http://www.americanwisdomseries.com
Presents the Tell it like it is! series of studies:
Pamphlet #9374
The American Wisdom
Series
Presents the Tell
it like it is! series
of studies: Pamphlet #9374 http://www.americanwisdomseries.com
Our study will begin after a like row of red stars following our Comments about Ezekiel below.
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Comments
about Ezekiel
What a fascinating book of prophesy Ezekiel is!
Before I tell you what you will
find there you need to understand
that the prophets wrote these
things for us TODAY, in this final generation.
The prophet Daniel, a contemporary
of Ezekiel,
was specifically told in chapter
12 of his book
to seal up the words of his
prophecy until the time of the end,
when the wise would understand.
They would understand because there
would be a geometric increase in knowledge;
knowledge of His Word and secular
knowledge as well in these end times.
The fascinating things Ezekiel saw:
First Ezekiel's is visited by God
in a flying saucer.
Imagine a person 2500 years ago
trying to describe a flying saucer,
but that is exactly what we have
in Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10.
In chapter 3 God hands Ezekiel a "roll of a book" and tells him to eat it.
Wait until you read what God tells
Ezekiel, in chapter 4,
to do with an iron pan and the
human dung cakes is to bake and eat.
Learn what it physically meant
to Israel, then, but also what it spiritually means to us in these end
times.
It's not a pretty sight, but learn
what God showed Ezekiel, in chapter 7,
will happen to us in this final
generation
when Satan comes to earth and the
'spiritual warfare" starts.
Then we see chapter after chapter,
example after example,
where God tells Ezekiel how we,
you and I,
in this final generation will be
deceived by our Christian pastors and preachers
and how our churches, our high
places,
are polluted after the manner of
our father's traditions.
How we worship God after man's
traditions instead of as instructed by Him in His Word.
Then starting in chapter 28 God
tell Ezekiel about how Satan became corrupt
and how he corrupted the nations
in the first earth age [the age of the dinosaurs].
And there is one prominent message
that we have learned and read about
and been instructed to say to our
people,
and that is that the king of Babylon
IS COMING to this final generation
to make desolate the souls of all
those who will be slain by his lies and deception,
which comprise his "spiritual"
sword.
So get rid of the "pollution" contained
in the traditions of men
and start eating the entire scroll
and digesting it
and put your trust ONLY in the
Lord your God.
We learn how God will reunite the children of Judah with the children of Israel
We learn about the last day of this flesh age and how the final battle comes down.
Chapter 39 of the great book named
"God is our strength", EZEK-I-EL,
is a "Transition Chapter" between
this flesh age and the Millennium age
which begins "on that day", the
Lord's Day, also known as the Day of Vengeance,
the Day of God's Wrath, when Jesus
Christ returns
and ALL people who are still alive
in their flesh bodies
will be instantly changed into
their spiritual bodies.
It is written regarding "that day", the day of the Lord's return, that it is both a "great" and a "dreadful" day.
Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
The 7th Trump will have sounded
signaling that "it is done",
the Lord's Day has arrived and
we have now entered the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ and His saints.
Ezekiel 39:8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
It will be a time of teaching and
discipline in following the laws of God.
That means that there will be NO
MORE pollution/liberalism allowed to enter into the ways,
or shall we say powers,
that can cause men to be drawn
away from their Father as so many were in the first earth age.
The King of kings and Lord of lords
shall rule with "a rod of iron", i.e.
with authority and discipline,
and the Zadok shall enforce compliance to His ways.
What are those ways or powers that
can be liberalized to deceive the sons of God?
They are the Four Hidden
Dynasties of Politics/Governance, Education, Economics and Religion
that have now come under full control
of the beast system,
the New World Order, in this final
generation.
We have now completed the first
39 chapters of EZEK-I-EL
which gave us in graphic details
through the use of historical events (e.g. the captivity of Judah),
model making (e.g. Ezekiel's ground
display of the siege of Jerusalem),
play acting (e.g. lying on his
side 390 days),
demonstrations (e.g. making dung
cakes),
and simple analogies (e.g. whores
and harlots),
the events of this final generation,
the generation that would understand
the first vision in chapter one,
that highly polished spectrum bronze-colored
circular flying vehicle.
It is the same final generation
that Christ spoke of in Matthew 24 and Mark 13,
the final generation of the fig
tree which began on May 15, 1948.
Yes, there will be Baby Boomers who will see the return of Jesus Christ.
Just as the Book of Ezekiel begins
with visions,
it also ends with visions,
all of which are visions that the
sons and daughters of God's servants in the last days
would come understand (Acts 2:17).
We are about to see Ezekiel carried
"in vision" to the land of Israel
and shown that glorious sanctuary
of the Millennium.
It is worth remembering that eventually,
in the 3rd Earth Age, i.e.
throughout eternity, there will
be no temple,
for the Lord GOD Almighty and the
Lamb ARE the temple,
even as Christ is that temple now
if you have understanding.
Rev. 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Here it is:
Rev. 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Ezekiel 40:1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.
This is a "vision" that we are about to read from the vantage point of the very high mountain,[2] In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Consider that we are going to see
the kingdom of God during the Millennium
"from the top down".
A few words of caution before we begin our study #9374:
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
John 15:26
But when the
Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth,
which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John
16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for
he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
This
Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
published at http://www.theseason.org/
Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.
Now here is our revised study of:
***************************************************************************Ezekiel Chapter 24
"The Babylonian War. A parable; Symbolical"
This chapter is another parable, and it is used because God did not intend that everyone should know and understand what He is saying. This is the parable of the Babylonia war, and it will continue from chapter 24 all the way through chapter 32. Then in chapters 38 and 39 you will read a direct prophecy concerning that final battle.
What is the Babylonian war? It is a type of what happened in the first Babylonian war with king Nebuchadnezzar. This prophecy is not history to our generation, but the future. In that future Babylonian war the ruler will be Satan himself, the "son of perdition".
Ezekiel 24:1 "Again in the nineth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,"
It was nine years since king Jehoichin of Judah was taken captive by king Nebuchadnezzar. King Jehoiachin's kingship lasted only three months, then he submitted to Babylon. Unlike the book of Jeremiah, this book is based on the dates from Jehoiachin's captivity.
Ezekiel 24:2 "Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day."
There will be a certain day also when Satan will set himself against God's elect, and that is when Michael casts him out of heaven to the earth. This time is recorded in Revelation 12:7-9. Those that have learned to understand those prophecies, and prepared their minds to cope with those deceptions of Satan and his religious system. Satan will rule the world through his system from Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 24:3 "And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord God; 'Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:"
This verse relates back to the parable of the caldron in Ezekiel 11, and this time He relates to the cleansing that He feels His children need.
Ezekiel 24:4 "Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones."
This "pieces thereof" are the meat of the sheep, that is God's children. The sheep are symbolic of God's people. So what God is telling Ezekiel is to get a big pot, and build a large fire under the pot, and put water and all the choice parts of the sheep in it. This is a parable to show what it will take to cleanse His people.
Ezekiel 24:5 "Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.' "
"Seethe the bones of it therein" in the Hebrew text reads, "burn the wood under it". God is telling Ezekiel to just let it cook for a real long time.
Ezekiel 24:6 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; 'Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it."
The "bloody city" is the city of Jerusalem, and it refers to when the king of Babylon [the Antichrist] is there in a futuristic sense. We know what happened when king Nebuchadnezzar took charge of the city in the three sieges, and they are types where it is set up, whereby we can know exactly what will take place in this generation.
God is telling Ezekiel to take every last piece of those parts, after they are boiled, and throw them on the fire to burn. Again, it is the cleansing. Will this actually happen? No, this is a parable; God is giving a object lesson. This is to let His people of both Houses (those of the so-called Cristians, from the "House of Israel" and also the so-called Jews, from the "House of Judah") know how disappointed He is with them, both in the past, and during the time of the Antichrist's rule. This does not apply to those true Christians who are the elect of God.
Ezekiel 24:7 "For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;"
Christ's blood that was shed there in Jerusalem was shed on top of the rock. That blood of Christ was shed for the sins of all that would repent and turn from their wicked ways to Him in repentance. Ezekiel was to take the blood of the sheep of the sacrifice, and symbolically set it on top of a rock. It was not to be poured out on the ground.
Ezekiel 24:8 "That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.' "
This is a play on when an animal is slaughtered, and the blood is shed, then the other animals simply go mad, around that slaughtering. That is what this parable is built from. God intended that Christ's blood should be left uncovered, whereby it would be obvious to all men, because it is that same blood that will judge many at the time of the judgment.
Ezekiel 24;9 "Therefore thus saith the Lord God; 'Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great."
Again this is a parable, and when God is ready to clean Jerusalem, it will be God that is the consuming fire that will consume Jerusalem. God's consuming fire is the Holy Spirit that protects His own, and gives us the gifts that we have, yet that same fire will judge the wicked, and destroy their wickedness. Just like in Daniel 3, when the three children of God were in the fiery furnace, the fire did not touch even the hair on their head, so also in the time of the end will God's elect be protected.
Ezekiel 24:10 "Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned."
God is telling Ezekiel to let it cook until the flesh falls off the bone, then spice the bones and cook them well.
Ezekiel 24:11 "Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed."
God then told Ezekiel that when the entire flesh and bones are well done, pour the water out, and let the pot sit on the hot fire, and cook what is left into a hot smelly scum. Let it become a stinking mess. This is what God thinks of those that call themselves Christians in the final days, He thinks they are a dirty bunch. In this parable He is showing the need of the cleansing that needs to be done in our generation. This is a parable to let us know what God thinks of those that will not read his word, and walk in His path.
Ezekiel 24:12 "She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire."
She [Jerusalem and those that call themselves Christians] would rather listen to the lies of the world, then go to the comfort of God's holy Word. Even after all that cooking and cooking over the raw flames just never gets the scum out of the flesh. She is so imbedded in the false doctrines and tradition that make void the word of God, that the scum and smell stay with her. These people offend God by their every word and action.
After all that God has done for His people, and mankind on the whole, they find pleasure in cursing Him and taking all sorts of liberties with His name. In fact many people of our generation just don't believe there is a God. Even most of them that claim His name rather doubt in His personage, or even that He lived. Because if they did believe in Him they would read his word, and try to know Him better.
Ezekiel 24:13 "In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused My fury to rest upon thee."
Because you have taken up these whoredoms, and idolatry, and you refuse to repent and turn from your wicked ways, God says that He will turn His fury toward you, and that day is coming shortly, upon His return.
Ezekiel 24:14 "I the Lord have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God."
God has written in His word exactly as it is and will be, and according to your ways will you be judged. The Zadok, the elect shall judge the unrighteous in that day of the Lord's coming. This is make clear in Ezekiel 44, and each person will be judged by his words and actions. God has stated it and he will not change [repent] from what he has stated. If you are stiffed necked and bull headed, unchangeable in your attitude and will not follow His word, then this verse is directed to you.
If you are waiting for the day to come before you start to prepare then it is too late. For when Satan is released upon the earth, you will already be marked with the knowledge, or you will have the mark of the beast upon you.
Ezekiel 24:15 "Also the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,"
Ezekiel 24:16 "Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down."
This is probably the hardest parable to understand in the whole book. God is telling Ezekiel that He is going to take his wife [the desire of thine eyes] by a stroke. And when this event happens, God is telling Ezekiel that he is not to shed one tear, nor even show an expression of loss for her. Don't even act like you miss her. This is a parable, but in that parable Ezekiel the prophet will lose his wife, to teach us of the last generation a lesson. Has the parable even started to sink in.
There is more then one meaning to this, for when that day comes, at the end of this earth flesh age, we are not going to mourn for those loved ones who are gone. The reason that this will be possible is that they will be blotted from our memory. It will be as if they never existed in the first place. They will be erased from all records, and from the minds of all that ever knew them. Their physical and human attachments of this earth age will all be gone, and we will all be in our spiritual soul bodies.
Ezekiel 24:17 "Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men."
This bread is the mourning bread, and it was brought to the house of the mourners. God told Ezekiel that when his wife died by this stroke, not only was he to feel no remorse, nor cry, but he was to refuse the bread that people would bring to him. This custom is still common today, for when a family looses a loved one, friends would bring over food to the family in mourning.
Ezekiel 24:18 "So I spake unto the People in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded."
Ezekiel the prophet went out to the people that morning and told them what God had told him, and by that evening his wife had died. Following the death of his wife, Ezekiel did exactly as God had commanded him to do. Ezekiel told them before the fact, and he carried out what he was to do. I'm sure that Ezekiel was in grief, yet that parable lesson that caused the prophet the life of his wife, was done to help you and me today to see just how our Lord feels about the whoredoms that Christians are allowing themselves to get in to.
My fellow Christian, if there are tears to be shed, it is to be now; for this is the time for repentance. Once the Antichrist is upon the earth, there will be no changes of mind, for then God will seal His own, and the rest will be Satan's, the Antichrist's.
Ezekiel 24:19 "And the People said unto me, "Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?"
The people just could not understand what Ezekiel was doing. His wife had died, and then he goes in and puts on his best cloths and fixes himself up to look great. This was supposed to be a time of great mourning and weeping, and the people wanted to know why he was not in mourning.
Ezekiel 24:20 "Then I answered them, "The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,"
Ezekiel 24:21 "Speak unto the house of Israel, (i.e. the Christian nations), 'Thus saith the Lord God; 'Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the Excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword."
God will profane His sanctuary by casting the Antichrist into His holy city of Jerusalem. When God sends the Antichrist into Jerusalem, all the higher powers and religious leaders will desire him. The people of God will either know the truth of the two messiahs, or they will fall. Them and their sons and daughters shall fall by the sword. the sword of the Lord is the word of God, while this sword that they shall fall by is the lies and deceptions, and great wonders that the Antichrist shall do in the sight of their eyes.
Every last soul on the face of the earth looking for a rapture will be taken instantly, and by this action they will all be as the one with child, at the coming of the True Christ, that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:19; "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" To give suck is to assist the Antichrist in any manner in bring others to him. What they do they will do in ignorance, because they just don't believe the warnings of God's holy word, or they haven't even read them.
The elect of God will know what is happening, and when they see their loved ones going into the whoredoms of the Antichrist, it will be too late to do anything, or even shed a tear, for they will be defenseless against Satan, the Antichrist, for they have not the marking or seal of God in their forehead.
Ezekiel 24:22 "And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men."
Ezekiel is telling them that at this time, the coming of the Antichrist, when their souls are committed to death,(spiritual death) i.e. Satan, they will not know either how to shed a tear, for they will be ignorant of their actions.
Ezekiel 24:23 "And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another."
When we see this come to pass, we are not to mourn. When we observe the Antichrist in Jerusalem, and see the fallen angels in our presence, and the Kenites leading the flocks of so called Christians into the Antichrist's fold, we are to understand just what time it is, and the day of standing has come. We are not to mourn; it's too late for that! We are to have that armor of God on, and now comes our time to use it ourselves.
Ezekiel 24:24 "Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord. "
Ezekiel is a sign to us today. It cost Ezekiel his wife, and the loss without an expression of morning for his dear wife, just so we could have a parable as to what it would be like at the coming of the Antichrist, and later when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. This is to reveal to us more of God's love for us.
There is another parable that God told us to learn, or we would be deceived. the parable is the parable of the sower, also called the parable of the fig tree. We are living in the generation of the parable of the fig tree, for that time started when the Jews went back and established their home land, and shortly Jerusalem will be their capital. If you don't know who those bad figs [the Kenites] are, then your in trouble, for they will prepare the world for the coming and acceptance of the Antichrist.
Live Links to-the parable of the sower and the parable of the fig tree
God is telling us that we, the elect of God, will go through the exact same thing that Ezekiel went through, and when the losses come, we will not feel the mourning loss. This is why we must know the events of the end times, for even though our loved ones don't believe they will fall, if they are not sealed with the knowledge, they will.
When that time comes, it will be a fact, and their minds will not be able to accept the truth. If they were the elect, then they would desire to know the truth, and they would demand that all things be in accordance with God's Word.
Ezekiel 24:25 "Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that where upon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,"
God is saying that it will be the same way as it was in the day of this parable. Where are their eyes and the joys of their glory set on. The "desire of their eyes" in the Hebrew text, is their wives, and of course most parent's entire lives are centered around their kids, their sons and daughters. God is saying that the time is coming when those that see the truth will stand strong against the Antichrist, however, many of those that you hold dear will not. In that day the elect of God will be as the parable that Ezekiel went through, for it will not be a time of mourning. In just a matter of a short period of time this age will be all over, and the elect will receive their just rewards (eternal life).
Ezekiel 24:26 "That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?"
This is in reference to chapter thirty three. That day is the day of the Lord, and all those were deceived in ignorance, i.e. our loved ones, will be taught for 1000 years, and come to know who the true Messiah is.
Ezekiel 24:27 "In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sigh unto them; and they shall know that I am the Lord."
This parable that is taught using the life and death of Ezekiel and his wife, is a type of what the elect of God will see come to pass. There will be no changes to the parable, and God will not repent of correcting His children. Many of those that call themselves saved now, are not saved. What they call saved is based on an emotional high, or an escape route from facing the religious rule of the Antichrist. The vast majority of the Christian world bubbles over at the thought of an rapture, and that conviction is what will cause their fall. Yet they have not studied into God's Word to know the events that we will face, and the preparation needed to be successful in that spiritual battle that will come upon the entire earth.
When that happens, it is not a time of mourning for their act is in ignorance, because the time of teaching will follow. Prior to the teaching period of the Millennium age, they will see a great shame for what they have done, and the shame of losing the grace that God has offered to them.
There will be a time when God's elect will be delivered up, and when they are, the Holy Spirit of God will speak through them, and this is the time spoken of By Joel the prophet, where the example is given in Acts 2:1-21.
What God has revealed to Ezekiel about the parable of the Babylonian war of the end times, will continue as a series of parables that will continue in chapters twenty five on through chapter thirty two. Each segment of the Babylonian was with the Antichrist will be covered in detail, and "in that day" the time of our generation "Shall thy mouth" or the teaching of these parables be opened [known] to him which is escaped. The person that has escaped, are each person who takes the time to study these words of Ezekiel, and have their armor on in the final days. The events of the our day, and the arrival of the Antichrist will be known to each of them.
Please read all of Ezekiel. It will help you to better understand these end times we are now entering into. Live Link to- Ezekiel
Also read Revelation Live Link to- Revelation
Ezekiel chapter 24
We need to know to prepare our minds for the spiritual battles in these last days
There are some common beliefs among all Christians and one of those beliefs is that Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth, i.e. that there will be a second advent and He will, however, from there Biblical illiteracy coupled with the "traditions of men" cause great division among believers as to how, when and where His return takes place. Yet the answers to these questions have been given so many times throughout the Bible that we are without excuse in knowing what is about to transpire as the final grains of sand run out of the hour glass of this flesh age.
Far too many Christians have been taught to believe that Jesus Christ will secretly return at "any moment" and "take up" his church in what is commonly called the Rapture. But we have been told time and time again by the prophets of the Old Testament, the apostles of the New Testament, and by Jesus Christ Himself that the king of Babylon, the son of perdition, the abomination of desolation, i.e. the false-christ, is coming first! He will appear at the 6th Trump and all the people on this earth whether saint and sinner or rich man or poor man will face his sword before the 7th Trump sounds and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord.
We have also been told throughout the scriptures that the king of Babylon, the spurious messiah, i.e. Satan, is coming to that great city of Jerusalem, the city of blood, the mother of harlots, to sit in the most holy place, i.e. that location called Mount Zion that our Father chose in Ezekiel 16 as His favorite spot in all the universe. Those who are Biblically illiterate and deceived by the traditions of men will spiritually fall by the spiritual sword of the king of Babylon (confusion), while those who have the seal of God in their foreheads will not be spiritually harmed and will take a strong stand against the fiery darts of this spurious messiah.
You see, it is our Father who SENDS the king of Babylon and his army of angels upon the earth.Why? As both His instrument of chastisement to the sinner and the deceived and His fire of purification to His own. We have already learned in the Book of Ezekiel that when fire comes upon stubble and straw they are consumed away, but when it comes upon gold, the gold is purified as the slag rises and is skimmed off.
So once again as part of being told "time after time" we will read in this 24th chapter of Ezekiel about the "fire" that is sent to purify the souls of men. Each time we are told, whether it be "straight on" or in a "parable" such as the one we are about to read, we gain further insight as to the feelings and desires of our Father.
Also remember, that if there is any one verse that a Christian needs to know in order to understand "fire" as it used in the scriptures it is Hebrews 12:29.
That "fire" consumes those who despise Him and warms the hearts of those who love Him.Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Let's begin Ezekiel chapter 24.
Ezekiel 24:1
Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
So Ezekiel was told to write down the date and to write down that the king of Babylon was coming against Jerusalem that very day! The people therefore knew what was going on in Jerusalem that day. Remember, Ezekiel was 300 miles away from Jerusalem dwelling among the captives by the river Chebar. They didn't have TV or radio communications in those days but they were not left without same day news coverage, because with God all things are possible. He simply used His prophet and watchman, Ezekiel, to show them what was happening.[2] Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.
So, write that date down... that is... that it is recorded that the king of Babylon came on that same day.
Now that the people know what is happening, and we know what is going to happen in the near future (i.e. that the king of Babylon is coming), Ezekiel is told to tell the rebellious house of Israel, which are our Christian nations of this 21st. century, in a parable form, the "why" and "purpose" of what is happening.
Tell the people to go fill a big old iron cooking cauldron with water and set it up. This pot is the same pot (cauldron) we read about in chapter 11 and it represents the fortified city of Jerusalem. Remember that the scoffers had ignored the warnings of the prophet and said that the king of Babylon isn't coming and they are well protected by the strong fortified walls of the city, which they liken to an iron pot which protects anyone inside.[3] And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, be set it on, and also pour water into it:
Here's a quick review of what those scoffers said:
So they think they are protected in that strong, fortified iron pot, from the fire of God's wrath, huh? No problem, they can all just stay put and God will light His fire under that sucker! What in the world makes people think that an iron pot can shield them from God's wrath and withstand His fire? Come on, an iron pot won't even stop Superman's x-ray vision.Ezekiel 11:2
Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:[3] Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
The instruction here is to fill it with the choicest mutton, i.e. sheep which represent God's people, all of them. This includes the common people as well as the leaders and the most distinguished of the people, the "choice bones".Ezekiel 24:4
Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
Put them all in the pot and burn wood* under it and bring it to a rolling boil until the flesh is cooked off the bones.[5] Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.
* The Hebrew for "the bones" as it is used here means "specific bones", which simply means wood.
Woe to the bloody city of Jerusalem, the bloodiest city of all time where even the precious blood of our Lord and Savior was shed by the sleazy slimy murderers who dwell therein. She is like a pot pitted with poisonous rust and lewdness and wickedness, a pot full of "scum bags".Ezekiel 24:6
Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall up on it.
Actually the word "scum" used in this verse translates to our English word "verdigris" which is the poisonous greenish scum that forms on copper and brass, so it is scum of the worst kind, even toxic scum. We could call it "the mother of all scums".
Her wickedness, her blood, is openly exposed for all to see, for she is simply without shame. Did you know that the law in Leviticus states that when an animal is killed and bled that the blood is to be covered over? There are numerous reasons for this, one of which is to hide the blood so that the rest of the herd doesn't see it and "go nuts".[7] For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
Here's the instruction:
But you see, the murderous scum bags in that bloody city don't even hide the blood, nor cover their shame. Don't forget that Christ's blood was shed on the rock of the skull, i.e. Golgotha. Those responsible for that murder of all murders are not the least bit ashamed.Leviticus 17:13
And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
Not only is the blood from that city visible to the whole world, and whether one has eyes to see it or not, one thing is for sure! It is visible and in plain sight to our Father and those who are guilty are going to pay. Read the words from the lips of Messiah Himself as He addresses those "scum bags", the kenites, in Jerusalem:Ezekiel 24:8
That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.
You can't hide sin from God.Matthew 23:35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
You know the old song, "It's going to be a hot time in the old town tonight!"Ezekiel 24:9
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
When God supplies the kindling "fire" there "ain't nothin" in the pot that won't be burned, including the bones.[10] Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.
This reminds me of the modern self-cleaning oven. After everything is cooked and taken out the oven it is superheated to burn off all the debris built up along the walls. That's what God does to this pot. He heats it so hot the lecherous, poisonous scum breaks off the walls.[11] Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.
"Scum de dum dum!"Ezekiel 24:12
She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.
Well, God has about had enough of purging the scum. So, the king of Babylon is going to come and God is going to use him to pour out His fury and everyone will get what is coming to him or her. It is written. The decision has been made. It shall happen exactly as it is written. The decision will not be reversed.[13] In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.
Remember we learned that in the last days everyone is on his/her own and will be judged according to their individual doings? Although the world will not escape the coming of the king of Babylon, an individual can repent and begin to study His Word and put on the Gospel Armor of Eph. 6 and stand unharmed in the "fire", as did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.Ezekiel 24:14
I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Here is some good advice from Jesus Christ:
Be a champion! Go for the Gold!Rev. 3:18
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Throughout
the history of the Old Testament and even into the New, our Father has
used extremely graphic and often dramatic examples to enable His servants
to understand and VISUALIZE what the conditions would be like and exactly
what we need to know to prepare our minds
for the spiritual battles
in these last days that will soon turn into
full scale spiritual warfare
when the king of Babylon of the Book of Revelation arrives with his troops
(the fallen angels).
So for instance, He allowed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be tossed into a burning fiery furnace and emerge not only unharmed from the fiery darting flames but they didn't even have any smell of that "smoke" from the pit on their clothing (read gospel armour). By this graphic example we know that the spiritual "fire" which will be put to the "pot" that we read about will not harm us at all, but it will consume those "guards" of the king of Babylon.1 Cor. 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Then there was Daniel who was delivered up and thrown into the "den of lions", and he also came forth unharmed, for "God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths" (Daniel 6:22). This lets us know that we have that divine protection from being harmed by the "spiritual teeth" of those lions in Rev. 9:8. If they try to harm those with the seal of God in their foreheads, our Father will send His angel and shut their mouths.
And
on and on it goes, the examples are plentiful from the flood of Noah throughout
the written history of God's people. You see, the majority of prophecy
(and history is prophecy because history repeats itself) was
written concerning the last days and was intended for this final generation
of the fig tree, when one half of all the sons of God who ever dwelt in
the flesh would be alive (6 billion of us) to face the supernatural king
of Babylon, the false-christ, who is Satan himself, along with the same
one world "beast" system that he had in the "world that then was".
The following is not a translation or paraphrase of what God said, but kind of a "reading between the lines", i.e. an underlying understanding by Ezekiel, who had eaten the scroll and understood God's Word, concerning what God said to him.Ezekiel 24:15
Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,[16]Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
"Ezekiel, guess what my good and faithful servant? I'm going to take your lovely wife away from you and bring her home here with me. I'm doing this for a very important reason, to give a "sign" to my people. And, as part of that sign I don't want you to cry nor to mourn for her."When a loved one died, it was customary to shave one's head and rent one's clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. Remember what Job did when his family was killed? Job 1:20 "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped." It was also customary, as it is today, for folks to prepare meals and to bring food and goodies to the mourner.[17] Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
But God doesn't want Ezekiel to participate in any of those traditional mourning customs or services. On the contrary, He wants him to dress up, comb his hair and put his hat on his head (Come on! You know they didn't have tires back then.). He also doesn't want him to stick his lower lip out in the "poor me baby" fashion that solicits pity from others. (When you stick your lower lip out in that fashion, it covers your upper lip. Try it! Now stop that and get back to studying!)
Does all this seem a little strange so far? Don't worry, it isn't. There is a great lesson for us to SEE and understand here and we shall.
It happened just exactly as God said it would. Things always do.Ezekiel 24:18
So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
Have you noticed in all the seemingly unusual things that our Father has told Ezekiel to do so far, that NEVER ONCE did 'Zeke come back and question the order or give an argument. As a watchman, "strengthened" in the Word, he had the faith and the trust in the Lord to do exactly as he was commanded and to know there was a divine plan being executed here below. Seeing Ezekiel put on that shield of faith and trust in Him should give us "strength" as well. (Of course when you see Almighty God land in a highly polished spectrum bronze circular flying vehicle, that just came from outer space, your tendency to give argument is severely curtailed.)
OK, here is Ezekiel, the well known servant and prophet of God whom you would think would be mourning for the loss of his wife, who is not only not mourning, he's all dressed up and going about his business. Since this is highly unusual the people want to know, "What is the meaning of this?" Something's up![19] And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?
This message from the LORD is going to be to the true House of Israel. (Pamphlets #1064 & #1020) The LORD wants us all to KNOW that HE is going to profane HIS sanctuary.[20] Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Let's read it and then learn how He's going to do it.
We have learned over and over again that our Father is totally in charge and that He IS (not maybe) going to SEND the king of Babylon to His beloved city of Jerusalem, right?Ezekiel 24:21
Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.
In other words that "abomination who makes desolate", Satan himself, the son of perdition, is going to come to Jerusalem and sit in the sanctuary, the temple of God, claiming that he is God.
Remember Paul told us that this will happen BEFORE Jesus Christ returns:
The subject is when we gather together with Jesus at His second coming.2 Thes. 2:1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Don't be misled by what your church teaches or what someone may mislead you into thinking what 1 Thes. 4:13-18 says.[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
This is the way it is going to happen:
Satan, the son of perdition, will appear FIRST and there shall be a great falling away from the truth. Why?[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;
Here is what he will do:
Satan, as the false messiah, will sit in the temple of God claiming that he is Jesus Christ. THAT is the profaning of the Sanctuary! Worse yet, the whole world with the exception of God's elect will BELIEVE HIM. That is why there will be a great falling away. Christians will be worshipping Satan instead of the true messiah. They will be the first "woman taken in the field" in Mat. 24, because they did not wait until the true Bridegroom came. (Not "left behind" as some would have you believe)[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
How should the people look upon this abomination (Satan) standing where he ought not in the holy sanctuary of God? The same way Ezekiel did with his wife. Although it may be disheartening, it is God's plan. He ordained it!
Notice that they are not to mourn and weep that their beloved sanctuary has been taken from them, but they are to "pine away" for THEIR OWN iniquities and mourn one toward another.Ezekiel 24:22
And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.[23] And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.
You see, we have just been given a DRAMATIC real life example of exactly what Jesus Christ said to the women who were weeping and wailing for Him as He walked up the hill toward Golgotha, the rock where His blood would lay exposed and uncovered by the shameless scum of that bloody city.
Here is the scene:
"Don't weep for Me", He said. "Pine away" for YOUR OWN iniquities and mourn one toward another and for your deceived children.Luke 23:27
And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.[28] But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
What are those "days that are coming"? They are the days of the Profaning of the Sanctuary that we just read about in Ezekiel. Those will be blessed indeed who are not the first ones taken in the field and seduced by the king of Babylon and impregnated with his big lie that he is Jesus. The blessed ones will have remained virgins and will have waited for true Bridegroom. Yes, those "Left Behind!"[29] For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
The others? Well, they will be so ashamed when the real Bridegroom shows up and they realize they have been "had" by the traditions of men and are now standing naked and exposed as "whores", as Aholah's and Aholibah's, (remember chapter 23) that they would rather die than face Him!
Yes, Ezekiel lost his wife that today we might SEE and understand that God's plan has been laid out and that the king of Babylon IS coming and the sanctuary of our God will be profaned.Luke 23:30
Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
You don't have to believe it now, but understand that Ezekiel is a sign unto this final generation and when the sanctuary is profaned and the abomination who makes desolate comes, then "ye shall know that the "I AM" is the Lord GOD".Ezekiel 24:24
Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Jesus Christ, the true desire of their hearts and the joy of their glory will be taken away (by the son of perdition posing as Jesus) and there shall be a great falling away when the sanctuary is profaned.Ezekiel 24:25
Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,
In that day, i.e. when the sanctuary is profaned, the Holy Spirit will open the mouths of His watchmen, and without forethought they will speak that which is given unto them by that Spirit, and they shall truly be a "Sign".[26] That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?[27] In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
It is written concerning those "days that are coming" very soon:
So it is written, so it shall be done!Mark 13:11
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
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