11 November 2020
A few nights ago I have a dream. In this dream, I am in the church setting of my last pastorate in Baltimore Maryland. The congregation never spiritually accepted me there, only a few individuals. In this dream, I’m in that same church, but in this dream I’m totally accepted and the church is packed. The congregation is totally new, I only recognize one familiar face who is standing before me, seemingly accepting of me; although I knew him not to be accepting. To me this man represents the “Old Guard” of that once dying and now dead congregation. He’s deceptively acting as if he’s happy I’m there.
Somehow I know I am to preach, so I began to fumble through a Bible asking Jesus to tell me what I am to speak on. He tells me “Ezekiel 14,” then I wake up. I immediately ask Him, “What was that all about.” He responded with one word, “Restoration.” I understand that He is getting ready to restore my ministry. He has kept me on the outside for years now, while working on me on the I side, preparing me for the future. I don’t know Ezekiel 14 off the top of my head, so I research it later that morning. Then, I go all the way back to Ezekiel 11 and read through to Ezekiel 17. I am both astonished and confused about the scripture He gives me. At first I’m not sure whether Ezekiel 14 is for me or something greater; or both.
Ezekiel 14 begins by the “elders” of Israel (the false prophets of Chapter 13) coming to Ezekiel. God speaks to Ezekiel warning him that these men (the Old Guard) are idolatrous in their hearts. Just a few verses back, at the end of Ezekiel 13, The Lord is upset with the church/church leaders of Ezekiel’s day “Because [they] disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause [them] pain, but you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way to keep him alive, therefore you women will no longer see deceitful visions or practice divination, and I will save My people from your hands. So you will know that I am the Lord.” The church wasn’t doing its job then and it’s not doing its job today.
The Benson Commentary asserts that these who have set up idols in their hearts have attached themselves to many species[1] of idolatry and that ‘I will declare the greatness of his sin by the greatness of his punishment.’ Two things: (1) what is species and (2) who is being shown the greatness of his sin by his punishment? I will address “species” later in this writing, but the ones being punished as a result of the greatness of his sin is the believer/church leaders “Because they are estranged from Me through their idols.” This commentary goes on to address this verse by saying “It is always through some idol or other that the hearts of men are estranged from God. Some creature (species) has gained that place in the heart which belongs to none but God.”
So, does God believe the ones approaching the prophet deserve the time of day? The Benson Commentary asserts that “you” (church people) who come to My prophet deserve no true answer from the Lord God Almighty. These ones will find themselves deceived by the delusions of their own hearts. There is hypocrisy and impiety in them. God then gives Ezekiel a message to give them:
Say to the house of Israel, “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I the Lord will let Myself answer him Myself. I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the Lord.”
This is not a warning for unbelievers, paganism or the occult. This is a direct message for the followers of God. In modern speak, the Church. But that’s not it, there’s more:
“But if the prophet is persuaded so that he speaks a word, it is I, the Lord, who have persuaded that prophet; and I will stretch out My hand against him and eliminate him from among My people Israel. And they will bear the punishment for their wrongdoing; as the wrongdoing of the inquirer is, so the wrongdoing of the prophet will be, in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their offenses. So they will be My people, and I shall be their God,”’ declares the Lord God.”
Judgement begins in the house of the Lord and – as He says above – He doesn’t want His people to stray from Him any longer and defile themselves. He will even hold the prophet (or false prophet) accountable.
So what does all this mean? First, who are the characters and how do they relate to us today? Ezekiel is the righteous one (aligned with, correct, not in opposition to, not relating to salvation) God is using to bring His message. God mentions another prophet(s) who is revealed as a false prophet who partakes in the same judgement. “You who come to My prophet” is who is being spoken to; then, the elders of the church of that day – who, today are the hierarchy of the modern church system to include pastors, elders (whatever words used to describe church governing participants), tenured Christians, etc., and anyone who has placed a stumbling block of wrongdoing/iniquity in their hearts…hypocrisy and impiety.
A stumbling block of wrongdoing/iniquity (spoken of here) is anything evil that hinders a believer’s spiritual progress and growth. Something that stands between you and God. He is a jealous God. He doesn’t want anything to come between Him and His people. Modern Christians are conditioned to believe that things are idols, i.e. money, cars, status, sex, drugs, etc. This is true, however, in the OT, a sentient being is always behind an idol.
This brings me to “species.” Merriam-Webster defines “species” as a class of individuals having common attributes and designed by a common name, or an individual or kind belonging to a [particular] species. I like that Merriam-Webster uses the word “kind” just as God created according to their “kinds” and forbid the mixing of said creation. This connection is too much to speak of in this writing; so, to maintain conciseness, I will add that there is a myriad of beings (or species if you will) who have come into existence as a result of the illegal mixing of kinds, demonic unholy unions, unsanctioned by The Lord God Almighty, who prey on you and me and unbelievers alike. These beings are referred to in the bible as a “species” unto themselves, set against God and those bearing His image. More specifically to the reader, the Christian of our age. There is a species of being who doesn’t belong to God and His system of creative genius, has no place in His kingdom, and therefore has taken position against our Heavenly Father and His Christ. What is it that could come between you and God? What could cause this division between a believer and his Creator? A foreign agent with an assignment. A bodiless abominable species. Demons are hunters of our souls, they want to set themselves up in God’s Temple (the body), and Jesus wants His people back.
In terms of “Restoration,” as it relates to me specifically, as I wright in the second paragraph, Jesus is getting ready to restore my ministry. I have been waiting, impatiently, to begin the ministry He has been revealing to me over time, but has been holding me back for a particular time in the future. It seems that time is coming real soon. As restoration relates to the wider narrative I wright about five paragraphs prior, Jesus is trying to pull the righteous from the wicked grasps of the deceived or intentionally wicked false prophets. God is establishing a new age where the modern day church will begin to function like the early first century church. His people will begin to come to those who represent Him in this venture, for words of knowledge, prophetic messages, healing, deliverance and Salvation. The man in my dream, from the old church, represents the “Old Guard” of “the church,” who have sunk into the stumbling blocks of wrongdoing/iniquity. These people are subject to the following and I quote “I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the Lord.” These who have decided to follow the deception will be removed and a new season of church will begin with those found righteous along with a new wave of new believers. The “Old Guard” will be replaced with a new healthy church of believers.
I write this message in love. If you have a problem with the message, perhaps you will consider God allowing a generation of Hebrews to die in the wilderness while wandering in the desert because of their disobedience to enter the promise land. Were they not His people? Take it to Jesus. Something new is coming. Repent and turn away from a dead faith. Ask Jesus to wake-up your spirit and allow you to be a part of what’s coming.
[1] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ezekiel/14-4.htm
The Truth Project of Salisbury Md. 