Post by Cindy on May 25, 2015 11:45:31 GMT -5
Yesterday I wrote about The Last Sign and just how eerily both our time and Ezekiel's are the same. Today He has shown me that the judgments He imposed on Israel then, and those coming next in the Tribulation are the same, and more importantly, that the reason for the judgments is also the same! He causes this to really stand out for us by pledging by His very existence that He would fulfill these judgments, and of course He did. That tells us in no uncertain terms that the ones He's said will come before and during the Tribulation will also be fulfilled just as literally. More, it tells us that the reason He gave for the judgments in Ezekiel's time, and those for our time are also just as literal and true.
Many may be shocked at one of the main reasons which is idolatry, because most folks today don't think they are idolators, but in fact, most are. We worship ourselves, money, beauty, power, and many other things. Remember too that God wasn't and isn't speaking to unbelievers, but rather to those of us who know Him, Just as He was speaking to the Jew's who knew Him and His law back then. I say that because today, most folks would say that even unbelievers aren't idolators today, except those who worship false gods. But that's because they don't understand what idolatry is and don't see it the way God does.
Let me share the few verses I'm looking at specifically now: “Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you with pity or spare you. A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword. “Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath upon them, they will know that I the LORD have spoken in my zeal.” (Ezekiel 5:11–13) “I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the LORD have spoken.”” (Ezekiel 5:17)
Prior to these verses and in other books as well, the Lord tells us exactly what His people did that was so detestable to Him. The exact judgments, how they came about and what their effect was is also described in detail. That God is speaking to His people, His children, makes what they did more horrible then if it had been done by unbelievers. ““This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.” (Ezekiel 5:5–6) It seems impossible, yet God's own children did more evil, and rebelled against Him even more then the pagans and unbelievers did! Sadly, the very same thing is true today. When an unbeliever sins, they're sinning against their creator, which is certainly bad enough. But when we sin, we're sinning against our Father who loves us - we're rebelling against His love! That's what the Jew's did then, and what many of us are doing now; and like the Jew's of that time, our sins are often worse then those of the unsaved. Because He is our Father, God never allows His children to sin successfully. Sin never goes unpunished. It may seem like it at times, but that's only because our Father is so very patient with us and waits hoping we'll repent before He is forced to discipline us. We can count on the fact that the longer He waits without us repenting, the worse our punishment will be. In this case, just as in ours, God had waited a very long time, and had determined that their hearts had grown so hard that waiting longer wouldn't accomplish His purpose. Therefore He sent the judgments.
Notice in the above verses that He says they defiled His sanctuary with vile images and detestable practices. In our time, His sanctuary or temple, is the bodies of all who have been saved, for He dwells within each of us. It doesn't take any imagination at all to see how we have defiled ourselves with the very same things. There are the vile things we choose to look at, watch, or read, every day. Things that He wouldn't approve of, things that are the opposite of what Phil 4:8 tells us to allow in our minds and hearts. Oh we don't think they're all that bad, we make all kinds of excuses for what we allow in our minds. But God will hold us accountable for them. Many Christians today view pornography regularly, or even participate in making their own porn pictures. One excuse they use is that it's ok because they're married to the partner they're doing it with, but God doesn't think anything makes it ok! There are the practice of detestable things such as homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, taking drugs that alter our perception, getting drunk, or using new age techniques that do the same thing as drugs or alcohol; and the list goes on. Proverbs 6:16–19 tells us of seven things God detests or hates, things that we see and do daily: self pride, lying (which includes what we like to call, "little white lies") murder, including abortion, people who think up ways to harm or slander others and then carry them out, people who rush to do evil, those who bear false witness against others, and someone who stirs up dissension and strife. Now look at the church today, and what do we see? We see all these things and more! Check out how Paul describes people who call themselves Christian in our times: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Timothy 3:1–5) This describes what the Jew's were like in Ezekiel's time as well. So now we know why God is sending the Judgments and sadly it's not just because of the unbelievers around us. (1 Peter 4:17–18)
Notice the judgments that God sent in Ezekiel's time, (see verses quoted at the start of this post) and compare them with the ones He will send during the Tribulation. Then people would die from the sword (war), famine, plague and wild animals. Rev 6: 2-8 describes what will happen during the Trib. Notice that the first horse talks about a conqueror that lies to the people, promising peace when he will actually bring war. During Ezekiel's time, the start of all this was all the false teachers and prophets that misled the people with their lies of peace when God was actually saying He'd send war if they didn't repent. Remember how we talked about the fact that large numbers of false prophets are also a sign from God that we prefer lies to His Truth. We also talked about that in yesterday's post.
Next, according to Revelation 6, is death by the sword, in other words, wars. That's followed by the last two horses which bring famine, then death from famine, plague and wild animals. That's exactly the order that God sent in Ezekiel's time! I also noticed that even the numbers are often the same. During the Tribulation, various judgments will affect either a third of the people, and that's what was affected back then as well. Amazing how consistent God is, isn't it? Lastly, God told Ezekiel that He would have mercy and save a remnant - a small remnant. The remnant saved was so small that it was represented by literally a "few hairs" from Ezekiel's head, out of a bunch that he'd cut off. Those He saved wouldn't be saved until they had gone through much of the judgments God was sending though.(Ezekiel 6:8–10) That too is similar to what will happen in our time in more then one way. By the end of the tribulation a majority of the population of the earth will either be dead or dying. Out of all the Jew's left on the earth after the rapture, only one third of them will be saved. Like in Ezekiel's day, they won't be saved because they were good and believed on Jesus beforehand, but because just before Jesus returns or even as He is returning, they will finally realize their sin and recognize Jesus as their Savior. I see it as also being similar to what will happen right after the rapture, as many will realize that they obviously weren't really saved after all and will now have to go through the tribulation. Out of those who realize it, some will be saved, others though will choose to be angry at God for not taking them in the rapture too and will go their own way.
Finally, notice the last part of this verse: “And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.” (Ezekiel 6:10) This is always true of our God. His Word always does what He sends it to do...always! He doesn't bring the calamity on people to get even with them or to hurt them. He brings it in order to save those who belong to Him. He tries to do so in every other way possible, but when everything else fails, He brings calamity, judgment, and out of that judgment, some will be saved. This was true then, it's true today, and will be true at the rapture and during the tribulation as well. Often we'll say we want the rapture to happen, but we want our loved ones saved first. I can promise you that if our loved ones can possibly be saved before the rapture, they will be. But, if we find that they did not make the rapture, we can still have hope, knowing that God will save them yet if it's at all possible. And with God, all things are possible! We can rest easy knowing that God knows those who belong to Him even when they don't know it, and He won't stop until they're safe in His arms! We don't have to worry about the rapture happening "too soon" then, because the Lord knows exactly what it's going to take to bring each of His children to salvation.
Many may be shocked at one of the main reasons which is idolatry, because most folks today don't think they are idolators, but in fact, most are. We worship ourselves, money, beauty, power, and many other things. Remember too that God wasn't and isn't speaking to unbelievers, but rather to those of us who know Him, Just as He was speaking to the Jew's who knew Him and His law back then. I say that because today, most folks would say that even unbelievers aren't idolators today, except those who worship false gods. But that's because they don't understand what idolatry is and don't see it the way God does.
Let me share the few verses I'm looking at specifically now: “Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you with pity or spare you. A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword. “Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath upon them, they will know that I the LORD have spoken in my zeal.” (Ezekiel 5:11–13) “I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the LORD have spoken.”” (Ezekiel 5:17)
Prior to these verses and in other books as well, the Lord tells us exactly what His people did that was so detestable to Him. The exact judgments, how they came about and what their effect was is also described in detail. That God is speaking to His people, His children, makes what they did more horrible then if it had been done by unbelievers. ““This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.” (Ezekiel 5:5–6) It seems impossible, yet God's own children did more evil, and rebelled against Him even more then the pagans and unbelievers did! Sadly, the very same thing is true today. When an unbeliever sins, they're sinning against their creator, which is certainly bad enough. But when we sin, we're sinning against our Father who loves us - we're rebelling against His love! That's what the Jew's did then, and what many of us are doing now; and like the Jew's of that time, our sins are often worse then those of the unsaved. Because He is our Father, God never allows His children to sin successfully. Sin never goes unpunished. It may seem like it at times, but that's only because our Father is so very patient with us and waits hoping we'll repent before He is forced to discipline us. We can count on the fact that the longer He waits without us repenting, the worse our punishment will be. In this case, just as in ours, God had waited a very long time, and had determined that their hearts had grown so hard that waiting longer wouldn't accomplish His purpose. Therefore He sent the judgments.
Notice in the above verses that He says they defiled His sanctuary with vile images and detestable practices. In our time, His sanctuary or temple, is the bodies of all who have been saved, for He dwells within each of us. It doesn't take any imagination at all to see how we have defiled ourselves with the very same things. There are the vile things we choose to look at, watch, or read, every day. Things that He wouldn't approve of, things that are the opposite of what Phil 4:8 tells us to allow in our minds and hearts. Oh we don't think they're all that bad, we make all kinds of excuses for what we allow in our minds. But God will hold us accountable for them. Many Christians today view pornography regularly, or even participate in making their own porn pictures. One excuse they use is that it's ok because they're married to the partner they're doing it with, but God doesn't think anything makes it ok! There are the practice of detestable things such as homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, taking drugs that alter our perception, getting drunk, or using new age techniques that do the same thing as drugs or alcohol; and the list goes on. Proverbs 6:16–19 tells us of seven things God detests or hates, things that we see and do daily: self pride, lying (which includes what we like to call, "little white lies") murder, including abortion, people who think up ways to harm or slander others and then carry them out, people who rush to do evil, those who bear false witness against others, and someone who stirs up dissension and strife. Now look at the church today, and what do we see? We see all these things and more! Check out how Paul describes people who call themselves Christian in our times: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Timothy 3:1–5) This describes what the Jew's were like in Ezekiel's time as well. So now we know why God is sending the Judgments and sadly it's not just because of the unbelievers around us. (1 Peter 4:17–18)
Notice the judgments that God sent in Ezekiel's time, (see verses quoted at the start of this post) and compare them with the ones He will send during the Tribulation. Then people would die from the sword (war), famine, plague and wild animals. Rev 6: 2-8 describes what will happen during the Trib. Notice that the first horse talks about a conqueror that lies to the people, promising peace when he will actually bring war. During Ezekiel's time, the start of all this was all the false teachers and prophets that misled the people with their lies of peace when God was actually saying He'd send war if they didn't repent. Remember how we talked about the fact that large numbers of false prophets are also a sign from God that we prefer lies to His Truth. We also talked about that in yesterday's post.
Next, according to Revelation 6, is death by the sword, in other words, wars. That's followed by the last two horses which bring famine, then death from famine, plague and wild animals. That's exactly the order that God sent in Ezekiel's time! I also noticed that even the numbers are often the same. During the Tribulation, various judgments will affect either a third of the people, and that's what was affected back then as well. Amazing how consistent God is, isn't it? Lastly, God told Ezekiel that He would have mercy and save a remnant - a small remnant. The remnant saved was so small that it was represented by literally a "few hairs" from Ezekiel's head, out of a bunch that he'd cut off. Those He saved wouldn't be saved until they had gone through much of the judgments God was sending though.(Ezekiel 6:8–10) That too is similar to what will happen in our time in more then one way. By the end of the tribulation a majority of the population of the earth will either be dead or dying. Out of all the Jew's left on the earth after the rapture, only one third of them will be saved. Like in Ezekiel's day, they won't be saved because they were good and believed on Jesus beforehand, but because just before Jesus returns or even as He is returning, they will finally realize their sin and recognize Jesus as their Savior. I see it as also being similar to what will happen right after the rapture, as many will realize that they obviously weren't really saved after all and will now have to go through the tribulation. Out of those who realize it, some will be saved, others though will choose to be angry at God for not taking them in the rapture too and will go their own way.
Finally, notice the last part of this verse: “And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.” (Ezekiel 6:10) This is always true of our God. His Word always does what He sends it to do...always! He doesn't bring the calamity on people to get even with them or to hurt them. He brings it in order to save those who belong to Him. He tries to do so in every other way possible, but when everything else fails, He brings calamity, judgment, and out of that judgment, some will be saved. This was true then, it's true today, and will be true at the rapture and during the tribulation as well. Often we'll say we want the rapture to happen, but we want our loved ones saved first. I can promise you that if our loved ones can possibly be saved before the rapture, they will be. But, if we find that they did not make the rapture, we can still have hope, knowing that God will save them yet if it's at all possible. And with God, all things are possible! We can rest easy knowing that God knows those who belong to Him even when they don't know it, and He won't stop until they're safe in His arms! We don't have to worry about the rapture happening "too soon" then, because the Lord knows exactly what it's going to take to bring each of His children to salvation.