Ezekiel 7 is the prophecy of WWII and the Holocaust. The scripture begins with a statement that it is a
world wide judgment.
"Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God
unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land." (Ez. 7:1,2). At the time
that this scripture is fulfilled, the people of Israel are dispersed all over the earth. The judgment is upon
the people of Israel, but the end time comes upon the whole earth, "the end is come upon the four
corners of the land."
"Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send Mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to
thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. And Mine eye shall not spare thee,
neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the
midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the Lord." (Ez. 7:3,4). Israel is judged for refusing Christ, both
when He preached the New Testament, and when He taught the Old Testament (see below). Throughout
the centuries, the rabbis, the center of Jewish spiritual life, have called Christ a fraud and a delusion;
"thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee."
The known Jews also forgot the brotherly covenant and (unknowingly) abused members of the lost tribes
in their desire to amass worldly goods. "And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift
witness... against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that
turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me, saith the Lord of hosts." (Mal. 3:5).
Additionally, many of the powerful men of all twelve tribes (princes) oppressed the poor, and the rabbis
and wisemen (ancients of the people) did not stop them. "The Lord will enter into judgment with the
ancients of His people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor
is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat My people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith
the Lord God of hosts." (Is. 3:14,15). The poor of the earth are under God's protection and He will avenge
them when they are oppressed.
God judged the house of Israel for all these faults, as He said, "I will send Mine anger upon thee, and will
judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations." The purpose of
this judgment was to show Israel that He ruled over them, "I will recompense thy ways upon thee... and ye
shall know that I am the Lord."
"Thus saith the Lord God; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come." (Ez. 7:5). This terrible judgment,
specifically on Israel, will accomplish its purpose. Israel "shall know that I am the Lord." (Ez. 27:7). This is
the "only evil" that will fall on both righteous and unrighteous without warning. A separation of those
obedient to God, from those indifferent to God, will precede future judgments.
"An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come." (Ez. 7:6). This verse heralds
the beginning of the end time. It looms over the house of Israel. The trouble in Nazi Germany began with
the marking of the Jews by the government, which forced them to wear a Star of David in preparation to
killing them, "it watcheth for thee."
"The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is
near, and not the sounding again of the mountains." (Ez. 7:7). This is the very beginning of the time of
trouble, not war as usual between the nations, "the sounding again of the mountains." (Mountains can be
a symbol of the nations, see Jer. 51:24,25). This verse is about the time of Jacob's trouble, it is centered
on the people of Israel. History places them in America, but also throughout Europe, where the worst of
the fighting and the atrocities took place.
(Many Christians think of themselves as Spiritual Israel, and in this they are correct. But they are also
physical Israel. When the ten tribes of the kingdom Samaria (the northern half of ancient Israel) migrated
away from the Assyrian invasion of their homeland, they went west to Europe. As was their tradition, the
tribe of Dan marked the places of their sojourn with the name of their father, Dn in Hebrew (the Hebrew
language has no vowels). So the Don river and the Danube, and Sweden, and Denmark, and Scandinavia
bear record of their progress. In more recent history, members of the ten tribes migrated south to France
(the north men, Normans), and both the Danes and the Normans conquered England. From Europe and
England, members of the ten tribes settled America. In the lands where the ten tribes were scattered,
they were joined by the members of the tribe of Judah, who left Israel to form the Christian Church. Then
they were joined by the known Jews who were cast out of their land, Judah.)
Before continuing with Ezekiel 7, here is the prophecy of the time of trouble that centers on the house of
Israel. "And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah (all the
descendants of Jacob). For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of
peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his
hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is
great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it
shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will
burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: but they shall serve the Lord their
God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob,
saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land
of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him
afraid. For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I
have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not
leave thee altogether unpunished." (Jer. 30:4-11). As horrible as the Holocaust seems, a great many
people of the house of Israel survived it, as God says: "I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave
thee altogether unpunished." And the Lord promises that Israel will have His help. "I am with thee, saith
the Lord, to save thee."
"Now will I shortly pour out My fury upon thee, and accomplish Mine anger upon thee: and I will judge
thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations. And Mine eye shall not
spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that
are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth." (Ez. 7:8,9). This is an Ezekiel 9
type judgment. "...Let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and
little children, and women..." (Ez. 9:5,6), because God says "Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have
pity." Wicked and innocent are destroyed together.
Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath
budded." (Ez. 7:10). This scripture records events as the dawning of the end time begins, "behold the
day... is come: the morning is gone forth". The blossoming rod of the scripture is Aaron's rod.
The blossoming rod is a symbol of the leadership of the house of Israel. "And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of
their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every
man’s name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for
the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation
before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I
shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel,
whereby they murmur against you. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their
princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods:
and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle
of witness. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and,
behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed
blossoms, and yielded almonds." (Num. 17:1-8). Aaron was Moses' spokesman. So confirming the
leadership of Aaron was the same as confirming the leadership of Moses. Thus, God stopped those who
"murmured against" Moses.
(The rod budded, bloomed and yielded almonds all at once. This is impossible in nature, but it perfectly
describes the gathering of the Kingdom of God. People who barely know the message, buds, will bring
forth other converts, the rod "was budded, and brought forth buds." These people are the great
multitude of Gospel workers seen in Rev. 7. Sealed servants of God, blossoms, with full knowledge of the
message that calls the Kingdom will yield almonds, saints, the rod "bloomed blossoms, and yielded
almonds." These sealed servants of God are the 144,000 of Rev. 7 and 14.)
That the rod had blossomed again at the dawning of the end time means that God had chosen a new
spokesman to represent Him before the house of Israel. That rod was V. T. Houteff. He explained over 90
chapters of the prophetic scriptures, most of them from the Old Testament. He represented both God and
Christ before the house of Israel.
The known Jews were offended that a non-Jew would preach the Old Testament. They considered the
Old Testament to be their pride and possession, their "pride hath budded." Eventually some reacted by
joining in a conspiracy to murder Houteff.
"Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of
any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them." (Ez. 7:11). God was justly offended by the refusal to
hear His chosen messenger. He allowed an evil cabal to become a rod of wickedness, "violence is risen
up into a rod of wickedness." (Also see No. 70, "The Glittering Sword Of Ezekiel 21" for a discussion of
the genesis of this evil cabal.) Because of God's wrath, all the Jews were taken away, "none of them shall
remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs." Individual Jews were not mourned when they died,
because their relatives were also taken, and because the war allowed the Nazi to keep the death camps
secret, "neither shall there be wailing for them."
To summarize: there are two rods in Ezekiel 7:10,11. First, the rod of Aaron of the house of Levi, the
priesthood, which was the rod chosen by God, V. T. Houteff, the rod that blossomed. Houteff, the rod,
came teaching how to please God. "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? The Lord’s voice
crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed
it." (Micah 6:8,9). The second rod is the rod of an evil cabal, who rose up violently into a rod of
wickedness, and led the conspiracy to fight God. Because Judah, the tribe of the known Jews, refused
God's messengers, first Christ, then V. T. Houteff, the punishment on Judah, the known Jews, was the
worst of the suffering during WWII, about six million European Jews died in the Nazi death camps.
"The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon
all the multitude thereof." (Ez. 7:12). Events in Nazi Germany became uglier as the judgment approached,
"the time is come, the day draweth near." Some Germans purchased Jewish property cheaply. God
advises neither to rejoice nor mourn, "let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn." Commercial
transactions become as nothing as the wrath of God envelops Jews, Nazis, and the whole world, "for
wrath is upon all the multitude thereof."
"For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is
touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the
iniquity of his life." (Ez. 7:13). Some of the Jews, who sold their property cheaply to escape the Nazis,
survive, but the survivors never return to claim their property, "the seller shall not return to that which
is sold, although they were yet alive." The vision is upon all European Jews, they will be taken away and
never return, "the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return." The criminal
shall not survive despite his underworld connections, "neither shall any strengthen himself in the
iniquity of his life."
"They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for My wrath is upon
all the multitude thereof." (Ez. 7:14). The Jews had warning that the Nazis were preparing to do them
harm, "they have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready." But God's wrath kept the Jews from
resisting, "none goeth to the battle: for My wrath is upon all the multitude thereof."
"The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the
sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him." (Ez. 7:15). The Jews were
crowded into urban ghettos with the threat of violence, they were sick and hungry in the ghettos, "the
sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within." They were hunted down in the countryside,
and died by famine and disease within the ghetto, "he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he
that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him."
"But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of
them mourning, every one for his iniquity." (Ez. 7:16). God will allow some of the European Jews to
escape the Nazis, "but they that escape of them shall escape." The dove is the symbol of the Holy Ghost;
God preserves some of the righteous (children of the Holy Ghost), they are displaced among the
nations, "they shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys." These mourn their brethren, this is
their lot because of the judgment for the iniquity of Israel, "all of them mourning, every one for his
"All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water." (Ez. 7:17). The sheer horror of the Nazi
plan to eliminate the Jews takes away their strength.
"They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all
faces, and baldness upon all their heads." (Ez. 7:18). The Jews are in mourning and horrified, "they shall
also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them." Their treatment in the Nazi death
camps, where most are stripped naked and gassed, shames them, "shame shall be upon all faces". Those
kept alive to work are ashamed to survive. The living have their heads shaved, "baldness upon all their
"They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold
shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls,
neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity." (Ez. 7:19). The money of the
Jews will not help them, "they shall cast their silver in the streets." The Nazis will steal their possessions,
even their gold teeth, "their gold shall be removed." Because of the wrath of the Lord, the Nazis won't
take bribes, "their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the
Lord." Their beliefs will fail to comfort them, "they shall not satisfy their souls." In ghettos and death
camps, there will never be enough food, they will not "fill their bowels." The "stumblingblock of their
iniquity" is their refusal to accept Christ.
The Old Testament prophecy of Christ was that He would be a stumbling block to both houses of Israel.
"And he shall be for a sanctuary (to those who accept Him); but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of
offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Is. 8:14).
Christ preached Himself as a stone. "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The
stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvellous in our eyes? And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken (in spirit, but
saved): but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (completely destroy him)." (Matt. 21:
42,44). Paul preached Christ as a stumbling block. "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone
and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 9:33). "But we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness." (1 Cor. 1:23).
"As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations
and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them." (Ez. 7:20). God gave the
Jews His Law and His Kingdom and His Temple; the earthly Temple was glorious, "as for the beauty of his
ornament, he set it in majesty." The Jews defiled all three, "they made the images of their abominations
and of their detestable things therein." Therefore the Kingdom and the Temple were taken away from
them, "therefore have I set it far from them."
The Kingdom of God was taken from the Jews when they refused Christ. "Therefore say I unto you, The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Matt. 21:
43). The Kingdom of God was given to the Christians. The temple was destroyed shortly after Christ's
crucifixion. The remaining glory of the German Jews was destroyed on Krystallnacht, as over 1000
synagogues were vandalized or burned.
Krystallnacht, the night of broken glass, Nov. 9/10, 1938 was the beginning of nightmarish persecution
with more than 90 Jews killed, 25,000 to 30,000 Jews sent to concentration camps and broken glass,
looting, arson and destruction in thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues. This night was the
start of the time of Jacob's trouble.
(It is not a coincidence that this message has been freed from the shackles of Babylon this year, seventy
years after Krystallnacht. This is the first of the angel messages to reach a world wide audience during
the life of the messenger.)
"And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and
they shall pollute it." (Ez. 7:21). The wealth of the Jews and their synagogues is taken away, "I will give it
into the hands of the strangers for a prey." Much of the loot is sold at garage sale prices to rich
collectors who ignore its origins, it goes "to the wicked of the earth for a spoil." In the hands of
collectors, holy things are defiled, "they shall pollute it."
"My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute My secret place: for the robbers shall enter into
it, and defile it." (Ez. 7:22). God refuses to help the Jews, even as the vandalism and looting of their
synagogues continues, "My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute My secret place." In
looting the synagogues, the Torahs are stolen and abused, "robbers shall enter into it, and defile it."
"Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence." (Ez. 7:23). God allows
the Nazis to seize nation after nation like links in a chain, "make a chain." This is a judgment on the world,
"for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence."
"Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the
pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled." (Ez. 7:24). God brings the Nazis upon
each nation, and they move into the houses of the rich. "Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen,
and they shall possess their houses." The Nazis steal priceless artworks and jewelry and beautiful
possessions, "I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease." The Nazis even rob the churches of the
Christians, "their holy places shall be defiled." Because the Nazis defile what is holy, even though most
would claim to be Christians, God calls them " the worst of the heathens."
"Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none." (Ez. 7:25). The war spreads to
Africa and Asia bringing destruction everywhere it touches, "destruction cometh." All over the earth,
people pray for peace, but peace can't be found; "and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none."
"Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of
the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients." (Ez. 7:26). The Nazis
continue to steal, destroy and defile, "mischief shall come upon mischief." Rumors of the Nazi death
camps arise again and again, "rumour shall be upon rumour." The Rabbis and wise men search the
scriptures for God's help in understanding the calamity, "then shall they seek a vision of the prophet."
God refuses to help them, instead He takes their leadership away from them, "but the law shall perish
from the priest, and counsel from the ancients."
"The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of
the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge
them; and they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ez. 7:27). In kingdom after kingdom, the royal families shall
be grieved, "the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation." Whether directly
exposed to the war or not, working men and women all over the earth shall suffer hardship and
confusion, "the hands (workers) of the people of the land shall be troubled." Those who offend God will
be slain, "I will do unto them after their way." All over the earth people will be judged, "according to their
deserts will I judge them."
The most important information in this prophecy is in the last phrase, "and they shall know that I am the
Lord." This is God's purpose. He is showing all the earth that His judgments are on the way. As the
raptured harpers sing before God, "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only
art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee, for Thy judgments are made manifest." (Rev.
Inherent in Ezekiel 7 is the warning that God will continue to judge the earth until there are no wicked
men or women left. The time of Jacob's trouble has begun. Jacob's trouble will fall most heavily on His
people who fight Him, or ignore Him. It is time for those who love God to get out of the way of God's
wrath, it will fall most heavily on the cities, as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah; "for the land is full of
bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence." (Ez. 7:23).
Amo Paul Bishop Roden
|THE JUDGMENTS OF EZEKIEL 7