“Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer them myself. I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. “‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.’” The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
The prophet Jeremiah had stated it in a similar way in chapter 15:1 of his book: "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth."
The prophet Jeremiah had stated it in a similar way in chapter 15:1 of his book: "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth."
We could therefore make an accurate application of the words of Ezekiel which would have applied to Peter and Paul’s day, as well as today. Consider the words of Ezekiel in the following ‘modern-day’ rendering:
“Some of the elders of Israel [false pastors] came to me: Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men [false pastors] have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites [Christians] set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, [false pastor], I the LORD will answer them [false pastors/Christians] myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, [Christians] who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, [Christians] ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel [Christians or any foreigner residing in the church] separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet [false pastor] to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer them myself. I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. “‘And if the prophet [false pastor] is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, [false pastor], and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. [the church] They will bear their guilt—the prophet [false pastor] will be as guilty as the one [the Christian] who consults him. Then the people of Israel [the church] will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.’” The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, if a country [America] sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
The apostles Peter and Paul reminded the Christians of his day of these false prophets of old, and stated that there would be false teachers in the Lord’s church who would follow the pattern of these false prophets in their preaching. Notice, two such warnings:
2 Peter 2:1 – “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15 – “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him...For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
2 Timothy 4:1-4 – “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Thus, each saint has the personal obligation to, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
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