Readings:
Ezekiel 38-39
Philippians 1

Ezekiel 38-39

These two chapters are prophesies against Gog and Magog. Who or where they are is a matter of debate, and really comes down to your eschatological beliefs. For some this is a prophecy against two modern nations that are sometimes identified as China or Iran, but that’s almost entirely pure conjecture. The most likely explanation is that the prophecy is using coded language for Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, and that the prophecy is of his downfall.

The prophecy recounts how this Gog will be judged and thrown down, that the battle will lead to such great destruction that it will take seven months to bury all the dead. This could be a literal battle and seven months, or it could be hyperbolic language to signify a large battle and epic defeat.

Philippians 1

This Pauline letter was written to the church in the city of Philippi. This was a city in Macedonia that was founded by Caesar Augustus as colony for retired Roman soldiers and named after the father of Alexander the Great, Philip II of Macedonia. Saint Paul’s first journey there is recorded in Acts 16 (https://nowthatimcatholic.com/2023/05/12/the-bible-in-a-year-day-131/)

This letter, just like the last one we read, is written in the early 60s while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. The thing that’s amazing about this fact is that Paul is sitting in a prison while writing a letter that is probably his most joyful of all that he wrote. To be in high spirits while in such a position is nothing but the grace of the Holy Spirit.

He opens by thanking them for their support and praying for God to continue to bless them for their standing by him in his hour of need. He goes on to explain his condition and says that despite his imprisonment the Gospel continues to spread throughout Rome and even the pretorian guard are aware of his preaching. This could be understood as his preaching has reached all the way to Caesar’s inner circle or that his guard during house arrest is the pretorian guards themselves and they’ve personally heard him preach to visitors.

Paul places himself completely in God’s hands and says that if he continues to live he’ll continue to preach the gospel, but if he dies then that would be fine by him because he’d get to be with God. Either way he will do the will of God and live for him. He encourages the Philippians to adopt a similar disposition towards suffering and death.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Ezekiel 40-42
Philippians 2