JESUS, the Good Shepherd (Ez.34)

In the passage below, God spoke to Ezekiel as the Good Shepherd, just as Jesus referred to Himself in John 10:11, saying "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep..."

(Ezekiel 34-11-31)  For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment..."

At Jesus' second coming, He will fight the battle of Armageddon, then separate the unbelievers from the people who became believers in the Tribulation.  When Jesus described this event that is still to happen, Jesus again took on the shepherd persona...

(Matthew 25:31-33)  "...when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left..."

And here we see that  same event explained in Ezekiel, where Jesus will separate the unbelievers from the believers (which will include the Israelites) and then take all believers into the Millennium...

(Ezekiel 34:17-22)  "As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. 18 Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? 19 As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!’”  20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them, “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another..."

On the sermon on the mount, Jesus goes through the qualities of a Christian (which in Galatians 5:22a, is also called the fruit of the Spirit:   love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control)...

(Matthew 53-10)

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."

Jesus told the Israelites a lot of parables about the "kingdom of heaven".  When He did, He was referring to the time of the Millennium, when He will sit on the throne and lead the earth in a time of peace and fruitfulness, very much like the Garden of Eden, which would fulfill the Abrahamic and Davidic covenant.  "My servant David" is referring to Jesus...  

(Ezekiel 34:23-31)  "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.  I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. 27 Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord God. 31 “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God..."

So, right at Jesus' second coming - the earth will be a complete mess - having just gone through the seven years of the Great Tribulation!  But Jesus will take the throne and THEN get things into order at the start of the Millennium.  Meanwhile...

Those who become Christians NOW will be demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit, and can look forward to heaven, which is already prepared for us.  Below Jesus says "I will come again and receive you to Myself" - which is definitely NOT talking about His Second Coming.  When Jesus was saying this, He was about to complete His work on the cross, and then He would ascend to heaven.  Jesus is in heaven NOW sitting at the right hand of God, therefore...

(John 14:1-6)  "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me..."