All the Residue of the Remnant of Israel being Totally Annihilated!
a staggering vision of the present-tense total annihilation in operation among the Evil Figs
“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. 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.” – Ezek. 9:1-2
In Ezekiel 9:1-10:22, as follows, the ministers of divine judgment drew near: “them that have charge over the City” (Ezek. 9:1). For what? It was written that they drew near, “every man with his destroying weapon in his hand” (Ezek. 9:1). The weapon in each hand was “a slaughter weapon” to “slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women” (Ezek. 9:2, 6). The Glory of the LORD dictated commandments to the angels (Ezek. 9:3-11), and they went forth in this order: First, the Land was searched for any righteous men… and they were marked (Ezek. 9:4). Second, the angels with weapons of slaughter followed behind and slew without pity, beginning at the House of God (Ezek. 9:5-7). As the Courts of the LORD were being filled with the slain and being defiled thereby, and, afterwards, the people of the City were being slaughtered one by one, it became apparent to Ezekiel that he was the only one left alive! “I was left”, Ezekiel said! One must remember that the people who remained in Judah and Jerusalem were called Evil Figs, a condemned people whose population must suffer a total annihilation (Evil Figs: Jer. 24:8-10, 29:16-19). So, will God indeed destroy “all the residue” of Israel that remained in the Kingdom of Judah? YES. This prophetic vision was only confirming the declarations of justice already decreed by God but not yet manifest. Therefore, the prophetic vision concluded by emphasizing the already declared pronouncement.
“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? 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. And as for me also, Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. 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.” – Ezekiel 9:8-11
Then, because further revelation concerning the judgments of God was necessary, the scene changed. What necessitous thing happened? Well, just as the hidden deeds of darkness were revealed in the abominableness of their near-proximity to the Temple (in Ezekiel Chapter 8), so also, the LORD, who is the Glory of the House of God and the Person of the people’s profanation, even He is descriptively unveiled for the blinded people to see! As it were, the LORD said to the Prophet Ezekiel, first: Behold, the abominations of the people that they commit in the House of God! Then, the LORD said to the people of Jerusalem who were committing the abominations, second: Behold, the Glorious GOD whom you disregard as imminent and profane at present! Ezekiel knew the Glory of God, but he didn’t know the abominations of the people. The people knew their abominations, but they didn’t know the Glory of God! God showed them. Little did they know, the Temple (which the people chose to fill with idols) was filled with “the brightness of the LORD’s Glory” (Ezek. 10:4)! Had they known it, they wouldn’t have filled the Temple with idols! They wouldn’t have ventured into the Temple to worship lifeless idols if they knew Living God was present! This vision of Ezekiel was a terrifying awakening to the backwards people, who said, “The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not” (Ezek. 8:12, 9:9)! Behold, the LORD saw!