Ezekiel 1 THE VISIONBefore a prophet could speak to others, God had to speak to him. A special call vision catapulted the apprentice priest Ezekiel into the prophetic ministry. The vision of the divine chariot— the Merkabah as it is known in Jewish literature— is a fitting introduction to his career. Jewish mystics have always been fascinated with this material. More recently science fiction writers have subjected the Merkabah to the most detailed scrutiny in search of evidence that spaceships from other worlds have landed on this planet. Much has been written on this chapter of Scripture. Often the discussion has centered on the mechanics of the Merkabah rather than the message that God is trying to communicate through this vision. In ch 1 of his book, Ezekiel discusses (1) the setting (vv 1-3) and (2) the substance (vv 4-28) of his inaugural vision. SETTING OF THE VISIONEze_1:1-3 The first three verses are a preface to the Book of Ezekiel. Two distinct statements can be identified here. Ezekiel 1:1 is in the first person and Ezekiel 1:2-3 are in the third person. Some critics think two distinct superscriptions are used here, superscriptions that at one time headed separate collections of Ezekiel’ s writings. It is better, however, to regard Ezekiel 1:2-3 as a parenthetical insertion by Ezekiel himself designed to explain the puzzling, indefinite expressions in Ezekiel 1:1. That Ezekiel 1:2-3 are an integral part of this book can be seen in the fact that they provide, in addition to the date for the book, the customary information about the author. The following chart sets forth the differences between the autobiographical superscription and the parenthetical explanation that follows. THE TO THE BOOKFormVerse 1Verses 2-3First PersonThird PersonDateThirtieth Year Fourth Month Fifth DayFifth Year of Jehoi- achin’ s Captivity Fifth DayPlaceIn the midst of the captives by the river KebarIn the land of the Chal­deans by the river KebarExperienceHeavens were opened, I saw visions of GodWord of the Lord came assuredly unto Ezekiel. Hand of the Lord was there upon himRecipientEzekiel son of Buzi the priest The preface to the Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1-3) presents the setting for the inaugural vision of the prophet. These verses set forth information regarding (1) the recipient; (2) the time; (3) the place; and (4) the nature of the vision. First Preface (Ezekiel 1:1) Personal dating ( Ezekiel 1:1 a): Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, the fourth month, the fifth day of the month... Ezekiel’ s inaugural vision receives double dating. In v 1 the vision is dated in terms of Ezekiel’ s own life; in v 2, according to the captivity of King Jehoiachin. Ezekiel was thirty years old when he received the divine call to be a prophet. From Ezekiel 1:2 it can be computed that the call vision fell in the year 593 B.C. This means that Ezekiel was born about 622 B.C. during the reign of good King Josiah. He was born four years after Jeremiah began his ministry, and one year before the discovery of the lost book of the law in the temple. The dated prophecies in this book cover a span of twenty-two years. Thus Ezekiel engaged in his prophetic ministry between the ages of thirty and fifty-two. It is strange that nothing is said in the Old Testament or in Jewish tradition about the age at which a priest began to serve. However, under the law of Moses, Levites entered into their service at the age of thirty (Numbers 4:23; Numbers 4:30). The probability is rather strong that this was the normal age for entering priestly service as well. If this is so, then Ezekiel never functioned as a priest prior to his deportation in 597 B.C., for as v 2 clearly shows, his thirtieth year fell in 593 B.C. While he never officiated in the temple, Ezekiel must have studied for years the intricate details of priestly ritual. His thirtieth birthday will have been particularly sad for the son of Buzi because he knew he will never succeed his father in the sacred vocation for which he had prepared throughout his youth. This was a crucial time in the life of Ezekiel. Since it will not be possible for this godly man to serve the Lord as a priest, God called him to another and even more vital sphere of service. Some scholars regard the thirty years as reckoned from some fixed point in Babylonian or Jewish history. Thus in one scheme the thirty years are counted from the accession of Nabopolassar in 626 B.C. This will yield a date of 596 B.C., one year after the deportation of Ezekiel and ten thousand of his countrymen. This computation will not square with the fifth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin mentioned in Ezekiel 1:2. Even less justification exists for counting the thirty years from 621 B.C. when the lost law book was discovered in the Jerusalem temple. As important as this event was in the history of the monarchy, no example of reckoning time fromthis year can be adduced in the Old Testament. So important was the inaugural vision in the life of Ezekiel that he dates it as to month and day as well as year. The call came in the fourth month. Ezekiel here follows the normal pre­exilic custom of numbering rather than naming the month. In post-exilic times the fourth month was known as Tammuz. Converted into modern day equivalents, Ezekiel’ s call vision occurred on August 1, 593. Place of the vision (Ezekiel 1:1 b): that I was in the midst of the captives beside the river Kebar. Ezekiel was in the midst of the captives when he received his majestic vision. What a mixed group they were! Some had given up on God because of the misfortunes that had befallen them. They had compromised with the materialistic culture of Babylon. Others clung desperately at the outset to the illusion that God will never let Jerusalem be destroyed— that God will shortly bring them back to their homeland. Ezekiel was by the river Kebar at the time God called him to the prophetic ministry. The Jewish captives were not in confinement, but were restricted to a certain area of the land. It is now known that the river Kebar was not actually a river, but an enormous irrigation canal known as Naru Kabari, the grand canal.. The remains of this canal are known as Shalt en Nil. The canal started at the Euphrates above Babylon. It flowed southeasterly sixty miles through Nippur, and reentered the Euphrates near Uruk. Evidence of one large Jewish settlement near Nippur has come to light. Manner of the vision (Ezekiel 1:1 c): The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. In the preface of his book, Ezekiel states in a general way what he will amplify in the rest of chs 1-3. The vision began when the heavens were opened revealing the unseen spiritual world. Whether to the prophet’ s mental “ eye” or to his physical eye, the heavens unfolded like curtains of a stage to reveal to him the divine glory. The phrase visions of God could legitimately be understood in more than one way. Often the Hebrews will add the name of God to a noun to express greatness or majesty. Thus, Psalms 36:6 in the Hebrew refers to the mountains of God by which is meant great mountains. Thus, visions of God could be translated great or majestic visions. But Currey is correct when he observes that “ the visions were not only supremely majestic, but visions of the majesty of God.” The Hebrew, then, may also be translated “ divine visions,” i.e., visions concerning God, or devised by God. Amplified Preface (Ezekiel 1:2-3): The national dating (Ezekiel 1:2): In the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin) The vision is further dated to the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’ s captivity. Jehoiachin was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar when he surrendered to the Chaldean conqueror on March 16, 597 B.C. The fifth year of the captivity will thus fall in 593 B.C. Most of the dates in Ezekiel are given in terms of the captivity of Jehoiachin. It has been suggested that Ezekiel regarded Jehoiachin as the legitimate ruler of the Jews even though he had reigned only for three months after the death of his father Jehoiakim (2 Kings 24:8). However, this may be reading too much into Ezekiel’ s dating system. The captivity of Jehoiachin involved Ezekiel as well, and may simply have been the most convenient way of measuring time for the captives. Manner of the vision (Ezekiel 1:3 a): the word of the LORD came most assuredly... The visions of God are further identified as being the word of the LORD (Ezekiel 1:3). The expression appears some fifty times in Ezekiel. This is the most frequently used expression in the Old Testament to affirm that a prophet had received direct communication from God. The phrase is not to be restricted to the oral directions that came to Ezekiel in ch 2. Rather the word of the LORD embraces all the revelatory experiences of the prophet. The messages Ezekiel preached were not of his own choosing— not necessarily of his own liking. What he spoke came from above.The problem of authority was crucial for Ezekiel. The somewhat shocking nature of his message required that his credentials be impeccable. For this reason, Ezekiel makes the strongest possible claim that he was commissioned of God. The word of the LORD came most assuredly to him. No doubt existed in his own mind that he had in fact received a heaven-sent vision. The claim to have heard the divine word is found often in Old Testament prophecy (cf. Amos 7; Hosea 1). Recipient of the vision (Ezekiel 1:3 c): to Ezekiel son of Buzi, the priest... The author of the book identifies himself for the first time in Ezekiel 1:3. He is Ezekiel the son of Buzi. The name Ezekiel means God strengthens. Nothing further is known of his father beyond what is said here. The title the priest properly belongs to the name Buzi as is indicated by the Hebrew accent marks. Ezekiel will also be a priest, however, as the Old Testament priesthood was hereditary. The first three chapters of Ezekiel describe that moment when the young priest was called to be a prophet. A prophet is one who speaks for another (Exodus 7:1; Exodus 4:16). This involved speaking for God to man through sermon and oracle. It also involved speaking for man to God in intercessory prayer. While the priesthood was hereditary, one could only become a prophet when he was divinely chosen to be so. Priests interpreted the law of God. They led in the divinely ordained temple rituals. Prophets (1) interpreted history in the light of the law; (2) urged compliance to the spirit of the law; and (3) announced God’ s plans for the near and distant future. While both priest and prophet fulfilled vital functions, the ministry of prophet was somewhat broader and less affected by time. Priests were concerned with old covenant law and ritual— the types and shadows that according to God’ s grand plan were to pass away. Prophets were concerned with basic timeless principles and with the ultimate developments of God’ s program for this earth. While the names of even the greatest priests are scarcely known today, the prophets through their writings continue to instruct, challenge, guide and rebuke the sons of men. Location of the vision (Ezekiel 1:3 d): in the land of the Chaldeans beside the river Kebar; The inaugural vision took place in the land of the Chaldeans. Although originally the Chaldeans and Babylonians were ethnically distinct groups, at this stage of history the two terms were used interchangeably. The land of the Chaldeans is the southern Mesopotamian basin. It is not altogether certain when the Chaldeans began to filter into this region from the Syro-Arabian desert, but the Assyrian kings found the Chaldeans a formidable force under the leadership of Merodach-Baladan in the late eighth century. Under Nabopolassar (626-605 B.C.) the Chaldeans were able to extricate southern Mesopotamia from the grip of the Assyrians. They founded what was destined to become the most powerful and wealthy empire that had heretofore existed on the face of the earth. Empowerment of the messenger (Ezekiel 1:3 e): and the hand of the LORD came upon him there. God not only gave this captive priest a message, He also endowed him with the power to deliver that message. Such is the import of the sentence, the hand of the LORD was there on him.62 The hand of the Lord designates something felt rather than seen. Proclaiming the unpopular word of God is never easy. Furthermore, relatively young men like Ezekiel were to be seen, not heard. All wisdom resided in the elders of the nation! Thus Ezekiel needed the reassurance of the hand of the Lord. He needed that unseen hand to guide, strengthen and protect him. Reference to the hand of the LORD (or God) is frequent in the Old Testament. This anthropomorphism refers to the authority, power or protection of the Lord. In reference to individuals, the expression is used somewhat sparingly. The hand of the Lord is said to have come upon Elijah (1 Kings 18:46) and Elisha (2 Kings 3:15). In the former case, the hand of the Lord bestowed upon the prophet unusual physical power and endurance; in the latter case, oracular power was imparted. Elsewhere in Ezekiel the expression the hand of the LORD is used four times to introduce a visionary experience (Ezekiel 3:22; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 37:1; Ezekiel 40:1). In two passages the hand of the LORD refers to the divine constraining or sustaining power as it manifested itself in the physical stamina of the prophet (Ezekiel 3:14; Ezekiel 33:22). The evidence points to the following definition for this expression: The hand of the LORD refers to the supernatural manifestation of divine power in the life of a prophet such as will enhance his physical abilities and enable him to see that which the unaided human mind could never ascertain. The expression appears in the Book of Ezekiel seven times. OF THE VISIONEze_1:4-28 Ezekiel's call vision is replete with strange and even grotesque figures. Ancient rabbis warned teachers not to expound the mystery of creation in the presence of more than one person, and the mystery of Ezekiel’ s chariot-throne not even to the one, unless he was unusually wise and discreet. The point of the vision is that God is arriving to be with his people. This visionary account creates a sense of awe, mystery, and irresistible power. If only this much can be learned from the account, the prophet will have accomplished his purpose. If the reader misses this in the reading of ch 1, detailed analysis of the vision will be of little value. The interpretation of the details of the throne-chariot description is notoriously difficult. The Jewish rabbis declared that if anyone could master the secrets of the merkabah (chariot) he will know all the secrets of creation. The difficulties involved here are not in the English translation. The problem lies in (1) the poverty of human language when it comes to describing the celestial and supernatural; and (2) the lack of spiritual imagination on the part of the interpreters of this book. In any case, it is the message of the throne- chariot, not the mechanics of it, that is important. Ezekiel’ s inaugural vision is discussed under its five chief aspects: (1) the storm cloud (Ezekiel 1:4); (2) the cherubim (Ezekiel 1:5-14); (3) the wheels (Ezekiel 1:15-21); (4) the platform (Ezekiel 1:22-25); and (5) the throne (Ezekiel 1:26-28). The Storm Cloud (Ezekiel 1:4): Direction of the cloud (Ezekiel 1:4 a): I looked, and behold a stormy wind was coming from the north... The words I looked and behold is the common introductory formula to visions that occurs nine times in the book. Two kinds of visions are found in the Old Testament. In the objective vision, the prophet is led to discover some meaning in an object upon which he is meditating, Any other person present could have seen the same object; only the significance of the object is given through special revelation. In the second type of vision— the subjective type— the vision is purely internal. It is something that only the prophet experiences. Ezekiel’ s vision of the throne-chariot is the subjective type.The first sight to meet the eyes of Ezekiel was a stormy wind. Association of deity with storm phenomena and fire is quite common in Hebrew thought. The mighty thunderstorm is but the attendant of the throne of God. This storm must be a symbol of God’ s omnipotent power. Within six more years, Jerusalem will be destroyed by this stormy wind. Chapters 4-24 recount in detail Ezekiel’ s description and prediction of that forthcoming judgment. The stormy wind comes from the north. The direction of the storm is unusual for either Palestine or Mesopotamia. Jeremiah spoke of an enemy coming from the north against Judah (Ezekiel 1:14; Ezekiel 4:6). God will employ a ruthless foe from the north— the Chaldeans— to bring about the final destruction of Jerusalem. Description of the cloud (Ezekiel 1:4 b): Coming from it (Ezekiel 1:4 b): a great cloud with fire flashing forth... Accompanying the stormy wind was a great cloud. The cloud may be a portent of impending calamity, or perhaps better, a symbol of approaching deity. God will be present in the judgment that was coming on Jerusalem. Ezekiel does not dwell on the blackness of the cloud. He emphasizes rather its radiance. From that cloud fire was flashing forth. The Hebrew phrase is literally a fire taking hold of itself, i.e., a succession of outbursts of flame. The fire here is probably lightning streaking across the blackness of the heavens. Those who see in this fire an indication that the Jerusalem temple was to be burned are probably reading too much into this descriptive detail. Surrounding it (Ezekiel 1:4 c): and a radiant splendor round about. A radiant splendor (nogah) surrounded the black storm cloud. This dazzling sight is not to be explained with Taylor as the brightness of the desert sun lighting up the edges of the cloud. Still less was the radiant splendor produced by the fire that was flashing forth from the cloud. It is rather the splendor of the glory of God that is being observed by Ezekiel in connection with the great cloud and stormy wind. It is almost impossible to talk about God for any length of time without mentioning light. In its midst (Ezekiel 1:4 d): From its midst there was something that appeared like polished bronze from the midst of the fire. In the midst of the great cloud was something that appeared like (lit., as the eye of) polished bronze (Heb. hasmal). The Hebrew word occurs only three times in Ezekiel (cf. Ezekiel 1:27; Ezekiel 8:2). Some uncertainty exists as to its precise meaning. The Septuagint and Vulgate have electrum, a substance composed of silver and gold. Cooke, however, traces hasmal back to an Akkadian word meaning polished bronze. The Cherubim (Ezekiel 1:5-14): General description (Ezekiel 1:5-6): From its midst [I saw] the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they possessed the likeness of a man. (Ezekiel 1:6) Each of them had four faces and four wings. Ezekiel observed four living creatures emerging from the midst of the flashing cloud. These grotesque creatures supported the platform (Ezekiel 1:22 f.) on which stood the throne of Yahweh. The living creatures were basically human in appearance (Ezekiel 1:5). The Greek version uses the word zoon (animal, living creature), the same word employed of the four living creatures of Rev 4:6. The number four has special significance in Ezekiel and throughout the Bible. It suggests primarily the idea of completeness and totality. As a secondary import, this number stands for the created world. Thus the Old Testament speaks of “ the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12), “ the four winds” (Ezekiel 37:9) and so forth. Ezekiel’ s predilection for the number four can be seen in the four wings, four faces, four hands, four sides and four wheels of the inaugural vision. In ch 8 he presents four scenes of false worship and in ch14 he refers to four plagues. Each of the creatures had four faces and four wings (Ezekiel 1:6). These will be described in more detail in the following verses. Specific aspects (Ezekiel 1:6-9) Their feet (Ezekiel 1:7): Their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’ s foot, and they glistened like the appearance of polished bronze. Probably in Ezekiel 1:7 the first use of the term feet (regel) is used in the wider sense of legs. These legs are said to be straight, i.e., unjointed Such at least is the old Jewish understanding of the word. The creatures then, did not bow, crouch or lie down. Throughout the vision they remained perfectly erect. The feet of the creatures resembled the hoof of a calf. This probably means nothing more than that their feet were rounded. This will enable creatures to move freely in every direction. The feet are said to glisten (nofsim) like polished brass. Their hands (Ezekiel 1:8): Under their wings upon their four sides were hands of a man. In addition to the four wings, each creature had hands Ezekiel 1:8). Some doubt exists as to whether each creature had four hands or two hands. Probably the latter is correct. These hands will be put to good use a bit later (cf. Ezekiel 10:7). Their wings (Ezekiel 1:8 b-9): Now as for the faces and wings of the four of them, (Ezekiel 1:9) Their wings were joined together, they did not turn when they moved, each went straight ahead. Since each creature had a face on four sides, they did not turn around when their course was altered. The face toward the intended course moved forward in that direction. Wherever they went they always moved forward, since each creature had a face in the appropriate direction (Ezekiel 1:9). This detail may point to the resoluteness of purpose that these creatures manifested. The living creatures had their groundwork in the Old Testament cherubim. Little is known about the angelic order of cherubim, although they are frequently mentioned in the Bible. The description of the cherubim in Revelation 4 differs from that found here. Later in Ezekiel 41 the cherubim are depicted as having only two faces instead of the four that are mentioned in the present passage. The cherubim of the Mosaic ark and the Solomonic temple probably did not resemble those that are here in view. This will account for the circumstance that when Ezekiel first saw these creatures on the bank of the Kebar he did not recognize them as cherubim. This identification he was able to make in 10:20 when he saw the creatures in connection with the temple. The cherubim as they appear throughout the Bible are symbols, not likenesses. This is why the appearance of these creatures differs from passage to passage. In place of the four­faced, four-sided figures seen by Ezekiel, John saw each living creature having only one face. But if these living creatures are symbols, of what are they symbolical? The oldest and probably the correct explanation is that the living creatures are symbolic representations of heavenly beings. This is not to say that the living creatures represented any four particular angels. Certainly no one should expect that they will meet creatures in heaven resembling those that Ezekiel saw. These cherubim are symbols, not likenesses. The main point is this: heavenly beings serve the king; how much more should the sons of men. The general import of the living creatures is not to ascertain. Their facial features (see following discussion) suggest that they have the specific function of representing the earthly creation before the Lord. Yahweh, the God of creation and redemption, holds sway over all the earth. It is most appropriate that the throne-chariot of the heavenly Sovereign should be borne by those who represent the whole earth over which the Lord holds sway. Focus on their faces (Ezekiel 1:10): The likeness of their faces was as the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right, and a face of a bull on the left, and the four of them had the face of an eagle. Each of the living creatures had four faces (cf. Ezekiel 1:6). Something of great importance is thus signified. Those creatures associated most intimately with God could see in all directions. The shape of the face differed on the four sides: the face of a man in front, of a lion on the right side, of an ox on the left side, and of an eagle behind (Ezekiel 1:10). At the very least, these faces symbolized the highest forms of life that are found in the various realms of creation. The Jewish rabbis commented: Man is exalted among creatures; the eagle is exalted among the birds; the ox is exalted among domestic animals; the lion is exalted among wild beasts; and all of them have received dominion, and greatness has been given them yet they are stationed below the chariot of the Holy One. There may be more to the quadruple faces. Representations of the lion, ox. and eagle were common in Babylonian art, and so will be particularly suggestive to the mind of the exiles there. Four-faced statuettes of gods have also been found in Babylon. I.G. Matthews suggested that these were common symbols for the chief deities of Babylonia in Ezekiel's day. The vision may then be proclaiming that Yahweh, not the gods of Babylon, control history. The living creatures formed a square. The human face of each creature faced outward. The effect was that whatever way one looked at the four creatures, a different face was seen from each. All four faces were visible at the same time from any angle. Their movements (Ezekiel 1:11-14): Disposition of their wings (Ezekiel 1:11): Their faces and their wings were separated above. Each had two that joined another, and two covering their bodies. The creatures had four wings (cf. Ezekiel 1:6). For the sake of modesty, two of these wings were used to cover the naked bodies of these creatures. The other two wings were in the act of flying. They were so stretched out that the tip of each touched the wing tip of a fellow living creature on the right and on the left (cf. Ezekiel 1:9). This symbolized their unity of purpose. When the throne-chariot came to a stop, the second pair of wings was let down (cf. Ezekiel 1:24). Although the creatures appeared at times to be connected to one another at the wing tips, yet their faces and their wings were separated above (Ezekiel 1:11), i.e., they were not physically connected. Set of their faces (Ezekiel 1:12): Each went straight ahead wherever the spirit was to go, they went; they did not turn as they went. The creatures did not need to turn their heads as they moved in various directions (cf. Ezekiel 1:9). Apparently the living creatures were not capable of independent movement. The entire throne-chariot of which they were a part moved as a single unit under the impulse of the spirit, i.e., the Holy Spirit. Swiftness of their movements (Ezekiel 1:13-14): As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals offire, like the appearance of torches. Fire was going to and fro between the living creatures. The fire had a radiant splendor, and from the fire lightning was going forth. (Ezekiel 1:14) The living creatures were running back and forth like lightning bolts. Ezekiel compares the appearance of the living creatures to (1) coals of fire and (2) torches (lappidim). They must have had a pulsating or glowing quality about them. In the midst of the hollow square formed by the four cherubim, Ezekiel observed a bright fire that seemed to move back and forth among the living creatures. Periodically lightning flashed forth from the interior of the “ chariot" (Ezekiel 1:13). This fire no doubt symbolized the judgment that at that moment of history was in the center of God’ s concern. Initially the movements of the living creatures seemed to Ezekiel to be erratic. The creatures were seen running back andforth like lightning bolts, i.e., the throne-chariot moved to and fro with the speed of lightning (Ezekiel 1:14). The Wheels (Ezekiel 1:15-21) Locationof the wheels (Ezekiel 1:15): Now as I saw the living creatures, behold [I saw] a wheel on the earth beside each of the living creatures on its four sides. Beside (i.e., under) each of the living creatures was a wheel (Ezekiel 1:15). The wheels of the throne-chariot were not functional. In fact, the only reason the wheels are mentioned is so that the chariot imagery could be maintained. That the wheels were not essential to the movements of the throne-chariot is seen in the fact that the vehicle traveled in the air and not on the ground. Ellison suggests that the wheels symbolize inanimate nature, just as the four cherubim represent the living creation. In ancient Jewish teaching, the wheels were thought to symbolize some order of heavenly beings. Appearance of the wheels(Ezekiel 1:16-18) Color (Ezekiel 1:16 a): The appearance of the wheels and their works was like the color of topaz. The four of them had one likeness. In appearance the wheels resembled topaz (Heb., tarsis) They were so constructed as to facilitate movement in any direction. They were omni directional wheels. Each wheel actually consisted of two wheels, i.e., a wheel in the middle of a wheel. The two wheels were probably solid discs that bisected each other at right angles (v 16). Construction (Ezekiel 1:16 b): Their appearance and their works were as a wheel in the middle of a wheel. This is Ezekiel's way of describing what today would be called caster wheels. Movement of the wheels (Ezekiel 1:17): When they went, they went toward their four sides. They did not turn about in their going. The caster-like wheels allowed movement of the chariot in any direction without the wheels being turned. Apparently there was no steering mechanism connected to the wheels. Rims of the wheels (Ezekiel 1:18): As for their rims, they were high and awesome. Their rims were filled with eyes round about the four of them. The rims (gabbot) of the wheels were high, i.e., the wheels were huge in comparison to the entire chariot. Because they were full of eyes, the rims were awesome, i.e., terrifying (Ezekiel 1:18). The eyes may have been no more than dazzling spots that added to the brilliancy of the wheels. But it seems more likely that they had a ymbolical meaning. The eye in the ancient world was a symbol of intelligence. God sees and knows what is happening throughout his world, including the camps of Jewish captives in Mesopotamia. Focus on wheel movement (Ezekiel 1:19-21) Linked to the creatures (Ezekiel 1:19): When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from upon the earth, the wheels were lifted up. The wheels themselves had no capacity for independent movement. They always moved in conjunction with the living creatures. Empowered by the Spirit (Ezekiel 1:20): Wherever the Spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go and the wheels lifted up opposite them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. The creatures in turn were under the control of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God was in the creatures, and the spirit of the living creatures, as it were, was in the wheels (v 20). Apparently God from his throne exercised an influence upon the spirits of the living creatures, thus coordinating their movements. Amid all the uncertainties and tragedies of life, the Spirit of God is at work providentially directing all discordant aspects of life. Independent of the creatures (Ezekiel 1:21): In their going, they went, and in their standing still, they stood still. When they were lifted up from upon the earth, the wheels were lifted up opposite them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. There is no indication that the wheels were attached to the living creatures. To emphasize the co-ordination of the wheels and creatures, v 21 repeats and amplifies the thought that when the creatures moved in any direction, the wheels moved with them. The effortless mobility of God’ s throne- chariot is a way of depicting the grand theological theme of God’ s omnipresence. The Platform (Ezekiel 1:22-25): General appearance (Ezekiel 1:22): Over the heads of the living creatures was something like a platform, gleaming terribly like ice, stretched forth over their heads above. Over the heads of the creatures was what appeared to be a platform. It is not certain how this platform was supported, whether by the wings of the cherubim or by some other means. The platform was gleaming like terrible ice (qerah). The ice was terrible in the sense of being awesome because of its glittering brightness (Ezekiel 1:22). In this dazzling platform the glories of heaven are symbolized. In Revelation 4:6 this platform becomes a “ sea of glass.” Many commentators feel that this expanse (KJV, firmament) was dome-shaped. There is, however, no proof of this in the word itself, or in the context. The sound under the platform (Ezekiel 1:23-24): Under the platform their wings were straight, one to another. Each one had two wings covering his body on either side. (Ezekiel 1:24) Then I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of great waters, as the sound of the Almighty as they went, the sound of noise like the sound of an encampment. When they stood still they let down their wings. The entire persons of the living creatures including their outstretched wings were under the platform. Each creature had one pair of wings stretched straight out, and another pair modestly covering their bodies (Ezekiel 1:23). The audio portion of the vision is referred to in Ezekiel 1:24-25. The four pairs of outstretched wings vibrated powerfully as the throne-chariot moved. Three similes are employed to try to depict the awesome sound produced by the theophonic chariot. The noise was like that produced (1) by great (or many) wafers; (2) by the voice of the Almighty, i.e., rolling thunder, and (3) by an army on the move. When the movement of the chariot ceased, the living creatures lowered their wings (Ezekiel 1:24). Consequently the dreadful noise ceased. The voice above the platform (Ezekiel 1:25): From above the platform that was over their heads came a voice when they stood and let their wings down. The movement of the throne-chariot was directed by a voice that came from above the platform. This voice must be that of God. No words are attributed to Him at this point, but the author here prepares the way for the later words of that One who was enthroned above the living creatures (Ezekiel 1:25). The Throne (Ezekiel 1:26-28) Location of the throne (Ezekiel 1:26 a): Above the platform that was over their heads was what appeared to be a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne. With obvious hesitation the prophet describes what he saw above the platform. Since God can be visualized only in terms of "likeness," the vision abounds in terms like "as" (K); "resembling"; "looked like"; "like" (Kmareh); and "appearance" (mareh). Ezekiel saw what resembled a throne of sapphire. What Ezekiel saw may be compared to the vision of Moses who saw under God’ s feet “ a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness” (Exodus 24:10). The throne is an obvious symbol of universal sovereignty. Occupant of the throne (Ezekiel 1:26 b-27): Upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness of the appearance of a man upon it above. (Ezekiel 1:27) I saw as the color of polished bronze, as the appearance of fire, as an enclosure to it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward. From the appearance of his loins and downward I saw the appearance of fire. There was a radiant splendor round about him. He who sat upon the throne had the likeness of the appearance of a man (Ezekiel 1:26). Ezekiel is careful to place as much distance as possible between the deity and a mere man. The upper portion of this human-like figure flashed like polished bronze. These bright flashes resembled fire (lightning?). Similarly, the lower half of the figure flashed like fire. A radiant splendor characterized the whole being (Ezekiel 1:27). Anthropomorphism— describing God in human terms— is quite common in the Old Testament. The use of this literary device has occasioned the charge that the concept of God in the Old Testament is primitive. However, anthropomorphism serves a useful function. It aids in describing the indescribable; but it does more than that. Anthropomorphism underscores the basic theological proposition of the Old Testament, viz., God is living. Furthermore, anthropomorphic description causes men to appreciate even more the truth that man bears in his person the divine image. In such theophanies as has been described in Ezekiel 1, only the human form was appropriate to represent the Lord. Over the throne (Ezekiel 1:28 a): As the appearance of a bow that is in a cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the radiant splendor round about. The brightness was multi-colored, much like the beautiful colors of a rainbow. This rainbow is more than simply a token of glory and splendor. It is a token of mercy and promise as well. Ezekiel was to preach about the coming storm of judgment; but he was to look beyond that dark hour to the dawning of a new day and the resurrection and restoration of the people of God (Ezekiel 1:28). Explanation of the throne (Ezekiel 1:28 b): This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. The final verse of ch 1 interprets what Ezekiel has described in the previous verses. He has been describing the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. God revealed his magnificent person to Ezekiel to prepare him for ministry. The Lord would continue to appear to Ezekiel in this same fashion throughout the book to encourage him that he was a servant of almighty God. The term glory was a technical term used to denote the presence of the Lord among his people. To look on the face of God meant death (Exodus 33:20). But God’ s presence could be described in terms of blinding light or dazzling fire, within a protective cloud (Exodus 19:16-18; Exodus 40:34-38). At the dedication of Solomon’ s temple, the glory of the Lord filled the sanctuary. It took up permanent residence in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8:10). As time went on, God became linked more and more to Judah and the temple. It was left to the prophets of God to champion the ancient doctrine that Yahweh was Lord of all the earth. Ezekiel’ s vision of the glory of God is truly remarkable in that he sees this manifestation at a spot far removed from the Jerusalem temple. Those who were captive in Babylon felt cut off from the Lord because geographically they were unable to participate in temple worship. This vision gives evidence that God’ s presence could be experienced in a foreign land. Ezekiel’ s vision centers on God, not the cherubim or the wheels, as interesting as they may be. However symbolic this vision may have been, it was a genuine vision of God. Ezekiel saw as much of God as is permitted to mortal man. The true spiritual significance of Ezekiel 1 is ascertained when the various details of the vision are interpreted as revealing theological truths. The search for spaceships and visitors from other planets in this chapter is ludicrous, if not down right blasphemous! In contemplating God under the form of a man, Ezekiel helps pave the way for that grand revelation of God in Christ Jesus. Paul describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the brightness of God’ s glory and the express image of his person (Hebrews 1:3). John declares that the word was made flesh and dwelled among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Currey is correct when he argues We are therefore justified in maintaining that the revelation of the divine glory here made to Ezekiel has its consummation or fulfillment in the person of Christ, the only begotten of God . . . . Ezekiel's reaction (Ezekiel 1:28 c): When I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice speaking. The whole vision of the throne-chariot and the divine Presence had a marked effect upon Ezekiel. He fell to his face. He was thus prepared to hear the word of the Lord (v 28). The experience of Ezekiel was akin to that of Isaiah (Isaiah 6) and Daniel (Daniel 7:9 ff.). Ezekiel Chapter OneVerse 1 I. PART I; OF DOOM PRIOR TO THE FALL OF (Ezekiel 1-24) EZEKIEL'S VISION OF THE GLORY OF GODThe great significance of this call of Ezekiel and its remarkable vision of God's glory lies in the fact that it came in Babylon, the land of Israel's captivity, far from the honored precincts of the Holy Land, and at a time when the fortunes of the Chosen People were at a low ebb indeed. Ezekiel himself was a captive, having been removed to Babylon in the second wave of captives about eight years following the group of captives that included Daniel and his companions. Daniel's captivity had begun about 606 B.C., and Ezekiel's began in 597 B.C. The final destruction of Jerusalem was destined to occur soon, as Jeremiah had foretold; and even the holy temple would be destroyed. In the eventuality of such events, it must have appeared to the great mass of the Babylonian captives that Israel was indeed finished and forever terminated. This wonderful prophet brought hope to the fallen people, convincing them that God was indeed not through with them, and that wonderful things were yet planned for Israel, even their restoration to Palestine! This great vision of God's glory dramatically demonstrated that God was in no manner whatever limited to Palestine, that he was the God, not merely of the so-called "Holy Land," but of all the world; and that his presence was just as real in Babylon as it had ever been, even in the Holy Temple itself. The great meaning of the marvelous vision was that God was just as much the God of the captives as he had been in the days of their glory, and that God was just as able to bless or punish Israel in Babylon, as he was in Judea. Ezekiel 1:1-3"Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity, the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar, and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him.""In the thirtieth year ..." (Ezekiel 1:1). It is not known what this means. We agree with McFadyen that it is the same as the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity. The sacred writers often gave several points of reference for the dates cited. For example, the evangelist Luke dated the emergence of John the Baptist as occurring in the "fifteenth year of Tiberius," at the time when Pontius Pilate was Procurator of Judea, and when Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee, etc. (Luke 3:1). The obscurity of what is meant by this "thirtieth year" poses exactly the kind of problem that many commentators love to"solve" with all kinds of speculations, none of the "solutions" having any merit at all! Pearson has provided a list of alleged "meanings." "It applies to the thirtieth year following the reforms of Josiah; it is a reference to the thirtieth year of the current jubilee period; it points to the thirtieth year of the neo-Babylonian empire; it was the thirtieth year of Manasseh's evil reign; it is the thirtieth year of ArtaxerxesIII."[1]By far the most acceptable understanding of what is meant by this "thirtieth year" goes back to the times of Origen (185-254 A.D.) who considered it a reference to the thirtieth year of Ezekiel's life, that being the age when Jewish priests began their ministry (Numbers 4:3-4).[2]"I was among the captives by the river Chebar ..." (Ezekiel 1:1). The Chebar was the name given to the great irrigation canal which formed a loop southeast along the Euphrates river, making a loop around Babylon via Nippur and back into the main river near Uruk.[3] Tel Abib was on this canal and is thought to be the place where the vision came to Ezekiel. "The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God ..." (Ezekiel 1:1). Of all the Old Testament prophets, only to Ezekiel were the heavens said to have opened.[4] The heavens were opened unto Jesus (Matthew 3:16), to Stephen (Acts 7:56), and to John the Apostle (Revelation 4:1). "The fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity ..." (Ezekiel 1:2) This is without doubt the same as the "thirtieth year" already mentioned; and this one is easily identified as July, 592 B.C. or 593 B.C.,[5] or 594 B.C. The student should be aware that a great deal of uncertainty exists regarding the exactness of any assigned dates during this entire period of ancient history. Able scholars may be cited as receiving any of the three dates given above. "The word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest ..." (Ezekiel 1:3). Note the change of persons from the first to the third. We believe that Eichrodt was wrong in finding in this change evidence of a change of writers. Throughout all of the Biblical books which we have studied, a change of persons usually means nothing at all. Jonah used both the first and third persons in two lines of his prayer from the fish's belly; and the use of the third person is so frequent as to arouse suspicion when it is not used. The same goes for the frequent changes from feminine to masculine suffixes (as in Ezekiel 1:10). As noted in the Introduction, above, "We may approach Ezekiel in the confidence that it is what it purports to be: the record of Ezekiel's 27-year ministry in Babylon to his fellow exiles."[6]"And the hand of Jehovah was upon him ..." (Ezekiel 1:3) Note how many expressions there are in this passage stressing the fact of God's speaking through Ezekiel: (1) the heavens were opened unto him; (2) the hand of God was upon him; (3) he saw visions of God; and (4) the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel. The meaning of these expressions is that the words of Ezekiel are expressly the words of God Himself. They are not the hallucinations of Ezekiel, the subjective feelings or impressions of the prophet, nor the projections of his subconscious mind, nor any kind of deductions that the prophet might have himself derived from his own information or observations. They are the words of God. Verse 4 And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire infolding itself, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst thereof as it were glorying metal, out of the midst of the fire. And out of the midst thereof there came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man; and every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings, and their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their four wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. And as for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; and they four had also the face of an eagle. And their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward, whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; the fire went up and down among the living creatures; the fire was bright; and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning."This, of course, is the first part of the great vision of the glory of God. We fully agree with Howie that, "A detailed discussion of the vision is not necessary or vital to the understanding of its meaning."[7] We are certain that Ezekiel reported to us what he saw; but, even so, there is no way that any fully accurate picture of this remarkable vision is conceivable on the part of any person whomsoever. The omnipotence, ubiquitousness, omniscience, and all of the other attributes of Deity are suggested and symbolized by this vision. The infinite energy, speed, intelligence, and abilities of the Almighty God appear here as in a flash of lightning, instantly, overwhelmingly, unfathomable, and awe-inspiring. Feinberg reports that the Jewish rabbis gave this comment on the four living creatures: "Man is exalted among creatures; the eagle is exalted among birds; the ox is exalted among domestic animals; and the lion is exalted among wild beasts. All of these have received dominion, and greatness has been given to them; yet they are stationed below the chariot of the Holy One."[8]Another interpretation of the four living creatures is that, "They are representative of the four corners of the earth,"[9] and of the sovereignty of God over all things. Also, the four living creatures have been likened unto the four gospels in Christian theology. The apostle John's Apocalypse also has this element of the four living creatures associated with God's throne. Such things as the burning coals of fire, glorying metal as in the furnace, and the fire running up and down among the living creatures suggests the utter purity of God and the necessity of his punishing sin. Three times in this chapter it is stated that "they turned not when they went." With four faces each, any direction in which they moved would have been straight ahead! The ability of this mobile bearer of the throne of God to move in any direction instantly is suggested by the expression "flash of lightning" in Ezekiel 1:14. Some scholars have tried to find the origin of some of Ezekiel's terminology here in the things he might have seen in Babylon, such as the storm cloud; but we like what Eichrodt said of this: "Ezekiel's description is not the result of a calculated piece of construction, such as is attributed to him in many commentaries. Such a pedestrian type of criticism is utterly blind to the freedom with which this picture (of Ezekiel's) makes use of traditional ideas, and how tremendously impressive spiritual content is provided with the form that best suits it."[10]Each of the four living creatures facing in all directions suggests that, "All parts of the universe alike are open to the gaze of God."[11]All of the first part of this remarkably complicated vision reveals nothing of the Divine Person whose glory is being symbolized; and only when we come to Ezekiel 1:26 is the likeness of the Holy One mentioned. We cannot but be conscious here that Ezekiel is describing the indescribable, hence the continual use of such expressions as "likeness of" and "as it were," a usage that continues to the very end of the description. Human language is simply inadequate for the conveyance of the intriguing mystery revealed to Ezekiel in this vision of the glory of God. Verse 15 "Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work were as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in their four directions: they turned not when they went. As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.""A wheel within a wheel ..." (Ezekiel 1:16). "The most common explanation of this is that each wheel looked like two wheels intersecting each other at right angles to make a compound wheel that could move in all directions without changing front."[12] The KJV rendition, "Wheel in the middle of a wheel," would appear to favor the notion that wheels were concentric. The wheels with their dreadful rims full of eyes, "Symbolize God's all-seeing power in the world."[13]It should be noted that the vision of the living creatures indicates that man, in one sense, appears as coordinate with animals and birds, suggesting that, as far as the eminence and power of the Eternal are concerned, only God is supreme. The man, the lion, the ox and the eagle stand, all of them, beneath that glorious platform supporting the throne of Deity himself. Verse 22 And over the head of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like the terrible crystal to look upon, stretched forth over their heads above. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings. And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads: when they stood they let down their wings."It would appear from this paragraph that the wings were held out straight when this incredibly strange contraption moved, and that the wings were "let down" when it stopped. Thus the noise of the wings was apparently manifested without any movement of the wings, but independently of them. The movement from one place to another was effected solely by the will of Him that sat on the Sapphire throne, who, of course, needed neither wings nor wheels to move from one place to another. The great noise would then symbolize the great importance and significance of God's attention and presence being devoted to any particular place or occasion. Verse 26 "And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man upon it above. And I saw as it were glorying metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face; and I heard a voice of one that spoke.""This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 1:28). Right here is the full explanation of this entire vision. It is the "likeness" of the glory of God; and, quite frankly, this is about all that any one actually knows about this astounding vision. "The likeness of the appearance of a man upon the throne ..." (Ezekiel 1:26). "Just as in Exodus 24:10, the Godhead appears in the likeness of an enthroned man."[14] God made man in his own image, and the ultimate glorification of redeemed and regenerated mankind is suggested by this vision. There are also overtones of the Incarnation itself in this vision. The various visions of God's throne, as revealed in Revelation (Revelation 4; Revelation 5;Revelation 19, etc) are fully consistent with all that appears here. Even the rainbow appears in both places (Revelation 4:3). Concerning the rainbow, Jamieson observed that, "This appearance of the rainbow in the vision was like hanging out a flag of peace upon the throne of the Eternal, assuring all mankind that the grand purpose of Heaven is to preserve rather than to destroy."[15]"I fell upon my face ..." (Ezekiel 1:28). This was always the proper response from any messenger of God thus entrusted with such a vision. Such indeed is the proper attitude for any mortal entrusted with the responsibility of conveying divine messages to his fellow-mortals. General remarks. Before beginning my manuscript on this book, and especially the first chapter, 1 spent a considerable amount of time in study. 1 have consulted various commentaries and other works of reference such as histories and dictionaries. 1 was aware that most of the explanations that are offered as to the four creatures and their significance, insisted on recognizing the characteristics of the God of all creation, and this in opposition to the idea that they could signify any governments among men. However, there need be no difficulty on this point, for all of the glory and other greatness attributed to these powers of the world must be acknowledged as coming from God because He was concerned with the progress of them in view of the relations they had with His people. (See Daniel 2:37; i: 17, 32; 5; 18.) Here is another thought that should be given consideration. Any explanation that is offered on a passage of the Bible should agree with the historical facts that may be learned from authentic sources. The interpretation that will be given on the meaning of the symbols shown in this chapter should be virtually true historically of the institutions that will be referred to. If this is true (and it is assured that it will be) then no violence can possibly be done the great subject at hand. Ezekiel 1:1. Thirtieth year refers to the age of Ezekiel when he began to write. Verse 3 says he was a priest and Numbers 4:3 requires the priest to be at that age when he starts his term; not that he was acting as priest, for lie was in Babylon at the time. The captives were scattered over different places in the land of the Chaldeans and Ezekiel was with the group that was by the river Chebar. This was a stream that flowed into the Euphrates some 200 miles north of Babylon. At this time and place the Lord began his communication with Ezekiel for the purpose of prophecy. Ezekiel 1:2. Jehoiachin’ s captivity. The Babylonian captivity was accomplished in three stages and the account is in 2 Kings 24, 25. After the third year of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar took posses-sion of Jerusalem which marked the start of the 70-year epoch. Yet the king of Judah was permitted to occupy his throne as a vassal under the authority of the king of Babylon, After eight years of such a reign Jehoiakim died and his son Jehoia- chin came to the throne. But he reigned only three months, and then the king of Babylon took him off the throne and carried him to the land of Babylon. At that ttme the greatest portion of the citizens of Judah were taken and among them was the prophet Ezekiel. Eleven years later the third and final stage of the captivity occurred. These three stages of the captivity are frequently referred to as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd captivities. Since Ezekiel was taken with the 2nd one, or at the time when Jeboiachin was taken, he dates his writing from that event. In other words, Ezekiel had been in Babylon five years when lie began writing. Ezekiel 1:3. Ezekiel speaks of himself in the third person in this verse while most of his compositions are in the first person, The word expressly has none in the original and does not add anything to the thought. However, we may note that in the first verse the Lord communicated with the prophet in a vision and in this verse it is by word. The conclusion is that he was both to see and hear in his service as an inspired prophet. Hand, of the Lord is a phrase often used in the Bible and it means here that the Lord took Ezekiel in hand; not only to control but also to assist him. Ezekiel 1:4. The Babylonian captivity as a whole had been going on for 13 years when Ezekiel began to write, but tile complete subjugation of Judah was still six years in the future. Hence it was appropriate for the prophet to start his great book as if it were all stilt in the future. This accounts for the coming of the whirlwind from (he north, since the Babylonians came into Palestine from that direction. (See the note on that with the comments in Isaiah 14:31 in volume 3 of this Commentary.) A whirlwind is not only strong and swift but its circulating motion tends to draw articles toward its center. That is why the whirlwind was Heen infolding itself. The second word is not in the original but tile first is from t.AQAeu which Strong defines, “ A primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications).'’ The simple meaning of the passage is that this combination of whirlwind ami cloud was taking hold of the surrounding materials. The appropriateness of this illustration will appear as the chapter proceeds. There is some uncertainty in tiie works of reference about the word amber, but all agree that it is something that has a distinctive glow as of something highly polished. Again the figure will be seen to be appropriate as we get to the central subject of the chapter. Ezekiel 1:5. There existed in ancient times what are referred to as "The Four World Empires,” and they figure largely in the prophecies and history of the Bible. The names of those empires (with some variations in some of them which will be noted as oc-casion suggests) are Babylonia, Medo- Persia, Greece and Borne. These empires are the four living creatures of this verse. They will be seen to have possessed various characteristics, but this verse names only one and it is that which is common to all of them which is the likeness of a man. This signifies intelligence which further means the four creatures were powers among mankind; made up of human beings. Ezekiel 1:6. The very title "world empires" would suggest the idea of a rule that is over the whole world; that is, that part which is civilized and subject to government control, hence (the four faces and four wings, corresponding to the four points of the compass. The figure signifies an Institution that can look in ail directions with its faces and go in all directions with its wings, Using some poetic words, "I am monarch of all 1 survey.” Ezekiel 1:7. The illustrations for the four empires will be drawn from the characteristics of dumb creatures in many instances. However, since the powers are human institutions, the selection and description of the various beasts will be made to conform as far as possible to the higher traits of human beings. The word for feet also is rendered “ legs,” and their being straight denotes they are more graceful in their outline and do not have abrupt, protruding parts as the feet of many animals do. Sole means the paw as a whole, and according to Moffatt's translation these paws were "rounded like the feet of calves.” Such members would give to the crea-ture a more firm bearing upon the surface over which it traveled. Ezekiel 1:8. The writer takes care to tell us that the characteristics he is describing apply to the four creatures individually and alike. The general likeness unto man in verse 5 denotes intelligence. In this verse the com-parison is narrowed down to the hands of the man, and that indicates skill which certainly was necessary in accomplishing world-wide dominion. Ezekiel 1:9. In symbolic language an animal or other object may be represented as doing things that are above nature, such as trees talking in Judges 9:8-15, And here we see a creature that can fly and look in four directions at once. This is to illustrate an empire that began at some locality and then spread out in all four directions until it became a world power, Witijs were joined in-dicates the ability to fly in any and all directions at one time or as if in one concerted movement. Turned not is the same as the preceding thoughts. The creature would not need to turn about to change his direction since he has the equipment and ability for traveling in all directions at the same time. Ezekiel 1:10. Let the reader not forget that all figures and their explanations apply to each of the four empires. That does not mean that no differences existed between the four in their general history for there were many, In fact, no two of them were uniformly alike in their whole make-up and conduct. But as far as this chapler is concerned they are the same for all of them possessed the characteristics portrayed hy these symbols and figures of speech. Neither do I wish to appear arbitrary in ray selection of characteristics to be at-tributed to these empires. There are numerous terms in our language that could be used correctly because such vast institutions as we are considering would have many things in common with each other. I only claim that among such traits, the ones that will be named were true of each of the empires. In keeping with the foregoing explanations the following comments are offered on this and the following verses of the chapter. Please note the writer says they four had these marks which is the reason for my comments in the beginning of this paragraph. The face of a man indicates intelligence; a lion is fierce and bold; an ox is strong; and an eagle has the quality of fleetness and exaltation. Ezekiel 1:11. A creature with four wings as described here would be well equipped. The two that were stretched upward would enable him to travel, and he would also be protected by the two that covered his body. Ezekiel 1:12. Straight forward and turned not was explained at verse 9. The spirit that prompted the movements of these creatures will be explained later in the chapter. Ezekiel 1:13. This verse is a general description Of the four creatures, and the central meaning is that they were lively and attractive which was true of the empires. Ezekiel 1:14. Ran and returned does not mean they went back to their starting place, for history does not bear out that idea, The word denotes a successful traveling over the civi-lized world. Flash of lightning is not user! to indicate that it waa only a flash and then soon over. The comparison is to the universal presence of the creatures. This comparison to the general and simultaneous appearance of lightning is used in Matthew 24; Matthew 27 and Revelation 1; Revelation 7. Ezekiel 1:15. The symbol now changes but it ia the same subject. There is nothing strange in the idea of another object to have the same meaning as that ot the one form just presented. Jesus spoke many parables to illustrate the one institution, so we should not be confused over the use of two representations by Ezekiel, Furthermore, there is no more difference be-tween the two illustrations of Ezekiel than there was between the many parables spoken by Jesus. All symbols must be Interpreted in a way that will agree with the literal facts con-nected with the subjects intended to be illustrated. Such a procedure will be followed in explaining the wheel that is introduced into this passage. Notice it was by the living creatures, which denotes that each was to work with the other in their movements. This weel had four faces which corresponds with the four faces of the creatures. Face is from pankh and Strong defines it, “ The face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literal and figurative) also (prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.).’’ From this definition we would understand that by face is meant that part of the wheel that turns; that Is, its forward and outer edge. But this wheel will be seen to have moved in four directions at once just as the creatures did, which would require that it have four faces in harmony with the four faces of the creatures. A simple wheel would have but two faces, hence we will need the information that will be given in the following verse. Ezekiel 1:16. It is evident the wheel that Ezekiel saw was no ordinary one, either in its construction or size. Instead, It was composed of two parts or wheels and one was nested inside the other. Middle is from tavek and the definition of Strong defines it, “ From an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the center." Let us suppose two large hoops so nearly the same size that one will just slip inside the other. Now give this last one a quarter turn which will present an object whose four sections will resemble the four quarters of a globe; turning the hoop so that its plane will stand at right angles with the plane of the other. This will give what Ezekiel saw; a wheel in the middle of a wheel. And with an object thus constructed it would be prepared to roll in any one of the four directions without turning, just as the creatures with their four faces could do. Ezekiel 1:17. This verse takes the same explanation as that for the four living creatures in verse 9, 12. Since the wheel was a companion symbol with the four creatures it would need to travel along with them. Ezekiel 1:18. The rings were the felloes or rims, located at that part which is called the face in verse 15. They were high or lofty which corresponds with that quality of the eagle in verse 10. Dreadful is from a word that is defined “ reverence” in Strong’ s lexicon. The rims or felloes were full of eyes and that indicates intelligence as per verse 10. It was appropriate for these eyes to be in tbe rims of the wheel since that was the part that would be outmost in seeing where to go. Ezekiel 1:19. The wheel went whenever the living creatures went because both symbols represented the same thing which was the four empires. By the same token the creatures and the wheel were lifted up (made exalted and important) at the same time. Ezekiel 1:20. The central meaning of the word for spirit is "life" in the sense of consciousness. The living creatures would have such a spirit because they were beings that belonged to the animal kingdom. The wheels were normally inanimate objects and hence would not possess such a spirit. Yet in the use of them for symbolical purposes they represented the same things as did the living creatures which was the reason for saying the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. Ezekiel 1:21. This verse is virtually the same as the preceding one, and the concluding clause of each is exactly tbe same. The co-operation of the creatures and the wheels signifies that they represent the same thing which is tbe four world empires noted at verse 5, As to the appropriateness of two different kinds of illustrations for the same thing, see the comments at verse 15. Ezekiel 1:22. The firmament means a vast expansion like the arch of the sky above the earth. Terrible means it was awe-inspiring, and had the appearance of a huge mass of rock crystal formed like a dome to cover the creatures. Ezekiel 1:23. Beneath this vast arch or dome of crystal could be seen the winged creatures. Straight is from the same word as in verse 7 and means they were graceful. One toward the other is equivalent to joined one to another in verse 9. Throughout this whole imagery the one idea that predominates is that of unity ill pur-pose. The wings were for the purpose of protection as well as for exalted traveling. (Verse 11.) Ezekiel 1:24. This verse as a whole is a passage intended to show the greatness of the institutions symbolized by the living creatures and the wheels. Great waters is a figure and when used in a favorable sense indicates a multitude of people. Such would be a fitting symbol of these empires for they were regarded as including virtually all of the civilized world. Voice of the Almighty means the voice of God. This statement is not made on the strength of the word’ s being cap-italized, for all punctuations have been done by man, and while often they are correct, they are of no authority. I have examined the uses of the original word and without a single exception the connection shows it to mean God. Furthermore, Strong defines the original word, "The Almighty" with capital A. This indicates that God was recognized in the four empires, and that also agrees with Daniel 2:37; Daniel 4:17; Daniel 4:32; Daniel 5:18. Voice of speech indicates not only that there was consciousness hut intelligence in the creatures which agrees with the fact that the creatures represented governments of and by men. "When these creatures were not flying they let their wings down, which indicates they used them then only for defence purposes. Ezekiel 1:25. This voice was evidently the same as that mentioned in the preceding verse. The Almighty could be heard by the inspired prophet and the force of it -would be to confirm the declarations indicated by the passages cited in the preceding verse. Ezekiel 1:26. This throne was the source from where the voice issued just mentioned, Precious stones are frequently used to compare both the beauty and value of things pertaining to God’ s arrangements. On this throne was the likeness of a man which denotes the Almighty, for Genesis 1:26 and many other passages teach that man was made in the image of God. However, it is God and not his image that is meant in this place for we have already learned that He was connected with these world governments. Ezekiel 1:27. This verse is a highly figurative description of the Almighty. The meaning is that God is as intense as fire, as resplendent as amber, and that the entire Being was radiant with this indescribable glory. Ezekiel 1:28. Another figure is added to the picture of the Almighty. He is likened to the rainbow that spans the heavens, betokening the calm that follows a storm and shedding over the earth all of the primary colors. This vision so impressed Ezekiel that he was prostrated and fell dispirited to the ground on his face, where he lay until he heard a voice speaking unto him. Ezekiel 2 2 THE CALL OF THE PROPHET Heavenly visions were not granted to biblical saints merely to excite their (and our) curiosity. The visions were intended to incite them to proclaim the divine word. Chapters 2-3 contain the commission that came to Ezekiel in connection with his inaugural vision. As in the case of Jeremiah, the commissioning came in stages, separated presumably by some time intervals. For the most part, these intervals cannot be determined. At each stage of the process, Ezekiel was given time to assimilate the message before the commissioning continued. The material in chs 2-3 can be discussed under the following four heads: (1) the call to service (Ezekiel 2:1-7); (2) the preparation for service (Ezekiel 2:8 to Ezekiel 3:15); (3) the responsibilities of service (Ezekiel 3:16-21); and (4) the restrictions on service (Ezekiel 3:22-27). CALL TO SERVICE Ezekiel 2:1-7 Following his mind-boggling visionary experience, Ezekiel heard the call of God to prophetic service. He was told in no uncertain terms where and how he was to serve. In this paragraph Ezekiel is (1) strengthened (Ezekiel 2:1-2); (2) warned (Ezekiel 2:3-5); and (3) charged (Ezekiel 2:6-7). Ezekiel Strengthened (Ezekiel 2:1-2): And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak to you. (2) And the Spirit came into me as he spoke unto me. He caused me to stand upon my feet. Then I heard one speaking unto me. The Lord took the lead in the commissioning of the prophet. It was his voice (Ezekiel 1:28), rather than that of one of the cherubim, that Ezekiel heard giving him the first command (Ezekiel 2:1). The title son of man occurs over ninety times in the Book of Ezekiel. In most cases it precedes a command of God. The term “ son” often is used in Hebrew to denote membership in a class. Thus a son of man will be a member of the class of man, i.e., a mortal. The designation emphasizes human frailty as over against the awesome might and majesty of God who had just revealed himself to Ezekiel. By this title, Ezekiel was reminded continually that he was dependent on the Spirit's power. The Spirit enabled him to receive the message of God (Ezekiel 2:2) and to deliver it in the power and authority of the Lord. Though he had been privileged to see the majestic, heavenly vision of God’ s throne-chariot, Ezekiel was nevertheless nothing more than a human being. Within a few years Daniel will use the title son of man in a technical sense of that divine-human one who will receive a kingdom from the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13). Jesus’ application of the title son of man to Himself seems to be based more on Daniel’ s usage than on Ezekiel’ s. The first command given to Ezekiel in the book is the command to stand upon your feet. The standing position is apparently the correct posture from which to hear the divine commission (Ezekiel 2:1). It is service, not servility, that God desires most. Davidson comments: “ It is man erect, man in his manhood, with whom God will have fellowship and with whom He will speak." Even as the Lord issued this command to Ezekiel, spirit came into him. The term ruah (wind/spirit) occurs about fifty-three times in this book. In the light of Eze 3:24, it is best to understand this spirit as the Spirit of God. The Spirit came into the prophet compelling him and enabling him to comply with the command just issued. That Spirit supplemented and revived Ezekiel’ s physical powers, like a fresh breath of life. What a blessed truth is intimated here. Frail and feeble man can be empowered and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. God supplies the power to perform his special service. Ezekiel Warned (Ezekiel 2:3-5): God sets forth the difficulties that Ezekiel will confront in his ministry, and the duty that will be his as God’ s spokesman. He likewise seeks to encourage Ezekiel in the discharge of his ministry. Their record of rebellion (Ezekiel 2:3): And he said unto me, Son of man, I am sending you unto the children of Israel, unto rebellious nations that have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me until this very day. Ezekiel was to be God’ s representative to the children of Israel. In earlier prophets the term Israel is used of the Northern Kingdom that was carried away captive in 722 B.C. The kingdom of Israel, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah, had long since ceased to exist by the time of Ezekiel. Thus Israel here is not the Northern Kingdom. The term Israel is used two ways in the Book of Ezekiel. Sometimes Ezekiel employs the name Israel for all of the people who had joined in the covenant with God at Sinai. In other words, Israel is the entire Hebrew community of faith. On other occasions Ezekiel refers to the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem as Israel. After the destruction and deportation of the Northern Kingdom, the inhabitants of the Southern Kingdom claimed this honored title for themselves. Ezekiel’ s mission was ultimately to the whole contemporary generation of Israelites, both those who were in Judah and those who were in exile. To be sure his ministry had impact back in Judah, at least in the period between 593 and 586 B.C. But v 11 indicates that his immediate audience was near at hand— his fellow exiles. However, Ezekiel does not clearly distinguish between Israelites in Judah and those in Babylon. Often he seems to ignore the miles that separate the two groups. The present generation had rebelled against the Lord. They had refused to adhere to strict monotheism. In their apostasy the present generation was but following the example of their fathers, for they too had transgressed against the Lord. The rebellion of Israel was intergenerational (Ezekiel 2:3). The audience is described as rebellious nations that have rebelled against me. The plural nations may be a reference to Israel and Judah. However, the term nations (goyim) usually is restricted to the heathen peoples as over against God’ s people. Perhaps the word is here used contemptuously. Israel and Judah had become, by virtue of their rebellion against God, no better than heathen nations. The plural also points to the fact that the children of Israel at this time are not one nation, but are scattered and disunited. Their intransigence (Ezekiel 2:4): The sons are hard of face and stout of heart. I am sending you unto them, and you will say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD! The sons, i.e., the present generation, are further described as being hard of face and stout of heart. The first phrase describes the brazenness of the hardened sinner who displays no shame. The second phrase describes that stubborn, unyielding disposition that continues in the path of error in spite of repeated warnings and harsh chastisements. Ezekiel’ s mission field did not look promising! God wanted him to have no illusions about this work. There was little prospect for success. The important thing, however, was that Ezekiel was to preach only the word of God. His message was to be characterized by, and punctuated with, the phrase thus says the Lord GOD. This so-called messenger formula is common in the prophets. It also appears in a secular context (Genesis 32:3-4; 2 Kings 19:9-10). Lord GOD (Ezekiel 2:4) is ad6nay YHWH, “ My Lord Yahweh.” Ezekiel frequently makes use of the double term. In English versions when the word LORD or GOD is written in all caps it is an indication that the personal name of God— Yahweh— is being used. Their opportunity for enlightenment (Ezekiel 2:5): But as for them, whether they will hear or refuse (for they are a house of rebels), then they will know that a prophet is in their midst. In the word rebels there may be an allusion to the insane and suicidal rebellions that foolhardy patriots were continually plotting. Nebuchadnezzar was the God-ordained ruler of the world. To rebel against him was to be in rebellion against the will of God. Over a dozen times Ezekiel refers to his auditors as a house of rebels, lit., house of rebellion. Ezekiel was not required to be successful, only faithful. The recognition formula, they [or you] will know, appears in the book about sixty times. It underscores how Israel and the nations will come to recognize Yahweh as Lord of history. Here the people come to realize that a prophet had been in their midst. They will be forced to recognize Ezekiel as a true prophet when the calamities predicted by him came upon them (Ezekiel 2:5). Ezekiel Charged (Ezekiel 2:6-7): Be fearless (Ezekiel 2:6): But as for you, son of man, do not fear them or be afraid of their words; for thorns and thistles are with you. You are sitting upon scorpions! Do not fear their words. Do not be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. Unlike Moses and Jeremiah, Ezekiel had no opportunity to protest his inability and timidity. God moved to forestall such excuses with earnest exhortation: Do not fear them or be afraid of their words. Ezekiel will face terrible opposition. Four times in v 6 God tells his prophet not to be afraid. Such words of reassurance are part of the calls of other prophets (Joshua 8:1; Jeremiah 1:8). They usually occur, however, only after the candidate has expressed reluctance. Though Ezekiel has given no indication of hesitation about his mission, the Lord may be addressing his unspoken fears. Such an exhortation is in order because his hearers are thorns and thistles. This preacher must have a tough hide to endure the digs, scratches, abrasions and stinging sarcasm that a hostile audience heaps on him. Dwelling among those thorns and thistles are scorpions with deadly stings. There will be threats to his life. He will be pierced through on many occasions by this ungrateful and irresponsive crowd. At such times he must remember that this kind of conduct is entirely in character as far as these exiles are concerned for they are a rebellious house. For this reason, Ezekiel must not fear their words or be dismayed (lit., shattered) at their looks (Ezekiel 2:6). Be faithful (Ezekiel 2:7): But speak my words unto them, whether they hear or refuse, for they are rebellious. This section of explanation and exhortation closes with renewed appeal to be faithful to his preaching ministry regardless of the audience reaction (Ezekiel 2:7) FOR SERVICEEze_2:8 to Ezekiel 3:15 Following the call to service, God begins a process of education to prepare this man for the assigned task. Three steps can be distinguished in this educational process. The prophet needed to (1) assimilate the message of God (Ezekiel 2:8 to Ezekiel 3:3); (2) have assurance of divine power (Ezekiel 3:4-9); and (3) have a correct assessment of his future congregation (Ezekiel 3:10-15). Appearance of a Scroll (Ezekiel 2:8-10): A test (Ezekiel 2:8): As for you, son of man, hear what I am about to speak unto you. Do not be rebellious like the rebellious house. Open your mouth, and eat what I am about to give you. God addresses Ezekiel with four imperatives: hear, be not rebellious, open, eat. Ezekiel must not be rebellious like the house of Israel. He must eat what God gives him. Once again God forestalls any reluctance on Ezekiel’ s part by these words of warning. Disobedience will mark Ezekiel as no better than the rebellious people to whom he was to preach. A scroll (Ezekiel 2:9-10): It was extended (Ezekiel 2:9): I saw, and behold a hand was extended unto me, and behold in it the roll of a book. The stage was set for this initial test of obedience. To his surprise (behold!), Ezekiel saw a hand (cf. Jeremiah 1:9) come forth to him from the throne-chariot. The hand was either that of one of the cherubim, or that of the One on the throne itself. The hand contained animal skins. Papyrus is edible, and could easily be cut in pieces column by column. By sewing many pieces of these materials together, a scroll of twenty feet or more in length might be constructed. It was unrolled (Ezekiel 2:10 a): He spread it before me... Unlike the sealed scroll in Revelation 4, this scroll was open. It was no mystery what God was about to do to Jerusalem. It was full (Ezekiel 2:10 b): and it was written on front and back. The scroll contained writing. The ancients regarded the written word as far more definite and unalterable than the spoken word. The writing on the scroll was God’ s authoritative word for the children of Israel. The writing was on the scroll before Ezekiel received it. The message he will preach originated with God. It was a written word— a fixed and unchangeable divine declaration. The scroll was somewhat unusual in that it contained writing on both sides. Normally scrolls were inscribed on only one side. Is there symbolic significance in this fact? Perhaps it simply means that God had a lot to say to his people through Ezekiel. On the other hand, maybe the scroll was completely inscribed so as to eliminate the possibility of Ezekiel adding anything to the divinely received message. Then again, perhaps the writing on front and back symbolized the abundance of the calamities that will befall Jerusalem. It was sad (Ezekiel 2:10 c): There was written on it lamentations, mourning and woe. Until the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., Ezekiel preached a message of doom such as might be characterized as lamentation, mourning and woe. The scroll thus set forth prophetically what will shortly befall Jerusalem and Judah.Ezekiel Chapter TwoVerse 1 EZEKIEL'S FROM GOD TO ISRAELThe thought here and into chapter three is continuous with that of the preceding chapter, all of these things being directly connected with God's call of this great prophet as a witness to Israel. In this short chapter, God gave to Ezekiel the description of his mission. It would be to a stiff-necked, hard-hearted, rebellious people. Following the captivity of the northern kingdom, the southern remnant in Judea, including a few defections from the northern group, had become in fact "the united Israel." At this point in time, Israel was no longer a mighty nation but a discouraged remnant of captives in Babylon. Despite this, the whole "house of Israel" is in this chapter (Ezekiel 2:3 <>) called a rebellious nation, "the last term, here, being the very word used in the Old Testament for the Gentiles."[1] This shows the total alienation of the nation from God. We may therefore take the word "rebellious" as the key to Israel's attitude throughout the prophecy of Ezekiel. It was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Hosea (Hosea 1:9 <>) in which the third child of Gomer was named "Loammi," the same being a prophetic declaration concerning Israel that, "They are not God's people, and that he, Jehovah, will no longer be their God." Dummelow gives the following summary of God's commission to Ezekiel. "It came in three stages and upon three different occasions. The principal one of these is the 1st, which came immediately after the amazing vision of Ezekiel 1 and which occupies all of Ezekiel 2 andEzekiel 3:1-13 <>. The second came seven days later, among the exiles at Tel-abib (Ezekiel 3:14-21 <>); and the third was connected with a repetition of this vision, apparently in the neighborhood of Tel-abib (Ezekiel 3:22-27 <>)."[2]Ezekiel 2:1 <>"And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee."Matthew Henry commented upon the need for God to send just such a messenger as Ezekiel to Israel. "Although they still retained the name of their pious ancestors, they had wretchedly degenerated. This passage declares that they had become Goim, nations, the word commonly used in that era for Gentiles."[3]The other sacred writers agree with what is written here. "The children of Israel had become as the children of the Ethiopians" (Amos 9:7 <>). "They had become traffickers, the ancient word for Canaanites" (Hosea 12:7 <>). This last word shows that Israel had degenerated to a condition in which they were no better than the ancient pagan Canaanites whom God had removed from Palestine in order to repeople the land with Israelites! The warning for Christians in all of this is, that if the moral and righteous integrity of Christians deteriorates to a condition in which they are no longer truly distinguished from the unregenerated masses around them, they are doubtless doomed, no less than was ancient Israel, to lose their status and to incur the wrath of God. "Without holiness, no man shall see God" (Hebrews 12:14 <>). "Son of man ..." (Ezekiel 2:1 <>). Amazingly, this designation of Ezekiel occurs no less than ninety-three times in this prophecy.[4] From the term's usage in Daniel 7:13 <>and Daniel 8:14 <>, it came to be recognized as a Messianic title, the very one, in fact, that was especially preferred by Jesus Christ, "because it was intended as both a concealment and a revelation of the Saviour's true deity."[5]Verse 2 "And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet; and I heard him that spake unto me. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to nations that are rebellious, which have rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me even unto this very day.""To nations that are rebellious ..." (Ezekiel 2:3 <>). These were the two nations of northern Israel and southern Israel, here referred to collectively as "the children of Israel." "And the spirit entered into me ..." (Ezekiel 2:2 <>). We agree with Pearson that the spirit mentioned here can be none other than the blessed Holy Spirit himself.[6]Verse 4 "And the children are impudent and stiffhearted: I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with thee, and thou must dwell among scorpions: nor be not dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious.""Thus saith the Lord Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 2:4 <>). Throughout Ezekiel this double name of God appears no less than 200 times.[7] This Biblical usage of two different names for God, namely, [~Adonay], and [~Yahweh] is a dramatic contradiction of the radical critics' notion that the several names of God indicate various "sources," a foolish allegation upon which is built by critical Biblical enemies their entire theory of such things as "The Documentary Thesis of the Pentateuch." Ezekiel is not the only inspired writer who denies that whole evil hypothesis by his using a double name for God throughout his prophecy; for the patriarch Jacob himself used four different names for God in the blessing of his sons (Genesis 49:24-25 <>). We shall repeat briefly here a challenge which we have frequently made publicly and in our commentaries. "If there had really ever been in existence a single one of all those `documents' such as the Elohist, the Jehovist, the Priestly, etc, which occupy such a prominent place in the imagination of Biblical enemies, and if the great Lawgiver Moses had access to any of them in his production of the Pentateuch, then whatever happened to them? Why have all the excavations of fragments of writings from all the nations of antiquity, and the discovery of monuments of many kinds from all the cities of the past - WHY has there never been found even a single reference to any of them, either in the writings or the monuments of all past history? If Bible enemies would be believed, let them prove that such documents existed. Until that is done, we believe that only a fool could believe in those evil theories. They say that Moses used them. If so, they existed; but if they did, what went with them? Why is there no record of them anywhere on earth except in the fertile imaginations of men seeking to discredit the word of God?" "They shall know that there hath been a prophet among them ..." (Ezekiel 2:5 <>) Eichrodt described what God was doing here. "The true Lord of this people is causing his royal fight to rule to be proclaimed aloud in the very place where everyone thought it had died out and had been abolished. However, whatever resistance would flare up, nothing would be able to silence God's Word. It would prove itself stronger than all who might resist it."[8]"Briers ... thorns ... scorpions ..." (Ezekiel 2:6 <>). "These expressions are metaphorical descriptions of Ezekiel's uncomfortable position as he prophesied to a people who would have preferred not to hear him."[9]"For they are most rebellious ..." (Ezekiel 2:7 <>). Clearly, Ezekiel's mission was destined to be a very unpopular and difficult one; but expressions such as this were designed to discipline the prophet to expect evil and unappreciative responses from the people. It would be easier for him to bear all this if he would realize that such evil reactions by the Israelites were to be expected. Anything else would have been out of character for them. Such was the shameful status of God's Chosen People at that point in their history. Verse 8 "But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house; open thy mouth, and eat that which I give thee. And when I looked, behold a hand was put forth unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; and he spread it before me: and it was written within and without; and there were written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."This passage in which the prophet is commanded to eat "the roll of the book" has its counterpart in the New Testament, in Revelation, where the apostle John is likewise commanded to eat the "roll of the book" (Revelation 10). In the New Testament, John's eating the book became a symbol of the Word-filled Church, one of God's Two Witnesses, the other being the sacred Word itself, held open forever in the hands of the mighty angel, these Two Witnesses being in fact the only witnesses God has during the current dispensation. The command to eat the roll indicated that Ezekiel was to read and digest its contents, that he was to make it indeed and continually a part of his very person, that the prophet was commissioned to speak God's Word, not his own, and that all of the messages that he would communicate to the people would be those from God Himself. "It was written within and without ..." (Ezekiel 2:10 <>) Some have speculated on why the roll is here represented as being written "within and without"; and as Taylor noted, "Ellison's suggestion is most likely, that there was no room left for any additions by the prophet himself,"[10] of his own words. Here in the Old Testament we find the conception of the Redemption of Mankind as being ultimately dependent absolutely upon the application with utmost fidelity of the principles and commandments written "IN A BOOK." "The Great Book" upon which the salvation of everyone who ever lived is dependent is, of course, The Holy Bible, especially the New Testament, which is so dramatically symbolized by the little book open in the hands of the Rainbow Angel (Revelation 10). In all ages, the true religion of God has been nothing more nor less than the "Religion of the Book." As Bunn noted, "Here there is an introduction to revelation by written word which became to Ezekiel a religion of written statutes and ordinances."[11] It is our own opinion that the current generation also needs to receive the same conception of holy religion. Ezekiel 2:1. The voice which Ezekiel heard in the preceding chapter bade him stand upon his feet and it would speak to him. Son of m-an. We have no information in the Bible on why this term was used; especially why it. was restricted as it was. It was used at least 92 times for Ezekiel and once for Daniel (Dan, 8: 17). They were the only writing prophets who spent any time in Babylon, but whether that had anything to do with affect¬ing the forms of address I am not able to say. Ezekiel 2:2. Spirit entered into me means the spirit of encouragement not the Spirit of God. It is true, that Spirit was communicating with the prophet, but it was when He (the Spirit of God) spoke to Ezekiel that his spirit came back to him. This shows the passage to mean that when God spoke to the prophet it en-couraged him to “ take heart" so that he felt able to stand up. This is similar to the experiences that Daniel had in chapter 8: 17, 18 and 10: 9, 10. Ezekiel 2:3. To avoid confusion I shall again explain that Ezekiel was in Babylon, having been carried there with the bulk of the people of Judah at the overthrow of Jehoiachin. Hence many of the predictions of the captiv-ity had been fulfilled, while others were still to come since the “ 3rd cap¬tivity" in the 11th year of Zedekiah was yet pending. Another thing, God wished the captivity to work certain reforms in the lives of His people, and hence they were to be offered many admonitions and warnings. The Lord did not wish Ezekiel to be dis¬couraged if his admonitions were re¬jected in most instances and therefore he told him that the people to whom he was sending him were a rebellious nation. Ezekiel 2:4. The Lord continued his description of the nation to whom he sent Ezekiel as a prophet. They were stiffhearted which means they were stubborn. But Ezekiel was to tell them he was approaching them with the word of the Lord. Ezekiel 2:5. A man's standing before the Lord does not depend on his success as a speaker of the (ruth. If he says that which is in harmony with the divine law he will be blessed regard-less of whether bis teaching is ac¬cepted or not. This principle was made known to Ezekiel in this verse. God knew that Israel as a people would not give heed to the admoni-tions of the prophet but wished him to give them the truth anyhow. But one thing would be accomplished re¬gardless of their attitude and that would be to show them there was a prophet among them. Ezekiel 2:6. Briers, thorns and scor¬pions are used figuratively, and refer to the bitter persecutions the prophet would have to face by reason of his unwelcome warnings, The Lord gave Ezekiel the encouragement that he need not he afraid of the people. Ezekiel 2:7. The prophet was again told to speak the words of the Lord to the people regardless of their attitude to¬ward his teaching. Timothy was given a like instruction concerning the Gos¬pel (2 Timothy 4; 2 Timothy 2, 3.) Ezekiel 2:8, The particular rebellion meant is that of rejecting the word of the Lord. Ezekiel was about to he offered something and he was warned not to rebel against it and thus be iike the rebellious nation. The last clause is figurative and refers to some kind of spiritual food. Ezekiel 2:9. Roll of a book means a piece of writing material was rolled up and was in the hand that appeared. In ancient times books were not bound as they are today, but were written on long strips of the material and then rolled up. Ezekiel 2:10. The hand unrolled the book before the prophet and he saw that it was written on both sides. This was unusual because ihe rule was for the sheets to he written on one side only as it is done today in “ regulation" correspondence. Yet in cases of special importance where space is limited and where much 19 to be said it is permissible to write on both sides. In the present case there was an urgent need for much space for the subject pertained to lamentations and warn¬ings over the wretched state of God's people. Ezekiel 3 THE Assimilation of the Word(Ezekiel 3:1-3): The Lord's directive (Ezekiel 3:1): He said unto me, Son of man, eat what you discover; eat this roll and go speak unto the house of Israel. Again God addresses four imperatives to Ezekiel. He is to eat, eat, go, and speak. He is to eat this roll. The word of God must be internalized, digested and assimilated by one who will serve as God’ s messenger. Ezekiel himself must become the message. Coming on the heels of the command to eat the scroll is the command to go speak unto the house of Israel. Immediately following the reception of the word there must be the proclamation of it. Ezekiel's submission (Ezekiel 3:2): I opened my mouth, and he fed me this roll. Ezekiel attempted to comply with the Lord’ s command. He opened his mouth. At this point the gracious God intervened and aided in the consumption of the document. The Lord's explanation (Ezekiel 3:3 a): He said unto me, Son of man, your belly will eat and your inward parts will be full with this roll that I am giving unto you. Further encouragement came from the Lord to the effect that Ezekiel should swallow and digest the scroll that he had been given. Ezekiel complied. Ezekiel himself becomes the embodiment of the divine word. Ezekiel's experience (Ezekiel 3:3 b): So I ate it, and it became in my mouth like honey for sweetness. Much to his surprise, Ezekiel found that the scroll tasted sweet like honey (cf. Jeremiah 15:16; Psalms 119:103). This sweetness in no way indicates that Ezekiel took some morbid delight in his message of doom. Rather the sweetness of the scroll lay in the privilege of knowing and proclaiming the word of God. Ezekiel did not eat a literal scroll. This action was done in a vision. A person does strange things in dreams, and so it was also in this heaven-sent vision. The point is that Ezekiel must familiarize himself with the word of God by reading the scroll as eagerly and attentively as one eats food to satisfy hunger. The fact that God caused him to eat the scroll may point to supernatural aid that the prophet received in comprehending and mentally preserving the minutest detail of this unpleasant message. Assurance of Divine Power (Ezekiel 3:4-9): Need for divine power (Ezekiel 3:4-7): His field is needy (Ezekiel 3:4): He said unto me, Son of man, go unto the house of Israel and speak with my words unto them. The ingested scroll symbolizes empowerment to preach. The command to go to the captives with the word is repeated in Ezekiel 3:4 : Go . . speak. He is to preach with my words. He is to convey God’ s message to them in the very tongue in which he had received it. The exiles were beginning to use the Aramaic tongue of the Chaldeans, but they will still be familiar with the Hebrew. His field is near (Ezekiel 3:5): For you have not been sent unto a people of obscure language and heavy tongue, but unto the house of Israel. Unlike Jonah, Ezekiel is not being sent to a people whose language was utterly incomprehensible. The expression obscure language means literally, deep of lip. The same expression is found in Isaiah 33:19 where it refers to a foreign language that cannot be comprehended. Heavy tongue is a tongue that is sluggish and dull (cf. Exodus 4:10), or one that is tiresome to understand. Many foreigners were in Babylon. Communication with them will not be easy. His field is focused (Ezekiel 3:6): Not unto many people of obscure language and heavy tongue whose words you cannot comprehend. Surely if I had sent you unto them, they would hearken unto you. Lack of communication between Ezekiel and his audience will not be due to any language barrier. It was to the house of Israel—his own compatriots— to whom he is sent (Ezekiel 3:5). But this in no way will aid the communication process. Sometimes the home missionary has a more difficult task than he who ventures into foreign lands to preach the gospel in exotic tongues. Strange languages are more easily mastered than the technique of communicating with those with unbelieving hearts. Ezekiel’ s chances of “ getting through” to his audience will have been greater if he were speaking to people with a hard language rather than a hard heart. His field is difficult (Ezekiel 3:7): But as for the house of Israel, they are not willing to hearken unto you, because they are not willing to hearken unto me; for all the house of Israel are strong offorehead and hard of heart. Nothing personal will be involved in Israel’ s rejection of the message of Ezekiel (cf. 1 Samuel 8:7-8). The basic problem with the house of Israel was that they had no interest in hearing what God had to say. The people will show an aversion to Ezekiel simply because he was the bearer of the divine word. Therefore, the opposition that wEzekiel was warned to expect was not to be regarded as unusual, or directed against him personally. The exiles were deaf to the voice of God that had spoken through various natural disasters, as well as through his human spokesmen. It was therefore unlikely that they will give any heed to Ezekiel. Provision of divine power (Ezekiel 3:8-9): Endowment of courage (Ezekiel 3:8-9 a): Behold, I have made your face strong against their face, and your forehead strong against their forehead. (Ezekiel 3:9) Like a diamond harder than flint I have made your forehead. The first hurdle for Ezekiel's ministry was the natural fear that will arise over the prospects of preaching an unpopular message to an unsympathetic multitude. For this task God will endow Ezekiel with courage. The Lord will make Ezekiel’ s face strong against their face, and his forehead strong against their forehead (Ezekiel 3:8). The latter figure is taken from horned animals that vie for supremacy by butting heads. Ezekiel will be able to match their obstinacy with sanctified stubbornness of his own. He will be as zealous for truth as they were for falsehood. They were as hard as flint; he will be as hard as a diamond,126 Ezekiel’ s firmness will cut like a diamond into the flint-like hearts of the men of Israel. Exhortation to courage (3:9b): Do not fear them. Do not be dismayed before them, for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel need have no fear or be dismayed before that rebellious people. Given the circumstances that he faced, how appropriate was this prophet’ s name, Ezekiel—“ God strengthens” or “ God hardens.” Assessment of the Congregation(Ezekiel 3:10-15): The words of God (Ezekiel 3:10-11): He must hear them (Ezekiel 3:10): And he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I will speak unto you, receive into your heart. With your ears hear. The first priority of any preacher is to be in harmony with the word of God. God called upon Ezekiel to hear all the words that He will speak to him. He must not only hear them with the ears, he must also receive them into his heart. He must understand and believe the message he is to preach. All my words that I will speak suggests that there will be future revelations that the prophet will also have to assimilate and subsequently announce. It is interesting to note that God will communicate to Ezekiel in words, not just in abstract thought and ambiguous visions. Here is verbal revelation. He must speak them (Ezekiel 3:11): Then go unto the captives, unto the children of your people. Speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they desist. Once Ezekiel understood the divine word and personally yielded to it, he will be prepared to undertake his mission to the Babylonian captives. He must go to them and speak what God had spoken to him. He was not to be influenced by their reactions to his words. His job was to faithfully proclaim the word. He was to speak authoritatively. A thus says the Lord was to characterize all of his preaching. He was to preach on regardless of whether or not they gave heed. There may be a touch of irony in the expression your people, rather than my (God’ s) people. The sounds from the chariot (Ezekiel 3:12-13): Occasion of the sounds (Ezekiel 3:12 a): Then the Spirit lifted me up. I heard behind me the sound of great shaking— At this point the Holy Spirit lifted Ezekiel up to whisk him from this mountain-top visionary experience to the valley of prophetic service (cf. Ezekiel 2:2). This is the first of several places where the prophet describes his supernatural transports. Ezekiel was still in the midst of his visionary experience. Neither psychic levitation nor physical transposition is being described here. In his vision Ezekiel experienced a subjective feeling of being airborne, much like the feeling one has in a dream of soaring through the air. The prophet had been in the presence of the theophany— the visionary throne-chariot— during all that has been narrated to this point (Ezekiel 1:4 to Ezekiel 3:12). When he was lifted up and carried away it seemed to Ezekiel that he was leaving the theophany behind. Simultaneous with the Holy Spirit entering Ezekiel, the magnificent throne-chariot departed the scene. As it did so, the sound of a great shaking was heard. The praise in the sounds (Ezekiel 3:12 b): Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place— A voice pronouncing a blessing on the glory of the Lord accompanied the shaking noise. This voice is unidentified. It may be the voice that was heard from above the firmament in Ezekiel 1:24-25; or it could be the voice of the cherubim praising the Lord. The phrase from his place (Ezekiel 3:12) is problematic. It probably refers to the place where the glory of God revealed itself in the vision. To state the matter differently, the glory of the Lord yet remained in the place from which it was departing because his place is universal. Significance of the sounds (Ezekiel 3:13): even the sound of the wings of the living creatures touching each other, and the sound of the wheels beside them, even the sound of great shaking. The sound of great shaking of Eze 3:12 is identified in Ezekiel 3:13. As the throne-chariot departed, Ezekiel heard the whirring of the wings of the living creatures and the rumble of the wheels. When the throne-chariot was stationary, the living creatures did not touch each other. But when they were in flight the cherubim raised their wings so as to touch each other. See on Ezekiel 1:11. The transmigration of Ezekiel (3:14): And the Spirit lifted me up, and took me so that I came with bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. After the departure of the throne-chariot Ezekiel describes what happened to him in these words: the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away (v 14). This does not mean that Ezekiel was miraculously transported from one spot to another in Mesopotamia. Rather it means that Ezekiel, guided and impelled by the Holy Spirit, went forth among his countrymen. This suggests that the site of the vision was some distance from the exile settlement, for it is to the latter place that Ezekiel now returned. In Ezekiel 3:14 Ezekiel describes his feelings as he departed the scene of his visionary experience. He went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit. Anger, then, was the dominant emotion in his heart at this moment. Why did he feel this way? Was he resentful at having been thrust into such a terrifying task? Possibly. It is more likely, however, that the word of the Lord that had been eaten and digested had created within him a righteous anger against the sin of Israel. Not only was Ezekiel filled with God’ s indignation, he was conscious of being strengthened and guided by the hand of the Lord (Ezekiel 3:14). Even though the vision was over, he still felt that the unseen hand was upon him. Ezekiel among the captives (Ezekiel 3:15): And I came unto the captives at Tel Aviv who were dwelling beside the river Kebar, and to where they dwelled. And I sat there seven days astonished in their midst. Following the visionary experience, Ezekiel rejoined his fellow captives in Tel Aviv, the chief center of the exiles in Babylon. The name Tel Aviv means "heap of grain ears." The place probably got its name from the fertility of the area. For seven days Ezekiel sat astonished among the exiles. Keil understands the term to mean motionless and dumb. This was a time for reflection, meditation and readjustment. Various explanations of the seven days have been given. This was the period of pre-scribed mourning in certain periods of Old Testament history (Job 2:13). The period for the consecration of a priest was also seven days (Leviticus 8:33). Thus Ezekiel may have regarded this period as his time of personal consecration to the prophetic office. The simplest explanation, however, is that Ezekiel was waiting for further instruction. There will then be no particular significance in the number sevenR OF SERVICEEze_3:16-21 Beginning in Ezekiel 3:16 the focus shifts from the national to the individual aspects of Ezekiel’ s mission. In the midst of the general visitation that will fall upon the nation as a whole, each individual was to stand before the Lord to have his faith and works rewarded or punished. This passage underscores the basic moral principle that each person is individually responsible for his own conduct. Another principle enunciated here is that God’ s messengers must face up to the responsibility to warn all men of the consequences of their ways. Ezekiel as Watchman (Ezekiel 3:16-17) Revelation (Ezekiel 3:16): And it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying... At the end of the seven days of silence, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, i.e., he had another revelation from God. This is the first of some sixty occurrences of the revelation formula in the book. The expression implies the experience of a possessing word or influence. In this word Ezekiel receives both instruction and further commission to carry out his ministry. Installation (Ezekiel 3:17 a): Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Ezekiel learned in this revelation that God had appointed him to be a watchman for the house of Israel. Watchman was not a new name for the prophet of God, but it was not common. Yet it is used at the beginning of Ezekiel’ s commissioning. It is repeated and amplified at his re­commissioning in Ezekiel 33:1-9. Evidently the term brings out a prominent feature of Ezekiel’ s ministry. Ellison puts his finger on the significance of the title watchman when he notes that Ezekiel was not merely to be God’ s messenger to the people in general; he was to be God’ s messenger to the individual in particular. He was to be a personal evangelist as well as a public orator. While it is true that only the facts of his public ministry have been preserved, this in no wise nullifies the conclusion here reached. Ezekiel was to engage in a pastoral ministry such as priests in Old Testament times were supposed to perform. The chief contribution of Ezekiel to Old Testament theology is his emphasis on individual responsibility. 3. Obligation (3:17b): Hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me. In his capacity as watchman, Ezekiel was to wait and watch for the word from the mouth of God. He then was to warn the people of impending calamity. The life and safety of a community were in the hand of a city watchman. So also the life and safety of the people of God were in the hands of Ezekiel. Four different cases are discussed so that Ezekiel might clearly assess his responsibility as Israel’ s watchman. Various Watchman Scenarios (Ezekiel 3:18-21): Case one: the unwarned wicked (3:18): When I say to the wicked, You will surely die, and you do not warn him or speak to preserve his life, he is the wicked one who will die in his iniquity; but his blood I will seek from your hand In his role as Watchman, Ezekiel will encounter two types of individuals. First, he will encounter the wicked— those destined to die for the sin they had committed. Ezekiel’ s job was to warn him of his wicked way, i.e., of the consequences of continuing his wicked course of conduct. The wicked will be those who do not serve God, but on the contrary, live in open defiance of Him. God told Ezekiel that the penalty for the wicked is death. He will die in his iniquity (v 18). Most commentators see nothing more involved here than the end of physical life. It should be noted that it is not Ezekiel who here speaks; it is the Lord. The question is not, then, what was the level of understanding of the doctrine of retribution or the doctrine of the afterlife in the sixth century B.C. Still less is the full meaning of the utterance to be determined by ascertaining how Ezekiel or his contemporaries may have interpreted the word die. The teaching of the Bible is that those who die unforgiven “ die” for all eternity in a conscious existence elsewhere known as the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). That a premature death may also be involved cannot be denied. But to contend that premature death exhausts the meaning of the statement is to disregard the total biblical teaching that eternal retribution follows the physical death of the wicked. If the prophet fails faithfully and forthrightly to sound the alarm, he will be held accountable for the death of that sinner— his blood I will seek from your hand (Ezekiel 3:18). The focus changes in Ezekiel 3:18 from them to him— the individual. The teaching here harks back to the principle expressed in Genesis 9:5 f. Just as the blood of a murdered man demanded retribution by the nearest kinsman, so a man dying unwarned will be regarded virtually as the victim of murder committed by the unfaithful Watchman. Ezekiel himself would have to die for his negligence. Though this utterance is metaphorical, it nonetheless emphasizes the enormous responsibility that was Ezekiel’ s. The Christian responsibility to warn the lost is no less (1 John 5:16). Case two: non-repentant wicked (Ezekiel 3:20): But as for you, when you warn a wicked one, and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, he in his iniquity will die, but as for you, your life you have delivered. Nothing but good can result from the discharge of responsibility to warn the wicked. If he heeds the warning and alters his course of conduct, he will live, i.e., save his soul. If he refuses, he will suffer the consequences of death. But the messenger thereby has done his duty. Thus he has delivered his own life of blood-guiltiness. An important principle of Old Testament jurisprudence is illustrated in this passage: The failure to save life corresponds to murder. Case three: the straying righteous man (Ezekiel 3:20): And when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I place a stumbling block before him, he will die; because you did not warn him in his sin, he will die; his righteousness that he has done will not be remembered; but his blood I will seek from your hand. On occasion Ezekiel will encounter a man whose basic orientation was righteous, but who momentarily had strayed from the path of fidelity. Sometimes God permits a stumbling block to be placed before such a one— some trial, some difficulty, some occasion for sin. For an example of such a stumbling block see 7:19 and 44:12. It is true that God tempts no man in order to bring about his destruction. Through his providence and permissive will, however, He allows men to be tried that their faith may be found true. Stumbling was not inevitable. A moral choice was always involved, Furthermore, God provided the Watchman to warn where the stumbling blocks were located. Should one who was outwardly pious depart from the path of righteousness, the past righteous acts of that man will not be remembered. To neglect to warn such a person will result in his death and the Watchman’ s guilt. Case four: the righteous man who heeds (Ezekiel 3:21): But as for you, if you warn a righteous man that a righteous man does not sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live because he has been warned. As for you, you have delivered your life. If a righteous man who had stumbled into sin repented, he will thereby save his soul. In any case, the Watchman is free from any responsibility so long as he sounded the alarm. ON SERVICEEze_3:22-27A New Meeting with God (Ezekiel 3:22-23) A divine directive (Ezekiel 3:22): And the hand of the I.ORD came upon me there. He said unto me, Rise, go out into the plain. There I will speak with you. The protracted period of commissioning comes to an end with a second glimpse of God's glory. Following the lesson at Tel Aviv, the hand of the Lord, i.e., the power and guiding influence of God, came upon Ezekiel. He was told to go out into the plain. There God will teach Ezekiel yet another lesson about his ministry. The word plain means literally “ valley,” the area between two mountains. This may well have been a site frequented by Ezekiel in his periods of solitude. It may well have been in this same “ valley” that Ezekiel later received his vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1). An obedient response (Ezekiel 3:23): And I arose, and went out unto the plain. Behold there the glory of the LORD was standing like the glory that I saw beside the river Kebar. I fell upon my face. Ezekiel complied with the divine command. When he reached the designated spot, he saw a second vision of the glory of the Lord. The vision was very much like that which he had seen by the Kebar. Modern commentators seem to focus on the various aspects of the heavenly throne-chariot— the wheels and living creatures. Ezekiel, however, sums up the whole of that vision by his reference to the One who rode the chariot—the glory of the Lord. As on the earlier occasion, Ezekiel reacted to this majestic manifestation by falling on his face (v 23). New Instructions (Ezekiel 3:24-27): Restriction of his movement(Ezekiel 3:24-25): Strengthened by the Spirit (Ezekiel 3:24 a): And the Spirit came on me. He made me stand upon my feet. He spoke to me, and said... Again the Holy Spirit entered into Ezekiel, giving him the strength and confidence to stand on his feet. What Ezekiel was to do (Ezekiel 3:24 b): Go shut yourself up in the midst of your house. Ezekiel now received a new command. He was told to shut himself within his house. What would be done to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:25): And as for you, son of man, behold fetters will be placed upon you. You will not go out in their midst. In his house, Ezekiel will be bound with fetters. No evidence exists that Ezekiel was ever literally bound by his auditors. The fetters must be symbolic or metaphorical of self-imposed (or God-imposed) restraint. Perhaps the restraints were placed on the prophet by his fellow captives. It seems that Ezekiel’ s movements outside his house were severely restricted, if not actually curtailed. Restriction on his speech(Ezekiel 3:26-27) : His mouth closed (Ezekiel 3:26): And your tongue will cleave unto the roof of your mouth so that you will be dumb. You will not become to them a man of reproof, for they are a rebellious house. Divine restrictions were placed upon the speech of Ezekiel, as well as on his movements. His tongue will cleave unto the roof of his mouth. Because of the rebelliousness of the house of Israel, the prophet should (or will) be silent. During that period of self-imposed (or God-imposed) dumbness, he will not serve as a man of reproof to them. This ministry of silence seems to have been intended to demonstrate to the exiles that they were indeed a rebellious house (Ezekiel 3:26). His mouth opened (Ezekiel 3:27): But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth. You will say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD. The one who hears, let him hear, and the one who desists let him desist; for they arc a rebellious house. Ezekiel will only communicate with his fellow exiles at such times as he had a divine communication to share with them. From time to time God will commit to his Watchman a revelation that was to be passed on to the captives. Ezekiel was to preface every spoken word with Thus says the Lord. The silence of Ezekiel was to last for a limited time. When Jerusalem fell six years later, the restraints were removed from the prophet (Ezekiel 33:22). This was, to use the language of Taylor, ritual dumbness. Ezekiel did not suffer from catalepsy or some nervous disorder. Rather the idea is that he was to speak only when under a divine compulsion to do so. The reaction of men to these God-given pronouncements will confirm men in their attitude toward God. Men will either obey it, or they will despise it. In the former case, they will find grace; in the latter, condemnation. By his preaching and non-preaching, Ezekiel continuously confronted his auditors with the life and death alternatives. SPECIAL NOTE ON EZEKIEL Ezekiel 3:25-27 The interpretation of this paragraph is extremely difficult. The problem is not so much in what is said— though that is difficult enough— but in the timing of it. How can the previous commands to preach the word be squared with the thought that Ezekiel was to be dumb? How can his being bound with cords be harmonized with subsequent chapters that show him moving about freely? Those who have wrestled with these questions may be divided into two broad categories. First, some think in terms of a literal period of silence. Even among those who hold to a literal period of silence at least four different positions have been taken: 1. Some think the episode is chronologically out of place. They think this command was issued after ch 24. The passage has been placed in its present position because of topical considerations. It does, after all, partake of the nature of a commission. 2. Others suggest that there was a period of dumbness prior to the launching of the ministry of proclamation. This will be the obvious solution to the problem were it not for the difficulty of finding time for such a period of dumbness in the known chronology of Ezekiel’ s life. 3. David Kimchi offered the intriguing suggestion that the silence was divinely imposed so as to prevent Ezekiel from speaking until he had received the entire revelation that God reveals in chs 1-11. He was not to speak prematurely. 4. Finally, some suggest that the silence was the first of a series of prophecies that Ezekiel acted out. Another approach to this passage regards the fetters on Ezekiel as symbolic or metaphorical. These scholars see the restraint upon the prophet as a symbol of the bitter opposition of his fellow exiles to his prophesying. Ezekiel preaches, but the exiles do not listen. Since no real communication will take place, it will be as though Ezekiel were dumb. Still others interpret the entire passage as saying simply that Ezekiel will refuse to speak to his neighbors about ordinary matters. He will speak only when he had a divine revelation. Ezekiel Chapter ThreeVerse 1 EZEKIEL'S In this chapter we have: (1) Ezekiel commanded to eat the roll of the book (Ezekiel 3:1-3); (2) God promises Ezekiel power to overcome the difficulties of his mission (Ezekiel 3:4-9); (3) Ezekiel is brought to the place where he is to labor (Ezekiel 3:10-15); (4) Ezekiel is warned of his responsibility for the souls entrusted to his watchfulness (Ezekiel 3:16-21); and (5) we have the conclusion (the third phase) of Ezekiel's divine commission to Israel (Ezekiel 3:22-27). Ezekiel 3:1-3"And he said unto me, Son of man, eat that which thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness."EATING THE ROLL OF THE BOOK (Ezekiel 3:1-3) Some have supposed that there was some hesitation or reluctance on the part of Ezekiel to eat this roll, basing such a view upon the repetition of the commandment and the statement at the end of Eze 3:3, "Then did I eat it"; but we do not believe that such a notion is fully supported by the text. The significance of eating the roll and of its sweetness in the mouth shows that, "It is sweet to do the will of God and to be entrusted with tasks for him."[1] It does not mean that the sad news God's message contained for the fallen people of Israel was the source of any "sweetness" for the prophet. This symbolical action of eating the roll teaches that, (1) the words of Ezekiel would not be his words but the Word of God; (2) the written word of God would become the very life of the prophet; (3) the eating of the roll by Ezekiel indicated his acceptance of the commission God was here giving him; and (4) that he would need to digest it, assimilate it into his very being, and speak nothing else, absolutely, to the people except as God would direct him. As Feinberg stated it, "He who gives forth the Word of the Lord must feed on it himself."[2]The similar symbolical action of the apostle John (Revelation 10) comes to mind instantly as this passage is read; and the remembrance that in the New Testament incident the taste of the roll changed into bitterness "in his belly," and one wonders why a similar thing was not mentioned here. We believe with Plumptre that, "Perhaps verse 14 implies the very same bitterness that John experienced when the first ecstatic joy passed away and the sense of the awfulness of the task came upon the prophet."[3]Verse 4 "And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel; not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stiff heart. Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house."GOD'S PROMISE OF POWER TO EZEKIELAs our study of Ezekiel moves forward, we are impressed by the right of this prophet to be called a type of Jesus Christ: (1) The name alone (Son of man) suggests it; (2) In this passage Ezekiel is sent "only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24); and again in this passage, (3) Ezekiel was told that Israel would not hear him, because they would not hear God (Ezekiel 3:7); and the exact duplicate of this was promised the apostles by Jesus Christ (John 15:20). Still another fundamental element of Jesus' teaching is in Ezekiel 3:6. "Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee ..." (Ezekiel 3:6). "The thought here finds its analogue in our Lord's reference to Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 11:21-24)."[4]This paragraph repeats much that was stated in Ezekiel 2 regarding the rebellious house of Israel and their attitude toward God; but, as Taylor noted, the previous mention of such qualities in Israel were a description of Ezekiel's commission; "But these later verses represent the equipping of the prophet with the qualities which he will need in order to fulfill his commission."[5]As Keil noted, the concluding clause in Ezekiel 3:6 has no primary application to the Gentiles, other than the truth that was demonstrated by the spread of Christianity into "all nations." "Here, the words emphasize the contrast between the excusable inability of people to understand a foreign language and the quite inexcusable stubbornness of Ezekiel's Israelite hearers."[6]; "Strange speech ... and hard language ..."(Ezekiel 3:6). In the Hebrew here, the literal words are, "of deep lip and heavy tongue."[7] This passage also suggests the words of Isa 28:11, where "tongues" appear as a curse to God's people and not as a blessing. Verse 10 "Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear."Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from his place. And I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing. So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me. Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river Chebar, and to where they dwelt; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days." EZEKIEL COMES TO TEL-ABIB (Ezekiel 3:10-15) "All my words that I shall speak unto thee ..." (Ezekiel 3:10). The emphasis here should be upon the word "all." Even as the apostle Paul obeyed God in that he declared "the whole counsel of God" to mankind, Ezekiel was commissioned of God to do exactly the same thing. "The prophet was not to pick and choose out of the message, but was to deliver `all the counsel of God' (Acts 22:27)."[8]"Go, get thee to them of the captivity ..." (Ezekiel 3:11) In Ezekiel 3:4, we noted that Ezekiel's commission was to "the house of Israel"; but here he was commanded to go to the captives. This was in no sense whatever a change in the commission. "For all practical purposes, the exiles were the house of Israel."[9]Yes, part of the Israelites would return to Egypt, namely, the conspirators who murdered Gedaliah and took Jeremiah there to die; and there was another residue of the once powerful Ephraim in Assyria; but to neither of those groups was any prophet ever sent. The destiny of the whole Chosen People and the entire hope of the ultimate salvation of the human race were centered right there in Babylon in the hearts of the captive "remnant." However, as Bruce pointed out, not any of the house of Israel was omitted from God's purpose, "Because the writing of the book would make God's message available to the whole nation,"[10] wherever individuals might chance to have lived. "Go, get thee unto thy people ..." (Ezekiel 3:11). Note that God did not here say, "unto my people," but "unto thy people." The apostasy of Israel was so complete that God no longer recognized them as his people, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Hosea, "I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more" (Hosea 9:15). "Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from his place ..." (Ezekiel 3:12). This is one of the most significant lines in Ezekiel. It proves that the glory of Jehovah, symbolized by that rushing mighty sound that accompanied the living creatures, the wings and the wheels, was no longer in the temple at Jerusalem. "The words, `from his place,' are not a reference to the sanctuary in Jerusalem, which Jehovah had forsaken, but to some region here thought of as `in the north' (see note on Ezekiel 1:4, above)."[11]It seems that from the fact of Ezekiel's hearing all of this tremendous symbol of God's glory "behind him," that he had turned to face Tel-abib, whither the Spirit had commanded him to go. The New Testament tells us at what time the glory of God returned, not to any kind of a literal temple, but to the true and mystical Temple of God, which is the holy Church of Jesus Christ. It occurred on Pentecost, where once again the forked flames as of fire and the rushing sound of a mighty wind endowed the apostles of Christ the true princes of the Church of God with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and ushered in the Christian dispensation of the grace of God. "The Spirit lifted me up ..." (Ezekiel 3:12). "We are not to suppose that the prophet was miraculously transported from one place to another; he was here guided by God's Spirit to go to his countrymen."[12]"I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me ..."(Ezekiel 3:14). Why this bitterness? Was it the terrible content of the message Ezekiel was ordered to deliver? Was it the sudden realization of the extreme difficulty of his assignment? Was it the poverty and wretchedness of the captives in their Babylonian dwelling place; or was it the drastic change in the life-style for Ezekiel himself? Bunn believed that, "It was the totality of all these things. It was here with Ezekiel as with Jesus in Gethsemane. The awesome cup would not pass from him; it contained all of the world's woe, sin, despair, hopelessness, and shame."[13]Whatever the cause of Ezekiel's bitterness, he was overwhelmed when he came to Tel-abib; and it appears to have taken a full week for him to get over it. "Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib ..." (Ezekiel 3:15). Both Plumptre and Keil understand this as the first event of Ezekiel's ministry, rather than as the concluding phase of his commissioning; but we prefer the viewpoint of Dummelow that sees in the remainder of this chapter the concluding part of the commission. See enumeration of these three phases in Ezekiel 2. "Tel-abib ..." (Ezekiel 3:15). Barnes, Bruce, and other scholars give the meaning of this word as "mound of green ears" or "mound of ears of corn"; but more recent studies on this name indicate that it meant "mound of the storm flood,"[14] or "hill of the deluge"[15] If such meanings are in the name, it would appear that a memory of the Great Deluge itself may be preserved in the name of this mound. It seems also to have been a very fertile and productive place. "I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days ..." (Ezekiel 3:15). There certainly seems to have been some tragic condition in the captives themselves which produced this reaction by Ezekiel. This period of silence in the presence of grief, suffering, or disaster was universally observed by comforters in ancient times. A good example of this is seen in the case of the friends of Job who came and sat with him, saying nothing at all. THE 'S (Ezekiel 3:16-21) Verse 16 "And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth no sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.""Wicked man shall die in his iniquity ... he shall die in his sin ..." (Ezekiel 3:18; Ezekiel 3:20). "This warning that the sinner would die had a purely temporal reference," because, "As far as we can see, Ezekiel had little or no concept of a resurrection, still less of eternal life."[16] Such a comment as this is unacceptable, because it limits the meaning of God's Word to what the commentator supposes the inspired writer had in mind. These words were not the words of Ezekiel, but the words of God; and the arbitrary judgment of any man should not be allowed to restrict their meaning to what the arbitrary judge supposes to have been the conviction of the prophet through whom God spoke. This type of erroneous commentary must be guarded against continually as having no validity whatever. "I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 3:17). This figurative use of "watchman" was used of Jeremiah's work (Jeremiah 6:17), and is also found in Habakkuk 2:1. Likewise, Christian elders are said to "watch" for the souls of their members (Hebrews 13:17). The statement here that a righteous man who turns from his righteousness will die in his sins makes Calvinists very nervous; and Feinberg warned against using this passage to teach the possibility of apostasy; but nothing is any more unreasonable, unprovable, or unlikely than the old cliche that, "Once saved, always saved!" Angels sinned and lost their place in heaven; an apostle (Judas) fell from his place, which was taken by another; and Paul even warned the Galatians that, "Ye are fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4); and that did not mean that, "They had abandoned the basis of grace for works of their own,"[17] as Feinberg thought, but that, they had abandoned reliance upon the work of faith for reliance upon the works of the Law of Moses! The great warning of 1 Corinthians 10:12 is a total fraud unless there is genuine danger of falling for every Christian who ever lived. "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall." Nor is the old Calvinistic excuse that, "In case a Christian or the Old Testament follower of God should fall away, he was never actually saved anyway, being merely a hypocrite all the time!" Feinberg honored this false cliche as follows. "From the context of this passage and the general teaching of the Scripture, we must conclude that "the righteous person" of this chapter was not one who had the root of regeneration, but was righteous in outward appearance and deed only."[18]The only thing wrong with such a comment is that it contradicts the sacred text which speaks of "a righteous man," not a hypocrite, nor a "pretended" righteous man, but a "righteous man." There is, however, a legitimate softening of what is written here in the understanding of the passage by Keil. "To turn oneself from his righteousness" denotes the formal falling away from the path of righteousness, not mere "stumbling or sinning from weakness."[19]We believe Keil's observation here is correct, because it is proved by the example of Peter who even denied the Lord but was nevertheless retained in the apostleship. It is never the making of a mistake, however serious, that results in the falling from grace on the part of a Christian, but a deliberate forsaking of the way of truth. One final word about the possibility of such a fall is that of the following passage. "As touching those who once were enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and powers of the age to come, and then fall away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance" (Hebrews 6:4-5). It would be absolutely impossible to designate a true Christian any more explicitly than this is done in the first four lines of this passage; and yet the possibility of such a true Christian's falling away is dramatically stated. The dramatic new light from this portion of the Old Testament is seen in the shift of emphasis from the Israelite conception of salvation as applicable to their nation, to that of its being the concern of every single individual. "The passage anticipates the great moral principle of Divine government (Ezekiel 18) that each man is individually responsible for his own actions, and that he will be judged by these and these alone."[20] People are never to be saved as nations, groups, races, or as any other classification, but as individuals. "And I lay a stumblingblock before him ..." (Ezekiel 3:20). This cannot mean that God tempts any person whomsoever, because, "God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man" (James 1:13). "The expression here means that the temptations of the righteous are under God's providential control."[21]Verse 22 "And the hand of Jehovah was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee. Then I arose and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of Jehovah stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thy house. But thou, son of man, behold, they shall lay hands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them: and I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover; for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah; he that heareth let him hear; and he that forbeareth let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house."FINAL IN THE (Ezekiel 3:22-27) The conclusive instruction for Ezekiel in his divine commission was thus described by Barnes: "Here he learns that there is a time to be silent as well as a time to speak, and that both are appointed by God."[22]Some scholars interpret this final paragraph as a reference to some affliction suffered by Ezekiel, such as epilepsy, aphasia, or temporary madness, and that he had to be restrained by the people. We do not accept that. "All of the various expressions of restraint here are figurative and have the meaning that God restrained Ezekiel for a while with the instruction that he was to open his mouth only in his house to those who consulted him privately."[23]"The glory of the Lord stood there ..." (Ezekiel 3:23) Taylor noted that, "This expression sums up the whole of the vision seen in chapter 1; and the abiding recollection was not of the accoutrements of the heavenly chariot-throne, but of the One who sat upon it." This accords with our own view that this is the conclusion of the commission. Some have suggested that perhaps this paragraph might be misplaced; but Beasley-Murray defended the meaning of it as appropriate enough where it stands.[24]Howie's conclusion regarding this final paragraph is that, "Ezekiel acted the part of a prisoner, his actions thus symbolizing the destruction of Jerusalem. It was only upon God's specific commandment that he spoke in public."[25] Ezekiel 3:1. See the comments at 1 Kings 20:35 in volume 2 of this Commentary on the subject of prophets performing or acting. In Revelation 10:8-11 John does the same thing that Ezekiel does here. The physical act (marie possible by the miraculous help of God) was to symbolize a spiritual circumstance. Since this roll contained the words of God, the eating of it would denote the eating of spiritual food and it would inspire the prophet to speak the truth of God to the house of Israel. Ezekiel 3:2. Caused me to eof was a miracle and it is explained in the preceding verse. Ezekiel 3:3. In the case of John (Revelation 10:8-11) the eating of the book had a twofold effect on him, sweet and bitter, but nothing is said about the bitterness in that of Ezekiel, because the personal attitude of the prophet toward the words is the only feature of it that was to be considered in the act, In the ease of John in Revelation that of both the speaker and the people were symbolized, hence the bitterness. It was agreeable with Ezekiel to carry the message to Israel because he was a faithful servant of God the same as John. Belly and bowels are used to denote the body as a whole, and when used figuratively it denotes that Ezekiel was to be completely possessed by the article. Since the act was a symbol of his being inspired of God it made a circumstance like that of the aposiles who were “ filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4). Ezekiel 3:4. The Lord's purpose in the preceding verses is made known in this one. Ezekiel was to approach the house of Israel and speak the words He gave him. Ezekiel 3:5, Strange means foreign and hard means difficult, and the people to whom Ezekiel was told to speak did not use that kind of language, but they naturally spoke the same tongue that the prophet used since they both were Jews. Ezekiel 3:6. Ezekiel was not even asked to speak to a number of peoples; only to the one, whose native tongue he could understand without any special help from God. There is no difficulty for an inspired man to speak to any number or kinds of nationalities; that is not the point. On the other hand, a foreign nation might have more pretext for not receiving the words because they would not understand the language; and yet even they would have been more willing to receive the warning than were the Jews who were of a rebellious disposition. Ezekiel 3:7. It should be noted that in the frequent statements on the stubbornness of those to whom the prophet was sent, the idea is held out that it is the house of Israel or the people. This does not prevent any individual in the group from taking a different attitude, and that is largely the explanation of why the Lord insisted on giving them the truth regardless of the general rebellion. There were usually some exceptional instances when certain individuals would accept the admonitions and be profited. The value of this small minority was great enough to justify the work of presenting the word of the Lord though it might bring persecution upon the bearer of the words. It is about time again for the reader to see the long note that was offered in connection with 2 Kings 22:17 in volume 2 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 3:8. This verse means that God was to give Ezekiel the boldness necessary to face the threatening looks of the people who would diBlike the warnings offered. Ezekiel 3:9. An adamant is one of the hardest of stones such as the diamond. It is harder than a flint rock and the term is used figuratively for the firmness that God promised to give Ezekiel in his dealing with the hardfaced people of Israel. See a similar assurance given to the prophet Jeremiah (Jer, 1: 18, 19). Ezekiel 3:10, God communicated with Jeremiah for the purpose of inspiration in the form of speaking as well as by giving him the sense of it in his mind. Ezekiel 3:11. Them of the captivity had direct reference to the people of Israel who were then in Babylon. Ezekiel could appear to them because be was in that land also. There were some of the Israelites still in Palestine because the "3rd captivity” had not yet taken place. And again the prophet was commanded to speak the word regardless of their attitude toward it. This instruction that was repeated so frequently was to the end that Ezekiel need not conclude that be had made a failure just because he could not bring his people to accept the teaching. This subject of the respective responsibility of the speaker and hearer will be treated more thoroughly in a bracket of verses yet in this chapter. Ezekiel 3:12. Spirit took me up denotes that the Spirit took charge of the prophet and conducted him to a more suitable place where he could speak to the people. At the same time he heard a strong voice giving his evi-dence of the presence of God. Ezekiel 3:13. These creatures and wheels are the same that were described in chapter one. applying to the four world empires that succeeded each other. Ezekiel 3:14. Spirit lifted me up has the same meaning as “ spirit took me up” in verse 12. These sentiments which the prophet expressed were because of the unfortunate situation of his people. The bitterness would be increased by the knowledge that their own stubbornness had brought these misfortunes upon them, and he had to be the bearer of the unwelcome message from the Lord. Ezekiel 3:15. Astonished is from SHAMEM and Strong defines it, "To stun (or intransitively grow numb), i.e, devastate Dr (figuratively) stupefy (both usually fn a passive sense),’ 1 The thought is that when Ezekiel saw his brethren and beheld their condition, he was so overcome that he bad nothing to say for seven dayB. A like circumstance Is recorded in Job 2:13. Ezekiel 3:16. The special message from the Lord came to Ezekiel at the end of the seven days mentioned in the preceding verse. The Lord seems to have respected the feelings of his prophet and did not disturb him for a period. Ezekiel 3:17. The subject of the special message was then stated to Ezekiel. He was to he placed in a very important position of responsibility with reference lo the house of Israel in that he was to act as a watchman. That word is from TSAPHAH, which Strong defines, "A primitive root; properly to lean forward, i.e. to peer into the distance; by implication to observe, await.” This definition agrees with the actual work of a man who occupied the walls of ancient cities to watch for any danger that might threaten the city. If he saw an army or other hostile force approaching he was to announce it to the citizens and give them the opportunity to escape if possible or defend themselves otherwise. Ezekiel 3:18. From this verse through 21 the subject is the respective responsibilities of a watchman and those over whom he has been appointed. The principles involved in this situation have been stated frequently and they have always been in force wherever man’ s conduct toward others was involved. If a watchman fails to warn a wicked man of his danger it will not shield him from the effects of his wickedness. Yet his own death will not atone for the negligence of the watchman; he must die also. Ezekiel 3:19. A watchman might not be able to induce a wicked man to turn from his sinful course and the guilty one would have to suffer. But if the watchman has done what he could to turn the unrighteous man from his great error, the entire blame will be placed on his head and not on that of the watchman. Ezekiel 3:20. God does not desire that any man shall sin nor does He actually tempt him with evil in order to induce him to go wrong (James 1: 131. But the Lord subjects his servants to tests of faith and such things are meant by stumblingblocks, If a servant of God yields to this test and does wrong because the watchman did not warn him, then both the backsliding servant and unfaithful watchman will have to die. Ezekiel 3:21. The principle regarding the responsibility of a teacher as set forth in this verse is the same as the Lord has always maintained. The success of a would-be reformer will have nothing to do with his personal reward. It might be possible for him to achieve what would appear as a success and yet he would be condemned because he did not operate according to the truth. On the other hand, a man could fail to accomplish the desired result even when offering the word of God faithfully, because the hearer would not accept the teaching. In such a case the hearer alone would be condemned while the teacher would be blessed. How wonderful it is, then, when the teachings offered is right and the hearer accepts and obeys it; both will be blessed. Ezekiel 3:22. The foregoing speech was made to the prophet while he was in the midst of his people near the river Cliebar. Now the Lord wishes him to go away into a plain for further inspired communications. Plain Is from niQAH and Strong defines it, "Properly a split, i.e. a wide level valley between mountains." It would be a place secluded and thus a suitable one for a private conversation between the prophet and God, Ezekiel 3:23. Ezekiel obeyed the instructions given him and went forth into the secluded spot. After arriving there the Lord appeared in the form of a glorious halo that overcame the prophet and he fell prostrated to the earth. Ezekiel 3:24, The spirit entered denotes that the prophet was rallied from his prostrated frame of mind. After regaining his strength he was told to go to his own house. It was not the time for him to be abroad among the people, for the Lord was going to give him very much information upon his work with the nation. Ezekiel 3:25. These hands were not literal but were the hindrances that the rebellious Jews would put against the work of the prophet. Ezekiel 3:26. Tongue cleave to roof of mouth was not to be a physical obstruction in every case. It was virtually the same kind of restriction that was placed on Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7; Jeremiah 16, 27). No use to waste words on the stubborn people, but when the proper time comes the Lord will inform him of it. Ezekiel 3:27. Doubtless the Lord had in mind some future date when a shall number of the Jews would listen to instruction. When that tithe came He would open the mouth of the prophet, which means he would au- thrize him to speak. When that was done there would be some who would hear and profit thereby. But before such an event occurs the prophet was to be given a serieB of revelations, some of which would be in the form of personal acting; see the comments oifered on that interesting subject at 1 Kings 20:35 in volume 2 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 4 The use of symbolic actions by Old Testament prophets was a proven way of gaining an audience and underscoring a point. The great prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah found the symbolic act a useful tool when they could no longer obtain a hearing for their message. Ezekiel performs four dramatic parables in this section depicting (1) the siege of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4:1-3); (2) national sin (Ezekiel 4:4-6); (3) the siege famine (Ezekiel 4:9-17); and (4) the nation’ s fate (Ezekiel 5:1-4). These dramatic parables were performed in the fifth year of Jehoiachin’ s captivity. At that time any thought of Jerusalem’ s overthrow will, according to any human prognostication, be highly improbable. Zedekiah ruled in Jerusalem as Nebuchadrezzar’ s vassal. With his lands diminished and his military strength exhausted, no one could imagine that he will be so stupid as to provoke his overlord. Yet Ezekiel joined Jeremiah in affirming that destruction was the ultimate fate of Jerusalem. PARABLE OF 'S SIEGEEze_4:1-3 Preparation (Ezekiel 4:1-3 a): The tile (Ezekiel 4:1): But as for you, son of man, take to yourself a tile and place it before you. Inscribe upon it a city, Jerusalem. In his first symbolic action, Ezekiel was to sketch a diagram of Jerusalem on a tile or brick (RSV). In Mesopotamia the clay tablet was the common writing material. While the clay was moist and soft, the inscription was engraved upon it with a stylus; then the tablet was exposed to the sun for hardening. Large numbers of such tablets have been recovered, some of which have diagrams of buildings upon them similar to what an architect might devise. It would be natural under the circumstances for a Hebrew exile to make use of the Babylonian writing material. Siege equipment (Ezekiel 4:2): Lay siege against it, and construct a mound about it. Set against it encampments, and place battering rams round about. Ezekiel was instructed to lay siege against the city he had drawn. By a common figure, the prophet is here represented as doing what he portrays. Perhaps he drew on the tile the plan of a siege. On the other hand, it may mean that he was to model the various siege weapons around the brick. A third possibility is that the armament of the besieging troops was represented on other tiles. Four common siege techniques are named: Assault towers (KJV, forts; dayeq) denotes the towers manned by archers by which a besieged city was attacked. The Hebrew is actually singular. Sometimes these towers were of enormous height, as much as twenty stories. Such towers are frequently depicted in Mesopotamian art. According to 2 Kings 25:1, assault towers were used in the final siege of Jerusalem. Mounds (sdFla) were banks of soil heaped up to the level of the walls of the besieged city. Such mounds could serve as observation posts, and, if close enough to the walls, ramps for the battering rams. Camps (mahanot) were military detachments that surrounded the city. Battering rams (karim) were iron-shod beams transported by a wheeled tower. Often the battering ram was found in the lower part of the siege towers mentioned above. The iron pan (Ezekiel 4:3 a): As for you, take to yourself an iron pan. Place it as a wall of iron between you and the city. The prophet was to place an iron pan between himself and the inscribed tile. This was a kind of flat plan— virtually no more than a sheet of metal— such as was used for baking a thin cake of bread (cf. Leviticus 2:5). This pan represented a wall of iron. Normally walls provided protection or containment. The pan probably represents the siege wall around Jerusalem erected by the Babylonians. Action (Ezekiel 4:3 b): Set your face against it. It will enter a state of siege, and you will besiege it. It is a sign to the house of Israel. With his symbolic objects in place, Ezekiel was to perform a symbolic action. He was (1) to set his face against the city; and (2) to lay siege to it. The prophet was to assume the part of the attacking army. Since Ezekiel was God’ s representative, his actions underscored the point that God was fighting against Jerusalem. Perhaps the laying siege (RSV, press the siege) indicates the gradual movement of the clay models of siege instruments nearer and nearer the doomed city. The tile diagram and the objects pertaining to it were designed to be a sign to the house of Israel. Ellison pictures Ezekiel silently acting out these parables much to the chagrin of the growing numbers who assembled each day to watch his antics. When the crowd was ready to listen, Ezekiel gave the verbal explanation of his actions (5:5-7:27). The term house of Israel here embraces both those Jews who were in exile and those who remained in Judah. PARABLE OF ISRAEL'S SINEze_4:4-8 In Ezekiel 4:1-3 Ezekiel impersonated Jerusalem’ s enemies. His role is now reversed. Here Ezekiel symbolizes the apostate people of God. He is to lie first on his left side, then on his right side, to bear the iniquity of the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The Oriental habit was to face eastward when indicating points of the compass. Facing east one has north on his left side and south on his right. Hence the left side represented the house of Israel, the northern kingdom that had been carried captive in 722 B.C. The right side symbolized the house of Judah, the southern kingdom that was in its dying days at the moment Ezekiel received this revelation. The number of days that the prophet spent on each side symbolized the number of years that each kingdom stood under the condemnation of God. General Observations. A few observations about this action parable need to be made before the difficult question of the numbers found here is taken up: The action of the prophet in lying first on the one side, then on the other, was commanded by God. Therefore, there is no reason to suspect that Ezekiel suffered from epileptic seizures or catalepsy. Ezekiel 4:4 seems to suggest that the time periods do not represent the time of Israel’ s sinning, but the period during which the people of God had been, or will be, punished for their sins. The longer period of punishment for Israel, the northern kingdom, indicates the greater guilt of that nation. Part of the time Israel and Judah bore the penalty of their sin simultaneously. That is to say, the period of punishment overlapped. The end of the period of punishment was the same for both kingdoms— 539 B.C. In dealing with prophetic numbers, one must allow for approximations or rounding off. Such great diversity of opinion exists as to the terminus a quo of the figures in Ezekiel 4:5-6 that dogmatic assertions are out of place. Inherent in these figures is a hint of hope. The period of punishment, though long and terrible, will not be interminable. It is not necessary to assume that Ezekiel was in the prone position day and night. Other activities are said to have been performed during this period. Hence the symbolic prone position must have lasted only part of each day. Ezekiel on the Left Side (Ezekiel 4:4-5): As for you, lie upon your left side. Set the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. The number of days in which you lay upon it you will bear their iniquity. (Ezekiel 4:5) For I have appointed to you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of days, three hundred ninety days. So will you bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. In his prone position, Ezekiel was to bear the iniquity of the two kingdoms. The term iniquity in the Old Testament can refer to the sin itself, or the punishment that comes upon that offense. In the present passage, the term seems to have the latter connotation. Ezekiel is to symbolize through his personal suffering of physical restraint the punishment of God’ s people in being cut off from the holy land and the temple. This symbolic suffering is by no means to be equated with the vicarious suffering that is set forth in Isaiah 53. Ezekiel was to lie on his left side 390 days. If the Hebrew text be retained as is, there seems to be only one possible terminus a quo for this period, viz., the division of the Israelite kingdom in 931 B.C. Allowing for round figures— something very common in prophecy— the 390 years terminate with the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C. Through that entire period the citizens of the northern kingdom were under the wrath of God because of their apostate activities. Ezekiel on the Right Side (Ezekiel 4:6): When you have finished these days, then lie a second time upon your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days; one day for each year I have appointed you. From what point are the forty years of Judah’ s punishment to be counted? The figure forty is reminiscent of the period of Israel wandering in the wilderness (Numbers 14:34). In Ezekiel's day, the nation came into "the wilderness of the peoples" (20:35). From the final deportation of Jews to Babylon in 582 B.C. (Jeremiah 52:30) until the fall of Babylon and the end of the Babylonian exile in 539 B.C. is a period of forty-two years. The prophet is probably referring to this period with the symbolic number forty, the period during which God’ s people, because of their sin, are denied access to the Promised Land. Another view worthy of note is that of Currey. He sees in these figures a purely symbolic significance. The two figures combined yield 430 years. This may be a representation of the future in terms of the past. Just as Israel was 430 years in Egyptian bondage, so will they now be in bondage in Mesopotamia. Some scholars find difficulty in fitting the 430 days of this action parable into the chronology of the early ministry of Ezekiel. Ellison argues that this action parable must be fitted into the year and two months that elapsed between Ezekiel 1:2 and Ezekiel 8:1. According to the Jewish system of reckoning time, this is equivalent to 413 days. Ellison therefore argues that the forty days on the right side must have been concurrent with the last forty days of the 390 days on the left side. In the fulfillment of this prophecy the forty years of Judah’ s punishment were in fact concurrent with the last forty years of Israel’ s punishment. In the symbolic action, however, the days seem to be consecutive— 390 on the left side followed by forty on the right side. Therefore, one must conclude either (1) that during the period between Ezekiel 1:2 and Ezekiel 8:1 a month had been intercalated; or (2) that the symbolic prostration extended beyond the time stipulated in Ezekiel 8:1. Of course, if the prophet’ s prostration occurred only in a vision, as some scholars contend, it will not be necessary to fit the 430 days into the chronology of Ezekiel’ s life. Other Details of the Parable (Ezekiel 4:7-8): So unto the siege of Jerusalem you will set your face. Your shoulder will be uncovered. You will prophesy against it. (Ezekiel 4:8) Behold, I have placed bands upon you, and you will not turn yourselffrom one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege. During the entire time that he was lying on his side, Ezekiel was to fix his gaze upon the tile that depicted the besieged city of Jerusalem. The fixing of the gaze indicates steadfastness of purpose. He was to have his arm uncovered like a warrior prepared for battle (cf. Isaiah 52:10). By these actions he was prophesying against Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4:7). Ezekiel 4:8 underscores the discomfort that Ezekiel must have experienced while carrying out this symbolic act. He was not to turn from one side to another. There may be a hint of special divine aid in the statement I lay bands upon you.PARABLE OF 'S FAMINEEze_4:9-17 How could Ezekiel be commanded to make bread while lying bound upon his side? Several commentators think that this inconsistency is proof that all of these symbolic actions transpired in vision where such a thing is possible. However, if the prophet’ s immobilization occupied only a part of each day there is no inconsistency. Once Ezekiel had performed his daily demonstration— lying facing the model of the besieged city— he apparently arose and performed the other symbolic acts that related to the siege. Original Directive (Ezekiel 4:9-13): The quality of the food (Ezekiel 4:9): Various grains (Ezekiel 4:9 a): Now as for you, take for yourself wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and fitches. The nature of his food was restricted. His bread was to be made of an odd mixture of grains and seeds. Instead of the normal wheat flour, various kinds of cereals will have to be mixed so as to obtain sufficient quantity to make a cake of bread. Those besieged in Jerusalem will have to eat what they could get. Six different kinds of cereal grains are specified: (1) wheat and (2) barley are frequently mentioned as foods in the Old Testament; (3) beans (pol) are mentioned elsewhere only in 2 Samuel 17:28; (4) lentils, (5) millet, and (6) fitches (spelt, RSV), a species of wheat. Mingled grains (Ezekiel 4:9 b): Put them in a vessel, and prepare them as food for yourself... The various grains were to be placed in one vessel. In the law of Moses it was forbidden to sow the ground with mingled seeds (Leviticus 19:19; Deuteronomy 22:9). Though not specifically condemned, the mixing of these grains and seeds in flour will seem to be banned under the same principle. In a city under siege and in foreign exile, the Jews will not be able to be so scrupulous about their diet. Duration of the diet (Ezekiel 4:9 c): according to the number of days in which you are lying upon your side, three hundred ninety days and you will eat it. The dietary restrictions were to be in force during the 390 days of bearing the iniquity of the people of God (Ezekiel 4:9). Here again the question of the duration of Ezekiel’ s symbolic siege of Jerusalem is raised. Verse 9 seems to suggest that the prophet lies upon his side only 390 days. What happened to the forty days he was to lie upon his right side? Many modern scholars assume that the 390 days are inclusive of the forty days. However, this interpretation runs counter to the explicit statement in v 6 that Ezekiel was to lie on his right side after he had finished the 390 days on his left side. One must conclude either (1) that the dietary regulations of this paragraph were to be observed only during the time when Ezekiel was on his left side; or (2) that the dietary restrictions were observed during the forty days on the right side as well, even though the text does not explicitly so state. Any other interpretations will put v 9 at variance with v 6. God’ s people were to be exiled from the sacred temple precincts for 390 years, the northern kingdom from 931 to 539 B.C., and the southern kingdom for the last forty years of that period. Ezekiel’ s symbolic diet during the days of his “ siege” was designed to set forth two basic thoughts: (1) the scarcity of food that will exist in Jerusalem during the final siege; and (2) the impure food that those exiled from Judah will be forced to eat. This point he established during the 390 days on his left side. Continuing this phase of the demonstration during the period he lay on his right side would have been superfluous. The quantity of the food (4:10-11): Your food that you eat will be twenty shekels in weight for a day. Once each day you will eat it. (11) As for water, you will drink the sixth of a hin by measure. Once each day you will drink it. The quantity of his food was limited. Ezekiel’ s diet during the 390 days was to consist of twenty shekels of food (v 10) and the sixth of a hin of water (v 11). This amounts to about eight ounces of food and two cups of water daily. This is insufficient for maintenance of physical well-being. Only with supernatural assistance would Ezekiel have been able to follow this regime during the symbolic days of siege. In a hot climate this limitation on water is very oppressive. Rationed water is called the water of affliction (1 Kings 22:27; Isaiah 30:20). The fact that food was weighed rather than measured indicates the most extreme scarcity (cf. Leviticus 26:26; Revelation 6:6). The prophet was to partake of his unpalatable meals literally, from time to time (v 10). The rabbis interpreted this phrase to mean once in a twenty-four hour period. Currey concurs. The instruction is to partake of the food at the appointed interval of a day and at no other time. T he consumption of the food (4:12a): As a barley cake you will eat it... The meager food was to be eaten as barley cake, i.e., he is to eat his meal with all the relish that one customarily gives to barley cakes. Both the eating and the preparation of the food was to be in their presence, i.e., so the exiles could observe. Thus will they come to understand it as a sign of what had befallen them already, and of what will yet befall their brethren in Jerusalem. The preparation of the food (4:12b-13): and with human dung you will bake it in their presence. (13) The LORD said, In this way the children of Israel will eat their unclean food among the nations where I will drive them. One of the usual calamities of a siege is lack of fuel. To further dramatize siege conditions, Ezekiel was to prepare his food with unclean fuel. The prophet was told to use human dung (v 12) as cooking fuel, that which was revolting as well as ceremonially impure and defiling (cf. Deuteronomy 23:12 ff.). Barley bread was prepared on hot stones (1 Kings 19:6) that were to be heated by human excrement. For the moment the ceremonial law was to be overridden so as to make a moral point. The significance of the disgusting instruction regarding the use of human dung for fuel is given in v 13. Those Israelites who yet remained in Jerusalem will be forced to eat unclean food among the nations where God will drive them (cf. Hosea 9:3). Foreign lands were regarded by the Israelites as unclean. Even those who attempted to maintain the dietary code will be eating unclean bread because the ritual first fruits of the harvest will not be able to be offered in the temple of the Lord. In addition to the specific prediction being set forth in this action parable, Ezekiel is making a significant point: Israel’ s position as a separate, sanctified people will be destroyed during the Babylonian exile. Mitigation (Ezekiel 4:14-15): Ezekiel's protest (Ezekiel 4:14): Then I said, Ah, O Lord GOD! Behold my soul has not been polluted, and a corpse or that which was torn in pieces I have never eaten from my youth until now. Abominable meat has never come into my mouth. The command to prepare his food with human dung as fuel shocked the conscientious young priest. He obliquely requested relief from this phase of the object lesson. The first words that Ezekiel speaks in this book are an emotional outburst, Ah Lord God! (cf. Jeremiah 1:6). The godly prophet was not so much concerned with what displeased his taste as what offended his conscience. From exasperation Ezekiel moved to narrative prayer that is introduced in Ezekiel 4:14 with behold. My soul (i.e., I) has not been polluted. He meticulously had sought to abide by the dietary laws from my youth until now. Even in the deprivations of captivity and the spiritual confusion of that episode, he had conscientiously attempted to follow the law of God. Ezekiel cites three examples of how he faithfully had observed the Old Testament law. (1) He had not eaten of a corpse, i.e., an animal that had not been properly slaughtered. Such meat was forbidden (Leviticus 17:15; Deuteronomy 14:21). (2) He had not eaten what was torn in pieces, i.e., an animal that had been killed by a wild beast. Such was forbidden to the Israelite because the blood had not been properly drained. (3) Abominable meat (piggul) had never come into his mouth. In its more restricted sense, the Hebrew term refers to sacrificial flesh rendered unfit by disregard for the laws of sacrifice. In a broader sense, the term is used of any forbidden food. The Lord's compassion (Ezekiel 4:15): Then He said unto me, See, I have appointed for you cattle dung instead of human dung. You will prepare your food with it. The gracious Lord acquiesced in the request of His prophet. He permitted Ezekiel to substitute animal dung for the prescribed human dung (v 15). Dried cow dung was not as physically disgusting as human dung. So in the case of Ezekiel, there was a mitigation of the defilement; but still defilement remained, and in exile the people of God were subjected to it. Explanation (Ezekiel 4:16-17): He said unto me, Son of man, behold I am about to shatter the staff of bread in Jerusalem. They will eat food by weight and with concern. Water by measure and in dismay they will drink, (17) because bread and water will be scarce. They will be dismayed one with another. They will waste away under their punishment. Shortly God will shatter the staff of bread in Jerusalem. Bread was then, and is still, known as the staff of life because man is so dependent upon it (cf. Leviticus 26:26; Psalms 105:16). The inhabitants of that doomed city will be forced to eat food by weight and drink water by measure. The food and water will be so scarce as to give rise to grave concern and even dismay (Ezekiel 4:16). Faced with this lack of food the populace will gradually waste away under the punishment of the Lord (Ezekiel 4:17). Ezekiel Chapter Four Verse 1 OF 'S (Ezekiel 4-7) VISIBLE OF FALL OF The absurd view that the events of this chapter existed only subjectively in the mind of Ezekiel, that it was all a vision of his, is here rejected. "The adoption of such an interpretation is not the act of an honest interpreter."[1]What Ezekiel did here was only another example of what many of God's prophets throughout the ages also did. Zedekiah's "horns of iron" (1 Kings 22:11); Isaiah's walking "naked and barefoot" (Isaiah 22:2-3); Jeremiah's "yokes of wood" (Jeremiah 27:2); Hosea's marriage to Gomer (Hosea 1:1-3:10); Zechariah's breaking of Beauty and Bands (Zechariah 11); Agabus' binding himself with Paul's belt (Acts 21:10),, etc. are other examples of such enacted prophecies. This chapter portrays (1) the visible model of Jerusalem's siege and capture (Ezekiel 4:1-3), the certainty of punishment awaiting both the northern and southern Israels (Ezekiel 4:4-8), the scarcity of food for the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4:9-11), and the ceremonial uncleanness that would come to the besieged and to the captives (Ezekiel 4:12-17). Regarding the time of the events recorded here, Canon Cook placed it in the fifth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin (592 B.C.). He also noted that the destruction of Jerusalem was contrary to all human expectations. "It could scarcely have been expected that Zedekiah, the creature of the king of Babylon and ruling by his authority in the place of Jehoiachin would have been so infatuated as to provoke the anger of the powerful Nebuchadnezzar. It was indeed to infatuation that the historian ascribed that foolish act of Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:20).[2]Ezekiel 4:1-3"Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem: and lay siege against it, and build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it, and plant battering rams against it round about. And take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.""Take thee a tile ..." (Ezekiel 4:1). The fact that he could draw a map on this tile identifies it as coming from Babylon, not Jerusalem, clearly indicating that Ezekiel was written from the land of Israel's captivity, despite the concentrated focus upon Jerusalem. This special concern for Jerusalem should not surprise us. "This requires no explanation. Jerusalem was the heart and the brain of the nation, the center of its life and its religion, and in the eyes of the prophets (all of them) the fountain-head of its sin."[3]The necessity of the prophetic warning to Israel regarding the ultimate fall and total destruction of Jerusalem lay in the foolish and blind optimism of the people. "Even after they were carried into captivity, numbers of them were still engaging in false optimism,"[4] supposing that the captivity would soon end dramatically, and failing to understand that their dreadful servitude was nothing more than God's punishment of their consummate wickedness, a punishment they richly deserved. This unexpected, totally improbable fall of Jerusalem is throughout this section of Ezekiel the almost constant subject. "The great theme of the first part of Ezekiel is the certainty of the complete downfall of the Jewish state."[5]This model of the city of Jerusalem, with the deployment of all kinds of military installations and equipment all around it, "was a proper and powerful device for capturing attention, and it amounted to a prediction of the fall of Jerusalem."[6]Ezekiel probably had many examples of this type of illustration to aid him in the fulfillment of God's command, because, "Assyrian bas-reliefs show in vigorous detail how a siege was carried out."[7]In the analogy here, Ezekiel himself enacts the part of God as the true besieger of the city. It came to pass as Jeremiah prophesied, when God said, "I myself shall fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath" (Jeremiah 21:5). The iron barrier (represented by the cooking utensil) stood for the wall of separation which the sins of Israel had erected between themselves and the Lord. "Your iniquities have been a barrier between you and your God,' (Isaiah 59:2). "It meant the total severance of relation between Jerusalem and God, `You have screened yourself off with a cloud, that prayer may not pass through.'"[8]It would appear from the overwhelmingly bad news of such an illustrated prophecy that Israel should have been filled with sorrow and consternation over it, "But there seems to have been little response to it. Ezekiel was being taught in the crucible of human experience the incredible resistance of men to the Word of God."[9]Verse 4 "Moreover lie thou upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it; according to the number of days thou shalt lie upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be unto thee a number of days, even three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And again, when thou hast accomplished these, thou shalt lie on thy right side, and shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, each day for a year, have I appointed it unto thee. And thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with thine arm uncovered; and thou shalt prophesy against it. And, behold, I lay hands upon thee; and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to the other till thou hast accomplished the days of thy siege.""Left side ... right side ..." (Ezekiel 4:4). The ancient usage of such terminology was based upon the proposition that one faced the East (the rising sun); and thus the left stood for the North, the right stood for the South; and the East was always considered "the front."[10] Since Northern Israel (Samaria) lay north of Jerusalem, the "right" and "left" designation applied to the Ten Northern tribes and to Judah, respectively. "The restrained position of the prophet was a symbol of the loss of freedom awaiting the people."[11]"And thou shalt set thy face toward the siege ..." (Ezekiel 4:7). This represented the intent purpose of God looking to the total destruction of the city. "With thine arm uncovered ..." (Ezekiel 4:7). There is another echo of Jer 21:5 in this. God's arm was uncovered and outstretched to accomplish the destruction of the Jewish kingdom. "Lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it (Ezekiel's left side) ... thou shalt bear their iniquity ... so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel... and again, thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah ..." (Ezekiel 4:4-6). Right here lies the "lost message of Ezekiel." None of dozens of commentators we have consulted pays the slightest attention whatever to the colossal teachings of the vital messages in these dramatic clauses. Ezekiel represents God in the analogy here; and as God's representative, he bears the iniquity of both Israel and Judah. The 390 years for one and the forty years for the other, therefore have no application whatever to the duration of the captivity, either of Northern Israel or of Southern Israel, nor of any one else. The absolute inability of all the commentators to come up with any rational or reasonable explanation of what these respective time periods really prophesied is the only proof needed that they have simply not understood what is meant by them. Here Ezekiel is a type of the Son Man (the Christ) indeed; and he becomes the sin-bearer for all Israel. That is the bold, unequivocal message of this passage. What about the 390 years and the forty years? "Forty" throughout the Old Testament is the symbolical word for punishment; and the Ten Northern Tribes deserved ten times forty (four hundred stripes, days, years, whatever; but as the Jews always administered that "forty" as "forty stripes save one" it would mean that the Ten Tribes deserved 390 years of the wrath of God. Judah, the principal tribe of the Southern Israel also would receive "forty," it not being considered necessary to add the limitation of "save one" here, as it may be understood. As we see it, God's "beating the iniquity of all the tribes of earth in the person of his "Only Begotten Son," is the sum total of what is indicated in this passage which all scholars have labeled, "impossible of understanding," "unintelligible," "subject to no satisfactory explanation," etc. Some may think that our explanation is also unsatisfactory; but to us it makes more sense than anything else we have ever encountered. In the quadruple statement in this paragraph that Ezekiel is to "bear the sins" of both houses of Israel, how can a scholar like Taylor assert that, "This is a symbol of the weight of the punishment to be borne by Israel!"[12] Ezekiel, as a type of Christ. is the one doing the bearing, according to the holy text. At first, we considered adopting the position on this paragraph mentioned by Pearson, who said, "With the data at our disposal, it appears unwise to be dogmatic as to how the forty and the 390 years are to be reckoned."[13] However, the thundering remarks about Ezekiel's being the sin-bearer here point so clearly in the direction which we have chosen, that we are offering what seems (to us) a reasonable and logical understanding of it. Thus all of the inconvenience, humiliation, painful physical constraint, the unclean diet, etc. are an eloquent portrayal of the sufferings, humiliation, even death, of the great Sin-Bearer, Christ, of whom Ezekiel was merely a type. There is no device for discovering an easy solution to these numbers. The years of Israel's sins were actually far more than 390, and the same is true of the sins of Judah. There is no evidence that the sins of Israel were ten times as much as those of Judah (except upon the premise of their being far greater in number). The device of choosing the Septuagint (LXX) over the the Hebrew text of the Old Testament here gives only 150 years, but that doesn't work either. Verse 9 "Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof; according to the number of days that thou shalt lie on thy side, even three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof. And thy food which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. And thou shalt drink water by measure, the sixth part of a bin.' from time to time shalt thou drink."In this paragraph Ezekiel is to be identified, not as a sin-bearer, but as a representation of the besieged and captive Israelites. The prophecy means that they shall suffer famine, severe food shortages, the ration of water, and all of the other rigors of a siege. Some of the measurements mentioned here may have varied a little from what we are told; but Cook gave "twenty shekels a day" as about nine ounces of food, and a "sixth part of a hin" of water as "about two pints" a day.[14] In any case, such restricted amounts must be considered as just about the minimum survival diet. Some have thought that the mixing of all these edibles in one vessel was a ceremonial violation regarding unnatural mixtures (Leviticus 19:19); but the more likely understanding is that it indicates merely the scarcity of food. Wheat and barley were normally used by the rich and poor respectively, and this was also true of beans and lentils; but the millet, and spelt (fitches) were often used as food for animals.[15] The "fitches" (spelt) was a kind of wild wheat, resembling the seed of some grasses.[16] The picture that emerges is that of a family scraping together a small handful of half a dozen different products in order to find enough for a single piece of bread. Verse 12 "And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it in their sight with dung that cometh out of man. And Jehovah said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them. Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! Behold, my soul hath not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. Then he said unto me, See, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread thereon. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness, and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay: that they may want bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.""And thou shalt bake it in their sight with dung ..." (Ezekiel 4:12). The dung mentioned here was not to be a part of the food but was to be fuel for the baking of it, thus assuring the ceremonial uncleanness of the bread. "Thou shalt prepare thy bread thereon ..." (Ezekiel 4:15). This means that the bread was to be baked upon afire made of cow chips. Such a product is still used as fuel in the Mid East. "Dried cow-dung and camel-dung is still used for fuel by the Bedouin."[17] It is not all that unsatisfactory as a fuel, as some of the pioneer high plainsmen of the USA have testified. More than a century ago, Robinson described his journey with some Arabs, "Who baked a large cake (an `ember cake') of bread in the embers of a fire made of camel's and cow-dung. They took it out when done, brushed the ashes off of it, and divided it among the party... I tasted it and found it quite as good as the common bread of that country."[18]The big point about this use of dung for fuel is that in Jewish minds it made the bread ceremonially unclean. Cook pointed out that there are abundant echoes of the prohibitions in th'e Pentateuch, such as those inLeviticus 26:39 in Ezekiel.[19] Added to that, "All food eaten in a foreign land among the heathen was unclean to the Jews."[20]"With his priestly background, Ezekiel had such injunctions as the prohibitions against eating an animal that had died of itself, etc. (Leviticus 7:24; Leviticus 22:8; Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 17:11-16; and Deuteronomy 14:21) before him continually. This is especially true of the regulations in Leviticus."[21]Thus, in Ezekiel we find exactly the same ever-present consciousness on the part of God's prophets of the prior existence of the covenant and every line of the Pentateuch. It was true in our studies of all twelve of the Minor Prophets, and without exception, all of the Major Prophets also. "Pine away in their iniquity ..." (Ezekiel 4:17). "This is another echo from that book which had entered so largely into Ezekiel's education (Leviticus 26:39). where the Hebrew word for "pine" is the same word as 'consume.' To the wretchedness of physical privations there was to be added the consciousness on the part of the sufferers that their privations were caused by their own evil deeds."[22]"Hunger and thirst, sorrow and dismay, would fall upon the sinners in Zion exactly as the ancient book of the law had foretold (Leviticus 26:39)."[23] Ezekiel 4:1. The chief sin of the Jewish nation and for which it went into captivity was idolatry. In order to Impress ils people with the seriousness of the offence, the prophet was required to do some of the "acting" mentioned in the preceding chapter. He was to dramatize the siege of Jerusalem which was the capital of the nation. In this drama he was to do some very unpleasant performances. The city of Jerusalem was -to be represented by a tile or brick, on which a likeness of Jerusalem was portrayed. Ezekiel 4:2. The 70-year captivity had been going on for some time when Ezekiel began to write, but the city of Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed because the 3rd stage of the subjugation was still to be accomplished. That great event was to be preceded with a siege, and the prophet was to "act out” the same by going through the motions of it in some figurative way. Ezekiel 4:3. The city had a protecting wall around it which would have to be attacked before it could be taken. As a representation of this wall Ezekiel was to get an iron pan which could be placed on edge in the position of such a protecting structure. This pan was to he raised up between the tile and the prophet who was to act as a besieging army. This shall be a sign means that the Jews were to take this performance of Ezekiel as a sign of what was about to happen to their city. Ezekiel 4:4. Lay is used figuratively and means that Ezekiel would be going through this unpleasant experience to emphasize the iniquity of the house of Israel. Each day lie lay on J^s side stood for a year in the sinful history of the nation. Bear their iniquity de-notes that the prophet was to undergo this affliction as a sign of the greatness of Israel's sin. Ezekiel 4:5. The children of Israel were inclined toward idolatry from the beginning of their history as was shown at Mt. Sinai and afterward. But the specific length of time named in this verse should be dated from the enactment of national idolatry (1 Kings 12:26) which was in 975 B.C. to 585 B.C., and that was about the date of Ezekiel’ s performance just described. Ezekiel 4:6. The prophet was to lie on his left side when the case of Israel (the 10 tribes) was being treated. After that he was to lie on his right side to indicate the house of Judah, and that was to continue 40 days. Various theories have been offered in the works of reference as to why there was only the smaller number for Judah; but I am not convinced that any of them is welt founded. It is true that Judah was regarded as the greater offender from the standpoint of responsibility, for she had the example of Israel before her and should have profited by the- lesson. But in actual years devoted to the abominable practice, Israel far exceeded Judah. It is not necessary to go into any speculation beyond the known facts of history. Ezekiel 4:7. Set thy face means that Ezekiel was to take his reclining position to indicate the siege of Jerusalem. Arm uncovered indicates that all hindrances were to be removed that might make a siege ineffective. Ezekiel 4:8. No literal bands would have been necessary, for Ezekiel was an obedient servant and ready always to do the Lord’ s bidding. Yet he was under an obligation that was as binding as if he had been tied with ropes. In thus acting his part he would be showing the firmness of the siege. Ezekiel 4:9. Ezekiel was directed to prepare certain articles of food. This would require him to be up and about the community more or less, which indicates that his position of lying oil his side was not literally continuous, but only for the greater part of each day. Short intervals had to be used for the preparation of these articles of diet. The materials designated were such as a famine would produce, and that was one of the sub-jects the prophet wras to portray in his acting. ' Ezekiel 4:10. The short rationing of meat described was another circumstance usually connected with a famine that is brought on by a siege. Ezekiel 4:11. Even drinking water is frequently very scarce in a siege. There was no actual shortage of that with Ezekiel, but he was made to ration it for himself as a further sign of the famine about to come on Jerusalem, Ezekiel 4:12-15. The history of mankind is one in which it is common to see one man enduring unpleasant experiences for the sake of another. This has been especially true of the prophets according to Jeremiah 13:1 S; 27:2, and the case of Ezekiel's lying so long upon his sides. Now in the present verse we have another instance of a very disagreeable task imposed on the prophet. Smith's Bible Dictionary states that dung was sometimes used as fuel in ancient times. However, it was usually for heating purposes only, which would not be so objectionable. But in the case at hand the prophet was told to prepare his food with this substance as fuel. The necessary handling of such material in connection with cooking a meal would be very unpleasant, especially if the original order had been retained here. But upon the complaint of Ezekiel the Lord permitted him to substitute the discharges from a beast which would be less repulsive though bad enough. This unusual performance was to be a sign to the children of Israel of the unpleasant experiences which they were destined to have among the heathen nations where they had been sent as captives. Ezekiel 4:16. To avoid confusion It is well to keep in mind the fact of “ the three captivities," or the three stages In the subjugation of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah. For a more extended comment on this subject see 2 Kings 24:1 in volume 2 of this Commentary. Two of these captivities had taken place when Ezekiel began to write. The third one was still to come hut not very far in the future. The famine that is predicted in this verse occurred in that terrible event, and the Biblical account of it is given in 2 Kings 25:3. The statements of this verse are literal and were fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar threw Jerusalem into a siege. Ezekiel 4:17. No material facts are added in this verse except to describe the immediate effects of the famine. Astonied is from shamem which Strong defines, “ To stun (or intransitively grow numb)The lack of food caused the people to grow numb and behold each other with a stunned countenance. All of this was to be brought upon them as a punishment for their iniquity. Ezekiel 5 AND The first four verses of ch 5 probably belong as the concluding verses of ch 4. The three discourses in chs 5-7 are related in that they elaborate on the symbolism of Eze 5:1-4. However, each of these discourses has its distinctive thrust. The first is characterized by the dual themes of rebellion and retribution (Ezekiel 5:5-17). The focus is on disobedience and desolation in the second discourse (6:1-14). In his third sermon, Ezekiel speaks of chaos and calamity (Ezekiel 7:1-27). Whether these sermons were delivered during the later part of the time of the symbolic siege of Jerusalem, or whether they were given sometime afterwards cannot be determined. In either case, the symbolic actions gained for Ezekiel an attentive audience. It appears that during the period of these public discourses, he was generally treated with respect (cf. Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1; Ezekiel 20:1). PARABLE OF THE NATION'S FATEEze_5:1-4 Shaving of the Hair (Ezekiel 5:1 a): And as for you, son of man, take to yourself a sharp sword, for a barber’ s razor. Take it, and cause it to pass over your head and your beard. During the days of his symbolic siege of Jerusalem, Ezekiel performed another act. He shaved his head and beard with a sharp sword that he used like a barber’ s razor. The sword symbolizes the invading Chaldean army. Ezekiel symbolizes the land of Judah. The coming invader will scrape the land bare (cf. Isaiah 7:20). He will bring upon it disgrace and mourning. Again Ezekiel was commanded to violate the ceremonial law so as to make a prophetic application. The hair of the priest was a mark of his consecration to God’ s service (Leviticus 19:27). Shaving the head was a sign of mourning (Isaiah 3:24; Isaiah 22:12). If an Israelite priest shaved his head, he was defiled (Leviticus 21:5). Ezekiel defiled and humiliated himself as a symbol of the humiliation of the people of Judah who were defiled and no longer holy to the Lord. Nothing was left to do but to mourn their death as a nation. The hair removed from face and head was to be divided by weight into three parts. The balances that Ezekiel was to use may symbolize justice just as is still the case today. God’ s judgment is measured, accurate and fair (cf. Jeremiah 15:2). Distribution of the Hair (Ezekiel 5:1-2) The first third (Ezekiel 5:1 b): Take to yourself balances, and divide them. A third part you will burn in the fire in the midst of the city when the days of the siege are fulfilled. Ezekiel’ s shorn hair symbolizes the population of Jerusalem. The manner of the disposal of the hair indicated the various fates that awaited those rebellious Jews. A third of the hair was to be burned in the midst of the city, i.e., on the tile that depicted the city of Jerusalem. These hairs symbolized those who will die in the horrors of warfare— fire, sword, famine and pestilence— when the city was besieged. The second third (Ezekiel 5:2 a): Take a third part, smite with the sword around about her. Another third of the hair was to be smitten with the sword round about her, viz., the city. This symbolized the fate of those who tried to escape the city, either during or after the fall. A prime example is King Zedekiah and his associates (cf. 2 Kings 25:4 ff.). The third third (Ezekiel 5:2 b): And a third part you will scatter to the wind. And I will unsheathe a sword after them. The last third of the hair was to be scattered to the wind. The hairs symbolize those who will be dispersed to foreign lands. Though they had escaped the holocaust at Jerusalem, they will not find peace, for I will unsheathe a sword after them (Ezekiel 5:2). Jeremiah predicted the same fate for the exiles (Jeremiah 9:15), as did Moses before him (Leviticus 26:33). Gathering of the Hair(Ezekiel 5:3-4) Hair bound in the hem (Ezekiel 5:3): Take a few in number, and bind them in the hem of your garment. In this bleak passage, there is a hint of hope. A few of the hairs— presumably those that had been scattered to the wind— were to be retrieved and bound in the hem of Ezekiel’ s garment. A remnant of those carried off to exile will survive. Hair burned in the fire (Ezekiel 5:4): From them take again, and cast them into the midst of the fire and burn them. From it a fire will go out into all the house of Israel. Though some will survive, their situation will be desperate. From the hairs retrieved, Ezekiel was to take some and cast them into the fire. The fire here may represent persecution through which some of the Jewish remnant will die. On the other hand, the fire may represent the fire that will destroy Babylon. Those who refused to heed the prophetic admonition to flee Babylon will face this fate. Thus the general drift of this parable is clear. Ezekiel foresees the total destruction and dispersion of Jerusalem’ s populace. True faith, however, will survive in a faithful remnant. The expression from them fire will go out into all the house of Israel is difficult. Perhaps the thought is that even the faithful remnant in Babylon will suffer new hardships because of the suicidal rebellion launched by the leadership in Jerusalem. 5:5-17 In 5:5-17 the four symbols found in Ezekiel 4:1 to Ezekiel 5:4 are directly and forcefully explained. Ezekiel may have preached this homily as he lay upon his side illustrating the siege of Jerusalem. After briefly reciting the sin of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 5:5-6), the prophet enunciates two dreadful threats against the city (Ezekiel 5:7-12). He then describes the results of the judgment (Ezekiel 5:13-15). He closes this discourse with yet another direct threat (Ezekiel 5:16-17). This first discourse describes the privilege, perversity and punishment of Jerusalem. Sin of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 5:5-6): A clear identification (Ezekiel 5:5 a): Thus says the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem! Through the siege signs of Eze 4:1 to Ezekiel 5:4, Ezekiel has made it clear that disaster was going to overtake the inhabitants of a besieged city. It remained only for Ezekiel to make known the identity of the city. The sense of drama is sustained as the prophet tersely announces, This is Jerusalem. His auditors can no longer speculate that the map portrayed some other city. A clear justification (Ezekiel 5:5 b-6): Ezekiel’ s thesis in vv 5-6 is that Jerusalem’ s sin against God was grievous. He argues his point in two ways. Judah's central position (Ezekiel 5:5 b): In the midst of the nations I have placed her, and lands are round about her. Jerusalem’ s sin was grievous because of the position that she occupied. God had placed Jerusalem in the midst of the nations (Ezekiel 5:5). This is no manifestation of Jewish pride, but an indication of the basic premise of Old Testament religion, viz., the election of Israel. Geographically, Canaan was in the midst of the great civilizations of the ancient Near East. The habitation assigned to the chosen people was carefully chosen by the Lord. The people of God were to be the great witness to monotheism in the ancient world. Jerusalem, however, was unfaithful to her mission. The ancient Jews thought of God as inexorably connected with physical Jerusalem. The continued physical existence of the walls and buildings known as Jerusalem was not what concerned God, but rather the mission and message of that city. This concept the contemporaries of Ezekiel found hard to accept. Judah's blatant rebellion (Ezekiel 5:6): She has rebelled against my judgments for evil more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the lands that are round about her; for they have refused my judgments, and in my statutes they have not walked. Jerusalem’ s sin was grievous in view of the fact that she had received special divine revelation in the form of judgments and statutes. The rabbis taught that judgments (mispatim) pertained to a man’ s duty to his fellowman, while statutes (huqqot) spelled out his duty to God. Certainly greater light involves greater responsibility before God. An Egyptian and an Israelite may commit the same overt act; but the deed was a far greater crime for the Israelite because Israel had divine law and light. The grievousness of Jerusalem’ s sin is indicated by the verbs of Eze 5:6. She had rebelled (temer) against, and her population had rejected (ma’ asu), the judgments of God. She refused to walk in the statutes of God. The wickedness of Jerusalem was worse than that of heathen nations round about (Ezekiel 5:6). The judgments of God are always relative to the light and privilege granted to a people. This thought is amplified in the following verses. First Threat (Ezekiel 5:7-10): Basis of the threat (Ezekiel 5:7): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are more tumultuous than the nations that are round about you— in my statutes you have not walked, and my judgments you have not done, nor have you done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you; The word therefore introduces, not the judgment, but further indictment. This is common in oracles of judgment. It is almost as though the Lord is hesitant to pronounce the sentence, or at least to establish a firm legal basis for that sentence before it is uttered. The word translated tumultuous is of uncertain meaning. It seems to be connected with the noun hdmon that refers to a tumultuous crowd. They raged in their opposition against God. Such a description is appropriate to these lawless ones who rejected the judgments and statutes of the Lord. Judah had not even measured up to the standards of heathen nations—nor have you done according to the judgments of the nations round about you (Ezekiel 5:7). Judah had sunk even deeper into wickedness than pagan nations. The thought here may be that of Jer 2:10 f., viz., that the heathen were more loyal to their non-gods than was Israel to the God of creation. Specifics of the threat (Ezekiel 5:8-10)The second therefore in the unit introduces Yahweh's word of judgment. Five specific details concerning the forthcoming judgment of God are set forth in Ezekiel 5:8-10. Divine judgment (Ezekiel 5:8 a): therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold I, even I, am against you... The future judgment is the work of the sovereign ruler of Judah. Yahweh is ’ adondy, i.e., sovereign. It is he who has become the adversary of Judah. The formula I am against you seems to be derived from the background of hand-to-hand combat. The dreadful thought that God has entered into mortal combat against Jerusalem is underscored by the emphasis on the first person pronoun—I, even I, am against you. The great sovereign God not only declares in Ezekiel 5:8 his hostility toward Jerusalem, he announces his intention to execute judgments in the midst of that city. The last expression is repeated in Ezekiel 5:10. Public judgment (Ezekiel 5:8): and I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. Repeatedly Ezekiel emphasizes this thought. Judah publicly had profaned the honor of God. Thus the Holy One of Israel publicly must be vindicated. The death of Judah will be a hideous example to other nations. Unprecedented judgment (Ezekiel 5:9): And I will do in you what I have not done, and the likes of which I will not do again, because of all your abominations. Third, the judgment is unprecedented. The abominations of Judah were without precedent; so also will be the manifestation of God’ s judgment (v 9). Modern students find it easy to criticize the spiritual blindness and obduracy of Israel in refusing to believe the prophetic threats against Jerusalem. This verse should serve to explain in part the bewilderment and incredulity that this message of destruction produced. There was no precedent to prepare for the disaster. Currey observes that The punishments of God are cumulative. The calamities of the Babylonian were surpassed by the Roman siege (Matthew 24:21), and these again were but a foreshadowing of still more terrible destruction at the last day. Unthinkable judgment (Ezekiel 5:10 a): Therefore, fathers will eat sons in your midst, and sons will eat their fathers. The judgment results in horrible barbarisms. In the extremities of the forthcoming siege cannibalism will be practiced in Jerusalem. That children will be devoured during that brutal period had been prophesied already. The gruesome fulfillment is recorded in Lamentations 4:10. Ezekiel, however, here goes beyond previous threats in that he predicts that sons will eat their fathers. “ Human plight can know no greater depths.” Devastating judgment (Ezekiel 5:10 b): I will execute judgments in you. I will scatter all your remnant to every wind. The judgment involves the scattering of God’ s people. In Ezekiel 5:10 Ezekiel alludes to those Jews who will flee from the Babylonian invasion as well as those who will be carried off to Babylon or sold into slavery in distant lands.Second Threat (Ezekiel 5:11-12)1. Basis of the threat (Ezekiel 5:11 a): Therefore as I live (oracle of the Lord GOD) surely, because my sanctuary you have defiled with all your detestable things and with all your abominations... Again the first therefore introduces the basis for the second threat, while the second therefore sets forth the threat itself. This dire threat is in order because the inhabitants of Jerusalem had defiled God’ s temple with their detestable things and their abominations, i.e., their idolatrous paraphernalia. History records how King Manasseh erected an idol in the temple precincts (2 Kings 21:7). Ahaz replaced the divinely ordained altar with an Assyrian model (2 Kings 16:11). 2. General picture of the threat (Ezekiel 5:11 b): therefore I will cut you short. My eye will spare not, nor will I have pity. Because of such brazen presumption, God will cut short Jerusalem without mercy (Ezekiel 5:11). There is no evidence that the Israelites were overtly more wicked than neighboring peoples. They, however, had violated the first and most basic commandment in that they rendered allegiance to that which was less than God. Specifics of the threat (Ezekiel 5:12) Ezekiel alludes to the symbolic act that he had performed with his shaven hair (Ezekiel 5:1-4). a. The first third (Ezekiel 5:12 a): A third part of you with pestilence will die. With famine they will be consumed in your midst. A third of the populace will be consumed by pestilence and famine in the midst of the city.b. The second third (Ezekiel 5:12 b): A third part will fall by the sword round about you. A third will fall by the sword in trying to defend the city, or escape therefrom.c. The third third (Ezekiel 5:12 c): A third part I will scatter to every wind. A sword I will unsheathe after them. A third will be scattered in every direction. This latter group will include both those who might manage to escape to surrounding nations, and those who will be carried into foreign exile. Divine retribution will continue to pursue these folks even on foreign soil. The sword that God will unsheathe after these refugees symbolizes the persecution that they will continue to experience. The horrors of the Babylonian siege were but the beginning of sorrows of the nation. The prophecy may reach beyond the limits of the Babylonian era. Ezekiel may here be foretelling the continuous misery that the once favored people of God will experience.Results of the Judgmen(Ezekiel 5:13-15)Three results of Jerusalem’ s judgment are mentioned in these verses: God's anger assuaged (Ezekiel 5:13 a): Then my anger will end. My wrath I will cause to rest in respect to them, and will be comforted. Only when Jerusalem was in ruins and her few survivors scattered abroad is God’ s anger (’aph) and wrath (hema) assuaged. The strongly anthropomorphic expression, my wrath I will cause to rest in respect to them is used in three other places in the book. Evil actions have tragic results. In this first discourse the only note of hope is that once Jerusalem is destroyed the righteous anger of God will be satisfied. God's word vindicated (Ezekiel 5:13 b): They will know that I the LORD have spoken in my zeal when I have finished my wrath on them. Through the fulfillment of the predicted punishment, they will recognize that the calamity was initiated by God and was not due to mere chance. Ezekiel uses the terms zeal/jealousy (qina) and wrath (hema) synonymously. God's zeal or jealousy is provoked by idolatry (Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 8:5; cf. Exodus 20:3-5). God's people humiliated (Ezekiel 5:14-15): And I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are round about you, before every one who passes by. (Ezekiel 5:15) And it will be a reproach, and a taunt, a lesson and an astonishment to the nations that are round about you when I execute against you judgments in anger, wrath and furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it. The retribution against Jerusalem earns for the people of Judah the contempt of all neighboring nations, and passers-by as well (Ezekiel 5:14). The ruins of the once proud capital of Judah will serve as a reproach, taunt, a warning lesson and a source of astonishment to the neighboring nations. At this point Ezekiel mentions only this one good that will result from the fall of Judah. From the tragedy of Israel, the nations will learn that Yahweh is in control of history, and that he is a righteous God. Third Threat (Ezekiel 5:16-17) Ezekiel 5:16 ---When I send against them the evil arrows of famine that are for destruction that I will send against you to destroy you; and I will increase famine upon you. I will shatter your staff of bread. (Ezekiel 5:17) I will send against you famine and wild beasts, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood will pass through you. I will bring a sword upon you. I the LORD have spoken it. In the third threat of this discourse, Ezekiel enumerates six calamities that will befall Judah. God was about to send against his people the evil arrows of famine, i.e., blasting, mildew, locusts and other plagues that will lead to a scarcity of food. In addition, God will increase the famine. He will withhold the rain. Thus will he shatter the staff of bread (Ezekiel 5:16; cf. Ezekiel 4:16). Other disasters will depopulate the land. Wild beasts will become a problem. They will especially attack children. Thus will the wicked mothers and fathers be bereaved. Pestilence, i.e., plagues, will take their toll against man and beast. Others will die by violence as blood passed through their midst. Finally, they will face the sword of divine retribution, the Chaldean enemy. Three times in this first discourse Ezekiel stressed the fact that I the Lord have spoken (Ezekiel 5:13; Ezekiel 5:15; Ezekiel 5:17). It is not the existence of the Lord that is being stressed, but the identity of the speaker as Yahweh. It is really Yahweh, the God of revelation and redemption, who has made these threats. He is a God who reveals Himself in acts as well as in words. His acts accredit and validate His words. The dire threats of this chapter were certain to befall Judah. In summarizing the first discourse, three stages of backsliding can be observed: (1) the Jews had rebelled against the ordinances of God in their hearts (Ezekiel 5:6); (2) they ceased to walk in God’ s statutes in the outer life (Ezekiel 5:6); and finally, (3) they were so brazen that they defiled God’ s sanctuary (Ezekiel 5:11). With regard to Jerusalem’ s punishments, again a threefold progression is observable: (1) God was against his people (Ezekiel 5:8); (2) God will execute judgments on his people (Ezekiel 5:8); and finally (3) those judgments will be executed in anger and wrath (Ezekiel 5:15) Ezekiel Chapter FiveVerse 1 SIEGE OF As Dummelow noted, Ezekiel's part in these pantomimes is variable. Part of the time he represents God, and at other times he stands for Israel. Here he stands for Jerusalem, his head particularly, standing for city; but again, in the burning of the hair in the midst of the city (that is, in the middle of the map of the city on the tile), he enacts the part God would play in the destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 5:1-4"And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp sword; as a barber's razor shalt thou take it unto thee, and shall cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh and divide the hair. A third part shalt thou burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou shalt take a third part and smite with the sword round about it; and a third part shalt thou scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them. And shall take thereof a few in number and bind them in thy skirts. And of these again shalt thou take, and cast them into the midst of the fire; therefore shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel."As regarded the destiny of Jerusalem, the symbols introduced here were extremely distressing. The sword stood for the armed might of Babylon. The shaving of the head stood for humiliation, mourning, disaster, the loss of sanctity, catastrophe. The balances were a symbol of the justice and righteousness of God and the equity of his judgments. Ezekiel's head represented Jerusalem; the hair represented the population of it, the glory, and honor, and ability of the city. These were all to disappear in the destruction. The various uses of the three-thirds of the hair, only a part of the last third being accorded a special treatment, indicated the various ways in which the population of Jerusalem would be killed. The burning in the midst of the city refers to their death by famine and pestilence; the smiting of a third of it with the sword "round about the city" represents those who would fall to the sword of Babylon; and the scattering of a third of it to the winds represented the scattering of the Israelites among all nations. Apparently the mandate to smite some of the hair "round about the city" refers to his smiting of it symbolically around the tile that had the map of Jerusalem engraved upon it. "And thou shalt take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts ..." (Ezekiel 5:3) Yes indeed, right here is that same glorious doctrine of the righteous remnant so prominent in the works of Isaiah and Jeremiah. "There are some who deny the doctrine of the remnant is in Ezekiel, but that view is untenable in the light of this verse 3."[1] It is clear enough here that the small portion of that final third which was bound in the skirts of God's prophet was an eloquent testimony that not all of Israel would be destroyed. "And of these again shalt thou take and cast them ... into the fire ..." (Ezekiel 5:4) This shows that not all of the "righteous remnant" would escape the disasters to fall upon the Whole nation. Even from them also there would be those who fell away. Having in these dramatic pictures foretold the terrible destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel in the following paragraph explained the necessity for the coming judgment. Verse 5 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This is Jerusalem: I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are round about her. And she hath rebelled against mine ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye are turbulent more than the nations round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept mine ordinances, neither have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you; therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I, even I, am against thee; and I will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations. And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations. Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on thee; and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter unto all the winds. Wherefore as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, and I also will have no pity. A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee, and a third part shall I scatter unto all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.""This is Jerusalem ..." (Ezekiel 5:5). The illustration is here explained by God Himself. The doom of Jerusalem is clearly prophesied. "I have set her in the midst of the nations ..." (Ezekiel 5:5) This was true in both ways. It refers to the central location of Palestine in the midst of the three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa; and the nations were literally in all directions from Jerusalem. But it was also true in the larger context of the information and privileges enjoyed by the Jews. God's choice of the Abrahamic children as his "Chosen People" was for the purpose of preserving the knowledge of the true God in a world where that knowledge was in danger of falling. They alone received the Mosaic law; they were particularly chosen as the replacement for the reprobate pagans of ancient Palestine; and to them only the great prophets of God brought correction and enlightenment. "Against my statutes more than the countries that are round about her ..." (Ezekiel 5:6). The picture that emerges here is that of a nation abundantly blessed with the ordinances and statutes of God, these repeated words being, absolutely, references to the Mosaic Law. In fact, the references to the Book of Moses are so frequent from this chapter on to the very end of Ezekiel that some of the radical critics (S. R. Driver, for example) have advanced the theory that Ezekiel was the author of Ezekiel 17-26, sometimes called the Holiness Code, in Leviticus.[2]However, there are so many impossibilities involved in the acceptance of such a false theory that true scholars are unable to allow it. Beasley-Murray stated flatly that, "We may approach this book in confidence that it is what it purports to be, namely the record of Ezekiel's 25-year ministry to his fellow-exiles in Babylon."[3]No, Ezekiel did not invent the regulations, statutes, and ordinances of God which Israel had so long and so thoroughly violated. Those prohibitions are in the Pentateuch, that is, THE BOOK OF MOSES. It should be borne in mind that Moses did not write five books, but one only; and the divisions into five separate books is a foolish device indeed, despite the fact of its serving the convenience of students. "More than the countries round about her ..." (Ezekiel 5:6). This is a reference to one of the fundamental facts often overlooked. The pagan nations surrounding the Chosen People certainly did know many of the portions of God's will, as Paul testified in Romans 1:18-23; and the text here reveals that the surrounding pagans had done a better job of honoring what part of God's will they knew than had Israel. "Turbulent more than the nations that are round about you ..." (Ezekiel 5:7). The older versions render "multiplied" here instead of turbulent; and Matthew Henry stated that this was a reference to the multiplication of idols and pagan shrines.[4] In any case, it is a reference to the excessive wickedness of Israel as compared with the surrounding pagans. "Neither have done after the ordinances of the nations ..." (Ezekiel 5:7). Not only had Israel rejected and forsaken the law of God, but they had rejected all laws and regulations, even those of pagan nations, leaving them the status of being essentially lawless. "Behold, I, even I, am against thee; and I will execute judgments against thee in the sight of the nations ..." (Ezekiel 5:8). The justice of God's impending judgments against Israel was due in part to the fact that their position, by God's grace, in the midst of the nations as an example and a teacher to all of them, required that their utter failure to discharge their Divine mission be demonstrated to the whole world. "I will do in thee that which I have not done ... the like unto which I will not do any more ..." (Ezekiel 5:9). The horrible cannibalism mentioned here indeed occurred during that final siege. The account in Lamentations is the record of the tragic fulfillment of these words. "Thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy abominations ..." (Ezekiel 5:11). This would seem to indicate that God's terrible judgment against Israel was principally due to this offence; but the sanctuary here was not the only defilement in Jerusalem. The valley of the Sons of Hinnom, from which the word Gehenna was derived, was the scene of the horrible shrine of Moloch, where even the kings of Israel made their sons "pass through the fire" to Molech. "A third part shall die with the pestilence, and with famine ..." (12). Here God Himself gives the meaning of the burning of a third part of Ezekiel's hair, mentioned back in Ezekiel 5:2. Also, there is the revelation that a third shall die by the sword, and a third shall be scattered to the winds. "I will ... draw out a sword after them ..." (Ezekiel 5:12). This means that even of that third who were to be scattered, the sword would also take its toll. Also, this means that, of the hair that was to be bound in the skirts of Ezekiel, thus representing the "righteous remnant," and which was also a small portion of that final third, that even of those thus represented some would be lost. Verse 13 "Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I shall be comforted: and they shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath upon them."All of the ancient prophets speak in the most eloquent and frightening terms of the wrath of God. God's anger against sin is a much more terrible reality than most men suppose. The modern conception of God has reduced him to the status of a benevolent old grandpa, so indifferent to the sins raging in his presence, that he would scarcely punish anybody. Is he not a God of love? Indeed, he is; but this must also be reconciled with his unmitigated anger and intolerance against all sin. God's being comforted when his punishment of evil is completed indicates, as Plumptre noted, that, "He rejoices in the punishment of evil for its own sake and that he rejoices that the punishment has done its proper work in leading men to repentance."[5]Verse 14 "Moreover I will make thee a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.""The object here was to make Judah and Jerusalem a warning to the nations around about them."[6]Verse 15 "So it shall be a reproach and taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments on thee in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes (I, Jehovah, have spoken it); when I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you. And I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread; and I will send upon you evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee: I, Jehovah, have spoken it."Greenberg cited no less than five phrases and expressions here that Ezekiel quoted from Leviticus 26.[7] It was for their violation of the covenant that came through Moses that resulted in God's fierce anger against Israel. "The evil arrows of famine ..." (Ezekiel 5:16). According to the Book of Moses (Deuteronomy 22:23), these evil arrows refer to famine. God's promise to increase it shows that hunger upon hunger would fall upon the condemned people. "Evil beasts ..." (Ezekiel 5:17). According to Watt, this is a reference to brutalized men who have no breath from God."[8] This, of course, could be correct; but the passage may also be intended literally. It will be remembered that when the Assyrians deported the Northern Israel, it was necessary to send back a priest to teach the people regarding the "God of the land," as a protection against the wild beasts (2 Kings 17:27). "Pestilence and blood ..." (Ezekiel 5:17). "This refers to some terrible disease."[9]Eichrodt pointed out that in this chapter, "Ezekiel brings out God's world-wide purpose of salvation, showing that it formed the background of the election of Israel, whose resistance to God's plan for the whole world amounted to her throwing away the position Israel was intended to occupy, thus making her rejection and severe punishment absolutely certain."[10]The holy Church herself is in danger of the same tragic mistake made by Israel. If the Church shall forget that "God so loved the world" (all of it) that he gave the Gospel to "the whole creation"; and if she shall forget or neglect her mission to spread the Truth to the ends of creation, she herself might indeed suffer a fate similar to that which God inflicted upon the ancient Israel. Ezekiel 5:1. The prophet was directed to do some more acting to which reference has been made frequently. The head is the most important part of the body, and the Lord selected that part of Ezekiel's person in the present drama. The weighing of the hairs was necessary in order to make the equal divisions that were called for. Ezekiel 5:2. The hulk of the hairs was to be divided into thirds, corresponding to the three points in verse 12. Midst of the city could not mean Jerusalem literally, because Ezekiel was in Babylon and there is no evidence that he ever left it. The phrase means he was to perform these things in the midst of the people of whose former kingdom the city of Jerusalem was the capital. (See verse 5.) The prophet was to go out among the people and burn one division of the hairs in their sight. He would hold a division in one hand and with the other he would hack or hew it to bits. The other third of the hairs was to be tossed out and let be scattered with tiie wind. Apparently these last hairs, representing actual living persons, were set free to go where they would. Vet that was not to be so, for even those who escaped the first two fates were doomed to be pursued with hostile intent, hence the Lord said he would do what Ezekiel could not humanly do; make a sword follow after the scattered hairs. Ezekiel 5:3. Before making the divisions described In the preceding verse, Ezekiel was to reserve a few in number. (This refers to the "remnant” recorded in Ezra 2:64.) He was to hind them in his garment which would indicate an act to shield them from the ravages of the three events just described. Ezekiel 5:4. The "remnant,” however, was not to escape entirely from tribulation, hence Ezekiel was directed to take sAne of the hairs he had placed in the folds of his garment and burn them. The Lord explained that a fire (figuratively) would come out against the house of Israel. Ezekiel 5:5. This is Jerusalem explains that whaL Ezekiel was directed to do was to be fulfilled upon Jerusalem as was stated at verse 2. Set if in the midst of nations. God bestowed great honors on Jerusalem by giving her such prominence among the nations. Ezekiel 5:6. Jerusalem did not literally commit more or greater idolatry than the nations of heathendom, for that would have been next to impossible. But when considered in the light of her opportunities and her professions, she had committed abomination mo-rc than the countries about. Specifically, Bhe had substituted wickedness for the judgments of the Lord and refused to walk in the law of God. Ezekiel 5:7. Multiplied is from HAMON and the definition in Strong's lexicon is, "A noise, tumult, crowd; also disquietude, wealth." The thought is that Jerusalem made a greater ado than the surrouding nations as to her importance of wealth and strength. In spite of such claims, however, she did not show as consistent an attitude toward the law she professed to follow as dirt the heathen nations. Ezekiel 5:8. It may be observed that mucti of Ezekiel's writing seems to be directed more especially against Jerusalem than against the nation generally. That can be explained by the fact that most of the nation was already in exile and suffering their punishment., while Jerusalem as a city was still standing and facing the third and last stage of the captivity. Jerusalem was the capital city and was largely responsible for the state of corruption among the people through the power and example of the leaders, hence God declared, "I am against thee.” Ezekiel 5:9. This means that the punishment the Lord intended to inflict on Jerusalem would be greater than had ever been put on her before. Ezekiel 5:10. This verse predicts some of the awful effects of a famine that was to be brought upon Jerusalem by the siege. It would seem impossible for parents to he starved to such an extent that they would eat the flesh of their own children, But hunger is a terrible motive, and this very deed has been committed (2 Kings 6: 2529). Ezekiel 5:11. The defilement refers to the practice of idolatry which the people of Jerusalem had mixed with the worship prescribed by the Lord. Will diminish thee, was a prediction of the overthrow of the city, both as to its power or authority and also materially in that it was destined to be taken and burned. Ezekiel 5:12. These three means of reducing the great capital city would fulfill tlie symbolic prediction that was made by the acting of the prophet in verse 2. The three items would logically result in the almost total destruction of the nation. Pestilence and famine are tied together as one because a serious scarcity of food generally breeds disease. Some of the citizens tried to resist the enemy by fighting but were defeated in battle. Some escaped immediate death on the battle field and fled into distant regions, hut they could not run away from God and the sword caught up with them. Ezekiel 5:13. I wall be comforted could not mean that God takes personal joy out of the suffering of his people. The thought is that the Lord will he satisfied with bis work of reproving the nation through the severe chastisement. Ezekiel 5:14. National "pride" is not endorsed by the Lord at any time, for pride is always condemned wherever it exists. Yet it is a strong punishment upon any nation to humiliate it before the eyes of other nations, and that was to be one form of divine judgment upon Jerusalem and her people. Ezekiel 5:15. There was a twofold purpose in punishing the people of Israel in the sight of other nations. One was to bring Israel to repentance and the other was to serve as a warning to those heathen groups. The like object was in the divine mind in recording the facts of ancient times for Lhe use of men in the days of the Christian Dispensation (1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4). Such is the meaning of this ver3e by including the word instruction which was lo apply to the heathen observers. Ezekiel 5:16. When God sends his judgments on Israel, it should be a lesson to them (the heathen) and cause them to improve their national ways. Ezekiel 5:17. The items threatened are a repetition of what has previously been slated. An important declaration is connected with it, 1 the Lord have spoken it. CHAPTER 6 AND In his second discourse, Ezekiel zeroes in on the places of idolatrous worship that were located in the mountains and valleys of Judah. These pagan sanctuaries, once known for their shady trees, will become desolate. There is throughout this chapter a frequent change from their to your, and from your to their, when the same persons are spoken of. This is consistent with the manner of Ezekiel. The sermon contains three points of emphasis: (1) a dire prediction (Ezekiel 6:1-7); (2) a confident expectation (Ezekiel 6:8-10); and (3) a distressing lamentation (Ezekiel 6:11-14). A DIRE Eze_6:1-7 The Address (Ezekiel 6:1-3 a): And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: (2) Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them. (Ezekiel 6:3) Say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the mountains and hills, concerning the ravines and valleys: The word of the Lord (Ezekiel 6:1) directed Ezekiel to set his face toward, and prophesy against, the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 6:2). Apparently the prophet actually assumed a posture that demonstrated determination and anger, i.e., he faced westward as he spoke these words. Just as the anonymous prophet of 1 Kings 13 addressed an oracle to the illegitimate Bethel altar, so Ezekiel speaks directly to the mountains of Israel. It is as though the people of Judah were so hopelessly meshed in idolatry that Ezekiel might as well speak to the mountains of the land. The mountains are not to be understood as geographical symbols of the land of Judah, but rather as theological symbols. The mountains were the places where Israel practiced idolatry. This oracle, then, goes beyond the previous discourse in that it asserts that the judgment will include the pagan shrines scattered throughout the land as well as in Jerusalem. The distraught exiles on the monotonous plains of Babylon might pine for the beloved Judean hills. But those mountains were contaminated and doomed. While the mountains were directly addressed, the message pertains to the hills, ravines and valleys as well. All of these areas had been contaminated by the presence of pagan high places. Remains of such high places have been discovered at Taanach, Gezer, and Petra. The standard features of a Canaanite high place were (1) an altar, (2) standing stones, (3) a wooden pole symbolic of Asherah, and (4) a laver. Hezekiah in the eighth century, and Josiah in the seventh century, made determined efforts to remove these theological cancers from the nation. Unfortunately later kings tolerated and/or encouraged pagan practices (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 23:5). Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel testify to the resurgence of this corrupt worship following Josiah’ s valiant reform effort. Slaughter (Ezekiel 6:3 b-5) High places desecrated (Ezekiel 6:3-4 a): Behold I, even I, am about to bring against you a sword, and I will destroy your high places. (Ezekiel 6:4) Your altars will be made desolate. Your incense stands will be broken. The Lord will bring the sword of destruction against the pagan high places (Ezekiel 6:3). The term sword (hereb) can denote any kind of destructive instrument. Here the term is symbolic of the invading forces of Nebuchadnezzar that will bring death, destruction and desolation to the land. The sexual license and child sacrifice that marked the pagan worship were an abomination to God, and hence had to be judged. When the judgment of God fell, the pagan high places will be desecrated. The sacrificial altars and smaller incense stands will be destroyed. Dead bodies desecrated (Ezekiel 6:4-5): I will cast down your slain before your idols. (Ezekiel 6:5) And I will put the carcasses of the children of Israel before their idols. I will scatter your bones around your altars. The corpses of the slain Israelites will not even be accorded the dignity of burial. They will be left to rot before their helpless idols (v 4). Yahweh will fulfill the covenant threat of Lev 26:30. The bones of the idolaters will be scattered around the altars. Death defiled (cf. Numbers 9:6-10; 2 Kings 23:14; 2 Kings 23:16). Hence the altars will be made desolate, rendered permanently unclean and unsuitable for worship (Ezekiel 6:5). A similar threat was made by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 8:1 f.). They had defiled the land with their idols; they will yet further defile it by their dead bodies. The fragrance of incense offered to pagan deities will be replaced by the stench of rotting bodies. Ruins (Rxr 6:6-7): In all of your dwelling places, the cities will become waste. The high places will become desolate, that they may be laid waste. Your altars will bear their guilt. Your idols will be broken, and cease to be. Your incense altars will be cut down. Your works will be wiped out. (7) The slain will fall in your midst. You will know that I am the LORD. In characteristic emphasis by repetition, Ezekiel underscores the threat against the idolatrous shrines in vv 6-7. Here the people are directly addressed rather than the mountains. In all of their dwelling places the cities will become waste and their high places desolate. Altars, idols and incense altars will be destroyed. The work of their hands, i.e., their idols, will be wiped out (v 6). The slain of Judah will fall throughout the land. No idol will be able to prevent the massacre. In that terrible day when man-made gods proved impotent, the sovereignty of the Lord will be admitted by all. The expression you will know that I am the Lord occurs four times in ch 6 (Ezekiel 6:7; Ezekiel 6:10; Ezekiel 6:13-14) Ezekiel indicates that God's supreme motivation in all his acts of judgment or mercy is that people might know, i.e., experience him anew. This major thrust of the book (mentioned over sixty-five times) called for an intimate relationship with the Lord rather than a destructive allegiance to impotent idols. Eze_6:8-10 Preservation (Ezekiel 6:8): But I will leave a remnant, in that you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the lands. Not all will die in the bloodshed that will befall Judah. A remnant will survive on foreign soil (Ezekiel 6:8). In the midst of the thundering severity of God’ s wrath, the prophet underscores the tenderness of God’ s mercy. The nation is rejected; but faithful individuals will be spared. These godly souls will become the prototype and the nucleus of the New Testament Israel of God. The nation will die in 586 B.C., but faith will live on. Conversion(Ezekiel 6:9-10)Four facts about the remnant are brought out in these verses. A new focus on the Lord (Ezekiel 6:9 a): And those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they have been taken captive... This remnant will remember the Lord among the nations where they had been taken captive. The word remember implies more than the recollection of past events. The exiles will seek to restore their relationship to God by repentance. A new understanding of the Lord (Ezekiel 6:9 b): that I was shattered by their adulterous heart that turned aside from me, and by their eyes that committed adultery after their idols; When they remember the Lord, the remnant for the first time comes to realize the anguish that their loving Father had experienced because of their flirtations with idolatry. Those wanton hearts will be changed. Through the fires of punishment, the surviving remnant was purged of impurity. A new attitude toward sin (Ee 6:9b): and they will loath themselves in their sight for the evils that they committed, for all their abominations. The remnant comes to loath themselves for the evils that they had committed. They will then regard all their idols as abominations (v 9). Abomination is a favorite term of Ezekiel for a practice that led to religious impurity. He uses this term mainly of idolatry, but sometimes of adultery. A new appreciation for God (Ezekiel 6:10): And they will know that I am the LORD; not in vain have I said that I will do this evil to them. The remnant will know in that day that Yahweh is sovereign God. His word had not been spoken in vain. The ultimate aim of the national chastisement was to produce a faithful remnant. God’ s purpose will thus be accomplished. Eze_6:11-14 Dramatized (Ezekiel 6:11): Thus says the Lord GOD: Clap your hands and stamp your feet, and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! With sword, famine and pestilence they will fall. With a dramatic action, Ezekiel was to underscore what he had just said. He was to clap his hands and stamp his feet. These were gestures expressive of intense emotion and excitement generated either by intense joy or sorrow. There is no reason to assume that Ezekiel is exulting over the impending fall of Judah. This prophet hated the evil practiced by his people; but he did not long for their destruction. Like Jeremiah, he commiserated with the people of Judah in their misfortune (cf. 11:13). It was with a broken heart that Ezekiel spoke to and about his people. The prophet’ s gesture of distress was accompanied by the customary wail, Alas!205Because of all the evil abominations (idolatry) of Israel, the nation will fall with sword, famine and pestilence. Justified (Ezekiel 6:12-14) Death reigns supreme (Ezekiel 6:12): He who is far off will die with the pestilence; and he who is near will fall by the sword; and he that remains and is besieged will die in the famine. Then I will bring to an end my wrath against them. The one far off from the scene of battle will die by pestilence; the one near the battle, by the sword. Those in the besieged capital will die of famine. Distance will make no difference. Wherever they were, the inexorable and relentless wrath of God will overtake them (cf. Zechariah 1:6). There will be no escape. With these terrible calamities the wrath of the Lord will come to an end. Unburied corpses (Ezekiel 6:13): And you will know that I am the LORD when their slain ones will be in the midst of their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree and under every leafy oak, the place where they presented a sweet savor to all their idols. For the third time in this chapter the prophet underscores the dramatic impact that these judgment works will have on the hearts and minds of the surviving remnant. When they saw their slain comrades lying about their once sacred altars, within sight of their lifeless idols, they will finally come to confess the sole sovereignty of God. In order to emphasize the extent of the godless worship, Ezekiel enumerates the different locations where Canaanite rites were practiced. Their hilltop-sanctuaries and mountain retreats— the shady bowers where once the fertility orgies of Baal and Asherah were practiced— will be desecrated. Ezekiel uses ribald humor in his allusion to the sweet savor of incense being offered before dung ball idols (gillulim). Here is the irony: "They perfumed their stinky idols." Desolation (Ezekiel 6:14): And I will stretch out my hand against them. I will make the land a desolation and waste more than the wilderness of Diblah in all their dwelling places. They will know that I am the LORD. The hand of the Lord will be stretched out against the land. It will become a desolate waste. The reference to Diblah in Ezekiel 6:14 is difficult. Some translate, from the wilderness to Riblah (RSV). They see here a reference to the extent of the disaster. From the edge of the southern wilderness to Riblah on the Orontes river is a distance of 150 miles. This understanding necessitates two changes in the Hebrew text. The second approach is to see in this phrase a comparison. The land of Judah will become a greater desolation than Diblah. The location of Diblah is uncertain. The discourse closes with a fourth assertion that this divine judgment will serve to turn people to the Lord Ezekiel Chapter SixVerse 1 TO THE WHOLE LANDIn Ezekiel 4 and Ezekiel 5, the prophet pantomimed and prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, and "Now he takes a survey of the whole land."[1]Ezekiel 6:1-3"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy unto them, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.""The mountains were mentioned here because they were especially the places where Israel practiced idolatry (Leviticus 26:30-33; Isaiah 65:7; andJeremiah 3:6)."[2] The same is true of the watercourses and valleys. "The ravines and valleys were the scenes of Baal-worship (Jeremiah 2:23) and of child-sacrifice (Isaiah 57:5)."[3] The sword mentioned in verse 3 is a reference to the invading armies of Nebuchadnezzar. "Set thy face toward the mountains ..." (1). This introduction to a prophecy is quite common in Ezekiel. "We shall encounter it again in Ezekiel 20:46; Ezekiel 21:2; Ezekiel 25:2; Ezekiel 28:21; Ezekiel 29:2; Ezekiel 35:2; and Ezekiel 38:2)."[4]The mountains of Israel appear again in this prophecy in chapter 36, where blessing and restoration are promised. The prophecy here foretells the final judgment of Israel; and, also, "It is a picture of the future judgment of the world."[5]"I will destroy your high places ..." (Ezekiel 6:3). The reason for the forthcoming destruction of all the land of Israel is stated here. The hateful, licentious worship of the Baal fertility cults, of Astarte, of Molech, and of the whole pantheon of pagan gods and goddesses had effectively brought about the total moral depravity of the people. God's Chosen People at this point had become even worse than the godless Canaanites whom God had removed from Palestine because of their sins. Verse 4 "And your altars shall become desolate, and your sun-images shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay down the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all your dwelling-places, the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your sun-images may be hewn down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah."Here is a prophecy of God's total destruction of the system of worship into which apostate Israel had fallen. "Your slain men before your idols ..." (Ezekiel 6:4). Bruce tells us that the Hebrew word here rendered as idols, "Is a derogatory term frequently found in Ezekiel, meaning something like `dungheaps.'"[6] Feinberg thought that Ezekiel might have coined this word; "He used it 39 times."[7]"Your sun-images ..." (Ezekiel 6:4). "These were pillars or obelisks connected with the worship of Baal, the sun god, and they were found standing near his altars."[8] Some scholars have identified them as phallic symbols. "These high places were connected with Canaanite fertility rites, an orgiastic worship embodying drunkenness and cultic prostitution. Associated with such high places were idols, sacred stones, pillars, sacred trees, etc."[9]The presence of dead bodies and bones around the altars and idols of the high places had two purposes, "(1) It defiled the idols with corpses; and (2) it showed the helplessness of the idols."[10]"And ye shall know that I am Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 6:7). This expression is found some sixty times in Ezekiel and was the customary way of concluding an oracle or a section of an oracle throughout the prophecy.[11] One finds it in Exodus 7:5; Exodus 14:4; Exodus 14:18, again demonstrating the familiarity of Ezekiel with the Book of Moses. "The motive for most of God's actions was to bring about the acknowledgment by the nations of his sole power and deity."[12]Verse 8 "Yet will I leave a remnant, in that ye shall have some that escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. And those of you that escape shall remember me among the nations, whither they shall be carried captive, how that I have been broken by their lewd heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the harlot after their idols; and they shall loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am Jehovah: I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.""Yet will I leave a remnant ..." (Ezekiel 6:8). The arbitrary, unsubstantiated, and reckless view of some critics that, "There is no doctrine of a remnant in Ezekiel,"[13] is effectively refuted by this unequivocal declaration of the sacred text; and we are unwilling to allow evil men to re-write the Bible in order to prove their theories. As Matthew Henry stated it, "It is a preserved remnant and a penitent remnant";[14] and it was in this small remnant who after the exile would find their way back to Judea that the ancient promises to the patriarchs and the coming of Messiah to redeem mankind would eventually be achieved, according to the eternal purpose of God. Plumptre noted that the thought here regarding the remnant is the same as that in Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 10:20;Zephaniah 2:7; Zephaniah 3:13; and Jeremiah 43:5.[15]"I have been broken by their lewd heart ..." (Ezekiel 6:9). Many scholars agree with the translation of this clause as, "I have broken their whorish heart which hath departed from me."[16] It is never God who is broken by the sins of men, but men themselves I The reference here is to the heart-breaking punishment of apostate Israel; but out of that crushing of a whole nation, there came at last the small residue of a humbled, contrite people, who repented and turned to God. Verse 11 "Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah: smite with thy hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas. Because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. He that is far off shall die by the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my wrath upon them. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the places where they offered sweet savor to all their idols. And I will stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate and waste, from the wilderness toward Diblah, throughout all their habitations; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.""Smite with thy hand ..." (Ezekiel 6:11). This refers to what is called "clapping the hands." Cook states that it was a well known method of expressing grief.[17] Some understand the hand clapping and stamping here as expressions of Joy on the part of the prophet for God's punishment of Israel, but we prefer the view that they express grief, concern, and sorrow over the impending destruction. Plumptre notes that they appear to have been used to express both emotions.[18]"Every high hill ... every green tree ... every thick oak ..." (Ezekiel 6:13). "This verse refers to the fertility goddess of Hos 4:13."[19] This is exactly what Jeremiah was speaking of in Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 3:6; Jeremiah 3:13. Ezekiel 6:14 carries God's prophecy of destruction for the total land of the Chosen People. "Diblah ..." (Ezekiel 6:14). This place is unknown, and scholars have attempted to substitute the word Riblah for it; but actually there is no accurate knowledge of where this place was located. It really makes no difference anyway, for the place is usually held to mean that God would destroy Israel "from one end of the country to the other." Some have compared what is said here to the expression, "From Dan to Beersheba." The meaning is clear enough as is. Ezekiel 6:1. Ezekiel was an inspired prophet and spoke or wrote only the word of the Lord, as it came unto him. Ezekiel 6:2. The mountains of Israel were material objects and could have no moral responsibilities. But the people made a specialty of erecting altars and idols on the “ high places" and offering their abominable services thereon. Hence in the form of per-sonification the Lord directed his prophet to write against these mountains, Set thy face is a figure of speech aud means that Ezekiel was to focus hie attention upon the object mentioned and then write as the Lord directed him. Ezekiel 6:3. The thought of the preceding verse is maintained in this, and the impersonation Is extended to include other geographical parts of the land. None of them has any responsibility in the corruptions being condemned, but the impression of guilt should be greater before the mind of the guilty ones by such an all-out picture of the scene. The particular complaint is literally denoted by the words high places. Ezekiel 6:4. The altars and idols were literally destroyed as the nation went down in captivity. But that fact may well be regarded as a sign of the complete cure from idolatry that was brought about by the exile in the land of Babylon. See the historical note at Isaiah 1:25 in volume 3 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 6:5. These dead bodies being laid before the idols would not be as a sacrificial offering, but as a token of the uselessness of false gods. If such deities could not preserve the physical lives of their worshipers, they surely could noi provide them any spiritual help. Ezekiel 6:6. The weakness of false gods was to be further shown in that they could not protect the homes and cities of the country. It is a poor head that cannot take the proper oversight of its own body, yet these images that were worshiped by the people of Israel were powerless to preserve even the altars erected to their worship. Ezekiel 6:7. The sight of slain men right in t.he midst of the multitude of idols would prove their frailty. The logical conclusion that such a situation should suggest is that I am the Lord, meaning the Cod of Israel is the true Lord, Ezekiel 6:8. The remnant promised is numbered in Ezra 2:64. The captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years and the ravages of that period i educed the population of Israel from some millions to this number. Ezekiel 6:9. Shall remember me among the nations was sadly fulfilled by the children of Israel after they got into the land of Babylon. Their dejected frame of mind is forcefully described by a prophecy of David in Psalms 137. I am broken. Strong defines the original for the last word, “ A primitive root; to burst (literally or figuratively).'1 Of course it is used figuratively here and means the Lord was deeply disappointed over the conduct of his people. Whorish heart means their lusting after false gods, as religious unfaithfulness is commonly compared to moral corruption in the Bible, Shall loathe themselves refers to the complete cure from idolatry that was accomplished by the cap-tivity. (See the notes at Isaiah 1:25.) Ezekiel 6:10. The main object the Lord had in view by the whole work of the captivity was to convince Israel that He is the only true. God. T)o this evil means something painful, not anything wrong morally. Ezekiel 6:11, Strong says the original for smite means to strike, literally or figuratively. Ezekiel was to do this “ acting” witli his hand and foot as a gesture of emphasis. It would he a sign of the Lord's determination to impose a punishment upon the disobedient nation. The three items named were commented upon at Jeremiah 14:12 and other places previously considered in this Commentary, Ezekiel 6:12. A pestilence, however, could occur from conditions other than famine, and the Lord threatened to bring it upon some of the people who would not be hemmed by the siege. The general thought is that no one can escape the chastisement that He determines against the unfaithful servants. Ezekiel 6:13. Slain men among their idols was to signify the weakness of the false godB the children of Israel had been worshiping. The presence of these dead bodies in the same area with the idols would be proof of the helplessness thereof. Hills and mountains are named because they were favorite spots on which the idols and their altars were built. Trees also were used as desirable places for the idolatrous service, and they selected a green or living tree, which Strong defines, ‘‘ to be . . . figuratively prosperous.” Something alive might suggest a source of good whereas a dead one would not. There is nothing about a dead tree that would suggest anything to be worshiped. Sweet savor refers to the incense that was burned in sacrifice to a god because of its fragrant odor. Ezekiel 6:14. Concerning Diblath, the Funk and Wagnalls Bible Dictionary says the following; “ No such place is known and the true reading may be 'to Riblah' in the extreme north of the Lebanon region, making the whole expression mean: 'from south to north, i,e„ from one end of the land to the other." The significance to us is that God threatened a widespread desolation over the land as a punishment for their idolatry Ezekiel 7 CHAOS AND Chapter 7 is a sermon in the form of a lamentation. It is characterized by frequent repetitions designed to underscore the certainty and severity of the coming calamity. The chapter is written in what has been called poetic prose. The sentences are choppy, broken, and oozing with emotion. Division of the material into discussion units is admittedly arbitrary. But it seems that the prophet first announces the coming calamity (Ezekiel 7:1-9), and then describes it (Ezekiel 7:10-27). Eze_7:1-9 First Announcement of the End (Ezekiel 7:1-4) The announcement of the Lord (Ezekiel 7:1-2): The word of the LORD came to me, saying: (Ezekiel 7:2) As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD concerning the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four ends of the land. Echoing the prophetic declaration of Amo 8:2 regarding the northern kingdom, Ezekiel announces that an end has come to the land of Israel. Yahweh was not merely calling a halt to Israel's wrong doing. He is bringing down the curtain on Judah's national existence (cf. Amos 8:1-3). There is no hope in this message for any future for Israel. In this period of history the land of Israel was equivalent to the kingdom of Judah. The end or destruction will come upon the four ends of the land, i.e., the devastation will be geographically total. No city or village will escape (Ezekiel 7:2). The anger of the Lord (Ezekiel 7:3-4): Now is the end upon you. I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your ways. I will bring upon you all of your abominations. (Ezekiel 7:4) My eye will not have pity upon you, nor will I have compassion; but your ways I will bring upon you while your abominations will be in your midst; and you will know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel contends that now is the end upon you. The anticipated destruction is close at hand. The prophet refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. This destruction will not be a mere accident of history. It will be a manifestation of the anger of God (Ezekiel 7:3). God will unleash his anger. The destruction will be a just act of retribution. The people will be judged according to their ways, i.e., their conduct. God will bring upon them all their abominations, i.e., he will hold them accountable for their association with abominable idols (Ezekiel 7:3-4; Ezekiel 7:8). In this destructive judgment, God will not manifest mercy or compassion toward the nation of Judah (Ezekiel 7:4). The meaning is that God will carry out his pre-announced intention to destroy Jerusalem. He will not relent. There is, of course, mercy for the remnant of the nation, as other passages clearly show. In a sense the exercise of justice was itself an act of mercy. Its aim was purification from sin and restoration of harmony between God and man. The judgment will fall on Jerusalem while their abominations (idols) were still in the midst of the city. They will cling to their idols to the bitter end. No further evidence need be presented to prove that the actions of God were justified. Through the horrible destruction, the surviving Jews will come to realize that it was truly Yahweh, God of covenant and redemption, who had made these dire threats (Ezekiel 7:4). Second Announcement of the End (Ezekiel 7:5-9) The announcement of the Lord (Ezekiel 7:5-7): Thus says the Lord GOD: A disaster, a unique disaster, behold it comes. (6) An end has come, the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it comes. (Ezekiel 7:7) The turn has come upon you, O inhabitant of the land; the time has come, the day of tumult is near, and not joyous shouting upon the mountains. The disaster facing Judah was unprecedented (lit., one disaster). The one catastrophe that overshadowed all the rest was the destruction of the temple (Ezekiel 7:5). This disaster will not only be an end, it will be the end (Ezekiel 7:6). The judgment is described as the turn in Ezekiel 7:7. The meaning of the noun fphira is uncertain. Modern translations prefer to render it doom. However, the basic idea here may be something round, hence a cycle or turn. The turn of events had come to Judah. To use a modern idiom, the tables were about to be turned. Judgment inevitably follows sin as day follows night. The predicted end will awaken. The long dark night of prophetic threat was about over; the day of the Lord was about to dawn. A play on words in the Hebrew cannot be reproduced in English. The end (haqqes) has awakened (heqis; Ezekiel 7:6). That coming day will be a day of tumult, i.e., clamor and confusion (Ezekiel 7:7). This tumult will not be the joyous shouting upon the mountains that one might hear in connection with a harvest festival (Isaiah 16:10; Jeremiah 25:30) or idolatrous worship. This tumult will be the din and confusion of military invasion. In the popular mind, the day of the Lord was a day of triumph over national enemies. Beginning with Amos, the prophets blasted this concept. The day of the Lord refers to God’ s triumph over all unrighteousness, whether in Israel or among the Gentiles. The anger of the Lord (Ezekiel 7:8-9): Now I will shortly pour out my wrath upon you. I will finish my anger against you when I have judged you according to your ways. I will bring upon you all your abominations. (Ezekiel 7:9) My eye will not pity, nor will 1 have compassion; 1 will bring upon you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. You will know that I the LORD am One who smites. Ezekiel 7:8-9 are virtually a repetition of vv 3-4, with some variation, to give added emphasis to the warning. God’ s anger against Judah will be complete once he had recompensed them for their ways (Ezekiel 7:8). No compassion will be shown toward the nation in that day. Through the experience of judgment, the Judeans will come to know, i.e., personally experience, Yahweh by a new name: Yahweh makkeh, i.e., "Yahweh who strikes the blow." The notion of an indulgent deity will have to be abandoned in that day (Ezekiel 7:9). Eze_7:10-27 In describing Judah’ s coming day of visitation, Ezekiel stresses four points: (1) the social disruption (Ezekiel 7:10-13); (2) the military dismay (Ezekiel 7:14-18); (3) the economic distress (Ezekiel 7:19-22); and (4) the political disorder (Ezekiel 7:23-27). Social Disruption (Ezekiel 7:10-13): The nearness of judgment (Ezekiel 7:10-11): Behold the day! Behold it comes; the turn has come forth; the rod has blossomed, arrogance has budded. (Ezekiel 7:11) Violence has risen up for a rod of wickedness; none of them (will remain) and none of their multitude, and none of their wealth or any wailing among them. The third oracle in ch 7 focuses on the imminence, comprehensiveness, and readiness of judgment. The judgment rod of God— Babylon— had blossomed into an arrogant superpower (Ezekiel 7:10). The violence practiced by the Jews had risen up for a rod of wickedness; i.e., the evil practices of the Jews had created the rod that will smite them. In that day the whole population will be affected. None will escape. They will either perish or be carried away into exile. Nothing will remain of the multitude of the people or their wealth So great will be the loss that survivors will not wail over the dead (Ezekiel 7:11). The result of judgment (Ezekiel 7:12-13): The time has come, the day has arrived. As for the buyer, let him not rejoice; and as for the seller, let him not mourn; for wrath is upon all its multitude. (Ezekiel 7:13) For the seller will not return unto what is sold, although they be yet alive; for the vision concerns the whole multitude that will not return; neither will they strengthen themselves, a man whose life is in his iniquity. The coming day will result in a complete socio-economic upheaval. Selling an inherited piece of property was normally an occasion of deep grief in the Old Testament world. But the seller of real estate will no longer be concerned with such sentimentality. On the other hand, the one who purchased that property will have no reason to rejoice. In the day of God’ s wrath, land holdings will be immaterial. Both the wealthy land buyer and the poverty-stricken seller will be faced with deprivation and death (Ezekiel 7:12). Never will the land seller be able to repossess his inheritance, even though he might live through the judgment (lit., though their life be yet among the living). Jubilee observance, where all property reverted to original owners, will not be possible in the land of exile. According to the vision that Ezekiel had received, the Jews will be driven from their homes never to return during their lifetime (Ezekiel 7:13). At first sight this prophecy seems to contradict Jeremiah 32:15; Jeremiah 32:37; Jeremiah 32:43 that states that properties again will be bought and sold in Judah following the exile. However, Ezekiel is speaking of his contemporaries. They will not live to reclaim their family inheritances. The men who lived a life of iniquity will not be able to strengthen themselves so as to withstand punishment (Ezekiel 7:13). Those driven out will not return, and those who remained in the land will die in their sins. Military Dismay (Ezekiel 7:14-18) Organized resistance ceases (Ezekiel 7:14): They have blown the trumpet. All is made ready, but none is going to the battle; for My wrath is against all its multitude. Organized resistance to the coming invasion will fail. Sin had destroyed the moral courage of the nation. Preparation for war had been made, but the troops had neither strength nor courage to withstand the enemy. The alarm trumpet sounded, but the terrified troops refused to enter into battle. God’ s wrath saps their powers of resistance. Courage flees before the forces of God. Their fear is justified, however, because the wrath of God had gone forth against all its multitude, i.e., army. Death everywhere (Ezekiel 7:15): The sword is without, the pestilence and the famine within; the one who is in the field will die by the sword, and as for the one who is in the city, famine and pestilence will consume him. Death will stalk the whole land. The sword of the Chaldean army will cut off all escape beyond the walls of Jerusalem. Within the city itself, famine and pestilence (disease) will take their toll. Helpless resignation (Ezekiel 7:16-18): Should fugitives escape, they will be upon the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each in his iniquity. (Ezekiel 7:17) All hands will droop. All knees will run with water. (Ezekiel 7:18) They will gird themselves with sackcloth. Terror will cover them. Shame will be upon every face, and baldness upon all their heads. The “ no escape” of Ezekiel 7:15 is immediately qualified in the following verse. The few refugees who will escape the city will take to the mountains to escape death. Like doves of the valley they will occupy the lofty heights and deep ravines. There they will bemoan their fate as they realized that the disaster was the result of their iniquity (Ezekiel 7:16). Despair will render the fugitives helpless. All hands will droop in dismay. The knees will run with water, i.e., because of their fear those refugees will not be able to control their kidney functions (Ezekiel 7:17). The refugees will openly manifest their dismay. Sackcloth will be worn upon the body, but they will act as though they were covered with terror (pallasut). Heads will be shaved. Shame (busa) will be etched on every face— shame because of what had happened; greater shame because of why it had happened (Ezekiel 7:18). Economic Distress (Ezekiel 7:19-22) Their wealth abandoned (Ezekiel 7:19): They will cast their silver into the streets. Their gold will become an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD; they will neither satisfy, nor will they fill their inward parts; because their iniquity has become a stumbling block. Worldly wealth will be worthless in that day. Silver and gold will come to be regarded as an unclean thing, (lit., something defiled by menstrual impurity, Leviticus 20:21). The precious metal only proves cumbersome to those who are fleeing for their lives. In that day of Yahweh’ s wrath, men will be able to purchase neither deliverance, nor food for their bellies. Their wealth the cause of their sin (Ezekiel 7:20): As for their beautiful adornments, they appointed them for their pride. They made the images of their abominations, their detestable things with it. Therefore, I have given it to them for an unclean thing. Their wealth had been the cause of their sin (cf. Hosea 2:10). These precious metals and their beautiful adornments (i.e., jewelry) they had fashioned into objects of pride and images of their detestable gods. They had committed the same sin as the Sinai generation in fashioning a graven image of their jewelry. Because they had so abused God’ s gifts, the Lord will bring them into circumstances in which these precious substances will be regarded as filthy and unclean (Ezekiel 7:20). Their wealth the possession of strangers (Ezekiel 7:21): I will place it in the hand of strangers for spoil, and to the wicked of the earth for booty; and they will profane it. The wealth of Judah will become the possession of strangers, i.e., the invading army. In the hands of the wicked of the earth these riches, once devoted to sacred, albeit illegitimate, services will be profaned (Ezekiel 7:21). Their worship center plundered (Ezekiel 7:22): I will turn my face from them. They will profane my secret place. Robbers will come into it, and they will defile it. Not only will the Jews be deprived of their material support, they will also be denied spiritual support. God will turn his face from them. The turning of God’ s face from the people is the reverse of the priestly blessing that invoked God to make his face shine upon them (Numbers 6:25 f.). The temple will provide no protection. The invader will profane God’ s secret place, i.e., the holiest part of the temple. The sacred precincts will be plundered by the greedy thieves (Ezekiel 7:22). God had no desire for mere outward forms of worship when that worship had been perverted by the devices of wicked men. The despoliation of Judah and the temple were a necessary part of God’ s plan for reclaiming a remnant of Israel. With material possession gone, and the temple in ruins, the people of God were forced to cast themselves completely on the Lord. As it turned out, “ the death of material security turned out to be the resurrection of faith.” Political Disorder (Ezekiel 7:23-27) Making the chain (Ezekiel 7:23): Make the chain; for the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence. Apparently Ezekiel performed yet another symbolic act. He made a chain that symbolized the coming exile. This punishment is necessary because Judah was full of bloodshed and violence. A ruthless adversary (Ezekiel 7:24): Therefore, I have brought the worst of nations. They will possess their houses. I will make to cease the pride of the strong. Their sanctuaries will be profaned. God will employ the worst of nations against Judah. This is one of the rare instances when Ezekiel speaks derogatorily of the Babylonians. In Ezekiel 28:7 and Ezekiel 30:11 he refers to the Babylonians as the terrible of the nations. But his language here is not so much intended to abuse the invaders as to show how low Israel had fallen. The people of God must indeed be wretched for God to send against them men who make no pretense of maintaining just behavior. The ruthless invaders will possess their houses. By means of this invader God will make to cease the pride of the strong, i.e., He will humble the proud rulers of Judah, especially the monarchy and priesthood. The sanctuaries of Judah— both the pagan and the proper-will be profaned by these invaders. Spiritual leaders silent (Ezekiel 7:25-26): Horror is coming! They will seek peace when there is none. (26) Calamity upon calamity will come. Rumor will be upon rumor. They will seek a vision from the prophet. Instruction will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. Efforts to placate the foe and arrange some peaceful accommodation will fail. There will be no escape from this horrible fate (v 25). Israel had gambled on a precarious political balancing act by pitting one power against another. She gambled, and she lost. The false prophets had assured them that peace was possible. They will now discover that those optimistic predictions were unfounded. The future judgment will become progressively worse. Calamity upon calamity and rumor upon rumor (Ezekiel 7:26). News of one blow will immediately be followed by news of another. In their desperation people will turn at last to their spiritual leaders for guidance, but will find none (cf. Lamentations 2:9). The false prophets, who had for so long misled the people with their made- to-order “ visions,” will have nothing to say in that hour when their optimistic prognostications proved to be false. The priests will have no instruction, the elders no useful political counsel in that day (Ezekiel 7:26). The crisis will leave them without direction from their religious and national leaders (cf. Jeremiah 18:18). If the reference in v 26 is to faithful spiritual leaders, then the idea is this: They had for so long rejected the words of God’ s spokesman. Now in the hour of judgment, God will no longer communicate with them through these godly men. Political leaders stymied (Ezekiel 7:27): The king will mourn. The prince will be clothed with astonishment. The hands of the people of the land will become feeble. According to their way, I will deal with them. According to their judgments I will judge them. They will know that 1 am the LORD. The political as well as the spiritual leaders will be unable to cope with that day. The king will only be able to mourn as he saw his people suffering and his crown slipping from his grasp. Other members of the ruling class—the prince— will be clothed with astonishment, i.e., they will be dumbfounded in the face of what will transpire. Without guidance from spiritual leaders, and leadership from the royal family, the people of the land will be incapacitated by fear. They will be helpless to defend themselves, for their hands will become feeble. This judgment will be a just recompense. God will deal with his people as they had dealt with others. He will judge them as unmercifully as they had judged one another. When all these predictions come to pass, all the survivors will know that Yahweh had really spoken these ominous words. Ezekiel Chapter SevenVerse 1 MORE ON THE DOOM OF ISRAELSome have called this chapter a dirge; but, "There are four oracles in it: (1)Ezekiel 7:2-4, (2) Ezekiel 7:5-9, (3) Ezekiel 7:10-11, and (4) Ezekiel 7:12-13, followed by an exposition of their common theme (Ezekiel 7:14-27)."[1]The date of this section of the prophecy as given in 1:1 would leave about seven years before the capture of the city, the blinding of Zedekiah, and the destruction of the temple; but Ezekiel 7:2 here states that. "Now the end has come upon thee (Jerusalem)"; and upon that declaration Beasley-Murray dated this chapter shortly before the fall of the city, supposing that, "The date at the head of a section does not necessarily embrace everything that follows till the next date is given."[2]THE END IS NEAREze_7:1-4"Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto the land of Israel. An end: the end is come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways; and I will bring upon thee all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity; but I will bring thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah."Dummelow has an excellent summary of this whole chapter. "Here is a final message of doom upon the whole land; the judgment is inevitable and close at hand; social relations will be broken up; preparations will be of no avail; wealth misused for idolatry and luxury will become the spoil of the heathen; priests, prophets, king and nobles will be helpless to deliver; the Temple will be profaned, and the remnant shall be overwhelmed with SORROW."[3]A feature of this prophecy is the repetition. The end has come (Ezekiel 7:2); the day has come (Ezekiel 7:10); the time has come (Ezekiel 7:7); and doom has come (Ezekiel 7:7; Ezekiel 7:12). This repetition was explained by Taylor. "It can be explained only against the background of popular belief in the inviolability of Jerusalem. Its destruction was inconceivable to the Israelite mind. Their view was that, "As long as God is God, God's Temple and God's city would stand.'"[4]"The end is come ..." (Ezekiel 7:2). "This is a standard announcement of doom as in Genesis 6:13. It serves for the eschatological end-time of Dan 8:17."[5]"The four corners of the land ..." (Ezekiel 7:2). "A glance at Isaiah 11:12 shows that the phrase here means `the four corners of the earth.'"[6] Here is far more than the heavenly chastisement of one small nation such as Israel. "This signifies the coming of the end upon the four corners of the earth; this means the end coming upon all mankind. This refers to a world-wide catastrophe, such as we find in the mythological expectations of disaster of ancient oriental nations, and such as Israel associated with the coming of Jehovah the world-judge." The end here is "the day of the Lord," the final day, the one spoken of by Zephaniah, Amos, Jeremiah and Micah. This reference to that great and final Day of Judgment, however, appears here as an overtone accompanying the prophecy of immediate and impending doom for Jerusalem. All of God's great judgments upon evil nations are, in fact, omens of that ultimate Judgment when the Books shall be opened and the Judgment of the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11 ff) shall occur. It was true of the flood, of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, of the fall of Tyre, and of Sidon, of Moab, Ammon, Edom. Gaza, Damascus, Israel (Samaria), and of Judah. The first two chapters of Amos record eight of those judgments. The fall of Nineveh and Babylon are others; and many of the judgments upon wicked cities in the current dispensation of God's grace may also be considered as prophecies of the ultimate Judgment before Christ seated upon the Throne of Glory (Matthew 25). Certainly, the fall of Jerusalem, Rome, and Berlin must be viewed as further examples of the same truth. "Amos first mentioned that, `the end is come,' (Amos 8:2); and from him this phrase came to be associated with eschatological times."[7]"Thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee ..." (Ezekiel 7:4). The meaning here is that, "The people will reap what they have sown, and their sins shall be recognized in their punishment."[8]Verse 5 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: An evil, an only evil; behold, it cometh. An end is come, the end has come; it awaketh against thee; behold, it cometh. Thy doom is come unto thee, O inhabitant of the land: the time is come, the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting, upon the mountains. Now will I shortly pour out my wrath upon thee, and accomplish mine anger against thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways; and I will bring upon thee all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will bring upon thee according to thy ways; and all thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, do smite."TROUBLE UPON TOP OF TROUBLE FOR SINNERSEze_7:8-9 here are almost a verbatim repetition of Eze 7:3-4. "An evil, an only evil ..." (Ezekiel 7:5). "This means an evil without precedent or parallel."[9]"It waketh for thee ..." (Ezekiel 7:6). The judgment against Israel is here personified, "as long slumbering, but now awake."[10] The same personification of judgment is also found in 2 Peter 2:3. A day of tumult, and not a day of joyful shouting upon the mountains. The popular idea of `The Day of the Lord' envisioned it as a time when God would suddenly appear and kill all of the enemies of Israel and turn the whole world over to them. Amos did his best to dispel that false view (Amos 5:18), but the idea persisted until the times of Ezekiel. What the prophet says here is that the day of the Lord will be filled, not with joyful shoutings of the harvesters, but with the screams of terror from the triumph of their enemies. The true picture of that day is given in Revelation 6:14-17. "I, Jehovah, do smite ..." (Ezekiel 7:9). The Jews knew many hyphenated words for God, such as Jehovah-jireh (God will provide), Jehovah-nissi (The Lord is my banner), etc.; but it must have struck them with peculiar shock here that Ezekiel calls him Jehovah-makkeh (Jehovah will destroy, or smite). Verse 10 "Behold, the day, behold, it cometh: thy doom is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded. Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth; neither shall there be eminency among them."AN OMEN OF THE FINAL Some have interpreted "the rod of wickedness" here as the avenging power of Babylon; but Cook stated that, "The prophet here has Israel in mind, not Babylon."[11]"Behold, the day, behold, it cometh" (Ezekiel 7:10). It is truly remarkable how all of the prophets of the Old Testament, in their writings of judgments that would come upon various peoples, always spoke of them as culminating in `a day!' "They saw in all calamities an ever-recurring omen of that day in which earth's story would be judged as a whole. To us, as to them, all sufferings for wickedness are foretokens of that last day when the fire shall try every man's work."[12]Verse 12 "The time is come, the day draweth nigh: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they be yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, none shall escape; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life." SHALL CEASEThis stresses the uselessness and futility of all buying and selling. "The whole multitude," the whole nation of Israel is doomed to the triple disasters of sword, pestilence, and famine that will leave only a remnant; and they shall be scattered to the winds. Some have supposed that the reference to the buyer is made with respect to the approaching year of jubilee; but Cook stated that, "There is no evidence in the times of Ezekiel that the year of jubilee any longer existed as a social institution."[13] What is meant was stated by Jamieson, namely, that neither the buyer nor the seller will any longer have a claim upon any part of the land; all of it will belong to the Chaldeans.[14]Verse 14 "They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but none goeth forth to battle; for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine are within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, pestilence and famine shall devour him. But those of them that escape shall escape, and shall be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, every one in his iniquity. All the hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads."THE OF JUDAH'S POWERThe trumpet would indeed sound; but it would not be for a year of jubilee, but for the onset of devastating war. The people, absolutely powerless because of their guilt and debaucheries would not be able to answer the call to defend the city. "The three scourges mentioned by Jeremiah, sword, pestilence and famine (Jeremiah 14:18) are here seen as divided between the city and the countryside";[15] but there can be no doubt whatever that all of them were also operative within the city itself. "Like doves in the valleys ..." (Ezekiel 7:16). "As doves moan lamentably when driven through fear from their nesting places, so shall the remnant of Israel who escape death moan in the land of their exile."[16]"All knees ... weak as water ..." (Ezekiel 7:17). "This expression is unique to Ezekiel, and we shall meet it again in 21:7. The thought is paralleled in Isaiah 13:7 and in Jeremiah 6:24."[17] It just means that all of the strength of the once mighty people has been sinned away. They are now powerless before their enemies. Verse 19 "They shall cast their silver in their streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it hath been the stumbling-block of their iniquity. As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it unto them as an unclean thing. And I will give it into the hands of strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it. My face will I turn also from them, and they shall profane my secret place; and robbers shall enter into it and profane it."STORED-UP WEALTH WILL BE UNABLE TO DELIVER THEMThe absolute worthlessness of all earthly valuables in a situation where one is confronted with the judgment of God is dramatically set forth here. Keil pointed out that the passage here "is reminiscent of Zep 1:8,"[18] a passage describing the Final Judgment. "Silver and gold, nor any other wealth, can save us in the day of Jehovah's anger."[19]"Their beautiful ornament ..." (Ezekiel 7:20). "This is a reference to the silver and gold already mentioned."[20] It was a stumblingblock to them, leading them into iniquity. They used the gold to minister to their pride and to make the images of their abominations. "My secret place (or my precious place, as in NEB) ..." (Ezekiel 7:22). "This is a reference to the Temple."[21]Verse 23 "Make the chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. Wherefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they shall possess their houses: because I will also make the pride of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be profaned. Destruction cometh, and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumor shall be upon rumor; and they shall seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."DISMAY AND DESPAIR SHALL COME TO ALL CLASSES"Make the chain ..." (Ezekiel 7:23). May stated that this clause, "gives little sense";[22] but to us the message is clear enough. It means get the chains ready, the surviving citizens of Judah are to be deported to Babylon! "The worst of the nations ..." (Ezekiel 7:24). Canon Cook called this a "designation of the Chaldeans."[23]Watts has this comment on the Chaldeans. Events of our own generation reveal that invading armies produce outrages on persons, the waste of stores of food, the outbreak of epidemic diseases; and the unearthed Assyrian sculptures prove that all such calamities were still more hideously the product of the Chaldean armies. They spared neither age nor sex; they burned up crops, destroyed stores of grain that they could not carry off, leaving behind an impoverished and depressed population, among whom pestilence and famine would tend to further death.[24]"They shall seek peace, and there shall be none ..." (Ezekiel 7:25). We think this is probably a reference to the Israelites seeking favorable terms of surrender to Nebuchadnezzar; but he insisted upon the total rain and destruction of the city. Plumptre suggested this as one of the possible meanings of the verse.[25]"The prophet ... the priest ... and the elders ..." (Ezekiel 7:26). "There is a threefold division of the people religiously in this verse";[26] and these give the three sources from whom the people should have been able to receive religious guidance and counsel; but the thought here is that every avenue of spiritual help was closed. "A world which has turned its back upon the source from which it derives its life (as Israel had done) is on the very brink of min."[27]"The people of the land ..." (Ezekiel 7:27) This is an expression often used in the Old Testament for the landed gentry; but Brace tells us that, "Here the phrase is used of the common people as distinguished from the king and the princes, the priests and the prophets, the principal divisions of the `establishment.'"[28] The thought is that all classes of society are depressed and dismayed by the impending disaster. Ezekiel 7:1. Moreover occurs frequently in the Authorized Version but seldom has any word in the original; whenever it does, it means “ a repetition or continuance." It is a writer’ s casual way of saying he has something more to say. Ezekiel 7:2. Land is from a word that means literally the soil, but the application is to the people who inhabit it. It is a common way of referring to a land or country when the writer really means the people. It is true that if physical damage should be brought upon the soil it would bo a misfortune to the people who depend on it for a living. To threaten an end to the land means the end of its pro-ductiveness for the inhabitants. Such a fate awaited the land of Israel, for it was to he taken over by a foreign nation. Four corners is a figure of speech meaning the entire area. Ezekiel 7:3. The antecedent of thee is "land" in the preceding verse. The application of the judgments upon Ihe land also is explained in that verse. Recompense . . . thine abominations means the land was to be treated according to the abominable practices that it had harbored or encouraged. Ezekiel 7:4. The immediate purpose of most of the judgments upon Israel was to convince them that I am- the Lord. The reason this was the outstanding issue was the national sin of Idolatry of which the people of God were guilty. If they are impressed with the fundamental fact that God is the only true One, the conclusion would be established that idolatry is wrong in every particular. Ezekiel 7:5. Only is from cciiad which Strong defines, "Properly united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first.” Evil does not mean moral wrong, but some kind of adversity. The verse means that one great calamity was at hand, which we are to understand was the destruction of Jerusalem and the complete subjugation of Judah. Ezekiel 7:6, It is come signifies the same thought as the preceding verse does; that the final downfall of the nation was about due. Ezekiel 7:7. Usually the word morning when used figuratively means something favorable; that a new day has come. But in the present case it is an unfavorable term because it signifies that the day of trouble had dawned. Sounding again is from one word and is defined "a shout” in Strong’ s lexicon. The thought is that no shouts of joy will be heard on the mountains, for it is to be a lime of trouble. Ezekiel 7:8. Shortly pour out was a literal prediction, referring to the destruction of Jerusalem at the 3rd and final stage of the captivity. Ezekiel 7:9. Eye shall not . . . have pity sounds harsh, but it refers to the just penalty about to be imposed upon Judah in the loss of her capita! city. That which wiil make It just is the fact that it was called for by their ways of iniquity. Ezekiel 7:10. These terms are all used figuratively and denote the same thought as tiiat in ihe preceding verse; namely, the final overthrow of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 7:11. Rod means a ruling influence, and violence had become the ruling element in the nation. This was chiefly because the ruling or leading classes of men had become vio-lently corrupt in their practices. Ezekiel 7:12-13. Transactions In real estate will not be important, whether a buyer thinks he has obtained a bargain or a seller imagines he had to sell at a sacrifice. The foreign nation will have charge of the land and no deals will be of any iorce. Ezekiel 7:14. when a movement was about to be made in ancient times a trumpet was sounded as a signal to ail interested parties. (Jeremiah 6:1.) The people in Jerusalem were theoretically ready to travel yet no one was disposed to face the foe. The wrath of God was very much In evidence by the presence of the invading army, or at least by indications that it would be present at any time. They would be forced to flee for refuge to places of safety among the mountains. Their mournful state is likened to that of a, dove whose characteristic cry is known to all. But the bewailing of the people of Judah was to be embittered by the knowledge that it was for their own sins. Ezekiel 7:15. The sword was that of the Babylonians that was to hem the city of Jerusalem by a siege. That would throw the inhabitants into the grip of famine which usually causes a pestilence because of undernourishment, Ezekiel 7:16. A number would be able to escape, both of those in the city and also of the ones scattered out over the open country. However, to escape the contact with the sword would not mean complete satisfaction. Ezekiel 7:17. This weakness would be the mental reaction from the distressful situation. It would be the sadness of defeatism and loss of morale. Ezekiel 7:18, This verse is another reminder of David'B prediction in Psalms 137. Ezekiel 7:19, When the people of Judah find themselves captured by the army of Babylon, they will realize that all of their wealth will avail them nothing. It will be impossible to buy their freedom and hence they might as well cast their money to the ground. The thing that caused the downfall of the people was the worship of idols, Many of them were made of silver and gold, hence they need not count on purchasing their deliverance with this corrupting material. Ezekiel 7:20. God had given his people one of the most beautiful temples ever possessed by any nation. The majesty of the Lord was in evidence all through the structure and the whole setup was adapted to the worship of the true God. But the people corrupted the holy building with the images of their abominations which they used in their practices of idolatry. Therefore . . . far from them. This beautiful building that had been blessed with the glory of the Lord was to be taken from them. Ezekiel 7:21. The temple was to be given into the hands of strangers (the Babylonians), and they shall pollute it (2 Kings 25:9). Ezekiel 7:22. God was to turn his face away from his unfaithful people and the holy temple that He had placed among them. They (the Babylonians) would be suffered to enter t.he place where only high priests ever entered and that on only one day a year. Ezekiel 7:23. Make a chain was a prediction of the enslavement of the people by a foreign nation. It. would be as a punishment for the violence and other crimes committed in the land and city. Ezekiel 7:24. Worst of the heathen. The first word is defined in the lexicon as meaning bad either naturally or morally. Both phases of the meaning could properly be applied to the Babylonians, and they were the ones whom the Lord was bringing against his own people. Make pomp to cease refers to the proud leaders in Judah who were destined to be humiliated by the captivity. Ezekiel 7:25. When the Lord decrees a state of trouble for unfaithful servants, it is then too late to seek for peace or any opportunity of avoiding the chastisement. Ezekiel 7:26, In their time of trouble the people would gladly have received some Instruction and consolation from the teachers. It will be too late then, for even the priests and prophets had been corrupt, and God will not honor them with any vision. Ezekiel 7:27. The king and priests and prophets, also the people in general will all be rejected by the Lord because they all have conspired against Him. (See Jeremiah 5:31.) All of this was to come upon the people according to their deserts. Ezekiel 8 OF In chs 8-11 Ezekiel recounts a new series of visions. The purpose of these visions is to show that the divine judgments against Judah were justified. A year and two months have elapsed since the call vision (cf. Ezekiel 1:3 and Ezekiel 8:1). At the time this series of visions was received, Ezekiel was in the 420th day of his symbolic siege of Jerusalem. He was at this time lying on his right side depicting the judgment for Judah’ s iniquity (cf. Ezekiel 4:6). These visions of Jerusalem’ s judgment were most appropriate at this time. This section of the book can be divided into three major units: (1) the degradation of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8:1-18); (2) the destruction by the Lord (Ezekiel 9:1 to Ezekiel 10:22); and (3) the declarations by the prophet (Ezekiel 11:1-25). In ch 8, after describing his visionary transmigration to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8:1-4), Ezekiel relates the terrible abominations that were being practiced in the holy city (Ezekiel 8:5-16). He concludes this section with a brief announcement of judgment (Ezekiel 8:17-18).ASCENT OF THE PROPHETEze_8:1-4A Vision of God (Ezekiel 8:1-2) Circumstances of the vision (Ezekiel 8:1): It came to pass in the sixth year, inthe sixth month, in the fifth day of the month when I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. At the time Ezekiel received these visions, a company of elders of Judah was sitting before him. Apparently these leaders had retained their rank and prestige in the exilic community. They were sitting before Ezekiel as his students. Perhaps they had come specifically to inquire about the state of affairs in the homeland. The initial rejection that Ezekiel met seems now to have given way to respect, at least among these elders. His antics of the previous year were fascinating. Auditors were drawn as by a magnet to Ezekiel’ s house. Perhaps these men had been coming for months. During the course of the prophetic lesson, the hand of the Lord fell upon Ezekiel. The verb fell, used only here, marks the suddenness and power of the experience on this occasion. Focus of the vision (Ezekiel 8:2): I saw, and behold the likeness of the appearance of a fire; from the appearance of his loins and downward-fire; and from his loins and upward like the appearance of brightness, like the luster of glowing metal. In his trance-like state, Ezekiel saw again the divine person who had appeared to him initially atop the heavenly throne-chariot. In the present passage, Ezekiel has taken a step back from anthropomorphism of Eze 1:26-27 by focusing only on the dazzling appearance of fire and hasmal that characterized the lower and upper parts of the visionary body. The glory of the Lord is seen now in the glow of fire, without the milder, more hopeful brightness of the rainbow mentioned in Ezekiel 1:28. The cherubim are absent in the present vision. What Ezekiel sees is but a likeness of the ineffable glory, an image of the Unseen.Transmigration to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8:3-4) Description of the transmigration (Ezekiel 8:3 a): He stretched forth the form of a hand, and took hold of me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me between earth and heaven, and brought me to Jerusalem in divine visions... Carefully avoiding anthropomorphism, the prophet describes how the divine figure put forth the form of a hand out of that blazing glory. Ezekiel felt as though he were being lifted up by a lock of his hair. At the same time, he felt the Spirit gently lifting him from the earth to mid-air. Both the hand and the Spirit are metaphors for him who can either be imagined nor described. The actions of the hand serve to underscore the reality of Ezekiel’ s feeling of physical removal from his home. No physical transmigration of Ezekiel to Jerusalem takes place in this passage. God, of course, could have transported Ezekiel to Jerusalem in the body. But the words in divine visions (lit., visions of God) prove that all that follows took place mentally. Further indication that these experiences were in the realm of the visional is found in the nature of what Ezekiel saw in Jerusalem— much of which cannot be taken literally— and by actions that hardly seem to be physically possible (e.g., Ezekiel 8:8). Thus Ezekiel was transported in spirit, not in body to Jerusalem. Destination of the transmigration (Ezekiel 8:3 b): unto the entrance of the gate of the inner court that faces north where the seat of the image of jealousy that causes jealousy was located. To understand the visions of ch 8, one must be familiar with the geography of the temple area. Solomon’ s temple stood on Mount Moriah, along with the royal palace complex. The temple had its own courtyard (called the inner court) as did the palace. But the entire complex of buildings on Mount Moriah was surrounded by a walled courtyard known as the great court or outer court. After his visionary transmigration, Ezekiel found himself in the familiar precincts of the Jerusalem temple. To be more precise, he was set down in the outer court in front of the northern gate that led to the inner court. This was one of the most conspicuous spots in the temple complex. Prior to the reforms of King Josiah, this had been the seat of the image of jealousy. This image may have been the graven image of Asherah that King Manasseh had erected (2 Kings 21:7). This image provoked God to jealousy because he alone is God (Exodus 20:1-3) and his name is Jealous. Discovery of the transmigration (Ezekiel 8:4): Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain. On the very spot where once the image of jealousy had stood, Ezekiel saw the glory of God. This is the same vision of God’ s presence that he had seen previously in the plain (Ezekiel 3:23) and at the river Kebar (Ezekiel 1 : Iff.). The idea is that the Lord already had deserted the holy of holies; but because of the reforms instituted by Josiah, the glory of God had not yet completely abandoned the temple. OF Eze_8:5-16 There are two views as to what Ezekiel is seeing in ch 8. Some think he is seeing what is going on in Jerusalem at that very moment. This means that various forms of public idolatry were being tolerated in Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah. The problem with this view is that no public apostasy during the reign of Zedekiah is attested in the books of Kings, Chronicles or Jeremiah. In fact, Jeremiah 44:18 seems totally incompatible with the notion that pagan practices had been officially introduced following Josiah’ s reformation. The decline after Josiah (Jeremiah 7:1-15), however, and the political pressures of those desperate days quite conceivably could have led to the adoption of such foreign religious practices. Another view is that ch 8 is a symbolic picture of the false beliefs that held sway in Jerusalem “ though they may have had only a restricted public expression." The four abominations here mentioned represent what is known to have been the false religious tendencies during the last century or so before the exile. According to this view, each of the abominations mentioned represents the religious deviations of a different section of the Jerusalem community. Whichever view regarding the abominations of ch 8 is correct, this much is certain: the holy city had been desecrated by the most reprehensible pagan abominations. The fact that Jeremiah did not inveigh so heavily against pagan influences in the temple should not cause scholars to question the evidence here. Ezekiel’ s account has the ring of sober reality. Robert Pfeiffer, himself a critical scholar, regards the temple visions as the most genuinely historical part of the book of Ezekiel. The Lord provided Ezekiel with a guided tour of the temple. He pointed out to the prophet four abominations: (1) the image of jealousy (Ezekiel 8:5-6); (2) the secret animal cult (Ezekiel 8:7-13); (3) the Tammuz cult (Ezekiel 8:14-15); and (4) the worship of the sun (Ezekiel 8:16). Image of Jealousy (Ezekiel 8:5-6) Location (Ezekiel 8:5): He said unto me, Son of man, set, I ask you, your eyes to the way of the north. Behold, north of the altar gate was this image of jealousy in the entrance. Ezekiel was told to look to a place outside the temple courtyard into the greater court. There he saw another image of jealousy. Such an image was an outrage. Israel’ s God was provoked by all images (Exodus 20:3-5). The presence of the image in the vicinity of the temple provoked the Lord to jealousy; i.e., the desire to vindicate his own exclusive rights. The image was associated with popular religion, for it was located outside the northern gate of the temple in the great public court. The old Canaanite paganism was flourishing in Jerusalem, though perhaps without official support. The image was probably the Canaanite goddess Asherah. It may be that they were thinking of this goddess as the wife of Yahweh. If so, the image of jealousy represents Canaanization of Israelite worship. This debased concept must have dominated the popular mind in Jerusalem, although the image had not been officially reinstated in the temple. Interrogation (Ezekiel 8:6 a): He said unto me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing? [Do you see] the great abominations that the house of Israel are doing here that I should go far away from my sanctuary? Divine interrogation called the prophet’ s attention to men worshiping before the image. Such practices justified, yea compelled, God’ s withdrawal from the temple. Declaration (8:6b): But you will yet see greater abominations. The image of jealousy was only the tip of the iceberg. Ezekiel would soon see worse things. Secret Animal Cult (Ezekiel 8:7-13): Instructions from the Lord (Ezekiel 8:7-9): He brought me unto the entrance of the court. I looked, and behold, a hole in the wall. (8) He said unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall. When I dug in the wall, behold, a door. (Ezekiel 8:9) He said unto me, Go in, and see the evil abominations that they are doing here. Ezekiel was now led onward, as through successive stages of an inferno of idolatry. He was first escorted through the door of the gate that opened from the inner to the outer court. This court was surrounded by chambers or cells (Jeremiah 35:4). There he discovered a hole in the outer wall of the temple (Ezekiel 8:7). This hole he was told to enlarge until he could crawl through it. Digging is still a metaphor for searching out the truth. Inside the side chambers of the temple, Ezekiel saw a door that was used by those who were involved in illicit worship (Ezekiel 8:8). The divine voice commanded Ezekiel to pass through the door so that he might observe firsthand the abominations secretly being practiced by the leaders of the nation (Ezekiel 8:9). Discovery by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 8:10-11) The images (Ezekiel 8:10): So I went in, and I saw. Behold, every form of creeping thing and detestable beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel were portrayed upon the wall round about. How shocked Ezekiel must have been when he walked through that door! The religious perversion was worse than he had ever imagined. Upon the walls of that chamber, the prophet saw the representation of all manner of creeping things (small animals) and beasts (larger domestic animals). The figures on the walls are said to be detestable either because they were animals declared to be unclean in Mosaic law, or because of the use to which they were being put as objects of veneration. It appears that some of the leaders of Judah had adopted the Egyptian custom of animal worship. Various Egyptian cults made idols of the cat, the crocodile, the hawk, the scarab beetle and other animals. This abomination may have come into Judah during the brief period when King Jehoiakim had been a vassal of Pharaoh Neco (608-605 B.C.). At the very time when Ezekiel is said to have had this vision, in Jerusalem King Zedekiah was making political overtures to Egypt. Perhaps this vision is setting forth the idea that some of Judah’ s leaders were looking to Egypt for spiritual and political support. Were the images literally upon the walls of the temple chambers? Probably not. The wall engravings were the outward symbols of the idol worship engraved upon the hearts and lives of the elders. The worshipers (Ezekiel 8:11): Standing before them were seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan was standing in their midst, each man with his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense was going up. Standing before the engraved images were seventy elders of the nation. The figure seventy is probably to be understood in contrast to the twenty-five of v 16. Perhaps both figures are to be taken symbolically. Virtually all the elders were involved in this idolatry, whereas a smaller percentage of the priests had taken the final plunge into apostasy in v 16. The seventy are probably not to be understood as any official governing body. Acting as their own priests, these leaders were offering to those pictorial gods the incense that none but the sons of Aaron were to offer, and that none but Yahweh was to receive. Jaazaniah is singled out for special mention because of the prominence of his family. He was the son of Shaphan, the scribe who played such an influential role in the reform efforts of Josiah (2 Kings 22:10 f.). Jaazaniah must have been the proverbial black sheep of this otherwise godly family (Ezekiel 8:11). In the actions of the seventy elders, there is a combination of “ secrecy and despair.” These men were ashamed openly to go back on the covenant made under Josiah; but they had opened their hearts to the idolatries and memories of the past. They were not successful in hiding their abominations. Five hundred miles away, Ezekiel knew what they were doing. Revelation by the Lord (Ezekiel 8:12-13) A question (Ezekiel 8:12 a): He said unto me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each in his chamber of imagery? The tour of the inner temple chambers ended with a question and a declaration by the Lord. To underscore the tragedy of this scene, the Lord asked the prophet if he had observed what was taking place in those private chambers. Two additional details are added in Ezekiel 8:12. The elders were practicing the pagan rites in the darkness. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the pagan rites were being performed individually, as well as collectively, by the elders, each in his chamber of imagery. Apparently each worshiper had his own private cubicle where the Egyptian rites were performed An explanation (Ezekiel 8:12 b): For they are saying, The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land. The Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, revealed to Ezekiel the inner attitudes of those apostate elders. They affirmed (in their heart, if not openly) that the Lord (Yahweh) did not see their actions. By this they meant either (1) that God was not omniscient; or, what is more likely, (2) that God was totally disinterested in the affairs of His people. The very name of their leader, Jaazaniah—the Lord is listening— should have warned them that God heard their blasphemous boasts. A declaration (Ezekiel 8:13): He said unto me, Again you will see yet greater abominations that they are doing. What was being done secretly, bad as it was, did not compare the abominations that were practiced openly. The apostate elders also held to the belief that the Lord has forsaken the land of Judah (Ezekiel 8:12). To them Yahweh was no more than a local deity who had abdicated. They were free to do as they pleased without fear. They saw in the tragedies that recently had befallen the land abundant proof that God had abandoned his people. Why continue to worship a God who will not care for his people? Such is the logic of the carnal mind. Sorrows should not cause a man to question whether God has forsaken him, but rather whether he has forsaken God. The first phase of Ezekiel’ s tour of the Jerusalem temple ended with the assurance that other abominations were yet to be observed (Ezekiel 8:13). Tammuz Cult (Ezekiel 8:14-15) Location (Ezekiel 8:14 a): He brought me unto the door of the gate of the house of the LORD that was upon the north; The prophet was next conducted into the inner court in front of the northern gate of the temple. Observation (Ezekiel 8:14 b): Behold, there the women were sitting weeping over Tammuz. Ezekiel observed a group of women weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14). This is the only reference to this ancient Babylonian cult in Palestine. Tammuz (or Dumuzi) was the son and/or lover of Ishtar. He was a vegetation god. A myth taught that he died and went to the nether world each fall, only to make his return to the land of the living in the spring. As the vegetation withered and rivers dried up, the annual death of Tammuz was lamented with public dirges. Women joined Ishtar in mourning her dead lover in the intense drought of summer. The fourth month of the Hebrew calendar bears the name Tammuz. Ezekiel’ s vision, it will be recalled, dates to mid-summer when Palestine is parched by the summer sun. Tammuz worship survived into the Middle Ages and vestiges of it can still be observed among the Yezidis of Kurdistan. Women seem to have led out in religious exercises in this period of biblical history. Women were the most conservative element in Oriental religious life. If the women of the nation had fallen into the cesspool of filthy idolatry and false theology, could there be any hope for the nation? Declaration (Ezekiel 8:15): He said unto me, Son of man, do you see this? You will again see yet greater abominations than these. As terrible as it was to find the women of Judah participating openly in such perverse practice, the prophet was still to observe greater abominations. Worship of the Sun(Ezekiel 8:16): Location (Ezekiel 8:16 a): He brought me unto the inner court of the house of the LORD. Behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar... In the final phase of his temple tour, Ezekiel was brought again into the inner court. This time, however, he was brought from the northern gate to the eastern side of the temple between the porch and the sacrificial altar. This was a sacred area to which only the priests had access. Observation (Ezekiel 8:16 b): [There] were about twenty-five men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east. They were worshiping the sun toward the east. Ezekiel discovered twenty-five men facing the rising sun and worshiping before it. Facing eastward, their backs were toward the temple of the Lord. This was not merely the debasing of Yahweh worship by linking it with pagan ritual. This was the outright rejection of Yahweh and the enthronement of the Babylonian god Shamash, the sun god. By their actions these men were proclaiming that the gods of Babylon had defeated Yahweh. The heavenly body that should have reflected the glory of God was actually detracting from his glory. That those participating in this sun worship were priests and/or Levites is reasonable to assume. In Ezekiel 9:6 they are called elders, so they must have held senior standing. Ezekiel estimated that about twenty-five were participating in the sunrise service. If there is any significance in this number, it may be as follows: twenty-four of the men may represent the twenty-four priestly courses (1 Chronicles 24:4-19) with the high priest at their head. The thrust of the passage is that apostasy prevailed in the ranks of the priesthood as well as among the tribal leaders and women. 1. OF Eze_8:17-18 The Human Provocations(Ezekiel 8:17) Ezekiel questioned (Ezekiel 8:17 a): He said unto me, Have you seen, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they are committing abominations that they have done here? Judah was ripe for judgment. The abominations practiced throughout the land were viewed by most as a light thing. But to the Lord they were a provocation. Do you see this, son of man? suggests that Ezekiel was a little uncertain in his own mind as to the necessity of the judgment that he had been preaching (cf. Jeremiah 5:1-3). Judah charged (Ezekiel 8:17 b): For they have filled the land with violence, and they have provoked me still more. Behold, they are putting the branch to their nose. The breakdown in devotion to God led to social chaos. The people had filled the land with violence. Proper theology must undergird proper morality. Such social injustice only provoked the Lord that much more. “ If the root of faith is severed, there can be no fruit of righteousness." Commentators vie with one another in the ingenuity with which they attempt to explain the charge that they are putting the branch to their nose (Ezekiel 8:17). Certainly some grossly offensive act is intended. Brownlee suggests that the branch was cedar, a symbol of immortality associated with Tammuz and Ishtar. Holding the cedar under the nose would be an effort to inhale the life­giving powers of the deity. Rabbinic tradition lists this phrase among the few deliberate emendations of the ancient scribes. The original reading was, “ They put the branch to my nose.” If this reading is correct, then thrusting the branch of cedar under Yahweh's nose identifies him openly and explicitly as the dying and reviving fertility god. Saggs offers another proposal. A bundle of Tamarisk branches was held up to the nose at daybreak, as hymns were sung to the rising sun. The Divine Wrath (Ezekiel 8:18): Therefore, also I will deal with them in fury; my eye will not have compassion, nor will I take pity. When they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them. On the basis of the evidence presented in ch 8, God had no alternative but to deal with these people in fury. Compassion for the nation was out of the question. Prayer will be useless. No matter how loudly they cried, He will not hear them (Ezekiel 8:18). The day of grace was over; the day of wrath had come. Ezekiel Chapter EightVerse 1 EZEKIEL'S `JOURNEY' TO (Ezekiel 8-11) Ezekiel's prophecy in these four chapters "form a connected whole."[1] (1) There is presented in chapter 8 a detail on the horrible defilement of God's temple by apostate Israel, which God forewarns will cause the removal of his presence from it (Ezekiel 8:6). (2) The supernatural ministers of instruments of Israel's punishment appear in Ezekiel 9. (3) The cherubim make preparatory movements to depart the Temple in Ezekiel 10; and (4) the actual departure of God's presence from the Temple occurs in Ezekiel 11:22-25. The one topic here is the defilement of the Temple and God's removal from it. THE TEMPLE DEFILED AND THE WARNING OF GOD'S REMOVAL OF HIS FROM ITGod revealed to Ezekiel the abominations and detestable things going on within the precincts of the sacred Temple itself. Some have mistakenly interpreted this chapter as a composite of all of the various idolatries practiced previously to the times of Ezekiel; but the better understanding of it indicates that all of the abominations and detestable things going on in this vision were actually being practiced in both the Temple and throughout Israel right up until the very capture and destruction of the city. Of course, there had been reforms under Josiah; but Jehoiachim had quickly restored all of the abominations of Manasseh's evil reign. It would frustrate the very purpose of the vision to apply it to Israel's past history and not the current conditions when the city fell. Ezekiel 8:1-4"And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord Jehovah fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and, lo, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins and downward, fire, and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glorying metal. And he put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoked to jealousy. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the image that I saw in the plain.""In the sixth year ..." (Ezekiel 8:1). "This date appears to be August-September, 592 B.C."[2] For a list of all the dates given in Ezekiel, see our introduction. Beasley-Murray calculated the interval from the first vision that came to Ezekiel at the river Chebar as "fourteen months";[3] however, Plumptre stated that it was only thirteen months.[4] There are too many uncertainties regarding ancient dates to leave much room for dogmatism. Cooke explains how these different calculations are made.[5]Moshe Greenberg, a very able scholar, has calculated that the long period when Ezekiel lay upon his side ended just "three weeks before the date given here."[6]"And the elders of Judah sat before me ..." (Ezekiel 8:2). "This indicates that Ezekiel did indeed have a certain amount of prestige with the exiles. Here he sits in his own home, and before him the elders of Judah have come apparently for counsel and information."[7]Watts has outlined what he believed to be the reason for this visit of the elders to Ezekiel. Ezekiel's prophecies had reached Jerusalem, leading to the outright despisal of all the exiles. The exiles were separated from the privileges of the Temple; the remainder of the people in Jerusalem told the exiles to forget about their confiscated property which then belonged to the remnant in Jerusalem, who in their own estimation were the favored of the Lord (11:15). This arrogant attitude of the citizens of Jerusalem had reached the exiles, who were grieved and distressed by it. Therefore they presented themselves before the prophet Ezekiel to learn what he had to say about the situation.[8]"A likeness as of the appearance of fire ..." (Ezekiel 8:3). Although the word "man" does not appear in this text, it is clearly a human figure in the vision, as indicated by the mention of the likeness of a hand, and of "his loins." This is what the marginal reference here has, "the appearance of a man enthroned," of course, a representation of God Himself. "In the visions of God ..." (Ezekiel 8:3). All of the things mentioned here were seen "in this vision." Ezekiel was not bodily transported to Jerusalem. His vision was possibly like that of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, where it is recorded that the apostle was caught up into the third heaven, "whether in the body or out of the body," he did not know. Apparently the elders of Judah were in Ezekiel's house when this vision occurred to him, and presumably they were there when it ended, and Ezekiel explained it to them. "The image of jealousy ..." (Ezekiel 8:3). We do not know exactly what that image was; but it makes no difference. Any image whatever would have served to provoke God to jealousy over his apostate people. It was here called "the image of jealousy," because of God's reaction to it. "Behold, the glory of the God of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 8:4). How surprising it is that the image of God's glory Should have been visible at all in the Temple. It is a comment upon the mercy and forbearance of God that even at this late date and in spite of the horrible apostasy of the rebellious people, God still allowed this image of himself to appear in the house dedicated to his name. There are four abominations mentioned in the balance of the chapter, where they appear in an ascending order of offensiveness to God. Verse 5 "Then said he unto me, Son of man, Lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entrance. And he said unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But thou shalt see yet again other abominations."THE IMAGE OF "The image of jealousy in the entrance ..." (Ezekiel 8:5). There are almost as many guesses as to the identity of this idol as there are authors discussing it; but we should not overlook the fact that the identity of the idol is immaterial. Any idol, made contrary to the Mosaic Law was offensive to God; and the placement of such an abomination within the sacred precincts of the Temple itself was an outrageous desecration. The guess as to the idol's identity which is most popular among the writers we have consulted is that it was an idol with an altar to the Ashera, Ashteroth, Astarte, or some other female fertility goddess of the ancient Canaanites. The worship of such idols was vile, licentious, depraved and disgusting. "That I should go far off from my sanctuary ..." (Ezekiel 8:6). A better rendition of this was given by Eichrodt. "They are committing great abominations here to drive me from my sanctuary."[9] God's removing his presence from the Jewish Temple is the principal theme of Ezekiel 8-11. Here the reason for that removal is clearly tied to the abominations practiced there by the apostate children of Israel. Verse 7 "And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold, a door. He said unto me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold, every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about. And there stood before them seventy men of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, every man with his censor in his hand; and the odor of the cloud of incense went up. Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark? every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land. He said also unto me, Thou shalt again see yet other great abominations which they do."THE WORSHIP OF BEASTS; AND THINGSThe best comment we have found on this is in Romans 1:22-23. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." That was Paul's comment on what took place among the pre-Christian Gentiles; and here we find that ancient Israel had fallen into the same wickedness. All of these animal figures, worshipped as idols, were derived from ancient Canaanite paganism, from Baylonian, and from Egyptian sources.[10]"Elders ... censors ... cloud of incense ..." (Ezekiel 8:11). It was unlawful for the elders to offer incense in the Temple, a function belonging only to the sons of Aaron; and even they were forbidden to offer the sacred incense to a pagan idol. "Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan ..." (Ezekiel 8:11). There were a number of men of this name in the Bible, and one of them had aided in the reforms of Josiah. If this was the same man, he had failed to remain loyal to the Lord. This vision of so many elders offering incense to pagan gods is thought by some to be a "Representation of the widespread guilt of the whole nation in their clandestine worship of pagan idols."[11] Nevertheless, it appears in this vision that the worship was taking place in the Temple. "The paganism visible in this vision does not appear to be any kind of blending of paganism with the true worship of God; but, on the other hand, "It was unalloyed idolatry practiced by the defectors from the true faith in God."[12]Verse 14 "Then he brought me to the door of Jehovah's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O Son of man? thou shalt again see yet greater abominations than these."THE WORSHIP OF "Behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz ..." (Ezekiel 8:14). The worship of this ancient god reaches back into antiquity as far as 3,000 B.C.; and it featured numerous combinations, contradictions and uncertainties. The cult apparently had its variations in several nations. Among the Greeks it was the worship of Adonis and Aphrodite; among the Egyptians it was known as the religion of Osiris and Isis; and in Babylon, it went under the names of Ishtar and Tammuz. Tammuz, a very attractive and beautiful shepherd was killed by a wild boar; and he was featured as the spouse of Ishtar, the sister of Ishtar, the son of Ishtar, or the lover of Ishtar. Upon his death, Ishtar (or Aphrodite, or whoever) went to the underworld to reclaim him from death. The period of mourning, usually forty days, ended with Tammuz' triumphant return to life. The mythological basis of this tale was the death of vegetation in winter and its return in spring. The time of celebrating his return was usually observed at the time of the summer solstice (June 21). Because of this the fourth Babvlonian month was named Tammuz, the name that was adopted into the Jewish calendar for their fourth month (June-July). Plumptre has commented upon the prominent part women had, especially in the corrupted worship of the Jews. They wove hangings for the worship of Ashera (2 Kings 23:7), and they also burned incense to the Queen of Heaven (Jeremiah 44:9; Jeremiah 15-19). "This goddess was probably Ashteroth."[13]The mourning period, whether long or short, was always followed by the most uninhibited, wildest celebration, amounting to as vulgar an orgy as could be imagined. "Human sacrifice, castration, sexual indulgence, etc. formed part of the rites."[14] The weeping women, gazing upon the naked statue of Tammuz (or Adonis), in time worked themselves into a frenzy of passionate desire. John Milton penned these lines regarding it. The love-tale infected Zion's daughters with like heat, Whose wanton passions in the sacred porch Ezekiel saw, when, by the vision led, His eyes surveyed the dark idolatries Of alienated Judah. - Paradise Lost, 1:446. Canon Cook stated that "The great popularity of this ancient cult rested in the fact that it inevitably led to unbridled license and excess."[15] Feinberg added that, "The worship of this god was connected with the basest immoralities. With the greatest abandon, women gave themselves up to the most shameful practices. Immorality and idolatry are inseparable twins throughout the history of the world."[16]One might have wondered if Ezekiel could have seen anything else more shameful than this group of women weeping for Tammuz; but Ezekiel 8:15 at once warned Ezekiel that "greater abominations than these" he would yet behold. (Note: we have not cited our source for every statement in this glimpse at the worship Tammuz; but we have given a composite of the opinions of F. C. Cook, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, C. L. Feinberg, Anton T. Pearson, G. A. Cooke, E. H. Plumptre, and others). Verse 16 "And he brought me into the inner court of Jehovah's house; and behold, at the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O Son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abomination which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in wrath; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them."WORSHIP OF THE SUN BY THE PRIESTSHere is the climax of the abominations witnessed by Ezekiel in the vision. The heads of the twenty-four courses of the sacred priesthood, led by the High priest, making up the "twenty five men" mentioned here, were not only worshipping the sun, but they were doing so in the very temple of God, with their backs turned upon the sacred temple of Jehovah! Keil pointed out that this was not the worship of Adonis, or any other sun-god, but, "The worship of the heavenly bodies, against which Moses had warned the people (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3)."[17]"They put the branch to the nose ..." (Ezekiel 8:17). "Assyrian reliefs identify this gesture as an act of reverence and worship."[18] "Sun worshippers held branches or bundles of twigs from certain trees to their mouth, that they might not contaminate the sun with their breath."[19] From this, it appears that the fallen Israelites had adopted sun-worship with all of its variations and embellishments. Cook understood Ezekiel's use of "nose" instead of "mouth" here as designed to represent the practice, "In contemptuous and derogatory terms."[20] "Many scholars favor the translation of this place as, `They send a stench to my nostrils.'"[21] Ezekiel 8:1. Sixth year is dated from the year that Jehoiachin was taken off his throne and taken to Babylon, at which time Ezekiel also was taken. According to Ezekiel 1:2-3 Ezekiel began his writing after he had been in Babylon five years, hence the present chapter was written after he had heen there six years, Elders comes from ZAQEN and Strong defines it with the single word ''old." The elders among the Jews is a term that has an indefinite meaning. The original law of Moses makes no provision for them as an official or ruling class, but later they became a very influential group. Sometimes the word is used with ref-erence to age and at other times it refers to the leaders or representative men. The context must determine the meaning of the word in each case. Ezekiel was about to be given an important communication from the Lord and he was sitting in the presence of these elders. Though they were in the land of captivity, they had not lost their "seniority” among the Jews. Hand , . . fell upon me means that God took charge of the prophet to display before him a vision concerning the people of Judah. Ezekiel 8:2. God never appears In person before fleshly man, but doeB the work through a spiritual representative, Such a personage was sent to Ezekiel for the momentous occasion at hand. (See a similar incident in Revelation 1:14-15.) Ezekiel 8:3, Spirit lifted me up and in the Visions are important keys to the meaning of this verse. By them the reader will understand that Ezekiel never actually left Babylon at all, and this most be constantly kept in mind or great confusion will result. The prophet saw the things described in a vision right while he was bodily in Babylon, in the same manner in which John saw things in Heaven while he was bodily in the Isle of Patmos. Image of jealousy means an idol, and it is called by this name in the sense of Exo 20:5, where God forbade the making of any image to worship because He was a jealous God. Ezekiel 8:4, God’ s glory would certainly be inside the gate of Jerusalem since that was the capital of the nation that belonged to Him. In the plain refers to the events described in chapter 3: 22. Ezekiel 8:5. The idolatry of ancient times consisted of three principal forms, and all objects of false worship were under one or more of the three. One was the worship of manmade idols, another was the worship of invisible or imaginary beings, and the third was that of things in creation. The first were made of metals, wood and stone; the second consisted of such as Baal, Ashtoreth, Tamrauz, etc., and the third included animals, rivers, living trees, and planets . Our present chapter exhibits the three forms, and this and the preceding two verses include the first form. Ezekiel 8:6. Ezekiel had never manifested any tendency toward idolatry, and the vision which the Lord was showing to him was not for his personal benefit. But he was expected to report the scenes to his fellow countrymen and write them for the information of mankind in following generations. (The same was true of John and the book of Revelation.) That I should go far off means that God was deserting the bouse which bis people had polluted with their idols. Ezekiel 8:7, The three forms of idolatry described at verse 6 are riot treated in the same order in this chapter, which is no important item. Their description is the main thing because no special preference was observed by the idolaters. Having pointed out the first one described, in verse 5, the third one will come next in the chapter beginning with the present verse. Hole is from OHOR which Strong defines, "A cavity, socket, den.” This was a place in the wall through which one coutd see but not intended as an opening for entrance. Ezekiel 8:8. Dig is from chathar and is defined by Strong, *'A primitive root; to force a passage, as by burglary." When Ezekiel was brought to where he could see the hole or cavity mentioned in the preceding verse, lie was told to force his way through the wall. When he did this he was brought into sight of a door. Ezekiel 8:9, The door proved to he an entrance to an apartment containing abominations that they do here, a detestable exhibition of the unlawful worship. Ezekiel 8:10, The aforesaid abominations consisted of pictures or drawings on the walls of the apartment. These portrayals were general and included living creatures which were worshiped, as well as the other idols of the house of Israel. Ezekiel 8:11. Ancients is from the same original word as "elders" in verse 1, and the reader is requested to see the comments at that place. There were 70 of these men including Jaazaniah, who was a prominent man, and these were engaged in burning incense to their idols. Ezekiel 8:12. Despite the foolish example of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3; Genesis 8), and ignoring the clear declarations of David in Psalms 139:7-12, these corrupt elders thought they could find a material hiding place for their idolatrous practices. The Lord had indeed forsaken the place as far as any endorsement was concerned, but that, did not mean sueh a place would escape the all-seeing eye of Him. Ezekiel 8:13. God wished Ezekiel to have a complete vision of the corrupt state of the people of Judah, In a few more yeara the temple was to be demolished by the Babylonians, and the prophet should be furnished with a detailed view of conditions that provoked the Jjord to deliver his people up to such a fate. Ezekiel 8:14. This verse presents another form of idolatry to which reference was made in the comments on verse 5, that of invisible gods. Ezekiel was taken to another spot where he saw women weeping: for Tammuz. Strong’ s definition of the last word is, "Of uncertain derivation; Tammuz, a Phoenician deity,” A marginal comment is some Bibles says, “ In a lewd and idolatrous manner, lamenting the death of Tammuz or Adonis, supposed to be Baalpeor.” This comment is supported by various works of reference that I have consulted among Which is Smith’ s Bible Dictionary, from which I shall make the following quotation: "Jerome identifies Tammuz with Adonis, of Grecian mythology, who was fabled to have lost his life while hunting, by a wound from the tusk of a wild boar. He was greatly beloved by the goddess Venus, who was inconsolable at his loss. . . A festival in honor of Adonis was celebrated at Byblus in Phoenicia and in most of the Grecian cities, and even by the Jews when they degenerated into idolatry. It took place in July, and was accompanied by obscene rites.” Much of the information on this point is drawn from mythology but. It is evident that the verse deals with the case of idolatry designated at the beginning of this paragraph. Ezekiel 8:15. The prophet is informed that he is yet to see another display of idolatry being practiced by the peopie of Judea. Ezekiel 8:16. This verse includes an item on sun worship, which is one of the three forms of idolatry mentioned in the comments on verse 5. The sun is an object of creation and is in the same class as the planets and other things of nature that were worshiped as gods first by the heathen, then by the Jews. Backs toward the temple was an insult to the Lord, for it was an attitude in which these men turned from the true God and gave their homage toward the east where they would see the sun. Ezekiel 8:17. Having given Ezekiel a full and detailed vision of the evil conditions in Judah, the Lord "puts it up to him" to form a conclusion on the subject. However, God states his own conclusion and affirms (in question form) that what Judah is doing is no light thing— it is not something to be regarded lightly. Certain trees were considered sacred by idolaters, and these corrupt men of Judah were showing their insolent contempt for the true God by exhibiting a desire to smell of such trees in connection with their worship of the sun. Ezekiel 8:18. This verse adds nothing new to the threats that God had previously made against his people. It is a summing up of the conclusions already formed and uttered with the emphasis that is implied in such a frequent repetition. Ezekiel 9 IN The visions that are recorded in chs 9-10 follow logically the terrible indictment of the previous chapter. A four-fold development is evident in the visions at this point: Ezekiel first sees Jerusalem (1) destroyed by slaughter (Ezekiel 9:1-11), and then (2) by fire (Ezekiel 10:1-8). His attention is then drawn again (3) to the divine throne- chariot (Ezekiel 10:9-17), and finally (4) to the departure of the divine presence from the Jerusalem temple (Ezekiel 10:18­ 22). Whereas the vision in ch 8 was symbolically descriptive, the one in ch 9 is symbolically predictive. Here Ezekiel saw in dreadful symbolic detail what was to befall Jerusalem six years later in the catastrophe of 586 B.C. THE AGENTS Eze_9:1-2 The Summons (Ezekiel 9:1): A great voice called in my ears, saying, Bring nigh the overseers of the city, each one with his weapon of destruction in his hand. The prophet’ s attention was first attracted to a loud voice summoning the divinely appointed executioners to discharge their duty. The voice came from the human form (seen as a theophany) in the midst of the divine glory. Each of these agents of judgment was to come prepared for the dreadful deed with a weapon of destruction in his hand.The Response (Ezekiel 9:2) Six executioners (Ezekiel 9:2 a): Behold, six men were coming from the way of the upper gate that faced northward, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand. Six men answered the summons. Jewish tradition is probably correct in identifying these men as angels. These angels symbolized the armies of Babylon that will crush Jerusalem. Therefore, they came from the north, the usual attack route against Jerusalem. Each angelic agent carried a weapon of destruction in his hand (v 2). The Hebrew word implies an instrument used for crushing into fragments. Probably a battle-ax or mace is intended. The seventh agent (Ezekiel 9:2 b): One man was among them clothed in linen, with a scribe’ s writing case at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar. A seventh angelic agent was in the midst of the first six. He was clothed in linen, the material used for priestly garments and for the clothing of others in authority. Daniel once encountered an angel wearing linen (Daniel 10:5 f.). Hence white linen is the apparel of the hosts of heaven as well as priests on earth. The material is probably intended to symbolize purity. This angel of mercy had a scribe’ s writing case (not an inkhorn as in KJV) at his side (Ezekiel 9:2). A scribe carried his pens and receptacle for mixing ink in a case. Sometimes these cases were made of silver. They were elaborately and beautifully engraved. Most writing at this time was done with a reed pen on papyrus or parchment. All seven angelic agents of God entered the temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar (Ezekiel 9:2). Both judgment and salvation proceed from the altar of God. The angels are seven in number because that is the number of perfection or completeness throughout the Bible. AGENT OF MERCY Eze_9:3-4 The Commissioner (Ezekiel 9:3): The glory of the God of Israel was going up from upon the cherub that was over it unto the threshold of the house. He called unto the man clothed in linen who had the scribe’ s writing case at his side. Ezekiel next saw the glory of God move from over the cherubim in the holy of holies. In the Old Testament, God is said to be enthroned above the cherubim that were molded over the ark. The glory of God moved over the threshold of the house as if to direct the action of the seven angels. The Lord first dispatched the man clothed in linen who carried the scribe’ s writing case. The Commission (Ezekiel 9:4): The LORD said unto him, Pass over in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the brows of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst of her. The heavenly scribe was told to place a mark upon the brows of all the men of Jerusalem who sigh and cry over all the idolatrous practices done in the city (Ezekiel 9:4). How many concerned citizens there may have been cannot be determined. However, six angelic agents were needed to execute the act of judgment, while only one was needed to administer the mark of salvation. Conditions were so terrible in Jerusalem at this time that those who were faithful to the worship of Yahweh could only show their faithfulness by lamentation over the national apostasy. The mark to be placed on the brow of the faithful was a tav, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In ancient Hebrew script the letter tav was shaped like an X. As early as the church father Origen, the significance of this was noted. Those who were saved bore the sign of the cross. Is this a mere coincidence? Or was Ezekiel seeing something far more profound than he could ever have imagined? This passage is the background for the scene in Revelation 14:1 where the redeemed wear the name of Christ on their foreheads. OF THE AGENTSEze_9:5-7 The Commission (Ezekiel 9:5-6 a): To these others He said in my hearing, Pass over in the city after him and smite; do not let your eyes look with compassion, and do not have pity. (6) Slay utterly old, young man, maiden, child and women; but do not approach any man who has the mark upon him; The six executioners were to follow the angel of mercy through the city. They were to deal a deadly blow to all who did not bear the mark (tav) upon their foreheads. They were to exercise absolutely no compassion (v 5). All segments of the population were to experience the judgment— old and young, male and female. Only those with the seal of salvation were to be spared. The Commencement(Ezekiel 9:6 b-7a) At the sanctuary (9:6b): and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began with the elders who were before the house. (7) He said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with slain; The judgment was to begin at my sanctuary. The elders who had turned their backs upon the temple to perform the rites of Shamash the sun god (8:11) were to be the first to experience the wrath of God. It is fitting that the punishment should commence in the spot where the guilt had culminated. The temple was intended to be a place of refuge from violence. Now, however, the God of that temple ordered the courts to be defiled with the bleeding corpses of those who had polluted that place with idolatrous rites. In the city (Ezekiel 9:7 b): go forth, and they went forth and smote in the city. The final order was given: Go forth. The six executioners obediently began their dreadful mission. A PRAYER OF Eze_9:8-10 The Prayer Presented (Ezekiel 9:8): It came to pass when they were smiting and I was left, that I fell upon my face and cried out, and said, Ah Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel when you pour out your wrath upon Jerusalem? Ezekiel was not a passive witness in this visionary experience. He saw the slain falling all about him in the temple courtyard. At last only the angels of judgment and the prophet were left in that spot. As the executioners turned about to carry the slaughter into the rest of the city, Ezekiel fell on his face in mighty intercessory prayer. Ah, Lord God! he cried in desperation. Anxiously he asked the Lord if he would completely destroy the remnant of Israel in this outpouring of divine wrath. Northern Israel had fallen in 722 B.C. Her citizens had been dispersed throughout the length and breadth of the Assyrian empire. Several thousand of the inhabitants of Judah already had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar in the deportations of 605 and 597 B.C. Now Ezekiel asks if the remaining people of God will also be wiped out. The question is in reality an oblique request that God spare what was left of the once proud nation of Israel.266The Prayer Answered (Ezekiel 9:9-10) Reaffirmation of corruption (Ezekiel 9:9): The sovereign God is not compelled to justify his actions to man. It is a pure act of grace when he chooses to do so. Here the Lord cites four reasons why the destruction of the state of Judah was an absolute necessity. Great wickedness (Ezekiel 9:9 a): He said unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great... God declared that the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great (Ezekiel 9:9). The evil had gone too far. The coupling of the names Israel and Judah is significant. That which justified the yet future destruction of Judah also justified the past judgment against Israel. Widespread bloodshed (Ezekiel 9:9 b): and the land is filled with blood. The land of Judah was full of blood, i.e., the violence that leads to bloodshed. No doubt the reference is to the mistreatment of the poor and helpless. Perverted judgment (Ezekiel 9:9 c): The city is full of perversion... Jerusalem was full of perversion (mutteh), i.e., the wresting of judgment. The miscarriage of justice probably led to the bloodshed mentioned above. To Ezekiel, social evils were merely the by-product of a wrong relationship between God and man. Fading faith (Ezekiel 9:9 d): for they say, The LORD has forsaken the land! The LORD does not see! The people of Judah had lost confidence in the Lord. They had begun to utter blasphemous charges against him. The Lord has forsaken the land! The Lord does not see! A similar proverb is cited in Ezekiel 8:12. The faith of the people had been shaken by recent calamities because their faith was built upon a faulty theological foundation: They believed that prosperity was the reward for faithful religious ritual. Misfortune could only be interpreted in the light of the proposition that God was either powerless or pitiless. He either could not prevent what was happening, or else he simply did not care. Such is the logic of doubt. Reaffirmation of destruction (Ezekiel 9:10): As for me also, my eye will not have compassion, nor will I show pity. Their way I will bring upon their head. Because of all their sin, God will be forced to deal with his people in wrath. He could show no compassion or pity in dealing with these sinners lest his absolute holiness be called into question. He had no choice but to bring down their way upon their head, i.e., recompense them for their conduct. AN OMINOUS Eze_9:11 Behold the man clothed in linen who had the writer’ s case at his side, reported, saying, I have done as You commanded me. The vision concludes with the report of the agent of mercy. The blessed scribe had done his work. Those who truly had remained faithful to God in the midst of national corruption had been sealed with the sign of promise. In his despair, the prophet had forgotten about those who were to receive the mark upon their foreheads. They were the true remnant. In effect, God answered the intercessory prayer of Ezekiel by allowing him to overhear the report of the angel of mercy. The true Israel of God will in fact survive the calamity that was about to befall Jerusalem. Ezekiel Chapter NineVerse 1 THE WICKED SLAIN; THE SPAREDThis chapter continues the great theme of these four chapters by recording the first stage of the removal of God's presence (Ezekiel 9:3). Keil's divisions of the chapter are: (1) the supernatural executioners of Jerusalem are summoned (Ezekiel 9:1-3; (2) mercy is extended to the faithful (Ezekiel 9:4-7); and (3) Ezekiel's intercession cannot avail (Ezekiel 9:8-11).[1]THE Eze_9:1-3"Then he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause ye them that have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came by way of the upper gate, which lieth toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them, clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. And they went in and stood beside the brazen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house: and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer's inkhorn by his side.""This chapter is closely connected with the preceding, and carries expressly the threatening of Eze 8:18 into immediate action."[2]"Cause ye them that have charge over the city ..." (Ezekiel 9:1). These words need to carry a more ominous import; and Cooke translated this sentence, "Approach, ye executioners of the city."[3]"Six men ... and one man ..." (Ezekiel 9:2). It is ridiculous for men to suppose that there is any reference here to the pagan gods of the seven planets, or to the so-called Seven Arch-angels (there being only one archangel). "Seven is a perfect number, associated in Hebrew thought with 'completeness.'"[4] Clearly, the six men were supernatural beings, probably angels; because, in the New Testament, angels are always represented as aiding Christ in the execution of judgment. Also, the appearance of the seventh `man' with an inkhorn, his evident superiority over the six, and his having charge of marking the faithful, all suggest his identity as the pre-incarnated Christ. Feinberg noted that, "From his clothing and the nature of his work, it is to be inferred that the Chief of these six angels was the Angel of the Lord."[5] Keil disputed this, but he offered no better explanation. Furthermore, Keil admitted the superior rank of the seventh man; and that fact alone identifies him as a member of the godhead, there being no one else, as far as we know, who is any higher than the angels. "These seven are an overwhelming embodiment of the Divine will, in the face of which humanity is helpless."[6]No details of the actual destruction of Jerusalem are included here. None are needed. God decreed it, and it happened! Just exactly how it happened doesn't really matter. The supernatural nature of these six made them more powerful and formidable than all of the greatest armies on earth combined into a single force. "And stood beside the brazen altar ..." (Ezekiel 9:2). "This was the Solomonic altar (1 Kings 8:64), which Ahab had removed and placed north of his new-style Damascus altar (2 Kings 16:14)."[7] Significantly, these heavenly beings, by their actions, snubbed Ahab's copy of the pagan altar by choosing to stand by the true altar. "And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house ..." (Ezekiel 9:3) The departure of the glory of the Lord from Israel is part of the theme of these four chapters; and, "Ezekiel traces it in stages, this being the first."[8] The normal place for God's glory in the temple was above the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies; and in this first stage of the glory's leaving, it removed from the Holy of Holies and went to the entrance of the temple. Verse 4 "And Jehovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof, And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began with the old men that were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city."MERCY TO THE "A mark upon the foreheads of men ..." (Ezekiel 9:4). This of course was an act of Divine mercy. Although God would indeed destroy the apostate idolaters, he would by no means destroy his faithful worshippers. This placing of a mark upon the ones to be redeemed appears again in Revelation 7:3 andRevelation 14:1, indicating that all of the saved in our own generation indeed bear the "mark of God" in their forehead. As this appears to be the very same thing as the "sealing of God's servants" in Revelation 7:3, which is clearly a reference to the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are entitled to conclude that it is no literal mark of any kind, but a certain characteristic of the human spirit, that would be recognized instantly by supernatural beings. We do not believe that either in this vision or in the current dispensation can it be shown that God brands his people with any kind of a literal mark, such as a rancher would use to brand his cattle. As Cook noted, "There are eschatological predictions in this chapter."[9] And one of the clearest of these is that the Great Judgment of the last day will be individually and not by races, nations, or groups of any kind. Note too that there are only two classes, the saved and the lost. Another startling fact is that absolutely none shall be spared except those who have received the mark of redemption. This was the way it was in the days of the flood; and that is the way it will be in the final judgment. "That sigh and cry over all the abominations ..." (Ezekiel 9:4). The truly righteous are always those who grieve over the sins and wickedness of their contemporaries. We are not impressed at all with some who try to find some reference to the Cross, or the "sign of the Cross" in this passage. This notion is based upon the fact that the word here translated "mark" is in Hebrew the name of tau, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet; and it is claimed that the early way of making that letter was with a cross; but as Plumptre noted, "There could have been no anticipation of Christian symbols, either in the mind of Ezekiel, or in the minds of his hearers."[10]"And begin at my sanctuary ..." (Ezekiel 9:6). The very place where one should have been able to find a few faithful believers in God was the holy temple; but here God commanded that the slaughter should begin there. There is indeed a great responsibility upon those persons who know God's word and are responsible for teaching others. An apostle indicated that this principle shall be operative in all of the judgments of God. "For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17). "They began at the old men that were before the house ..." (Ezekiel 9:6) Dummelow identified these as "the sun worshipping priests."[11] "Apparently the directive to begin at the sanctuary was intended to imply that there was the seat of the worst sins."[12] This should certainly be a warning to religious leaders of all generations. "And he said unto them, Defile the house ..." (Ezekiel 9:7). This was accomplished by their filling the courts with dead bodies. "If to touch a corpse and then to worship without being sprinkled with the water of separation was to defile the tabernacle of the Lord (Numbers 19:13), how much more would the blood of corpses do so."[13]Speaking of the defilement of the temple, Eichrodt noted that, "Such a stupendous act of judgment left no room for any doubt that the complete liquidation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem would be carried out in full."[14]Verse 8 "And it came to pass while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah, wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy wrath upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of wresting of judgment: for they say, Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah seeth not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their ways upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me."EZEKIEL'S OF NO AVAIL"This passage shows how wrong are those evaluations of Ezekiel that see him only as a merciless religious zealot. The prophets of God had a heart for the people to whom they had to preach condemnation and judgment."[15] Ezekiel loved his people and their sacred city Jerusalem; and it is possible that he still might have been thinking that the "righteous remnant" so often mentioned by Isaiah, and which also vividly appears now and then in his own writings, would undoubtedly be found "in Jerusalem." However, the events which Ezekiel saw in this vision appeared to the prophet as the end of any such possibility as that of a "righteous remnant" remaining in Jerusalem. No! The "righteous remnant" would be found among the captives in Babylon, not in Jerusalem; and the complete end of Jerusalem, as it began to unfold before the eyes of Ezekiel, broke his heart, because he probably thought there might not be left any remnant at all; and that appears to be the reason for his passionate, tearful and heartbroken intercession. "I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord, wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel ..."(Ezekiel 9:8)? The background of this plea is most certainly that of Ezekiel's knowledge of God's promise that a "righteous remnant" would remain, There is a similarity here to Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah. Both intercessions were offered in the form of a question. Both were based upon previous promises of God. Here, the promise was that God would spare a remnant. With Abraham, the promise that God would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Here the tearful question is "Wilt thou destroy the residue of Israel?" With Abraham, the question was, "Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?" There is also a third similarity, namely, in the fact that both intercessions failed. Both Jerusalem and Sodom were destroyed, exactly as God promised. God did not violate his promise in either case. There were not ten righteous persons in Sodom; and God preserved a "righteous remnant," as he promised, only it was not in Jerusalem, but in Babylon! "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great ..." (Ezekiel 9:9). God here gave the grounds for the utter necessity of Jerusalem's destruction. At first, we are surprised that God did not here enumerate such things as Israel's worshipping other gods, or their defiling the temple, or of their neglect of sacrifices, despite the fact of such sins being the source of all their wickedness. The wickedness mentioned here was, (1) the land was filled with blood; (2) the city is full of injustice, and (3) they do not believe in an omniscient, personal God to whom every man must give an account. "These terrible conditions were the end result of the peoples' false religion."[16]Nothing is any more important in the life of any man or any nation than his religion. The relationship to God is the governor and determiner of everything else. If that relationship is correct, so will be his life; if it is wrong, no other obligation or duty will be honored for one minute longer than the personal wishes of the sinner may dictate. Illustration: This writer once visited a young woman just married who was severely prejudiced against her husband's religion; and she vowed that, "I am going to take him away from that church." She did so. Seven years later, she called, pleading for aid to save her marriage. He had developed an affair with another woman; and the answer to her was, "What did you expect? When any person forsakes his duty to God, why should he honor any other duty?" "Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity ..." (Ezekiel 9:10). This was God's answer to Ezekiel. Jerusalem would be subjected to the destruction which they so richly deserved. "God would have his servants humbly acquiesce in his judgments and trust God to do exactly what is right."[17]Ezekiel's passionate intercession evidently caused him to forget the sparing of those who received the mark upon their foreheads; and, to soften the dreadful news of Jerusalem's fall, God permitted him to hear the report of the Angel of Jehovah in Ezekiel 9:11. Those who received that mark were the true "righteous remnant"; and they were in no danger whatever of being forsaken. "I have done as thou hast commanded me ..." (Ezekiel 9:11). Yes indeed, some of the righteous remnant were in Jerusalem right up to the fall and through the dreadful events that followed, among whom, we feel sure the great prophet Jeremiah was numbered. "The execution of God's command in Ezekiel 9:4 to mark the faithful was passed over as being self-evident until this verse (v. 11), where the accomplishment of it was reported."[18] It might have been mentioned indirectly here in order to encourage Ezekiel and to let him know that, after all, that "righteous remnant" was still and would continue to be intact. Ezekiel 9:1. The reader should be cautioned against confusion over what is going on in these chapters. Beginning with chapter 8 and continuing through 11, Ezekiel was seeing things performed in a vision, as if he had been taken to Jerusalem where the events were supposed to be happening. In reality, the prophet has been in the land of Chaldea or Babylon all the time. (See Ezekiel 11:24.) So bear in mind as we are considering the various performances along in these passages that they are what Ezekiel was seeing in the vision. It is true, however, that many of the events and conditions that were shown the prophet in a vision in the land of Babylon, were actually existing in the land of Judea. With these explanatory remarks for the clarification of the matter, I shall proceed to comment on the verses. Have, charge over the city means those whose duty it was to execute any decrees that may have been made concerning it. These men were ordered to come forward, armed for the task placed upon them. Ezekiel 9:2. Upon the order mentioned in the preceding verse, six armed men came forward. All of this indicated that they would be used to execute the decrees of God. Another man was in the company of these six and he was clothed, with linen which indicated that he represented the priestly or ritualistic class of men. The brazen altar was used for the offering of bloody sacrifices, therefore it was appropriate that this group of seven men should take their position by the altar. The priests would make an account of the creatures to be considered with reference to the altar service, hence the inkhorn hanging at his side for convenient use. Ezekiel 9:3. Glory of God, . . . from the cherub refers to the glory that was bestowed upon the ark in the begining of the Jewish Dispensation. (See Exodus 25:22; 2 Samuel 6:2.) This glory moved to a position of communication with the man clothed with linen (representing the priesthood). Such a move indicated that the Lord was about to inspire the man with the Inkhorn so that he could do some writing or marking. Ezekiel 9:4. Before any general destruction or calamity is brought upon mankind by the Lord, he always makes provision to spare those who are worthy. We may recall the cases of Noah and the flood, Lot in Sodom, the Israelites in Egypt, and the plan of salvation as an escape from the perdition in the next world, In keeping with that principle, the Lord was making provisions to spare certain ones from a general slaughter which these six men would soon be told to execute. The ones to be spared were described as those that sigh and cry for all the abominations that were being done in Jerusalem, These men were not responsible fov the corruptions that had crept into the religious and public life of the city, hence they were to be spared from the severe punishment about to be inflicted upon the majority. The reader should consult the long note offered In connection with 2 Kings 22:17, This exception was to be Indicated by being marked upon their foreheads by the man with the inkhorn. Ezekiel 9:5. The others are the six men mentioned in verse 2. They were to follow the man with the inkhorn who was to be marking the ones exempted from the slaughter. The executioners were charged to smite the others without pity. Ezekiel 9:6. No age or sex was to be spared in the slaying by these six men. The only exception they were allowed to make was those who had the mark upon them. Begin at my sanctuary. This was because I he greatest blame was laid upon the leaders and officials of the Lord’ s service. They were to be held most guilty because of their position. The thought is similar to that in 1 Peter 4:17-18. Ezekiel 9:7. The house of the Lord had been, defiled doctrinally by the abominable idolatry of these evil men, now it will be fitting to defile it physically by filling it with their dead bodies. So the men were again told to go forth and slay in the city. Ezekiel 9:8. As the men were performing their duty of slaying the inhabitants of the city, the prophet was left alone and he became prostrated by the scenes. Palling upon the ground he prayed earnestly and expressed anxiety over the terrible situation. Ezekiel 9:9. The Lord explained his great fury for the information of the prophet. Just at that time Israel (the 10 tribes) was in exile and had been for more than a century, yet her stns came up for remembrance now in connection with those of Judah, some of whose men were still in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 9:10. The people of Israel and Judah had shed blood in tbelr evil practices of idolatry, but God was determined to shed their blood in the righteousness of His indignation over the false worship that was going on. Ezekiel 9:11, The men sent forth to execute the decree of God did their duty, and the man with the Inkhorn came back with his report of the same Ezekiel 10 BY GOD A VISION OF FIERY Eze_10:1-8A Divine Directive (Ezekiel 10:1-2) It came from the throne (Ezekiel 10:1): Then I looked, and behold, upon the platform that was above the head of the cherubim there appeared something like a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. The man clothed in linen had completed his God-assigned task of marking the faithful for salvation (9:11). It was time for the six executioners to expand their work from the court of the temple to the rest of Jerusalem. Yet in all of ch 10, these agents of God are not mentioned. They disappeared from the scene. Only the man clothed in linen remained. To this beneficent character, however, a new role was assigned. He now became the agent of fiery judgment. Jerusalem was to be destroyed by sword and by fire. These two aspects of the judgment are successively portrayed to the prophet in chs 9-10. Again the throne-chariot of the Lord appears before the prophet’ s mind. He saw the platform over the heads of the cherubim upon which stood the sapphire-like throne of the Almighty (v 1; cf. Ezekiel 1:26). The throne was initially empty, awaiting the moment when the Lord once again occupied it (cf. Ezekiel 10:18). The relationship between the glorious presence of God and the throne in these chapters is a bit difficult to follow. The following tabulation of references may assist in tracing this aspect of the vision. OF THE GLORY OF GODIn the Holy of HoliesT emple ThresholdIn the Holy of HoliesAt the East GateMt. East of JerusalemOn the ThroneSeparate from the ThroneOn the ThroneOn the ThroneOn the Throne8:49:3; 10:410:1810:1911:23 For the first time it becomes clear in 10:1 that the living creatures in Ezekiel’ s throne vision (Ezekiel 1:5 ff.) were cherubim. It is useless to speculate as to why Ezekiel waited until this point to make this identification. The delay is surely not due to the fact that Ezekiel will not have known what cherubim actually looked like until he saw the interior of the temple. Surely as a member of a priestly family he had received such information. The cherubim are assigned a variety of roles in the Old Testament. They first appear in connection with the Garden of Eden where they guarded the entrance to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). In Solomon’ s temple, they served as symbolic guardians of the holy of holies (1 Kings 6:23). They were depicted on the lid of the ark of the covenant with their heads bowed and their faces looking downward toward the mercy seat as if in silent adoration (Exodus 25:18-20). Ezekiel sees the cherubim in their traditional role as guardians. They protect access to the holy fire. In a number of passages, the Lord is described as being enthroned on (or above) the cherubim. In at least one passage, God is said to ride on a cherub (Psalms 18:10). This is very much like the function performed by cherubim in Ezekiel’ s vision where these heavenly beings bear up the throne of God and provide locomotion for the entire throne-chariot. The connecting link between the previous and the present chapter— the man with the linen garment— appears inEze 10:2. Ezekiel heard the voice of the Almighty speaking again to this anonymous angel. In Ezekiel 9:3 the divine Presence had departed from the throne-chariot and had stood at the threshold of the sanctuary. But now the divine Presence is connected with the throne-chariot again. It came to the man clothed in linen ( Ezekiel 10:2): He spoke unto the man clothed in linen and said, Go in between the wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire found between the cherubim. Scatter them over the city. And he went in my sight. The man in linen garb was instructed to go into the midst of the wheels of the throne-chariot and pick up with both hands the hot coals that he found there (cf. Ezekiel 1:13). Hot coals apparently symbolize judgment and purgation (Isaiah 6:6 f.). That both hands are to be employed in the task points to the severity of the anticipated judgment. The agent was to scatter the coals over the wicked city of Jerusalem. As the vision continued, Ezekiel actually saw the linen-clad man begin to carry out those instructions. The symbolic import of this part of the vision is obvious. The judgmental fire that was to fall on Jerusalem will come from the Holy One of Israel. The tragic theology of the day denied that God could ever turn against the city where he was enthroned between the cherubim. The Babylonian exiles could not (or would not) listen to Ezekiel. Desperately the prophet proclaimed the incredible truth that Yahweh will purge Jerusalem. Six years later, when Jerusalem received that awful baptism of fire, only a few recognized it as being the fire of God. Those few had been prepared by the preaching of men like Ezekiel. Circumstances of the Directive (Ezekiel 10:3-5) Verses 3-5 parenthetically describe in vivid detail the situation in the temple at the moment the linen-clad man proceeded to execute the command of the Lord. The inner court (Ezekiel 10:3): Now the cherubim were standing on the right of the house as the man entered. Smoke filled the inner court. The cherubim were standing on the right (i.e., south) side of the temple, far removed from the ritualistic abominations being practiced on the north side of that house (cf. Ezekiel 8:14). The cloud that accompanied the divine glory filled the inner court. The house (Ezekiel 10:4 a): The glory of the LORD had arisen from over the cherubim and was over the threshold of the house. The house was filled with the cloud. That deep and dark cloud filled the inner court and house because the glory of the Lord had risen up and was now over the threshold of the house. This is the first stage of the God's departure from that place (cf. Ezekiel 9:3). The cherubim had been left behind to perform a significant task, viz., to give the divine messenger of destruction the means of destroying the city. The house (i.e., the holy place) was also filled with the divine glory. This explains the presence of the glory in the inner court in the previous verse. The outer court (Ezekiel 10:4 b-5): The courtyard was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD. (Ezekiel 10:5) The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard to the outer court, like the voice of almighty God, when He spoke. Because of the presence of the glory of the Lord, the outer court was filled with ineffable radiance (nogah). From within the temple, the sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard even to the outer court. The sound resembled the voice of God Almighty (El Shaddai). Psalms 29 equates the voice of Yahweh with the roar of thunder. Probably Ezekiel intends the same comparison here. Normally the wings of the cherubim were motionless and made no sound. In this vision, however, they made a loud noise when God spoke (cf. Ezekiel 1:24). Nevertheless, the voice of God was not thereby drowned out, for it was heard both by Ezekiel and the linen-vested minister. The thundering pulse of those angelic wings signaled the imminent departure of those heavenly creatures. Obedience to the Directive (Ezekiel 10:6-8) Directive to the seventh agent (Ezekiel 10:6): It came to pass when he had commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went and stood beside the wheels. Ezekiel 10:6 continues the narrative from Ezekiel 10:2 following the parenthetical interjection of Eze 10:3-5. The divine voice had bidden the linen-clad angel to enter among the cherubim and take hot coals from between the wheelwork or chariot (galgal)Without any hesitation the man made his way to one of the magnificent wheels that moved in conjunction with the cherubim. Assistance of the cherub (Ezekiel 10:7): The cherub put forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the man who was between the cherubim and he lifted up and gave unto the hands of the man clothed with linen. He took it and went out. (Ezekiel 10:8) The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’ s hand under their wings. Before the man dressed in linen could fill his hands with hot coals, one of the cherubim— presumably the one closest to Ezekiel— put forth his hand into the fire, drew forth hot coals and placed them in the hands of the “ man.” This was possible, Ezekiel 10:8 parenthetically explains, because there appeared under the wing of each of the cherubim the form of a man’ s hand. Perhaps the lesson here is that even an angelic messenger like the man clothed in linen had to keep his distance from the awful throne of God. As guardians of the fire, it was appropriate that one of the cherubim should actually give the fire to the destroying angel. Having received those coals of judgment fire, the man with the linen garment went out from the temple to execute the command to set fire to the city (cf. Ezekiel 10:2). This visionary and symbolic representation of the burning of Jerusalem found fulfillment in 586 B.C. THRONE-CHARIOT OF GODEze_10:9-17 Focus on the Wheels (Ezekiel 10:9-13): I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, a wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub. The appearance of the wheels was as the color of a tarshish stone. (Ezekiel 10:10) Now as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness as when a wheel is in the midst of a wheel. (Ezekiel 10:11) When they moved, they moved unto their four sides. They did not turn as they moved, but to the place that the head turned, they followed. They did not turn as they moved. (Ezekiel 10:12) All their body, their backs, their hands and their wings, as well as the wheels were full of eyes round about, i.e., the wheels that the four had. (Ezekiel 10:13) As for the wheels, they were given the name the chariot. One might expect to find in the remaining verses of ch 10 a graphic description of the conflagration that was to befall Jerusalem. Such, however, is not the case. Instead, the prophet again describes the throne-chariot that had occupied his attention in ch 1. The variations in the two descriptions serve to underscore the visionary and symbolic import of the entire narrative. Five points of new information are brought out here. A tarshish-colored wheel appeared alongside each of the four cherubim (v 9). The four wheels were identical, each appearing to consist of a wheel within a wheel (v 10; cf. 1:16). The wheels were such that they could move in any direction without benefit of a turning mechanism (v 11; cf. 1: 17). Whichever direction the head, i.e., the cherub, looked, the wheel followed. The cherubim were the principal driving force of the chariot. The spirit of the living creatures (cherubim) was in the wheels. That gave unity to the whole operation. Whereas in ch 1 the rims of the wheels were full of eyes (1:18), here the eyes are everywhere. The entire bodies of the cherubim, their backs, hands and wings, as well as the wheels, are covered with eyes (v 12). Multiplied eyes are here, as always in Scripture, symbolic of omniscience. The elaborate wheels were identified in the hearing of Ezekiel as being the chariot (haggalgal). He recognized that as the correct name for the mysterious and complex visionary object (v 13). Focus on the Cherubim (Ezekiel 10:14-17): Each one had four faces. The first face was the face of the cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. (Ezekiel 10:15) The cherubim were lifted up. These were the living creatures that I saw at the river of Kebar. (Ezekiel 10:16) When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them. When the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise above the earth, these same wheels did not turn from beside them. (Ezekiel 10:17) When these stood, they stood; and when they were lifted up, they lifted themselves up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them. Attention shifts in Ezekiel 10:14 from the wheels to the cherubim themselves. As in ch 1, each cherub had four faces. Three of the faces are the same as those seen in ch 1— the man, the lion, and the eagle. The face of the ox (Ezekiel 1:10), however, is now described as the face of the cherub. In ch 1 this face was third in order; here it is first. The ox-like face that looked straight forward is thus assumed to be the primary or real face of each cherub. The definite article — the face of the cherub — possibly indicates that this was the particular cherub that had given the coals of fire in Ezekiel 10:7. Ezekiel then observed the cherubim— the living creatures of ch 1—mount up (Ezekiel 10:15). The method by which the throne-chariot became air-borne is described in vv 16-17. The main point here is that the wheels moved in conjunction with the flight of the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:16-17; cf. Ezekiel 1:19; Ezekiel 1:21). OF THE GLORYEze_10:18-22 At the Eastern Gate (Ezekiel 10:18-19) Beginning of the departure (Ezekiel 10:18): The glory of the LORD went out from over the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim. The throne-chariot was ready for the heavenly rider. The glory-cloud took its place again upon that throne. Route of the departure (Ezekiel 10:19): The cherubim lifted their wings. They went up from the earth in my presence. When they went out, the wheels were beside them. It stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the house of the LORD. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above. The departure route was by way of the eastern gate of the temple, where for a time the throne-chariot stood. The eastern gate was the most important gate since it faced the front of the temple. The temporary stand at the eastern exit has no further significance other than to dramatize the divine departure. The departure clears the way for the destruction of the city. Through this same gate, Ezekiel will later see the glory of the Lord return to his temple (Ezekiel 43:4). Details about the Cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20-22): These were the living creatures that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Kebar. I knew that they were cherubim. (Ezekiel 10:21) Each had four faces. Each had four wings. The likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. (Ezekiel 10:22) As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces that I saw beside the river Kebar, their appearances and themselves. Each went straight ahead. In the last three verses of ch 10, Ezekiel underscores the fact that the throne-chariot that he saw in the temple was the same that he had seen in his first vision by the river Kebar. The living creatures were cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20) each of which had four faces, four wings and the likeness of man’ s hand under their wings (Ezekiel 10:21). The faces of the creatures in both visions were the same. So also was the fact that the heavenly vehicle could move straight forward in any of the four directions that the four faces faced (Ezekiel 10:22). Ezekiel Chapter TenVerse 1 BURNING OF ; AND OF GOD'S Here we have a continuation of the major theme of Ezekiel 8-11, which particularly deals with the final departure of the presence of God from the apostate capitol of the Once Chosen people. Ezekiel 10:1-8 prophesy the burning of Jerusalem; and Ezekiel 9:9-11 show preparations for the withdrawal of God's presence, his final departure being revealed in the next chapter. GOD'S COMMAND TO BURN THE CITYEze_10:1-4"Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. And the glory of Jehovah mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah's glory.""Coals of fire ... scatter them over the city ..." (Ezekiel 10:2). This sentence of Jerusalem's destruction took place in the Temple itself, "Thus making it manifest that the judgment is in vindication of the affronted holiness of God, caused by the sins of Israel against his covenant."[1]"And he spake ..." (Ezekiel 10:2). The speaker here is the person enthroned, namely, God. The fire spoken of in this passage is far different from the fire of the altar. "That fire spoke of God's grace (Leviticus 6:12-13); here it speaks of the destruction of the wicked."[2]Pearson noted that in Ezekiel 10:2 a singular noun is used to describe the whole complex of whirling wheels, etc., supporting the sapphire throne.[3] This indicates that the entire apparatus had the utility of standing as a representation of the presence and glory of the Almighty. "The glory of Jehovah mounted up from the cherub ..." (4). Cook used the past perfect tense here. "'The glory of the Lord had gone up from the cherub to the threshold of the house,' to describe what had happened before the man went in (v. 3)."[4] This description runs through verse 6. Verse 5 "And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaketh. And it came to pass when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went in and stood beside a wheel. And the cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took fire thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out. And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings.""The sound of the wings ..." (Ezekiel 10:5). This great sound is variously described as very loud, as the voice of the Almighty, as of a "rushing mighty wind," etc. Significantly, in the New Testament on the Day of Pentecost, when God's glory was manifested by the appearance of the Holy Spirit upon the holy apostles, that event also was marked by forked flames as of fire and the "sound of a rushing mighty wind" (Acts 2:2). The great significance of this chapter is that the very manifestation of God's glory which had appeared to Ezekiel in Babylon at the Chebar river (canal) is here seen in the process of deserting the Temple in Jerusalem, strongly indicating that God's concern in the future from the destruction of Jerusalem would rest with the exiles in Babylon and not with any stragglers left in Jerusalem. "Who took it and went out ..." (Ezekiel 10:7). "Nothing is said here of the actual scattering of fire over the city."[5] The same author explained that no account of his actually doing so is necessary, "Because, it often happens in Scripture that a prophet mentions a command without describing the actual execution of it."[6] It must always be assumed, if not stated to the contrary, that God's commandments were executed exactly as commanded. "The form of a man's hand ..." (Ezekiel 10:8). "The appearance of this indicates that human agencies would be utilized in the execution of God's judgment upon Israel."[7] It would never have been necessary for the Angel of Jehovah himself, the one clad in linen, to scatter coals of fire in any personal sense over Jerusalem. As Beasley-Murray stated it, "This vision prophesies the fires that destroyed Jerusalem in 587 B.C. (2 Kings 25:9), by the armies of the Chaldeans."[8] In a very similar way, the fires that again destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. were prophetically identified by Jesus Christ himself as "God's armies" (Matthew 22:7). Such passages as these indicate that God is the prime agent in all human history, whatever human agencies may be employed from time to time in the achievement of God's eternal purpose. "The most significant thing here is the identity of the Destroyer as God."[9] "The maneuvering of God's Glory in this chapter shows that God, whom men thought to be inseparably bound to his sanctuary and to his city of Jerusalem is about to destroy both of them and to abandon their ruins."[10]Verse 9 "And I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the whole was like a beryl stone. And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been within a wheel. When they went, they went in their four directions: they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and the wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing the whirling wheels. And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second was that of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle."FURTHER OF THE VISIONEze_10:9-12 is nearly identical with Ezekiel 1:15-18; and this writer cannot visualize any consistent apparatus that fits the vision. Wheels that are whirling, but do not turn as they go, and that go in four directions somehow fail to form any clear picture. The complex, complicated vision is here changed in the particular of so many eyes so widely distributed, and "the face of the cherub," is apparently substituted for the "face of an ox" in Ezekiel 1. Perhaps we are not supposed to be able thoroughly to understand it. Dummelow is the only author we have studied who offered an adequate explanation of why the face of "the cherub" is not referred to as the "face of an ox." "The whole vision was about to move Eastward; and from where Ezekiel stood, the face of the cherub on the east side was that of an ox (as in chapter 1); but it is here called "the face of the cherub, because that was the direction in which the vision would move, and so might be called `the cherub.'"[11]If the vision should have been poised to move in any other direction, the man, the lion, or the eagle would have been the "face of the cherub," depending on the direction indicated, whether North, West, or South. It was the eastward projection here that made the "ox face" the "face of the cherub." All of the eyes depicted here is a reference to the all-knowing, all-seeing God. Cooke tells us that the pagans also illustrated this characteristic of their gods by making idols covered with eyes.[12]Another example of this is found in Zechariah 3:9, where one reads of the Stone that had seven eyes, which stands for the Lord Jesus Christ. The actions of the great Vision in this second appearance of it to Ezekiel, "Enable us here to witness the beginning of the gradual withdrawal and departure of the glory of the Lord from the city. God was not leaving it permanently, some day he would return."[13]Yes, this was true; (see Ezekiel 43); but only in a typical sense. God's glory would never again dwell in "a temple made with hands." God's glory would indeed dwell with Israel forever; but it would be within the holy temple, namely, the Church, the New Israel of God, and not in any sense whatever with the old racial Israel that so long had denied and rebelled against God Himself. That return of God's glory to the "temple of God" occurred on the Day of Pentecost, the birthday of God's church. As Matthew Henry said, "It was sad to see that God was forsaking his sanctuary, where his honor and glory had so long dwelt; but it was pleasant to see that God was not forsaking the earth, as the idolaters had proclaimed (Ezekiel 9:9)."[14]Where was God's glory, or the manifestation of his Presence, located during that time between the destruction of Jerusalem until the Day of Pentecost? Its appearance in Babylon in Ezekiel 1 indicates very strongly that God's presence was with the "righteous remnant," with those "Israelites indeed," who waited for the kingdom of God (John 1:47). There does not appear to have been a very large number of those "true Israelites." The apostles of Christ, Nathaniel, Elizabeth and Zecharias, Mary and Joseph, some of the brothers of Jesus, Zacchaeus, Simeon, Anna and others were some whom we can identify. Verse 15 "And the cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar. And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also turned not from beside them. When they stood, these stood, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. And the glory of Jehovah went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Jehovah's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above."THE OF GOD'S GLORY"Cherubim ... this is the living creature ..." (Ezekiel 10:15). Note how the cherubim (plural), along with all of the other details of the vision, nevertheless refer only to One, namely, the enthroned One, who is God. "The living creature that I saw by the river Chebar ..." (Ezekiel 10:15). "It was a matter of importance that the identities of these two theophanies should have been established, in order to show their real meaning."[15] Bluntly stated, those appearances meant simply that God's glorious presence was forsaking the old racial Israel, and forever afterward concentrating upon the "righteous remnant," at that time identified with the captives in Babylon. Only when we come to Ezekiel 10:15, here, does Ezekiel identify the "living creatures" of Ezekiel 1:5 ff as "cherubim."[16] It is not surely known exactly why this was not made known earlier. See article at end of this chapter regarding the creatures called "cherubim," "The cherubim lifted up from the earth ..." (Ezekiel 10:18). As Plumptre noted, "From that hour, the temple would be what Shiloh had been, a God-deserted place."[17]As for the notion that the second temple received the same honor as the first as the resting place of the Glory and the Spirit of God, Jesus Christ took care of that falsehood forever when he denominated the temple as "a den of thieves and robbers," which it most assuredly was. Furthermore the sons of Satan who had charge of that Second Temple were the principal agents in the contrived execution of the Son of God. In Ezekiel 10:18, "The glory of Jehovah now moves from the threshold of the temple and stands upon the Cherubim, ready to leave."[18] Indeed, God's presence had forsaken the temple, but it would not depart from the area until the event recorded in the next chapter (Ezekiel 11:22-23). The episode recorded in Ezekiel 11:1-21 have the effect of delaying the account of the final departure. Verse 20 "This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. Every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward."The purpose of Ezekiel in this reiteration of what has already been revealed surely indicates the importance of this identity of the two visions, an importance which we have already stressed. "And I knew that they were cherubim ..." (Ezekiel 10:20). We are indebted to Anton T. Pearson for most of the information cited here.[19] Cherubim are emblematic, composite figures representing glorified human life, or angelic life, spiritualized and exalted to have a part in the service of God Himself. In the sacred Scriptures, they are seen as performing a number of functions: (1) Here, they are bearers of the sapphire throne of God. (2) They guard the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). (3) They are honored with a place above the Mercy Seat in the ancient Tabernacle (Exodus 25:18-20; Exodus 37:7-9). (4) They are personified as wind or cloud. (5) They form the chariot of Deity (2 Samuel 22:11; Psalms 104:3; 1 Chronicles 28:18). They worship God perpetually (Revelation 4:6; Revelation 5:6; and Revelation 6:1). In our opinion, there is no way to be absolutely certain about the nature and work of these creatures, which seem to this writer to have many characteristics which lift them above any connection with humanity. Ezekiel 10:1. The objects named in this verse are used figuratively and refer to the glory that is to be attributed to the Lord. Ezekiel 10:2. He is a pronoun standing for the Personage described in verse 1; the man to whom he spoke was the one with the inkhorn. We have previously learned (Ezekiel 9:2) that this ruan repersented the priestly services of the house of God. The regular order of those services had been discontinued since the invasion of Judah by the Babylonians, but. there were other things needed to be done and this man would be the appropriate one to do them. The wheels and cherub will be explained later in this chapter. Coals of fire is figurative and refers to the fiery wrath of God, because the literal fire in the Mosaic service was on the brazen altar and not in the inner court (verse 3). Scatter them over the city indicated that God’ s wrath was to be poured out over the place in general. Ezekiel 10:3. There is a popular saying, "Wherever there is smoke there is fire.” The saying may well be reversed and. with a slight change in the wording, make it say, "Wherever there Is fire there may be a cloud (of smoke).’’ Verse 2 reveals the fire of God's wrath and this verse speaks of the cloud that arose from that fire. It was so extensive that it filled the inner court. Ezekiel 10:4. The cloud of this verse was different from the preceding one. This was described as springing from the cherub (not the fire) and was the glory of the Lord. This cloud, also, filled the area of the court Ezekiel 10:5. Voice of the Almighty God indicates that He had some connection with the institutions being represented in the imagery. (See Daniel 4:17.) Ezekiel 10:6. Upon being commanded to get the fire, the man with the ink-horn entered the place containing the wheels. Ezekiel 10:7. The cherub participated in the activities by placing the fire in the hands of the man clothed with linen and who had the inkhorn. That indicated that the work of the man was approved by the institutions rep-resented by the cherubs and wheels. Ezekiel 10:8. The appearance of a man's 'hand- indicated the institutions in the imagery possessed the skill of human beings. Ezekiel 10:9. These wheels do not introduce any new subject matter as we sbali learn in course of this chapter. Color of a beryl stone is merely a comparison to the brilliancy and manysided faces for reflection of that stone. Ezekiel 10:10. These four wheels refer to the "four world empires" and the creatures of Eze 1:5, and the wheel in the midst of a wheel is explained in verse 16 of that chapter. The following verses of this chapter will also deal witii those empires, and many of the same symbols will be used that were used in the former chapter. There may be some variation in a part of them, but that is because more than one trait can be said of different creatures and things, and a writer may select one, now another, for his comparison, and all of them would be true. Let the reader please see the comments on verse 10 of the first chapter. Ezekiel 10:11, This apparently impossible movement refers to tbe universal spread of tbe world empires. A thing that would be physically impossible may be supposed in a symbol, if it will truly represent a possibility in some spiritual or other intelligent institution. If an object had a head on each of Its four sides, then the body of that object could follow the head in any of tbe directions without turning about. Ezekiel 10:12. Naming the several parts of these creatures or institutions was for the purpose of emphasizing the completeness of the quality soon to be mentioned. Full of eyes round about indicates that quality to have been Intelligence. Ezekiel 10:13. The key in this verse is in the words 0 man, and the meaning is that the wheels were called upon to give attention. Ezekiel 10:14. The description of each of tbe four creatures in this verse differs in only one item from the corresponding picture in chapter 1: 10. That has an ox while this has the cherub, but there is no difficulty involved, for both traits were possessed by these institutions being represented, Having the face of a cherub would indicate they were invested with something heavenly (1: 24; Daniel 4:17), man indicates intelligence and also that the institutions included humanity, lion means boldness and eagle indicates exaltation and fleetness. Ezekiel 10:15. This verse settles the identity of the creature with that described in chapter 1. and represents the “ four world empires" named in the first chapter. Ezekiel 10:16. The performances of the cherubims and wheels in this chapter are in the same line as those of the living creatures and wheels in chapter one. The figure is a representation of the four world empires. The co-operation between these objects is for the purpose of emphasis. Ezekiel 10:17. They and these are pronouns standing for the cherubims and wheels. The original word for spirit means life, and the clause means the cherubims and wheels had the same life as the living creatures that the prophet saw by the river Chebar, Ezekiel 10:18. Departed, is not used in the sense of desertion, but tbe glory fixed itself upon the creatures. Ezekiel 10:19. The effect of the glory upon the cherubims is stated here. It caused them to mount from, the earth or be exalted. Such a thought corresponds with the idea that God was Interested in the four world empires. (See Daniel 4:17.) Every one stood indicates an attitude of reverence for the demonstration. Ezekiel 10:20, This is virtually the same statement as Ezekiel 10:15. Ezekiel 10:21. This verse also is a repetition of previous statements, and the central thought in the four faces is the world-wide extent of the empires. Hands of a man indicates that the creatures were composed of human beings. Ezekiel 10:22. The concluding verse is a summing up of the imagery that has been considered throughout the first and present chapters of the book Ezekiel 11 BY THE PROPHETEze_11:1-25 Chapter 11 sets forth two declarations by the prophet in his vision. The first (Ezekiel 11:1-13) denounced the leaders in Jerusalem. The second brought comfort to the exiles in Babylon (Ezekiel 11:14-21). To these declarations is attached a note about the conclusion of this vision (Ezekiel 11:22-25). LEADERS Eze_11:1-13 The leading citizens of Jerusalem were convinced of the impregnability of the holy city. In Ezekiel 11:1-13 Ezekiel was commissioned to smash this vain delusion. Blackwood succinctly summarizes Ezekiel's declarations within his vision: Jerusalem will die, but faith will live. Men of Evil Counsel (Ezekiel 11:1-3) Observation (Ezekiel 11:1): A spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the eastern gate of the house of the LORD, the one that faces east, and behold, in the entrance of the gate twenty-five men. I saw in their midst Jaazaniah ben-Azur and Pelatiah ben-Benaiah, princes of the people. Ezekiel feels himself swept off his feet and carried by a spirit to another part of the temple. From the inner court, where he was last said to be standing (Ezekiel 8:16), the prophet was transported to the eastern gate of the outer court. This was the spot where the throne-chariot momentarily had set down (Ezekiel 10:19). This area, just outside the sacred temple precincts, was traditionally a place of public assembly (cf. Jeremiah 26:10). At the eastern temple gate, Ezekiel saw twenty-five men. Are these the same men Ezekiel observed worshiping the sun in Ezekiel 8:16? Probably not. The former company was a priestly group, while these twenty-five appear to have been lay leaders. Furthermore, the two groups are seen in different localities. What significance there may be in the number twenty-five cannot be ascertained. The men seem to have been members of a political pressure group. Two of the twenty-five men easily were identified by Ezekiel. Jaazaniah and Pelatiah were prominent statesmen, princes of the people (Ezekiel 11:1). This term refers to the ruling class of Judah, not necessarily the royal family. Explanation (Ezekiel 11:2-3): He said unto me, Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and give wicked counsel in this city; The twenty-five men are said to be those who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city, i.e., Jerusalem (v 2). Exactly what this iniquity and counsel may have been is not certain. Since this narrative dates from the latter half of Zedekiah’ s reign, Jeremiah’ s experiences with the princes may give some indication. In open contradiction to Jeremiah’ s constant proclamation of certain doom for Jerusalem, the princes optimistically proclaimed the city’ s invulnerability. This anti-Babylon faction constantly agitated for revolt against the authority of Nebuchadnezzar. Such policies were tantamount to rebellion against the will of God (Jeremiah 27:12 ff.). These policies were, therefore, politically and spiritually disastrous. Illustration (Ezekiel 11:3): who say, It is not near, let us build houses. It is the pot, and we are the meat. The defiant boast of these evil counselors is cited in Ezekiel 11:3. It (the judgment of which the true prophets spoke) is not near; let us build houses. Jeremiah had bidden the exiles in Babylon to build houses and settle down for a long stay (Jeremiah 29:5). The evil princes urged that houses be built in Jerusalem, that business proceed as usual. Jeremiah had threatened the inhabitants of Jerusalem with the image of the seething pot (Jeremiah 1:13); but the rebel party regarded Jerusalem as the caldron that will protect the meat— the inhabitants of the city— from the fire of destruction. The schemers thus assured themselves that the walls of Jerusalem afforded them adequate protection in the event of an attack by the army of Babylon. A Message for the Rebels (Ezekiel 11:4-8) An accusation (Ezekiel 11:4-6) Divinely authorized (Ezekiel 11:4-5): Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man. (Ezekiel 11:5) The Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak! Thus says the LORD: You have said thus, O house of Israel, and the things of your spirit I surely know. In his vision Ezekiel heard himself bidden to do the true work of a prophet in rebuking the defiant rebels. Concerning these Jerusalem leaders, God had an urgent message. The repetition of the command to prophesy (Ezekiel 11:4) underscores this urgency. As in Ezekiel 2:2, Ezekiel felt the Spirit of God fall upon him. He knew that he spoke the word of the Lord inerrantly. For this reason he prefaced his visionary oracle with the phrase Thus says the Lord. Ezekiel's message was addressed to the house of Israel, a term that in Ezekiel’ s day was restricted to the people of Judah— the remnant of Israel. God knew what the leaders of Israel had been saying. He knew their thoughts as well (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophetically ominous (Ezekiel 11:6): You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with slain. Ezekiel makes a serious accusation against the Jerusalem leadership: You have multiplied your slain in this city. This has been taken by some to be prophetic invective against the violence of the Jerusalem leadership. The term slain is often used in classical Hebrew prophecy to refer to the helpless victims of social and political iniquities. Plenty of examples from the biographical narratives of Jeremiah can be adduced to substantiate the charge of ruthlessness against the national leaders in Jerusalem. Context seems to point in the direction of another interpretation of the accusation in v 6. It might be called a predictive accusation. The defiant attitude of the anti-Babylonian party will result in the streets of Jerusalem being filled with those slain by Babylonian swords. The princes or governmental leaders were ultimately responsible for this needless slaughter. Rebuttal (Ezekiel 11:7-8): Therefore, thus says the LORD: Your slain that you have put in your midst, they are the meat, and it is the pot; but you will be brought forth from its midst. (Ezekiel 11:8) A sword you have feared, and a sword I will bring against you (oracle of the Lord GOD). The prophet was led of the Lord to respond to their derisive and defiant caldron simile. The evil practices of Jerusalem’ s rulers had resulted in a situation in which the city walls will only serve to entrap, not protect. The gullible inhabitants of Jerusalem were bound together within the city for slaughter. The Jerusalem caldron was a pot of death, and the leaders were responsible for the slain— the corpses— that will fall in the streets of that city. But at least those slain will remain in Jerusalem, interred in their native land. For the war-mongers a worse fate was in store. They will fall into the hand of the ruthless Nebuchadnezzar. They will be brought forth by him out of the midst of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:7). Stripped of metaphor, Ezekiel 11:7 states simply that Jerusalem will afford no protection to the inhabitants. Many will be slain; others will be carried away into captivity on foreign soil. With all their talk about security, the leaders really feared an attack by the sword, i.e., Babylon. These fears, Ezekiel announced, will finally materialize (Ezekiel 11:8). The Warning Amplified (Ezekiel 11:9-13): Expulsion from Jerusalem (11:9): I will bring you out from its midst. I will place you in the hand of strangers. I will execute judgments among you. Ezekiel becomes more specific about the expulsion of the leaders from Jerusalem. In so doing, he eliminates any ambiguity in his previous statement. Their expulsion from Jerusalem, spoken of in Ezekiel 11:7, will not result in escape to safe refuge. God will deliver them into the hands of strangers, i.e., the Babylonians. Through the instrumentality of these foreigners God will execute his judgments upon the rebels. Slaughter by the sword (Ezekiel 11:10): With the sword you will fall, upon the border of Israel I will judge you. You will know that I am the LORD. Ultimately the leaders will fall by the sword. They will taste the judgment of the Lord upon the border of Israel. This prediction was fulfilled when the princes of Judah were massacred at Riblah (Jeremiah 52:9-10) that was on the frontier of the old northern kingdom (cf. 1 Kings 8:65; 2 Kings 14:25). When this prediction came to pass, they would know that I am the Lord— that Yahweh is not indifferent to the conduct of man. Reiteration (Ezekiel 11:11-12): It will not be your pot, nor will you be in its midst as meat; but I will judge you upon the border of Israel. (Ezekiel 11:12) You will know that I am the LORD in whose statutes you did not walk, and whose judgments you did not execute, but have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you. Verses 11-12a simply serve to underscore the dramatic predictions of the previous verses. Jerusalem will not serve as a caldron to protect the meat, i.e., these leaders, from the fire of the Babylonian army. Rather, they will experience divine judgment upon the border of Israel. The fulfillment of these predictions will establish that the one who spoke through the prophetic mouthpiece was really Yahweh, the God who will not leave the wicked unpunished. These leaders had disregarded the statutes and ordinances of the Lord. On the contrary, they had followed heathen customs and practices (Ezekiel 11:12). They were therefore deserving of divine wrath. A Death and a Prayer (Ezekiel 11:13): Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah ben Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, Ah, Lord GOD! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel? As Ezekiel prophesied in his vision, a dramatic event took place. One of the leaders, Pelatiah ben Benaiah, dropped dead. Was the death of Pelatiah an actual event that is incorporated into the vision? or was it is purely a symbolic and visionary occurrence. In any case, Ezekiel was startled by this occurrence. He began to fear once again (cf. Ezekiel 9:8) that God would destroy all the remnant of Israel (Ezekiel 11:13). Following his natural impulse as prophetic intercessor, Ezekiel fell on this face in earnest supplication before the Lord. In a loud voice he cried out his exasperation, Ah Lord God! A question conveys an oblique petition on behalf of his people. Will You make a full end of the remnant of Israel? The remnant of Israel were those who were left in Jerusalem after the Babylonian siege in 597 B.C. The prophet interpreted the death of Pelatiah, one of the chief counselors of the city, to mean that the entire population of Jerusalem will share a similar fate. JEWISH EXILES Eze_11:14-21 The Exiles in Exile (Ezekiel 11:14-16) The attitude of the Jerusalemites (Ezekiel 11:14-15): The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 11:15) Son of man, your brethren, your kinsmen, and all the house of Israel— all of these are they of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Go far away from the LORD; the land has been given to us for a possession. In response to the desperate prayer-question of Ezekiel concerning the future of Israel, God granted to the prophet a special revelation of comfort (Ezekiel 11 :v 14). Ezekiel was first reminded that the remnant of Israel about which he was concerned embraced others besides those who still inhabited Jerusalem. The exiled Israelites were also his brethren and kinsmen. Indeed, all the house of Israel included the exiles of the northern kingdom as well as those of Judah. All the exiles were despised by those who remained in Jerusalem. The fact that they were left in possession of the land and temple was interpreted as being an evidence of God’ s blessing on them. Conversely, they regarded those who had been carried away to foreign lands as being cursed of God because they were far from the land, i.e., Yahweh's domain and presence. The promise of God (Ezekiel 11:16): Therefore say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Although I have removed them far among the nations, and although I have scattered them among lands, yet I will be a sanctuary for a little while for them in the lands where they have come. The Lord rebuked the haughty attitude of the Jerusalemites. The proof that the exiles were God’ s people is seen in what he had done already for them, and what he promised yet to do for them. While it was true that the exiles had been scattered among the nations by the Lord, yet this in no way implied that he had cast off these people. Though they were separated by miles from Mount Zion and God’ s house, God himself will serve as their sanctuary during the little while they were in captivity (Ezekiel 11:16). Those exiles were really nearer to the presence of God than those who worshiped in the Jerusalem temple from which the Lord had now departed. He was their protection and source of strength. The phrase little while suggests that the captivity was temporary. For Ezekiel, as for Jeremiah, the people in exile were the “ good figs” (cf. Jeremiah 24:1), and those in Jerusalem the rotten figs. The exiles were the remnant for whom there was a hope of better things. This passage suggests that it is the presence of the Lord that makes the sanctuary, not the sanctuary that secures the presence of God. The physical temple was not absolutely essential to the relationship between God and his people. Although the exiles had lost the temple, they had not lost the presence of God. The Exiles Transformed (Ezekiel 11:17-21) Gathering (Ezekiel 11:17): Therefore say, Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples, yes I will assemble you from the lands where you have been scattered, and I will give to you the land of Israel. For those despised exiles, God had something wonderful in store. He will gather the exiles from among the nations where they had been driven. Furthermore, to these presently despised and disheartened exiles he will give the land of Israel (Ezekiel 11:17). This is the first mention of a future restoration in Ezekiel. If this prophet emphasized Mosaic threats of judgment, he also embraced the Mosaic predictions of restoration (Leviticus 26:40-45; Deuteronomy 30:1-10). The prophecy of restoration began to be fulfilled in the work of restoration achieved by Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. The work of gathering God’ s people, however, goes on today wherever and whenever the gospel is preached. Men and women baptized into Christ become part of the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16) and inherit the Jerusalem that is from above (Galatians 4:26). Commitment (Ezekiel 11:18): And they will come there, and they will remove all her horrible things, and all her abominations from her. Those exiles brought home by God will be spiritual persons. Immediately upon returning, they will remove all horrible things and abominations, i.e., idols, and the paraphernalia of idolatry (Ezekiel 11:18). Repentance must precede God’ s work in the heart of men. God can do nothing for the man who will not recognize his sins and turn from them. Consecration (Ezekiel 11:19-20): And I will give to them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will take away the heart of stone from their flesh. I will give them a heart offlesh, (Ezekiel 11:20) in order that they will walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. In the new Israel, God will give his people one heart (Ezekiel 11:19). Here Ezekiel is introducing the great prophetic theme of unity among the people of God, a theme that he will later amplify by a symbolic action (Ezekiel 37:15-22). The long-standing cleavage between north and south, Israel and Judah, will disappear. Oneness of purpose and of action will characterize the new Israel of God. The unity in Christ of Jew and Gentile, male and female, bond and free is a grand theological fact that in practice, unfortunately, God’ s people do not display before the world.The means of achieving this grand unity of God’ s people is the divine gift of a new spirit (Ezekiel 11:19). The prophet speaks here of the spirit of loyalty, obedience and unselfishness. Thus God not only sets up his covenant, he also provides all the qualifications for living under the covenant. Ezekiel Chapter ElevenVerse 1 THE OF GOD'S GLORYThis chapter concludes the section of Ezekiel 8-11 with the departure of God's glory. That momentous event is recorded in the last paragraph of the chapter; and prior to that there are recorded two very important messages: (1) for those remaining in Jerusalem, and (2) for the exiles in Babylon, inEzekiel 11:1-13, and in Ezekiel 11:14-25 respectively. Howie expressed a view held by some that, "This is not a continuation of the vision that began in Ezekiel 8, but another vision is included here because of its content."[1] We reject this altogether; because, (1) there has been no record thus far in these chapters of Ezekiel's having been transported back to the Chebar; (2) when he was transported back to the Chebar, the elders were still waiting there for his vision to end and for the explanation of it that Ezekiel then shared with them; and (3) the dramatic double message of these first 21 verses was extremely pertinent to Ezekiel's ability to answer the questions of the elders that had brought them to Ezekiel in the first place. These reasons, which to us seem unanswerable, entitle us to receive this whole chapter as the concluding section of these four chapters describing Ezekiel's vision-journey to Jerusalem. The practical divisions of the chapter are: (1) God's Spirit takes Ezekiel to the outer eastern gate of the temple where he sees a group of twenty-five men, apparently the and governmental leaders of the nation, two of whom are named (Ezekiel 11:1-2); (2) their light-hearted parable reflecting their false sense of security is turned around upon them and made to reflect a prophecy of their doom (Ezekiel 11:3-12); (3) Ezekiel's vision is confirmed by the sudden death of Pelatiah (Ezekiel 11:13); (4) God comforted the exiles with a message of blessing and protection, recognizing them as the "righteous remnant," actually, the "true Israel of God," thus completely negating the claims of the crooked leaders in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:14-21); (5) God's glory is forever separated from the secular temple of Israel (Ezekiel 11:22-23); and (6) God's Spirit transports Ezekiel back to his residence on the Chebar in Babylon where the elders are still there waiting to hear his message. Ezekiel 11:1-2"Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of Jehovah's house, which looketh eastward: and behold, by the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. And he said unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in this city."The mention of Jaazaniah and Pelatiah in that group of twenty-five men, along with their designation as "princes of the people" leads to the conclusion that all of these men were governmental and leaders of the people. The particular meaning of the four proper names in 1 was given by Plumptre. Jaazaniah means God hearkens; Azzur means The Helper, Pelatiah means God rescues, and Benaiah means God builds.[2] It has been suggested that the reason behind the giving of these names was to show the contrast between what their names meant and the wickedness of their counsel. Jaazaniah is distinguished from other persons with that name. We have no further information about either one of them beyond what is given here. Verse 3 "They say, the time is not near to build houses: this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh. Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy O son of man."The understanding of this is difficult. The best versions of the Bible render the verse differently. They say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh (KJV). Is not the time near to build houses? this city is the caldron and we are the flesh (ASV margin). We will soon be building houses again. The city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the meat in it, but at least it protects us from the fire (the Good News Bible). Will it not soon be time to build houses? The city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat (NIV). Saying, Were not houses lately built? This city is the caldron, and we the flesh (Douay Version). Houses have been recently rebuilding; all is well! The city is a cauldron, and we are the flesh, safe inside in it. (Moffatt's Translation). These versions and translations are enough to show how general is the uncertainty about what is actually said here. It will be noticed that some have taken great liberties with the text, even introducing thoughts in no way connected with it. Beasley-Murray accepted the ASV margin, and accepted the thought as opposed to the prophetic warnings and a support for Jerusalem's false sense of security.[3] Bruce also preferred the ASV marginal rendition, stating that the false leaders here claimed security, normality, and their expectation of a long residency in Jerusalem.[4]The learned opinions of scholars like Bruce and Beasley-Murray are impressive, but their weakness rests in the fact that the Hebrew text simply does not fit such interpretations; and therefore we favor the view of Keil. Keil took the view that the `house-building' referred to here is a reference to Jeremiah's instructions (Jeremiah 29:5), making the words here a brazen attempt to contradict Jeremiah's instructions to the exiles. This would give a meaning like this: "House-building in exile is a long way off. It will not come to this; Jerusalem will not fall into the hands of the king of Babylon."[5]Whatever the false leaders were saying in Jerusalem, we are certain that their policies, their advice to the people and their false sense of security were all extremely wicked. The meaning of their proverb about the caldron and the flesh in it seems to be clear enough. They fancied themselves to be the meat, preserved and safe in the pot, at the same time falsely imputing to the exiles the status of the excess liquor already poured out of the caldron. The remaining Jews in Jerusalem at that time, following their wicked leaders looked upon themselves as "the true and only Israel." They alone were in God's land; all others, including the exiles, were out of it for ever. They no longer counted. The Jerusalemites alone had access to the Temple and its sacred services. They detested and despised the exiles, supposing that God no longer cared for them, and they thought that they alone were the heirs of the promises to the patriarchs. It was the horrible unjustness and arrogance of such views that had reached the exiles; and it was that very problem that had brought the elders to the house of Ezekiel at the beginning of this section in chapter 8. The very next few verses here will present the situation as it really was, namely, that the exiles were the "true Israel," and that the Jerusalemites were doomed to utter destruction, except for a few who would be added to the remnant in Babylon. Verse 5 "And the Spirit of Jehovah fell upon me, and he said unto me, Speak. Thus saith Jehovah: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind. Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, saith the Lord Jehovah. And I will bring ye forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah; for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye executed mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.""Speak, Thus saith Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 11:5). We believe that Cooke is correct in his understanding that Ezekiel, "While still in his trance received the inspiration to prophesy the words of this paragraph in the very presence of the elders who were present in Ezekiel's house."[6] In view of the attitude of the Jerusalemites toward their brothers in captivity, the words must have provided great comfort and encouragement to the elders who had sought counsel from Ezekiel. "Your slain ... they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron ..." (Ezekiel 11:7). "Their proverbial phrase about the flesh and the caldron undergoes a gruesome change in the usage of it here by Ezekiel. It is not the false leaders but their victims who are the real elite of the city and who deserve to be cherished within the holy city."[7] A moment later, the prophet added the words, "This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof" (Ezekiel 11:11). The brutal fact was that all of the citizens who would survive the vengeance of the Babylonians' campaign against Zedekiah would be deported. Their expectancy of a long residency in Jerusalem was a vain and hopeless fantasy. Taylor interpreted this remark as being the equivalent of a declaration that, "The only good Jerusalemites are the dead Jerusalemites!"[8]"Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel ... I will judge you in the border of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 11:10-11). The prophecy is doubled for emphasis. Those false leaders of the arrogant Jerusalemites will be slain by the sword, far away from their fancied security in Jerusalem. "Over seventy of those captured with the fall of Zedekiah were judged and executed by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah (in Hamath) on the far northern border of Israel, where Nebuchadnezzar had set up his headquarters (2 Kings 25:18-21;Jeremiah 52:24-27)."[9] What a remarkable fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy this proved to be! Keil commented here that, "The wicked men who boasted of their security in Jerusalem would not find security, either in Jerusalem, or anywhere in Israel; but they would be led out of the land by their enemies and slaughtered in the border of Palestine."[10]; Jeremiah 52:9-10 records the judgment of those Jerusalem leaders by Nebuchadnezzar, and his slaughter of them at Riblah in Hamath. Verse 13 "And it came to pass when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?"DEATH OF Eichrodt has the following perceptive paragraph regarding this startling event. Ezekiel still in his vision-journey to Jerusalem, and still uttering his inspired prophecy of the doom of the city and of the destruction of its evil leaders, suddenly saw in his vision Pelatiah fall down dead! The simplicity of the wording makes it plain that both the death and the despairing cry that it wrung from the prophet were part of the vision that Ezekiel experienced. It is equally impossible to deny that there would have been no sense in writing an account like this if it had not been verified, not long afterward, when the news came to Tel Abib of Pelatiah's sudden death in Jerusalem, giving staggering proof that the prophet's words were already being fulfilled.[11]"The narrative here gives us to understand that the death of Pelatiah in Jerusalem occurred at the very moment when Ezekiel (in his vision) saw it happen in Babylon."[12]"Wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 11:13)? The same dreadful thought came to Ezekiel here that had once before come to him in chapter 9:8. Apparently, Ezekiel was still laboring under the delusion that, in spite of all God had already told him, the "righteous remnant" would be found, partially at least, in the city of Jerusalem. Not so. Ezekiel's words here suggest that, "He had forgotten all the grounds of hope, still thinking, perhaps, that the "real Israel" somehow, just had to be in Jerusalem."[13]Upon this second occasion of Ezekiel's fear that the remnant might perish, "He received comforting assurance that the exiles would be spared and restored, while the people in Jerusalem who had despised them would perish."[14] It should be remembered that the elders of the exiled Israel in Babylon were hearing every word of this. Verse 14 "And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from Jehovah; unto us is this land given for a possession. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they are come. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."The mention of Ezekiel's brethren in Ezekiel 11:15 is clarified so as to leave no doubt that the exiles are meant. The true Israel are identified in Ezekiel 11:15 as distinguished from the dwellers in Jerusalem. They are the despised exiles. "Get you far from Jehovah, this land is given to us for a possession ..." (Ezekiel 11:15). What an arrogant, cruel, selfish people were the Jerusalemites. They were willing to write off as lost forever the deported thousands who had already been removed from Jerusalem. They had preempted for themselves the lands and houses and wealth of the exiles, and are here represented as saying to the exiles, "God is through with you!" How wrong they were. Ezekiel's temptation to look for the "true Israel" in Jerusalem instead of among the exiles, "Sprang from the common tendency of people to judge God's kingdom upon the basis of externalities. Those in Jerusalem were wealthier; they had tradition on their side; they still had the impressive temple, etc.; and men today, no less than then, are tempted to seek the truth in the same manner, where the externals are most impressive, where wealth and tradition flourish, etc."[15]"Far from having become outcasts, the exiles had now become the true Israel of God."[16] In the light of this, Ezekiel is here instructed that his principal concern must be with the Babylonian exiles, and not with any events whatsoever in Jerusalem. "A sanctuary for a little while ..." (Ezekiel 11:16). Cooke is sure that this should be rendered "a sanctuary in small measure, because the reference is to degree, rather than to time."[17]Israel was indeed restored to Palestine, and a token fulfillment of the glorious promises in the following verses actually occurred; but the complete fulfillment did not take place at all in the secular history of Israel. "The more complete fulfillment appears in the Church of Christ (Galatians 6:16), and in the Jerusalem which is above (Galatians 4:26)."[18]Verse 18 "And they shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord Jehovah."As already noted, this paragraph was never fully realized by the racial Israel, the ultimate fulfillment of it being achieved in the Messianic kingdom. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel gave definite and reassuring promises of the New Covenant which God would make with Israel "in those days," that is, in the days of the Messiah. "The full realization of what was promised here can only be understood in the light of the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the day of Pentecost."[19]God's ultimate blessing of the New Israel, exclusively identified with the Church of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, would come under the New Dispensation, in the days of the Messianic kingdom. "Right here in this paragraph is the germ of that ultimate development, which Ezekiel would more fully explain in chapters 40-48."[20]"I will put a new spirit within you ... I will take the stony heart out ... and will give them a heart of flesh ..." (Ezekiel 11:19). "In Jesus' interview with Nicodemus (John 3), he stated that Nicodemus should have known the truth of the new birth. But where is this truth stated? It is here in Ezekiel 11:19."[21]"But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of detestable things ..." (Ezekiel 11:21). It should always be remembered that this promise of the exiles' return to Canaan was not given, "as an irrevocable, unconditional promise, but it was contingent upon their obedient behavior."[22]Verse 22 "Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the glory of Jehovah went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that Jehovah had showed me."It is not stated here that the glory of God went to Babylon, but that it stood over the Mount of Olives. The Jews have a tradition that it remained there three years pleading with Israel to repent, which they refused to do, and then departed. At any rate, "The emblem of God's presence left the city, leaving it to its fate."[23]"God had abandoned his sanctuary and his city."[24]As Taylor noted, "Those elders who had been waiting all this time, during Ezekiel's vision-journey to Jerusalem, now had a lot to listen to."[25] However, we should not forget that they had the privilege of hearing part of Ezekiel's message directly. Ezekiel 11:1. The vision was continued and Ezekiel saw the same men who were mentioned in chapter 8: 16. with one other named specifically. They were all leading men of Judah who were engaged in the worship of the sun which was one form of idolatry. Ezekiel 11:2. The men not only practiced that which was wrong, hut planned and advised others in it and thus were guilty of conspiracy. Ezekiel 11:3. The main idea these evil men advocated was one of opposition to the warnings of the Lord. They were making light of the predictions that Jerusalem was to be overthrown, and expressed themselves by the figurative language of the last clause of the verse. It means as if they had said, '‘ There is nothing in the threatening the prophet has given us. This city is all the caldron we will need to fear." Ezekiel 11:4, Ezekiel was told to prophesy against these evil men and tlieir claims. Ezekiel 11:5. Spirit , . . fell upon me means the prophet was inspired to make his prediction against the men. The passage was introduced with the assertion that, the Lord knew what was in tlieir minds. Ezekiel 11:6. These evil men had been guilty of murder and caused men’ s dead bodies to be laid in the streets. But they had caused these deaths in their wicked contention against the others who wished to pay respect to the word of the Lord, Ezekiel 11:7. A caldron is a large kettle or boiler that is used for cooking the flesh of animats. The language was used figuratively and compared the city to the caldron and the citizens to the fiesh to be boiled therein. The Lord admitted that these men had really made such use of the city and its unfortunate citizens, but denied that such a fact was the fulfillment of the divine predictions. It was warned that He would bring the citizens out of this "caldron" and thus disprove t.he rebellious declarations that Jerusalem was the only one they would need to fear. Ezekiel 11:8. Their fear of the sword of the enemy was used as an excuse for trying to hide behind the walls of Jerusalem. God warned them that the city would not save them from the sword for they were to be exposed to it through the divine decree. Ezekiel 11:9. The strongest walls that man can buiid would be no surety against the judgments of God. Bands of strangers means those outside of their own country, and in this case it referred to the Babylonians. Ezekiel 11:10, The judgments to be brought upon Israel would be started within their own border, which means they would be made to suffer even before leaving their land. Ezekiel 11:11. Jerusalem was only a city in the border or territory extending beyond the city. The experiences which these evil men said would be confined within the city were destined to include many outside of the city. In fact, the whole territory of Judah was to suffer. In that sense the Lord affirmed, this city shall not be your caldron. (See the comments on verse 3.) Ezekiel 11:12. Over and over the motive, "shall know that I am the Lord,.." was stated to the people of Judah. That was especially fitting among a people who had been led off into the worship of strange and false gods. Ezekiel 11:13. A partial demonstration of the predictions Ezekiel bad been hearing and which he delivered, was made by the sudden death of one of the leading men. The human side of the prophet showed itself by his com-plaint to the Lord of what looked to him like a threat of complete destruction of Israel. Ezekiel 11:14. This action or remark of the prophet, brought another message from God. Ezekiel 11:15. The justice of what God was doing against the imhabitants of Jerusalem was indicated in this message to Ezekiel. They had assumed sole connection with (he Lord and had virtually disfeitowshiped all the other people of the country. For this reason they deserved the special Judgments. Ezekiel 11:16. Them is a pronoun that stands for the people in general who had been imposd upon by the leaders in Jerusalem. At Ihe very time Ezekiel was seeing this vision, be and the bulk of the nation were already in the land of Babylon, and that by the decree of the Lord. But He was not going to forsake them entirely while in the heathen land. Sanctuary means a place or means of security. Among those who had to go into captivity were many who were personally righteous and who were assured of the care of the Lord. It is appropriate the reader again see the note at 2 Kings 22:17. Ezekiel 11:17. From this verse through 20 the subject is the return from captivity. with special mention of certain results to be accomplished by the exile. The same people for whom the Lord promised to be a "sanctuary" in the preceding verse were to be brought back to their own country. The great Babylonian Empire was composed of various countries of the civilised world, and the captives were scattered more of less over those sections. That is the reason for the pre-diction that the Lord would assemble them out of the countries. Ezekiel 11:18. Take away all the detestable things is a prediction of the complete cure from Idolatry. For the historical fulfillment of this prediction see the quotation in connection with Isaiah 1:25, volume three of this Commentary. Ezekiel 11:19. A complete change of heart Is the meaning of this verse. We know that the human heart as to the body is literally flesh, therefore we must understand this language to be figurative. It means their heart (mind) had become hardened in sin and the captivity would humble them and make them become yielding to the law of God. Ezekiel 11:20. The difference between a statute and an ordinance as defined in the lexicon is so slight that we may well consider them in the same sense. A statute may be regarded as the more fixed and formal of the two, but when they come from God they both mean the rule of life which He expects his servants to follow. Shall be my people. These Israelites were always the Lord's as far as being a race or nationality according to blood, but now they are to become his people again in the sense of forming a nation or government, something they had not been for 70 years. Ezekiel 11:21. There were some of the Jews who would not give up their love of sin and they were destined to be given over to the ravages of the exile. That, is why the period of the captivity was to reduce the nation to a remnant. \ Ezekiel 11:22. These cherubims and wheels are the same that were mentioned in Ezekiel 10:14-15, and they represent the four world empires. The glory of the God of Israel was over them because He is interested in the procedure oE the governments of the world. Ezekiel 11:23. The story included in the vision was about finished, so the spirit of the Lord's glory departed and occupied an exalted place near the city. Ezekiel 11:24. Notice the passage says Ezekiel was brought in a vision into Chaldea (or Babylon). In reality or bodily he had been there all the time. This verse means that the vision was ended and Ezekiel was to act literally in communicating his message to the people or captives among whom he was then living. Ezekiel 11:25. Them of the captivity means the Jews who were literally in captivity along with the prophet who had been taken there at the 2nd stage of the captivity Ezekiel 12 SYMBOLS AND SERMONSThe introductory phrase the word of the LORD came to me (Ezekiel 12:1) indicates the beginning of a new series of messages. In all likelihood, the symbolic actions and oracles recorded here date from the same time as those in the preceding section, viz., in the summer of 592 B.C. In this unit Ezekiel’ s purpose is to defend and reinforce the announcement of Jerusalem’ s coming judgment. In Ezekiel each vision is followed by a message that expands and develops the concepts in the vision. Ezekiel's inaugural vision (chs 1-3) is followed by the announcements of judgment on Jerusalem. The vision of Jerusalem's iniquity and judgment (chs 8-11) is elaborated in chs 12-19. The focus is on the wickedness of the Judean leadership. The messages in chs 12-14 have four subdivisions, with each subdivision itself being a logical bifid. Ezekiel has here incorporated (1) two symbolic actions that he performed (Ezekiel 12:3-20); (2) two popular sayings that he corrected (Ezekiel 12:21-28); (3) two scathing oracles that he delivered (Ezekiel 13:1-23); and (4) two objections to the judgment that he answered (14:1-23). ACTIONS Eze_12:1-22 In ch 12 Ezekiel was commanded to demonstrate to the captives in Babylon, through the medium of symbolic actions, the certainty of Judah’ s destruction. In the parable of the fugitive he assumes the role of a refugee who tries to flee a beleaguered city (Ezekiel 12:1-16). The second parable sets forth the hardships that will be experienced when Jerusalem comes under siege (Ezekiel 12:17-20). Prophecies of speedy deliverance were current in both Jerusalem and Babylon. The teaching of this section is especially aimed at countering this false optimism. Deportation of Judeans (Ezekiel 12:1-16) Preliminary observation (Ezekiel 12:1-2): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 12:2) Son of man, you are sitting in the midst of a rebellious house. They have eyes to see, and do not see, ears to hear, but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel’ s congregation in Babylon was enough to discourage the most ardent preacher. They were indeed a rebellious house; they refused to see or hear the truth (Ezekiel 12:2). Ezekiel had been warned of this in his commission (Ezekiel 2:3-8), but now he experiences the reality of that truth. The exiles had refused to listen to the inspired explanation of their plight that Ezekiel had conveyed to them in sign and word during the previous twelve months. They clung desperately— irrationally— to the conviction that God ultimately would deliver Jerusalem. Still the prophet must try to get through to them. The preacher’ s knowledge that his words will be ignored is never to be used as an excuse for not uttering those words. The truth must forthrightly be preached if only to justify the hearer’ s condemnation. General instructions (Ezekiel 12:3): As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’ s baggage. Go into exile by day before their eyes. You will go like an exile from your place unto another before their eyes. Perhaps they will see, for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel was told to prepare for himself the kind of articles that a person might be permitted to carry on a journey into exile. The barest necessities— a staff, knapsack, drinking cup— might be among the articles gathered. These preparations were to be made by day so as to call attention to them. Ezekiel’ s strange behavior must have been the talk of the exilic community. No doubt he had no lack of spectators to watch and gossip about his every action. Having gained their attention, Ezekiel was to imitate an exile by traveling from his place to an indefinite location outside his house. The object of this symbolic action was to attract the attention of the rebellious house (Ezekiel 12:3). Though discouraged by his lack of visible results, Ezekiel needed to be reminded that it was always possible that some might understand. Perhaps expresses doubt, but also hope. Specific instructions (Ezekiel 12:4-6) Verses 4-6 set forth in more detail how Ezekiel was to carry out his fugitive parable. His pantomime consists of wordless gestures, designed to attract attention and evoke questions. Preparation (Ezekiel 12:4 a): Carry out your baggage like the baggage of an exile by day before their eyes. Ezekiel was to take the necessary “ props” out of his house and pile them up opposite his door. The baggage was to be assembled by day. Exit (Ezekiel 12:4 b): Go out in the evening before their eyes like those who go out to exile. The actual trek was to take place in the cool of the evening. At evening time he was to go forth like an exile seeking to evade the enemy. In this action Ezekiel was to assume the dejected demeanor and desperation of a man faced with the grim reality of exile. Digging (Ezekiel 12:5): Before their eyes dig for yourself in the wall, then carry out through it. He was to dig through the wall in plain view of the people. The reference probably is to the wall of the courtyard around his house, not the wall of the city or of the house itself. Walls in Babylonia were built of sun-dried brick that could, with some exertion, be removed by hand. Through the hole in the wall, Ezekiel was to carry out his captive’ s baggage. Luggage (Ezekiel 12:6 a): Before their eyes carry it upon a shoulder. Carry it out at twilight. Cover your face so you cannot see the ground... Once through the wall, he was to carry his exile’ s baggage upon his shoulder into the early evening darkness. He was to wear a covering over his face. This has the effect of making it impossible for him to see the ground. Purpose (Ezekiel 12:6 b): because I have placed you as a sign to the house of Israel. In all this action Ezekiel was serving as a sign to the house of Israel, i.e., a warning of the impending doom facing Jerusalem. Ezekiel's compliance (Ezekiel 12:7): I did as I was commanded. My baggage I brought out like an exile’ s baggage by day. In the evening I dug for myself in the wall with my hand. At twilight I brought it out. Upon my shoulder I carried it before their eyes. Ezekiel faithfully carried out his instructions. During the day he brought forth his “ props.” That evening he dug through the walls with his hands. Digging with the hands, rather than with a pick, suggests that the fugitive tries to avoid the sound of tools. Explanation to the prophet (Ezekiel 12:8-16) A question from the audience (Ezekiel 12:8-9): The word of the LORD came to me in the morning, saying, (Ezekiel 12:9) Son of man, have not the house of Israel, the house of rebellion, said unto you, What are you doing? Following the night in which Ezekiel made his symbolic escape, he received a revelation from God (v 8). Apparently not even Ezekiel was fully aware of the significance of the actions he had performed, except in the very general sense that it indicated the prospect of further exile for the Jews of Jerusalem. By means of a negative question, God alludes to the fact that many people had been interrogating Ezekiel about his strange behavior. General significance (Ezekiel 12:10-11): Say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel that are in the midst of them. (Ezekiel 12:11) Say: I am your sign! As I have done, so will it be done to them; with the captives they will go into captivity. Ezekiel was to inform the people that the burden— his prophetic message — had to do with the prince, i.e., King Zedekiah and all the house of Israel who still were in the midst of them i.e., the arrogant apostates in Jerusalem. Some who belonged to the true Israel still remained in the condemned city. To the exiles, Ezekiel was a sign or an illustration or an object lesson. What he had done in symbolic parody will actually befall the inhabitants of Jerusalem— they will be driven from their homeland (exile) and forced to settle in areas set apart for them by their conquerors (captivity).Unsuccessful escape effort (Ezekiel 12:12-15) Flight of the prince (Ezekiel 12:12): The prince who is in the midst of them will bear upon his shoulder that he may go out. Through the wall they will dig to carry out through it. His face he will cover so that he will not be able to see the ground with the eye. In an attempt to avoid the fate of his people, the prince that is among them (Zedekiah) will flee by night (cf. 2 Kings 25:4). He will carry what meager belongings he could in a sack thrown over his shoulder. This exodus will be made through a hole while they (the royal servants) will be able to hastily dig through some palace wall. Zedekiah's face will be covered for purposes of disguise and mourning so that he will not be able to see the ground. The further significance of the covered face is found in the fact that Zedekiah was blinded at Riblah by the Chaldeans. From that time he could not see the ground upon which he trod. Capture of the prince (Ezekiel 12:13): I will spread out my net over him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him into Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there. Zedekiah’ s escape efforts will not be successful. The arm of God, as well as the armies of Nebuchadnezzar, will be against him. His flight will be arrested by an act of God. The soldiers of the Chaldean army will act as agents of God to ensnare the apostate king. The king will be hauled off to Babylon, yet he will never see the land. This amazing prophecy was fulfilled when the Chaldeans blinded Zedekiah’ s eyes at Riblah (2 Kings 25:7). Scattering of the forces (Ezekiel 12:14 a): All who surround him to help and all his forces, I will scatter to every wind. The royal bodyguard will desert their commander in the moment of crisis. They will flee for their lives with the Chaldean swordsmen in hot pursuit. A learning experience (Ezekiel 12:14-15): I will empty the sword after them, (Ezekiel 12:15) that they may know that I am the LORD when I scatter them among nations, and disperse them in the countries. When these gloomy prophecies were fulfilled, the remnant of God’ s people scattered through the nations will realize that Yahweh is God of justice as well as salvation. A note of hope (Ezekiel 12:16): But I will spare a few men among them from sword, famine and pestilence in order that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come, that they may know that I am the LORD. A few will survive the overthrow of Jerusalem— the sword, the famine, the pestilence. They will become truly converted. They will openly admit to their guilt in worshiping pagan abominations. They will realize for the first time the full significance of the name Yahweh. They will make known the name and claim of Yahweh among the heathen nations where they dwell. Through their testimony, heathen nations will recognize the justice of the exile and the righteous character of Yahweh who engineered it. Suffering of Jerusalem’ s Inhabitants (Ezekiel 12:17-20) Ezekiel's actions (Ezekiel 12:17-18): And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 11:18) son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and fear. After an interval of silence, another command came to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:17). He was to set forth symbolically the conditions that will exist in Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege. Meager rations of bread and water were to be consumed in a state of fear and anxiety. Earlier Ezekiel had symbolized vividly the starvation diet of the besieged city (Ezekiel 4:9-17). Here the focus is upon the acute terror that will grip the populace when the enemy besieged Jerusalem. The word trembling in Ezekiel 11:18 is elsewhere used only of earthquakes, and thus connotes the idea of violent shaking. Ezekiel's message (Ezekiel 12:19-20) The fear of the people (Ezekiel 12:19 a): Say unto the people of the land, Thus says the LORD to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, unto the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with fear, and their water they will drink with astonishment... So that there will be no misunderstanding of his actions, Ezekiel adds a thus says the Lord directed to the people of the land (his fellow exiles). It concerned those who still lived in Jerusalem. While much of what Ezekiel had said was directed to the national leaders, here he includes the working classes from the farms and villages. The days were coming when they will consume their meager provisions of bread and water with fear and astonishment. Cowering in a corner as one hunted down and dreading pursuit, Ezekiel portrayed the terror that will haunt the lives of the besieged in Jerusalem. Desolation of the land (Ezekiel 12:19 b-20): that her land may be desolate from its fullness, because of the violence of all those who dwell in her. (Ezekiel 12:20) The inhabited cities will become desolate. The land will be an astonishment, that you may know that I am the LORD. Her land, i .e., Jerusalem’ s land, was to become desolate from its fullness. The land was to be stripped of its possessions. The punishment, though severe, will be just because of the violence— the oppression and rebellion— of the inhabitants.POPULAR SAYINGS Eze_12:21-28"The Days are Prolonged” (Ezekiel 12:21-25) A current proverb (Ezekiel 12:21-22): And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 12:22) Son of man, what is this proverb that your people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged and every vision has perished? Still another revelation came to the prophet (Ezekiel 11:21) in order to instruct him about how to deal with a perverse attitude that was current among those who were in Israel. The same attitude was current among the Jews in Babylon. This attitude had crystallized into a clever, pithy, four-word Hebrew proverb (masal) that was wielding tremendous influence among the Jews. Though prophet after prophet had come in the name of God predicting national doom, yet the days are prolonged, i.e., time passes, and the visions of doom and destruction never materialize. Throughout history such has been the cry of those with little or no faith. In effect this proverb sneers at the prophet because his threats had not immediately and dramatically become reality. Perhaps the people had the notion that with the passage of time the power of the prophetic word became ineffective. Response to the proverb (Ezekiel 12:23-25) A counter-proverb (Ezekiel 12:23): Therefore say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I have made this proverb to cease, and they will not make use of it any more in Israel; but speak unto them: The days draw near, and the word of every vision. God had an answer, for the careless unconcern and unbelief of his people. The perverse proverb will not be used much longer in the land. In a four-word counter-proverb, Ezekiel underscored the fact that his prophecies of doom were not for some distant age. The days are at hand when every word of every ominous vision will come to pass. Cessation of false prophecy (Ezekiel 12:24): For there will no longer be any lying vision, nor flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. The devastating flow of events will stop the mouths of charlatans who were specialists in vain vision and smooth divination (Ezekiel 12:24). Optimistic promises of last-minute divine rescue for the holy city will be discredited. False slogans, however catchy, will die. Fulfillment of God's word (Ezekiel 12:25): For I the LORD will speak, and the word that I will speak will come to pass. It will not be prolonged any more; for in your days O rebellious house, I will speak, and I will perform it (oracle of the Lord GOD). While false prophet ceases, God will speak. Whatever he speaks will assuredly come to pass. As an evidence of grace, execution of divine wrath had in the past been delayed, but no more. The grace period was over. The present rebellious generation will not only hear the prophets speak the word of God, they will witness the Lord of history perform that word in their land and city. "For Distant Days"(Ezekiel 12:26-28): A current proverb (Ezekiel 12:26-27): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 12:27) Son of man, Behold, the house of Israel is saying, The vision that he sees is for distant days; of far off times he prophesies. Some had grudgingly recognized an element of truth in the predictions of Ezekiel. They did not say that his vision had failed. Rather they were content with throwing the fulfillment into the distant future. Response to the proverb (Ezekiel 12:28): Therefore, say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD: All my words will not be prolonged any longer, because I speak a word that it may be done (oracle of the LORD). To those who transferred the divine threats to distant times, God reaffirmed that his judgment was both absolute and imminent. The destruction of the temple and the holy city, and the departure of the divine presence from the sanctuary, were already drawing near. Ezekiel Chapter TwelveVerse 1 VARIOUS AGAINST (Ezekiel 12-19) ACTED THE SIEGE AND There is very little need for any special help in understanding this chapter. The judicially hardened condition of the Chosen People, including even those of the captivity, had left them unwilling to hear the word of God; and yet both Jeremiah in Jerusalem and Ezekiel in Babylon continued their faithful ministries. The necessity for God's prophets to continue their efforts to guide the Chosen People into the Truth derived from the fact that a proliferation of false prophets were shouting their false assurances of the safety and security of Jerusalem, and their equally false promises of a short captivity for the exiles and their speedy return to Jerusalem. Of course, the message of the false prophets was extremely attractive to the hardened people of God, and that made it very difficult for them to believe God's true prophets. It was almost impossible for the people to accept the bitter facts that practically none of them would ever return to Jerusalem, that Jerusalem would be destroyed, along with the temple, that the few survivors would be deported to join the other captives in Babylon, and that "the righteous remnant" would be derived from a few of the captives who, in the second generation, would indeed find their way back to Jerusalem. It was due to the very great difficulties of the situation that special miracles attended some of the prophecies of Ezekiel. The sudden death of Pelatiah in Ezekiel 11 was one such miracle; and the exact prophecy of the capture, blinding, and deportation of Zedekiah, all of which was most circumstantially fulfilled shortly after the prophecy was given, is another. It was also the severe difficulty of conditions under which Ezekiel prophesied that resulted in the use of dramatic, enacted prophecies of the siege, deportation, terror, and hardships of the people. There was no way that even the most unwilling of the captives could have failed to understand what God's message actually was. "The purpose is evident throughout this whole section of Ezekiel 12-19, namely, that of presenting the necessity for the exile and the moral cause of it."[1]Ezekiel 12:1-6"The word of Jehovah also came unto me, saying, Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of the rebellious house, that have eyes to see, and see not, that have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. And thou shalt bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing; and thou shalt go forth thy self at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile. Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; thou shalt cover thy face that thou see not the land: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel."GOD AN ENACTED This command to Ezekiel, "Stands under the same date as Ezekiel 8:1, namely 592-1 B.C.;"[2] and this means that the fulfillment of it was only about four or five years after this prophecy was enacted. There were no great difficulties involved in Ezekiel's following these instructions. It had been only a few years since he himself and thousands of others were exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon; and he would have remembered exactly what the exiles would have carried, the manner of their loading it, and what would be necessary. All of his exiled neighbors would also have recognized the significance of such a back-pack, designed to be carried by exiles. "In their sight ..." (Ezekiel 12:3-4). These words appear no less than six times in four verses, indicating that the purpose of the prophet's actions was that of getting as much public attention as possible; and it is easy to suppose that such actions did indeed attract a lot of attention and speculation upon the possible meaning of what Ezekiel did. The covering of the face was a symbol of the people's sorrow in leaving their homeland. It also appears that this might have been a prophecy of the blinding of Zedekiah, or a reference to his flight at night, when he could not see the land. Verse 7 "And I did as I was commanded; I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the even I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bare it upon my shoulder in their sight."This verse merely notes that Ezekiel carded out the Lord's instructions exactly. Verse 8 "And in the morning came the word of Jehovah unto me, saying, Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: this burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are. Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them; they shall go forth into exile, into captivity. And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, for he shall not see the land, because he shall not see the land with his eyes. My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.""This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem ..." (Ezekiel 12:10). The word "burden" refers to a prediction of some woeful event, and was often used by God's prophets to describe the prophecy of doom to some city or some individual, as, for example, in the case of Nahum's "burden of Nineveh." Here, the message is that this prophecy of capture, blindness, and captivity applies to Zedekiah, the puppet king of Nebuchadnezzar's on the throne of Judah. G. A. Cooke, and other radical critics, denominate this prophecy as a "post eventum" prophecy, without any authority whatever, against all evidence, and in spite of the historical corroboration of the fact that the prophecy was spoken long before Zedekiah's fall. What is the basis of this scholarly blindness? It is based upon the critical dictum that, there is no such thing as predictive prophecy, a silly and irresponsible rule that has no basis whatever except in the prejudice of evil men who are simply unwilling to believe God's Word. Did not the Hebrew Scriptures prophesy the whole person and works of the Son of God afull quarter of a millennium before our Lord was born? Did they not name the town where he would be born, eight centuries before the event? Only a fool can accept the critical dictum that there is no such thing as predictive prophecy. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF In the paragraph before us, we have the prophecy of Zedekiah's flight from Jerusalem by night, his capture, his blinding, and his deportation to Babylon. It just happens that Ezekiel dates his prophecy (Ezekiel 8:1), about five years prior to its fulfillment. Canon Cook reminds us that, "The genuineness of Ezekiel and the position of this passage within it are beyond dispute. Jeremiah 39:4,2 Kings 25:4 provide a Scriptural record of the historical fulfillment; and the only legitimate inference is that Ezekiel received his information from above."[3]Note that Cook stated that the facts here are "beyond dispute." How is this true? The Jewish historian, Josephus records the fact that Zedekiah himself was familiar with Ezekiel's prophecy, which definitely means that the prophecy did not originate after the king's death. Zedekiah himself heard the prophecies both of Jeremiah and of Ezekiel, for Ezekiel's prophecy had been sent to Jerusalem; but Zedekiah did not believe their prophecies for the following reason. The two prophets agreed with one another in all other things: (1) that the city should be taken, (2) Zedekiah himself would be taken captive and carried to Babylon. Zedekiah was told by Jeremiah that his eyes should see Nebuchadnezzar; but Ezekiel prophesied that Zedekiah would never see Babylon. Zedekiah thought that contradicted Jeremiah who had prophesied that Zedekiah would indeed be carried to Babylon. Therefore, he disbelieved what they both said, condemning them as false prophets![4]This event is too well documented, both in the Bible and in history for it to be intelligently denied. Poor old Zedekiah, like many another skeptic, fancied that he found a contradiction in God's Word; but both prophecies were most accurately and circumstantially fulfilled. It all happened as the prophets said. Zedekiah did indeed see Nebuchadnezzar face to face in Riblah in Hamath, but he never saw Babylon, despite the fact of his being carried captive to Babylon and eventually dying there. Nebuchadnezzar blinded Zedekiah at Riblah after forcing the unhappy king to witness the execution of all of his sons. Verse 14 "And I will scatter to every wind all that are round about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the word after them. And they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them though the countries. But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations whither they come; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."Here it appears that one of God's reasons for leaving any survivors at all was that he might have witnesses unto all generations of the gross sins and abominations of the Chosen People. "I will scatter all ... who were there to help Zedekiah... and all of his bands (soldiers) ..." (Ezekiel 12:14). This also happened exactly as prophesied. "But those friends and captains of Zedekiah who had fled with him out of the city, when they saw their enemies near them, they left him and dispersed themselves, some one way, and some another ... so they took Zedekiah alive, when he was deserted by all but a few; and with his children and his wives, they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar."[5]Verse 17 "Moreover the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with fearfulness; and say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate and despoiled of all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah."This is an enacted prophecy of the hardships of the siege, and it bears a good deal of similarity to the passage in Ezekiel 4:9-17, especially Ezekiel 12:16-17; "But, whereas the earlier passage stresses the scarcity of food and water during the siege, this passage is designed to prophesy the terror and fearfulness of it."[6]The additional truth here is that all of the outlying cities of Judah will also be destroyed along with Jerusalem itself, as stated in verse 19, the very same verse. As for the notion that Ezekiel could not have addressed people in Judah while he himself was in Babylon, the words of Josephus, quoted above, show clearly that all of Ezekiel's prophecies were also read and studied in Jerusalem. "The people of the land ..." (Ezekiel 12:19). Some have objected to this expression, for it generally meant land-owners of the wealthier class of people; and as Ezekiel was in Babylon, such a term could not be applied to the captives; but the objection has no weight. The message here was to the "the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel." Verse 21 "And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, what is this proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say to them, The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. For there shall be no more any false vision, nor any flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am Jehovah; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed; it shall be no more deferred: for in your days, O rebellions house, I will speak the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord Jehovah."EZEKIEL ANSWERS A FALSE PROVERBThese words and some of the following prophecies deal with the problem of true and false prophecy. The unbelievers, encouraged by the false prophets, were saying, "Look, we've heard all this before. Nothing happens; things are going on just the same as always." Very well, the Lord says here, "Your wicked generation is the very one that shall indeed see every vision fulfilled, every prophecy vindicated, and all the predictions against the apostate nation happening just like the true prophets said." This proverb appears in the Hebrew here literally, as, "The days lengthen; the vision fails."[7] In those days, even as today, a catchy proverb can be a very bad influence, if it is founded upon a falsehood. In all generations, there have been echoes of this same attitude. The apostle Peter declared that, "In the last days, mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Peter 3:3-4). Verse 26 "Again the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of times that are far off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: There shall none of my words be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, saith the Lord Jehovah."ANOTHER FALSE PROVERB REFUTEDAlthough the problem created by this false proverb was very similar to the one addressed in the previous paragraph, "There is a slight variation. The gainsayers are not saying here that, `The vision faileth'; they indeed recognize Ezekiel as a prophet; but they throw the fulfillment of his words into the far distant future."[8]The refutation of such false views would appear in the complete fulfilment of the prophecies in the very near future. From the time of this chapter until the total ruin of Jerusalem and all Judah, along with the slaughter of most of the people, the burning of the temple, the capture, blinding, and captivity of their king, and the deportation of the pitiful remnant to Babylon where they would join their other unbelieving brethren in their captivity until it was all fulfilled was only a matter of four or five years. When? All of this, the last ugly detail of it, happened within a time-frame of only four or five years. Allowing some eighteen months for the siege, the events prophesied in this very chapter began to unfold only three and one half years after the prophecies were given to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 12:1. Instead Of using a vision God spoke directly to the prophet. Ezekiel 12:2. Ezekiel and most of the Jews were in Babylon at the time he was doing his work as a prophet. At the same time there were still some left in Jerusalem, for that city had not yet been destroyed. That event was about due and would be the 3rd stage of the captivity. But in spite of the two events that had taken place, referred to as the 1st and 2nd captivities, as well as other evidences of God’ s truth, many of the Jews doubted that their capital would really be destroyed. Some of them in Babylon even professed to hope that they would soon return to Jerusalem which they would find unharmed. Eyes and ears which see and hear not, means they refused to use their own senses to perceive the truth. Ezekiel 12:3. The prophet was told to do some more “ acting” which we have previously seen. (See at 1 Kings 20:35.) In this case it was to emphasize the prediction that the people still left in Jerusalem would soon be moved out and taken to another place. Stuff means the outfit that one would use or need when going from one place to another. That i3, the articles one would especially need were he going to spend some time in a strange locality. With these articles Ezekiel was to go through the motions of moving in the sight of the rebellious house or people. Ezekiel 12:4. Day and even are both named in a significant manner. He was to use the day in making the preparation, and when evening came he was to go out with the movements of one who had been banished from his native land. Ezekiel 12:5. The town where Ezekiel and other captives were living would he enclosed with a wall. He was to make an opening through that wall large enough for a man to pass through, then let the people see him leave by way of the opening. Ezekiel 12:6. Covering Ills face while going through this performance would indicate that the prophet was not seeing his own way in it, but was being directed by an unseen force. This would serve as a sign to the Israelites: the word Is from MOPHETH which Strong defines. “ A token or omen." By such an unusual performance of the prophet it was hoped to impress the people that something important was about to take place. Ezekiel 12:7, This verse merely records the carrying out of the orders which the prophet had received from the Lord. Ezekiel 12:8. The scenes described in the preceding verses produced some interest among the people as the night was passing, and in the morning the Lord spoke again. Ezekiel 12:9, God knew the people had asked the prophet for an explanation of his actions, and He was ready to furnish the answer. Ezekiel 12:10. Burden is a figure of speech and means an important prophecy or other message was about to be delivered. The prince in Jerusalem was Zedekiah, who was left on his throne there by the king of Babylon, but who was reigning only as a subject-king under Nebuchadnezzar. There were also some of the inhabitants of the city left in it and they were included in the house of Israel that are among them. Ezekiel 12:11. This verse connects the acting of the prophet witb the event that was to be its fulfillment. Ezekiel was to tell his people that it was performed in their sight as a sign. (See the explanation of this word at verse 6.1 Them and they are pronouns that stand for the persons mentioned in the close of the preceding verse. The prediction was that they were to go into captivity, meaning the "3rd captivity." Ezekiel 12:12. The apparent secrecy that Ezekiel maintained would prove to have foreshadowed some of the actions of Zedekiah. He had been warned to be submissive to the king of Babylon since the whole transaction of the captivity was of the Lord, but he thought he could etude the enemy and escape. Dig through the wall is what Ezekiel actually did as a sign, but it is used figuratively of Zedekiah. However, he did attempt to escape by means of the wall, and did it in the twilight or night. The fulfillment of this is recorded in 2 Kings 25:4 and Jeremiah 39:4. Ezekiel 12:13. This net referred to the forces of Babylon which the Lord was using in the overthrow of Jerusalem and its acting king. The apparent difficulty in the closing clause of this verse will be made clear by 2 Kings 25 : G, 7; Jeremiah 32:4. Ezekiel 12:14. Some of the men of war in Jerusalem thought to elude capture by following Zedekiah in his flight. This verse predicts their failure, and the historical account of it is in 2 Kings 25:4; 2 Kings 25:6. Ezekiel 12:15. Again we see the chief motive that was behind these great demonstrations against the unfaithful people of Israel from time to time was to make them know; that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 12:16. These few were the "remnant" referred to frequently and the fulfillment is at Ezra 2:64. See the note at Jeremiah 14:12 regarding the sword, famine and pestilence, regarded as one form of judgment upon the evil nation. Ezekiel 12:17. Moreover means the same as furthermore. The Lord had something more to say to the prophet, and it was to be in connection with his next work. Ezekiel 12:18. This verse directed Ezekiel to do some more "acting." He was not in any personal want but was to deai with the conditions of famine that were to come upon the jieopie still left in Jerusalem. The carefulness means he was to use the provisions sparingly as if they were being rationed out to him. Ezekiel 12:19. People of the land meant the Jews then in Babylon with the prophet, and inhabitants of Jerusalem were those still in the city but who were doomed to be soon removed. Ere that event took place they were to undergo the pangs of famine. Ezekiel 12:20. Some cities besides Jerusalem were still lingering on the verge of total destruction, and they, too, were soon to feel the final blows from Babylon. Ezekiel 12:21-22. The Jews persisted in denying the warnings that had been so often tittered to them and which had been backed up by so muck evidence of being from God. Just at the moment, most of the nation was in the land of Babylon, having been victims of the first or second stage of the captivity. And yet, when the prophet, declared that all Jerusalem and its remaining inhabitants were to be overthrown, they either denied the truth of it altogether, or else were saying that It was not to be for a long time. If a threatened judgment upon man does not come as soon as he expects, then the seeming delay is interpreted to mean that the prediction is false. Solomon had such a condition In mind when he wrote Ecclesiastes 8:11, and the same thought ia set forth in 2 Peter 3:4 regarding the end of the world. Ezekiel 12:23. Proverb ts used in the sense of something that is repeated frequently as if it were taken for granted to be a truth. But the Lord declared that it would he caused to cease, for the days are at hand when the threatened event will occur. All of Ezekiel’ s writings thus far were done between the 2nd and 3rd stages of the captivities, and that period altogether was only eleven years. But most of that had passed at the time we are now studying, hence the final downfall of the capital city was truly at liana. Ezekiel 12:24. Vain vision and flattering divination refers to the false predictions and unauthorized assurances that the evil leaders had been giving to the people. The actual fall of the city would certainly put an end to that. Ezekiel 12:25. in your days denoted that the very people to whom these threats had been made would live to see their fulfillment and would personally suffer in them. Ezekiel 12:26. The frequent repetition of such language as this verse will keep us mindful that the prophet was being inspired by the Lord in all his utterances. Ezekiel 12:27. The attention of the prophet was called to the clamors of the people, relative to the far-off date of the affliction that has been made against them. Ezekiel 12:28, Ezekiel was assured that the fulfillment was not far off, and the reader may see the account of Its fulfillment in 2 Kings 25:1-2. Ezekiel 13 ORACLES In ch 13 Ezekiel directs his attack against those who spawned the blasphemous proverbs that he has just refuted in 12:21-28. Ezekiel denounces these prophet-types for undermining the stability of the nation at a time when it needed to be built up. He speaks first of the condemnation of the prophets (vv 1-16), and then of the prophetesses (vv 17-23). In order to grasp the magnitude of the problem faced by the faithful herald of God’ s word in this period, Jeremiah 29 should be read in connection with these denunciations. OF THE Ezekiel 13:1-16 Two charges are leveled against the national prophets: (1) they had undermined the nation (Ezekiel 13:1-7); and (2) they had encouraged false security (Ezekiel 13:8-16).Initial Indictment (Ezekiel 13:1-7) Authorization (Ezekiel 13:1-2): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, Hear the word of the LORD. Surely it must have been with sarcasm that Ezekiel referred to his opponents as the prophets of Israel. These were the spiritual leaders preferred by the rebellious nation. Their messages had no higher authority than their own heart. For these deceivers, Ezekiel had a genuine word from the Lord (Ezekiel 13:2).A word to the false prophets (Ezekiel 13:3-5): Emptiness (Ezekiel 13:3): Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe unto the foolish prophets who walk after their spirit, and have seen nothing! Ezekiel pronounced a woe upon those foolish prophets (lit., the prophets, the fools). The Hebrew for foolish (nabal) denotes more than stupidity. The fool was a person arrogant, blasphemous, and devoid of ethical and religious scruples. Such were the prophets who followed their own spirit rather than the leading of God’ s Spirit. Their message was grounded in self-deception— things that they have not seen (Ezekiel 13:3). The spiritual progeny of those prophetic pretenders are those today who present human wisdom as though it were from above.Destructiveness (Ezekiel 13:4): Like the foxes among the ruins are your prophets, O Israel! Israel’ s prophets— they are not God’ s prophets— are compared to foxes among the ruins (Ezekiel 13:4). Like foxes they were cunning and destructive. Foxes found a natural habitation among the ruins of cities. Their presence only increased the devastation. So the false prophets had infiltrated the nation that was crumbling to destruction. They burrowed about among the foundations without any concern for the welfare of the place. They intended only to make dens for themselves. In an atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity, charlatans could easily gain a hearing for dogmatic optimism. Their pious platitudes and perverted theology, however, served to further undermine the already precarious position of the nation.Laziness (Ezekiel 13:5): You did not go up into the gaps, nor did you put up a fence around the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. The evidence of the falsity of the popular prophets was the fact that they did not grasp the serious situation that confronted the nation. In the hour of peril, those characters had made no contribution to the national defenses. The great need of the hour was for spiritual leaders to go up into the breaches in the moral walls that protected Israel from destruction. The figure is that of warfare. When a wall was breached, the defenders had to go up into the gap, i.e., quickly repair the break. The work of the true prophets was to preach on the great moral themes— to point out transgression— and call for repentance so that a protective hedge could be erected about the nation. As long as Israel followed the law of God, the nation was untouchable. Because of unfaithfulness, however, Israel faced the judgment of the day of the LORD. The popular prophets had done nothing to prepare the nation for this ordeal. When the storm of judgment broke forth in 586 B.C., most of the nation were spiritually (as well as militarily) unprepared. A word about the false prophets (Ezekiel 13:6): They have seen vanity and lying divination who say, Oracle of the LORD, when the LORD has not sent them, and they expect that this word will be confirmed. The false prophets had seen only vanity. Their visions were the fancy of their deluded minds. Their predictions about the future were lying divination. Divination was the pseudo-science of foretelling the future by human devices rather than by divinely inspired oracles. True prophets never made use of divination. False prophets blatantly used the standard prophetic formula oracle of the Lord; but God had nothing to do with their mission. He had not sent them (cf. Jeremiah 23:21). So self-deluded were those prophets that they actually believed that their words would be fulfilled. In attempting to deceive others, they actually had deceived themselves. A question for the false prophets (Ezekiel 13:7): Have you not seen a vain vision, and spoken a lying divination when you continually say, Oracle of the LORD, even though I did not speak? In an abrupt change of person, not uncommon in biblical style, Ezekiel directed a rhetorical question to the pretenders (Ezekiel 13:7). Perhaps he could shame them into confessing the falsity of their claims and methods.First Judgment Threat (Ezekiel 13:8-9) The punishment of those prophetic pretenders is spelled out in Ezekiel 13:8-9. They are enemies of God (Ezekiel 13:8-9 a): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, Because you have spoken vanity and seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you (oracle of Lord GOD). (Ezekiel 13:9) My hand will be against the prophets who see vanity and lying divination. Those who perverted the divine word are declared to be the enemies of God. In a formula that possibly originated in the days of hand-to-hand combat, God declared his implacable hostility toward these prophets: Behold I am against you. The hand of God that had meant such strength and encouragement to Ezekiel, will be raised against those prophets in anger. The very hand that had destroyed Israel's oppressors (Exodus 15:12) now will destroy the false prophets. They will lose their honored position (Ezekiel 13:9 b): They will not be in the assembly of my people, nor will they be written in the register of the house of Israel... The presently influential prophets will be discredited as counselors and leaders. In the future, they will have no place in the assembly of the people, i.e., those who were full citizens. Presently their names were high on the national register; but in the future they will not be written in the register of the house of Israel. Such an act is tantamount to losing full citizenship in the nation. There is no specific mention of a name being struck from the register in Old Testament times. It is probable, therefore, that Ezekiel contemplates a new register in which their names will never appear. They will have no place in restored Israel (Ezekiel 13:9 c): nor will they come unto the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord GOD. These prophetic pretenders will not even have a place in the land of Israel. The fulfillment of these threats will force the false prophets to admit that the Yahweh of Ezekiel, not their nationalistic Yahweh, was the God controlling history.Additional Indictment (Ezekiel 13:10-12) Public deception (Ezekiel 13:10 a): Because, even because, they have caused my people to err, saying, Peace, when there is no peace. In the initial indictment of the prophets, Ezekiel focused on the false prophets in Babylon. Now he turns to the Jerusalem prophets. This indictment is introduced by the repetition of the conjunction because. Even as impending calamity closed in on the inhabitants of Judah, the Jerusalem prophets were assuring their constituents that all was well. The Hebrew noun translated peace (salom) in this context refers to national prosperity. Such optimistic assessments are likened to the building of a wall. The word for wall—hayis— signifies a wall of stones heaped one upon another with no mortar to hold them together. A coat of whitewash (taphel) in no way added to the strength of such a wall; it only served to conceal its dangerous character. Public danger (Ezekiel 13:10 b): One builds up a wall, and behold, others coat it with whitewash. The wall represents the false hopes that the people were erecting for themselves, and that the false prophets were indorsing by their “ lying lullabies” (Taylor). How tragic that some spiritual leaders cater to the desires of their auditors. They yield to the temptation to speak pleasant words to their people. Disaster is inevitable when religious leaders encourage people in unbiblical ways. By indorsing revolt against Babylon, and promising divine deliverance from the inevitable confrontation with that power, the false prophets had created a spirit of complacency. But the wall of theological and political promises that they had built will collapse at a touch, and thus leave the population exposed and vulnerable. Public declaration (Ezekiel 13:11): Say unto those who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. There will be a torrential shower. Hailstones will fall and a stormy wind will rend it. God had a word for the prophetic whitewash crew. Torrential rains, hailstones and wind will put their deceitful wall to the test. Public derision (Ezekiel 13:12): Behold, when the wall has fallen will it not be said unto you, Where is the coating with which you coated it? When that wall fell— and fall it surely will— angry citizens who had been deceived will hold those prophets up to derision: where is the coating?, i.e., the lies with which they sought to establish national security.Second Judgment Threat (Ezekiel 13:13-16) Attack on the wall (Ezekiel 13:13): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: I will rend it with a stormy wind in my fury. There will be a torrential shower in my anger, and hailstones in fury to consume it. The stormy wind, hailstones and torrential rain of military assault will demonstrate the fury of God against his people. Destruction on the wall (Ezekiel 13:14): So I will smash the wall that you have daubed with lime, and bring it to the ground. Its foundations will be uncovered, and it will fall. You will be destroyed in its midst, that you may know that I am the LORD. The fall of the whitewashed wall of imaginary security will be God’ s doing. In that day even the very foundations of those walls— the false theological notions about God’ s relationship to Judah— will be exposed to plain view. The use of whitewash instead of mortar is what made the false prophet a criminal. The prophets will be destroyed by the collapse of their wall of words. They will be overwhelmed in the disaster that will befall the people they had deceived. In that day the prophets will know that Yahweh is faithful to his word of judgment as well as to his word of promise . Absence of the wall (Ezekiel 13:15-16): Thus I will complete my wrath on the wall, and on those who daubed it with whitewash. I will say to you, The wall is no more, and those who coated it are no more, (Ezekiel 13:16) the prophets of Israel who prophesy unto Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace (oracle of the Lord GOD). When his fury had been completely poured out, both the metaphorical wall, and those who built it, will no longer exist (Ezekiel 13:15). The nation did not enjoy peace, either with God, or with the superpower of that day. Those who claimed to have received revelations to the contrary were clearly worthy of the heavenly judgment just announced (Ezekiel 13:16). OF THE Ezekiel 13:17-23 The Indictment (Ezekiel 13:17-19): Authorization for the message (Ezekiel 13:17): As for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who are prophesying from their heart. Prophesy against them. When it came to condemnation, the Old Testament prophets were not respecters of persons. They condemned wayward women as well as wayward men. The women Ezekiel condemns are not alled prophetesses, but women who play the role of prophet. The description of theiractivities suggests that they were more like witches. They mixed magical practices with their prophecies. It is not surprising that in the turbulent first decade of the sixth century such leeches had appeared. The ways of Babylon, where necromancy and divination abounded, had been adopted by the Jews. The prophetesses, as well as their male counterparts, were aggravating the spiritual and political problems of Judah. Like the prophets, these women prophesied out of their own heart. Their message was of human rather than of divine origin. Action of the prophetesses (Ezekiel 13:18): You will say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to those who sew bands for every joint of the arm, and make veils for the head of every height to lie in wait for souls. Will you lie in wait for my people, while you save your own lives? The women employed magical arts by which they pretended to foretell the future. Magic bands — perhaps cases containing incantations and charms— were sewn on their wrists. This seems to be similar to a Babylonian custom in which a sorcerer binds the wrist of a client to symbolize the binding power of the spell that was pronounced. The sorceresses also drape their clients with full-length veils or shawls. They possessed a whole wardrobe of such veils adapted to persons of various heights, so that in all cases it shrouded their whole form. Just what the purpose of these veils was cannot now be determined. Some spoken spell must have accompanied the use of these objects (cf. v 17). The sorceresses were not harmless cranks. Their object was to lie in wait for the souls (i.e., the lives) of God’ s people. They were determined to capture the attention and control the minds of those who were still trying to be faithful to the Lord. Ezekiel seems to think of those magical veils as nets cast over victims, a snare from which they could not escape. While they could care less about the fate of God’ s people, the prophetesses were determined to save their own lives. This probably means that they were driven by the profit motive. Their sole concern was to receive the fees by which they could sustain their lives. By means of a variety of spells and incantations, the prophetesses claimed the power to keep clients alive on payment of certain fees. Effect on the people (Ezekiel 13:19): Will you profane me among my people in exchange for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread to slay souls who should not die, and to save souls who should not live by your lying to my people who hear (your) lies? The prophetesses had profaned the Lord among his people. Their actions caused people to deny their faith in Yahweh. They trusted in deceitful divinations. Thus the name of God was profaned by those who turned their backs on him. The deceitful oracles of the prophetesses were cranked out with the aid of handfuls of barley and crumbs of bread. These materials probably were used as auguries to be examined to see whether a sick man would live or die. The prophetesses slay the soul that should not die, i.e., foretell the death for the righteous. At the same time, they save the souls alive that should not live, i.e., they promised life to the wicked. They were lying to God’ s people who were inclined to listen to untruth more than truth. Punishment (Ezekiel 13:20-21): Compared to the condemnation of the prophets in the preceding section, these women were treated quite lightly. They will not suffer more than the loss of their influence and ivelihood. Declaration of hostility (Ezekiel 13:20 a): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your bands by which you lie in wait for souls there to make them like birds. God declared his absolute opposition to the pagan paraphernalia employed by these women. On bands (or cushions), see on Ezekiel 13:18. Humiliation of the practitioners (Ezekiel 13:20 b): I will rend them from upon your arms. The bands (or cushions) will be ripped from the arms of these women. Liberation of the victims (Ezekiel 13:20-21): I will send forth the souls, the souls for whom you have been lying in wait to make them fly. I will rend your coverings. I will deliver my people from your hands. They will not again be in your hand to be hunted down, that you may know that I am the LORD. Their veils will be torn away (Ezekiel 13:21). Implied in the judgment is that the magic bands and veils in some way imprisoned the lives of the people. The souls held captive by the magic spells will be liberated, set free like birds from a cage. God’ s people will no longer be in the hand, i.e., under the power of these prophetesses. As God once delivered his people from ruthless Pharaoh, so he now will deliver them from their own oppressive leaders.Further Indictment and Punishment (Ezekiel 13:22-23) Their present influence (Ezekiel 13:22): Because you have made sad the heart of the righteous with lies, when I did not make him sad. You have strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to cause him to live. The prophetesses had caused the righteous to be disheartened. At the same time they had given encouragement to the wicked. The result of this was that the wicked had no inclination to turn, i.e., repent. Their influence smashed (Ezekiel 13:23): Therefore, you will see no more vanity, nor engage in divination again; for I will deliver my people from your hand, that you may know that I am the LORD. Because of their detrimental influence on society, the profession of which these women were a part will be abolished. No more will they make claims to see visions or employ divination to ascertain the future. In the day of judgment, when all the magical schemes of these women fail, they will comprehend that the God who had spoken these things is Yahweh. They will understand that he is faithful to perform his word of judgment as well as his word of promise.Ezekiel Chapter ThirteenVerse 1 AGAINST LYING AND FALSE Keil divided this chapter into only two divisions, namely, (1) prophecies against false prophets (Ezekiel 13:1-16), and (2) prophecies against the false prophetesses (Ezekiel 13:17-23). Bruce further divided the first division as 1st and 2nd denunciations of the false prophets in Ezekiel 13:1-9 and Ezekiel 13:10-16, respectively. THE FIRST AGAINST FALSE Eze_13:1-9"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own heart, Hear ye the word of Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in the waste places. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, ye have neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Jehovah. They have seen falsehood and lying divination, that saith, Jehovah saith; but Jehovah hath not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would he confirmed. Have ye not seen a false vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, in that ye say, Jehovah saith; albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you, saith the Lord Jehovah. And my hand shall be against the prophets that see false visions: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.""Against the prophets ..." (Ezekiel 13:2). "Ezekiel had already prophesied against Jerusalem, against the cities of Judah, against the priests and against the king; and now he directs the prophecies against the false prophets."[1] Howie noted that there were at least three reasons for these denunciations: (1) they were prophesying out of their own subjective desires and imaginations and were not following God's Spirit at all; (2) they were doing nothing whatever to help Israel, neither building up the wall, nor helping to repair the breaches (gaps) in it; and (3) they were deliberate liars who prophesied lies and then expected God to confirm their lying words.[2]"The foolish prophets that follow their own spirit ..." (Ezekiel 13:3). The Biblical conception of the "fool" is the man who says in his heart that, "there is no God." Much more than a lack of intelligence is indicated: (1) The fool is ignorant; (2) he is stupid, and (3) he is wicked (John 3:19). "Like foxes in the waste places ..." (Ezekiel 13:4). Plumptre gave the meaning of this comparison as follows. "The fox is cunning (Luke 13:32); it spoils the vine and its fruits (Song of Son 2:15); and it burrows among ruins (Nehemiah 4:3). So, (1) the false prophets were crafty; (2) they laid waste the vineyard of the Lord; (3) they profited from the ruin of Israel and made that ruin worse."[3]"Neither built up the wall for the house of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 13:5). The wall here, is not the literal wall of Jerusalem, but the wall of integrity, truth, honor, and love of the true God, which alone could afford any protection to the house of Israel in the disaster coming upon them. The false prophets were no help at all in this sector. "Have ye not spoken a lying divination ..." (Ezekiel 13:6)? "Divination is a reference to the superstitious method of procuring information or receiving an oracle by reading omens, drawing lots, or by some other such device."[4] It would appear from Ezekiel's use of the interrogative here that the false prophets did not even deny his charge of falsehoods on their part. "They have made men hope that the word would be confirmed ..." (Ezekiel 13:6). "The word" here is the word of the false prophets. The Good News Bible renders this place, "Yet they expect their words to come true." Plumptre noted this possible meaning of the text, adding that, "In their deceiving of others, they came to deceive themselves, and were really expecting a fulfillment."[5]Bunn summarized the six charges against these false prophets as follows: "(1) their alleged prophecies were produced by their own minds; (2) they followed their own spirit, not God's; (3) they have seen nothing (Ezekiel 13:3); (4) they do nothing to help the people (Ezekiel 13:5); (5) they are deliberate liars (Ezekiel 13:6); and (6) they have misled God's people (Ezekiel 13:10)."[6]The sins of the false prophets having been boldly proclaimed, the prophet announced their punishment inEzekiel 13:9. "My hand shall be against the prophets that see false visions ..." (Ezekiel 13:9) The following punishments are spelled out in this verse. (1) They shall not be in the council of my people. (2) Neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel. This was thought by Plumptre to be a reference to the Book of Life.[7] (3) Neither shall they enter into the land of Israel. This refers to the return of the "righteous remnant" following the end of the captivity. The false prophets shall have no part in the restored Israel. Verse 10 "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying Peace, and there is no peace; and when one buildeth up a wall, behold, they daub it with untempered mortar. Say unto them that daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye daubed it? Therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my wrath; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar; and I will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah."THE SECOND OF FALSE The utter lack of integrity among the false prophets is here illustrated by the work of a foolish, incompetent builder who uses worthless mortar in the construction of a wall. We do not know exactly what the "untempered mortar" actually was, but it makes no difference. Whatever it was, it was worthless, and the first shower totally ruined it; but God promised them that it would be no ordinary shower at all, but an "overflowing one" in God's anger, with great hailstones and a tornadic wind. Their wall would fall ... fall ... fall ... come down to the ground... be consumed ... its foundation uncovered ... and even. the builders of it consumed with it! This is not a reference to any literal wall, but to the rotten, worthless, and unbelieving "prophecies" these sinful men were preaching in place of the true Word of God; and we must add that there is today, in our society, a lot of daubing going on with the same kind of untempered mortar! Keil identified the daubing with untempered mortar as, "A figurative description of deceitful flattery and hypocrisy, the covering up of inward corruption with outward appearances, as in Matthew 23:27, and Acts 23:3."[8]Verse 17 "And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of my people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: woe to the women that sew pillows upon all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves? And ye have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hearken unto lies." AGAINST THE FALSE number of prophetesses are mentioned in the Bible: Miriam in Exodus 15:20; Deborah, Judges 4:4; Huldah, 2 Kings 22:14; Noadiah, Nehemiah 6:14; Elizabeth, Luke 1:41-45, Anna, Luke 2:36-38, the four virgin daughters of Philip, Acts 21:9, and Jezebel, Revelation 21:20. Isaiah's wife is also called "a prophetess" (Isaiah 8:3); but in her case, the title is usually construed as meaning merely, "the prophet's wife." The evil prophetesses mentioned here were a strange lot indeed, and Cooke stated that, "Prophetesses is too good a word for them; witches or sorceresses would suit the description better."[9] "These people were the ancient forerunners of the palmists, phrenologists, madams, fortune-tellers, card readers, and crystal ball watchers that ply their nefarious trade today in every large city on earth."[10]It is not known exactly what is meant by the pillows and kerchief's mentioned here; but whatever they were, Bruce stated: "They evidently belonged to the paraphernalia of witchcraft."[11] "It seems that the kind of witchcraft practiced by these "prophetesses" exercised a certain amount of control over individuals, like one sees in the West Indies in the voodoo cults. It was an art practiced solely from the profit motive (Ezekiel 13:19)."[12] Of course, the connecting of the holy name of the Lord Jehovah with such a crooked and shameful art was a profanation indeed. "They did it for poor gain. If they could get no more for it, rather than refuse, they would sell you a false prophecy that would please you for the beggar's dole, a handful of barley, or a piece of bread."[13]The meaning of this paragraph is somewhat obscure, but Cooke said that, as rendered, "The passage describes the malicious, self-interested designs of these women, who victimized others by means of Witchcraft, and make a living by it for themselves."[14]As Leal noted, "Ignorance of exactly what those women were doing derives from the fact that a number of expressions used in this chapter are used nowhere else in the Bible."[15]Although Feinberg rejected the idea, he reported that some have suggested these women could also have engaged in harlotry and licentiousness, a suggestion that we accept as reasonable enough. After all, the New Testament prophetess, Jezebel, "Taught God's servants to commit fornication, seducing them into this sin" (Revelation 2:20); and the ambiguity of our passage here in Ezekiel makes us very reluctant to rule out this same possibility in the evil prophetesses mentioned here. "To slay souls that should not die ..." (Ezekiel 13:19). This reference to the ability of those false prophetesses to "slay" or keep alive persons as their pleasure dictated cannot be a reference to what any of them could really do, but a sarcastic reference to what those evil women "claimed" they could do! Verse 20 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye hunt the souls to make them fly. Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. Because with lies ye have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive; therefore ye shall no more see false visions, nor divine divinations: and I will deliver my people out of your hand; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.""Hunt the souls to make them fly ..." (Ezekiel 13:20). The the Good News Bible renders this sentence, "I hate the wristbands you use in your attempt to control life and death." James Moffatt's Translation of the Bible, 1929, has this: "I am against those amulets you use to snare poor human souls." Douay has it this way, "I am against your cushions wherewith you try to catch flying souls." The NIV translates: "I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds." The Septuagint (LXX) has, "I am against your pillows, whereby ye there confound souls." The most attractive to us of all such renditions was mentioned by Canon Cook, who thought that, "hunting souls to make them fly" (Ezekiel 13:20) means "causing souls to fly into your gardens."[16] All of these serve to show the confusion that results from a damaged or uncertain text. The wonderful fact is that whatever the passage means, the message of God is plain enough. Those wicked prophetesses were rejected and punished by God who delivered his people from their power. Is that not sufficient anyway? Howie summed up the teaching here as follows. "God condemned the sorceresses. He destroyed the badges of their art (the pillows, cushions, or whatever they were); he freed the souls they hunted and allowed them to escape like birds. Such women claimed powers over the living and the dead; the effect of that was to discourage the righteous and to aid and abet the wicked; and that is always the way it is when magic, witchcraft, and sorcery are permitted to usurp the place in men's hearts that belongs to true religion."[17] Ezekiel 13:1-2. Ezekiel was himself a prophet in Israel, but he was to prophesy against the evil ones who were deceiving the people into a false feeling of security. Out oftheir own hearts means that these false prophets were not inspired of the Lord but were speaking their personal thoughts. They were to be called upon to cease issuing this unauthorized manner of statements and to hear the word of God. Ezekiel 13:3. Having seen nothing means they had not received any vision from the Lord, but were devising theIR own foolish predictions. Ezekiel 13:4. The fox Is a destructive creature (See Son 2:15) instead of a helpful one, and these false prophets were compared to them. Ezekiel 13:5. These prophets should have been concerned about the conflict threatening their city, even as a true husbandman would be, concerning the gaps he discovered in the hedge surrounding his vineyard. Instead, they not only were indifferent about the city's danger, but were even denying that there were any “ gaps” to be closed, Ezekiel 13:6. The false prophets were not given any message from the Lord, but professed to have seen visions of the lot awaiting their city. Seen vanity means the things they professed were useless and lying divination denotes a deceptive form of speech. The sin of these false prophets was made worse by their claiming to have been inspired by the Lord. Such a claim would make Him contradict himself, for he had led Ezekiel to prophesy the near downfall of Jerusalem, and now' these men claimed to have been inspired to say It was not coming soon if at all. Ezekiel 13:7. The centra! thought in this verse is to call attention to the inconsistency of the false prophets. That error is described by the comments in connection with the prophet’ s statements in the preceding verse. Ezekiel 13:8. Seen lies does not mean they had seen the lies of others, for that kind of action would have been to their credit. The passage denotes that the false prophets were lying as to what they professed to have seen. Ezekiel 13:9. Divine lies. The first word is from qacam which Strong defines, "A primitive root; properly to distribute, i.e. determine by lot. or magical scroll; by implication to divine." It refers to some form of trickery by which these false prophets confused the people and caused them to believe the lies. Not be in the assembly denotes that such men would not be recognized in any of the affairs of the nation. And when the period of the captivity is over and the “ remnant'’ comes back, these deceivers will not be among them, for they will have perished in the exile. Ezekiel 13:10. This verse is figurative and refers to the general attitude of confidence that was shown by the people in Jerusalem. That condition of “ peace” was the wall and the mortar was the lies of the preceding verse. Untempered is from TAPHEL which Strong defines, "To smear: plaster tas gummy) or slime; (figurative) frivolity.” A smeary or pasty material would not make a strong protection for a wall, hence it was a fitting comparison for the useless lies by which the false prophets had built up the ''wall" of confidence In the minds of the people. Ezekiel 13:11. The purpose of daubing a wall was to form a coating to protect it from the effects of the weather. In keeping with the figurative description adopted in the preceding verse, the Lord declared that the weak mortar would be penetrated by the storm of overflowing shower and hailstones and wind. These figures had reference to the military storming of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army (2 Kings 25:1-4), Ezekiel 13:12. A flimsy covering over a wall might look as well as the best, but when the wail collapses the deceptive nature of tbe plaster will be exposed. Ezekiel 13:13. This is a repetition of the thoughts in verse 11. Ezekiel 13:14. Foundation is defined in tbe lexicon as being figurative or literal, and its use here is the former. The chief motive for the great demonstration is again repeated; it is that all may be convinced that I am the Lord, Ezekiel 13:15. The verses are still on tbe subject of tbe downfall of Jerusalem that was due to occur soon, but it is also continued in figurative language; the untempered mortar meaning the false predictions, and they that daubed it the lying prophets. Ezekiel 13:16. This verse is the Lord’ s own interpretation of the figurative terms that were used in the preceding ones. A “ calamity howler” is an undesirable person, yet he may not do as much harm as one who sees visions of peace when in reality a serious disaster is threatened. Such a character will lull the people into a false sense of security and hence they will not make the preparation necessary to meet it. Ezekiel 13:17. Set thy face against denotes that Ezekiel was to manifest bis personal disapproval of the way tbe people were taking up with tbe delusions being preached. Ezekiel 13:18. All unusual or figurative language must be interpreted in the light of known facts. Armholes is rendered "elbows” in the margin and the lexicon agrees with it, for the original means a joint of the arm or band. (See the comments at Jeremiah 38:12.) Kerchiefs is rendered “ veil” in the lexicon and refers to some kind of covering for the head that would enclose the wearer in a state of mystery. The thought of the verse is on the false peace that had been given the citizens of Jerusalem by tbe lying prophets. A pillow attached to tiie elbow would suggest a position of rest and ease while lying around, and that was a symbol of the state of contentment that was created in the minds of the victims. The women cooperated with the false prophets by making the pillows. Ezekiel 13:19. This whole verse is in the form of a question, but it is really an accusation of the Lord against the false prophets and other leaders. They were taking advantage of the (rusting people for the sake of their own personal gain. Ezekiel 13:20. See the comments at verse 18 on the meaning of pillows. Fly is defined in the lexicon as denoting the rising of a bird, having been stirred up by some apparent cause of interest. But it was a case where the person makiug the appearance did so in order to get the fowl entangled in a net spread unseen to it. I will tear them, means that the Lord was going to expose the deception that the false prophets had imposed upon the people and make its true nature manifest. Ezekiel 13:21. The kerchiefs or mystic veils wrere to be torn off. which also means the Lord would penetrate the shroud of deception that had been spread over the dupes. Ezekiel 13:22. In all situations there will be some righteous persons who try to resist the influence of false teachers. Such persons will anger the would-be deceiver and it will cause him to threaten some severe calamity to come upon them and in this way make their heart sad. But the wicked ones who deserve to be condemned will be encouraged by the false prophets to look for peace, and this will influence them to feel that nothing is wrong with their conduct and the result will be that they will not reform. (See the note at 2 Kings 22:17, volume 2 of this Commentary.) Ezekiel 13:23. Shall see no more vanity means that an end was to be made of their vain (empty or false) predictions. Divine is a verb and the phrase means they would not be permitted to deliver any more divinations or false visions. Ezekiel 14 In ch 14 Ezekiel deals with two theoretical objections that might be raised against his announcement of Jerusalem’ s judgment. The first is this: How can God punish his people for sins into which they have been led by men claiming to be prophets? (Ezekiel 14:1-11). The second objection raises the question of how God could destroy the holy city when there were still some righteous people within (Ezekiel 14:12-23). BY THE FALSE Eze_14:1-11 The people had made no effort to see through the deception of the false prophets because their hearts were divided. The charge appears three times that they have set up idols in their hearts. This fact is first revealed privately to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 14:3). He then exposes publicly the hypocrisy of the elders (Ezekiel 14:4) and the entire house of Israel (Ezekiel 14:7). A Private Revelation (Ezekiel 14:1-3) The setting with the elders (Ezekiel 14:1): Certain men of the elders of Israel came unto me, and sat before me. During the period of the exile, the elders were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of the nation. The elders of Israel, came to Ezekiel to seek a message from the Lord. They probably were anxious to be enlightened about the future of their homeland. In sitting before the prophet, the elders were acknowledging him as a genuine teacher from God. The sin of the elders (Ezekiel 14:2-3): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 14:3) Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts. The stumbling block of their iniquity they have placed before their face. Should I ever permit them to make inquiry of me? In response to the inquiry of the elders, Ezekiel receives a revelation (Ezekiel 14:2). God revealed to the prophet the heart condition of the elders. They were guilty of setting up their idols in their hearts. This does not necessarily mean that these elders were actually worshiping idols. They were longing after the old pagan practices that they had observed prior to the exile. Their thoughts were influenced by magic spells, divination and the like. The elders in exile were contemplating acquiring idols like their counterparts back in Jerusalem (cf. Ezekiel 8:10). Certainly they were dreaming them up in their hearts. The elders were in grave danger of tripping over this obstacle to true devotion and overtly violating the first two commandments. The internalized idolatry was a stumbling block that these elders willfully had set before themselves. No special divine direction is forthcoming for men who do not exclusively devote their hearts to the Lord. To express this fact, God used a rhetorical question couched in the most emphatic terms. Should God allow himself to be petitioned by hypocrites? A strong negation is implied (Ezekiel 14:3). Hypocrisy of the Elders Exposed (Ezekiel 14:4-5) A principle set forth (Ezekiel 14:4): Therefore, speak unto them, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and places the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes unto the prophet— I the LORD will respond to him that comes according to the multitude of his idols; Ezekiel now reveals to the elders what God had revealed to him privately. He sets forth the message in the form of a legal principle addressed to any man (person) of the house of Israel. Because idolatry was so firmly rooted in their hearts, these elders need not expect an oral answer to their inquiry from the Lord. Rather, the Lord himself will come to answer, i.e., he will answer personally, not through an intermediary. He will answer them by deeds— by acts of judgment. Furthermore, the judgment that he metes out to each individual will be according to the multitude of his idols. God responds to their hypocrisy, rather than their inquiry. A purpose made clear (14:5): in order that I may take the house of Israel in their heart, because all of them have been turned aside from me through their idols. God’ s great priority was to take the house of Israel in their heart, i.e., to win complete allegiance from his people. All of them, like the hypocritical elders, had divided hearts— hearts still estranged from God because of idolatry. Yahweh had exposed the pagan inclinations of the elders. He had announced judgment upon them for their lack of full commitment to him. Thereby the Lord will force all members of the house of Israel to acknowledge him alone as God.Hypocrisy of the People Exposed (Ezekiel 14:6-8): A call for repentance (Ezekiel 14:6): Therefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Return, and turn away yourselves from your idols. From all your abominations turn away your face; Ezekiel now addresses the people at large on the issue of divided allegiance. As always in the economy of God, a call for repentance precedes the execution of judgment. The Hebrew verb sub (return/turn) is used three times in one verse. Ezekiel calls on them to return to God, and force themselves (Hiphil) to turn away from your idols and all your abominations, i.e., all the paraphernalia of idolatry. A warning for the impenitent (Ezekiel 14:7): because any man of the house of Israel and of the alien who dwells in Israel who has turned aside from me, and erected his idols in his heart, and has set the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes unto the prophet to inquire by him of me— I the LORD will respond to him by myself. The Lord next addresses all who reject his call for repentance. Ezekiel expands the legal threat of v 4 to include the alien who dwells in Israel. Foreigners who lived in the Israelite theocracy were as much bound by the laws against idolatry as native-born citizens. Ezekiel has in mind those aliens who had attached themselves to the Israelite community in Babylon. Those who play the role of the hypocrite, who harbor idolatrous inclinations in their hearts, will receive a message from God when they appear before a prophet; but it will not be the kind of message they expect. Instead of a spoken answer by the mouth of the prophet, there will be an answer in the discipline of life (v 7). A curse upon the uncommitted (Ezekiel 14:8): I will set my face against that man, and I will make him a sign and proverb. I will cut him off from the midst of my people, that you may know that I am the LORD. In fulfillment of the "curse" stipulations of the Mosaic covenant, God will inflict four penalties on anyone whose hearts was divided regarding him. First, the Lord will set his face against that man, i.e., he will assume a posture of hostility toward that hypocrite (cf. Ezekiel 13:9; Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 20:5-6). Second, God will make that man a sign and proverb, i.e., he will inflict upon that man an exemplary punishment that (1) becomes proverbial, and (2) thereby act as a deterrent to others inclined toward idolatry (cf. Deuteronomy 28:37). Third, God will cut off that man from the midst of his people, i.e., excommunicate him (Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 20:5-6). Fourth, when men witnessed this righteous judgment, they recognize that Yahweh is the only God. False Prophets Explained (Ezekiel 14:9-11) Some so-called prophets did give responsive oracles to hypocritical inquirers. Such men, however, were false prophets. The hypocrites sitting before Ezekiel knew their own hearts. They knew that inwardly they had not surrendered their idols. Since God will not give guiding counsel to such people, the “ prophet” who pretended to do so was not inspired of God. Enticement of the "prophets" (Ezekiel 14:9 a): As for the prophet, when he is enticed, and speaks a word, I the LORD have enticed that prophet. The prophets who were causing such confusion in Jerusalem and Babylon had been enticed. God declares that he had enticed that prophet, i.e., he had permitted the enticement to take place (cf. 1 Kings 22:19-23). This does not mean that the prophet who spoke falsely was divinely compelled to do so. He bore complete responsibility for his actions. The idea here is that men who reject the truth of God have opened their mind for such judicial enticement to false thinking. One must distinguish between the permissive and active will of God. Part of the punishment that God metes out to sinners is that he permits them to be led into ever greater sin. When men obstinately refuse the truth, God gives them over to falsehood. Punishment of the "prophets" (Ezekiel 14:9-10): I will stretch out my hand against him. I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. (Ezekiel 14:10) They will bear their iniquity. The iniquity of the prophet will be like that of the one who inquires; The prophets had been enticed to falsehood. Shortly they will experience divine judgment. God will stretch out his hand against them. They will be destroyed from the midst of Israel (Ezekiel 14:9). God is no respecter of persons when it comes to judgment. Both the prophets and the citizens who came to seek their counsel will have to bear their iniquity, i.e., suffer the same punishment (Ezekiel 14:10). Enlightenment of the nation (Ezekiel 14:11): that the house of Israel might not again go astray from me, or defile themselves with all their transgressions; but they will be my people, and I will be their God (oracle of the Lord GOD). The deceivers, and those who cried out to be deceived, will alike experience the judgment of God. The purpose of this divine judgment was not so much revenge as it was correction. The punishment was to serve as a deterrent so that God’ s people will no longer go astray from Him to serve idols. The people defiled themselves by such transgressions. By discouraging defilement by idolatry, God was doing what was necessary to promote his relationship with his people. Free from the taint of idolatry, they could be his people, and he could be their God (Ezekiel 14:11). At this point hope shines through the otherwise gloomy discourse of Ezekiel. The prophet is a realistic optimist. He cannot deny the divine forecast of stormy judgment. He sees, however, a silver lining in those dark clouds. Some ultimate good will come of it. God’ s eternal purpose will not be frustrated by the collapse of earthly Jerusalem. OF MENEze_14:12-23 A General Principle (Ezekiel 14:12-14): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (13) Son of man, when a land sins against me by trespassing grievously, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break its staff of bread, and send against it a famine, and cut off from it man and beast; (14) though these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job— were in its midst, they will deliver only their own lives through their righteousness (oracle of the Lord GOD). Famine is frequently mentioned in Scripture as a means by which God punished his people. When God will break the staff of bread (i.e., bring about a famine), innocent beasts, as well as sinful men, are thereby cut off i.e., die (v 13). Yet there was no deliverance for the sinful land merely because innocent animals suffered. Will the presence of righteous men in Jerusalem spare that city from the threatened destruction? Abraham, in his mighty intercessory prayer (Genesis 18:23 ff.), had used this as a ground to plead for the deliverance of Sodom and Gomorrah. Israel, however, was beyond the help of any human mediation. The presence of a righteous soul here or there cannot be a lucky religious charm, a community insurance policy that guarantees, if not immunity from judgment, at least a softened blow. So grievously had the land of Judah transgressed against God that not even the presence of super-saints like Noah, Daniel, and Job will be able to deliver the land. The doctrine of personal responsibility here is carried to its logical conclusion. Judgment for unrepentant sinners is inevitable. Because Noah was a righteous man, he and his family escaped the universal destruction by the great flood. Because of his steadfast loyalty to God, Daniel survived deportation to Babylon. He saved his friends from an edict to slay the royal magicians. Eventually he was elevated to high office in the Babylonian government. Daniel already had established himself as a pious man of God and a folk hero in the eyes of the Jewish captives. Yet he had not been able to use his influence with Nebuchadnezzar to spare the people of Judah. Job was spared while his wayward children met with fatal accidents. In none of these cases did the righteousness of these godly men induce God to spare the wicked. So it is that Noah, Daniel and Job will only be able to save their own lives through their righteousness (Ezekiel 14:14). Specific Illustrations (Ezekiel 14:15-20): Resorting to emphasis by repetition, Ezekiel pounded home his point that Noah, Daniel and Job will not be able to deliver the land. In Ezekiel 14:13-20 he enumerates three more types of judgment that God might on occasion send against his people. These are punishments threatened in the Mosaic covenant (Leviticus 26:22-26). Evil beasts (14:15-16): If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they bereave it, and it becomes so desolate that no man passes through her because of the beasts; (16) though these three men were in its midst, as I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), they will not deliver sons or daughters. They alone will be delivered, but the land will become a desolation. Evil beasts (hayya ra‘ a) might be brought against the land. These are probably rabid animals, not simply predatory beasts. Rabies passes quickly from one animal to another. An infested rat might bring the disease into a city under siege with devastating effects on both humans and livestock. Out of fear, the land will be deserted and become desolate. Men of other countries will loathe passing through (Ezekiel 14:15). Still there will be no deliverance for the sinful land. Sons and daughters of the sinful inhabitants will die (Ezekiel 14:16; Ezekiel 14:18; Ezekiel 14:20). The combined goodness of all three men could not save Israel from divine destruction. As I live (Ezekiel 14:16; Ezekiel 14:18; Ezekiel 14:20) is a familiar oath formula in the Old Testament. God swears that under no condition can the righteousness of the most righteous men avert the destruction of a sinful nation. Sword (Ezekiel 14:17-18):Or if I bring a sword against that land, and I say, Let a sword pass through the land, so that I cut off from it man and beast; (Ezekiel 14:18) though these three men were in its midst, as I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), they will deliver neither sons nor daughters, for they alone will be delivered. The sword (i.e., military invasion) might be used against the land. Such action will involve the indiscriminate slaughter of man and beast (Ezekiel 14:17). From such slaughter there will be no deliverance. Plague (Ezekiel 14:19-20): Or if I sent a plague against that land, and I poured out my wrath upon it in blood to cut off from it man and beast; (Ezekiel 14:20) though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live (oracle of the Lord GOD) they will not be able to deliver son or daughter; they will deliver only their own lives by their righteousness. Plague (diseases) might be the means of punishment. God’ s fury poured out upon the land will manifest itself in blood, i.e., a high death rate. Still there will be no deliverance. Pointed Application (Ezekiel 14:21-23) The cutting off (Ezekiel 14:21): Because thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send my four calamitous judgments against Jerusalem— sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague— to cut off from it man and beast. Ezekiel has set forth in Ezekiel 14:12-20 the general principle that the presence of even the most godly men cannot save a land— any land— from divine judgment. In Ezekiel 14:21 the prophet makes the application to Jerusalem. If when only one of the above mentioned punishments is inflicted upon a land the righteous are unable to save the wicked, how much more true will this be in the case of Jerusalem that must suffer all four. The number four conveys the idea of completeness and universality because it reflects the notion of the four points of the compass. The pathetic remnant (Ezekiel 14:22-23): If a remnant is left in it who are brought forth — sons and daughters — behold, they will come forth unto you. You will see their way and their deeds. You will be comforted concerning the calamity that I have brought against Jerusalem, all that I have brought against her. (Ezekiel 14:23) They will comfort you, when you see their way and their deeds, that you may know that I have not done all that I did against her without cause (oracle of the Lord GOD) A remnant survives the fourfold catastrophe that befalls Jerusalem. The remnant will be brought forth, i.e., carried into exile. Their survival should not be interpreted as indicating their righteousness. Far from it! These escapees will serve as an object lesson. When the earlier exiles observed the character and conduct of those who later joined them, they will be comforted concerning the calamity that Jerusalem experienced. They will realize that God had no alternative but to destroy that city. His punishments had not been arbitrary or excessive. The preservation of a remnant from Jerusalem was an act of pure grace (Ezekiel 14:22). Indirectly the future captives will comfort those who were already in Babylon (Ezekiel 14:23). The kind of comfort referred to here is that which comes about when a person learns new facts that throw new light on what was perceived to be a disastrous situation. Ezekiel Chapter FourteenVerse 1 AGAINST Keil divided this chapter into two parts. "God will not allow idolaters to inquire of him (Ezekiel 14:1-13), and the righteousness of the godly will not avert the judgment (Ezekiel 14:14-23)."[1]Ezekiel 14:1-3"Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me. And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?""Certain of the elders ..." (Ezekiel 13:1) The prophecies here, although directed to this group of elders actually concerned all of Israel. Their having taken their idols into their heart was no slight violation but a fundamental crime against God. "These men ..." (Ezekiel 14:3). According to Taylor, this expression, in context, "designates them as contemptible."[2]"Should I be inquired of at all by them ..." (Ezekiel 14:3)? In the Hebrew language, a question like this, "requires a negative answer";[3] and therefore the meaning here is simply that men with idols in their hearts have no right whatever to seek any information from God. Verse 4 "Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols; that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.""That taketh his idols into his heart ..." (4). The repeated mention of the idols having been received in the hearts of God's people is exceedingly significant. It means that they had learned to love the pagan gods and goddesses. Their secret devotion belonged to their idols. The licentious ceremonies with which they had worshipped their idols were dear to their hearts, and they strongly desired to renew such practices. God's word they neither believed nor trusted. "I, the Lord will answer him ..." (Ezekiel 14:4). Eichrodt labeled this as a "contradiction" of the proposition that idolatrous inquirers would get no answer from God. No, God did not indicate any such refusal to answer the inquiring idolaters; he merely declined to send them any message through a true prophet. They would get an answer, all right, it would be directly from God Himself. "This answer would not have any relation at all to the curiosity of the inquirers; there would be no words; it would consist of the execution of a sentence spelled out in Ezekiel 14:8."[4]"That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart ..." (Ezekiel 14:5). God was here fighting to keep his people; and what is meant here is that, through his judgments against them, he will touch their consciences and bring down their proud hearts. God's purpose was always their restoration and salvation, never their destruction. "Still, this is a threat of punishment."[5] "After all, to turn to other gods was a crime worthy of death as clearly spelled out in the Law of Moses (Exodus 20:3-5; Leviticus 19:4; Leviticus 26:1; andDeuteronomy 5:8; 12:3; 27:15)."[6]"Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols ..." (Ezekiel 14:6) The infinite mercy of God is here seen in the fact that, while in the very act of pronouncing a sentence of death upon his Chosen People, God here made one last solemn plea for them to forsake the evil idolatrous ways to which their hearts so avidly desired to return, in which guilty state they were already ensnared, and instead to give up all of their evil practices and return wholeheartedly to the Lord. Verse 7 "For every one of the house of Israel, as of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, to inquire for himself of me; I Jehovah will answer him by myself; and I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people.""That separateth himself from me ..." (Ezekiel 14:7). No double minded person can be right in God's sight. The secret love and adoration of idols cut every guilty soul completely off from God. This sin, whether committed by the racial stock of Israel, by sojourners living in Israel under God's protection, was fatal to any satisfactory relationship with God. "I will answer him by myself ..." (Ezekiel 14:7). This meant that God would answer, not through the words of any true prophet, but by the summary execution of terrible penalties upon the idolater. "I will set my face against that man ..." (Ezekiel 14:8). Here is spelled out the penalty: (1) spiritual death, (2) being cut off from God's people, and (3) the experiencing of some terrible earthly calamity, of the type that would get public attention and make the victim an astonishment and a proverb. Two examples of this in the New Testament are the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5-11) and the stroke that took away Herod Agrippa II at Caesarea (Acts 12). Nothing could be more terrible for any mortal than the fact of God having set his face against that man. "I have deceived that prophet ..." (Ezekiel 14:9). As Cooke noted, "A statement like this is not intelligible unless we take into consideration the thought patterns of oriental mind."[7] We have the same pattern in the thinking of believers even today. When a loved one is lost, we have all heard it said that, "The Lord has called him home." This merely by-passes secondary and subordinate causes and attributes all that happens to the eternal will of God. God's "deceiving a false prophet" here was in no sense an evil act upon God's part. "As a matter of fact the false prophet had brought the deception upon himself"[8] a by his own evil desires and deeds. What is in view here is God's judicial blinding, hardening, or deception of wicked men. The classical example in the Old Testament is that of Pharaoh. The Lord indeed "hardened Pharaoh's heart"; but that occurred only after the Bible had declared no less than ten times that, "Pharaoh had hardened his own heart." Does the equivalent of such a thing happen today? Most assuredly, it does. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 KJV). It was possible to say of this self-deceived prophet that God had deceived him, because, "The consequences of his sin,. as well as the moral law of God which he violated were God's ordinances, and because the penalty of deception, was according to God's will, therefore his state of deception could quite properly be attributed to God."[9] This line of reasoning, however, suggests no amelioration of the false prophet's guilt. "No man can possibly become a false prophet without criminal blame upon himself."[10]This passage forbade any true prophet to provide God's Word to idolaters; and, by definition, that meant that any prophet speaking with an idolater was, of course, an evil-doer himself. It is amazing, as Calvin said, that, "Neither imposters nor frauds take place apart from the will of God." Keil quoted Calvin's remark, and then added that, "This can happen only with persons who have first admitted evil into themselves. Furthermore, the penalty of God's judgment shall fall upon both alike, the deceived prophet, and the idolatrous inquirer."[11]Verse 10 "And they shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeketh unto him; 11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah."Ezekiel 14:11 here returns to the grand theme so frequently mentioned in all of the prophets, the glory of God's people, their blessing from God, their righteousness, and their faithfulness in God's work. The great mistake of Israel was their reliance upon such wonderful promises, "as if they were an unalienable possession bestowed upon them unconditionally; nor did they understand that such glorious conditions would be attainable only upon the condition of their loving and obeying God."[12]The same author noted that, "This verse (Ezekiel 14:11) renews the appeal for repentance given in 5:6, again reminding Israel that the chief purpose of the forthcoming judgments against them was to bring Israel back from her going astray from God, and to cleanse her from the apostasy by which she had become unclean in God's sight and had been cast out of fellowship with Him."[13]The last section of the chapter refutes the false notion that had developed among the Israelites that God's righteousness would not allow him to destroy Jerusalem completely because of the few righteous people whom they supposed to be living there. Apparently, they had picked up this false idea from Genesis 18:32, where it is recorded that God would have spared Sodom if there could have been found as many as ten righteous people in it. Of course, Israel was wrong about this on several counts: (1) There were not any righteous people in Jerusalem. (2) Even if there had been, God had made no such promise on behalf of Jerusalem, because Jerusalem was even worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. (3) Even if such eminent heroes of righteousness as Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the Jerusalem of Ezekiel's times, and even if they were interceding for the city, even that could not avert the deserved judgment about to fall upon Jerusalem. Verse 12 "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast; though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah."EVEN A REMNANT COULD NOT SAVE "When a land sinneth ... by committing a trespass ..." (Ezekiel 14:13). "`Trespass' is far too mild a word for this strong Hebrew term. The root concerns high treason and the crime of `acting treacherously.'"[14] It was no ordinary trespass, or sin, that resulted in the kind of destruction God was bringing upon Jerusalem. "These three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job ..." (Ezekiel 14:14). Even such citizens as these, though living in Jerusalem and interceding for it, could not have averted the richly deserved punishment of Jerusalem. WHAT DANIEL WAS THIS? Every Bible student is made aware of the radical critic's efforts to make this mention of Daniel a reference to some alleged Daniel mentioned in the Ras Shamra tablets and who lived about 1,400 B.C. Arguments by which critics attempt to support this view are: (1) There are two spellings of Daniel, the one in Daniel's prophecy, and the one here in Ezekiel, namely, `Daniel' and `Dan'el.'" The Ezekiel spelling matches that in the Ras Shamra tablets.[15] (2) Only the ancient Dan'el is properly placed if this list of eminent persons is chronological. If the contemporary Daniel had been meant, he would have been listed last. (3) It is very improbable that Ezekiel would have listed a contemporary.[16]None of these arguments has any weight. (1) Variations in the spelling of names are common in scriptures; besides that both variations of the name Daniel mean exactly the same thing, "God is my judge."[17] (2) The notion that the list of these three ancient worthies was intended to be chronological is false. Both Keil and Leal declare emphatically that the arrangement of the names is "according to subject matter, and not according to chronology."[18]"The true source of the order here derives from the fact that Noah was able to save eight persons, Daniel three persons, and Job, not even his sons and daughters."[19] As Keil noted, this inability of Job to save even his sons and daughters tallies with the repeated mention of the phrase, "save neither sons nor daughters" in the following verses. (3) The alleged improbability of Ezekiel's mention of a contemporary is nothing at all except the biased opinion of a scholar who had already made up his mind. Canon Cook, one of the greatest scholars of a century, stated that, "The mention of Daniel here shows that by this time Daniel was a very remarkable man; and the introduction of the contemporary Daniel gives force and life to his illustration."[20]The positive reasons that support the identification of this Daniel mentioned by Ezekiel with the author of the prophecy of Daniel are: (1) no other Daniel was known either by Ezekiel or the people who heard his prophecies. The foolish allegation that they knew all about the Ras Shamra tablets and some ancient worthy who allegedly lived in 1,400 B.C. is so unreasonable as to appear preposterous. (2) On the other hand, every Jew on earth knew all about the Daniel who was the esteemed favorite of the king of Babylon, who had survived the Lion's Den, and who had already procured countless blessings for the captive Israelites, and who was, in effect, a royal deputy of the most powerful Nebuchadnezzar. If Ezekiel had meant any other Daniel, he most certainly would have said so. (3) There's not a word about that "other Daniel" in the Old Testament, and if he had been all that famous, it is totally inexplicable how his name got left out of the Bible! (4) a number of top rank scholars have pointed out how worthless is the alleged support for the other Daniel. There is no shadow of evidence for the view of some commentators that an older Daniel is referred to. Had there been such a person eminent enough to be classed with Noah and Job, there would have been some mention of him in the Old Testament."[21]Also, another current scholar of very great ability gave as his conviction the following. This reference in Ezekiel is not a reference to an older Daniel, of whom nothing is stated in the Old Testament. Daniel's fame for wisdom and piety was already widespread in Ezekiel's day.[22]Of course, such arguments are unanswerable. How ridiculous it would have been, in the light of the fame which Daniel enjoyed, as the deputy governor of the whole world, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a friend and helper of the Jewish nation, and no doubt as popular as any Hebrew who ever lived -how ridiculous it would have been for Ezekiel to have been referring to any other Daniel except this one! If he had been doing such a thing, would he not have explained it? Certainly. Of course, it is remembered that in Jeremiah 15:1-4, that prophet stated that not even the intercession of such righteous persons as Moses or Samuel would be able to avert the deserved judgments against Jerusalem. This is a very similar prophecy here. Verse 15 "If I cause evil beasts to pass through a land, and they ravage it, and make it desolate, so that no man pass through because of the beasts; though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate. Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast; though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves. Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast; though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness."In this paragraph, it is clear enough why Ezekiel used Job as the climax of his list of three; it was not due to chronology, but to the fact that Job alone fit the oft repeated expression, "delivered neither sons nor daughters" (Ezekiel 14:16; Ezekiel 14:18; Ezekiel 14:20). Daniel could not qualify, for as a eunuch, he had no posterity. Noah could not qualify, for he saved his sons; but Job was able to save neither sons nor daughters! Therefore, the holy prophet made him the climax of this list. Also, see the comment under Ezekiel 16:46. Notice the fourfold judgments against Jerusalem that are mentioned in this chapter: famine, wild beasts, sword, and pestilence (Ezekiel 14:13; Ezekiel 14:15; Ezekiel 14:17; Ezekiel 14:19). Jeremiah is apparently the first prophet to assemble this quadruple list (Jeremiah 15:2 f). We believe there are overtones in this that reflect the teaching of Amos (Amos 1-2) that, "For three transgressions of Damascus (repeated for a list of eight nations), yea for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, etc." Right here is given the fulfillment of Amo 2:4-8. "Thus saith Jehovah, For three transgressions of Judah, yea for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah, and have not kept his statutes, and their lies have caused them to err, after which their fathers did walk. But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. "Thus saith Jehovah, For three transgressions of Israel, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes - they that pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek; and a man and his father go in unto the same maiden to profane my holy name: and they lay themselves down by every altar upon clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of such as have been fined" (Amos 2:4-8) Bunn also noted the strong resemblance to this business of "three transgressions, yea for four" as used by Amos, adding that its use, "indicated completeness."[23] The prophecy of Amos stressed the fourfold transgressions of God's people; and Ezekiel here stressed the appropriate fourfold judgments which their transgressions merited. Verse 21 "For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! But, behold, there shall be left therein a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done with, out cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord Jehovah.""There shall be left therein a remnant ..." (Ezekiel 14:22). This is not the "righteous remnant" remnant" so often mentioned in Isaiah; because this remnant was wicked. These "sons and daughters" were in no sense saved; but God preserved them as specimens and witnesses of the corrupt Israel that had required God's terminal punishment. Ezekiel pointed out that they would be a source of comfort to those of right mind among the captives, because their ways and their doings (always mentioned by Ezekiel in the sense of wickedness) would enable the captives to see the righteousness of all that God would bring to pass in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 14:1. This action was done before and is explained at Eze 8: 1. Ezekiel 14:2. As these elders were sitting before Ezekiel, the Lord delivered another message which the prophet was to give over to the hearers. Whether any or ail of them were guilty of the things to be charged or not, the information was timely. Ezekiel 14:3, These elders had come to the prophet on the pretence of wanting some information from God. The heart is the intelligent part of a man and from which the motives of his actions spring, (See Matthew 15:19.) These men sitting before Ezekiel could not always have an idol present before them, but their heart was devoted to them and thus they had set up their idols in their heart. Should 1 he en- gtiired of by them means that such men had no right to seek any com-munication from God. Ezekiel 14:4. God would not recognize such men in the usual manner, that is, through the established service of a prophet, with the expectation of obtaining any favor at his hands,. Instead, 1-Ie proposed to take charge of the case and handle the pretenders directly as they deserved as regarded such treatment that was coming to them. Ezekiel 14:5. Since these men bad set up their idols in their heart, that would be the place for God to make his attack. Such is the meaning of take the house of Israel in their own heart which He declared would be done. Ezekiel 14:6. This verse should be considered in connection with verse 4, It all means that God would answer these pretended enquirers through the prophet to some extent, but the answer would not be as a recognition of the rights of the evil men, for they were not entitled to such notice. But instead of this, the prophet was told to admonish them to repent and give up their love of idols. Ezekiel 14:7. This verse explains in what sense the Lord would answer by himself as lie announced in a preceding verse; it was to be by some direct judgment upon the wicked people of Israel. This was to be a practical rebuke to them because they thought they could by-pass Him and get tbeir information through the prophet. Ezekiel 14:8. Make him, a sign denotes that God would bring some humiliating punishment upon the man who had tried to ignore Him. This punishment would make him an example to others and cause him to be the object of their sneers. Ezekiel 14:9. I the Lord have deceived that prophet applies to a case where a man has so persisted in his false teaching that God would suffer him to believe Ills own falsehood. The result of such a course would be his own undoing. Paul reveals a similar attitude of God toward the followers of the “ man of sin” in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. Ezekiel 14:10-11. The most important thought in this verse is the joint responsibility of the false prophet and those who go to him for information. The passage declares that the punishment of the one will be even as that of him who seeketh unto him. Ezekiel 14:12-13, This passage again gives an explanation of the Lord’ s statement to the prophet that he would answer the people by himself. He determined to punish the land by a shortage of the needs of life, this judgment to be considered to be against the country as a whole. Ezekiel 14:14. When general calamities are brought providentially on communities. the Lord provides special care for those who are personally innocent. But even they cannot extend the favor done because of their own virtues to those who are unrighteous; such is the teaching of this verse. It is another phase of the principle that responsibility is strictly individual as far as it pertains to moral conduct. Ezekiel 14:15. Noisome is from a Hebrew word that means "evil or bad," and here it is applied to beasts that are fierce and destructive, God sometimes used such means to punish persons who were guilty of wrong, (See 1 Kings 13:24; 2 Kings 2:24.) Ezekiel 14:16. This verse is identical in thought with verse 14. Ezekiel 14:17. The Lord brought the sword upon the land by having a foreign army to make a hostile attack, This has been done on numerous occasions in the history of Israel, such as the Assyrians in 2 Kings 17 and the Babylonians in chapters 24 and 26 of the same book. Ezekiel 14:18. The same principle of individuality is taught here as in verse 14. Ezekiel 14:19, A prominent instance of using a pestilence as a punishment Is recorded in 2 Samuel 24:15. Ezekiel 14:20. Once more the thought in verse It is repeated here. Ezekiel 14:21. Famine, pestilence and the sword were frequently threatened as a punishment upon Israel. In this verse another instrument is named, the noisome (bad) beasts. This would be especially applicable where the land In general was to be penalized, since wild beasts would not have much access to the citizens of the city. Ezekiel 14:22. The remnant consisted of the number left after the ravages of the captivity had done their work, and the record of it is in Ezra 2:64. Ezekiel 14:23. When all of the sad experiences have been suffered by the people of Israel, they will be able to look back over the history of their national conduct. When they do so and recall also the many warnings they were given but which were not heeded, they will realize that God did not punish them without cause. Ezekiel 15 ISRAEL: A USELESS VINEThe justification of God’ s judgment against Judah continues in chs 15-17, but the nature of the defense changes. Here Ezekiel employs parables or allegories to paint a rather gruesome word picture of the ingratitude, sin and rebellion of God’ s people. He describes (1) the useless vine (Ezekiel 15:1-8); (2) the faithless wife (Ezekiel 16:1-43); (3) the fallen sister (Ezekiel 16:44-63); and (4) the lowly vine (Ezekiel 17:1-21). The section closes with a brief and optimistic parable of the stately cedar (Ezekiel 17:22-24). The earlier prophets frequently spoke of Israel as the vine of God. That figure, while beautiful to contemplate, can lend itself to gross distortion in the minds of hypocrites. People might think that, because of the accident of birth, they were branches of the true vine that could never be destroyed. In ch 15 Ezekiel sets forth a parable, as later the greater Son of Man will do (John 15), to expose the groundlessness of such a notion. THE Eze_15:1-5 Five rhetorical questions make up this unit. The first question establishes the main point. The next two questions support that point with specific illustrations. The last two questions carry the main point forward to a different level. The Main Point (Ezekiel 15:1-2): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any other tree, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? The Lord directed Ezekiel’ s thinking to the vine tree— the wild vine of the woods (Ezekiel 15:2). The trees of the forest represent the community of nations (cf. Isaiah 10:33-34). Compared to the nations of the world, Israel was only a vine. The Supporting Argument (Ezekiel 15:3-4 a): Is wood taken from it to make any work? or will men take a peg from it to hang any vessel thereon? (Ezekiel 15:4) Behold, it is cast to the fire for fuel; The vine was worthless. It was a fruitless vine. Its wood was useless as timber. No one would think of using that wood as material for making furniture. The wood of the vine was even too thin and pliable to be fashioned into a wall peg (Ezekiel 15:3). The wild vine was fit only for kindling for the fire. The Final Point (15:4-5): the fire has devoured both ends of it, while the middle is singed. Is it profitable for any work? (Ezekiel 15:5) Behold, when it is whole it is not suitable for work; how much less when the fire consumes it, and it is singed, will it yet be suitable for work? Should the vine be snatched from the fire before being completely consumed, it would still be good for nothing (Ezekiel 15:4). Before it was cast into the fire it was good for nothing; how much less after it had been charred and burned (Ezekiel 15:5).THE Ezekiel 15:6-8 God's Assessment (Ezekiel 15:6): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Like the vine tree among the trees of the forest that I have appointed for fuel for the fire, thus I have appointed the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The purpose of the vine is fruit bearing. If a vine bears no fruit, or sour fruit, it is, in comparison to other trees, of no value. So it was with Israel. If Israel bore no fruit— did not fulfill its mission— then it was poorer and weaker than the heathen nations round it. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were like that vine tree— good for nothing except destruction by fire. God's Announcement (Ezekiel 15:7-8): I will set my face against them. From the fire they have come forth, and the fire will consume them. You will know that I am the LORD when I set my face against them. (Ezekiel 15:8) I will make the land a desolation because they have grievously transgressed (oracle of the Lord GOD). God had set His face (cf. Ezekiel 4:3) against the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The city had passed through the fire of earlier Babylonian invasions— in 605 B.C. and 597 B.C.--and had been charred, but not consumed. But that was no guarantee that the city was inviolable. In the next fire, the city will be consumed. When that happened, the inhabitants would know that the destruction was no chance occurrence. They would realize that the destruction of Jerusalem resulted from the decree of the Almighty (Ezekiel 15:7). The concluding verse summarizes the meaning of the parable: the judgment and its cause. It is not their inherent worthlessness, but their faithlessness in respect to their national calling that brings on the judgment. Their land will become a desolation because of grievous transgression (Ezekiel 15:8).Ezekiel Chapter FifteenVerse 1 PARABLE OF THE CORRUPT VINE TREESome commentators have missed the point altogether in this little chapter. Howie, for example, stated that, "The vine tree was fit only for the production of fruit";[1] but he overlooked the fact that this particular vine was classed with the "trees of the forest" (Ezekiel 15:2), and not with the noble vines which were always in the vineyard. The vine under consideration here is therefore the vine that represents apostate Israel. This vine is variously described in the versions and translations, as bastard, degenerate, wild, corrupt, foreign, strange, etc. The figure is that of a totally useless wild vine in the forest, fit only for fuel, and, for that matter, not very good fuel! The simple message of this chapter is that, "Jerusalem was useless either for the production of fruit or anything else and was fit only for burning."[2]This chapter is particularly addressed to the overthrow of, "The false notion of the Israelites that God cannot afford to overthrow them because they are the `election of God,' and in that priority they must be favored over other nations."[3]G. A. Cooke attempted to make a poem out of this chapter, but without much success.[4] Our reaction to the "poetry" pretended in many of the present-day versions and translations is that the imaginative scholars have produced some of the lousiest poetry we have ever seen! Based upon the fact that much of the wisdom literature did follow a metrical scheme, "It is natural enough to suspect that this passage also was written in poetical form; but, upon closer examination, this supposition is untenable."[5]This parable of the Corrupt Vine (Ezekiel 15) is one of three reaching through Ezekiel 17, "Which show that there is not any hope of deliverance for Jerusalem."[6]The Biblical figure of Israel as God's vine is found throughout the Bible, notably in Isaiah 5:1 ff; Jeremiah 2:21 ff; Hosea 10:1; Psalms 80:8-19; etc.; but, as F. F. Bruce noted, "These Old Testament references are reflected in the New Testament,"[7] where Jesus Christ our Lord appears as "The True Vine," that is, "The True Israel of God" (John 15:1-8). This is one of the most important revelations in all the Bible, for it shows, that as far as the old racial Israel goes, they, as a race, are out of it forever. Only Jesus Christ is God's Israel in this generation; and all of God's Israel, in any true sense, upon this earth today, enjoy that status as members of the "spiritual body of Christ," which is his holy Church. No one is excluded; Jew and Gentile alike are welcome upon exactly the same terms. No one belongs to God as a result of any racial status, and no one is denied a place in God's family upon the basis of race. "Whosoever will may come!" Ezekiel 15:1-4"And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, what is the vine tree, more than any tree, the vine-branch that is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood thereof be taken to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work?""What is the vine tree ... that is among the trees of the forest ... more than other trees ..." (Ezekiel 15:2)? The vine of this question is not the noble, cultivated vine that once illustrated the Chosen People of God, but the wild, degenerate vine among the trees of the forest. It bears no fruit except inedible, bitter grapes; and the question here requires the answer that, as far as the wood of this vine goes, it is just about as worthless as wood could be, fit only for fuel. "Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon ..." (Ezekiel 15:3)? This requires a negative answer and carries the meaning that one cannot even make a peg upon which to hang a pot, out of wood taken from the vine. "Burned at both ends and scorched in the middle ..." (Ezekiel 15:4). In its perfect state the wood is practically worthless; but, "What if it has been cast into the fire, the two ends have been burnt, and the middle is scorched and half burnt; what then?"[8] We especially appreciate Bunn's answer to that question. He wrote, "It will not even make good charcoal!"[9]The application of Eze 15:4 to the state of Israel is that they had already had both ends burned, at Samaria in 622 B.C., and at Jerusalem in 597 B.C., the middle, under Zedekiah still remaining, but still fruitless and ready again to be cast into the fire. The time element was cited by Taylor. "Jerusalem was left charred in the days of Jehoiachin. The city had been spared from total destruction in the capture of the city in 597 B.C., but it was fit for nothing more than to be thrown back into the fire to be utterly consumed."[10]The great problem with Jerusalem was fruitlessnesss. All of the great prophets of God and even the Savior himself had warned all men that, "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire" (Matthew 7:9). In this connection, see Mark 11:13 ff and Luke 13:6 if). What an appropriate example this parable of the wild vine was! Verse 5 "Behold, when it was whole, it was fit for no work: how much less when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work! Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I set my face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord Jehovah."Only when we come to Ezekiel 15:6-7 does the Lord himself make the divine application of the little parable. The news is devastating. God will set his face against them; the citizens of Jerusalem shall be given to the fire for fuel! "During Israel's better days, a prophet had compared her to a noble vine, `the choicest among the nations in God's sight'; but Ezekiel corrected such a notion, because it was no longer true. Israel is now no longer a noble, cultivated vine, but a corrupt degenerate vine, identifiable in every way with the wild vine `among the trees of the forest,' useless for anything but fuel."[11]The conclusion here is that, Israel possesses no superiority over any other nations, just like the vine which possesses no superiority over other woods, but is even inferior; and likewise Israel is inferior to other nations in her fruitless condition; "And Israel is therefore given up to the fire."[12] Ezekiel 15:1-2. Tree is from an original that the lexicon defines as “ wood” in general, hence the phrase means "the wood of the vine." The question form of the statement means to imply that a vine is inferior to the trees of the forest. Ezekiel 15:3. A vine at its best is not tit for any substantial use such as a piece of furniture for supporting the vessels of household living. In this sense it is less important than the regular trees, because they would furnish material that could be made into strong utility racks. Ezekiel 15:4. If the vine needs to be used at all, about the only thing that can be done with it is to use it as fuel. Both ends and midst is said to indicate how completely the vine would be affected were it cast into the Are. Ezekiel 15:5. If the vine in its original condition is not useful for any good purpose, it certainly would not be after being put through the fire. Ezekiel 15:6. The preceding illustration is used to compare the city of Jerusalem with her inhabitants: they are the vine and the heathen nations are trees of the forest. Ezekiel 15:7. The nations are compared to the forest trees when contrasted with Jerusalem. In the next section of the illustration, however, they will be used as the fire into which the vine (Jerusalem with her inhabitants) will be cast. One fire and another fire refers to the fire of the siege and also that which will overtake them who go out, (See 2 Kings 25:3-7.) Ezekiel 15:8. The land was to be made desolate by having its populations removed away into the Babylonion captivity. Ezekiel 16 WIFE AND FALLEN SISTER Eze_16:1-2 The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 16:2) Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations. To demonstrate that his parable of the worthless vine was no exaggeration, Ezekiel surveys Jerusalem’ s history from the city's birth to his own day. The prophet is almost indelicately realistic in his description. He meant it that way. Sin is ugly. If the prophet is going to “ tell it like it is,” he must resort from time to time to ugly words. Hardened hearts sometimes respond to shock therapy. So the prophet is commissioned by God to cause Jerusalem to know her abominations.: WIFEEze_16:1-43 In four paragraphs Ezekiel reviews the past and future dealings between God and his people. In unfolding this allegory, Ezekiel discusses (1) the circumstances of Jerusalem’ s birth (Ezekiel 16:1-7); (2) the marriage and adornment of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16:8-14); (3) the infidelity of the bride (Ezekiel 16:15-34); and (4) the punishment of the harlot (Ezekiel 16:35-43). Abandonment and Rescue (Ezekiel 16:1-7) The birth of the child (Ezekiel 16:3): Say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and birth are of the land of the Canaanite; your father was the Amorite, and your mother the Hittite. Jerusalem is specifically addressed, though much of what is said applies to the whole nation. Jerusalem's origin and birth took place on the soil of Canaan. The city was conceived by the Amorite and the Hittite, i.e., it was founded by the heathen peoples of Canaan. At the time of the conquest, Jerusalem was a Jebusite city (Joshua 15:8; Joshua 15:63) and a member of the southern coalition of city states that opposed Joshua. The neglect of the child (Ezekiel 16:4): As for your birth, on your birthday your navel was not cut. You were not washed in water for cleansing. You were not salted or wrapped at all. Like many female infants, Jerusalem was abandoned after birth, left exposed in a field to die. She had not received the customary treatment afforded newborn babes. The abandonment of the child (Ezekiel 16:5): No eye had pity upon you to do any of these things to you to have compassion upon you; but you were cast out upon the surface of the ground when you were regarded as loathsome in the day of your birth. Normally after the navel was cut, a baby was rubbed all over with salt. The salt served as an antiseptic. It also strengthened the baby's skin. The baby was then wrapped tightly in bands of cloth. Every seven days through day forty the dirty clothes were removed, the baby washed, anointed with oil, and rewrapped. But none of these customary treatments was applied to this child. Instead, she had been regarded as loathsome. She had been exposed to death by neglect. The neglected baby is a picture of Jerusalem in her earliest years. The people of Canaan did not care about the place. Likewise the Israelites overlooked Jerusalem throughout the settlement period. The child rescued (Ezekiel 16:6): When I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you: Though bloody, live; yes, I said to you, though bloody, live. God passed by the ugly and unwanted child. Though bloody is lit., in your blood. Although the child was repulsive to look upon, squirming about in her blood, i.e., unwashed, still God decreed that it should live (v 6). This probably refers to David's capture of Jerusalem from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5:6-10). The growth of the child (Ezekiel 16:7): An increase like the sprout of the field I appointed you. You increased, and grew up, and came to excellent beauty. Your breasts were formed, and your hair was grown; yet you were naked and bare. To grow like the sprout of the field is a beautiful metaphor for what thrives through the blessing of God alone. The female infant grew to maturity. She possessed the physical attributes of a beautifully formed woman, viz., a full bust and long hair. Yet she was still naked and bare. The Hebrew terms usually mean, insufficiently clad. Jerusalem was like a poor desert shepherd girl inadequately clothed. The reference is to the earliest years of Israelite occupation of the city. Marriage (Ezekiel 16:8-9) Maturity for marriage (Ezekiel 16:8 a): Now when I passed by you, and saw you, behold, your time was the time of love. God passed by Jerusalem a second time. The relationship between God and Israel is frequently depicted under the metaphor of marriage. So it is here that the divine rescuer noticed that the Jerusalem had reached the time of love (‘ et dodim) or love-making, i.e., marriageable age. Covenant of marriage (Ezekiel 16:8 b): I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness. I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you (oracle of the Lord GOD), and you became mine. He therefore spread his skirt over her, a gesture that was, apparently, part of the ancient marriage ceremony (cf. Rth 3:9). God thereby covered the nakedness of his bride, i.e., he provided for Jerusalem’ s needs. He entered into a marriage covenant with Jerusalem. God chose Jerusalem for a special relationship when David brought the ark of the covenant there (2 Samuel 6). Later David purchased a threshing floor in Jerusalem that became the site for God's temple (2 Samuel 24). Rituals of marriage (Ezekiel 16:9): I washed you with water, cleansed your bloodfrom upon you, and I anointed you with oil. God treated his young bride most tenderly. He first washed her with water. The blood that is washed from the bride is surely not the blood of childbirth mentioned in Ezekiel 16:4, or menstrual blood (Cooke). It is probably the blood of virginal bleeding caused by initial coitus. He then anointed her with oil. Adornment (Ezekiel 16:10-14) Aspects of the adornment (Ezekiel 16:10-13 b) Clothing (Ezekiel 16:10): I clothed you with woven work. I shod you with sealskin. I bound you with fine linen. I covered you with silk. God clothed her with the finest garments from head to toe. Accouterments (Ezekiel 16:11-13): (Ezekiel 16:11) I adorned you with ornaments. I put bracelets upon your hands, and a chain upon your neck. (Ezekiel 16:12) I put a ring upon your nose, and earrings upon your ears, and a beautiful turban upon your head. (Ezekiel 16:13) And you were decked with gold and silver, and your garments were offine linen, silk, and woven work. He placed jewelry upon her wrists, neck (Ezekiel 16:11), nose and ears. As befitting her queenly position, a beautiful crown was placed on her head (Ezekiel 16:12). Food (Ezekiel 16:13 b): You ate fine flour, honey and oil. She ate the finest foods. Result of the adornment (Ezekiel 16:13-14): You became more and more beautiful until you achieved royal rank. (14) Your reputation went forth among the nations for your beauty, for it was perfect through my splendor that I put upon you (oracle of the Lord GOD). Jerusalem became ever more beautiful until she finally achieved royal rank, i.e., became the Queen City of the Near East during the days of Solomon (Ezekiel 16:13). The beauty— the power and prosperity— of the nation was spoken of among other nations. But whatever greatness was achieved by Jerusalem was not self-earned. It was bestowed by her divine husband. She reflected the splendor of God (Ezekiel 16:14). Infidelity of the Bride (Ezekiel 16:15-34) Misuse of God's blessings (Ezekiel 16:15-19) Misplaced trust (Ezekiel 16:15): But you trusted in your beauty, and committed harlotry because of your reputation. You poured out your harlotries upon all who passed by; it belonged to him. The beautiful bride proved unfaithful to the marriage covenant with God. Instead of trusting him, she began to trust in her beauty, i.e., her material prosperity. She thought she could follow her instincts without regard to the moral demands of her divine husband. Self­trust is the first step in committing iniquity (cf. Ezekiel 33:13). Jerusalem began to commit harlotry with foreign nations and their gods. Jerusalem committed harlotry because of her reputation. She found herself popular. Because of her material prosperity and strategic location, the eyes of the nations were cast on Jerusalem. In response to the Lord's gracious passing by (cf. Ezekiel 16:6; Ezekiel 16:8), Jerusalem lavished her harlotry on all who passed by. She readily responded to every proffer of love, i.e., she took up with every form of idolatry. The reference is probably to the glory of Solomon's era, that king's entanglement in foreign alliances, and toleration of the pagan practices of his many wives. Misused wealth (Ezekiel 16:16-18 a) High places (Ezekiel 16:16): You took from your garments, and made for yourself high places decked with different colors. You committed harlotry upon them. They are not coming, and it will not lie. The garments given to her by her divine Husband (i.e., material blessings) were used to make and decorate high places. There Jerusalem pursued her idolatrous lust. The repetition of you took (vv 16, 17, 18, 20) stresses that Jerusalem's involvement in idolatry was an act of free choice. The last expression in v 16 is difficult: they (feminine) are not coming and it (masculine) will not be. Perhaps these words express disgust at the lewdness of Jerusalem. Images (Ezekiel 16:17-18 a): You took your fair jewels of my gold and my silver that I had given to you. You made for yourself images of men, and committed harlotry with them. (Ezekiel 16:18) You took your woven garments, and you covered them. Jewelry of gold and silver had been melted down and fashioned into idols (cf. Hosea 2:10)—images of men with whom the adulterous wife might commit her harlotry. The images were dressed with the rich garb that God had given his bride. Misguided worship (Ezekiel 16:18 b-19): My oil and my incense you placed before them. (Ezekiel 16:19) My bread that I gave to you— fine flour, oil and honey that Ifed you— you set before them for a sweet savor. Thus it was (oracle of the Lord GOD). Oil and incense, God's gifts to his people, were given as offerings to the lifeless idols. The rich foods God had given his bride were set before these idols in various pagan rituals to serve as a sweet savor, i.e., something to satisfy the appetite of the gods. Thus it was, God says; it cannot be denied. Child sacrifice (Ezekiel 16:20-22) The facts in the case (Ezekiel 16:20 a): You took your sons and your daughters whom you bore unto me, and you sacrificed them to them to be devoured. As God’ s wife, Jerusalem had a responsibility to rear her children in the fear of the Lord. Some of these precious little ones, however, had been slaughtered and devoured (lit., eaten), i.e., immolated in the worship of the god Molech.The seriousness of the charge (Ezekiel 16:20-21): Were your harlotries a small matter, (Ezekiel 16:21) that you slaughtered my children, and gave them up, in causing them to pass (through the fire) to them? Not satisfied with the lewd rites of Canaanite worship, Jerusalem went the whole way even to the horrible extreme. of slaughtering children. These children belonged to God in a special way. Parents do not have absolute rights over the lives of their children. The root cause of the transgression (Ezekiel 16:22): In all of your abominations and harlotries, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, and you were wallowing in your blood. The bride of God had sunk to this extreme because she failed to remember the days of her youth when she was naked (‘ erom) and bare (‘ erya). If from time to time she had called to mind her humble origins, she surely would not have been guilty of these abominations. Insatiable lust (Ezekiel 16:23-29) Ominous beginning (Ezekiel 16:23): As the prophet contemplates the fate in store for Jerusalem as a result of her wickedness, he bursts forth in a lament—Woe, Woe unto you! He then expands upon the theme of the wickedness of Jerusalem. Canaanite shrines (Ezekiel 16:23-25): It came to pass after all your evil—woe, woe to you (oracle of the Lord GOD)—(Ezekiel 16:24) that you built for yourself a platform, and you made for yourself a high place in every street. (Ezekiel 16:25) At every head of the way you have built your lofty place, and you have made your beauty an abomination. You have opened your feet to every one that passed by. You have multiplied your harlotries. Jerusalem built a platform (gab) in every street, obviously some accommodation for the practice of idolatry. The term high place (rama) seems to refer a lofty shrine (NIV), perhaps a roof-top chamber of some kind (v 24). At every head of the way, i.e., intersection of every thoroughfare, the idols were conspicuous. The bride of God had put her beauty to an abominable use. She had spread her feet, i.e., committed prostitution, with every one who passed by. She had taken up with every pagan cult with which she had come in contact (v 25). Egyptian influence (Ezekiel 16:26): You committed harlotry with the Egyptians, your neighbors, great of flesh. You multiplied your harlotry to provoke me. Jerusalem did not even confine her spiritual harlotries to Canaanite worship ways. Through foreign alliances, she became involved with the gods of more distant powers. Spiritual harlotry with the sensuous Egyptians, whose worship was characterized by obscene idolatries, was perhaps the climax of Jerusalem’ s degeneration. The tendency to worship so many foreign gods was motivated not so much by lust for forbidden forms of worship as by a subconscious desire to provoke and defy the Lord. Prior discipline (Ezekiel 16:27): Behold I have stretched out my hand against you. I have diminished your allowance. I have delivered you into the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistine, who are ashamed of your lewd way. Because of these acts of infidelity, God stretched out his hand over Jerusalem for the purpose of inflicting punishment. As a betrayed husband might withdraw or reduce an unfaithful wife’ s maintenance (cf. Hosea 2:11), so God reduced the portion He originally had assigned to Jerusalem. The reference here is probably to the territorial incursions by foreign nations against Israel from the days of Solomon to the time of Ezekiel. At the time the prophet spoke these words, tiny Judah occupied only a fraction of the territory that God had given to Jerusalem of old. So weak were the people of God that their ancient archenemies the Philistines were now able to satisfy their desire for revenge. Sarcastically, Ezekiel adds that even the ruthless Philistines were ashamed of the disgraceful conduct of Jerusalem. Mesopotamian influence (Ezekiel 16:28-29): You committed harlotry with the Assyrians without having enough. You committed harlotry with them, and yet you were not satisfied. (Ezekiel 16:29) You multiplied your harlotries with the land of merchants—Chaldea— but yet you were not satisfied. Assyria and Chaldea, the two great commercial centers, were among Jerusalem’ s lovers; but still the unfaithful wife could not find spiritual satisfaction. Utter degradation (Ezekiel 16:30-34) Manifestation of harlotry (Ezekiel 16:30-32): How weak is your heart (oracle of the Lord GOD) when you do all these things, the work of a wanton harlot. (Ezekiel 16:31) When you built your platforms at the head of every way, and have made your lofty place in every street, and you were not like the harlot who seeks more pay. How morally weak and degenerate was the heart of God’ s once lovely wife! She had become a wanton (lit., domineering) harlot, virtually a nymphomaniac whose promiscuous lust has caused her to reverse the usual order in prostitution (Ezekiel 16:30). Unlike the ordinary harlot, the profit motive did not figure in Jerusalem’ s spiritual liaison. Jerusalem prostituted herself not for gain, but to satisfy her unbridled lust (Ezekiel 16:31). Ugliness of harlotry (Ezekiel 16:32): O woman that commits adultery, who takes strangers instead of her husband! The picture is pathetic. A woman unwilling to be a wife to her husband, but anxious for intimate association with strange gods and foreign lands. Lust for harlotry (Ezekiel 16:33-34): To all harlots gifts are given; but you have given your gifts to all your lovers. You have bribed them to come unto you from round about in your harlotries. (Ezekiel 16:34) You are different from other women, in that you solicited to harlotry, and you were not solicited. In that you paid the wages of prostitution rather than the wages of prostitution being given to you, so you were different. Rather than receiving gifts as is common with women of the street, Jerusalem actually bribed lovers, i.e., she solicited alliances with foreign nations. Punishment of the Harlot (Ezekiel 16:35-43): The verdict of the judge is introduced by a double therefore (Ezekiel 16:35; Ezekiel 16:37). The first therefore is followed by because, and then a reiteration of the charge of harlotry. The second therefore introduces the actual sentence. Reason for judgment (Ezekiel 16:35-36): Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD! (Ezekiel 16:36) Thus says the Lord GOD: Because your filthiness was poured out, and your nakedness revealed through your harlotry with your lovers, and because of all the idols of your abominations, and for the blood of your sons that you gave to them... Because of all her spiritual adultery with foreign nations, her abominable idols and her revolting sacrifice of little children to those idols, God will bring judgment upon the land. Agents of judgment (Ezekiel 16:37): therefore, behold, I am about to gather your lovers unto whom you have been pleasant, and all whom you have loved, along with all whom you hate; I will gather them against you round about, and I will reveal your nakedness unto them, that they may see all your nakedness. Jerusalem’ s lovers— nations with whom she had a treaty and those other nations with whom treaties had been broken. These nations will be used of God to bring national humiliation upon the people of God. The land will be stripped bare by these forces. Jerusalem's nakedness thus will be exposed to public view. Appropriateness of judgment (Ezekiel 16:38):I will judge you with the judgments accorded adulteresses, and those who shed blood. I will bring upon you the blood offury and jealousy. The allegory continues. The punishment of Jerusalem is described in terms of the punishment of an adulteress. An adulteress was executed publicly. Accusers will start the bloody work, and others will then join in (cf. Deuteronomy 13:10). So Jerusalem’ s lovers (nations with whom she had political ties) will summon other nations to join in the attack upon her. Adulteresses and child murderers were judged most harshly under the law of Moses. That same severe judgment was now about to be brought against Jerusalem. Only the blood of the guilty could assuage the divine fury and jealousy (v 38). Result of judgment (Ezekiel 16:39-42) Land devastated (Ezekiel 16:39 a): I will give you into their hand. They will throw down your eminent places, and break down your lofty places. To accomplish that judgment, God will use foreign nations, those who once were Jerusalem’ s lovers. This ruthless force will destroy the eminent places used in idolatrous rites. Wealth plundered (Ezekiel 16:39 b): They will strip you of your garments, and take your fair jewels. They will leave you naked and bare. Enemy soldiers will strip the adulterous wife of clothing and jewels. They will leave her naked, i.e., Jerusalem will see her buildings destroyed and her wealth carried away. Public execution (Ezekiel 16:40-41 a): They will bring up an assembly against you. They will pelt you with stones, and will thrust you through with swords. (Ezekiel 16:41) They will burn your daughters with fire. They will execute judgments against you in the sight of many women. Stoning was the penalty for adultery (Leviticus 20:10). Jerusalem will be bombarded by the missiles of the enemies as well as thrust through by their swords. Houses and public buildings will be burned. Many women, i.e., neighboring nations, will witness the execution. Hopefully they will learn a lesson from it. Cessation of harlotry (Ezekiel 16:41 b): I will cause you to cease from being a harlot. Also the wages of prostitution you will not give anymore. With the destruction of Jerusalem, God will bring the harlotry of the nation to an abrupt end. No longer will Jerusalem be in a position to bribe neighbors for their friendship. Divine anger assuaged (Ezekiel 16:42): So I will cause my wrath against you to rest. My jealousy will turn from you. I will be quiet, and will no more be vexed. Divine justice must punish such unfaithfulness as Jerusalem manifested. Only after the wrath and jealousy (zeal) of God had been satisfied could there be hope of reconciliation. The reason for judgment (Ezekiel 16:43): Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, and you have made me angry with all of these things; therefore also, behold, I will bring your way on your head (oracle of the Lord GOD); or have you not done this lewdness above all your abominations? The calamities outlined in the previous verses will befall Jerusalem because she had forgotten her past; she was ungrateful for what God had done for her.: THE FALLEN SISTEREze_16:44-63 Introduction of the Sisters (Ezekiel 16:44-47): An observation (Ezekiel 16:44): Behold every one who employs proverbs will use this proverb against you, saying, As the mother, so the daughter. When the judgment fell, no one will be able to say that it was unjust. In years to come, those who specialized in proverbs will say concerning sinful Jerusalem, as the mother, so the daughter. An accusation (Ezekiel 16:45 a): You are the daughter of your mother who loathes her husband and her sons. You are the sister of your sisters who loathe their husbands and their children. Jerusalem was unfaithful in marriage and as a mother. The children are literal children, as in Ezekiel 16:20-22. Likewise, the husbands here are not gods or Yahweh (as in ch 23), but the human fathers of the children in these cities. Jerusalem and her sisters personify the married female population of Jerusalem, Samaria, and Sodom; the married men collectively are the husbands of these mothers. The point is that in sacrificing their children, the mothers have condemned the fathers of the children as well. Explanation (Ezekiel 16:45 b-46): Your mother was a Hittite, and your father was an Amorite. (Ezekiel 16:46) Your older sister is Samaria— she and her daughters— who dwell on your left hand. Your younger sister on your right side is Sodom and her daughters. Jerusalem learned her ways from her mother and father, the Hittite and the Amorite. She had followed in the path of her older sister Samaria, and her younger sister Sodom. Samaria is Judah’ s elder sister because she was larger in size and more numerous in population. She is on the left, i.e., north of Judah. The younger sister on the right side (south) of Judah is Sodom. The daughters of Samaria and Sodom are subordinate towns. Further accusation (Ezekiel 16:47): Yet you did not walk in their ways. You have not done after their abominations. But in a very little while, you acted more corruptly than they in all your ways. For only a very little while after the fall of Samaria— during the reign of Hezekiah— Judah did not walk in the abominations of Samaria and Sodom. But after that short pause in her ugly history, Judah acted more corruptly than either of her sinful sisters.Comparison of the Sisters (Ezekiel 16:48-52)In Ezekiel 16:48-52 the comparison between the sins of the three sisters— Sodom, Samaria and Jerusalem— continues. The case of Sodom (Ezekiel 16:48-50): Comparatively less guilty (Ezekiel 16:48): As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD) Sodom your sister— she and her daughters— has not done as you have done, you and your daughters. Even sinful Sodom had not surpassed the sin of Jerusalem. A prideful sister (Ezekiel 16:49): Behold, this was the iniquity of Sodom your sister: pride, fullness of bread and careless ease were in her, and in her daughters. She did not strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy. The root of Sodom’ s sin was pride that grew out of her security and prosperity. Genesis (Genesis 18:20-21; Genesis 19:13) uses the word outcry to characterize the sin committed by Sodom. This word usually refers to the outcry of the oppressed. The outcry erupted because the Sodomites did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy, i.e., they offered neither material assistance, nor did they give any encouragement. A banished sister (Ezekiel 16:50): They became haughty, and committed abomination before me. Therefore, I removed them when I saw it. The Sodomites became so haughty that they committed abomination in the sight of God. He, therefore, removed (i.e., abolished) them after their sins came under his judicial inspection. The words I saw it hark back to Genesis 18:20. They allude to what Yahweh saw in Sodom in Genesis 19:1-9. The homosexual attack by the Sodomites was the ultimate manifestation of the haughty oppression that characterized the men of that place. The case of Samaria (Ezekiel 16:51 a): As for Samaria, she did not sin half as much as you. Samaria had not committed even half the sins committed by Jerusalem. In fact, in comparison to Jerusalem’ s guilt, Sodom and Samaria appeared almost righteous (cf. Amos 3:9-10). The case of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16:51 b-52) Greater abomination (Ezekiel 16:51 b): Actually, you increased your abominations more than they while you vindicated your sisters in all the abominations that you did. Sins committed in Jerusalem were worse than those committed in Samaria and Sodom. The greater guilt results from greater revelation. Greater shame (Ezekiel 16:52 a): You also, bear your own shame in which you have judged your sister. Ezekiel commands Jerusalem to bear your own shame, i.e., she must accept as just the punishment that she is already experiencing. Greater guilt (Ezekiel 16:52 c): Through your sins in which you have been more abominable than they, they have been more righteous than you; yes, you! How ashamed Jerusalem ought to be of her gross sin that will cause men to render a favorable judgment with regard to Samaria and Sodom. Jerusalem has been more abominable than her sisters. Appeal (Ezekiel 16:52 d): Be ashamed Bear your guilt in your vindication of your sisters. In suffering for her sin, Jerusalem would bring vindication to her sisters. God had merciful long-range intentions for Jerusalem. His justice requires that he must show the same kindness to the lesser offenders. Future of the Sisters (Ezekiel 16:53-63) Future of Sodom and Samaria (Ezekiel 16:53-55) Turn the captivity (Ezekiel 16:53): And I will turn their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives in the midst of them. Sodom and Samaria have a future. God will turn their captivity (i.e., restore their fortunes) and that of Jerusalem as well in the midst of them, i.e., between Samaria to the north and Sodom to the south. Sodom and Samaria represent the peoples who once lived in those cities. Samaria represents the old northern kingdom of Israel, the survivors of which were known as Samaritans in New Testament times. Sodom represents the Gentile population that had not been fully assimilated into the political structure of Israel. Many of these "Canaanites" worshiped Yahweh along with other gods. Ezekiel envisioned the day when such aliens, cleansed and converted (cf. Jeremiah 12:16), would have equal standing as part of the people of God (cf. Ezekiel 47:22-23). Shame over sin (Ezekiel 16:54): [This I will do] in order that you may bear your own shame, and may be ashamed because of all that you have done in comforting them. The purpose in changing the fortunes of Samaria and Sodom is so that Jerusalem may experience shame for past sin. The Jews (represented by Jerusalem) will come to see the depth of sin that brought on the destruction of the temple and the exile to Babylon. The thought of the verse is similar to the thought in Romans 11:11-12. Former state (Ezekiel 16:55): And your sisters— Sodom and her daughters— will return to their former state. Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state. You and your daughters will return to your former slate. If God restores Jerusalem, he must also restore the two sisters, for they had sinned less. The three sister cities are depicted returning to their former state, i.e., their former situation in their heyday. Ezekiel is speaking of spiritual transformation under images of physical reconstruction. Special Study THE OF SODOM Ezekiel’ s allusion to turning the captivity of Samaria and Sodom (16:53, 55) has occasioned commentators great difficulty. The prophet seems to be saying that Sodom, which was destroyed in the days of Abraham, and Samaria, which had been carried away into captivity in 722 B.C., will be restored as well as Jerusalem. Whereas there is no parallel in Scripture to the restoration of Sodom, the Bible does point to the restoration of other evil nations surrounding Israel (cf. Jeremiah 12:14-17). But how could Sodom, that was obliterated without survivor, be restored? Six different answers to this question have been given: Currey and Ellicott deny that the passage contains any promise of restoration for Sodom. These commentators understand 16:53 to be underscoring the hopelessness of Jerusalem’ s punishment. Only when Sodom was restored— something manifestly impossible— will Jerusalem be restored. Yet it does appear in this passage that some kind of restoration is promised, or at least implied, for Sodom. Besides, if the prophet is saying that Jerusalem will never be restored, he will be contradicting, not only other prophets, but his own predictions as well. Feinberg sees here a prediction of a literal rebuilding of Sodom and the cities of the plain. During the Millennium, these cities will be restored. But how can Sodom and her daughters be restored when all the inhabitants of that area have been swept off the face of the earth? Feinberg limply replies: ". . . the restoration of Sodom will pose no difficulty for the omnipotence of God." The renowned German commentator Keil insists that the passage must refer to literal Sodom. Keil, however, does not see here an earthly restoration. He contends that ". . . the realization of the prophecy must be sought for beyond the present order of things, in one that extends into life everlasting." Keil is thus ambiguous about the fulfillment. Surely this passage does not refer to those Sodomite sinners who endure eternal fire (Jude 1:7). Keil's proposed fulfillment of the passage borders on universalism. Payne suggests that the post-exilic occupation of the Dead Sea area by the Jews constitutes a reasonable fulfillment to the prediction. However, it is difficult to see how this could constitute a reversal of the fortunes of Sodom. Still others regard Sodom as symbolic of the descendants of Sodom. Ammon and Moab were born to Lot’ s daughters, who had escaped from the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:29-30). The restoration of Sodom will in reality be the restoration of Moab and Ammon. Jeremiah 20:16 refers to the cities of the plain as “ the cities that the Lord overthrew and repented not.” This statement seems to preclude a literal, physical restoration of Sodom. However, Jeremiah does predict the restoration of Ammon and Moab (48:47; 49:6). A.R. Fausset develops this view as follows: Probably Ammon and Moab, were in part restored under Cyrus; but the full realization of the restoration is yet future; the heathen nations to be brought to Christ being typified by “ Sodom,” whose sins they now reproduce. Perhaps Sodom represents the heathen in general— all that survived of the Canaanites and their culture. The thrust of the passage is not the restoration of cities, but of rightful inhabitants. Ellison points out that Samaria never actually ceased to be a city. Sargon, the conqueror of Samaria, immediately rebuilt and repopulated the place. Thus, the prophecy must be talking about changing the fortunes of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Samaria, and Sodom. God must punish wicked men; but his mercy is such that he must provide for the deliverance of even the greatest sinners. Ezekiel is filled with the thought of the spiritual conversion of wicked people like Sodom. He expresses this thought concretely in terms of a reversal of the fortunes for Sodom (i.e., gross sinners). Sodom and Samaria will be given to Jerusalem as daughters (v 61). Citizens of the former northern kingdom and heathen in general will become part of that new covenant Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22). Immediate future of Jerusalem (16:56-58): For Sodom your sister was not mentioned by your mouth in the day of your pride; (57) before your wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Aram and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistine who despise you round about. (58) You have borne your lewdness and your abominations (oracle of the LORD). In hypocritical self-righteousness, Judah in former days would not so much as mention the name of Sodom. In the day of your pride recalls the heyday of Jerusalem. That pride led to Jerusalem's overthrow (v 56). Judah’ s own wickedness was uncovered, i.e., made public, through divine judgment. Humbled Judah became the object of disdain by the singers in Aram and Philistia. The particular occasion here mentioned is probably the humiliating and devastating Syro-Ephraimite invasion of Judah in the days of Ahaz (v 57). Judah already had suffered, and will yet suffer, for her infidelity. Lewdness (zimma) and abominations hark back to the catalogue of crimes mentioned in vv 2-43 (v 58). Long-range future of God's people (Ezekiel 16:59-63) First comes punishment (Ezekiel 16:59): For thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who has despised the oath to break the covenant. Words of comfort follow the condemnation and threat of the preceding verses. God could not ignore the adulterous behavior of his wife Jerusalem. She had broken the marriage covenant; she must suffer the consequences. A new covenant (Ezekiel 16:60): Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth. I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. God, however, will remember that covenant that he had made with Jerusalem in the youth of the city, i.e., in the days of David. God remembers this covenant, not because he is bound by law to do so, but because he yearns for that relationship. After judgment, God will enter into a new covenant— an everlasting covenant—with his people. This covenant can be everlasting because of the new heart and the new spirit that are associated with this covenant (Ezekiel 11:19-20; Ezekiel 36:25-28). An expanding community (Ezekiel 16:61): You will remember your ways. You will be ashamed when you receive your sisters, the older and the younger. I will give them to you for daughters, but not because of your covenant. How ashamed Judah will be of her sordid past in that new day. God's grace in overlooking past sin, making a new covenant with His people, and even bestowing upon them Sodom and Samaria, will arouse in them a deep sense of remorse. This reinstatement of Jerusalem has nothing to do with the old Sinai covenant. That covenant had been broken. The new covenant will be with converted sinners, whether Jew, Samaritan or Gentile (Sodom). Samaria and Sodom become daughters of the new Jerusalem, i.e., all three are part of a unified land or kingdom (cf. Ezekiel 37:15-22). Spiritual insight (Ezekiel 16:62): I will establish my covenant with you. You will know that I am the LORD. The establishment of a new covenant is a sovereign act of God. This is emphasized by the pronoun I (emphatic in the Hebrew). Through the gracious provisions for the Jerusalem of the new covenant (Hebrews 12:22), men would learn about the nature of the God of the Bible Gracious forgiveness (Ezekiel 16:63): [This I will do] in order that you might remember, and be ashamed, and never again open your mouth because of your shame when I have forgiven you of all which you have done (oracle of the Lord GOD). The unfathomable grace of God in forgiving past sin will forever silence any self-justification.Ezekiel Chapter SixteenVerse 1 THE OF THE WIFEThe sole purpose of this tremendous chapter was stated bluntly in the second verse: "Cause Jerusalem to know her abominations." Ezekiel discharged this assignment in the most realistic, and some would say the most revolting, chapter in the Bible. Under the influence of Christ, men today would not speak in such harsh, realistic, even vulgar language which we find here; but the sad truth was that only this kind of brutally frank and honest language could get the attention of Israel. The problem was the national attitude of the whole Jewish nation. Remembering their past glory, the miraculous aid which had given them their eminence, the extravagant luxury of their formerly great empire, and their constant appropriation unto themselves of the most surpassing thoughts relative to their being "God's chosen people," "the choicest among the nations," etc., the Jewish mind utterly despised all of the other races on earth. Had not God wiped out Samaria? and Sodom? Their national expectation looked forward to "the Lord's Day," when God would appear, probably on a white horse, kill all the Gentiles, and turn the whole world over to his favorite people, the Jews. It was this national conceit which had prevented the Jews, up to this point, in catching the point of Ezekiel's many prophecies concerning the worthlessness and reprobacy of the "Once Chosen" people. That is the background of this chapter. Ezekiel seized upon the metaphor of the marriage covenant, so dramatically depicted in Hosea 2:2-14, expanded and elaborated it, and made it the startling "Allegory of the Unfaithful Wife," fully meriting the brutal and sadistic punishment of adulteresses in ancient times. This whole chapter was summarized by Halley. "It is a graphic, vivid portrayal of Israel's idolatry under the figure of a bride, rescued from her exposure as an infant, who became the wife of her benefactor, who made her a queen and lavished upon her silks, sealskins, and every beautiful thing; who then made herself a prostitute to every man that passed by, thereby becoming even worse than Samaria and Sodom."[1]Plumptre described the language here as unmatched by anything else except some passages in Dante, but cautioned us to remember that, "The scenes brought forth by the prophet here were a very familiar thing to the men of the generation addressed by Ezekiel."[2] The picture of Israel is so revolting in this chapter that the distinguished Jewish Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, "Forbade the chapter either to be read or translated in public!"[3] Plumptre noted that Israel is here revealed as, "The Messalina of the nations."[4] Messalina was the profligate third wife of the Emperor Claudius, executed in 48 A.D.[5]According to Jamieson, there are five great paragraphs in the chapter. (1) The Great Benefactor rescues the outcast infant foundling (vv. 1-7). (2) Later married to her Benefactor, she is made a queen (vv. 8-14). (3) She becomes a gross, unprincipled sinner (vv. 15-34). (4) She incurs the terrible punishment of an adulteress (vv. 35-52). (5) Her restoration is promised, but it is also extended to Samaria and Sodom! (vv. 53-63). The proposition to be exploited in this chapter is the unmitigated wickedness of Israel from its very beginning and throughout its history. ; BIRTH; INFANCY; ; AND RESCUEEze_16:1-7"Again, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations; and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was a Hittite. And as for thy nativity, the day thou wast born, thy navel wast not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to cleanse thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor wast thou swaddled at all. No eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, for that thy person was abhorred, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee weltering in thy blood, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live; and I said unto thee, Though thou art weltering in thy blood, live. I caused thee to multiply as that which groweth in the field, and thou didst increase and wax great, and thou attainedst to excellent ornament; thy breasts were fashioned, and thy hair was grown; yet thou wast naked and bare.""The word of the Lord unto Jerusalem ..." (Ezekiel 16:3). Although Jerusalem alone is mentioned here, "The city is used as a representative of the whole Jewish nation."[6]The metaphor is that of a baby girl mercilessly exposed in an open field, for whom none of the necessary services for a newborn child were performed. Unwashed, abhorred, thrown out to die, just like that newborn child recently picked up by the garbage men in Houston. McFadyen noted that, "In a similar way, Israel's sins from the beginning to the end of her history constituted one unbroken record of black apostasy."[7]The picture of an unattended, abandoned new-born baby girl, with uncut navel and wallowing in the refuse of its afterbirth is described here in very indelicate language; "But Ezekiel meant it that way; he was exposing ugly sins, and he made the allegory fit the facts."[8]Those were cruel times in world history; and the exposure of unwanted children for the purpose of getting rid of them was widely known. Furthermore, as Plumptre said, "Everyone was familiar with scenes of this kind."[9]In fact, it must be supposed that, the captives themselves were particularly familiar with such things; because in that long terrible march, lasting a month or more, from Jerusalem to Babylon, the heartless captors would have allowed no time or consideration for the women whose children were born on the bitter march. Such unfortunate children as were born under those conditions were left by the side of the road to die. "Thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanites ..." (Ezekiel 16:3). "Ezekiel here moved far beyond other prophets, asserting that from their very birth, Israel had the genes of depravity in her being."[10]The allegory here is somewhat inexact, because, strictly speaking, Abraham and the patriarchs were not Canaanites; however, what is said here indicates that the Chosen People did indeed become the children, in the spiritual sense, of the Canaanites. The Amorite father, and the Hittite mother, through their abominable idols with their licentious rites, won Israel over, and became the spiritual parents of the Jews, who actually became "Canaanites" in every spiritual sense (Hosea 12:7). The allegory fits especially in the matter of when the "infancy" of the Jewish nation actually occurred; it was not in the days of Abraham, but at the time of their coming up out of Egypt. The covenant from the days of Israel's youth, however, referred to the Abrahamic promise, and not to the Mosaic covenant (verse 60). The comparison of the Jewish nation with an exposed and abandoned infant was extremely appropriate; because, "The Jews in Egypt were held to be contemptible by the Egyptians; and the Pharaoh's determined to exterminate them through the murder of their male children. Moses, as a type of the whole nation, was himself exposed, and delivered from actual death, only by God's providence."[11]"I said unto thee ... live ..." (Ezekiel 16:6). The repetition of this speaks of the miracle of God in the preservation and blessing of the infant nation, threatened as they were, by Egyptian intentions to destroy them. "Thou attainedst to excellent ornaments ... thy breasts were fashioned ... thy hair was grown ..."(Ezekiel 16:7). The ornaments here are the natural beauty of womanhood, as distinguished from those mentioned in Ezekiel 16:11. "Her breasts were fashioned" was rendered by Keil as, "Her breasts expanded."[12]"Thy hair was grown ..." (Ezekiel 16:7). This is not a reference merely to "longer hair," but as Greenberg noted, to hair not visible at all previously, "Lo, hair is grown on thy vulva."[13]"I caused thee to multiply ..." (Ezekiel 16:7). This is a reference to the marvelous growth of Israel, which is indicated here as being due to the special providence of God. "Yet thou wast naked and bare ..." (Ezekiel 16:7). "This represents the days of their sojourn in Egypt, before the Sinaitic covenant."[14]Verse 8 "Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee saith the Lord Jehovah, and thou becamest mine. Then I washed thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with sealskin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and covered thee with silk. And I decked thee with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a ring upon thy nose, and ear-rings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil; and thou wast exceeding beautiful; and thou didst prosper unto royal estate. And thy renown went forth among the nations for thy beauty; and it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord Jehovah."THE MARRIED TO HER "I spread my skirt over thee ..." (Ezekiel 16:8). This was a symbol of marriage. A Biblical example of this is found in Rth 3:8. What is typified here is the marriage of God to Israel, a metaphorical representation of the Sinaitic covenant and the choice of the nation as "God's Chosen People." "Then I washed thee with water ..." (Ezekiel 16:9). Commentators have struggled with this; but the explanation is in Ephesians 5:25 ff: "Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself." Thus the marriage of Christ to his Bride the Church followed the same pattern that is found here. The purpose of the "washing" in both instances was the cleansing of the bride and her consecration to the Lord. Paul further mentioned the "washing" of the first Bride, the Racial Israel, as their, "Being baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Corinthians 10:2). "I washed away thy blood from thee ..." (Ezekiel 16:9). Here again, some very powerful scholars are perplexed. "This washing is interpreted as the cleansing and purification from menstrual blood."[15] No indeed! The reference in both the Old Testament and the New Testament is to the washing that precedes union with God (or Christ) and cleanses from "all previous sin," the same being typified by the elaborate ceremonies that attended the giving of the Law at Sinai. The blood that was washed away in Ezekiel 16:9 is typical of all sins and mistakes. Note also that "the anointing with oil" followed the washing, just as the anointing of Aaron followed his ceremonial washing, and just as the reception of the Holy Spirit followed the baptism (the washing) of Jesus Christ, and just as the reception of the Holy Spirit is always subsequent to and contingent upon Christian baptism of all the followers of Christ. "The anointing with oil indicates the powers of the Spirit of God, which flowed to Israel from the divine covenant of grace."[16]This custom of anointing with oil, which from the most ancient times, accompanied the making of any solemn covenant, has come down even into current times. Those who saw the coronation of Elizabeth II, Queen of England, cannot forget the solemn ceremony of the anointing of the Queen with oil. "Badgers' skin (sealskin in ASV) ..." (Ezekiel 16:10). "This is probably a reference to the skin of the dugong, a herbivorous cetacean found in the Red Sea."[17] Greenberg thought the leather referred to here was "a specially treated and dyed sheep or goat skin";[18] but in the same breath he mentioned a certain Bodenheimer who believed that the skin of dolphins was meant. Jamieson tells us that, "Shoes made of this material were always worn by the Hebrews upon festal occasions."[19]"Through my majesty which I had put upon thee ..." (Ezekiel 16:14). The words "my majesty," with the possessive pronoun stress the fact that all of the renowned beauty and perfection of Israel were the gifts of God and were not due to any intrinsic worth or ability of the Jews themselves. Is it not also true of every gifted mortal? Verse 15 "But thou didst trust in thy beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and poured out thy whoredoms on every one that passed by; his it was. And thou didst take of thy garments, and madest for thee high places decked with divers colors, and playedst the harlot upon them: like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou didst also take thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images of men, and didst play the harlot with them; and thou tookest thy broidered garments and coveredst them, and didst set my oil and my incense before them."THE OF ISRAELThis extensive paragraph encompasses Ezekiel 16:15-34, but we shall subdivide it. "Playedst the harlot ... poured out thy whoredoms ..." (Ezekiel 16:15). Although the particular sins of Israel mentioned in this long paragraph are here listed as "whoredoms," the reference is inclusive of such things as seeking alliances with foreign nations, and the adoption of the religious idols and customs of the pagan world around them. Nevertheless, the allegory is very proper and accurate, because, as May noted, "As in Hosea and other prophets, such terminology here carries with it a connotation of association with the sexual rites of the Canaanite cults."[20] The unbelievable licentiousness which marked the worship of the various fertility gods and goddesses was extremely immoral and depraved. "God had warned Israel not to forget him when she came into all the benefits that he would give her in the Promised land (Deuteronomy 6:10-12);"[21] But no sooner had God given them a magnificent and glorious kingdom under Solomon, than the nation, led by the scandalous Solomon, did exactly what is outlined here. "They committed spiritual adultery with every nation on earth"[22] Solomon had seven hundred wives, each of them representing an alliance he had made with some foreign state or principality, and three hundred concubines. This was not merely "spiritual adultery." It was unmitigated, lustful adultery practiced on a Gargantuan scale. There's no better word for it than the harsh realism of this allegory. All of that reprehensible conduct showed that Israel was no longer trusting God who had so richly blessed them. They were trusting their own ability to take care of themselves by their alliances with other states. The evil outlined in this long paragraph, "Began when Israel adopted the Canaanite sanctuaries of Palestine (Jeremiah 2:5-7, also 5:28 here)";[23] but, as noted in the previous paragraph, it was Solomon who brought the whole pantheon of pagan gods into Israel. All of Solomon's pagan wives brought their own religion, their own pagan priests, and all of the evil practices of their religion. And of course, Solomon built every one of them a temple, or shrine, or high place. There is nothing more scandalous than Solomon's debauchery of the whole nation. "And madest for thee images of men ..." (Ezekiel 16:17). "There is reference here to a certain form of very abominable idolatry, namely, the worship of the phallus, or the membrum virile, which the Egyptians regarded as the emblem of fecundity, and which is still licentiously worshipped by the Hindus under the name of lingam."[24]These verses stress the fact that it was the very gifts of God Himself which the Israelites used to construct their pagan shrines and to be wasted in pagan worship. "This was a crowning aggravation of their guilt, that the very valuables designed for God's worship were prostituted in the worship of his pagan rivals."[25]Verse 19 "My bread also, which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou didst even set it before them for a sweet savor; and thus it was, saith the Lord Jehovah. Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters which thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Were thy whoredoms a small matter, that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire unto them? And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast weltering in thy blood.""Before them for a sweet savor ..." (Ezekiel 16:19). These were food offerings to idols. "To pass through the fire to them ..." (Ezekiel 16:20-21). This is a reference to the horrible infanticide identified with the worship of Molech, a pagan practice that continued throughout the greater part of Israel's history, even some of their kings making their sons "pass through the fire to Molech." "Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth ..." (Ezekiel 16:22). Matthew Henry has an extensive analysis of this whole long paragraph (Ezekiel 16:15-35). I. Causes of Israel's sin. A. They grew proud (Ezekiel 16:15). B. They refused to remember (Ezekiel 16:22). C. They were weak in heart (Ezekiel 16:30). II. Particulars of their sins. A. They worshipped every idol they heard of (Ezekiel 16:15). B. They lavished their God-given wealth on their idols (Ezekiel 16:16; Ezekiel 16:18). C. They made idols from gold God had given them (Ezekiel 16:17). D. They served idols with the wealth God gave them (Ezekiel 16:18). E. They sacrificed their children to Molech (Ezekiel 16:20). F. They even built shrines for their idols (Ezekiel 16:23-25). III. Aggravations of their Guilt. A. They even worshipped the idols of those nations which were their enemies (Ezekiel 16:28). B. God rebuked them, but still they continued in the same sins (Ezekiel 16:27). C. They spent much money on their idols (Ezekiel 16:31-34).[26]Later in this study of the paragraph, we shall refer to this outline. Verse 23 "And it is come to pass after all thy wickedness, woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord Jehovah, that thou hast built unto thee a vaulted place, and hast made unto thee a lofty place in every street. Thou hast built thy lofty place at the head of every way, and hast made thy beauty an abomination, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms. Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians, thy neighbors, great of flesh; and hast multiplied thy whoredoms to provoke me to anger. Behold therefore, I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, that are ashamed of thy lewd way. Thou hast played the harlot with the Assyrians, because thou wast insatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet thou wast not satisfied. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy whoredom unto the land of traffic, unto Chaldea, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.""At the head of every way ..." (Ezekiel 16:25). "The meaning here, as noted also in the LXX, clearly indicates that these were used for prostitution. Such places of prostitution were found in the `high places' of Judah."[27] The amazing charge here is that there was one of these on "every street," or at the head of every way. The aggravation of Israel's guilt was especially seen in their worship of the gods of their sworn enemies. This paragraph mentions the Egyptians (Ezekiel 16:28), the Philistines (Ezekiel 16:27), the Assyrians (Ezekiel 16:28), and the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 16:29), All of which, at one time or another, had oppressed Israel. "Thou hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms ..." (Ezekiel 16:25). The meaning is that Israel, like an insatiable whore, had spread her legs apart for anyone who would have her. An example of this, as applied in the political sector of Israel's behavior, is found in Zedekiah's attempt to form political alliances with such countries as Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon (Jeremiah 27:1-4). Verse 30 "How weak is thy heart, saith the Lord Jehovah, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an impudent harlot; in that thou buildest thy vaulted place at the head of every way, and makest thy lofty place in every street, and hast not been as a harlot, in that thou scornest hire. A wife that committeth adultery! that taketh strangers instead of her husband! They give gifts to all harlots; but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and bribest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredoms. And thou art different from other women in thy whoredoms, in that none followeth thee to play the harlot; and whereas thou givest hire, and no hire is given thee, therefore thou art different."This paragraph fits the last entry in Matthew Henry's outline, above. The wealth and honor of Israel were squandered in their shameful efforts to build and strengthen alliances with foreign governments, instead of trusting Jehovah, who alone had power to protect and bless his people. There is no more shameful episode in the history of Israel than the vain and foolish efforts of her final series of kings to mimic the scandalous conduct of Solomon in his alliances with many nations. The whole world was ashamed of them, even the Philistines (Ezekiel 16:27); and they were also the laughing-stock of all the nations. It must be admitted that Ezekiel, at this point, had fulfilled his commission to "Make Jerusalem know her abominations" (Ezekiel 16:2). If language could accomplish such an assignment, then Ezekiel had done it! Verse 35 "Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness uncovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers; and because of all the idols of thy abominations, and for the blood of thy children, that thou didst give unto them; therefore behold, I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them against thee on every side, and will uncover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood; and I will bring upon thee the blood of wrath and jealousy."ISRAEL'S AS AN These eighteen verses (Ezekiel 16:35-51) speak of the awful punishment of the Chosen People and of its absolute justice in God's sight. The punishment of unfaithful wives in antiquity was as sadistically cruel as anything ever known. It is described in Nahum 3:4-7. (We refer the reader to my commentary on Nahum in the Minor Prophets Series, Vol. 3, p. 48.) In this paragraph, God condemned Israel to suffer such a shameful and terrible punishment. Why? They had cast into jeopardy the salvation of all mankind! "Thy filthiness was poured out ..." (Ezekiel 16:36). The marginal reading for "filthiness" is "brass," standing "for wealth or money."[28] However Greenberg stated that the word is actually, "The cognate of the Akkadian "nahsati", meaning `morbid genital outflow' of a woman, a reference to female genital distillation produced by sexual arousal."[29] He translated this place, "Your juice was poured out." We feel certain that the marginal reference is preferable. Verse 39 "I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thy vaulted place, and break down thy lofty place; and they shall strip thee of thy clothes, and take thy fair jewels; and they shall leave thee naked and bare. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. And they shall burn thy houses with fire, and shall execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women; and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt also give no hire any more. So will I cause my wrath toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring thy way upon thy head, saith the Lord Jehovah: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness with all thine abominations.""They shall strip thee of thy clothes ..." (Ezekiel 16:39). Biblical examples of the degradation of a harlot by exhibiting her naked are found in Hosea 2:12; Nahum 3:5, and in Jeremiah 13:22; Jeremiah 13:26. Verse 44 "Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. Thou art the daughter of thy mother, that loatheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters that loathed their husbands and their children: your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. And thine elder sister is Samaria, that dwelleth at thy left hand, she and her daughters; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. Yet hast thou not walked in their ways, nor done after their abominations; but as if that were a very little thing, thou wast more corrupt than they in all thy ways. As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.""Hittite ... Amorite ..." (Ezekiel 16:45). This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/zerrcbc/ Ezekiel 16:2. This verse is a solemn charge to Ezekiel; lie was to cause Jerusalem to realize the greatness of her abominations and unfaithfulness. Ezekiel 16:3. Nations, like individuals, may rise from very humble circumstances to a position of dignity and favor. If that rise is caused solely by the unselfish favor of another nation or person, such advancement will be no just cause for the favored one to become proud or have a feeling of importance. Instead, such nation should show its appreciation by the most faithful devotion. This verse shows the insignificant and obscure origin of Jerusalem (or Judah), She was born in Canaan which was a country of much unworthiness before the Lord took it over and dignified it by His oversight. Amorites and Hittit.es were two of the inferior heathen peoples who inhabited the land of Canaan at the time God’ s people appeared. The terms father and mother are used figuratively to conform to the parable of family relations that has been adopted on the present occasion. We are supposed to think of a babe who is born of a very ordinary father and mother, in a land out of which no great personage would he expected to come. (For a like comparison see John 1:46.) Ezekiel 16:4. This verse represents a possible though very unusual circumstance. It Is the case where a babe arrives who was not wanted and of whom its parents are ashamed even though they have nothing of which to be so proud. They have such a feeling of contempt for the helpless creature that they do not give it the usual treatment of cleansing and surgical care usually accorded every newborn infant. They do not even furnish it with the swaddling band which was commonly used at such times, but which was a very meager article of clothing at best. Ezekiel 16:5. Not only did the parents of this unfortunate creature fail to administer to its needs, but none of the neighbors offered to lend a helping hand. Nor was that all; the infant was cast uneleansed and unclothed into the open field where it might have been the prey of wild beasts. Ezekiel 16:6. The man who was to represent God in thiB great parable was one whose affairs caused him to make various journeys through the country; on one of his trips he passed by the infant described in the preceding verses. He saw the miserable condition of the neglected creature and had compassion on it. I said . . . live. A story like this could not include all the details connected with the case. We are not told how the traveler could make his kindness effective but in some way he arranged that this baby girl could live in spite of the flithy and neglected condition. Having made the necessary preparation for the survival and growth of the babe, the traveler went on his way. Ezekiel 16:7. Through the arrangements referred to in the preceding verse, the girl baby experienced the things described in this which took place in the course of some years; such is the significance of I have caused thee that begins this verse. The developments indicated took place between the first and second journeys of the traveler through the community. Multiply is used because the parable really refers to the nation of Judah, although the imagery is that of a babe and her development Into the adolescent age. Excellent ornaments means the attractiveness of a girl growing toward womanhood. Some of those ornaments are specified; female breasts, also long hair, which is one of the God- given ornaments ol' women (1 Corinthians 11:15), Ezekiel 16:8. The baby girl has passed through childhood and adolescence and has reached the time of lore, which means she has matured and become of marriageable age. Her benefactor then falls In love with her and offers to receive her as his wife. In ancient times there were no formal marriage ceremonies directly connected with the union of a male and female. Their fleshly relations made them one and entitled them to live together as husband and wife. By that token, the spreading of one’ s skirt over another signified the intimacy that was to start the couple on their journey in life as a united pair. Hence we have that action regarding the skirt mentioned in this verse and the phrase thou t/ccamest mine is so used. (See Ruth 3; 9.) Ezekiel 16:9. In spite of the advancement that nature had made for this neglected girl, she had not become completely rid of the undesirable conditions that had been imposed upon her at the time of and after her birth. But after the man became so intimately interested in her, he gave her further attention to prepare her for the life with him as his life’ s companion in the marriage relation. Ezekiel 16:10. It would be proper for a man to take persona] Interest in and take part in the selection of clothing of his wife; he would wish her to have the most delicate robes even of such materials as silk and linen. Ezekiel 16:11. No ornaments of jewelry could be too good or costly for the woman whom a man loves, who has given herself to him and who has merged her being with his in the most intimate and sacred relation possible to the human body. Ezekiel 16:12. The crown was not used in the sense of authority, but as a token of the giory that he recognized it meant to him to have the love and association with such a creature. (See 1 Corinthians 11:7.) Ezekiel 16:13. The husband continued his favors upon the woman he loved. The actual subject of the parable was indicated by the closing words, thou didst prosper into a kingdom,. We know that a wife would not develop into a kingdom, so the idea is plain that God's relation with Judah was the subject of the illustration, But His love and favor toward that nation could not he described so as to overdraw the truth, even by the most extreme devotion that an ardent husband could lavish upon a wife whom he loved with his whole heart. Ezekiel 16:14. The terms and descriptions running through the chapter will be those directly applicable to a wife, yet the language will occasionally become so literal that we will know the prophet is considering the kingdom of Judah in her relations with God, This verse deals with such a thought when it says renown among the heathen. It is true that the kingdom which had Jerusalem for its capital became renowned in many parts of the earth. (See 1 Kings 4:21; 1 Kings 10:1; 1 Kings 10:6-7,) Ezekiel 16:15. The husband continued his traveling to and fro and hence could not always he in the company of his wife. But if she were true to him she would not take advantage of his absence to receive the attentions of Other men; that is where the wife of our story showed her disloyalty. She seemed to forget all of the tokens of love and unselfish service which her husband had shown to her in the first years of her life. It was evident that the favors thus lavished upon her had "spoiled” her and turned her head in the direction of unlawful lovers. She even admitted the men passing by to come in to her and commit fornication. Let the reader bear in mind that the idolatry of Judah is what the prophet was really considering, because that abomination is likened in the Bible to moral unfaithfulness. 6 Ezekiel 16:16, This husband had given the fine clothing to his wife for her use as a virtuous woman but she abused the privilege. She changed them in such a way as to attract the attentions of evil men seeking lustful intimacy. Ezekiel 16:17, The wife was not satisfied with unlawful intimacy with strange men, but fashioned for herself some images of men that she might admire them in her private life. What added to the greatness of such abomination was the fact that she formed those images out of t.he precious metals that a loving husband had provided for her personal adornment as a wife. Ezekiel 16:18. She covered the unlawful images with the fine garments that her husband had given her to clothe her own body. Ezekiel 16:19. Let us keep in mind that the prophet is comparing the unfaithfulness of a wife to her true and loving husband with the faithlessness of Judah toward God. She took the dainty foods which her husband had provided for her use, and set them before these images of men that she had made from the precious metals, in a make-believe performance of religious sacrifice such as was done usually before other idols. Ezekiel 16:20. The lawful intimacy of this wife with her husband had produced sons and daughters for him. In her mad devotion to idolatry she sacrificed these sons and daughters. (That the people of the Lord actually did make human sacrifices, see the note at 2 Kings 16:3 in volume 2 of this Commentary.) This unfaithful wife was asked if she regarded such whoredoms (spiritual fornication or idolatry) as a light matter. Ezekiel 16:21, If it were possible for a woman to be the sole producer of children, it would be bad enough for her to offer them in the fire as a sacrifice. But this woman had sacrificed my Children said her husband. Ezekiel 16:22. Ingratitude is condemned very severely in the Bible (Judges 8:34; 2 Chronicles 24:22; Isaiah 51:13; Jeremiah 2:32; Jeremiah 23:27; Romans 1:21; 2 Timothy 2:3). The corrupt interests this wife had acquired turned her into an ingrate of the worst kind, in view of the lowly and helpless condition from which her husband had raised her. Ezekiel 16:23. This wronged husband was deeply affected by the wickedness of his unfaithful wife. In the midst of tile figurative parable the prophet injected a tew words of direct significance from the Lord, to warn the unfaithful wife (Jtidah) that great woe was in store for her. Ezekiel 16:24. The word place occurs in the A.V. here and in a number of other verses but it has no original as a separate word. Eminent place is from one original word and literally means a higher spot Of some kind. Idolatry is compared to moral evil, especially in the marriage relation, hence the conclusion is that this eminent place meant some provision for the entertainment of men in fornication. Ezekiel 16:25. Head of the way means the street corners, they being places to attract the eyes of the passers-by on the several thoroughfares. Opened thy feet refers to the voluntary position taken by a harlot in yielding her body for the act of adultery. Beauty to be abhorred. This wicked woman had made advances to every one that passed by, and that made her to be detested even by the men who practiced immorality. Men seeking the unrighteous indulgence will finally tire of a woman who goes too far in her brazen solicitations. Ezekiel 16:26. Since idolatry was compared to the sin of fornication, we would expect the comparison to be continued by naming some of the guilty partners. Those partners would be the Idolatrous nations with whom Judah committed her spiritual lewdness, and a number of them will be cited; the Egyptians were the ones named here. Ezekiel 16:37. Taken pleasure in the way of spiritual fornication, regardless of her personal feeling toward her lovers as to sentimental affection. Hast loved. An unfaithful wife might have an affectionate sentiment for some of her guilty partners as well as enjoy the immoral association with them. Hast hated. By the same token as that just Indicated, an unfaithful wife might have immoral love (fornication) with a person whom she would hate or abhor sentimentally. It is true that the people of God had been taught to have that attitude toward the Ammonites and Moabites (Deuteronomy 23:3-4), while they were instructed not to feel that way toward the Edomites (verse 7). And yet God's people committed spiritual fornication (idolatry) with the gods of these nations. Discover thy nakedness is a figure of speech, meaning that these same strange nations would be allowed to see the humiliation of this unfaithful wife (Judah), even though they had been intimate with her frequently in their idolatrous cohabitations. Ezekiel 16:28. Unsatiable means to he difficult if not impossible to he satisfied. Judah was not content with her own idols but looked elsewhere for gratification. In this inflamed desire for spiritual adultery she turned to the Assyrians. Ezekiel 16:29. This verse is somewhat of a summing up of the extensive corruptions of the nation. Canaan unto Chaldea takes in all the territory from the home land to that country where the bulk of the Jews were already in captivity, and to which the remaining ones in Jerusalem and Us vicinity were soon to be taken. Ezekiel 16:30. Imperious means to be domineering or overbearing. An imperious woman of loose morals would be determined to procure tbe gratification of her lust by any means possible. The extent to which this wicked woman went for that purpose will be seen in some verses that follow. Verse 31. Eminent place and head of the way is explained at verses 24. 25 which the reader should see. This unfaithful wife was worse than the ordinary public women. They engage in prostitution for the sake of money, but this wife scorned hire. Ezekiel 16:32. Ordinary harlotry is bad enough, where a professional woman practices it for the sake of money. But. the woman of our parable was a married woman with a husband who was true to her and who loved her very deeply. Not only so, but he was one who possessed the strength of functioning to the fullest degree and who could and was willing to give her complete satisfaction in their inti-mate relations. Yet that did not satisfy her; instead, she turned her polluted gaze toward strange men. Ezekiel 16:33. The depth of this woman was shown in another manner, As a rule, men are willing to hire the professional harlot to contribute to their lust, while this corrupt wife even scorned taking money from the strange men. But she did not stop at such depravity; she actually offered them gifts to induce them to come and he intimate with her. Another thing that added to the blackness of her abominable life (if that were possible), was the fact that she hired those strange men with the gifts that had been furnished her by her faith-ful husband (verses 17-19), Ezekiel 16:34, The Lord summed up the special corruptions of this unfaithful wife in this verse. She was not in the class of regular harlots but was so bad that even Other loose women would not associate with her. They practiced their trade for the money they made from it while this woman did it out of a strict desire for lustful gratification. In such a manner of trade the other women would have no part with her. Ezekiel 16:35. While most of the language will continue to he in terms adapted to the marriage relation, we should keep in mind that the idolatry of Judah is really the subject. That will account for the direct and literal expressions that will occasionally appear in the verses. Ezekiel 16:36. An instance of the thought offered in the preceding verse occurs in this. Here we have whoredom and idols mentioned in the same connection. though the first pertains ordinarily to the marriage relation and other things involving morals, and the second pertains literally to the corruptions that have been the basis of the parable all along. Blood of thy children is a literal reference to human sacrifices that idolaters made in ancient times. On this item see the information offered at 2 Kings 16:3 in volume 2 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 16:38. Judah was to be treated as an unfaithful wife. A jealous husband sometimes exhibits his feelings by physical violence upon the unworthy woman who had once professed to love him only. Likewise the Lord was going to bring the strangers (idolatrous nations) against Judah and some of her citizens would be slain (2 Kings 25:7). Ezekiel 16:39. The first part of this verse was literally fulfilled when the Babylonians took and destroyed Jerusalem. The second part is in the figures that were used in verse 10 of this chapter. The glorious favors that God had bestowed upon Judah and Jerusalem were taken over by the army of Babylon. Ezekiel 16:40. This verse is a direct and literal reference to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem that was soon to be made by the Babylonians, Ezekiel 16:41. For the fulfillment of this see 2 Kings 25:8-10. Sight of many women. Idolatry was compared to fornication and idolatrous nations to Immoral women; hence this phrase refers to the heathen nations that would witness the downfall of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 16:42. Jealousy shall depart was looking forward to the time when Judah would no longer be a worshiper of idols, since such worship was the cause of the Lord's jealousy according to Exodus 20:5. Ezekiel 16:43. Days of thy youth refers to the early years of the nation, described figuratively in verses 6-14, where Judah is represented as a young girl who had been deserted by her parents and then taken into the care of this wronged husband. Ezekiel 16:44. It is a common thing to hear such a comparison made as this. Some may do so merely as a coincidence. while others will think that depravity is inherited. Still others will regard the situation as one where the daughter was influenced by the character and practices of the mother. Ezekiel 16:45. See verse 3 for explanation of this parentage. If Idolatrous nations were compared to immoral women, they would all be related to Judah who was in that class, hence sisters means the various heathen peo-ple around her. Ezekiel 16:46. One word in the definition for elder is "great.” Samaria was Indeed greater than Judah in that she had 10 tribes out of the 12. Also because the 10-tribe kingdom was the first of the two to make idolatry a national affair when she set up the idols at Dan and Bethel. <1 Kings 12:29). Sodom would be younger sister (by contrast) on the same principle that Samaria was elder. Ezekiel 16:47. Not walked after their ways means that Judah did not stop at becoming as bad as Samaria and Sodom, but went on and became worse. Ezekiel 16:48. Sodom was considered less guilty than Judah on the principle of the responsibility due to the differ- eriee in opportunity. Jesus taught this identical lesson, in Matthew 11:23-24. Ezekiel 16:49. The corruptions of Sodom were described in order to make the guilt of Judah appear still greater, since that had been already declared to be worse than the sins of Sodom. Ezekiel 16:50. The history of Sodom’ s destruction is In Genesis 19. Ezekiel 16:51. Neither half of thy sins is to be understood in the same light as the thoughts in vrese 48, Judah had many advantages for spiritual encouragement not least of which was her possession of Jerusalem and the temple service. Also, she had seen the years of service to idols which Samaria had experienced and should have observed how useless such a service is. In view of all this the Lord regarded Judah with greater condemnation and pointed the finger of shame at her. Ezekiel 16:52. Sisters means the other idolatrous nations who did not have the advantages for knowing better that Judah had. This fact is the explanation of the phrase more righteous than thou. Ezekiel 16:53. Much of this verse and others following is figurative or general in its application. Sodom was not actually ever restored, hut God was promising to extend his mercy to those who had disobeyed the law that was binding upon them. Ezekiel 16:54. Judah had encouraged the inferior nations in their sinful course by the eaxmple she had set. However, while being more or less responsible for the abominable life manifested by the other nations, Judah professed to abhor them in their evil ways. "When the time came that it. would all be changed by the powerful hand of the Lord, Judah was to be humiliated over her own wicked conduct. Ezekiel 16:55. Judah as well as the other groups that had dishonored God was destined to be placed in a better condition, but the comparative improvement at that time will be measured by the extent of responsibility that each group had borne. Ezekiel 16:56. Judah had felt above Sodom in the years she was a powerful kingdom, although that wicked city was to be justified rather than Judah in view of the principle of responsibility that has been discussed in the preceding verses. Ezekiel 16:57. This verse continues the thought begun in the preceding one, and the attitude of Judah toward Syria and the Philistines is to be regarded in the same sense as Sodom because it is principles of action that are being considered. Ezekiel 16:58. Hast borne is past tense in grammatical form but is prophetic in thought. Judah was to bear the penalty of her lewdness (idolatry) at the hand of the Babylonians and by the decree of God. Ezekiel 16:59. As thou hast done denotes the reason for dealing out the punishment to Judah; that it will be what her conduct deserved. Ezekiel 16:60. After the chastisement lias reformed the wayward wife, her husband will receive her to himself again. Remember my covenant is a reference to the days of their first love, when the husband pledged his constancy for the young wife. He had never broken that promise though she had betrayed his confidence. Ezekiel 16:61. This verse is a prediction of the cure from idolatry. See the note at Isaiah 1:25 for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Judah was to be united with her former associates after the captivity. Not by thy covenant signifies that Judah had not made any agreement that would have entitled her to this reunion. Ezekiel 16:62, One meaning of establish is to confirm. God had covenanted with Judah to bring her back to her home land after the captivity had cured her of her iniquity. In so doing it would prove that He always makes his word good. The final fact that would be proved by this restoration would be that all might know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 16:63. The human memory is very frail at times, especially when some obligation would place a heavy or difficult tine of duty upon the individual. The long period of affliction imposed upon Judah by the captivity was to make such a deep impression upon the people that they would never forget it. Yea, they were to remember with shame how unfaithful they had been and be thereby held back from any complaints. It will be well for the reader to see Nehemiah 9 th chapter in connection with this prediction of the penitent mind that would be manifested after the return from the captivity. By this state of mind and by their avoidance of idolatry from this time onward, the Lord was pacified toward his people as predicted In this verse. Ezekiel 17 LOWLY VINE AND STATELY CEDARIn ch 17, Ezekiel contrasts the current ruler in Jerusalem, with the future son of David who will lead god's people. The former is compared to a lowly vine (Ezekiel 17:1-21), and the latter to a stately cedar (Ezekiel 17:22-24). THE KING: A LOWLY VINE Ezekiel 17:1-21 King Zedekiah had committed an act of treachery against Nebuchadnezzar by breaking his solemn oath of allegiance to Babylon. He had sought military aid from Egypt. In this oracle, delivered shortly before 586 C., Ezekiel predicts the extinction of Zedekiah's dynasty and the fall of Jerusalem. He first presents his parable (Ezekiel 17:1-10) and then makes an application of what he has said (Ezekiel 17:11-21). Presentation of the Eagle Parable (Ezekiel 17:1-10) Introduction (Ezekiel 17:1-2): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, put forth a riddle and speak a parable unto the house of Israel... Ezekiel is commissioned to put forth a riddle and speak a parable (Ezekiel 17:2). A riddle (hida) is a dark utterance, something put indirectly and in need of interpretation. A parable (masal) or allegory is the presentation of spiritual truths through physical forms. Here the two words are essentially synonymous. Riddles were used in international politics in the Near East. A king might lose his independence (or even his life) if he could not solve the riddle posed to him by another king. Here the heavenly king puts forth the riddle. King Zedekiah must solve it. If he does not, he will lose his independence to the agents of Yahweh. First great eagle (Ezekiel 17:3-6) Description (Ezekiel 17:3 a): and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of various colors... The great eagle is the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar who is king of kings, even as the eagle is the king of birds. Like the eagle, Nebuchadnezzar swooped down upon his prey to plunder and destroy. His great wings enabled him to fly long distances, and extend his influence over vast territories. The various colors (v 3) of this great bird may represent the many different nations that were subject to Nebuchadnezzar. These nations contributed to his military might. Removal of a cedar twig (Ezekiel 17:3-4): came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar. (Ezekiel 17:4) He broke off the topmost of its twigs, and carried it unto a land of commerce. He set it in a city of merchants. Lebanon represents the land of Israel, and especially the kingdom of Judah. The cedar represents Jerusalem. The top of the cedar stands for the nobility of the city, especially the princes of the house of David. Nebuchadnezzar broke off the topmost of the twigs of the cedar. This twig clearly represents the youthful King Jehoiachin who was carried off by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. Jehoiachin was taken to a land of commerce, i.e., Chaldea, and a city of merchants, i.e., Babylon. Implantation of a seed (Ezekiel 17:5): Moreover, he took from the seed of the land and set it in a fruitful field. He set it as a stalk alongside many waters, as a willow. Nebuchadnezzar set up the seed of the land, i.e., a member of the royal family. In place of Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah as king of Judah. The fruitful field in which the seed was planted must be Judah. Beside many waters (v 5) is probably a reference to Babylon (cf. Jeremiah 51:13). Although Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah on the throne, he was dependent on Babylon, like a stalk is dependent on the moisture of a near-by stream. The spreading vine (Ezekiel 17:6): It sprouted and became a spreading vine of low stature whose tendrils turned toward him, and whose roots were under him. So it became a vine. It brought forth branches, and put forth sprigs. The spreading vine of low stature must depict the Judean vassal state administered by Zedekiah. The tendrils of this vine turned toward (and the roots were under) the eagle (Nebuchadnezzar). Zedekiah was given only limited authority. As long as the vine maintained this posture it prospered, at least in a measure. Second great eagle(Ezekiel 17:7-8) Description (Ezekiel 17:7 a). There was another great eagle, with great wings and many feathers. The second great eagle is Pharaoh Hophra. Inclination of the vine (Ezekiel 17:7 b): Behold, this vine bent its roots unto him, and put forth its tendrils toward him to water it from the beds of its plantation. To Pharaoh Hophra the vine (Zedekiah) turned for military aid in an attempt to free itself from the influence of the first eagle (Nebuchadnezzar). This spreading toward the direction of the second eagle (Egypt) was unnatural and unnecessary. Disappointment of the vine (Ezekiel 17:8): In a good field, by many waters it was planted that it might produce branches and bear fruit, that it might be a glorious vine. The vine should have prospered and even could have produced fruit— children of Zedekiah— to carry on the royal succession. The fate of the vine (Ezekiel 17:9-10): Say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it prosper? Will he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit that it wither, that it wither in all its sprouting leaves? Neither will great power nor many people be at hand when it is plucked up by its roots. (10) Behold, being planted, will it prosper? When the east wind touches it, will it not utterly wither? In the beds where it sprouted, it will wither. The allegory concludes with four rhetorical questions. The repetition underscores the futility of Zedekiah's duplicity. How could the vine (Zedekiah) prosper when it had tried to spread beyond its prescribed domain? The first great eagle will uproot the vine, cut off its fruit so that it will completely wither and die. Zedekiah’ s reign will be terminated. All the heirs to the throne will be killed. The nobles of Judah will perish. No great power or army of soldiers will be at hand to thwart the great eagle in his vengeful attack (Ezekiel 17:9). That Judean vine will utterly wither right in the spot where it was planted when the scorching east wind (Babylonian empire) began to blow against it (Ezekiel 17:10). Explanation of the Eagle Parable (Ezekiel 17:11-15) Deportation of 597 B.C. (Ezekiel 17:11-12): Moreover, the word of the LORD came unto me saying, (Ezekiel 17:12) Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Say: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king and its princes. He brought them to him in Babylon. So that the meaning of his parable will be absolutely clear, Ezekiel was commanded to offer an interpretation of it to that rebellious house (the kingdom of Judah). He begins with a rhetorical question that is designed to rebuke the spiritual obtuseness of his hearers: Do you not know what these things mean? Nebuchadnezzar had carried away the princes of Judah (top of the cedar) and King Jehoiachin (the topmost of the twigs) to Babylon. Covenant with Zedekiah (Ezekiel 17:13-14): He took of the royal seed and made a covenant with him. He brought him under an oath; but the mighty of the land he took away. (Ezekiel 17:14) He made it a lowly kingdom, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. After deposing the youthful Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar took the seed royal, i.e., Zedekiah the son of Josiah and uncle of Jehoiachin, and placed him upon the throne in Jerusalem. Zedekiah was placed under a solemn oath taken in the name of God to be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar. The mighty of the land, i.e., influential leaders, were carried to Babylon (v 13) as hostages so as to guarantee Zedekiah’ s compliance to the terms of his oath. Nebuchadnezzar’ s purpose was to keep Judah weak and subservient (v 14). Rebellion of Zedekiah (Ezekiel 17:15): But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors to Egypt that he might give to him horses and much people. Will he prosper? Will the one who does these things escape? Will he break the covenant and escape? Disregarding his sacred oath, Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar by making overtures to Egypt (the second eagle). He sought military aid from Pharaoh. Three rhetorical questions underscore the futility of such a course. Announcement of Judgment (17:16-21) First divine oath (Ezekiel 17:16-18) Condemnation (Ezekiel 17:16-17): As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), surely in the place where the king caused him to reign, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, with him in the midst of Babylon he will die. (Ezekiel 17:17) Neither will Pharaoh with mighty army and great company assist him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build siege forts, to cut off many lives. Under oath (as I live), Yahweh answers his own three questions (cf. Ezekiel 17:15) with three statements. One could not break a sacred oath taken in the name of God and then expect any divine aid. The king against whom Zedekiah had committed treachery will haul him off to die in the midst of Babylon (Ezekiel 17:16). Aid from Pharaoh will not be forthcoming when the Babylonians built their siege mounds and forts at Jerusalem (Ezekiel 17:17). Egypt's reputation as an unreliable ally is based on Isaiah 36:6; cf. Jeremiah 37:5-10). Explanation (Ezekiel 17:18): Because he despised an oath by breaking a covenant (and, behold, he gave his hand), and has done all these things, he will not escape. Zedekiah will not escape. He had been required to take an oath by a heathen king. Therefore Zedekiah despised that oath and regarded it as non-binding. Nevertheless, he had given his hand as a pledge of faithful compliance with the terms of that oath (Ezekiel 17:18). Second divine oath (Ezekiel 17:19-21) Zedekiah condemned (Ezekiel 17:19): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke, I will even bring it upon his head. Zedekiah had taken his oath to Babylon in the name of God. It was, therefore, God’ s oath that he broke. So God takes an oath (as I live is an oath formula) for the second time that he will bring down on the head of Zedekiah the punishment for this treachery. Zedekiah captured (Ezekiel 17:20): I will spread my net over him. He will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon. I will plead with him there because of his treachery that he committed against me. The rebellious king will be caught in the net of divine retribution. He will be carried off to Babylon. There God will plead with him, i.e., make him conscious of the serious crime he had committed against God. Zedekiah's army destroyed (Ezekiel 17:21): All his mighty men in all his bands will fall by the sword. The rest will be scattered toward every wind; and you will know that I the LORD have spoken it. The royal bodyguard that might try to protect Zedekiah from this fate will be slain or scattered by the Babylonians. When all these specific predictions came to pass all the Jews will realize that it was truly God who had spoken through the mouth of the prophet to oppose the rebellion against Babylon. MESSIAH: THE STATELY CEDAREze_17:22-24 Implantation (Ezekiel 17:22): Thus says the Lord GOD: Moreover I, even I, will take of the top of the lofty cedar, and set it. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs, a tender one. I will plant it upon a high and eminent mountain. The message of doom in the preceding parable and application is tempered by a word of hope in Ezekiel 17:22-24. God in his sovereign grace is about to act. Nebuchadnezzar had cut a twig from the cedar. He had removed it to far off Babylon (cf. Ezekiel 17:3 f.). God, however, will now cut a twig from that same royal cedar tree and plant it upon a high mountain (Ezekiel 17:22). The basic idea is that the Davidic dynasty will be reinstated and will achieve a prominence that it had not heretofore enjoyed. The messianic king of the house of David is in view here. Jesus of Nazareth now occupies the throne of God and rules over the New Israel of God. Exaltation (Ezekiel 17:23): In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it. It will bring forth boughs and produce fruit. It will be a glorious cedar. Under it will dwell every bird of every wing. In the shadow of its branches will they dwell. The messianic twig will be prominent, planted in the high mountain of Israel (cf. Isaiah 2:2). The cedar— messianic Jerusalem, the church of Christ— will be stately, i.e., dignified. It will bear fruit. Messiah heads a royal family of kings and priests (1 Peter 2:9). Many birds (different nations) will place themselves under the protection of this messianic monarch. The prophet's purpose in these eight chapters has been to reinforce the announcement of Jerusalem’ s judgment by refuting the notion that Jerusalem could never be destroyed. Ezekiel addresses with seven false attitudes that are in some cases explicitly stated, and in other cases implied in the text. The chart below will serve as a review of the argument found in chs 12-17. REVIEW OF 12-17POPULAR Prophecies of doom have failed to materialize. God loves us too much to destroy us (12:22).This proverb will soon cease. The day is at hand (12:23).Judgments against Judah belong to some distant future age. No cause for alarm now (12:27).No more delay. The word will be fulfilled in your lifetime (12:25-28).Prophets and prophetesses have assured us this is a time of peace.The prophets are unreliable. They have received no message from the Lord (13:1-23).Righteous people still live in Jerusalem. God will spare the place on their account.Even if Noah, Job or Daniel lived there, they will only be able to save themselves (14:12-23).Israel is God’ s choice vine. God should care for her.God had indeed continually cared for Israel; but throughout her history she continually had rebelled against Him (ch 16).This generation is being judged for crimes committed by previous generations.The present generation has rebelled by seeking aid and security from Egypt and breaking a solemn oath to Nebuchadnezzar (ch 17).If God punishes men for the sins of their fathers, of what value is repentance.Each man is responsible for his own deeds (ch 18). Ezekiel Chapter SeventeenVerse 1 THE PARABLE OF THE TWO EAGLESThe prophecy of this chapter was directed against another false hope of the house of Israel, namely, the national conviction that God's promises to the house of David was an unconditional guarantee that the prosperity of Israel would continue forever, no matter what the moral and spiritual condition of the people was. "They thought that God could not fail toward Zedekiah without reversing his ancient promises to the house of David. Here, the prophet revealed that Zedekiah would receive the due reward of his evil deeds; and, that despite that, God would yet fulfill all of his glorious promises to the Chosen People, though, from human observation, all appeared to be lost, the kingdom of David would be exalted in latter times."[1]There would indeed be raised up one to sit upon the throne of David; but that spoke of Jesus' resurrection from the grave, and his ascension to the right hand of God, those glorious events which far more than adequately fulfilled all of God's promises to David (Acts 2:29-35). Concerning the date of the chapter, the last preceding date mentioned by Ezekiel was in Ezekiel 8:1, which was 592 B.C. and the next date mentioned by the prophet (Ezekiel 20:1) was eleven months later. "From Ezekiel 17:20, it is clear that this prophecy was uttered a year or two earlier than the date given in Ezekiel 20:1, say, about 590 B.C."[2]THE FIRST EAGLEEze_17:1-6"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, Put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon and took the top of the cedar: he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it unto a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth twigs."The analogy here is called both a riddle and a parable. Indeed, it is both. How the clipping from the cedar became, first "as a willow tree," and later as a vine is not explained. "The first eagle here represents the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar."[3] "The great eagle' mentioned here is from the Hebrew [~neser], which actually means the griffon vulture; and that is the basis for the Revised Standard Version rendition here."[4] It appears to us that a vulture is more in keeping with the personality of Nebuchadnezzar than an eagle! "The cedar of Lebanon ..." (Ezekiel 17:3). is a reference to the land of Palestine. "The topmost of the young twigs thereof ..." (Ezekiel 17:4). refers to the young king Jehoiachin.[5]"The seed of the land which was planted ..." (Ezekiel 17:5). is a reference to Zedekiah."[6]"Fruitful soil ... many waters, etc...." (Ezekiel 17:5). These express the beauty and fertility of Palestine. "Land of traffic ... city of merchants ..." (Ezekiel 17:5). These indicate Babylon, to which Jehoiachin and the first company of deportees were carried away. "And the roots thereof were under him ..." (Ezekiel 17:6). "This means that Zedekiah's dependence upon Babylon would not change."[7] The earlier statement here that "his branches turned toward him (the king of Babylon)" indicates the same thing. As long as Zedekiah remained true to his sworn allegiance to the king of Babylon, all went well with the kingdom; but his rebellion brought on the swift and total destruction of Jerusalem. Verse 7 THE OTHER EAGLEThe other eagle depicted here was, of course, another vulture, fitting emblem indeed of the king of Egypt; and the vine bending its roots toward Pharaoh and shooting forth its branches toward him are references to the treachery of Zedekiah against his suzerain overlord, the king of Babylon, as he attempted against all the advice of God's prophets, to form an effective alliance with Egypt. God here stated the prophecy of the failure of such a maneuver by Zedekiah in the form of questions, the true meaning of which was summed up in Ezekiel 17:10, "It shall wither in the beds where it grew." Beasley-Murray identified this second vulture as Pharaoh-Hophra (Jeremiah 44:30).[8]"When the east wind toucheth it ..." (Ezekiel 17:10). "The hot, east wind blowing across the desert here was the armies of Babylon, led by Nebuchadnezzar."[9]Verse 11 "Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Say now to the rebellious house, know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him in Babylon. And he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land; that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely in the place where the king dwelleth, that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die."GOD THE MEANINGThis heavenly explanation of what the story of the two vultures really meant is crystal clear, and there can be no further doubt of the destruction and death of Zedekiah, accompanied by the total ruin of Jerusalem. "He took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him ..." (Ezekiel 17:13). The person mentioned here was, "An uncle of Jehoiachin, named Mattaniah, whom Nebuchadnezzar made king of Judah under the name of Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17), and from whom he took an oath."[10]Verse 17 "Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts, to cut off many persons. For he hath despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and, behold, he hath given his hand, and yet hath done all these things; he shall not escape. Therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head. And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. And all his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it.""Mine oath he hath despised ... and my covenant he hath broken ..." (Ezekiel 17:19). Here is the declaration that it was not merely his oath and covenant with the king of Babylon that Zedekiah had violated and despised, it was the oath and covenant of Jehovah himself. How was this? "The indignant passion that breathes through this oracle is aroused by the fact that Zedekiah's perfidy toward Nebuchadnezzar was in reality perfidy toward Yahweh himself, whose name he had solemnly invoked when had taken the oath of allegiance to the king of Babylon."[11]This certainly constituted the ultimate aggravation of Zedekiah's shameful guilt. "When Nebuchadnezzar formed that vassal treaty with Zedekiah, he was required to swear loyalty to him in the name of Jehovah. The oath may have been confirmed by the change of names from Mattaniah to Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17). Mattaniah means `gift of God'; "and Zedekiah means `righteousness of Jehovah.'"[12]Up to this point in this chapter, the message has been simple and clear enough. God will indeed punish the treacherous Zedekiah, along with his evil advisers and the rebellious city; but the final three verses speak of something glorious yet in store for Israel. Verse 22 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain: in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I, Jehovah, have spoken and have done it.""This prophecy was fulfilled only in a Messianic sense."[13] "We have here a striking prediction of the kingdom of Messiah."[14] May noted that this scripture corresponds, "with the common designation of the Messiah as the Branch."[15]There is actually another parable here, using the same figures with different interpretations from the same figures in the first part of the chapter. "The `tender one' taken from the topmost twigs is the Messiah of the house of David (Jeremiah 23:5 f; Jeremiah 33:15)."[16] Other Biblical examples of kingdoms sheltering beasts and birds are in Ezekiel 31:6; Ezekiel 31:12; Daniel 4:12; Daniel 4:21; and Mark 4:32. The promise here revealed that God would indeed honor all of the sacred promises to David, but that he would do so with entirely different personnel from that of the apostate Israel as represented by the unfaithful and treacherous Zedekiah. "All the trees of the field" (Ezekiel 17:24). "These are the rulers of the world and the nations governed by them."[17] The world-wide acceptance of Christ in his Messianic rule is indicated by this, but not in the sense that "the nations" shall be incorporated into God's kingdom. Ezekiel 17:1-2. Riddle and parable are used for the same story. The distinction is slight, but the latter merely me.ans a comparison, while the former indicates that the story will be somewhat puzzling. The parable has to do with the affairs of God’ s people in connection with the Babylonians and Egyptians. The Biblical history that corresponds with it iB in 2 Kings 24, 25. Ezekiel 17:3. The great eagle was Babylon, Lebanon was Jerusalem and the cedar was composed of the leading men or princes of the city. Of course all of these terms were used figuratively and will be referred to by tlieir proper names before the chapter is finished. Since Babylon was represented under the figure of an eagle, in describing its greatness the use of corresponding figures would naturally be maintained. A flying creature that could soar from the region of the Euphrates and arrive so successfully at the distant point of Jerusalem, would require the kind of wings described. Ezekiel 17:4. This verse is a prediction of the captivity that was soon to be effected over the leading citizens of Jerusalem. Land of traffic was literally true of Babylon. Situated at the Euphrates and Tigris, and also not far from the gulf, she was in a position to deal with the merchants of the world. Ezekiel 17:5. When Nebuchadnezzar first made his attack upon Palestine he did not entirely destroy the capital and other cities. He took charge of the country and allowed the Jews still to have a king of their own peo- pel. He also permitted some of these chief men to occupy places of importance in Jerusalem, and the kingdom of Judah continued to reign in its own land. Fruitful field and great waters are figures of speech to indicate the favorable situation that the nation was allowed to enjoy even though the king of Babylon was over the whole realm. Ezekiel 17:6. This verse is a picture of the relative prosperity of Judah under the domination of the great eagle which represented Babylon. Vine of low stature means it prospered as a spreading vine, but was not permitted to raise its head to the equal of Babylon, Turned toward him. means that Judah had to look to Babylon as a superior. Ezekiel 17:7. The great eagle was Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who would have come to the side of Judah had he been able; this fact is also re-vealed in 2 Kings 24 : It may be seen also that Judah would have been eager to have the support of Egypt, which is the meaning of branches toward him in this verse. Ezekiel 17:8. This verse shows the prosperous state of Egypt and what that country could have done for Judah had the Lord not interfered. Ezekiel 17:9. The central idea in this verse is similar to the preceding one. In spite of the many natural resources of Pharaoh's kingdom, that monarch would not be able to save Judah from her overthrow when God decreed it to be otherwise. Ezekiel 17:10. Maintaining the figurative form of a vine for Egypt, the writer predicted that the plant would not prosper, which means it would not succeed in the plans for coming to the aid of Judah. Ezekiel 17:11-12. The king of Babylon corresponds with great eagle of verse 3; Jerusalem is to identify Lebanon of that verse, and princes was called the cedar. The events pictured are recorded in the closing chapters of 2 Kings. Ezekiel 17:13. King’ s seed is indefinite and refers to the leading men in Jerusalem whom the king of Babylon pressed into service. However, among these leading men there was one (Zedekiah) who was appointed to sit as acting ruler in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 17:14. Kingdom be base denotes that the realm of Judah was to be subject to the rule of Babylon even though the acting king was suffered to remain in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 17:15. Zedekiah thought he could get help from Egypt against the king of Babylon. He sent ambassadors into Egypt according to this verse, and the same is recorded in Jeremiah 37:7 as a bit of history included in that prophetic hook. Ezekiel 17:16. King dwelleth that made him king refers to the king of Babylon, for in 2 Kings 24:17 we have the record of that appointment. This verse predicts that Zedekiah was to die in the very land of him who had given him his appointment as king. Ezekiel 17:17. It was predicted that the attempted alliance with Egypt would prove disappointing. When God decrees that his people are to receive some chastisement for their unfaithfulness, it is useless for them to think they can avoid it by calling for help from others, for numbers and other might count nothing against Him. Ezekiel 17:18. Zedekiah had made an agreement with the king of Babylon to serve him while remaining on the throne in Jerusalem. He broke that convenant by calling on Egypt for help, and such an act was against the will of God. for it was the divine wili that Babylon be given possession of Jerusalem and her people. Ezekiel 17:19. The oath that Zedekiah made with Nebuchadnezzar was the same as if it had been made with the Lord, since He had decreed that the Babylonians were to conquer. Ezekiel 17:20. Spread my net refers to the pursuit and capture of Zedekiah when he sought to escape by fleeing in the night (2 Kings 25:4-7), Ezekiel 17:21. Some of Zedekiah’ s men tried to escape with him, but they were captured and taken f)'om their king. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 25:5. Ezekiel 17:22-24. These verses should he grouped in a bracket and given a twofold interpretation. The first is a prediciton of the return of God’ s people from captivity. The second is a prediction of Christ as King and Redeemer over all earth spiritually. Ezekiel 18BASIC In chs 18-19 Ezekiel brings to a close the long section of his book that began in ch 12. Two important doctrines are discussed in this chapter. In Ezekiel 18:1-20 Ezekiel develops at length the doctrine of individual responsibility, and in Ezekiel 18:21-29 he implicitly affirms the doctrine of freedom of the will or self­determination. OF Eze_18:1-20 In Ezekiel 18:1-20 Ezekiel develops his teaching that every individual is responsible for his own conduct before God. A person’ s fate is not determined by the goodness or wickedness of others, even his nearest of kin. The righteous are blessed by God. The wicked live under His curse. The General Principle(Ezekiel 18:1-4) An inapplicable proverb (Ezekiel 18:1-3): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 18:2) What do you [pl] mean by making this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, but the teeth of the children have been set on edge? (Ezekiel 18:3) As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD) you will not make use of this parable any more in Israel. The sinners in Israel countered Ezekiel's parable (masal) by making (lit., proverbing) a proverb (masal) of their own. Sinful men always tend to underestimate their own wickedness. They blame their tribulations on others. So it was with the men of Israel. They attributed their suffering to the sins of their fathers. The proverb that was once current in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 31:28) was now being heard in Babylon: The fathers have eaten sour grapes (i.e., have sinned), but the teeth of the children are set on edge (i.e., they were being punished). Where did such an idea arise? Possibly from a misunderstanding of passages in the law of Moses such as Exodus 20:5 where God is said to visit the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. Or possibly the proverb arose out of the prophetic teaching that because of the sins of Manasseh, the nation will be destroyed (2 Kings 21:10-12). The former passage actually teaches that sin, even though forgiven, often has unavoidable repercussions in the lives of one’ s children. The latter passage indicates that the origin of Judah’ s sin was Manasseh. The following generation will be destroyed because it still practiced the grotesque idolatry introduced during Manasseh’ s reign. The perverse proverb that in effect challenged the justice of God will no longer be employed in the future, Experiences will prove it to be untrue (Ezekiel 18:3). A valid principle (Ezekiel 18:4): Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sins, it will die. God is the creator of all individuals. Though physically related, the father and son are separate entities in His sight. Each must give account of himself to his Creator. The individual who sins, he will die. More than premature death is intended here. The sinner is dead in sin during his physical life. Eventually he experiences the second death. A Righteous Man (Ezekiel 18:5-9) The man who practices justice and righteousness lives under the blessing of God. This person is described in some detail in Ezekiel 18:5-9. The characteristics of a righteous person fall into four legal areas. Cultic purity (Ezekiel 18:5-6 a): But if a man is righteous, and practices justice and righteousness, (Ezekiel 18:6) then he has not eaten upon the mountains, or lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. The righteous man has not participated in the pagan rituals at the “ high places.” These rites normally involved eating of sacrificial meals (cf. Deuteronomy 12:2-4). He has not lifted up his eyes to idols, i.e., offered prayer to them in expectation of aid. Baal is particularly in mind. Sexual ethics (Ezekiel 18:6 b): He has not defiled the wife of his neighbor, or come near unto a menstruous woman. The righteous man has not committed adultery in violation of the seventh commandment. He has not approached, i.e., sexually, a menstruous woman; He has observed the sexual taboos of the law of Moses (cf. Leviticus 18:19; Leviticus 20:18; Deuteronomy 22:22). Social ethics (18:7): He has not wronged any man, but has restored his pledge for a debt. He has seized nothing by robbery, and has given his bread to the hungry. He has covered the naked with a garment. The righteous man has not engaged in any fraudulent dealings with his fellowman. He has complied with the law of Exo 22:25 f. This law compelled creditors to return to borrowers any item of collateral that might be necessary to their well-being (cf. Deuteronomy 24:6; Amos 2:8). He has never resorted to violent robbery in order to enhance his wealth (cf. Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 19:13). He has fed the hungry and clothed the naked (cf. Deuteronomy 15:7-11; Deuteronomy 24:19-22; Isaiah 58:7). Business ethics (Ezekiel 18:8): He has not given on interest, or taken increase. He has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and executed true justice between man and man. The righteous man has not lent money on the express condition of receiving interest, nor has he accepted interest offered to him voluntarily by the debtor. The laws on money lending are found in Exodus 22:24; Leviticus 25:35 ff.; Deuteronomy 23:20. He has withdrawn his handfrom iniquity. The sin probably intended here is giving false weight or measure (cf. Leviticus 19:35). As an arbiter of disputes, he has been scrupulously fair. Summary (Ezekiel 18:9): He has walked in my statutes, and kept my judgments to deal truly. He is righteous. He will surely live (oracle of the Lord GOD). In summary, the righteous person has walked in the my statutes, rather than in his own way, or in the ordinances of the nations. To the best of his ability, he has observed the divine laws. He deals truly, i.e., his observance of God’ s law is motivated by love for the truth, not by any personal motive. A Wicked Son (18:10-13) Depiction of the wicked son (Ezekiel 18:10-13 a): If he begets a son who is a man of violence, who sheds blood, and who does to a brother any of these things (Ezekiel 18:11)(whereas he himself had not done any of these things)— for he has even eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’ s wife. (Ezekiel 18:12) He has wronged the poor and needy, and seized things by robbery. He has failed to return objects taken in pledge, lifted up his eyes to idols, and committed abomination. (Ezekiel 18:13) He has made loans on interest, and has taken increase. The prophet describes a son who is the exact opposite of the just man described above. He is a man of violence who even commits murder. He is not beneath practicing any of the sins that his father so carefully avoided. Death of the wicked son (Ezekiel 18:13 b): Will he live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations. He will surely die. His blood will be on him. Should such a wicked man escape divine retribution? Certainly not! The law required the death penalty for such crimes as murder, idolatry, and adultery. The righteousness of his father could not save him. His blood will be on him, i.e., he alone bears responsibility for his life of sin. The executioner (Nebuchadnezzar?) will not be held guilty (Ezekiel 18:13 b). The Penitent Son (18:14-19) The choice of the son (18:14): Then, behold, he begets a son who sees all the sins his father has done. He considers, and does not do any such thing. The third specific case cited by Ezekiel is that of a son who reflects upon the consequences of his father’ s sin. He resolves to abandon that sort of behavior (v 14) What the son chooses not to do (Ezekiel 18:15-16 a): He does not eat upon the mountains, or lift up his eyes unto the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’ s wife, (Ezekiel 18:16) or wrong a man. He does not he take a pledge, or seize by robbery. The son does not participate in any of the activities that brought his father under civil and divine judgment. What the son chooses to do (Ezekiel 18:16-17 a): He gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with a garment. (Ezekiel 18:17) He has withdrawn his hand from the poor, and has not taken interest or increase. He has executed my judgments, and walked in my statutes. The son shows positive good will toward the less fortunate. Contrasting fates (Ezekiel 18:17-18): He will not die in the iniquity of his father. He will surely live. (Ezekiel 18:18) As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, committed robbery against a brother, and did that which is not good in the midst of his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity. The son is not executed because of his father’ s sin. The father dies for his blatant iniquity, but the son is spared. An explanation (Ezekiel 18:19): But you say, Why does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done what is just and righteous, has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. This teaching absolutely refutes the notion current in Ezekiel’ s day that innocent children were punished for the sins of their fathers. Conclusion (Ezekiel 18:20): The soul that sins it will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him. The lengthy treatise on personal responsibility reaches its climax in the crystal clear assertion of Eze 18:20. Wicked men bear the responsibility for themselves. They suffer the consequences of their wickedness. Neither iniquity nor righteousness is inherited. The individual’ s righteousness or wickedness will be upon himself, i.e., he will bear the responsibility of his own conduct. OF Ezekiel 18:21-32 Ezekiel carries his subject one step further. Men are not locked in, either genetically or environmentally, to a life of sin. By the grace of God, and the assertion of their own free will, men can change their character, conduct and destiny. In these verses the basic thesis is that men are not punished for sins after they repent of them. A Penitent Sinner (Ezekiel 18:21-23) The promise (Ezekiel 18:21): But if the wicked one turns from all his sins that he has done, and keeps all my statutes, and deals justly and righteously, he will surely live. He will not die. In genuine repentance there are two clearly defined steps, viz., turning from sin, and keeping the law of God. The Jewish rabbis speak of the essential elements of repentance being remorse and amendment. If a wicked man genuinely repents he will escape the divine death sentence. The explanation (Ezekiel 18:22): All of his transgressions that he has done will not be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done he will live. Why does the penitent sinner escape judgment? The answer is simple: None of his former transgressions will be remembered against him. Sins not remembered are forgiven. Because of his present righteousness, he will live, i.e., in communion with God and as a member of the Lord's people. The implication (Ezekiel 18:23): Do I have delight in the death of the wicked? (oracle of the Lord GOD); Is it not when he turns from his way and lives? God takes no delight in the fact that sinners must die for their sins. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The repentance of the wicked causes no change in the will of God, since his will is that all men should have life eternal. A Backslider (Ezekiel 18:24) Backsliding is possible (Ezekiel 18:24 a): But when a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and does iniquity according to all the abominations that the wicked have done, will he live? A righteous man is one who is in the right relationship with God. Such a person can backslide to the point of being lost. He can choose to follow in the path of iniquity, and become involved in all the abominations of the wicked. He will die in his transgressions. One must be faithful until death in order to receive the crown of life. Backsliding is punished (Ezekiel 18:24 b): All his righteousness that he has done will not be remembered for his trespass that he committed, and for his sin that he has sinned; in them he will die. The former righteous acts of the backslider are not credited to his account. Such a backslider has committed a trespass and a sin. He has rebelled against God in casting aside his former way of life. He willfully has adopted a sinful life. For this twofold transgression he must die the death of a sinner. An Objection Answered(Ezekiel 18:25-29) The brief answer (Ezekiel 18:25): And you say, The way of the Lord is not even! Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not even? Is it not your ways that are not even? The justice of God is frequently called into question by perverse and ignorant men. The Jews in Jerusalem and Babylon were saying (or at least thinking) that God’ s manner of ruling the universe was inconsistent. God is unchanging in his nature. He is absolutely righteous. He must therefore punish sin. At the same time, he is merciful and gracious. He is, therefore, inclined to recognize the feeble efforts of his children to walk in his way. God does not change; but men constantly change in relationship to God. The rays of the sun are constant; but in the course of the earth’ s rotation darkness falls upon a portion of the planet. First illustration (Ezekiel 18:26): When a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and does iniquity, he will die because of them; for his iniquity that he has done he will die. The righteous man who turns away from the warmth of God’ s love faces inevitably the darkness of death. Second illustration (Ezekiel 18:27-28): And when the wicked man turns from his wickedness that he has done, and executes justice and righteousness, he will cause his soul to live. (Ezekiel 18:28) Because he considers, and turns from all his transgressions that he has done, he will surely live, he will not die. By the same token, the wicked man, by an act of his own free will, may decide to walk in the light of God’ s word. He will do those things that are lawful in the eyes of men and right in the sight of God. Thus he will save his life (Ezekiel 18:27). His consideration of the fate of the wicked causes him to make this about face (Ezekiel 18:28). Concluding answer (Ezekiel 18:29): Yet the house of Israel has said, The way of the Lord is not even. Is it my ways that are uneven, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are uneven? In view of the facts presented above, how can the house of Israel continue perversely to charge God with inconsistency? If they have experienced the wrath of God, it is because they have changed in relationship to him. Warning and Exhortation (Ezekiel 18:30-32) The warning (Ezekiel 18:30 a): Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel (oracle of the Lord GOD), each according to his ways. God judges each individual separately on the basis of his current standing with the Lord. The appeal (Ezekiel 18:30-31) The negative aspect (Ezekiel 18:30-31) Sin a stumbling block to be avoided (Ezekiel 18:30 b): Return, and cause others to turn, from your transgressions, that iniquity might not be a stumbling block to you. Ezekiel pleads with his hearers to repent and to seek to get others to repent. Otherwise, iniquity will be a stumbling block that will ultimately mean their doom. Sin a loathsome thing to be cast away (Ezekiel 18:31 a): Cast away from all your transgressions that you have committed. Like an unclean and loathsome thing, all transgression must be cast away. The idea is once again of distancing oneself from sin. The positive aspect (Ezekiel 18:31 b): Make for yourself a new heart and a new spirit; for why will you die, O house of Israel? The sinners must make for themselves a new heart and a new spirit, i.e., they must have a firm resolve to be faithful and obedient. Failing to make the negative and positive adjustments for which Ezekiel pleads exposes one to God's wrath. Those who do not repent will die a tragic and unnecessary death . Basis of the appeal (Ezekiel 18:32): For I do not delight in the death of the one who dies (oracle of the Lord GOD). Wherefore, turn yourselves and live. God does not desire to punish sinners. Therefore, repentance is urgent. Wise men will avail themselves of his grace.Ezekiel Chapter EighteenVerse 1 This chapter is rather brief, but it is artificially expanded in length by the many repetitions of the points of identification which differentiate between the wicked man and the righteous man. The Israelites to whom this chapter was addressed were using a false proverb in the vain hope of justifying themselves, namely, `The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'! "The Captivity generation, overlooking the fact that they were even worse than their fathers, were now trying to lay the blame for their woes on the sins of their fathers. The burden of this chapter is that God judges every man upon the basis of his individual and personal conduct. It ends with a passionate appeal for the wicked to repent (vv. 30-32)."[1]This is not the only chapter in which Ezekiel deals with this same subject. "He also did so in Ezekiel 3:16-21; Ezekiel 14:12-20; Ezekiel 33:1-20."[2] Of course it was not a new idea at all; see Deuteronomy 24:16, and 2 Kings 14:6. "Also, this chapter is an enlargement upon Jeremiah 31:29, and sets forth fully the doctrine of individual responsibility."[3]Ezekiel 18:1-4"The word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father; so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.""This false proverb, untrue on the face of it, was singularly inapplicable by Israel in their situation, because they were by no means innocent of wrong doing, being, in fact, actually worse than their fathers."[4]In response to Israel's use of this evil proverb, God swore with a mighty oath, that he would stop their use of it at once, because it reflected against the justice of God Himself. "Evidently, the people thought that they were paying for sins of Manasseh, because nearly everyone in that generation believed that the sins of the fathers could actually be visited upon their children. There was a note of self-acquittal here, also, fatalism, despair, and a what's the use? attitude, what avails the moral struggle? Deeper still, there was a question of God's justice."[5]"The soul that sinneth, it shall die ..." (Ezekiel 18:4). A number of scholars like to emphasize their allegation that, "eternal death" is not mentioned here, only physical death; but we believe more is intended. As Leath put it, "What is meant here is the separation of the soul from its life-source, the Spirit of God (Deuteronomy 30; Jeremiah 21:8; and Proverbs 11:19)."[6] Pearson also agreed in this, saying, "The word `die' is used in both a literal and an eschatological sense. 'To live' is to enter into the perfect kingdom of the Lord (which was at that time in the future); and `to die,' is to have no share in it."[7]Verse 5 "But if a man be just and do that which is lawful and right, and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes unto the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor's wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity, and hath not wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath taken naught by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity; hath executed true justice between man and man, hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept mine ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah."The distinctions between the righteous and the wicked which are listed here are repeated over and over again in this chapter, with only very slight variations. The critical bias that God cares only for the observance of God's law, and that ceremonial considerations are unimportant was succinctly stated thus by Cooke. "The sins enumerated are moral rather than ceremonial offenses";[8] However, the reference to the righteous man's keeping "all my statutes" in such passages as Ezekiel 18:6; Ezekiel 18:9; Ezekiel 18:11; Ezekiel 18:17; Ezekiel 18:21, cannot possibly support such an error. Beginning with this paragraph and running through Ezekiel 18:18, "Ezekiel gives a concrete example of the truth announced in Ezekiel 18:4, above. Three generations are presented: (1) a just grandfather; (2) an ungodly son; and (3) a righteous grandson. The three kings of Judah, namely, Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah fit the descriptions given here."[9]"And hath not eaten upon the mountains ..." (Ezekiel 18:6). Such scholars as May and Eichrodt agree that this passage should be translated, "If he doth not eat flesh with the blood."[10] The importance of this lies in the fact that the very first identification mark of the righteous man is that he respects the ceremonial requirements of the Law of Moses. Since the "eating upon the mountains" where the idol worship took place almost certainly involved the use of food improperly prepared, the emended text, as proposed, would appear to be correct. A Biblical mention of the sin of eating flesh with the blood is found in 1 Samuel 14:32-34. "He that hath not given forth upon interest ..." (Ezekiel 18:8). "The embargo against interest, found here and in passages such as Psalms 15:5 is primarily a reference to charitable loans to persons in distress. (Deuteronomy 23:19 f) permitted the charging of interest on loans to non-Israelites."[11]Verse 10 "If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth any one of these things, and that doeth not any of those duties, but hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife, hath wronged the poor and needy, hath taken by robbery, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him."THE UNGODLY SON OF A JUST FATHERIf, as a number of scholars have suggested, there is a reference in these verses to Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah, then the place of murder first in this list that pertained to Manasseh would be appropriate; because that monarch is said to have filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The variations in the list are not important. Verse 14 "Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins, which he hath done, and feareth, and doeth not such like; that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor's wife, neither hath wronged any, hath not taken aught to pledge, neither hath taken by robbery, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; that hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed mine ordinances, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity."THE CASE OF THE GODLY "That hath withdrawn his hand from the poor ..." (Ezekiel 18:17). "This is to be understood in a good sense, to withhold his hand from oppressing the poor. He withdraws the hand that was tempted to exact the full legal claim against the poor."[12]Verse 19 "Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."Here it is stated both positively and negatively that God's government and God's justice are eternally equitable and fair. Again, if the example here has any reference to Josiah, there is a special significance that, "he hath kept all my statutes." This sheds light upon the false notion that only the moral considerations, not the ceremonial commandments, were involved in determining who was, or was not, righteous. Josiah, it will be recalled, brought Israel once more to their duty of observing the passover! Verse 21 "But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his transgressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he hath done, he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.""Keep all my statutes ..." (Ezekiel 18:21). Note the word all. Again, we see the truth that God is not merely concerned with moral requirements of the holy Law, but with the strict human observance of all of it. The strong inference here that the passage may indirectly refer to Manasseh occurs in the fact that despite his being such an evil monarch, at the end of his days, Manasseh turned from his sins and returned to the true God. Regarding Ezekiel 18:21, here, Beasley-Murray stated that, "A man is not only free from the sins of his father, but he may also be free from his own sins, if he so wishes; he can repent and turn away from them."[13]This passage regarding the possibility of a man becoming free from his own sins has been called, "the most precious word in the whole Book of Ezekiel."[14]What is God's ultimate objective for human life? It certainly is not the destruction of the wicked. As an apostle said, "God is longsuffering to you-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). "God's pleasure is that the wicked should turn from his evil way, and live."[15]The Calvinistic nonsense that a person "once saved is always saved" encounters here a shocking refutation in the behavior of the righteous man, "who turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and all the abominations that the wicked man doeth (Ezekiel 18:24)." Could such a thing occur? Is the Word of God true? Verse 25 "Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth therein; in his iniquity that he hath done, shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions, he shall surely live, he shall not die.""The earnestness with which Ezekiel here pleads with Israel concerning the righteousness and justice of God's ways shows that he is addressing people who simply do not want to believe it, as witness Ezekiel 18:25; Ezekiel 18:29."[16]Verse 29 "Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah: wherefore turn yourselves and live.""The way of the Lord is not equal ..." (Ezekiel 18:29). This was an unqualified slander on the part of apostate Israel. We cannot agree with Howie who said, "This kind of an outcry against the Lord is understandable when we remember how great was the suffering of the people."[17] The people were well aware of their consummate wickedness, but the national pride and arrogant conceit of ancient Israel knew no restrictions nor boundaries. They thought that God owed them the world with a ribbon on it, no matter how morally corrupt they became. They were not only totally wrong in this slander, God's response to it was prompt and positive. "Therefore, I will judge you!" (Ezekiel 18:30). "Make you a new heart and a new spirit ..." (Ezekiel 18:31). O no, a man cannot create in himself a new heart; but he can so order his behavior that God will indeed create in him a new heart. God commands men to "Save yourselves from this wicked generation" (Acts 2:40); but men cannot "save themselves," except in the sense that they can comply with the conditions that will enable God to save them! Men cannot "create" a new heart in themselves, but they can repent of their wickedness and turn to God who will then "give them" a new heart. As Leal put it: "Man cannot indeed create either a new heart or a new spirit; God only can give them to anyone. But a man can and should come to God to receive them; he can repent and turn to God and thus allow both heart and spirit to be renewed by the Spirit of God."[18] Ezekiel 18:1-2. There was no basis for the saying about the fathers’ eating sour grapes and setting the children’ s teeth on edge. But it was a convenient way of shifting personal responsibility lo blame the wrong on inherit-ance from the fathers. Such a theory never was true, but the falsity of it had not been exposed as cleaTly as the Lord threatened to do next. Verse 3. The Lord declared he was going to take away all occasion for such a saying. As I live means the thing predicted was to be as sure as the fact that the Lord was a living Being. Ezekiel 18:4. All souls are mine signifies that God would have no reason to punish one soul on behalf of another since one of His beloved servants would be as precious as the other. The force of the last clause will be realized if the pronoun is emphasized and made to read, the soul that sinneth it shall die; that is, one soul will not have to die for the sins of another. Ezekiel 18:5. Justice is described in this verse as consisting of doing that which is lawful and right in one’ s conduct Loward his fellow man. Ezekiel 18:6. Eaten upon the mountains. The connection indicates this means the eating in the feasts instituted in the idolatrous services. The idolaters often selected mountains or other "high places’’ as points for setting up their idofs. The last clause of the verse would have been a violation of Lev 18:19. Ezekiel 18:7. It was lawful to accept a pledge from another to secure an obligation but it was wrong to retain it overnight (Exodus 22:26). Ezekiel 18:8. The general meaning of this verse is to take advantage of the misfortunes of another and make a gain thereby. Ezekiel 18:9. The statutes and judgments of the Lord means the divine laws enacted for the conduct of His people. The man who does them has the promise that he will live, while the one who disregards all of such regulations will he Ihe soul lhat sins and IT was condemned to die. Ezekiel 18:10. A man who begets a son who goes wrong will not have to answer for the sins of that son; provided, of course, he does what he can to instruct his son aright. Ezekiel 18:11, Many of the wrongs previously mentioned are repeated because of the importance of the subject. Eaten upon the mountains is a reference to the idolatrous feasts that were performed on the various "high places." Ezekiel 18:12. Spoiled by violence means to use force in taking from another his property. Not restored the pledge refers to the law which required a lender to return a pledge at the end of the day. Ezekiel 18:13. It was unlawful under the law of Moses to exact usury (interest) of a Jewish brother. Instead, if a loan was made to him, the lender could require a pledge in the form of some article of value, but even that must be returned at sundown. Ezekiel 18:14. A father was not made to answer for the sins of his son. By the same token, if a father was a doer of wrong deeds, it did not furnish the son any excuse for doing the like. The son should consider the bad example set by t.be father and profit by it instead of following in the same line of conduct. Ezekiel 18:15. This verse is the same in thought as verse 6, Ezekiel 18:16. To oppress in the sense that is condemned means to take undue advantage of another. One way in which that could be done was to retain a pledge beyond the legal hour which was stipulated by the law to be at sundown. Ezekiel 18:17. Taken his hand from the poor denotes he has refrained from oppressing the poor, such as charging him usury or interest on money loaned to him. If a son follows these righteous principles in life he will not be punished because of his father. Ezekiel 18:18. It was likewise true that the good deeds of a son would not benefit an unworthy father. The son would '‘ live” in the favor of God, but the father would have to die on the ground of his own responsibility. Ezekiel 18:19. The first part of this verse is a protest from the people because of the old notion that a son should bear the blame for his father’ s evil deeds. The last part is God’ s reply, and it is a restatement, of what has been already declared. Ezekiel 18:20. The first sentence is an identical repetition of the closing clause of verse 4. This verse as a whole is a summing up of the several verses on a most, important subject, that of individual responsibility. Ezekiel 18:21. This verse introduces another phase of one’ s responsibility as regards his personal conduct, but it still leaves the individual item where it was. No man will need to die for the sins of another, it is only the soul that sinneth that shall die. Yet even such a person needs not die, notwithstanding his past sins. Repentance or reformation of life is always open to ail men and if such a course will be adopted the sinner may be forgiven his evil conduct and live in the favor of God. Ezekiel 18:22. When God forgives a man the matter is dropped. There is a popular saytng uttered in prayers where the petitioner asks God to forgive our sins "and remember them against us no more." Such a statement is an insult to the Almighty, for it implies that God will promise to forgive and yet might remember our sins against us after declaring they had been forgiven. It puts God on a level with hypocritical man who agrees to “ bury the hatchet,” but who leaves the handle in sight. Ezekiel 18:23. The primary object in all scriptural discipline is the possibility of reforming the sinner (1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 7:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 12; 6-11; 13; 17). God does not obtain any pleasure out of the punishment of his creatures (2 Peter 3:9), but inflicts it solely for their good. Ezekiel 18:24. This verse is akin to verse 22 at one very important point. When a wicked man repents and is forgiven, one of his former sins are mentioned against him. Likewise, if a righteous man backslides and deserts his life of righteousness, he will he dealt with according to his sins just the same as if he had never been a righteous man. It is one of the weaknesses of mankind to overlook the evil doing of a person for the sake of his previous record. It will be heard say, "We know he is not doing just right now. but we still remember the good he has done." Such persons are pretending to have a better memory or know better how to deal with a sinner than does the Lord. He declares he will not consider the former good deeds of the backslider after he takes up a life of sin but that he shall die in his sins. Ezekiel 18:25. Any accusation made against the Lord would be false, but this one was especially foolish in view of the declarations just made about the dealing meted out toward man. It shows that He treated all persons in an impartial manner in that a man's past conduct, whether good or bad, was not used as a basis for the treatment of him at present. In spite of this, the people of Israel accused God of using ways that were not equal, which means that he was partial in his dealings. Ezekiel 18:26. The conclusion that is in this verse is that when a man dies IN his iniquities, they are to be regarded as the cause for the penalty of death imposed. Ezekiel 18:27. Much repetition may be observed in this chapter, but human beings are so forgetful they need to be reminded frequently of the same truth. It should be seen that throughout this long passage one principle is out in front, and that is that man’ s fate is largely In his own hands, he will be dealt with according to his deeds. Ezekiel 18:28. Repentance is not something a man does unthinkingly or on the spur of the moment, but it is because he considereih. It is true that repentance must start in the mind (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), but if it is sincere it will manifest itself by a life of reformation and turning from the ways of unrighteousness. Ezekiel 18:29. In spite of the fairness of this principle in Cod’ s dealings, his people charged him with unequal or partial treatment of them. Ezekiel 18:30. God determined to proceed in the manner decreed and judge each man according to HIS ways, and not in consideration'of the conduct of others. The fairness of this principle is evident in that it gives each individual an opportunity to avoid personal disaster by turning from his sins. Ezekiel 18:31. Repentance is an active and practical something. A sinner must accomplish it himself by putting away the evil things of his life: no one can do it for him. The New Testament teaches the same principle in 2 Timothy 2:19-21 and many other passages. After man has purged his manner of life by sincere reformation, God will purge him from the guilt thereof by forgiveness. Ezekiel 18:32. The primary object of discipline is discussed at verse 23. Ezekiel 19 BITTER DIRGESEze 19:1-14 In Ezekiel 11:19 God gives the new heart and spirit. Here they must make it for themselves. In ch 19 Ezekiel becomes a sympathetic mourner. God is grieved over the impending fate of Jerusalem. Ezekiel is told to give vent to his emotions as a means of illustrating the divine agony. The dirge falls into two sections: Ezekiel 19:1-9 lament the fate of Judah’ s last kings; vv 10-14 bewail the fall of Jerusalem.DIRGE OVER JUDAH’ S KINGS Ezekiel 19:1-9 As for you, take up a lamentation concerning the princes of Israel... Some may have trusted in the wisdom of their national leaders to extricate Judah from iron grip of Babylon. Ezekiel responded to such misplaced trust with a lament (qina), i.e., funeral dirge, for the princes (i.e., kings) of Israel (Ezekiel 19:1). The fates of the three sons of godly King Josiah— Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim (plus his son Jehoiachin) and Zedekiah— are mentioned. First Whelp (Ezekiel 19:1-4) The lioness (Ezekiel 19:2): and say, How your mother was a lioness! Among the lions she crouched: in the midst of the young lions she reared her whelps! The house of David is the mother of these princes. She is compared to a lioness because the tribe of Judah in general (cf. Genesis 49:9), and the family of David in particular, were symbolized by a lion. As long as Judah remained faithful to the Lord, she dwelt securely and fearlessly among the young lions, i.e., surrounding nations. The period of King Josiah is in view. Tiny Judah was independent and prosperous during the reign of this godly king. The reign of the young lion (Ezekiel 19:3): She brought up one of her whelps. He became a young lion. He learned to tear the prey. He devoured men. The royal lioness (house of David) reared up one of her whelps to become a young lion. The reference here is to Jehoahaz who became king of Judah at the age of twenty-three when his father was slain by Pharaoh Neco in the battle of Megiddo (cf. 2 Kings 23:31 ff.). As a young lion Jehoahaz learned to catch prey, i.e., to have hostile relations with other nations. He devoured men, i.e., he ventured to war. The implication is that Jehoahaz was hostile to Neco of Egypt. Capture of the young lion (Ezekiel 19:4): Then nations assembled against him. He was taken in their pit. They brought him by hooks into the land of Egypt. The nations, i.e., Egypt and her vassal states, listened unto him, i.e., took up the challenge that he hurled at them. The young lion was lured to the pit, and captured therein. He was bound in fetters and taken to Egypt (v 4). The allusion is to the capture of Jehoahaz by Pharaoh Neco in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:33). Second Whelp (Ezekiel 19:5-9) Reign of the second young lion (Ezekiel 19:5-7) His power (Ezekiel 19:5-6): Now when she saw that, she was disappointed. Her hope was lost. Then she took one of her whelps, and made him a young lion. (Ezekiel 19:6) He went to andfro in the midst of the lions. He became a young lion. He learned to tear prey, he devoured men. When the lioness (Davidic dynasty) saw that Jehoahaz had been deported, she was disappointed. She took another of her whelps and trained him to be a young lion (Ezekiel 19:5). He took his place among the other lions (kings). He quickly learned the ruthless conduct that oriental kings manifested (Ezekiel 19:6). His ruthlessness (Ezekiel 19:7): He knew their widows. He laid waste their cities. The land and its fullness was desolate because of the noise of his roaring. Because of his misrule, he knew their widows, i.e., he caused many women to lose their husbands and sons. Because of his boisterousness (noise of his roaring), he brought destruction and desolation upon his land. Did Ezekiel have in mind Jehoiakim who ruled Judah from 605-598 B.C., or his son Jehoiachin who ruled but for three months early in 597 B.C.? Jewish commentators generally prefer the former, modern commentators the latter. Some details of the allegory seem to fit best the one, and some seem to point to the other. On the whole, however, the Jehoiachin interpretation is superior. Capture of the second young lion (Ezekiel 19:8-9): Then the nations cried out against him, round about from provinces. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit. (Ezekiel 19:9) They put him in a cage with hooks. They brought him unto the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds so that his voice might not be heard again upon the mountains of Israel. The nations led by Nebuchadnezzar attacked the kingdom of Jehoiachin in 597 B.C. The young king was taken captive (Ezekiel 19:8). He was brought before the king of Babylon. Thus did his rule over Judah come to an end. The growl of this young lion was no longer heard in the land (Ezekiel 19:9). DIRGE OVER JUDAH’ S Ezekiel 19:10-14 The Vine in its Glory (Ezekiel 19:10-11): Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted by waters. She was fruitful and full of branches because of much water. (Ezekiel 19:11) She had strong rods to be scepters for rulers. Her height was exalted among the branches. She was in her height, in the multitude of her tendrils. The figure changes in Ezekiel 19:10. The mother is now the state of Judah, and she is compared to a vine rather than a lioness. The vine had its blood, i.e., sap, and was full of vigor. Because this vine was planted near abundant water, the vine was fruitful (Ezekiel 19:10). The allusion is to former days when the nation prospered under the rule of righteous kings. The vine put forth strong rods— strong and resolute kings who ruled over the nation. Among the other thick branches (prosperous nations), Judah had a position of honor (Ezekiel 19:11). The Vine Plucked up (Ezekiel 19:12): But she was plucked up in fury. She was cast down to the ground. The east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rod was broken and withered. The fire consumed her. Judah the exalted vine was plucked up and cast down to the ground. The present lowly position of the nation could only be due to divine determination. The east wind (Nebuchadnezzar and his armies) dried up the fruit of that ignoble vine. Enormous tribute to Babylon over several years had drained the royal coffers of Judah. The strong rod of that branch— the last king of Judah— had been broken off and withered by that mighty king from the east. The fire of war and divine judgment had consumed Zedekiah. He lost his crown and his eyesight before being carried away in humiliation to Babylon. The Vine Transplanted(Ezekiel 19:13-14) Location of the transplantation (Ezekiel 19:13): Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. The once luxuriant vine planted by many waters is now forcibly transplanted to the wilderness of exile in Babylon. Reason for the transplantation (Ezekiel 19:14 a): Fire has gone out from the rod of her branches. It has consumed her fruit, so that she does not have a strong rod as a scepter to rule. The fire that will ultimately destroy the nation had gone out of the rod. Zedekiah’ s rebellion against Babylon was the cause of the ruin that engulfed the nation of Judah. With the deportation of Zedekiah, the royal house of David was reduced to insignificance so that there is in her no strong rod to assume the rule. Conclusion (Ezekiel 19:14 b): This is a lamentation, and it became a lamentation. Chapter 19 is a prophetic lamentation spoken before the final calamity took place. What is here recorded as prophecy became the general theme of the national lamentation after the disaster had transpired. Ezekiel Chapter NineteenVerse 1 FUNERAL FOR THE EARTHLY HOUSE OF DAVIDThis chapter is a dirge written by Ezekiel as a prophetic funeral for the earthly end of the House of David. As Cooke stated it: "Ezekiel could write fine poetry when he chose; and on this occasion the impulse came from a mixed emotion, his pride in the royal house of Judah, and his pity for the misfortunes of the young princes."[1]Evidently, Cooke overlooked the fact that it was upon the express commandment of the Lord himself that Ezekiel wrote this dirge; and although it may not be doubted that Ezekiel did himself experience deep emotions in the expression of this lament, the prior experience of God Himself participated in the sorrow at the earthly failure of the house of David. There are actually two laments here, the first under the allegory of a lioness and her whelps, and the second under the figure of a vine, a rod of which caused its total destruction. The first is in Ezekiel 19:1-9; the second is inEzekiel 19:10-14. Dummelow noted that these laments appear to be (1) for the nation as a whole, (2) for the royal house of David, or (3) for Hammutal, the mother of Zedekiah.[2] Actually, the lament is for all of Israel, about to suffer the irrevocable loss of their status as God's Chosen People, the final end of their racial status in God's sight, and their integrity as an independent nation, a true independence which they would never more attain. At this point in Israel's history, there were no rulers of the kingdom that any man could trust. The wickedness of the ungodly men Ezekiel had just described in the preceding chapter was a true picture of Israel's kings, best described as a den of wild animals! All of them were doomed to death; and, "A dirge, normally, was sung or chanted after the death of the deceased and during the funeral; but Ezekiel here expressed the Lord's sadness over the failure of the Judean leadership by chanting this elegy over her terminal rulers before their deaths occurred."[3]In other words, Ezekiel publicly preached the funeral of Judah's wicked kings while they were still alive! It must have been a very spectacular happening. There was a special meter reserved in Hebrew literature for the writing of dirges, and it featured a distinctive pattern of one line with three beats, followed by a second line with two beats. Taylor noted that, "Only rarely can an English translation catch that distinctive feature."[4] He illustrated the meter thus: In-the-midst of lions she-crouched Rearing her whelps. The skillful use of this meter by Ezekiel throughout both the laments of this chapter makes the unity and Ezekiel's authorship of it impossible of any intelligent denial. "This lament, bewailing the overthrow of the royal house and the banishment of the whole nation into exile, forms a climax and finale to the preceding prophecies (Ezekiel 12-19) of the overthrow of Judah, and was well calculated to annihilate every hope that things might not really come to the worst after all."[5] God here preached Judah's funeral! Ezekiel 19:1-6"Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of young lions she nourished her whelps. And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men. The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks into the land of Egypt. Now when she saw that she waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.""The princes of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 19:1). "Israel here is the whole Jewish nation over which the king of Judah was the only rightful sovereign." The kings of Northern Israel were usurpers; and besides that, the Northern Israel was already in captivity and were no longer a factor in the prophetic considerations. This paragraph outlines the disasters that befell the final kings of Judah, "in terms of the misfortunes of a brood of lion whelps."[6] Jeremiah discusses the descendants of Josiah in Jeremiah 22:10-30. The dramatic truth revealed by Ezekiel here is that, "Israel has put herself upon the level of the heathen nations around her, and has adopted the tyrannical and rapacious nature of the powers of the world. Israel has thus struck out upon a course opposed to her divine calling, and will now have to taste the bitter fruits of her heathen ways."[7]"One of her whelps ..." (Ezekiel 19:3). The first whelp mentioned here is a reference to Jehoahaz II (Shallum). "He was carried into captivity in Egypt after a brief three-months reign, during the year 609 B.C., by Pharaoh-Necco.[8] Jehoiachim succeeded Jehoahaz II, but Ezekiel ignored him in this analogy, skipping over his rather long and bloody reign to the second whelp, which is Jehoiachin, (Jeconiah, or Coniah). It is the mention of the first whelp's being carried to Egypt that gives us the clue to his identity. Also, in this identification with Jehoahaz II gives us the clue for recognizing Jehoiachin as the second whelp. Neither one of the real "princes of Israel" reigned any more than three months. Both Jehoiachim and Zedekiah were vassals of foreign lords, Jehoiachim of Egypt, and Zedekiah of Babylon. Thus the pitiful termination of the "house of David" is seen in the 90-day reigns of his terminal princes. We are aware that many very learned scholars suppose that Jehoiachim and/or Zedekiah to be one of the two whelps; but Zedekiah is eliminated from consideration because he received a special elegy of his own in Ezekiel 19:10-14, and does not particularly belong in the first one. There is one very strong objection to our identification of these two whelps, and that was stated by Bruce. "Some scholars see Jehoiachin as the second whelp, but the language of Eze 19:6-8 does not fit him at all."[9] This is true enough, but it does not fit Jehoahaz II either; and even Bruce admits him to be the first whelp. Although neither Jehoahaz II nor Jehoiachin reigned long enough for their true character to manifest itself, their character is set forth here under the figure of ravaging lions that "devoured men." This is God's estimate of what those kings actually were; and God's judgment of them is confirmed by the enmity of Egypt against the first one, and of Babylon against the second one, leading to their capture and deportation. The mention of their being taken in a pit, and "by hooks" conforms to the imagery of trapping wild beasts, and is not a description of their capture. Plumptre agreed that Jehoiachim was not the second whelp;[10] and Cooke also recognized that in Ezekiel 19:9, "The allusion is to Jehoiachin, not to Zedekiah."[11]"Keil likewise identified the two whelps of this passage as Jehoahaz and Jehoachin, who were chosen here merely as examples, because they both fell into the hands of world powers. Moreover their fate showed very clearly what the end would inevitably be when the Jewish kings became ambitious to be "lions" like the kings of the nations around them."[12]Verse 7 "And he knew their palaces and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the ruiness thereof, because of the noise of his roaring. Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit. And they put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.""He knew their palaces ..." (Ezekiel 19:7). The Revised Standard Version renders this, "He ravaged their strongholds," which is in agreement with the parallel phrase that follows. Apparently, none of this had time to happen in his three months' reign; but his character was such that such deeds of cruelty and tyranny would most surely have happened if he had been permitted to continue as king. In actuality, "the noise of his roaring" was all that came of it! "They put him in a cage ..." (Ezekiel 19:9) This probably happened literally to Jehoiachin, as it was the custom of ancient kings to display their captive kings, princes, and mighty men as caged captives in their ostentatious victory parades. "After his three months' reign, Jehoiachin was taken by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:8-16)."[13]Verse 10 "Thy mother was like a vine, in thy blood, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. And it had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches. but it was plucked up in fury, it was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit: the strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them. And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. And fire has gone out of the rods of the branches, it hath devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."Here is the second dirge; the imagery is changed. In the first, the likeness of Israel was that of a den of ferocious lion cubs; here the comparison is with a vine that is ripped up from its favorable place, transferred to a dry and thirsty land, and burned up through the fire that comes out of her own branches (the princes), one of whom, namely, Zedekiah, following the advice of the others, rebelled against his suzerain lord and precipitated the ruin of the whole nation. "The mother in both lamentations is the same, that is, the nation of Israel."[14]"Strong rods (branches) for sceptres of them that bare rule ..." (Ezekiel 19:11). "This is a reference to the successive kings of Judah."[15]"Plucked up in fury ... cast down to the ground ... east wind dried up its fruit ..." (Ezekiel 19:12). All of these are references to the destruction of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon. "Mother was like a vine, in thy blood, planted by the waters ..." (Ezekiel 19:10). Commentators have complained that the phrase, "in thy blood is meaningless,"[16] or that, "This expression can hardly be right."[17] However, Cook seemed to have no trouble with it. He stated that, "the mother, living in the life of her children" was planted favorably by the waters.[18]The thought is correct, whether or not, this is an accurate rendition. "Ezekiel 19:12-14 describe the final destruction and captivity of Judah. Zedekiah's rebellion was the cause of the total rain of the nation."[19] Ezekiel 19:1. The prophet was told to make a lamentation for the princes of Israel, which means Judah in this case since the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel had been in exile more than a century at the time of this writing. Ezekiel 19:2. The lamentation was to be in the form of a parable, using the lion species of animal for the comparison. Tiie mother was the nation of Judah that was considered a lion-ess among lions or other kingdoms. The princes or chief men of the nation of Judah would be referred to as whelps in the figurative language of the parable. Ezekiel 19:3. This verse singles out one of the whelps and the context indicates it means Jehoahaz. (See 2 Kings 23:30.) The figurative form of speech is continued, hence the evil conduct of this king is described as that of catching prey which really means that this Icing devoured men as is literally stated. Ezekiel 19:4. The conduct of this evil king (whelp) attracted the attention of other nations and the statement that he was taken in their pit is recorded in 2 Kings 23:33. Ezekiel 19:5. There is a space between this and the preceding verse that is not apparent in the language. After Jehoahaz was dethroned, his brother Jehoiakim was put in his place and reigned 11 years, and he was succeeded by his son Jehoiachin who reigned but 3 months. For some reason unknown to me, these two rulers are not considered distinctively in the parable. The things that will be said of the whelp of this verse were not all true of the mentioned kings, but they were true of the last, king in Jerusalem and his name was Zedekiah, Waited . , . hope was lost indicates that the return of Jehoahaz was looked for by some but it was in vain. It had been decreed (Jeremiah 22:30) that no descendant of Jehoiachin was to reign in Judah, hence the nation had to use another whelp who was Zedekiab, Ezekiel 19:6. The figures are still drawn from the life of a lion but the verse refers to the actual conduct of Zede- kiah who was then on the throne in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 19:7. Zedekiah was not a very acceptable ruler in the eyes of his countrymen, and even some of the foreign nations began to look upon him with mistrust. Ezekiel 19:8. Finally the nations (meaning the units of the empire of Babylon) came against. Zedekiah and laid siege to his capital which fell as a prey of war. Ezekiel 19:9. Zedekiah tried to evade capture and fled his capital by night, but. he was taken by the army of Babylon who spread their net over him (2 Kings 25:4-5). In chains refers to the shackles which they placed upon the fallen king of Judah, after which they took him to Babylon (2 Kings 25:7). Much of this chapter so far is literal history and it may be read in 2 Kings 24, 25. But the last part about Zedekiah is prophecy for he had not yet been taken from his throne at this writing. Ezekiel 19:10. Thy mother means Judah as the producer of kings and princes such as have been considered. The verse is a figurative description of the prosperous state of Judah under the blessings of God. In thy blood refers to the early hours of her life when the special favor of God was bestowed upon her. (See Ezekiel 16:6; Ezekiel 16:22.) Ezekiel 19:11. Here are some more figures and they refer to the standing that Judah enjoyed as a nation among nations. This state of exaltation seems to have filled her with pride and a disregard for her obligation to the Lord. Ezekiel 19:12. The closing verses of the chapter pertain to the final overthrow of Jerusalem which was the capital of the kingdom of Judah, which event was to complete the 3rd stage of the great 70-year captivity. Plucked up in fury refers directly to the heat of the Babylonian attack. East wind suggests the blast of the Babylonian army since that force came from the east. Fire consumed is a literal prediction and its fulfillment is recorded in 2 Kings 25:9. Ezekiel 19:13. The wilderness was the land of Babylon which would be dry and thirsty as far as any national favors were concerned. Ezekiel 19:14. No strong rod to tie a sceptre to rule. When Zedekiah was taken from the throne of Judah, there never was a successor until the time of Christ, who was to have the right to reign, hut as a spiritual ruler. (See Ezekiel 21:24-27.) Christ was produced through the tribe of Judah and was to be the last king of that people. Ezekiel 20 ISRAEL: PAST AND FUTUREEleven months intervene between Ezekiel’ s last series of oracles and the present utterances. He effectively had shattered Judah’ s insane hope that judgment will never fall on Jerusalem. Every argument put forth in objection to his dogmatic assertion of imminent judgment had been rebutted. Ezekiel may have passed the past eleven months in silence. Late in the summer of 591 B.C. news of Egyptian military victories in Africa spawned new delusions of deliverance among the Jews in Judah and in Babylon. King Zedekiah was now looking to Egypt for assistance against Babylon. Sometime between the end of 591 B.C. and the summer of 589 B.C., Zedekiah formally severed his allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar. This question was uppermost in the minds of the captives was, What bearing will this political realignment have on the fortunes of Judah? In response to this unasked question, Ezekiel speaks of (1) the past corruption of the nation (Ezekiel 20:1-29); (2) the future restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 20:30-44); and (3) the imminent judgment of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 20:45 to Ezekiel 21:32). ISRAEL'S PAST Ezekiel 20:1-29 After a brief introduction to this section (Ezekiel 20:1-4), Ezekiel traces Israel’ s waywardness through the period of Egyptian bondage (Ezekiel 20:5-9), wilderness wandering (Ezekiel 20:10-26), and settlement in the land of Canaan (Ezekiel 20:27-29). Introduction (Ezekiel 20:1-4) Time of the oracle (Ezekiel 20:1 a): It came to pass in the seventh year, the fifth month, the tenth day of the month... This section begins with a new date that apparently includes all the material in chs 20-23. Ezekiel has now functioned in his prophetic office for two years, one month and five days. Converted into terms of the modern calendar the date of this section will be August 14, 591 Circumstances of the oracle (Ezekiel 20:1 b): that certain men of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD. They sat before me. Certain elders of Israel approached Ezekiel in order to inquire of the Lord through him, i.e., seek the interpretation of a current event. This is now the third time that these elders have come to Ezekiel (cf. Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1). On this occasion they may have been seeking a prediction on the outcome of Zedekiah's overtures to Egypt. The initial oracle (Ezekiel 20:2-3): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 20:3) Son of man, Speak unto the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Are you coming to inquire of me? As I live, I will not be inquired of by you (oracle of the LORD). In the presence of his guests, Ezekiel received a new revelation (Ezekiel 20:2). The characteristic address of the prophet as son of man, i.e., mortal man, stands in stark contrast to the transcendent Yahweh. The double use of the personal name Yahweh (GOD; LORD) in v 3 underscores this point. Ezekiel had an answer for the inquirers, but it was not what they expected. Whatever their specific query was, God regarded it as impertinent and irrelevant. God through Ezekiel already had made it abundantly clear that Jerusalem was doomed for destruction. He was not interested in hearing their requests. God wanted to see their repentance! That which sinful men want to hear from the Lord is not always what they need to hear. The divine oath formula (as I live) stresses that the request of the elders ran counter to Yahweh's very being. The shape of the oracle (Ezekiel 20:4): Will you judge them? Will you judge them, O son of man? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers. The Lord's objection to the elder's third inquiry is essentially the same as in Ezekiel 14:4. By means of a double question (Will you judge them? Will you judge them?) God commissions Ezekiel to sit as a judge in the trial of his people Israel. He is to recount to the elders all the abominations of their fathers (Ezekiel 20:4). He was not to use parables as in ch 16. He was to reveal their sin in a straight forward manner. The plight of the nation and the necessity of the impending doom will become clear to his auditors through this sad survey of Israel’ s history. Israel in Egypt (Ezekiel 20:5-9) Instead of indulging the elders' curiosity regarding the “ times and the seasons” of future divine activity, Ezekiel launched into a stern sermon, the theme of which is the persistent rebellion of Israel against leadership of the Lord. God's selection (Ezekiel 20:5-7) The pledge of choice (Ezekiel 20:5): Say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In the day when I chose Israel, I lifted up my hand to the seed of the house of Jacob. I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up my hand to them, saying, I am the LORD your God. Ironically, Israel’ s case history began in Egypt, the same country to which she was now appealing for aid. There God chose Israel to be his very own people. It was there that God bound himself by an oath to the seed of Jacob, i.e., he confirmed the covenant made with Jacob, and with Isaac and Abraham before him. The process of selection began with his self­revelation to Moses at the, burning bush (cf. Exodus 6:2; Exodus 6:7). Then God swore with an oath (lifted up my hand) that he was Israel’ s God. The pledge of inheritance (Ezekiel 20:6): In that day I lifted up my hand to them to bring them from the land of Egypt unto the land that I sought out for them, flowing with milk and honey, that is the beauty of all lands. Yahweh further swore that he would bring Israel out of Egyptian bondage and into a very special land— a land flowing with milk and honey, language that was first used by God to describe Canaan in Exodus 3:8. This is the land that Yahweh sought out for Israel. The comparative fertility of Canaan, its geographical features and climate, made this land the beauty of all lands (Ezekiel 20:6; cf. Jeremiah 3:19). The double mention in Ezekiel 20:5-6 of the physical gesture associated with swearing an oath enhances the impression of Yahweh's commitment to Israel's welfare. The plea for fidelity (Ezekiel 20:7): I said unto them, Let each man cast away the detestable things of his eyes. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. The Lord made one single requirement of those he chose as his people, viz., that they cast aside the detestable things (idols). They must not defile themselves with idolatrous practices. They must recognize Yahweh alone as God. Israel's rebellion (Ezekiel 20:8 a): But they rebelled against me. They did not want to listen to me. Every man did not cast away the detestable things of his eyes. They did not forsake the idols of Egypt. Even the basic commandment was totally ignored. The Pentateuch says nothing about the religious life of the Hebrews during the Egyptian period. Joshua, however, alluded to the gods the Israelites served in Egypt (Joshua 24:14) God's reaction (Ezekiel 20:8-9) His initial intention (Ezekiel 20:8 b): Then I thought to pour out my wrath upon them, to exhaust my anger on them in the midst of the land of Egypt. On the strict principle of justice, Israel should have perished in Egypt. His long-range concern (Ezekiel 20:9): But I took action for the sake of my name, that it might not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived, to whom I made myself known so as to bring them out from the land of Egypt. Had the Israelites perished in Egypt, the heathen would not have attributed it to divine retribution. They would have concluded that Yahweh lacked power to redeem his people. God will not allow his great name to be thus profaned in the sight of the nations. God had revealed himself to Israel. Publicly through Moses he had announced His intention to bring them out of Egypt. The Egyptians knew all this. Had no redemption taken place, Israel’ s God would forever have been held in contempt in the land of Egypt. Therefore, in bringing Israel out of Egypt, God was acting in his own self-interest. He acted for his name’ s sake. To misunderstand God’ s nature— to regard him less highly than he ought to be regarded— is to profane his name. “ It is the duty of the new Israel, as it was of the old Israel, to see that God’ s name is not profaned through inadequate witness to his nature and his truth." Israel in the Wilderness (Ezekiel 20:10-26) God's gracious gifts (Ezekiel 20:10-12) Gave them deliverance (Ezekiel 20:10): I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and brought them unto the wilderness. God’ s concern for his name prevailed over his desire to rid himself of his rebellious people. He brought them out of Egypt and into the wilderness. Gave them the law (Ezekiel 20:11): I gave to them my statutes, and my ordinances I made known to them, which if a man do them, he will live by them. At Mount Sinai God graciously gave to Israel his law. In keeping this law, one could find the key to life, i.e., he could prosper materially and spiritually. National faithfulness to that law would have resulted in social happiness and political stability. Gave them the sabbaths (Ezekiel 20:12): Also my sabbaths I gave to them to become a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctified them. As further evidence of his gracious concern, God ordained the Sabbath as an outward sign of his covenant with Israel. Every observance of the Sabbath was an affirmation of their relationship to him (cf. Exodus 31:17). Sin of the first generation (Ezekiel 20:13-17) Israel's sin described (Ezekiel 20:13 a): But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes, and they spurned my ordinances, which if a man do them, he will live by them. my sabbaths they profaned exceedingly. Within days of the gracious giving of the law, Israel rebelled against the Lord in the incident of the golden calf. The Book of Numbers contains numerous examples of the times when Israel murmured against the Lord. Direct violation of the Sabbath is recorded on two occasions (Exodus 16:27; Numbers 15:32), but that sacred day was defiled by attitude again and again. God's reputation (Ezekiel 20:13-14): I intended to pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness to consume them. (Ezekiel 20:14) But I took action for the sake of my name, that it might not be defiled before the nations before whom I brought them out. Because Israel had spurned God’ s gracious wilderness gifts to his people, he was fully prepared to destroy them there and then. However, again for the sake of his name— his reputation among the heathen nations— he refrained from executing his wrath. Israel's punishment (Ezekiel 20:15-16): And also I lifted up my hand to them in the wilderness, that I will not bring them unto the land that I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the beauty of all the lands; (Ezekiel 20:16) because they rejected my judgments. In my statutes they did not walk. They defiled my sabbaths, for after their idols their heart did go. While God did not completely destroy the nation in the wilderness, He did swear that the guilty generation that showed such lack of faith at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 13-14) could not enter the land of promise (Ezekiel 20:15). Because they had defiled the law of God and secretly had craved for their idols in their heart, God sentenced that generation to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Ezekiel 20:16).God's mercy (Ezekiel 20:17): But my eye had pity upon them from destroying them. I did not make a complete end of them in the wilderness. Because of his mercy, God did not make a full end of Israel at that time. Those under the age of twenty survived that disciplinary death march. Sin of the second generation (Ezekiel 20:18-22) God's commandments (20:18-20): I said unto their sons in the wilderness: Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers. Do not observe their ordinances. With their idols do not defile yourselves. (Ezekiel 20:19) I am the LORD your God. Walk in my statutes. Keep my ordinances, and do them. (Ezekiel 20:20) Sanctify my sabbaths that they may be signs between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. God warned the new generation not to follow in the sinful paths of their fathers (Ezekiel 20:18), but rather to recognize his absolute divinity. He earnestly pled with them through Moses to obey the divine law (Ezekiel 20:19) and faithfully to observe the sabbaths as an outward sign and reminder that they were indeed God’ s people (Ezekiel 20:20). Israel's rebellion (Ezekiel 20:21 a): But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes. They did not keep my ordinances to do them, which if a man will do them, he will live by them. They profaned my sabbaths. Unfortunately the new generation was every bit as bad as the previous one. At Baal-peor, in their very first exposure to Canaanite Baal worship, the men of that new generation rushed headlong into the vilest form of degrading worship (Numbers 25:1-9; Hosea 9:10). God's reaction (Ezekiel 20:21-22): I intended to pour out my wrath on them to finish my fury on them in the wilderness. (Ezekiel 20:22) I withdrew my hand. I took action for the sake of my name, that it will not be defiled in the sight of the nations before whom I brought them out. God was of a mind to destroy the nation entirely. However, for the sake of his own self-interest— for the sake of his reputation among surrounding nations— God relented (withdrew my hand). Consequences of rebellion (Ezekiel 20:23-26) Dispersion (20:23-24): Moreover I lifted up my hand to them in the wilderness to scatter them among the nations and to disperse them in the lands; (Ezekiel 20:24) because my ordinances they did not perform, and my statutes they rejected, and my sabbaths they profaned, and their eyes were after the gods of their fathers. Although God chose not to destroy Israel, the national rebellion had two serious consequences, each introduced by moreover. First, God swore on oath (lifted up my hand) that he would scatter them to various lands (Ezekiel 20:23). The time and manner of that dispersion was not specified. The long periods of oppression during the period of the judges probably were the first step in the fulfillment of this threat. Attacks by neighboring nations during the monarchy period resulted in God’ s people being deported far and wide (cf. Amos 1:6; Amos 1:9; Joe 3:1-8). The culmination of this threatened dispersion was the deportation of the northern tribes by the Assyrian kings, and the removal of captives from Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. The exile was a just punishment because the generation that was brought into Canaan also rejected God’ s holy law and went after idols (Ezekiel 20:24). Degradation (Ezekiel 20:25-26): Moreover I gave to them statutes that were not good, and ordinances whereby they could not live. (Ezekiel 20:26) I defiled them with their gifts, in that they consecrate all who open the womb, that I might destroy them, that they might know that I am the LORD. Second, God punished Israel's national rebellion by giving them over to the consequences of their own sinful desire. Yahweh punished their sin by means of their sin. He gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances whereby they could not live. As they went ever deeper into the baser forms of idolatry, they brought themselves under saetutes and judgments of a different sort. The pagan religious code that they adopted as their own did not contribute to health, happiness and well being (life), but rather became a vicious and demanding taskmaster (Ezekiel 20:25). Stephen describes this situation when he says, “ God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven” (Acts 7:42). God punished his people by permitting them to do what they really wanted to do. All the material gifts that God bestowed upon his people were permitted by him to be defiled in the debasing worship of Baal. Israel rejected God’ s law of dedicating their firstborn to the Lord (Exodus 13:2). They replaced it with the horrible practice of child sacrifice (cf. Ezekiel 16:21). The ultimate end of such perverse pagan practices was national destruction. Only then would Israel realize that Yahweh is the only God (Ezekiel 20:26). Israel in Canaan(Ezekiel 20:27-29) Treacherous betrayal (Ezekiel 20:27): Therefore, speak unto the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have dealt treacherously with me. In addition to their wickedness in Egypt and in the wilderness, the fathers had continued their sinning when they were in the land of Canaan. In fact they blasphemed, i.e., committed a cardinal sin against the Lord; they dealt treacherously with him, i.e., broke the most solemn kind of commitment to him. Illicit worship (Ezekiel 20:28): For when I brought them to the land that I lifted up my hand to give unto them, then they saw every high hill, and every leafy tree, and they made sacrifices there. They gave there the provocation of their offering. They placed there their sweet savor, and they poured out their drink offerings. No sooner had they, by God’ s mercy, entered the land of Canaan, they promptly appropriated to themselves the heathen hill-top shrines. They adopted the Canaanite ways of worship. The leafy trees were desirable for the sinful orgies that accompanied sacrifices to Baal. Their offerings, that should have been a sweet savor to the Lord, were in reality provocation that only engendered the divine anger. Pointed inquiry (Ezekiel 20:29): Then I said unto them: What is the high place to which you are going? So its name is called Bamah (high place) unto this day. Someday the Jews will have to give an account of their worship conduct. What is the high place to which you are going? Ezekiel asks. Who authorized you to go there? What business do you have there? In spite of the repeated condemnation of high place worship, still those shrines existed throughout the land. The bama or high place was still very much a part of the worship scene in Judah.ISRAEL'S FUTURE Ezekiel 20:30-44 Hypocrisy of the Leaders (Ezekiel 20:30-32) Their actions (Ezekiel 20:30-31): Therefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: In the way of your fathers you have defiled yourselves. You are whoring after their abominations. (Ezekiel 20:31) When you offer your gifts, in making your sons to pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, unto this day. Will I allow you to inquire of me, O house of Israel? As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), I will not allow you to inquire of me. Ezekiel replied to the request of the visiting elders by reviewing the past corruption of Israel; now he applies this teaching to the present and future of the nation. How can these representatives of the nation expect to receive encouraging divine responses to their inquiries when the abominable practices of idolatry continued to that very day? The present generation had defiled itself after the manner of their fathers by offering gifts to Baal. They even caused their children to pass through the fire, i.e., offered them as burnt offerings to Molech. How could God suspend or cancel the threat of judgment when they continued to defile themselves by such degrading religious practices? Their defilement drove a wedge between them and their God. Under present circumstances, he refused to be inquired of by them, i.e., he will grant them no special insight into what the immediate future held in store beyond the threats that he had already announced through his prophet. Their attitude (Ezekiel 20:32): That which goes up on your spirit will not be, because you are saying, We will be like the nations, as the families of the lands, to serve wood and stone. The attitude among the exiles was reprehensible. Ezekiel reads the hearts of the inquirers. Being humiliated, subject to foreign domination, and driven from their homeland, they now felt free to join in the worship of their neighbors. How was it possible for them to continue to render homage to Yahweh when his temple was so far away, and when all public acts of worship to him were restricted to that temple? If the temple were destroyed, they thought, then the one restraint on the idolatries that they loved will be removed, and that by God himself. According to their perverse logic, if God wanted their continued allegiance, he will have to preserve the temple, and quickly restore them to Canaan. However, God will not allow this perverse purpose to stand. Those who thought the distinctive character of Israel should be lost in exile were doomed to disappointment. Purging of the Sinners (Ezekiel 20:33-38) Gathering of Israel (Ezekiel 20:33-34): As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out I will reign over you. (Ezekiel 20:34) I will bring you out from the peoples, and I will gather you from the lands where you were scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. God was about to intervene in Israel’ s history with the same mighty hand and outstretched arm as saved them at the Exodus (Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 5:15). He will show himself again to be king over this people (Ezekiel 20:33) by leading them in judgment into another wilderness experience (cf. Hosea 2:14; Hosea 12:9). The Babylonian exile was Israel’ s second wilderness period. When the discipline was over, God will gather his people (v 34). Israel will by no means lose her identity among the nations! Purpose of exile (Ezekiel 20:35-38) Remonstration (Ezekiel 20:35-36): I will bring you unto the wilderness of the peoples. I will plead with you there face to face. (36) As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, thus will I plead with you (oracle of the Lord GOD). The exact prophetic import of Eze 20:35-38 is in dispute. Some commentators understand these verses to be predicting that after the Babylonian exile, Israel will be brought into another dispersion. It is better, however, to regard the wilderness of peoples as yet another reference to the Babylonian captivity. In Ezekiel 20:34 God states the general principle that he will, in his own good time, gather his people. Ezekiel 20:35-38 tells how that will come about. In the wilderness of Egypt, God constituted Israel as a nation. In the Babylonian wilderness he will reconstitute them as a nation. There they will come face to face with God. He will plead with them, i.e., remonstrate and reason with them, through those harsh circumstances, through the voice of conscience, and through the stern preaching of men like Ezekiel. Purgation (Ezekiel 20:37-38): I will cause you to pass under the rod. I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. (38) I will purge out from you the rebels, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out from the land of their sojourn. Unto the land of Israel they will not come. You will know that I am the LORD. Not all those who were carried off to the wilderness of exile will be coming home. The captives will be scrutinized by the Good Shepherd, and caused to pass under the rod. The allusion is to Leviticus 27:32 where every tenth sheep that passed under the rod of the shepherd was to be consecrated to the Lord. The select sheep of Israel will be brought into the bond of the covenant (Ezekiel 20:37). The apostasy had cancelled the blessings set forth in the Sinai covenant. The chastisement of exile, for those who will accept it, will serve the purpose of restoring that broken relationship with God. The land of restored Israel will be a land of righteousness. Those who had rebelled against God’ s authority, and who had transgressed against him, will be purged from the nation. They will not be allowed to re-enter the land of Canaan. God might bring them out of the land where they were presently sojourning, but he will by no means allow them to re­enter Canaan. When be brought them back, the chastened remnant will know that he truly was Yahweh, the God of covenant faithfulness (Ezekiel 20:38). Restoration to the Land (Ezekiel 20:39-41) Challenge to the sinners (Ezekiel 20:39): As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go, serve each his idols, even because you have not hearkened unto me; but my holy name you will not profane again with your gifts and with your idols. In prophetic irony Ezekiel now called upon the house of Israel to go ahead with their idolatry. They cannot thereby frustrate God’ s ultimate purpose for a holy people. The day will come when God’ s holy name no longer will be profaned by idolatrous practices. Picture of the cleansed people (Ezekiel 20:40-41): For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel (oracle of the Lord GOD) there all the house of Israel, all of them, will serve me in the land. There I will accept them. There I will require your heave offerings, and the first ofyour gifts, with all your holy things. (Ezekiel 20:41) With your sweet savor, I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you from the lands where you were scattered. I will be sanctified in the sight of the nations. Ezekiel passes on from the earlier stages of the restoration to speak of its consummation. He sees Israel as a mighty mountain (mountain of the height of Israel) or nation of the world (cf. Micah 4:1-2; Isaiah 2:2-3). He sees a united nation (all of them)— Israel and Judah— worshiping on Mount Zion (my holy mountain). He sees a holy people rendering acceptable service and sacrifice to their God. Gone forever are the heathen influences that marred the worship of his own day. Heave offerings, offerings offirstlings, and other gifts will be required by God. They will be willingly offered by his redeemed people (Ezekiel 20:40). Ezekiel foresees several positive consequences of the new relationship between God and his people. First, the sacrifices that Israel offers to God are considered a sweet savor by the Lord, i.e., will be pleasant in his sight. Second, God accepts Israel, i.e., acknowledges them as his own. Third, through that restored remnant, God’ s name is sanctified, i.e., respected and revered, by surrounding nations (Ezekiel 20:41). God’ s name is sanctified when he is recognized as holy (Leviticus 10:3; Numbers 20:13). Even the heathen come to recognize that God’ s dealings with Israel had been holy and just. Spiritual Enlightenment (Ezekiel 20:42-44) Enlightenment about God (Ezekiel 20:42): You will know that I am the LORD when I bring you unto the land of Israel, unto the land that I lifted up my hand to give to your fathers. Because of the positive experiences of the preceding verses, Israel is spiritually enlightened. The recognition formula (you will know) at the beginning and end of this unit forms an envelope full of encouraging developments. Remnant Israel realizes without a doubt that they had been restored to Canaan through the might of God. They willingly acknowledge that he, and none other, is God. Remnant Israel recognizes that God keeps His word. He had sworn to give to their fathers the land of Canaan. Through sin Israel forfeited the right to live in that holy land. Now God will give them a second chance in Canaan. Enlightenment about themselves (Ezekiel 20:43-44): And there you will remember your ways, and all your deeds by which you were defiled. You will loathe yourself in your eyes for all your evils that you have done. (Ezekiel 20:44) You will know that I am the LORD when I deal with you for the sake of my name, not according to your evil deeds, nor according to your corrupt ways, O house of Israel (oracle of the Lord GOD). Remnant Israel remembers past failings. They loathe themselves for the abominations that they had committed prior to the captivity (Ezekiel 20:43). In spite of repentance and forgiveness, the redeemed man can never forget that he is a sinner saved by grace. Remnant Israel realizes that their change in fortunes was not due to their own merits. They deserved to perish. However, for the sake of his name, the gracious God had ransomed the house of Israel (Ezekiel 20:44). PARABLE OF THE FOREST FIREEze_20:45-49 In the Hebrew Bible, Ezekiel 20:45 becomes the first verse of ch 21. Clearly this is a better arrangement than that adopted by the Authorized Version and subsequent English translations. What is said in Ezekiel 20:45-49 has no connection with what immediately precedes, but rather sets the stage for what follows in ch 21. God's Directive (Ezekiel 20:45-47 a): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 20:46) Son of man, set your face toward the south, Preach unto the south. Prophesy unto the forest of the field of the south. (Ezekiel 20:47) Say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD. In another revelation from the Lord (Ezekiel 20:45), Ezekiel was told set your face toward the south. This prophetic formula was previously used in Ezekiel 6:2 and Ezekiel 13:17. Ezekiel was to direct his attention, verbally and perhaps physically as well, toward the south. He was to preach the word of the Lord in that direction. These instructions are given to Ezekiel from the perspective of the Babylonian army that will approach Jerusalem from the north. The whole of Judah is the forest of the south that Ezekiel was to address in this utterance (Ezekiel 20:46). Judah's Devastation (Ezekiel 20:47-48): Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to kindle against you a fire. It will consume every green tree in you, and every dry tree. It will not be quenched, a flaming flame. All faces from the south to the north will be seared by it. (48) All flesh will see that I am the LORD when I burn it. It will not be quenched. The entire forest will be consumed by an unquenchable fire kindled by God Himself. Fire here is symbolic of the devastation wrought by the Chaldean armies. What few righteous there might have been (every green tree), as well as the hardened sinners (every dry tree), will be affected by that conflagration. From one end of the land to the other, every face will be seared by the hot flames of judgment (Ezekiel 20:47). That destruction will be of such proportions that the all flesh, i.e., the entire world, will recognize it as an act of divine judgment (Ezekiel 20:48). Ezekiel's Complaint (Ezekiel 20:49): Then I said, Ah Lord GOD! They are saying to me, Is he not a maker of parables? Ezekiel’ s audience was not so spiritually perceptive as to be able to grasp the significance of this parable and others like it (cf. chs 15-17). His auditors were holding Ezekiel up to ridicule because of his use of the parabolic method. He could hear them whispering to one another and referring to him as a maker of parables (lit., a riddler of riddles). With sorrow, exasperation and perhaps indignation, Ezekiel turned to God in a brief narrative prayer. No petition is directly stated; but Ezekiel is obliquely requesting that he be permitted to put his parable into plain language (Ezekiel 20:49).Ezekiel Chapter TwentyVerse 1 Ezekiel 20-23FINAL BEFORE THE FALL OF OF THE SINS OF ISRAELIt is impossible to include in this work any complete study of all that comes to view in this chapter. The Holy Bible itself is devoted in a large measure to the record of the sins of the Chosen People, who repeatedly, murmured, rebelled, rejected and disobeyed God's commandments. It would be nearly impossible just to count the apostasies that repeatedly marked Israel's history, and the numberless times when God overlooked their transgressions, renewed the covenant with a succeeding generation, or even blessed them (when justice required their punishment), doing so "for his name's sake," that is, to avoid what would have been the cry of pagan nations that Jehovah was unable to preserve and bless Israel. Therefore, we shall handle much of the material here in an abbreviated form. A great many of the sins of Israel mentioned in this chapter have already received extensive comment in our Commentaries on the Pentateuch, the Minor Prophets, the Major Prophets, and the Book of Joshua. "The date of this chapter is July-August. 591 B.C.";[1]"And this is also the date of what follows through Ezekiel 23."[2] "This date was only eleven months and five days after the date given in Ezekiel 8:1, twenty-five months and five days after Ezekiel's call to the prophetic office (Ezekiel 1:2), and twenty-nine months after the blockading of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 24:1)."[3] This record of the sins of the Chosen People constitutes, "A literal presentation of that which is described figuratively in Ezekiel 16."[4]It is an amazing historical coincidence that, "According to Jewish tradition, the fifth month on the tenth day of the month was the date of the `Sentence of Wandering' pronounced upon Israel in Numbers 14:29, also the date upon which the Temple was burnt by the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 52:12-13); and, according to Josephus, the date when the Romans burnt the Temple in 70 A.D."[5]The historical background of this section (through Ezekiel 23) found the Jews of the captivity rejoicing over the victory of the Egyptians in the Sudan, and in the rumors that Pharaoh-Passammetic would soon conquer Palestine. This news, coupled with the knowledge that Zedekiah would soon transfer his loyalty to Pharaoh instead of Nebuchadnezzar, heightened their hope that their captivity would soon end.[6]The text does not reveal the nature of the question that the elders intended to ask Ezekiel, but it very likely originated in their vain hope of an early end of their captivity. Ezekiel 20:1-4"And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me. And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Is it to inquire of me that ye are come? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you. Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers."Whatever the question of the elders might have been, it was certainly unworthy of the Lord's attention. The wickedness of the whole nation from its beginning until that instant was so great that they deserved no communication whatever from the Lord. "Wilt thou judge them, wilt thou judge them ..." (Ezekiel 20:4)? The true meaning is this emphatic command is given in the next clause. "Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers." "The Hebrew word here does not mean merely `to judge.'"[7] It also includes the meaning of prosecuting a cause before a tribunal; and that was what Ezekiel was instructed here to do. These four chapters constitute the demonstration that, "The wickedness of Judah was now full."[8] Under the figure of a great fire that would burn up the whole land of Israel, Ezekiel outlined in the concluding portion of the chapter the inevitable result of their overflowing wickedness. The purpose of rehearsing all the sins of Israel was twofold. (1) It showed the absolute necessity and justice of their punishment; and (2) it also showed the infinite patience, longsuffering, forbearance and mercy of God so tenderly exhibited during long centuries of his dealings with them. Verse 5 "And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah; In the day when I chose Israel, and sware unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I sware unto them, saying, I am Jehovah your God; in that day, I sware unto them to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. And I said unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Jehovah your God. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me; they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. 9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt."ISRAEL'S WERE IDOL IN EGYPTNo other scripture pinpoints this phase of Israel's history; but there is ample evidence of the truth of it throughout the Bible. The worship of the Golden Calf was nothing but a throwback to Egyptian idolatry (Exodus 32). "A land that I had searched out for them ..." (Ezekiel 20:6). The land of Canaan is called, "the glory of all lands," both here and again in Ezekiel 20:15. From the standpoint of its location, this is especially true, being in fact adjacent to three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa. Also, the ancient fertility and productivity of Palestine were, at one time, the best on earth. Many changes since those early times have no doubt altered that situation today. "I wrought for my name's sake ..." (Ezekiel 20:9). This is a reference to the fact that God on several occasions did not judge Israel according to what they certainly deserved; but, that in order to prevent the pagan nations from questioning God's ability to protect his people, simply went on and blessed them in spite of their sins. Two examples of this are found in Exodus 32:12 and in Numbers 14:16. There are at least two examples of Israel's rebellion in Egypt: (1) the first, when they demanded of Moses, "Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? and the second, when they rebelled against Moses and Aaron (Exodus 5:11). "The idols of Egypt they did not forsake ..." (Ezekiel 20:8). Joshua, the great leader who led the Chosen People into Canaan speaks of this (Joshua 24:14). The problem, from God's standpoint, in this chapter was, "How could God vindicate his moral character by punishing rebellion, and at the same time preserve his honor in the eyes of the world."?[9] We are happy indeed that Cooke gave the correct answer to this problem: "The punishment would come, all right, but there would be a restoration, involving a striking act of power that would prove to all the world that Jehovah is indeed the only God."[10] That world-shaking event, of course, was the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and the establishment of a New Israel of God, an Israel without any racial tones whatever, but composed of Jews, Gentiles, and people of every tongue and tribe and nation. This is a very important admission from one of the most credible of the radical critics; because it explains why prophecies of blessing, restoration and salvation always follow the denunciations found so often in the prophets, and that those prophecies of doom and salvation always came from the mouth of the same prophet, whoever he was. Verse 10 "So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them my statutes, and showed them mine ordinances, which, if a man do, he shall live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; and they walked not in my statutes, and they rejected mine ordinances, which, if a man keep, he shall live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said, I will pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. Moreover I sware unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; because they rejected mine ordinances, and walked not in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless mine eye spared them, and I destroyed them not, neither did I make a full end of them in the wilderness."ISRAEL AGAINST GOD IN THE "Sabbaths, a sign between me and them ..." (Ezekiel 20:12). Behold here the true status of the sabbath. It was never given to all mankind, but to Israel only, as a sign between them and God. It was not revealed to Adam, who never heard of it, but to Moses (Nehemiah 9:13). "Their heart went after their idols ..." (Ezekiel 20:16). The martyr Stephen mentions Israel's worshipping the host of heaven (Acts 7:42) during the period of their wilderness wandering. "Their heart went after their idols ..." (Ezekiel 20:16). "Israel in Canaan might have deserved this sweeping condemnation, but not Israel in the wilderness; because only two outbreaks of idolatry are recorded, namely that of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32), and that at Baal-Peor (Numbers 24-25)."[11] Such a comment is incorrect, because it is founded upon the false notion that Numbers records all that Israel did during the forty years of their sentence of waiting to enter Canaan. As a matter of fact, very little of what Israel did during that generation is recorded; because any significance of what that evil generation did was lost in their rebellion against God. And the very few instances where such details as the Golden Calf and the fiasco at Baal-Peor are mentioned, they are reported only, "For our information upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). The total history of all of Israel's wickedness would probably have required a dozen volumes the size of the Biblical Numbers! Thus, there is no reason whatever to accept a comment that questions the blame here laid by God's prophet upon Israel. All of the incidents actually reported of that forty-year period in the wilderness probably took place in a time period of a few weeks or months, there being no effort whatever to provide a full history of that lost four decades. Verse 18 "And I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am Jehovah your God: walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them; hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am Jehovah your God. But the children rebelled against me; they walked not in my statutes, neither kept mine ordinances to do them, which, if a man do, he shall live in them; they profaned my sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth. Moreover I sware unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; because they had not executed mine ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances wherein they should not live; and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah."THE OF THE SECOND "And I said unto their children ..." (Ezekiel 20:18) This appears to be the second generation of the wilderness wanderers. They did not respond, but after the manner of their fathers, "rebelled against God" (Ezekiel 20:21). Baal-Peor is the only proof that is needed to demonstrate their total apostasy. In fact, God would have totally destroyed them at that time, except for the consideration that His holy name would have been profaned by the nations. Instead, he made another covenant with Israel, the wicked children of the first generation, and under Joshua, led them into Canaan. "Scatter them among the nations ..." (Ezekiel 20:23). "Nine centuries were to pass before this threatened scattering took place; but that God actually did as he promised is evidenced today in the Jewish community in every city on the earth."[12]"I gave them statutes that were not good ..." (Ezekiel 20:25). This is a reference to the judicial hardening that came to Israel, similar to that which Paul mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, "God sends them a strong delusion that they all might be damned, etc." There is even a hint here as to the mechanics of the deception that came upon them. God's law had indeed commanded that "The first-born of both man and beast were sacred unto God and were to be offered as a burnt-offering to God" (Exodus 13:12). However, there was an exception made in the case of human beings, as every student of the scripture knows. The ordinance was perverted to allow the sacrifice of children who were passed through the fire to Molech!. "It is perfectly self-evident here that we must not understand that these `ordinances which were no good' is a reference to anything whatever in the Mosaic Law; because the reference here is not to God's holy law at all, but to the wicked Israel's perversion of it."[13]We must not suppose that Israel was innocent in this perversion of God's Word. "Ezekiel gives us to understand that it was, "Due to judicial blindness inflicted by God Himself."[14]Verse 27 "Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In this moreover have your fathers blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. For when I had brought them into the land, which I sware to give unto them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offerings; there also they made their sweet savor, and they poured out there their drink offerings. Then I said unto them, What meaneth the high place whereunto ye go? So the name thereof is called Bama unto this day."WICKED ISRAEL'S FOR PAGAN SHRINESDespite the fact of God's having set up his holy altar at a specific location and having given the most solemn prohibitions against worshipping or sacrificing elsewhere, and in spite of God's having forbidden the Jews to honor or retain any of the pagan shrines and altars in Palestine, they nevertheless spared all the pagan shrines, and installed others. Note the fourfold repetition of the word "there" in Ezekiel 20:28. It was especially an affront to the God of Israel that his people would patronize and even prefer to worship at such high places, rather than at God's true altar. Of course, it was the licentious worship of the pagans which they at once adopted and included along with God's worship that was the great attraction for Israel. Blasphemy against God? Of course; it was blasphemy of the worst kind, because it connected the holy name of the Lord Jehovah with all the immorality and debaucheries of paganism. "Bama ..." (Ezekiel 20:29). "This is a Hebrew word meaning `High-Place.' The tops of high hills were used by the pagans for their idolatrous worship; and in response to that, Moses prohibited the use of them even for the worship of God."[15]Verse 30 "Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Do ye pollute yourselves after the manner of your fathers? and play the harlot after their abominations? And when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, do ye pollute yourselves with all your idols unto this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you; and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.""Do ye pollute yourselves ..." (Ezekiel 20:30-31)? These interrogatives demand an affirmative answer, making it evident that apostate Israel's rejection of God was complete. Verse 32 indicates that the "elders" had already decided to adopt paganism and forsake the worship of God altogether. Ezekiel thundered the message, "Such a thing shall not be at all"! Verse 33 "As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you. And I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather ye out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face. Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, saith the Lord Jehovah. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the land of the covenant; and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that trespass against me; I will bring them forth out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord Jehovah: Go ye, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not hearken unto me; but my holy name shall ye no more profane with your gifts, and your idols. For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there I will accept them and there will I require your offerings, and the first-fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.""I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples ..." (Ezekiel 20:35). This new wilderness was not a geographical wilderness like the wilderness of Egypt, but a wilderness, "of strange peoples, unusual social customs, etc."[16] It was the wilderness of their captivity in Babylon; and the vast majority of Israel would not pass that test, any more than their fathers had passed it in the former wilderness. The most of them, enamored with the wealth and splendor of Babylon, would never leave for any return to Palestine, even when free to do so. Such persons were described by Cooke as, "Separated by the refining process, and not allowed to participate in the restoration."[17]We agree with Keil who saw this ultimate gathering from the wilderness of the peoples, "As the gathering of the true Israel from the heathen world, which will ultimately be fulfilled in their conversion to Jesus Christ."[18]However, we cannot accept Keil's statement that, "The principal fulfillment is still future, when Israel as a nation shall be converted to Christ."[19] The Bible nowhere says that any nation whatever shall ever be converted to Christ. "Go ye, serve every one his idols ..." (Ezekiel 20:39). This is the same kind of commandment that God gave to Judas Iscariot, when he said, "What thou doest, do quickly." God never restrains anyone from evil who has already made up his mind to sin. That would appear to be the condition of those elders who sat in front of Ezekiel. A feature of this chapter here is the unchanging purpose of God to redeem all mankind through the posterity of Abraham, as he said at the beginning (Genesis 12:3). Many of Abraham's literal posterity will have no part of God's intention; but God will do it in spite of them. Jamieson paraphrased the thought of Eze 20:40 - "Although you, the rebellious portion of Israel, withdraw from my service, others of the believing remnant, will succeed after you perish, and will serve God purely."[20]"In the mountain of the height of Israel, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me ..." (Ezekiel 20:40). As Cook noted, "All separation between Israel and Judah shall cease. This points to the times yet future, when in Messiah's kingdom, Jews and Gentiles alike shall be gathered into the kingdom, the kingdom of Christ."[21]Verse 41 "As a sweet savor will I accept you when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I sware to give unto your fathers. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have polluted yourselves; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have dealt with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah."The purity and morality of the Christian religion will so discipline the minds and hearts of men, that all of God's children under the new covenant will despise and deplore the evil ways that marked the behavior of men in pre-Christian times. Verse 45 "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South; and say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Jehovah; thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will kindle the fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming fire shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt thereby. And all flesh shall see that I, Jehovah, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched. Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?"PARABLE OF THE GREAT FOREST FIREThis parable emphatically teaches the total destruction of Jerusalem. If there could be any doubt of what is prophesied, the following chapter spells it out in language so blunt and specific as to shock the evil men who pretended not to understand it. Incidentally, the Hebrew Bible begins the following chapter with verse 45 here; but we choose to discuss this paragraph in the same chapter where we find it in our English Bibles. "The riddle here was easy to solve, and Ezekiel was dealing with a sharp-witted people; but the sinful men who heard it simply did not wish to understand it, therefore they claimed it was too difficult to interpret. Ezekiel at once took that pitiful excuse away from them with the devastating message of the "Song of the Sword" in the following chapter."[22]"The fire ... shall devour every green tree and every dry tree ..." (Ezekiel 20:47). Ezekiel 21:3 reveals that the green tree and the dry tree here stand for the wicked and the righteous, both of whom will perish in the forthcoming holocaust. It is regrettable that some scholars jump to the conclusion that this contradicts what the prophet said in Ezekiel 18 regarding the fact of God's judgments being strictly on an individual basis. However, such errors are due to the false interpretation of what God said there through Ezekiel. The "death" mentioned there as the penalty of wickedness is not temporal, at all, but eternal. Failure to see that, enables a scholar such as McFadyen to write that, "This rather conflicts with his theory of individual retribution which he so fully expounded in Ezekiel 18."[23] Canon Cook accurately explained that, "The equity of God is fully vindicated in the fact that the `death' prophesied here was only temporal, while the death promised to the disobedient in Ezekiel 18 is eternal."[24] Ezekiel 20:1. Seventh year is dated from the dethroning of Jehoiacliin, at which time Ezekiel was taken into Babylon. This sitting of the elders of Israel is similar to the instance given in Ezekiel 14:1. Ezekiel 20:2. The Lord, being aware of the purpose of these elders, will tell the prophet how to address them, Ezekiel 20:3. The speech was to be about the Bame as was given at the former instance. These people were not worthy of the attention they could have received had their conduct been of the proper kind. Ezekiel 20:4. Ezekiel was told to refer them to the abominable conduct of their fathers. This would not have been held against them had they profited by the mistakes of their fathers and learned the lesson that such an example teaches. Ezekiel 20:5. With this verse the Lord begins an account of his dealings with Israel from the time they saw His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Ezekiel 20:6. The history starts with the time the people were preparing to leave the land where they had been for four centuries. Lifted up mine hand refers to the means the Lord used to procure the release of his people from the land of bondage. Glory of all lands denotes the general desirableness of the land of Canaan, but which God had reserved for his own people. Ezekiel 20:7. The Egyptians were idol worshipers and during a stay among them of several centuries the Israelites had taken up with the corrupt practices. As they were leaving that country the Lord admonished them to cut off the evil manner of life. I am the Lord your God should have been sufficient reason for their giving up the vain gods of the heathen from whom they had just been rescued. Ezekiel 20:8. The children of Israel did not obey the admonition to put away their idolatrous interests. They had not been made free from Egypt but a few weeks until they made the golden calf, suggested no doubt by their life in that country. Yea, even before getting out of that land they manifested an inclination to cling to their evil practices and the Lord’ s anger was provoked to the uttermost. Ezekiel 20:9. But He would not bring his chastisement upon them while in that land, for to do so would be a pollution in the midst of the heathen. Such is the meaning of what God wrought for his name’ s sake by showing the divine power in the midst of that nation that had been accustomed to devotions paid to idol gods. Ezekiel 20:10. After thus demonstrating his love for his people, God sent them forth out of that country to travel a while in the wilderness. Ezekiel 20:11, There is very little practical difference between statutes and judgments. The first refers especially to a fixed law to be enforced upon the subjects, the second considers the ability and right of the Lord to decide what is the proper conduct. In the application of them both to man the whole thought is that God knows best what is good for man and has arranged a code of rules for his conduct. The result of such a life will be that man will live in the sense of enjoying the favor and protection of God. The propriety of some Of these laws may be evident to the human mind while others would have to be accepted upon faith in God's wisdom. Ezekiel 20:12. This language refers to the time the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt. Of that time it is said by the Lord, “ I gave them my sabbaths.” This means that the observance of the sabbath days had not been required of God’ s people. Moreover, Nebemiah 9: 14 indicates they had not even known about such a practice as keeping a sabbath day prior to the law of Moses. It was to be a sign between tbe Lord and his people. The word means something visible as an evidence of a relationship between the parties Involved. By observing the sabbath days the children of Israel showed to the world that God was guiding them in their program of life. Ezekiel 20:13. This verse describes in a general way the spirit of lawlessness displayed by the children of Israel soon after they were released from Egypt. Despised my judgments means they belittled them and treated them aa if they were unimportant. The extent of their error is denoted by the Lord's words that the very rules which the Israelites belittled were so important that a man might live in them. Ezekiel 20:14. But I wrought means the Lord worked out his plan in order that His name would not be disgraced in the minds of the heathen. Ezekiel 20:15. The men responsible for the conspiracy against the Lord were all caused to die in the wilderness, thus being unable to reach the land of promise. Ezekiel 20:16. When men rebel against tbe righteous commandments of the Lord it is generally due to some other interests. In thi9 case the verse ex- piains it by saying ffteir heart went after their idols. Ezekiel 20:17, God chastised his people while in the wilderness and many thousands of them died. But the nation as a whole was not wiped out but succeeded In reaching the land promised to their fathers. Ezekiel 20:18. The children were not to be punished for the sins of their fathers unless they followed in the evil ways set before them, and even then it would be in punishment for their own conduct and not for that of the fathers. For this reason they were admonished not to walk in the statutes of their fathers nor serve their idols. Ezekiel 20:19. Being the Lord God of these people was cited as the reason they should walk in the statutes and judgments He had given them. Ezekiel 20:20. Sabbath as a sign is explained at verse 12. Ezekiel 20:21. This verse is a repetition of the charge of rebellion previously made against the children of Israel. Ezekiel 20:22. Withdrew mine hand means God refrained his hand from punishing his people as they deserved. This was done for the sake of His own name that it might not be polluted in the midst of the heathen. Ezekiel 20:23. Lifted up mine hand here is figurative and refers to the Lord’ s determination to punish his nation finally by scattering them among the heathen. Ezekiel 20:24. The children of Israel turned away from the taw of God, then became devoted to idols. Ezekiel 20:25. It might puzzle us to read that God would give people a law that was not good. The key to the verse is the sense in which the word gave is used. The lexicon says the original has a wide range of meanings. One way in which a thing may be "given” is to step out of the way and let a person who is stubborn have his own way in Order that he may be taught a lesson by his own experience. God has used such a plan more than once when his creatures persisted in walking according to their own rules which are designated statutes in this verse. (See Psalms 81:12; Acts 7:42; Romans 1:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:11.) Ezekiel 20:26. I polluted them denotes that God pronounced his people as a polluted group because Of their idola trous practices. They had stooped to the most abominable form of the heathen worship, that of offering human sacrifices. Ezekiel 20:27. The word translated blasphemed is defined "to revile” in the lexicon, and it has also been rendered “ reproach” in other passages in the King James version. God regarded it as a reproach against Him for his own people to take up with idols. Ezekiel 20:28. This verse is a description of the idolatrous conditions the Israelites found in Palestine when they entered it. They had been warned against just such things and hence had no reason to be taken by surprise. However, they fell right in with the situation and participated in all the abominable practices of the heathen. Ezekiel 20:29, Bamah Is a word of Indefinite origin and occurs only in this place. It is used in a derisive manner with reference to the high places that were approached hy idolatrous worshipers. Ezekiel 20:30. The question form of the language really was intended as an accusation of the things named. The generation of Ezekiel’ s day were accused of following in the footprints of their sinful forefathers. Ezekiel 20:31. With all these pollutions clinging to these people they were in no position to come to God for information. They had already be littled the instruction that was offered them in their law, hence it would be inconsistent for them to approach the Lord as sincere inquirers. Ezekiel 20:32. They had determined in their own mind to be as the heathen who served false gods that were made of wood and stone. They were foolish enough to think they could succeed and continue as a nation while relying on such false gods. But this verse informs them that such a Lhing shall not he at all. Ezekiel 20:33. This verse through 37 (Ezekiel 20:33-37) is a prediction of the captivity. The rule to be had over them was to be accomplished through the Babylonians in whose land they were to dwell throughout the historic 70-year captivity. Ezekiel 20:34. The captivity was intended to act as a season of discipline for the rebellious people of God. While in that state they were destined to feel the fury of Him whom they had disobeyed. Ezekiel 20:35. Wilderness of the people Is a figure of speech, based on the event when they were led out from Egyptian bondage into the wilderness. (See verse 10.) The present passage applies to the history connected with their exile in Babylon. Ezekiel 20:36. In this verse the Lord makes his own comparison between the lime of Egypt and that of Babylon. Ezekiel 20:37. Pass under the rod is another flgure of speech and the meaning is that God would take account of his people. The flgure is drawn from the practice of a shepherd who caused his sheep to pass under his rod as he counted them. The ones thus enumerated were to be retained as heirs to the covenant that promised a restoration t.o the favor of God after the chastisement of the captivity had met its purpose. Ezekiel 20:38. The principal Item in this purpose mentioned in the preceding verse was the cure of idolatry and that is the subject of this verse. Purge out from among you the rebels refers to those who would still be favorably disposed toward idolatry. They were to he weeded out from the other Jews and also be drawn away from the land of Babylon. However, they were not to be permitted to reenter the land of Israel since only those who were weaned from idols were to be thus rewarded. This helps to explain why only a remnant was permitted to return (Ezra 2:64). Ezekiel 20:39. This verse should be considered in connection with verse 25. It was a part of the treatment for idolatry that the nation be compelled to continue its corrupt practice even while in captivity. Ezekiel 20:40. This and some following verses predict the return from captivity. Mountain in symbolic language means a government. After the captivity the Lord’ s people were to return to their own land and restore the religious way of life that was directed by the law. There . . . offerings. While in Babylon the Lord would not accept any sacrifices from his people, but when they will have returned to their own country their offerings will be received. Ezekiel 20:41. By accepting and blessing the offerings of the Jews in Jerusalem, the heathen would have before them the evidence of the high standing of that people. Ezekiel 20:42. Another evidence of the favor of God will he the fact of the restoration of the Jews to the land from which they had been taken 70 years before. Ezekiel 20:43, The outstanding effort of the captivity was to rid the Jewish nation of the corruption of idolatry. (See the historical note on this subject in connection with comments on Isaiah 1:25, volume 3 of this Commentary.) Ezekiel 20:44. Israel did not receive the severe treatment her conduct deserved, which is the meaning of not according to your wicked ways. But the Lord wished to take care of his good name and hence held back part of his fury. Ezekiel 20:45-46. The 10-tribe kingdom had been in exile for more than a century. It was known in history as the northern kingdom as it related lo the kingdom of Judah. The latter was in the south part of Palestine, and as Ezekiel was writing its capital had not been destroyed, hence the present passage directed at Jerusalem as the south. Ezekiel 20:47. The imagery of a forest was selected for the present passage hence the destruction of the kingdom of Judah was spoken of as the burning of the trees. Ezekiel 20:48. Shall not be quenched means that. God’ s decree to overthrow the kingdom of Judah was bound to go through. Ezekiel 20:49. Ezekiel expressed a fear that this form of speech would not be taken seriously by his people; that they might, think he was speaking with no end in view. Ezekiel 21 ISRAEL’ S Chapter 21 opens with an explanation of the Parable of the Forest Fire that was related in the closing verses of the preceding chapter. To his parable Ezekiel adds a song about a sword (Ezekiel 21:8-17). This song becomes the springboard for two oracles dealing with the words of the king of Babylon (Ezekiel 21:18-27), and the sword that will one day fall upon Ammon (Ezekiel 21:28-32). THE PARABLE APPLIEDEze_21:1-4 The Lord's Directive (Ezekiel 21:1-3 a): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 21:2) Son of man, Set your face toward Jerusalem. Preach toward the sanctuaries. Prophesy unto the land of Israel. (Ezekiel 21:3) Say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD: After an interval of undetermined duration, God granted the unspoken request of his prophet (Ezekiel 21:1). Ezekiel was told to set your face toward Jerusalem. The formula is explained in the subsequent clauses by the verbs preach and prophesy. The sanctuaries (high places?) and the land of Israel, as well as Jerusalem, are to be the target of his discourse. The Lord's Announcement (Ezekiel 21:3-4) Announcement of hostility (Ezekiel 21:3 b): Behold, I am against you! Ezekiel was to announce that God had assumed a posture of hostility toward the land of Israel. Yahweh hurls at the nation the same challenge formula that he used in Ezekiel 13:8. Announcement of unsheathing the sword (Ezekiel 21:3-4): I will bring out my sword from its sheath. I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. (Ezekiel 21:4) Because I will cut off from you righteous and wicked, therefore my sword will go out from its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north. The divine sword of judgment (the fire in the parable) was about to come out of its sheath. Both wicked and righteous will be cut off. Ezekiel already had taught that as regards to final judgment, the righteous will not be destroyed with the wicked (ch 18). Of necessity, however, in temporal judgments the entire population of an area will be affected. Other peoples besides Israel will feel the effect of the sword of the Lord that at this point was wielded by the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 21:4). The Lord's Exaltation (Ezekiel 21:5): All flesh will know that I the LORD have brought out my sword from its sheath. It will not return any more. Even the foreign nations will realize that they had experienced a divine judgment. The sword of the Lord will not return unto its sheath until the destructive work assigned to it was complete. AN ACTION PARABLE Ezekiel 21:6-7 Ezekiel's Actions (Ezekiel 21:6): As for you, son of man, sigh. With the breaking of loins, and with bitterness you will sigh before their eyes. Ezekiel was deeply moved by this revelation. He was told not to hide his emotion. As in other instances (Ezekiel 4:4; Ezekiel 5:1-4), he was to dramatize in his own person the coming calamity. He was to assume the role of a mourner whose sighs were so deep that they seem to break his loins, i.e., he is to bend double as though smitten with great pain in the abdomen. This agonizing sigh was to be done before their eyes so as to provoke questions. Ezekiel's Explanation (Ezekiel 21:7): It will come to pass when they say unto you: Why are you sighing? Then you will say: Because of the tidings, for it comes. Every heart will melt. and all hands will droop. Every spirit will be faint. All knees will drip water. Behold, it comes! It will be done (oracle of the Lord GOD). When asked about his bitter sighing, Ezekiel was to explain that this was but an example of what all the exiles will do when they got the message from Jerusalem that the temple had been destroyed. The prophet, because of his special relationship to God, already had heard those tidings through revelation. Five years later all the exiles will hear that same message from someone who barely had escaped the fallen city. With the loss of the temple, all hopes of return to Jerusalem will be smashed. Four expressions set forth the physical and psychological reaction to the news of Jerusalem’ s destruction: (1) every heart will melt; (2) all hands will be slack; (3) every spirit will be faint; and (4) all knees will drip with water, i.e., kidney functions could not be controlled. Nonetheless, that bad news was coming. When it came it will prove to be a true account of what had actually happened in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 21:7). SONG OF THE SWORD Ezekiel 21:8-17 What Ezekiel was to Say (Ezekiel 21:8-11) Beginning of the song (Ezekiel 21:8-10 a): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (9) Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the LORD: Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished. (10) In order to make a great slaughter it is sharpened. In order that it might flash it is polished— or do we make mirth— The thought of the unsheathed sword in Ezekiel 21:3 gives rise to this present section. These lines may have been a common lament song sung in times of coming judgment. It is even possible that Ezekiel accompanied these words with some kind of sword-brandishing. The sword of the Lord is ready for action. Its dazzling brightness is added to its sharpness as a fresh element of terror. Interruption of the song (Ezekiel 21:10-11): the rod of my son, who rejects everything of wood. (Ezekiel 21:11) He gave it to be polished, to be seized by the hand. The sword, it is sharpened, and it is polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. Ezekiel quickly broke off his sword song as he noticed the smiles on the faces of his auditors. Or do we make mirth?, he asked. Do you think I am joking about this whole matter? This sharpened and glittering sword is the rod of My son, i.e., the rod with which God’ s son Israel must now be disciplined. The nation had despised everything of wood, i.e., every former instrument of punishment (cf. Isaiah 10:5). God had given that sword to be polished, and then handed over to the executioner.What Ezekiel was to Do(Ezekiel 21:12-17) First gesture (Ezekiel 21:12-13): Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against my people, it is against all the princes of Israel, those who are thrust down to the sword with my people. Therefore, smite upon the thigh. (13) For there is a trial! What if the despising scepter will be no more? (oracle of the Lord GOD). God called upon the prophet to take up a lament over the impending doom. He was to slap his thigh as a gesture of grief and despair. Even the princes of Judah will be thrust down, along with the common people, by the divine sword (Ezekiel 21:12). The trial of Judah had now come. During that trial, the scepter (Zedekiah), that despised the word and warning of God, will be no more. Judah will be left without a ruler (Ezekiel 21:13). Second gesture (Ezekiel 21:14): As for you, son of man, prophesy. Smite your hands together. Let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of those to be slain, the sword of the great one who is to be slain that surrounds them. God directed Ezekiel to perform yet another gesture. He was to slap his hands together. This action indicated either lamentation, or the summons to the agent of destruction. Ezekiel was to brandish the sword with a double motion, backward and forward, three times. That sword of divine justice will slay many, even the great one, i.e., the king. From that sword there will be no escape, for it will surround them like a besieging army. Significance (Ezekiel 21:15): In order that their heart may melt, and their stumbling be multiplied, I have set the point of the sword. Ah! it is made to flash, it is sharpened for slaughter. The point of the sword of the Lord will be set at every gate of the city. It will cause consternation within and stumbling as the citizens attempt to escape that sword that glittered because of sharpening and furbishing. Address to the sword (Ezekiel 21:16-17): Unite yourself, go right, set yourself, go left! Where is your face set? (Ezekiel 21:17) I also will smite my hands together, and cause my wrath to rest; I the LORD have spoken it. God addresses the sword (king of Babylon) in Ezekiel 21:16. This agent of divine judgment is urged to make a decision as to which direction he will move, but to get on with the judgment (Ezekiel 21:16). It is, after all, Yahweh who had given that command with a gesture of supreme authority (clap my hands together). When the divine sentence had been executed against Judah, God’ s anger will be appeased. God had spoken. What he had said must come to pass. With these words the song of the sword ended. There followed another interval of silence (Ezekiel 21:17). SWORD OF THE KING OF BABYLON Ezekiel 21:18-27 Coming of the King of Babylon(Ezekiel 21:18-23): A diagram (Ezekiel 21:18-20): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (19) Now as for you, son of man, make for yourself two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. The two of them will come forth out of one land. Fashion it. (Ezekiel 21:20) You will make a way that the sword may come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in the fortress of Jerusalem. Ezekiel received a new revelation (Ezekiel 21:18) in which he was commanded to sketch a road that, at a certain point, branched in two directions. The road came forth out of one land, i.e., out of the land of Babylon. That was the road that God’ s divinely appointed sword— the king of Babylon— will travel. At the crossroads the prophet was to draw, or perhaps cut out and place, a signpost (literally, a hand) pointing the way to the city, i.e., Jerusalem (v 19). The other branch in that road led to Rabbah Ammon (Ezekiel 21:20). A decision (21:21-22) Nebuchadnezzar's divination (Ezekiel 21:21): For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to employ divination. He shakes the arrows, he inquires of the teraphim, he observes the liver. His props in place, Ezekiel was to depict the king of Babylon standing at that crossroads. He was attempting to discover, by means of pagan divination, which of those two routes to travel. Three forms of divination are mentioned. Shaking the arrows involved writing the names of the two objectives on arrows, shaking them up in the quiver, and drawing forth one of them. The precise manner by which the small household gods called fraphim were used to receive oracular direction is unknown. Examining the color and markings of a liver from a sacrificial animal, however, is a well- known form of divination among the Babylonians, although this is the only place the custom is mentioned in the Scriptures. Results of the divination (Ezekiel 21:22): In his right hand is the divination of Jerusalem to set battering rams, to open the mouth for the slaughter, to lift the voice in a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to construct mounds, to build siege forts. Ezekiel pictures Nebuchadnezzar drawing two arrows from the quiver. The one in the right hand had the name Jerusalem written on it. His pagan divination informed him that he was to employ every siege weapon to assault the city— battering rams to assault the walls and gates; mounds of earth and mobile forts from which to hurl missiles over the walls. As he attacked Jerusalem, his men will open the mouth for the slaughter, i.e., lift up their voices in blood­curdling battle cries designed to terrify the inhabitants of the city. Reaction in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 21:23): It will be unto them as false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths unto them. But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken. To the men of Jerusalem, what Nebuchadnezzar had done was but vain divination. Still they lulled themselves into a false sense of security. They had escaped the king’ s wrath in the past by swearing oaths of allegiance to him. They were fully prepared to take such oaths again. This time, however, Nebuchadnezzar will come to settle the account with the rebels—he will bring iniquity to remembrance. This time they will be taken, i.e., seized by the invader. They will be either slain or be made prisoners (Ezekiel 21:23). Humiliation of the King of Judah (Ezekiel 21:24-27) Judah's sin remembered (Ezekiel 21:24): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have caused your iniquity to be remembered in that your transgressions have been uncovered, so that your sins appear in all your deeds; because you are remembered, you will be seized with the hand. The iniquity of Judah had forced, not only the king of Babylon, but the Lord himself to remember their iniquity. Their more recent transgressions had caused their former iniquities to be remembered before God. Because of their consistent record of willful disobedience, they will fall into the hand of the God of judgment. Judah's king removed (Ezekiel 21:25-26 a): You, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the iniquity of the end; (Ezekiel 21:26) thus says the Lord GOD: The turban will be removed. The crown will be taken off. Things will be thrown into confusion. The lowly will be exalted. The high will be brought low. Zedekiah is addressed in v 25 as a profane and wicked prince. This weak-kneed monarch had shown himself to be unfaithful both to his overlord Nebuchadnezzar, and to the God in whose name he had taken his vassal oath. Now his day had come. He had committed the iniquity that brought down punishment (Ezekiel 21:25). Zedekiah will lose the insignia of his rank. Things will be thrown into confusion. The rulers of Judah will be brought down and abased. The humble citizens who heeded God’ s word will be exalted (Ezekiel 21:26). The honors offered Jeremiah after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem might be an example of the exaltation of the humble (cf. Jeremiah 40:5 f.). Judah's monarchy ruined (Ezekiel 21:27): A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I have made it. This also will not be until he come whose right it is. I will give it to him. Following the removal of Zedekiah, Judah's monarchy will be in utter ruin (emphasized by the threefold repetition of the noun). The monarchy will exist no more until he come whose right it is. There can be little doubt that this is a messianic prediction and a clear reference to Genesis 49:10. The kingly line will be overthrown and God’ s people will remain without a king until that one arose who had been anticipated throughout Old Testament history. When Messiah finally comes, the royal insignia is given to him. He will be “ the culmination of everything to which the Davidic house and the messianic kingship in Israel always have pointed." SWORD AGAINST AMMONEze_21:28-32 A Symbolic Action (Ezekiel 21:28-30 a): As for you, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the children of Ammon and their taunt, and say: O sword, keen-edged, furbished to the uttermost for slaughter that it may flash. (Ezekiel 21:29) While they see falsehood about you, while they divine lies regarding you, to lay you upon the necks of the wicked who will be slain, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end. (Ezekiel 21:30) Cause it to return to its sheath! Apparently Ezekiel again takes up his sword. He turns it against the Ammonites. They might have thought that they would escape the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar when Judah was invaded. However, the ones who had mocked when Judah had experienced earlier invasions by Nebuchadnezzar should not imagine that they will escape a similar fate. The sword of divine judgment was sharpened and polished to the uttermost, i.e., as much as it could receive, so as to be a terrifying and effective instrument of punishment (Ezekiel 21:28). Ammonite soothsayers were envisioning peace and security for their kingdom. Such divination was false and unreliable. Ultimately Ammon will share the same fate as Jerusalem. Her slain will fall in heaps upon the necks of the wicked that are to be slain, i.e., upon the bodies of the Jews previously slain by Nebuchadnezzar. For them divine punishment has been decreed, and that punishment must certainly come (Ezekiel 21:29). At this point Ezekiel is commanded to return his symbolic sword to its sheath. God's Anger on Ammon (Ezekiel 21:30-32): In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. (Ezekiel 21:31) I will pour out my wrath upon you. I will blow you with the fire of my wrath. I will give you into the hand of ruthless men, skillful destroyers. (Ezekiel 21:32) You will become fuel for the fire. Your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered; for I the LORD have spoken it. The symbolic action performed by Ezekiel came to an end. The execution of the judgment thereby predicted shortly will follow. God will judge Ammon on its own soil—the place where you were created (Ezekiel 21:30). God’ s anger against Ammon will grow ever more intense as does a flame blown by bellows. Ammonites could expect no mercy from the ruthless Babylonians into whose hands they were about to fall (Ezekiel 21:31). Judah will be carried into exile; but Ammon will be destroyed in the midst of their land. For Ammon there was no hope of restoration like that which Ezekiel portrays as Israel’ s future. Ammon will pass into oblivion. Such was the final decree of the sovereign ruler of all nations (Ezekiel 21:32). Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-OneVerse 1 THE SONG OF THE SWORDThis chapter is called by many "The Song of the Sword." Why? The word "sword" occurs no less than thirteen times in 32 verses, being repeated over and over again, doubled and thrice doubled in its significance. It is God's explanation of the parable of the great forest fire just presented inEzekiel 20, which the stubborn sinners who heard it pretended not to understand. They certainly could not have missed the point of this explanation. It was the sword, the sword, the sword, the sword, etc. the sword sharpened, the sword polished, the sword swift as lightning, the sword of the Lord, but particularly the sword of Babylon the agent of God in his punishment of Israel. Ezekiel 21:1-7"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel; and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north. And all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more. Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes. And it shall be when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shalt melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord Jehovah."The parable of the great fire is fully explained here. The South is Jerusalem; the field of the South is Palestine; the forest of the field of the South is the people; every green tree and every dry tree are references to the wicked and the righteous, both of whom are marked for destruction. The great fire stands for war, symbolized here as "the sword." "Sigh, therefore, thou son of man ..." (Ezekiel 21:6). We have frequently noted the behavior of God's prophets who actually confirmed the predictive nature of their prophecies by their bizarre behavior at the time of giving the prophecy. Isaiah went barefoot for two years; Jeremiah wore an ox yoke to the king's court; Micah screamed like a jackal and wallowed in the dirt; here Ezekiel sighed and manifested great grief as a man with a broken heart, provoking an inquiry from the people, as to what it all meant. This behavior is the complete and irrevocable refutation of nonsense that Ezekiel "might not have written this chapter."[1] No man would possibly have behaved in the manner indicated here concerning an event that had already happened. "With the breaking of thy loins ..." (Ezekiel 21:5). The KJV and the Revised Standard Version are better here, reading "breaking of thy heart." In ancient times the loins (kidneys) were thought to be the seat of the emotions, now said to be "in the heart," not the physical heart, of course, but the brain, which is the seat of intelligence and the emotions. Verse 8 "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished; it is sharpened that it may make a slaughter; it is furbished that it may be as lightning: shall we then make mirth? the rod of my son, it contemneth every tree. And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon my people, it is upon all the princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people; smite therefore upon thy thigh. For there is a trial; and what if even the rod that contemneth shall be no more? saith the Lord Jehovah."Bunn referred to this chapter as, "One of the most shocking and awesome passages"[2] in the Bible. "The rod of my son, it contemneth every tree ..." (Ezekiel 21:10). "'The rod of my son,.' here, is the scepter of the House of David."[3] These words were spoken by the people who claimed not to fear the sword of punishment coming upon them, because the scepter of the House of David, whom God recognizes as his son, contemneth (despises) all other scepters as mere pieces of wood. "Cry and wail, son of man ..." (Ezekiel 21:12). This behavior supplements that of Eze 21:6, such bizarre actions being for the purpose of getting attention, and also for the purpose of emphasizing the predictive nature of these prophecies. "Smite therefore upon thy thigh ..." (Ezekiel 21:12). "This was done as an expression of grief."[4] Efforts have been made to view this as a demonstration of glee or delight on Ezekiel's part; but that could not possibly fit into the context here. Both this gesture and the clapping of hands, mentioned later, were bona fide expressions of extreme grief, especially when accompanied by the crying and walling of the prophet. "What if the rod that contemneth shall be no more ..." (Ezekiel 21:13)? This stops a little short of prophesying the end of the earthly house of David; but, in context, that is certainly the meaning of it. Verse 14 "Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the deadly wounded: it is the sword of the great one that is deadly wounded, which entereth into their chambers. I have set the threatening sword against all of their gates, that their hearts may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied: ah! it is made as lightning, it is pointed for slaughter. Gather thee together, go to the right, set thyself in array, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is set. I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest; I, Jehovah, have spoken it.""Let the sword be doubled the third time ..." (Ezekiel 21:14) "This shows the tremendous size and power of the sword coming against Jerusalem. All hope of escape was gone."[5]"It is the sword of the great one that is deadly wounded ..." (Ezekiel 21:14) This is a reference to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. "The sword shall smite the king as well as all the people."[6]"Which entereth into their chambers ..." (Ezekiel 21:14). This meant that the King of Babylon would enter the city of Jerusalem and have access to everything in it, even the house of the king. "I will also smite my hands together ..." (Ezekiel 21:17). It is impossible for this to refer to any sadistic glee on God's part over the destruction of his wicked people. Repeatedly, all of the prophets have assured us that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. This is another instance of where a misinterpretation can lead to serious error. Bunn, for example, toyed with the idea that "the clapping of hands" here was a sign of elation, approval, or delight. If he had properly understood the meaning of it in this context, he could never have said: These words almost depict Jehovah as a scheming, venal deity, who with deadly passion and sullen cruelty prepares for the total ravaging of his enemies."[7]This is a slander of the paragraph above where God is depicted as clapping his hands in deep grief over the fate of his Once Chosen People. Barlow properly understood the meaning of the clapping of the hands. "Smiting the hands together is an indication of violent grief."[8] The Biblical proof of this viewpoint is found inEzekiel 21:12 where the clapping of the hands is accompanied by the loud crying and wailing of the prophet. Verse 18 "The word of Jehovah came to me again, saying, Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land: and mark out a place, mark it out at the head of the way to the city. Thou shalt appoint a way to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified. For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows to and fro, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver. In his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to cast up the mounds to build forts. And it shall be unto them a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths unto them; but he bringeth iniquity in remembrance, that they may be taken.""Appoint thee two ways ..." (Ezekiel 21:18). These lines seem to be God's explanation to Ezekiel of the meaning of that divination sought by Nebuchadnezzar, at the head of the two ways. "Damascus was the point at which the ancient trade routes separated."[9]"Mark out a place at the head of the way to the city ..." (Ezekiel 21:19). Since nothing is said of Ezekiel's going all the way to Damascus, it could be that some crucial place on the road from Damascus to Jerusalem would be the place that Ezekiel was commanded to mark. In any case, the Jews did not believe it. The three types of divination which Nebuchadnezzar consulted were: (1) he placed two arrows in a quiver, one marked Ammon, the other Jerusalem. He shook them and poured them out; the Jerusalem arrow came out first. We do not know how (2) the teraphim and (3) the liver were consulted. This is the first passage in which the terrible sword of the Lord is also identified as the sword of the king of Babylon. "In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem ..." (Ezekiel 21:22). This indicates that Nebuchadnezzar had reached into the bag with the arrows and pulled out the one marked Jerusalem, or that, after that arrow fell out, he picked it up with his right hand. In any case, it meant that Jerusalem would be attacked first. The whole verse, with its mention of battering rams, forts, the slaughter, the shouting, etc. "It shall be unto them as a false divination ..." (Ezekiel 21:23). The remarkable thing in this verse is that the Jews themselves had depended upon such divinations, but now they refused to believe it. We believe that Ezekiel told the people of Nebuchadnezzar's divination and the results of it, the information having come to the prophet by the direct revelation of God. "He will call to remembrance ..." (Ezekiel 21:23). "This refers to Nebuchadnezzar, and the iniquity he will call to remembrance is the perjury and treason of the king of Israel, Zedekiah."[10]Verse 24 "Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the land. And then, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Remove the mitre, and take off the crown; this shall be no more the same; exalt that which is low; and abase that which is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more. UNTIL HE COME WHOSE RIGHT IT IS; and I will give it to him."This is one of the key passages in the Bible. Here is announced the end of the earthly House of David. Zedekiah's "day is come." It is not merely the death of the king, but the end of the kingdom which is at hand. The mitre, standing for the high priest and the whole religious system, and the crown standing for the king and the nobility receive the sentence: "Remove them!" Take them off! "This (the kingdom) shall be no more." "I will overturn, overturn, overturn." (Ezekiel 21:26-27). UNTIL HE COME WHOSE RIGHT IT ISWe have no patience at all with alleged scholars who cannot find any reference here to the Messiah. Such scholars remind one of the "elders" in these two chapters who could not understand the parable of the Great Fire!. First, we call the reader's attention to our discussion of the text in Genesis 49:10 (Vol. 1 of the Pentateuchal Series, pp. 566-569), to which there is a direct reference in Ezekiel 21:27, here. The old, outdated and discredited fulminations against this text by the radical critics, are gradually being replaced in this last quarter of the 20th century by the dependable words of many scholars. A few of these, we enclose here: "The only hope left to Judah in this passage was that `the ultimate scepter of Judah,' the Messiah would yet come. When Judah was purified, the scepter, `the Messiah', would rule over his people (Ezekiel 21:27.)[11] ... Ezekiel 21:27 indicates the overthrow of Zedekiah's throne, the end of the Davidic kingdom until the coming of the Messiah.[12] ... The one to whom this right belongs, and to whom God will give it, is the Messiah, of whom the prophets from the times of David and onward have prophesied as the founder and restorer of perfect right on earth.[13] ... These verses prophesy the end of the monarchic succession and of the state, which are to be brought into ruin until the Messiah comes.[14] This echoes Genesis 49:10. "Until he comes, to whom it belongs" (Revised Standard Version) ... The Jewish rabbis paraphrase this in a Messianic sense.[15] ... The promised king in Ezekiel 21:27 is the Son of David, the Messiah; thus the promise of Judah's destruction here ends in a promised restoration, as in ch, 20:40.[16] ... Here we have a cryptic reference back to Genesis 49:10, where is given the expectation of one to whom the right of kingship really belonged; he will be that one to whom everything in the House of David and the Messianic kingship have always pointed.[17] ... These verses (26,27) express Ezekiel's hope of a personal Messiah; there is an allusion here to Genesis 49:10.[18] ... The Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, was the true King of Judah.[19]Verse 28 "And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach, and say thou, A sword, a sword is drawn, for the slaughter it is furbished, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning; while they see for thee false visions, while they divine lies unto thee, to lay thee upon the necks of the deadly wounded, whose day is come in the time of the iniquity of the end. Cause it to return unto its sheath. In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth will I judge thee; I will blow upon thee with the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skillful to destroy. Thou shalt be as fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I, Jehovah have spoken it."This prophecy against Ammon has no promise of restoration. We have no certain word on just why Ammon was singled out here for this special oracle; but it might have pertained to the share they had in the murder of Gedaliah, by the hand of Ishmael. Ezekiel 21:1-2. The words set thy face toward Jerusalem wilt be understood by remembering that Ezekiel was in Babylon all the time he was writing, having been taken there at the time of Jehoiachtn’ s captivity. But the 3rd and final stage of the 70-year captivity had not taken place, hence Jerusalem was still standing and the last of its kings, Zedekiah, was yet on the throne as a subject king under the Babylonians. Because of all this, much of Ezekiel’ s writings was prophecy though its fulfillment was about due and the remaining Jews were being warned to be prepared. Ezekiel 21:3, This verse was directed against the land of Israel in general, though its principal application was to the city of Jerusalem which was the capital and which was yet standing as per the preceding paragraph. The righteous and wicked were to be cut oft in that all classes regardless of personal character had to share in the national downfall. It is a proper time again to read the note offered in connection with 2 Kings 22:17, volume 2 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 21:4. All flesh is to be understood in the light of righteous and wicked as explained in the preceding verse. My sword refers literally to the sword of the Babylonians, but is so designated because God was using that nation as his instrument for chastising his people. Ezekiel 21:5. All flesh and my sword are explained In the preceding verse. Ezekiel 21:6. Breaking of thy loins is figurative and means his entire being was to feel the bitterness of the conditions for which he was sighing. Ezekiel 21:7. The sighing described in the preceding verse was a form of "acting" which has been spoken of a number of limes, and it was for the purpose of making an impression upon the people. When they inquired the reason for the demonstration the prophet was to tell them it was because of the tidings. Of course that referred to the news of what was to come yet upon the city and the people remaining in it, Ezekiel 21:8-9. The same subject is indicated in this paragraph and it pertains to the sword of the Babylonians. To furbish means to polish the body of the blade and to sharpen would affect the edge. The idea is that. God would use the sword of the Babylonians and that it would have been put. in tbe best condition for use. Ezekiel 21:10. By furbishing the sword it would be caused to glitter, thus making an Impressive appearance in the sight of the victims, One use of a rod was as a scepter in ruling, but the scepter in the hands of my son (meaning Zedekiah still on the throne) was to be of no avail when the sword of the Babylonians came against it. Ezekiel 21:11. He hath given it to be furbished means that God had decreed that the sword of the Babylonians was to be effective in its work against Judah. Ezekiel 21:12. Cry and howl was for the same reason as “ sigh” in verse 6. The impending calamity about to come on Jerusalem will be great and bitter and the prophet was instructed to indicate it by his physical expressions. In ancient times many actions were done to indicate the feelings of a person. such as to smite upon the thigh. Ezekiel 21:13. Sword contemn (belittle) the rod means the sword of Babylon would overcome the authority of Zedekiah. See the comments on verse 10. Ezekiel 21:14. Sword be doubled is an emphatic way of describing the success of the sword of Babylon. It was destined to slay many of the great men in Jerusalem. Entereth private chambers indicates the thoroughness of the work of the Babylonian army. Ezekiel 21:15. I have set the point of the sword against all their gates denotes that God had given (he sword of the Babylonians the mission of attacking Jerusalem and her walls. There was to be no escaping from the attack since God was back of it. Ezekiel 21:16. The I/ord is still addressing himself to the prophet, and In some figurative way is going to describe his actions toward the people. One way or other is a figure and the meaning is that there will be no way of turning that will not see the dealing to be meted out under the decree of the Lord. Ezekiel 21:17. Smite mine hands has the same significance as "smite upon the thigh” in verse 12. God was very determined to carry out his fury on those who provoked it. Ezekiel 21:18-19, Two ways represents the king of Babylon in his march out of Babylon and coming to a point where two directions appeared before him. He is undecided as to which course to take but the prophet is told to choose it for him. We have learned that God takes a hand in the affairs of the nation (Daniel 2:21; Daniel 4:17), thus He will decide the present question for the king of Babylon. That decision will be that the Babylonian forces will be directed to follow up both ways since the numerous forces of Nebuchadnezzar would enable him thus to act. Ezekiel 21:20. This verse designates the two ways mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and shows they were to lead against the Ammonites and Judah For a detailed explanation of the part the Ammonites played in the plans of the Lord, see the comments on Jeremiah 49:1, Ezekiel 21:21. This verse deals with the state of uncertainty in the mind of the king of Babylon which was discussed at verse 19, Vse divination refers to the way the king was using to bring him to a decision as to which way to choose, when the Lord intervened and made the decision for him. Looking in the liver refers to an ancient superstition of consulting the interna] organs of various creatures in arriving at decisions. Myers' Ancient History (page 344) says the following on this subject: "From Etruria was introduced the art of the haruspiccs, or soothsayers, which consisted in discovering the will of the gods by the appearance of the entrails of victims slain for the sacrifices.” Ezekiel 21:22. On one hand the king of Babylon saw the indication that he should go against Jerusalem. He was to advance against the capital city of Judah with strong military equipment that could lay and execute a siege. Ezekiel 21:23. Be unto them, a false divination means the people of Jerusalem will at least pretend not to take the matter seriously. They will console themselves with the idea that the king of Babylon has been misled by false divination. But the Lord will remind them of their evil conduct and thus assure them that the so-called false divination will prove to be true, and that they (people of Jerusalem) may be taken, the Lord will carry out the results indicated by the signs. Ezekiel 21:24, The false security the people of Jerusalem had imagined for themselves was to be exposed. Their iniquity was not forgotten by the Lord and for that cause they were to be taken with the hand, meaning the hand of the Lord was in the work of the Babylonians in this final stage of the captivity. Ezekiel 21:25. This wicked prince was Zedekiah who was Still on the throne in Jerusalem, ruling under the authority of Babylon but that rule was soon to have an end. Ezekiel 21:26. A diadem is a band worn on the forehead of a ruler, and a crown is the article worn on the top of the head to signify his authority. Zedekiah was still wearing this crown at the present writing although his reign was about to close. Take off the crown was a prediction and an order. The prediction was that Zedekiah was soon to lose bis crown and that it would be by the decree of the Lord. Not be the same means the crown will not continue in the same line it has been enjoying as to its temporal scope. Ex alt and abase indicates a reversal of conditions regarding the government of God’ s people. Ezekiel 21:27. To overturn means to overthrow and the threefold use of the word indicates emphasis. The antecedent of it is "crown” in the preceding verse and it is the thing God was about to overthrow. With the downfall of Zedekiah and Jerusalem the final stage of the 70-year captivity will be accomplished and Nebuchadnezzar will not leave any other man on the throne of Judah. Such is the significance of the words shall be no more. However, while the throne of Judah as a temporal kingdom was never again to be, yet something else was to take its place which Is introduced by the word until. Following up with the subject thus Introduced by tbe word until the Lord declared a person would come whose right it is, meaning it would be his right to have the throne, and when that person comes God will give it him. That great person is Christ and he Is the same person predicted in Genesis 49:10. This last passage together with our present verse makes the important prediction that Zedekiah was to be the last king ever to reign over Judah until Christ (the Shiloh of Gen 49:10) came, and then He would reign as a spiritual king. Ezekiel 21:28. The place of the Ammonites of the transactions of the Lord has been described, and the reader may see it in fuller detail at Jeremiah 49:1. Ezekiel 21:29. The gist of this verse is that there were false prophets among the Ammonites as well as in Judah, They gave their people false assurances of peace, and their predictions seemed plausible because Nebuchadnezzar was seen to direct his course toward Judah and that would seem to remove any threat to other places. Ezekiel 21:30. The question is asked of Ammon if he thought that God would withhold the sword just because the diviners had predicted It so. The question was then answered in the negative and the Ammonites were warned of judgment in their own land. Ezekiel 21:31. The threatening continues and the Ammonites are notified that their judgment will be like a fire. The judgment will be executed by the services of other heathen armies whom the lord designates as brutish men. Ezekiel 21:32. The Are threatened is largely figurative and refers to the heat of God’ s wrath. That heat was to be poured out against the Ammonites in the form of destruction in battle, conducted by the forces acting as an agency of God. Ezekiel 22 A SINFUL NATIONIn chs 22-24, Ezekiel continues to hammer away at the theme of Israel's defilement. Again his underlying premise is that Judah deserves the forthcoming judgment. By means of three oracles, two parables and a symbolic action, the prophet underscores the defilement of the land of Israel in the past and in the present. Each chapter in this section forms a distinct unit that may be titled as follows: (1) A Sinful Nation (Ezekiel 22:1-31); (2) A Sad History (Ezekiel 23:1-49); (3) A Significant Date (Ezekiel 24:1-27). Chapter 22 contains three separate oracles, each of which begins with the phrase, the word of the LORD came to me (Ezekiel 22:1; Ezekiel 22:17; Ezekiel 22:23). These messages originally may have been uttered on separate occasions. However, there is logic in the grouping of these three messages here. They share the common theme of the defilement of Israel. One might suggest the following titles for these three sermons: (1) The Bloody City (Ezekiel 22:1-16); (2) The Smelting Furnace (Ezekiel 22:17-31); (3) The Corrupt Land (Ezekiel 22:23-31). THE BLOODY CITY Ezekiel 22:1-16 As in chs 16 and 20, Ezekiel sets forth Jerusalem's abominations. Here, however, the prophet exposes present, rather than past sins. Initial Indictment and Threat (Ezekiel 22:1-5) Instructions (Ezekiel 22:1-2): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 22:2) As for you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then make known to her all her abominations. Again Ezekiel is asked if he will judge Jerusalem (cf. Ezekiel 20:4). Before he can pronounce such judgment, Ezekiel must inform the inhabitants of the bloody city of the charges against them (Ezekiel 22:2). He therefore lists for them their crimes. Indictment (Ezekiel 22:3): Say: Thus says the Lord GOD: O city that sheds blood in her midst, that her time may come, and that makes idols unto her to defile herself. Jerusalem's abominable deeds are essentially two. First, the city sheds blood in her midst. This brazen disregard for life indicates the terrible moral debasement of the place. Second, the Jerusalemites had made idols for themselves. Thus they had committed the ultimate sin on the vertical as well as the horizontal dimension of covenant obligation. Result (Ezekiel 22:4-5)The abominations of Jerusalem have five terrible results as listed below: 1. Judicially guilty (Ezekiel 22:4 a): You are guilty in the blood that you have shed. The citizens had become judicially guilty, hence deserving of punishment. 2. Religiously defiled (Ezekiel 22:4 b): You are defiled by the idols that you have made. They had become defiled, i.e., contaminated by something foreign to Jerusalem's very nature. 3. Politically in jeopardy (Ezekiel 22:4 c): You have caused your days to draw near. You have come unto your years. The bloodshed and idolatry had caused Jerusalem’ s days [i.e., days of retribution] to draw near. The years of dispersion and exile which commenced in 597 B.C., continued until the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.4. Publicly mocked (Ezekiel 22:4-5 a): Therefore, I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all lands! (Ezekiel 22:5) Those that are near and those that are far from you will mock you... In the eternal counsels of God, Jerusalem already had been made a reproach and an object of mockery to all neighboring lands. The judgment is certain.5. Universally despised (Ezekiel 22:5 b): O you defiled of name and great of tumult. The people of God will become known far and near. They will be defiled of name, i.e., have a bad reputation derived from the fact that their land was full of tumult, i.e., turmoil and confusion caused by war and natural calamity. After this brief aside on the nearness of judgment, Ezekiel continues the catalog of crimes committed by his countrymen. Judah's Sins Amplified (Ezekiel 22:6-12) In Ezekiel 22:6-12 the accusations of Eze 22:3-4 are amplified as shown below: Sins of oppression (Ezekiel 22:6-7): Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his strength, they have been in you in order to shed blood. (Ezekiel 22:7) In you they have made light of father and mother. In the midst of you they have dealt with the stranger by oppression. In you they have wronged the orphan and widow. Behold introduces the shocking crimes of the princes or leaders of Judah had abused their power even to the point of bloodshed (Ezekiel 22:6). His strength is lit., his arm. Government might was used to oppress rather than uplift people. In open defiance of the fifth commandment, the people of Judah had ridiculed and mocked their elderly fathers and mothers. Furthermore, oppression of the helpless— the strangers or sojourners, the orphans and widows— was common throughout the land (Ezekiel 22:7). Religious sins (Ezekiel 22:8-9 a): You have despised my holy things. You have profaned my sabbaths. (9) Talebearers have been in you to shed blood. In you they have eaten upon the mountains. The Jerusalemites had despised the holy things of God by the disrespectful way in which they conducted themselves in the temple. The weekly Sabbath and the special festival days designated as sabbaths had been profaned by the hypocritical conduct of the worshipers (Ezekiel 22:8). Involvement in idolatrous worship had caused a general decline in commitment to truth. Disregarding the prohibition against bearing false witness, talebearers or slanderers had sent many innocent persons to face the death penalty. Many participated in the idolatrous worship exercises upon the hills (Ezekiel 22:9 a). Sexual sins (Ezekiel 22:9 b-11): In the midst of you they have committed lewdness. Lewdness or unchastity was an integral part of pagan rituals (v 9b). Unlike his contemporary Jeremiah who says virtually nothing about sexual sins, Ezekiel expands the general charge of lewdness with five sexual crimes. First degree incest (Ezekiel 22:10 a): In you a father’ s nakedness has been uncovered. Ezekiel accuses the Jews of having uncovered a father's nakedness of their fathers, i.e., engaged in an incestuous relationship with a stepmother (cf. Leviticus 18:7 f.)Violation of sexual privacy (Ezekiel 22:10 b): In you they have humbled the woman who was unclean in her impurity. The men had humbled the woman, i.e., forced sexual relations with a spouse, during her monthly flow. The law forbade intercourse with a menstruous woman (cf. Leviticus 18:19; Leviticus 20:18). Adultery (Ezekiel 22:11 a): One has committed an abomination with the wife of his neighbor... The Jews had committed the abomination of adultery with a neighbor's wife. Second degree incest (Ezekiel 22:11 b): while another has defiled his daughter-in-law with lewdness. They had committed incest with a daughter-in-law. Marriage made a woman a sister to every other male in the family. Though not blood kin, sex with a daughter-in-law was equivalent to incest. Rape (Ezekiel 22:11 c): Still another in you has humbled his sister, his father’ s daughter. The Jews had humbled, i.e., raped, their half-sisters (cf. Leviticus 18:9; Leviticus 18:15). Sins of avarice (Ezekiel 22:12): In you they have taken gifts in order to shed blood. Interest and increase you have taken. You have gotten illicit gain from your neighbor by oppression. You have forgotten me (oracle of the Lord GOD). Bribery of judicial officials leading to the execution of innocent men was common in Judah (Ezekiel 22:12 a). In violation of the laws against usury (cf. Leviticus 25:36 f.), the wealthy had taken undue interest. Thus they had enhanced their personal wealth through greed and oppression (Ezekiel 22:12 b). All of the above sins grew out of one fundamental transgression: Judah forgot God. To remember God is to respond to his gracious acts by covenant faithfulness. Punishment(Ezekiel 22:13-16) God's action (Ezekiel 22:13): Behold I have smitten my hand at your illicit gain that you have made, and against your blood that exists in your midst. Behold introduces the shocking response of God to the sin of Judah. In a gesture of anger, God is said to smite his hands, i.e., to clap his hands, to summon the agents of judgment. God's questions (Ezekiel 22:14): Can your heart endure? Can your hands be strong for the days when I will deal with you ? I the LORD have spoken, and will do it. By means of a rhetorical question, Ezekiel drives home the point that the Jews will not have the fortitude or the physical strength to stand against the enemies by which God will bring judgment upon them. With God the very pronouncement of judgment is tantamount to the act of judgment. What he decrees he will surely bring to pass. God's intention (Ezekiel 22:15-16): I will scatter you among the nations, and spread you in the lands. I will consume your uncleanness from you. (Ezekiel 22:16) You will be profaned in yourself in the sight of the nations. You will know that I am the LORD. As far as Judah was concerned, judgment involved (ultimately) exile to foreign lands. Those who had escaped the deportation of 597 B.C. were soon to experience that fate. However, this exile will have a positive benefit. The people of God will be purged of their uncleanness, i.e., their sin and iniquity (Ezekiel 22:15). They then will realize that Yahweh who knows the end from the beginning had brought this calamity to pass. But however beneficial the ultimate result, the exile will not be a pleasant experience. In the sight of the nations, Judah will be profaned, i.e., humiliated and debased. This will generate feelings of shame and remorse. In a certain sense this profanation will also affect Yahweh himself, as Ezekiel 36:20 will explain (Ezekiel 22:16). THE FURNACE Ezekiel 22:17-22 Condition of the People (Ezekiel 22:17-18): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 22:18) Son of man, the house of Israel has become to me dross. All of them are bronze, tin, iron and lead in the midst of a furnace. They are the dross of silver. The thought in Ezekiel 22:15 that the exile will purge the filthiness from Judah is amplified in this paragraph. The house of Israel, i.e., Judah, has become like a metallic ore, a mixture of various minerals and impurities that must undergo a smelting process. They once were silver; now they are dross, i.e., worthless. Melt-down of the Nation (Ezekiel 22:19-22) The furnace (Ezekiel 22:19-20): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am about to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 22:20) As they gather silver, bronze, iron, lead and tin into the midst of a furnace to blow the fire upon it to melt it, thus I will gather you in my wrath and fury. I will cast you into [the fire], and melt you. Jerusalem, where the inhabitants will gather to make their last stand, will serve as the symbolic furnace in which the refining process will begin (Ezekiel 22:19).The fire (Ezekiel 22:21): I will gather you. I will breathe upon you with the fire of my wrath. You will be melted in the midst of it. The wrath and fury of the Lord will be the fire that will heat that furnace. The result (Ezekiel 22:22): As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, thus you will be melted in the midst of it. You will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath upon you. Through the holocaust, the precious silver— the spiritual remnant— will become evident. All the inhabitants of Jerusalem will know that they had experienced the judgmental fury of the one true and living God.THE CORRUPT LAND Ezekiel 22:23-31 Corruption of the Religious Leaders (Ezekiel 22:23-26) The prophets (Ezekiel 22:23-25): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 22:24) Son of man, say to her: You are a land not cleansed, or rained upon in the day of indignation. (Ezekiel 22:25) There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured souls. They have taken treasure and precious things. They have multiplied her widows in the midst of her. The Lord regarded Judah as defiled (a land not cleansed), spiritually desolate (nor rained upon) and deserving of judgment (Ezekiel 22:23). This condition existed primarily because of the actions of her national leaders. The prophets had entered into a conspiracy, a solemn pact that they will predict only peace and security for the nation. Their loud oratory, like the roar of a lion, was only the prelude to national disaster. The character of these men was indicated by their greed. In exchange for treasure and precious things, they will paint the future in the most optimistic hues. But the results of this kind of prognostication were disastrous. Lives will be lost and widows made numerous by the ruinous national policy that they encouraged (Ezekiel 22:25). The priests (Ezekiel 22:26): Her priests have done violence to my law. They have profaned my holy things. They have not distinguished between the holy and the common. They have not taught the difference between the unclean and clean. They have hidden their eyes from my sabbaths. I am profaned among them. The priests were not one whit better than the prophets. Instead of teaching the law of God and exemplifying its contents, they had done violence to God’ s law. They failed to teach it. They violated its teaching. They profaned the holy things of God by not adhering to the regulations that served to underscore the sanctity of the temple. They failed both in their private lives and in their public teaching to differentiate between holy and common, i.e., they allowed holy things to be used in profane ways (cf. Leviticus 10:10 f.). Likewise, the Mosaic distinction between clean and unclean was ignored both as regards meat fit for food, and as regards the ritual purity of worshipers. They hid their eyes from the sabbaths of God, i.e., they looked on indifferently as God’ s people desecrated those sacred days. By means of all the above named transgressions, the priests had done violence to God's law. They had profaned, i.e., treated disrespectfully, the Lord God (Ezekiel 22:26).Corruption of Societal Leaders (Ezekiel 22:27-29): The princes (Ezekiel 22:27-28): Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey: to shed blood, and to destroy souls, in order to acquire illicit gain. (Ezekiel 22:28) Her prophets have daubed for them with white plaster, seeing falsehood and divining lies to them, saying, Thus says the Lord GOD, when the LORD has not spoken. The princes, like fierce wolves, shed blood and destroyed lives so as to enrich themselves. Probably these men used legal machinery to achieve their ends (Ezekiel 22:27). Prophets were supposed to rebuke wicked men, expose national corruption and warn of impending disaster. Judah’ s prophets, however, had whitewashed the leadership. They supported their dangerous international policy by proclaiming falsehood. They used pagan divination to conjure up some of their lies. Yet they brazenly announced their prophecies with Thus says the Lord (Ezekiel 22:28; cf. Ezekiel 13:10). The landowners (Ezekiel 22:29): The people of this land have engaged in oppression. They have been involved in theft. They have wronged the poor and needy. They have oppressed the stranger unlawfully. The people of the land, i.e., the wealthy landholders, unlawfully had resorted to robbery and oppression against the helpless element of society and the strangers who sojourned in the land. Total Corruption (Ezekiel 22:30-31): I sought for a man among them to build up the wall, one to stand in the breach before me for the land that I should not destroy it. I found none. (Ezekiel 22:31) Therefore, I have poured out upon them my wrath. In the fire of the my anger, I have consumed them. Their way I have placed upon their head (oracle of the Lord GOD). The population was thoroughly corrupt. God could find no moral leader to stand in the breach in the moral wall that protected Judah from judgment (cf. Ezekiel 13:5). Morality is like a wall that shields a people from divine wrath. Where that wall breaks down, judgment enters. Judah needed a national leader of the highest quality to use his influence for good to repair that broken wall. None was available (Ezekiel 22:30). The moral collapse of a nation is inevitably followed by its physical destruction. So certain is the judgment that God uses the past tense to describe what will yet befall Judah. There was no escape! (Ezekiel 22:31). Ezeiel Chapter Twenty-TwoVerse 1 LIST OF 'S CURRENT SINSWhereas the previous chapter gave a record of the historical apostasies of the nation of Israel, this one focuses upon the sins that Jerusalem was then in the act of committing when Ezekiel delivered this chapter, the tremendous implication being that there could no longer be any hope of God's sparing the "bloody city." Also, the specific enumeration of so many transgressions, "Gives us a true picture of what Ezekiel means by `sins'."[1]The chapter naturally falls into three divisions, presenting three oracles, each of which begins with the solemn words: "The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man ..." (Ezekiel 22:1; Ezekiel 22:17 and Ezekiel 22:23). Only the first of these is directed against Jerusalem, in the words, `the bloody city,'; and Keil objected to applying the last two oracles to Jerusalem only, because they appear to be addressed against "the house of Israel." Nevertheless, Jerusalem as the capital and final remainder of the whole house of Israel would seem to have been the principal addressee of the whole chapter. Ezekiel 22:1-5"Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, And thou, son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? then cause her to know all her abominations. And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A city that sheddeth blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that maketh idols against herself to defile her. Thou hast become guilty in the blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled in the idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach among the nations, and a mocking to all the countries. Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee, thou infamous one, and full of tumult.""Wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge ...?" (Ezekiel 22:2). The repetition indicates the strong emphasis of the command. The word "judge" here is a reference to an arraignment with a statement of the charges, as in the case of a prosecutor in a law suit. God only, in the strictest sense, is the "judge" of all men. "The bloody city ..." (Ezekiel 22:2). "This epithet applied here to Jerusalem equates the capital of the Once Chosen People with Nineveh, that infamous whore, the savage lion's den, and corrupt center of heathen abominations,"[2] which God also designated with this same eloquent word of shameful guilt (Nahum 3:1), "the bloody city." Note that Jerusalem has already forfeited all of her glorious names, such as "faithful city, and beloved city." "That her time may come ..." (Ezekiel 22:3). "This means the time of her retribution, the time when God will judge and punish her."[3] God did not punish either individuals or nations until their "iniquity was full," The meaning of this seems to be that, as long as there was hope of a change, God was always willing to spare the punishment a while longer. "Thou hast caused thy days to come near, and art come even unto thy years . ..." (Ezekiel 22:4). "Thy days" is a reference to the days of Jerusalem's punishment, and "thy years,' speaks of the years of her captivity. "I have made thee a reproach among the nations ..." (Ezekiel 22:5). This is a prophecy of what will soon happen, as indicated in the future tense used in the next verse, "Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee." "Thou infamous one, and full of tumult ..." (Ezekiel 22:5). When any civilization reaches the condition in which the whole land is "full of tumult," "violence," and wholesale bloodshed, the end of it cannot be long delayed. It will be remembered that prior to the Great Deluge, the universal bloodshed and violence were cited as the reason for the destruction of the world in the flood. "And God said, The end of all flesh is before me; for the earth is filled with violence." (Genesis 6:13). The near-universal violence of our own times should be a reason for the most acute concern and apprehension on the part of the leaders of our world. Only God, of course, could know at what point the land "is filled" with violence; but when that point is reached, who can doubt that God will terminate it? Jerusalem had certainly reached such a point, as indicated here. "Manasseh had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood (2 Kings 21:2-15)."[4]Verse 6 "Behold the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood. In thee have they set light by father and mother; in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the sojourner; in thee have they wronged the fatherless and the widow. Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood; and in thee have they eaten upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness. In thee have they uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in thee have they humbled her that was unclean in her impurity. And one hath committed abominations with his neighbor's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter. In thee have they taken bribes to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by oppression, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord Jehovah.""Some of the sins listed here relate to violations of the Decalogue, but the most of them relate to chapters 17-26 of the Book of Leviticus, where is recorded the so-called `Holiness Code.'"[5] We appreciate the exceedingly significant observation of McFadyen here: "Although most of the evils listed here are social wrongs, it is significant that the low morality is traced to false religion."[6] Amen! The false notion that the prophets of God were concerned only with social wrongs has made many of the comments of radical critics worthless, because, "All sin, in the final analysis, is nothing but a failure on the part of men to maintain the correct relation with the Heavenly Father." "The First and Great Commandment is to love God" (Mark 12:28). The student is referred to our commentaries on the Pentateuch and upon the Minor Prophets for a discussion of the sacred laws violated by these various sins. Despite the "princes of Israel" being cited here as the perpetrators of such atrocious evils, it may not be doubted that all of the people were equally as sinful. It is amazing that "even the princes" were the notoriously guilty ones. Naboth was murdered and his vineyard confiscated by Jezebel the Queen, Tamar was raped and dishonored by her brother Amnon, a prince of Israel, indeed, the first son of king David by Ahinoam. Reuben, one of the Twelve patriarchs "uncovered his father's nakednesss" by his adultery with one of Jacob's concubines. It is of interest that this latter sin does not seem to have been very unusual, because of the plural "fathers" in 5:10. In the New Testament, it is stated that the taking of one's step-mother was an evil, "found not even among the Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 5:1). The disobedience and despising of father and mother always accompany the ruin of any culture. In the final hardening of Israel, in the times of Christ, the religious leaders of Israel, namely the Pharisees, taught that children, under pretense of respect to the Corban, had the right to despise and neglect their parents;[7] and Our Lord specifically condemned them for their teaching. Their old evils of the times of Ezekiel were still practiced in the days shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. "They have eaten upon the mountains ..." (Ezekiel 22:9). This refers to the widespread worship indulged by the Israelites in their participation in the licentious orgies of the "high places," where the ancient Canaanite gods of fertility were shamelessly worshipped by Israel. "Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood ..." (Ezekiel 22:9) Cooke tells us that, "It was a common practice of those times to get rid of persons obnoxious to those in power by the device of false accusations."[8] Plumptre agreed, citing the case of, "Naboth in 1 Kings 21:10,"[9] as an example. "They have forgotten me, saith Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 22:12). "Social morality always depends upon the remembrance of God."[10] In the last analysis, all correct human behavior is derived from the recognition of Almighty God as the giver of life and the only legitimate regulator of human actions. Why is it wrong to kill? This is true only because man is created in God's image, and God has forbidden it. Apart from the knowledge of God, it is not a sin to kill, to steal, to commit adultery, or to do any other deed that pleases the doer. Apart from the knowledge and remembrance of God, there is no such thing as either "right" or "wrong." It must indeed be feared that in our culture today, this fundamental criterion for determining what is right or wrong has been obscured by the increasing unbelief of our times. Verse 13 "Behold, therefore, I have smitten my hand, at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee. Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I, Jehovah, have spoken, and will do it. And I will scatter thee among the nations, and disperse thee through the countries; and I will consume thy filthiness out of thee. And thou shalt be profaned in thyself, in the sight of the nations; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.""I have smitten my hands at thy dishonest gain ..." (Ezekiel 22:13). "This figuratively describes God's indignation"[11] at the crooked dealings of Israel. "Can thy heart endure ..." (Ezekiel 22:14)? No matter how bold and daring wicked men may pretend to be, when God's judgment falls upon them, all of their alleged courage evaporates! It will be true especially upon the final day of judgment depicted in Revelation 6:14-17. "I will consume thy filthiness out of thee ..." (Ezekiel 22:15). This will be accomplished by the total destruction of all of the wicked sinners in Jerusalem, who are, themselves, the "filthiness" of the city. "And thou shalt be profaned in thyself, in the sight of the nations ..." (Ezekiel 22:16). This is admittedly a difficult expression. "The meaning appears to be that `Thou shalt be inwardly conscious of thy polluted condition, and shall loathe thyself on account of thy sins.'"[12] It should be remembered here, that, "Although God allowed his people to be profaned for a time, and allowed the nations to mock them, concluding that God was powerless to save them; nevertheless, the scattering of His people was remedial in God's intention; and, in God's own time, `The holiness of God's name' would yet be vindicated (Ezekiel 36:23)."[13]Verse 17 "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross unto me: all of them are brass and fin and iron and lead, in the midst of the silver; they are the dross of the silver. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye are all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there, and melt you."Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have poured out my wrath upon you. The figure of this illustration is that of a smelter or furnace in which dross is separated from silver; "But this is no `refining' operation which we have here, because Israel is all dross, every one, high and low alike."[14]"I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem ..." (Ezekiel 22:19). Keil thought that this reference to Jerusalem, "Is somewhat out of place, inasmuch as the preceding Word of God referred not to the city, but to `The House of Israel' (Ezekiel 22:18)."[15] Keil failed to take into consideration that God here promised to "gather" the House of Israel into Jerusalem for the purpose of making a smelting furnace of the whole city; thus, the reference to Jerusalem is absolutely correct. (see Ezekiel 22:19). When the siege of Jerusalem began by the king of Babylon, the whole population of Palestine, encompassing all of `the House of Israel' that remained, poured into Jerusalem for protection. This is a prophecy that, "Under the stress of the siege, Jerusalem would become a furnace in which they all shall be melted by the fierce heat of the Divine anger."[16]Verse 23 "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her, Thou art a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion, ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in the midst thereof. Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed for them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah, when Jehovah hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery; yea, they have vexed the poor and needy, and have oppressed the sojourner wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should build on the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I brought upon their heads, saith the Lord Jehovah."This reveals the utter corruption of the prophets, and the priests, and the princes of Israel. There remained not a single one of them who was true to the obligations of his holy office. They were best described as a pack of wild animals, devouring men as wantonly as a wolf or a lion would tear the body of an animal they were eating. The language here reminds us of Zephaniah. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing until the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law! (Zephaniah 3:3-4). The charges made against Israel here by Ezekiel have been made so frequently, and have been commented upon already numerous times in our series of commentaries, that it is unnecessary at this point to elaborate any further the gross sins and corruptions of the Chosen People. Their apostasy was complete; they had already sustained the judicial hardening of God Himself; and the hour of the nation's terminal punishment was at hand. Special attention should be given the magnificent prophecy in the last verse here. The verbs in this verse are the "prophetic present." They speak of what God "will do," not about what has already been done. Alexander properly understood this: "God concluded this message (Ezekiel 22:31) with a judgment, that he would consume (future tense) the people with fire from his mouth, and that the people themselves were responsible for the judgment coming (future tense) upon them."[17]Of course, no radical scholar can allow such a prophecy, due to their incorrect and ridiculous rule that there are no "predictive prophecies" in the Bible, Based on that false rule, Cooke stated that, "In any case Ezekiel 22:30-31 were written after 586 B.C. (that is, after the fall of Jerusalem)."[18] Did Cooke offer any proof of this? Indeed no! There is no proof or evidence whatever of the truth of such a canard. Such a statement is without any doubt whatever incorrect. Ezekiel 22:1-2. The prophet is again told to direct his writing against the bloody city which means Jerusalem which was still standing. He was to recall to her the many abominations of which she was guilty, both physical and spiritual. Ezekiel 22:3. The city of Jerusalem not only harbored many idols, but also shielded men who were guilty of bloodshed against the helpless citizens. Ezekiel 22:4. Caused thy days to draw near referred to the closeness of the final downfall of the city. Made thee a reproach is past tense in form and to some extent it was so, for the bulk of the men of Judah were already in Babylon. However, the last act of the great drama was yet to come when tiie city would he destroyed by the army of the Babylonians. Ezekiel 22:5. When a great city like Jerusalem is utterly destroyed it always causes much comment from the people of tiie countries. Some might make remarks that were prompted by sincere regret that so great a city should come to ruin. Others would speak in derision and exultation as over the downfall of a dreaded rival. Ezekiel 22:6. The princes or leading men in Israel (Judah) used their advantage of position and prestige to carry out their personal wicked designs. Such a course included the shedding of innocent blood of which they were frequently accused by the inspired prophets and other teachers. Ezekiel 22:7. Set light means to make light of or belittle, and these wicked leaders in Jerusalem lost almost all "natural affection." If a man would lose respect for his own parents it might be expected that he would have very little regard for others. Hence these wicked lenders used oppressive measures against the visitors to their city, and also took advantage of the fatherless and widows. Ezekiel 22:8. These men despised (belittled) the holy things pertaining to the services of the temple. They profaned the sabbaths by ignoring the observance due the sacred days and by using the time in carrying out their wicked devices for gain. Ezekiel 22:9. There are three unrighteous practices mentioned in this verse. One is the peddling of gossip that led to the shedding of innocent blood. Another is to eat upon the mountains which means to participate in idolatrous feasts, and the other pertains to practices of immorality. Ezekiel 22:10. Ordinary lewdneas was not enough for these wicked men, but they invaded the sacred rights of their nearest relations. They were so vicious in their immoral indulgencies that they violated Leviticus 18:19. Ezekiel 22:11. This verse refers to the general and promiscuous practice of immorality. No rank of social or blood connection furnished any protection against the assaults of theSe abominable characters who were blind to ail sense of decency. Ezekiel 22:12. It is bad enough to shed blood in anger or on the spur of the moment, but these men deliberately did so for the sake of bribes. Their greed for gain was so great that they violated the law against usury in order to obtain It. They also took advantage of the urgency of a man’ s condition to extort money from him. Ezekiel 22:13. Have smitten mine hand refers to the gesture that was used in ancient times to emphasize the intensity of God’ s feelings against wicked men. Ezekiel 22:14. Can thine hands be strong was the Lord’ s way of telling them they would not be able to resist the wrath that He would soon bring against them. Ezekiel 22:15. This verse has direct reference to the captivity. It was to be accomplished in the Babylonian Empire which is a singular word, but that great institution was composed of many countries, hence the mention of that subject in connection with the scattering among the heathen. Consume thy filthiness applies specifically to the cure of idolatry which the captivity was to accomplish. Ezekiel 22:16. Inheritance is from chalai. which Strong defines, "To bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively to profane a person.” The verse means that Judah would he humiliated in the sight of the heathen by her corrupt conduct. Ezekiel 22:17-18. Dross is the worthless material that is found in silver ore, and the article is used to illustrate the sunken value of Judah in the Lord’ s sight. Ezekiel 22:19. These evil men of Judah were destined to be put through the fire of God’ s chastisement, and they were to be seized upon while in the midst ot Jerusalem. Ezekiel 22:20. Not that these people were to be left in Jerusalem, except until they would be subjected to the siege and made to feel the heat of God’ s wrath. Ezekiel 22:21. The comparison of these verses is drawn from the work of the smelter, where fire is used to separate the dross from the silver. Ezekiel 22:22. The men of Judah were to be subjected to the test in order to learn about the wrath of the Lord. The warnings that had been repeatedly given them by the Lord through the prophets had fallen on deaf ears, so a physical test of chastisement was necessary to bring them to their Benses. Ezekiel 22:23-24. Land not cleansed has reference to the many pollutions both physical and moral of which the land was guilty. Nor rained upon. In those times God sometimes punished the land by withholding the rain (1 Kings 8:35; Deuteronomy 11:17). Ezekiel 22:25. These were the false prophets who joined with other leading men in a conspiracy to defraud the people. They had practiced their wicked devices for personal gain even to the shedding of innocent blood. Ezekiel 22:26. These priests had some encouragement for their unlawful conduct In the false teaching of the prophets. Jeremiah 5:31 shows a conspiracy between the evil priests and prophets. One of the surest in-dications of degeneracy is the confusing of clean and unclean things. Profane things might mean simply the things of a temporal nature and not necessarily wrong. But when the holy or sacred things are put on a basis with the profane or temporal, great corruption results. Ezekiel 22:27. Ravening is from TARAPH and Strong defines it, “ To pluck off or pull to pieces.” The idea is the princes were vicious in their activities against, the helpless. The terrible nature of this situation Is shown in the fact that all this violence against the victims was for the sake of temporal gain. Ezekiel 22:28. This comparison to untempered mortar in the case of false teaching was used in Ezekiel 13:9-11 and commented upon in that place. The false prophets claimed to have received some vision from the Lord, whereas He would not even make any use of such persons in such important matters as pertained to the welfare of the nation. Ezekiel 22:29. The people of the land would have reference to those citizens who had advantages over the others. Oppression is from a word that is defined "fraud” in the lexicon. They used deceitful means to get hold of the possessions of the poor and needy. They did not stop at defrauding their fellow citizens, but extended their fraudulent dealings to the strangers which means people who were visiting the country. Ezekiel 22:30. Make up the hedge is figurative and means to build up the weakened condition of the city. No man could be found who was able to remedy the condition. Ezekiel 22:31. Have poured out was both history and prophecy. Most of the national ruin had taken place but some of it was still in the future. Own way have I recompensed means the Lord imposed upon his unfaithful people the judgment that was due them in view of the way they had acted. The Lord is always compassionate toward the creatures of His care, but when they become impenitent, and ungrateful for divine favors, they must expect to receive the punishment their sins deserve. Ezekiel 23 A SAD HISTORYIn ch 23 Ezekiel vividly portrays the history of the sister kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In ch 16 God likened Jerusalem to a prostitute. The same figure is used of the entire nation here. The emphasis in the previous allegory was on spiritual fornication with Canaanite cults. Here the emphasis is on Israel's political adultery, i.e., political alliances with foreign powers. Chapter 16 stressed the beginnings of Israel's history, whereas ch 23 places more emphasis on her later history. OF THE SISTERS Ezekiel 23:1-4 Their Earliest Harlotry (Ezekiel 23:1-3): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 23:2) Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of the same mother. (Ezekiel 23:3) They committed harlotry in Egypt. They committed harlotry in their youth. There their breasts were pressed, yes there their virgin breasts were fondled. The allegory begins with the introduction of two women, daughters of one mother. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah had their origin in the united nation of Israel that existed from the time of Egypt to Solomon (Ezekiel 23:2). The tribes of Judah (represented by Jerusalem) and Ephraim (represented by Samaria) had experienced the Egyptian bondage. Even in that formative period of Israel’ s history, the sisters had shown inclinations toward idolatry. Using the figure of sexual license— the fondling of the breasts— Ezekiel describes how God’ s people lost their virgin chastity even before leaving Egypt (Ezekiel 23:3). Their Identity (Ezekiel 23:4): Their names were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister. They became mine. They bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah. The sisters are given similar names. Such was the practice in the East. Samaria is Oholah (she who has a tent). The significance of this name is not clear. It may refer to Samaria's propensity for heathen tent-shrines. Jerusalem is Oholibah (my tent is in her). Perhaps this name has reference to the tent that David erected in Jerusalem to house the ark of God. God says that both cities became mine, i.e., they belonged to the Lord as his possession. This is usually taken to indicate marriage, although the text does not make this clear. Both cities bore sons and daughters. These children most likely referred to their inhabitants and satellite towns. SAMARIA’ S Eze_23:5-10 Description of the Harlotry (Ezekiel 23:5-8) Harlotry with the Assyrians (Ezekiel 23:5-6): Oholah committed harlotry under me. She threw herself on her lovers, on the Assyrians [They were] warriors, (Ezekiel 23:6) clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all of them handsome young men, horsemen riding on horses. For the purposes of this allegory, Samaria is called the elder sister because that city had experienced the judgment of God prior to Jerusalem. Oholah (Samaria) committed harlotry from under God, i.e., from under his authority as her lawful husband. She threw herself at various lovers among whom the Assyrians were most notable. The Assyrian warriors, dressed in handsome uniforms and led by men of note, attracted the inhabitants of Samaria. Involvements of her harlotry (Ezekiel 23:7): She bestowed her harlotries upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them. On whomsoever she threw herself, with all their idols she defiled herself. Israel plunged headlong into political alliance with Assyria. She willingly paid the price demanded of all allies, viz., homage to the Assyrian deities. Thus did Samaria defile herself with all their idols. Magnitude of her harlotry (Ezekiel 23:8): She did not forsake her Egyptian harlotries; for they lay with her in her youth, and they bruised her virgin breasts. They poured out their lust upon her. The corrupt Oholah (Samaria) did not forsake her earlier harlotries when she took up with the Assyrians. She had committed spiritual adultery in Egypt. She had prostituted herself before Egyptian idols. Throughout her history she had continued to engage in those pagan cultic practices. Samaria was fascinated by military powers and the gods worshiped by those powers. Punishment of the Harlotry (Ezekiel 23:9-10): Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians upon whom she threw herself. (Ezekiel 23:10) They uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword. She became a byword to women, for judgments were made against her. Because of her harlotries, Oholah (Samaria) was delivered by God into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians. What irony, to be destroyed by the nation that she counted on as lover, i.e., ally (Ezekiel 23:9). The Assyrians stripped Oholah— ravished her land, removed her wealth. The sons and daughters of Samaria were carried away into captivity. Oholah herself was slain with the sword, i.e., Samaria was destroyed by military action. Oholah became a name— a byword or warning— to all other women (nations) who might contemplate unfaithfulness to the Lord. What happened to Samaria should have been a warning to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 23:10). ’ S Ezekiel 23:11-21 Her Harlotry with the Assyrians (Ezekiel 23:11-13): Her sister Oholibah saw this. She became corrupt in her doting more than she, and in harlotries more than the harlotries of her sister. (12) She threw herself upon the Assyrians. [They were] governors and rulers, warriors, clothed handsomely, horsemen riding horses, all of them handsome young men. (Ezekiel 23:13) I saw that she was defiled. They both went the same way. Oholibah (Jerusalem) learned nothing from the experience of her elder sister. She became yet more corrupt, adopting the same policy of political and religious flirtation with foreign powers, but intensifying it (Ezekiel 23:11). She too fell for the Assyrians with their handsomely clad officers and warriors (Ezekiel 23:12; cf. Ezekiel 23:5-6). Whereas Judah derived much advantage from the alliance with Assyria, from the religious point of view, the association was disastrous. God saw immediately that Judah had defiled herself with the Mesopotamian practices. Both sisters— Samaria and Jerusalem— had pursued the same corrupt way (Ezekiel 23:13). Her Lust for the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 23:14-16): She added to her harlotries; for she saw men depicted upon the wall. [She saw] the images of Chaldeans depicted in red color, (Ezekiel 23:15) girded with girdles upon their loins, with flowing turbans upon their heads, all of them with the appearance of captains, the likeness of the sons of Babylon, the Chaldeans, the land of their captivity. (Ezekiel 23:16) When she saw them, she threw herself upon them. She sent messengers to them to Chaldea. The harlotries— pagan practices— of Jerusalem were more extensive than those of Samaria. Oholibah saw paintings depicting the glories of a people who lived beyond Assyria. Oholibah's lust for political liaison was kindled by the sight of the martial Chaldeans (Ezekiel 23:14) girded in native dress. The waist-belt and turban with dangling fillets was the garb that set the sons of Babylon apart as a distinct people in the ancient world (Ezekiel 23:15). Oholibah (Jerusalem) was unable to resist the lure to associate with this strange and exotic people. She threw herself upon them by sending messengers there to negotiate the alliance (Exe 23:16). Her Harlotries with the Babylonians (Ezekiel 23:17-18): The Babylonians came to her to the bed of love. They defiled her with their harlotries. She was defiled by them. Then her soul was alienated from them. (Ezekiel 23:18) So she uncovered her harlotries. She uncovered her nakedness. Then my soul was alienated from her, as my soul was alienated from her sister. The Babylonians were quick to take advantage of Judah's thoughtless infatuation. They came to her into the bed of love, i.e., they entered eagerly into the alliance with Judah. The result was inevitable. Judah was further defiled by the Babylonian cults that were transplanted there. Eventually Judah felt revulsion at this alliance. She tried several times unsuccessfully to disengage herself from this entanglement. One step remained before Oholibah (Jerusalem) reached the depth of corruption. In the process of trying to pry herself loose from the clutches of Babylon, Oholibah had uncovered her nakedness in an effort to attract other lovers who might rescue her. Such degrading national conduct was revolting to God. he now felt toward Judah the same antagonism that He had felt towards Samaria over a century earlier. He was alienated from his people (Ezekiel 23:18). Further Harlotries (Ezekiel 23:19-21): Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 23:20) She threw herself upon their concubinage, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose sexual potency is like that of horses. (Ezekiel 23:21) So you relived the lewdness of your youth when in Egypt your breasts were bruised because of the breasts of your youth. Oholibah seemed undismayed at the accusation of God's prophets that she was alienating herself from God. She multiplied her harlotries. Recalling her ancient association with Egypt, she made overtures in that direction (Ezekiel 23:19). To break her ties to Babylon, Oholibah threw herself upon their concubinage, i.e., Judah was willing to become one of the numerous vassal states of Egypt. The harlot Oholibah was attracted by the sexual potency of Egypt that is likened to that of a donkey or horse. Flesh is a euphemism for male genitals (cf. NIV). Sexual potency refers to emission of semen. Oholibah was drawn toward bestiality! Ezekiel uses this astonishing figure to underscore the vulgarity of power politics (Ezekiel 23:20). Egyptian customs and cults long forgotten were called to remembrance. Judah plunged headlong into spiritual harlotry and political alliance with their ancient enemy to the south (Ezekiel 23:21). 'S Ezekiel 23:22-35 Ezekiel now utters four threats against Oholibah (Jerusalem). Each threat begins with thus says the Lord GOD. First Threat (Ezekiel 23:22-27) Coming of Babylon (Ezekiel 23:22-24) They come at God's summons (Ezekiel 23:22): Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to stir up your lovers against you, those from whom your soul is alienated. I will bring them against you round about: As time went on, Judah became alienated from her lovers. She wished to be free of all foreign entanglements. But morally and spiritually the damage already had been done. Ironically, God will use Judah’ s lovers as the instrument by which to punish his people. They come a vast throng (Ezekiel 23:23): the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shea and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, governors and rulers all of them. [They are] captains and counselors, all of them riding upon horses. Ezekiel names the various racial and linguistic groups that made up the empire of Nebuchadnezzar. What a handsome sight that will be when those troops from far-off Mesopotamia come against Jerusalem! The description of the military personnel is virtually repeated from Ezekiel 23:6; Ezekiel 23:12. They come for war (Ezekiel 23:24 a): They will come against you with hosts, chariots, wheels, and with an assembly of peoples. With shield, buckler, and helmet they will set themselves against you round about. The host from Mesopotamia is armed to the teeth with the finest military equipment. This great force will be deployed against Jerusalem in siege operations. Ezekiel is underscoring Yahweh's opposition to Israel's involvement in the military culture of the day. They come for judgment (Ezekiel 23:24 b): I will commit judgment to them. They will judge you according to their judgment. God had commissioned those troops to execute his judgment upon Jerusalem. They will fulfill that commission according to their judgment, i.e., in their own ruthless fashion. Deportation to Babylon(Ezekiel 23:25-27) Deported or killed (Ezekiel 23:25 a): I will set my jealousy against you. They will deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears. The rest of you will fall with the sword. They will take your sons and daughters. Yahweh is a jealous God. He will not tolerate his people engaging in flirtations with other deities and trusting in human might. God will set his jealousy against Judah, i.e., he will bring divine retribution upon them. The I/they interchange underscores that God will use foreigners as the agents of his wrath. The attacking forces will deal ruthlessly with Jerusalem. The nose and ears of the adulterous Oholibah will be removed. The reference probably is to be taken figuratively of the execution or deportation of the leading citizens of the nation. Other citizens will fall by the sword or be taken as slaves. Plundered and burned (Ezekiel 23:25-26): The rest of you will be consumed with fire. (Ezekiel 23:26) They will strip off your garments, and take away your fair jewels. The houses and property of the city will be put to the torch (Ezekiel 23:25) after being plundered (Ezekiel 23:26). Exposed and converted (Ezekiel 23:27): I will cause your lewdness to cease from you, and your Egyptian harlotry, so that you will not lift up your eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more. The fall of that nation and subsequent exile will cure the Jews of their lewdness, i.e., fascination with political power. Pagan practices learned in Egypt will be abandoned and forgotten. To lift up your eyes to them indicates trust and devotion. The expression is usually used of idols. Trusting in earthly powers is akin to idolatry. History records that God’ s judgment of Jerusalem did have this purging and purifying effect. Second Threat (Ezekiel 23:28-31) Announcement of doom (Ezekiel 23:28): For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold I am about to give you into the hand of the one you hate, into the hand of the one from whom your soul is alienated. The Jews will be delivered into the hand of their hated enemy, the Babylonians.Description of devastation (Ezekiel 23:29): They will deal with you in hatred. They will take away all your labor. They will leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotries. The Babylonians will deal with the Jews in hatred. They will take away all the labor, i.e., fruit of the labors, of the Jerusalemites. The land will be stripped of all its wealth and left naked and bare. By the drastic extremes of the punishment the magnitude of the harlotries of Jerusalem, i.e., idolatrous sins, will be revealed. Explanation of disaster (Ezekiel 23:30-31): These things will be done to you because you have whored after nations, and because you were defiled by their idols. (Ezekiel 23:31) You walked in the way of your sister. Therefore, I will place her cup in your hand. Again the prophet pounds home his point that the judgment will fall upon Jerusalem because the Jews had entered into alliances with foreign nations instead of trusting in the Lord. Consequently they had been corrupted by the practices of these nations (Ezekiel 23:30). Oholibah (Jerusalem) had followed the example of her sister Oholah (Samaria). The bitter cup of divine judgment had been drunk by the northern kingdom in the days of the great Assyrian kings. Now that cup will pass into the hands of Judah (Ezekiel 23:31). Third Threat (Ezekiel 23:32-34): Thus says the Lord GOD: You will drink the cup of your sister that is deep and large. It will be for scorn and derision. It is full to the uttermost. (Ezekiel 23:33) You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. (Ezekiel 23:34) You will drink it, drain it, and gnaw its shards. You will tear your breasts, for I have spoken (oracle of the Lord GOD). The cup of judgment was deep, large and full to the brim with bitter brew. Consuming the contents of that cup of judgment will bring scorn and derision to Judah (Ezekiel 23:32). The nation will manifest the characteristics of a drunken man (Ezekiel 23:33). The cup will be drained to the last drop. The vessel itself will be chewed up so that the beverage that had soaked into the pottery could be consumed. In drunken madness, the inebriated Oholibah will tear at her breasts in anguish. This figure conveys the thought that the complete measure of divine judgment must be endured (Ezekiel 23:34). Fourth Threat (Ezekiel 23:35): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back; therefore, bear also your lewdness and your harlotries. The fourth threat repeats the word therefore. The first therefore identifies the root cause of Jerusalem's dalliance with power politics and the associated idolatry. Jerusalem had forgotten God. To cast me behind your back is a metaphor depicting a deliberate and violent act. To forget God is to deny his saving acts and to choose the path of trusting in self or others rather than in God. The second therefore indicates that such lewdness and harlotries (i.e., faithlessness exhibited on numerous occasions) must be punished. AND Ezekiel 23:36-49 Apostasy Literally Depicted (Ezekiel 23:36-39): The LORD said unto me, Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. (Ezekiel 23:37) For they have committed adultery. Blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery. Also their sons, whom they bore to me, they offered up to them to be devoured. (Ezekiel 23:38) This also they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day. They have profaned my sabbaths. (Ezekiel 23:39) For when they had slain their sons to their idols, then they came unto my sanctuary the same day to profane it. Behold, thus they did in the midst of my house. To correctly judge the guilty sisters, Ezekiel must declare to them the abominations that they had committed (v 36). What a record! Adultery — both literal and spiritual — bloodshed, idolatry! Children who had been committed to God in the rite of circumcision were later set apart to be devoured by (i.e., sacrificed to) the god Molech (Ezekiel 23:37). Such gross pagan rites were deliberately scheduled for a Sabbath (Ezekiel 23:38). Human sacrifice at the high place of Molech was followed by a trip to the temple of the Lord. Was this brazen hypocrisy, or evidence of seared conscience? In either case, their presence in the temple was an affront to God (Ezekiel 23:39). Apostasy Figuratively Depicted (Ezekiel 23:40-44) Pursuit of lovers (Ezekiel 23:40-41): Furthermore you have sent for men that come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent. Behold, they came, [these] for whom you washed, painted your eyes, and decked yourself with ornaments. (Ezekiel 23:41) You sat upon a stately bed, with a table arranged before it, upon which you set my incense and my oil. . Judah actively pursued idolatry. Messengers were sent to far places to invite idolaters to come and teach them pagan rites. Like a harlot attempting to lure men into her house, Judah prepared for her lovers. She washed herself, put make-up about her eyes, and bedecked herself with ornaments (Ezekiel 23:40). The harlot sat on a beautiful bed or couch at a sumptuous table. It was the custom at meals to burn incense and to rub oneself with scented oils after the meal. The adulterous Judah took the luxuries that God had bestowed on her and used them to advance the cause of idolatry (Ezekiel 23:41). Pagan revelry (Ezekiel 23:42): The voice of a multitude at ease was in it. With men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness. They put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads. Sounds of careless revelry were heard in Jerusalem. Thus were alliances formed with various nations, even with common men and drunkards from the wilderness, i.e., men of the most degraded type. With bracelets and crowns, Oholibah sought to attract these worthless neighbors. Tireless involvement (Ezekiel 23:43-44): Then I said to her worn out by adulteries: Still they commit harlotries with her, even her. (Ezekiel 23:44) For one went in unto her as one goes unto a harlot. So they went in unto Oholah and unto Oholibah, the lewd women. The two nations (Judah and Israel) never seemed to tire of this profligacy. They persisted in their imported idolatries (Ezekiel 23:43). The immoral sisters had relations with any idolatrous cult that made any effort to enter the country. Oholah and Oholibah became like a harlot who is indiscriminate in her immoral conduct (Ezekiel 23:44). Judgment Figuratively Depicted (Ezekiel 23:45-49) Nature of the judgment (Ezekiel 23:45): But righteous men will judge them with the judgment of women who commit adultery, and with the judgment of those who shed blood; for they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands. Compared to Jerusalem and Samaria, the Babylonians and Assyrians were righteous men. These “ righteous men” were God’ s appointed judges over the adulterous sisters. Oholah and Oholibah were adulteresses and murderesses. They were to be judged accordingly. The blood that stained the hands of the sisters was mainly that of innocent children slain in pagan rites. Execution of the judgment (Ezekiel 23:46-47): For thus says the Lord GOD: An assembly will be brought up against them. They will be made a horror and a spoil. (Ezekiel 23:47) The assembly will stone them with stones. They will be cut down by their swords. Their sons and their daughters they will slay. They will burn their houses. God was about to bring a great assembly of nations against Jerusalem. The holy city will be treated so mercilessly that it will become an object of horror and spoliation (Ezekiel 23:46). As under the law of Moses, the adulteress (Jerusalem) will be stoned (cf. Deuteronomy 13:10). The sons and daughters of Jerusalem will be thrust through with swords. The houses of the city will be burned (Ezekiel 23:47). Purpose of the Judgment (Ezekiel 23:48-49) A fourfold purpose in God's judgment is indicated in Ezekiel 23:48­-49. 1. Lewdness to cease (Ezekiel 23:48 a): I will cause lewdness to cease from the land... Judgment will bring an end to lewdness (idolatry) in the Promised Land. 2. Others are warned (Ezekiel 23:48 b): that all the women might be taught that they might not do according to your lewdness. Other women (surrounding nations) will take warning from the fate of Oholibah. 3. Idolatry recompensed (Ezekiel 23:49 a): Your lewdness will be placed upon you. You will bear the sins of your idols. It was necessary that Jerusalem received the recompense for her idolatrous harlotry. 4. Knowledge increased (Ezekiel 23:49 b): You will know that I am the Lord GOD. Finally, God must execute this punishment in order to bring his people into a proper knowledge of himself.Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-ThreeVerse 1 OF OHOLAH AND ; SAMARIA AND Several of the authors whose works we have consulted with reference to this chapter have called the language of it repulsive, erotic, crude, indelicate and disgusting. We do not agree with such an attack. Our society has almost removed the common words for sin from their vocabulary. The prodigal waster refers to himself as "generous," or "liberal." The stingy miser thinks of himself as "thrifty." The drunkard parades as "sociable," or as an innocent sufferer from "alcoholism." The adulterers like to appear as, "modern," or subscribers to the "new morality." Homosexuals call themselves "gay"; but God's Word indulges no such euphemisms. Sins are described in brutal language that refers to them in terms of what they actually are. "Ezekiel selected the marriage metaphor here (we believe the selection was God's choice, not Ezekiel's) for the purpose of showing in a glaring light the full horror of the people's disloyalty."[1] "It should be remembered that Ezekiel is here using the normal thought forms of his day to convey weighty teachings from God regarding the ways of men."[2]"The adultery in this chapter symbolizes primarily the foreign alliances with pagan nations (which indeed always involved the acknowledgement of the gods of the allied nations)."[3] Since the worship of those evil pagan gods was depraved and licentious almost beyond imagination, the representation of God's Chosen People here under the figure of two sisters, insatiable in their lewdness, must be accepted as authentic and appropriate. It is a bit shocking that Samaria is presented here as the older of the two sisters, since historically, this is incorrect. "What seems to be meant is that the Northern kingdom was larger and more powerful than the southern kingdom.[4]Ezekiel 23:1-5"The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying, Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: and they played the harlot in Egypt; they played the harlot in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there was handled the bosom of their virginity. And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister; And they became mine, and they bare sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.""The daughters of one mother .." (Ezekiel 23:2). Both were of the posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "They played the harlot in Egypt ..." (Ezekiel 23:3). The only proof of this needed is Genesis 32, where is recorded the apostasy of Israel in the matter of the Golden Calf, a development of just a little over a month during Moses' absence. The cooperation of the people in giving their gold for the making of this copy of an Egyptian God, and the wholesale adultery and fornication with which it was "worshipped" dramatically demonstrate that all Israel were without doubt habitual practitioners of such licentious "worship." Where? In Egypt, of course. Also, see Joshua 24:14. "Oholah and Oholibah ..." (Ezekiel 23:4). "The names of these two sisters are not identical in meaning, despite the claims of some to that effect. Oholah signifies `her tent'; and Oholibah signifies `my tent is in her."[5] Thus these names indicate that God never approved or recognized the worship of the Northern Israel which Jeroboam I instituted following the rebellion of the Ten Tribes against the House of David. As Plumptre wrote, "The distinctive element in both of these names is that the worship in Samaria was not authorized by God."[6]"They became mine ..." (Ezekiel 23:4). This is the formal statement of God that he indeed accepted racial Israel as his wife, or "bride." God knew, of course, about the adulterous tendencies of his people, nevertheless he consented to become their husband. Verse 6 "And Oholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, the Assyrians her neighbors, who were clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. And she bestowed her whoredoms upon them, the choicest men of Assyria, all of them; and upon whomsoever she doted, with all their idols she defiled herself. Neither hath she left her whoredoms since the days of Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they handled the bosom of her virginity.; and they poured out their whoredoms upon her. Wherefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. These uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters; and her they slew with the sword: and she became a byword among women; for they executed judgment upon her."That Oholah should be judged and executed by her lovers verified one of the strange mysteries of wickedness, the classical example of which is that of Amnon (2 Samuel 13), who forced his sister Tamar. Afterward, the Scriptures record that, "Then Amnon hated Tamar with exceeding great hatred; for the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her (2 Samuel 13:15 ff)." "Assyrians, clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all desirable young men ..." (Ezekiel 23:6). "This verse indicates symbolically the embracing of all of Assyria's pagan gods. Oholah, true to her corrupt self, merely superimposed upon the ancient pagan gods of Egypt, the gods of Assyria, producing a syncretistic blend of pagan worship."[7] The most shameful thing of all was that Jehovah was also called upon, right along with the whole pantheon of pagan deities. The temptation to Israel lay in this: they were terrified by the universal reputation of the terrible Assyrians, known throughout all the world of that period as, The Breakers. "The paramour here, on whose account Israel forsook her God, is Assyria itself, not Assyria's gods, although, no doubt, through fear of the people, Israel endeavored to make friends of the gods also. Thus the `adultery' here was not so much religious as political."[8] We agree that the text here clearly indicates that Israel, although terrified by Assyria, nevertheless admired the beauty of the young men in the armies of their enemies, and also lusted after them. This did not justify their actions, but it affords an explanation of what they did. Keil also noted that, it was Israel's efforts to avoid damage to themselves that motivated their efforts to form alliances with powerful nations.[9] Also, had not Israel's most glorious king, Solomon himself, done exactly the same thing in his seven hundred marriages with foreign wives, and his honoring all of their gods with special shrines, high places, and other considerations? The result of Israel's disobedience in this matter, contrary to the admonition of all of her holy prophets, was not their protection at all, but their ultimate destruction as a nation, the sack of their capital city Samaria, and the deportation to Assyria of many thousands of the people. It is simply amazing that Judah apparently never learned anything from the experience of her sinful sister Oholah. Verse 11 "And her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her doing than she, and in her whoredoms which were more than the whoredoms of her sister. She doted upon the Assyrians, governors and rulers, her neighbors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. And I saw that she was defiled; they both took one way, And she increased her whoredoms; for she saw them portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded with girdles upon their loins, with flowing turbans upon their heads, all of them princes to look upon, after the likeness of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their nativity. And as soon as she saw them she doted upon them, and they defiled her in their whoredom, and sent messengers unto them in Chaldea. And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them. So she uncovered her whoredoms, and uncovered her nakedness: then my soul was alienated from her, like as my soul was alienated from her sister. Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, remembering the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in the handling of thy bosom by the Egyptians for the breasts of thy youth.""Clothed most gorgeously ..." (Ezekiel 23:12). "The word here means `perfection,' and the thought intended is, perfect beauty of clothing."[10]Ezekiel 23:12-13 stress the attractiveness of the clothing and appearance of Assyrian and Chaldean cavalry. "Chaldeans, as used later in the paragraph is a symbol for Babylonians."[11]"Men portrayed upon the wall in vermilion ..." (Ezekiel 23:14). "This is illustrated by mural paintings recovered from Mesopotamia."[12] Also, "Sculpture brought by Layard from Nineveh, display all of the magnificence of Oriental finery."[13]These things suggest that it was the superior culture of the Assyrians and Babylonians which constituted the chief allurements to the people of God. Inferior cultures have always been attracted and, in a sense, seduced by the luxuries, etc. of the superior culture. We should not be confused by the mention of both the Assyrians and the Chaldeans alike here as the paramour of Oholibah. Judah was "seduced" by both countries. They became tributary to Nebuchadnezzar when Jehoiachim was elevated to the kingship; he rebelled, seeking the friendship of Egypt; Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city, carried Jehoiachin to Babylon, and installed Zedekiah as his vassal; Zedekiah rebelled, seeking friendship and protection from Egypt; and that led to the final destruction of the City and the Temple! The vacillation and fickleness of Judah was a conspicuous element in all such changes "She ... sent messengers unto them into Chaldea ..." (Ezekiel 23:16). "This refers to the act of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:7)."[14]"Then my soul was alienated from her ..." (Ezekiel 23:18). God became disgusted with Oholibah (Jerusalem) because, "The love of Oholibah was not for her husband (God Himself), but for a multitude of paramours whom she received without discretion or shame. This syncretism in politics led to the tragedy of moral deterioration and spiritual decay."[15]Thus it came to pass that, "Having forsaken God for what she vainly thought was her self-interest, and having abandoned reliance upon Him, Judah came to experience the bitterness of God's alienation from her."[16]"Remembering the days of her youth ... in Egypt ..." (Ezekiel 23:19). Here is an unmistakable reference to adultery and sexual immorality in its unalloyed identification with the lusts of the flesh. In Egypt, there were no political alliances which Israel either would have or could have made. We find no excuse whatever for denying the plain, vulgar, and ordinary meaning of what is said here. Furthermore, where the sexual activity of horses and asses is brought forward in the following verse, we have the full confirmation of this view. "Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses ..." (Ezekiel 23:20). "The reference here is to the 'membrum virile' (very large in the ass)."[17]The spectacular and sensational sexual behavior of these animals made an appropriate illustration of the gross immorality of Judah. The scriptures have a number of references to this in Hosea 8:9; Jeremiah 2:24; Jeremiah 13:27, etc. Many translations and versions have softened the words to the extent of obscuring their meaning altogether. Perhaps Alexander has done the best job of providing an inoffensive, yet clear, translation of the passage, thus: "Whose genitals were like those of donkeys, and whose emissions were like that of horses."[18]Verse 22 "Therefore, O Oholibah, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy soul is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side. The Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and rulers all of them, princes and men of renown, all of them riding upon horses. And they shall come against thee with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of peoples; and they shall set themselves against thee with buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will commit the judgment unto them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments. And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal with thee in fury; and they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy residue shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredoms brought from the land fo Egypt; so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more."Thompson noted, "This section (Ezekiel 23:23-35) consists of four oracles, each of them beginning with the formula, `Thus saith the Lord.' (Ezekiel 23:22; Ezekiel 23:28; Ezekiel 23:32; Ezekiel 23:35). The first, second, and last of these have a certain amount of language in common; but the third is in a class by itself and consists of a poem about the cup of judgment."[19]"Pekod, Shoa, and Koa ..." (Ezekiel 23:23). "These were part of the Babylonian homeland."[20] The particular area where these peoples lived is supposed to have been east of the Tigris river. "They shall take away thy nose and thine ears ..." (Ezekiel 23:25). This is an explanation of what had just been said, namely, that God would commit the judgment of Judah to her enemies, allowing them to judge Judah by their laws, not the laws of God. "This horrible punishment was not allowed under God's law, but in Mesopotamia it was the frequent punishment of unfaithful wives."[21]The rest of the horrible Oriental law was that the children of those thus humiliated were sold as slaves; all their property was burnt, and their clothes and their jewels became the perquisites of the executioners. The mutilated woman was left to lie naked, for anyone who wished to satisfy his lust upon her. And an Egyptian law prescribed precisely this punishment for an adulteress. Verse 28 "For thus saith the Lord Jehovah; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy soul is alienated; and they shall deal with thee in hatred, and shall take away all thy labor, and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be uncovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. These things shall be done unto thee, for thou hast played the harlot after the nations, and because thou art polluted with their idols. Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thy hand.""All of these things shall be done unto thee, for thou hast just played the harlot after the nations ..." (Ezekiel 23:30). The complete understanding of what God meant in this chapter is here cleared up. "The allegorical picture-language is omitted. Not lovers, but nations are referred to, with whom Israel has played the whore."[22] But in the very same verse the second reason for Judah's punishment was given. Let it be remembered that this is in addition to the first reason: "And because thou art polluted with their idols"! So, it was actually whoredom, after all, namely, shameless indulgence in the wholesale immorality of the religious licentious of the pagan idols that was also a vital element in precipitating the terrible punishment that fell upon the people of God. This fact makes the meaning and fully justifies the repulsive terminology employed in the presentation of this remarkable allegory. To speak of Judah's sin here as "nothing more than the seeking of political alliances" is to miss the point altogether. Verse 32 There are extensive references to the "cup of the wrath of Jehovah" in the Bible. See Jeremiah 25:15-29; Jeremiah 49:12-13; Jeremiah 51:6-7; Isaiah 51:17-23; Isaiah 56:12; Zechariah 12:2; Habakkuk 2:16; Psalms 11:6; Psalms 75:8; and Revelation 14:20. Also see our comments on most of these passages, except the ones in Psalms. Verse 35 "Therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. So Jehovah said moreover unto me: Son of man, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? then declare unto them their abominations. For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery; and they have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass through the fire unto them to be devoured. Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, this they have done in the midst of my house. And furthermore ye have sent for men that come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent, and, lo, they came; for whom thou didst wash thyself, paint thine eyes, and deck thyself with ornaments, and sit upon a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon thou didst set mine incense and mine oil. And the voice of a multitude at ease was with her: and with men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets upon the hands of them twain, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.""Thou hast forgotten me ..." (Ezekiel 23:35). Add this to the other reasons God here outlined as the basis of Jerusalem's destruction. (1) They made forbidden political alliances with the nations; (2) they were polluted morally through the idols of the nations with their licentious worship; and (3) they had forgotten God! Thus, they violated the great imperative of the Law of Moses, thundered in the ears of Israel no less than four times, "See that thou forget not the Lord thy God" (Deuteronomy 8:11). This was the ultimate disaster and the reason for all of Israel's other sins. "They have caused their sons to pass through the fire ..." (Ezekiel 23:37). This atrocious worship of Molech was a result of shameless unfaithfulness of God's people, who, in this despicable action, fell as completely into paganism as was possible. Furthermore, as revealed in the same chapter, they had the audacity to enter into God's temple on the very same day, thus aggravating their guilt. God's house, his ordinances and his statutes, including even the sabbath, were totally ignored, despised, and profaned. "With men of the common sort were brought drunkards of the wilderness ..." (Ezekiel 23:42). "These refer to Israel's new neighbors, Arabs, Moabites, Tyre, Sidon, etc."[23]The extent of Judah's whoredom is emphasized in this reference to her courting with all the ardor of an insatiable prostitute these comparatively insignificant nations, as compared with the Assyrians, Egypt, and the Babylonians. Yes, this is speaking of Judah's seeking an alliance with these very peoples (See Jeremiah 27:3 f). The relative of value of these "powers" in world politics is evident in their comparison with "men of the common sort, and drunkards from the wilderness"! Judah would have made an alliance with anyone. Verse 43 "Then said I of her who is old in adulteries. Now will they play the harlot with her? and she with them? And they went in unto her, as they go in unto a harlot: so went they in unto Oholab, and unto Oholibah, the lewd women. And the righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and with the judgment of women who shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will bring up a company against them, and will give them to be tossed to and fro and robbed. And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.""The righteous men, they will judge them ..." (Ezekiel 23:45). "We need not look for righteous men here."[24] The evil men who "judged" Judah were righteous only in the understanding that the sentence which they carried out against her was just and fully in keeping with the Word of God. Thus ends the tragic allegory of Oholah and Oholibah. A summary of why they deserved the awful fate which they endured must be understood as (1) their forgetting God and relying upon alliances with evil nations for their protection, (2) forgetting God and wallowing in the sensuous debaucheries connected with their shameless worshipping the pagan fertility gods, resulting in the total wreck of the nation's morality, and (3) forgetting God and the profaning of his sanctuary, his sabbaths, and their whole land, along with their forsaking all of his holy commandments and ordinances. They were indeed ruined morally, socially, religiously, and militarily. Israel as a separate people were no longer of any value whatever to their God as a witness to the pagan nations concerning the true God and his will for mankind. There was absolutely nothing left for God to do, except to destroy them, as God had once destroyed all mankind in the Great Deluge, and to begin over again with that "righteous remnant" which would result from the terrible discipline of the captivity. Ezekiel 23:1-2. This entire chapter is on the subject of spiritual adultery which always means Idolatry in the Old Testament. The figures and other terms will be directly those pertaining to the unfaithfulness of women in the marriage relation, but. I am anxious that the reader always bear in mind that the real subject is idolatry. After all, the comparison is wholly fitting. When a woman becomes the wife of a certain man she cannot share her affections, either mentally or bodily, with any other man without being guilty of adultery against her husband. Likewise, when a man or group of men profess to have become united with God in their religious life, they have no right to patronize any other god or participate in any strange religious activities. If they do so they are guilty of spiritual adultery. So let me once more caution the reader not to get lost to the real subject as he sees the detailed picture of immoral conduct presented in this chapter. The women are the kingdom of Israel and Judah. Ezekiel 23:3. Committed whoredoms in Egypt, The two separate kingdoms had not come into existence when the children of Israel were living in Egypt and did not tor a number of years. But these people were infected with the disease while there and participated in the unrighteous conduct. Its effect upon them was indicated by their making the golden calf in less than three months after leaving the land. The expressions In this verse refer to the unlawful intimacies permitted by an unfaithful wife preparatory to the act of adultery. Ezekiel 23:4. We are given the names of the two women involved in the unholy case at hand. Samaria and Jerusalem are named because they were the capitals of the two kingdoms. Aholah is called the eider because the 10-tribe kingdom was formed first, it being the one that revolted from the lawful standard in. Jerusalem. Ezekiel 23:5. When she teas mine. Immorality is wrong in any woman, but it is worse when she commits it against, a man to whom she has been united in the lawful relationship. The Assyrians are named because at the time the 10-tribe kingdom was practicing her unfaithfulness (idolatry) the territory under consideration was under the control of that empire. Ezekiel 23:6. Aholah was attracted by the fine appearance of the men in the strangers' camp. Many a wife has been lured away from her husband by the showy appearance of another man. Ezekiel 23:7. The prophet combines the spiritual with the literal corruption in this verse. He accuses Aholah of whoredom with the Assyrians, and immediately says it was with all their idols she defiled herself. (See the comments at verses 1, 2.) Ezekiel 23:8. Neither left she means she had never left off the abominable practices she had learned in Egypt. Thus this unfaithful wife did not stop at the unlawful intimacies with one man, but took in others and so multiplied her pollutions. Ezekiel 23:9. This verse refers to the captivity of the 10-tribe kingdom by the Assyrian Empire. The account of this is in 2 Kings 17 tb chapter. Ezekiel 23:10. Aholah had doted on the Assyrians which means she had encouraged them to make ‘ 'advances” toward her. Following the encouragement they discovered her nakedness which means they “ went all the way” and had unlawful intimacies with her. After satisfying their lust on her they took her children from her and also slew her with the sword. Literally tills means the Assyrians slew the leading men in the 10-tribe kingdom and took the other citizens into exile. She became famous means she became a conspicuous person by reason of her notorious conduct In the language of the world on such a subject she became known and was familiarly referred to as a “ character" and was mentioned with a shrugging of the shoulders. Ezekiel 23:11. This verse does not mean that Aholibah (Judah) actually committed more idolatry than did her sister, for such was not the case. Every king of the 10-tribe kingdom without exception was an idolater and encour-aged it among his subjects. But Judah bad a number of faithful kings who tried to stem the tide of corruption. The contrast Is made on the basis of the superior advantages that Judah had over Israel. With increased advantages or opportunities come greater responsibilities. Judah had the bad exampie of Israel and its results before her eyes and should have profited by it Besides, she had possession of the temple and the lawful priesthood to strengthen her and that should have bound her closer to the Liord in a faithful life. But she seemed to overlook all these factors and committed the abomination of false worship. That is why it is said that she became more corrupt. Ezekiel 23:12. No doubt the people of Judah were interested in the gods of the Assyrians, but it was the Babylonians (or Chaldeans) that had to do with the chastisement of the unfaithful nation. However, at the time of which Ezekiel was writing the country called Babylon was under the control of Assyria and that is why it is said she doted upon the Assyrians. The attractions described are the same as were explained in verse 6. Ezekiel 23:13. Took both one way means Aholibah followed in the same way that was practiced by her sister Aholah, Ezekiel 23:14, Increased her whoredoms is explained at verse 11 in the light of the degree of responsibility. Chaldeans (or Babylonians) are mentioned because at tbe time Judah reached her crisis that empire was actually in power. Ezekiel 23:15, The attractiveness of men lured her away from devotion to her husband, in the same way that her sister had been enticed as per verse 6. Ezekiel 23:16. Doted upon them means she gave improper encouragement to them as her sister had done according to verse 5. She even became the aggressor and sent messengers to them with "suggestions.” Ezekiel 23:17. Such an attitude would be sure to interest men already disposed toward such indulgencies. They accepted the invitation and came to her and committed adultery with her. In actual practice it means the heathen nations would be glad t.o ,ioin with the people of Palestine in idolatrous practices. Ezekiel 23:18. Discovered her nakedness means she voluntarily assumed the position necessary for the act of adultery. Mind was alienated has the same meaning that is contained in cases where a husband charges a man with "alienating the affections of his wife.” Idols had alienated the mind of Judah away from the true love for God. Ezekiel 23:19. Some women will recall with shame their "youthful follies” and will try to make amends by a virtuous life in later years. But this wife recalled with pleasure those disgraceful years and sought to repeat them. Ezekiel 23:20. A paramour is an unlawful lover which is here applied to the false gods of heathendom. The terms about flesh and issue are used to picture a woman who is so lustful that the more beastlike a man la the more she would crave his advances. Ezekiel 23:21. This verse repeats the thoughts of earlier verses, referring to the unlawful intimacies permitted by a young wife to strange men. Ezekiel 23:22. Sometimes a corrupt woman will tire of her paramours and will "break” with them (from whom thy mind, is alienated). But they cannot always be east off so easily and will come back to cause trouble for the woman. Likewise, there came a time when Judah would fain have remained distinct from Babylon, But the Lord determined that she must continue her idolatrous practices with that heathen group, even doing so after being taken into their land for a period of exile. Ezekiel 23:23. This verse gives a list of the heathen peoples with whom Judah had committed idolatry (spiritual adultery) at one time or another. Most of them had been swallowed op by the great Babylonian Empire at the time of Judah’ s captivity. Ezekiel 23:24. This is a literal prediction of the siege that the Babylonians planted about Jerusalem. Chariots and wagons are vehicles used for conveyances of men and materials in military operations. Wheels is from a word that indicates something very impressive because of its size, and somewhat like a whirlwind in its encircling formation. The other articles named are those used by soldiers in a siege or other war activities. Ezekiel 23:25. When God’ B jealousy is mentioned we are reminded of Exo 20:5 where the subject is idolatry. That is the subject of this present chapter, described and condemned in the form of adultery, This verse predicts the severe treatment that Jeru-salem is to receive from the Babylonians in the last stage of the 70-year captivity, including a bitter siege of more than two years. Ezekiel 23:26. In line with an unfaithful wife that plays the part of a harlot, she is represented as having attired herself with gaudy and attractive garments as a lure for men. This verse shows that she will be stripped of those garments by these men. Ezekiel 23:27. Make thy lewdness to cease. Since idolatry is the real subject of all these comparisons, this expression is a prediction of the cure from idolatry that will result by cast-ing his wife (Judah) into the hands of her evil associates. This prediction was fulfilled according to the historical quotation given in connection with Isaiah 1:25 in volume 3 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 23:28. Whom thou hatest is to be understood in the same sense as mind is alienated, that was explained at verse 22. Ezekiel 23:29. Men will sometimes tire of the very woman who has catered to their lusts, then they will “ turn on her” and mistreat, her with a vengeance. Likewise, the very heathen with whom Judah had played the harlot (idolatry) were to be given possession of her and they were to hold her as a captive for 70 years. Ezekiel 23:30. All these calamites were to come upon Judah as a punishment for her unfaithfulness to her husband who was the Lord. Ezekiel 23:31. Give her cup means that Judah was to receive the same cup or punishment as Israel and that was to be captivity. This was just, since she had taken up the same walk of life as that followed by her sister Israel. Ezekiel 23:32. Deep and large and it con- taineth much is used by way of emphasizing the statements of the preceding verse. The emphasis is certainly appropriate, for the subjugation of an established kingdom and the transferring of its population into a foreign iand would be a very great humiliation and cause much comment. Ezekiel 23:33. Drunkenness is figurative and means they would be overwhelmed with humiliation and sorrow, even as the sister (Israel) had been a century before. Ezekiel 23:34. The language is still figurative, using a cup as the basis of the figure. With that form of imagery in view, the emphasis is expressed by representing them as being so greedy that they crush the cup by their action. Pluck off breasts indicates a gesture of despair by snatching at their breasts. Such a movement was an ancient custom used in times of great sorrow or astonishment. (See Luke 18:13; Luke 23:48.) Ezekiel 23:35. When God’ s servants turn to other persons or objects with their devotions it is because they have forgotten Him. Jesus taught this truth in Matthew 6:24. Bear thy lewdness has a twofold bearing. One is that they would have to bear the punishment due their sins, and the other is they would have Lo continue their lewdness which was idolatry, for they actually did have to continue that in the captivity. Ezekiel 23:36. Wilt thou judge is in the form of a question, but it really is an order from the Lord to judge the two women. The prophet was to charge them with the abominations they had committed against Him, Ezekiel 23:37. This verse combines the figurative with the literal terms for the same abomination. It explains the adultery of these women (Aholah and Ahohbah; Samaria and Jerusalem) to be the practice of idolatry. They carried the service to the extent of offering their own children in sacrifice to the idols. Ezekiel 23:38. These wicked women went so far as to bring their immoral practice into the house provided by their husband, which is the meaning of the phrase defiled my sanctuary, for that was the house provided to shelter the sacred furniture. Ezekiel 23:39, These women are still being regarded as unfaithful wives, though this verse drops the figures and states the literal facts. The people of God actually made sacrifices of their children, and also set up idols in the temple. Ezekiel 23:40, These unfaithful wives were worse than the usual cases, for they even sent messengers to strange men to solicit their intimacies. This item is commented upon more fully at verse 16. When the men answered the invitation with their presence they found (he women adorned with the “ make-up" of impure characters. Ezekiel 23:41, After decorating their bodies in a suggestive manner, the men found them occupying a stately bed, one that belonged properly to the use of persons of special honor, there to receive the embraces of these strange men. Near the bed was a table on which were the materials with which they could refresh themselves at intervals with their unlawful intimacies with these wives of another person. Ezekiel 23:42. So inordinate were Aholah and Akolibah that they accepted men of both high and low rank. In order to give themselves an appearance of dignity, these men adorned themselves with hand decorations, and for the appearance of royal standing they wore crowns on their heads. Ezekiel 23:43. Men who are intent on full gratification of their lusts do not generally care for a worn out and old woman. These wives of the Lord were old at that business, hence He asks if these men will be satisfied with them. Ezekiel 23:44. A woman that playeth the harlot is usually one who is attractive from the standpoint of youth and who has plenty of sex appeal. These women had so adorned themselves that they made so great and favorable an appearance as to lure the men on. Consequently they went in unto them and committed adultery. Ezekiel 23:45. These women were guilty of spiritual adultery (idolatry) and of literal bloodshed. Hence righteous men were to judge them according to their just deserts. This does not mean the men would be righteous as to their personal character, but in executing God’ s judgment against the women they would be doing right. Ezekiel 23:46. This verse is an explanation of the preceding one. God was to use a foreign group to bring the unfaithful kingdoms into judgment and take them Into exile. Ezekiel 23:47. The things predicted here actually came to pass according to the historical account, given in 2 Kings 25 th chapter. Ezekiel 23:48. Cause lewdness to reuse is a prediction in figurative form that God's people would be cured of idolatry by the captivity. See the historical fulfillment of it at Isaiah 1:25. volume 3 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 23:49. The figurative and literal terms for the same thing are again used in this verse. Lewdness means the same as idols and the unfaithful people of the Lord were to bear the sins, which means they were to bear the punishment due their sins. Ezekiel 24 HAS ARRIVEDChapter 24 begins with an important chronological note. Three things of importance happened in the ministry of Ezekiel on that date. Ezekiel (1) delivered a judgment parable (Ezekiel 24:1-14), (2) received word concerning two judgment signs (Ezekiel 24:15-27), and (3) uttered four oracles condemning neighboring nations (Ezekiel 25:1-17). Ezekiel 24:1-2 The word of the LORD came unto me in the ninth year, the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, saying, (2) Son of man, write for yourself the name of the day, this very day. This very day the king of Babylon has leaned upon Jerusalem. According to Ezekiel 24:1, Nebuchadnezzar began his attack against Jerusalem in the ninth year (of Zedekiah), the tenth day of the tenth month. The Jews commemorated this date for centuries by fasting (Zechariah 8:19). Ezekiel was told to write the name of the day of the week and the day of the month (this very day). This written record was to be made so that later when the news filtered back to the captives in Babylon the genuine prophetic foresight of Ezekiel would be authenticated. PARABLE OF THE COOKING POT Ezekiel 24:3-14 The Parable Introduced (Ezekiel 24:3-5) Preparing the pot (Ezekiel 24:3): Utter a parable against this rebellious house, and say unto them; Thus says the Lord GOD: Set on the pot. Set it on. Pour water into it. On that fateful day, Ezekiel set forth a parable concerning Jerusalem. For the third time he expresses his thoughts in a song. The inhabitants of Jerusalem previously had used the image of a caldron to support their delusion of invincibility (cf. Ezekiel 11:3). Now Ezekiel gives the true interpretation to that image. A pot is filled with water and placed on the stove. This symbolizes the first stage of the siege of Jerusalem. Filling the pot (Ezekiel 24:4-5): Gather into it the pieces belonging to it, every good piece— the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones. (5) Take the choice of the flock, and also pile the bones under it. Boil it well, that its bones may boil in the midst of it. The chunks of meat placed in the pot symbolize the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the fugitives from other towns who sought refuge there. The good pieces of meat and choice bones represent the civil and military leaders (Ezekiel 24:4) who come from the choice of the flock, i.e., the upper classes. Bones as well as meat— the total population— were to be placed in that pot, with the bones under the meat. Ezekiel is then to bring the pot to a boil until even the bones— the toughest members of society— are brought to a boil (Ezekiel 24:5). The boiling water points to the destructive turbulence of the Babylonian siege. First Woe (Ezekiel 24:6-8) Judgment announced (Ezekiel 24:6): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose filth is in it, and whose filth has not gone out of it! Bring it out piece by piece. No lot is fallen upon it. The prophet drops the symbolism in Ezekiel 24:6 and sets his message in plain prose. He pronounces a woe on the bloody city of Jerusalem, the pot whose filth had never been removed. The reference is to the bloodstains of the innocent who had been murdered in Jerusalem. Piece by piece the chunks of meat in that pot will be removed. By this the prophet means that the destruction of the city and the deportation of the inhabitants will take place in stages. No lot is fallen on the content of that pot, i.e., the deportation will be indiscriminate.Judgment explained (Ezekiel 24:7-8): For her blood is in the midst of her. Upon the bare rock she set it. She did not pour it out upon the ground to cover it with dust, (Ezekiel 24:8) to cause fury to go up, that vengeance might be taken. I have set the blood upon a bare rock, that it should not be covered. Openly and unashamedly crimes had been committed in Jerusalem. Evidence of bloodshed could be seen throughout the place. It was as though Jerusalem had smeared blood on a bare rock that was in plain view. The law required animal blood to be poured to the ground and covered with dust (cf. Leviticus 17:13). However, no similar effort had been made to conceal the blood of humankind unjustly slain (Ezekiel 24:7). God will preserve those bloodstains in plain view, so that he might execute divine wrath on those responsible (Ezekiel 24:8).Second Woe (Ezekiel 24:9-14) Boiling stage (Ezekiel 24:9-10): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city. I also will make the pile great, (Ezekiel 24:10) heaping on the wood, kindling the fire, that the flesh may be consumed; and preparing the mixture that the bones may be burned. A second time the sentence against Jerusalem is pronounced. They had piled one sin on top of another. God will now make the pile great, i.e., he will heap up the fuel for their punishment (Ezekiel 24:9). God will gather the wood, kindle the fire, and prepare the mixture of spices to be added when the meat had been sufficiently cooked. It was God’ s purpose to consume the meat (population of Jerusalem) and burn the bones (leaders, especially military leaders) in that pot (Ezekiel 24:10). Melt-down stage (Ezekiel 24:11-12): Then I will set it empty upon its coals, that it may be hot, and the bottom of it burn, that its impurity may be melted in it, that its filth may be consumed. (Ezekiel 24:12) She has wearied (me) with toil. Yet its great filth will not go out from it. Its filth will be in the fire. After the contents of that pot (Jerusalem) had been consumed, God will see to it that the pot itself was melted down, thereby removing the filth (Ezekiel 24:11). Thus Jerusalem will be purified by the conflagration. God had attempted from time to time to purge Jerusalem, but to no avail. This may be an allusion to the deportations of 604 B.C. and 597 B.C. The uncleanness of the city could only be removed by the drastic process of melting down the caldron, i.e., destroying Jerusalem (Ezekiel 24:12). Conclusion(Ezekiel 24:13-14) Finality of judgment (Ezekiel 24:13): Because of your filthy lewdness, because I purged you, and you were not purged from your uncleanness, you will not be purged from your uncleanness anymore until I have satisfied my wrath on you. The prose conclusion to the Song of the Pot uses the first-person singular pronoun seven times. All efforts to reform the nation through prophetic admonition had failed. No further effort in that direction will be attempted. All that remained was for God to pour out his wrath and purge the place by total destruction. Lewdness in Ezekiel is used in a figurative sense for negotiating military treaties and idolatry. Certainty of judgment (Ezekiel 24:14): I the LORD have spoken it. It will come to pass. I will do it. I will not go back. I will not have pity. I will not repent. According to your ways and according to your deeds they will judge you (oracle of the Lord GOD). The Lord will hand the Judeans over to the Chaldeans who will execute a judgment upon Jerusalem that was appropriate to her sins. Such is the irrevocable divine decree. SIGNS Ezekiel 24:15-27 First Sign (Ezekiel 24:15-24): Instructions from the Lord (Ezekiel 24:15-17): The word of the LORD came unto me saying, (16) Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke. Yet you will not lament or weep, nor will your tears come down. (Ezekiel 24:17) Sigh silently. Make no mourning for the dead. Your headdress bind upon you. Your sandals put upon your feet. Do not cover your lip. Do not eat the bread of men. A shocking announcement was made to the prophet on that day when Jerusalem came under siege. It was an announcement that caused Ezekiel much grief. The desire of your eyes— your wife— will die with a stroke, i.e., she will die suddenly without having been previously sick. The prophet was commanded to refrain from any lamentation or mourning rites (Ezekiel 24:16). Ezekiel was to sigh in silence, i.e., to internalize his agony (cf. Jeremiah 16:5-7). He was not to resort to the customary loud cries of lamentation. He was not to loosen his headgear to let his hair hang down covering his upper lip. He was not to remove his sandals nor eat. . . the bread of men, i.e., the mourner’ s meal supplied by friends and relatives (Ezekiel 24:17). What a difficult burden the Lord laid on his prophet. Ezekiel’ s silent grief was to symbolize the stupefying effect that the fall of Jerusalem will have on the Jews at home and abroad. They will be too stunned for customary expressions of grief. Obedience by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 24:18): So I spoke unto the people in the morning. My wife died in the evening. I did in the morning as I was commanded. Even though he knew his wife will die at any moment, Ezekiel continued his ministry of preaching. That evening his wife died. The next morning Ezekiel carried out the Lord’ s command to sigh in silence. A request by the people (Ezekiel 24:19): The people said unto me: Will you not declare to us what these things are to us that you are doing? Perplexed by his strange behavior, the people sensed that the prophet was trying to convey some symbolic meaning to them. Thus they inquired concerning his conduct. Explanation by the prophet(Ezekiel 24:20-24) Shocking loss (Ezekiel 24:20-21): I said unto them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 24:21) Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the longing of your soul. Your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. In response to the inquiry of his fellow exiles, Ezekiel first indicated that what he had been doing and what he was about to say came from God (Ezekiel 24:20). Ezekiel explained that he had just suffered the loss of the desire of his eyes, the one he held most precious. The Jews were about to lose their temple. The loss thus incurred is indicated in the text by three expressions that underscore the prominent place that sacred structure occupied in the hearts of the Jews. The temple was (1) the pride of your power, i.e., what guaranteed, so they thought, the invincibility of Jerusalem and permanence of their national existence; (2) the desire of your eyes, i.e., what they held to be most precious; and the longing of your soul, i.e., what they most missed by being exiled to Babylon. That sacred spot was about to be profaned by being delivered into the hands of heathen men. Along with the loss of that temple, the exiles will lose their sons and daughters who had been left behind in the doomed city (Ezekiel 24:21). Stupefying grief (Ezekiel 24:22-23): You will do as I have done. You will not cover your lip. You will not eat the bread of men. (Ezekiel 24:23) Your headdress will be upon your heads, and your sandals upon your feet. You will not lament, nor weep; but you will waste away in your iniquities, and moan one to another. When the exiles hear of the destruction of the temple and the loss of their children, they will be thrown into shock, unable to observe the conventional mourning customs (Ezekiel 24:22). Added to the news of the unthinkable disaster in Jerusalem will be the pangs of guilty conscience. During that period of grief the once proud exiles will waste away in their iniquities. In almost inaudible expressions, they will moan one to another (Ezekiel 24:23). Significant sign (Ezekiel 24:24): Ezekiel will be to you a sign. According to all that he has done, you will do. When it comes to pass, you will know that I am the Lord GOD. In his manner of mourning, the Lord had appointed Ezekiel as a sign to the exiles. As the prophet had abstained from outward display of mourning, so also will the exiles. When all this came to pass— the news that Jerusalem had fallen and the temple had been destroyed— they will know that the event had been decreed by the Lord. Second Sign (Ezekiel 24:25-27) News of Jerusalem's fall (Ezekiel 24:25-26): As for you, son of man, will it not be in the day I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, the yearning of their soul, their sons and their daughters, (Ezekiel 24:26) that the one who escapes in that day will come unto you to cause you to hear it with your ears? The love that a Jew had for the temple is difficult for westerners to understand. The temple was their stronghold upon which they based their confidence of national permanence. It was the joy of their glory, the magnificent edifice of which they were so proud. It was the desire of their eyes, that which they loved dearly. It was the yearning of their soul, that which above all they longed to see again. When that structure fell, and along with it their sons and daughters (Ezekiel 24:25), a fugitive of the slaughter will hasten to Babylon to bear the sad tidings. Opening of Ezekiel's mouth (Ezekiel 24:27): In that day your mouth will be open, together with the one who escaped. You will speak, and will no more be dumb. You will be a sign to them. They will know that I am the LORD. In the day the news of Jerusalem’ s fall was announced, Ezekiel will no longer be dumb. The message he had been preaching for so many years will thus be authenticated. His mission as a messenger of God will then be accepted by his fellow exiles. The sign of his wife's death portends judgment and death; this sign will trumpet salvation and life. Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-FourVerse 1 GOD'S LAST MESSAGE BEFORE THE FALL OF RUSTED CALDRON; AND THE DEATH OF EZEKIEL'S WIFEThere are three connected themes in this chapter: (1) the parable of the rusty caldron (Ezekiel 24:1-14); the sign of the death of Ezekiel's wife (Ezekiel 24:15-24); and (3) the prophecy of the end of Ezekiel's dumbness (Ezekiel 24:25-27).[1]The date of this chapter is January 15,588 B.C., a date confirmed in 2 Kings 25:1, and in Jeremiah 39:1; Jeremiah 52:4. It is also significant that, in the times of Zechariah, this very date had been memorialized among the captives, and for ages celebrated as a solemn fast-day (Zechariah 8:19). When Ezekiel wrote these words (yes, they were actually written down on the very day God's message came, Ezekiel 24:2), he was in Babylon, four hundred miles from Jerusalem; and there was no way that he could have known the exact day of Nebuchadnezzar's investment of Jerusalem except by the direct revelation of God. "It cannot be supposed that such intelligence could have reached him by any human means. When, therefore, the captives later received news of the beginning of the siege, they had, upon comparing the dates, an infallible proof of the Divine inspiration of Ezekiel."[2]The radical critics have done their best to get rid of the implications of a passage like this; but as Keil stated it, "The definite character of this prediction cannot be changed into a "vaticinium post eventum", either by arbitrary explanations of the words, or by some unfounded hypothesis."[3]Only an unbeliever, or one who wishes to become an unbeliever, can possibly allow some evil scholar, whose purpose is clearly that of discrediting the Word of God, to deny what the sacred text says, merely upon the basis of his arbitrary emendations of the text, or by his efforts to substitute his own word for the Word of God. "These prophecies in Ezekiel 24 were delivered two years and five months after those dated in Ezekiel 20:1."[4]PARABLE OF THE RUSTY CALDRONEze_24:1-5"Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, write the name of the day, even of this selfsame day: the king of Babylon drew close unto Jerusalem this selfsame day. And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Set on the caldron, set it on, and also pour water into it: gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the caldron; make it boil well; yea, let the bones thereof be boiled in the midst of it."The arrogant unbelief of some alleged scholars never fails to astonish us. May, for example, stated that, Ezekiel was probably in Babylon when he wrote this, "To be able to know the very day of the beginning of the siege."[5] Apparently such a `scholar' never heard of such a thing as 'Divine inspiration.' One may wonder why he wrote so much about a book in the Bible, the value of which is founded solely upon its being "inspired of God (1 Peter 1:21)." Feinberg accurately observed that, "One purpose for this attention to the exact date, was in order for the nations to have written, tangible proof of the accuracy of Ezekiel's prophecies."[6]Analogies clearly visible in this parable: the caldron is the city; the flesh in it is the people; the immense fire under it is the fire of war; the setting of the caldron on the fire is the beginning of the siege; the rust in the pot (introduced later) is the inherent wickedness of the people; the "choice bones (Ezekiel 24:4)" are the bones with meat attached to them; their being "choice" bones indicates that the nobility and the landed gentry will also be ruined by the war; the "bones under the caldron (Ezekiel 24:5)" are the large bones used, along with the logs for fuel; the removal of the flesh from the caldron indicates the destruction of the whole city, rich and poor alike, high and low, indiscriminately, whether by sword, by pestilence, by famine, or by deportation; the emptying of the caldron indicated the removal of Jerusalem's population; the caldron's still being rusted indicated Jerusalem's worthlessness, at that time, as regarded God's eternal purpose, entailing, of course, the necessity for its complete destruction; the severe burning of the caldron in intense fire after it was emptied speaks of the burning and destruction of the city itself and the Temple of God. It would seem, as Jamieson thought, that God's selection of this figure of the boiling caldron might have been in response to that boastful proverb the people adopted (Jeremiah 11:3), in which they claimed to be "the flesh" safe in the caldron (Jerusalem), whereas the captives, by their absence, were out of it altogether. Ezekiel here revealed to them that, "Your proverb shall prove to be awfully true, but in a far different sense from what you intended."[7] Judah would not be safe in the caldron, but cooked and destroyed in it. Verse 6 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city, to the caldron whose rust is therein, and whose rust is not gone out of it! take out of it piece after piece; no lot is fallen upon it. For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the bare rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust. That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood upon the bare rock, that it should not be covered. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. Heap on the wood, make the fire hot, boil well the flesh, make thick the broth, and let the bones be burned.""Woe to the bloody city ..." (Ezekiel 24:6). The implications of this epithet hurled against Jerusalem by God Himself may be read in the terrible fate of Nineveh, which city God addressed in the very same language (Nahum 3:1). "Whose rust is not gone out of it ..." (Ezekiel 24:6) The "rust" here symbolizes the blood-guiltiness of Jerusalem. In the parable, this meant that the ingredients of the caldron were poisoned by the rust, and the mess within fit only to be destroyed. "Take out of it piece after piece; no lot is fallen upon it ..." (Ezekiel 24:5). Sometimes in antiquity, lots were cast to determine a definite portion of a city either to be slaughtered, or to be made captives. "In the captivity of Jehoiachin and Jehoiachim some were taken, others left."[8] But here, there would be none spared. All were doomed. The indiscriminate destruction of the population is indicated. "Her blood is in the midst of her ..." (Ezekiel 24:7). This refers to the shameless murder of her victims. Jerusalem did not even bother to conceal or disguise the murders. The thought in this passage takes account of the fact that the blood of Abel, which the ground received, cried unto God for vengeance. Even the blood of animals was supposed to be covered with dust; but Jerusalem's brazen murders of men left the blood visible to all, thus constituting an aggravation of the sin of murder. "I also will make the pile great ..." (Ezekiel 24:9). This refers to the pile of fuel on the fire, with the meaning that God will make the destruction of Jerusalem as complete as possible. "Let the bones be burned ..." (Ezekiel 24:10). This means that any residue of the "choice bones" left in the caldron were also to be burned. Verse 11 "Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that it may be hot, and the brass thereof may burn, and that the filthiness thereof may be molten in it, that the rust of it may be consumed. She hath wearied herself with toil; yet her great rust goeth not forth out of her; her rust goeth not forth by fire. In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed thee, and thou wast not cleansed, thou shalt not be cleansed from thy filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward thee to rest. I, Jehovah have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord Jehovah."What is indicated here is the utter uselessness of the rusted caldron; not even fire could burn the corrupted copper enough to cleanse it. In the analogy, the caldron is the city of Jerusalem, the destruction of which is already under way, as this was written. "In spite of the seemingly terrible hopelessness of the situation described here, a gleam of hope appears in Ezekiel 24:13, even as there also did in Ezekiel 16:42. When the punishment of Israel has done its full work, then Jehovah might cause his fury toward Israel to rest."[9]"These verses, Ezekiel 24:11-14, declare that the only recourse is to set the caldron upside down on the fire and melt it away; Jerusalem must be destroyed in order to be cleansed."[10] "The tragedy of national sins, which began as occasional lapses, but which at last became part and parcel of Jerusalem's way of life, finally became a tragedy that not even God could redeem."[11]"She hath wearied herself with toil ..." (Ezekiel 24:12). Some versions read "lies" instead of "toil" in this clause; but Bunn tells us that "The literal meaning here is that `Yahweh has worn himself out attempting to purify the people.'"[12] Due to uncertainties in the text, this verse is disputed as to its meaning. McFadyen suggested that this clause should probably be omitted.[13] Whatever the exact meaning of the verse may be, the thought is certainly the futility of any further effort on the part of God to purge his rebellious people. The many things God had done in order to preserve and save Israel included: the giving of the Law of Moses, the sending of many prophets, severe punishments, miraculous judgments in their marvelous deliverances, the ministrations of the Levitical system with its priests and Levites, etc., etc. However, as Henry pointed out, "It is sad to think how many there are, even today, upon whom the death of Christ, the establishment of his spiritual body the Church, the sacred New Testament, and all of the ordinances and blessings of Christianity, are utterly lost in the indifference and lethargy of mankind."[14]Verse 15 EZEKIEL NOT TO GRIEF OVER THE DEATH OF HIS WIFEThe second sign presented in this chapter is that following the death of the prophet's wife, when, acting upon the prior commandment of God, Ezekiel refrained from any demonstration of grief or lamentation. "Also the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying. Son of man, Behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet thou shalt neither mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind thy headtire upon thee, and put thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning; and at even, my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded."Ezekiel here was told that his wife would die, but that God forbade him to make any visible demonstration of his grief or lamentation. All of the usual things that were normally done to mark the passing of a loved one were to be omitted. He was not to uncover his head, nor go barefoot, nor to sigh aloud, nor to cover his lip, or even to eat "of the bread of men." All of these funeral customs are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, and some of them also in the New Testament, as in the case of the loud mourners wailing for the death of Jairus' daughter. "Nor eat the bread of men ..." (Ezekiel 24:17). This is of special interest to us, because it still in this present day is a characteristic of the New Israel of God, observed by Churches of Christ and other communions throughout the world upon funeral occasions. Cooke described the custom thus: "Friends and relatives of the deceased were accustomed to assemble in the house of mourning for a funeral meal, provided by those assembled."[15] Of course, the bereaved was supposed to participate in the feast. It was that meal, here called, "the bread of men," that Ezekiel was forbidden to eat. "Bind thy headtire upon thee ..." (Ezekiel 24:17) The meaning of headtire is "turban." Eichrodt warned us not to be taken in by the critical nonsense that the warning which God gave Ezekiel regarding his wife's death was "merely the realization that his wife's long illness would probably lead to her death in the near future."[16]Such a canard is no less a denial of God's Word than Satan's arrogant falsehood, that, "Ye shall not surely die." For Biblical references to the types of actions mentioned here as expressions of sorrow see: Leviticus 10:6(leaving off headtire), Isaiah 20:2 (the bare feet); Leviticus 13:45 (the covered lip). Deuteronomy 26:14; Jeremiah 16:7 (the meal in the house of mourning), etc. The meaning of Ezekiel's being commanded not to demonstrate mourning is that: "The context requires that the great tragedy of the fall of Jerusalem is not to be followed by wholesale demonstrations of lamentation and grief. Ezekiel would not weep (visibly) over the death of his beloved, and neither would the people of Israel weep over the fall of Jerusalem. Why? Because, in both cases the tragedy was too deep and stunning for any expression of grief to prove adequate."[17]Verse 19 "And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? Then I said unto them, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Speak unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind shall fall by the sword. And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another. Therefore shall Ezekiel be unto you a sign; according to all that he hath done shall ye do: when this cometh, then shall ye know that I am the Lord Jehovah."Ezekiel's behavior in such a strange and unnatural manner had the desired effect. The people felt that there was some message for them involved in it; and so they consulted him the following day. His news was devastating: the Holy Temple itself would be profaned. That meant the total destruction of Jerusalem. Many of the captives had left their children in Jerusalem; and here they learned that all of them would be killed. The loss of their children, their beloved capital city, and the Temple itself meant that, just like the case of Ezekiel, "They would have the desire of their eyes taken away." "Then it was the desire of Ezekiel's eyes that was taken away; but now it will be the desire of the people's eyes which will be taken away; and the loss will be too grave for tears."[18]"Then shall Ezekiel be unto you a sign ..." (Ezekiel 24:24). Apart from Ezekiel 1:3, this is the first mention of Ezekiel's name. "This verse is the subscription to the first twenty-four chapters; and Ezekiel 1:3 is the superscription."[19] Ezekiel as a sign also has overtones reaching into our own times. He is unmistakably a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially in the matter of that title found so frequently, "Son of man." His being commanded to "Judge Israel" is typical of the fact that God has given "judgment of all men" into the hands of the Son of God; his rejection by the Israel of his day typifies the rejection of Jesus Christ by the apostate racial Israel of his day. Verse 25 "And thou, son of man, shall it not be the day when I take from them, their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart, their sons and their daughters, that in that day he that escapeth shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears? In that day shall thy mouth be opened unto him that is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: so shalt thou be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."THE THIRD SIGN: EZEKIEL'S SILENCE TO ENDIt will be recalled that in the very beginning of Ezekiel's ministry, God had, except in the matter of specific prophecies which he was commanded to deliver, forbidden Ezekiel to speak freely to the people; but all of that would be changed at the end of the siege. (See Ezekiel 3:22-27). "The fall of Jerusalem would release Ezekiel from all restrictions."[20]Howie seemed to believe that the removal of such restrictions should have led immediately to his prophecies of hope and restoration; but the true restoration of Israel could not come until the evil nations had received their own judgments from God. "In that day ..." (Ezekiel 24:26-27). "This clearly is a reference to the day of the fall of Jerusalem."[21] That was the day when God took away the desire of their eyes, their hopes, their treasures, their fortification, the lives of the vast majority of them, their pride, and their confidence. It was the most tragic day in the long and terrible history of Israel, in fact, being exceeded in shame and sorrow by only one other day in the history of mankind, that being the one in which Israel, through its chosen leaders, cried, "We have no king but Caesar! .... His blood be upon us and our children." This concluded Ezekiel's prophecies against Jerusalem. "There was no further need to keep repeating God's threats and warnings. The die was cast; there remained only for Ezekiel to await the fulfillment of the predictions already made."[22]"The news of the fall of Jerusalem came to Ezekiel three years later."[23] "Until the fall of Jerusalem occurred, and Ezekiel had received the message of it's happening, he suspended his prophecies, as far as the Jews were concerned."[24]Canon Cook's final observations on this chapter are as follows: "For four whole years, Ezekiel had been engaged in foretelling the disasters that would happen to Jerusalem. He had been, throughout that period, utterly disregarded by the citizens of Jerusalem; and, although the captives apparently respected him, they absolutely refused to believe anything that he prophesied. Now, that the city had fallen, the voice of prophecy would cease, as far as God's people were concerned. This accounts for the fact that the next section of the prophecy is a series relating to the neighboring nations surrounding Israel (Ezekiel 25-32). After that series, the voice of Ezekiel is again heard addressing the exiles. This explains the apparently parenthetical nature of the next eight chapters."[25] Ezekiel 24:1. The specific date of this chapter is given which is the ninth year after Ezekiel was taken to Babylon. The exact day and month of that year are also given, and on that day the siege of Jerusalem began. Ezekiel 24:2. Ezekiel was in Babylon and hence would have no knowledge of the exact movements of Nebuchadnezzar without the message from the Lord as here stated. To clarify the memory of the reader I will again state that the third stage of the 70- year captivity had not occurred, but it was about due and was to be started with a siege. Ezekiel 24:3. In illustrating what was soon to take place the people were to be impressed by a parable. This was to be done through the use of some more “ acting" as we have previously seen in the history of the prophets. Ezekiel ordered someone to put on a pot or large kettle and put water in it. Such an action would mean that some process was to be done for the purpose of boiling something. and that was in order to effect some kind of purifying. If the fleshy parts of animals are boiled the objectionable portion will come to the top in the form of scum which can then he removed. Ezekiel 24:4. The city of Jerusalem was illustrated by the pot, and the pieces put into It were men of the nation. They were to he “ boiled" or tested In order to remove the scum (wickedness) from them. Things that are physically impossible or at least highly improbable, may be supposed to happen in a parable. Thus the city of Jerusalem was the boiling pot to begin with because it was in that city where the characters were that needed to be purified by boiling. However, the actual purifying effect was to take place in Babylon, and for that particular phase of the whole transaction we must transfer the boiling vessel from Jerusalem to Babylon. In ail other respects, though, the descriptive remarks apply to Jerusalem and the citizens remaining therein and in connection with it because of the many impurities in their lives. Ezekiel 24:5. Choice of the flock means the leaders or head men of the city. The word burn is from an original that means also "to pile.” Bones is defined in the lexicon as meaning the body. The language means the pieces were to be piled round in such a way that would cause them to get the effect of the fire. Ezekiel 24:6. Bloody city, to the pot. For the explanation of this phrase see the comments on verse 4. Let no lot fall upon it. That is, make no exceptions among the pieces (the men of Jerusalem), for ail of them must be put to the test in order to have the “ scum" (wickedness) boiled out of them; all must either be killed or taken into captivity in Babylon. Ezekiel 24:7. The law of Moses (Leviticus 17:13) required that the blood of animals killed lawfully should be poured upon the ground and covered with dust. This was evidently as an act of respect, on the same principle chat a dead body is buried honorably, since the blood is the life (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:11). But these murderous adulteresses were even defiant, in their disrespect for the innocent blood they had shed. They did not give it the courtesy of being covered out of sight by being absorbed in the ground, but poured it on a rock where every drop would be visible as a glaring proclamation of their arrogance. Ezekiel 24:8, Since these wicked women thus exposed disrespectfully the blood of innocent victims, the Lord in fury decreed that their guilty blood should likewise be exposed to the public view by spreading it upon a rock. Ezekiel 24:9. The bloody city is Jerusalem and the parable of the boiling pot is again referred to. The fury of God was to be manifested by making the fire great. Ezekiel 24:10. The thought of the preceding verse is continued in this. Spice it well. This was to make it more desirable so the foe would be more greedy In devouring it. Ezekiel 24:11. Here a slight change is made in the use of the parable. The enemy is to devour the desirable pieces that have been boiled, leaving the scum in the kettle. Then the pot is to be put back on the fire that the brass (the material of which the vessel is made) may get hot again. It was then to burn the scum right into the pores of the metal and thus be consumed. Ezekiel 24:12. She (Judah) had wearied or overworked herself In her eager- nes to speak lies. This refers to the false prophecies and other misleading teaching that her outstanding men had done which had lulled the people into a state Of false security. Ezekiel 24:13. The filthy lewdness refers to her idolalry which was never to be purged out of her until it was done by the Lord in the land of captivity. Because I hare purged thee is in the sense as if it said “ for this cause (namely, thy lewdness) I will purge thee (of idolatry) in the boiling pot of national chastisement,” Ezekiel 24:14, There are no new thoughts offered in this verse, but several declarations of the determination of the Lord to carry out his threats on his unfaithful wife. Ezekiel 24:15-16. Here we have a case where the Lord does some “ acting" in the place of the prophet. Desire of thine eyes means something that he would desire to look upon, which it will be seen means his wife, It was doubtless a severe blow and seems regrettable that such a thing was made necessary by the cruel unfaithfulness of these wicked women. But God made a greater sacrifice when he gave his own Son to die in order to accomplish a universal benefit. And so the death of Ezekiel’ s wife was so necessary in the estimation of God that the prophet was forbidden to make any visible or audible complaint. Ezekiel 24:17. Make no mourning for the dead did not mean he was not allowed to have any feeling of grief, but that he was to make no outcry over it. In that sense he was to be dumb; not that he could not speak if occasion required. The closing expressions of the verse means he was to conduct himself in a normal manner and not act like one in mourning. Bat net the bread, of wen. When death enters a home it is customary for neighbors to relieve the family of the burden and worry of household tasks by coming in and providing the meals. Ezekiel was restricted from aocepting any such favors, because that would be an outward demonstration of mourning. Ezekiel 24:18. There are two mornings spoken of in this verse, one was on the day when God was to take away "the desire of his eyes,” the other was the morning of the next day. In the first morning Ezekiel spoke to the people about what was to happen and in the evening of that day the “ stroke” came which was the death of his wife, The next morning the prophet started his attitude of apparent indifference as he was commanded. Ezekiel 24:19. The conduct of Ezekiel was so unusual for one whose home was darkened by death, and especially by the death of one’ s companion. This caused the people to ask him for an explanation of what these things are to us. Ezekiel 24:20. The prophet replied by telling them it was according to the word of the Lord, He had to speak in order to give them such a reply, which shows that the dumbness that was attributed to him for a period of years was not a physical defect imposed upon him. He was to be dumb or silent as to making an audible complaint Ezekiel 24:21. Ezekiel continued the explanation of his strange conduct upon the death of his wife. In doing so we are given a clue as to the purpose of both the death of the prophet’ s wife and of the conduct he was directed to maintain. It was a symbol of what was to befall the people of Judah and the attitude they were to manifest. They, like the prophet, were to lose something that was dear to them namely, their capital city with its citizens. Profane my sanctuary means the holy city and temple were to be given over into the hands of the heathen who would strip them of their belongings and put a stop to the sacred ceremonies. Ezekiel 24:22. The people of Judah, like the prophet, were not to make demonstrations of grief over their loss. This was to preclude their accepting any favors from others who might be disposed to offer them, such as food and the comforts of life. Ezekiel 24:23. Tires is from retm which Strong defines, "An embellishment, i.e. fancy head-dress." It would not usually be worn in times of distress, but these people were commanded to wear them just the same as it nothing had happened, Wot mourn nor weep had reference to the formal outward demonstrations in the sight of the general public. But they were permitted to mourn one toward another, which means they could have their grief If they (people of Judah) kept it among themselves. Ezekiel 24:24. Ezekiel is unto you a sign. This gives the key to the situation, that the misfortune of the prophet and his conduct concerning it. was to be an example of how the people of Judah were to act upon the misfortune of losing their city. Ezekiel 24:25, The preceding verse informed the people of Judah of the connection between them and Ezekiel, and this verse, addressed to the prophet, informs him when the “ sign” is to be carried out. It is to be when the Lord takes from them the desire of their eyes which we understand to be their capital city of Jerusalem, Ezekiel 24:26, He that escapes means one who escapes from Jerusalem at the time of its capture and destruction. Ezekiel will still be in Babylon when that misfortune occurs, just as he was at the time all this "acting" was being done. The one who escapes will go to Babylon and tell the prophet by word of mouth of the destruction of Jerusalem, which will have been revealed to him that same day by inspiration. Ezekiel 24:27. In that day . . . be no more dumb means that the restrictions which Ezekiel had been under, explained at verse 17, will be lifted and he will be permitted to express himself according to his feelings. Ezekiel 25 WARNING TO Throughout history Israel experienced the hostility of the neighboring states of Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia. In the time of Jerusalem’ s agony, these countries tormented and mocked God’ s people. Their attitude toward Israel was also their attitude toward Israel’ s God.The covenant with Abraham promised that God would bring "cursing" (i.e., calamity) on those who cursed Israel (Genesis 12:3). Jeremiah already had announced that God's agent would unleash his wrath upon Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia. These nations would come under the fist of Babylon for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11).The four brief oracles in ch 25 serve the double purpose of (1) declaring God’ s wrath on all arrogant people who mock him; and (2) indicating to the penitent exiles that God was still concerned for his people in that he was punishing their enemies.WORD AGAINST AMMON Ezekiel 25:1-7 The Ammonites had been vicious enemies of Israel since the time of the judges (Judges 10:9). Their ruthlessness is clearly indicated in the account of the siege of Jabesh-gilead (1 Samuel 11). When the territories east of Jordan had fallen to Assyria, and the tribes there had been deported, the Ammonites had taken over the unoccupied area.First Announcement of Judgment (Ezekiel 25:1-5) Introduction (Ezekiel 25:1-3 a): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 25:2) Son of man, set your face against the children of Ammon. Prophesy against them (Ezekiel 25:3) and say to the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD: The Ammon oracle begins with the strongest possible declaration of inspiration: and the word of the LORD came unto me (Ezekiel 25:1). To this is added the directive for Ezekiel to set his face against Ammon and prophesy against them (Ezekiel 25:2). This may have involved an actual facial expression, or it may simply indicate that the prophet was to deliver a negative prophecy. Ezekiel was to address the Ammonites as though he stood in their midst: Hear the word of the Lord GOD (Yahweh). Yahweh alone was Lord, i.e., master (’adonay), not Chemosh, the god of Ammon. To further underscore the Lordship of Yahweh and the authority of what follows, Ezekiel adds the traditional messenger formula: Thus says the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 25:3 a). Ammon's sin: arrogant gloating (Ezekiel 25:3 b): Because you have said, Aha! against my sanctuary when it was defiled, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity... The Ammonites were gloating (Aha!) over three misfortunes of the Judeans: (1) God's sanctuary had been defiled. (2) the land of Israel had been made desolate; and (3) the house of Judah had gone into captivity. The Ammonites had cast covetous eyes on the now unoccupied land of Judah.Ammon's sentence (Ezekiel 25:4-5): What Ammon's enemy will do (Ezekiel 25:4): therefore, behold, I am about to give you to the children of the east for a possession. They will set their encampments and make their dwelling places among you. They will eat your fruit, and drink your milk. For their arrogant pride and blasphemous intentions, God will bring swift judgment on Ammon. Ammon will be delivered over to the children of the east, i.e., marauders from the Arabian desert. They will overrun the land, encamp within it, and build their permanent dwellings there. These strangers will forcibly take from the Ammonites the fruit of their labor. What the Lord will do (Ezekiel 25:5): I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and the children of Ammon for a resting place for flocks. Then you will know that I am the LORD. As a result of God's judgment, Rabbah, Ammon's capital city, will become a stable for the hoards of camels possessed by the desert invaders. The rest of the land will become grazing pasture for their flocks. The fulfillment of the predictions will vindicate Yahweh in the eyes of the Ammonites (Ezekiel 25:5). They will learn by bitter experience that God is not mocked. Second Announcement of Judgment(Ezekiel 25:6-7):Ammon's sin (Ezekiel 25:6): For thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have clapped the hands, and stamped with the feet, and have rejoiced with all contempt in (your) soul against the land of Israel... The Ammonites had rejoiced with utmost glee over the fate of the land of Israel. Outwardly they were against Ammon after be had destroyed Jerusalem. Some conclude that t. 10.9.7) records that Nebuchadnezzar brought Ammon and Moab into ler, BBC. 579; Alexander, EBC. 865. tes against the Nations," PRS 22 (1995): 115-33. manifested their joy by clapping the hands and stamping the feet. Ammon's fate (Ezekiel 25:7): therefore, behold, I have stretched forth my hand against you. I will give you for spoil to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples. I will cause you to perish from the lands. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Because of their attitude, God will stretch out his hand against them, i.e., take active measures to assure their downfall. In four awesome and essentially synonymous “ I wills,” God declared that Ammon’ s national existence will come to an end. Josephus (Ant. 10.9.7) reports that Nebuchadnezzar campaigned against Ammon and Moab in his twenty-third year (582 B.C.). The area was largely depopulated before the middle of the sixth century B.C. until the third, at which time desert tribes came in to fill the vacuum.WORD AGAINST MOAB Ezekiel 25:8-11 Ezekiel’ s attention next fell upon Ammon’ s neighbor to the south, Moab. From the earliest times the Moabites had manifested hostility toward Israel. Balak, king of Moab, had attempted to curse the children of Israel just before the death of Moses (Numbers 22-24). Legend has it that the Moabites slew the parents of David whom he had left there for safety during his flight from Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 22:3). The Moabites warred against Omri, Ahab, and the combined army of Jehoram of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah (2 Kings 3). The region of Seir, jointly occupied by Moab and Edom, is included in the present oracle. Moab's Sin: Willful blindness (Ezekiel 25:8): Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Moab and Seir have said, Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations. The sin of Moab and Seir was twofold: failing to recognize (1) the distinctiveness of Israel, and (2) the uniqueness of Israel’ s God (v 8). Israel no longer enjoyed the miraculous protection she had enjoyed in the past. In their view Israel's God was no more able to protect her than were the gods of surrounding nations.Moab's Sentence (Ezekiel 25:9-11): Fortresses fall (Ezekiel 25:9): Therefore, behold, I am about to open the flank of Moab on the side of the cities, its cities from its frontier, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. The fortress cities of Moab will pose no obstacle to the advancing forces of Yahweh. To make this point concrete, Ezekiel names three such cities in Ezekiel 25:9. Beth-jeshimoth was on the plain of Moab opposite Jericho, about a thousand feet below sea level. Baal-meon ("house of Baal’ s habitation") and Kiriathaim were about ten miles to the southeast on the Moab plateau, about two thousand feet above sea level. Land occupied (Ezekiel 25:10): I will give it to the children of the east, along with the children of Ammon, for a possession in order that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations. On the eastern frontier, Moab's fate is similar to Ammon's. Children of the east, i.e., desert raiders, will overthrow the land. WORD AGAINST MOAB Ezekiel 25:8-11 Ezekiel’ s attention next fell upon Ammon’ s neighbor to the south, Moab. From the earliest times the Moabites had manifested hostility toward Israel. Balak, king of Moab, had attempted to curse the children of Israel just before the death of Moses (Numbers 22-24). Legend has it that the Moabites slew the parents of David whom he had left there for safety during his flight from Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 22:3). The Moabites warred against Omri, Ahab, and the combined army of Jehoram of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah (2 Kings 3). The region of Seir, jointly occupied by Moab and Edom, is included in the present oracle. Moab's Sin: Willful blindness (Ezekiel 25:8): Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Moab and Seir have said, Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations. The sin of Moab and Seir was twofold: failing to recognize (1) the distinctiveness of Israel, and (2) the uniqueness of Israel’ s God (Ezekiel 25:8). Israel no longer enjoyed the miraculous protection she had enjoyed in the past. In their view Israel's God was no more able to protect her than were the gods of surrounding nations.Moab's Sentence (Ezekiel 25:9-11):Fortresses fall (Ezekiel 25:9): Therefore, behold, I am about to open the flank of Moab on the side of the cities, its cities from its frontier, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. The fortress cities of Moab will pose no obstacle to the advancing forces of Yahweh. To make this point concrete, Ezekiel names three such cities in v 9. Beth-jeshimoth was on the plain of Moab opposite Jericho, about a thousand feet below sea level. Baal-meon ("house of Baal’ s habitation") and Kiriathaim were about ten miles to the southeast on the Moab plateau, about two thousand feet above sea level. Land occupied (Ezekiel 25:10): I will give it to the children of the east, along with the children of Ammon, for a possession in order that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations. On the eastern frontier, Moab's fate is similar to Ammon's. Children of the east, i.e., desert raiders, will overthrow the land. Moab educated (Ezekiel 25:11): So in Moab I will execute judgments. They will know that I am the LORD. These judgments will convince the Moabites that Yahweh of Israel was the powerful and almighty God.WORD AGAINST EDOMEze_25:12-14 The Edomites were descended from Esau. They occupied the territory south of the Dead Sea. Although the twins, Esau and Jacob, were reconciled during their lifetime (Genesis 33), their descendants were involved in perpetual hostilities. The Edomites had not allowed the Israelites to pass through their land in the days of Moses (Numbers 20:14-21). Amos (Amos 1:11-12) and Obadiah condemned the Edomites for earlier hostile acts against Israel. Jeremiah lashed out against them (Jeremiah 49:7-11; Lamentations 4:21-22). Later Malachi will blast Edom as well (Malachi 1:2-5). Edom's Sin: Vengeful Conduct (Ezekiel 25:12): Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom’ s dealings with the house of Judah have been the result of vengeful conduct, he has incurred enormous guilt by executing vengeance against them. Edom’ s sin was a vengeful spirit toward the people of God. Private vengeance is forbidden in both testaments (e.g., Leviticus 19:18; Romans 12:17-19). Even in international relations, vengeance is a divine prerogative (cf. Deuteronomy 32:35; Hebrews 10:30). Apparently, at the time of the Babylonian invasion of Judah, the Edomites had seized the opportunity to get revenge against Judah. Thus they had committed a grave offense.Edom's Sentence (Ezekiel 26:13-14): Result of God's judgment (Ezekiel 26:13): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: I will stretch out my hand against Edom. I will cut off from it man and beast. I will make it a desolation. From Teman even toward Dedan they will fall by the sword. For the crimes committed against his people, God will stretch out his hand against Edom. Man and beast will be cut off from the land. Even Teman, one of the leading cities of Edom, will become desolate. The slaughter will extend south of Edom as far as Dedan (v 13).Agents of God's judgment (Ezekiel 26:14): I will put my vengeance in Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will deal with Edom according to my wrath and according to my anger. Thus they will know my vengeance (oracle of the Lord GOD). The devastation of Edom will be wrought by the hands of the Israelites. Acting as God’ s agents, they will teach Edom the vengeance of Yahweh. God exercises vengeance to rectify wrong within the divine kingdom, and against that kingdom (Ezekiel 25:14). As in most of the prophecies against foreign nations, the predicted demise of Edom occurred gradually. The process started with an attack by Nebuchadnezzar. Edom fell into Arab hands in the fifth century B.C. In the third century B.C., the area was overrun by the Nabateans. In the second pre-Christian century, the remnant of the Edomites was conquered by the Jewish general Judas Maccabeus (1Ma 5:65). The Edomites were finally forced to accept circumcision and the Jewish faith. In this amalgamation, the Edomites disappeared from history.WORD AGAINST Eze_25:15-17 The Philistines invaded Palestine about 1200 B.C. in the days of the judges. They hailed from the island of Caphtor (Amos 9:7). Knowing the secret of smelting iron, they immediately gained the advantage over the Israelites who still fought and farmed with bronze weapons and implements. Samson fought valiantly against them. Samuel inflicted upon them a stinging defeat (1 Samuel 7:13). It was David, however, who broke their power. From that point on, in periods of strength Israel dominated Philistia. In periods of Israelite weakness, however, the Philistines broke free. During these periods of independence, the Philistines did all they could to harass the Jews. Philistia's Sin (Ezekiel 25:15): Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the Philistines have acted in revenge. They have taken vengeance with contempt in (their) soul to destroy with eternal enmity. Ezekiel condemned the Philistines for their constant enmity against Judah. Filled with ruthless vengeance, they were determined to destroy utterly the people of God.Philistia's Sentence (Ezekiel 25:16-17): God's vengeance (Ezekiel 25:16-17 a): Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistine. I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. (Ezekiel 25:17) I will execute great vengeance on them by acts of furious chastisement. God’ s mighty hand, so recently stretched out against Jerusalem, will now be turned against these neighbors who had aided and abetted the Babylonians. The Philistines, and the Cherethites who lived among them, will be destroyed. In fact all the remnant of the seacoast will be destroyed (Ezekiel 25:16). God’ s vengeance against these people will take place in the form of wrathful rebukes (NASB) or acts of furious chastisement (BV). This suggests that the demise of the seacoast peoples will be the result of repeated blows (Ezekiel 25:17). God's exaltation (Ezekiel 25:17 b): They will know that I am the LORD when I execute my vengeance on them. The fulfillment of this prediction began in the sixth century B.C. during the lifetime of Ezekiel. Gaza was attacked and destroyed by Pharaoh Hophra. Later the Babylonians devastated the land. During the intertestamental period the Jewish armies made several campaigns into the area, doing substantial damage. Reading the four short oracles of ch 25, one cannot help but recall the promise made to Abraham: I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you (Genesis 12:3 a). God always has been concerned about worldly attitudes and actions toward his people. People of the world are not in sympathy with God’ s program and plan. Ammonites who gloat over the misfortune of God’ s people are still in abundance. Modern Moabites will secularize the people of God by refusing to acknowledge that he indeed has called out of the world a chosen people. The Edomites are illustrative of those who are vindictive and openly hostile toward God’ s people. The Philistines are those who act out their hatred and brutality toward God’ s people. The abiding message of this chapter is that God defends the honor of his people Ultimately he overthrows all who oppose his people. These judgments will convince the Moabites that Yahweh of Israel was the powerful and almighty God.WORD AGAINST EDOM Ezekiel 25:12-14 The Edomites were descended from Esau. They occupied the territory south of the Dead Sea. Although the twins, Esau and Jacob, were reconciled during their lifetime (Genesis 33), their descendants were involved in perpetual hostilities. The Edomites had not allowed the Israelites to pass through their land in the days of Moses (Numbers 20:14-21). Amos (1:11-12) and Obadiah condemned the Edomites for earlier hostile acts against Israel. Jeremiah lashed out against them (Jeremiah 49:7-11; Lamentations 4:21-22). Later Malachi will blast Edom as well (Malachi 1:2-5). Edom's Sin: Vengeful Conduct (Ezekiel 25:12): Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom’ s dealings with the house of Judah have been the result of vengeful conduct, he has incurred enormous guilt by executing vengeance against them. Edom’ s sin was a vengeful spirit toward the people of God. Private vengeance is forbidden in both testaments (e.g., Leviticus 19:18; Romans 12:17-19). Even in international relations, vengeance is a divine prerogative (cf. Deuteronomy 32:35; Hebrews 10:30). Apparently, at the time of the Babylonian invasion of Judah, the Edomites had seized the opportunity to get revenge against Judah. Thus they had committed a grave offense.Edom's Sentence (Ezekiel 25:13-14): Result of God's judgment (Ezekiel 25:13): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: I will stretch out my hand against Edom. I will cut off from it man and beast. I will make it a desolation. From Teman even toward Dedan they will fall by the sword. For the crimes committed against his people, God will stretch out his hand against Edom. Man and beast will be cut off from the land. Even Teman, one of the leading cities of Edom, will become desolate. The slaughter will extend south of Edom as far as Dedan (Ezekiel 25:13). Agents of God's judgment (25:14): I will put my vengeance in Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will deal with Edom according to my wrath and according to my anger. Thus they will know my vengeance (oracle of the Lord GOD). The devastation of Edom will be wrought by the hands of the Israelites. Acting as God’ s agents, they will teach Edom the vengeance of Yahweh. God exercises vengeance to rectify wrong within the divine kingdom, and against that kingdom (Ezekiel 25:14). As in most of the prophecies against foreign nations, the predicted demise of Edom occurred gradually. The process started with an attack by Nebuchadnezzar. Edom fell into Arab hands in the fifth century B.C. In the third century B.C., the area was overrun by the Nabateans. In the second pre-Christian century, the remnant of the Edomites was conquered by the Jewish general Judas Maccabeus (1Ma 5:65). The Edomites were finally forced to accept circumcision and the Jewish faith. In this amalgamation, the Edomites disappeared from history.WORD AGAINST Exe 25:15-17 The Philistines invaded Palestine about 1200 B.C. in the days of the judges. They hailed from the island of Caphtor (Amos 9:7). Knowing the secret of smelting iron, they immediately gained the advantage over the Israelites who still fought and farmed with bronze weapons and implements. Samson fought valiantly against them. Samuel inflicted upon them a stinging defeat (1 Samuel 7:13). It was David, however, who broke their power. Filled with ruthless vengeance, they were determined to destroy utterly the people of God.Philistia's Sentence (Ezekiel 25:16-17): God's vengeance (Ezekiel 25:16-17 a): Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistine. I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. (17) I will execute great vengeance on them by acts of furious chastisement. God’ s mighty hand, so recently stretched out against Jerusalem, will now be turned against these neighbors who had aided and abetted the Babylonians. The Philistines, and the Cherethites who lived among them, will be destroyed. In fact all the remnant of the seacoast will be destroyed (v 16). God’ s vengeance against these people will take place in the form of wrathful rebukes (NASB) or acts of furious chastisement (BV). This suggests that the demise of the seacoast peoples will be the result of repeated blows (Ezekiel 25:17). God's exaltation (Ezekiel 25:17 b): They will know that I am the LORD when I execute my vengeance on them. The fulfillment of this prediction began in the sixth century B.C. during the lifetime of Ezekiel. Gaza was attacked and destroyed by Pharaoh Hophra. Later the Babylonians devastated the land. During the intertestamental period the Jewish armies made several campaigns into the area, doing substantial damage. Reading the four short oracles of ch 25, one cannot help but recall the promise made to Abraham: I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you (Genesis 12:3 a). God always has been concerned about worldly attitudes and actions toward his people. People of the world are not in sympathy with God’ s program and plan. Ammonites who gloat over the misfortune of God’ s people are still in abundance. Modern Moabites will secularize the people of God by refusing to acknowledge that he indeed has called out of the world a chosen people. The Edomites are illustrative of those who are vindictive and openly hostile toward God’ s people. The Philistines are those who act out their hatred and brutality toward God’ s people. The abiding message of this chapter is that God defends the honor of his people Ultimately he overthrows all who oppose his people.Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-FiveVerse 1 PART II; ORACLES AGAINST THE NATIONS(Ezekiel 25-32) ORACLES AGAINST AMMON; MOAB; EDOM; AND In our commentaries upon four dozen Biblical books, we have already commented upon the Divine Oracles against these four nations. For those who are interested in a more detailed study of these, reference is here made to: (1) the prophecies against Ammon: (Vol. 1 of Minor Prophets, pp. 92-94, Vol. 3 of Minor Prophets, p. 151, and Vol. 2, Major prophets, pp. 511-514); (2) the prophecies against Moab: (Vol. 1, Minor Prophets, pp. 97-99); (3) the prophecies against Edom: (Vol. 1 of Major Prophets, all of Isaiah 34, pp. 309-314, Vol. 2, Major Prophets, pp. 514-519, Vol. 2, Minor Prophets, the whole Book of Obadiah, pp. 247-263); and (4) the prophecies against Philistia: (Vol. 4, Minor Prophets, pp. 134,135, Vol. 1, Minor Prophets, pp. 87-90, and Vol. 2, Major Prophets, all of chapter 47, pp. 491-495). Because of extensive comments we have already made on oracles against these nations, our treatment of the subject here will be somewhat abbreviated. Ezekiel 25:1-7"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them: and say unto the children of Ammon. Hear the word of the Lord Jehovah, Because thou saidest, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity: therefore, behold, I will deliver thee to the children of the east for a possession, and they shall set their encampments in thee, and make their dwellings in thee; they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk. And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the children of Ammon a couching-place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: because thou hast clapped with thy hands, and stamped with thy feet, and rejoiced with all the despite of thy soul against the land of Israel; therefore, behold, 1have stretched out my hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the nations; and I will cut thee off from the peoples, and will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee, and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah." AGAINST AMMONThe history of Ammon began with the drunken and incestuous conduct of Lot; and the entire record of the Ammonites and Moabites, both of which began on that same occasion (Genesis 19), was one of rebellion against God and hatred of their kinsmen, the posterity of Abraham. The most recent example of their perfidy is recorded in Jeremiah, where the Ammonites arranged for the murder of Gedaliah the Jew, whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed governor of Judah. Some have misunderstood the reasons that God gave here for his judgment of Ammon, namely, because Ammon had said "Aha!" and had rejoiced over the ruin of Judah and Jerusalem, and the profanation of God's sanctuary. Serious as such offenses indeed were, Bruce pointed out that there was something else behind their conduct. "The Ammonites, along with the other nations, imagined that the collapse of the Judean monarchy also meant the eclipse of the God of Israel."[1]It was no doubt this very result of God's severe punishment of Israel which had delayed God's actions for such a long time. now, that God had done it, or was in the process of doing it, the mistaken notion that God was no longer able to protect Israel, on the part of the surrounding nations, absolutely necessitated the destruction of those nations. After all, they were guilty of the very sins that had mined Israel; and it was absolutely impossible for God to have allowed them to escape. We believe this is the reason for the inclusion here of the prophecies against the seven nations (four of them in this chapter). Furthermore, as Keil pointed out, "These seven nations selected for the oracles here may be understood as representative of all the heathen nations, indicating thereby that the judgments predicted will be executed and completed upon the whole heathen world."[2] The omission of Babylon from the list gives weight to Keil's understanding of the chapter. "I will make Rabbah a stable for camels ..." (Ezekiel 25:5). This infamous stronghold is now the modern Amman. In Roman times, Ptolemy rebuilt the place and called it Philadelphia (after himself); and in the times of David, it was remembered as the fortress where David contrived the brutal murder of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba. Both Cooke and May have written of the radical differences in style between this chapter and the following, suggesting that perhaps this chapter was not written by Ezekiel; and although Cooke admitted that the differences may be explained otherwise, it remained for Thompson to demonstrate convincingly that this chapter, no less than the others, is absolutely in keeping with Ezekiel's style.[3]"Because thou hast clapped thy hands ... and rejoiced ..." (Ezekiel 25:6). "Because Ammon has rejoiced at the grief of others, she herself shall be brought to grief. In such actions, God reveals that behind all human events, there stands the Author and Finisher of history, who is the judge of all men and nations."[4]Regarding the date of this chapter, McFadyen believed that none of it was written until after the fall of Jerusalem; but some disagree with this. It seems to us that the question demands little, if any priority. Of course, the "captivity" is mentioned in this oracle as an event already accomplished; but there were three phases of the captivity; and therefore the mention of it can have no weight at all in determining the date. Verse 8 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the nations; therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim, unto the children of the east, to go against the children of Ammon; and I will give them for a possession, that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations: and I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am Jehovah." AGAINST MOABSome seem surprised that the prophecy against Ammon spills over into these words regarding Moab; but, in view of the long association of the two wicked peoples, and their common enmity against God and the children of Israel, it is not at all inappropriate that their judgments should have occurred simultaneously. The long hatred on the part of Moab came to a crisis in the later chapters of Numbers, where the evil prophet Balaam cooperated with Balak, king of Moab, in their devices against Israel. It was finally the "daughters of Moab" who seduced practically the whole nation of Israel, including a thousand of its leaders in the shameful orgy of Numbers 25 at Baal-Peor. "Not long after Ezekiel wrote this, both Ammon and Moab were overran by Nabatean tribesmen and ceased to have any independent existence as nations."[5]Bruce, on the testimony of Josephus, fixed the date of Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Moab and Ammon in 583 B.C.[6]As a further corroboration of the view expressed above that the heathen nations all thought that the ruin of Israel was the end of Jehovah's power, we cite the inscription on the Moabite Stone, "Which quotes the boast of the king of Moab that his god Chemosh had vanquished Israel."[7] This was precisely the development that called forth these prophecies from Jehovah and resulted in the execution of God's wrath upon all the pagan nations of antiquity. Such actions alone could have preserved and perpetuated the knowledge of God's integrity. Verse 12 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and avenged himself upon them; therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah, I will stretch out my hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; even unto Dedan shall they fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel; and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my wrath; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord Jehovah."The prophecy in Amos especially mentioned the "anger and hatred of Edom" which did "tear perpetually," indicating the implacable hatred of the Edomites for God's people. Although Israel did indeed punish them; and under Hyrcanus, the Edomites were captured and somewhat forcibly taken into Judaism; nevertheless, the perpetual evil of the Edomites was sufficiently strong to be chosen by God Himself as the symbol of the totality of human wickedness, the final judgment itself being depicted in Isaiah 34 th chapter as the "judgment of Edom." The Edomites were featured as enemies of God and of the spread of the gospel of Christ in the Book of Acts, where Herod Agrippa I (an Edomite) attempted to kill all of the apostles, for which intention God executed him (Acts 12). Verse 15 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with despite of soul to destroy with perpetual enmity; therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will stretch out my hand upon the Philistine, and I will cut off the Cherothites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. And I will execute great vengeance upon them with wrathful rebukes; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them." AGAINST THE It is amazing that these ancient enemies of Israel finally gave their name to the Holy Land itself, Palestine! "I will cut off the Cherothites ..." (Ezekiel 25:16). These are supposed to be the Cretans, ancient ancestors of the Philistines. The teaching of the series of oracles here is that God will judge and destroy wicked mankind, a sentence that has been hanging over the head of the human race, like the sword of Damocles, since the sentence in Eden, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." The tragic judgments prophesied here were far earlier than the Final Judgment, of course, but they were necessitated by the situation in which the pagan nations were deceived into believing that Jehovah was not God of all gods. It is repeated throughout these passages that the reason for God's actions was primarily this: "And thou shalt know that I am Jehovah, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them." General remarks. The writing against the people of Judah is now interrupted and for several chapters the prophet will give God’ s judgments against some heathen nations. The next time he writes concerning Judah it will be chiefly of a reassuring tone. But before taking up that line it will be appropriate to publish the Lord's denunciations against these foreign peoples because they had been so hostile against His people. It will be well, therefore, to regard these chapters as an interval in the general book of Ezekiel, and the comments will he made an if the several chapters were an independent document. It will also be seen that the chapters in this interval are not always chronological as to dates. We will now study the chapters as they come. Ezekiel 25:1-2. Set thy face is a figurative way of telling Ezekiel to prophesy against the Ammonites. These people were distantly related to Judah but had been hostile against them and were considered their enemies. Ezekiel 25:3. God has always been jealous of his own people and would tolerate no rejoicing when they met with any misfortune. This verse explains why Ezekiel was told to set his face against the Ammonites. They had said aha when the land of Israel was made desolate and when the temple was defiled by strangers. That is an expression of derision and Indicates a feeling of rejoicing over the misfortunes of God’ s people. Ezekiel 25:4. East is defined in Smith’ s Bible Dictionary as referring to the lands lying immediately eastward of Palestine namely, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Babylonia. The men of the east, therefore, means the people of those territories who -were to come against the Ammonites, destroy their buildings and consume their products. Ezekiel 25:5. Kabbah was the chief city of the Ammonites, and it would he a reproach to have it reduced to a stabling place for the beasts of service. The people in general were destined to become a couch ingplace or place for resting for the flocks. Ezekiel 25:6. The bodily acts described were condemned because they were done in a tone of rejoicing over Judah’ s experiences. With all thy despite means they had a feeling of contempt for God’ s people. Ezekiel 25:7. I will stretch out mine hand indicates that God would be the cause of the defeat coming upon the Ammonites. That people was a heathen nation, itself, but tlie word is used in the general sense and the prediction meant that another nation was to be used as an instrument of the Lord for the purpose of chastisement Ezekiel 25:8. Moab and Seir were two countries bordering against each other and joined In their belittling of Judah, which was bound to bring down the wrath of God upon them. Ezekiel 25:9. Open the side means the Lord decreed a general attack upon these people, beginning with the frontier cities named in this verse. Ezekiel 25:10. Verse 4 threatened the Ammonites with invasion by the men of the east and the lands of Moab and Seir are here destined to meet the same fate. Ezekiel 25:11. The primary motive of all these instances of chastisement is stated, which was that people would know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 25:12. The Edomites were indirectly referred to in verse 8 where Seir (“ Edom was called Mount Seir and Idumea,"— Smith's Bible Dictionary) and Moab are included in the same prediction. In the present verse they are considered as a separate people. Ezekiel 25:13. When God decrees that one nation shall come against another, that is regarded as the work of His hand. Teman and Dedan were districts in the Edomite country located in opposite directions from each other. The last clause of the verse means that the slaying of their men would take place from one of these sections to the other. Ezekiel 25:14. Sometimes the Lord chastises one heathen nation by the services of another, but in the case of the Edomites it was to be accomplished by the hand of my people Israel. In performing this service they would he manifesting the vengeance of God. (See Romans 12:19; 2 Corinthians 7:11.) Ezekiel 25:15. The Philistines were a People who lived near the Mediterranean Sea, With a despiteful heart means to do something “ for spite,” and these people were charged with that in their dealings with God’ s People. Old hatred. According to the lexicon the first word may be defined either by “ old" or "perpetual,” The history shows that either definition may apply, Tor the hatred of the Philistines against the Israelites was con-tinually manifested from the beginning of their residence in Palestine and that would make it old, - Ezekiel 25:16. The Cherethtms were lifeguards according to Smith’ s Bible Dictionary and the lexicon of Strong agrees with it. Doubtless they were employed by the Philistines to serve and support them against the people of God. The present prediction threatened to take this support from them as a punishment for their hateful conduct. Ezekiel 25:17. Again the chief purpose of God in his chastisements of evil nations is stated, and it is that they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 26 OF TYREEzekiel devotes eight chapters of his book to oracles against foreign nations. Jerusalem had fallen. Yet before Ezekiel related this fact to his readers, he recorded the revelation that God will some day judge the heathen nations and cities around Judah. Ezekiel speaks of seven different nations in all. Having warned the small neighboring states of Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia (Ezekiel 25:1-17), Ezekiel denounced the two commercial centers of the day, Tyre and Sidon (Ezekiel 26:1 to Ezekiel 28:26). The final blast is directed against Egypt (Ezekiel 29:1 to Ezekiel 32:32). Some commentators express surprise that Babylon is not singled out in this section for condemnation. Ezekiel deliberately refrained from announcing the destruction of that nation, for to do so would have been too glaring a provocation. However, it did not demand great intelligence to conclude that if God was going to pour out his judgment upon these nations, Babylon surely could not altogether escape. Jeremiah already had written a lengthy condemnation of Babylon, so one from Ezekiel was unnecessary. Furthermore, an anti-Babylon oracle by Ezekiel might have stirred up the exiles to foolish resistance to the Babylonian government. Ezekiel organizes the oracles against foreign nations topically rather than chronologically. The Phoenician seaport cities of Tyre and Sidon first come under the purview of the prophet. Tyre, the more important of the two cities, receives far more attention— seventy-six verses as compared to but four verses devoted to Sidon. The lengthy Tyre material is itself divided into four distinct messages. The first two speak of the city itself, the last two of the king of that city. H.L. Ellison has offered the interesting suggestion that Ezekiel saw in the fall of the commercial city of Tyre a picture of the fall of Babylon, a similar commercial metropolis. To appreciate the prophecies regarding Tyre, one needs to be familiar with some of the geography of the place. Tyre is located a mere thirty-five miles as the crow flies from the Sea of Galilee, and only a hundred miles or so from Jerusalem. Ancient merchants traversed this distance by camel in a few days. Tyre was situated in a most advantageous location on the Mediterranean Sea coast. The city possessed two excellent harbors, one on the mainland where a portion of the city was built, and the other on an off-shore island where the main fortress was located. It was this rocky island that gave the city its Hebrew name sor, "rock.” The island city helped double the trading capacity of Tyre as well as provide a last refuge for the citizens in time of attack. The Phoenicians were the merchants of antiquity. Export products included glassware and dyed materials. A beautiful purple dye was made from a shellfish native to the area. Tyre was a prize that conquerors desired above all others. Tyre seems to have suffered less damage than the other states of Syria- Palestine during the Assyrian era, although she had to pay heavy tribute to maintain her commercial freedom. The prediction of Tyre’ s destruction can be divided into four paragraphs, each introduced by the traditional messenger formula, thus says the Lord GOD.DATE OF THE ORACLEEze_26:1 It came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying... The Tyre material is dated to the eleventh year of Jehoiachin’ s captivity. The month is not stated in the text, but it was likely the sixth month. If it was the first day of the sixth month on which the oracles against Tyre were composed, the date would be September 18, 587 B.C. About twenty months have elapsed since the last events and prophecies recorded in the book (cf. 24:1-2 and 26:1). The siege of Jerusalem had been under way for about nine months at the time Ezekiel delivered his Tyre messages. REASON FOR THE Eze_26:2-6 Tyre's Gloating (Ezekiel 26:2-3 a): Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem: Aha! She who was the gates of peoples is broken; it has turned unto me; I will be filled with the one who has been laid waste. (3) Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre. The first paragraph of the Tyre oracle is couched in the because . . . therefore pattern of the previous chapter. Tyre’ s offense was that she had gloated over the fall of Jerusalem. That brought down on her the wrath of Yahweh, in fulfillment of Gen 12:3. Proverbs 17:5 declares: whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. Jerusalem had been the gates of the peoples, a major trading center at the intersection of international trade-routes. The caravan tolls that once filled Jerusalem’ s coffers came to Tyre now that the capital of Judah had been laid waste. A bit of greed and selfishness is evidenced in the joyous exclamation, I will be filled (Ezekiel 26:2). Because of this greed and arrogant pride, the God of Israel declared himself to be an adversary of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:3 a).Five Predictions (Ezekiel 26:3-6): Five specific predictions concerning the future of Tyre are contained in Ezekiel 26:3-6. Prediction #1 (Ezekiel 26:3): I will bring up against you many nations, as the sea causes its waves to come up. Many nations will come against Tyre. Wave after wave of enemy soldiers will storm that place (v 3b). Commencing with the attack of Nebuchadnezzar, Tyre experienced at least five major assaults: Alexander the Great attacked the place in 332 B.C. He succeeded in conquering the city after a siege of seven months. Antigonus besieged Tyre in 314 B.C. and conquered the city after a siege of fifteen months. The Arabs captured the city in A.D. 636. The place was retaken by the Crusaders in A.D. 1124. Finally, the Arabs recaptured Tyre in A.D. 1291.Prediction #2 (Ezekiel 26:4): They will destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers. I will scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock. Tyre will be made a bare rock. The proud walls and towers will be broken down (Ezekiel 26:4). Alexander the Great scraped the old mainland site of Tyre clean. With the debris and rubble he built a peninsula out into the sea. By means of this mole, he was able to make a land assault on the island fortress. Prediction #3 (Ezekiel 26:5 a): She will become a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it (oracle of the LORD). Fisherman will spread their nets over the site of Tyre. The dry rocky island will be a suitable place for such activity. The presence of fishnets implies fishermen. Hence, the prophet is not suggesting that the site of Tyre will be totally abandoned. A small fishing village exists upon the ancient ruins of Tyre today. Prediction #4 (Ezekiel 26:5 b): She will become a spoil for the nations. Tyre will become spoil for the nations (Ezekiel 26:5 b). History records that each successive wave of attackers enriched itself at the expense of Tyre. Prediction #5 (Ezekiel 26:6): Her daughters who are in the field will be slain with the sword. They will know that I am the LORD. Satellite towns and villages (her daughters) on the mainland will be slain by the sword, i.e., destroyed by warfare. Nebuchadnezzar took the mainland city of Tyre and the surrounding towns and villages during his campaign in that region. All of the five blows mentioned above will befall Tyre for two reasons: (1) the God who cannot lie had so decreed it in a solemn oracle (v 5); and (2) the God of Israel will thereby be vindicated in the eyes of the Phoenician peoples (v 6).AGENTS OF Ezekiel 26:7-14 Assault by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 26:7-11): The generalized predictions regarding the fate of Tyre are amplified in vv 7-14. The successive waves of attack against Tyre are initiated by Babylon. His approach (Ezekiel 26:7): For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to bring Nebuchadrezzar against Tyre, king of Babylon, from the north, king of kings, with horses and chariots, horsemen, a company, even much people. The sixth specific prediction of the Tyre oracle is that Nebuchadrezzar. will destroy the mainland city of Tyre. The Chaldean king is here called king of kings because he had dominion over dozens of vassal kingdoms (cf. Daniel 2:37; Ezra 7:12). Nebuchadnezzar will approach Tyre from the north around the hump of the Fertile Crescent. Armed to the teeth, Nebuchadrezzar’ s cavalry, chariots and innumerable infantry will approach Tyre (Ezekiel 25:7).His siege (Ezekiel 26:8-9): He will slay with the sword your daughters in the field. He will make movable towers against you, cast up a mound against you, and raise up shields against you. (Ezekiel 25:9) He will set his battering rams against your walls. Your towers he will break down by his axes. First, the mainland towns and villages— Tyre’ s daughters— will fall. The attack on the island fortress was to follow the standard siege tactics of that day. Forts or siege towers will be erected to allow the attacking soldiers to be elevated to the level of the wall where they more easily could engage the defenders. Mounds of earth and rubble were heaped up about the city to accomplish the same purpose. Large shields linked together provided protection for the besiegers (Ezekiel 25:8). Battering rams were used to attempt to penetrate the stone walls. Axe-like swords were used to destroy other fortifications (Ezekiel 25:9). His conquest (Ezekiel 26:10-11): Because of the multitude of his horses, their dust will cover you. At the noise of his horsemen, wheels, and chariots your walls will shake, when he enters into your gates as men enter a city through a breach. (11) With the hoofs of his horses he will tread down all your streets. He will slay your people with the sword. The pillars of your strength will go down to the ground. In hyperbolic language typical of such battle scenes, Ezekiel paints the picture of the coming conqueror. Clouds of dust, generated by the approach of innumerable horses, will billow up over the walls. The walls of the city will seem to shake from the pounding hoofs and speeding chariots. The hostile conqueror will enter into the gates of the trembling city as men enter a city through a breach, i.e., without resistance (v 10). Within the captured city, a merciless slaughter will take place. Cavalry units will be dispatched down every street to slay all who might be found there. The sacred and symbolic pillars, that had been erected in honor of the national god Melqart, will come crashing to the ground (Ezekiel 26:11). Successors of Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 26:12-14): The destruction of Tyre was not to be accomplished by Nebuchadnezzar alone. Verse 3 already has alluded to the many nations that will be involved. This suggests that the destruction of Tyre will be spread over the centuries. Nebuchadnezzar did besiege Tyre, and his siege lasted thirteen years (587-574 B.C.). However, while he appears to have conquered the mainland suburbs of Tyre, he was never able to conquer the island fortress. Ezekiel was very much aware that Nebuchadnezzar would not be able to capture the entire city (Ezekiel 29:17-20). For this reason God will give to him the land of Egypt. Nonetheless, the long struggle against the Babylonians exhausted the power and resources of Tyre.Tyre's capitulation in 574 B.C. meant the end of Phoenician national life. During the Persian period, Tyre lost to Sidon its dominating position on the coast. She also lost her most important trading colonies. However, Tyre continued to survive as a trading and shipping center throughout the Persian period. An important shift in pronouns from he to they occurs in v 12. At this point the prophet begins to describe a second stage of Tyre’ s destruction. The first half of v 12 amplifies prediction #4 mentioned above; the latter half of the verse expands on prediction #2. Verse 14a combines and repeats predictions #2 and #3.City plundered (Ezekiel 26:12 a): They will make spoil of your wealth, and confiscate your merchandise. The wealth of Tyre will fall into the hands of the enemy. City demolished (Ezekiel 26:12 b): They will break down your walls, and tear down your delightful houses. They will put your stones, your timber and your dust in the midst of the water. The walls and luxurious houses will be torn down. The stone, timber and even the dust of the place will be pushed into the water of the Mediterranean Sea. The allusion in Ezekiel 26:12-14 a is likely to the armies of Alexander the Great. The Macedonian conqueror attacked the city in 332 B.C. He easily conquered the mainland city, as Nebuchadnezzar had done 250 years earlier. Alexander utterly demolished the place. Then by means of an amazing engineering feat, Alexander accomplished what Nebuchadnezzar had failed to accomplish, viz., he conquered the island fortress. Using the debris from the mainland city, Alexander constructed a causeway half a mile long and two hundred feet wide across the straits. For a time the Tyrians resisted heroically. They utilized fire ships to damage the construction work. Using catapults, they flung on their attackers pots of burning naphtha, sulfur and red-hot sand. Alexander was forced quickly to assemble a fleet of over three hundred ships to protect the construction crews and blockade the city. After about seven months, the young general grew impatient with the entire operation. He finally ordered floating batteries to be constructed upon which rams were mounted. His naval vessels were able thereby to force their way into the two island harbors. His troops quickly scaled the walls and captured the city. Eight thousand citizens of Tyre were slaughtered, thirty thousand were sold into slavery. Later, two thousand more were hanged. The mole that the armies of Alexander built partly from houses and monuments torn down on the mainland, still remains. It connects what formerly was an island to the mainland. City silenced (Ezekiel 26:13): I will cause the noise of your songs to cease. The sound of your harps will be heard no more. The joyous sounds of once vibrant Tyre will be silenced. City abandoned (Ezekiel 26:14 a): I will make you a bare rock. You will become a place for the spreading of nets. The island fortress will be nothing but a barren rock upon which fishermen will spread their nets. City abandoned (Ezekiel 26:14 b): You will be built no more; for I the LORD have spoken (oracle of the Lord GOD). Prediction #7 is that Tyre will never be rebuilt (Ezekiel 26:14 b). After the destruction by Alexander the Great, several successive cities were built on at least part of the ground once occupied by ancient Tyre. After the Phoenician city of Tyre was conquered by the Moslems, however, it was never rebuilt. The Phoenicians disappeared from history. The insignificant villages built by the Moslems on the site can in no wise be equated with Phoenician Tyre any more than a modern American city could be considered the resurrection of some ancient Indian village that might have once occupied the site. A further consideration is that a city in biblical days was not considered to be built (or rebuilt) until it had walls. A wall-less fishing village could not be considered a resurrection of ancient Tyre.RESULT OF TYRE’ S Ezekiel 26:15-18 Effect on Trading Partners (Ezekiel 26:15-16): A rhetorical question (26:15): Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre: Will not the islands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter occurs in your midst? A whole network of satellite trading colonies will be affected by the fall of Tyre. The coastal states along the Mediterranean will quake in consternation at the news of the fall of Tyre. A dramatic description (Ezekiel 26:16): Then all the princes of the sea will go down from upon their thrones. They will remove their robes, and strip off their woven garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling. Upon the ground they will sit. They will tremble continually, and be appalled over you. Again using prophetic hyperbole, the prophet describes the rulers of the trading partners removing their royal robes. They clothed themselves with trembling, i.e., they took on the demeanor of mourners. They will sit on the ground trembling, visibly shaken by the news that such a powerful overlord had been destroyed. Effect on Neighboring Princes (Ezekiel 26:17-18): Sadness (Ezekiel 26:17): They will take up for you a lamentation, and say to you: How sad that the one who was populated from the seas, has been destroyed— the famous city, that was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, that caused their terror to be on all its inhabitants. News of the demise of Tyre will evoke a lament from neighboring princes. How sad it is, they will wail. The most famous and most powerful of all the seafaring people had been destroyed! Fear (Ezekiel 26:18): Now will the islands tremble in the day of your fall. The islands that are in the sea will be frightened because of your departure. If Tyre had fallen, who will be next? The shipping communities on the islands and coastlands of the Mediterranean will tremble as they contemplated their own prospects for survival.DOOM OF TYREEze_26:19-21 Desolation (Ezekiel 26:19): For thus says the Lord GOD: When I will make you a desolation, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I will bring up the deep upon you, and the great waters will cover you; Tyre will become as desolate as an uninhabited city. The sea will wash over the bare rock that once was covered with the palaces of merchant princes. Death (Ezekiel 26:20): then will I bring you down with them that go down to the pit, to the people of old. I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the places that are desolate from of old, with those who go down to the pit, in order that you may not be inhabited. But I will set glory in the land of the living. The prophet apparently thought of the sinking into the depth of the water as leading to the world of the dead that lay beneath. Tyre will descend into the nether world— the pit— the abode of the dead. Translated out of the realm of the poetical, Tyre will die. Descent into the pit is a frequent metaphor for death in Ezekiel and in other prophets. In the pit of death, Tyre will join the people of old, the dead of former ages, the inhabitants of other cities left desolate. From the time of its destruction, the city will not be re-inhabited. But while Tyre with all its pomp and power will exist only in the spirit world beyond, God will manifest his glory in the land of the living, i.e., in this present world. The everlasting kingdom of God in all of its power and glory will be established. Prediction #8 is that Tyre will be depopulated. You will not be inhabited (Ezekiel 26:20). Again, the prediction applies to Phoenician Tyre, not subsequent villages that may have had the same name or partially occupied the same site. Disappearance (Ezekiel 26:21): I will make you a terror. You will be no more. Though you be sought for, you will never be found again (oracle of the Lord GOD). God will use the destruction of Tyre to bring terror to the hearts of other pompous powers (I will make you a terror). The once proud metropolis will leave no trace of her former glory. Tyre will be in the abode of the dead. No one will be able to find her in the land of the living.Prediction #9 is that Tyre will never be found again (Ezekiel 26:21). Does the prophet mean to say that the city will be so destroyed that its very location will be lost? It is difficult to believe that the actual location of the city could be lost when it formerly occupied an island completely. Probably the meaning is that Phoenician Tyre, once destroyed, will never be found. The glorious and glamorous city will disappear forever. Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-SixVerse 1 AGAINST TYREIt is of interest that, "In the Hebrew Bible, there is a marginal note at the beginning of this chapter, which reads, `half of the book.'"[1]Regarding the date of this chapter, Keil identified it as "the year in which Jerusalem fell."[2] Alexander gave that date as 587-586 B.C.[3]Ezekiel gave more space to God's prophecies against Tyre than did any other sacred writer. The prophecy which begins in this chapter is concluded in Ezekiel 28:19. This may have been due to the importance of Tyre at that particular time. As was true of all the other nations against whom God directed his prophecies, it was their paganism which required the destruction in which God judged them. Salvation for mankind could never have been accomplished without the general knowledge of all mankind that God is, and that there is none else besides Him. The necessity for the destructive punishment of Israel had given her pagan neighbors the excuse to claim that the True God had been defeated; therefore, the pagan nations themselves were destroyed. Tyre, and its sister city Sidon were pagan to the center of their existence. It was Jezebel, the daughter of Eth-Baal, king of the Sidonians, who brought the whole pagan institution into Israel in the days of Ahab, precipitating the contest with Elijah on Mount Carmel. Incidentally, that development demonstrated the godless influence of Israel's apostate kings and their foreign wives. Jezebel was the wife of Ahab. Tyre was an exceedingly strong city, the citadel of which was located on a rock-bound island 1,200 yards off the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. There were numerous villages and cities on the mainland that were commercially and politically related to Tyre. "Tyre was the incarnation of unrestrained commercialism."[4]They were the vulture-like scavengers on the fringes of every battlefield, waiting to make a deal to buy the prisoners of war and sell them at a profit. On one occasion they had even sold the Israelites to Edom (Amos 1:9). Back in the days of Solomon, they had formed a covenant ('the brotherly covenant') with Israel, and therefore they probably had some knowledge of Jehovah. In addition to the supporting cities and villages on the mainland, Tyre had also established a wide network of commercial establishments all over the Mediterranean world, which some believe included Tarshish on the coast of Spain; and, at one time, Carthage paid a yearly tribute to Tyre.[5] The chief representatives of Tyre in all of such centers were important leaders, called `princes' in this chapter, "the merchant princes" of antiquity. Tyre was primarily a merchandiser, a tradesman; but another source of her wealth was the manufacture of a rare purple dye, made from the murex shell, which came from a tiny shellfish abundant in that area.[6] No doubt Lydia (Acts 16), a "seller of purple" had her connections with Tyre. The chapter naturally falls into four divisions: (1) the announcement of Tyre's ruin (Ezekiel 26:1-6), (2) Nebuchadnezzar named as the destroyer (Ezekiel 26:7-14), (3) the world-wide shock at Tyre's fall, and (4) the permanence of the city's ruin (Ezekiel 26:19-21). Ezekiel 26:1-6"And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, because that Tyre hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gate of the people; she is turned unto me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste: therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I am against thee, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth its waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock. She shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah; and she shall become a spoil to the nations. And her daughters that are in the field shall be slain with the sword: and they shall know that I am Jehovah.""She ... that was the gate of the people ..." (Ezekiel 26:2). There were several ways in which Jerusalem was indeed the "gate of the people." Due to Jerusalem's location as a kind of center-piece for three continents, she sat astride the principle trade-routes of the world, able to impose taxes upon all who passed through her borders. The cruel selfishness of those old slave-traders in Tyre led them to look with greedy delight upon any disaster that befell Jerusalem. The word "gate" (Ezekiel 26:2) is often translated "gates"; and Keil believed that, "The plural was used to indicate the folding doors which formed `the gate.'"[7] However, to us, it appears that the several toll-stations on all the roads passing through Palestine is a more logical understanding of the plural. All such seats of custom were under the control of Jerusalem until its fall. The rejoicing of Tyre over the fall of Jerusalem indicated that, "Tyre considered herself the heiress of Jerusalem. The fall of the world's only spiritual center, enhanced the importance of the secular center."[8]Although not stated here, the full meaning of Tyre's remarks should probably be understood as carrying the thought that, "Now she is turned to me and to my gods!" They shall destroy the walls of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:4); I will scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock (Ezekiel 26:4); she shall become a spoil to the nations (Ezekiel 26:5); many nations shall come up against thee, as the waves of the sea (Ezekiel 26:3). All of these prophecies were most circumstantially fulfilled. Cooke alleged that the siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar was "probably inconclusive."[9] However, it went on for a period of thirteen years (586 B. C. to 573 B.C.)[10] and any worse "defeat" than such a siege can hardly be imagined. Furthermore, "It is evident that Nebuchadnezzar did indeed establish authority over Tyre, because an ancient inscription dated in 564/563 B.C. mentions a Babylonian high commissioner, alongside Tyre's native king (evidently a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar)."[11]It should be noted that a final end of Tyre was not to come in a single overthrow; it would be the result of "many nations," coming against the proud city "as the waves of the sea." First, there was Nebuchadnezzar (586-573 B.C); the Persians next subjugated Tyre in 525 B.C.;[12] then, there was Alexander the Great (332 B.C.); and Tyre's remaining history continued to show the `continuing waves' of destruction. These included their submission to the Antiochus III, to Rome in the days of that empire, and to the Saracens in the fourteenth century A.D.[13] Is not this indeed "as the sea causeth her waves to come up?" That Tyre would become as a bare rock is demonstrated by the condition of the place now, and for centuries previously. That God would scrape her dust from her took place when Alexander the Great built a great mole out to the island fortress, took it, and then scraped the whole city into the ocean! A few commentators, quoting Ezekiel 29:18, insist that "this prophecy was not fulfilled." However, in that passage Ezekiel was referring only to a "single wave" of the many that came against Tyre. Besides that, there are indeed Biblical examples of prophecies that were not fulfilled. God's promise through Jonah to overthrow Nineveh in forty days was not fulfilled. Why? Nineveh repented! Furthermore, we cannot rule out the possibility of an unrecorded repentance by Tyre. "It is possible that Tyre was spared because of an unrecorded repentance."[14] It would be helpful if some of our radical "scholars" would read Jeremiah 18:7-10. We have no evidence whatever that Tyre ever repented; but they certainly had some knowledge of the Lord; and it is no more unreasonable that, at one time or another, they indeed might have repented, than that Nineveh herself did so! Our view here is that every Word of God's prophecy against Tyre came to pass exactly as he promised. Verse 7 "For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: For behold I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and a company, and much people. He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field; and he shall make forts against thee, and cast up a mound against thee, and raise up the buckler against thee. And he shall set his battering engines against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wagons, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach. With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets; he shall slay thy people with the sword; and the pillars of thy strength shall go down to the ground. And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise; and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses; and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the waters. And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. And I will make thee a bare rock: thou shalt be a place for the spreading of nets; thou shalt be built no more: for I Jehovah have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah." NAMED AS THE "He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field." (Ezekiel 26:8). "These daughters were the suburbs and dependences on the mainland."[15] In these supporting villages were located many of those "pleasant houses," riches, and merchandise, which fell to the operations of Nebuchadnezzar. As for the promise that these should never more be rebuilt, this was certainly true of all that was scraped into the sea for the purpose of building the mole out to the walls of the citadel on the island. "A roof of shields ..." (Ezekiel 26:8). This is called "the buckler" in our version. "It refers to what the Romans called a `testudo'."[16] It was a portable light roof covered with military shields, under the protection of which soldiers could deploy their battering rams against an enemy wall. "Thy pillars shall be brought down to the ground ..." (Ezekiel 26:11). "This is probably reference to the pillars associated with the temple of Melkart, the pagan god worshipped in Tyre. Not even he could save the city."[17] These pillars were described by Herodotus. "One was of opal, the other of emerald; they had been erected in honor of the god Melkarth (a variable spelling)."[18]"Thou shalt be built no more ..." (Ezekiel 26:14) This was literally fulfilled as regards the continental city of Tyre.[19] "That part of the city that lay on the rocky island, recovered after a lapse of seventy years, as predicted by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 23:17-18)."[20]Verse 15 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to Tyre: Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay aside their robes, and strip off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble every moment, and be astonished at thee. And they shall take up a lamentation over thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that west inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city that was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, that caused their terror to be on all that dwelt there! Now shall the isles tremble in the days of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be dismayed at thy departure."ALARM AND SHOCK AT THE NEWS OF TYRE'S FALL"The isles ..." (Ezekiel 26:15; Ezekiel 26:18). These refer to all of the islands and coastlands of the Mediterranean Sea, which long had been under the domination of Tyre. "The renowned city that caused her terror to fall upon all ..." (Ezekiel 26:17). The heartless old slave traders of Tyre had been the terror of mankind, but for the thirteen year siege against them by Nebuchadnezzar, they allowed the evil slave trade to rest! "The princes shall come down from their thrones ..." (Ezekiel 26:15). These merchant princes were not actually kings. They were agents of Tyre, and the meaning here is that the source of their power, wealth, and glory had dried up. They were therefore downgraded and humiliated. "The mourning of these `princes' indicated that they had better judgment than the rulers of Tyre. Those in Tyre could not realize that the destruction of Jerusalem meant the same fate awaited them; but these 'princes' realized that they also were involved in the fate of Tyre."[21]"They shall tremble every moment ..." (Ezekiel 26:16) "This means that they were trembling and fearful continually."[22]Verse 19 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and the great waters shall cover thee; then will I bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make thee to dwell in the nether part of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, that thou be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living. I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt no more have any being; though thou be sought for, yet shall thou never be found again, saith the Lord Jehovah."In a passage like this, we can understand why the New Testament declares that, "Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:10) Certainly, the glorious hope of eternal life and the restored fellowship of lost Mankind with the Creator is nowhere visible in a passage such as this. "This passage gives the impression that the pit is identical with Sheol, the realm of the dead, which appears here as a place of no return and of utter lostness. The resurrection does not appear here, but simply a murky, shadowy, existence alongside the peoples of old and the ruins of the past."[23] Of course, there are other passages, here and there, throughout the Old Testament which indeed give glimpses of the resurrection from the dead; and for these we humbly thank God and praise his holy name; but the tragic passage here is not one of those passages. In the practical sense, "Tyre is here compared to the dead who are placed in their tombs and then are heard no more in the land of the living."[24]"To the people of old time ..." (Ezekiel 26:20). Keil saw in this, "A reference to the people of the `old world,' that is the generation of the Ante-Diluvians."[25] This suggests an obvious analogy. That godless world that lived prior to the Great Deluge was covered with the "great waters," even as the rains of Tyre were scraped into the sea and the "great waters" covered them, thus providing for Tyre, "Its everlasting dwelling-place, among the rains of that primeval world which was destroyed by the flood, and beside that godless race of the Ante-Diluvians."[26]"Yet thou shalt never be found again ..." (Ezekiel 26:21). This prophecy of the total disappearance of Tyre was literally fulfilled in the disappearance of the continental city of Tyre. "It is true that the insular Tyre afterward attained some distinction, but the ancient continental city never recovered from her ruin."[27] Ezekiel 26:1. The chapters in the "interval" (see "General remarks” at the beginning of Chapter 25) are interspersed with dates, but they are not always chronological. All of them, however, are dated from the captivity of Jeboiachin at which time Ezekiel was taken to Babylon. The present chapter is the eleventh year since that event, and it happens to be the last year of the reign of Zedekiah. There is no particular connection between these dates and the predictions uttered against the various nations. All we know is that the Lord saw fit to give us some of the dates. Ezekiel 26:2. Phoenicia was a narrow tract of country north of Palestine and lying along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Its principal cities were Tyrus (or Tyre) and Sidon and es-pecially the former. Because of its outstanding importance It has been referred to in the prophecies and histories, even when the writers may have been considering the country in general. There are several chapters devoted to this nation and city beginning with this verse. See Ezekiel 25:3 for the meaning of aha, Gates of the -people is a figurative expression used because of the position of the city as a commercial center. Turned unto me. The first person is used because Tyrus is the speaker, gloating over her imagined supremacy in her traffic against Jerusalem, Ezekiel 26:3. Therefore expresses the conclusion of the Lord against Tyrus. He decrees that many nations were to come against this city, so many and so powerful that it is compared to the waves of the sea dashing up against the land. Ezekiel 26:4. In connection with this verse I shall make a quotation from Smith's Bible Dictionary, and I request the reader to note especially the words walls, dust and rock as he reads the quotation because they are important words in the verse of the present paragraph, “ At that time [Alexander's attack in 332 B.C.l Tyre was situated on an island half a mile from the mainland: it was completely surrounded by prodigious [huge] walls, the loftiest portion of which on the side fronting the mainland reached a height of not less than 150 feet; and notwithstanding the persevering efforts of Alexander, he could not have sue ceeded iu his attempt if the harbor of Tyre to the north had not been blockaded by the Cyprians and that to the south by the Phoenicians, thus affording an opportunity to Alexander for uniting the island to the main-land by an enormous mole. (The materials for this he obtained from the remains of old Tyre, scraping the very dust from her rocks into the sea, as prophesied by Ezekiel. Ezekiel 26:3-4; Ezekiel 26:12; Ezekiel 26:21, more than 250 years be-fore.)” Ezekiel 26:5. Spreading of nets refers to the act of washing out their nets by fishermen and spreading them out to dry. Such a use of a place would indicate that the region was practically barren, its inhabitants having been either slain or deported. Midst of the sea has reference to the new city of Tyre that was built on an island half a mile out into the sea when the inhabitants of the city on the mainland realized they were losing the contest to Nebuchadnezzar. Become a spoil to the nations means the reduced condition of the city would expose her to the nations who would take advantage of her lot and take her possessions to themselves. In corroboration of the many statements in this verse and elsewhere about Tyre, I shall give a quotation from history. The emphasis will be mine, added for the purpose of directing the attention of the reader to words of special significance. “ With Jerusalem subdued. Nebuchadnezzar pushed with all his force the siege of the Phoenician city of Tyre, whose investment [formation of a siege] had been commenced several years before. In striking language the prophet Ezekiel (29:18) describes the length and hardness of the siege: ‘ every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled.’ After thirteen years Nebu-chadnezzar was apparently forced to raise the siege." Myers, Ancient History, page 72. “ Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the great merchant-city, Tyre, which was still rich and strong enough to hold out for thirteen years. Ezekiel says that Nebuchadnezzar and his host had no reward for their heavy service against Tyre, and the presumption is that the city capitulated [ surrendered] on favorable terms." Britannica, Volume 18, page 808. "Accordingly, at the time we are speaking of, she (Tyre) was in a condition to resist, thirteen years together, a monarch to whose yoke all the rest of the East had submitted. It was not till after so many years that Nebuchadnezzar made himself master of Tyre. His troops suffered incredible hardships before it; so that, according to the prophet’ s expression, ‘ every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled,' Before the city was reduced to the last extremity, its inhabitants retired, with the greatest- part of their effects, into a neighboring ISLE, half a mile from the shore, where they built a new city; the name and glory of which extinguished the remembrance of the old one, which from thenceforward became a mere village, retaining the name of ancient Tyre. Nebuchadnezzar and his army having undergone the utmost fatigues during so long and difficult a siege, and having found nothing in the place to requite them, for the service they bad rendered to Almighty God in executing his vengeance upon the city. God was pleased to promise by the mouth of Ezekiel that he would give them the spoils of Egypt for a recompence." Rollin’ s Ancient History, volume 1, page 472. “ The Tyrians also offered submission, but refused to allow Alexander [The Great] to enter the city and sacrifice in the temple of Hercules. Alexander was determined to make an example of the first sign of opposition that did not proceed from Persian officials, and at once began the siege. It lasted seven months, and, though the king, with enormous toil, drove a mole [huge wail laid in the sea] from the mainland to the island, he made little progress till the Persians were mad enough to dismiss the fleet and give him com-mand of the sea through his Cyprian and Phoenician allies. The town was at length forced in July, 332: 8,000 Tyrians were slain, 30,000 inhabitants sold as slaves, and only a few notables . . . were spared. Tyre thus lost its political existence, and the foundation of Alexandria presently changed the lines of trade and gave a blow perhaps still more fatal to the Phoenician cities.” Brltannica, volume 18, page 809, Myers’ Ancient History, page 275. Josephus, Antiquities, 11-8-3, Ezekiel 26:6. The original for daughters has a very wide range of raeaningB, even including "cities” and "townships.” Land or earth cannot be literally slain bp the sword, so the evident bearing of the clause is that not only will Tyre be attacked and her citizens slain, but the ones living in the surrounding areas will be killed, The purpose is to make the people realize that 1 am, the Lord. Ezekiel 26:7. This verse specifically predicts the attack by Nebuchadnezzar on the city of Tyre. For the historical fulfillment of this prediction, see the long quotation In connection with verses 4, 5. From the north is explained by the historical note offered in connection with Isaiah 14:31 in volume 3 of this Commentary, Ezekiel 26:8. Daughters in the field is explained at verse 6. Fort and mount means the embankments raised against a city, and buckler means a pointed instrument for the purpose of bodily defense in close-up conflict. Ezekiel 26:9. Engines of war were large instruments for the hurling of stones with the intent of battering down the wallB. The towers were the structures erected in the most important places and the axes were for the purpose of cutting them down. Ezekiel 26:10. The great number of horses in the cavalry of the Babylonians is indicated by the dust they could stir up. It was to be so dense that it would envelop the people of Tyre, The noise would not literally shake the walls. The idea is that they would shake at the time of the noise, and the physical cause would be horses and chariots and other instruments and men of the invading army. Ezekiel 26:11. These horses were both the ones that drew the war chariots and those that carried the cavalrymen, The men In both divisions of the service were to use the sword against the common citizens of the city, and likewise the garrisons or fortified groups of soldiers were to be slain. Ezekiel 26:12. The invaders were to take possession of the personal effects and also were to seize upon their commercial wares. They were also destined to wreck the houses, both the ones used for storage and the ones used as homes. Dust in the midst of the water is explained at verse 4. Ezekiel 26:13. In captivity the people of Judah would not feel like singing or playing on their instruments. This state of mind is well described in Ihe 137th Psalm. Ezekiel 26:14. The top of a rock would be a bare spot with no earth or other substance for supporting life. It would be fit only for uses such as the spread ing out of nets for drying. Such a circumstance is used to describe the desolate condition Judah would be In after the Babylonians conquered them. Ezekiel 26:15. The Lord's feeling against Tyrus was so intense that the city is named 14 times in course of the chapters in this "interval.” Isles is from an original that Strong defines “ a habitable spot,” and it means the people of various areas will shake or be shocked at the downfall of Tyrus. Ezekiel 26:16. Princes of the sea refers to the merchants of Tyrus whose traffic was conducted on the sea. In Isaiah 23:8 they are spoken of as such where the passage says "whose merchants are princes." Thrones and robes are figurative and so used in view of the control that the merchants of Tyrus had over the sea traffic. In the place of such gorgeous or showy garments they were to wear those of trembling. That will be caused by the attack of the nation that God will bring against them. Ezekiel 26:17. They refers to the people of the “ isles" as explained in verse 15. The lamentation here signifies the same as "shake” in the other verse. The frequent reference to the sea in one form or another is due to the position of Tyrus geographically. The city was located on the shore of the mainland at first, then it was situated on the island half a mile out into the sea. Such a location gave her an advantage over others in regard to sea traffic. But, the City was very boastful of her advantage and became overconfident of her power against other cities. Ezekiel 26:18. The word isles still means habitable spots wherever located, but in this verse it has both meanings. They were isles because they were surrounded by the water of the Mediterranean Sea, and they were inhab-ited spots, hence were "isles" In that sense and their people were concerned in the predictions being made. Ezekiel 26:19. Great waters shall cover thee is both literal and figurative. The enemy army would be so overwhelming that it would be like a flood. And by destroying the walls and other structures of the city, the waters of the sea would actually flow over it. Ezekiel 26:20. Pit means a state of obscurity or forgetfulness, and such a lot was decreed against Tyrus. With the people of old times means people of earlier times who had gone down in defeat under the attacks of hostile forces. Set glory in the land, of the living. By putting an end to the greatness of Tyrus so her glory will he dead, God’ s own glory will shine in the lands where national life still shines. Ezekiel 26:21. Nothing new is contained in this verse; it is a summing up of the desolate condition to be brought by the Lord upon Tyrus. Ezekiel 27 OVER TYRE Chapter 27 consists of an allegorical dirge song artistically interrupted by a prose section. Tyre is pictured as a beautiful ship superbly equipped and manned by a skilled crew (Ezekiel 27:3-11). In the prose section the ship is said to stop at various ports to collect her cargo (Ezekiel 27:12-25 a). The ship becomes so laden with merchandise that she sinks into the depths of a stormy sea (Ezekiel 27:25-36). This exquisite composition stresses the abiding truth that worldly wealth is transitory and ultimately self-defeating to those who worship it.THE SHIP FOR SAILING Ezekiel 27:1-11 Introduction (Ezekiel 27:1-3 a): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Now as for you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre. (Ezekiel 27:3) Say to Tyre, who dwells beside the entrances of the sea, merchant of the peoples unto many coastlands... The princes of the sea take up a lament over the fall of Tyre. Here Ezekiel is told to join them by lifting up a lament. Two phrases describe Tyre, the object of this lament. Tyre is addressed first as she who dwells beside the entrances of the sea. The plural entrances probably refers to the two sections of the harbor that were known respectively as “ the Sidonian” and “ the Egyptian” because of the directions that they faced. The second address to Tyre refers to her as the merchant of the people unto many coastlands. The far-flung trading colonies of the Phoenician city-states are one of the marvels of ancient history.Construction of the Ship (Ezekiel 27:3-7) The builders (Ezekiel 27:3-4): Thus says the Lord GOD: O Tyre, you have said, I am perfect in beauty. (4) Your borders are in the heart of the sea. Your builders have perfected your beauty. Tyre was a proud city. She boasted of her perfect beauty (Ezekiel 27:3). The boast was not without foundation. However, such national arrogance was the root of her downfall. Because of her situation on a Mediterranean island, and because of her sea-faring enterpriseszz, Tyre is likened to a ship that roams the seas. Her borders were in the midst of the sea. The builders had spared nothing to make that ship of state a magnificent vessel (Ezekiel 27:4). The building materials (Ezekiel 27:5-7) The finest wood (Ezekiel 27:5-6): With fir trees from Senir, they have constructed all the planks. Cedars from Lebanon they have taken to make the mast for you. (Ezekiel 27:6) With oaks of Bashan they have fashioned your oars. Your deck they made of ivory, inlaid in boxwood, from the coastlands of Cypress. The construction was sound. Planks of fir from Senir (Mount Hermon, Deuteronomy 3:9), masts of Lebanon cedar, oars of Bashan oak, the decking material was made of boxwood (from Cyprus) inlaid with ivory. Exquisite cloth (Ezekiel 27:7): Of exquisitely embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that served as your ensign. Purple and blue from the coastlands of Elishah was your awning. The sails were of the most costly Egyptian linen embroidered with distinctive colors so as to serve as an ensign for the ship. Her deck awning was of two shades of purple from Elishah.Crew of the Ship (Ezekiel 27:8-11) Naval personnel (Ezekiel 27:8-9): The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your skilled men, O Tyre, were on board as pilots. (Ezekiel 27:9) The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were on board as repairmen. All the ships of the sea with their sailors were on board in order to barter for your merchandise. The crew on board the good ship Tyre were the finest in the world. The rowers hailed from Sidon and the island Arvad, a hundred miles north of Sidon. The wisestmen of Tyre were at the helm (Ezekiel 27:8). Skilled craftsmen from Geba1 served as ship- carpenters (KJV, calkers; lit., repairers of the seams). Furthermore, all the navies of the world assisted her in the transference of her cargo. Military personnel (Ezekiel 27:10-11): Persia, Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. Shield and helmet they hung on you; they enhanced your splendor. (Ezekiel 27:11) The sons of Arvad and your army were upon your walls round about. The Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields upon your walls round about; they perfected your beauty. The marines on board the ship were mercenaries from distant lands. They were attracted, no doubt, by the handsome wages offered by the wealthy merchants of Tyre. They came from Persia to the east, Lud (Lydia) in Asia Minor, and Put (Punt) on the western coast of the Red Sea, The colorful shields and helmets of these soldiers were hung in awesome array along the sides of the good ship Tyre (Ezekiel 27:10). Add to this the presence of yet other armed personnel— the men of Arvad (see on Ezekiel 27:8), and the Gammadim, a people not elsewhere mentioned in the Bible. These soldiers, as well as the army of Tyre itself, will hang their shields on the ship’ s sides to further enhance the splendor of the vessel. THE SHIP IN HER PORTS OF CALL Ezekiel 27:12-25 a The cities that traded with Tyre are given in geographical order in three groupings. The Western "Ports" (Ezekiel 27:12-15): Tarshish was your client because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth. Silver, iron, tin and lead they traded for your wares. (Ezekiel 27:13) Javan, Tubal and Meshech were your trading partners. Persons of men and vessels of bronze they traded for your merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:14) Those from Beth-togarmah traded horses— war horses and mules— for your wares. (Ezekiel 27:15) The children of Dedan were your trading partners. Many coastlands were your market. Horns of ivory and ebony they brought as your gift. The first group of trading cities consists of those that lie along the Mediterranean trade route. The list begins with Tarshish at the western end of the sea. Tarshish, a mining district in southern Spain, was attracted by the wealth of Tyre to become one of her trading partners. They traded valuable metals for the export products of Tyre (Ezekiel 27:12). Javan is Greece; Tubal and Meshech were tribes in Asia Minor. With these regions Tyre trafficked in slaves (cf. Joe 3:6) and copper ore (Ezekiel 27:13). From Beth-togarmah (probably Armenia), Tyre secured horses, war horses, and mules (Ezekiel 27:14). Dedan (island of Rhodes) traded with Tyre too. Many other coastlands were part of Tyre’ s commercial network. Vessels of ivory and ebony were paid as tribute to Tyre for the privilege of belonging to this commercial community (Ezekiel 27:15). These products will come from the African interior via the Phoenician traders on the coast of North Africa. The Neighboring "Ports" (Ezekiel 27:16-22): Aram was your client because of the abundance of your works. Emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies they traded for your wares. (Ezekiel 27:17)Judah and the land of Israel were your trading partners. The wheat of Minnith, cakes of honey, oil and balm they have traded for your merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:18) Damascus was your client because of the multitude of your works, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, with the wine of Helbon and white wool. (Ezekiel 27:19) Vedan and Javan traded for your wares from Uzal. Iron, cassia and calamus were among your merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:20) Dedan was your trading partner in saddle-cloths for riding. (Ezekiel 27:21) Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your clients; in lambs, rams, and goats, for these were they your clients. (Ezekiel 27:22) The traders of Sheba and Raamah were your trading partners. The best of all kind of spices. All kinds of precious stones, and gold they traded for your wares. Aram (Syria) provided Tyre with precious stones and beautiful fabrics (Ezekiel 27:16). Judah exported agricultural products to Tyre— wheat, cakes, honey, oil and balm (Ezekiel 27:17). Damascus supplied Tyre with the finest wine, the wine of Helbon, and white wool (Ezekiel 27:18). Vedan was probably an Arab city. Javan here in Ezekiel 27:19 may refer to a Greek colony in Arabia. Both cities are said to export the trading merchandise from Uzzal — iron bars, perfume (cassia) and sweet cane (calamus). The entire nineteenth verse is difficult to translate. Opinions differ widely on its meaning. From Arabian Dedan, Tyre received saddle-cloths (Ezekiel 27:20). The nomadic Arabs and the princes of Kedar were famous for their flocks (cf. Isaiah 60:7). They supplied Tyre with livestock (v 20). Sheba in southwest Arabia and Raamah, thought to be along the Persian Gulf, were famous trading people (cf. Job 6:19). Gold, precious stones and aromatics were among the items these traders bartered with Tyre (Ezekiel 27:22).C. Mesopotamian "Ports" (Ezekiel 27:23-25): Haran, Canneh, Eden and the traders of Sheba, Assyria (and) Chilmad were your trading partners. (Ezekiel 27:24) These were your trading partners in gorgeous fabrics, in cloth of blue and embroidered work and chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and cedar-lined, among your merchandise (Ezekiel 27:25). The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. The next three “ ports” mentioned were located in Mesopotamia. Haran, a stopping point in Abram’ s migration (Genesis 12:4), was an important commercial center on the main trade route from Babylon to Syria. Canneh is probably to be identified as Calneh (Genesis 10:10), otherwise called Calno (Isaiah 10:9), a city in Babylonia. Eden is known on Assyrian inscriptions as Bit-Adini, a city that occupies both sides of the Euphrates river due south of Haran. Through these trading centers, the merchandise of Sheba (see previous verse), Assyria and Chilmad (location unknown) moved toward Tyre (Ezekiel 27:23). The Mesopotamian trading partners brought to Tyre gorgeous fabrics (lit., things perfected), cloaks of blue and richly woven work, and beautiful cedar chests containing other kinds of luxurious wearing apparel (Ezekiel 27:24). The list concludes with a reference to the ships of Tarshish (see Ezekiel 27:12) that brought their dues to Tyre, the queen of the merchant marine (Ezekiel 27:25 a).THE SHIP SINKING Ezekiel 27:25-36 Report of the Calamity (Ezekiel 27:25-27) Dangerous waters (Ezekiel 27:25-26): So you became full and very heavy in the heart of the seas. (Ezekiel 27:26) Into great waters your rowers have brought you. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. Through all this commercial activity, the good ship Tyre became overloaded in the midst of the sea, in the very place where she was thought to be supreme (Ezekiel 27:25). Into the dangerous open sea, the sailors have rowed the vessel. There she will meet disaster. The east wind (cf. Psalms 48:7) stirred up the waves and battered the ship until it broke apart under the pressure (Ezekiel 27:26). Disastrous voyage (Ezekiel 27:27): Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your sailors, your pilots, your repairmen and your merchant men, all your men of war which were on board, with all your company that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your collapse. All was lost— the merchandise, and all the individuals associated with transporting and protecting it (Ezekiel 27:27). Reaction to the Calamity (Ezekiel 27:29-31): At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the countryside will shake. (Ezekiel 27:29) All who handle the oar, the sailors, all the pilots of the sea will come down from their ships, and stand upon the land. (Ezekiel 27:30) They will cause their voice to be heard over you. They will cry bitterly, cast dust upon their heads, and wallow in ashes. (Ezekiel 27:31) They will make themselves bald because of you. They will gird themselves with sackcloth. They will weep over you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning. The countryside (KJV, suburbs) that had supplied so many of the personnel on board will shake at the desperate cries of Tyre’ s crew sinking beneath the waves (Ezekiel 27:28). World-wide shipping will come to a halt as sailors paused on land to express sympathy for the departed Queen of the Seas (Ezekiel 27:29). The lament will be bitter, and accompanied by all the outward signs of mourning that were customary in the ancient world— dust on the head, baldness, and sackcloth (Ezekiel 27:30-31). Lament over the Sunken Ship (Ezekiel 27:32-36) They express shock (Ezekiel 27:32): Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you. They will lament over you: Who is like Tyre, like she that is silent in the midst of the sea? Ezekiel 27:32 introduces a rather unusual lament within a lament (cf. 27:2). What other city could be compared to Tyre that now lies silent in a watery grave? They eulogize Tyre (Ezekiel 27:33): When your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. With the multitude of your wealth and your merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. In their lament the sailors emphasize the benefits that Tyre had brought to the kings of the earth. They describe the disaster (Ezekiel 27:34): Now you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters. Your merchandise and all your company have fallen in your midst. Her exports along the shipping lanes had contributed to international wealth. But now the sea had rebelled against her mistress. The good ship Tyre, with crew and cargo, had gone to the bottom (Ezekiel 27:34).They display astonishment (Ezekiel 27:35-36) The kings of the coastlands (Ezekiel 27:35): All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled over you. Their kings are horribly afraid. They are troubled in their countenance. Other seafaring peoples now feared for their own future. The outward signs of sympathy for Tyre were but a mask to conceal the selfish fears that they too might experience a similar fate. The merchants of the world (Ezekiel 27:36): The merchants among the people whistle in astonishment over you. You have become a terror, and you will be no more. Merchants throughout the world express their astonishment by hissing, i.e., whistling.Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-SevenVerse 1 OF THE SINKING OF THE SHIP; TYREThe prophet Ezekiel suddenly emerges in this chapter as a man of almost unbelievable ability, information, and knowledge of world geography, agricultural and manufacturing products associated with the nations of the whole world, and of the art of ship-building. It is not known just how much of this incredible store of knowledge was due to the divine inspiration of the prophet, and how much of it was derived from his own personal knowledge. We do not pretend to know the full answer to that question. It is evident, as McFadyen noted that, "The dirge over Tyre is a brilliant poem, the central paragraph of which is in prose, containing a gorgeous account of the commercial commodities featured in the commerce of Tyre, together with the various origins of the commodities and the goods for which they were exchanged!."[1]Plumptre called this chapter "without parallel in the history of literature."[2]Cooke labeled it, "One of the finest of Ezekiel's compositions."[3]Keil divided the chapter into three sections: a presentation of the glory of Tyre under the figure of a majestic Merchant Ship (1-11), an account of the commodities involved in Tyre's extensive commerce with the nations of the world (12-25), and the dramatic prophecy of her sudden disaster (26-36).[4]THE GLORY OF THE SHIP TYREEze_27:1-11"The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying, And thou, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; and say unto Tyre, O thou that dwellest at the entry of the sea, that art the merchant of the peoples unto many isles, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou, O Tyre, hast said, I am perfect in beauty. Thy borders are in the heart of the seas; thy builders have perfected thy beauty. They have made all thy planks of fir trees from Senir; they have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for thee. Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; they have made thy benches of ivory inlaid in boxwood, from the isles of Kittim. Of fine linen broidered work from Egypt was thy sail, that it might be to thee for an ensign; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was thine awning. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy rowers: thy wise men, O Tyre, were in thee, they were thy pilots. The old men of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee, thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to deal in thy merchandise. Persia and Lud and Put were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness. The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about; they have perfected thy beauty.""O thou that dwellest at the entry of the sea ..." (Ezekiel 27:3). Here we have another example of scholarly fiddling with the Biblical text in which they perverted the Word of God, changing what the sacred text says into what the translators thought the Holy Spirit should have said! This passage reads entrances into the sea, not entry.[5] Tyre had two great harbors, the Sidonian on the north, and the Egyptian harbor on the south. Thus "entrances of the sea" is correct. Another example of the same type of error by translators appears in Acts 27:40 (KJV), where translators changed "rudders" to "rudder," erroneously believing that ancient ships had only a single rudder. (See a full comment on this in our New Testament Series, Vol. 5 (Acts), pp. 503,504.) Please do not misunderstand this comment as downgrading the efforts of scholars to aid us in the understanding of the Bible. Their work is absolutely indispensable. It is true that errors like the ones cited here occur, but the scholars are confronted with a nearly impossible task. The sacred text of this very chapter, in its transmission to us through many centuries has been severely damaged and obscured in some places, leaving part of it unintelligible until emendations and corrections of it have been studied in order to arrive at the meaning. "This very chapter is remarkable for its textual difficulties."[6]Also, it should be remembered that, in those cases where the scholars have added words, those additions appear in the versions as italics; and in instances where a presumably better term is substituted for a word in the original, the original word is generally given as an alternate reading in the margin, or in a footnote. Then, also, there are many cases in which former errors are corrected in subsequent versions, as in the case ofActs 27:40. Nevertheless, a word of warning should be issued with regard to many "corrupt translations," especially of the New Testament, which are, in many passages, intentional perversions of the truth, slanted to favor the theological bias of certain groups. "I am perfect in beauty ..." (Ezekiel 27:3). "Simply put, her pride and self-adulation knew no bounds, and she was inordinately arrogant."[7]"Fir-trees from Senir ..." (Ezekiel 27:5). "Senir was the Amorite" name for Mount Hermon (as inDeuteronomy 3:9)."[8]"Of the oaks of Bashan... thine oars ..." (Ezekiel 27:6). Special varieties of trees were sought for every part of the magnificent ship. We are reminded that the hulk of The Mayflower was made of the "Oaks of Devonshire." "Benches of boxwood inlaid with ivory ..." (Ezekiel 27:6). The word which is here translated as "benches" is also rendered as "deck,"[9] or "boards,"[10] or "cabin." That the wood was precious is seen in the fact that it was used in the framing of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:15-16; and Numbers 3:36; Numbers 4:31). The exact kind of wood here called "boxwood" is not certainly known. Skinner thought that it was probably, "A variety of cedar imported from Cyprus."[11] Kittim in this verse is the same as Cyprus. "The isles of Elishah ..." (Ezekiel 27:7). "This is the equivalent of the Greek Aeolis on the western coast of Asia Minor."[12] Tyre, having somewhat depleted the supply of the murex mollusk in the waters of Phoenicia, found an additional, abundant supply of these in the Greek isles. They were important in the making of purple dye. "Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy rowers ..." (Ezekiel 27:8). "'Arvad' was an island off the coast of Sidon, now called Ruad (Genesis 10:18)."[13]Some radical critics would like to delete the prose section which immediately follows Ezekiel 27:11, as some kind of a later addition to the prophecy; but as Beasley-Murray said, "That is not sufficient reason for denying its authenticity."[14]"Persia and Lud and Put were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and buckler in thee ..." (Ezekiel 27:10). "We should seek Lud in Africa (Jeremiah 46:9; Genesis 10:13; Isaiah 66:19); and Put is on the African coast of the Red Sea."[15]The great riches of Tyre enabled her to employ mercenary soldiers from as far away as Persia. FromJeremiah 46:9, it appears that Egypt also employed mercenaries from these same sources. "Thus Tyre had become a magnificent world-wide empire, which was able to procure the commerce and cooperation of the nations all over the world of that era."[16]"Thine army upon thy walls ..." (Ezekiel 27:11). Keil called attention to the fact that, "A distinction is made between the mercenaries from Lud, Put, etc., called `men of war' in 5:10, and the other soldiers who 'manned the walls" of the city. These from the local Arvad would have been considered more loyal to Tyre. The more distant mercenaries were entrusted with battles more removed from the city itself."[17]Verse 12 "Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded for thy wares. Javan, Tubal, and Mesheck, they were thy traffickers; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass for thy merchandise. They of the house of Togarmah traded for thy wares with horses and war-horses and mules. The men of Dedan were thy traffickers; many isles were the mart of thy land: they brought thee in exchange horns of ivory and ebony," AND TRADED IN BY TYRE (Ezekiel 27:12-25) "Tarshish ..." (Ezekiel 27:12). This is the same city to which Jonah intended to flee "from the presence of Jehovah." It is thought to have been located upon the southern coast of Spain. "Javan, Tubal, and Mesheck ..." (Ezekiel 27:13). "'Javan' refers to the Ionian Greeks; `Tubal and Mesheck' are the names used by the Assyrians and Greeks for the nations dwelling in Cappadocia between the Black Sea and the Taurus mountains."[18]This verse is important as the confirmation of the charge by Amos against Tyre (Amos 1:9) that these heartless old slave-traders had even sold Israelites to Edom; and also as the confirmation of the fact of the Greeks themselves having been involved in this contemptible "trading in the persons of men," as Joel charged in Joe 3:6. The extent of the Tyrian commercial empire should be noted. From Tarshish on the south coast of Spain to the area eastward from the Black Sea and beyond just about covers the entire Mediterranean world of that era. "The house of Togarmah ..." (Ezekiel 27:14). "This is the same as Armenia."[19] Work animals (horses and mules), saddle-horses, and war-horses were extremely valuable commodities in the ancient world; and it continued to be so for many centuries. "The men of Dedan ..." (Ezekiel 27:15). "This is the same as `the men of Rhodes'; they were the merchants who traded in ivory and ebony with the North African tribes,"[20] much of which merchandise would also have passed through the hands of Tyrian merchants. Verse 16 "Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of thy handiworks: they traded for thy wares with emeralds, purple, broidered work, fine linen, and coral, and rubies. Judah and the land of Israel, they were thy traffickers: they traded for thy merchandise wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm. Damascus was thy merchant for the multitude of thy handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool. Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for thy wares: bright iron, cassia, and calamus were among thy merchandise. Dedan was thy trafficker in precious cloths for riding."All commentators speak of the difficulty of the text in these verses; and some of the renditions are based, at least, partially upon emendations and conjecture. The over-all truth of the immensity of Tyre's commerce is clear enough. "Syria ... Damascus ..." (Ezekiel 27:16; Ezekiel 27:18). Damascus, of course, was the capital of Syria; and Helbon, the district just north of Damascus was famous for the production of wine, "Which was one of the chief exports of Damascus."[21]Several of the place-names in Ezekiel 27:19 are disputed; but Plumptre believed they were references probably to little-known Arabian cities. "Bright iron, cassia, calamus ..." (Ezekiel 27:19). "The bright iron was `alloyed steel' used in the making of swords; the `cassia, and calamus' both belonged to the class of perfumes for which Arabia was famous (Exodus 24, 23)."[22] One remembers the lament of Lady Macbeth that, "All the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten this little hand!" "Precious cloths for riding ..." (Ezekiel 27:19). This is a reference to saddle blankets, not blankets to go under saddles, but to be used as saddles. Judges 5:10 has a reference to these: "Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich carpets." from The Song of Deborah. "Dedan ..." (Ezekiel 27:20). "Unlike the `Dedan' identified above as Rhodes, this one appears to have been located in NW Arabia."[23] "It was a caravan city."[24]Verse 21 "Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of thy hand; in lambs, and rams, and goats, in these were they thy merchants. The traffickers of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy traffickers; they traded for thy wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold. Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traffickers of Sheba, were thy traffickers, Asshur and Chilmad, were thy traffickers. These were thy traffickers in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and made of cedar, among thy merchandise. The ships of Tarshish were thy caravans for thy merchandise: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the heart of the seas.""Traffickers ..." (Ezekiel 27:22-24). This word is used seven times in this brief paragraph; and the connotations of the term are not at all complimentary. On the contrary, the term means "crooked trader," using false balances and other `tricks of the trade.' Like the ancient term "Corinth," which gave the ancient world the term "Corinthianize," meaning to corrupt morally, the term `trafficker' came to mean a crooked Canaanite dealer. (See a full documentation of this in Vol. 2 of my Minor Prophets Series (Hosea), pp. 198,199.) The skillful organization of the ancient evil world appears in this passage. There was a single, sprawling, net-work of traders under the leadership of Tyre and her navy of "the ships of Tarshish." Her comparison with a majestic ship was certainly appropriate, because her wealth and glory were derived from and continually dependent upon the ships. Just as Britannia once ruled the waves in modern times, Tyre ruled them of old. Here is terminated the catalogue of merchandise and products; and in the following verse, the metaphor of the ship is again resumed. "If one traces the location of the place-names in this section on a map, it will appear that Tyre traded with practically every known nation in the western world from Spain to Armenia, the Black Sea and beyond. Each area, taking advantage, of the available shipping, brought the products of its land to trade with Tyre. The commercial operations of that city were truly vast!"[25]Verse 26 "Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the heart of the seas. Thy riches, and thy wares, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the dealers in thy merchandise, and all the men of war that are in thee, with all thy company that is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of thy ruin. At the sound of the cry of thy pilots the suburbs shall shake, And all that handle the oar, their mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships; they shall stand upon the land, and shall cause their voice to be heard over thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads; they shall wallow themselves in the ashes: and they shall make themselves bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee in bitterness of soul and with bitter mourning."THE SINKING OF THE SHIP; TYRE (Ezekiel 27:26-36) "The east wind hath broken thee ..." (Ezekiel 27:26). The destruction of Tyre is here spoken of as something already done; but the future tense of verbs in the following verse (Ezekiel 27:27) shows that we are dealing with a prophecy of what will happen, not with a summary of what has already happened. The event indicated by this, of course, is the 13-year siege of Tyre about to be initiated by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. "(They) shall come down from their ships; they shall stand upon the land ..." (Ezekiel 27:29). The "ships" here are the smaller ships that accompanied the great ship Tyre and were dependent upon her. "The dependent cities and states are represented by these smaller ships. They were terrified by the great storm, called here `the East Wind,' namely the approach of the Babylonians. The weeping, making themselves bald, wallowing in the ashes, and clothing them in sackcloth were all actions commonly associated with funerals. Verse 32 "And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, Who is there like Tyre, like her that is brought to silence in the midst of the seas? When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many peoples; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise. In the time when thou wast broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, thy merchandise and all thy company did fall in the midst of thee. All the inhabitants of the isles are astonished at thee, and their kings are horribly afraid; they are troubled in their countenance. The merchants among the peoples hiss at thee; thou art become a terror, and thou shalt never more have any being."All lamentation and weeping eventually give way to the spoken word; and "What city is like Tyre? What parallel in history can be found, either for her magnificence or her dramatic fall."[26]The fall of every great wicked city in the history of mankind always came at the very height of the city's power and glory; all such events were usually considered to be impossible, and they all came suddenly and dramatically. "The record of Tyre has a peculiar relevance for our day. The areas in which Tyre excelled were the very areas where all the nations of our own times are striving for superiority. The message of Tyre for us is: that riches without God are unable to satisfy the heart."[27]The type of material prosperity that Tyre achieved led them to develop an arrogant and conceited pride, of which God Himself has said, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). Pride also interferes with men's depending upon and trusting in God. "Has not this spirit invaded the church, and does it not appear in the lives of many Christians?"[28]Speaking of the shock which the fall of Tyre brought to the ancient world, Howie said that, "The psychological shock was almost too much for the ancient world to bear."[29]"The merchants of the peoples hiss at thee ..." (Ezekiel 27:36). How fickle are the people of mankind! The same mob that shouted Hosannas for Jesus on Sunday, also shouted `Let him be crucified' on Friday! Tyre was the most popular nation on earth; but the very merchants who were delighted to be "her traffickers" are here revealed as "hissing at their former leader." "They totally disowned her; they hissed at her in a derogatory manner, perhaps thinking thereby to gain favor with the Babylonians."[30]Some have misunderstood the prophecy as claiming that the fall of Tyre would come in the near future from the times of Ezekiel, pointing out that Tyre was still an important city centuries later during the times of Alexander the Great. See our discussion of this earlier in the chapter. We wish to observe here that, as regards that world-wide network of commercial subordinates, the 13-year siege of Nebuchadnezzar ended that in the matter of only a few weeks after these lines were written by Ezekiel. No world commerce whatever went on with Tyre during the siege! The glory of that indeed "nevermore returned." Ezekiel 27:1-2. The first verses are almost identically alike in many of the chapters of this book, hence I have combined it with the second verse after a comment in one or two places. And it will be well to make occasional reference to its significance, notwithstanding the general grouping just stated. The thought should be observed that Ezekiel received his instructions from the Lord and so his writings are inspired. On the phrase son of man see the comments at chapter 2: 1. Lamentation for Tyrus does not signify the personal sentiments of the prophet, although he may have felt some of them because of his humane temperament. The thought is that lie was to predict a lamentable condition to come upon that city. Ezekiel 27:3. Entry of the sea. Tyrus was on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and that gave the city a great advantage in commerce. She could trade with foreign ports without any land transportation, then send her land conveyances inland with the wares obtained oversea and exchange them for manufactured products. This fact is meant by the phrase merchant of the people, and the situation filled her with pride and caused her to say boastfully, I am of perfect beauty. Ezekiel 27:4. Borders means boundaries and the main thought in the verse is that Tyrus had full use of the sea for her traffic. Her builders or workmen and men in the service of the city used the advantages of the sea to bring their beloved metropolis to the highest possible perfection. Ezekiel 27:5. Having the "range1’ of the sea at her command, that encouraged these builders to make vessels for that purpose. And here we can see another advantage in being situated on the seacoast. It was near the famous forests of the Lebanon district and hence in easy access to some of the best materials for shipbuilding. Ezekiel 27:6. The oak timber was another good material connected with the building and propelling of ships in the special item of oars, for those parts would require strength to resist the strain of pulling. Cedar and fir are not so strong, but that quality was not important for the body of a ship; it was lighter in weight and hence better adapted to a vessel that was to float on water. The benches refers to the decks which were made of ivory, and this is another indication of the city’ s luxurious condition. Ezekiel 27:7. No ordinary material was used for sails although it might have served the purpose very well. But this city with such a "high standard" in her ambitions obtained linen that was produced in Egypt, which was of especially high quality. Smith’ s Bible Dictionary has the following to say of this product. "Egypt was the great center of the linen trade. Some linen, made from the Egyptian byssus, a flax that grew on the banks of the Nile, was exceedingly soft and of dazzling whiteness.” (See 1 Kings 10:28). Blue and purple are colors hut the expression has reference to the fabrics that were so colored. Elishah was a place supposed to have been inhabited by the descendants of a son of Javan who had that name (Genesis 10:4). These fine goods and dies were obtained from this territory because they were of exceptional quality. Covered is from , and a part of Strong's definition is, “ an awning from the sun," Ezekiel 27:9. Calkers were those who looked after leaks in a vessel and also supplied any extra girders that might appear to be necessary for the support of the ship. The ancients of Oebal were men selected for this important work because their age and experience made them more reliable. Ezekiel 27:10. The significance of naming these places in the several verses is to show the extensive resources of man power which Tyrus possessed. These men referred to in this verse took personal interest in the security and also the attractiveness of the chief city of Phoenicia. Ezekiel 27:11. The men of Arvad are mentioned in verse 8 who were used in the service of handling the work on board the ships. The same place furnished other men to guard the walls of the city. Towers were structures erected in important spots for the purpose of defense. The men who would be assigned to such a post would need to be brave and able in repelling a foe. Qammadims is from the Hebrew word gammad which Strong defines, “ A warrior (as grasp- jng weapons)," A shield is a protective armor and these warriors were provided with such articles so well that they had them to hang round on the walls, indicating the completeness of their equipment. Ezekiel 27:12. Tarshish was a town on the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This seaport produced the metals named in the verse, then transported them over the sea to Tyrus and exchanged them for the goods on sale in her markets. Ezekiel 27:13. Javan, Tubal and Meshech were originally the names of men. but at the time of our verse the names stand for the groups of descendants coming down from them. Those groups supplied Tyrus with slaves, and material or inanimate articles. Ezekiel 27:14. Togarmah, like the names in the preceding verse, was the name of a specific man. but who had a host of descendants who formed a group that retained the name of their ancestor. In conjunction with the statements of this verse, I shall cite the statement of Smith's Bible Dictionary. “ His [Togarmah’ s] descendants became a people engaged in agriculture, breeding horses and Mules to be sold in Tyre.” Ezekiel 27:15. Men of Dedan means the group of people who descended from that man, who traded in the markets of Tyrus. Isles is defined in t.he lexicon as “ a habitable spot." A great many places or groups have been and still will be specified as those dealing in the markets of Tyrus. The prophet interrupts that line to make a general statement concerning the extensive commerce of the city in the words. inany isles were the merchandise of thine hand. Present is used in the sense of a return payment for value received. Horns is said of the ivory because the shape of the elephant's tusk resembles a horn, and the article was evidently transported in its natural form. Ezekiel 27:16. This verse is along the same line as the others of the chapter. Syria brought the products of her country to the city of Tyrus and exchanged them for the manufactured wares of that great seaport. Ezekiel 27:17. Among the many peoples and countries who traded with Tyrus was that of God’ s nation. There is not much difference between Judah and land of Israel; the first is a division of the second. Minnith is a place east of the Jordan that produced wheat which was taken to the market in Tyrus. Other products of Palestine are named among the ones carried to the Phoenician city. Pannag is said to be of uncertain meaning, but the nearest suggestion is in Strong's lexicon where he says it is "probably pastry." The other products are called by their usual names. Verse 18. Damascus was the chief city of Syria which was an important country on the east border of Phoenicia. Helbon was a city near Damascus and Smith's Bible Dictionary says it was “ celebrated as producing the finest grapes in the country." This product as well as a fine quality of wool was taken to Tyrus and exchanged for her wares. Ezekiel 27:19. was a son of Jacob and Javan was a descendant of Noah, but both words came to be names of towns. The people of those places traveled to and from between their communities and Tyrus to deal in the markets of that Phoenician city. Bright iron is rendered “ wrought iron” in the Revised Version, which indicates it was iron that had been refined to some extent. Cassia was the bark of some kind of tree that had an aromatic odor. Calamus was a plant of the reed family and one of its uses was that of making paper for writing and other purposes. Ezekiel 27:20. Dedan has already been mentioned (verse 15) as one of the traders with Tyrus, but that verse is not very specific as to its products. The present verse tells us that the article it took to Tyrus was precious clothes for chariots. The last, word has a very indefinite meaning in the lexicon, including men who ride in chariots and those who ride on horses as cavalrymen. The phrase means some fine covering for the bodies of these men. Ezekiel 27:21. Arabia was on open country and its people worked in the production of sheep and goats. It is not strange, therefore, that such things were taken by them to be offered in exchange for the wares of Tyrus. Ezekiel 27:22, Sheba and Raamah, like some other words, were originally names of certain men, but finally were applied to groups of people who descended from them. They were among the ones who traded in the market of Tyrus. Ezekiel 27:23. Some of the names in this verse were once those of men, but at the time of this writing all of them referred to towns or countries. Were thy merchants means they traded with Tyrus, exchanging with each other their respective products. Ezekiel 27:24. The gist of this verse is that the places mentioned in the preceding verse made cedar chests, filled them with fine clothes, bound them shut with cords, and then took them to Tyrus to exchange for her manu-factured merchandise. Ezekiel 27:25. Sing is defined in the lexicon, "To turn, i.e. travel about (as a harlot or a merchant).” Considering the general subject, and the correct rendering of the original for sing, the clause means the ships of Tarshish “ travel for thee because of thy market." The result is that Tyrus la replenished or made richer, and is able to make a glorious appearance In the midBt of the sea. However, the various success of the merchandising of Tyrus filled her with pride and a feeling of independence which caused the Lord to decree her downfall. Ezekiel 27:26, Up to the present time the subject matter has been the prosperous state of Tyrus. The Lord was sorely displeased with the city and decreed to humble her by a series of defeats at the hands of other nations. But as a partial reason for the chastisement of this enemy of His people, he had the prophet present to her a long list of the resources from which she had obtained her wealth and other advantages. After presenting to the proud city this picture, He changes the subject and begins to portray to her some of the calamities that are to befall her. In some of the verses the terms and imagery are those that belong to the sea and the business and activities of it. In some there is a mixture of the two kinds of illustrations. The comparisons cannot always be meant literally, for no history shows Tyrus ever to have suffered the ruin at sea that is herein set forth. The selection of terms, however, is appropriate, since the whole history of the city is one of the sea and of the traffic by Tyrus thereon. Let the reader bear in mind that while the language will be that of a sea and a ship and the men managing it, the real subject usually is the “ ship of state,” and the sea is the world of business and politics, and the mariners are the men in high places in the city. Hence in the present verse the rowers (rulers) have brought the city into great waters (in contact with others nations). The east wind (nations from the east) hath broken thee (defeated the city) in the midst of the sea (in the power of the besiegers). Ezekiel 27:27. This is one of the verses with a mixture of literal and figurative terms. Fall into the midst of the seas is figurative and refers to the defeat of Tyrus at the hands of attacking nations. The calkers are the men supposed to manage the affairs of the city, while the other terms are literal. Ezekiel 27:28. This short verse is an interesting combination of the literal and figurative. Suburbs is from migeask and Strong defines it, “ A suburb (i.e. open country whither flocks are driven for pasture); hence area around a building, or the margin of the sea." The literal territory surrounding Tyrus was to be taken over by the enemy and that would cause the men of the city to cry out in despair. Such an event will be like a ship that has been attacked and defeated, which would cause the pilots to raise a wail that could be heard all around the shore of the sea. Ezekiel 27:29, This verse describes (fig-uratively) the utter dejection the men of Tyrus will manifest when their beloved city is overthrown by the enemy. Ezekiel 27:30, This describes in literal terms the actual behaviour the men of Tyrus will show at the defeat of their city. The use of dust and ashes and sackcloth was an ancient custom resorted to in times of great distress or anxiety. Ezekiel 27:31. This verse describes some more of the customs of old times to express grief. They actually shaved off the hair of the head to produce artificial baldness. Ezekiel 27:32, This verse is all literal, even the reference to the sea, since the city of Tyrus was finally situated on an Island half a mile out into the sea. Ezekiel 27:33. This refers to the extensive trade that Tyrus once had with other cities. The business was conducted by vessels that went forth out of the sens. Ezekiel 27:34. The first part of this verse is figurative and refers to the "seas*' of enemy nations. This circumstance will literally cause the downfall of the commercial success of Tyrus, which will mean the loss of her main support. Ezekiel 27:35. Isles means "habitable spots," and the people in those places will be overwhelmed at the downfall of so great a city as Tyrus, They shall be troubled will be natural, for if so powerful a city as Tyrus can be thus brought to ruin, what might be the fate of other cities less strong? Ezekiel 27:36. Never shall be any mare, is comparative, for Tyrus does exist even at the present time (1949). But it never regained its independence or commercial power, and was always a subject under other nations. Ezekiel 28 PRINCE OF TYREThe three chapters dealing with Tyre conclude with a vigorous attack against the prince of Tyre for his claims to deity. This attack is not to be interpreted personally of any one Tyrian king. Here the king of Tyre becomes an embodiment of the entire nation. The attitude of the prince was that of the city and vice versa. This section divides naturally into two parts: (1) the death of the prince (Ezekiel 28:1-10); and (2) the dirge over the prince (Ezekiel 28:11-19). DEATH OF THE PRINCE Ezekiel 28:1-10 Introduction (Ezekiel 28:1-2 a): The word of the LORD came unto me saying, (2) Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Pride of the Prince (Ezekiel 28:2-5): Delusions of deity (Ezekiel 28:2 b):Thus sajs the Lord GOD: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am God, I sit in the seat of God in the heart of the seas; yet you are a man and not God, even though you consider yourself as wise as God. Obnoxious haughtiness and national arrogance were the besetting sins of Tyre. The prince of Tyre exalted himself to the position of God. The prince regarded his island fortress in the midst of the sea as a divine abode. The splendor of the place, combined with its richness and isolation, caused the proud monarch to regard his realm as not of this world—the seat of God. In his heart (intellect) he considered himself as smart as God. Yet in reality, this pompous ruler was only a man, subject to all the frailties and limitations of the flesh. Intellectual superiority (Ezekiel 28:3): Behold, you are wiser than Daniel.547 No secret can be hidden from you! The prince’ s claim to wisdom is not denied by the prophet. Daniel was famous for his piety (Ezekiel 14:14) and for his wisdom. In the latter quality, the prince of Tyre exceeded Daniel. Ezekiel is probably speaking sarcastically here. Like Daniel, who could understand the dark mysteries of dream revelations, no secret could elude the prince of Tyre. Financial genius (Ezekiel 28:4-5 a): By your wisdom and understanding you have acquired for yourself wealth. You have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. (Ezekiel 28:5) By your great wisdom in your trading ventures, you have increased your wealth. The prince's wisdom in commercial transactions had resulted in the amassing of wealth into the treasuries of Tyre. Arrogant pride (Ezekiel 28:5 b): Your heart is lifted up because of your wealth. As is so often the case with those who know material success, the prince’ s heart was lifted up because of those riches.Punishment of the Prince(Ezekiel 28:6-10) Defilement by strangers (Ezekiel 28:6-7): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Because you considered yourself as wise as God, (Ezekiel 28:7) therefore, behold, I am about to bring strangers upon you, the most ruthless of the nations. They will bring their swords against the beauty of your wisdom. They will defile your splendor. Because the prince of Tyre regarded his intelligence as equal to that of God (Ezekiel 28:6), he was destined to face the wrath of the God of Israel. Foreigners— the most ruthless of the nations— will come against Tyre. All that the prince of Tyre had acquired through his wisdom will fall to the invading forces. The splendor of the king, considered by himself to be God-like, will be profaned by the sword (Ezekiel 28:7). Death by sword (Ezekiel 28:8-9): They will thrust you down to the pit. You will die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas. (9) Will you still say before the one who slays you, I am God (although you are a man and not God) in the hand of those who wound you? The prince himself will die in the attack. His island fortress will afford no protection. He will go down to the pit (grave) with all those slain in battle (Ezekiel 28:8). Will the vainglorious, self-deified prince still proclaim his deity in the face of execution by the blade of the enemy? Obviously not! Gods do not bleed! The humanity of the prince will be perfectly obvious in that day (v 9). Derision by mockers(Ezekiel 28:10): You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken (oracle of the Lord GOD). In death all men realize their humanity. The once proud prince will be treated with the contempt reserved for uncircumcised men. He will be dishonored and unlamented with no outward sign of reverence. What a way for a “ god” to go! LAMENT OVER THE PRINCE Ezekiel 28:11-19 Ezekiel 28:11-19 is one of the most obscure passages in the Old Testament. The text is notoriously difficult. God ordered Ezekiel to lament the death of the king of Tyre. Such prophetic laments are anticipatory of a calamity that will occur in the near future. In carrying out this command, Ezekiel was partially fulfilling his ministerial commission (cf. Ezekiel 2:10).The overall thrust of this passage is clear; the details are not. Ezekiel is comparing the fall of the king of Tyre to the fall of Adam. Both fell from a position of prominence and privilege to death and disaster. The passage refers only to the king of Tyre, not to Satan. The language is poetic, and highly figurative.The lament has two distinct divisions of thought. In Ezekiel 28:12-15 a the prophet describes the person and position of the king of Tyre; and in Ezekiel 28:15-19, his sin and sentence.Person and Position of the King (Ezekiel 28:11-14) His perfection (Ezekiel 28:11-12): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (12) Son of man, lift up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him: Thus says the Lord GOD: You had the seal ofperfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. The king of Tyre is likened to the first inhabitant of Paradise. He is depicted as perfect in physical form (you had the seal of perfection), intellectual capabilities (wisdom) and beauty (v 12). At least this was his own self­estimate. His habitation (Ezekiel 28:13): You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering: ruby, topaz, diamond, beryl, onyx, jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald. The gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day you were created they were prepared. The king of Tyre occupied a paradise in Eden known as the garden of God (or a garden of gods). Ancient temples normally encompassed a large enclosure with a garden. The term Eden may be used metaphorically to describe the splendor of the temple complex of Tyre's main god Melqart, with whom the king was seeking identity. This garden dweller was not naked, as was Adam in the biblical Garden of Eden. He walks in his garden wearing a luxurious robe or breastplate on which were nine precious stones displayed in the most exquisite settings of gold. It seemed that his magnificent garb had been prepared especially for the garden dweller from the day of his creation, i.e., his enthronement (Ezekiel 28:13). His occupation (Ezekiel 28:14): You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you on the holy mountain of God. You walked about in the midst of the stones of fire. The figure changes a bit in v 14. The king of Tyre is now likened to a cherub. In the ancient Near East, a cherub was depicted as a sphinxlike creature with an animal body, wings, and a human head. These statutory creatures normally guarded the entrances to pagan temples. Cherubim in the Old Testament are always depicted as guarding something. Cherubim guarded the entrance to the original garden (Genesis 3:24). For this reason the king of Tyre is depicted guarding his paradise, the garden of his god Melqart. He spread his wings over Tyre like the cherubim who guarded the ark of God in the tabernacle and temple. The king is said to have been on the holy mountain of God (Ezekiel 28:14). The phrase is probably synonymous with the garden of God. This will be a further description of Tyre situated on its rocky isle. The garden dweller walked in the midst of the stones of fire (Ezekiel 28:14). The most popular view is that the reference is to the lightning that issues forth from above the towering mountain of God (cf. Exodus 19:16; Psalms 18:8; Psalms 18:12).Sin and Sentence of the King (Ezekiel 28:15-19): Ruined by violence (Ezekiel 28:15-16): Accusation (Ezekiel 28:15-16 a): You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you. (16) By your many trading ventures you were filled with violence, and you sinned. Before his vast wealth filled his heart with pride, the king of Tyre was perfect, i.e., no fault could be found with his conduct as a ruler. However, unrighteousness was found in the character of this king eventually (Ezekiel 28:15). Increasing commerce led to increasing corruption. The midst of Tyre was filled with goods taken by violence, i.e., force of arms or fraudulent business tactics. Announcement (28:16b): Therefore, I have cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God. I have destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. He who was guardian cherub over this city must bear the blame for what transpired there. Thus because of his sin of profaning the garden spot in which God had placed him, the prince of Tyre, like Adam of old, must be thrust forth from paradise. Holiness and purity are essential to those who might aspire to dwell in the mountain of God. The fallen prince must be stripped of his royal rank and insignia. He will be removed from the midst of the stones of fire, the flashing thunders and lightings of divine majesty that had protected him. He will cease to be the protector of Tyre, the guardian cherub (Ezekiel 28:16). Ruined by pride (Ezekiel 28:17) Accusation (Ezekiel 28:17 a): Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You have corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor. At the root of the fall of the king of Tyre was pride. The king’ s heart was lifted up because of his beauty and brightness, his splendor and magnificence. The wisdom with which the prince of Tyre had been endowed was corrupted by arrogance. “ True wisdom cannot be exercised where there is a spirit of arrogance.” Announcement (Ezekiel 28:17 b): I have cast you to the ground before kings that they may gaze upon you. The prince of Tyre will be humbled, cast down to the ground. There on the ground the fallen prince will be the object of wonderment, sadness and perhaps even some gloating by the kings of the earth. Ruined by dishonesty(Ezekiel 28:18-19) Accusation (28:18a): By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trading ventures you have profaned your sanctuaries. The multitude of iniquities committed through unrighteous business dealings had profaned the sanctuary, the garden of God, the mountain of God, in which this king ruled. Announcement (Ezekiel 28:18-19): Therefore, I have brought out a fire from your midst. It has consumed you. I have made you to become ashes upon the ground in the eyes of all who see you. (Ezekiel 28:19) All who know you among the people will be appalled at you. You have become a terror. You will be no more. The evil in the midst of Tyre will be like a fire that will reduce the place to a pile of ashes (Ezekiel 28:18). The fall of the once proud city and its pompous prince will send shock waves throughout her commercial empire. Never again will Phoenician Tyre be rebuilt (Ezekiel 28:19).RIVAL OF TYRE 28:20-24 The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 28:21) Son of man, set your face against Sidon, and prophesy against her... Not only will Tyre experience the wrath of the living God, her rival to the north will fall as well. In early times Sidon was larger and more prestigious than Tyre. But from the eleventh to the fourth century B.C., Tyre controlled, almost without dispute on the part of Sidon, the affairs of Phoenicia. In biblical prophecy the two cities are closely connected (cf. Isaiah 23). Declaration: Hostility (Ezekiel 28:22): and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Sidon. I will be glorified in the midst of you. They will know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments in her, and manifest my holiness in her; As far as the Hebrew prophets were concerned, Tyre and Sidon were “ seaside partners in sin.” However, Sidon was sufficiently independent from Tyre to justify a separate oracle, sufficiently identified with Tyre not to call for any longer oracle. No indication of Sidon’ s offenses is given in this oracle; but it is assumed that her sins were the same as those of Tyre. Those sins required a similar punishment. God declared that he was an adversary of Sidon as well as of Tyre. By dispensing a just judgment on this city, God will be vindicated. He will manifest his holiness in this judgment. He will receive glory. He will be sanctified (reverenced) as a result of such activity. Demonstration: Power (Ezekiel 28:23): for I will send into her pestilence and blood in her streets. The slain will fall in the midst of her, by the sword upon her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Sidon will experience the pestilence that usually accompanied ancient sieges. When the enemies breached the walls, the blood will flow in her streets. The slain will fall in heaps. Deliverance: For Israel (Ezekiel 28:24): And there will be no more for the house of Israel a pricking brier nor a piercing thorn of any that are round about them, who treated them with contempt. They will know that I am the Lord GOD. When all of predictions regarding Sidon are fulfilled, men will acknowledge that the doom of Sidon had not occurred by chance, but was an act of God (v 24). Such judgments will serve the purpose of removing all source of danger, opposition, and ridicule (a pricking brier, a piercing thorn) to the people of God. In time past Israel had been wounded by those thorns and briers, i.e., had been tainted by the wicked worship and lascivious life of these Canaanite neighbors. But in the future restoration the corrupting Canaanite influence will be forever removed. The bloody history of Sidon after the time of Ezekiel can be summarized as follows:Sidon was devastated during Nebuchadnezzar’ s thirteen-year siege of Tyre (587-572 B.C.). With the fall of Babylon, Sidon regained some of its old importance. For a time the city served faithfully the new Persian world rulers. However, in 351 B.C. the Sidonians revolted against Artaxerxes II Ochus. In the face of the siege of the Persian monarch, the king of Sidon fled, leaving the city to its fate. The city fathers ordered all ships in the harbor to be destroyed to prevent any flight by the citizens. More than forty thousand are said to have lost their lives when the city was sacked and burned. Sidon meekly surrendered to Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. Under the Seleucid rulers, Sidon again attained a rather independent status. In 64 B.C. Pompey imposed Roman rule throughout Phoenicia. Sidon still flourished, but its importance gradually vanished. In the days of the crusades, Sidon was taken and retaken several times by opposing forces. Under Turkish rule the site of Sidon continued to suffer tribulation. In 1840 Sidon was bombarded by the combined fleets of England, France and Turkey. The modern Arab city of Saeda (population, 50,000) that occupies the site of ancient Sidon, did not escape the bloody religious warfare that erupted in Lebanon in 1976. FUTURE OF ISRAELEze_28:25-26 Gathering of Israel (Ezekiel 28:25 a): Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and I manifest my holiness in them in the eyes of the nations... In contrast to the bloody future of Sidon, God's people will experience a glorious future. God will gather his people from the foreign lands where they had been scattered. Restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 28:25-26): then they will dwell upon their land that I gave to my servant Jacob. (26) They will dwell safely upon it. They will build houses and plant vineyards; God’ s servant Jacob (a name for the nation Israel) will again dwell on the land God had given him. The nation will be devoted to peaceful pursuits. Protection of Israel (Ezekiel 28:26): yea, they will dwell safely when I have executed judgments on all those who treated them with contempt round about them. Israel can live in peace and security because hostile neighbors have been removed. Recognition of the Lord (Ezekiel 28:26): Then they will know that I am the LORD their God. All that God does for Israel is done with one grand purpose in view, viz., that all the world might acknowledge him as the one true and living God— that he might be sanctified (reverenced, revered) in the eyes of the nations. The wonderful thoughts embraced in the last verses of ch 28 are developed at length in chs 33-­48. As a footnote to the Tyre and Sidon oracles, it may be pointed out that Jesus once passed through the region (Matthew 15:21). He probably, according to the best text of Mar 7:24, trod the streets of Sidon. Some of the great multitude that heard him teach in Mark 3:8 came from these two Phoenician cities. Jesus remarked that it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for the faithless cities of Galilee (Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13). In this statement Jesus seems to be affirming that the day of judgment had not yet fully come to the two cities even though they had suffered much before his time. Jesus may be referring to the Roman campaigns in the region of Palestine in the latter part of the seventh decade A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed in that judgment; Tyre and Sidon survived. Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-EightVerse 1 AGAINST TYRE ; AGAINST TYRE'S RULER; AGAINST TYRE'S KING; AGAINST SIDON; AGAINST THE PRINCE OF TYRE (Ezekiel 28:1-10) Ezekiel 28:1-5"The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art man and not God, though thou didst set thy heart as the heart of God; - behold thou art wiser than Daniel, there is no secret that is hidden from thee; by thy wisdom and by thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches; and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures; by thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches.""Say unto the prince of Tyre ..." (Ezekiel 28:2). This paragraph contrasts with the paragraph beginning in 5:11, which is addressed to "the king of Tyre." Cooke noted that the words "prince of Tyre" refer to the actual "ruler of Tyre," namely, Ithbaal I; and from this the conclusion is mandatory that the "king of Tyre" is a different person from Ithbaal. Those scholars are therefore in error who treat this whole chapter as a prophecy against "the king of Tyre." Two different persons are most surely addressed in this chapter. "Eichrodt noted that these first ten verses directed against Ithbaal do not reveal any personal details either about his character or his political activity that betray any exceptional wickedness. The things mentioned are in such general terms that any Tyrian king might have qualified as the target. Therefore, it is the kingship per se that is being prosecuted and sentenced here in the person of Ithbaal its representative."[1]This horribly wicked self-deification of Tyre was directly related to the satanically induced rebellion of mankind in the matter of the construction of the Tower of Babel, where such humanistic self-deification began; and Tyre, being an outstanding representative of the same thing, in all likelihood prompted the special attention God gave to the disaster that happened to Satan in Ezekiel 28:11-19. The great deduction being required from this is that, "If Satan himself failed to get away with it, who are mortal men that they should follow his shameful example into certain disaster." "I am a god ..." (Ezekiel 28:2), This arrogant and conceited boast was repeated in Ezekiel 28:6; Ezekiel 28:9. It was the type of atheism which God was certain to punish. Herod Agrippa I had himself installed as a god down at Caesarea; but an angel of God executed him within the same hour (Acts 12). God's reply to the conceited boast of godhead on the part of Tyre's ruler was simple enough. "Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am god? but thou art man, and not God; I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah." (Ezekiel 28:9-10). As Thompson stated it, "God always has the last word!"[2]"Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel ..." (Ezekiel 28:3). "This Daniel is not the Biblical Daniel, but may have been the Daniel mentioned in the pagan literature of Ugarit, who lived about 1400 B.C."[3] A comment like this is totally untrue, there being no evidence whatever to sustain it. It resulted only from the evil prejudice of radical scholars against the Book of Daniel, which was so vigorously endorsed and approved by the Son of God Himself. The current crop of commentators who parrot this old shibboleth of the radical critics are simply not doing any thinking at all for themselves. As Thompson noted, "It is quite impossible to say dogmatically that the Daniel here is the same as the Daniel in the Ugaritic Daniel."[4]In the year 588 when Ezekiel wrote this, Daniel had already been hailed by no less an authority than the king of Babylon as "the wisest man on earth." Nebuchadnezzar actually fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel, and stated before the whole world that, "I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and that no secret troubleth thee" (Daniel 2:46; Daniel 4:9). Daniel was, in fact the deputy king of Babylon; he sat in the king's gate; he was the second ruler in the kingdom; and all of this had already been known throughout the whole world of that period for fourteen years at the time Ezekiel wrote.[5]Notice that Ezekiel here used almost the same words of these passages in Daniel, such as, "no secret is hidden from thee," almost identical with the words of Nebuchadnezzar, "no secret troubleth thee." In the light of these stubborn facts, what thoughtful person can possibly imagine that the name "Daniel" could possibly have called to mind any person who ever lived upon the earth, other than the mighty Daniel at the fight hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Of all the foolish canards the radicals ever came up with, we shall nominate this one as one of the worst. (See my commentary on Daniel, Vol. IV of our Major Prophets Series, regarding the integrity and authenticity of the Book of Daniel.) "Thy heart is lifted up ..." (Ezekiel 28:5). This was no light offense. "Man had here gone beyond the limits set by God Himself for man's self-glorification."[6]Verse 6 "Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast set thy heart as the heart of God, therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit; and thou shalt die the death of them that are slain, in the heart of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am god? but thou art man, and not God, in the hand of him that woundeth thee. Thou shalt die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah."THE Here we have the verdict awaiting Ithbaal the ruler of Tyre and his wicked city. He would die a shameful and disgraceful death, "the death of the uncircumcised." "God here mocked his claim of being `a god,'"[7]pointing out that he certainly would not claim any such thing in the hands of those who would slay him. "The strangers" referred to were the hosts of the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. "Thou shalt die the death ..." (Ezekiel 28:8). The words here are literally "die the deaths," as reflected in some of the older versions. "The plural was for emphasis, meaning "a death so painful as to be the equivalent of dying many times."[8]Verse 11 "Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou wast in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was in thee; in the day that thou wast created they were prepared. Thou wast the anointed cherub that covereth: and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee. By the abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee."THE EXAMPLE OF SATAN; HERE CALLED "KING OF TYRE" (Ezekiel 28:11-19) There is not a line of this that can be applied to any other being who ever lived, except Satan! The ridiculous allegation of some that, "Ezekiel here refers to a legend,"[9] or to "A Phoenician version of the account in Genesis,"[10] or to some alleged `myth' concerning a divine garden, an abode of bliss. As Cooke pointed out, however, "Such a myth has not been discovered!"[11] Thus there is no evidence whatever, except in the imaginations of wicked men, of any such mythological tale as the radical critics love to find here. We do not believe there is any such myth, or that there ever has been. Besides that, we shall show, shortly, that every line of the prophecy here has its application in the Genesis account of the existence of Satan in the Garden of Eden, not as a resident there, but as an intruder. As Canon Cook noted: "Idolatrous kings in the eyes of God's prophets were antagonists of God. In them was embodied the principle of evil opposing the divine government of the world. Therefore some of the Fathers saw not merely a hostile monarch upon the throne, but the prince of this world, even Satan."[12]The very sin which resulted in the casting of Satan out of heaven and down to the earth was that of "pride"; and therefore the pride of the Tyrian kings afforded a marvelous opportunity for the prophet to call up from the Word of God the example of what happened to Satan, as a sufficient warning to all the proud kings who every lived. "Thou wast in Eden ..." (Ezekiel 28:13). No student of God's Word can be ignorant of the meaning of "Eden." It was that garden where Adam and Eve had been placed by the Lord, and into which Satan appeared as an intruder to seduce Eve and precipitate the fall of the human race. After this clause, the rest of the description must be applied to Satan before his appearance in Eden. "Every precious stone was thy covering ..." (Ezekiel 28:13). This description applies to Satan before he appeared in Eden, before he was "cast down to earth" (Ezekiel 28:17). because he appeared to Eve, not in such a covering as that mentioned here, but as a serpent. "Thou wast the anointed cherub ..." (Ezekiel 28:14). The clear meaning of this is that the character spoken of was an angel of God, the word "cherub" cannot mean anything else. The theory of the "myth" disappears in this verse. God tell us who the "King of Tyre" here was. He was a perfect angel in whom unrighteousness was found, after which God threw him out of heaven and down to earth. The critics have done their best to get rid of this verse, rendering it, "Thou wast with the cherubs;"[13] but as McFadyen admitted that does not get rid of the meaning, which would then be, "Among the cherubs was thy dwelling,"[14] certainly indicating his place among the angels of God, and as one of them. "Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God ..." (Ezekiel 28:14). Most of the scholars we have consulted misread this as another name for the Garden of Eden. This is not correct. Going all the way back to Ezekiel 28:13, the description must be applied to Satan before his appearance in Eden. The mountain of God therefore applies to the status of Satan while he was "with the cherubs." It is our opinion that "the mountain of God" here is the equivalent of "The Majesty on High," (Hebrews 1:3), certainly not the garden of Eden. Satan's being in Eden came later, after God removed him from "the Majesty on High" by casting him to the ground (earth). "Perfect from the day that thou wast created ..." (Ezekiel 28:15). Such a statement as this was never made concerning any human being who ever lived on earth. Only of an angel of God, or some other super-human being could this have been spoken. As Howie said, "Obviously, this is no description of any ordinary flesh-and-blood human being."[15]"They filled the midst of thee with violence ... and thou hast sinned ..." (Ezekiel 28:16). These words return to Ithbaal, the literal ruler of Tyre, but only for the purpose of making the application from the life of Satan. "Therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub ..." (Ezekiel 28:16). The application is clear enough. Just as Satan lost his place in the mountain of God, the king of Tyre, and all other proud kings, shall lose their place in the destruction God prepares for them. "Amidst the stones of fire ..." (Ezekiel 28:14; Ezekiel 28:16). This further confirms our view that the very presence of God is meant by "the mountain of God," and by the place where Satan was at first. In the earlier symbols of the presence of God found in Ezekiel, the appearance of the Lord's feet as though heated to a glorying brightness in a furnace, the lightnings, etc. fit this mention of the "stones of fire." Before leaving this narrative, we present the opinions of Tertullian and Origen as altogether reasonable and intelligent explanations of our text. "This description, it is manifest, properly belongs to the transgression of the angel, and not to the prince's; for none among human beings was either born in the Paradise of God, not even Adam himself, who was rather translated thither; nor placed with a cherub on God's holy mountain, that is to say, `the Heights of Heaven,' from which the Lord testifies that Satan fell. It is none else than the very author of sin!"[16]"This paragraph cannot at all be understood of a man, but of some superior power which had fallen away from a higher position and which had been reduced to a lower and worse condition. Seeing then that such are the words of the prophet, who is there who can so enfeeble these words as to suppose that the reference is to some man or saint? We are of the opinion, therefore, that these words are spoken of a certain angel."[17]However, the advocates of the position which we believe to be correct on this chapter are not confined to ancient times. We are happy indeed to report that C. L. Feinberg, a current scholar of the greatest ability, writing as recently as 1884 has the following: "We cannot follow those views which inject into this chapter without support a foreign and false mythology, a legendary atmosphere, or a hypothetical ideal personality. The importation into this chapter of mythology or some pagan legend must be resisted. The grand lesson of the chapter is that, `If Satan, who was far greater than Ithbaal of Tyre received just punishment for the arrogation unto himself of divine prerogatives, then the proud ruler of Tyre cannot expect to escape the consequences of his own declaration that, "I am a god."'" In our own view, any other interpretation of this narrative is founded upon the unchristian assumption that Ezekiel here used some pagan tale and that God is not the author of these verses. The text flatly declares that God is the author of this chapter, and we believe it. Verse 18 "By the multitude of thine iniquities, in the unrighteousness of thy traffic, thou hast profaned thy sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of thee; it hath devoured thee, and I have turned thee into ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All them that know thee among the peoples shall be astonished at thee: thou art become a terror, and shall never more have any being.""A fire from the midst of thee ..." (Ezekiel 28:18). Significantly, it was fire from within the king of Tyre himself that devoured him. This is the way it is with the vast majority of sinful men; it is the fires of ambition, pride, and lust from within themselves which eventually issues forth in their destruction. Thus, we find that the narrative here is not merely founded upon the Genesis account of Satan's having been in Eden, but it anticipates portions of Revelation 12 in the fact of a cherub having cast Satan out of heaven. In Revelation, the name of that cherub was revealed as that of the archangel himself, namely, Michael! Thus, as F. F. Bruce noted, "This passage in Ezekiel has contributed some details to the picture of the fall of Satan."[18]Verse 20 "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, Set thy face toward Sidon, and prophesy against it, and say, I am against thee, O Sidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her. For I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall fall in the midst of her, with the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am Jehovah. And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor a hurting thorn of any that are round about them, that did despite unto them; and they shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely therein; yea, they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and shall dwell securely, when I have executed judgments upon all that do them despite round about them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah their God." AGAINST SIDON"Prophesy against it (Sidon) ..." (Ezekiel 28:21). There were many things in Sidon that called for the judgment of God against them, not the least of which was Jezebel's outrageous establishment of the entire apparatus of Baal worship in the very heart of Israel itself. "Thus the Sidonian `brier' had indeed pricked Israel";[19] but God here promises judgments against Sidon that will remove such a nuisance from the harassing position they had enjoyed so long in their dealings with God's people. Also, the last two verses here indicate the return of Israel to Palestine and God's gathering of them from all the nations into which they had been scattered. "All of these Phoenician cities had been a constant source of temptation and annoyance to God's people for ages; and the promise here is that as soon as God shall have restored the captives to Palestine and has executed judgments upon the pagan nations which had gloated over their captivity, the Israelites should again enjoy all of their ancient privileges; and the nations would be compelled to ascribe to Jehovah, as the covenant God of Israel, all of the honor and glory that were due him."[20]The fact that very little of this ever actually came to pass as prophesied here was due to the widespread failure of the Jews to live up to the solemn terms and conditions upon which such glorious promises rested. Jeremiah 17:7-10 should be read in connection with every wonderful promise that God made to Israel or to any other nation. By the times of Jesus Christ, racial Israel had totally departed from the God of their fathers; and, as spelled out by the apostle Paul in the first two chapters of Romans, the hardening of the apostate people had become final; and from the racial stock of the old Israel Jesus Christ was able to rescue only a small remnant from which nucleus the New Israel, that is, the Church of Jesus Christ was launched with the life-giving gospel of the New Dispensation. Because of this near-universal sinfulness of the Old Israel, many of the glorious things God promised and had intended to do for them never occurred at all. Ezekiel 28:1-2. The prince of Tyrus refers to the king of the city (see verse 12) who was very boastful. His successful dealings with nations and cities over land and sea had filled him with pride. I am a god, is a strong wording for the actual feelings of the king, meaning he regarded himself as a sort of superman. The prophet was directed to declare unto this proud king of Tyrus that he was only a human being. Ezekiel 28:3. This verse is what is known in literature and oral speech as Irony, a form of expression in which the author says the very opposite of what he means. It is a very pointed kind of rebuke, and generally is employed where the person addressed is re-garded as being unworthy of more serious consideration. Job used such a form of speech in his reply to the three friends. (See Job 12:2.) Ezekiel 28:4. The king of Tyrus was not as wise as he thought, yet he was not unintelligent, for he had succeeded in attracting the commerce of other cities. He had dealt with them in such a manner as to make a considerable profit. Ezekiel 28:5. The fact of gaining riches would not have caused the king to be condemned, but it was liis pride of heart over it that condemned him. This principle is taught in the New Testament (Mark 10:24; 1 Timothy 6:10; 1 Timothy 6:17), Ezekiel 28:6, Set thine heart ... as God. He had let his heart at least pretend to think he was equal with God, because of bis success in the accumulation of riches. Ezekiel 28:7. Strangers means persons of another country, and the terrible kind of people of such a country as that would be the kind used in the matter. The wisdom of the king of Tyrus will not he any defense against the sword of the enemy. Ezekiel 28:8. Pit is from a word that means obscurity or forgetfulness. Many of the men of Tyrus were destined to die a literal death, but also the city was to die figuratively in that it would lose its greatness never to he fully regained. (See the comments on the last verse of the preceding chapter.) Ezekiel 28:9. The king of Tyrus was very boastful and tried to beiteve that no being was as good as he. The Lord represents him as being so vain that be would even maintain his superiority while in tbe presence of the force that had him in subjection. Ezekiel 28:10. Physical circumcision would mean nothing to a citizen of Phoenicia, hence there would be no point in threatening him with some treatment by an uncircumcised per-son. History shows that when God uses an uncircumcised man to execute His wrath upon an individual It is considered a deep disgrace (1 Samuel 31:4). Hence the word is directly connected with strangers in this threatening prediction against the king of Tyrus. Another thing, it would be logical to expect God to impose his severest punishments upon the un cireumcised person because that means an uficonsecrated one. Ezekiel 28:11-12. Take up a lamentation is explained at Ezekiel 27:2. Sealest up the sum is a strained rendering of tlie original. The first is from CHATHAM which Strong defines, "to close up," and the last is from which the same authority defines, "admeasurement,” and that is from still another Hebrew word that means “ a fixed quantity." The phrase has to do with the conduct of the king of Tyrus, and of his changed state of mind after he became evil affected by his many successes. The key to it is in the words till iniquity was found in thee in verse 15. He had manifested a degree of wisdom and God had favored him with many good things because his conduct was pleasing to Him. But when great power and riches came to him he became Tain and discarded his good judgment and wisdom; he “ sealed it up" or ended it. Ezekiel 28:13. A few verses will describe the high standing the king had while his heart was right. The reference to Eden and mention of precious stones and metal is largely figurative and said to explain the subject by comparison. Ezekiel 28:14. This verse, like the preceding one, is figurative, portraying the favor of God that was bestowed on the king of Tyrus while he was worthy of it. We have evidence elsewhere in the Bible that God takes an interest in the affairs of earthly governments and their rulers. (See Daniel 4: 17; 5; 18, 21, 26.) The terms of this verse are also comparative and the mountain of God means the government of Tyrus was given to this king by the God who "rules in the kingdoms of men” as stated in the passages cited in the preceding verse. Ezekiel 28:15. This verse is explained in the comments on verse 12. Ezekiel 28:16. Merchandise . . . violence. The connection between these words is in the fact that the prosperity of Tyrus filled her with pride and that in turn caused her to become wicked and violent. Cast out of the mountain. See verse 14 for comments on mountain and the relation of Tyrus to it. The favorable condition was to be reversed on account of the evil turn in the conduct of the city. Ezekiel 28:17. Briefly speaking, the pride of Tyrus over the successes caused the city to destroy her good character. Lay thee before kings is a prediction of the subjugation to be suffered by Tyrus at the hands of foreign kings, such as Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander and possibly some others of less note. Ezekiel 28:18. Defiled thy sanctuaries. By her corrupt conduct and state of mind, the once fair name and standing of Tyrus was defiled. It was brought about by the prosperous results of the vast traffic on the sea. Fire from, the midst of thee denotes that Tyrus would he "burned” by the fire of her own iniquity. Ezekiel 28:19. Shalt be a terror is explained at Ezekiel 27:35, and never shall be any more is commented upon in the last verse of that chapter. Ezekiel 28:20-21. Zidon was another city of Phoenicia about 20 miles north of Tyrus, It is otherwise spelled Sidon and is often referred to in other parts of the Bible including the New Testament. It was inferior to Tyrus yet was an important city in ancient times. The Lord bad the prophet to deliver some warnings against that place because it had oppressed His people. Ezekiel 28:22. The primary object of all demonstrations against the city was that they shall know that 1 am fhe Lord. We can realize the need for such a display of power because of the almost universal tendencies toward idolatry in those days. Ezekiel 28:23. Pestilence (disease) and the sword (warfare) were to be brought upon the city of Zidon, This was to be accomplished through the services of some other strange people whom God would use as his agency in the matter. Ezekiel 28:24. Pricking brier refers to the bitter opposition that the Zido- nians had waged against God's people. Some of the early accounts of the persecutions brought by these people against the children of Israel are re-corded in Judges 3:3. It is true God sponsored that oppression of His people to chastise them, but the Lord never would tolerate the personal motive the heathens entertained against them though they were carrying out the divine plan when they oppressed His people. Ezekiel 28:25. We have two verses that predict the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. For about four chapters the prophet has been making accusations and predictions against the heathen nations that had mistreated His people, and soon he will resume his writing along that line. But God has always been jealous for the nation that was called by His name, and has been careful to let the other nations know Of the divine care that is always over the Israelites. Many of the heathen people knew of the exile in Babylon of those people, and some of them even rejoiced over It, But the Lord determined to take their rejoicing over the unfortunate people away from them. Hence while this- prediction was written in the book that could be read by the people of Israel, the immediate use of it was for the information of the heathen against whom He had been and still will be addressing the warnings. That explains why the challenging words in the sifiht of the heathen are inserted amid the prediction. Ezekiel 28:26. Shall dwell safely does not guarantee that Israel would never have any difficulty with other nations for she did. But she had no trouble in taking possession of the native land after the rulers in power came to understand the situation. (See the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.) The temporary difficulties that were intimated a few lines above were removed and the people of God went forward with their work of reconstruction and reformation. They even obtained material help and legal support from the heathen in their grand program of restoration. That is the meaning of the last half of the present verse, and once more the divine purpose was to be accomplished which was to make the people know that I ami the Lord. Ezekiel 29 THE ECLIPSE OF EGYPT Egypt is the seventh and last nation to hear the words of divine judgment addressed to it through this prophet. In the four chapters devoted to Egypt, Ezekiel speaks seven “ words” from the Lord. The number seven here is not likely accidental. In prophecy seven is the number of perfection or completeness. Hence, God will completely and fully deal with the enemies of his people. All but one of these “ words” are given specific dating. In chs 29-32 ninety-seven verses are devoted to the fall of Egypt, more verses than are contained in 1 Peter, more than 2 Timothy and more than are in Paul’ s letter to the Colossians. Why such a large section devoted to this one heathen power? Ezekiel agreed with Jeremiah that God had bestowed universal sovereignty temporarily on Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon's principal rival in the sixth century was Egypt. The other nations condemned in this section were minor irritations to Nebuchadnezzar; but Egypt had the potential of presenting a serious obstacle to Yahweh's will for Babylon. Egypt had been very much involved in encouraging Judah’ s final revolt against Babylon. The main point stressed by Ezekiel and the other Hebrew prophets is that the final destiny of Israel was in the hands of God, not the hands of human monarchs. Furthermore, the prophets dared to preach what was in their day a revolutionary doctrine: even the destiny of the superpowers was determined by God— and God was Yahweh! Israel might be small; but Israel’ s God was great to the ends of the earth. Israel appeared to be only a pawn in the hands of political strategists; but Israel’ s God was powerful, and in reality those strategists were but pawns in his hand. Thus the oracles against Egypt— and others like them— were not merely designed to vent the frustrations and hostilities that Israel felt toward her neighbors. These oracles served to underscore vital points of theology— the sovereignty, omniscience and omnipotence of Israel’ s God. The Egypt oracles are similar in structure: a general threat against Pharaoh under some allegorical designation; amplification of the general threat with regard to the instrument of punishment, the destruction of the country and the disposition of its inhabitants; a description of the effect that the fall of Egypt will have on other nations. THE SINS OF EGYPT Ezekiel 29:1-16 The first oracle against Egypt is a composite of three separate oracles. Following an introduction (Ezekiel 29:1­2), Ezekiel condemns Egypt's pride (Ezekiel 29:3-6), and unreliability (Ezekiel 29:7-9). The third oracle announces Egypt's defeat and restoration (Ezekiel 29:10-16). Introduction (29:1-2): In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt. Prophesy against him and against all Egypt. The first word against Egypt is dated, according to the modern calendar, to December 29, 588 B.C. This was about the time that the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem began (Jeremiah 52:4; Jeremiah 39:1; cf. Ezekiel 24:1), and seven months earlier than the preceding oracle against Tyre (v 1). The first Egyptian oracle emphasizes the pride of Egypt, and the desolation that God brings on her for her arrogance.Ezekiel was to set his face against Pharaoh in a gesture of defiance (Ezekiel 29:2). He was to announce God’ s hostility toward him.Egypt's Pride (Ezekiel 29:3-6 a) Opposition by the Lord (29:3): Speak and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers, that has said, the river is mine, and I myself made it. Pharaoh is addressed with the challenge formula, which also introduced the first Tyre oracle (26:3) and the oracle against Sidon (28:22). He is called the great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers. The reference is to the crocodile, and to the various branches of the Nile river in northern Egypt. The wealth— and in fact the very existence of Egypt— depended upon the Nile river, which here by metonymy stands for the entire country of Egypt. Most kings in the ancient world represented themselves to their people as the source of their prosperity. Pharaoh went even further in his outrageous claims. Like the prince of Tyre, Pharaoh regarded himself as the incarnation of a god. He thought of himself as the creator of all the wealth and prosperity of Egypt. Destruction by the Lord (Ezekiel 29:4-5) Captured (Ezekiel 29:4): I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales. I will bring you up from the midst of your rivers. All the fish of your rivers will cling to your scales. Pharaoh will fall prey to his enemies. Like a crocodile drug from the river by captors, Pharaoh will be removed from his domain by his enemies. Pharaoh's people, allies and mercenaries (fish of the river that stick to your scales) will accompany him. Whereas a battle with a crocodile stretched the limits of human power (Job 40:25f.), that Egyptian beast will be no challenge to the Creator. Consumed (Ezekiel 29:5): I will cast you into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. Upon the face of the open field you will fall. You will not be gathered nor brought together. To the beasts of the land and the fowl of the heavens I have given you for food. There on dry land— the wilderness— the crocodile and fish joined to it will die. No one will gather up the carcass of the crocodile for burial. The birds and beasts of prey will devour the remains. Recognition of the Lord (29:6a): All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. In the demise of Pharaoh, the Egyptians will recognize Yahweh's judgment upon them for being an unreliable ally.Egypt's Unreliability (Ezekiel 29:6-9 a) Unreliability illustrated (Ezekiel 29:6 b-7): Because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel — (Ezekiel 29:7) when anyone took hold of you with the hand, you broke and tore every shoulder; and when they leaned upon you, you broke and made all their loins stand up — Another metaphor for Egypt, introduced in v 6, is developed in this unit. Egypt had proved itself to be a staff of reecf to the house of Israel. Leaning is part of the Old Testament vocabulary of faith. By turning to Egypt, God's people were looking for the support they should have sought in Yahweh. Through bitter experience, Israel discovered the truth of what the prophets had warned about reliance on Egypt. If one tried to make Egypt his crutch, he was destined for a fall. That crutch will break, causing those who were dependent upon it to fall and dislocate their shoulder. They will then have to stand erect (make all their loins to stand up), and carry their own weight (Ezekiel 29:7). Egypt was the proverbial paper tiger. A few months after these words were spoken in Babylon, the Jews in Palestine lived through another episode of Egyptian failure. In Israel’ s moment of need, when Nebuchadnezzar was literally banging on the gates of Jerusalem, Egypt failed to send effective aid (cf. Jeremiah 37:7). The Egyptian foray into Palestine brought only a temporary lull in the siege of the city. Unreliability punished (Ezekiel 29:8-9 a): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I bring upon you a sword. I will cut off from you man and beast. (Ezekiel 29:9 a) The land of Egypt will become a desolation and a waste. Then will they know that I am the LORD. Because of Egypt’ s arrogance, God will bring a sword upon that land. Man and beast will be affected (Ezekiel 29:8). The fertile land of Pharaoh will be left desolate and waste. The gods of Egypt having been discredited, wise people will be forced to acknowledge the sovereignty of Yahweh (Ezekiel 29:9). Egypt's Desolation(Ezekiel 29:9-12) The justification for it (Ezekiel 29:9-10 a): Because he has said, The river is mine, and I made it, (10) therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. Pharaoh boasted that he owned and had created the Nile! God defies the arrogant claims of this king. The extent of it (Ezekiel 29:10-11 a): I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from Migdol to Syene, even unto the border of Ethiopia. (11) No foot of man will pass through it, nor foot of beast will pass through it. The Lord lays waste the land from north to south (Migdol to Syene), even as far as the border of Ethiopia (ancient Nubia) between the Nile's second and third cataracts. Then what will become of Pharaoh's boast (v 10). The desolation of Egypt is a result of an invading army. Even animals will desert the land owing to the lack of pasture (Ezekiel 29:11). Nebuchadnezzar made at least two invasions into Egypt. The Jewish historian Josephus tells of an invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar five years after the fall of Jerusalem (582 B.C.). In this invasion the king of Egypt was killed. A fragmentary inscription from the archives of Babylon tells of another invasion of Egypt in the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign (i.e., 568 B.C.). It appears that Nebuchadnezzar was aiming to cripple Egypt so as to prevent Pharaoh from ever again meddling in Syria-Palestine. The duration of it (29:11-12): It will not be inhabited forty years. The reference to the forty years of Egypt’ s desolation has occasioned lengthy discussion among the commentators. The figure may be derived from Ezekiel 4:6 where Judah is depicted as suffering under the punishment of God for forty years. Keil regards the forty years as a symbolic period— the period denoted by God for punishment and penitence. However, it is best to regard the forty years as a definite historical epoch. The forty years of Egypt’ s desolation may be said to fall between 568 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land, and 530 B.C. In the latter year the Persians entered the land. It may have been they who initiated the policy of reconstruction in Egypt even as they encouraged reconstruction in Judea. The severity of it (Ezekiel 29:12 a): I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of lands that are desolate. Her cities in the midst of cities that are laid waste will be desolate forty years. In comparison to other countries ravished by war, Egypt will stand out as a most unfortunate land (desolate in the midst of countries that are desolate). Egyptian cities will be laid waste, i.e., left a ruinous condition for forty years. Ramification of it (Ezekiel 29:12 b): I will scatter Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the lands. During the time of desolation, the Egyptians will be scattered among the nations. No evidence of mass deportation of Egyptians subsequent to the time of Ezekiel has yet come to light. However, it is known that deportations of captive peoples was a standard procedure employed by great empires of that time, one is certainly on safe ground in assuming that it was the Chaldean king who fulfilled the prediction that God will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. See above on Ezekiel 29:11.Egypt's Restoration (Ezekiel 29:13-16) The fact of restoration (Ezekiel 29:13-14): For thus says the Lord GOD: At the end of forty years, I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. (Ezekiel 29:14) I will turn the fortunes of Egypt, and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin. They will be there a lowly people. Ezekiel, like Jeremiah (46:26; cf. Isaiah 19), envisioned restoration for Egypt. God said through Ezekiel that he would turn the fortunes of Egypt. After the forty years, Egyptians will return into the land of Pathros, the southern part of the land, i.e., Upper Egypt. This was the land of their origin, i.e., the area in which the Egyptian government first rose to prominence. The restored Egypt, however, is only a shadow of the glorious kingdom that once graced the banks of the Nile.Conditions after restoration (Ezekiel 29:15): It will be the lowliest of all kingdoms. She will not lift herself up again over the nations. I will diminish them so that they will no more rule over the nations. Following her restoration, Egypt will not be able to dominate other peoples. She will be inferior to all other nations.Relationship with Israel (Ezekiel 29:16): It will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel bringing to remembrance iniquity, when they turned after them. They will know that I am the Lord GOD. No more will Egypt allure Israel into disastrous alliances. Israel will not repeat the great mistake of her past, viz., trusting in Egypt rather than in God. Israel in that future day will know assuredly that Yahweh is God.THE PRIZE OF EGYPT 29:17-21 Introduction (Ezekiel 29:17): It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying... The second Egypt oracle dates to New Years day (April 26) 571 B.C. (v 17). It is the latest oracle in the entire book. The placement here is appropriate. The oracle connects the invasion of Egypt with the cessation of the Babylonian siege of Tyre that took place about 574 B.C.Compensation to Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 29:18-20) Reason for compensation (Ezekiel 29:18): Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled. Yet neither he nor his army received any wages from Tyre for the service that he performed against it. Nebuchadrezzar rendered a great service to God by besieging Tyre for thirteen years (Josephus, Ant., 10.11.1). The siege perhaps was prolonged because of Egyptian support for Tyre. Nebuchadrezzar's soldiers were weary with that warfare. Bald spots worn by ill-fitting helmets marked the heads of the besiegers. The skin of their shoulders was raw from carrying heavy loads of timber and stone to construct the siege works. But in spite of his determined effort to cross the narrow arm of the sea and reach the island fortress,Nebuchadrezzar had been unsuccessful. Neither he nor his troops had been enriched through the spoils of war that generally made a lengthy siege operation rewarding.Decree of compensation (Ezekiel 29:19-20): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to give to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the land of Egypt. He will carry off her abundance, take her spoil and seize her prey. She will be the wages for his army. (20) I have given him the land of Egypt as his hire for which he served, because they worked for Me (oracle of the Lord GOD). To compensate him for the service he rendered at Tyre, God decreed that Nebuchadnezzar should be given the land of Egypt. The spoils of that great north African nation will fall into the hands of the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 29:19). Nebuchadnezzar was entitled to this booty. All that he had done at Tyre, he had done in the service of the Lord (they worked for me; Ezekiel 29:20). A Babylonian force invaded Egypt in 568 B.C. Owing to the damaged state of the inscription that alludes to this campaign it is impossible to accurately gauge the success of the effort. It is known that Pharaoh Ahmose II came to terms with the invaders. Compensation for Israel (Ezekiel 29:21): The decisive political events of the sixth century were orchestrated by God to accomplish his plan of salvation for his people Israel. In 29:21 Ezekiel indicates three results of Nebuchadrezzar’ s invasion of Egypt. A horn for Israel (Ezekiel 29:21): In that day I will cause a horn to shoot up unto the house of Israel. A horn, symbol of power and prosperity, will spring forth for the house of Israel. This prophecy seems to be saying that Israel’ s restoration will correspond to Egypt’ s humiliation. Egypt’ s period of humiliation ended in 530 B.C. Israel’ s period of restoration began some eight or nine years earlier when Cyrus allowed the Jews to return home. Opening of mouth (Ezekiel 29:21 b): I will give you the opening of the mouth in the midst of them. When Nebuchadnezzar invades Egypt in 568 B.C., God will give to Ezekiel opening of the mouth. The expression indicates a cheerful confidence in speaking. The implication is that Ezekiel had come under reproach regarding his oracles against foreign nations and the related prediction of Israel's restoration. Ezekiel's prophetic ministry is vindicated anew. Enlightenment of Israel (29:21c): They will know that I am the LORD. The Israelites will know that Yahweh is God, and that he truly had revealed himself to Ezekiel.Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-Nine Verse 1 FIRST OF FOUR AGAINST EGYPT"The first sixteen verses here are an introduction to the entire four chapters against Egypt. They describe the fate of Egypt, cite the sins of which she was guilty and indicate the nature of her judgment, and her future place among the nations of the world."[1]Ezekiel has seven oracles against Egypt, the first two of which are in this chapter: (1) Ezekiel 29:1-16; (2) Ezekiel 29:17-21; (3) Ezekiel 30:1-19; (4)Ezekiel 30:20-26; (5) Ezekiel 31; (6) Ezekiel 32:1-16; and (7) Ezekiel 32:17-32. The date of this prophecy is specific. "It was a year and two days after Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem, and seven months before its destruction."[2] This was in January, 587 B.C.[3] "This was about the time when Pharaoh Hophra's approach toward Jerusalem with an army caused Nebuchadnezzar temporarily to lift the siege, as recorded in Jeremiah 37:5.[4]The chapter naturally falls into these divisions: (1) the crocodile captured and destroyed (Ezekiel 29:1-7); (2) the allegory applied (Ezekiel 29:8-12); (3) the restoration of Egypt after forty years (Ezekiel 29:13-16); (4) Egypt awarded to Nebuchadnezzar as `wages' for his ruin of Tyre (Ezekiel 29:17-20); and (5) a glimpse of a New Age for Israel (Ezekiel 29:21). THE AND Eze_29:1-7"In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt; speak, and say, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. And I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales: and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, with all the fish of thy rivers which stick unto thy scales. And I will cast thee forth into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open field; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered; I have given thee for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens. And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of thee by the hand, thou didst break, and didst rend all their shoulders; and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.""The twelfth day of the month ..." (Ezekiel 29:1). F. F. Bruce gave this day as the 7th of January, 587 B.C.[5]"The great monster that lieth in the midst of his rivers ..." (Ezekiel 29:3). The word here means crocodile, an appropriate symbol indeed for Pharaoh and his nation. He was a terrible looking monster, not nearly as dangerous as he looked, lethargic and inactive most of the time. Of course, some of our radical commentators automatically find all kinds of mythological connections with a reference of this kind; but as Cooke stated, "Mythological associations are foreign to this context."[6] Furthermore, Pearson, writing in 1962, makes the same affirmation.[7] Despite this, May, quoting some various readings, thought he found here some reflections of Sumerian mythology."[8]Historically, there is no excuse whatever for seeking sources here in ancient mythology. The crocodile was a well-known symbol of Egypt, found on Roman coins of that vintage, and being universally understood as a symbol of Egypt and its Pharaohs.[9]"The fish ... which stick to thy scales ..." (Ezekiel 29:4). This represents the subjects, dependents, and allies of Pharaoh who would inevitably share in his ruin and downfall. "I have given thee for food to the beasts, etc ..." (Ezekiel 29:5). The death prophesied here for Pharaoh was especially repulsive to the Egyptian, due to the care they usually bestowed upon their dead bodies, especially those of the Pharaohs. Two reasons are here assigned as the prior causes of the terrible punishment God was bringing upon them. (1) Pharaoh had arrogated unto himself divine prerogatives, in the same manner as the prince of Tyre, even claiming to have created the Nile River! (Ezekiel 29:3). (2) Egypt had bitterly deceived and betrayed Israel upon those occasions when, contrary to God's warning, that had formed military alliances with Egypt. They had proved to be a "broken reed" indeed upon which Israel had vainly depended for help. Still another reason is cited later in Ezekiel 29:9 b-16. (3) "Egypt possessed an exaggerated sense of self-sufficiency."[10]Verse 8 "Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and will cut off from thee man and beast. And the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste; and they shall know that I am Jehovah. Because he hath said the river is mine, and I have made it; therefore, behold, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh, even unto the border of Ethiopia. No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation for forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries."THE APPLIED"I will bring a sword upon thee ..." (Ezekiel 29:8). This was the sword of Nebuchadnezzar, identified inEzekiel 29:17, below. "A desolation for forty years ..." (Ezekiel 29:11-12). This is the big problem in this prophecy, because nearly all of the scholars seem very sure that there was never such a long period of desolation in the whole history of Egypt. However, there is too much that men do not know about the history of those times to allow very much dependence to be put in such opinions. Nebuchadnezzar did indeed capture Egypt, following the fall of Tyre; and if what that ruthless ruler did to Jerusalem is any gauge of what he probably did to Egypt, we may be very sure that Ezekiel's prophecy was no exaggeration. Our inability to prove just exactly what all that desolation was cannot in any manner detract from the most circumstantial and accurate fulfillment of that later promise in this same prophecy regarding the perpetual place of Egypt throughout following history, in which the perpetual mediocrity of the nation was foretold. Our argument is that this portion of the prophecy alone proves the divine inspiration of the whole prophecy, and the believer should have no problem with trusting God for the fulfillment of the rest of it, whether or not, modern commentators know all about it. Verse 13 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: at the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples whither they were scattered; and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt, and I will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth; and they shall be there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it any more lift itself up above the nations: and I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to remembrance, when they turn to look after them: and they shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah." OF EGYPT AFTER FORTY YEARSThere is not a more remarkable prophecy in all the Word of God than this one. "It (Egypt) shall be the basest of the kingdoms ..." (Ezekiel 29:15). Egypt throughout all subsequent history has continued to remain a nation of secondary strength and importance. Babylon dominated her; then Persia dominated her; then the Greeks under Alexander the Great were her masters; after them came the Seleucids, and still later the Romans! What a remarkable fulfillment of the words of this prophecy. Even modern times have revealed no change whatever in the continued secondary status of Egypt, that once-great nation which preceded Assyria, Babylon, and other great world powers as the monolithic terror of the whole world, and for a long period rivaled her successors as a world power. Verse 17 "And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt as his recompense for which he served, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord Jehovah."EGYPT GIVEN TO AS "WAGES" The date in Ezekiel 29:17, according to Bruce, is April 26,571 B.C.[11] This was about a year after the end of the 13-year siege of Tyre. This, of course, is the last of Ezekiel's prophecies chronologically; but it is included here because of the subject matter. "The date given here is two years later than the vision of chapter 40."[12]Despite the fall of Tyre and its subsequent domination under a high commissioner from Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar received no significant spoil from its capture. Many have suggested that perhaps Tyre had had sufficient time to ship all of their treasures elsewhere. Egypt may well have been a cooperating partner with Tyre in such a project, giving credence to Bruce's suggestion that such actions on Egypt's part would have been a sufficient "casus belli" to result in Nebuchadnezzar's immediate declaration of war against Egypt.[13]Nebuchadnezzar appears here as "the servant of God" in his siege of Tyre, and his eventual spoil of Egypt is seen as a God-given reward for him as compensation for the failure of Tyre to yield any loot to her conquerors. "In all of Nebuchadnezzar's campaigns, he was unconsciously carrying out the purposes of the Divine will (See Jeremiah 25:9).[14]McFadyen commented that "The appearance in this chapter of prophecies which men have labeled as `untilled' may fairly be regarded as proof that in the mind of Ezekiel they had been or indeed would be essentially fulfilled."[15]There is no admission here that Nebuchadnezzar's mission against Tyre failed. Jamieson tells us that Jerome, quoting Assyrian historians, expressly states that Nebuchadnezzar succeeded.[16] Afterward from the long siege, "The power of Tyre was broken, and she never regained her former greatness."[17]Verse 21 "In that day will I cause a horn to bud forth unto the house of Israel, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."A GLIMPSE OF A NEW AGE FOR ISRAELThe first statement here has the earmarks of a Messianic promise; but the last half of the verse appears to limit it to those projected "better times" when Ezekiel will be able to open his mouth freely unto God's people, who shall at that time truly learn that the Lord is Jehovah. We cannot explain exactly how these two declarations relate to each other, or how they belong in the same verse. Nevertheless, we are unwilling to give up the Messianic import of the initial clause. "In that day" is usually a reference to the Messianic dispensation; and we believe it is that in this verse. Furthermore "a horn" unto the house of David is a prophecy of the revival of the Davidic dynasty; and that took place only in the elevation of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God (Acts 2). Psalms 132:17, and Luke 1:69 demonstrate this common usage of the term "horn." Keil pointed out that "The horn in this passage is the Messianic salvation. The words are unquestionably connected with God's promise to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 24:26-27, that after the fall of Jerusalem, the mouth of Ezekiel will be opened; but they have a much more comprehensive meaning, namely, that with the dawn of salvation in Israel, in the church of the Lord, the word of prophecy would sound forth in the richest measure."[18]This characteristic of sweet promises of the ultimate victory of the people of God is a hallmark of true prophecy. We should be disappointed if it were not here, just as it is in countless other places throughout the Word of God. Ezekiel 29:1. The prophet drops back a year in his prophecies and writes this passage in the tenth year which means the tenth year after he was taken to Babylon. He resumes his predictions against the heathen nations because of their mistreatment of Israel. Ezekiel 29:2. The next nation to be predicted against is Egypt and the writing is directed against Pharaoh. That does not mean any particular man for all the kings of Egypt, took that name during a certain period, in the same manner as that of the Caesars of Rome or the Edwards and Henrys of England. Ezekiel 29:3. The lexicon defines dragon as a sea monster, and of course it is not applied literally to Pharaoh. The River Nile was virtually the life and support of the country by its deposit of silt on the land. This was caused by the annual overflow of the stream bringing the deposit down from the mountains, and also the moisture needed for vegetation was supplied by the flooding of this stream over the farm land. So important was the river to the life of the country that the Egyptians came to rank it among the most beloved of their gods. This called for the figurative phrase lieth in the midst of his rivers. The king even went so far as to claim the river as his own, and to make other vain and absurd statements. Ezekiel 29:4. We understand this language to be figurative, but all figures of speech are based on some literal facts or at least something that would be literally possible. The literal fact in the present case is the attachment of the king of Egypt and bis people to the Nile and the creatures living in it. even to the extent of regarding them as gods. Hence the imagery is that of a great monster (the king) living in the river and mingling with the fish of the stream. By the same token, also, the capture of the king is likened to the taking of a large water creature wihch would be done by putting hooks in his jaws. Fish , . . stick unto thy scales. If the fish of a stream should stick to the body of a monster living therein, they would have to share the same fate with him when he is drawn out of the water. Likewise, the people of Egypt who adhered to Pharaoh in his wicked plots, would have to share with him when lie is caught by an invader. Ezekiel 29:5. A fish cannot live long out of water, and. so maintaining the imagery of water and fish in the illustration of the king of Egypt, it is predicted that he will be drawn out of his beloved river and cast out into the open field Of course if a fish is left in the field it will become the prey of beasts and fowl, just as the king of Egypt was destined to become the victim of some other person. Ezekiel 29:6. Been a staff of reed to Israel. The Israelites turned their attention to Egypt when threatened with danger (Eze 17: 15) and that displeased the Lord. Ezekiel 29:7. It was not according to the will of God for his people to lean upon Egypt, for support. However, since that nation evidently encouraged them to do so, it was like breaking a promise for it to come short of the assistance intimated that it would give. This failure was one cause of the Lord's wrath against that nation and it called forth His predictions against it which are here being recorded, Ezekiel 29:8. I will bring a sword refers to the attacks that were to be made upon the country of Egypt, When God uses a certain man or nation or army to accomplish an end, or even when He only predicts that it is to occur, it is often spoken of as if He is the one who does it. In the present case we shall see that God will be the cause of the particular invasion into Egypt. Ezekiel 29:9. In a land where people "worship the creature (created thing) more than the Creator,’’ it is very necessary that they be taught to know the true Lord. Ezekiel 29:10. Rivers being in the plural form is not accidental for it is used in that sense a number of times in this chapter. The original word is defined by Strong as follows: "Of Egyptian origin; a channel, e. g, a fosse [ditch], canal, shaft; specifically the Nile, as the one river of Egypt, including its collateral [contributory] trenches.” When the Nile overflowed something had to be done to take care of the water or it would be wasted. Hence the people of the country made these artificial channels to carry the precious liquid to the various parts of the land, even to the providing of small ditches that would bring the water to the very plants. All of these channels are called rivers and hence the word is used in the plural. The reader should see the historical evidence on irrigation quoted at Deuteronomy 11:10-11, volume 1 of this Commentary. The prediction is that Egypt was to be made utterly waste, but we shall learn soon that a specified period was to be decreed for the desolation. The location of Syene and border of Ethiopia makes the prediction mean that Egypt would be laid waste from one end to the other. Ezekiel 29:11. The specified period of time referred to in the preceding verse is named in this one, and the prediction is that the desolation will last forty years. Ezekiel 29:12. Only an inspired prophet could make such a definite prediction as the present verse records. This prediction is corroborated by history and I shall give a quotation as follows: "The king of Babylon, taking advantage therefore of the intestine divisions which the rebellion of Amasis had occasioned in that kingdom, marched thither at the head of his army. He subdued Egypt from Migdol or Magdol, a town on the frontiers of the kingdom, as far as Syene, in the opposite extremity where it borders on Ethiopia. He made a horrible devastation wherever he came; killed a great number of the inhabitants, and made such dreadful havoc in the country, that the damage could not be repaired in forty years. Nebuchadnezzar, having loaded his army with spoils, and conquered the whole kingdom, came to on accommodation [settlement] with Ainasis; and leaving him as his viceroy [representative] there, returned to Babylon.” Rollin’ s Ancient History, volume 1, page 232. Ezekiel 29:13. The desolation brought upon Egypt, like the captivity upon the Jews, was for the purpose of chastisement and not intended to be permanent. Thus the prediction is made of its restoration to national and industrial life after a time. Ezekiel 29:14. While Egypt was to return to national life it was not to come back to the height that it originally enjoyed but was to be a base or low kingdom. Verse 12 states that the Egyptians were to be dispersed among various countries, which occasions the prediction of the present verse about being brought back to Pathros, which was a part of Egypt. Ezekiel 29:15. The debasement of Egypt wras to be comparative, not that it would cease to have any greatness at ail. This verse expresses it by the phrase not exalt itself above the nations; it was to be subject to the influence of other countries. Ezekiel 29:16. No more the confidence of the house of Israel means that God's people will be convinced they cannot rely on Egypt for support. While they had at times in the past looked to it, the Lord was displeased and such iniquity was remembered by Him. Ezekiel 29:17. There is a .long jump in the chronology of the writing of Ezekiel just for a more specific date of certain explanations to the prophet. God had told him that Egypt was to be visited with invasion and desolation, but that prediction was in the future as regards its fulfillment. Now the Lord sees fit to explain some things at this date which was after the prophet lias been in Babylon 27 years. Ezekiel 29:18. When God uses one nation to chastise another He does not forget that agency If it renders faithful service. The Lord had directed Ezekiel to predict the successful invasion of Nebuchadnezzar into Egypt, but had not told him the reason for selecting that king as the instrument for the punishment of that country. That explanation is given in this verse, that it was to repay him for his faithful service against Tyrus, at which he did not reap any gain. It is necessary for the reader to see the long note quoted at Ezekiel 26:4-5. noting especially the words found nothing in the place to requite them, which definitely agrees with the present statement. Serve a great service is further explained by the clause every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled. This refers to the labor and hardships suffered in preparing a siege and attacking the walls with the battering-ram. In carrying baskets of material for the forts (which were carried on the head) the hair would be worn off that part of the body. A battering-ram was a large piece of timber with some hard substance on the end. This piece of timber was often used by being borne on the shoulders of the men, and that would wear the skin from their shoulders. Ezekiel 29:19. As a reward for his hard and faithful service against Tyrus, the Lord predicts that Nebuchadnezzar will invade Egypt and reap much from the spoils of the country. Again let the reader see the note referred to in the preceding verse. Ezekiel 29:20. Have given him is in the sense of something already done though it is prophecy, or at least some features of it are. They wrought for me denotes that when the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar were carrying on the siege against Tyrus, it was regarded as work being done for the Lord. Ezekiel 29:21. When horn is used figuratively it means power or influence. When the people of Israel see the fulfillment of the prophecies that were delivered by Ezekiel, they will respect his place as a prophet of God. That will cause them to listen to his words and in that sense he will be given the opening of his mouth. As a further result of the entire circumstance, they will be made to know that I am the Lord, Ezekiel 30 FALL OF EGYPT AND HER KING FALL OF EGYPT Ezekiel 30:1-19 The third oracle against Egypt is likely to be dated the same as the previous one (see Ezekiel 29:17). Ezekiel focuses on Egypt's (1) gloom, (2) destruction, (3) adversary, and (4) cities and gods. Egypt's Gloom(Ezekiel 30:1-5) Sadness over the gloom (Ezekiel 30:1-3): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 30:2) Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Wail, woe be the day! (Ezekiel 30:3) For the day is near, yes the day of the LORD is near! A cloudy day, it will be the time of the nations. The oracle begins with direct address to the Egyptians. They are urged rhetorically to wail over their fate. Egypt’ s day of reckoning looms on the horizon (Ezekiel 30:2). The proclamation of the day of Yahweh is expressed in language familiar from Ezekiel 7. The day of the Lord— a day of divine reckoning— will be a gloomy day for the Gentile nations (Ezekiel 30:3). Reasons for the gloom (Ezekiel 30:4-5): A sword will come upon Egypt. Consternation will be in Cush, when the slain will fall in Egypt. They will take away her abundance. Her foundations will be broken down. (Ezekiel 30:5) Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the mingled peoples, Cub, and the children of the land that are in league, will fall with them by the sword. Egypt experiences invasion in the day of the Lord. Her satellite state Ethiopia will fear for her own safety when she sees what transpires across the border in Egypt. The foundations of Egypt— the allies and mercenaries— upon whom the Egyptian state rested will be broken down (Ezekiel 30:4). Six groups are mentioned who will fall by the sword: Ethiopia (Cush), Put, Lud (see on Ezekiel 27:10) and Cub, a people not as yet identified, had alliances with Egypt. The multi-racial character of the Egyptian army is indicated by the expression all the mingled people. Along with the children of the land (native Egyptians), these allies will fall by the sword of the invaders (Ezekiel 30:5). Egypt's Destruction (Ezekiel 30:6-9) Invasion (Ezekiel 30:6): Thus says the LORD: those who uphold Egypt will fall. The pride of her strength will come down. From Migdol to Syene they will fall in her by the sword (oracle of the Lord GOD). Throughout the land, from Migdol to Syene (see on Ezekiel 29:10), the sword will mow down Egypt's inhabitants. As that sword of divine retribution had raged in Judah (ch 21), so now it rages in the much mightier kingdom of the pharaohs. Egypt’ s pride was in her military and economic power. However, this pride will be humbled. Desolation (Ezekiel 30:7-8): And they will be desolate in the midst of lands that are desolate. Her cities in the midst of cities will lie in ruins. (Ezekiel 30:8) They will know that I am the LORD when I place a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are shattered. Desolation will follow invasion (Ezekiel 30:7; cf. Ezekiel 29:12). The desolation caused by war here, as frequently in the Bible, is likened to fire. The fulfillment of this prediction to bring conflagration to Egypt will be a demonstration of the sovereignty of the true God (Ezekiel 30:8). Seldom had Egypt seen a foreign foe bring all the horrors of war within its borders. Confusion (Ezekiel 30:9): In that day messengers will go from before me in ships to terrify the secure Ethiopians. Confusion will come on them in the day of Egypt; for behold, it comes. In the day of Egypt’ s downfall, messengers will be dispatched, as though by God himself. Traveling the waterways to every part of the land of Ethiopia, the messengers will spread the alarming news of Egypt’ s fall. Confusion will fill their land as they contemplated the possibility that their own country might be invaded. Egypt's Adversary (Ezekiel 30:10-12) He is ruthless (Ezekiel 30:10-11): Thus says the Lord GOD: I will cause the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (11) He and his people with him, the most ruthless of the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will empty their swords against Egypt. They will fill the land with the slain. Ezekiel emphasizes that the native population (multitude of Egypt), as well as the mercenary forces, will perish in the overthrow of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar is specifically named as the conqueror (cf. Ezekiel 29:19). He and his ruthless warriors (cf. Ezekiel 28:7) leave a trail of corpses wherever they go. He is devastating (Ezekiel 30:12): I will make the rivers dry. I will deliver the land into the hand of evil men. I will make the land and all that is in it desolate by the hand of strangers. I the LORD have spoken. The much heralded Egyptian irrigation system will be destroyed by the evil men, i.e., the pitiless and lawless troops, that comprised Nebuchadnezzar’ s army. Without irrigation the land will become (temporarily) desolate. Egypt's Cities and Gods(Ezekiel 30:13-19) Ezekiel again employs the technique of emphasis by enumeration. The complete collapse of Egypt is underscored by reference to the fate of the leading cities of the land. Ezekiel did not stand in awe of the ancient and magnificent cities of Egypt. These verses reveal an amazing knowledge of Egyptian geography The execution of judgment (Ezekiel 30:13-16 a) Threat against the idols (Ezekiel 30:13 a): Thus says the Lord GOD: I will destroy the idols, and cause the non-entities to cease from Noph. A new theme emerges in v 13. The gods of Egypt prove worthless in the face of the mighty conqueror raised up by the Lord. Noph (Memphis) was famous for its numerous gods and elaborate temples, especially those of Ptah and Apis. But the non-entities (lit., things of naught) will be made to cease from Noph. So it has happened. An enormous, albeit prostrate, figure of Pharaoh Ramases is the only image of note to mark the spot where once stood the magnificent capital of Egypt. Wilbur Smith summarizes the situation well when he writes: The temples of Egypt and the elaborate carvings and drawings of her gods and goddesses are still the wonder of modern students; but her gods are gone. No temple to an Egyptian god or goddess has a priest in attendance today; no offering is presented to any of these once powerful deities representing the sun, the stellar bodies, the river Nile, and the underworld; no one bows the knee to any of these ancient images.Threat against the princes (Ezekiel 30:13 b): There will no longer be a prince out of the land of Egypt. Following her destruction Egypt will never again be ruled by a native prince. So it has been. Persians, Greeks, Ptolemies, and Romans ruled Egypt in olden times. Since A.D. 638 Egypt has been ruled by Moslems. James Breasted summarizes the situation: With the fall of Psamtik III [to Cambyses in 525 B.C.], Egypt belonged to a new world, toward the development of which she had contributed much, but in which she could no longer play an active part. Her great work was done, and unable, like Nineveh and Babylon, to disappear from the scene, she lived on her artificial life for a time under the Persians and the Ptolemies, ever sinking, till she became merely the granary of Rome, to be visited as a land of ancient marvels by wealthy Greeks and Romans, who have left their names scratched here and there upon her hoary monuments, just as the modern tourists, admiring the same marvels, still continue to do. But her unwarlike people, still making Egypt a garden of the world,show no signs of an awakening and the words of the Hebrew seer, ‘ There shall be no more a prince out of the land of Egypt.,’ have been literally fulfilled. Threat against the land (Ezekiel 30:13-14): I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 30:14) I will make Pathros desolate... Pathros is southern or Upper Egypt extending as far south as Aswan. Threat against the specific cities (Ezekiel 30:14 b):I will set a fire in Zoan, and execute judgments in No. (Ezekiel 30:15) I will pour out my wrath upon Sin, the stronghold of Egypt. I will cut off the multitude of No. Zoan, classical Tanis, was an important city in the eastern Nile delta. No (or No-Amon) is classical Thebes (RSV), modern Karnak and Luxor, located about five hundred miles south of Cairo. No was capital of Egypt during much of Egyptian history, and the worship center for the sun-god Amon. The multitudes of No will be cut off, i.e., the place will be uninhabited. Final threat (Ezekiel 30:16 a): I will set a fire in Egypt. Fire is figurative for warfare. God will not use supernatural means to judge Egypt, but the destructive force of an invading army. Result of judgment(Ezekiel 30:16-19) Devastation (Ezekiel 30:16 b): Sin will be in great upheaval. No will be torn asunder. Against Noph adversaries will come by day. Sin is probably Pelusium (RSV) on the Mediterranean coast. This stronghold guarded Egypt from attack from the north. No will be rent asunder, i.e., breached and penetrated by an invading army. Death (Ezekiel 30:17 a): The young men of Aven and of Pi-beseth will fall by the sword. Aven is also called On in the Old Testament. The Greeks knew the town as Heliopolis, the city of the sun god. The ruins are found in the outskirts of modern Cairo. Pi-beseth is the modern Basta, about forty miles northeast of Cairo. Like the other cities mentioned in Ezekiel 30:13-18, Pi- beseth was a cultic center. The cat was particularly sacred there. Deportation (Ezekiel 30:17 b): These (cities) will go into captivity. See discussion on Ezekiel 29:12 b. Humiliation (Ezekiel 30:18): At Tehaphnehes the day will withdraw itself, when I break there the yokes of Egypt. The pride of her strength will cease in her. As for her, a cloud will cover her. Her daughters will go into captivity. Tehaphnehes— spelled Tahpanhes in Jeremiah— was known to the Greeks as Daphni. The modern Tel Defenneh on the Suez canal is the spot to which Ezekiel refers. Jeremiah was taken there after the assassination of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 43:7). What a dark day that will be for Egypt! A great cloud of despair will hover over that land. The yokes of Egypt— the tyranny that Egypt inflicted on other nations— will be broken. The daughters of Egypt, i.e., her various cities, will go into captivity (Ezekiel 30:18). Reason for judgment (Ezekiel 30:19): Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt. They will know that I am the LORD. The ultimate purpose of these judgments was the vindication of the sovereignty of Israel’ s God.THE FALL OF PHARAOH Ezekiel 30:20-26 It came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying... About four months before the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar (July 3, 586 B.C.), Ezekiel received another revelation against Egypt. Pharaoh's Arms Shattered (Ezekiel 30:21-23) The first army broken (Ezekiel 30:21): Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Behold, it has not been bound up to be healed, to put a bandage that it be bound up to become strong that it might hold a sword. Pharaoh’ s arm had been broken. The allusion is probably to the defeat of Pharaoh Hophra when he tried to come to the aid of beleaguered Jerusalem (cf. Jeremiah 37:1-10). Nebuchadnezzar had inflicted irreparable damage upon the military machine of Egypt (cf. 2 Kings 24:7). Pharaoh’ s arm— symbol of his military might— could not be mended. Never again will he attempt to launch a military offensive against Nebuchadnezzar. The second army broken (Ezekiel 30:22-23): (Ezekiel 30:22) Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, the strong, and the one that was broken. I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. (Ezekiel 30:23) I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through countries. The defeat at the borders of Judah indicated that God was opposing Pharaoh. That setback signaled the beginning of a succession of defeats. Both of Pharaoh’ s arms— the good one and the bad one— will be broken. The sword will drop from his hand. Egypt will be rendered completely powerless (Ezekiel 30:22). Egyptians will be scattered among the nations (Ezekiel 30:23; cf. Ezekiel 29:12; Ezekiel 30:26) Pharaoh's Adversary Strengthened (Ezekiel 30:23-26): I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon. I will put my sword in his hand. But I will shatter the arms of Pharaoh. He will groan with the groanings of the slain before him. (Ezekiel 30:25) I will uphold the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall down. They will know that I am the LORD when I put my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. He will stretch it out against the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 30:26) I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the lands. They will know that I am the LORD. The king of Egypt will decrease, while the king of Babylon will increase in power. Before the advancing army of Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh will appear as helpless as a mortally wounded soldier (Ezekiel 30:24). The king of Babylon will wield the sword of divine judgment against the helpless land of Egypt (Ezekiel 30:25). The dispersal of the Egyptians will establish the sole divinity of Israel’ s God (Ezekiel 30:26). Ezekiel Chapter Thirty Verse 1 ORACLES (3) Ezekiel 30:1-19 AND (4) Ezekiel 30:20-26 AGAINST EGYPTWe may outline this chapter thus: A. Announcement of the Day of the Lord (Ezekiel 30:1-5) B. Allies, Dependents also destroyed (Ezekiel 30:6-9) C. Wealth of Egypt to be carried away (Ezekiel 30:10-12) D. Princes and Cities to be destroyed (Ezekiel 30:13-19) E. God breaks Pharaoh's arm (Ezekiel 30:20-26) THE DAY OF THE LORD COMES TO EGYPT (Ezekiel 30:1-19) Ezekiel 30:1-5"The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Wail ye, alas for the day! For the day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near; it shall be a day of clouds, a time of the nations. And a sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt; and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. Ethiopia and Put and Lud, and all the mingled peoples, and Cub, and the children of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword."The announcement here that the Day of Jehovah is near cannot be separated from its eschatological overtones relating to that final and Eternal Day of the Lord when his righteous judgments shall be executed upon the fallen and rebellious race of Adam, that day of Doom and Destruction mentioned in Genesis, upon which God said, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die!" (Genesis 2:17) Regarding that particular day, upon which God promised the death of Adam and Eve in the case of their eating of the forbidden tree, it was the seventh day of creation, a day, which, according to Hebrews 4th chapter, is still going on and has not ended yet. The meaning of that sentence upon the sinful progenitors of our fallen race is that Adam and Eve in the person of their total posterity shall be totally destroyed, the redeemed of all dispensations and all ages "in Christ Jesus" being the sole exceptions to that universal destruction that shall at last terminate God's Operation Adam on that Day of Jehovah. We have already written many comments relating to the Day of Jehovah, especially in Joel, Amos, and Zephaniah, etc. These will be found in the appropriate volumes of our commentaries under the following references: Isaiah 13:6-9; Joe 1:15; Joe 2:1; Joe 2:11;Joe 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Obadiah 1:1-15; Zephaniah 1:7; Zephaniah 1:14; Zechariah 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 25:31-46, and many other references. Many other signal judgments of God executed upon wicked nations, just like the one here prophesied for Egypt, are token judgments pointing forward to that great and final Day when, as John Milton expressed it: "God shall cast his throne in middle Air And judge before Him all the nations there!" As Feinberg wrote, "Thus we take God's judgment on Egypt here as identified in principle with that Day upon which he will call all nations to give an account."[1] As this same author declared, "We would not dare to interpret this chapter as if it were not related to the many other references in the Word of God to `The day of Jehovah.'"[2]The prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem given by Christ himself in Matthew 24 is another example of an earthly judgment against a wicked city that promises also an ultimate fulfillment in the Final Judgment. We also believe that there are multiple examples of this in Amos 1-2. One of the most impressive features of this chapter is the list of the principal cities of Egypt; but critics like Cooke have brought vigorous allegations against the list which he called "haphazard; three of the cities belong to Upper Egypt and five to Lower Egypt; but they are named without any sense of their geographical location, as though the writer knew them only by hearsay."[3] Like many another allegation of some radical critic, intent upon denying the passage to Ezekiel, this comment also is inaccurate, as indicated by the opinions of many able scholars. "All of the towns singled out for mention here, without exception, are of religious, political, or military importance."[4] "Every single center of cultural and political power in Egypt was mentioned."[5] "The listing here indicates an exact knowledge of the chief cities of Egypt for that period."[6] In this light, it is clear that Cooke's allegations should be rejected. Some interpreters divide this oracle into four subdivisions, each of which begins with, "Thus saith the Lord," as in Ezekiel 30:2; Ezekiel 30:6; Ezekiel 30:10; Ezekiel 30:13. However, we cannot see any necessity for such fragmentary divisions. It should be remembered that the necessity for God's destruction of the pagan nations of that period derived from their false view that God's punishment of Israel that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of her people constituted a victory for their pagan gods over Jehovah. Upon the occasion of God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity, that matter of which God was really God had been settled in the great victory for Jehovah; but the apostasy of the Chosen People and God's ensuing destruction of them had changed all that; and it was very necessary for God, all over again, to demonstrate his own superiority over the pantheon of paganism. Each one of the cities mentioned later in the chapter was the seat of some pagan god. The allies and dependencies of Egypt would do her no good when the judgment fell. "Put, Lud, and Cub ..." (Ezekiel 30:5). "Put and Lud were two tribes living west of Egypt in Africa;"[7]however, "Cub is an unknown name."[8] These peoples were allies of Egypt and were considered part of her strength (see Nahum 3:9). What is stressed here is that allies and dependents alike will experience destruction along with Egypt. "The children of the land that is in league ..." (Ezekiel 30:5). The marginal reading in our version has "children of the land of the covenant"; and if this is allowed, the reference is to the Jews who, following the murder of Gedaliah had returned to Egypt contrary to the stern warnings of Jeremiah. Beasley-Murray denied that this reading should be followed; but, in any case, whether stated here or not, those Jews who had returned to Egypt would (and did) suffer the same destruction as that of Egypt. Verse 6 "Thus saith Jehovah: They also that uphold Egypt shall fall: and the pride of her powers shall come down: from the tower of Seveneh shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord Jehovah. And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted. And they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed; in that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; and there shall be anguish upon them, as in the day of Egypt, for, lo, it cometh." TO INCLUDE ALLIES AND The meaning of this paragraph is stated both at the beginning and at the end of it. "They also that uphold Egypt shall fall." "All her helpers are destroyed." Fear and anguish are prophesied here as coming upon Egypt and all of her helpers. Verse 10 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain. And I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men; and I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I, Jehovah, have spoken it."THE WEALTH OF EGYPT TO BE CARRIED AWAY"And I will make the rivers dry ..." (Ezekiel 30:12). We have no historical record of such a drought falling upon the Nile; but that cannot mean that it never happened. The forty years of desolation that has been mentioned again and again with reference to God's judgment upon Egypt would indeed have followed such a disaster as the drying up of the Nile. There is also the possibility that the language here may be allegorical or figurative. However, there is one overwhelmingly good reason for believing that all of the disasters here prophesied came to pass exactly as God's prophet said they would. Here is that reason: Egypt was steeped and settled into the most arrogant paganism. They worshipped dogs, cats, snakes, their king, the Nile river, etc. Why did they quit? Why did they renounce paganism? That they did so cannot be denied. Why? The only imaginable events that could have caused such a change are the very disasters mentioned in these prophecies. Why did they stop worshipping the Nile? It dried up for forty years! Alexander has given us an excellent summary of what is promised here against Egypt: "Egypt's Day of the Lord is a day of doom (Ezekiel 30:9), a day of clouds (Ezekiel 30:3), a dark day in her history. The masses would fear as Egypt's proud strength ceases before the sword of Nebuchadnezzar. Many would be slain (Ezekiel 30:6; Ezekiel 30:10-11; Ezekiel 30:13; Ezekiel 30:18). Not even a prince (leader) would be left in the country (Ezekiel 30:13). Many idolatrous statues of the Egyptian gods would be destroyed or carried away in the Babylonian quest for victory and wealth. All of Egypt's allies would fall to the sword: Ethiopia and Lydia in western Anatolia (modern Turkey), Arabia in the east, Lydia in the west (Ezekiel 30:5-7), Put and Lud in the west; and even those `people of the covenant land,' the Jews who fled to Egypt following the murder of Gedaliah would suffer the ravages of the Babylonian invasion. The judgment of God would be comprehensive; it would be awful; but the purpose of God would be accomplished."[9]Egypt would learn that Jehovah is God! Did they really learn it? of course, they did! None of the silly old pagan gods has been worshipped in Egypt for millenniums of time. Verse 13 "Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah: I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis; and there shall be no more a prince from the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments upon No. And I will pour my wrath upon Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No. And I will set a fire in Egypt: Sin shall be in great anguish, and No shall be broken up; and Memphis shall have adversaries in the day-time. The young men of Avert and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and these cities shall go into captivity. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt and the pride of her power shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. Thus will I execute judgments upon Egypt; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."THE CITIES TO BE "Memphis ..." (Ezekiel 30:13) "This was the principal city of Lower Egypt, built on the left bank of the Nile 10 miles south of Cairo."[10] "This city was also called `Noph.'"[11]"I will destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease ..." (Ezekiel 30:13). "The `idols' here were great men and princes, as indicated in NEB."[12] Since the Pharaohs themselves pretended to divine honors, the term "idols" is appropriate. "Pathros, Zoan, and No ..." (Ezekiel 30:14) "Pathros was the native name of Upper, or Southern Egypt; Zoan, called `Tanis' by the Greeks, was mentioned by Moses in Numbers 13:22. It was an important city of the Eastern Delta."[13]No was located some 400 miles south of Memphis; it was the capital of Upper Egypt, known to the Greeks as Thebes, and featured in the Book of Nahum under the name of No-Amon. There is nothing haphazard about this list of Egyptian cities. Memphis, the capital of Lower Egypt, and its supporting cities was named first, and then Thebes, or No, the capital of Upper Egypt was named next. No was famous as a residential city for the Pharaohs between 1380,930 B.C.; and many of the greatest of the Pharaohs were buried there.[14] The sun-god Amon was worshipped there; and his name was often incorporated into that of the city, as in No-Amon (Nahum 3:8 f). Each one of the cities mentioned here, "was identified with a particular pagan deity; and therefore God's prophecies against these cities may be construed as a frontal assault upon the paganism of Egypt."[15]"Sin ..." (Ezekiel 30:16). This place is called the "stronghold of Egypt." It is usually associated with Pelusium, but the actual location is disputed. "Avert ..." (Ezekiel 30:17). "This word means `nothingness,' or 'wickedness,' and is a contemptuous rendition of On (Heliopolis), the words being spelled exactly alike in Hebrew. Joseph's father-in-law was Potiphera the high priest there (Genesis 41:45). It was the center of sun-worship. "Pibeseth ..." (Ezekiel 30:17). At this place, "The cat-headed goddess Ubastet was worshipped."[16]Herodotus has the report of a Persian ruler, Cambyses, who won a victory over this city by deploying several thousand dogs and cats in front of the Persian army. The Egyptians would not attack through fear of killing some of the animals which were sacred to their god. "Tehaphnehes ..." (Ezekiel 30:18). "This place is now Tel-Deffeneh, 10 miles west of E1-Kantara on the Suez Canal."[17] It is the place where Jeremiah prophesied that the king of Babylon would erect his throne (Jeremiah 43:8 f). The list of cities mentioned here has now been noted; and we appreciate Eichrodt's comment that, "This list provides a very suitable means of representing the almost inexhaustible resources of that kingdom on the Nile."[18]"When I shall break there the yokes of Egypt ..." (Ezekiel 30:18). Some of the versions have "yokes and bars." "Both words are used as a figure of tyranny, and of Egyptian tyranny in particular."[19]Verse 20 "And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and lo it hath not been bound up, to apply healing medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it be strong to hold the sword. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man. And I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall put my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."GOD HAS ALREADY BROKEN PHARAOH'S ARM"Eleventh year, first month, seventh day ..." (Ezekiel 30:20). "This was April 29,587 B.C."[20] "This was three months before the fall of Jerusalem and three months later than the prophecy of Eze 29:3."[21] In the meanwhile Pharaoh-Hophra's attempt to aid Jerusalem had collapsed (Jeremiah 37:5), a fact that history is strangely silent about. Evidently Nebuchadnezzar inflicted a humiliating defeat upon Egypt that prevented any substantial relief of Jerusalem and resulted in Nebuchadnezzar's renewal of the siege almost immediately. "Nebuchadnezzar's defeat of Pharaoh-Hophra appears in this paragraph as `the breaking of Pharaoh's arm.'"[22] This greatly weakened Pharaoh (Ezekiel 30:21); but further defeats were promised in this prophecy. Note in verse 22 that there is a distinction between what has already been broken and that which will be broken later. "I will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken." "The flexed arm was a common symbol for the strength of Pharaoh. Statues and images of Pharaoh showed the flexed arm, wielding a sword in battle. A king with a great biceps was a popular conception during the Saites Dynasty in the times of Ezekiel. Also another title taken by Pharaoh-Hophra was, `The Strong armed.' Thus the defeat of Pharaoh-Hophra was most appropriately described by the expression `breaking his arm.'"[23]"I will strengthen the arm of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand ..." (Ezekiel 30:24). God commissioned Nebuchadnezzar as the destroyer of nations; and here the sword of Nebuchadnezzar is understood to be the very sword of God Himself. "The groanings of a deadly wounded man ..." (Ezekiel 30:24). "Figuratively, when Ezekiel wrote this, Egypt is represented as a man mortally wounded in battle standing before the Lord who will destroy him."[24]The dispersion of the Egyptians among the nations and countries is again mentioned here, that being the almost invariable result of any conquest of one nation by another in those times. Also, the reason and purpose of God's punitive judgment upon the pagan nations of that era was focused in the divine intention of teaching them, by the hard way, who was really God. "And they shall know that I am Jehovah." Ezekiel 30:1-2. The prophet is told to express lamentation or howl in view of what is to happen to Egypt. Worth has no word in the original as a separate term, but is included with the same one for woe and means the same as saying "Ah, alas!” Ezekiel 30:3. The events just predicted are to take place in the near future from the time Ezekiel is writing this. Time of the heathen means the time when the nations are to come together in the manner alluded to in the predictions just made by the prophet. Ezekiel 30:4. Two chapters are given to Egypt, this and the preceding one. Ethiopia is included because that country lies just south of Egypt and becfime an ally in times of trouble. That is why its people will be in pain or fear when they see the people of Egypt being slain by the invading Babylonians. Ezekiel 30:5. Libya. Lydia and Chub were parts of Africa that were allied with Egypt for common support. If would follow, then, that when the land of Egypt is attacked, these allies will have to suffer with it. Verse 6. The remarks offered in the preceding verse are verified in this. It is expressly stated that they also that uphold Egypt shall fall. It is as bad in God’ s sight to endorse an evildoer as it is to be the actual doer of it (Romans 1:32), Ezekiel 30:7. Shall be in the midst. None of the cities of Egypt were to be actually moved into the territory of Others. The expression means these cities were to Share the same fate as the other cities suffered; would be in the same condition. Ezekiel 30:8. The fire to be set in Egypt will be the destructive raids of the Babylonians. The helper or allies of Egypt were destined to be defeated, and the whole transaction will cause the people to knosw that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 30:9. In that day refers to the day when Egypt would be attacked by the Babylonians. The Lord will then send men in ships to terrify Ethiopia for having been an ally of Egypt in her evil attitude toward the interests of His people. Ezekiel 30:10. Multitude to cease is a prediction that Nebuchadnezzar will attack the spoils of the country as well as its citizens. It will be by the hand of the Babylonian king, but he will be acting as the agency of God. Ezekiel 30:11. He and his people means Nebuchadnezzar and his military forces. Terrible of the notions is said of the Babylonians who had the reputation of being a fierce people. The Lord is going to bring these forces against Egypt to throw' the country into a state of desolation and national humiliation. Ezekiel 30:12, In some way the Lord will interfere with the irrigation system of the country which will result in assisting the Babylonians in their attack upon the land. The effect of this interference with the watering program will be to lay waste the land. Ezekiel 30:13. The general subject of this chapter is the fate of Egypt, and the several verses specify certain cities or parts of the country. The prophet also reveals God’ s wrath against the idolatry that the country had practiced for centuries. The Egyptians worshiped everything in nature, both living and nonliving, and also set up their idols made of stone and other materials. God decreed that the manmade idols should he destroyed. That would teach them the uselessness of such gods, and also would prove that It Is vain to rely on the things in nature as a means of superhuman assistance. The modern name for Noph is Memphis, which was an important city even then. Ezekiel 30:14. Pathros was a division of the country, and Zoan and No (Thebes) were cities, and the Egyptians had their idolatrous worship practiced in all of these places, God’ s jealousy against all forms of idolatry is bo intense He will not tolerate it. Ezekiel 30:15. Strength is from an original word that Strong defines, “ A fortified place; figuratively a defence,” and the city of Sin is so described. The prediction is that with such a city on which to rely, it nevertheless will prove a failure as help for the Egyptians when the Lord brings the invading army against it. Ezekiel 30:16. This fire is explained at verse 8 where it is shown to refer to the upheaval that will be raised by the Babylonians. When it is started the people of these cities will have great pain which means they will be terrified by the presence of the invading forces that will be laying waste their strongest cities. Ezekiel 30:17. The captivity is not a formal or national one such as the Israelites were then suffering in Babylon, but refers to the capture of the citizens by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, Aven and Pi-beseth were cities where many of the young men or heroes of the country resided. These ‘‘ braves" were to be destroyed by the Babylonian sword. Ezekiel 30:18. Smith’ s Bible Dictionary says the following of Tehaphnehes: "It was an important town, being twice mentioned by Jeremiah with Noph or Memphis. Here stood a house of Pharaobhophra before which Jeremiah hid great stones. Jeremiah 43:8-10." The prediction is that even as strong a place as this city will be darkened which means to be subdued. Yokes is used in the sense of power or control, and this will be overthrown when Nebuchadnezzar comes into the country. The city will have her pride brought down by the death of her chief men, and her daughters shall be scattered among the cities of the various other heathen countries. Ezekiel 30:19. Again the main purpose of the judgments to be brought against an offending nation is stated, which is to make the people know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 30:20. Another date is given for the message that God was giving to Ezekiel. The eleventh year is dated from the time the prophet was taken to Babylon. Ezekiel 30:21. Broken the arm means to destroy the force of the king of Egypt. Shall not be bound up is modified by the words to be healed following immediately. The idea is that nothing can prevent the calamity that is declared to be coming upon Pharaoh. Roller means bandage and the statement means the same as the preceding one explained above. Ezekiel 30:22. The Lord is using the imagery of a swordsman in the present form of speech, A man is holding a sword in his hand with the intention of using it against the approaching foe. But the Lord will strike and break the swordsman’ s arm which will cause the sword to fall from the hand holding it and it will fall to the ground, Ezekiel 30:23. If the ability to use their weapons is taken from them, the Egyptians will be helpless and will be at the mercy of their attackers. Ezekiel 30:24. Not much new is added in this verse, but a specific statement of what is to happen to the land of Egypt is made. I will strengthen denotes that God wili cause the weapons of the king of Babylon to be successful when he attacks Pharaoh. That will fulfil! the prediction that was made to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 29:18. Ezekiel 30:25. God will perform two and opposite acts as regards Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh. He will strengthen the arms of the former and weaken those of the latter. Either one of these would have indicated defeat for Pharaoh, and hence the two will make It doubly certain and guarantee the fulfillment of the prediction. Ezekiel 30:26. Being utterly disarmed, the Egyptians will have no recourse on which to rest. As a result they wili be scattered out in various places where they will languish for the period indicated in Ezekiel 29:12-13. Ezekiel 31 THE GREAT CEDAR TREEEze_31:1-18 In the first unit of this chapter, Egypt is likened to a cedar (Ezekiel 31:2-9). This poetic comparison is followed by two prose messages describing the downfall of the magnificent tree at the hands of foreigners (Ezekiel 31:10-14) and its descent into Sheol (Ezekiel 31:15-18). OF THE CEDAR Ezekiel 31:1-9 Ezekiel uses the common ancient Near Eastern motif of the tree of life to underscore again the reason for Egypt's downfall. It was not Egypt's greatness that drew the prophet's fire. Egypt ignored God's sovereignty. By promising to aid Judah to escape submission to Babylon, Egypt was contradicting the expressed will of God for his people. The audacity of Egypt in encouraging Judah to rebel against Babylon had to be addressed by Yahweh. Eichrodt calls this threatening poem "Ezekiel's most powerful piece of testimony against Egypt's world-power." Introduction (Ezekiel 31:1-2): It came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and unto his multitude: Unto whom will you compare yourself in greatness? The fifth Egyptian oracle follows the preceding one by two months. It is a prophecy of judgment in the form of an allegory. The date, according to the present calendar, is June 21, 587 B.C. (Ezekiel 31:1). A rhetorical question sets the theme for the following poem. Pharaoh and his multitude (the Egyptian people) thought themselves to be incomparably great and powerful. Yet they will not escape the judgment of God (Ezekiel 31:2). The rhetorical question introduces a poetic allegory. The poem itself has three strophes, each of which begins with the size of the tree and moves to the supply of water. First Picture (Ezekiel 31:1-4): Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, a foliage that provided shade, and a high stature. Its top was among the thick boughs. (Ezekiel 31:4) Waters nourished it, the deep made it grow. Her rivers ran around about her plantation. She sent forth her channels unto all the trees of the field. Assyria was once a lofty Lebanon cedar, encircled at the top by leafy and thick boughs (Ezekiel 31:3). The subterranean reservoir of waters (the deep) sent forth a river to nourish the cedar, and smaller rivulets to water the other trees. Perhaps this is an indirect reference to Assyria great water sources in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (Ezekiel 31:4). Second Picture (Ezekiel 31:5-6): Therefore, its height was exalted above all the trees of the field, its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long, because of the many waters when it put them forth. (Ezekiel 31:6) In its boughs all the birds of the heaven made their nests. Under its branches all the beasts of the field bring forth young. In its shadow all great nations dwell. As a result of abundant watering, the cedar (Assyria) grew taller, stronger and more luxurious than the other trees (nations; Ezekiel 31:5). All the fowl of the heavens and beasts of the field passed under the control of Assyria. These birds and beasts represented the nations under Assyria's control (Ezekiel 31:6). Third Picture (Ezekiel 31:7-9): Thus it was fair in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters. (Ezekiel 31:8) The cedars could not hide it in the garden of God. The cypress trees could not compare to its boughs. The plane trees were not like its branches. No tree in the garden of God could compare to it in beauty. (Ezekiel 31:9) I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches. All the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God were jealous of it. Receiving constant nourishment from many waters, the Assyrian cedar continued to spread out its branches, i.e., to annex additional territories (Ezekiel 31:7). None of the other great trees in the garden of God., i.e., the world could compare to that mighty Assyrian cedar (Ezekiel 31:8). That tree attained its stature and beauty from the God of Israel. Assyria was an enemy of all the other trees that God had planted in his Eden, i.e., in the world (Ezekiel 31:9). OF THE CEDAR Ezekiel 31:10-14 Reason for the Downfall (Ezekiel 31:10-12) The pride of Assyria (Ezekiel 31:10): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Because you were exalted in height, and he has set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart was lifted up in his height; Assyria became exalted in height, i.e., proud of her greatness (v 10). Such pride precedes a fall (Proverbs 16:18). The punishment of Assyria (Ezekiel 31:11-12): therefore, I will give him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. He will surely deal with him in the midst of his wickedness. I have driven him out. (Ezekiel 31:12) And strangers— the most ruthless of the nations— have cut him down, and have cast him down. Upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches have fallen. His boughs are broken in all the channels of the land. All the peoples of the earth have gone down from his shadow. They have left him. God delivered Assyria into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, i.e., Nebuchadnezzar, to be treated as ruthlessly as she had treated other nations. The Assyrian were driven out of the garden of God as surely as Adam had been driven out of primeval Eden (Ezekiel 31:11). Assyria was cut down and cast off as worthless by the most ruthless of foreign invaders (cf. Ezekiel 28:7). The reference is to the Babylonians, who are compared to lumberjacks. The boughs and branches of that once glorious tree— the Assyrian armies— were broken and dispersed about the countryside. Those vassal states that had resided in the protective shadow of Assyria deserted their master (Ezekiel 31:12).Result of the Downfall (Ezekiel 31:13-14) Assyria consumed (Ezekiel 31:13): Upon his carcass all the birds of the heavens dwell, and upon his boughs every beast of the field. The birds and beasts feed upon the dead bodies of the Assyrian soldiers. The idea that all remnants of the Assyrian Empire disappear from the scene. Immediate impact on other nations (Ezekiel 31:14 a): The results will be that no tree by the waters will exalt itself in its height, nor set its top among the thick boughs. Their mighty ones will not stand up in their height, even all who drink wate... All of this befell Assyria so that other trees (nations) in the world will not be tempted to follow her example. Permanent lesson for the nations (Ezekiel 31:14 b): for they are all given over to death, unto the lower parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with those who go down to the pit. Nations, like men, are mortal; they die. They depart the scene of history to descend, as it were, into Sheol— the pit— the abode of the dead.DESCENT OF THE CEDAREze_31:15-17 Mourning of the Deep (Ezekiel 31:15): Thus says the Lord GOD: In the day he went down to Sheol, I caused the deep to mourn and cover over him. I held back her rivers, and the great waters were stayed. I caused Lebanon to mourn over him. All the trees of the field fainted for him. The fall of Assyria caused a great upheaval in the world. Even the deep, from which all the nations of the earth were watered, was plunged into mourning. The rivers, that formerly nourished the great tree (cf. Ezekiel 31:4), now had dried up, i.e., the sources of her wealth were gone. All the trees of Lebanon— other notable nations of the time— fainted in fear for their own safety. Comfort in Sheol (Ezekiel 31:16): At the sound of his fall, I caused the nations to shake, when I brought him down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. All the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth. Previous world powers (all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon) were comforted by the thought that now Assyria had joined them in the lower parts of the earth— in Sheol, the realm of the departed. The five uses of the first-person pronoun of divinity in Ezekiel 31:15-16 indicate that Yahweh is in complete control of the community of nations. Destruction of Allies (Ezekiel 31:17): They also went down with him to Sheol unto those who were slain by the sword, even they who were his arm, who dwelt in his shadow, in the midst of nations. The allies of Assyria (they who were his arm) were destroyed once their protector was gone. They too joined their once proud master in the most disgraceful of deaths (those who were slain by the sword). TO PHARAOH Ezekiel 31:18 To whom are you like in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the lower parts of the earth. You will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude (oracle of the Lord GOD). In this final verse of ch 31, Ezekiel drives home the application of his lengthy allegory. If the giant Assyrian cedar had been cut down, how can Egypt hope to escape? Pharaoh and his people will be brought down to a humiliating defeat and death. He will lie among the uncircumcised. The term is not to be taken literally, but refers to an uncircumcised foreigner who does not receive a decent burial. To the Israelites, the uncircumcised were those excluded from the community. Hence, in Sheol Pharaoh will lie with the excluded, dishonorable dead. Some think the reference is to those who suffer death by the sword and whose bodies lie unburied on the ground. This is a bitter pill to swallow for one cherished opulent burial and despised foreigners.Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-One Verse 1 THE EXAMPLE OF ASSYRIA WAS A WARNING TO EGYPTThe source of the features of this allegory is not to be sought in Babylonian mythology, as supposed by May, nor should we believe that "The Garden of God" referred to herein is a reference "to a mythological `Garden of Eden.'"[1]The background of the chapter was the historical situation of those times, namely, on June 21,587. B.C.,[2] which was only a couple of months before the fall of Jerusalem,[3] and less than twenty-five years after the dramatic fall of Nineveh to Babylon in 612 B.C.[4] "The fall of the great Assyrian empire was still fresh in the memory of those times, and it could not have failed to make a deep impression upon the minds of Ezekiel's hearers."[5]No one can fail to be aware of the two different interpretations of this chapter, each of which has its advocates. (1) Some understand the lofty cedar as a description of Pharaoh, an understanding involving an emendation of the Hebrew text. (2) Others understand Assyria as being meant by the lofty cedar. Fortunately, the meaning of the chapter is exactly the same either way. The disgraceful end of the proud Pharaoh is prophesied in either interpretation. We shall explore these views further under Ezekiel 31:3, below: Our own position favors the view of accepting Assyria as represented by the beautiful, lofty cedar. We favor this because both our version (ASV) and theKJV alike translate the text with this clear meaning. Some of the greatest scholars of our day have warned us that, "For purposes of accurate study, the American Standard Version of 1901 is the best of all the versions." Furthermore, the New English Bible retains the same meaning with KJV and American Standard Version; and, as even some of the advocates of the other view have pointed out, The old interpretation is by no means indefensible. As it stands in the Hebrew and in all the ancient versions, the whole chapter is a description of the greatness, not of Egypt, but of Assyria. Thus Assyria is compared to the great cedar, and then Egypt is compared to Assyria. That the fate of Assyria contained a warning against the pride of Pharaoh is a thought in itself intelligible, and is just the kind of thought that Ezekiel might very well have expressed.[6]In addition to this, the ensuing description fits Assyria much better than it fits Egypt, as we shall note, below. The divisions of the chapter, easily discernible, are: (1) the description of the mighty cedar (Ezekiel 31:1-9); (2) its disastrous overthrow (Ezekiel 31:10-14); and (3) the consequences of it (Ezekiel 31:14-17); and (4) the God-given answer to the question raised in Ezekiel 31:2 (Ezekiel 31:18). THE LOFTY CEDAREze_31:1-9"And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude: Whom art thou like in thy greatness? Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature, and its top was among the thick boughs. The waters nourished it, the deep made it grow; the rivers thereof ran about its plantation; and it sent out its channels unto all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it shot them forth. All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young: and under its shadows dwelt all great nations. Thus was it fair in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir trees were not like its boughs, and the plane-trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like unto it in its beauty. I made it fair by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God envied it.""Whom art thou like in thy greatness ..." (Ezekiel 31:2)? This question declares the following description to be of a person whom Pharaoh is "like," not a description of Pharaoh. "The Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon ..." (Ezekiel 31:3). A cedar in Lebanon cannot possibly refer to Egypt. Lebanon was a province of Assyria. Nevertheless, "the emenders" of God's Word emended Assyria out of the passage, making it read: "Behold, I will liken you to a cedar in Lebanon." (Revised Standard Version). Any one can see, that if this change was correct, the initial question would have been, "What art thou like?" not "Whom art thou like?" Nevertheless, Beasley-Murray explained the emendation thus: "The initial letter of t'assur (cedar) fell out leaving assur (meaning Assyria). The context clearly shows that Pharaoh is in mind."[7] This is a beautiful theory, but there is no proof of it. The Hebrew and all the ancient versions read as does our text in ASV; and we are unwilling to allow the present generation of scholars to revise the Bible to make it read like what they thought the author "was trying to say." As long as the ancient text is understandable as it stands, such emendations are absolutely contraindicated. "The waters nourished it, the deep made it to grow ..." (Ezekiel 31:4). 'The deep' here was understood by Bunn as, "the primordial waters beneath the earth, the deep which figures so largely in Babylonian mythology." Such nonsense should be rejected with contempt. The fundamental reason why such allegations as that just cited cannot be allowed by true believers is that the allowance of such a thing would mean that God Himself, the true author of Ezekiel, accepted and allowed as truth the monstrous Babylonian myth concerning a great subterranean ocean. To inject that myth into the prophecy leaves Ezekiel as the ignorant author of it; it leaves God out of it altogether, and raises the question that if Ezekiel was wrong about this, why should he be trusted in anything else found in the prophecy? "The `deep' which nourished the growth of Assyria was nothing less than the tremendous source of waters provided by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers."[8]And it sent out its channels unto all the trees of the field ..." (v. 4). These were undoubtedly the elaborate system of canals that pertained to the Euphrates, and perhaps also to the Tigris. We should notice how the modern crop of perverters of God's Word, once they start fiddling with the text, branch out in all directions. The Good News Bible, for example translates this verse, "There was water to make it grow, And underground rivers to feed it." There is not a word in this passage about "underground waters," which cannot possibly be represented, as in our text, by the word "channels." What is indicated is that the so-called Good News Bible is giving us Babylonian mythology instead of God's Word! Having emended Assyria into cedar, Cooke then proceeded to translate it "pine tree," better to fit Egypt."[9]This is another excellent example of how one emendation always leads to others. However, Cooke admitted that, "Nothing could be less suggestive of the land Egypt than the tall cedar trees and scenery of Lebanon."[10] It is sad, however, that he missed the point, namely that the description here is not of Egypt at all, but of Assyria. The extravagant glory of the great Assyrian empire is fittingly represented here as being the envy even of those trees that God had planted in the garden of Eden. The Assyrian empire had existed since the days of Nimrod; and it was doubtless considered to be as established and permanent as the earth itself; but because of their inordinate pride, cruelty, and sadistic blood-lust, and contrary to all that anyone on earth could possibly have anticipated, they had fallen, totally and completely, to Babylonians in 612 B.C. In verse 18, below, the prophecy would call upon Pharaoh to accept the meaning of that event to him and to Egypt. Verse 10 "Therefore thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thou art exalted in stature, and he hath set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out of his wickedness. And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off and left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are broken, and his boughs are broken by all the water courses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him. Upon his ruin all the birds of the heavens shall dwell, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches; to the end that none of the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs, nor that their mighty one stand up in their height, even all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit."ASSYRIA'S FALL WAS A WARNING AGAINST HUMAN PRIDE"Thus said the Lord Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 31:10). Note the past tense. This is a reference to the prophecy of the doom of Assyria, as fully recounted in Nahum. (See my commentary on this, Vol. 3, pp. 3-58.) Ezekiel 31:10-14 set forth the fall of Assyria in its true status, that is, as a past event, already known to the whole world of that period. A mighty one of the nations (Nebuchadnezzar) has gone up against it; and we see the great trunk lying prone across valleys and mountains; it has been felled to the earth; the nations have been scared from under its shadow; and the tree which only yesterday might have stood against the whole world now lies prostrate and dishonoured - "none so poor as to do it reverence."[11]"Here under the figure of the felling of a cedar there is depicted the overthrow of a monarchy and a kingdom that has already taken place."[12] Our chapter is a prophecy of a destruction yet future which is directed against Egypt; and, if any further proof had been needed that this description beginning in Ezekiel 31:3 and continuing through Ezekiel 31:17 cannot possibly be applied to Egypt, this provides it. "Strangers have cut him off ... have left him ... and have left him ..." (Ezekiel 31:12) The prophecy of Nahum has the prophetic record of how that forsaking of Assyria took place. Yet they flee away. Stand, stand, they cry, but none looketh back (Nahum 2:8). Although this destruction is surely coming upon Egypt, the passage here is still recording what has already happened to Assyria. Cooke and others have attempted to interpret this portion of the chapter as written in the prophetic perfects, "have cut it down," meaning "will cut it down."[13] This cannot be correct, because the past tense is contrasted with the future tense in Ezekiel 31:12 and Ezekiel 31:18, as accurately pointed out by Keil.[14]Ezekiel 31:18 plainly indicates the overthrow of Egypt and his power as still in the future, contrasting dramatically with the felling of the cedar which already had taken place. "Thus destruction of the cedar can only be Assyria, and not Egypt at all."[15]The certainty of this application to a past event is seen in the fact that, "Ezekiel corrected his allegory to accommodate the past tense. The birds and wild beasts are still there; but instead of dwelling in the boughs, the (vultures, owls, jackals and hyenas) hover and creep over the carcass of the dead, decaying trunk!."[16]Verse 15 "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the rivers thereof; and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees fainted for him. I made the nations to shake at the wound of his fall, when I cast him down into Sheol with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water were comforted in the nether parts of the earth. They also went into Sheol with him unto them that are slain by the sword; yea, they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations."A SUMMARY OF THE FALL OF ASSYRIA"I caused a mourning ..." (Ezekiel 31:15). This came about by the ravages against the remains of the Assyrian empire, by the ruthless armies of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. "I restrained the rivers thereof ..." (Ezekiel 31:15). This also came about directly upon the fall of Assyria. The terrible floods which had contributed so dramatically to the fall of Nineveh, were promptly dried up. "When I cast him down into Sheol ..." (Ezekiel 31:16). The end of all mortal pride and ambition in the grave is stressed in these verses. Verse 18 "To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shall thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt be in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah."THE ANSWER TO THE IN Ezekiel 31:2"To whom art thou thus like ..." (Ezekiel 31:18)? "This is the answer to the question that opened the allegory."[17] Jamieson also agreed with this. "Pharaoh's end shall be the same humiliating one, just as I have depicted Assyria's end to have been. Thus the prophet, as it were, points to Pharaoh."[18] The message is clear enough. The same humiliating end that came to Assyria is also stored up for Pharaoh. There is a tremendous warning here against all human pride, arrogance, and heedless ambition that mortals partake of in their efforts to exalt themselves and to ignore the claims of holiness and righteousness which God imposes upon all who are born into this world, apparently oblivious to the fact that, "We shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." Ezekiel 31:1. The present message is dated in the same year that the one against Tyrus has, and it means the eleventh year after Ezekiel was taken to Babylon. Ezekiel 31:2. Speak unto Pharaoh. I do not take this to mean that the prophet was to make a personal contact with the Egyptian king. Ezekiel was in Babylon when he wrote this which is several hundred miles from Egypt and personal communications would be difficult if not impossible except, by some miraculous performance. Furthermore, a like expression is found regarding the Ammonites and Tyrus, and we would not suppose that separate documents were sent to those places. The phrase could better be understood in lhe sense of “ speak (or write) concerning Pharaoh." The whole book of Ezekiel was to become a unit in the Bible and the instruction of prophecy and its fulfillment was to be for the benefit of the world. Whom art thou like is in question form, but the thought is that the Lord announces He is going to make a comparison. Ezekiel 31:3. Care should be taken not to lose our "bearing" through the most of this chapter. It will be stating some things that actually happened to the Assyrians, but the purpose is to liken the case to Pharaoh, The Assyrians were a proud and cruel people and boasted of their strength, yet they were brought down in spite of their greatness. The parable as a whole is concerning Assyria and Egypt, hence, while the verses are directly applied to the former, some of the illustrations will be drawn from the conditions in the land of Egypt, since that country is really the one the Lord is denouncing at present. The illustration of a cedar is used because of the nature of that tree. Strong defines the original, "A cedar tree (from the tenacity of its roots).’’ We shall see the appropriateness of the illustration as we proceed in our study of the chapter. The top in a kingdom is the king and the thick boughs refers to the citizens of the nation, especially the princes and other leading men. This describes the position that the king of Assyria had in the day of his power (and of course is true of Pharaoh at the time the prophet is writing this). Ezekiel 31:4. The king of Assyria had a strong background in the day of his greatness, growing with the roots in the waters. (See Psalms 1.) The reference to waters is made because Egypt (which is the aclual subject of this parable) depended upon the Nile with its canals and smaller channels. Ezekiel 31:5. The exaltation of Assyria is still being used to illustrate the pride of Pharaoh, And since he is the one who is actually the object of God’ s fury, the terms are those connected with a body of water such as the Egyptians possessed. Ezekiel 31:6. As a large tree would support and shelter many fowls, so the Assyrian Empire included in its folds many people of the world. This fact caused the king of Assyria to be filled with pride, just as Pharaoh was puffed up over his gains by the support from the Nile in its resources for irrigation. Ezekiel 31:7. A tree that lacks moisture will not be fair (beautiful.), while one that can dally drink from "earth’ s sweet flowing breast” will leaf out and put on growth of foliage and shoots for new life. Ezekiel 31:8. The king of Assyria is still being compared to a tree that excels all others. Carrying out this imagery it ts said that the trees in the garden of God (garden of Eden) could not hide (“ over-shadow"— Strong) him. This comparison is very appropriate, for the trees in that first garden are spoken of as very desirable (Genesis 2; Genesis 9). Other trees are mentioned also as being inferior to this one of Assyria. Ezekiel 31:9. I have made him fair. It was the will of God that the king of Assyria (likewise the king of Egypt) should have great power (See Daniel 2:37; Daniel 4:17; Daniel 5:18; Romans 13:1) provided he would use it right. Trees . . . envied him will be understood to be figurattve and is another way of stating the superiority of Assyria (and Egypt for whose sake the comparison is being made) over other kingdoms. Ezekiel 31:10. True greatness is not to he condemned, but it is wrong for a man to exalt himself, or to become proud over any greatness that he really possesses. The king of Assyria did this and provoked the Lord to wrath. Ezekiel 31:11. The king of Assyria (who was Saracus at this time) was a “ heathen” as well as were others, but the original means "nations” also, and the prediction means he was delivered into the hands of other heathen. The mighty one was Nabopalassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar. At this place I believe it will be well to make a quotation from history. This will give information from a secular source that will help the reader. There will be items that are related to the present verse and also some others to follow, therefore I urge the reader to give close attention and thus be prepared to refer to it. as occasion may suggest. "Saracus, who came to the throne towards the end of the seventh century B. C,, was the last of the long line of Assyrian kings. For nearly or quite six centuries the Ninevite [capital of Assyria] kings had now lorded it over the East. There was scarcely a state in all Western Asia that during this time had not, in the language of the royal inscriptions, ‘ borne the heavy yoke of their lordship’ ; scarcely a people that had not suffered their cruel punishments, or tasted the bitterness of enforced exile. But now swift misfortunes were bearing down upon the oppressor from every quarter. Egypt revolted and tore Syria away from the empire; from the mountain defiles on the east issued the armies of the recent-grown empire of the Aryan Medes, led by the renowned Cyaxares; From the southern lowlands, anxious to aid in the overthrow of the hated oppressor, the Babylonians joined the Medes as allies, and together they laid close siege to Nineveh. The city was finally taken and sacked [plundered], and dominion passed away forever from the proud capital (606 B. C.)"— Myers Ancient History, page 66, “ Nabopolassar (625-605 B. C.) was the founder of what is known as the Chaldean Empire. At first a vassal king [subject or dependent king], when troubles and misfortunes began to thicken about the Assyrian court, he revolted and became independent.” — Myers Ancient History, page 72. Ezekiel 31:12. This verse will be the better understood after a glance at the historical quotation just made in the preceding paragraph. Strangers in the Bible means people from the outside or of another nation. This was fulfilled by the various foreigners who invaded Assyria and undermined her. Ezekiel 31:13. Fowls and beasts are figurative terms and refer to the nations who attacked the land of Assyria. Remain is an allusion to the continual ruin that was the lot of Assyria after being invaded by the hostile peoples. Ezekiel 31:14. To the end means the purpose of this revolution was to humble the king and country of Assyria from their position of pride. Trees and K-aters, etc., are figures used because, while Assyria is the one immediately in the mind of the Lord, it is for a comparison to Egypt which did boast of her River Nile with its canals and ditches. Ezekiel 31:15. The imagery of trees and water is being maintained throughout this passage because the chief subject is against Pharaoh and his country. And it is true literally that they boasted of their power as a nation, and that power was due to this great stream frequently mentioned. The grave means the national ruin of the country, and the mourning is the general state of regret that such a powerful empire would be brought so low after having been a great governing force so many years. Ezekiel 31:16. His fall refers to the downfall of Assyria which caused the reactions that are described in figurative terms. The nations all wondered at such a remarkable revolution, and all of them had a feeling of relief because they had stood in awe of such a powerful and heartless empire. Hell is from SHEOL and pit is from Down, Both are used figuratively in this place and mean that Assyrian greatness was to be buried and forgotten. Ezekiel 31:17. They refers to the allies of Assyria as is Indicated by the words dwelt under his shadow. The Bible teaches that if one person associates with another who is evil, or if he sympathizes with and approves of his conduct, he Is held responsible and must share in his fate. (See Romans 1:32; 1 Corinthians 15:33.) Ezekiel 31:18. The key to the entire com-parison of this chapter is in the words this is Pharaoh. All of the things said of the king of Assyria were actually true and were known to be so, although they had taken place several years previously. The Lord used that great upheaval in history to compare with the fate which He was soon to bring upon Egypt. The first phrase of the verse is in the form of a question but it is really an assertion as if it were worded “ to whom thou art like.” If the reader will connect this statement with the one underlined above, he will have the thought the prophet has been getting ready for in the wonderful parable or comparison. God had predicted most of the things that happened to Assyria and they came true, which ought to be a warning that His predictions against Pharaoh will likewise be fulfilled. Ezekiel 32 OF EGYPT’ S OVER PHARAOH Ezekiel 32:1-16 Introduction (Ezekiel 32:1-2 a): It came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 32:2) Son of man, lift up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt. The last oracle against Egypt is dated about a year-and-a-half after the fall of Jerusalem. The date, according to the modern calendar, is March 4, 585 B.C. (Ezekiel 32:1). The prophet is told to take up a lamentation—a prophetic doom-song— over Pharaoh. This lament recapitulates the previous judgment messages. Ezekiel emphasizes Egypt's false pride. He bewails the fate of judgment. Captured Crocodile (Ezekiel 32:2-6) The truth about Pharaoh (Ezekiel 32:2-3) He is a clumsy crocodile (Ezekiel 32:2 b): Say unto him, You likened yourself to a young lion of the nations, but you are like a crocodile in the seas. You burst forth in your rivers. You troubled the waters with your feet. You polluted their rivers. Pharaoh fancied himself to be like a lion roaming among the nations. He struck fear into all who saw him. In reality Pharaoh was more like a crocodile (see on 29:3), whose movement was restricted to the waters. Occasionally Egypt’ s army bursts forth from his waters, i.e., ventures forth beyond the national frontiers. Moving into yet other rivers, the Egyptian crocodile will thrash about, churning up the waters and befouling them.He is a captured crocodile (Ezekiel 32:3): Thus says the Lord GOD: I will spread out over you my net with a company of many peoples. They will bring you up in my net. God had decreed the end of the disruptive crocodile. He will spread out his net to capture and immobilize the vicious beast. A company of many people— Babylon and her allies— will assist in drawing up that divine net. The demise of Pharaoh (Ezekiel 32:4-6): I will leave you in the land. Upon the field I will cast you forth. I will cause all the birds of the heaven to remain upon you. and fill the beasts of all the earth with you. (Ezekiel 32:5) I will put your flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height. (Ezekiel 32:6) I will water the land where you swim with your blood, even to the mountains. The rivers will be full of you. The crocodile will be cast upon dry land, out of his natural habitat. Thus his doom is sealed. The birds of prey and beasts of the field take their fill of him (Ezekiel 32:4). The carnage is great. The mountains and valleys are filled with the long carcass of the crocodile (Ezekiel 32:5). The blood of the beast saturates the land and fills the rivulets (Ezekiel 32:6). Darkened Luminaries (Ezekiel 32:7-10) Egypt's light extinguished (Ezekiel 32:7-8): When you are extinguished, I will cover the heavens, make their stars dark, and cover the sun with a cloud. The moon will not give its light. (Ezekiel 32:8) All the light-bearing bodies in the heavens I will make dark over you. I will set darkness over your land (oracle of the Lord GOD). A second figure depicts the demise of Egypt. The once bright star (Egypt) will be extinguished. This day of divine judgment is depicted as a day of darkness. The sun, moon and stars will refuse to give their light (Ezekiel 32:7-8). Earth-shaking events are heralded by cosmic calamity. Such passages are not to be interpreted literally, but rather are the traditional way of depicting the fall of a great nation.Impact on other nations (Ezekiel 32:9-10): I will provoke the heart of many people, when I bring your destruction among the nations, unto countries that you have not known. (Ezekiel 32:10) I will make many people astonished concerning you. Their kings will be horrified on account of you, when I unsheathe my sword before them. They will tremble at every moment, each man for his life, in the day of your fall. Many other nations, including some unknown to Egypt, will be terrified by the news of the destruction of that empire (Ezekiel 32:9). Other kings will tremble before the sword of God— the agent of God’ s judgment upon the world (Ezekiel 32:10).Explanation of Pharaoh's Fall (Ezekiel 32:11-16) Invasion (Ezekiel 32:11-12): For thus says the Lord GOD: The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. (12) By the swords of the mighty, I will cause your multitude to fall. The most ruthless of the nations are all of them. They will spoil the pride of Egypt. All her multitude will be destroyed. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel regarded Nebuchadnezzar as the Lord's servant (Ezekiel 32:11; cf. Ezekiel 30:24). The Babylonians are called the mighty, the ruthless of the nations (cf. Ezekiel 28:7). The pride of Egypt— all the multitude of her population—will be spoiled by the northern invaders (Ezekiel 32:12).Destruction (Ezekiel 32:13-14): I will destroy all her cattle from beside many waters. The foot of man will not trouble them any more, nor will the hoofs of cattle trouble them. (Ezekiel 32:14) Then I will make their waters to settle. Their rivers I will cause to go as oil (oracle of the Lord GOD). Even the cattle that fed along the banks of the Nile and its canals will be destroyed. Neither man nor beast will befoul the waters of the land anymore. The land will be temporarily desolate (Ezekiel 32:13). The undisturbed waters will flow as smoothly as a river of olive oil (Ezekiel 32:14).Desolation (Ezekiel 32:15): When I make the land of Egypt a desolation and waste, a land devoid of fullness, when I smite all the inhabitants in it, then will they know that I am the LORD. By smiting Egypt with desolation, God will cause men to recognize His sovereignty.Lamentation (Ezekiel 32:16): With this lamentation will they lament over it. The daughters of the nations will lament over her. On account of Egypt and all her multitude, they will lament her (oracle of the Lord GOD). The oracle closes as it began (Ezekiel 32:1), with a reminder that it is a lamentation. The daughters of the nations—the professional mourners— will take up this lamentation over Egypt. DESCENT INTO SHEOL Ezekiel 32:17-32 Lofthouse calls the sixteen verses of the final Egyptian oracle “ the death song of the world in which Israel had grown up.” The language here is highly poetical and one must be careful not to press it too far in formulating the biblical doctrine of the afterlife. In this chapter, Sheol is envisioned as consisting of compartments where nations lie together in graves gathered about their king. Warriors who experienced proper burial are thought of as occupying a higher status than those who did not. Introduction (Ezekiel 32:17-18): And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 32:18) Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt. Cast them down, even her and the daughters of the mighty nations, unto the lower parts of the earth, with those who go down to the pit. The month is missing in the Hebrew text of Eze 32:17. The Greek version supplies the first month. However, it is more likely that this oracle should be dated to the same month as the preceding one, viz., the twelfth month. It will then have been composed two weeks after the oracle contained in Ezekiel 32:1-16. According to the modern calendar the date is March 18, 585 B.C. Ezekiel is told to wail over Egypt. A prophetic lament had the power to actually set in motion the wheels of judgment. In this sense Ezekiel is to cast down the multitude of Egypt into the lower parts of the earth. This is Sheol, the abode of the dead, in which the once powerful nations on earth are thought of as continuing their collective identity. The daughters of the mighty nations are the countries that share the fate of Egypt in going down to Sheol. The pit is still another designation for Sheol (Ezekiel 32:18). The Death of Egypt (32:19-21): Who do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid with the uncircumcised. (Ezekiel 32:20) They will fall in the midst of those who fall with the sword. To the sword she is given. Draw her down, and all her multitude. (Ezekiel 32:21) The strong ones among the mighty will speak to him from the midst of Sheol with his helpers: They have gone down. They lie still, even the uncircumcised, those slain by the sword! The rhetorical question cuts Egypt down to size. Egypt is in no way superior to the other powers of that day. Though it is a beautiful land, Egypt is not exempt from national death. She will go down in defeat. She will lie with the uncircumcised, those who have experienced the most dishonorable death (v 19). Egyptian soldiers will fall by the sword. Their corpses are abandoned on the field of battle. Nations already in Sheol are exhorted to drag the slain Egyptian forces on down into their midst (draw her down and all her multitude; v 20). The irony here is obvious. No nation in history put more emphasis on life after death— the elaborate pyramids and subterranean burial vaults; the art of embalming; the amassing of enormous wealth and every conceivable provision for abundant life in the world to come. None of this, however, will prevent the mighty Pharaohs from being brought down in shame to the pit. The leaders of nations already in Sheol are represented as greeting Pharaoh and his allies with mocking words upon their arrival in the pit. The mighty Egyptians have died an ignominious death— the death of the uncircumcised— by the sword (v 21).Occupants of Sheol (Ezekiel 32:22-30): Ezekiel names three great nations that lie in the place of dishonorable burial (Ezekiel 32:22-28). He then depicts the fate of some of the lesser nations of his day (vv. 29-30). Assyria (Ezekiel 32:22-23): Assyria is there and all her company. Round about them are their graves, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, (23) whose graves are in the uttermost parts of the pit. Her company is round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword who caused terror in the land of the living. Egypt has joined Assyria and her allies in Sheol. The Egyptian graves lie scattered about those of the Assyrians (Ezekiel 32:22) in the uttermost part of the pit. This expression may point to degrees of ignominy in the afterlife. The great nations that terrorized the earth have been permanently and totally removed from the world of the living. They are now only a bad memory. The graves of satellite nations surround that of Egypt itself in those inaccessible regions (Ezekiel 32:23). Seven times in Ezekiel 32:23-32 the prophet repeats the charge that these nations caused terror in the land of the living. The ancients bragged about their brutality. Elam (Ezekiel 32:24-25): There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised unto the lower parts of the earth, who caused terror in the land of the living. Yet they have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit. (Ezekiel 32:25) They have put for her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude. Her graves are round about them, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they caused terror in the land of the living. Yet they have borne their shame, with those who go down to the pit. They are put in the midst of the slain. Other once powerful nations lie quietly in Sheol far removed from the land of the living where once they spread terror. Elam rests in shame there (Ezekiel 32:24-25) after having spread terror in the land of the living. Furthermore, Elam had gone uncircumcised to its grave. The capital of Elam was Susa. During the last half of the seventh century B.C. there was a great struggle for power between Assyria and Elam. It was the Assyrian Ashurbanipal who delivered the death blow to Elam in 640 B.C. Meshech and Tubal (Ezekiel 32:26-28): There is Meshech, Tubal and all her multitude. Her graves are round about them, all of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword; because they caused their terror in the land of the living. (Ezekiel 32:27) The ones who are inferior to the uncircumcised will not lie down with the mighty ones who went down to Sheol with all their war weapons, with their swords laid under their heads, and their iniquities upon their bones; because the terror of the mighty ones was in the land of the living. (Ezekiel 32:28) But you, in the midst of the uncircumcised will be broken. They will lie with those slain by the sword. Meshech and Tubal were once powerful kingdoms located south and southeast of the Black Sea. Other warlike powers descended into Sheol with their military equipment. Meshech and Tubal, however, met with an even more humiliating end. They rest among those who had been stripped of their arms and who were uncircumcised. Ezekiel does not specify the particular crimes that justified this more severe humiliation of Tubal and Meshech (Ezekiel 32:26-27). Apparently Pharaoh will experience still a worse fate. He will lie among those slain by the sword, but not, apparently, with the mighty ones mentioned in the preceding verses (v 28). Other nations (Ezekiel 32:29-30): There was Edom, her kings and all her princes who in their might are put with those slain by the sword. They, with the uncircumcised, will lie with those who go down to the pit. (Ezekiel 32:30) There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians who went down with the slain, ashamed for the terror that was caused by their might. They lie down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. They bear their shame with those that go down to the pit. Pharaoh will lie among the leaders of Edom, the princes of the north (Babylonian satellite kings) and the Sidonians (Phoenicians). These all lie uncircumcised, i.e., they have experienced the ignominious death of those slain in battle and left unburied (Ezekiel 32:29-30). Conclusion (Ezekiel 32:31-32): Pharaoh will see them and will be comforted concerning all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, (oracle of the LORD). (Ezekiel 32:32) For I have put my terror in the land of the living. He will be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude (oracle of the Lord GOD). Pharaoh, unmentioned since Ezekiel 32:2, is named three times in Ezekiel 32:31-32. The verses ooze with irony. Pharaoh will take some measure of comfort in the fact that others have shared Egypt’ s fate (Ezekiel 32:31). All the mighty powers that terrorize the land of the living will ultimately be brought to naught. Ultimately God’ s power prevails on earth. The fall of Pharaoh and his host will be another indication of this grand truth (Ezekiel 32:32). A fitting conclusion to this section dealing with Egypt is found on the final page of Breasted’ s monumental History of Ancient Egypt:The fall of Egypt and the close of her characteristic history, were already an irrevocable fact before the relentless Cambyses knocked at the doors of Pelusium, The Saitic state was a creation of rulers who looked into the future, who belonged to it, and had little or no connection with the past. They were as essentially non Egyptian as the Ptolemies who followed the Persians. The Persian conquest in 525 B.C., which deprived Psamtik III, the son Amasis, of his throne and kingdom, was but a change of rulers, a purely external fact. And if a feeble burst of national feeling enabled this or that Egyptian to thrust off the Persian yoke for a brief period, the movement may be likened to the convulsive contractions which sometimes lend momentary motion to limbs from which conscious life has long departed. With the fall of Psamtik III, Egypt belonged to a new world, toward the development of which she had contributed much, but in which she could no longer play an active part. Her great work was done, and unable, like Nineveh and Babylon, to disappear from the scene, she lived on her artificial life for a time under the Persians and the Ptolemies, ever sinking, till she became merely the granary of Rome, to be visited as a land of ancient marvels by wealthy Greeks and Romans, who have left their names scratched here and there upon her hoary monuments, just as the modern tourists, admiring the same marvels, still continue to do. Special Study ’ S OF EGYPTThe Old Testament prophets devote more verses to Nebuchadnezzar’ s invasion of Egypt than to that king’ s conquest of Jerusalem. However, whereas Nebuchadnezzar’ s conquest of Jerusalem is recorded in various documents dating to the sixth century, his invasion of Egypt has been ignored by the ancient historians. Consequently, most biblical critics before 1900, and a few since that date, have pointed to the prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’ s invasion of Egypt as an example of error in prophetic anticipation. In the first edition of the Cambridge Ancient History, H.R. Hall categorically asserted: We have no warrant to suppose that the Babylonian king ever carried out great warlike operations against Amasis [Pharaoh of Egypt], far less that he conquered or even entered Egypt either personally or by proxy. The first biblical prophecy of the fall of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar is found in Jeremiah 46. Here Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned by name (v 13), as is also the Pharaoh he will defeat, viz., Pharaoh Neco (609-593 B.C.). Four Egyptian cities are mentioned here: Migdol, Noph (Memphis) and T ahpanhes in northern Egypt, and No (Thebes) in southern Egypt. Some twenty years after the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah again alludes to the invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 43:12-13). This oracle emphasizes the destruction of the gods of Egypt. Two Egyptian cities are specifically mentioned— Tahpanhes and Beth-shemesh (also called On or Heliopolis). In his second and third prophecies against Egypt (571 B.C.), Ezekiel names Nebuchadnezzar as the agent of God’ s judgment on the land of the Nile. The destruction of the idols of Egypt is specifically mentioned (Ezekiel 29:17-21; Ezekiel 30:10-12). The evidence that Nebuchadnezzar did in fact invade Egypt is threefold: (1) Josephus relates that in the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem (582 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar fell upon Egypt, slew their king and set up another in his place. Some of the Jewish refugees in Egypt were taken captive back to Babylon. (2) A small fragment of a Babylonian chronicle first published by Pinches shows that Nebuchadnezzar launched an attack against Egypt in his thirty-seventh year, 568 B.C. This text can be found in Ancient Near Eastern Texts edited by James Pritchard, p. 308. (3) Driver pointed out a statue in the Louvre representing Nes-Hor, governor of Southern Egypt under Pharaoh Hophra (589-664 B.C.). The inscription thereon seems to state that an army of Asiatics and northern peoples, that apparently had invaded Egypt, intended to advance up the Nile valley into Ethiopia. However, this invasion of southern Egypt was averted by the favor of the gods. So states Nes-Hor.Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Two Verse 1 FINAL CHAPTER AGAINST EGYPT WITH ORACLES (6) Ezekiel 32:1-16 AND (7) Ezekiel 32:17-32 This chapter has the final two of seven oracles against Egypt in Ezekiel 29-32. The first of these, Ezekiel 32:1-16 is a prophecy of the, "Monster of Egypt, caught, slain and devoured."[1] There are two parts of this, (a) the allegorical representation of it (Ezekiel 32:1-10), and (b) a literal explanation of what that meant (Ezekiel 32:11-16). The final oracle recounts the transfer of Egypt and his multitude to Sheol, the realm of the dead, a remarkable paragraph which constitutes the most extensive discussion in the Old Testament on the subject of the Underworld. "It has the most graphic portrayal of the Pit, or Sheol, in the Old Testament."[2]Cooke stated that it illustrates more vividly than any other passage in the Old Testament the notions of the Underworld current in those times.[3] (1) It is international and universal. Great and small, foreign and remote peoples are all there. (2) It is conceived of as "in the depths of the earth." The grave is only six feet deep; but in the sense of its significance it indeed goes to the "heart of the earth," as Jesus stated in Matthew 12:40. (3) The dead lie there prostrate, harmless and extinct. (4) Such distinctions as race and rank so visible on earth seem still to be retained in death. (5) Isaiah even conceived of the dead as being capable of emotions, and even of speech (Isaiah 14), using such a conception to teach spiritual truth, but perhaps not intending that we should understand that there is any capability whatever pertaining to the dead. Two dates are given for the chapter: March 15,586 B.C. from the LXX, and March 3,585 B.C. from the text here. Brace preferred that in the LXX;[4] and Keil vigorously supported our text in ASV.[5] At this time, Jerusalem had already fallen. THE ; SLAIN; AND (Ezekiel 32:1-10) Ezekiel 32:1-10"And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou wast likened unto a young lion of the nations: yet thou art as a monster in the seas; and thou didst break forth with thy rivers, and troubleth the waters with thy feet, and foulest thy rivers. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will spread out my net upon thee with a company of many peoples; and they shall bring thee up in my net. And I will leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the field, and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle upon thee, and I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth with thee. And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height. I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the watercourses shall be full of thee. And when I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord Jehovah. I will also vex the hearts of many peoples, when I shall bring thy destruction upon the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known. Yea, I will make many peoples amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.""Thou wast likened unto a young lion ..." (Ezekiel 32:2). Pharaoh probably looked upon himself as `a young lion among the nations'; but God here told him what he was really like. "Yet thou art as a monster in the seas ..." (Ezekiel 32:3). "The seas here, as in Ezekiel 29:3 where it reads `monster in the midst of the rivers,' is the Nile and its spangled delta exits. The `monster' is the crocodile."[6]It is a totally unchristian viewpoint that drags Babylonian mythology into this prophecy. See our comment in the previous chapter regarding the errors involved in seeking evidence of mythological connections in the prophecies of God. Bunn's allegation was that "the monster" of this passage, "May stand for the great dragon Tiamat in Babylonian mythology, or perhaps Apophis, the primordial god of chaos in Egyptian mythology ... more likely it is the latter."[7]If such imaginary characters had been intended by Ezekiel, would he not have named them? On the contrary, he used a word which in Hebrew means any large sea-creature, including the crocodile. Or, could Bunn possibly have meant that Jehovah himself, mentioned in the same breath as the author of this statement, recognized the actual existence of mythological creatures like Apophis or Tiamat? Whatever he meant by this, his comment must be disallowed as inaccurate and untrustworthy. As Keil noted, "Pharaoh is here compared to a crocodile, which stirs up the streams, muddying and fouling them, doing so with his mouth and his feet, rendering turbid all that was pure."[8]"And I will leave thee upon the land ..." (Ezekiel 32:4). The picture of what would happen to the crocodile was thus described by Pearson, "He would be taken in a great net, dragged out of his river retreat and left to die, out of his element, on the dry land, and his dead carcass would be left to provide food for the birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the earth."[9]The darkening of the sun, moon and stars is a figure often encountered in the Scriptures. It carries the meaning of the destruction of all of the great leaders and public officials of a nation or kingdom. In the following verses (Ezekiel 32:11-16), "All metaphors are abandoned, and the desolation of Egypt is announced in literal language as something to be accomplished by the sword of Babylon, `the most terrible of the nations.'"[10]Verse 11 "For thus saith the Lord Jehovah; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee. By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall; the terrible of the nations are they all: and they shall bring to naught the pride of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside many waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them. Then will I make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord Jehovah, When I shall make the land desolate and waste, a land destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am Jehovah. This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament: the daughters of the nations shall lament therewith; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they lament therewith, saith the Lord Jehovah.""The divine judgment against Egypt will take the form of Babylonian invasion, slaughter and captivity. The Nile will flow quiet and clear, untouched henceforth by man or beast,"[11]"I will destroy all the beasts thereof ..." (Ezekiel 32:15). This was always an inevitable consequence of any invasion by a hostile foreign power. All animals were slaughtered wholesale to provide food for the invading soldiers, as well as to deprive the inhabitants. General Sherman did the same thing in his march to the sea, during the Civil War. "Their rivers to run like oil ..." (Ezekiel 32:14) This is the only instance of the use of this particular metaphor in the Bible. "These `rivers of oil' were symbols of ethical blessedness (Job 29:6 and Deuteronomy 32:13)." Keil applied this to the righteous rule of Nebuchadnezzar; but Plumptre believed there are echoes of the future Messianic kingdom in the passage.[12]"The rivers of oil here are not rivers that flow quietly like oil, but rivers which contain oil and not water; they are symbolical of the rich blessings of God."[13] It should be noted that the great blessing to come to Egypt in future times is that they shall know that Jehovah is indeed God, and that there is none else beside him (Ezekiel 32:15). Verse 17 "It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword; draw her away and all her multitudes. The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of Sheol with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie still, even the uncircumcised, slain by the sword. Asshur is there and all her company; her graves are round about her; all of the slain, fallen by the sword; whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her company is round about her grave, all of the slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living. There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living, and have borne their shame with them that go down to the pit."EGYPT WAS TO THE (Ezekiel 32:16-32) "Twelfth year, fifteenth day of the month ..." (Ezekiel 32:17). "This date is April 27,586 B.C."[14] Bruce supplemented the data given here by accepting the "twelfth month" indication from the LXX. "This was only about two weeks later than the oracle in the first half of the chapter."[15]The thought presented here is doleful indeed. Just as all the other mighty nations of human history have enjoyed their brief glory and then gone down in the oblivion of the grave, just so it was to be with Egypt. The picture that emerges here should not deceive us into thinking that Sheol is a place either of intelligence or activity of any kind. The intimations of such things are only designed to stimulate our estimation of the place as totally undesirable. The purpose is to contrast the arrogance and conceit of those powers which "in the land of the living" produced so much terror, sorrow, and human misery, with their peaceful harmlessness after they have gone down into Shed! God's perfect answer to all of that is Sheol, the Pit, the grave I This lament is to remind Egypt that she too shall also receive the treatment that came to other evil powers, several of whom are mentioned here as a kind of "reception committee" for Pharaoh! "The strong among the mighty shall speak to him ..." (Ezekiel 32:21). Yes indeed, there shall really be some of the `Big Shots' of history on hand in Sheol to welcome Pharaoh who is scheduled to arrive soon! "Asshur is there ..." (Ezekiel 32:22). Look! Even the wicked and ruthless Assyrians are there! How peaceful they are; no one is afraid of them now! Their reign of terror had ended in 612 B.C., on that very night when the king was having a big banquet to celebrate his victory! An unexpected flood destroyed a section of the city wall; and the whole Babylonian army came in and destroyed Nineveh. (See our Commentary on Nahum). "Elam is there ..." (Ezekiel 32:24). They had been there ever since they were conquered by the Assyrians in 643 B.C.[16] The Elamites were a nation of terrorists living east of the Tigris River and north of the Persian Gulf. At one time, they had been the scourge of Mesopotamia. Behold, how quiet and harmless they are now! Note also that the text states that they took their shame with them. They never got rid of it merely by descending into Sheol. A further word on Elam is given in Ezekiel 32:25. Verse 25 "They have set her in a bed of the midst of the slain with all her multitude; her graves are round about her; all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for their terror was caused in the land of the living, and they have borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that are slain."How appropriate that those who have caused so many to die and descend into Sheol are, in fact, themselves to inherit a grave among those very peoples whom they have destroyed! Elam will get a bed in the midst of the slain! His shame shall go with him even into the grave. "There is Mesheeh, Tubal" (Ezekiel 32:26). "These participated in the Scythian invasion of 626 B.C., causing great panic in Syria and Mesopotamia. They were now very peaceful citizens in Sheol!"[17] The prophet described them in Ezekiel 32:26-28. Verse 26 "There is Mesheeh, Tubal, and all their multitude; their graves are round about them; all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they caused their terror in the land of the living. And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, that are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are upon their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. But thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain by the sword."Verse 29 "There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who in their might are laid with them that are slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit. There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all of the Sidonians, who are gone down with the slain; in the terror which they caused by their might they are put to shame: and they lie uncircumcised with them that are slain by the sword and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.""There is Edom ..." (Ezekiel 32:29). Edom was made to be a type of the wicked nations of all mankind by Isaiah (Isaiah 34); and the description of their punishment at the time of the eternal judgment also carries very significant overtones of that Final Day. "The princes of the north are there ..." (Ezekiel 32:30). These include the Sidonians, of course; in fact they are ALL going to be there; and this is leading up to the sarcastic statement in Ezekiel 32:30, below, that Pharaoh will be "comforted." "What is meant is that Pharaoh who cherished military and ambitious slaughter of many peoples on earth will have nothing to complain about; for he will find many worthy companions in Sheol!"[18]Verse 31 "Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword saith the Lord Jehovah. For I have put his terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah."Certainly a dirge of this kind must have received the intense attention of all who heard it. Not only had God prophesied in these chapters the utter destruction of Pharaoh and the land of Egypt, but he had also launched among the populations of the earth a lamentation celebrating his death! THE OF THESE Every student of the Bible is aware that history affords no elaborate details of just how all of Ezekiel's prophecies were fulfilled; and, of course, that has allowed many radical critics to voice their unbelieving denials that they ever really came to pass at all. We have already addressed this problem earlier, pointing out, that the most convincing proof of all that it happened exactly like the prophet declared that it would happen is simply the undeniable truth that Egypt did indeed come to know that "The Lord is Jehovah, the God of gods, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords." The ancient pantheon of Egypt's pagan deities was indeed vanquished, not a one of them ever having been worshipped during the thousands of intervening years. Why? The only adequate explanation of that undeniable fact, as far as we can see must be sought in the fulfillment of these prophecies by Ezekiel. Nevertheless, historical proof is also available. "Sufficient evidence has been found that Nebuchadnezzar indeed invaded and conquered Egypt. The silence of Herodotus (and other Greek historians) regarding such an invasion goes for little or nothing. Herodotus could not even read the Egyptian records, deriving all of his knowledge through priests by means of an interpreter. It was the custom of those priests to draw a veil over every disaster. He did not even mention one of the most decisive battles of all history, that of Carchemish in 605 B.C."[19]Skinner also reports the discovery of "a cuneiform fragment reporting a battle between Nebuchadnezzar and the king of Egypt in the "thirty-seventh year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, which was in the year 568 B.C."[20] We have included these quotations here, not for true believers who do not need to have historical confirmation of what is taught in the scriptures, but in the hope of aiding those whose timid faith might be sustained and strengthened by them. Ezekiel 32:1. Twelfth year is dated from the time Ezekiel was taken to Babylon. This would correspond with the year following the death of Zedekiah who was the last king to sit on the temporal throne of Judah. Ezekiel 32:2. Say unto him. [Pharaoh], See the comments at Ezekiel 31:2 for explanation of such an expression. Take up a lamentation denotes that the fate of Pharaoh is to be lamented. A lion on land or a monster in the water would be something to be feared, and the king of Egypt is likened to them. A troublesome creature in the waters would cause them to be defiled, and likewise the king of Egypt had caused a defilement among the nations. Ezekiel 32:3. This verse is a direct prophecy of the invasion into Egypt of the forces of Babylon, The Lord calls them His net because the actions of the army of Nebuchadnezzar will be by the divine decree. Ezekiel 32:4. This verse is the same in thought as Ezekiel 29:5. Ezekiel 32:5. Height is from which Strong defines, “ A heap (of carcases),” The verse is a strong statement of the extent of the slaughter that will be made of the Egyptians by the Babylonians. Ezekiel 32:6. The terms are used figuratively and are based on the literal conditions and facts of the land of Egypt. The Nile furnished the main resource for agricultural assurance, and the king and his people were boastful of their fortunate lot. With this in view, the prediction threatened to reverse the conditions, and instead of the water of the river of which the king boasted (wherein thou sivim- <mest), the land was to he moistened with the blood of the people. This is said with reference to the bloodshed that will be done by the Babylonians. The terms are strong as most figures of speech are, but the amount of bloodshed was really bound to be great, Ezekiel 32:7. The literal things predicted are the overthrow of Pharaoh and the slaying of his people. Put thee out is rendered "extinguish” in the margin of the Bible and tiie lexicon agrees with it. This national blackout Is ex-pressed in the figurative use of terms connected with the natural universe. Ezekiel 32:8. The figurative description continues to be used with reference to the general defeat of Pharaoh and his country. If the sun and other lights in the heavens above the earth should be put out the earth would be thrown into darkness. Likewise, when Pharaoh and his leading men are put down by the predicted invasion, the country will be thrown into political darkness. Ezekiel 32:9. The attack that Nebuchadnezzar will make upon Egypt will cause her people to be scattered among the various nations. The original word for vex has a stronger sense than this, and the lexicon says it means “ to trouble; by implication to grieve, rage, be indignant." When people are driven from their native homes and virtually “ wished” on strange communities, the circumstance will not be taken favorably. Ezekiel 32:10. Amused is from SHAMEM and the first definition of Strong is, "to stun.” The overthrow of an ancient and powerful kingdom such as Egypt will have this stunning effect on other nations. Tremble , . . every man for his own life will be a natural result, for when so great a. revolution is brought before their eyes the question will arise whether a similar calamity may come upon them. Ezekiel 32:11, The sword of the king of Babylon will be what Pharaoh will see, but it will also be the Lord’ s sword since He will be using that king as an instrument to execute the divine decree against the nation deserving the chastisement. Ezekiel 32:12. The mighty means the army of Nebuchadnezzar because it is a very strong military force. Spoil is from a word that is defined "to ravage” in the lexicon. (See the comments and historical note at Ezekiel 29:12-13.) Ezekiel 32:13. The streams of Egypt were held sacred by the people, hence anything that would lower their importance or use would be regarded as a reproach. Trouble occurs twice in this verse but they come from different originals. The first means "confusion or uproar” ; the second is defined "to roil [stir up the dregs] water." A beast would onty defile a stream of water, while a man could create an uproar or commotion even though he was near one of these bodies of water that he professed to worship, The meaning of the prediction is that neither of these activities will be done for a period because both man and beast will be removed by the invader. Ezekiel 32:14. Deep is from shaqa and Strong's first definition is "to subside.” If the men and beasts are removed from the land by a foreign army, the described condition of the water will cease and it will be allowed to become deep or settled. The movement of oil would be smooth and it is used to compare the condition of the streams after the men and beasts have been taken from the land. Ezekiel 32:15, The main purpose of the chastisement from God is again stated, that the people of the land may be taught fo know that I am the Lord. Verse lfi. Lamentation is from qivnAH which Strong defines, “ A dirge (as accompanied by beating the breasts or an instrument).’ ' These literal performances are used to illustrate the attitude of the daughters o the nations at the desolation of Egypt. Ezekiel 32:17. The following prediction was made in the same year as the one we have just considered but was a few days later. The prophet is always careful to let us know the source of his information; that it is the word, of the Lord. Ezekiel 32:18. To wail means about the same as "to lament” in some previous verses. Cast them down Is a way of saying “ predict that they will be cast down.” This form of speech is used in Jeremiah 1:10 and Ezekiel 43:3. When an inspired man predicts that a certain thing will happen, it is virtually the same as if he will be the doer of it, for the Lord will see that all such predictions are carried out. The lexicon defines the original word for nether as "lowermost,” and pit is defined in the same lexicon, “ a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or prison),” The people of Egypt were doomed to be taken into custody by Nebuchadnezzar and in that sense they will be prisoners. In other words, the land of Egypt was destined to go down in shame and her greatness was to be forgotten as other countries before had suffered. Ezekiel 32:19, This verse means the same as if the Lord said reproachfully, "Whom do you think you are; the most beautiful of nations?” Then the inspired answer is given, that the nation should be laid or classed with the uncircumcised or unfit. Ezekiel 32:20. They refers to the Egyptians who were doomed to be slain even as others who were slain- by the sword. Ezekiel 32:21, Rim is a pronoun that stands for Egypt and the king. Strong among the mighty refers to the valiant powers that had already gone down to hell, which is used in the same sense as "pit” in Ezekiel 32:18, and refers to the state of forgetfulness into which many nations had fallen. When uncircumcised, is used figuratively it means unconsecrated or unacceptable. Ezekiel 32:22. Asshttr (or Assyria) is there means that she bad gone down into this state of forgetfulness or desolation. (See Ezekiel 31:3; Ezekiel 31:11.) Ezekiel 32:23. The pronoun whose refers to “ company" in the preceding verse who are said to have gone down with Assbnr. Set in the sides of the pit is all figurative and refers to the desolated condition that had come upon various kings and nations. The phrase means that the "company” or citizens were about their king, and all of them near each other in this figurative grave or pit. Caused terrors in the land of the living is explained at verse 10 Of this chapter. Ezekiel 32:24. There is Elam means that she Is another country that had gone down Into the pit of forgetfulness. This nation was located in the neighborhood of Assyria and Persia and it was at one time an important power. See verse 21 for the explanation of uncircumcised, and verse IS for the meaning of nether. Ezekiel 32:25. Bed is from MISHKAB which Strong defines. “ A bed (figuratively a bier); abstractly sleep.” It here is used with reference to the same state of forgetfulness that had been predicted for other evil countries, Graves round about him denotes that the king of Elam and his people had gone down together into the ’ 'pit.” Though their terror . . . land of the living signifies that the national death was preceded by a period of terror at the presence of the attacking forces. Ezekiel 32:26. Meshech and Tubal were some more of the heathen peoples who incurred the wrath of G-od. They had been doomed to the same ruin as other nations suffered. Ezekiel 32:27, Not He -with the mighty indicates an undignified burial. Strords under their heads refers to an ancient practice of burying distinguished warriors with their weapons. These people had been denied the honor of having their swords buried with them, but instead, their iniquities were "interred with their bones.” Ezekiel 32:28. This is the same reference to a dishonorable grave. The uncircumcised means the unacceptable, who were destined to meet, death by the invader's sword. Ezekiel 32:29, The Edomites were descendants of Esau and were always hostile against Israel.. A more extended description of Edom's fate is in Ezekiel 25:12-14, Ezekiel 32:30. The Zidonians dwelt near the sea and were north of the people of Israel. The fate that happened to these foes was similar to that decreed against other heathen nations. With their terror they are ashamed of their might means that in spite of their terrible might they were brought down to shame. Ezekiel 32:31. Pharaoh . . . shall he comforted. The heathen nations were generally hostile against each other, and by that same token each would rejoice at another’ s defeat. Ezekiel 32:32. More than a chapter is devoted to the condemnation and predictions against Egypt, No additional fate is here made as a threat against that country. The brief statement of its doom is made to explain why the country will "be comforted” at the downfall of the Zidonians. Ezekiel 33 EZEKIEL’ S RENEWED Ezekiel’ s predictions of the destruction of Jerusalem had become a tragic reality. No more does the prophet sound forth the threatening blast against the inhabitants of Judah, for Judah no longer existed. It was time for consolation. Hope had to be rekindled. A remnant had to be prepared for the restoration and rebirth of the nation. Ezekiel opens this section of the book with an oracle underscoring individual responsibility and the power and potential of repentance (ch 33). Then the prophet predicts the removal of the corrupt leadership of the nation (ch 34) and the national enemies of Judah (ch 35). By so doing he sets the stage for his later prophecies of restoration.THE PROPHET AS A Eze_33:1-9 Watchman Parable Presented(Ezekiel 33:1-6) Appointment of the watchman (Ezekiel 33:1-2): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 33:2) Son of man, speak to the children of my people. Say to them: When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their midst, and set him as their watchman... Following the interlude in which Ezekiel spoke to foreign nations, the prophet is again instructed to devote his attention to the children of my people. When God in his sovereign will determined to bring a sword, i.e., war, upon a land, normally that land tried to protect itself as best it could. A responsible person was appointed as watchman. He was charged with the task of sounding the alarm as the enemy approached (Ezekiel 33:2). The diligent watchman (Ezekiel 33:3-5): if he sees the sword come against the land, and he blows the horn, and warns the people; (Ezekiel 33:4) then whoever hears the sound of the horn, and does not take warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood will be upon his own head. (Ezekiel 33:5) He heard the sound of the horn, but did not take warning, so his blood will be upon him; for if he had taken warning he will have delivered his soul. A watchman can do nothing prevent the coming of or the taking away by the sword. He can only sound the alarm. Normally the watchman will warn his neighbors by means of a (ram's) horn (Ezekiel 33:3; cf. Amos 3:6). Those who failed to heed the warning blast were responsible for their own death. If they had taken refuge or had fled the doomed land, they will have saved their lives (Ezekiel 33:4-5). No blame can be attached to the watchman in such a case. He did his job. His blood will be upon his own head reflects the oriental custom of carrying one's burdens on the head. In this case, the burden of guilt comes down on the head of the one who refuses to heed the warning. He thus forfeits his life.The indifferent watchman (Ezekiel 33:6): But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword come and take a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the hand of the watchman. If the watchman sees the danger and fails to sound the alarm, he is responsible for the death of those who are slain. Even if those who died were worthy of death because of their iniquity, still the watchman is held accountable by God. That unfaithful watchman will someday pay for his negligence.Watchman Parable Applied (Ezekiel 33:7-9) Ezekiel's position (Ezekiel 33:7): As for you, son of man, I have set you as a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore, when you hear from my mouth a word, then you will warn them from me. The long section of judgment oracles (chs 4-32) concludes as it began (Ezekiel 3:17-21), with Ezekiel's commission as Israel's watchman by God Himself. The fundamental responsibility of an Old Testament prophet was to convey to God’ s people any threatening word that he might have heard from the mouth of God. Ezekiel's responsibility (Ezekiel 33:8): When I say to the wicked: O wicked man, you will surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked of his way, that wicked one will die in his iniquity; but his blood I will seek from your hand. If he fails to warn the wicked man of the consequences of his way, the blood of that wicked man will be upon the hands of the prophet. Ezekiel's responsibility discharged (Ezekiel 33:9): But if you warn the wicked one of his way to turn from it, and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your own soul. You will surely die is the announcement of a death sentence. The sentence may be spoken by God (e.g., Genesis 2:17), the king (e.g., 1 Samuel 14:44), the prophet (e.g., 2 Kings 1:4) or temple officials (Jeremiah 26:8). Always, however, it the response to disobedience to a specific command. In every case this formula applies to a sentence passed on an individual. Not only does the prophet have the responsibility of warning the nation as a whole, he has the task of warning individuals about the just consequences of their disobedience. Implicit in the death sentence is the promise of "life" to those who heed the warning. The prophet can only clear himself before God by the faithful discharge of his duty of sounding the alarm. Whether or not the sinner heeds the prophet’ s call to repentance, the watchman has saved his own life (Ezekiel 33:9). OF Ezekiel 33:10-20 Appeal for Repentance (Ezekiel 33:10-11) Despondency among the exiles (Ezekiel 33:10): As for you, son of man, say unto the house of Israel, Thus you have said: Our transgressions and our sins are upon us. We waste away in them. How then can we live? Despair engulfed the exilic community after the fall of Jerusalem. For the first time the captives faced up to the enormity of their sin. There could be no other explanation of the disastrous overthrow of their holy city and shrine. The words upon us suggest the picture of a people crushed under the heaviest burden. That crushing burden consists of transgressions (rebellious disobedience) and sins. The punishment for that enormous burden is described under the image of wasting away, i.e., slow but irreversible deterioration.615 How can we live? they asked in desperation.’ God's desire for repentance (Ezekiel 33:11): Say unto them, As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD) surely I do not delight in the death of the wicked one, but rather when the wicked one turns from his way and lives. Turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel? The Jewish nation seemed doomed to extinction. Life more abundant and life eternal seemed remote for such sinners. God had good news for those captives, as he always does for those who honestly face up to the sin problem in their lives. He underscores this good news by an oath (as I live). God is not vindictive. He does not desire to see his enemies die in their sins. Divine chastisement is designed to move wicked people to repentance so that they might escape the ultimate consequences of their sin. The prophet responds to the despairing question of the preceding verse with a question of his own: Why will you die? The judgments prophesied in chs 4-32 could have been averted. The death sentence on wicked individuals also can be averted by repentance. In fact, it is God's delight, i.e., pleasure, hidden will, desire, that individuals escape death (cf. 2 Peter 3:9). This hopeful note is underscore by (1) a divine oath; and (2) the oracle formula. Ezekiel urges his hearers to turn from their evil ways. That is always the key to life (Ezekiel 33:11). Here the watchman metaphor is transformed. What Ezekiel saw in the distance was not the approach of another enemy. The watchman saw God coming with forgiveness for all who will accept it through repentance. Need for Repentance (Ezekiel 33:12-13): Now as for you, son of man, say unto the children of your people: The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression. As for the wickedness of the wicked man, he will not be brought down by it in the day he turns from his wickedness; neither will the righteous man be able to live thereby in the day of his sin. (Ezekiel 33:13) When I say to the righteous man that he will surely live; if he trust in his righteousness and commits iniquity, all his righteousness will not be remembered, but he will die in his iniquity that he has done. Ezekiel 33:12-20 sets forth a great truth, viz., that a man’ s past does not of itself determine future relations with the Lord. A backslider who formerly lived by the righteous law of God will not live, i.e., escape punishment, when he casts his lot with the wicked. By the same token, a penitent sinner will not stumble, i.e., suffer punishment or recrimination, because of his past. The life/death contrast of the preceding verses here becomes the contrast between deliver and brought down (Ezekiel 33:12). God’ s promises to the righteous are conditional. The righteous man must continue to trust in God, not in his own goodness. Should he deliberately commit iniquity, he will die for that iniquity (Ezekiel 33:13). Description of Repentance (Ezekiel 33:14-16): When I say to the wicked man: You will surely die! and he turns from his sin and does what is just and right; (Ezekiel 33:15) if the wicked man returns what has been taken in pledge, if he restores what has been seized by robbery, walks in the statutes of life, so that he does not do iniquity; be will surely live, he will not die. (Ezekiel 33:16) None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. The threats made to the wicked are not absolute. God has decreed that death— physical, spiritual, eternal— is the penalty for wickedness. But if the wicked man turns from sin to pursue a righteous and lawful life, that death threat is cancelled (Ezekiel 33:14). The repentance envisioned here is more than contrition for sin. The penitent person must (1) restore pawned articles that he had illegally retained; (2) restore what had been taken by violence; and (3) walk in the statutes of life, i.e., those laws of God that lead to life more abundant and ultimately life eternal (Ezekiel 33:15). If the former sinner manifests genuine repentance, God will not hold his past against him. He will live (Ezekiel 33:16). An Objection Answered (Ezekiel 33:17-20): Yet the children of My people say: The way of the Lord is not equal; but as for them, their way is not equal. (Ezekiel 33:18) When the righteous man turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he will die in them. (Ezekiel 33:19) When the wicked man turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live on account of them. (Ezekiel 33:20) But you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. I will judge each man according to his ways, O house of Israel. Some Jews argued that Ezekiel’ s teaching will portrayed God as inconsistent. The way of the Lord is not equal, they said. But to this reasoning the prophet replies that it is not God who makes the change, but man (Ezekiel 33:17). Righteous men do in fact turn from righteousness and pay the consequences (Ezekiel 33:18). Wicked men sometimes do repent and reap the reward (Ezekiel 33:19). God deals with men as they are in the present, not as they were in the past (Ezekiel 33:20). ISRAEL AND THE LAND Ezekiel 33:21-33 Introduction (Ezekiel 33:21-22) News from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 33:21): It came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, the tenth month, the fifth day of the month, the fugitive from Jerusalem came, saying, The city has been smitten! The date and setting of Ezekiel's next six messages (33:21-39:29) are given in these two verses. In fulfillment of the prophecy of Eze 24:26-27, a fugitive escaped Jerusalem's destruction. He arrived in Babylon to report the city's fall to the exiles. The term fugitive (palit)— one who escaped from battle (Joshua 8:22)— becomes in Ezekiel a technical term for the Jerusalem exiles (cf. Ezekiel 24:26-27). The person who came to Ezekiel was one of the many exiles recently brought from Jerusalem. He may even have been a disciple of Jeremiah. Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar in the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, i.e., Tammuz 586 B.C. = July 3, 586 B.C. (Jeremiah 39:2). The news arrived in Babylon in the tenth month of the twelfth year of Jehoiachin's captivity (Jan 4, 585). Six months elapsed between the event and the report of it among the captives (Ezekiel 33:21).Effect upon Ezekiel (Ezekiel 33:22): Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, before the fugitive came. He had opened my mouth until he came unto me in the morning. my mouth was opened, and I was dumb no more. For Ezekiel's ministry, Jan 4, 585 B.C. was the continental divide. It closes out seven and a half years of "sentinel ministry" in which Ezekiel sounded the warning of God's judgment to Jerusalem and the nations as well. The news of Jerusalem's fall opened the mouth of the prophet to s pastoral ministry of hope and comfort. On the evening before the arrival of the messenger, Ezekiel again experienced the hand of the LORD upon him. Each time this expression appears in the book it refers to an extraordinary experience. In this case, the speech restriction imposed upon the prophet seven and one-half years earlier was removed, as predicted in Ezekiel 24:26 f. God opened Ezekiel's mouth to speak messages of encouragement to the exiles immediately prior to their reception of the tragic news of Jerusalem's fall (Ezekiel 33:22).Audacity of the Judeans (Ezekiel 33:23-26) What they were saying (Ezekiel 33:23-24): Then the word of the LORD came, saying, (24) Son of man, those who are living in these waste places in the land of Israel are saying, Abraham was one man, but he inherited the land; but we are many. The land has been given to us for a possession. Again Ezekiel received revelation from the Lord (Ezekiel 33:23). It pertained to those pitiful survivors who remained among the ruins of Judah under the governorship of Gedaliah. Once the initial shock of seeing their homeland ravished had passed, that ragtag band began to imagine that they were the favored of the Lord. They apparently believed that they will form the nucleus of a new nation. They consoled themselves by the thought that originally Canaan had been given to a solitary individual, the patriarch Abraham. But how much greater their claim to that land! They were many, and they were actually occupying that land. They will be able to recoup their loses and rebuild that land in no time (Ezekiel 22:24). By the words the land has been given to us, the survivors were appropriating the property of the exiles. The Judean survivors have derived a right from the fact of their having been spared in 586 B.C. "What should have been understood only as grace here becomes a claim." What God had to say to them (Ezekiel 33:25-26): Therefore, say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat along with blood. You lift up your eyes unto your idols. You shed blood. Will you possess the land? (Ezekiel 33:26) You stand upon your sword. You do abominations. Each of you defiles the wife of his neighbor. Will you possess the land? Even the fall of Jerusalem did not cure the Jews of their rebellious conduct. The hopes of those few survivors to rebuild Judah was doomed to failure so long as they persisted in the very crimes that caused God to destroy their city in the first place. Six such crimes are listed. They (1) violated the Mosaic dietary regulations; (2) prayed to idols; (3) shed blood, i.e., persisted in child sacrifice (Ezekiel 33:25); (4) stand upon the sword, i.e., live by violence; (5) worked abomination, i.e., participated in immoral pagan practices; and (6) commit adultery (Ezekiel 33:26). Clearly law and order had broken down in Judah following the capture of Jerusalem. Prediction of Further Disaster (Ezekiel 33:27-29) For the inhabitants of the land (Ezekiel 32:27): Thus you will say unto them: Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely the ones who are in the waste places will fall by the sword. The ones who are upon the open field I have given to the beasts to be devoured. The ones who are in the fortresses and in the caves will die of the pestilence. Further disaster awaited those ungodly survivors who inhabited the ruins of Judah. They will yet face the sword of divine judgment as wielded by the Babylonians or their agents. Beasts of the field will devour those who might escape the sword. Those holed up in caves and other natural strongholds will face the pestilence that resulted from overcrowding, and lack of food and sanitation. For the land itself (Ezekiel 33:28): I will make the land desolate and waste. The pride of her strength will cease. The mountains of Israel will be desolate so that no one will pass through. Those sinful survivors of Jerusalem’ s fall will not be the ones to rebuild Judah. God will make that land so desolate that no one will even want to make a trip through it. Then the stubborn pride of her strength, i.e., pride in her position as a favored nation, will cease. Result (Ezekiel 33:29): They will know that I am the LORD when I make the land a desolation and a waste, because of all their abominations that they have done. Then they will recognize that the God from whom they expected deliverance actually had brought desolation to their land because of their idolatrous abominations.Ezekiel's Standing (Ezekiel 33:30-33) He was the center of public attention (Ezekiel 33:30-31 a): As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses. They speak one to another saying, Come, I pray you, and hear the word that comes forth from the LORD. When the news of Jerusalem’ s fall reached Babylon, Ezekiel and his prophecies became the topic of general conversation. Now for the first time in his ministry, the exiles were anxious to hear the word of the Lord from the lips of God’ s accredited prophet. He was a popular teacher (Ezekiel 33:31): They come unto you as the people come. They sit before you as my people. They hear your words, but do not do them. With their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness. While they were now eager to hear Ezekiel’ s word, however, they still had not surrendered their hearts to follow the commandments of the Lord. With their mouths they were very complimentary to the prophet; but their hearts were full of covetousness, i.e., their own selfish concerns. He was regarded as an entertainer (Ezekiel 33:32): Behold, you are to them a love song of one who has a beautiful voice, and who can play an instrument well. So they hear your words, but they do them not. Ezekiel must not be deceived by the expressions of appreciation for his teaching. To those unspiritual souls, Ezekiel was like a musical entertainer— the crooner of love songs. They enjoyed listening to him, but were unmoved by his passionate exhortations. He will be vindicated by events (Ezekiel 33:33): When this comes to pass (behold, it will come), then will they know that a prophet has been in their midst. When all his predictions came to pass— and they surely will come to pass— they will know that a true prophet had been among them.Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Three Verse 1 PART III(Ezekiel 33-39) HE OF THE NEW ISRAEL; HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ; AND ; THINGS TO THE KINGDOM; FOR ISRAEL (Note: All of these titles have been proposed by various authors for this third section of Ezekiel). "The destruction of the old sinful Israel was not the end of God's dealings with his people. The old order would be followed by a new and perfect kingdom. The destruction of the sinful foreign nations would prepare the way for this. The exiles would be returned to Palestine; and a new kingdom would be set up under totally new conditions of worship and fellowship with God. The remainder of Ezekiel falls into two parts: (1) the first deals with the restoration from captivity (Ezekiel 33-39), and (2) the second deals with the new arrangement and laws of the future kingdom (Ezekiel 40-48).[1]EZEKIEL'S CALL TO HIS NEW MISSION; THE OLD RULESIt was a discouraging situation that confronted Ezekiel. Israel was not yet a united entity. (1) There was the arrogant and conceited remnant that remained in Judea, the few left behind by the Babylonians, the few groups of stragglers rounded up by Gedaliah, and a few that had escaped and were in hiding in the remote caves and inaccessible places on the road down to Jericho. The immoral character and the conceited self-assurance of this group made it absolutely impossible for God to find a place for them in his eternal purpose. They were claiming, that since they were "the seed of Abraham," then they were the heirs of Palestine and all the other blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. This, of course, was the old conceit of the Pharisees of Jesus' day who claimed to be the "seed of Abraham," but were actually the children of the devil (John 8:44). Ezekiel would deal with both this group and the second one in this chapter. (2) This group were those who indeed recognized the sin and apostasy of the nation and the justice of God's punishment sent upon them, resulting in a depression and discouragement that raised the question among them, "How can we live (v. 10)?" Before proceeding to deal with these two groups, Ezekiel would turn the thoughts of the people away from their conception that God was going to bless Israel as a nation, to the truth that God's blessings, all of them, were reserved to individuals who were committed and faithful to God's Word. It is still a very hurtful and prevalent error in the world that God, some way or other, is going to bless Israel, as a nation. We have never been able to find a single word in the whole Bible that supports such an error. On the contrary, the great Apostle to the Gentiles laid that old error to rest forever in his words of 2 Corinthians 5:10, "That each one may receive the things done in the body." From this it is easy to see that the first twenty verses here constitute an introduction to this whole final section of Ezekiel.[2]For that reason, the date of the chapter will not appear until Ezekiel 33:21. THE OF (Ezekiel 33:1-9) Ezekiel 33:1-6"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, Speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman; if, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, and the sword come, and take any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."Individual responsibility is the blunt message here. Even if the watchman does not warn, that cannot excuse the victim. However, there is something else here; and that is the double responsibility of the watchman. Ezekiel indeed had been a faithful watchman to warn God's people. This was by no means a new principle. Ezekiel had devoted the whole 18th chapter of this prophecy to the same subject. However, there the teaching was stressed to show that the children of Israel were not being punished for their fathers' sin, but for their own. Here the purpose of showing Ezekiel's generation of the exiles that it made no difference at all what "all Israel" had done in the past, the important thing turned upon the question of what each individual was doing. "In these verses, Ezekiel compares himself to an ordinary watchman, to show that it is his duty in that current crisis to care for and warn individual souls."[3] As Bunn noted, "All prophets (and also New Testament teachers) stand in double jeopardy, because they are responsible both to God and to man."[4]Verse 7 "So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word of my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked man from his way; the wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way, to turn from it, and he turn not from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul."This paragraph merely spells out the application suggested in the previous seven verses. Verse 10 "And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Thus ye speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live? Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? And thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth. When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he hath committed, therein shall he die. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he hath taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be remembered against him; he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live." THE PROBLEM OF (Ezekiel 33:10-16) "How then can we live ..." (Ezekiel 33:10)? The blunt and effective answer to this question rising in the hearts of the discouraged captives is given in the very next verse. Repent and live; why will ye die? "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways ..." (Ezekiel 33:11). In order to encourage such repentance upon the part of the captives, Ezekiel assured the people that God had no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he rejoiced in the turning of the wicked from their evil ways. "If the righteous commit iniquity ... if the wicked turn and do right ..." (Ezekiel 33:12-16). The principle enunciated here stresses what a man is at the present time, not what he had been in the past. Here was a glorious challenge for the captives to renounce and turn away from the wickedness that had resulted in their terrible punishment and to turn to God with their whole heart. Bunn summarized this thus: "God condemns the righteous when he sins, and forgives the sinful when he repents."[5] Thus, the two things Ezekiel stressed here are (1) the grace of God (Ezekiel 33:11), and (2) the importance of one's present state, rather than his past record.[6]God had at this point in the chapter dealt effectively with the problem of the discouragement of the captives, mentioned above in the introduction to the chapter. It yet remained for him to address those conceited self-styled "sons of Abraham" in Judea. That will be taken care of in Ezekiel 33:23 ff. Evil men try to justify themselves and find it easy to criticize and find fault with the just judgments of the Lord. The problem resident in that human error was next addressed, Verse 17 "Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die therein. And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways."As some have noted, even in the times of Christ, the Pharisees had a procedure for keeping tabs on their wicked deeds and their righteous deeds; and as long as their good deeds outnumbered their wicked deeds, they claimed a balance in their favor. It was upon this kind of reckoning that they considered that a righteous man could indeed do certain wicked things and not suffer the consequences. The Lord put an end to that delusion right here. One's wickedness would destroy him, no matter what his past record had been! Verse 21 "And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is smitten. Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening, before he that was escaped came; and he had opened my month, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb."MESSAGE OF THE FALL OF (Ezekiel 33:21-22) "The twelfth year, tenth month, fifth day ..." (Ezekiel 33:21). Brace, following the Septuagint (LXX) and Syriac versions, changed this to "the eleventh year," giving a date of January 19,586 B.C.[7] The date from the the Hebrew text of the Old Testament is January 8,585 B.C. Keil pointed out that the reason for some scholars favoring that date about a year earlier is lodged in the fact that this news of the fall of the city came to Ezekiel about eighteen months after the event, a time lapse some consider to be too long. However, Keil favored the Hebrew text of the Old Testament reading, pointing out that, "The distance between Jerusalem and Babylon, along with the fearful confusion that followed the catastrophe would easily have allowed eighteen months to pass before Ezekiel got the word."[8]Keil also defended the later date against the allegation of some scholars that Ezekiel himself contradicted himself by declaring in Ezekiel 26:1-2 that he received intelligence of the fall of the city in the eleventh year, not in the twelfth. Keil wrote: "Such an interpretation is founded upon a misinterpretation of the passage quoted. It is not stated in Ezekiel 26:1-2 that Ezekiel received his information from a fugitive, or from any man whatever, but simply that God revealed it to him."[9]"He opened my mouth ... I was no longer dumb ..." (Ezekiel 33:22). This indicates that the prophecies against the foreign nations (Ezekiel 29-32) were transmitted in writing and were not really spoken. Verse 23 "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abominations, and ye defile every one his neighbor's wife; and shall ye possess the land? Thus shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely they that are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured; and they that are in the strongholds and caves shall die of the pestilence. And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am Jehovah, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed."GOD'S MESSAGE FOR THE REMNANT IN JUDEA (Ezekiel 33:23-29) The necessity for God's destruction of that arrogant remnant yet in Palestine was lodged in their influence upon the captives in Babylon. The group in Judea claimed Palestine and all of the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant as theirs by right of inheritance. They were "the seed of Abraham!" The problem was that they had not learned one thing from all the punishment God had brought upon Israel. They were still idolaters, adulterers, blood=eaters, murderers, and truly the sons of the devil in the same manner as their successors (the Pharisees) were so designated by Jesus. Would they inherit the land? No way! was the word God had for them. As Skinner said, "That remnant in Judea afford one more instance of the boundless capacity of the Jewish race for religious self-delusion, and their no less remarkable insensibility to that in which the essence of religion lay."[10]The delusion of the fragment of Israel left in Palestine after the fall of the city of Jerusalem was due to their misunderstanding of the Mosaic covenant. If they had ever read the Book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 28) Moses had told them categorically that, if they did not obey all the commandments of the Mosaic covenant, that God would pluck them off the land I (Deuteronomy 28:63). Moreover Ezekiel here cited a whole catalogue of their violations of the sacred covenant. How could they, for a moment, dare to believe that they were indeed the true heirs of God's promise to Abraham? God's verdict was no! The judgments of the Mosaic covenant (Deuteronomy 27:9-23; Deuteronomy 29:25-29, etc.) were at that very time being executed against Israel. Those left in Judea would die by the sword, by disease, or fall prey to wild animals (v. 27). Their arrogant pride would cease (v. 28). The land would become a desolation (vv. 27,28). Most importantly of all, God's purpose for judgment upon his people would be accomplished; they would come to know that he was their God when these judgments were executed (29).[11]In addition to the sword, pestilence, and wild beast assault upon the conceited Judean remnant, "There would also be another deportation of some of them into Babylonian captivity in 583/82."[12]Regarding the arrangement of this chapter, it is evident that verses 23ff were addressed to the prophet after the fugitive arrived with the news of the fall of the city; but verses 1-20 preceded that event, serving as the renewal of his prophetic commission to Israel, and also resulting in the cessation of the prophet's dumbness. That, of course, is the reason why the date appears where it does in 5:21. Abraham was one, and he inherited the land ..." (v. 23). There was nothing wrong with this argument, except the false notion that the wicked remnant in Judea entertained regarding themselves, namely that they were Abraham's seed, when as a matter of fact, they were not sons of Abraham at all, but sons of the devil. The complete fulfillment of the Abrahamic promises is accomplished in the New Israel who have inherited all things through Jesus Christ, not a literal Palestine, of course, but "the kingdom of God." (Galatians 3:2). "Ye stand upon your sword ..." (Ezekiel 33:26). "This means that they followed the doctrine that `might makes right.' Assassinations were one of the instruments of their policy (Jeremiah 41)."[13]"Ye work abominations ..." (Ezekiel 33:26). "The word here is used in a feminine construction, indicating not merely the open idolatry practiced in Judea, but also the orgiastic rites that accompanied it."[14]Verse 30 "And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh from Jehovah. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain."EZEKIEL WARNED AGAINST THE PEOPLE'S "They sit before thee as my people ..." (Ezekiel 33:31) This means that they sat before Ezekiel pretending to be God's people, whereas they had no intention whatever of obeying the Lord's commandments. "Their motive was simply that of curiosity, or entertainment, certainly not reformation of their evil hearts."[15] With some of them there might also have been the hope that God would confirm the things they already desired to do. Such indeed may be seen in the example of Johanan's seeking the word of Jehovah of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 42-43). We should not overlook the fact that, "These verses carry a vivid picture of Ezekiel's popularity at that time. His prophecies had been literally and circumstantially fulfilled in all of the things he had foretold."[16] In a sense, he was the literal lion of that social community among the captives. God, knowing the fickle insincerity of the people gave this stern warning to Ezekiel that he might really know what could be expected of them. "With their mouth they show much love ..." (Ezekiel 33:31). "The Septuagint (LXX) reads this as, `Lies are in their mouth.'"[17] The Septuagint (LXX) here may be poor translation, but it is excellent commentary. "Their heart goeth after their gain ..." (Ezekiel 33:31) "The Hebrew word here carries the implication of gain through violence or dishonesty."[18] There also appears to be grounds in these verses for supposing that the captivity of Israel in Babylon was not as rigorous as it might have been. Apparently the Jews possessed many opportunities to exercise themselves in the pursuit of gain. Verse 32 "And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass (behold, it cometh); then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them."The indication here is that not even the captives believed Ezekiel's prophecy of the total destruction of that conceited Judean remnant. The words in parenthesis here, "behold it cometh" mean that what the prophet had spoken with regard to that bold and arrogant group in Palestine would surely come to pass, just like all of the other things that Ezekiel had prophesied. The warning in this for Ezekiel, according to Keil was that, "Ezekiel should not be prevented by the improper use of his words from preaching the whole truth to the people."[19] In time, all of the captives would learn the truth. Ezekiel 33:1-2. For 8 chapters the prophet has been writing against various heathen nations that had mistreated God’ s people. Some of that writing is in the form of predictions of things to come upon them, and other parts are a summary of what had previously taken place, and written by way of warning to future generations. Ezekiel now resumes his writing to his own countrymen. The general trend of the passages will be favorable and intended to give encouragement to the people of Israel. However, the seriousness of respon sibility on tbe part of a prophet and and teacher will be given attention. The subject will necessarily include some remarks concerning the respon-sibility of the people under the work of the teacher or prophet. The first lesson on the subject of responsibility is drawn from the work of a watchman in times of danger, especially the dangers of war. At such times a man is placed in one of the watchtowers and equipped with a trumpet to use as a signalling device. Ezekiel 33:3. The duty of this watchman is to be always on the alert and observe any approach of the enemy. When he sees such a danger he is to blow a warning signal with the trumpet to notify the citizens that danger is near. Ezekiel 33:4. The blowing of the trumpet moves the responsibility from the watchman to the citizen. If he ignores the signal of warning and is taken by the sword of the enemy he will have to take all of the blame for his death. Ezekiel 33:5. His blood shall be upon him means he will be responsible for his own downfall. No blood shall be shed by any other person in his behalf. Ezekiel 33:6. Here Is a rule that does not "work both ways.” If the watchman fails to sound the warning, his neglect of duty will not save the life of the citizen. Besides that, the watch-man also will be required to answer for the death of the victim. Ezekiel 33:7. So far the Lord has been speaking to Ezekiel In general terms on the responsibility of a watchman, now He comes to particulars and tells the prophet that he is being made one. His duty is to watch over the house of Israel, and deliver to them the words of warning that he receives from God. Ezekiel 33:8. The relation of a watchman to his people In times of literal war is being used t.o illustrate a subject far more important. The matter of a man's personal conduct and Us consequences is the thing the Lord would have the prophet conside'r. He was to warn the wicked man that death would he his lot if he did not repent and turn from his wickeness. If Ezekiel fails to deliver the warning the wicked man will die even though he is not made aware of his danger. Besides that, the negligent prophet will he held responsible for the death of the wicked man. Ezekiel 33:9. If the watchman warns the wicked man and he does not profit by it, he will die in or because of his iniquity. However, the watchman will have done his duty and will not he held responsible for the death of the victim. Ezekiel 33:10. This verse is a complaint of the house of Israel. They seem to think that the Lord is asking that which is impossible for them. They are expected to live in the service of God and yet He causes them to waste away in their sins. Their conclusion is that God wishes them to die, but that will be denied in the next verse. Ezekiel 33:11. The Lord declares that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but just the opposite is what is desired. That is why the wicked man is exhorted to turn from his evil way. Why will ye die is a challenge to the evil man to show a reason for his decision to die. No reason can be given, for nothing lies beyond death that will repay him for his unwise course. Neither can he make the excuse that it is unavoidable, for the Lord not only is giving him full warning of what is before him, but also has promised to help him in his efforts to avoid it. Ezekiel 33:12. The gist of this verse is that as a man terminates his life, so will be his lot ever afterwards. If he turns from a wicked course and does good the rest of his days, the Lord will not hold his former sins against him. On the same principle, if a righteous man backslides and ends his days in sin, his previous good deeds will not save him when the test comes lo determine his lot. Ezekiel 33:13. The paragraph comprised in Ezekiel 33:3-9 looks especially to the phase of responsibility of a watchman toward the people under his charge. This verse introduces the special thought of God's attitude toward the promises of good or threats of evil that have been announced to man. The promises or warnings of the Lord are made on conditions, either expressed or implied. Hence the promise of life made to a good man is not so fixed that he cannot come short of that promise. If he becomes so confident over his former good deeds and record of them that he begins to do wrong, the promise of life will be revoked. This overthrows the doctrine titled "Once in grace always in grace," for man's favor with God depends on faithfulness to the end. Ezekiel 33:14. This verse indicates that a wicked man does not need to give up in despair just because the Lord has told him he must die; he is encouraged to turn from his sins. We should notice the wicked man has a two-sided duty to perform if he is to obtain mercy from God, Not only must he turn from active sin but also he must do that which is right. "Cease to do evil; learn to do well"(Isaiah 1:16-17) Ezekiel 33:15. This verse teaches the same lesson as the preceding ones, but it goes into particulars and specifies certain things the wicked man must do in order to obtain divine mercy and be made reconciled to the Lord. Ezekiel 33:16. This verse teaches the same lesson as Ezekiel 18:21-22. It refutes the theory that an unrighteous man cannot do anything for his own salvation; that if he is doomed “ from all eternity” to perdition, nothing can be done to change it, Ezekiel 33:17. The word equal is from an original that is defined “ to balance” or be consistent and impartial. See the comments at Ezekiel 18:25 for further explanation on this subject of God’ s manner of dealing with the children of men. Ezekiel 33:18-19. This is explained at Ezekiel 33:13-16 and elsewhere. Ezekiel 33:20. As a specific denial of the accusation made by the people that God is unequal or unfair. He declares that Israel will be judged “ every one after his ways." not according to some decree made before the man was born. Since a man's ways are his own doing, that places his fate within his hands whether good or evil. Ezekiel 33:21-22. Twelfth year of our captivity means that dated from the taking of Jehoiachin to Babylon, at which time Ezekiel was taken. Eleven years atter that event king Zedekiah was taken and Jerusalem was destroyed, completing the third and final stage of the great captivity. That means therefore, that the present verse is located at the nest year after Jerusalem was destroyed, expressed by the words the city is smitten. This verbal news was brought to Ezekiel by one who escaped at the time Nebuchadnezzar closed in on the city and completed the overthrow of the great capital of Judah. The distance from Jerusalem to Babylon is great enough that nothing strange will be thought of its requiring until the next year for the messenger to reach the presence of the prophet. It had been prophesied (Ezekiel 24:26-27) that one who escaped would bring just such a message and here it is. It had also been prophesied (same passage) that when that message was delivered to Ezekiel he would be no more dumb. See the comments at Ezekiel 24; Ezekiel 17, 27 for explanation of dumbness. The man who escaped was not depended on to break the news to Ezekiel as the first information, for the Lord told him about it the evening before according to the present verse. But the coming of the man with the message was to be the signal when the prophet was to consider himself free from the restrictions he had been under since Ezekiel 24; Ezekiel 15-18. Ezekiel 33:23-24. The reasoning of the people is In the form of a complaint. They refer to Abraham having possessed the land of Palestine although he was but one man. But here is a large multitude that should possess it since they are heirs of Abraham, but instead they are inhabiting -wastes (in Babylonian captivity) and not enjoying the land that was promised to Abraham's descendants. Ezekiel 33:25. The prophet was told to explain to the people why they were being denied the land of their inheritance. It does not mean they were doing all the things charged against them at the time Ezekiel was writing, for they were captives in a foreign land. They could not practice all these things there, except some of their idolatrous performances, and that was because the Lord willed it so to teach them a lesson. But the things listed are the ones they did while they did live In their home land. Eat with the blood violated Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 3:17, and they practiced that while back in their own country. Idols . . . and shed blood Includes the guilt of bloodshed in general, but It especially applies to the slaying of their children to make sacrifices of them for their idols. Ezekiel 33:26. .S'fund upon your sword, refers to their use of the sword to accomplish their abominable advantages over their weaker brethren. Not satisfied with this iniquity, they committed adultery with the wives of their neighbors. Ezekiel 33:27. The greater portion of the nation of Israel had been taken to Babylon when Ezekiel began his writing, and in that sense were suffering the wastes mentioned in this verse. But the third stage of the 70-year period had been accomplished only recently, and there were still a great many who were left straggling in the wastes or desolated spaces in Palestine, A few had escaped the immediate effects of the invasion and were hiding in forts and caves and other places in an effort to shelter themselves. But although they might elude the invaders, they were doomed to feel the hand of God through His judgments upon them which would cause them to perish. Ezekiel 33:28. This verse is a general prediction of the desolated condition the whole land of Palestine was des- stined to suffer during the great captivity. Ezekiel 33:29. The Lord was determined that his people should not forget Him. They had special need for that lesson since they had given so much of their time and devotion to the strange gods that were worshiped by the heathen around them. Ezekiel 33:30. The Jews who were in exile in Babylon were more curious than sincere in their pretended inquiry for information. They would come to the prophet as if they really longed for instruction (chapter 8:1; 14:1; 20: 1). but after receiving it they refused to abide by it. Ezekiel 33:31. The people not only failed to accept the words of the prophet hut acted hypocritically about it. They pretended to admire Ezekiel for giving them the Information, but in their heart they were interested In the things of personal interest. Ezekiel 33:32. A very lovely song is a figurative description of the opinion the people pretended to have of Ezekiel's words. Their motive for such a pretended attitude could not have been sincere since they refused to abide by the admonitions that he gave them. By taking this false interest in him they hoped to obtain some more information, but without the purpose of profil ing by it. Because of this the Lord defeated their attempt to deceive the prophet by enlightening him on the subject. A prediction becomes an evidence of the truth when it is fulfilled and not before. Hence this verse offers the conclusion and assurance to Ezekiel that he will finally be shown to have been a prophet of God. Ezekiel 34 CORRUPT LEADERS The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 34:2) Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say unto the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Israel’ s past sin and punishment stemmed largely from corrupt and selfish leadership. The first step in Ezekiel’ s program of reconstruction for the nation was the replacement of those worthless leaders by rulers of a different kind. God will place at the head of his restored people a scion of the house of David. Under his rule God’ s people will enjoy peace, safety and prosperity.EVIL OF THE PAST Ezekiel 34:2-10 Indictment of the Shepherds (Ezekiel 34:2 b-6) Greedy shepherding (Ezekiel 34:2-3): Woe unto the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? (Ezekiel 34:3) You eat the fat. With the wool you cloth yourselves. You slaughter the fatlings. But you do not feed the flock. The shepherds against whom Ezekiel is told to prophesy were the kings, princes and other leaders of the now defunct nation of Judah. The nobility and dignity of the office of shepherd reside in the fact that the shepherd works wholeheartedly for the flock (cf. John 10:11). The leadership of Israel, however, stands under a divine woe because they had been concerned only about their own welfare, not that of the sheep that had been committed to their guardianship (Ezekiel 34:2). They lived sumptuously at the expense of the flock. But still they did not feed, i.e., care for the needs of, the masses (Ezekiel 34:3). Neglectful shepherding (Ezekiel 34:4): The weak you have not strengthened. The sick you have not healed. You have not bound up the broken. You have not brought back those that strayed away. You have not sought those that are lost. With force and rigor you have ruled them. From the sins of commission by the leaders, Ezekiel turns to sins of omission. Ezekiel arranges the sheep who need special care into five groups: the weak, sick, broken, straying, and lost sheep. These are the poor and defenseless among the population. They had been ruled with force, not with consideration and justice (cf. Matthew 9:36). Disastrous shepherding (Ezekiel 34:5-6): So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food for every beast of the field. They were scattered. (Ezekiel 34:6) My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill. Over the face of the land, my sheep were scattered, and none did search and seek. Unprotected by their national rulers, God’ s people became a prey to surrounding nations. Attacked by these beasts of prey, the sheep scattered in all directions (Ezekiel 34:5). They wandered through strange hills and valleys all over the face of the land in their efforts to escape the invaders. None of their leaders made any efforts to regroup the flock or avert the flight. The flock was simply abandoned (Ezekiel 34:6). Judgment on the Shepherds(Ezekiel 34:7-10) Their malfeasance in office (Ezekiel 34:7-8): Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: (Ezekiel 34:8) As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), surely in as much as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to every beast of the field because they had no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and did not feed my sheep... Concerning those worthless leaders, God had a word (v 7). He refers to the national leaders as my shepherds because they were answerable to him. God’ s people had suffered immensely because of these greedy shepherds (Ezekiel 34:8). Their removal from office (Ezekiel 34:9-10): therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. (Ezekiel 34:10) Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand. I will cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds will not feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them. God bound himself by an oath (as I live) that he was implacably opposed to those leaders. He will hold the undershepherds responsible for all loses sustained by the flock. He will deprive them of the privilege of leadership. No more will they be able to further their personal aims and ambitions at the expense of the flock. Judah's "shepherds” virtually had become beasts of prey. God eventually will liberate his people from their leadership (Ezekiel 34:10). From one point of view at least, the Babylonian exile was a liberating experience.THE DIVINE Ezekiel 34:11-22 Gathering of the Flock (Ezekiel 34:11-16) The Good Shepherd's mission (Ezekiel 34:11-12) To search out the sheep (34:11-12a): For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am here. I will search for my sheep, and searches them out. (12) As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day he is in the midst of his flock that are separated, thus I will seek out my sheep. God’ s people were not left without a shepherd. Having removed the hirelings from office, the Good Shepherd himself takes over direct responsibility. He begins his task by searching out his sheep, viz., those who hear and respond to his word (John 10:27). So the searching process was that of proclaiming the prophetic word among the exiles (Ezekiel 34:11). What a beautiful picture! The Lord God takes the initiative in reclaiming his own. Wherever they have been scattered, the Faithful Shepherd finds them. To deliver the sheep (Ezekiel 34:12 b): I will deliver them from all the places where they have been scattered in the day of clouds and thick darkness. The day of clouds and thick darkness, i .e ., calamity, is past. The age of re-gathering and restoration had begun. The Good Shepherd's work (Ezekiel 34:13-16) Bringing them out (Ezekiel 34:13 a): I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the lands. God first gathers the dispersed sheep into an identifiable and dedicated band. They he delivers them from the lands of captivity. Bringing them in (Ezekiel 34:13-14): I will bring them into their land. I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the habitable portions of the land. (Ezekiel 34:14) In a good pasture I will feed them. Upon the high mountains of Israel will their fold be. There will they lie down in a good fold. In a lush pasture will they graze upon the mountains of Israel. The Good Shepherd restores the sheep to Canaan, the Promised Land. There God feeds his flock upon the mountains and by the streams. Israel occupies all the land that was capable of supporting population (Ezekiel 34:13). Lush pasture and secure fold awaits the flock of God in Canaan (Ezekiel 34:14). Providing for them (Ezekiel 34:15): I will feed my sheep, and make them to lie down (oracle of the Lord GOD). The flock, torn and driven about by beasts of prey (adversary nations), at last lies down under the watchful care of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd's focus (Ezekiel 34:16): That which is lost, I will seek. That which has strayed, I will bring back. The broken I will bind up, the sick strengthen. The fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. Unlike the faithless shepherds of the pre-exilic era, the Good Shepherd devotes special attention to the weak and vulnerable members of the flock. Those that were lost through foolish straying will be retrieved. Those hurt and sick as a result of the neglect of their shepherds and the attacks of adversaries will be nursed back to health. On the other hand, those that were fat and strong— the wealthy landowners— will be destroyed. Previous shepherds had shown favoritism to these powerful persons, but God will feed them in justice. He will care for them, but they will receive no more than is due them. Thus, as a class within the flock the fat and the strong will be eliminated.Judging of the Flock (Ezekiel 34:17-22) The injustices in society (Ezekiel 34:17-19) Judgment imminent (Ezekiel 34:17): As for you, O my sheep, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to judge between stock and stock, between ram and he-goats. Judah's political leadership was not the only problem that needed to be addressed. There was a problem in the flock itself that must be addressed. Great injustices were the result of Judah's stratified society. Powerful citizens mistreated other members of the flock. Ezekiel "regards the unpropertied and unprivileged classes with the same sympathy as Amos or Micah." God was about to judge between members of the flock, i.e., between the oppressed poor and their rich oppressors. The latter are referred to here as the rams and the he-goats, those that ruthlessly shove the others aside during grazing time. Accusation against the powerful (Ezekiel 34:18): Is it a small matter to you to have fed upon the good pasture, that you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? and have drunk of the settled water, but you must stir up the rest with your feet? The leaders among the flock by force had appropriated for themselves all the good pasture and clear water. They also had spoiled the rest of the pasture and muddied the rest of the water with their feet. Condition of God's sheep (Ezekiel 34:19): As for my sheep, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have stirred up with your feet. The powerful deprived the weak among the flock of adequate sustenance. The fairness of God's judgment (Ezekiel 34:20-22) The fact of his judgment (Ezekiel 34:20): The Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and lean cattle. God repeats his intention to judge between fat and lean cattle— the prosperous and the poor among the people. The reason for his judgment (Ezekiel 34:21): Because you push with side and shoulder, and with your horns you shove about all the weak, till you have scattered them abroad; By the exercise of brute force, the fat and strong animals had scattered the others. The fat cattle had been responsible for the dispersion of Israel. The result of his judgment (Ezekiel 34:22): therefore, I will save my sheep. They will no more be a prey. I will judge between cattle and cattle. God will save his flock from the bullying of such tyrants. Class distinctions will disappear from the flock as the Good Shepherd judges between cattle, i.e., treats all the flock with absolute equity.THE FUTURE 34:23-31 His Davidic Roots (Ezekiel 34:23-24): I will raise up over them one shepherd. He will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them. He will be their shepherd. (Ezekiel 34:24) I the LORD will be their God. My servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken it. After the return from exile and the period of direct divine supervision of the flock, God will set up a shepherd over his people. This shepherd must be the long-awaited Messiah, a ruler of the house of David. The Davidic dynasty will be restored. The responsibility of feeding and tending the flock of God will be committed to him (Ezekiel 34:23). Yahweh will still be their God; but his servant David will be prince among them. The reference is to the Messiah, who was to come from the line of David. He is the second David. What a marvelous fore-gleam of the New Testament doctrine of the Father and the Son (Ezekiel 34:24).The New Covenant (Ezekiel 34:25-27) Focus of the covenant (Ezekiel 34:25): I will make a covenant of peace for them. I will cause the evil beasts to cease from the land. They will dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. The blessings found in Ezekiel 34:25-29 find parallels at every point in the future hope of earlier prophets. A new covenant is a prominent feature of the messianic age (cf. Jeremiah 31:31; Ezekiel 16:60). Here it is called a covenant of peace because it will establish a relationship of well-being between the partners of the covenant, viz., Yahweh and his people. Under the supervision of the messianic David, the flock will have freedom from fear. Evil beasts, i.e., bad rulers, will not be part of his domain. Even those most dangerous areas— the wilderness and woods— will be free from the ravenous beasts (cf. Hosea 2:18). Blessing of the covenant (34:26-27a): I will make them and the areas surrounding my hill a blessing. I will cause the rain to come in its season. There will be showers of blessing. (27) The tree of the field will give its fruit, and the land will give its increase. They will be safe upon their land. The entire region around God’ s hill (Zion) will be blessed of God, along with those who inhabit that region. Showers of blessing will descend upon them, thus assuring abundant harvest (cf. Hosea 2:21 f.). Liberation of the covenant (Ezekiel 34:27 b): They will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and I have delivered them from the hand of those who made them bondmen. The inhabitants of that blessed land will all know by personal experience that the Lord had delivered them from captivity—the bars of their yoke. No longer will they be slaves to political overlords who have enslaved them as the Egyptians had done at the beginning of Israel's history.A New Security (Ezekiel 34:28-31) No more fear (Ezekiel 34:28): They will not again be a prey to the nations, nor will the wild beasts of the earth devour them; but they will dwell safely. None will make them afraid. The messianic flock will never fall victim to the beast of the earth, nor will adversary nations be able to carry them off as prey. In their divinely provided security, they will manifest a boldness uncharacteristic of sheep. No more famine (Ezekiel 34:29): I will raise up unto them a famous plantation. They will not again be consumed by hunger in the land. They will not bear the shame of the nations any more. Because of the amazing fertility of the land, Israel will be known far and wide. Famine, so common in biblical days, will be a thing of the past. The inhabitants of God’ s land will never have to suffer the humiliation of having to look to other nations for material assistance (cf. Isaiah 32:15-18). No more doubt (Ezekiel 34:30-31): They will know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people (oracle of the Lord GOD). (31) You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are Adam, and I am your God (oracle of the Lord GOD). The blessings described above will cause the new Israel to realize that God is with them and that they are in fact God’ s special people. Ezekiel has saved this promise of spiritual restoration, the greatest blessing of the messianic age, until last (Ezekiel 34:30). God’ s flock is more than mere sheep; they are Adam, i.e., a special creation of God (Ezekiel 34:31). The entire passage relates to the new Israel of God— God’ s present-day chosen people (Galatians 6:16). The spiritual blessings that God in this messianic age showers down upon his people are here portrayed in terms of agricultural prosperity.Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Four Verse 1 THE OF ISRAEL; THE KINGDOM(Note: The headings for this chapter were suggested by F. F. Bruce and John Skinner respectively.In view of what Our Lord Jesus Christ and his inspired apostles and writers have stated in the New Testament, little other comment is needed. The identity of this Good Shepherd who will destroy the evil shepherds and rule over the united Israel (the Northern and Southern Israels, as well as all the Israelites and Gentiles combined in God's New Israel) are fully and dogmatically answered in the sacred New Testament. All of the doubts and quibbles, and all of the picayune allegations and criticisms that one finds in the writings of commentators who apparently have no extensive knowledge whatever of the New Testament are gloriously solved and explained in the New Testament. "What we have to do with in this chapter is a Messianic prediction in the fullest sense of the term."[1]The quibble regarding whether a single individual is meant, or if the restoration of the old Davidic dynasty of successive rulers is intended, is forever decided by the Apostle Peter who applied all intimations of some descendent of David "sitting upon his throne," to "the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his elevation to the right hand of God" (Acts 2:30-32), who was universally known by all the Jews of that generation as "The Son of David." Furthermore, the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, was the total fulfillment; he would never be succeeded by any other. It was not a "line of Davidic kings," but the one Great and Only King Jesus who is foretold here. Ezekiel himself was also aware of this and said so, although it seems that many have overlooked his message. "David my servant shall be my prince forever." (Ezekiel 37:25). As Paul put it, "He must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet; and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). It is impossible to escape the implications of this chapter that the one prophesied here is "the Personal Messiah," even the Son of God Himself. GOD HIMSELF TO BE THE GOOD As Bunn noted, "We find here a unique emphasis upon the personal pronoun. The word `I' is used no less than fifteen times as Jehovah speaks in the first person. Also `my' and `myself' are used three times, all within the space of six verses."[2] Therefore when God Himself said. "I myself will be the shepherd of the sheep" (Ezekiel 34:15), it means, undeniably, that, in some sense the Coming Messiah will not be a mere human being. These words cannot be applied to any mortal descendent of David who ever lived, except Jesus Christ our Lord. We have noted that two or three commentators have found what they called "a contradiction" in some of Ezekiel's statements that this coming "Servant David" would be a man. Every Christian knows that Christ was indeed both God and Man. "He was the Son of David and at the same time The Lord of David" (Matthew 22:42-45). The scholars who do not see this today are still working in the same ignorance that blinded those ancient Pharisees who stood speechless before Christ when he probed their minds with this same dilemma of how Jesus Christ is both God and man. Other alleged objections to the obvious interpretation here will be noted in the text below. The historical background against which this chapter appears was pitiful indeed. Israel's ancient request for God to allow them to have a king was illegal and sinful to begin with; and Samuel warned them of the kind of kings they would get; and the complete and utter failure of the monarchical system had finally worked its total ruin and destruction upon the Chosen People; and, at this stage, God would begin all over again to teach them the spiritual nature of his kingdom. Not a small part of this chapter rehearses the unprincipled wickedness of Israel's kings. As their history revealed, "The native kings were no better than the heathen despots."[3] All of them were heartless, cruel, greedy, selfish monsters of tyranny and oppression who cared nothing at all for their subjects. They exploited, robbed, murdered, enslaved and abused their subjects in every conceivable manner. The mystery still exists as to why Israel, even as late as the times of the apostles, desired nothing either in heaven or upon earth as passionately as they desired the restoration to them of their scandalous old monarchy which God finally and irrevocably destroyed in the events of Ezekiel's generation. There would yet be required to pass nearly half a millennium before God would be able to change the hearts of enough of them to allow the Advent of that Glorious Messiah prophesied in this chapter; and even at that late date, there were only a small handful, in the relative sense, who "waited for the kingdom of God," who were "true Israelites," who were entitled to be called "the seed of Abraham," and who would form the nucleus of that higher and better Israel of God. OF THE FALSE Eze_34:1-6"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings, but ye feed not the sheep. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill; yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them."This is a graphic picture of an utterly worthless shepherd who had no concern whatever for the flock, except as he might have been able to feed himself and clothe himself from what they provided. No better composite of the whole list of Israel's kings, northern and southern alike, could be written than this. Some attention should be given to the term "shepherd." This comparison of the evil rulers of God's people is also found in Jeremiah 23 ff, and in Zechariah 11:1-11. Also, Jesus' words in John 10 carry the same message. "The word `shepherd' in the Old Testament, as in Homer's Iliad is always a reference to kings and rulers."[4]Cook stated that, "The first king upon earth wore this title; his name was Aloms. The title was adopted into the Assyrian language as RIU (shepherd) and persisted to the latest times of the Assyrian monarchy."[5] The evil shepherds which had mined Israel were nothing else except the kings who disgraced it, from the first of them to the last. This appears in the truth that even the best of them, namely, "a man after God's own heart," was an adulterer, a murderer, and an innovator who tried to move the ark of the covenant with a new cart! "On every high hill ..." (Ezekiel 34:6). Despite the fact of Keil's disagreement, we believe that Jamieson was correct in seeing in this statement, "A reference to the sinful idolatrous worship practiced upon 'every high hill' at those shrines and `high places' set up and sponsored by those evil shepherds."[6] Jesus spoke of the `scattering' mentioned here in Mark 6:34. Verse 7 "Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep; therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah. Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them."THE FROM THE FALSE (Ezekiel 34:7-10) This promise was fulfilled to the letter throughout the entire Inter-testamental period of Jewish history. No person whomsoever was ever recognized as a shepherd (king) over Israel during that approximately half a millennium of time. The evil shepherds who replaced them were the three political parties, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Herodians of the times of Zechariah. The powers which they had contrived to exercise over God's people during that period leading up to the Advent of Christ fully justified Zechariah's designation of them as those evil shepherds, "Which feed the flock of slaughter, whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty" (Zechariah 11:4). The promise of this prophecy is that the evil shepherds would be removed; the prophecy of Zechariah regarding that later batch of evil shepherds was that "the sword would be upon them" and that, "they would be cut off in one month" (Zechariah 11:8; Zechariah 11:17), a prophecy that was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by Vespasian and Titus in the year 70 A.D. See our Commentary on Zechariah (Vol. 4 in our Series on the Minor Prophets). Plumptre agreed that Zechariah 11 th chapter should be studied in connection with this chapter.[7]Verse 11 "For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and I will seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture; and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I MYSELF SHALL BE THE OF MY SHEEP, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Jehovah. I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice."GOD HIMSELF TO BE THE GOOD (Ezekiel 34:11-16) The redemption of Israel can happen only upon that occasion when God himself shall become the shepherd of God's people. That means when God in the person of his son Jesus Christ is commissioned with "All authority in heaven and upon earth" (Matthew 28:18-20), upon that first Pentecost after the Resurrection of Christ, the glorious occasion when the first sermon of the Gospel Age was preached, and when the reign of Christ the Messiah was inaugurated upon earth. It would be difficult indeed to find a more important chapter in the entire Old Testament than this one. The Lord is the true and only Shepherd of Israel. "The glorious promises here were partially fulfilled in God's returning his people to Palestine and their subsequent prosperity in the times of the Maccabees."[8]However, in no sense whatever were the Maccabees actually shepherds (kings of Israel). "The real fulfillment came in the ingathering of all nations into the Church of Christ the Good Shepherd (Matthew 18:11; John 10:1-18; and Romans 9:25-33).[9]This whole paragraph (Ezekiel 34:11-16) is made up of "typical messianic imagery"[10] and terminology. All of the good things which will happen to Israel, expressed here in material terms will be fulfilled only in the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant. As Cooke pointed out, "There is no doubt that the dispersion evident in Ezekiel 34:13 suggests a wider dispersion than existed in the times of Ezekiel; and Torrey believed that it points to the circumstances of the Jews that took place in the third century B. C."[11] If such a view is correct, then we have here a prophetic reference to yet a further scattering of God's people centuries after Ezekiel. THE BETWEEN SHEEP AND SHEEP (Ezekiel 34:17-24) #Ezekiel 34:17-19"And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the he-goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but you must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet."The behavior of animals, as described here, is more or less what is expected as a common occurrence; but, although such must be tolerated in the conduct of animals, the conduct condemned here is that of the thoughtless and/or selfish behavior of evil men who knowingly and purposely either destroy or foul whatever they themselves cannot use in order to prevent its benefiting any other besides themselves. "This paragraph is an anticipation of Mat 25:31 ff, the great judgment scene in which Christ separates the sheep from the goats."[12] In fact this chapter is loaded with things that lead up to passages in the New Testament. Christ as the Good Shepherd in John 10:18 and Hebrews 13, the parable of the lost sheep, and many other passages are here suggested. We are disappointed in the lack of discernment on the part of Cooke, who discovered what he called "a contradiction" between Jesus' claim as the "Good Shepherd" in John 10, with Ezekiel 34:15 here, asking, "With Jehovah as the Divine Shepherd, what room is there for a human shepherd?"[13] It seems to us incredible that a man of Cooke's alleged "scholarship" should appear in such an erroneous remark as a man totally unaware of Christ's membership in the Godhead itself, a truly Divine Being, One who is One with the Father, the Only Begotten Son of God, God of very God, in the language of some of the ancient creeds. Christ was actually Jehovah robed in human flesh, the Good Shepherd who was truly both God and man! Verse 20 "Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I, Jehovah will be their God, and my servant David prince among them; I, Jehovah, have spoken it.""Ye thrust with side and shoulder ..." (Ezekiel 34:21). The message here is that human beings, some of them, behave exactly like hungry animals shoving and jostling one another in the feed lot. The reference is to the shameful and outrageous conduct of the upper classes of society in their greedy denial of the rights of the poor and needy. Here Ezekiel takes his place among such prophets as Hosea, Amos, and others who demanded that the principles of social justice be received and practiced among God's people. "Between sheep and sheep ..." (Ezekiel 34:20). These words reveal that this paragraph, like the one before it, is still speaking of the judgment, not merely of the evil rulers, but of the sheep themselves. "One shepherd over them ... even my servant David ..." (Ezekiel 34:23). Some commentators still cling to the notion that "a line of rulers," rather than an individual personal Messiah, is suggested by certain Old Testament passages; and such suggestions cannot be completely denied. However, for those who must find multiple shepherds (kings) in these ancient prophecies, they like every things else prophesied are to be found in the Church of Jesus Christ alone, and nowhere else. All Christians are "kings and priests unto God" (Revelation 1:6, KJV). The twelve apostles are upon twelve thrones reigning with Christ throughout the dispensation (Matthew 19:28); and the elders of God's church actually have received that glorious designation, "Shepherds." The word `shepherd,' pastor in the Greek, is one of the New Testament terms for elder; thus all elders are "kings" in the sense of ruling under "The Chief Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:1-4). As Paul expressed it, "If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him." This fully takes care of the impression that their are multiple kings suggested. Nevertheless, it is an indisputable fact that absolutely all of the great blessings promised here did not appear under the "kingship" of any human Davidic successor. They were never even partially realized in the temporary prosperity of the Jews, "Nor can they ever be realized in any earthly kingdom. All of these prophecies point to the One Subject of all Prophecy, The Righteous King, the Anointed Prince, the Son of God, the Son of David, and the Lord of David."[14]It is surprising that a Christian scholar should raise a quibble over the fact of David's being referred to inEzekiel 34:24 as "prince," stating, that, "The leader of the ideal theocracy would be `a prince' rather than `a king.'"[15] How could he have overlooked the God-given name of the Seed of the Virgin, which includes the designation, "Prince of Peace!" (Isaiah 9:6). It is a truth well known to the scholarship of all mankind that, "'Prince' instead of `king' is Ezekiel's usual designation of the ruler of the future, as in Ezekiel 45; Ezekiel 46."[16] Besides that, the mention of the 'covenant of peace' in the next verse, which is undoubtedly a reference to the New Covenant under Christ, made it extremely appropriate for Ezekiel to use the term `prince' inEzekiel 34:24. If any further proof of this was needed, it is available in Ezekiel 37, "Where the name `king' is used three times in a peculiarly effective manner as titles of `The Messianic prince.' There is no reason whatever to suppose that Ezekiel saw some kind of a distinction between `prince' and `king.'"[17] Ezekiel used the terms interchangeably. "Christ as the Good Shepherd (equivalent to Jehovah) and as `The Son of David' completely fulfills, not merely these prophecies here, but those of 2 Samuel 7:13; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:2-4; Isaiah 9:6-7;Daniel 9:25-26; and many others."[18] In fact, it is no exaggeration at all to affirm that Jesus Christ as the Holy Messiah fulfills every one of the 333 prophecies concerning him in the entire Old Testament. The two great Types of the Son of God in the Old Testament are Moses and David; and it is hardly a coincidence that both David and Moses were shepherds. The notion that "The Davidic monarchy will be continued, but the monarch will have a real shepherd's heart,"[19] must be rejected. Jeconiah was the final end of the earthly dynasty of David, and Jeremiah categorically prophesied that no descendent of his should ever again rule in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 22:30). (See my commentary on this in Volume II of our Major Prophets Series." Not even Christ could have inherited the throne of David if he had been the literal son of Joseph (who was descended from Coniah); but as his adopted son, the ban of Jeconiah's posterity did not affect our Lord. "One shepherd over them ..." (Ezekiel 34:23). Still another error is founded on this mention of "one shepherd." Feinberg supposed that this meant, "There would be the need of only one shepherd for the united nation."[20] What is indicated here is not the reunion of the Northern and Southern sinful kingdoms of the old racial Israel, but the uniting of all men, Jews and Gentiles alike in Jesus Christ. Of course, that is exactly what Feinberg may have intended, but the erroneous understanding of it prevails with some. Verse 25 "And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those that made bondmen of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them; but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up unto them a plantation for renown, and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more. And they shall know that I, Jehovah their God, and they, the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord Jehovah. And ye my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord Jehovah."THE OF PEACE"They shall dwell securely in the wilderness ..." (Ezekiel 34:25). Throughout the Bible, the wilderness wanderings of Israel are interpreted as typical of the church in the wilderness of her probation in this dispensation. This is another indication that the New Covenant is in view here. All of the wonderful blessings of this paragraph are here prophesied to come to pass when that "covenant of peace" becomes effective. And what is that covenant of peace? It can be nothing else except the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-35). Plumptre discerned this; "The same thought underlies both that passage and this."[21] "`The covenant of peace'; the new age is to be marked by a new covenant."[22]The covenant of peace came from Jesus Christ. He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful" (John 14:27). There is nothing to compare with this in the Old Testament. How about all of those blessings, enumerated here in terminology that would have been appreciated and helpful to the generation which received this prophecy? Of course, the racial Israel did no doubt enjoy many physical and temporal blessings upon their return to Palestine; but most of the wonderful things God promised them never happened, due to their unbelief and disobedience (See Jeremiah 18:7-10). Nevertheless, the material and physical benefits here recounted most certainly must be interpreted as symbolical of spiritual blessing in Christ. And I will raise up unto them a plantation of renown ..." (v. 29). This, of course, is a glimpse of the world-wide renown and glory of Jesus Christ the Messiah and his followers. Oh yes, there are many divisions, aberrations, animosities, and all kinds of other differences to be seen and deplored among those who seek to love and honor the Great Servant David, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ; but over and beyond all of that disfiguration of Jesus' spiritual body, accomplished through the devices of the evil one, there still shines the eternal glory of the Bright and Morning Star, the Sun of Righteousness who is risen with healing in His wings! More great and beautiful buildings have been constructed in his name and to his honor in the last twenty years than were erected in all of the past history of mankind to all of the kings and tyrants who ever lived on earth. Every Lord's Day throughout the world, people of all races, tongues, and nations gather in millions of places to sing songs unto Him who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who is forever and ever Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Ezekiel 34:1-2. Shepherd is from baah, which Strong defines as follows: "A primitive root; to tend a flock, l.e. pasture it; intransitively to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension to associate with (as a friend).” The word has such a wide range of meaning that it will apply to the kings and prophets and priests in Israel because of their post- iton of leadership among the people. In such a relationship they could and should have guided them aright, and have instructed them in the right ways of the world by feeding them on the proper spiritual food. But Instead, they looked to their personal interests and made use of the advantages that were intended for all the congregation and thus "fed themselves instead of the flock." Ezekiel 34:3. The items in this verse are literal in their nature and in the use that is generally made of them just as the statement shows it. But the passage is used figuratively to illustrate the selfishness of the shepherds in their treatment of the flock that was depending upon them for guidance. Ezekiel 34:4. A good shepherd would look after the sheep and administer whatever services their condition might require. But fnstead of thus guarding and assisting them, these leaders bad been harsh and overbearing. It was because of this genera! corrupt life led by these leaders that even the things they did that would otherwise have been acceptable were rejected by the Lord. On this subject the reader should see the long note quoted at Isaiah 1:10 in volume 3 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 34:5. It is a duty of a shepherd to protect his flock against wolves and other wild beasts. These selfish shepherds of Israel neglected their obligation and allowed the people to be exposed to the beasts (idolatrous nations) around them. Ezekiel 34:6. Some of the terms in this verse are used witb a mixture of the literal and figurative senses. A flock that is neglected will literally be scattered among the hills and it was thus figuratively with Israel. And since the real iniquity in the country was idolatry which was often practiced on the hills, that phase of the subject is literal and pertained to such "high places” in the worship of the false gods. Ezekiel 34:7. The Lord Is directing the present message especially to these shepherds, and they are called upon to hear His word by the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel 34:8. As I live is a phrase that occurs numerous times in the Bible, and means that the thing about to be stated is as sure and true as the existence of God. It is a form of oath along the line of Heb 6:13. Under such an oath the Lord charged the selfish shepherds of Israel with partaking of the food intended for the flock. Ezekiel 34:9. This verse takes the same comments as Ezekiel 34:7. Ezekiel 34:10. I am against the shepherds denotes the Lord's disfavor for the conduct of the shepherds, not that He is to he regarded as their personal enemy. Require my flock at their hand means they will be held responsible for the sad state of the flock because of their part in causing the situation. Cease from feeding the flock refers in the first place to the removal of those shepherds from the position of Importance that they have been occupying, In the second place, the Lord is approaching a prediction that will reach far beyond the days of these shepherds over fleshly Israel, Such a subject will be introduced in the latter half of this chapter. We have observed it to be a practice of God through the inspired prophets to pass directly from ancient to modern Israel. That is due partly to the fact that many of the experiences, both favorable and unfavorable, of both Israels are similar. A favorable experience of fleshly Israel will be predicted first and then we shall read of a most wonderful favor that will concern spiritual Israel. Ezekiel 34:11. From this verse through 16 (Ezekiel 34:11-16) the passage is a prediction of the return from the Babylonian captivity. The several verses will be commented upon in their order. Search . , . seek them. out. The Babylonian Empire was composed of various countries, and in course of the 70-year period the Jews became scattered among many of them. Ezekiel 34:12. The Lord promises to gather his flock out of these different countries as a good shepherd would do for his sheep that had been scattered. Cloudy and dark day refers to the gloomy period of the captivity. Ezekiel 34:13. The terms of this verse are literal, the people and countries being those mentioned in the preceding verse. Own land means Palestine from which they had been exiled all the years of the great captivity. The geographical terms, mountains, rivers and inhabited places were parts of Palestine, and the Jews were to be restored to them that they might again enjoy them. Ezekiel 34:14. This verse combines the literal with the figurative sense in predicting the future of fleshly Israel. She will actually enjoy the land of Palestine for temporal purposes, and at the same time will be treated justly in spiritual matters. Verse 15. God will not depend upon selfish shepherds to care for the nation but will take close supervision over it. Cause them to lie down. A sheep will not lie down as long as he is unsatisfied with nourishment, therefore the act of lying down indicates a gratified appetite in the midst of plenty. \ Ezekiel 34:16, The gist of this verse is a promise to help those who need and deserve help. Destroy the fat and strong means the Lord will judge the selfish shepherds who had been feasting at the expense of the weaker sheep of the flock. Ezekiel 34:17. The rulers and other outstanding men were not the only members who took advantage of the weaker ones. Among the "common people” or unofficial members of the flock there were some who were selfish and defrauded the others hence the Lord declares He will make a distinction between different members of the flock. The cattle refers to the weaker members of the flock and the he goats the stronger. Ezekiel 34:18. The imagery for purposes of illustration is still that of a pasture and the creatures living therein. These selfish ones among the Israelite nation are compared to the strong he goats that eat the best of the pasture regardless of the needs of others. But they did not stop at that In their cruel selfishness. After satisfying their own greedy appetite with the best of the field, they trampled the remaining part with their feet. And after satisfying their thirst with the deep or pure water, they wade into the other watering places In order to defile them. Ezekiel 34:19. Hunger will drive one to eat that which would otherwise be regarded as extremely repulsive. (See Job 6:7.) Hence the weaker members of (he Lord’ s flock had to eat and drink of the food and water that had been made foul by the wicked and selfish members of the group, which caused God to decree a distinction between the two classes in the flock. Ezekiel 34:20. Beginning with this verse and running through Ezekiel 3431 will be given the prediction mentioned in the comments on verse 10. Christ and his church under the New Testament rule is the subject of the passage as will become evident in our study of the verses. However, the imagery of shepherds and all that pertains to that occupation will still be referred to for illustrations. The injustices of unworthy characters among the Lord's professed servants are carried over for consideration, and He is going to see that such evils will be guarded against in the great institution to come. Ezekiel 34:21, An overbearing animal will push with its side, shoulders and horns in order to crowd out a weaker one. Thus the “ he goats” had behaved in fleshly Israel, but the Lord was determined that such irregularities would not be permitted in the new service under the son of David. (See Matthew 23:812; 20:25-28.) Ezekiel 34:22. Shall no more be a prey has a twofold bearing. It promises that Israel shall not be taken away into heathen captivity again; also that the Lord's sheep will be cared for and prepared against the captivity of sin. (See 1 Corinthians 30: 13.) Ezekiel 34:23. David, according to the flesh, had been dead four centuries when Ezekiel w'rote this prophecy, hence he would not be intended as the shepherd to be set over the Lord’ s people. The apostle Peter makes the same point in Acts 2; 25-34, explaining to his audience that such reference to David with regard to I lie kingdom always means Christ. This is because of the high position occupied by the great king and patriarch of the former ages. David was the first man of the tribe of Judah to sit as king in Jerusalem: and the one who was to reign over spiritual Israel beginning at Jerusalem bad been foreordained of God to come from the same tribe and a descendant of David. Because of this, it became the practice of the prophets and other inspired men to speak of Christ directly as David, and to refer to His throne as the throne of his illustrious ancestor (Isaiah 9:6-7; Psalms 132:11; Luke 1:32; Acts 13:23; Revelation 3:7). This verse makes it very clear, therefore, that the prophet is. predicting the setting np of the kingdom of Christ, which great event started at Jerusalem and is recorded in Acts second chapter. Ezekiel 34:24. The comments in the preceding verse on David apply here. Will be their God has special significance as a contrast with the false gods that ancient Israel worshiped. The new kingdom that will be established under the son of David will have the recognition of God in its divine origin and reign. God has always offered to be the supreme One for any individual who would serve him. Ezekiel 34:25. Covenant of peace is the one that Paul writes about in Hebrews 8:8-12, which he cited from Jeremiah 31:31. Evil beasts is figurative and refers to the spiritual protection that the Lord will provide for the citizens of the new kingdom. Sleep in the woods (or forest) is a figure to indicate the safety that was to be enjoyed by the people of tlie kingdom of Christ. Ezekiel 34:26. Rainfall at the proper time was very important in Palestine and the fact is referred to figuratively. The promise is, not only that a shower will come down, but it will come in his season or just when It is needed. There shall be showers of blessing. This stalement has been made a part of a familiar church song, but it Isaiah 19 centuries out of date. It is a part of the prediction of the New Testament Institution and hence has been fulfilled many hundreds of years ago. It is unscriptural to speak of something that "shall be," when the scriptures teach that it has already been fulfilled and that the Lord has carried out his promise. Ezekiel 34:27. This verse was literally fulfilled when the Israelite nation was released from Babylonian captivity. But Its more important fulfillment came when the kingdom of Christ, of which the present group of verses is a prediction, was established with Him as its king. The figures of speech refer to the spiritual benefits that were promised for the citizens of that kingdom. Ezekiel 34:28. This verse is more along the same line as the preceding ones. It does not promise that Christians will never have any troubles, but that they will feel secure in spite of all their persecutions. Ezekiel 34:29. I shall offer some critical definitions in this verse before making the comments. Plant is from MATTA which Strong defines, "Something planted, i.e. the place (a garden or vineyard), or the thing (a plant, figuratively of men); by implication the act, planting.” Renown is from skum which Strong defines, “ An appelation [name], as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character.'’ Prom these defi-nitions we may conclude the common translation is correct. It will be well to note the language of Jesus in Matthew 15:13 where the word “ plant” is also properly rendered. The entire illustration means the church or kingdom of Christ which is compared to a plant, and that the Lord was the one who would plant it, It further means that every plant (church or kingdom) that God did not. plant or start shall be destroyed by Him. Ezekiel 34:30, The benefits that will come to the faithful members of Christ’ s kingdom will be such that no human source could supply. Hence they will know that I the Lord their God am with them and that the institution is of divine origin. Ezekiel 34:31. The flock is to be in the Lord's pasture and therefore they will be men and not literal cattle. For that reason they may expect to obtain benefits in that field that mere man could not provide; they would have to come from the Lord. Ezekiel 35 ENEMIES REMOVEDEzekiel's auditors must have been wondering how the Messiah could be their shepherd when their land was desolate and dominated by hostile forces. The prophet now addresses that issue. Edom's complicity in Judah's conquest by the Babylonians already has triggered two oracles of judgment (cf. Ezekiel 25:12-14). The purpose here is to establish a backdrop of judgment and desolation against which to highlight Judah's salvation and restoration depicted in the following chapter. OF EDOM'S DOOMEze_35:1-4 The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 35:2) Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it. (Ezekiel 35:3) Say unto it: Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Mount Seir. I will stretch out my hand against you. I will make you an utter desolation. (Ezekiel 35:4) I will lay waste your cities. You will be desolate; and you will know that I am the Lord. The first obstruction to restoration has now been dealt with, that being the problem of corrupt leadership. Now Ezekiel deals with the second obstruction to Israel’ s golden age. All nations that oppressed God’ s people must be judged and destroyed. Mount Seir, i.e., Edom, the ancient archenemy of Israel is singled out for special condemnation here (Ezekiel 35:1-2). Edom is symbolic of every nation that had oppressed Israel. Only when all the enemies of the Lord are destroyed is the deliverance of God’ s people complete. In this oracle God immediately declares himself to be in an adversarial relationship to Edom. He will stretch out his hand against Edom, i.e., smite that country. God's outstretched hand results in the undoing and ultimate desolation of Edom (Ezekiel 35:3).The once proud cities of Edom will be laid waste. In this calamity the Edomites detect the operation of God (Ezekiel 35:4). OF EDOM'S DOOM Ezekiel 35:5-15 Yahweh's control over the nations is not exercised capriciously, but according to strict principles of justice. Ezekiel offers three justifications for Edom's doom. Edom's Hatred (Ezekiel 35:5-9) Hatred manifested (Ezekiel 35:5): You have had an ancient hatred, and you have given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword, in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end. The divine judgment is in recompense for the ancient hatred of the Edomites toward the people of God. This bitter animosity most recently had been manifested in the aid that the Edomites had rendered to the Babylonian conquerors of Jerusalem. Captured Israelites were handed over to the invaders for execution. Thus the Edomites, no less than the Chaldeans, participated in the time of their (Judah’ s) calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end, i.e., the iniquity that brought about their destruction.Hatred punished (Ezekiel 35:6-9) Bloodshed (Ezekiel 35:6; Ezekiel 35:8): Therefore, as I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), surely I will prepare you for blood. Blood will pursue you. Surely you hate blood, but blood will pursue you. (Ezekiel 35:8) I will fill his mountains with his slain. In your hills, your valleys and your streams those slain by the sword will fall. God had prepared Edom for blood, i.e., Edom will die a bloody death. Twice the prophet emphasizes that blood will pursue Edom. The blood shed by Edom now becomes the active pursuer of the guilty. Edom had hated blood, i.e., Israel— those to whom Edom had blood-ties. The blood of slain Israelites was now demanding retribution (Ezekiel 35:6). The dead bodies lie everywhere— hills, valleys, and streams (Ezekiel 35:8). Desolation (Ezekiel 35:7; Ezekiel 35:9): I will make Mount Seir an utter desolation. I will cut off from it travelers. (Ezekiel 35:9) I will make you desolations forever. You will not inhabit your cities; and you will know that I am the LORD. Those slain in the anticipated attack will be so numerous that Mount Seir (Edom) becomes desolate. No man survives to traverse that land (Ezekiel 35:7). Edom remains desolate forever. Such as might escape to neighboring lands gradually realize that the hand of the great God of Israel had been against them (Ezekiel 35:9).Edom's Blasphemies (Ezekiel 35:10-13) First quotation (Ezekiel 35:10): You have said: These two nations and these two lands will be mine, and I will possess it; while the LORD was there. As the motivation of the judgment, two quotations are attributed to the Edomites. In the first, Edom bluntly claims ownership of the entire land once occupied by two nations, i.e., Judah and Israel (cf. Ezekiel 37:22). Edom harbored intentions of seizing Yahweh's property. Even though the two apostate nations had been ejected from the territory that had been assigned to them, yet the Lord was still there. True, his divine and holy presence had been seen earlier in a vision to depart from the land (cf. Ezekiel 11:23). He was still there, however, in the sense that the land was his. He alone had the right to determine who will occupy that land. Declaration of punishment (Ezekiel 35:11): Therefore, as I live (oracle of the Lord GOD), I will do according to your anger, and according to your jealousy that you have done out of your hatred against them. I will make myself known among them when I judge you. God must recompense Edom for his anger and envy toward Israel. By punishing Edom, God will make himself known in Israel, i.e., he show himself still to be their protector and guardian. Second quotation (Ezekiel 35:12): You will know that I the LORD have heard all of your blasphemies that you have said against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are desolate; they have been given to us to devour. The second quotation attributes to the Edomites the intention to devour the mountains of Israel like some beast of prey. Twice in Ezekiel 35:12-13 Yahweh emphatically declares that He has heard, i.e., was aware of, the blasphemies spoken by the children of Edom. They were saying that since those mountains were now desolate, i.e., uninhabited, they had been given (by God?) to Edom. Seriousness of the sin (Ezekiel 35:13): You have magnified yourself against me with your mouth. You have multiplied your words against me; I have heard it. Edom's attitude constituted an affront to God. They had misunderstood the implications of God's judgment on His people. They had failed to recognize the uniqueness of the land of Israel. He owned the territory that Israel had formerly occupied. To plan seizure of that territory was a manifestation of sinful pride that lifts itself up against God. God had heard Edom’ s proud boasts. Edom's Gloating (Ezekiel 35:14-15): Thus says the Lord GOD: When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation. (Ezekiel 35:15) Because you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel when it was desolate, so will I do to you. You will become a desolation, O Mount Seir, and all of Edom, even all of it; and they will know that I am the LORD. The whole earth rejoices when Edom becomes desolate (Ezekiel 35:14). Edom had gloated when Israel’ s inheritance— God’ s gift to his people— had been destroyed. Therefore, Edom's punishment will correspond to the transgression. With the destruction of Edom, the enemy of God’ s people, the whole earth realizes that Yahweh is just and mighty in the defense of his honor and his people (Ezekiel 35:15).Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Five Verse 1 AGAINST EDOMIt is rather surprising to have another prophecy against Edom at this particular place in Ezekiel, especially since he had just concluded one against the same people back in Ezekiel 25; and a number of scholars have attempted to explain this. Cooke noted that this prophecy, "Gives greater detail, indicating that Edom had recently aggravated their offenses against the covenant people and their God. Also the full accomplishment of God's purpose required the return of the captives to Palestine; and Edom had proposed to hinder that purpose by laying claim to Palestine itself."[1]Dummelow observed that, "Before the land could be returned to its rightful owners, all false claims had to be disposed of. The prophecy had already disposed of the false claims of that conceited remnant in Judea (Ezekiel 33:23-29); and this was a logical place to take care of the false claims of Edom."[2]Keil pointed out that, "The prophecy does not apply to Edom alone, because Edom here stands as a representative of the whole world of mankind in their hostility toward God and the covenant people."[3] Edom was thus used also by Isaiah in chapters 34,43 as a representative standing for the entire wicked world; and in our Commentary on those chapters, it was pointed out just how appropriate this use of Edom really was. The same is true here. The meaning of this prophecy against Edom, therefore, is simply that no wicked nation on earth would be allowed to interfere with God's bringing his righteous remnant back from Babylon at the end of their punishment, and again establishing them in their ancient homeland. Ezekiel 35:1-3"Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and will make thee a desolation and an astonishment.""Set thy face against mount Seir ..." (Ezekiel 35:2). The prophecy is against the people called Edom, the descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother, who occupied the rugged country southeast of the Dead Sea. Here "mount Seir" stands for the people. "This area in Graeco-Roman times was called Idumaea";[4] the stronghold of the area was the Edomite capital of Petra, also called Sela, a rockbound fortress with magnificent stone palaces, the ruins of which are still impressive. "I am against thee, O mount Seir ..." (Ezekiel 35:2). The following verses suggest a fourfold indictment against the Edomites: (1) They had aided Babylon in their final conquest of Jerusalem. Taylor suggested that they bartered with Nebuchadnezzar, offering their support for portions of Judea after the conquest.[5](2) Edom had attempted to annex Israel's territory. (3) Her joyful exultation over Judah's fall was a shameful expression of her attitude toward God's people. (4) The Edomites from the very beginning of their history had maintained a perpetual enmity against Israel (Amos 1:11). "This enmity against Israel, in the last analysis was also bitter and implacable enmity against God Himself."[6]The serious nature of this quadruple indictment was pointed out by Beasley-Murray. For example, Edom's claiming part of Judea as her own possession contradicted the prior claim of God Himself who had preempted it for his Chosen People. In view of God's intention of again moving the Jews into the land, "Edom's claim was little short of blasphemy in the eyes of God and of his prophets."[7]Verse 4 "I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah. Because thou hast had a perpetual enmity, and hast given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end; therefore, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue thee.""A perpetual enmity ..." (Ezekiel 35:5). This enmity is indeed a historical phenomenon. It began when Esau sold his birthright for a plate of lentils and continues until this very day in the conflict between the Arabs and the Israelites, despite the fact of the Edomites being no longer a recognizable group. The hatred, however, in both cases goes back to the old conflicts between Esau and Jacob, and between Isaac and Ishmael. This perpetual enmity is mentioned in Amos 1:11. The historical disasters that have accompanied this vein of hatred are a pitiful example of how hatred, no matter what the source of it, in human hearts can produce disastrous results in the persons harboring the hatred. Christ himself has warned us, that "If we will not forgive those who trespass against us, God will not forgive us our trespasses!" (Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:35). "In the time of her calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end ..." (Ezekiel 35:5). Plumptre has summarized the various opinions of scholars on what this means: Keil thought it meant the time of Judah's final transgression; Currey saw the meaning as the time when the capture of Jerusalem put an end to her iniquity; Hengstenberg suggested that it was the time of the iniquity that brought on her end; and Ewald translated it, "At the time of her extremist punishment."[8]The long hatred for Israel on the part of Edom led to their refusal of permission for Israel to pass through their land (Numbers 20:14-21); to their invasion of Judah (2 Chronicles 20:10-11); to their aiding Nebuchadnezzar in the overthrow of Jerusalem (Obadiah 1:13); and to the outrageous conduct of the Herods and their dynasty against the purposes of God during the days of Christ and the apostles. The Herods were Idumaeans (Edomites). See much more on this in Isaiah 34-43. "Since thou hast not hated blood ..." (Ezekiel 35:6, KJV). Those who are still familiar with the KJV will no doubt wonder about the first word here. Sith is an Old English term that means since, or seeing that. Verse 7 "Thus will I make mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation; and I will cut off from it him that passeth through and him that returneth. And I will fill its mountains with its slain: in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy watercourses shall they fall that are slain with the sword. I will make thee a perpetual desolation, and thy cities shall not be inhabited; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.""Him that passeth through and him that returneth ..." (Ezekiel 35:7). This is an old expression equivalent to "all that go to and fro," "all comers and goers," "all the buyers and the sellers." "It means `everybody without exception.'"[9]The total desolation of Edom has come to pass in the most startling manner. The National Geographic Magazine a few years ago ran an article with many graphic pictures of the desolated capital of ancient Seir, Petra. It still seems incredible that a city with such a fortress could ever have fallen; but there it stands in the blistering desert sun, its ancient red walls of solid stone exhibiting its magnificent architecture, beautiful palaces, and many other signs of ancient prosperity in a breath-taking silence that reminds one of the petrified forest of Arizona. It brings a mist to the eyes and a catch in the throat just to see it. What an awful thing it is for God to "stretch forth his hand" against a city, or a people. "A perpetual desolation ..." (Ezekiel 35:9). "This is a much harsher fate even than that which was inflicted upon Ammon and Egypt, who at least had a prospect of restoration held out to them (Jeremiah 49:6; andEzekiel 29:14)."[10] Note that this threat of perpetual desolation is repeated here from Ezekiel 35:5. However, the eternal justice of God is seen in this perpetual desolation of Edom. Who murdered the innocents of Bethlehem in his frenzied efforts to kill the Lord Jesus Christ? Answer: It was the savage Idumaean (Edomite) Herod the Great. Who murdered John the Baptist, the great forerunner of Christ, the Herald of the Gospel Age? Answer: It was another Herod, an Edomite, who presented John's head on a platter to please a dancing girl. Who mocked the Son of God in one of those six crooked trials preceding his crucifixion? Answer: It was another Herod, of course. Who murdered the apostle James? Answer: A Herod (Edomite). Who imprisoned the apostle Peter and condemned him to death as soon as the Passover ended? Answer: It was Herod Agrippa (another Edomite, of course). Who murdered the sixteen men who kept the prison on that night when an angel released the apostle Peter, on the false charge that these guards had released Peter? It was that same Herod the Edomite. Who fully decided to exterminate all of the apostles of the Church of God, and as a preparatory move had himself installed as a god down at Caesarea (Acts 12)? It was that same son of the devil, the Edomite Herod Agrippa. This Edomite was so wicked that God did not even allow him to live a normal life; but cut him down in the very act of his announcement that he was god! Yes indeed that evil people deserved the retribution with which Almighty God rewarded them. Verse 10 "Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it, whereas Jehovah was there: therefore, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast showed out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I shall judge them. And thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, have heard all thy revilings which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour.""These two nations and these two countries ..." (Ezekiel 35:10). These are Israel and Judah, the covenant people after the division of the monarchy, the northern and the southern Israels, Samaria and Jerusalem. "Whereas Jehovah was there ..." (Ezekiel 35:10). True enough, God was in Palestine; but is he not also in every other place in all the earth? Jonah fled to Tarshish (or was trying to do so) "from the presence of Jehovah"; but he found out that God's presence was not limited to Palestine. God is not only the God of Palestine, but the God of all the world and of all humanity. "Thy revilings which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 35:12) The revilings were bad enough, but Edom's verbal assault upon the mined countries was followed by their moving militarily against them. It appears that they actually penetrated and occupied Palestine as far south as Hebron. Verse 13 "And ye have magnified yourself against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard it. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: when the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. As thou didst rejoice over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.""And have multiplied your words against me ..." (Ezekiel 35:13). The words that men speak have an importance far beyond what many suppose. Words are by no means unimportant or inconsequential. The Son of God Himself has warned us all that, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:37). "When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate ..." (Ezekiel 35:14). This gives the time when desolation shall come to Edom. It shall be when "the whole earth rejoiceth," a reference to the times of the New Covenant, the present dispensation of God's grace. The present state of the ancient land of Edom is an eloquent fulfillment of what is here foretold. Any good encyclopedia, travel magazine, or travelers' guide will afford all the proof that is needed that the prophecies in this chapter against Edom have received the most literal fulfillment. Plumptre noted that: "This land, once so rich in flocks and herds, so mighty in its rock-hewn cities, so extensive in its commercial activities, so renowned for the architectural splendor of its palaces, is now a desolated and deserted wilderness. Its whole population consists of three or four miserable tiny villages. No merchant would now dare to enter it; its highways are unused; its cities are in ruins."[11]No ghost town of Arizona or California is any more forlorn or deserted than is Petra. Feinberg has a statement which is true enough, but which is also the basis of a great deal of popular misunderstanding. He said: "When a nation gives itself over to the perpetual hatred of Israel, then there is no other alternative than perpetual desolation from God. Nation after nation has experienced this in the past, and some have done so in modern times."[12]This is true enough as long as one understands which Israel of God is meant. The only Israel God has in our generation is the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, his church; and it has no connection whatever with any racial group of people who ever lived on earth. Our generation needs to get that fact in focus. The old racial Israel lost their status when their official leaders cried, "Let him be crucified; we have no king but Caesar." Ever since that time, they have indeed had no king but Caesar; and this fact is the one overwhelmingly corroborated by history down to the present time. The great name for Israel in the Old Testament is `the vine'; but, in time the old racial Israel became a bastard vine; but, in the fullness of time Jesus Christ the True Vine came into our world (John 15:1 ff); and ever since that event, Christ and his followers have been the Only Israel of God. Ezekiel 35:1-2. For some time the prrphet has been writing against the wicked men in the nation of the Jews, especially the leaders among them. Now a chapter is given to Edom or Seir and certain condemnations will be uttered against that nation because of its hatred for God’ s people. Set thy face against means for Ezekiel Lo turn his attention against the nation that had disrespected God’ s people. Ezekiel 35:3. Mount Seir is a geographical term and refers to a tract of land lying east of the Dead Sea. It is often mentioned by name of Edom because the Edomites occupied that land for many years. Ezekiel 35:4 Ezekiel 35:4. The prophet was told to predict a desolation for that land. A brief condemnation was made against it in chapter 25: 12-14, but a more detailed prediction is made here before the interests of Palestine are to receive further attention. Ezekiel 35:5. Edom had cherished ft hatred against Israel for a long time and had been constant (perpetual) in it. He had shown that hatred by shedding the blood of the children of Israel. What made, the mistreatment of Israel worse was the fact that the heathen nation took advantage of them in times of calamity. Ezekiel 35:6. Sith is an old rendering of a word that means "since” or any other word with a similar bearing. The verse means that since or inasmuch as the Edomites seemed to welcome bloodshed, the Lord will impose upon them an abundant share of it. Ezekiel 35:7. Cut off . . . passeth out . . . returneth means the land will be made so desolate that it will put a stop to coming and going. There will be nothing to encourage any kind of traffic and hence it will cease to be done. Ezekiel 35:8. Of course this verse is a strong statement not to be taken literally. The meaning is that dead men will be seen in all the places named. Ezekiel 35:9. Since the hatred of Edom for God's people was perpetual, so the desolation of the country was to be permanent. The purpose of such a chastisement was to make the people of the land know that I am the Lori. Ezekiel 35:10. The two nations and tioo countries refers to Judah and Israel, into which the Jews were divided after the death of Solomon (1 Kings 12), Edom was vain enough .to think he could possess the lands of those contries. Whereas the Lord was there is the expression or comment of the prophet. It is Ezekiel saying, "Edom thought he could take that land, which was impossible since the Lord was there.” Ezekiel 35:11. God proposed to deal with the Edomites according to the anger which they had shown toward His people. His judgments against these enemies of the Israelites will be a demonstration of the divine power. Ezekiel 35:12, The things the Edomites had said about the land of Israel might all have been true, but their motive in saying them was displeasing to God. He never would tolerate a spirit of triumph against His people no matter how much they deserved the chastisement or misfortunes. And such an attitude would be doubly offensive if it was claimed that the loss or misfortunes were brought for the benefit of the foes. Ezekiel 35:13. Boasted means the Edomites had magnified their own importance. They did that when they made the claim expressed by the closing statement of the preceding verse. I have heard them- is a significant fact. God is everywhere with his infinite knowledge and will bring to account all the thoughts and words of wicked men. Ezekiel 35:14, The whole earth was to rejoice at the desolation of Edom. Ezekiel 35:15. This verse repeats the thoughts of the preceding one. It should not be regarded in the sense of "returning evil for evil” or as an act of retaliation, but as a just punishment of Edom for his wicked attitude toward God’ s people. Seir and Idumea are names that applied to the land occupied by the Edomites, the second word being another form of Edom. Ezekiel 36 OF THE LAND Ezekiel's messages of encouragement continue. Thus far Ezekiel has expressed his hope for the future in terms of (1) the establishment of new leadership for the people of God; and (2) the punishment of those who previously had opposed his people. He now proceeds to speak of (3) the restoration of the land of Israel (ch 36); and (4) the rebirth of the nation (ch 37). In the judgment message to Mount Seir (ch 35), the deliverance of Israel was implicit. Ezekiel now is commanded to make that deliverance explicit in an address to the mountains of Israel. Mount Seir had no future; the mountains of Israel do. Here Ezekiel speaks of the material and spiritual aspects of the restoration of Israel. Chapter 36 may be the brightest chapter in the entire book. Four units of thought can be observed, each of which is related to the land. Ezekiel speaks of the (1) redemption (Ezekiel 36:1-7), (2) repopulation (Ezekiel 36:8-15), (3) purification (Ezekiel 36:16-21), and (4) return to the land (Ezekiel 36:22-38). OF THE LANDEze_36:1-7 First Address to the Mountains(Ezekiel 36:1-3) Introduction (Ezekiel 36:1): And as for you, son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. What the enemy has said (Ezekiel 36:2): Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the enemy has said against you: Aha! even the ancient high places are our possession. As motivation for the positive word to Israel, the words of the opponents are again cited (cf. Ezekiel 35:10). The scornful Aha! (he’ ah) echoes the mockery of the Ammonites (Ezekiel 25:3) and Tyrians (Ezekiel 26:2). The ancient high places are the mountains of Israel. The enemies who had cast a covetous eye on the ancient hilly terrain of Canaan had underestimated the power and intention of the God of Israel (Ezekiel 36:2). God had wonderful plans for his people. On the other hand, the enemies have to pay for their crimes against Israel. The crimes of the enemies (Ezekiel 36:3): Therefore, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: because, even because they have made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side that you might be a possession to the rest of the nations, and you are the object of conversation by talkers, and the evil report of people. Three crimes had been committed against the land of Israel: (1) they (the Babylonians) had made the land desolate; (2) the rest of the nations, i.e., the neighbors of Israel, had cast covetous eyes upon that vacant land; and (3) they had spoken of the defeated Jews with contempt.Second Address to the Mountains (Ezekiel 36:4-5) Introduction (Ezekiel 36:4): Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the streams and to the valleys, and to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that have been forsaken which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations that are round about; God had good news for the forsaken cities and desolate wastes that neighboring nations were attempting to seize even while they spoke so contemptuously about them. Judgment against the nations (Ezekiel 35:5): therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations and against Edom, that have appointed my land as a possession for themselves with the joy of all their heart, with disdain of soul, in order that its open country should be for spoil. In the form of an oath, God confirms his word of judgment on the rest of the nations. He was moved by jealousy, i.e., zeal, for his people. The fire of that jealousy was burning against those nations— especially Edom— that desired to possess Canaan for themselves. Four crimes of these nations are recapitulated: unjustified claim to ownership of the land, gloating over the misfortune of the land, disdain for the people who once occupied that land, and greedy desire to make spoil of that land. Third Address to the Mountains (Ezekiel 36:6-7): Introduction (Ezekiel 36:6 a): Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the streams and to the valleys; Reproach for the nations (Ezekiel 36:6-7): Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, in my jealousy and in my fury, have spoken because you have borne the reproach of the nations; (Ezekiel 36:7) therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: I have lifted up my hand. Surely the nations that are round about you will bear their reproach. Because the land of Judah had borne the shame of invasion and derision by neighbors, God had spoken in His jealous fury against those nations. To suffer reproach, i.e., disgrace or shame, is a frequent theme in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:6). God had lifted up His hand in a formal oath that those nations would eventually bear their own shame. They would experience the humiliation that they had inflicted upon the Judeans (Ezekiel 36:7). OF THE LAND Ezekiel 36:8-15 Yahweh's word now focuses on what will happen on the mountains of Israel once the reproach of desolation is removed from them.Inhabitants Multiplied (Ezekiel 36:8-12) Fruitfulness (Ezekiel 36:8): But as for you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches. Your fruit you will bear for my people Israel; for they are near to come. The mountains of Canaan become once again Israel's mountains. The fertile hills of Canaan will yet yield their fruit to God's people, not to strangers. Israel's return is near to come, lit., at hand to come. The end of the exile was not far off. Assistance (Ezekiel 36:9): For, behold, I am for you! I will turn to you. You will be tilled and sown. The divine I am against you that God uttered against Mount Seir (Ezekiel 35:3) is reversed as regards the mountains of Israel. God is not only for the mountains of Israel, he is about to turn unto them, i.e., take an active interest in them. As a result, those hills and valleys will once again be cultivated. Divine turning to them with resultant agricultural abundance is a restatement of the Mosaic prediction of Lev 26:9. Multiplication (Ezekiel 36:10-11): I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. The cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be built up. (Ezekiel 36:11) I will multiply men upon you and cattle. They will increase and be fruitful. I will cause you to be inhabited as in former times. I will make it better than your beginnings. You will know that I am the LORD. Men multiply in the land as former citizens of both kingdoms united to rebuild their ruined land (Ezekiel 36:10). The promise of multiplication of population is repeated in the exact words of the previous verse for emphasis. However, beasts, as well as men, will increase. The numbers of both will be equivalent to their former strength in pre-exilic times. In fact, God will bless restored Israel beyond anything experienced in bygone days (Ezekiel 36:11). Possession (Ezekiel 36:12): I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel. They will possess you. You will be an inheritance for them. You will no more bereave them of their children. The feet of God’ s people will yet walk over the mountains of Canaan. They will again possess those hills as their national inheritance. No more will those hills rob God’ s people of their children through war, pestilence and famine that in former days had occurred there.Reproach Removed (Ezekiel 36:13-15) The reproach stated (Ezekiel 36:13): Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they are saying to you: You devour men, and bereave your nations; One of the derogatory allegations hurled at the land of Canaan was that the land devoured its inhabitants. The land that ought to be the mother and bearer of children seems to resemble the wild ravening beast seeking to devour its victims. The original inhabitants— the Canaanites— had been destroyed; now Israel had undergone a similar fate. It seemed that every nation that had occupied that land had been bereaved. The latter part of this quote may be translated, and you have aborted your nations. The Hebrew term (sakal) is used in this sense (Exodus 23:26; 2 Kings 2:19). The land once spewed out its Canaanite population (Leviticus 18:25; Leviticus 18:28). It also devoured Israelites in the invasions of 732, 722, 597 and 586 B.C.The announcement (Ezekiel 36:14): therefore, you will not devour men any more, and your nations you will not again bereave (oracle of the Lord GOD); Once Israel returns to that land, things will be different. God’ s people will neither be devoured nor bereaved. The explanation (Ezekiel 36:15): I will not allow the shame of the nations to be heard against you any more. You will not bear the reproach of peoples any more. You will not bereave your nations any more (oracle of the Lord GOD). No more will God's people have to endure the derision of the nations because of what occurred to them in that land. The land of Canaan will no more be a stumbling block to the people who live in it. They will dwell safely and securely in that land (Ezekiel 36:15). The promises of this chapter are conditional. As long as the returnees are faithful to God, he will bless them in the ways Ezekiel predicted. History records that even after their return to the land, the Jews failed to live up to their commitment to the Lord. OF THE LAND Ezekiel 36:16-21 Israel's Provocations (Ezekiel 36:16-20) They defiled God's land (36:16-18): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 36:17) Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelled upon their land, they defiled it by their way and by their deeds. Like the uncleanness of a menstruous woman was their way before me. (Ezekiel 36:18) I poured out my fury upon them because of the blood that they poured out upon the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. Ezekiel intends to set forth clearly the magnificent grace of God in bringing Israel back to her land. To accomplish this purpose, he reviews the circumstances that brought about Israel's dispersion among the nations. Israel, the wife of God, had defiled the land by her general way, i.e., course of conduct, and by her specific deeds. The divine Husband temporarily avoided the impure wife, just as any ancient Israelite male was required to avoid intimacy with his wife during her monthly period (Ezekiel 36:17). God poured out His wrath upon his people because of their inexcusable impurity manifested especially in bloodshed and idolatry (Ezekiel 36:18). They profaned God's name (Ezekiel 36:19-20): I scattered them among the nations. They were dispersed through lands. According to their way and according to their deeds, I judged them. (Ezekiel 36:20) When they came unto the nations where they came, they profaned my holy name. Men said of them: These are the people of the LORD. From his land they have gone forth. The wayward people were judged according to their deeds. God scattered them (cf. Ezekiel 12:15; Ezekiel 20:23) among the nations. He judged them according to their deeds as in Ezekiel 24:14 (Ezekiel 36:19). In the foreign lands, Israel profaned the name of the Lord, not by what they did, but by just being there. What a dilemma for God! First the holy people, then the holy land, and most importantly the holy name had been profaned. The nations did not realize that Israel’ s punishment was just retribution for moral and religious shortcomings. Seeing the condition of Yahweh’ s people, they concluded that the God of Israel was unable to protect his own devotees. The fears expressed by Moses in intercessory prayers (Exodus 32:12; Numbers 14:16) had become a reality (Ezekiel 36:20). According to pagan logic, the gods of Babylon had to be superior to Yahweh since the Babylonians had made the land of Israel desolate and dispersed the people of the Lord. Thus the divine name had suffered indignity without cause. God's Pity (Ezekiel 36:21): But I had pity upon my holy name that the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they had come. God took pity upon his holy name— his reputation— that was being unjustly attacked (v 21). God is motivated to intervene on behalf of Israel because of his great concern that all mankind comes to know him as creator and redeemer. The exiles must have been pondering how the holy Yahweh could ever again forgive his sinful people whom he had been forced to drive out of Canaan on account of his holiness. The present oracle is Ezekiel's answer to this despair.RETURN TO THE LAND Ezekiel 36:22-38 God's Name Sanctified (Ezekiel 36:22-23): Therefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am not doing this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name that you have defiled among the nations where you came. (Ezekiel 36:23) I will sanctify my great name that has been profaned in their midst; and the nations will know that I am the LORD (oracle of the Lord GOD) when I am sanctified in you before their eyes. Israel did not merit salvation from exile and restoration to the homeland. But it was necessary as part of God’ s long-range plan, to re-establish the divine reputation. Since His name was inseparably connected with the fortunes of Israel, positive divine action on behalf of his people was imperative. God's name is all that he has revealed about himself, all that can be known of him. For the sake of this revelation, Yahweh will not abandon his people (Ezekiel 36:22).By restoring Israel to the land of Canaan, God will sanctify His name, i.e., set it apart for awe and reverence. The restoration of Israel will prove that the Babylonian captivity was not due to God’ s weakness. The nations will come to know the God of Israel as truly the great I AM, Yahweh, when they witnessed the sudden reversal of the fortunes of his devoted followers (Ezekiel 36:23-24). Relationship with God Restored (Ezekiel 36:24-28): The thesis of this unit is that Yahweh will now act to sanctify his name in a way that far surpasses his activity as described in Ezekiel 20:9; Ezekiel 20:14; Ezekiel 20:22. He will create something fundamentally new. Israel will be reconstituted along lines that will make possible uninterrupted fellowship with Yahweh. This takes place in five stages. Gathering (Ezekiel 36:24): For I will take you from the nations. I will gather you from all the lands. I will bring you unto your own land. Yahweh will bring his people back from among the nations (cf. Ezekiel 34:13). The ridicule of the nations in v 20 is silenced when Yahweh's people and land are reunited. Purification (Ezekiel 36:25): I will sprinkle upon you clean water. You will be clean from all your uncleanness. From all your idols I will cleanse you. Yahweh will purify Israel from uncleanness. The verb sprinkle (zaraq) is most used in connection with the application of blood (e.g., Exodus 24:6; Leviticus 1:5). The verb points to a priestly ministry. The agent of the sprinkling is God himself. This passage clearly forms part of the background for the New Testament teaching on the priestly ministry of Christ. The reference to clean water sets this passage apart from the ritual purification by the water of purification (Numbers 19:9-22). The uncleanness here is not physical and cultic, but moral and spiritual. The cleansing is from idols, i.e., idolatry and violent deeds (cf. v Ezekiel 36:18), actions from which cleansing was impossible by Mosaic rituals. This promise may be built upon the ritual consecration of Levites (Numbers 8:7), suggesting the priestly nature of the messianic Israel. Only a holy people can live in a holy land (Ezekiel 36:25). The writer of Hebrews probably had this passage in mind when he spoke of Christians who have their hearts sprinkled by Priest Jesus and their bodies washed with water (Hebrews 10:32). Transformation (Ezekiel 36:26): I will give to you a new heart. A new spirit will I place within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a new heart. Yahweh effects an inner transformation of penitent Israel. As a result of the cleansing, those delivered from exile receive a new heart— a tender and responsive heart of flesh— to replace the stony heart that so long had been impervious to divine pleas and warnings (cf. Ezekiel 11:19). In the Bible, the heart is not so much the center of emotion as of thought and will. The new spirit is even more inclusive. It points to the whole inner life or disposition of a person. Empowerment (Ezekiel 36:27): My Spirit I will put within you. I will bring it about that you will walk in my statutes, and that you will keep and do my ordinances. Yahweh empowers through his Spirit those who have turned to him. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament provides power to accomplish what would not be possible without his presence (e.g., 1 Samuel 10:6 f.). In this case, the indwelling Spirit enables God’ s people to walk the path of obedience (Ezekiel 36:27; cf. Ezekiel 11:20). Ezekiel goes beyond the expectation of Jer 31:31 ff. that announces that God will put his law within the human heart. Reconciliation (Ezekiel 36:28): You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be My people, and I will be your God. Glorious consequences follow upon the spiritual regeneration of Israel— God’ s people: (1) They dwell in the land that God had given to the Patriarchs. The obedience mentioned in the previous verse is the precondition for remaining in the land. As long, however, as they follow the direction of God's Spirit, they are secure in that land. Here, as is frequent in prophecy, the land of Canaan is a type of Christ's kingdom. (2) They belong to God as his special possession. (3) The Lord is their God in the special sense in which he is the God of all who love and obey him.Blessings Dispensed(Ezekiel 36:29-32) Description of the blessings (Ezekiel 36:29-30): I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call unto the grain, and increase it. I will not bring famine upon you. (30) I will increase the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, in order that you may no longer receive the reproach of famine among the nations. Changes in the external life of the nation accompany the inward changes described in the previous verses. By the power of the indwelling Spirit, God saves them from uncleanness, i.e., he helps them to overcome their tendency to lapse into sin. God summons, as if miraculously, the grain. He restores the fertility of the land. Fruit trees, as well as grain fields, yield their abundant harvests. Famines, which periodically had plagued the Canaan of old, are a thing of the past (cf. Ezekiel 34:26-29). No more are non-believers able to bring reproach on God’ s people on this account (Ezekiel 36:29-30). Response to the blessings (Ezekiel 36:31-32): Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good. You will loathe yourselves in your sight on account of your iniquities and your abominations. (Ezekiel 36:32) Not for your sake will I do this (oracle of the Lord GOD), be it known to you. Be ashamed and confounded because of your ways, O house of Israel. The redeemed will never forget the ugliness of the sinful life from which God has saved them. Having experienced the cleansing of God, the empowerment of his Spirit, and fellowship with the Lord, redeemed Israel will loathe, i.e., abhor their former life of sin (cf. Ezekiel 6:9). They make a complete break with their past life of rebellion (Ezekiel 36:31). The redeemed realize that they do not deserve the blessing that they receive from the hand of God. Their salvation is a pure act of divine grace. It is, therefore, appropriate that they be ashamed of their past conduct which, if dealt with by God in absolute justice, would have demanded complete and final rejection (Ezekiel 36:32). Desolated Places Populated (Ezekiel 36:33-36) Depiction of the blessings (Ezekiel 36:33-34): Thus says the Lord GOD: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause cities to be inhabited, and the waste places to be built up. (Ezekiel 36:34) And the desolate land will be tilled instead of remaining a desolation in the sight of all who pass by. The day of cleansing is marked by the repopulation of the desolate land of Canaan (Ezekiel 36:33). Even those areas thought by passers-by to be beyond reclamation would be productive again (Ezekiel 36:34). Reaction to the blessings (Ezekiel 36:35-36) Amazement of observers (Ezekiel 36:35): And they will say: This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. The transformation in the land causes amazement on the part of those outside the nation. The once ugly and barren land suddenly becomes as beautiful as the garden of Eden. The ruined and defenseless cities are filled and fortified (Ezekiel 36:35). Some think that Ezekiel 38:11 (no walls, bars or gates) contradicts this description of the fortification of the land. Zimmerli suggests that fortified here refers figuratively to the protection that, according to Zechariah 2:9, Yahweh offers to Jerusalem like a wall of fire. Conclusion of observers (Ezekiel 36:36): The nations that remain round about you will know that I the LORD have built the ruined places, and planted the places that were desolate; I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. Certain nations remain round about restored Israel. Obviously Israel's neighbors were not totally destroyed in the judgments previously announced by the prophet. They remain to be witnesses of Yahweh's faithfulness to his people. These nations recognize the hand of God in Israel's restoration. Through His prophets, God had announced beforehand what He planned to do. He who cannot lie always performs His word. Thus it is that through the fulfillment of prophecy, non-believers come to see the works of God in history.Petitions Answered (Ezekiel 36:37-38) God will listen to their prayers (Ezekiel 36:37): Thus says the Lord GOD: I will yet for this be petitioned by the house of Israel, to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. Earlier Ezekiel had insisted that God would not allow himself to be petitioned by the hypocritical leaders of the exilic community. Here Yahweh allows Himself to be petitioned to act on behalf of the redeemed house of Israel. They are a small band at first. But they pray for an increase in numbers (cf. Ezekiel 36:11). One of the principal concerns of those who know the Lord as savior is that others might share in the blessings of salvation. God here promises to hear that prayer and answer it. God will answer their prayers (Ezekiel 36:38): As a holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed times, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they will know that I am the LORD. As the city of Jerusalem swarmed with sacrificial animals before one of the appointed national festivals, so would the waste areas reclaimed by God’ s people swarm with men (cf. Zechariah 2:8). Ezekiel describes this flock as holy, i.e., a population that is a living sacrifice to God. The fulfillment of this promise strengthens the faith of God’ s people. They join the nations (cf. Ezekiel 36:36) in acknowledging the supremacy of Yahweh. The promises of the repopulation of Canaan began to be fulfilled in the return of the Jews to Canaan in 538 B.C. But earthly Canaan was but a type of that better country promised to the people of God from the time of Abraham (Hebrews 11:9-10; Hebrews 11:16). The return to Canaan after Babylonian exile was at the same time a fulfillment of a promise, and the down payment of a promise. True Israelites, through faith in Christ, have left the bondage of the world. They have come into spiritual Canaan (Hebrews 12:22). Properly understood, Ezekiel 36:22-38 points to the spiritual realities of this present gospel age.Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Six Verse 1 ISRAEL'S RETURN TO ; AND THE NEW This chapter falls into two major divisions: (1) the external restoration of Israel to their homeland (Ezekiel 36:1-15), and (2) the spiritual restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 36:16-38). The smaller subdivisions will be noted below in our commentary. THE OF ALL EDOMEze_36:1-7"And thou, son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and the ancient high places are ours in possession, therefore prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the nations, and ye are taken up in the lips of the talkers, and the evil report of the people; therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and a derision to the residue of the nations that are round about; therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land unto themselves for a possession with all the joy of their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey. Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains and the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because ye have borne the shame of the nations: therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, I have sworn, saying, Surely the nations that are round about you, they shall bear their shame.""To the mountains and to the hills of Israel" (Ezekiel 36:1; Ezekiel 36:4; Ezekiel 36:6)). The hills are included here as one of the outstanding physical features of Palestine and have no reference to the idolatrous worship associated with the high places during Israel's residence there. "Throughout the first fifteen verses of this chapter, there is a studied contrast with what was stated concerning Edom in the previous chapter."[1] Many have pointed out that Ezekiel 35 and the first fifteen verses here are actually a single chapter. "These first seven verses betray an intensity of patriotic feeling not often seen in Ezekiel; it seems that the outrages of the nations against Israel are still in his mind as he begins this prophecy of future blessing for Israel."[2]Note that the word "therefore" is used six times in this single paragraph, followed each time with the words, "Thus saith the Lord." "On the lip of the talkers ..." (Ezekiel 36:3). This is an effective expression for the slanderers who were taking advantage of Israel's being cast out of Palestine to push their blasphemous charges that Jehovah was a defunct god, no longer able to protect or bless his people. It was precisely this attitude of the pagan nations of that era that required God's destruction of them. In the universally accepted theology of the pagan world of that time, the only gods were the local deities, identified with geographical limitations; and many of the Hebrews (Jonah, for example) held the same view. Therefore, if disaster befell a people, it proved the incompetence and weakness of the god of their land. This emphasizes what a compound tragedy the apostasy of Israel actually was, not merely for themselves, but for all men. The apostasy of Israel demanded God's destruction of their state and the captivity of their people; and then the pagan reaction and blasphemous charges based on that disaster required the destruction of the pagan world itself. "I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom ..." (Ezekiel 36:5). This emphasizes the connection with Ezekiel 35. "Edom here stands as a representative of all pagan nations."[3]A summary of the meaning of these first fifteen verses is that, "The highlands of Seir (Edom) which seemed to be beginning an era of great prosperity will lose all the trump cards they think they hold; and the highlands of Israel, which seemed to have lost all hope and all power of recovery, will not only survive but will enjoy a period of unparalleled prosperity, to the disappointment of their enemies."[4]Verse 8 "But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown; and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be builded; and I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited after your former estate, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more bereave them of children. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because they say unto you, Thou land art a devourer of men, and hast been a bereaver of thy nation; therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nation any more, saith the Lord Jehovah: neither will I let them bear any more the shame of the nations, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the peoples any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nation to stumble any more, saith the Lord Jehovah."ISRAEL'S TO (Ezekiel 36:8-15) "They are at hand to come ..." (Ezekiel 36:8). Despite the fact that about forty years would yet expire before Israel reentered Palestine, their repatriation is represented as something "at hand." This is in keeping with the custom of all the prophets of considering that anything God has promised to do is actually "at hand," regardless of exactly when it will occur. The promise of God makes itas sure as if it had already happened. Pearson has summarized the promises of Israel's re-entry into Palestine as inclusive of: "(1) The wonderful fruitfulness and productivity of the land; (2) the re-population of Palestine; (3) the elimination of scarcity; (4) freedom from reproach; and (5) the security and prosperity of the nation in a degree even surpassing their former estate' and the time of their `beginnings.'"[5]We agree with Cook that these great promises of material blessings in their ultimate meaning were typical of the spiritual blessings in the times of Messiah; "But we may not doubt that the prophecy had as its first objective the return of prosperity to the land and the people, after their return from Babylon."[6]The sad thing is that this projected picture of the restored Israel in Palestine never turned out that way at all. There are two explanations offered by different schools of thinking as to the meaning of this fact. (1) The millennialists postpone the actual and complete fulfillment of these promises to some future time during the Millennium. (2) Others point out that, since all of God's promises are contingent, absolutely, upon some acceptable degree of obedience and cooperation of the people themselves to whom the promises came (See Jeremiah 17:7-10), and that no such obedience or cooperation on the part of Israel ever occurred, the prophecies have never been fulfilled, nor will they ever be. The continued apostasy of Israel, the further development of that judicial hardening already pronounced against the race of Israel by Isaiah 6:9, never diminished, but became worse and wore, until it was confirmed by Jesus Christ himself as terminal and irrevocable (Matthew 13:14 f), resulting finally in their rejection and murder of the Christ himself when he came, incurring the judgment of destruction upon the nation and their city of Jerusalem, as recorded inMatthew 24, a judgment executed by the overthrow of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. In view of all these things, the prophecies here were unfulfilled, nor shall they ever be fulfilled. This writer accepts this explanation as correct and is fully convinced that the Jewish race, along with all other races, as such, are not vital factors at all in the problem of human redemption. God's message to all races and nations is simply this: "Whosoever will may come!" No man will ever be either saved or lost eternally on the basis either of his race or his "nation." Salvation, beginning with the Advent of Jesus Christ and ever afterward is an individual matter. All of the wonderful things prophesied of Israel in this chapter, as regards their physical and temporal welfare, were things God intended to do and would have done if Israel had done their part. Look what Israel did. When God ordered them to go back to Palestine, and when Cyrus the king of Persia himself authorized their departure and even paid part of the cost, only a pitiful little handful of the captives responded. The vast majority, according to Josephus, already growing wealthy in Babylon, elected not to go. And the group that went, look what they did. Malachi records that the priesthood itself turned out to be a bunch of robbers, robbing God himself; and the people were not paying their tithes, nor doing anything else that Jehovah had commanded; and even the ones who brought sacrifices brought the sick, the lame, and the blind and other illegal sacrifices. God even cursed the reprobate priesthood. Malachi even challenged the people to obey the Law of Moses and to bring the whole tithe into God's storehouse, "Prove me now, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). Did it happen? Certainly not. The wickedness of Israel prevailed. This same wickedness prevented many other of the projected blessings of Israel from being given by the Lord. And yet, enough of the promises were fulfilled to encourage and bless the remnant who "waited for the kingdom of God." They were indeed returned to Palestine; the cities were rebuilt, the land repopulated, and they were the objects of God's signal protection, especially from the ravages of Alexander the Great in the fourth century B.C. Also the hand of God is clearly seen in many other inter-testamental developments: (1) the provision of the Greek language as the near-universal medium of communication, (2) the tragedy leading to the building of synagogues, (3) the events leading to the reading of the prophets, along with the Law, in the weekly sabbath services, (4) the complete disillusionment of the whole pagan world with the prevailing paganism of the times, and (5) the development of the judicial hardening of all mankind as a prelude to the First Advent of Christ. Also, throughout this period, the preservation of the Jewish records of the genealogies of the tribes and of the House of David made it possible for Jesus Christ Himself to be positively and accurately identified as the legitimate heir to the throne of David, and at the same time a descendant of David through Nathan instead of Solomon (Matthew 1 and Luke 3). Feinberg freely admitted that these prophecies were not fulfilled upon the return of Israel from Babylon, stating that, "The conditions depicted here are clearly millennial."[7] This opinion is echoed by a number of scholars; and as long as the fact of the reign of Christ in this present dispensation is understood as the Millennium, the opinion is correct. However, when the Millennium is projected as a literal thousand years reign of Jesus Christ on a literal throne in Jerusalem involving a wholesale return of racial Israel as Christ's followers, such notions must be rejected as unsupported by the Holy Scriptures. (For those who may be interested in the pursuit of this subject, see Revelation 20 of my series of commentaries on the New Testament.) "Thou shalt no more devour men ... nor bereave ..." (Ezekiel 36:13). It will be remembered that this was precisely the charge that the unfaithful spies brought against "the mountains of Israel" when they gave their evil report to Moses (Numbers 13:32). It is still not clear what lay behind such a false charge. "A land incapable of supporting its people, or wherein they suffered loss through war or other divine scourges could be said to bereave the people."[8]Whatever the basis of the saying and regardless of its truth or falsity, God here prophesied the termination of it. "Israel shall no more bear the shame of nations ... neither shall (they) stumble any more ..."(Ezekiel 36:15). As we have already seen, "That portion of the nation which returned from captivity not only continued under the rule of the heathen, but also, in various ways, they continued to bear the contempt of the nations; and eventually Israel not only stumbled, but fell very low in their rejection of the Saviour; and the nation of Israel was again conquered, destroyed and scattered; and the land was utterly devastated and wasted."[9]This projected return of Israel to Palestine implied a gathering of Israel from all the places where God had scattered them; and there is no way that the handful of returnees from Babylon fulfilled that intention upon God's part. When did such an ingathering happen.'? Cook, it appears to us, was absolutely correct when he declared that, "The reunion will be in those days when Israel shall be gathered into the Church of God."[10]Verse 16 "Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Wherefore I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood which they had poured out upon the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols; and I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they came unto the nations, wither they went, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and are gone forth out of the land. But I had regard for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, whither they went."THE REASON FOR ISRAEL'S (Ezekiel 36:16-21) "As the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity ..." (Ezekiel 36:19). The significance of this comparison lies in the fact that the Mosaic law required that a woman "in her uncleanness" was separated from the congregation (Leviticus 15:19 ff), the point being in the case of Israel that their "uncleanness" was of a type that required them to be separated from the land of Israel. "When they came into the nations ..." (Ezekiel 36:20). This paragraph points out that the continued profanation of the name of Jehovah in those countries where Israel had been scattered was due to what the citizens of those nations were saying. "In that the men said of them, These are the people of Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 36:20). The implication of pagan enemies in such remarks was that Jehovah was an incompetent and impotent god, unable to protect his people. Although not mentioned by Ezekiel here, Israel was to blame for the blasphemy that rose among the pagan nations in other ways. Paul clearly stated in Romans 2:21-24 that, "The Jews were thieves, adulterers, robbers of temples, idolaters, and transgressors of the law, and that they dishonored the name of God," by reason of whom, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles." What Ezekiel says here in no way nullifies what Paul said. The principal teaching of this whole paragraph is that the conduct of Israel, not only when they dwelt in Palestine, but afterward in the countries where they were scattered, fully justified and even demanded that God remove them from the promised land. Verse 22 "Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which hath been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land."THE OF ISRAEL (Ezekiel 36:22-31) "Which hath been profaned ... which ye have profaned among the nations ..." (Ezekiel 36:23). Let it be observed that the profanation is here indicated in its double nature, derived from the blasphemous words of the pagans, and from the conduct of Israel also. Not only did those citizens in pagan lands profane God's name, the word of the Lord states, "which ye have profaned." There is not a more eloquent passage in the Bible stressing the fact that, in the last analysis, salvation was undeserved by ancient Israel, even as it is also undeserved in the New Israel. There is no such thing as a salvation from God being merited, deserved, or earned by the ones saved. The best Christians on earth are still unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10), even as were the citizens of ancient Israel. The reason for ancient Israel's return from captivity was not their merit, but the glory of God as required by his eternal purpose. "I will bring you into your own land ..." (Ezekiel 36:24). Yes indeed, God did it through his servant Cyrus, just as he had promised more than a century earlier. There cannot possibly be any doubt that such an event as Cyrus' sending Israel back to Palestine would have been hailed as a signal act of God all over the world. The reestablishing of Israel in Canaan was a giant step indeed toward the redemption of the reputation of Jehovah as the God of all nations. What a shame it was that Israel's response was so inadequate, yet sufficient for God's purpose. Verse 25 "And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stoney heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will save you from your uncleanness: and I will call for the grain, and will multiply it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the vine, and the increase of the field, that ye may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations. Then shall ye remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and ye shall loathe yourselves in you own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations."THE OF ISRAEL"Ye shall be clean from your filthiness ... a new heart will I give you ... I will put my Spirit within you ..." (Ezekiel 36:25-27). As Pearson analyzed this cleansing of Israel, it consisted of three steps: "(1) the forgiveness of sins; (2) regeneration; and (3) the reception of the Holy Spirit."[11] Significantly, none of these was available under the Law of Moses. Only under the gracious terms of the New Covenant has there ever been available to mortal men such blessings as these. There was no forgiveness of sins under Moses; there was no Holy Spirit within all the people; there was no regeneration. Conservative scholars have no trouble at all with this passage. The cleansing of Israel will take place in the kingdom of Messiah established by the First Advent of the Son of God. Just as the terms of Israel's peace, prosperity, and security in regard to their possession of Canaan were conditional; so also are the promises here with regard to their forgiveness, their regeneration, and their receiving the Spirit of God. The double tragedy is that Israel's hardening and rebellion against God hindered their return to Palestine and greatly reduced the blessings; and the second phase of it was that, for the vast majority of them, they rejected the Christ, preferring to die in their sins. "This prophecy teaches that this cleansing of Israel would be through the New Covenant, as in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This would follow the return of Israel to Canaan, where, in time, the people would accept the Messiah as their Saviour through whose death sin would be forgiven; their former iniquity would be remembered no more; they would despise themselves for their former sins; and in possession of a new heart and the Spirit of God, they would lead righteous lives."[12]The new Testament reveals that this projection was frustrated, although not completely, by the apostate and rebellious Israel. That "righteous remnant" mentioned ages previously in the writings of the great prophets of God persevered in their devotion to the kingdom of heaven. The relatively small group who were faithful to the Word of God rallied around the holy apostles of Jesus Christ, forming the nucleus of the New Israel of God, under whose leadership virtually the whole world were turned to Christianity. There is nothing in all history to compare with this. "I will sprinkle clean water upon you ..." (Ezekiel 36:25). This metaphor probably came from the Mosaic law which prescribed the sprinkling of water mingled with ashes of a red heifer in the ceremonial cleansing of certain guilt. However, since the whole passage speaks of the New Covenant, it appears that Hebrews 10:22;John 3:5; Ephesians 5:25-26; Titus 3:5, etc. provide the true anti-type of which the Levitical sprinkling was only a symbol. "It is clear enough in this passage that the physical return of Israel to Canaan does not hold the center of the stage; this was only a preliminary to the bestowal of salvation upon all men."[13]"I will call for the grain, and multiply it ..." (Ezekiel 36:29). It is strange that commentators do not make more of the fact that the rich and abundant places of the earth today are precisely those lands which operate under Christian principles, and where, although imperfectly, God through Jesus Christ is worshipped continually by vast numbers of the people. In the last dozen years, the United States alone has been feeding half of the vast empire of the Russians, where Christianity has been outlawed for three generations. Does this tell us anything? We believe that it does. Where are the vast populations of earth suffering from famine and starvation? It is precisely in those places where there is the least evidence of any knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. May our beloved nation never forget the source of their bounty, attributing it to themselves, their system of government, their economic system, or anything else except Almighty God "from whom all blessings flow!." Cook has wisely noted that in Ezekiel we have a shift of emphasis from the nation or the country to the individual, "From congregation to the individual, from the letter to the spirit, from the Law to the Gospel, and from Moses to Christ."[14] To this we would add, "from the Old Israel to the New Israel." Verse 32 "Not for your sake do I this, saith the Lord Jehovah, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day that I cleanse you from your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be builded. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, Jehovah, have builded the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Jehovah, have spoken, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock. As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of. Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with the flocks of men: and they shall know that I am Jehovah."THE GREAT IS GOD'S GLORY (Ezekiel 36:32-28) "In the day that I cleanse you from your iniquities ..." (Ezekiel 36:33). This means that all of the great temporal blessings promised for Israel will come after the New Covenant has been established, and after Israel has accepted it, that at that time God will pour out all of these rich blessings upon Israel. Of course, that is not the way it turned out; but it is the way that it would have turned out if Israel had only accepted the Lord when he came. What really happened was that Israel not only rejected the Saviour, they contrived his crucifixion by a cunning combination of suborned testimony, political pressure, and mob violence. They manufactured lies about his resurrection, they opposed with the bitterest hatred the work of the holy apostles and successfully enlisted the power of Rome itself against the Church. In that last sin, they also accomplished their own destruction. For Rome learned that the Church of Christ was a legitimate offspring of Judaism; and having been set against the Church through Judaistic efforts, Rome decided to destroy Judaism also. This resulted in the war against Jerusalem itself, the destruction of the Temple and the City, the murder of 1,100,000 of the Jewish people, the sending of 30,000 of them back into Egypt as captives, and a bitter campaign against Jews throughout the ancient Roman empire. The contrast between this tragic record of what really happened and what God had intended emphasizes the awful consequences of Israel's refusal to accept Christ, not merely for Israel, but for the Church and for all mankind. Despite this dismal tragedy which is verified not only by the New Testament but by the full history of the first century of this era, there are still people on earth who suppose that all of the wonderful things God promised to Israel in this chapter with reference to the vast population, the great cities, and the abundant prosperity are still going to happen. Feinberg caught the spirit of this expectation in these words: "The words of this chapter should fill us with joy. Is there not something the Lord wants you to do to work toward the day of Israel's deliverance and glory."[15]Our Saviour wept aloud over the failure of Israel to receive the glory God intended, saying: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, but ye would not (Matthew 24:37). If thou hadst known in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, when thine enemies shall cast a bank about thee, and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side, and they shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation (Luke 19:42-44)." This is exactly what happened to the old Israel and it affords a dramatic contrast with what Ezekiel prophesied and what could have happened except for Israel's apostasy and judicial hardening. Now should we pray for the day to come when the old racial Israel is going to be restored to glory? No! All of the glorious promises that once belonged to racial Israel now pertain exclusively to the New Israel. There is no revealed formula by which ancient peoples who missed their opportunities shall be able to find them again. The Saviour wept over their loss, but he could do nothing about it, and neither can we. Ezekiel 36:1. Mountains, rivers, etc., are inanimate objects and incapable of receiving any communication of an intellectual character. Notwithstanding, this chapter through verse 15 is addressed to them and it will be necessary to keep that in mind in order to understand the sentence construction. We will bear in mind, of course, that all the good things that are said to and about the land are for the sake of the people of Israel who are again to return from captivity to their own land. Verse 2. The land of Palestine had been made desolate by the heathen nations, the Assyrians and Babylonians, and they were boasting about it as if It had been solely through their own superior strength that it was accomplished. Aha is an expression that implies a feeling of derision and triumph. Ezekiel 36:3. They [the heathen nations] have made you [mountains of Israel] desolate. The Lord’ s motive in giving the land into the hands of the heathen was to chastise Israel. The motive of the heathen was that they might take possession of it for tlieir own persona! profit. Such a motive was wrong and the Lord determined to repossess the land for His peple. Infamy means slander and the land of Palestine was so spoken of by the people of the world. Ezekiel 36:4. God was grieved and made furious because of the haughty spirit of the heathen, although He had used them as instruments in chastising the disobedient Israelites. He therefore delivered a favorable prediction to the mountains, hills, rivers, valleys and other parts of the desolated land. Ezekiel 36:5. This verse is a summing up of the complaints that God had against the people of Idumea (Edom) and the other heathen nations. Appointed my land into their possession means these heathen countries claimed the possessing of the land of Palestine was by their own appointment, whereas they were able to obtain it only because God willed it so. The evil attitude in the matter stirred up the fire of God’ s jealousy and He was determined to "take the side” of the oppressed land. The foregoing verses of this chapter may well be regarded as introductory to the special prophecy that God is about to make on bebalf of the land of Palestine. They state the reasons for the predictions which will now follow. Ezekiel 36:6. For the sake of brevity we will consider the word land as including the mountains and rivers and all other geographical parts of the country. Ye (the land) have borne the shame of the heathen means the nations had desolated the land and that provoked the Lord to jealous fury. Ezekiel 36:7. When a nation is subdued it is held up to shame in the eyes of others, God had decreed that all the heathen who had desolated His land should be thus shamed. Ezekiel 36:8 The land of Palestine had not been damaged by the heathen, but it had been made to lie uncultivated. That was in order for It to enjoy its sabbaths. (See Leviticus 26:34-35; Leviticus 26:43.) The most significant thought is in the words to my people. Even had the land produced anything in the 70-year captivity, the people of Israel could not have used it because they were exiles in a country far away. Ezekiel 36:9. This verse is virtually the same prediction as the preceding one. Ezekiel 36:10. Remember, the pronoun you. stands for the laud of Palestine. The men to be multiplied upon it will be those of the Israelites who will be permitted to return from captivity, to rebuild and inhabit the cities as before. Ezekiel 36:11, This verse continues the prediction that Israel will increase in population upon the land. Settle . . . old estates. The last word has no separate one in the original. The clause means that the people of Israel will settle on this land as they formerly did. Once more, the great object to be obtained is mentioned, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 36:12. This verse is virtually all literal and contains its own explanation to a great extent. The Lord promises the land that His people will be permitted to walk upon it and possess it. Bereave is from skakol, which Strong defines as follows: "A primitive root; properly to miscarry, i.e., suffer abortion; by analogy to bereave (literally or figuratively).” The statement represents the land to have previously cast out the people who were living in i t That was entirely just, for they had mistreated it by defrauding it of its 7th-year rest for so long. It is as if the land said to the Jews: "You have overworked me until I have been cheated out of 70 years of rest; now yon must leave me until I regain that many years.” The prediction of the verse 1b that such a revolution will never occur again. Ezekiel 36:13. When misfortune comes upon a man he sometimes will blame it. upon another person or thing, when perhaps he is to blame himself. And so it was that when Israel was cast out of her own land she was inclined to accuse it for the calamity. (A similar circumstance is found in Numbers 13:32 with the 10 spies who returned to Moses.) Ezekiel 36:14. However the preceding ac-cusation may be, it shall not occur again, for nothing like a national removal from the land will be done in the future, Ezekiel 36:15. The land of Palestine is still the thing to which the language is addressed. The same assurance is given that it will receive its rightful citizens again, thereby being freed from the shame under which it will have lain for 70 years. Ezekiel 36:16-17. A few verses will consist. of a direct message of God to Ezekiel in the nature of explanation and for his information. He recounts the events in the history of Israel while they were still in their own land. Their conduct was so corrupt that the Lord likened it to the condition of an unclean woman. Ezekiel 36:18. This verse explains why the house of Israel is at the very time all in the land of Babylon, except the comparatively few stragglers yet to be rounded up and taken if there should be any such still In Palestine. Ezekiel 36:19. Dispersed through the countries. The Babylonian Empire was made up of many small countries and kingdoms, and the captives were scattered out among them by the Babylonians after they brought them from Palestine. Ezekiel 36:20. When the Israelites came into the region of the heathen they were made the subject of sneers by those foreign people. They [the heathen] profaned my holy name refers to the scoffing remarks that were made by these heathen folks among whom the Lord had made his people to come. They belittled the unfortunate people of Israel by remarking that they had been thrust out of the land although they were the Lord's people. But we have seen more than once that God would never tolerate any rejoicing over His people regardless of how much they deserved the chastisement. Because of all this He has pity for his people and has determined to bring them out of their captive condition after they have been put through the necessary trial. Very logically, then, the next subject that God will give the prophet to deliver to Israel is that of the return, which will take up all the rest or this chapter which we will study verse by verse as they come in order. Ezekiel 36:21. The house of Israel was reproached by being taken captive among the heathen, and also the holy name of God was profaned by the situation. Hence He was concerned from that double viewpoint and decreed to reverse the conditions in time. Ezekiel 36:22. The house of Israel will be receiving better treatment than it deserves when God comes to its rescue and puts an end to the captivity. But the holy name of the Lord Is at stake and He must restore It to its proper position in the eyes of the world. Ye have profaned does not mean the Israelites purposely beiitted God’ s name while in Babylon, for the opposite was the case. Psalms 137 shows the deep regard they had for everything that pertained to Him. But the mere fact that God’ s people had to be cast among the heathen because of their unfaith-fulness was a reproach to His name. Ezekiel 36:23. Sanctify comes from qadash and Strong defines it as follows: "A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe aa) clean (ceremonially or morally)." According to the definition the word can apply to that which is already clean and holy, as well as to cause something to be so. That is why a writer may properly speak of sanctify-ing the Lord and his name. The great name of God had been profaned among the heathen and He purposed to clear it of all such a cloud, and prove to the whole world that the name of Jehovah is and always has been clean and holy. The condition that impiied any question about the Lord’ s name was the enslavement of His people in a heathen land. They must be rescued from such impure surroundings and be separated from all the moral and religious taint clinging to them. Ezekiel 36:24. This identical prediction has been made a number of times (Deuteronomy 30:3; Jeremiah 23:3; Ezekiel 11:17; Ezekiel 20:41; Ezekiel 34:13). It is a prophecy that was to be fulfilled when the Jews were released from their bondage in the various countries that made up the great Babylonian Empire. Ezekiel 36:25. This verse pertains to the same people and conditions referred to in the preceding one, not to anyone of our day. God’ s people had been corrupted by the false worship of the heathen among whom they had been living for 70 years. It was required of tlie Jews that if they came in contact witli something that was sinful and unclean, they should be purified by the use of a solution called wafer of separation (Numbers 19). In allusion to that ceremony the Lord promises to cleanse his people from their pollutions obtained from contact with idolatrous nations. Since the prediction was to be fulfilled upon the whole Israelite nation living at the end of the captivity, and also since a full record of that great purifying event Is in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we know the sprinkling o£ clean water on them was figurative. The result of their entire experience was to cleanse or cure them from idolatry. See the historical note on this subject at Isaiah 1:25 in volume. 3 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 36:26, A complete change of heart is the meaning of this verse. We know that the human heart as to the body is literally flesh, therefore we must understand this language to he figurative. It means their heart (mind) had become hardened in sin and the captivity was going to humbl6 them and make them yield to the law of God. Ezekiel 36:27. The reformation that, the captivity was destined to bring about in the lives of the people of Israel was to result in a better spirit or mind toward God. They were to have such an abhorrence for heathenism that the law of God will be their delight, thereby causing them to walk in its instructions. Ezekiel 36:28. The books of Ezra and Nehemlah give the history of the repossession of Palestine by the Jews. Be my people means they would be a group of people forming a nation, and that it would recognize the Lord as the true God instead of the heathen gods whom they formerly worshiped. Ezekiel 36:29, The leading thought in this verse is the promise of prosperity in the iand. God had at certain times punished his people by bringing a famine on tlie land (Rth 1:1; 2 Samuel 21:1; 1 Kings 18:2 : 2 Kings 6:25; 2 Kings 8:1). Sometimes it was brought about by bringing a hostile army in to lay siege to the cities, and at the other times the Lord caused it. directly by withholding the rain in its season. The prediction is that the land will not again be so visited. Ezekiel 36:30. This is virtually the same thing promised in the preceding verse, with the added thought that a famine in a country encourages it to be reproached. Ezekiel 36:31. This verse makes another reference to the cure from idolatry that was to result from the 70-year captivity. (See the note cited in verse 25.) Ezekiel 36:32. This verse takes the same comments as verse 22. Ezekiel 36:33. The bearing of this verse is that Israel would not be permitted to reinhabit the cities of Palestine until they were cured of the chief evil of idolatry. Ezekiel 36:34. The land did He desolate during the captivity because the Lord desired it to regain the rest supposed to be coming to it under the law of the sabbatical year. Ezekiel 36:35. Eden is derived from a word defined ''pleasure" in the lexicon. It is used figuratively to describe a place that is “ pleasant to the sight” (Genesis 2:9). The thought is that the land of Palestine, so long in a state of desolation, was again to be put under cultivation. Ezekiel 36:36. The renewal of the land into a state of fruitful life was to be proof that God is able to do a thing after He has spoken it. Ezekiel 36:37. There was a time when God ignored his people when they made inquiries of him (Eze 14: 3; 20: 3, 31), but after their reformation they will he heard. The further assurance is given that when they make their petitions known they will be favored with an increase of population. Ezekiel 36:38. The flocks that would appear at Jerusalem at the time of the solemn feasts would be the best in quality, because no other kind was accepted for that service. This is a comparison to the condition of things after the return from Babylonian captivity and settlement in the home land. Ezekiel 37 REBIRTH OF THE NATIONEzekiel had been promising God’ s people a bright future with new leadership in a new Canaan. These promises, however, were met with as much skepticism as his earlier message announcing the 586 B.C. overthrow of Jerusalem. The destruction of their temple led to the shattering of their faith. They were absolutely convinced that their dead and disjointed nation could never live again. By means of a vision (vv 1-14) and a symbolic action and an oracle (vv 15-28), Ezekiel responded to their despondency.VISION OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES Ezekiel 37:1-14 Observation of the Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-3) A trip to the valley (Ezekiel 37:1): The hand of the LORD was upon me, and the LORD brought me out in the Spirit, and set me down in the midst of the valley. It was full of bones. Thanks to the Negro spiritual, Ezekiel’ s vision of the dry bones is perhaps the best known passage in the book. The prophet felt the hand of the Lord, i.e., God’ s power overwhelmed him. He was carried in the Spirit, i.e., mentally, to the middle of the valley, perhaps the same valley where Ezekiel earlier had seen a vision (cf. Ezekiel 3:22). The floor of that valley was littered with the bones of dead men. A trip through the valley (Ezekiel 37:2): He caused me to pass by them round about. Behold, there were very many upon the surface of the valley; and, behold, they were very dry. The Lord directed his prophet to move about in that valley. As he did so, Ezekiel was impressed with two facts: (1) the bones were numerous; and (2) they were very dry, having lain exposed to the elements for many long years. A question about the valley (Ezekiel 37:3): He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live again? I said, O Lord GOD, You know. In order to heighten the prophet’ s interest and give him a fore gleam of what was about to transpire, God asked Ezekiel a question: Can these bones live? From the human standpoint, nothing seemed more remote. Ezekiel, however, would not underestimate the power of God. If the Lord so willed, those moldering bones could live.Prophecy to the Bones (Ezekiel 37:4-6): He said unto me, Prophesy over these bones. Say unto them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. (Ezekiel 37:5) Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, Behold, I am about to cause spirit to enter into you, and you will live. (Ezekiel 37:6) I will put sinews upon you, and bring upon you flesh. I will cover you with flesh, and put spirit in you. You will live; and you will know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel was told to prophesy to those bones— to bid them to hear God’ s word (Ezekiel 37:4). What discouraged people most need to hear is his word. God would resurrect those skeletons by means of a process that he describes in reverse order. Life-giving spirit will be imparted to those corpses (Ezekiel 37:5). Perhaps this is mentioned first so as to underscore the point that God is the source of life for his people.Of course sinew, flesh and skin must first cover those skeletons. This miraculous and mass resurrection once again underscores the deity of the only God who can dare to make such a prediction (Ezekiel 37:6).Resurrection of the Bones (Ezekiel 37:7-10): Initial stage (Ezekiel 37:7-8): So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound. Behold, a shaking! Bones came together, bone to its bone. (Ezekiel 37:8) I saw, and, behold, sinews and flesh came upon them. Flesh covered them above; but no spirit was in them. Ezekiel did as he was told. As he prophesied, he heard a sound. Suddenly a commotion— a shaking— erupted all over the valley as the bones began to unite (Ezekiel 37:7). Then over those naked skeletons flesh began to appear. Still there was no life in the corpses (Ezekiel 37:8). Further directive (Ezekiel 37:9): He said unto me, Prophesy unto the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe on these slain ones that they may live. Again Ezekiel was told to prophesy, this time to the spirit or breath of life. Ezekiel was to command the spirit to come and breathe upon the slain. The term slain is used because the bones have become bodies again. They are now lying there like corpses. The breath of life that once had animated those corpses is thought of as having been scattered to the four winds, i.e., in all directions. Through this mighty prophetic prayer, Ezekiel summoned the life-giving spirit to return from wherever it may be. Second stage (Ezekiel 37:10): So I prophesied as he commanded me. The spirit, came on them. They lived! They stood on their feet, an exceeding great host. The prophet again did as he was told. The breath of life returned to the corpses, and they lived. A great host all over that valley stood up.Explanation of the Bones (Ezekiel 37:11-14): The despondency of the exiles (Ezekiel 37:11): He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they are saying, our bones are dry; our hope has perished; we are cut off. The dry and disjointed bones are a sad symbol of the entire people of Israel. The Northern Kingdom of Israel, and now the Southern Kingdom of Judah as well, had been destroyed and left desolate. The scattered survivors of the two kingdoms could in no sense be considered a nation any longer. Using the language of Psalms and Proverbs, the people lament their sad condition in Babylon. Bones are representative of the whole person (e.g., Psalms 31:10). Our bones are dried up, they cried. A downcast spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22). The hope of ever again existing as a nation had perished (cf. Ezekiel 19:5). They compare themselves to limbs severed from the body—cut off, never again to be united in a living organism (v 11). Nationally they were dead and disjointed with no prospect of anything better. Opening of graves (Ezekiel 37:12-13): Therefore, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will bring you unto the land of Israel. (Ezekiel 37:13) You will know that I am the LORD when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. Ezekiel begins, not by belittling the exiles' assessment of their situation, but by confirming it. He speaks of their graves. Politically they are dead! God had a positive word for those discouraged exiles. The graves (i.e., the foreign lands) where God’ s people were languishing in captivity will be opened. Israel will be resurrected from those metaphorical graves and restored to Canaan (Ezekiel 37:12). This stupendous miracle of national resurrection will cause the people’ s faith in the Lord to be firmly established (Ezekiel 37:13). Empowerment by the Spirit (Ezekiel 37:14): I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and done it (oracle of the LORD). Only the impartation of God’ s life-giving Spirit can effect such a revival. Only the action of God can bring them back to their own land. The God of Israel not only has the prescience to predict the future, he has the power to perform his word.ORACLE OF THE TWO STICKSEze_37:15-28 The preceding vision portrayed Israel's restoration from exile as a miracle equivalent to a mass resurrection of corpses. Now Ezekiel goes a step further. He describes this resurrection as a reunion into one kingdom of the two kingdoms (Israel and Judah) that had been hostile neighbors for over two hundred years.Instructions to the Prophet (Ezekiel 37:15-17): Revived Israel will be a unified nation. The schism that occurred in 931 B.C. between the northern tribes and Judah will be a thing of the past. To symbolically portray this reunion of the tribes, Ezekiel was told to take two sticks— emblems of the royal scepters— and to label each. The first stick (Ezekiel 37:15-16 a): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (16) Now as for you, son of man, take for yourself a stick. Write upon it: For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions. The first stick represented Judah and those of the children of Israel who had allied themselves with Judah. The tribe of Benjamin, though related to the northern tribes, chose to remain loyal to the Davidic dynasty in 931 B.C. The second stick (Ezekiel 37:16 b): Then take another stick. Write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel his companions. The second stick represented Joseph, the Northern Kingdom. Here, as frequently in the Old Testament that kingdom is called Ephraim after the largest and most influential tribe of the north. All the house of Israel refers to the other nine tribes who joined Ephraim in constituting the Northern Kingdom. The joining of the sticks (Ezekiel 37:17): Bring them near one to the other into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. The prophet was to take the newly inscribed sticks and bring them near one to the other. This is the same verb (qarab) that describes the joining together of the bones in Ezekiel 37:7. Ezekiel was to hold the sticks end-to-end to make it appear that they were one stick. Declaration to the People (Ezekiel 37:18-20): When the children of your people say to you: Will you not declare to us what you mean by these things? (Ezekiel 37:19) Say unto them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph, that is in the hand of Ephraim, and tribes of Israel his companions, and I will put them upon the stick of Judah. I will make them to be one stick. They will be one in my hand. (Ezekiel 37:20) The sticks upon which you have written will be in your hand before their eyes. Ezekiel's actions were designed to provoke interrogation and provide a preaching point (Ezekiel 37:18). When asked about the sticks, Ezekiel was to explain the parable thusly: All the tribes that had joined Ephraim in the secession of 931 B.C. will be joined with Judah to form a single kingdom. This reunification will be a divine act brought about by the hand (power) of God (Ezekiel 37:19). Holding the sticks together in his hand (Ezekiel 37:20), Ezekiel was to amplify this reunification theme. Explanation of the Parable (Ezekiel 37:21-28): A unified nation (Ezekiel 37:21-22): Say unto them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the children of Israel from among the nations where they went. I will gather them from round about, and bring them into their land. (Ezekiel 37:22) I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel. One king will be king to all of them. They will no longer be two nations, nor will they be divided anymore into two kingdoms. Israelites as well as Jews will be gathered up from exile and brought to Canaan (Ezekiel 37:21). There they will form one nation with the tribe of Judah. All citizens of that kingdom will pay homage to one king (Ezekiel 37:22). Here (and in Ezekiel 37:24) Ezekiel uses the term king (melek) to refer to the ruler of restored Israel. The term he previously used for this person is prince (cf. Ezekiel 34:24). Passages similar to this are interpreted in the New Testament to refer to the gathering together of Jews and Gentiles into the one body of Christ. See Romans 9:25-26; 1 Peter 2:10. A sanctified nation (Ezekiel 37:23): They will not defile themselves anymore with their idols, their abominations and all their transgressions. I will save them out of all their dwelling places where they have sinned. I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. The citizens of the new Israel are dedicated to the Lord. Heathen practices absorbed from the pagan environment of captivity are purged from their midst. God rescues them out of those pagan lands where they are currently dwelling. The cleansed and redeemed people enter into a new relationship with the Lord. He will be their God— the object of their devotion and worship— and they will be his people— the object of his concern and blessing (Ezekiel 37:23). In Old Testament language, this verse anticipates the cleansing power of the gospel in the lives of those God brings out of the kingdom of darkness. A Davidic nation (Ezekiel 37:24-25): My servant David will be king over them. There will be one shepherd to all of them. They will walk in my ordinances, keep my statutes, and do them. (Ezekiel 37:25) They will dwell upon the land that I gave to Jacob my servant, where your fathers dwelled. They will dwell therein, they, their sons and their grandsons forever. David my servant will be prince forever. Beginning in Ezekiel 37:24 there is a subtle but clear shift from the theme of unity to that of permanence. The key word in the closing verses of ch 37 is forever. The king who rules the united kingdom is now identified. He is my servant David, not David in the flesh of course, but a scion of David’ s house (cf. Ezekiel 34:23). This king is their spiritual as well as their political ruler, for he would be their shepherd. Under the tender leadership of this shepherd-king, God’ s people faithfully carry out the commandments and ordinances of the Lord (Ezekiel 37:24). To Jacob, the ancestor of Israel, God had promised a land. The physical terrain of Canaan was but a preview of that land. The patriarchs knew this. Abraham looked for a city whose maker and builder was God (Hebrews 11:10). The redeemed children of Israel and Judah (converted Jews and Gentiles) dwell in that land forever. What land is that? Ezekiel refers to the territory (kingdom, nation) over which the glorious Prince of the house of David rules (Ezekiel 37:25). The David of this prophecy is Christ. The land over which he rules is his kingdom. A covenantal nation (Ezekiel 37:26-28): Other blessings of the coming age are spelled out in the closing verses of ch 37. Everlasting peace (Ezekiel 37:26 a): I will make a covenant of peace with them— it will be an everlasting covenant with them. The citizens of Messiah's kingdom are under a new covenant—a covenant of peace that is everlasting (cf. Ezekiel 16:60). No covenant, other than that one inaugurated by the death, and ratified by the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, could possibly be intended. Through Christ peace with God becomes a reality, and peace with man a possibility.Divine security (Ezekiel 37:26 b I will establish [them]... Messiah's subjects enjoy security under the new covenant, for God establishes (lit., gives) them.Stunning multiplication (Ezekiel 37:26 c): and multiply them. I will set my sanctuary in their midst forever. The numbers of those who recognize the authority of David's greater Son are ever increasing (cf. Ezekiel 36:10 f., Ezekiel 37:37). This echoes the old promise to the patriarchs (e.g., Genesis 12:2). God multiplies them in that Holy Land. The Book of Acts records the thrilling fulfillment of this blessed promise.Protective grace (Ezekiel 37:27 a): My dwelling place will be over them. The sanctuary of God will be in the midst of his people (Messiah's subjects) forever (Ezekiel 37:26). The physical temple erected by Zerubbabel after the return from exile was but a preview of the true sanctuary where Jesus ministers (Hebrews 8:2). This promise receives its highest realization first in the incarnation (John 1:14), next in God’ s inhabitation of the church through the Spirit (2 Corinthians 6:16), and finally in his tabernacling with redeemed men in the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3; Revelation 21:22). Just as the old temple towered over the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so in the messianic age God’ s dwelling place is over his people. This figure sets forth the idea of God’ s protective grace. Sweet communion (Ezekiel 37:27 b): I will be their God, and they will be my people. The people of God enjoy intimate communion with their Maker in the messianic day. Once again the promise only attains complete realization in the relationship of Christian believers to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 6:16). External recognition (Ezekiel 37:28): The nations will know that I the LORD sanctified Israel, when my sanctuary will be in their midst forever. The establishment of the new Israel has a profound effect upon the heathen world round about. They see the sanctuary of God (see promise 4 above) in the midst of "Israel." They recognize in the lives of the redeemed the power of God to sanctify people. Having recognized this, they seek admittance to the fellowship of God’ s spiritual Israel, the church of Christ. Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Seven Verse 1 THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES; THE AND REUNION OF JUDAH AND EPHRAIM UNDER MESSIAHHere is a remarkable prophecy of the ingathering of scattered, discouraged, and disillusioned Israel from the nations to which they had been dispersed, the repatriation of them in their homeland, and also of the unification of Ephraim and Joseph under the benign government of the Lord Jesus Christ. "This is a plain forecast of the conversion of the Jews to Christ."[1]The first part of the chapter (Ezekiel 37:1-14) employs the vision of the valley of dry bones to teach the return of captive Israel to Palestine, an event which is appropriately illustrated here as a whole army which had been slain with their bones left to bleach in the sun, being suddenly raised to full life and strength! The return of any ethnic people from the borders of any conqueror who had captured and deported the whole people would have been viewed throughout the world of that era as a totally unimaginable and impossible happening. Under the will of God, however, it occurred; and nothing could have any more appropriately symbolized such a development than does this vision of the resurrection of a valley of dry bones. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to a prophecy of the reunion of Judah and Ephraim under one king, called here "God's servant David," the scriptural name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Ezekiel 37:1-6"The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. And he caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, io, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah."THE VISION OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES (Ezekiel 37:1-6) As we understand this, it was an experience that came to Ezekiel in an inspired vision. It is not necessary to suppose that there was actually a whole valley of bleaching, unburied bones. It was the picture that came to Ezekiel in this vision. As we learn from the divine interpretation given a little later, "This prophecy does not refer to a literal resurrection of dead Israelites, but to a revival of the dead nation."[2]"It almost surpassed conception in those days that a restoration of Israel was even possible."[3] Their state had been destroyed; their king had been captured, blinded and carried away to Babylon to die; countless thousands of the people had been slaughtered; the heart of the nation had been carried to captivity in Babylon; their beloved Jerusalem was destroyed; even the Holy Temple of God had been plundered and burned. No language could adequately describe how dead and hopeless were the peoples' dreams and ambitions. The people themselves expressed this hopelessness, saying, "Our bones are dried; our hope is lost; we feel ourselves cut off." (Ezekiel 37:11). Skinner believed that this expression by the people might have suggested the figure of the valley of the dry bones.[4] Our own opinion is that God needed no help from the people in his choice of a metaphor. Scholars are divided over the question of whether or not there are eschatological overtones here relating to the general resurrection at the end of time. Some believe that the meaning is limited to the resurrection and reconstituting of Israel as a unified and visible people. It appears to this writer that the primary thrust of the passage regards the bringing of new hope and life to the discouraged and defeated Israel. However, we strongly agree with Plumptre who stated that, "Even if the doctrine of a general resurrection had not been current in Ezekiel's times, this vision was enough to have called it into existence and to have lent strong probability to its truth."[5]It has seemed very strange to us that several scholars have gone out of their way to affirm that Ezekiel had no knowledge or conviction with reference to life after death. Daniel believed in a general resurrection, and he was contemporary with Ezekiel (Daniel 12:2-4). The ante-Nicene fathers, Tertullian particularly referred this passage to the final resurrection, as did also Jerome. It has been affirmed, and we believe it, that no orthodox Hebrew ever lived who did not believe that God was able to raise the dead. Certainly Abraham believed it, as it is dogmatically declared in Hebrews 11:19; and it appears to us extremely unlikely that the prophets of God would not also have believed it. In fact Isaiah eloquently confirmed faith in the resurrection of the dead in his great prophecy of Isa 25:6-8. (See my comments on this in Vol. 1 of the Major Prophets, pp. 230,231.) Also, Hosea 13:14 speaks of victory over death and the grave, a passage quoted by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55. It would therefore be an incredible mystery if Ezekiel had been ignorant of the writings of the other prophets, and of the conviction of his illustrious ancestor Abraham, and was himself without conviction regarding the resurrection. We cannot accept such a notion. "Son of man, can these bones live ..." (Ezekiel 37:3)? "This indicates that Ezekiel had learned a lesson which few learn. Situations such as this are better left to Yahweh's providence and knowledge."[6] "This answer by Ezekiel implies that, according to human judgment, it was inconceivable that the dry bones could come to life again."[7] It is noteworthy that the apostle John when confronted with a question regarding his inspired vision in the Apocalypse responded in these same words (Revelation 7:14). Verse 7 "So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied there was a noise, and, behold, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army."EZEKIEL AS "There was no breath in them ..." (Ezekiel 37:8). Like the great miracle in God's creation of Adam (Genesis 2:7), this one also was in two phases; the breathing of the "breath of life" appears as a separate action in both instances. "Prophesy unto the wind ..." (Ezekiel 37:9). "The Hebrew word [~ruwach] is translated `wind' (KJV), `spirit,' (Revised Standard Version margin), and `breath' (American Standard Version)."[8]"Come from the four winds, O breath ..." (Ezekiel 37:9). "This expression goes back to an Akkadian idiom, also as `four wings of the earth,' standing also for the `four corners of the earth.'"[9]Verse 11 "Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it and performed it, saith Jehovah."GOD'S OF THE VISIONDespite the powerful words here regarding "coming up out of graves," we must seek the meaning here as something that would result in people entering literal Canaan (Ezekiel 37:12; Ezekiel 37:14). Long afterward Jesus Christ used almost the same words to speak of the general resurrection (John 5:27-29). However, almost in the same breath, and only a moment earlier, our Lord used nearly the same words to speak of the conversion of sinners through obedience to his word. As to the meaning here, Keil is correct in his declaration that, "All of this is nothing more than a pledge of the complete restoration of Israel"[10] as a viable people in Palestine. The physical restoration that followed, however, was partial and incomplete due to the continued sins of Israel. True, a handful returned, and after many delays built a temple; but God's presence never entered it; they never regained their independence but remained subject to heathen powers, with by far the greater part of the nation remaining among the Gentiles where God had scattered them. The true and complete restoration of Israel was scheduled for accomplishment in the First Advent of Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Messiah. God sent John the Baptist to announce the forthcoming kingdom of God and to identify the Messiah, which he effectively did; but by far the greater part of Israel rejected the message of the Great Herald, who was murdered; nor did they acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but rejected him, clamored for his crucifixion, and professed that they had "No king but Caesar!" In that circumstance, the Christ pronounced the final sentence upon the doomed and hardened race of Israel, a judgment executed upon them by Vespasian and Titus in 70 A.D. But God had not been defeated. That "righteous remnant," prophesied by Isaiah especially, rallied in love to the standard of the Resurrected Saviour, forming the nucleus of the New Israel of God, which under the leadership of the apostles spread the kingdom of God all over the world. All of the marvelous promises of the restoration and glorification of Israel were fulfilled in that New Israel and are still being fulfilled. The explanation of this vision (Ezekiel 37:11) "Makes it self-evident and without need for interpretation."[11]"Graves ..." (Ezekiel 37:13). The appearance of this word tempts us to see some kind of a literal resurrection here, but as Dummelow said, "Still the reference is not to the graves of Israelites actually dead, but to the heathen world as the grave of God's scattered and discouraged people."[12]Verse 15 "The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, And thou, son of man, take the one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions; and join them for thee one to another into one stick, that they become one in thy hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show unto us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, even the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand."ORACLE OF THE TWO JOINED STICKSThis was an enacted oracle, a kind of parable, in which the ultimate union of the two nations of ancient Israel was foretold. Ezekiel evidently prepared these two sticks and then united them in the presence of the people, who were of course accustomed to this type of symbolical behavior on the part of Ezekiel. This led to the question they immediately asked him. We are not told how Ezekiel did this, whether by interlocking notches held together by cords, or by some kind of cement. No kind of miraculous joining of the sticks is indicated in the text. The meaning of the oracle is clear enough. It foretold the eventual reunion of Ephraim and Judah, the Northern Israel and the Southern Israel, Samaria and Jerusalem under one king, thus healing the long breach that had begun in the days of Rehoboam who succeeded Solomon. "Judah and the children of Israel his companions ... and Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his companions ..." (Ezekiel 37:16; Ezekiel 37:19). It is significant here that God through Ezekiel did not recognize Ephraim as "the Israel of God," a title that Ephraim had arrogantly usurped for themselves. He appeared here in his true status as Ephraim with whom certain tribes of Israel were associated. Judah, through whom the great Davidic king would come, was always the true center of the ancient Israel, not Ephraim. "Joseph cannot alone represent the Northern kingdom, so `the tribes associated with him' are also mentioned in the inscription on his stick, thus reserving the name `Israel' for the whole people of God."[13] It is also significant, in this connection, that, `In the hand of Ephraim,' (Ezekiel 37:19) indicates that certain tribes were controlled by Ephraim; but the oracle of the united two sticks points out that they shall not remain in the hand of Ephraim, because they are, "contrasted with `mine hand' (Ezekiel 37:19), that is, the hand of God."[14]Verse 20 "And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in try hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all; neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and, I will be their God."GOD THE MEANING"And one king shall be king to them all ..." (Ezekiel 37:22). What can this mean? "The first phase of this was fulfilled when Israel came into Canaan as one people without distinction between Ephraim or Judah; and the final phase of it, their obedience to `one king,' is still future."[15] We can agree with Cook to the extent that the second phase has not been fulfilled in over two thousand years; but we cannot follow his additional comment that the complete fulfillment will come, "When all Israel shall acknowledge the rule of Christ."[16]Our position is that "All Israel" has already acknowledged Christ and serve him continually. There is no Israel (in the sense of the true Israel) who are not following the Saviour, who alone is the True Vine, the real Israel; and there is no other! Clarke has a wonderful comment on Ezekiel 37:22 - "One king shall be king to them all. Politically speaking, they never had a king from that day to this; and that grand government spoken of here must refer to some other time - to that when they shall be brought into the Christian Church with the fullness of the Gentiles, when Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall rule over them."[17]Like many other great students of God's Word, Clarke here overlooked the fact that Israel, as represented by the "righteous remnant,' the apostles of Jesus, the ingathering on Pentecost, etc. have already come into Christ who is now ruling over the true Israel of God, as seen in Matthew 19:28. Certainly that event must be associated with "the times of the regeneration," that is, the times of "the new birth," which by any logical interpretation must be identified with the current dispensation of the grace of God. Some quote Paul from Romans 11:26, "So all Israel shall be saved," as if it said "Then all Israel shall be saved," which, of course, it does not say. What is meant is that "In this manner," that is, by accepting and obeying Christ, and in no other way, but in this way alone, SO all Israel shall be saved. ("See our elaboration of this in Vol. 6 of our New Testament Series, in loco.") "One king shall be king to them all ..." (Ezekiel 37:22). "This was not Zerubbabel, who was never a king, either in fact or in name, and who ruled over a very few Jews for a very few years; whereas the king here reigns forever. Messiah is meant. The union of Judah and Ephraim alike under one king is actually a reference to the union of Jews and Gentiles (with whom Ephraim and his tribes were at that phase of history identified) under the Messiah."[18]Verse 24 "And my servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in mine ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children's children, forever: and David my servant shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them: it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanc, tuary in the midst of them forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the nations shall know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them forevermore.""And my servant David shall be king over them ... forever ..." (Ezekiel 37:24; Ezekiel 37:26). "This can be no other than Christ, of whom it was said when he was brought into the world, `He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever' (Luke 1:33)."[19]"The Messiah is here called `David,' because he shall be of the seed of David."[20] The first verse of the New Testament flatly declares that Jesus Christ is the seed of David and the seed of Abraham. "Son of David" was the universal title by which the Coming Messiah was identified in Israel in the times of Christ, not only among the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians (Matthew 22:42), but also by the blind men (Matthew 9:27), the common people (Matthew 12:23), and even the stranger from Tyre and Sidon, the Syro-Phoenician woman who came to Jesus on behalf of her daughter, even she addressed the Messiah as "Thou son of David" (Matthew 15:22). The whole world of that era knew this was the true title of the Coming Messiah of Israel. The problem was that the Jews of that generation did not want the kind of Messiah they knew Jesus to be; they rejected him and had him crucified. The Jewish leaders of that period in Jewish history passionately wanted, more than anything else in heaven or upon earth, a successful general, sitting on a white horse leading an army, who would chase the Romans out of their land and restore to them that dirty old Solomonic empire, which, when they had it, became the scandal of forty generations! "And they shall dwell in the land ..." (Ezekiel 37:25) Any fair reading of these verses indicates that God's promise actually meant that they would continue to live in Palestine generation after generation, children and children's children forever and ever under that Messianic king, the Son of David. Is it still going to happen? Why should it? Read Jeremiah 18:7-10 for the correct answer. "David shall be their prince forever ..." (Ezekiel 37:25). It should not be overlooked that, "'Prince' was Ezekiel's normal word for `King.'"[21]"And I will make a covenant of peace ..." (Ezekiel 37:26). We have already noted in earlier chapters that this `covenant of peace,' "Is none other than the New Covenant of Jer 31:31-34; it will be an everlasting covenant as well."[22] It will not be founded on national or racial considerations of any kind whatever. The whole thesis of Ezekiel is that God holds men accountable, individually, and not as nations or races. "I will ... set my sanctuary in the midst of them. My tabernacle also shall be with them ..." (Ezekiel 37:26-27). Of course, such a thing as this never happened in post-exilic Israel; but the Lord did not intend this verse as a prophecy that it would happen. "The thing promised is nothing less than the kingdom of God to be set up among them."[23] Did it happen? Most certainly it did. In the midst of them? Yes, in Jerusalem itself. On the Day of Pentecost, the word of the Lord "went forth from Jerusalem," as the prophets had foretold. It will shock some people that these marvelous prophecies are here presented as applicable solely to the reign of Jesus Christ the true Messiah and the kingdom which he established; but as Plumptre stated it: "The only feasible exegesis is that which understands Jehovah's servant David here to be the Messiah, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the writer of Hebrews said, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever (Hebrews 1:8)."[24]"And the nations shall know that I am Jehovah ..." (Ezekiel 37:28). Although this came to pass in a very significant degree, it is regrettable that all nations did not become followers of Christ, a very regrettable fact, no doubt due in part, to the unwillingness of racial Israel to accept and fully discharge her mission of accepting the Dayspring when he entered our earth life and taking the lead in inviting all the world to worship and adore him. Contrary to this fundamental purpose in the very existence of Israel, they not only rejected him and shouted for his crucifixion, but they opposed the work of the apostles, threatened to exterminate all of them, and hounded the missionaries of Christ all over Europe, until God removed, absolutely, their ability to be any further hindrance. We pity the Bible students who suppose that God still owes racial Israel anything whatever, based solely upon their being the fleshly residue of the posterity of Abraham. Neither the Holy Scriptures nor the demands of eternal justice can be supposed to teach any such thing. Ezekiel 37:1. Various imagery has been used in course of the prophetic writings to describe the predictions being made. Some of them are related to the departure from Palestine and others to the return. There were always some people who doubted the truth of these predictions and even proclaimed loudly that they would never come to pass. We have seen the exposure of the false prophets who made light of the idea that any foreign force coaid take Israel into captivity. Now at this writing the thing has occurred and the nation is actually languishing in a foreign land. But many of them seem to have forgotten all those predictions notwithstanding they are actually fulfilling them by their own situation. Now then, they are just as doubtful about the prophecies of the return and are sighing and bemoaning their fate and saying that they Will never get out of their lost estate. Hence the Lord is going to do some "acting" with the co-operation of the prophet, and demonstrate that even a nation that is dead can he brought to life again. He is going to do so by putting life and fleall on some dead bones. In the spirit means that Ezekiel will see in a vision the things that are about to happen. Ezekiel 37:2. The prophet was shown a valley that was full of bones, and he says they were very dry. They were so represented because they stood for the nation of Israel that was lo spend 70 years in the valley which was Baby-lon. In that length of time all the flesh and moisture would be decayed and gone from the bones. Ezekiel 37:3, Can these hones live was asked of Ezekiel to represent the state of mind the house of Israel had at that time. The answer thou Slowest is the prophet's way of saying that things which seem impossible to man are possible with God. Ezekiel 37:4. Prophesy upon these bones means for him to direct his speech to and for the dry bones. In the preceding chapter the Lord directed a prophecy to the land of Israel, in this He addresses Israel herself Who Is in the form of dry bones. The purpose is to give encouragement to the Jews in exile who are represented by the dry bones, and who are told to hear the word of the Lord. Ezekiel 37:5. The language is addressed to the bones because they represent the children of Israel in Babylonian captivity, and are in a state of discouragement bordering almost on total despair. Hence the Lord tells these dry bones that their breath will enter into them which Will restore them to a living condition. Ezekiel 37:6. The parts mentioned here had been removed by time and decay leaving only the dead, dry bones. Again the main point is that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 37:7. When the sinews and flesh of a body have decayed and dried up it will leave a mass of disconnected bones. These will be lying about in a state as if none of them was related to the others. Before the former life of the body can be restored, the bones must resume their attachment for each other in the proper position. Hence the prophet heard the sound caused by the rustling of these bones as the various members sought its "next of kin” in the anatomy of its own peculiar structure. Let us imagine a valley where the bones of several thousand bodies have been lying around for years, dried up and lifeless. Then let us picture a power that causes all these bones to begin moving toward their proper joints, and we will have some idea of why Ezekiel heard the noise and fett the shaking of these hones in their act of assembling. Ezekiel 37:8. But a group of dry bones that is even carefully assembled, each one forming the joint for which it was created, would immediately fall apart again were not something added to hold them together, Hence the prophet saw the flesh for the immediate union come upon the bones, and the skin around them for a general binding. So far the form of the body is complete, but as yet it is a dead body— flesh, skin and bones only, having nothing within to enable it to move. Ezekiel 37:9. Wind, winds and breath are all from EUWACtt and Strong’ s definition follows: “ Wind; by resemblance breath, I.e.. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions).” We can understand the verse means that the breath of life was ordered to enter into these bodies which had just been formed in the preceding verses. When a word is added to give the expression four winds, it means the four quarters of the earth into which the people of God had been scattered. Breathe is the verb form and has virtually the same meaning as the words already defined. That Is, the breath of life was told to enter the dead bodies that they might live. Ezekiel 37:10. Prophesied is used because the event ordered to be done was to be in the future. It was still half a century away and would be accomplished after the 70-year captivity has expired. Ezekiel 37:11. The Lord gives Ezekiel the interpretation of the foregoing symbols, leaving nothing to guesswork or uncertainty. The second half of this verse is a statement of facts being done at the very time the prophet is writing. That makes history out of the circumstance, and since history shows the fulfillment of a prophecy, I will suggest that the reader connect this with the famous prophecy of Psalms 137. Ezekiel 37:12. I will open your graves is figurative and refers to the national graves of which Isaiah wrote in chapter 22: 14 of his book. That passage is commented upon in the 3rd volume of this Commentary. Of course the fulfillment of this national resurrection means the return from Babylonian captivity, recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezekiel 37:13, Ye shall know . . . when. A prophecy does not become an evidence until it has been fulfilled, hence the Lord says that He will be known as the Lord when this great deliverance has taken place. Ezekiel 37:14. Put my spirit in you means the spirit of life for the nation will be given to Israel from God. But even the condition of life would not be completely satisfactory if one had no place to live. Hence this nation that is to be brought to life again is promised the privilege of returning to its own land. Ezekiel 37:15-16. The preceding vision was for the purpose of demonstrating the surety of the national resurrection and the possibility of the departure from the grave which was Babylon. Having given unusual but visible proof of that great event, the next subject is a description of the return with spe-cific attention to certain features of the revolution. From this paragraph through verse 23 the passage should he labeled "the return,” and the several verses will be commented upon in their order. While doing this, it should be remembered that many things that are said are true of both fleshly and spiritual Israel; the first application, however, will be to the former. In the introduction of the long bracket the prophet is directed to do some "acting” in sight of the people. He is to use a stick in his acting and it is to represent a certain portion of the children of Israel, then take another stick to be for tlie other part of them. The house of Tsrael had been divided into 2 kingdoms (1 Kings 12) and they were known as Judah and Israel when considered as separate kingdoms: they also had other designations at times. Ezekiel is to write Judah on one stick, and Ephraim (because the capital of the 10-tribe kingdom, Samaria, was in the territory possessed by that tribe) on the other. Ezekiel 37:17. There is an erroneous doctrine in the world pertaining to the so-called “ lost 10 tribes." It is maintained that the 10 tribes who went into captivity under the Assyrians were lost and that only the 2 tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were able to return to Palestine. There is not the slightest foundation for such a notion. On the other hand there is much evidence of the existence of the 12 tribes, and the present verse with the context is a positive denial of the mentioned false notion. Here are 2 sticks that are expressly named for the 2 groups of Israel, the 2-tribe and the 10-tribe kingdoms. It is also stipulated that both sticks are to be joined in such a way as to form one stick. If this means that the 10 tribes were “ lost” then also the 2 tribes were, which nobody believes. It is true that in the second or spiritual application there is to be but one tribe (that of Christ who was a descendant of Judah according to the flesh), but that is as true of the 2-tribe kingdom as it is of the other. More on this union of the 2 sticks further on In the chapter. Ezekiel 37:18. This verse shows that Ezekiel was to do his acting in the sight of the people. The fact of their asking for the meaning of the demonstration will indicate that everything was done “ above board,” that it was not an act of trickery but was all in plain sight. The thing that they could not understand was the purpose or meaning of the scene that they had so plainly witnessed. Ezekiel 37:19. This verse explains the actions of verse 17. The 2 sticks became one in the hands of Ezekiel, and the 2 groups of Israel were to be one in mine hand says the Lord. God knows the whereabouts of all things and persons, and He is able to bring all the 12 tribes together. Ezekiel 37:20. It is carefully directed that Israel shall see the performance of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 37:21. This verse is a general statement with a literal meaning, The Babylonian Empire was made up of numerous groups from the four quarters of the civilized world. The dominions that were once the Assyrian Em-pire now belonged to Babylon, and that would naturally embrace the remnants of the kingdom of Israel that had been taken by Assyria, recorded in 2 Kings 17, All of God's people scattered throughout the various localities of heathendom were to be given the privilege of returning to the home land in Palestine after the fall of Babylon and end of the 70-year captivity. Ezekiel 37:22. Make them one nation . . . neither divided into two kingdoms. The subject of the 2-tribe and 10-tribe kingdoms has not been changed in the message, hence we have a final evidence that the theory of the "lost 10 tribes” is false. Ezekiel 37:23. The most important result to be accomplished by the captivity was the cure from idolatry. The first clause of this verse repeats the prediction of that fact and the historical evidence is quoted at Isaiah 1:25. See the comments at that place in volume 3 of this Commentary. Ezekiel 37:24. The comment has been made (verse 16) that some things in this chapter would apply to both fleshly and spiritual Israel. The remainder of the chapter is a prominent specimen of that truth. In a general sense this group of verses applies to fleshly Israel restored to the land of Palestine with Jerusalem as the capital. Because of this the reference is made to David since Jerusalem was his capital. Also because under his one capital ail the 12 tribes were to be ruled after the return from Babylon. And it applies more significantly to spiritual Israel because David was the ancestor of Christ who was to be king and shepherd over all the flock of God. Ezekiel 37:25. The fleshly and spiritual sense of the prophecy are combined in one statement. Fleshly Israel did occupy Ihe land of Palestine after the return from captivity. It is also true that under Christ the son of David the people of God occupy the spiritual land of the kingdom of Christ, the church. Ezekiel 37:26. This covenant of peace is the one Paul writes about in Hebrews 8:8-12 and Jeremiah in chapter 31: 31. Sanctuary . . . evermore meaus the kingdom that was pictured to Nebuchadnezzar and was predicted to “ stand forever," Daniel 2:44. Ezekiel 37:27. Tabernacle with them indicates the close relationship that was to exist between God and his people. The church is not far off, across the sea, up in the skies, in Samaria or Jerusalem, but anywhere that has "two or three gathered together In [into]” the name of Christ, which means by His authority and according to His law. Ezekiel 37:28. The literal heathen were shown that God was with Israel when He brought them out of the captivity, as may be observed in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. And today the world may behold an institution, the church, that has stood for 19 centuries. Ezekiel 38:1-2. In this paragraph I shall endeavor to identify the persons and places that are mentioned, particularly Gog and Magog. On such a subject it is necessary to refer to authentic secular authors. The first quotation will be from Thayer’ s Greek Lexicon: Gog,..indeclinable proper name, Gog, king of the land of Magog, who it is said in Ezekiel 38 will come from the remote north, with innumerable hosts of his own nation as well as of allies, and will attack the people of Israel, reestablished after the exile: but by divine interposition he will he utterly destroyed." Funk and Wag- nails' New Standard Bible Dictionary says the following: “ Gog a name given to a race or people inhabiting some part of the ’ northern’ region. ... In Ezekiel 38, 39 God is associated with Meshech, etc., as Magog is in Genesis 10:5, and probably both refer to the same people." Some other authors make reference to this matter but I believe this is sufficient for our purpose. These people were evidently some wild or uncivilized ruffians from a territory far from the land Of Israel. After the people of Cod were brought back to Palestine following the captivity, these barbarous people invaded the land and thought to do it tnueh harm, associating with them certain other heathen groups as allies. It is against these people that Ezekiel is now instructed to write a series of predictions. Ezekiel 38:3. When considered as an individual. Gog refers to the leader among these barbarous people, or perhaps a line of kings with that common title, such as the Pharaohs in Egypt or the Edwards in England. I-Ie is singled out here as the one to whom the prophet is to address his predictions. Ezekiel 38:4. This verse predicts the counterattack that God will make against this army from the northern territory. After having rescued His people from captivity and settled them in their own land, certainly a rude force like this rough and uncivil horde will not be permitted to interfere with the peace of the country. Ezekiel 38:5-6, These verses are grouped into one paragraph because they contain many of the allies of Magog that will join in attacking the land of Israel. Ezekiel 38:7. This verse is a form of challenge to Magog lo make the best preparation possible. It is suggested (by way of taunt) that all these foreign allies stand by each other in the attack upon Palestine if they want to be sure of success. Ezekiel 38:8. After many days refers specifically to the days of the Babylonian captivity, and the latter years means the same, Land that is brought back denotes the restoration of the land of Palestine to the possession of Israel. Against the mountains of Israel means the hostile attack of Magog upon Israel’ s land, Which have been always waste refers to the condition of Palestine during the captivity. They shall dwell safely is the assurance from God that Israel shall mainiain the possession of the land in spite of the invasion of Magog and its allies. Ezekiel 38:9. Thou refers to Gog or Magog: one is the country and the other is its king. The verse repeats the prediction previously made that Palestine was going to be invaded by this barbarous company, likened to a storm and large cloud. Ezekiel 38:10. The movements of this band of heathen from the north will not be from a sudden impulse, but will be tbe result of things come into t.hy mind; will be deliberate. Ezekiel 38:11. Unwalled villages means the unfortified towns in which the people of Israel will be living with a feeling of security. They will have reason to feel that way after the captivity because God has promised them the security. The people of Magog (or Gog, as I use the terms interchangeably) will imagine they can take advantag,' of this apparent defenseless condition of the Israelites. Ezekiel 38:12. This verse tells the subject of the deliberations which the people of Magog had as stated In the preceding one. The Israelites will have acquired cattle and goods after their return from Babylon and these invaders will plot to get them. That is, it is here predicted they will do so at the time following the return. Ezekiel 38:13. Shelia, Dedan and Tar- shish were mercantile people and v. ere heathenish as were the people of Magog. For that reason they would be sympathetic toward any movement attempted against the people of God. This verse represents them as inquiring of the people of Magog about then- purpose in coming into the land of Israel. The language is in question form but tbe thought is that they hoped the invaders would take these things from the people of Israel. Being merchants themselves, they were envious of the prosperous condition of the Israelites and took delight in the prospect of seeing them spoiled, The young lions is figurative and means the princes and other leading men of these merchant nations. Ezekiel 38:14. Therefore . . . prophesy is the proper form of speech because the things that Ezekiel is to write are to take place many years in the future. Shalt thou not know it is another expression in question form, but the thought is that the good condition of Israel will be known by Gog. We know that such is the meaning, for the following verse proceeds with the activity the heathen country will manifest on account of that knowledge. Ezekiel 38:15, These hostile people will come equipped with a strong force, consisting of both horsemen and foot soldiers. They will also he accompanied with many people which means their allies, some of whom are named in verses 5 and 6. Ezekiel 38:16. In the latter days agrees with “ prophecy” in verse 14, and means that the things predicted will be later than the period of Israel’ s exile. I will bring thee agaitist my land. God never forces a good man to become a bad one, but He does sometimes use an evil person to carry out a divine purpose. In this sense these wild people of tbe northern country were to be used in the way described that the heathen (other peoples) might know the Lord. Be sanctified, in thee means that the Lord's goodness will be made manifest to these other countries when they see how He deals with this wicked army. (See the definition of “ sanctified” at chapter 36: 23.) Ezekiel 38:17. Of whom I have spoken in old time. At the time Ezekiel is writing this passage, no prediction had been made specifically against God, but similar writing had been done against other heathen nations. Moreover, the statement italicized will be in the past tense when the time of its fulfillment comes. Ezekiel 38:18. Fury come up in m.y face means God's fury will be manifest to those concerned. It will be made evident before their eyes by the things He does to the abominable invaders into the home land of Israel. Ezekiel 38:19. A good parent will chastise his child very severely when his conduct deserves it, but he will not tolerate any criticism (even though it is correct) from outside persons. Likewise the Lord will not endure the attacks or even sneers of the heathen directed against I-Iis people. Shaking in the land of Israel. Not that the people of Israel will be shaken, but tbe invaders will be thus treated who will then be trespassers in the land of Israel. Ezekiel 38:20. We know the predictions are still against Gog and the allies that will be with him when he comes to attack the land of Israel. Much of the language, therefore, must be taken figuratively. IE the fishes, fowls and beasts were literally disturbed, and tbe mountains were demolished in the land of Palestine, then the people of Israel would suffer as well as Gog. The conclusion is therefore reasonable that it is all an ideal picture of the disturbances which God will cause Gog to encounter with reference to his own situation. Ezekiel 38:21. One means of bringing defeat to an unrighteous group is to cause its own members to attack each other. (See Judges 7:22; Isaiah 19:2.) Ezekiel 38:22. Such calamities as are described here could be poured out upon Gog and liis associates without disturbing the people o£ Israel or Palestine in general. Ezekiel 38:23. The most important point to be made in these divine demonstrations will be to make all men know the Lord and to distinguish Him from all false gods. Ezekiel 39 OF GOGIn the first main division of ch 39, Ezekiel emphasizes the certainty of the overthrow of Gog by repeating the substance of what he has already said about that defeat (Ezekiel 39:1-8). He then stresses the completeness of the destruction (Ezekiel 39:9-20). OF GOG’ S Eze_39:1-8 First Oracle(Ezekiel 39:1-5) Declaration of hostility (Ezekiel 39:1): As for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say. Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. Chapter 39 gives an even more vivid description of the overthrow of Gog. The chapter begins with a declaration of divine hostility directed toward Gog (cf. Ezekiel 38:3). Maneuvered by God (Ezekiel 39:2): I will turn you about, lead you on, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north. I will bring you against the mountains of Israel. God will turn Gog about, i.e., frustrate his purpose. God leads him to his destruction upon the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 39:2). Earlier God threatened those mountains with judgment because of their idols (cf. Ezekiel 6:4-5). But after those mountains were made desolate, God promised their redemption (Ezekiel 36:1-15). Muted weapons (Ezekiel 39:3): I will smite your bow from your left hand. I will cause your arrows to fall from your right hand. Gog’ s skillful archers are of no value in the battle that transpires there. Scattered corpses (Ezekiel 39:4-5): Upon the mountains of Israel, you will fall, you and all your bands and peoples that are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to beasts of the field, to be devoured. (Ezekiel 39:5) Upon the face of the ground, you will fall; for I have spoken (oracle of the Lord GOD). Gog and all his confederates will fall on the redeemed mountains of Israel. Once and for all time the violent, imperialist powers of this world are crushed by God. The corpses of Gog are left unburied, a prey to beast and bird alike (Ezekiel 39:4). By no means will Gog be able to avert this calamity, for this destruction had been decreed by the Lord (Ezekiel 39:5). Second Oracle (Ezekiel 39:6-8) Lands of invaders devastated (Ezekiel 39:6): And I will send fire against Magog, and against the inhabitants of the isles who dwell safely; and they will know that I am the LORD. Even the lands from which the invaders came experience divine judgment. God sends a fire against those lands. The fire here, as frequently in the Old Testament, probably symbolizes warfare.God's purpose revealed (Ezekiel 39:7): My holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel. I will not defile my holy name again; and the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. No more will the heathen profanely mock the impotence of Israel’ s God. The divine presence in the midst of Israel will be obvious to all when the Lord makes known his name, i.e., his character, person, presence, in this mighty judgment upon Gog. Assurance of victory (Ezekiel 39:8): Behold, it comes, and it will come to pass (oracle of the Lord GOD); that is the day of which I have spoken. The destruction of Gog was a foregone conclusion; it was as good as accomplished. The Lord cannot lie, and he had announced it. OF THE Ezekiel 39:9-20 In stressing the completeness of the destruction of Gog, Ezekiel flashes three somewhat gruesome pictures before his readers. Immense Quantity of Spoils (Ezekiel 39:9-10): The inhabitants of the cities of Israel will go out. They will burn the weapons and make fuel of them, even the shields, bucklers, bows, arrows, hand staves, and spears. They will make fires of them seven years. (Ezekiel 39:10) They will not take wood from the field, nor will they cut down any out of the woods; for they will make fires of the weapons. They will take spoil of those who spoiled them. They will plunder those who plundered them (oracle of the Lord GOD). Ezekiel points out the immense quantity of spoil that God’ s people obtain from the fallen foe. So vast is the multitude of the enemies slain that the wood of their weapons serves God’ s people as fuel for seven years (Ezekiel 39:9). During the seven years, it is not necessary for men to resort to their usual sources of firewood. The tables are turned in that day. God’ s people take spoil from those powerful enemies who previously had plundered Israel (Ezekiel 39:10). Usually weapons left by a defeated enemy were added to the victor's cache of arms. There would be no further battles to fight. God's people have no need for weapons of war. Ezekiel is building on the old motif of the destruction of weapons of war (Isaiah 9:5; Psalms 46:10). But Ezekiel goes a step further. The weapons of Gog are converted to domestic use by God's people. Problem of Burial (Ezekiel 39:11-16) Place of burial (Ezekiel 39:11): It will come to pass in that day that I will give to Gog a place there for burial in Israel, the valley of those who pass through east of the sea. It will stop those who pass through. They will bury there Gog and all his multitude. They will call it the valley of Hamon-gog. In order to cleanse the land, the corpses of Gog's soldiers needed to be buried. God provides a burial place for them. That spot is identified as the valley of those who pass through, i.e., it was a major thoroughfare. The valley is said to be east of the sea. If Ezekiel means the Dead Sea, then the burial took place outside the normal borders Israel. NIV renders, east toward the sea, i.e., a valley through which one would travel east in the direction of the Dead Sea. In this case, the Esdraelon Valley in lower Galilee might be nominated as a likely candidate. On the other hand, if the sea is understood as the Mediterranean, then the specific valley could be any valley in the land of Israel east of that sea. Perhaps the geography is deliberately vague because it contributes nothing to the main point. The multitude of bodies blocks that thoroughfare. The valley receives the name Hamon-gog, i.e., the multitude of Gog. Initial burial effort (Ezekiel 39:12-13): In order to cleanse the land, the house of Israel will bury there seven months. (Ezekiel 39:13) Yea, all the people of the land will bury there. It will acquire for them a reputation, in the day when I am glorified (oracle of the Lord GOD). For seven months the house of Israel transports dead bodies to this remote burial spot. An unburied corpse was a defilement of the land (Deuteronomy 21:23) that had to be removed (Ezekiel 39:12). The whole population takes part in this mass burial. They will be famous for this noble and horrendous effort. They share the glory of their God in that day of victory (Ezekiel 39:13). Continuing burial effort (Ezekiel 39:14-15) Permanent committee appointed (Ezekiel 39:14): And they will set apart men of continual employment who will pass through the land burying those who remain upon the face of the ground to cleanse it. At the end of the seven months they will search. After the seven-month period, a permanent burial committee is appointed. They scour the land looking for unburied bones. Assistance of travelers (Ezekiel 39:15): When they that pass through have passed through the land and see the human bones, then a sign will be erected beside it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. Travelers aid the committee by marking any spot where they noticed bones. A commemorative city (Ezekiel 39:16): Hamonah will be the name of a city. Thus they will cleanse the land. Near that valley of Hamon-gog, a city is built to commemorate the victory over Gog. That city is called Hamonah, i.e., multitude.A Sacrificial Feast (Ezekiel 39:17-20) Invitation to the guests (Ezekiel 39:17): As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Say to the birds of every sort, and to every beast of the field: Assemble yourselves! Come! Gather yourselves on every side to my feast that I am preparing for you, even a great feast, upon the mountains of Israel, that you may eat meat and drink blood. Ezekiel depicts the horrible carnage that results from the overthrow of Gog. The slaughter of the multitude is regarded as a sacrificial feast to which the birds and beasts are the invited guests. The flesh and blood of the fallen men of Gog serve as the sacramental elements. Promise to the guests (Ezekiel 39:18-20): The flesh of the mighty you will eat. The blood of the princes of the earth you will drink. Rams, lambs, goats, bullocks, fatlings of Bashan are all of them. (Ezekiel 39:19) You will eat fat until you are full. You will drink blood until you are intoxicated because of my feast that I have prepared for you. (Ezekiel 39:20) You will be filled at my table with horses and horsemen, with mighty men, and with all men of war, (oracle of the Lord GOD). The victims of this sacrificial feast are described as rams, lambs, goats and the like (Ezekiel 39:18) that are figures for the mighty warriors of Gog (Ezekiel 39:20). The birds and beasts of prey will eat of God’ s sacrificial feast, God’ s table (Ezekiel 39:19). Eze_39:21-29 Future Revelation (Ezekiel 39:21-24) Knowledge about God (Ezekiel 39:21-22): I will set my glory among the nations. All the nations will see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have set against them. (Ezekiel 39:22) So the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God, from that day and forward. The overthrow of Gog is regarded as a divine act revealing God’ s glory, judgment, and hand (Ezekiel 39:21). Israel’ s faith would thereby be confirmed (Ezekiel 39:22). Knowledge about Israel (Ezekiel 39:23-24): The nations will know that the house of Israel went into captivity because of their iniquity, because they acted treacherously against me. I hid my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their adversaries. All of them fell by the sword. (Ezekiel 39:24) According to their uncleanness and their transgressions I dealt with them. I hid my face from them. The nations at last are convinced that Israel’ s captivity experience was not due to any lack of power on God’ s part. Rather the Lord had allowed Israel to suffer because they broke faith with me. God hid his face from them, refusing to aid them against their enemies. The idea is that Israel will prosper only when God's face is toward them. As a result, all of them, i.e., a great number of them, fell by the sword (Ezekiel 39:23). Perversity on the part of the people, not powerlessness on the part of God, was responsible for their abandonment by the Lord (Ezekiel 39:24). Present Consolation (Ezekiel 39:25-29) God's zeal for Israel (Ezekiel 39:25): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will reverse the captivity of Jacob. I will have compassion on all the house of Israel. I will be zealous for my holy name. The captivity was a time when God was hiding his face from his people. Using Ezekiel 39:23-24 as a transition, Ezekiel brings the focus back to his own time for the final movement of thought in this section. It was needful that the exiles in their distress see at the close of this far- reaching prophecy the first step in the long course of events leading to its fulfillment. That step was one of special interest and comfort to them; but even this promise is mingled with predictions that still look beyond to the distant future. Ezekiel has spoken previously of the promised restoration. He alluded to the glory of Yahweh abiding with his people in their own land. In chs 38-39, he has indicated that these promises do not go unnoticed nor unchallenged by other nations. Yahweh’ s presence does not preclude aggression against the Canaan of God. The difference is this: Yahweh will not withdraw from his people as he had done in 586 B.C. God’ s new positive relationship to his people is about to begin. He will bring back the captivity of Jacob, i.e., reverse the fortunes of his people. The whole house of Israel, i.e., all the tribes, will experience the compassion of the Lord. God will be jealous or zealous for his name or reputation. His reputation is most enhanced by the prosperity of his worshipers. Restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 39:26-27 a): They will bear all of their shame, and all their treachery that they have committed against me, when they dwell upon their land safely. None will terrify them (Ezekiel 39:27) when I have brought them back from the peoples, and gathered them out of the lands of their enemies. In their homeland, God’ s people enjoy peace and security. Their sense of gratitude toward the Lord makes them keenly ashamed of their own former waywardness (v 26). God was about to bring his people back from the lands of their enemies. New perspective of Israel (Ezekiel 39:27-28): I have been sanctified in them in the eyes of many nations. (Ezekiel 39:28) They will know that I am the Lord their God, when I have caused them to go captive unto the nations, and then have gathered them unto their own land. I will not leave any of them any more there. The restoration of Israel causes God’ s name to be reverenced by many peoples (Ezekiel 39:27). Gentiles come to see that the Lord God reveals himself in history. Yahweh brought about the captivity of his people. He also engineered their restoration to their homeland. Not one of his true people was left in foreign lands (Ezekiel 39:28). New status of Israel (Ezekiel 39:29): I will not hide any more my face from them; for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel (oracle of the Lord GOD). No more does God hide his face from his people, i.e., they would enjoy fellowship with the Lord. This glorious state of affairs exists in the age of the Holy Spirit when God has poured out his Spirit upon the house of Israel (Ezekiel 39:29). Already God had promised to pour out his Spirit on his people (Ezekiel 36:27; Ezekiel 37:14). Joel was the first prophet to make such a prediction (Joe 2:28). After the time of Ezekiel that same promise was taken up by Zechariah (Zechariah 12:10). The Gog prophecy speaks in concrete terms about the salvation that Ezekiel proclaimed after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. It therefore forms a fitting conclusion to the oracles of salvation that begin in ch 33. SPECIAL NOTE OF Ezekiel 38-39 In chs 38-39, Ezekiel is predicting an unparalleled invasion by a dreadful foe. Commentators generally concede that these chapters contain an apocalyptic element. In apocalyptic literature, the setting is usually the end of the age. This kind of literature is full of symbols, especially numerical symbols. Great catastrophes befalling God’ s people and dramatic rescues by divine agencies characterize this type of writing. Most of the characters are painted much larger-than-life in these word pictures. Deliberate vagueness and purposeful incongruities are further identifying marks of apocalyptic. One can note at least three incongruities in the Gog-Magog chapters: (1) In Ezekiel 38:4 the Lord brings Gog forth, but in Ezekiel 38:10 Gog himself devises the plan of attack; (2) in Ezekiel 38:18-22 Gog is overthrown by earthquake and storm, but in Ezekiel 39:1-2 Gog is still very much active; (3) in Ezekiel 39:4 Gog and company are devoured by birds and animals, while in Ezekiel 39:11-16 the bodies of the fallen host are buried; but again in Ezekiel 39:17-20 the carcasses of the fallen enemy are picked clean by birds and beasts. As in apocalyptic literature in general, ‘ ‘ the final catastrophe is looked at from various angles, without any attempt to trace a logical order in the sequence of events.” The purpose of apocalyptic writing such as this is the “ unveiling” of the future, not in the sense of chronicling every event prior to its occurrence, but in the sense of showing God’ s lordship over the future. It serves the function of letting the faithful know that God knows where history is heading, and that he is ultimately in control of the situation. Thus apocalyptic literature guides and strengthens God’ s people in dark days of uncertainty. Having recognized the apocalyptic elements within these two chapters, commentators are still divided as to the fulfillment of the prediction here made. Four major categories of conclusions have been formulated. The Historical Views: Some commentators hold that the invasion of Gog was an actual event, future from the standpoint of Ezekiel, but ancient history from the present-day vantage point. Gog has been identified with every outstanding general from the time of Ezekiel to the time of Christ and even beyond. Among those suggested are Cambyses king of Persia, Alexander the Great, Antiochus the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes, Antiochus Eupator, and Mithridates king of Pontus. Within this general category of approach, perhaps the strongest case can be made for equating Gog with Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus Epiphanes was a bitter opponent of the Jews in the second century before Christ. The center of his kingdom was in Antioch on the Orontes River. To the east, his territory extended beyond the Tigris. To the north, his reign extended over Meshech and Tubal, districts of Anatolia. In his excellent commentary on the Book of Revelation, William Hendriksen argues that Ezekiel's Magog represents Syria, and Gog, Antiochus. He comments as follows on the relationship between the Gog invasion of Ezekiel and that recorded in the Book of Revelation: “ . . . The Book of Revelation uses this period of affliction and woe as a symbol of the final attack of Satan and his hordes upon the church." That Ezekiel’ s description of the defeat of Gog (Antiochus) is an appropriate type of the final overthrow of the enemies of God can be seen in the following parallels pointed out by Hendriksen: The last great oppression of the people of God under the Old Testament era was sufficiently severe to typify the final attack of anti-Christian forces upon the church in the New Testament age. The armies of Gog and Magog were very numerous and came from wide-ranging territories. This would be most appropriate to symbolize the world-wide opposition to the church in the days just preceding the second coming. The persecution under Antiochus was very brief, but very severe. The tribulation through which God’ s people will pass toward the end of the present dispensation will apparently also be of short duration, but extremely severe (cf. Revelation 11:11). Defeat of Gog and Magog was unexpected and complete. It was clearly the work of God. So also will be the sudden overthrow of the eschatological Gog and Magog of the Book of Revelation. Linking the invasion forces of Ezekiel 38-39 with the hosts of Antiochus Epiphanes is an interpretation not as easily overturned as some commentators seem to think. It will not do, for example, to argue that the timeframe for the Ezekiel passage is the latter years or latter days (Ezekiel 38:8; Ezekiel 38:16). These expressions are clearly used in the Book of Daniel to include events that transpired after the Babylonian captivity. Especially weak is the argument that the apocalyptic character of these chapters necessitates a prophecy dealing with the end-time. Clearly Daniel uses highly symbolic (apocalyptic?) language to describe certain events in the intertestamental period (Daniel 8), as does Zechariah as well (Zechariah 9:11-17). Furthermore, the ruthless assault of Antiochus against Israel and the divine protection of God’ s people in the midst of that assault are major themes in the prophecies of Ezekiel’ s contemporary Daniel (Daniel 8:9-27; Daniel 11:21-35). Why should it then be thought strange that Ezekiel would devote two chapters to describing, in highly idealized language, this same invasion? The Literal Futuristic View: Some commentators believe that the invasion of Gog and Magog has not yet occurred. Ezekiel is describing the final invasion of the land of Israel by a ruthless coalition following the Millennium. Scofield popularized this view. He writes: That the primary reference is to the northern, (European) powers, headed up by Russia, all agree ‘ Gog’ is the prince, ‘ Magog,’ his land. The reference to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification. Russia and the northern powers have been the latest persecutors of dispersed Israel, and it is congruous both with divine justice and with the covenants that destruction should fall at the climax of the last mad attempt to exterminate the remnant of Israel in Jerusalem. The whole prophecy belongs to the yet future ‘ day of Jehovah’ and to the battle of Armageddon ..., but includes also the final revolt of the nations at the close of the kingdom-age . . . . A disciple of Scofield, John F. Walvoord, cites two reasons for believing that a Russian invasion of Israel is being prophesied. First, he points out that three times in chs 38-39 the invading armies are said to come from the extreme north (Ezekiel 38:6; Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2). Second, he points to the fact that Gog is said to be “ the prince of Rosh.” The nineteenth century lexicographer Wilhelm Genesius is cited as the authority for equating Russia with Rosh. The geographical argument offered by Walvoord is weak. Jeremiah frequently speaks of armies coming from the uttermost parts of the earth by which he means no more than Babylonia. In some sense Mount Zion itself is said to be situated in the uttermost part of the north (Psalms 48:2). The etymological argument offered by Walvoord linking Russia with Rosh is also weak. For one thing, the precise translation of the Hebrew term rosh is uncertain. Several modern versions render the word as an adjective modifying the word prince79 Even conceding that Rosh is a proper name here (as in ASV and NASB), that by no means proves that Rosh is to be identified with Russia. For one thing, hard etymological evidence for this identification is lacking. Rosh is here connected with Meshech and Tubal, now generally accepted as being regions in eastern Anatolia. Genesius was making an intelligent guess at the identification of Rosh, but he was writing at a time when Assyrian texts mentioning these places were not available. His etymologies are now generally disregarded. Even the dispensational writer Feinberg rejects the Rosh = Russia identification. A cylinder text of the Assyrian king Sargon mentions a land of Rashi on the Elamite border. The same text speaks of Tabalum (Ezekiel’ s Tubal) and the land of Mushki (Ezekiel’ s Meshech). Could this Rashi be Ezekiel’ s Rosh? In any case, the evidence seems to point to Rosh as a region of Anatolia far north of Israel, but far south of Russia. Patrick Fairbairn does perhaps the best work in setting forth the arguments against any literal interpretation of Ezekiel 38-39. He enumerates six arguments that are here summarized: 1. It is impossible to identify Gog and Magog with any historical person or place. 2. It is improbable that such a conglomerate army as is here described would ever form a military coalition. 3. The size of the invading force is disproportionate to that of Israel or any spoil that they might have derived from Israel. 4. The mind cannot imagine a situation in which it would take seven months to bury slain soldiers, much less the utilization of discarded weapons for seven years as fuel. Fairbairn conservatively estimates that the corpses would have to number over three hundred million. How would any living thing survive the pestilential vapors arising from such a mass of corpses? 5. The gross carnality of the scene is inconsistent with messianic times. 6. This prophecy was the same that had been spoken in old times by the prophets (38:17). While no prophecies concerning Gog and Magog are recorded elsewhere, prophecies of a final assault against God’ s people and the miraculous overthrow of the invaders is a constant burden of prophecy. Future Idealistic View: Since there are no clearly identifiable historical events to which the prophecy can be attached, it is possible that this invasion is yet future. The commentators holding to the future idealistic view would distinguish between what is of primary and what is of secondary significance in the two chapters. The primary significance is that the ruthless enemies of God’ s people will attack with the avowed intention of utterly destroying them. God will rescue his people by divine agencies. The secondary or “ representative” elements in the two chapters are the place names, the weapons used, the chronological statements and the like. The future idealistic school interprets Ezekiel 38-39 this way: God’ s people will face implacable enemies; the leader of the enemy will not necessarily have the name Gog, nor will he fight with bows and arrows. By his use of the same names, and a short summary of the same description, the Apostle John has shown that he regarded Ezekiel’ s vision as typical, and its fulfillment still future. Thus the commentators holding the future idealistic view see in Ezekiel 38-39 the final climatic struggle between the forces of good and evil. With the help of God, his people will ultimately be victorious in this struggle. Prophetic Parable View: The parabolic view of Ezekiel 38-39 is very popular among conservatives as well as liberals. These chapters illustrate a great truth, but refer to no specific event in time and space. Israel can have assurance from these chapters that, once restored, the power of God would protect her from the worst foe. At the same time, the church can gain strength from this passage in that here is a promise of God’ s deliverance from the most severe attacks. Gardiner sets forth this view when he states that . . . there are several clear indications that he did not confine his view in this prophecy to any literal event, but intended to set forth under the figure of Gog and his armies all the opposition of the world to the kingdom of God, and to foretell, like his contemporary Daniel, the final and complete triumph of the latter in the distant future. Blackwood adds these words: If the passage is apocalyptic, the identity of Gog becomes meaningless. He represents every force of evil that is marshaled against God. It is immaterial whether or not Ezekiel had in mind a historical prototype. From the more liberal camp Allen writes: The chapters should be treated as an elaborate piece of symbolism, an attempt to portray some of the ultimate problems of human life with the help of figures and incidents borrowed from the repertoire of mythology. Thus according to this view, Ezekiel 38-39 speaks of concepts, not events, the clash of ideologies rather than armies. Those who seek to identify Gog with some ancient tyrant, and those who seek here specific predictions of some imminent attack upon the Zionist state of Israel are equally wide of the mark. This apocalypse “ deals with every threat to faith in every time and every nation.” In criticism of the parabolic view, three points need to be made. (1)Many of those holding this view fail to take the oracle as a serious teaching of the word of God. However, within these two chapters, there are seven distinct claims to inspiration. This is a divine revelation and not Ezekiel’ s speculations. (2)The parabolic view does not unite the interpretation of these chapters with a real return of God’ s people to their land. Yet history records the fulfillment of many items in the background and setting of this prophecy. (3)Those holding this view do a rather poor job of correlating the predictions of Ezekiel with the Gog-Magog prophecy of Rev 20:9. Conclusion: Ezekiel’ s prophecies regarding the invasion of Gog are enigmatic and difficult. Honest and capable expositors will continue to have differences of opinion regarding the specific fulfillment of the prediction. Probably Ezekiel is speaking about a specific event that has not yet transpired. That he employs hyperbole, symbolism and apocalyptic imagery is readily admitted. That the passage has an application to any situation in which God’ s people are under trial may also be readily admitted. But that which Ezekiel had in mind was an eschatological event— the final showdown between God’ s people and their enemies.Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Nine Verse 1 "And thou, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal: and I will turn thee about, and I will lead thee on, and will cause thee to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel; and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy hordes, and the peoples that are with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah. And I will send a fire on Magog, and on them that dwell securely in the isles; and they shall know that I am Jehovah. And my holy name will I make known in the midst of my people Israel; neither will I suffer my holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord Jehovah; this is the day whereof I have spoken." OF THE OF GOG (Ezekiel 39:1-8) Practically all of the previous chapter is repeated here, namely, Ezekiel 39:2-4; Ezekiel 39:14-17, and Ezekiel 18-22. "The writer is describing not a second invasion by Gog but the same events from a different perspective. He especially elaborates the numbers of the enemy, shown by the quantity of weapons left behind and the long time required to bury the dead." As Skinner stated it, "These chapters anticipate a world-judgment as the final scene of history."[16] This obvious certainty relative to the meaning of these chapters leads to the deductions that the mention of firewood for seven years and the required time for burying the dead are both inert features of the prophecy, designed to indicate the numbers of Gog's host and nothing else. "I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured ..." (Ezekiel 39:4). This corresponds to the judgment scene given in Revelation 19:17-18, in which the mighty angel of God invites the birds and beasts to the "Great Supper of God"! "And my holy name will I make known in the midst of my people Israel; neither will I suffer my holy name to be profaned any more ..." (Ezekiel 39:7). This is an astounding statement, and it explains everything else in the prophecy. Why would it be necessary for God to make his name known in the midst of his people Israel? Simply because the Israel of that final period will no longer know the name of God in any real understanding of it. They shall have ignored God's Word, contradicted it, perverted it, mistranslated it, gone beyond it, forgotten and profaned it to the extent that the Final Judgment itself would he necessary to make known to the apostate Second Israel of that day even the holy Church of the Messiah, such an elementary thing as the name of God. It was impossible, really, that Ezekiel could have recognized the complete meaning of such a prophecy as this. Verse 9 "And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall make fires of the weapons and burn them, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves and the spears, and they shall make fires of them seven years; so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any of the forest; for they shall make fires of the weapons; and they shall plunder those that plundered them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord Jehovah. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place for burial in Israel, the valley of them that pass through on the east of the sea; and it shall stop them that pass through: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude; and they shall call it the valley of Hamon-god. And seven months shall the house of Israel be in burying them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown in the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord Jehovah. And they shall set apart men of continual employment, that shall pass through the land, and, with them that pass through, those that bury them that remain upon the face of the land, to cleanse it; and after the end of seven months shall they search. And they that pass through the land shall pass through; and when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. And Hamonah shall also be the name of a city. Thus shalt thou cleanse the land."TOTAL OF GOG AND HIS HOSTS (Ezekiel 39:9-20) We have already mentioned our conclusion that these rather long statements about the firewood for seven years and the seven months period of burying the dead are inert features of the prophecy designed merely to stress the great numbers of the hosts of Gog. We have discovered no other meaningful interpretation. "On the east side of the sea ..." (Ezekiel 39:11). Keil informs us that the Hebrew from which this translation is taken literally means "on the front of the sea"[17] which, of course, means "east of the sea." See our full discussion of this under Genesis 2:14, where we have exactly the same Hebrew words (Vol. 1 of the Pentateuchal Series, p. 51). The "sea" here "Undoubtedly means the Dead Sea."[18]"And it shall stop them that pass through ..." (Ezekiel 39:11). This is another one of the passages where translators thought they were improving upon the King James Bible when they were not! The KJV has this, "It shall stop the noses of the passengers." "This means that the strong odor of decay would arrest the attention and impede the progress of all who passed by."[19] This same author also pointed out that this burial place east of the Dead Sea was in the vicinity of the final resting places of Sodom and Gomorrah, both of those having also received terminal judgments from God because of their wickedness. Verse 17 "And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: speak unto the birds of every sort, and to every beast of the field. Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. And ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord Jehovah."Although repeated here with variations, this is the same prophecy given in Ezekiel 39:4, foretelling The Great Supper of God. There are two Suppers which God has provided for human beings: (1) the Lord's Supper in his kingdom to which all men are invited to come, regardless of race or any other merely human classification, and (2) the Great Supper of God. The first is optional for men. If they desire redemption from their sins, the Lord's Supper is given for their nourishment and teaching; but if men through wickedness reject this supper, there is yet another, the Great Supper of God; it is not optional. Those who miss the Lord's Supper will most certainly be present for this one, only they shall not be the ones who eat it; they shall be the piece de resistance! The picture here seems to be "Based upon Isaiah 36:6 and Jeremiah 46:10."[20] Also, Revelation 19:17-19 has another graphic presentation of this Great Supper of God. Feinberg's opinion that, "These events shall transpire at the end of the great tribulation, and just before the Millennial reign of Messiah,"[21]cannot possibly be correct, for the New Testament plainly states that it will happen "when the thousand years reign of Christ are finished" (Revelation 20:7). Verse 21 "And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment which I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am Jehovah their God, from that day and forward. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they trespassed against me, and I hid my face from them.""And the nations shall know ..." (Ezekiel 39:23). "The big lesson the nations needed to learn was the fact of Israel's having been abandoned by their God, delivered to the sword of the invader; and taken into exile, was not because of Jehovah's inability to protect them, but because of their wickedness which had caused God to hide his face from them."[22]Most of the nations had already found out that God was mightier than their pagan deities. Verse 25 "Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Now will I bring back the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for my holy name. And they shall bear their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they shall dwell securely in their land, and none shall make them afraid; when I have brought them back from the peoples, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations. And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them unto their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there; neither will I hide my face any more from them; for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah."ISRAEL TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ezekiel 39:25-29) This final paragraph is not a part of the Gog prophecy. "The prophecy here returns to the point of view inEzekiel 33-37."[23] "These verses also form a fitting conclusion to the whole prophecy of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-39) down to this point."[24]"I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel ..." (Ezekiel 39:29). This promise had already been conveyed to Israel in Ezekiel 6 and in Ezekiel 37:14, also in Joe 2:28 and Zechariah 12:10; and, "The citation of Joel's words by Peter on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17) prove that he regarded the remarkable effusion of the Holy Spirit upon that day as a fulfillment of the promise here recorded by Ezekiel."[25] Therefore, we must construe the verb, "I have poured out" in this promise as a prophetic perfect, in which a promise of God is given as something already done. There is no evidence whatever that Israel as a whole ever manifested any evidence of being possessed of the Spirit of God during the pre-Christian centuries, nor in their wholesale rejection of the Christ when he came. Returning, for a moment to the Gog, Magog prophecy, we should observe that Gog is depicted as "the last enemy," "at the end of the times," and that it is presented as gathering together against God and his people the nations from the "uttermost parts of the earth." All of the ancient enemies of Israel such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Antiochus, all long ago departed from the stage of human affairs and had presumably perished. But notice also another tremendously important deduction that is required by this. "The boundaries of Israel, at that remote time, shall stretch far beyond the limits of ancient Palestine"![26]For those who wish to pursue further the implications of this remarkable prophecy, we refer to that place in the Apocalypse of the Apostle John (Revelation 20:9; Revelation 20:9), where according to Keil, and also according to the conviction of this writer, the Gog, Magog prophecy is concluded. Ezekiel 39:1, This verse takes the same comments as chapter 38: 1, 2. The repetition will serve as emphasis and indicate the intensity of God’ s feeling against Gog. Ezekiel 39:2, Leave but sixth part is rather of indefinite meaning according to the lexicon. But it is clear the prediction means that the army of Gog will be almost totally destroyed. Will cause thee to come has the same meaning as “ bring thee against my land" In verse 16 of the preceding chapter, which see. Upon the mountains of Israel will be explained at verse 4, Ezekiel 39:3. The bow and arrow was one of the weapons of combat in ancient times. Cause thine arrows to fall is equivalent to saying they will be disarmed. Ezekiel 39:4. Fall upon the mountains of Israel might seem like something unfavorable was to happen to Israel. The context shows it to have been opposite to that in its meaning and that the damage will have come to one who falls. (See a similar use of language in Matthew 21:44.) It is like the result when a man would get a fall and light upon some injurious substance. That sense is intended in our verse for the result of the fall is to give the bodies that fall as prey to ravenous birds and beasts. The fall so bruised the victims that they were fit for nothing but to be used as food by other creatures that live on flesh. Ezekiel 39:5. The flesh of a mangled body is useless except as food for flesheating creatures, therefore these carcases were to he cast out into the field for that purpose. This is the figurative picture of the circumstances, and its meaning is that the forces of Gog will he destroyed. Ezekiel 39:6. Magog is the country from where the above army of invasion came. Its people were dwelling carelessly which means they were feeling secure and were not thoughtful of any possible danger. Isles denotes “ inhabited spots,” and the meaning is that the various places within the domain of Magog will feel the force of God's wrath. Ezekiel 39:7. The Lord now turns his attention to Ilis own people and the prophet will write some predictions concerning them. To clarify the matter so that the reader may find his "bearings” as to the date, remember that Ezekiel writes this after the whole nation has been brought to Babylon and the greater part of the 70-year captivity is in the future. This explains the clause I will not let them pollute my holy name any more. It is a prediction of the cure from idolatry which was effected by the captivity. As a prediction he could say I will not let, etc. The way the Lord would pre-vent it was by holding them in captivity until every trace of love for idols was burned out. Ezekiel 39:8. It is come is still prophecy and not history although the language sounds like it. The force of the statement is that an inspired prediction is as sure as if it had taken place. This is the day is as if the Lord said: "1 have been predicting that an important day was coming for my people and this is a description of that day.” Then some verses will follow that Ezekiel 39:9. The subject is still the successful resistance of Israel against the forces of God. That success is pictured as being so great that they will be able to make fuel out of the weap-ons that were intended to be used against them. Ezekiel 39:10. The language here is strong and somewhat figurative, but the actual success of Israel was intended by the Lord to be very unusual. It is so represented by saying that the material for fuel out of the weapons of the enemy will be so plentiful that it will not be necessary to go to the forest for any of it. Ezekiel 39:11. Graves in Israel is a prediction that great numbers of the army of God will be slain right in the country where they expected to slay its citizens. Stop the noses of the pas-sengers. Noses has no word in the original, and the various translations I have consulted leave the phrase indefinite. It seems clear, however, that the number of those who had to be buried of the people of Gog was to be so great that the attention of travelers will be attracted. Ezekiel 39:12. As a further indication of the great number of the people of Gog to be slain, it will take the men of Israel 7 months to bury them. Cleanse the land Is said from a sanitary standpoint, for if that many corpses were left on tlie surface It would cause much danger to health. Ezekiel 39:13. It was seen in tlie verse preceding this that very many men of Gog were to be slain, and that the task of burying them would be great also; for this reason most of the people would be needed in the work. Be to them a renown. God will glorify Himself by destroying these wicked Invaders. and by co-operating with him in this disposal of the dead bodies the people will share in that glory. The New Testament teaches the same principle In Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians I: 7; 2 Timothy 2:11-12. Ezekiel 39:14. There is no separate word in the original for employment, but continual is represented and means n.en who were in constant search for dead bodies to bury. Bury with the passengers meanB the people passing through the land would finally be invited to help in this great task of burying the dead. However, it was to be after the 7 months’ work was over that the extra help was invited, and a part of the assistance they were to render was to search to see if any dead had been overlooked in the course of the burying period of 7 months. Ezekiel 39:15. Passengers means the men passing through who were Invited to join in the search for any stray bodies that might have been overlooked. If they came across such bodies they were to set up some kind of a marker so that the others whose special work was to handle the corpses would see them and bury them out of sight. Hamoiugog is not strictly a geographical name, but is used to designate the place where so many of the people of Gog were buried, Hamon meaning “ a crowd” according to Strong. Ezekiel 39:16. The word for City is an indefinite one and means any locality that Is marked by some unusual sight. In this case the sight was that of such a great number of graves; the word Hamonah meaning the same as Hamon which is a multitude. Ezekiel 39:17. The dumb creatures are invited to a rich feast provided by the Lord, consisting of the flesh of men who had come into Palestine on behalf of Gog. The preceding verses will explain how such a feast was possible. The number of slain men was to be so great that it would require 7 months to bury them. In that length of time many of the bodies would be stripped of their flesh (see hone in verse 15), the result of the activities of these creatures that had been invited by the Lord to come and feast themselves. Sacrifice does not indicate a religious performance, but the word means a slaughtering of the men of Gog, and (hat will supply the meat for the beasts. Ezekiel 39:18. The mighty and princes were the great men in the army of Gog that were to furnish meat for the beasts. Rams and other animals named are figurative and the terms are used in allusion to the creatures that were used under the law to be served at the. feasts prescribed by the Lord. Ezekiel 39:19. The words fat and blood refer literally to 'the parts of the bodies, but they are used somewhat figuratively. Under the law no one was permitted to eat fat nor blood, but they must be offered to God as a sacrifice. The idea is transferred to these creatures that have been invited to the feast. The words my sacrifice give us the explanation of the matter, for if It is the Lord’ s sacrifice then He can consistently make whatever use of those materials that Is considered proper. Ezekiel 39:20. The line of thought continues in this verse. My table is used in the same sense as my sacrifice in the preceding verse. The Lord prepares a table supplied with tbe bodies of men and horses taken from the army of Gog. He then invites the dumb creatures to feast themselves upon these articles. Ezekiel 39:21. The slaughter of the men and horses of the army of Gog will be known to the other heathen or other nations. And especially, as there will be such a great number that it will take 7 months to bury the men, the witnesses will be impressed with the glory of the Lord who has wrought such an Imposing scene. Ezekiel 39:22. Once more the main object of all divine demonstrations is stated, which is that they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 39:23. The heathen shall know, etc., has this logical meaning. The heathen (or nations in general) knew that Israel had been in exile with one of those strange nations for 70 years. They might have concluded it was be-cause the Lord wanted to show his favor for the heathen world. But when they see the great destruction of the people of Gog (another heathen group). they will know the mentioned conclusion was wrong. They will then be able to form the correct conclusion namely, that Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, and not as a favor to the Babylonians. Ezekiel 39:24. It was according to their [Israel’ s] uncleanness that God hid his lace from his people, and let them be held in captivity for 70 years. Ezekiel 39:25. As soon as God’ s wrath was satisfied against his people. His mercy and love for them came into action and the captivity was brought to a close. The terms Jacob and whole house of Israel are very significant Let the reader refer to the comments in chapter 37: 15-22 regarding the so- called lost 10 tribes, and connect them with the italicized words in this verse. It will be clear to all that the whole house of Israel does not mean 2 tribes only. Ezekiel 39:26. Regardless of the form of language as to past, present or future tense, the reader should remember that Ezekiel is writing about half a century before the end of the captivity. The purpose of the predictions is to encourage the people of Israel who had fallen into a state of despondency. (See at the valley of dry bones and 137th Psalm.) But they are given to understand that they must bear their shame as a matter of chastisement before being released. Ezekiel 39:27. God promised to bring his people out of the enemies' lands. Ezekiel 39:28. Have left none of them any more there. It is true that even after the 70-year captivity was ended, many Jews remained in that country according to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, But they were voluntary citizens of Persia and not. captives. Ezekiel 39:29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them. There were numerous times afterward when God was displeased with his people and punished them very severely. But the nation as a whole was never taken in a body from their home land as It was in the Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel 40 GOD’ S FUTURE TEMPLE The Book of Ezekiel ends as it began, with a vision. In chs 1-3 Ezekiel saw a vision illustrating how God had visited his people in exile; these last chapters depict God dwelling in the midst of his people who have been re-established in their own land. Earlier in vision Ezekiel had seen the departure of the divine glory from the profaned temple (8:1-11:25). In these final chapters, God again dwells in the midst of his temple (43:5). Thus chs 40-48 are not a superfluous appendix to the book, but rather the climax of Ezekiel's prophetic thought. In the angelic guided tour of the Zion-to-be, the tedious details are not especially significant. The subject of the closing chapters of Ezekiel is the restitution of the kingdom of God. This theme unfolds in a vision in which are displayed in concrete detail a rebuilt temple, reformed priesthood, reorganized services, restored monarchy, reapportioned territory, and a renewed people. Because chs 40-48 form a veritable continental divide in biblical interpretation, it is necessary first to survey the various approaches that have been taken in interpreting these chapters. This introductory section is followed by a description of the new temple envisioned by Ezekiel. OF EZEKIEL’ S TEMPLE The problem of the interpretation of Ezekiel 40-48 is one of the most difficult in biblical hermeneutics. Three main approaches to these chapters have been taken by scholars: (1) the literal prophetic; (2) the literal futuristic; and (3) the symbolic Christian. The Literal Prophetic View: According to those who hold to the literal prophetic view of the temple, Ezekiel is here giving the blueprints for the temple that God intended for his people to build upon their return to the Holy Land. Philip Mauro is perhaps the most forceful proponent of this view. He argues that God’ s plan had always been to give his people the exact pattern of the sanctuary they were to build for his name . . . . And now again a house was about to be built for the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem. Therefore . . . we should expect to find at this period a revelation from heaven of the pattern to be followed in the building of that house. And just here we do find the revelation from God of the complete pattern and appointments of a temple, with directions to the prophet to show the same to the house of Israel. It is sometimes argued against this view that too many details are omitted if Ezekiel intended these chapters to be a set of blueprints. This is certainly true, but it is no less true of the tabernacle specifications given to Moses at Sinai. Plumptre, however, points to a more telling indictment of the literal prophetic view of the temple vision. He points out that there is no trace in the after history of Israel of any attempt to carry Ezekiel’ s ideal into execution. No reference is made to it by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, who were the chief teachers of the people at the time of the rebuilding of the temple. There is no record of its having been in the thoughts of Zerubbabel, the Prince of Judah, and Joshua the high priest, as they set about that work. No description of the second temple or its ritual in Josephus or the rabbinical writings at all tallies with what we find in these chapters. In rebuttal to this line of argument, Mauro points out that there is no evidence now available as to the plan of the temple built in the days of Ezra. Herod the Great had so transformed it in the days of Christ . . . as to destroy all trace of the original design. That question, however, which we cannot now answer, does not affect the question of the purpose for which the pattern was revealed to Ezekiel. The Literal Futuristic View: Much support in recent years has been given to the Dispensational view, or what might be dubbed the literal futuristic view of Ezekiel's temple. According to this view, God still has physical Israel very much in his plans. All prophecies pertaining to a glorious future for Israel are to be literally fulfilled in a millennial dispensation that is to follow this present age. Dispensationalists believe that the Jews will one day rebuild the temple in Jerusalem following the specifications given by Ezekiel. The Old Covenant blood sacrifices, festivals and rituals will be restored. The sacrificial offerings will be sacramental, rather than propitiatory, on the order of communion in the church age. Among those holding this position regarding Ezekiel’ s temple, the following statement of G. L. Archer is typical: Much caution should be exercised in pressing details, but in the broad outline it may be reasonably deduced that in a coming age all the promises conveyed by the angel to Ezekiel will be fulfilled in the glorious earthly kingdom with which the drama of redemption is destined to close. Erich Sauer adds this thought: We stand here really before an inescapable alternative: Either the prophet himself was mistaken in his expectation of a coming temple service, and his prophecy in the sense in which he meant it will never be fulfilled; or God, in the time of the Messiah, will fulfill literally these prophecies of the temple according to their intended literal meaning. There is no other choice possible. According to Dispensational principles of interpretations, all prophecies pertaining to physical Israel that have not been carnally or materially fulfilled are to be assigned to the millennial age. The Millennium becomes a convenient dumping ground for every prophecy that offers any difficulty. The unhappy result of this procedure is that many prophecies that were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ, or are being fulfilled even now, are relegated to some distant future. This postponement system is popular because it is safe and easy. It is safe because no one can conclusively refute it until the Millennium arrives. It is easy because it requires little spiritual discernment. The Dispensational view fails to come to grips in any meaningful way with certain basic New Testament principles. The first principle is that the once-for-allness of the sacrifice of Christ nullified all animal sacrifices forever (Hebrews 10:18). In the light of the argument of Hebrews (7:18-19; 9:6-10; 10:1-9) that the Old Testament sacrificial system was abolished by Christ’ s death, it would be impossible to place Ezekiel’ s temple in any dispensation subsequent to Calvary, at least if these sacrifices are to be interpreted literally. The Dispensational retort that the animal sacrifices of the millennial temple will be sacramental— a memorial to the sacrifice of Christ— is weak. All five offerings of the Levitical system are mentioned. It is a gratuitous assumption that these sacrifices serve some different function in Ezekiel’ s temple than in the Old Testament Levitical system. Still another New Testament principle to which the Dispensationalists fail to do justice is that the heirs of the kingdom are not national Jews (Matthew 21:43), but true Jews (Romans 2:28-29), who along with converted Gentiles constitute the new Israel of God (Galatians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:9-10). Ezekiel's temple visions present difficulties of interpretation, as is generally recognized; but whatever they may or may not mean, they certainly afford no support for the doctrine of a political future for the earthly Israel in the period just before and just after “ the rapture.” The Dispensational view also fails to come to grips with the reality of God’ s present-age temple, the church of Jesus Christ. That temple is real, it is literal; but it is not physical (1 Peter 2:5; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:13-22). Symbolic Christian View: Many of the older commentators held that the entire vision of these final chapters was fulfilled symbolically in the gospel age and the Christian church. Much of the symbolism of these chapters has been borrowed by the apostle John in Revelation as he pictures the new Jerusalem, the church in the kingdom of God (Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5). As John repaints the picture, he removes all traces of Judaism. Beasley-Murray sets forth this view as follows: The conclusion of Ezekiel’ s prophecy, therefore, is to be regarded as a true prediction of the kingdom of God given under the forms with which the prophet was familiar, viz., those of his own (Jewish) dispensation. Their essential truth will be embodied in the new age under forms suitable to the new (Christian) dispensation. How this is to be done is outlined for us in the book of Revelation 21:1 -22:5-6. To this may be added the appropriate comments of Young: It is obvious that the prophet never intended these descriptions to be taken literally. It is clear that he is using figurative or symbolic language. Every attempt to follow out his directions literally leads to difficulty. Ezekiel himself may have anticipated that his plans would be carried out to the letter. The real question, however, is not what Ezekiel may have had in his mind, but what the Holy Spirit, who is the ultimate author of this temple vision, intended to convey through these chapters. A literal interpretation of the New Testament teaching regarding Christ’ s present-day temple (the church) surely suggests, if not demands, that one view these chapters as preparatory for the establishment of this spiritual, but nonetheless real, worship edifice. The hermeneutical principle involved is this: fullness of promised blessing is here expressed in terms of restorative completeness. The vision, then, must be viewed as strictly symbolical, the symbols employed being the Mosaic ordinances. This is not spiritualization, but realization. In 2 Corinthians 6:16, Paul is not merely borrowing Old Testament language (Leviticus 26:12; Exodus 29:45; Ezekiel 37:27); he is proclaiming fulfillment. The material and physical fulfillment of some prophecies does not demand the material and physical fulfillment of all prophecy. Conclusion: All things considered, the symbolic Christian view of chs 40-48 seems the best alternative. The vision then pertains to the church of Christ upon earth, and perhaps in heaven as well. The prophets of the Old Testament often employed dark speeches and figurative language. They spoke in shadowy forms of the Old Covenant. But they spoke of Christ. Here Ezekiel, in his own unique way is preaching Christ. The temple vision is an elaborate representation of the messianic age. If it be objected that these promises were made to physical Israel, it need only be pointed out that all these promises were conditional (Ezekiel 43:9-11). Israel of the flesh did not fulfill the conditions laid down. Hence, these promises (along with all the others) have been forfeited irretrievably. They find their “ yea” and their “ amen” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Regardless of the interpretation to which one is inclined, certain great truths are expressed in these chapters: (1) Worship is central in the new age. (2) God dwells in the midst of his people. (3) Blessings flow forth from the presence of God to bring life to the most barren regions of the earth. (4) Responsibilities as well as privileges belong to God’ s people in the messianic age. Why does Ezekiel give such exact details of the plan of the city and the temple? There is no evidence that the measurements of the exalted city contains any spiritual symbolism. Nonetheless, Ezekiel was a preacher, not an architect. In these tedious details, these truths are underscored: The details underscore the reality of the future city and temple. Much religious teaching is unimpressive because it is too general and abstract. The details emphasize the definiteness of the future city and temple. The new Jerusalem does not exist in the ephemeral land of clouds. The man with the measuring line helps Israel to understand that the Israel of the future will have a definite shape and a divine design. Man's ideas are generally hazy; but God's are definite. The details depict the order that prevails in God's kingdom. There is a place for everything, and everything is in its place. These chapters stress the principle of 1 Corinthians 14:40. The details force the conclusion that in God's kingdom all things are arranged by divine directive. Moses was to make the tabernacle after the pattern shown to him in the mount (Exodus 25:40). Ezekiel wrote as a prophet, as a messenger of God. God's cares for the smallest details of his people's life and work. We should seek his guidance in these matters. The details signal the inauguration of a new covenant. At Mount Sinai, God gave Moses similar details for constructing the tabernacle. The old covenant commenced with tedious details of worship and structure. A similar section here, in the midst of discussion of the last days, suggests that God will enter into a new covenant with his people. Ezekiel 40-43 contains the second of three great architectural visions in the Bible. For the exiles, this temple vision fueled hope. It was a celebration of faith. Ezekiel provided the exiles with the raw material that permitted them mentally to visit the temple. THE ANGELIC AGENT Ezekiel 40:1-4 Circumstances of the Vision (Ezekiel 40:1-2) Time of the vision (Ezekiel 40:1): In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was smitten, on that very day the hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me thither. The temple vision is dated to 573 B.C. (twenty-fifth year of our captivity), fourteen years after the destruction of Jerusalem. The phrase beginning of the year probably means the first month of the year. Ezekiel again experienced the overwhelming power (hand) of the Lord. Place of the vision (Ezekiel 40:2): In the visions of God, he brought me unto the land of Israel. He set me down on a very high mountain, upon which was something like the frame of a city on the south. Again (cf. Ezekiel 8:1-4) the prophet was transported in the visionary experience to the land of Palestine. He found himself on the top of a very high mountain. This is "theological geography" and points to Yahweh's supremacy. 3 Mount Zion is in view. There Ezekiel could see what appeared to be the outline of a city on the southern end of that mountain. The Angelic Guide (Ezekiel 40:3-4) His appearance (Ezekiel 40:3): He brought me there, and behold, a man. His appearance was as the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand. He was standing in the gate. On Mount Zion, Ezekiel met a man. The description of this man makes it clear that he is a supernatural being. His appearance was like bronze (cf. Ezekiel 1:4; Daniel 10:6). He carried a line of flax for measuring long distances, and a measuring reed as well (cf. Revelation 21:10-15). This angelic agent acts as both guide and interpreter for the prophet in these chapters. He is reminiscent of the scribe who appeared in Ezekiel 9:1-11 (cf. Zechariah 2:1). The man was standing in the gate— the eastern gate of the temple's outer court. This is the spot from which Ezekiel’ s visionary tour commences. His instructions (Ezekiel 40:4): The man said unto me, Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and consider all that I am about to show you, for you have been brought here in order that I might show them to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel. Four imperatives are given to the prophet in this vision. He is to (1) look, (2) hear, (3) consider, and declare. Since the most used verb in the entire account is measured (twenty-nine times), the first imperative is preeminent. The temple tour proceeded in silence except for five occasions when the tour guide (the angel) broke the silence and addressed Ezekiel. All that Ezekiel saw and heard he was to consider (lit., set your heart) so that he might fulfill the fourth imperative, to declare, "not the Lord's word as was usual, but the Lord's architecture" (Ezekiel 40:4). These visionary "blueprints" were designed to help the exiles face the discouragement engendered by the OF THE OUTER COURT AND ITS Ezekiel 40:5-27 The Outer Wall (Ezekiel 40:5): Behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’ s hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a handbreadth each: so he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. The measurements of the temple area are given in cubits. The cubit varied in length from time to time. A handbreadth is the width of four fingers. The standard cubit was six handbreadths (tip of finger to elbow), about eighteen inches. Apparently here the long cubit, equal to about 20.5 inches, is being used. The measuring reed carried by the angelic agent was ten feet and three inches long. A wall surrounded the courtyard. This wall was one reed thick and one reed high (Ezekiel 40:5). The height of the wall reflects its external measurement. The higher level of the ground in the outer court (Ezekiel 40:6; Ezekiel 40:22) meant that from the inside the wall was only about two cubits high. The court could be entered by three identical gateways in the north, east and south sides of the wall. No description of the gates of Solomon's temple has survived. The gates that Ezekiel sees here resemble those that have been discovered in Solomon's fortress cities (e.g., Hazor), rather than any known temple gates of biblical times. Ezekiel transforms those immense gates from a military to a religious setting. These gates symbolically guard the temple. They proclaim that no profane person shall be admitted into the presence of the holy God Eastern Gatehouse (Ezekiel 40:6-16): Then came he unto the gate that looks toward the east, and went up the steps thereof: and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed broad; and the other threshold, one reed broad. (7) Every lodge was one reed long, and one reed broad; and the space between the lodges was five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed. (8) He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed. (9) Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house. (10) The lodges of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; the three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side. (11) He measured the breadth of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits; (12) and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the lodges, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. (13) He measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; door against door. (14) He made also posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached unto the posts, round about the gate. (15) From the forefront of the gate at the entrance unto the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits. (16) There were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches; and windows were round about inward; and upon each post were palm-trees. The description began from the outside of the eastern gate and worked inward. The technical Hebrew terms used in this account are not decipherable. Some uncertainty exists, therefore, about the exact meaning of each item and the corresponding relationship of each dimension. The gateways were approached by seven steps (Ezekiel 40:22; Ezekiel 40:26). Seven is the number of perfection in biblical symbolism. The gateway itself consisted of a corridor with three square recessed lodges or guardrooms on either side (Ezekiel 40:7-10). A barrier of some kind— probably a low wall— separated the guardrooms from the corridor (Ezekiel 40:12). The corridor opened into a large porch (eight by twenty cubits) that in turn opened into the outer court of the temple. The verb made in Ezekiel 40:14 has been given two interpretations. Some think it points to the fact that the one who is explaining this building had fashioned it previously. Another view is that the verb made is equivalent to estimate. It would not physically have been possible to measure the posts from bottom to top, so the angel made an estimate. The posts within the gate were decorated with palm trees (Ezekiel 40:16; cf. 1 Kings 6:29-35). The Lower Pavement (Ezekiel 40:17-19): Then he brought me into the outer court; and, behold, there were chambers and a pavement, made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement. (Ezekiel 40:18) The pavement was by the side of the gates, answerable unto the length of the gates, even the lower pavement. (Ezekiel 40:19) Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, a hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north. Immediately inside the wall of the outer court was a paved area, called the lower pavement (Ezekiel 40:17-18). Thirty chambers were built on this pavement around the perimeter of the wall on the north, south and east (Ezekiel 40:17). Probably these rooms were intended for the use of Levites who were serving in the temple. The Northern Gatehouse (Ezekiel 40:20-23): As for the gate of the outer court facing north, he measured the length thereof and the breadth thereof. (Ezekiel 40:21) The lodges thereof were three on this side, and three on that side: and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits. (Ezekiel 40:22) The windows thereof, and the arches thereof, and the palm-trees thereof, were after the measure of the gate facing east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them. (Ezekiel 40:23) There was a gate to the inner court over against the other gate, both on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits. The northern gatehouse was identical to the eastern gatehouse. The Southern Gatehouse (Ezekiel 40:24-27): Then he led me toward the south; and, behold, a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures. (Ezekiel 40:25) And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits. (Ezekiel 40:26) There were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them; and it had palm-trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof. (Ezekiel 40:27) There was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits. The southern gatehouse was identical to the eastern and northern gatehouses.THE INNER COURT AND ITS Ezekiel 40:28-47 The temple tour now examines the gates of the inner court on the south (Ezekiel 40:28-31), east (Ezekiel 40:32-34), and north (Ezekiel 40:35-46). The descriptions are similar to those of the outer gates. Southern Gate (Ezekiel 40:28-31): Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures; (Ezekiel 40:29) and the lodges thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits broad. (Ezekiel 40:30) There were arches round about, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. (Ezekiel 40:31) The arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the ascent to it had eight steps. Although no mention is made of it, one must assume that a wall surrounded the inner court. One entered the inner court through three gateways that were of similar construction to the gates that led to the outer courtyard except in two respects: (1) The vestibule of these interior gateways was on the front rather than the back side as one approached from without; and (2) eight steps led up to the inner court (Ezekiel 40:31; Ezekiel 40:34; Ezekiel 40:37). Eastern Gate (Ezekiel 40:32-34): Then he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures; (Ezekiel 40:33) and the lodges thereof and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits broad. (Ezekiel 40:34) The arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps. The eastern gate that led to the inner court was identical to the southern gate. Northern Gate (Ezekiel 40:35-37): Then he brought me to the north gate: and he measured it according to these measures; (Ezekiel 40:36) the lodges thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof: and there were windows therein round about; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits. (Ezekiel 40:37) The posts thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps. The northern gate that led to the inner court was similar to the southern and eastern gates. Sacrificial Work Area (Ezekiel 40:38-43): A chamber with the door thereof was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt offering. (Ezekiel 40:39) In the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt-offering, the sin-offering, and the trespass­offering. (Ezekiel 40:40) On the one side without, as one goes up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables. (Ezekiel 40:41) Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate: eight tables where upon they slew the sacrifices. (Ezekiel 40:42) There were four tables for the burnt-offering, of hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high; whereupon they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt-offering and the sacrifice. (Ezekiel 40:43) The hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened within round about; and upon the tables was the flesh of the oblation. Two factors indicate that the temple tour now reaches a climax: (1) the amount of space devoted to the description of the sacrificial work area; and (2) the first break in the silence of the tour guide (Ezekiel 40:45-46). Inside the northern gateway that led to the inner court was a special chamber where the burnt offerings were to be washed (Ezekiel 40:38). The intestines and legs of the burnt offering had to be washed before being brought to the altar (Leviticus 1:9). Eight tables on which sacrifices were slaughtered were situated in the northern gateway. Four were within the porch or vestibule (Ezekiel 40:39), and four beyond the porch and within the gateway (Ezekiel 40:40-41). Four smaller tables of hewn stone were also found in the northern gateway. These tables held the sacrificial instruments, i.e., knives and receptacles for collecting the blood (Ezekiel 40:42). Within the northern gateway, slabs or hooks were fixed to pillars to allow the animal carcasses to be suspended while being flayed. The sacrificial meat, once cut from the carcass, was placed on tables previously mentioned (Ezekiel 40:43). Three types of offerings were prepared in the work areas. In the burnt offering (Ezekiel 40:38-39; Ezekiel 40:42), the entire animal was consumed on the altar. This offering symbolized the consecration of the worshiper. The sin offering (Ezekiel 40:39) made atonement for unintentional sin (Leviticus 1:3-4). The trespass offering was a restitution offering (Leviticus 5:14 to Leviticus 6:7). Explanations (Ezekiel 40:44-46): Outside the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and they faced north. (Ezekiel 40:45) He said unto me, This chamber, facing south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house; (Ezekiel 40:46) and the chamber facing north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to the LORD to minister unto him. On the northern and southern sides of the inner court were the chambers of the sharim, i.e., singers. Choirs of Levites provided musical accompaniment during sacrificial ceremonies (Ezekiel 40:44). The interpreting angel explains that in this future temple these chambers would be occupied by the descendants of Zadok. Zadok was high priest in the days of Solomon. He was a descendant of Phinehas, the son of Aaron, to whom God had given the covenant of an everlasting priesthood (Numbers 25:13). Ezekiel implies that there are two categories of priests. One group deals with the maintenance and security of the temple. The other manages the more important sacrificial worship. Those priests who ministered within the house (i.e., offering incense) occupied one of the priestly chambers (Ezekiel 40:45); those who served at the altar of sacrifice in the courtyard, lived together in another chamber (Ezekiel 40:46). Measurements of Inner Court (Ezekiel 40:47): Then he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was before the house. The inner courtyard was a square of one hundred cubits. This court had the altar as its center, and the front of the temple as its western edge. The Vestibule of the Temple (Ezekiel 40:48-49): Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side, and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. (49) The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; even by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side. The description of the porch or vestibule, is ambiguous, and various configurations are possible. The front wall, on which the gates were hung, was five cubits on each side, and each leaf of the gate was three cubits, giving sixteen cubits (5 x 2 + 3 x 2) for the whole exterior breadth of the porch (Ezekiel 40:48). The interior breadth of the porch was eleven cubits. To harmonize this figure with the previous verse, one must conclude that the walls of the porch were 2.5 cubits thick. Steps led up to the porch, but the exact number is not given on the eastern front of the temple. Pillars are mentioned in connection with the porch. They correspond to the famous pillars, Jachin and Boaz. These pillars decorated the porch of Solomon’ s temple (Ezekiel 40:49; cf. 1 Kings 7:21). Ezekiel Chapter Forty Verse 1 Part IV Ezekiel 40-48We are treating this final section of nine chapters lying at the end of Ezekiel as a unit, as have most of the scholars we have consulted. Furthermore, no very detailed study of the line by line descriptions given herein shall be attempted. Most of the sources we have consulted devote only a few paragraphs to the whole section; and those who have devoted fifty or sixty pages have usually presented nothing of very great interest. What we have here is a very detailed description of a magnificent physical Temple, somewhat loosely patterned after the Temple of Solomon, only much larger, complete with special living quarters for priests, and an elaborate system of animal sacrifices and other material offerings, along with the faithful observance of New Moons and Sabbaths, the whole picture rivaling the Book of Leviticus itself. Not just a chapter or two, but all nine of chapters 40-48 are devoted to practically nothing else except that Grand New Temple in Jerusalem which God promised would be built following Israel's return to Palestine and the times of the salvation of Israel. An important fact bearing upon our study of this is the fact that no such Temple was ever built, and there is no indication whatever that it will ever be built. If indeed God promised that it would be built, just as it seems in this section, then the sinfulness and continued hardening of Israel as mentioned by Isaiah prevented it, in keeping with the Grand Condition presented byJeremiah 18:7-10, along with the Chosen People's rejection of Christ, which led to the formation of the New Israel and the total abandonment of any need whatever for physical temples. Speaking of the New Israel, which God most surely established, what earthly use could God have for the Old Israel in times subsequent thereunto? The whole system of worship which Ezekiel foresaw in this passage exhibits no compatibility whatever with Christianity. (1) The very idea of a physical temple is repugnant to Christianity. "God dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 7:48). There will not even be a Temple in heaven itself. (2) Animal sacrifices and other material sacrifices for sins are a total contradiction of the Holy Truth that, "The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sins" (1 John 1:7). "It is impossible that `the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin" (Hebrews 10:4). (3) The special chambers for priests receive a great deal of attention in this section; but such physical quarters for a separate priesthood have no relevance whatever to Christianity. All Christians are "priests unto God." a royal priesthood at that; and there are simply not going to be any distinctions whatever such as those provided for in this vision of a physical temple (1 Peter 1:6; Revelation 1:6, KJV). (4) Note that Ezekiel's Temple is the one in which God shall dwell forever (Ezekiel 43:7). God's Spirit entered the Holy Temple of his Church, the New Israel of God, on the First Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, with that same tremendous sound "of the rushing mighty wind," and with the forked flames as of fire sitting upon each one of the Twelve Apostles (Acts 2). Therefore, in this particular at least, Ezekiel's Temple is nothing less than the Church of Jesus Christ. Certainly, God never entered a temple that was never built. The sound of the rushing mighty wind was the same sound heard when God left the Jewish temple because of the sins of Israel (Ezekiel 10-11). (5) Observance of New Moons and Sabbaths appear in this section as forms of worship; but Jesus Christ himself took the sabbaths out of the way, nailing them to his cross (Colossians 2:14). In the same passage, an Apostle warned Christians against the observance either of New Moons or sabbaths. (6) In the situation presented here in Ezekiel, all worship is centered in Jerusalem. As far as Christianity is concerned, such a proposition is absurdly ridiculous. Jesus Christ enlightened the Samaritan woman with the truth that neither in Gerizim nor in Jerusalem would men worship God, but they would worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:22 ff). In this light, it appears that little, if any, of these last nine chapters has much application to Christian students. With regard to the interpretation of this final section, Halley stated that, "It is a prediction of the Messianic Age; but some interpret it literally, as meaning that the Twelve Tribes will one day again inherit Palestine, that they will be distributed as here indicated, and that the Temple will be rebuilt literally in all particulars as here specified, and that literal animal sacrifices will again be offered."[1] We cannot possibly accept such a literal interpretation. The literal dimensions given here are, to say the least, quite impractical. "The square of the Temple given inEzekiel 42:20 is six times as large as the circuit of the wall encircling the old Temple. The city of Jerusalem, here has an area between three and four thousand square miles (about ten times the square miles within the Houston city limits). This is about as large as all of Judea west of the Jordan river."[2]There are several particulars in which the Messianic Kingdom (or Church of God) is clearly prophesied: (1) God's dwelling in the New Temple (the Church); (2) the immense size of the New Institution; (3) the presence of all the tribes of Israel (the Ten tribes especially, who must be identified with the Gentiles following their loss to Assyria) indicates the unity of all men, Jews and Gentiles alike in Christ Jesus. It appears impossible to suppose any literal resurrection of the Ten Tribes. The only restoration they ever received, or ever can receive, is in the redemption "in Christ" of individuals such as "Anna" (Luke 2:36). As for the reason why such a material Temple was prophesied for Israel upon their return from Babylon, we can by no means be sure. It could very well be that, IF Israel had returned en masse as God intended, andIF they had truly rallied to God, believing and obeying him, that such a magnificent edifice would indeed have been built. Since no such pre-conditions ever were fulfilled, God did not build it, nor allow it to be built. In any case, such a vision of so grand a Temple would have served to encourage and motivate Israel's return; and that might have been God's sole reason for giving the vision. We cannot pretend to know. The appearance of animal sacrifices, and other elements, in this vision make it absolutely impossible to suppose that it could ever have been conceived of as having any utility whatever after the appearance of the Son of God, the Dayspring from on High, who was destined to rescue and save his people from their sins. THE RECORD OF WHAT THE VISION Ezekiel 40 The date. "This was fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem."[3] "This was April 28,523 B.C."[4] There was the vision of the man measuring the east gate (Ezekiel 40:6-19). Measuring the north gate (Ezekiel 40:20-23). Measuring the south gate (Ezekiel 40:24-31). More on measuring the east gate (Ezekiel 40:32-34). More on measuring the north gate (Ezekiel 40:35-43). Description of the chambers (Ezekiel 40:44-47). Description of the porch (Ezekiel 40:48-49). General remarks. The last 9 chapters of Ezekiel form a group that has been considered to be among the most puzzling passages in the Old Testament. In matters of "doctrine" or conclusions as to the persona! conduct of man in relation to God no uninspired writer should be regarded as an "authority.” The use that may and should be made of such writers is to seek their assistance In learning the facts and truths that pertain t.o the meaning of language that is used by the inspired writers. This is especially Important as it pertains to statements that depend for their meaning upon history, and on lexicon authority as to the meaning of foreign words. I have consulted some half dozen such works with regard to the chapters now before us. Some of them insist on attaching a great deal of spiritual significance to them as being a picture of things pertaining to Christ and his church, even reaching over into the eternal age. Doubtless there will be found to be some parts of the group that may properly be so interpreted, and when I am convinced that such is the case I shall make my comments accordingly. There is one point on which all of the mentioned writers agree, and that Is that the chapters as a whole are an ideal prediction of the reconslruction period after the 70-year captivity, particularly including the rebuilding of the temple. I believe they are correct in that matter and shall make my comments from that viewpoint. In studying descriptive compositions that are admittedly ideal and figurative, we should be careful not to make a literal application of the various statements. In symbolic language it is permitted lo picture conditions that would even be impossible if taken literally. (See the comments on the first chapter of this book.) This use of illustrative speech is done in par-ables, in which certain actions or cir-cumstances may he supposed that never did or perhaps never could actually happen, in order to compare some spiritual or moral principle that could occur. One purpose in making these extremes and physically impossible descriptions of things is to give emphasis to the facts and truths they are really intended to represent. Doubtless there will be other observations come to mind as we proceed with the chapters before us that could properly have been included in this introduction. However, I shall very earnestly insist that the reader go over this general statement a number of times before entering into the study of the verses, taking speciat interest in its several remarks and considering the whole composition as a KEY to the chapters. Ezekiel 40:1. This verse establishes the date of the present prediction. To understand it we must again refer to the three divisions or stages by which the great 70-vear captiivty was accomplished, for the people of Judah were not taken in Babylon all at the same time. (See comments on the 24th and 25 chapters of 2 Kings In volume 2 of this Commentary.) Ezekiel was taken at the second stage which was 11 years before the city ims smitten at the early stage. It is a simple case of addition to see that an event that came 14 years after the third stage would he 25 years after the second, which the prophet terms our captivity because he was taken to Babylon at that time. Ezekiel 40:2. Ezekiel did not go bodily into the land of Israel, hut went only in the visions of Gad. This is similar to the experience of John in Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:1-2, who never actu-ally left the island of Patmos, but saw and heard things in a vision. The prophet was shown the things in a vision and he saw a very high mountain (mountain meaning kingdom in symbolic language) and near it was a city. Ezekiel 40:3. Brass is a mixture of two or more metals mostly copper, hence the rendering would properly be that word. It is capable of being brought to a high polish, hence Is a fitting material to represent something that is attractive. This man had two measuring devices in his hand, a tape measure and a reed or rod. The first was for longer distances and the second for closer and specific dimensions. The mere existence of a measuring instrument of any kind indicates that something is to be “ checked" by the standard in force. The man stood in the gate which indicated that he was to be admitted into the place with authority for measuring it. Ezekiel 40:4. The gist of this verse is that Ezekiel was to give his undivided attention to what was soon to be said and done before him. Thou brought hither means the prophet had been put into a vision right there in the land of Babylon. The revelations about to be made to him will be for the information and encouragement of the people of Israel who were In a state of dejection from their bondage in the strange Land. Ezekiel 40:5. Ezekiel saw a house surrounded by a -wall that was to be measured with the reed mentioned in verse 3. Cubits as measurements of length were of different standards in ancient times. Most of them were based on the human body, beginning at the elbow and extending toward the tip of the fingers, or else reaching only as far as the wrist. The reed which the prophet saw was made on the basis of the cubit that extended from the elbow to the wrist, plus a few inches more, namely, a liandbreadth. The measuring reed in the hand of this “ man" was equal to 6 of the cubits described. The building was measured with this reed and it was one reed wide and one reed high. Ezekiel 40:6. The man entered the building to do some measuring of various parts of it. The point I wish to notice is that each of the parts the man measured was of the same dimension which was one reed. Ezekiel 40:7. Again the unity of measurements was observed, that they were each one reed. There was a space of 5 cubits (a little less than one length of the reed) between the chambers or rooms, but each of the rooms themselves was one reed. Here is an instance where the thing described was mathematically impossible (consult the KEY), for the rooms in a building could not each be the same in size as the whole structure. But such a thing would be possible were the measurements being cheeked by a law of principles and not of material proportions, The point is that God does not have a "double standard” in his dealings with mankind. Ezekiel 40:8, The porch was the same in size as the several parts Of the building. See the comments in the preceding verse on the subject of principles of standards. Ezekiel 40:9. There could be no logical or mechanical reason for varying from the rule of o-ne reed in some parts of the structure to he measured. Neither can we always see any special application of the peculiar descriptions given, In all cases, however, when the reader is confronted with some apparent contraditions or other puzzling statements, lie should consult the KEY at the beginning of this chapter. Ezekiel 40:10. In giving the measurements of different parts of the structure the idea of unity will be frequently noticed, which is the case in the present verse as we see the term one measure is used twice. Ezekiel 40:11. Even in the Instance where the figures differ from some others, we may observe the fact that only one basic standard of measurement is used; that is always the “ regulation” unit, of cubit or a multiple of it, or else an integral part of it. Such a rule is like the Lord’ s plan today, which is to require His people to use one rule only in gauging their speech and conduct; that one rule is “ the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11). But this divine rule does not make the same amount of demand of each person, it is to be according to his ability. But whatever difference of talent there may be, each servant of God must he measured by the same rule which is indicated in Philippians 3:16. Ezekiel 40:12. A reference to verse 5 shows that a measurement of 6 cubits is the same as one reed. In this verse the idea of unity in the principles of an authoritative standard is maintained. We have either the whole reed or a recognized portion of it which is a cubit. Ezekiel 40:13. We usually think of a gate as meaning an opening in a fence or other external protective wall. The lexicon, however, defines it merely as an opening whether a gate or door. In the measurements of this verse the distance from one chamber to another lacked one cubit of being 4 reeds, and the doors were lined up so as to be directly facing each other. Ezekiel 40:14, In this chapter the word post is always from the same original and is defined in the lexicon as any part that is constructed as a prop or support for some other portion of a structure; the posts of this verse were 10 reeds high. Ezekiel 40:15. Face is from a Hebrew word that Strong says has many applications. But one part of his definition is that it refers to something that turns, which probably is the reason it is used In connection with the gate of this structure. The distance between the entrance gate to the porch over the inner opening was 50 cubits or 8 reeds. Ezekiel 40:16. Narrow means somewhat closed in the way of a lattice, and a window was a place that was perforated. This may be understood by remembering that glass and other transparent substances for admission of light had not been devised in those times. It is reasonable to suppose that the kind of windows just described would not admit the amount of light that could be done with transparent glass. That is why they had to have them round about. The palm trees were some kind of ornaments either carved or painted upon the posts. Ezekiel 40:17. The word court occurs a number of times In the Old Testament and it is from chatser which Strong defines as follows: “ A yard (as inclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (similarly surrounded with walls).” Hence in this verse Ezekiel was taken into the open space surrounding the building which was paved. On this pavement there were 30 chambers which Strong defines as “ a room In a building (whether for storage, eating or lodging).” There would doubtless be frequent calls for just such a service. Ezekiel 40:18. The general pavement described in the preceding verse was on a level with the gates, and they were therefore conveniently related to the floors of the chambers. The lower pavement of this verse was by the sides of the gates and not directly connected with the chambers as to the height. Ezekiel 40:19. The lower gate was one that corresponded in elevation to the lower pavement of the preceding verse. The distance from this lower gate to the wall of the inner court was 100 cubits or more than 16 reeds.Ezekiel 40:20 These courts all were inclosed by some kind of wall and they were provided with gates. All of these gates were measured in order to he “ checking” on them to see how they compared with the standard adopted of a cubit or multiple of it. Ezekiel 40:21. There were three little chambers on each side of the gate that is mentioned in the preceding verse. The posts were reinforcing parts added to strengthen the porch and arched covering over the pavement. This combination or unit was an oblong, being 50 by 25 cubits or about 75 by 37 feet. Ezekiel 40:22. Their windows means the windows of the preceding verse, and the arches were the porches or shaded covering over the windows. The dimensions of these parts were the same as those described in verse 16. Ezekiel 40:23. Over against means it was opposite to the other gates In a way that caused the three to face each other. There was a considerable space taken up with this unit of the great structure, for it was 100 cubits or about 150 feet. Ezekiel 40:24. The parts of the structure described in this verse were similar to those stated in verse 21, which is indicated by, according to these measures. Ezekiel 40:25. The windows were perforated or latticed places for the admission of light. Like those windows denotes that the windows of the building as a whole were made along the same line, which is in harmony with the principle of uniformity which tie Lord generally maintains In His works. Ezekiel 40:26. This last gate seems to have been higher than the area immediately adjoining it. for it required 7 steps to reach it.. The palm trees were ornamental items that were either carved or painted on the posts. Ezekiel 40:27. Tills side was similar to the others in that it had both an inner and outer gate; the gates were 100 cubits or 150 feet apart. Ezekiel 40:28. Ezekiel and the "man" are still at the south side and the prophet is witnessing the measuring of the gate from the viewpoint of the inner court. According to these measures means he used Lhe same standard that he did in the other places. Ezekiel 40:29. Little chambers are still the smaller rooms or resting places that were situated in various convenient places connected with the building. The windows and arches (covered porches) were like the others in both form and dimensions, Ezekiel 40:30. Lest the reader's memory be dulled by the many repetitions and become confused by the different measurements, 1 shall again explain that these arches were parts that were in the nature of porches or porticoes. They served as a protection for the gates, as well as to add beauty to the architecture by conforming to the principles of symmetry and thus pleasing the eye when beholding it, Ezekiel 40:31. These arches or porches served as an overhead shield or protective covering for the parts where they were erected. One of them extended toward the outer court and the posts of it were ornamented with the like-nesses of palm trees. The elevation of thiB porch was 8 steps above the adjoining area. Ezekiel 40:32. The prophet was taken from one side of these structures to the other. He has been on the north and south, now he is brought into the inner court toward the east. According to these measures means the same standard of measurements was used that wag adopted at the beginning of the inspection. Ezekiel 40:33, The little chambers were the small resting places that were built round at the outer border of the pavement. They were all covered by arches or porches, reinforced by the posts. These porches were provided with windows or perforated spaces and the entire unit was built according to these measures or in harmony with the authoritative standard issued by the Lord which consisted of 6 cubits to a reed. Ezekiel 40:34, The present work of inspection was in the inner court according to verse 32, but the arches or porches were extended toward the outward court Since these arches were a sort of shield for the Walkways, we are not surprised to find them in so many places. These arches were supported by the posts which were ornamented with the same kind of engraving or painting that we have seen in the other places. This walkway was higher than the surrounding area so that it required 8 steps to reach it. Ezekiel 40:35. Again the "inspector" went to the north gate and applied the same standard of measuring tape that was used in other instances. Ezekiel 40:36. The measurements and other details observed here are the same as they were at the other gates generally speaking. There was a wonderful uniformity in all of the major parts of the great building. Ezekiel 40:37. Utter means the exterior and the thought is that the posts were provided for the porch to the extent of the outside area. There were two rows of the posts and all of them had the ornaments of palm trees, and it was necessary also to make 8 steps by which to reach the floor of this walkway. Ezekiel 40:38. Washed the burnt offering. The law of Moses required that animals intended for sacrifice on the altar must be washed (Leviticus 1:9; Leviticus 1:13; Leviticus 9:14). Ezekiel 40:39. The people of Israel were promised their release from captivity after the proper period of chastisement, at which time they were to return to Palestine and resume their worship of the true God. That would include the offering of animal sacrifices, and these tables were provided for the slaying of the victims. Ezekiel 40:40. A. great many beasts would be slain to meet the services of the people and many places of the entries to the building, 8 tables in all. Ezekiel 40:41. The location of the tables was in groups of 4 tables each. Ezekiel 40:42. The tables were hewn out of solid stone and were one and a half cubits square by one cubit high. The stone being less porous than wood made them more sanitary. The instruments needed in preparing the animals were kept on the tables. Burnt offering . . . sacrifice. For practical purposes these words may generally be used interchangeably, but when a distinction is made one means something voluntarily brought to the service while the other is specifically required. However, the two are so interwoven in their application that I shall quote the definition from Strong for each. Offering is from quaiiAN and defined, “ Something brought near the altar, i.e,, a sacrificial present.” Sacrifice is from ZEBACH which is defined, "Properly a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal; by implication a sacrifice \ Ezekiel 40:43. Within means just inside the porch were hooks and they were used for convenience in handling the parts of the sacrifices. Ezekiel 40:44. These singers were the persons who conducted the services that had been started by David. This group was provided with some of the chambers or resting places on the inside of the court. These “ booths” were located by the side of the north gate and they faced toward the south. Then another was at the side of the east gate, and it faced toward the north. Ezekiel 40:45. These chambers were used also by the priests and their work was classified, one group having charge of the temple! Ezekiel 40:46. The other chamber was for the priests who served at the altar. Sons of Zadok means those who descended from that line of the priesthood. Ezekiel 40:47, This court was different from the one mentioned before. It was 100 cubits square and contained the altar upon which were burned the various sacrifices. Ezekiel 40:48. He brought me means the “ man” introduced in verse 3 who was conducting this inspection tour for the information of Ezekiel, Porch of the house means an entry to the main building. It had large posts or col-umns on each side, seveii and a half feet in thickness, for strength and massiveness in appearance. Ezekiel 40:49. This entry was a magnificent structure. It was 30 feet long and about 17 feet wide. Its floor was higher than the adjoining area and was reached by steps. In addition to the reinforcing posts there were pillars on each side of the entrance. Ezekiel 41 THE SACRED Eze_41:1-15 a Holy Place (Ezekiel 41:1-2): And he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle. (2) And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits; and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits. Walking westward through the porch, Ezekiel entered the temple proper (hekal). This area he calls the tabernacle or tent (Ezekiel 41:1) "because the posts were shaped like an arch at the top like a tent." The prophet does not mention the contents of this area, only its dimensions. The holy place— the area between the porch and the holy of holies— was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide corresponding to the same room in Solomon's temple (Ezekiel 41:2; 1 Kings 6:2­3). Most Holy Place (Ezekiel 41:3-4): Then went he inward, and measured each post of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the breadth of the entrance, seven cubits. (Ezekiel 41:4) He measured the length thereof, twenty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place. Only the angel entered the most holy place, i.e., the holy of holies (Ezekiel 41:3). The entrance to the holy of holies was but seven cubits wide. The holy of holies was twenty cubits square corresponding to the dimensions of the same room in Solomon's temple (cf. 1 Kings 6:16-17). The guide breaks the silence for the second time on this temple tour, to identify the area he has just measured (Ezekiel 41:4). There is no mention of the ark of the covenant that was housed in this area in Solomon's temple. This harmonizes with Jeremiah's prophecy that the ark would be missing in the messianic age (Jeremiah 3:16). Side Chambers (Ezekiel 41:5-12) The side chambers proper (Ezekiel 41:5-8): Then he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side-chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side. (Ezekiel 41:6) The side-chambers were in three stories, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which belonged to the house for the side-chambers round about, that they might have hold therein, and not have hold in the wall of the house. (Ezekiel 41:7) And the side-chambers were broader as they encompassed the house higher and higher; for the encompassing of the house went higher and higher round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house continued upward; and so one went up from the lowest chamber to the highest by the middle chamber. (Ezekiel 41:8) I saw also that the house had a raised basement round about: the foundations of the side- chambers were a full reed of six great cubits. As in Solomon's temple, attached to the wall of Ezekiel's visionary temple on three sides were side-chambers (cf. 1 Kings 6:5-6). They were in three stories. The chambers of the second story were slightly larger than those on the ground floor, while those of the third story were still larger. This was possible because of abatements in the wall (v 7). Along the back or west wall there were three large chambers, one on each of the three levels. There were fifteen along the south wall, and fifteen along the north wall, five chambers on each tier. The wall of the temple was six cubits thick at the base; but at two points it diminished as it ascended. These abatements served as supports for the beams of the second and third stories (Ezekiel 41:6). The upper-most story was reached by a spiral staircase. It passed from the ground floor through the middle tier (v 7). Other details about the side chambers (Ezekiel 41:9-11): The thickness of the wall, which was for the side- chambers on the outside, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side- chambers, that belonged to the house. (Ezekiel 41:10) Between the chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits round about the house on every side. (Ezekiel 41:11) The doors of the side-chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about. A thick wall surrounded the chambers on the outside. Thus, the chambers were constructed between two massive walls (Ezekiel 41:9). Between these side-chambers and the chambers of the priests mentioned in Ezekiel 40:44-46 was a space of twenty cubits called in KJV the separate place and in the RSV the temple yard (Ezekiel 41:10). The side-chambers were entered from without through two doors, one in the north wall, the other in the south wall. These probably were located at the mid-point of the wall. Connecting doors made passage from one chamber to another possible (v 11). The Hinder Building (Ezekiel 41:12): The building that was before the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits. At the rear of the temple was a large separate building (seventy by ninety cubits) that probably served as a storage area. External Dimensions (Ezekiel 41:13-15 a): So he measured the house, a hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, a hundred cubits long; (Ezekiel 41:14) also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, a hundred cubits. (Ezekiel 41:15) He measured the length of the building before the separate place which was at the back thereof, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, a hundred cubits. The total length of the temple from east to west, from the wall of the porch to the back western wall, was one hundred cubits (Ezekiel 41:13 a). The pavement and building at the rear of the temple extended westward another one hundred cubits (Ezekiel 41:13 b). The front of the temple, along with its yard, was one hundred cubits (v 14). The overall breadth of the building at the rear of the temple was also one hundred cubits. Galleries or balconies were built along the outside of the wall (Ezekiel 41:15). TEMPLE Ezekiel 41:15-26 The Measuring (Ezekiel 41:15-17): [He measured] the inner temple, and the porches of the court; (16) the thresholds, and the closed windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the threshold, ceiled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, (now the windows were covered) (17) to the space above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure. The holy place, holy of holies and the porches of the court all had jambs, narrow windows and balconies (Ezekiel 41:15 b). The stone walls were covered with paneling from floor to ceiling (Ezekiel 41:16-17). The Decorations (Ezekiel 41:18-21): It was made with cherubim and palm-trees; and a palm-tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces; (Ezekiel 41:19) so that there was the face of a man toward the palm-tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm-tree on the other side: thus was it made through all the house round about. (Ezekiel 41:20) From the ground unto above the door were cherubim and palm-trees made: thus was the wall of the temple. (Ezekiel 41:21) As for the temple, the floor posts were squared; and as for the face of the sanctuary, the appearance thereof was as the appearance of the temple. As in Solomon’ s temple (1 Kings 6:29), the wooden panels were decorated with carved figures of cherubim and palm-trees (Ezekiel 41:18) from floor to ceiling (Ezekiel 41:20). These cherubim had two faces— that of a man and that of a lion— that were turned in opposite directions. Each palm-tree was between the human face of one cherub and the lion’ s face of another cherub (Ezekiel 41:19). The jambs or doorposts of the temple were square rather than round (Ezekiel 41:21). The Altar (Ezekiel 41:22): The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD. Ezekiel 41:22 describes one of the pieces of furniture of the holy place. For the third time the guide breaks silence to designate the altar as the table that is before the LORD. Opinions differ as to whether the altar of incense is being described metaphorically as a table, or the table of showbread is being described metaphorically as an altar. THE DOORS Ezekiel 41:23-26 The temple and the sanctuary had two doors. (Ezekiel 41:24) And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other. (Ezekiel 41:25) There were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubim and palm-trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there was a threshold of wood upon the face of the porch without. (Ezekiel 41:26) There were closed windows and palm-trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch: thus were the side-chambers of the house, and the thresholds. The holy place and the holy of holies each had a double door (Ezekiel 41:23). Each door had two leaves that could be folded back independently (Ezekiel 41:24). It would be possible for a door to be opened only a quarter of the full width of the entrance. The doors, like the walls, were decorated with cherubim and palm-trees (Ezekiel 41:25). Beams extended before the porch making a kind of overhang (Ezekiel 41:25). Ezekiel Chapter Forty-One Verse 1 This whole chapter details the parts, decorations, and ornaments of the Temple: the posts, the doors, the walls, the sides, the chambers, the three terraces, the stairs, the narrow windows, the palm trees, the cherubim, and the young lions, the sanctuary, the altar, the tables, etc. The Sanctuary Of JehovahThe man with the measuring reed now proceeds to direct the prophet’ s attention particularly to the sanctuary itself, which according to the description given would be a most magnificent building, and yet differing in many respects from the temple which Solomon erected of old to the glory of the God of Israel. “ And be brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle. And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits; and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits. Then went he inward, and measured each post of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the breadth of the entrance, seven cubits. And he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place” -Ezekiel 41:1-4. It will be observed that the dimensions given for the inner sanctuary are the same as those of Solomon’ s temple and just double the size of the tabernacle in the wilderness. That all the numbers here have definite significance we do not question, but others have taken this up very fully, and it will not be my task to go into it in this place. The sanctuary consists of two rooms as of old, the holy and the most holy places. It is noticeable that into the second the prophet apparently does not enter. The man with the measuring reed alone passes into this sacred enclosure while Ezekiel looks on. Details as to the building itself are given in the verses that follow: “ Then he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side-chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side. And the side-chambers were in three stories, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which belonged to the house for the side-chambers round about, that they might have hold therein, and not have hold in the wall of the house. And the side-chambers were broader as they encompassed the house higher and higher; for the encompassing of the house went higher and higher round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house continued upward; and so one went up from the lowest chamber to the highest by the middle chamber. I saw also that the house had a raised basement round about: the foundations of the side-chambers were a full reed of six great cubits. The thickness of the wall, which was for the side-chambers, on the outside, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side-chambers that belonged to the house. And between the chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits round about the house on every side. And the doors of the side-chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about” -Ezekiel 41:5-11. As we read this passage, whether or not our minds fully grasp the architectural arrangement, we cannot help but recognize a suggestion of hallowed fellowship between the priests of the Lord whose dwelling was to be in these side chambers and Jehovah Himself whose glory was to fill the house. God delights to have His people near Him. All His saints today are priests, and He would have them enter into the blessedness of intimate communion as those who abide constantly in the sanctuary. In Israel of old the priests were a separate family devoted especially to the things of the temple, and it would seem as though this will be the case again when the present dispensation comes to an end and millennial conditions are ushered in. While Israel as a whole will be a priestly nation, nevertheless a separated priesthood comes before us as those who are designated to represent the people before God and to carry on the service of the sanctuary. Anything like this in our dispensation is a reverting to Judaism and fails to take into account the present relation of the saints to Christ. In other words, there is no such distinction now made in Scripture as a clergy and laity such as we see in some of the great ecclesiastical organizations of our day. The idea of a distinctive priesthood apart from that of all believers is foreign to the genius of Christianity; whereas it had its rightful place in Israel before the cross. In addition to the temple itself it is evident that another great building was pictured as standing upon the mount of God’ s holiness. This is indicated in the following verses. “ And the building that was before the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits. So he measured the house, a hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, a hundred cubits long; also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, a hundred cubits” -Ezekiel 41:12-14. While it is difficult to follow the description of the house so as to visualize each part distinctly, our minds are impressed with the fact that it is of magnificent dimensions and wondrous beauty, lined with cedar which speaks of the incorruptible Humanity of our Lord, and adorned with cherubim and palm-trees, emphasizing the victory of righteousness and the blessings to be enjoyed under the divine government when the once-rejected Jesus reigns as King over all the earth. “ And he measured the length of the building before the separate place which was at the back thereof, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, a hundred cubits; and the inner temple, and the porches of the court; the thresholds, and the closed windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the threshold, ceiled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows (now the windows were covered), to the space above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure. And it was made with cherubim and palm-trees; and a palm-tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces; so that there was the face of a man toward the palm-tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm-tree on the other side. Thus was it made through all the house round about: from the ground unto above the door were cherubim and palm-trees made; thus was the wall of the temple” -Ezekiel 41:15-20. The cherubim, as we have seen in our consideration of the earlier chapters of this book, symbolized the divine government-God’ s ways with men and particularly with His people Israel. The palm-tree is the recognized symbol both of righteousness and of victory, as indicated in the 92nd Psalm where the righteous are said to flourish as the palm-tree, and in the last book of the Bible where we see the triumphant overcomers who have won the victory over the beast and his satellite, standing before God with palms in their hands. As we read this description of the house, therefore, we are impressed with the fact that the day will come when in Jehovah’ s righteous government, all iniquity will be put down, and a King shall reign in righteousness, triumphant over all the powers of evil. We turn again to consider the temple as indicated in Ezekiel 41:21-26. “ As for the temple, the doorposts were squared; and as for the face of the sanctuary, the appearance thereof was as the appearance of the temple. The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before Jehovah. And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors. And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves: two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other. And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubim and palm-trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there was a threshold of wood upon the face of the porch without. And there were closed windows and palm-trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch: thus were the Side-chambers of the house, and the thresholds” -Ezekiel 41:21-26. The altar referred to here is the altar inside the sanctuary, the altar of incense, and is not to be confounded with the great altar upon which sacrifices were offered outside in the court. This altar was of wood, speaking of the Humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is called “ the table that is before Jehovah,” for in Christ, God finds His satisfaction. As to His people, He it is who presents their prayers and praises before God, taking from them all imperfection and adding to them His own gracious intercession. We forbear attempting any further comment on these verses as we dread mere human speculation in regard to divine things, and we confess to a lack of understanding as to the marvelous details here given. NOTE: For a much fuller and more satisfactory exposition of this great vision as a whole, it is a pleasure to refer the inquiring student to John Bloore’ s comments in The Numerical Bible. One complete volume is occupied with the book of Ezekiel. The late F. W. Grant was called home to be with Christ after he had written the comments on Ezekiel as far as chapter 37. The manuscript lay unpublished for some years, when it was taken up and edited by Mr. Bloore, who wrote on chapters 38 to 48 in a most illuminating and satisfactory manner. This volume can be had from the same publishers, and we are glad to commend it to those who are anxious for a better understanding of these chapters. Ezekiel 41:1. The heading on the pages of most Bibles, also the statements in works of reference, give to this chapter as a whole the subject of the temple. I believe that to be correct and will make my comments accordingly. In writing on that subject, however, the prophet makes occasional references to the temple of Solomon and the tabernacle built by Moses. It will assist the reader if he can take the time to read the description of those buildings as given in Exodus, chapters 25-30 and 1 Kings 6. But the descriptions that are in the present chapter will be found much more complicated and indefinite than the ones referred to. (See the KEY again.) The posts in this temple correspond to the boards of the tabernacle that Moses made. Ezekiel 41:2. The door was 10 cubits or 15 feet wide. The sides of the door, which means the door jambs, were 5 cubits or seven and a half feet square. Length thereof means that of the room to which the mentioned door was the entrance. Ezekiel 41:3. The measurements of this verse are what he found on the inside part of the entrance structure. Ezekiel 41:4. The dimensions of thiB most holy place were the same as those in the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:20). Ezekiel 41:5. The wall of this was 6 cubits or 9 feet thick, and all round the wall of the building there were chambers or rooms that were 4 cubits wide. These were similar to the chambers of which we read in the preceding chapter. Ezekiel 41:6. The chambers were three stories high and were attached to the wall but not built as a part of it. No doubt such an arrangement was had so that each chamber could be made steady but not weakened by being merged with the other material. Ezekiel 41:7. The three-storied groups of chambers were unique in their plan, for each one was wider than the one under it. In going from the ground floor or pavement to the top Btory, the stairway was on the inside so that it was necessary to ascend by way of the middle story. Such a plan might give the unit a top-heavy appearance, and that would explain why it was braced by being fastened to the side wall. Ezekiel 41:8. The side chambers were built upon a raised platform that was a reed thick. Great is not from a word that means size; it Is one that signifies something as a connection. The thought is that this platform that was supporting the chambers was in addition to the main wall or foundation of the building. Ezekiel 41:9. Much of the arrangement of this whole architecture was done so as to please the eye. For instance, it would look somewhat abrupt to hare the platform on which the chambers were resting to extend wide enough only to hold them, but Instead, there was an extension so as to give a margin of 5 cubits. Ezekiel 41:10. The chambers were not crowded up against each other in a way that would suggest any shortage of room; there was a space of 20 cubits between them. Ezekiel 41:11. These chambers had each a door on the side and one on the north. They were entered from the platform which was described in verses 8 and 9. This would be another reason why the chambers should not be jammed up against each other. Ezekiel 41:12. At one end of the building we have been studying was another that may be regarded as an addition or annex; it was 105 feet wide. Its wall was 8 feet thick and the whole annex was 135 feet long. Ezekiel 41:13. This verse is a summary of certain portions of the general structure that Ezekiel has been observing. The main house was 150 feet long, and besides this, there was an extension in length of 150 feet. Ezekiel 41:14. Separate place is from one original and refers to some part of the building on the east side. Face is evidently used figuratively because it was the rule to “ face’ ' the east with important buildings. Ezekiel 41:15. Against the separate place means that part near the place noted in the preceding verse. Strong defines the original for galleries as “ a ledge or offset in a building." These were extensions of some kind on the outside of the main building and served as a walkway or arcade, and they reached 100 cubits or 150 feet. Ezekiel 41:16. Transparent glass was not known in those times, hence the narrow windows or latticed loopholes were provided to serve these arcades. There were three stories to these arcades and all of them were ceiled with wood. This ceiling not only covered the top as is usually done, but the walls also were ceiled from the ground up as far as the windows, and some kind of covering was made for the windows. Ezekiel 41:17. The ceiling described in the preceding verse extended over the parts named in this. By measure denotes that the ceiling was measured to harmonize with the areas already described and checked by the adopted standard. Ezekiel 41:18. These cherubims and palm trees were for ornamentation, and for added attractiveness the two kinds of ornaments were placed so as to alternate with each other. The cherubims had each two faces Which will be explained in the next verse. Ezekiel 41:19, We usually think of a person who is "two-faced" In an unfavorable light, but such is not always necessary, even when the faces are not alike. Things may differ without being contradictory, and hence they may co-operate with each Other in a common interest. By having two faces the cherubims could see the palm trees from two viewpoints or with two kinds of interests. The palm tree was one of the most admired of all the plants that grew in Palestine. It is referred to in poetic speech as a symbol of peace, and it was literally used for food and other practical purposes. Since the tree therefore was useful for both man and beast, it was appropriate that the faces of the cherubims would be those of a man and a lion. Ezekiel 41:20. The wall of the temple from the ground to the height of the door bad these ornamental engravings or pictures of lions and palm trees. Ezekiel 41:21. This verse means that the general appearance of the posts or supporting columns, and the face or front of the building, were uniform and were square or 4-sided. Ezekiel 41:22. The altar of wood was for the purpose of burning incense, hence did not require to be covered with metal. Table before the Lord is in allusion to the aitar of incense that was in the tabernacle, and located against the vail covering the ark of testimony where the Lord was represented by the glorious light. Ezekiel 41:23. There were two apartments in the temple hence the need for two doors, Ezekiel 41:24. The doors were what are called “ folding doors" today. Ezekiel 41:25. These doors had the same kind of ornamentation engraved on them as was on the walls. The thick planks were the kind used as stepping pieces or thresholds. Ezekiel 41:26. The narrow urindows were the same kind of latticed or perforated spaces that we have observed, because there was no transparent material in use at that time. The thick planks is from a different original from that in the preceding verse, and means some boards suitable for a protective covering or projection over the windows. Ezekiel 42 THE PRIESTS’ OF THE Ezekiel 42:1-14 Northern Chambers (Ezekiel 42:1-9): Then be brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north. (Ezekiel 42:2) Along the length, which was a hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits. (Ezekiel 42:3) Over against the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third story. (Ezekiel 42:4) Before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits’ breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north. (Ezekiel 42:5) Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. (Ezekiel 42:6) For they were in three stories, and they had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost was straitened more than the lowest and the middle­most from the ground. (Ezekiel 42:7) The wall that was without by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits. (Ezekiel 42:8) For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and, behold, before the temple were a hundred cubits. (Ezekiel 42:9) And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court. Across the temple yard, directly opposite the side-chambers, were the priests’ chambers. These chambers were briefly mentioned in Ezekiel 41:10. The priests’ chambers consisted of two blocks or complexes of chambers separated from one another by a passageway ten cubits wide. Closest to the temple was a rather large one-story building (a hundred by fifty cubits) that was divided into smaller chambers. Across the passageway was a three-storied complex of chambers fifty cubits long. For aesthetic reasons a dividing wall extended another fifty cubits so that this second complex of chambers would balance in appearance the first block of priestly chambers. Apparently these priestly chambers could be entered from the outer court and from the passage between the two complexes of chambers. Southern Chambers (Ezekiel 42:10-14): In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were chambers. (Ezekiel 42:11) The way before them was like the appearance of the way of the chambers which were toward the north; according to their length so was their breadth: and all their egresses were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. (Ezekiel 42:12) According to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one enters into them. The chambers on the south side of the temple are the exact replica of those on the north. Purpose of the Chambers (Ezekiel 42:13-14): Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they are the holy chambers, where the priests that are near unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things, and the meal-offering, and the sin- offering, and the trespass-offering; for the place is holy. (Ezekiel 42:14) When the priests enter in, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertains to the people. The tour guide breaks the silence for the fourth time to describe the function of the buildings he has just measured. First, they were used for dining rooms. Here the priests partook of their portion of the sin-offering, the trespass-offering (cf. Ezekiel 40:39) and meal offering (minha), an offering of grain prepared in various ways that accompanied one of the blood offerings (cf. Leviticus 2:1-3). Twice the text emphasizes that these chambers are holy (Ezekiel 42:13). Second, the chambers served as a kind of transit zone between the inner and outer courts. The priests paused there to change from their holy garments worn in ministry, to ordinary clothing (Ezekiel 42:14).Total Dimensions of the Temple AreaEze_42:15-20 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth by the way of the gate that faced east, and measured it round about. (Ezekiel 42:16) He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. (Ezekiel 42:17) He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. (Ezekiel 42:18) He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. (19) He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. (20) He measured it on the four sides: it had a wall round about, the length five hundred, and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between what was holy and what was common. The measurements of the inner house, including its courts and associated buildings, are now complete. The angel returned to the eastern gate, the point at which the measuring had begun. He now measures the entire area surrounding the wall (Ezekiel 42:15). Apparently another wall surrounded the entire temple complex as it previously has been described. This third wall formed a square of five hundred reeds. Since a reed is thought to have been about six cubits, this outer area would have been a three thousand cubit square. The symmetry is perfect. The temple tour ends as it had begun, with the measurement of a wall. The purpose of the wall is the purpose of this unit, viz., to make a separation between what was holy and what was common. Ezekiel's vision reinforces the teaching that there are degrees of holiness. The entire land is holy, the temple precincts yet more holy. The inner chamber of the temple depicts the unapproachable holiness of God himself. The painfully detailed description of the ideal temple underscores the importance of this sacred structure to the exiles. By means of the temple, God's presence in the world became tangible. Everything about that temple— its symmetry, decorations, elaborate architecture— inspired awe. Yet these buildings, like the bones in the valley, have no life in them without the presence of God. The palace awaits its King. Ezekiel Chapter Forty-Two Verse 1 Here is contained a special description of the chambers for housing the priests, and also special information regarding the outer court.The Many Mansions Of The Father’ s House This chapter takes up, more particularly, the arrangements for the comfort of the priests of the Lord, the chambers or abodes where those who served might find accommodations during their stay at the temple. These, as we have seen, are the many mansions in the Father’ s house, depicting the places of rest in heaven, of which Jesus spoke in His last discourse to His disciples (John 14 :l-3). “ Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north. Before the length of a hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. Over against the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third story. And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits’ breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north. Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. For they were in three stories, and they had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground. And the wall that was without by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits. For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were a hundred cubits. And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the outer court. In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were chambers. And the way before them was like the appearance of the way of the chambers which were toward the north; according to their length so was their breadth: and all their egresses were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them” -Ezekiel 42:1-12. On three sides of the temple proper and facing on the court itself there were three-story apartments, suitable as dwelling-places for the priests. It was as though God would have His worshippers close to Himself, according to the word, “ Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee” (Psalms 84:4 <>). He delights to abide amid the praises of His people. “ Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they are the holy chambers, where the priests that are near unto Jehovah shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; for the place is holy. When the priests enter in, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertaineth to the people” -Ezekiel 42:13-14. The priests were to eat of the holy things within the temple enclosure in the chambers, or rooms prepared for them. In this they picture God’ s priestly house today feeding by meditation upon Christ who is the satisfying portion of His people’ s hearts. He has said, “ He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (John 6:57 <>). All the offerings spoke of Him, and the priests fed upon these. “ Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He measured it on the four sides: it had a wall round about, the length five hundred, and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common” -Ezekiel 42:15-20. In this section we have the final measurements completing Ezekiel’ s tour of the temple area, as seen in the vision. There are certain difficulties and perplexities as to these measures which are not easily explained, but we may be sure the original text was without fault, and if in later manuscripts discrepancies appeared they were the result of copyists’ mistakes. The entire temple area is what is here before us-a spacious courtyard surrounded by a great wall with gates on the four sides. The entire space, according to the specifications given here, is far too large for the top of Mount Moriah on which the temple of Solomon, and the temple of Zerubbabel, and that of Herod, stood. So if all is to be taken literally we must understand some great convulsions of nature in the Jerusalem area that will alter considerably the topography of the land. If all is symbolic there need be no difficulty. In God’ s due time He will make everything plain. Even the seeming vagueness of some of the details regarding the court, the sanctuary and the priests’ apartments, might well remind us that God’ s ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts. Much that He has in store for both His earthly and His heavenly people is far beyond our present understanding, but in due time all will be made clear. Till then it is ours to trust and wait patiently for the glory yet to be revealed. As the wise-hearted in Israel meditated on the description and dimensions of this vast temple and its environs they must have been impressed with the greatness of God’ s plan for their future blessing and the meticulous care which He will take in the working out of all His counsels. Ezekiel 42:1. The utter court means the outer one that was on the north side. The separate place was the one commented upon in chapter 41: 12, There was one of the chambers at this place and Ezekiel was taken into it. Ezekiel 42:2. The dimensions stated here identify the place as the one described In chapter 41: 13 and the reader may see the comments at that place. Ezekiel 42:3, The separate place referred to was over against or near the point of the 20 cubits connected with the inner court, also near the pavement provided for the outer court. At this location was a three-storied unit of galleries or projecting ledges. Ezekiel 42:4. Running along the rows of chambers there was a passage that was 10 cubits wide, and the doors of the chambers opened out upon this walk. Ezekiel 42:5. These upper chambers were shorter to harmonize with the decreasing width of the building near it. Ezekiel 42:6. Many of the units of the structure were in threes but the reason for it is not stated. This place had not pillars as other parts had. For this reason the writer states it was straitened or contracted more than either lower or middle story. Ezekiel 42:7. The outside of this unit of chambers was a wall 50 cubits long, corresponding with the extent of the chambers. Ezekiel 42:8. The two fifties of cubits agreed with the 100 cubits that were before the temple so that there would be no unevenness in the combination. Ezekiel 42:9. It should be remembered that we are now reading about the chambers assigned especially for the priests, hence there was an entry into them provided that went under the chambers from the outer court. Ezekiel 42:10. In the thickness denotes the width of the chambers, and they were over against which means they were near the separate place, a description of which has been given elsewhere. Ezekiel 42:11. The main thought in this verse is one of uniformity of design and appearance. The dimensions and fashions of the parts are said to have a like appearance. Ezekiel 42:12. The fact of observing things of different sides did not reveal any great difference in general design- Instead, the statement is made that the one was according to the other in most cases. Ezekiel 42:13. Holy chambers furnishes the key to the particular purpose of these parts of the great structure. They are regarded as holy because of what was to take place in them namely, the ritualistic services of the Mosaic religion. Ezekiel 42:14. When the priests enter these chambers to perform their holy work, they are required to lay aside their personal garments and put on the ones prescribed for the sacred service, and that service was for the people as stated here. Ezekiel 42:15. Prospect means the direction in which the gate faced, and the man measured the area around this gate. Ezekiel 42:16. Reed is used in a general sense and means that the place was measured with a rod, and according to Moffatt's version it was about 500 cubits. Ezekiel 42:17. The north side was evidently measured with the same length rod as the east and it revealed it to be the same dimension as the other. Ezekiel 42:18. The south side was the same as the preceding ones already measured. Ezekiel 42:19. This completed the four sides and the symmetry of the spot was maintained by keeping the four sides equal in extent. Ezekiel 42:20. The four sides that have been measured were supplied with a wall extending throughout tlieir entire boundary. Sanctuary means the holy part and profane refers to the part that was not sacred because it was not specifically used by priests, Ezekiel 43 TEMPLE GLORY RETURN OF THE DIVINE GLORY Ezekiel 43:1-12 Ezekiel at the Eastern Gate (Ezekiel 43:1-4): Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east: (2) and behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory. (3) It was according to the appearance of the vision that I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Kebar; and I fell upon my face. (4) The glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate that faced east. After he had witnessed the measuring of the outer wall, the interpreting angel brought Ezekiel back to the eastern gate of the temple where the tour had begun (cf. Ezekiel 40:6). There he witnessed an awe-inspiring scene (Ezekiel 43:1). Nineteen years earlier Ezekiel had seen the glory of God leaving the temple by that eastern gate (Ezekiel 10:18-22; Ezekiel 11:22-24). The return of God's glory is the ultimate sign of a new chapter in the relationship with his people. The prophet sees the glory of God returning to sanctify the new structure as his holy dwelling. The roar of the cherubim in their flight sounded like the roar of many waters. The splendor of the divine presence illuminated the earth (Ezekiel 43:2). On two previous occasions Ezekiel had seen this vision of the throne-chariot— once at his call by the river Kebar (ch 1), and again when he saw in vision the destruction of Jerusalem (chs 8-11). The prophet attributes the destruction of Jerusalem to himself in Ezekiel 43:3 because he had prophesied Ezekiel was awe-stricken at the sight of the divine glory entering that eastern gate. The words the glory of the LORD came into the house "are the most significant that the prophet has uttered, for they give ultimate meaning to his entire life and ministry" (Ezekiel 43:4). Ezekiel in the Inner Court (Ezekiel 43:5-9): The Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. (Ezekiel 43:6) I heard one speaking unto me out of the house; and a man stood by me. (Ezekiel 43:7) He said unto me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I shall dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever; and the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places; (Ezekiel 43:8) in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their door-post beside my door-post, and there was but the wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in my anger. (Ezekiel 43:9) Now let them put away their whoredom, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me; and I shall dwell in the midst of them forever. After viewing the divine throne-chariot, Ezekiel was whisked away into the inner court by the Spirit (cf. Ezekiel 2:2; Ezekiel 8:3). From that vantage point, Ezekiel could see that the glory of God completely filled the temple (Ezekiel 43:5). A man—probably the interpreting angel of the previous chapters— stood beside Ezekiel there. Here the silence of the tour was broken for the fifth and last time. The voice of God could be heard from within the sanctuary. The word from God is the climax of the temple tour (Ezekiel 43:6). The voice from within spoke of the significance of that new temple. The former temple had served as God’ s footstool; his throne was in heaven (Isaiah 60:13; Psalms 132:7; Lamentations 2:1; 1 Chronicles 28:2). The new temple serves as God's throne, as well as his footstool. There He would dwell with His people forever. In the new temple age, the Israel of God will no longer defile God’ s holy name by their disgusting whoredom, i.e., idolatry. In days gone by, kings were buried in close proximity to the temple. Contact with the dead produced ritual impurity (Numbers 5:2-4; Numbers 19:11-13). The new temple is insulated from such defilement (Ezekiel 43:7). In the pre-exilic Jerusalem, the royal palace abutted the temple. Only a wall separated the holy sanctuary from the royal palace. This was an intolerable infringement on the Lord's space. The abominations (idolatrous practices) of the palace defiled the temple. This was the reason God had consumed these kings (Ezekiel 43:8). The sanctity of the new temple is safeguarded by a large area of outer and inner courts. In these areas the priests and other sacred personnel dwell. When his people put away their whoredom (idolatry), God can dwell forever in their midst (Ezekiel 43:9). Instructions for Ezekiel (Ezekiel 43:10-12): As for you, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. (Ezekiel 43:11) If they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof; the egresses and entrances, and all the forms thereof; all the ordinances, and all the forms thereof; and all the laws thereof. Write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. (Ezekiel 43:12) This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. A new commission is given to Ezekiel. He is commanded to describe the temple of his vision to his fellow exiles in all its particulars. His purpose in doing so was to cause them to be ashamed of their iniquities. This vision serves to remind the exiles of the loss of their former sanctuary. Their hearts would be filled with contrition as they contemplated the reasons why God allowed their former temple to be destroyed. The vision of God's glory returning to the temple is a summons to commitment and loyalty. The exiles are to measure the pattern (ASV). The Hebrew term (toknit) is better translated proportion. The exiles are to measure the temple's relationships and degrees of access. Thus they would learn the standard of God’ s holiness that is clearly set forth in the structure and design of the temple (Ezekiel 43:10). If the people appeared to be moved to repentance by Ezekiel’ s temple preaching, he was to give them all the details concerning the new structure: the form of the house, i.e., the general appearance of the new temple; the fashion thereof, i.e., the various sections, chambers and cells; the egresses (gates) and entrances; the ordinances thereof, i.e., the function and use of the various parts of the temple complex; the forms thereof, i.e., the cherubim and palms that decorate it; and all the laws that regulated the use of that facility. Write it in their sight suggests that Ezekiel may have sketched out the temple plan (on the ground?) even as he described the details of it to the exiles. The Jews were expected to keep the whole form of that temple, i.e., remember the shape and design of the structure; and to implement, when it became possible, the ordinances pertaining to those sacred precincts (Ezekiel 43:11).One other detail is added about the future temple in Ezekiel 43:12. Whereas Solomon’ s temple occupied the slope of a hill, the future temple was to crown the summit. All of Jerusalem was considered holy; the temple area would be considered most holy (Ezekiel 43:12). Ezekiel 43:10-12 is a bridge from the vision of the new temple and the cultic legislation to follow. The higher standards of these laws reflect the greater sanctity of the new temple. Ezekiel anticipates that the cultic ordinances shall be followed. This prevents any future departures of God's glory from his temple. God permanently resides in his temple.CENTER OF WORSHIP: ALTAR Ezekiel 43:13-27 Ezekiel first describes the altar (Ezekiel 43:13-17), and then speaks at length about the dedication of that sacred spot (Ezekiel 43:18-27). Altar Measurements (Ezekiel 43:13-17): These are the measures of the altar by cubits: (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth:) the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar. (Ezekiel 43:14) From the bottom upon the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit. (Ezekiel 43:15) The upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns. The altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof. The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad in the four sides thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit round about; and the steps thereof shall look toward the east. The altar was mentioned previously in 40:47. It was located in the center of the inner court, directly in front of the temple entrance. The arrangement of the Ezekiel's altar is different from that of the Mosaic altar (Exodus 20:25-26). The messianic temple has an altar of a new design (cf. Hebrews 13:10). The Hebrew terms used in vv 13-17 are obscure. There is no unanimity among scholars about the dimensions and design of this structure. The following points are more or less clear: The measurements of the altar are specified as being by the longer cubit. A handbreadth or span was half a cubit. The previously given temple measurements include only the ground plan. The altar measurements include height as well (Ezekiel 43:13). The altar was built on a base. This foundation platform was set in the pavement of the court, its upper surface being apparently level with the surrounding pavement. A rim or border distinguished this foundation platform from the surrounding pavement (Ezekiel 43:13-14 a). The altar was built in three square stages, each with a side two cubits shorter than the stage below it. The sides of the three stages were twelve, fourteen and sixteen cubits long respectively. The altar had a step-like appearance (Ezekiel 43:14-17). The total height of the altar proper was thirteen cubits. The horns that projected upward another cubit were regarded as the most sacred part of the altar. Here the blood was smeared in the various sacrifices (Ezekiel 43:15). The hearth area, where the sacrifices were placed, measured twelve by twelve cubits or 144 square cubits (Ezekiel 43:16). The approach to the altar was on the east side. Steps were forbidden in early altars (Exodus 20:24­ 26). The increased size of later altars made them a necessity. Since the steps faced east, a priest on the steps would be facing west toward God's throne. That is opposite the direction pagan priests faced while ministering (Ezekiel 43:17). Altar Dedication (Ezekiel 43:18-27) Cleansing (Ezekiel 43:18-22): He said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon. (Ezekiel 43:19) You shall give to the priests the Levites that are of the seed of Zadok who are near unto me, to minister unto me, (oracle of the Lord GOD), a young bullock for a sin-offering. (Ezekiel 43:20) You shall take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and upon the border round about: and thus shall you cleanse it and make atonement for it. (Ezekiel 43:21) You shall also take the bullock of the sin- offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary. (Ezekiel 43:22) On the second day you shall offer a he-goat without blemish for a sin-offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock. In the Old Testament worship system, the altar was used two ways: (1) burnt offerings were offered on it; and (2) blood was smeared on it (Ezekiel 43:18). The altar would need to be consecrated in order to make it suitable for these two important functions. Just as Moses carried out the consecration of the Israel's first altar (Exodus 29:36-37; Exodus 40:9-11; Leviticus 16:18-19), so Ezekiel is to organize the consecration of the new altar. He is told to assign the various consecration functions to the Levitical priests who were descendants of Zadok. Non-Zadokites were debarred from priestly ministry for reasons that shall be stated in the following chapter (Ezekiel 44:10). On the first day of the dedicatory rites, Ezekiel was to give to the Zadokites a bullock to be used as a sin-offering (Ezekiel 43:19). The blood of that sacrificial beast was to be smeared on the four horns, on the four corners of the (greater) ledge and on the rim or border that surrounded the greater ledge. This shed blood would cleanse the altar and make atonement for it (Ezekiel 43:20). The remainder of the sacrificial bullock was to be burned in another, unspecified spot within the walls of the temple mount (Ezekiel 43:21). A he-goat was to be sacrificed on the second day of the dedicatory rites. The blood of the he- goat was to be sprinkled on the altar in the same manner as was done with the blood of the bullock. Thus the altar would be purified a second time (Ezekiel 43:22). Consecration (Ezekiel 43:23-27): When you have made an end of cleansing it, you shall offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. (Ezekiel 43:24) You shall bring them near before the LORD. The priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt-offering unto the LORD. (Ezekiel 43:25) Seven days you shall prepare every day a goat for a sin-offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. (Ezekiel 43:26) Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it. (Ezekiel 43:27) When they have accomplished the days it shall be that upon the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt-offerings upon the altar, and your peace- offerings; and I shall accept you, (oracle of the Lord GOD). Whole burnt offerings of a bullock and a ram were to be offered on the purified altar. The whole burnt offering symbolized complete consecration. Salt was to be sprinkled upon these burned offerings by the priests (Ezekiel 43:23). This preservative may symbolize the everlasting covenant between God and his people. These three sacrifices— the goat, bullock and ram— were to be repeated six more times during the dedicatory week (Ezekiel 43:25). By this means the new altar would be set apart for its sacred functions (Ezekiel 43:26). After these rites had been performed, then the regular sacrificial service could begin. Burnt-offerings and peace-offerings had as their primary aim acceptance by God. The devout and obedient worshipers of the new temple era find that acceptance with God (Ezekiel 43:27).Ezekiel Chapter Forty-Three Verse 1 Here is a vision of the return of God's glory to the Temple, corresponding in every way to the visions of the departing glory in Ezekiel 10-11 (Ezekiel 43:1-6). God cited the reprobacy of the priests as a hindrance and as a reason for leaving the Temple. God promised that his glory would dwell there forever (Ezekiel 43:7-12); but that promise was made to be absolutely contingent upon Israel's holiness (Ezekiel 43:9-12). We also have the detailed measurements of the altar (Ezekiel 43:13-17), certain details on animals sacrificed, the sprinkling of the blood, the choice of animals, the days when sacrifices were to be offered, etc...The Return Of The Glory In earlier chapters we have seen how the Shekinah Glory, the uncreated light that rested above the mercy-seat, moved slowly from the temple of Solomon, rising from its place between the cherubim, passing on to the door of the temple, then on to the gate in the east and thence to the Mount of Olives, from which the prophet saw it ascending to heaven; all of which is distinctly typical of our blessed Lord’ s giving up of Israel when they knew not the time of their visitation. But that glory which departed is yet to return when Israel shall be restored to the Lord, and it is of this the present chapter treats. In vision the prophet sees the divine chariot, the glory which he had beheld by the river Chebar, now returning to take its place in the magnificent structure which he saw spread before him as he looked down from the top of the mountain. “ Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with His glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. And the glory of Jehovah came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the East. And the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house” -Ezekiel 43:1-5. Ezekiel was brought by the man with the measuring rod to the east gate, and there as he looked up he beheld the glory of the God of Israel coming from the way of the sunrising, and he heard a voice like the sound of many waters. So marvelous was the sight that the earth shone with the brilliance of the Shekinah. The prophet recognized it at once as the same glory which he had seen departing when God announced that the destruction of the city was near at hand. Reverently Ezekiel fell upon his face as a worshipper as he beheld the glory enter by way of the east gate, and then as he looked up he saw that it filled the entire house. “ And I heard one speaking unto me out of the house; and a Man stood by me. And He said unto me, Son of man, this is the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile My holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places; in their setting of their threshold by My threshold, and their door-post beside My door-post, and there was but the wall between Me and them; and they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in Mine anger. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from Me; and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever” -Ezekiel 43:6-9. A voice came from out of the house, and a Man hitherto unseen stood by Ezekiel. The voice announced, “ Son of man, this is the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever.” When the glory returns it will not be a question of whether the people themselves are deserving of blessing, but it will be a manifestation of the grace of God as set forth in the new covenant. The Lord Himself will see to it that the house of Israel shall never again defile His holy name nor bring dishonor upon His sanctuary by departing from Him and taking up with unclean and unholy practices. In that day His law will be written upon the hearts of His people so that they will delight to do His will. Idolatry will never again rear its hateful head in all the land of Palestine. No more will the priests of Baal and kindred systems set their thresholds by that of Jehovah as in the past when His house was often rendered unclean by the setting up of their images in or near to its courts. All this will be forever past, and God Himself will dwell in the midst of His people. “ Thou, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the egresses thereof, and the entrances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house” -Ezekiel 43:10-12. The tenth verse gives the real key to the entire vision, the reason for which God gave it. He said to Ezekiel, “ Thou, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.” As they thus dwelt upon the glory they might be moved for the time being, and they would loathe themselves as they realized that their iniquities had separated between them and their God. If conscience were inactive, of course, all this would have no effect upon them. But. Jehovah said that if they were ashamed of all they had done, then the prophet was to make known the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, the exits and the entrances, and everything connected with the service and its laws, in order that they might yield glad-hearted obedience to all that God asked of them. It is noticeable that the law of the house was really the way of holiness, for we are told in ver. 12, “ This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.” God makes Himself known to those who walk before Him in holiness and righteousness. We do not learn truth simply through the intellect; we learn it through the conscience. When the conscience is tender and responsive to the Word of God, then His truth is opened up to us in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are enabled to understand His mind and find our delight in doing His will. So will it be with Israel when the many prophecies concerning their future regeneration shall have been fulfilled. The measures of the altar are given in the verses that follow: “ And these are the measures of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar. And from the bottom upon the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit. And the upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns. And the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof. And the ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad in the four sides thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit round about; and the steps thereof shall look toward the east” -Ezekiel 43:13-17. It is noticeable here that the altar is measured not by ordinary cubits but by a cubit and a span. The ordinary cubit was approximately the measure from a man’ s elbow to the tip of his fingers, about eighteen inches; the span added to it would make it about twenty-one or twenty-two inches. It is by this longer cubit that the altar is measured, as though to remind us that the work of the cross is not to be measured by man’ s standards but by those that God Himself appoints. The altar here is, of course, the altar of sacrifice; and it speaks of the work of the cross. It might seem as we read on in the chapter that sacrifices and offerings are to be presented to the Lord on this altar in millennial days, and, as we have mentioned previously, there have been many who have believed this in the past, and there are still numbers of very godly teachers who consider that the sacrifices will be reinstituted, but as memorials not as actually having any atoning value. It seems clear, however, that prior to the work of the cross there could be no other way of presenting that work prophetically than by directing attention to such offerings as the people understood, but when Christ fulfilled all the types on the cross and exclaimed, “ It is finished,” these sacrifices were done away forever, so that the ordinances of the altar which are spoken of in the closing verses of the chapter, all picture, I have no doubt, the way in which the people will enter into and appreciate the work of our Lord Jesus Christ when at last He is revealed to them. “ And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon. Thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that are of the seed of Zadok, who are near unto Me, to minister unto Me, saith the Lord Jehovah, a young bullock for a sin-offering. And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse it and make atonement for it. Thou shalt also take the bullock of the sin-offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary. And on the second day thou shalt offer a he-goat without blemish for a sin-offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock. When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. And thou shalt bring them near before Jehovah, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah. Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin-offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it. And when they have accomplished the days, it shall be that upon the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt-offerings upon the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord Jehovah” -Ezekiel 43:18-27. Everything here speaks of Christ as the burnt offering, who offered Himself without spot unto God, a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savor. He is the true sin offering, who, though He was sinless, was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Israel has never yet entered into the reality of this, but in that coming day they will see how Christ is the fulfilment of all these types, and so they will reach the place where, in holy fellowship with the Lord, they will enjoy Christ as the peace offering, who has brought God and man together, and made them as He has made those of us, both Jew and Gentile, who believe, to be accepted in the Beloved. Ezekiel 43:1. Ezekiel was not taken to this gate to see it measured this time. The building having been measured and hence officially “ checked,” it was ready for use and the prophet was brought here with this in view. Ezekiel 43:2, If there is any figurative significance in the east as being the direction from which the glory of God came, it is due to the fact that the sunlight comes from that point. This glory of God was destined to show itself in due time on behalf of His people, and it was to have its effect upon the great country that was holding the people of the Lord in subjection at the very time that Ezekiel was writing this. Ezekiel 43:3. When I came to destroy the city is correctly rendered in the margin, "When I came to prophesy that the city should be destroyed.” (See the comments on a like passage in Jeremiah 1:10.) Ezekiel 43:4. The glory of the Lord that came from the east entered even into the house that had been measured with the reed. Ezekiel 43:5. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord enter the house, and then he was transported into the inner court where he could behold the greatness of that glory, which was so great that it filled the house. Ezekiel 43:6. Ezekiel has reference to both the Lord and the man who has been doing the measuring. The latter stood by him and the Lord did the speaking. Ezekiel 43:7. This verse is a prediction that was to be fulfilled after the captivity had been completed. The land of Palestine with the temple in Jerusalem is that which Is referred to In the forepart of the verse. The personal location of the throne of God is in Heaven, but also wherever His worship is instituted the throne of the Lord is represented. That holy place had been defiled by the idolatry (spiritual whoredom) of Judah, but that was to be ended permanently by the 70-year captivity. See the historical note on this subject at Isaiah 1:25 in volume 3 of this Commentary. Carcases is from PEUER, which Strong defines, "A carcase (as limp), whether of man or beast; figuratively an idolatrous image." This Indicates that the idolatrous people of Judah may have represented their corrupt devotions by buying some images of their gods in the high places where they had the altars erected. Ezekiel 43:8. The gist of this verse is that the people tried to mix the true with the false religion, and such a practice was always abominable in the sight of God. (Leviticus 10:10; Leviticus 11:47.) Have consumed them means they had lost their national standing by being exiled from their own land. Ezekiel 43:9, This exhortation came at the time when the great 70-year captivity was fully started, but the greater part of it was in the future. Since the people heeded the admonition given them, the verse may properly be regarded both as a warning and a prediction which was fulfilled according to the note cited at verse 7. Ezekiel 43:10. Be ashamed of their iniquities is another passage that is both an admonition and a prediction. That they became ashamed of their record is indicated by the language in the 137th Psalm and Ezekiel 37:11. This attitude is also very evident in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah which are a record of things after the captivity. Ezekiel 43:11. If they 6e ashamed is a very significant phrase. The law of the Lord never has much effect on the life of an unrighteous man as long as he is interested in his evil life. But if and when he becomes ashamed of that life, he will be willing to give his attention to something good. The people of Judah (or Israel) were destined to become ashamed of idolatry and willing to turn back to the true God. Their former temple with its services having been destroyed, it was necessary that a restitution or restoration be made which the T^ord purposed to have done. As an encouraging prediction for these people, Ezekiel was told to show to them the pattern of the restored Institutions. He not only was to write out a report of what bad been revealed to him, hut was to do so in their sight. Ezekiel 43:12. Some details will be added to the foregoing chapters on the reconstruction of the divine institutions and the laws to regulate them. Strong says the original for mountain is sometimes used figuratively. This verse means the whole territory where the house is to be rebuilt Is to be regarded as holy. Ezekiel 43:13. The altar meant is the one to be used for animal sacrifices. Cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth is explained at chapter 40: 5. Ezekiel 43:14. Settle means "a border” or ledge projecting from the face of the altar that would relieve the broad plainness of the instrument and add to its attractiveness. There were two of these borders; the first, one started two cubits from the bottom and it was a cubit wide. Then four cubits up from that border was the next one a cubit wide. Ezekiel 43:15. After the top ledge the altar extended 6 feet higher, and on the four corners of the altar there were horns, one on each corner. Ezekiel 43:16. The altar as measured here was 13 cubits or 18 feet square. Ezekiel 43:17. The altar was 12 cubits long and the settle or ledge was 14 cubits long, which means that the ledge was one cubit in its extension beyond the side of the altar. The ledge had a border about it that was half a cubit, probably something added to gfve it a finished appearance. At the bottom of this altar there was a flange or base all round the piece that was a cubit broad. The stairs means the approach to the altar, not steps as we usually think of the parts, for that was forbidden by the law of Moses (Exodus 20:26) which was the basis for the present institution. Ezekiel 43:18. Having given the details of construction for the altar, the Lord announced to Ezekiel that he would be told about the proper services to be done on it. Ezekiel 43:19. Priests, Levites; that is to be understood from the fact that while all priests were Levites, not ail Levites were priests. At the time of which the prophet was writing they were restricted to the line of Levites coming down from Zadok (1 Chronicles 24:3). The kind of animals that might be offered was the same as the law of Moses had designated (Exodus 29:10). Ezekiel 43:20. The carcass of a beast was to be burned on the altar, but the blood was to be used as a cleansing agent. It was to be put on the various part3 of the piece of furniture in the services to cleanse and purge it. Ezekiel 43:21. Appointed place denotes that the sacrificial services could not be performed at just any place that might suit the worshiper. The law of Moses prescribed the procedure that would be accepted and no change would be received and blessed after they returned from the captivity and resumed their religious practices for the Lord. Ezekiel 43:22. The repetition of animal sacrifices was calculated to impress the worshiper with the necessity of being thorough. The beast to be used must be one that is without blemish the same as required by Moses, Ezekiel 43:23. Another repetition is required even after the altar had been cleansed, It signified that the fitness of the divine institutions is not all that is required, but the worshiper must also be present with the suitable preparation. Ezekiel 43:24. Before the Lord means to do It, in the presence of the altar, for the Lord would not recognize the offering if done in another place. See the comments on "appointed place" in verse 21. Salt may be referred to from both a literal and figurative viewpoint. It is a literal preservative, and when considered figuratively it denotes Permanence in the thing with which it is connected. Ezekiel 43:25. These stipulations were similar to the requirements made in the law of Moses, (See Exodus 29:35; Leviticus 8:33.) The first 5 chapters of Leviticus give the details of many of the principal sacrifices the Jews were required to offer, and other items are to be found in later chapters of that book. Ezekiel 43:26. Seven is a symbol of completeness and it or a multiple of it is very prominent throughout the Bible The altar was to be purified first, then the people were required to prepare themselves by being sincerely consecrated. Ezekiel 43:27. The initial service of 7 days was not to be the end of their religious activities. After that and so forward the offerings were to be offered on the altar under the supervision of the priests. Ezekiel 44 OF WORSHIP Ezekiel’ s lengthy symbolic portrayal of the messianic age continues in this unit. The empty temple complex of chs 40-42 now comes alive. Now that God has returned to the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-12), his people can meet with him there. The laws set forth in the present unit underscore that the temple of the preceding chapters is not a lifeless monument. It is the hub of worship and service. Having already focused his attention on (1) the center of worship (Ezekiel 43:13-27), Ezekiel now speaks of (2) the ministers of worship (Ezekiel 44:1­45:8); and (3) the regulations concerning worship (Ezekiel 45:9 to Ezekiel 46:24). After briefly discussing the relationship of the prince to the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:1-3), Ezekiel speaks of the qualifications of the temple ministers (Ezekiel 44:4-14), the regulations for the Zadokite priests (Ezekiel 44:15-27); the provision for the Zadokite priests (Ezekiel 44:28-31), and the allocation of land that was theirs (Ezekiel 45:1-8). PRINCE AND Ezekiel 44:1-3 Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that faces east; and it was shut. (Ezekiel 44:2) The LORD said unto me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut. (Ezekiel 44:3) As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. The angel now brought Ezekiel back from the inner court to the outer eastern gate that only shortly before he had entered (Ezekiel 43:1). He found that gate shut, now that the glory of God had reentered the temple (Ezekiel 44:1). Never again would that gate be open. God’ s glory would never again depart from his temple. No man would be permitted to enter the gate through which the divine presence had come (Ezekiel 44:2). The future leader of God’ s people— the prince— will be permitted to eat bread before the LORD within the eastern gate complex. The phrase hints of the priestly prerogatives of the future prince. Not even the prince, however, will be allowed to enter by that sealed gate. He will enter the gate complex from the rear or west by the way of the porch of the gate (Ezekiel 44:3). Ezekiel 44:4-14 A Word of Admonition (Ezekiel 44:4-5): Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face. (Ezekiel 44:5) The LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and look with your eyes, and listen with your ears all that I say unto you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every egress of the sanctuary. Though the architectural tour of the temple is over, the heaven guide continues to lead Ezekiel. From the outer court, the prophet was led by his angelic guide around through the northern gate (the eastern gate was to be kept perpetually closed) to the inner court. For the last time in the book, Ezekiel observed the glory of God filling the house. The prophet falls on his face in reverence(Ezekiel 44:4). At this juncture, God spoke to Ezekiel again, this time concerning the qualifications of those who might approach him in his holy temple. Previously the emphasis was on what the guide showed Ezekiel; here it is upon what the Lord tells him. Ezekiel was bidden to make careful note (mark, look, listen) of these ordinances, particularly those laws governing the approaches to the house (Ezekiel 44:5). A Word of Condemnation (Ezekiel 44:6-8): You shall say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: O house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, (Ezekiel 44:7) in that you have brought in foreigners uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood. They have broken my covenant, to add unto all your abominations. (Ezekiel 44:8) You have not kept the charge of my holy things; but you have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. In the former temple, aliens had been permitted to discharge priestly functions. This was an abomination (Ezekiel 44:6; cf. Numbers 3:10). This practice must not persist in the age of the new temple. Those uncircumcised in heart and. . .flesh profaned the holiness of that sacred shrine. Circumcision of the flesh was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. Moses, however, called for Israelites to be circumcised in their hearts as well as in the flesh (Leviticus 26:41; Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; cf. Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:25). Such a change of heart was necessary for the Israelite and the foreigner if they were to enter into a proper relationship with the Lord. God’ s bread, i.e., sacrifices of fat and blood, was not to be offered by the uncircumcised, i.e., the unfaithful and unconverted. To allow them to do so was to violate the covenant and commit abomination (Ezekiel 44:7). Apparently the use of foreign temple servants such as the Carites (2 Kings 11:4) is here being proscribed. It may have been that in times when the priesthood was at low ebb, some priestly duties actually had been assigned to these foreigners. In so doing, God’ s people had been more concerned about what was convenient to them rather than what conformed to the instructions of God (Ezekiel 44:8). A Word of Judgment (Ezekiel 44:9-15): Thus says the Lord GOD, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners that are among the children of Israel. (Ezekiel 44:10) But the Levites that went far from me, when Israel went astray, that went astray from me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. (Ezekiel 44:11) Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house: they shall slay the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. (Ezekiel 44:12) Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity unto the house of Israel; therefore have I lifted up my hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. (Ezekiel 44:13) They shall not come near unto me, to execute the office of priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, unto the things that are most holy; but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. (Ezekiel 44:14) Yet shall I make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. The menial temple work, formerly done by aliens, must in the future be performed by the Levites (Ezekiel 44:9). The duties of the Levites in Ezekiel’ s temple were threefold: (1) they were to have charge of the temple gates, i.e., they were to police the crowds who entered for worship; (2) they were to minister in the house, i.e., courtyard, by slaying the sacrificial animals; and (3) they were to stand before the worshipers to minister to them by helping them in their ritual responsibilities (Ezekiel 44:11). The demotion of the Levites in the new temple was a punishment for previous transgression on their part. They had gone far away from God (Ezekiel 44:10). They had ministered at idolatrous shrines, and thus had become stumbling blocks to the people of God. God had taken an oath (lifted up my hand) against the Levites that they bear the consequences of their iniquity in the new temple age (Ezekiel 44:12). In effect, the penalty against the once wayward Levites was reduction in status to that of lay servants in the temple. They are not allowed to come near the Lord, i.e., enter the inner courtyard, nor minister at the sacrificial service, nor come near any holy thing in the temple (Ezekiel 44:13). The Levites are keepers of the charge of the house, i.e., they are restricted to functions in the outer court (Ezekiel 44:14). Ezekiel 44:15-27 Ministerial Privileges (Ezekiel 44:15-16): But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me; and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood (oracle of the Lord GOD): (Ezekiel 44:16) they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. Only the sons of Zadok are allowed to minister before and within the sanctuary proper. They alone had remained faithful when the rest of the nation had gone into idolatry. The Zadokites are permitted to (1) come near to God to minister unto him; (2) stand before God to offer the sacrificial portions of animals and the blood (Ezekiel 44:15); (3) enter into the sanctuary itself and minister there; and (4) approach the table of showbread (cf. Ezekiel 41:22). Whereas the Levites were to keep the charge of the house (Ezekiel 44:14), the Zadokites were to keep my charge (Ezekiel 44:16). Older critics saw in these verse evidences of a political conflict between priests and Levites. Supposedly Ezekiel took the side of the priests. The main concern here, however, is the holiness of a temple liturgy that far surpasses in holiness anything known during the days of the previous temple. Ministerial Dress (Ezekiel 44:17-20) Garments must be linen (Ezekiel 44:17-18): It shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court they shall be clothed with linen garments. No wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. (Ezekiel 44:18) They shall have linen turbans upon their heads, and shall have linen undergarments upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat. In the new temple, the Zadokite priests were to serve clothed only in linen. They would not be permitted to wear the partly woolen garments worn by priests in the former temple. Linen is light and clean in appearance. The heavier wool would cause perspiration that in turn would result in ritual defilement. Garments must be removed (Ezekiel 44:19): When they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they sanctify not the people with their garments. The holy linen garments were to be removed and stored in the holy chambers before the priests joined the lay people in the outer court. Holiness was communicated by direct contact (cf. Exodus 29:37; Leviticus 6:20). If the priests mingled with the lay people in those holy garments, they too would be sanctified. Holy and profane were never to meet in the new age. Personal grooming (Ezekiel 44:20): Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads. The priests were to be examples of holiness to the people of God. They were not permitted to shave their heads, nor let their hair grow long. Those customs were associated with heathen practice (cf. Leviticus 21:5; Leviticus 21:10). Ministerial Restrictions (Ezekiel 44:21-22): Neither shall any of the priests drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. (Ezekiel 44:22) They shall not take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that is the widow of a priest. As in the law of Moses, priests were not allowed to drink wine before performing their sacrificial ministry in the inner court (Ezekiel 44:21). Rigid marriage restrictions prohibited a priest from marrying anyone but an Israelite virgin or the widow of a fellow priest (Ezekiel 44:22). These strict marriage regulations were perhaps designed to preserve the purity of the priestly families. Ministerial Responsibility (Ezekiel 44:23-24): They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. (Ezekiel 44:24) In a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to my ordinances shall they judge it: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. Ezekiel 44:23-24 outlines some of the responsibilities of the priests. They were teachers, and as such they were responsible, by word and example, for constantly reminding the people of the difference between the holy and the common, the clean and the unclean (Ezekiel 44:23). In civil law cases, the priests acted as judges. In this capacity they were to render each verdict in accordance with the law of God. The primary function of the priests was strictly to observe the regulations concerning the sacrifices that were to be offered on special festivals and sabbaths (Ezekiel 44:24). Ministerial Defilement (Ezekiel 44:25-27): They shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that has had no husband, they may defile themselves. (Ezekiel 44:26) After he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. (Ezekiel 44:27) In the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin-offering (oracle of the Lord GOD). As in the law of Moses, the priests of the new temple age must avoid contact with dead bodies. Exceptions were made in the case of close relatives (Ezekiel 44:25). Contact with a corpse defiled priests and rendered them temporarily unfit to perform their priestly function. A seven-day separation and ritual washing were necessary to cleanse a priest defiled by death in the law of Moses. Ezekiel’ s regulations call for an additional seven-day period after the cleansing (Ezekiel 44:26). Upon resuming his ministry in the inner court, the priest was to offer a sin-offering for his defilement (Ezekiel 44:27). These additional regulations are intended to portray the greater sanctity of the future temple. Ezekiel 44:28-31 Priestly Inheritance (Ezekiel 44:28): They shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. Whereas other tribes received their inheritance in land tracts, the priesthood itself was the inheritance of the Zadokites. Spiritual privilege is greater blessing than material possession. Priestly Sustenance (Ezekiel 44:29-31): They shall eat the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. (Ezekiel 44:30) The first of all the first- fruits of every thing, and every oblation of everything, of all your oblations, shall be for the priest: you shall also give unto the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house. (Ezekiel 44:31) The priests shall not eat of any thing that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or beast. The priests received a portion of the various offerings for their daily maintenance. Every devoted thing (herem)—any property consecrated to God— belonged to the priests (Ezekiel 44:29). The first-fruits of the land— a token portion of the crop— belonged to the priests. The oblation or heave-offering was the priest’ s portion of first-born clean animals that were killed and sacrificed to God. The first cakes baked with the grain from the threshing floor were also to be given to the priests (cf. Numbers 15:20). Those who were faithful in presenting these offerings to the priests receive a special blessing (Ezekiel 44:30; cf. Malachi 3:10). Appended to the list of what priests could eat is a prohibition. No Israelite could eat any animal that died a natural death or that had been killed by wild beasts (cf. Exodus 22:30; Leviticus 7:24; Deuteronomy 14:21). It is not clear why the regulation is repeated here in connection with the priests (Ezekiel 44:31).Ezekiel Chapter Forty-FourVerse 1 The east gate is assigned to the priests (Ezekiel 44:1-3). The priesthood is reproved and condemned for their sins (Ezekiel 44:4-14). Next are given specific regulations for cleansing and purifying the priesthood (Ezekiel 44:15-31). Ordinances For The Priests The chief theme of this chapter is that of the regulations under which the priests of Jehovah were to serve in His temple. In these we may see, in the main, a repetition of instruction given by Moses long before, as recorded in the book of Leviticus particularly, much of which had been ignored and even definitely disobeyed after idolatry came in and rulers, priests, and people drifted farther and farther from God. The reiteration of these commandments as given here tells us, in veiled form, of the unhindered worship that will be offered to the Lord in the coming glorious day of Israel’ s cleansing and regeneration. First, however, we read of a prince who is to occupy a place of special privilege and authority in that day. “ Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. And Jehovah said unto me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut. As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before Jehovah; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same” -Ezekiel 44:1-3. Many have thought they saw in the “ Golden Gate” so-called, on the east of the temple-area, the fulfilment of this prophetic vision. But the east gate here is clearly that of the temple seen by the prophet. By way of that gate the glory returned to fill the house: this was Jehovah’ s entrance into His sanctuary. Henceforth, the gate was to be closed to all men, no matter how exalted in rank or conspicuous for piety. The prince, who will be in all probability a lineal descendant of David, hence his son, enters the court by way of the porch of the gate but not through the gate itself. But he eats bread within the entryway of the gate, inside the court, thus enjoying a special place of communion and fellowship. The prophet proceeds to tell of the privileges and responsibilities of the priests. “ Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and, behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house of Jehovah: and I fell upon my face. And Jehovah said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of Jehovah, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every egress of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, in that ye have brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to profane it, even My house, when ye offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My convenant, to add unto all your abominations. And ye have not kept the charge of My holy things; but ye have set keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary, of any foreigners that are among the children of Israel. But the Levites that went far from Me, when Israel went astray, that went astray from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house: they shall slay the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and became a stumblingblock of iniquity unto the house of Israel; therefore have I lifted up My hand against them, saith the Lord Jehovah, and they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near unto Me, to execute the office of priest unto Me, nor to come near to any of My holy things, unto the things that are most holy: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. Yet will I make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein” -Ezekiel 44:4-14. In that house, so resplendent with the manifest presence of Jehovah, the glory which of old filled Solomon’ s temple on the occasion of its dedication but which was never seen in the later temple, the priests of the Lord will have free access, but their behavior and habiliments must be in accordance with the law of the house. All idolatry is to be forever abolished: no more will Jehovah’ s house be defiled or His priests contaminated by pagan practices. He alone is to be exalted in that day. Heretofore, self-will and disobedience had prevailed: henceforth the statutes of Jehovah were to be kept in truth and faithfulness, and His priests were to remember they were separated to Himself. No stranger to the divine covenant was to enter those sacred precincts. They who worshipped there were to be circumcised in heart, not only in the flesh. All filthiness of flesh and spirit were to be put away. We may see the full meaning of this in the instructions given to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ;2 Corinthians 7:1 <>. The same standard was set forth as expressing God’ s will for the priests who should minister in this glorious sanctuary. Neglect of these requirements had brought judgment upon both priests and Levites. Adherence to them would be the precursor to blessing, and would insure God’ s continued delight in His people. Again we would be reminded that every offering spoke of Christ and some special aspect of His work: therefore, we need have no difficulty when we read once more of sacrifices and offerings such as were commanded under the legal dispensation. “ But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord Jehovah: they shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge. And it shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen tires upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat. And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they sanctify not the people with their garments. Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads. Neither shall any of the priests drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that is the widow of a priest. And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. And in a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to Mine ordinances shall they judge it: and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts; and they shall hallow My sabbaths. And they shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves. And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin-offering, saith the Lord Jehovah. And they shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and ye shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. They shall eat the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. And the first of all the first-fruits of everything, and every oblation of everything, of all your oblations, shall be for the priest: ye shall also give unto the priests the first of your dough, to cause a bless- ing to rest on thy house. The priests shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or beast” -Ezekiel 44:15-31. By consulting 1 Samuel 2:35 ; 2 Samuel 15:24 ; 1 Kings 2:27-35 we will understand what is said here of the sons of Zadok. These alone are given a true priestly place in this temple. All others of the sons of Levi are given positions of authority and service, but it is not theirs to present the offerings of the people on the altar. The priesthood failed almost from the beginning, and God set the other sons of Aaron aside in favor of the descendants of Zadok who was faithful in a day of declension and apostasy. As we think of the typical character of the priesthood in Israel we may gain much for ourselves by a careful consideration of all these statutes and ordinances. “ No word of God shall be void of power”; all Scripture is for our learning, and we cannot afford to neglect or pass lightly over any of it as though it contained nothing for our edification. The priest is the worshiper; all believers are such, or should be, today-therefore the importance of keeping ourselves free from every defiling thing that we may worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Ezekiel 44:1. Ezekiel 43:5 tells of the "man" taking Ezekiel to the inner court, and the present verse shows that lie was brought bac/c towards the outside again where he found the gate shut. Ezekiel 44:2. Ezekiel 43:4 gives us the reason the east gate was shut; and it is so stated here. The Lord is the One whose right it is to use that gate, and it was to be closed t.o the people in general, Ezekiel 44:3. This gate was for the special use of the prince which would mean whoever was a leading man or one in a leading position among the people of Israel. Ezekiel 44:4. Wherever one looked about the holy building he would see evidences of the glory of the Lord. Fell upon my face was an ancient custom when a person wished to manifest great respect for another and humility in himself. We need not suppose that one performed any violent action such as would cause an injury to the body. But the act was done in such a decided manner as to leave no doubt about the genuine humility of the worshiper or any person who wished to give special recognition to another. Ezekiel 44:5. This verse is virtually the same as chapter 40; 4, Ezekiel 44:6. Lei it suffice you means for them to realize that they had already committed enough abominations, and they should be content to change their ways. Ezekiel 44:7, When circumcision is used figuratively or spiritually, it means consecration and devotion to duty unto the Lord. The people of Israel had become so inconsistent In their practices that the Lord regarded them as uncircumcised. Ezekiel 44:8. According to chapter 40: 45 the priests were the lawful keepers of the holy place. But these men had put others in their place, men who were not qualified either officially or morally for the holy work. Ezekiel 44:9. Under no condition was a stranger (one outside the nation) to be permitted to participate in the offering of sacrifices. This was not only because they were uncircumeised in the flesh, but also were unfit with regard to their character. Ezekiel 44:10. The Levites were the ones who had been appointed by the Lord for the services about the altar. However, they had corrupted themselves by going after the worship of Idols and hence became abominable to God. Bear their iniquity means they would suffer the consequences of their unrighteous life. Ezekiel 44:11. Yet they shall be ministers, etc. It was the Lord's decision that the tribe of Levi should have exclusive charge of the priesthood, and their unfaithfulness did not make it lawful for anyone outside to meddle in the altar services. Ezekiel 44:12. The outside people had no right to be substituted for the lawful priesthood that was vested in the tribe of Levi; yet the unfaithfulness of that group was destined to bring forth the judgment of the Lord, They mixed the true worship with that of Idols and for that reason God said 7 have lifted up mine hand against them. Ezekiel 44:13. Just as Ezekiel was writing this verse, the Levites were in Babylon where they were destined to remain for nearly balf a century longer. While in that country they will not be permitted to perform the services of the sanctuary. And even after the return from captivity, the individuals who were stained with Idolatry will not be permitted to came near unto me saith the Lord; that will be reserved for others. Ezekiel 44:14. However, these demoted persons will be required to perform some service. Ezekiel 44:15. In all cases of iniquity there have been exceptions although they were generally In the minority. We may note the instance of Lot and his family, Noah and his family, and the ones predicted by Jesus to be in evidence at the day of judgment. Thus it was when the people of Judah went astray as a nation, there were some priests who kept the charge of the sanctuary, and they are now promised the honor of being near the Lord to minister unto Him. Ezekiel 44:16. The table is the altar described in Ezekiel 41:22. Ezekiel 44:17. These worthy persons of the sons of Zadok were to be admitted into the sanctuary for tlie purpose of performing the services belonging to the priesthood, The wearing of linen instead of wool would be in accordance with the law of Moses. Ezekiel 44:18. The 28th chapter of Exodus gives the instructions for making the garments of tile priests. It may be noted that linen was used extensively, while no mention is made of any woolen material for any of the garments. Ezekiel 44:19. This verse corresponds with verses 13 and 14 in chapter 42. Ezekiel 44:20. Neither shave , , . nor grow long may seem to be a contradiction but it is not. The first refers to a practice of shaving the hair down to the skin in certain places about the head, It was a heathenish custom and God’ s people were forbidden to follow it (Leviticus 21:1-5). The second part of the citation means they were not to neglect the hair altogether but were to poll it which means to trim it off so that it would not be regarded as long hair. (See 1 Corinthians 11:14.) Ezekiel 44:21. The reason for this law is given in Leviticus 10:9. Ezekiel 44:22. This verse likewise is on the same basis as the law of Moses. The restriction against marrying a widow was not applicable in the case of one who had been married to a priest before. Ezekiel 44:23. Holy and profane differ from each other in that the latter means only the thing is temporal or earthly and not religious. It does not mean necessarily that it is something wrong morally. The sons of Aaron failed to distinguish between fire that was obtained from some ordinary (profane) human source, and that which was on the altar which was holy because it came from God (Leviticus 9:24). Ezekiel 44:24. The priests were to render decisions when a controversy arose between the people, but it wa3 to be according to my judgments. They were not to make laws regarding the conduct of the people, for their authority consisted only in making the application of the law of the Lord. Ezekiel 44:25, The law of Moses regarded a dead person unclean, but this meant especially from a Ceremonial standpoint. There were men outside the priesthood who could take care of the dead and the priests could remain clean and always be ready to perform their own particular office. But for their near relatives an exception was made because the nearness of the relationship would sometimes make it necessary to touch them. Ezekiel 44:26. When it was necessary for a priest to handle a dead body, he was not permitted to resume his official service until he had been cleansed, which required a period of 7 days including certain ceremonies. Ezekiel 44:27. The 19th chapter of Leviticus should be studied in connection with the present group of verses, because it gives the law of cleansing under the Mosaic system. When the priest has completed the term of days required for his cleansing, he is to begin his activities by offering a sin offering. (See Leviticus 4:1-12 for the regulations on this subject.) Verse 28. Be unto them for an inheritance. The Levites were not given possessions of estates as were the other tribes, because they were to be employed in the services around the house of God. I am their inheritance means that instead of having land from which to obtain a living, they would be cared for by the Lord through the provisions of that service which He required of them. (See 1 Corinthians 9:13.) Ezekiel 44:29, This verse states some of the details of how the priests lived from their service to God. From the sacrifices which the people of Israel brought to the altar the priests took certain portions for their food. Ezekiel 44:30. Oblations Is another name for offerings which the people were required to bring to the service. Before they could, make use of the products of the soil and herds, they must take the best of the fruit and turn it over to the priests. Ezekiel 44:31. The priests were restricted according to this verse 1n regard to the eating of certain things. For that reason the people would know better than to bring such articles to the service since these men had to “ live of the things of the attar." Ezekiel 45 SPECIAL TO THE LORD THE LAND Ezekiel 45:1-8 Holy Portion (Ezekiel 45:1-4): Moreover, when you shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, a holy portion of the land; the length shall be the length of twenty-five thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand: it shall be holy in all the border thereof round about. (Ezekiel 45:2) Of this there shall be for the holy place five hundred in length, square round about; and fifty cubits for the suburbs thereof round about. (Ezekiel 45:3) Of this measure you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a breadth of ten thousand; and in it shall be the sanctuary, which is most holy. (Ezekiel 45:4) It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, that come near to minister unto the LORD; and it shall be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary. Ezekiel anticipates an apportionment of the holy land among the tribes of Israel. The central portion of that land was to belong to the Lord. This rectangular area, twenty-five thousand by ten thousand reeds, was to be reserved for the priests and the new temple (Ezekiel 45:4). This portion of the land is viewed as more holy than the rest of the land (Ezekiel 45:1). In the center of this priestly portion of ground was a square (500 x 500 reeds) where the temple was to be located. It was separated from the area where the priests dwelled by fifty cubits of open space (vv 2-3). Ezekiel's vision of the promised land shows more concern for symmetry than for the realities of geography. His idealism has a pedagogical function. Pre-exilic Israel got into trouble for ignoring God. Ezekiel paints the picture of God in the center of things in the new era. Levitical Portion (Ezekiel 45:5): And twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth, shall be unto the Levites, the ministers of the house, for a possession unto themselves, for twenty chambers. The Levites would occupy a portion of land equal in extent to and adjoining that of the priests. Scholars differ as to whether this area was north or south of the priests’ portion. At the extreme end of the Levites’ portion, twenty chambers were to be built. There were to house the gate-keepers so that they would be near the temple (Ezekiel 45:5). City Portion (Ezekiel 45:6): You shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and twenty- five thousand long, side by side with the oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel. The city of Jerusalem was allocated a rectangular portion of land (25,000 x 5,000 reeds) adjacent to the portion of the priests on the south. This section of the land could be inhabited by any Israelite without regard to tribe. The total territory of the holy portion— the territory allocated to the holy city, to the priests, Levites and temple— comprised an area 25,000 reeds square. Prince's Portion (Ezekiel 45:7-8) Positioning (Ezekiel 45:7): Whatsoever is for the prince shall be on the one side and on the other side of the holy oblation and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy oblation and in front of the possession of the city, on the west side westward, and on the east side eastward; and in length answerable unto one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border. In Ezekiel's symbolic scheme of things, the center of the land was a rectangle called the holy oblation that has been described in the previous verses. The ideal city and temple occupy this oblation. As if guarding the approaches to both, the prince's inheritance was on either side of the oblation in the very center of the land. Purpose (Ezekiel 45:8): In the land it shall be to him for a possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes. The law of Moses made no special inheritance provision for kings. Old Testament kings were constantly attempting to expand their personal holdings at the expense of the citizens. This will not be the case in the future envisioned by Ezekiel. The portion of the prince was equal in size to that assigned to entire tribes, except that the holy portion was carved out of his territory (cf. Ezekiel 48:21). Taking their cue from the prince, other leaders in the future Israel (my princes) are God­fearing men. They do not oppress God's people by trying to appropriate their inheritances. On the other hand, they see to it that all of God's people occupied their God-given share in the holy land, i.e., the kingdom. Ezekiel 45:9-25 At this point in his vision of the new temple, Ezekiel sets forth the regulations pertaining to (1) the rights and duties of the prince (Ezekiel 45:9-17); (2) the festival offerings (Ezekiel 45:18-25); and (3) the offerings on the Sabbath and new moon (Ezekiel 46:1-7). Integrity in Office (Ezekiel 45:9-12) General requirement (Ezekiel 45:9): Thus says the Lord GOD: Let it suffice you, O prince of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute justice and righteousness; take away your exactions from my people (oracle of the Lord GOD). God appeals to the future rulers of his people to abandon the greed and corruption of their predecessors who did violence to the helpless. He urges them to take away their exactions— the unjust seizure of property. They must rule in justice and righteousness. Weights and measures (Ezekiel 45:10-12): You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. (Ezekiel 45:11) The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure. That the bath may contain the tenth part of a homer, and the ephah the tenth part of a homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer. (Ezekiel 45:12) The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh. The most common means of defrauding people was by means of unjust measures. The future leaders must eliminate this evil. They must demand that just weights and measures be used throughout the land. The ephah was a dry measure, the bath a liquid measure (Ezekiel 45:10). Both were equal to a tenth of a homer, which was the standard unit of measure (Ezekiel 45:11). A shekel (about 0.4 ounces) was equal to twenty gerahs. Sixty shekels made up a mina (ASV maneh).The shekels were in use in denominations of twenty, twenty-five and fifteen in the days of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 45:12). Faithful in Temple Provisions (Ezekiel 45:13-17) Obligations of the people (Ezekiel 45:13-16): This is the oblation that you shall offer: the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of wheat; and you shall give the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley; (Ezekiel 45:14) and the set portion of oil, of the bath of oil, the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is ten baths, even a homer; (for ten baths are a homer); (Ezekiel 45:15) and one lamb of the flock, out of two hundred, from the well-watered pastures of Israel— for a meal-offering, and for a burnt-offering, and for peace-offerings, to make atonement for them, (oracle of the Lord GOD). (Ezekiel 45:16) All the people of the land shall give unto this oblation for the prince in Israel. The reasons for concern about weights and measures is set forth. The people are to present offerings to their prince. He in turn had the responsibility of supplying the needs of the temple service. A sixth of an ephah of wheat and barley was required (v 13), a tenth of each bath of oil out of the cor (Ezekiel 45:14), and one lamb out of a flock of two hundred. These required dues were to be used in temple offerings to make atonement for the people (v 15). When these verses are compared to the stipulations of the Mosaic law, it becomes clear that "the demands of Ezekiel's torah surpass those of the earlier or Mosaic torah in quantity as well as quality." Obligations of the prince (Ezekiel 45:17): It shall be the prince’ s part to give the burnt-offerings, and the meal-offerings, and the drink-offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin-offering, and the meal-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel. The people render special tribute to the prince (Ezekiel 45:16). He in turn provided the communal sacrifices offered throughout the year, as well as those special sacrifices offered on festival days. He will prepare the various sacrifices that result in atonement (Ezekiel 45:17). No mention is made in these chapters of the people bringing sacrifices to the temple. Apparently all offerings are given to God through the prince. Ezekiel 45:18-25 The regulations regarding festival offerings sketched out here presuppose the more detailed instructions found in the Pentateuch. Some of the sacrifices spoken of here and in the next chapters were unknown in Solomon’ s temple. The considerable differences between Ezekiel's ordinances and the Mosaic laws again signal that the worship system of the messianic era is substantially different from that of the mosaic era. Some scholars hold that the sacrifices outlined here were intended to be replacement for the Mosaic regulations regarding these holy days. Others see these sacrifices as being in addition to those stipulated in the Mosaic law. Still others see these sacrifices as authorized only for the period of the dedication of the new temple. New Year (Ezekiel 45:18-20): Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, in the first day of the month, you shall take a young bullock without blemish; and you shall cleanse the sanctuary. (Ezekiel 45:19) The priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering, and put it upon the door-posts of the house, upon the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. (Ezekiel 45:20) So you shall do on the seventh day of the month for every one that errs, and for him that is simple: so shall you make atonement for the house. The blood of a bullock is used to purify the sanctuary on New Year’ s day (Ezekiel 45:18). The blood of that sin offering is smeared on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the greater ledge of the altar (cf. 43:20), and on the post of the gate of the inner court (Ezekiel 45:19). These actions were to be repeated on the seventh day of the month. This ritual served to cleanse the holy area from those who through ignorance had wandered into a restricted area of the temple courtyard.Passover (Ezekiel 45:21-24) Authorization (Ezekiel 45:21): In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. Passover commemorated the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt. It was celebrated on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the first month. This spring festival lasted seven days during which only unleavened bread was eaten (v 21). Responsibility of the prince (Ezekiel 45:22-24) For Passover day (Ezekiel 45:22): Upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin-offering. The prince was to prepare, i.e., provide, a bullock as a sin-offering for himself and for the people (Ezekiel 45:22). If the prince is a messianic figure, this can only mean that (1) the prince provided the sin offering for the people; and (2) that the provision of that offering was in some sense necessary for the fulfillment of his mission. That the prince himself was a sinner is not a necessary conclusion drawn from the text. No such sacrifice was connected with Passover in the Mosiac dispensation. For Passover week (Ezekiel 45:23-24): The seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt- offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a he-goat daily for a sin-offering. (24) He shall prepare a meal-offering, and ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil to an ephah. In the future worship, Ezekiel has the sin offering coming before, and presumably taking precedence over, the Paschal feast proper. Clearly the sin offering is more prominent in the new age. Messiah was made to be a sin offering for guilty men (2 Corinthians 5:21). He accomplished all that the animal sin offerings of the old covenant could not accomplish. In addition to the sin-offering bullock, the prince was to provide seven bullocks and seven rams for burnt-offerings on each of the seven days of the festival. He was also to provide a he-goat each day for a sin-offering (Ezekiel 45:23). Along with each bullock and ram the prince was to provide an ephah of grain and a hin of oil (Ezekiel 45:24). Tabernacles (Ezekiel 45:25): In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, in the feast, shall he do the like seven days; according to the sin-offering, according to the burnt-offering, according to the meal-offering, and according to the oil. The feast of Tabernacles was observed during Tishri, the seventh month. During this joyous seven-day festival the prince was to duplicate the offerings required during Passover. Ezekiel Chapter Forty-Five Verse 1 This gives instructions for the provision of land for the sanctuary and temple grounds, and then for dividing up the remainder of the Holy Land to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. An appeal is made for the kings of Israel to refrain from violence and from false trading. Specifications for certain animal sacrifices are also made.Jehovah’ s Appointments This chapter deals particularly with the apportionment of the land for the Lord, His priests the Levites and the people, all in connection with the site of the sanctuary and its court. It is an ideal picture of Jehovah dwelling in the midst of His saints. “ Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto Jehovah, a holy portion of the land; the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand: it shall be holy in all the border thereof round about. Of this there shall be for the holy place five hundred in length by five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits for the suburbs thereof round about. And of this measure shalt thou measure a length of five and twenty thousand, and a breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary, which is most holy. It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, that come near to minister unto Jehovah; and it shall be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary. And five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth, shall be unto the Levites, the ministers of the house, for a possession unto themselves, for twenty chambers. And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, side by side with the oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel. And whatsoever is for the prince shall be on the one side and on the other side of the holy oblation and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy oblation and in front of the possession of the city, on the west side westward, and on the east side eastward; and in length answerable unto one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border. In the land it shall be to him for a possession in Israel: and My princes shall no more oppress My people; but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes” -Ezekiel 45:1-8. Of old the land of Palestine was divided by lot among the children of Israel. The lot was an Old Testament way of determining the mind of God, “ The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33). The last use of this method was that in connection with the choice of one to take the place of Judas, as recorded in Acts 1:26. This was before Pentecost. Since then God guides and directs His people by the Spirit and the Word. As one reads the dimensions given which are somewhat indefinite owing to the fact that we are not told whether cubits or reeds are intended, the impression left on the mind is one of spaciousness, as though God would indicate that He has large things in store for His people in the coming day. The divisions for the tribes are given in chapter 48 and are altogether different from those of old. The portion for the prince has been before us already in the previous chapter but is enlarged upon here. All shall be holy unto the Lord. “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute justice and righteousness; take away your exactions from My people, saith the Lord Jehovah. Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of a homer, and the ephah the tenth part of a homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer. And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh” -Ezekiel 45:9-12. Government was established by God. It is He who puts men in places of authority. But all down through the centuries princes and rulers have been prone to misuse their God-given privileges and to forget their responsibilities. The later kings of Judah were fla- grantly recreant to their duty, and God judged them for it. Here principles are laid down which all in positions of authority should heed, and which will characterize those who are associated with Christ in ruling in Israel, and over the entire world in the kingdom age. “ This is the oblation that ye shall offer: the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of wheat; and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley; and the set portion of oil, of the bath of oil, the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is ten baths, even a homer (for ten baths are a homer); and one lamb of the flock, out of two hundred, from the well-watered pastures of Israel;-for a meal-offering, and for a burnt-offering, and for peace-offerings, to make atonement for them, saith the Lord Jehovah. All the people of the land shall give unto this oblation for the prince of Israel. And it shall be the prince’ s part to give the burnt-offerings, and the meal-offerings, and the drink-offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin-offering, and the meal-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel” -Ezekiel 45:13-17. As before we may see in the instruction given here a picture of the worship in which princes and people shall participate in the day of the Lord’ s manifested authority. Christ Himself as set forth typically in these offerings, will be the joy of the hearts of His people. The perfection of His work will be remembered forever by those who have been brought into fellowship with Him on the basis of the blood of the cross.“ Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish; and thou shalt cleanse the sanctuary. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering, and put it upon the door-posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. And so thou shalt do on the seventh, day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye make atonement for the house” -Ezekiel 45:18-20. In Leviticus 23 we have the feasts or appointed seasons of the Lord. Here our attention is directed to these set times, some of which will no doubt be observed in millennial days. The feast of Pentecost is omitted however. It has had its complete fulfilment in the Church, of which it was the type. The new moons, the passover, and the tabernacles or feast of ingathering, all have their place telling us that all Israel’ s future blessing rests upon and is the result of the work of the cross. Christ died as the paschal lamb, not for the Church of this age alone but for Israel and the nations as a whole. All who are ever saved in any age or in accordance with any dispensation will owe everything for eternity to the blood of the Lamb of God. “ In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin-offering. And the seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt-offering to Jehovah, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a he-goat daily for a sin-offering. And he shall prepare a meal-offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil to an ephah. In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, in the feast, shall he do the like the seven days; according to the sin-offering, according to the burnt-offering, and according to the meal-offering, and according to the oil” -Ezekiel 45:21-25. The feast of tabernacles or booths, celebrated after the harvest was gathered in, very aptly typifies full blessings from God, as we see here and in Zechariah 14. These appointed seasons will be observed as memorials of what God has wrought through the work of His Son, but it is not necessary to think of the sacrifices and offerings as being reinstituted; rather that of which they speak will be the joy of the hearts of the people of God forever. Ezekiel 45:1. The figures and descriptions are so out of proportion to what the literal meaning could be here, I shall Insist that the reader again see the KEY at the beginning of chapter 40. The whole passage is still an ideal and figurative description of the restoration work that was to be done after the release from Babylonian captivity. But although that is the overall subject with perhaps very little significance attached to the details of the description, I shall try to explain the meaning of them. This verse begins the redistribution of the land which is an allusion to the division that was made by Joshua after the entrance of the children of Israel into Palestine. Almost all important operations that the Israelites performed were started with a sacrifice of some kind which is the meaning of oblation. The first portion was to be allotted to the Lord and it Is called an holy portion. Reeds has no word in the original, but Moffatt's translation renders the numbers of this verse as eight and a third by six and two-thirds miles. This tract was to be regarded as holy ground. Ezekiel 45:2. Within the plot of holy ground described in the preceding verse there was to be a space reserved for the sanctuary (holy place) that was 500 reeds square, and It was to have some "spare” space of 50 cubits or 75 feet all around. Ezekiel 45:3. This verse states the same dimensions as in the first verse and adds some particulars as to its use, that it was to be used as a holy place. Ezekiel 45:4. The priests were the ones who had charge of the holy things and they were to have their dwelling places within this territory. Ezekiel 45:5. The extra space extending beyond the plot described for the sanctuary but within that measured off in verses 1 and 3 was to be used for the priests in which they would have erected 20 chambers or rooms. Ezekiel 45:6. This verse designates a strip of land to lie alongside that which is assigned to the priests, and it was to be for the use Of the whole house of Israel, something like an open campus or common grounds. Ezekiel 45:7. The measurements of this verse are virtually within the restrictions already Indicated. The added thought is the use to be made of this strip which is for the prince, which means the man in a leading position before the people. Ezekiel 45:8. Prince is from nasty and Strong defines it, "Properly an exalted one, i.e„ a king or sheik." In the King James version of the Bible it has been translated by captain, chief, governor, prince, ruler and others. It may or may not designate an official, but among the Jews it was used for both. The use of it in our present passage means one who has some niie over the people. The Lord predicts that his people would not be oppressed by this class of head men after the return from the captivity. Ezekiel 45:9. At the time this scripture was being written the people of Judah (or Israel) were in captivity and the princes did not have the opportunity to oppress them. The warning admonition was to chastise the wicked head men for their past wrong doing and to command them about their conduct in the future. Ezekiel 45:10. The ephah and hath were measures of quantity in ancient times. The princes used fraudulent standards and thus imposed upon the people under them. God decreed and predicted that such transactions would not be repeated after the return. Ezekiel 45:11. The Lord not only commanded that just measurements should be used, but gave instructions about what would constitute such standards. Strong says that an ephah is "a measure in general." It seems that some of the units of capacity were allowed to vary at different times and plaees, and that would give rise to questions as to justice in dealing with the people. The Lord put such disputes at rest by setting the standard for weights and measures. He ordained that whether the ephah or hath be used in a transaction ft should be the same capacity which was a tenth of a homer. Ezekiel 45:12. Mamelt Is a unit of indefinite capacity and was to be recognized according to the custom in force in any given community. A shekel was to consist of 20 gerahs, but as to the number of shekels required to make up a maneh, whether 20, 25 or 15, the prevailing practice must be observed by the princes in their dealing with the people. Ezekiel 45:13, An oblation means an offering for the service of the Lord. If it consisted of grain it must be measured according to the standard set in verse 11. Ezekiel 45:14. The oil in use was olive oil and it was valuable because of its many purposes. It furnished light, was used as food and was valuable for medical treatment. The offering of it was therefore the giving of a thing of value. A cor was “ a deep round vessel” in which the olive oil was stored. Ezekiel 45:15. The animal sacrifices had been instituted under the Mosaic law and the regulations are written in the beginning chapters of Leviticus. In the present case the Ia>rd was very lenient and required them to offer only one lamb out of each two hundred. However, the requirements were the same as formerly in that the animal must be one that was well fed, which is the idea in the phrase out of the fat pastures of Israel. Ezekiel 45:16. All the people means the foregoing offering was to be for the congregation in general; none were excused from the obligation. Ezekiel 45:17. The prince in this case would be the priest “ on duty" at the time. The people were to bring their gifts to headquarters for the service, then the priest would officiate or preside in the services at the altar. Ezekiel 45:18. The first day of the month was a special holy time under the Mosaic law, and that was the date stipulated by the Lord for this service of consecration of the land after returning from the Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel 45:19. Putting blood upon the door posts of a house is a forma! way of consecrating the house. It is also a signal of the importance attached to the inside of the house. This recalls the ceremonies that took place in Egypt on the night of tbe first passover when the first born of the families was to be slain (Exodus 12). Ezekiel 45:20. The word simple is from PETj.iAiv which Strong defines, “ Silly (i.e., seducible)," It is used in this verse to denote one who does not use his mind about his conduct, not that he is really lacking in brain power. Such a person is not regarded with as much criticism as one who deliberately does wrong. Ezekiel 45:21. This feast, is identical with that prescribed in the law of Moses. The details of that feast are recorded in Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23. Ezekiel 45:22. The prince would be the priest in active service in this case. Ezekiel 45:23. This 7-day feast is also described in Leviticus 23. Ezekiel 45:24. The word meat means “ meal" and it is so rendered in the margins of some Bibles. The formula for this offering, which was wholly vegetable except the salt, may be found in Leviticus 2. It was to be added to the animal sacriflees named. Ezekiel 45:25. This feast of 7 days in the seventh month is called the feast of tabernacles in Leviticus 23; 34. It was instituted to commemorate the experience of the children of Israel who dwelt in tents or tabernacles during the 40 years they were going through the wilderness. Ezekiel 46 WORSHIP MORE Ezekiel 46:1-7 Sabbath Offerings (Ezekiel 46:1-5): Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. (Ezekiel 46:2) The prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate without and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt- offering and his peace-offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. (Ezekiel 46:3) The people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before the LORD on the sabbaths and on the new moons. (Ezekiel 46:4) The burnt- offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD shall be on the Sabbath day six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. (Ezekiel 46:5) The meal-offering shall be an ephah for the ram, and the meal-offering for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah. On Sabbath and new moon (first day of the month) the eastern gate of the inner court was to be opened (Ezekiel 46:1). On these occasions the prince was allowed to enter the eastern gate. He was the official representative of the people who presented to the priests the sacrifices that were to be offered on behalf of the nation. From his vantage point at the post of the gate (i.e., the western end of the gateway), he worshiped as the priests offered his sacrifices within his view upon the altar. Even after he departed from the temple, the inner gate was to be left open until evening (Ezekiel 46:2). Clearly Ezekiel envisioned a ruler in his Zion-to-be. He prefers to call him a prince (nasi’), rather than a king (melek), probably to hint that he is a ruler of a different kind. His leadership is ratified by the people he rules (cf. 1 Samuel 10). The prince has no palace. The only building associated with him in these chapters is the temple. He devotes himself entirely to the worship of his people. In fact, he joins his people in their worship. "In effect, the prince acts as a high priest, an official that does not appear elsewhere in Ezekiel's portrayal of messianic worship." The coming of the prince causes the gate to be opened for his subjects to worship from without. The people are allowed to come to the door of that inner gate. They worshiped behind the prince. Through the open gate they could observe the priests preparing the sacrifices provided by the prince. Here again the prince appears as the leader in worship (Ezekiel 46:3). The offerings prescribed for Sabbath and new moon of the new temple age do not correspond with those prescribed in the law of Moses (cf. Numbers 28:9; Numbers 28:11-15). The prince is to offer each Sabbath six lambs and a ram (Ezekiel 46:4), an ephah of meal with the ram, an unspecified amount of meal for each lamb, and at least a hin of oil (Ezekiel 46:5). New Moon Offerings (Ezekiel 46:6-7): On the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs and a ram; they shall be without blemish: (Ezekiel 46:7) and he shall prepare a meal­offering, an ephah for the bullock, and an ephah for the ram, and for the lambs according as he is able, and a hin of oil to an ephah. On the new moon, the prince is to offer the regular Sabbath offerings, but add to them an unblemished bullock and another ephah of meal (Ezekiel 46:6-7).WORSHIP Ezekiel 46:8-24 In this unit, Ezekiel learns the regulations that govern the more sanctified worship of the messianic era. He is instructed regarding (1) the entrance and exit of the worshipers (Ezekiel 46:8-10); (2) the offerings of the prince on behalf of the people (Ezekiel 46:11-15); (3) the inheritance of the prince (Ezekiel 46:16-18); and (4) the preparation of the sacrificial meals (Ezekiel 46:19-24). Movement of Worshipers (Ezekiel 46:8-10) Movement of the prince (Ezekiel 46:8): When the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof. The prince is accorded honor in that he alone is permitted to enter and leave by the same route on weekly and monthly worship occasions. On the Sabbath and new moon the prince enters by the porch of the (inner) eastern gateway and leaves by the same way. Movement of the people (Ezekiel 46:9): But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the appointed feasts, he that enters by the way of the north gate to worship shall go forth by the way of the south gate; and he that enters by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth straight before him. The outer eastern gate is not open, and there is no western gate. In the appointed seasons (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles), the worshipers are required to enter the outer court by one of the side gates and leave by the gate on the opposite side. This made for orderly flow of traffic across the inner court. It also symbolized that those who truly worship God should leave the experience a new person. The prince and his people (Ezekiel 46:10): The prince, when they go in, shall go in the midst of them; and when they go forth, they shall go forth together. During the great annual feasts, the prince was to enter the temple when the people did. The prince joins with his people in their worship. The law of attendance of the prince suggests that worshipers should approach God in worship only with and in and through their great mediator, Christ Jesus. When they go forth, they shall go forth together. Whether at worship, work or recreation, the prince is in the midst of his people. Prince's Offering (Ezekiel 46:11-15) At stipulated occasions (Ezekiel 46:11): In the feasts and in the solemnities the meal-offering shall be an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs as he is able to give and a hin of oil to an ephah. On all feasts (e.g., Pentecost) and solemnities, i.e., appointed seasons (e.g., New Years, Day of Atonement) the prince had the obligation to provide meal offerings as well as animals for sacrifice. He was required to offer an ephah of meal for each bullock or ram. For each lamb he would make a voluntary contribution of meal. Each ephah of meal was to be accompanied by a hin of oil. On special occasions (Ezekiel 46:12): When the prince shall prepare a freewill-offering, a burnt-offering or peace-offerings as a freewill-offering unto the LORD, one shall open for him the gate that looks toward the east; and he shall prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings, as he does on the Sabbath: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth the gate shall be shut. If the prince should desire to offer a free-will offering on a weekday, the eastern gate of the inner court was opened for him. Apparently that too was a special privilege that was his alone. Upon his departure, the gate was to be closed again. Only on Sabbath days was the eastern gate left open all day so that worshipers might view the sacrificial ritual (Ezekiel 46:12). Clearly the prince surpasses all his people in liberality. He sets for them a princely example. His position as prince affords him special access to God. He practices personal worship seasons above and beyond the stated times of public worship. Daily offering (Ezekiel 46:13-15): You shall prepare a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt- offering unto the LORD daily: morning by morning you shall prepare it. (Ezekiel 46:14) You shall prepare a meal-offering with it morning by morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to moisten the fine flour; a meal-offering unto the LORD continually by a perpetual ordinance. (Ezekiel 46:15) Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meal-offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt-offering. Every day sacrifices were to be offered by the priests upon the great temple altar. A lamb was to be offered and a meal-offering as well (Ezekiel 46:13-15). No mention is made here of an evening offering (cf. Numbers 28:4 f.). Prince's Inheritance (Ezekiel 46:16-18): Having spoken of the offerings that a prince might give to God, a pronouncement is made about gifts that the prince might make to others. There are three regulations, introduced by Thus says the Lord. 1. A gift to a son (Ezekiel 46:16): Thus says the Lord GOD: If the prince gives a gift unto any of his sons; it is his inheritance. It shall belong to his sons. It is their possession by inheritance. A gift of property given by the prince to his sons was to be regarded as a possession by inheritance in perpetuity. It did not revert to the prince under any circumstances. 2. A gift to a servant (Ezekiel 46:17): But if he gives of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons. Royal property given to a servant was to be regarded as a temporary loan. It reverted back to the prince in the year of liberty (Jubilee year) that occurred every fiftieth year.3. A gift from his own possessions (Ezekiel 46:18): Moreover, the prince shall not take of the people’ s inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that my people be not scattered every man from his possession. The prince in all cases must make his land grants out of his own, not out of his subjects' possessions. He was to respect the property rights of his subjects. Confiscations of property by the crown, as in the case of Naboth’ s vineyard (1 Kings 21), would be a thing of the past. Ezekiel did not want a repeat of pre-exilic seizure of property by the crown. Sacrificial Meals(Ezekiel 46:19-24) Inner kitchen (Ezekiel 46:19-20): Then he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers for the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the hinder part westward. (Ezekiel 46:20) He said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass-offering and the sin-offering, and where they shall bake the meal-offering; that they bring them not forth into the outer court, to sanctify the people. Ezekiel’ s conducted tour of the temple resumes in these verses. He was taken by his angelic guide into the priests’ chambers that ran parallel to the temple on the north and south. This block of chambers faced north. He was led to the extreme western end of this structure (Ezekiel 46:19). There Ezekiel was shown a special chamber. In this chamber the priests were to boil the meat of the guilt-offering and sin-offering, and bake the meal of the meal-offering. These meats and cakes were only be eaten by the priests. They were to exercise care not to accidentally carry these sanctified foods into the outer court where they might communicate holiness to the people (Ezekiel 46:20; Ezekiel 44:19). Outer kitchens (Ezekiel 46:21-24): Then he brought me forth into the outer court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court. (Ezekiel 46:22) In the four corners of the court there were courts enclosed, forty cubits long and thirty broad; these four in the corners were of one measure. (Ezekiel 46:23) And there was a wall round about in them, round about the four, and boiling-places were made under the walls round about. (Ezekiel 46:24) Then said he unto me, These are the boiling-houses, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people. The angel next brought Ezekiel to the outer court. He observed in each of the four corners of this court enclosures or small courts (Ezekiel 46:21). Each of these courts was forty by thirty cubits. The courts are said to be qturot, which the King James Version renders enclosed. Some rabbis thought the word meant “ uncovered,” i.e., the corner structures were roofless to allow the smoke to freely ascend (Ezekiel 46:22). These small courts are called boiling places, i.e., fire places where large boiling pots could be placed (Ezekiel 46:23). The ministers of the house— the Levites— boiled the people’ s sacrifices for them (Ezekiel 46:24). This part of the sacrificial animal was eaten by the worshipers in a communal meal in the temple courtyards. Ezekiel Chapter Forty-Six Verse 1 This chapter gives instructions for worship on the day of the new moon, and on the sabbath, and the gate by which the prince (or king) would be required to enter the temple. If one entered by the north gate he was required to exit by the south gate; and if he entered by the south gate, he was required to exit by the north gate. Also the king would be required to enter with the people and also to leave when they left. There are also directions for the king's offering of a voluntary burnt-offering or peace-offering. Regulations For Special Offerings As we come to this chapter that deals with the sanctuary itself and the offerings which the prophet saw in vision as re-established, we note the special place given to the day of the new moon and the Sabbath. “ Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt-offering, and his peace-offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. And the people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before Jehovah on the sabbaths and on the new moons. And the burnt-offering that the prince shall offer unto Jehovah shall be on the sabbath day six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish; and the meal-offering shall be an ephah for the ram, and the meal-offering for the lambs as he is able to give, and a bin of oil to an ephah. And on the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish: and he shall prepare a meal-offering, an ephah for the bullock, and an ephah for the ram, and for the lambs according as he is able, and a hin of oil to an ephah. And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof” -Ezekiel 46:1-8. The fact that so much stress is laid upon the special observance of the Sabbath day shows the very distinctive Jewish character of the entire vision. It is not a picture of Christianity, except in the sense that the temple of old and also the temple seen in vision typify, in measure at least, God’ s present temple composed of all those who have been builded by the Spirit into the house of God. For us the Sabbath is found in our blessed Lord Himself who is the fulfilment of that typical day as well as of all else in the Old Testament economy. But it is very evident from this and other scriptures that when the church period has come to an end and God will take up Israel again, the Sabbath of the law will once more be observed, and so we have it set before us here as an appointed day when special offerings are to be presented before God. We need have no difficulty here in regard to the possible literalness of these offerings, but as we have seen already they all speak of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the presentation of them before God on the Sabbath day would indicate the deep appreciation which the people of God in the coming kingdom age will have of the Person and work of Him who is our Saviour now, and will be recognized as their Saviour then. It is noticeable that there was to be no undue compulsion in regard to the offerings; they are to be presented voluntarily before the Lord, each one as he is able to give. The day of the new moon is specially emphasized because it indicates from month to month a new beginning, even as the Sabbath sets forth a weekly ending; and each return of the moon speaks anew of the goodness of God to His people in watching over them through another month and pledging His grace for the month to come. “ But when the people of the land shall come before Jehovah in the appointed feasts, he that entereth by the way of the north gate to worship shall go forth by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth straight before him. And the prince, when they go in, shall go in in the midst of them; and when they go forth, they shall go forth together. And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meal-offering shall be an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs as he is able to give, and a bin of oil to an ephah. And when the prince shall prepare a freewill-offering, a burnt-offering or peace-offerings as a freewill-offering unto Jehovah, one shall open for him the gate that looketh toward the east; and he shall prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings, as he doth on the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate” -Ezekiel 46:9-12. We are impressed as we read these words of the happy relationship that will exist between the prince and the people. While special recognition is given to the prince because of his office, yet all stand on one common ground before God and in His sanctuary; there is no room for worldly honors or human pride. All stand together upon redemption ground, the only basis of acceptance with God; and of this the sacrifices and offerings all speak. There may be something suggestive here too in the instruction given as to entering in at one gate and passing on through the court and leaving by another portal. May not this speak to everyone of us, reminding us that we shall never pass over the same route again? We cannot retrace our steps as we go through this scene. It should be our happy privilege to go on with God from glory to glory as led by His Spirit. There may be very much here that a more spiritual mind would enter into, but I hesitate to try to apply types beyond their clear, evident meaning. “ And thou shalt prepare a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah daily: morning by morning shalt thou prepare it. And thou shalt prepare a meal-offering with it morning by morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to moisten the fine flour; a meal-offering unto Jehovah continually by a perpetual ordinance. Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meal-offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt-offering” -Ezekiel 46:13-15. Of old in the tabernacle service and also in that connected with the temple of Solomon, the burnt offering was present before God both morning and evening. Here we are told, “ Thou shalt prepare a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah daily: morning by morning shalt thou prepare it.” There is no mention of the evening offering besides, because everything here is connected with the glorious day when the Lord Himself will be the light of His people and the morning of gladness will not be succeeded by an evening of sorrow or distress. How precious it is even now for those of us who know the Lord, to wait upon Him morning by morning, presenting a continual burnt offering before God as we meditate upon the preciousness and the effective work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is of this indeed that the burnt offering really speaks. With it the meal offering was connected, and that, as we know, speaks of the perfection of Christ’ s Person rather than emphasizing the work which He accomplished on the cross. It is the incarnate Christ-God and Man in one Person- that is represented by the meal offering of fine flour mingled with oil, never to be separated again. “ Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, it is his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons. Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’ s inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that My people be not scattered every man from his possession” -Ezekiel 46:16-18. In the coming great day of Israel’ s restoration they will enter fully into the meaning of the year of Jubilee, the year of liberty. All down through the centuries, had these Jubilees been properly observed, they would have been a constant reminder that God has in view both for Israel and the world something far better than they have ever known. A time is coming when liberty will be proclaimed to the captives, and the house of Israel shall return to their own possessions and enter fully into the enjoyment of them, never to be separated from them any more. The ancient law of the Jubilee, it seems, will prevail in millennial days: thus the family of Israel will not forfeit their lands, and the strangers will be permitted to enjoy, at least for a season, a portion with them; but God said of the land of Palestine, “ The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is Mine” (Leviticus 25:2). He has given it by covenant to Abraham’ s literal seed so that no future arrangement will be permitted that will alienate it from them, however much others may be permitted to enjoy it with Israel. “ Then he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers for the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the hinder part westward. And he said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass-offering and the sin-offering, and where they shall bake the meal-offering; that they bring them not forth into the outer court, to sanctify the people. Then he brought me forth into the outer court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court. In the four corners of the court there were courts inclosed, forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four in the corners were of one measure. And there was a wall round about in them, round about the four, and boiling-places were made under the walls round about. Then said he unto me, These are the boiling-houses, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people” -Ezekiel 46:19-24. Ezekiel saw in the vision adequate provision made for the nourishment of the priests. In the book of Exodus (Exodus 29:33) we read, “ They shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made.” The priests dwelling in the courts of the Lord’ s house, feasting upon the burnt offerings and the meal offerings, speak to us of God’ s family today who are privileged to feed their souls on what God has revealed concerning His Son and the work of the cross. And so in that coming day the priests of Jehovah will enter in a way they have never done in the past into the meaning of all these sacrifices; and in the quiet precincts of the chambers of the priests, shut away from the observance of the multitude, they will prepare their food and enjoy it in the presence of the Lord. How good it would be if we only knew more of this today-dwelling quietly in the secret place where the eye of God alone is upon us as we meditate upon what Scripture reveals concerning the Deity and Humanity of our Lord Jesus, His eternal fellowship, and His perfection as Man here on earth, His obedience unto death, and the effect of His work both as to the glorifying of the Father and the salvation of those who put their trust in Him! Here is rich food indeed on which we do well to nourish our souls that we may become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ezekiel 46:1. A gate could be shut and not be fastened, and there is nothing said about that subject. However, the fact of its being opened on the sabbath indicates that the Lord's business was going on. Ezekiel 46:2. Sometimes the prince may be also the priest since the word has a general meaning. But both names are used in this place which leaves the first to mean a ruler or other outstanding man among the Jews. He will be required to make offerings for the Lord's service and the priest will be the one to preside at the altar. Ezekiel 46:3. The people means the unofficial Jews of the nation, and they were all required to contribute to the Lord's work. These offerings were to he made at the entrance of the gate and not in their private homes. Not all sabbaths were the days of the new moons, but every new moon marked the day as a sabbath, according to Numbers 28:11; 1 Samuel 20:5; 1 Samuel 20:18; 1 Samuel 20:24; 1 Samuel 20:27). Ezekiel 46:4. The details of the burnt offerings are given in Leviticus 1. All the animals for the sacrificial altar must be perfect and the best of the herd or flock. Ezekiel 46:5. The meat (meal) offering was offered in connection with the animal sacrifice. Thig vegetable offering was accompanied with a small amount of olive oil. Ezekiel 46:6. The day of the new moon was the beginning of the month and was a holy or sabbath day. Like other Special days, it was celebrated by offering animal sacrifices. Ezekiel 46:7. According as his hand shall attain means that a man was required to give according to hia ability. Whether many or few, ail animals must be without blemish and be offered with a small amount of olive oil as in verse 5. Ezekiel 46:8. The Lord was particular about some apparently incidental mat¬ters. The prince was told by what gate he should enter and leave the building. Ezekiel 46:9. This “ one way” require¬ment is another one of the unusual regulations imposed by the Lord. We are able at least to realize that much confusion would be avoided by not trying to reverse one's direction in the midst of so many coming and going. Ezekiel 46:10. The prince was to become one of the crowd generally speaking, but that was not to interfere with his own personal activities as stated in verse 1 and 2. Ezekiel 46:11. This small amount of grain (meat offering) was added to the animal. Ezekiel 46:12. The law made a distinction between freewill or voluntary offerings and those specifically required. (See Leviticus 22:23; Numbers 15:3.) But the distinction did not exempt the worshiper from all restrictions as may be seen in this verse. Ezekiel 46:13. This verse refers to the well known “ daily sacrifice" that was a prominent ordinance in the law of Moses (Exodus 29:38-42), Ezekiel 46:14. This meat offering means the same as in other places which was a small amount of meal or ground grain. Perpetual ordinance means it was to be a continuous practice as long as the nation had an existence. Ezekiel 46:15. Continual burnt offering means the same as “ perpetual ordinance.” Ezekiel 46:16, The main point in this verse is that a gift of real estate from a prince to his son was to be permanent. That is, no circumstance was to alter that gift so as to turn it back to the prince. Ezekiel 46:17. The year of liberty was the same as the jibile described in Leviticus 25. In that year certain readjustments were made in the relations of property and also of servants, and that is what is meant by this verse. Ezekiel 46:18. The prince did not have the right to use his position in a special favor to even his own sons. He could not cut off even them from the enjoyment of their inheritance no matter how much reason he would think he had so to do. Being restricted from such an act as to his sons, the temptation would be to defraud the people not related to him of their possessions so as to give them to his sons, and this verse is a law against such an injustice. That my people be not scattered states one of the Lord's motives for the regulations just described. If the people were assured of the uninterrupted possession of their property, they would not be induced to scatter out to find houses and lands. Ezekiel 46:19. Having revealed to Ezekiel the foregoing laws and ordinances for observance by Israel in the future, the man brought him through the entry of the side gate. The purpose of this movement was to show the prophet the spot where some of the ordinances that he had been hearing were to be carried out. Ezekiel 46:20. Some of the sacrificial offerings were boiled and others were baked or roasted in an oven. The parts that were to be consumed by fire were offered on the altar. Hence there were different places used in the preparation and use of the materials furnished by the people and turned over to the prince or priest. It will give the reader some light on this subject. If he will examine carefully the first 5 chapters of Leviticus, also some verses in the 6th and 7th chapters of that book. Ezekiel 46:21. Court is a rather indefinite word whose general meaning is any space enclosed by a fence or wall or otherwise marked off from the surrounding area, hence in this verse we read of courts within a court. Moffatt renders this, “ at the four comers of the court there were four small courts." Ezekiel 46:22. This verse refers to the same smaller courts referred to in the preceding verse and adds some information about their size and other arrangement. Each of the courts was 40 by 30 cubits in size. Joined la rendered “ bound to” by Young which is a reasonable translation, as we know they were near the main wall of the larger court. Ezekiel 46:23. There ts no separate original word for building, but row is from tuwr which Strong defines, “ to arrange in a regular manner," Made with boiling places under the rows means the arrangement in the definition of row had provision made at the bottom far boiling the flesh of the sacrificial offerings. Ezekiel 46:24. By way of explanation the “ man” told Ezekiel the above named "rows” were the places (fireplaces) where the ministers were to boil the sacrificial offerings that were brought by the people. Ezekiel 47 THE FUTURE LANDIn his last vision, Ezekiel observes the blessing that the people of God enjoy in the new temple age. In that blessed land, the tribes of Israel have eternal possession. Here Ezekiel discusses (1) the transformation of the promised land (Ezekiel 47:1-12); (2) the boundaries of the promised land (Ezekiel 47:13-21); (3) the place of aliens in the land (Ezekiel 47:22-23); and (4) the apportionment of the land among the tribes (Ezekiel 48:1-35). LAND Ezekiel 47:1-12 Since Ezekiel 44:4 Ezekiel has been setting forth the legislation that will govern the restored temple. The entire purpose of that legislation is to underscore the superior holiness of the temple and priesthood of the messianic age. Now he resumes recounting the vision that he had of the temple and its environs. The theological architecture of the previous chapters gives way to theological geography. Water of Life (47:1-7): Ezekiel picks up a theme first introduced by Isaiah, that of a fabulous stream that gushes forth at Zion (Isaiah 8:6-7; Isaiah 33:20-24). What Isaiah mentioned without much comment, Ezekiel develops at length. The point is that the return of God to the temple brings healing and bountiful blessing to the land. Source of the water (Ezekiel 47:1): He brought me back unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; (for the forefront of the house was toward the east); and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar. The angelic guide brought Ezekiel back to the inner court and the door of the house. There he saw a stream issuing forth from under the threshold of the house. The waters were flowing in a southeasterly direction, past the altar, out into the outer court. Course of the water (Ezekiel 47:2): Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looks toward the east; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. Ezekiel was led out the northern gate of the inner court (the nearer eastern gate was closed; cf. Ezekiel 44:2; Ezekiel 46:1), around the outside wall of the temple complex to the east gate of the outer court. There he saw the waters trickling forth. Increasing depth (Ezekiel 47:3-5): When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles. (Ezekiel 47:4) Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins. (Ezekiel 47:5) Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. A thousand cubits east of the eastern gate Ezekiel was directed to wade into the waters. They were ankle deep (v 3). At two thousand cubits, the waters were knee deep; at three thousand cubits, waist deep (v 4); at four thousand cubits (about a mile and a third), the waters were so deep that the prophet could not get across them without swimming (Ezekiel 47:5). Lush vegetation (Ezekiel 47:6-7): He said unto me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river. (Ezekiel 47:7) Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. By means of a rhetorical question the angelic guide underscored the amazing increase in the depth of the water. No mention is made of any tributaries, yet the river increased in volume as it descended eastward through the mountains toward the Dead Sea (Ezekiel 47:6). Apparently the banks of the river were bare when Ezekiel tested the depth of the water. Now he observed a thick growth of trees shooting up on both banks of the river (Ezekiel 47:7). These were no ordinary trees. They produced a new crop every month. Furthermore, the leaves of these trees had curative powers (cf. Ezekiel 47:12). Dead Sea Cleansed(Ezekiel 47:8-11) Waters healed (Ezekiel 47:8): Then he said unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed. The prophet is informed that the river of life flowed far beyond the range of vision to the Arabah and the Dead Sea. The lifeless waters of that body of water were healed, i.e., purified, by the fresh flowing water of life (Ezekiel 47:8). The point that Ezekiel is making is this: The transformation that would take place in the life of Israel would be as dramatic as the transformation of the briny waters of the Dead Sea into sweet water that supports life. Abundant fish (Ezekiel 47:9-10): It shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarms in every place where the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither, and the waters of the sea shall be healed, and every thing shall live wherever the river comes. (10) It shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto Eneglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. Where previously no aquatic creatures could exist, swarms of fish were found (v 9). Commercial fishermen flock to the shore of the once dead sea. They find the catch as abundant as that to which they were accustomed on the Great (Mediterranean) Sea. Along the shoreline of the Dead Sea they spread their nets from En-gedi (mid-point on the western shore of the Dead Sea) to En-eglaim (exact location unknown; v 10). Marshes untouched (Ezekiel 47:11): But the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt. Even though the waters of the sea are healed, the marshy areas about the sea remain in their former state so as to provide the people with salt. Abundant Fruitfulness (Ezekiel 47:12): By the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for healing. Those who try to interpret the vision of the life-giving stream physically have missed completely the point of the passage. This is a clear instance of symbolism. Fertility and water are virtually interchangeable (Psalms 46:4; Psalms 65:9; Isaiah 33:20 f.). The sheer physical impossibility of a stream increasing in volume without aid of tributaries is a clue to the symbolic import of the text. Furthermore, fruit trees that bear a new crop every month are hard to interpret physically. The main point is that in the new age the temple of God is the source of life, healing and fruitfulness. LAND Eze_47:13-23 Very little of the legislation in Ezekiel 40-48 influenced the decisions of the community of Jews that returned from exile in Babylon. This is not a body of functional legislation; it is an eschatological vision. Ezekiel saw Israel, not restored to former glory, but to a permanent relationship with the Lord. General Principles (Ezekiel 47:13-14): Thus says the Lord GOD: This shall be the border whereby you shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. (Ezekiel 47:14) You shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. In the new age, the land of promise is to be divided fairly between the twelve tribes. It was noted in Ezekiel 44:28 that the Levites were to receive no land inheritance. God had provided for their needs in the temple offering system. Joseph was given two portions, because his sons Ephraim and Manasseh were reckoned as separate tribes. Thus was retained the number twelve for the tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 47:13). In this new allocation, each tribe was to receive an equal portion of land. God had made a promise to the Patriarchs— had lifted up his hand in the gesture of an oath— that the land would belong to their descendants. God keeps that promise. The land of promise finally and forever belongs to his people (Ezekiel 47:14). That each tribe has an equal portion within the holy land is another evidence that this is a symbolic vision. It was never intended to be literally implement. The topography of the land, so carefully followed in the land allocation to the tribes under Joshua, is here completely ignored. Ezekiel is making the point that all of God's people share equally in the kingdom of God. Northern Border (47:15-17): This shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, unto the entrance of Zedad; (Ezekiel 47:16) Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and tbe border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. (Ezekiel 47:17) The border from the sea, shall be Hazarenon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. In Ezekiel 47:15­-20 the borders of the promised land are listed. Not all the towns mentioned can be located with certainty. The northern boundary stretched roughly from Tyre on the west to the headwaters of the Jordan. Hamath (i.e., the entrance of Hamath, Ezekiel 47:20) would mark the northern-most point (Ezekiel 47:16). Other Borders (Ezekiel 47:18-21): The east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border unto the east sea shall you measure. This is the east side. (Ezekiel 47:19) The south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, unto the great sea. This is the south side southward. (Ezekiel 47:20) The west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as over against the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side. (Ezekiel 47:21) So shall you divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. Below the sea of Galilee, the eastern boundary of the ideal land was formed by the Jordan River (Ezekiel 47:18). The southern boundary extended from Tamar near the southern end of the Dead Sea to Meribath- kadesh (lit., the waters of strife, i.e., Kadesh-barnea), to the Brook (i.e., the Brook of Egypt) that ran into the Mediterranean Sea (Ezekiel 47:19). The great sea (Mediterranean) formed the western boundary of the ideal land (Ezekiel 47:20). Inclusion of Aliens (47:22-23): It shall come to pass, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who shall beget children among you; and they shall be unto you as the home-born among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. (Ezekiel 47:23) And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourns, there shall you give him his inheritance, (oracle of the Lord GOD). The Pentateuch prescribes humane treatment for aliens living in Israel. Such treatment is mandated because of Israel's experience as aliens in Egypt. Ezekiel, however, goes beyond benevolent toleration. He foresaw a fully integrated society. Aliens who lived among the Israelites would receive an inheritance within the restored Israel of the future (Ezekiel 47:22-23). Proselytes who embraced the worship of the true God have the same privileges as native-born Israelites. Similar broadminded statements are found in Ezekiel 14:7 and Ezekiel 22:7. The unification of Jew and Gentile in the kingdom of Jesus Christ is thus foreshadowed. Ezekiel Chapter Forty-Seven Verse 1 Here is the vision of the great river flowing from beneath the Temple itself toward the east, a river expanding and broadening, ever deeper and deeper, all the way through the desert even to the sea; and whithersoever the waters of that mighty river shall come, "Everything that liveth, which moveth, shall live; and there shall be a great multitude of fish." (Ezekiel 47:9) The location and boundaries of the Holy Land into which the Twelve Tribes will be located are given.The Life-Giving River “ And he brought me back unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward (for the forefront of the house was toward the east); and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar. Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looketh toward the east; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side” -Ezekiel 47:1-2. Back of all our meditations upon these last chapters of Ezekiel, from 40 to 48, the question has been kept ever in mind, Are we to take this vision literally as indicating something which will be fulfilled to the letter in millennial days, or are we to understand it as symbolic of wondrous blessing which God has in store for His ancient people and for the world, but which He has presented in this form in order that the poor finite minds of His people may get some conception of the wondrous things reserved for them which are utterly beyond human imagination? We cannot help contrasting and comparing the closing chapters of the Apocalypse with what we have here. In considering this vision of the river our attention necessarily will be directed to that pure river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, which John saw in vision as he found himself in spirit on a great and high mountain beholding the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. We are told definitely in the first verse of the Revelation that God sent and signified these things to His servant John; and we have observed that the word signified really means symbolized. There are very few indeed who would attempt to literalize the great visions of this remarkable book. No one expects to see a sevenfold-sealed roll in heaven broken by one who has the appearance of a lamb. The roll we know is the title-deed to this world, and the Lamb is the Man Christ Jesus seated on the throne of God. Neither do we expect an actual savage brute with seven heads and ten horns (Catholic Church?) to come bodily up from the bottomless pit and dominate the world. We see in this vision the symbol of human government in its last degenerate and atheistic condition; and so when it comes to the vision of the heavenly city we understand that God is using symbols of wondrous beauty and glory to set forth the magnificence and marvelous character of the eternal home of the saints. The river there is clearly the Holy Spirit’ s testimony to the risen Christ, which brings refreshment and blessing everywhere it goes; and we see on either side of the river the tree of life with its marvelous fruits, speaking of the message of the gospel which brings spiritual healing to all who receive it. Now as we consider Ezekiel’ s vision it would seem to be but slavish adherence to literality which would deny the symbolic character of much that is here unfolded. For many, the river in this chapter is a literal stream which will break forth from underneath the temple in millennial days and will divide into two parts, according to Joe 3:18 and Zechariah 14:8; thus linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Dead Sea and giving the city of Jerusalem itself a water-harbor. All this may indeed be true, but that this passage in Ezekiel refers to the same thing does not seem to the present writer either to be reasonable or in accordance with what we learn elsewhere in Scripture. What is the river that proceeds from under the threshold of the sanctuary of Jehovah? Can it be other than that same glorious stream which we have mentioned already, as brought before us in the twenty-second chapter of the Revelation? Of such a river Scripture speaks in many places. Wherever God rests we find a river flowing. There was one in Eden, a literal river flowing forth from the garden and dividing into four great streams; but elsewhere we find the river spoken of in a spiritual sense. In Psalms 36:8 we read, “Thou shall make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures” ; and in Psalms 46:4 we are told, “ There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God.” Observe, this is not a prophecy of some literal river to break forth from the floor of the temple in the future, but at the time the Psalmist wrote, it was a blessed fact, and it is a fact still, that there is such a river of refreshment of which all may drink who are willing to stoop down in repentance and receive that which God so graciously offers. This accords with what we have in the New Testament, “ Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). Our blessed Lord, using the same figure, said, “ If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that be-lieveth on Me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). He has promised to bless and refresh the dry places like a river (Psalms 105:41); and Isaiah twice speaks of peace as a river (48:18; 66:12); while both the Psalmist and Jeremiah tell us of the righteous man who is like a tree planted by the rivers of water (Psalms 1:3; Jeremiah 17:8). Speaking prophetically of our Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah says, “ A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (32:2). “ A man shall be…as rivers” -what a remarkable picture! But when we realize that this river speaks of life and refreshment we at once see that all this is centered in our Lord Jesus who gives life and rest of heart and conscience to all who come to Him and drink. There are numerous passages to which we might turn, but these are sufficient to show how frequently the Holy Scriptures use the symbol of a river as referring to the grace of God in Christ ministered to the soul in the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether, therefore, Ezekiel’ s vision of a river will be fulfilled literally or not we do not know. Of this we may be sure: it does speak to us today of that same glorious river which is brought before us in so many other places in the Word of God. The prophet was led by his guide to the door of the house, and he beheld water issuing from under the threshold of the house toward the east. He had seen nothing like this before; though in vision he had been led through that court. It is as though now all is seen as completed, and God has found His rest in the sanctuary ; His glory has filled the house, and waters spread forth for the refreshment and blessing of His people. These waters are pictured as running down from the court through the outer gate that looks toward the east and descending on the right side, going on down to the Jordan valley. “ When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through” -Ezekiel 47:3-5. There is something here that is absolutely inexplicable if we think of a literal river. Rivers widen and deepen as the volume of water increases through tributaries pouring into them; but of such tributaries we have no mention here, and yet this river becomes deeper and broader the farther it flows from its source. Is not this true of the river of God’ s grace? How small the apparent beginnings on Pentecost when the glory of God filled all the place where the disciples were sitting, and immediately the testimony to the risen Christ began, and the river has been flowing on ever since until it has become a mighty stream encompassing the whole world. Ezekiel’ s guide measured a thousand cubits-that is, fifteen hundred feet, and he caused the prophet to enter into the waters: they were up to his ankles. May this not suggest the very beginning of a life in fellowship with God? “ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The feet were in the river, and the waters covered them. But the guide measured another thousand cubits and caused Ezekiel to pass through the waters, and they were up to his knees. Who will think it fanciful if we say that the waters up to the knees suggest praying in the Holy Spirit? But the guide measured another thousand and caused the prophet to pass through the waters, and now they were up to his loins, suggesting the complete control of every fleshly lust in the power of the Spirit of God. He measured another thousand, and that which had begun as a small stream was a river so that Ezekiel could not pass through, for the waters were risen, waters to swim in. Surely this is to live in the fulness of the Spirit to which every child of God should aspire. “ And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river. Now “ when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arab ah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarmeth, in every place whither the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither, and the waters of the sea shall be healed, and everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for healing” -Ezekiel 47:6-12. Having brought the prophet back in vision to the bank of the river, the guide bade him to consider what he had seen and experienced. Then as Ezekiel continued to gaze he saw that upon the bank of the river many trees appeared on both sides. The guide explained that these waters issued forth toward the eastern region and should go down unto the Arabah-that is, the plain of the Jordan, and thence on to the Dead Sea-that sea which for four millennia has become more and more salty as time has gone by, and yet ever receiving millions of gallons of fresh water from the Jordan; but because of no outlet its brininess has increased rather than diminished, so that no fish can live in it. But as Ezekiel looked he saw that when the waters of this river poured into the sea they brought life and healing; a multitude of living things swarmed into the sea and great schools of fish were seen where before there had been only death and desolation, and all this because “ these waters are come thither.” We are told that, “ everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh” ; and because of this fishers shall stand by it, from the north and to the southern extremity of what had been a sea of death, spreading their nets, taking fish of every kind, furnishing abundant food for untold thousands of people. The miry places and the marshes were not to be healed but given up to salt. This is not yet the eternal condition; it speaks of millennial blessing, for salt tells of the preservative power of righteousness. Not until the eternal state do we read, “ There was no more sea.” The beauty of the picture stirs the heart as we read of trees for food “ whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail. It shall bring forth new fruit every month,” as in the case of the tree of life as seen in the Apocalypse. Who can measure the blessing that will come to this world and to mankind as a whole because of the stream of testimony that shall yet flow forth from the throne of Jehovah, when set up on earth! The remaining part of the chapter might have been better linked with chapter 48 to which it is really an introduction. “ Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This shall be the border, whereby ye shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I sware to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. And this shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, unto the entrance of Zedad; Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazerhatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. And the border from the sea, shall be Hazarenon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. And the east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border, unto the east sea shall ye measure. This is the east side. And the south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, unto the great sea. This is the south side southward. And the west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as over against the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side. So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who shall beget children among you; and they shall be unto you as the home-born among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord Jehovah” -Ezekiel 47:13-23. One can mark out these boundaries by the aid of an Atlas as the pencil moves on from city to city and district to district. It speaks of an enlarged Canaan where there will be abundant room for all who desire to dwell there in millennial days. It is to be divided among the twelve tribes, many of which though lost to man’ s vision are still known to God; but the strangers will be welcomed and will be permitted to share in the inheritance which God is to give to Israel in that day. Ezekiel 47:1-2. The entire book of Ezekiel was written after he was taken to Babylon at the time of Jehoiachin’ s captivity. The first half of the book consists to a great extent of chastisement of Israel for the many corruptions committed by the nation. The next half is an extended prediction of the release of Israel from Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding and restitution of the ordinances of the Lord that will have gone down in national ruins. The whole document ia a mingling of literal and figurative passages and intended to encourage the unfortunate people not to lose heart because of their sad state of affairs. Many popular commentators think that the last chapters are a prediction of things to come in the age after the judgment day. Evidently this is because of the similarity of the figures used to the ones in Revelation 21, 22. There is a striking resemblance between the figures hut that Is because all of the grand provisions of God for the children of men require the finest of pictures to represent them to the human understanding. As to how far the following portions of this book should be regarded In tlie light of the present or the eternal ages, I now insist that the reader again consult the ket at the beginning of chapter 40, The present verse begins the ideal picture with the waters that issued from the house of the Lord. I do not understand that any special significance is to be attached to the directions of the flow of these waters, because so many directions and places are mentioned. It would Indicate the general greatness of the favor of God whatever that is. Ezekiel 47:3. The preceding verses indicate the widespread extent of these waters; this one begins to tell how deep they were. It reveals that for every thousand cubits or 1500 feet at the start the water was ankle deep. Ezekiel 47:4. The good things produced by man often diminish, while those from God never fail but rather do they increase. These waters were ankle deep at the start, and with each 1500 feet a great increase in depth was shown until they were waist deep. Ezekiel 47:5. This last 1500 feet brought the water to the depth that could not he waded, for it amounted to the volume of a river. Ezekiel 47:6. This paragraph is a pause in the procedure to call special attention of the prophet to the scene, also to conduct him to the bank of the river just described. Ezekiel 47:7. This verse begins the language that was referred to in comments on verse 1; that of the similarity of figures used to those in Revelation, Be sure to consult verse 1 again, and also the other notes referred to In that place. Nobody thinks the river and trees and other objects named in Revelation are literal in their meaning, neither should he think that of the ones used here. Both documents intend to picture some of the glorious blessings in store for those who become the objects of God’ s favor, whether they be the saved of earth after the day of judgment (as in Revelation). or the restored people of Israel after the return as in the present passage. Ezekiel 47:8. Sea and waters refers to people generally speaking, but the second word is used in a rather complex sense In this place. Both the people and the stream that flows around or before them are indicated by the waters. Shall be healed is one of the places where the similarity of figures is evident. In Revelation 22:2 we read of a tree that is for the healing of the nations, and in our present text the waters that issue from the house of God have healing in them. Ezekiel 47:9. Whenever a writer adopts a certain imagery for his figurative description of a subject, he usually sticks to the terms that properly belong to the subject. Hence this verse, though really considering human beings, speaks about a great multitude of fish because they are the creatures that live in water. Ezekiel 47:10. The same imagery is continued and In the favors intended for God’ s people are compared to those that would be connected with a good body of water and the advantages connected with It. One favorable thing that would be expected of a desirable body of water would be a successful experience for a fisherman; accordingly, we are told that the bank of this river will be occupied by fishers from Engedi and Eneglaim. These were towns near the Dead Sea where no fisherman could have any success at his trade. But now even they will find plenty of opportunity for their business because the healing waters from the headquarters of the Lord w'ill heal the sea upon flowing into it, thereby encouraging the men to use their nets. Not only will the waters supply good fish for the fishermen, but the banks will provide a suitable place to spread forth nets for drying which would be necessary after a successful catch. Ezekiel 47:11. In spite of all the goodness of God in providing a remedy for the ills of mankind, there are some people who will not accept it. Such folks are here called miry places and marshes which will not be healed. They shall be given to salt. According to Deuteronomy 29:23; Zephaniah 2:9 and some other passages, salt is sometimes used to represent a condition of barrenness. Such was to be the lot of those who rejected the favors offered by the Lord. Ezekiel 47:12. This verse is almost identical in its terms with Revelation 22:1-2 and they are highly of the character belonging to ideal or figurative speech, For further comments on this subject see those on verse 1 of this chapter, and also the KISY at the beginning of chapter 40, Ezekiel 47:13. In "general remarks” at the beginning of chapter 40 a statement is made regarding the last 9 chapters as a group, classifying them among the highly figurative writings of inspired prophets. Such a view has been maintained and the comments have been made accordingly. The place has been reached, however, where an exception should be made to that classification. From here on to the end of the book the ideal or figurative form of speech will be dropped, except perhaps some statements that are unusually strong numerically for the purpose of emphasis, and the language will be a literal description of the redistribution of the land after the return from captivity. But while the nature of the language Is literal, I do not know that every detail of the allotment was to be carried out. Having no specific history of the procedure as to the land after the return, I shall take up the verses in their order and offer such comments on any technical statements that seem necessary. Joseph , . . two portions. This is according to a prediction that was made by Jacob in Genesis 48:5; Genesis 48:22. This was because the two sons of Joseph, Mari asseh and Ephraim, were each to become a full tribe as indicated in the passage in Genesis just cited. Ezekiel 47:14. An inheritance is something that comes to a person, by reason of his relationship (either by blood or law) to another, God had promised the fathers of the nation of Israel that the land of Canaan would be theirs for a possession. Ezekiel 47:15. The great sea iB the Mediterranean forming one boundary. Ezekiel 47:16. The towns named were for the purpose of tracing the boundary. Ezekiel 47:17. Damascus belonged to the nation of Syria but it was just outside of Canaan. It is named here as another aid in establishing the boundary of the land. Ezekiel 47:18. The eastern boundary according to this description started from a point near Damascus, running through the territory called Gilead and following downward near the Jordan until it reached the Dead Sea. Ezekiel 47:19. This verse gives a general description of the south border, beginning at Tamar for the southeastern corner, and extending through a place called waters of strife (Numbers 20:12), thence to the stream called “ river of Egypt’ ' (Numbers 34:5), and on to the grea sea which means the Mediterranean. Ezekiel 47:20. The west line was to extend from this junction of the south line with the great sea to the place of beginning. Ezekiel 47:21. Ezekiel 47:13 said twelve tribes and this says tribes without stating any number. That is because two and a half tribes had taken their possessions on the east side of the Jordan, and the outline described in this chapter is all west of it. Ezekiel 47:22. One word in Strong's definition of the original for inheritance is “ occupancy” which is evidently Its meaning with regard to the strangers among the tribes, The actual possession of land was restricted to the people of Israel, but the Lord was always mindful of the sojourner among His people and instructed them as to how they should be treated (Exodus 22:21; Exodus 23:9; Leviticus 19:10), Ezekiel 47:23, The word sojourner means one who is a temporary dweller In a place. Hence the word inheritance would have the sense of "occupancy” only as defined in the preceding verse. Ezekiel 48 HOLY LAND AND HOLY CITY LAND Ezekiel 48:1-29 Now that the boundaries of the Promised Land have been spelled out, the prophet deals with the division of that land among the tribes. Just as there was to be a new exodus (Ezekiel 20:32-38) and a new covenant (Ezekiel 34:23­30; 37:21-28), there will be a new allotment of land to the various tribes. The whole territory west of Jordan is to be divided into twelve parallel portions running from east to west. No mention is made of the width of these tribal areas. Seven Northern Tribes (Ezekiel 48:1-7): Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethion to the entrance of Hamath, Hazarenan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath, (and they shall have their sides east and west,) Dan, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:2) By the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, Asher, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:3) By the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, Naphtali, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:4) By the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, Manasseh, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:5) By the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, Ephraim, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:6) By the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, Reuben, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:7) By the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, Judah, one portion. Ezekiel's ideal allotment differs from that implement by Moses and Joshua. First, the three Transjordanian tribes (Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh) are now to be located west of the Jordan. Second, the order of the allotments does not follow any historical precedent. Seven tribes are assigned territories north of the holy portion of the land, i.e., the temple area and domains of the priests, Levites and prince. From north to south, these seven tribes are (1) Dan, (2) Asher, (3) Naphtali, (4) Manasseh, (5) Ephraim. (6) Reuben, and (7) Judah. The three tribes farthest away from the sanctuary are those descended from Jacob’ s concubines. Judah, because of the messianic blessing of Gen 49:8-12, was given the honor of inheritance nearer to the sanctuary. Judah has been transposed north of Benjamin. This signals that the age-old conflict between the tribes in the north and those in the south is over. These tribal relocations again suggest that Ezekiel's intent is symbolic and not programmatic. The Oblation (Ezekiel 48:8-22) Priests' portion (Ezekiel 48:8-12) Larger oblation (Ezekiel 48:8): By the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the oblation which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. Just south of the tribal area of Judah was a tract 25,000 cubits square. Like the tribal areas, this tract occupied the entire length of the land from east to west. This area was known as the offering or oblation. Smaller oblation (Ezekiel 48:9-12): The oblation that you shall offer unto the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in breadth. (Ezekiel 48:10) For these, even for the priests, shall be the holy oblation; toward the north twenty-five thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof. (11) It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, that have kept my charge, that went not astray when the children of Israel went astray. (12) It shall be unto them an oblation from the oblation of the land, a thing most holy, by the border of the Levites. Within the oblation was a smaller oblation or offering. This area measured 25,000 cubits east and west and 10,000 cubits from north to south. The sanctuary was situated in the midst of this inner oblation (Ezekiel 48:9-10). The smaller oblation was to be the possession of the faithful priests of the line of Zadok (Ezekiel 48:11). The larger oblation area was holy; but the smaller oblation within it was most holy (Ezekiel 48:12). Levites' portion (Ezekiel 48:13-14): Answerable unto the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be twenty-five thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. (14) They shall sell none of it, nor exchange it, nor shall the first-fruits of the land be alienated; for it is holy unto the LORD. The Levites are no longer scattered throughout the land in forty-eight cities (Joshua 21). They live in the region immediately surrounding the temple. A section of the larger oblation was set aside for the Levites. It was comparable in size to the area set aside for the priests, 25,000 by 10,000 cubits (Ezekiel 48:13). Scholars are not agreed as to whether this Levite area was north or south of the priestly area. The areas inhabited by the priests and Levites were holy. For this reason they could not be sold or exchanged by them. This area was called the first-fruits (lit., first; re’ sit)815 as well as the oblation. Jerusalem's portion (Ezekiel 48:15-20): The five thousand that are left in the breadth, in front of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for common use, for the city, for dwelling and for suburbs; and the city shall be in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 48:16) These shall be the measures thereof: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. (Ezekiel 48:17) The city shall have suburbs: toward the north two hundred andfifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty. (Ezekiel 48:18) The residue in the length, answerable unto the holy oblation, shall be ten thousand east-ward, and ten thousand westward; and it shall be answerable unto the holy oblation; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that labor in the city. (Ezekiel 48:19) They that labor in the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. (Ezekiel 48:20) All the oblation shall be twenty-five thousand: you shall offer the holy oblation four-square, with the possession of the city. The city of Jerusalem was assigned the territory south of the priestly area within the oblation. This area measured 5,000 cubits north to south and, like the other sections of the oblation, 25,000 cubits east to west. This area contained the city proper, (a square of 4,500 cubits), for common use about the city (250 cubits on all sides), and two tracts of arable land on either side of the city (10,000 by 5,000 cubits each; Ezekiel 48:15-17). These latter areas were to be cultivated by the inhabitants of the city. Regardless of tribal affiliation, every citizen of the city was expected to work that ground for the good of all (Ezekiel 48:19). The entire oblation area with all of its subdivisions formed a square of 25,000 cubits (v 20). This is equivalent to about fifty square miles, if the conventional cubit is intended, sixty-nine square miles, if the longer cubit is intended. Prince's portion (Ezekiel 48:21-22): The residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation and of the possession of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, answerable unto the portions, it shall be for the prince: and the holy oblation and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 48:22) Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince’ s, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, it shall be for the prince. On the east and west sides of the oblation was a large territory belonging to the prince. To state the matter differently, the territories of the priests, the Levites, the sanctuary and the city were situated between the two halves of the domain of the prince (vv 21-22). Five Southern Tribes (Ezekiel 48:23-29): As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:24) By the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:25) By the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:26) By the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:27) By the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad, one portion. (Ezekiel 48:28) By the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, unto the great sea. (Ezekiel 48:29) This is the land that you shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions (oracle of the Lord GOD). To the south of the oblation were the territories of (1) Benjamin, (2) Simeon, (3) Issachar, (4) Zebulun, and (5) Gad. Benjamin received the favored position near the oblation because that tribe had descended from Jacob’ s youngest son by Rachel, the beloved wife. Two of the tribes that formerly had been in the north (Zebulun and Issachar) come south to join Benjamin and Simeon. This is another hint that the new Israel will be a united people. Gad, formerly a Transjordanian tribe, is now occupying the territory to the extreme south. New Jerusalem Ezekiel 48:30-35are the egresses of the city: On the north side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure; (Ezekiel 48:31) and the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. (Ezekiel 48:32) At the east side four thousand and five hundred reeds, and three gates: even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. (Ezekiel 48:33) At the south side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. (Ezekiel 48:34) At the west side four thousand and five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. (Ezekiel 48:35) It shall be eighteen thousand reeds round about: and the name of the city from that day shall be, Yahweh-shammah. The new Jerusalem as envisioned by Ezekiel had twelve gates, three on each side. These gates were named after the twelve tribes. The gates on the north and south are named after the sons of Leah:Northern GatesSouthern GatesReuben Gate Judah Gate Levi GateSimeon Gate Issachar Gate Zebulun Gate The two sons of Rachel are honored by having the eastern gates of the city named after them. The third gate was named for the son of Rachel's handmaid Bilhah. The gates on the west were named for the sons of handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah, These were: Eastern GatesWestern GatesJoseph Gate Benjamin Gate Dan GateGad Gate Asher Gate Naphtali Gate It should be noted in the enumeration of gates that Ephraim and Manasseh have been united under the designation Joseph. The Jerusalem of the future receives a new name. She is called Yahweh shammah, i.e., Yahweh is there. God shall never again depart from that holy city (Ezekiel 48:35). The description of Ezekiel’ s new Jerusalem, points forward to that new Jerusalem described by John in Revelation 21. John's city had twelve gates, named after the twelve tribes of Israel. It also had twelve foundations that bore the names of the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:12-14). Like his prophetic predecessor, John foresaw the day when God would dwell with his people finally and forever (Revelation 21:3). Ezekiel Chapter Forty-Eight Verse 1 The apportionment of the Land of Canaan among the Twelve Tribes, following the setting apart of the land for Jerusalem is detailed here. The Twelve Tribes are named, with their allotments; but they are not named in the usual order. A land allotment is made for the king; the Twelve Tribes are honored by having the twelve gates of Jerusalem named for them, one gate for each tribe. It is easy to see that very little of this section of Ezekiel can be seen as having very much importance to Christians. The kingdom of God reaches into all nations and kingdoms of the world; and that little acreage called Palestine is a tiny place indeed compared to the world-wide Empire of the Christ. It is true that countless millions do not serve or worship Christ; but countless millions do so in all of the most favored and blessed of earth's nations, a fact that stands in evidence as Cause and Results upon the face of the whole earth. "The kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). This eternal reign of Christ is not something for some faroff tomorrow. It is going on now. Christ has been reigning ever since Almighty God committed into his hands "All authority in heaven and upon earth"; and it will continue until the last enemy, death itself, has been destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:25). Oh, but some do not allow Christ to reign over them. True indeed, but that makes no difference whatever. Jesus Christ is over all; and the people who refuse him have chosen for themselves eternal death. Before leaving this section, we shall observe what some scholars have said about it: "The water flowing out of the Temple teaches that all blessings material and spiritual emanate from the presence of the Lord and of his people."[5] Did not Paul himself say the same thing? "All spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). When the Jews who returned from Babylon finally got around to restoring the Temple, "Cyrus' decree authorizing the building of the Temple specified a height of 60 cubits, which was twice the height of Solomon's Temple."[6] Since God controlled the actions of Cyrus, this indicates that, at first, God did really intend that the magnificent Temple such as Ezekiel saw in his vision should have actually been built. That it was not can be attributed only to the sins and hardening of the Chosen People. "We cannot interpret these chapters as an allegory, because of the large number of directions and measurements."[7]We have discovered ten different diagrams of Ezekiel's Temple, and no two of them are exactly alike. We have decided to spare the reader any effort of our own to submit another diagram! What possible difference could minor distinctions make in a Temple that was never built? Yet it must be admitted that, "Nothing that Ezekiel could have written would have stirred up as much interest and excitement as this description of the New Temple to be constructed in Jerusalem would have stirred up among the exiles."[8]"To make these nine chapters a deliberately symbolical description of the worship of the Christian Church is out of the question, because Ezekiel expected this vision to be carried out to the letter; furthermore he envisioned it as taking place (in part miraculously) upon the coming of Messiah."[9]Nevertheless, Canon Cook affirmed that, "The vision must be viewed as symbolical, the symbols employed being the Mosaic ordinances."[10] We believe Cook is correct, because the Temple itself was never intended as anything else except a symbol, as were the priests and their ordinances and the whole order of the Mosaic tabernacle. See our Commentary on Exodus for full elaboration of this. The Temple, from the first, symbolized God's dwelling in the midst of his people; the priests were symbols of Christians; their sacrifices typefled the great atoning sacrifice of the blood of Christ and also, in a lesser sense, their ministrations typified the spiritual services which Christians offer up to God (1 Peter 2:5). We do not believe for a moment that Ezekiel fully understood the symbolical nature of the vision which he saw, no doubt thinking of it as the ultimate reality itself. "The picture of the river flowing from under the threshold of the Temple is a clear instance of symbolism, expressive of the blessings that flow from God's presence in his sanctuary (his Church)."[11]"These closing chapters present vast difficulties. The Rabbis of the Talmud remarked that only Elijah, who will herald the ultimate redemption, will elucidate the discrepancies with the Pentateuchal laws and the terms which are found only here."[12] Many scholars have cited places in the text which they have designated as "hopelessly corrupt." Cooke noted that, "Much of the detail in Ezekiel 40-42 is difficult and obscure."[13]God at this time was drafting a new constitution, a New Covenant, for a New Israel of God, the first step being a return of Israel from Babylon and the reestablishing of them in Canaan; and this New Temple to come at the close of the Exile would never be able to meet the demands of that New Israel of God; and in this description of it, "There is a reaching out to something broader, larger, and more spiritual, even to that Israel of Messianic times, the Church of God in the Christian ages."[14]Eichrodt marveled that nothing was said here about the foreign nations;[15] but the application of the great symbols of this passage to the New Israel in the times of Messiah makes any mention of "foreign nations" absolutely unnecessary. In the New order, there will be no such thing as Jews and foreign nations. All will be upon exactly the same level. Jews will have no special privileges in the New Israel. We believe that all the foreign nations (Gentiles) are symbolized by the Ten Tribes of lost Israel. The Millennial view that the distant future will see the actual building of some literal Temple in Jerusalem and the bringing together of the alleged Tribes of Israel together to offer sacrifices in it appears to be the ultimate impossibility. The Tribes of Israel have long been lost as regards their identity, there not being a Jew on earth today who can possibly know what tribe he came from. Furthermore, regarding animal sacrifices, what earthly good could come of such things? Could they be a substitute for the `Blood of Jesus Christ'? "A Temple with such sacrifices now would be a denial of the all-sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ. Under Moses, he who sacrificed animals confessed Christ; whosoever would do so now would most solemnly deny him."[16]Alexander referred to Ezekiel's Temple as "the Millennial Temple";[17] but it is our conviction that the Church of Jesus Christ is the only Millennial Temple known to God. The Church is the Temple which was indeed built, by the Son of God Himself; it is the Temple in which the Spirit of God and his indwelling presence may be found forever. This literal thing that Ezekiel saw, what good could it possibly serve? Could one Temple in Jerusalem serve the millions of the servants of God? What earthly benefit could be won by animal sacrifices? Would the Jews still cheat the worshippers by overcharging for the sacrifices and then cheating on the Temple exchange like they did when they ran it of old? We are mystified indeed by the loyalty some seem to have in regard to theories of a literal Millennium. Howie noted that the omission of the west gate in chapter 40 was due to the fact that, "It should be understood that there was no west gate; the Temple faced toward the East, and there was no rear entrance."[18] We have already noted that it is very unlikely that Ezekiel had any adequate conception whatever of the true spiritual import of certain elements in his vision. As Skinner said, "Although Ezekiel himself does not distinguish between symbol and reality, it is nevertheless possible for us to see, in the essential ideas of this vision, a prophecy of that eternal union between God and man which is brought to pass by the work of Christ."[19]The literalists who think they can find the promise of fleshly Jews being glorified in a return to Canaan and the rebuilding of their Temple can find no support whatever for such views in the New Testament. As Keil said, "It is impossible to understand the Holy City of Revelation 11 as the literal Jerusalem, nor the woman clothed with the sun in Revelation 12 as the Jewish race converted to Christ. The Jerusalem of those passages is spiritually the same as Sodom and Egypt."[20]Nevertheless, it must be remembered that a great deal of the imagery used by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation strongly resembles the terminology here. The Twelve Gates of the eternal City coming down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:12), having the names of the Twelve Tribes engraved upon them, is an example of this. "This whole section of Ezekiel forms an ideal picture which was never actually to be realized, but which strikingly embodies the conception of the abiding presence of God with his people, and of their perfect fellowship with him."[21]"The last two chapters of Revelation refer to this section of Ezekiel, as the previous chapter refers to that of Gog and Magog. and therefore these chapters of Ezekiel are to be the more regarded."[22] Ezekiel 48:1-7. I have grouped these verses into one paragraph because no special explanation for them separately would serve any necessary purpose. The comment that seems most appropriate is that by assigning the land specifically to the separate tribes, the Lord gives us a lesson on the subject of individual rights amidst a community of people all of whom had rights that should be respected. Ezekiel 48:8. This offering is called an “ oblation” in Ezekiel 45:1 which was to consist of certain portions of the land; a sanctuary is a holy place. Ezekiel 48:9. This verse merely states the specific size of the offering. Ezekiel 48:10. This special ablation was for the specific uSe of the priests. They were from the tribe of Levi and did not have any general possession of land as others. Ezekiel 48:11. Not all of the tribe of Levi were permitted to act in the priesthood, only the descendants of Zadok (Ezekiel 40:46), The reason for this special favor to them is given; they had remained faithful to the Lord previous to the captivity. Ezekiel 48:12. This priestly group was to have this assignment (or offering) of the land, and it was to be near the border of the Other Levites. Ezekiel 48:13. The Levites as a tribe were to have this assignment, even though most of them would not be eligible for the priesthood. Ezekiel 48:14. This land must not be disposed of either by sale or trade, and neither should the products be alienated which means transported into another vicinity. Ezekiel 48:15. Profane is not a word with any special moral meaning, but is the opposite of sacred or is temporal; the space was for the people in general. Ezekiel 48:16. This area was 4500 cubits or about a mile square. Ezekiel 48:17, These suburbs consisted of open border that was about 400 feet wide, and it extended all round the other district described in the preceding verse. Ezekiel 48:18. The strip of land described in this verse was to be cultivated, and the food raised was for the support of those living in the space described above. Ezekiel 48:19. Out of all the tribes means that the entire nation was to contribute to the support of those who rendered service for the common good- Ezekiel 48:20. The entire reservation described In the foregoing verses was several miles square if measured by modern standards or terms. Ezekiel 48:21. Near this reserved territory was a strip that was for the use of the prince, which means some person in a position of leadership or other outstanding relationship to the rest of the nation. This area was to be regarded as an oblation or offering for the sacred service of God. Ezekiel 48:22. This part that was assigned to the prince is described as having come out of the sacred possession of the Ijevites. That was proper since it was to serve a specific use in the service rendered to the Lord. Ezekiel 48:23. Special consideration is given to Benjamin in that this particular group of assignments begins with the mention of that tribe. There might have been some remembrance of the fact that Benjamin was one of the tribes of the kingdom of Judah, and hence a part of the people who went into Babylonian captivity. Verses 24-28. For comments on this manner of grouping verses see those at Ezekiel 48:1-7. Ezekiel 48:29. Divide by lot. in ancient times the lot was used to decide certain questions, and when resorted to by uninspired men it amounted to a “ game of chance” only. Sometimes, however, the Lord authorized its use, and when that was done (as in tire case here) He would see that the proper decision was reached (Proverbs 16:33). Ezekiel 48:30. Goings is from TOTSAAH which Strong defines, “ Exit, i.e., (geographical boundary.)" The verse means to designate the outer extent of the territory to be named. Ezekiel 48:31. The second chapter of Numbers gives the order of encampment for the children of Israel when they paused In their journey through the wilderness. There is a similarity between that arrangement and that described in this verse in that three tribes were to be grouped together in the four units. Ezekiel 48:32, It was not always the same three tribes as are named in Numbers, but the "goings out” in our case were the same in each of the sides. The tribe of Joseph is named in this place but Ephraim and Manasseh will not be given here. That is because they were the sons of Joseph and each was at the head of a whole tribe. Hence if Joseph is counted there would not be any point in mentioning his Bons in this report. Ezekiel 48:33. Measures is given an indefinite meaning in the lexicon. It would denote that whatever rule or standard was used on any given occasion, the thing being “ checked for dimensions” would count up to the number given. Ezekiel 48:34. This verse brings the measurements round to the place of beginning. There being three gates on each of the four sides of the city reminds us of the description which John gives of the Eternal City in Revelation 21:13. Ezekiel 48:35, Round about means the circumference which was 18,000 measures. The Lord is there. What an appropriate and important phrase by which to close up a great book! The greatest thing that could be said ot any institution or place is that the presence Of (he Lord will bless it which would assure it of everything needed for joy and prosperity. If the Lord is not in the place nothing else wi!l count for good. All through the ages God has provided something by which this presence could be realized and enjoyed by those who loved Him, In the Patriarchal Dispensation it was at the family altar; in the Mosaic era the Lord was present in the temple and tabernacle and it is promised in the present verse that the same Presence would be there to bless the people after returning from the captivity.