Every Vision Will Be Fulfilled

[Christsdaughter]

Every Vision Will Be Fulfilled

Sunday April 10, 2011

“Ezekiel 12
The Exile Symbolized
1The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

3“Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. 5While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. 6Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

7So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

8In the morning the word of the LORD came to me: 9“Son of man, did not that rebellious house of Israel ask you, ‘What are you doing?’

10“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel who are there.’ 11Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.

12“The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. 13I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. 14I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.

15“They will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. 16But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

17The word of the LORD came to me: 18“Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water. 19Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. 20The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

21The word of the LORD came to me: 22“Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’? 23Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. 24For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. 25But I the LORD will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign LORD.’”

26The word of the LORD came to me: 27“Son of man, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’

28“Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign LORD.’”

The Lord told Ezekiel that he was living among a rebellious people who did not have eyes to see or ears to hear. This is because they chose to believe the lies of those who told them what made them feel good rather than the truth of the messages that Ezekiel was giving them. They wanted to believe that the promises of judgment would not come and that they would live at peace in the land without turning to the Lord. Ezekiel continued to deliver God’s warnings to them. God had Ezekiel enact the exile in order to get their attention so that they would ask him what he was doing. Ezekiel told them that they would go into exile as captives and that Zedikiah would be captured, blinded, taken to Babylonia, and killed. The very king who the Israelites put their hope and trust in to save them, would himself be destroyed. This was God’s judgment on them for putting their trust in man rather than in God. God was letting the people know in this passage that He would bring about His promised judgment and that it would not be delayed any longer.

Just as the Israelites ignored God’s warnings, believed the lying prophets who said what made them feel good and secure, and thought they would either avoid God’s judgments or that the judgments were so far away, people today are doing the very same things concerning God’s judgments and the End of Times. Many people think that they have all the time in the world to repent, but they do not. We do not know how much time we have on this earth, nor do we know exactly when the End of Times will be, though we can get a pretty good idea. All we know is that it will be soon, but soon is a relative term. Soon to God could seem like a long time to us. I literally feel the same right now because I have been seeing all the signs of my son being born soon, but I have no idea when he will be born. I just know that it will happen soon. Soon could mean hours or days or even weeks. Obviously the situation with the End Times is on a much larger scale. We will see the signs and will know that they will come soon, but we have no idea what “soon” means.

“Ezekiel 13
False Prophets Condemned

1The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the LORD! 3This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish£ prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD.
6Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, “The LORD declares,” when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. 7Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The LORD declares,” though I have not spoken?

8“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 9My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.

10“‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

13“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it£ falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. 15So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD.”’

17“Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.

20“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. 21I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 22Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

In Ezekiel chapter 13, God gives Ezekiel a message for the false prophets who declare peace, peace when there is no peace. They would be destroyed for leading the people astray by telling them what made them feel good and secure in their sins rather than warning them of the truth of God’s promised judgment on them. They made Ezekiel’s job so much more difficult because he was telling them that they would be punished and the people did not want to believe that. Ignoring God’s warnings will not keep them from coming true! They were just making things worse for themselves by choosing not to believe them and by not repenting.

Beware of people who tell you what makes you feel good rather than the truth. Those who say peace, peace when there is no peace are not out to help you, but to gain popularity and power for themselves. They are harming you rather than helping you because they are not leading you to the Lord. Do not ignore God’s warnings! If He has been warning you about judgment, you can be sure that it will happen no matter how much you choose to ignore it!