Understanding God’s election
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I just want to briefly address Ezek 36 to show from the context that the prophecy pertained to the Babylonian exiles and God's promise to return them to the Land very shortly. In fact, "the land" is being personified in this passage since the prophecy is to the Land. This prophecy has been fulfilled!
Ezek 36:1-12
36:1 "Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The enemy said of you, "Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession." ' 3 Therefore prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people's malicious talk and slander...
Notice carefully the past tenses of the verbs "ravaged" and "hounded". This is something that occurred in the past of the original audience to whom Ezekiel was prophesying (i.e. the exiled Jews in Babylon). It would have been of very small comfort to the Jewish captors if Ezekiel was predicting something that wouldn't even occur in their lifetime!
4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD: This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you—
Again, notice please the past tense of the verbs "plundered" and "ridiculed".
5 this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.' 6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations. 7 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.
Again, this prophecy re the nations has been fulfilled. The Jews HAVE SUFFERED the scorn of the nations. In fact, Jeremiah who wrote more than any other prophet about the Babylonian exile was God's prophet to the NATIONS -- not just to Israel. God had and was still in the process of punishing the nations for the part they played in Israel's apostasy in addition to their own sins of idolatry.
8 "'But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will SOON come home. 9 I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, 10 and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11 I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 12 I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.
NIV
Did everyone catch v. 8? God is promising the Land that his people will SOON -- not thousands of years into the future -- come home and they will once again walk upon His land (v.12). And God promised to settle his people on the Land as they had been in the [recent] past -- prior to their captivity.
As usual our Mr. Genez, who consistently ignores the context to passages, doesn't have a clue of what he speaks. Plus because he ignores NT revelation, he also conveniently overlooks the fact that all true believers in this New Covenant age are Jews in the spiritual sense! All true believers are "children of the promise" and are, therefore, descendants of Abraham in fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant. Therefore, all the promises from v. 25 on also apply to us, since we're spiritual children of Abraham.
Ezek 36:1-12
36:1 "Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The enemy said of you, "Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession." ' 3 Therefore prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people's malicious talk and slander...
Notice carefully the past tenses of the verbs "ravaged" and "hounded". This is something that occurred in the past of the original audience to whom Ezekiel was prophesying (i.e. the exiled Jews in Babylon). It would have been of very small comfort to the Jewish captors if Ezekiel was predicting something that wouldn't even occur in their lifetime!
4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD: This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you—
Again, notice please the past tense of the verbs "plundered" and "ridiculed".
5 this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.' 6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations. 7 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.
Again, this prophecy re the nations has been fulfilled. The Jews HAVE SUFFERED the scorn of the nations. In fact, Jeremiah who wrote more than any other prophet about the Babylonian exile was God's prophet to the NATIONS -- not just to Israel. God had and was still in the process of punishing the nations for the part they played in Israel's apostasy in addition to their own sins of idolatry.
8 "'But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will SOON come home. 9 I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, 10 and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11 I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 12 I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.
NIV
Did everyone catch v. 8? God is promising the Land that his people will SOON -- not thousands of years into the future -- come home and they will once again walk upon His land (v.12). And God promised to settle his people on the Land as they had been in the [recent] past -- prior to their captivity.
As usual our Mr. Genez, who consistently ignores the context to passages, doesn't have a clue of what he speaks. Plus because he ignores NT revelation, he also conveniently overlooks the fact that all true believers in this New Covenant age are Jews in the spiritual sense! All true believers are "children of the promise" and are, therefore, descendants of Abraham in fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant. Therefore, all the promises from v. 25 on also apply to us, since we're spiritual children of Abraham.
Your problem is that you think that God's familial love is unconditional. You couldn't possibly be more wrong. There are literally numerous passages in scripture that qualify God's love. (Having said that doesn't mean that God isn't generally a benevolent God; for every second of every day his common grace makes the existence of all the people on this earth possible.) You might want to conduct your own personal inductive study into this issue.
Also, in my 1670 I presented a few scriptures that answers the question about whether sinners are worthy of hell or not.
Also, in my 1670 I presented a few scriptures that answers the question about whether sinners are worthy of hell or not.
You mean you got to work hard?
What happened to your grace position?
One can be very sure of himself (like the pharisees were)
and follow after doctrines designed to fertilize his own ego.
And, as long as someone initially believed in Jesus Christ?
He will be saved...
Saved.
But, as a believer following false doctrine, to be denied all the glorious rewards the Lord wanted to bestow.
Good rewards if he had only humbled himself and submitted to sound doctrine (gold, siver, and precious stones).
Read carefully.
The biggest loser in his thinking - after he is saved - will still remain saved!
Read carefully....
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
Salvation is easy as believing in Jesus Christ.
Glorifying the Lord after one is saved?
That was never meant to be easy.
So far, you are screwing up in understanding that truth.
You need a good teacher.
What happened to your grace position?
One can be very sure of himself (like the pharisees were)
and follow after doctrines designed to fertilize his own ego.
And, as long as someone initially believed in Jesus Christ?
He will be saved...
Saved.
But, as a believer following false doctrine, to be denied all the glorious rewards the Lord wanted to bestow.
Good rewards if he had only humbled himself and submitted to sound doctrine (gold, siver, and precious stones).
Read carefully.
The biggest loser in his thinking - after he is saved - will still remain saved!
Read carefully....
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone
builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be
shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire
will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will
receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though
only as one escaping through the flames.
Salvation is easy as believing in Jesus Christ.
Glorifying the Lord after one is saved?
That was never meant to be easy.
So far, you are screwing up in understanding that truth.
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.
If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though
only as one escaping through the flames.
You need a good teacher.
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I haven't changed anything. The prophecy has been fulfilled...PERIOD! The prophet wasn't prophesying about a millennial kingdom thousands of years in the future of the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Rather, God promised through Ezekiel the imminent return of the Jews to their land. They would return to it shortly. And so they did, thanks largely to the royal decree of Cyrus, as Isaiah predicted.
You need to study your bible. There are numerous references in the NT to false prophets and false believers. (These are also known as "tares" in the Church) Have you never read:
Matt 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' ?
NIV
Wow! Who would have thunk that self-deceived false believers would ever be called "evildoers"? Answer: Jesus did!
Easy Believism was running rampant in the first century, as was the rejection of the Lordshjp of Christ. It's easy to believe in a Savior when someone's butt is on the line -- but the lordship of Christ!? YIKES! That would be digging a little too deep into the Gospel! That would require work to find out what "the will of my Father who is in heaven" is. It would actually require daily study of the scriptures.
Matt 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' ?
NIV
Wow! Who would have thunk that self-deceived false believers would ever be called "evildoers"? Answer: Jesus did!
Easy Believism was running rampant in the first century, as was the rejection of the Lordshjp of Christ. It's easy to believe in a Savior when someone's butt is on the line -- but the lordship of Christ!? YIKES! That would be digging a little too deep into the Gospel! That would require work to find out what "the will of my Father who is in heaven" is. It would actually require daily study of the scriptures.