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In the prophetic declarations we discover the heart of the Lord and in particular His feelings toward the bloody city. The Lord, in the beginning, established laws for men to live by. The violation of these laws will determine the punishment. The prophet said that this city brings upon herself doom, by the shedding blood in her midst. Eze. 22:3 NIV That her time has come is self evident. The city has a history of being destroyed but they never seemed to learn from the destructions that came upon them. The Lord shows no pity as He inspired Ezekiel to describe the leadership as having the nature of wolves who tear apart the people for their own dishonest gain. Eze. 22:27 This bit of prophecy is not without its last day connotation. When we read the words of warning given by the Apostle Peter we find there are those who are also making merchandise of the people of the Lord, especially in our day. 2 Peter 2:3 Jeremiah likewise gave warning of false prophets who like trained puppets, would prophesy exactly what the people wanted to hear and the people loved it, without giving even a minimal common sense application to the ridiculous statements being made by these false prophets. Jer. 5:31.
The Lord was not yet finished but once again gave a graphic description of the city. This time likening it to a boiling pot whose scum (Heb. disease) or rust was not removed from it. Therefore, clear the city of its inhabitants, bring them out one by one in the hands of an enemy. Eze. 24:6 There was no possibility of deliverance from their judgment. They had gone too far. The hand of the Lord was against them. They refused to follow the simple instructions of the Lord to pour out blood upon the ground and then cover it with the dust of the earth. Lev. 17:13 Contrarily, they displayed it upon a rock where it could be seen by all. The crucifixion of the Christ of God was demanded by the people of the city who boldly took upon themselves the accountability and placed the same curse upon their children, the full responsibility of the shedding of innocent blood. Mt. 27:25 Christ Jesus is that rock. 1 Cor. 10:4 The message of the power to redeem from sin is an open message, that redemptive blood being placed upon a rock visible to all.
Even to the bitter end the city, in its inherent shedding of blood, is the place where the final act of the shedding of the blood of prophets will take place. The two witness, who will spend the last three and one half years, prior to the coming of Christ, witnessing and declaring that Jesus is the Messiah in Jerusalem, will be slain as martyrs. The very last innocent blood to be spilled in the bloody city. Even to the end of the age its bloody reputation is maintained and upheld by its inhabitants. Rev. 11:7-13.