Ezekiel 28:20

Ezekiel 28:20 says, Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,  

Verse twenty-one adds, Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it,  Ezekiel was now to prophesy against Zidon.   

Verse twenty-two adds, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.  Ezekiel was to tell the people of Zidon that He was God and that He would be glorified in the midst of them.  God will be glorified in the midst of the world today, whether people believe Him or not. This is because His glory is not dependent on whether people believe in Him or not.  The people of Zidon were to be punished because they didn't believe in Him, just as everyone who doesn’t believe in Him and put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will one day be punished.  

Verse twenty-three continues, For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord.  God said He was going to send pestilence on them and that their enemies would cause their blood to run in the streets. This would be because God was executing His judgment on them. God said that when this happened, they would know that He is God.  If we do not accept God's gift of salvation, one day we will face His judgment and know that He alone is God.   

Verse twenty-four states, And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord God.  God compared these nations that opposed Israel to a prickling brier in the house of Israel.  They were of no real power against Israel because they were God’s chosen people.  God also said that there would be no more grieving amongst the people of Israel. Of course, this depended on the covenant relationship He had with the people of Israel and their obedience to that covenant relationship and not just on the fact that they were born in Israel.  It is only when we enter into a covenant relationship with God that we are His people forever and no force on earth will ever stand against us, and one day we will go home to heaven where there will be no more grieving.  When God’s final judgment comes, everyone will know that He is God.  

Verse twenty-five adds, Thus saith the Lord God; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.  God said that He was going to gather the people of Israel from wherever they were scattered into the promised land once more, and they would be sanctified in the sight of the heathen.  I believe this would be those who truly put their faith and trust in God.  One day, all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ and enter into a covenant relationship with Him will be sanctified in the sight of the lost people of the world.  

Verse twenty-six continues, And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.  God said when He gathered the people of Israel once together more, that they would build houses and plant vineyards in peace because God had executed His judgment on all their enemies.  I am not sure exactly what we will do in heaven, but I am sure that we will live in peace, whether we go there after we die or when Jesus Christ returns in victory.