Yechezk'el 22:17-22 And the word of the L-RD came to me saying, "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver. "Therefore, thus says the L-rd G-D, 'Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). 'As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I shall gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I shall lay you there and melt you. 'And I shall gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it. 'As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the L-RD, have poured out My wrath on you.' "
Dross - according to Webster's dictionary - Dross is the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal.
G-d is comparing Israel, the apple of His eye, with scum. Because of their sins, instead of being pure like silver, the stain of sin was upon them. When a silversmith is faced with a piece of silver that has impurities he puts it in the fire and heats it up. As the silver melts, the dross, the scum that comes to the surface, is wiped away. The silversmith never leaves the silver but is there with it all the time. He watches it closely until all the impurities are wiped away and he can see his own reflection in the silver.
It is the same with the nation of Israel, and with each of us individually. When G-d wants to make us more like Himself He puts us through the affliction.
Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) 48:10-11 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.
He stays close by us and keeps us there until we are more like Him.
Mal'akhi (Malachi) 3:1-4 "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the L-rd, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the L-RD of hosts. "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. "And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the L-RD offerings in righteousness. "Then the offering of Y'hudah (Judah) and Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) will be pleasing to the L-RD, as in the days of old and as in former years.
Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) 43:2-4 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. "For I am the L-RD your G-d, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. "Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
In the future G-d will purge all creation by fire.
2 Kefa (Peter) 3:10-13 But the day of the L-rd will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Yechezk'el 22:23-28 And the word of the L-RD came to me saying, "Son of man, say to her, 'You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.' "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. "Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. "Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. "And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the L-rd G-D,' when the L-RD has not spoken.
Always beware of people who tell you the L-rd told me to tell you this or that. Many do this for their own glory or gain and it is not a message from the L-rd.
Yechezk'el 22:29-31 "The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. "And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. "Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the L-rd G-D.
Nobody was praying for them. We need to pray for those who have gone astray until the very end so maybe they will come to repentance and be delivered before the coming of his wrath on the world
Stand in the gap before Me - The only one who can truly "stand in the gap" between G-d and sinful mankind is one who is all G-d and all man. Yeshua HaMashiach stands between mankind and G-d. He, being perfect and sinless, paid the price for our sins, dying in our place, and raising again conquering sin and death.