The American Wisdom Series
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Presents
Pamphlet #8033 Ezekiel chapter 33

This should put to rest the theory that just going to church and listening to the Word of God (which probably isn't even spoken there) is good enough?
It is the solemn duty of a watchman to sound the alarm and warn the people.

Have you ever walked away from a great big meal with that "stuffed" feeling after having eaten so much good food? Of course you have. Those are the meals we remember the most. Well, that's about how I feel about the king of Babylon right now. We've certainly been fed from the scroll the foreknowledge that he is coming, haven't we?

Well, knowledge can be a wonderful thing and very satisfying indeed, and if one has been given knowledge of the truth and of the events of the future he should consider himself very blessed. We have been given awesome intelligence reports in God's Word and in this book of Ezekiel concerning the soon coming king of Babylon (Satan).

We know where he is right now (heaven), we know who he is (Satan), and we know who he will say he is when he comes (Jesus Christ). We know how he operates within the four hidden dynasties of Economics, Religion, Politics and Education. We know how he runs economies and trafficking of merchandise worldwide (example Tyre). We know how he profanes God's sanctuary and "pollutes" His Word with the idolatrous traditions of men (example Ishtar, Easter). We know how he corrupts governments with proud self-exalted dictators (Pharaoh) who make captives of their people and make covenants with God's people which they cannot keep. And we know how he deceives the multitudes with his lies and cover-ups of the truth.

However, along with all that knowledge of the truth comes a responsibility, a very great responsibility. You see, for the watchmen of this final generation it is a matter of life and death, even eternal life and eternal death, not so much for the watchmen themselves, but for their families and friends and their fellow countrymen.

Consider the following the scenario:

Imagine that you were in the army on the front line with the ground troops, and you were one of a select group of intelligence specialists who were highly trained in enemy tactics and in interpreting the movements and activities of the enemy as sure signs that they are getting ready to attack. So because of your special training you were assigned to "watch duty" to lookout for signs of an approaching enemy. All of your fellow soldiers in the camp and all of the commanding officers have knowingly or unknowingly placed their trust in you to "forewarn" them if you see signs of trouble.

Now suppose you were standing on your watch and you DID SEE signs that the enemy was approaching but you did nothing about it, and you failed to sound the alarm, and you failed to tell anyone in the camp that they were about to be slain. And so the enemy came and slew them all!  You're going to be in heap big trouble when the General finds out, aren't you? A quick court-martial and death by a firing squad is my guess.

On the other hand, suppose you were standing on your watch and you DID SEE signs that the enemy was approaching and you sounded the alarm and forewarned everyone you possibly could, but only a handful of them heeded your warning and put on their armor. And so the enemy came and slew all the rest of them. Surely you shall be decorated for your valiant efforts in trying to save your men.

Such is the subject of this 33rd chapter of Ezekiel. Are you a watchman in this final generation? Do you believe the Word of God when He has declared time and again that He is going to send the king of Babylon to slay with the sword (lies and deception) whomsoever will not hear and take heed the warning?

Here's what the LORD has to say concerning the duties of His watchman:

                 Ezekiel 33:1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

[2] Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:

Notice that Ezekiel is to speak unto the "children" of his people. In Hebrew there is no word for grandfather, grandson, etc. It is the same word used for "father" as for "grandfather" and the same word for "son", or children and grandchildren. These children of Ezekiel's people are the grandchildren, even the great, great... grandchildren, even the "sons and daughters" of the last days spoken of in Acts chapter 2 whom God would give to know the visions of Ezekiel and Daniel and they would begin to teach the prophets, to blow the trumpet and WARN the people that the king of Babylon (Satan claiming he is God) is coming.

So, verse 2 says that God is going to "bring the sword" (of the king of Babylon) upon the land! (No duh! I'm so full!) There will be watchmen at that time who will SEE that he is coming. How about you? Are you familiar with the warning signs?

[3] If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;

[4] Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

It is the solemn duty of a watchman to sound the alarm and warn the people. If a person hears the warning but is too thick headed to listen and do anything about it, then good bye! He or she has chosen to be slain by the sword. He has chosen to be deceived by the false-christ.
[5] He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
However, if a person does take the warning, he or she can come out of Babylon and be saved!
Ezekiel 33:6
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
If you are a watchman, take heed! This is serious business, not to be taken lightly! It is even a warning to the watchmen. It seems that there are some groups of watchmen who like to sit around and type around with one another and point out all the warning signs and spend the majority of their time discussing those signs with other watchmen.

Let's see if that is the primary thing our Father wants us to do:

[7] So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
Watchmen (if you are one) are commanded to study His Word and to warn the House of Israel, that means your own people, i.e. the Christian nations of western Europe, the isles of Britain, and the Americas. If you are a watchman then you have a responsibility to warn your people from HIM, i.e. from His Word.

Here's the Hebrew definition of the word "warn".

Warn = zahar, zaw-har', Hebrew 2094; a primitive root; to gleam; figurative to enlighten (by caution) :- admonish, shine, teach, (give) warn (-ing).
In other words, we are to be a light and shine forth, and use wisdom to plant "seeds" by word and by good example, and be ready to "teach" or turn over to a teacher those who will hear the warning from Him!
Ezekiel 33:8
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Note: Perhaps we should pause and understand that the intent here is not to put anyone on a guilt trip. As Christians we are one body, the body of Christ, and we work together to uphold one another and to sound the alarm as watchmen and to teach those who are willing to open their ears to the warning. There are too few ministries today that are warning the people from His Word, book by book, chapter by chapter, and line by line, that they need to turn from their ways or be slain (spiritually) by the sword of the king of Babylon who is coming before Jesus Christ returns. Most ministries are teaching people not to worry about the king of Babylon (Satan as the false-christ) because they are going to fly away in the Rapturemobile when he comes. They, and those who support them, will suffer the consequences of verse 8 that we just read.
[9] Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
We have a responsibility to do the job of the watchman, but we are not responsible for those who will not turn from their wicked ways. They are responsible for their own actions. Hey, imagine that! Personal responsibility. What a novel concept! Surely good, well meaning do-gooders can find someone or something to blame for their spiritual death, other than themselves. Maybe scientists will discover that there is a certain gene that causes one to desire salvation. Yes, the salvation gene! And if you don't have one or yours is abnormal, then it is not your fault you reject the warnings from God. That would be funny, IF IT WASN'T SO SAD!
Ezekiel 33:10
Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
Ezekiel, tell the people that you know their question is this:

"If our sins and transgression press upon us and we are wasted away in them, how can we live (receive eternal life)?"

Tell them that God swears by His eternal life that He has absolutely NO PLEASURE whatsoever in seeing someone deceived and "slain by the sword".

[11] Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Why will they not turn? Why do they choose death over life? It is incredible when you think about it!

But know this one thing. It is our Father's desire that ALL of His children repent and turn from their evil ways. He does not want to see anyone perish along with Satan, and He is patient and longsuffering and willing to embrace with His loving arms all who will turn to Him and say Abba, Father.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
This is the reason He sends the sword of the king of Babylon (Satan) to test and to chastise His children. It is because He doesn't want any of them to die in the lake of fire. It is because He loves them all and wants them to love Him in return.

When you consider all that He has done for us, His children, how can anyone not love our Father?

We have learned that our Father does not wish for anyone to perish, nor does it give Him any pleasure whatsoever to see the death of the wicked (vs. 11). That would include His son Satan as well! It gives our Father no pleasure to have to destroy that son who once was perfect in his ways (Ezek. 28:15) and esteemed a morning star (an admired prince) by God and all His children. That is why the plan of salvation is such that any person who is judged to die and sentenced to perish in the lake of fire will have personally CHOSEN death of his or her own free will! You can be sure that Satan had every opportunity in "the world that then was" to repent and change His ways, but instead he willfully chose death over life and so at his judgment his fate was sealed according to his wishes and his book was closed forever.

And so it is that each and every child of God must individually, of his or her own freewill, decide whether to live or die. It is God's will, however, that you choose "life", which is to love Him, for He is your life (Deut. 30:20).

Deut. 30:15
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring

[16] In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

The choice is up to each individual. God so wishes for each child to love Him and not follow after Satan. You see, it is a choice about LOVE and to whom you will set your HEART to follow after. Satan turned his heart away from God and would not repent of his iniquities.

Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring

[17] But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

[18] I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

The choice is clear and it is simple. Choose one of the following: 1.) Life   2.) Death
[19] I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Again, it is a choice of LOVE and who you choose to follow.

Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring
[20] That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
He is your life, for without Him you have no life (everlasting). And you know what? He willingly and lovingly gave His life for you and me, that we may live. Are you willing to give yours for Him?

Acts 17:28 "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, `For we are also His offspring.' "

In this marvelous Book of Ezekiel we have been reading about the wisdom of our Father's plan to set before His children their clear choice. You see, in this final generation the decision making process as to whom one will follow is going to be simplified and solidified so that there is no question whatsoever as to the choice one makes, even the choice one is already making now, as to whose "side of the fence" they are on.

Have we not read time and time again in this book that everyone, the good, the bad, and the ugly, is going to face the king of Babylon? He shall come against both the nations of Israel and the gentile nations, i.e. the whole world. And having read thus far in Ezekiel can there be any doubt at all about who that soon coming king of Babylon is in this final generation? He is the king of Babylon of Revelation, the son of perdition, the abomination of desolation, the devil, the spurious Messiah, i.e. Satan himself disguised as Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 2).

When the king of Babylon of Revelation arrives here in person (Rev. 12:7-9) there will be only one group of people who will not be "slain by his sword", i.e. deceived into believing Satan is Jesus Christ and worshipping and serving him. That group are those men and women who have the Seal of God, His Word, in their foreheads [brains] (Rev. 9:4). All others will be spiritually slain because all others have the Seal of Satan, deception, in their foreheads [brains]. In Revelation this seal of deception is called the mark of the beast.

There is only one way to avoid being slain by the beast and to acquire the Seal of God in your mind, and that is to "eat the scroll", study His Word, and "digest it in your bowels", i.e. absorb it in your mind with understanding. We are about to read in the next verse in Ezekiel 33, is that there are no "good deeds" or "righteous acts" that will prevent your slaughter (spiritually) by the king of Babylon. If you are Biblically illiterate and ignorant of God's Word, you are simply not "sealed" and you WILL BE deceived by Satan. It is written! It is your choice.

Therefore repent and stop listening to the traditions of men, taught in your church and study His Word and then, unlike those in the last few verses of this chapter, DO THEM.

Ezekiel 33:12
Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
How many times have you heard people say, "I just can't believe that if I do what is right and live a good clean life that God will send me to hell."

Well, you just read that no matter how righteous a person thinks he is (for if they do not study His Word they are disobedient children and are displeasing Him)
 if he is Biblically illiterate and ignorant of God's Word and therefore not "sealed" in his forehead, all his "goodness" and so-called "righteousness" alone will not prevent him from "falling away" and worshipping, Satan, the false-christ when he shows up claiming he is God.


That is the great apostasy spoken of by Paul in 2 Thes. 2:3, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

That "falling away" is to be "slain by the sword" of the king of Babylon, i.e. deceived into believing that the son of perdition is Jesus Christ.

[13] When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
Go ahead. Do it your way! While the overcomers in Rev. 15 are singing the Song of Moses (Deut. 32) at the victory celebration, you'll be singing a Frank Sinatra tune, "I did it my way"!
[14] Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

[15] If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Anyone who turns from his sin (repents of idolatry) and does that which is lawful and right (not in his own eyes but as it is written in His Word) and loves the Lord (believes in Jesus Christ) "shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16).
Ezekiel 33:16
None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
When a person truly repents of his or her sins and asks for forgiveness, God forgives him immediately according to His promise. You either believe and understand that, or you don't. If you continue to ask forgiveness for the same sin for which you already ask to be forgiven, then you apparently don't believe He forgave you the first time you ask, right That means that God's promise to forgive you when you asked was no good! Therefore you call God a liar and your unbelief is perhaps worse than the sin you committed in the first place.

Forgiving a person and not "mentioning the sin to that person again" is God's way. But man (as noted in the next verse) says that the way of the Lord is not equal, i.e. is not measured out fairly. This "forgive and not mention" thing is a big problem for the churches who continually want people to rehash the juicy details of their sins in confessions and testimonials before the congregations.

It is their way that is not equal.

[17] Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
The following proverb given twice for emphasis explains the end result of man's ways:
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Go ahead and follow the traditional teachings of your church without fully checking them out to see if they are man's ways or God's. The choice is yours!
Ezekiel 33:18
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
If the righteous don't repent, they are in big trouble. That's God's way.
[19] But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
If the wicked do repent, they are in good shape. That's God's way.
[20] Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
You better find out which way, or better yet, whose way, is right because you will personally answer to the Lord for YOU! Neither your "own" righteousness, nor man's religions and man's little preachers and ministers can help you in the day of your transgression, that day when the king of Babylon comes and you either "fall for him" or you don't.
Ezekiel 33:21
And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.
This is the date of the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the historic physical king of Babylon. (See note in Companion Bible, pg. 1153.)
[22] Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
During the "evening" before the king of Babylon took Jerusalem, the "hand of the LORD" was upon Ezekiel and gave Him understanding (as in verse 24) and "opened his mouth" so that he could now speak that which is to be spoken after he learns that the city has been smitten, i.e. taken over by the king of Babylon and his locust army. He will give "them" God's testimony against them, which God speaks through the mouth of his watchman, Ezekiel, whom He once again strengthened on the "eve" of the siege of Jerusalem.
[23] Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

[24] Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

"They that inhabit" are, as Dr. Moffat describes them, "those who haunt the ruins in the land of Israel", even the kenites, who dwell among the "Babylonians" who have also come with their "king". They have come to steal the land that is not theirs, but has been given to Abraham, the rightful heir.

Note: The children of Israel, God's people, will be addressed in verse 30.

Ezekiel 33:25
Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?
"You guys violate all My laws like eating meat that has not been properly bled according to the health laws, and you worship idols, and you murder people, and you think you should possess the land given to Abraham? Not for long!"
[26] Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?
You believe in the power of the arm, i.e. force, and break even the basic 10 Commandments, and you think you should possess the land? Not for long!"

"Ezekiel, give these clowns the following testimony from Me", saith the Lord GOD:

[27] Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.
No one shall escape the wrath of God. Where on earth would a person go to hide?
[28] For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.
There will be a great cleansing when Jesus Christ returns.
[29] Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.
Every knee shall bow to the king of Kings and Lord of lords. Every knee!
Ezekiel 33:30
Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.
The people were talking about Ezekiel and saying to one another things like:

"What do want to do today, honey?"

"I dunno. Let's go listen to Ezekiel preach the Word of God."

"Hey, great idea! Let's go."

[31] And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
"Wasn't that a great sermon, honey? Boy, Ezekiel sure can preach. He really knows his Bible, too."

"Did you catch the part where he said you must "hunger and thirst" after God's Word and study it to show yourself approved?"

"Yeah, I heard that, but he obviously doesn't know that I have a business to run and I don't have that kind of time to study the Bible."

[32] And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
I guess it is now obvious that what the apostles Paul and James said concerning being "doers" wasn't just New Testament stuff!
Romans 2:13
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

This should put to rest the theory that just going to church and listening to the Word of God (which probably isn't even spoken there) is good enough? So if you think going to church is good enough, you are sorely deceived indeed! That's man's way. That's man's ideas and traditions! They seem good and they seem religious, but they lead to death!

Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring

Nevertheless, Ezekiel, (and all you present day watchmen) you keep telling it like it is, for that which the Lord GOD has said "will" come to pass, SHALL COME TO PASS! There is no "maybe", the king of Babylon "is" coming!

Ezekiel 33:33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
There will be not doubt that the Word of God was truly spoken by His watchman!

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


Paul told the Greeks and us if we care to listen, that God is, literaly, your life, See Acts 17:25 & 28 below.
Acts 17:22  Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Acts 17:25  Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Without Him we don't exist, nor will we continue to exist! We will no longer,v.28 "live, move, or have our being!

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