Ezekiel Manuscript

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Contents

A Fresh Vision of God

Ezekiel 1–3

An article appeared in Harper’s Weekly magazine way back in 1857—you would think it was written yesterday. It said this: “It is a gloomy moment in history. Not for many years has there been so much apprehension. Never has the future seemed so [uncertain].”[1]

Little did this author know that four years later, the American Civil war would break out—or that fifty-seven years later World War I would begin.

Every generation can claim this statement for themselves—“Never has the future seemed so uncertain.” That will never change until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, brings His kingdom to earth.

Today we begin our Wisdom Journey through the book of Ezekiel at a time when this same description of life is undoubtedly being expressed by the Jewish exiles who have been taken into captivity in Babylon. It is indeed a gloomy moment in history, filled with apprehension.

The fall of Jerusalem, which Jeremiah witnessed firsthand, took place in 586 BC. The Babylonians had already invaded Judah nineteen years earlier (605 BC) and taken young men back to Babylon to train them in the university system, preparing them for top-level positions in that empire. One of those young men was Daniel, who eventually became the prime minister of Babylon.

In 597 BC—just a few years after Daniel was deported—the Babylonian army returned to the land of Israel to put down a rebellion, and they took more people captive. And this time, one of those captives was a young priest by the name of Ezekiel.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ezekiel and Daniel knew each other. I would not be surprised if they compared notes as they wrote their prophecies about the future of Planet Earth.

The prophet Jeremiah’s ministry had taken place in the land of Israel. But Ezekiel’s ministry will take place in the land of Babylon. Their messages are going to be similar. In fact, Ezekiel was a little boy when Jeremiah began preaching in Jerusalem. He knew the messages of judgment and also of future restoration. And as Ezekiel arrives in Babylon, what the exiles need are those messages. But the people of God here in Babylon also need something more than that.

The famous poet Alfred Lord Tennyson lived during that time Harper’s Weekly called a day of gloom and uncertainty. As Tennyson neared death, someone asked him, “Is there anything that you need?” And his answer was, “Yes, a [fresh] vision of God.”[2] And quite frankly, beloved, that is exactly what we need today.

The opening verses of Ezekiel set the context for this book of prophecy. Ezekiel is a priest living with other exiles of Judah along the Chebar canal south of the city of Babylon. The “thirtieth year,” mentioned here in the opening verse, more than likely refers to Ezekiel’s age. In other words, he has now reached the age when a priest can officially begin his ministry (see Numbers 4:1-3). Priests were highly respected and revered among the people. That was not the case with the true prophets of God. They were categorically despised and disliked and usually ignored. Ezekiel the priest is about to be called by God to a new and very difficult ministry as a prophet.

Maybe you can identify with Ezekiel. You have been called by God to a tough assignment. You are underappreciated and undervalued and probably underpaid. You and Ezekiel are going to have a lot to talk about one day.

Now here in the fifth year of his exile, Ezekiel receives this fresh vision of God. Verse 3 says, “The word of the Lordcame to Ezekiel the priest . . . and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.”

The vision described for us through the rest of chapter 1 is really strange, to say the least! It begins in verse 4 with a hurricane wind coming from the north, and inside this great wind appear four creatures. Ezekiel writes in verse 5, “And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.” Verse 10 tells us the four faces are those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, and each one faces a different direction.

Many Bible scholars have weighed in on what these characteristics symbolize, but they do not fully agree. I am not going to settle the argument today, but what we do know is that later on in chapter 10 and verse 15, Ezekiel writes, “The cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal.”

Cherubim are a special class of holy angels created by God. Cherubim is the plural of cherub. And a cherub is not exactly a fat little baby flying around shooting people with its little bow and arrow. Cherubim are the mightiest of angels. Satan himself was created the highest ranking among the cherubim. He originally stood closest to the glory of God. In fact, when cherubim appear in Scripture, they seem to be associated with God’s presence and glory. And that is what is being emphasized here.

Ezekiel describes four wheels here in verse 15 of chapter 1—one wheel for each of the four cherubim. Each wheel has a second wheel inserted at a right angle, and this allows the wheels to move quickly in any direction. Verse 18 tells us, “The rims of all four [wheels] were full of eyes all around.”

This entire contraption is what one author called a “supernatural chariot.”[3] Upon these wheels there is the “likeness of a throne,” verse 26 tells us, and seated on the throne is “a likeness with a human appearance.” Ezekiel describes this figure surrounded by brilliant light and a beautiful rainbow.

So, what is Ezekiel seeing? I believe he is having a hard time describing the indescribable—namely, a vision of the Lord in His glory, seated upon His throne. Theologians call this a Christophany—a preincarnate appearance of the Son of God.

Ezekiel’s response is exactly what ours would be. He says here in verse 28, “And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

God then tells Ezekiel what he is to do—Ezekiel 2:3-4:

“Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.The descendants also are impudent and stubborn.”

You will notice that the Lord addresses Ezekiel here, as He does throughout the book, as “son of man.” This term will take on messianic meaning in Daniel’s prophecy, and Jesus will use it in reference to Himself; but here in Ezekiel, the phrase emphasizes human weakness. He is a son of mankind, and this is a reminder of his need to depend on the Lord.

The Lord then issues a strange command to him. Ezekiel is given a scroll, which verse 10 says is filled with words of “lamentation and mourning and woe.” Then in Ezekiel 3:1, God tells him to eat the scroll. When Ezekiel eats it, he finds it “sweet as honey” (verse 3). The symbolism here is that by eating the scroll Ezekiel is accepting God’s message.

This act also affirms that he is willing to proclaim God’s message to the people; in fact, God tells Ezekiel in verse 17 that he’s a “watchman for the house of Israel.” He is not responsible for how they respond, but he is to warn them with the word of God. 

To this day, beloved, we are to deliver the Word of God to our world. Whether people choose to listen is not our responsibility. But let’s be faithful watchmen—let’s taste the honey of God’s Word; let’s remember this vision of God in His glorious splendor as we serve our soon-coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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The Doomsday Message

Ezekiel 4–7

It seems like every other day another doomsday report gets headlines or is featured in some documentary online. Sensational news generates a lot of clicks and keeps cable news afloat.

Well, as we arrive at Ezekiel chapter 4, Ezekiel is not making up some kind of doomsday announcement to scare his nation; he is simply telling them the truth.

He is preaching to the exiled Jewish people living in Babylon; they think Jerusalem will never be completely destroyed and they are going to return home in the near future. And that is because they do not want to admit that their exile is God’s judgment on them for their idolatry.

So here in chapter 4, the Lord tells Ezekiel to preach some sermons that will show them Jerusalem is not their hope – He is. These are what you could call silent sermons because it is not what Ezekiel says but what he does that delivers the message.

First, the Lord tells him in verse 1, “Take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem.” In other words, the brick represents Jerusalem. Ezekiel is told to construct tiny model ladders and battering rams and surround the “city” with little enemy campgrounds. It looks like the prophet is playing a child’s game with construction toys and building blocks, but His object lesson is clear—Jerusalem is about to fall.

Then in verse 4 Ezekiel is told to lie down on his left side for “390 days” to represent the number of years of punishment for Israel’s tribes. And then in verse 6, he is told to lie on his right side for “forty days” to represent the number of years that Judah’s tribes will suffer. He is to do this for several hours each day, not twenty-four hours a day; we know that because he is told to get up and bake bread every day, which he does (verses 9-12). What particular periods of time these numbers refer to is unclear, but they are directly related to the extent of disobedience in both Israel and Judah.

Now if that is not strange enough—to preach a silent sermon lying down—Ezekiel is told here in chapter 5, to start shaving with a sword: 

“Take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber’s razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair. A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city . . . And a third part you shall take and strike with the sword . . . And a third part you shall scatter in the wind.” (verses 1-2)

The Lord effectively lets the exiles hear what He’s telling the people remaining in Judea in verse 12:

“A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.”

I have heard a lot of doomsday messages in my day, but nothing like this one. Judah’s idolatry and immorality (represented by Jerusalem) are going to be judged through famine, disease, and bloodshed. The exiles living in Babylon will not have a city to return to.

Now here in chapter 6, the Lord gives Ezekiel a message to be spoken. He is to be like a watchman crying out from his post on the city wall, warning of the coming judgment of God because of idolatry. The Lord speaks to the exiles through Ezekiel about those who remain rebellious in Jerusalem in verse 3:

“I will destroy your high places.Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols.” (verses 3-4)

The warning for the exiles is to move them towardrepentance. But to both audiences it also includes an invitation to repent. He says here in verse 9, “They (the repentant ones) will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations.” In other words, some of them will repent and turn back to God.

Now if you think the Lord just wants to punish people for idolatry—make them suffer for choosing immorality—then you have missed His ultimate goal.

Over and over again, the Lord makes it known that He wants His people to follow Him—to know that He alone is their faithful God and Lord of the universe. Back in verse 7, we read, “You shall know that I am the Lord.” Likewise, verse 10 says, “And they shall know that I am the Lord.” And verse 13 adds, “And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

This valley of suffering will lead the repentant to a fresh vision of God’s sovereignty. So, here in chapter 7, Ezekiel is delivering the horrific details of famine and cannibalism and murder and betrayal. This is some doomsday message, but it isn’t designed to create chaos but to awaken the whole nation and turn them to the Lord.

Ezekiel says here in verses 6-8:

“The end has come . . . your doom has come to you . . . the day is near . . . I will soon pour out my wrath upon you . . . and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations.”

Doomsday is coming for Jerusalem, but don’t miss the ultimate reason for it all: “Then you [exiles] will know that I am the Lord” (verse 9).

God’s judgment reveals who He is. He is not just a God of love; He is also a God of justice and holiness, and He will judge sin. Listen, when we understand who He is, we can run to Him for mercy and forgiveness and say, “I believe that You are the Lord.”

Unfortunately, almost all the exiles are scoffing at Ezekiel. They think he is a bit out of his mind—just a wacky doomsday prophet. But his doomsday message will come to pass. The exiles will have no city to which they can return.

Beloved, the exiles who are defying God and hoping in Jerusalem’s survival are effectively putting their hope in the Titanic. But the Titanic is heading for a collision. The priests and elders and leaders who are urging them to hope in Jerusalem’s survival are actually keeping the exiles from seeing their need to repent.

And in the end, when Jerusalem falls, God says in verse 27, “They shall know that I am the Lord.” Only then will repentance be possible.

Now what does this doomsday message say to us today? Well, for one thing, let’s remember that the kingdoms of this world are temporary. It doesn’t matter how powerful the nation is or how big the ship is; this world is like the Titanic, and the human race onboard is heading toward a final accounting before God.

This chapter from Israel’s history should remind you that since God is the Lord of the universe, He can judge you, but He can also justify you—redeem and forgive you through Jesus Christ His Son. You can defy Him and be judged one day, or you can believe His gospel and follow His Son as your Lord and Savior.

I like to think of it this way: God is navigating human history into the harbor of His sovereign will. So, when you meet Him, will you face judgment or experience joy, having given your life to His son, the Lord Jesus Christ?

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Let me invite you today to declare that He is the Lord—He is your Lord.

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Tragedy in the Temple

Ezekiel 8–11

Martin Luther, the Reformer, once wrote, “Anything you give your heart to and put your trust in is really your God.”[4]

Now the average person on the street is not going to view himself as an idol worshiper, or an idolater. But if money or pleasure or a career or a hobby takes precedence over his worshiping the Lord either privately or on the Lord’s Day, he might very well qualify as an idolater.

I know that is pretty strong language, but hang on—don’t turn the channel—let me actually add to the challenge. It is possible to be involved in religious activities but have nothing to do with God. The Lord through Ezekiel will show the exiles why Jerusalem must be destroyed and just how foolish it is to trust in Jerusalem, and not Himself. Remember the Lord is moving the exiles to repentance.

In chapters 8 through 11, Ezekiel is given a vision, The Lord appears as a brilliant man-like figure who transports Ezekiel back to the city of Jerusalem. In fact, this vision sweeps him into the inner court of the temple there in Jerusalem, where Ezekiel 8:3 says the prophet sees “the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.” This image of jealousy was an idol—more than likely the image of the goddess Asherah (see 2 Kings 21:7), supposedly the mistress of Baal.

Now verse 4 says Ezekiel also sees “the glory of the God of Israel.” This is the physical manifestation of the Lord’s presence, appearing here as a bright cloud.

So, obviously there is a problem: the glory of God is not going to share space in the temple with an idol. And to make matters worse, verse 10 tells us Ezekiel sees “engraved on the wall all around . . . every form of creeping things.” Tragically, the people are worshiping animals instead of the Creator.

And that isn’t all. Verse 11 tells us that seventy men are burning incense in honor of these animals; and verse 16 adds that outside in the courtyard there “were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun.” They have effectively turned the temple grounds into a circus of idolatry.

With this vision before His prophet, the Lord says in verse 18, “Therefore I will act in wrath.” Divine judgment is coming. And the Lord begins to spell it out here in chapter 9.

The Lord says in verse 1, “Bring near the executioners of the city.” Six men appear with weapons, along with a seventh dressed in linen, who, according to verse 2, has “a writing case at his waist.”

This seventh man goes through Jerusalem, marking the foreheads, verse 4 says, of those “who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in [the city].” These are the faithful followers of the Lord who remain in the city; they will be spared.

Ezekiel is devastated by what he sees, of course, but the Lord reminds him, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. . . . I will bring their deeds upon their heads” (verses 9-10).

God is not going to share His glory with an idol.

Now in the midst of this vision, verse 3 tells us, “The glory of the God of Israel had gone up . . . to the threshold of the house.” This glory cloud that represents the presence of God is now moving toward the entrance of the temple building. God is effectively leaving, and chapter 10 records the departure. Here in verse 1, the cherubim reappear. The cherubim, remember, are those mighty angels who are associated with God’s presence and glory.

Verse 18 tells us, “The glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.” The cherubim’s rather strange-looking “chariot” of wheels is now transporting the Lord, as it were, to the east gate of the temple. He is symbolically departing from Jerusalem. This is a sad day, a very tragic moment in the history of Israel.

The Lord had warned Moses hundreds of years earlier (Deuteronomy 31) that there would come a time when the people of Israel would forsake Him for other gods. Well, that tragic time has come. They have abandoned God—they are worshiping mother earth and the eagle and the river and the planets—and now God abandons them to the consequences of their idolatry.

In chapter 11, Ezekiel prophesies judgment against the twenty-five “princes,” or leaders of Judah. Verse 2 describes these political leaders as “the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city.”

They will receive even stricter judgment from God for their immoral and ungodly influence over their city. This is a timeless truth to this day: political leaders will stand before God to answer, not only for their term in office, which they might have used to defy God, but more importantly, for the influence they had in leading people away from God. If you are a judge, a school board member, a civic leader, or business leader, if you’re a professor, or pastor, or teacher, as far as God is concerned, your influence will invite an inspection from God Himself.

The apostle James gives this warning in James chapter 3 and verse 1:

Not many of you should become teachers . . . for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1)

Greater influence invites greater inspection.

And frankly, that is Ezekiel’s message to these false teachers and false religious leaders here in verse 6: “You have multiplied your slain in this city and have filled its streets with the slain.” In verse 11 he says, “I will judge you.” And the end result? Verse 12: “You shall know [you will find out one day] that I am the Lord.”

Now, as we have seen so often in the Bible, in the midst of these prophetic judgments, the Lord gives a ray of hope. In verses 14 to 20, with repentance for the exiles as His goal, God promises to protect the exiles where they are settled in Babylon—and He promises a future return to the promised land.

God also promises a spiritual awakening. This prophecy looks far into the future to the coming reign of Jesus Christ on earth, when God’s chosen people Israel—the entire nation—turns to their Messiah. Listen to this promise from the Lord:

I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (verses 19-20)

This is the fulfillment of the new covenant Jeremiah spoke of (Jeremiah 31:31-34), and Ezekiel will speak of it again in chapter 36. One day the nation will turn to the Lord, and the one they crucified will become the King they crown at His second coming.

Ezekiel’s vision then reveals the glory of the Lord ascending from Jerusalem and, notice, specifically from the Mount of Olives “on the east side of the city” (verse 23)

We are told in the Bible that Jesus Christ will one day return. And where will He arrive? Right here, on the Mount of Olives. To this same place where God’s glory ascended, Jesus Christ, our glorious God and Savior, will descend one day. He will touch down on this same spot—on the Mount of Olives.

The question is, will you be with Him when He comes back in that future day? Will you be with Him, descending from heaven to set up His kingdom on earth? You will be, if you make Him your Messiah—your Lord—today.

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The Truth Is Told[5]

Ezekiel 12–14

Some people just can’t stand the reality of the truth—especially if the truth is bad news. Take, for instance, the husband who came home from work after a very long and difficult day. He said to his wife, “Honey, I’ve had nothing but bad news at the office all day today. If there’s one thing I don’t want to hear, it’s more bad news.” She said, “Well, in that case, you’ll be glad to know that three out of our four children didn’t break their arm at school today.”[6]

As we arrive at Ezekiel chapter 12, the prophet is surrounded by exiles who do not want to hear any bad news. They are in for a rude awakening.

The problem is basically this: both the Israelites who are still back in Judah and the exiles already in Babylon are refusing to listen to God’s true prophets. Jeremiah is preaching in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel is preaching to the exiles in Babylon, but the people will not listen. Those in Judah are convinced Jerusalem will never fall. Those in captivity in Babylon are convinced they will be returning home any day now.

They are all simply refusing to hear any bad news about the coming judgment of God. Ultimately, of course, the people do not listen to the Lord because they do not really know Him. They have abandoned Him and are trying to ignore Him.

What God is going to bring on them, as described in these next chapters, will make something so clear to them that it cannot be ignored any longer. Eight times in chapters 12 through 14, they are going to hear some version of this statement: “They shall know that I am the Lord.”

Once again, the Lord tells Ezekiel to reinforce his previous prophecies to the exiles of coming judgment on Jerusalem by using object lessons. Here in chapter 12, we see the captivity depicted.

The Lord says to Ezekiel in verse 3:

“Prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.”

The prophet is to act out the part of one going into exile. According to verse 5, he is to dig through the wall of his house in desperation and go out at night carrying in a bag only what is essential. This is all to be done publicly so the people can see him doing this and understand the meaning.

In case they don’t get it, the Lord tells Ezekiel in verse 11 to spell it out for them by saying, “As I have done, so shall it be done to the people in Jerusalem. They shall go into exile, into captivity.”In verse 12, the Lord adds, “The prince who is among them shall . . . go out.” This is the king of Judah, Zedekiah, of whom the Lord says, “I will bring him to Babylon . . . yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there” (verse 13). 

This fascinating prophecy will be fulfilled when King Zedekiah is taken captive and blinded before being taken to Babylon (2 Kings 25:6-7). He is taken to Babylon, but he does not see it. 

In verse 22 the Lord mentions a popular proverb among the exiles: “The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing.” In other words, they have decided that nothing will come of these prophecies from Ezekiel. The delay in fulfillment has led them to think they can ignore Ezekiel’s warning. This is false hope. They are just like the people of Noah’s day who took the absence of rain all those years as reason to ignore Noah’s warning. 

God replies in verse 28: “None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed.” Judgment and captivity is just around the corner for Jerusalem. 

Next, Ezekiel takes on the false prophets. They have been telling the people in exile to keep their suitcases packed because they are about to head home. So here in chapter 13, we see the false prophets discredited.

The Lord says here in verse 3, “Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” And then in verse 6, “They have seen false visions and lying divinations. . . . The Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.”

Some things never change. In Ezekiel’s time, in Jesus’ time, in our time, there are plenty of people who pretend to have a message from God. And it is nothing more than deception. Their so-called prophecies are intended to increase their power over people or their personal bank account.

I read the other day about a preacher who wanted his congregation to give him gifts of $52. He called them favor seeds. He suggested that everybody who gave him $52 would be rewarded by God with a breakthrough favor within 52 days or 52 weeks. What he wanted was the money to upgrade the blades on his helicopter, which was going to cost him $50,000.[7]

This man’s $52 promise did not have anything to do with prophecy. It had everything to do with the greed of a false prophet.

These false prophets in Babylon were doing the same thing. They were not updating helicopters, but they were deceiving their followers.

And they were not the only ones, either. In chapter 14, we find that the elders are misleading the exiles as well.

These elders come to Ezekiel, supposedly to ask him for advice. But God is not impressed, because he knows them. In verse 3, He says to Ezekiel, “These men have taken their idols into their hearts.” They were respectable outwardly but rebellious inwardly. God says to them, through Ezekiel, in verse 6. “Repent and turn away from your idols.”

Listen, you might not want bad news. You might only want to hear somebody tell you, “You’re okay. You can go chase those idols and pleasures and promises of the world. Don’t worry; you’ll be fine.” The truth is that those who speak such words are false prophets, and their false promises will lead you astray.

And so, Ezekiel chapter 14 ends where chapter 12 began—with the certainty of coming judgment on Jerusalem. Here we see Judah’s hopes dashed.

The Lord says in verse 21 that He has determined to send upon Judah “four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence.” Whether the people of Judah want to hear the bad news or not, Jerusalem is going to fall. So, are they without hope? Oh no, there is always hope for those who will repent of their sin and follow the Lord. There will, indeed, be a remnant of people who turn to Him in faith.

I have talked to many people over the years who do not want to hear the bad news of the gospel. They don’t want to be told that the Bible says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). I have had people just walk away after hearing that. I have had people say that is not the God they would ever believe in. They just will not listen to bad news.

But for those who will accept the bad news that they are sinners, there is hope. It is not in a delusion, not in blind optimism, but in believing the gospel, the good news of Christ, and placing their hope and trust in the one who has promised to save them.

How about you? You need to believe the bad news today—that sin will be judged by God. You need to believe the good news—that sinners can be saved from the judgment of God by placing their lives in the hands of Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.

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Powerful Parables[8]

Ezekiel 15–17

I can still remember that afternoon my father came home with a most unusual gift. A boat had docked there in Norfolk, Virginia, where my parents served as missionaries to the military. My father had been given a stalk of bananas. I had never seen anything like it; it was probably three to four feet tall. My father hung it downstairs in the basement of our home where it was cool and told me to leave it be until later on.

One of my childhood friends, another missionary kid, came over that afternoon, and I showed him the stalk hanging from a pole my father had rigged up in the basement. We decided it would be okay to eat one of them—and then another, and then another. But what should we do with the peels now, so we wouldn’t get caught? We dropped them behind the old piano down there in the basement where I spent many hours practicing. No one would ever know.

Many years later, when my parents moved, they were puzzled by all those dried-up banana peels they found behind the piano. I was grown and married by then, but I immediately remembered and told them what had happened. My mother remembered something too. She said, “Well, that explains it. I always wondered why that night after supper, even though you loved banana pudding, you didn’t want any dessert—not one bite.”

Well, sin has a way of finally being exposed. The Bible says, “[You can] be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

The people of Israel were a privileged people. God had provided for them a fruitful land and the blessing of His presence and protection. But their privileges did not mean they could sin without being held accountable. One author put it this way: “Privilege brings responsibility, and responsibility brings accountability.”[9]

Now in chapters 15 to 17 the Lord is hammering home the truth that Jerusalem will fall, the people of Judah will go into exile, and the hope the exiles in Babylon were putting in Jerusalem’s survival, will be dashed. The banana peels, so to speak, have been discovered.

God makes His point by giving the prophet Ezekiel three parables to preach to the people. First, is what we’ll call the parable ofthe worthless vine in chapter 15.

It erases any thought that the Lord is going to withhold judgment on Judah and Jerusalem just because they are His people. In verse 2 the Lord asks, “How does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?” The answer is obvious—it doesn’t. A vine is not nearly as valuable as other wood. You can’t build furniture or a house with little, spindly vines. A vine is good only for producing fruit—and a vine that is not producing fruit is used for fueling the fire.

So far, the people still living in Judah have escaped the fire twice, when the Babylonians came and took a number of captives in 605 BC and then again in 597. But they will not escape the Babylonians’ third invasion. Jerusalem and the temple will be burned to the ground. The people have not produced spiritual fruit, so to speak, so the Lord says, “The fire shall yet consume them … And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly” (verses 7-8).

If anybody is thinking this is a little harsh, the extent of their sin is described in the parable ofthe unfaithful wife in Ezekiel 16. Here the Lord pictures Jerusalem—that is, the people of the city—as a woman. She started out as an unwanted baby girl whom God rescued, cared for, and raised (verses 3-7). In verse 8 the Lord speaks:

“When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you . . . I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you . . . and you became mine.”

This is the picture of a marriage covenant. God was like a husband to the Jewish nation.

But now there’s a sudden shift at verse 15, where we read these sad words: “But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown.” She turned her back on the Lord and went after other gods like an unfaithful wife going after other men.

She built pagan shrines to other gods (verse 16); she made idols and presented offerings to them (verses 17-19). She even sacrificed children to these false gods (verses 20-21). Furthermore, she sought protection from other nations, instead of from God (verses 26-30).

All this describes what actually happened through the centuries. Despite the appeals of God’s true prophets, Jerusalem fell deeper and deeper into idolatry. He delivers this stinging rebuke in verse 52 that Jerusalem’s spiritual unfaithfulness made the sexual immorality of Samaria and Sodom look righteous.

That’s like someone saying to you, “Your life is so wicked, you make Adolph Hitler look good!” This is a shocking condemnation of Jerusalem’s spiritual unfaithfulness and sexual immorality.

Now as bad as it was—and as sinful as they were—the final verses of this chapter present a promise of future restoration. This promise looks ahead to the future millennial reign of Christ, when THE repentant NATION AND Jerusalem will be restored, and the Lord will establish an “everlasting covenant” with His people, according to verse 60.

For the present day, however, Ezekiel goes back to his parables of God’s imminent judgment upon Jerusalem. This third parable, in chapter 17, is what we’ll call the parable ofthe two eagles.

In this parable given to Ezekiel, a great eagle removes the top of a cedar tree and takes it to a thriving city and plants it there. It then takes some seed and plants it in a place where it grows into a healthy vine. At this point another eagle appears, and it is drawn to the vine, which wants to be watered by this second eagle.

This parable is called a riddle in verse 2, and it certainly is hard to understand without some kind of explanation. And God explains it, beginning here in verse 11. The first eagle is the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. The treetop is Judah’s King Jehoiachin, who is removed and taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar replaces Jehoiachin as Judah’s king with Zedekiah. He allows Zedekiah and the remaining people in Judah to survive, so long as they pay tribute to Babylon.

The second eagle represents Egypt, to whom Zedekiah appeals for help in rebelling against Babylon. Now as Ezekiel is writing this, Zedekiah has not rebelled yet, but he will. And the Lord declares what will happen as a result: “In Babylon he [Zedekiah] shall die. Pharaoh with his mighty army . . . will not help him in war” (verses 16-17). He adds in verse 21, “His troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind.”

Now, even after delivering this tragic prophecy of judgment coming soon on Judah, there’s a message of future hope: 

Thus says the Lord God:“I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar.”(verses 22-23)

This refers to the day when Jesus Christ, the Messiah, returns to rule over all the earth.

These chapters in Ezekiel are warning us to this day not to sin against God’s word. His word always comes to pass. It might look like those banana peels will not be discovered, but they will. Confess your sins to Christ, your coming King, and live for Him today.

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Playing the Blame Game

Ezekiel 18–21

Soon after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, the game began—the blame game, that is. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed Satan. And the human race has been playing this game ever since. And we’re pretty good at it; we can blame our past, our parents, our neighborhood, our education, our leaders.

Pastors can play the game too. When the congregation is sleeping, it cannot be his fault. Someone once said, “If the congregation is sleeping, wake up the pastor.”

As we arrive at Ezekiel 18, the exiles are more interested in passing the blame than learning from history. Through a series of prophecies given to Ezekiel, God has something to say about this; and the exiles cannot miss the point because each prophecy is introduced by the words “the word of the Lord came to me.”

The first prophecy is nothing less than a call to stop playing the blame game and start taking personal responsibility. Ezekiel records God’s question here in verse 2:

“What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?”

They are accusing God of punishing them for their fathers’ sins. “Our fathers ate sour grapes, and our teeth are set on edge because of it. Our condition is their fault.” Children can certainly suffer from the effects of their parents’ sins, but God does not punish innocent people because of the sins of their ancestors.

This point is reiterated throughout chapter 18 by way of illustrations. For example, if a righteous man follows God and his son rejects God, the son will be judged for his sins. Likewise, the son of an ungodly father who follows the Lord will not be held accountable for his father’s sinful actions. Verse 20 spells it out:

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son.

Each person is personally responsible before God. And that is true to this very day. I have talked to people who think they are going to heaven because their grandfather was a preacher, or their grandmother was a godly woman.

My friend, God does not have any grandchildren. You cannot earn credit because of your grandparents or some other godly member of your family. By the same token, you are not going to be penalized because of the sins of ungodly family members either.

God is perfectly just. And Ezekiel is telling the people here that if they are suffering judgment from God, it is because of their own sins—nobody else’s (verse 30).

In chapter 19, this principle of divine justice for the Jewish leadership is the focus. The Lord delivers a rather sad poem of a lion and its two cubs. Verse 4 tells us that one little cub “was caught in their pit [trap], and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.” Well, this cub represents King Jehoahaz, who was captured and taken to Egypt.

The second cub, we are told, was captured when “they spread their net over him . . . they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon” (verses 8-9). This cub represents King Jehoiachin. He was the grandson of the godly King Josiah. But that godly heritage did not save him from suffering for his defiance of God; he was taken as a captive to the land of Babylon.

The final portion of this poem in chapter 19 pictures the current king of Judah, King Zedekiah. He is pictured as a branch on a vine that has been uprooted and transplanted “in a dry and thirsty land” (verse 13). This is a reference to his future captivity in Babylon.

Maybe you can testify from your own experience that when you are in rebellion against God, you are in a dry and thirsty land.

Ezekiel 20 carries the theme of responsibility to the national level. Ezekiel delivers a prophecy that could be entitled, “The History of Israel 101.” This is a history lesson that takes us all the way back to their captivity under Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. Although they were the descendants of godly Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and were divinely protected in Egypt through Joseph, the people of Israel turned away from the Lord.

Still, the Lord eventually delivered them from Egyptian slavery. Look at what the Lord says in verses 10-11:

“So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules.”

In other words, God gave them His law.

However, they rebelled against God in the wilderness and turned to idols, and an entire generation died there in the wilderness. Yet God was gracious to the nation. He says here in verse 17, “Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.”

The Lord then urged the next generation of Israelites to follow His law, but they too disobeyed Him, and God judged them too. But here is the point: they were judged, not for the sins of their fathers, but for their own rebellion. And then again, in His grace and for His own name’s sake, He did not destroy the nation completely.

These same sins of disobedience and idolatry followed Israel into the promised land. Now the current generation is following the same pattern. But here is the good news: any generation—any individual—can break this cycle by choosing to follow the Lord. No son has to rebel against God just because his father did. You may, in fact, be one of those people who have chosen to follow the Lord, even though your grandparents and parents rejected Him.

God, through Ezekiel, pictures a coming day when the entire nation will break the cycle and follow their Messiah. We read in verses 41-42, “I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. And you shall know that I am the Lord.” This is a glimpse into Israel’s future glory when Christ returns and reigns on earth.

Ezekiel has prophesied here concerning the responsibility of the people, the leadership, and the nation as a whole. There is no need to play the blame game; they are all responsible for their defiance against the Lord.

Chapter 20 gives us a rather quick series of prophecies that deliver the sad results of rebellion. First is the picture of a coming forest fire—verse 47:

“I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched.”

Of course, Jerusalem will eventually be burned to the ground by the armies of the empire of Babylon.

Then in chapter 21, there is the picture in verse 11 of a sword that is “sharpened and polished [and] to be given into the hand of the slayer.” This slaying warrior is the king of Babylon.

Beloved, God always deals with sin and sinners in a just manner that reflects His holy character, whether the sin involves individuals, leaders, or nations. The worst thing you can do is play the blame game and find excuses for your sin.

The best thing you can do is admit your sin and throw yourself on the mercy of God. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Get out of that dry and thirsty land of disobedience and move into the green pastures where the Lord is your faithful Shepherd.

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Bad News and More Bad News

Ezekiel 22–24

If you have ever had to deliver bad news to someone, you probably spent some anxious moments trying to decide exactly how to do it—when to deliver it, how to begin it. Imagine how difficult it would be to spend most of your life, giving people bad news. Well, in a way, that was the life and ministry of the prophet Ezekiel. We are now in chapter 22, and he is about to deliver more bad news to the exiles about his judgment of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem.

The chapter opens with God saying to Ezekiel in verse 2, “Will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations.” Ezekiel is being called here to act as prosecuting attorney or judge to bring an indictment against Jerusalem, which here represents all of Judah. Chapter 20 was the evidence presented in court, as it were, detailing the long history of Israel’s rebellion against God. But now it is the sins of this current generation that are presented as evidence; and the bad news is that they are guilty as charged.

There is a long list of sins presented in verses 3 through 12. And leading the list are bloodshed and idolatry. Because of these two sins in particular, the Lord says in verse 4, “The appointed time of your years has come. . . . I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery.” The people had violated their covenant with the Lord. As one author wrote; “Rather than loving God [they] had turned to idolatry; and [their] love for . . . fellow Israelites had been replaced by treachery.”[10]

The politicians and religious leaders have led the way. They are guilty of executing innocent people, treating parents hatefully, and taking advantage of orphans and widows. They have practiced idolatry, financial fraud, adultery, and the list goes on and on. But here’s the big one—the Lord says to them in verse 12, “But me you have forgotten.”

The evidence is overwhelming; the verdict is guilty, and the sentence is pronounced: “I will scatter you among the nations” (verse 15). Verse 21 describes God’s judgment very poetically: “I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it.” God is not only a God of deliverance; He’s also a God of justice.

To this day, the world does not want to hear this bad news. The world still chooses to sin; and it follows this same list: idolatry, immorality, fraud, bribery, cruelty, greed, and lust. They have forgotten God. And whenever a person or a nation forgets God, the restraints are gone, and everything is permissible. But the consequences are going to remain the same—a person’s life is going to self-destruct; a nation is going to self-destruct.

Now in a second prophecy, the Lord says in verse 18, “The house of Israel has become dross to me.” Here the Lord pictures a furnace into which metal ore is placed for refinement. The Israelite people are like the worthless dross, the impurities that float to the surface and are removed. Only in this case, the dross is going to be put back into the fire again.

Now as we arrive at Ezekiel chapter 23, we find the entire chapter is an allegory picturing Judah’s political “adultery.” God’s people have been seeking protection from pagan nations rather than the Lord, and this is spiritual infidelity.

Two sisters are introduced: Oholah and Oholibah. Oholah represents the city of Samaria, Israel’s capital, which has long since been conquered by Assyria. Oholibah represents Jerusalem, Judah’s capital.

These sisters are pictured as two women who enthusiastically give themselves to prostitution. Oholah lusted after the Assyrians, and verse 7 says she “defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted.” As a result, verse 10 tells us she was given over to her Assyrian lovers, who ended up killing her.

Now even though Oholibah (Judah/Jerusalem) saw what happened to her sister, she keeps on prostituting herself to these pagan nations. She invites their idolatrous practices back into Jerusalem.

So, the Lord says in verse 22, “I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you.” Down in verse 35 the Lord says to her, “Because you have forgotten me . . . you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.” And in verse 49 He says, “You shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

The Lord is saying, “You are going to find out that I didn’t go anywhere. I am still here. You might forget me, but you cannot erase me.”

Now here in chapter 24, the judgment arrives. The first verse gives the precise date the Lord’s word comes to Ezekiel:

In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day.”

On our calendar today, this would be in January of 588 BC. On this very day, the Babylonian king came up against Jerusalem.

The destruction is described poetically as a boiling pot of water with pieces of meat in it. The pot, or cauldron, represents Jerusalem. It is described as corroded or rusted. The pieces of meat represent the people, who are taken from the pot, one by one, indicating they will be removed from the city. When the pot is empty, it is then burned up. This portrays the burning of Jerusalem, which will be utterly consumed by fire.

Imagine how bad this bad news was to the people of Judah and the exiles hoping in Jerusalem’s survival as the Lord delivered this message in verse 14:

“I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged.”

This is tragically, horrifically bad news indeed.

Having given this prophecy through Ezekiel, the Lord now has an extremely painful assignment for His prophet. The Lord says to Ezekiel, “I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you” (verse 16). That is, Ezekiel’s wife is about to die! We do not know if she has been sick for some time or this will be some sudden illness, but here is the Lord’s painful assignment: He tells Ezekiel that he is not to mourn or outwardly grieve her death.

Sure enough, Ezekiel’s wife dies that evening. When the exiles ask about his strange response since there are no tears and sorrow, Ezekiel explains:

“Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary … the delight of your eyes . . . and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind [in Jerusalem] shall fall by the sword . . . and you shall do as I have done . . . You shall not mourn or weep.” (verses 21-23)

Just as Ezekiel was devastated by the loss of his wife, so the captives in Jerusalem and exiles will be devastated by Jerusalem’s destruction and the massacre of their children that follows; but they are not to mourn because the judgment from God is deserved.

These chapters are filled with bad news and more bad news. But these chapters remind us that God is holy and He will eventually judge sin. By the way, what chance do you have before a holy God? I’ll tell you—you don’t stand a chance unless you have found salvation in the Son of God who took your judgment on the cross. He died for you—paid for your sins—so you could be spared eternal judgment from God. Praise His name forever!

With that, we have come to the end of Ezekiel’s prophecies of God’s judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. The book shifts gears in the next chapter as we shall see.

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Headlines Announce the Downfall of Nations

Ezekiel 25–32

Today we arrive at chapter 25 in the book of Ezekiel. The prophecies of doom for Judah have concluded. Jerusalem is under siege and eventually will fall. But Judah is not the only nation that will meet with God’s judgment. In chapters 25–32, Ezekiel delivers the newspaper, so to speak, announcing trouble is coming on the nations surrounding Judah.

First is the nation of Ammon, east of the Jordan River. The Ammonites appear throughout the Old Testament as enemies of Israel. When Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, the Ammonites are going to throw a party, rejoicing over Jerusalem’s destruction. And because of that, God tells them in verse 4, “I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession.” The people of the east are the Babylonians. God will use them to destroy the people of Ammon for their defiance and unbelief.

Next is Moab, just south of Ammon, which will also fall to the Babylonians. The Moabites considered Judah “like all the other nations,” verse 8 says. In other words, they refused to acknowledge God’s special blessing on the Jewish people. They will suffer the same judgment as the Ammonites, handed over to “the people of the East” (verse 10).

Edom is next. This nation south of the Dead Sea will suffer defeat and desolation as well. The Edomites were descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau, and they are described in verse 12 as having “acted revengefully against the house of Judah.” Consequently, they will be judged by God.

Next, God promises destruction upon Philistia. The Philistines go back a long way in Israel’s history. Verse 15 says they acted with “malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity” God’s people. From Delilah to the giant Goliath and from Genesis all the way to the prophets, the Philistines did everything they could to destroy the Israelites. Judgment is about to finally come.

The next three chapters are devoted almost entirely to a prophecy against the city-state of Tyre. Tyre was a wealthy trade center on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel. Along with the mainland city, a fortress had been built on an island just off the coast.

This prophecy in chapter 26 came during the siege of Jerusalem. It is possible that the people of Judah had looked to Tyre for help at that time. In fact, go back to the days of King David, and you find that Israel had a friendly relationship with Tyre. But now we read in Ezekiel 26 that the city of Tyre is saying with great delight, “The gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste” (verse 2). The people of Tyre consider Jerusalem’s downfall an economic advantage to them; they just got rid of some competition out there in the business world. They could not be happier.

Chapter 27 tells us Tyre’s pride will bring about its downfall. Verse 3 records, “O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’” What a proud city. Even though they defy God and turn their back on God’s people, they think they have it all together.

But just as proud people and proud nations defy God today and boast of their military might or their financial power, Tyre is going to sink like a luxury ship. The city is going down in judgment as described by the Lord:

“You are wrecked by the seas . . .your merchandise and all your crew . . .have sunk with you.All the inhabitants of the coastlandsare appalled . . .you have come to a dreadful end.”(verses 34-36)

In chapter 28, the arrogance of Tyre’s king is mentioned in verse 2: “You have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods.’” But the Lord says, “You are but a man,” and God asks the king in verse 9, “Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’ in the presence of those who kill you?”

Now I would agree with many Bible scholars that in the next several verses the description of the king of Tyre goes beyond that of a mere man. I see this as a description of Satan; he is the evil power behind this wicked king. Various phrases here clearly refer to Satan: “You were the signet of perfection” (verse 12); “You were in Eden” (verse 13); “You were an anointed guardian cherub” (verse 14). That is exactly who Satan is—the highest cherub in the angelic order of God’s creation. He is first seen in the garden of Eden.

So, this prophecy reminds not only the world, but also the kingdom of fallen angels, that their king, their leader, Satan, is no match for the Lord.

Verses 20-24 then give a brief prophecy against Tyre’s sister city, Sidon, to its north. That city will be utterly destroyed.

The judgments upon these nations are a foretaste of future judgments that will pave the way for Israel’s regathering during the coming tribulation to dwell in their own land. I love verse 26, which prophesies, “[All Israel] will know that I am the Lord their God.”

Chapter 29 begins a series of prophecies against Egypt. Egypt was in a power struggle with Babylon over the years, and the land of Judah was between them, stuck in the middle of this tug of war.

Egypt’s pharaoh is pictured as a great dragon of the Nile, and he’s boasting in verse 3, “My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.” The Lord effectively says in verse 4, “I don’t think so! You didn’t make the Nile River. In fact, I’m going to pull you out of the Nile and give you to the wild animals for food.”

In chapter 30, we are given even greater detail of God’s judgment on Egypt. In verses 10 and 11, we read:

“I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt,by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar . . .He and his people with him . . .shall be brought in to destroy the land . . .and fill the land with the slain.”

The prophecy in chapter 31 is directed to Pharaoh, who is asked in verse 2, “Whom are you like in your greatness?” The answer is Assyria, which had been a great power and, like Egypt, was very proud. Assyria is compared to a mighty cedar of Lebanon, in verse 10 that is “proud of its height.” But mighty Assyria was cut down, just as Egypt will be.

The first eight verses in chapter 32 parallel the opening verses of chapter 29, describing Egypt’s defeat. And their defeat, verse 9 says, will “trouble the hearts of many peoples.” After all, Egypt was a great power in the ancient world. Yet, verse 12 says a multitude will fall by the sword, and the Babylonians “will bring to ruin the pride of Egypt.”

This chapter ends with a poetic description of Pharaoh and his people descending into their graves, destroyed by the Babylonians. And I would have to say, beloved, that Egypt has never regained the dominance it once had as an empire.

Now if we pull these chapters together, one overriding theme in these prophecies of judgment that stands out loud and clear is the pride of these nations—pride in themselves, pride in their defiance of God. It was pride that led them to cheer on the downfall of Judah, thinking they themselves would never fall.

Let me tell you, the human heart has not changed a bit. And so, we need to heed the Bible’s warning to this very day, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). And let us remember what James says in his New Testament letter, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble . . . humble yourselves before the Lord” (James 4:6, 10).

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The Watchman’s Warnings . . . and Promises

Ezekiel 33–35

The dark night of divine judgment presented in the first thirty-two chapters of Ezekiel is about to give way to a bright new day of divine promises. And the turning point is here at chapter 33. The focus of chapter 33 is actually on the prophet, Ezekiel. The chapter begins by restating two themes that were introduced earlier in the book.

Back in chapter 3, Ezekiel was described as a watchman for the house of Israel, on the lookout for danger. Now, here in chapter 33, God speaks to Ezekiel, reaffirming the prophet’s role as a watchman:

“You, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.” (verse 7)

With the beginning of a new era after Jerusalem’s destruction, Ezekiel must continue to present divine warnings to the people.

The second theme that is repeated is that of personal responsibility—a truth that was presented at length back in chapter 18. Each person is judged by God on the basis of his or her sin alone. The Lord says in verse 20, “I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

So, this is Ezekiel’s role, and it has not changed. He is to warn the people of their sin, remind them they are accountable to God, and call them to repentance.

The remarkable fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecies about Jerusalem are confirmed in verse 21, where Ezekiel says, “A fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, ‘The city has been struck down.’” What do you know? His prophecy came to pass—even though nobody had believed him. Jerusalem is finally destroyed.

Although his prophecies of the fall of Jerusalem were fulfilled, there are still some survivors remaining in Judah who are insisting they still have a right to the land. Apparently, they believe they have been left there to possess the land, even as they continue living like they have been living.

They are arguing that if God gave the land to Abraham—just one man—then they would surely possess it since there are many of them. They are basing their argument on God’s covenant promise to Abraham. But listen to the Lord’s rebuke in verses 25-26:

“Lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land?You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife; shall you then possess the land?”

In other words, He’s saying, “Why do you think you can enjoy God’s blessing while worshiping idols, committing adultery, and killing innocent people?”

Now we need to understand that Abraham’s descendants, in fact, will possess the land one day, according to God’s unconditional promise. But in the meantime, their removal from the land at this particular time is a result of their national defiance against God’s law (Leviticus 26:27-33).

These people who remain in the land after the fall of Jerusalem are continuing in their sinful ways, and the Lord says they are going to die in judgment. God says to them here in verse 29:

“Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.”

The Lord also has a message for Ezekiel concerning the exiles who are with him there in Babylon. He tells His prophet in verse 31, “[The people] . . . hear what you say but they will not do it.”

They will gladly hear his prophecies of comfort and hope, but the fulfillment of these prophecies is far off in the future. They are not going to personally enjoy these promises because they will continue in disobedience. However, there is coming a time, verse 33 says, when the people of Israel “will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Maybe you have been preaching or teaching God’s Word and hearts have remained hardened and closed against the truth. Who knows? Perhaps in the future, God will open the eyes and hearts of some of those people, and they will say something similar about you: “Well, what do you know? My Sunday school teacher [or pastor] was telling me the truth all along.”

In Ezekiel 34, the focus shifts from God’s prophet Ezekiel to Israel’s leaders. In verse 2, Ezekiel is told to prophesy against “the shepherds of Israel.” This refers to the nation’s leaders. Kings are primarily in view here, although the term could refer to priests and prophets as well.

Like shepherds, these leaders should have been feeding and caring for the flock of God. Instead, they were concerned with feeding themselves. That happens to this day, beloved. False teachers and leaders are not feeding the sheep; they are fleecing the sheep.

Listen to the Lord’s condemnation of them in verses 4 and 5:

“The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts.”

Because they have failed as God’s appointed shepherds of His people, the Lord declares in verse 10, “I am against the shepherds.” Then He says, “I will rescue my sheep from their mouths.”

What a tragic thing it is when sheep have to be rescued from shepherds who mistreat them and mislead them.

What follows in chapter 34 is a wonderful prophecy of Israel’s future restoration under another “Shepherd.” Listen to what the Lord promises Israel:

  • “I … will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of

Israel.” (verse 13)

  • “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep.” (verse 15)
  • “I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” (verse 16)

And that’s not all. Once Israel is reestablished in their land, the Lord says in verses 23-24:

“I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David . . . he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I . . . will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them.” 

This looks to a day yet future when Jesus Christ returns to establish His earthly kingdom for a thousand years. God’s appointed shepherd is David.

David is mentioned in other passages related to the future millennial reign of the Messiah (See Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 37:24-25; Hosea 3:5). Many interpreters believe God actually will appoint David as the prince of Jerusalem, under King Jesus. Others take “David” here as reference to Jesus, the descendant of King David.

What we do know is in this future millennial kingdom, when Christ reigns over all the earth, Israel will trust Him as their Messiah. The land of Israel will be fruitful, and the people will prosper. Verse 28 says, “They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid.”

Chapter 35 concludes this section with a focus on the enemy of Israel—specifically Edom. God’s judgment on this nation has already been announced back in chapter 25. It is reiterated here, perhaps because Edom represents all the nations that opposed Israel.

Verse 5 tells us Edom “cherished perpetual enmity” toward Israel. This involved, not only military opposition, but also “revilings . . . uttered against the mountains of Israel” (verse 12). They hated Israel and rejoiced over the destruction of Jerusalem. They will face the judgment of God, along with every other nation that has reviled Israel and her Messiah.

These prophecies have lessons for us today. They remind us to listen to God’s warnings in His Word. They also ask us this very personal question: Who is your shepherd today? That is, who are you following? Make sure it is none other than the true Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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A Change for the Better[11]

Ezekiel 36–37

Augustine, the fourth- and fifth-century church leader, once prayed, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” How true that is.

The people of Israel were restless, but they never should never have been. They were graciously chosen by God, but the nation never really rested in Him alone, by faith.

But here in chapters 36 and 37 of the book of Ezekiel, we are given a detailed prophecy of Israel’s glorious future, when all the people of God finally do rest in Him.

Chapter 36 begins with the restoration of the land. Here Ezekiel is instructed to address God’s message to the mountains of Israel, thereby emphasizing God’s promise of the land.

The Lord says in verse 5 concerning Judah’s enemies, especially Edom, “[They] gave my land to themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt.” Because they delighted in the destruction of Jerusalem, God promises that they themselves will “suffer reproach” (verse 7). Their gloating will not last for long.

Now, in contrast to the judgment awaiting these nations, the Lord says the mountains of Israel are going to prosper with renewed abundance (verse 8); the people will multiply and inhabit rebuilt cities (verse 10); and Israel will be restored to a state far superior to its former glory (verse 11). And that is because they will no longer be in rebellion against God.

At Ezekiel 36:16, the Lord’s message turns to the rebirth of the people. But first He reminds the people that their scattering and exile, while a necessary act of God’s justice, has caused His name—that is, His reputation—to be mocked among the nations. However, He is going to correct all that in this future day. The Lord gives the reason in verse 22:

“It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations.”

There is no room for pride among God’s people. His grace will be given to undeserving people. And what is the result? All nations will see his grace toward that generation of Israel and will know He is the Lord.

Verse 24 tells us God will gather His people from all the countries around the world and bring them into their own land. They are going to be awakened spiritually to believe the gospel of Christ. Listen to verses 25-27:

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.And I will put my Spirit within you.”

Sprinkling with water symbolized cleansing from defilement in the Old Testament. So, this is a promise of future cleansing from sin.

They are going to get a new heart and a new spirit. This is describing their conversion to faith in Him—this is spiritual rebirth. They will be given new life by the Holy Spirit, who will dwell within them.

What an amazing promise! There is coming a time when God will pour out His Spirit on the people of Israel, and as the apostle Paul writes, “All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

Now, this has not happened yet, but it will. When? Well, the context here is looking forward to the end of the tribulation, when Christ returns to establish His millennial kingdom on earth.

As a result of their conversion, the people of Israel will have a new relationship with God—one that is internal and personal. And even though they are graciously forgiven, the Lord says to them here in verse 31, “You will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good.” They are going to be filled with great remorse.

Verse 32 follows up with an appeal for the exiles to “be ashamed and confounded for [their] ways.” They need to repent right now. Sadly, they refuse.

This remarkable prophecy of Israel’s spiritual awakening is pictured in chapter 37 as a resurrection of the nation. This is a powerful illustration of what God is going to do in the future restoration of Israel.

In a vision, the Lord brings Ezekiel to a valley filled with human bones. They have been here for some time and have dried out. The Lord asks the prophet in verse 3, “Can these bones live?” Obviously, the answer is no. But Ezekiel answers, “O Lord God, you know,” which is a nice way of saying, “Lord, I think this is a trick question—and only You know the answer.”

God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, telling them to listen to the word of the Lord, who will give them breath and life. In other words, Ezekiel is to preach a message about the power of God to bring the dead back to life. And when Ezekiel does this, all these bones begin to rattle and shake and then come together—“bone to its bone,” verse 7 says.

“Sinews,” or tendons, along with flesh, come upon the bones as the skeletons and bodies are re-formed.

The Lord then tells Ezekiel here in verse 9 to “prophesy to the “breath . . . [saying] breathe on these slain, that they may live.” The Hebrew word for “breath” (ruach) can also mean “wind” or “spirit.” This wind or breath or spirit now arrives and breathes into these dead bodies, and they all immediately come back to life and stand up on their feet.

How is that for an amazing vision from God?

God then identifies the bones in verse 11: “These bones are the whole house of Israel.” At this moment, Ezekiel knows they are spiritually dead and dried up. In fact, the skeletal structure of their nation has decayed and is turning back to dust. All hope is lost.

You have to imagine how impossible this prophecy must have sounded to the exiles. Their homeland was devastated, Jerusalem was burned, and the temple was destroyed. For the nation to experience a “resurrection”—well, that was something only God could do.

Indeed, only God can.

The Lord then tells Ezekiel to act out a sign. He says in verses 16-17:

“Take a stick and write on it, ‘For Judah’. . . then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph . . .And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.”

The two sticks joined together symbolize the two kingdoms, Judah and Israel[12]—here called Joseph or Ephraim—united again and reestablished in their land. We read in verse 22 that they will be one nation under one king. That king is David or the greater descendant of David, the Messiah and King, Jesus.

Verse 26 adds something new that will be a prominent theme later in the book of Ezekiel—namely, that God’s sanctuary, or temple, is going to be restored.

We are still waiting on the fulfillment of these astounding prophecies. But they will be fulfilled literally when Jesus Himself descends from heaven to sit on His throne as King over the earth.

These might be troubling times today, but let me urge you to rest your heart in the promises of God. The world is right on track. The divine Shepherd is at work, moving at His pace, according to His plan, until all the nations and all the peoples of the earth will acknowledge in that day that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Where is your heart resting today? Let me encourage you to find your place of trust and rest in Him.

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Divine Intervention

Ezekiel 38–39

Around four thousand years ago the Lord promised to give to Abraham’s descendants forever the land we know as Israel.[13] Well, at this point in our study through the book of Ezekiel, the Jewish people are no longer in that land. They are exiles in the land of Babylon. Their homeland has been decimated, and Jerusalem has been burned to the ground.

But as bad as it seems—and as unlikely as it seems for God’s promise to ever come to pass—Ezekiel begins to prophesy of a glorious future for Israel in the land of promise. The prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 offers divine assurance that ultimately Israel will possess this land forever. These chapters describe a future invasion of Israel and God’s miraculous defense of His chosen people. This is an amazing prophecy, but it raises a number of questions.

And the first one is this: When does this take place? Well, down here in verse 8 of chapter 38, we are told it takes place in the “latter years,” and verse 16 says it’s in the “latter days.” This points us to the end times. And since nothing in history matches what is described here, we know that it is still in the future.

But when in the future? Verse 8 tells us it takes place when Israel will “dwell securely” in their land. So, does this reference to war here in this chapter describe the final battle of Armageddon? No, it does not. And neither is this the Satan-led rebellion described in Revelation 20, even though we find the names of Gog and Magog both there and here in Ezekiel 38.

Let me pull over for a few moments here and set forth what I believe is the proper chronology of God’s plan for the end times and where this battle of Ezekiel 38 fits into the picture. I have included a timeline below to help you visualize this.

Here’s the timeline: first, the Lord Jesus is going to come in the clouds for His church—that is, all born-again believers of this church age, which has been going on now for the past 2,000 years since the church was created on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. Those believers who have died during this church age will have their bodies raised from the dead and reunited with their spirits, which have been with the Lord all this time.

Then, Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4, all believers who are alive at that time will be snatched from the earth to join the Lord in the clouds and be taken to the Father’s house in heaven. We call this event the rapture, and it can happen at any time.

Following the rapture will be a seven-year period we call the tribulation. It will be a time when God brings terrifying judgments upon the earth and prepares the way for Christ’s millennial kingdom, which will follow, when Christ returns—not in the clouds, but to the earth. According to Revelation 20 the Lord does not return to earth for believers but withbelievers, and that is because we are already with Him.

Now the tribulation period, which follows the rapture, does not begin with war and destruction and suffering. It begins with a powerful world leader emerging on the scene. This is the Antichrist. He brings peace and makes a covenant that gives Israel security in their land. He will break his covenant midway through the tribulation; but during the early part of the tribulation, Israel is going to enjoy a period of time when they will “dwell securely” in their land.

I believe it is during this period of calm early in the tribulation when the attack described here in Ezekiel 38 takes place. By the way, this attack corresponds with the red horse mentioned in Revelation chapter 6 and verse 4—a horse that brings a brief time of war against Israel.

Now the next question is this: Who will attack Israel? The first six verses of Ezekiel chapter 38 give us the answer. It is a coalition of nations uniting to invade Israel. Most of these names are unfamiliar to us today. The leader will be “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” (verse 2). The invaders will come out of the north, according to verse 6. I believe the land we know today as Russia is represented by Gog and Magog. Other nations joining in the invasion are Persia (modern Iran) and Cush (modern-day Sudan), along with modern-day Turkey.

Here is another question: What is the purpose of this invasion? Well, quite frankly, today the religion of Islam is predominant in many of these lands, and Islam has a long-standing animosity against Israel. Undoubtedly, they are driven by their religion, but there is more to it than that. Verse 12 says they want to “seize spoil and carry off plunder.” They covet the wealth of Israel, which even today, beloved, is far greater than the nations surrounding them.

But there is another reason for this attack that is revealed here in Ezekiel’s prophecy. The Lord says to these nations in verse 16, “I will bring you against my land.” This is all part of God’s plan, with the purpose being not only to draw Israel back to Himself, but also, as He says here in verse 16, “that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.” Through God’s supernatural protection of Israel in this attack, these nations will be given an undeniable testimony of God’s power and holiness.

The fourth question is this: What is the outcome of this invasion? The text is very clear on this. Listen to what the Lord says here in verses 19-22:

“In my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.. . . and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.”

The complete destruction of this enemy coalition is going to have a profound effect on Israel. We read in chapter 39, verse 22, “The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward.” Israel will experience a national revival. They will come to trust the word of God, and believe the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is indeed their true Messiah.

So, chapter 39 ends with the final regathering of all Israel at the end of the tribulation—and this perfectly coincides with Christ’s return to earth to establish His millennial kingdom. God says in verse 29, “I will . . . pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel.” Imagine that future scene when the nation welcomes their Messiah as He descends to earth to set up His kingdom. This is the glorious destiny of Israel described in chapters 34, 36, and 37.

In the meantime, Ezekiel prophesies that Israel will face still more suffering and scattering in the centuries ahead. But they can be certain that in the end God’s promise will finally and fully and forever come to pass.

God’s purpose in human history—past, present, and future—is to bring glory to Himself as people recognize that He is the Lord of the universe.

I don’t know what you are going through, my friend, but do not forget that coming day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Let’s make it our purpose, in all we do, to glorify Him and declare Him Lord of our lives today.

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Millennial Blessings

Ezekiel 40–48

Today we come to the final pages and the final prophecy of Ezekiel. Here in chapters 40 through 48, the prophet Ezekiel points to the future of Israel. Although the nation is suffering the consequences of their idolatry and rebellion; although their land is desolate; although the capital city of Jerusalem is in ruins and the glorious, golden temple is destroyed; and although the people are now exiles in a foreign land, this book of prophecy ends with a vision of the coming glory and kingdom of the Messiah.

We have seen glimpses of this kingdom already in our Wisdom Journey through this book. But these closing chapters give us a more detailed and —I must say—rather breathtaking description of your future and mine, along with that of the nation of Israel.

Now let’s set the timeline here. After the seven years of tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to earth, destroy His enemies, and establish His kingdom. That kingdom will continue for a thousand years. Resurrected believers of all times will be there, reigning with Christ over millions of people on earth who have entered the millennial kingdom. These are people from every tongue, tribe, and nation who have accepted Christ during the tribulation and survived to witness Christ’s return—they will literally move directly into the kingdom reign of Christ.

Ezekiel’s focus, however, is on the nation of Israel—those Jewish people from around the world who, in this future day, have regathered in the land of Israel. They have accepted Christ during the tribulation and now have welcomed their Messiah who has returned to set up His kingdom.

In a vision, the Lord takes Ezekiel to Jerusalem, which is now restored and rebuilt. There, Ezekiel sees a man—more than likely an angel—with a measuring rod in his hand. He tells the prophet, “Declare all that you see to the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 40:4).

And what does he see? He sees the millennial temple. This is a future, rebuilt, glorious temple for the millennial kingdom.

Now we know that when the captives in Babylon eventually returned to their homeland, they rebuilt their temple. It was later enlarged by King Herod into the temple of Jesus’ day. But that temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, and listen, the temple has never been rebuilt. I have been to Israel and seen all that remains of Herod’s temple—an outer wall that has been nicknamed the Wailing Wall. This is where people go to cry because of all that has been lost.

But one day the weeping will cease, and the glorious temple Ezekiel sees here will be present during Christ’s reign on earth. Chapters 40–41 describe this temple in great detail. There is no reason to understand this prophecy as anything other than a description of a literal temple in a literal future kingdom.

We are given here in chapter 40 the measurements for gates, and courts, and offices. The angel gives Ezekiel a tour as they work their way from the outer court into the inner court of the temple. Eventually, they arrive in chapter 41 at the Holy of Holies—the Most Holy Place.

It is interesting that there is no mention of the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. And as one writer notes, there’s “no mention of the ark of the covenant or the mercy seat on which the blood was sprinkled on the annual Day of Atonement.”[14]

Why not? Because the Lord Jesus, the physical, visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the Lamb of God who “offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:12), will be physically and visibly present. He is the mercy seat—the place where God’s wrath is turned away. He is the presence of almighty God.

Once everything has been measured here at the end of chapter 42, Ezekiel is taken out to the gate that faces east, where the outer perimeter of the entire temple complex is measured. It is a perfect square of 500 cubits on each side. One commentator puts that into perspective, noting that this temple complex is large enough to hold “more than 13 football fields.”[15] It is massive!

Now the most significant part of this vision is what Ezekiel sees next in chapter 43, where millennial worship takes center stage. In verse 2 he writes this:

Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.

Imagine the sound of Niagara Falls, with this brilliant light, moving toward the city of Jerusalem as the glory of God returns.

The people of Israel living in the millennium are believers. They have a new heart and a new spirit, as the Lord prophesied. So, the Lord’s presence has returned. God, then, can say these words in verse 7:

“I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name.”

A rather interesting feature of the millennial worship is that the descendants of Zadok will serve as priests. These are Levites, but they are not from the line of Aaron. The sons of Zadok had remained faithful to the Lord. Listen to what the Lord says in Ezekiel 44:15: 

“The sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister.”

Chapter 45 tells us that a portion of the land is going to be set aside as a sacred district. There will be a section for the temple and for the priests and a section for the Levites. In addition, verse 7 records this: 

“To the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district . . . extending from the western to the eastern boundary.”

This prince apparently is a civil ruler who serves under the Messiah, Jesus. Some believe the prince of Jerusalem will be David himself. We cannot be certain—we will just have to wait to find out.

Now, you might wonder why priests are even needed in the millennium. After all, Jesus fulfilled everything the Old Testament sacrificial system symbolized, and now Jesus is visibly present on earth.

Well, chapter 46 makes it clear the priests will be carrying out sacrifices in the new temple. But these sacrifices in the millennium will have a different purpose than those of the Old Testament era. These sacrifices will serve as memorials to the sacrificial death of our King. They will serve as teaching tools for a thousand years to tell the story of redemption to Israel and to the nations around the world.

The final two chapters of Ezekiel focus on the millennial land. There are some new features in the land of Israel, like the river of fresh, life-giving water flowing from the temple eastward to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea for a reason—fish and plants cannot live in it because of the extremely high salt content. But listen to what Ezekiel is told here in verse 8 of chapter 47: “When the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.” Verse 10 add, “Fishermen will stand beside the sea. . . . it will be a place for the spreading of nets.”

Frankly, we cannot imagine all the new, beautiful, flourishing aspects of this coming kingdom. It will be glorious, beloved, and all who belong to Christ will experience it firsthand.

And with that, we come to the end of the prophecies of Ezekiel. They are prophecies of judgment, but also promises of joy for all who repent and place their faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah—this coming King.

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Endnotes

[1] Mark F. Rooker, Ezekiel, Holman Old Testament Commentary (B & H Publishing Group, 2005), 13.

[2] Ibid., 26.

[3] Charles L. Feinberg, The Prophecy of Ezekiel (Moody Press, 1969), 19.

[4] Quoted in Mark F. Rooker, Ezekiel, Holman Old Testament Commentary (B & H Publishing Group, 2005), 83.

[5] The title here is taken from Elizabeth Bagwell Ficken’s study of Ezekiel titled, That You May Know the Lord (W & E Publishing, 2016).

[6] Michael Hodgin, 1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking (Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 231.

[7] “Prosperity Preacher Seeks Helicopter Upgrade,” Ministry Watch, September 27, 2013, ministrywatch.com.

[8] The title is taken from Elizabeth Bagwell Ficken, That You May Know the Lord (W & E Publishing, 2016).

[9] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Prophets (David C. Cook, 2002), 190.

[10] Charles H. Dyer, “Ezekiel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Victor Books, 1985), 1269.

[11] The title is taken from Elizabeth Bagwell Ficken, That You May Know the Lord (W & E Publishing, 2016).

[12] That is, the two Southern Tribes and the ten Northern Tribes.

[13] (Genesis 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:18-21)

[14] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Prophets (David C. Cook, 2002), 240.

[15] Charles H. Dyer, “Ezekiel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Victor Books, 1985), 1308.