The Valley of Hamongog

The Valley of Hamongog A. The defeat of Gog and Magog demanded a special effort of burying the dead. EZE 39:11-16. 1. Hamongog means multitude of Gog. 2. Hamonah means multitude. There was either to be in that area a city renamed, a city founded by that name (perhaps a city of specialists: men of continual employment), or Hamonah was a metaphorical city of the dead (a massive graveyard). 3. English tradition says that the town of Lichfield, England means field of corpses, commemorating the destruction of the Danes. 4. The potter’s field was called the field of blood (MAT 27:7-8) and infamous cemeteries like the one on Hart Island, NY are called Potter’s Field. B. The amount of dead bodies was such that it would stop the noses of the passengers. v. 11. 1. passenger: A passer by or through. b. A traveller (usually on foot), a wayfarer. Now unusual, exc. in foot-passenger. 2. Having one’s nose stopped by malodorous carcasses is one thing; stopping one’s ears when the stench of sin is exposed is another. ACT 7:53-57. C. Mind that after conquering there must be cleansing. 1. Thus, after Christ conquers the old man, a convert must be cleansed by burial. ACT 22:16. 2. As it was at Hamongog, it may take years to identify and bury the lingering remnants of the old man. COL 3:5-10; 2CO 7:1. D. All were involved in the cleansing of the land: house of Israel (v. 12), all the people (v. 13), men of continual employment and passengers (vs. 14-15). Church clean-up involves all. 1CO 5:4-5. 1. This duty of cleansing would “...be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God” (v. 13). 2. “And whoever shall assist in this work it shall be to them a renown; though the office of grave-makers, or common scavengers of the country, seem but mean, yet, when it is for the cleansing and purifying of the land from dead works, it shall be mentioned to their honour. Note, Acts of humanity add much to the renown of God's Israel; it is a credit to religion when those that profess it are ready to every good work; and a good work it is to bury the dead, yea, though they be strangers and enemies to the commonwealth of Israel, for even they shall rise again. It shall be a renown to them in the day when God will be glorified. Note, It is for the glory of God when his Israel do that which adorns their profession; others will see their good works and glorify their Father, Mat 5:16.” (Matthew Henry Commentary) 3. God is glorified in the disposal of sinful enemies of His church and the church will be renowned for taking care of business. 1TI 5:20; REV 2:2. E. This great project required the defiling of those who performed it since contact with a dead body of one slain, or of one found dead, or of a bone or a grave made a man unclean and separated from Israel’s benefits. NUM 5:2; 9:6; 19:16. 1. Whereas defilement by a dead man required seven days’ separation, defilement by the carcase of a dead “unclean” animal only lasted until evening. LEV 11:24, 27. 2. We are at greater risk of defilement by sinners than we are from things in nature. 1CO 6:13; 15:33; HEB 12:15. 3. To limit potential defilement, passengers were to erect a sign as needed. v. 15. a. If we are not warning against potential spiritual defilement, we are not doing our job, and are setting others up for trouble. ACT 20:31; 1TH 5:14. b. This should also remind us of the dangers of Pharisaism which must be clearly marked. LUK 11:44; 12:1; MAT 23:27-28; GAL 5:9; PHIL 3:17-19. c. Defiling graves come in many forms but the worst are the ones that masquerade as The Valley of Hamongog 9-10-22 Page 1 of 2  fountains of life (2TI 3:5; 2PE 2:18-19), including false soteriologies, false bibles, false millennia, false churches, especially false promises of security. EZE 13:22. F. The cleansing of defilement by a dead body, bone or grave was procured by the water of separation which was infused with the ashes of a pure red heifer (NUM 19:3, 9, 16-22) and would have been in great use during the seven months and follow-up. EZE 39:12-14. G. Dispensationalists are noted for expecting a future rebuilt temple and a future fulfillment of EZE 38-39. 1. I have a number of recently published articles which excitedly present the details of a project to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. There is even a Temple Institute overseeing it. 2. One article states, “'In truth, the fate of the entire world depends on the red heifer,' the institute says. 'For G-d has ordained that its ashes alone are the single missing ingredient for the reinstatement of biblical purity – and thereafter, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.'” 3. Many people believe that the prophet Ezekiel had to be speaking only of an end-time temple-rebuilding in the last few chapters of his prophecy and this is the temple of God in which sits the man of sin that Paul referred to in 2TH 2:3-4. 4. Many Jews and Christians are preconditioned by their belief system about a coming kingdom of God on earth to assume that God wants the temple rebuilt, they expect that it will be rebuilt, and they expect a great war on Israel (a common scenario is of a combined Russian and Arab attack) and this will produce the multitudes of dead of EZE 39. 5. The temple-mount is currently under Arab control and a devastating defeat of Israel's enemies would likely allow them to build their temple. This would require a pure red heifer for cleansing as another article states, “Before the temple can rise, builders must secure a red heifer...that is supposed to be able to restore a state of 'purity' after ritual slaughter... The importance of the effort [to breed the red heifers] is critical as it is necessary for acquiring the purification necessary for the priests to work within the temple.” 6. Such a scenario would be quite in keeping with the false eschatology of Scofield which assumes a future earthly glory for Israel over all nations which requires a temple and messiah, etc. H. The ashes and water ritual spoke of Christ. HEB 9:13-14. 1. “ashes of an heifer — (Num. 19:16-18). The type is full of comfort for us. The water of separation, made of the ashes of the red heifer, was the provision for removing ceremonial defilement whenever incurred by contact with the dead. As she was slain without the camp, so Christ (compare Heb. 13:11; Num. 19:3, Num. 19:4). The ashes were laid by for constant use; so the continually cleansing effects of Christ’s blood, once for all shed. In our wilderness journey we are continually contracting defilement by contact with the spiritually dead, and with dead works, and need therefore continual application to the antitypical life- giving cleansing blood of Christ, whereby we are afresh restored to peace and living communion with God in the heavenly holy place.” (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary) 2. Christ is the continually available fount of ZEC 13:1. 1JO 1:9. 3. Lack of self-purification still defiles the tabernacle of God and invites judgment. NUM 19:13 c/w 1CO 3:17. The Valley of Hamongog 9-10-22 Page 2 of 2