(The previous post covered a detailed explanation for how God worked with and through the cherubim.)
Ezekiel 13
1 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own heart, Hear ye the word of Jehovah:
(God told Ezekiel to prophesy against those who prophesied out of their own heart: false prophets.)
3 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
(The "foolish prophets" had no understanding. They followed their own spirit and not God's Spirit. They had seen nothing. Remember, prophets were once called "seers" (1 Samuel 9:9), yet these prophets saw nothing.)
4 O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.
(Israel's prophets were like "foxes." Foxes "spoil the vines" (Song of Solomon 2:15). Israel being the vineyard, the prophets spoiled (took from) their own country. Prophets do not personally benefit from their gift. False prophets personally benefit. God stated these false prophets personally benefited.)
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Jehovah.
6 They have seen falsehood and lying divination, that say, Jehovah saith; but Jehovah hath not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.
(The phrase "seen falsehood" meant these false prophets believed their own lies and tried to make them come to pass. God did not send these prophets who gave others false hope.)
7 Have ye not seen a false vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, in that ye say, Jehovah saith; albeit I have not spoken?
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord Jehovah.
(Because the prophets spoke falsely, God was against them. This was Just.)
9 And my hand shall be against the prophets that see false visions, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.
10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there is no peace; and when one buildeth up a wall, behold, they daub it with untempered mortar:
11 say unto them that daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
(The false prophets had a large share in the judgment against Israel because they gave the people false words.)
12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my wrath; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it.
(God would make sure that the people knew that the words from the false prophets were…false.)
14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar; and I will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;
16 to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah.
(God was very clear that the visions the false prophets proclaimed were not true.)
17 And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
(God was also against the prophetesses who prophesied out of their own hearts.)
18 and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the women that sew pillows upon all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?
(These false prophetesses leaned on pillows while they gave their guidance and put kerchiefs or veils over the heads of those who consulted them as if preparing them to receive the answer or revelation they sought.)
19 And ye have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hearken unto lies.
(These prophetesses' reason for giving counsel to the people was for food. They profaned God so they could be fulfilled physically. Again, false prophets are looking to personally benefit.)
20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
(God saw these false prophetesses as people who actually hunted the souls of the people they pretended to help.)
21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
22 Because with lies ye have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive:
(The prophetesses made righteous hearts sad and strengthened the hands of the wicked causing the wicked to continue in his ways.)
23 Therefore ye shall no more see false visions, nor divine divinations: and I will deliver my people out of your hand; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
(God would deliver His people out of the hands of these false prophetesses.)
Ezekiel 14
1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
(An elder approached Ezekiel.)
2 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
(God told Ezekiel that the elders set up idols in their hearts.)
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols;
(God would answer the idolaters according to their idolatry. God was Just.)
5 that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
(God called for repentance.)
7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Jehovah will answer him by myself:
8 and I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
(God would judge those people who separated themselves from Him and went towards idols.)
9 And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 And they shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeketh unto him;
11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah.
(Verses 12-23: judgment on the land.)
12 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
13 Son of man, when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast;
14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.
(Even Noah, Daniel, and Job would only be able to save their own souls "by their righteousness" (verses 14,16,18, and 20). Each of these three men dealt with adversity they did not cause. These men had a lot of spiritual value and still would only be able to save themselves. The Justice against Israel was huge.)
15 If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts;
16 though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.
(Noah, Daniel, and Job would not have even been able to save their own children.)
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast;
18 though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast;
20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
(This filled out the four cases that showed how God's Will operated.
-In Numbers 14, Moses had enough spiritual value to change God's Will.
-In Jeremiah 15, God stated things had gotten so bad that neither Moses nor Samuel would have been able to change God's Will.
-In 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38, Hezekiah was able to change God's Will to something that was unprofitable.
-Now we see that circumstances were so bad, the three Old Testament people with the most spiritual value would not have been able to change God's Will, and would have only had enough spiritual value to save themselves.)
21 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
(Circumstances were bad, however, God would still save a remnant.)
23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord Jehovah.
(God did all of this with a cause...for a specific reason. He was Just. Remember, the people of that time did not see the prophecies occur in their lifetimes. God had already told the people He would have these prophecies occur during their lifetime so they would know Jehovah was God. In this verse, God stated the same reason: This judgment ought to comfort people that Jehovah was God because all of this was not being done randomly, but according to a purpose.)
Ezekiel 15
1 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?
(The unprofitability of the Jews was shown by a parable of a vine…)
3 Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work?
(God was showing Ezekiel the uselessness of wood when it was burned in the fire. In verse 3, "pin" was the same a "peg." This passage stated wood that was burned cannot even be used as a peg to hang any vessel on.)
5 Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!
(Can wood that has been burnt be useful for any work?)
6 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7 And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I set my face against them.
(The picture of the wood being burnt and not profitable symbolized Jerusalem and its judgment.)
8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord Jehovah.
(The land would be desolate because of their trespasses.)
(This post covered God's judgments on Israel and false prophets.)
Day 247
Do you have any kind of timeline for Ezekiel Jeremiah, and Daniel? The mention of Daniel here makes me curious of the overlap between these three.
ReplyDeleteHere's a timeline that may help. It's pretty detailed so I did "ALL CAPS" to the names of "EZEKIEL, JEREMIAH, and DANIEL"
DeleteAll years are in B.C. -
650 Birth of JEREMIAH
648 Birth of Josiah (last good king)
640 Josiah began his reign as king
628 Birth of DANIEL
628 Jeremiah’s ministry began in Jerusalem.
623 Josiah repairs temple, finds Law and keeps the Passover and stops idolatry
622 Birth of EZEKIEL
612 The Babylonians destroyed Nineveh and became the new world superpower
608 The Egyptians killed Josiah in battle; his son Jehoahaz became king, but the Egyptians took him to Egypt; Jehoiakim became king; Jeremiah declared a traitor
606 Habakkuk delivered a prophetic message to Jerusalem
605 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured Jerusalem and deported some young, good-looking and intelligent Jewish men to Babylon, including some of the king’s descendents and some of the nobles, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
604 In Babylon, DANIEL didn’t compromise by eating forbidden meat (Dan. 1); then, he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about four Gentile kingdoms (Dan. 2)
598 2nd deportation to Babylon (3,023 captives); Jehoiakim died; Jehoiachin reigned
597 3rd deportation to Babylon (10,000 captives, including Jehoiachin and probably EZEKIEL); only the poorest people were left in the land; Zedekiah began his reign
593 In Babylon, EZEKIEL saw visions of heaven and began his ministry.
589 The wife of EZEKIEL died in Babylon.
588 4th deportation to Babylon (832 captives)
586 Babylon plundered and destroyed Jerusalem, including the temple and walls; 5th deportation to Babylon (the remnant of the multitude); only the poor of the land were left; they fled to Egypt with JEREMIAH after Ishmael killed Gedaliah
586 6th deportation (to Riblah)
582 7th deportation Babylon (745 captives)
580 Nebuchadnezzar image and fiery furnace (Dan. 3)
570 EZEKIEL ministered at least up to this time; Nebuchadnezzar had a vision of a tree and DANIEL interpreted it (Dan. 4)
569 Nebuchadnezzar began “7 times” (7 or 14 years) of madness.
565 EZEKIEL probably completed writing his book by this year.
562 Nebuchadnezzar repented, got saved and then died; Evil Merodach began to reign
561 Evil Merodach released Jehoaichin from prison
560 Death of JEREMIAH (~ 90 years old); Evil Merocach slain; Neriglissar began reign
556 Nabonidus reigns in Babylon; Belshazzar, a son, co-reigns
550 DANIEL's vision of four beasts (Dan. 7)
548 DANIEL's vision of the ram and the goat (Dan. 8)
539 DANIEL's interpreted handwriting on the wall. Belshazzar killed (Dan. 5). The Persians and the Medes, under the leadership of Cyrus the Great captured Babylon. Persia became the new world superpower. DANIEL understood JEREMIAH's prophecy of 70 years of captivity, so he prayed for his people, and then the angel Gabriel appeared and told him of 70 weeks (490 years) required to finish the transgression of Israel, make an end of sins and make reconciliation for iniquity and bring in everlasting righteousness (69th week ended when Jesus was crucified, and the 70th week is still in the future.) Then, Cyrus challenged all God’s people (Jews and Israelis) to return to Jerusalem and build a 2nd temple for God.
537 DANIEL saved from the lion’s den (Dan. 6). DANIEL then fasted and saw a vision of Jesus (Dan. 10). Jesus told DANIEL about the future kings of Persia and Greece (Dan. 11:2-34) and the future leader of a world government during the end times tribulation (Dan. 11:35-12:13). DANIEL finished writing his book and probably died soon afterwards (at around 91 years old).