Ezekiel Chapter 27, Part 2

Isaiah Chapter 47

Verse 5 “Sit in silence, and go into darkness (“darkness” and “silence” are descriptions of Sheol, the unconscious condition of death), O daughter of the Chaldeans [Papacy, Mystic Babylon]; for you shall no longer be called The Lady of Kingdoms (Presently Papacy is called the Catholic or universal Church, i.e., the church of many nations).”

Verse 7 “And you said, ‘I shall be a lady forever,’ So that you did not take these things to heart, nor remember the latter end of them.”

“Papacy says, “I shall be a lady forever.” She boasts that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her and that Peter’s rock confession about Christ represents Peter as the first pope in the Roman Catholic Church (Matt. 16:18). The claim is that the papal system will endure forever and that (papal) Rome is the “eternal city.”

Verse 8 “Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, who dwell securely [confidently], who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children’”

“Thou that art given to pleasures that dwells carelessly.” The Catholic Church and its clergy have over time amassed riches, honors, and adoration.

“I am, and none else beside me” is another boast of Catholicism. The Catholic Church has claimed in the past to be the one and only true church; only in the last 50 or 60 years has this claim been softened. Now, in the ecumenical spirit, the Catholic Church speaks of Protestants as her fratelli separati, her “separated brethren.”

“I shall not sit as a widow; neither shall I know the loss of children.” This, still another boast, is quoted in Rev 18:7, “She saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.”

Verse 9 “But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness [completeness] Because of the multitude of your sorceries, for the great abundance of your enchantments.”

“The suddenness of Papacy’s humiliation is emphasized. “But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: … and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly.” This chapter is too emphatic to apply only to literal Babylon. The fall of literal Babylon in the type was preceded by a siege, but the actual destruction took place in a matter of hours when the river Euphrates was diverted.

Two things will happen to Papacy suddenly, “in a moment”: (1) the loss of children and (2) widowhood. Papacy’s death is not mentioned in these three verses, but that will also occur suddenly. What these verses are saying is that before Papacy’s death, she will be defrocked, taken down from the throne, and humbled like a slave grinding at the millstone. Consider Samson, who was blinded and then used to turn the millstone. Delilah (Catholicism) caused the eyes of Samson (the blinded masses) to be put out, and in past ages the Catholic Church kept the masses in ignorance. Just as Papacy was instrumental in the cruelty of the Inquisition, so retribution will come on that system. Before death will come humiliation. In other words, there will be enough time prior to her death for her to feel shame: silence, darkness, and grinding at the millstone (Verses 2 and 5). No longer will the people support her.

“The loss of children and widowhood … shall come upon thee [Papacy] in their perfection [in full measure].” In other words, Papacy will lose all of her children (the Protestant churches). Papacy is not a widow today, for she is still recognized by the nations. Representatives of the Vatican even address the United Nations. The hour of strong power is yet future.

The loss of children and widowhood will occur suddenly; that is, in a very brief period of time, the world will witness these developments. Rev 18:8 is related and yet a little different: “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judges her.” Rev 18:8 and Isa 47:9 both indicate suddenness: sudden death and the sudden loss of children and widowhood, respectively.

In regard to “loss of children,” the other church systems will become disenchanted and try to disassociate themselves from Papacy. But they, too, will be cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone (gehenna). Catholicism (the beast), Protestantism (the false prophet), and civil power (the dragon) will unite in the hour of power, but after that, the great city Babylon will break up into three parts. Of these three parts, the Lord will deal quickly with two of them; Catholicism and Protestantism will be destroyed forever. The dragon will be dealt with later. Thus the kings and merchants of the earth will stand afar off, witnessing the burning of the religious systems (Rev. 18:9–11).

Papacy will experience retribution for her past atrocious acts. During the Inquisition Papacy tortured and executed true Christians, but prior to execution their children were raped or killed in front of them. Here Papacy is seen to suffer the loss of her children (they will be put to death too, symbolically) and she will be forsaken by her friends and lovers (kings and merchants), leaving her a “widow.”

Isaiah 47 and Revelation 18 present two different aspects. Isaiah 47 emphasizes the experience of Papacy; i.e., she will witness the “loss of [her] children” and “widowhood” before her destruction. Revelation 18 emphasizes the experience of the kings and merchants who witness the destruction; i.e., how they will react to the destruction of Papacy.

Papacy’s humiliation and desolation will come because of “the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments,” and because “thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: [and] thou hast said, none sees me.”

Verse 10 “For you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, ‘No one sees me’; your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you [misled you]; and you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’”

“Papacy is known for its diplomacy, for keeping a foot on both sides of the fence until the victor is apparent; then Papacy supports the victor solely. If one side caves in, Papacy has enough representation on the other side to appear as the champion of the successful side. Diplomacy is having a forked tongue; it is speaking out of both sides of the mouth at the same time. This type of political savvy has enabled Papacy to weather the storms of centuries, but it will be to no avail when the Time of Trouble comes upon that system.”

Verse 11 “Therefore evil shall come upon you; you shall not know from where it arises. And trouble shall fall upon you; you will not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, which you shall not know.”

“Therefore shall evil come upon thee; [and] thou shalt not know from whence it rises.” This is startling! Papacy will not know whence the trouble arises. “Thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.” The picture of the Medes coming in suddenly and unexpectedly under the city gates of Babylon presents one aspect. King Belshazzar was put to death the very night that Daniel was explaining the handwriting on the wall to the overconfident king and entourage, who were having a drunken orgy and drinking from the gold and silver Temple vessels. Daniel’s message was “Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin”: “God has numbered the kingdom and finished it. You are weighed in the balances and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

In our next post we will return to Verse 4 of Ezekiel Chapter 27