Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 39:29
Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
29. poured out my spirit ] This states in brief all the regenerating influences more fully dwelt upon in Eze 36:25-31. Cf. Joe 2:28; Zec 12:10. On first clause, Isa 54:8-10; Jer 31:3 seq.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 29. For I have poured out my Spirit] That is, I will pour out my Spirit; see the notes on Eze 36:25-29, where this subject is largely considered. This Spirit is to enlighten, quicken, purify, and cleanse their hearts; so that, being completely changed, they shall become God’s people, and be a praise in the earth. Now, they are a proverb of reproach; then, they shall be eminently distinguished.
A NEW PLAN OF THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM
For an explanation of this plan, and of the accompanying
map of the division of the Land of Canaan,
see at the end of “Eze 48:35“.
[Drawing of the Plan of the Temple]
[Drawing of Divison of the Land of Canaan]
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Neither will I hide my face: see Eze 39:23. I will not turn from them in displeasure.
From them; from the whole house of Israel. This is no assurance to any pretender of great interest in God, who yet lives in sin.
Poured out, in abundant measures of wisdom and holiness, my Spirit; which is a Spirit of sanctification to make them holy, and a Spirit of strength to confirm them in holiness, and of adoption to sweeten obedience to them; they shall not, they will not depart from me, according to the promises, Eze 11:19,20; 36:25-27; 37:23-28; Jer 31:31, &c.; Jer 32:37-40. It was sin that caused God to hide his face, and now grace shall be given to keep them out of sin, and to engage them to constant obedience, that God may rejoice over them to do them good in this their latter end.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
29. poured out my Spirit upon . . .Israelthe sure forerunner of their conversion (Joe 2:28;Zec 12:10). The pouring out ofHis Spirit is a pledge that He will hide His face no more (2Co 1:22;Eph 1:14; Phi 1:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Neither will I hide my face any more from them,…. The Jews, upon their future conversion, will always have the worship of God among them, and his presence with them; he will always take notice of them; they will ever be under his protection and care; he will never remove his Shechinah from them any more, as the Targum: a further proof that this refers to future times; for, after their return from Babylon, God did hide his face, and remove his presence from them, and left them to ruin and destruction by the Romans:
for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God; this refers not to the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but to one that is yet to come, when the Jews will be converted in the latter day; after which God will no more depart from them, nor shall they depart from him; see Zec 12:10.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(29) I have poured out.Comp. Joe. 2:28-29; Act. 2:17. See Excursus G at the end of this book.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
REFLECTIONS
How truly great, and how truly solemn at the same time is this scripture. Is it not like the pillar of cloud in the camp of Israel; which, while giving light and joy to the people of God, became darkness and terror to the Egyptians. Lord Jesus, I beseech thee give thy people grace in beholding the ruin of the foe, in the midst of their own safety to learn where to ascribe the glory, and thankfully to recognize the gracious hand that maketh all the difference! If, Lord, thou sendest a fire on the Magogs of the present hour, oh! how justly mightest thou destroy all the adversaries of rebellious sinners. And if Israel of old was sent into captivity for their iniquity; who is there, Lord, of thine, that in themselves can venture to suppose that they are better than they, when Jehovah hath included all under sin? Precious Lord Jesus! do thou bring again, as thou hast promised, the captivity of Jacob, and bind up the wounds of thine Israel. Do, Lord, as thou hast said. Cause them to dwell safely in their own land, and let none make them afraid. Be thou sanctified in them, O Lord, and be thou their sanctification also, from thy Holy Spirit dwelling in them, that all the earth may know that thou art a faithful Covenant-God in Christ, and that for his sake thou never wilt hide thy face from them anymore, when thou hast turned back their Captivity before their eyes!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 39:29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
Ver. 29. Neither Will I hide my face any more from them. ] They shall have beatiful vision and fruition for ever. See on Eze 39:25 .
For I have poured out my spirit.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Neither . . . any more. Another mark of time. poured out, &c. See Joe 2:28. Another mark of time.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
hide: Eze 39:23-25, Eze 37:26, Eze 37:27, Isa 45:17, Isa 54:8-10
for: Eze 36:25-27, Isa 32:15, Isa 44:3-5, Isa 59:20, Isa 59:21, Joe 2:28, Zec 12:10, Act 2:17, Act 2:18, Act 2:33, 1Jo 3:24
Reciprocal: Deu 31:17 – hide my face Isa 11:14 – spoil Isa 17:6 – General Isa 24:21 – the Lord Isa 32:17 – quietness Isa 51:22 – I have Jer 29:14 – and I will turn Jer 31:40 – it shall Jer 32:40 – that I Jer 33:5 – I have hid Eze 16:42 – and will Eze 36:27 – I will Eze 37:14 – shall put Hos 2:19 – for Joe 2:19 – and I Joe 3:1 – when Zep 3:15 – thou Zec 9:8 – no Zec 12:3 – in that Luk 1:74 – that we Act 2:38 – and ye Gal 3:14 – might Rev 16:12 – that the Rev 20:8 – Gog
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 39:29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them. There were numerous times afterward when God was displeased with his people and punished them very severely. But the nation as a whole was never taken in a body from their home land as It was in the Babylonian captivity.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 39:29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them I will never again withdraw my favour or protection from them, or turn from them in displeasure. For I have poured out In abundant mercy; my Spirit upon the house of Israel Which, as a Spirit of truth, shall enlighten their minds, and make them wise unto salvation; as a Spirit of grace, shall regenerate and create them anew; as a Spirit of power, shall strengthen them for every duty, and enable them to withstand and conquer every temptation; as a Spirit of holiness, shall cleanse them from sin, sanctify their souls, and stamp them with mine image; and, as a Spirit of adoption and consolation, shall inspire them with confidence and hope, and render every branch of obedience, and every exercise of piety and virtue, sweet and delightful to them. It appears by this promise, that there will be a new and plentiful effusion of Gods Spirit on the Jews and Israelites in the latter days, in order to their conversion, their establishment in grace, and their restoration to their own land: see Isa 59:20-21, a passage applied by St. Paul to this very purpose, Rom 11:26-27. Compare likewise Zec 12:10, and Eze 11:19; Eze 36:27, of this prophecy.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Lord would no longer prove inaccessible to His people because He would bestow His Spirit on all the Israelites. [Note: See Cooper, p. 349, for a helpful chart contrasting nine ideals present in Eden, lost in the Fall, and restored to Israel in the future, drawn from chapters 33-39.]
There are at least eight views as to the time of this future invasion.
1. The invasion is only symbolic of the attempts of evil forces to overcome God’s people. [Note: E.g., Allen, Ezekiel 20-48, p. 210; and Stuart, p. 352.] It does not describe a real battle but in the language of warfare pictures the triumph of good over evil, the forces of God over those of Satan. The amount of detail and specific references to places and times in this prophecy argue against this view. [Note: For further arguments against this view, see Feinberg, p. 219.]
2. It will occur before the Tribulation, either before the Rapture or at the time of the Rapture or just after the Rapture. [Note: E.g., David L. Cooper, When Gog’s Armies Meet the Almighty: An Exposition of Ezekiel Thirty-eight and Thirty-nine, pp. 80-81.] But the prophecy sets the time of this invasion after God has restored Israel to her land (cf. Eze 38:8; Eze 38:16). Eze 36:26-28; Eze 39:26-29 indicate that Israel’s restoration will involve spiritual regeneration as well as physical return, so the present return of Jews to the State of Israel cannot be the fulfillment.
3. It will happen during the Tribulation (cf. Dan 11:40-41; Rev 14:14-20). For three and a half years Antichrist will encourage the Jews to return to Palestine, but then he will break his covenant with them and begin to attack them (Mat 24:15-22; Dan 9:27; Dan 11:40-41). Thus Israel will enjoy a period of peace in the Tribulation. It is during the first half of the Tribulation, toward its end, that advocates of this view place the fulfillment of this prophecy. [Note: E.g., J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, pp. 350-52; Dyer, "Ezekiel," p. 1300; idem, in The Old . . ., p. 691; and Wiersbe, pp. 232-36. ] Eze 39:7 says that following this battle the Lord’s name will be profaned no longer, but during the second half of the Tribulation it will be profaned (cf. Revelation 13; Rev 16:9; Rev 16:11; Rev 16:21). It also seems unlikely that the Jews could bury corpses for seven months and burn weapons as fuel for seven years following an invasion in the middle of the seven-year Tribulation. The last half of the Tribulation will involve unparalleled persecution for the Jews (Dan 9:27).
4. It will take place at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (the battle of Armageddon; cf. Zechariah 12; Zec 14:1-4; Rev 19:11-21). [Note: Feinberg, pp. 218-19, 230-31; H. A. Ironside, Ezekiel, p. 265; W. Kelly, Notes on Ezekiel, pp. 200-201; Louis S. Bauman, Russian Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy, pp. 174-77. Harold W. Hoehner, "The Progression of Events in Ezekiel 38-39," in Integrity of Heart, Skillfulness of Hands: Biblical and Leadership Studies in Honor of Donald K. Campbell, pp. 82-92, argued that Ezekiel 38 refers to events in the middle of the Tribulation and chapter 39 to events at the end of the Tribulation.] Some advocates equate Gog with the king of the North (Dan 11:40). Some of Ezekiel’s descriptions of Gog’s invasion recur in Rev 19:17-21, which describes the end of the Tribulation. However other aspects appear in Rev 20:7-10, which describes the end of the Millennium. Israel is dwelling securely in the land that Gog will invade, but at the end of the Tribulation Israel will have been under intense attack for three and a half years (Dan 9:27).
5. It will happen between the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the Millennium. [Note: E.g., Alva J. McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom: An Inductive Study of the Kingdom of God, p. 187; and Gaebelein, p. 251.] Since Jesus Christ’s return to the earth will end the Tribulation and begin the Millennium, it does not seem that there will be enough time for the invasion of Gog and its consequences then (cf. Eze 39:1-16; Mat 13:41). Furthermore some of the allusions to this invasion in Revelation suggest a time at the end of the Millennium (Rev 20:7-10). John F. Walvoord believed that the rebellion of Gog will occur before the Millennium, but did not say exactly when. [Note: John F. Walvoord, The Millennial Kingdom, p. 331; and idem, "Revelation," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, p. 981.]
6. It will happen at the beginning of the Millennium. This seems highly unlikely since all who enter the Millennium will be believers who have assisted the Jews (Mat 25:31-46). Moreover all weapons of war will be destroyed at the beginning of the Millennium (Mic 4:1-4).
7. It will occur at the end of the Millennium. [Note: E.g., Ellison, p. 133; Davidson, p. 301; Merrill, p. 380; and Chisholm, Handbook on . . ., p. 282.] Rev 20:8 refers specifically to Gog and Magog in a context describing the end of the Millennium. Israel dwelling in safety in her land, the situation described repeatedly in Ezekiel 33-39, fits conditions at the end of the Millennium. Rabbinic writers identified Gog and Magog as the final enemy that will attack Israel in the messianic age. [Note: See Fisch, p. 253.] Critics of this view say, Why bury the dead for seven months following the battle when the resurrection of the unsaved will follow immediately (cf. Rev 20:11-13)? This objection assumes that these events will follow one another immediately, but the text does not say so explicitly. Why would the Israelites burn the weapons for seven years since it appears that God will create a new earth immediately after He quells the rebellion described in Rev 20:7-10 (cf. Rev 21:1-4)? Again, there may be time between these events that the Bible does not reveal anywhere but here. Another problem with this view is the description of the Lord calling the birds to a great feast in Rev 19:17-21, which occurs at the end of the Tribulation.
8. The best solution seems to me to be a combination of views 4 and 7. Apparently the fulfillment will take place in two phases, first at the end of the Tribulation and then at the end of the Millennium, when Israel is dwelling securely (cf. Rev 19:17-21; Rev 20:7-8). [Note: E.g., L. Cooper, pp. 336-37; Alexander, "Ezekiel," p. 940; and Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 394.] Ezekiel evidently described the invasion of Israel’s enemies into the Promised Land as a single event, but later revelation clarifies that it will happen on two separate occasions. Part of Ezekiel’s prophecy describes one of these invasions, part the other, and some of it describes both incidents. Gog then does not describe a single individual but two people both of whom share similar plans. In the first fulfillment Gog is the king of the North. In the second he is the human leader who will lead the rebellion at the end of the Millennium.
It seems unnatural for God to describe as one battle one that will have two parts separated by 1,000 years, and there is certainly no indication in Ezekiel that Gog’s invasion will have two phases. However, in view of later clarification in the Book of Revelation, we apparently have another instance of two events widely separated in time viewed by a prophet as one. The prophets’ descriptions of the near and far destructions of Babylon (Isaiah 21; Jeremiah 51), the two advents of Messiah (Isa 61:1-2), and the coming of two persecutors of the Jews (Antiochus Epiphanes and Antichrist; Dan 11:21-44) are other examples of this "foreshortened" view of the future.