Angels, Marks, and Remnants

O. T. #1871 "Angels, Marks, and Remnants"

January 29, 2021

Ezekiel 9

Give glory to the LORD your God... (Jeremiah 13:16)

I am the LORD: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images. (Isaiah 42:8)

In heaven, an angel will loudly say, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:7)

LET IT GLOW

Of course, the glory of God could not remain in such a wicked place that the Temple of God had become. Ezekiel had seen in his vision how the Jews had changed it from a place of sacrifice and worship to Almighty and Holy God to a place of idol and false god worship. What an abomination unto God! The glory of the God of Israel had come to the Temple in 8:4; but in 9:3 the glory moved to the threshold or northern entrance of the Temple. The throne of glory was empty. It would become a throne of judgment.

This was only the first step in a sad journey of abandonment by a holy God who could no longer live among a sinful people. But of all the judgments God would inflict on Israel, this was the most crushing. God's people had turned their backs on Him, and in response He was turning His back on them. Believers today can forfeit the fellowship of God's active presence operating in their lives when they live with unaddressed sin (see 1John 1:5-9)  (The Tony Evans Bible Commentary )

Have we or loved ones that  turned their back on a Loving God and turned to a sinful lifestyle? We must confront them with the consequences of sin-death. But our God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins when we repent. He will cleanse us of our unrighteousness. That is the good news.

LET IT GROW

Then an unusual thing happened. God called forth and gave a task to 6 men, probably angels that were in charge of Jerusalem, with axes of battle. The 6 were executioners to line up with a destructive weapon (weapon of war) in his hand. (verse 1) Then another man clothed with linen, who had an inkhorn (a cup; an ink-stand) at his side. He was told to walk through the city and mark on the foreheads all those who wept and sighed because of the detestable sins being committed in the city. The other men were to follow him and kill those people who did not have the mark on their forehead. Show no mercy, have no pity, even for the old, young, women, and children. They were to begin at the Temple, with the 70 leaders. They were to fill the courtyard with corpses, which defiled the Temple. (The Jews had already defiled it with their worship of idols.) So it happened and the men did as they were instructed.

The righteous remnant had been marked out for God's mercy amid His wrath. (verse 11) They cried to God in prayer because of the dishonor done to God's name. We should mourn for the sins of others. Back in Jeremiah 15:11, God promised it should go well with His remnant and they should be well treated.

The man making their marks represented Christ as Mediator and high priest. Jesus owns us and will one day confess us as His, for He knows His sheep. He keeps us securely in His hands. Therefore, we are secure for eternity. Jesus looses none of His that God gave Him.

I could find no other place in scriptures that speak of Christians having the mark of the remnant. Some say there are marks of a Christian as a believer that can be detected, found in 1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 5, 1John 1-4. We are to love others, love the brethren, love and obey Christ and His commandments, repent of our sins, reject false teachings, and have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Are we exhibiting those characteristics?

LET IT GO

May we fear no more, for we are held by You, our God.

May we cry over the lost souls of the evil ones in our nation.

Use us to share You love with those who do not know it.

Make us Your light in the darkness.

There is no one like my God.