Bible-8, Maj Proph-2, Ezek-Dan: Part 1

LESSON 8

MAJOR PROPHETS 2

EZEKIEL – DANIEL

Part One:

By Rev. G. Evan Newmyer

INTRODUCTION TO LESSON 8

This is the second lesson in the study of the Major Prophets, in this lesson we will look at the books of Ezekiel and Daniel. Both Ezekiel and Daniel were taken captive by Babylon, but under different circumstances. Ezekiel was a priest who was placed near the river in a camp for the captive Jews, but Daniel was among the students, or princes, he  did nothing wrong, yet he was taken captive then placed in the king’s house. Daniel found himself under the hand of Babylon, because of the sins of the nation. Daniel opens up the area of study regarding God’s protection for the faithful, during those times when they find themselves under the hand of Babylon. Could it happen? It did.

Ezekiel being a priest will open an area of study showing the surface may seem corrupt, but God always has His Remnant.

Daniel will also be an adventure into the kingdom principles, those areas concerning the Tree, the Furnace, and Lion’s Den all relating to the kingdom of heaven. We have the opportunity to learn from the past to gain for the present and future, if we have ears to hear.

Before we’re done with these prophets we will have a firm grip on the End Times. There is a reason God wants us to know about the End Times, assuring us there is a division between the Day and Night. We must have knowledge of what will be, but we must make the division between Seasons as well. A often used trick of the devil is to go about as “a roaring lion”, which means he advocates Judgment, when God has called for Salvation. We are children of the Day, let us Rejoice.

THE JEWISH CALENDAR

The Jewish people use two calendars, one is Civil in nature, the other is the one from which the Festivals are taken, the second pertains to Prophecy, not the first.

Names of Months + # Days + Civil Month + Sacred Month:

Tishri (Sept-Oct) + 30 Days + 1st Civil Month + 7th Sacred Month
Heshvan (Oct.-Nov), 29 or 30 Days + 2nd Civil Month + 8th Sacred Month
Chislev (Nov-Dec), 29 or 30 Days + 3rd Civil Month + 9th Sacred Month
Tebeth (Dec-Jan),  29 Days + 4th Civil Month + 10th Sacred Month
Shebat (Jan-Feb), 30 Days + 5th Civil Month + 11th Sacred Month
Adar (Feb-Mar), 29 or 30 Days + 6th Civil Month + 12 Sacred Month
Nisan (Mar-April), 30 Days + 7th Civil Month +  1st Sacred Month
Iyar (April-May), 29 Days + 8th Civil Month + 2nd Sacred Month
Sivan (May-June), 30 Days + 9th Civil Month + 3rd Sacred Month
Tammuz (June-July), 29 Days + 10th Civil Month + 4th Sacred Month
Ab (July-Aug), 30 Days + 11th Civil Month + 4th Sacred Month
Elul (Aug-Sept), 29 Days +12th Civil Month + 6th Sacred Month

Hebrew months alternate 30 and 29 days, their year is shorter than the Western year, thus every three years (7 times in 9 years) an extra 29 day month is added which is called Veadar between Adar and Nisan. The giving or taking away of a day, or the 29 day month gives us several different Days, this connects to Daniel in the usage of different number of days dividing the Times.

The Jewish Day is from Sunset to Sunset, not from Midnight to Midnight, each period was divided into the Eight equal parts called Watches:

NIGHT WATCH:		DAY WATCH:
First Watch	Sunset to 9 PM	First Watch	Sunrise to 9 AM
Second Watch	9 PM to Midnight	Second Watch	9 AM to Noon
Third Watch	Midnight to 3 AM*	Third Watch	Noon to 3 PM
Fourth Watch	3 AM to Sunrise	Fourth Watch	3 PM to Sunset

*The third watch in the morning is known as the “cockcrows”, a term Peter will learn well.

OTHER NAMES FOR FEASTS:

PASSOVER – FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

PENTECOST – FIRSTFRUITS OR WEEKS

TRUMPETS – ROSH HASHANAH OR JEWISH NEW YEAR

DAY OF ATONEMENT – YOM KIPPUR

TABERNACLES – BOOTHS, TENTS OR INGATHERING

DEDICATION – LIGHTS OR HANUKKAH

PURIM – LOTS OR DELIVERANCE

JEWISH FEASTS TIMES

Feast + Month-JewishCalendar + Day + Biblical References:

Passover + Nisan + 14-21 + Ex 12:43 -13:10 & Matt 26:17-20

Pentecost + Sivan + *6 + Deut 16:9-12 & Acts 2:1

Trumpets +Tishri + 1-2 + Numb 29:1-6

Day/Atonement + Tishri + 10 + Lev 23:26-32 & Heb 9:7

Tabernacles + Tishri + 15-22 + Neh 8:13-18 & Jn 7:2

Dedication + Chislev + 25 + Jn 10:22   (lasts  8 days)

Purim + Adar + 14-15 + Ester 9:18-32

*Pentecost is 50 days past Passover, or 49 days past the High Sabbath of Passover

MAJOR FEASTS

The three Major Feasts are PASSOVER, PENTECOST and TABERNACLES, all of which called for the males of  Israel to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem (Ex 23:14-19).

LESSON 8

MAJOR PROPHETS 2

We begin this lesson by looking back to Jeremiah, if we can just learn the difference between speaking because we believe, and the false assumption of speaking makes us something, we can get a grip on the concept of faith. Anyone can say, “I am a Christian”, but saying it will not make it so, one must have the Spirit of Truth in them in order to make the statement become factual. The false prophets were making statements, attempting to make God honor their words, yet their words were opposed to the will of God. They had all the right words, but for the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons. Whether the words are negative or positive may or may not be found in the words themselves, but the proof of whether they are positive or not is found in the result. Faith pleases God, however, saying things with the false hope of God bringing them to pass is not faith at all.

We also need some information regarding the various kingdoms surrounding Israel at the time these two prophets were taken captive. Assyria was one of those areas, it was also known as Ashur. It was located in northern Mesopotamia around the present-day city of Mosul, Iraq. Its people, the Assyrians, were formidable warriors who spoke Akkadian, the same Semitic language as their Babylonian neighbors. Babylon was a city, the nation was called Babylonia, but the prophetic connection between Assyria and Babylonia is found in their idol worship.

Before the development of modern archaeology, the Bible was the chief source of information about Assyria, however, it doesn’t mean the Bible is wrong, rather it shows before man found out what was buried in the sand, the Bible already talked about it. The image of Assyria conveyed by the biblical accounts is one of irresistible military might. The prophets of ancient Israel and Judah, many of whom lived when Assyrian power was at its height, saw it as an instrument of God’s wrath against a sinful people. Archaeological excavations, which have unearthed the monuments and written records of the Assyrian kings, confirm the picture of military prowess and terrible brutality.

The connection between Babylon and Assyria (winged lion) would play a role in the visions of Daniel. Daniel knew the symbols, he just couldn’t comprehend how a nation with the history of Israel could fall into the same iniquity again.

Babylon was an ancient name for the lower Tigris-Euphrates valley in Mesopotamia (now in Iraq). Recalling how Abraham was promised the land to the Euphrates, it stands Babylon was within the land, thus God would use the “thorn in the flesh” to wake up His people. The name Babylon was applied to an area beginning a little north of modern Baghdad, then running in a southeasterly direction to the Persian Gulf. Babylonia took its name from its capital city of Babylon, which first rose to prominence under the Amorite, or Old Babylonian dynasty shortly after 1900 BC. The connection is seen in the Book of Revelation; the Woman is a city, but represents the nation, yet she is known as Babylon. The “way of the Assyrian” is idol worship, their form of idol worship took on two forms, it was either the likeness of man as some “god”, or the mixture of man and beast as some god. The man, beast likeness is seen in the winged lion man of Babylon, which plays a role in the famed “number of the Beast”.

A successful revolt against Assyria reestablished Babylonian independence under the Chaldean dynasty, the most notable of kings was Nebuchadnezzar (605-562). Chaldean rule ended when the Persians under Cyrus the Great captured Babylon in 539 BC. Henceforth, Babylon was merely a province in a succession of large empire of Persian, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sassanian (539 BC-AD 650). Its capital was moved from Babylon to nearby Seleucia by the Seleucids; later Ctesiphon, located it near Seleucia where it became the administrative center of the Parthians and Sassanians.

Babylon owed its long prosperity to its location astride important trade routes. Babylon itself commanded the north south route of the Tigris River running down from Assyria to the Persian Gulf; the Euphrates River gave access to the west; a caravan route led eastward through the Zagros Mountains to Iran. Babylon was not only the capital of the country, but it was also the religious center, making a connection to the City or Woman found in the Book of Revelation. Babylon became a extremely populous city under Nebuchadnezzar as a legendary showplace with its great walls and ziggurat, gates and temples, the fabled Hanging Gardens, which was included as one of the seven wonders of the world. We have said all this to show how Babylon and Assyria are so close, they become one in the same prophetically. However, there is a subject who plays a part in all this, one seen briefly as the “little horn” coming from the beast.

The central Babylonian figure in all this is Nebuchadnezzar II, as the most important of the Chaldean, or Neo-Babylonian kings, who reigned from 605 to 562 BC. He is called king Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament, but his name is known as Nabukudurusur in  the Babylonian language; modern historians often refer to him as Nebuchadrzar. We will find three generations ruling over Babylon during the time Daniel was in captivity to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II, his son Nebuchadnezzar III, and the son of Nebuchadnezzar III, known as Belshazzar. There isn’t much said in history regarding the latter two, but we do know Nebuchadnezzar III was a warrior, not a statesman. He left his son Belshazzar as king over the land, which will prove to be a fatal mistake. This explains much, showing how the Book of Daniel doesn’t speak of Nebuchadnezzar III, but does speak of Belshazzar.

Nebuchadnezzar II was really Nebuchadnezzar I, his father Nabopolassar, was founder of the Chaldean dynasty in Babylon, he was also known as Nebuchadnezzar. Nabopolasar was an Assyrian-appointed governor of Babylon, he revolted in 626, joined the Medes and destroyed the Assyrian capital of Nineveh in 612. After driving the last Assyrians into northwestern Mesopotamia, Nabopolassar left military operations in the hands of his son. Nebuchadnezzar dispersed the Assyrians, pushed their Egyptian allies out of Syria, and was about to invade Egypt itself when he received news of his father’s death. He returned to Babylon to take the throne, after taking the throne he became known to the Jews as Nebuchadnezzar.

The Jewish Kingdom of Judah was positioned between two great powers; Egypt and Babylon. It was unable to remain either independent or neutral; if it joined one side, it would be attacked by the other. In 597 and again in 586 when the kingdom was under Egyptian domination, Jerusalem was besieged and captured by Nebuchadnezzar. In the second attack he destroyed the city and carried off the Jews into their 70 year Babylonian Captivity. There we have it, a history lesson regarding Assyria, Babylon and the various leaders.

EZEKIEL, SON OF MAN.

Ezekiel was one of the three prophets who were also priests, the other two were Jeremiah and Zechariah. Ezekiel will get his call while in captivity, Jeremiah’s call was just before the captivity, although he prophesied through it. Zechariah, the son of Iddo, was one of the returning priests after the captivity. This gives us three priests who were called to be prophets in three different stages of the captivity, thus God had a voice among the people even in their captivity.

Jeremiah pointed to the captivity, but he remained in the land; he was really never taken captive. Ezekiel was taken captive, remained captive until his death, then Zechariah who was in captivity saw God deliver them from captivity. Ezekiel speaks of the impending disaster of Jerusalem in his day, as well as in the days to come. Ezekiel was sent to the rebellious house; however, we know this man was a priest and prophet, but now the added title of “son of man”. The title “son of man” basically means one who stands for man to representing man before God based on mercy. However, to the Jew the title “son of man” means one who is of the priestly order, also capable of performing the acts of the high priest. The duties would include presenting the sacrifice and standing for man before the Law, which are elements seeking God’s mercy. Jesus as The Son of man stood as God’s Mercy personified, here we find Ezekiel as a priest interceding for his people by seeking God’s mercy. Ezekiel was termed a “son of man”, but he never had the power to forgive sins on earth, neither was he a son of God.

Ezekiel was taken to Babylon from Jerusalem in the second deportation around 597 BC. His experience is different from Daniel; Ezekiel was not a youth when he was taken, rather he was among the adults. Daniel was a youth, taken in the first deportation. When Ezekiel was taken there was yet another deportation to take place, much of his prophecy is warning the people how another would happen, if they didn’t repent. Of course, we know they didn’t, and it did. Therefore, by the time Ezekiel was taken, Daniel was already in captivity. Ezekiel being a priest of the Jews had no special gift Babylon could use. Daniel on the other hand was a student among the princes, who had special gifts, as did others taken in the first deportation who were taken from the school in the Temple area. When Babylon came the first time it was to take the cream of the crop, the wisest in the land, the backbone of the nation, which in turn would weaken the nation, making it easier to attack later. Daniel and his contemporaries were held captive in the kings court in Babylon. Ezekiel on the other hand, ended by a river in the midst of the captives. Also, Ezekiel was in a group which was part of the problem, whereas Daniel wasn’t. Daniel accepted the captivity as an act of God, seeing how his people caused the captivity.

Daniel may have been under the hand of Babylon; however he was not bound by Babylon, nor could Babylon harm him. Isaiah had a Word and a Vision, but his calling came when he had a vision of the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up (Isa 6:1). Jeremiah was called when, “the word of the Lord came unto him saying” (Jere 1:4). Here Ezekiel has a vision, a very a profound one. His calling came in the thirtieth year, fourth month, in the fifth day of the month while he was in captivity (Ezek 1:1). The number 13 points to rebellion in one of three forms, either one is in rebellion, one is near rebellion, or rebellion is about to be broken: in the case of Ezekiel it stood for all three (Gen 14:4, 17:25, Numb 29:14, Esther 3:12, 9:1 & I Kings 7:1).

Ezekiel begins with his vision, yet this is not some space story, or a scene from some science fiction movie, or a close encounter, rather it’s the vision of his ministry. Like Isaiah he knew the general contents of his mission before he began; however, the details came as the ministry grew. All of us will have a general idea of our calling before we begin, but the entails come as they manifest. If we knew the details there would be no room for faith: most of us would have said, “no way, no how, can’t do it, won’t do it”; perhaps we said it with the general knowledge, much less the details.

Ezekiel will preach to certain elements of the rebellious house, with the focus of his preaching on those who are proud and haughty (Ezek 7:10). Ezekiel will look at the end times, with the nations as they appeared after the flood; whereas, Isaiah viewed them as they appeared before the flood (Isa 11:11-14). Isaiah’s time was before the captivity, Ezekiel’s during, thus we are given different names for the nations, but they are still run by the Beast of the Sea. This alone shows us the names may change as do the crowns, but it’s nonetheless the Beast of the Sea representing the dragon.

Ezekiel will be translated, not as Enoch, or Elijah, rather his is visionary, or in horizontal directions; however, in the Book of Revelation John’s vision translates him in a vertical direction, much different. Ezekiel will see events as they unfold on the earth, John saw them from the Record in heaven; therefore, John saw events in heaven and on earth, Ezekiel will see events on earth as a result of the events in heaven. Therefore, we find some differences between what John saw, and what Ezekiel sees, but it all fits. The same exists in the Gospel account, what might appear to be error, or conflict between accounts is neither error or conflict, they are given views of the event regarding the growth of the reader. Matthew looks more at the Body, calling it the kingdom of heaven, the place with wheat and tares, good fish and bad, thus his account is directed to the Seed and Root. Mark says his is the Beginning of the Gospel, pointing to the Blade, Luke gives vital information on denying the self and picking up our cross pointing to the full ear (or youngmen who have overcome the wicked), then John centers on Belief, speaking to the full corn in the ear so they might continue in their belief. As an example, Ezekiel sees six angels, John sees seven, but Ezekiel is looking on the earth, John from heaven. Both have visions of the same event, just different perspectives. The seventh angel appears after the completion of it’s appointed unto all men once to die, thus Ezekiel as a “son of man” would not see the seventh. The seventh angel is the only one without a saying, since there are no humans alive on the earth to hear it. A difference, but one explained for us.

Ezekiel will show the Purpose of God is to Bless, but the Reality of God knows Judgment must come. There is a difference between God viewing us from His Love, and God dealing with mankind by His reality. Thank God, He does view us from His love, rather than His reality. If God looked at us from His reality, how many of us do you think would make it into the Kingdom? Not one. God’s Love is the most powerful attribute of God, so powerful Jesus felt it was the center piece of our Witness by saying, they shall know us by the Love we have for one another. One would think they shall know us by how many dead are raised, or how many sick are healed, or how many books we write, but  Love identifies a saint of God. Walking in Love is not a suggestion, it’s a Commandment (Jn 13:34, 15:12 & 15:17). In the end what will be left? Knowledge will cease, the Acts will cease, tongues will cease, what will be left? It better be Love coupled with Mercy.

The Word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest to bring the people back to the Lord (Ezek 1:3). The word Expressly is the Hebrew Hayah meaning To exist, To be, To come to pass, it was used in the phrase “I Am That I Am”, which also means “I Am Existence”, showing God is Always Now, thus Ezekiel received Words pertaining to his time, and a time to come.

God wasn’t guessing when the Word came to the prophet, rather God was telling the prophet all God saw before the people saw it. We don’t see the Scripture coming to the Prophet, rather it’s the Word bringing the Scripture. Jesus is the Word, the Scriptures Testify of Him. However without the Scriptures we have no knowledge to produce belief, without belief we are lost. The Spirit in us brings life to the Scriptures, not the other way around. The Word in us saves us, yet the Word is not the Bible, it’s Jesus in us the hope of glory. The Bible identifies itself as the Scriptures (Matt 21:42, Rom 1:2, II Tim 3:15, II Pet 3:16 et al), it also identifies the Logos (Word) of God as Jesus (Jn 1:1-8). Jesus identified the Rhema as pertaining to Life and Spirit, thus faith comes to the ears centered on Life by the Spirit (Jn 6:63)

None of these people could legally be priest and king, they could be prophet and priest, or prophet and king, but not king and priest. John says Jesus has made us kings and priests, which shows another division between the Old and New (Rev 1:6). As kings we have kingly matters, as priests we have an Order. Prophecy from the prophet comes to give us direction, or deliver doctrine, yet all the saints are given the ability to prophesy, but it doesn’t mean all the saints are in the office of Prophet. The Office of Prophet is much different from the type of prophecy Paul speaks of in First Corinthians 13 and 14. Just because we give a word, doesn’t mean we are a Prophet.

Ezekiel’s father was a man by the name of  Buzi, but in order for Ezekiel to be a priest he had to from the tribe of Levi, thus the term Buzite found in Job doesn’t apply to Ezekiel, but to the Whirlwind producing the Word for Job. Like Elihu the Buzite, Ezekiel will see God in the event, but it doesn’t mean Elihu and Ezekiel were blood related. There were many years between the two men, but the name Buzi gives us a clue to their role in all this. Since Elihu was the one who spoke on God’s behalf, we also find this other son of a Buzi speaking for God. The name Buzi comes from the Hebrew Buwziy, which comes from the Hebrew Buwz, meaning disrespect, or contempt, or shame. Sounds strange, unless we are talking about the Disrespect the people were showing toward God, then it does make sense. Job and his friends entered a camel swallowing contest, they were debating, self-justifying, as they used the three pillars of carnal ministry. Elihu was the only one speaking for God, as he began to speak God moved into the words of Elihu and prophesy came forth. The Whirlwind comes when the people show Disrespect toward God, the Mighty Wind comes when they show Respect for God. The Whirlwind is not evil, it means the works within the Whirlwind are God centered, yet sent to deal with man, when man fails to show Respect for God, or God’s people.

In the midst of the whirlwind Ezekiel sees four living creatures, each was the likeness of “a man”, each was a representation of God’s work with man (Ezek 1:4-5). Each creature is a type and shadow of many things, one type points to the four Seasons of man. The first was from Adam to Moses, then Moses to Jesus, which opened the Season of Christ for the Church as the Third Season, then the Time of Comfort as the Fourth. All four representing a season, yet all were different, yet all center in God’s Mercy in one form or another. These creatures could also represent the Four Major Prophets, as well as the Four Scribes of the Gospel, or the Four aspects to the Son of man. Each had four wings and four faces, their feet were straight or set for one purpose (Ezek 1:6-7). The soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot, representing a Sacrifice. They stood between heaven and earth, they were not in heaven, nor on earth, thus they couldn’t touch the earth with the foot of sacrifice until Jesus finished the Sacrifice before the Father in heaven.

Brass is always a sign of judgment, thus judgment had fallen on the people of God, because they failed to Respect God, thus we don’t see the metals Silver or Gold in reference to these creatures. Silver points to Honor or Redemption, Gold to Purity, both Silver and Gold represent God’s reward for the diligent seeker. The Brass shows these creatures hold an aspect of Judgment, yet they also project the four accounts of the Gospel. Wait, the Holy Ghost reproves the world, but gives us the Seed, I think I got it. Good, because when we receive the Spirit of Christ, we avoid the Judgment. We are not appointed to the wrath of God, we are appointed to the Salvation of the Lord.

The curse of the Law says, “your heaven over your head shall be brass and the earth under you shall be iron” (Deut 28:23). The Rod of Iron is for correction unto judgment, thus John measures the Temple with a Rod, but he measures New Jerusalem with a staff of gold. The curse never comes without cause; the cause here went further than idols, they failed to serve the Lord with joy and gladness of heart. They also failed to hearken to the Voice of the Lord their God, or keep His commandments and statutes (Deut 28:45-47 & Prov 26:2). These people were warned many times of their condition and position. They accepted the position of being separated from the other families of the world, yet they were caught playing with the ways of the world. God didn’t force them to remain as Israel, they were born into the family, yet they accepted the position by accepting the Law of Moses. In essence they wanted the blessing, but they wanted to play as the world as well (Ezek 1:7).

The creatures had the hands of man under their wings or hidden by their wings, representing how the works of man were hidden from God. Each creature was joined to the other, they were not separate, they were equal, yet the people of God were unequal, a subject God will bring up through Ezekiel. Each face on these creatures represents the efforts of Jesus, the face of a man represented the Son of man (son of David), the face of a Lion represented Jesus as the Lion from the Tribe of Judah, the Ox represented the Sacrifice, and the Eagle represented Jesus bringing us the ability to be Born Again, making us sons of God as heavenly citizens.

Later Ezekiel will see the same image, but will enlarge the symbols to include the Remnant (Ezek 1:10). There were two wings joining together, giving us the two seasons of God for those who are the Firstfruits of Christ, and those who belong to Christ (Firstfruits unto God), each in their own time (I Cor 15:23, Rom 8:3 & Rev 14:4).

There are two angels over the Mercy Seat, one is Michael, representing the Jews, the other is Gabriel, representing the Church, yet the purpose for the Mercy Seat couldn’t be opened until the time appointed. We come boldly to the throne of Grace to obtain Mercy and find Grace. We go beyond the Mercy seat, but Grace will not be available to the Remnant, they will operate in Mercy, thus we find two angels for two Seasons, yet the center is still the Mercy of God.

Wherever these creatures went, it was straight, without turn, without disturbance and without change, their course was set by God, no man could change it. They followed the Spirit of God, not man, not the world, and certainly not the devil (Ezek 1:12). They were not the Spirit, they followed the Spirit, yet the “whirlwind” came from the North (Ezek 1:4), thus in Jeremiah we find the “spoiler” sent by God comes from the North (Jere 51:48). Therefore, we find these creatures are pointing to Judgment, yet they also give us Hope regarding Salvation. These creatures are in the “likeness of man”, rather than the “likeness of God”, or the “likeness of angels”, thus they refer to the actions of man (Ezek 1:5). Our hope is found in the phrase “living creatures” (Ezek 1:13), the wording “living creatures” is the Hebrew Chay, some of the meanings for this word are To live, To remain alive, or Sustain life, they also point us to those who “have life”. The purpose of the captivity was to preserve the nation until the purpose of the nation was complete. Where would Salvation be if there was no Israel from which the City could bring forth the Man Child? God preserved them, but in order to preserve them, He had to place them in captivity. This is one area proving our unbelief will cause God to do things He really doesn’t want to do, but do them He must in order to preserve us.

These creatures being “living creatures” also represent the Life and the Gospel, the Good News, the purpose of Salvation (Ezek 1:13). These creatures also represent the Quickly, as they moved as fast as lightning (Ezek 1:14). We don’t see the Thunder, but we do see the Lightning, thus they point to Judgment, they don’t bring it.

Then Ezekiel sees the works of the Body of Christ and the Remnant, as one wheel inside another, representing the Greater and Lesser Lights, the larger for the Day, the Lesser for the Night.

Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration represents Salvation, but Jesus as the Son of man in the Book of Revelation represents Judgment. On the Mount we don’t find the “feet” of Jesus, but in the Book of Revelation His feet are like unto Brass, thus when Jesus returns it’s for Judgment, He already established Salvation by Grace through faith. The description of the feet of Jesus in Revelation 1:15 shows two things, the earth has turned inside like Peter says, and the footstool of Jesus is the earth (II Pet 3:12).

The Jew was sent to the Jew, the Christian to all the world, yet the four creatures went throughout the entire earth. They had eyes round about, representing prophecy as they saw and exposed the secrets of a man’s heart. When these creatures were Lifted Up from the earth, their Wheels were lifted with them, a sign of the Rapture coupled with the last resurrection, with the reward waiting the faithful (Ezek 1:19-22).

Ezekiel then sees the Two Seasons, we are in one, the next for the Remnant (Ezek 1:23). When their wings moved, it was as if the Almighty Himself spoke, thus the Wings are important as well. We have to notice the movement of the Wings, not the mouths of the creatures were as if the Almighty spoke. The Wings are metaphors pointing to Angels, as an Angel being a messenger of God. We are the Angels sent to those who Shall be heirs of Salvation, if we are expecting angels, we are yet an Heir to Salvation (Heb 1:14). Clearly, the term angel goes much further than the winged beings, an angel from God is a spiritual messenger (Gal 4:14). There are the “fallen angels” as well; hell was made for the devil and “his angels” (Matt 25:14). There are messengers of Satan (II Cor 12:17), the un-repented Wicked are among the messengers of Satan, that’s why they are called the “synagogue (gathering) of Satan”, and why they end in the lake of fire.

Think about the view Ezekiel had of this place of captivity, do we think he saw synagogue after synagogue? How about a “Torah Book Store”? Perhaps lists with the latest hits from the rabbi singers? Or tapes from the teachings of the rabbis? No, he saw idol after idol, he knew his people were called of God, yet here they were, the tail and not the head. Was this a time for the man to have faith in God? How else would he speak as an oracle of God? These winged beings were signs of the nation existing beyond this captivity, but the captivity had to run its course.

Ezekiel saw many things, all products of the hand of man. Today man has what he calls the “Seven Wonders Of The World”, which are all products of the hand of man. What are those Seven Wonders? Ahh, you remember, one of them was the Gardens of Babylon, the product of the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Later we find Nebuchadnezzar will have an experience relating to the Broken Body of Jesus, not saying he will cause it, or he is in it, only his experience relates to it (Dan 4).

We see how Ezekiel was a prophet, but unable to understand spiritual matters. Not because he was stupid, nor because he rejected the Spirit, it was simply because the Spirit had not yet been given (Jn 7:39). The vision was conducive to something the man could understand, yet it held a mystery as well. Ezekiel then sees the “cloud in the day”, the metaphor Cloud points to Witnesses, the “appearance” round about the throne was the “likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezek 1:28). The metaphor points to the Church, John sees us as Crystal, not saying we will turn into crystal, rather crystal is Pure, an attribute of God’s Wisdom (Rev 4:6, 21:11, 22:1 & James 3:17). Ezekiel uses the word Appearance eight times in three verses, then tells us it was a Likeness of the glory, yet we have Glory in us (Rom 8:18). The word Appearance is the Hebrew Mareh meaning a Vision, or something looked upon, thus Ezekiel didn’t have the Glory, he saw it.

Now we know the Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified in the Resurrection, we find Ezekiel will have the “Spirit” enter him to bring him knowledge. Oh well, so much for theology, back to the drawing board, but wait, this Spirit isn’t the Spirit of Truth as the Gift from the Holy Ghost, rather we find it’s the Hebrew Ruach denoting an air in motion, metaphorically it means Anger, thus Ezekiel was given an attitude regarding these people, the same attitude God held. How could he speak for God unless he knew how God felt about the situation? He had to be mentality removed from the “captivity mentality” to a mindset where he felt the anguish and anger of God, he had to feel the anger the Lord felt for having to put the people in captivity. Ezekiel will be sent to “a rebellious nation” who sinned against the Lord (Ezek 2:3). The children are Impudent and Stiffhearted, yet Ezekiel was among them (Ezek 2:4). Truly, Ezekiel needed a Godly attitude to survive the call.

Being Born Again carries some great and powerful attributes, but the center of the experience is a Nature change. We have the Mind of Christ, thus we think as Christ, see as Christ and reason as Christ. All the time? Wouldn’t it be nice. No, but we grow into the mind as we learn the truth of “that Born of the Spirit is Spirit”. The old man is flesh, we were born of the flesh, our nature was flesh based. The New Birth brings a complete change in nature, with the nature we gain the Wisdom of God, then we can view things by God’s Knowledge, as we deal with things and people by God’s Wisdom. The Mind of Christ brings us the Character of Christ, the New Man is forming us into the Image of God’s son, so we can be sons of God, yet it’s a Process. Ezekiel didn’t have what we have, but he did have a vision of the nation, with the added attribute of seeing the nation as God did. His association then changed, making his words a source of conviction, not self-pity.

It’s a sad note, but clearly God is sending Ezekiel to a rebellious house, yet the house is the house of God, His chosen, loved and cared for children (Ezek 2:3). His own children turned against Him, yet He raised them in the way they must go, but they made the choice to go their own way by forsaking the way of God. Some of us carry great burdens of guilt over our children, but we fail to see all children have free moral choice, all we do is present the evidence the best way we can. Train them in the way they should go, and they will, but in the process we find God raised these children, but did He raise them to become idol worshippers? No, thus the result tells the tale, there are many with Him in the end. Ezekiel is told it doesn’t make any difference if the people believe him or not, the purpose of his ministry is for the people to know a prophet of God has been among them (Ezek 2:5). Often it’s after the fact when we realize we have entertained angels (prophets) unawares (Heb 13:2).

Like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel is told, Fear Not, nor be afraid of their words, or faces, although their words will be briars and thorns, as he dwells among scorpions (Ezek 2:6). Here we find the metaphor scorpion defined as rebellious, or deceptive people, the metaphor serpent means malicious, or slanderous people. Neither means to pick up bugs or vipers. Anyone can pick up a viper and remain malicious or rebellious. Neither of these are products of being demon possessed, but they are found in fallen nature of man personified. Paul had his thorn in the flesh, a thorn brought by the messenger of Satan through the carnal church of Corinth. Carnal words are thorns, yet Jesus said, we will tread on serpents and scorpions, here we find it means they will have no power over us, don’t fear their words or faces (II Cor 2:11, 11:14, 12:7, 12:16-20, 13:1-4, 13:10 & Ezek 2:6). Ezekiel receives a warning which we can take heed to; God tells him to beware, he is not to become rebellious himself (Ezek 2:8). When we are around rebellion, it’s easy to enter rebellion against the rebellious, yet we must stand in Mercy.

Ezekiel then sees the hand of the Lord, and the “book”; this book is similar to the book John faced (Rev 10:10-11). The book is one of prophecy, the message and purpose of the ministry, it contains “lamentations, and mourning, and woe” (Ezek 2:10). The book didn’t contain Salvation, Hope, or Faith, both Paul and John show the Night will appear on the surface to be Peace and Safety, but then comes the Beast of the Earth making it end in sudden destruction.

To sum up the ministry of Ezekiel, it’s prophetic showing sorrow and woes unto the people with a destruction much later in the process of time, yet the people he faces will probably reject him. Looking at the ministries of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel it becomes obvious, success is determined by one’s obedience to the Lord. Ezekiel is sent specifically to the house of Israel, but John’s prophecy was for many nations, Jew and Gentile (Ezek 3:1 & Rev 10:11). Ezekiel filled himself with the message, we must fill ourselves with the Spirit to bring Godly effectiveness to our message (Ezek 3:3). The people refused to listen to God; therefore, they will refuse to listen to Ezekiel; however, the purpose of the ministry is to warn the people, not save them (Ezek 3:7). We can’t make people believe, but in most cases the purpose of preaching is to provide information from which they can make a choice. It’s the case here, these people could never say, “Lord why didn’t you send us a prophet?” (Ezek 3:4).

Ezekiel felt the hot anger (heat) of the Lord in his soul, it became the evidence of God’s displeasure, thus showing the type of “spirit” he received. This wasn’t the anger of Ezekiel, rather it was the Lord’s anger toward His people; thus God was upset because the people caused Him to do something He didn’t want to do. It’s true God is Love, it’s also true the Book of Revelation shows God can get mad. God is just, holy, and faithful, but He is not stupid, neither does He ignore the obvious. Love never ignores things, often it will overlook things; just as faith doesn’t ignore events, it gets us through or around them.

As Ezekiel was leaving the presence of the Lord, he heard, “Blessed be the Glory of the Lord from His place” (Ezek 3:12). Ezekiel didn’t know it, but part of his ministry laid the foundation for the Glory of the Lord, which Glory is imparted to us through the Seed of God (Rom 8:18). Ezekiel then hears the noise of the wheels; the Wheels will be called the Glory of the Lord after Pentecost (Ezek 3:13). This is clear when we find it was the noise of the “wings, wheels and a great rushing” (Ezek 3:13). The Spirit came on Pentecost as mighty rushing wind, the wings represent a spiritual nature, the wheels the works, thus we enter the Rest of God as we cease from our own works of self-righteousness, by having the Righteousness of Jesus (Heb 4:10). The word Great in the phrase “Great Rushing” means Great in magnitude, much like the phrase “greater works then these you will do”. The word Rushing means A noise, like an earthquake, often referring to an Earthquake. This Great Rushing is a type and shadow of the Rapture, or leading up to it. Therefore, we find it was the “great rushing” saying, “Blessed by the glory of the Lord from His place” (Ezek 3:12). This doesn’t say “blessed be the people”, or “blessed are you”, rather it’s the Glory is blessed, the same Glory is within us, thus we are a Blessing when we walk in the Spirit. It’s one thing to be blessed, another to be a blessing.

Ezekiel had a strange ministry at best, he would be asked to do many things seemingly strange to us. He would act out the escape through the city wall conducted by some of his fellow countrymen to show their attempt to escape, yet they failed (Ezek 12:3-7). He would also clap his hands at times, or stamp his feet and cry out Alas (Ezek 6:11). Other times he would cry and wail as he slapped his thighs (Ezek 21:12), perhaps the strangest of all is when he cuts his hair then divides it into three parts and disposes of the hair in three different manners (Ezek 5:1-4). Surely God is making a fool out of the man, people will think he has gone “captivity crazy”; however, the people rejected the “spoken word”, it was time to put some action to the word to get their attention.

Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel waited until the “word of the Lord came unto my saying”, it’s just as important today, as it was then. We can be sitting and waiting, we can be at work place waiting, or just waiting, but acting before we hear is still presumption. “Well brother, don’t you think you should do something?”. “I am, I’m waiting for the Word of the Lord to come unto me saying”. “Saying what?”. “I don’t know, I haven’t heard it yet”. “Well, bless God, I think you should do something, after all there is a Step of faith, you know?”. “Yes, but faith comes by hearing, I’m waiting for the Word of the Lord to come unto me saying, then I will have the hearing, so I can move in faith”. “Seems dumb to me, I’m going to do something”. Presumption lacks patience, it’s far better to wait for the Word for the Lord to come unto us saying.

Ezekiel went to those in captivity, but he went in Bitterness. The hand of the Lord was Strong upon him, he waited seven days in Astonishment before the Word of the Lord came to him (Ezek 3:14-15). The word Strong is the Hebrew Chazaq meaning Violent, it’s used some 57 times, with 23 of them denoting God’s Strong Hand of correction. This was not what we would call “a faith ministry of edification”, rather it was a rebuking, correcting, exposing ministry to show God’s anger. On the other hand we find a like attribute in the New: “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the Power (authority) which the Lord has given me to edification, and not to destruction” (II Cor 13:10). Paul’s comments to the Corinthians may seen tough, but they could have been tougher; nonetheless we find Edification entails a rebuke, or correction to bring us back to the path of perfection.

Ezekiel again hears from God, the Word came unto him saying. Now he could move, but he is also told his position (Ezek 3:16-17). Stepping out in faith must entail two things, first is “hearing”; second is how faith relates to our position, the Holy Ghost is never going to empower us beyond the calling of the office, neither will the Spirit empower us to go against God’s Will. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost, yet he never healed the sick, or raised the dead; however, he did perform within the confines of his calling. In the Book of Acts the disciples asked to be filled with the Holy Ghost in order to show signs and wonders (Acts 4:28-31), because it was within the calling of the Born Again saint.

Ezekiel will be a “Watchman”, we are told to “Watch and pray”, thus this will relate to us as well. The ministry of Ezekiel is different from ours, thus his calling was to speak, ours is to speak and do. Ezekiel is sent to warn, but he is also warned, then we find two groups, the Wicked and the Righteous, which metaphorically points to the bad and good fish. This also connects to Isaiah 55:7-9, where the Wicked ways are not the Ways of God, nor their unrighteous thoughts the Thoughts of God. Here Ezekiel is told to Warn the Wicked, if they turn from their “wicked way” their life will be saved, if not, at least they were warned. However, if Ezekiel doesn’t warn them and they die, their blood will be on his head (Ezek 3:18-19). If the righteous man turns from his righteousness, he will treated as Wicked, is God not equal? However, if Ezekiel fails to give the Warning, then the blood will be on the head of Ezekiel; however, if he does warn them, yet they reject the warning, then they will not be remembered, but Ezekiel will be free of the blood. This is a clear warning to the Wicked, they entered based on their belief and faith, yet they retained the “he of the world”, their prior faith and belief will not be remembered.

If Ezekiel warns the righteous man, and the righteous man receives the warning, then the righteous shall live, Ezekiel will have delivered a soul (Ezek 3:18-21). Simply speaking, Ezekiel is being told the Word came, so speak it, if he refuses to speak it, the blood of the lost will be on his head. Incentive? Yes, there are times when Hard Sayings are really Saving Words.

This will become a vital area, the people will say God is not equal, since God sent some into captivity, yet some died, but by using the term “unequal” they were saying God  had fallen into iniquity. It has to be dumb, thus God will show He is equal, if the Wicked turns from his wicked ways unto righteousness, God will treat him as righteous, but if the righteous turns from their righteousness to wickedness, then God will treat them as wicked, is not God equal? God also defines iniquity as being unequal, as did Jesus (Ezek 18:25-27, 33:17-20 & Matt 7:21-23). Iniquity is not doing anything, rather it’s doing something we should do, but refusing to do something we’re suppose to do, after we have been given the ability and command to do it.

Part of our cleaning is found here, pride tells us “don’t say it, you’ll be attacked”, but the Spirit says, “they need to be warned”. Whether they take the warning or not isn’t the issue, whether we give it or not is. However, this of course comes after “hearing”, rather than making our own self-based conclusions then adding, “so saith the Lord”. Being obedient to the Lord delivers our soul, being disobedient removes our righteousness (Ezek 3:19).

John wrote to the little children, hoping they sin not, Ezekiel tells the righteous to sin not (I Jn 2:1 & Ezek 3:21). Whether they are wicked or righteous didn’t matter, telling them did. Ezekiel had a particular physical element given him; perhaps it would fit some of us. When Ezekiel didn’t have a word from the Lord, his tongue would cleave to the roof of his mouth; only when the Lord was ready to speak, would Ezekiel speak (Ezek 3:26-27). James said the tongue is an animal no man can tame, so why try? Let God tame it, His Grace is sufficient, it always is.

Righteousness in the days of Ezekiel was not the same as we have, their right standing was before the Law, ours is found in the New Man (Eph 4:24). Ezekiel is told to go to his house, then bind himself (Ezek 3:24-25). What? Binding and Loosing, back then? Yes, we also find “ears to hear” as well (Ezek 3:27). If they hear, let them, if not, leave them with their rebellion, thus hearing ears seek to obey the Word of the Lord.

Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel uses symbols to project the sins of the people (Ezek 4:1). Unbelief must see, before belief can take root, rebellion must feel pain before it repents, religious conceit refuses to believe, even if it sees, it refuses to repent in the midst of pain, thus it must have little pictures drawn to prove the point. If it’s of God, those of God know it, those not of God won’t know it until the last Day.

Ezekiel draws a picture of Jerusalem on a title, then draws many elements coming against the city (Ezek 4:1-3). Next he is told to lay upon his left side for 390 days, as a sign of the number of years of the iniquity of Israel, then 40 more days as a sign of the number of days of the iniquity of Judah, a day for each year (Ezek 4:4-6). This type and shadow shows the inability to stand when the iniquity is found in the children of God.

Then the prophet takes bread in one vessel, as a sign of the famine; this sign is not related to the Body of Christ, rather this displays the famine, not the blessing. Then God adds, of all things God tells the prophet to use the dung of men as fuel for his fire (Ezek 4:12). The prophet objects, as any of us would, then God adjusts the command to the use of cow’s dung (Ezek 4:15). This doesn’t mean God changed His mind, rather the prophet was spared the use of man’s dung, but will tell the people how the use of cow’s dung is a type of man’s dung, thus they will not have wood, or coal for fire, they will suffer famine. God knew the objection would come, He knew the result, but the point was made.

The words Astonishment and Astonished in verses 16 and 17 mean the same, To be Desolate or Destitute, they have the same meaning as the word Astonished in Ezekiel 3:15. We look at the word Astonished as Shock, but here it points to being Destitute, which in turn brings Astonishment of soul.

Ezekiel then cuts his hair at the command of God, Hair is a metaphor for the Anointing, thus the nation was under the Green Tree, meaning the anointing of God’s Mercy was their protection, yet God was removing His Mercy. The metaphor Bald refers to no covering at all, Paul used the metaphor Hair in his teaching on the anointing to the  Corinthians (I Cor 11:15). This symbol of the “cutting of the hair” points to the removal of the anointing to bring judgment on the wickedness of Jerusalem (Ezek 5:5-6). In our Season the symbol of the shaven head is a sign we are void of Christ (Anointing), the symbol of short hair shows we have a little anointing, but whether shaven or short hair, both cause us to be a shame to ourselves, and a dishonor to Jesus (I Cor 11:1-7).

Ezekiel takes his hair and burns one third with fire, a third is smitten with a knife (sword), then a third is scattered in the wind (captivity – Ezek 5:2). The prophet Zechariah sees the Jews on the last day looking upon Him they have pierced, and out of the entire group, two thirds are cut off and one third passes by, thus the metaphor here shows in the end there will be some who hear “Come up hither” (Rev 1:7 & Zech 13:6-9). Ezekiel’s symbol gives us one third scattered by the wind, Zechariah’s vision gives us one third saved after the judgment; therefore, the connection between the rebellion in Ezekiel’s time, and the rebellion yet to come are related (Rev 1:7 & Zech 13:6). The connection of course in the time of Ezekiel connects to Jeremiah’s prophecy, a third appointed to pestilence, a third to famine, and a third to the sword (Ezek 5:12-16).

In Ezekiel’s time the Lord will judge the nation in the sight of all nations; on the last day Jesus will judge in the sight of everyone, regardless of when they lived on the earth (Rev 1:7). The only ones free of the last judgment are the Dead in Christ, who are Partakers of the First Resurrection (Rev 20:5). Ezekiel sees this as the “wheels” going with the Spirit, but John showed it as the Spirit taking us through the Door into heaven (Rev 4:1). Ezekiel will tell us “works” are the same as “ways”, thus we are judged according to our works, which are based on our ways. It’s for this reason the workers of iniquity thought the works they did in the Name of Jesus was enough, but found Jesus was looking for Ways to be connected to the Acts, not Acts alone (Matt 7:21-23 & Rev 20:13). This is clearer when we find God recompenses the Ways upon the people, the thing they failed to fear the most, will come upon them (Ezek 7:4). We Watch and pray, if not the End will watch for us (Ezek 7:6).

Ezekiel will also show the Prayers as the Wheels or works of the saints, thus our ways and acts of Mercy are important, as are our prayers. James points out we can pray from the foundation of Faith, or from the false foundation of Envy (James 4:1-4). The plagues are purposed to bring man to repentance; the plagues on the people in Ezekiel’s time were purposed to bring the people to repentance (Ezek 5:9-17). It’s a shame, but nonetheless true, God must move to extreme measures to show His people their iniquity, in order to save them.

We find the “sanctuary” being polluted, but we also find it defined as the city (Ezek 5:5 & 5:10-11). Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel speaks to the people in his time, but has a word going much further into the future.

Ezekiel then looks to the “mountains of Israel”, this holds two meanings, the first is the most obvious, pointing to the actual mountains in the land, upon which the people were giving their sacrifices to idols. The second points to a time yet to come, when the Mountain of the Lord sits on the Mountains of the world. God will scatter these people, but not until the Dispersion, which would come after the Resurrection of Jesus in 70 AD (Ezek 6:8). Ezekiel uses the word Remnant many times, we know the 144,000 are the Remnant of the Seed of the Woman, thus his prophecy is projectional to the Time of Comfort (Rev 12:17, Ezek 5:10, 11:13 & 14:22).

God shows the various places where the evil will fall, those who are “far off” shall die of the pestilence, those who are “near” shall fall by the sword, and those who remain by famine (Ezek 6:12). The word Remain is the Hebrew Shaar meaning To survive, it’s not the same as the Remnant, rather this points to those who survive the pestilence and sword. In the very end we know it’s appointed unto all mankind once to die, then comes the Judgment. It does seem strange when talking about a God of Love, how Judgment fits, but it does. God’s Love has reached out to all mankind to avoid the wrath of God, yet God’s reality knows there will be a judgment. To ignore the judgment is a mistake, especially when we consider one of the “milk” basics to the Doctrine of Christ is having knowledge of Eternal Judgment (Heb 6:1-2).

The Beast of the Sea does not consist of the entire Gentile world; however, the Sea does. Ezekiel shows us the iron in the toes, as iron of bondage drifts into the minds of the people of God. Clay represents formed man, but instead of the breath of God, the clay ended with the iron of bondage based on idol worship, which causes the Rod of Iron from God (Ezek 4:2-3).

The people in the end will cry out for Comfort, but God will not be Comforted, thus producing furious rebukes (Ezek 5:15). Wow, so much for a loving God, but wait, would not a Loving God also avenge those who Loved Him? Yes, the voices under the altar cry out unto the Lord “How long, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on them who dwell on the earth” (Rev 6:10). Time and timing, the Lord will repay.

Ezekiel 7:25 points to the End as well, when Destruction comes the people will seek peace, yet there shall be none. When the plagues fall, they blame the Woman, but fail to see their Ways are evil before God. As it was in the Days of Noah, so shall it be in the end. As it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the end. Therefore we find idol worship, with the “sin of Sodom” will be common place in the very last days. Where do we see this here? In Ezekiel 7:21 we find the phrase “wicked of the earth”, with, “hands of strangers”, giving us the Beast of the Earth as the Wicked of the earth, and the Beast of the Sea as the strangers, don’t forget the Strange Woman has her strange lovers.

God does nothing in Vain, His own people have “broken” God with their whorish hearts (Ezek 6:9). The word Broken here in verse 9 is the Hebrew Shavar meaning To burst, or Break in pieces, it was used for the word Destroy as well, does it mean God was destroyed? Hardly, it means idol worship destroys the Covenant and Protection God has given us.

All are warned about idol worship, which is the Iron (bondage) of rebellion (Ezek 6:13-14). Daniel will tell us the Beast is clay and iron mixed; clay for the flesh of mankind, iron for rebellion and idol worship; however, Jesus rules with a Rod of Iron of correction, does it mean Jesus is rebellious? Hardly, it shows rebellion draws the Rod of Iron upon the Clay. It’s not God’s purpose for us, He wants us to be filled with the Spirit, Joy, Peace, Faith, Hope and Love, but if we say one thing, yet do another we bring the rebuke on ourselves.

God always has a Remnant, whether it’s the Remnant who will survive here, or a Remnant from the Body, or the Remnant who enter the Time of Comfort, or the Remnant who hear “Come up hither” (Ezek 6:8). The purpose is for us to know the Lord, He is God, but the wild soul of man connects to the he of the world (I Jn 4:1-5 & Ezek 6:10-13).

These people were oblivious to the obvious, they were walking the path of destruction saying, “God is good, God is with us, once protected, always protected, we are the blessed of God”, yet they were headed for the ditch. Their words were correct, but their acts were corrupt, thus their actions didn’t match their words. God sent His prophets day and night, but the people rejected the prophets. False prophets point in many directions, all wrong, they have many ways, none the right way, all sorts of words, all out of season. We must discern the good from the false by the Spirit; without the Spirit we will become self-deceived into thinking destruction is upon us, when it’s God’s exposure unto perfection to prepare us for advancement. On the same note one could be self-deceived into thinking they are in peace when God is warning them of the destruction just ahead.

God points to the four corners of the land, John uses the four quarters of the world. Expanding this event from Ezekiel’s time to the end times, showing how this is a preview in Ezekiel’s time regarding the nation, in the end it will be the entire world (Rev 20:8 & Ezek 7:2). God brings the rod of affliction because the people held the rod of wickedness, ignoring the rod of correction (Ezek 7:11). Those who attempted to run from the sword, found pestilence and famine, will not be able to (Ezek 7:15). However, some shall escape to the mountains, they will mourn for their iniquities, thus this refers to the dispersed Jews who ended among the mountains (nations) of the world (Ezek 7:16). Those who hear and obey will not run to the mountains, rather they will repent and mourn over the abominations done in Jerusalem (Ezek 7:16-18).

The elders of Judah were sitting before Ezekiel in his house during the sixth year, sixth month in the fifth day of the month, but since they are elders it draws importance to the next vision of the prophet (Ezek 8:1). Ezekiel has a vision of the fire of God, but this is not the same Fire we are baptized with, rather this is a personage, with the color Amber pointing to Brass (judgment – Ezek 8:2). Ezekiel is not taken to heaven, rather he is taken “between the earth and the heaven” (Ezek 8:3), whereas, John was taken to the very throne of God (Rev 4:1-2). The difference? Ezekiel was not Born Again, John was, yet it was the Spirit of God lifting both. This shows us how a prophet, even a prophet like Ezekiel was unable to reach heaven without being Born Again.

Ezekiel sees the “seat of the image of jealousy” in the place it should not be, the word Seat shows this as the “seat of Satan” holding an image while in the place it should not be (Ezek 8:2-3). Later Ezekiel will define why he and some of the other prophets said the people in their time put Abominations in the Sanctuary, when history shows they didn’t place an actual idol in the temple. These people assumed since there was no actual idols in the temple, God would spare the temple, but they forgot they were the abomination. They were the ones who sacrificed their children on the hills, then came into the temple as if nothing was wrong.

Ezekiel is taken mentally or in a vision to Jerusalem, although the “seat of jealousy” was there, so was the “glory of the God of Israel”. How can it be? One must define the Glory before they get to excited about it. Here the Glory is unto Judgment, the Glory in us is unto Salvation (Rom 8:18). In the latter days the Glory will be in the form of the Sun (House of Jacob) and the Moon (Zion), but we will also find a Glory in the prayers of the saints being poured on the earth (Ezek 8:4 & Rev 8:1-5).

God picked the city Jerusalem before Abraham was born, God didn’t ask Abraham, “what city would you like?”, rather He told Abraham the city God picked for the people. This will be made evident when Ezekiel speaks to Jerusalem, but for here we have to understand how God and the Jew looks at Jerusalem as the center of the earth, or the highest point on all the earth, thus for anyone to come from “the north” means God has placed another nation higher than Jerusalem, showing God’s anger when He takes the heathen to punish the saint. The “image” is northward, in this case we find the phrase means the people have placed something above God, yet it isn’t the only abomination the prophet will see (Ezek 8:6).

The image of jealousy came as a result of allowing the smaller idols to invade, yet the idol is a formation from the mind of man (Isa 44:12). This image is not “envy”, but “jealousy”, thus jealousy as it relates to humans means the fear of someone taking something one thinks it possesses. With God it’s when someone takes something  belonging to God for the purpose of destroying it. The Wicked take the people of God by placing the abomination in the place it should not be, but everyman is still led away by their own lust. The lust to control ones own god is the basis for man forming his idols, yet in the process man takes from God what belongs only to God, the people.

Ezekiel is taken to the “door of the court”, the door of the court is the place between the sanctuary and the court of the Gentiles. He sees a “hole in the wall”, which is metaphor showing a Breach had taken place. When he makes his entry into the sanctuary he sees all sorts of creeping things portrayed as idols on the walls round about (Ezek 8:10). Every man in the chambers of his imagery were making idols of their thoughts (Ezek 8:12). Two things are seen, the mind of those who worship idols, then the idols themselves. God made man, man makes gods, so man can control his gods, yet God never controls man. Although there are some who attempt to make God their servant, we never find God making a creation His god.

A false Christ is one who claims to be Christian, but lacks the power thereof. In the latter days there will be false prophets pointing to images calling them Christ, rather than saying they themselves are Christ or Christ Like (Ezek 8:12).

Ezekiel then sees the women weeping for Tammuz the idol used for the sacrifice of children (Ezek 8:14). Tammuz was an Assyrian fertility god, the act of weeping for him was suppose to bring Ham back from the dead, thus we find this weeping is seeking to have someone raised from the dead by an idol. Daniel will also define the phrase “desire of women” as giving children for sacrifices to Tammuz, assuming the idol would bring life to their life. This is the twisted counterfeit of something God has put in place, Jesus gave His life so we might have life, but the Father didn’t nail Him to the Cross, nor did the Holy Ghost toss Him to the wolves, Jesus became a sacrifice for us.

Ezekiel sees many abominations, people worshipping the “sun”, the sun is a symbol of Jacob, the “man” who took “66” of his people into Egypt (Ezek 8:16). We know the sun god Ra or Amon-Ra was Egyptian, there were many obscene rituals associated with the worship of Ra and Asherah (Ishtar); however, what we are seeing here is the worship of “a man”. Adam was formed on the sixth day, Jacob took 66 people into Egypt, each six represents something regarding natural man. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life; the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the lusts for other things. Idol worship is a lust, it’s forming or making something subject to man to be worshipped, yet under man’s control, or man becoming the creator of his god.

Some contend the events in the Book of Revelation have passed, in part it’s true since the preview was on a much smaller scale; however, the vision of Ezekiel is yet to happen, thus God says they “have returned to provoke Me to anger” (Ezek 8:17). This is after they return to the land, yet we know these actual acts have yet to take place; pointing to a time to come, a time known as “Jacob’s Trouble”. Previews of a movie give us an idea of the type of movie, but the preview is not the movie. We have yet to see the condition of the earth as it was in the time of Noah, we have yet to see Israel possess all its land, with the added proviso of being in peace. The peace in the land marks the beginning of the Time of Comfort, not just being in the land. However, we see wars, rumors of wars, pestilence and famine; therefore, it’s still the Day, the end is not yet (Mark 13:7).

Ezekiel sees “twenty-five” men, this type and shadow is also important as we will see the figure “twenty-five men” in another vision of Ezekiel. There are twenty-four elder positions in heaven, 12 for the apostles and 12 for the New Testament tribes, yet these 25 are not among them. This would be the elder order of priests, with one added, showing how the false prophet was accepted. If we were Ezekiel and sitting along a river in captivity as a priest, this vision would be very hard to take. Why would God show it? So the man could have a “spirit” of disappointment, frustration and wrath allowing him to speak as an oracle of God. Some of us see things wrong, but we don’t know what to do about them. We have the knowledge, but lack the wisdom, thus we are observers. At times God sends us to observe, thus God may be showing us what not to do when we have our own ministry or church. Since Ezekiel was a priest in Jerusalem, he was part of the problem, but the captivity changed him dramatically. Captivity has a way of changing a person, especially for those who have a conscience.

Ezekiel 8:18 relates to Revelation 8:1, showing “a silence in heaven” during the last half of the hour. We know when anyone comes to the Lord the angels in heaven shout for joy, but during the Night no one comes to the Lord. Therefore the ability leaves at the Rapture, thus there is Silence in heaven until after the plagues are complete. As long as there is one Spirit filled Christian on earth, the Kingdom is on earth, at the Rapture the Holy Ghost goes, those who are Spiritual go with Him. Then it would be illegal to say, “here is Christ”, or “There is Christ”. In the Night they will cry, but God will not hear them, yet in our time Jesus makes intercession for us continually. In times past God spoke to the people through the prophets, but now He speaks by His Son (New Man). The only people to Hear God are those who have the Spirit of Truth, thus many pray to God, but only one group hears from God (Heb 1:1-2). The Day is much better, Amen?

Ezekiel sees six men coming from the “higher gate”, the higher gate is not the Door, rather the Gates are equated to the 12 New Testament tribes assigned the Night (Ezek 9:2 & Rev 21:12-13). John sees seven angels, with the seventh remaining in heaven, thus Ezekiel sees the six who come to the earth. There are seven seals, and seven angels, the seven angels do not make their appearance until after the seventh seal is broken. Since the Time of Comfort begins with Peace, Ezekiel is seeing a time when idols are in place, referring to the end, or Jacob’s Trouble. This would be after the seventh seal is broken, at the time when the seven angels come forth. John sees the seventh, but the seventh appears when the earth is turned inside out, thus Ezekiel being on earth would only see six, John being above the earth would see all seven.

The Seventh church opens the door to the False Prophet, then the False Prophet performs an ungodly marriage between the Woman and the First Beast, changing the purpose of the Law from “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one” to “Hear O City of Israel, you are God, this image is your Christ”. Then the angels come forth, one of them has an inkhorn marking those in Jerusalem who cry over the abominations done in the midst of Jerusalem (Ezek 9:4). Jesus tells the Sixth church, “I will write upon him the name of My God” (Rev 3:12). A future tense statement, but does this mean Jesus is one of the six? Hardly, it means the six men are sent by Jesus as His representatives. This is not the same as marking the 144,000 on Zion as the Night opens, rather this goes to the very end when the false prophet has entered the temple with the abomination.

We are Sealed by the Spirit, giving us the authenticity to Preach the Gospel, the Mark of God on these people gives them protection based in Mercy. We are Sealed by the Spirit within, the Mark on the 144,000 is on their forehead, yet we also find the devil has to be bound for them to operate, showing they have a little strength (Rev 3:8). This also shows the Holy Ghost is gone, since it’s a man (angel) marking them, not the Holy Ghost planting the Seed.

The Two Witnesses of the Law and Prophets are assigned only to the last two candlesticks, not all Seven (Rev 11:4). These same Two Witnesses were seen next to the Lord of the whole earth on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt 17:2). The Two Witnesses are not the men, but what the men stand for, the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). The Law and Prophets contain words from God, thus the silence in heaven also points to God not speaking to the people in the Night. The work is done, has been done for some time. Yet for us we work while it is yet Day, for the Night comes when no man can work.

Jesus said not one jot of the Law of Moses will change until all is fulfilled, it won’t be fulfilled until the False Prophet causes the ineffectiveness of the Law and Prophets by overcoming the saints who preach them. When the Law and Prophets are killed (made ineffective), they lay in the Street, a place between places, then the end will be in hand. The Street is a place between two locations, thus those who are killed in the latter days, yet hold the Commandments of God won’t have the Spirit to reach the altar of God, but neither are they in hell, rather they are the dead who are raised at the Judgment (Rev 20:12). The judgment begins in the sanctuary, as judgment begins in the House of God (Ezek 9:6 & I Pet 4:17).

The Book of Revelation begins by judging the churches, the Wicked, then the Woman. The Christ Church is given the great opportunity to avoid the judgment as we judge ourselves to see if we are of the faith or not. We test our souls by the Spirit of Truth to determine if we have allowed some antichrist thought to hinder our spiritual position; thereby avoiding being condemned with the world. We can either have the Seal of the Spirit, or the mark of the Beast, the choice is ours, the result is in God’s hands (Ezek 9:10).

Ezekiel 9:2 shows the “brazen altar” in the courtyard, in the Book of Revelation we find the description of Jesus as the Son of man pointing to Judgment, not Salvation. On the Mount of Transfiguration there is no mention of the “feet of Jesus”, since the Feet of Jesus rest on His Footstool, but in the Book of Revelation we find the Feet of Jesus are “like unto find brass, as if they burned in a furnace”; putting this with the enemies of Jesus being His footstool, we find this vision of Ezekiel relates to Judgment, as a preview of the “judgment of the great Whore” (Rev 1:15 & 17:1). The first place of Judgment will be the “earth”, then the “sea”, then “rivers and foundations of waters” (Rev 16:1-4), each of these will be defined as we move along, but there is no Judgment on those of the “heavens”. Just as there is no “beast of the heavens” or “beast of the sand of the sea”.

It’s also interesting how the judgment begins with the “ancient men which were before the house” (Ezek 9:6). In Daniel we will find the metaphor “ancient of days”, but the metaphor “ancient men” is different. If the judgment begins “on earth”, yet there is a “Beast of earth”, but those who form the Beast were antichrist in our time, it makes them the “ancient men”? The word Ancient is the Hebrew Zaqen meaning Aged, or Eldest, the word Men is the Hebrew Enowsh usually meaning “mankind”, but it’s not restricted to gender, it points to persons in a past season, generating trouble in the next season.

Ezekiel 9:8 tells us about the “pouring out” of God’s fury upon Jerusalem, but what is this? The wording “pouring out” is the Hebrew Shapjakh meaning To pour out, as one would pour out a drink offering, or a vial. The Book of Revelation defines this “pouring out” as the vials filled with the prayers of the saints mixed with coals from the “golden censer” in heaven (Rev 8:3). This is the same Altar Paul noted as the “third heaven”, or Paradise where we find the Souls of the saints at the fifth seal saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, do You not Judge and avenge our blood on them who dwell on the earth?” (Rev 6:9-10). These Souls are also “clouds”, or Witnesses, those who receive their White Robes when the fifth seal is opened as the massive great earthquake marks the Rapture, and the opening of the Night (Rev 6:9-11).

The key to all this is the phrase “the Lord has forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not”, defining the silence (Ezek 9:9). The earth being a metaphor for the kingdom of heaven shows we all enter the courtyard, but only those who deny the self, and pick up their cross to Follow Jesus enter the Holy Place. From there they grow into the Holy of Holies, thus when the Rapture comes, those left behind as the Beast of the Earth will have their “glory” turn against them, as they lose what little they thought they had.

The Word of the Lord will go out from Jerusalem in the latter days, but there will also be a famine for the Word, how can this be? The Logos (Word) was with God, and spoken of by men until Jesus came, then Jesus gave us the ability to have the Rhema;  faith comes by hearing, but the hearing by the Rhema. The Greek translation shows there will be a famine of Rhema, there will be no Proceeding Word of God, they will have the Law and Prophets as their guide. Jesus said the Law and Prophets testify of Him, but we have the Spirit to be Witnesses for Jesus (Acts 1:6-8). During the Night there will be no ”thus says the Lord”; which means the false prophet will be the only one in those days saying he has the word of the Lord. The 144,000 keep the Commandments, they don’t prophesy.

Perhaps the most interesting element in all this is how there are sects who claim the Gospel, yet claim to be part of the 144,000, which cannot be. If one knows the Gospel, yet goes into the Night, they are the Wicked. The 144,000 are blinded to the Gospel, they keep the Commandments of Mercy found in the Ten Commandments, but they are not Born Again, neither do they have the Holy Ghost guiding them.

Ezekiel sees the Firmament above the head of the cherubims, above the firmament  is the throne. There were also Wheels, thus the first Five churches are before the throne during this time (Ezek 10:1-2 & Rev 8:3). The firmament shows a division, confirming the silence in heaven during the last half of the hour. It makes sense, if God finished the work of the Night, then it’s finished. There is no need to speak beyond the Law and Prophets; however, man does not Live by bread alone, but by the Proceeding Rhema of God. We are a people with life, one of the major dividing factors between the Day and Night is the prophetic proceeding Word (Rhema). The Sword of the Spirit is the Rhema, yet there is a famine of the Rhema in the Night. We are a Rhema people seeking Life by the Spirit.

The “man clothed with linen” was the same one who marked the foreheads of the people who sighed and cried over the abominations (Ezek 9:2). This is clearly at a time when the abomination is in place, making it after the seventh seal, or at the time when the seven angels come forth. The “man clothed in white linen” went between the Wheels, and filled his hand with coals of fire from “between the cherubims” (Ezek 10:2). The place “between the cherubims” is the Mercy Seat, but the Fire was located in the Brazen altar, how could this be? Revelation chapters 4 and 5 give us the Plan, as John sees the events unfold. In the unfolding John sees the prayers of the saints mixed with the fire of God and tossed unto the earth to begin the Judgment (Rev 8:3). Ezekiel sees the coals of fire from the cherubims spread over the city, both John and Ezekiel show the fire and prayers being poured out on the earth (Ezek 10:2), which is the point.

The “cloud” at this time is not the Protection of God, but the witness against the people. The “Glory of the Lord” went Up from the cherubims, not down, thus the brightness of the Lord’s Glory was about the House and Threshold; the Threshold holds two points (Ezek 10:4). This House has the Cloud with the brush of angel’s wings, there was Glory on each face, truly the presence of the Lord is in this place. This House is not on earth, the Book of Revelation clears the issue by showing “the temple was filled with smoke from the Glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled” (Rev 15:8). The seven last plagues are the “wrath of God”, thus this Glory and House are not on the earth. The angels come from the Temple in heaven, yet we are the Tabernacles. The metaphor Temple points to Judgment, the metaphor Tabernacle points to Salvation. This Temple is the Mercy of God, as indicated by the Mercy Seat, the Judgment is not based on Grace, it’s based on Mercy.

The Threshold not only points to the Time of the Doors, but it goes back to the Passover. To the Jew the Threshold was a very important element, once someone passed the Threshold, they were accepted into the house and under the protection of the master of the house. In heaven it shows those with their white robes are home, they are before the Throne, protected from the wrath of God. This very premise became the symbol for sanctuary when someone entered a church. The Threshold on earth is a different story, the abomination was accepted past the Threshold into the holiest of all taking the place of the ark of the covenant, thus forcing the Judgment of God.

The cherubims spoke “as the voice of the Almighty”, which shows they speak for the Almighty, as angels carrying messages from God (Ezek 10:5). One of the Greek words for Preacher means An angel who speaks on behalf of God. However, it doesn’t mean we as humans become winged angels, rather it points to purpose and procedure as we speak on behalf of God. The word “angel” means messenger, thus there are angels of God, and messengers of Satan. Nonetheless, between the Wheels remains the prayers of the saints, thus the Wheels are our works of mercy pointing to our Ways (Ezek 10:6).

The words Voice or Voices appears nearly 50 times in the Book of Revelation, there is the Voice of Jesus to the churches, the Voices of the Lightnings and Thunders from the Throne, there are the voices of the Great Multitude in heaven, as well as the seven angels with their Voices, but the wicked on earth also have a voice blaspheming God. The Voice to end it all is the Voice coming out of the temple “in heaven” saying “It is Done” (Rev 16:17). When Jesus was on the Cross He said, “It is Finished”, meaning a portion of the work was complete, but the phrase “It is Done” means all the work is finished. The cherubs are servants, they are not independent thinkers, they do not obey the voices of man, they deliver messages from the throne, in the last days they will do exactly as they are told to do, no more, no less.

Ezekiel then sees four wheels, with “one wheel” by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub (Ezek 10:9). Now wait a minute, he sees four, but there were two? These four had one likeness as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel, thus there were two wheels by each cherub, with a wheel in each wheel giving us four, yet two. All four wheels moved on their sides, where the “Head Looked”, they “Followed” (Ezek 10:11). The reference to the “Head”, then the “Body” gives us the clue to these wheels being the Body of Christ (Ezek 10:11-12). These four Wheels are seen with Eyes round about, in the Book of Revelation they are defined as the “four beasts” in heaven (Rev 4:6 & 4:8). The four beasts in heaven are far different from the Beast of the Sea, or the Beast of the Earth. The four beasts in heaven have life, the Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the Earth do not. The word Beast in reference to the four beasts is the Greek Zoon, but the word Beast in reference to the Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the earth is the Greek Therion, meaning a venomous creature, like a serpent, but the Greek Zoon means a Living creature, thus we have Beasts and Beasts, they have the same English title, but are different in context and purpose. The “four beasts” in heaven point out the four horsemen to John, the beasts are not the horsemen, they point them out. Then Ezekiel hears something very strange, he hears a voice cry unto the Wheels “O wheel” (Ezek 10:13). Sounds silly, except we find different Hebrew words being used. Generally the word Wheels is the Hebrew Ophan meaning a Wheel, as a wheel on a wagon, but a Wheel metaphorically means a method of movement, our method of movement is Faith. However, the word Wheel in the phrase “O wheel” is the Hebrew Galgal meaning A whirlwind, it was also used in reference to a “well-wheel” which was used to draw Water, pointing to Mercy, thus these Wheels represent the works of Mercy by those who are Born Again as the Living Water pours from them by the Spirit.

Then we come to the four faces, these faces are different from the first vision recorded in Ezekiel 1:10. Here we have a Cherub, a Man, a Lion and an Eagle, but in Ezekiel 1:10 it was an Ox not a Cherub, yet the Man, Lion and Eagle remain the same, thus the only change is between the Ox and Cherub. If there is a difference, then there is a difference. There are two main Gospels, one of Peace for the Day, but there is also the Everlasting Gospel for the Night. The Everlasting Gospel is heard when the angels (six men) are sent forth, it reads, “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the Hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Rev 14:6-7). Another angel follows saying, “Babylon is fallen” (present tense – Rev 14:8). The Everlasting Gospel is one of Judgment, it’s only assigned to the Night, after the abomination is set up. The Ox points to the sacrifice, but the change points to the cherub bringing the everlasting Gospel, the Sacrifice is stayed, thus no one will come to the Lord in the Night. The Man is still the “Him” who made heaven and earth, as the Son of Man. The Eagle is the one who brought the message, the Eagle’s wings protected the woman in the wilderness (Rev 12:14). Therefore, we are warned not to mix the day into the night, or the night into the day, just as we are not to mix the Everlasting Gospel into the Gospel of Peace, or the Gospel of Peace into the Everlasting (Ezek 10:14).

The cherubims and the seven angels are also different, when Ezekiel saw the angels coming with judgment, he called them “men”, but in reference to the wheels, Head and Body he saw Cherubims. We know about the Two Cherubims over the Mercy seat, thus the metaphor Cherubim refers to Mercy, not Judgment; God’s Mercy endures forever, His Grace is but for a Season. The wheels didn’t go before the cherubims, or the cherubims before the wheels, rather they were in conjunction, one with the other (Ezek 10:16). Even the plagues in the end are acts of the Mercy of God attempting to get the people to repent. The Cherub was first spoken of as guarding the Paradise of God (Gen 3:24), in Phoenicio-Shemitic language this word stood for Divine Steed.

The first four seals are opened now, but they are a mystery as well, since each seal has a rider and a horse. The First Horsemen and Horse are different from the other Three, thus John uses the word “another” in Revelation 6:4 making a division. The word Another means there were horses and riders, but the first one has a much different purpose than the other three. There are some interesting elements to the First Horse and Rider, the obvious is “conquering and to conquer” which seems somewhat redundant, but really it’s not. The same Greek words were used by John, “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the Victory overcoming the world even our faith” (I Jn 5:4). The words Conquer and Conquering mean Victory in Overcoming, if the Book of Revelation proves nothing else, it proves there are a people in heaven during the 1,000 years, thus this Rider is special, demanding our attention. Another element is this “Bow”, is a Bow and Arrow? If so, where is the Arrow? The word Bow has to be identified by chasing it down to the root word, where we find it’s an element used for planting Seeds. There is only One Seed Planter, the Wicked plant Tares, not Seeds, the Holy Ghost plants Seeds. The other three riders are all sent to Reprove the world of sin by provoking wars and rumors of wars: of righteousness by bringing famine: of judgment by the pestilence. The First Horse is White, not “as if it was White”, but White, representative of the course of the Rider. The Rider will not speak of Himself, He will teach us all things, bringing things to our remembrance, and more important He will plant the Seed of God in us (Jn 14:26, Mark 4:13-20).

Other factors point to this First Horseman being the Holy Ghost, for instance, the word Crown is the same word used for Crown of Life. It’s the same type of Crown given the saints; however, it is not the same Greek word used for the crowns seen on the Beast of the Sea, or the one on the Woman. The first seal and the first church are related, the First Horsemen went out on Pentecost, then the others followed denoting the End Times begun when the Holy Ghost came as a mighty wind as Peter preached (Acts 2:16-17). When the four horsemen are finished, the Night begins, but until then we have signs; the Holy Ghost is still here, people are still receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, there are wars, rumors of wars, famine and pestilence in the world. As negative as the last three may sound, they are nonetheless show, “Peace and Safety” has not arrived. There is still time to cast the Net, still time to work the field; still time to hear, “So saith the Lord God our Savior and King”.

Jesus wasn’t telling us to ignore the events, neither are we to allow the events in the world to produce fear in us, nor are we to attempt to force a change from the basis of fear (Luke 21:9). We call the called from the Sea, we don’t attempt to tame the Beast of the Sea, then call it our personal “show pony”. If John sees the Beast of the Sea with the power, authority and seat of Satan, how then can we tame it? We call the called, we toss the net, we don’t attempt to ride the Beast.

Ezekiel sees the Cherubims Lifted Up after they run their course, as another sign of those who find their names in the Book of Life (Ezek 10:15), thus where they went, so did the wheels (Ezek 10:16). John saw a great change between the fifth and sixth seals; he made it into heaven by the Spirit through the Door, so do we (Rev 4:1). When the Ruptured saints go, so does the Glory of the Lord as well (Ezek 10:18). Ezekiel says this is “the living creature”, not the “living creatures” as many, thus this brings us to another clue, showing Life is in Jesus, outside of Jesus there is no Life. The one creature is the New Creature in Christ, as partakers of the First Resurrection.

After the Wheels are lifted, then comes the Judgment on the Woman (Jerusalem), again Ezekiel sees “twenty-five” men (Ezek 11:1). This takes us back to Ezekiel 8:16 where he saw the twenty-five men who worshiped the sun, the Sun not only means “sun worshipers” as the sun in the sky, but it also shows the false prophet was accepted into the temple, causing the people to worship the image of Jacob (nation), defining “Jacob’s Trouble”. Therefore, Jesus warns the seven churches about the Jezebels, Doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitanes, the danger of accepting the false past our Threshold is always a danger. They seem nice, but they know nothing else but strife, turmoil, and division.

The twenty-five are defined as those who devise mischief, as they give wicked counsel in the city (Ezek 11:2). The influence of the Wicked captured the minds of the elders, the entire loaf became leavened. Since the number is twenty-five we find this is a counterfeit of the “twenty-four” elders with the addition of the Eighth. It starts to become clear, coming to the Cross is always good, but we must run the race lawfully.

In Chapter 11 we find Ezekiel was Lifted Up, but this is not a type and shadow of the Rapture, since he couldn’t be lifted all the way to the Altar of God (Ezek 11:1 & Rev 4:1). In his case it was a movement through time in a vision, rather than up in motion. He is now looking at what will be, not what is. This vision is not only prophetic in nature, but we can tell he was not lifted up to heaven, since he ended at the gate of the Lord’s house in the city on earth. New Jerusalem began on the Day of Pentecost, we must keep the two Jerusalems separate, as well as the two Zions. New Jerusalem is the Bride who will descend from heaven, Jerusalem of the earth is the Woman (Rev 21:2, 12:1 & 17:1-18). The one of the earth in bondage, the one of heaven is free (Gal 4:25-26).

Since these are leaders, we also find how religious leaders who fail to seek God’s desire, rather they seek wicked counsel (Ezek 11:2). Their iniquity led to the transgression, their transgression became corruption (Ezek 11:3). Iniquity is deception at work, we do some things in order to gain favor, but refuse to do others we are called to do. Balance between the Acts and Ways keeps us from iniquity, here the iniquity was the failure to keep the Law and Prophets. When they accepted the False Prophet, they became Unequal, if they work at the effort of being Unequal, they are a worker of iniquity (Matt 7:21-23). Once iniquity becomes a work, it moves one into sin (II Thess 2:3); however, in the Night it will be like the Garden, once they violate the premise, they are cast from the Garden, just as Adam was. In our Season repentance is the restoring factor, so much better to be a child of the Day.

Ezekiel is told to prophesy against the wicked, it’s important to note Ezekiel was told by God to speak, he didn’t move on personal emotions or self-proclaimed righteousness (Ezek 11:4). God knows our hearts, it’s we who continue to ignore the dark corners (Ezek 11:5). God is so good, He had these men who were void of Grace prophesy against the wicked, so we of Grace didn’t have render evil for evil. These men were naturally minded and expected to act natural, we are spiritual and expected to act spiritual, after all, that Born of the Spirit is Spirit.

Ezekiel 11:6 shows how the Wicked did slain in the city, they filled the streets thereof with the slain, taking us to Revelation 11:8. Revelation 11 begins with a division, showing the temple and court, then the Two Witnesses who are assigned to the last two candlesticks (Rev 11:4). It’s vital to see the Two Witnesses are not assigned to the first five candlesticks, the separation is another sign showing the Rapture removes Grace, Faith and Spirit from the Earth. The Fire coming from the Two Witnesses is conviction unto judgment, but it’s ignored. Finally the people cast off the Law and Prophets thinking they are free of the conviction. Deception makes one think they are free, but only the Truth can make us free. The truth in this case shows they cast away the source of the conviction, but accepted the ways of the Wicked which ends killing them.

The 144,000 are motivated by mercy, but stand with the Two Witnesses, thus when the Two Witnesses are cast away the 144,000 will be overcome. The Wicked make the mistake of thinking “out of sight out of mind”, presuming if the 144,000 are dead, then the Law and Prophets are done away with as well. It’s the same error the world makes, if they can remove the Ten Commandments, they presume they are not responsible, yet if they know they exist, they are still responsible. How do we know they exist? The law of the land says, “thou shall not kill”, how do they know it’s a Law? By the Ten Commandments, the basis for the laws of man. The Wicked will be wrong, as the plagues are poured out the evidence of their error will be clear, yet they blaspheme God, rather than repent (Rev 16:9).

The motivation of the Wicked is deception, they attack the Truth with fables (Ezek 11:8). The Sword of God’s judgment is found in the Truth, just as the Word of Life is found in Jesus. The Wicked have no fear of God, they are not moved by what they see, although they should be. We are not moved by seeing the Wicked, and we shouldn’t be. Two different views of “not moved by what I see”, but in the case of the Wicked it’s an endeavor to avoid the Truth, rather than find it.

Ezekiel then shows how the children appeared as the “heathen round about” them, the “heathen round about” would be Egypt, Babylon and Assyria in Ezekiel’s day, in the Night it will be the Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the Earth. The Beast of the Earth makes entry, then joins the Beast of the Sea with the Woman in the bed of adultery. It was once said they are so close in the bed of adultery, one can’t tell one from the other, it will be evident, the preview is here, the use of idol worship became the wedding vows. God tells them their ways are so close to the idol worshiping heathen He can’t tell one from the other. Compromise produces the same result, we can become so centered on “God’s Love” we reject “Eternal Judgment”, yet both are products of God. If one rejects God’s Judgment they are Unequal. Although it sounds right to think of nothing else but “God’s Love”, being Unequal is still iniquity. After all, one of the six basic points in the Doctrine of Christ is our awareness and knowledge of Eternal Judgment (Heb 6:1-2).

Ezekiel then asks, “Ah Lord God, will You make a full end of the Remnant of Israel?” (Ezek 11:13). Ezekiel was among those taken captive, to him the Remnant was his group, but God is looking further ahead to the “remnant of the seed of the Woman” (Rev 12:17). Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel spoke as he was moved, but it didn’t mean he understood all of what he was saying.

Rebellion paints tares to make them appear as wheat, rebellion ignores the Word of the Lord, as it seeks other means to appear righteous, while remaining rebellious, yet God knows the heart of man, but it’s man’s soul He is reaching to save. The false prophets run “religious abortion clinics”, the bodies of the babes in Christ lay dead, or in pieces about their altars of natural reasoning (Ezek 11:6-7).

In reference to Ezekiel’s question God tells him the events as they will happen; He begins by showing the Spirit will be given (Ezek 11:19). This is almost the same as Acts 1:7-8, but in Acts 1:7-8 it’s reversed, but related. The Spirit will be given and a New Heart will be birthed in us, then our souls will change from flesh to Spiritual, as that Born of the Spirit is Spirit. However, we also find the division in the Net, the Good Fish will have the Spirit as a New Heart of Love, Hope, Faith and Mercy, but the Bad Fish will retain the old heart, yet put on a mask of righteousness, the result is a lost of authority (head – II Cor 10:13-14 & Ezek 11:21).

Then comes the clue of clues as we read, “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezek 11:23). The “mountain which is on the east side of the city” is the Mount of Olives, the same place Jesus gave us the Beatitudes, or the ability to have a “blessed attitude”, the Least Commandments of Mercy; meaning the least we can do. Here we find “the Glory of the Lord” is Jesus, whether it’s Jesus unto Salvation, or Jesus unto Judgment, or Jesus in us, as “the glory in us” (Rom 8:18 & Eph 4:24).

During the Day the Jews will be dispersed, but God will give them little sanctuaries in the countries where He sends them (Ezek 11:16). After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD the synagogues in various countries became the exclusive place for the Jew to worship, yet they still don’t have a Temple. Here is Ezekiel looking at the destruction of the temple in his day, yet it was rebuilt after the captivity. In Ezekiel’s day the Jews didn’t build “little sanctuaries”, thus if we used the premise of “if it doesn’t come to pass, he’s a false prophet” we would have to rip the Book of Ezekiel from the Bible. Except we know the prophet spoke of a time yet to come, thus the “little sanctuaries” are evident in our day. If there was a specific time regarding the prophecy, yet the words of the prophet did come to pass at the specific time, they would be false, here the prophet spoke of the future.

Today the Jews have various names for these “little sanctuaries” such as, Bet ha-Tefillah (House of Prayer), Bet ha-Keneset (House of Assembly), Bet ha-Midrash (House of Study), and Bet Am (House of the people), but they don’t call them The House of God. The day will come when the Lord will gather the Jew back into Israel in Peace, the day will also come when the Spirit will gather the faithful Christian into the unity of The Faith, two different gatherings (Ezek 11:17).

Ezekiel 12:2 shows these people had eyes to see, but refused to see. They had ears to hear, but refused to hear. Much different from not having eyes to see, or ears to hear. Rebellion has the ears, but refuses to hear, it has the eyes, but refuses to see. The Lord may send us to the rebellious houses for various purposes, at times to observe, at times to help, but don’t confuse the two. Some of us were sent to learn the effects of religious conceit, some are sent to pull some from the error, others are sent to speak, yet others sent to expose the sons of perdition. If we are sent to speak, we must also be aware a rebellious house has eyes, but refuses to see, they have ears, but refuse to hear (Ezek 12:1-2). Did they have ears? Yes, will they listen? No. Did they have eyes? Yes, will they see? No, the ability was there, their own rebellion caused them to be blind and hard of hearing; just because God is speaking, doesn’t mean they were listening.

These prophets show the dedication of a true servant, they obeyed the Lord, they went to the people with a message from God, knowing no one would hear. God sent Ezekiel to the rebellious house, but the method was to draw their interest by acts before Ezekiel used words (Ezek 12:3-7). When the curiosity of the rebellious moves them to ask, then the door to speak is opened (Ezek 12:8-16). Carnal words are of interest to carnal minds, but words of Truth are of interest to those who seek the Righteousness of God (James 3:17-18). It’s always important to keep in mind Ezekiel was told by the Lord what to do, we can’t copy him and say, “the Lord has sent me”. No, the truth would be, “me have sent me”. Worse yet is saying, “the Lord has sent me”, when in truth, “pride has sent me”.

God uses us in various ways, some may seem silly, or foolish, but the purpose in God’s eyes is serious. We look at some of the things Jeremiah and Ezekiel were asked to do, then we wonder, but we also recall the warning to Ezekiel. In order for Ezekiel to remain humble and free of the rebellion, he had to attack pride by holding a humble heart. There are ways God uses us to keep us humble, thus Ezekiel was warned not to allow the rebellion to overtake him, we also recall how Jeremiah was warned to seek the Precious. When we are in the pit, it’s easy to smell like the pit, or act like the pit, but we are sent to make a Difference by displaying a Difference. “Oh wait, I recall how Paul said he was a Jew to the Jews, and a Gentile to the Gentiles”. True, Paul was both a Jew by his mother, and a Gentile by his father, but he didn’t say “I’m a sinner to the sinners”, nor did he say, “I’m a wicked to the wicked”.

Being humble breaks the power of pride, remaining humble destroys pride, it often begins with being humble before our mate, keeping our mouth closed during those times when it would suit our ego to speak, or applying love and kindness when manipulation would seem to suit our goals better (Ezek 12:17-20).

Ezekiel was told to “eat your bread with quaking and drink your water with trembling and with carefulness” (Ezek 12:18). The surface context is a sign to the people regarding the famine; however, there remains a greater lesson for us. This is a place of being humble, the Bread of Life is not a religious game, it’s a gift placed in our hands. Jesus said This is My Body, then He gave us the Bread, Paul said, we are the Bread (I Cor 10:17). Yet the Bread (Body) is not the New Testament, the Blood is (Matt 26:28). The Bread is our place of Separation, the place between two places, we can’t stop at the Bread, we must take of the Cup to discern our position and condition as it relates to the Body and the New Covenant.

The Name of Jesus is not for us to play power games with, or use in some self-based manner to exalt our egos. It identifies us as members of His Body with authority, just as the saying “stop in the name of the law” identifies the speaker as one holding the authority of the law. When a policemen holds up a bank in “the name of the Law” he has misused his authority, and must suffer the consequences. We work out our salvation by fear and trembling, it’s not the fear of losing our salvation, rather it’s a fear of abusing the gift leading us to Salvation. We fear God, thus one can Love God and fear Him at the same time: if we do Love Him, we will also fear Him. God is All Powerful, the result of playing mind games with Grace is not something we seek to do (Jude 4).

One can have Authority but lack Power, ending producing carnal proverbs. The carnal proverb in the time of Ezekiel was, “the days are prolonged and every vision fails”. It was based on the words of the false prophets, their false hope “healed” the people slightly. The word Fails comes from the Hebrew Abad meaning to Wander Away, the word Wander means to Go Astray or Pass Away; in response God said, “I will make this proverb to cease” (Ezek 12:21-23). God then adds, “I Am the Lord: 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” (Ezek 12:25). God doesn’t change paths, we do. God doesn’t pass away, we pass from the Power of His Christ to the pride of life. Our goal is to break down the wall of pride, so we can among those who are caught up. Today some say the vision is passed, in the time of Ezekiel they said the vision was many days away, both sayings are signs of rebellion (Ezek 12:26-28). Peter addressed this very issue, reminding us the Lord is not slack concerning His promise (II Pet 3:9).

Paul said, “let the prophets speak two or three and let the other judge” (I Cor 14:29), thus the obvious conclusion shows we can’t have just one prophet, or else how can the other prophets judge? Why judge? Paul added, “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (I Cor 14:32). When we are moved by events in the world, we can allow our own souls to say, “so saith the Lord’ when the Lord hasn’t “saith” a thing. It was the problem with the false prophets in the days of Ezekiel, as well as in Paul’s day, even in our day. Paul’s comments are traced to Ezekiel, the prophets judged the foolish prophet who spoke “from their own spirit” (Ezek 13:3). The prophet should know if they are speaking from God or speaking to provoke God to do something, or speaking from their own soulish desires or fears, the later two produce foolish prophets, weaving ropes of deceit. The words “spirits or spirit” in the Old Testament context refers to the intent (attitude) behind the mind of the person. This is evident here where we find the “heart” of the false prophet was the source of the false prophecy, yet it was also defined as “spirit”. The use gives us the metaphor heart referring to the spirit of the person, thus we gain a New Heart in the New Birth. Did these false prophets think they were speaking for God? Who knows, it appears so. We find the fear of Babylon settled in them, thus they spoke lying divination’s from vain visions. In this case they sought freedom by assuming if they said it enough, it would come to pass. They were prophets who spoke correctly at one time, but fear manifested, now they were speaking to make God respond, thus they were speaking against God’s Will, not in it.

Then we find the evidence of their folly, in Ezekiel 13:6 we find the false prophets looked at the number of people following them as the evidence of their word being confirmed. The prophets of God had few, in some cases very few hearing them, yet we also know very few escaped. The false used numbers as a sign of their holiness, or as evidence they are motivated God, yet the true prophet doesn’t look for man to confirm the word, he looks for God to confirm it. This one verse in all these verses is one giving us a clue to the mind of the Wicked. The Wicked use numbers as a sign of success, which is what the world does. God uses obedience as a sign of success, even if it’s only one person who will hear and obey.

The foolish prophets were projecting self-based words of peace, hoping against hope God would honor their words. The true prophet honors God; whereas the false prophet uses a feeble attempt to force God to honor their words. God brings prophecy to pass, it’s not the other way around. God will not honor the words of His prophets, but when the prophet presumes he can say anything to force God to honor it, they do error.

Rebellion produces lying dreams and vanity, producing false hope (Ezek 13:6). When God has spoken, what can we do but prophesy, but if God hasn’t spoken, don’t force the issue (Ezek 13:7-8). Pride comes when we think we can speak something, assuming God will perform for us. When the event doesn’t come to pass, we make excuses, or ignore the obvious. Here the people had many clues, but they were seeking a false hope, thus they were being drawn away by their own lusts.

Judgment begins in the House of God, the first to feel the judgment are the prophets (Ezek 13:8-9). The prophets are first to be told, and the first to know judgment is coming. However, the false prophets react, or twist the words given by the true prophet, thus the false prophets speak from their own fears or lusts. God says “repent” the false say, “it’s okay”. God says “captivity if you don’t”, the false say, “God is not going to send His loved children into captivity”. The words of the false seem so positive, but if it were possible, they could fool even the elect. Right words, wrong season, wrong time, wrong event, to the wrong people, thus the people end between two directions, not knowing which to take (Ezek 13:9-10).

The false prophets in the time of these Godly prophets were not from some foreign land, they were among the household, just as the false today are found in the same net. There are the whackos, false teachers who teach to inflate egos and make gain, the false prophets who seek control, all build walls with untempered mortar. This “wall” in Ezekiel 13 is akin to the wall of Babylon and Jericho, but this wall has a characteristic all its own. This false wall is the wall of error and false hope, its only produced by the false prophets, it can only heal slightly for the emotional moment. God will rend the wall with a “stormy wind” (Ezek 13:13), the word Stormy means a Whirlwind, much like the one in Job. The word Wind is the Hebrew Ruach meaning Spirit, here we find it’s not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.

The end of verse 13 does go to the End Times denoting the great hailstones, but the beginning of the verse points to the Day. In this verse we find how the false prophets build their wall in the Day, but bring it again in the Night, yet God will rend it in the Judgment, yet for us He will rend it ineffective by the Spirit (Ezek 13:13).

God looks to the end times, seeing the foolish prophets who follow the False Prophet. Paul said, they shall say Peace and Safety, then comes sudden destruction. Ezekiel sees them saying Peace, Peace, but then great hailstones fall (Ezek 13:11-23). This passage of Great Hailstones could be confusing because the definition in the Hebrew dictionary has changed, for some unknown reason. An old copy of Strong’s defines Great Hailstones as two different Hebrew words; whereas the more recent ones give us one Hebrew word. The subject in these verses points to the false ones, thus the context shows the Great Hailstones on earth are the false ones, who cause the fire to fall from heaven. When God exposes our foundation, it’s to keep us on the Rock as He prevents us from becoming a part of the Great Hailstones. The Star falls in the latter days as the hailstones fall, the metaphoric content shows the Star as the Woman losing her place in heaven, the Hailstones as the false prophets falling as their false wall falls.

The false prophecy came from their own hearts, they are termed here as “women”, which has nothing to do with gender. If we assume these references, or those of Paul refer to gender we will form a wall of deception. To the Jew the term “woman” in reference to a prophet means they are attempting to be Eve like, or usurping authority. These prophets are called God’s prophets, but they allowed fear, or pride to control their intentions. Instead of hearing from God, they started hearing from their own fears, allowing their fears to usurp the authority of their position. They didn’t want to submit to the hand of Babylon, they felt if they said Peace enough times, God would honor their words. They looked for the people following them as a confirmation of their words being from God, yet it was all an illusion. In essence they were speaking things to make them come to pass, but they were not speaking in conjunction with the Will of God. It’s one thing to agree with God, another to make up our own words expecting God to agree with us. Two different types of confession, one is agreeing with God; the other is attempting to make God perform.

When pride is exposed, it will retaliate to show its supposed power. When someone tells us, “the Lord is telling me you have to face your pride”, our pride will react attempting to prove its not pride. Control will attempt to disguise itself, as disappointment in people, they all have their shields of self-protection. Often the shield of pride is anger, the shield of manipulation is often deception, all used to divert attention from the exposure. The act of self-deception is the illusion, it will send shields, or excuses to protect itself. “I’ve always been this way”, yeah so? No need to remain that way. Control will say, “this isn’t control, it’s organization”, or “I just want people to do as I say”. Pride will say it’s determination, or confidence, or it will assume it’s so superior it will punish the exposure by ignoring it, or attacking it. Deception is the cause of the fall, thus the first thing we find with God’s Wisdom is Pure; what you see, is what you get (James 3:17). The heart of self-deception uses masks of self-righteousness to hide the evil, the soft heart of the child of God is open for exposure, knowing exposure brings correction unto perfection (Ezek 13:17).

Then we find the “armhole” in Ezekiel 13:18, we don’t go about looking to see if the prophet has a “pillow” under their arm, rather this is a Jewish idiom. The pillow in the armhole was the place to keep money, we find the false were seeking “pieces of bread”, but they were also slaying the souls of the people. They gave their prophecy based on the return from man, not the benefit for God. This is akin to the selling the dove, or selling the prophecy, or selling the better prayer for the higher price. All signs of a heart turning something of God into a Balaam mentality (Jude 4-13).

These false prophets were hunting souls to make “them fly”, the word “fly” means Prosperity, or being partial towards those who can benefit us, which James calls a sin (James 2:1-3). They use exciting emotional things, although they are short timed, they last long enough to get attention and money, which defines, “healed slightly”. Does it mean we shouldn’t prosper? No, it means we prosper as our souls prosper (III Jn 3), we seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, the things will be added, just the same as we are instructed to abound, or to be abased, whatsoever state, we are contend (Ph’l 4:12).

The lies of the false do make the hearts of the righteous sad, as they tend to  strengthened the hand of the wicked (Ezek 13:22). It’s the danger, the false prophets were giving the Wicked fuel for their wickedness. The righteous were seeing the lies of the false capture the people in false hope. Faith reaches to a hope, but if there is a false hope then the faith used becomes a fable. God sent His prophets to expose and correct, it was up to the people to receive and believe. God will take down the wall of self-deception built by the false ones, for the specific purpose of setting His people free (Ezek 13:23). The method of warfare for the Righteous was not to use false words against the false, or to use words of theological abuse; rather, they were to speak the Truth in love.

The idols of man begin in the heart of man, as man’s hand only produces what his mind conceives. The “spirit of control” is an idol seeking to control many things, including God. Ezekiel was sitting with certain elders when the Lord told Ezekiel, “these men have set up their idols in their heart” (Ezek 14:1-2). Was Ezekiel reading their minds? No, God told him, yet we find the devil didn’t set up the idols, the men did. What kind of idols? idols of self-deemed importance, self-righteousness, intellectualism, self-imposed discipleship, money, security outside of God, the pride of life, false theology, or any number of idols formed by the mind of man, yet they may never make them as physical idols of stone. Prior the false prophets made the “wall”, not they were producing stumblingblocks formed by the idols in their minds (heats, or intents – Ezek 14:2).

These elders had idols in their hearts, yet they came to the prophet for help, but were they just as willing to hear “the Word”? Some want the preacher to give them a word condoning their idol worship, or “smooth words” of false hope for the moment. However, when the person of God talks about the idols in their minds, they get mad. Oh well, exposure is exposure, but there is also freedom; the same preacher who exposes will give us the road to freedom. The road to freedom begins with, “Repent and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations” (Ezek 14:6). This doesn’t mean ignore them, rather it means define your enemy. For many of us, if we want to see our enemy face to face, all we have to do is look in a mirror.

The term Turn Away means to change our attitude from using and holding idols and abominations, to treating them as our enemies. For the most part this is the battle, the rulers of darkness we used for all those years produced feelings we liked, yet they are based in the wiles of the enemy. Once we figure it out, we treat the uncontrolled anger, manipulation, pride or other elements from darkness we allowed to rule over us as our enemy. Define the enemy, know your weapons, two points of preparation before the good solider can enter warfare.

Iniquity being the failure to do something we are suppose to do, also implies the placement of stumblingblocks to cause others to move in a different direction rather than toward God. The false prophets were saying Peace, thus the people couldn’t see any reason to repent, or put away their idols, after all if God was bringing Peace, surely He also condones their activity. Wrong, it was the deception of iniquity; their iniquity would take them further into idol worship, until the idol became more important to them, than God; thus God won’t answer, rather He will answer them by their own ways (Ezek 14:7-8).  In Mark’s account Jesus will upbraid the disciples with their own unbelief, yet He will also tell them to Go and preach (Mark 16:14-18). The premise is even if they don’t believe, someone else will, the signs follow the believer. Jesus couldn’t upbraid them with His unbelief, since He doesn’t have any. It’s the same premise here, God will answer them with their own acts of iniquity, pointing to who they are suppose to be, by showing them by their own words who they really are. Spiritual discernment often begins when we discern the words spoken.

The false prophets ignore the stumblingblocks and prophesy from deception, but the Lord allows it to hone the vessels of honor (Ezek 14:9). We found out prior how God will allow the false to speak, in order to test our love for Him (Deut 13:1-3). If we love God, as we say, we will not follow the false or their deceptive mental idols. The false prophet will be destroyed when the Truth is revealed, but there will be those with itching ears who hang themselves from the tree of iniquity. Like Judas, they are self-willed, desiring to hear Peace when there is none, or War when there is no War (Ezek 14:11).

The righteousness of our leader isn’t going to cover our folly, we must treat the idols in the mind as devils. We find the same here, they were not going to be delivered by the righteousness of others, each would be delivered by their own righteousness (Ezek 14:14-16). The Righteousness they were privy to was self-righteousness through the Law, but nonetheless they had to follow the Law in order to gain. Neither can we run behind the man of God, assuming God doesn’t see the idols in our minds. We are given the Righteousness of Jesus by the New Birth, our Righteousness is found in our New Heart (Ezek 14:21 &  Eph 4:24). Therefore, we have the advantage, we don’t need to establish our own righteousness, the Righteousness we obtained is the Righteousness of God, the very Scepter of the Kingdom (Heb 1:8).

God will bring “four sore judgments”, the Sword, the Famine, the Noisome beast, and the Pestilence (Ezek 14:21). Did they have “noisome beasts” running around? Yes, metaphorically they were the false prophets (II Pet 2:12). Yet, God will have a Remnant, He always does. Here we find the Remnant is both male and female, this will define the 144,000 as well. They are virgins, but the context means they have not defiled themselves with the idols of the city or nation (Ezek 14:22-23 & Rev 14:4). We are the larger flock, ten thousand times ten thousand, but the Remnant are the small flock, thousand of (from) thousands, showing in the Night there will be no addition, just subtraction (Rev 5:11).

God then makes another reference to the Time of Comfort, the Remnant will “comfort” the people. The people will see their “ways”, and “doings”, thus the Time of Comfort is centered on the ways of Mercy, God’s Mercy endures forever, His Grace is but for a Season. The Day sees signs following Believers, but the Ways of the Believer make a Believer a Believer (Ezek 14:23). God plants the tree, yet He can destroy it, or bring it to life (Ezek 15:1-8). What tree would this be? The Fig Tree died from the roots in order to bring the Olive Tree of Life, yet the Fig Tree will have leaves in the Night.

The wording “vine tree” points to a wild vine in the forest, rather than one in the vineyard. God shows the vine has purpose, it’s fuel for the fire, it’s intended as such. Man has the choice to change the purpose of vine, thus he can make an idol out of the same vine he uses to heat with. The wild vine is then equated to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, thus we find this prophecy projects to the End Times as well, explaining the call, “Come out of Her My people”. God is going to do, what He is going to do, God has purpose (Ezek 14:23 & 15:6). There are realms where things happen, in the realm of Grace it’s the path to Salvation. In the realm of the Night it’s the road to Judgment, the way we avoid judgment, is to remain children of the Day. One does not stand on the road to judgment, claiming it’s Grace. Just as we found with the children in the Wilderness, one must change positions in order to be spared. Prayer is not something moving God, it’s something moving us to the place where God wants us. Intercession is a request for God to guide someone to the proper place where God can deal with them as children.

Ezekiel must cause Jerusalem to know her abominations (Ezek 16:1-2): one of the toughest roles for the prophet is the exposure of the abominations in the minds of those called of God. Few prophets are killed by the world, many are killed by the rebellious house of God. We kill prophets by words, stones of theological abuse, or by using the world’s weapons of pride, ego, slander, or manipulation against them, all to “keep them silent”, yet they are motivated to speak by God.

Here in Ezekiel we find the city was in the hands of the Amorite and Hittite when God saw her, then He delivered her into the hands of His people. God gave the adopted city to people of Abraham; therefore, the father of Jerusalem wasn’t God, it was the Amorite, the mother of Jerusalem wasn’t the Spirit, it was the Hittite (Ezek 16:3), yet New Jerusalem is the product of the Seed of God. Therefore, Paul shows Hagar is akin to Jerusalem of the earth, but Sara (the free) is akin to New Jerusalem (Gal 4:22-27).

God then speaks of the End Times in more detail, we find the City was cleaned from her blood then Anointed with Oil. The reference here goes to the “Oil of gladness”, but in Revelation 17:4-6 we find the cup she holds contains the blood of the saints and the martyrs, what gives? Very interesting indeed, a paradox. God found her, He poured the Wine and Oil into her, moved her to a safe location. In our case we find He offered us the Spirit, yet some rejected the Spirit trusting in natural theological intellect, or natural reasoning, they were found with the cup of the blood of all the Babes in Christ they killed on their altar of natural reasoning. Others took of the Bread and Cup, they appreciate the efforts of the Lord, as they grew to become spiritual in nature.

God shows He made the City to prosper, He was the One who decked her with ornaments, He put bracelets on her hand, a Jewel on Her forehead, and a Crown on her head (Ezek 16:7-13). The same description is found in the Book of Revelation as the Woman clothed with purple and such (Rev 18:16). So what happened? She was still clothed, but we find it was the Cup she held, thus she filled her Cup with abominations and blood (Rev 18:6). She was offered the First, Second and Third cups, but rejected them ending with the Forth being poured out on her. Ezekiel shows she was Naked, but God caused Her “hair to grow”; connecting to Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians 11, showing the symbol of Hair points to the Anointing, not gender. Just as Paul uses the metaphor “head” to point to Authority, thus a leader can remain carnal by placing a Yoke between the Authority of Christ and the congregation (wife – I Cor 11:1-16).

The Woman made Her “images of men”, committing whoredom (Ezek 16:17). John tells us the Number of the Beast is the Number of a Man (Rev 13:18). It connects, we have four major prophets, twelve minor prophets, giving us a total of sixteen, but wait, we can’t forget Moses, or David, or Samuel, giving us nineteen, but what about Elijah and Elisha? They would give us twenty-one prophets, thus prophecy is not something guessed at. The events of the End Times are given to us by the Prophets of Old, defined by the Prophets of the New. There is no need to fear, we have the Greater He in us. The Work for the Day is to destroy the works of the devil, it all begins at home.

This paradox of Jerusalem of the earth associates to a Parable told by Jesus, the city was on a path, yet was robbed, beaten and left to die. The Levite came by, but did nothing, yet a Samaritan made the effort to comfort the broken city, but those in charge of the religious order used her, to gain by, but never really cared for her. Jesus tells us, the kingdom of heaven is like a man searching for a treasure, when he finds the treasure, he sells all he has to possess it. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who searches for good pearls, when he finds one of great price, he sells all he has to buy the one pearl (Matt 13:44-46). The kingdom of heaven has both good and bad fish, thus the kingdom of heaven is the womb to the Kingdom of God. Here we find Jerusalem was a treasure, although she was polluted in her own blood, God said, Live, then caused her to multiply as the bud of the field (Ezek 16:3-7). The Remnant are known as the Pearl, thus we find the metaphor “kingdom of heaven” points to a location on the earth designed for the Day and Night, meaning it’s Mercy related. The Kingdom of God is personage, it is within, connecting it to Grace by being Born Again, thus it’s only for the Day. Therefore, we find the Beast of the Earth comes from the place where the Rock was located, thereby defining them as the synagogue (gathering) of Satan (Rev 2:89 & 3:9). The Kingdom of heaven has tares and wheat, the tares go into the Night, the wheat do not. However, the Kingdom of God is heavenly in nature, we don’t look here or there for the Kingdom of God, it will never come with natural visual observation, rather it’s within (Luke 17:20-23). There are those who are waiting for the Kingdom of God to come so they can see it with their naked eye, but Jesus said, Believe them not (Luke 17:21-23 & Matt 24:23).

God will clothe the Woman with jewels, He will open the windows of heaven upon her, she will be decked with more jewels than her prior days (Ezek 16:10-14). However, she will trust in her beauty, rather than trust in the One who gave her the riches, she will make an image of a man, causing her own downfall (Rev 17:1, 13:13 & Ezek 16:15-17). Her preview is written in her history, her warning is clear, and so is ours (Ezek 16:19-22).

Ezekiel sees this Woman as something naked, Jesus said the Laodiceans were naked, they were rich thinking they had need of nothing (Rev 3:17-18). The Laodiceans are the only group in the seven who are a people without a place, the others have places, even Philadelphia has a place, Jerusalem (Rev 3:7 & 3:9). The Laodiceans are found in the City, they are near the end of the Time of Comfort. When they are seen the city belongs to another, thus God tells them, “Come out of Her My people” (Rev 18:4). There are churches many in the Rock, but only one Church on the Rock. The Rock is akin to the kingdom of heaven, the Church to the Kingdom of God.

God also defines where the Woman is, she is the city of Jerusalem of the earth. She played the whore with the Assyrians, and committed fornication in the land of Canaan (Ezek 16:28-29). The false assumption of the Woman in the Book of Revelation being Rome is dashed asunder in the words of these Prophets, as well as the words of John in the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:1, 12:6, 17:3-6, 18:2-10). God says this Woman is a “imperious whorish woman” (Ezek 16:30), the word Imperious is the Hebrew Shakketeth meaning One who was given rule or dominion, but has become a vixen. Then we find she took the strangers (Wicked  – Ezek 16:32). These strangers follow the Strange Woman, yet the strangers did not begin as such. In this case they were the prophets of God, but they misused their position and reputation causing them to be strangers to the Covenant. The Wicked entered the kingdom of heaven during the Day, they vowed to continue to believe, but they also retain the he of the world, thus they misuse their position, slandering the reputation of Jesus. God grants us Good Gifts, what we do with them is up to us (James 1:17& 4:1-4).

God tells these people how man gives gifts to whores, but the Woman gave gifts to her lovers, connecting to Revelation 17. The Woman sits on the waters, yet the powers of the Beast hate the Whore, they shall make her desolate and Naked (Rev 17:15-16). Making her naked connects to the Laodiceans: Ezekiel will show us more concerning this.

Ezekiel sees Two Woes John sees Three, adding the Woe to those who follow the antichrist nature (Ezek 16:23, I Jn 4:1-4, Rev 9:12 & 11:14). The Woman played with the Assyrians, her lust couldn’t be satisfied, she becomes the Great Whore, the City known as Babylon (Ezek 16:28-30 & Rev 17:1). This is made clearer when God says, “Wherefore, O Harlot, hear the word of the Lord” (Ezek 16:35). The Woman is Revelation 17 is the Mystery (idol worshiping), she becomes Babylon the Great, The mother of harlots, and Abominations of the earth (Rev 17:5). She is not “the whore of Babylon”, rather she is Babylon in the latter days, not from it.

The Woman’s Nakedness is discovered, Jesus tells the Laodiceans “the shame of your nakedness do not appear”, thus the Warning is clear, just as the escape is clear, but so is the evidence of rejecting the Warning and Escape. God will gather her lovers in a great battle, they shall see her nakedness, then God will allow her lovers to leave her naked and bare (Ezek 16:39). “Well, you know brother this happened, it’s passed”, not so, the city was never totally desolate, rather there were some people left behind in this captivity, thus what was, is merely a preview of what will be.

God will judge her as a woman who breaks marriage vows, Paul told us, some in these latter days will forbid us to marry the Lord (Ezek 16:38 & I Tim 4:3). We tend to forget the days of the Youth of the Church, the Woman will forget her youth (Ezek 16:43). The metaphor Head refers to the Authority, the metaphor Horn to power, thus the Body of Christ has Jesus as the Head (Authority), but the “head” of Israel is Jerusalem, her crown is suppose to consist of the twelve tribes, as John shows in Revelation 12:12. This Woman has the Sun (Jacob, Israel) as her covering, yet without her covering, she is naked. Her Crown is not the Crown of Life, rather it’s the prosperity of the 12 tribes of Israel, she is seen with the Mother (Zion) of her children as her Footstool (Rev 12:1). She is a Wonder, a Mystery, but not one we can’t discern. Often a “wonder” is defined as “I wonder how it happened?”.

God then equates one sister of this City as Sodom, another as Samaria, thus giving us Women. The Remnant are known as Virgins because they have not defiled themselves with “Women”. Simply, the Remnant will not take of the idols, nor the Image, they will be the remainder of the church of Philadelphia with the Laodiceans who escape based on the call “Come out of Her My people” (Ezek 16:49-51). John sees this City as Sodom and Egypt, we find out why here in the words of the Prophets (Rev 11:8).

The Woman will kill her own hope by causing the Law and Prophets to become ineffective, by allowing them to lay dead in the street, which removes Jacob Her covering, thereby exposing her nakedness, then God will punish her head (authority at the time –  Ezek 16:43 & Rev 11:8). If she is riding the Beast, who then is her Head (Authority)? The Wicked, the Beast of the earth, it’s the point Paul makes to the carnal Corinthians in First Corinthians chapter 11. In this case we can see the Head of the Beast of the earth is the Beast of the Sea, the Head of the Beast of the Sea is the dragon, but the Head of the Woman is the Beast of the Earth connecting them all to the power, authority and seat of Satan.

God then points to the “proverb”, instead of “it has passed away”, they will say, “As is the mother, so is her daughter” (Ezek 16:44). This isn’t good, the Lord doesn’t say, “As is the Husband, so is His Wife”, rather He points to the nation as one Woman, then her daughter, as the city in Jacob’s Trouble becoming the Woman in Revelation 17. This is still referring to Authority, not power; in the time of Ezekiel this referred to the city being like a Hittite (Ezek 16:3); however, projecting this to the End Times we find the Woman in Revelation 17 is her mother’s daughter. Her mother was in the time of Ezekiel, thus we find the Woman in Revelation 17 has a Grandmother and a Grandfather, the Hittite and the Amorite. In the latter days she is seen riding the Beast of the Sea, but she is allowing it by casting away the Sun, Moon and Stars (Ezek 16:45 & Rev 17:1). God makes the phrase “women” clearer, showing the mother of Jerusalem in the days of Ezekiel was A Hittite, her elder sister as Samaria, but her younger sister is Sodom. Again John says, the city will be known spiritually as Sodom and Egypt, but naturally as the Great City, the one place in all the earth where Blessing can be seen. Sodom was a city, but Egypt was a nation, not a city. Egypt metaphorically is seen as the world, this is based on the children leaving Egypt then entering the wilderness; it doesn’t mean Egypt is the only place one can find the worldly. The Woman is seen in the wilderness by John, then later riding the Beast, thus she went back to Egypt.

As bad as Sodom was, it wasn’t as bad as the Whore; as bad as idol worshiping Samaria was, it wasn’t as bad as the Whore (Ezek 16:48-54). The metaphors Sodom and Egypt give us clues; the term Sodom refers to the Beast of the Earth, the term Egypt to the Beast of the Sea. The Beast of the Sea is connected to the world, not everyone in the world, rather it’s the motivation behind the three lusts of the world. John sees the City invaded by the Wicked (Sodom) with the World (Egypt), yet Jesus cried over the same city. We can see how Sodom and her daughters will return to their estate in hell. The Beast of the Earth comes out of perdition, as the son of perdition, but goes back to perdition, only then it’s the lake of fire.

The Whore had the crown and throne at hand, yet her end will be worse than the beginning; she tossed away her purposed first estate to obtain a lying inheritance (Ezek 16:54-55 & II Pet 2:19-20). Again we find a reference to the Time of Comfort, the Woman will be a comfort to the world, but they will still hate her, it’s her own self-deception making her assume they are her lovers, it’s her deception making her think she is a queen (Ezek 16:54).

In Ezekiel’s day they broke the Covenant, the Woman in the Book of Revelation will break the Covenant as well (Ezek 16:59). We find there is a Covenant, yet within there are Contracts. A Covenant is something established wherein service is exchanged, here we find the “everlasting covenant” has two sides to the Sword. This has to connect to the everlasting Gospel, then to the double-edged Sword.

Parables are not cute little stories without fact to back them up, rather Parables are real experiences or facts giving us a different view of the concept or principle. Parables are also given to rebellious houses who have a difficult time understanding them (Ezek 17:1-2). A parable is like using a bird to explain the flight of an airplane, both the bird and airplane fly; however, if we tossed a rock, then said it was like an airplane we would be using a false concept, since a rock can’t fly. Jesus used real matters, events and truths to explain deeper concepts and principles, the parable is true nonetheless. The seed of the mustard plant is the smallest herd seed, yet it does grow to the largest herb. Jesus used the principle to show the growth of the Seed of God, the Word is planted by the Holy Ghost with the “Bow”. Although we can’t see it, nor really tell where it is, it is nonetheless planted. Time passes, growth ensues, then one day we find our nature changing. We no longer do some of the things we used to, we simply have no desire to. The Seed as the Word in us is separating, discerning, cleaning, and bringing about a new nature (James 1:21 & Heb 4:12).

Ezekiel’s parable is about a great Eagle, this Eagle took some twigs from a High Cedar then planted them in the city of merchants. Then it took the “seed of the land”, then planted It in a field (Ezek 17:3-5). There were two areas, not one, the city of merchants for the twigs, the field by Great Waters for the Seed. The Seed became a Vine, bringing forth branches, but there was another Great Eagle as well. The Vine changed and bent toward the second Eagle, then shot forth her branches toward this second Eagle (Ezek 17:7). The purpose is for the Vine to prosper, yet it shall wither in “her Spring”, it will not need people to pluck it up, nor great power, but it shall wither in the place it was planted (Ezek 17:9-10).

Like all parables in the Bible this one is explained, the branches were taken from the vine as the seed made a covenant with the wrong source, “shall he prosper?” (Ezek 17:12-15). The first vine is the king of Babylon, the second Pharaoh, neither shall prosper, so why run to Egypt? (Ezek 17:12 & 17:17). God allowed both for a purpose to benefit His own, but His own refused to see it.

The metaphor Eagle usually refers to an angel of God, but we often find it as an element being used of God as well. The twigs were planted by the River, the same camp where Ezekiel was located. The purpose brought forth repentance, making the branches profitable. The purpose was not for the branches to become like Pharaoh, or Babylon, yet in the latter days it’s exactly what will happen. Two bad eagles, one from the Sea one from the Earth, the Woman will lean her branches toward one, then the other, desiring to be like them, so much so she is seen riding the Beast (Ezek 17:22-23 & Rev 17:3).

On the other hand there is another Vine, the True Vine, every branch growing from it shall bear fruit, if not it shall be cut off, yet even those who do bear fruit will be pruned so they can bring forth more fruit, as they remain on the Vine (Jn 15:1-6).

ALL SOULS ARE MINE

The phrase, “As I live, says the Lord” points to the choice provided to these people. God is not the God of the dead, He is the God of the living, thus one must have life or be seeking the life of God in order for Him to be their God. One can refer to God, they can refer to the Law, they can refer to theology, but unless they have Life by the Spirit, or are seeking it, they are none of His (Rom 8:9).

Whether the soul is alive or dead, it still belongs to God; however only the souls who hold life can call God their God. God’s sovereignty is not a matter of God picking one here, or one there without regard for others, it’s a matter of God presenting the evidence then allowing all mankind the choice to receive, or reject. It’s God’s desire for all be saved, but God’s reality sees not all are saved. If God’s sovereignty was based on His desire, then all will be saved, negating the reason for Judgment: however, we know one of the basic points to the Doctrine of Christ is our knowledge of Eternal Judgment (Heb 6:1-2). The Judgment is not God dealing out death based on His doings, it’s God giving to mankind the result of man’s decisions. The soul who sins, it shall die, the soul who is just, it shall live (Ezek 18:4 & 18:9). However, what does die mean? Is it a cessation of conscience? If so why does Jesus say there will be mashing of teeth? If there is a second death, what then is the first? The first death is termed “Ex-Psuche” in the Greek, or Out the soul goes, meaning the soul and flesh separate, this was often termed “giving up the ghost”. This shows death as a separation, not a cessation, thus the second death is a complete separation from any and all attributes of God. The most horrid heathen is still surrounded by some Godly element, light, air, breath, inventive thinking, something based in God, but the second death is void of all those attributes, rather it will be darkness, pain and suffering without end with every moment being a Now. On the same note there is Eternal Life, wherein all the glorious attributes of God’s Life and Love are part of the person’s nature and character. The soul who dies, it shall die forever, but the soul who has Life, it shall Live forever, Abundantly.

Prior to Ezekiel giving this prophecy the nation Israel was considered one by God, thus people like Daniel will suffer with the wicked. This sets aside the proverb since the children suffer based on what the fathers did. God was just, He said He would “visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children”; thus Daniel was visited, but not overcome. As for us it changed, each person in the kingdom stands on their own, if we are Born Again not even the old man can taint our future. For us the concept is “the just shall live by faith”, but here the premise is the just shall do certain deeds, but faith was not one of them, rather it was doing the Law, or to be found just before the Law of Moses (Ezek 18:6-9).

Putting our trust in usury is a sin, usury is charging interest on money loaned, or taking from others based on their hardship (Ezek 18:8). In the world usury is “good business”, in the kingdom it’s death. Paul told us, steal no more, but work with our hands so we might have to give (Eph 4:28). There are times when we have no choice, we end in a position where we have to pay usury, but we do have a choice on charging usury. It’s also true, if we are stuck paying usury, we must seek God’s face with ears to hear in order to find the course He has to get out of the bondage. Giving for the benefit of gaining usury, isn’t giving anything, it’s stealing from someone else. Paul placed this with his teaching on corrupt communication as a product to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:29-30). A cheerful giver gives from their heart, not by someone twisting their arm, nor by the lustful incentive of getting more than they give (II Cor 9:7). It’s true, God promises us a return, but to give based on the return alone is still taking usury, rather than giving by nature. In Malachi God asked a particular group to prove Him, but one has to identify the group (Mal 3:10-15). This group says it’s vain to serve God, they are looking for “profit”, the word Profit in Malachi 3:14 is the Hebrew Betsa’ meaning Lucre, or Covetousness, showing they are looking for the return before they will serve, which also means it will be a “quail hunt”. God tells them to use the tithe under the Law, then He will open the windows, but it also means He will close the Door. A thief attempts entry some other way, usually through a window. The window is used to pour something out of, the Door is granted to family members.

God says, He who takes the increase, shall not live, he shall die (Ezek 18:13). This has a spiritual meaning, we are to take from God, since in and of ourselves we are nothing, but on the same note “freely you received, freely give”. The allegory context here shows one taking from God, but burying it, which doesn’t produce holiness, it produces self-deception. What is a Talent? Mercy would be one, we entered the kingdom based on God’s Mercy, not our goodness; a failure to pay back the mercy is the difference between a vessel of dishonor fit for destruction, and a vessel of mercy fit for heaven (Rom 9:21-23).

The soul who sins, it shall die, yet all of us have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. How then can we win? Is God Equal? Yes, if the Wicked turn from their ways, God will forgive them, they will live; however, if the righteous turn from their righteousness to become Wicked, their righteousness cannot save them. God is Equal, our Hope is knowing we were sinners, yet we Turned and were saved by God’s mercy from the world,  now we are being saved by His Grace through Faith. This balance gives us the incentive to do the Acts, while walking in the Ways (Ezek 18:23); therefore, God’s desire is for all to turn from their wicked ways, His reality knows some won’t.

The people questioned God being equal, really they were saying God practiced iniquity against them. They concluded the wrong premise of Equal, they felt if some died, if some were in famine, some in captivity, God was not equal. We tend to make the same mistake, we think if God gave special power to Paul, thus He has to give it to us. However, Peter didn’t have special power, yet the shadow of Peter healed people. However, the shadow of Paul didn’t, John had neither the shadow healing ministry or the special power. Is God equal? God being equal means He treats us all the same, if we remain as continual believers we shall be saved. If we are wicked and turn from our wickedness God will forgive us, is God not equal?

When we become the victims of the wicked, we must consider God is willing to forgive, thus we must forgive. Forgiveness being an act of Mercy carries with it great power and authority. The power and authority are so great the same Mercy applied to us forgave our sins. Therefore, if the wicked turns from their sin, to do what is right in the sight of God, they shall live (Ezek 18:21). Our joy is found in our repentance, as our knowledge of the faithfulness of Jesus knows He is always ready to forgive our sins (I Jn 2:1). However, if the wicked chose death over life, they fall under God’s wrath, is God not Equal? This paradox of God taking no pleasure in the death of the wicked is a product of His Love. We seem to think if God loves us, He will remove choice and make us obey. Not so, it’s neither equal or within the realm of moral choice. God’s love is something we can’t be separated from, but it’s His Grace through faith saving us. God knows our heart, but it’s our souls He wants saved. God hates the Wicked ways of a person because they destroy their own souls, forcing God to do what He must do (Ezek 18:23). If God saves us by Eternal Salvation, surely there has to be Eternal Judgment for those who reject the Promise.

Ezekiel 18:25-26 defines Iniquity as being unequal, in verse 26 God clearly shows how unequal and iniquity are connected, but what is the unequal condition? It was what the people were saying about God, they felt surely as the people of God they were above correction, yet God was punishing them. They were the ones who said they would follow God, they were the ones who claimed God’s protection, they were the ones who took of the Blessings of God as their own property, but God says if the heathen turns from their Wicked ways to Righteousness, they will be treated as the Righteous. How important is it for us? We were the heathen outside the promise yet God gave us the New Man created after God’s true Holiness and Righteousness. The Scepter (proof) of the Kingdom is the Righteousness of Jesus, we have the absolute standing stand by the throne, as Jesus sits on His Right Hand. Not a bad deal for a bunch of people who were sinners, who came far short of the glory of God.

God continues to define iniquity as being unequal, there are several dumb things any of us can do. Here we find one, saying God is a worker of iniquity has to rank about a fifty on the dumb meter. Next would be saying the Holy Ghost brought someone a devil, rather than the Seed of God. A type of thinking showing one is being Unequal, failing to divide the Righteous from the Wicked (Ezek 18:31-32). These people were doing wicked things, yet they went to Temple. They presumed because they went to Temple they were holy, yet the held idols in their minds. The “mark of the beast” on the forehead is this very issue, their thinking was idolatrous, yet they called God wicked (iniquity). The Wicked calling the Righteous the Wicked is not strange, they do it today.

Ezekiel gives the “lamentation for the princes of Israel”, a prince is one appointed to inherit the kingdom, but it also means One who begins something, or one known by the principality they represent (Ezek 19:1). Each tribe had a prince to represent them, they were not the “kings of the tribe”, thus they represented the tribe they were from, rather then the entire nation. We will see this word Prince several times in Ezekiel, it’s the Hebrew Nasi meaning an exalted one, A sheik, A chief, or A governor, it appears nearly 130 times in the Old Testament, most of the occurrences in the Book of Numbers, second is Ezekiel. Literally, the word Nasi means one who is lifted up a public way, as an elected official, showing representation. Here the question is, Who is your mother? Therefore, this is not a reference to Jesus, rather we find the mother of these princes is a Lioness. God shows two young lions coming from the Lioness, the Lioness taught her whelp to catch prey and devour men. Then God shows how the whelp was taken captive into Egypt, this isn’t going back to the first time the families went into Egypt, since Jacob and his immediate family voluntary entered the land, rather this is showing the time of Ezekiel. The Lioness waited, it appeared her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and taught him to catch prey and devour men. The second lion took vengeance and laid the cities to waste, but by the “noise of his roaring” the nations moved against him, then cast him in their pit (Ezek 19:1-8). This second lion goes to the future, the phrase “his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel” shows how the roaring lion was removed forever (Ezek 19:9). The Lion is Babylon, the first lion is the king of Babylon in the days of Ezekiel, the second is yet to come as the Woman who is known as Babylon (Ezek 19:14 & Rev 17:3). The symbol of Babylon was the famed winged lion-man, some of the images of this idol are still around.

Since most of this pertains to Judgment, one has to define what is Godly judgment. Man uses the phrase “ignorance of the law is no excuse”, but God is not a man. Therefore, proper Judgment is the result of the rejection of the Law presented, or rejection of the means to escape the Judgment. Anyone can close their eyes to the Law then say, “well gee God I didn’t know”, “Did you not hear My preacher?”, “Yeah, but I thought he was kidding”. That’s as bad as running from God, then saying, “it was the greedy preacher you gave me, he caused me to lose my faith”, those are excuses not reasons, they simply don’t move God. The measure of faith is given to each of us by the breath of God, the only ones who lack faith are the wicked and unreasonable (unteachable). Someone might bruise our faith, they may present us a false hope, yet they can’t destroy our faith, we can make the choice to stand in faith, regardless of the event or person.

In the seventh year, fifth month, tenth day certain of the elders came to inquire of the Lord through the prophet (Ezek 20:1). Here we find the “elders”, in the last chapter it was the “princes”, they relate one to the other. A prince is also known by his realm, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, it doesn’t mean He isn’t King, rather it shows a place or principality in the Kingdom is Peace centered. For us the Beginning of all Peace is found in Jesus, He is known by His Peace, thus the Wisdom of God brings us into the place of Peace by Jesus as the Word in us (James 3:18). There is also the “prince of the power of the air”, this prince is not the power, but of the power (authority) of the natural air, thus we find the weapons of the false prophet, the dragon and the beast are their “mouths” (Rev 16:13). Darts from the darkness are words or suggestions, they are not caveman clubs.

There are times when we must recall the abominations of our old man, in order to appreciate the Grace granted in the New (Ezek 20:2-4). God chose us, we didn’t choose Him; God made Himself known to us, we didn’t make ourselves known to Him (Ezek 20:5). God brought us from Egypt into the wilderness to obtain the Kingdom, we didn’t break the bondage of Egypt by our good works, yet we did leave Egypt by faith; however, the faith was a gift as well (Rom 12:3 & Ezek 20:6). These people reached back to the place they came from for safety, but instead of remembering how God delivered them, they used the same idols God destroyed by the plagues in Egypt (Ezek 20:8).

God told us to cast away the abominations and idols of Egypt; however, the process is not one of physical effort, but one of faith (Ezek 20:7). We say unto those destroying mountains, Be Gone, then we hold faith in the Power of His Christ to remove them. God brought us into the wilderness to test our love for Him; His deliverance proved His love for us (Ezek 20:9-12). God didn’t make an end to Israel in the wilderness, rather the second generation was delivered in spite of the rebellion of the first (Ezek 20:17). This type and shadow is the proof of the Remnant in the Time of Comfort. God sent the Woman into the wilderness at the beginning of our Gentile Age (Rev 12:14). We are taken through the Door into heaven by the Spirit, as Jesus opens the Door to the House of David. The projection to the End Times is found in the phrase “Then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them” (Ezek 20:13). God didn’t consume all of them, after all many left the wilderness with Joshua, thus this shows how God saw the End before the Beginning, yet He also saw the ten thousand times ten thousand who would say no to the devil, and yes to God.

The proof of God’s prior statement, “all souls are Mine” is found in the evidence of the second generation in the wilderness. The preview for these people was in their history, did God visit the iniquities of the first generation in the wilderness on the second? No, He told the second not to be as their fathers, He gave them the chance to enter the Promised Land; therefore, the phrase “visit the iniquities on the children” referred to the potential of the children being like their parents. However, there is Hope, we can change family orders and break the cycle through the New Man, thereby being like our Lord Jesus.

The sabbath day was a token for the Law of Moses, yet Jesus is our Sabbath, in Him we find rest for our souls (Matt 11:29), thus to the Jew it’s a day, to us it’s a Who. Ezekiel 20:16 tells us the purpose of the sabbath day was to put away idols, along with the thinking regarding idols by mediating on the ways of God. They violated the sabbath for the land, plus they failed to keep the sabbath holy. In our case we Rest in God, those who enter the Rest cease from their own work.

It was much easier to get the children out of Egypt, than get Egypt out of the children. Pharaoh didn’t cross the Sea with the children, but the works of Pharaoh did. It was the works of Pharaoh they used to bring about the golden calf. Suppressing evil, and being free of it are different. The people in Ezekiel’s time are finding the bondage of Babylon on their neck’s, since they used the same idol worship as Babylon (Ezek 20:30). When we use the ways of the world, we will find the prince of the world coming after us, but if we use the Ways of God we will find God protecting us (Ezek 20:31-32).

God will never leave us, but the manner in which He rules is dependent on how we serve Him (Ezek 20:33-35). God will bring this nation into the Wilderness again, the purpose is to plead with them “face to face” (Ezek 20:35). What other person had this “face to face” quality? Moses, we understand the phrase means without something standing between the person and God. It sounds great, but looking at verse 36 it shows the pleading is in the same manner as God pleaded with the children in the wilderness. How was that? No Babylon or Pharaoh standing between them and God. This doesn’t mean “God in them”, or “God among them”, it shows God will remove the interference to deal with them in the same manner as He did their fathers.

While we were in the world, God was an obscure philosophical concept, a Higher Power limited to our understanding and intellect. When we entered the wilderness to learn of God in a face to face encounter we found the Holy Ghost, He gave us the Spirit, then  the Spirit of Truth brought Jesus in a living, understanding manner by having the Seed of God in us (Ezek 20:35). We can read about any historical figure, but it doesn’t mean we know them. It takes an experience with the person to know them.

In the face to face encounter we will also see the idols in our minds, then we can define the differences between God and the enemy, and stop mixing one into the other (Ezek 20:38-39). When we entered the Mount of heavenly Zion we left the world behind, it was in the Mount where we became accepted of the Lord (Ezek 20:40). The Mountain of the Lord was one of many mountains in the wilderness, yet it was the only one where God could be found. If we truly love the Lord we will seek out His mountain of heavenly Zion, allowing Jesus to build us into the Church.

In Ezekiel 20:40 it’s the “house of Israel”, but when we get to Ezekiel 21:2 the prophet is told to speak against Jerusalem, and against the “land of Israel”; therefore, we find Houses and Lands, it depends on how God views them at the moment. The House of Israel is the House of David, since both relate to the nation. God placed David as the ruler of the land, but how can it be? Is He talking about Jesus? No, Jesus as the Son of man as the Son of David, not David (Rom 1:3). Is God telling us some reincarnation will take place? Hardly, the reference is to the House of David, not the man. The Lord will bring the House of Israel into the land, but it still doesn’t mean the house is holy. When the house has experienced the wilderness to gain thereby then it will be the House of David. This also shows the Woman is in the wilderness during the Night, since she is the city, the house of David resides with her.

Ezekiel shows God Wrought with the people for His Name’s Sake, but He also shows it wasn’t because of their wicked ways, or their corrupt doings, rather it was what they were doing to His Name. Authority is serious subject, so much so Jesus has the Authority of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost granted unto Him. Wait, Jesus is the Son, how can the Son give the Son Authority? Easy, the Father, Word and Holy Ghost are the Record in heaven, but in order to fit the Record we need the Witness of the Water, Blood and Spirit, thus the Authority of God is in the Body of Christ. Therein lays the mystery, Jesus holds the Authority of God, but He gave it to the Body, then told us to tarry for the Power from on High. Authority without Power ends in rebellion.

The word Wrought is the Hebrew Asah meaning To labor, Work or Form, it’s the same word used in reference to God “forming” Adam of the earth. God brought this correction based on what these people called of God were doing to His Name. The same is true in the Body, the Name of Jesus is the Authority of Jesus, we are to use it correctly.

The prophet turns to the South seeing the forest of the “south field”, the Lord will “kindle” a fire in the forest, it will devour the “green tree” and the “dry tree”, a Flame unable to be quenched (Ezek 20:45-49). Hold it! The “green tree”, Jesus said, “if they do this in a green tree, what will they do in a dry?” (Luke 23:31). A green tree refers to a covering, usually one based in some form of mercy (green), but here we find in the end there will be no difference between the green or dry? The clue is the flame which can’t be Quenched, simply they used the Green tree thinking they were protected by God’s mercy as they worshiped idols. However, they made the Green tree a Dry tree. They polluted their own covering, one could not tell the difference between what one did under the green tree or dry tree, making them appear one in the same.

In the Book of Revelation when the fifth angel opens the pit releasing the demons, we also find the demons cannot touch any “green thing” (Rev 8:7 & 9:1-4); indicating there will still be some of the 144,000 around when the devil is loosed. The wicked will accuse the remaining 144,000 of causing the evil, then they will overcome them, removing Mercy from the earth, then comes the end, bringing about the time for all mankind to die once, then comes the Judgment.

The prophet moves to the Sword of the Lord, the Double-edged Sword out of the Mouth of Jesus (Rev 1:16). Although Jesus will Judge with the Sword, we also find the Word (Logos) of God in us is Sharper than Any Two-Edged Sword, thus it’s far better to have the Word dividing in us, than face the Sword (Heb 4:12). When Peter took out his sword, it was for destruction, although he assumed it was for protection: God draws His sword for separation, thus indicating the two edges (Ezek 21:3-4). We have other Swords, the Sword of the Spirit is the Rhema of God, as we speak words of Grace to the hearer. The language also separates the Sword of the Spirit from the double-edged Sword. In the Greek the Sword of the Spirit is Manchuria meaning A slaughter knife, metaphorically it means the element with the power over life and death. The Sword from the Mouth of Jesus is the Greek Rhomphaia meaning Anguish to the soul, as a Weapon designed to separate. The difference shows the Sword of the Spirit has Life, the Sword of Judgment is designed to separate the sheep from the goats; however, the Word in us is still sharper than any two-edged Sword. If we stand with the Sword of the Spirit, we become the victors avoiding the slaughter (Ezek 21:11-17).

When God takes His Sword out of “His sheath” it will not return again (Ezek 21:5). Then “every heart shall melt”, which correlates to “every eye shall see Him” (Ezek 21:7 & Rev 1:7). The concept of Every Eye is relative to place, thus it includes every eye of the souls who remained on the earth from time beginning to time ending. However, the premise is limited to two groups, those who pierced Him (Jew), and those who wail because of Him (Gentile), neither fits the Body (Rev 1:7). Then we find, the Sword is Sharpened, and Furbished pointing to the Two Edges (Ezek 21:9). The word Furbished is the Hebrew Marat meaning To make bald, or To pluck off hair, pointing to the removal of any and all Godly anointing, or attributes. The word Sharpened is the Hebrew Chadad meaning To make severe, or To be fierce. This is not a Sword we want to face, the purpose of this Sword is to “make a sore slaughter” (Ezek 21:10). Then we read, “to give it into the hand of the slayer” (Ezek 21:11). What? Slayer? Wow, the word Slayer is the Hebrew Haragh meaning To kill a person, does it mean Jesus is the Slayer? Hardly, this expands the concept of Judgment. We find the Sword will judge in and of itself, thus we find the Sword in the mouth of Jesus, but in the Hand of the Slayer, thus the Slayer is the person in the lake of fire, where the Sword will remain. Jesus isn’t going to say, “well, I think”, rather man will be judged by man’s acts of mercy, thus we can have the Sword of the Spirit, which is Grace, or the sword of the old man which is the spirit lusting to envy, the choice is ours, the Judgment will prove it. Surely we want nothing to do with the sword of the old man, but we do seek the Sword of the Spirit.

This concept is seen in the next element as well, the king of Babylon had “two ways” but one “path” (Ezek 21:18-19). The Sword in the hand of the king of Babylon shows the “slayer” is not Jesus, but the person. On the same note, there will be at least Two Expectations on the Path of Faith, each decision has God on one side and Babylon on the other. Follow Jesus and win, listen to the old man and lose (Ezek 21:18-21). The king of Babylon had Jerusalem on one hand, but Jerusalem was full of divination and false oaths. Babylon uses idols, false oaths (vows), divination, and walls of pride, so what was the difference? The vows of the people, Babylon never said it would follow the Lord God, neither did Babylon build a temple unto the Lord God. What was the difference between the people? None, the Babylonians were worshipping idols, but so were the children of God. Babylon can only make entry when the same elements Babylon uses exist among the people of God, thus the path of Babylon leads to Babylon. The same is true with giving the devil place, when we use the wiles of the devil we give him opportunity to invade our lives.

When we disconnect ourselves from the Head, there is no place to put the Crown of Life; therefore, the Lord will take the Crown of Life from any church who rejects The Head (Ezek 21:25-26 & I Cor 11:1-7). The Lord will give the Crown to those who hold to the Kingdom (Ezek 21:27). To be Headless, or Beheaded for Jesus means we reject our old authority for the authority of Jesus. The Wicked use the authority from the Beast of the Sea, or as John called it, the he in the world (I Jn 4:4 & Rev 13:12 [power in KJV]).

We also find two types of crowns: the diadem, and the crown. The Crown of Life is a different word from the one used to show the crowns on the Beasts of the Sea and Earth. The Greek word Stephanos is the word used for the Crown of thorns, but it’s not used regarding a kingly crown, rather it shows a type of victory. It was used in reference to military valor, joy, or a festival gladness. It was made of woven oak, containing Olive leaves and flowers; this same Crown is known as the Crown of Life, Crown of Rejoicing, Crown of Righteousness, Crown of Glory, or Golden Crown, it’s the same word used for the Crown of twelve stars over the Woman in Revelation 12:1. The Greek word Diadema is also used in reference to Crowns, as the crown on the Beasts, it means To bind, but it’s not really a crown either, rather it’s made of a filament of silk and linen, wrapped around the head, showing a type of royal dignity. When Jesus returns the Crowns He holds are not Stephanos, but Diadema. The Reward for this type of crown is not good as one would think, since it’s the same type of crown used by the Beast. God will remove the diadem showing they lose any royal position, then we find the “prince of Israel” noted again (Ezek 21:25-26). God will “overturn, overturn, overturn”, It shall be no more (Ezek 21:27). The word Overturn is the Hebrew Avvah meaning to Overthrow, or cause to be nothing. The use of the word three times shows the three times the king of Babylon attacked the city and took captives.

While all this Overthrowing was going on, there were the Ammonites. God wasn’t going to spare them either, He will pour out His indignation by blowing the fire of His wrath against them (Ezek 21:28-32). Why? The Ammonites committed a reproach, the word Ammonite means One born of Babylon who is of the tribal order, yet the Ammonites are descendants of Lot. This prophecy points to the Wicked as the Beast of the earth (Ezek 21:29), showing they were part of the order, but joined to Babylon becoming “fuel for the fire” in the end (Ezek 21:32 & Rev 20:10).

Like the Book of Revelation we find many areas of Judgment, simply we find the Old Testament speaks more of Judgment than Salvation, but the New Testament speaks more of Salvation. The prophet now speaks against the “bloody city” regarding all her abominations, which city we know as the Woman. We find two areas of Judging in the phrase, “will you judge, will you judge” (Ezek 22:2), this points to the time of Ezekiel, then later in the very latter days. The judge of the city was suppose to care for the fatherless and widows, deliver the poor and needy out of the hand of the wicked (Ps 82:1-7). However, the city delivered the righteous into the hands of the Wicked, then allowed the Wicked to place the abomination in a place it should not be.

In the Book of Revelation John is told by an angel, “Come hither; I will show unto you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters” (Rev 17:1). Then we find the “many waters” are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues, referring to Gentiles (Rev 17:15), then the obvious, the Great Whore is the City (Rev 17:18). Ezekiel is speaking to the city here, yet he is also speaking to the city yet to come.

God pleaded with the city (people), but she refused to listen, ending in captivity to Babylon, yet the opportunity to change was presented time and again (Ezek 22:3-4). When we reach the lesson on the Book of Revelation, we will find the buying and selling in reference to the mark of the beast has nothing to do with simply doing business, it’s the manner of doing business, the evidence is seen here. The attitudes and actions of the city brought judgment on her, she took the mark, name and image of the Beast, although she is the called of God, she took the way of the world  (Ezek 22:8). God didn’t decide “oh well, let’s destroy someone today”; God reached out from morning to night, prophet upon prophet, sign upon sign, but ears refused to hear. They rejected the prophets, twisted the signs allowing self-deception to enter therein (Ezek 22:9-12).

God doesn’t change His mind, we change paths. The city remained on the same evil path, finding God’s hard hand upon her, rather than finding a different path through humbleness (Ezek 22:11-20). The fire of hell came from within her own heart to devour her. Hell will widen its borders in the end, it’s Lucifer who caused a fire to come from within, thus hell begins within the person. However, anyone can void of hell as well as the judgment through the Salvation of the Lord.

The purpose of our wilderness is to destroy the works of the devil in us, before they destroy us. False prophets insert gates of hell to cause us to go in faulty directions: instead of seeking the fullness of the Spirit they have us running around the world looking for the restoration of Israel (Acts 1:6-8 & Ezek 22:25). The metaphor “dross” means the unused residue from the process of purification, here God says the house of Israel is the dross, yet He purposed for them to be the Silver (Ezek 22:18). God then divides the prophets, thus there were prophets of God, such as Ezekiel, but there were the “prophets” of the Woman as well. There was a conspiracy among the prophets of the Woman, her prophets sought to devour souls in order to gain the treasure for themselves (Ezek 22:25). They were like “a roaring lion ravening the prey” (Ezek 22:25). Wait, isn’t the devil like a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour? Yes, here we find another mystery, the Wicked are like their father the devil; although they are purposed to receive God as their Father, they make the choice to use the same old authority through the old man for personal gain. They go about with smooth words, false prophecies, or fables to trap the souls of the saints, while they refuse to make the distinction between the holy and profane (Ezek 22:26).

It’s in Ezekiel 23 where we begin to get a clear picture of the Woman in the Book of Revelation; the prophet is told about two women, one named Aholah, the other Aholibah. The name Aholah means Her own tent, but Aholibah means My tent in her, the word Tent refers to a Tabernacle. The prophet is told Aholah represents Samaria, who first accepted idol worship allowing it to spread throughout the land, but Aholibah is Jerusalem. The Woman in the Book of Revelation is seen with the Sun as her covering, the Moon as her foundation and a Crown of twelve stars, the metaphors of the Sun, Moon and Stars as a grouping is first seen in Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37. However, the Woman is not the sun, moon or stars, she is surrounded by them. She is the product of the Nation (Sun), her strength is found in the 12 tribes, her foundation is Zion (Moon). There is only one location fitting the description, Jerusalem of the earth. This explains why Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem….” (Matt 23:37), rather than “O Israel”. We also see where Jesus said it Twice, not Once, referring to two Seasons. He continued with “You who kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks, under her wings, and you would not!” (Matt 23:37). Did the actual city stone the prophets? No, the people in the city did, yet in the Night we find the same thing happening again. The Woman is seen in Revelation 17:6 with the blood of the saints and martyrs, making the connection back to the plead of Jesus over the city. During the Persecution it was noted how the Jews killed more Christians than the Romans.

Nonetheless we have Two Women here in Ezekiel, both point to something we can be free of as partakers in the First Resurrection. Aholah played with the Assyrians (Ezek 23:9), but Aholibah used the Ways of Assyria (Ezek 23:12). One is seen in the company of, the other using the ways of, thus these sisters show us the Woman in the End Times will begin by accepting the Wicked as her prophet. Then she will use the Ways of the Wicked by allowing the abomination to be set up. Surely if they have the Law they will see this! Wait, they discard the Law and Prophets, thinking the conviction is eliminated.

Ezekiel shows Aholibah used the ways of the Babylonians, becoming Alienated in Her mind, the word Alienated means Disjointed. We also find Aholibah is a type and shadow of the sons of perdition, they will disjoint themselves from the Body. Then in the Night they will proclaim to be the prophets of God, as they sit in the Temple of God, calling their self God. Aholibah being Jerusalem, fits with Paul’s teaching on the division between Jerusalem of the earth in bondage, and New Jerusalem being free (Gal 4:25-26).

It’s important to see how the Woman in the Book of Revelation is not the Church, the Church never gave birth to Jesus, rather Jesus said He would build His Church, not the other way around. The Woman is the city, clearly we read “Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas the great city Babylon, the mighty city! for in one hour is your judgment come” (Rev 18:10). Clearly they don’t say “the mighty nation”, or “mighty religion”, it’s a City. The Knowledge of the Lord will come from Jerusalem during the time of the Sixth church, but it changes when the Seventh church is lukewarm. The Woman is still the City called of God, yet she will join to her lovers sitting with idols (Ezek 23:30). As the Nation went, so goes her daughter, thus God divorced the Nation, not the City. Ezekiel also shows the Woman has a Cup in Her hand (Ezek 23:31); John sees the Woman with the Cup of abominations (Rev 17:4).

The Watchman called out, “There is danger in the camp”; but the rebellious said, “We have the temple, no harm can come to us”. If we love the pleasure of the world more than God, God will deliver us into the hands of the world, just as He will deliver the Woman into the hand of the Assyrians (Ezek 23:9). Unbelief is still a product of the spirit of man, the same unbelief will produce the abomination making the world subject to the wrath of God in the last days (Ezek 23:10-21). God will raise the lovers of the Woman against her, really the only reason they were her lovers is because she gave them gifts (Ezek 23:22, Rev 2:23 & 17:15-16).

After our exposure and nakedness is seen in our own eyes, we will seek to be restored, or established by the Spirit. The warnings to the Woman are clear in the words of the Prophets, how can we ignore them? (Ezek 23:23-35). The sons of perdition worship the Lord in His temple, but they also worship the self at the same time; they profane the temple following prideful idols in their minds (Ezek 23:36-39). They are double-minded, holding more than one wife, claiming the Bride, yet loving the abomination (Ezek 23:44-45).

Prior God talked to the prophet Jeremiah about the two sisters, Israel and Judah, here He speaks through Ezekiel about the two sisters Samaria (Aholah) and Jerusalem (Aholibah). Aholah (Samaria) is termed the elder sister of the two (Ezek 23:4), she (Samaria) was attracted to the Assyrians through the riches of the Assyrians, then she took of their idols and made her own tabernacle of abominations (Ezek 23:5-8), this is a preview of the mark of the Beast. Samaria was delivered into the hands of her lovers, yet Jerusalem (Aholibah) saw it, yet became more corrupt than her sister (Ezek 23:10-11). Aholibah (Jerusalem) wasn’t attracted by riches, but by the idols and painted images of the Chaldeans (Ezek 23:14). Aholibah (Jerusalem) is a type of one who is consumed by the cares of this world; Aholah (Samaria) is a type of one consumed by the deceitfulness of riches.

In all this we know Babylon in the time of Ezekiel was the enemy, yet God says Babylon came to Jerusalem in the bed of love, defiling Her with whoredom (Ezek 23:17). This is also projected to the end times, the lust to control ones god is the basis for idol worship, thus it will be the head (authority) who suffered the head wound surfacing again in  the hands of the false prophet bringing about the end. When Jerusalem (Aholibah) discovered her own nakedness, she became alienated from God, she didn’t repent, but multiplied her whoredoms by doing as she did when she was in Egypt (Ezek 23:18-20). Then in Ezekiel 23:25 we read, “and your remnant shall fall by the sword”, but we know the remnant here were taken captive. What gives? Prophetic? In Revelation 19:21 we also read, “the remnant were slain with the sword of Him who sat upon the horse”. What Jesus is going to kill the remnant? Two different remnants, the Remnant were killed by the Woman and the False Prophet, in Revelation 19:21 it talks about those who remained after the plagues. The correlation shows Ezekiel isn’t talking about the remnant who were taken captivity, but the remnant who were caught up in last days idol worship, the same context John uses.

The prophet again speaks of the nakedness of the city, connecting this to the Laodiceans who were also found naked (Ezek 23:29 & Rev 3:17). God will deliver the city into the hands of the Wicked, since she went after the things of the heathen (world) and polluted herself with idols (Ezek 23:30). The prophet is asked to Judge Aholah (Samaria) and Aholibah (Jerusalem) by declaring their abominations. Then we find the key to how they polluted the temple, as well as why their presumption of “the temple, the temple” was false. They presumed since they didn’t allow the actual idols in the temple, God would save the temple, thus save them in the process. However, God shows they sacrificed their children and worshipped idols, then the same day came into the temple, by so doing they profaned the temple by their presence. They were the abomination in the temple, they brought their minds full of idols into the temple, thus the idols in the temple were in the people (Ezek 23:39). God then calls Aholah (Samaria) and Aholibah (Jerusalem) the “lewd women” (Ezek 23:44). God exclaims how there is blood in the hands of these two women, since there are two we can also see why the Remnant in the latter days are called Virgins, they have not defiled themselves with these women. Therefore we find the Remnant crying over the abominations done in the midst of Jerusalem (Ezek 9:4).

The king of Babylon came time and again, taking a little here and a little there. Giving the people another sign of their condition and position, yet also providing them three chances to repent. This issue of three times to gain the clarity is something we will see again. In the last chapter of John Jesus asked Peter three times “do you love Me?”; we also know Peter denied the Lord three times; God is equal.

God didn’t send the Babylonians one time to take the Wall, rather God was seeking repentance by using a method conducive to the condition of His people. When the devil sits down at our table, or when the civil government begins to rattle our chains, it’s time to discern, not burn. Signs of God warning us can be falling like rain, but we must discern in order to gain.

Both Israel and Judah were taken captive, Judah failed to learn of the sin of Israel. Here we have examples to show us our failure places us under the king of Babylon, in a type of captivity we don’t want. We may not like the government rule, but God has established the government rule to punish the ungodly, even if the ruling order ends being the ungodly to be punished, as we see here. Attempting to change the world, without becoming a Change, is not God’s way. Mankind may change one thing in the world, but ten more evils take it’s place. Change comes by changing position in order to change ones condition. Attempting to sit in the mud calling it gold is the confession of a fool.

God destroyed Sodom in less than one day, but it was Sodom, not Jerusalem. God doesn’t punish His own in one second, in one day, or in one year; His signs come little by little, giving us time to repent. Ezekiel started this in the fifth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin (Ezek 1:2); he continues from to the sixth year (Ezek 8:1); to the seventh year (Ezek 20:1); now he speaks in the ninth year (Ezek 24:1). Therefore, at least four years have now passed since he began his ministry in the captivity, yet the people still refuse to repent. Jeremiah was in the land, but Ezekiel was the proof of the captivity being a fact.

In the ninth year, tenth month and tenth day Ezekiel is told to write the date and time, for the king of Babylon has set himself against Jerusalem (Ezek 24:2). The testing came to these people in the form of Babylon, thus God will use the world to expose our foolishness. This is a very interesting situation, Paul said God will use the temptation to make a way of escape (I Cor 10:13), here it’s exactly what we find. The evil nation is the nation of God, yet God is using Babylon as an instrument of correction. The temptation is seeing the mirror, the people of God look at Babylon, yet they are doing the same, only for them it was worse. Nonetheless God is continually provided incentive for the people to repent, so He can spare the nation.

Saul was entrusted with a prince position to determine if he could be king, we know the result of his folly. Israel was entrusted with the Law of Moses, we are entrusted with the Seed of God; stewardship is like a rose, no matter what name you give it, it’s still a rose. Whether we are a pot or a vessel it’s still our responsibility to recognize the scum when God exposes it (Ezek 24:3-6). The old man calls the scum a treasure, a means to success, an ability to be worthy of honor, yet it’s scum, a hindrance to the work of God in our lives. Sooner or later the Scum will surface, but praise the Lord, we know the entire pot can’t be Scum, thus there has to be Precious involved in order for God to begin His work. However, if the entire pot is Scum, it needs to be completely refurbished. It’s not the case with us, we received the New Man in order to have a foundation from which God can do the work necessary.

The Wicked love the Scum more than the Gold, they also use the products of the Scum as their darts. God has not purposed us as such, we are the vessels of Mercy, not the vessels of dishonor fit for destruction. How do you know? We love the Lord, we desire to please Him. God is still the God of the living, yet we mourn not for the dead. It’s too late to mourn once the first death takes effect, rather our mourning should begin while there is yet time for them to repent and receive the Lord of Life (Ezek 24:17-18). It’s a hard saying, but true, it’s better to mourn while there is yet time for them, then do so when there is no time.

The Jew is judged according to the books (Law of Moses), those in the Sea, Death and Hell are judged according to their works of Mercy. We found the Works are the Ways of a person, thus we find some who do the Law of Faith, without knowing it. There are those for one reason, or another, not their own fault, who missed the opportunity to obtain the New Birth. However, Jesus judges based on Mercy, thus we find there are some who are told, “when I was a thirst you gave me water”. They respond by saying, “When Lord?”. They had no idea they were works, rather they operated from the Mercy in their measure of faith, doing the Law of Faith (Matt 25:31-46). They are those who will Sleep in Jesus, yet Paul said we should not of those who Sleep, rather let us Watch, as the children of the Day (I Thess 5:5-7).

The people in the time of Ezekiel found God will profane His own sanctuary, since the people had defiled it first (Ezek 24:20-27). They actually held the Temple above God, presuming the Temple was their protection. We are the Body of Christ, but the Body is not higher than the Head. When any of us make it so, we have fallen from our first love. Trusting in the things of God moves us from trusting in God; seeking the healing without seeking the Healer, or seeking the Prosperity without seeking the Lord will also profane the temple of God within. When we put our trust in people, our denomination, our theology, or ourselves, God will destroy those idols, it’s far better to put our Trust in the Lord.

Did God purge them? Yes, but they failed to receive the purging, rather they held to their filthiness (Ezek 24:13). God can expose a lust in us, yet we can turn and call it a treasure. As God is exposing to set us free, we are giving honor to a lust sent to destroy us. When the concept of the saving of the soul takes hold in our minds we can be assured the Stronger One will begin a mighty work. Although at the beginning of the work our minds may think we are going crazy, we’re not. We are finding our God granted position in the Body, as the Spirit moves us from the old familiar nature of the flesh, to the new spiritual nature. God didn’t leave us, nor did He turn us over to Babylon, the New Man is cleaning the house of our soul. In the process of the cleaning we gain clarity, in some cases we will see things very troubling: although we may see someone who has caused their temple to be profaned, we take no joy, least a worse thing fall on us (Ezek 25:1-3).

There are some who desire for Jesus to return so we can see judgment on the heathen, revenge on the secular press, torment on the humanist; yet all these are signs of unforgiveness, or a failure at Mercy (Ezek 25:6-16). When God corrected His people, there were people in other nations who took joy in the correction; they suffered the wrath of God. The Ammonites rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, sealing their own doom (Ezek 25:6). When the people of Moab said, “look they are like the heathen”, they sealed their doom (Ezek 25:8). God’s love never rejoices in iniquity, whether it’s our own, or someone else’s.

When the people of Edom saw how Babylon was coming against the people of God, they felt they could join the Babylonians with the false assumption of being on God’s side. Wrong, they sealed their doom. When it appears as if the world is doing us a service by “cleaning the Body”, beware, don’t join in, discern, don’t burn.

Ezekiel now goes to the eleventh year, showing it’s now six years of prophecy, yet the people repented not. The nations around about were mocking the nation of God, they were taking joy in the fall of the temple (Ezek 26:1-3). One would think if God brought down the rebellious, having joy would be a good thing, but it repented God to bring destruction to the temple. It repents Him to destroy the sons of perdition who partake of the wrong crown, but God is just and holy, He will do what He must do (Ezek 26:1-6). We want God to ruin the sons of perdition, destroy the mockers, but they are still people, they are still called of God. They are bad fish, they are vessels of dishonor, but nonetheless they are people who made a decision to enter this; really they don’t become the “enemies of Jesus” until the Night begins. Until then they can repent, as any of us, but when the Night begins the “few” will be the 144,000.

At times we detect things we feel should not be in the Body, yet, there they are, how can this be? Like the Temple, the Body is in our hands. From this experience we know God takes notice; however, we also see the world rejoices when error is found in the Body. The world looks for an excuse, the wicked provide it. However, we never take joy in the fall of a brother of sister, we are sent to Restore, not Deplore (Ezek 26:7-21).

The warning continues, only now it’s pointed to those who cause defilement in the Body. Tyrus is a symbol of the “merchant of the people”, it becomes a symbol of those called by God, given the beauty of His Glory, yet turn the Glory to self-benefit (Ezek 27:1-4 & Jude 4). The events here came in two parts, thus someone in the time of this prophet might presume Ezekiel missed it. He didn’t, God proved it many years later. There are “gaps” in prophetic chronologies, the events surrounding Tyre give us the proof. The prophet shows how Tyre will be taken by Babylon, the walls, timber and such would be moved to the “midst of the water”. History shows it was not Babylon, but Alexander the Great who took Tyre, so was the prophet wrong? Not hardly, Alexander the Great was the king of Macedonia (336-323 BC), he conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Babylon, thus he was connected to Babylon. When Alexander entered Tyre, he found all the people took their boats to an island. The people stood on the island mocking him: Alexander then took the timbers, houses and most anything else to build a bridge to the island. Then he took the dirt and dust of the streets forming a dirt bridge, then he and his army rode over the bridge destroying the people of Tyre.

In Ezekiel26:7 we find the phrase “king of kings”, this phrase doesn’t mean the king of Babylon and Jesus are one in the same, rather here it points to a succession of kings, leading to Alexander the Great. When Alexander conquered Babylon it was the center of  idol worship, two Greek oracles proclaimed Alexander as the “son of Zeus”. He accepted the proclamation, thus the same old idol worshipping Babylonian mindset was found in Alexander. The prophet is showing some cities would suffer quickly, some years to come, some in succession of various empires, but nonetheless the prophesies will come to  pass.

The verses here regarding Tyre are also prophetic to our time; we find God will cause many nations to come against Tyre, as “the sea causes his waves to come up” (Ezek 26:3). The metaphor Sea points to the world, but the metaphor Wave points to the sons of perdition (Jude 13), thus we find the combination of the Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the Earth. What does the wave hit? The Shore, the place where one finds the Sand of the Sea. Tyre didn’t have the Net, rather the Nets were in the “midst of the Sea” (Ezek 26:5). What? Where do we fish for men? In the earth, or sea? The Sea of course, the Earth is the place of harvest, or the place where the wheat and tares are found, not the place where the fish are found. This verse points to the Gospel of Peace being spread throughout the world as we “cast our nets” in the Sea. The word Revival means to “Re-Live”, true Revival is in the Field, as the Wheat gain a Re-Living Experience to generate more Godly growth, separating them further from the tares.

God begins to prophesy through Ezekiel toward the future, showing the very end when the attitude of merchandise overtakes the Woman (Ezek 27:5-27). Tyrus is a prince, as a prince he is promised a principality, but holds to his merchandising, losing the reward through wicked stewardship. The first princes (plural) in the Bible are the princes of Pharaoh who saw Sarai, then took her from Abraham (Gen 12:15), the next set of princes are products of Ishmael (Gen 17:20). The prophet is then given a funeral dirge for Tyre, yet we find a prophetic mystery; some want to make Tyre the United States because of the reference to ships, but many countries have ships, it just doesn’t fit.

The prophet shows Tyre is at the “entry to the Sea”, rather than a part of the Sea, thus this goes to a place free of the Sea, but not really the Sand of the Sea, making it more of a type of earth, or kingdom of heaven. We also see this prince was in the process of being trained to be a king, but who will this prince accept as his king?

Tyrus said it was perfect in beauty, connecting to devil, as the anointed cherub who felt his beauty was by his power and might. Tyrus gives credit to the “builders”, not God, it’s full of riches thinking it’s in need of nothing (Ezek 27:4-12). This connects to the Seventh church, but really to any lukewarm condition, wherein one has the blessing, but presumes it’s by their efforts. The words Merchant(s) and Merchandise appear again in Ezekiel 27, but the word Merchant(s) is not always the same Hebrew word. In Ezekiel 27:12, 16, 18, 21, & 36 it’s the Hebrew Cachar meaning To travel around begging, or one who goes from country to country for the sake of buying and selling. In Ezekiel 27:13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 23 & 24 it’s the Hebrew Rakal meaning One who goes about to slander, or one who traffics in news about people (Gesenius’ lexicon). However the word Merchandise is no less than four different Hebrew words. In Ezekiel 27:27, 33 & 34 it’s the Hebrew Machanaq meaning To strangle, in this case it means forced sells, or taking advantage of a situation to rob the people. In Ezekiel 27:15 it’s the Hebrew Cechorah meaning Merchants under one’s control, or one who does the bidding for a Merchant. In Ezekiel 27:24 it’s the Hebrew Markoleth meaning A market, or a place where one can sell or exchange things. In Ezekiel 27:27 we find both the Hebrew Machanaq (see above) and the Hebrew Maarab meaning Barter, this word is also found in Ezekiel 27:9, connecting to the phrase “buy and sell” in the Book of Revelation. In the Book of Revelation it doesn’t mean one with money, but one who is willing to do anything to get money, or one who attributes money to success and power. This shows the pressure used by the Woman and False Prophet are against the people. Some of us think a person will sit on our chest and implant some devise to make us “part of the Beast’, not so, it’s either bow or burn, the same choice the three Hebrew children have in Daniel. No one can force a child of God to do anything, not even the devil, rather the devil goes about seeking whom he may devour. Fear not at the words of the “fear prophets”, God is still greater than the Beast.

The “city of Tyre” is then seen, those who did merchandise with her weep and wail, and say, “What city is like Tyrus” (Ezek 27:31-32). In the Book of Revelation we find the same context, as those who did business with the Woman stand afar off saying, “Alas, Alas the great city Babylon, the mighty city! for in one hour is your judgment come” (Rev 18:10), then, “what city is like unto this great city” (Rev 18:18). Here in Ezekiel the prophet is not talking about Tyre, but about the Woman, as the City of Jerusalem. Tyre then is a type and shadow of how the world will come against the city in the end. She will do all sorts of ungodly things to protect herself, but fail. The prophet will speak of her accepted king, but it’s the wrong king. The prophetic message does extend, especially when we find the prophet looking at Tyre as a “he”.

Tyre is a prince, who has a king, we think back to the “prince of Israel”, here it all starts to come together (Ezek 28:1). Paul’s description of the son of perdition is like Ezekiel’s description of the prince of Tyrus; both match Isaiah’s description of Lucifer (Isa 14:12-19, Ezek 28:1-2 & II Thess 2:3-4). The “son of perdition” is not perdition, but one who falls back to perdition, or who was set free, but made a choice to be born back to perdition, making them a son (Heb 10:38-39). We are sons of God, yet we are not all God is, but we nonetheless represent God by having His holiness and righteousness by His Spirit which is of God (Eph 4:24 & I Cor 2:11-12). The prince of Tyrus is not Tyrus, but the prince therein. We just identified Tyrus as a type of the city; here we are talking about the self-proclaimed prince who says in his heart, “I Am [a] God, I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the seas” (Ezek 28:2). The term Seas refers to the world (ten toes or mountains), the prince of Tyrus sees himself as a little horn raising above the Sea. This prince thinks of himself as a god, a mighty one among the people. However, God says, “you are a man and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God” (Ezek 28:2). Here it changes from the she as the City, to a man, as a son of perdition. The prince of Tyrus says in his heart, he will be like the Most High, but his method is not to submit to God, rather he uses the power and authority of the Beast of the Sea, then Barters his position away gain power from the Woman. They promise us Liberty, but they themselves are servants of corruption (II Pet 2:19-22).

Rather than using humbleness and submission to enter the heart of God, this he assumes he is God, becoming the rejected prince, turning his heart into the seat of Satan, the throne of the self, holding the crown of pride and religious conceit. The prince of Tyrus was given riches, the windows of heaven were open upon him, but he assumed it was by his hand, or a result of his goodness, but God says the prince will die among the seas, and in the Book of Revelation we see this prince as the false prophet in the lake of fire with the Beast (Ezek 28:3-8 & Rev 20:10).

God does pour His blessings out of the windows, but we are told to enter by the Door. Anyone who attempts to enter by the window is a thief, they take the blessing of God, but refuse to be a blessing to God. Although the prince of Tyrus is circumcised, he will die the death of the uncircumcised (Ezek 28:10). It has to be a clue, there are two circumcisions, one of the flesh, one of the heart, here we find this prince covers both the Day and Night. Circumcision is a token, it doesn’t say one has the Covenant, it says one is entitled to it. In the Day we are circumcised at heart to be a True Jew, one who is entitled the New Covenant. The circumcision of the flesh is a token allowing one to enter the Abrahamic Covenant as a “Jew”. This prince is not a king, he is not a priest, but he is in a position to accept Abrahamic Covenant, to gain entry into the religious order of the city.

This is “the man”, the one who assumes the nation and city were given to him. During our Season they assume the Body of Christ is their personal property. Isaiah said Lucifer destroyed his own land, killed his own people, he was also called “a man” (Isa 14:11-20). Behind every prince stands a king, behind every son stands a father. The Pharisees were told they were the sons of their father the devil, yet they were Jewish religious leaders circumcised of the flesh. The prince of Tyrus is told there is a king behind him, but it’s the wrong king (Ezek 28:12). Since a “king” has authority, and since we know the Beast of the Earth uses the authority of the Beast of the Sea, we can find an opened mystery here. When one uses Authority, they connect to the direct source of the Authority. A policeman uses the “name of the law”, thus they are directly connected to the law of the land, although there are many ranks between the policeman on the street, and the judge on the bench, the same authority under the law applies. When the Beast of the Earth uses the authority of the dragon through the Beast of the Sea, the Beast of the Earth becomes directly connected to the dragon, thus we find the “prince” is a man. The prince has a principality, a realm connected to him by his ways. The principality has a source, the source is the king of Tyrus, but who is this “king of Tyrus”?

The king of Tyrus was in the Garden of Eden, everything he needed was in his hand, his position was among the highest of all, he was the anointed cherub who covered (protected), he was perfect (had the ability to be perfect) until the iniquity was found in his own heart (Ezek 28:13-15). Who found the iniquity? The cherub who covered found his own iniquity when he discovered he could twist his position in a way it was not intended; then used it to his advantage causing his own downfall. This is not Adam since we find this king is a Cherub and anointed, meaning he was granted power to carry out a role in the Garden. This cherub was covered (covereth in KJV, Ezek 28:14), the Word Cover is the Hebrew Sakak meaning To hedge in, To unite, To overshadow, or Protect, or Guide. God set this cherub in position, but being a spirit, he needed a guide himself. God gave him the tree of the knowledge of good and evil so he as a spirit could assist natural man. The man had the tree of life, the cherub had the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thus he used his position in an evil manner. Although he did teach, at the fall he taught corrupt knowledge, not to protect, but to destroy; therein lays his iniquity. This cherub made a promise he was unable to deliver, the prince thinks he is a “god” above all gods. He presumes he can fly to heaven at will, he thinks he can dominate all things, which is what the devil promised, but was unable to deliver. The devil did not “transgress”, his error was iniquity, thus we find he was unequal. This really helps us define his position, if he had no right in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then he would have transgressed, but since we find he was unequal, or failed at one thing he had the authority to do, while doing another he lacked the authority to do, clearing the matter up. The devil did teach knowledge, he did instruct and overshadow, but his teaching was corrupt. This is not like Balaam’s error, Balaam ventured into an area where he had no right (teaching), he was a prophet, not a teacher.

The Wicked work iniquity in this season, becoming the man of sin in the next. John sees them as the “Eighth”, or the very last of the orders of seven. He tells us the Eighth is of the Seven, but he doesn’t tell us which Seven, could it be the Seven churches? Perhaps the Seven Heads from the First beast? The answer is Yes to both questions, the sons of perdition came from us, but were not of us. They entered the kingdom of heaven, yet took the authority from the seven heads of the First beast, thus failing to enter the Kingdom of God, or better, failed to have the Kingdom of God in them. The kingdom of heaven is the place we enter, but the Kingdom of God is within, thus one can enter, yet rebel, or refuse to have the Kingdom of God within.

John also says Five are fallen, One is, and One is yet to Come (Rev 17:10-11), these couldn’t be the Ten horns or Seven heads, since Three are removed from the Ten to make Seven. We do read how the Fifth church will have Jesus confess the overcomer to the Father, it’s the only place in the entire Book of Revelation where Jesus confesses anyone before the Father (Rev 3:4-5). The word Fallen has two meanings, both fit, one means To fall before the throne of God, the other means to fall backward. The Broken Body is seen in the word Fall, some will fall before the Lord, others will draw back to perdition (Heb 10:38-39).

The first five churches are addressed differently by Jesus then the last two, showing a division. The “Eighth” surfaces as the Beast of the Earth at the latter end of the Sixth church, bringing an end to Peace and Safety. The Wicked have two horns (power), one for our Season, one for the Night. They are seen in both Seasons as the synagogue of Satan; the word Synagogue is Jewish, but not restricted to them alone. Rather the word means a gathering, thus the synagogue of Satan is not a bunch of Jews, it’s the Wicked who gather together as the birds picking at the fruit of the tree. They are like these people, protected by the Green Tree known as the Unction over the Body, but they still use the he of the world. Therefore, they are Gentile (seven mountains), yet they came from the Body thus they connect to the seven churches as well, making them “from the seven”, but not of the seven, giving them the title as the Eighth. The five who are fallen, or taken out of the way ending the Gentile age of Grace, the Sixth is, but then comes the Seventh, as the Eighth brings the entire thing down into the lake of fire.

At one time the devil was beautiful, the Hebrew word used here means to Make Self or to use what is given to make one’s self beautiful. God created the devil with ability, but the devil felt his beauty was self-induced, yet he was created. The devil was impressed with himself, he eyes were open to his own image, inducing Pride as his motivation. Pride became the power behind his iniquity, he assumed he was the cause of creation. Instead of protecting Adam, he desired control over the creations of God.

The same Hebrew word used for Beauty was used to describe Israel, who trusted in her beauty (Ezek 16:15). Tyrus said, “I am perfect beauty”, as the city said, “I sit as a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow” (Ezek 27:3-4 & Rev 18:7). The beauty alluded to here is not what we term beauty, this word holds the Old English meaning of In Harmony, or A position in which one thinks they “will lose nothing”, it’s a false sense of security in ones position.

Merchandising causes us to use our God given talent in a self-based manner, religious conceit thinks we can’t lose what God has given us. Ahh, the armhole pillow, the bag, the Judas mindset. The king of Tyrus has defiled many sanctuaries, he used his sons to pollute and devour many (Ezek 28:18). Peter says, the false preach liberty, but they themselves are in bondage to the flesh (II Pet 2:19-22). They toss strange fire into the sanctuaries of God, claiming they are doing God a service. They sit and act like “friends”, as they gather information to come against the saints. They come as apostles of light, but inside Satan reigns, they are messengers of Satan, yet with the name of God on their lips, but Babylon in their hearts (II Cor 11:13 & Ps 55:11-15). Their hell begins in the midst of their hearts, capturing their souls (Ezek 28:18).

God says the multitude of the merchandise has filled the king of Tyrus with Violence, this is the same word used for the people in the Days of Noah (Ezek 29:16). The people in the days of Noah held a “self-confidence”, presuming God would never judge them. Their violence is the same as we find here, unrighteousness. So it will be in the end, yet this king is cast from the “mountain of God”. To be cast from the mountain, one must be part of it. This king with his prince gives us a type and shadow of the Wicked who are left at the Rapture, at first they run to the feet of the Sixth church. However, their pride takes hold, they think they are the prophets of God, they become the Eight, yet we find a perfect paradox. Which mount are they cast from? Ahh, the Rock is the heavenly Mount of Zion, when the Body is broken they are left behind, yet when the Seventh church surfaces the Wicked come as the Eight to invade the City, which causes the City to corrupt Mount Zion of the earth.

Ezekiel then turns to Zidon, the word Zidon means One who catches fish, thus this is type and shadow of the sons of perdition as well, those who are told to catch fish for Jesus, but used the net to capture fish for their own use (Ezek 28:22). Since the sons of perdition use the authority of the world, they also use the “cares of this world” to capture us in some fear the world faces. As long as it’s the Day the world will face one fear or other on a daily basis, sickness, war, famine, something producing the “cares of this world”. Zidon is the reverse of the Rock, instead of casting the net into the world to gain fish, Zidon casts it’s net into the Rock to pull fish back to the sea. Zidon is the place where Jezebel came from, thus Zidon is a type of the self-appointed prophets, they gave a false word, but assuming they are prophets. Jesus said Jezebel has children who are just like her, they will be found in the bed of adultery in the Great Tribulation (Rev 2:20-23).

The “space” for Jezebel to repent is during the Day, yet she refuses to repent, thus she is a type of the Wicked, making Zidon a type of the spirit of the world. Therefore, we don’t see the term “antichrist” in the Book of Revelation; we see the types, as they emerge as the Beast of the Earth out of perdition. If they came out of perdition, how did they get there? We are not of them who draw back to perdition, but of them who believe unto the saving of the soul (Heb 10:38-39). Nonetheless, God will be glorified in Zidon’s midst, it doesn’t mean something good for Zidon, rather when God’s Glory will be magnified at the Judgment, just as God’s Glory was magnified at the destruction of Pharaoh (Ezek 28:23).

God promises to gather the people of Israel again, by bringing the Time of Comfort to Jacob, then they shall dwell safely (Ezek 28:24-26). Whether or not Israel has her land or part of her land is not a sign of the end times, the sign is when she dwells safely. However, it will be when the Sixth seal is broken, which is after the Fifth Seal produces the Rapture. The prophet speaks of Israel after speaking of Zidon, thus we find the members of Zidon begin during our Season, go into the Night as the “drunken”.

Ezekiel then moves to the tenth year in the tenth month, as God tells him to set his face against Pharaoh (Ezek 29:1). A double testing, now he speaks to the leader of Egypt, not just Egypt. Prophetically Egypt is a sign of the world, since the children came from Egypt into the wilderness; however, there is a prophetic message here as the prophet points to the Wilderness, as well as the Fish of the rivers. This is a metaphoric message showing Egypt in the latter days is the City, as John points out (Rev 11:8).

Pharaoh is the type of bad fish Zidon seeks, God will put a hook in the jaw of Pharaoh and cause the fish to stick to his scales (Ezek 29:3-4). Pharaoh will be thrown into the wilderness, yet we know Pharaoh never made it to the wilderness. This makes Pharaoh a sign of the world, or Gog as the leader of Magog, God will put a hook in the mouth of Gog bringing him and his army back to destroy the city (Ezek 29:5). The city is  spiritually known as Egypt, the sons of perdition take advantage of the city in order to place the abomination in a pace it should not be (Ezek 29:5).

Pathros is one of the nations listed by Isaiah as the Seven who survive after the three are taken away (Isa 11:11); Ezekiel says, God will bring the Egyptians back to Pathros (Ezek 29:13). In order for man to live in peace with his fellow man, man will have to be in his own land, eating from his own tree, living in a time when there is no need to fight or steal for survival, a time without governments, a time free of disease and sickness,  and only one religious order, thus we find the ten horns and seven heads without crowns when the Woman surfaces in Revelation Chapter 17.

This is another paradox, God established two religious orders. The Law of Moses to judge mankind, becoming the Books at the Judgment. The Body of Christ to escape the Judgment by being Born Again. The enemy began many religions to set man against man, thus Jesus came so we might have Life, the enemy sets his orders to take life. At times the enemy has sent his tares into the Body in an attempt to corrupt the reputation of Jesus, nonetheless, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church.

Egypt will be desolate forty years, sounds familiar (Ezek 29:11). This has to point to a wilderness time, it doesn’t mean our Wilderness Experience will be forty years, it may seem like it, but it won’t be. The Wilderness is the place to rid ourselves of idols, in order to enter the Spiritual state by the Spirit. The number four represents the world, the number ten testing, when the children tested God with their worldly manner, they ended with forty years of sand in their sandals. What happens if we’re in school and give the teacher a test? We’re laughed at, or sent to the office, or both. Why is that? Students don’t test teachers, teachers test students. The same is true with God, disciples don’t test God, God tests the disciples. When we reverse the premise, we enter rebellion.

The Time of Comfort promises all man’s pleasures and more; however, at the same time the Knowledge (not the Wisdom or Spirit) of God will go forth from one place, and one place only, Jerusalem. The world will use God to gain the pleasure yet worship their idols on the housetops. Then the Lord will remember, when they all see the Son of man coming for judgment, they will know the Lord, He is God, but for many it will be too late (Ezek 28:16). Jesus as the Son of man went to the Cross, but still as the Son of man He returns for Judgment, but why the Son of man? Did the Father fire Him? No, man will not be judged based on being a son of God, or based on having, or not having the Spirit; rather man will be judged based on Mercy. All have been given the measure of faith; thus they can apply mercy. Therefore, the “least of the Commandments” relate to Mercy, meaning the least man can do (Matt 5:3-7:27). The “workers of iniquity” did one thing, but failed at another, the other is Mercy (Matt 7:21-23). The sons of perdition refuse to give Mercy, but they were quick in taking it from God. They are the self-appointed “watch-dogs”, who go about biting and devouring. One command we have is to forgive as God for Christ’s sake has forgive us (Eph 4:32). Command? A function of an Apostle is to bring commandment, thus Paul, Peter and John brought commandments in many of their letters.

Of course, this prophetic message pertains to the nations in the day of Ezekiel as well, but we also find the gap wherein the prophet speaks of a time yet to come. The history regarding these people of God is a preview, failure to grasp the warnings places us in the desolate place. Babylon will take Egypt, all those from Israel who ran to Egypt (world) for protection will find the sword of Nebuchadnezzar at their throats (Ezek 28:17-20). Then Ezekiel jumps forward again, the captivity, as well as the fall of Egypt will secure the promise for those who are Israel along the river in Babylonia; although the effects won’t come for several years. The captivity and fall of Egypt is when the leaders of the nations give their power to the Woman.

The Time of Comfort sees God causing the horn (power) of Israel to bud, the opening of the mouth (spreading the knowledge of the Lord) in the midst of them, but then another mouth surfaces with great swelling words against God (Ezek 29:21). Daniel will explain this as the little horn coming up among the horns of the Beast. When the Woman mixes with the two Beasts, she becomes the little horn, by association. She will move from the authority of God, to the authority of the dragon, becoming a power among the powers of the dragon, as she is seen riding the beast.

Ezekiel goes to the last day where God says, “Howl you, Woe worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen” (Ezek 30:1-3). What is the “worth of the Day”? The word Worth is a shortened form of the word used for Woe, it’s usually seen as “alas”, but does it point to the Day? Here is points to the “day of the Lord”, not the Day we’re in. When the Day ends the Day of the Lord begins as the Night.

The end of Egypt in the time of Ezekiel is a miniature version of the end of all Egypt (world) in the end. One need only look around today to see Egypt is still here, thus this is prophetic, yet the preview shows Egypt fell to the hand of Babylon. If the Woman is known as Babylon, and the Beast of the Sea is in the power of the world, this prophetic message shows the Woman riding (controlling) the Beast. Prophetically we find Egypt becoming the Tower of pride, referring to the time when the Woman sits on the Beast as she gives gifts to her lovers (Ezek 30:4-6). Jesus is our High Tower, not the Tower of pride (Ps 18:2).

There are two women in Proverbs, one in the high place, the other in the Highest. The first has a position above many, but she seeks to destroy, the other is type and shadow of the Spirit in the Highest of all places. The error of the false is gaining a high place, but rejecting the Higher. Spiritual wickedness can only be conducted in the high places, not the Highest Place (Eph 6:12). Spiritual wickedness is an iniquity to become spiritual in nature, it’s akin to the iniquity of the Corinthians, who had the Spirit, but remained carnal in nature. Here we find the iniquity was the failure to be associated to the Covenant as God intended.

The Lord will destroy the idols, there are no idols in hell or heaven (Ezek 30:13). God will pour His fury on the land known as Sin, which is the strength of Egypt; it hasn’t changed, sin is still the strength of Egypt (world – Ezek 30:15-16). Ezekiel looks at the Assyrian, in the latter days Assyria will be one of the Seven Heads, who survive the Three who are taken away (Isa 11:11-14). Assyria like Babylon was deeply involved in idol worship, yet God wounded the Head (Authority) of the wicked house, yet the false prophet brings back (heals) the wounded head by introducing idol worship in the place it should not be. The false prophet uses the ways of the Assyrians, but the Woman is known as Babylon. Therefore we find Assyria and Babylon will join in the end, yet be located in a place not appointed for idol worship. In the days of Ezekiel, the nation’s downfall was predicated on idol worship and the refusal to give the land its sabbath.

The Assyrian is shown as the high cedar, but the context of all these nations is their infiltration into Israel as a result of the compromise of Jacob in the latter days (Ezek 31:5-10). When the earth is turned inside out becoming the lake of fire, the fowls (demons) will feast on the fallen branches. In order for a branch to fall, it must first be part of the Vine, thus the “fallen branches” are those who failed to continue to believe, although God provided more than enough evidence for them to believe (Ezek 31:12-13 & Mark 16:16-18). God is restraining the floods of the great waters until the end, yet today the devil is sending floods after the Woman (Ezek 31:15, Rev 12:15, 17:1 & 17:15-16). The devil knows he has a short time, his goal is to destroy the Woman, thus preventing the Remnant of her Seed, thus preventing the Judgment, so he thinks.

Then we find a real puzzle when the prophet says Pharaoh was “a tree in the garden of God” (Ezek 31:8). Pharaoh was in the Garden? What gives? We also find Pharaoh was like unto him in his beauty (Ezek 31:8). Oh my, what now? Surely we know this Pharaoh wasn’t in the Garden of Eden, when we get to Ezekiel 36:35 we will find the Time of Comfort will have the earth in a like condition as the Garden of Eden, but it doesn’t mean it will be the Garden, only “like unto it”. The phrase defines the condition of the earth during the Time of Comfort as Peace and Safety, thus Pharaoh as the leader of Egypt metaphorically points to the Woman when she is known as Egypt. This is also seen in Ezekiel 31:16 where we find God will cast Pharaoh down to hell with them who “descend into the pit”. God looks to the future into the Night, seeing the serpent as the false prophet doing the working of Satan before the devil is released, yet the earth will be like the Garden. The other “trees of Eden” will be cast into the “nether parts of the earth” (Ezek 31:18). Whoa, wait, what about the Tree of Life? Wasn’t it in the Garden? Yes, but don’t confuse the Garden in the Beginning, with the Garden God speaks about here. Don’t forget God rested from His works because the works were ready to be destroyed.

The Tree of Life is seen in heaven, on either side of the river of life; meaning it’s in heaven, but connected to the earth in the Born Again believer (Rev 22:2). The Tree of Life is one tree, who then are the other “trees”? Metaphorically it points to people, the earth will be in a Place of Safety and Peace, a place of comfort, like the Garden before the fall, but there was a fall.

Ezekiel then speaks in the twelfth year in the twelfth month, as he sees the troubled waters (Ezek 32:1-2). Ezekiel sees two twelve’s, one representing those who failed to join the twelve positional areas of the Apostles and Prophets, another twelve for those who failed to join the positional positions of the twelve tribes of the New Testament Israel, thus we find twenty four elders, one representing each of the positional aspects of the calling for each of the two Seasons of the Day and Night. If John is one of these elders, how come he didn’t recognize himself? They are positional in nature, not personal. Twelve represent the twelve positions of the apostles, those whom Jesus used to begin this, the other twelve for the 144,000 from the twelve tribes, those whom Jesus will use to begin the Night.

Pharaoh’s counterparts will be caught in the net, but they remain the bad fish, who attempts to control the Waters (people) under their feet. Then we read about the fowls of the heaven, not the “fowls of heaven”, they remain with Pharaoh (Ezek 32:3-4 & Jude 22-23). This shows how the term “fowls” represents demonic forces, whether they are actual demons, or those who use the wiles of the devil. Jesus said the Pharisees were like their father the devil, but He didn’t cast the devil out of them. Why? The Pharisees were using the wiles (lusts) of the devil, yet they were not demon possessed. showing how the false prophet can come with the “working of Satan”, yet the devil is bound in the pit.

Then we see how God will “cover the heaven”, and “make the stars thereof dark” as He covers the Sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give Her light (Ezek 32:7). It’s very important to see God is doing this; during the Day God’s focus is on Grace and Salvation. During the Night it’s on making the enemies of Jesus His footstool. This is the Day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. However, God’s reality knows there will be enemies of Jesus, they will go into the Night to face the wrath of God. Two sides of the same God, His Love, then His wrath. Therefore, the Doctrine of Christ holds the element of Eternal Judgment, if we neglect the concept of Judgment, we will enter a false sense of security.

The metaphors show the stars as the twelve stars in the crown of the Woman, the Sun as Jacob or Israel, the Moon as Zion of the Earth, the Woman the city of Jerusalem of the earth. Here God shows the glory completely removed, when they kill the righteous, leaving only the Wicked as the enemies of Jesus. The phrase “put you out” means To be quenched, or to be extinguished, as one would put out a candle. the word Cover is the Hebrew Kasah meaning To conceal, or hide from one’s eyes, thus God will treat them as if they never were. The phrase “make the stars thereof dark” is a compound Hebrew phrase pointing to a rolling together of something in order to make it disappear. Then we find the Sun with a cloud, the word Cloud here is the Hebrew Anan meaning A veiling, or To veil over, or Cause to be hidden. This is different from the Sun being covered in sackclothe in Revelation 6:12, but we do find the “rolling together” of the heavens (Rev 6:14). Later when the Fifth Angel opens the pit we find the Sun covered in blackness, as the Sun (Jacob) will be the “seat of the beast” (Rev 16:10 & 9:1-3). Then the Moon shall lose her light as her candle is removed, causing her star to fall (Rev 18:23). Where is her candle? The seventh candle in the Menorah, there are only seven candles in the tabernacle Menorah (Rev 1:20). The candlestick is for the earth, yet in heaven we also find there is no need for candle light, neither the “light of the sun”, for the Lord God is the Light thereof (Rev 22:5).

This is clearer when God says He will make the lights dark, and cause darkness on the land (Ezek 32:8). The word Dark is the Hebrew Qadhar meaning Ash like, or to Mourn as one would with sackclothe, which does go to Revelation 6:12 where the Sun is seen with sackclothe. However, the word Darkness is the Hebrew Choshekh meaning Night, or Falsehood, this connects to the Night showing the change in Seasons. This verse shows heaven being closed over Pharaoh, with a darkness upon the land of Pharaoh, but it doesn’t say Pharaoh will be darkness. This verse points to the Rapture and how the “land” will be the kingdom of heaven as courtyard, or earth. The Courtyard without the Holy Place is used only for Judgment, we found there is the holiest of all, meaning there are other holinesses. The Courtyard is the place of slaughter, denoted by the brass (Judgment). The Holy Place is holier than the Courtyard, the Holiest of All is holier than the Holy Place. We are not assigned the Courtyard, we are assigned the Holy Place as priests unto God.

Pharaoh is a type and shadow of one who claims to be of God yet holds the power of Egypt in their heart. Instead of shaking the fowls off, the bad fish give them place and honor, causing their own downfall (Ezek 32:7-8). The love of many in the latter days will wax cold, they will hear the voices of the “three frogs” (Beast of the Sea, Beast of the Earth, and the Woman) of destruction (Ezek 32:9). As the sword of the king of Babylon fell on Egypt of old, the sword of Babylon will cause Egypt to fall into idol worship, thus John says the City is spiritually known as Egypt and Sodom (Ezek 32:11 & Rev 11:8). The acts of the false prophet will be bad enough, but when the Woman takes those Ways as hers, she becomes Babylon, causing all the land to be made desolate (Ezek 32:15). Destruction upon God’s people always comes when they make the Beast their lover. Meshech and Tubal will be under one prince, known as Gog, thus they are counted as one land in the latter days. This is clear in Ezekiel 32:26 where we find Meshech and Tubal known as a “her”, not a “them”.

When the Time of Comfort begins in the midst of a great war, it will be as one like man has never seen, but it won’t end, it will be stayed by a great and powerful earthquake. Those who remain on the earth will beat their swords into plows, as they remember the ways of war no more. However, later toward the end of the Time of Comfort, Gog will beat those same plowshares back into swords, producing a new way of war. He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword (Ezek 32:26-32). Ezekiel will tell us of a War, it’s not the final war, but the beginning of the final war. The end of the war will not come until the fifth angel opens the pit. The fifth angel doesn’t appear until the first four have appeared, after the seventh seal is opened, which is well after the fifth seal which signifies the Rapture (Rev 20:7-8). This shows the war will begin, then comes a violent earthquake, then the war will be stayed until the very latter days (Rev 20:7-8).

We also find another division to show us the time element for the beginning of the war and the ending thereof. Ezekiel shows the two nations of Meshech and Tubal, but no leader, whereas, John shows the one nation of Magog with the leader Gog (Ezek 32:26 & Rev 20:8). A change takes place, when the Woman is making her bed of adultery with the Beast of the Sea. The Woman will be the one world government and the only religion, but in the end Gog takes rule becoming a leader of the Beast of the Sea; however, by this time the Beast of the Sea has given its crowns to the Woman, Gog attempts to use a power it no longer has. The pit is opened and the devils and demons possess many people. Surely if there was one Believing Christian about they would be casting the devils out, not inviting them in. When this takes place we’re seen in heaven as the crystal sea of glass before the Throne (Rev 20:4).

In Ezekiel 32:26 we also find, “her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised”, which gives us a “her” and a “him”. The “him” is the false prophet, the “her” the Woman, the uncircumcised are the Gentiles, those who died in the beginning of the great war, it will take years to bury all the dead. In all this the purpose of the plagues in the latter days is to bring repentance before the pit is opened. In Ezekiel’s time we find God calling for repentance, but the self-deceived minds of the people assumed God was protecting the temple. How? After all, the king of Babylon couldn’t take the city in one battle. These people had a zeal for the house of God, but lacked a zeal for God, thus their Zeal was eating away at the house of God. They would do anything to preserve the temple, thinking the temple was their protection and salvation.

Then comes the finish of the great war, they will go down to hell with their weapons (Ezek 32:27). This has a allegory meaning as well, the Weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The weapons of the Wicked are mighty through their wanton souls to building of strongholds. They will take their fables to hell with them, so why attack them? Preach the truth in love, let Jesus handle His own.

Let’s move on to Part 2…

By Rev. G. E. Newmyer, s.b.i.les8 rev10/©2003