Segment Five:

Isaiah 58 : 13a — “If, because of the Sabbath, you restrain your foot from doing as you wish on My holy day”

I. Doctrinal Foundation — The Divine “If”

This fifth section of this focused people purposed to be called out—to become the fulfillment of the bride who lives on the earth in the last days—describes a people who have chosen to seek the LORD and to know and understand His ways as their primary target. In this attaining of insight by learning the instructions from God, obedience in honoring becomes the foundation upon which we build upon the Rock.

James says, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.”
Joshua says, “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
God says, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”

All three of these passages indicate the same conditioning story—how interested is any person in the giving of the whole heart, in being a servant willing and obedient, because of those sanctified times spent waiting for the King’s command and listening?

God says He goes to and fro searching for a man whose heart is fully devoted to Him.

Recently I recognized my own failure to do that once again—finding myself drawn into my old ways of being led by the enemy of God rather than by God Himself. We simply cannot serve both simultaneously.

If, because of the Sabbath, you restrain your foot from doing as you wish on My holy day…

There are three key components to this two-line phrase that are fully telling of our condition to either follow or fail, and they are stark, pointed, and obvious. The first is the supreme premise of the condition, which begins with “if.” The reason it is so weighty is that this word reveals the divine premise of free agency. It is the threshold of obedience over which we alone must step.

This “if” grants us total control to accomplish faithfulness—we are masters of our own ship unless we yield to demonic possession. Grace places us back at this gate of choice, washed and regenerated, positioned and seated in Christ, many of us having been formerly seduced by the ways of the world and the god of this world, following his agenda and direction.

II. Reflective Illumination — The Mirror of Our Former Ways

Ephesians 2 : 1-3 gives us that clear path from which we were pulled out; and if we again return, we return to wallow in the mud—the filth—once more. We trade our liberty back in for serving a god who does not care about us, who only desires our worship to keep us from serving the One who created us.

In these times of so many choices, many of us are like the moon’s cycle—waxing and waning, rarely reflecting the full light of the sun. Our first love is that point in time when we were so delighted to have come into the redeeming presence of God that each day felt like part of a courtship, endearing and devoted.

But in our religious trifling, did the gift become less valuable, or did we esteem it less rightly because of our own hard-heartedness? Clearly the latter—for God’s gifts are perfect, and there is no greater purpose or posture we could hope to attain than to be in His glorious presence eternally.

So if we find that we are not compliant to this mandatory gate of opportunity toward this gifting of relationship with our heavenly Father, then should we—or even could we—assume the posture of adherence? Surely all of us have failed; yet because of the goodness of God, He has given us His Son as our Redeemer for both our sins and our transgressions. Through confession and repentance He is faithful and just to forgive us.

Still, this does not mean that we can live now with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom of God. The “if” should become a constant reminder—daily, weekly—a thermometer of our pursuit: is it hot, cooled, or even chilly and mostly lost?

III. Practical Application — The Fading of First Love and the Call to Return

These are the initial two extremes of the condition; and because of the goodness of God, when we are struck by the conviction of the Ruach haKodesh, we return through repentance.

But there is a third condition that is harder to discern and clearly the deadliest of all—the Laodicean attitude within the seven olive-oil wicks of the menorah before God’s throne. In this lukewarm state, the soul oscillates: hot-cold, cold-hot, less hot, less cold—until there is substantially no difference.

Now fully fractured into stagnancy, God says He detests this condition and will spew such out of His mouth. This failure of honest pursuit has become an assembly of emotionally self-acclaimed teachers offering false hope to the seekers. They are wolves using their congregants as a means of financial gain.

And God has warned, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brethren, knowing that you will incur a stricter judgment.”

Indeed, our present society has fallen into a smitten state of wanting to see the work of God—chasing any emotional experience that looks like it might carry essence of that move. There is nothing new under the sun.

Yeshua declared a “woe” against Chorazin and Bethsaida—cities guilty of seeking events rather than pursuing relationship. Today’s churches and movements are mostly driven by emotion of the moment rather than by the awakening that comes through humility and brokenness before God.

So we chase shadows and angels, and barking in the spirit, and any phenomenon that excites us. We travel cities away to see someone cry during a sermon, as though emotion itself proved the move of God.

Yet the real move of God occurs when we are no longer chasing emotion but resting contentedly in knowing that God seeks those who will give Him their whole hearts in surrender—choosing obedience on the Sabbath.

IV. Prophetic Implication — The Lukewarm Drift and the Search for True Obedience

Learning to be obedient for twenty-four hours to that commission is a profound exercise of will. It keeps us from drifting back into old habits. The football game, the bicycle ride, the hiking moment, the fish that need to see our hook, the hunting, the sports, the phones—we are a society filled with constant motion.

But the Sabbath calls us to be still. It is a day of rest, where meditating on the Word may be the most profound act we perform—learning to be in His presence as He has called us.

If we think we are learning to focus better, then we must see how difficult it truly is to keep our feet from wandering where our hearts drift. The phrase “you restrain your foot from doing as you wish on My holy day” becomes a personal diagnostic of spiritual maturity.

From Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, a few quiet hours in our rushed society already seem a huge commitment—showing how far we’ve strayed from Scriptural rhythm.

And now the Gentile Church, quick to declare its “freedom from the law,” misses that the Law (Torah) is not a chain but instruction—the Tanakh itself. It is a poor interpretation to suggest the instruction of God has no relevance today.

For the first thirty years after Yeshua walked the earth, the disciples had only the Tanakh to know the ways of God—and their relationships flourished. The gospel spread across the world; the people learned to die to self and live for God in the Spirit.

Today, however, many churches—especially in Europe and the U.S.—teach that the Spirit is not for today, or that reading Scripture is being led by the Spirit. Yet the Word of God washing and regenerating us is not the same as the Spirit’s operation in gifting and power.

1 Corinthians 12–14 describes the functions of the Ruach haKodesh, who gifts as He wills; Ephesians 4 expands that vision. The Spirit may indeed gift the pastor-teacher, but that does not replace the Spirit gifting you.

The substitution gospel taught in many pulpits goes against Scripture’s directive. The Sabbath command—this divine “if”—remains a living invitation: to stop, to listen, to obey, and to remember the Creator who sanctified the day for our restoration.

✅ Actionable Result:
The believer learns that obedience is not bondage but alignment. The “if” of Isaiah 58:13a becomes the covenantal threshold where free will meets holy rest—where restraint becomes revelation, and stillness becomes strength.

Savior, Saved, Save, Salvation — Companion Thread to Isaiah 58:13–14 (4‑Theme + Full Text)

1) Historical & Prophetic Context (Scripture Openings)

Ezekiel 18:23–32 (NASB)
(23) “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?” (24) “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.” (25) “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?” (26) “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.” (27) “Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.” (28) “Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” (29) “But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?” (30) “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.” (31) “Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?” (32) “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live.”

Ephesians 2:1–3 (NASB)
(1) “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,” (2) “in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (3) “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

Ezekiel 33:1–6 (NASB)
(1) “And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,” (2) “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,’” (3) “and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people,” (4) “then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.” (5) “He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life.” (6) “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.”

Matthew 19:16–26 (NASB) — The rich young ruler.
Isaiah 29:11–16 (NASB) — The sealed book; lip‑service vs. heart.
Ezekiel 21:3–17; 18–32 (NASB) — The drawn sword; judgment among nations.
Zephaniah 1:1–18; 2:1–3; 3:8 (NASB) — The Day of the LORD; call to seek humility; gathering of nations.

2) Milk for New Believers (Gentle On‑Ramp)

• God does not delight in anyone’s death; He calls us to repent and live (Ezek 18).

• Salvation is God’s gift, but a real change of life follows—turning from old patterns to walk with Him (Eph 2).

• God appoints “watchmen” to warn; wise hearts listen and turn (Ezek 33).

• Jesus invites us beyond rule‑keeping to whole‑heart devotion (rich young ruler, Matt 19).

• Lip‑service religion fails; God wants our hearts (Isa 29).

• A sober day of the LORD is coming; the right response is humility, repentance, and seeking God (Zeph 1–3).

Simple Prayer/Practice
“Father, give me a new heart and a new spirit. Teach me to hear Your warning, receive Your mercy, and walk in Your ways. Show me one concrete change to make this week, and help me obey.”

3) Meat for the Mature (Full Theological Charge)

Savior, Saved, Save, Salvation Ezekiel 18:23-32 says, (23.) “‘Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,’ declares the Lord God, ‘rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?’” (24.) “‘But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.’” (25.) “‘Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not right.” Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?’” (26.) “‘When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.’” (27.) “‘Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.’” (28.) “‘Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.’” (29.) “‘But the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is not right.” Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?’” (30.) “‘Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,’ declares the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.”’” (31.) “‘Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?’” (32.) “‘For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,’ declares the Lord God. ‘Therefore, repent and live.’” (NASB)

Our training in religion is really a tough concept to look at with any kind of scrutiny and even more with any discernment. Our religious traditions seem to match this fading glory the Israelites were seeing and are clearly contrasted with how God sees their depravity? If our pursuit of being right only appeases our religious duties then we are becoming an apostate people? But if we are seeking the righteousness of God then and only then will we work toward understanding the relationship and the salvation of God. It doesn’t particularly matter if we are confident in our religious practices, other than we likely do not understand standing before the God who sees perfectly. In the presence of the “all consuming fire” nothing remains hidden! All is burned up, everything that can be shaken will be shaken; and the fear of the LORD is more real than the sun rising, more terrifying than a gasoline fire!

Ephesians 2:1-3 gives us a little more insight as well saying, (1.) “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,” (2.) in which you too formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (3.) “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” (NASB)

We may have said the current day “sinner’s prayer” but are we concerned or even cautioned to consider if any of our patterns have changed? Yes we have proved we all need a Savior, and it is good to have Jesus invited into our spirit void but if not properly trained and properly fed, “will we be the conquerors” or “still remain the conquered?” Today there is little difference between a spiritually dead person without having Jesus in their spirit void and having Jesus in their spirit void. If our natural training is to serve in the ways of this earth with all its practices which are also the ways of darkness of whom are we servants? Is our service not clarifying by the one that we serve? Following Jesus was not just to get physical food and water and to see miracles, He rebuked Chorazin and Bethsaida didn’t He? Following someone and being a follower of someone are profoundly different pursuits. The first example (the one following) watches and is entertained; the second (the follower) recognizes there is a cost, counts the cost and emulates their teacher Jesus serving both His Father God and others! So could this be a “form of godliness” by which we perform a religious exercise, whereby we follow out of loyalty, people that artificially form a blanket of protection that we have learned to trust. Are our religious institutions producing a kingdom of heaven righteousness that bears fruit upward or are they like every other source of bureaucracy that has lost its original focus? The end times prophetically designates the religious experience as people who seek out teachers that teach what they want to hear!

Ezekiel 33:1-6 gives us a prophetic insight into this end-times mystery and is also given to let us see what this lack of discernment means for any people when they do the picking, saying, (1.) “And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,” (2.) “‘Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, “If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,”’” (3.) “‘“and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people.”’” (4.) “‘“Then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.”’” (5.) “‘“He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life.”’” (6.) “‘“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, He is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.”’” (NASB)

Recognize that the people have chosen the watchman and appointed him to do that work. Ezekiel is delivering this word to the people and even more to the one being chosen by the people. If you are not called by God to be a watchman and just self proclaimed, filling that post; remember this responsibility is that of watchman, God holds you responsible for all you say. Jeremiah Chapters 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31 also give similar words against false prophets. Knowing the prophetic times and alignment with the prophetic words that bring warning and correction to the people is paramount and any words that bring controversy to the written word. A few men like Ezekiel and Jeremiah and Isaiah and Daniel stood among hundreds bringing other words that were always more appealing and kind but lead the people into captivity and destruction. In today’s American church I believe we are following a very softened gospel that puts an eternal covering over us for a momentary commitment. I do not believe that was ever even the gospel that Jesus was teaching before He went to the cross. If we study the rich young ruler very closely we would have him in any church setting in America today in good standing and likely a pillar in the modern day church. He said that he had followed 6 commandments since he was a child and I fear not many of us can say that of ourselves. Which commandments did Jesus leave out? Let’s read the encounter recorded in

Matthew 19:16-26 which says, (16.) ”And someone come to Him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life.?’” (17.) “And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’” (18.) “Then he said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS;’” (19.) “‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’” (20.) “The young man said to Him, ‘All these I things I have kept; what am I still lacking?’” (21.) “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.’” (22.) “But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.” (23.) “And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.’” (24.) “‘Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’” (25.) “When the disciples hear this, they were astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’” (26.) “And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘with people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” (NASB)

Two commandments that Jesus did not ask the rich young ruler about that might have been part of the heart issue? Jesus did not ask if the rich young rules had put served any other gods before God. He did not ask him if he had worshiped any other idols. He did not ask him if he loved the Lord GOD with his whole heart, soul and mind. Walking with God is not an easy task for any of us, think of our modern day theology, if we can get him to say the sinner’s prayer, then he would be in any American congregation, nothing more to do? Are we so sure we have it right? This price that Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus) suffered to make payment for all our sins and transgressions was a very costly gift and not caring if His Father see us valuing it correctly I believe is sin. This salvation of God was something He asked His Son to do for us, He paid a price we could not pay, He bought a life we could no other way live, we were beggars and broken. But God has invited us to treasure the gift and to work out our salvation with the great cloud of witnesses that have finished well and sought real relationship!

Isaiah 29:11-16 gives us perfect insight into this artificial covering that is just as prolific today; as it was in this prophet’s time saying, (11.) “The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, ‘Please read this,’ he will say, I cannot, for it is sealed.” (12.) “Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, ‘Please read this,’ he will say, ‘I cannot read.’” (13.) “Then the Lord said, ‘Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition, learned by rote,’” (14.) Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.’” (15.) “Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, ‘Who sees us?’ or ‘Who knows us?’” (16.) “You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, ‘He did not make me’; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’?” (NASB)

This is basically an emotional attachment to a religious exercise that the God who sees perfectly; is clearly not nearly as impressed with as we are. This revealed concept should break our hearts shouldn’t it? Have you ever been willing to get on your face and humbly ask the Father what He would like you to stop doing, or start doing, or even better both, and then waited of Him to hear? Likely many of us already know and yet we continue, still being convicted but not willing to change yet. He won’t give you a list, He might show you one thing, start working on that one thing and if you are just doing it to check a box. This is not just meant to be a onetime event but pursuing and learning to be more holy because God is holy brings honor to Him? Shouldn’t it be every Sabbath day before Him and every morning we wake and night we shut down to sleep that we would desire to learn how to be pleasing to Him? Ask God to help you fight better in the sin that so easily entangles you, He is able! Or at least that we should find out the thing that brings Him the greatest dissatisfaction? Or maybe how we profane His goodness by our blatant sins before His enemy, our enemy? Or that He would teach us to reverently fear God in holiness and love. I am not saying that we strive to make our lives impossible and that He could never love us but if we actually love Him what would He want us to change! Just assuming it is ok and moving forward through our days without really improving in our ability to spiritually fight and be trained by God to fight is just not all that we should be contented. Fast, pray, bring the sword of the Spirit of God into the battle, it is what Jesus did and He battled Satan directly, we are not that important to have that bigger battle.

Ezekiel 21:3-17 gives us another bit of insight into our fragile status of which we cannot comprehend for our wickedness hides our eyes to see and ears to hear, saying, (2.) “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and speak against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel;” (3.) “and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.”’” (4.) “‘Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh from south to north.’” (5.) “‘Thus all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath. It will not return to its sheath again.’” (6.) “‘As for you, son of man, groan with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan in their sight.’” (7.) “‘And when they say to you, “Why do you groan?” you shall say, “Because of the news that is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, ti comes and it will happen,” declares the Lord GOD.’” (8.) “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,” (9.) “‘Son of man, prophesy and say, “This says the LORD.” Say, “A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!”’” (10.) “‘“Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!” Or shall we rejoice, the rod of My son despising every tree?’” (11.) “‘It is given to be polished, that it may be handled; the wword is sharpened and plished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.’” (12.) “‘Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the officials of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people, therefore strike your thigh.’” (13.) “‘For there is a testing; and what if even the rod which despises will be no more?’ declares the Lord God.” (14.) “‘You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them,’” (15.) “‘that their hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter.’” (16.) “‘Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed.’” (17.) “‘I will also clap My hands together, and I will appease My wrath; I, the LORD, have spoken.’” (NASB)

We see the Lord God bringing judgment to Israel through the king of Babylon in these first seventeen verses but what Babylon the great did not see is these end times coming. Now the sword is polished for consulting divination to conquer and we see God now prophetically telling of the fall of Babylon the Great and all that follow her ways, this is the judgment of the nations. The LORD has had me stand before His throne to be in His presence and I have never been so overwhelmed, I was trembling and shaking, in a full sweat and naked, I could say nothing. I understood the fear of the LORD for the first time in my life and it shook me to the very core of my being. It was on Father’s Day at about 5AM still the twilight hour before the sun was raising up. There are other Scriptural events that have shared their time being before the LORD and I did not feel that I was worthy at all; I was shaken for a couple of weeks, it still brings up a revelation of fear. The only thing He said to me is that my works were found wanting and that nothing I had done would come through the all-consuming fire of God. What I believe after weeks of prayer and studying of the Scriptures more and more is that the times of testing ahead for the church that will become the bride is going to take a lot of learning on all of our parts. That the status quo church is far from being changed and that we are very astray from the depth of relationship that He desires of the bride to attend His prophetic wedding feast.

Ezekiel 33:7-20 now starts showing the prophetic calling of Jeremiah to this office by saying, (7.) “‘Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me.’” (8.) “‘When I say to the wicked, “O wicked man, you will surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked form his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand.’” (9.) “‘But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.’” (10.) “‘Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, “Thus you have spoken, saying, ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?’”’” (11.) “‘Say to them, “As I live!” declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?”’” (12.) “‘And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, “The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him on the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.”’” (13.) “‘When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die.’” (14.) “‘But when I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die; and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness,”’” (15.) “‘“if a wicked man restores a pledge, pay back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he will not die.”’” (16.) “‘None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live.’” (17.) “‘Yet your fellow citizens say, “The way of the Lord is not right,” when it is their own way that is not right.”’” (18.) “‘When the righteous turns for his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it.’” (19.) “‘But when the wicked turns form his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them.’” (20.) “‘Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not right.” O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.’” (NASB)

Ezekiel 21:18-32 is being told to all nations for their apostasy and religious confusion saying, (18.) “The word of the LORD came to me saying,” (19.) “‘As for you, son of man, make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city.’” (20.) “‘You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.’” (21.) “‘For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver.’” (22.) Into his right hand came the divination, “Jerusalem,” to set battering rams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to life up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall.’” (23.) “‘And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they have sworn solemn oaths. But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized.’” (24.) “‘Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, “Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand.’” (25.) “‘“And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end,”’” (26.) “‘thus says the Lord GOD, “Remove the turban and take off the crown; this will no longer be the same. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high.”’” (27.) “‘“A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it. This also will be no more until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.”’” (28.) “‘And you, son of man, prophesy and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach,” and say, ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it to consume, that it may be like lightning—’”’” (29.) “‘““while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end.’”’” (30.) “‘“Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.”’” (31.) “‘“I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, skilled in destruction.”’” (32.) “‘“You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.”’” (NASB)

If we scour the Scriptures we see God has had mercy on the sons of Ammon and yet they say that their goal is to annihilate Israel in these times ahead. Their religious teaching are not coming from the righteousness of God who has had mercy on them in times past but from men that speak words of men doomed to destruction. One of the most common themes of God is to give people back what they have given out, unless they repent before Him honestly, do not let your religion get in the way of your eternal salvation. God says of their conquest that is it false visions and divined lies, pray for forgiveness if this is you, being part of the Middle East drama before you face the wrath of God, He sees you, He sees all of us! He is merciful if we are willing to hear coming into His salvation through His Messiah Jesus and learning to walk in justice and righteousness, in these things He is pleased. You heard me share what it was like to personally be in the presence of the LORD and it was not a time of judgment but of warning to make use of my time and help others make use of their time.

Zephaniah 1:1-18 will give you a glimpse of what the day of the LORD will be like so you can grasp being in His presence when He brings the pending judgment saying (1.) “The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah;” (2.) “‘I will completely remove all things From the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD.” (3.) “‘I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea, And the ruins along with the wicked; And I will cut off man from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD.” (4.) “‘So I will stretch our My hand to Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, And the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests.’” (5.) “‘And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, And those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom,’” (6.) And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD of inquired of Him.’” (7.) “‘Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepares a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.’” (8.) “‘Then it will come about on the day of the LORD’S sacrifice That I will punish the princes, the king’s sons And all who clothe themselves with foreign garments.’” (9.) And I will punish on that day all who leap on the temple threshold, Who fill the house of the lord with violence and deceit.’” (10.) “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD, ‘There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills.’” (11.) Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all the people of Canaan will be silenced; All who weigh out silver will be cut off.’” (12.) “‘It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good or evil!”’” (13.) “‘Moreover their wealth will become plunder And their houses desolate; Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.’” (14.) Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly.’” (15.) “A day of wrath is that day. A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,’”(16.) “A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.’” (17.) “I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.” (18.) “Neither their silver not their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD’S wrath; And All the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.’” (NASB)

That coming moment is going to be what I faced in the presence of the LORD a blink for my time before the LORD was just a warning, not an end!

What I face is more what Zephaniah 2:1-11 is bringing forward to prepare while we still have time to be made ready which says, (1.) Gather yourselves together, yes gather. O nation without shame.” (2.) “Before the decree takes effect—The day passes like the chaff—Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD’S anger comes upon you.” (3.) “Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility, Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’S anger.” (4.) “For Gaza will be abandoned And Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod will be driven out at noon and Ekron will be uprooted.” (5.) “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The nation of the Cherithites! The word of the LORD is against you, O cannan, land of the Philistines; And I will destroy you So that there will be no inhabitant.” (6.) So that the seacoast will be pastures, With caves for the shepherds and the folds for flocks.” (7.) “And the coast will be For the remnant of the house of Judah, They will parutre on it. In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening; For the LORD their God will care for them And restore their fortune. (8.) “I have heard the taunting of Moab And the rivilings of the sons of Ammon, With which they have taunted My people And become arrogant against their territory.” (9.) “Therefore, as I live,’ declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, ‘Surely Moab will be like Sodom and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah—A place possessed by nettles and alt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.’” (10.) This they will have in teturn for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the LORD of hosts.” (11.) “The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.” (NASB)

Some of this breaking is occurring in the Gaza strip and is a prophetic work of God for all of the prideful arrogance and the curses they have tried to place on this chosen people of God. No they are not fighting men but God and their arrogance is their own breaking as it will be any people that try to fight against the will of God over His Creation, for He will be King! And let all nations be cautioned; that believe they are on a different place of position right now for this coming day of the LORD.

Zephaniah 3:8 says this, “‘Therefore wait for Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather the nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignations, All my burning anger; For all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal.” (NASB)

What I saw being in the presence of the LORD was a warning for all of us to be serious about getting ready to see the salvation He has prophetically determined for His Son’s bride to be made ready. There is much work to be done. Many will believe others that say the rapture will happen ahead of the tribulation years, I hope they are right but my confidence is not in their claims, only these coming times will tell. If we are going to make a choice that has our eternal condition in the happenstance, I hope you choose to be prepared and hopefully over prepared rather than to be caught unprepared by His coming like a thief in the night.

4) Reflection & Action (Both Audiences)

Reflect

1. Where have I trusted religious habit more than repentance and obedience?

2. Which “watchman” voices in my life are truly aligned with Scripture (and which are not)?

3. What “rich young ruler” attachment is Jesus asking me to release so I can follow Him?

4. How do Ezekiel 18, 33 and Zephaniah’s warnings sharpen my readiness for the Day of the LORD?

Act

• Choose one tangible repentance step today (confession, restitution, reconciliation, or a specific obedience God’s been highlighting).

• Fast one meal this week to pray through Ezek 18:30–32 and Zeph 2:1–3.

• Write a short “watchman rule” for yourself: how you’ll test messages by Scripture, seek counsel, and respond quickly when convicted.