In Ezekiel chapter 8 the prophet writes about a vision from the Lord depicting the spiritual condition of God’s Israelite people during the time of Ezekiel’s ministry.  Their spiritual condition has resurfaced today within the Institutional Church (the “Israel of God”–Gal. 6:16).  Now we will study God’s prophesied response to the apostasy of ancient Israel’s and modern day Christianity’s rejection of Him and their embrace of Tammuz the sun god which Ezekiel warns about in verse 14.  The question now becomes, what did God threaten to do in response to Israel’s (specifically the Jews at that time) apostasy?  The question is answered in chapter nine where God tells the prophet that He (God) was at that time judging the people of Israel and what to expect relative to His verdict.  As the future will tell us, He will do the same to the scattered Israelites during the final days of the era–the era we are living in today Biblically known as the Laodicean era.  Read Ancient Israel and God’s End-Time Church.  Key word–Ancient.

In the first four verses of chapter nine of Ezekiel’s vision God calls out to six righteous men from the city (Jerusalem–symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel) to come forward.  Each man was instructed to bring with him a “slaughter weapon” (vs 2).  One of the men was dressed in linen, symbolic of righteousness, and had an ink (writer’s) horn by his side.  The six men went inside the Temple and stood beside the alter–the place of worship.  Then the glory of the Lord of Israel appeared in the air above the alter and He called out to the man dressed in linen and carrying the ink horn, saying: “Go through the midst of the city (Jerusalem at that time/ all of scattered Israel in the end time) … Set a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry out because of the abominations that are being committed.”  He then spoke to the other men, saying: “Go after him through the city and smite (kill), do not spare, nor have pity.  Kill the old and the young, both males and females.  But do not harm those who have the mark.”  Now notice who were to be the first to die: “BEGIN (THE SLAUGHTER) IN MY SANCTUARY” (THE TEMPLE THEN AND THE CHURCH NOW).  God’s judgment was to take place then and there.  As the Apostle Peter tells us, His judgment would also take place later and would involve the rest of Israel.

For those who believe that the Old Testament has no place in the New Covenant Church, turn to 1 Peter 4:17,18 where we find the apostle writing these words: “For the time has come for FOR JUDGMENT TO BEGIN IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, and if it begins with us (true Christians), what will be the end (result) for those (in the church) who do not OBEY THE GOSPEL OF GOD?  And if ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE SAVED, what will happen to the ungodly sinner?” (IN GOD’S CHURCH).  He was not asking about the future of those outside the church.  That was well known.  He was asking what would happen to sinning church people (“Sinners Saved By Grace”) who did not obey the Gospel of God.  Note again verse 18: “And if (ONLY) THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE SAVED, what will happen to the “SSBG” in God’s church?

Just as Ezekiel’s words were written to the “church” of his day, the Apostle’s Peter’s words were written to the New Covenant Church of his day and this day.  Many within the church during Peter’s time were defying God.  Their descendants are following in their footsteps.  Jesus had earlier prophesied about this matter, saying in Matthew 24:24 that even the Very Elect in the church are subject to Satan’s deceptions.  Read The Sealing of God’s Elect: Permanent or Conditional?  Key word–Sealing.  What God says relative to the sealing of the believer is one of the most widely rejected Truths spoken by the Lord.  It is of paramount importance that believers understand what God says about this subject.  The consensus is that, once one is “sealed” by God, that seal cannot be broken.  This is a Satanic lie, as the Sealing study proves.  The Scriptures reveal that no one is immune from Satan’s siren call to sin at any time, NOT EVEN JESUS CHRIST ON THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS DEATH.  IF HE WAS EXEMPT FROM SIN, WHY DID SATAN TEMPT HIM TO DO SO?  AND WHY DID SATAN TEMPT HIM TO TURN STONES TO BREAD AND TO JUMP OFF THE WALL?  Jesus was certainly sealed.  If that seal couldn’t be broken, why bother to tempt Him.  Again, read the posting involving God’s sealing of believers.  The NOTICE section on the website Introduction page provides instructions for downloading material.

Now notice the final sentence of verse 6: “THEN THEY (THE KILLERS) BEGAN (THEIR KILLING SPREE) WITH THE ANCIENT MEN (RELIGIOUS LEADERS) WHO WERE BEFORE THE HOUSE (LEADING THE WORSHIP SERVICE).  Note it: THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE THE FIRST TO DIE.  Their followers, including males, females, young and old, would also die (vs 6).  Why?  Because they did not obey Him.  Lesson taught and hopefully learned.

In the vision the Lord tells the killers to fill the city with the dead because her inhabitants had become involved in the worship of idols, animals, etc.  Only those with the “mark” on their foreheads were spared.  God told the killers to fill the Temple and its courts with the dead.  Why?  Because that would identify the reason for their deaths–they had sinned against the God of the Temple.

What did this “mark” represent?  Could it have anything to do with the “mark of the beast?”  In the series bearing that title (key word–Mark) I point out that everyone bears a “mark” relative to God’s Sabbath, which is the “sign” (“mark”) that one belongs to God (Exo. 31:17).  We either bear God’s 7th day (Saturday) Sabbath “mark” or Satan’s Any Sabbath Day You Want “mark.”  I do not know that this “mark” relates to the Sabbath “mark.”  But it is something to think about.

Notice again what God tells the men to do with the bodies of the sinners they will kill: “Defile (pollute) the house (His Temple) and fill its courts with the dead” (vs 7).  The men then went out and “slew the city.”  The people of Jerusalem (symbolic of the entire 12 tribes of Israel scattered throughout the world) had polluted God’s Temple by their continuous sinning and false repentance.  Nothing has changed.  Those professing to be God’s people sin bring their sins into their churches on the day they worship Tammuz–Sunday.  Then, due to their false repentance, they take their sins with them when they leave and add to them.  In this way they “treasure up” their sins until the day of final judgment (Rom. 2:5).

In verses 9 and 10 the Lord makes certain that we know He is addressing both the Jews of Judea and the other Israelite tribes scattered abroad by saying: “The iniquity (Lawlessness) of ISRAEL AND JUDAH is exceeding great ….  As for Me, my eye shall not spare (the sword), neither shall I have pity.  I shall recompense (bring back) their sins upon their heads.”  At that point in time the northern tribes of Israel had already been defeated and scattered throughout the world.  Assyria had defeated them in 722 A.D.  The vision came to Ezekiel during the middle 500’s B.C.  By that time the other Israelite tribes had become spiritually Gentilized and were worshiping the gods of the Gentiles among whom they lived.

The prophet’s terrifying vision (message) was sent by God to the ancient Jews orally by Ezekiel at that time.  Today He is sending it to their biological and spiritual descendants–primarily the United States of America, Great Britain and the Jews of the Middle East through his book.  For more information concerning modern day Israel read Who and Where is Israel Today?  Key word–Today.

The fact is that the Jews and their Israelite brethren in America and Britain will be defeated and enslaved in the countries of their enemies in the near future just as did the 12 tribes of Israel anciently.  During the Great Tribulation the streets of Jerusalem, New York City and London will, as Ezekiel’s vision forewarns, be filled with bodies, including those of the false church.  L.J.