All souls belong to God (Ezekiel 18:4)

[Mannabar]

If this means what I think it means, then it seems to me that either:

1. Ezekiel was deceived (unfortunately for one of my favorite Old Testament moments )

OR

2. any entity telling you to that God wants you to commit your soul to it (or to another entity) is not to be trusted, since your soul belongs to God and would have to be given over by him (I'm reminded of the Devil offering Jesus power in exchange for worship despite Jesus being already guaranteed power by divine inheritance)

I'm sure there are other possibilities, but what?

To those who say the verse refers to the souls of the people of Israel only, I ask: To whom do all the others belong and why not to God, if he made all things?

 

[tonychanyt]

If this means what I think it means,

Exactly what does it mean to you?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

If this means what I think it means, then it seems to me that either:

1. Ezekiel was deceived (unfortunately for one of my favorite Old Testament moments )

OR

2. any entity telling you to that God wants you to commit your soul to it (or to another entity) is not to be trusted, since your soul belongs to God and would have to be given over by him (I'm reminded of the Devil offering Jesus power in exchange for worship despite Jesus being already guaranteed power by divine inheritance)

I'm sure there are other possibilities, but what?

To those who say the verse refers to the souls of the people of Israel only, I ask: To whom do all the others belong and why not to God, if he made all things?

Yes all souls do belong to God. He is the Creator of all things and He will judge all souls in the end. Not sure why you think Ezekiel was decieved. Blessings.

 

[BobRyan]

If this means what I think it means, then it seems to me that either:

1. Ezekiel was deceived (unfortunately for one of my favorite Old Testament moments )

OR

2. any entity telling you to that God wants you to commit your soul to it (or to another entity) is not to be trusted, since your soul belongs to God and would have to be given over by him (I'm reminded of the Devil offering Jesus power in exchange for worship despite Jesus being already guaranteed power by divine inheritance)

I'm sure there are other possibilities, but what?

To those who say the verse refers to the souls of the people of Israel only, I ask: To whom do all the others belong and why not to God, if he made all things?

You are right that this is a very broad statement in Ez 18 and applies to all mankind -- "not just Jews".

Ezek 18 - the entire chapter expands on that idea in great detail - it addresses your question.,

God explains how it is that He alone is judge of all souls determining who should live forever and who should be destroyed in the 2nd death of Rev 20

Ez 18:4
4 Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Then an example of souls that do not do evil - so then God judges that such a soul "should live"

5 “But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, 6 if he does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period— 7 and if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 8 and if he does not lend money at interest or take interest, if he keeps his hand from injustice and executes true justice between one person and another, 9 if he walks in My statutes and keeps My ordinances so as to deal faithfully—he is righteous and will certainly live,” declares the Lord God.​

Then after that, an example of a soul that DOES do evil - and so should not live forever

10 “However, he may father a violent son who sheds blood, and does any one of these things to a brother 11 (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but raises his eyes to the idols and commits abomination, 13 lends money at interest and takes interest; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he shall certainly be put to death; his blood will be on himself.​

In Ezek 18 no one who does good dies - and no one who does evil lives.

This is only the case in terms of the second death of Rev 20 and eternal life in the New Earth.

 

[Mannabar]

Exactly what does it mean to you?

That God owns all the souls as an author owns all his characters. Thus, no one else can have them unless he chooses to give or perhaps to license them.

@Maria, I meant I thought one of the conditions must be true, not both. Also, in the New Testament, Jesus says Jehovah doesn't judge anyone, but rather, he does.

 

[Mannabar]

I forgot the NT citation, John 5:22. Sorry!

 

[Lost Witness]

No we still belong to God regardless if we choose to be his children or not.
Difference is those who willing accept him and his love for them are called his children those who don't like the evil one are refered to as the children of the devil because they choose like the devil to rebel against a Good, loving and selfless GOD.
It's GOD who created all things and then because he loves us created us, died for us so that we might be his people, his Holy Nation, his family to share all these things with for eternity.
It's why he's told us to call him Father because that's exactly what he is but he NEVER turns his back on his children.
He provides all things for us but not just us.
He provides all things for all flesh.
He loves those who hate and reject him.
It's the sin.
That he abhors.
It's the sin that separates us from him.
And he like any Good parent wants his children to choose him.

 

[BobRyan]

No we still belong to God regardless if we choose to be his children or not.
Difference is those who willing accept him and his love for them are called his children those who don't like the evil one are refered to as the children of the devil because they choose like the devil to rebel against a Good, loving and selfless GOD.
It's GOD who created all things and then because he loves us created us, died for us so that we might be his people, his Holy Nation, his family to share all these things with for eternity.
It's why he's told us to call him Father because that's exactly what he is but he NEVER turns his back on his children.
He provides all things for us but not just us.
He provides all things for all flesh.
He loves those who hate and reject him.
It's the sin.
That he abhors.
It's the sin that separates us from him.
And he like any Good parent wants his children to choose him.

true -

Acts 17:
22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. 23 For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything that is in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the descendants of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. 30 So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent,