Text: Ezekiel 13: 4 -5, 17-18
"4 Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in
the deserts.
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither
made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the
day of the LORD.
17 ｦ Likewise, thou son of man, set thy
face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own
heart; and prophesy thou against them,
18 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe
to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon
the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people,
and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?"
Warning against pastors of the end time
In this text, we find the term "the day of the LORD," which indicates
that this text deals with us today as we head into the end times.
The prophets who live just before the end time do not do what they
are supposed to. Therefore, the church can not make the necessary preparations
for the end time. This text warns and prophesies on this matter.
In this scripture, the word "prophet" is used. The last prophet to speak in the strict definition of an old testament was John the Baptist. And according to the word of 2 Peter chapter 2, a prophet in the old testament corresponds to "a teacher" in the new testament. Therefore, I think these prophecies are about a teacher who teaches the word of God in the end times.
Another text also talks about the prophets/the teachers in the end times.
It is written in the scripture that this woman (a false prophetess) "makes kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls." If this prophecy is about a teacher, this should be about the teaching of God's word. It warns about the false teachings which hunt the souls.
Kerchiefs Of Teaching
Therefore, we, believers who is living in end time, should be careful so as not to be hunted by false teaching. Take the case of the Roman Catholic Church. In that church we can find many of the enemy's "kerchiefs" in it. Although the believers who attend this church want to believe in God and walk rightly, the enemy's "kerchiefs" are so skillful that they are trapped. My knowledge about this church is not as extensive as it should, I don't know much about them, so I cannot say a lot about this church, but I know they have at least 2 problems.
Matthew 16:18,19
" And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of
the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed
in heaven."
Catholicism claims that this rock refers to Peter. And they also say each pope is the successor of Peter.
Christ really said "upon this rock I will build my church" but he never intended to say "Recognize Peter as the highest authority in the church." Nor did he say, "I will give authority to the successor of Peter to govern the church." Nor did he teach, "accept the words of Peter's successor even if their words are false."
When they added these words upon Jesus' words about Peter, and accepted this false interpretation, it opened the door in the Roman Catholic Church to receive many other false teachings in the name or authority of the pope i.e. teaching of purgatory, worshipping Mary, Idol worship. When a pope dogmatizes false teachings, believers can not resist them. Because if he is the only successor of Peter who is recognized by Christ, to resist the pope would be tantamount to rejection Christ himself. They really teach that if any person resists the pope's authority, it means he or she is resisting Christ's authority. They have this kind of logic.
About Private Interpretations
The foundation of point 2 is found in the words of the book of 2 Peter 1: 20
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
They traditionally use this verse as the base to prohibit other interpretations
of the Bible except for Roman Catholic interpretations. If any one does
not obey Catholic doctrines and attempt other interpretations, he or she
will be excommunicated as "heretics."
Concerning this verse, Bernard Ram, a famous author in biblical studies,
wrote in his "General Bible interpretation:"
"Concerning this verse (2 Peter 1:20) there are three important interpretations.
In the area of Bible study, this verse, 2 Peter 1:20 is not
considered as word which talks about
interpretation except for church interpretation is prohibited."
Instead, there is an opinion witch is against this interpretation.
At least this book's author, Mr. Ram does not think so.
However, Catholic people exclude other teachings except for Catholic teachings based on this verse, to protect "God's teaching given to them through Peter and the popes." They think their exclusionary practice of theology is obedient to God's will. But, actually it is not so. Instead, their interpretative stranglehold and their works go against God's will and only help the pope's false teachings to continue.
So, through these things, we have to see two kinds of traps used for Roman Catholics as prepared by Satan. First, to expand false teachings all over the church. Second, to establish and maintain a system that will not correct these false teachings.
These tactics are effective and have succeeded. Though there are so many believers in the Roman Catholic church, they equally hunt by "kerchiefs upon the head of every stature."
We can see similar failures from heresies. That is to say, they make false teachings based on a twisted view of the Bible. Next, they have erected a system that keeps them from correcting this false teaching.
The Watch Tower Case
As an example of a false system erected to defend heresy I offer this personal account. I once attended a holy communion meeting of the Watch Tower Society or "Jehovah's Witness." At this time, I was evangelizing a man (This man was also evangelizing me). So, for this reason, I decided to attend their holy communion. When I attended, I was surprised at the meeting. Vessels of bread and wine were really handed to each believer, but no one partook of it. These vessels just went through the hands of those in attendance, but no one ever once ate or drank of them. The leader of the meeting explained the reason to the audience why we can not take bread and wine. We are the sheep, "not of this fold" as written in John 10:16 "and other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
No one ever ate the bread or drank the wine; instead the bread and wine were merely handed to and through the hundreds of persons in attendance; this scene was really abnormal. And it was even more surprising for me that no one objected against it. I was disfavorably impressed again with Satan's deceit who established this kind of system.
How About The Protestant Church
Some may say, "We are neither Catholic people nor Watch tower people, so we are not deceived. That may be so, but that's not the whole story. Rather, we should check ourselves to see whether Satan is using a similar kind of trap against us Protestant people or not. We can not say that Satan only attacks the Catholic Church and show partiality to the Protestant Church. So we should be careful. Because there is always the possibility that false teachings have entered as it has in the Catholic Church.
As a Protestant believer myself I think we have at least one major problem, we do not interpret parables properly and see their hidden meanings and therefore miss many messages from God. And we have another problem similar to Catholicism and the Watch Tower Society, which is, many Protestants do not accept the correct interpretation of "private interpretation" found in 2 Peter 1:20 but stay surrendered to a church controlled interpretation.
The Roman Catholic Church teachers and even Protestant denominations traditionally read the scripture of 2 Peter 1:20 as saying that the church does not accept "a public interpretation" and that "public interpretation is not permitted." As a result, their failures do not get worked out and escape correction, and therefore the faulty system is perpetuated even till this time and quite possibly till his second coming.
Not all of Protestant teachings are false. And it is difficult for Protestants to know whether a teaching is false unless they go to God himself for the answer. Only God knows his word and the correct interpretation thereof. If these teachings produced by Protestant denominational theological authorities seem good in our eyes, maybe there is the possibility that God will open some people's eyes and make them to see some of the failures of top down hierarchical teachings. But, such a system has no way to correct their false teachings. Because true "private interpretation" is not permitted, so they have no way to speak against and make true reforms in the denominational teaching.
The Roman Catholic Church has trapped herself when she made the mistaken interpretation of the phrase "upon this rock I will build my church." I think the trap used by Satan to deceive Catholics is also used against some Protestant churches, especially through their denominational holds on "private interpretations." This is a strong hold built by Satan. If he keeps them blinded, his advantageous position will remain in place unmoved. In attacking this satanic stronghold, one must consider the wiley counterattacks and powerful countemeasures that the Wicked One might wield against you. But the Lord promises un in his word that if we seek him, he will remove these traps, these kerchiefs of blindness, and release his people. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Let's believe and go on.
Let's understand the Lord's word correctly and do the will of God in this end time.
end.
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