The Glory of God Arising, Moving, Identifying, & Killing!
behold the forgotten and unknown God & King of Israel
This was one continuous vision, my reader! Even so, as the sound of the Cheribum’s wings roared like the noise of many waters amidst the Cloud of God’s Glorious Presence in the Temple, one of the angels took fiery coals and scattered them over the City of Jerusalem as a depiction of further judgment (Ezek. 10:2, Rev. 8:5). God lives. God sees. God judges! And, as a further manifestation of this, the LORD left the House and went to the East Gate, and Ezekiel followed (Ezek. 10:18-22, 11:1). The Glory of God was moving, but… where was it going? The Glory of God arose and moved to identify and kill! Behold, the forgotten and unknown God & KING OF ISRAEL! If no man arises to the judgment, God does! As the prophetic scene changed with God moving from the Temple to the East Gate, Twenty-Five Princes of power and influence were brought into view (Ezek. 11:1), and of the twenty-five two were most prominent (Jaazaniah the son of Azur and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah). God said to Ezekiel, speaking of the Princes,
“Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city: Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.” – Ezek. 11:2-3
The Princes said to the people, “It is not near…”. What isn’t? The Day of Judgment wherein Jeremiah’s and Ezekiel’s prophecies would be fulfilled; namely, the breaching of the Walls of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the burning of the City, as a start. Concerning this! …the Princes said, “It is not near”. Thereby they enticed the people to covetousness, saying, “Let us build Houses”. They said, proverbially, “This City is the caldron, and we be the flesh”, which meant to them that they were in a secure place (Note: “National Insecurity Resulting from Unconditional Eternal Security Preachers”). Oh, how many fantastic words have been employed in the preaching of false security! Fearfully, though, God had some choice words for the deceived people.
The Majesty of the Lord in Tribulatory Judgments of Life & Death
The LORD denied their perception of security by saying repeatedly, “I will bring you forth out of the midst of it”, “I will bring you out of the midst thereof”, “I will judge you in the border of Israel”, “I will judge you in the border of Israel” (Ezek. 11:7, 9, 10, 11). In other words, God told them directly: “Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you…” (Ezek. 11:8). “This City shall not be your caldron” (Ezek. 11:11). Ah, but the LORD spoke differently than the tidings heard from false prophets! “For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes” (Matt. 7:29). Indeed! “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will” (Heb. 2:4)! Hence, the historical account reads,
“…it came to pass, when I [Ezekiel] prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel” (Ezek. 11:13)?
Will God make “a full end” of the Evil Figs (Evil Figs: Jer. 24:8-10, 29:16-19)!? Yes. My reader, what you need to understand very clearly is this: like the staggering vision depicted (recorded in Ezekiel 9:1-11), a present-tense operation of total annihilation was in motion among the Evil Figs. This was the prophetically pronounced status of “all the residue of the remnant of Israel” (Ezek. 9:8, 13)! A full end was determined and declared, my reader. It was “surely” promised (“thou shalt surely die” – Ezek. 3:18), truly, but the pronouncement could be altered in the right conditions (Jer. 18:7-11). The possibility of a surviving remnant was prophetically declared impossible until an amendment was made to the pronouncement in Ezekiel 6:8-10 (for the first time), but the operation of total annihilation already in motion was unwaveringly annihilating the whole population unless the conditions of peace were met (Lk. 14:31-33).
The momentous intention of a total annihilation was indisputably emphasized in this series of prophecies given and delivered by Ezekiel in the 6th year of the reign of Zedekiah (Ezek. 8:1-11:25), and for good reason. Lo and behold, the residue of the Evil Figs had not, would not, and could not repent unless the swinging blade of an unwavering annihilation splattered blood upon their faces! The residue of the Evil Figs had not, would not, and could not repent unless they encountered physical circumstances comparable to the slaughtering weapons of holy angels who would not turn away from a total annihilation of men, women, and children, old and young (Ezek. 9:5-6)! The residue of the Evil Figs had not, would not, and could not repent unless they knew their present calamity was powered by Sovereignty, to wit: Omniscience and Omnipotence commanded angels to execute the sentence! And, they, the surviving Evil Figs amidst the exercise, were forced to watch their comrades in “the faith” suffer death on the right hand and the left – the ammunition of annihilation whizzing past their own mortal bodies by a hair’s breadth! – and, they, knowing that the strike of death did hardly pass them by, knowing that time was short until one’s own destruction was manifested in real time (according to the heavenly vision of holy angels with slaughtering weapons going to and fro, sparing none!)! Behold, the few-in-number Evil Figs would finally come to grips with the shocking truth of a sure visitation of death, a total annihilation! Being forcibly convinced of this, I say! Being overwhelmed by death’s imminent visitation, I mean! Feeling, as it were, the eyes of holy angels fastened upon them! Seeing, as it were, the angelic slaughtering weapons reared for the strike! THEY REPENT.
“Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, He will whet His sword; He hath bent His bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors.” – Psalm 7:9-13 [Psalm 90:3]
Ah, the Divine Goodness of this Tribulation! The wondrous ingenuity exercised by Omniscience! The perfectly calculated chaos of engulfing calamities! The refining and purifying qualities of this divinely lit furnace! For, it was these scenarios of sure and certain death that exacted the results! It was when the Evil Figs were utterly surrounded, they surrendered! It was when wrath was demonstrably reared to slay the surrounded rebels, the impenitent repented! These are the exacted results, my reader! Behold, the fearless became terrified, the proud denounced lies, the cold-hearted cried – Godward their countenances did fly! Ah, this glorious working of an otherwise unobtainable redemption! Behold, my reader! The hopelessly Evil Figs became good! “Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires…” (Isa. 24:15).
The Mysteries of Redemption in the Great Tribulation
Please, my reader… take time to thoroughly understand what I am seeking to expound concerning the mysteries of redemption in the Great Tribulation. For good reason, the Lord said: “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction” (Isa. 48:10).
The Total Annihilation of the Evil Figs: Jer. 24:8-10, 29:16-19, Ezek. 5:2-4, 12
The Amendment: Ezek. 5:13
The Glorious Implications of the Amendment (the amending of the decree of total annihilation already set in motion): Ezek. 3:17-21 [Ezek. 18:1-32, Ezek. 33:1-20] – God means to convey the ongoing process whereby the presently impenitent elect would be forced to repent through experiencing the motions of Tribulatory Judgment!
The Penitent Elect in their Future Estate of Repentance (after and through the Tribulation, not without it!): Ezek. 5:13, 6:7-10, 13, 14, 7:4, 9, 13-18, 27, 11:12, 16-21, 12:15-16, 19-20 – God means to convey that the people had not, would not, and could not repent at present but they would in the future!
The Totally Annihilation Judgments Resuming their Courses and Fulfilling their Objectives Unchangeably UNLESS Repentance Found: Ezek. 7:12-13, 25, 8:18, 9:1-11 [Jer. 18:7-11, Ezek. 3:17-21, 18:1-32, 33:1-20] – God means to convey a sudden reversal of the annihilating judgments at the day repentance was found and the reversal of divine safeguard the day repentance was lost!
Do you believe it, my reader? There was no other way to make the Evil Figs good again. The objectives of total annihilation did unwaveringly and unchangeably pursue the death of impenitent Church Members unless repentance was found. In the day repentance was found, however, the Jew would be spared from his appointment of death!
“in the day of his transgression” – Ezek. 33:12
“in the day that he turneth from his wickedness” – Ezek. 33:12
In the very moment repentance was found, in fact, the thrusting blades turned from their fatal mark, the falling arrows were blown by a gust of wind to fall beside the intended criminal, the walking pestilence passed by the designated household, and, finally, the famine withdrew from consuming the intended subject. But… when and if the newly found penitent man turned back to sin, in the day that the man does this, the totally annihilating judgments would resume their courses to fulfill their former objectives according to God’s decree. This divine scheme, one of annihilation and redemption, vindicates God’s declaration of total annihilation and allows for God’s repentance (via the amendment of mercy) on an individual basis – person by person and situation by situation. All were thoroughly striven with in hopes that they would repent before the final visitation of death!
Of course, the Almighty conducted the examinations. Hence, the surety of God’s declaration to slay all impenitent Church Members was unquestionably clear to all (“when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die…” – Ezek. 33:14), but, shockingly, the surety of God’s repentance over the penitent at the moment they turned from wickedness was also valid (if he turn…he shall surely live, he shall not die” – Ezek. 33:14-15). Also, if God said to the righteous, “he shall surely live” (Ezek. 33:13), if the righteous man turned from his righteousness and committed iniquity – the operation of total annihilation would resume its former course so that “he [the backslidden righteous man] shall even die thereby” (Ezek. 33:18). You see? This scheme allows God to bring the manslaying blades very close and incrementally closer if haply wicked men would repent in the days of their near annihilation – the exercise would continue in real time: today, tomorrow, and on the next day, as it were, and for as many days as the longsuffering of God did afford! – and, meanwhile, the plea of God was steadfast: “…why will ye die, O House of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (Ezek. 18:31-32)! If the wicked man repented, the Lord would suddenly divert all the instruments of death to miss the targeted man, to wit: the man’s life would be miraculously preserved as he is conducted through the deadly storm of total annihilation (Psalm 91:1-16)!