"Writing Case" [Born to Free] — Post 2

So, what is this about a writing case? In Ezekiel 9, the prophet sees a man, a clear Christophany, dressed in linen and carrying a writing case who is told to pass through the city of Jerusalem and mark everyone who sighs (with dismay) over the sins committed in the city; this proto-baptismal mark, like the blood of the Passover lamb at the Exodus, plays a protective function, because the Lord was about to destroy the city, as he did the Egyptian firstborn in the tenth plague (a judgment upon Egypt for Pharoah's destruction of the male children of the Hebrew slaves). In short, those with this protective mark will be spared. Remember how the liturgy of the Sacrament of Baptism says: "child of the covenant, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked (!) as Christ's own forever." The water is applied, drips off, and dries, but the invisible, spiritual mark is permanent, yes, eternal, because the child of the covenant is now engrafted and incorporated into the very body of the Christ who has conquered death, himself the Resurrection and the Life. Baptism into Christ, in which he marks us as his own, is the death to sin that exempts us from a second, permanent death.

Meanwhile, Revelation (which frequently refers to the imagery we find in the book of Ezekiel) speaks of the Lamb's book of life (Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27), a register of those whose names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20) and thus marked for salvation. [There is, of course, that other mark mentioned in the book of Revelation, i.e., the mark of the beast, universally recognized as the mark of those destined for a very different, unhappy end, but this is the happy opposite of that.]

NOTE (likely to be repeated): Although this track is available on most major streaming services, I actually use very few social media platforms; so, when it says, "Please share with those you love," I would be grateful if you would funnel this musical "Jesus prayer" to your loved ones by way of (copy and paste links to) any social platforms that you happen to use. Thank you for doing so. Thank you, as well, for going the extra mile to support indie authors and musicians by, not just liking, but sharing, purchasing downloads, spreading the word, etc. God bless you. God bless us, everyone.