Many in professing Christendom do not believe that Jesus Christ will return to stop man from destroying himself. Many in the world’s churches do not believe in the infallibility of the Holy Bible, but instead view it as an interesting historical book full of discrepancies and contradictions written by men with vivid imaginations. Professing Christendom simply does not believe the Bible. I know of a popular mainline seminary that denies the virgin birth of Christ. Yet hundreds of trusting students have graduated from that institution and have gone on to lead thousands of trusting parishioners. A nearby seminary insists that its graduates believe in the rapture. See the Introduction to this website for a list of heresies the graduates of such “Christian” institutions have convinced millions of God-seekers to believe. At judgment it would have been better for such “Bible scholars” that a millstone had been hung around their necks and they had been cast into the sea (Lk. 17:2).

In the minds of many in the church, the idea that God would tell men of Biblical times what would take place thousands of years in the future is nonsensical. The many well-known predictions concerning the end of the world has caused many to doubt Biblical prophecy. When failed prediction followed failed prediction, people naturally became cynical. As a result, many in the Institutional Church have turned a deaf ear to anything resembling prophecy. So much so that many scoff at the possibility of Christ’s last-minute intervention in man’s deadly affairs–just as God prophesied they would.

In 2 Peter 3:1-5 we find the apostle writing to the church about those within her who were mocking God’s Words concerning the return of His Son. First he reminded them of the holy prophets through whom God warned about last day scoffers who would walk in their own lusts (for power and recognition) while questioning His prophetic declarations concerning the days leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. He described these mockers as being “willingly ignorant” of God’s Word. Note the emphasis Peter placed on the words of the Old Testament prophets, calling them “holy.” And bear in mind the Apostle Paul’s statement that the New Testament Church is founded on the teachings of both the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles (Eph. 2:20). It is therefore important that the Truth-seeker look to the past in order to understand the present and prepare for the future.

The Prophet Ezekiel lived and wrote in the era that included 600 B.C. When he was writing to Israel, the 12-tribed nation had been split into two warring factions many years earlier. The two southern tribes– Judah and Benjamin–had remained in the Holy Land. However, the ten northern tribes, called “Israel” (and “Ephraim” in some cases) had been defeated and taken into Assyrian captivity some 120 years earlier. From there they had been scattered throughout the known world where they had taken on the social and religious characteristics of the Gentiles among whom they lived. These Israelities would eventually become so Gentilized that they would become known as Gentiles and would identify themselves as Gentiles. See White Fields. At the time of his writing to the 10 tribes of Israel, Ezekiel was in Babylonian captivity with the two tribes of Judah. He would die without ever again seeing the globally-scattered, Gentilized 10 tribes to whom he was writing. Question: This being the case, how would his letter to the scattered Israelites reach them? Answer: through the Holy Bible which the vast majority of Israelites–now known as Gentiles–have in their homes. Can you comprehend the tremendous faith of Ezekiel as he was writing to Israelite people around the world, people who would not know they were Israelites and, when told of their Israelite heritage, would deny it? Ironically, many of these Israelites hate their Jewish brethren. Equally ironic is the fact that these Jews reject those Israilites who profess faith in Jesus Chris–the One Who prophesied their current geographical and spiritual conditions.

Ezekiel’s faith is nothing short of astonishing. He was in captivity in a foreign land writing to a people who had been scattered to the four winds whom he would never see again. Being a true servant of the Lord, he simply did as he was commanded, trusting that the One who commanded him to write the letter would see to it that his Israelite brethren received it. Ezekiel was so confident in his Lord that he prophesied that a day would come when the modern day descendants of ancient Israel would in fact receive his message (Eze. 12:23,25). In that the Bible is the most globally purchased book in the history of printing, one can only conclude that the prophet’s faith was well placed. Would that we all had Ezekiel’s faith. To be continued. L.J.