God beats His fist at the dishonest profit and bloodshed at the hands of Israel. 

Ezekiel 22:13

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.” Ezekiel 22:13

The Israelites disregarded the two most important commandments that God gave them to live by, which is as our Lord Jesus Christ said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 Along with treating fellow human beings like one would press buttons on an ATM machine, the culture of the Israelites was filled with bloodshed. They relied on power and might to exert control and domination over others, but God says this, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” Zachariah 4:6

Considering the description of the culture of the Israelites in the previous verses, no wonder God beat His fists at their spiritually corrupt behavior.

Each one of the prime ministers of the Israelites were involved in spilling blood. With the corrupt leadership was the corruption of the Israelites themselves. They held no regard for their forefathers, mothers, or fathers. They oppressed those who were not part of their culture and mistreated the fatherless and widows who did not have a man in the house. They despised the Holy things of God and the Sabbaths while serving the false gods of other nations. They slandered and lied about others to cause conflict, violence, and bloodshed while living in sexual immorality. They were having sexual relationships with other’s spouses, neighbors, family members, relatives, etc. They also used bribery to solicit murder and violence along with using extortion to enrich themselves.

What is described in the paragraph above, as given in the previous verses, is summed up in one word, LAWLESSNESS. Jesus Christ gives us the Holy Spirit to restrain lawlessness, and He is given to us by the remission of sin. When Jesus Christ is rejected, the Holy Spirit is not present within the human spirit and conscience and lawlessness is unleashed, as quoted, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 Click for a post on the “lawless one” and the “man of sin”.

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1