THE GLORY OF GOD AND JUDGMENT
Ezekiel 2:7-10
Introduction: The condition of the world and the U.S. is one of total rebellion to the things of God. When you see one of the political parties of the political process have a convention and at that convention there was an opening prayer by a Christian minister and the Democrats heckle the preacher. They were booing and jeering the preacher and when the prayer invoked the name of the Almighty the crowd began to chant, “Bernie, Bernie, Bernie” and drowned out the prayer. Then Nancy Pelosi made fun of the uneducated male population of the country and said they would never vote for a Democrat because of Guns, gays, and God (she qualified that as an opposition to abortion). Is there any doubt that our nation has turned to a position that excludes God in the discussion and when the word comes up there is booing, jeering and denigration of God?
Last week I was reading in Ezekiel in my Bible reading and the book gives prophecies and there is a definite theme of the book of Ezekiel and that is judgment. Israel had departed from the living God to follow idols and engage in a lifestyle that was degrading to themselves and to their God. I cannot help but believe that what we see with ISIS and their cruelty that they may just be an instrument of judgment on those who have departed from following God and this nation that has departed from the things of God. England has already seen the wrath of the Muslim cruelty as has France and Germany. We live in a very violent world and it is getting worse every day. The cruelty the world faces because the world has forsaken the Living God for gods of all kinds. To demonstrate that the book of Ezekiel is a book of judgment look with me at Ezekiel 34:16 (KJV) I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
The book of Ezekiel is one of the neglected books of the Bible. There are some reasons for that though. It is a mysterious book and some of it is very difficult to understand and to interpret. That said there are parts of this book that are understandable. Ezekiel fits into the time frame of Isaiah and
Jeremiah. This is the time of the rebellion of Israel and the subsequent judgment upon the people of Israel. Yet there is also a description of the judgment of God upon Egypt in Ezekiel 29-32. The nation of Israel had become very rebellious and disobedient to the things of God to the point that they had forsaken God and resorted to all types of idolatry. Egypt fell under the judgment of God for a similar reason.
With this in mind we want to address the subject of the Glory of God and Judgment. In our previous studies we have been looking at the Glory of God and how He manifest His presence among men which was a manifestation of His glory. We saw this in the Tabernacle and in the Temple as God dwelt
among His people. When we came to the New Testament we have seen how God
dwells among His people today by the presence of the Holy Spirit. What I want to look at today is the departure of the Glory of God from the nation of Israel in judgment and how that has an application for us today. We want to look at how God removed His presence from the people of Israel and what God does today. Ezekiel give us a glimpse of the way God departed from the nation of Israel.
1. GOD’S COMMAND TO EZEKEIL, Ezekiel 2:7-10. This command came after Ezekiel had seen the Glory of God as we find in Ezekiel 1:4-28.
There were two things God wanted Ezekiel to do.
a. Speak God’s words to the people, vs. 7. Also, note that when
Ezekiel saw the book spread before him the message written was one of “lamentations, and mourning, and woe” (vs. 10).
b. God made Ezekiel a watchman to the people, Ezekiel 3:17. Then God presented to him the Glory of God and how it was going to be removed from the Temple and the people.
2. GOD’S GLORY SEEN BY EZEKIEL, Ezekiel 1:4-28. We will not discuss the details of this vision of the Glory of God but please note that God was confirming to the prophet His presence. The vision had several parts that is worth looking at briefelly.
a. The initial description of the vision, Ezekiel 1:4.
b. The four living creatures and wheels, Ezekiel 1:5-12.
c. God on His throne, Ezekiel 1:22-28.
3. GOD’S GLORY DEPARTS THE TEMPLE, Ezekiel 8:1-11:25. Here Ezekiel was transported back to Jerusalem from Babylon. If you go back to Ezekiel 1:1 (KJV) Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. The river Chebar is in Babylon. What we need to see about this section of Ezekiel (8:1-11:25) is that God is removing His presence from the people who were known as God’s people. Look at Ezekiel 8:4 (KJV) And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. Ezekiel is at the north gate of the city. This is where he dug through the wall and saw the things we find brings the judgment of God upon the people and caused the
presence of God to depart.
a. Idolatry was rampant. Look at Ezekiel 8:10-11 (KJV) So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and
abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. 11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. These men are evidently trying to imitate the presence of God with a thick cloud of incense. There is something going on here that we dare not overlook.
These men had evidently departed from what God had instructed
them in His word. These men were burning incense to animals and creeping things (Ezekiel 8:8-12). This takes us to an important point.
What you believe will dictate how you act. They had developed the idea that God did not see the things they were doing. Look at Ezekiel 8:12 (KJV) Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth. They thought since they were in the dark that God was not aware of their activities. What you believe will determine how you conduct your life.
b. Now look at Ezekiel 8:16-18 (KJV) And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the
abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. This is the thing that brings the judgment of God upon the people of Israel. They were committing idolatry of the basest sort. Now note with me the way God demonstrated His departure from the people and the Temple.
a. The Glory of God departs from the cherub, Ezekiel 9:3. Do you remember where the presence of God’s glory resided in the Tabernacle and the Temple? Over the Cherubim in the Holy of Holies.
b. The Glory of God moves to the threshold, Ezekiel 10:4.
c. The Glory of God moves to the east gate of the City, Ezekiel 10:18-19.
d. The Glory of God moves to the mount on the east of the city, Ezekiel 11:23. This would be the Mount of Olives.
The judgment of God upon the people by the invasion of the land by the Babylonians was cruel enough. It was a judgment that was terrible. Yet, we need to realize that the removal of God’s presence was more devastating. This meant there was no leadership from God. There was no provisions and
protection coming from God. This left the people in a way that they did not understand nor fully comprehend.
WOULD GOD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TODAY?
We know that the doctrine of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is a permanent thing and God will not leave us. We read in Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. That is comforting and we should not take for granted the special
privilege we have in our relationship with God. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 139:7 (KJV) Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? Would you go to that Psalm with me? Look at these verses Psalm 139:8-16 (KJV) If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my
mother's womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My
substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Even the Old Testament saint understood that it was impossible to escape the presence of God. Yet many live as if God did not exist and did not know what was going on in their life. Let’s examine a passage in the book of the Revelation. Open your Bible to Revelation 2. Let’s read this passage in Revelation 2:1-7 (KJV) Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. There is a dire warning here that we should not overlook. It is important to have right doctrine and evidently the church of Ephesus did so. It is important to have right convictions and evidently the church of Ephesus had them. The thing they lacked was that they had left their first love. Now what does that mean? There are several suggestions that could come from this point.
There are three things we need to consider here.
1. Remember, vs. 5. Do you remember when you were first saved and how you had a great zeal for the Lord? Do you remember how you wanted to separate from those things and people who would be a detriment to your spiritual growth? The Apostle Paul told the church of Ephesus in
Ephesians 2:11 (KJV) Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is
called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; He goes on to say in Ephesians 2:12 (KJV) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
Do you remember that time?
2. Repent, vs. 5. The church needs to repent and return to its first works.
The church needs to repent of its indifference, indecision and indulgence.
3. Remove, vs. 5. Now do not miss what is being said here. Jesus told the church He would remove their candlestick. In other words He will remove its power and influence. A man once said, “If you are happier about
anything right now than salvation, you are in a backslidden condition”
(cited by Peter Ruckman, Commentary on Revelation, page 49). Jesus was not necessarily saying He would close the doors of a church but He
would remove His presence (His glory) from the church. It has been said that the Holy Spirit could depart from some churches and the people would never know anything had happened.
This would mean that God was no longer going to use the church to demonstrate His light. There is two things that can happen to the candlestick, the means which light if given to the lost and dying.
a. Here the removal of the candlestick by God as we have been discussing here in Revelation 2:5.
b. Jesus warned about hiding you candlestick under a bushel. Most today do not know what a bushel is. When I was a boy my
grandparents had baskets that were designed to hold a bushel. The idea is that one would put his light under something that would
conceal it. Luke 11:33 (KJV) No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a
candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. Look at Luke 8:16 (KJV) No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. Dr. Charles Ryrie made an important statement about this matter. He said, “And have not some churches done this, substituting programs for power and pep for purity?” (Transformed by His Glory, page 52).
c. Judgment will come to the church. Does not the Bible say in 1 Peter 4:17 (KJV) For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
