Book of Ezekiel

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Thanks for your reply birdie and I get the feeling that a lot of these cults here in the U.S. use that language of parables to recruit members. Probably the same everywhere in the world but possibly greater in the West. I know Muslims have some similar things, cults that is. I keep thinking that maybe one day the Holy Spirit will be sent to some Muslim country, Afghanistan maybe, and open their eyes. Muslims do a lot of law keeping and it seems their blasphemous view of the Son of God, Jesus, is the only thing that keeps them from being a 'great nation'. I have read some place in the OT that Esau was blessed to be a 'great nation'. ??????

Thanks persistent for your comment. God heard Abraham's prayer regarding Ishmael and promised to bless him and to make him a great nation. However, this has often been thought of by various congregations as meaning Islam or Muslims. This is not the case at all, since the word 'blessed' in the Bible means to be saved. Rather, Ishmael was a picture of true believers in Christ which Muslims are not particularly, since they do not receive Christ in most cases. Rather, I think Islam is like any other religion of the world outside of Christ, based on works and so forth, often neglecting the idea of Christ's forgiveness as the means of salvation, rather than retribution and upholding rules, etc.

Hey Birdie that is very interesting. I did have some suspicion about the possibility that many so called preachers or teachers of scripture don't understand what they are talking about.
My introduction to 'Christianity' was with WWCG, Armstrong, and now I see splinter groups everywhere and none of them know or consider any other understanding and it seems they have all been led astray. My experience with them was on and off for maybe 4yrs but all I recall is that the focus they had was proving their viewpoint and understanding was correct and everyone else was deceived. Now just as you point out here, the blessing, and the eventuality of the 'great nations', are to be reconsidered. Definitely for me. What I say about Muslims in general is an understanding I have come to after finding on Bible Hub a reference of, possibly Vincent's word studies, that blasphemy is not pointing a person to the truth. Maybe the Muslims are not blasphemous in that in general they are blinded to the truth. I have been very well acquainted with several Muslims in the recent past and keep thinking that now that I have had my eyes opened to the Savior I should get in contact with these folks as it seems they, some of them, were trying to get me to accept Islam. One of them even gave me a Koran and kept giving me little gifts but some of it was because I helped him get a good job.

Thanks persistent. As with people from all countries and religious backgrounds, it is always possible that Christ will call this or that person to himself. People from all walks of life could potentially experience this, and groups are sometimes best thought of as a diverse array of unique individuals. Jesus noted in the gospel of John that salvation is of the Jews: "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jewhs." But remember that a Jew, the Bible says, is one inwardly and not outwardly. Further, Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Thanks for that Birdie. Would you know about the 'idea' that today we are to consider 'spiritual Israel'. We see Israel 'restored' 1948. OT Israel was 12 tribes not just Judah (Jews). Then the split Samaria north and Judah/Benjamin south. And now, today, Israel. I have been in phone conversations with a teacher of a spin-off of Israel of God (IoG) here in Chicago and he tells me that he sees Israel as Edom and that IoG are true Israel. Uncanny, the idea of OT Israel spending 450 yrs in slavery and today the 1619 movement. And "my thought' there are scriptures that mention the eventuality of people in fear of 'Israel' or ? and there are many ghettoes in the world where even the police are reluctant to patrol. Crazy me maybe? Isaiah 41:10 ¶ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

from Deuteronomy 4 and Isaiah 55

the law

“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭23:20-21‬ ‭

The gospel

“Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:3, 6-7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭4:6-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:11-12‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:48‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:20‬ ‭

“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:47‬ ‭KJV‬‬

He Abundantly pardons and calls to repentance those he loves and who love him in return

“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:45-47‬ ‭KJV‬‬

let the wicked forsake his way and turn to the lord he will abundantly pardon freely and to his joy and pleasure like the prodigal he wants us back on his arms even though we went astray to change our garments , and give us shoes and a family crest , and kiss our heads in a long embrace he’s waiting and watching willing that all should return home

I heard a preacher on tv say the book of Ezekiel is mostly "end time prophecy". What could end time mean? I have heard some say end time means after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem 70 A.D. and I think I heard some others say the time we are now living in and I think I heard another say sometime around 1870 started end time. So what gives here? I know there are verses that tell us not to listen to a lot of these wanna be prophets. Right? It may be that I also read the commentary of Albert Barnes on Bible Hub concerning the book of Ezekiel and he states that the time it was written was very close to the time of the first destruction of the temple at Jerusalem. I think this is the reason that this book is considered prophetic for "end time"