where they went :

Sanctifying God's Name by Building Up Zion
Israel was told to be holy because God is holy. And His Name is holy. Kiddush Hashem (Hebrew for "sanctification of the Name" of God) is a biblical concept based upon Leviticus 22:32: "You shall not profane My holy Name; I will be hallowed among the people of Israel." It refers to deeds and words in public that bring honor and glory to God and to faith in Him. Obedience to God's commands even beyond the requirements of the Laws, as an expression of sublime faith, embodies the term Kiddush Hashem.

Its counterpart is Chillul Hashem ("desecration of the Name of God) and refers to any public transgression of religions or ethical principles or any misdeed that brings dishonor to God or discredits faith in Him.

The simplest form of Kiddush Hashem is the public acknowledgement in song, prayer or speech that God is holy. Man imitates the angelic beings who declare to each : "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory"(Isaiah 6:3). Jews pray, "May His great Name be magnified and sanctified," just as Christians pray, "Hallowed be Thy Name."

The highest form of Kiddush Hashem is unflinching obedience to God despite the imminent threat of death. History records many cases of Jews willing to die for the sake of their faith, by martyrdom, under rulers nd tyrants who gave them the choice of abandoning their Jewish beliefs and observances, or death Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Antiochus Epiphanes, as well as under the Romans, the Crusaders, the Inquisitirs or, in modern times, the Soviets. Often Jews were kiled simply for being born Jews, as happened during the Holocaust.

The Bible provides a dramatic example of sanctification and profanation of His Name in which Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) both play a role. I the following case, God is so jealous for His holy Name that has been profaned that He is determined to rectify the grave situation personallt and in a spectacular way. In a sense, He fights for His Name holiness. Despite the gravity of this case, most of us would probably not immediately think of it when pondering the sanctity of God's Name.

EXILE CAUSES DESECRATION
When Israel sinned and went into exile among the nations, the Getiles taunted not just Israel, but ridiculed God too, profaning His holy Name by saying, "These are the people of the Lord, and they are gone forth out of His land"(Ezekiah 36:20). In other words, the ntions mocked God's apparent inability to keep His people in His land. This, of course, does not excuse israel, whose sins led to this defamation.

In an almost similar situation, Moses pleaded for God not to destroy the Israelites at Kadesh-barnes in order to prevent ridicule by the Egyptians of what would be perceived as God's inability to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land (read Numbers/Bilangan 14:13-16; Deuteronomy/Ulangan 9:28).

While sin led to exile, the suituations that actually resulted in the public profanation of God's Name was Israel's absence from its God-given land. This is emphasized repeatedly in Ezekiel/Yehezkiel 36, as we shall see.

THE MESSAGE IS IN THE DETAIL
Modern Bible critics consider seemingly mundane repetitions and superfluous words i the Bible/Alkitab as proofs of human authorship, sometimes clling them archaisms: "That's how people spoke in those days." But the rabbinic commentators regard them as meaningful and intended by God. When a word or phase is repeated three or even seven times in a biblical narrative, as happens frequently in the original Hebrew (but often lost in translation), the commentators see such recurrences as emphasis, directing us to the underlying message.

In Ezekiel 36:16-19, we read that due to sin, God scattered Israel among the nations. In verse 20, we then read something evident and redundant: "When they entered the nations where they went ..." Obviously, they went to the nations to which they went. It is unnecessary to say "where they went." Besides, we already know they went there from the previous verse.

The following verse, 21, is similar. Israel profaned God's Name "among the nations where they went" by giving opportunity to the Gentiles to mock God. Again, besides being repetitive, it is stating the obvious to add "where they went."

Finally, inverse 22, we read one more time that they profaned the Name "among the nations where they went."

Three times, in three consecutive verses, we read the words "where they went." The narrative would make perfect sense even without that phase. It appears to be superfluous. But God does not speak unnecessarily. Each and every word that proceeds from His mouth is life-sustaining (Deuteronomy 8:3). So why does He say it three-times? What is the point? Where they went is precisely the point.

God intended for us to be in His Holy Land. But rather than prospering in the Land of Israel as aholy nation and a kingdom of priests, we allowed ourselves through our disobedience to be scattered among "the nations," also referred to three times.

God's threefold emphasis, a seemingly redundant detail, reveals what lies at the crux of the desecration of His Name - Israel's exile among tha nations. Just as important, though, we also learn the remedy.

GOD RESTORES HIS HOLY NAME AND RESTORES ISRAEL
God cares intensely for His Name (Ezekiel 39:25) and He intends to rectify the situation. "But I had pity for My holy Name ... I do this not for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy Name's sake ... And I will sanctify My great Name ... For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land" (Ezekiel 36:21-24).

God santifies His Name, restroes His honor, by ending the exile, bringing Israel back to its land. The physical restoration of Israel to its land brings about Kiddush Hashem, sanctification of His Name, just as the exile caused Chillul Hashem.

DO CHRISTIANS SANCTIFY HIS NAME
One might think that Christians who prays, "Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed [sanctified] be Thy Name," would share God's concern for restoring and maintaining the sanctity of His Name. One might think Christians who profess faith in God and in the holy Bible would share God's sympathies and be like-minded. If God says He will sanctify His Name by restoring Israel "to its own land" (Ezekiel 36:24), it should be expected that Christians would respond with a resounding "amen."

Many Christians support Israel's restoration as prophesied in Ezekiel 36 and elsewhere, and encourage the repatriation of Jews to Israel. Sadly, there are also many who do not. Some replacement theologians explain the many prophecies of Israel's re-establishment by claiming they were fulfilled when Israel returned from babylon 2,500 years ago and have nothing to do with Israel today. But even Paul, over 500 years after the return from babylon, still cite Ezekiel 36, referring to the desecration of God's Name among the nations, applying it to his own period (check Romans 2:24). No doubt he also believed in the rest of Ezekiel's prophecy concerning Israel's future national restoration.

Even more incomprehensible is the phenomenon of people claiming to be Christians who actively oppose Israel's restoration to its own land.

Recently, the Presbyterian (USA) and the Methodist (UK) Churches held general conferences at which reports on the Middle East conflict were presented, which overwhelmingly adopted the Palestinian-Arab narrative of the conflict. The churches accuse israel of occupying Palestinian land illegally. The Methodist report views Israel's so-called occupation as the key hindrance to security and peace in the region. Radical Islam's rejection of Israel's right to exist, in the form of Hamas, Hizbullah or Iranian-sponsored terrorism, is not even mentioned. Presbyterian leaders supported a proposal to end all US aid to Israel unless it stops settlement expansion. These churches ignore the historical connection of Jews to israel, not just 2,000 years ago, but 400, 300, 200, and 100 years ago. They even try to suggest the Jews and israel today have nothing to do with ancient biblical Israel.

Those churches are not alone. Other churches and Christian organizations have made calls to boycott Israel or divest from Israeli companies or companies doing business with Israel. While God is restoring Israel, their goal is to dismantle it. God wants to rebuild Israel, they want to freeze and uproot. They oppose God. By doing so, they continue to descrate His Name, knowlingly or not committing Chillul Hashem. It's almost unnecessary to ask them, Don't you believe in the Bible?"

THE BIBLICAL VISION OF ISRAEL
The Biblical prophets envisioned an Israel restored to all its land, including Gaza, Samaria, Judea, the Golan. They did not distinguish between a West and an East Jerusalem. The Prophets Joel and Ezekiel condemn the nations that try to divide Israel and take away its land for themselves. They warn if divine judgment upon the nation that rob Israel of its land.

The prophet Ezekiel said (39:25-29) that God will sanctify Himself by regathering Israel out of the nations and will not leave a single Jew in exile (verse 28). That did not happen when the Jews returned from Babylon or at any other time in history therafter. Most Jews remained in Babylon even when the return to Israel and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple occurred.

Clearly, the Prophet Ezekiel was not referring to the return from the Babylonian exile as "replacement" proponents claim, but to an event far in the future, which we are witnessing today.It is not finished, but a work in progress. One of the proofs is the blossoming of the desert today, for the first time in 2,000 years.

OTHER WAYS TO SANCTIFY GOD'S NAME
While ther are many ways to sanctify God's Name, Israel's restoration is important because God speaks so specifically and emphatically about it. It is impossible to ignore thhis aspect of Kiddush Hashem.

In another dramatic examples, also in Ezekiel, God speaks about sanctifying His Name among the nations by destroying those who attack isarel to rob abd plunder, specifically Gog of Magog (chapter 38 and 39).

Just as Israel had a choice to obey or disobey, to stay or be exiled, ultimately paying a heavy price, so do the nations have a choice. They can support God's Plan of Restoration for israel and sanctify His Name. Or, as some have chosen, they can oppose Israel's regathering, thereby desecrating God's Name further. Their inclination depends on whether they stand with God or with Gog.The word “Gog” denotes that which is proud, powerful, large, huge, rebellious, and anti-God in nature; (more prophetic revelation at http://www.propheticrevelation.net/hcity1.htm