Audio Download

Ezekiel 12:1-28  A Remnant Shall be Saved

[Study Aired April 8, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study continues with the Lord’s decision to judge the city of Jerusalem with its temple for the sins they continued to commit. This was revealed to Ezekiel as He was asked by the Lord to demonstrate to the inhabitants of Jerusalem their going into exile in Babylon by packing his luggage and carrying it on his shoulders in plain sight of the inhabitants. The Lord emphasized to Ezekiel that the people of Israel were a rebellious people, and therefore they needed to be judged by letting them go into captivity as the Lord scattered them among the nations.  In spite of this judgment, the Lord stated that He shall preserve a few of them – the remnant. This judgment shall not be delayed as it shall surely take place in Ezekiel’s time. This judgment of the city of Jerusalem signifies the judgment of our old man which the Lord is carrying out in our lifetime as the called and chosen people of the Lord.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

The Rebellious House of Israel

Eze 12:1  The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, 
Eze 12:2  Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 

As we have indicated in our previous studies, Ezekiel represents the elect. The dwelling of Ezekiel among the people shows us our time in Babylon when we were rebellious just like the people around us. At that time, we were not given eyes to see and ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven as our old man sat in the throne of our hearts and minds claiming himself to be God. During our time in Babylon, we thought that we controlled our own actions or destiny.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The coming of the Lord to Ezekiel is as the coming of the Lord to us to show us that we are indeed a rebellious people. We have to be shown our sins by the Lord as a rebellious people before we are given the opportunity to repent and be saved. 

Dan 9:4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 
Dan 9:5  We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 
Dan 9:6  Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Dan 9:7  O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

Eze 12:3  Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. 
Eze 12:4  Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. 
Eze 12:5  Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
Eze 12:6  In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

These verses show us that the Lord wanted Ezekiel to demonstrate to the people in the city of Jerusalem how they would be taken into exile as they left Jerusalem to other nations. Being taken into exile is the Lord’s judgment of the people of Israel. As we are aware, it is only the elect in this age who are being given the privilege of being judged. We saw in the previous study of Ezekiel chapter 11 that those who were in exile represented the elect while those who remained in Jerusalem signify Babylon. This is one of the few places in the word of the Lord that we see a positive application of being in Babylon.

Eze 11:15  Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession. 
Eze 11:16  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 
Eze 11:17  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 
Eze 11:18  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 
Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 
Eze 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

The request for Ezekiel to bring out his baggage by day for all the people to see and to go out of Jerusalem into exile by himself in the evening is therefore a sign to us that as the Lord’s elect, we must leave Babylon, which is signified here by Ezekiel leaving Jerusalem.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The fact that the Lord asked Ezekiel’s exit from Jerusalem in the evening to demonstrate the impending captivity of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in verse 4 suggests that our exit from Babylon begins the judgment of our old man, symbolized here by the captivity. It is when we come to see that we are spiritually dead that our judgment begins.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The evening is a time the sun is not around. The sun represents Christ. This implies that Ezekiel leaving in the evening to go into exile shows us that during our judgment, it is as if the Lord has abandoned us. As we can remember, our Lord Jesus Christ during His sacrificial death taught that He had been abandoned by God. As He is, so are we here on earth.

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

In verse 5 Ezekiel was also asked to dig through the wall in plain sight of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Walls in Biblical times were made of mainly mud or earth. Digging the earth out of the wall in plain sight of the people signifies our exposing of the lies or the false doctrines in Babylon which has become a wall separating us from seeing Christ. Ezekiel digging through the wall in the sight of the people means that as we expose the lies, we have imbibed in Babylon. It serves as a testimony against our brethren in Babylon.

Eph 5:11  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

In demonstrating the going out of Jerusalem in the evening into captivity in verse 6, Ezekiel was asked to cover his face so that he did not see the ground. This is to demonstrate our spiritual state in Babylon as the Lord prepares us to leave. That is, we were spiritually blind. Unfortunately, we thought we could see when we were in Babylon.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Eze 12:7  And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight. 

Our obedience to what the Lord is showing us in His words is what makes us His sons. As we know, our love for the Lord is demonstrated through our obedience to His words. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 

Eze 12:8  And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, 
Eze 12:9  Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? 
Eze 12:10  Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. 
Eze 12:11  Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.

What the Lord told Ezekiel to do in the sight of people was for the sake of the princes in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel among the multitude. This means that we are the princes and the house of Israel to whom the Lord was speaking during our sojourn in Babylon. We start our walk in Christ as rebellious people who do not care about the Lord. However, through the Lord’s mercy, He sends us His elect, represented here by Ezekiel, to speak to us through various means as a sign of the Lord coming to us. It is when we come to realize that these men (the elect) represent Christ here on earth and that they are blessed. That is when Christ comes to us with His judgment to begin the process of destroying the old man within us.

Mat 23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The coming of the Lord to us with His judgment is symbolized here in verse 11 by the statement that they (the elect) shall remove and go into captivity. The captivity here represents our judgment which is the privilege of the Lord’s sons.

Eze 12:12  And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 
Eze 12:13  My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

As indicated, we are the princes that are supposed to carry our baggage on our shoulders in the evening as we exit Jerusalem. The baggage on our shoulders represents all the false doctrines and burden of sin that we carry as we exit Babylon. 

Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

The net that is being spread over us so that we are taken in a snare is the judgment of our old man which we cannot escape as the Lord’s called and chosen. To understand what is said in verse 13, we need to look at the positive application of Babylon. As we have indicated earlier, the exile to Babylon represents our judgment. Thus, in verse 13 where the exiles in Babylon shall not see it and shall die there in Babylon, means that when we are going through the Lord’s judgment, we do not see why we should go through such an experience. However, in the long run, it is through the Lord’s judgment that our old man dies as symbolized by the death of those in exile. As the old man is dying, we are learning righteousness.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Eze 12:14  And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. 
Eze 12:15  And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 

In verse 14, the Lord saying that He will scatter toward every wind, all our support as He draws out the sword after us means that all that we depend on that had taken the place of Christ shall be destroyed through the Lord’s judgment. As we have explained in previous studies, the negative aspect of sword refers to words that are spoken which destroy us. The sword refers to the lying words and false doctrines of the adversary. 

2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Psa 64:2  Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
Psa 64:3  Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

These negative words spoken are one of the tools the Lord uses to cause people to speak bitter words to us, His elect.

Eze 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Jdg 7:22 And the three hundred [men with Gideon] blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host [of the Midianites]: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

Verse 15 is assuring us that at the end of the day, through the Lord’s judgment, we shall come to know who the Lord really is. 

Isa 5:16  But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. 
Isa 5:17  Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

Eze 12:16  But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

The few men that would be saved from the sword, famine and pestilence represent the Lord’s elect. The fact that we are being saved from the Lord’s judgment does not mean that we would not experience His judgment. However, through His mercy, we are not being tempted more than we can bear. As indicated earlier, it is through the Lord’s judgment of our old man that we come to know Him as He opens our eyes to see and ears to hear His words in the midst of the fire, which is another way of saying that we have seen the glory of the Lord. That is when we can proclaim the abominations among the heathen.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Eze 12:17  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 
Eze 12:18  Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness; 
Eze 12:19  And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. 
Eze 12:20  And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Because of the desolation (judgment) that was coming on Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord told Ezekiel to eat and drink with trembling and carefulness. This is another way of saying that we must tremble at the Lord’s words as His elect because our Lord is a consuming fire.

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Isa 66:15  For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 
Isa 66:16  For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Trembling at the Lord’s word also means that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is the Lord who is at work in us to either blind us if we continue to remain recalcitrant or cause us to obey Him. Even though we say this, like Paul said, we are persuaded of better things on our behalf, that is, things that accompany salvation.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

The Time is at Hand

Eze 12:21  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 12:22  Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
Eze 12:23  Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. 
Eze 12:24  For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. 
Eze 12:25  For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 12:26  Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 
Eze 12:27  Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. 
Eze 12:28  Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.  

In these verses, we are being admonished that the time is at hand and that we should not be like the scoffers in Ezekiel’s time who were thinking that every vision had failed. During the time of the apostles, there were also scoffers, just like today, who doubted that the Lord’s coming was at hand. This is what Peter said about these scoffers:

2Pe 3:1  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 
2Pe 3:2  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 
2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 
2Pe 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 
2Pe 3:6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 
2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 
2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 
2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 
2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 
2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 
2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

We are therefore to pay attention to the Lord’s words and get ready for His appearance as the Lord grants us the grace to be ready like the five wise virgins who went to meet the bridegroom. They were wise because they were ready to meet the bridegroom, and their readiness was because they had oil. 

Mat 25:1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 
Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 
Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 
Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 
Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 
Mat 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 
Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 
Mat 25:8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 
Mat 25:9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 
Mat 25:10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 

The oil is that which keeps the lamp from going out. As we know from the word of the Lord, the lamp is the word of the Lord, and the oil represents the spirit of the Lord which causes our eyes to see and our ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom. The Lord has therefore given us what we need to be ready to meet Him. We should therefore not take for granted what the Lord has given to us and become unprepared for His coming.

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

May the Lord continue to make us ready as we wait for His appearing!! Amen!!