Was the biggest problem the people, having a stubborn heart like stone and not pliable flesh? Let’s look at Ezekiel 11.
Who was chiefly responsible for Jerusalem’s apostasy? Who are the instigators of our nation’s sins?
The Lord's Spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw 25 men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. They say things like, ‘Let's build more houses. This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.’ So, Ezekiel, condemn them!” (Ezek 11:1-4 CEV)
Had deaths increased under this bad leadership? What would God do?
And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the Lord: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind. You have multiplied your slain in this city and have filled its streets with the slain. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat, and this city is the cauldron, but you shall be brought out of the midst of it. You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord God. And I will bring you out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. (Ezek 11:5-9 ESV)
Why were these weak leaders being punished? Do we also have similar leaders?
You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. The city will not be a pot for you, and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, so you will know that I am Yahweh, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.” (Ezek 11:10-12 HCSB)
When one of the leaders died, did Ezekiel hope that was the end of God’s punishment? What did God point out to him?
While I was prophesying, Benaiah’s son Pelatiah died, so I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice. “Ah, Lord God,” I said, “are you going to put an end to the survivors within Israel?” Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of Man, your brothers, your other relatives, your fellow exiles, and the entire house of Israel are the people to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They’ve abandoned the Lord. This land was given to us for an inheritance.’” (Ezek 11:13-15 ISV)
Would God be present in some form of little sanctuaries for the exiles? Is this the origin of the synagogue?
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; 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. (Ezek 11:16 KJV)
Would people eventually return to the land with new hearts?
Therefore say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it. And I will give them one heart and give within them a new spirit. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. But as for those whose hearts walk after their detestable things and abominations, I will give what is due for their way on their heads,” declares Lord Yahweh. (Ezek 11:17-20 LSB)
Where did the glory of the Lord first go after leaving the temple?
Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen left me. And I told the exiles all the things that the Lord had shown me. (Ezek 11:22-25 NASB)
Finding fault with the people, would God give them a new heart and a new covenant?
But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Heb 8:6-10 NIV)
Was the biggest problem the people, having a stubborn heart like stone and not pliable flesh? You decide!
God Leaves (Ezekiel 10)
Did God abandon Jerusalem? Does He generally leave the disobedient behind? Let’s begin in Ezekiel 10.
Does Ezekiel return to a description of God’s throne echoing a previous vision?
Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. (Ezek 10:1-2 KJV)
Unlike the little winged babies pictured in art, are cherubs actually mighty angels?
Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the house when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of Yahweh rose up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh. Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks. (Ezek 10:3-5 LSB)
Where did the man dressed in linen get coals of fire from?
And it came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he entered and stood beside a wheel. Then the cherub reached out with his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some coals and put them into the hands of the one clothed in linen; and he took them and went out. The cherubim appeared to have something like a human hand under their wings. (Ezek 10:6-8 NASB)
Were further details of the incredible cherub transportation given?
I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz. As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went.
The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub [ox], the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. (Ezek 10:9-14 NIV)
Is the description of cherubs here very similar to those described in Ezekiel 1?
And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them. (Ezek 10:15-17 NKJV)
Did the glory of the Lord begin to move out of the temple in Jerusalem?
Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. (Ezek 10:18-19 NLT)
Was this the same phenomenon that Ezekiel had seen before?
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. Every one had four faces, and every one four wings. The likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves. They each went straight forward. (Ezek 10:20-22 WEB)
Is there a related description found in the book of Revelation?
Something like a glass sea, like crystal, was in front of the throne. In the center, by the throne, were four living creatures encircling the throne. These creatures were covered with eyes on the front and on the back. The first living creature was like a lion. The second living creature was like an ox. The third living creature had a face like a human being. And the fourth living creature was like an eagle in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and each was covered all around and on the inside with eyes. They never rest day or night, but keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is coming.” (Rev 4:6-8 CEB)
Did God abandon Jerusalem? Does He generally leave the disobedient behind? You decide!
Does Ezekiel return to a description of God’s throne echoing a previous vision?
Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. (Ezek 10:1-2 KJV)
Unlike the little winged babies pictured in art, are cherubs actually mighty angels?
Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the house when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of Yahweh rose up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh. Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks. (Ezek 10:3-5 LSB)
Where did the man dressed in linen get coals of fire from?
And it came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he entered and stood beside a wheel. Then the cherub reached out with his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some coals and put them into the hands of the one clothed in linen; and he took them and went out. The cherubim appeared to have something like a human hand under their wings. (Ezek 10:6-8 NASB)
Were further details of the incredible cherub transportation given?
I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz. As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went.
The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub [ox], the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. (Ezek 10:9-14 NIV)
Is the description of cherubs here very similar to those described in Ezekiel 1?
And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them. (Ezek 10:15-17 NKJV)
Did the glory of the Lord begin to move out of the temple in Jerusalem?
Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. (Ezek 10:18-19 NLT)
Was this the same phenomenon that Ezekiel had seen before?
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. Every one had four faces, and every one four wings. The likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves. They each went straight forward. (Ezek 10:20-22 WEB)
Is there a related description found in the book of Revelation?
Something like a glass sea, like crystal, was in front of the throne. In the center, by the throne, were four living creatures encircling the throne. These creatures were covered with eyes on the front and on the back. The first living creature was like a lion. The second living creature was like an ox. The third living creature had a face like a human being. And the fourth living creature was like an eagle in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and each was covered all around and on the inside with eyes. They never rest day or night, but keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is coming.” (Rev 4:6-8 CEB)
Did God abandon Jerusalem? Does He generally leave the disobedient behind? You decide!
God's Mark (Ezekiel 9)
Is there a special mark on the foreheads of God’s servants to seal them? Is this different from the mark of the beast? Let’s look at Ezekiel 9.
What men did the Lord assign to punish the city of Jerusalem for idolatry?
Then the Lord thundered, “Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!” Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar. (Ezek 9:1-2 NLT)
Did the one with the writer’s ink have a special responsibility?
The glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn [inkwell] by his side. Yahweh said to him, “Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” (Ezek 9:3-4 WEB)
Were the others to kill everyone except those with a special mark? Is this similar to a prophecy of the end times?
To the others he said in my hearing: Go through the city after him, and attack. Spare no one! Be merciless! Kill them all, old men, young men and women, babies and mothers. Only don’t touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men, the elders in front of the temple. He said to them: Make the temple unclean! Fill the courts with the slain! Go! And they went out and attacked the city. (Ezek 9:5-7 CEB)
What was Ezekiel’s plea to God about so much punishment?
I was then alone, so I bowed down and cried out to the Lord, “Why are you doing this? Are you so angry with the people of Jerusalem that everyone must die?” (Ezek 9:8 CEV)
What was God’s answer to Ezekiel, His reason for this drastic punishment?
Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.” (Ezek 9:9-10 ESV)
Did the man who was setting apart the righteous finish his task?
Then the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side reported back, “I have done as You commanded me.” (Ezek 9:11 HCSB)
Is there a similar end-time event of marking the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads?
After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on the land, on the sea, or on any tree. I saw another angel coming from the east having the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been permitted to harm the land and sea, “Don’t harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel: … After these things, I looked, and there was a crowd so large that no one was able to count it! They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb and were wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:1-4,9 ISV)
Is there a special mark on the foreheads of God’s servants to seal them? Is this different from the mark of the beast? You decide!
What men did the Lord assign to punish the city of Jerusalem for idolatry?
Then the Lord thundered, “Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!” Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar. (Ezek 9:1-2 NLT)
Did the one with the writer’s ink have a special responsibility?
The glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn [inkwell] by his side. Yahweh said to him, “Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” (Ezek 9:3-4 WEB)
Were the others to kill everyone except those with a special mark? Is this similar to a prophecy of the end times?
To the others he said in my hearing: Go through the city after him, and attack. Spare no one! Be merciless! Kill them all, old men, young men and women, babies and mothers. Only don’t touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men, the elders in front of the temple. He said to them: Make the temple unclean! Fill the courts with the slain! Go! And they went out and attacked the city. (Ezek 9:5-7 CEB)
What was Ezekiel’s plea to God about so much punishment?
I was then alone, so I bowed down and cried out to the Lord, “Why are you doing this? Are you so angry with the people of Jerusalem that everyone must die?” (Ezek 9:8 CEV)
What was God’s answer to Ezekiel, His reason for this drastic punishment?
Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.” (Ezek 9:9-10 ESV)
Did the man who was setting apart the righteous finish his task?
Then the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side reported back, “I have done as You commanded me.” (Ezek 9:11 HCSB)
Is there a similar end-time event of marking the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads?
After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on the land, on the sea, or on any tree. I saw another angel coming from the east having the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been permitted to harm the land and sea, “Don’t harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel: … After these things, I looked, and there was a crowd so large that no one was able to count it! They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb and were wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:1-4,9 ISV)
Is there a special mark on the foreheads of God’s servants to seal them? Is this different from the mark of the beast? You decide!
Grand Delusions (Ezekiel 8)
Do people still idolize grand delusions even in highly intelligent, highly educated societies? Let’s look at Ezekiel 8.
How did Ezekiel visit Jerusalem in a vision at the hand of the Lord?
In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting in front of me, and there the hand of the Lord God came down on me. I looked, and there was a form that had the appearance of a man. From what seemed to be His waist down was fire, and from His waist up was something that looked bright, like the gleam of amber.
He stretched out what appeared to be a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces north, where the offensive statue that provokes jealousy was located. I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, like the vision I had seen in the plain. (Ezek 8:1-4 HCSB)
What detestable idolatry did Ezekiel see taking place in front of the temple? Did God say He was leaving His sanctuary?
Then he told me, “Son of Man, look up toward the north.” So I looked off toward the north. Suddenly, off toward the north, facing the gate that led to the altar, the image that provoked God’s jealousy was standing near the entrance. Then the Spirit told me, “Son of Man, don’t you see what they’re doing? The house of Israel practices awful, detestable things here, so I’m going far away from my sanctuary. But you’re about to see things even more detestable than these.” (Ezek 8:5-6 ISV)
How was Ezekiel enabled to see the wicked abominations taking place inside?
And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. (Ezek 8:7-9 KJV)
What were the elders of the land secretly plotting inside the temple?
So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, ‘Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.’” (Ezek 8:10-12 LSB)
Were there worse abominations for Ezekiel to witness at the entrance of the temple?
And He said to me, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing!” Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these!” (Ezek 8:13-15 NASB)
Were sun worship and violence also abominations practiced around the temple?
He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.
He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.” (Ezek 8:16-18 NIV)
Do people still profess to be wise, but are actually fools, inventing delusions in our modern world?
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Rom 1:22-23 NKJV)
Do people still idolize grand delusions even in highly intelligent, highly educated societies? You decide!
How did Ezekiel visit Jerusalem in a vision at the hand of the Lord?
In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting in front of me, and there the hand of the Lord God came down on me. I looked, and there was a form that had the appearance of a man. From what seemed to be His waist down was fire, and from His waist up was something that looked bright, like the gleam of amber.
He stretched out what appeared to be a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces north, where the offensive statue that provokes jealousy was located. I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, like the vision I had seen in the plain. (Ezek 8:1-4 HCSB)
What detestable idolatry did Ezekiel see taking place in front of the temple? Did God say He was leaving His sanctuary?
Then he told me, “Son of Man, look up toward the north.” So I looked off toward the north. Suddenly, off toward the north, facing the gate that led to the altar, the image that provoked God’s jealousy was standing near the entrance. Then the Spirit told me, “Son of Man, don’t you see what they’re doing? The house of Israel practices awful, detestable things here, so I’m going far away from my sanctuary. But you’re about to see things even more detestable than these.” (Ezek 8:5-6 ISV)
How was Ezekiel enabled to see the wicked abominations taking place inside?
And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. (Ezek 8:7-9 KJV)
What were the elders of the land secretly plotting inside the temple?
So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, ‘Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.’” (Ezek 8:10-12 LSB)
Were there worse abominations for Ezekiel to witness at the entrance of the temple?
And He said to me, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing!” Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these!” (Ezek 8:13-15 NASB)
Were sun worship and violence also abominations practiced around the temple?
He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.
He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.” (Ezek 8:16-18 NIV)
Do people still profess to be wise, but are actually fools, inventing delusions in our modern world?
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Rom 1:22-23 NKJV)
Do people still idolize grand delusions even in highly intelligent, highly educated societies? You decide!
National Collapse (Ezekiel 7)
What caused Israel’s national collapse? Are we in similar circumstances as a nation? Let’s look at Ezekiel 7.
What did God plan to punish Israel’s abominations like idolatry, sexual immorality and child sacrifice?
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 7:1-4 KJV)
Did God say that the end has come, that doom was coming because of Israel's sins?
Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘A calamitous evil, a unique calamitous evil, behold, it is coming! An end has come; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it is coming! Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near—confusion rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. (Ezek 7:5-7 LSB)
Would God show any pity? Would Israel know that it is God punishing them?
Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and expend My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare you. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the Lord, am striking. (Ezek 7:8-9 NASB)
Because of their sins, would any one of them preserve their wealth?
See, the day! See, it comes! Doom has burst forth, the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed! Violence has arisen, a rod to punish the wicked. None of the people will be left, none of that crowd—none of their wealth, nothing of value.
The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd. The seller will not recover the property that was sold—as long as both buyer and seller live. For the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve their life. (Ezek 7:10-13 NIV)
Even well-prepared for self-defense, would Israel suffer because of disease, famine and losses on the battlefield?
They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready, But no one goes to battle; For My wrath is on all their multitude. The sword is outside, And the pestilence and famine within. Whoever is in the field Will die by the sword; And whoever is in the city, Famine and pestilence will devour him. (Ezek 7:14-15 NKJV)
What horror and shame would happen to those who manage to escape?
The survivors who escape to the mountains will moan like doves, weeping for their sins. Their hands will hang limp, their knees will be weak as water. They will dress themselves in burlap; horror and shame will cover them. They will shave their heads in sorrow and remorse. (Ezek 7:16-18 NLT)
Would the nation’s wealth be of any help? Would even the holy of holies be violated?
They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold won’t be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath. They won’t satisfy their souls or fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity. As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein. Therefore I have made it to them as an unclean thing.
I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a plunder; and they will profane it. I will also turn my face from them, and they will profane my secret place. Robbers will enter into it, and profane it. (Ezek 7:19-22 WEB)
Would God allow the cruelest of nations to attack and break Israel’s pride? What about our national pride?
Make a chain! The earth is full of perverted justice, the city full of violence. I’ll bring up the cruelest nations, and they will seize their houses. I’ll break their proud strength, and their sanctuaries will be defiled. (Ezek 7:23-24 CEB)
Are we terrified, looking for peace and not finding it, losing hope in one political tragedy after another? Are we guilty of national sins?
You will be terrified and will desperately look for peace—but there will be no peace. One tragedy will follow another, and you'll hear only bad news. People will beg prophets to give them a message from me. Priests will stop teaching my Law, and wise leaders won't be able to give advice. Even your king and his officials will lose hope and cry in despair. Your hands will tremble with fear. I will punish you for your sins and treat you the same way you have treated others. Then you will know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 7:25-27 CEV)
Is one driver of our economy covetousness, the exact opposite of contentment, and also idolatry?
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col 3:5 ESV)
What caused Israel’s national collapse? Are we in similar circumstances as a nation? You decide!
What did God plan to punish Israel’s abominations like idolatry, sexual immorality and child sacrifice?
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 7:1-4 KJV)
Did God say that the end has come, that doom was coming because of Israel's sins?
Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘A calamitous evil, a unique calamitous evil, behold, it is coming! An end has come; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it is coming! Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near—confusion rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. (Ezek 7:5-7 LSB)
Would God show any pity? Would Israel know that it is God punishing them?
Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and expend My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare you. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the Lord, am striking. (Ezek 7:8-9 NASB)
Because of their sins, would any one of them preserve their wealth?
See, the day! See, it comes! Doom has burst forth, the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed! Violence has arisen, a rod to punish the wicked. None of the people will be left, none of that crowd—none of their wealth, nothing of value.
The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd. The seller will not recover the property that was sold—as long as both buyer and seller live. For the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve their life. (Ezek 7:10-13 NIV)
Even well-prepared for self-defense, would Israel suffer because of disease, famine and losses on the battlefield?
They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready, But no one goes to battle; For My wrath is on all their multitude. The sword is outside, And the pestilence and famine within. Whoever is in the field Will die by the sword; And whoever is in the city, Famine and pestilence will devour him. (Ezek 7:14-15 NKJV)
What horror and shame would happen to those who manage to escape?
The survivors who escape to the mountains will moan like doves, weeping for their sins. Their hands will hang limp, their knees will be weak as water. They will dress themselves in burlap; horror and shame will cover them. They will shave their heads in sorrow and remorse. (Ezek 7:16-18 NLT)
Would the nation’s wealth be of any help? Would even the holy of holies be violated?
They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold won’t be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath. They won’t satisfy their souls or fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity. As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein. Therefore I have made it to them as an unclean thing.
I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a plunder; and they will profane it. I will also turn my face from them, and they will profane my secret place. Robbers will enter into it, and profane it. (Ezek 7:19-22 WEB)
Would God allow the cruelest of nations to attack and break Israel’s pride? What about our national pride?
Make a chain! The earth is full of perverted justice, the city full of violence. I’ll bring up the cruelest nations, and they will seize their houses. I’ll break their proud strength, and their sanctuaries will be defiled. (Ezek 7:23-24 CEB)
Are we terrified, looking for peace and not finding it, losing hope in one political tragedy after another? Are we guilty of national sins?
You will be terrified and will desperately look for peace—but there will be no peace. One tragedy will follow another, and you'll hear only bad news. People will beg prophets to give them a message from me. Priests will stop teaching my Law, and wise leaders won't be able to give advice. Even your king and his officials will lose hope and cry in despair. Your hands will tremble with fear. I will punish you for your sins and treat you the same way you have treated others. Then you will know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 7:25-27 CEV)
Is one driver of our economy covetousness, the exact opposite of contentment, and also idolatry?
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col 3:5 ESV)
What caused Israel’s national collapse? Are we in similar circumstances as a nation? You decide!
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