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August 20 - Evening
"Then I heard him call out in a loud voice,
‘Bring near those who are appointed
to
execute judgment on the city,
each with a weapon in his hand.’
And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed
in linen who had a writing kit at his side.
They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and
moved to the threshold of the temple.
Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him,
‘Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and
put a mark on the foreheads of those who
grieve and lament over all the detestable
things that are done in it.’
As I listened, he said to the others,
‘Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.’
So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple."
- Ezekiel 9:1-6 |
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| Angels Mark the Citizens for Protection or Destruction |
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Ezekiel has this vision on September 17, 592 BC (Ezekiel 8:1):
1. Ezekiel 9:1 God says, "Bring the guards of the city here, each with a weapon in his hand." Then six angels that had been guarding the city come in to receive orders to destroy the people.
2. Also, a man with a writing kit (a case to carry reed pens with an inkhorn attached) is told to put a mark (The Hebrew letter "taw", an "x") on the people who mourn for the wicked things done in the city.
3. The Lord leaves the Ark of the Covenant and moves to the door way (threshold) of the temple to give instructions to the angels. (9:3)
4. The angel with the writing kit goes out into the city first to begin marking the faithful. These will be spared.
5. The angels with the "deadly weapons" (Hebrew "slaughter weapon" like a crushing device such as a battle ax, but not a sword) begin by slaughtering the 25 priest (Ezekiel 8:16) by the altar in front of the temple.
6. In 9:5 the destroying angels leave the temple for the city. They leave behind a temple court defiled with dead bodies of the priest.
7. Ezekiel pleads with God for mercy. But, the purpose of this vision is to convince Ezekiel that the people must be destroyed.
8. In 9:11 the angel with the writing kit returns and says, "I have done as you commanded."
9. This same scribe angel is told by God, who is at the door of the temple, to go to the cherubim under the throne/expanse on the south side of the temple and get burning coals. (Ezekiel 10:1-8)
10. This fire is the judgment that will be scattered over the city.
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11. Ezekiel stresses that this vision of the glory of God in Jerusalem is the same image that he had seen with the captive exiles in Babylon by the Kebar River.
12. God is leaving Jerusalem, but is going with the exiles into Babylon.
(Click each of the three Temple diagrams for larger image.) |
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“He answered,
‘Sir, I perceive, by the book in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment.’
The said Evangelist,
‘Why not willing to die, since this life is attended with so many evils?’
The man answered,
‘Because, I fear that this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave, and I shall fall into Tophet (Isaiah 30:33).
Then said Evangelist,
‘If this be thy condition, why standest thou still?’”
– John Bunyan in
“The Pilgrim’s Progress”
(read it here) |
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Believers are referred to as “Christians” three times
in the Bible:
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Medicare |
God’s will be
done |
Unions and
workers |
Malawi |
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| The 63 BC Roman city of Beth Shean sets at the base of the hill (tel) of the Old Testament city of Beth Shean (Beth Shan) which was occupied by Canaanites, Egyptians, and eventually, Israelites. (Details here.) |
Diagram detailing Herod the Great's family tree and
the Herodian kings who followed him and are mentioned in the New Testament. |
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(click on images for larger size) |
| Details and Explanation of Sets & Reps Devotional System Here |
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| Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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