I will deliver my flock

Eze 34:9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
Eze 34:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.


I am against the shepherds.
I will require my flock at their hand.
Cause them to cease from feeding the flock
Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore
I will deliver my flock from their mouth
They may not be meat for them.


Think about this…really think about what this is saying. Shepherds tend their sheep, they feed them, guide them, care for them and yes, often they do this so they can eventually eat from them. In the analogy sense we tend to believe that the good shepherd isn't shepherding his sheep to eat them later, we imagine the sheep being protected and used mainly for their wool, not food. The good shepherd is to guard his flock, keep them alive and well but only until they are needed for something else- even sacrifice. These verses tell a slightly different story. These are the words of the LORD.


The LORD is against the shepherds.
The LORD will require the flock at the shepherds hands.
The LORD will stop the shepherds from feeding their flock.
The LORD will stop the shepherds from eating.
The LORD will deliver HIS flock- He will keep the shepherds from eating of the flock.
The LORD will keep the sheep from being food for the shepherds.


Again in the analogy sense the picture here is clear. Those tending to God's people are corrupted and the LORD intervenes, protecting His people, keeping His people from being devoured spiritually by false shepherds- shepherds that aren't tending God's people as God would have them be tended.


Reading on…


Eze 34:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out
Eze 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.


God will search for HIS people even those not with the flock but scattered away from the protection of the majority. God's people will be DELIVERED from ALL places in the CLOUDY and DARK DAY. When will they be delivered? In the cloudy and dark day. Is there a darker day than the day the world meets it's end? Things will be at their absolute worst right before Christ returns for His people, just like in the days of Noah and the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember- only 8 people were saved in Noah's day and even less in Sodom and Gomorrah. Not even TEN people worthy of saving could be found in that city teeming with self-servers. The last days will be the same.


Reading on…


Eze 34:13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
Eze 34:14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
Eze 34:15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.


Again, in the day of deliverance we will be brought into our own land, the land of heaven. The symbolism of God's land is Israel, the New Jerusalem is in heaven and we who have been tortured and tormented from living in a world of hate against God and God's love will find all the solace we need in our new pasture, with our Good Shepherd. Christ finds the lost, binds up the broken, Christ will strengthen the sick, but all those who are healthy and strong from living in league with the world will be destroyed.


We, right now, live in a world as those lost. We don't belong in this world and God knows that, He knows that His people live lost in a world of sin, needing to be found by Him. We live in a world that breaks our hearts daily with all it's horrors and sin, God will bind up our broken hearts fully. We are sick and in need of Christ- our holy physician- on our own we are far from healthy. There are those who don't seek the Lord but live in the world glorying in its atrocities, being a part of the sin filling our world, making it sick. Those who appear to be healthy will be destroyed, they believe they have NO need of saving, no need of a Savior, they are fine just the way they are.


Some people are waiting for this world we live in to find peace. People will twist the Bible until they are convinced that peace will come to earth while sinners still reign. Christ is going to come again and take us WITH Him. The earth will be made new after ALL sinners are destroyed. Read this…


1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.



Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ A THOUSAND YEARS.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived NOT AGAIN UNTIL the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are EXPIRED, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.



When Christ returns we will rise and meet Him in the air and be with him a 1000 years! Then after the 1000 years the dead are raised - those that weren't taken with Christ when He came- the ungodly, those who never truly repented and never accepted Christ as their Savior. Then they are all judged according to their works and their final punishment set accordingly as they are destroyed completely once and for all, forever. Then and only then will the New Jerusalem come down from God OUT of heaven and it is then the earth is made new.


Those who are expecting peace now are deceived. The Bible clearly reveals the truth. The devil has many deceived and they expect world peace here and now. False Christs, Satan disguised as an angel of light, people who cry peace and safety, these are what we can expect. Unbelievable deception that only those who ….

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

….who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus will be spared the deception. We know there are going to be FEW, we know it's a very narrow path, we know these things and we have to remember these things because while the whole world around us falls under the deception, we alone will stand out as those deceived.


Well, this study certainly took a turn I wasn't expecting, but such is the way of studying sometimes. Christ our Good Shepherd will ultimately take us His sheep and we will be safe in His love. Until the time we are taken with Him we live in this world of sin with the promise of His return as our hope. Living with that promised hope doesn't mean we won't be sick, broken-hearted, tired, weary, worn, it means we have hope even through all the pain and heartache of life. Hope. Faith. Love.


May God keep us in Him always! May our faith be helped… Lord we believe, help our unbelief…just as the father cried out to Jesus. Mk 9:24. Bless us oh Lord, bless us and keep us safe from evil because we are not taken out of the world, we live in this world and need the safety only YOU can give us.

By Your grace!
By Your love!
By Your mercy!
In Your righteousness!

Amen.