WEBVTT 00:00:00.999 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:08.900 in a year. Today's reading is from the book of 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:13.240 Ezekiel, chapters 8 through 11. Chapter 8. And 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:15.720 it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth 00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:18.519 month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat 00:00:18.519 --> 00:00:20.640 in my house with the elders of Judah, sitting 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.239 before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:26.239 upon me there. Then I looked, and there was a 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:28.579 likeness, like the appearance of fire, from the 00:00:28.579 --> 00:00:31.500 appearance of his waist and downward, fire, and 00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:33.659 from his waist and upward, like the appearance 00:00:33.659 --> 00:00:36.679 of brightness, like the color of amber. He stretched 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:39.359 out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.020 of my hair, and the Spirit lifted me up between 00:00:42.020 --> 00:00:44.539 earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of 00:00:44.539 --> 00:00:47.280 God to Jerusalem. to the door of the north gate 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:49.939 of the inner court, where the seat of the image 00:00:49.939 --> 00:00:52.799 of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:55.700 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was 00:00:55.700 --> 00:00:58.100 there, like the vision that I saw in the plain. 00:00:58.659 --> 00:01:01.740 Then he said to me, Son of man, lift your eyes 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:04.140 now toward the north. So I lifted my eyes toward 00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:06.500 the north, and there, north of the altar gate, 00:01:06.739 --> 00:01:09.700 was this image of jealousy in the entrance. Furthermore, 00:01:09.900 --> 00:01:12.560 he said to me, Son of man, do you see what they 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:14.920 are doing? the great abominations that the house 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:18.140 of Israel commits here, to make me go far away 00:01:18.140 --> 00:01:21.140 from my sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see 00:01:21.140 --> 00:01:23.739 greater abominations. So he brought me to the 00:01:23.739 --> 00:01:26.280 door of the court, and when I looked, there was 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:28.939 a hole in the wall. Then he said to me, Son of 00:01:28.939 --> 00:01:31.980 man, dig into the wall. And when I dug into the 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:34.680 wall, there was a door. And he said to me, Go 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:37.379 in and see the wicked abominations which they 00:01:37.379 --> 00:01:40.420 are doing there. So I went in and saw, and there 00:01:40.810 --> 00:01:43.489 Every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, 00:01:43.670 --> 00:01:46.329 and all the idols of the house of Israel portrayed 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:49.489 all around on the walls. And there stood between 00:01:49.489 --> 00:01:51.969 them seventy men of the elders of the house of 00:01:51.969 --> 00:01:55.049 Israel, and in their midst stood Jezaniah the 00:01:55.049 --> 00:01:57.950 son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his 00:01:57.950 --> 00:02:00.870 hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then 00:02:00.870 --> 00:02:03.349 he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what 00:02:03.349 --> 00:02:05.769 the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark? 00:02:05.989 --> 00:02:09.210 Every man in the room of his idols. for they 00:02:09.210 --> 00:02:11.949 say the lord does not see us the lord has forsaken 00:02:11.949 --> 00:02:14.810 the land and he said to me turn again and you 00:02:14.810 --> 00:02:17.229 will see greater abominations that they are doing 00:02:17.229 --> 00:02:19.930 so he brought me to the door of the north gate 00:02:19.930 --> 00:02:22.909 of the lord's house and to my dismay women were 00:02:22.909 --> 00:02:26.110 sitting there weeping for tammuz then he said 00:02:26.110 --> 00:02:28.879 to me have you seen this o son of man Turn again, 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:31.500 you will see greater abominations than these. 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:34.060 So he brought me into the inner court of the 00:02:34.060 --> 00:02:36.280 Lord's house. And there at the door of the temple 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:38.620 of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, 00:02:38.759 --> 00:02:40.979 were about twenty -five men with their backs 00:02:40.979 --> 00:02:43.099 toward the temple of the Lord and their faces 00:02:43.099 --> 00:02:45.520 toward the east. And they were worshipping the 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:48.240 sun toward the east. And he said to me, Have 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:50.860 you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial 00:02:50.860 --> 00:02:53.780 thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:56.259 which they commit here? for they have filled 00:02:56.259 --> 00:02:58.860 the land with violence then they have returned 00:02:58.860 --> 00:03:02.060 to provoke me to anger indeed they put the branch 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:05.520 to their nose therefore i also will act in fury 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:09.080 my eye will not spare nor will i have pity and 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:11.240 though they cry in my ears with a loud voice 00:03:11.240 --> 00:03:16.259 i will not hear them chapter nine then he called 00:03:16.259 --> 00:03:18.819 out in my hearing with a loud voice saying let 00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:21.460 those who have charge over the city draw near 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.620 each with a deadly weapon in his hand. And suddenly 00:03:24.620 --> 00:03:27.400 six men came from the direction of the upper 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.319 gate, which faces north, each with his battle 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:33.539 axe in his hand. One man among them was clothed 00:03:33.539 --> 00:03:36.719 with linen and had a rider's inkhorn at his side. 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:39.319 They went in and stood beside the bronze altar. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:42.120 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:45.060 from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:47.560 of the temple, and he called the man clothed 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:50.099 with linen, who had the rider's inkhorn at his 00:03:50.099 --> 00:03:52.680 side. And the Lord said to him, Go through the 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:55.139 midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:57.979 and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who 00:03:57.979 --> 00:04:01.099 sigh and cry over all the abominations that are 00:04:01.099 --> 00:04:04.020 done within it. To the others he said in my hearing, 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:07.360 Go after him through the city and kill. Do not 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:10.699 let your eyes spare nor have any pity. Utterly 00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:13.699 slay old and young men, maidens and little children 00:04:13.699 --> 00:04:16.879 and women, but do not come near anyone on whom 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:20.360 is the mark. and begin at my sanctuary. So they 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:22.639 began with the elders who were before the temple. 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:25.800 Then he said to them, Defile the temple and fill 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:28.660 the courts with the slain. Go out. And they went 00:04:28.660 --> 00:04:31.639 out and killed in the city. So it was that while 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:34.240 they were killing them, I was left alone. And 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:36.819 I fell on my face and cried out and said, Ah, 00:04:36.819 --> 00:04:39.379 Lord God, will you destroy all the remnant of 00:04:39.379 --> 00:04:41.639 Israel in pouring out your fury on Jerusalem? 00:04:41.839 --> 00:05:13.689 Then he said to me, Chapter 10 And I looked, 00:05:13.850 --> 00:05:16.110 and there in the firmament that was above the 00:05:16.110 --> 00:05:18.329 head of the cherubim, there appeared something 00:05:18.329 --> 00:05:20.769 like a sapphire stone, having the appearance 00:05:20.769 --> 00:05:23.410 of the likeness of a throne. Then he spoke to 00:05:23.410 --> 00:05:26.310 the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in among 00:05:26.310 --> 00:05:28.990 the wheels under the cherub, fill your hands 00:05:28.990 --> 00:05:31.750 with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and 00:05:31.750 --> 00:05:34.569 scatter them over the city. And he went in as 00:05:34.569 --> 00:05:37.230 I watched. Now the cherubim were standing on 00:05:37.230 --> 00:05:39.970 the south side of the temple when the man went 00:05:39.970 --> 00:05:42.680 in, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:44.699 the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub 00:05:44.699 --> 00:05:46.899 and paused over the threshold of the temple. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.639 And the house was filled with the cloud, and 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:52.180 the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:54.699 glory. And the sound of the wings of the cherubim 00:05:54.699 --> 00:05:57.920 was heard even in the outer court, like the voice 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:01.100 of Almighty God when He speaks. Then it happened 00:06:01.100 --> 00:06:03.600 when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:06.740 Take fire from among the wheels, from among the 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:09.540 cherubim, that he went in and stood beside the 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:12.300 wheels. And the cherub stretched out his hand 00:06:12.300 --> 00:06:14.759 from among the cherubim to the fire that was 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:17.180 among the cherubim and took some of it and put 00:06:17.180 --> 00:06:19.439 it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:22.100 who took it and went out. The cherubim appeared 00:06:22.100 --> 00:06:25.259 to have the form of a man's hand under their 00:06:25.259 --> 00:06:28.240 wings. And when I looked, there were four wheels 00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:31.100 by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:33.819 another wheel by each other cherub. The wheels 00:06:33.819 --> 00:06:36.019 appeared to have the color of a barrel stone. 00:06:36.490 --> 00:06:39.310 As for their appearance, all four looked alike, 00:06:39.509 --> 00:06:42.029 as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 00:06:42.389 --> 00:06:45.129 When they went, they went toward any of their 00:06:45.129 --> 00:06:47.810 four directions. They did not turn aside when 00:06:47.810 --> 00:06:49.949 they went, but followed in the direction the 00:06:49.949 --> 00:06:52.769 head was facing. They did not turn aside when 00:06:52.769 --> 00:06:55.790 they went. And their whole body, with their back, 00:06:55.850 --> 00:06:58.310 their hands, their wings, and the wheels that 00:06:58.310 --> 00:07:01.350 the four had, were full of eyes all around. As 00:07:01.350 --> 00:07:03.649 for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, 00:07:03.870 --> 00:07:07.579 wheel. Each one had four faces. The first face 00:07:07.579 --> 00:07:10.160 was the face of a cherub. The second face, the 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:12.879 face of a man. The third, the face of a lion. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:15.860 And the fourth, the face of an eagle. And the 00:07:15.860 --> 00:07:18.079 cherubim were lifted up. This was the living 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:20.899 creature I saw by the river Shebar. When the 00:07:20.899 --> 00:07:23.660 cherubim went, the wheels went beside them. And 00:07:23.660 --> 00:07:25.480 when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:28.620 up from the earth, the same wheels also did not 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:31.079 turn from beside them. When the cherubim stood 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:34.350 still, The wheels stood still, and when one was 00:07:34.350 --> 00:07:37.069 lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the 00:07:37.069 --> 00:07:40.050 spirit of the living creature was in them. Then 00:07:40.050 --> 00:07:42.149 the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold 00:07:42.149 --> 00:07:45.009 of the temple and stood over the cherubim, and 00:07:45.009 --> 00:07:47.410 the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up 00:07:47.410 --> 00:07:50.189 from the earth in my sight. When they went out, 00:07:50.290 --> 00:07:52.889 the wheels were beside them, and they stood at 00:07:52.889 --> 00:07:55.089 the door of the east gate of the Lord's house, 00:07:55.250 --> 00:07:57.709 and the glory of the God of Israel was above 00:07:57.709 --> 00:08:00.759 them. This is the living creature I saw. under 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:03.779 the God of Israel by the river Shabar, and I 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:06.680 knew they were cherubim. Each one had four faces, 00:08:06.740 --> 00:08:09.740 and each one four wings, and the likeness of 00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:12.560 the hands of a man was under their wings, and 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.000 the likeness of their faces was the same as the 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:18.000 faces which I had seen by the river Shabar, their 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.540 appearance and their persons. They each went 00:08:20.540 --> 00:08:26.600 straight forward. Chapter 11 Then a spirit lifted 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:28.980 me up and brought me to the east gate of the 00:08:28.980 --> 00:08:31.939 Lord's house, which faces eastward. And there 00:08:31.939 --> 00:08:34.100 at the door of the gate were twenty -five men, 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.679 among whom I saw Jazaniah the son of Azur, and 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:40.399 Pitaiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:43.320 And he said to me, Son of man, these are the 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.259 men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:49.399 in this city, who say the time is not near to 00:08:49.399 --> 00:08:52.139 build houses. This city is the cauldron, and 00:08:52.139 --> 00:08:55.279 we are the meat. Therefore prophesy against them. 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:58.320 Prophesy, O son of man. Then the Spirit of the 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.440 Lord fell upon me and said to me, Speak. Thus 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.379 says the Lord. Thus you have said, O house of 00:09:04.379 --> 00:09:07.179 Israel. For I know the things that come into 00:09:07.179 --> 00:09:09.580 your mind. You have multiplied your slain in 00:09:09.580 --> 00:09:12.480 this city, and you have filled its streets with 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:15.110 the slain. Therefore thus says the Lord God, 00:09:15.350 --> 00:09:18.529 Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they 00:09:18.529 --> 00:09:20.929 are the meat, and this city is the cauldron. 00:09:21.029 --> 00:09:23.649 But I shall bring you out of the midst of it. 00:09:23.830 --> 00:09:26.230 You have feared the sword, and I will bring a 00:09:26.230 --> 00:09:29.029 sword upon you, says the Lord God. And I will 00:09:29.029 --> 00:09:31.649 bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into 00:09:31.649 --> 00:09:34.049 the hands of strangers, and execute judgments 00:09:34.049 --> 00:09:37.470 on you. You shall fall by the sword, I will judge 00:09:37.470 --> 00:09:40.289 you at the border of Israel. Then you shall know 00:09:40.289 --> 00:09:43.669 that I am the Lord. This city shall not be your 00:09:43.669 --> 00:09:46.409 cauldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. 00:09:46.570 --> 00:09:49.850 I will judge you at the border of Israel, and 00:09:49.850 --> 00:09:52.029 you shall know that I am the Lord, for you have 00:09:52.029 --> 00:09:55.129 not walked in my statutes, nor executed my judgments, 00:09:55.370 --> 00:09:58.049 but have done according to the customs of the 00:09:58.049 --> 00:10:01.539 Gentiles which are all around you. Now it happened, 00:10:01.659 --> 00:10:04.120 while I was prophesying, that Petiah the son 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.220 of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:10.419 with a loud voice and said, Ah, Lord God, will 00:10:10.419 --> 00:10:12.980 you make a complete end of the remnant of Israel? 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.399 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 00:10:15.820 --> 00:10:18.679 Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:21.000 countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:23.980 entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants 00:10:23.980 --> 00:10:26.960 of Jerusalem have said, Get far away from the 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:29.860 Lord. This land has been given to us as a possession. 00:10:30.299 --> 00:10:33.220 therefore say thus says the lord god although 00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:36.759 i have cast them far off among the gentiles and 00:10:36.759 --> 00:10:38.980 although i have scattered them among the countries 00:10:38.980 --> 00:10:42.460 yet i shall be a little sanctuary for them in 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:44.879 the countries where they have gone therefore 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:48.259 say thus says the lord god i will gather you 00:10:48.259 --> 00:10:50.659 from the peoples assemble you from the countries 00:10:50.659 --> 00:10:53.000 where you have been scattered and i will give 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:56.009 you the land of israel And they will go there, 00:10:56.149 --> 00:10:59.029 and they will take away all its detestable things 00:10:59.029 --> 00:11:02.529 and all its abominations from there. Then I will 00:11:02.529 --> 00:11:05.070 give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit 00:11:05.070 --> 00:11:07.990 within them, and take the stony heart out of 00:11:07.990 --> 00:11:10.330 their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 00:11:10.549 --> 00:11:13.389 that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my 00:11:13.389 --> 00:11:15.769 judgments, and do them. And they shall be my 00:11:15.769 --> 00:11:19.289 people, and I will be their God. But as for those 00:11:19.289 --> 00:11:22.549 whose hearts follow the desire of their detestable 00:11:22.549 --> 00:11:25.769 things and their abominations, I will recompense 00:11:25.769 --> 00:11:28.470 their deeds on their own heads, says the Lord 00:11:28.470 --> 00:11:32.149 God. So the cherubim lifted up their wings with 00:11:32.149 --> 00:11:34.190 the wheels beside them, and the glory of the 00:11:34.190 --> 00:11:36.909 God of Israel was high above them. And the glory 00:11:36.909 --> 00:11:38.990 of the Lord went up from the midst of the city 00:11:38.990 --> 00:11:41.350 and stood on the mountain, which is on the east 00:11:41.350 --> 00:11:44.110 side of the city. Then the Spirit took me up 00:11:44.110 --> 00:11:46.909 and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God 00:11:46.909 --> 00:11:50.370 into Chaldea to those in captivity, and the vision 00:11:50.370 --> 00:11:53.789 that I had seen went up from me. So I spoke to 00:11:53.789 --> 00:11:56.929 those in captivity of all the things the Lord 00:11:56.929 --> 00:12:04.549 had shown me. I hope you enjoyed today's reading 00:12:04.549 --> 00:12:06.870 as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing 00:12:06.870 --> 00:12:08.909 you again tomorrow to continue on our journey. 00:12:09.070 --> 00:12:10.710 God bless you and have a great day.