Biblically, one who herds sheep is called a shepherd (sheep herder).  The fact that there are goats among the sheep, even outnumbering them, does not change the description of the one who drives the herd to where grass and water can be found.  A “sheep herd” is a sheep herd, even if it is known to contain many goats.  In the same way, a “wheat field” may have within it many tares (darnel).  That fact does not prevent it from being referred to as a wheat field.  A “school of fish” often has within it both edible (good) and inedible (bad) fish.  Nevertheless, it is called a (one) school of fish.

Such is the case with a “forest of trees.”  The “wood” found within a forest is always comprised of different types, some useful and some not useful in terms of construction of buildings.  Yet in totality a forest is known for being made up of “wood,” even to the point of being called a “woods.”  Many a person has gone for a “walk in the woods.”  As with the sheep/goat, wheat/tare/ good/bad fish situations, a forest is made up of basically two kinds of wood–useful and useless.  Chapter 15 of the Book of Ezekiel contains a message from the Lord which He directs toward us as He did anciently to the Jews.  The Lord’s message to all people at all times is that within “Jerusalem,” “Zion,” “the church,” “My people who are called by My name” there are both good and bad, useful and useless people  Symbolically, within God’s church there are sheep and goats, wheat and tares, good fish and bad fish, and as Ezekiel tells us in chapter 15, “trees” and “vines.”

Though taken together as a singular entity, trees and vines, like sheep and goats, etc. are two totally different groups in the eyes of the Lord.  In Matthew 24:31; 25:31-34 Jesus tells us what will happen when He returns to judge “His elect” whom He will gather from every nation under heaven (24:31).  Then He will separate His elect “as a shepherd divides HIS sheep from THE goats.”  He will place HIS sheep on His right hand, but THE goats on the left (25:31-33).  A shepherd does not gather another shepherd’s animals, nor does he separate them, etc.  Note that Jesus designates those gathered before Him as “His” sheep and “the” goats, meaning that the goats were His in name only.  Recall in 1 Peter 4:17,18 that the apostle refers to judgment within “the church” and notes that not everyone in “the church” are God’s sheep/wheat/good fish.  He makes it clear that “ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS (in the church) WILL BE SAVED.”  These Jesus calls the “Very Elect” in Matthew 24:24, whose salvation is not guaranteed.  They can be deceived by Satan’s false prophets.  Note that the words “it were” are in italics, meaning that they were not in the original manuscript.  The statement should read, “… if possible, they (false prophets) will deceive even the Very Elect.”  God’s Very Elect are not immune from Satan’s attacks.  Not even Jesus Himself was free from temptation.  We have the possibility of salvation ONLY BECAUSE HE OVERCAME THOSE TEMPTATIONS AND, IN SO DOING, QUALIFIED TO JOIN THE FATHER ON HIS THRONE WHERE HE SITS TODAY BASKING IN HIS LOVE (Rev. 3:21/ Jn. 15:10).  If we are to join Jesus on His own throne in the Kingdom of God, we must, as obedient sheep, obey our Shepherd (Rev. 3:21).  Only a few, Jesus said in Matthew 7:13,14, will do so.  Many are called to do so, but few will answer His call (Mat. 20:16).  These, He tells us in Revelation 17:14 we are told that those who respond to His message will be “they that are with Him” who are described as those “who are called, chosen and faithful.”

An excellent example of the sheep-goat, wheat-tare, good and bad fish situation within the church is written in Matthew 25:1-12 where we find the parable of the ten virgins.  Five of the “virgins” (church people) were wise (sheep/ wheat, good fish) and five were foolish.  Note that when the foolish virgins tried to enter the marriage feast the doorkeeper did not “know” them (intimately).  The foolish virgins are the same people whom Jesus addressed in Revelation 3:14-20.  They believed that because they were “virgins” (church members) that they were automatically right with God.  Goats, tares and bad fish “know” that they are “saved, born again and sanctified.”  In reality they are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” (vs 17),  The tragedy level of that situation is beyond description.  Which brings us to the 15th chapter of Ezekiel.

This chapter is one of the shortest found in the entire Bible.  Yet it contains a lesson that one must learn and embrace in order to inherit eternal life.  Read All That Glitters.  Key word–Glitters.  Verse one begins with, “And the Word of the Lord came to me (via the Holy Spirit), saying: ‘Son of man, how is the VINE TREE different from the OTHER TREES of the forest?'”  Because both are made of wood, Jesus calls both vines and trees of the forest by the same name– “TREES” (vs 2).  He goes on to ask if the wood of the vine is in any way useful except as firewood.  He asks, “Is it good for any work?”  Beginning with verse 6 the Lord compares “vine trees” to the other “trees of the forest.”  He declares that He will burn the “inhabitants of Jerusalem” as if they were vines fit only for burning.  He prophesied that He would “set My face against them” and would use them to burn Jerusalem, making it desolate because they had sinned against Him.

As stated earlier, the words “Jerusalem” and “Zion” that identified God’s people anciently also identify God’s people today.  And just as He destroyed physical Jerusalem anciently because of the sins of the people and “burned” them by having them defeated and enslaved, He will burn/destroy modern day “Jerusalem,” “Zion”–“the church”–along with the nations in which she resides, and for the same reason–individual and corporate sin.  Anyone who cannot see the rapid rise in sin within the so-called “Christian nations” known as the United States and Britain is not paying attention.  These nations make up physical Israel today and their churches comprise spiritual Israel today.  Both have been taken over by Satan.  Both serve him totally while claiming to be God’s people.  The same is true for the Middle-eastern nation wrongly called Israel today.  All three will soon experience famine, more pandemics, military defeat, great slaughter and enslavement of the survivors in the nations of those who defeat them.  As Jesus said through Ezekiel in chapter 14, if such holy people as Job, Daniel and Noah were alive they could only save themselves.  We must, through continuous self-evaluation, keep ourselves in the love of Jesus by obeying His Word.  See Christ’s Words to that effect in John 15:10.  Note that Jesus stated that He kept Himself in God’s love ONLY BY OBEYING HIM.  We prove our love for Jesus ONLY by obeying His Word.  Let us do that.  L.J.