Please turn to Ezekiel 12. We read in Ezekiel 12:1-14:
The word of JEHOVAH also came unto me, saying, Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel. And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight. And in the morning came the word of JEHOVAH unto me, saying, Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity. And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.
It has been said that as we read these prophets we are reading today’s newspaper. In these last days, God is opening up His Word to His people and the “wise man” can now discern both “time and judgment.” The “wise man,” in the first instance, is Christ, but all true believers are “wise men” in that they have the wisdom of Christ. Now God, who has kept these things from men throughout time, all of these things that were to be known about the timing and the judgment at the end, He is now opening up to His people in His mercy.
So we will work through maybe the first half of this chapter where God is simply just giving us more assurance that we are on the right track, as everything that we read in these prophets identifies and corresponds with what is going on now in our day.
As a prophet brings the Word, in the first instance, he is a representation of the Lord Jesus. In this sense, every prophet is a representation of Christ. For the most part, the prophets were to bring the Word to God’s corporate people, the church. In the Old Testament, this would have been the nation of Israel, and the nation of Israel prefigured the New Testament church.
So this chapter starts out in Ezekiel 12:1-2 by saying:
The word of JEHOVAH also came unto me, saying, Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.
This is emphasizing that Ezekiel was in the midst of the Israelites who had rebelled against God, and we also read in the first chapter of Ezekiel that he was among the captives. He was already in captivity at this time. This would have been 593 B.C., which was six years before the temple was destroyed.
Ezekiel 1:1 starts out:
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year…
In all likelihood, this is referring to the thirtieth year from the day that they found the book of the law again in the days of Josiah. It was Hilkiah the priest who found the book of the law, and this would have been a very memorable date in the history of the Israelites. Plus, there is no other year that this could represent.
So we read in Ezekiel 1:1-2 again:
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar…
Ezekiel is definitely among the captives. It continues:
…I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,
King Jehoiachin was taken captive in 598 B.C. The king of Babylon came up and took him into Babylon. He had rebelled against the king of Babylon and was taken, and Ezekiel is now saying that this was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity. This would have been 593 B.C.
So this is just emphasizing here that Ezekiel is among those in captivity. We also, as the children of God, are among the captives now because God has brought judgment upon His people, His corporate church. All of us are outside of the church now and we are, as it were, in captivity in Babylon.
In Ezekiel 2:3, he says:
And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
Still, even today, most of the message in the Bible still goes to those who claim to be the people of God. It is going to the people in the churches, to those who are still in the churches.
In Ezekiel 3:4-6, God is still speaking to Ezekiel. We read:
And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
What are we to see in this? We are to see that the message mainly today is still to the church, to those who should understand. He says here in Ezekiel 3:5:
For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;
We are sent to those who should understand what we are saying.
Let us continue on in Ezekiel 3. We read in Ezekiel 3:7-11:
But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. And go, get thee to them of the captivity…
We can see how God is repeating these instructions. It continues:
And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Ezekiel prophesied always to those who were in captivity. From time to time, he was taken in a vision to Jerusalem, but his message was always to the Israelites who were in captivity.
One of the most difficult things that we face these days as we take this message out into the world is the opposition from the church itself. They refuse to see that Old Testament Israel prefigured the New Testament church, and yet God tells us all through the Bible about this.
God particularly blessed that one little group of people, that one little family over there, which became that one little country over there in the Middle East. He particularly blessed them to show that they were a representation of His people.
In Jeremiah 8:7, He says:
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of JEHOVAH.
In the New Testament period, the Lord’s people are the New Testament churches and congregations.
Look at Jeremiah 32:23. This is an amazing verse. In Jeremiah 32, God is rehearsing again what He had done for Egypt and how He had brought them out of the bondage of Egypt, which was a picture of salvation. He discusses how He worked all of those wonders for them, all of those things that He had done for them. It says in Jeremiah 32:21-23:
And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:
This is an amazing statement:
…they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do…
All though the New Testament, God tells us in so many words that Old Testament Israel represented the New Testament churches and congregations. We also know from many verses, especially in the Gospels, that Christ spoke in parables. It is all in parables. This Book is entirely parabolic. All those Old Testament accounts, passages, stories, and histories are all parables about God’s plan for this world. We know from 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” so the Old Testament is just as important as the New Testament.
Sadly, it is thought in many churches these days that we do not have to pay attention to the Old Testament. This is a terrible teaching, because the whole Bible has to do with God’s salvation plan.
In Galatians 6:16, God says:
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
This is the true “Israel” whom God is concerned with. This is referring to His people who were represented in the Old Testament corporately by the nation Israel and represented in the New Testament period corporately by the churches and congregations.
Look at Romans 2:28. This is taught all throughout the New Testament period. In Romans 2:28-29, we read:
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
In Romans 9:6, we read:
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
This is saying the same thing again.
Romans 11:26 repeats this. We read in Romans 11:25-26:
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel…
This is speaking of national Israel. It continues:
…until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written…
So this is the manner in which Israel or all of God’s people are going to be saved. All Israel, the true Israel, are God’s people.
In Ephesians 2, we see this again. This is all through the New Testament period. The writers of the Epistles would say time and time again, “As it is written.” Then they would show a situation in the Old Testament with the Israelites that would apply to whatever was being spoken of. Ephesians 2 is just speaking to anyone who has become saved, but it starts out referring to the time before salvation. It says in Ephesians 2:12-13:
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
We could go on searching out this principle all through the New Testament to see how the Israel of the Old Testament represented God’s people.
So now as we see all of these prophets coming to the Israelites and showing them their apostasy and their falling away and telling them that God would bring judgment on them, we are to relate this to the New Testament church.
Back in Ezekiel 12, God says to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 12:3-4:
Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing…
This word “stuff” just means “vessels.” In today’s language, this would be like getting your suitcases and all of your luggage ready because you are going to be going somewhere; and so He says:
Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.
This is anticipating something that was still a few years ahead, which was the destruction of Jerusalem and how all the Israelites were going to be taken into captivity.
In Ezekiel 12:5-6, He says:
Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight…
In Ezekiel 12:4, He said:
…thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.
In Ezekiel 12:6, He says:
In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight…
These words “even” and “twilight” are two different words that both have to do with darkness or the night. God uses darkness and night in the Bible to speak of a time of judgment, a time when good things do not happen.
Then He says in the end of Ezekiel 12:6:
…thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.
He repeats this a couple of times, as we read in Ezekiel 12:11:
Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them…
In other words, Ezekiel was a sign to the Israelites and they were to observe what He was doing.
Then it says in Ezekiel 12:12, referring to when the Israelites went into captivity:
And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
Why was this going to be? I think in the book of Ezekiel more than with any of the other prophets, God over and over used him as a walking parable and as a sign to the Israelites.
Look back at Ezekiel 3 where he was struck dumb. In Ezekiel 3:25, God said:
But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:
This was what the Israelites were going to do to Ezekiel, and then we read in Ezekiel 3:26:
And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.
I believe that there is a spiritual meaning for why He struck Ezekiel dumb. He was not going to be “a reprover” to them, and “a reprover” brings correction. It was as if they were not going to hear the Word of God.
Look at Psalm 38. I believe that this corresponds to the first part of the tribulation period when maybe no one or very few were being saved. The Word of God just was not being heard. Even though it was going out, it just was not being heard. This is a Messianic Psalm. We read in Psalm 38:13-14:
But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
In other words, when Christ was under the wrath of God, the Word was not going out.
So this is one thing that He did to Ezekiel. He struck him dumb, and I have been trying to understand and see exactly when this was. It was 593 B.C. when God first came to Ezekiel. I cannot tell yet exactly when Ezekiel was struck dumb, but we read in Ezekiel 33 that his mouth was opened when he got the news that the temple had been destroyed, and he did not get this news until one year after it had actually happened. It was destroyed in 587 B.C. Ezekiel did not get this news until 586 B.C., and so he was dumb. It says that he was not able to speak unless God had a message for him to bring to the Israelites. That was the only time that he could speak.
As I see this, he was dumb from between 6 to 7 years; because in Ezekiel 33:21-22, it says:
And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month…
This would be 586 B.C. It continues:
…one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. Now the hand of JEHOVAH 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.
It is interesting that he is struck dumb here in Ezekiel 3. Chris just spoke about how this chapter speaks of us being a watchman, and so it is interesting that Ezekiel was struck dumb in Ezekiel 3. Ezekiel 3:17 says:
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
He goes on for a couple of verses talking about what a watchman is. This is much more well-known in Ezekiel 33 where God again speaks of how we are a watchman. In Ezekiel 3, he was struck dumb. In Ezekiel 33, his mouth was opened again, which relates to our time.
He was made a walking parable in other ways also. We know that in Ezekiel 4, God made him lie on his side for 390 days “to bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.” Then he had to lie on his other side for 40 days “to bear the iniquity of the house of Judah.” This was a total of 430 days.
In Ezekiel 24, God took Ezekiel’s wife in death. Again, this was a parable in which we are to see how God is going to destroy His temple. It is as if He is married to the temple. He says in Ezekiel 24:15-17:
Also the word of JEHOVAH came unto me, saying, 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. 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.
In other words, He is telling Ezekiel not to show any mourning after He does this to him.
Then we read in Ezekiel 24:18-24:
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. And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? Then I answered them, The word of JEHOVAH came unto me, saying, Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary…
This is what this all means. It continues:
…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. And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. 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. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign…
So when God takes Ezekiel’s wife, this is parallel to His destruction of the temple.
Let us go back to Ezekiel 12 again to look at this some more. In Ezekiel 12:3, we see this word “remove.” It says again:
Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight…
This is the same word that has been translated “captive” and it relates to being carried away. He is telling them that the Israelites are all going to be carried away. They will go into captivity in Babylon. They are going to be under the dominion of the king of Babylon who represents Satan in the Bible.
Then He tells Ezekiel in the last part of Ezekiel 12:6:
…thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.
In Ezekiel 12:12, we then read:
And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight…
This would be talking about King Zedekiah as they are taken into captivity in 587 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar came in and broke into the city itself. He took them all captive and had it burned, and “the prince that is among them” would be King Zedekiah.
So it continues on to say in Ezekiel 12:12-13:
And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.
As you read the Bible, you can see that most of the kings of Israel are a picture of those who have dominion over God’s people. This would also be a representation in our day of those who have dominion over God’s people, like the pastors, the elders, the deacons, the teachers. Some of these kings were good in God’s eyes, but many of them were bad.
From Ezekiel 12:6, why would Ezekiel be told to cover his face so that he could not see the ground and would be blind? Again, it is because he was “a sign unto the house of Israel” and this was what was going to happen to King Zedekiah, their prince.
Turn back to 2 Kings 25. This is when the Babylonians came into Jerusalem in 587 B.C. We read in 2 Kings 25:4-7:
And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
This is referring to King Zedekiah. It continues:
So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
He was taken to Babylon, and yet he was blind. He could not see this.
This is what we are to see today. The leaders of God’s people, those who have dominion over God’s people, do not see where they are. You can talk to them and it is as if we are beating our heads against the wall as we are trying to show them these things from the Bible. They will not see.
Look at Revelation 3. In Revelation 3:1-2, we read:
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
We know that all of these messages to these churches are warnings. We are seeing this now. We are seeing that the judgment has come that was spoken of in those warnings.
Then Revelation 3:3 says:
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
We spoke earlier today about the necessity of warning. But, again, the prophets are like today’s newspapers. What we are seeing here in Ezekiel’s prophecy about Zedekiah is that it has a meaning that applies to our day.
God used various kings of Israel in this way. We have all been taught recently that King Solomon was not a saved man. When we search this out, we should not have any trouble with this.
In 1 Kings 11:4, it says:
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old…
Solomon was a picture of the churches. It continues:
…when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with JEHOVAH his God, as was the heart of David his father.
This literally says that Solomon was not a saved man. But when he was old, this is when he turned away to idols.
Look at 1 Kings 15. This is speaking about Asa and Asa was a good king. 1 Kings 15:14 says:
But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with JEHOVAH all his days.
Even with their faults, as their worship was not perfect and there were still high places, Asa was still a saved man.
Then in 1 Kings 15:23, we read:
The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
This is spiritual. We walk on our feet. The Bible says, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” We also read that Christ washed the disciples’ feet, which is, again, a picture of salvation. But Asa in his old age was “diseased in his feet.”
We could also look at Saul or Ahab, which were wicked kings. Saul had wanted to kill David who was a very prominent picture of Christ. These are people who had dominion over the people of God. Ahab turned unto idols and worshipped Baal.
Let us look at King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26. Uzziah is another good king, a king who was saved, but look at what this says about him. Speaking of Uzziah, it says in 2 Chronicles 26:5:
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought JEHOVAH, God made him to prosper.
This was conditional here, but salvation is not conditional. We know this. Our salvation is entirely by the grace of God and we only seek the Lord because He causes us to do so; but for the churches and these kings, we read that it was conditional. Finally, they were brought to a point where judgment came corporately on them.
Then we read of Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26:15:
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
He was helped and it was God who was helping him until “he was strong.”
Then we read in 2 Chronicles 26:16-17:
But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against JEHOVAH his God, and went into the temple of JEHOVAH to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of JEHOVAH, that were valiant men:
They go on to tell him that a king could not burn incense. Only a priest could burn incense and only at certain times of the day.
So as the priests were trying to get Uzziah out of the temple, we read in 2 Chronicles 26:19-21:
Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of JEHOVAH, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because JEHOVAH had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house [a separate house], being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of JEHOVAH: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
Again, this is a parable. At the end, he had gotten too proud because he had been “marvellously helped” by God. He had gotten proud and had wanted to burn incense himself, and so God struck him with leprosy. At the end of his days, he was “cut off from the house of JEHOVAH.” So God uses these kings as parables to show those who have dominion over God’s people.
Turn back to Ezekiel 12 and we will finish this up. Speaking of Zedekiah, we read in Ezekiel 12:13-15:
My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. And they shall know that I am JEHOVAH, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.
God has done this throughout time with His people through persecution. Through defeat and judgment, the Israelites, as God’s people, were scattered out into the world. It was actually the remnant who brought the true Gospel. This is the way in which God has worked.
Look back at Ezekiel 11. It says in Ezekiel 11:16-17:
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
This is a picture of God’s elect coming back into the land of Israel, the kingdom of God, at the consummation.
Let us finish reading this passage in Ezekiel 12. There is one other thing that I would like to look at here. In Ezekiel 12:17-18, it says:
Moreover the word of JEHOVAH came to me, saying, Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;
They were to do this, in other words, so that they might know that they were in tribulation and that they were corporately under the wrath of God. The water and the bread represent the Gospel. They were to drink it “with trembling and with carefulness,” with great concern and with anxiety.
Then we read in Ezekiel 12:19:
And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
In several places in Jeremiah, we read that the land is going to be “desolate” and “without an inhabitant.” This means that within the entire corporate church, there is not going to be anyone saved in it. It is going to be “desolate.” They have all been commanded to come out of there. They were all commanded to go into Babylon, just like in the New Testament all of us have been commanded to depart out and to get out of the churches.
Again, the end of Ezekiel 12:19 says:
…that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
This word “violence” can be related to false teaching.
Then we read in Ezekiel 12:20-22:
And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am JEHOVAH. And the word of JEHOVAH came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
In other words, time is going on and the visions of these prophets are not happening.
Then Ezekiel 12:23 says:
Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
Or the subject of the matter is at hand. This word “effect” is the Hebrew word dabar, which is the word for “word,” which is what every vision is concerned with.
Again, it says:
…The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
This is meaning that it is here.
Then Ezekiel 12:24 says:
For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
This is referring to false prophets and false teaching.
Then Ezekiel 12:25 says:
For I am JEHOVAH: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord JEHOVAH.
In other words, judgment is now going to come.
Then it says in Ezekiel 12:26-27:
Again the word of JEHOVAH came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
This same thing is happening today. We go into the world now with this message of judgment and those who take a premillennial position will say, “No; Christ has to come and reign on this earth for 1,000 years first. Judgment is still at least 1,000 years down the road.” Even the ones who do not believe in a millennium will say, “We cannot know the day or hour. All we have to do is to make sure that we are saved.”
This brings to mind the verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:3:
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Let me read Ezekiel 12:27 again and then we will close:
Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
Then we read in Ezekiel 12:28:
Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord JEHOVAH.
Look at Amos 6. This is speaking of the false prophets and those who have fallen away in Israel. Again, this applies to the New Testament congregations. We have to keep reminding and telling ourselves that as God points out this situation today and how He has brought judgment on the church, we cannot look at the churches with contempt or disdain or certainly not with any pride. It is only by the mercy of God that He has opened any of our eyes to this, and so we have to be patient and loving and we have to simply continue to bring the Word knowing that God will work through His Word to save whom He will. But Amos 6:1 says:
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…
This is referring to the churches. It continues:
…and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
Then He speaks in Amos 6:2 of cities that He has already brought judgment upon. We read in Amos 6:2-3:
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
This is what the church of our day is doing. They are putting the Day of Judgment far away. They are in denial. They do not want to hear about it. They tell us that we are wrong, and yet they will not look at it.
Again, it is only because of God’s mercy that He has opened up our eyes to “time and judgment.” He is continuing to give us assurance and encouragement that we are on the right track. We are on the right track and we are to just stay the course. We are to seek God for His mercy and for His understanding, and we are to stay in the Word.
By God’s mercy there are still over five months until May the 21st. This is still in His mercy. It is still the day of salvation. For those who are unsure or afraid, there is nothing to do but put yourself in the environment where salvation is. Stay in the Bible and continue to beseech God for His salvation.
Isaiah 45:22 says:
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Isaiah 55:6 says:
Seek ye JEHOVAH while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Salvation is still possible and there is only one place we can go. God is a merciful God and He has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”
Let us close.