"And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it him." [Ezekiel 21:25-27]. 

                The word "iniquity" in the Hebrew text literally means: perversity, or evil; while the Greek word gives: lawlessness, to operate outside the confines of God's law.
                "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." [Proverbs 29:18]. Far too often the first part of the verse is quoted, but the latter part is ignored. This is regrettable, for the latter statement is vital to the first. Where there is no vision, where there is no understanding of the law, where there is no comprehension of the path of righteousness set before us, people will perish. The Hebrew text here reads, "are made naked," for your vision is your covering until it be fulfilled in reality. And the law must be kept, it must be adhered to, and brought to its fulfillment within, then "happy is he." There is a specific law for the fulfillment of every vision. If we desire to be holy as He is holy, then there are specific rules to follow to obtain that holiness. We must yield to the inworkings of the Holy Spirit to  SEPARATE us from the world, and SEPARATE us unto Christ. Holiness demands separation from evil. If we refuse the law― the governing principles for holiness, we shall never come into that state of being. "He that keepeth the law, happy is he." But to become lawless, that leads into iniquity, perversity, evil. Lawlessness would be trying to have the fulfillment without the obedience to the proper order for its fulfillment.       
                "Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from  Me ye that work iniquity." [Matthew 7:22-23].
                Why did He say, "I never knew you?" They had called of Him, "Lord," they had prophesied in His name, they had performed many wonderful works, but they were workers of iniquity, that is, of LAWLESSNESS― because they were not moving within His divine order for proper fulfillment. They wanted to do the miracles, give the prophecy, have dominion over devils, but they did not want to do it GOD'S WAY. It was for their own purposes, building their own kingdoms, gaining their own glory. HE DID NOT KNOW THEM because they were outside of His Way, outside of the intent for which He had ordained that there be prophecies, deliverance from satanic forces, and all the wonderful works of God. These are given for a purpose, TO GLORIFY GOD, not man. To lead us into the reality of the totality of His kingdom, never for the building of man's kingdom. It is iniquity, it is lawlessness. It must needs be the operation of the Spirit of God which has channeled us, and held us to this one end, namely, that it be the fulfillment of the Divine Purpose as He works His will and purpose among men.
                Praise God, He does have a specific purpose being wrought out among men, and we dare declare, with Paul, "God has allowed us to know the secret of His plan, and it is this: He purposes in His sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfillment in Him." [Ephesians 1:9-10, Phillips].
                ALL HUMAN HISTORY― EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS in heaven or earth, to find its consummation, its perfection and fulfillment IN HIM. That is why all lawlessness must have an end. Everything shall be totally, gloriously reconciled to Him. But there is a law for this to be fulfilled, a prescribed order by which it is accomplished. And this "DIVINE ORDER" will definitely include His judgments, which shall be used to bring iniquity to an end, and to establish righteousness throughout the universe. The more we understand His glorious plan, the more we even welcome His judgments.
                Turning again to the writings of Paul, we read, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accuser, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;  having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:…everlearning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth…men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all." [2 Timothy 3:1-5,7-9].
                Here is lawlessness in every form― and it certainly creates PERILOUS TIMES. Any newspaper on any given day can verify this over and over again as being fulfilled in our times. Preachers can fill the air waves with their noise pollution as they rehearse over and over again of these conditions. Yet for some reason, in their un-enlightenment suspect, they never go on to give this ninth verse, "BUT THEY SHALL PROCEED NO FURTHER!" For God has decreed that there shall come an end to iniquity!
                 Amplifed: "In the long run they won't get very far."
                Rotherham: "But they shall not force their way further."
                God is going to manifest their folly to all men. Expose the foolishness of sin, and iniquity shall have an end. Yes, all these things exist in our day, but that is not the end of the matter, that is not the final answer, it is only describing an interim condition. These things can proceed no further than what God plans for them to proceed. For "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." [Isaiah 59:19]. And though "the wicked are like a troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt" [Isaiah 57:20], yet God gives the decree, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." [Job 38:11].  And He has appointed a day when iniquity shall have an end, and in the fulness of that new creation, when He hath made "all things new." [Revelation 21:5], we also read, "And there was no more sea." [Revelation 21: 1]. Praise His holy name!
                In the outworking of Gods purpose of the ages, He has established the principle that: all evil self-destructs, all good will perpetuate. And we are on the verge of seeing a generation self-destruct. They have destroyed themselves with their dope, their drink, their sexual-abandonment, they are burning themselves out in every way― it is folly, but their folly shall have an end. Furthermore it is rapidly becoming manifest to all men, so that even now what they once called "their own life-style" other men have begun to term, "their death-style." Iniquity shall have an end. Righteousness shall fill the earth. His judgments are a MEANS to iniquity's end, and also to the establishment of this rightness in the earth again.
                "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof and the ways of death." [Proverbs 14:12]. God has placed into the way of self-satisfaction, self-seeking, self-rebellion, etc. an ultimate goal of death. There is no alternative, there is no other ending, the wages of sin is death.
                But, "In the way of righteousness is life," and in the pathway there of there is no death." [Proverbs 12:28]. This is a Divine Law also, and in this we truly rejoice!
                God clearly spoke to Adam, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." [Genesis 2:16-17].
                Paul also writes that by the enablement of the holy Spirit, we can take care, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." [2 Corinthians 2:11]. And we can be on guard, "Lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." [2 Corinthians 11:3]. And note the word "simplicity," coming from a Greek word that literally means "singleness."
                As long as Adam and Eve maintained an eye single unto God, they were able to maintain their purity. And they were warned not to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for this duality would bring an end to their single-minded state. Obviously, the serpent wanted Adam and Eve to eat of this tree, it would divide and destroy. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." [John 10:10].
                We find it very interesting that once however, Adam and Eve did partake of this tree of the knowledge of good and evil, all the world has put a sanction upon it, including Christendom, and now they say it is alright to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. How conveniently they forget that God also stated, "For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." [Genesis 2:17]. So they continue to eat thereof, and they continue to die because of their partaking.
                However, there are some other thoughts to be included here. If God had wanted to protect His naive creation from any deception and damage by the work of the devil, better to have placed man where the devil had no access, or, at the very least, not have planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil so near to Adam. It appears that either God had some most glorious purpose in mind, or it was the most profound blunder in creation. We must see God in His sovereignty, and in His total victory.
                Why did God arrange for man to partake of this tree? Though God foretold Adam of the consequences if he ate of the tree, God certainly also controlled the circumstances and takes full responsibility for what happened.
                Briefly, we would be reminded that the fall was threefold, for man is a tri-part being, spirit, soul, and body. Hebrews 12:9 clearly states that our God is "The Father of spirits," while Zechariah 12:1 adds that it is the Lord, "which stretcheth out the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him." Our spirit comes from God, but the Psalmist goes on to ask, "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels...." [Psalm 8:4-5]. The Hebrew text reads, "You have made him lack a little from Elohim." Made a little lower, made to lack― for though once apart of the Elohim family, existing in pure spirit form, man was lowered in spirit from this realm and made to lack from the fulness of spirit.
                Next we read, "I have said, Ye are gods (Hebrew, Elohim); and all of you are children (Hebrew, sons) of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes." [Psalm 82:6- 7]. Fall like one of the princes, even like that one which fell into the soulishness of "I WILL." To become self-centered in the self-will state, in contradistinction to remaining one in God's will.
                And then, "The creature was made subject to vanity...the bondage of corruption." [Romans 8:20-21]. With the spirit made to lack, and the soul fallen into "I will," the body was made subject to corruption and vanity, to express outwardly what had happened inwardly. Lowered, fallen, subjected, it has enveloped the whole being of man.
                When the spirit was lowered, made to lack, then that spirit knew the restlessness of desire to reach out and grasp satisfaction and fill up that lack. This immediately opens the way for all possibilities of sin, as man would err, miss the mark, and be turned in the wrong direction from the realm of truth and divine fulness. Then with the "I will" asserting itself, whatever man sought after, he would want to do it his way. And even in this day, when "the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God is being preached, and every one strives violently to go in ―would force his own way, rather than God's way into it." [Luke 16:16, Amplified].
                Furthermore, while God has "made everything beautiful in its time; He also has planted eternity in men's heart and mind (a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun, but only God, can satisfy), yet so that man cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." [Ecclesiastes 3:11, Amplified].
                When God "turnest man to destruction; (He also) sayest, Return, ye children of men." [Psalm 90:3], but we have to return GOD'S WAY. Trying to return any other way than His makes us lawless― workers of iniquity.
                So we ask again, Why did God arrange for man to partake of the tree? "Howbeit...God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart." [2 Chronicles 32:31]. Certainly God, in His omniscience, already knew what was in the heart of man, for "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." [Hebrews 4:13]. Therefore, God was exposing man unto man― for "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" [Jeremiah 17:9]. God has placed us in the crucible, trying and testing us, to reveal unto us what is in ourselves. And when the pressures are on, we are often amazed at what comes out of us, things we never knew were within, and we cry out with Paul, "0 wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And how very grateful we are for the answer, "I thank God through Jesus our Lord." [Romans 7:24-25]. So our prayer is, Try me, but don't leave me, lest I sin! Purge and purify, let your judgments work in me, but don't leave me, for I cannot walk this way alone, only You can bring me through.
                Ezekiel 28: 12, "Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus..." Upon― the Hebrew text reads, OVER him, or, beyond him. While the king of Tyrus was in the foreground, that which was spoken actually went far beyond him― he was but the present figure of that which went beyond him, and thus becomes as a parable. For it goes on to say of this one, "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. ―Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee." [Ezekiel 28: 15] .When perversity came on the scene, when lawlessness came forth― manifested in "I WILL ascend...I WILL exalt my throne...I WILL sit...I WILL be..." [Isaiah 14:13-14].
                It soon becomes self-evident that evil is perverted good. We read, "For OF (Greek, ek, out of) Him...are all things." [Romans 11:36]. All things originate with Him, and therefore in their initial state they have to be pure and good, for in Him is no darkness, no unrighteousness, no evil. But having come forth from Him, some things have become grossly perverted, become evil. Which is why God can also "work all things together into good," because He can restore all things again into their original state. And in His marvellous workings, He has purposed to do this by the way of His judgments.
                Forgive us for the limitedness of our illustrations, yet the message is clear: in our English word "live" we find that when the letters of the word are reversed, it becomes "evil." Life perverted is evil. As long as it is in a state of evilness, you are not living, in fact, often you are hardly existing― for actually it is a realm of death. "Dead in trespasses and sins." [Ephesians 2:1]. Yet when He turns it around, then "He that hath the Son hath life." [1 John 5:12]. Praise God!
                "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." [Titus 1:15].
                God can control the interplay of good and evil, and work it all into good. Man, trying to be ''as'' God, cannot. There is that within man which responds to evil, and sooner or later he falls prey thereto. Only when we are pure as He is pure, will we not be tempted with evil. Jesus said, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." [John 14:30]. There was nought within Him wherein evil could gain a toe-hold. And when He has finished His purgings in us, we shall be one in that holiness, one in His purity.
                Now, it is clearly stated, "The commandment is holy, and just, and good." [Romans 5:12]. Yet, while it could define sin, it also revealed the fact that man, in himself possessed no power to resist evil. Yet we see in His commandments, PROMISES, for they bespeak of a state of being, and a quality of righteousness which shall be fulfilled in them who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
                Likewise, that beautiful "Sermon on the Mount" which Jesus gave, while it set forth a way that even went beyond outward law observance, and dealt with the condition of the heart, yet it also reveals that man cannot live up to its good, except THROUGH HIM. Natural man, apart from the enablement of the Spirit of God, is unable to resist the temptation and evil, and he cannot live up to the good.
                "And the Lord said unto Satan, Hath thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil." [Job 1:8]. It is significant that Satan did not bring up Job's name to God, but rather it was God that called the attention of Satan to Job. God had a purpose to be wrought out, which included the testing and trying of Job, and it was God who withdrew the hedge of protection from around Job, gave Satan access to him, but with the specific limitation that he could not take his life. Furthermore, while it was unknown to Job, nevertheless the end was secure. Though Job could only trust, cast himself upon the mercies of God, and reaffirm, "He knoweth the way that I take, and when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." [Job 23: 10].
                We also read of how Jesus was "led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." [Matthew 4:1]. What an amazing leading by the Spirit! We could understand how the Spirit could lead into the temple and we could understand how the Spirit could lead Him far, far away from any contact with the devil. But here God has an entirely different plan, and it was definitely OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD to lead the man Christ Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted, literally, TESTED by the devil.
                "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." [Luke 22:31-32]. Seems like, if this had been in our day, we would have gathered around Peter, sat him on a chair in the middle of a circle, and we used to often do, laid our hands on him, and rebuked and commanded Satan to leave him alone. But Jesus only prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. It was needful for Peter to be sifted and tried, and Satan would make a good instrument for that purpose. God is well able to use the adversary in any way He desires, maintaining perfect control, and sustaining the faith of His people through it all.
                In the revelation given unto John, he saw a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. "And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." [Revelation 5:4-5]. Praise God, there is One who has PREVAILED. God has not lost anything, He has a plan of absolute victory. Weep not, dry your tears, it is going to be all right.
                "The Lord hath made all things for Himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." [Proverbs 16:4].
                "And I have created the waster to destroy." [Isaiah 54:16].
                Realizing that God is in perfect control,  using all things, working all things after the counsel of His own will, we need to see from the Divine viewpoint, and not be hasty in our opinions and actions.
                Indeed, we must stop eating at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil― of what the carnal mind says is a religious success or failure, and find where we are in GOD'S PURPOSE, to be one with His will and working. We have been far too concerned with our appearances of correctness before others, that we might appear to be righteous with our standard of good and evil. And because we continue to eat of this realm, it continues to kill us in every part of our life, it brings death to us.
                Yes, God purposes for us to be good, and to resist evil, and there is a realm of spiritual maturity, of full age, of perfectness, of "those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." [Hebrews 5: 14]. But it is one thing to be able to discern it, and another thing to partake of its duality. It is this carnal knowledge that equals trouble, for knowledge gained by the carnal mind IS DEATH.
                A young man came to Jesus, and said, "Good Master" and Jesus challenged him, "Why call thou Me good? there is none good but God." [Matthew 19:17]. Jesus was not denying His goodness, nor was He denying His deity, or just trying to take their eyes off Him and putting them on God, actually He was questioning man's ability to discern that which is truly good.
                Peter confessed, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." [Matthew 16:16]. But this was knowledge which he had received by revelation, and it lead to worship, it caused a reverence. Knowledge born of the Spirit will draw us ever closer to God. Knowledge gained by the carnal mind will only puff us up, and mis-direct our hearts into channels that please the flesh, protect the flesh, and serve the flesh.
                Men have tried to measure God's success by their own yardstick of good and evil, right and wrong. How many saved, how many rescued from the devil? Jesus never instructed His disciples to become involved in this type of calculating, it is carnal arithmetic. Man says, you do good and God will bless you, you do evil and He will whip you and do evil to you. But this is not true. There are no trading stamps which we offer God. The Pharisee tried this, he "stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee, that 1 am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." [Luke 18:11-12]. He felt pretty good about himself, sure that he had gained special points to court God's special favours.
                "HE hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." [Psalm 103: 10].
                It is because of our false philosophy of good and evil that we have come off with such gross perversions of the truth, with a devil for evil, and a God for good. Know ye not that GOD is in PERFECT CONTROL of good and evil, and He sovereignly controls the interplay thereof?
                Praise God, His first fruits of the new creation are learning to eat of the TREE OF LIFE. Not, is it right, or wrong, but DOES IT MINISTER LIFE?
                There are those in whom God is now working to bring iniquity to an end. And He promised to "overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more until He come whose right it is." [Ezekiel 21:27]. Yes, there has been the natural fulfillment of this in the throne of David. But for now, our eyes are on the spiritual application. Everything we have put a crown on, placed a diadem upon, exalted as our standard of right and wrong― He will overturn every carnal standard by His judgments, and bring forth His own righteous standard. Indeed, Jesus Christ is the Criterion, He is the standard, and we desire to come into the "measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
                In His judgmental overturnings, we find it is threefold, to bring iniquity to an end, spirit, soul, and body. Jesus gave His parable how that the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven "hid in three measures of meal," till the whole is leavened positively.
                He will overturn Babylon in all of its religious, political, and economical measures.
                THIS SHALL NOT BE THE SAME, iniquity shall have an end, and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. No wonder, "The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own. The world of creation cannot as yet see reality, not because it chooses to be blind, but because in God's purpose it has been so limited― yet it has been given hope. And the hope is that in the end the whole of created life will be rescued from the tyranny of change and decay, and have its share in that magnificent liberty which can only belong to the children of God." [Romans 8:19-21, Phillips].

 
How marvellous the plan of God,
The appointment of His days,
Iniquity shall have an end,
Triumphant are all His ways.Lawless shall bow to His working,
Perverseness shall have to cease,
With all the vessels of evil
Re-made for vessels of peace.
 
And those of "I never knew you,"
Because of iniquity,
Are born again as His children,
Out-working of love's mystery.
The wicked shall run no further,
Nor force their way past His plan,
For He who sits in the Heavens
Still orders the steps of man.
 
The fall was planned in wise counsel,
And measured are evil's times,
With "afterwards" yet unfolding
When righteousness reigns sublime.
So let Him thrice overturn it,
And things shall not stay the same,
He comes, whose ruling is holy,
All earth shall yet praise His name!

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(1)  Prinzing, Ray and Doris. WHISPERS OF HIS JUDGMENTS. (now out of print), Boise, Idaho 83705}

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