1And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. ²And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. ³And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. ⁴For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. ⁵And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

¹And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

"And He said to me, son of man stand on your feet, and I will speak to you."

In Chapter One we left off with Ezekiel telling us "I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake." All the noise of a great army on the move, and the deafening roar of wings from this massive Cherubim suddenly stops! A silence takes control of this storm of light and noise which was at it's peak. The awesome God of the Bible who sits on His throne above the firmament is clearly visible. Now, in the quite of this astounding moment God speaks, and all goes silent to listen! The message is aimed right to Ezekiel. He is commanded to stand to his feet. He is in the presents of Almighty God! Ezekiel is brought to immediate attention as God informs him He is about to speak to this lowly prophet.

What a privilege for us to be partakers of this moment. We too are included as God speaks. We too stand at attention in anticipation of the orders that are about to be given to Ezekiel. This is a wondrous experience. The mighty, living, chariot of God is now still before the prophet. The voice of God speaks! But, something else must yet happen? Cursed man filled with iniquity is not a vessel ready for such wondrous things. God must do His miraculous work before Ezekiel has any hope of understanding that which is so holy, so pure, so absolutely righteous which is about to be spoken. The glory of God is about to become words which Ezekiel must be prepared to receive. 

How sad that this is as far as many readers will be able to go. They may have followed along to here, but here they will stay! Going on into verse 2 must of necessity require of the reader the same experience of Ezekiel. There is no other way to discernment of such glory! I say adieu to the unsaved who reject Jesus Christ as the one and only savior. I say adieu to all the Charismatics who have twisted the baptism of the Spirit to some second experience, and who make the false association of ecstatic utterance as some phony proof they have been Spirit baptized. I say adieu to the rest of the phony Christians who wallow in their false doctrines, and their false works. They would have the audacity to put such filth on the scales of glory. This is the parting of the ways! Beyond this point only the truly "born again" can go with discernment. Only those Baptized in the Holy Spirit (which is an act of God happening at the moment of salvation) can understand the great truths about to be spoken.

If you are unsure of your eternal salvation?

If you do not know about being "born again?"

If you are stopped here at Ezekiel 2:1 because I have put doubt in your heart?

Please, please e-mail me! I will show you Biblically what you must do to continue! I will tell you about Christ!

 ²And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

"And the Spirit entered into me as He spoke to me"

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came and went. David cried out in Psalms 51: ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. David knew the Holy Spirit could be taken away from him as an Old Testament saint. The Holy Spirit was not a seal in the Old Testament like He is in the New Testament. Old Testament saints lived under different rules in different times. It was a different dispensation! God has progressively revealed His plan, and the Bible to man. History is a progression! It takes discernment to realize that within the changes of progression is the unchangeable God. The pinnacle of all Bible history is Jesus Christ. The responsibility God places on man, and His dealings with man would be expected to change from before Christ and after Christ. That is exactly what the Bible teaches. There is a great difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the New Testament, the reality of salvation in Christ through His blood as the perfect sacrifice has been progressively revealed. He was promised in the Old Testament, and fulfilled all the promises in the New Testament. Today there is no other name, there is no other way, we are on the other side of the cross. The Old Testament saint did not know the name; they had only a promise not a way! They were under a different responsibility. God held them to different standards. When God reached out to the world, it was through the Jewish people, and their exclusive Biblical culture. The Jewish Temple was center to all Jewish religious life. Here in Ezekiel it is a Jewish prophet to whom God speaks. He may be an exile in a foreign land, but he is Jewish! The Temple was about to be destroyed because of disobedience, but the promise that it would quickly be rebuilt was also given to Ezekiel. Today, after Christ, things are very different. The Holy Spirit does no longer come and go, but with the coming of Christ comes new relationships, new responsibilities. The Lord Jesus Christ clearly revealed that the responsibility and relationship of the Holy Spirit would change! John 14:16-17 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. David's cry against the removal of the Holy Spirit can never be heard after Christ! Never again will a child of God have fear that the Holy Spirit will leave. Things are different on the other side of the cross. Jesus made it very clear that the workings of the Holy Spirit would not change until we get to the other side of the cross. John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Paul writing from the other side of the cross was now able to tell us of what Christ had promised. He tells us that the Holy Spirit is now the seal of the salvation bought for us by the blood of Christ. There could be no seal until the precious blood was shed. The blood now had been shed; the seal could now be applied. 2 Cor 1:21-22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, I tell you that unless something is more powerful then the blood of Christ this seal will be sufficient until the day of your personal complete redemption. Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. We can grieve the Spirit, and oh how we do, but we will never be able to break His seal until the day when God makes us perfect and fit for heaven (the day of redemption)! That day is the day the New Testament saved sinner dies, or is raptured. It is the day when the righteousness of Christ is applied forever in the heart of the New Testament saint. When all sin is washed away for all time by the blood. It's the moment when he or she becomes the promised saint for all eternity future. No longer a saved sinner, but forever after a perfected saint. That is the day of redemption, and the day to which every born again Christian is sealed unto. It is because the blood of Christ is so precious; it is because the blood of Christ is so absolutely perfect in saving the lost who come to Him. It just can't be reversed! There is only one Holy Spirit who is the seal of this awesome salvation found in the Bible. 1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Eph 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. The Charismatics have it all wrong! Their new theology twists the truth of the Holy Spirit into a lie. There is only one Biblical baptism of the Holy Spirit, and it is not their false second experience theology. The Baptism takes place at the moment of salvation. It is when the sinner is saved and sealed until the day of redemption. It has nothing to do with ecstatic utterances (their false claim to the Biblical miracle of speaking in tongues). Speaking in tongues was manifested for a short time as one of the many proofs that God had changed things after the cross. Those who spoke in tongues spoke in known and understandable languages of the day. They communicated as would be expected from God. They did not cause confusion as is what takes place at every false, ecstatic utterances,  tongues speaking meeting of today! It simply is not Biblical what the Charismatic claims are for today in either their claims of speaking in tongues, or their claims to the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Only the real Holy Spirit of the Bible can give the discernment necessary to understand these things. This was the same Holy Spirit that entered into Ezekiel as God spoke, and gave him the discernment necessary to understand these glorious words! Ezekiel was about to discern God's plan for the near future of Israel. John 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. The Spirit did not speak of His self. It was not the Spirit that was given the emphasis. It was the "things to come," it was all leading to the First, and then the Second coming of Christ. How sad that the Charismatic of today puts all the emphasis of false mystical powers on the Holy Spirit of whom the Bible says He would not do! But then, why would the Charismatic care what the Bible says anyway? Their phony Christianity has the lime light these days. The 700 Club and TBN have replaced the Biblical Church in their circles, and is the dictating force. They establish and control all the false doctrine that seems to change daily within their circles.   

Now the Holy Spirit imparts to this Old Testament saint, Ezekiel, the ability to understand. He comes with all the power of discernment to Ezekiel.

 

 

"and He set me on my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me."

Now comes the message from God for Ezekiel! The prophet is ready! We are ready for this two fold revelation coming from God as He sits on His Throne upon the expanse of heaven. His living Chariot has brought Him face to face with Ezekiel. He now begins to speak!

³And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

"And He said to me, son of man I am sending you to the sons of Israel,"

The first charge to Ezekiel is his responsibility to communicate this - God's message -  to the son's of Israel! It is Israel first! The nations though huge in comparison. Though powerful in force and will, are clearly secondary in God's considering's of the events of the day. We shall soon see that the nations are only tools which God uses to His ends not theirs, and God's ends are in Christ who will be the soon coming Jewish Messiah!

The King James boys missed the meaning here altogether. They said God was sending Ezekiel to "the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation." The Hebrew is clear that there is a two fold charge. "Al bene yishrael" to the sons of Israel. Then the second charge "Al goyem" to the nations (the gentiles). "Al" is the key to the two charges. What is even more significant is that the Hebrew says nations not nation. The KJV boys missed on this one. The translators of the ASV caught this point, but just came up with an awkward translation. Ezek 2:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to nations that are rebellious, which have rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me even unto this very day. ASV

"(and) to the nations."

This is the second charge. Every Jew knows who the goyem are! The book of Ezekiel encompasses these two charges. Ezekiel's prophecies are both about the destruction of Israel, and the destruction of the post flood nations. Everything from the flood to Ezekiel's day comes under the curse of God.  A remnant of Israel is promised to bridge this curse and survive while only Egypt of the goyem is promised a remnant that bridges the curse. The Egyptians fail in repentance, and come to an end. The old Egyptians, the pyramid builders, are replaced by other mixes of the nations as happens throughout the whole goyem world of Ezekiel's day. The old nations are replaced by the mixed and semi-mixed races and cultures of the goyem. The Assyrians introduced this new way of settling conquered lands, and Nebuchadnezzar learned their lesson well.

Ezek 29:12-15
12 And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

13 Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:

14 And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.

15 It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
KJV

"They are rebelling ones who have rebelled against me."

Here is the problem with all! God's children, and the pagan world. They are all in rebellion. They have all sold out to the sins of their heart. They have all turned their back on God. Had a democratic vote been taken that day, the world would have voted God out! The children of God had turned to new ways of worship. They brought into the Temple the idols of the world. Peace and harmony with the gentile world (the goyem) was to be the new religion. It was much more compatible then the old separated, exclusive, stringent standards of the Old Testament. A new holiness was being promoted which joined all together. It was to be a great new world of man made religion. God and the Bible were out. Oh, they would still use His word and His Temple, but their way - not His way! The world liked it; the Jews liked it. God was left with either accepting the rebellion, or being ignored. The Jews figured God had to go along. After all, where could He turn? He promised not bring another flood! He would have to go along - so they thought!

"They and their fathers have sinned against me to this day."

God goes right to the center. He tells Ezekiel that the problem is sin! The nations could not be expected to do anything other then sin and rebel against God, but the nation Israel was expectedly held accountable to higher service.

God expected higher service from the Church in our day. He expected it to stay within the reasonable doctrinal norms of the Bible. Today's mainstream Christianity has traversed just as much as Israel ever did in producing a new man made religion. All the revivals since the reformation have recognized the evils of the Catholic Church. They have recognized it's unbiblical doctrine, and stood against it. Only today, does the new religion say that though the Catholic Church maintains those same false doctrines, and even added more - yet, to the new religion Roman Catholicism is acceptable and included as part of any Christian revival. Billy Graham stands as one of those main stream leaders who hold to this philosophy. He has formulated it, and nurtured it. He and they are no different then those who brought the idols into the Temple. They are likable fellows. They are well meaning fellows. They have great burdens to make things right, but it's their right - not Biblical right. They are rebellious by God's standards. Where they should be warning Christians to separate, they are instead saying unite! They foolishly think religion can rule the world controlling politics.  They intend to unite Christianity like those of Ezekiel's day intended to unite Judaism to the world. God says it is sin and rebellion! The Chuck Colson's and Pat Robertson's lead the rebellion, and millions of gullible and willfully blind professors of Christianity follow! The Bible has been redefined! The Christian fathers went along more interested in selling a book or promoting an appearance. The result is what we have today. Today's Christianity! It includes most anything, and the doors are opening wider each day! I am personally hard pressed to see where the world ends, and Christianity begins? I am hard pressed to tell who is saved, and who is not? The sins of the fathers has come home to roost. The Temple is filled with the Catholic idols which represent the idols of the nations. Today's Christianity is very similar to the man made religion of Ezekiel's day!

I'm sure any Charismatic, liberal Christian, or budding Evangelical on the road to liberalism is fuming have they read this far. I stepped on a number of sacred cows, and I see more coming down the road. 

This old book of Ezekiel is a lot more relevant then many realize.

⁴For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

"And the sons are stiff of face, and hard of heart."

Wow! It sounds like some of the fundamental Churches I've tried to pastor. In fact, it sounds a lot like me! There is a right kind of stiffness, or hardness. I pray about it all the time. Isa 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Ezek 3:9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. The stiff face and hard heart of the son's of Israel was not this sort. They were like rebellious children, what ever the Lord said they were going to do the opposite. There would be no change in outward expression; there would be no softening of the heart. Their minds were made up, and that was that!

I have worked with many Charismatics over the years. I can tell you true, once they get started into this false doctrine of speaking in tongues - that is that! Their face becomes stiff, and their minds become hard. Few ever soften once this step is made. I warn you of the danger! This is not a new phenomenon. This is not the first time those who claim to follow God only harden their hearts to Him. Look at the leadership! Look at the Bakkers, the Swaggards, the Benny Hinns who's claims and prophecies are clearly foolishness. Yet, they follow by the millions. The leaders fall away, but the face will not loosen, the hearts will not soften. The next leader is worse then the ones before. They are more fanatical and less rational, but that is that! God ended an era because of stiff faces, and hard hearts. I believe He is ready to do it again. I believe the rapture is near, and a new era where Israel will again be the center of everything God is doing in this world. The second coming of what Ezekiel saw in the two comings of the messiah will be realized. The Great Apostate Church will be left behind. It will be the enemy of the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem. Real miracles will take place which will expose all the phony claims being made by both Catholic and Charismatic apostates. It will not be long before the stiff faces and hard hearts boil against those Two Witnesses and the 144,000 Jews who will stand with them. Who will stand for the Messiah's soon coming again. Not the Charismatic/Catholic mystical Christ, but the real Christ of the Bible. The coming Jewish King of Kings.

"I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them thus says the Lord Jehovah."

Ezekiel had a real task. He must deliver an unpopular message to a people who were only going to hate him for speaking. The message from God which Ezekiel, and we gave all this attention is a hard message to repeat. The discernment of what it means is clear to the Holy Spirit. It is clear to Ezekiel. It is clear to me. It should be clear to you! Only the most faithful will dare say "thus says the Lord Jehovah." Most will add their own words to make it soft and palatable. It is never easy to say it like it is. Word for word, unadulterated, right from the source, no pulling of punches, no changing of meaning, no implied take it some other way. "Thus says the Lord Jehovah" is powerful. It is glorious. The responsibility is awesome. The faithfulness must be without mistake or error. I am sending you! to them! 

God sent Paul to the gentiles, He sent Livingstone to Africa, He sent Taylor to China. He even sent me to Butte, Montana for a time. I'm sure He is sending you into the community where you live. Things have not changed. Someone must speak! The stiff face and hard heart is not new to us today. The professors of Christianity are as hard as the rest of the world. The task is overwhelming, but the command is clear: I am sending you! to them! First, to the wayward son's of Israel (who are no son's for the most part), but also to the nations. The message is universal. Christ and Christ alone! No gimmicks, no trickery, no man made thoughts of how I can do it better. The only thing that is real and works is "thus says the Lord Jehovah." Make no mistakes! Make no errors in it's repetition! Speak only Christ! 

⁵And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

"And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will - stop,"

How often it was stop! Not just for me, but for so many. I came with the words of God, but they would not listen. I prayed, I cried, I begged, but they would not listen. They said STOP! I would finally out of utter frustration say Lord they will not hear! I have put all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my strength into this effort, and they will not hear. Inevitably, a small voice would come from some unexpected place, and say "what did you say about Christ? Explain that I might understand!" Then, through the foolishness of my preaching something would happen. A soul would come to Christ for salvation. I'm always amazed! Out of the stiffest faces, and hardest hearts comes a conversion. It is at those points in the ministry that I know why He sent me! - to them! He knew it all along! His purpose in providence is unmistakable. Oh, how rebellious. Oh, how frustrating to go to them! Those stiff faces. Those hard hearts. The son's of Israel, or the son's of the devil have the same hardness of heart. Yet, it happens! Christ is received, and everything changes. Oh, how blessed are the son's of Israel for Ezekiel is going to be faithful. He is not going to make any mistakes. The message will not be watered down or changed for his convenience. He will repeat it exactly as God gave it to him. The Holy Spirit will give him the proper discernment, and he will proclaim truth. He will not get discouraged. He will be counted in the end as a true prophet of God.

"for they are a house of rebellion,"

The heart of these son's is no secret. Their whole house is a place of rebellion against truth. They will only serve God their way. The prophet is not on their wave length. His message is not what they want to hear. Their house, their wives, their children, all the aunts and uncles, all the grandmas and grandpas are united in this new way to worship God. What chance has Ezekiel to effect change? He was told whether they hear, or whether they stop their ears - he was to proclaim God's message! There are times when it's just too late. God had warned, but men stopped their ears. There comes a time when judgment is declared. It matters not that men will not listen. It matters not if all men vote NO to God. Double negatives mean nothing when this point is reached. The rules are at an end, and death has come. The destruction of Israel (Judah) in Ezekiel's day is a historical and Biblical fact. The reasons are multitude, but the why is sin. It is rebellion against God. It matters not that it is the son's of Israel or the goyem of the world. God is about to judge! His messenger brings the terrible news!

"but they shall know that a prophet has been among them."

What a statement! You know the same can be said of you! It is a wonderful thing to remain faithful under the most trying of circumstances. The cost is great, but the reward is greater. Let God direct you to truth. Speak only of Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to give you discernment - not men! It is always a great surprise to find just how many folks the Holy Spirit has given the same discernment. We go into this thinking I'm the only one, and we find to our joy there are lots and lots of folks who have made the same discovery. We find whole Churches full of folks who stand apart from the errors of our day. Who's heads are on straight, and have found correct doctrine with all the love that comes with it. I have found them to be a happy group. Tender of heart, yet adamant toward the Bible and the Christ of the Bible. They are all over the world. All you have to do is look! They are usually Baptist or Bible, but names are not the measure. They are mostly independent though some are affiliated with some familiar denominations, but those always to their peril. If you are looking for a true prophet, a man of the Bible, then you must look for where these folks gather together for worship. I can help if you e-mail me! I won't steer you to a religion. I will steer you to a fellow trained in the Bible! I will steer you to folks who stand on the Bible, and out of that necessity stand for Christ! They really are out there!

Watch for Lesson #9 coming next~

Back to Ezekiel Bible Study

Edited by DDSrail - September 12, 2000