Parent: JesusWordsOnly
Ezekiel s Warning About the Ravening Wolves
Jesus said we would know the false prophets who are ravening wolves in sheep's clothing by their "deeds." (Matt. 7:16.)
How could we know who the wolf is by their deeds ? Does this mean their deeds are merely wicked? Or does it mean their deeds are precisely described elsewhere in Scripture so you could not possibly mistake who are the wolves in sheep s clothing ? In light of Ezekiel's description of the ravening wolves, it is likely the latter. God made a highly specific description of the deeds of the ravening wolves so we would "know them by their deeds." (Matt. 7:16.)
The picture in Ezekiel chapter 22 of the time of the ravening wolves is startling in its parallel to Paul and Pauline Christianity. This description tells us what God thinks about the descent of Christianity into church-going that disregards the true Sabbath and the Law, dismisses the teachings of Jesus as belonging to a by-gone dispensation, and instead follows Paul because he claims a vision and boldly claimed to speak in the Lord's name. Ezekiel described the time of the ravening wolves in an uncanny parallel to Paulinism:
Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my
holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and
the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the
unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths,
and I am profaned among them. (Ezek. 22:26)
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the
prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get
dishonest gain. (Ezek. 22:27)
And her prophets have daubed for them with untempered mortar,
seeing false visions, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus
saith the Lord Jehovah, when Jehovah hath not spoken.
(Ezek. 22:28)
The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised
robbery; yea, they have vexed the poor and needy, and have
oppressed the sojourner wrongfully. (Ezek. 22:29)
And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall,
and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not
destroy it; but I found none . (Ezek. 22:30)(ASV)
Thus, those leading the people are ravening wolves. They are called the princes (leaders) in the people's eyes. They are buttressed by those having false visions and claims to have the right to speak in the name of the Lord. Their leaders seduce the people from following the Law. They teach them they are free to ignore the true Saturday Sabbath. They say all food is pure, and none unclean. Their teaching also leads to the vexation of the poor and the foreigner. There will be a time when no one is left who stands against these principles. 7
Now look at the parallels between these wolves and Paul.
First, Paul claimed a vision of Jesus. (Acts chapters. 9, 22, 26.) Based on this vision experience, Paul wanted us to accept that he was speaking directly from the Lord. ( E.g ., 1Cor. 14:37; 1Tim. 2:11; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess.4:1-2,8; 1 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 4:17. cf. 1Cor. 7:25, 40.)
Second, Paul's view that the Law is entirely abrogated is well-established. (2Cor. 2:14; Gal. 5:1; Rom. 10:4; 2Cor. 3:7; Gal. 5:1; Col. 2:14-17; Rom. 3:27; Rom. 4:15; 2Cor. 3:9; Gal. 2:16; Gal. 3:21; Col. 2:14). 8
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This point in 22:30 destroys the Paulunists' claim that the sovereignty of God would prevent such apostasy. Paulunists cannot imagine apostasy by nearly everyone would be tolerated by God. Thus, they reason that our last four-hundred years of emphasis on Paul is proof that God predestines such an emphasis. This assumption, however, is fed by a circular deduction from Paul's false teaching about predestination. (On proof of its falsity, see page 432 and page 504.) God repeatedly shows, however, that wholesale apostasy is possible. He does nothing to stop it short of warnings in Scripture that He expects us to read!
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"Did Paul Negate the Law's Further Applicability?" on page 73.
Third, Paul's view that we are free to ignore the Saturday Sabbath or any Sabbath-principle is undeniable. (Rom. 14:5; Col. 2:14-16.) 9 (Paul's followers typically behave like Jeroboam who offended God by moving God's set day to a "day he invented in his heart." ((1Kgs. 12:33) RV.)) 10
Fourth, Paul's view that we are free to eat any food we like, including eat meat sacrificed to idols, is likewise plain. (1 Tim. 4:4, 'all food is clean'; (Rom. 4:2).) n Paul taught we only refrain from eating idol meat when others are encouraged to do what they believe is wrong even though we know such food is clean. (Romans 14:21; (1Cor. 8:4) 13, and (1Cor. 10:19-29).) 12
Fifth, did Paul give instructions to Christians which vex the poor? Some believe the following quote vexes the poor with a criteria for assistance never found in the Hebrew Scriptures.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat. (2Th 3:10) (ASV)
How many people have resisted giving food to a poor person simply because they are unemployed and they do not pass a Pauline-inspired interview about their willingness to work for it? This work requirement sometimes will stall the urgent help that a poor person has for food. Nowhere in Hebrew Scripture is there any such barrier to God's command that you are to feed the poor. In fact, Scripture specifically intends for us to generously provide food for the poor to eat even if we have no idea whether they are willing to work. Thus, Paul's principle that if any will not work, neither let him eat has served as a punitive vexation on poor people by Christians who follow Paul's dictum. (Many Christians, of course, do not follow Paul's dictum, and follow instead the Bible's rule of open-handed provision of food to the poor.)
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See page 75 etseq.
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For further discussion on this passage, see page xxvi of Appendix C.
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Some claim Jesus taught all kosher food laws in the Law of Moses are abrogated. They base this on the account in (Mark 7:2) et seq. However, it is a misreading to say Jesus abrogated the laws of kosher foods. First, Jesus is discussing the Rabbinic tradition that food was unclean if you did not ritually wash your hands first. (Mark 7:2,4, 5.) Jesus' disciples ate without ritual washing of their hands. Jesus' point then is to show the Pharisees that they make up rules that (a) are not in the Bible and (b) which make of none effect what the Bible does teach. (Mark 7:713). Jesus so far is tightening the reigns of the Law, not loosening them. Then Jesus says "nothing without the man that going into him can defile him." (Mark 7:15; cf. Matt. 15:11). If it defiles you, Jesus means it makes you a sinner. This does appear to reach as far as the question of non-kosher foods. What Jesus is saying, however, is that food laws, even the valid kosher laws, are health rules of what is "clean" and "unclean." They are not rules if violated make you a sinner. Jesus was trying to give the rationale of God behind the food laws so we would know how to interpret them. The food laws are good for your health. Thus, if you violate these rules, you are not thereby a sinner. God does not want to hear prayers of repentance over violating food laws. (The idol-meat rule, however, implicates moral wrong; it was not part of the clean-unclean food laws.) Thus, a Rabbinic rule on handwashing, even if valid, could not taint you morally if you happen to violate it. What corroborates Jesus did not intend to abrogate kosher is that while Jesus' disciples ignored the hand-washing rule for clean foods created by Rabbis, his disciples always ate kosher. In Acts 10:14, when Peter in a dream is presented non-kosher foods to eat, "Peter said. Not so, Lord; for 1 have never eaten anything that is common and unclean." This tells us indirectly that Jesus ate kosher. The dream story incidentally was simply God's message to Peter to regard Gentiles as clean and disregard the Rabbinic teaching that Gentiles were unclean. There is not the slightest hint the food laws were abrogated. If either Jesus or Peter teach against the food laws, then they are implicated as apostates under Deut. 13:1-5. One must tread carefully when they try to prove Jesus or his true apostles abrogated any portion of the Law given Moses - a Law "eternal for all generations." (Ex. 27:21.)
Alternatively, we also now realize the early church at Jerusalem was known as the Poor which would be, as an Hebraism, the name Ebionites. Paul was a vexing problem to them as well, as Acts chapter 21 clearly shows. Perhaps that is what vexing the poor means. It fits Paul any way you examine it.
Sixth, what about oppressing the foreigner? Did Paul and his followers do that too? Yes, in two distinct ways. By Paul saying all people born in Crete are liars, he forever slurred a whole nation of people. To be born a Cretan became synonymous with being bom a liar, thanks to Paul. This is what Paul wrote:
One of themselves, a prophet of their own said, "Cretans are
always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true
(Titus 1:12).
Besides slandering all Cretans, Paul in another passage also slandered all Jews. He first labelled them as foreigners and then said they are enemies of all mankind. Let's review this with care.
One might at first think Jews cannot be viewed as foreigners in Judea. However, Paul in Galatians chapter 4 redefines Jews as foreigners in Judea. How did he do this? In our prior discussion, we saw how Paul said the Jews of Jerusalem no longer correspond to the sons of Abraham and Sarah. Instead they are now seen as Ishmael-the son of Abraham and Hagar. (Gal. 4:22-31). Paul then says "cast out the handmaiden." This means Hagar and her children. In effect, Paul is saying the Jews in Jerusalem no longer hold the rightful position as owners of the land of Israel. They are Ishmaelites and foreigners to the covenant promise that gives them the right to the Land of Israel.
12.See "Paul Contradicts Jesus About tdol Meat" on page 117.
13.(Exod. 23:11) says "but the seventh year thou shalt let it [your land] rest and lie fallow; that the poor of thy people may eat. and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat." The field owner was also not supposed to glean the field in ordinary harvests but leave the "fallen fruit" for the "poor and sojourner." (Lev. 19:10). Thus, Scripture always depicts food being provided to the poor without Minutemen standing at the border of the farm to be sure the poor are willing to work for the food they picked up from the orchard. The proof that Paul has affected the poor negatively is there is no custom among Christians for the last 2,000 years to comply with Exodus 23:11 or (Lev. 19:10).
Second, after labelling Jews, in effect, as foreigners in Israel, Paul denigrates their entire race. Paul wrote "the Jews...both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are the enemies of the whole human race." ((1Thess. 2:14-16).)
The Greek in this verse means Jews oppose face-toface every human being on earth. The various versions hold the essential meaning in tact:
Jews...who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and have
persecuted us. They are displeasing to God and are the enemies of
all people....(ITh 2:14-15)(ISV)
Jews...both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and
have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to
all men: (ITh 2:14-15)(KJV)
According to James, a different group is responsible for the death of Jesus: "Go now, ye rich men, weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you.... Ye have condemned and killed the just [one]; and he doth not resist you." ((Jas. 5:5-6).)
Regardless of Paul's accuracy on who killed Jesus, Paul redefines Jews to be foreigners in Judea, equivalent to Ishmaelite sons of Hagar. He then denigrates Jews as the enemies of the entire human race. Paul's words of denigration aimed at Jews later inspired Martin Luther in Gennany to promulgate a doctrine of harassment of the Jewish people who were by then foreigners in Germany.
The renown scholar, William Shirer, in his classic 1400 page tome The Rise and the Fall of the Third Reich (1960) at 236 explains what Martin Luther did. Shirer writes:
It is difficult to understand the behavior of most German
Protestants in the first Nazi years unless one is aware of two
things: their history and the influence of Martin Luther. [At this
point, Shirer writes in a footnote "To avoid any misunderstanding,
it might be well to point out here that the author is a
Protestant."] The great founder of Protestantism was both a
passionate anti-Semite and a ferocious believer in absolute
obedience to political authority. He wanted Germany rid of the
Jews and when they were sent away he advised that they be deprived
of 'All their cash and jewels and silver and gold" and
furthermore, "that their synagogues or schools be set on fire,
that their houses be broken up and destroyed... and that they be
put under a roof or stable, like the gypsies... in misery and
captivity as they incessantly lament and complain to God about
us"-advice that was literally followed four centuries later by
Hitler, Goering, and Himmler.
Paul's words about Jews, when taken literally by his pupil Martin Luther, bore their inevitable fruit: the oppression of the foreigner including God's special people-the Jews.
How Ezekiel's Depiction of the Deeds of Wolves Identifies Paul
Thus, we can see how the Ezekiel description of ravening wolves fits precisely Paul and his followers. They did violence to the Law by attributing it to angels who 'are no gods.' They taught we are free to disregard the Sabbath Law entirely. They tore away all food laws, including the laws on eating meat sacrificed to idols. They vexed the poor with the necessity that they must be willing to work for aid. They also oppressed the foreigners, as they defined them. This includes a slur on the people of Crete. It is a slur that has become part of our vocabulary. A Cretan is synonymous with a liar. Also, Paul oppressed Jews by redefining their status in Jerusalem as foreigners as well as enemies of all mankind. Centuries later Martin Luther of Germany, inspired directly by Paul, outlined a plan of denigration of Jews. By that time, Jews were in fact foreigners in Germany. Pauline Christianity thereby inspired wicked men in our recent memory to follow Luther's plan to utterly oppress the Jews as foreigners.
Hence, Paul and Pauline Christianity satisfies every criteria for Ezekiel's depiction of the ravening wolves. So when Jesus tells us about wolves in sheep s clothing in (Matt. 7:15) and then says we will know them by their deeds in Matthew 7:16, Ezekiel chapter 22 tells us precisely what deeds mark the time of the ravening wolves. Those deeds fit Paul like a glove.