from heaven" (probably not the physical stars of the firmament but the spiritual lords who follow Satan). After these signs the nations will return to "business as usual," exclaiming "peace and safety have come!"

At the time of the spiritual darkness, when all appears normal, Christ will appear. His elect will be gathered together to Him. Now will He descend with His army of judges and angels to destroy the wicked out of the earth.

The feet of the Lord will rest on the Mount of Olives. Antichrist and his armies will be attacked and destroyed. The resurrected saints will enter the holy city. It will be then, we believe, that the Spirit of God will be poured out on the nation of Israel. Jerusalem will be filled with the Glory of the Lord. The nation of Israel will be born again of God's Spirit "at once."

Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. (Isaiah 32:15)

The Redeemer shall come to Zion:

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 59:19,20)

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:1)

In that day the Lord Jesus will sit on the Throne of David in Jerusalem surrounded by His saints of all ages. There will be one fold and one Shepherd. Spiritual and natural Israel will have converged forming one Wife of the Lamb.

The Apostles of the Lamb will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The victorious saints will go forth from Jerusalem, being filled with God and Christ, to rule over the nations that were not destroyed when the Lord Jesus and His army descended from Heaven.

Jesus will be King over all Israel in that day.

We have discussed briefly the significance of Ezekiel, Chapter 37 for the physical nation of Israel. Let us turn now to the application of this chapter to spiritual Israel, to the members of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is the Wife of the Lamb, the Christian Church, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the eternal Temple of God.

To be continued.