
Originally Posted by
third hero
Ok. I guess scripture has to be infused into this debate as well.
Ezekiel 40:1
In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth [day] of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.
Guess what? Ezekiel has switched gears, and apparently, so had God. God wanted to show him something else, not concerning the end times, but concerning the very near future of Israel. How do I know? Well, let's take a look.
Verse 4
And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew [them] unto thee [art] thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.
Whom is this prophecy concern? Israel. Not Spiritual Israel, but Ethnic Israel. Remember, when Ezekiel had received these prophecies, Israel was still in Babylon, captives of the Babylonian/Mede/Persian empire. So, it is possible that this prophecy is about the second temple and how God wanted it rebuilt.
Now, is this a conditional prophecy, like Jonas' prophecy concerning Ninevah, or is it unconditional? Ezekiel 43 answers that.
We begin with verse 8.
In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. (vs 9)Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.
Now, we see God doing two things. 1. He is explaining to Ezekiel what He had just done to Israel. 2. He is making a condition for Israel. He is telling them to forsake the wickedness of the past, and come and dwell with Him. This is definitely conditional. But there is more.
Verse 10
Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. (vs 11)And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write [it] in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.
Now, is it any more obvious that chapters 40-44 have nothing to do with the end times? Even the priests of Zadok are mentioned here, and they were referenced in not only Isaiah, but Jeremiah as well, right along with Zerubabbel. This whole portion of scripture is concerning Israel and their soon-to-be exodus back to their homeland, after the first dispersion. Moreover, since the word "if" is used, this would become a conditional scripture, dealing with their near future whic hwould be our very ancient past. There is no Millennial reference here.
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