Ezekiel 8: The One You Look is not What you see
Lifestyles designed by men, through history, mask torrid spiritual activities that go on in secret. Our world is operating at the level of advanced deception and it flowers in spiritual congregations as it festers on the streets.
The blind prophet
Ezekiel for a long time could be referred to as a blind prophet. What do I mean?
Hitherto, elders had been conferring with him as God’s representatives. Elders are the same as deputies that were appointed by Moses on the advice of his father in law, Jethro, to ease the burden of leadership on his shoulder. They were therefore to be men of similar spiritual aggregation as Moses so that two could work together for the same godly purpose.
Our world is operating at the level of advanced deception and it flowers in spiritual congregations as it festers on the streets.
“Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens”
Exodus 18:21
The same deputies were not just a creation of Jethro’s imagination. God approved it.
” And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.”
Numbers 11:16
This is the occupants of the Office of Elders who were to hold court and counsel the people on the ways of God. As can be seen, the intendment of having deputies was good. It would ease the administration of the ultimate leader.
When Prophet Ezekiel met with the elders of his time, they were a different kettle of fish all together. Unfortunately, he had thought they were the same as conceived by Jethro, endorsed by God and implemented by Moses. This bunch was something else. A school of misleading whales.
Collective Consciousness
Leaders rise and fall at the level of consciousness available to them. This leadership principle is one every person in position of power should understand and seek not to conform with; rather, they should seek for higher understanding from Heaven all the time in order not to drown in swirl pool of popular spiritual idiocy.
The devil works with different spirits or different spiritual tools
The blind can see
The prophet thought he was in the gathering of Elders as envisioned by the founders of the Office of Elders but he was surprised that when his eyes were opened, he was somewhere else.
” And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
Ezekiel 8:1
A movie started to unfold. The Lord revealed that Ezekiel was in the midst of foes. (I’m praying for anyone in the midst of foes that their banner of deception over your sight is torn asunder and their deadly plan against you is exposed, in the name of Jesus). The following are the scenes that God unfolded to show him the true character of the hawks seated cunningly before him. They were friends in the day but enemies in the dark.
God unfolded to show him the true character of the hawks seated cunningly before him. They were friends in the day but enemies in the dark.
Scene One: the great abomination
The image of jealousy had been erected. Abominable images forbidden by God were spiritually standing at the gate of this temple. In whose glory, you may ask?
Scene Two: behind the great walls
Altars had been set up to abominations. On the walls of the temple, there were spots, spaces dedicated to diverse entities. A little of explanation here. The devil works with different spirits or different spiritual tools. These diverse animals painted on the walls represented the different spirits or manifestations. And they all had a space in the house of God.
“So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.”
Ezekiel 8:10
Scene Three: wicked abominations behind the great walls
This is clearly a witchcraft conclave where animals and the conjurers converged. The location? Inside the temple. With the creeping things and forbidden creatures finding a habitation in the inner walls of the temple, the evil that the Church should resist has domiciled within. Then comes the seventy elders.
” And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
Ezekiel 8:11
Shock: Jaazaniah and Shaphan, two men that could be referred to as exceptional in real life were amongst the Abominators. The script couldn’t be more suspenseful.
Scene Four: wickedness beyond sex
In this scene, we are shown that despoliation has no respect for gender. The devil uses men as he uses women. Here were they wailing to Tammuz, an idol to appear to them. As the men went about desecrating the altars, the women were backing them with pollution. And this was all in the temple (Church).
” Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.”
Ezekiel 8:14
From the chorus of the women, it is clear that evil has no limitations. When communities, churches, and nations are over run by spiritual weeds, both genders must concur. (This should be a spiritual manual for someone reading this article). Evil rises and falls at the urging of men and women. May the Lord open your eyes of understanding.
Leaders rise and fall at the level of consciousness available to them. This leadership principle is one every person in position of power should understand and seek not to conform with
Lessons for the Church
Here are a few lessons for the spiritual leader who wants to excel.
- Is your church embroiled in strife, deal with the spirit and image of jealousy.
- Is there profanity, cursing and adultery? Cast out the images, and symbols already installed in the church
- When your assembly is full of rebellion and disobedience, bring to subjection the rulers of darkness this world; and
- When there is constant coming and going making church growth impossible, challenge every strange walls that keep the strongholds in place. Pull them down, casting down their imaginations.
Conclusion
I hope my family’s Bible study this Wednesday has helped you. I learnt a lot from the revelations the Lord gave through the children He put at my charge.
It is my desire and prayer that you will be invested with amazing gifts of discernment so that you’re not deceived nor misled by the cunning of men nor the guiles of demons. I also pray that you receive even deeper understanding than my limitations have allowed me to expose. God bless you.
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Thank you.
Asoya Relationship Musings - ARM 