1. Eating the Flesh of Their Children

“And you will eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters you will eat” (v. 29). This signifies that the church becomes so poor that it is unable to satisfy its members but bereaves them of their food supply. In such a situation the shortage of the food supply reaches the extent of there being nothing to eat except the “children,” that is, what the church members produced in the past.

2. Their Carcasses Being Cast upon the Carcasses of Their Idols

“I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you” (v. 30). This signifies that the fleshly churches place themselves as carcasses upon the goals other than God that were sought by them as idols and destroyed by God. Here we see that in such a church God comes in to destroy both the idols and those who worship them. In such a church there is nothing but a heap of carcasses.

3. Their Cities Being Laid Waste and Their Sanctuaries Being Desolated, with No Smell of a Satisfying Fragrance to God

“I will lay waste your cities, and desolate your sanctuaries; and I will not smell your satisfying fragrance” (v. 31). This signifies that the churches are laid waste and their worship is desolated, and there is no satisfaction as a fragrance to God.

4. The Land Being Desolated and Inhabited by Their Enemies

“I will desolate the land, so that your enemies who dwell in it will be appalled over it” (v. 32). This signifies that the church’s enjoyment of Christ as the rich land is desolated and stolen by the enemies. In such a church there is no longer the enjoyment of Christ, for this enjoyment has been stolen by the enemy. A church in which this happens is a church which has lost the enjoyment of Christ to the uttermost.

5. Being Scattered among the Nations and Chased by the Unsheathed Sword

“And I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword after you; your land shall be a desolation and your cities a waste” (v. 33). The unsheathed sword signifies God’s death-judgment. The people being scattered among the nations and chased by the unsheathed sword signifies that the church is scattered among the Gentiles and driven by the death-judgment of God.

6. The Land Enjoying Its Sabbath during Their Captivity

“Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days that it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the days that it lies desolate it will keep a sabbath, a sabbath which it did not keep in your sabbaths, when you lived upon it” (vv. 34-35). The land enjoying its sabbath during their captivity signifies that the church’s enjoyment of Christ as the rich land lies waste after the believers are scattered among the Gentiles. Thus far in my church life, I have not seen this kind of situation.
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