Last Month’s Article focused on the wall that is being built in Israel. The wall, some 400 miles long and in places 25 feet high, presents an apparent contradiction to the words of Ezekiel 38 which declare Israel will be living safely, in unwalled villages at the time of the end. How can a nation be unwalled when it is encompassed by a wall some four times the length and twice the height of the Berlin wall?
In this regard, we have received some very interesting input from Bro. Keith Worthington of Pinetown, South Africa. Bro. Keith proposes we consider that being “unwalled” means being devoid of divine protection because of Israel’s unbelief.
A place of refuge
The words “safely” and “safety” in Ezekiel are from betach which, according to Strong’s Concordance, means “a place of refuge, safety, confidence, hope and secure.” A significant occurrence of the word relates to safety that is conditional upon God’s protection, even in adverse conditions. And we find from Englishman’s Hebrew Concordance that betach is also translated “careless”
and “carelessly” in some places. It does not mean careless as we use the word clumsy, but rather the people described are carefree and relaxed, with “nobody on guard.”
Examining these two uses of the word, we find Israel dwells “safely” when she has divine protection, while the Gentiles dwell “carelessly” without regard to impending danger.
In virtually every case, while Israel is walking in God’s counsel, they dwell “safely” because they are assured of divine protection. All those who are outside the covenants of promise will suffer the consequences of living “carelessly” because they have no divine protection; and, as we see from the chart, they are exposed to calamity. Remember, this is all the same word betach.
Bro. Keith’s suggestion is that, for the last 2000 years, Israel has chosen to walk in its own counsels, so when the Gogian invasion described in Ezekiel 38 takes place, Israel will be dwelling like the Gentiles in Old Testament times, without divine protection. Because of her attitude, she will suffer great humiliation and defeat by the invading northern confederacy as she dwells “carelessly,” not “safely.”
Israel dwells without walls
A wall can be a literal wall of brick or stone, or it can be a symbolic wall of God’s divine protection such as Jeremiah 15: 20: 21: “And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall:’ and they shall fight against thee, saith the LORD, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked.”
Thus, in Ezekiel 38:11: the Gogian invader declares, “I will go up to the land of unwalled villages, I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey.” The suggestion is that reference is to Israel being without divine protection because of her blindness of heart. This state will continue for Israel until she is converted, when God will hedge her about with strong walls and she will dwell safely under divine protection once more.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One