There Will Be Two Cries
When I served Satan with all my might, I had no concern for others, just myself. What can I do to please me? What great thing can I get that would fill my heart with content? Where could I go to be encourages and flattered? Who can I select to support my ego to speak the words that I want to hear? I know and understand that was the flesh, the old man who wanted to live for the gusto and die going to a devil's hell. Since 9/1/80, I have a new spirit and a new heart, one that wants what the Lord wants as do all who repent and commit their lives to the Lord. He makes the old man a new man and changes him from a sinner into a saint. Yet, in these last days we are hearing two cries, we are hearing two voices in the crowd called the church.
When we look at events in the OT, we see a great revival taking place during Josiah's reign! We see the people's actions tearing down pagan altars, destroying pagan priests, removing the idols of the Canaanites from their homes and their villages. There is much talk and much action concerning the things of the Lord, yet there were two cries during this time that reveal a much different story, a truth that was below the surface somewhere underneath the superficial action was a truth that the Lord addresses, but how is the question? Jeremiah 6:22-23 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion. Out of the prophet's mouth comes an astounding call from God, a cry that rings throughout the land despite those altars being pulled down, despite those idols being ground into dust, despite the superficial actions under Josiah! Is Jeremiah a cry from the Lord? Yes he is!
Who is the daughter of Zion? Guess what, they are all Israel, but specifically they are Judah since Israel as known at this time is the 10 northern tribes who have already gone into Assyrian captivity (2Kings 17) because of their hard hearts, their pride as they committed abominations by taking idol worship and adding it to Lord worship! Israel compromised and Israel was taken into captivity. The Lord sent His servants to cry out His will and His heart, Israel rejected Elijah's cry, Elisha's cry, Hosea's cry, and especially Isaiah's cry! Now Jeremiah is crying out with the voice of the Lord to Judah that Babylon is coming because they saw the sins of Israel and their own pride wouldn't allow them to repent and commit their lives to YAHWEH. There are two cries.
What is happening under King Josiah was action that appeared to be right, the actions themselves were right, but the hearts were not. They were all Judah, they were the daughter of Zion, but they were superficial as the Lord spoke through His mouthpiece, Jeremiah! There was no repentance, just obedience to the king. The hearts of the people allowed the leadership of the people to destroy God's servants, the prophets. Yet, the people enjoyed the other cry, the cry that did not come from Jeremiah or Elisha or Elijah, it was a cry that came from those who called themselves prophets and who had the respect of the people and the hearts of the people. These prophets had a cry, but it doesn't come from the Lord, YAHWEH.
The Lord has always had a remnant, a group within the country that loved Him, but He has no need to address those who love Him because those who love Him will be with Him and protected by Him. The one who love the Lord know they are loved and will walk in His ways. They are already walking in His ways, and they support the cry of the Lord from His servants. The people of God take no offense to the Words of God, on the contrary they receive nourishment from the Lord's Words and from the obedience of His servants. The remnant walks in the truth of what Moses revealed to His people despite the other cry and despite the cries of those who want the other cry. Psalm 91 ¶ He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. ¶ Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Josiah did the right things, the people did the right things, Jeremiah cried out in the voice of the Lord, but there was that other cry that the people wanted to hear. The people wanted to hear the cry from "their" prophets, but why? Jeremiah 6:13-14 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. The people wanted to hear they were alright! The people liked the prophets who would confirm their hearts to be okay, to speak swelling words of flattery who would just say what they wanted to hear. The people wanted a nicey nice message, "Peace brother! God is God and He will not allow you to be harmed. You're okay just the way that you are, so what if you play with some sin, after all we're all sinners. Peace, that's what God has for you, peace!" What did the prophet Jeremiah say that this nicey nice message given in love would accomplish? They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly..., the heart feels better hearing about love and peace and all the wonderful things of the Lord. That's what the prophets were speaking, a feel good message, the other cry was a nicey nice message that did heal the hearts of the people slightly!!
Jeremiah reveals that these leaders from the prophet to the priest were dealing falsely! Yes, they were false teachers and false prophets, the ones who brought the nicey nice messages that tickled the ears of the daughter of Zion. The other cry came from false prophets and false teachers, the ones who prophesied, "Peace, peace!" Jeremiah stood speaking the Word of God calling for the Babylonians from the north to come and take Judah captive. Did it happen? Yes, it surely did as hurting and sobbing Jeremiah looks around at the destruction of Jerusalem and asking himself why Judah wouldn't see the truth, why they rejected God's Word and believed the false prophets, the other cry. Jeremiah loved his people and the Lord loved His people, yet Jeremiah was rejected and imprisoned for daring to come against the heresies of these false prophets and false teachers. Look at what those crying the other cry had to say. Jeremiah 18:18 ¶ Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. 26:11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
There were several waves of captivity for the tribe of Judah, and Ezekiel was taken captive among the first wave. We see that Ezekiel and Daniel and Jeremiah were all colleagues and prophets of YAHWEH, true prophets and their voices confirmed and agreed with each other what the Lord's voice is! Even in the captivity of Judah, there are two cries still being mouthed, there are two cries going forth with the claim it is from the Lord. Ezekiel 13:1-6 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. 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. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Ezekiel is told to go against these false prophets and false teachers. The other voice is still going forth, but the true prophet of God stands and speaks what the Lord gives him!
Ezekiel reveals the other voice comes from those who are like the foxes in the deserts. They speak from their own hearts, it is lying divination and vanity, the other voice, the other cry, it isn't from the Lord! The other cry doesn't strengthen the people of God, it doesn't encourage them to stand in the might to fight the war they are in, the other cry melts the hearts of the people! The nicey nice message destroys the Word of God and His people. The cry of the false prophets and the false teachers allow the gaps to be empty and no one bolstering their weapons for the war they are in. It is a message of weakness and a false love. There is no love in the other cry and the other voice because the love of God strengthens, edifies, encourages, equips the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:12-16). The love of God is in the Jeremiah message and the Ezekiel message, not in the nicey nice message! Song of Solomon 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Ezekiel 13:8-16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. ¶ Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.
The majority want the other voice, the nicey nice message that is given in a false love and from a false prophet and a false teacher. The church is filled with far too many who desire the "love" message, but it must be "love" as they describe it, NOT as the Lord describes love! Jeremiah would be called a false prophet if he was here prophesying what the Lord's heart was for us today! Ezekiel would be a false prophet and Daniel and Hosea because they didn't preach what the itching ears in the church want to hear or the others who side with the cries of foul from those whose hearts are challenged by God's Word today. The church wants the message of love on their terms and if you preach and teach the nicey nice message, then praise God you're in the "IN" crowd and accepted in the "beloved", but woe unto you should you counter the nicey nice message because the cry will be against you, the tongues will wag, and the destruction of your life will begin in full force. Why must the other cry be supported with such force of emotion? Simple, the devil wants to destroy as many as he can before his time is up, and he will do it using the false prophets and the false preachers who will tickle ears and teach the nicey nice message of "love"!
Look at what happened when the nicey nice message of "love" is preached. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD. The wall crumbles because the foundation was not the Lord and the wall being built on the foundation wasn't the truth but a false teaching and a false prophesy that spoke nicey nice to the heart. There are two cries, but only ONE is the cry from God!
Let's look a little deeper into the Lord's Word concerning the other cry. Ezekiel most certainly is a true prophet, and he addresses the issue of superficial piety, the nicey nice message that makes the heart feel the warm fuzzies that so many call "love". Ezekiel 13:17-23 ¶ 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, 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? And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly. Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Lies sadden the heart of the righteous, and lies strengthen the wicked. In these days men call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Lies are from the father of lies, the devil, and the devil came for three reasons, to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 8:44; 10:10). The other cry also does what Ezekiel is saying here, it to hunt souls! The lies steal the soul, which is why accepting or believing a lie is so destructive! The lie is the bait that the devil uses to rob you of your soul. This is the demonic power behind idolatry and specifically behind idols themselves that Ezekiel is addressing. The women of Judah were still practicing the Canaanite rituals with their pillows and their kerchiefs which defiled the Lord's people, they went into captivity in their own pride thinking they were secure because they had the temple, they had the priests of God, and the nicey nice message came from the false prophets and the false teachers to support their hearts. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
There are the two cries from the church today. Yes there are false prophets and false teachers in the church today, so there are two cries! Nothing will change until the Lord's Parousia, yet His Parousia will mean separating the sheep from the goats, the revealing of the two cries. Matthew 7:15 ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Jesus warns us of this very same thing, there are two voices: one comes from Him and His servants, the other comes from the nicey nice prophets who will preach what the majority want to hear, "love" and Peace, peace. Jesus is concerned about His people and wants His people to accept the truth which is why He adds more in the context of His Sermon on the Mount. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Notice that Jesus didn't say, "antics" or "clothing" or "your personal likes", but He said, FRUITS!
Jeremiah's messages were consistent and confirmed by other godly men. Ezekiel's messages were consistent and confirmed by other godly men as will be God's messages. They are confirmed and they are consistent and because this is the case, souls will be added to His kingdom, liberty will be given to the captive, healing and God's prosperity will be brought into the soul that is touched by the Lord's message.
The fruit is more the results of the message and not what tie a person wore or the accent he has! John the apostle was a father to the church because he did live to an old age, yet the fruit of his ministry is not what he spoke (which BTW is the Word of God), the fruit were his disciples those who were discipled by him as John taught them the Word, people like Polycarp who stood on the Word a was martyred and Ignatius and Iranaeus. These men were pillars of the church which in today's teaching are called the early church fathers or ante nicene fathers.
Look at what Jesus was discussing in His sermon when He brought up false prophets! Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Jesus is discussing eternal life, and He wants His people to have eternal life, He loves His people, He cares for their souls, BUT He warns them that false prophets wearing sheep clothing will try to steal their souls, the same message of Ezekiel, the same message all throughout Scripture, the devil wants your soul and will do whatever he must to get it. we are in a war and the enemy is winning many souls because for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: !
There are two cries, one wants the destruction of God's people and one wants God's people to enter the strait gate! One cry comes from God and His servants, the other cry comes from the devil and his servants. God desires His people to live an abundant life now and in eternity, meanwhile the devil wants to steal the soul of all he may in whatever means he can and will use. The lie is his favorite message to rob people of their soul, and the lie will be used for the rest of these last days. Remember there are 10 virgins, five were wise and five were foolish. Five stood and took heed of the warning and were prepared while the foolish took the mark of the beast and were called foolish simply because they listened to the lie from the cry of the other voice.