The People of the Land II: Ezekiel 36

Prophesy to the Mountains!

While I was in Lillooet, God gave me the scriptural foundation showing that He wants to restore the land, and bring the people of the land into their full inheritance of blessing. God began to speak to me in prayer over Lillooet, “Prophesy to the mountains… Prophesy to the mountains”. I turned in response to Ezekiel 36:1 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD”. This is a powerful message all by itself. Of course this is a prophecy for Israel, and God will fulfill His promises to Israel. But this passage also holds a message for us, for the first people of our land, and for our regions. I heard the Spirit of God speaking to the mountains of Lillooet: “Hear the word of the LORD”! I speak to the mountains of Lillooet: “Hear the word of the LORD”! I encourage the people of God all over the world to begin saying to the mountains of their land: “Hear the word of the LORD”! … and start speaking the word of God into the land. The mountains of the land, the high places of the land, the powers and principalities of the land:” Hear the word of the LORD”!

But this scripture passage pertaining to the land goes further: “² This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘The enemy said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.’’ The enemy of our souls thinks he has the land all wrapped up. The enemy thinks that he has taken possession of the mountain heights, the reservation lands, the towns and cities and all of the people.

But God has a different perspective. God says in verse 11 that “¹¹ I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD . ¹² I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children”. God says that He will cause the mountains of your land to know that He is God! He will do this by causing His people to possess the high places that the enemy has thought were his.

This is good news for the land, for God’s people, even for people who don’t know God, especially for the First people – but this is good news for everyone that lives in the whole area. God is going to turn on the light, take back the high places, and give the land to His people! He is going to prosper your land more than ever before in order to show everyone who He is, and show the heart of love and compassion that He has for all of the people of your land and the surrounding areas.

There is, however, one important reason He is going to do this. The reason God gives is key to the whole work. “²¹ I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.” God says that the people of God have historically profaned His name among the First people where they have gone.

²² “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.” God says that it is not for the sake of His people that He will do this. There is unfinished business in the land. The colonial people who professed knowledge of God did not live out God’s love for the First people that they found, almost invariably around the world. With acts of injustice toward native people in so many places, on so many continents, they have profaned the Name of the LORD. God goes further, however: “²³ I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD , declares the Sovereign LORD , when I show myself holy through you before their eyes”. God says that He will change the heart of the church in this day and show His true heart to the First people through us. This will only come about through a coming together of the church in prayer, repentance and ultimately in acts of repentance and restoration between the peoples. But be encouraged, because God says that He will accomplish this great work through you: “…I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.’

I shared this scripture with our team in Lillooet as we gathered after dinner to pray, and immediately one of my friends saw a picture of a huge angel standing over the town. The angel threw down a huge spear that stuck fast, upright in the valley floor. As it stood there in the midst of the valley the lance turned into a double-edged sword. This picture is an encouraging word to Lillooet, and to the nations of the world that God will establish His word in their land; and it is also a confirmation that the truth of Ezekiel 36 will be driven firmly into the heart of this region, and regions around the globe.

To be Continued…