Ezekiel 22:30
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
God looks for a man to build up the hedge and stand like a wall before Him for the land, to defend and intercede for Israel so they will not be destroyed in the time of His anger in the latter day. When none is found to stand firm on their behalf under judgment, His people are left exposed and helpless without protection, which is cause for despairing lament over the church in crisis. To make up the breach now is to turn from breaking His commandments by following the papacy in keeping Sunday instead of the seventh day, and to repair it by keeping His commandments, especially by exalting the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. This standing is done by using influence to uphold truth, helping neighbors learn obedience, restoring the paths to be dwelt in, and refusing to make breaches by dissension but preserving unity with those who uphold God's law. It requires active labor to proclaim the gospel and rebuke the sins and errors of the time rather than withdrawing from the conflict, for God sets His people in the gap as His agents with heavenly help to protect and restore when only His power can overcome.
Meaning of the Gap
God seeks a man among them to make up the hedge and to stand like a wall before Him for the land and for Israel. That standing is to defend and to intercede for the people, to save them from destruction in the time of divine anger, in the latter day. When none is found to stand as defender and intercessor, the church is exposed as fallen and helpless without protection. That exposed condition is cause for despairing lament over the church in a time of crisis.
To stand between God and His people is to stand firm on their behalf when they face divine judgment. When those given light and truth close their eyes and ears and oppose warnings, they bring affliction and death upon themselves and their families. In that case God seeks someone to stand in the breach, but none is found.
God places His people in the gap as human agents alongside heavenly angels to protect the land and to restore what is broken. This work is the raising up of the foundation of many generations through truths explained and applied to the congregation with divine help. God intervenes when danger has reached the point that only divine power can overcome. Even when His people seem unable to withstand Satan's power, He works for them.
Repairing the Breach Today
Making up the breach and standing in the gap is the work of those who had broken the commandments by following the papacy in keeping the first day and Sunday instead of the seventh day, and who now repair the breach by keeping the commandments. They are to be baptized into the faith of the shut door, into the commandments of God, and into the faith of Jesus coming to sit on David's throne and redeem Israel, and are to live a new life in faithful service to God.
The duty to stand in the gap and make up the hedge is fulfilled by using influence to uphold the truth, by raising the Sabbath of the fourth commandment to its exalted standard, by helping neighbors learn the truth, and by restoring the paths of obedience. It requires staunch, whole-hearted people in the church who can discern and resist deception, especially by honoring the Sabbath. To stand in the gap is to repair breaches rather than make them, by avoiding dissension, by preserving unity with the brethren, and by supporting those who uphold God's law and truth.
Standing is done by active labor to proclaim the gospel and to rebuke the sins and errors of the times, for in the latter day of divine anger a man must stand like a wall to save Israel from destruction. When none stands as defender and intercessor the church is left fallen and helpless without protection, which is cause for despairing lament over the church in a time of crisis. Withdrawing from stern conflict for truth into enforced seclusion brings fear that withdrawal is cowardice, with reproach for indolence and self-indulgence while the battle for truth continues, as felt when no one seemed to stand on the walls to build up Zion.
The gap can be a neglected responsibility in leadership that must be supplied by stepping in, as in the failure of others to lead in the work of the Health Institute and the Office. Standing in the gap means taking responsibility to protect the work from harm caused by others' failures, as when a man stepped in to address serious problems left by unfaithful workers and carried burdens that should have been shared. The image of standing in the gap for the land to avert its destruction applies to taking a stand and intervening when serious wrongs must be confronted, even while objecting to being expected to step in for disagreeable matters when others show little interest in supporting the effort. Standing in the gap for the land to prevent destruction also applies to stepping forward to bear financial responsibility for purchasing the school land when the work faced a crisis.