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Jo Kelly | PentecostalTheology.com
Fly Away Doctrine Supposedly From Ezekiel?
The late teacher, Arnold Murray seemed to be obsessed with the Ezekiel 13 Scriptures as he taught a false interpretation of these verses in chapter 13. This is one chapter that has been twisted to what a man believed believed godly ministers taught, as to believers “flying away to escape the end time tribulation. This is untrue.
“Ezekiel 13:20 Scripture says, “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.”.
Murray says, The Lord God is AGAINST those that hunt souls to make them what? “FLY?”. Murray says preachers say that, “people are going to fly out of here to save their souls.” Who needs to fly when they ascend as did our Lord, in a new spiritual body! He connects the Scriptural resurrection/rapture teaching ministers actually teach as being the very context of this Ezekiel chapter! This concept is erroneous. Let us examine together this chapter in Ezekiel and Mr. Murray’s errors in his interpretations he proclaimed about Ezekiel 13, as if they were truth.
First of all, Ezekiel 13 has nothing whatsoever to do with prophets or prophetesses predicting the resurrection of the dead and the catching away of the living saints, (rapture), or “flying away to meet the Lord in the air.”
Ezekiel 13 is relating the many sins of the prophets and prophetesses in Ezekiel’s day who were lying to the people (both the righteous and wicked) as they spoke not the words of the Lord. These were not foretelling about people “flying away” nor about resurrection or rapture, by no means. These people did not even understand the prophecies of the end times. These prophets in Ezekiel 13 spoke vain things, from their own vanity and imagination, to lead astray as birds breaking forth and flying into a trap, just like many teachers do today with false teachings. No false prophet will be in the assembly of the Lord in the day of the Lord. These prophets were declaring peace, but there was to be no peace. (Ezek.13: 16).
They declared flourishing of the people. These were made to “fly” in the sense they believed them and as birds flying and spreading forth into snares, so did these people break forth from truth. FLY……a primitive root; to break forth as a bud, i.e. bloom; generally, to spread; specifically, to fly (as extending the wings); figuratively, to flourish:–X abroad, X abundantly, blossom, break forth (out), bud, flourish, make fly, grow, spread, spring (up).
These people had built a weak, symbolic wall, in their reasoning, and this wall was ready to collapse and fall. God was going to let the false foundation they had built upon be discovered, and consume these in his fury. They would no longer be among the ruling body of his people in the house of Israel or even enter the land. It their mortar in example had been mixed with the right element of lime, it would have served a good purpose, but it was untempered mortar used and the wall could not stand the effects of the stormy winds and rains that God would send, tearing down their beliefs and teachings in the same manner as an untempered wall of a house that could protect no one, nor stand when the storm came.
Next, Murray took Ezek.13: 18 and twisted the meaning as if it were a warning against sewing pillows to armhole sleeves in order to be able to fly away in a rapture and escape the tribulation time, which is a false interpretation. Scripture said they made kerchiefs (veils of coverings) on the head of every stature to hunt souls. These prophetesses and prophets were lying to people, as many today, of all ages and stature. This Scripture is speaking of the false prophetesses who had people come and consult with them for answers they sought. They would make and put veils, of kerchief like covering, over their heads of people of every age and stature, in a magical type ritual, to get them prepared to receive a revelation they sought, which was actually false prophecies! It is like the fortune tellers of today who lie to people, some with veils and crystal balls setting an atmosphere of mystery and magic for incantations, leading astray.
The pillows were seen by many scholars as actually sewn for their elbows to rest upon in comfort, while in a setting of receiving their false prophecy. Some history states they sewed pillows to the divans for people to be comfortable and some versions call this “magic charms being sewn upon the wrists of garments (armholes)” as a part of the false prophecy consultations rituals with these women.
When the Scripture says, “upon the head of every stature” it means upon those of all ages of people, and gender, as they deceived all by these methods of fortune telling to lead astray, not give prophecy of God! These false prophets hunted souls to “make them fly.” This has no reference to a rapture belief, as souls in the resurrection or rapture do not “take on wings to fly away!”. They rise and ascend up by the same power as Jesus Christ when he both arose and ascended on high. This is by the power of the Holy Spirit, not wings to fly away.
FLY…..As used in Ezekiel chapter 13.. verse 20. The word, “fly” in this verse is “parach” which has several meanings in Hebrew, “to break forth as a bud, bloom, spread, to fly by extending wings” and “to flourish.” In this verse, the false prophets worked hard in having just the right settings, prompts, coverings as veils, comfortable pillows attached, charms, to seduce those who came and inquired of them seeking a revelation, etc. These false prophets were catching men like birds flying caught in a snare, as once they got them in their hands and beliefs, they used their magic and incantations on them promising them peace, prosperity, and blessings.
NOTE– There was no teaching of a resurrection or rapture by these false workers of magic and and incantations, in prophecy as to the wind. These promised, “flourishing”….a meaning of, “to fly”….their spreading out, enlarging, breaking forth as a bird with no boundaries, but ensnared them as a bird in a trap, caught by their lies and craftiness.
The bottom line is that God was against these false prophets and prophetesses, as they made the wicked people feel secure, safe, without turning them to truth and away from wicked ways. These ensnared many of the righteous also, by turning them away from truth of God to lies of demonic spirits. WOE to those who make, “the heart of the righteous sad (that God did not sadden) and strengthen the hands (works) of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked ways by promising him life. (vs. 32)
To understand in depth the methods these prophetesses were using in veiling those who consulted them for the false prophecies, and meaning of making them to fly, please study these truths.
http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ezekiel/13-20.htm. Commentaries on the snaring of the people by making them as if “to fly.” There is nothing taught as to a resurrection or future rapture in these Scriptures as Arnold Murray believed and taught. This was not saying people were going to fly out of here in a rapture.
Please read and study.
Note…the veil of the false prophetesses deceit was to be torn as God would deliver the people out of the hands of those who practiced magic and spoke false incantations, as if prophecies from God. They would know Jehovah was God. They punishment of the prophet would be as those who sought after them. This is seen in Ezek. 14: 10. God permitted an evil spirit to come on these false prophets and would destroy/destroyed them. Ezek. 14: 9.
-Jo Ann Kelly 2017 …..J. P.’s Inspirations
Ezekiel 13:20 Commentaries: Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt lives there as birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let them go, even those lives whom you hunt as birds.
to make them fly—namely, into their snares, as fowlers disturb birds so as to be suddenly caught in the net spread for them. “Fly” is peculiarly appropriate as to those lofty spiritual flights to which they pretended to raise their dupes when they veiled their heads with kerchiefs and made them rest…
BIBLEHUB.COM
to make them fly—namely, into their snares, as fowlers disturb birds so as to be suddenly caught in the net spread for them. “Fly” is peculiarly appropriate as to those lofty spiritual flights to which they pretended to raise their dupes when they veiled their heads with kerchiefs and made them re…
