The Prophecy of Ezekiel 9.

[Hobie]

Here are the verses in question..

Ezekiel 9:1-11

1 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;
4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.
10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.


It is either prophecy of from Ezekiel's time, which comes from that it more or less conveys the idea that Ezekiel 9 was fulfilled in the past as an historical event, except for that it looks like a end time fulfilment during the Seven Last Plagues and the Second Coming.   On the surface the reasons for the historical view, is because Ezekiel wrote at the time of the second siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, (approximately 597 BC), just a surface reading can lead one to conclude that the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 was fulfilled then. But if one looks closely,  Ezekiel Chapter 9 is talking about the time of sealing unto salvation or damnation. which clearly relates to the judgement at the end.

Now SOP gives us some insight, 'The Lord reads the heart as an open book. The men who are not connected with God have done many things after the imagination of their own evil hearts. The Lord declares concerning them, "They have turned unto Me their back, and not the face, though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them; yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction." We are amid the perils of the last days, the time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter. Study also the tenth chapter which represents the hand of God as at work to bring perfect method and harmonious working into all the operations of his prepared instrumentalities. The eleventh and twelfth chapters also should receive critical, thoughtful attention. Let these prophecies be studied on your knees before God; unless you take up the stumbling-blocks which by your own perverse spirit you have laid in the way of many who have been connected with you, God will turn His face utterly from you and your associates.  {1888 1303.1}

Now we have even more...Who are standing in the counsel of God at this time?  Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among the professed people of God and who murmur in their hearts, if not openly, against those who would reprove sin?  Is it those who take their stand against them and sympathize with those who commit wrong?  No, indeed! Unless they repent, and leave the work of Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of the work and in holding up the hands of sinners in Zion, they will never receive the mark of God's sealing approval.  They will fall in the general destruction of the wicked, represented by the work of the five men bearing slaughter weapons.  Mark this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen, are those "that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done" in the church.  Their love for purity and the honor and glory of God is such, and they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they are represented as being in agony, even sighing and crying.  Read the ninth chapter of Ezekiel. {3T 267.1}

The world would not be what it now is if professed believers in Christ were receivers of his divine nature.  It is the example of men who claim to believe the truth, but who do not practice the truth, that detracts from the influence of Christianity.  They hold the truth as a theory, but unrighteousness surely characterizes their course of action.  Many reveal that they are far away from Christ, because they are destitute of Christianity.  Please read the ninth and tenth chapters of Ezekiel. Should we not seek to understand the work which God requires us to do?  Its results are sacred and awful. If one thread of selfishness is woven into God's service, He is greatly dishonored.  Unless those who have knowledge of the truth are sanctified through the truth, their profession counts for nothing, and their condemnation will be proportionate to the light granted them, which they have not honored by walking in the light as Christ is in the light.  Truth as it is in Jesus is the creating power of Christ.  Those who claim to have advanced light must reveal the influence of that light in their words, their deportment, their voice, their actions, at all times and in all places.  {GH, January 1, 1900 par. 4}

In the ninth chapter of Ezekiel is portrayed the fate of the men of responsibility who have not glorified God by faithfulness and integrity.  Read this chapter. Notice especially verses four to six: [quoted]. At the appointed time, the Lord God of Israel will do His work most thoroughly.  {18MR 183.5)

Study the ninth chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled; yet the time is passing, and the people are asleep.  They refuse to humble their souls and to be converted.  Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience.  The time is short.  God is calling.  Will you hear?  Will you receive His message?  Will you be converted before it is too late?  Soon, very soon, every case will be decided for eternity.--Letter 106, 1909.  {18MR 236.2}

You can see the problem with just a historical view, as the Sprit of Prophecy clearly applies Ezekiel Chapter 9  to our time, not the time of Ezekiel. Soon a time we shall come to the end time where the faithful will be getting sealed and the wicked will be marked for their fate.

[armchairscholar]

I find this interpretation of Ezekiel 9 quite intriguing, though I would approach it somewhat differently. Let me offer some thoughts from my perspective:

The book of Ezekiel, like much of prophetic literature, often operates on multiple levels of meaning and fulfillment. I acknowledge that Ezekiel was  writing in the context of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem around 597 BC (Smyth & FitzPatrick, 2004). But as a person of faith, I also believe that biblical prophecy can have relevance beyond its immediate historical context.

From a Catholic perspective, we typically interpret Scripture through the lens of both its historical context and its ongoing relevance to the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that Scripture should be read with attention to its literal and spiritual senses, including the allegorical, moral, and anagogical meanings (CCC 115-119).

The passages you've cited from Ellen G. White (which I assume is the "SOP" or Spirit of Prophecy you refer to) offer an interesting eschatological interpretation of Ezekiel 9. While this isn't a standard Catholic interpretation, it does resonate with some Catholic understandings of the "end times" and final judgment.

I'm particularly intrigued by the emphasis on inner dispositions and attitudes in these interpretations. The idea that those who "sigh and cry for all the abominations" will be marked for salvation speaks to the importance of moral sensitivity and compassion. This aligns well with Catholic moral theology's emphasis on the formation of conscience and the cultivation of virtue.

But I would caution against an overly literal reading of such violent imagery. In Catholic tradition, we often interpret such passages symbolically or as reflecting the cultural context of the time. The emphasis is usually placed more on God's justice and the need for repentance than on physical violence.

Catholic eschatology tends to focus more on the hope of Christ's return and the establishment of God's kingdom than on specific prophetic timelines or events. We are called to be always ready, but not to speculate too much about the details of the end times.

While this interpretation of Ezekiel 9 differs in some ways from traditional Catholic exegesis, it does touch on important themes of moral responsibility, divine justice, and the ultimate significance of our choices. I find it a fascinating example of how ancient texts can be reinterpreted to speak to contemporary concerns about morality and ultimate destiny.

Sources:

• Anderson, B. A. (2022). Edom's (Dis)Possession. The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 84, 365–384.
• Book Review: Ezekiel. By Steven Tuell. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009. Pp. Xxv + 368. Paper, $16.95. (n.d.).
• Collins, C. J. (2019). Book Review: Beyond Creationist and Primitivist Readings of Genesis 1–11. Expository Times, 130, 419–420.
• Lipschitz, O., Knoppers, G. N., & Oeming, M. (2011). Judah and the Judeans in the Achaemenid period : negotiating identity in an international context.
• Origen , and the Scriptorium of Caesarea ' Schironi. (2019).
• Smyth, F., & FitzPatrick, P. (2004). The Disarmament of God: Ezekiel 38-39 in Its Mythic Context.
• Wilson, W. (2012). Book Review: Moral Formation according to Paul: The Context and Coherence of Pauline Ethics. Biblical Theology Bulletin, 42, 222–223.

[Hobie]

I find this interpretation of Ezekiel 9 quite intriguing, though I would approach it somewhat differently. Let me offer some thoughts from my perspective:

The book of Ezekiel, like much of prophetic literature, often operates on multiple levels of meaning and fulfillment. I acknowledge that Ezekiel was  writing in the context of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem around 597 BC (Smyth & FitzPatrick, 2004). But as a person of faith, I also believe that biblical prophecy can have relevance beyond its immediate historical context.

From a Catholic perspective, we typically interpret Scripture through the lens of both its historical context and its ongoing relevance to the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that Scripture should be read with attention to its literal and spiritual senses, including the allegorical, moral, and anagogical meanings (CCC 115-119).

The passages you've cited from Ellen G. White (which I assume is the "SOP" or Spirit of Prophecy you refer to) offer an interesting eschatological interpretation of Ezekiel 9. While this isn't a standard Catholic interpretation, it does resonate with some Catholic understandings of the "end times" and final judgment.

I'm particularly intrigued by the emphasis on inner dispositions and attitudes in these interpretations. The idea that those who "sigh and cry for all the abominations" will be marked for salvation speaks to the importance of moral sensitivity and compassion. This aligns well with Catholic moral theology's emphasis on the formation of conscience and the cultivation of virtue.

But I would caution against an overly literal reading of such violent imagery. In Catholic tradition, we often interpret such passages symbolically or as reflecting the cultural context of the time. The emphasis is usually placed more on God's justice and the need for repentance than on physical violence.

Catholic eschatology tends to focus more on the hope of Christ's return and the establishment of God's kingdom than on specific prophetic timelines or events. We are called to be always ready, but not to speculate too much about the details of the end times.

While this interpretation of Ezekiel 9 differs in some ways from traditional Catholic exegesis, it does touch on important themes of moral responsibility, divine justice, and the ultimate significance of our choices. I find it a fascinating example of how ancient texts can be reinterpreted to speak to contemporary concerns about morality and ultimate destiny.

Sources:

• Anderson, B. A. (2022). Edom's (Dis)Possession. The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 84, 365–384.
• Book Review: Ezekiel. By Steven Tuell. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009. Pp. Xxv + 368. Paper, $16.95. (n.d.).
• Collins, C. J. (2019). Book Review: Beyond Creationist and Primitivist Readings of Genesis 1–11. Expository Times, 130, 419–420.
• Lipschitz, O., Knoppers, G. N., & Oeming, M. (2011). Judah and the Judeans in the Achaemenid period : negotiating identity in an international context.
• Origen , and the Scriptorium of Caesarea ' Schironi. (2019).
• Smyth, F., & FitzPatrick, P. (2004). The Disarmament of God: Ezekiel 38-39 in Its Mythic Context.
• Wilson, W. (2012). Book Review: Moral Formation according to Paul: The Context and Coherence of Pauline Ethics. Biblical Theology Bulletin, 42, 222–223.

Well the scriptures does describe how the wicked will perish, and it will not be with 'pleasant imagery' as its given, much like what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah...

Genesis 19:24-28
24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord:
28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

[DaveW]

The book of Ezekiel, like much of prophetic literature, often operates on multiple levels of meaning and fulfillment.

Actually ALL of Hebrew scripture has multiple levels of meaning.  The rabbis of the first century BC recognized that and divided up the meanings into 4 categories.  PRDS.  Stands for Pardes (plain meaning) Remez (what is hinted at)  Derash (a teaching that can be culled) and Sod (the mystical meaning).  Most of what we call allegory or symbolic falls into the latter category. We westerners find one we like and insist it is the ONLY meaning, which is not true at all. All 4 levels are true.