It can be discouraging living in our world. There are people who fully believe we are heading for total annihilation from one source or another. I am always grateful, as someone who fully believes in Christ, for my knowledge of what is really to come when I hear messages of doom. Just one serious study of the Book of Ezekiel can make us see that the adversary who seeks to destroy us can never win the destruction of humanity.
It seemed for a long time that the adversary was winning anciently as the Canaanite nations afflicted Israel and led her into idolatry but when Israel fell into captivity, Jehovah revealed His mighty arm in vengeance by destroying these nations and empires of Egypt, Assyria, Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Persia and Idumea. The Lord calls them ‘the mighty that are fallen….which are gone down to hell’ (Ezekiel 32:27). Egypt, which was the power to be reckoned with was probably the greatest tragedy. Ezekiel devoted four chapters (29-32) to the description of Egypt’s beauty, prophetic destruction and lamentation. Much like Tyre of which I wrote in part 1, Egypt’s splendour was destroyed because it sought to exalt itself to the status of God (Ezekiel 29:9; 31:10).
After pronouncing judgment on these ancient nations and affirming that the destruction will be His doing (71 times no less), Jehovah testified: “I have caused my terror in the land of the living” (Ezekiel 32:32). Why such terror and such terrible destruction? Because these nations were built up on excessive pride and what is built on pride cannot stand. Pride is the foundation of a kingdom that cannot last because it seeks to elevate itself above God and we all know who HE is.
This is what fascinates me. Ezekiel made every vision he had of the destruction of these nations known to the exiles in Babylon but the exiles got complacent with all the prophecies. Their prevalent belief was: “The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.” (Ezekiel 12:27)
I think of how bad our world is becoming with division amongst the people, the hatred, the crime, the wickedness that never ends. The Saviour has promised throughout centuries that He will return to crush the enemy of all righteousness and reveal the arm of His power. The Second Coming has been prophesied throughout the ages (see Matthew 16:27; 24:30; Isaiah 40:5; 3 Nephi 24:2; D&C 45:44, 49-50; 63:34; 88:93; 101:23, Moses 7:65; Malachi 3:1; JST4:1; Acts 1:9-11; 3 Nephi 24:2; Revelation 1:7; John 14:3). It has been believed in by the Christendom at large for over 2,000 years but in the world at large Christ has become something of a folklore……until that day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess….(Romans 14:11)
Let us not become like the exiles in Ezekiel’s day who think the time of the Second Coming is ‘far off’ or that it will never happen. There is nothing that the Saviour has promised and not fulfilled. The promises are delivered in our time but fulfilled in His. He is a God of integrity and keeps His word. If promises don’t become fulfilled, it is because the fulfilment is a lot of times dependant on us. We either repent and avoid destruction or we become disobedient and prevent blessings promised. The Second Coming is assured but it will very much look like that: destruction to the wicked and a blessing to the righteous who repent. If we want to fall into the second category, we need to be prepared. Let us remember that the time of waiting will one day come to an end:
“Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 12:28)
He
will come and crush the enemy who sought to elevate himself and the nations of
this world with pride. He who has said: “I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God….I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:12-15), has never received a
body, and though the king and ruler of world-wide empire of spiritual Babylon, he
shall never have a tomb or monument to his name and the kings of the earth will
exclaim in amazement when they see him cast down to hell: “Is this the man that
made the earth tremble, that did shake the kingdoms?” (v 16). Like the prideful nations, he will be stripped
of his power and his pride, and he will not stand…..
Where is the sting of death,
The enemy of righteousness,
And humanity’s foe?
The fire of its power lies in ashes
Quenched at Calvary long ago.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
No comments:
Post a Comment