Close Encounters of the Third Kind was a science fiction drama that burst on the big screen in 1977, and it was a blockbuster hit for writer and director Steven Spielberg. For our younger audience who may be unfamiliar with the film, the main character played by Richard Dreyfuss was an electrical lineman.
Through a long series of events too complicated to relay at this time, he ends up having a close encounter with extraterrestrial beings who descend in a mothership of a group of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs. Spielberg followed up with an even bigger hit five years later-- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. This science fiction flick tells the story of a boy named Elliot, who comes in contact with a stranded extraterrestrial that he names ET. In the end, Elliott helps ET find his way back home.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET are, of course, sheer fiction, created in the minds of writers, directors, and filmmakers. But do you realize there was a real encounter with extraterrestrials found in the pages of the Bible? On this Tomorrow's World program, I'm going to go into the account of Ezekiel's close encounter, what the message was that was given to him and what its significance is for you and for me.
I'll also be offering you an important resource, so stay tuned as I'll be back in five seconds. ♪ A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow's World and the Living Church of God, the sponsor of this program. We're pleased that you are joining us today. The biblical prophet Ezekiel saw a strange vision of living creatures and wheels within wheels.
Many explanations have been given for these wheels, but the message given to Ezekiel has been almost universally ignored or misunderstood. On this program, I'll reveal what that message was, for whom it was for, and when it was to be fulfilled. Time does not allow me to read the entire description, so I hope that you will open your Bible and read it for yourself. But for now, let's notice what must have been a frightening sight beginning in Ezekiel 1 and in verse 4.
The appearance of these extraterrestrials is described in the following verses--notice verse 5. What were these creatures? Chapter 10 and verse 1 answers this question. They are cherubim, angelic beings of very high rank, and they are seen in some kind of mobile vehicle directed by another spirit being. We'll see who that might be in a moment, but notice how this object appears to move about changing directions, defying the laws of nature as we know them.
Ezekiel 1 verse 9. Ezekiel next described something that has puzzled many: wheels within wheels. Speculations are all over the map. Some think the wheels are angels. Others think that they're gyroscopes similar to tops that many of us played with when we were children, with the wheel inside providing stability. These were indeed strange creatures, clearly not resembling E.T. or anything else created by Hollywood. What was Ezekiel seeing in this close encounter? Where did they come from?
Was this a UFO from some distant planet? There's no need to speculate as the Bible interprets the Bible. Verse 1 of chapter 1 tells us in plain language. The vision given to Ezekiel was apparently a portable throne of God, being confirmed later in the chapter. Notice verse 26. Now notice Ezekiel's reaction when he saw the throne and the One sitting on it, verse 28. Ezekiel's vision was exactly that, a vision of God, a vision of God on a portable throne.
There is no indication anyone else experienced a vision, for as we read in chapter 1, verse 3... While many are intrigued by this strange encounter, almost no one understands the focus of the message given to Ezekiel. We'll learn what that message is, and to whom it is for, but I want to mention one of the most important resources we have, and we want to give it to you absolutely free of charge.
The Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course will help you make sense of the world's most published and least understood of all books. Many people want to understand the Bible, but don't know how to go about it. If you find the Bible difficult to understand, the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course is for you. And if you are already familiar with the Bible, this study course will bring out exciting truths you have almost certainly never known.
All 24 lessons of the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course can be yours, free for the asking. It's already been paid for by members of the Living Church of God, our coworkers and donors. So pick up the phone and call the toll free number shown on your screen or go to TWTV.org/Study to order your free copy today. And when I return after this short break we'll look at the mysterious message given to Ezekiel. For today's free offer, call... Or go to TWTV.org/Study.
This clear and straightforward resource will help you understand this vital truth straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now or go to TWTV.org/study. ♪ Welcome back to Tomorrow's World, where the subject today is Ezekiel's encounter with extraterrestrials. In vision, he saw strange-looking creatures, and wheels within wheels, on what we would have to say was a portable throne of God.
Prior to the break, I said we'll look at the very mysterious message given to the prophet, and at the end of chapter 1 we read where Ezekiel fell on his face when he saw One sitting on the throne and a voice speaking to him. Let's pick it up in chapter 2. God did not speak flatteringly of Ezekiel's intended audience. In addition to calling them impudent and stubborn children, he also called them rebellious. But who exactly were these stubborn rebels?
Almost everyone thinks the message was for the Jews, but that is not what the Bible says. And that misunderstanding is critical. Pick it up in verse nine. Now we come to chapter 3 where Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll and the audience to whom he was to take the message is revealed. Chapter 3 verse 1. Notice that he is to go to the House of Israel. We next read that he ate the scroll, and it was sweet like honey in his mouth.
Then he is told again to go to the house of Israel with God's message to them. Begin in verse four. The message is unambiguously to a very specific people, the House of Israel. Now why is this important and what does that have to do with the message? Sadly, even theologians are ignorant about the intended audience. Any serious student of the Bible is aware of the split that took place between the 12 tribes of Israel. You can read of that in 1 Kings 12.
After the death of King Solomon, his unwise son, Rehoboam, refused to lighten the taxload on the people of Israel, causing ten of the twelve tribes to rebel and set up their own king, leaving only Judah from which we derive the name Jew, and Benjamin. Thereafter we read of the histories of two
the House of Judah and the House of Israel. Ezekiel was a Jew, a captive taken to Babylon prior to when the House of Judah fell to King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. So while he interacted with his fellow captives of the House of Judah, there is no indication whatsoever of him interacting with the House of Israel, who were in captivity to the north. Yet his message was clearly to the House of Israel. He was even called a watchman to these northern ten tribes of that house.
Notice again, Ezekiel 3, verse 17. The message Ezekiel was given has important ramifications for you and the world at large. We'll explore further why it is important for you to know who the message was intended in the next segment of our program, but I want to take a short break to remind you of today's free offer: the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course. As we will see in our next segment, the Bible is relevant for 21st century man. It describes events that take place in the very near future.
In fact, it opens our understanding to geopolitical events happening right now, events that will affect you and your loved ones. And the first four lessons of the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course address why you need this resource. Notice the titles. Lesson 1, The Bible: A Book for Today. Lesson 2, Are We Living in the "Last Days"? Lesson 3, Can You Understand Bible Prophecy? And Lesson 4,
the Master Key to Bible Prophecy. All four lessons will be sent to you free of charge, so pick up the phone and call the toll free number on your screen or go to TWTV.org/Study to enroll in the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course. When you finish the first four lessons, we'll send the next set of four, and all 24 lessons are yours free of charge.
So order yours today, and when I return, we'll see why it is so important to know who Ezekiel's audience is, and what is the message he was required to give. This clear and straightforward resource will help you understand this vital truth straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now or go to TWTV.org/Study. Virtually everyone, even so-called Bible scholars, think Ezekiel's message is for the Jews.
But this is not what the Bible says, as I'll show you from Ezekiel's own words, and the commands given to him in his close encounter with God. As we saw at the end of the last segment, God told Ezekiel, in chapter 3, verse 17... Any reading of the books of Kings and Chronicles demonstrates that the Jews and Benjamites compose the house of Judah, whereas the other 10 tribes of Israel are known as the House of Israel. Did Ezekiel make a scribal error?
Or was he, a Jew, confused about the two different nations? Ezekiel had been taken to Babylon in an early transportation of Jewish captives. But the city of Jerusalem was still holding out. We read in the opening verses of chapter 4 that the prophet was to portray on the ground the siege of Jerusalem. We'll pick it up in verse 3. [That is the city of Jerusalem.] Notice carefully the rest of verse three. How strange.
The portrayed siege is against Jerusalem, the capital of the house of Judah, but the sign is to the House of Israel, a different nation. Surely Ezekiel is confused, not knowing the difference. Or is he? Did Ezekiel, to say nothing of God, know the difference between these two different nations? Let's read on in verse 4. Now, notice the next part of the command in verse 6.
This is not the only delineation in Ezekiel between the house of Judah, the Jews and Benjamites, and the House of Israel, the other ten tribes. In the 37th chapter, we read of a time still ahead of us, the time of Christ's return. Ezekiel was told to take two sticks and write on them. One stick is for Judah, the House of Judah, and the other is for Ephraim, the leading tribe in the House of Israel. He was then to join them in one hand.
When the people asked him what this meant, he was to reply... Notice this carefully, "They shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again." The two nations were never brought back together from the time they were first divided. So when will this happen, verse 24: This was written long after David was in his grave. This is talking about the future, when Christ rules over all the earth.
Therefore, both the House of Judah and the House of Israel must exist today. Now this is a huge subject, and there are aspects of it that are not covered here. Another telecast on this subject can be found at our TomorrowsWorld.org website. Go to it and click on the YouTube icon in the upper right hand corner. Scroll down to popular videos and look for "Ezekiel's Message Unlocked." This video has 1.3 million views and covers aspects of this subject not covered here.
Also be sure to call our toll free number to request the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course. After you complete the first four lessons, the next set with the following topics will be sent free of charge: Lesson 5, What Is God like? Lesson 6, Why Were You Born? Lesson 7, The Real Origin of Civilization, and lesson 8, What Is the Kingdom of God? The Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course asks questions and shows where the answers are found providing chapters and verses.
The answers are right there in your own Bible. So call today, and when I return, I'll show you what Ezekiel's Commission was and how it is relevant for you today. For today's free offer, call... Or go to TWTV.org/Study. ♪ This clear and straightforward resource will help you understand this vital truth straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine.
Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now or go to TWTV.org/Study. ♪ The prophet Ezekiel had a close encounter, in vision that is, of God sitting on a portable throne, manned by four cherubim (mighty angels), with four wheels and wheels within the wheels.
People are fascinated by this description of this mysterious encounter, but what does it all mean? What was the message the prophet was to carry? In the previous portions of this program, we've seen that the message was not primarily for the Jews, but to a different nation composed of non-Jewish Israelites far from where Ezekiel resided in Chaldean captivity. However, this is only the beginning of Ezekiel's mysteries. We read in the last segment of the commission given to him by God.
Chapter 3, verse 17 said, "I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel." This commission is further explained in chapter 33, beginning in verse 1. So far so good. Nothing mysterious about this commission. However, this is not as straightforward as you might imagine. The next verse is shrouded in a mystery. I'll read it in verse 7 and then I'll explain it. Ezekiel was appointed by God to be a watchman, not for the house of Judah, but for the house of Israel.
He was to warn them about a sword coming on the land. But here's the problem. The House of Israel had gone into captivity to Assyria more than 100 years earlier. And this leaves us with only a few options. Number one, God was late in getting the message the people intended, which is hard to imagine. Or Ezekiel recorded the message to be delivered by others much later before a different captivity.
As we have seen, the House of Israel will be in existence as a separate nation at the time of Christ's return. Therefore, the message must be given by an individual, or group of individuals, in the end-time who know who the modern-day House of Israel is. Lesson four of our Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course gives the key that unlocks this mystery. It's titled "Revealed: The Master Key to Bible Prophecy." This course can be yours, absolutely free of charge.
All you need to do to receive this course is to pick up the phone and call our toll-free number, or go to TWTV.org/Study. And let us know that you want it. It really is that simple, and there is no cost. I hope you'll do so today. And I hope you'll join us again next week when Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I share with you the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, exciting end-time Bible prophecies, and the comfort and encouragement that come through our Savior Jesus Christ.
See you next time. For today's free offer, call... Or go to TWTV.org/Study. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. The proceeding program is produced by the Living Church of God.