| Ezekiel 13 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination, 'Hear the word of the LORD,' 3 Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the breaks [in the wall] to have made a secure wall for the house of Israel so it can stand in the battle on the day of the LORD. 6 They envision falsehood and lying divinations, saying, 'Thus says the LORD!' And the LORD has not sent them. And yet they have made others hope that they would be fulfilled. 7 Have you not seen a false vision, and have you not spoken a lying divination when you say, 'The LORD says,' although I have not spoken? 8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken falsely and seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you, says the Lord GOD. 9 And my hand will be against the prophets who see falsely and divine lies. They shall not be in the assembly of my people or be written in the records of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 10 Because they have seduced my people saying, 'Peace!' When there is no peace.1 And one builds a wall, and lo, others [false prophets] daub it with untempered mortar, [Peace is the fruit of righteousness, which is quietness and confident trust, (unquestionable assurance), forever. Isa 32:17. Until we have been purified and freed from all sin, there is no peace or righteousness. See the definition of righteousness in 1 John 3:7's commentary and footnote to understand what it means and what it takes to become righteous and have peace.] 11 Say to those who daub it with untempered mortar, that it will fall.2 There shall be an overflowing rain; and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind shall tear it apart. 12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, will it not be asked of you, 'Where is the daubing with which you have daubed it?' 13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will rend it with a stormy wind in my fury, and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger and great hailstones in my fury to consume it. 14 So will I break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation of it is uncovered, and it shall fall, and you shall be destroyed in its midst; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 15 Thus I will accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have daubed it with untempered mortar, and I will say to you, 'The wall is no more, neither are those who daubed it, 16 That is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord GOD.' 17 Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own imagination; and prophesy against them, 18 And say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew pillows to all armholes [magic charms], and make veils [on which magic amulets were worn] for the head of every size to entrap souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and will you [be able to] save the souls alive that come to you? 19 And will you defile me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and give [a guarantee of] life to the souls that should not live, by your lying to my people who hear your lies?' 20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows [magic charms], with which you hunt souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that you hunt to ensnare like birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils [disguises], and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 22 Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way, by [falsely] promising him life.3 23 Therefore you shall no longer envision falsely or practice divinations for I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am the LORD." Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | |||||||||
1 Because they have seduced my people saying, 'Peace!' When there is no peace. The false ministers say Peace, Peace, when there is no peace. And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness is quietness and confidence forever. Isa 32:17. Through our belief in the true gospel, we have access to God, allowing us to approach him to receive his changing, purifying grace through hearing and obedience; however, until we have been purified and freed from all sin, there is no peace or righteousness. See the definition of righteousness in 1 John 3:7's commentary and footnote to understand what it means and what it takes to become righteous.
If while on earth, we fail to patiently and persistently wait on God, hearing and obeying all his commands, thus to be purified by faith, there is no peace with God because God does not tolerate sin; thus our souls will be destroyed, and we will be banned from heaven. Then we will have to make our peace with God the hard way: through a painful education and change in Hell.
The relatively easy way to obtain peace is on earth is through the inward cross of self-denial, which through repentance and destruction (remission) of sin produces peace and righteousness that is received as the Spirit of Christ replaces our destroyed sinful nature.
2 To daub the wall with untempered mortar is try to build the wall with mortar that crumbles: false mortar, false teachings, both of which result in destruction. Tempered mortar is words and teachings from the Spirit of God. Untempered mortar is words without the Spirit; the preachers of Christendom speak from their carnal minds, the nature of death, and in their vain imaginations from the evil of their hearts. The spiritual equivalent of the physical wall is the spiritual wall of protection in the heart, consecration; to be sanctified and cleansed by the washing of the water by the word, to be protected from evil, while still in the world, but being secure in union with Christ Jesus; still walking through this world's temptation's, but being within Christ Jesus, who never fell, unable to fall to temptation. Obviously a minister, who is not in union with Christ himself, is not able to speak from the Spirit of God, not able to speak the Word of God, as did the apostles; therefore a minister, speaking from his carnal mind, speaking from the deceit of his heart, speaking from his imagination, is unable to build or repair the walls of New Jerusalem in the hearts of his listeners; he leaves his listeners still vulnerable to evil and to fall in sin. And he leaves them with no peace, but claims peace, not even knowing what peace is.
3 with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way, by [falsely] promising him life. Hear! you teachers and preachers of Christendom. Your lies are seen by the righteous, and you make the righteous sad with your continual stream of lies. You tell sinners that they can keep on sinning with no consequence, that they are automatically forgiven, and that as long as they "believe," they will go to heaven; you strengthen the hand of the wicked and promise him life. You ministers of Christendom tell your members that they are righteous, even while they are still sinning, sin being wickedness.
He that says to the wicked, 'You are righteous;' him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him. Pro 24:24
You have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way, by [falsely] promising him life.
All the pastors and ministers shall be cursed, who lied, saying that with belief in Jesus, you are righteous while still locked in sin.
In effect, the ministers of today tell their members: don't seek, don't obey, don't fear, don't strive -
Peter wrote about these ministers: These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those [lustful desires of sinful nature] who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:12-19 (And Jesus said, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. John 8:34).
I will bring upon them an everlasting reproach and perpetual shame that shall never be forgotten. Jer 23:40.
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