EZEKIEL


Chapter 26 Chapter 31 Chapter 36 Chapter 43 Chapter 48
Chapter 27 Chapter 32 Chapter 37 Chapter 44
Chapter 28 Chapter 33 Chapter 38 Chapter 45
Chapter 29 Chapter 34 Chapter 39 Chapter 46
Chapter 30 Chapter 35 Chapter 40, 41 and 42  Chapter 47

Chapter 26


(Verses 1 through 6) And 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, Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. And her daughters that are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

Ezekiel tells us that this coming of the word of the LORD unto him was in the eleventh year, and on the first day of the month; but he does not tell us in what month this was. We, I suppose, are to consider this to be the eleventh year of the captivity of king Jehoiachin, since that is his reference in Chapter 1, verse 2. This word, or prophecy, is against Tyrus, a city on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, which had at one time been a renowned port, but was envious of Jerusalem , because Jerusalem was considered “the gates of the people,” and had more glory than did she at that time. Tyrus had greatly rejoiced in the downfall of Jerusalem , thinking that with Jerusalem destroyed she would have an opportunity to regain her former glory. But the LORD was displeased with this attitude, and declared that He would cause many nations to come against Tyrus, and destroy her, even as the sea sends its waves against an object and carries it away. Even the dust He will scrape away, and leave her as a bare rock , and only a place for the spreading of nets, not for catching fish, but for the drying of the nets. And her daughters (or indeed her children, or inhabitants) that are absent from the city at that time (“in the field”) shall be killed with the sword, and thus brought to know that He is the LORD.

 

(Verses 7 through 14) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a kings of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast up a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. And he shall set engines of war 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 wheels, 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 by the sword, and thy strong garrisons 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 thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water. 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 like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

 

In the preceding text, the LORD declared that He would bring many nations against Tyrus. Now He tells us who these nations are. He says, “Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon , a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.” Nebuchadrezzar is not “The King of kings,” which title belongs only to the LORD, but God had enabled him to conquer many nations, and bring them under subjection to the point that he could use them as soldiers, so as he reigned over the kings of these peoples, he was a king of kings. And these were the many people Nebuchadrezzar brought against Tyrus. Without re-quoting all that the LORD said, we can sum it up by quoting only verse 14. “And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. That is, the city will be completely destroyed, leaving nothing but the bare ground whereupon it stood: and it shall never again be built.

 

(Verses 15 through 21) Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, 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 away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee. And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure. For thus saith the Lord GOD; 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 great waters shall cover thee; When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living; I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD.

 

Thus shall a lamentation be made for Tyrus. At her fall all those who inhabit the islands of the sea shall be astonished that such a great city could be made so desolate: and her fall shall cause them to be extremely afraid that the same might come upon them. Even their kings shall come down from their thrones and cast aside their royal attire, while they tremble at the horror of such a thought. All the islands of the sea, that is, all their inhabitants, shall be troubled at the fall of such a great city. Her desolation will be complete, and she shall be built no more. In verses 20 and 21, the LORD gives the description of what she shall be brought to by the curse He is going to bring upon her. “When I shall bring thee down with them  that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, 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 be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD.” This is clear enough without further comment. Such is the lamentation that the nations that were left should take up for Tyrus.

 


Chapter 27


(Verses 1 through 9) The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus; and say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD, O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty. Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty. They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars of Lebanon to make masts for thee. Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim. Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots. The ancients 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 occupy thy merchandise.

 

Ezekiel is commanded of the LORD to take up a lamentation for Tyrus. The beginning of it speaks of the great glory that was hers before the LORD brought desolation upon her. Her location was “at the entry of the sea,” that is, it was in a very convenient place for a port for ships, and the city was made beautiful. In fact she was so beautiful that she became lifted up with the pride of her beauty so much that she declared her own beauty perfect. She was not bordered on all sides by man made walls, as were most cities, but because she was on the coast of the sea, the sea was her borders on three sides, and her builders had done everything they could to enhance the beauty of her setting. Her harbor was, of course filled with ships, going to and fro. And all of them were decorated wonderfully, as well as being made of the choicest materials. She had her own wise men for the pilots of the ships, and the inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad as her mariners, while the old men of Gebal were the ones who kept her ships properly caulked, and fitted for the sea. And ships from all ports of the sea were in her harbors to carry her merchandise.

 

(Verses 10 and 11) They of Persia , and of Lud, and of Phut 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, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.

 

Here we are told from whence Tyrus obtained her protection. She, having little, if any territory outside the city itself, had to depend upon others to furnish her soldiers, mercenaries, for her protection. And these came from many places. They were her army and her guards.

 

In verses 12 through 25, we are given a list of many cities and lands from which came the merchants, those who bought and sold merchandise in her markets. Without copying the entire list, we shall call attention to a few of them. The first one mentioned is Tarshish, which is what is now called Spain . And it is at the opposite end of the Mediterranean from Tyrus. Then we are told, “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.” Tubal is the city that is now called Tobolsk, and Meshech is Moscow . So people from the area of what we now call Russia traded there. So we can readily see that Tyrus was world renowned, that is in all of the then known world. And since Tarshish was at that time one of the great powers of the sea, her ships were very busy in replenishing the market of Tyrus with all the wares that were there traded. And by their help Tyrus was made very glorious.

 

(Verses 26 through 31) Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east winds have broken thee in the midst of the seas. Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of  thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin. The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. And all that handle the oar, the 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 against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in ashes: and they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.

 

In spite of the splendor she once had, Tyrus has come to a sad end. The ones upon whom she had depended for her glory have brought her into extremely troubled waters. Her glory is forever gone. They shall forsake their ships, and began to wail for her. All her oarsmen, mariners, and pilots can only stand by and bewail her terrible devastation. But there is nothing they can do for her.

 

(Verses 32 through 36) And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea? When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise. In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters  thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall. All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance. The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.

 

This is the conclusion of the lamentation for the great city Tyrus, She was indeed great, and made many rich with her markets, and the wares sold there. Everything that could be considered merchandise had been traded therein; but now that will all be forever stopped. She is destroyed, never again to be re-built. She will be as if the waves of the sea had completely swept her away. It will be a great astonishment to the people of the islands of the sea, and will bring great fear upon their kings, as well as a terror to all the merchants. Nothing will be left.


Chapter 28

 

This is a very controversial chapter, in that some commentators see nothing in the first 19 verses but an address to the king of Tyrus, while others see it as reaching beyond the king of Tyrus, and addressing Satan himself, who caused that king to be so lifted up with pride that he brought such destruction to Tyrus.

 

The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: with thy wisdom and with 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 thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; behold, therefore 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 deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

 

The word of the LORD came again to Ezekiel. This time it was a message to the prince of Tyrus. And this portion of it could, possibly, have no further reach than to that prince. First, the LORD charges him with having been so lifted up with pride that he considered himself as God, and his throne as the seat of God. But, in reality, he is only a man, and not God at all, although in his pride, he has set his heart upon being God. Verses 3 through 5 the LORD tells him what he thinks of himself, not what he actually is. He thinks himself wiser than Daniel, and able to find out all secrets. He believes that it is by his wisdom and understanding that he has become so rich. And because of this his heart has been so lifted up with pride that he thinks he is God. But the LORD sees the matter quite differently, and because of this prince’s pride, He will bring him down. He will bring upon him “strangers--- the terrible of the nations.” This is, of course, a reference to Nebuchadrezzar and his army, as He said in Chapter 26, verse 7. They will all come with drawn swords against all of this in which he takes such pride. Without further comment, verses 8 through 10, give us the picture of what will be the outcome of this. “They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou say before him that slayeth thee, ‘I am God?’ but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.”

 

(Verses 11 through 19) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been 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 prepared in thee in the day thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: 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 thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore will I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God : and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

 

In addition to giving Ezekiel a message to the prince of Tyrus, the word of the LORD also came to him, commanding him to take up a lamentation against the king of Tyrus. Although sometimes “prince” and “king” are used interchangeably, they do, of course, have slightly different meanings. And the separation of these two messages seems to indicate a difference here. And when we consider all that is contained in this lament against the king of Tyrus, it seems to indicate a farther reach than does that of the former verses. And since Satan is, unquestionably, the one who causes any man to be lifted up with pride, he surely was the cause of the prince of Tyrus being so lifted. The description given of this king of Tyrus seems to be far too great to describe any mortal man. Unless the LORD is using sarcasm all the way, which does not seem likely, verses 12 through 15, are a description of a being who was created far wiser, and more beautiful than any mortal man. This king is said to seal up the sum. He was “full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” He had “been in Eden the garden of God .” And surely that was the first place on earth in which the serpent, the representation of Satan, appeared. At one time he was “the anointed cherub that covereth.” This seems to be a reference to his having been the cherub that covered the true mercy seat, of which the one Moses was commanded to make, was only a shadow, or type. He was clothed with all manner of precious gems, and walked up and down in the stones of fire. The capstone of this description is verse15, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Then the message changes. It no more concerns the beauty and wisdom this king had when he was created, but tells of the terrible fall of this one. The LORD declares that He will cast him out of the mount of God, and will destroy him. Although our Lord Jesus said, “I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven,” the time has not yet come in which Satan shall be completely destroyed. But the Lord God has declared that He will destroy him because he corrupted that wonderful wisdom that was given to him when he was created. His heart has been lifted up by his beauty, and his wisdom corrupted because of his brightness, so that the LORD will cast him to the ground, and lay him before kings, that they may behold him. He will destroy him so that all who know him will be astonished at him. And the finality of the matter is expressed thus, “And never shalt thou be any more.”

 

(Verses 20 through 23) Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her. For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

This is a very short message, but one that declares a great judgment upon Zidon. The LORD declares that He is against her, and will therefore send against her both pestilence and the sword to such an extent that the people thereof shall know that He is the LORD.

 

(Verses 24 through 26) And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all them that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.

 

Notice should be taken that from the beginning of Chapter 25 through verse 23 of the present Chapter, the message has all been directed against the nations round about Israel . In this the LORD has declared destruction upon all these nations. Now He tells us that this is done that when He shall restore Israel , there will be no “pricking brier or grieving thorn” of any of them to annoy Israel . All these nations that have despised her will cause her no more trouble. That this is looking forward to the final re-gathering of Israel more than to the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity is proven by history. Even though the king of Babylon sent some of the Jews back to re-build both the temple and the city of Jerusalem , they were troubled on every side even while doing the building. And their history from that time until the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD is filled with accounts of wars. But the LORD declares that He will re-gather them, and will give them peace, so that “they shall dwell safely therein, and build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”


Chapter 29


(Verses 1 through 7) In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt: speak and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. But 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, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales. And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers, thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, not gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven. And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel . When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.

 

This is the beginning of the prophecy against Egypt . The LORD charges Pharaoh of being arrogant, and lifted up with pride, so that he thinks he has even been the maker of his river, that is, the Nile . But the LORD declares that since he has not been a dependable friend to Israel, but has only been a “staff of reed” to them, He will draw him, together with all the people of Egypt, up out of the river, and cast them out into the desert; and there He will leave them to be food for the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven. This He will do because he and his people let Israel down when Israel depended upon them for help. This is, no doubt, a reference to the time when Israel tried unsuccessfully to get help from Egypt against the Assyrians.

 

(Verses 8 through 12) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee. And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste, and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he said, The river is mine, and I have made it. Behold, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene 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 desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

 

The LORD says that He will bring upon Egypt the sword so that the land shall be left desolate, having neither man nor beast in it for forty years. This is because of the pride of Egypt , since the Pharaoh has declared that he has made the river which is the source of the life of Egypt . Except for the water that is brought to Egypt by the Nile river, the whole land is desert. And only along the river is there moisture enough for life to flourish. So by laying claim to having made the river, Pharaoh is claiming to be responsible for all the people who live there. The LORD has created all things; and He has declared that He will not share His glory with another. He is therefore against Pharaoh for such a claim. So He will bring this desolation upon Egypt for forty years.

 

(Verses 13 through 16) Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered: and I will bring again the captivity of Egypt., and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros , into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt  itself any more above the nations: for 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 , which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

 

The LORD said that He would make the land of Egypt desolate, having neither man nor beast for forty years. Yet, after this forty years, He will bring back the captivity of Egypt , and settle the Egyptians again in their land. However Egypt will never again be as great a kingdom as it had been, but will be a “base kingdom.” It can never again raise itself up to the point of ruling over the nations as it had formerly done. And it will no more be a kingdom upon which the house of Israel can lean with confidence. By this shall they know that God is the Lord GOD.

 

(Verses 17 through 20) 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 the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet he had no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service he had served against it. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey, and it shall be wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for Me, saith the Lord GOD.

 

Here the LORD tells Ezekiel that Nebuchadrezzar and his army have been working for Him when they overthrew Tyrus; but for so doing they had not been paid. Therefore He has given Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar and his army for his wages in the operation against Tyrus, because in that they had been working for Him.

 

(Verse 21) In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

The expression, “the horn of the house of Israel ,” simply means the power of the house of Israel . When the LORD says, “In that day,” He is, probably referring to the day in which He shall give Egypt into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar. In that day He will also cause the power of the house of Israel to bud forth, or begin to grow. Then He will also give to Ezekiel “the opening of the mouth” in the midst of them. That is, He will cause them to pay heed to the words of Ezekiel, as he prophesies among them. And then shall they know that He is the LORD.


Chapter 30

 

(Verses 1 through 9) The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. And the sword shall come upon Egypt , and great pain 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 Libya , and Lydia , and all mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD. 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 the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt , and when all her helpers shall be destroyed. In that day shall messengers go forth from Me in ships to make the careless Egyptians afraid, and great pain shall be upon them, as in the day of Egypt .

 

This is the word of the LORD concerning Egypt and all the nations around her, when He shall deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar. An expression is used in verse3, that is several times used in the scriptures, and it always refers to a time of judgment that is coming upon someone. That expression is “the day of the LORD.” It sometimes denotes the day of final judgment against the world, the wicked, wickedness itself, and Satan. At others, it refers to temporal judgment to be sent upon some particular person, place, or nation. In the present usage it concerns Egypt , Ethiopia , Libya , Lydia , Chub, and all who will be in league with them. In that day the LORD declared He would send upon them a sword that would bring them all down, and make them desolate. This sword, according to what He has said in the latter part of Chapter 29, is, no doubt, that of Nebuchadrezzar and his army. This He confirms as we continue.

 

(Verses 10 through 19) Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon . He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought 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 sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the LORD have spoken it. Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt : and I will put fear in the land of Egypt . And I will make Pathros desolate, and I will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No. And I will pour My fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt ; and I will cut off the multitude of No. And I will set fire in Egypt : Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily. The young men of Aven and Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt : and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her; as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt : and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

Thus will Nebuchadrezzar and his army completely devastate all the land of Egypt . He mentions several cities of Egypt ; and since they are fairly well scattered over the whole land, it seems obvious that no part of Egypt will be spared. The LORD has said that he would give Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar and his army as wages for their service against Tyrus. When He executes these judgments against the Egyptians, they will know that He is the LORD.

 

(Verses 20 through 26) And 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, Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, the strong, 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 Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man. But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon , and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put My sword into 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 among the countries; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

We often hear someone say, “If the LORD should do ------ (this, or that,) He would be unfair, or unjust.” I invite anyone to examine this text, and tell me where is the fairness or justice in it, according to man’s rules. But God has already told us that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. So why should we try to judge Him according to our rules? They just do not fit. Men are all objects of His creation, and therefore they are, in this respect, on equal footing; and their rules are necessary to them to insure fairness and justice between them. But God is the Creator, and has a perfect right to do what He will with any one, or all, His creatures. So when He declares that He will reduce the strength of one group of them, and increase that of another group, that is His right: and none can accuse Him of unfairness. And that is exactly what He has declared that he will do. The analogy is that He will break both arms of one man, while at the same time increasing the strength of the arm of the other. He declares that He will cause the Egyptians to fall, and be scattered through the nations. He declares that when He does this, “they shall know that I am the LORD.”


Chapter 31

 

(Verses 1 and 2) And 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, Son of Man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

 

Having declared upon Pharaoh and the people of Egypt such great calamities as are recorded in Chapters 29 and 30, The Lord now asks Pharaoh, “Whom art thou like in thy greatness?” Then He will make a comparison between Pharaoh and another king whom He has already brought to destruction.

 

(Verses 3 through 9) Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers to all the trees of the field. Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth. All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. The cedars of the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden , that were in the garden of God , envied him.

 

Assyria had been a great power among the nations; and she was the one who had overrun Israel, and taken them away as captives, and scattered them through the nations so that even today they are still scattered. Throughout that area the cedars of Lebanon were renowned for their height and beauty; and the LORD says that “the Assyrian” (either the nation of Assyria , or the king thereof) was a cedar of Lebanon. Then as He further describes him, he was, unquestionably, the greatest of his time. Since in this description Assyria is likened to a cedar of Lebanon, no doubt the other trees mentioned represent the other nations of the time. He was so great that even the other trees were not so great as his boughs. There was no tree in the garden of God that was his equal. And all the other trees envied him.

 

(Verses 10 through17) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot forth his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness. And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in the valleys his branches have fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him. Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches: to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, 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. Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were  stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. I made the nations to shake at the sound of  his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden , the choice and best of Lebanon , all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth. They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.

 

Having in the earlier text told Pharaoh how great was ”the Assyrian,” the LORD tells him the account of how He brought him down with such a great calamity that it caused all the nations to shake when He cast him down to hell. Men can argue all they wish as to whether this means that he was cast into hell, as we consider it, or just to the grave. I will not join the argument: but I will refer any who care to read it to Psalms 9:17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Whichever it means, Assyria was completely destroyed, and today there is no nation of Assyria . What the LORD has here told Pharaoh is to show that just as He has brought down Assyria, He will also bring judgment upon Egypt .

 

(Verse 18) To whom art thou thus like in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden ? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden   unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain with the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitudes, saith the Lord GOD.

 

 This should need little, if any, comment. The LORD is telling Pharaoh that just as He has brought down Assyria, so shall He devastate Egypt .


Chapter 32


(Verses 1 through 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 the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers. Thus saith the Lord GOD, I will therefore spread out My net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in My net. Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill 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 rivers shall be full of thee. And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD. I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast known. Yea, I will make many people 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.

 

Again the LORD calls upon Ezekiel to take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt . As can readily be seen, it sets forth what the LORD is going to do to Egypt , as well as its effect upon the nations around her. Egypt has been as a young lion of the mountains, feared by all the beasts of the forest; and as a whale in the seas, larger than any other creature therein. But this will be no longer. Just as a whale out of water is powerless, so shall Egypt be. The LORD will bring such destruction upon her that she will be as a whale left out on dry land for the fowls of the heaven and the beasts of the field to devour. The LORD will water the land with her blood. It will be a day of great darkness for Egypt , when He brings upon her this destruction. It will be as if the sun was covered with a great cloud, and the moon did not shine. Not only will it be a day of darkness for Egypt , but the hearts of many people will be vexed thereby. Many people will be amazed at the calamity He will bring upon Egypt ; and their kings will fear for their own lives, when this great fall shall come.

 

(Verses 11 through 16) For thus saith the Lord GOD, 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, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt , and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. I will destroy also the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them. Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD. When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate , and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the LORD. This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, even for Egypt , and for all her multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

 

Thus the lamentation for Egypt continues. The LORD says that He will bring the sword of the Babylonians upon Egypt and make her desolate. She will be completely destitute of all the things which have been in plentiful supply therein There shall be neither man nor beast to pass through her. Also the daughters of the nations shall lament for her and her multitude. There is no way to avoid this destruction, for the Lord GOD has Himself spoken.

 

The remainder of this chapter, Verses 17 through 32, are a continuation of this lamentation for the multitude of Egypt . They are to be cast down “unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit,” Then the question is asked, “Whom dost thou pass in beauty?” This seems to have the effect of saying that they are no better than the many multitudes that have been cast there before them. And they are commanded to “Go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.” This seems to be in reference to the fact that God gave to Abraham, and to the Israelites the rite of circumcision, as a sign that they were His people. Thus to be laid with the uncircumcised shows that these are not to be placed with His people, but with the wicked. Then the LORD says, “The strong among the mighty shall speak to him (Pharaoh) out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. That is, many strong among the mighty have been cast down into the midst of hell ahead of Pharaoh. Then the LORD names some of those who have been so cast down. Among them are Asshur, (apparently another name for Assyria,) Elam , Meshech, Tubal , Edom , and Zidon. Their graves are all around, and although they did cause terror in the land of the living, they have all been brought to shame, and their bed is among the uncircumcised that have fallen Then , in verses 27 and 28, He says, “And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. Yea, they shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shall lie with them that are slain with the sword.” They will not even be accorded the honor that is usually given to great warriors who have overcome their enemies, and have then died in peace. Such usually had their swords laid under their heads when buried, but these will be treated like those who have fallen in battle; their iniquities shall even be upon their bones, and they shall lie with the uncircumcised, or wicked. The only comfort Pharaoh will get is that he will not be alone; but shall see all his multitude and all his army slain with the sword. He can then say, “I have caused my terror in the land of the living, “And he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.”


Chapter 33


(Verses 1 through 7) Again the word of the LORD 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, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, 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. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if 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.

 

As He did in Chapter 3, the LORD again tells Ezekiel the seriousness of the position of the watchman that is set over His people. This is to be considered as binding also on a minister of the gospel today, just as it was upon the watchman in Ezekiel’s day. If he does not warn the people of the danger he sees coming, they will be made to suffer for their iniquities, but the responsibility is upon the watchman. If he does warn them, and they pay no heed to the warning, they will suffer; but he is free from the responsibility, because he has fulfilled his duty.

 

(Verses 7 through 9) So thou, O Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel ; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

 

This is only a repetition of instructions the LORD had given Ezekiel earlier. He has appointed Ezekiel a watchman for the house of Israel . So when He gives Ezekiel a warning against a wicked man, Ezekiel must deliver that warning whether, or not the one warned will pay any heed to the warning. If he does give heed to the warning, and turn from his wickedness, he shall not perish, and Ezekiel has delivered his soul. On the other hand, if the wicked man , having been warned to turn from his evil ways, refuses to turn away from them, he shall die in his sins, but Ezekiel will have delivered his soul from blame. And this is the manner of the LORD’S dealing with the watchmen He sets in Zion even today. They are to be faithful to the LORD, whether or not the people will ever listen.

 

(Verses 10 through 16) Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel ; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, 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 ? Therefore, 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: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 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 he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

 

This may, at first, seem somewhat complicated. But, in reality, it is very simple. The LORD is rebuking Israel for a system of thinking they had adopted. They thought that if one had ever done any righteousness that righteousness would take care of him even if he turned away from it and continued in sin. On the other hand, they thought that if one ever committed a wicked act, that stood against him for ever. But the LORD tells them that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. That is, when He gives a warning to a wicked man, telling him that he shall surely die, it is for the purpose of turning that wicked one away from his wickedness to righteousness. And if that one heeds the warning it is much more pleasing to Him than for the man to continue on and die in his wickedness. Also, if one has been walking in righteousness, so that the Lord commends him for it, and he begins to think that his former righteousness is great enough that he can lay it aside and turn to a life of sin, his former righteousness is of no avail to him, but he is condemned for the wickedness he is now doing. Since this was all addressed to Israel , the key to the whole is found in the last portion of verse 11, “Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel ?” And even though it was addressed to Israel , it is also applicable to us, even today. Let us turn from our evil ways, and turn back to His commandments and walk in them. We do not need to get sidetracked by the argument that some are sure to raise. They will argue over what kind of death this is that He calls upon us to turn away from. My answer to that is, “No matter what kind of death it is, death is never pleasant. So we should put forth every effort to avoid it. And that is to be done by turning away from our iniquities, and walking in His commandments.”

 

(Verses 17 through 20) 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 thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel , I will judge you every one after his ways.

 

Even after the LORD explained to Ezekiel His way of dealing with both the righteous man who turned away from righteousness, and followed the way of wickedness, and the wicked man who gave heed to the LORD’S warning, and turned from his wickedness to work righteousness, He declares that the children of the people of Ezekiel still say that His ways are not equal. And because of this attitude He will bring judgment upon every one of them.

 

(Verses 21 through 24) 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 unto me, saying, The city is smitten. Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given to us for inheritance.

 

Although nothing has been said concerning such, it seems that the LORD had temporarily caused Ezekiel to be dumb and not able to speak just before the man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to him with the message that Jerusalem had fallen. Now, however, the word of the LORD came to him and opened his mouth that he was no more dumb. Also the word of the LORD told him of the attitude of the remnant of the Jews that lived in the waste areas of Israel . They were saying that Abraham was only one man, and he inherited the land; so surely since they were many, the land was given to them for inheritance. Sometimes it seems that we are prone to think just as they did. We think back to earlier days, perhaps even to the beginning of our local church, and consider that there were very few of us in that day, but we have now increased into a much larger number. Then we may be tempted to think, “If such a small number as there were in the beginning could grow and prosper as they have, surely with the number we have now, we will continue on, and be stronger and stronger.” The fallacy of this kind of thinking is that we begin to believe in our own importance instead of trusting in the LORD Who alone can cause us to prosper.

 

(Verses 25 through 29) Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall ye possess the land? Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes 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 be in the caves shall die of the pestilence. For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

 

This is the LORD’S judgment upon those who “inhabit the wastes” of Israel . That is, they were not destroyed in the fall of Jerusalem . Nevertheless God has declared that because of their sins they shall be destroyed, and the whole land will be left completely desolate. And only then shall they know that He is the Lord GOD.

(Verses 30 through 33) Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the house, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 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 (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

 

Certainly, this needs no explanation. But it does indeed give a very apt description of the general situation in the church today. Many want to go to church, and listen to what the preacher will tell them: but few indeed will actually try to incorporate the message into their lives. They consider it entertainment, just as if they went to a concert, and listened to some performer who is considered a good singer or musician. They may even be, for the moment, so lifted up that they think they are in heaven itself. But as soon as it is over, it is gone. We are thankful that this is not the way it is with all who attend church. But it does, indeed, describe many of modern day professed Christians. They are not interested in the word of the LORD, but only in entertainment.

 

Chapter 34


(Verses 1 through 6) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 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 again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. and they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

 

Of course, a message can be taken from this that might apply to the religious leaders today; but, primarily, it applies to those to whom it is addressed, “the shepherds of Israel ,” the religious and political leaders of Israel , as they were in that day, and had been for some time previously. They were concerned only about what profit the people could be to them, and not at all about what was good for the people. For some reason or other they could not see that if the people did not prosper neither could they. They forgot about the LORD and his laws, and made up some that were more to their liking. It was even the leaders that set up the idols, and commanded the people to serve them.E even Jeroboam, the first king of Israel after the dividing of the kingdom, made the two molten calves, and commanded the people to worship them. And many times from that time to that of Ezekiel kings brought in more idolatrous practices, and had the people follow them. But GOD had commanded them to have nothing to do with idols, and had declared severe penalties upon them if they disobeyed. And these rulers ruled them with cruelty. So the LORD declared, “And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.” Notice that in speaking of the shepherds, He is speaking of both the political and the religious leaders. They would not even listen to the prophets of the LORD whom He sent among them , but even in some cases would have them killed. The LORD’S sheep were indeed scattered because of their leaders.

 

(Verses 7 through 10) Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and My flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not My flock; therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

 

The very elders of Israel who have been coming to Ezekiel to inquire of the LORD are of these shepherds the LORD is here addressing; but one can easily see that He is not cutting them any slack either. This captivity of the Jews by Babylon is simply a part of the LORD’S work in delivering His flock from their mouths. He will require His flock at their hand. That is, He will destroy their power over His flock, by, if necessary, destroying them. That is why He has brought them into captivity.

 

(Verses 11 through 16) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search My sheep, and seek them out. As shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel . I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed  them with judgment.

 

This text, together with the remainder of this chapter, leaps forward to the time, not of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, but even to the final re-gathering of Israel from all the countries in which they have been scattered. The LORD says that He will judge “between cattle and cattle.” That is He will determine which are the ones who have been misled and scattered, and those who have been responsible for their being in such a condition. And as He has already said, it is the failure of the “shepherds,” the leaders of His people, that they have been so scattered. They have been eating up the good pasture, and treading down the residue, so that there is no good food left for the flock. That is, they have been leading them away from the way of the LORD instead of leading them in it. The leaders have so fouled up their teaching to the flock, that they have led the flock into all manner of idolatries and sins. So the LORD will bring judgment upon them for this. He has already sent the whole flock into captivity. And before He brings them back home, He will judge between the flock and the leaders who have brought them into this predicament.

 

(Verses 20 through 26) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I. even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and shoulder, and pushed 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 cattle and cattle. 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 the LORD will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. 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 safely 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 his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

 

Many will tell us that this text refers only to the coming of Christ Jesus into the world to redeem His chosen. And, perhaps, that is included in it. But its primary reference is to the time when the LORD will re-gather Israel from all the countries whither they have been scattered. At that time He will cause them to rest in peace in the land which He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their seed for a perpetual possession. Zechariah tells us that when He does this, and destroys the nations that have assembled against Jerusalem , Israel shall rest in peace, and all that are left of the nations that had come up against her shall come up year by year to Jerusalem to worship the King. And that King is none other than Christ Jesus our Lord. Certainly, in that day shall be showers of blessings. And the LORD’S people and His hill, Mount Zion , together with all “the places round about” His hill shall be a blessing.

 

(Verses 27 through 31) And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel , are My people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

 

Thus the LORD declares that He will deliver Israel from the nations wherein they have been scattered, and will make them dwell in safety in their land. Then their fields and orchards shall yield their fruit so that they will never again suffer hunger. They will not even be bothered by the beasts of the land, but will dwell safely. Neither will they have to any more bear the insults of the heathen. Then shall they, the house of Israel , know that the LORD their God is with them, and they are His people. Then He declares, “And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.”


Chapter 35


(Verses 1 through 6) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Seir, and prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare  thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.

 

Again the word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel. This time it is a message to Seir, the home of Esau and his descendants, (the Arabs,) and it is a message of judgment against them. It can hardly be made any plainer. The LORD declares that He will make their land waste, and their cities desolate. This is “because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end.” This may seem a somewhat strange statement. It seems to refer to something that has been going on for a long time, but also to something that will come to a head in a time yet future. The Arabs have had a perpetual hatred for Israel from the time of Esau and Jacob, and even from that of Ishmael and Isaac. But, seemingly it will come to a final head, at the time of the re-gathering of Israel , “in the time that their iniquity had an end.” When The LORD is satisfied with the punishment He has laid upon Israel , her iniquity will have an end, and He will re-gather her, and bring her back into the land of Israel . At that time The Arabs will set forth to destroy her. But the LORD will be her defense, and the Arabs (Seir) shall be laid desolate.

 

(Verses 7 through 12) Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. And I shall fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: ye shall know that I am the LORD. Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them, when I have judged thee. And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all the blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel , saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.

 

Before Esau and Jacob were born, the LORD declared, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Men have made many arguments about what the LORD meant when He said He hated Esau. It seems that this text gives about as great a description of the depth of that hatred as can be found anywhere. It is so great that He will completely destroy the populace and the cities of Seir. It seems impossible to make this text any clearer by comment. The LORD simply declares that He will bring perpetual desolation upon all the cities and inhabitants of Seir. Thus shall they know that He is the LORD.

 

(Verses 13 through 15) Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against Me, and have multiplied your words against Me: I have heard them. Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. As thou didst rejoice at 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 Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

The LORD declares that His knowing of the boasts and blasphemies of the people of Seir against Him are not something He has heard of, but something He, personally, has heard. So in the time when He shall make the remainder of the earth rejoice (which is the time when Israel shall be restored) He will make Seir and all Idumea desolate. There will be no rejoicing for them.

 


Chapter 36


(Verses 1 through 5)Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession: therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people: therefore ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about; therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed My land into their possession with joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

 

Thus the Lord GOD begins an address to the land of Israel . In the first verse, He addresses the mountains of Israel; but in verse 4 He speaks to the “mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and a derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about.” Some may try to “spiritualize” this, as they do with everything else. But He is actually speaking to the physical land of Israel which has indeed been made completely desolate, first by the carrying away of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel , and then by the captivity of Judah . He declares that He has in His jealousy spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, for they are the ones who have tried to appropriate to themselves the land of Israel , and have rejoiced over her desolation “with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.” That have rejoiced at the calamity of Israel , and have decided to take over all the land for their possession. They have not recognized the fact that this land was given by the Lord GOD to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their seed after them for a perpetual possession. Even though this land has been made desolate, that does not nullify the promise of God.

 

(Verses 6 and 7) Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and In My fury, because ye have born the shame of the heathen: therefore saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up Mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.

 

Again, this message is to the land of Israel . The LORD simply declares to the land that since the heathen round about have brought shame upon the land by trying to take possession of it, though it belonged to the Lord GOD, and by His gift to the children of Israel, He has “lifted up” His hand ( He has sworn) that these heathens shall bear their shame, the shame of believing that they could take possession of that which belonged to the Lord God and His people.

 

(Verses 8 through 15) But ye, O mountains of Israel , Ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people of 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 wastes shall be builded: and I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 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 men. Thus saith the Lord GOD, Because they say unto you, Thou land that devourest  up men, and hast bereaved thy nations, therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD. Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.

 

Notice that the LORD’S promise to the land of Israel is that He will again turn it into a fruitful land, and it shall yield its fruit to His people Israel . And He emphasizes that it will be “all the house of Israel . Since the Jews are only two of the tribes of Israel , Judah and Benjamin, this has to look forward beyond the return of the Jews from Babylon , even to the final re-gathering of Israel . Many will try to “spiritualize” this, and apply it to the gospel church. But this will not fit the text itself, and certainly not the context; for there is entirely too much physical description given of the land of Israel , and too much said about the reaction of the heathen round about when Israel and Judah were brought to desolation. This has to refer to national Israel , and the LORD will gather them back to the land of Israel . When He does this, the land will be fruitful and the people of Israel will multiply so that the whole land will be inhabited. The land of Israel had often been called the land that devoured men, and bereaved her nations. It is easy to see why this was so. All we have to do is to look back to the wars of the Israelites as they approached, and were settled in the land of Israel . Just as the LORD had promised, He drove out or destroyed the heathen nations that had possession of the land before the Israelites were brought in. Some of those nations completely vanished from history. A while before Ezekiel’s time Israel was carried away, and dispersed over the nations, and at the time of this vision he was in the Babylonian captivity. So Jerusalem and Judah were also taken away captive. This would seem sufficient ti give the land of Israel a reputation for devouring men and nations. But the LORD declares that when He brings “all the house of Israel back, this will no more be done. This promise has not yet come to pass, because, although the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem after seventy years, and re-build the temple, they were again dispersed and the temple and Jerusalem destroyed in 70 AD. And not until 1948 were they permitted to return, and even yet they have not all returned. How much longer it will be until the complete re-gathering, no one except GOD knows. But He has promised it; and it shall come to pass. Then the land will devour men no more.

 

(Verses 16 through 20) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way is before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore My fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: and I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned My holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of His land.

 

Not only did the Israelites pollute the land the LORD had given them by both their wickedness and their idolatry; but even when the LORD poured out His fury upon them and caused them to be dispersed among the heathen, but they magnified their sin by not confessing that He had brought judgment upon them and caused them to be thus dispersed. But they said, “These are the people of the LORD, and are gone out of His land.” That is they claimed to be serving the LORD, and had voluntarily gone out of His land. Thus they profaned His holy name before the heathen, because they claimed to be the people of the LORD, and at the same time continued in their evil ways. They did not realize that the LORD knows all things, and we cannot hide from Him.

 

(Verses 21 through 24) But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

 

Beyond question, this message is to national Israel . The LORD is definitely going to restore them, just as he has promised in many of His declarations. But He is going to do it not for their sakes, but for the sake of His own holy name. And this is a lesson that we too should always keep firmly in mind also. Just as His blessings to Israel are not for their sakes, that is, for anything that they have done for Him, or for any merit they have, but for the sake of His own holy name, so it is with us. He has not given us eternal life for anything that we have done, and neither does He give us temporal blessings for what we have done, or for what we may in the future do, for Him. He does all for the sake of His own name, and for the sake of His Son Jesus, by whose imputed righteousness only we are made righteous. We cannot even pray in our name; for we are not worthy to even approach Him. We can only pray in the name of His holy Son Christ Jesus our Saviour. Nevertheless, He declares to Israel , “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” That promise is still awaiting fulfillment. But it shall come to pass.

 

(Verses 25 through 30) Then will I 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 stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, 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. I will also save you from all uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

 

Not only will the LORD re-gather Israel , and into the land He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their seed after them. But after He does, not before, He declares, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” As we examine the history of the children of Israel , we find that they have often been charged by the LORD with being wicked, filthy, and very idolatrous. They have often departed from the commandments of the LORD, and gone after idols. Now He says that when He gathers them back to His land, He will sprinkle them with clean water, and wash away all these things. He will even take away the stony heart that has led them to do such things, and He will replace it with a heart of flesh. That is, He will give to them a heart that will love Him and His commandments. He further declares, “And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.” He will not leave the matter up to them, even after He has given them a new heart, and put His Spirit within them; but He will cause them to walk in His statutes. Thus they shall keep His judgments, and do them. In this condition, they shall dwell in the land He gave to their fathers; and they shall be His people, and He will be their GOD. He will save, or keep them from all their uncleannesses, and will so supply them with food that they will never again receive any reproach from the heathen about having a famine. So in that re-gathering, He will bless them both spiritually and naturally. Many today like to take this text, and try to apply it to the gospel church. But it will not fit.

 

(Verses 31 through 34) Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel . Thus saith the Lord GOD; in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

 

When the LORD shall bring Israel back into their land, they shall be so smitten with repentance that they will hate themselves for all the wickedness they have done. And He calls upon them to “be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel .” Then, in the day that He cleanses them from all their iniquities, He will cause them to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be built. That is He will settle them permanently therein. And the land that has so long been desolate will be tilled. The desolation will be over.

 

(Verses 35 through 38) 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 become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel , to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

When the LORD brings to pass all this that He has spoken, Those who pass by will say, “This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.” This will cause even the heathen that are left round about to know that the LORD builds the ruined places and plants the desolate; and what He says, He will do. Then He promises Israel that He will cause them to multiply and fill the land with men like a flock of sheep. They are the holy flock of the LORD. And then shall they know that He is the LORD.



Chapter 37


(Verses 1 through 3) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and , lo, they were very dry. And He said unto me, Son of man, can these dry bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, Thou knowest.

 

This is simply the preparation for the vision and message the LORD is going to give to Ezekiel. The LORD takes him in the Spirit out into a valley that is filled with bones. (As the scene develops, we understand that these are human bones.) As Ezekiel is made to walk around about these bones, the LORD asks him, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel’s answer is, “Lord GOD, Thou knowest.” This answer seems to mean more than is expressed by the words. It seems to convey the thought that not only does the LORD know, but that He is the only One who does.

 

(Verses 4 through 8) Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones; and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD 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 the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no life in them.

 

This text is certainly not hard to be understood, so far as what took place is concerned. However, there have been many, and various, interpretations thereof. Ezekiel tells us that the LORD commanded him to prophesy upon these bones, and declare to them that the LORD would bring them together, cover them with sinews, flesh, and skin, and put breath in them so that they would live. Then he prophesied to the bones as the LORD had commanded him, and a great miracle took place. First the bones, with some noise, came together in their proper locations, the sinews, flesh, and skin came upon them. But as yet there was no life in them.

 

(Verses 9 and 10) Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 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 stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

 

Thus by the power of GOD these dry bones were made to live. There are those who will read this prophesy down to this point, lay aside all the rest of it, and attempt to teach from it the resurrection. And if this were the end of the prophesy, that might be allowable. However, as we continue on, we shall find that the LORD explains to Ezekiel the meaning of this prophesy. And His explanation of it is quite different from that.

 

(Verses 11 through 14) Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel : behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore Prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel . And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you out of your graves, and shall put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

 

Thus the LORD begins to explain this vision. These dry bones are the whole house of Israel , the living, not the dead; for the dead are not concerned about where they are, and whether their hope has perished. But these, the whole house of Israel who have been brought out of their land, and scattered through the nations, are physically alive, and are complaining about their condition. They are saying that they have been cut off from their place, their hope is lost, and so far as their ever accomplishing anything, even their bones are dried up. They consider themselves completely hopeless, as it they were dead. Certainly it is to them, and not to the physically dead that Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy. The LORD declares that He will open their graves, and bring them out, and return them to their own land. In verse 21He will explain what He means by their “graves.” When He does this for them, they will know that He is the LORD Who has both spoken and done this.

 

(Verses 15 through 19) The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take thee another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: and join them to one another into one stick; and they shall be one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.

 

From the days of Jeroboam and Rehoboam the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had been separated. But in this sign that the LORD told Ezekiel to work in the sight of the people, He shows that there is to be a time when the two kingdoms shall be made one. This is to be signified to the Jews by Ezekiel’s taking two sticks, writing upon one, “For Judah , and for the children of Israel his companions,” and writing upon the other, “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions,” and joining them together in his hand. Thus will the LORD do with the two kingdoms. He will lay hold of them, and they shall become one in His hand. We may have been witnessing the beginning of this miracle since 1948, when the present nation of Israel was established. But if so, it is only at the point of completion that compares to the description of the bones given in verse 8 of this chapter. The breath that will make them alive, as in verse 10, has not yet come into them.

 

(Verses 20 through 25) And the sticks whereon thou writest their names shall be in thy hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be 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 dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God. And David My servant shall be king over them; and they shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, 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 have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein for ever: and My servant David shall be their prince for ever.

 

As Ezekiel works this sign before the Jews, in verse 20, he is showing to them the promise of the LORD. In the following verses, the Lord God sets forth that promise in words. Verse 21 clearly tells us the meaning of the “graves” mentioned in verses12 and 13. They are the nations and countries wherein the children of Israel have been dispersed. The Lord GOD declares that He will bring them out from those places, and will “gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.” He will also put them together as one kingdom, cleanse them from all their abominations, put completely away all their idols and their detestable things so that they will never again defile themselves with such. He will set over them Hid servant David as their shepherd and king; and they shall dwell in their land with David their King for ever. Just as in many other places where the name David is used, it refers not to the son of Jesse who was king of Israel , but to Christ Jesus the Son of God, and also the son of David. This shall all take place after He shall, in the great day of battle described by Zechariah, set His feet on the Mount of Olives, and shall fight that battle against all the enemies of Israel that shall be there gathered against Jerusalem .

 

(Verses 26 and 28) 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 sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel , when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

 

This covenant of peace is that same covenant of which Jeremiah speaks in his prophecy. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) It is a covenant which, although it embraces those of today, and indeed those that lived in the days of the Apostles, who were given faith in our Lord Jesus, will also embrace the Jews after they have been gathered back from all the nations in which they have been dispersed. It is to be noted that the LORD has many times said that when He does re-gather Israel , He will settle them in their own land; and then, not before, He will give them a new heart and a new spirit, and will cleanse them from all their abominations and all their filthiness. Then will He, indeed, be their GOD, and they shall be His people. This theme holds here as well. When He does this, His sanctuary and His tabernacle shall be with them for evermore. Many seem to think that “tabernacle” always means a temporary dwelling place, and usually a tent, simply because the tabernacle the LORD had the Israelites to make for the place to worship Him as they traveled through the wilderness was a tent. But His tabernacle is His place of abode, even if there is not so much as a tent there. And in this instance He tells us that there He will dwell with them for evermore.

 


Chapter 38


(Verses 1 through 7) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn thee back, and put hooks in thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands; and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

 

This chapter, together with Chapter 39, tells us about a great battle that shall involve all the land of Israel after the LORD has gathered the Israelites back into their land. This is a battle that the LORD has purposed to bring to pass, not to punish or destroy Israel , but to punish all her enemies at one time. Accordingly, He calls upon Ezekiel to prophesy against these enemies. The land of Magog is the area that has for a long time been known as Russia . We are given the names of two of its cities that identify it to us. The city of Meshech is the city now known as Moscow , and Tubal is the present day Tobolsk. So Russia is the first land against which he prophesies. The LORD declares that he is against Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. He does not leave Gog any option as to whether or not he will enter into this battle. For He says, “And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.” So they have no choice in the matter. He then names three more nations that will be with them, Persia , Ethiopia , and Libya , and all of them will be fully armed. He also says that Gomer and all his bands, which also is one of the northern countries will be with Gog and his army. Then He gives Gog a charge. He is to prepare himself to be a guard for all this multitude that he will bring with him. As we shall later see, his being a guard unto them will be of little avail.

 

(Verses 8 through 13) After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shall ascend and cover  the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say , I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba , and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

 

The LORD declares that this shall be after many days, and in the latter years. And, according to history, it has never yet taken place. But since the LORD has purposed it, no matter how far off it is, it will come to pass at the appointed time. It can only take place after the Israelites have been brought back from the places wither they have been dispersed, and settled in their own land. Then Gog and all his bands will make the attempt to overthrow them. When all this band prepares for war, “ Sheba , Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish” will all be asking if the purpose of this great invasion is to gain great spoils from Israel . Perhaps they will wonder what in Israel could be worth such a great military effort. But the real reason for this invasion is that there the LORD shall destroy the invaders, and show to Israel , and to the world, His great power.

 

(Verses 14 through 17) Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against My people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against My land, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by My servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

 

The LORD declares that when He shall cause His people of Israel to dwell safely in their land, Gog shall know it. Then he will come up as a cloud over Israel with the purpose of destroying them. But the outcome shall be quite different from that which is expected by Gog and his company. He says that , after all, this is the same Gog of whom He has had His prophets prophesy many years ago. Nothing has changed so far as His mind is concerned. God’s purpose concerning the destruction of Gog and his armies is the same as His prophets have spoken.

 

(Verses 18 through 23) And it shall come to pass at the time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel , saith the Lord GOD, that My fury shall come up in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at My presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all My mountains, saith the Lord GOD; every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

 

Thus the LORD declares that when Gog and his army shall come against Israel , He will take over the battle. He will cause a great shaking, an earthquake, that will even flatten the mountains, and He will cause such confusion among this host that they shall fight among themselves instead of directing their efforts against Israel . In addition to this, He will bring upon them a great storm that will have overflowing rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone, that will destroy them. He says, “Thus will I magnify Myself,  and sanctify Myself: and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.


Chapter 39


(Verses 1 through 7) Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn thee back, and leave but a sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and 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 bands, and the people that is 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 GOD. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. So will I make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let them pollute My holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

 

This text seems to be, primarily, a repetition of some of the things said in Chapter 38, with the addition of the declaration that the bodies of the slain of Gog’s army will be left for the ravenous birds and the beasts of the field to consume. The LORD will also send upon the land of Gog , and upon the islands, a fire that shall be so great that they will know that He is the LORD, the Holy One in Israel .

 

(Verses 8 through 16) Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: so they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east side of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of 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 the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. And passengers that pass through the land, 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 also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

 

When the LORD says, “Behold, it is come, and it is done,” He does not mean that all of this that He has said is over, so far as its coming to pass is concerned, but that it is established so that it cannot fail, and it will come to pass at the time appointed. He has declared the day of its coming to pass, and at that time there will be no delay, and nothing that can hinder it. He tells us that after that great battle, it will take seven years to burn all the weapons that shall be left on the battlefield. Although He names weapons with people of Ezekiel’s day were well acquainted, the actual weapons that will be used may actually be ultra modern ones. Nevertheless they will be sufficient for the fires ( or to power the economy) for seven years before there will be any need for additional fuel. Thus by using the materials left by the attackers, they will be robbing those who had come to rob them. And all that Gog and his army will get out of their efforts will be a place for graves in which they will be buried. It will be in the “valley of the passengers (travelers) on the east of the sea. It shall have such a foul smell that it will stop the noses of the travelers in the area. This is where Gog and his multitude shall be buried. And the valley will be called The valley of Hamon-gog . For a space of seven months, everyone will take part in burying those dead. After this certain ones will be appointed to do the burying, and every one who finds a man’s bone shall set up a marker by it, that those who are burying the dead may find and bury it. Thus will they cleanse the land.

 

(Verses 17 through 22) And , thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, 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. Thus ye shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. And I will set My glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see My judgment that I have executed, and My hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward.

 

This is very similar to the invitation given in Revelation 19:17-18. The principal difference is that in that only the fowls of the heaven were called, while here both the fowls of heaven and the beasts of the field are invited. The food supplies of both feasts are the same.. When all this is over, the heathen shall see the Judgments the LORD has executed upon them, and the house of Israel shall from that day forward know that He is the LORD their God.

 

(Verses 23 through 29) And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against Me, therefore I hid My face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid My face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for My holy name; after that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against Me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, Which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left 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 GOD.

 

This is the summary of the matter that has been discussed from the beginning of Chapter 37 to the present point. The LORD has promised that He will call forth the whole house of Israel from the many countries in which they have been scattered, and, effectively, buried. Then He will call the enemies of Israel to come against her with all their forces. Then He will take up the battle, and fight for Israel against all her enemies. Thus shall she be delivered from all her enemies, and brought to repentance for all her transgressions, and cleansed from all her iniquities. Then shall the children of Israel know that the LORD is indeed their God for ever more, and that He has left none of them in the captivities wherein they had been held. Neither will He ever hide His face from them again, “’For I have poured out My Spirit upon the house of Israel ,’ saith the Lord GOD.”

 


Chapter 40, 41 and 42


The first four verses of Chapter 40 tell us, “In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel , and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. And He brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee: for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.”

 

This sets the stage for Ezekiel to observe this man as he shows to Ezekiel a building which, according to its description, is, without doubt, a temple; and its setting is, of course, in Jerusalem . But nothing is ever said about when this temple is to be built. Many learned men have presented their ideas of when it will be, and many of them have divergent views of the timing. Some even say that it is not ever to be built as a physical building, but is to be spiritualized, and considered as the gospel church. And there is no real evidence given in its description that all can agree upon as definitive. So we will not get into that argument, although a few things about it seem to indicate that it may be, not a physical building, but a sign to represent the perfection of the relationship between the LORD and His people after He has brought Israel back from all the nations wherein they have been scattered, and has given them a new heart and a new spirit, as he has promised them. It must be of some great significance to the house of Israel , for Ezekiel was to declare every thing that he saw to them. From this point forward to Chapter 42, verse 13, nothing is given except the description of this building, including the measurements of the various portions of it. As can easily be seen, this building‘s dimensions and description will not fit any temple that has yet been built in Jerusalem, and as we continue through the account, we shall find that there are some differences between the activities that are to be carried on in it and those that were done in the temples before it. So, as we have mentioned, it may be simply for a representation of the LORD’S dealing with His people after He has brought them back from the dispersion and established them in Israel . I do not set this forth as a hard and fast fact, but only as a possibility. As said above, this building is never called a temple, but a house. Thus it may represent, not the temple of the LORD, but the “House of the LORD,” in the same sense as “the house of Israel ” is all the Israelites.

 

At this point, the man told Ezekiel, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy. When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.” At this point the man quit measuring the inside of the building and the things therein, and led Ezekiel out through the gate (door) that faced the east. Then he began measuring the things pertaining to the court. This continues through the remainder of this chapter.


Chapter 43


(Verses 1 through 6) 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 a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory. And it was according to the appearance of 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 the LORD came into the house by way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

 

The principal item of interest in this text is the glory of the LORD. Ezekiel tells us that it came from the east, and as it did he heard the voice of the LORD sounding as the voice of many waters. Ezekiel tells us that at this time the glory of the LORD appeared just as he had seen it before, which he has already described to us. And it had the same effect upon him that it formerly had. He fell upon his face. At this point the glory of the LORD went into the house by way of the gate that faced the east. Then the Spirit lifted him up, and brought him into the inner court, while the glory of the LORD filled the house. Then, while the man stood by him, he heard the LORD speaking to him from within the house.

 

(Verses 7 through 9) And He said unto me, Son of man, 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 My holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. In their setting of their thresholds by My thresholds, and their posts by My posts, and the wall between Me and them, they have even defiled My holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in Mine anger. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

 

It appears from this, that this house, whenever it is built, or even whether it shall ever be built as a physical house, or temple, represents the fact that there will be a time when Israel shall never more defile the temple of the LORD, but will be cleansed from all their abominations and filthiness, and will worship and honor the LORD only. And He will dwell among them for ever. He declares that He has consumed them in His anger. So it is now time for them to turn away from all their iniquities. In verse 9, He says, “Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever.” This is the follow-up all that He has said from the beginning of Chapter 36 to the present text.

 

(Verses 10 through 12) Thou son of man, shew 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, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances 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 is to show to the house of Israel all this that he has seen concerning the “house,” or temple, and have them measure the pattern. That is, they are to measure their actions according to that which has been shown to him, concerning all the fashion of the house, “and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the laws thereof. They are to “keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. Then the LORD tells him “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. This is the law of the house.” This is unlike any temple that has been built before this in that, the only part of the former ones that was designated most holy was that portion behind the vail, whereas even the whole mountain top around this temple is most holy. And this is the law of the house.

 

(Verses 13 through 17) And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits:: the cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar. And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle (seat) shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit. So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns. And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four corners thereof. And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

 

Since this is only the description and dimensions of the altar, there seems to be no need of comment concerning it. The dimensions are clearly given, and steps to the altar face toward the east.

 

(Verses 18 through 22) And 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. And they shall give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto Me, to minister unto Me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering. And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it. Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary. And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.

 

Thus the LORD gives Ezekiel instructions for cleansing and purging the altar when it shall be built. He gives explicit details for making all the offerings required for this ritual. He declares them to be the “ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it.” That is these are the rules that must be followed. And they are clear enough to allow no misunderstanding of them. It is a matter of which we take note, that He almost always speaks of this building as a ”house,” not as a “temple.” But we never find the LORD giving any explanation of this: so we will have to let it stand only as He has said it.

 

(Verses 23 through 27) 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 offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD. 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 purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves. And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.

 

The LORD gives further instructions for the offerings that are to be offered to further purge and purify the altar. All of this will take seven days; and after this, and from that time forward the priests will offer the burnt offerings and peace offerings of the people of Israel as they bring them to be offered, and the LORD will accept the people and their offerings.

 


Chapter 44


(Verses 1 through 3) Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the Prince; the Prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD: he shall enter by way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the same.

 

Just as the description of this house does not match that of any temple that has ever been built unto the LORD, so shall we find ordinances concerning its use that are different from those given by the LORD for the use of former temples. One of them is that since the LORD, the God of Israel has entered through the eastern gate, that gate shall be shut, and shall so remain that no man shall enter therein. Yet it shall be for the Prince, or King, Who, no doubt, is none other that our Lord Christ Jesus. This seems to point us to the days described by Zechariah in his prophecy, (Zechariah 14:16) “And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and keep the feast of tabernacles.” This Prince shall sit in that gate to eat bread before the LORD. He shall both enter in and go out by the porch of this gate.

 

(Verses 4 through 8) Then brought he me 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. And the LORD 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 the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, in that ye have brought into My sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to pollute it, even My house, when ye offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have not kept the charge of Mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves.

 

Evidently the north gate of the house was open; and when the man brought Ezekiel there, he could see into the house. As he looked, he saw that the house of the LORD was filled with the glory of the LORD, which he has previously described to us. At this time, it had the same effect upon him that has previously been the case. He fell upon his face. At this point the LORD spoke to him, and told him to very carefully look at, and listen to all that would be presented to him. The LORD was going to give him some very important instructions concerning the laws and ordinances of His house. When the LORD speaks of the house of Israel as “the rebellious,” He is speaking of them as they were at that time, and not as they will be when this house shall be established. Ezekiel is to tell them to ”let this suffice of all your abominations,” that is, “You have wrought your abominations long enough: now it is time to forsake them.” Then he is to recount some of these abominations to the house of Israel . They have brought strangers that were uncircumcised in both the heart and the flesh into the sanctuary of the LORD, thus polluting it, even while offerings were being made; and because of these abominations they have broken His covenant. They have not even kept the charge of His holy things; but have set keepers of this charge for themselves. That is, they have disregarded the instructions of the LORD as to whom they should set in such a position, and followed their own minds in doing this, all of which is also an abomination.

 

(Verses 9 through 14) Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into My sanctuary, or any stranger that is among the children of Israel . And the Levites that are gone away from Me, when Israel went astray, which went astray from Me after their idols, they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the house, and ministering to 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 caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted Mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near unto Me, to do the office of a priest unto Me, nor to come near to any of My holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

 

The LORD declares that no stranger, and no person uncircumcised in the heart, or uncircumcised in the flesh, shall enter into His sanctuary. Not only so, but even the priests that turned away from Him, although they are the descendants of Levi, will not be permitted to perform any priestly duty wherein they would approach unto Him. They will be allowed to slay the sacrifices and offerings, and minister to the people. But because they ministered to the people before their idols, and thus led them astray, they shall no more come near unto Him or His holy things in the most holy place. All they can do is that which is set forth in verse 14.”But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.”

 

(Verses 15 and 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, saith the Lord GOD: they shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge.

 

Although the priests who “went away” from the LORD will not be permitted any more to approach unto Him in their ministering, the sons of Zadok who were faithful, even during the time of Israel’s idolatries, shall enter into the sanctuary of the LORD, and shall be permitted to exercise all their priestly functions, and stand before the LORD as before.

 

(Verses 17 through 22) And it shall come to pass, 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, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen bonnets 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 utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments. Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that has been put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel , or a widow that had a priest before.

 

Here the LORD gives Ezekiel instructions concerning the priests; what they shall wear while ministering to Him in the inner court, as well as how they are to dress when they go out into the outer court into the presence of the people. He tells how they shall cut their hair, and commands then to not drink wine, when they enter into the inner court; and finally what sort of women they can, and can not, marry.

 

(Verses 23 through 26) And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge according to My judgments: and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all Mine assemblies; and they shall hallow My sabbaths. And they shall come at 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.

 

.The priests are to teach the people the difference between the things that are holy, and those that are profane. The word, “profane,” as here used, does not carry exactly the same meaning as we usually associate with it, but simply means “common.” The priests shall be the arbiters in judgment of any controversy; and they shall judge according to God’s judgment. They shall keep His laws and statutes in all His assemblies, and they shall keep His sabbaths holy. There are only special cases in which they may come near to a dead person: for touching one who is dead will defile them. They are permitted to thus defile themselves in the case of the death of their father, mother, son, daughter, or brother, and a sister who has never been married, but no other. In the event of their defilement by touching one of these, they must go through the ritual that has already been established for their cleansing. .

 

(Verses 27 through 31) And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD. And it shall be unto them an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel : I am their possession. They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering: and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations shall be the priest’s: ye shall give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest on thine house. The priests shall not eat of anything that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.

 

This is primarily a repetition of the law originally given concerning the conduct of the priests, the relationship between them and the people, and the support of the priesthood by the people. As can readily be seen, there were some of the offerings of which only certain parts were to be burned as offerings to the LORD, and that which was not specified to be burned was to be given to the priest. In short, the priest’s function was to lift the people up in prayer to God, and the people were to supply the material needs of the priest. This is very similar to the answer given by the apostles to the people of the church in Acts 6:3-4. “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and the ministry of the word.” So we can thereby see that the LORD still deals with His people as He did in those days.


 

Chapter 45


(Verses 1 through 5) Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance. Ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about. Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about for the suburbs thereof. And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place. The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come to minister unto the LORD: and it shall be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary. And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.

 

It is to be noted that when Joshua divided up the land to the children of Israel after they had subdued their enemies, the only possessions allotted to the Levites were certain cities scattered among the other tribes of Israel . Here Ezekiel is told that they are to be given a certain territory, the measurements of which are very precisely given. And this area is near to the “house” that has been described in the preceding chapters.

 

(Verses 6 through 8) And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel . And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward: and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border. In the land shall be his possession in Israel : and My princes shall no more oppress My people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

 

Here the LORD instructs Ezekiel as to how the land of Israel shall be divided among the people of Israel . It is quite different from the manner in which it was originally divided. From the beginning of the chapter through this text, the measurements of different portions have been given. We have previously noted some changes from the manner in which it was originally divided. And in this text some other changes are noted. There have already been mentioned oblations unto the LORD, a certain portion for the house, and, of this a portion, a segment for the sanctuary and the most holy place, and one for the Levites. Then a portion was to be appointed for the Levites, and one for the city, which was also for the whole house of Israel , and another for the prince. When the land was originally divided unto Israel , there was no possession set aside for the prince, for they had no prince, or king. After this is done, the rest of the land shall be divided to Israel according to their tribes. The fact that the prince is mentioned in this is part of makes it seem that this is definitely looking to the time after the final restoration of Israel , when the Lord Jesus shall be the prince, or king in Jerusalem . And since this prophecy is all a follow-up of God’s declaration  concerning the dry bones in chapter 37, (Ezekiel 37:11) “Then He said unto me, ‘Son of man, these are the whole house of Israel,’” and the remainder of that chapter definitely spells out the fact that He is there referring to that time, since then only will David, that is, the greater son of David, Christ Jesus our Lord, be the king in Jerusalem, and all nations that are left in the earth shall come up to Jerusalem year by year to worship Him, there is a strong possibility that it refers to not only His people of all the tribes of Israel, but also those among the gentiles that worship Him. He now says that, then His princes shall not oppress His people any more. This does not mean that then He will have more than one Prince. But the plural is used in reference to the fact that there have been many princes, or kings, of Israel , and they have oppressed the people: but never again shall they do so.

 

(Verses 9 through 17) Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel : remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from My people, saith the Lord GOD. 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 an homer, and the ephah the tenth part ofr an 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. This is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley: concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil , ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths are an homer: and one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD. And the people of the land shall give this oblation for the house of Israel . And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.

 

Here the Lord GOD orders the princes of Israel to cease from their oppression of the people, and to their exactions from the people. They had been laying heavy taxation upon the people, much more than they could justify. And they had been dealing with false weights and measures. So the LORD tells them how their measures are to be established. He then gives them some instructions concerning how much they were to offer in their oblations to Him, and what they shall give unto their prince. He further declares that it shall be the prince’s part to furnish and prepare various offerings to make a reconciliation for the house of Israel .

 

(Verses 18 through 25) Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary: and the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. And so shalt thou do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house. 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 the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering. And 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 kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah. In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.

 

In this, the LORD gives the instructions for the offerings in the feast of the Passover, and for the feast of the seventh month which is the feast of Tabernacles. He gives very specific instructions for the observance of these feasts. There has been a great deal of argument among men concerning all of this portion of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Some hold that this shows that when Israel is re-gathered they will build a new temple to the LORD, and resume their rituals of offerings and sacrifices, while others maintain that all such sacrifices and offerings were only types of our Lord Jesus, and being fulfilled in His suffering as the Lamb of God have been forever set aside. I feel that the latter position is more in keeping with the teachings of our Saviour on the subject. And therefore it seems to me that all of this description of the “house,” the division of the land, and the order of the service and worship of the LORD set forth here, are for the greater part symbolic. Even the language used by Ezekiel in Chapter 40, verse 2 seems to indicate as much. “In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel , and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.” That is there was shown him a likeness of the layout of a city. And in this context comes all the remainder of this vision. If this be the case, then it seems that the whole of this vision is to represent how much greater will be the fellowship with the Lord, and among the saints, as well as the joy of serving Him when the eyes and hearts of His peo0ple are opened that they may receive Him as “King in Jerusalem,” as Zechariah tells us. And it will also be the joy of even the Gentiles that are left. For Zechariah tells us, in Chapter 14, verses 9 16, “And the LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one.------- And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left of all the nations which came up against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of Tabernacles. Notice should be taken that this will all come after the great day of mourning that is described in Zechariah, Chapter 12, verses 10 through 14. We have already noticed that “the Prince,” or the King, shall furnish and prepare the offerings that are to be offered unto the LORD. And does He not do that for us even today in the gospel church? So, why should we not expect Him to do as much for Israel in the day that He opens their eyes to see Him, and their hearts to receive Him? In the next chapter we shall see that the Prince shall continue to furnish and prepare offerings to the LORD.

 


Chapter 46


(Verses 1 through 8) Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offerings 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. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons. And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah. And in 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 meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand may attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah. And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof.

 

These instructions concern the burnt offerings the prince shall make on the sabbath days, and on the days of the new moons. Notice that with the bullock or with the ram that he shall offer, he is also to offer a meat offering of one ephah, and an hin of oil, but with the lambs there is no specified amount to be offered as a meat offering. He must enter into the inner court at the gate that looks to the east: and he must leave the same way. This gate shall be shut during the six working days, but opened, and left open throughout the day, on the sabbaths and the day of the new moon. However none but the prince is to go in, or out, through it.

 

(Verses 9 through 11) But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth in by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the north gate: he shall not return by way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it. And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in, and when they go forth, shall go forth. And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offerings shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

 

These instructions apply to the offerings of the people. It would seem that, since He has already given instructions for the offerings made by the prince, as well as for his manner of entrance and exit from his place of making his offering, the expression, “And the prince in the midst of them,” does not mean that the prince shall enter in with the people and exit with them. For he has already been instructed to enter in by way of the gate that faces the east, and to exit by the same, while the people are to enter by the north gate and exit by the south gate, or enter by the south gate and exit by the north. Their meat offering is to be the same as that of the prince, an ephah to a bullock or a ram, whatever they are able to give with a lamb, and a hin of oil for each ephah of the meat offering.

 

(Verses 12 through 15) Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open for him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate. Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning. And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD. Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.

 

Here he gives the law concerning any voluntary burnt offering, or peace offering that the prince may offer unto the LORD. The principal differences between these and the offerings that he is to make on the feast days and on the sabbaths is that in them the gate through which he enters and exits shall remain open all day on those days, while upon his exit after making these offerings the gate shall be shut. Then instructions are given for offering the daily burnt offering together with the meat offering that is to accompany it. In these instructions instead of saying that the meat offering with the lamb is to be “as he is able,” we are told, “And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil.” It is not so stated, but one might think from this that, with the six lambs spoken of in earlier instructions one might be expected to offer a similar meat offering.

 

(Verses 16 through 18) Thus saith the Lord GOD; if the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance. But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them. Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that My people be not scattered every man from his possession.

 

Here the LORD spells out the law concerning the prince in his relation to his sons, his servants, and the people of the land. First, if he gives a gift of a part of his possession to any of his sons, that gift shall remain in perpetuity. Second, if he gives such a gift to one of his servants, it shall be in force, only until the year of liberty, or, as it is elsewhere called, “the year of Jubilee.” Finally, he can only make such gifts of his own possessions. He cannot take away any part of the possession of the people to make such gifts. This oppression had sometimes been practiced by the kings of Israel and Judah , as they also had by kings of other nations. But here they are forbidden to do so.

 

(Verses 19 through 24) After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward. Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people. Then he brought me forth into the utter , and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in the corner of every court there was a court. In the corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure. And there was a row of building round about them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about. Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.

 

This concludes the description of the “house.” As can readily be seen, it is quite different in some respects from the actual temples that have already been built. And there has been much controversy among men as to when, or even whether, it will be built as a physical building. I have no doubt that shortly before the appearance of the “man of sin” Paul describes in II Thessalonians 2:1-10. But that temple is never described, and it will be of such short duration that it seems unlikely to be what is here described. As we have pointed out, this “house” may be more for symbolic interpretation that for literal.

 


Chapter 47


(Verses 1 through 5) Afterward he brought me again, 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 stood toward the east, and waters came down from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

 

This river that flows from “the threshold of the house eastward,” although, certainly God can bring it forth as a natural river, at whatever time He has determined that it shall be, seems to much better lend itself to a symbolic recognition. Yet some of the language in later verses seem to point to a more literal interpretation of the whole. Since the symbolic use of water in scriptures is often to represent the Spirit of the LORD, that might  seem to be what is here set forth. As the man with Ezekiel takes the various measurements, and leads him into the river as far as he can go, and then shows him that it becomes so deep that there is no passing over it, we are shown a little indication of the great power of the Spirit of the LORD by which He created the heavens, the earth, and all the fullness thereof. By the reason of His power, no man can stay the hand of God, and none can question what He does.

 

(Verses 6 through 12) And He said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at 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 out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

 

This miraculous river, though much of the language in its description seems to indicate literal interpretation, appears to be “the river of the water of life,” as described in the first two verses of the twenty-second chapter of The Revelation. And that river is in The New Jerusalem, not in this present world. Also the description of the trees that grow along the banks of this river surely is the same as that of the “tree of life” in Revelation 22:2. However, since no other description is given of such things concerning the kingdom after the destruction of the nations that gather against Jerusalem, and were destroyed by our Lord as He comes to fight the battle for Israel, This may apply to that time also.

 

(Verses 13 through 21) Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel : Joseph shall have two portions. And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up My hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad; Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran. And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus , and the north northward, and this is the north side. And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus , and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan , from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. and the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel .

 

Thus the LORD describes by its boundaries the land that Israel is to inherit when they are re-gathered, and their enemies are all subdued. About the only comments that might be needed are that; first, this land is to be divided to all the twelve tribes of Israel, including the so called “lost tribes,” as well as the tribes of Judah and Benjamin who comprised the kingdom taken into captivity by the Babylonians; and second, that the expressions, “the great sea,” and “the east sea,” refer, respectively to the Mediterranean Sea, and the Dead Sea. Otherwise the description of the land seems clear enough.

 

(Verses 22 and 23) 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, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country 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 GOD.

 

These last two verses seem to clinch the matter, and designate this to be in the day of the kingdom of our Lord with the saints in Jerusalem , after he has overthrown all the enemies of Jerusalem . There will be some Gentiles living among the Israelites in that kingdom. And at that time, there will still be procreation of the species, which, apparently is not to be the case in the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 22. In this kingdom the sojourners shall be given inheritance just as the Israelites themselves.

 

Chapter 48


As we continue in this chapter, we find exact instructions for the division of the land among the twelve tribes. There is also a portion allotted to the Prince, which was never done in the original division of the land of Canaan by Joshua, for, indeed at that time, they did not have a prince, or king; and no provision was made in the law for one. But, in the day of this kingdom, our Lord Christ Jesus will be the King in Jerusalem . So far as the description of the division of the various lots is concerned, it seems to need no comments to clear it up. It appears clear enough. There is a statement in the last verse of this chapter that seems to conclusively establish that this is the kingdom after the re-gathering of Israel ; “And the name of the city from that day shall be The LORD is there. This agrees with Zechariah 14:16-17 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

 


 


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