Ezekiel Chapter 28, Part 9
But what about Spiritual Israel who do the “briers and thorns” represent who surround them, who despise them?
Who has persecuted and despised the true Church the most, not the nominally professing church, but the true Church, the world? No! The ones who have persecuted and despised the true Church the most have been the Lord’s own professed people, the church nominal.
The various warring sects of Christendom; Protestant and Catholic alike are like thorns in one another’s sides (Nahum 1:10), but it has been the true Church who resides in the wilderness who has been bruised the most by these briers and thorns.
“The best of them (of the professing or nominal church) is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge…” Micah 7:4
We are sent to preach, as the Lord’s mouthpiece, a message that is offensive (unpopular) to “a rebellious house,” THE CHURCH NOMINAL. It is a message of “lamentations, mourning and woe” (Ezek 2:10)
Why is this so? Because they have no idea that as institutions (not as individuals) they have been rejected of the Lord. “Behold thy house is left unto thee desolate”
The message we bring reveals the true condition of the professing church, that they are even as the Lord so designates, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17). It reveals many of their long cherished beliefs and doctrines as errors, false teachings taught through the doctrines and precepts of men.
We warn of Babylon’s fall and of the impending trouble coming upon it and upon all who continue to reside in it after having been warn to depart, yet this to for the most part falls on death ears.
“As for them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall they know that there hath been a PROPHET (one who speaks for the Lord was) AMONG THEM. (This they will not see [comprehend] now, but when the Kingdom is established, they will understand, then shall they be filled with great shame and sorrow as they realize that as the “mouthpiece” of the Lord, his representatives, it was not we, who they scorned and refused (despised), but rather the Lord Himself, and thus because of their pride, they shall have missed the greatest opportunity ever offer, and never to be offered again. (Acts 9:5; Rev 3:9)
“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words (slanders and accusations of being a false prophet), though briers (Papist) and thorns (Protestants) are with you and you dwell among scorpions (among their tormenting); do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks (the nominal church would have us keep quiet and not stir up any controversy), though they are a rebellious house.” Ezek 2:5-7
As for those who speak evil of us or misrepresent us, we bear them no ill will, for so it was even with our Lord. We are well aware that the god of this world (age), Satan, has blinded the vast majority to the truth, and until he is bound in the next age, this majority will remain so under the veil of darkness and blindness. (2 Cor 4:4; Rev 20:2; Isa 25:7; 2 Cor 3:14) We also know that it is usually ignorance rather than malevolence that is at the foundation of most of the opposition to the truth.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake (because you stand for me). Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matt 5:11, 12)
We remember that the chief opposition to our Lord came not from the worldly, but from the religious leaders and those who professed to be religious (from every day believers); so also it is in regards to our Lord’s true followers today. We understand that our Lord’s true followers would be highly esteemed among the nominally religious were it not for their loyalty to the Word of God. Because of faithfully pointing out popular errors (long established false doctrines) and their fidelity to the truth, for these reasons they are hated by those prominent in Churchianity.
"Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, let the Lord be glorified (we do this for the Lord’s glory); but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isa. 66:5).
We do not undervalue this great privilege our Lord has given us in being used as his mouthpieces, in having our names cast out of Babylon, (the church nominal, orthodoxy) --cast out as evil, for we glory in our tribulations and rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer for his name's sake (Acts 5:41), for this is all part of our covenant, that we should “fill up that which remains of the afflictions of Christ” (Col 1:24).
Not until Great Babylon has been cast into the sea like a great millstone never to be found again (Rev 18:21), will there “no longer be a pricking brier or a painful thorn for the (true spiritual) house of Israel”.
Israel’s Future Blessing
VERSE 25 and 26 “Thus says the Lord God: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.”
“When God fulfills this judgment on Sidon in the future, the people will know that He is Israels God. God “shall be sanctified in them [Israel] in the sight of the heathen” (Compare Ezek 39:27).
God’s favor returns to Israel to remove the discredit brought upon his holy name by their exile.
"But I had regard for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which hath been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah,..."—Ezek 36:21-23
In order to sanctify his great and holy name, the Lord will renew Israel’s favored position. "As a sweet savor will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations" (Ezek. 20:41).
Verse 26 sounds like Ezek 38:11. Israel will be dwelling with un-walled villages when Gog and Magog come down. However, there is a difference in the two verses. Verse 26 is describing the final dwelling safely—after the Kingdom has been established and Israel has been delivered from Gog and Magog, after God’s judgments have been executed.
Thus we conclude our study of the Proclamation against Tyre and Sidon.
But what about Spiritual Israel who do the “briers and thorns” represent who surround them, who despise them?
Who has persecuted and despised the true Church the most, not the nominally professing church, but the true Church, the world? No! The ones who have persecuted and despised the true Church the most have been the Lord’s own professed people, the church nominal.
The various warring sects of Christendom; Protestant and Catholic alike are like thorns in one another’s sides (Nahum 1:10), but it has been the true Church who resides in the wilderness who has been bruised the most by these briers and thorns.
“The best of them (of the professing or nominal church) is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge…” Micah 7:4
We are sent to preach, as the Lord’s mouthpiece, a message that is offensive (unpopular) to “a rebellious house,” THE CHURCH NOMINAL. It is a message of “lamentations, mourning and woe” (Ezek 2:10)
Why is this so? Because they have no idea that as institutions (not as individuals) they have been rejected of the Lord. “Behold thy house is left unto thee desolate”
The message we bring reveals the true condition of the professing church, that they are even as the Lord so designates, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17). It reveals many of their long cherished beliefs and doctrines as errors, false teachings taught through the doctrines and precepts of men.
We warn of Babylon’s fall and of the impending trouble coming upon it and upon all who continue to reside in it after having been warn to depart, yet this to for the most part falls on death ears.
“As for them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall they know that there hath been a PROPHET (one who speaks for the Lord was) AMONG THEM. (This they will not see [comprehend] now, but when the Kingdom is established, they will understand, then shall they be filled with great shame and sorrow as they realize that as the “mouthpiece” of the Lord, his representatives, it was not we, who they scorned and refused (despised), but rather the Lord Himself, and thus because of their pride, they shall have missed the greatest opportunity ever offer, and never to be offered again. (Acts 9:5; Rev 3:9)
“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words (slanders and accusations of being a false prophet), though briers (Papist) and thorns (Protestants) are with you and you dwell among scorpions (among their tormenting); do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks (the nominal church would have us keep quiet and not stir up any controversy), though they are a rebellious house.” Ezek 2:5-7
As for those who speak evil of us or misrepresent us, we bear them no ill will, for so it was even with our Lord. We are well aware that the god of this world (age), Satan, has blinded the vast majority to the truth, and until he is bound in the next age, this majority will remain so under the veil of darkness and blindness. (2 Cor 4:4; Rev 20:2; Isa 25:7; 2 Cor 3:14) We also know that it is usually ignorance rather than malevolence that is at the foundation of most of the opposition to the truth.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake (because you stand for me). Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matt 5:11, 12)
We remember that the chief opposition to our Lord came not from the worldly, but from the religious leaders and those who professed to be religious (from every day believers); so also it is in regards to our Lord’s true followers today. We understand that our Lord’s true followers would be highly esteemed among the nominally religious were it not for their loyalty to the Word of God. Because of faithfully pointing out popular errors (long established false doctrines) and their fidelity to the truth, for these reasons they are hated by those prominent in Churchianity.
"Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, let the Lord be glorified (we do this for the Lord’s glory); but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isa. 66:5).
We do not undervalue this great privilege our Lord has given us in being used as his mouthpieces, in having our names cast out of Babylon, (the church nominal, orthodoxy) --cast out as evil, for we glory in our tribulations and rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer for his name's sake (Acts 5:41), for this is all part of our covenant, that we should “fill up that which remains of the afflictions of Christ” (Col 1:24).
Not until Great Babylon has been cast into the sea like a great millstone never to be found again (Rev 18:21), will there “no longer be a pricking brier or a painful thorn for the (true spiritual) house of Israel”.
Israel’s Future Blessing
VERSE 25 and 26 “Thus says the Lord God: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.”
“When God fulfills this judgment on Sidon in the future, the people will know that He is Israels God. God “shall be sanctified in them [Israel] in the sight of the heathen” (Compare Ezek 39:27).
God’s favor returns to Israel to remove the discredit brought upon his holy name by their exile.
"But I had regard for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which hath been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah,..."—Ezek 36:21-23
In order to sanctify his great and holy name, the Lord will renew Israel’s favored position. "As a sweet savor will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations" (Ezek. 20:41).
Verse 26 sounds like Ezek 38:11. Israel will be dwelling with un-walled villages when Gog and Magog come down. However, there is a difference in the two verses. Verse 26 is describing the final dwelling safely—after the Kingdom has been established and Israel has been delivered from Gog and Magog, after God’s judgments have been executed.
Thus we conclude our study of the Proclamation against Tyre and Sidon.
