Ezekiel
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Ezekiel Chapter 11
I love this: Here is the prophecy of Israel's restoration. This should be the joy and peace of all that believe in Jesus Christ. Latter day prophecy is being fulfilled now. The first part of this passage from verse 1 to verse 15 tells of the abominations and things done by the princes or the men of influence in Israel and why the judgment of God had come upon them. It only takes a small few people to turn a whole nation into apostasy and evil. Today we have the influence of politics, secular education, the news media and even the entertainment industry that influences our thinking. Unless we have a family or church that teaches us the way of God we can be quickly deceived and think that evil is good and good is evil. I see this in the United States today. I've seen people who normally would never have believed in the sin of abortion for instance, change their minds because the political party of their choice accepts it. Usually some clever person who influences the crowds will use a catch phrases like a woman's right to choose or a woman's reproductive rights to deceived people. That sounds nice and democratic but in reality it is a woman's right to murder her own children at will. People do not usually think for themselves once they get away from God and His holiness. It is so sad to see that in the days of Ezekiel, they departed from God. God is the one who gave them the land they dwelt on, gave them so many good things, delivered them from enemies and kept them safe. To see them depart and prefer to live like the heathen idolatrous nations that surrounded them, is like slapping God in the face. So that is why God allowed the wicked heathen nations to bring them into captivity. They became slaves to the ones they desired to be like and followed their ways. This is what happens when we as people reject God's plan of salvation to free us from the bondage of sin and give us a new life in Jesus Christ. We become a slave to the sin and bondage of the world until it destroys us. The United States today is sliding down a dangerous path to destruction. Unlike Israel which God promised to restore, God gave no such promise to the United States or to many countries that exist today. We are living under God's mercy. At His word we stand or fall. Israel was gathered together after 70 years of captivity to Babylon but in the time of Christ we saw they were still under a certain type of bondage to the Roman Empire. Because of their rejection of their Messiah, Israel was destroyed and they were scattered again; so the return after Babylon was the final fulfillment of this particular prophecy. The bible contains double prophecies and some times prophecies are a pattern that will happen more than once until the final fulfillment. In 1948 we saw Israel re-gathered again. That was another partial fulfillment which will be fulfilled in full during the latter day tribulation and the 2nd coming of their Messiah, Jesus Christ. What a glorious day when the nation of Israel discovers that the one who came the first time to die for sins and take away sins is the same one who will save their nation from the armies of the antichrist and the nations that come against Israel in the latter days. I personally believe it will be in the same generation as 1948 so the time must be drawing near.
We know this is not yet fulfilled for there is a lot of evil in Israel today and in the city of Jerusalem. This will change. Evil will be removed and there will be no idolatry or sexual immorality, or anything that defiles the flesh.
This is what individuals who receive Jesus Christ can have even now. When a person repents of sins and believes the gospel, their inner person is changed. This will be what occurs when Israel believes in Jesus Christ in the latter times.
So to receive Jesus into our lives is first by faith that He is the Christ and by the blood He shed when He died on the execution stake or cross; he was then buried and after three days rose again making the way for all who believe in Him to be raised from the dead also. We then are to walk in His ways and keep His word. How can we do this if we reject His word and do not even read it and seek understanding?
We can't say we believe in Jesus and still be partaker of detestable things and expect to be saved. To believe in Jesus is to believe His words. If we say we believe in Jesus for salvation and ignore His words by returning to sin and claim to be under grace, that is false. Sin is what is separating people from God. When we are cleansed from sin, we depart from sin and do not willingly walk in sin any longer. God has not changed. He is still the same God. When He said, "Thou shalt not make under thee any graven images," He meant it. It does not change under grace. Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law concerning sacrifices and offerings. The moral law is still in effect. The law of circumcision, ordinances and Sabbaths were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The moral law of thou shalt not kill, steal, adultery, and such is still in effect and always will be. A child of God should have the goal of the two commandments Jesus gave: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, all thy soul and all thy might and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. All the necessary parts of the law that are still in effect is contained in those two little commandments. If you can keep those two, you will automatically keep all the rest.
He first showed them the reasons for the harsh judgment of God and then showed them the hope of restoration. This is the whole message God brings even today. If we are a mess. If we have sinned. We need a savior. Repent (be willing to change) and believe in Jesus Christ to save from sin and then we can receive the Holy Spirit which will abide with us so that we have the strength not to return to the sin that separated us from a holy God. Believe, repent and walk with in the newness of life. We do not have to wallow in filth and be partaker of evil.
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