,transcriber's ,note3 ,italic text is denoted by underscores and bold text by equal signs4 ,,the ,,prophet ,,ezekiel ,,an ,,analytical ,,exposition ,by ,,arno ,c4 ,,gaebelein ,author of ,commentaries on ,daniel1 ,joel1 ,zechariah1 ,matthew1 ,acts1 ,revelation1 etc41 ,editor of ,our ,hope4 ,illustration3 ,logo ,,new ,,york ,,chicago ,,toronto ,,fleming ,h4 ,,revell ,,company ,,london ,,and ,,edinburgh ,copyright #aiah ,,by ,a4 ,c4 ,,gaebelein4 ,,contents ,,page ,introduction by ,,james ,m4 ,,gray #c ,the ,prophet ,ezekiel #e ,analysis of the ,book #aa ,predictions ,before the ,fall of ,jerusalem #ae ,predictions ,after the ,fall of ,jerusalem #bae ,map of ,ground ,plan of the ,temple #bfi ,map of ,the ,division of the ,land #cch ,,introduction ,i know of no expounder of ,holy ,scripture on this side of the ,atlantic in the same class as ,mr4 ,gaebelein4 ,his work on the ,old ,testament prophets especially is unique4 ,to understand and expound them not for scholars but for the people1 calls for a combination of gifts bestowed upon very few4 ,such a teacher must believe in the inerrancy of the autographs of ,scripture4 ,he must interpret it literally except where it clearly indicates to the contrary4 ,he must apprehend the dispensational scope of its teaching4 ,he must know and rely upon the ,holy ,spirit as the revealer of the truth whose record ,he has inspired4 ,he must have a working knowledge of the ,hebrew text and be able to pass intelligently on questions of ,biblical ,criticism4 ,he must be familiar with the writings of others who have preceded him4 ,he must be a platform man in constant communication with the people whom he would instruct4 ,he must be no dreamer1 but wide-awake to current events and capable of looking upon and dealing with them in a practical way4 ,he must use simple terms and express himself in plain speech4 ,mr4 ,gaebelein meets all these demands1 for which we who reap the benefits give ,god the praise4 ,circumstances have prevented my reading all the chapters of this present volume on ,ezekiel1 and hence ,i do not undertake to endorse every detail of interpretation it contains1 but a general acquaintance with the author's point of view as expressed in his volumes on ,daniel1 ,joel1 ,zechariah1 ,matthew and ,revelation leads me to commend it strongly4 ,pastors1 evangelists1 ,bible teachers and ,christians generally who would be counted among the wise who understand1 need such helps as this as an antidote to the false teaching flooding the church today1 and to enable them to stand up against the wiles of ,satan on every hand4 ,familiarity with the revelation of ,god in the ,old ,testament is simply indispensable to the ,christian witness in this twentieth century1 and to the soldiers of ,christ in this crucial hour of spiritual combat4 ,,james ,m4 ,,gray ,the ,moody ,bible ,institute1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,the ,prophet ,ezekiel4 ,,introduction4 ,from the opening verses of the ,book1 which bears the name of the prophet ,ezekiel1 we learn that he was the son of ,buzi the priest1 and belonged consequently to the much honored ,zadok family4 ,that he knew the nobility of ,jerusalem well and was intimate with them may be indirectly learned from the eleventh chapter4 ,rabbinical tradition identifies ,buzi 7which means contempt7 with ,jeremiah and makes him a son of that prophet4 ,there is1 however1 no positive evidence for this4 ,eleven years before the complete ruin of the city and the temple was effected by the ,king of ,babylon1 ,ezekiel was carried away into the captivity4 ,this deportation is recorded in #b ,kings xxiv3#ad4 ,and he carried away all ,jerusalem1 and all the princes1 and all the mighty men of valor1 even ten thousand captives1 and all the craftsmen and smiths1 none remained save the poorest sort of the people of the land4 ,before ,ezekiel with the princes and the mighty men were taken into captivity1 others had been removed to ,babylon1 notably ,daniel and his three companions4 ,this was in fulfillment of ,isaiah xxxiv3#f-g4 ,ezekiel must have known ,daniel personally4 ,his name is found three times in this book 7chapters xiv3#ad1 #bj2 xxviii3#c74 ,ezekiel was not a youth1 as generally supposed1 when he was deported to ,babylon1 for the matured character of a priest which appears in his writings and his full and intimate acquaintance with the temple service1 render such a supposition highly improbable4 ,jewish tradition declares that he exercised already the prophetic office before he was carried away4 ,the much disputed phrase in the thirtieth year 7chapter i3#a7 we hope to examine more closely in our exposition4 ,the name ,ezekiel means strengthened by ,god4 ,it has been stated by some that this is not the original name of the prophet1 but his official title1 which he adopted on account of his ministry among the people4 ,very interesting on this controverted point is the statement of a rabbinical comment4 ,the declaration is made that the prophets of ,god received their significant names1 so closely linked with and expressive of the character of their messages1 from above and not according to the will of their earthly parents4 ,god called them to their work and had them named accordingly before they ever entered upon their offices as prophets4 ,we believe this may be correct1 especially in view of ,jeremiah i3#e4 ,the place where we find ,ezekiel is the river ,chebar4 ,this river is now known by the name ,kabour4 ,it emptied into the ,euphrates north of ,babylon and was also called ,nar-,kabari1 the great canal4 ,here ,nebuchadnezzar had started a colony of captives4 ,in chapter iii3#ae1 the name of the place is given1 it was at ,tel-abib4 ,in this settlement the prophet seems to have lived4 ,two passages in the book tell us that he had his own house 7iii3#bd2 viii3#a74 ,we also know that he was married 7xxiv3#af-ah74 ,the death of his wife is the only event he mentions of his personal history and that would probably have not been recorded if it were not connected with his prophetic office4 ,the prophecies he uttered among the captives are carefully dated4 ,the first date is found in chapter i3#a-b4 ,he began his prophetic office on the fifth day of the fourth month 7,tammuz7 in the fifth year of ,king ,jehoiachin's captivity4 ,the latest date is recorded in chapter xxix3#ag4 ,here we have the twenty-seventh year1 so that the prophecies of ,ezekiel cover a period of about twenty-two years4 ,ezekiel's great prophetic ministry is closely connected with that of ,jeremiah4 ,when ,ezekiel had his first great vision on the banks of the river ,chebar1 ,jeremiah had already been a prophet for thirty-five years4 ,only a few years more remained for this great man of ,god4 ,that ,ezekiel must have been acquainted with ,jeremiah and his messages of warning and exhortation is more than likely4 ,yet it is strange there is not a single reference to ,jeremiah in the entire book of ,ezekiel4 ,it is strange in view of the fact that the messages of these two men have so much in common4 ,critics make the assertion that ,ezekiel as a prophet was moulded by the teaching of ,jeremiah4 ,kuenen claims that ,ezekiel must have been for many years the close student of ,jeremiah's writings4 ,before ,ezekiel proceeded to write his own prophecies1 his mind1 it is claimed1 had become so saturated with the ideas and language of ,jeremiah that every part of his book betrays the influence of his predecessor4 ,this view would make ,ezekiel an enthusiastic admirer and copyist of ,jeremiah4 ,but in the book of ,ezekiel the phrases ,thus saith the ,lord ,god--,the ,word of the ,lord came unto me--occur over and over again4 ,the words he spoke1 the mighty messages he delivered1 were not produced by the influence of ,jeremiah nor by his example1 but by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,other critics have even done greater dishonor to this chosen instrument of the ,lord and to the ,word he preached4 ,we quote from ,the ,new ,century ,bible3 ,it would appear that there runs through all the prophet's activities1 at least in the earlier period1 a strain of mental abnormality--perhaps of actual malady4 ,by some writers this has been supposed to be a form of catalepsy4 ,probably ,ezekiel was no more a cataleptic than ,paul2 with equal probability he was what would now be called a 'psychical subject1' and as such liable to trances--and perhaps a clairvoyant4 ,such are the ridiculous things invented by men1 who claim scholarship1 and whose aim is to deny the supernatural origin of the words and the visions of the prophets of ,god4 ,the fact is that ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel were called by ,jehovah to specific ministries4 ,in their character and natural temperament they differed greatly4 ,jeremiah assuming1 as a very young man1 his prophetic office during the reign of ,josiah1 was called to deliver the messages of the awful judgments which were to come upon ,jerusalem and he had to witness these in their execution4 ,he was an extremely kind1 gentle and tender-hearted man4 ,jeremiah is the prophet of a dying nation2 the agony of ,judah's prolonged death struggle is reproduced with ten-fold intensity in the inward conflict which rends the heart of the prophet4 ,ezekiel was of a different temperament4 ,the deep soul exercise we find so often in ,jeremiah1 his tender1 loving sympathies are almost entirely absent in ,ezekiel4 ,he lacked the emotional character of ,jeremiah4 ,he was a man of great energy and vigor2 he was stern and had a deep sense of his human responsibility4 ,both prophets uncover the corrupt conditions of ,judah and condemn them4 ,the condemnations in ,ezekiel are far more severe than those of ,jeremiah4 ,the style of ,ezekiel is also different from that employed by his contemporary4 ,the whole of his writings show how admirably he was fitted1 as well by natural disposition as by spiritual endowment1 to oppose the 'rebellious house1' the 'people of stubborn front and hard heart1' to whom he was sent4 ,the figurative representations which abound throughout his writings1 whether drawn out into lengthened allegory1 or expressing matters of fact by means of symbols1 or clothing truths in the garb of enigma1 all testify by their definiteness the vigor of his conceptions4 ,things seen in vision are described with all the minuteness of detail and sharpness of outline which belong to real existence4 ,but this characteristic is shown most remarkably in the entire subordination of his whole life to the great work to which he was called4#a #a ,f4 ,w4 ,gotch4 ,in all this he differs from ,jeremiah2 and more so in the greater and more complete visions concerning the future4 ,there is an evident connection between the communication which ,jeremiah sent from ,jerusalem unto the captives in ,babylon and the beginning of ,ezekiel's ministry4 ,the letter of ,jeremiah is found in chapter xxix of the ,book of ,jeremiah4 ,it is an interesting document4 ,it seems to have been occasioned by a number of false prophets who had appeared among the captives1 and who encouraged the rebellious and disobedient spirit which prevailed among the exiles4 ,they prophesied falsely1 led the people away and awakened the delusive hope of an early return from the captivity4 ,while ,jeremiah continued to minister to the feeble few and the poor1 who were left behind1 ,ezekiel was engaged among the captives and contended against these false prophets and against the false hopes of the people who gave no evidences of repentance4 ,inasmuch as ,jerusalem had not yet been completely destroyed by ,nebuchadnezzar1 the captives1 who had listened to the false prophets1 expected a speedy return to their own land4 ,to dispel this false hope ,jeremiah had sent them the message1 ,for thus saith the ,lord1 that after seventy years be accomplished at ,babylon ,i will visit you1 and perform my good word toward you1 in causing you to return to this place 7,jere4 xxix3#aj74 ,ezekiel then labored also to dispel this false hope preached by the prophets1 whom the ,lord had not sent4 ,by his stern and solemn words1 by divinely commanded actions and symbols1 he had to deliver the message that there was no hope for ,jerusalem4 ,when the catastrophe came at last his ministry changed4 ,he comforts the disappointed and heartbroken people and delivers his great restoration messages4 ,this great prophet had to do certain divinely commanded things in the presence of the people who were living in deception after having listened to the false prophets4 ,in chapter iii3#bd-bf he had to shut himself up1 bind himself and then he was made dumb4 ,then he was commanded to lie upon his right side and upon his left for #dcj days 7chapter iv3#d-h74 ,in chapter iv3#i he had to eat unclean bread4 ,then he had to shave his head and beard 7chapter v3#a72 to carry a captive's baggage 7chapter xxii3#c-g72 when his wife died he was not to mourn 7chapter xxiv3#ae-bj72 and again he lost his speech 7chapter xxiv3#bg74 ,the key to all this is found in chapter xxiv3#bd4 ,the visions of glory ,ezekiel had belong to some of the greatest recorded in the ,word of ,god4 ,much in the beginning of the book reminds of the last book of the ,bible1 the ,revelation4 ,we mention a few passages to be compared3 ,ezekiel i with ,rev4 iv and v4 ,ezekiel iii3#c with ,rev4 x3#aj4 ,ezekiel viii3#c with ,rev4 xiii3#ad1 #ae4 ,ezekiel ix with ,rev4 vii4 ,ezekiel x with ,rev4 viii3#a-e4 ,the critics declare upon this striking correspondency that much of the imagery of ,revelation is borrowed from ,ezekiel4 ,,the ,,analysis ,,of ,,the ,,book4 ,a careful reading of the ,book of ,ezekiel shows1 in the first place1 that the ,prophet received messages and saw visions before the final destruction of ,jerusalem1 and after that catastrophe had taken place in fulfillment of his inspired predictions he received other prophecies4 ,the predictions preceding the fall of ,jerusalem are the predictions of the judgment to fall upon the city and upon ,gentile nations1 the enemies of ,israel4 ,the predictions ,ezekiel received after the city had been destroyed are the predictions of blessing and glory for ,israel and ,jerusalem in the future4 ,the first part of the book has found a fulfillment in the destruction of the city by ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,the second part is awaiting its fulfillment at the close of the times of the ,gentiles1 when ,israel will be regathered1 restored and the glory of the ,lord returns to another temple1 which ,ezekiel beheld in a magnificent vision4 ,all will be accomplished when the ,lord returns to dwell in the midst of ,his people1 so that the name of the city will be ,jehovah-,shammah--the ,lord is there 7chapter xlviii3#ce74 ,these two main divisions are clearly marked in the book itself4 ,in chapter xxxiii3#ba1 after the ,prophet had received a renewed call as watchman4 ,we read3 ,and it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity1 in the tenth month1 in the fifth day of the month1 that one that had escaped out of ,jerusalem came unto me1 saying1 ,the city is smitten4 ,this determines the two parts4 ,part ,i4 ,predictions before the ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 7,chapters i-xxxii47 ,part ,,ii4 ,predictions after the ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 7,chapters xxxiii-xlviii74 ,to show the perfect and orderly arrangement of the whole ,book of ,ezekiel we shall give a complete analysis4 ,part ,i4 ,predictions before the ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,chapters i-xxxii4 ,section ,a4 ,judgment ,predictions concerning ,jerusalem4 ,chapters i-xxiv4 #a4 ,the ,vision of the ,glory of the ,lord and the ,call of the ,prophet 7i-iii3#ad74 #b4 ,the ,judgment announced4 ,four signs and their meaning4 ,the two messages4 7,the ,word of the ,lord came unto me1 chapters vi and vii2 chapters iii3#ae-vii3#bg74 #c4 ,visions in relation to ,jerusalem 7chapters viii-xi74 a4 ,the vision of abomination in the ,temple4 ,chapter viii4 b4 ,the vision of the man clothed in linen with the inkhorn4 ,chapter ix4 c4 ,the vision of the coals of fire4 ,chapter x4 d4 ,the vision concerning the leaders4 ,the ,glory departs4 ,chapter xi4 #d4 ,signs1 ,messages and ,parables 7chapters xii-xix74 a4 ,signs given through the ,prophet4 ,chapter xii3#a-bj4 b4 ,the ,message concerning a speedy judgment4 ,chapter xii3#ba-bh4 c4 ,the ,message against false prophets and prophetesses4 ,chapter xiii4 d4 ,the ,message against the idolatrous elders4 ,chapter xiv4 e4 ,the ,parable of the ,vine given to the fire4 ,chapter xv4 f4 ,the ,parable of abandoned child and ,jerusalem's harlotry4 ,chapter xvi4 g4 ,the ,parable and ,riddle of the two eagles and the vine4 ,chapter xvii4 h4 ,the ,message concerning the righteous judgments of ,god4 ,chapter xviii4 i4 ,the ,lamentations for the ,princes of ,israel4 ,chapter xix4 #e4 ,further and ,final ,predictions concerning the ,judgment of ,jerusalem 7chapter xx-xxiv74 a4 ,jehovah rehearses ,his mercies bestowed upon ,israel4 ,chapter xx4 b4 ,the impending ,judgment announced4 ,chapter xxi4 c4 ,jerusalem's sins and whoredoms4 ,chapter xxii-xxiii4 d4 ,the ,parable of the boiling pot4 ,the last word4 ,chapter xxiv4 ,section ,b4 ,predictions of ,judgments against the ,nations4 ,chapters xxv-xxxii4 #a4 ,against ,ammon1 ,moab1 ,edom and the ,philistines 7chapter xxv74 #b4 ,against ,tyrus and ,zidon 7chapters xxvi-xxviii74 #c4 ,against ,egypt 7chapters xxix-xxxii74 ,part ,,ii4 ,predictions after the ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,chapters xxxiii-xlviii4 ,section ,a4 ,the ,watchman and the ,shepherds4 ,chapters xxxiii-xxxiv4 #a4 ,the renewed call of ,ezekiel as ,watchman 7chapter xxxiii3#a-bj74 #b4 ,ezekiel's mouth opened after ,jerusalem's fall 7chapter xxxiii3#ba-cc74 #c4 ,message against the ,shepherds of ,israel 7chapter xxxiv3#a-ai74 #d4 ,the true ,shepherd and ,restoration promised 7chapter xxxiv3#bj-bf74 ,section ,b4 ,judgment announced against ,mount ,seir and ,israel's final ,restoration promised4 ,chapters xxxv-xxxvi4 #a4 ,the ,message against ,seir and ,idumea 7chapter xxxv74 #b4 ,the ,message of ,comfort for ,israel 7chapter xxxvi74 ,section ,c4 ,the ,future ,blessings of ,israel4 ,the ,nation regathered4 ,their enemies overthrown4 ,the ,millennial ,temple4 ,chapters xxxvii-xlviii4 #a4 ,the ,vision of the ,dry ,bones4 ,judah and ,israel reunited 7chapter xxxvii74 #b4 ,the last enemies ,gog and ,magog and their destruction 7chapters xxxviii-xxxix74 #c4 ,the ,millennial ,temple and its ,worship 7chapter xl-xlvii3#ab74 #d4 ,the ,division of the ,land 7chapter xlvii3#ac-xlviii74 ,to this ,analysis of the entire ,book of ,ezekiel we add a brief table1 giving the different dates mentioned in the ,book4 ,year of the ,captivity ,month ,day of ,jehoiakin ,chapter ---------------------------------------- ---- #d #e #e ,chapt4 i-vii #f #e #f viii-xix #e #aj #g xx-xxiii #aj #aj #i xxiv-xxv #aj #ab #aj xxix-xxx #aa #a #aa xxvi-xxviii #a #g #aa xxx #c #a #aa xxxi #aj #e #ab xxxiii #ab #a #ab xxxii3#a-af #ab #ae #ab xxxii3#ag-cb #a #aj #be xl-xlviii #a #a #bg xxix3#ag-ba ,i4 ,,predictions ,,before ,,the ,,fall ,,of ,,jerusalem ,chapter ,i-xxxii4 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,jehovah ,,and ,,the ,,call ,,of ,,the ,,prophet4 ,chapter ,i-iii3#ad4 ,i4 ,the ,introduction4 ,now it came to pass in the thirtieth year1 in the fourth month1 in the fifth of the month1 as ,i was among the captives by the river ,chebar1 the heavens were opened1 and ,i saw visions of ,god4 ,in the fifth of the month1 which was the fifth year of king ,jehoiachin's captivity1 ,the word of the ,lord came expressly unto ,ezekiel the priest1 the son of ,buzi1 in the land of the ,chaldeans by the river ,chebar2 and the hand of the ,lord was there upon him4 ,the book of ,ezekiel starts with the description of a great vision1 which the prophet had among the captives of the river ,chebar4 ,the first word now1 which really means and1 connects the book with ,jeremiah1 as ,joshua is connected in the same way with ,deuteronomy4 ,the two statements ,i was and ,i saw in the first verse make it clear that ,ezekiel is the author of this book4 ,the third verse has been marked by the critics as an addition by some person1 who edited the book later4 ,there is no evidence for that4 ,in describing his own person and descent1 he no longer uses the personal pronoun4 ,when he describes the vision itself1 giving his experience1 he resumes the ,i--,i looked4 ,the thirtieth year has often been taken as the age of ,ezekiel and upon this a parallel has been drawn between ,ezekiel and our ,lord4 ,as ,ezekiel was thirty years old and saw heaven open at the banks of a river1 so1 it is taught1 the ,lord ,jesus was thirty years of age1 when ,he saw heaven open at ,his baptism in ,jordan 7,matt4 iii3#af2 ,luke iii3#ba74 ,there is nothing in the text to warrant this application4 ,the thirtieth year must be reckoned according to the ,babylonian era1 beginning with ,nabopolassar1 father of ,nebuchadnezzar1 who became ,king of ,babylon #fbe ,b4 ,c4 ,this was the date when ,hilkiah found the book of the law in the eighteenth year of ,king ,josiah4 ,this was the thirtieth year before the fifth year of the captivity4 ,four things are mentioned by ,ezekiel in the introduction of his book4 #a4 ,the ,heavens were opened4 #b4 ,he saw visions of ,god4 #c4 ,the ,word of the ,lord came upon him4 #d4 ,the hand of the ,lord was upon him4 ,the opened heavens are not mentioned elsewhere in the ,old ,testament4 ,ezekiel1 the priest1 is the only prophet of whom it is said that he saw the heavens opened4 ,four times this phrase is found in the ,new ,testament4 ,in ,matthew iii3#af heaven was opened at the ,baptism of our ,lord4 ,in ,john i3#ea the ,lord speaks of the heavens opened and the manifestation of angels1 which is still future and refers to ,his ,coming in power and glory4 ,in ,revelations iv3#a a door was opened in heaven and ,john heard the words ,come up hither2 it is symbolical of the time1 when the true church is taken into the presence of the ,lord4 ,the last time opened heavens are mentioned is in ,revelations xix3#aa4 ,it will be when our ,lord comes as ,king of kings and ,lord of lords4 ,the opened heavens brought for ,ezekiel visions of ,god and the ,word of the ,jehovah4 ,not visions of ,jehovah and the ,word of ,god4 ,he saw the visions of ,god in ,his governmental dealings with ,israel1 but the commission to him is the commission of ,jehovah1 the name which denotes the closer covenant relationship with ,his people4 ,the vision of opened heavens in the ,new ,testament sense was not given to ,ezekiel4 ,new ,testament believers behold heaven opened and have a vision4 ,in the language of the ,scriptures1 ,we see ,jesus1 who was made a little lower than the angels1 for the suffering of death1 crowned with glory and honor1 that ,he by the grace of ,god should taste death of every man 7,heb4 ii3#i74 ,our vision in the opened heavens is the glorified ,son of ,man1 in whom we are saved and seated in the ,heavenlies1 in ,whom we are accepted and ,whose glory we shall share4 ,and when the ,word of ,jehovah came to him1 calling the priest to the prophetic office1 the hand of the ,lord came also upon him4 ,opened heavens1 visions1 direct call and enablement by the power of ,god4 ,such is still the order for ,god's servants4 ,and after the great vision is passed1 the seer is upon his face 7verse #bh74 ,then ,jehovah lifts him up and the ,spirit entered into him 7ii3#b74 ,the phrase the hand of the ,lord was upon him or came upon me is found exactly seven times in the ,book of ,ezekiel i3#c2 iii3#ad and #bb2 viii3#a2 xxxiii3#bb2 xxxvii3#a and xl3#a4 ,,ii4 ,the ,vision of ,glory4 ,and ,i looked1 and1 behold1 a whirlwind came out of the north1 a great cloud1 and a fire infolding itself1 and a brightness was about it1 and out of the midst thereof as the look of glowing brass out of the midst of the fire4 ,also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures4 ,and this was their appearance2 they had the likeness of a man4 ,and every one had four faces1 and every one had four wings4 ,and their feet were straight feet2 and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot3 and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass4 ,and they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides2 and they four had their faces and their wings4 ,their wings were joined one to another2 they turned not when they went2 they went every one straight forward4 ,as for the likeness of their faces1 they four had the face of a man1 and the face of a lion1 on the right side3 and they four had the face of an ox on the left side2 they four also had the face of an eagle4 ,and their faces and their wings were parted above2 two wings of every one were joined one to another1 and two covered their bodies4 ,and they went every one straight forward3 whither the spirit was to go1 they went2 they turned not when they went4 ,as for the likeness of the living creatures1 their appearance was like burning coals of fire1 like the appearance of torches3 it went up and down among the living creatures2 and the fire was bright1 and out of the fire went forth lightning4 ,and the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning4 ,and ,i looked at the living creatures1 behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures1 toward their four faces4 ,the appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a chrysolite3 and they four had one likeness3 and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel4 ,when they went1 they went upon their four sides3 they turned not when they went4 ,as for their rims1 they were high and dreadful2 and their rims were full of eyes round about them four4 ,and when the living creatures went1 the wheels went beside them3 and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth1 the wheels were lifted up4 ,whithersoever the spirit was to go1 they went1 thither would their spirit to go2 and the wheels were lifted up over against them3 for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels4 ,when those went1 these went2 and when those stood1 these stood2 and when those were lifted up from the earth1 the wheels were lifted up over against them3 for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels4 ,and there was the likeness of an expanse upon the heads of the living creature as the colour of the terrible crystal1 stretched forth over their heads above4 ,and under the expanse their wings straight1 the one toward the other3 every one had two1 which covered on this side1 and every one had two1 which covered on that side their bodies4 ,and when they went1 ,i heard the noise of their wings1 like the noise of great waters1 as the voice of the ,almighty1 a tumultous voice1 as the noise of an host3 when they stood1 they let down their wings4 ,and there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads1 when they stood1 they let down their wings4 ,and above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne1 as the appearance of a sapphire stone3 and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it4 ,and ,i saw as the look of glowing brass1 as the appearance of fire round about within it1 from the appearance of his loins even upward1 and from the appearance of his loins even downward1 ,i saw as it were the appearance of fire1 and it had brightness round about4 ,as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain1 so was the appearance of the brightness round about4 ,this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the ,lord4 ,and when ,i saw it1 ,i fell upon my face1 and ,i heard a voice of one that spake4 ,ezekiel describes the vision of ,god which he saw4 ,it is one of the greatest visions of the ,bible4 ,to explain all in this vision is beyond any expositor4 ,much has been written on it which is extremely fanciful and ridiculous4 ,the vision is mentioned repeatedly in the book4 ,in the tenth chapter we meet it again4 ,in chapter xi3#bb-bc the prophet beholds the cherubim and the wheels and the glory of the ,lord ,god above them4 ,the glory of ,jehovah is seen departing from ,jerusalem by way of the mountain which is on the east side of the city 7the ,mount of ,olives74 ,the last time this great vision is mentioned is in chapter xliii4 ,and behold1 the ,glory of the ,god of ,israel came from the way of the ,east2 and ,his voice was like the voice of many waters2 and the earth was lit up with ,his glory4 ,and the appearance of the vision that ,i saw was according to the vision that ,i had seen when ,i came to destroy the city2 and the visions were like the vision that ,i saw by the river ,chebar1 and ,i fell upon my face 7verses #b-d74 ,we learn therefore that the vision ,ezekiel had was the vision of the glory of ,jehovah4 ,this much is clear4 ,the first chapter confirms this1 for at the end of the vision the statement is made3 ,this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of ,jehovah 7i3#bh74 ,that it meant judgment upon the unfaithful city is learned from the tenth chapter1 where one is commanded to take coals of fire from between the cherubim and to scatter them over the city 7compare this with ,rev4 viii3#e74 ,then the ,glory of ,jehovah1 ,ezekiel had seen1 departed from the city4 ,it left ,jerusalem and the land by the ,east 7chapter xi3#bb-bc74 ,ultimately that glory will return and cover the land once more 7chapter xliii3#b-d74 ,the vision was seen coming from the ,north4 ,this is generally applied to mean the threatened judgment against ,judea from ,babylon4 ,a storm cloud of divine indignation was about to burst on ,judea out of the ,north1 that is1 from ,babylon4 ,however1 another meaning is more than likely1 inasmuch as ,babylon was not directly north of ,jerusalem4 ,in ,psalm lxxv3#f we read3 ,for promotion cometh neither from the ,east1 nor from the ,west1 nor from the ,south4 ,it is from the ,north1 that is from above1 that promotion1 or help comes4 ,in ,isaiah xiv3#ac the ,north is also given as the place of the throne of ,god4 ,from out of the opened heavens from above1 this great vision was sweeping before the eyes of the priest-prophet4 ,the whirlwind1 the cloud and the fire ,ezekiel beholds first of all are symbols of the divine glory and often mentioned in connection with ,his manifestation4 ,the ,lord repeatedly appeared in a cloud4 ,he led ,his people by a pillar of cloud and of fire4 ,sinai was enveloped in a thick cloud and ,jehovah descended upon it in fire4 ,david in describing a theophany mentions the wind1 clouds and fire 7,ps4 xviii3#h-ac74 ,read also ,habakkuk's great vision 7,hab4 iii74 ,the whirlwind symbolizes ,jehovah's indignation4 ,jeremiah had announced the coming judgment under the figure of the wind 7,jere4 iv3#ab-ac74 ,all ,ezekiel saw as he looked up indicated the presence of the ,god of ,israel and ,his glory1 ready to deal in judgment with ,his unfaithful people4 ,then the vision unfolds itself4 ,first the living creatures are seen4 ,the tenth chapter calls them by the name of cherubim4 ,they are the same beings as described in ,revelation iv3#f-i4 ,the cherubim are not symbolical figures but real beings1 for they are called living creatures4 ,they are not angels but belong to another class4 ,four cherubim ,ezekiel beheld with faces of the lion1 the ox1 the eagle and the face of man4 ,their position is beneath the ,throne4 ,but while they had these four faces 7representing ,god's creation7 they had the likeness of a man4 ,the likeness of a man as mentioned in ,ezekiel's vision is significant4 ,first1 the cherubim had the likeness of a man 7verse #e74 ,then the hands of a man were seen under their wings 7verse #h74 ,when ,ezekiel beheld the throne itself1 the throne of ,god1 he saw upon the throne the likeness as the appearance of a man4 ,and this man upon the throne was enshrouded in glory1 with the rainbow about him4 ,and ,i saw as the color of amber1 as the appearance of fire round about within it1 from the appearance of his loins even upward1 and from the appearance of his loins even downward1 ,i saw as it were the appearance of fire1 and it had brightness round about4 ,as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain1 so was the appearance of the brightness round about 7verse #bg-bh74 ,that all this anticipates the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and ,his exaltation upon the throne1 government and judgment being given into ,his hands1 who is the glorified ,man1 cannot be questioned4 ,the application of the faces of the cherubim to the fourfold character of our ,lord as ,king1 ,servant1 ,man and ,son of ,god is well known4 ,however1 judgment in the government of ,god is in ,ezekiel's vision the leading reason of the prominence of these celestial beings4 ,they occupy the same position in the last book of the ,bible1 the book of ,revelation4 ,when the ,lamb opens the first four seals1 one of the cherubim speaks4 ,these seals are judgments4 ,in ,rev4 xv3#g one of these living creatures hands to the seven judgment angels the seven vials in which the wrath of ,god is completed4 ,and one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of ,god1 who liveth forever and ever4 ,in this solemn capacity they appear in ,ezekiel's vision as the attendants of ,jehovah's chariot and ,jehovah's throne1 which ,ezekiel beholds above the expanse above their heads4 ,all indicates that this is the right interpretation4 ,for instance1 verse #ac4 ,there we read of coals of fire1 as they appeared2 lamps1 or as it ought to be rendered1 flaming torches1 and out of the bright fire came forth lightning4 ,these are all symbols of judgment4 ,and the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning 7verse #ad74 ,it denotes the swiftness of the threatened judgment4 ,and then the wheels and their work1 the wheels in which there was the spirit of these beings1 their rims 7not rings7 full of eyes1 the orderly movements of these wheels under the direction of the spirit1 is seen in this vision4 ,much has been made of this4 ,the most ridiculous interpretation was made several years ago when some teacher declared that ,ezekiel had the vision of an--airship6 ,the wheels are the wheels of the chariot upon which rests the throne of ,god4 ,they are representing the purposes of ,god in ,his inerrant governmental dealings with the earth4 ,god controls it all and ,his ,spirit directs every movement4 ,intelligence1 strength1 stability1 and swiftness in judgment1 and1 withal1 the movement of the whole course of earthly events1 depended on the throne4 ,this living energy animated the whole4 ,the cherubic supporters of the throne1 full of eyes themselves1 moved by it2 the wheels of ,god's government moved by the same spirit1 and went straight forward4 ,all was subservient to the will and purpose of ,him who sat on the throne judging right4 ,majesty1 government and providence united to form the throne of ,his glory4 ,but all the instruments of ,his glory were below the firmament2 ,he whom they glorified was above4#b #b ,synopsis ,j4 ,n4 ,d4 ,that the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain is mentioned in connection with the ,throne itself and mentioned last in the vision has a blessed meaning4 ,it reminds us of ,genesis ix3#ac-af4 ,i do set ,my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of my covenant between ,me and the earth4 ,and it shall come to pass1 when ,i bring a cloud over the earth that the bow shall be seen in the cloud4444 ,and the bow shall be in the cloud2 and ,i will look upon it1 that ,i may remember the everlasting covenant between ,god and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth4 ,the judgment by water was past1 and upon the dark storm-cloud1 which had retreated1 the beautiful bow1 the sign of ,god's mercy1 appeared4 ,god always remembers mercy in ,his wrath4 ,israel's hour of judgment had come1 but the bow about the throne promised mercy to ,his people according to ,his everlasting covenant4 ,judgment-vision and predictions of judgment stand first in ,ezekiel's prophecy2 mercy1 restoration and glory are revealed after the storm-cloud has passed4 ,thus ,ezekiel beheld the ,glory of ,jehovah as ,he himself was commissioned by the ,word of ,jehovah to make it known to the people4 ,chapter ii-iii3#ad4 ,i4 ,ezekiel's ,commission4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 stand upon thy feet1 and ,i will speak unto thee4 ,and the ,spirit entered into me when he spake unto me1 and set me upon my feet1 that ,i heard him that spake unto me4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 ,i send thee to the children of ,israel1 to rebellious nations which have rebelled against me3 they and their fathers have transgressed against me1 unto this very day4 ,for they are impudent and hard hearted4 ,i do send thee unto them2 and thou shalt say unto them1 ,thus saith ,the ,lord ,jehovah4 ,and they1 whether they will hear1 or whether they will forbear 7for they are a rebellious house71 yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them4 ,and thou1 son of man1 be not afraid of them1 neither be afraid of their words1 though briers and thorns be with thee1 and thou dost dwell among scorpions3 be not afraid of their words1 nor be dismayed at their looks1 though they be a rebellious house4 ,and thou shalt speak my words unto them1 whether they will hear or whether they will forbear3 for they are most rebellious4 ,but thou1 son of man1 hear what ,i say unto thee2 ,be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house3 open thy mouth1 and eat that ,i give thee 7chapter ii3#a-h74 ,the great vision left ,ezekiel prostrate upon his face4 ,he was affected by it in the same way as ,daniel and others were4 ,then the voice spoke4 ,it was not one of the ,cherubim whose voice the ,prophet heard4 ,the ,cherubim speak in the book of ,revelation2 in ,ezekiel they are silent4 ,it was ,jehovah ,himself1 who in the vision appeared in the likeness of a man1 and addressed ,ezekiel4 ,jehovah addressed him as ,son of ,man4 ,this title is found exactly one hundred times in the book4 ,only ,daniel1 besides ,ezekiel1 is called by that name in the ,old ,testament 7,dan4 viii3#ag74 ,our ,lord called ,himself by that title4 ,eighty-six times we find ,him using this title of ,himself1 as the rejected ,one4 ,in ,suffering1 in ,exaltation1 in ,glory and in ,his ,second ,coming ,he is the the ,son of ,man4 ,ezekiel passed through much suffering4 ,as we shall find in our exposition he had to bear in his person symbolically what was to come upon the nation4 ,suffering and shame was connected with it which he endured and despised4 ,he must have1 therefore1 been called by the title ,son of ,man1 because he is a type of the rejected ,messiah1 who took ,israel's sin and shame upon ,himself4 ,the voice commanded that the ,prophet was to stand upon his feet1 and ,he1 who spoke the word supplied the power to do it4 ,and the ,spirit entered into me when ,he spoke unto me4 ,thus the ,spirit and the ,word are intimately connected4 ,after the ,spirit had entered into him the ,prophet distinguished the words which ,jehovah spoke1 and ,i heard ,him that spake unto me4 ,hearing and knowing the ,word is made possible by the ,spirit4 ,then ,ezekiel received his commission4 ,a comparison with ,isaiah's and ,jeremiah's commission shows them to be like ,ezekiel's4 ,isaiah had a great vision4 ,he too saw the ,lord of ,glory and the ,seraphim1 which differ from the ,cherubim1 crying their three-fold ,holy4 ,then follows the effect upon him1 and the commission4 ,and ,he said1 ,go1 and tell this people1 ,hear ye indeed1 but understand not2 and see ye indeed and perceive not4 ,make the heart of this people fat1 and make their ears heavy1 and shut their eyes2 lest they see with their eyes1 and understand with their heart1 and be converted and healed 7,isaiah vi3#a-aa74 ,he was chosen to pronounce hardening judgments upon the nation4 ,jeremiah had no vision at all2 but he also was chosen to declare unto ,god's people their wicked ways and the impending judgments 7,jeremiah i74 ,and so ,ezekiel4 ,he is sent by ,jehovah to the children of ,israel1 to a rebellious nation4 ,the word used here in ,hebrew for nation is the same1 which has been translated heathen4 ,it is gojim2 indicating that the children of ,israel had sunken as low as the heathen1 who surrounded them4 ,it is noteworthy that the word rebellious and rebelled is found seven times4 ,this had become the leading characteristic of the favored people4 ,they had turned away from ,jehovah and ,his ,word1 and now the time had come when1 ripe for judgment1 ,god was to deal with them4 ,may we think here of that solemn warning given to ,christendom in ,romans xi3#ba3 ,for if ,god spared not the natural branches1 take heed lest ,he also spare not thee4 ,god dealt with ,israel on account of their unbelief and rebellious spirit4 ,and now ,gentile ,christians are plunging into the same unbelief and apostasy2 nominal ,christendom is rebellious4 ,a greater judgment is therefore coming upon ,christendom than that which came upon the rebellious people4 ,to this impudent and hard-hearted people ,ezekiel was sent4 ,the very first thing he was to say to them was that great statement which appears hundreds of times in the ,old ,testament scriptures1 ,thus saith ,jehovah ,god4 ,the sender is ,jehovah-,god2 the commission and the message are from ,him4 ,in the days of the darkest apostasy with judgment about to come1 the ,lord told the prophet to face these conditions and to stand in the midst of the rebellious nation with a positive ,thus saith ,jehovah ,god4 ,he was ,his mouthpiece4 ,such positiveness is demanded to-day4 ,oh6 for men who1 like ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel1 speak to-day the ,word1 ,thus saith ,jehovah ,god4 ,and ,jehovah who calls and sends forth ,his servant gives also assurance and encouragement4 ,he told ,ezekiel not to be afraid of them or of their words4 ,even so the ,lord had encouraged ,jeremiah 7chapter i3#g-h74 ,every servant of the ,lord can rest in this assurance that if he is faithful and obedient the ,lord will strengthen and keep him4 ,speak my words unto them2 not his own words1 but ,jehovah's words4 ,thus he heard the same command1 which is given to the ,lord's servants in the days when sound doctrine is no longer endured3 ,preach the ,word 7#b ,tim4 iv3#a-c74 ,,ii4 ,the ,roll ,eaten and the ,repeated ,commission4 ,and when ,i looked1 behold1 an hand was put forth unto me2 and1 lo1 a roll of a book was therein2 ,and he spread it before me2 and it was written within and without3 and there was written therein lamentations1 and mourning1 and woe4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 eat that thou findest2 eat this roll1 and go speak unto the house of ,israel4 ,so ,i opened my mouth1 and he caused me to eat that roll4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 cause thy belly to eat1 and fill they bowels with this roll that ,i give thee4 ,then did ,i eat it2 and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 go1 get thee unto the house of ,israel1 and speak with my words unto them4 ,for thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language1 but to the house of ,israel2 ,not to any people of a strange speech and of an hard language1 whose words thou canst not understand4 ,surely1 had ,i sent thee to them1 they would have hearkened unto thee4 ,but the house of ,israel will not hearken unto thee2 for they will not hearken unto me3 for all the house of ,israel are impudent and hardhearted4 ,behold1 ,i have made thy face strong against their faces1 and thy forehead strong against their foreheads4 ,as an adamant harder than flint have ,i made thy forehead3 fear them not1 neither be dismayed at their looks1 though they be a rebellious house4 ,moreover he said unto me1 ,son of man1 all my words that ,i shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart1 and hear with thine ears4 ,and go1 get thee to them of the captivity1 unto the children of thy people1 and speak unto them1 and tell them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 whether they will hear1 or whether they will forbear4 ,then the spirit took me up and ,i heard behind me a voice of a great rushing1 saying1 ,blessed be the glory of the ,lord from his place4 ,i heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another1 and the noise of the wheels over against them1 and a noise of a great rushing4 ,so the spirit lifted me up1 and took me away1 and ,i went in bitterness1 in the heat of my spirit2 but the hand of the ,lord was strong upon me 7chapter ii3#i2 iii3#ad74 ,he is commanded to open his mouth and to eat1 after the warning not to be rebellious4 ,he then received a scroll from a hand1 no doubt1 the hand he had seen in the vision4 ,it was written within and without with lamentations1 mourning and awe4 ,he was commanded to eat and it was like honey in his mouth4 ,we are reminded at once of ,zechariah's flying scroll 7,zech4 v3#a-d72 of the scroll written within and on the backside1 sealed with seven seals1 which in ,john's vision the ,lamb of ,god received to open the seals 7,rev4 v and vi72 and of the little book 7or scroll7 which ,john received and ate1 which was sweet in his mouth but bitter in his belly 7,rev4 x3#i-aj74 ,these scrolls have all one meaning4 ,they are symbolical of the ,word itself1 the message of judgment and tribulation which are written therein4 ,all is symbolical and contains many spiritual and helpful lessons4 ,the ,word must be received2 it must be eaten4 ,the prophet obeyed and ate4 ,it was self-surrender and therefore1 though the message he was to bear was a hard message1 it was sweet to him4 ,jeremiah too speaks of a similar experience4 ,when ,thy words were found1 ,i did eat them2 and ,thy ,word was to me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart 7,jer4 xv3#af74 ,no servant of ,god can speak thus unless he receives the ,word1 feeds on it himself1 eats what the ,lord has given and finds out the sweetness of obedience and self-surrender4 ,the ,word to be spoken1 the message to be given1 must come from ,jehovah4 ,i have put my words in thy mouth was spoken to ,jeremiah 7chapter i3#i72 and ,ezekiel makes the same experience4 ,and our ,lord1 the true ,son of ,man1 said that ,his meat and drink was to do the will of ,his ,father4 ,he too fed on ,his ,word and was obedient to it4 ,in ,ezekiel's experience there is a definition of divine inspiration4 ,the prophet received1 accepted1 took it in and then gave it out4 ,son of ,man1 go1 get thee unto the house of ,israel1 and speak with my words unto them4 ,this is inspiration4 ,the ,messages of ,god were given to the prophets in the words of ,god4 ,such is the definition of inspiration in the ,new ,testament4 ,which things also we speak1 saith the ,apostle1 not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth1 but which the ,holy ,spirit teacheth 7#a ,cor4 ii3#ac74 ,may all the ,lord's people receive ,his ,word1 eat ,his ,word1 speak forth ,his ,word and find that it is indeed sweeter than honey and the honeycomb4 ,jehovah predicts failure for the message and the messenger4 ,the house of ,israel will not hearken unto thee2 for they will not hearken unto ,me4 ,it was to make no difference with the prophet4 ,his commission was to speak ,jehovah's words1 whether they heard or not4 ,all this would be branded by our own generation as extremely pessimistic4 ,that the message and the messenger should not be successful is an unpalatable statement to well-meaning and enthusiastic ,christians4 ,yet this very fact is predicted for the last days4 ,the time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine4 ,then the prophet was taken up by the ,spirit4 ,behind him a voice was heard1 ,blessed be the ,glory of ,jehovah from this place4 ,cherubim and wheels are in motion4 ,he is lifted up and ,jehovah's hand was strong upon him4 ,,judgment ,,announced4 ,,four ,,signs ,,and ,,two ,,messages4 ,chapter iii3#ae-vii3#bg4 ,the next section of the ,book of ,ezekiel extends from chapter iii3#ae to the close of the seventh chapter4 ,here we find that the ,lord laid upon the ,prophet the great responsibilities as the watchman over the house of ,israel and gave him the message4 ,then the ,prophet had to enact four signs4 ,the signs of the tile upon which he pictured ,jerusalem 7iv3#a-c72 the sign of the ,prophet's posture1 laying #cij days upon his left side and forty days on his right and prophesying during this time against the doomed city 7verses #d-h72 the sign of the food he was to eat1 and its preparation2 this covers the same period of #cij days 7verses #i-ag72 the last sign was that of shaving the hair from head and face1 and dividing it into three parts4 ,this fourth sign 7chapter v7 is minutely explained and symbolizes like the other signs the judgments against ,jerusalem4 ,two solemn messages of denunciations close this section1 the first message predicts the sword to fall upon the land and the people and their subsequent dispersion 7chapter vi74 ,the second message predicts the end which was to come upon the four corners of the land4 ,the great desolation is described in a marvellous way4 ,the seventh chapter1 which contains this second message is one of the sublimest in the book4 ,both messages end in the same way3 ,and they shall know that ,i am ,jehovah4 ,chapter iii3#ae-bg4 ,i4 ,the new charge and ,ezekiel's new experience4 ,then ,i came to them of the captivity at ,tel-abib1 that dwelt by the river of ,chebar1 and ,i sat where they sat1 and remained there astonished among them seven days4 ,and it came to pass at the end of seven days1 that the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 ,i have made thee a watchman unto the house of ,israel3 therefore hear the word at my mouth1 and give them warning from me4 ,when ,i say unto the wicked1 ,thou shalt surely die2 and thou givest him not warning1 nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way1 to save his life2 the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity2 but his blood will ,i require at thine hand4 ,yet if thou warn the wicked1 and he turn not from his wickedness1 nor from his wicked way1 he shall die in his iniquity2 but thou hast delivered thy soul4 ,again1 ,when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness1 and commit iniquity1 and ,i lay a stumbling-block before him1 he shall die3 because thou hast not given him warning1 he shall die in his sin1 and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered2 but his blood will ,i require at thine hand4 ,nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man1 that the righteous sin not1 and he doth not sin1 he shall surely live1 because he is warned2 also thou hast delivered thy soul4 ,and the hand of the ,lord was there upon me2 and he said unto me1 ,arise go forth into the plain1 and ,i will there talk with thee4 ,then ,i arose1 and went forth into the plain3 and1 behold1 the glory of the ,lord stood there1 as the glory which ,i saw by the river of ,chebar3 and ,i fell on my face4 ,then the spirit entered into me1 and set me upon my feet1 and spake with me1 and said unto me1 ,go1 shut thyself within thine house4 ,but thou1 ,o son of man1 behold1 they shall put bands upon thee1 and shall bind thee with them1 and thou shalt not go out among them3 ,and ,i will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth1 that thou shalt be dumb1 and shalt not be to them a reprover3 for they are a rebellious house4 ,but when ,i speak with thee1 ,i will open thy mouth1 and thou shalt say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,he that heareth1 let him hear2 and he that forbeareth1 let him forbear3 for they are a rebellious house 7chapter iii3 #ae-bg74 ,the ,prophet had been transported from the place mentioned in chapter i3#a to ,tel-abib1 which was also on the river ,chebar4 ,here a number of captives dwelt4 ,for seven days he sat in their presence astonished and did not open his lips4 ,was it their sad condition1 or the knowledge of their rebellious spirit1 or the threatening judgments which produced this silence8 ,most likely these things filled the ,priest-,prophet with unspeakable sorrow and sadness1 so that he could not find words4 ,and the captives must have read the burden of his soul in his countenance4 ,the scene reminds us of ,job and his three friends1 who sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights1 and none spoke a word unto him1 for they saw that his grief was very great 7,job ii3#ac74 ,job broke the silence by cursing his day4 ,but the silence of ,ezekiel's seven days was broken by the ,lord ,himself4 ,he addressed the ,prophet and told him that ,he had made him a watchman unto the house of ,israel4 ,his duty and responsibility in that capacity was twofold2 first to hear the ,lord's ,word from ,his own lips1 then to give the warning from ,him4 ,warning is the important call of a watchman 7chapter xxxiii3#b1 #f1 #g2 ,isaiah lii3#h2 lvi3#aj2 ,jer4 vi3#ag74 ,if the appointed watchman does not hear the ,word as it comes from ,jehovah1 he cannot sound the alarm4 ,the false prophets in ,israel1 who did not warn the people1 but said1 ,peace1 peace6 when there was no peace1 followed their own dreams instead of the ,word4 ,they did not believe the solemn messages ,god had given through former prophets4 ,that was the curse among the professing people of ,god then4 ,it produced a false security1 decline and apostasy2 it hastened the impending judgments of ,god4 ,it is the curse to-day in the professing church4 ,his ,word is rejected4 ,the solemn truths concerning judgment to come upon an ungodly age and apostate church are not heeded and mostly rejected4 ,the man who sounds the warning and stands by the declarations of ,god's ,word is as unpopular with the people to-day as ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel were in their days4 ,the ,prophet was commissioned not to warn the nation as such1 but to warn individuals4 ,the wicked and the righteous are mentioned and the ,prophet's responsibility in delivering the message4 ,if he does not warn the wicked to turn from his wicked way to save his life1 his blood will be required from his hands4 ,if he is faithful and the wicked does not hear the warning1 the wicked shall die1 but the faithful messenger delivers his own soul4 ,and so with the righteous1 who turns from his righteous acts and commits iniquity4 ,he is threatened with death2 but if he sins not and is warned he shall live4 ,after hearing the warning ,word each is to bear the consequences of his own conduct4 ,the nation as such was rebellious4 ,its doom could not be averted4 ,yet ,god in ,his long-suffering still gave the individual an opportunity to escape the threatening judgment1 that by hearing the ,word he might live4 ,this gracious offer concerned the wicked4 ,the righteous one in ,israel1 who obeyed the law and did acts of righteousness had to continue in obedience2 if he failed in the midst of the great national crisis when judgment was about to fall1 his former righteous deeds could not save his life4 ,he also would be swept away and die in his sins4 ,the first part of the third chapter reveals the hardened condition of the nation2 there was no remedy4 ,the second part reveals the possibility of the deliverance of all who harkened to the divine warning and turned from their evil ways4 ,the passage1 as well as the corresponding one in chapter xxxiii3#a-bj1 has been often used in the defence of what is termed falling from ,grace1 that a true believer1 who is saved by ,grace1 may by sinning become unsaved again and then perish in his sins like the wicked4 ,the words fallen from ,grace are found only once in the ,bible1 that is in ,gal4 v3#d4 ,the context shows what they mean4 ,if a believer goes to the law to be justified before ,god1 if he tries by his own works1 and by ordinances1 to be righteous before ,god1 he abandons the ground of ,grace4 ,the dispensation in which we live is the dispensation of ,grace2 ,grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 7,rom4 v3#ba74 ,the message delivered by ,god to ,ezekiel is in fullest keeping with the character of the law-covenant1 though ,grace is also manifested in it4 ,righteousness has not the meaning here as in the ,new ,testament4 ,we are constituted righteous by faith in ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is now not the question of doing righteous deeds in order to be saved and live4 ,we are saved by ,grace through faith4 ,now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned as of grace but as of debt4 ,but to him that worketh not1 but believeth on ,him1 who justifieth the ungodly1 his faith is reckoned for righteousness 7,romans iv3#d74 ,and he who is justified by faith has peace with ,god4 ,the true believer may sin1 but he does not deliberately practice and live in sin1 for he that is born of ,god doth not commit 7practice7 sin 7#a ,john iii3#i74 ,if he falls in sin a gracious provision is made4 ,we have an ,advocate with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ the righteous1 and therefore we can confess our sins2 forgiveness and cleansing follow according to the divine promise 7#a ,john i3#i2 ii3#a-b74c #c ,the responsibility of ,ezekiel in delivering the message was great4 ,every servant of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ with a far greater message than ,ezekiel's should also feel that responsibility4 ,if it were felt more1 there would be more earnestness1 more prayer and greater results4 ,after this solemn charge the hand of the ,lord rested upon ,ezekiel and he was commanded to go into the plain1 where ,jehovah would talk with him4 ,he obeyed and beheld again the ,glory of the ,lord1 which he had seen by the river of ,chebar4 ,once more he fell on his face4 ,then the ,spirit entered into him and said unto him3 ,go1 shut thyself within thy house4 ,he had no opportunity to exercise his office as watchman and deliver the warning message4 ,immediately after the charge he was commanded to separate himself from the captives and then became a prisoner in his house4 ,but more than that4 ,they were to put bands upon him and bind him with them4 ,does this mean that the people would bind him so that he could not leave the house8 ,it probably meant the opposite4 ,he was to shut himself in the house and they came with bands and bound him1 to get him out of the house by force4 ,but he was not to go among them4 ,then ,god ,himself made the ,prophet dumb4 ,and ,i will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth1 that thou shalt be dumb1 and shalt not be to them a reprover1 for they are a rebellious house 7verses #be-bf74 ,first he was to be bound so that he could not go amongst them1 and then ,god ,himself would make him dumb so that he could not reprove the people4 ,different suggestions have been made about the meaning of the condition in which the ,prophet was put4 ,some have even declared that there is a contradiction in all this1 in view of verses #af-ba1 while rationalistic expositors think that the ,prophet suffered from some nervous disorder which deprived him temporarily of the power of speech4 ,that the ,prophet was unfitted by ,god to go amongst the people and deliver the message in public was a testimony against the nation4 ,they were beyond hope1 therefore1 on account of their rebelliousness2 he was not to be a reprover to them4 ,it witnessed to the fact that judgment upon the nation could not now be arrested4 ,and yet his dumbness was not complete nor constant4 ,the last verse of the chapter makes this clear4 ,but when ,i speak with thee1 ,i will open thy mouth1 and thou shalt say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 he that heareth let him hear2 and he that forbeareth1 let him forbear2 for they are a rebellious house4 ,thus the ,prophet was completely cast upon ,jehovah4 ,jehovah directed him in being silent or in uttering ,his message4 ,blessed are all servants of the ,lord1 who know the same path of dependence and who declare the ,word of the ,lord1 ,thus saith the ,lord1 whenever they speak4 ,the ,prophet's mouth was opened completely and his power of speech permanently restored after ,jerusalem had fallen4 ,and it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity1 in the tenth day1 in the fifth day of the month1 that all that had escaped out of ,jerusalem came unto me1 saying1 the city is smitten4 ,now the hand of the ,lord was upon me in the evening1 before he that escaped came2 and had opened my mouth1 until he came to me in the morning2 and my mouth was opened1 and ,i was no more dumb 7chapter xxxiii3#ba-bb74 ,this had been previously announced4 ,in that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped1 and thou shalt speak1 and be no more dumb2 and thou shalt be a sign unto them1 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7chapter xxiv3#bg74 ,thus ,ezekiel's dumbness was a sign to the nation2 the sign of ,god's displeasure and the coming judgment upon ,jerusalem4 ,,the ,,four ,,symbolical ,,signs4 ,chapters iv and v4 ,the divine predictions of the impending doom for ,jerusalem was not believed by the exiles4 ,the messages of the false prophets who moved among them encouraged the rebellious spirit and therefore the threatened disaster was thought incredible by the captives4 ,the mission of ,ezekiel was to dispel the false hope of a speedy return to the land4 ,after he had received his solemn commission and the message he was to deliver to the rebellious people1 he is commanded to enact four signs1 which were to teach the captives that which would speedily come upon their beloved city ,jerusalem4 ,i4 ,the ,sign of the ,tile4 ,the first symbolical sign is that of the tile1 which the ,prophet was to use to picture the coming siege of ,jerusalem4 ,thou also1 son of man1 take thee a brick1 and lay it before thee1 and portray upon it the city1 ,jerusalem2 ,and lay siege against it1 and build forts against it1 and cast a mound against it2 set the camps also against it1 and set battering-rams against it round about4 ,moreover take thou unto thee an iron plate1 and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city2 and set thy face against it1 and it shall be besieged1 and thou shalt lay siege against it4 ,this shall be a sign to the house of ,israel 7verses #a-c74 ,the word translated tile means a brick4 ,the ,babylonians used clay bricks to keep their records2 whole libraries consisting of a very large number of such bricks have been uncovered by the spade of the excavator4 ,these bricks were almost square1 fourteen by twelve inches4 ,many have been found which have engraven upon them various building plans and astrological figures4 ,such a brick ,ezekiel was commanded to take and draw upon the soft clay surface a city1 which was to represent ,jerusalem4 ,the second verse shows ,jerusalem in the state of siege4 ,the coming calamity was vividly pictured in this first sign4 ,the ,prophet was also to take an iron pan 7literally3 plate7 and use it for a wall of iron between him and the city and set his face against it4 ,in all this the ,prophet was to show ,jehovah's action against ,jerusalem4 ,he impersonated ,jehovah in laying siege against it in marking the clay brick and raising the iron-plate between himself and the city4 ,in connection with the latter sign we may well think of ,isaiah lix3#b3 ,your iniquities have separated between you and your ,god4 ,thus in this first sign the certainty of the successful siege of ,jerusalem by the ,chaldeans was set forth in plain view of the captives4 ,yet they heard not and continued their foolish dreams and believed rather the false prophets4 ,god has everywhere set forth in ,his ,word coming judgments4 ,our age1 so self-secure and boasting in many of its godless achievements1 will end in a great judgment-catastrophe4 ,every portion of ,god's ,word testifies of this fact4 ,god will fulfil the prophecies of ,his servants the prophets4 ,the past fulfilment of ,god's threatened judgments vouch for the literal fulfilment of those still future4 ,yet our blinded age 7#b ,cor4 iv3#d7 heeds it not4 ,more than ever they say1 ,peace and safety1 and ridicule ,god's message and ,god's messengers1 who give a faithful warning4 ,,ii4 ,the ,sign of the ,prophet's ,physical ,position4 ,while in the first sign ,jehovah's action against ,jerusalem was pictured1 in the next signs a portrayal is given of the punishments which should come upon the people4 ,the ,prophet's divinely commanded actions witnessed beforehand what should come upon the disobedient1 rebellious nation4 ,in his own person ,ezekiel had to taste the great degradation and judgment which was about to become the portion of the people4 ,lie thou also upon thy left side1 and lay the iniquity of the house of ,israel upon it3 according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity4 ,for ,i have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity1 according to the number of the days1 three hundred and ninety days3 so shalt thou bear them1 lie again on thy right side1 and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of ,israel4 ,and when thou hast accomplished them1 lie again on the right side1 and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of ,judah forty days3 ,i have appointed thee each day for a year4 ,therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of ,jerusalem1 and thine arm shall be uncovered1 and thou shalt prophesy against it4 ,and1 behold1 ,i will lay bands upon thee1 and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another till thou hast ended the days of thy siege 7verses #d-h74 ,expositors and critics have interpreted this and the other signs in various ways4 ,higher ,criticism maintains that the whole description is purely ideal and that the ,prophet never did in person what was asked of him4 ,they point to the fact that nowhere is a statement made that he did these things4 ,we quote from the ,expositor's ,bible3 ,it is clear that these signs could never have been enacted1 either in view of the people or in solitude1 as they are here described4 ,it may be doubted whether the whole description is not purely ideal1 representing a process which passed through the prophet's mind1 or was suggested to him in the visionary state but never actually performed4 ,other critics have tried to explain the ,prophet's actions by some kind of a catalepsy1 from which1 they claim1 he suffered4 ,all these theories are pure inventions1 springing from a denial of inspiration4 ,they make much of the physical impossibility of this command to lie continuously for #cij days on the left side and for #dj days on the right side4 ,but it does not say that the ,prophet should be in that position day and night during that allotted time4 ,the fact that he was to prepare food to eat during these days excludes this extreme view4 ,the ,prophet no doubt carried out the divine command as he understood it1 and thereby gave the people a sign concerning their iniquity and the deserved punishment4 ,but what do the #cij days of ,israel and #dj days of ,judah mean8 ,the text shows that the days here mean years4#d ,the #cij and #dj days make #dcj days4 ,this reminds us of ,exodus xii3#dj-da1 where the sojourning of the children of ,israel who dwelt in ,egypt is given as #dcj years4 ,the #dj years of ,judah recall the years of wandering in the wilderness4 ,the #cij days apply to the period of ,israel's unfaithfulness1 which lead up to their punishment4 ,these #cij years must be reckoned from ,jeroboam1 who was the first ,king of the house of ,israel by divine appointment as revealed through ,ahijah1 the ,prophet 7#a ,kings xi3#ca74 ,the #dj years of ,judah1 for which ,ezekiel was to lie upon his right side for #dj days must mean the #dj years of ,solomon's reign4 ,solomon went after ,ashtoreth1 the vile goddess of the ,zidonians4 ,judah worshipped besides ,ashtoreth1 ,chemosh1 the god of the ,moabites and ,milcom1 the god of ,ammon 7#a ,kings xi3#cc74 ,thus the captives were reminded by the ,prophet's painful position of the shameful history of the long years of apostasy of their nation4 ,but more than that4 ,the ,lord said expressly to ,ezekiel3 ,i have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity 444 so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of ,israel4 ,by consulting other passages in the ,old ,testament1 especially in ,exodus and ,leviticus1#e it will be found that the phrase bear their iniquity always means to endure the punishment due to sin or iniquity4 ,ezekiel's sign therefore pictured the actual results in punishment1 which was now to fall upon the people for their sins4 ,the #cij years and the #dj years therefore must be primarily applied to the period of their punishment4 ,the ,prophet1 therefore1 had put upon him suffering typical of the nation's punishment4 ,he is in this a blessed type of the great ,sinbearer1 who bore our sins in ,his own body on the tree4 ,of ,him it is written1 ,he shall bear their iniquities4 ,and the believing remnant of ,israel in a future day1 looking upon ,him1 whom they pierced1 will yet confess ,he was wounded for our transgressions1 ,he was bruised for our iniquities2 the chastisement of our peace was upon ,him and with ,his stripes we are healed 7,isaiah liii3#e74 #d ,some have concluded on account of this passage1 that throughout the prophetic word wherever days are mentioned1 they mean years4 ,this is incorrect4 ,the year-day theory is not a scriptural one4 ,where we find days1 it means days unless the text itself1 as it is here in ,ezekiel1 explains the days as years4 #e ,exod4 xxviii3#ch-dc2 ,lev4 v3#a1 #ag1 vii3#h1 x3#ag1 etc4 ,,iii4 ,the ,sign of the ,famine and the ,defiled ,bread4 ,the siege of ,jerusalem had been portrayed in the tile sign2 the hardships in divine judgments in the second and the third sign describes additional punishments to come upon ,jerusalem4 ,take thou also unto thee wheat1 and barley1 and beans1 and lentils1 and millet1 and spelt1 and put them in one vessel1 and make thee bread thereof1 according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side1 three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof4 ,and thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight1 twenty shekels a day3 from time to time shall thou eat it4 ,thou shalt drink also water by measure1 the sixth part of an hin3 from time to time shalt thou drink4 ,and thou shalt eat it as barley cakes1 and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man1 in their sight4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,even thus shall the children of ,israel eat their defiled bread among the ,gentiles1 whither ,i will drive them 7verses #i-ac74 ,then the ,priest-,prophet1 horrified at the defilement he was to be subjected to1 spoke to ,jehovah and received an answer from ,him granting his request and giving further instructions about the sign4 ,then said ,i1 ,ah1 ,lord ,god6 behold1 my soul hath not been polluted3 for from my youth up even till now have ,i not eaten of that which dieth of itself1 or is torn in pieces2 neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth4 ,then he said unto me1 ,lo1 ,i have given thee cow's dung for man's dung1 and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith4 ,moreover he said unto me1 ,son of man1 behold1 ,i will break the staff of bread in ,jerusalem3 and they shall eat bread by weight1 and with care2 and they shall drink water by measure1 and with astonishment3 ,that they may want bread and water1 and be astonished one with another1 and consume away for their iniquity 7verses #ad-ag74 ,this sign then shows the horrors of the siege of ,jerusalem and what was to come upon the people during the period of their punishment4 ,the wheat1 barley1 beans1 lentils1 millet and fitches#f were to be put into one vessel1 because a little of each was available4 ,to eat things by weight and not to be satisfied with it1 was announced through ,moses as one of the threatened judgments4 ,and when ,i have broken the staff of your bread1 ten women shall bake your bread in one oven1 and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight2 and ye shall eat and not be satisfied 7,lev4 xxvi3#bf74 ,the sign meant famine as the ,lord told ,ezekiel 7verse #af74 #f ,or spelt1 a kind of corn4 ,then uncleanness1 defilement1 is added4 ,the famine stands connected with the siege1 the defilement refers more to that1 which was to come upon them in their captivity among the ,gentiles4 ,it pictured the unclean religious conditions into which the people were to be plunged during the exile4 ,even thus shall the children of ,israel eat their defiled bread among the ,gentiles1 whither ,i will drive them4 ,the same judgment was announced by ,hosea4 ,they shall not dwell in the ,lord's land2 but ,ephraim shall return to ,egypt1 and they shall eat unclean things in ,assyria4 ,they shall not offer wine to the ,lord1 neither shall they be pleasing unto ,him2 their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners2 all that eat thereof shall be polluted 7,hosea ix3#c-d74 ,and ,ezekiel baked the bread in the prescribed way1 while no doubt1 the captives looked on in horror1 that a ,priest like ,ezekiel could act thus4 ,the sign found its fulfillment4 ,god's predicted judgments were always literally fulfilled4 ,god means what ,he has declared in ,his ,word4 ,the future will yet witness to it4 ,,iv4 ,the ,sign of the ,shaving of the ,head and the ,face4 ,and thou1 son of man1 take thee a sharp knife1 take thee a barber's razor1 and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard3 then take thee balances to weigh1 and divide the hair4 ,thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city1 when the days of the siege are fulfilled3 and thou shalt take a third part1 and smite about it with a knife3 and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind2 and ,i will draw out a sword after them4 ,thou shalt also take thereof a few in number1 and bind them in thy skirts4 ,then take of them again1 and cast them into the midst of the fire1 and burn them in the fire2 for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of ,israel 7chapter v3#a-d74 ,in this final sign we have the symbol of what was to befall the nation as such4 ,through the ,prophet ,isaiah a prediction had been given concerning the ,king of ,assyria1 which explains the meaning of the sharp knife4 ,in the same day shalt the ,lord shave with a razor that is hired1 namely1 by them beyond the river1 by the ,king of ,assyria1 the head1 and the hair of the feet1 and it shall also consume the beard 7,isa4 vii3#bj74 ,the sharp knife#g represents in ,ezekiel's sign the ,king of ,babylon4 ,he was ,jehovah's instrument executing ,his wrath4 ,the people are represented by the hairs4 ,the sharp knife1 the sword of justice1 was to cut them off4 ,the third part of the hair burned with fire pictured the fate of a part of the people during the siege4 ,besides the fire1 the pestilence and the famine were to consume them 7verse #ab74 ,another part was to be destroyed by the sword round about ,jerusalem1 while still another part should be scattered unto all the winds1 that is dispersed among the ,gentiles1 where the sword would also follow the fugitives4 ,only a few in number1 a small remnant were to be preserved which was symbolically enacted when ,ezekiel took a few hairs and bound them in his skirt4 ,but even some of them should be put into the fire4 ,such a remnant1 saved and preserved and ultimately blessed1 is often mentioned in the prophetic ,word4 ,see ,isaiah vi3#ac2 x3#bb2 ,jere4 xxiii3#c2 ,ezek4 vi3#h2 ,zech4 xiii3#h-i4 ,all these judgments came upon the city and upon the nation4 ,a remnant also was saved and in due time returned4 #g ,the literal meaning is sword1 the same as in verse #ab4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,this is ,jerusalem3 ,i have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her4 ,and she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations1 and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her3 for they have refused my judgments and my statutes1 they have not walked in them4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god1 ,because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you1 and have not walked in my statutes1 neither have kept my judgments1 neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you2 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i1 even ,i1 am against thee1 and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations4 ,and ,i will do in thee that which ,i have not done1 and whereunto ,i will not do any more the like1 because of all thine abominations4 ,therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee1 and the sons shall eat their fathers2 and ,i will execute judgments in thee1 and the whole remnant of thee will ,i scatter into all the winds4 ,wherefore1 as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god2 ,surely1 because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things1 and with all thine abominations1 therefore will ,i also diminish thee2 neither shall mine eye spare1 neither will ,i have any pity4 ,a third part of thee shall die with the pestilence1 and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee2 and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee2 and ,i will scatter a third part into all the winds1 and ,i will draw out a sword after them4 ,thus shall mine anger be accomplished1 and ,i will cause my fury to rest upon them1 and ,i will be comforted3 and they shall know that ,i1 the ,lord1 have spoken it in my zeal1 when ,i have accomplished my fury in them4 ,moreover ,i will make thee waste1 and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee1 in the sight of all that pass by4 ,so it shall be a reproach and a taunt1 an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee1 when ,i shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes4 ,i1 the ,lord1 have spoken it4 ,when ,i shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine1 which shall be for their destruction1 and which ,i will send to destroy you3 and ,i will increase the famine upon you1 and will break your staff of bread3 ,so will ,i send upon you famine and evil beasts1 and they shall bereave thee2 and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee3 and ,i will bring the sword upon thee4 ,i1 the ,lord1 have spoken it 7verses #e-ag74 ,after these few signs had announced to the captives what was to come upon the city and upon the people1 ,jehovah begins to speak4 ,the solemn words we have quoted need but little comment4 ,he speaks of ,jerusalem's exalted place1 her wickedness1 which had become greater than that of the nations1 her disobedience and her judgments4 ,one must read the ,lamentations of ,jeremiah to find how all was fulfilled in the final overthrow of ,jerusalem4 ,compare verse #aj with ,lament4 iv3#aj4 ,how terrible are the judgments of a righteous and holy ,god6 ,the calamity which fell upon ,jerusalem and the land through the hands of ,nebuchadnezzar was repeated on a more fearful scale in the year #gj1 after the greater ,one than ,ezekiel1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 had given ,his solemn warnings and had wept over the city4 ,and once more will ,jerusalem taste of wrath and judgment in that end of the age1 which is called the great tribulation4 ,and after that the day-break1 when ,jerusalem will rise out of the dust and her history of shame and sorrow will be ended4 ,,the ,,two ,,judgment ,,messages4 ,chapter vi-vii4 ,two judgment messages follow4 ,each message is a direct communication from ,jehovah to the ,prophet4 ,and the ,word of the ,lord came unto me4 ,both messages end in the same way3 ,and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,in the first message the judgment of the whole land is announced4 ,the second message announces the completeness of the judgment4 ,the predicted end is described with its accompanying perplexities and sufferings4 ,i4 ,the ,coming ,judgment against the ,mountains and the ,land4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 set they face toward the mountains of ,israel1 and prophesy against them1 ,and say1 ,ye mountains of ,israel1 hear the word of the ,lord ,god2 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god to the mountains1 and to the hills1 to the rivers1 and to the valleys1 ,behold ,i1 even ,i1 will bring a sword upon you1 and ,i will destroy your high places2 and your altars shall be desolate1 and your images shall be broken2 and ,i will cast down your slain men before your idols4 ,and ,i will lay the dead carcasses of the children of ,israel before their idols2 and ,i will scatter your bones round about your altars4 ,in all your dwelling-places the cities shall be laid waste1 and the high places shall be desolate2 that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate1 and your idols may be broken and cease1 and your images may be cut down1 and your works may be abolished4 ,and the slain shall fall in the midst of you2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7chapter vi3#a-g74 ,the denunciation against the mountains of ,israel stands in the first place4 ,jerusalem was mostly in view in the preceding chapters1 but now the ,lord announces that the whole land is to become desolate through ,his wrath4 ,the mountains of ,israel's land were used as places for idolatry2 they are called the high places4 ,images and shrines were erected upon these heights where the vile and idolatrous worship of heathen gods was practiced4 ,these images were idols dedicated to sun-worship4 ,that ,israel would become idolatrous had been revealed to ,moses1 who also announced the judgment which should ultimately fall upon ,israel for their idolatry4 ,and ,i will destroy your high places1 and cut down your images1 and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols1 and my soul shall abhor you4 ,and ,i will make your cities waste1 and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation1 and ,i will not smell the savor of your sweet odors4 ,and ,i will bring the land into desolation1 and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished4 ,and ,i will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you and your land shall be desolate1 and your cities waste 7,lev4 xxvi3#cj-cc74 ,this remarkable prophetic statement was made to ,moses1 who wrote it hundreds of years before4 ,and now the time for its fulfillment had at last come4 ,god in ,his patience had delayed the judgment1 but when the time had come ,he remembered all that ,moses heard from ,his lips and executed ,his own ,word4 ,a careful comparison of the passage in ,leviticus with verses #c-f of this chapter shows the literal fulfillment4 ,yet will ,i leave a remnant that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations1 when ye shall be scattered through the countries4 ,and they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives1 because ,i shall have broken their whorish heart1 which hath departed from me1 and with their eyes1 which go a whoring after their idols3 and they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations1 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 and that ,i have not said in vain that ,i would do this evil unto them4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,smite with thine hand1 and stamp with thy foot1 and say1 ,alas for all the evil abominations of the house of ,israel6 for they shall fall by the sword1 by the famine1 and by the pestilence4 ,he that is far off shall die of the pestilence2 and he that is near shall fall by the sword2 and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine2 thus will ,i accomplish my fury upon them4 ,then shall ye know that ,i am the ,lord1 when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars1 upon every high hill1 in all the tops of the mountains1 and under every green tree1 and under every thick oak1 the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols4 ,so will ,i stretch out my hand upon them1 and make the land desolate2 yea1 more desolate than the wilderness toward ,diblath1 in all their habitations3 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #h-ad74 ,the ,lord promised that in mercy ,he would leave a remnant4 ,that remnant would acknowledge the evil they had done4 ,they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations4 ,this is the result of ,jehovah's action towards themselves4 ,the words because ,i am broken with their whorish heart are literally translated when ,i shall have broken their whorish heart which has departed from me4 ,no judgment which came upon ,god's peculiar people ever made a complete end of the nation4 ,a remnant always remained and turned to the ,lord4 ,during the greatest and longest judgment which has ever befallen the people ,israel1 their world-wide dispersion in the present age1 there is also a remnant amongst them 7,romans xi3#e74 ,and when ,jehovah resumes ,his dealings with them during the last seven years of the ,times of the ,gentiles1 the time of their greatest trouble1 a remnant will turn to ,him and be converted4 ,that remnant will be carried through the mighty judgments of the end time and receive the blessings and the glory of the promised kingdom4 ,ezekiel was also commanded to smite with his hand and to stamp with his foot4 ,clapping the hands and stamping with the feet may denote exultation 7chapter xxv3#f74 ,but here it is more an outward expression of the vehemence of the judgment4 ,in chapter xxi3#g we read of the ,lord smiting ,his hands4 ,i will also smite mine hands together1 and ,i will cause my fury to rest1 ,i the ,lord have said it4 ,a repetition of the impending judgments forms the conclusion of this first message4 ,chapter vii4 ,,ii4 ,the second ,judgment ,message4 ,the ,end is at ,hand4 ,the ,complete ,judgment4 ,the seventh chapter which contains the second judgment message1 closes the first prophecy of ,ezekiel4 ,all the different elements and phases of judgment which had just been foretold by the ,prophet are now gathered up in this final great utterance4 ,as the chapter is written in a certain rythm and contains in the authorized version many incorrect renderings1 we give a corrected metrical translation4 ,and the ,word of ,jehovah came unto me1 saying1 ,and thou ,son of ,man1 thus saith ,jehovah unto the land of ,israel3 ,an end cometh6 ,the end ,upon the four corners of the land4 ,now cometh the end upon thee ,and ,i will send mine anger upon thee1 ,and ,i will judge thee according to thy ways2 ,and ,i will bring upon thee all thine abominations4 ,and mine eyes shall not spare thee1 ,neither will ,i have pity2 ,because ,i will bring thy ways upon thee ,and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee3 ,and ye shall know that ,i am ,jehovah4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,jehovah6 ,an evil--an only evil6--behold it cometh4#h ,an end is come--the end is come6 ,it awaketh against thee4 ,behold it cometh6 ,o inhabitant of the land1 thy doom is come unto thee ,the set time is come1 the day is near1 ,the day of tumult4 ,and not the joyous shouting upon the mountains2 ,now will ,i soon pour out my fury upon thee ,and accomplish mine anger against thee4 ,i will judge thee according to thy ways1 ,and will bring upon thee all thine abominations4 ,mine eye shall not spare1 neither will ,i have pity4 ,according to thy ways will ,i render unto thee1 ,and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee1 ,and ye shall know that ,i am ,jehovah1 who smiteth 7chapter vii3#a-i74 #h ,another rendering is3 ,calamity after calamity6 ,this is the first section of this great and solemn portion of ,ezekiel's prophecy4 ,the end is announced to come upon the entire land4 ,the set time for judgment had come1 it could no longer be averted4 ,how merciful had been ,jehovah's dealing with ,his beloved people4 ,but ,he1 being full of compassion1 forgave their iniquity1 and destroyed them not2 yea many a time turned ,he ,his anger away1 and did not stir up all ,his wrath 7,ps4 lxxviii3#ch74 ,but now the measure of their wickedness had come4 ,the day of reckoning was at hand4 ,divine fury was to sweep now over the entire land4 ,his eyes would no longer spare nor would ,he pity them any longer4 ,there is another day coming in which the ,lord will deal in fearful judgments with this earth4 ,now is the day of salvation in which ,god speaks in love through ,his ,son4 ,when wickedness and apostasy has reached its climax1 the day of salvation will end and the day of vengeance of our ,god will begin4 ,then ,he will speak in ,his wrath and vex them in ,his sore displeasure 7,ps4 ii3#e74 ,then will they say to the mountains and rocks1 ,fall on us1 and hide us from the face of ,him that sitteth on the throne1 and from the wrath of the ,lamb2 for the great day of ,his wrath is come2 and who shall be able to stand8 7,rev4 vi3#af-ag74 ,god's judgments for the future are as sure as were ,his judgments in the past4 ,there is a set time1 the day of the ,lord1 when ,he1 to whom the ,father has given all judgments1 will tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of ,god1 the ,almighty 7,rev4 xix3#ae74 ,behold the ,day6 ,behold it cometh6 ,thy doom advanceth3 ,the rod hath blossomed1 pride hath budded4 ,violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness2 ,none of them shall remain2 yea none of their multitude1 ,nor their wealth2 neither shall there be eminency among them4 ,the time is come1 the day draweth near2 ,let not the buyer rejoice1 nor the seller mourn1 ,for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof4 ,for the seller shall not return to that which is sold1 ,even though he were yet amongst the living4 ,in the vision touching the whole multitude thereof ,it shall not be revoked2 ,and none shall through his iniquity assure his life4 ,they have blown the trumpet and made all ready1 ,but none goeth to the battle2 ,for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof4 ,the sword is without2 the pestilence and the famine within2 ,he that is in the field shall die by the sword2 ,and he that is in the city1 famine and pestilence shall devour him4 ,but they that escape of them shall escape1 ,and be as the mountains like moaning doves1 ,all of them mourning1 every one for his iniquity4 ,all hands shall be feeble1 and every knee shall fail like water4 ,they shall gird themselves with sackcloth1 ,and horror shall cover them2 ,shame shall be upon all faces1 baldness upon all heads 7verses #aj-ah74 ,what a solemn description of the doom which was now to fall upon ,jerusalem1 the land and its inhabitants6 ,the buyer and the seller as well as all the multitude were to be affected by it4 ,the decree of judgment which had gone forth could not be revoked4 ,the blowing of the trumpet1 which is mentioned has generally been misunderstood by expositors4 ,it is said to picture the collapse of ,judah's military preparations in the hour of danger1 that when the siege of ,jerusalem came1 none responded4 ,the blowing of the trumpets among ,israel had a special significance4 ,it carried with it the assurance that ,jehovah heard and would be ready to fight for ,his people against their enemies4 ,but as they knew their iniquities had separated them from ,god1 ,his face being against them1 none did go to the battle1 for ,his wrath rested upon them all4 ,sword1 pestilence and famine would devour them all and the few fugitives would be upon the mountains mourning over their iniquities4 ,the rod mentioned which hath blossomed means ,nebuchadnezzar1 who executed this great judgment upon ,jerusalem4 ,the climax of the judgment prophecy is reached in the third part of the chapter4 ,they shall cast their silver in the streets1 ,and their gold shall be as an unclean thing2 ,their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them ,in the day of ,jehovah's wrath2 ,they cannot satisfy their souls1 neither fill their bowls1 ,because it was the stumbling block of their iniquity4 ,and the beauty of their ornaments1 they turned it to pride1 ,and the images of their abominations1 their detestable things made they of it4 ,and ,i shall give it to the hands of strangers for a prey1 ,and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil2 and they shall profane it4 ,for ,i will turn my face from them1 ,and they shall defile my secret place1 ,and robbers shall enter into it and profane it4 ,form a chain1 ,for the land is full of bloody crimes1 ,and the city full of violence4 ,therefore will ,i bring the worst of the nations1 ,and they shall possess their houses2 ,and ,i will make the pride of the mighty to cease1 ,and their sanctuaries shall be defiled4 ,destruction cometh6 ,they shall seek peace1 but there shall be none4 ,calamity after calamity shall appear2 ,and rumour shall be upon rumour2 ,then shall they seek a vision from a prophet2 ,but the law shall perish from the priest1 ,and counsel from the elders4 ,the king shall mourn1 and the prince shall be clothed with dismay1 ,and the hands of the people of the land shall tremble3 ,i will do unto them according to their way1 ,when ,i shall judge them according to their deserts2 ,and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ai-bg74 ,here we learn first of all that the stumbling block of their iniquity 7verse #ai7 was the silver and gold4 ,prophets like ,isaiah1 ,amos and others bear witness to the fact that ,jerusalem and the land enjoyed great prosperity and indulged in extravagant living before the judgment overtook the nation4 ,said ,isaiah1 ,their land also is full of silver and gold1 neither is there an end of their treasures4 ,in the third chapter of ,isaiah the luxurious dress of the daughters of ,zion is vividly described1 while ,amos also gives the scenes of their riotous1 wanton living and emphasizes the oppression of the poor4 ,riches had increased and the prosperous conditions of the land produced vanity2 they forgot ,jehovah and worshipped the idols of the ,gentiles4 ,and now as the day of wrath breaks1 their eyes would be opened and they were to find out the absolute worthlessness of their silver and gold4 ,they would cast it into the streets1 for it was unable to deliver them4 ,zephaniah1 in his great vision of the national calamity which was to fall upon the people1 gives a similar testimony4 ,neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the ,lord's wrath2 but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of ,his jealousy2 for ,he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land 7,zeph4 i3#ah74 ,the ,holy ,spirit bears witness in the ,new ,testament that similar conditions will exist in ,christendom during the end of the present age4 ,men shall be lovers of their ownselves1 lovers of money 7covetous7 and lovers of pleasure more than lovers of ,god 7#b ,tim4 iii3#a-e74 ,the conditions of worldliness1 apostasy1 prosperity and luxurious living which prevailed in ,jerusalem before the hand of ,god stripped the people and the land characterize our times4 ,this will go on1 and will culminate after the ,lord has taken ,his true church into glory4 ,in view of the visible coming of the ,lord to deal with the earth in judgment the ,spirit of ,god through ,james addresses especially the rich men4 ,go to now1 ye rich men1 weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you4444 ,ye have heaped treasure together for the last days 7,james v3#a-c74 ,the message of ,ezekiel also announced that the ,gentiles1 the strangers1 were to come and defile the temple4 ,the chain mentioned refers to their condition as captives4 ,destruction was to come4 ,there should be no peace2 calamity was to follow calamity2 according to what they had done a righteous ,god would deal with them4 ,and thus it came to pass when ,jerusalem fell and the people were taken away as captives4 ,,visions ,,concerning ,,jerusalem4 ,chapter viii4 ,with this chapter begins a new section4 ,it contains a series of visions4 ,the ,prophet is shown first of all the awful abominations which were going on in the temple 7chapter viii74 ,then the fact was made known to him that destruction would overtake all who were left in ,jerusalem1 except the sighing1 faithful remnant1 marked by the man with the inkhorn 7chapter xi74 ,this is followed by the vision of the coals of fire and the vision of glory 7chapter x74 ,the final vision in this section is the vision concerning the leaders of the people and the departure of the glory of the ,lord 7chapter xi74 ,these visions1 which concern ,jerusalem's history and condition in the days of ,ezekiel1 also foreshadow ,jerusalem's future4 ,there is a remarkable correspondence with events revealed in the last book of the ,bible1 the ,book of ,revelation4 ,another temple will be defiled by the abomination of the ,anti-,christ during the coming great tribulation4 ,ezekiel saw an image of jealousy1 which provoketh to jealousy4 ,there will be another image in ,jerusalem on account of which judgment will come upon the unbelieving ,jews 7,rev4 xiii3#ad-ae74 ,then there will be a remnant sealed and preserved 7,rev4 vii7 as it was in the time of ,ezekiel4 ,coals of fire ,ezekiel saw scattered over the city2 it denoted an act of judgment4 ,when the last chapter of ,jerusalem's final trouble passeth into history1 fire from the altar will be cast upon the earth 7,rev4 viii3#e74 ,but while ,ezekiel saw the glory departing after these judgments1 the glory will return to the city and to ,israel's land1 when the great tribulation is ended4 ,ezekiel's vision of abominations among ,israel is first given4 ,i4 ,the ,vision of the ,image of ,jealousy4 ,and it came to pass in the sixth year1 in the sixth month1 in the fifth of the month1 as ,i sat in mine house1 and the elders of ,judah sat before me1 that the hand of the ,lord ,god fell there upon me4 ,then ,i beheld1 and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire3 from the appearance of his loins1 even downward2 fire and from his loins even upward1 as the appearance of brightness1 as the look of glowing brass4 ,and he put forth the form of an hand1 and took me by a lock of mine head2 and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven1 and brought me in the visions of ,god to ,jerusalem1 to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north2 where was the seat of the image of jealousy1 which provoketh to jealousy4 ,and1 behold the glory of the ,god of ,israel was there1 according to the vision that ,i saw in the plain4 ,then said he unto me1 ,son of man1 lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north4 ,so ,i lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north1 and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry4 ,he said furthermore unto me1 ,son of man1 seest thou what they do8 even the great abominations that the house of ,israel committeth here1 and ,i should go far off from my sanctuary8 but turn thee yet again1 and thou shalt see greater abominations 7verses #a-f74 ,it was over a year after his first vision 7i3#a7 when ,ezekiel sat in his house surrounded by the elders of ,judah4 ,perhaps they had come expecting some new communication from the prophet4 ,suddenly the hand of the ,lord fell again upon him4 ,he beheld once more the glorious likeness of ,him who was the center of the first vision of glory4#i ,the hand of the ,lord took the prophet by a lock of hair and the ,spirit lifted him between the earth and the heaven and he was brought in the visions of ,god to ,jerusalem4 ,was this a real experience8 ,critics speak of a trance1 that the prophet was some kind of a psychic with the gift of clairvoyancy4 ,it was not a trance-vision1 but an action by the ,spirit and power of the ,lord4 ,elijah must have had frequently the same experience1 for ,obadiah said to him3 ,and it shall come to pass1 as soon as ,i am gone from thee1 that the ,spirit of the ,lord shall carry thee whither ,i know not 7#a ,kings xviii3#ab74 ,and the sons of the prophets said to ,elisha after ,elijah departed3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord hath taken him up1 and cast him upon some mountain1 or into some valley 7#b ,kings ii3#af74 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord also caught away ,philip 7,acts viii3#ci74 #i ,the word fire is in the ,septuagint 7ancient ,greek ,version of the ,old ,testament7 translated man so that it reads the appearance of a man4 ,there is a similarity between the ,hebrew words for man and fire4 ,fire is esh and man ish4 ,compare with chapter i3#bf1 #ag4 ,in the visions of ,god ,ezekiel is brought to the door of the inner gate that looketh to the north4 ,here was the image of jealousy1 which provoketh to jealousy4 ,some have taken this and the following visions to be retrospective4 ,it has been said1 ,it was as if he were translated back to ,jerusalem1 and to the time when these things were occurring4 ,such is the view of some critics2 however1 it is untenable4 ,these visions would lose their meaning if the prophet only seemed to be translated back to ,jerusalem and to the time when these abominations had happened in ,israel's past history4 ,later we find the names of persons given1 whom he saw4 ,they certainly were living persons known to ,ezekiel and his contemporaries4 ,one of them died while ,ezekiel prophesied 7xi3#ac74 ,what was the image of jealousy which provoketh to jealousy8 ,it was an idol4 ,the word is used in ,deut4 iv3#af1 where it is translated graven image4 ,it is also found in #b ,chronicles xxxiii3#g1 #ae1 where it refers to the idol1 which ,manasseh had made and put up in the temple4 ,after ,manasseh's idolatry came ,josiah's great reformation4 ,after his death ,judah plunged into greater wickedness under the reign of wicked kings and a revival of idolatry followed once more4 ,such a wrath provoking idol was beheld by the prophet4 ,this image they worshipped4 ,son of man1 seest thou what they do8 ,they must have lain prostrate before that idol4 ,and yet the glory of the ,god of ,israel was still there4 ,he had not yet abandoned the place4 ,idolatry will once more be practiced in ,jerusalem4 ,our ,lord speaks of it prophetically in ,matthew xii3#dc-de4 ,the unclean spirit is idolatry4 ,the ,jewish people are now purged from it4 ,at some future time that spirit will return with seven others4 ,and the last state of that man is worse than the first4 ,then our ,lord applied the parable3 ,even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation 7literally3 race74 ,during the reign of the final ,anti-,christ1 idolatry in its worst form will be instituted once more in ,jerusalem 7#b ,thess4 ii3#c-d2 ,rev4 xiii3#aa-ah74 ,,ii4 ,the ,worship of ,creeping and ,abominable ,beasts4 ,and he brought me to the door of the court2 and when ,i looked1 behold1 a hole in the wall4 ,then said he unto me1 ,son of man1 dig now in the wall3 and when ,i had digged in the wall1 behold1 a door4 ,and he said unto me1 ,go in1 and behold the wicked abominations that they do here4 ,so ,i went in and saw2 and1 behold1 every form of creeping things1 and abominable beasts1 and all the idols of the house of ,israel1 portrayed upon the wall round about4 ,and there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of ,israel1 and in the midst of them stood ,jaazaniah the son of ,shaphan1 with every man his censer in his hand2 and a thick cloud of incense went up4 ,then said he unto me1 ,son of man1 hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of ,israel do in the dark1 every man in the chambers of his imagery8 for they say1 ,the ,lord seeth us not2 the ,lord hath forsaken the earth 7verses #g-ab74 ,the prophet saw next a hole in the wall1 and being commanded to dig into it he found a secret door through which he entered4 ,in the chamber1 upon the wall round about1 were pictured creeping things and abominable things4 ,a worship of these creeping things and beasts was in progress1 for the seventy ancients of ,israel were swinging censers full of incense1 so that a thick cloud went up4 ,they were practising idolatry after the order of ,egypt and of the most degrading kind4 ,the people of ,god had sunk as deep1 yea deeper1 than the heathen round about them 7,romans i3#bc74 ,and the leaders of the nation1 the seventy elders1 were there leading in this worship of abominations4 ,jaazaniah1 the son of ,shaphan1 is especially mentioned4 ,shaphan was the scribe1 who received from the high-priest1 ,hilkiah1 the book of the law1 and who read it before ,king ,josiah 7#b ,kings xxii3#h-aa2 ,jere4 xxxix3#ad74 ,the son of this illustrious and ,god-fearing scribe was the leader among the animal-worshippers4 ,it was an evidence of the great apostasy which had engulfed the nation4 ,and these idol-worshippers1 each in his chamber of imagery 7probably individual cells7 said3 ,the ,lord seeth us not2 the ,lord hath forsaken the earth4 ,they denied ,his omniscience and omnipresence4 ,the apostasy in ,christendom is going the same road4 ,,iii4 ,the ,women ,weeping for ,tammuz4 ,he said also unto me1 ,turn thee yet again1 and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do4 ,then he brought me to the door of the gate of the ,lord's house which was toward the north2 and1 behold1 there sat women weeping for ,tammuz4 ,then said he unto me1 ,hast thou seen this1 ,o son of man8 ,turn thee yet again1 and thou shalt see greater abominations than these 7verses #ac-ae74 ,tammuz1 the ,babylonian ,dumuzi1 was the god of spring vegetation1 who dies1 going down to ,hades1 and revives again with each returning summer4 ,the worship of this god became identified with ,phoenicia1 and from there this wicked cult came to ,greece1 where ,tammuz was known under the name of ,adonis4 ,the weeping woman celebrated the death of the god1 an emblem of the decay of earth's productive powers4 ,with it were connected some of the vilest1 immoral ceremonies and licentious habits4 ,thus we see how false worship and immorality are closely1 yea1 inseparably1 linked together4 ,in our days the increase of licentiousness is but the result of having rejected the ,truth of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,the ,greatest of all ,abominations3 ,sun-,worship4 ,and he brought me into the inner court of the ,lord's house2 and1 behold at the door of the temple of the ,lord1 between the porch and the altar1 were about five and twenty men1 with their backs toward the temple of the ,lord1 and their faces toward the east2 and they worshipped the sun toward the east4 ,then he said unto me1 ,hast thou seen this1 ,o son of man8 ,is it a light thing to the house of ,judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here8 for they have filled the land with violence1 and have returned to provoke me to anger3 and1 lo1 they put the branch to their nose4 ,therefore1 will ,i also deal in fury2 mine eye shall not spare1 neither will ,i have pity2 and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice1 yet will ,i not hear them 7verses #af-ah74 ,the twenty-five men1 who stood between the porch and the altar with their backs to the house of the ,lord and their faces towards the sun1 worshipping the sun1 were the twenty-four priests1 who constituted the appointed courses4 ,their attitude was one of defiance4 ,they practiced the abominable cult1 openly showing by the turned backs against the temple that they had wilfully rejected ,jehovah and ,his worship4 ,what else was connected with sun-worship8 ,one mysterious sentence appears at the close of verse #ag4 ,and1 lo1 they put the branch to their nose4 ,this phrase is very obscure4 ,jewish commentators claim that the words conceal some shocking and wicked rite2 and this may be the correct meaning4 ,sun-worship and its attending lusts of the flesh are not unknown in our own times4 ,a few months ago a great sun-festival was held in ,paris4#aj ,thousands participated in it4 ,hymns to the sun were sung and sun-dances held1 while the nights were given over to all kinds of immoralities4 ,bahaism1 whose deceitful leader is a sun-worshipper1 has hundreds of thousands of followers in the ,english speaking world4 ,they turned their ears from the ,truth and have been turned to fables4 #aj ,this was three months before the war4 ,elders1 women and priests had turned from ,jehovah and ,his worship4 ,and now ,jehovah speaks and pronounces judgment upon them4 ,therefore will ,i also deal in fury2 mine eye shall not spare1 neither will ,i have pity2 and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice1 yet will ,i not hear them4 ,jehovah did according to ,his word4 ,he did not spare2 there was no pity4 ,jerusalem and the temple were destroyed and the people had to feel ,jehovah's fury4 ,and judgment greater than ,jerusalem's will surely overtake this present evil age with its idolatries1 its abominations1 its rejection of ,god's ,gospel and defiance of ,god4 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,,the ,,man ,,with ,,the ,,inkhorn4 ,chapter ix4 ,the vision which follows is closely connected with the previous visions in which ,ezekiel had seen the worship of idols1 and of beasts1 and of the sun4 ,divine judgment must follow4 ,it is a judgment vision the ,prophet now beholds4 ,the judgment1 however1 is of a discriminating character4 ,the messengers are commissioned to mark the sorrowing1 faithful remnant4 ,for the rest of the sinners in ,jerusalem there is no mercy4 ,they had defiled the temple and now the temple was to be defiled by their slain bodies4 ,i4 ,the ,judgment ,command ,given4 ,he cried also in mine ears with a loud voice1 saying1 ,cause them that have charge over the city to draw near1 even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand4 ,and1 behold1 six men came from the way of the higher gate1 which lieth toward the north1 and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand2 and one man among them was clothed with linen1 with a writer's inkhorn by his side3 and they went in1 and stood beside the brazen altar4 ,and the glory of the ,god of ,israel was gone up from the cherub1 whereupon he was1 to the threshold of the house4 ,and he called to the man clothed with linen1 which had the writer's inkhorn by his side2 and the ,lord said unto him1 ,go through the midst of the city1 through the midst of ,jerusalem1 and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof4 ,and to the others he said in mine hearing1 ,go ye after him through the city1 and smite3 let not your eye spare1 neither have ye pity4 ,slay utterly old and young1 both maids1 and little children1 and women3 but come not near any man upon whom is the mark2 and begin at my sanctuary 7verses #a-f74 ,who are they who are called to execute the judgment8 ,six men came from the way of the higher gate1 one of them clothed in linen had a writer's inkhorn by his side1 while the others had slaughter weapons in their hands4 ,they were not human beings but angels4 ,the city was given over into their hands4 ,angels were therefore used in ,god's judgments of the past4 ,they will be used in the coming judgments4 ,the ,son of ,man shall send forth ,his angels1 and they shall gather out of ,his ,kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity 7,matt4 xiii3#da74 ,for the ,son of ,man shall come in the glory of ,his ,father with ,his angels 7,matt4 xvi3#bg74 ,when the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from heaven with ,his mighty angels1 in flaming fire1 taking vengeance on them that know not ,god1 and that obey not the ,gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7#b ,thess4 i3#g-h74 ,throughout the book of ,revelation angels are seen carrying out the judgments of ,god4 ,especially are we reminded here of the seventh chapter of the last book of the ,bible4 ,four angels are seen there holding the four winds of the earth4 ,then there appeared a fifth angel having the seal of the living ,god4 ,he cried with a loud voice to the four angels3 ,hurt not the earth1 neither the sea1 nor the trees1 till we have sealed the servants of our ,god in their foreheads 7,rev4 vii3#a-c74 ,one hundred and forty-four thousand were then sealed4 ,the sealed ones in ,revelation with the mark on the forehead constitute the faithful remnant of ,israel who witness during the tribulation4 ,those who die the martyr's death will have part in the first resurrection1 because they did not worship the beast nor received his mark on their foreheads 7,rev4 xx3#d74 ,those who will be kept through the tribulation will be the nucleus of the ,kingdom on earth4 ,we notice a striking correspondency with this vision of ,ezekiel4 ,judgment is to fall upon all the apostates in ,jerusalem1 but the men that sigh and cry on account of the abominations were to be marked by the angel with the inkhorn and escape the impending judgment4 ,their sighing and weeping was the evidence that they did not share the abominations of idolatry but were true to ,jehovah and ,his worship4 ,and may we not forget that now in ,christendom1 in the midst of the dark days of apostasy and the soon coming tribulation and judgment1 there is a faithful remnant1 who sigh and cry and to whom the ,lord has given a special promise3 ,because thou hast kept the word of my patience1 ,i also will keep thee from the hour of trial1 which shall come upon all the world1 to try them that dwell on the earth 7,rom4 iii3#aj74 ,the word mark in the ,hebrew is ,tav1 the last letter in the ,hebrew alphabet4 ,its literal meaning is cross4 ,this letter ,t was a cross in the older ,hebrew script as well as in the ,phoenician and ,samaritan4 ,the ,egyptians also used a cross in their language2 with them it was a sign of life4 ,ancient ,jewish tradition gives the information that the blood sprinkled in ,egypt on the doorpost 7,exodus xii3#bc7 was in the form of a cross4 ,all this is interesting4 ,to this we may add that in ,genesis iv3#ae1 the mark set upon ,cain1 an entirely different word is used4 ,begin at my sanctuary was the command4 ,there the responsibility rested and there the judgment had to begin4 #a ,peter iv3#ag may here be considered4 ,for the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of ,god2 and if it first begin at us1 what shall the end be of them that obey not the ,gospel of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the ,command ,executed4 ,then they began at the ancient men which were before the house4 ,and he said unto them1 ,defile the house1 and fill the courts with the slain3 go ye forth4 ,and they went forth1 and slew in the city4 ,and it came to pass1 while they were slaying them1 and ,i was left1 that ,i fell upon my face1 and cried1 and said1 ,ah1 ,lord ,god6 wilt thou destroy all the residue of ,israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon ,jerusalem8 ,then said he unto me1 ,the iniquity of the house of ,israel and ,judah is exceeding great1 and the land is full of blood1 and the city full of perverseness3 for they say1 ,the ,lord hath forsaken the earth1 and the ,lord seeth not4 ,and as for me also1 mine eye shall not spare1 neither will ,i have pity1 but ,i will recompense their way upon their head4 ,and1 behold1 the man clothed with linen1 which had the inkhorn by his side1 reported the matter1 saying1 ,i have done as thou hast commanded me 7verses #g-aa74 ,the command is literally carried out4 ,god's judgments are always carried out to the letter2 there is no such thing as a spiritual fulfillment of a judgment of ,god4 ,the world some day will find out the solemn truth of this fact4 ,the temple where they had practised all the vileness of idolatry1 where they worshipped creeping things1 is now defiled by their dead bodies4 ,to touch a dead body anywhere meant defilement for seven days 7,num4 xix3#aa71 but now the very place which they considered holy is made a defiled place4 ,the ,priest-,prophet is shocked4 ,he fell on his face and a cry of horror escaped his lips4 ,ah1 ,lord ,god6 wilt ,thou destroy all the residue of ,israel in ,thy pouring out of ,thy fury upon ,jerusalem8 ,was it not contrary to ,god's holiness to defile the place dedicated to ,himself8 ,and would ,he not show mercy and destroy the residue of ,his people8 ,the despairing cry is answered at once4 ,the iniquity of the house of ,israel and the house of ,judah was filled up4 ,god could no longer pity nor spare4 ,this is but a repetition of what ,jehovah had announced before4 7,see chapter v3#aa2 vii3#d2 viii3#ah47 ,and behold1 the man clothed in linen1 which had the inkhorn by his side1 reported the matter1 saying1 ,i have done as ,thou hast commanded me4 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,,the ,,coals ,,of ,,fire ,,and ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,,the ,,departing ,,glory4 ,chapter x4 ,after the ,prophet had seen the marking of the faithful ones in the doomed city1 two other visions follow4 ,they also relate to the impending judgment of the doomed city4 ,the first vision indicates the fire by which the city would be consumed1 and the second1 another vision of the glory1 shows how that glory was gradually departing from ,jerusalem4 ,the complete departure is recorded in the eleventh chapter4 ,i4 ,the ,vision of the ,coals of ,fire4 ,then ,i looked1 and1 behold1 in the firmament of the cherubim there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone1 as the appearance of the likeness of a throne4 ,and he spake unto the man clothed with linen1 and said1 ,go in between the wheels1 even the under cherub1 and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim1 and scatter them over the city4 ,and he went in my sight4 ,now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house1 when the man went in2 and the cloud filled the inner court4 ,then the glory of the ,lord went up from the cherub1 and stood over the threshold of the house2 and the house was filled with the cloud1 and the court was full of the brightness of the ,lord's glory4 ,and the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court1 as the voice of the ,almighty ,god when he speaketh4 ,and it came to pass1 that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen1 saying1 ,take fire from between the wheels1 from between the cherubims2 then he went in1 and stood beside the wheels4 ,and one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim1 and took thereof1 and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen2 who took it1 and went out 7verses #a-g74 ,once more the ,prophet beholds in the firmament above the cherubim the likeness of a throne4 ,it is the throne of the ,lord4 ,however1 the occupant of the throne is not seen2 ,his voice only is heard4 ,the man clothed with linen is commanded to go in between the wheels1 under the cherub1 to fill his hands with coals of fire and then to scatter them over the city4 ,who is this man clothed in linen8 ,he appeared for the first time in the preceding chapter4 ,with the inkhorn at his side1 he set the mark upon the foreheads of the faithful ones4 ,here we see him again executing the judgment upon ,jerusalem4 ,judgment is given into his hands4 ,that he is a supernatural being is clear4 ,and he is more than an angel4 ,he held the place of pre-eminence among the other angels 7chapter ix3#b-d74 ,this angel is the ,angel of the ,lord1 the same who appeared to the ,patriarchs1 to ,moses1 ,joshua1 ,gideon1 ,manoah and to others4 ,it is the ,son of ,god in the garb of an angel4 ,in the same form he also appeared to ,daniel on the banks of the river ,hiddekel4 ,then ,i lifted up mine eyes1 and looked1 and behold a certain man clothed in linen1 whose loins were girded with fine gold of ,uphaz4 ,his body also was like the beryl1 and his face as the appearance of lightning1 and his eyes as lamps of fire1 and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass1 and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude 7,dan4 x3#e-f74 ,here we have a complete description of the same person whom ,ezekiel saw taking the coals of fire and scattering them over ,jerusalem4 ,judgment upon the guilty city came from his hands4 ,when we turn to the ,book of ,revelation1 we find a similar scene which has not yet been enacted4 ,and another angel came and stood at the altar1 having a golden censer2 and there was given to him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne4 ,and the smoke of the incense1 which came with the prayers of the saints1 ascended up before ,god out of the angel's hand4 ,and the ,angel took the censer1 and filled it with fire of the altar1 and cast it into the earth2 and there were voices1 and thunderings1 and lightnings and an earthquake 7,rev4 viii3#c-e74 ,this angel who presents the prayers before the throne and who casts the judgment fire into the earth is the ,one who received from ,god's hands the seven sealed book 7,rev4 v3#a71 the ,lamb of ,god1 the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah4 ,this ,angel-,priest1 into whose hands also judgment is committed1 is the ,son of ,god4 ,john saw ,him dealing in judgment with the earth1 a judgment which has not yet come1 and ,ezekiel beheld ,him as the executor of the judgment upon ,jerusalem1 which was carried out through ,nebuchadnezzar1 ,king of ,babylon4 ,ezekiel saw the man clothed in linen enter in between the wheels4 ,as he went in the cherubim1 these majestic creatures of ,god1 stood at the right side of the house1 while the cloud filled the inner court4 ,this cloud is the visible sign of ,jehovah's presence 7,exod4 xix3#i2 xxiv3#ae-ah2 ,numbers ix3#ai2 xii3#aj2 #a ,kings viii3#aj74 ,then the glory of the ,lord went up2 the withdrawing from the city began4 ,it stood over the threshold of the house which was filled with the cloud and the whole court was full of the brightness of the ,lord's glory4 ,from the hand of the cherub1 the man in linen cloth received the fire that was between the cherubim4 ,and he took it and went out4 ,,ii4 ,the ,vision of the ,departing ,glory4 ,and there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings4 ,and when ,i looked1 behold the four wheels by the cherubim1 one wheel by one cherub1 and another wheel by another cherub3 and the appearance of the wheels was as the color of a chrysolite stone4 ,and as for their appearances1 they four had one likeness1 as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel4 ,when they went1 they went upon their four sides2 they turned not as they went1 but to the place whither the head looked they followed it2 they turned not as they went4 ,and their whole body1 and their backs and their hands and their wings and the wheels1 were full of eyes round about1 even the wheels that the four had4 ,as for the wheels1 it was cried unto them in my hearing1 ,o wheel4 ,and every one had four faces3 the first face was the face of a cherub1 and the second face was the face of a man1 and the third the face of a lion1 and the fourth the face of an eagle4 ,and the cherubim were lifted up4 ,this is the living creature that ,i saw by the river of ,chebar4 ,and when the cherubim went1 the wheels went by them3 and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth1 the same wheels also turned not from beside them4 ,when they stood1 these stood2 and when they were lifted up1 these lifted up themselves also3 for the spirit of the living creature was in them4 ,then the glory of the ,lord departed from off the threshold of the house1 and stood over the cherubim4 ,and the cherubim lifted up their wings1 and mounted up from the earth in my sight3 when they went out1 the wheels also were beside them1 and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the ,lord's house2 and the glory of the ,god of ,israel was over them above4 ,this is the living creature that ,i saw under the ,god of ,israel by the river of ,chebar2 and ,i knew that they were the cherubim4 ,every one had four faces a piece1 and every one four wings2 and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings4 ,and the likeness of their faces was the same faces which ,i saw by the river of ,chebar1 their appearances and themselves2 they went every one straight forward 7verses #h-bb74 ,one would naturally expect after the man clothed in linen had taken the coals of fire and gone out to scatter them over ,jerusalem1 that the next vision the ,prophet had1 would be the burning of the city itself4 ,instead of receiving a vision of the judgment work he beholds once more the glory of the ,lord4 ,the similarity with the great vision in the first chapter needs hardly to be pointed out4 ,however1 the order of the description differs from that of the opening vision of this book4 ,critics have seen in this fact the evidence of some other writer who interpolated the repetition of the vision of the glory of the ,lord4 ,but if such were the case the person who did it would have not dared to make these changes4 ,the differences in the vision demonstrates that ,ezekiel is the writer and not some other person4 ,he beheld the same vision as in the beginning by the river ,chebar only from another viewpoint4 ,wheels and cherubim are seen first ready for the departure from the city4 ,the eyes are made more prominent than in the first vision4 ,full of eyes we read in chapter i3#ah4 ,here in this vision eyes are everywhere4 ,and their whole body1 and their backs1 and their hands1 and their wings1 and the wheels1 were full of eyes round about1 even the wheels that the four had4 ,this symbolizes the omniscience of ,god4 ,after the description of the cherubim and the wheels1 the solemn command is given for the start4 ,verse #ac may be rendered3 ,in my hearing1 unto the wheels1 even unto them1 it was proclaimed3 ,whirl wheels4 ,once more the prophet beholds the faces of the cherubim4 ,and here is a striking change4 ,in the opening vision ,ezekiel saw their faces in the following order3 ,the face of a man2 the face of a lion2 these were on the right side4 ,the four had the face of an ox on the left side2 these four also had the face of an eagle 7chapter i3#aj74 ,but now ,ezekiel sees the face of the cherub first of all1 then the face of a man1 a lion and an eagle4 ,the cherubim were beheld by the prophet from a different angle and the face of the cherub#aa appears as identified with that of the ox4 ,that the vision did not differ at all from the first great vision ,ezekiel expressly affirms at the close4 ,and the likeness of their faces was the same faces which ,i saw by the river ,chebar1 their appearances and themselves3 ,they went every one straight forward 7verse #bb74 #aa ,the cherub who handed to the man clothed in linen the fire from between the cherubim4 ,then when the command had been given1 ,whirl wheels6 everything is set in motion4 ,the cherubim went1 the wheels went beside them4 ,the mighty wings of the cherubim were lifted up to mount up from the earth2 the wheels never swerved from their side4 ,when the cherubim stood1 the wheels stood4 ,the energizing ,spirit was in all4 ,the ,glory of the ,lord departed from the threshold of the temple2 over its portals ,ichabod 7the glory is departed7 was now to be written4 ,then in ,ezekiel's sight the cherubim mounted up from the earth4 ,they halted at the door of the east gate of the ,temple4 ,above it was the ,glory of the ,lord4 ,thus1 gradually1 in solemn majesty1 the ,glory of the ,lord1 which had dwelt visibly in the ,temple in the midst of ,his people1 was departing4 ,verse #bb of chapter xi connects with verse #ai of chapter x4 ,the complete departure of the ,glory of the ,lord from the midst of the city we find recorded there4 ,here in our chapter the cherubim with the ,glory of the ,lord above them stood at the east gate of the ,lord's house4 ,from there its final departure took place4 ,but the visions ,ezekiel had seen were beheld once more in his great vision of that temple which will yet be erected in ,jerusalem4 ,that departed glory will then return4 ,and the ,glory of the ,lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose front was toward the east 7chapter xliii3#d74 ,it will return in the same way as it departed4 ,and that will be when the ,king1 our ,lord1 comes back to earth again4 ,then the ,glory will cover ,israel and ,jerusalem 7,is4 iv3#e2 lx3#a7 and the knowledge of it covers the earth as the waters the deep4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,leaders4 ,,promise ,,of ,,restoration4 ,,the ,,glory ,,departs4 ,chapter xi4 ,this chapter concludes the visions concerning the doom of ,jerusalem4 ,at the close of the previous chapter we saw the ,glory of the ,lord getting ready to leave the doomed city4 ,the complete withdrawal is recorded now4 ,however1 before we reach this we find a prophecy uttered against the leaders of the people4 ,then the ,prophet received a comforting message about the future restoration and blessing of the nation4 ,this is the first restoration promise in this book4 ,it is repeated and enlarged in the great predictions after the fall of ,jerusalem4 ,i4 ,the ,prophecy against the ,leaders4 ,moreover the spirit lifted me up1 and brought me unto the east gate of the ,lord's house1 which looketh eastward3 and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men2 among whom ,i saw ,jaazaniah1 the son of ,azur1 and ,pelatiah the son of ,benaiah1 princes of the people4 ,then said he unto me1 ,son of man1 these are the men that devise mischief1 and give wicked counsel in this city2 which say1 ,it is not near2 let us build houses2 this city is the cauldron1 and we be the flesh4 ,therefore prophesy against them1 prophesy1 ,o son of man4 ,and the ,spirit of the ,lord fell upon men1 and said unto me1 ,speak2 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,thus have ye said1 ,o house of ,israel3 for ,i know the things that come into your mind1 every one of them4 ,ye have multiplied your slain in this city1 and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god1 ,your slain1 whom ye have laid in the midst of it1 they are the flesh1 and this city is the cauldron3 but ,i will bring you forth out of the midst of it4 ,ye have feared the sword2 and ,i will bring a sword upon you1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and ,i will bring you out of the midst thereof1 and deliver you into the hands of strangers1 and will execute judgments among you4 ,ye shall fall by the sword3 ,i will judge you in the border of ,israel2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,this city shall not be your cauldron1 neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof2 but ,i will judge you in the border of ,israel4 ,and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord3 for ye have not walked in my statutes1 neither executed my judgements1 but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you4 ,and it came to pass1 when ,i prophesied1 that ,pelatiah the son of ,benaiah died4 ,then fell ,i down upon my face1 and cried with a loud voice1 and said1 ,ah1 ,lord ,god6 wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of ,israel8 7verses #a-ac74 ,the ,prophet had watched the movements of the cherubim and the glory of the ,lord1 and now he is again suddenly transported to the east gate of the ,lord's house4 ,at the door of the gate he beholds twenty-five men4 ,he recognized among them ,jaazaniah the son of ,azur1 and ,pelatiah the son of ,benaiah1 princes of the people4 ,in the eighth chapter he had also seen1 between the porch and the altar1 twenty-five men with their backs towards the temple 7viii3#af74 ,in that chapter ,jaazaniah is mentioned4 ,the question then arises1 is this the same company ,ezekiel sees once more and against which he utters his denunciatory message8 ,they cannot be identical with the men in the previous chapter1 for they belonged evidently to the priestly class1 while the twenty-five men in this chapter are leaders1 or princes1 of the people4 ,nor is the ,jaazaniah the same as in the eighth chapter4 ,here is a ,jaazaniah who was the son of ,azur1 while the other ,jaazaniah was the son of ,shaphan4 ,these princes here may be the same of whom we read in ,jeremiah xxxviii3#d4 ,it shows the complete corruption of ,jerusalem4 ,the priesthood and the leaders of the nation were steeped in wickedness and defied ,god and the judgment ,he had announced through ,jeremiah1 and now also through ,ezekiel4 ,interesting are the names of those mentioned1 ,jaazaniah 7,he will be heard of the ,lord72 ,azur 7,helper72 ,pelatiah 7,delivered of the ,lord72 ,benaiah 7,built up of the ,lord74 ,their names indicate that they knew the ,lord and ,his truth and yet they had turned deliberately from ,him and from ,his ,word4 ,they devised mischief 7or iniquity7 and gave wicked counsel4 ,their wicked counsel consisted in disobedience against ,jehovah and ,his ,word4 ,in regard to the judgment they said1 ,it is not the time to build houses2 this is the cauldron and we are the flesh4 ,they knew of ,jeremiah's letter which he had sent to the elders which were carried away captives4 ,in that letter1 ,jeremiah1 believing ,god's ,word concerning the long duration of the captivity1 gave the advice1 ,build ye houses and dwell in them 7,jere4 xxix74 ,they ridiculed that divinely given advice4 ,they still thought themselves safe in ,jerusalem4 ,the phrase this is the cauldron means the city of ,jerusalem2 and we are the flesh themselves4 ,as the flesh in the cauldron is preserved from the fire by the cauldron itself1 so they felt themselves secure in the doomed city4 ,that these wicked leaders were still in the city shows that the judgment in chapter ix was not a complete judgment4 ,it began at the sanctuary1 and the wicked worshippers ,ezekiel saw in his vision were smitten first of all1 while the man with the inkhorn marked the entire remnant for preservation4 ,then the ,spirit fell upon ,ezekiel and he uttered ,jehovah's message4 ,their proverb about the cauldron and the flesh is used to announce their own doom4 ,those whom they had slain were the flesh1 not they the living ones2 the slain ones had the city for a cauldron4 ,but the defiant leaders1 who cast the judgment predictions to the winds1 would be brought forth out of the city1 the place of their supposed security4 ,they feared the sword and it would come upon them4 ,solemnly the ,lord declared1 ,this city shall not be your cauldron1 neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof2 ,i will judge you in the border of ,israel4 ,and thus it came true4 ,nebuchadnezzar received his prisoners on the borders1 the territory of the kingdom of ,israel1 at ,riblah 7#b ,kings xxv3#ah-ba2 ,jer4 lii3#bd-bg74 ,all this finds a repetition in the present age4 ,god has spoken4 ,long ago ,he has in ,his ,word announced the judgment upon this present age4 ,men1 religious men1 leaders among the people1 like these twenty-five1 reject ,his ,word and do not believe in the threatened judgments4 ,peace and safety is their false hope4 ,but the day is coming and not far off when all who reject the ,word of ,god will find out1 to their eternal shame and loss1 that ,his ,word is true4 ,and while the ,prophet delivered faithfully his message1 the ,lord touched one of the men2 ,pelatiah suddenly died4 ,he may have stood there with sneering lips1 defying the ,lord's mouthpiece1 when sudden death was meted out to him4 ,it was a divine seal upon the words they had heard4 ,this act of judgment greatly impressed the ,prophet and he prayed for the preservation of the remnant of ,israel4 ,knowing the sad condition of the people he loved so well1 he feared that they all would be taken away4 ,may we also1 in the days of impending judgments make use of the prayer of intercession4 ,the next paragraph contains the answer ,ezekiel received4 ,,ii4 ,the ,message of ,restoration and ,blessing4 ,again the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 thy brethren1 even thy brethren1 the men of thy kindred1 and all the house of ,israel1 wholly1 are they unto whom the inhabitants of ,jerusalem have said1 ,get you far from the ,lord3 unto us is this land given in possession4 ,therefore say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,although ,i have cast them far off among the heathen1 and although ,i have scattered them among the countries1 yet will ,i be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come4 ,therefore say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will even gather you from the people1 and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered1 and ,i will give you the land of ,israel4 ,and they shall come thither1 and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence4 ,and ,i will give them one heart1 and ,i will put a new spirit within you2 and ,i will take the stony heart out of their flesh1 and will give them an heart of flesh3 ,that they may walk in my statutes1 and keep mine ordinances1 and do them3 and they shall be my people1 and ,i will be their ,god4 ,but as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations1 ,i will recompense their way upon their own heads1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ad-ba74 ,it is the first message of comfort ,ezekiel received4 ,they were to be scattered among the nations1 yet ,jehovah promises1 ,i will be to them a little#ab sanctuary in the countries where they shall come4 ,this refers to the remnant who still clings to ,him and hopes in the fulfilment of ,his promises4 ,then follows the great outlook into their future4 ,blessed promises6 ,they are the hope of ,israel4 ,their regathering1 their return from exile is here definitely predicted by ,ezekiel4 ,moses before had announced the same future restoration4 ,so did ,isaiah and ,jeremiah as well as the earlier prophets4 ,the denial of the literal regathering of ,israel means the denial of the ,word of the ,lord4 ,they will receive the land of ,israel4 ,but greater things are promised to the people4 ,the stony heart is to be taken away2 they are to receive a heart of flesh4 ,this is the result of the new ,spirit1 ,his ,spirit1 which they will receive4 ,it means the new birth of that nation to enter into the promised kingdom4 ,then the result will be an obedient people4 ,they shall be my people and ,i will be their ,god4 ,has this been fulfilled in the return of the feeble remnant from ,babylon8 ,many believe that ,ezekiel's message found then its accomplishment4 ,it is not so4 ,the nation was not put into possession of the great blessings which are everywhere linked with their literal restoration and possession of the land4 ,ezekiel's great visions of the national restoration of ,israel and the greater spiritual blessings are still unfulfilled4 ,they will be fulfilled when the ,glory of the ,lord1 that is the ,lord of ,glory1 their rejected ,king1 the ,son of ,david1 the ,king of ,israel1 returns4 #ab ,or1 for a little while4 ,,iii4 ,the ,glory ,departs4 ,then did the cherubim lift up their wings1 and the wheels beside them2 and the glory of the ,god of ,israel was over them above4 ,and the glory of the ,lord went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city4 ,afterwards the ,spirit took me up1 and brought me in a vision by the ,spirit of ,god into ,chaldea1 to them of the captivity4 ,so the vision that ,i had seen went up from me4 ,then ,i spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the ,lord had shewed me 7verses #bb-be74 ,after this comforting message of future blessing for the nation and restoration to the land1 the ,glory of the ,lord holds its departure4 ,we saw how it gradually withdrew from the temple1 where it had dwelt4 ,now the complete departure from the city has come4 ,but it is a blessed thought1 before that takes place1 ,jehovah gave ,his ,word that ,he would return and be again with ,his people4 ,the ,glory of the ,lord went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city4 ,that mountain is the ,mount of ,olives4 ,significant place where the ,shekinah1 the ,glory of the ,lord with its cherubim and wheels was seen for the last time4 ,upon that mountain ,he stood1 who is the ,glory ,himself1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,from there ,he went back to the ,father4 ,and in a coming day ,his feet will stand upon the ,mount of ,olives4 ,and when ,he comes back in visible glory1 ,israel and ,jerusalem will behold the return of the ,glory of the ,lord1 ,ezekiel saw departing from temple and city4 ,then that will happen what has never been in ,israel's past history3 ,all the earth will be filled with ,his ,glory4 ,,messages ,,and ,,parables4 ,chapter xii4 ,a new section of this book begins with the twelfth chapter and ends with chapter xix4 ,the judgments the ,prophet had announced1 the great visions he had seen1 all showing the impending doom of ,jerusalem1 were not believed nor heeded by the people4 ,this is announced by a direct communication from the ,lord in the beginning of this chapter4 ,after he had seen the departure of the ,glory of the ,lord1 he spoke unto them of the captivity all the things that the ,lord had shown unto him 7xi3#be74 ,perhaps some time elapsed before the ,word of the ,lord came unto him revealing the unbelieving1 rebellious condition of the people4 ,son of man1 thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house1 which have eyes to see1 and see not2 they have ears to hear1 and hear not2 for they are a rebellious house 7verse #b74 ,therefore the speedy judgment is again announced and the ,prophet received a series of messages and parables4 ,the ,word of the ,lord came1 and ,thus saith the ,lord1 are the oft-repeated phrases in this most interesting chapter4 ,we shall find many solemn truths in this section1 truths which have a meaning for our times as well4 ,may we hear ,his voice in these words which the ,prophet-,priest heard from ,jehovah4 ,the first chapter of this section has two parts4 ,i4 ,the ,symbolical ,sign of the ,certainty and ,nearness of the ,judgment4 ,the word of the ,lord also came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house1 which have eyes to see1 and see not2 they have ears to hear1 and hear not2 for they are a rebellious house4 ,therefore1 thou son of man1 prepare thee stuff for removing1 and remove by day in their sight2 and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight3 it may be they will consider1 though they be a rebellious house4 ,then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight1 as stuff for removing3 and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight1 as they that go forth into captivity4 ,dig thou through the wall in their sight1 and carry out thereby4 ,in their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders1 and carry it forth in the twilight3 thou shalt cover thy face1 that thou see not the ground3 for ,i have set thee for a sign1 unto the house of ,israel4 ,and ,i did so as ,i was commanded2 ,i brought forth my stuff by day1 as stuff for captivity1 and in the even ,i digged through the wall with mine hand2 ,i brought it forth in the twilight1 and ,i bare it upon my shoulder in their sight 7verses #a-g74 ,in the commission which the ,prophet received 7chapter ii7 the rebellious condition of the people had been declared by the ,lord1 and now once more the fact that they were a rebellious house is mentioned4 ,they had eyes and did not see1 ears and they did not hear4 ,moses had spoken of that 7,deut4 xxix3#a-d7 and their past history up to the days of ,ezekiel only confirmed the truth of this statement4 ,isaiah had heard the same words from the ,lord 7,is4 vi3#i-aj7 and ,jeremiah had to repeat them in his great call to a backslidden people 7,jere4 v3#ba74 ,then our ,lord used the same words when the nation had rejected ,his testimony 7,matt4 xiii3#ac-ae2 ,mark viii3#ah2 ,john xii3#ci-dj74 ,the last time we find them applied is in ,acts xxviii3#bf-bg4 ,blindness is now upon ,israel1 but the day is also coming when that judicial blindness will be removed and they will be no longer the rebellious house4 ,of this coming great miracle of the ,grace of ,god ,ezekiel's later prophecies have much to say4 ,here the ,prophet is told to act again in a symbolical sign4 ,he was told to prepare stuff for removing4 ,this meant that he should attire himself like one who goes on a journey with sandals on his feet1 a staff in his hand1 a burden upon his shoulders4 ,then he was to remove from one place to another4 ,he was also to bring forth his stuff in their sight1 and then with the captive's burden upon his back he was commanded to dig through the wall and carry it through the hole4 ,furthermore he was to cover his face so that he did not see the ground4 ,all this the prophet did in the sight of the people4 ,in all this the ,lord in ,his infinite patience1 in making the ,prophet a sign unto them1 waited still for their repentance2 it may be they will consider1 though they be a rebellious house4 ,we find the meaning of all this explained in the verses which follow3 ,and in the morning came the word of the ,lord unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 hath not the house of ,israel1 the rebellious house1 said unto thee1 ,what doest thou8 ,say thou unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,this burden concerneth the prince in ,jerusalem1 and all the house of ,israel that are among them4 ,say1 ,i am your sign2 like as ,i have done1 so shall it be done unto them3 they shall remove and go into captivity4 ,and the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight1 and shall go forth3 they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby3 he shall cover his face1 that he see not the ground with his eyes4 ,my net also will ,i spread upon him1 and he shall be taken in my snare3 and ,i will bring him to ,babylon to the land of the ,chaldeans2 yet shall he not see it1 though he shall die there4 ,and ,i will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him1 and all his bands2 and ,i will draw out the sword after them4 ,and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i shall scatter them among the nations1 and disperse them in the countries4 ,but ,i will leave a few men of them from the sword1 from the famine1 and from the pestilence2 that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #h-af74 ,the actions of the ,prophet were witnessed by the people and they said to him1 ,what doest thou8 ,the answer to their inquiry is given by the ,lord ,himself4 ,we have therefore the divine interpretation of what ,ezekiel had done in their presence4 ,it is a prophecy and concerns mostly the prince in ,jerusalem2 ,zedekiah is meant4 ,his attempt to flee from ,jerusalem and his fate when the king of ,babylon put out his eyes1 his captivity in the land of the ,chaldeans and death in that land are here clearly predicted4 ,jeremiah xxxix3#d2 lii3#aj-aa and #b ,kings xxv3#a-g must be read in connection with the sign of ,ezekiel and the interpretation as given by the ,lord4 ,thus ,ezekiel had enacted a prophecy before their eyes which came literally true4 ,certain critics have tried to explain that what ,ezekiel did must have happened after the fall of ,jerusalem and the capture of ,zedekiah4 ,however1 this attempt to disprove the passage as a real prophecy has failed4 ,others have tried to explain it in still another way4 ,it has been said3 ,since we know that the book was written after the event1 it is a perfectly fair question whether in the interpretation of the symbols ,ezekiel may not have read into it a fuller meaning than was present to his own mind at the time4 ,this statement sets aside the fact that not ,ezekiel gave the interpretation and read something into it1 but the whole passage is the ,word of the ,lord1 introduced with ,thus saith the ,lord ,god4 ,predictions of any kind revealing future events seems to be the unpalatable thing for the destructive criticism1 for it proves the fact of divine revelation4 ,we have followed step by step the different judgment messages and visions which the ,prophet received and delivered1 how ,jerusalem was facing its certain doom and now ,zedekiah and his fate in trying to escape from ,jerusalem is especially mentioned4 ,all these visions are closely connected and were all given before the city fell4 ,and what the ,lord predicted here1 not alone about ,zedekiah1 but also about the people and their dispersion came true4 ,they were scattered among the nations1 but a full end of them was not made1 a remnant was to be left and to declare their abominations among the nations4 ,scattered in all countries they witness by their condition as a homeless nation to their own disobedience and shame4 ,moreover the word of the ,lord came to me1 saying1 ,son of man1 eat thy bread with quaking1 and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness2 ,and say unto the people of the land1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god of the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 and of the land of ,israel2 ,they shall eat their bread with carefulness1 and drink their water with astonishment1 that her land may be desolate from all that is therein because of the violence of all them that dwell therein4 ,and the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste1 and the land shall be desolate2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ag-bj74 ,an additional message is given4 ,ezekiel was to eat his bread with quaking and drink his water with dread and anxious care4 ,it was another sign of the affliction which was to come upon them4 ,the land also should become desolate and the cities be laid waste4 ,thus the ,lord continued to warn and plead with ,his people4 ,judgment is always his strange work 7,is4 xxxiii3#ba74 ,for ,he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men8 7,lam4 iii3#cc74 ,the unheeded warnings were repeated over and over again by ,ezekiel and the other prophets2 ,he waited in ,his infinite patience for the return of ,his people and1 as we learn from the ,book of ,judges1 if there is but a cry from the heart of ,his people1 ,he is ready to respond4 ,but ,israel heard not4 ,they made light of all the predictions of the rapidly nearing judgment4 ,when we think of our own times and generation1 and remember the deliberate rejection of ,god's ,word1 the impenitence and worldliness prevalent in ,christendom1 and the judgments which are threatened and which must come some day1 these opening messages of ,ezekiel and their fulfilment in the judgment of ,jerusalem and the nation take on an additional meaning4 ,god must needs do ,his strange work1 the work of judgment upon those who reject the best ,he has given1 the ,gospel of ,his ,grace4 ,the condition of the people is now more fully seen in the second part of this chapter4 ,,ii4 ,the ,false ,hope4 ,the ,judgment not to be ,delayed4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying ,son of man1 what is that proverb that ye have in the land of ,israel1 saying1 ,the days are prolonged1 and every vision faileth8 ,tell them1 therefore1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will make this proverb to cease1 and they shall no more use it as a proverb in ,israel2 but say unto them1 ,the days are at hand1 and the effect of every vision4 ,for there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of ,israel4 ,for ,i am the ,lord3 ,i will speak1 and the word that ,i shall speak shall come to pass2 it shall be no more prolonged3 for in your days1 ,o rebellious house1 will ,i say the word1 and will perform it1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,again the word of the ,lord came to me1 saying1 ,son of man1 behold1 they of the house of ,israel say1 ,the vision that he seeth is for many days to come1 and he prophesieth of the times that are far off4 ,therefore say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,there shall none of my words be prolonged any more1 but the word which ,i have spoken shall be done1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ba-bh74 ,we must again remember in reading these words that in the midst of ,israel false prophets deluded the people with their false messages4 ,the rebellious spirit against the ,lord was fostered by these men and the threatening judgments announced by ,jeremiah and by ,ezekiel were not believed by the mass of the people4 ,of them we read elsewhere3 ,thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee1 and they have not discovered thine iniquity1 to turn away thy captivity1 but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment 7,lam4 ii3#ad74 ,believing the false messages the people said1 ,the days are prolonged1 and every vision faileth4 ,had they really believed that the days were not to be prolonged and that the vision of judgment upon ,jerusalem was about to be accomplished1 they would have surely turned to the ,lord and cried to ,him for mercy4 ,unbelief was responsible for their condition1 and in that unbelief they were sustained by the lying prophets4 ,in the next chapter the ,prophet utters his ,god-given denunciation of these false prophets and prophetesses4 ,all this is present with us to-day4 ,blinded ,israel then did not believe what the ,lord had spoken4 ,they thought themselves secure1 that the days would be prolonged and that the visions had failed4 ,it is so to-day4 ,the ,spirit of ,god has predicted this for the end of the present age3 ,knowing this first1 that there shall come in the last days scoffers1 walking after their own lusts1 and saying1 ,where is the promise of his coming8 for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation 7#b ,peter iii3#c-d74 ,this is the spirit to-day which has permeated the larger part of the professing church4 ,what ,god has said concerning the future1 the ,coming again of ,his ,son to judge the world in righteousness is either ignored or rejected1 while many even ridicule these great predictions4 ,it is the popular opinion that our age is constantly getting better1 they dream of world-peace1 great advancement and prosperity4 ,that ,god has written a different program in ,his ,word revealed by the ,prophets of ,god in visions and confirmed by our ,lord and ,his ,apostles is completely forgotten4 ,and this setting aside of the ,word of ,prophecy has produced in ,christendom similar conditions to those in unbelieving ,israel4 ,and there are others who assent in a measure to the visions of the ,prophets concerning things to come1 but they are unconcerned about it4 ,it has no meaning for them4 ,like ,israel they say1 ,the vision that he seeth is for many days to come and he prophesieth of the times that are afar off 7verse #bg74 ,it reminds us of the language of the evil servant who said1 ,my lord delayeth his coming4 ,but what was ,god's answer8 ,he would end this false hope and false security4 ,the lying proverb which the false prophets had them inspired to use would be changed into another4 ,the days are at hand and the effect of every vision4 ,all false visions1 false divinations and false hopes which had become so widespread among ,israel were to cease1 for the burden of true ,prophecy would now be fulfilled4 ,then solemnly ,he declared that ,his ,word was to be done4 ,the ,word which ,he spoke would come to pass4 ,even so every word which the ,prophets had spoken concerning the judgment of ,jerusalem1 the devastation of the land and the dispersion of the people came to pass4 ,may we remember that when the world says ,peace and safety1 then sudden destruction shall come upon them 7#a ,thess4 v3#a-e74 ,the world and an apostate church may dream of peace and safety1 sneer at divine interference in mighty judgments1 laugh at a second1 visible and glorious coming of the same ,lord who died and was raised from the dead1 ridicule the establishment of ,his great kingdom on this earth and say every vision faileth--yet we know that the vision will not fail4 ,what ,god has spoken will be done4 ,the vision may yet be for an appointed time1 but at the end it shall speak and not lie2 though it tarry1 wait for it2 because it will surely come2 it will not tarry 7,hab4 ii3#c74 ,say unto them1 ,the days are at hand4 ,this was ,god's message to a people deceived by false hopes of peace4 ,and may this not be the ,lord's message to us in these dark and solemn days1 when the clouds of judgment are gathering1 the days are at hand8 ,may we as the children of light and of the day wait for the fulfilment of the vision4 ,it will surely come and not tarry4 ,,the ,,message ,,against ,,the ,,false ,,prophets ,,and ,,prophetesses4 ,chapter xiii4 ,the message which follows the preceding one on the certainty of the doom of ,jerusalem is directed against the false prophets and prophetesses who were at work among the people1 and who antagonized the ,god-given utterances of the true messengers of the ,lord4 ,these men and women may well be termed the curse of ,israel1 because all they did was a curse to the people4 ,their words inspired the rebellious people with a false hope and kept them from turning to the ,lord in true repentance4 ,they advocated a national alliance of ,israel with ,egypt and other empires1 while the true prophets exhorted ,israel to put their confidence exclusively in the ,lord4 ,the false prophets paid no heed to the moral and religious conditions of the people of ,god4 ,they saw nothing alarming in the drift away from ,god1 in the increasing immoralities1 but in view of all this they continued to cry peace1 peace2 but the true prophets sounded the alarm and without mincing words uncovered the degenerating conditions of the people4 ,i4 ,the ,false ,prophets3 their ,guilt and ,condemnation4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man prophesying against the prophets of ,israel that prophesy1 and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts1 ,hear ye the word of the ,lord2 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,woe unto the foolish prophets1 that follow their own spirit1 and have seen nothing6 ,o ,israel1 thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts4 ,ye have not gone up into the gaps1 neither made up the hedge for the house of ,israel to stand in the battle in the day of the ,lord4 ,they have seen vanity and lying divination1 saying1 ,the ,lord saith3 and the ,lord hath not sent them3 and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word4 ,have ye not seen a vain vision1 and have ye not spoken a lying divination1 whereas ye say1 ,the ,lord saith it1 albeit ,i have not spoken8 7verses #a-g74 ,the first charge brought against the false prophets is that they prophesy out of their own hearts4 ,it has been also translated who prophesy from their own mind without having seen4 ,here we have a divine definition of the false prophets in a very concise form4 ,their words came out of their own hearts1 they were not founded upon the vision of the ,lord1 the message ,he gives by ,his ,spirit1 but the product of their own minds4 ,they gave expression to the thoughts of their own darkened hearts and paid no heed whatever to the revelation of ,god4 ,and here let us be reminded of what is written in the ,new ,testament concerning the same class of men who are predicted to appear especially at the close of the present age1 doing a work in ,christendom which fully corresponds to the work of these false prophets in ,jeremiah's and ,ezekiel's day4 ,but there were false prophets also among the people 7,israel71 even as there shall be false teachers among you1 who privily shall bring in damnable heresies1 even denying the ,lord that bought them1 and bring upon themselves swift destruction4 ,and many shall follow their pernicious ways1 by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of 7#b ,peter ii3#a-b74 ,jude in his ,epistle gives a more complete picture of them4 ,he speaks of these false teachers of ,christendom as speaking evil of those things which they know not1 but what they know naturally 7as natural men1 unregenerated7 as brute beasts1 in those things they corrupt themselves 7verse #aj74 ,their mouth speaketh great swelling words 7a divine definition of modern day 'pulpit oratory'71 having men's persons in admiration because of advantage 7verse #af74 ,they were mockers who walk after their own lusts2 having not the ,spirit 7verse #ai74 ,the ,apostle ,paul speaks of them as wolves 7,acts xx3#bi7 and our ,lord warned of them4 ,beware of false ,prophets1 which come to you in sheep's clothing1 but inwardly they are ravening wolves 7,matt4 vii3#ae74 ,and such false teachers1 men who pose as religious leaders1 are doing their dreadful and delusive work throughout the professing church4 ,every man who prophesies out of his own heart1 who utters his own mind1 whose teaching and preaching is not according to the oracles of ,god1 who pays no heed to what the ,lord has said is a false prophet4 ,and such abound in the closing days of the church on earth4 ,hundreds of men who are accredited religious teachers ignore the visions of ,god1 have no heart and no ear for what the ,lord has revealed1 yea1 more than that1 they reject the inspiration and revelation of the ,word of ,god and in its place preach and teach the opinions of their own corrupt and darkened minds and the traditions of men4 ,a true prophet of ,god and a true leader is altogether subject to the ,word of ,god4 ,his one business is to expound the ,word of ,god4 ,he speaks as the oracles of ,god4 ,he does what is written in #b ,cor4 x3#e3 ,casting down imaginations 7the working of the mind apart from the ,word of ,god7 and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of ,god1 and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of ,christ4 ,the ,apostle ,paul is a perfect example of such a true mouthpiece of the ,lord4 ,naturally gifted with a keen mind1 learned and cultured1 yet he wrote to the ,corinthians1 ,and ,i1 brethren1 when ,i come to you1 came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom1 declaring unto you the testimony of ,god4 ,for ,i determined not to know anything among you1 save ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified--,and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom1 but in demonstration of the ,spirit and of power 7#a ,cor4 ii3#a-d74 ,and like the false prophets among ,israel the false prophets and teachers in ,christendom are responsible for the deplorable conditions of the professing people of ,god4 ,instead of sounding ,god's warning they cover up and lead the people into the dark1 where they are themselves4 ,the responsibilities of those men who deny the authority of the ,bible1 who prophesy out of their own hearts is far greater than any pen can describe4 ,and what else did the ,lord say about them in ,ezekiel's message8 ,they have seen vanity and lying divination1 saying1 ,the ,lord saith1 and the ,lord hath not sent them4 ,here is the root of the matter4 ,the ,lord never sent them2 ,he never called them into the office of a prophet or teacher4 ,they are self-called and self-sent4 ,being therefore not the chosen instruments of the ,lord1 knowing not ,his ,word nor obeying ,his ,spirit1 they become the instruments of lying divination4 ,behind their messages of a false hope and false peace stands the father of lies4 #a ,kings xxii3#ai-bc throws important light upon this4 ,it was a lying spirit who possessed the false prophets in ,ahab's times4 ,even so it is predicted of the last days that the people will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons 7#a ,tim4 iv3#a74 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because ye have spoken vanity1 and seen lies1 therefore1 behold1 ,i am against you1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity and that divine lies2 they shall not be in the assembly of my people1 neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of ,israel1 neither shall they enter into the land of ,israel2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord ,god4 ,because1 even because they have seduced my people1 saying1 ,peace2 and there was no peace2 and one built up a wall1 and1 lo1 others daubed it with untempered mortar3 ,say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar1 that it shall fall3 there shall be an overflowing shower2 and ye1 ,o great hailstones1 shall fall2 and a stormy wind shall rend it4 ,lo1 when the wall is fallen1 shall it not be said unto you1 ,where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury2 and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger1 and great hailstone in my fury1 to consume it4 ,so will ,i break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar1 and bring it down to the ground1 so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered1 and it shall fall1 and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof1 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,thus will ,i accomplish my wrath upon the wall1 and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar and will say unto you3 ,the wall is no more1 neither they that daubed it2 to wit the prophets of ,israel which prophesy concerning ,jerusalem1 and which see visions of peace for them1 and there is no peace saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #h-af74 ,and next the message pronounces the condemnation and punishment of these false prophets4 ,the ,lord is against them4 ,his hand is to be upon them for punishment4 ,three things are mentioned in which their punishment is going to consist3 they are to be excluded from the assembly of ,god's people2 they will be outcasts like lepers and such they were2 their names are not to be mentioned in the writings of ,israel2 their memory will be blotted out1 their names forgotten2 finally they were not to enter into the land of ,israel4 ,this is not too severe if one thinks of the souls these false prophets destroyed and the wicked work they did1 for it is wickedness to reject the ,word of ,god and substitute for it human inventions4 ,a more solemn word is pronounced in the ,new ,testament against those who continue in ,christendom the pernicious and deceiving work of these false teachers4 ,it is written1 ,if any man defile the temple of ,god1 him shall ,god destroy2 for the temple of ,god is holy1 which temple ye are 7#a ,cor4 iii3#ag74 ,that is1 believers constitute the temple of ,god1 that is1 the church4 ,the church has for its foundation the ,truth of ,god1 the doctrine of ,christ4 ,a rejection of the doctrine of ,christ1 so common in our day1 defiles this spiritual temple of ,god4 ,it is the worst profanation4 ,and the false leader with his work corrupts the best1 the holiest4 ,him shall ,god destroy6 ,may ,god's people heed the warning to have no fellowship with such who as hirelings do the work of false prophets4 ,and these false prophets seduced the people4 ,the delusion consisted in saying1 ,peace1 and there was no peace4 ,this is a characteristic of those who follow not ,god's revelation but their own hearts4 ,while ,god has threatened a world which lieth in the wicked one1 an age which is evil and which never can be anything but evil1 with judgments to come1 they preach peace and safety4 ,he describes them as building a wall and then putting some untempered stuff1 a whitewash1 upon the wall4 ,the wall is for defence4 ,they invented all kinds of schemes and policies1 political1 religious and religious-political4 ,this was done to sustain their false messages and false hopes4 ,then to hide the defects1 they whitewashed their walls1 they glazed it over with nice and high sounding phrases4 ,such is the case to-day4 ,oh6 the schemes1 the religious-political combinations which are used to accomplish certain ends which are nowhere authorized by the ,word of ,god4 ,and the whitewash1 the enticing1 beautiful words which are used to cover it over and make it appear as being secure6 ,and ,ezekiel was commanded to say to these whitewashes1 ,it shall fall6 ,a great storm with wind and flood would strike it and the wall1 the schemes and inventions of men were to collapse 7see ,matt4 vii3#bf-bg74 ,even so the judgment came upon ,jerusalem and the land of ,israel and swept away the false prophets and what they had built up4 ,another judgment will sweep over ,christendom and sweep away the destructive critics1 the false teachers and leaders of delusive movements which flourish everywhere4 ,then the divine mockery3 ,lo1 when the wall is fallen1 shall it not be said unto you1 where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it8 7verse #ab74 ,when ,god fulfills ,his predictions written in the ,word1 when a boasting1 ,christless civilization1 an apostate church are engulfed in the judgment with which this present age ends1 where will be the nice sounding whitewash of the false prophets8 ,,ii4 ,the ,false ,prophetesses4 ,likewise1 thou son of man1 set thy face against the daughters of thy people1 which prophesy out of their own heart2 and prophesy thou against them1 ,and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes1 and make veils for the head of every stature to hunt souls6 ,will ye hunt the souls of my people1 and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you8 ,and will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread1 to slay the souls that should not die1 and to save the souls alive that should not live1 by your lying to my people that hear your lies8 ,wherefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i am against your pillows1 wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly1 and ,i will tear them from your arms1 and will let the souls go1 even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly4 ,your veils also will ,i tear1 and deliver my people out of your hand1 and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad1 whom ,i have not made sad2 and strengthened the hands of the wicked1 that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life3 ,therefore ye shall see no more vanity1 nor divine divinations3 for ,i will deliver my people out of your hand1 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ag-bc74 ,and there were false women prophets among ,israel likewise4 ,this is a significant fact4 ,women became religious leaders and teachers in the days of ,jerusalem's downfall and the worst degradation followed upon that4 ,they also prophesied out of their own hearts and added other wicked things to it4 ,they sewed pillows upon all elbows and made veils for the head to hunt for souls4 ,this has been interpreted in different ways4 ,it means that they used amulets1 little idol images and other things by which they practised the so-called divination--the soothsaying4 ,it is sorcery to which these women prophets gave themselves up4 ,the veils which they used were to give to it a priestly air of mysticism4 ,they practised the sinister art of magic1 or as we call it nowadays1 occultism4 ,it was witchcraft1 this binding on of pillows and other things4 ,this they did for hire and to slay souls which should not be slain and to sustain the wicked in their wickedness4 ,here is also undoubtedly a hint about their wicked incantations1 the spells they claimed to cast that the innocent souls should die and the guilty should live4 ,but the ,prophet declares now that the ,lord will deal with them1 expose their wicked practises1 tear off their devices and deliver ,his people out of the snare4 ,all this is also done in the very midst of ,christendom in the twentieth century4 ,women prophets1 the most subtle instruments of ,satan1 are plentiful in these days4 ,the fact has often been pointed out that the prominent leaders in the evil cults of the last days are women4 ,there has been a strange modern day revival of occult practices upon ,christian ground4 ,spiritualism1 ,theosophy and ,christian ,science belong to this class4 ,all three started with women4 ,spiritualism with its mediums1 fortune-tellers and necromancers is almost entirely in the hands of women1 who claim to be religious leaders4 ,the same is true of ,theosophy1 with its ,hindu philosophy and occultism1 surrounded with an air of unholy mysticism4 ,christian ,science is closely related to these two cults4 ,its founder practised for a time the calling of a medium4 ,significant is the description of the work of these false prophets and prophetesses in verse #bb3 ,because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad1 whom ,i have not made sad2 and strengthened the hands of the wicked1 that he should not return from his wicked way1 by promising him life4 ,the righteous in ,israel were saddened by their evil work4 ,to the wicked they promised life1 that there was no future punishment for their sins4 ,hence the wicked continued in his wickedness4 ,and is the work of the false teachers1 the false women-cults1 any different8 ,the righteous are saddened4 ,each one of the false teachers and movements like ,spiritualism1 ,theosophy1 ,russellism1 ,christian ,science and others deny the eternal punishment of the wicked4 ,they strengthen the hands of the wicked by promising him life4 ,,the ,,message ,,against ,,the ,,idolatrous ,,elders4 ,chapter xiv4 ,the elders now appear to inquire of the ,lord through the prophet 7verse #c2 xx3#a74 ,though the prophet had faithfully uttered the messages of judgment and impending doom and the people and their leaders had heard them1 yet would they inquire of the ,lord4 ,the ,word1 the ,lord had sent to them1 they rejected and now they expected some new kind of a message4 ,when these inquiring elders were in the presence of ,ezekiel1 the ,word of the ,lord came unto him4 ,this chapter contains two sections2 each is introduced by the statement1 ,and the ,word of the ,lord came unto me4 ,i4 ,the ,idolatrous ,elder4 ,the ,call to ,repentance4 ,then came certain of the elders of ,israel unto me1 and sat before me4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 these men have set up their idols in their heart1 and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face3 should ,i be enquired of at all by them8 ,therefore speak unto them1 and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,every man of the house of ,israel that setteth up his idols in his heart1 and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face1 and cometh to the prophet2 ,i the ,lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols2 ,that ,i may take the house of ,israel in their own heart1 because they are all estranged from me through their idols4 ,therefore say unto the house of ,israel1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,repent1 and turn yourselves from your idols2 and turn away your faces from all your abominations4 ,for every one of the house of ,israel1 or of the stranger that sojourneth in ,israel1 which separateth himself from me1 and setteth up his idols in his heart1 and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face1 and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me2 ,i the ,lord will answer him by myself4 ,and ,i will set my face against that man1 and will make him a sign and a proverb1 and ,i will cut him off from the midst of my people2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,and if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing1 ,i the ,lord have deceived that prophet1 and ,i will stretch out my hand upon him1 and will destroy him from the midst of my people ,israel4 ,and they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity3 the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him2 ,that the house of ,israel may go no more astray from me1 neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions2 but that they may be my people1 and ,i may be their ,god1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-aa74 ,these inquiring elders with wickedness in their hearts1 give another illustration of the depth of degradation in which the people had sunken4 ,he who searches the hearts knew what was in them4 ,they came with pious1 religious pretensions4 ,it sounded well to inquire of the ,lord and seek the prophet-priest for that purpose4 ,their hearts were full of evil4 ,while their lips spoke of asking the ,lord1 their hearts were full of idolatry4 ,they liked idolatry4 ,their hearts were in it and this stumbling-block of their iniquity they had put before their faces1 which means they openly defied the ,lord ,god of ,israel by their doings4 ,should ,i be inquired of at all by them8 ,to seek the ,lord and inquire of ,him in such a condition reveals a brazen spirit and the deepest depravity4 ,yet this also belongs to the conditions in which the professing people of ,god are when judgment overtakes them4 ,we see much of it in our own days4 ,there is a great deal of so-called religious exercise and activity1 attempts to produce more religiousness1 as it is termed4 ,there is1 however1 no real heart-turning to the ,lord1 but the idols are kept in heart and life4 ,if ,i regard iniquity in my heart1 the ,lord will not hear me 7,ps4 lxvi3#ah74 ,then the ,lord tells them through the prophet1 ,i1 the ,lord1 will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of their idols2 that ,i may take the house of ,israel in their own heart because they are all estranged from me through their idols4 ,estranged from ,jehovah through idols2 this described the spiritual condition of these certain elders and the people4 ,if ,god's people do not give the ,lord the place of pre-eminence and follow ,him wholly they become estranged from ,him4 ,and such is the condition of thousands of professing ,christians who walk in a carnal way1 who follow their idols instead of the ,lord and who still maintain an outward religiousness4 ,then follows the call to repentance4 ,repent and turn yourselves from your idols4 ,next is the announcement that the ,lord ,himself will deal with such miserable hypocrites4 ,he will answer the unrepenting1 idol follower1 who separates himself from the ,lord4 ,no true prophet of ,jehovah would certainly encourage the men who inquire of the ,lord and have evil in their hearts1 for fellowship with ,jehovah is impossible for such4 ,the ninth verse states more than a possibility4 ,and if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing1 ,i1 the ,lord1 have deceived the prophet1 and ,i will stretch out my hand upon him1 and ,i will destroy him from the midst of my people ,israel4 ,as we learned in the previous prophetic message that such deceiving prophets were in abundance among ,israel4 ,they were the curse of the nation4 ,little did they care about the spiritual condition of the people4 ,they prophesied for filthy lucre's sake and lived in sin like the rest of the apostates4 ,to them people came to inquire of the ,lord and the deceiving prophets prophesied smooth things4 ,but the ,lord ,himself as a judgment had deceived their prophets to ripen the people for the deserved doom4 ,it is the same what ,micaiah declared in the presence of ,king ,jehosaphat and ,king ,ahab 7#a ,kings xxii3#ac-bc74 ,the four hundred prophets of ,ahab were possessed by a lying spirit4 ,,ii4 ,judgment is ,unavoidable4 ,the word of the ,lord came again to me1 saying1 ,son of man1 when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously1 then will ,i stretch out mine hand upon it1 and will break the staff of the bread thereof1 and will send famine upon it1 and will cut off man and beast from it3 ,though these three men1 ,noah1 ,daniel and ,job1 were in it1 they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,if ,i cause noisome beasts to pass through the land1 and they spoil it1 so that it be desolate1 that no man may pass through because of the beasts3 ,though these three men were in it1 as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters2 they only shall be delivered1 but the land shall be desolate4 ,or if ,i bring a sword upon that land1 and say1 ,sword1 go through the land2 so that ,i cut off man and beast from it3 ,though these three men were in it1 as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters1 but they only shall be delivered themselves4 ,or if ,i send a pestilence into that land1 and pour out my fury upon it in blood1 to cut off from it man and beast3 though ,noah1 ,daniel and ,job were in it1 as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 they shall deliver neither son nor daughter2 they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,how much more when ,i send my fourscore judgments upon ,jerusalem1 the sword1 and the famine1 and the noisome beast1 and the pestilence1 to cut off from it man and beast8 ,yet1 behold1 therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth1 both sons and daughters3 behold1 they shall come forth unto you1 and ye shall see their way and their doings3 and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that ,i have brought upon ,jerusalem1 even concerning all that ,i have brought upon it4 ,and they shall see their ways and their doings3 and ye shall know that ,i have not done without cause all that ,i have done in it1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ab-bc74 ,the ,word of the ,lord came again to ,ezekiel4 ,the previously announced judgment cannot be averted1 it is unavoidable2 this is the burden of the second message the inquiring elders heard from the prophet's lips4 ,perhaps this was on their minds when they came to the prophet and sat in his presence4 ,famine is threatened first2 it would come upon man and beast4 ,then the noisome beasts would pass through the land1 to spoil it and make it desolate4 ,these beasts must not be understood in the literal sense2 they symbolize the ,gentiles1 whom ,daniel in his vision saw also as beasts 7,dan4 vii74 ,these nations like the ,chaldeans would overrun the land and waste it4 ,the last two judgments were to be the sword 7verse #ag7 and the pestilence 7verse #ai74 ,these four sore judgments were about to fall upon ,jerusalem and the land--famine1 noisome beasts1 ,gentile invasion1 the sword and pestilence4 ,twice in this address ,noah1 ,daniel and ,job are mentioned4 ,they were righteous men1 yet if they were all three in ,jerusalem they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness1 which was the result of their faith in and obedience to ,jehovah4 ,they were witnesses and men of prayer4 ,noah1 the witness before the great judgment by water swept over the earth2 ,daniel even then in ,babylon1 and ,job of the patriarchal age4 ,all their righteousness1 and all their witnessing and prayers would not help in preventing these four sore judgments4 ,then there is a gracious promise for the remnant which is to be preserved in these judgments4 ,,the ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,unfruitful ,,vine ,chapter xv4 ,the next three chapters contain divinely given parables4 ,the object of these parables is to expose still further the false hopes which the people had during the reign of ,zedekiah1 the last ,king of ,judah4 ,he rebelled against ,king ,nebuchadnezzar after the second invasion 7#b ,kings xxiv3#bj74 ,he hoped1 and the people with him1 that deliverance would come through the alliances ,zedekiah had formed with ,edom1 ,ammon1 ,tyre and ,sidon4 ,he also had sent to ,egypt for help4 ,but he rebelled against him 7the king of ,babylon7 in sending ambassadors into ,egypt that they might give him horses and much people 7,ezek4 xvii3#ae74 ,in all this ,zedekiah and the remnant of people left in the land despised the ,word of ,jehovah4 ,prophet after prophet had delivered the same message concerning the ultimate and complete overthrow of ,jerusalem4 ,during ,josiah's reign in the midst of the great reformation-revival1 ,hulda the prophetess1 had given the warning1 ,i will bring evil upon this place1 and upon the inhabitants thereof 7#b ,kings xxii3#af74 ,the great reformation could not keep back the decreed judgment4 ,nor can any reformation movement in the close of our own age avert the judgment which is predicted upon an ungodly world and an apostate church4 ,josiah's reign was followed by the reign of ,jehoiakim1 ,jehoiachin and ,zedekiah4 ,it went from bad to worse4 ,twice ,nebuchadnezzar had come and spoiled ,jerusalem4 ,it was evident that ,jehovah's judgment was being gradually executed upon the land and the city4 ,we have learned from the preceding chapters how often and in how many different ways the ,lord had repeated through ,ezekiel's visions and utterances that the judgment would surely do its complete work1 and that nothing would be able to arrest it4 ,yet ,zedekiah1 in the awful blindness characteristic of all who deliberately reject the ,word of ,god and continue in an impenitent state1 hoped for better things4 ,and the exiles also shared more or less this false hope4 ,three parables were therefore given to ,ezekiel to demonstrate still further the false and vain hope and the delusion that there would be deliverance4 ,the ,parable of the unfruitful vine shows that the nation was good for nothing1 and burning awaited the city4 ,this is followed by a second parable1 one of the most beautiful in the ,word of ,god3 the parable of the abandoned child in the field4 ,that child1 ,jerusalem1 had bestowed upon it all the mercy and grace a loving ,god could give4 ,and after all had been done she became a wanton harlot and turned from ,him who loved her so much4 ,linked with the second parable is the restoration promise1 still unfulfilled4 ,the third parable is the parable of the great eagles4 ,here judgment upon the nation is once more announced4 ,and after that ,ezekiel spoke in ,jehovah's name the final word3 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 surely in the place where the king dwelleth 7,nebuchadnezzar in ,babylon7 that made him king 7,zedekiah was made king by ,nebuchadnezzar71 whose oath he despised 7,zedekiah had sworn to ,nebuchadnezzar and then broke the oath71 even with him in the midst of ,babylon he shall die4 ,and ,i will spread my net upon him1 and he shall be taken in my snare1 and ,i will bring him to ,babylon1 and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me 7,ezek4 xvii3#af1 #bj74 ,i4 ,the ,parable of the ,unfruitful ,vine4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 ,what is the vine tree more than any tree1 or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest8 ,shall wood be taken thereof to do any work1 or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon8 ,behold1 it is cast into the fire for fuel2 the fire devoureth both the ends of it1 and the midst of it is burned4 ,is it meet for any work8 ,behold1 when it was whole1 it was meet for no work3 how much less shall it be meet yet for any work1 when the fire hath devoured it1 and it is burned8 ,therefore1 thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,as the vine tree among the trees of the forest1 which ,i have given to the fire for fuel1 so will ,i give the inhabitants of ,jerusalem4 ,and ,i will set my face against them2 they shall go out from one fire1 and another fire shall devour them2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i set my face against them4 ,and ,i will make the land desolate1 because they have committed a trespass1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-h74 ,the vine is a type of the people ,israel4 ,perhaps their confidence and boast was in the knowledge that they were the vine of ,jehovah4 ,their false prophets may have quoted the words of ,asaph in that beautiful prayer addressed to the ,shepherd of ,israel3 ,thou hast brought a vine out of ,egypt2 thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it4 ,thou preparedst room for it1 and didst cause it to take deep root1 and it filled the land4 ,the hills were covered with the shadow of it and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars4 ,she sent out her boughs unto the sea1 and her branches unto the river4 ,why hast thou then broken down her hedges1 so that all they that pass by the way do pluck her8 7,psalm lxxx3#h-ab74 ,but they forgot that judgment had been long ago pronounced against the vine and the vineyard of ,israel4 ,isaiah has spoken of the vineyard and what ,jehovah had done for ,his people4 ,but the vine brought forth wild grapes4 ,and now go to2 ,i will tell you what ,i will do to my vineyard4 ,i will take away the hedge thereof1 and it shall be eaten up2 and will break down the wall thereof1 and it shall be trodden down4 ,and ,i will lay it waste4 ,it shall not be pruned or digged2 but there shall come up briers and thorns2 ,i will also command the clouds that they rain not upon it 7,isaiah v3#a-f74 ,and ,hosea1 too1 had borne witness against the vine3 ,israel is an empty vine1 he bringeth forth fruit unto himself2 according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars2 according to the goodness of the land they have made goodly images 7,hosea x3#a74 ,their boast of being the vine and vineyard of ,jehovah was an idle one4 ,ezekiel's parable demonstrates this4 ,the vine tree is only good for one thing and that is the bearing of fruit4 ,apart from fruit bearing the vine is worthless4 ,the wood of it cannot be used for anything whatever4 ,is it meet for any work8 ,will men take a piece of it and hang a vessel thereon8 ,it is good for nothing else but to be burned with fire4 ,cast into the fire for fuel it is burned at both ends and in the midst4 ,this was to be the certain fate of ,jerusalem4 ,the process of the fiery judgment consuming the unfruitful vine tree had already begun4 ,and ,i will set my face against them2 they shall go out from one fire and another fire shall devour them2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i set my face against them4 ,even so it came upon the city when ,nebuchadnezzar came against ,jerusalem the third time4 ,and he burnt the house of the ,lord1 and the ,king's house1 and all the houses of ,jerusalem1 and every great man's house burnt he with fire 7#b ,kings xxv3#i74 ,and here we must also remember the statement our ,lord made in the parable of the vine and the branches4 ,if a man abide not in me1 he is cast forth as a branch1 and is withered1 and men gather them1 and cast them into the fire1 and they are burned 7,john xv3#f74 ,some apply this also to ,israel4 ,it means1 however1 the professing believer1 who in an empty profession claims to be a branch in ,him who is the true vine4 ,such a one is a barren branch1 good only for burning4 ,our ,lord's parable of the vineyard 7,matt4 xxi3#cc1 etc47 must here likewise be considered4 ,it brings together all the prophets had spoken concerning ,israel as the vineyard1 as well as the crowning sin of the people1 in the rejection and death of the ,lord ,jesus1 and the judgment which came upon ,jerusalem and the nation4 ,but there is a day coming when the ,lord will graciously visit the vine again1 when ,he will have mercy upon ,zion4 ,of this the already quoted eightieth ,psalm bears a blessed testimony4 ,the prayer of the godly remnant of the ,jewish people at the close of the times of the ,gentiles is pre-written in that ,psalm by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,let us listen to it4 ,return we beseech thee1 ,o ,god of hosts2 look down from heaven1 and behold1 and visit this vine and the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted1 and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself4 ,it is burned with fire1 it is cut down2 they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance4 ,let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand 7the ,lord ,jesus ,christ71 upon the son of man1 whom thou madest strong for thyself4 ,so will we not go back from thee2 quicken us1 and we will call upon thy name 7,psalm lxxx3#ad-ah74 ,,the ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,abandoned ,,child4 ,,jerusalem',s ,,idolatry4 ,,the ,,promises ,,of ,,restoration4 ,chapter xvi4 ,after the parable of the unfruitful vine in which the vain hope and boast of ,jerusalem is briefly exposed1 another parable was uttered by the ,prophet1 which more fully establishes ,jerusalem's great wickedness4 ,the chapter before us is one of the greatest in the prophetic ,scriptures4 ,it contains a wonderful history of ,jerusalem1 past1 present and future1 and ,god's dealings with her4 ,we give first a brief survey of this interesting chapter before we take up a more analytical study4 ,the parable of the abandoned child and ,jehovah's love and mercy in taking her up1 saving the perishing one from death and bestowing upon her such gracious labor and gifts1 forms the first part of the chapter 7verse #a-ad74 ,it is a most beautiful description of what ,jehovah had done for ,jerusalem4 ,after this1 the terrible ingratitude and fall of ,jerusalem is uncovered4 ,she1 whom ,jehovah lifted so high1 upon whom ,he bestowed such love and grace1 turned against ,jehovah and became an abandoned prostitute4 ,the idolatries of ,jerusalem and corresponding moral degradations are vividly pictured in this second section of the chapter 7verses #ae-cd74 ,then follows the announcement of the doom of ,jerusalem4 ,in this third section ,samaria and her daughters1 as well as ,sodom and her daughters are introduced1 and their return to the former estate with ,jerusalem is announced4 ,these restoration promises are frequently used by teachers of the so-called larger hope1 who deny the eternal punishment of the wicked4 ,it is claimed that ,sodom and her daughters1 all the inhabitants of wicked ,sodom1 who perished in the great judgment1 will be raised from the dead and have another chance4 ,we shall1 in considering this portion of the chapter 7verses #ce-ei71 show the unscripturalness of this theory as well as the true meaning of the promise4 ,the fourth section 7verses #ei-fc7 promises the establishment of ,jehovah's covenant with ,jerusalem4 ,i4 ,the ,parable of the ,abandoned ,child4 ,again the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 cause ,jerusalem to know her abominations1 and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god unto ,jerusalem2 ,thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of ,canaan2 thy father was an ,amorite1 and thy mother an ,hittite4 ,and as for thy nativity1 in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut1 neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee2 thou was not salted at all1 nor swaddled at all4 ,none eye pitied thee1 to do any of these unto thee1 to have compassion upon thee2 but thou wast cast out in the open field1 to the loathing of thy person1 in the day that thou wast born4 ,and when ,i passed by thee1 and saw thee polluted in thine own blood1 ,i said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood1 ,live2 yea1 ,i said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood1 ,live4 ,i have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field1 and thou hast increased and waxen great1 and thou art come to excellent ornaments3 thy breasts are fashioned1 and thine hair is grown1 whereas thou wast naked and bare4 ,now when ,i passed by thee1 and looked upon thee1 behold1 thy time was the time of love2 and ,i spread my skirt over thee1 and covered thy nakedness2 yea1 ,i sware unto thee1 and entered into a covenant with thee1 saith the ,lord ,god1 and thou becamest mine4 ,then washed ,i thee with water2 yea1 ,i thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee1 and ,i anointed thee with oil4 ,i clothed thee also with broidered work1 and shod thee with badgers' skin1 and ,i girded thee about with fine linen1 and ,i covered thee with silk4 ,i decked thee also with ornaments1 and ,i put bracelets upon thy hands1 and a chain on thy neck4 ,and ,i put a jewel on thy forehead1 and earrings in thine ears1 and a beautiful crown upon thine head4 ,thus wast thou decked with gold and silver2 and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk and broidered work2 thou didst eat fine flour1 and honey and oil2 and thou wast exceeding beautiful1 and thou didst prosper into a kingdom4 ,and thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty3 for it was perfect through my comeliness1 which ,i had put upon thee1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-ad74 ,in the beginning of the chapter the purpose of the parable is stated4 ,son of ,man1 cause ,jerusalem to know her abominations4 ,to convict ,jerusalem of all her guilt and wickedness the ,lord shows first of all what ,he had done for her4 ,while ,jerusalem is specially mentioned1 the parable has a wider application to the nation itself4 ,the different dealings of the ,lord with ,his people can be traced in this beautiful parable4 ,first1 ,jerusalem's origin is mentioned4 ,thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of ,canaan2 thy father was an ,amorite and thy mother a ,hittite4 ,this does not mean ,abraham and ,sarah1 from which the nation sprang1 but it refers to the origin of the city itself1 which was ,canaanitish4 ,the ,amorites were the original possessors of ,palestine1 as we learn from ,genesis xv3#af4 ,the name for ,palestine in the cuneiform inscriptions is ,land of the ,amorites4 ,the ,hittites are also mentioned in ,genesis as the inhabitants of the land4 7,genesis xxiii3#c1 #aj2 xxvii3#df74 ,thus ,jerusalem is described as coming from a base and unclean parentage4 ,the ,lord had mercy on her whose condition was like an abandoned child cast out into an open field4 ,he passed by and spoke the word1 which ,he alone could speak--,live6 ,then ,he began ,his work of mercy4 ,he caused her to multiply as the bud of the field4 ,he made her to increase4 ,he entered into a covenant with her4 ,yea1 ,i swear unto thee1 and entered into a covenant with thee1 saith the ,lord ,god1 and thou becamest mine4 ,furthermore we read1 ,i washed thee with water2 ,i anointed thee with oil2 ,i clothed2 ,i girded thee2 ,i covered thee with silk4 ,ornaments were bestowed upon the beloved one4 ,bracelets upon the hands2 a chain for the neck2 a jewel for the forehead2 earrings for the ears2 decked with gold and silver2 arrayed in fine linen and silk and broidered work1 feeding on fine flour1 honey and oil--such were ,jehovah's gifts to ,jerusalem4 ,a beautiful crown was put upon her head4 ,jerusalem became exceedingly beautiful and prospered into a kingdom4 ,her renown went forth among the nations on account of her beauty4 ,all this is a striking allegory of ,jehovah's mercy to ,jerusalem1 and the culmination refers to the days of the glorious kingdom under ,solomon4 ,there is no need of applying every statement to some historical fact in the history of ,jerusalem as it has been attempted by certain expositors4 ,the purpose1 as already stated1 is to convict ,jerusalem of her abominations1 and for this reason ,jehovah's goodness to her is so vividly described4 ,jehovah had done all for her and not a word is said about gratitude or love from the side of ,jerusalem4 ,all was done for her by ,him4 ,it was perfect through my comeliness 7magnificence71 which ,i had put upon thee1 saith the ,lord ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and this sweet parable illustrates1 as few other portions in the ,old ,testament do1 the grace which the ,lord bestows upon the believer in the ,gospel4 ,thy father an ,amorite and thy mother a ,hittite reminds us of what is true of all men1 so tersely expressed in ,david's confession1 ,behold ,i was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me 7,psalm li3#e74 ,like the child pictured in the parable1 we are lost1 perishing in the field 7the world74 ,what could that perishing child do to save itself8 ,even so we cannot do anything to save ourselves4 ,the ,lord passing by had compassion and spoke ,his ,word of power--,live4 ,he came from ,heaven to this earth1 into the field to seek and save what is lost4 ,he found man in the vile and helpless condition so aptly pictured by the miserable child4 ,and more than that1 ,he died to save man4 ,he gave ,his life so that we might live4 ,the first thing ,he does for the believing sinner is to give him life4 ,when the spiritual dead hear ,his voice they live4 ,the washing with water1 the anointing with oil 7type of the ,holy ,spirit71 the announcement thou becamest mine1 as well as the clothing1 the beautifying and the crowning1 all illustrates what ,his marvelous grace does for the trusting1 believing sinner4 ,it is all grace from start to finish1 from the impartation of life in the new birth to the crowning in glory4 ,,ii4 ,jerusalem's ,idolatries and ,moral ,degradation4 ,but thou didst trust in thine own beauty1 and playedst the harlot because of thy renown1 and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by2 his it was4 ,and of thy garments thou didst take1 and deckedst thy high places with divers colors1 and playedst the harlot thereupon3 the like things shall not come1 neither shall it be so4 ,thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver1 which ,i had given thee1 and madest to thyself images of men1 and didst commit whoredom with them4 ,and tookest thy broidered garments1 and coveredst them3 and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them4 ,my meat also which ,i gave thee1 fine flour1 and oil1 and honey1 wherewith ,i fed thee1 thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savor3 and thus it was1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters1 whom thou hast borne unto me1 and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured4 ,is this of thy whoredoms a small matter4 ,that thou has slain my children1 and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them8 ,and in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth1 when thou wast naked and bare1 and wast polluted in thy blood4 ,and it came to pass after all thy wickedness1 7woe1 woe unto thee6 saith the ,lord ,god17 ,that thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place1 and hast made thee a high place in every street4 ,thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way1 and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred1 and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by1 and multiplied thy whoredoms4 ,thou hast also committed fornication with the ,egyptians thy neighbors1 great of flesh2 and hast increased thy whoredoms1 to provoke me to anger4 ,behold1 therefore1 ,i have stretched out my hand over thee1 and have diminished thine ordinary food1 and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee1 the daughters of the ,philistines1 which are ashamed of thy lewd way4 ,thou hast played the whore also with the ,assyrians1 because thou wast unsatiable2 yea1 thou hast played the harlot with them1 and couldest not be satisfied4 ,thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of ,canaan unto ,chaldea2 and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith4 ,how weak is thine heart1 saith the ,lord ,god1 seeing thou doest all these things1 the work of an imperious whorish woman2 in that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way1 and makest thine high place in every street2 and hast not been as a harlot1 in that thou scornest hire2 but as a wife that committeth adultery1 which taketh strangers instead of her husband6 ,they give gifts to all whores3 but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers1 and hirest them1 that they may come unto thee on every side of thy whoredom4 ,and the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms1 whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms3 and in that thou givest a reward1 and no reward is given unto thee1 therefore thou art contrary 7verses #ae-cd74 ,upon the beautiful background of ,jehovah's love and mercy1 there is now written the dark picture of ,jerusalem's whoredoms1 symbolical of her wicked idolatries4 ,but thou didst trust in thine own beauty1 and played the harlot because of thy renown1 and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by2 his it was 7verse #ae74 ,it started all with pride4 ,jerusalem did not acknowledge the giver1 who had made her great4 ,instead of worshipping in ,jehovah's appointed way1 they established the high places and conformed to all the wicked ,canaanitish practices4 ,the wickedness of the ,amorites and ,hittites1 from which she came1 were reproduced in her4 ,their little ones were given to ,moloch as a sacrifice4 ,moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters1 whom thou hast borne unto me1 and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured4 ,is this of thy whoredoms a small matter1 that thou hast slain thy children1 and delivered them to pass through the fire for them8 7verses #bj-ba74 ,from the ,second ,book of ,kings we learn that ,ahaz was the first king who committed this atrocity4 ,he made his son pass through the fire1 according to the abominations of the heathen whom the ,lord cast out from before the children of ,israel 7#b ,kings xvi3#c74 ,and ,manasseh1 the wicked son of a pious father1 also followed the same horrible practice 7#b ,kings xxi3#f74 ,the historical books of ,second ,kings and ,second ,chronicles must be read to understand more fully the symbolical language used by ,ezekiel and to learn the idolatry and degradation of ,jerusalem4 ,all ,jehovah had given and bestowed upon her was devoted to practice this spiritual fornication4 ,what ,jehovah had done for her was forgotten4 ,and in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth1 when thou wast naked and bare1 and wast polluted in thy blood 7verse #bb74 ,but worse than that followed4 ,not enough that ,jerusalem had her high places and revived the practices of the ,canaanitish natives1 she began to have also idolatrous intercourse with the idol-gods of ,egypt1 ,assyria and ,chaldea 7verses #bc-cd74 ,she sought them out and courted them all to increase her harlotry4 ,so great became ,jerusalem's abominations that the daughters of the ,philistines became ashamed of her lewd way 7verse #bg74 ,and while such was the religious degradation of ,jerusalem in following the basest and most corrupt idolatries1 a corresponding moral degradation was linked with it4 ,all the rites of the ,canaanites and the other nations consisted in the grossest immoralities4 ,the most shameless and the vilest things of the flesh were practiced in the midst of the idolatrous city4 ,how is the faithful city become a harlot6 7,isaiah i3#ba74 ,in the next section the ,lord addresses her by that title and once more her judgment doom is announced4 ,wherefore1 ,o harlot1 hear the word of the ,lord 7verse #ce74 ,the spiritual adultery which characterizes the end of the present age is even greater than that of ,jerusalem4 ,the apostacy of ,jerusalem is overshadowed by the rising tide of an approaching1 final apostasy in which ,satan's man and masterpiece will demand and receive the worship which belongs to the ,lord4 ,antichrist1 yet to come1 his shadow cast so sharply in our days1 will be the consummation of the greatest departure from ,god and defiance of ,god the world has ever seen4 ,and therefore the coming judgment will also be greater4 ,after the beautiful parable of the abandoned child1 from which we learned ,jehovah's grace and mercy shown to ,jerusalem1 and the description of ,jerusalem's idolatries and moral degradation1 we find her judgment doom announced once more4 ,in connection with this the prophet beholds the time when ,sodom and her daughters and ,samaria and her daughters1 as well as ,jerusalem and her daughters1 will return to their former estate4 ,,iii4 ,the ,doom of ,jerusalem on account of ,her ,wickedness4 ,wherefore1 ,o harlot1 hear the word of the ,lord3 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because thy filthiness was poured out1 and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers1 and with all the idols of thy abominations1 and by the blood of thy children1 which thou didst give unto them2 ,behold1 therefore ,i will gather all thy lovers1 with whom thou hast taken pleasure1 and all them that thou hast loved1 with all them that thou hast hated2 ,i will even gather them round about against thee1 and will discover thy nakedness unto them1 that they may see all thy nakedness4 ,and ,i will judge thee1 as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged2 and ,i will give thee blood in fury and jealousy4 ,and ,i will also give thee into their hand1 and they shall throw down thine eminent place1 and shall break down thy high places3 they shall strip thee also of thy clothes1 and shall take thy fair jewels1 and leave thee naked and bare4 ,they shall also bring up a company against thee1 and they shall stone thee with stones1 and thrust thee through with their swords4 ,and they shall burn thine houses with fire1 and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women3 and ,i will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot1 and thou also shalt give no hire any more4 ,so will ,i make my fury toward thee to rest1 and my jealousy shall depart from thee1 and ,i will be quiet1 and will be no more angry4 ,because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth1 but hast fretted me in all these things2 behold1 therefore ,i also will recompense thy way upon thine head1 saith the ,lord ,god3 and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations4 ,behold1 every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee1 saying1 ,as is the mother1 so is her daughter4 ,thou art thy mother's daughter1 that loatheth her husband and her children2 and thou art the sister of thy sisters1 which loathed their husbands and their children3 your mother was an ,hittite1 and your father an ,amorite4 ,and thine elder sister is ,samaria1 she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand3 and thy younger sister1 that dwelleth at thy right hand is ,sodom and her daughters4 ,yet hast thou not walked after their ways1 nor done after their abominations3 but1 as if that were a very little thing1 thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways4 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,sodom thy sister hath not done1 she nor her daughters1 as thou hast done1 thou and thy daughters4 ,behold1 this was the iniquity of thy sister ,sodom1 pride1 fulness of bread1 and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters1 neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy4 ,and they were haughty1 and committed abomination before me3 therefore ,i took them away as ,i saw good4 ,neither hath ,samaria committed half of thy sins2 but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they1 and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done4 ,thou also1 which hast judged thy sisters1 bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they3 they are more righteous than thou3 yea1 be thou confounded also1 and bear thy shame1 in that thou hast justified thy sisters4 ,when ,i shall bring again their captivity1 the captivity of ,sodom and her daughters1 and the captivity of ,samaria and her daughters1 then will ,i bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them3 ,that thou mayest bear thine own shame1 and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done1 in that thou art a comfort unto them4 ,when thy sisters1 ,sodom and her daughters1 shall return to their former estate1 and ,samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate1 then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate4 ,for thy sister ,sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride4 ,before thy wickedness was discovered1 as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of ,syria1 and all that are round about her1 the daughters of the ,philistines1 which despise thee round about4 ,thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations1 saith the ,lord4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will even deal with thee as thou hast done1 which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant 7verses #ce-ei74 ,the ,word of the ,lord is now addressed not to the beloved city1 but to the harlot4 ,she had committed the most awful spiritual fornication1 with which she had insulted ,jehovah1 and utterly rejected ,his love and mercy4 ,all the idols of abominations were found in her4 ,the different nations which surrounded the land were given to the most degrading idolatries1 and ,jerusalem had not alone taken up this wicked idol worship1 but she became worse than the heathen which practised these things4 ,they did after the abominations of the heathen which the ,lord had cast out before the children of ,israel 7#b ,kings xxi3#b74 ,graven images were set up in ,jerusalem4 ,moloch service 7sacrifice of children7 became general4 ,sorceries and demon-cults flourished4 ,the vilest immoralities were linked with all this false worship4 ,jerusalem had become a harlot in the fullest sense of the word1 a sink of iniquity4 ,and her lovers1 the nations1 whose idolatries she had accepted1 would now be gathered against her to be used in her judgment 7verse #cg74 ,her judgment would be as a woman that breaks wedlock1 that is1 an adulteress--and ,i will give thy blood in fury and jealousy 7verse #ch74 ,stoning was the judgment for a woman who committed adultery 7,lev4 xx3#aj2 ,john viii3#e74 ,therefore the ,lord said1 ,they shall also bring up a company against thee1 and they shall stone thee with stones and thrust thee through with their swords 7verse #dj74 ,the judgment would be exhaustive upon her and she would be caused to cease playing the harlot--thou shalt also give no hire any more 7verse #da74 ,without following the description of her doom and ,jehovah's scathing condemnation in detail1 we turn to that which is of much importance and interest4 ,samaria is mentioned and her daughters as the elder sister of ,jerusalem1 and ,sodom and her daughters as her younger sister 7verse #df74 ,and though the corruption of ,samaria and ,sodom were so great1 yet ,jerusalem was corrupted more than they in all her ways4 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,sodom thy sister hath not done1 she nor her daughters1 as thou hast done1 thou and thy daughters 7verse #dh74 ,samaria is called the elder sister1 because the northern kingdom was the larger2 and ,sodom is called the younger1 because her territory was smaller4 ,the daughters mentioned in connection with each has reference to the allied towns of ,jerusalem1 ,samaria and the region south of ,jerusalem1 where ,sodom was the chief city4 ,then ,sodom's sin is mentioned4 ,pride stands first 7verse #di72 luxurious living1 and then followed abomination1 and ,god took them away4 ,after the sins of ,samaria are briefly rehearsed we find in this chapter the following words3 ,when ,i shall bring again their captivity1 the captivity of ,sodom and her daughters1 and the captivity of ,samaria and her daughters1 then will ,i bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them 7verse #ec74 ,and again we read3 ,when thy sisters1 ,sodom and her daughters1 shall return to their former estate1 and ,samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate1 then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate 7verse #ee74 ,these two statements are used by a certain class of teachers to back up their unscriptural theory of a future restitution of the wicked dead4 ,they say that these two passages predict a restoration of ,sodom and the other wicked cities which perished in judgment by fire 7,gen4 xix71 and also a restoration of ,samaria as well as ,jerusalem1 and upon this they built their hope that all the wicked dead will be raised up and restored to a place of blessing4 ,they make therefore much of a restoration of the wicked dead by resurrection4#ac ,besides these two passages they also use the following ,old ,testament scriptures to confirm their theory3 ,eze4 xxxvii3#a-ad2 ,hosea xiii3#ad2 ,jere4 xlviii3#dg2 ,is4 xxv3#g-h1 and others4 ,these passages are applied by these teachers to a restitution of the wicked dead by resurrection4 ,but this is the wrong interpretation4 ,they have nothing to do with the resurrection of the physical dead4 ,they refer to national resurrection and restoration4 ,three facts will show the error of making the ,old ,testament teach the restoration of the wicked dead3 ,i4 ,the ,old ,testament is not that part of the divine ,revelation where teachings and doctrines about the future state are given4 #ac ,millennial ,dawn1 or ,associated ,bible ,students1 ,restorationists1 etc41 do this4 ,this is a most important fact4 ,the ,old ,testament shows man as upon the earth1 on this side of death1 and not beyond death4 ,the future of ,israel on the earth1 their supremacy and destiny of glory amidst the nations of the earth1 the judgments of ,god in the earth1 as well as the future blessings for the nations inhabiting the earth during the coming age1 are all clearly revealed in the ,old ,testament4 ,the state after death1 that which is beyond this life1 is shrouded in mystery in the ,old ,testament ,scriptures4 ,that great judgment1 the great white throne judgment1 is nowhere mentioned in the ,old ,testament1 nor do we read a word there of the second death4 ,resurrection of the dead1 no doubt1 was known to individual saints of ,old ,testament times2 the ,spirit of ,god revealed it to their hearts1 but as a doctrine1 resurrection is not found in the ,old ,testament4 ,in ,psalm xvi is revealed the hope of resurrection of the body1 and there is a prophecy of the resurrection of our ,lord4 ,,ii4 ,should we find anything in the ,old ,testament concerning the future state1 the state of the righteous and the unrighteous after death1 such a hint or statement can only be rightly understood and interpreted by the great doctrine concerning the future state as revealed in the ,new ,testament4 ,by this1 of course1 we do not say that the ,old ,testament needs correction by the revelation of the ,new1 nor do we say that the ,old is inferior to the ,new2 all is the ,word of ,god4 ,however1 as the ,old ,testament does not show man's condition after death1 any passage which appears to relate to such a condition must be interpreted by the full light as given in the ,new ,testament4 ,,iii4 ,if such passages as ,ezekiel xvi3#ec and ,ezekiel xxxvii3#a-ad1 etc41 teach the restitution of the wicked by resurrection for another chance1 we must then find such a doctrine of the restoration of the wicked dead for another chance to accept salvation most clearly and fully revealed as one of the great doctrines of the ,new ,testament4 ,in vain1 however1 do we look in the ,new ,testament for such a restoration--second probation doctrine4 ,such a doctrine is not even hinted at in the ,new4 ,however1 the ,new ,testament gives the fullest revelation concerning resurrection and the future state4 ,it tells us that there is indeed a resurrection of the body for every human being4 ,this revelation of resurrection as contained in the ,new ,testament leaves no room whatever for the ,sodomites and all the wicked idolatrous ,israelites1 to be raised up for another chance4 ,our ,lord in ,john v3#bi reveals a two-fold resurrection1 a resurrection unto life and a resurrection unto damnation4 ,the human race1 those who have died1 are therefore in resurrection divided into two classes3 they must come forth either unto life or unto damnation2 there is no middle class4 ,later the ,new ,testament teaches a first resurrection1 an out resurrection from the dead4 ,only those who have believed and died in ,christ will have a share in this resurrection4 ,both ,old and ,new ,testament saints belong to it1 but none have a part in it who died in their sins4 ,the rest of the dead1 meaning of course1 the wicked dead1 are not raised up till after the thousand years4 ,this is a second resurrection and this takes place not when the ,lord comes the second time1 but after ,his millennial reign 7,rev4 xx74 ,the subjects of this second resurrection appear before the great white throne and are cast into the lake of fire4 ,now1 these teachers claim that the return of ,sodom and ,samaria to their former estate means their resurrection for another chance when the ,lord comes4 ,but as these departed wicked people are wicked still1 how can they have part in the first resurrection when the ,lord comes1 which is the resurrection of the righteous8 ,they surely cannot belong to this resurrection4 ,and there is nowhere in the ,new ,testament a word about another special resurrection in which all the wicked are raised from dead for another chance4 ,after the resurrection of the righteous dead there is but one more resurrection1 the resurrection of the wicked unto damnation4 ,in the light of these facts the flimsy theory built upon misapplied texts of the ,old ,testament1 texts which relate to national restoration and blessing1 breaks down completely4 ,and now having seen what the statements in this chapter of ,ezekiel do not mean1 let us see what is their meaning4 ,while these statements cannot mean the resurrection of individuals1 they mean a national restoration4 ,there is promised in many passages of the ,old ,testament a national restoration of ,israel4 ,the ten tribes are to be brought back to their former possessions4 ,historically they have been lost4#ad ,but they are not lost to ,god4 ,he knows where they are4 ,he has kept track of them1 and in ,his own time ,he will make good the promises of their restoration and will bring back the remnants of the house of ,israel1 now scattered still among the nations4 ,the ,jews will also be restored to their territory4 ,repeatedly this national restoration of the ancient people is promised under the picture of a resurrection4 ,but to other nations there is also promised such a national restoration in the days to come1 when the ,lord comes and begins ,his ,kingdom reign over the earth4 ,such a national revival is beyond a doubt promised for a future day to ,moab1 ,ammon1 ,assyria and ,egypt4 ,edom and ,babylon1 however1 are doomed as nations and no revival whatever is promised to them4 #ad ,the so-called ,anglo-,israel theory lacks all ,scriptural and historical support4 ,we do not know of course how ,god will accomplish these promises of restoration and national revivals1 and how ,he will gather the remnants of these former nations from the great sea of nations4 ,we can leave this and other difficulties with ,him who will see to the fulfillment of all these things4 ,and so there is promised not alone a return of ,samaria to her former estate1 but also to ,sodom and the cities which were wiped out by judgment4 ,here is the difficulty which is used to prove that a literal resurrection of the wicked ,sodomites must be meant4 ,were they not all totally destroyed8 ,how then can there be a national restoration when they all perished8 ,but while it is true that all who were in ,sodom and the other cities perished1 we do not know how many of the inhabitants of these prosperous cities1 thickly populated1 no doubt1 happened to be away from home1 on journeys or outside of the doomed district1 and thus escaped the fate of others4 ,god knows all this and keeps track of all4 ,there is certainly promised a healing for the territory occupied by ,sodom and her sister cities4 ,the vision of the stream issuing from the temple 7,ex4 xlvii7 is seen emptying into the sea1 which is the ,dead ,sea1 and the waters shall be healed and everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh4 ,see also ,zechariah xiv3#h4 ,and what else it may mean we do not know4 ,but of one thing we can be assured1 it does not mean the resurrection of the wicked ,sodomites for a second chance1 for we know that they are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 7,jude #g74 ,,iv4 ,the ,covenant ,remembered and ,established4 ,the closing paragraph of this interesting chapter is the divine assurance that the covenant made in the days of ,israel's youth is to be remembered4 ,nevertheless ,i will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth1 and ,i will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant4 ,then thou shalt remember thy ways1 and be ashamed1 when thou shalt receive thy sisters1 thine elder and thy younger3 and ,i will give them unto thee for daughters1 but not by thy covenant4 ,and ,i will establish my covenant with thee2 and thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord2 that thou mayest remember1 and be confounded1 and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame1 when ,i am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #fj-fc74 ,the covenant will be remembered and established as an everlasting covenant4 ,then ,jerusalem will receive the elder and younger sister1 ,samaria and ,sodom1 not as sisters1 but as daughters4 ,they will be added in the coming days of blessing to ,jerusalem4 ,this1 however1 will not be done by thy covenant1 which means the law covenant but by ,his covenant1 the covenant of promise and of grace 7xvi3#h74 ,and ,i will establish my covenant with thee1 and thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,of this great restoration and blessing in store for ,jerusalem we shall hear much in the closing visions of ,ezekiel4 ,,the ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,two ,,eagles4 ,,the ,,cedar ,,and ,,the ,,vine4 ,chapter xvii4 ,the ,prophet is once more commanded to speak in a parable to the house of ,israel4 ,in this parable there is again portrayed the sin of ,jerusalem1 and the treacherous character of corrupt ,zedekiah4 ,like the sixteenth chapter it ends with another restoration promise1 which will find its future fulfilment when ,god in sovereign grace exalts the branch of ,david4 ,this will take place when ,messiah will be ,king and rules in righteousness4 ,i4 ,the ,parable of the ,two ,eagles4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 put forth a riddle1 and speak a parable unto the house of ,israel3 ,and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,a great eagle with great wings1 long-winged1 full of feathers1 which had divers colors1 came unto ,lebanon1 and took the highest branch of the cedar3 ,he cropped off the top of his young twigs1 and carried it into a land of traffick2 he set it in a city of merchants4 ,he took also of the seed of the land1 and planted it in a fruitful field2 he placed it by great waters1 and set it as a willow tree4 ,and it grew1 and became a spreading vine of low stature1 whose branches turned toward him1 and the roots thereof were under him3 so it became a vine1 and brought forth branches1 and shot forth sprigs4 ,there was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers3 and behold1 this vine did bend her roots toward him1 and shot forth her branches toward him1 that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation4 ,it was planted in a good soil by great waters1 that it might bring forth branches1 and that it might bear fruit1 that it might be a goodly vine4 ,say thou1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,shall it prosper8 shall he not pull up the roots thereof1 and cut off the fruit thereof1 that it wither8 ,it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring1 even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof4 ,yea1 behold1 being planted1 shall it prosper8 shall it not utterly wither1 when the east wind toucheth it8 ,it shall wither in the furrows where it grew 7verses #a-aj74 ,the great eagle mentioned first is ,nebuchadnezzar1 the ,king of ,babylon4 ,for thus saith the ,lord3 ,behold he shall fly as an eagle1 and shall spread his wings over ,moab 7,jer4 xlviii3#dj74 ,behold1 he shall come up and fly as the eagle1 and spread his wings over ,bozrah 7,jer4 xlix3#bb74 ,when ,daniel saw the ,babylonian ,empire rising out of the sea it was in the form of a lion with eagle's wings 7,daniel vii3#a-b74 ,nebuchadnezzar had been constituted by ,god the first great monarch of the times of the ,gentiles after the complete apostasy of ,israel4 ,thus ,jeremiah had announced it 7,jer4 xxvii3#e1 etc471 and ,daniel also told the ,king1 ,thou1 ,o ,king1 art a ,king of ,kings1 for the ,god of heaven hath given thee a ,kingdom1 power1 and strength and glory 7,dan4 ii3#cg74 ,ezekiel's parable describes him as a great eagle with great wings and long-winged1 denoting his great power and the vast dominion which belonged to him4 ,full of feathers pictures the multitude of his subjects and the divers colors the different nations of his empire4 ,this eagle1 ,nebuchadnezzar1 came to ,lebanon and took the highest branch of the cedar4 ,he cropped off the top of his young twigs1 and carried it into a land of traffic2 he set it in a city of merchants4 ,the cedar of ,lebanon is the symbol of the royal house of ,david1 which was conquered by the eagle4 ,the top of his young twigs1 whom ,nebuchadnezzar cropped off and carried into the city of merchants1 ,babylon1 describes ,jehoiakim and his captivity 7#b ,kings xxiv3#a-e7 7#b ,chron4 xxxvi3#f-g74 ,then ,nebuchadnezzar made ,mattaniah1 the youngest son of ,josiah1 ,king over ,judah1 and changed his name to ,zedekiah4 ,this action of the ,king of ,babylon is described in verse #e4 ,and ,zedekiah might have done well if he had held to the ,king who had set him into the place of authority4 ,he was placed like a willow tree beside great waters1 so that he became a spreading vine of low stature2 his roots were under him1 which means1 he was dependent upon ,nebuchadnezzar 7#b ,kings xxiv3#ag74 ,the other great eagle1 whom ,ezekiel mentions in his parable1 is ,hophra1 the ,king of ,egypt4 ,to this king ,zedekiah turned for help3 ,this vine bent her roots towards him4 ,zedekiah rebelled against ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,verse #h describes the opportunity which had been given to ,zedekiah and verses #i-aj announces his judgment4 ,the sin and treacherous dealings of ,zedekiah is shown in the next verses4 ,,ii4 ,the ,interpretation and ,application of the ,parable4 ,moreover the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,say now to the rebellious house1 ,know ye not what these things mean8 tell them1 ,behold1 the king of ,babylon is come to ,jerusalem1 and hath taken the king thereof1 and the princes thereof1 and led them with him to ,babylon2 and hath taken of the king's seed1 and made a covenant with him1 and hath taken an oath of him3 he hath also taken the mighty of the land4 ,that the kingdom might be base1 that it might not lift itself up1 but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand4 ,but he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into ,egypt1 that they might give him horses and much people4 ,shall he prosper8 shall he escape that doeth such things8 or shall he break the covenant and be delivered8 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king1 whose oath he despised1 and whose covenant he brake1 even with him in the midst of ,babylon he shall die4 ,neither shall ,pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war1 by casting up mounts and building forts1 to cut off many persons4 ,seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant1 when1 lo1 he had given his hand1 and hath done all these things he shall not escape4 ,therefore1 thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,as ,i live1 surely mine oath that he hath despised1 and my covenant that he hath broken1 even it will ,i recompense upon his own head4 ,and ,i will spread my net upon him1 and he shall be taken in my snare1 and ,i will bring him to ,babylon1 and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me4 ,and all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword1 and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds3 and ye shall know that ,i the ,lord have spoken it 7verses #aa-ba74 ,we have next the divine interpretation and application of this parable4 ,after the statement that the great eagle1 the ,king of ,babylon1 had come to ,jerusalem and taken the ,king and the princes captive1 ,zedekiah is mentioned4 ,nebuchadnezzar had made him ,king and had made a covenant with him and had taken an oath of him4 ,nebuchadnezzar had made him swear by ,god 7#b ,chron4 xxxvi3#ac74 ,nebuchadnezzar had entered into a solemn covenant with ,zedekiah and the name of ,god was used to make that covenant binding4 ,then ,zedekiah1 who had less regard for the name of ,god than ,nebuchadnezzar1 rebelled4 ,ambassadors from ,edom1 ,moab1 ,ammon1 ,tyre and ,sidon1 came to ,jerusalem to see ,king ,zedekiah 7,jere4 xxvii3#a-b74 ,a combined revolution was evidently contemplated4 ,he also sent ambassadors to ,egypt4 ,he expected great help from ,pharaoh1 who was a grandson of ,necho1 named ,hophra4 ,he advanced through ,phoenicia and obliged the ,chaldean army to abandon the siege of ,jerusalem 7,jere4 xxxvii3 #e-g74 ,the joy over this event in ,jerusalem was great1 for the wicked1 treacherous ,king ,zedekiah expected that the ,egyptian army would be the deliverer4 ,but the relief was of a short duration4 ,the ,egyptian army had to retire and the ,chaldeans resumed the siege4 ,his great sin was that he had despised the oath and broken the covenant4 ,ezekiel announced therefore in the name of ,jehovah his coming doom4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 as ,i live1 surely mine oath that he hath despised1 and my covenant that he hath broken1 even it will ,i recompense upon his own head4 ,and ,i will spread my net upon him1 and he shall be taken in my snare1 and ,i will bring him to ,babylon1 and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me4 ,he tried to escape from ,jerusalem1 but he and his household were taken captives and carried to the headquarters of ,nebuchadnezzar at ,riblah4 ,zedekiah was arraigned and sentenced4 ,his daughters were set free1 while his sons were slain before him4 ,this was the last thing the oath-despising1 covenant-breaking ,zedekiah saw4 ,his eyes were put out and he was bound with double fetters of brass and carried to ,babylon1 where he died a prisoner 7,jere4 lii3#aa74 ,he had despised the name of ,jehovah and brought dishonor upon the name by violating the covenant with ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,the ,gentile ,king had a higher esteem of that ,name than the ,jewish ,king4 ,and then ,jehovah in ,his righteous dealings used the ,gentile to mete out the well-deserved retribution upon ,zedekiah4 ,thus the ,gentile ,king was used in punishing a faithless ,jew4 ,it foreshadows the judgment which came upon the whole nation when they despised and rejected more than a covenant4 ,ever since they rejected their own ,messiah and ,king1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,gentiles have trodden down ,jerusalem and the nation is blinded4 ,,iii4 ,the ,promise of the ,future4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar1 and will set it2 ,i will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one1 and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent3 ,in the mountain of the height of ,israel will ,i plant it3 and it shall bring forth boughs1 and bear fruit1 and be a goodly cedar3 and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing2 in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell4 ,and all the trees of the field shall know that ,i1 the ,lord1 have brought down the high tree1 have exalted the low tree1 have dried up the green tree1 and have made the dry tree to flourish3 ,i the ,lord have spoken and have done it 7verses #bb-bd74 ,and now once more ,israel's hope and ,israel's future comes into view4 ,the allegory of the parable is continued4 ,the cedar is the royal house of ,david4 ,god in ,his ,sovereignty promises to take of its young shoots a tender one and ,i will plant it upon a high and eminent mountain4 ,this tender one is the ,messiah1 the ,son of ,david4 ,it is the same promise as given in the ,prophet ,isaiah4 ,and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of ,jesse1 and a ,branch shall grow out of his roots 7,is4 xi3#a74 ,for ,he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground 7,is4 liii3#b74 ,the high and eminent mountain typifies ,mount ,zion and the ,kingdom of ,messiah is pictured in the closing verses of the chapter4 ,the high tree which is brought low1 the green tree which is dried up is the symbol of ,gentile world-power4 ,the low tree which is exalted and the dry tree which is made to flourish stands for the restoration of the ,kingdom to ,israel when the ,son of ,david1 our ,lord1 comes again4 ,then the high tree will be cut down and the now flourishing ,gentile dominion will dry up2 ,israel the low tree will be exalted and the long1 dry and barren nation will bring its blessed fruit4 ,,god',s ,,judgments ,,are ,,righteous4 ,chapter xviii4 ,again the ,word of the ,lord came unto the ,prophet4 ,the contents of this chapter are1 therefore1 not the reasonings and expostulations of ,ezekiel1 but another great message to the stubborn nation1 which constantly tried to justify itself4 ,judgments heavy and severe had come upon them4 ,instead of bowing under them and confessing their guilt and the justice of all these punitive dealings of a righteous ,god1 they accused ,him of injustice1 as if ,he were punishing them1 not for their own sins1 but for the sins of their fathers4 ,they said1 the way of the ,lord is not equal2 and the ,lord proves to them that ,his way is equal1 but their way is unequal 7verse #be74 ,it is a great and interesting controversy1 ending with the sublime declaration and appeal1 ,i have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth1 saith the ,lord ,god1 wherefore turn yourselves and live4 ,i4 ,the ,false ,accusation and the ,divine ,answer4 ,the word of the ,lord came unto me again1 saying4 ,what mean ye1 that ye use this proverb concerning the land of ,israel1 saying1 ,the fathers have eaten sour grapes1 and the children's teeth are set on edge4 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in ,israel4 ,behold1 all souls are mine2 as the soul of the father1 so also the soul of the son is mine3 the soul that sinneth1 it shall die 7verses #a-d74 ,the same proverb1 the fathers have eaten sour grapes1 and the children's teeth are set on edge is also mentioned by the ,prophet ,jeremiah4 ,in those days they shall say no more1 the fathers have eaten a sour grape1 his teeth shall be set on edge 7,jer4 xxxi3#bi74 ,and ,jeremiah adds in a brief sentence what is more fully given through ,ezekiel3 ,but every one shall die for his own iniquity2 every man that eateth the sour grape1 his teeth shall be set on edge4 ,what they meant by this proverb is that their forefathers had committed sin and now they were bearing the results of their iniquities1 while they1 the children1 were innocent4 ,our fathers have sinned and are not2 and we have borne their iniquities 7,lam4 v3#g74 ,this was a false and unjust accusation4 ,no doubt they rested their proverb upon ,exodus xx3#e and xxxiv3#g4 ,but doing this they denied their own guilt and refused to repent and be converted4 ,and now the ,lord answers the proverb to show its injustice so that it should no more be used in ,israel3 ,behold all souls are mine2 as the soul of the father1 so also the soul of the son is mine2 the soul that sinneth it shall die4 ,he will judge the individual1 father or son1 according to conduct4 ,all belong to ,him1 which means1 ,he is the ,creator of all and ,he will deal with each individually4 ,if the sins of the fathers come upon the children1 it is because the children follow the wickedness of the fathers4 ,every man shall be put to death for his own sin 7,deut4 xxiv3#af74 ,the person that sins shall die for his own sins4 ,the soul that sinneth it shall die4 ,,ii4 ,the ,conditions of ,life4 ,but if a man be just1 and do that which is lawful and right4 ,and hath not eaten upon the mountains1 neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of ,israel1 neither hath defiled his neighbor's wife1 neither hath come near to a woman in her separation4 ,and hath not oppressed any1 but hath restored to the debtor his pledge1 hath spoiled none by violence1 hath given his bread to the hungry1 and hath covered the naked with a garment3 ,he that hath not given forth upon usury1 neither hath taken any increase1 that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity1 hath executed true judgment between man and man4 ,hath walked in my statutes1 and hath kept my judgments1 to deal truly2 he is just1 he shall surely live1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #e-i74 ,this paragraph and the next two begin with an if4 ,they are1 therefore1 supposed cases if a man be just4 ,it shows what ,god requires as the conditions for life4 ,however1 it must be understood that the promise of life1 he shall surely live1 has nothing whatever to do with eternal life4 ,this is not at all in view in these paragraphs4 ,it is the natural life4 ,eternal life was never promised to be bestowed upon man as the result of doing what is lawful and right4 ,neither righteousness nor eternal life can come by the works of the law4 ,here negatively and positively ,god's demands are stated4 ,in the sixth verse false worship is in view4 ,eating upon the mountains1 the high places1 was the false worship2 the idols of the house of ,israel were the calves which ,jeroboam had set up 7#a ,kings xii3#be-cc74 ,this demand for true worship covers the first part of the decalogue1 ,thou shalt have no other gods besides ,me4 ,with this spiritual fornication1 an idolatrous worship1 there was connected the grossest lusts of the flesh4 ,these are mentioned here as well as sins against the neighbor4 ,thus the commandments in the second part of the decalogue are made prominent4 ,thou shalt not kill1 ,thou shalt not commit adultery1 ,thou shalt not steal4 ,this is followed by the divine demand of practical righteousness4 ,he that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity hath executed true judgment between man and man1 hath walked in ,god's statutes1 to keep ,his judgments and deals truly1 is pronounced just and shall therefore surely live4 ,his life would be spared4 ,,iii4 ,the ,conditions which bring ,death4 ,if he beget a son that is a robber1 a shedder of blood1 and that doeth the like to any one of these things4 ,and that doeth not any of those duties1 but even hath eaten upon the mountains1 and defiled his neighbor's wife1 ,hath oppressed the poor and needy1 hath spoiled by violence1 hath not restored the pledge1 and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols1 hath committed abomination1 ,hath given forth upon usury1 and hath taken increase3 shall he then live8 he shall not live3 he hath done all these abominations2 he shall surely die2 his blood shall be upon him 7verses #aj-ac74 ,here then is the second supposed case of a son who had a righteous father4 ,this son lives in wickedness and defies ,god's laws4 ,he does not follow his father's piety1 but is unjust in every sense of the word4 ,the question then is asked1 ,shall he live8 ,can the merits of his father save him8 ,and the divine answer is1 ,he shall not live--he shall surely die4 ,physical death would come upon him and he would be cut off in judgment4 ,,iv4 ,the ,son does not ,die for his ,father's ,sins4 ,now1 lo1 if he beget a son1 that seeth all his father's sins1 which he hath done1 and considereth1 and doeth not such like4 ,that hath not eaten upon the mountains1 neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of ,israel1 hath not defiled his neighbour's wife4 ,neither hath oppressed any1 hath not withholden the pledge1 neither hath spoiled by violence1 but hath given his bread to the hungry1 and hath covered the naked with a garment4 ,that hath taken off his hand from the poor1 that hath not received usury nor increase1 hath executed my judgments1 hath walked in my statutes2 he shall not die for the iniquity of his father1 he shall surely live4 ,as for his father1 because he cruelly oppressed1 spoiled his brother by violence1 and did that which is not good among his people1 lo1 even he shall die in his iniquity4 ,yet say ye1 ,why8 doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father8 ,when the son hath done that which is lawful and right1 and hath kept all my statutes1 and hath done them1 he shall surely live4 ,the soul that sinneth1 it shall die4 ,the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father1 neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son3 the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him1 and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him 7verses #ad-bj74 ,still another case is considered so that the proverb of the people might be completely answered and refuted4 ,a wicked father has a son who does righteously and follows not in the wicked ways of his father4 ,such was the case with several ,kings of ,judah4 ,ahaz was a wicked man and ,hezekiah1 his son1 was a ,god-fearing king2 ,josiah was also the pious son of a wicked father4 ,in such a case the son shall not die for the iniquity of his father2 he shall surely live4 ,the father dies on account of his own iniquity4 ,this statement was in answer to their question1 ,why does not the son bear the iniquity of the father8 ,this foolish reasoning from their side that the son could suffer for the father's sin was a wicked invention to sustain them in their impenitent state and in their sins4 ,they claimed no guilt of their own1 but charged their sufferings to the wickedness of the fathers4 ,but we have seen how perfectly the proverb the fathers have eaten sour grapes1 and the children's teeth are set on edge1 is answered in these paragraphs4 ,v4 ,the ,perfect ,equity of ,god4 ,but if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed1 and keep all my statutes1 and do that which is lawful and right1 he shall surely live1 he shall not die4 ,all his transgressions that he hath committed1 they shall not be mentioned unto him3 in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live4 ,have ,i any pleasure at all that the wicked should die8 saith the ,lord ,god3 and not that he should return from his ways1 and live8 ,but when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness1 and committeth iniquity1 and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth1 shall he live8 ,all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned3 in his trespass that he hath trespassed1 and in his sin that he hath sinned1 in them shall he die4 ,yet ye say1 ,the way of the ,lord is not equal4 ,hear now1 ,o house of ,israel2 ,is not my way equal8 are not your ways unequal8 ,when a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness1 and committeth iniquity1 and dieth in them3 for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die4 ,again1 when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed1 and doeth that which is lawful and right1 he shall save his soul alive4 ,because he considereth1 and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed1 he shall surely live1 he shall not die4 ,yet saith the house of ,israel1 ,the way of the ,lord is not equal4 ,o house of ,israel1 are not my ways equal8 are not your ways unequal8 ,therefore ,i will judge you1 ,o house of ,israel1 every one according to his ways1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions2 so iniquity shall not be your ruin4 ,cast away from you all your transgressions1 whereby ye have transgressed2 and make you a new heart and a new spirit3 for why will ye die1 ,o house of ,israel8 ,for ,i have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth1 saith the ,lord ,god3 wherefore turn yourselves1 and live ye 7verses #ba-cb74 ,they had accused the ,lord of injustice4 ,the way of the ,lord is not equal 7verse #be74 ,and ,jehovah answers1 ,hear now1 ,o house of ,israel2 ,is not my way equal8 are not your ways unequal8 ,he promises that the wicked is surely to live1 if he turns from all his sins4 ,jehovah has no pleasure in the death of the wicked4 ,he desires his return so that he might live4 ,how then would ,he punish them for the sins of others1 if ,he was ready no longer to mention even their own transgressions8 ,but if the righteous abandons righteousness and committeth iniquity1 then in his sin that he hath sinned1 in them shall he die4 ,the latter case has often been used to defend the teaching that a truly converted and therefore saved person1 may1 by sinning1 be lost4 ,if only the ,word of ,truth were rightly divided such1 and other misinterpretations1 would cease4 ,here we are on the ground of the law dispensation1 and1 as already pointed out1 the ,lord answers ,israel1 who were in relation to ,him through the law covenant and who refused to own their sins and their guilt4 ,the dispensation of ,grace1 in which ,grace reigns through righteousness has a different message4 ,this is fully illustrated if we compare the call to repentance in verses #cj-ca with the promise given in chapter xxxvi3#bf-ag4 ,the ,lord pleads with them to acknowledge their sinfulness2 ,he speaks to their conscience4 ,repent1 and turn yourselves from all your transgressions1 so iniquity shall not be your ruin4 ,cast away from you all your transgressions1 whereby ye have transgressed1 and make you a new heart and a new spirit2 for why will ye die1 ,o house of ,israel8 ,but in chapter xxxvi ,grace speaks and promises to bestow1 as a gift1 what a righteous ,god demands4 ,a new heart also will ,i give you and a new spirit will ,i put within you2 and ,i will take away the stony heart of your flesh1 and ,i will give you an heart of flesh4 ,and ,i will put my spirit within you1 and cause you to walk in my statutes1 and ye shall keep my judgments and do them4 ,the result of this gift of grace1 a new heart and ,his ,spirit1 is true repentance4 ,then shall ye remember your own evil ways1 and your doings that were not good1 and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations 7chap4 xxxvi3#ba74 ,it was ,augustine who said1 ,give what ,thou requirest and then require what ,thou will4 ,all what ,god requires ,he bestows in ,his infinite ,grace through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord and then in possession of what ,grace gives we can be what ,god requires4 ,but the thirty-sixth chapter1 where ,god no longer saith make you a new heart1 but promises to give a new heart to ,his people1 awaits1 as regards ,god's chosen people1 its fulfilment4 ,here ,god pleads with them to convince them that they were a sinful people and that ,he is a just ,god4 ,in the last verse of this chapter the ,lord answers the question of verse #bc1 ,have ,i any pleasure at all that the wicked should die8 ,his own answer is1 ,for ,i have no pleasure in the death of ,him that dieth1 saith the ,lord ,god1 wherefore turn yourselves and live4 ,and yet all these gracious pleadings were not heeded4 ,,lamentation ,,over ,,the ,,princes ,,of ,,israel4 ,chapter xix4 ,this chapter ends that section of the book which began with the twelfth chapter4 ,and it is a fitting conclusion1 this great lamentation over the ,princes of ,israel1 and over the land of ,judah4 ,the ,english translation does not do justice to the original ,hebrew2 the outburst of lamentation is written in a poetic form1 some kind of an elegy4 ,the lamentation has two sections4 ,i4 ,the ,lamentations over the ,princes of ,israel4 ,moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of ,israel4 ,and say1 ,what is thy mother8 ,a lioness3 she lay down among lions1 she nourished her whelps among young lions4 ,and she brought up one of her whelps3 it became a young lion1 and it learned to catch the prey2 it devoured men4 ,the nations also heard of him2 he was taken in their pit1 and they brought him with chains unto the land of ,egypt4 ,now when she saw that she had waited1 and her hope was lost1 then she took another of her whelps1 and made him a young lion4 ,and he went up and down among the lions1 he became a young lion1 and learned to catch the prey1 and devoured men4 ,and he knew their desolate palaces1 and he laid waste their cities2 and the land was desolate1 and the fulness thereof1 by the noise of his roaring4 ,then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces1 and spread their net over him3 he was taken in their pit4 ,and they put him in ward in chains1 and brought him to the king of ,babylon3 they brought him into holds1 that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of ,israel 7verses #a-i74 ,the lamentation is not the lamentation of ,ezekiel1 as so many expositors state1 but it is the lamentation of ,jehovah1 the same who later wept over the same city and lamented over her coming fate4 ,the words of divine lament were put into the mouth of the ,prophet4 ,the ,princes are ,jehoahaz and ,jehoachin4 ,king ,jehoahaz and his fate1 being carried away captive into ,egypt 7#b ,kings xxiii3#cc7 is lamented in verses #a-d4 ,king ,jehoiachin who was taken as a captive to ,babylon is lamented in verses #e-i4 ,in ,ezekiel1 however1 the word ,king is not used2 the ,kings are always called princes4 ,the second verse may be rendered as follows3 ,thy mother was like a lioness1 among lions4 ,she couched amid the young lions1 she reared the whelps4 ,the mother is ,judah4 ,of this ,jacob had spoken in his prophecy4 ,judah is a lion's whelp 7,gen4 xlix3#i74 ,and ,balaam in his prophetic utterances speaks in the same tones of the nation4 ,behold1 the people shall rise up as a great lion1 and lift up himself as a young lion 7,num4 xxiv3#ad74 ,this prophecy will be fulfilled in the future when ,he appears in power and glory to receive the ,kingdom1 for ,he is called the lion of the tribe of ,judah 7,rev4 v3#e74 ,and the people will then be as a converted and restored people the same1 what the lion is among the animals1 the ,kingly nation4 ,in ,isaiah xxix3#a ,jerusalem is called ,ariel1 which means ,lion of ,god4 ,the whelps1 the nations heard of1 are the sons of the ,house of ,david4 ,and ,jehoahaz devoured men and did evil in the sight of the ,lord and was carried away by ,pharaoh ,necho as a captive into ,egypt4 ,some expositors think that the lioness is the wife of ,josiah the mother of ,jehoahaz1 because she was a woman of much importance and great influence 7,jer4 xiii3#ah2 #b ,kings ii3#i2 xxiv3#ab74 ,the other one of her whelps mentioned in verse #e1 whom the lioness1 ,judah1 made a young lion1 that is a ,king1 was ,jehoiachin4 ,jehoiachin was made ,king1 when all hope of a return of ,jehoahaz was lost1 and the new ,king also devoured men1 did evil in the sight of the ,lord4 ,and he did that which was evil in the sight of the ,lord1 according to all that his fathers had done 7#b ,kings xxiv3#ij74 ,in verse #g the word palaces should be changed to widows4 ,the verse describes the cruelties and wicked deeds of the ,king4 ,then judgment overtook him4 ,under him the first deportation to ,babylon took place1 in which the ,prophet ,ezekiel was included4 ,and he 7,nebuchadnezzar7 carried away ,jehoiachin to ,babylon1 and the ,king's mother1 and the ,king's wife1 and his officers1 and the mighty of the land1 those carried he into captivity from ,jerusalem to ,babylon 7#b ,kings xxiv3#ad74 ,the correct rendering of the next part of verse #i is3 ,and they put him in a cage with hooks and brought him to the ,king of ,babylon4 ,both ,kings deserved their fate4 ,god had warned1 and as they continued in wickedness judgment fell upon them4 ,and it was a warning to ,zedekiah who was soon to share the same fate4 ,in view of the violence which is on the earth now1 the wickedness which is seen on all sides1 these judgments of the past may well be remembered4 ,god is the same to-day as ,he was of old4 ,he must deal in judgment with sin2 in many parts of the holy ,scriptures we read of the time when ,god will keep not silence1 but deal with conditions on the earth according to ,his righteousness4 ,,ii4 ,the ,lamentation over the ,land of ,judah4 ,thy mother is like a vine in thy blood1 planted by the waters2 she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters4 ,and she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule1 and her stature was exalted among the thick branches1 and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches4 ,but she was plucked up in fury1 she was cast down to the ground1 and the east wind dried up her fruit2 her strong rods were broken and withered2 the fire consumed them4 ,and now she is planted in the wilderness1 in a dry and thirsty ground4 ,and fire is gone out of a rod of her branches1 which hath devoured her fruit1 so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule4 ,this is a lamentation1 and shall be for a lamentation 7verses #aj-ad74 ,judah typified by a vine is not a new figure in ,ezekiel4 ,see chapters xv3#a-e2 xvii3#f-aj4 ,the statement here reminds us also of ,psalm lxxx3#h-aa4 ,many were the blessings ,judah enjoyed1 like a vine planted by the waters1 fruitful and full of branches4 ,the eleventh verse describes the period of ,judah's greatest prosperity under ,david and ,solomon4 ,then the judgment which comes upon the land1 the east wind is typical of the ,chaldeans which swept from the ,east and spoiled the vine4 ,the fire of divine wrath burned in their midst4 ,her exilic judgment is pictured in the next verse3 ,and now she is planted in the wilderness1 in a dry and thirsty land4 ,and the fire of judgment came out of a rod of her branches1 that is1 the judgment came upon them on account of their wicked ,kings4 ,thus ends the sorrowful lamentation over the princes and the land of ,judah4 ,but there is a better future in store for the land and the people1 a future which can only be realized in ,him1 who said1 ,i am the true vine4 ,israel still is under the rod1 but in ,god's own time the curse will give way to the promised blessing1 for ,god's gifts and calling are without repentance4 ,,further ,,and ,,final ,,predictions ,,concerning ,,the ,,judgment ,,of ,,jerusalem4 ,chapter xx4 ,with this chapter we enter upon the last prophecies given through the prophet before the fall of the ,city of ,jerusalem4 ,there is first an arraignment of the unfaithful nation4 ,this is followed by the divine announcement that the sword of the ,lord is now to be drawn to do its judgment work4 ,the twenty-first chapter1 in which this announcement is made1 has been called the sword-song4 ,in chapter xxii another arraignment of the people and the sins of ,jerusalem is given and the corruption of all classes1 prophets1 priests1 princes and the mass of people is described4 ,once more in chapter xxiii the wickedness and vileness of ,samaria and ,judah is uncovered1 corresponding to the similar message in chapter xvi4 ,the last prophetic message of this cycle was given on the day when the siege of ,jerusalem began4 ,on the same day ,ezekiel's wife died2 the prophet was commanded not to mourn4 ,all this has a meaning in connection with ,jerusalem's complete fall4 ,thus ,god waited and waited for the repentance of ,his people and sent these burning messages to them till at last there was no remedy and judgment had to come4 ,i4 ,a ,retrospect of the ,nation's ,sins4 ,and it came to pass in the seventh year1 in the fifth month1 the tenth day of the month1 that certain of the elders of ,israel came to enquire of the ,lord and sat before me4 ,then came the word of the ,lord unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 speak unto the elders of ,israel1 and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,are ye come to enquire of me8 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i will not be enquired of by you4 ,wilt thou judge them1 son of man1 wilt thou judge them8 cause them to know the abominations of their fathers3 ,and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,in the day when ,i chose ,israel1 and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of ,jacob1 and made myself known unto them in the land of ,egypt1 when ,i lifted up mine hand unto them1 saying1 ,i am the ,lord your ,god2 ,in the day that ,i lifted up mine hand unto them to bring them forth of the land of ,egypt into a land that ,i had espied for them1 flowing with milk and honey1 which is the glory of all lands2 ,then said ,i unto them1 ,cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes1 and defile not yourselves with the idols of ,egypt3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,but they rebelled against me1 and would not hearken unto me3 they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes1 neither did they forsake the idols of ,egypt3 then ,i said1 ,i will pour out my fury upon them1 to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of ,egypt4 ,but ,i wrought for my name's sake1 that it should not be polluted before the heathen1 among whom they were1 in whose sight ,i made myself known unto them1 in bringing them forth out of the land of ,egypt 7verses #a-i74 ,there is first a review of the nation's sin in ,egypt4 ,at the time given in the first verse the elders came to the prophet to enquire of the ,lord4 ,outwardly it seemed as if these enquiring elders were sincere and came in the spirit of humility acknowledging the prophet's authority4 ,but the ,lord knoweth the heart2 ,he read their innermost thoughts and knew that their inquiry was only a sham2 the real heart exercise in true repentance was lacking4 ,so ,he tells them through the prophet1 ,as ,i live--,i will not be inquired of by you4 ,wilt thou judge them1 son of man1 wilt thou judge them8 ,cause them to know the abominations of their fathers4 ,instead of giving them a message of comfort and encouragement1 ,ezekiel1 here addressed again as son of man1 is commanded to judge them1 that is to put before them their sins and to pronounce judgment upon the nation4 ,the same phrase is found twice more in this section4 ,now1 thou son of man1 wilt thou judge1 wilt thou judge the bloody city8 ,yea thou shalt show her all her abominations 7xxii3#b74 ,see also xxiii3#cf4 ,and first of all the prophet had to show them the nation's sins in ,egypt4 ,he had chosen them as a nation2 ,he had made ,himself known to them in ,egypt and had lifted up ,his hand unto them saying1 ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,he had entered into covenant relations with ,israel and pledged ,himself to bring them out of ,egypt into the land1 which here is called the glory of all lands4 ,from verses #g and #h we learn that ,israel was contaminated by the idol worship of ,egypt and a holy ,god was ready to pour upon them ,his fury in the midst of the land of ,egypt4 ,but sovereign mercy prevailed and instead of making ,himself known to the nation in judgment1 ,he made ,himself known in bringing them forth out of ,egypt4 ,wherefore ,i caused them to go forth out of the land of ,egypt1 and brought them into the wilderness4 ,and ,i gave them my statutes1 and showed them my judgments1 which if a man do1 he shall even live in them4 ,moreover also ,i gave them my sabbaths1 to be a sign between me and them1 that they might know that ,i am the ,lord that sanctify them4 ,but the house of ,israel rebelled against me in the wilderness3 they walked not in my statutes1 and they despised my judgments1 which if a man do1 he shall even live in them2 and my sabbaths they greatly polluted3 then ,i said1 ,i would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness1 to consume them4 ,but ,i wrought for my name's sake1 that it should not be polluted before the heathen1 in whose sight ,i brought them out4 ,yet also ,i lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness1 that ,i would not bring them into the land which ,i had given them1 flowing with milk and honey1 which is the glory of all lands4 ,because they despised my judgments1 and walked not in my statutes1 but polluted my sabbaths3 for their heart went after their idols4 ,nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them1 neither did ,i make an end of them in the wilderness 7verses #aj-ag74 ,in these verses we have the history of the first generation in the wilderness4 ,his hand brought them out of the land of ,egypt into the wilderness and there ,he gave them the law and the different sabbaths1 the feasts of ,jehovah4 ,their sins and failures in the wilderness are briefly sketched4 ,they rebelled2 they were disobedient2 they despised ,his judgments and polluted ,his sabbaths4 ,then comes the statement that this first generation was not to enter into the land promised unto them4 ,again in sovereign mercy ,he spared them and did not make a complete end of them in the wilderness4 ,but ,i said unto their children in the wilderness1 ,walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers1 neither observe their judgments1 nor defile yourselves with their idols3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god2 walk in my statutes1 and keep my judgments1 and do them2 ,and hallow my sabbaths2 and they shall be a sign between me and you1 that ye may know that ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 ,notwithstanding the children rebelled against me3 they walked not in my statutes1 neither kept my judgments to do them1 which if a man do1 he shall even live in them2 they polluted my sabbaths3 then ,i said1 ,i would pour out my fury upon them1 to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness4 ,nevertheless ,i withdrew mine hand1 and wrought for my name's sake1 that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen1 in whose sight ,i brought them forth4 ,i lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness1 that ,i would scatter them among the heathen1 and disperse them through the countries2 ,because they had not executed my judgments1 but had despised my statutes1 and had polluted my sabbaths1 and their eyes were after their fathers' idols4 ,wherefore ,i gave them also statutes that were not good1 and judgments whereby they should not live2 ,and ,i polluted them in their own gifts1 in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb1 that ,i might make them desolate1 to the end that they might know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ah-bf74 ,and now the record of the second generation in the wilderness is brought to their notice4 ,they were just as rebellious as their fathers1 who fell in the wilderness4 ,they also were worshippers of idols in the wilderness1 besides offering sacrifices and offerings unto ,jehovah 7,amos v3#be-bg74 ,the statement in verse #be wherefore ,i gave them also statutes that were not good1 and judgments whereby they should not live1 has been explained in different ways4 ,it cannot mean the law1 for that is holy1 just and good4 ,the solution is due to the simple principle that ,god in ,his government chastens ,his guilty people retributively and calls the scourges ,his own1 even when the instruments may be wholly foreign to ,his mind and heart4 ,they were disobedient to ,his statutes and then in punishment for their sins ,he let them go into the terrible worship of ,moloch1 in casting their first-born into the fire as a sacrifice to the idol-god4 ,it is the same principle here as in ,romans i3#bf-bh4 ,god gave them up in every way after they had turned away from ,him4 ,it was a punishment for their sins4 ,,ii4 ,their ,sins in the ,land4 ,therefore1 son of man1 speak unto the house of ,israel1 and say unto them4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me1 in that they have committed a trespass against me4 ,for when ,i had brought them into the land1 for the which ,i lifted up mine hand to give it to them1 then they saw every high hill1 and all the thick trees1 and they offered there their sacrifices1 and there they presented the provocation of their offering3 there also they made their sweet savour1 and poured out there their drink offerings4 ,then ,i said unto them1 ,what is the high place whereunto ye go8 ,and the name thereof is called ,bamah unto this day4 ,wherefore say unto the house of ,israel1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers8 and commit ye whoredom after their abominations8 ,for when ye offer your gifts1 when ye make your sons to pass through the fire1 ye pollute yourselves with all your idols1 even unto this day3 and shall ,i be enquired of by you1 ,o house of ,israel8 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i will not be enquired of by you4 ,and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all1 that ye say1 ,we will be as the heathen1 as the families of the countries1 to serve wood and stone 7verses #bg-cb74 ,according to ,his promise ,he brought them into the land4 ,he did not go back on ,his ,word1 in spite of their failure1 for ,god's gifts and calling are without repentance4 ,and thus they continued in their evil ways1 committing all manner of abominations4 ,and therefore the ,lord said to the inquiring elders1 ,and shall ,i be enquired of by you1 ,o house of ,israel8 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i will not be enquired of by you4 ,verse #cb shows that in the iniquity of their heart they wanted to be like the heathen to serve wood and stone2 but ,god would take care that this should not be1 for ,he had chosen them to be ,his nation4 ,,iii4 ,judgment and ,mercy in ,future ,restoration4 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 surely with a mighty hand1 and with a stretched out arm1 and with fury poured out1 will ,i rule over you4 ,and ,i will bring you out from the people1 and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered1 with a mighty hand1 and with a stretched out arm1 and with fury poured out4 ,and ,i will bring you into the wilderness of the people1 and there will ,i plead with you face to face4 ,like as ,i pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of ,egypt1 so will ,i plead with you1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and ,i will cause you to pass under the rod1 and ,i will bring you into the bond of the covenant3 ,and ,i will purge out from among you the rebels1 and them that transgress against me3 ,i will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn1 and they shall not enter into the land of ,israel3 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,as for you1 ,o house of ,israel1 thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,go ye1 serve ye every one his idols1 and hereafter also1 if ye will not hearken unto me3 but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts1 and with your idols1 ,for in mine holy mountain1 in the mountain of the height of ,israel1 saith the ,lord ,god1 there shall all the house of ,israel1 all of them in the land1 serve me3 there will ,i accept them1 and there will ,i require your offerings1 and the first fruits of your oblations1 with all your holy things4 ,i will accept you with your sweet savour1 when ,i bring you out from the people1 and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered2 and ,i will be sanctified in you before the heathen4 ,and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i shall bring you into the land of ,israel1 into the country for the which ,i lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers4 ,and there shall ye remember your ways1 and all your doings1 wherein ye have been defiled2 and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed4 ,and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i have wrought with you for my name's sake1 not according to your wicked ways1 nor according to your corrupt doings1 ,o ye house of ,israel1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #cc-dd74 ,in this paragraph we read of their future punishment and also of the mercy which is in store for the believing remnant of the nation in the future restoration1 of which all the prophets of ,god have spoken4 ,in the wilderness of people1 their dispersion among all the nations of the world1 ,he will plead with them and bring them under the rod4 ,the rebels will be purged out from the nation and they shall not enter into the land of ,israel4 ,in verses #dj-dd we have a prophecy concerning their true restoration4 ,they will be accepted1 brought back and gathered out from all the countries and brought into the land of ,israel1 as ,god has promised them4 ,then the remnant of ,israel will remember their ways and repent of their evil4 ,,iv4 ,the ,forest ,consumed by ,fire4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me saying1 ,son of man1 set thy face toward the south1 and drop thy word toward the south1 and prophesy against the forest of the south field2 ,and say to the forest of the south1 ,hear the word of the ,lord2 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will kindle a fire in thee1 and it shall devour every green tree in thee1 and every dry tree3 the flaming flame shall not be quenched1 and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein4 ,and all flesh shall see that ,i the ,lord have kindled it3 it shall not be quenched4 ,then said ,i1 ,ah ,lord ,god6 they say of me1 ,doth he not speak parables 7verses #de-di74 ,it is a parable4 ,the forest of the south field is ,judea2 its complete and terrible conquest is here again predicted4 ,the fire of judgment is to sweep through it1 like a mighty forest fire which cannot be quenched4 ,and when ,ezekiel had faithfully delivered his message1 his hearers said1 ,doth he not speak in parables8 ,they refused to understand4 ,,the ,,impending ,,judgment4 ,chapter xxi4 ,then said ,i1 ,oh1 ,lord ,god6 they say of me1 ,doth he not speak in parables8 ,this is the last verse of the preceding chapter4 ,it showed the hardened conditions of their hearts1 which rejected the ,word of ,god1 the word of warning and the call to repentance4 ,these sad conditions of the people in ,ezekiel's day are deeply significant for our times4 ,we see the outwardly professing people of ,god1 the large numbers of unsaved1 nominal ,christians in the same hardened condition4 ,though ,god speaks loudly1 the ,word is not heeded4 ,a stronger judgment message follows in which the sword of the ,lord is prominent4 ,critics have acknowledged the majestic character of the so-called ,song of the ,sword1 and say that the prophet now speaks in maddened frenzy1 carried away by his own passion1 breaking out1 in a state of wild excitement1 denouncing the nation4 ,but it is not the prophet who gives way to his own feeling4 ,the first verse dispels at once such a conception4 ,and the ,word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying3 ,it is the ,lord who speaks through ,ezekiel4 ,i4 ,the ,sword to be ,drawn4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 set thy face toward ,jerusalem1 and drop thy word toward the holy places1 and prophesy against the land of ,israel4 ,and say to the land of ,israel1 ,thus saith the ,lord2 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath1 and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked4 ,seeing then that ,i will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked1 therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north3 ,that all flesh may know that ,i the ,lord have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath3 it shall not return any more4 ,sigh1 therefore1 thou son of man1 with the breaking of thy loins2 and with bitterness sigh before their eyes4 ,and it shall be1 when they say unto thee1 ,wherefore sighest thou8 that thou shall answer1 ,for the tidings1 because it cometh3 and every heart shall melt1 and all hands shall be feeble1 and every spirit shall faint1 and all knees shall be weak as water3 behold1 it cometh1 and shall be brought to pass1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-g74 ,a fearful word it is coming from the lips of ,jehovah1 who had yearned over ,jerusalem and the nation1 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath1 and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked4 ,it was to be an indiscriminate execution of ,god's judgment1 those who claimed righteousness were to fall under the sword of vengeance like the wicked4 ,it was to be a widespread judgment4 ,my sword shall go forth out of its sheath against all flesh--that all flesh may know that ,i the ,lord have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath2 it shall not return any more4 ,while here it refers to all the nations1 to ,jerusalem as well as to ,judea1 there are other prophecies which include under the term all flesh the ,gentile nations as well4 ,for by fire and by ,his sword will the ,lord plead with all flesh1 and the slain of the ,lord shall be many 7,isa4 lxvi3#af74 ,fear and the pit1 and the snare1 are upon thee1 ,o inhabitant of the earth 7,isa4 xxiv3#ag74 ,this will be at the close of the present age4 ,and do not the events in the world to-day indicate the rapid approach of the judgment sword8 ,and ,god's servant was commanded to sigh with bitterness before their eyes4 ,he was to tell them the reason of his agony4 ,because it cometh2 and my heart shall melt1 and all hands shall be feeble1 and every spirit shall faint1 and all knees shall be weak as water4 ,behold it cometh and shall be brought to pass1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,it was not the time for rejoicing1 but for weeping and sighing4 ,the prophet was called upon to show forth in his behavior the solemn days which were now to come4 ,and our ,lord has predicted for our age upon earth distress of nations1 with perplexity2 the sea and the waves thereof roaring4 ,men's hearts failing them for fear1 and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth1 for the powers of heaven shall be shaken 7,luke xxi3#be-bf74 ,but how little sighing with bitterness there is to-day among ,god's servants in view of what is in store for an ungodly and unbelieving age6 ,,ii4 ,the ,sharpening of the ,sword4 ,again the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 prophesy1 and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord2 ,say1 ,a sword1 a sword is sharpened1 and also furbished3 ,it is sharpened to make a sore slaughter2 it is furbished that it may glitter3 should we then make mirth8 it contemneth the rod of my son1 as every tree4 ,and he hath given it to be furbished1 that it may be handled3 this sword is sharpened1 and it is furbished1 to give it into the hand of the slayer4 ,cry and howl1 son of man2 for it shall be upon my people1 it shall be upon all the princes of ,israel3 terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people3 smite therefore upon thy thigh4 ,because it is a trial1 and what if the sword contemn even the rod8 it shall be no more1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,thou1 therefore1 son of man1 prophesy1 and smite thine hands together1 and let the sword be doubled the third time1 the sword of the slain3 it is the sword of the great men that are slain1 which entereth into their privy chambers4 ,i have set the point of the sword against all their gates1 that their heart may faint1 and their ruins be multiplied3 ah6 it is made bright1 it is wrapped up for the slaughter4 ,go thee one way or other1 either on the right hand1 or on the left1 whithersoever thy face is set4 ,i will also smite mine hands together1 and ,i will cause my fury to rest3 ,i the ,lord have said it 7verses #h-ag74 ,the sword of judgment is now described as being prepared for the slaughter4 ,how all this should have a meaning for us at the present time4 ,all the nations of the earth1 who boasted but yesterday of a civilization which makes for righteousness and peace1 are either at war or are preparing for war4 ,may we not see behind it all the sword of the ,lord8 ,has ,he not begun judgment among those nations8 ,the threatening vengeance of the ,lord will ere long fall upon this age which so long has turned a deaf ear to the wooings of ,his love4 ,and the question here is asked1 ,should we then make mirth8 ,is this the time of mirth1 worldly enjoyment and indifference8 ,not for ,god's people who discern the signs of the times and who know from the ,word of ,god the coming events4 ,the place for us is in ,bochim 7,judges ii3#d-e4 ,bochim means ,weeping47 ,the time of the sharpening of the sword is the time for ,his people to trim their lamps1 for earnest heart-searching and prayer4 ,the character of the unsaved1 nominal ,christian masses is also being clearly revealed4 ,they show what they are1 lovers of pleasure more than lovers of ,god4 ,though the sword is being drawn and sharpened1 they are given to mirth and pleasure1 like the company described in #a ,sam4 xxx3#af4 ,the sword of judgment will find them in their merry-making and will change all into weeping and gnashing of teeth4 ,again the prophet is commanded to cry and to howl1 to smite upon his thigh and to smite his hands together1 in view of the coming terrors of judgment4 ,and solemnly the ,lord saith1 ,i will also smite mine hands together1 and ,i will satisfy my fury4 ,,iii4 ,the ,king of ,babylon and ,his ,divination4 ,the word of the ,lord came unto me again1 saying1 ,also1 thou son of man1 appoint thee two ways1 that the sword of the king of ,babylon may come3 both twain shall come forth out of one land3 and choose thou a place1 choose it at the head of the way to the city4 ,appoint a way1 that the sword may come to ,rabbath of the ,ammonites1 and to ,judah in ,jerusalem the defenced4 ,for the king of ,babylon stood at the parting of the way1 at the head of the two ways1 to use divination3 he shook his arrows to and fro1 he consulted with images1 he looked in the liver4 ,at this right hand was the divination for ,jerusalem1 to appoint captains1 to open the mouth in the slaughter1 to lift up the voice with shouting1 to appoint battering rams against the gates1 to cast a mount1 and to build a fort4 ,and it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight1 to them that have sworn oaths3 but he will call to remembrance the iniquity1 that they may be taken4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered1 in that your transgressions are discovered1 so that in all your doings your sins do appear2 because1 ,i say1 that ye are come to remembrance1 ye shall be taken with the hand 7verses #ah-bd74 ,the ,king of ,babylon1 ,nebuchadnezzar1 is the chosen instrument through whom the drawn and sharpened sword does its judgment work4 ,he is seen in this paragraph using divination1 to decide if he should go to ,rabbath of the ,ammonites or to ,judah in ,jerusalem4 ,the ,king is standing at the parting of the way1 at the head of the two ways4 ,first he used the arrows4 ,the authorized version is faulty in its translation2 it is not1 he made his arrows bright1 but he shook his arrows to and fro4 ,the ,babylonians used all kinds of enchantments1 sorceries1 as well as star-gazers1 astrologers1 etc41 to be guided in their undertakings4 7,see ,isa4 xlvii3#h-ae74 ,the ,king took two arrows and put upon each the name of the two cities mentioned2 they were then shaken in the quiver and one was drawn out4 ,he also used images 7teraphim7 which he consulted and looked into the liver4 ,they generally killed a sheep and imagined that the different lines and formation of the liver gave them directions what to do4 ,in the ,british ,museum there is a ,babylonian clay tablet with a sheep's liver covered with all kinds of lines and oracles4 ,in the twenty-second verse we see the result of his divinations4 ,he has pulled out of the quiver the arrow which has on it the word ,jerusalem4 ,and so the siege of ,jerusalem was prepared4 ,but the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 who heard of the ,king's divination1 branded it as a false divination 7verse #bc74 ,they still hoped that all attempts made by ,nebuchadnezzar would fail4 ,but the hand of ,god was guiding all1 and in the last verse of this paragraph 7verse #be7 the ,lord announces the hopelessness of their expectations4 ,,iv4 ,the ,wicked ,prince and the ,coming ,one4 ,and thou1 profane wicked prince of ,israel1 whose day is come1 when iniquity shall have an end1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,remove the diadem1 and take off the crown3 this shall not be the same3 exalt him that is low1 and abase him that is high4 ,i will overturn1 overturn1 overturn it3 and it shall be no more1 until he come whose right it is2 and ,i will give it him 7verses #be-bg74 ,and now follows a most interesting utterance of the prophet which has a future meaning4 ,there can be no question that ,zedekiah is first of all in view as the profane wicked#ae prince of ,israel4 ,but the prophecy looks far beyond ,zedekiah4 ,it is the coming wicked prince1 the one who comes in his own name1 the final ,antichrist1 the false ,messiah1 or1 as he is also called in ,revelation1 the false prophet4 ,that verse #be refers to the time of the end is seen by the words1 in the time of the iniquity of the end 7correct translation74 ,the same phrase appears in ,dan4 xi3#ce-ci1 the time of the end1 and the person described in that passage is the ,antichrist1 the wicked prince4 ,it is the time of the future great tribulation when the transgressors are come to the full 7,dan4 viii3#bc74 ,this false ,christ will claim priestly and kingly honors4 ,he is the beast out of the earth 7,rev4 xiii7 having two horns like a lamb1 but speaking as a dragon4 ,the two horns represent the priesthood and the kingship he assumes4 ,and this we learn from verse #bf is the character of the wicked prince of ,israel of whom ,ezekiel speaks4 ,again1 we must correct the faulty translation of the authorized version3 ,remove the mitre and take off the crown2 the word diadem is mitre1 the head-dress of the high-priest 7,exod4 xxviii3#d74 ,he wears the mitre of the priest and the crown of the king4 ,he is ,satan's final counterfeit 7like the pope7 of the ,priest-,king4 ,in verse #bg the overturning times are mentioned4 ,thrice it is stated1 ,i will overturn4 ,even so will it be at the time of the end until ,he comes whose right it is4 ,and the coming ,one1 who will exalt what is low and abase what is high1 who will remove the mitre and the crown from the ,antichrist1 destroying him by the brightness of ,his coming 7#b ,thess4 ii7 is the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is interesting to see that there is in the ,hebrew a word used which is very suggestive4 ,in ,genesis xlix3#aj we have ,christ spoken of as ,shiloh4 ,the word until ,he come in the ,hebrew is almost the same as ,shiloh2 it is ,shelloh4 ,and surely the overturning times are almost upon us1 and soon that profane wicked ,prince may arise4 ,however1 we do not wait for that wicked one2 we wait for the ,lord4 #ae ,literal translation is1 ,o deadly wounded wicked one1 the ,prince of ,israel4 ,v4 ,the ,judgment to ,fall ,upon ,ammon4 ,and thou1 son of man1 prophesy and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god concerning the ,ammonites1 and concerning their reproach2 even say thou1 ,the sword1 the sword is drawn3 for the slaughter it is furbished1 to consume because of the glittering3 ,while they see vanity unto thee1 while they divine a lie unto thee1 to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain1 of the wicked whose day is come1 when their iniquity shall have an end4 ,shall ,i cause it to return into his sheath8 ,i will judge thee in the place where thou wast created1 in the land of thy nativity4 ,and ,i will pour out mine indignation upon thee2 ,i will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath1 and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men1 and skillful to destroy4 ,thou shalt be for fuel to the fire2 thy blood shall be in the midst of the land2 thou shalt be no more1 for ,i the ,lord have spoken it 7verses #bh-cb74 ,the judgment came upon the ,ammonites is threatened here4 ,but it must not be overlooked that this prophecy also has a further meaning1 for the same words in the time of the iniquity of the end 7verse #bi7 appears here4 ,and yet there is also promised for the future a restoration of ,ammon 7,jer4 xlix3#f74 ,,jerusalem',s ,,abominations4 ,chapter xxii4 ,this chapter describes again the sins and abominations of ,jerusalem4 ,before the sharpened sword of divine justice and retribution does its dreadful work1 the ,lord uncovers the guilt and vileness of the city and lays bare the corruption of her prophets1 priests and princes1 as well as the people4 ,i4 ,the ,violence and ,abominations of ,jerusalem4 ,moreover the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,now1 thou son of man1 wilt thou judge1 wilt thou judge the bloody city8 yea1 thou shalt shew her all her abominations4 ,then say thou1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,the city sheddeth blood in the midst of it1 that her time may come1 and maketh idols against herself to defile herself4 ,thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed2 and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made2 and thou hast caused thy days to draw near1 and art come even unto thy years3 therefore have ,i made thee a reproach unto the heathen1 and a mocking to all countries4 ,those that be near1 and those that be far from thee1 shall mock thee1 which art infamous and much vexed4 ,behold1 the princes of ,israel1 every one were in thee to their power to shed blood4 ,in thee have they set light by father and mother3 in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger3 in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow4 ,thou hast despised mine holy things1 and hast profaned my sabbaths4 ,in thee are men that carry tales to shed blood3 and in thee they eat upon the mountains3 in the midst of thee they commit lewdness4 ,in thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness3 in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution4 ,and one hath committed abomination with his neighbor's wife2 and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law2 and another in thee hath humbled his sister1 his father's daughter4 ,in thee have they taken gifts to shed blood2 thou hast taken usury and increase1 and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion1 and hast forgotten me1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,behold1 therefore ,i have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made1 and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee4 ,can thine heart endure1 or can thine hands be strong1 in the days that ,i shall deal with thee8 ,i the ,lord have spoken it1 and will do it4 ,and ,i will scatter thee among the heathen1 and disperse thee in the countries1 and will consume thy filthiness out of thee4 ,and thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen1 and thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #a-af74 ,jerusalem is called here a bloody city on account of the deeds of violence which were committed in her midst4 ,once it was a faithful city1 full of judgment and righteousness2 but she had become an harlot1 and murderers lodged in it 7,isaiah i3#ba74 ,the prophets and the righteous had been killed in her midst4 ,and ,he who sent these messages of warning and impending judgment1 who waited so patiently for ,jerusalem's repentance and the return of ,his people1 came in the fullness of time1 in the midst of ,his people and to that city4 ,before ,he went to the cross of ,calvary1 where ,he gave ,himself and where also ,jerusalem's bloodguiltiness was fearfully crowned by killing the ,prince of ,life 7,acts iii3#ae71 ,he stood before that city with tear-filled eyes and uttered those tender and never to be forgotten words3 ,o ,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem1 thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee1 how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings1 and ye would not 7,matt4 xxiii3#cg74 ,and ,stephen said1 ,which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted8 and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the ,just ,one1 of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers 7,acts vii3#eb74 ,his blood be upon us and our children was their awful cry1 when the bloody city delivered ,him into the hands of the ,gentiles1 and ever since they have been1 ,cain-like1 the homeless wanderers among the nations1 till some day they will acknowledge their bloodguiltiness and turn to ,him4 ,and in this chapter the ,lord describes all her violence and abominations4 ,all were guilty of violence and the shedding of blood1 especially the princes1 the ,kings of ,judah4 7,see ,jeremiah xxvi3#ba and xxxviii3#d1 etc474 ,and inasmuch as they had turned away from ,jehovah and worshipped idols1 moral corruption and the vile things man is capable of were likewise present4 ,and such are also the conditions to-day among the nations1 which profess to be ,christian2 violence and bloodshed1 moral corruption and abomination4 ,may we not forget that the ,lord1 who knew ,jerusalem's guilt and judged her for it1 is the same to-day1 who will judge the violence and the abominations on the earth among nations whose privileges have been even greater than the privileges and blessings of ,jerusalem4 ,thou hast forgotten ,me1 was ,jehovah's accusation against the city4 ,had they remembered ,jehovah's kindness1 ,his gracious dealing with their fathers1 had they remembered ,his ,word1 these abominations would not have come to pass4 ,and the source of the violence1 the bloodshed1 the moral darkness in the world to-day1 is1 that the nations have forgotten ,god4 ,the judgment of the city is again announced4 ,,ii4 ,the ,smelting ,furnace4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 the house of ,israel is to me become dross2 all they are brass and tin and iron and lead1 in the midst of the furnace2 they are even the dross of silver4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because ye are all become dross1 behold1 therefore1 ,i will gather you into the midst of ,jerusalem4 ,as they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace1 to blow the fire upon it1 to melt it2 so will ,i gather you in mine anger and in my fury1 and ,i will leave you there1 and melt you4 ,yea1 ,i will gather you1 and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath1 and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof4 ,as silver is melted in the midst of the furnace1 so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof2 and ye shall know that ,i the ,lord have poured out my fury upon you 7verses #ag-bc74 ,the smelting furnace is the symbol of ,jehovah's fiery indignation against ,jerusalem and its inhabitants4 ,a furnace is either for refining or for destruction4 ,in the future the remnant of ,israel will be refined by the fires of persecution and tribulation 7,mal4 iii3#a-c74 ,to the godly part of ,his earthly people ,he saith1 ,behold ,i have refined thee1 but not as silver2 ,i have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction 7,isaiah xlviii3#aj74 ,but here in ,ezekiel's message it is not the question of refining but of punishment by fire4 ,israel is dross4 ,brass1 tin1 iron1 lead1 dross of silver are mentioned1 but gold is significantly omitted4 ,it stands for righteousness and that was lacking in ,jerusalem4 ,the fury of the ,lord would fan the flame and all gathered together1 like worthless metals would be melted by the wrath of the ,lord4 ,,iii4 ,the ,corruption of the ,prophets1 the ,priests and the ,princes4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 say unto her1 ,thou art the land that is not cleansed1 nor rained upon in the day of indignation4 ,there is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof1 like a roaring lion ravening the prey3 they have devoured souls2 they have taken the treasure and precious things2 they have made her many widows in the midst thereof4 ,her priests have violated my law1 and have profaned mine holy things3 they have put no difference between the holy and profane1 neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean1 and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths1 and ,i am profaned among them4 ,her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey1 to shed blood and to destroy souls1 to get dishonest gain4 ,and her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar1 seeing vanity1 and divining lies unto them1 saying1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god1 when the ,lord hath not spoken4 ,the people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery1 and have vexed the poor and needy3 yea1 they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully4 ,and ,i sought for a man among them1 that should make up the hedge1 and stand in the gap before me for the land1 that ,i should not destroy it3 but ,i found none4 ,therefore have ,i poured out mine indignation upon them2 ,i have consumed them with the fire of my wrath3 their own way have ,i recompensed upon their head1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #bc-ca74 ,what corruption this additional message of the ,lord reveals6 ,the land had already been cursed for the wicked deeds of its tenants4 ,the religious leaders1 the prophets1 these false prophets with their lying messages1 instead of saving souls and warning to flee from the wrath to come1 devoured souls4 ,the priests1 called to minister in holy things1 were as bad2 they profaned the holy things4 ,they were blasphemers instead of worshippers4 ,these characteristics of false prophets and false priests are repeated in our own times4 ,like these false prophets whom ,ezekiel describes1 the modern day religious leaders1 mislead the people by giving lying messages and by glossing over men's sins and not giving to them the ,word of the ,lord4 ,like priests1 like people6 ,the people were lovers of money and oppressors of the poor4 ,jehovah looked for a man to stand in the gap between ,him and the land1 but there was none4 ,there is no help and hope in man1 for all have gone astray and there is none that doeth good4 ,but there is ,one--blessed be ,god6--who has stood in the gap1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,and ,he saw that there was no man1 and wondered that there was none to interpose1 therefore ,his own arm brought salvation to ,him1 and ,his righteousness1 it upheld ,him 7,isaiah lix3#af74 ,through ,him all ,israel is yet to be saved and receive the promised blessings4 ,,the ,,two ,,sisters ,,aholah ,,and ,,aholibah4 ,chapter xxiii4 ,once more a parable is given to illustrate and expose the wickedness of ,samaria and ,jerusalem in their ungodly relationship with ,assyria and ,chaldea4 ,on the whole1 this chapter bears a similar message as the one contained in chapter xvi1 however1 with this difference that here the later history of the two kingdoms1 the ,kingdom of ,israel and the ,kingdom of ,judah and their defilement with heathen nations is the prominent feature4 ,the chapter has five sections4 ,i4 ,the ,two ,sisters ,aholah and ,aholibah4 ,the word of the ,lord came again unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 there were two women1 the daughters of one mother3 ,and they committed whoredom in ,egypt2 they committed whoredom in their youth3 there were their breasts pressed1 and there they bruised the teats of their virginity4 ,and the names of them were ,aholah the elder1 and ,aholibah her sister3 and they were mine1 and they bare sons and daughters4 ,thus were their names2 ,samaria is ,aholah1 and ,jerusalem ,aholibah 7verses #a-d74 ,the two daughters of one mother are ,samaria and ,jerusalem1 called sisters in chapter xvi3#df4 ,they were sisters not only because they had the same mother1 the ,jewish nation1 but they were also sisters in their vile idolatry4 ,samaria is called ,aholah4 ,aholah means her tent4 ,jerusalem is named ,aholibah1 my tent is in her4 ,the latter denotes the fact that the true sanctuary was in ,judah1 while the ,kingdom of ,israel1 ,samaria1 practised a false worship4 ,yet ,jehovah owned them both as ,his people4 ,,ii4 ,aholah's ,wickedness4 ,and ,aholah played the harlot when she was mine2 and she doted on her lovers1 on the ,assyrians her neighbours1 ,which were clothed with blue1 captains and rulers1 all of them desirable young men1 horsemen riding upon horses4 ,thus she committed her whoredoms with them1 with all them that were the chosen men of ,assyria1 and with all on whom she doted3 with all their idols she defiled herself4 ,neither left she her whoredoms brought from ,egypt3 for in her youth they lay with her1 and they bruised the breasts of her virginity1 and poured their whoredom upon her4 ,wherefore ,i have delivered her into the hand of her lovers1 into the hand of the ,assyrians1 upon whom she doted4 ,these discovered her nakedness3 they took her sons and her daughters1 and slew her with the sword and she became famous among women2 for they had executed judgment upon her 7verses #e-aj74 ,aholah's1 ,samaria's1 wickedness is described first4 ,it began with ,jeroboam's idolatry 7#a ,kings xii3#be7 and became worse and worse4 ,they went to ,assyria and shared their corruption in idolatry and made a covenant with that nation 7,hosea xii3#b74 ,thus ,samaria played the harlot by forsaking the ,lord and turning to ,assyria1 trusting on ,assyria instead of on the ,lord1 and then she defiled herself with all their idols4 ,hosea described their condition4 ,ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart2 they call to ,egypt1 they go to ,assyria4 ,when they shall go ,i will spread my net upon them2 ,i will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven2 ,i will chastise them1 as their congregation hath heard4 ,woe unto them6 for they have fled from me2 destruction unto them6 because they have transgressed against me1 though ,i have redeemed them1 yet they have spoken lies against me 7,hosea vii3#aa-ac74 ,the judgment of ,samaria is also mentioned4 ,the ,lord delivered the people into the hands of the nation with which they had become enamored1 to discover their nakedness4 ,wherefore1 ,i have delivered her into the hand of her lovers1 into the hand of the ,assyrians1 upon whom she doted4 ,the historical record of this is found in #b ,kings xvii1 when ,hoshea1 ,king of ,samaria1 became servant to ,shalmaneser1 ,king of ,assyria4 ,and when ,hoshea acted treacherously1 ,shalmaneser imprisoned ,samaria's king and led the people away into ,assyria4 ,,iii4 ,the ,wickedness of ,aholibah4 ,and when her sister ,aholibah saw this1 she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she1 and in her whoredom more than her sister in her whoredom4 ,she doted upon the ,assyrians her neighbours1 captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously1 horsemen riding upon horses1 all of them desirable young men4 ,then ,i saw that she was defiled1 that they took both one way1 ,and that she increased her whoredom3 for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall1 the images of the ,chaldeans pourtrayed with vermillion1 ,girded with girdles upon their loins1 exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads1 all of them princes to look to1 after the manner of their nativity3 ,and as soon as she saw them with her eyes1 she doted upon them1 and sent messengers unto them into ,chaldea4 ,and the ,babylonians came to her into the bed of love1 and they defiled her with their whoredom1 and she was polluted with them1 and her mind was alienated from them4 ,so she discovered her whoredom1 and discovered her nakedness3 then my mind was alienated from her1 like as my mind was alienated from her sister4 ,yet she multiplied her whoredoms1 in calling to remembrance the days of her youth1 wherein she had played the harlot in the land of ,egypt4 ,for she doted upon their paramours1 whose flesh is as the flesh of asses1 and whose issue is like the issue of horses4 ,thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth1 in bruising thy teats by the ,egyptians for the paps of thy youth 7verses #aa-ba74 ,and her sister ,aholibah1 ,jerusalem1 saw this1 but did not profit by it4 ,she became even more corrupt than ,samaria and increased her whoredoms4 ,she was enjoying greater privileges and blessings than ,samaria and therefore her wickedness and fall was greater4 ,king ,ahaz1 when pressed by ,rezin1 the ,king of ,syria and ,remaliah1 ,king of ,israel1 sent messengers to ,tiglath-pileser1 ,king of ,assyria1 with the message1 ,i am thy servant and thy son1 come up and save me 7#b ,kings xvi3#e-h47 ,he also took the silver and gold in the house of the ,lord and gave it as a present to the ,assyrian ,king4 ,isaiah's message and offer as described in ,isaiah vii he refused4 ,then ,king ,ahaz went to ,damascus to meet ,tiglath-pileser1 ,king of ,assyria1 and saw an altar that was at ,damascus4 ,and ,king ,ahaz sent to ,urijah the priest1 the fashion of the altar1 and the patterns of it1 according to all the workmanship thereof4 ,this strange altar was set up in ,jerusalem1 and the house of the ,lord was defiled by him 7#b ,kings xvi3#aj-bj74 ,likewise1 ,jerusalem also followed the ,chaldeans and was inflamed by the pictures of the ,chaldeans portrayed on walls in vermillion1 the peculiar color used by the the ,chaldeans4 ,she loved ,chaldea1 ,babylon with her vile idolatry1 and sent messengers to the ,chaldeans4 ,and the ,babylonians responded and came to her to corrupt ,jerusalem4 ,then ,jehovah says3 ,my mind was alienated from her1 like as my mind was alienated from her sister4 ,yet she continued in her evil ways4 ,in all this we have a description of ,jerusalem's history in becoming defiled by heathen nations1 their idolatries and corresponding immoralities4 ,,iv4 ,aholibah's ,punishment4 ,therefore1 ,o ,aholibah1 thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will raise up thy lovers against thee1 from whom thy mind is alienated1 and ,i will bring them against thee on every side2 the ,babylonians1 and all the ,chaldeans1 ,pekod1 and ,shoa1 and ,koa1 and all the ,assyrians with them3 all of them desirable young men1 captains and rulers1 great lords and renowned1 all of them riding upon horses4 ,and they shall come against thee with chariots1 wagons1 and wheels1 and with an assembly of people1 which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about3 and ,i will set judgment before them1 and they shall judge thee according to their judgments4 ,and ,i will set my jealousy against thee1 and they shall deal furiously with thee3 they shall take away thy nose and thine ears2 and thy remnant shall fall by the sword3 they shall take thy sons and thy daughters2 and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire4 ,they shall also strip thee out of thy clothes1 and take away thy fair jewels4 ,thus will ,i make thy lewdness to cease from thee1 and thy whoredom brought from the land of ,egypt3 so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them1 nor remember ,egypt any more4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest1 into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated3 ,and they shall deal with thee hatefully1 and shall take away all thy labour1 and shall leave thee naked and bare3 and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered1 both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms4 ,i will do these things unto thee1 because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen1 and because thou art polluted with their idols4 ,thou hast walked in the way of thy sister2 therefore will ,i give her cup into thine hand4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large3 thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision2 it containeth much4 ,thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow1 with the cup of astonishment and desolation1 with the cup of thy sister ,samaria4 ,thou shalt even drink it and suck it out1 and thou shalt break the shreds thereof1 and pluck off thine own breasts3 for ,i have spoken it1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because thou hast forgotten me1 and cast me behind thy back1 therefore bear thou thy lewdness and thy whoredoms 7verses #bb-ce74 ,and those with whom she had sinned were to be her chastisers4 ,behold ,i will raise up thy lovers against thee4444 ,i will bring them against thee on every side4 ,her well-deserved judgment would be1 as it was1 in the hands of the ,babylonians1 all the ,chaldeans1 as well as the ,assyrians4444 ,and they shall come against thee with chariots1 wagons and wheels1 with an assembly of people1 which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about1 and ,i will set judgment before them1 and they shall judge thee according to their judgment4 ,a holy and righteous ,god in ,his wrath moved these vile nations to heap upon this disobedient and idolatrous people the worst punishments4 ,they shall deal furiously with thee1 they shall take away thy nose and thine ears1 and thy remnant shall fall by the sword2 they shall take thy sons and thy daughters1 and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire4 ,the explorations in ,assyria have brought to light wall-sculptures in which such atrocities are depicted4 ,god is righteous1 and divine retribution was thus manifested in ,jerusalem's shameful history4 ,and in our own times we behold similar judgments in the earth meted out upon nations1 professedly ,christian1 who forgot ,god and rejected ,his holy ,word4 ,jerusalem had walked in the ways of her vile sister ,samaria and had even outdone her in wickedness4 ,she was1 therefore1 to drink her cup1 because thou hast forgotten me and cast me behind thy back1 therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms4 ,jerusalem had seen all what happened to the northern kingdom when ,shalmaneser had carried them away1 yet she kept right on in her evil course and did not repent of her idolatries1 her vile immoralities and wickedness4 ,and so it is to-day4 ,nations reap what they have sown1 and other nations1 like our own1 do not take the warning4 ,they continue in the downward course1 rejecting ,god's holy ,word and are guilty of the same sins as the nations who drink now the cup of divine displeasure4 ,ere long the judgments of ,god will reach every nation for the evil they have done4 ,v4 ,final ,rehearsal of their ,sins and ,punishments4 ,the ,lord said moreover unto me2 ,son of man1 wilt thou judge ,aholah and ,aholibah8 yea1 declare unto them their abominations2 ,that they have committed adultery1 and blood is in their hands1 and with their idols have they committed adultery1 and have also caused their sons1 whom they bare unto me1 to pass for them through the fire1 to devour them4 ,moreover this they have done unto me3 they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day1 and have profaned my sabbaths4 ,for when they had slain their children to their idols1 then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it2 and1 lo1 thus have they done in the midst of mine house4 ,and furthermore1 that ye have sent for men to come from far1 unto whom a messenger was sent2 and1 lo1 they came3 for whom thou didst wash thyself1 paintedst thy eyes1 and deckedst thyself with ornaments1 ,and satest upon a stately bed1 and a table prepared before it1 whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil4 ,and a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her3 and with the men of the common sort were brought ,sabeans from the wilderness1 which put bracelets upon their hands1 and beautiful crowns upon their heads4 ,then said ,i unto her that was old in adulteries1 ,will they now commit whoredoms with her1 and she with them8 ,yet they went in unto her1 as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot3 so went they in unto ,aholah and unto ,aholibah1 the lewd women4 ,and the righteous men1 they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses1 and after the manner of women that shed blood2 because they are adulteresses1 and blood is in their hands4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will bring up a company upon them1 and will give them to be removed and spoiled4 ,and the company shall stone them with stones1 and dispatch them with their swords2 they shall slay their sons and their daughters1 and burn up their houses with fire4 ,thus will ,i cause lewdness to cease out of the land1 that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness4 ,and they shall recompense your lewdness upon you1 and ye shall bear the sins of your idols3 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord ,god 7verses #cf-di74 ,little comment is needed on this final section2 there is a recapitulation of the sins of ,aholah and ,aholibah4 ,they committed adultery with their idols1 both in a spiritual way and also literally4 ,their offspring were cast into the fiery arms of ,moloch and thus slain to their idols4 ,they profaned the sanctuary of the ,lord4 ,adulterers they were and blood was in their hands4 ,what degradation6 ,licentiousness1 violence and child sacrifice were the leading sins of the nation and these were produced by having forgotten ,god and by idolatry4 ,the punishment of the adulterers1 according to the law1 stoning1 awaited ,jerusalem4 ,and the company shall stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords2 they shall slay their sons and their daughters1 and burn up their houses with fire4 ,thus will ,i cause lewdness to cease out of the land1 that all women 7surrounding nations who knew of ,jerusalem's vileness7 be taught not to go after your lewdness4 ,and they 7the heathen nations7 shall recompense your lewdness upon you1 and ye shall bear the sins of your idols1 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,the ,lord had manifested ,himself to ,jerusalem as a ,lord of grace and power4 ,he had dealt with that nation as ,he had not dealt with others4 ,you only have ,i known of all the families of the earth1 therefore ,i will punish you for all your iniquities 7,amos iii3#b74 ,in awful judgments they were to learn that ,he is the ,lord2 what they should have known through ,his mercies1 they found out by the punishment from the hands of a righteous ,lord4 ,all this will be repeated in future history4 ,the time is not distant when still greater judgments will be poured out upon nations as well as upon the ,jewish people4 ,during that time the world will find out that ,he is the ,lord4 ,for when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness 7,is4 xxvi3#i74 ,,the ,,boiling ,,pot ,,and ,,the ,,last ,,word4 ,chapter xxiv4 ,we have reached the final message of this great ,prophet concerning the judgment and overthrow of ,jerusalem4 ,the fatal siege of the city which sealed its doom1 so long announced1 had started4 ,ezekiel receives the information directly from the ,lord and then utters the solemn words of the ,lord in which for the last time the wickedness of the bloody city is made known4 ,first1 he spoke in a parable and afterwards in the death of his wife he was a sign unto them4 ,i4 ,the ,parable of the ,boiling ,pot and its ,significance4 ,again in the ninth year1 in the tenth month1 in the tenth day of the month1 the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 write thee the name of the day1 even of this same day3 the king of ,babylon set himself against ,jerusalem this same day4 ,and utter a parable unto the rebellious house1 and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,set on a pot1 set it on1 and also pour water into it3 ,gather the pieces thereof into it1 even every good piece1 the thigh1 and the shoulder2 fill it with the choice bones4 ,take the choice of the flock1 and burn also the bones under it1 and make it boil well1 and let them seethe the bones of it therein4 ,wherefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,woe to the bloody city1 to the pot whose scum is therein1 and whose scum is not gone out of it1 bring it out piece by piece2 let no lot fall upon it4 ,for her blood is in the midst of her2 she set it upon the top of a rock2 she poured it not upon the ground1 to cover it with dust2 ,that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance2 ,i have set her blood upon the top of a rock1 that it should not be covered4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,woe to the bloody city6 ,i will even make the pile for fire great4 ,heap on wood1 kindle the fire1 consume the flesh1 and spice it well1 and let the bones be burned4 ,then set it empty upon the coals thereof1 that the brass of it may be hot1 and may burn1 and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it1 that the scum of it may be consumed4 ,she hath wearied herself with lies1 and her great scum went not forth out of her3 her scum shall be in the fire4 ,in thy filthiness is lewdness3 because ,i have purged thee1 and thou wast not purged1 thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more1 till ,i have caused my fury to rest upon thee4 ,i the ,lord have spoken it3 it shall come to pass1 and ,i will do it2 ,i will not go back1 neither will ,i spare1 neither will ,i repent2 according to thy ways1 and according to thy doings1 shall they judge thee1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-ad74 ,the ,prophet is instructed to note the exact date1 the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year4 ,the same date we find in #b ,kings xxv3#a4 ,and it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign in the tenth month1 in the tenth day of the month1 that ,nebuchadnezzar1 king of ,babylon1 came1 he1 and all his host1 against ,jerusalem1 and pitched against it2 and they built forts against it round about4 ,the same statement is made by ,jeremiah 7chapter lii3#d74 ,but how did ,ezekiel1 far away from the scene of the siege1 know the exact date when the king of ,babylon began to carry out the threatened divine judgment8 ,it was the ,lord who gave him this information4 ,this is the statement of the second verse1 ,son of man1 write thee the name of the day1 even of this selfsame day1 the king of ,babylon set himself 7literally1 leaned upon7 against ,jerusalem this same day4 ,higher ,criticism shows its teeth in connection with such definite statements which introduce the power of ,god4 ,we quote the following from a recent commentator3 ,this verse 7verse #b7 forces on us in the clearest fashion the dilemma--either ,ezekiel was a deliberate deceiver1 or he was possessed of some kind of second sight4 ,according to these words ,ezekiel was either an out-and-out deceiver1 a wicked man1 or1 he was a clairvoyant4 ,that the word of the ,lord came to him and imparted unto him the news that on the same day ,jerusalem's siege had begun1 is neither considered nor believed4 ,such is the blind unbelief of the modern critics4 ,the boiling pot or caldron mentioned in this parable is the symbol of ,jerusalem4 ,what is cast into this pot typifies the guilty people2 the choice bones and the choice of the flock1 the leaders4 ,all are to be thrown in one common caldron to seethe therein1 the symbol of the fiery judgments which had now come upon the city4 ,the scum#af in the pot is symbolical of ,jerusalem's sins4 ,the woe is pronounced upon the bloody city on account of the scum2 it is to be consumed4 ,she hath wearied ,me with lies1 and her great scum went not forth out of her2 her scum shall be in the fire4 ,while the inhabitants of the city are thus described suffering for their sins1 the city itself will be dealt with 7verse #aa74 ,this parable becomes still more interesting if we compare it with the message of the eleventh chapter4 ,then the people of ,jerusalem had said1 ,this city is the caldron1 and we be the flesh 7xi3#c74 ,the ,lord had answered them1 ,this city shall not be your caldron1 within shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof 7xi3#aa74 ,they gave the caldron a different meaning from the parable here4 ,as the flesh is preserved in a pot1 a caldron1 so they thought themselves secure and safe in ,jerusalem4 ,and now the ,lord tells them that ,jerusalem shall be a caldron1 but not for their preservation1 but for their judgment4 ,they had deceived themselves when they thought themselves safe4 ,his fury is now to be displayed upon bloody1 filthy ,jerusalem4 ,i the ,lord have spoken it1 it shall come to pass1 and ,i will do it2 ,i will not go back1 neither will ,i spare1 neither will ,i repent2 according to thy ways1 and according to thy doings shall they judge thee1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,what the ,lord hath spoken will come to pass2 ,he will do it4 ,this is a solemn word4 ,men ignore what ,god has spoken4 ,others sneer at it and are unbelieving4 ,the mass of professing ,christians are indifferent and have no thought that ,god will do what ,he has spoken about judgments to come4 ,but they will as surely come upon our age1 as the threatened judgments came upon ,jerusalem4 #af ,literally1 ,rust4 ,,ii4 ,the ,death of the ,wife of ,ezekiel4 ,also the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 behold1 ,i take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke3 yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep1 neither shall thy tears run down4 ,forbear to cry1 make no mourning for the dead1 bind the tire of thine head upon thee1 and put on thy shoes upon thy feet1 and cover not thy lips1 and eat not the bread of men4 ,so ,i spake unto the people in the morning3 and at even my wife died2 and ,i did in the morning as ,i was commanded 7verses #ae-ah74 ,the second message which is given to ,ezekiel in this chapter concerns himself4 ,he is to lose the desire of his eyes1 his wife1 with a stroke4 ,and the ,lord tells him that he is not to mourn or weep1 nor is he to shed tears on account of the bereavement4 ,all the customary signs of grief are forbidden him4 ,these were the taking off of the headdress1 the turban1 and putting ashes on the head2 taking off the shoes1 walking barefooted 7#b ,sam4 xv3#cj72 the covering of the lips1 the beard 7,micah iii3#g2 see also ,lev4 xiii3#de71 and the eating of certain food1 mourning-food4 ,all this he was not to do4 ,and while he faithfully delivered the ,word of the ,lord in the morning1 at even his wife was taken from him and faithfully he obeyed the commandment of the ,lord4 ,death had dissolved the marriage union and taken from the prophet the beloved wife4 ,even so the relationship between ,jehovah and ,jerusalem was now to be completely severed4 ,and instead of a wild lamentation1 a wailing cry1 there should be a solemn silence4 ,a similar message was also given to ,jeremiah1 ,they shall die of grievous deaths2 they shall not be lamented4444 ,for thus saith the ,lord1 ,enter not in the house of mourning1 neither go to lament nor bemoan them 7,jer4 xvi3#d-i74 ,,iii4 ,the ,question of the ,people and the ,answer4 ,and the people said unto me1 ,wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us1 that thou doest so8 ,then ,i answered them1 ,the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,speak unto the house of ,israel1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will profane my sanctuary1 the excellency of your strength1 the desire of your eyes1 and that which your soul pitieth2 and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword4 ,and ye shall do as ,i have done2 ye shall not cover your lips1 nor eat the bread of men4 ,and your tires shall be upon your heads1 and your shoes upon your feet3 ye shall not mourn nor weep2 but ye shall pine away for your iniquities1 and mourn one toward another4 ,thus ,ezekiel is unto you a sign2 according to all that he hath done shall ye do2 and when this cometh1 ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord ,god4 ,also1 thou son of man1 shall it not be1 in the day when ,i take from them their strength1 the joy of their glory1 the desire of their eyes1 and that whereupon they set their minds1 their sons and their daughters4 ,that he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee1 to cause thee to hear it with thine ears8 ,in that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped1 and thou shalt speak1 and be no more dumb2 and thou shalt be a sign unto them2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ai-bg74 ,the people then inquired of ,ezekiel about the meaning of his actions4 ,they wanted to know about the caldron and about his strange behaviour in not mourning over the death of his wife4 ,the answer is again given by the ,word of the ,lord4 ,the captives on the river ,chebar1 who surrounded the ,prophet1 hear now that the ,lord is going to profane ,his own sanctuary4 ,it was the object in which they boasted1 the excellency of their strength and the desire of their eyes4 ,their sons and daughters who had been left behind by them were now to fall by the sword4 ,as suddenly as the stroke bereft him of his wife1 so should they lose their loved ones and they also were not to lament4 ,ezekiel was unto them a sign4 ,as previously so now again he foreshadowed in his experience what was the common lot of the people4 ,but more than that should come upon them4 ,they were to pine away on account of their iniquities and moan one toward another2 their grief would be manifested in groans and moans of deepest anguish4 ,in all they were to know that ,he whom they rejected is the ,lord4 ,and so the world will make the same discovery before long1 perhaps even now this solemn fact is being demonstrated before our eyes4 ,nations have forgotten ,god4 ,they have rejected ,his ,word4 ,they trampled under foot ,his truth and the best the ,lord has given4 ,the measure of wickedness is rapidly being filled up and ,god1 a holy1 righteous ,god1 must act in judgment and deal with man according to his ways and according to his works4 ,the moans and the groans are on the earth4 ,and when all the prophet announced was accomplished1 when ,jerusalem had fallen1 then one that escaped should come to ,ezekiel and tell him about it4 ,even so it happened4 ,and it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity1 in the tenth month1 in the fifth day of the month1 that one that had escaped out of ,jerusalem came into me1 saying1 ,the city is smitten 7xxxiii3#ba74 ,it was also announced to the ,prophet that when this messenger came he should no more be dumb1 but his mouth should be opened1 and he would speak4 ,of this we read in chapter xxxiii3#bb2 then he would resume his public activities4 ,,predictions ,,of ,,judgment ,,against ,,the ,,nations4 ,chapters xxv-xxxii4 ,,predictions ,,against ,,ammon1 ,,moab1 ,,edom ,,and ,,the ,,philistines4 ,chapter xxv4 ,a new section begins with this chapter4 ,the prophet is now made the mouthpiece of ,jehovah to utter prophecies concerning other nations4 ,two years after the message of the preceding chapter1 the news came to ,ezekiel announcing the fall of the city and after that1 ,ezekiel received the greater messages concerning ,israel and her glorious future4 ,the prophecies contained in chapters xxv-xxxii concerning the nations which came in touch with ,israel were delivered at different times4 ,see the dates in chapters xxvi3#a1 xxix3#a1 #ag1 xxx3#bj1 xxxi3#a and xxxii3#a1 #ag4 ,the predictions concern just seven nations1 and these are divided into four and three4 ,the first four were the immediate neighbors of ,israel4 ,then come larger prophecies against ,tyre1 with a message on the future return of ,israel against ,sidon and ,egypt2 ,assyria is also mentioned4 ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah and ,amos likewise received similar messages against the same nations4 ,their guilt is uncovered and their judgment and overthrow makes the way for ,israel's blessing and peace4 ,while these judgments have had a partial1 past fulfilment1 the complete fulfilment is yet to come1 for the prophetic ,word shows that the nations who have sinned against ,jehovah and ,his people will be judged in a coming day1 when ,israel will be restored and be blest4 ,such is evident when we read the gracious1 still future promises to ,his earthly people4 ,see chapters xxviii3#bd-bf and xxix3#ba4 ,these unfulfilled promises concerning ,israel's restoration as well as spiritual prosperity make it clear that these judgments hold a definite relation to future events4 ,i4 ,the ,prophecy ,concerning ,ammon4 ,the word of the ,lord came again unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 set thy face against the ,ammonites1 and prophesy against them2 ,and say unto the ,ammonites1 ,hear the word of the ,lord ,god2 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because thou saidst2 ,aha1 against my sanctuary1 when it was profaned2 and against the land of ,israel1 when it was desolate2 and against the house of ,judah1 when they went into captivity2 ,behold1 therefore ,i will deliver thee to the men of the ,east for a possession1 and they shall set their palaces in thee1 and make their dwellings in thee3 they shall eat thy fruit1 and they shall drink thy milk4 ,and ,i will make ,rabbah a stable for camels1 and the ,ammonites a couching place for flocks3 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because thou hast clapped thine hands1 and stamped with the feet1 and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of ,israel2 ,behold1 therefore ,i will stretch out mine hand upon thee1 and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen2 and ,i will cut thee off from the people1 and ,i will cause thee to perish out of the countries3 ,i will destroy thee2 and thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #a-g74 ,a message concerning ,ammon had been given before to ,ezekiel 7chapter xxi3#bh-cb74 ,the prophet ,jeremiah also announced the coming judgment for the ,ammonites3 ,it shall be a desolate heap and her daughters shall be burned with fire4 ,but ,jeremiah predicted a restoration of ,ammon after the judgment4 ,and afterward ,i will bring again the captivity of the children of ,ammon1 saith the ,lord 7,jer4 lxix3#a-f74 ,god will accomplish this in ,his own time and way4 ,we do not need to trouble ourselves how ,he will fulfil ,his ,word2 ,he takes care of that4 ,still another prophet speaks concerning them4 ,zephaniah 7ii3#h-aa7 shows that they reproached ,god's people and were filled with pride4 ,as we know1 both ,ammon and ,moab had a deeply humiliating origin 7,gen4 xix3#cg-ch7 and had a racial connection with ,israel4 ,as the past history shows they were in constant conflict with ,israel4 ,when the sanctuary in the midst of ,god's people was profaned1 the land laid desolate and the house of ,judah went into captivity1 they greatly rejoiced4 ,their exultation over ,israel's sin and ,god's punishment revealed their own wicked1 ,god-defying1 unbelieving character4 ,therefore ,god is going to punish them4 ,the men of the ,east were to conquer them and take them for a possession4 ,the men of the ,east are the ,bedouins4 ,the word palaces must be translated encampments4 ,the ,bedouins set up their tents in stone rings4 ,and this prophecy has been fulfilled4 ,the ,bedouin nomads wander through ,ammon's possession4 ,,ii4 ,prophecy ,concerning ,moab4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because that ,moab and ,seir do say1 ,behold1 the house of ,judah is like unto all the heathen2 ,therefore1 behold1 ,i will open the side of ,moab from the cities1 from his cities which are on his frontiers1 the glory of the country1 ,beth-jeshimoth1 ,baal-meon and ,kiriathaim1 ,unto the men of the east with the ,ammonites1 and will give them in possession1 that the ,ammonites may not be remembered among the nations4 ,and ,i will execute judgments upon ,moab2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #h-aa74 ,moab was the kin of ,ammon4#ag ,their country lay east of the ,dead ,sea4 ,other interesting prophetic messages on ,moab are contained in ,isaiah xv and xvi2 ,jer4 xlviii and ,amos ii3#a4 ,jeremiah also gives a promise of ,moab's restoration4 ,yet will ,i bring again the captivity of ,moab in the latter days1 saith the ,lord 7,jer4 xlviii3#dg74 ,here the time of ,moab's blessing is stated2 it will be in the latter days1 the days still to come connected with the day of the ,lord1 the second ,coming of ,christ4 ,where ,ammon and ,moab are now1 among what nations their descendants exist1 is known to an omniscient ,god4 ,how ,moab will be brought back from captivity and installed in their territory in the latter days1 we repeat1 will be accomplished by the wisdom and power of ,god4 ,the teaching which one hears occasionally1 that the ,ammonites and ,moabites will be raised from the dead and restored physically is more than a fanciful speculation2 it is an evil1 unscriptural doctrine4 ,the ,word of ,god nowhere teaches a physical resurrection of ungodly nations of the past for a second chance4 ,moab also sneered at the house of ,judah and mockingly declared the house of ,judah is like unto all the heathen4 ,they were a proud and arrogant people4 ,we have heard of the pride of ,moab1 he is exceedingly proud1 his loftiness and his arrogancy and his pride and the haughtiness of his heart 7,jer4 xlviii3#bi74 ,isaiah gives the same description of their character 7,isa4 xvi3#f74 ,and the ,god of ,israel who governs the nations and deals with them in judgment humbled them into the dust4 ,the ,bedouins are now likewise the possessors of their country4 ,and ,i will execute judgments upon ,moab2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,and these judgments upon proud1 self-exalting1 ,god-forgetting nations1 are not confined to the past4 ,some nations of ,europe1 who claimed to be nations of civilization and making for righteousness1 so often called ,christian nations1 have been lifted up in pride1 forgetting ,god in their prosperity1 and now a righteous ,god has put ,his hand upon them1 so that they should find out that ,he is the ,lord4 #ag ,moab and ,ammon were the incestuous offspring of ,lot4 7,genesis xix3#cg-ch47 ,,iii4 ,prophecy ,concerning ,edom4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because that ,edom hath dealt against the house of ,judah by taking vengeance1 and hath greatly offended1 and revenged himself upon them2 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will also stretch out mine hand upon ,edom1 and will cut off man and beast from it2 and ,i will make it desolate from ,teman2 and they of ,dedan shall fall by the sword4 ,and ,i will lay my vengeance upon ,edom by the hand of my people ,israel3 and they shall do in ,edom according to my fury2 and they shall know my vengeance1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ab-ad74 ,edom1 the descendants of ,esau1 the son of ,jacob1 was more closely connected with ,israel than ,ammon and ,moab4 ,and ,edom's deeds were more pronouncedly against the people of ,god1 more wicked and defiant1 than the others4 ,israel was especially commanded not to abhor an ,edomite4 ,thou shalt not abhor an ,edomite1 for he is thy brother 7,deut4 xxiii3#g74 ,they greatly offended and revenged themselves upon them4 ,amos declared their sin4 ,he did pursue his brother with the sword1 and did cast off all pity1 and his anger did tear perpetually1 and he kept his wrath forever 7,amos i3#aa74 ,edom's pride is uncovered by ,obadiah 7,obd4 verse #c-d71 who also shows ,edom's sin against his brother 7verses #aj-ad74 ,and the cruel ,herods1 the types of ,antichrist1 were ,edomites4 ,edom's judgment is to be executed by ,israel4 ,this is to take place in a future day4 ,see ,obadiah's prophecy 7verses #ag-ba7 and 7,amos ix3#aa-ab74 ,yet judgment has long ago fallen upon ,edom1 as predicted in verse #ad4 ,what evidence that the words spoken by these prophets are the words of ,god1 supernatural in their origin and sure in their fulfilment6 ,we shall find some striking evidences in the predictions uttered by ,ezekiel against ,tyre and ,egypt4 ,there is a time coming when every prediction in the ,bible will be accomplished4 ,then the ,bible is gloriously vindicated and all its enemies will forever disappear4 ,,iv4 ,prophecy ,concerning the ,philistines4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because the ,philistines have dealt by revenge1 and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart1 to destroy it for the old hatred2 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will stretch out mine hand upon the ,philistines1 and ,i will cut off the ,cherethims1 and destroy the remnant of the sea-coast4 ,and ,i will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i shall lay my vengeance upon them 7verses #ae-ag74 ,another thus saith the ,lord4 ,the ,philistines dwelt on a narrow strip on the seashore and were the long continued enemies of the people ,israel4 ,jeremiah speaks of them 7chapter cxlvii74 ,see also ,amos i3#f-i2 ,joel iii3#d2 ,isa4 xiv3#bi-cb4 ,the vengeance of the ,lord fell upon the coast of ,palestina1 the ,philistines2 and they experienced the fury of the ,lord4 ,he dealt with them who had corrupted ,his people4 ,and so ,god will deal in due time with all ,his enemies4 ,,prophecies ,,concerning ,,tyrus4 ,chapter xxvi4 ,a lengthy prophecy concerning ,tyre is contained in this and the following chapters4 ,it is of much interest4 ,the divinely given predictions against that once powerful city have seen a literal fulfillment2 certain periods of ,tyre's downfall and overthrow are made known by the prophet4 ,history confirms all that is written here4 ,in subsequent chapters we find much information on the riches and the greatness of that ancient city1 while the description of the ,king of ,tyre1 which fits only the prince of this world1 ,satan1 who governed ,tyre's ,king1 is of intense interest and much importance4 ,here are also many spiritual lessons1 and a good deal which finds a ready application to present day world-conditions4 ,i4 ,the ,overthrow of ,tyrus ,announced4 ,and it came to pass in the eleventh year1 in the first day of the month1 that the word of the ,lord came unto me saying1 ,son of man1 because that ,tyrus hath said against ,jerusalem1 ,aha6 she is broken that was the gates of the people2 she is turned unto me2 ,i shall be replenished1 now she is laid waste3 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 ,o ,tyrus1 and will cause many nations to come up against thee1 as the sea causeth his waves to come up4 ,and they shall destroy the walls of ,tyrus1 and break down her towers2 ,i will also scrape her dust from her1 and make her like the top of a rock4 ,it shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea3 for ,i have spoken it1 saith the ,lord ,god3 and it shall become a spoil to the nations4 ,and her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will bring upon ,tyrus ,nebuchadnezzar king of ,babylon1 a king of kings1 from the north1 with horses1 and with chariots1 and with horsemen1 and companies1 and much people4 ,he shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field2 and he shall make a fort against thee1 and cast a mount against thee1 and lift up the buckler against thee4 ,and he shall set engines of war against thy walls1 and with his axes he shall break down thy towers4 ,by reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee3 thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen1 and of the wheels1 and of the chariots1 when he shall enter into thy gates1 as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach4 ,with the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets3 he shall slay thy people by the sword1 and thy strong garrisons shall do down to the ground4 ,and they shall make a spoil of thy riches1 and make a prey of thy merchandise2 and they shall break down thy walls1 and destroy thy pleasant houses2 and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water4 ,and ,i will cause the noise of thy songs to cease2 and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard4 ,and ,i will make thee like the top of a rock2 thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon2 thou shalt be built no more3 for ,i the ,lord have spoken it1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-ad74 ,the ,city of ,tyrus 7which means rock7 was partly built upon an island off the mainland in the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,it was an ancient ,phoenician city and is mentioned in ,scripture for the first time in ,joshua xix3#bi1 where it is called ,the strong city4 ,it had a wonderful commerce1 a description of which in its variety1 we find in the twenty-seventh chapter4 ,it was inhabited by seafaring men1 and the prophet ,isaiah describes this wealthy and influential city as the crowning city1 whose merchants are princes1 whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth 7,isaiah xxiii3#h74 ,we read in the next chapter how ,syria1 ,persia1 ,egypt1 ,spain1 ,greece and every quarter of the ancient world laid their choicest and most precious things at the feet of ,tyre1 who sat enthroned on ,ivory1 covered with blue and purple from the isles of ,elishah4 ,her beauty was perfect 7,ez4 xxvii3#aa74 ,during the reign of ,david and ,solomon1 ,tyre came into great prominence1 playing an important role in the commercial1 political and religious history of ,israel4 ,hiram1 ,king of ,tyrus sent cedar trees to ,jerusalem1 as well as workmen1 who built ,david a house 7#b ,sam4 v3#aa74 ,how ,tyrus aided in the construction of the temple and the palace under ,solomon's reign1 may be learned by consulting the following passages3 #a ,kings v3#a-ab2 vii3#ac-ad2 #a ,chronicles xiv3#a2 #b ,chronicles ii3#c1 #aa4 ,when the ships of ,solomon sailed away to ,ophir1 ,hiram sent in the navy his servants1 ship-men that had knowledge of the sea1 with the servants of ,solomon1 and they came to ,ophir1 and fetched from thence gold1 four hundred and twenty talents1 and brought it to ,king ,solomon 7#a ,kings ix3#bg-bh74 ,the ,tyrians were great voyagers1 the masters of the sea1 and founded colonies1 among them ,carthage4 ,israel's close relations with ,tyrus continued probably for centuries4 ,the wicked wife of ,king ,ahab1 ,jezebel1 was the daughter of ,ethbaal1 ,king of ,tyre4 ,she fostered successfully the vile ,phoenician idolatry among ,israel4 ,tyre also sent messengers to ,king ,zedekiah1 probably to form an alliance against the approaching ,babylonian conqueror 7,jere4 xxvii3#c74 ,she was a proud1 luxurious and wicked city1 which defied ,god4 ,she sinned against ,jerusalem and the people ,israel4 ,joel and ,amos speak of her sins 7,joel iii3#d-f2 ,amos i3#i-aj7 and announced her judgment4 ,so did the prophet ,isaiah 7chapter xxiii7 and ,jeremiah 7xlvii3#d74 ,ezekiel gives us the completest description of this city1 her resources1 her luxuries and far reaching influence1 her ,king under ,satanic control and also the details of her judgment4 ,in the third verse of our chapter we read the divine announcement of ,tyre's fate4 ,behold ,i am against thee1 ,o ,tyrus1 and will cause many nations to come up against thee1 as the sea causes its waves to come up4 ,and they shall destroy the walls of ,tyrus1 and break down her towers2 ,i will also scrape her dust from her1 and make her like the top of a rock4 ,it was to become a place for the spreading of nets and a spoil to the nations4 ,this great judgment was not all at once carried out4 ,nebuchadnezzar came first against her as predicted in verses #g-aa4 ,he besieged the ,tyre on the mainland and after thirteen years took the city2 while that part of ,tyrus which was built upon the island in the sea1 protected by the fleet of ,tyrus1 escaped4 ,then came for her seventy years when she was forgotten1 as predicted by ,isaiah 7xxiii3#ae74 ,after these years had passed ,tyrus saw a startling revival4 ,the island city became more powerful and wicked than before1 she committed fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth 7,is4 xxiii3#ag74 ,the continental ,tyrus1 however1 remained in ruins4 ,centuries passed and it seemed as if ,ezekiel's prophecy concerning ,tyre's complete overthrow would remain unfulfilled4 ,it was about #bdj years after when the literal fulfillment of this prophecy was accomplished4 ,alexander the ,great came against the city built on the island4 ,after seven months the city was taken by means of a mole1 by which the forces of ,alexander could enter the city4 ,in constructing this mole1 ,alexander made use of the ruins of the old city4 ,the stones1 timber and the very dust of the destroyed city was laid into the sea to erect the causeway which accomplished the utter ruin of the wealthy city4 ,and thus ,ezekiel's prophecy was fulfilled4 ,and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water4 ,the complete end of ,tyrus had come4 ,and thou shalt be no more1 though thou be sought for1 yet shalt thou never be found again 7verse #ba74 ,so completely was the work done by ,alexander1 depositing the debris of the ruins of ,tyrus on the mainland into the sea1 that its exact site will remain undeterminable4 ,and ,alexander the ,great fulfilled still another prophecy4 ,before he came on his mission1 directed by ,god1 to make an end of the proud and wicked city1 ,zechariah1 the great post-exilic prophet1 had once more announced the fate of ,tyrus4 ,and ,tyrus1 said the ,lord through ,zechariah1 did build herself a stronghold1 and heaped up silver as the dust1 and fine gold as the ruin of the sheets4 ,this was after ,nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the ,tyrus on the mainland and she became the great island city4 ,thus1 said ,zechariah1 behold1 the ,lord will cast her out1 and ,he will smite her power in the sea1 and she shall be devoured with fire 7,zech4 ix3#c-d74 ,alexander did this2 he laid proud ,tyrus in ashes4 ,what an evidence that all these words are the ,word of ,god6 ,god looks to the fulfillment of all ,he revealed to ,his prophets4 ,it may appear often as if visions were in vain and prophecies remain unaccomplished4 ,god does not need to be in a hurry2 ,he can afford to take ,his time4 ,but finally every prophecy contained in the ,holy ,scriptures will be fulfilled4 ,proud and boasting1 like ,tyrus1 are the great nations of our age4 ,wealth and luxuries are seen on all sides and with it moral evil and every form of wickedness4 ,judgment is surely in store for the nations that forget ,god4 ,as we know from the book of ,revelation this present age will culminate in the formation of ,babylon the ,great4 ,much in ,revelation xviii reminds us of ,tyrus in this chapter of ,ezekiel and the next chapter4 ,,ii4 ,the ,effect of ,tyre's ,fall and the ,lamentation4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god to ,tyrus2 shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall1 when the wounded cry1 when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee8 ,then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones1 and lay away their robes1 and put off their broidered garments3 they shall clothe themselves with trembling2 they shall sit upon the ground1 and shall tremble at every moment1 and be astonished at thee4 ,and they shall take up a lamentation for thee1 and say to thee1 ,how art thou destroyed1 that wast inhabited of seafaring men1 the renowned city1 which wast strong in the sea1 she and her inhabitants1 which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it6 ,now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall2 yea1 the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,when ,i shall make thee a desolate city1 like the cities that are not inhabited2 when ,i shall bring up the deep upon thee1 and great waters shall cover thee4 ,when ,i shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit1 with the people of old time1 and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth1 in places desolate of old1 with them that go down to the pit1 that thou be not inhabited2 and ,i shall set glory in the land of the living2 ,i will make thee a terror1 and thou shalt be no more2 though thou be sought for1 yet shalt thou never be found again1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ae-ba74 ,the isles and the princes of the sea were deeply affected by her fall and overthrow4 ,the princes came down from their thrones and laid away their robes and trembled at every moment4 ,the lamentation they took up is on account of the destruction of the renowned city4 ,in ,revelation xviii we have a similar lament over the final ,babylon1 the end in judgment of a godless1 materialistic civilization4 7,see ,rev4 xviii3#i-ai74 ,verses #ai-bj give a description of the descent of ,tyre into the pit4 ,when ,i shall make thee desolate1 like the cities that are not inhabited2 when ,i shall bring up the deep unto thee1 and great waters shall cover thee2 when ,i shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit1 with the people of old time1 and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth1 in places desolate of old1 with them that go down to the pit1 that thou be not inhabited2 and ,i shall set glory in the land of the living4 ,the last sentence1 which is a promise of glory1 can only refer to the coming glory of the earthly ,zion1 the glory in store for ,israel4 ,boasting1 proud ,tyrus is laid in the dust2 her site completely blotted out4 ,other nations who hate ,israel and continue in the wickedness of those ancient nations will also be broken to pieces1 but ,zion has a future of glory4 ,when the time of the judgment of the nations comes ,god will set glory in ,israel's land through the coming of the ,king of ,glory4 ,we have already pointed out the literal and startling fulfilment of the last verse of this chapter4 ,,glorious ,,tyrus ,,and ,,her ,,fall4 ,chapter xxvii4 ,the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,now1 thou son of man1 take up a lamentation for ,tyrus4 ,it is an interesting description of the world-wide commerce and glory of this once-proud world-city1 which is given in this chapter4 ,sic transit gloria mundi--thus passeth the glory of the world2 nothing but ruins instead of the wicked mistress of the sea2 yea1 her very site is no longer known4 ,and what her glory was and how it passed away under divine displeasure is made known through the inspired prophet4 ,ezekiel certainly never saw ,tyrus1 nor did he have probably any knowledge of her grandeur1 her great wealth and far-reaching commerce4 ,but he was ,jehovah's mouthpiece who put into his lips and pen all these words4 ,i4 ,the ,glory of ,tyrus4 ,the word of the ,lord came again unto me1 saying1 ,now1 thou ,son of man1 take up a lamentation for ,tyrus4 ,and say unto ,tyrus1 ,o thou that art situate at the entry of the sea1 which art a merchant of the people for many isles1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,o ,tyrus1 thou hast said1 ,i am of perfect beauty4 ,thy borders are in the midst of the seas1 thy builders have perfected thy beauty4 ,they have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of ,senir3 they have taken cedars from ,lebanon to make masts for thee4 ,of the oaks of ,bashan have they made thine oars2 the company of the ,ashurites have made thy benches of ivory1 brought out of the isles of ,chittim4 ,fine linen with broidered work from ,egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail2 blue and purple from the isles of ,elisha was that which covered thee4 ,the inhabitants of ,zidon and ,arvad were thy mariners3 thy wise men1 ,o ,tyrus1 that were in thee1 were thy pilots4 ,the ancients of ,gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers2 all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise4 ,they of ,persia and of ,lud and of ,phut were in thine army1 thy men of war3 they hanged the shield and helmet in thee1 they set forth thy comeliness4 ,the men of ,arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about1 and the ,gammadims were in thy towers3 they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about2 they have made thy beauty perfect 7verses #c-ae74 ,the great city had her situation at the entry of the sea and was the trader for the people of many isles4 ,lifted up with pride1 the powerful city boasted of perfect beauty4 ,o ,tyrus1 thou has said1 ,i am of perfect beauty4 ,beginning with the fourth verse1 we have a description of her as a monster ship4 ,the borders in the midst of the seas1 the builders perfecting her beauty4 ,the shipboards1 the masts and the oars from the oaks of ,bashan are mentioned4 ,the ,ashurites made benches of ivory for this ship2 the ivory was brought from the isles of ,chittim 7,cyprus1 etc474 ,fine linen and broidered work from ,egypt she spread for sail4 ,the inhabitants of ,zidon and ,arvad were the sailors and her wise men pilots4 ,it is all in the form of an allegory4 ,tyrus also had an army gathered from different nations4 ,tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches2 with silver1 iron1 tin1 and lead1 they traded in thy fairs4 ,javan1 ,tubal1 and ,meshech1 they were thy merchants3 they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market4 ,they of the house of ,togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules4 ,the men of ,dedan were thy merchants2 many isles were the merchandise of thine hand3 they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony4 ,syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making3 they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds1 purple1 and broidered work1 and fine linen1 and coral1 and agate4 ,judah1 and the land of ,israel1 they were thy merchants3 they traded in thy market wheat of ,minnith1 and ,pannag1 and honey1 and oil1 and balm4 ,damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making for the multitude of all riches2 in the wine of ,helbon1 and white wool4 ,dan also and ,javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs3 bright iron1 cassia1 and calamus1 were in thy market4 ,dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots4 ,arabia1 and all the princes of ,kedar1 they occupied with thee in lambs1 and rams1 and goats3 in these were they thy merchants4 ,the merchandise of ,sheba and ,raamah1 they were thy merchants3 they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices1 and with all precious stones1 and gold4 ,haran1 and ,canneh1 and ,eden1 the merchants of ,sheba1 ,asshur1 and ,chilmad1 were thy merchants4 ,these were thy merchants in all sorts of things1 in blue clothes1 and broidered work1 and in chests of rich apparel1 bound with cords1 and made of cedar1 among thy merchandise4 ,the ships of ,tarshish did sing of thee in thy market3 and thou wast replenished1 and made very glorious in the midst of the seas 7verses #af-be74 ,the commerce of ,tyrus is next vividly described4 ,the description begins with ,tarshish1 then of great renown1 and ends with mentioning the ships of ,tarshish4 ,and what are the articles of commerce mentioned8 ,silver1 iron1 tin1 lead1 slaves1 vessels of brass1 horses and mules4 ,then there were horns of ivory and ebony2 emeralds1 purple and broidered work1 fine linen1 coral and agate4 ,wheat of ,minni and ,pannag1 honey1 oil and balm2 wine of ,helbon and white wool4 ,then follow other articles of commerce3 bright iron1 cassia1 calamus and precious cloths for chariots4 ,they also traded in live stock3 lambs and rams1 and goats1 besides spices1 precious stones1 gold chests of rich apparel1 etc4 ,thus she was replenished and made glorious in the midst of the seas4 ,another world-city or system is described in the last book of the ,bible1 ,babylon the great2 the articles of her world-wide commerce are also given 7,rev4 xviii3#ab-ac72 it is much like the commerce of ancient ,tyrus4 ,tyrus is a picture of a great world-city3 rich1 increased in goods1 enjoying prosperity and filled with pride4 ,as she passed away with all her glory1 so others have crumbled into dust4 ,equally so will this present ,godless civilization1 culminating in ,babylon the great1 pass away under the judgment-stroke of ,god 7,rev4 xviii3#ae-ai74 ,,ii4 ,the ,description of the ,fall of ,tyrus4 ,thy rowers have brought thee into great waters3 the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas4 ,thy riches1 and thy fairs1 thy merchandise1 thy mariners1 and thy pilots1 thy calkers1 and the occupiers of thy merchandise1 and all thy men of war1 that are in thee1 and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee1 shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin4 ,the suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots4 ,and all that handle the oar1 the mariners1 and all the pilots of the sea1 shall come down from their ships1 they shall stand upon the land2 ,and shall cause their voice to be heard against thee1 and shall cry bitterly1 and shall cast up dust upon their heads1 they shall wallow themselves in the ashes3 ,and they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee1 and gird them with sackcloth1 and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing4 ,and in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee1 and lament over thee1 saying4 ,what city is like ,tyrus1 like the destroyed in the midst of the sea8 ,when thy wares went forth out of the seas1 thou filledst many people2 thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise4 ,in the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fail4 ,all the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee1 and their kings shall be sore afraid1 they shall be troubled in their countenance4 ,the merchants among the people shall hiss at thee2 thou shalt be a terror1 and never shalt be any more 7verses #bf-cj74 ,the description of ,tyrus as a ship as given in the first part of this chapter is here maintained4 ,tyrus is to be shipwrecked4 ,the east wind is ,nebuchadnezzar1 who came against the proud city to accomplish part of her ruin2 and ,alexander the ,great1 as we saw in our previous study1 completed the work4 ,a comparison with ,revelation xviii will bring out the striking correspondency4 ,when finally ,babylon the great falls1 that coming religious-commercial world-system1 with ,rome as a center1 her fall and desolation1 will surely be greater than the fall of ,tyrus4 ,for this all is rapidly preparing4 ,,the ,,prince ,,of ,,tyrus4 ,chapter xxviii4 ,the greater part of this chapter is also devoted to ,tyrus4 ,this concluding prophecy about ,tyrus is the most interesting4 ,it concerns the proud ruler of that city1 who is called ,prince and also ,king4 ,but this ruler as ,prince and ,king is typical of another and more sinister being as we learn from this chapter4 ,tyrus with its earthly glory1 wealth and pride1 as pointed out in the previous expositions1 is the type of the glory of the world1 the commercial glory and all connected with it1 and clearly foreshadows the final great commercial world-system1 ,babylon the ,great4 ,inasmuch then as ,tyrus foreshadows this1 its proud and wicked ,king is typical of the prince of this world1 the one who fell by pride and who is the ruler and god of this age4 ,as the prince of this world he showed to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ all the kingdoms of the world and their glory1 and offered all to the ,lord4 ,this sinister being and his coming masterpiece1 the ,antichrist1 who is to rule during the end of this age on the earth1 are foreshadowed in a striking way in the ruler of ,tyrus4 ,i4 ,the ,prince of ,tyrus1 his ,pride and his ,doom4 ,the word of the ,lord came again unto me1 saying3 ,son of man1 say unto the prince of ,tyrus1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because thine heart is lifted up1 and thou hast said1 ,i am a god1 ,i sit in the set of ,god1 in the midst of the seas1 yet thou art a man1 and not ,god1 though thou set thine heart as the heart of ,god3 ,behold thou art wiser than ,daniel2 there is no secret that they can hide from thee4 ,with thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches1 and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures4 ,by thy great wisdom and by thy traffic thou hast increased thy riches1 and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of ,god2 ,behold therefore1 ,i will bring strangers upon thee1 the terrible of the nations1 and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom1 and they shall defile thy brightness4 ,they shall bring thee down to the pit1 and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas4 ,wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee1 ,i am ,god8 but thou shalt be a man and no god1 in the hand of him that slayeth thee4 ,thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers2 for ,i have spoken it1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-aj47 ,the ,prince of ,tyrus who ruled in the days of ,ezekiel was1 according to the ,jewish historian ,josephus1 ,ithobalus1 called in the ,phoenecian annals ,ithobaal ,,ii4 ,the description of this character tells us that he was the consummation of the pride and wealth of ,tyrus2 the awful pride of that city was headed up in him4 ,his heart was so lifted up that he claimed to be a god and that he occupied the seat of ,god4 ,he also boasted of wisdom greater than the wisdom of ,daniel1 the captive in ,babylon4 ,by his cunning and wisdom1 as well as by traffic1 he had heaped up riches1 and because of these riches he became still more lifted up4 ,like the prosperous and wealthy king of ,babylon1 ,nebuchadnezzar1 who gloried in his achievements by saying1 ,is not this great ,babylon1 that ,i have built for the house of the ,kingdom by the might of my power1 and for the honor of my majesty 7,dan4 iv3#cj71 the ,prince of ,tyrus boasted in arrogant pride4 ,through the prophet1 his doom is announced4 ,the ,lord ,god reckons with him1 because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of ,god4 ,he would bring nations against him and his city1 and they shall bring thee down to the pit1 and thou shall die the deaths of them that are slain in the heart of the seas4 ,instead of having endless being as a god he would die a sudden and violent death4 ,he should die the death of the uncircumcised1 typifying vile and wicked men who are far away from ,god2 dying deaths1 which means a physical death and that which follows the wicked after death1 an eternal separation from ,god1 with conscious punishment4 ,the language used in describing the ,prince of ,tyrus is used elsewhere in the ,word of ,god to describe another one1 who is yet to come4 ,we mean the personal ,antichrist1 the man of sin4 ,the marks of this coming one1 ,satan's great counterfeit and masterpiece1 are always pride1 self-exaltation4 ,daniel describes him in the following words3 ,and the ,king shall do according to his will2 and he shall exalt himself1 and magnify himself above every god1 and shall speak marvelous things against the ,god of gods#ah 7,dan4 xi3#cf74 ,in the ,new ,testament the coming ,antichrist is pictured as follows3 ,who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called ,god or that is worshipped2 so that he as ,god sitteth in the temple of ,god1 showing himself that he is ,god 7#b ,thess4 ii3#d74 ,comparing these statements with what is said of the ,prince of ,tyrus we see at once the similarity4 ,the political head of the final form of the times of the ,gentiles1 the ten ,kingdom ,empires1 the ,roman ,empire revived1 is described in very much the same way4 ,the man that made the earth to tremble1 that did shake the ,kingdoms 7,isaiah xiv3#af7 said in his heart1 ,i will ascend into heaven1 ,i will exalt my throne above the stars of ,god 444 ,i will be like the ,most ,high 7,is4 xiv3#ac-ad74 ,here is the same characteristic1 a ,god-defying pride4 ,this has led many expositors to call both of these persons1 the wicked actors during the end of the age1 the ,antichrist4 ,but the one is the head of the ,roman ,empire1 the ,prince that shall come2 the other is the ,antichrist1 the beast out of the earth 7,rev4 xiii3#aa74 ,both work together under ,satan's control and are energized by ,satan1 therefore they manifest the same characteristics4 ,it is evident that the ruler of ,tyrus as ,prince foreshadows the coming ,antichrist1 and we have to see next the significance that the ruler of ,tyrus is addressed as ,king and the one who stands behind him4 #ah ,it is well to state here that ,daniel mentions ,antichrist but once in his prophecies1 in chapter xi3#cf1 etc4 ,the little horn in ,dan4 vii is the head of the revived ,roman ,empire2 the little horn in ,dan4 viii was ,antiochus ,epiphanus1 the type of the ,king of the ,north who will invade the pleasant land1 ,palestine1 during the time of the great tribulation4 ,,ii4 ,the ,lamentations over the ,king of ,tyrus4 ,moreover the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 take up a lamentation upon the king of ,tyrus1 and say unto him1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,thou sealest up the sum1 full of wisdom1 and perfect in beauty4 ,thou hast been in ,eden the garden of ,god2 every precious stone was thy covering1 the sardius1 topaz1 and the diamond1 the beryl1 the onyx1 and the jasper1 the sapphire1 the emerald1 and the carbuncle1 and gold3 the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created4 ,thou art the anointed cherub that covereth2 and ,i have set thee so2 thou was upon the holy mountain of ,god2 thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire4 ,thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created1 till iniquity was found in thee4 ,by the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence1 and thou hast sinned3 therefore ,i will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of ,god3 and ,i will destroy thee1 ,o covering cherub1 from the midst of the stones of fire4 ,thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty1 thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness3 ,i will cast thee to the ground1 ,i will lay thee before kings1 that they may behold thee4 ,thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities1 by the iniquity of thy traffick2 therefore will ,i bring forth a fire from the midst of thee1 it shall devour thee1 and ,i will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee4 ,all they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee3 thou shalt be a terror1 and never shalt thou be any more 7verses #aa-ai74 ,the ,prince and the ,king are identical1 and not different persons as some say4 ,but what is said now of the ruler of ,tyrus as king could never be said of a mere human being4 ,hardly any of the descriptions given in these verses can be applied to the heathen ,king of ,tyrus4 ,the description fits another being1 the person who was originally the greatest and most beautiful creature of ,god1 but has become a fallen creature and the enemy of ,god4 ,in one word1 it is ,satan in his original greatness and in his fall who is revealed in connection with the ,king of ,tyrus4 ,satan was the power behind the throne of the ,tyrian ,king1 as ,satan is still the god of this age who controls the kingdoms of the world4 ,inasmuch1 then1 as ,tyrus is a type of the commercial glory of the world1 its wealth and pride1 foreshadowing the final great world-city or world-system1 ,babylon1 the ruler of ,tyrus1 spoken of as ,prince1 foreshadows the ,antichrist1 while as ,king1 ,satan himself stands behind him as the domineering power4 ,the descriptions given of ,satan as an unfallen being1 show that he was originally a marvelous being1 full of wisdom and perfect in beauty4 ,from ,jude's epistle we learn that even ,michael still recognized in him the grandeur of his unfallen past and did not bring a railing accusation against him 7,jude verses #h-aj74 ,he was in ,eden1 the garden of ,god1 and every precious stone was his covering4 ,it is a description of ,satan's original place and of his great beauty4 ,furthermore1 he was the anointed cherub that covereth2 the ,lord had set him to be this4 ,as the anointed1 divinely chosen cherub he held an exalted position in connection with the government of the throne of ,god4#ai ,everything shows that this majestic creature possessed a place of great dignity1 being upon the holy mountain of ,god1 walking up and down in the midst of the stones of fire1 he was ever present and moving about in the fiery glory of a holy and righteous ,god4 ,thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created till unrighteousness was found in thee4 ,surely the first part of this verse could never apply to the ,king of ,tyrus nor to any other human2 it is a picture of the unfallen glorious creature of ,god4 ,but unrighteousness was found in him4 ,he sinned1 and as a result divine sentence is pronounced upon him4 ,yet this sentence in verse #af is not yet executed4 ,he is not yet cast out in the fullest sense1 nor bruised completely1 nor is he in the lake of fire4 ,all this is future4 ,god in ,his all-wise purpose delays the complete execution of this judgment4 ,but the day will come when he1 who walked once in the presence of the glory of ,god1 in the midst of the stones of fire1 will be cast into the lake of fire1 his eternal abode4 ,what was his sin8 ,thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty2 thou has corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness4 ,he became puffed up1 lifted up with pride 7#a ,tim4 iii3#f7 on account of his own beauty and brightness4 ,there can be no question1 but the person so closely linked with the ,king of ,tyrus is ,satan4 ,the passage contains one of the most interesting revelations we have in the ,bible on the person and dignity of that fallen being4 ,verses #ah and #ai show that the ,king is in view and the fate of his city ,tyrus3 ,i have turned thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee4 #ai ,for a detailed and excellent exposition of this passage see the book on ,satan1 by ,f4 ,c4 ,jennings1 pp4 #dc-dh4 ,,iii4 ,a ,prophecy ,concerning ,zidon4 ,again the word of the ,lord came unto me saying3 ,son of man1 set thy face against ,zidon1 and prophesy against it4 ,and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 ,o ,zidon2 and ,i will be glorified in the midst of thee3 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i shall have executed judgments in her1 and shall be sanctified in her4 ,for ,i will send into her pestilence1 and blood into her streets2 and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,and there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of ,israel1 nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them1 that despiseth them2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord ,god4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,when ,i shall have gathered the house of ,israel from the people among whom they are scattered1 and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen1 then shall they dwell in their land that ,i have given to my servant ,jacob4 ,and they shall dwell safely therein1 and shall build houses1 and plant vineyards2 yea1 they shall dwell with confidence1 when ,i have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #bj-bf74 ,zidon 7or ,sidon7 was situated twenty miles north of ,tyrus4 ,like ,tyrus she was built offshore on island rocks4 ,for many years ,zidon was even more prominent and prosperous than ,tyrus4 ,she was burnt after a revolt against ,artaxerxes ,ochus1 #cea ,b4 ,c41 but later rebuilt4 ,see its mention in the ,new ,testament in ,mark iii3#h1 vii3#bd4 ,jehovah announces that ,he would execute judgments in ,zidon and thus be glorified and sanctified in her4 ,when a holy ,god deals in judgments with sin1 with individuals and nations1 ,he maintains thereby ,his holy character4 ,he is light in whom there is no darkness at all and a consuming fire4 ,it has been said that there is no special transgression mentioned why ,zidon should be judged4 ,no doubt she was as proud as her sister city ,tyrus4 ,but verse #bd tells us the reason2 she was a pricking brier to the house of ,israel4 ,she sinned against her neighbor1 the people of ,god1 and for that judgment came on her4 ,and so can present-day nations not escape judgment for their sins against the ,jews4 ,the last two verses are a prophecy relating to ,israel's restoration4 ,needless to say up to this time their restoration has not taken place4 ,the time is given when it will come1 when the ,lord executes judgment upon the nations4 ,when our ,lord comes again these judgments will fall4 ,and how near all this must be when we behold nations filling full the measure of their wickedness and the ,jews as a suffering people with faces turned towards their homeland4 ,,prophecies ,,concerning ,,egypt4 ,chapter xxix4 ,the predictions about ,tyrus and ,zidon are followed by the prophecies against ,egypt4 ,these prophecies are of even greater interest than those preceding4 ,first ,pharaoh and ,egypt are addressed2 the coming judgment and the desolation of the land is announced4 ,a restoration after forty years is promised when the captivity of ,egypt is to be brought again2 but the former glory will be departed and ,egypt's decline1 to be the basest of the kingdoms1 is predicted4 ,the ,king of ,babylon is announced as the conqueror of ,egypt 7chapter xxix74 ,in chapter xxx the destruction of ,egypt1 her people and her allies1 is vividly described2 at the close of this chapter the defeat of ,pharaoh by ,nebuchadnezzar is predicted4 ,in chapter xxxi the ,king of ,egypt is described as a mighty cedar2 its fall is foretold as well as the effect of ,pharaoh's fall among the nations4 ,chapter xxxii contains a lamentation over the ,king of ,egypt4 ,in the second half of this chapter1 the concluding section of these prophecies against ,egypt1 we find a solemn dirge over the doomed people4 ,the unseen regions are unveiled and those who enjoyed earthly honors and glory are seen in the place of dishonor1 misery and shame4 ,i4 ,the ,prediction of ,egypt's ,desolation4 ,in the tenth year1 in the tenth month1 in the twelfth day of the month1 the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 set thy face against ,pharaoh king of ,egypt1 and prophesy against him1 and against all ,egypt3 ,speak1 and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 ,pharaoh king of ,egypt1 the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers1 which hath said1 ,my river is mine own1 and ,i have made it for myself4 ,but ,i will put hooks in thy jaws1 and ,i will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales1 and ,i will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers1 and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales4 ,and ,i will leave thee thrown into the wilderness1 thee and all the fish of thy rivers3 thou shalt fall upon the open fields2 thou shalt not be brought together1 nor gathered3 ,i have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven4 ,and all the inhabitants of ,egypt shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 because they have been a staff of reed to the house of ,israel4 ,when they took hold of thee by thy hand1 thou didst break1 and rend all their shoulder3 and when they leaned upon thee1 thou brakest1 and madest all their loins to be at a stand4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will bring a sword upon thee1 and cut off man and beast out of thee4 ,and the land of ,egypt shall be desolate and waste2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord3 because he hath said1 ,the river is mine1 and ,i have made it4 ,behold1 therefore ,i am against thee1 and against thy rivers1 and ,i will make the land of ,egypt utterly waste and desolate1 from the tower of ,syene even unto the border of ,ethiopia4 ,no foot of man shall pass through it1 nor foot of beast shall pass through it1 neither shall it be inhabited forty years4 ,and ,i will make the land of ,egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate1 and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years3 and ,i will scatter the ,egyptians among the nations1 and will disperse them through the countries 7verses #a-ab74 ,the ,king of ,egypt addressed in this prophecy was ,pharaoh-,hophra1 called in ,greek1 ,apries4 ,he was the grandson of ,pharaoh-,necho who defeated ,king ,josiah at ,meggido 7#b ,chronicles xxxv3#bj-bg74 ,king ,zedekiah of ,judah expected help and relief from ,pharaoh-,hophra1 when ,jerusalem was besieged4 ,the ,egyptian army under ,hophra advanced through ,phoenicia and forced the ,chaldeans to raise the siege of ,jerusalem 7,jer4 xxxvii3#e-g74 ,but the relief was only temporary1 for the ,egyptian army had to retire4 ,the prophet ,jeremiah announced also the doom of ,hophra1 associating it with ,zedekiah's doom3 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,behold1 ,i will give ,pharaoh-,hophra1 ,king of ,egypt1 into the hands of his enemies1 and into the hand of them that seek his life2 as ,i gave ,zedekiah1 ,king of ,judah1 into the hand of ,nebuchadnezzar1 ,king of ,babylon1 his enemy1 and that sought his life 7,jer4 xliv3#cj74 ,here he is called the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers4 ,he boasts1 ,my river is mine own and ,i have made it for myself4 ,the river ,nile1 with its different branches is meant4 ,pharaoh is compared to a sea monster1 which probably means the crocodile1 worshipped by the ,egyptians2 it was symbolical of power and pride4#bj ,but the word dragon also reminds us of ,satan who is called twelve times in the ,book of ,revelation the dragon4 ,as we learned from the previous chapter1 behind the ,king of ,tyrus stood ,satan as master of the great city1 and the same being1 the dragon1 controlled also ,pharaoh-,hophra and the land of ,egypt4 ,the dragon was worshipped by many ancient nations and is still today the emblem of the ,chinese ,empire4 ,and the same ungodly self-exaltation which characterized ,tyrus and its king1 which led to its overthrow and judgment1 was shared by the ,king of ,egypt4 ,proud and blasphemous were his words that he had made the river for himself2 he defied ,god and refused to own his power4 ,therefore1 his judgment is announced which would not alone strike him but all the other inhabitants of the land and all who looked to ,egypt for help4 ,i will leave thee thrown into the wilderness1 thee and all the fish of thy rivers 7the people of the land72 thou shalt fall upon the open field2 thou shalt not be brought together nor gathered4 ,i have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven4 ,it is a striking allegory4 ,in verses #f and #g ,israel's sin is mentioned when the people of ,god turned to this wicked land for help1 the land where their forefathers had groaned and suffered such cruelty4 ,isaiah had solemnly warned against such an alliance 7,isaiah xxx3#f-g2 xxxi3#c7 and so had ,jeremiah 7,jer4 ii3#cf2 xxxvii3#g74 ,interesting it is to find that the same illustration of disaster for ,israel by trusting in ,egypt had been used by the ,assyrian officer in addressing ,hezekiah3 ,now1 behold1 thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed1 upon ,egypt1 on which1 if a man lean1 it will go into his hand1 and pierce it2 so is ,pharaoh1 ,king of ,egypt1 unto all that trust on him 7#b ,kings xviii3#ba74 ,and so it was4 ,egypt gave no help to ,israel and only wounded them grievously as a staff which breaks under the weight of him who leaneth upon it--breaks and pierces the hand4 ,whenever ,god's people turn to ,egypt 7the type of the world7 for help and form ungodly alliances they do so to their own hurt and shame4 #bj ,the crocodile was often used on ,egyptian seal-rings as well as on ,roman coins1 which pictured ,egypt as a monster crocodile4 ,then follows the explanation of the allegory and1 once more1 the reason of the coming desolation of ,egypt is stated1 because the proud ,king had said1 ,the river is mine1 and ,i have made it4 ,the entire land of ,egypt was to be wasted from one end to the other4 ,it was to become desolate and for the period of forty years it was not to be inhabited4 ,and ,i will make the land of ,egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate1 and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years1 and ,i will scatter the ,egyptians among the nations1 and will disperse them through the countries 7verse #ab74 ,but have these predictions been fulfilled8 ,did ,egypt pass through a period of forty years' desolation and did a restoration take place after the forty years8 ,critics claim that these predictions were never literally fulfilled and that ,nebuchadnezzar did not invade ,egypt during the reign of ,hophra4 ,they point to the historical evidence that ,amasis followed ,hophra as ,king of ,egypt1 and under his reign ,egypt was in a very flourishing condition4 ,the historian1 ,herodotus1 gives this information and it is fully confirmed by ,egyptian records on monuments4 ,but did the prophet ,ezekiel predict that ,egypt should be invaded by ,nebuchadnezzar during the reign of ,pharaoh-,hophra8 ,he predicts that ,nebuchadnezzar should conquer ,egypt1 but the critics have made a serious blunder by overlooking the date of the prophecy in which ,nebuchadnezzar's invasion is announced4 ,the chapter under our consideration begins with a definite date4 ,it was in the tenth year when he received the message concerning ,hophra2 but it was seventeen years later when ,nebuchadnezzar's invasion was predicted1 in the twenty-seventh year 7verse #ag74 ,hophra's doom and the desolation of ,egypt was first announced1 but the fulfillment came years later4 ,ezekiel does not state that ,hophra should be slain by ,nebuchadnezzar1 nor does ,jeremiah predict this 7,jeremiah xliv3#cj74 ,hophra was dethroned by ,amasis and later slain4 ,,ii4 ,egypt's ,restoration and ,future as a ,kingdom4 ,yet thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,at the end of forty years will ,i gather the ,egyptians from the people whither they were scattered3 and ,i will bring again the captivity of ,egypt1 and will cause them to return into the land of ,pathros1 into the land of their habitation2 and they shall be there a base kingdom4 ,it shall be the basest of the kingdoms1 neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations3 for ,i will diminish them1 that they shall no more rule over the nations4 ,and it shall be no more the confidence of the house of ,israel1 which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance1 when they shall look after them3 but they shall know that ,i am the ,lord ,god 7verses #ac-af74 ,the future of ,egypt after its desolation of forty years is revealed in this paragraph4 ,nebuchadnezzar's conquest of ,egypt follows in the next paragraph4 ,the forty years of desolation1 during which the ,egyptians were dispersed in different countries are difficult to locate historically4 ,some apply them altogether to the future4 ,b4 ,w4 ,newton1 in his ,babylon and ,egypt1 claims that all this will be accomplished in the future4 ,we quote his words3 ,it will be fearfully smitten2 and for forty years after the ,millennium has commenced1 it will be utterly desolate4 ,no foot of man shall pass through it1 nor foot of beast shall pass through it1 neither shall it be inhabited forty years 7,ezekiel xxix3#aa74 ,but1 finally1 it shall be revived1 and together with ,israel and ,assyria shall receive that wondrous blessing which the concluding verses of the nineteenth of ,isaiah describe4#ba ,that ,egypt will have a future of blessing no careful student of the prophetic ,word will deny4 ,isaiah xix shows its future history1 both in judgment and in blessing4 ,yet the prediction of ,ezekiel that ,egypt after the forty years of desolation should be the basest of all kingdoms and shall have no more rule1 but be in a diminished condition1 excludes the application of this prophecy to the coming ,millennium4 ,egypt had such a period of forty years' devastation1 though the exact history of it may not be known to us4 ,prophecy is not learned by historical events1 but history is revealed in prophecy4 ,we believe prophecies1 not because history has measured up to them1 but we believe them because they are the inerrant ,word of ,god4 ,after ,egypt's sorrowful forty years' experience and dispersion1 this proud country went into a steady decline1 and the ,word of ,god was literally fulfilled when it became the basest of kingdoms1 so that ,israel put confidence no longer in ,egypt4 ,after ,nebuchadnezzar's raid1 ,egypt declined and sank lower still under the ,persians and the ,ptolemies1 until she became the granary of ,rome4 ,and this degradation has continued throughout the centuries of this age so that ,egypt is literally the basest of the kingdoms4#bb ,that she will play her part in the future at the close of our age we learn from ,daniel's prophecy 7,dan4 xi3#cf-de74 ,egypt will rise into prominence ere long in connection with the present day world conflict4 #ba ,babylon and ,egypt1 page #aib4 #bb ,wonders of ,prophecy1 by ,j4 ,urquhart1 gives valuable evidence on the literal fulfillment of ,ezekiel's prophecy4 ,,iii4 ,the ,conquest of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,and it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year1 in the first month1 in the first day of the month1 the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 ,nebuchadnezzar king of ,babylon caused his army to serve a great service against ,tyrus3 every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled3 yet he had no wages1 nor his army1 for ,tyrus1 for the service that he had served against it4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will give the land of ,egypt unto ,nebuchadnezzar king of ,babylon2 and he shall take her multitude1 and take her spoil1 and take her prey2 and it shall be the wages for his army4 ,i have given him the land of ,egypt for his labor wherewith he served against it1 because they wrought for me1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,in that day will ,i cause the horn of the house of ,israel to bud forth1 and ,i will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ag-ba74 ,as already stated1 this prophecy is dated seventeen years after the general prediction of ,egypt's judgment4 ,that ,nebuchadnezzar invaded ,egypt after he came against ,tyrus is mentioned by ,josephus the ,jewish historian and also by an ,assyrian inscription which gives the record of this campaign as having taken place in the thirty-seventh year of the reign of ,nebuchadnezzar4#bc ,nothing is said of desolation and captivity in this later prophecy concerning ,egypt's conquest4 ,critics claim that ,ezekiel had made a mistake in his former prediction4 ,we quote from the ,new ,century ,bible3 ,ezekiel evidently saw that his former prophecy was mistaken1 and he now expected the defeat1 though not necessarily the utter destruction1 of ,egypt4 ,the difference in detail is noticeable between these verses and the prophecy on ,egypt seventeen years earlier4 ,but ,ezekiel was not mistaken4 ,there was no need of repeating the predicted desolation of ,egypt2 ,nebuchadnezzar executed the work of judgment4 ,he suffered1 evidently1 disappointment in the siege of ,tyrus1 the immense wealth of that city he could not touch4 ,and1 as he did not get wages from ,tyrus1 nor for his great army1 the ,lord1 whose instrument in judgment the ,king of ,babylon was1 gave him ,egypt4 ,here ,nebuchadnezzar found great spoil and vast treasures1 which1 according to divine appointment1 were the wages for his army4 ,when this took place1 there came an unrecorded revival in ,israel and the prophet gave his message in the midst of them4 #bc ,nebuchadnezzar's name is given by ,ezekiel as ,nebuchadrezzar4 ,both spellings were in vogue4 ,ezekiel spells the name with r and ,jeremiah uses both spellings throughout his book4 ,,egypt',s ,,future ,,desolation4 ,chapter xxx4 ,the destruction of ,egypt and her allies is now revealed to the prophet4 ,it is a remarkable prophecy for the predictions concerning the humiliation and desolation of ,egypt1 the once powerful nation of culture1 have found a most interesting fulfillment4 ,the leading cities of ,egypt are mentioned1 which have long ago been wasted and their magnificent temples have crumbled into dust4 ,in the second half of this chapter the ,king of ,babylon as the executioner of the decrees of ,god is seen4 ,the sword of judgment was put into ,nebuchadnezzar's hand by ,god1 so that he might stretch it out upon the land of ,egypt4 ,i4 ,the ,desolation of ,egypt and her ,allies4 ,the word of the ,lord came again unto me saying3 ,son of man prophesy and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,howl ye1 alas for the day6 ,for the day is near1 even the day of the ,lord is near1 a cloudy day2 it shall be the time of the heathen4 ,and the sword shall come upon ,egypt1 and great pain shall be in ,ethiopia1 when the slain shall fall in ,egypt1 and they shall take away her multitude1 and her foundations shall be broken down4 ,ethiopia1 and ,libya1 and ,lydia1 and all the mingled people1 and ,chub1 and the men of the land that is in league1 shall fall with them by the sword4 ,thus saith the ,lord2 ,they also that uphold ,egypt shall fall2 and the pride of her power shall come down3 from the tower of ,syene shall they fall in it by the sword1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate1 and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted4 ,and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i have set a fire in ,egypt1 and when all her helpers shall be destroyed4 ,in that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless ,ethiopians afraid1 and great pain shall come upon them1 as in the day of ,egypt3 for1 lo1 it cometh4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,i will also make the multitude of ,egypt to cease by the hand of ,nebuchadrezzar1 king of ,babylon4 ,he and his people with him1 the terrible of the nations1 shall be brought to destroy the land3 and they shall draw their swords against ,egypt1 and fill the land with the slain4 ,and ,i will make the rivers dry1 and sell the land into the hand of the wicked2 and ,i will make the land waste1 and all that is therein1 by the hand of strangers3 ,i the ,lord have spoken it 7verses #a-ac74 ,the prophet's first utterance is concerning the day4 ,howl ye6 ,alas for the day6 ,for the day is near1#bd even the day of the ,lord is near1 a cloudy day2 it shall be the time of the ,gentiles4 ,what day is this8 ,other prophets mention the day of ,jehovah as a day of judgment and wrath when the ,lord will deal in ,his righteousness with the nations of the earth4 ,see ,isaiah ii2 xiii3#f1 #i2 ,joel i3#ae2 ii3#a1 #aa2 iii3#ad2 ,amos v3#ah1 #bj2 ,obad4 #ae2 ,zeph4 i3#g1 #ad2 ,zech4 xiv3#a1 etc4 ,this day in its final meaning is the day on which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ will be visibly revealed from heaven4 ,it is mentioned in the ,new ,testament in #a ,thess4 v3#b2 #b ,thess4 ii3#b 7where day of ,christ should be rendered day of the ,lord7 and #b ,peter iii3#aj4 ,this day will bring man's day to a close and usher in a new age1 when righteousness shall reign as grace reigns now4 ,this day of coming judgment of all nations is seen also here in a prophetic perspective4 ,all previous judgments of nations as announced by ,god's prophets1 nations which sinned against ,israel the chosen people1 foreshadow the one great day1 when the times of the ,gentiles end in the revealed manner 7,dan4 ii3#cd2 vii3#aj-ad74 ,what came upon ,egypt in the past through divine judgment will happen to the ,gentile nations in the future at the close of our age1 when the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from heaven with ,his mighty angels1 in flaming fire1 taking vengeance on them that know not ,god1 and that obey not the ,gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7#b ,thess4 i3#g-h74 ,ever since the times of the ,gentiles began with ,nebuchadnezzar the divinely appointed head 7,jeremiah xxvii3#d-h7 this day of the ,lord has been drawing near1 till now with the stupendous present day events1 we can see this day rapidly approaching4 #bd ,this may also be rendered the day draweth near1 even the day of the ,lord draweth near4 ,the sword was to fall upon ,egypt as well as upon ,ethiopia1 ,libya and ,lydia 7,hebrew3 ,phut and ,lud1 see xxvii3#aj71 and all others who were in league with them4 ,her foundations were to be broken down and the pride of her power shall come down4 ,all this has come to pass and for many centuries the once powerful and proud ,egypt has thus been broken down4 ,from ,migdol to ,syene 7not from the tower of ,syene7 were they to fall by the sword of the ,lord4 ,verse #g shows the wide sweep of the judgment1 covering the surrounding countries4 ,and they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate1 and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted4 ,their desolation was to be a desolation in the midst of desolations4 ,it has come literally true4 ,the surrounding countries shared the desolation of the land itself4 ,she has been rightly called the land of ruins1 a vast burial place of the art1 architecture and glory of the past1 and her present towns 7except ,alexandria which cannot be reckoned among the ancient cities1 as it was unknown to the ,pharaohs7 are1 as it were1 dwellings among the tombs4 ,another remarkable prophecy is found in verse #ab3 ,and ,i will make the rivers dry1 and sell the land into the hand of the wicked1 and all that is therein1 by the hand of strangers4 ,i the ,lord have spoken it4 ,isaiah also predicted1 ,the waters shall fail from the sea and the river shall be wasted and become dry 7,isaiah xix3#e74 ,the rivers are evidently the many arms of the ,nile forming the ,delta4 ,this is the case today1 and has been so in past centuries1 and the arms of the ,nile1 instead of flowing in their original courses have become ill-smelling pools and marshes4 ,and so was the land sold into the hand of the wicked4 ,untold sufferings1 slavery1 outrages of many kinds has been the record of ,egypt in its past history4 ,,ii4 ,the ,destruction of the ,cities4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,i will also destroy the idols1 and ,i will cause their images to cease out of ,noph2 and there shall be no more a prince of the land of ,egypt2 and ,i will put a fear in the land of ,egypt4 ,and ,i will make ,pathros desolate1 and will set fire in ,zoan1 and will execute judgments in ,no4 ,and ,i will pour my fury upon ,sin1 the strength of ,egypt2 and ,i will cut off the multitude of ,no4 ,and ,i will set fire in ,egypt3 ,sin shall have great pain1 and ,no shall be rent asunder1 and ,noph shall have distresses daily4 ,the young men of ,aven and of ,phi-beseth shall fall by the sword2 and these cities shall go into captivity4 ,at ,tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened1 when ,i shall break there the yokes of ,egypt3 and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her3 as for her1 a cloud shall cover her1 and her daughters shall go into captivity4 ,thus will ,i execute judgments in ,egypt2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ac-ai74 ,their idols and images were to be destroyed so as to reveal their nothingness4 ,so it was many centuries before when ,israel was in the house of bondage and the power of ,god in judgment exposed the things which the ,egyptians worshipped4 ,noph1 which is mentioned in verse #ac1 is ,memphis4 ,memphis was the prominent seat of the worship of ,ptah and ,apis4 ,it was the great temple city1 founded by ,menes4 ,what has become of this marvellous city with its magnificent temple structures and carved1 colossal images and idols8 ,abd-ul-,latif1 an ,arab traveller1 who visited it in the thirteenth century1 says3 ,its ruins still offer to the eyes of the spectator a collection of wonderful works which confound the intellect1 and to describe which the most eloquent man would labor in vain4 ,the longer we look upon the scene1 the higher rises the admiration it inspires2 and every new glance that we cast upon the ruins reveals a new charm4 ,scarcely have they awakened a distinct idea in the soul of the spectator1 than a still more admirable idea suggests itself2 and just as you believe you have gained complete knowledge of them1 at that very moment the conviction forces itself on the mind1 that what you think you know is still very far from the truth4 ,but even the magnificent ruins1 the mute witnesses of a past glory1 are gone4 ,the very site of ,noph 7,memphis7 is now a matter of dispute4 ,only a few immense carved stones remain in the desert sand4 ,temples1 idols and images are forever gone4 ,the prophet ,ezekiel knew undoubtedly of the far-famed city1 its influence and power in the religious life of ,egypt4 ,how could he announce such utter ruin for that city unless the ,lord had revealed it to him and put ,his own words into his mouth8 ,what a great evidence prophecy is that the ,bible is the ,word of ,god6 ,no1 mentioned three times in verses #ad-af1 is ,thebes1 the ancient capital of ,egypt1 called by the ,greeks ,diospolis1 the ,city of ,jupiter4 ,no is also mentioned by ,nahum 7iii3#h74 ,her ruins bear witness of a past1 indescribable splendor4 ,the great ,temple of ,carnac was there4 ,an authority saith3 ,the ruins of the temple of ,carnac is the largest and most splendid ruin of which1 perhaps1 either ancient or modern times can boast4 ,all here is sublime1 all majestic4 ,with pain one tears oneself from ,thebes4 ,her monuments fix the traveller's eyes and fill his mind with vast ideas4 ,beholding colossal figures and stately obelisks which seem to surpass human powers4 ,what a city ,no1 ,thebes the capital1 must have been6 ,the ,lord alone could foretell that it should be rent asunder4 ,the ruins bear witness that ,god's message was faithfully delivered by ,ezekiel4 ,and so was fulfilled1 ,there shall be no more a prince out of the land of ,egypt4 ,no native prince has had complete rule over the land4 ,the other places mentioned are ,sin1 which is ,pelusium1 now completely buried in the sand4 ,aven is ,heliopolis1 the center of the worship of ,ba1 the god of the sun4 ,pi-beseth is ,bubastis1 where the sacred cats were mummied1 likewise a desolation now4 ,tehaphnehes or ,daphnis also passed through the judgment4 ,what a remarkable fulfillment of what the ,lord announced through ,his servant ,ezekiel6 ,may we here be reminded in our solemn times that the same omniscient ,lord1 who knows the end from the beginning1 has spoken concerning this age1 now closing in its predicted apostasy4 ,nations today steeped in bloodshed2 nations filled with covetousness and hatred2 an apostate professing ,christendom and the indifferent masses have written over against them the judgment-wrath of the coming ,king4 ,and ,he who fulfilled the words spoken through ,ezekiel will also fulfill every other prediction uttered by ,his ,holy prophets and apostles4 ,,iii4 ,the ,work of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,and it came to pass in the eleventh year1 in the first month1 in the seventh day of the month1 that the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 ,i have broken the arm of ,pharaoh king of ,egypt2 and1 lo1 it shall not be bound up to be healed1 to put a roller to bind it1 to make it strong to hold the sword4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,behold1 ,i am against ,pharaoh king of ,egypt1 and will break his arms1 the strong1 and that which was broken2 and ,i will cause the sword to fall out of his hand4 ,and ,i will scatter the ,egyptians among the nations1 and will disperse them through the countries4 ,and ,i will strengthen the arms of the king of ,babylon1 and put my sword in his hand2 but ,i will break ,pharaoh's arms1 and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly-wounded man4 ,but ,i will strengthen the arms of the king of ,babylon1 and the arms of ,pharaoh shall fall down2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i shall put my sword into the hand of the king of ,babylon1 and he shall stretch it out upon the land of ,egypt4 ,and ,i will scatter the ,egyptians among the nations1 and disperse them among the countries2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #bj-bf74 ,the arm of ,pharaoh1 ,king of ,egypt was to be broken completely4 ,no bandage would suffice to make it strong again to hold the sword4 ,it was a break beyond remedy4 ,jeremiah had received a similar message4 ,go up into ,gilead1 and take balm1 ,o virgin1 the daughter of ,egypt1 in vain shalt thou use many medicines1 for thou shalt not be cured 7,jere4 xlvi3#aa74 ,and ,jeremiah also announced that ,nebuchadnezzar should be used in carrying out the overthrow of ,egypt4 ,the word that the ,lord spake to ,jeremiah the prophet1 how ,nebuchadnezzar1 ,king of ,babylon1 should come and smite the land of ,egypt4 ,declare ye in ,egypt1 and publish in ,migdol1 and publish in ,noph and in ,tehaphnehes1 say ye1 ,stand fast and prepare thee1 for the sword shall devour round about thee 7,jere4 xlvi3#ac-ag74 ,nebuchadnezzar wielded the sword of the ,lord4 ,and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i shall put my sword into the hand of the ,king of ,babylon1 and he shall stretch it out upon the land of ,egypt4 ,the sovereign ,god had not only used the ,king of ,babylon to execute ,his judgments upon ,jerusalem1 but ,he had also given other lands into his hands and made him the head of the times of the ,gentiles1 typified in his great dream-image by the head of gold4 ,and now have ,i given all these lands into the hand of ,nebuchadnezzar1 the ,king of ,babylon my servant2 and the beasts of the field have ,i given him also to serve him4 ,and all nations shall serve him and his son and his son's son1 until the very time of his land come1 and then many nations and great ,kings shall serve themselves of him 7,jere4 xxvii3#e-g74 ,the times of the ,gentiles are still in force1 and when they end ,egypt will pass through another judgment to receive afterward the blessings promised through the prophet ,isaiah 7,is4 xix3#ah-be74 ,,pharaoh',s ,,greatness ,,and ,,his ,,overthrow4 ,chapter xxxi4 ,two more chapters speak of the downfall and judgment of ,egypt4 ,first1 the fall of ,pharaoh is described in a parable and then follows the lamentations1 a funeral dirge over ,pharaoh4 ,the message of the thirty-first chapter has three well defined parts4 ,the ,king of ,egypt1 like the ,assyrian of the past1 is pictured as a great cedar in ,lebanon4 ,then the fall of the tree is shown1 and finally the shaking of the nations on account of his fall4 ,,ii4 ,the ,greatness and ,glory of the ,king of ,egypt4 ,and it came to pass in the eleventh year1 in the third month1 in the first day of the month1 that the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 speak unto ,pharaoh king of ,egypt1 and to his multitude2 ,whom art thou like in thy greatness8 ,behold1 the ,assyrian was a cedar in ,lebanon with fair branches1 and with a shadowing shroud1 and of an high stature2 and his top was among the thick boughs4 ,the waters made him great1 the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants1 and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field4 ,therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field1 and his boughs were multiplied1 and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters1 when he shot forth4 ,all the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs1 and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young1 and under his shadow dwelt all great nations4 ,thus was he fair in his greatness1 in the length of his branches3 for his root was by great waters4 ,the cedars in the garden of ,god could not hide him3 the fir trees were not like his boughs1 and the chestnut trees were not like his branches2 nor any tree in the garden of ,god was like unto him in his beauty4 ,i have made him fair by the multitude of his branches3 so that all the trees of ,eden1 that were in the garden of ,god1 envied him 7verses #a-i74 ,the ,lord commands the prophet to ask a question of ,pharaoh and his multitude3 ,whom art thou like in thy greatness8 ,then the divine questioner answers and reveals the greatness and glory of ,pharaoh4 ,he uses the ,assyrian in his past greatness to describe ,pharaoh's greatness and glory4 ,some have applied the prophecy entirely to the ,assyrian1 as if ,ezekiel spoke concerning this northern power altogether4 ,but this is incorrect1 for the ,assyrian power was then no longer in existence1 and the last verse of this chapter shows that ,pharaoh is meant4 ,this ,pharaoh and his multitude1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verse #ah74 ,the description of the ,assyrian is given to show that ,pharaoh1 ,king of ,egypt1 is in greatness like the ,assyrian who had been dealt with in judgment by ,jehovah4 ,the ,assyrian1 once so powerful and proud1 is used as a solemn warning1 that the ,king of ,egypt would not be spared1 but suffer the same fate4 ,the ,cedar in ,lebanon is a picture of the greatness of the ,assyrian and ,pharaoh2 its height and wide-spreading branches2 its superior place among all the trees are used to symbolize both of them4 ,the ,cedar is a most majestic tree1 often reaching a great height2 the branches are thick and long1 spreading out horizontally from the enormous trunk4 ,the ,cedar is also employed as a type of the righteous and of ,israel4 ,the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree2 he shall grow like a cedar in ,lebanon 7,psalm xcii3#ab74 ,his branches shall spread 444 and his smell like ,lebanon 7,hos4 xiv3#f74 ,but here the cedar means human grandeur and national greatness1 full of arrogant pride and therefore doomed to be abased4 ,isaiah in his sublime prophecy on the coming day of the ,lord uses thus the cedars of ,lebanon3 ,for the day of the ,lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty1 and upon every one that is lifted up2 and he shall be brought low4 ,and upon all the cedars of ,lebanon that are high and lifted up1 and upon all the oaks of ,bashan 7,isa4 ii3#ab-ac74 ,of interest are the words in the sixth verse3 ,all the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs4 ,the same statement is made in the dream of ,nebuchadnezzar1 in which the ,king of ,babylon had seen a great tree1 and the fowls of heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof 7,dan4 iv3#ab74 ,and our ,lord spoke a parable of the mustard seed which became a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof 7,matt4 xiii3#cb74 ,the fowls mean peoples who associated with ,assyria1 ,egypt and the ,king of ,babylon1 while these powers became proud and lifted up4 ,the mustard tree in the parable of our ,lord represents the development of ,gentile-,christendom as an earthly institution and organization1 lifted up like a big tree1 and the birds which find shelter there are the symbols of the unclean1 the unsaved masses1 nominally professing ,christians4 ,and ,god who dealt with the ,assyrians1 with the ,king of ,egypt1 ,god1 who humbled ,nebuchadnezzar1 will yet deal in ,his coming great judgments with the ,gentile nations of today for their pride and wickedness1 as well as with ,christendom4 ,,ii4 ,the ,fall and ,desolation of the ,tree4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because thou hast lifted up thyself in height1 and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs1 and his heart is lifted up in his height2 ,i have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen2 he shall surely deal with him3 ,i have driven him out for his wickedness4 ,and strangers1 the terrible of the nations1 have cut him off1 and have left him3 upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen1 and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land2 and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow1 and have left him4 ,upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain1 and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches3 ,to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height1 neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs1 neither their trees stand up in their height1 all that drink water3 for they are all delivered unto death1 to the nether parts of the earth1 in the midst of the children of men1 with them that go down to the pit 7verses #aj-ad74 ,judgment came upon ,assyria and was also soon to fall upon ,egypt because they were lifted up and defied ,god4 ,because thou hast lifted up thyself in height1 and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs1 and his heart is lifted up in his height1 ,i have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations2 he shall surely deal with him2 ,i have driven him out for his wickedness4 ,behind these nations of the past stood1 as we saw in connection with the ,king of ,tyrus 7chap4 xxviii71 the dark shadow of the enemy of ,god4 ,he is still the master over the nations which act at the close of the times of the ,gentiles4 ,satan's crime is that he was and is lifted up with pride4 ,he fell because he said1 ,i will ascend into heaven1 ,i will exalt my throne above the stars of ,god 444 ,i will ascend above the heights of the clouds2 ,i will be like the most ,high 7,isa4 xiv3#ac-ad74 ,and this awful being1 the prince of this world1 the god of this age1 who domineers still over the kingdoms of this world1 till he is dethroned by the coming of the ,lord1 has led in the past and still leads nations into ruin and ripens them for divine judgment through pride and what goes with it1 defiance of ,god4 ,today our boasting1 proud1 lifted up and ,god-defiant age1 an age which rejects ,god's best1 the ,gospel of ,his ,son1 is rapidly approaching the threatened judgment1 a judgment far more severe than those which overtook ,assyria and ,egypt4 ,the one mentioned as the mighty one of the nations is ,nebuchadnezzar1 whom ,god used to bring judgment upon ,egypt1 as we learned from the previous chapters4 ,he was the golden head of the image which represents the times of the ,gentiles1 which may soon take on their final form1 the ten kingdoms in the revived ,roman ,empire 7,dan4 ii74 ,nebuchadnezzar also became lifted up and ,god humbled him for seven years1 as ,god will yet humble the nations of ,christendom4#be ,and the judgments of the past1 upon ,assyria and others is to be a warning to others to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height 7verse #ac74 ,but who among the nations is wise and heeds the warnings of ,god's holy ,word8 ,see also ,rom4 xi3#af-bd1 where ,christendom is warned not to boast and not to be high minded4 #be ,see ,exposition of ,daniel1 by ,a4 ,c4 ,g41 on ,dan4 iii-vi4 ,,iii4 ,the ,overthrow and the ,consternation among the ,nations as the result of ,egypt's fall4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,in the day when he went down to the grave ,i caused a mourning3 ,i covered the deep for him1 and ,i restrained the floods thereof1 and the great waters were stayed3 and ,i caused ,lebanon to mourn for him1 and all the trees of the field fainted for him4 ,i made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall1 when ,i cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit3 and all the trees of ,eden1 the choice and best of ,lebanon1 all that drink water1 shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth4 ,they also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword2 and they that were his arm1 that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen4 ,to whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of ,eden8 yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of ,eden unto the nether parts of the earth3 thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword4 ,this is ,pharaoh and all his multitude1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ae-ah74 ,the word hell1 mentioned several times in this paragraph does not mean the lake of fire1 the final and eternal abode of the wicked1 but the word is sheol1 the abode of the dead1 the unknown regions4 ,it does not mean the grave1 for which there is another word used in the ,hebrew4 ,the grave receives the bodies2 but the immaterial part of man1 that which has endless being1 goes to ,sheol1 a word which expresses the unseen and unknown4 ,to sheol the wicked and the nations who forget ,god have been turned 7,psalm ix3#ag7 to await their final doom as revealed in ,rev4 xx3#aa-ae4 ,the fate of ,assyria as well as of ,egypt inspired the surrounding nations with fear2 these nations are mentioned under the figure of trees1 and all the trees of the field mourned for him4 ,the nations shook with terror when the powerful world-power was stripped of all its greatness and passed away4 ,and when ,assyria came into sheol and also ,egypt1 they found other nations there4 ,these are mentioned by the term all the trees of ,eden1 the choice and best of ,lebanon1 all that drink water4 ,these terms are symbolical of human greatness1 glory and prosperity4 ,and these once powerful and prosperous nations were comforted to find that even ,pharaoh would share their fate and the fate of ,assyria4 ,it shows that the disembodied state in sheol is not an unconscious state1 but one of consciousness4 ,the next chapter1 the final one on ,egypt's judgment and fate will show us more of this4 ,,lamentation ,,over ,,pharaoh ,,and ,,the ,,funeral ,,dirge4 ,chapter xxxii4 ,the final prophecy of this section was given almost two years after the message of the previous chapter and about eighteen months after the fall of ,jerusalem4 ,first ,ezekiel is told to take up a lamentation for ,pharaoh and announce for the last time the work of judgment by the sword of the ,king of ,babylon4 ,after that follows another wail1 a solemn dirge1 over the ,egyptian multitudes which have passed into sheol4 ,it is a vivid description of sheol and those who have descended there4 ,this conclusive prophecy was uttered by the prophet a few days after the lamentation over ,pharaoh4 ,i4 ,the ,lamentation ,over ,pharaoh4 ,and it came to pass in the twelfth year1 in the twelfth month1 in the first day of the month1 that the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 take up a lamentation for ,pharaoh king of ,egypt1 and say unto him1 ,thou art like a young lion of the nations1 and thou art as a whale in the seas3 and thou camest forth with thy rivers1 and troubledst the waters with thy feet1 and fouldedst their rivers4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people2 and they shall bring thee up in my net4 ,then will ,i leave thee upon the land1 ,i will cast thee forth upon the open field1 and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee1 and ,i will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee4 ,and ,i will lay thy flesh upon the mountains1 and fill the valleys with thy height4 ,i will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest1 even to the mountains2 and the rivers shall be full of thee4 ,and when ,i shall put thee out1 ,i will cover the heaven1 and make the stars thereof dark2 ,i will cover the sun with a cloud1 and the moon shall not give her light4 ,all the bright lights of heaven will ,i make dark over thee1 and set darkness upon thy land1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,i will also vex the hearts of many people1 when ,i shall bring thy destruction among the nations1 into the countries which thou hast not known4 ,yea1 ,i will make many people amazed at thee1 and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee1 when ,i shall brandish my sword before them2 and they shall tremble at every moment1 every man for his own life1 in the day of thy fall 7verses #a-aj74 ,pharaoh is addressed as a young lion among the nations4 ,some have rendered it a lion of the nations is upon thee1 applying it to ,nebuchadnezzar2 but this is only a paraphrase and not warranted by the ,hebrew text4 ,he is also compared again to the dragon or crocodile4#bf 7,see xxix3#c74 ,what the crocodile does in the rivers and waters1 troubling them and stirring up the dirt1 fouling the rivers1 ,pharaoh had done among the nations4 ,and now his wicked doings would be arrested2 a net would be spread over him with a company of many peoples1 who would bring him out of his dominion like a crocodile taken out of the water4 ,he would be cast upon the open field1 and ,i will cause all the fowls of the heavens to settle upon thee and ,i will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee4 ,then the political destruction of the great land of ,egypt is to be fully accomplished1 here mentioned in symbolical terms1 such as the darkening of the stars1 the covering of the sun with a cloud and the withholding of the light from the moon4 ,but while all this has a primary meaning as to ,pharaoh and ,egypt1 these words of judgment also related to that which is yet1 and soon to come upon this earth4 ,egypt is the type of the world as it lieth in the wicked one4 #bf ,a whale in the seas is an incorrect translation4 ,nations to-day are doing what ,egypt did4 ,these nations1 the final actors of the times of the ,gentiles1 in their inhuman1 ,god and man defying actions1 will not be permitted to go on forever4 ,a day comes in which ,god will deal with them as ,he dealt with ,egypt of old4 ,when that day comes1 the day of ,jehovah1 their complete overthrow will take place as described so frequently in the prophetic ,word4 ,then the great judgment supper of ,god will take place1 when the fowls under heaven are called upon to gather together and feed upon the slain4 ,there is an interesting suggestion between verse #d of this chapter and ,revelation xix3#ag-ah4 ,the same is true when we compare verses #g-h with ,revelation viii3#ab4 ,then read ,isaiah xiii3#aj and ,amos viii3#i2 ,joel iii3#ae and ,matthew xxiv3#bi4 ,that day announced in these ,scriptures and others is rapidly approaching and will bring the complete overthrow of the domineering1 autocratic world-powers and the god of this age1 who controls them4 ,,ii4 ,the ,final ,announcement of the ,sword of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,the sword of the king of ,babylon shall come upon thee4 ,by the swords of the mighty will ,i cause thy multitude to fall1 the terrible of the nations1 all of them3 and they shall spoil the pomp of ,egypt1 and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed4 ,i will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters1 neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them4 ,then will ,i make their waters deep1 and cause their rivers to run like oil1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,when ,i shall make the land of ,egypt desolate1 and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full1 when ,i shall smite all them that dwell therein1 then shall they know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,this is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her3 the daughters of the nations shall lament her3 they shall lament for her1 even for ,egypt1 and for all her multitude1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #aa-af74 ,the sword of the ,lord to fall upon ,egypt was the ,king of ,babylon1 previously announced in chapters xxix and xxx4 ,at the close of the times of the ,gentiles the predicted judgment will not come upon nations through some other nation1 but the ,lord ,himself will appear and fight against the nations who are rebellious against ,god and against ,his anointed 7,ps4 ii74 ,the stone1 which ,nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream1 will fall and deal its destructive blow2 and that stone is the ,lord ,jesus ,christ in ,his personal ,coming4 ,then the pomp of ,egypt1 this present age with all its boasted progress and glory1 will pass away and the kingdom from above will be set up4 ,then shall they know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,it is not a spiritual knowledge1 or a knowledge unto salvation1 but a knowledge in the judgments which take place4 ,it is important to remark one point in this series of prophecies1 which commences with the judgment of ,jerusalem1 the centre of the former system of nations4 ,they are executed with the object of making them all know ,jehovah3 only in ,israel's case there is besides this1 the understanding and the special verification of prophecy4 ,see chapter xxiv3#bd-bg1 ,israel2 chapter xxv3#e1 #g1 #aa1 ,ammon and ,moab2 verses #ae-ag1 especial vengeance on the ,philistines2 chapter xxvi1 ,tyre2 chapter xxviii3#bb1 ,zidon2 chapter xxix3#ai1 ,egypt2 as also chapters xxx3#bf1 xxxii3#ae4 ,with respect to ,edom 7chap4 xxv3#ad71 it is only said that ,edom shall know the vengeance of ,jehovah by means of ,israel--a further proof that in certain respects this prophecy extends to the last days4 ,these prophecies1 then1 furnish us in general with the manifestation of ,jehovah's power1 so as to make ,him known to all by the judgments which ,he executed2 already partially realized in the conquests of ,nebuchadnezzar1 but to be fully accomplished by-and-by in favor of ,israel4#bg #bg ,even so the ,lord will yet be known to the nations of the earth by ,his judgments4 ,,iii4 ,the ,dirge and ,unveiling of the ,unseen ,world4 ,it came to pass also in the twelfth year1 in the fifteenth day of the month1 that the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 wail for the multitude of ,egypt1 and cast them down1 even her1 and the daughters of the famous nations1 unto the nether parts of the earth1 with them that go down into the pit4 ,whom dost thou pass in beauty8 go down1 and be thou laid with the uncircumcised4 ,they shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword3 she is delivered to the sword3 draw her and all her multitudes4 ,the strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell 7sheol7 with them that help him3 they are gone down1 they lie uncircumcised1 slain by the sword4 ,asshur is there and all her company3 his graves are about him3 all of them slain1 fallen by the sword3 ,whose graves are set in the sides of the pit1 and her company is round about her grave3 all of them slain1 fallen by the sword1 which caused terror in the land of the living4 ,there is ,elam and all her multitudes round about her grave1 all of them slain1 fallen by the sword1 which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth1 which caused their terror in the land of the living2 yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit4 ,they have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude3 her graves are round about him3 all of them uncircumcised1 slain by the sword3 though their terror was caused in the land of the living1 yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit3 he is put in the midst of them that be slain4 ,there is ,meshech1 ,tubal1 and all her multitude3 her graves are round about him3 all of them uncircumcised1 slain by the sword1 though they caused their terror in the land of the living4 ,and they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised1 which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war3 and they have laid their swords under their heads1 but their iniquities shall be upon their bones1 though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living4 ,yea1 thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised1 and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword4 ,there is ,edom1 her kings1 and all her princes1 which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword3 they shall lie with the uncircumcised1 and with them that go down to the pit4 ,there be the princes of the north1 all of them1 and all the ,zidonians1 which are gone down with the slain2 with their terror they are ashamed of their might3 and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by her sword1 and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit4 ,pharaoh shall see them1 and shall be comforted over all his multitude1 even ,pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,for ,i have caused my terror in the land of the living3 and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword1 even ,pharaoh and all his multitude1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ag-cb74 ,two weeks after the lamentation over ,pharaoh1 the prophet uttered this solemn and most impressive elegy over the multitude of ,egypt and the heathen nations who have gone into sheol4 ,it has been called a weird ,dantesque funeral-march over the whole heathen world2 but it is more than that4 ,we look here into sheol and see the nations gathered there1 stripped of their glory1 in deepest abasement and shame4 ,their bodies are in the pit1 the grave1 and their souls in sheol1 the unseen regions4 ,god's patience was exhausted with them1 the measure of their wickedness became full1 then judgments swept them off the earth and they passed away and descended into sheol4 ,and what irony there is connected with it6 ,whom dost thou surpass in beauty8 ,go down and be thou laid with the uncircumcised4 ,and as the ,king came there with his multitudes1 whom did they find there8 ,asshur1 that is ,assyria1 is mentioned first3 ,asshur is there and all her company4 ,she was a cruel1 pitiless1 destructive power1 and now she1 who once caused terror in the land of the living1 is helpless1 with all her power gone in the unseen world4 ,elam1 ,meshech1 ,tubal1 ,edom1 the princes of the ,north and the ,zidonians are named as being in existence there4 ,once great powers but now cut off2 they lie with the uncircumcised in weakness and disgrace4 ,while in chapter xxxi3#af the dead and gone nations were comforted over ,pharaoh who descended into sheol2 in this passage ,pharaoh1 who sees these nations1 now is himself comforted as he discovers his former enemies there4 ,a similar statement about sheol as a place of departed nations1 who are nevertheless conscious1 is found in the book of ,isaiah4 ,there the ,king of ,babylon is seen in his descent into sheol4 ,sheol from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming2 it stirreth up the dead for thee1 all the chieftains of the earth2 it hath raised up from their thrones all the ,kings of the nations4 ,all they shall speak and say unto thee1 ,art thou also become weak as we8 ,are thou become like unto us8 ,thy pomps are brought down to the grave1 and the noise of thy viols1 the worm is spread under thee1 and the worms over thee8 7,is4 xiv3#i-aa74 ,solemn words these are behind which stands the undeniable truth of a conscious and eternal existence of the human race4 ,but only the ,new ,testament ,scriptures give the full light upon the future state4 ,,ii4 ,,predictions ,,after ,,the ,,destruction ,,of ,,jerusalem4 ,chapter xxxiii-xlviii4 ,,commissions4 ,,jerusalem',s ,,fall ,,announced4 ,chapter xxxiii4 ,the previous chapter closed the predictions which were uttered by the ,prophet before the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and now we come to the second part of this prophetic book1 containing the predictions of ,ezekiel after the fall of ,jerusalem4 ,and these predictions unfold the great future of ,israel1 their restoration and national revival1 the spiritual blessings in store for them1 the invasion of their land by the last enemy1 ,gog and ,magog1 their complete overthrow1 and the deliverance of ,his people4 ,after that1 in the final nine chapters of this book1 the ,prophet records the vision of the coming and crowning glory of ,israel1 as they shall possess it when restored to their land4 ,here we learn how the departed glory will return and the ,prophet describes a great temple and its worship4 ,it is the millennial temple1 that coming1 earthly house to which the nations shall turn to worship the ,king4 ,then the name of ,jerusalem will be ,jehovah-shammah--the ,lord is there 7xlviii3#ce74 ,while the predictions uttered by ,ezekiel before the fall of ,jerusalem have mostly been fulfilled1 as we learned in our expositions1 the great prophecies which we follow now1 given after the fall of the city are still unfulfilled4 ,these predictions are of great importance and of deep interest1 for they give ,god's program for ,his chosen people1 how ,he will deal with them in ,his infinite grace and receive them nationally when the times of the ,gentiles are over and ,he comes again4 ,because these things are now so very near1 and we stand on the threshold of their fulfilment1 they are for us of double interest4 ,we shall therefore examine them more closely and also learn from present day events how all is now getting ready for the accomplishment of ,god's revealed purposes4 ,in the introductory chapter of this section1 ,ezekiel as the watchman is commissioned to warn the house of ,israel2 then the messenger came announcing the fall of ,jerusalem2 the prophet's lips were unsealed and he was no more dumb1 but uttered again the ,word of the ,lord4 ,i4 ,the ,commission to the ,watchman4 ,again the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 speak to the children of thy people1 and say unto them1 when ,i bring the sword upon a land1 if the people of the land take a man of their coasts1 and set him for their watchman3 ,if when he seeth the sword come upon the land1 he blow the trumpet1 and warn the people2 then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet1 and taketh not warning2 if the sword come1 and take him away1 his blood shall be upon his own head4 ,he heard the sound of the trumpet1 and took not warning2 his blood shall be upon him4 ,but he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul4 ,but if the watchman see the sword come1 and blow not the trumpet1 and the people be not warned2 if the sword come1 and take any person from among them1 he is taken away in his iniquity2 but his blood will ,i require at the watchman's hand4 ,so thou1 ,o son of man1 ,i have set thee a watchman unto the house of ,israel2 therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth1 and warn them from me4 ,when ,i say unto the wicked1 ,o wicked man1 thou shalt surely die2 if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way1 that wicked man shall die in his iniquity2 but his blood will ,i require at thine hand4 ,nevertheless1 if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it2 if he do not turn from his way1 he shall die in his iniquity2 but thou hast delivered thy soul 7verses #a-i74 ,the commission to ,ezekiel as watchman corresponds to the same commission as found in the first section of this book4 7,see chapters iii3#af-ba47 ,the watchman is to warn of impending danger by the blowing of the trumpet4 ,if the warning is unheeded1 the consequences rest upon the person who rejected the warning4 ,but he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul4 ,and if the watchman is not faithful in sounding the alarm and disaster overtakes some on account of it1 their blood will be required at the watchman's hand4 ,ezekiel was set as a watchman unto the house of ,israel4 ,he received the message from the ,lord and was to warn them4 ,the divine message was that the wicked should surely die1 and if the watchman neglected to deliver that message and warn the wicked he would die1 while his blood would be required from the hands of the watchman4 ,but if the wicked was warned and did not act upon the warning1 he would die2 the faithful watchman had delivered his own soul4 ,ezekiel was the faithful watchman while the false prophets did not deliver the message and perished with the ungodly4 ,how great then the responsibility of those who are called as watchmen6 ,and how few the faithful ones who deliver the divine warning to the unsaved6 ,,ii4 ,principles of ,divine ,justice ,announced4 ,therefore1 ,o thou son of man1 speak unto the house of ,israel2 ,thus ye speak1 saying1 ,if our transgressions and our sins be upon us1 and we pine away in them1 how should we then live8 ,say unto them1 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked2 but that the wicked turn from his way and live3 turn ye1 turn ye from your evil ways2 for why will ye die1 ,o house of ,israel8 ,therefore1 thou son of man1 say unto the children of thy people1 ,the righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression3 as for the wickedness of the wicked1 he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness2 neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth4 ,when ,i shall say to the righteous1 that he shall surely live2 if he trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity1 all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered3 but for his iniquity that he hath committed1 he shall die for it4 ,again1 when ,i say unto the wicked1 ,thou shalt surely die2 if he turn from his sin1 and do that which is lawful and right2 ,if the wicked restore the pledge1 give again that he had robbed1 walk in the statutes of life1 without committing iniquity2 he shall surely live1 he shall not die4 ,none of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him3 he hath done that which is lawful and right2 he shall surely live4 ,yet the children of thy people say1 ,the way of the ,lord is not equal3 but as for them1 their way is not equal4 ,when the righteous turneth from his righteousness1 and committeth iniquity1 he shall even die thereby4 ,but if the wicked turn from his wickedness1 and do that which is lawful and right1 he shall live thereby4 ,yet ye say1 ,the way of the ,lord is not equal4 ,o ye house of ,israel1 ,i will judge you every one after his ways 7verses #aj-bj74 ,the exiles knew that the just wrath of ,god rested upon them as a nation and that their sins were unforgiven4 ,therefore they asked ,if our transgressions and sins be upon us1 and we pine away in them1 how should we then live8 ,they also accused the ,lord of inconsistency by saying the way of the ,lord is not equal 7verse #bj2 see also xviii3#be1 #bi74 ,the answer ,jehovah sends them makes known the principles on which ,he will deal with them individually as a just ,god4 ,o ye house of ,israel1 ,i will judge you every one after his ways4 ,judgment rested upon them as a nation but the individual still could turn to the ,lord in repentance4 ,what a wonderful declaration it is which is recorded in verse eleven6 ,say unto them1 as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked2 but that the wicked turn from his way and live2 turn ye1 turn ye from your evil ways2 for why will ye die1 ,o house of ,israel8 ,what compassion and mercy6 ,as it was a day of judgment which had come upon them1 true repentance was the needed thing4 ,a past righteousness could not shield them from the judgment if sin had been committed4 ,as for the wickedness of the wicked1 he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness4 ,the wicked confessing and forsaking his sin would find mercy and forgiveness1 while those who were impenitent would surely die and not live4 ,none of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him2 he hath done that which is lawful and right2 he shall surely live4 ,and this gracious promise was given in anticipation of the work of the cross1 the redemption by the blood of ,christ1 by which ,god's righteousness is declared in passing thus over sins of ,old ,testament believers who turned to ,god 7,rom4 iii3#be74 ,the principles of ,divine justice are summed up in verses #ah and #ai3 ,when the righteous turneth from his righteousness1 and committeth iniquity1 he shall even die thereby4 ,but if the wicked turn from his wickedness1 and do that which is lawful and right1 he shall live thereby4 ,needless to say all this must be viewed as under the law-covenant4 ,but their complaint that the way of the ,lord is not equal was wrong2 it was their way which was not equal4 ,they were to be judged each according to what they had done4 ,,iii4 ,the ,news of ,jerusalem's ,fall4 ,the ,prophet's ,mouth ,opened4 ,and it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity1 in the tenth month1 in the fifth day of the month1 that one that had escaped out of ,jerusalem came unto me1 saying1 ,the city is smitten4 ,now the hand of the ,lord was upon me in the evening1 afore he that was escaped came2 and had opened my mouth1 until he came to me in the morning2 and my mouth was opened1 and ,i was no more dumb4 ,then the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 they that inhabit those wastes of the land of ,israel speak1 saying1 ,abraham was one1 and he inherited the land3 but we are many2 the land is given us for inheritance4 ,wherefore say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,ye eat with the blood1 and lift up your eyes toward your idols1 and shed blood2 and shall ye possess the land8 ,ye stand upon your sword1 ye work abomination1 and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife3 and shall ye possess the land8 ,say thou thus unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,as ,i live1 surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword1 and him that is in the open field will ,i give to the beasts to be devoured1 and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence4 ,for ,i will lay the land most desolate1 and the pomp of her strength shall cease2 and the mountains of ,israel shall be desolate1 that none shall pass through4 ,then shall they know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed 7verses #ba-bi74 ,at last the long threatened and predicted fall of ,jerusalem through ,nebuchadnezzar1 which had happened months before is announced to the exiles by one who had escaped4 ,the hand of the ,lord was then upon the ,prophet in the evening1 before the messenger had arrived1 and had opened his mouth4 ,in chapter xxiv3#bg the promise had been given that when he that escaped came1 the ,prophet should be no more dumb4 ,in that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped1 and then thou shalt speak1 and be no more dumb1 and thou shalt be a sign unto them2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,this dumbness does not mean that his mouth was silent and did not utter a word1 for he prophesied in chapters xxv-xxxii4 ,he was to be dumb as regards ,israel and his testimony to his people2 the intervening chapters1 before the messenger came concerns other nations4 ,and now the messenger had arrived1 his mouth is opened again to prophesy concerning ,israel4 ,it seems the hand of the ,lord was upon ,ezekiel from the evening to the morning when the messenger announced the city is smitten4 ,the words recorded in the first part of this chapter are undoubtedly the prophet's evening discourse1 and form an introduction to this section4 ,he is told to rebuke those that inhabit the waste places in the land of ,israel4 ,this is the remnant left in the land by ,nebuchadnezzar1 to whom the king of ,babylon gave ,geddaliah as ruler 7#b ,kings xxv3#bb74 ,in spite of the great judgment which had come upon ,jerusalem and upon the land1 this remnant1 which remained in the land1 was unbroken and exhibited a strange self-confidence4 ,they reasoned in this wise3 ,abraham was one and he inherited the land2 but we are many2 the land is given us for inheritance4 ,but they lacked the faith and righteousness of ,abraham1 and the ,lord uncovers now their false claims and pretensions by showing their moral character4 ,their hearts were hardened2 they lived on in their wicked1 vile and idolatrous ways4 ,and shall ye possess the land8 asks ,jehovah4 ,and ,he answers1 ,as ,i live1 surely they that are in the waste places shall fall by the sword1 and him that is in the open field will ,i give to the beasts to be devoured1 and they that be in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence4 ,,iv4 ,hearers of the ,words of the ,prophet1 and ,not ,doers4 ,also1 thou son of man1 the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses1 and speak one to another1 every one to his brother1 saying1 ,come1 ,i pray you1 and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the ,lord4 ,and they come unto thee as the people cometh1 and they sit before thee as my people1 and they hear thy words1 but they will not do them3 for with their mouth they shew much love1 but their heart goeth after their covetousness4 ,and1 lo1 thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice1 and can play well on an instrument3 for they hear thy words1 but they do them not4 ,and when this cometh to pass 7lo1 it will come71 then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them 7verses #cj-cc74 ,how deplorable was their condition1 listening to the ,prophet's words1 saying one to the other1 ,come1 ,i pray you1 what is the word that cometh forth from the ,lord4 ,they took before the ,prophet the position as ,god's people1 professing it with their mouths1 listening to all the ,prophet said and yet refused obedience4 ,with their mouth they showed much love1 they spoke nice and pleasant words1 but their hearts continued in the evil ways4 ,as the ,septuagint version paraphrases it1 because a lie is in their mouth4 ,they were hearers of the words1 but not doers4 ,and such is to-day the sad condition of ,christendom4 ,what the ,prophet had announced was coming to pass and when it came they would find out that a ,prophet had been among them4 ,and even so to-day4 ,the mass of professing ,christians listen to the ,word of ,god4 ,they remain indifferent4 ,their hearts and consciences are not touched4 ,but ere long they1 too1 will find out that a ,prophet hath been among them and that the ,word they rejected and refused to obey will condemn them4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,shepherds4 ,chapter xxxiv4 ,this chapter contains the first great prophecy given to ,ezekiel after the fall of ,jerusalem had been announced4 ,it is a message of comfort and concerns the glorious future of the nation in coming days1 when the true shepherd of ,israel will appear in their midst4 ,here we find the majestic ,i will of the ,lord1 that blessed word of the grace-covenant of a sovereign ,god4 ,it tells us what ,jehovah in infinite mercy will do for ,his scattered and bleeding people1 ,his own flock1 the people who are still beloved for the fathers' sakes 7,rom4 xi3#bh74 ,how ,he will gather ,his scattered sheep1 bring them back from their wanderings among the nations1 save them1 feed them1 heal and restore them1 give them the true shepherd and make a covenant of peace with ,his people is now blessedly made known4 ,we shall see that none of these gracious promises was fulfilled in the return of the remnant from ,babylon1 nor have these promises been accomplished since then4 ,it all awaits the coming of their ,shepherd-,king1 the true ,david1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the chapter begins with a description of the sheep of ,israel in their sad and deplorable condition and an indictment of the false shepherds4 ,i4 ,the ,false ,shepherds of ,israel4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 prophesy against the shepherds of ,israel1 prophesy1 and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god unto the shepherds2 ,woe be to the shepherds of ,israel that do feed themselves6 should not the shepherds feed the flocks8 ,ye eat the fat1 and ye clothe you with the wool1 ye kill them that are fed3 but ye feed not the flock4 ,the diseased have ye not strengthened1 neither have ye healed that which was sick1 neither have ye bound up that which was broken1 neither have ye brought again that which was driven away1 neither have ye sought that which was lost2 but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them4 ,and they were scattered1 because there is no shepherd2 and they became meat to all the beasts of the field1 when they were scattered4 ,my sheep wandered through all the mountains1 and upon every high hill2 yea1 my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth1 and none did search or seek after them 7verses #a-f74 ,the shepherds of ,israel were the kings and princes who ruled over the nation and had authority over them4 ,the prophet ,jeremiah also received a similar message against these evil shepherds who had spoiled the flock4 ,woe be unto the pastors 7shepherds7 that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture6 saith the ,lord4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel against the pastors that feed my people2 ye have scattered my flock1 and driven them away1 and have not visited them2 behold ,i will visit upon you the evil of your doings1 saith the ,lord 7,jere4 xxiii3 #a-b74 ,shepherds are called to feed the flock2 but these shepherds of ,israel fed themselves4 ,they were responsible for the deplorable condition of the flock4 ,they ruled them with force and cruelty4 ,there was no strengthening for those diseased1 no healing for the sick1 no recovery of them who were lost and driven away4 ,utterly selfish1 they cared not for the sheep of ,his pasture2 they neither feared ,god nor loved ,his people4 ,they looked upon the people not as the flock of ,god1 but only as their own to spoil1 misuse and domineer over4 ,therefore1 ,they were scattered1 because there is no shepherd2 and they became meat for all the beasts of the field1 where they were scattered4 ,my sheep wandered through all the mountains1 and upon every high hill2 yea my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth1 and none did search or seek after them 7verses #e-f74 ,such was the sad condition of the people ,israel4 ,and when the ,lord ,jesus appeared in their midst to seek the lost sheep of the house of ,israel1 ,he found them as sheep without a shepherd and ,he had compassion upon them 7,mark vi3#cd74 ,but they rejected ,him and the ,shepherd was smitten4 ,zechariah's prophecy was fulfilled4 ,awake1 ,o sword1 against my ,shepherd1 and against the man that is my fellow1 saith the ,lord of hosts4 ,smite the ,shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered1 and ,i will turn mine hand upon the little ones 7,zech4 xiii3#g74 ,the false shepherds1 the ,pharisees and the ,sadducees1 were a curse to the people and the leaders were against the ,shepherd4 ,they delivered ,him into the hands of the ,gentiles4 ,and now for nearly #b1jjj years the sheep have been scattered and peeled1 wandering among the nations of the earth 7,luke xxi3#bd74 ,what is their hope and coming blessing we learn from this great prophecy4#bh #bh ,what is said in this chapter of the false shepherds who ill-treated the flock of ,god1 ,his ancient people1 may also be applied to the false shepherds1 the hirelings in the professing church4 ,see ,acts xx3#bh-ce and #a ,peter v3#b-c4 ,,ii4 ,the ,false ,shepherds ,convicted and ,set ,aside4 ,therefore1 ye shepherds1 hear the word of the ,lord2 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 surely because my flock became a prey1 and my flock became meat to every beast of the field1 because there was no shepherd1 neither did my shepherds search for my flock1 but the shepherds fed themselves1 and fed not my flock2 ,therefore1 ,o ye shepherds1 hear the word of the ,lord2 thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i am against the shepherds2 and ,i will require my flock at their hand1 and cause them to cease from feeding the flock2 neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more2 for ,i will deliver my flock from their mouth1 that they may not be meat for them 7verses #g-aj74 ,jehovah addresses the shepherds and condemns their wicked oppression of ,his own sheep4 ,he remembers in mercy ,his flock which has been torn as a prey by their leaders1 who acted like the wild beasts of the field4 ,he requires now the flock from their hands and sets the false shepherds aside and announces that ,he will deliver ,his sheep4 ,for ,i will deliver my flock from their mouth1 that they may not be meat for them4 ,the rest of the chapter shows ,his deliverance and what the ,lord will do for ,his people ,israel4 ,,iii4 ,the ,deliverance of ,his ,flock4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,behold1 ,i1 even ,i1 will both search my sheep1 and seek them out4 ,as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered2 so will ,i seek out my sheep1 and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day4 ,and ,i will bring them out from the people1 and gather them from the countries1 and will bring them to their own land1 and feed them upon the mountains of ,israel by the rivers1 and in all the inhabited places of the country4 ,i will feed them in a good pasture1 and upon the high mountains of ,israel shall their fold be3 there shall they lie in a good fold1 and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of ,israel4 ,i will feed my flock1 and ,i will cause them to lie down1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,i will seek that which was lost1 and bring again that which was driven away1 and will bind up that which was broken1 and will strengthen that which was sick2 but ,i will destroy the fat and the strong2 ,i will feed them with judgment4 ,and as for you1 ,o my flock1 thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i judge between cattle and cattle1 between the rams and the he goats4 ,seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture1 but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures8 and to have drunk of the deep waters1 but ye must foul the residue with your feet8 ,and as for my flock1 they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet2 and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet 7verses #aa-ai74 ,behold1 ,i myself1 even ,i1 will search for my sheep and will seek them out4 ,jehovah arises in behalf of ,his scattered sheep4 ,he will ,himself exercise the office of a true shepherd1 seeking out ,his flock4 ,the cloudy and dark day 7the times of the ,gentiles7 is gone and another morning breaks1 the morning for which ,his people have waited so long4 ,what ,he will do at that time for ,his scattered sheep is now fully proclaimed4 ,i will bring them out from the people1 and gather them from the countries1 and will bring them to their own land1 and feed them upon the mountains of ,israel by the rivers1 and in all the inhabited places of the country4 ,i will feed them in a good pasture1 and upon the high mountains of ,israel shall their fold be2 there shall they lie down in a good fold1 and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of ,israel4 ,i will feed my flock1 and ,i will cause them to lie down1 saith the ,lord4 ,and all this has not yet come to pass4 ,some apply these words to the restoration of a remnant from the ,babylonian captivity and see no future fulfillment of these promises4 ,it is evident that the returning remnant did not possess these blessings4 ,others make a spiritual application and claim that it means the church and the blessing which ,gentiles will receive as the sheep of ,christ4 ,this is the common path which most commentators follow4 ,it needs no lengthy refutation1 for ,ezekiel1 nor the other prophets know nothing of the church and the other sheep1 ,gentiles saved by grace and with believing ,jews constituting the one flock 7,john x3#af2 ,ephesians iii3#a-f74 ,this is unrevealed in the ,old ,testament4 ,these gracious words of promise have not yet been fulfilled1 nor will they be fulfilled as long as the church1 the body of ,christ is being gathered out from all nations4 ,all must wait till ,god's purpose in this age is accomplished4 ,when the church is complete as to its elect number1 when the ,lord has come for ,his saints and the true church has passed from earth into glory1 then will the ,lord turn in mercy to ,his people ,israel and these promises given by ,ezekiel will be fulfilled4 ,but ,jehovah will also feed them in that coming day of blessing with judgment4 ,i will seek that which was lost1 and bring again that which was driven away1 and will bind up that which was broken1 and will strengthen that which was sick2 but ,i will destroy the fat and the strong2 ,i will feed them with judgment4 ,the fat and the strong are the apostates of ,israel4 ,he will deal with the flock in judgment4 ,before ,he occupies the throne of ,his glory1 when ,he separates the assembled nations as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats1 ,he will judge ,his people ,israel4 ,and as for you1 my flock1 thus saith the ,lord ,god1 ,behold ,i judge between cattle and cattle1 between the rams and the he goats4 ,the unbelieving1 apostate part of ,israel will be cut off by the judgments of the great tribulation1 but a ,god-fearing remnant will be saved4 ,to this remnant the promises will be made good4 ,and ,i will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither ,i have driven them1 and will bring them again to their folds1 and they shall be fruitful and increase 7,jere4 xxiii3#c74 ,with this remnant ,he will make an everlasting covenant4 ,and ,i will make an everlasting covenant with them1 that ,i will not turn away from them1 to do them good2 but ,i will put my fear in their hearts1 that they shall not depart from ,me4 ,yea1 ,i will rejoice over them to do them good1 and ,i will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul 7,jere4 xxxii3#dj1 #da74 ,,iv4 ,the ,one ,shepherd and the ,covenant of ,peace4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god unto them2 ,behold1 ,i1 even ,i1 will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle4 ,because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder1 and pushed all the diseased with your horns1 till ye have scattered them abroad2 therefore will ,i save my flock1 and they shall no more be a prey2 and ,i will judge between cattle and cattle4 ,and ,i will set up one shepherd over them1 and he shall feed them1 even my servant ,david2 he shall feed them1 and he shall be their shepherd4 ,and ,i the ,lord will be their ,god1 and my servant ,david a prince among them2 ,i the ,lord have spoken it4 ,and ,i will make with them a covenant of peace1 and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land3 and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness1 and sleep in the woods4 ,and ,i will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing2 and ,i will cause the shower to come down in his season2 there shall be showers of blessing4 ,and the tree of the field shall yield her fruit1 and the earth shall yield her increase1 and they shall be safe in their land1 and shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i have broken the banks of their yoke1 and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them4 ,and they shall no more be a prey to the heathen1 neither shall the beast of the land devour them2 but they shall dwell safely1 and none shall make them afraid4 ,and ,i will raise up for them a plant of renown1 and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land1 neither bear the shame of the heathen any more4 ,thus shall they know that ,i the ,lord their ,god am with them1 and that they1 even the house of ,israel1 are my people1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and ye my flock1 the flock of my pasture1 are men1 and ,i am your ,god1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #bj-ca74 ,we reach the climax in the final section of this chapter4 ,he through whom all this will be accomplished is now mentioned by the prophet4 ,and ,i will set up one ,shepherd over them1 and ,he shall feed them1 even my servant ,david2 he shall feed them1 and he shall be their shepherd4 ,and ,i the ,lord will be their ,god1 and my servant ,david a prince among them2 ,i the ,lord have spoken it4 ,some have applied this to ,zerubbabel1 the head of ,judah at the return from the ,babylonish captivity2 this is done by those who deny a future restoration of ,israel4 ,others take these words in a strictly literal sense and teach that ,david the ,king will become the head of the nation once more and raised from the dead will be the one shepherd over ,his people4 ,it is not ,david1 but ,he who is according to the flesh the ,son of ,david and ,david's ,lord as well4 ,the one ,shepherd can only be the ,messiah4 ,numerous passages show that ,david's name is used in a typical sense4 ,jeremiah announced1 ,they shall serve the ,lord their ,god1 and ,david their ,king1 whom ,i will raise up unto them 7,jere4 xxx3#aj74 ,here ,david stands typically for ,christ1 the ,messiah of ,israel1 for ,he is raised up unto them when ,jacob's trouble is ended 7verses #a-g74 ,of ,him ,jeremiah speaks more fully in chapter xxiii3#e-f3 ,behold1 the days come1 saith the ,lord1 that ,i will raise unto ,david a righteous ,branch1 and a ,king shall reign and prosper1 and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth4 ,in ,his days ,judah shall be saved1 and ,israel shall dwell safely2 and this is the name whereby ,he shall be called1 the ,lord our ,righteousness4 ,the two1 ,judah and ,israel1 will be reunited by the one ,shepherd4 ,the ,messiah of ,israel is also mentioned by ,hosea as ,david4 ,afterward shall the children of ,israel return1 and seek the ,lord their ,god1 and ,david their ,king and shall fear the ,lord and ,his goodness in the latter days 7,hosea iii3#e74 ,isaiah speaks of the sure mercies of ,david and adds1 ,behold ,i have given ,him for a witness to the people1 a leader 7prince7 and commander to the people4 ,it is therefore not ,david1 raised from the dead1 but the ,prince of ,peace1 who was here once to seek the lost sheep of the house of ,israel and who comes again to save the remnant of ,his people ,israel and to receive the ,throne of ,david 7,isaiah ix3#f-g74 ,when the ,lord is doing all what is promised here and the remnant has accepted the long rejected ,messiah-,king1 a covenant of peace and blessing will follow4 ,and ,i will make with them a covenant of peace1 and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land1 and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness1 and sleep in the woods4 ,peace will come to the land and to the whole earth with ,his ,coming4 ,the evil beasts1 the ,gentile world powers 7,dan4 vii7 will no longer devastate the land4 ,all will be peace and safety so that they can sleep peacefully in the woods4 ,there shall be showers of blessing 7verse #bf74 ,how often a hymn is sung based upon this promise3 ,there shall be showers of blessing1 ,this is the promise of love4 ,but how few who sing it know that the promise belongs first of all to ,israel4 ,when the ,lord comes the showers of blessing will be poured forth upon ,his people and upon all nations4 ,it will be the times of refreshing 7,acts iii3#bj74 ,verses #bg and #bh give a brief description of the millennial ,kingdom4 ,groaning creation will then be delivered and the wild beasts will have their nature changed 7compare verse #bh with ,isaiah xi3#f-i and ,rom4 viii3#ai-bb74 ,there is no need to speculate on the meaning of the plant of renown which will be raised up4 ,it is none other than ,he1 who1 as to ,his humiliation1 is described as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground 7,isaiah liii3#b74 ,but now ,he appears in all ,his glory and becomes the plant of renown4 ,their shame and suffering will then be over4 ,he will be their ,god and they will be ,his people4 ,,the ,,judgment ,,of ,,mount ,,seir ,,and ,,what ,,follows4 ,chapter xxxv4 ,this is another judgment message1 which is closely related to the coming restoration of ,israel4 ,when the ,lord is merciful to ,his people and bestows upon them the promised blessings ,he will also deal with their enemies in judgment4 ,edom was the most bitter enemy of ,israel1 their blood-relation4 ,the judgment threatened here was executed upon ,edom2 but it has a prophetic meaning of the judgment which is in store for the enemies of ,god's people when the times of the ,gentiles end and ,god arises in behalf of ,his suffering and persecuted people4 ,i4 ,the ,judgment of ,mount ,seir4 ,moreover the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 set thy face against mount ,seir1 and prophesy against it1 ,and say unto it1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,o mount ,seir1 ,i am against thee1 and ,i will stretch out mine hand against thee1 and ,i will make thee most desolate4 ,i will lay thy cities waste1 and thou shalt be desolate1 and thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,because thou hast had a perpetual hatred1 and hast shed the blood of the children of ,israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity1 in the time that their iniquity had an end3 ,therefore1 as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i will prepare thee unto blood1 and blood shall pursue thee3 since thou hast not hated blood1 even blood shall pursue thee4 ,thus will ,i make mount ,seir most desolate1 and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth4 ,and ,i will fill his mountains with his slain men2 in thy hills1 and in thy valleys1 and in all thy rivers1 shall they fall that are slain with the sword4 ,i will make thee perpetual desolations1 and thy cities shall not return3 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,because thou hast said1 ,these two nations and these two countries shall be mine1 and we will possess it2 whereas the ,lord was there3 ,therefore1 as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i will even do according to thine anger1 and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them2 and ,i will make myself known among them1 when ,i have judged thee4 ,and thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord1 and that ,i have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of ,israel1 saying1 ,they are laid desolate1 they are given us to consume4 ,thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me1 and have multiplied your words against me3 ,i have heard them 7verses #a-ac74 ,mount ,seir is mentioned for the first time in ,genesis xxxvi3#i1 as the dwelling place of the ,edomites4 ,seir means shaggy1 an allusion to the rugged character of ,idumea4 ,the ,edomites and ,israelites were descendants of ,abraham2 ,edom from ,esau and ,israel from ,jacob4 ,god told ,israel not to forget their relationship to the descendants of ,esau4 ,but the ,edomites hated ,israel4 ,beautiful were the words which ,moses addressed to ,edom1 when he sent messengers from ,kadesh4 ,thus saith thy brother ,israel1 thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us1 how our fathers went down to ,egypt and dwelt in ,egypt a long time2 and the ,egyptians evil entreated us1 and our fathers2 and when we cried unto the ,lord1 ,he heard our voice1 and sent an angel1 and brought us forth out of ,egypt1 and behold we are in ,kadesh1 a city in the uttermost of thy border2 let us pass1 ,i pray thee through thy land 7,numbers xx3#ad-ag74 ,the ,edomites rejected this loving word and forced the ,israelites to take another way4 ,more than once did they attack from their mountains the people ,israel and slew them4 ,he did pursue his brother with the sword1 and did cast off all pity1 and his anger did tear perpetually1 and he kept his wrath forever 7,amos i3#aa74 ,most scathing is ,edom's arraignment through the prophet ,obadiah4 ,for thy violence against thy brother ,jacob shame shall cover thee1 and thou shalt be cut off forever4 ,in the day that thou stoodest on the other side1 in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces1 and foreigners entered into his gates1 and cast lots upon ,jerusalem1 even thou wast one of them4 ,but thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger2 neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of ,judah in the day of their destruction2 neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress 7,obad4 verses #i-ad74 ,theirs was a perpetual hatred as ,god speaks here through ,ezekiel4 ,judgment is therefore announced1 a judgment which should make their land desolate and extinguish them as a nation4 ,i will make thee most desolate4 ,i will lay thy cities waste1 and thou shalt be desolate4 ,thus will ,i make mount ,seir most desolate4 ,i will make thee perpetual desolation1 and thy cities shall not return4 ,they were a proud1 a boasting people1 defying ,god and hating ,his chosen people4 ,thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me1 and have multiplied your words against me2 ,i have heard them4 ,and this threatened judgment has fallen upon ,edom's land4 ,their capital was the great rock city ,petra1 called ,selah in the ,bible 7#b ,kings xiv3#g74 ,it was once a powerful city1 which carried on an immense trade2 it was1 according to ancient historians1 the terminus of one of the great commercial routes of ,asia4 ,and now in that once so prosperous land an indescribable desolation reigns4 ,its great commerce has utterly passed away and the doom announced in this chapter has been almost fully accomplished4 ,yet all this also stands related to a future day when ,israel is being delivered and when the ,lord will judge ,edom and all the nations which hate ,his people4 ,the punishment of their iniquity is accomplished1 ,o1 daughter of ,zion2 ,he will no more carry thee away into captivity2 ,he will visit thine iniquity1 ,o daughter of ,edom2 ,he will discover thy sins 7,lam4 iv3#bb74 ,the spirit of hatred1 pride1 envy and blasphemy mentioned in verses #aa-ac is characteristic of the ungodly nations who defy ,god when the times of the ,gentiles end4 ,of that final beast which domineers over the earth and persecutes the remnant of ,israel1 before the ,lord comes1 it is written1 ,and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against ,god1 to blaspheme ,his name1 and his tabernacle1 and them that dwell in heaven 7,rev4 xiii3#f74 ,but as ,ezekiel declares concerning these blasphemies spoken against ,israel and ,israel's ,lord1 ,i have heard them1 and ,he will act1 in judgment against all ,his enemies4 ,,ii4 ,the ,time of ,rejoicing4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,when the whole earth rejoiceth1 ,i will make thee desolate4 ,as thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of ,israel1 because it was desolate1 so will ,i do unto thee3 thou shalt be desolate1 ,o mount ,seir1 and all ,idumea1 even all of it3 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ad-ae74 ,the time is coming when the whole earth will rejoice4 ,moses in his prophetic ,song spoke of this3 ,rejoice ,o ye nations1 with ,his people2 for ,he will avenge the blood of ,his servants1 and will render vengeance to ,his adversaries1 and will be merciful unto ,his land1 and to ,his people 7,deut4 xxxii3#dc74 ,when the ,lord comes and delivers ,his earthly people and brings them back to their land all will be completely reversed4 ,israel now mourning and suffering will rejoice and all their enemies shall mourn forever1 on account of ,god's righteous judgments4 ,then will the world know that ,he is ,jehovah4 ,,the ,,promises ,,of ,,grace4 ,chapter xxxvi4 ,with this chapter the great prophetic utterances of ,ezekiel begin which have for a topic the future restoration and blessing of the people ,israel4 ,from chapter xxxvi to the end of this book all is unfulfilled4 ,how ,jehovah will deal with the enemies of ,his people in judgment1 and then turn in grace and mercy to ,his own nation to bless them with spiritual and national blessings is the message of this chapter4 ,in chapter xxxvii we find the vision of the dry bones1 typical of the national and spiritual resurrection of ,israel4 ,the house of ,judah and the house of ,israel will be united into one1 to dwell in the land of their fathers4 ,the great blessings will then be theirs under the covenant of peace1 while the tabernacle of ,god is in the midst of them and the true ,king reigns over them4 ,chapters xxxviii and xxxix show the final enemies of ,israel1 ,gog and ,magog1 and their complete overthrow4 ,chapters xl-xlviii are millennial1 giving a description of the future temple to be built in ,jerusalem1 its worship and glory4 ,i4 ,the ,judgment of ,israel's ,enemies4 ,also1 thou ,son of man1 prophesy unto the mountains of ,israel1 and say1 ,ye mountains of ,israel1 hear the word of the ,lord3 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because the enemy hath said against you1 ,aha1 even the ancient high places are ours in possession3 ,therefore prophesy and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because they have made you desolate1 and swallowed you up on every side1 that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen1 and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers1 and are an infamy of the people3 ,therefore1 ye mountains of ,israel1 hear the word of the ,lord ,god2 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 to the mountains1 and to the hills1 to the rivers1 and to the valleys1 to the desolate wastes1 and to the cities that are forsaken1 which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about2 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,surely in the fire of my jealousy have ,i spoken against the residue of the heathen1 and against all ,idumea1 which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart1 with despiteful minds1 to cast it out for a prey4 ,prophesy therefore concerning the land of ,israel1 and say unto the mountains1 and to the hills1 to the rivers1 and to the valleys1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury1 because ye have borne the shame of the heathen3 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i have lifted up mine hand1 ,surely the heathen that are about you1 they shall bear their shame 7verses #a-g47 ,the enemy had spoken blasphemies against the mountains of ,israel2 the ,lord had heard the arrogant language of ,edom 7xxxv3#ab-ac71 and now the prophet is commanded to address the personified mountains of ,israel in words of consolation and assurance4 ,previously he had as ,god's prophet uttered denunciations against the mountains and high places of ,israel 7vi3#a-g71 but now after the time of ,israel's chastisement is passed and the dawn of their restoration breaks1 the ,lord turns against the enemies of ,his people4 ,the enemy had said against them with a shout of exultation3 ,aha6 even the ancient high places are ours in possession4 ,edom and other nations knew that the ,lord had promised to ,israel the land for their possession4 ,they claimed with a proud taunt ,israel's mountains and high places as their possession1 and thereby ignored ,god and ,his covenant with ,his people4 ,and so it is that the nations have forgotten what ,god has promised to ,israel4 ,their land and city has been trodden down by the ,gentiles4 ,gentiles have stretched out their hands to possess the mountains of ,israel and occupied the land which by covenant belongs to the seed of ,abraham4 ,when the times of the ,gentiles come to a close nations will once more attempt to take possession of ,israel's land and make an invasion4 ,then the ,lord will arise against these nations4 ,of this ,ezekiel speaks1 ,surely in the fire of my jealousy have ,i spoken against the residue of nations1 and against all ,edom1 which have appointed my land unto themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart1 with despiteful minds1 to cast it out for a prey2 therefore prophesy concerning the land of ,israel1 and say unto the mountains and to the hills1 to the watercourses and to the valleys1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold ,i have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury1 because ye have borne the shame of the nations4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,i have lifted up mine hand1 saying1 ,surely the nations that are round about you1 they shall bear their shame4 ,jehovah speaks of ,israel's land as my land1 and in holy indignation and jealous for ,his people and their land1 ,he arises now to put judgment and shame upon the nations which reproached ,him4 ,he lifts ,his hand in token of an oath1 that ,he will do this now4 ,his time has come to be merciful to ,his people and ,his land1 and that will mean judgment for their enemies 7,see ,zech4 i3#ac-ai74 ,and that time is not far distant now when ,god will turn to ,his ancient people in mercy and put judgment upon the nations which have forgotten ,god and ignored ,his infallible word and revealed purposes4 ,,ii4 ,the ,promised ,return to the ,land4 ,but ye1 ,o mountains of ,israel1 ye shall shoot forth your branches1 and yield your fruit to my people of ,israel2 for they are at hand to come4 ,for1 behold1 ,i am for you1 and ,i will turn unto you1 and ye shall be tilled and sown3 ,and ,i will multiply men upon you1 all the house of ,israel1 even all of it3 and the cities shall be inhabited1 and the wastes shall be builded3 ,and ,i will multiply upon you man and beast2 and they shall increase and bring fruit3 and ,i will settle you after your old estates1 and will do better unto you than at your beginnings3 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,yea1 ,i will cause men to walk upon you1 even my people ,israel2 and they shall possess thee and thou shalt be their inheritance1 and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because they say unto you1 ,thou land devourest up men1 and hast bereaved thy nations2 ,therefore thou shalt devour men no more1 neither bereave thy nations any more1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,neither will ,i cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more1 neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more1 neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #h-ae74 ,the address is still to the mountains of ,israel4 ,these are beautiful words which ,jehovah1 to comfort ,his people1 puts into the lips of the prophet4 ,the mountains1 so long barren1 would shoot forth their branches and prepare fruit for ,his people4 ,then their imminent return is announced3 ,for they are at hand to come4 ,the near fulfillment was the return of the remnant from the ,babylonian captivity4 ,but that does not exhaust this prophecy2 there is a greater homecoming in store for ,israel1 when they will be gathered out of all countries to possess the land and multiply there as they never did in all their past history4 ,and ,i will multiply men upon you 7the mountains71 all the house of ,israel1 even all of it4 ,no one could claim that this promise found its fulfillment when a small portion of the house of ,judah returned from ,babylon4 ,here it speaks of all the house of ,israel4 ,and the waste places shall also be builded again as promised by former prophets1 for instance in ,isaiah lviii3#ab1 lxi3#d2 ,amos ix3#aa1 #ab1 #ad4 ,still greater is the promise1 ,i will cause you to be inhabited after the former estate1 and will do better unto you than at your beginnings1 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,such was not the case when they returned from ,babylon4 ,and what blessing will come to them1 when at last ,god does all these things6 ,yea1 ,i will cause men to walk upon you 7the mountains71 even my people ,israel2 and they shall possess thee1 and thou shalt be their inheritance and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men4 ,all would be changed4 ,jeremiah had announced1 ,i will bereave them of children1 ,i will destroy my people since they return not from their ways 7,jere4 xv3#g74 ,when the ,lord keeps ,his promise and brings them back1 their sorrows will be at an end4 ,what are the sorrows and sufferings of the ,babylonian captivity in comparison with the sufferings which befell them in the year #gj and throughout this dispensation6 ,and the last page of ,israel's sorrow is yet to be written4 ,all is preparing now for the great tribulation1 and then there will be the intervention from above1 and the coming ,lord will wipe away all their tears4 ,four times the prophet uses the words any more 7verses #ad-ae71 ,neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the peoples any more1 neither shalt thou cause thy nation to stumble any more1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,inasmuch as there is reproach now upon that nation and they are a reproach1 and that they have stumbled1 we know that these words still await their fulfillment4 ,,iii4 ,israel's ,past ,sins and ,chastisement4 ,moreover the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 when the house of ,israel dwelt in their own land1 they defiled it by their own way and by their doings3 their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman4 ,wherefore ,i poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land1 and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it3 ,and ,i scattered them among the nations1 and they were dispersed through the countries3 according to their way and according to their doings ,i judged them4 ,and when they had entered unto the nations1 whither they went1 they profaned my holy name1 when they said to them1 ,these are the people of the ,lord1 and are gone forth out of his land 7verses #af-bj74 ,it needs no lengthy comment to explain this paragraph4 ,the whole history of that nation bears witness to it4 ,they were an unclean1 a stiffnecked nation2 a nation which rejected ,his word1 yea1 ,himself1 and worshipped idols4 ,but their crowning sin came when they delivered the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 their own ,messiah-,king1 into the hands of the ,gentiles4 ,his blood was shed upon the land and they cried1 ,his blood be upon us and upon our children4 ,and as a result they were scattered among the nations1 where they also profaned ,his holy name 7,isaiah lii3#e2 ,rom4 ii3#bd74 ,what then has ,israel done to deserve blessing8 ,the rest of the chapter answers this question4 ,,iv4 ,restoration and ,blessing ,through ,grace4 ,but ,i had pity for mine holy name1 which the house of ,israel had profaned among the heathen1 whither they went4 ,therefore say unto the house of ,israel1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i do not this for your sakes1 ,o house of ,israel1 but for mine holy name's sake1 which ye have profaned among the heathen1 whither ye went4 ,and ,i will sanctify my great name1 which was profaned among the nations1 which ye have profaned in the midst of them2 and the nations shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 saith the ,lord ,god1 when ,i shall be sanctified in you before their eyes4 ,for ,i will take you from among the nations1 and gather you out of all countries1 and will bring you into your own land4 ,then will ,i sprinkle clean water upon you1 and ye shall be clean2 from all your filthiness1 and from all your idols1 will ,i cleanse you4 ,a new heart also will ,i give you1 and a new spirit will ,i put within you3 and ,i will take away the stony heart out of your flesh1 and ,i will give you an heart of flesh4 ,and ,i will put my spirit within you1 and cause you to walk in my statutes1 and ye shall keep my judgments1 and do them4 ,and ye shall dwell in the land that ,i gave to your fathers2 and ye shall be my people1 and ,i will be your ,god4 ,i will also save you from all your uncleannesses2 and ,i will call for the corn and will increase it1 and lay no famine upon you4 ,and ,i will multiply the fruit of the tree1 and the increase of the field1 that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the nations4 ,then shall ye remember your own evil ways1 and your doings that were not good1 and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations4 ,not for your sakes do ,i this1 saith the ,lord ,god1 be it known unto you3 be ashamed and confounded for your own ways1 ,o house of ,israel4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,in the day that ,i shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities ,i will also cause you to dwell in the cities1 and the wastes shall be builded4 ,and the desolate land shall be tilled1 whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by4 ,and they shall say1 ,this land that was desolate is become like the garden of ,eden2 and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced1 and are inhabited4 ,then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that ,i the ,lord build the ruined places1 and plant that that was desolate2 ,i the ,lord have spoken it1 and ,i will do it4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,i will yet for this be enquired of by the house of ,israel1 to do it for them2 ,i will increase them with men like a flock4 ,as the holy flock1 as the flock of ,jerusalem in her solemn feasts2 so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men3 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ba-ch74 ,the ,lord's own name1 ,his holy name1 which they profaned among the nations1 is what moves ,him to act4 ,he tells them that it was not for their sakes1 for any merit in them1 that ,he would do the things which ,his prophet is about to announce4 ,it was ,his own name as the ,lord ,who is a covenant keeping ,god1 the holy name they had so miserably outraged1 which ,he must vindicate4 ,the nations were to know1 and will yet know1 that ,he is ,god4 ,he will sanctify ,his great name1 and declares1 ,i shall be sanctified in you before their eyes4 ,but how8 ,when in infinite grace ,he deals with this nation and manifests ,himself as the loving1 covenant-keeping1 grace-bestowing ,jehovah4 ,and that will be when ,he1 ,who died for that nation on the cross 7,john xii3#ej-ec71 ,whom they rejected1 ,whose name they have profaned1 returns from ,his glory-place4 ,then will ,his name be sanctified in all the earth1 when in wondrous grace ,he lifts ,his nation from the dunghill of shame and want and brings them back to their own land4 ,this is so marvelously promised by ,ezekiel4 ,the characteristic word in verses #bc-ch is the word ,i will4 ,it is the word of sovereign grace4 ,eighteen times ,jehovah saith what ,he will do4 ,they are the ,i wills of ,israel's hope and coming glory4 ,he will gather them from among the nations and all countries and bring them back to their own land4 ,only a superficial expositor can speak of a fulfillment when they returned from ,babylon4 ,but even if this were so1 though it is not1 the verses which follow have never been fulfilled in the past4 ,the cleansing of the nation is next promised3 ,i will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean4#bi ,it refers us to the water mixed with the ashes of the red-heifer1 which was sprinkled with a hyssop on the unclean1 typifying the precious blood of ,christ in its cleansing power 7,heb4 ix3#ac-ad2 x3#bb74 ,thus when the people of ,israel believe on ,him and look upon ,him ,whom they pierced 7,zech4 xii3#aj71 they will be cleansed4 ,in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of ,david and to the inhabitants of ,jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness 7,zech4 xiii3#a74 ,then follows the promise of the new birth of ,israel4 ,a new heart will ,i also give you1 and a new spirit will ,i put within you4 ,the stony heart is to be taken away and they will receive a heart of flesh4 ,our ,lord had this passage in mind when ,he talked with ,nicodemus about the new birth4 ,nicodemus1 the teacher in ,israel1 was ignorant of the fact that this new birth for ,israel is necessary in order to be in that coming kingdom and to receive its blessings4 ,therefore the ,lord said to him1 ,if ,i have told you earthly things 7about ,israel and the new birth as the way into the kingdom7 and ye believe not1 how shall ye believe if ,i tell you of heavenly things8 7the heavenly blessings which follow ,his sacrificial death74 #bi ,it is wrong to apply this sentence to water-baptism and claim for it sprinkling as the proper mode of baptism4 ,then follow still greater restoration promises and blessings1 which ,israel never possessed in their past history nor to-day4 ,he will be their ,god and they will be ,his people4 ,there will be an increase in the corn2 famine will disappear forever4 ,the desolate land will be tilled so that those who pass through the land will say3 ,this land that was desolate is become like the ,garden of ,eden and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced1 and are inhabited4 ,when this restoration and blessing through grace is accomplished then will they remember their evil ways and loathe themselves for their iniquities and abominations4 ,this will be their national repentance4 ,it is not repentance first1 but the ,lord will be first gracious and merciful to them1 and as a result they will remember their ways of evil and humble themselves before ,him4 ,and the nations round about will know that ,he who has done all this is ,jehovah4 ,all these blessed things will surely be accomplished in the day when the ,lord arises and has mercy upon ,zion 7,ps4 cii3#ac73 ,i1 the ,lord have spoken1 and ,i will do it4 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,,the ,,dry ,,bones4 ,chapter xxxvii4 ,the future restoration or ,israel1 both their national and spiritual revival1 which the ,lord announced in the previous chapter1 is now shown to the prophet in a remarkable vision4 ,the vision emphasizes once more what ,jehovah in grace will do for them4 ,and ,i will put my ,spirit in you1 and ye shall live1 and ,i will place you in your own land 7verse #ad74 ,the second half of this chapter predicts the reunion of ,judah and ,israel represented by two sticks1 which are joined together4 ,i4 ,the ,vision of the ,dry ,bones and their ,resurrection4 ,the hand of the ,lord was upon me1 and carried me out in the ,spirit of the ,lord1 and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones4 ,and caused me to pass by them round about3 and1 behold1 there were very many in the open valley2 and1 lo1 they were very dry4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 can these bones live8 ,and ,i answered1 ,o ,lord ,god1 thou knowest4 ,again he said unto me1 ,prophesy upon these bones1 and say unto them1 ,o ye dry bones1 hear the word of the ,lord4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god unto these bones1 ,behold1 ,i will cause breath to enter into you1 and ye shall live3 ,and ,i will lay sinews upon you1 and will bring up flesh upon you1 and cover you with skin1 and put breath in you1 and ye shall live2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,so ,i prophesied as ,i was commanded3 and as ,i prophesied1 there was a noise1 and behold a shaking1 and the bones came together1 bone to his bone4 ,and when ,i beheld1 lo1 the sinews and the flesh came up upon them1 and the skin covered them above3 but there was no breath in them4 ,then said he unto me1 ,prophesy unto the wind1 prophesy1 son of man1 and say to the wind1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,come from the four winds1 ,o breath1 and breathe upon these slain1 that they may live4 ,so ,i prophesied1 as he commanded me1 and the breath came into them1 and they lived2 and ,then he said unto me1 ,son of man1 these bones are the whole house of ,israel3 behold1 they say1 ,our bones are dried1 and our hope is lost3 we are cut off for our parts4 ,therefore prophesy and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,o my people1 ,i will open your graves1 and cause you to come up out of your graves1 and bring you into the land of ,israel4 ,and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i have opened your graves1 ,o my people1 and brought you up out of your graves1 ,and shall put my ,spirit in you1 and ye shall live1 and ,i shall place you in your own land3 then shall ye know that ,i the ,lord have spoken it1 and performed it1 saith the ,lord 7verses #a-ad74 ,once more the hand of the ,lord is upon the prophet1 and he is carried out in the ,spirit of the ,lord and is set down in the midst of a valley4 ,the valley was full of bones and they were very dry4 ,these dry bones1 disjointed and bleached1 picture in the vision the national and spiritual condition of the whole house of ,israel4 ,there was no life in these bones and all is hopeless as they themselves are concerned4 ,then the ,lord spoke to ,his prophet1 ,son of man1 can these bones live8 ,and the prophet answered1 ,o ,lord ,god1 ,thou knowest6 ,ezekiel knowing the impossibility that these bones could ever live1 puts the question of their living upon the ,lord4 ,with ,him nothing is impossible4 ,he then is commanded to prophesy3 ,o ye dry bones1 hear the ,word of the ,lord4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god unto these bones1 ,behold1 ,i will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live4 ,and there is to be a complete reconstruction of these dry bones4 ,sinews and flesh is to cover them and the breath of life is to return4 ,and the prophet speaks the word and there was a noise 7literal3 voice7 and a commotion1 bone came to bone1 sinews and flesh came into view and skin covered them2 but they were still dead1 as no breath was in them4 ,again the prophet is commanded to prophecy1 to utter the word3 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,come from the four winds1 ,o breath1 and breathe upon these slain1 that they may live4 ,no sooner had the prophet spoken the word as commanded1 when suddenly the breath came into them1 and they lived and stood upon their feet1 an exceeding great army4 ,then the ,lord explains the vision1 so that we are not left in doubt of what is meant by it4 ,the dry bones are typical of the whole house of ,israel2 they themselves confess our bones are dried1 and our hope is lost2 we are cut off for our parts4 ,thus saith the ,lord in answer to their despairing confession1 what the vision so strikingly foreshadows1 ,i will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of ,israel1 444 and shall put my ,spirit in you1 and ye shall live1 and ,i shall place you in your own land4 ,the national resuscitation of the whole house of ,israel1 the restoration to their own land and the accompanying spiritual revival 7though the latter does not fully come into view here7 is the meaning of the vision4 ,it may be used in application#cj in different ways1 to illustrate certain truths1 but the true and only interpretation is the one which is given by the ,lord in verses #aa-ad4 ,but there is an erroneous interpretation of a serious nature which is widely taught and believed among many ,christians4 ,because graves are mentioned1 besides the dry bones and their resurrection1 it is being taught that the vision means physical resurrection4 ,systems1 like ,millennial ,dawnism alias ,international ,bible ,student ,association and others1 which teach the so-called larger hope1 a second chance for the impenitent dead1 the restitution of the lost1 teach that all the ,israelites who have died in their sins will be brought out of their graves and then be saved4 ,they use this vision to confirm this invention4 ,an advocate of this theory declared that all the ,christ-hating ,pharisees and ,sadducees who lived when our ,lord was on earth would be raised up when ,he comes and then believe on ,him4 ,matthew xxiii3#ci was used by him as an argument4 ,these restitution teachers also teach that inasmuch as ,israel will have a second chance when they are raised from the dead1 the ,gentile dead will share also in the same4 ,it needs no argument to refute this4 ,the ,word of ,god teaches a twofold resurrection3 a first resurrection and a second resurrection1 a resurrection of the just and a resurrection of the unjust 7,john v3#bh-bi74 ,according to the above theory there would have to be a third resurrection1 a resurrection for a second chance and ultimate salvation of those who died in their sins4 ,of such a resurrection the ,bible knows nothing4 #cj ,we heard once a ,baptist preacher speak on this vision1 and he used the dry bones as a picture of the dead members of his own denomination1 and spoke of them as the dry bones4 ,a ,methodist1 ,presbyterian1 etc41 might do the same4 ,in this vision of the dry bones physical resurrection is used as a type of the national restoration of ,israel4 ,it is used in the same way in ,daniel xii3#b4 ,in that passage the sleep in the dust of the earth is symbolical of their national condition4 ,and when their national sleep ends there will be an awakening4#ca ,when we read here in ,ezekiel of graves it must not be taken to mean literal graves1 but the graves are symbolical of the nation as being buried among the ,gentiles4 ,if these dry bones meant the physical dead of the nation1 how could it be explained that they speak and say1 ,our bones are dried up1 and our hope is lost8 ,the same figure of speech is used in the ,new ,testament4 ,of the prodigal it is said1 ,for this my son was dead1 and is alive again 7,luke xv3#bd74 ,yet he was not physically dead1 nor was he made alive physically4 ,therefore1 this vision has nothing whatever to do with a physical resurrection4 ,the late ,dr4 ,bullinger1 whose erroneous suggestions have led astray some1 also taught that the vision of the dry bones includes resurrection as well as restoration4 #ca ,see ,exposition of ,daniel1 by ,a4 ,c4 ,g41 page #bjj4 ,equally bad is that spiritualizing method which takes a vision like this1 as well as the hundreds of promises of a coming restoration1 and applies it all to the church1 ignoring totally the claims of ,israel and their promised future of glory4 ,this is the general trend of commentators4 ,they say that all these visions and promises were exhausted in the return of the remnant from ,babylon 7less than #dc1jjj souls7 and the spiritual and larger fulfilment is now going on in the church4 ,this method is evil1 for it robs the ,christian of the true key which unlocks the prophetic ,word4 ,their interpretation of prophecy in particular is vitiated by this fatal mistake1 which practically razes the hopes of ,israel from the ,bible and lowers ours to a mere succession to their hope and inheritance with somewhat better light and privilege4 ,it is a part of the first and widest and most tenacious corruption of ,christianity against which the apostle fought so valiantly4 ,and it comes in the more insidiously1 because it seems to those under its influence that they are of all men the most distant from the false brethren ,paul denounced4 ,to their minds the truest guard against ,judaizing is to deny that the ,jews will ever be reinstated as a people1 or be restored consequently to their own land4 ,all the predictions of future blessedness and glory to ,israel they turn over to ,christendom now or to the church in glory4 ,most pernicious error6 ,for this is exactly to ,judaize the ,christian and the church by making them simply follow and inherit from ,israel4 ,the truth is thus swamped2 ,israel's bright prospects are denied2 ,gentile conceit is engendered2 and the ,christian is rendered worldly1 instead of being taught his place of blessing on high in contrast with ,israel's on the earth4#cb #cb ,wm4 ,kelly4 ,,ii4 ,the ,reunion of the ,nation and their ,king4 ,the word of the ,lord came again unto me1 saying1 ,moreover1 thou ,son of man1 take thee one stick1 and write upon it1 ,for ,judah1 and for the children of ,israel his companions2 then take another stick1 and write upon it1 ,for ,joseph1 the stick of ,ephraim1 and for all the house of ,israel his companions3 ,and join them one to another into one stick2 and they shall become one in thine hand4 ,and when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee1 saying1 ,wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these8 ,say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will take the stick of ,joseph1 which is in the hand of ,ephraim1 and the tribes of ,israel his fellows1 and will put them with him1 even with the stick of ,judah1 and make them one stick1 and they shall be one in mine hand4 ,and the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes4 ,and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i will take the children of ,israel from among the heathen1 whither they be gone1 and ,i will gather them on every side1 and bring them into their own land2 and ,i will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of ,israel2 and one king shall be king to them all3 and they shall be no more two nations1 neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all3 ,neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols1 nor with their detestable things1 nor with any of their transgressions3 but ,i will save them out of all their dwelling-places1 wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them3 so shall they be my people1 and ,i will be their ,god4 ,and ,david my servant shall be king over them2 and they all shall have one shepherd3 they shall also walk in my judgments1 and observe my statutes1 and do them4 ,and they shall dwell in the land that ,i have given unto ,jacob my servant wherein your fathers have dwelt2 and they shall dwell therein1 even they1 and their children1 and their children's children1 for ever3 and my servant ,david shall be their prince for ever4 ,moreover ,i will make a covenant of peace with them2 it shall be an everlasting covenant with them3 and ,i will place them1 and multiply them1 and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore4 ,my tabernacle also shall be with them2 yea1 ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people4 ,and the heathen shall know that ,i the ,lord do sanctify ,israel1 when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore 7verses #ae-bh74 ,the prophet is next commanded to demonstrate another coming event for ,god's ancient people by a symbolical action4 ,he was to take a stick and write on it for ,judah and for the children of ,israel his companions4 ,on the second stick1 he was to write1 for ,joseph1 the stick of ,ephraim1 and for all the house of ,israel his companions4 ,he was then to join the two sticks so that they became one in his hand4 ,it denotes the reunion of the house of ,judah with the house of ,israel4 ,the sad division of the nation will end and both will be in ,his hand one1 symbolical of the royal rod or sceptre1 which will be in the hand of the ,lord in the midst of ,his redeemed people4 ,the ,lord will do all this4 ,behold ,i will take the children of ,israel from among the nations whither they be gone1 and will gather them on every side1 and bring them into their own land4 ,and ,i will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of ,israel2 and one king shall be king to them all2 and they shall no more be two nations1 neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all4 ,the house of ,israel never returned from the captivity2 only a remnant of ,judah came back4 ,since then they have been termed the lost tribes1 though this term is incorrect1 for the ,epistle of ,james is addressed to the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,nothing is lost with ,god4 ,they are hidden rather1 and the time will come when the enigma of the two tribes will be solved4 ,attempts have been made to locate them but all have failed4 ,the ,anglo-,israel theory 7that ,england and ,america are the lost tribes7 is so ridiculous and fantastic that it merits not even an investigation4 ,god has kept track of them1 and when this promised restoration takes place they will be brought to light4 ,then1 reunited as they were under ,david and ,solomon1 they will have one ,king over them4 ,this ,king is foreshadowed by both ,david and his son ,solomon4 ,as ,king he is called1 ,david1 my servant1 who will be the ,one ,shepherd4 ,and my servant ,david1 their prince forever4 ,it is the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the son of ,david1 the true and greater ,solomon1 the ,prince of ,peace4 ,how obvious it is that all this does not mean the church4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is the head of the church in glory1 but ,he is also the ,king of ,israel4 ,when the restoration takes place the angelic message finds its blessed fulfillment3 ,the ,lord ,god shall give unto ,him the throne of ,his father ,david1 and ,he shall reign over the house of ,jacob forever2 and of ,his ,kingdom there shall be no end 7,luke i3#cb-cg74 ,but how can anyone believe that the words of promise given through ,ezekiel have no future meaning for the seed of ,abraham8 ,has ,israel ever been restored as announced in these words8 ,have they ever been saved as promised in verse #bc8 ,have they ever walked as a nation in perfect obedience1 as stated in the words1 ,they shall also walk in ,my judgments1 and observe my statutes and do them4 ,and verse #be promises an abiding dwelling in their land which at this time they do not yet possess4 ,it is the sanctuary of the ,lord set up in their midst4 ,only when our ,lord returns will all this be accomplished4 ,then will it be true1 ,my tabernacle also shall be with them2 yea1 ,i will be their ,god and they shall be ,my people4 ,,gog ,,and ,,magog ,chapter xxxviii4 ,the great restoration vision of the preceding chapter is followed by another great prophecy concerning the last enemy of ,israel1 and how the ,lord will deliver ,his people and deal in judgment with the invading hordes4 ,this prophecy is in chapters xxxviii and xxxix4 ,these two chapters are of great interest and demand a careful study2 they have been misunderstood by many4 ,frequently the ,gog and ,magog have been identified with the final revolt at the close of the millennium1 when ,satan is loosed for a little season 7,rev4 xx3#g-i74 ,the text shows that this is incorrect4 ,the invasion which ,ezekiel describes takes place in the beginning of the millennium2 the invasion of ,gog and ,magog in ,revelation is postmillennial4 ,ezekiel's invasion takes place from the ,north and the nations are designated2 the nations which gather under ,satan at the close of the millennium are from the four quarters of the earth4 ,the invaders in ,ezekiel's vision fall on the mountains of ,israel1 while those assembled after the millennium are devoured by fire from heaven4 ,others have identified these invading enemies with the nations gathered in the revived ,roman ,empire4 ,this also cannot be1 for we find that the nations ,ezekiel names are outside of the territory of the restored ,roman ,empire4 ,we have to turn to the text itself to find the correct meaning of this prophecy4 ,i4 ,the ,invasion of ,israel's ,land4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 set thy face against ,gog1 the land of ,magog1 the chief prince of ,meshech and ,tubal1 and prophesy against him1 ,and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 ,o ,gog1 the chief prince of ,meshech and ,tubal3 ,and ,i will turn thee back1 and put hooks into thy jaws1 and ,i will bring thee forth1 and all thine army1 horses and horsemen1 all of them clothed with all sorts of armour1 even a great company with bucklers and shields1 all of them handling swords3 ,persia1 ,ethiopia1 and ,libya with them2 all of them with shield and helmet3 ,gomer1 and all his bands2 the house of ,togarmah of the north quarters1 and all his bands3 and many people with thee4 ,be thou prepared1 and prepare for thyself1 thou1 and all thy company that are assembled unto thee1 and be thou a guard unto them4 ,after many days thou shalt be visited3 in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword1 and is gathered out of many people1 against the mountains of ,israel1 which have been always waste3 but it is brought forth out of the nations1 and they shall dwell safely1 all of them4 ,thou shalt ascend and come like a storm1 thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land1 thou1 and all thy bands1 and many people with thee4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,it shall also come to pass1 that at the same time shall things come into thy mind1 and thou shalt think an evil thought3 ,and thou shalt say1 ,i will go up to the land of unwalled villages2 ,i will go to them that are at rest1 that dwell safely1 all of them dwellings without walls1 and having neither bars nor gates1 ,to take a spoil1 and to take a prey2 to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited1 and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations1 which have gotten cattle and goods1 that dwell in the midst of the land4 ,sheba and ,dedan1 and the merchants of ,tarshish1 with all the young lions thereof1 shall say unto thee1 ,art thou come to take a spoil8 hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey8 to carry away silver and gold1 to take away cattle and goods1 to take a great spoil8 7verses #a-ac74 ,the first question which confronts us in giving an exposition of these verses is1 ,when does this enemy fall into ,israel's land8 ,at what time does this invasion take place8 ,we find the answer in the text4 ,the statement is made in verse eight that ,gog and ,magog and the other nations with them invade the land that is brought back from the sword1 and is gathered out of many people2 they come against the mountains of ,israel1 which have always been waste2 but it is brought forth out of the nations1 and they shall dwell safely1 all of them4 ,in verse eleven the evil purpose of the invader is made known4 ,he says1 ,i will go up to the land of unwalled villages1 ,i will go to them that are at rest1 that dwell safely1 all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates4 ,he comes upon the people that are gathered out of the nations1 which have gotten cattle and goods1 that dwell in the midst of the land 7verse #ab74 ,from all this we learn that the invasion takes place at the time when the ,lord has brought back ,his people and resumed ,his relationship with the remnant of ,israel4 ,the invasion will happen some time after the beastly empire with its beasthead 7the revived ,roman empire71 in its final ten kingdom form and the clay1 with the little horn as leader 7,dan4 vii2 ,rev4 xiii3#a-aj7 and the false prophet1 the personal ,antichrist 7,rev4 xiii3#aa1 etc47 have been dealt with in judgment 7,rev4 xix3#ai-bj74 ,the stone out of heaven has then fallen upon the feet of the great dream image of ,nebuchadnezzar1 and as far as the ,western confederated world power is concerned it is now ended4 ,but other nations gather now for an assault4 ,it is a ,northern confederacy which sweeps southward to invade the land as ,antiochus ,epiphanes did in the past1 as well as the ,assyrian in the days of ,isaiah4 ,these final invading hosts1 under the leadership of a powerful king1 come like a storm1 and like a cloud to cover the land4 ,in verse #ag we read ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,art thou he of whom ,i have spoken in old times by my servants the prophets of ,israel1 which prophesied in those days for many years that ,i would bring thee against them8 ,by the way1 in these words we have a very clear statement concerning the prophets of ,god4 ,they all were the mouthpiece of ,jehovah2 ,he has spoken through them4 ,according to this verse other prophets prophesied of the same enemy4 ,some expositors have stated their inability to find a single prophecy elsewhere which would confirm ,ezekiel's vision and prophecy4 ,we believe the foe1 of whom ,isaiah speaks as the ,assyrian1 foreshadows this one coming with his hordes from the ,north4 ,the ,assyrian in the days of ,isaiah1 who threatened to cover the land like a cloud1 was ,sennacherib4 ,how the ,lord dealt with him by wiping out his proud army with a single stroke is known to every reader of the ,bible4 ,but he also foreshadows the final ,assyrian1 the last ,king of the ,north4 ,he is described in ,isaiah x4 ,a significant statement is made in that chapter as to the time when the ,lord will deal with this ,assyrian of the future4 ,it is this ,wherefore it shall come to pass that when the ,lord has performed ,his whole work upon ,mount ,zion and on ,jerusalem1 ,i will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the ,king of ,assyria and the glory of his high looks 7verse #ab74 ,when the ,lord has performed ,his work in judgment and in mercy upon ,mount ,zion and in behalf of ,israel and their enemies1 then ,he will also punish the last invader and spoiler of ,his people1 the one foreshadowed by the ,assyrian4 ,the ,antichrist1 who opposed the heavenly rights and glory of ,christ1 has then already been overthrown by the brightness of ,his coming2 and next this last enemy who opposeth the earthly rights of the ,king of kings will also meet his defeat4 ,notice that in the same chapter of ,isaiah the ,lord comforts ,his people in view of the invader1 showing thereby that ,he is with them and on their side4 ,therefore1 thus saith the ,lord ,god of hosts1 ,o my people that dwelleth in ,zion1 be not afraid of the ,assyrian 7,isa4 x3#bd74 ,the prophet ,micah bears a similar testimony to the same person4 ,in chapter v we have a prophetic announcement of the birth of ,christ in ,bethlehem ,ephrata4 ,we also read of ,his rejection3 they shall smite the judge of ,israel with a rod upon the cheek4 ,then the nation is seen as rejected--given up1 set aside--till ,israel brings forth in travail pains a godly remnant during the end of the age4 ,then the ,lord returns4 ,and ,he shall stand and rule in the strength of the ,lord1 in the majesty of the name of the ,lord ,his ,god2 and they shall abide1 for now shall ,he be great unto the ends of the earth 7verse #d74 ,when this has come to pass then the ,assyrian appears on the scene1 invading the land4 ,but ,micah tells us3 ,and this man 7,christ7 shall be the peace when the ,assyrian shall come into the land 7verse #e74 ,all this confirms the story of ,ezekiel xxxviii4 ,the reader may also turn to ,isaiah xxxiii1 to ,joel and find there a description of the same invading forces which ,ezekiel describes and their judgment4 ,but some will find a difficulty here4 ,if the ,lord has returned and ,his people ,israel are being gathered to dwell in safety in their own land1 if the ,lord has revealed ,his glory1 how is it possible that such an invasion can take place8 ,is not ,satan to be bound at once after ,christ has come back8 ,and if ,satan is put into the pit of the abyss to seduce the nations no more1 how is it that these nations are so blind to come up into ,immanuel's land to challenge the earthly rights of the ,king of kings8 ,satan will be bound for a thousand years1 but the last act by which he attempts to oppose ,christ will be through ,gog and ,magog4 ,the evil thought the leader1 the prince of ,rosh1 thinks 7verse #aj7 is inspired by ,satan4 ,he stands behind this wild company of nations and blinds them as he blinded the kings of the ,roman ,empire and their armies to make war against ,him that sat upon the horse4 7,rev4 xix3#ai74 ,but then ,satan has spent his last arrow4 ,he has completely failed and is then put into the prison for a thousand years to seduce the nations no more4 ,his last attempt was through the prince of ,rosh with the nations mentioned in the beginning of this chapter4 ,and when the ,lord looses him1 after the thousand years1 he is still the same old devil1 as he always will be forever and ever2 once more he gets a ,gog and ,magog1 this time from the four quarters of the earth1 to put up his very last fight4 ,how that will end we know from ,revelation 7xx3#g-i74 ,still another question is raised1 and this one in connection with the judgment of the nations1 as revealed by our ,lord in ,matthew xxv3#ca1 etc4 ,after the ,lord has returned ,he will receive ,his own throne and begin to judge the nations ,he finds then upon the earth4 ,that this is not what has been termed the final--universal judgment of the quick and the dead--must be apparent to all who divide the ,word of ,truth rightly4 ,it is the judgment of the living nations4 ,now the question is asked1 if the ,lord judges at once all living nations when ,he comes1 how is it that these nations can invade the land8 ,why were they not also consigned to the place of eternal punishment8 ,why are they still unjudged8 ,we do not believe that the judgment of the living nations takes place on a single day4 ,such a judgment of necessity covers a longer period of time4 ,nation after nation will have to come up for judgment4 ,this will consume considerable time4 ,there is no question the millennial reign of our ,lord will have two sides4 ,there is first the ,davidic aspect4 ,he will begin to reign first as ,david did2 ,his people are with ,him and blessed1 but all their enemies are not yet subdued and overcome4 ,he will have to rule first with a rod of iron4 ,and then when this final enemy is dealt with1 ,he begins to reign as ,prince of ,peace1 foreshadowed in the ,solomonic reign4 ,gog and ,magog1 etc41 complete and end the judgment of the nations4 ,they are the last enemies to disappear4 ,after we have ascertained the time when this prophecy concerning ,gog and ,magog will be accomplished1 we inquire next who this final enemy is4 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me1 saying1 ,son of ,man1 set thy face against ,gog1 the land of ,magog1 the prince of ,rosh1 ,meshech1 and ,tubal1 and prophesy against him1 and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,jehovah3 ,behold ,i am against thee1 ,o ,gog1 prince of ,rosh1 ,meshech and ,tubal4 ,and ,i will turn thee back1 and put hooks into thy jaws1 and ,i will bring thee forth1 and all thine army1 horses and horsemen1 all of them thoroughly equipped1 a great assemblage with targets and shields1 all of them handling swords4 ,persia1 ,cush1 and ,phut with them1 all of them with shield and helmet2 ,gomer and all his bands2 the house of ,togormah from the uttermost north1 and all his bands--many peoples with thee4 ,here then we have a confederacy of nations4 ,the leader is the ,prince of ,rosh 7not as the authorized version has it the chief prince71 of ,meshech and ,tubal4 ,this prince is the head of the confederacy1 and with him allied are ,persia1 ,cush1 ,phut1 ,gomer and ,togormah4 ,they come out of the north1 or1 as it is in ,hebrews1 out of the uttermost north 7verse #ae74 ,inasmuch as the ,prince of ,rosh is addressed in verse #c as ,gog1 we take it that ,gog is the name given to this prince and leader of these nations4 ,his dwelling place is in the land of ,magog4 ,we know from ,genesis x3#b that ,magog was the second son of ,japheth4 ,gomer1 ,tubal and ,meshech were also sons of ,japheth2 ,togormah was a grandson of ,japheth1 being the third son of ,gomer4 ,magog's land1 was located in1 what is called today1 the ,caucasus and the adjoining steppes4 ,and the three ,rosh1 ,meshech and ,tubal were called by the ancients ,scythians4 ,they roamed as nomads in the country around and north of the ,black and the ,caspian ,seas1 and were known as the wildest barbarians4 ,we learn from this that the invading forces1 which fall into ,israel's land in the future1 when ,israel has been regathered1 come from a territory north of ,palestine1 which today is in the hands of ,russia4 ,and here we call attention to the prince1 this northern leader1 or king1 who is the head of all these nations4 ,he is the prince of ,rosh4 ,careful research has established the fact that the progenitor of ,rosh was ,tiraz 7,gen4 x3#b7 and that ,rosh is ,russia4 ,all students of ,prophecy are agreed that this is the correct meaning of ,rosh4 ,the prince of ,rosh1 means1 therefore1 the prince or king of the ,russian empire4 ,but he also is in control of ,meshech and ,tubal1 which are reproduced in the modern ,moscow and ,tobolsk4#cc ,russia1 we may well conclude from this1 will furnish the man who will lead this confederacy of nations4 ,we write this at a time when ,russia is passing through horrors upon horrors4 ,a revolution changed the autocratic government into a democracy and that given way to anarchy1 produced by the satanic treachery of ,germany4 ,from what is written in this chapter we learn that ,russia will ultimately return to the old regime and will once more become a monarchy to fulfill her final destiny as made known in this sublime prophecy4 ,well known it is that ,russia has been in the past the most pronounced and bitterest enemy of the ,jewish people4 ,what she passes through today is but a fulfillment of what the ,lord has spoken3 ,i will curse them that curse thee4 ,today the ,jews in ,russian may have bright hopes of getting their rights and complete emancipation at last4 ,for a time this may come to pass1 but ultimately ,russia will turn against them and like ,pharaoh did1 when ,israel had left his domain1 so this coming ,king of the ,north1 the prince of ,rosh1 when ,israel is back in the land1 will turn against them4 #cc ,the ,septuagint translates1 ,mesoch and ,thobel4 ,with him come the other nations4 ,persia1 which is even now in part occupied by ,russia1 will finally be a vassal to this prince of ,rosh4 ,ethiopia and ,phut are also in this confederacy4 ,there also is ,gomer and all its bands4 ,gomer1 says ,delitsch1 is most probably the tribe of the ,cimmerians1 who dwell1 according to ,herodotus1 on the ,maeotis1 in the ,taurian ,chersonesus1 and from whom are descended the ,cumri or ,cymry in ,wales and ,britain1 whose relation to the ,germanic ,cimbri is still in obscurity4 ,valuable information is given in the ,talmud2 ,gomer is there stated to be the ,germani1 the ,germans4 ,that the descendants of the ,gomer moved northward and established themselves in parts of ,germany seems to be an established fact4 ,all this is of much interest4 ,germany did not belong to the ,roman empire1 at least the greater part of ,germany was never conquered by ,rome4 ,she will therefore not participate in the ,western confederacy4 ,will she then become united to ,russia and march under the prince of ,rosh into the land of ,israel8 ,we cannot be sure about all these things4 ,this1 however1 we know1 that a powerful confederacy of nations1 under the leadership of the prince of ,rosh1 ,meshech and ,tubal1 will come up against ,immanuel's land1 when ,israel has been restored and dwells safely4 ,,ii4 ,the ,disastrous ,defeat of the ,invaders4 ,therefore1 son of man1 prophesy and say unto ,god1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,in that day when my people of ,israel dwelleth safely1 shalt thou not know it8 ,and thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts1 thou1 and many people with thee1 all of them riding upon horses1 a great company1 and a mighty army3 ,and thou shalt come up against my people of ,israel1 as a cloud to cover the land2 it shall be in the latter days1 and ,i will bring thee against my land1 that the heathen may know me1 when ,i shall be sanctified in thee1 ,o ,gog1 before their eyes4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,art thou he of whom ,i have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of ,israel1 which prophesied in those days for many years that ,i would bring thee against them8 ,and it shall come to pass at the same time when ,gog shall come against the land of ,israel1 saith the ,lord ,god1 that my fury shall come up in my face4 ,for in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have ,i spoken4 ,surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of ,israel3 ,so that the fishes of the sea1 and the fowls of the heaven1 and the beasts of the field1 and all creeping things that creep upon the earth1 and all the men that are upon the face of the earth1 shall shake at my presence1 and the mountains shall be thrown down1 and the steep places shall fall1 and every wall shall fall to the ground4 ,and ,i will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains1 saith the ,lord ,god3 every man's sword shall be against his brother4 ,and ,i will plead against him with pestilence and with blood2 and ,i will rain upon him1 and upon his bands1 and upon the many people that are with him1 an overflowing rain1 and great hailstones1 fire and brimstone4 ,thus will ,i magnify myself1 and sanctify myself2 and ,i will be known in the eyes of many nations1 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord 7verses #ad-bc74 ,the awful fate of the invaders is now prophetically announced4 ,the prophet is commanded to address ,gog4 ,they know that ,israel dwelleth safely and they come to take the prey1 to carry away silver and gold1 cattle and goods and a great spoil 7verse #ac74 ,the ,lord permits it all so that ,he might be sanctified and magnified by the manifestation of ,his power in judgment1 so that through this judgment the nations might know ,him 7verses #af1 #bc74 ,when they come into the land then ,his fury will come into ,his face4 ,for in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have ,i spoken1 surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of ,israel4 ,the next chapter gives the prophecy of the judgment upon ,gog in detail4 ,,the ,,defeat ,,of ,,the ,,invaders4 ,chapter xxxix4 ,once more the prophet is commanded to prophesy against this final invader of ,israel's land and to describe the judgment which falls upon the ,northern army4 ,this chapter concludes the prophecy of the last enemy of ,israel2 the concluding chapters of this book mention no longer enemies1 nor ,israel's apostasy4 ,they are taken up with the glory of the restoration of the nation and the great millennial temple1 the construction1 the order of worship1 etc4 ,i4 ,the ,judgment and ,destruction of ,invading ,gog4 ,therefore1 thou son of man1 prophesy against ,gog1 and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,behold1 ,i am against thee1 ,o ,gog1 the chief prince of ,meshech and ,tubal2 ,and ,i will turn thee back1 and leave but the sixth part of thee1 and will cause thee to come up from the north parts1 and will bring thee upon the mountains of ,israel3 ,and ,i will smite thy bow out of thy left hand1 and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand4 ,thou shalt fall upon the mountains of ,israel1 thou and all thy bands1 and the people that is with thee3 ,i will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort1 and to the beasts of the field to be devoured4 ,thou shalt fall upon the open field3 for ,i have spoken it1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and ,i will send a fire on ,magog1 and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles2 and they shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,so will ,i make my holy name known in the midst of my people ,israel2 and ,i will not let them pollute my holy name any more3 and the heathen shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 the ,holy ,one in ,israel4 ,behold1 it is come1 and it is done1 saith the ,lord ,god2 this is the day whereof ,i have spoken4 ,and they that dwell in the cities of ,israel shall go forth1 and shall set on fire and burn the weapons1 both the shields and the bucklers1 the bows and the arrows1 and the handstaves1 and the spears1 and they shall burn them with fire seven years2 so that they shall take no wood out of the field1 neither cut down any out of the forests2 for they shall burn the weapons with fire2 and they shall spoil those that spoiled them1 and rob those that robbed them1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #a-aj74 ,jehovah announces now their complete judgment and destruction4 ,the invading hordes are permitted to come upon the mountains of ,israel1 and like the ,assyrian of old1 ,shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of ,zion1 the hill of ,jerusalem 7,is4 x3#cb74 ,then the ,lord will act in behalf of ,his people4 ,let us remember that the ,lord is then with ,his people4 ,his glory is with them and they have found rest and dwell in peace4 ,the blinding power of ,satan1 who uses ,gog and his companions in a final effort to dispute the authority of the ,king of ,kings1 is demonstrated by these nations1 who1 led by the ,prince of ,rosh 7,russia7 invade the land4 ,the nations and their kings forming the ,western ,confederacy were equally blinded when1 previously to this final attempt1 they made war against the ,lord 7,rev4 xix3#ai74 ,jehovah speaks ,his ,i will2 it is the sovereign ,i will in judgment4 ,as ,he spoke to ,his people ,israel the ,i will of sovereign grace 7chapter xxxvi71 so now ,he speaks the word which seals the doom of ,israel's last enemy4 ,and ,i will turn thee back and lead thee on#cd and will cause thee to come up from the sides of the north1 and will bring thee upon the mountains of ,israel4 ,there the invaders are to be smitten4 ,upon the mountains where the ,lord led them and permitted them to come1 the hordes shall fall and their carcasses will be given to the ravenous beasts and to the beasts of the field4 ,and those who helped ,gog in the wicked endeavor1 who dwell securely in the isles1 who probably assisted them with ships and in other ways1 will also be judged4 ,fire will be sent upon ,magog4 ,it will be a sweeping judgment4 ,as a result of what takes place will be the vindication of ,his holy ,name and both ,israel and the nations of the earth shall know ,him in that day4 ,and my holy name will ,i make known in the midst of my people ,israel2 neither will ,i suffer my holy name to be profaned any more2 and the nations shall know that ,i am the ,lord1 the ,holy ,one in ,israel4 ,and what an assuring statement is added3 ,behold1 it cometh1 it shall be done1 saith the ,lord ,god2 this is the day whereof ,i have spoken4 #cd ,this is the more satisfactory rendering4 ,the marginal reading1 ,strike thee with six plagues or draw thee back with a hook of six teeth is incorrect4 ,the weapons the invading hordes left behind will be used for firewood by ,israel for seven years4 ,it seems the invaders carried mostly wooden instruments4 ,perhaps the preceding wars exhausted the metals so that they had to resort to weapons made of wood4 ,israel shall then spoil those that spoiled them and rob those that robbed them4 ,,ii4 ,the ,burial of the ,slain4 ,and it shall come to pass in that day that ,i will give unto ,gog a place there of a grave in ,israel1 the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea2 and it shall stop the passengers2 and there shall they bury ,gog and all his multitude2 and they shall call it ,the valley of ,hamon-gog4 ,and seven months shall the house of ,israel be burying of them1 that they may cleanse the land4 ,yea1 all the people of the land shall bury them2 and it shall be to them a renown the day that ,i shall be glorified1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and they shall sever out men of continual employment1 passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth1 to cleanse it2 after the end of seven months shall they search4 ,and the passengers that pass through the land1 when any seeth a man's bone1 then shall he set up a sign by it1 till the buriers have buried it in the valley of ,hamon-gog4 ,and also the name of the city shall be ,hamonah4 ,thus shall they cleanse the land 7verses #aa-af74 ,gog's delusion was to take ,israel's land for a possession4 ,territorial aggrandizement was the motive of the invasion1 besides the wicked defiance of ,god2 but instead ,god gives them graves in the land of ,israel4 ,all the multitude of ,gog will be buried in the valley of the passengers of the east of the sea1 which is the ,dead ,sea1 outside of ,israel's territory2 that place will be called then the valley of ,hamon-gog1 which means the multitude of ,gog4 ,seven months will it take to put away the bodies of the slain4 ,and those who pass through that region will stop there to consider the judgment of the ,lord which was executed upon ,gog4 ,it will be a solemn memorial of what ,god hath done2 even a city will be named on account of the disaster which has come upon ,gog1 the city ,hamonah4 ,the whole land will be cleansed of the defilement4 ,whenever1 after the seven months1 one who passes that way sees a man's bones1 he shall mark the place with a sign and the buriers will put these bones away in ,hamon-gog4 ,the day will surely come when all these events will come to pass4 ,much may be obscure at this time but ,god will see to the fulfilment in ,his own time4 ,as we have shown in the exposition of the previous chapter1 ,russia is the leader of this final assault4 ,in these significant days ,russia is in the grasp of anarchy4 ,what will be the outcome8 ,will ,russia side with ,germany8 ,will the two form a strong confederacy with other semi-oriental and oriental nations8 ,are these things1 as seen by the prophet at the river banks of ,chebar1 even now preparing8 ,no mortal man can forecast the immediate future4 ,god alone knows what is about to come4 ,,iii4 ,the ,sacrifice of ,jehovah4 ,and1 thou son of man1 thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,speak unto every feathered fowl1 and to every beast of the field1 ,assemble yourselves1 and come2 gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that ,i do sacrifice for you1 even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of ,israel1 that ye may eat flesh1 and drink blood4 ,ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty1 and drink the blood of the princes of the earth1 of rams1 of lambs1 and of goats1 of bullocks1 all of them fatlings of ,bashan4 ,and ye shall eat fat till ye be full1 and drink blood till ye be drunken1 of my sacrifice1 which ,i have sacrificed for you4 ,thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots1 with mighty men1 and with all men of war1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ag-bj74 ,in view of the great slaughter executed upon ,gog and his vast army1 the feathered fowl and every beast of the field are summoned to attend the sacrifice which ,jehovah has prepared for them upon the mountains of ,israel4 ,they are to eat the flesh of the mighty1 and drink the blood of the princes of the earth1 which are compared to rams1 lambs1 goats1 bullocks and the fatlings of ,bashan4 ,he promised these fowls and the beasts of the earth a feast1 which will completely satisfy them4 ,the table which is spread for them is ,his table3 ,thus shall ye be filled at my table4 ,rev4 xix3#ag1 #ah contains a similar scene4 ,it is the great supper of ,god1 which the angel standing in the sun announces1 and to which he invites the fowls in the midst of heaven4 ,the great supper in ,revelation and ,jehovah's sacrifice in ,ezekiel are not the same4 ,the great supper of ,god1 that awful judgment supper1 is in connection with the beastly empire 7the ,western ,confederacy7--the kings and armies of apostate ,christendom4 ,and probably for this reason the fowls in the midst of heaven are only mentioned1 because ,christendom apostatized from the heavenly testimony of ,christianity4 ,these kings and their armies refused and rejected completely the invitation of the ,lord to the ,gospel-supper and now they will fall in the hands of ,god and receive their reward at the judgment supper4 ,when ,gog falls upon the mountains of ,israel1 the great supper of ,god announced in ,rev4 xix has already been executed4 ,,iv4 ,the ,future of ,glory4 ,and ,i will set my glory among the nations1 and all the nations shall see my judgment that ,i have executed1 and my hand that ,i have laid upon them4 ,so the house of ,israel shall know that ,i am the ,lord their ,god from that day and forward4 ,and the nations shall know that the house of ,israel went into captivity for their iniquity3 because they trespassed against me1 therefore hid ,i my face from them and gave them into the hands of their enemies3 so fell they all by the sword4 ,according to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have ,i done unto them1 and hid my face from them4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,now will ,i bring again the captivity of ,jacob1 and have mercy upon the whole house of ,israel1 and will be jealous for my holy name2 after that they have borne their shame1 and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me1 when they dwelt safely in their land1 and none made them afraid4 ,when ,i have brought them again from the people1 and gathered them out of their enemies' lands1 and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations2 then shall they know that ,i am the ,lord their ,god1 which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen3 but ,i have gathered them unto their own land1 and have left none of them any more there4 ,neither will ,i hide my face any more from them3 for ,i have poured out my spirit upon the house of ,israel1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #ba-bi74 ,the moral effect of this judgment is described in verses #ba-bd4 ,the ,lord will then establish ,his glory among the nations4 ,from this we learn that the glory of the ,lord will be made known world-wide to cover the earth after this final invasion has come to pass1 and this last judgment of nations has been executed4 ,the nations will be the witnesses of this judgment4 ,of course these nations are those who have been converted and are embodied in the ,kingdom of ,christ4 ,and then the ,lord is vindicated for having dealt with ,israel as ,he did4 ,they went into captivity--the dispersion among all the nations of the earth--on account of their iniquities4 ,god dealt righteously with them when on account of their transgressions ,he hid ,his face from them4 ,all ,god's ways are righteous and in that day all ,his dealings in judgment will be openly justified4 ,then comes the prophecy of the bright future of ,israel4 ,it is one of the many found in this book of ,ezekiel and the greater number in the other prophetic books4 ,the captivity of ,jacob is ended4 ,mercy will be bestowed upon the whole house of ,israel4 ,they have borne their shame2 but now it is all ended through the mercy of the ,lord4 ,he will bring them again from the peoples1 and gather them out of the enemies' lands and sanctify them1 by taking away their sins1 in the sight of many nations4 ,none will be left behind2 all will be gathered back4 ,it is next to inconceivable that1 with so many promises in the ,word of ,god as to ,israel's future restoration and blessing1 that the greater part of professing ,christians can ignore these things and refuse to believe in a glorious future of the ,jewish race4 ,the last verse contains an important statement4 ,the ,lord says that ,he hides ,his face no more from them4 ,this in itself shows that all this is not yet here2 for still ,he hides ,his face from them4 ,the hiding of ,his face from them will be no more when ,his ,spirit is poured upon them4 ,i have poured out my ,spirit upon the house of ,israel1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,there comes then a time when the house of ,israel1 the literal descendants of ,abraham1 will receive an outpouring of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,such is also the message of ,joel1 in which restoration and spiritual blessing1 through the outpouring of the ,spirit are blended together 7,joel ii74#ce ,we call attention to another passage which should be linked with the statement in this chapter4 ,isaiah xxxii3#ac-ah is a very striking prophecy4 ,there is an announcement made first of all concerning the judgment which is to fall upon ,israel's land4 ,upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers2 yea1 upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city1 etc4 ,but this is not to last forever4 ,an until follows4 ,until the ,spirit be poured upon us from on high4 ,this is the same future outpouring of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,up to now it has not been4 ,the ,holy ,spirit on the day of ,pentecost came to form the body of ,christ1 but this outpouring in connection with ,israel has another significance4 ,we read1 therefore1 in the above passage what will happen when this outpouring has come to pass4 ,and the wilderness be a fruitful field1 and the fruitful field be counted for a forest4 ,then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness1 and righteousness remain in the fruitful field4 ,and the work of righteousness shall be peace2 and the effect of righteousness1 quietness and assurance forever4 ,and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation1 and in sure dwellings1 and in quiet resting places4 ,it is a description of the ,kingdom to come1 when ,israel has found rest and when all the earth will receive the blessing1 when righteousness will have given peace1 lasting peace to the world4 #ce ,see ,the ,prophet ,joel1 by ,a4 ,c4 ,g41 where this interesting and important chapter is explained in full4 ,illustration3 ,,ground ,,plan ,,of ,,ezekiel',s ,,temple ,a4 ,the ,temple ,house1 xli4 ,b4 ,altar of ,burnt ,offering1 xliii3#ac4 ,c4 ,inner ,court4 ,d4 ,gates to ,inner ,court1 xl3#bh4 ,e4 ,separate ,place1 vli3#aj4 ,f4 ,hinder ,building1 xli3#ab4 ,g4 ,priest's ,kitchens1 xlvi3#ai4 ,h4 ,chambers for ,priests1 xlii3#a4 ,i4 ,chambers1 xl3#dd4 ,k4 ,people's ,kitchen1 xlvi3#ba-bd4 ,l4 ,gates into ,outer ,court1 xl3#f4 ,m4 ,pavement1 xl3#ah4 ,n4 ,chambers in ,outer ,court 7#cj7 xl3#ag4 ,o4 ,outer ,court4 ---------------,temple ,stream ,,the ,,ground ,,plan ,,of ,,the ,,temple4 ,,the ,,millennial ,,temple ,,and ,,its ,,worship4 ,,the ,,land ,,and ,,its ,,glory4 ,chapters xl-xlviii4 ,the final nine chapters of this book form the climax of the great prophecies of ,ezekiel2 they belong to the most difficult in the entire prophetic ,word4 ,once more the hand of the ,lord rests upon the seer and in the visions of ,god he is brought into the land of ,israel4 ,in the very beginning of this grand finale we learn therefore that the visions concern the land of ,israel4 ,let us remember that after the fall of ,jerusalem had been announced to ,ezekiel 7chapter xxxiii3#ba71 his prophetic utterances and visions concern the future when ,israel is to be regathered and restored to the land4 ,the previous two chapters dealt with the last invasion of the land of ,israel and the complete overthrow of ,gog and its hordes4 ,the vision contained in this last section follows after ,israel's final deliverance4 ,so much is clear as to the time when the prophecies of these eight chapters will be accomplished4 ,they have not been fulfilled in the past1 certainly not in the remnant which returned under ,zerubabbel and ,ezra4 ,nor have these prophecies been fulfilled since then4 ,all is future4 ,only when the ,lord has gathered ,judah and ,israel1 when ,he has established ,his glorious ,kingdom in their midst and delivered ,his people and the land from the last invader1 will this last vision of ,ezekiel become history4 ,this disposes then at once of the different modes of interpretation employed by so many expositors of this book4 ,these are the following3 #a4 ,the theory of interpretation which looks upon the vision of these chapters as fulfilled in the return of the remnant from ,babylon4 ,one of the expositors who follows this line stated that these visions are an ideal representation of the ,jewish state about to be restored after the captivity4 ,it does not need much argument to show that this mode of interpretation is erroneous4 ,the temple which the remnant built does in no way whatever correspond with the magnificent structure which ,ezekiel beheld in his vision4 ,the fact is1 if this temple is a literal building 7as it assuredly is7 it has never yet been erected4 ,furthermore1 it is distinctly stated that the glory of the ,lord returned to the temple and made ,his dwelling place there1 the same glory which ,ezekiel had seen departing from the temple and from ,jerusalem4 ,but the glory did not return to the second temple4 ,no glory cloud filled that house4 ,and furthermore no high priest is mentioned in the worship of the temple ,ezekiel describes1 but the ,jews after their return from ,babylon had high priests again4 ,nor can the stream of healing waters flowing from the temple as seen by ,ezekiel be in any way applied to the restoration from the ,babylonian captivity4 ,expositors who follow this mode of interpretation claim that all has been fulfilled and that there is nothing in store for ,israel in the future4 ,it is the most superficial method and totally wrong4 #b4 ,another interpretation claims that the whole vision sprang from the imagination of the prophet4 ,that all is an ideal description of something which the expositor himself is unable to define4 ,this mode of interpretation needs no further mention and answer4 #c4 ,the third interpretation of these chapters is the allegorical which spiritualizes everything and claims that the ,christian church1 its earthly glory and blessing1 is symbolically described by the prophet4 ,this is the weakest of all and yet the most accepted4 ,but this theory gives no exposition of the text1 is vague and abounds in fanciful applications1 while the greater part of this vision is left unexplained even in its allegorical meaning1 for it evidently has no such meaning at all4#cf #cf ,what strange applications have been made of this vision6 ,we quote from the ,new ,century ,bible which says concerning this temple3 ,its details shed a light nowhere else vouchsafed to us upon the ideals of ,hebrew art1 influenced perhaps1 by ,babylonian masterpieces1 yet entirely national and ,puritan2 and they embody in material form ,ezekiel's sober but intense conception of religion1 as completely as the ,gothic cathedrals translate into concrete and abiding stone and marble the soaring visions of mediaeval ,christianity4767 ,the true interpretation is the literal one which looks upon these chapters as a prophecy yet unfulfilled and to be fulfilled when ,israel has been restored by the ,shepherd and when ,his glory is once more manifested in the midst of ,his people4 ,the great building seen in his prophetic vision will then come into existence and all will be accomplished4 ,but while we are sure of the strictly future fulfillment of this final vision1 the many details which abound in these chapters can hardly be fully interpreted as to their meaning4 ,much is obscure4 ,that all has a deeper meaning we do not doubt2 and here and there we shall offer suggestions1 but many things we shall have to pass over4 ,before we turn to the text and open up the contents of these chapters1 a telescopic view of the whole section is in order and will be helpful in our further studies4 ,we call attention first to the three main divisions4 ,i4 ,the ,description of the ,temple4 ,chapters xl-xlii4 ,,ii4 ,the ,temple ,worship4 ,chapters xliii-xlvi4 ,,iii4 ,the ,vision ,concerning the ,land4 ,chapters xlvii-xlviii4 ,generally these eight chapters are called ,the ,temple ,vision2 but there is much more than the vision of a future temple4 ,we shall see next the contents of these chapters4 ,i4 ,the ,description of the ,temple4 ,chapters xl-xlii4 ,chapter xl4 #a4 ,the ,introduction4 ,verses #a-d4 #b4 ,the ,gate toward the ,east4 ,verses #e-af4 #c4 ,the ,outer ,court4 ,verses #ag-bg4 #d4 ,the ,inner ,court4 ,verses #bh-cg4 #e4 ,the ,tables for the ,offerings and the ,chambers for the ,inner ,court4 ,verses #ch-dg4 #f4 ,the ,porch of the ,house4 ,verses #dh-di4 ,chapter xli4 #a4 ,the ,holy ,place4 ,verses #a-b4 #b4 ,the ,most ,holy4 ,verses #c-d4 #c4 ,the ,side ,chambers4 ,verses #e-aa4 #d4 ,the ,hinder ,buildings and the ,measurement4 ,verses #ab-ad4 #e4 ,description of the ,interior of the ,temple4 ,verses #ae-bf4 ,chapter xlii4 #a4 ,the ,priest's ,chambers in the ,inner ,court4 ,verses #a-ad4 #b4 ,the ,final ,measurements4 ,verses #ae-bj4 ,,ii4 ,the ,temple ,worship4 ,chapters xliii-xlvi4 ,chapter xliii4 #a4 ,the ,return of the ,glory of the ,lord and ,filling the ,house4 ,verses #a-i4 #b4 ,the ,address to the ,nation4 ,verses #aj-ab4 #c4 ,the ,dimensions of the ,altar4 ,verses #ac-ag4 #d4 ,the ,offerings to be ,brought4 ,verses #ah-bg4 ,chapter xliv4 #a4 ,the ,outward ,eastern ,gate for the ,prince4 ,verses #a-c4 #b4 ,the ,charge concerning the ,strangers and the ,rebellious ,tribes4 ,verses #d-ad4 #c4 ,the ,charge concerning the ,priests1 the ,sons of ,zadok4 ,verses #ae-bg4 #d4 ,the ,inheritance of the ,priests4 ,verses #bh-ca4 ,chapter xlv4 #a4 ,the ,portions of the ,priests1 the ,levites1 of the whole ,house of ,israel and the ,prince4 ,verses #a-h4 #b4 ,concerning the ,prince4 ,verses #i-ag4 #c4 ,the ,feast of ,passover and the ,feast of ,tabernacles4 ,verse #ah-be4 ,chapter xlvi4 #a4 ,the ,worship of the ,prince4 ,verses #a-h4 #b4 ,further ,instruction as to ,worship4 ,verses #i-ae4 #c4 ,concerning the ,prince1 his ,sons and his ,servants4 ,verses #af-ah4 #d4 ,a ,final ,description of places in the ,temple4 ,verses #ai-bd4 ,,iii4 ,the ,vision concerning the ,land4 ,chapters xlvii-xlviii4 ,chapter xlvii4 #a4 ,the ,waters of ,healing from the ,temple4 ,verses #a-ab4 #b4 ,borders of the ,land4 ,verses #ac-ba4 #c4 ,concerning the ,stranger in the land4 ,verses #bb-bc4 ,chapter xlviii4 #a4 ,the ,portion of the ,seven ,tribes4 ,verses #a-g4 #b4 ,the ,oblation for the ,sanctuary1 for the ,city and for the ,prince4 ,verses #h-bi4 #c4 ,the ,gates of the ,city and its new ,name4 ,verses #cj-ce4 ,,the ,,temple ,,vision4 ,chapter xl4 ,the ,temple vision is first recorded and the opening verses form the introduction4 ,i4 ,the ,introduction to the ,temple ,vision4 ,in the five and twentieth year of our captivity1 in the beginning of the year1 in the tenth day of the month1 in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten1 in the selfsame day the hand of the ,lord was upon me1 and brought me thither4 ,in the visions of ,god brought he me into the land of ,israel1 and set me upon a very high mountain1 by which was as the frame of a city on the south4 ,and he brought me thither1 and1 behold1 there was a man1 whose appearance was like the appearance of brass1 with a line of flax in his hand1 and a measuring reed2 and he stood in the gate4 ,and the man said unto me1 ,son of man1 behold with thine eyes1 and hear with thine ears1 and set thine heart upon all that ,i shall shew thee2 for to the intent that ,i might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither3 declare all that thou seest to the house of ,israel 7verses #a-d74 ,the time of the vision is first given by the prophet4 ,it was in the fourteenth year after ,jerusalem had been smitten1 which would make the date #egb ,b4 ,c4 ,the beginning of the year is mentioned4 ,in the ,hebrew a word is employed 7,rosh hashanah7 which is not used again in the ,old ,testament4 ,in ,exodus xii we read this month shall be unto you the beginnings of months1 it shall be the first month of the year to you4 7,abib or ,nisan47 ,some expositors claim that the beginning of the year in ,ezekiel's vision was in the month of ,nisan commemorating the ,passover4 ,but it may mean the seventh month 7,september-,october7 the feast of trumpets from which the ,jews reckon the new year1 and the first day of the month would be the day of atonement4 ,we incline to the latter view4 ,both the feast of trumpets and the day of atonement foreshadow the regathering of ,israel and the forgiveness of their sins4 ,and when that has come then1 and not before1 ,ezekiel's glory vision will be accomplished in the land4 ,we also read in ,lev4 xxv3#i3 ,then shalt thou cause the trumpet of jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month1 in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout your land4 ,it will be the time of ,israel's jubilee when this temple1 ,ezekiel beheld1 will be erected in their land4 ,once more the hand of the ,lord rested upon the prophet4 ,it is the seventh time that this happened to ,ezekiel1 and not again after this4 7,see chapters4 i3#c1 iii3#ad-bb1 vii3#a1 xxxiii3#bb1 xxxvii3#a1 xl3#a47 ,in the visions of ,god the prophet was brought into the land of ,israel1 which is conclusive evidence that the vision he is about to receive concerns the people ,israel and not1 as the spritualizing1 allegorical school of interpreters claim1 the church4 ,ezekiel knew nothing whatever of the church and therefore not a line of all his prophecies could intelligently be applied to the church of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,he finds himself upon a very high mountain2 towards the south he noticed the frame 7or building7 of a city4#cg ,the high mountain is1 no doubt1 the mountain frequently mentioned in the prophetic ,word4 ,and it shall come to pass in the last days1 that the mountain of the ,lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains1 and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it 7,isaiah ii3#b74 ,beautiful for situation1 the joy of the whole earth1 is mount ,zion1 on the sides of the north the city of the great ,king 7,ps4 xlviii3#b74 ,it is the place of ,his rest 7,ps4 cxxxii3#ad71 where the ,king is enthroned 7,ps4 ii74 #cg ,may also be translated and set me upon a very high mountain1 and upon it was as the building of a city1 on the south4 ,it will be upon that exalted mountain4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then appeared in the vision the man with the line of flax and the measuring reed4 ,zachariah beheld such a man with a measuring line in his hand to measure ,jerusalem 7,zech4 ii3#ac74 ,in ,rev4 xxi3#ae we read of the heavenly ,jerusalem1 that wonderful city1 and he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof4 ,and then follows the measurement of the city4 ,the one who measured in ,revelation was an angel and the measure was that of an angel4 ,we shall make1 when we come to the measurement itself1 a brief comparison between the measure mentioned by ,ezekiel and the measure of the city in ,revelation4 ,and the man with the measuring reed stood in the gate4 ,he addressed the prophet once more as ,son of ,man4 ,he was to give attention to all4 ,his eyes were to see1 his ears to hear1 he should set his heart upon all that would be shown unto him and declare it to the house of ,israel4 ,,ii4 ,the ,eastern ,gate4 ,and behold a wall on the outside of the house round about1 and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth2 so he measured the breadth of the building1 one reed1 and the height1 one reed4 ,then came he unto the gate which looked toward the east1 and went up the stairs thereof1 and measured the threshold of the gate which was one reed broad2 and the other threshold of the gate1 which was one reed broad4 ,and every little chamber was one reed long1 and one reed broad2 and between the little chambers were five cubits2 and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed4 ,he measured also the porch of the gate within1 one reed4 ,then measured he the porch of the gate1 eight cubits2 and the posts thereof1 two cubits2 and the porch of the gate was inward4 ,and the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side1 and three on that side2 they three were of one measure2 and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side4 ,and he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate1 ten cubits2 and the length of the gate1 thirteen cubits4 ,the space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side1 and the space was one cubit on that side2 and the little chambers were six cubits on this side1 and six cubits on that side4 ,he measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another2 the breadth was five and twenty cubits1 door against door4 ,he made also posts of threescore cubits1 even unto the post of the court round about the gate4 ,and from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits4 ,and there were narrow windows to the little chambers1 and to their posts within the gate round about1 and likewise to the arches2 and windows were round about inward2 and upon each post were palm trees 7verses #e-af74 ,the house mentioned is the whole building of the ,temple4 ,a wall was round about the building4 ,a wall is also mentioned in chapter xlii3#bj which had a length of five hundred reeds and a breadth of five hundred reeds4 ,the purpose of that wall is stated to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common4 ,this wall of five hundred is not identical with the wall in the beginning of the vision as mentioned in verse #e4 ,the wall here surrounded the outer court2 the wall in chapter xlii3#bj surrounds the whole temple area4 ,that is why the separation between the holy and the common is spoken of with that wall4 ,the length of the great wall which enclosed all the ,temple area is not given4 ,but the man in the vision measures the breadth and the height1 and as the reed is six cubits we have #bx#f 7breadth six cubits and height six cubits71 which gives us the number #ab4 ,so we meet the number #ab1 the symbol of divine government on the threshold of this vision4 ,how prominent the number #ab is in the description of the heavenly ,jerusalem in the last book of the ,bible 7,rev4 xxi7 is known to every reader of that book4 ,the wall there has #ab gates and #ab foundations and is #abx#ab cubits high1 that is #add cubits4 ,all is perfection in that heavenly ,jerusalem4 ,here in ,ezekiel we have the description of the earthly sanctuary which will be in existence during the millennium4 ,while in ,revelation the one who measures is an angel with a golden reed1 it is a man in ,ezekiel and the cubit he uses 7the length of the human forearm from the elbow to the tip of the little finger7 has a handbreadth added4 ,the eastern gate1 the little chambers1 the porch1 etc4--everything is measured4 ,the lesson is that even to the details everything is here by divine appointment4 ,if the reed mentioned frequently is taken as six cubits we have in the measure the number #ab several times4 ,every little chamber 7guard houses7 was one reed long 7six cubits7 and six cubits broad--twice #f--ab4 ,that all this must have a deeper meaning we doubt not2 and yet who can at this time give it to us in full8 ,these instructions will be literally followed and carried out in the coming day of ,israel's restoration4 ,in these verses we find the wall and its construction1 surrounding the outer court of this future temple described4 ,three gates were seen by the prophet in this wall--an ,eastern gate1 a ,northern gate 7verse #aj7 and a ,southern gate 7verse #bd74 ,the ,west side of the wall has no gate4 ,as we learn later the returning glory of the ,lord will enter the temple by the ,eastern gate4 ,seven steps lead up to these gates4 ,seven is the number of divine perfection and accomplishment4 ,these gates must not be thought of as mere openings in the wall2 they are gateways forming separate buildings which project into the outer court to a distance of fifty cubits with a breadth of twenty-five cubits4 ,on both sides of these gateways the prophet saw six little chambers1 three on each side1 and each six cubits square4 ,there has been much speculation as to the possible use of these little chambers and their meaning4 ,the ,hebrew word used here is the same as in #a ,kings xiv3#bh1 translated in this passage guard-chamber4 ,this may be the purpose of these chambers in the gateway building of this first wall4 ,this seems to be confirmed by chapter xliv3#aa and #ad1 which speaks of the ,levites having charge of the gates of the house1 so that in all probability these guard-chambers will be in charge of the ,levites4 ,let us also notice the prominence of the numbers three and twelve4 ,there are #bx#c guard-chambers in each gateway both in the outer court and also in the inner court4 ,this gives us thirty-six guard-chambers1 or #cx#ab4 ,the number three means symbolically fullness1 a divine fullness1 and twelve stands for divine sovereignty and government4 ,three times twelve means1 therefore1 divine fullness in sovereign power and government4 ,god ,himself will be the guardian and protector of this millennial sanctuary of ,his earthly people4 ,mention is made also of a porch in connection with each gateway4 ,this porch of the gate is inward1 and it must be thought of in the form of a hall4 ,such a porch-hall is mentioned in the architecture of ,solomon's temple 7#a ,kings vi3#c2 #b ,chron4 iii3#d2 see also ,joel ii3#ag74 ,these vestibule halls are the termination of the gateway leading into the outer court itself4 ,the porch-hall of the significant ,eastern gate is reserved for the ,prince4 ,he enters by way of the porch of that gate and goes out the same way 7chapter xliv3#c74 ,and there is a door for each gate1 for we read that the ,east gate was to be shut 7xliv3#a-b74 ,the door at the termination of the gateway is mentioned in verse #aa4 ,the width of the doorway is ten cubits and the height of the door itself thirteen cubits--#ajx#c4 ,the number ten signifies responsibility1 and three1 as already stated1 is symbolical of divine fullness4 ,then posts were seen by the prophet4 ,each gateway had two posts and each post is two cubits thick and sixty cubits high 7verses #i1 #ad74 ,critics have declared that the given dimension of sixty cubits is impossible4 ,we do not know why this should be declared impossible4 ,some critics have said that the man could not have measured these sixty cubits2 but the word measure is not used at all4 ,the windows of the little chambers will be closed windows4 ,upon the posts were palm trees4 ,these palm trees were ornamental and artificial 7xl3#ah74 ,that palms are prominent in this millennial temple1 crowning first of all the high posts1 which towered above all1 so that the palms were seen1 is not without significance4 ,palms are the symbols of victory4 ,branches of palm trees were also used during the celebration of the feast of tabernacles1 which dispensationally foreshadows the millennial age of blessing and glory4 ,and that is why palms are lifted high above everything on the gateway pillars of the wall surrounding the outer court4 ,the time of blessing1 victory1 peace and glory has come4 ,we follow the prophet now into the inner court4 ,this court is smaller1 exactly one hundred cubits square 7verse #dg74 ,in the center of this four square court stands the great altar1 eighteen cubits square and twelve cubits high 7chap4 xliii3#ac-ag74 ,west of this great altar is a higher terrace upon which the temple itself stands4 ,the approach to this inner court is also through three gates corresponding to the three gates in the wall surrounding the outer court4 ,we must notice1 however1 that there are eight steps in connection with the gateways leading into this inner court1 while the gateways leading into the outer court had only seven steps4 ,the number eight is symbolical of the new covenant and the new creation4#ch ,this great place of worship1 by these eight steps1 which lead to the interior1 has the mark of the new age1 the age when all things are made new4 ,these gateways have also the little chambers like in the gateways of the outer court4 ,the prophet in his vision entered by the ,south gate2 then he came next to the ,east gate 7verse #cb71 and finally to the ,north gate 7verse #ce72 and these three gateways had their arches1 posts and palm trees upon the posts4 ,all is symmetrical4 ,these three gateways are seen in line with the gateways of the outer court1 but the porches were not towards the inside1 but at the other end next to the outer court4 ,in measurement and everything else they correspond to the gateways leading into the outer court4 #ch ,seven days the priests had to take in their consecration2 on the eighth day they entered upon their work4 ,circumcision was practised on the eighth day1 symbolical of the death of ,christ and the putting off of the body of the flesh 7,col4 ii3#a71 the entrance into the new creation4 ,on the eighth day ,christ was transfigured and the transfiguration is a type of ,his coming into the kingdom4 ,the eighth psalm shows ,him the head of the new creation1 with all things under ,his feet4 ,the description of the great altar which stands in the middle of the inner court is given later2 we shall follow it when we come to the text4 ,the sacrifices are to be brought in this inner court and therefore we find next the sacrificial tables mentioned on which the burnt offering1 the sin offering and the trespass offering will be slain4 ,two tables were in the porch of the gate on this side and two on the other side4 ,then at the steps of the gate on both sides were two tables1 four tables on the one side and four on the other4 ,in all there are eight tables whereupon to slay sacrifices4 ,besides these1 there are four smaller tables of hewn stone1 especially for the burnt offering1 whereupon they also lay the instruments used in slaying the sacrifices4 ,this gives #cx#d tables--twelve which are grouped on both sides of the steps1 along the sides of the gateway and in the porch4 ,on these tables the sacrifices are slain1 washed and otherwise prepared and the smaller tables are for the instruments4 ,are these twelve tables only at one gate or at all the gates8 ,there is reason to believe that each of the gateways leading to the inner courts is furnished with these sacrificial tables4 ,if this is correct we have again the significant numbers and combination #cx#ab1 corresponding to the guard-chambers at the three gateways1 which also are #cx#ab4 ,besides the chambers and the entries to the gates where they washed the sacrifices 7verse #ch7 there are without the inner gate chambers at each gate for the singers and the priests 7verses #dd-df7 who are the keepers of the house4 ,these chambers were evidently detached from the gateways and yet near by4 ,no measurement of these chambers is given4 ,the inner court itself was a hundred cubits square2 in the outer was the great altar4 ,v4 ,the ,vestibule of the ,temple4 ,and he brought me to the porch of the house1 and measured each post of the porch1 five cubits on this side1 and five cubits on that side3 and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side1 and three cubits on that side4 ,the length of the porch was twenty cubits1 and the breadth eleven cubits2 and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it3 and there were pillars by the posts1 one on this side1 and another on that side4 ,these closing verses of this chapter introduce us to the temple building4 ,the prophet is brought in vision to the porch of the house4 ,the vestibule in which the prophet finds himself is twenty cubits long and eleven cubits broad4#ci ,the number ten is here seen again two by ten4 ,the number of the steps leading up to the vestibule of the temple are not given4 ,besides the posts of the vestibule there are two pillars also1 one on each side of the entrance gate1 which remind us of the two pillars ,jachin and ,boaz in ,solomon's temple 7#a ,kings vii3#ba1 #de74 ,many of these details are obscure1 their deeper and symbolical meaning hidden4 ,it would be an easy matter to make all kinds of spiritual applications4 ,as to such applications one has well said1 ,we need a vigilant watch lest we pervert the holy ,word of ,god2 and ,i trust myself to be reticent rather than thus offend4 ,the construction the measurements and arrangement tell out divine perfection4 ,when at last this great millennial temple is erected in ,israel's land1 it will be a glorious witness for the ,lord and as the central place of earthly worship worthy of that coming age of peace and glory4 #ci ,the ,septuagint gives ten cubits instead of only eleven1 which probably is correct4 ,,the ,,holy ,,and ,,most ,,holy4 ,,the ,,side ,,building ,,and ,,the ,,interior4 ,chapter xli4 ,the man with the measuring reed had gradually introduced in the vision ,ezekiel to the outer wall and outer and inner court of this great future temple4 ,the chambers1 posts1 gateways1 sacrificial tables1 etc41 were all described in detail and so the prophet was brought into the temple vestibule 7xl3#dh-di7 to be led on into the temple itself4 ,he beholds now the ,holy place1 the ,most ,holy1 the side buildings1 the hinder buildings and the interior of the temple4 ,i4 ,the ,holy ,place and the ,most ,holy4 ,afterward he brought me to the temple1 and measured the posts1 six cubits broad on the one side1 and six cubits broad on the other side1 which was the breadth of the tabernacle4 ,and the breadth of the door was ten cubits2 and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side1 and five cubits on the other side3 and he measured the length thereof1 forty cubits3 and the breadth1 twenty cubits4 ,then went he inward1 and measured each post of the door1 two cubits2 and the door1 six cubits2 and the breadth of the door1 seven cubits4 ,so he measured the length thereof1 twenty cubits2 and the breadth1 twenty cubits1 before the temple3 and he said unto me1 ,this is the most holy place 7verses #a-d47 ,,iii4 ,the ,outer ,court4 ,then brought he me into the outward court and1 lo1 there were chambers1 and a pavement made for the court round about3 thirty chambers were upon the pavement4 ,and the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement4 ,then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without1 an hundred cubits eastward and northward4 ,and the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north1 he measured the length thereof1 and the breadth thereof4 ,and the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side2 and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate3 the length thereof was fifty cubits1 and the breadth five and twenty cubits4 ,and their windows1 and their arches1 and their palm trees1 were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east2 and they went up unto it by seven steps2 and the arches thereof were before them4 ,and the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north1 and toward the east2 and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits4 ,after that he brought me toward the south3 and behold a gate toward the south3 and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures4 ,and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about1 like those windows3 the length was fifty cubits1 and the breadth five and twenty cubits4 ,and there were seven steps to go up to it1 and the arches thereof were before them3 and it had palm trees1 one on this side1 and another on that side1 upon the posts thereof4 ,and there was a gate in the inner court toward the south3 and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits 7verses #ag-bg47 ,the man with the measuring line now leads the prophet into the outer court itself4 ,he had passed through the ,east gate and has now the vision of the outer court4 ,here again he beholds chambers4 ,the word used for chamber is a different word from the one used in verses #g1 #aj1 #ab1 #ac1 #af1 #ba1 #bi1 #cc and #cf4 ,the chambers of the outer court are no longer guard-rooms4 ,the word used here is found in #a ,sam4 ix3#bb1 which was not a small chamber by any means1 inasmuch as thirty persons could be accommodated4 ,the word is used later for the chambers in which the priests kept the tithes and offerings4 ,such chambers were in the temple of ,solomon4 ,in the millennial temple they probably will serve the same purpose4 ,then we read of a pavement made for the court round about4 ,it is a pavement of stones 7see #b ,kings xvi3#ag2 #b ,chron4 vii3#c2 ,esther i3#f--the same ,hebrew word is used in these passages74 ,this pavement1 probably in the form of a mosaic arrangement1 covers the entire outer court and of the chambers were thirty upon the pavement4 ,where are these chambers located8 ,are they together or scattered over the entire outer court8 ,we believe they will be located alongside of each gateway1 two on the side of the ,east gate1 two at the ,north gate and two at the ,south gate4 ,this seems to be the correct location1 for the prophet in having stepped through the gateway into the outer court sees these chambers first1 so that they must have been at the entrance gate4 ,the measurement follows and the ,north gate and ,south gate are described4 ,they compare in every way to the ,east gate1 each having its seven steps1 its little chambers 7guard-chambers7 its posts and palm trees4 ,,iv4 ,the ,inner ,court1 the ,sacrificial ,tables and the ,chambers4 ,and he brought me to the inner court by the south gate3 and he measured the south gate according to these measures2 ,and the little chambers thereof1 and the posts thereof1 and the arches thereof1 according to these measures3 and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about3 it was fifty cubits long1 and five and twenty cubits broad4 ,and the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long1 and five cubits broad4 ,and the arches thereof were toward the outer court2 and palm trees were upon the posts thereof3 and the going up to it had eight steps4 ,and he brought me into the inner court toward the east3 and he measured the gate according to these measures4 ,and the little chambers thereof1 and the posts thereof1 and the arches thereof1 were according to these measures3 and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about3 it was fifty cubits long1 and five and twenty cubits broad4 ,and the arches thereof were toward the outward court2 and palm trees were upon the posts thereof1 on this side1 and on that side3 and the going up to it had eight steps4 ,and he brought me to the north gate1 and measured it according to these measures2 ,the little chambers thereof1 the posts thereof1 and the arches thereof1 and the windows to it round about3 the length was fifty cubits1 and the breadth five and twenty cubits4 ,and the posts thereof were toward the outer court2 and palm trees were upon the posts thereof1 on this side1 and on that side3 and the going up to it had eight steps4 ,and the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates1 where they washed the burnt offering4 ,and in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side1 and two tables on that side1 to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering4 ,and at the side without1 as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate1 were two tables2 and on the other side1 which was at the porch of the gate1 were two tables4 ,four tables were on this side1 and four tables on that side1 by the side of the gate2 eight tables1 whereupon they slew their sacrifices4 ,and the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering1 of a cubit and an half long1 and a cubit and a half broad1 and one cubit high3 whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice4 ,and within were hooks1 an hand broad1 fastened round about3 and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering4 ,and without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court1 which was at the side of the north gate2 and their prospect was toward the south3 one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north4 ,and he said unto me1 ,this chamber1 whose prospect is toward the south1 is for the priests1 the keepers of the charge of the house4 ,and the chamber1 whose prospect is toward the north1 is for the priests1 the keepers of the charge of the altar3 these are the sons of ,zadok among the sons of ,levi1 which come near to the ,lord to minister unto him4 ,so he measured the court1 an hundred cubits long1 and an hundred cubits broad1 foursquare2 and the altar that was before the house 7verses #bh-dg74 ,the first two verses give the measurement of the ,holy part4 ,of the contents of this part1 how it was furnished1 nothing is said2 only the measurement is mentioned4 ,the place is forty cubits long and twenty cubits broad4 ,in this respect it corresponds to the temple of ,solomon in which the ,holy place had the same dimensions1 while the same part in the wilderness tabernacle was only twenty cubits by ten cubits4 ,we find therefore that the ,holy part in the temple of ,solomon and ,ezekiel's temple is double the size of the ,holy part of the tabernacle4 ,there is a door which leads from the vestibule into this ,holy place and at both sides are door posts1 six cubits broad on the one side and six on the other2 between these two posts is the door1 the breadth of which is ten cubits4#dj ,the number twelve is again in evidence in these two posts1 twice six4 ,inasmuch as the wall 7verse #e7 is six cubits thick these two posts are probably a part of the wall surrounding the temple4 ,later we receive the additional information that the waters issued from under the threshold of the house eastward1 the seer being at this door 7xlvii3#a74 #dj ,the words which was the breadth of the tabernacle are by some declared doubtful4 ,the ,septuagint has omitted them4 ,then the man went inward1 into the ,most ,holy4 ,this was a perfect square twenty cubits long and twenty broad4 ,let us notice that the prophet here does not enter the place1 for it is the ,most ,holy1 the dwelling place of ,jehovah4 ,the man entered in alone1 while the prophet remained outside4 ,there was a door six cubits high and seven cubits broad4 ,the breadth of the door leading into the ,holy part was ten cubits1 but the door leading into the ,most ,holy was seven cubits broad1 the number which denotes divine perfection4 ,the description of the interior of the temple is given in verses #ae-bf4 ,,ii4 ,the ,side ,buildings4 ,after he measured the wall of the house1 six cubits2 and the breadth of every side chamber1 four cubits1 round about the house on every side4 ,and the side chambers were three1 one over another1 and thirty in order2 and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about1 that they might have hold1 but they had not hold in the wall of the house4 ,and there was an enlarging1 and a winding about still upward to the side chambers3 for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house3 therefore the breadth of the house was still upward1 and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst4 ,i saw also the height of the house round about3 the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits4 ,the thickness of the wall1 which was for the side chamber without1 was five cubits3 and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within4 ,and between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side4 ,and the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left1 one door toward the north1 and another door toward the south3 and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about 7verses #e-aa74 ,he measured first the wall which surrounded the ,holy and the ,most ,holy part4 ,this wall was six cubits4 ,then there are side chambers4 ,such side chambers were also in the temple of ,solomon 7#a ,kings vi3#e74 ,there are three stories and each contains thirty chambers1 so there are ninety chambers in all4 ,these three stories with the ninety chambers surrounded the temple on its three sides1 the ,north1 ,west and ,south sides1 the ,east side being the vestibule and entrance into the temple2 no side chambers are found above this entrance4 ,these side chambers enter into the wall1 that they might have hold and still they have not hold of the wall itself4 ,in this also the temple corresponds to the arrangement of ,solomon's temple4 #a ,kings vi3#f explains the construction of these chambers3 ,on the outside he made rebatements in the wall of the house round about1 that the beams should not have hold in the wall of the house4 ,the side chambers in the ,solomonic temple were fastened on the house with timber of cedar 7#a ,kings vi3#aj74 ,this probably explains the meaning of the attachment of these three stories of chambers in ,ezekiel's temple4 ,the side chambers must therefore be considered as an addition to the wall itself which surrounds the ,holy and ,most ,holy4 ,we do not know what will be the use of these ninety chambers in the millennial temple4 ,the seventh verse shows that the stories of this addition to the wall1 containing the chambers1 have galleries round about4 ,and the gallery of the second story is broader than the gallery of the first1 and the gallery of the third is broader than the second story1 so that this annex broadens upward4 ,the expression winding about has led some of the few expositors of these chapters to identify with the winding stairs of the ,solomonic temple 7#a ,kings vi3#h72 but this is incorrect4 ,the text does not mention a staircase at all4 ,a better rendering of verse #h is3 ,and ,i saw that the house had an elevation round about1 the foundations of the side chambers1 a full reed1 six cubits to the joint4#da ,there was then a raised basement on the three sides of the temple and the six cubits correspond to the ten steps 7xl3#di7 marking the height of the elevation4 ,verse #i shows that the thickness of the wall1 which was for the side chambers without was five cubits1 besides this there was a free place along the building4 ,and between the chambers 7and the house7 was a width of twenty cubits round about the house on every side4 ,this afforded the proper light for these chambers4 ,and the entry of the side chambers was toward what was left free1 one entry toward the ,north1 and one entry toward the ,south2 and the width of the space left free was five cubits round about4 ,the side chambers were therefore entered from the outside4 #da i4 e41 ,to the level place where the side chambers begin4 ,,iii4 ,the ,hinder ,building--,the ,total ,measurement4 ,now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad2 and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about1 and the length thereof ninety cubits4 ,so he measured the house1 an hundred cubits long2 and the separate place1 and the building1 with the walls thereof1 an hundred cubits long2 also the breadth of the face of the house1 and of the separate place toward the east1 an hundred cubits4 ,and he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it1 and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side1 an hundred cubits1 with the inner temple1 and the porches of the court 7verses #ab-ae74 ,here a new building comes into view which is behind the temple building toward the ,west4 ,its dimensions are seventy cubits broad1 ninety cubits long and the wall is five cubits in thickness round about4 ,the use of this building is not stated4 ,its use is probably for the disposal of the refuse from the sacrifices and other unclean things4 ,no other description is given of this hinder building1 this separate place4 ,verses #ab and #ad give the total measurement of the house1 a hundred cubits1 which is the total of the previously given measures4 ,,iv4 ,the ,interior of the ,temple ,described4 ,the thresholds1 and the closed windows1 and the galleries round about on their three stories1 over against the door1 ceiled with wood round about1 and from the ground up to the windows1 and the windows were covered2 to that above the entry1 even unto the inner house1 and without1 and by all the wall round about within and without1 all was by measure4 ,and it was made with cherubim and palm trees1 so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub2 and every cherub had two faces2 so that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side1 and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side3 it was made through all the house round about4 ,from the ground unto above the door were cherubim and palm trees made1 and on the wall of the temple4 ,the posts of the temple were squared1 and the front of the sanctuary had the same appearance4 ,the altar was of wood three cubits high1 and the length thereof two cubits2 and the corners thereof1 and the length thereof1 and the walls thereof1 were of wood3 and he said unto me1 ,this is the table that is before the ,lord4 ,and the temple and the sanctuary had two doors4 ,and the doors had two leaves1 two turning leaves2 two leaves for the one door1 and two leaves for the other door4 ,and there were made on them1 on the doors of the temple1 cherubim and palm trees1 like as were made upon the walls2 and there was a wooden portal in front of the porch without4 ,and closed windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side1 on the sides of the porch1 and upon the side chambers of the house1 and the portals#db 7verses #af-bf74 #db ,corrected text4 ,from verse #af we learn that all was wainscoted with wood4 ,the altar was also of wood4 ,it is significant that silver and gold1 so prominent in the tabernacle in the wilderness and in ,solomon's temple1 are entirely absent in the millennial temple4 ,the words silver and gold are not mentioned once in ,ezekiel xl-xlviii4 ,silver typifies grace in redemption1 being the ransom money4 ,gold typifies divine righteousness4 ,both are absent in the millennial temple for what the silver and gold foreshadows is now realized in ,his redeemed earthly people4 ,the heavenly ,jerusalem has gold in it1 but silver is not mentioned in the description of the city in ,revelation xxi4 ,the chief ornaments in this temple are cherubim and palm trees2 they were along the wall of the temple4 ,so it was in the temple of ,solomon4 ,and he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers within and without 7#a ,kings vi3#bi74 ,a palm tree was between cherub and cherub4 ,as stated in the previous chapter palms are the emblems of victory and remind us of the feast of tabernacles4 ,they were seen high above on the posts4 ,cherubim speak of the presence of the ,lord1 who enters this house and is worshipped here4 ,but the cherubim here have only two faces and not four as in the opening vision of this book 7chapter i3#aj-ab74 ,as often stated1 these celestial beings tell out the ,lord ,jesus ,christ in ,his personal glory4 ,the lion1 ,his kingly glory2 the face of a man1 ,his true humanity2 the face of an ox1 ,his servant character2 and the face of an eagle4 ,his heavenly origin and destiny1 ,son of ,god4 ,it is not without meaning that the face of a man and the face of a young lion are seen on these cherubim and each face looks upon a palm tree4 ,its symbolical meaning is obvious4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ has come again and visited the earth and the temple and appeared as the glorified ,man and the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah4 ,his is the victory and the glory4 ,when at last this temple stands in ,israel's land1 and its meaning and measurements1 as well as other details1 are fully known and understood1 it will be known then that ,his blessed work1 victory and person are symbolically seen throughout this house4 ,the altar was of wood1 three cubits high and two cubits long4 ,and he said unto me1 ,this is the table which is before ,jehovah4 ,the altar is the altar of incense4 ,the burnt offering altar is described in chapter xliii3#ac1 etc4 ,in the tabernacle and ,solomon's temple the altar of incense was overlaid with gold4 ,note also the difference in the measurement4 ,the altar of incense in the tabernacle was two cubits high and one cubit long and broad2 the altar in the future temple is three cubits high and two cubits long1 nearly double in size4 ,the incense offered upon the altar is the symbol of the fragrance ,christ is to ,god4 ,it also typifies praise and prayer 7,ps4 cxli3#b2 ,rev4 v3#h2 viii3#c72 being communion with ,god it is here called the table which is before ,jehovah4 ,how great will be the fragrance of ,christ1 and the praise and worship ,god will receive1 in this great house of worship6 ,there were also two doors for the sanctuary with two turning leaves4 ,they were ornamented1 like the walls1 with cherubim and palm trees4 ,,the ,,cells ,,for ,,the ,,priests4 ,chapter xlii4 ,this chapter gives the description of the chambers or cells of the priests and closes with the final measurements of this temple4 ,after this1 as recorded in the next chapter1 the prophet beheld the return of the glory of the ,lord and how ,he entered the house4 ,i4 ,the ,description of the ,cells for the ,priests4 ,then he brought me forth into the outer court1 the way toward the north3 and he brought me into the cells that was over against the separate place1 and which was before the building toward the north4 ,before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door1 and the breadth was fifty cubits4 ,over against the twenty cubits which pertained to the inner court1 and over against the pavement which pertained to the outer court1 was gallery against gallery in three stories4 ,and before the cells was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward1 a way of one cubit2 and their doors toward the north4 ,now the upper cells were shorter3 for the galleries were higher than these1 than the lower1 and than the middlemost of the building4 ,for they were in three stories1 but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts3 therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground4 ,and the wall that was without over against the cells1 toward the outer court on the forepart of the cells1 the length thereof was fifty cubits3 ,for the length of the cells that were in the outer court was fifty cubits3 and1 lo1 before the temple were an hundred cubits4 ,and from under these cells was the entry on the east side1 as one goeth into them from the outer court4 ,the cells were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east1 over against the separate place1 and over against the building4 ,and the way before them was like the appearance of the cells which were toward the north1 as long as they1 and as broad as they3 and all their goings out were both according to their fashions1 and according to their doors4 ,and according to the doors of the cells1 that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way1 even the way directly before the wall toward the east1 as one entereth into them 7verses #a-ab74 ,once more the man leads forth the prophet4 ,the ,holy part and the ,most ,holy had been measured and described and now he leaves the innermost part and is led again into the outer court4 ,he goes on towards the ,north and faces a cell-building over against the separate place4 ,this separate place is the hinder building described in chapter xli3#ab4 ,there are three such cell-buildings1 one on the ,north and the other on the ,south2 that is1 facing the two sides of the hinder building in the separate place4 ,the third cell-building is at the ,east-gate4 ,the entrance to these cell buildings is from the outer court4 ,the measurement given presents considerable difficulty which we do not attempt to solve4 ,each of these buildings has three stories and before each is a walk of ten cubits4 ,we also learn that the upper story of cells is shorter than the first and second stories2 this corresponds in architecture to the side buildings described in chapter xli3#e-aa4 ,how many cells or chambers are in each of these buildings is not stated4 ,,ii4 ,for ,what the ,cells are ,used4 ,then said he unto me1 ,the north cells and the south chambers1 which are before the separate place1 they be holy cells1 where the priests that approach unto the ,lord shall eat the most holy things3 there shall they lay the most holy things1 and the meat offering1 and the sin offering1 and the trespass offering2 for the place is holy4 ,when the priests enter therein1 then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court1 but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister2 for they are holy2 and shall put on other garments1 and shall approach to those things which are for the people 7verses #ac-ad74 ,the cells on the ,north and ,south1 facing the separate place are especially mentioned as being holy chambers4 ,here the priests who approach unto the ,lord are to eat the most holy things and there they shall lay the most holy things1 the meal offering1 the sin offering and the trespass offering4 ,they were set apart for this purpose4 ,for this reason at the end of these two cell-buildings towards the west were the places where the offerings were boiled and the meal offering baked4 ,they were the kitchens of the priests4 ,of this we read in chapter xlvi3#ai1 #bj3 ,then he brought me through the passage which was at the side of the gate1 into the holy cells which were for the priests1 which looked toward the ,north2 and behold a place was there at the end westward4 ,and he said unto me1 ,this is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering and where they shall bake the meal offering1 that they bring them not out into the outer court1 so as to hallow the people4 ,in these chambers they put the garments of their ministry4 ,the priests are not to wear their holy garments outside of the inner court lest they should be profaned4 ,why these ,levitical ordinances are maintained in the millennial temple with a priesthood still ministering1 the purpose of all this1 we shall take up more fully in the exposition of the chapters which follow4 ,,iii4 ,final ,measurement4 ,now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house1 he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east1 and measured it round about4 ,he measured the east side with the measuring reed1 five hundred reeds1 with the measuring reed round about4 ,he measured the north side1 five hundred reeds1 with the measuring reed round about4 ,he measured the south side1 five hundred reeds1 with the measuring reed round about4 ,he measured the south side1 five hundred reeds1 with the measuring reed4 ,he turned about to the west side1 and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed4 ,he measured it by the four sides3 it had a wall round about1 five hundred reeds long1 and five hundred broad1 to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place 7verses #ae-bj74 ,the measuring of the inner house completed1 the prophet is led back to the starting point1 the gate that is toward the ,east4 ,in this final measurement four times five hundred reeds are mentioned4 ,the east side1 north side1 south side1 and west side1 each is measured as being five hundred reeds4 ,this passage has occasioned much controversy4 ,the question is if five hundred cubits or five hundred reeds is correct4 ,if we take the reed to be ten feet it would mean that the temple is five thousand feet on each side4 ,but that seems impossible in view of the previous measurement4 ,the ,septuagint translators realized this difficulty and took the liberty of changing the word reeds to cubits4 ,if cubits is right then it would agree with all the previous measurements1 hence many of the commentators have changed the reeds to cubits4 ,but what authority is there to make this change8 ,the ,hebrew word for reeds is gonim and cubit is ammah1 two entirely different words4 ,a copyist's error is therefore excluded4 ,we maintain that measurement is five hundred reeds and that the text is correct4 ,but what is measured8 ,certainly not the temple area with its wall1 outer court and ,holy and the ,most ,holy4 ,what is measured here is the territory which surrounds the whole temple buildings4 ,if we retrace the steps of the man who measured and led along ,ezekiel we see him leaving the ,most ,holy2 they then go back into the ,holy part1 the outer court and then passing through the eastern gate through which they had entered1 they are both outside of the outer wall4 ,they are now in a very large space surrounding the temple buildings1 and this space is measured4 ,furthermore we find that there was an immense wall surrounding this enclosure3 this wall separated between that which is holy and what is common 7verse #bj74 ,another difficulty has been mentioned by expositors if this measurement of five hundred reeds is correct4 ,they say it is far too large for ,mount ,moriah1 the chosen place of the temple4 ,there is no difficulty here at all1 for we read1 ,and it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the ,lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it 7,isa4 ii3#b74 ,when the ,lord returns and ,his ,kingdom will be established great physical changes take place in ,israel's land1 changes which no one can fully understand4#dc ,the mountain upon which this temple is to be built is a very high mountain1 which comes into existence when the earth and the heavens will be shaken4 ,the temple was a holy square of five hundred cubits1 in another square of five hundred reeds4 ,later we shall find that there is another holy portion of the land which surrounds the temple1 and the territory of five hundred reeds square1 and that portion was of an extremely large dimension1 that is1 twenty-five thousand reeds in length and ten thousand reeds in breadth4#dd ,all this would not be possible in the present ,palestine2 but it will be made possible through the changes of that coming day 7,is4 ii3#ab2 xxiv3#c-d2 #ai-bc74 #dc ,see ,zech4 xiv3#d1 #h1 #aj4 #dd ,chapter xlv3#a-b4 ,,the ,,returning ,,glory4 ,,the ,,altar ,,and ,,the ,,worship4 ,chapter xliii4 ,the plan of the entire temple with its buildings1 walls and the surrounding territory having been revealed and fully recorded in the preceding chapters1 greater things are now shown to the prophet4 ,it concerns the temple and the service which is to be maintained in this magnificent house of worship4 ,in the present chapter we find first a description of the return of the glory of the ,lord to the house1 filling the house4 ,this is followed by a message delivered by the ,lord2 speaking out of the house2 the message is addressed to the prophet1 who is also to speak to the house of ,israel concerning their condition and the law of the house4 ,the dimensions of the great altar are given and how that altar is to be consecrated4 ,this is the first great service in this temple4 ,i4 ,the ,return of the ,glory of the ,lord4 ,afterward he brought me to the gate1 even the gate that looketh toward the east3 ,and1 behold1 the glory of the ,god of ,israel came from the way of the east3 and his voice was like a noise of many waters3 and the earth shined with his glory4 ,and it was according to the appearance of the vision which ,i saw1 even according to the vision that ,i saw when ,i came to destroy the city3 and the visions were like the vision that ,i saw by the river ,chebar2 and ,i fell upon my face4 ,and the glory of the ,lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east4 ,so the spirit took me up1 and brought me into the inner court2 and1 behold1 the glory of the ,lord filled the house 7verses #a-e74 ,the man leads him back to the eastern gate through which they had entered first when the house was measured4 ,and here he beholds a startling event4 ,up to this point the house with it buildings had been seen in silent grandeur4 ,no sound was heard2 nothing was seen4 ,but as they stand at the gate toward the east1 suddenly the glory of the ,god of ,israel came from the way of the east4 ,then the voice of ,jehovah was heard as the sound of many waters and the earth shined with ,his glory4 ,the dedication of the house by the return of the ,lord with ,his glory is now to take place4 ,thus the tabernacle in the wilderness was dedicated 7,exodus xl3#cd-ce74 ,a cloud covered the tent of the congregation and the glory of the ,lord filled the tabernacle4 ,the same happened when ,solomon had finished the temple4 ,the cloud filled the house of the ,lord1 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud1 for the glory of the ,lord filled the house of the ,lord 7#a ,kings viii3#aj-aa2 #b ,chron4 v3#ac1 #ad2 vii3#a-c74 ,the ,lord with ,his glory entered into these prepared places and in like manner ,he will enter the great temple ,ezekiel beheld in his prophetic vision4 ,such a return of the glory of the ,god of ,israel to dwell in another temple has not yet taken place4 ,when the returned remnant after the proclamation of ,cyrus had rebuilt the temple1 no cloud filled the house nor was the glory of the ,lord seen4 ,some apply this vision to the time when our ,lord was on earth and that it was fulfilled when ,he entered the temple4 ,this needs no further refutation1 but it shows how much at sea expositors of the ,word of ,god are who reject the future restoration of ,israel4 ,when the ,lord was on earth ,he had laid ,his visible glory by and was rejected by the nation4 ,this vision of glory will be fulfilled when ,he returns the second time in power and glory2 then and never before will this visible glory be displayed and ,his glory will shine over ,israel's land and finally cover the earth as the waters cover the deep4 ,we must notice here especially that the vision the prophet beheld was according to the appearance of the vision he saw before the destruction of the city the visions were like the visions which he saw by the river ,chebar4 ,this points back to the first chapter when first by the river ,chebar the heavens were opened to ,ezekiel the priest1 and he saw visions of ,god4 ,at the close of that chapter we read after the recorded vision1 ,this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the ,lord4 ,the same vision of glory appeared again to him when ,ezekiel had left the river ,chebar and gone into the plain 7iii3#bb-bc74 ,then he had witnessed the gradual and solemn departure of the glory of the ,lord4 ,then the glory of the ,lord departed from off the threshold of the house1 and stood over the cherubim4 ,and the cherubim lifted up their wings1 and mounted up from the earth in my sight4444 ,they stood at the door of the east gate of the house of the ,lord1 and the glory of the ,god of ,israel was over them above 7x3#ah-ai74 ,then finally the ,shekinah went up and disappeared4 ,and the glory of the ,lord went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city 7xi3#bb74 ,the similarity of the departure of the glory of the ,lord from the temple before its destruction by ,nebuchadnezzar and its future return to the temple of ,ezekiel's vision is most interesting4 ,it is the same glory which departed1 which returns2 it is the same ,lord who resumes relationship with ,his earthly people4 ,the withdrawal of the visible glory of the ,lord meant the departure of ,his gracious presence from among ,his people1 which was followed by judgment4 ,the return of the visible glory means the return of ,his gracious presence among them and that the judgment1 which has lasted so long1 is forever gone4 ,the departure of the glory was through the east gate and was finally seen upon the mountain at the east side of the city2 the return is from the way of the east and the glory of the ,lord enters through the east gate4 ,but it is not only a visible glory1 but the ,lord ,himself is in the ,shekinah4 ,ezekiel beheld above the firmament and the cherubim1 when he saw the glory of the ,lord at the river ,chebar1 he heard ,his voice4 ,and here also ,his voice is mentioned like the sound of many waters4 ,from verses #f and #g we learn that after the glory had entered the house the ,lord addressed the prophet out of the house4 ,the ,lord ,himself in all ,his glory is manifested and enters the temple1 the place of ,his rest and glory4 ,the cherubim will be seen in person and from the ,new ,testament we learn that angels will be with ,him also4 ,his glory will then cover ,israel's land and the earth4 ,his glory covered the heavens1 and the earth was full of ,his praise4 ,and ,his brightness was as the light2 ,he had bright beams out of ,his side#de and there was the hiding of ,his power4 ,this is how ,habakkuk describes the same manifestation of the glory of the ,lord and the coming of the ,lord of glory 7see ,isaiah xl3#e2 lviii3#h2 lx3#a-b2 lxvi3#ah74 ,isaiah's great vision may be viewed as foreshadowing this manifestation of ,his glory4 ,he saw the ,lord sitting upon a throne and ,his train filled the temple4 ,the seraphim cried one unto another1 and said1 ,holy1 holy1 holy is the ,lord of hosts1 the whole earth is full of ,his glory4 ,and as the prophet was cleansed and his iniquity taken away and became the messenger of the ,lord 7,is4 vi71 so the nation ,israel will be cleansed and forgiven and become the messenger of ,jehovah4#df #de ,marginal reading4 #df ,such an application seems warranted in view of the message ,ezekiel received from the ,lord to the people 7verses #f-ab74 ,when the ,spirit had transported the prophet into the inner court of the temple1 he discovered that the glory of the ,lord filled the house4 ,we repeat it1 no such thing happened when the returned ,jewish remnant had entered the temple4 ,when the old men1 who had seen the ,solomonic temple and knew of its glory1 beheld the foundation of the second temple they wept 7,ezra iii3#ab74 ,when the house was dedicated no glory returned1 no cloud was seen1 no shekinah filled the house4 ,nor is it a spiritual glory1 the glory of the church1 as so many seem to believe4 ,but ,haggai1 who with ,zechariah prophesied during the rebuilding of the temple1 uttered a significant prophecy while that second house was building--a prophecy which must be linked with ,ezekiel's vision of the returning glory3 ,for thus saith the ,lord of ,hosts3 yet once it is a little while1 and ,i will shake the heavens1 and the earth1 and the sea1 and the dry land4 ,and ,i will shake all nations1 and the ,desire of all nations shall come1 and ,i will fill this house with glory 7,haggai ii3#f-g74 ,this was not the house they were building4 ,it is a future house1 a future temple4 ,that house will be built when the heavens and the earth are being shaken1 when all nations shake and when the ,desire of all nations1 the ,king of glory1 the ,prince of ,peace1 our ,lord comes4 ,then this house will be filled with glory4 ,it will be a visible glory4 ,it will be a permanent glory4 ,he will now dwell gloriously in the midst of the children of ,israel 7verse #g74 ,this visible glory will be seen over ,jerusalem1 like as it was of old1 a cloud by day and a shining1 flaming fire by night4 ,and ,jehovah will create over every dwelling place of ,mount ,zion1 and over its convocations a cloud by day and a smoke and the brightness of a flame of fire by night1 for over all the glory shall be a covering 7,is4 iv3#e74 ,,ii4 ,the ,voice from the ,temple and the ,message to ,israel4 ,and ,i heard one speaking unto me out of the house2 and a man stood by me4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 this is the place of my throne1 and the place of the soles of my feet1 where ,i will dwell in the midst of the children of ,israel for ever1 and my holy name1 shall the house of ,israel no more defile1 they1 nor their kings1 with their fornication1 and with the carcases of their kings in their high places4 ,in that they set their threshold by my threshold1 and their post by my post1 and there was only a wall between me and them1 they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed3 and ,i consumed them in mine anger4 ,now let them put away their fornication and the carcases of their kings1 far from me1 and ,i will dwell in the midst of them for ever4 ,thou son of man1 shew the house to the house of ,israel1 that they may be ashamed of their iniquities2 and let them measure the pattern4 ,and if they be ashamed of all that they have done1 shew them the form of the house1 and the fashion thereof1 and its goings out1 and its comings in1 and all its forms1 and all the ordinances1 and all the forms thereof1 and all the laws thereof3 and write it in their sight1 that they may keep the whole form thereof1 and all the ordinances thereof1 and do them4 ,this is the law of the house2 ,upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy4 ,behold1 this is the law of the house 7verses #f-ab74 ,the ,glory of the ,lord and the ,lord of ,glory had entered the house1 filling it2 and now the voice of one is heard out of the house4 ,the speaker is the ,lord ,himself1 who had made ,his dwelling place in the temple 7see also xlvi3#bj1 #bd2 xlvii3#f1 #h74 ,the man who stood by ,ezekiel did not speak1 as some expositors claim4 ,he is only guide to the prophet 7xliv3#a1 #d2 xlvi3#ai1 #ba74 ,he is probably not the same person1 who as the measuring man had accompanied the prophet1 for the ,hebrew is not the man stood by me1 but a man4 ,this person1 no doubt an angel1 is silent1 waiting till the ,lord has spoken and then leads the prophet from place to place4 ,the first word which the ,lord addressed to ,ezekiel from the house is significant3 ,son of ,man1 this is the place of my throne1 and the place of the soles of my feet where ,i will dwell in the midst of the children of ,israel forever4 ,of old the ,lord dwelt in the midst of the children of ,israel4 ,thus we read in the book of ,exodus1 the book of redemption3 ,i will dwell among the children of ,israel1 and ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall know that ,i am ,jehovah their ,god that brought them forth out of the land of ,egypt that ,i may dwell among them 7,ex4 xxix3#de1 #df74 ,and now after the long and sad history of ,israel's apostasy1 blindness1 judgment and dispersion is ended1 ,he comes to make ,his dwelling place in their midst again and establishes in ,jerusalem ,his throne4 ,here ,he will dwell and bless ,his people4 ,of this ,psalm cxxxii speaks1 ,this is my rest forever1 here will ,i dwell1 for ,i have desired it4 ,and other prophets announced that the ,lord would dwell in ,zion in the midst of ,his people and establish ,his throne there 7,joel iii3#ag1 #ba2 ,zech4 ii3#aj1 #aa2 viii3#c1 #h74 ,his rest then will be glorious 7,is4 xi3#aj74 ,when that time comes and the ,lord of ,glory has come back to earth again1 all the promised blessings for ,israel1 the nations and for all creation will be realized4 ,then ,his holy name will no longer be defiled and the nation will be ashamed of all their past history of rebellion and abomination4#dg ,the prophet is therefore commanded to set before the people the house in its measured pattern1 so that they might know what a gracious ,lord has prepared for them1 what ,he will yet do for ,his people4 ,it is to lead them to repentance1 to acknowledgement of their guilt and shame over their iniquities4 ,such will be the case in the day of their restoration when these things will be accomplished4 #dg ,the carcases of their kings may either mean that some of their idolatrous kings had been buried within the bounds of the ,solomonic temple1 or1 the word kings may refer to their idols1 which had dominion over them 7,is4 xxvi3#ac74 ,the latter may be the right meaning for the high place mentioned4 ,when this house on the top of the mountain is established all will be most holy4 ,his people will be righteous and holy and all ,jerusalem with this sanctuary will be holy unto the ,lord 7,zech4 xiv3#bj-ba74 ,this is the ,most ,holy of ,daniel's prophecy 7,dan4 ix7 to be anointed when the last prophetic week of seven years has expired4 ,,iii4 ,the ,measurement and the ,ordinances of the ,altar4 ,and these are the measures of the altar in cubits3 ,the cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth3 ,the bottom was a cubit1 and the breadth a cubit1 and its border thereof on the edge thereof round about shall be a span3 and this was the base of the altar4 ,and from the bottom upon the ground to the lower settle was two cubits1 and the breadth a cubit2 and from the small settle to the great settle four cubits1 and the breadth a cubit4 ,so the altar was four cubits2 and from the hearth of ,god and upward were four horns4 ,and the hearth of ,god was twelve cubits long1 twelve broad1 square in the four sides thereof4 ,and the settle was fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four sides thereof2 and the border about it half a cubit2 and the bottom thereof a cubit about2 and its steps shall look toward the east4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 thus saith the ,lord ,jehovah3 ,these are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it1 to offer burnt offerings thereon1 and to sprinkle blood thereon4 ,and thou shalt give to the priests the ,levites that be of the seed of ,zadok1 which approach unto me1 to minister unto me1 saith the ,lord ,jehovah1 a young bullock for a sin offering4 ,and thou shalt take of its blood1 and put it on the four horns of it1 and on the four corners of the settle1 and upon the border round about3 thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it4 ,thou shalt take the bullock of the sin offering1 and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house1 without the sanctuary4 ,and on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering2 and they shall purge the altar1 as they did purge it with the bullock4 ,when thou hast made an end of purging it1 thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish1 and a ram out of the flock without blemish4 ,and thou shalt offer them before ,jehovah1 and the priests shall cast salt upon them1 and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto ,jehovah4 ,seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering3 they shall also prepare a young bullock1 and a ram out of the flock1 without blemish4 ,seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it2 and they shall consecrate it4 ,and when these days are expired1 it shall be1 that upon the eighth day and so forward1 the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar1 and your peace offerings2 and ,i will accept you1 saith the ,lord ,jehovah 7verses #ac-bg74 ,the altar which is now described in its measurement1 was previously mentioned in chapter xl3#dg4 ,the altar according to this description1 is composed of four square layers 7probably stones7 one above another1 decreasing in extent and increasing in thickness2 the top is a square of twelve cubits4 ,this is called the altar hearth or the hearth of ,god4 ,the three words translated in the authorized version by altar are not the same in the original4 ,in verse #ac the word is mizbeach4 ,this word is used many times in the ,hebrew ,bible2 it means slaughter-place4 ,in verse #ae two words are used which are nowhere else found in connection with an altar4 ,the one is ,harel which means the mountain of ,god2 and the other ,ariel the meaning of this is different from ,ariel in ,isa4 xxix3#adh when it is used for ,jerusalem as the lion of ,god4 ,gesenius translated it the hearth1 and still better is the hearth of ,god4 ,upward from this hearth were four horns4 ,the ,septuagint gives the height of these horns as one cubit each4 ,while in ,exodus xx3#be steps are prohibited for the altar1 this altar has steps which look toward the east4 ,this great burnt offering altar1 standing in the center of the inner court before the house1 will be the central place of worship in this future temple4 #dh ,the word ,ariel as used in ,ezekiel has one more letter than the word in ,isaiah xxix4 ,the ordinances of this burnt offering altar in that future day are given to the prophet1 the ,lord ,jehovah addressing ,ezekiel as ,son of ,man4 ,burnt offerings will be brought upon it and blood sprinkled4 ,the priests1 the ,levites of the seed of ,zadok#di will minister unto the ,lord ,jehovah4 ,what is first described is a kind of consecration or dedication of this burnt offering altar1 after which the general sacrifices begin 7verse #bg74 ,first a young bullock is brought for a sin offering and the blood is applied to the altar and the four horns4 ,for seven days these offerings for purging and cleansing continue and with the eighth day the burnt offerings and peace offerings are to be made by the people4 #di ,zadok means just4 ,he was the successor of ,abiathar in the priesthood--the son of ,ahitub of the family of ,eleazar 7#b ,sam4 viii3#ag2 #a ,kings ii3#bg1 #ce74 ,but what do these ordinances mean8 ,here are priests again standing before an altar1 bringing bloody sacrifices1 burnt offerings1 sin offerings and peace offerings4 ,is this to be taken literally also8 ,some expositors have stated that all this had a meaning in the past and could only be true in connection with the second temple4 ,others attempt to read into it a spiritual meaning4 ,all1 or nearly all commentators think it inconceivable that such sacrifices could ever be brought again in a future temple4 ,those expositors who combat the premillennial coming of the ,lord and the literal restoration of ,israel1 consider the supposed impossibility of a satisfactory explanation of this part of ,ezekiel's visions1 the collapse of the premillennial argument4 ,sacrifices of bulls and goats were brought by ,israel in their past history2 the ,lord commanded ,his people to do this4 ,every ,christian knows that these sacrifices foreshadowed the work of ,christ1 ,his great sacrifice on the ,cross4 ,in themselves these sacrifices ,israel brought could not take away sins1 nor give rest to the conscience1 nor could they make the worshipper perfect4 ,the ,epistle to the ,hebrews demonstrates this fully4 ,all these sacrifices had a prospective character1 looking forward to the work of the ,cross4 ,and when the ,lamb of ,god died1 when ,his blessed lips uttered the never-to-be-forgotten words1 ,it is finished1 and ,god's hand rent the veil from top to bottom1 the prospective character of these sacrifices were forever ended4 ,the new and living way into ,god's presence1 into the ,holiest1 had been made by ,his blood4 ,during this age ,israel has no temple and all their ,levitical ordinances can no longer be practised by them4 ,as ,hosea declared they are without a sacrifice 7,hos4 iii3#d74 ,god1 during this age1 our present age1 which began with the rejection of ,christ by ,israel and ends with ,his ,return1 is gathering a heavenly people1 the church4 ,the church has for its worship no earthly place1 no temple1 but worships in spirit and in truth1 in a heavenly sanctuary4 ,there are no sacrifices1 priests1 altars1 in connection with the true church1 the body of ,christ4 ,christ is all4 ,he is the sacrifice1 the priest1 and the altar4 ,that the enemy has produced upon ,christian ground a ritualism which is aped after the ,jewish system and which denies as such the ,gospel and ,christianity1 is well known4 ,they have invented altars1 and sacrifices and priests4 ,this is the ,judaizing of the church1 the other ,gospel which is not another1 upon which the ,spirit of ,god has pronounced the curse of ,god 7,gal4 i74 ,the day is coming when the ,lord will deal in judgment with the apostate church which denies ,his ,son and ,his work1 while ,his true church will be taken to the place which ,he has prepared4 ,when the true church is no longer on earth and the apostate church is left behind to plunge into the great apostasy1 then the ,jews will partially be restored in unbelief4 ,when they get back to the land they will put up another temple in which they bring again bloody sacrifices4 ,these will be an abomination in the sight of ,god4 ,let us hear what ,isaiah reveals about this time3 ,thus saith the ,lord1 the heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool3 where is the house that ye will build unto me8 and where is the place of my rest8 ,for all those things hath mine hand made and all those things have been1 saith the ,lord4 ,but to this man will ,i look1 that is poor and of a contrite spirit1 and trembleth at my word4 ,he that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man2 he that sacrificeth a lamb1 as if he cut off a dog's neck2 he that offereth an oblation1 as if he offered swine's blood2 he that burneth incense1 as if he blessed an idol4 ,yea1 they have chosen their own ways1 and their soul delighteth in their abomination 7,isaiah lxvi3#a-c74 ,the entire last chapter of ,isaiah shows that the future is in view4 ,the ,jews have returned to their land and have resumed their ancient worship4 ,in their midst is also a believing remnant 7verse #e7 who suffer and are cast out4 ,the ,lord looking down from heaven and beholding the sacrifices they bring despises them1 for they are an abomination in ,his sight1 because they reject ,christ and ,his sacrifice4 ,this temple worship will be made possible by the coming prince1 the little horn of ,daniel vii1 who will make a covenant with the unbelieving portion of the nation4 ,in the middle of the last seven years 7,dan4 ix3#bf7 he will break that covenant4 ,then appears the beast out of the earth 7,rev4 xiii3#aa71 the false ,messiah1 and takes his place in that temple1 demanding divine worship1 claiming to be ,god 7#b ,thess4 ii74 ,at the end of the three and one-half years which constitute the great tribulation1 the ,lord is suddenly manifested4 ,of this ,isaiah speaks also4 ,the unbelieving ,jews sneer at the believing remnant3 ,let the ,lord be glorified6 ,the ,spirit of ,god gives them the assurance1 but ,he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed4 ,a voice of noise from the city1 a voice from the temple1 a voice of the ,lord that rendereth recompense to ,his enemies 7verse #f74 ,these words describe ,his manifestation4 ,after this comes the restoration of ,israel4 ,the apostates who worshipped the ,beast will be punished4 ,the temple ,ezekiel describes will then be built and ,israel is now at last the kingdom of priests and a holy nation 7,exod4 xix3#f74 ,the new covenant promised to them will then be ratified 7,jere4 xxxi3#ca-cd74 ,their great temple will be more than their place of worship2 it will be a house of prayer for all nations4 ,let us listen again to ,isaiah's great testimony4 ,the sons of the stranger1 that join themselves to the ,lord1 to serve ,him1 and to love the name of the ,lord1 to be ,his servants1 every one that keepeth the ,sabbath#ej from polluting it1 and taketh hold of my covenant2 even them 7,gentiles7 will ,i bring to my holy mountain1 and make them joyful in my house of prayer2 their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar2 for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people4 ,the ,lord ,god who gathereth the outcasts of ,israel saith1 ,yet will ,i gather others to him1 beside those that are gathered unto ,him 7,is4 lvi3#f-h74 ,all this has nothing to do with the church or the present dispensation of grace4 ,it is a prophecy of the kingdom1 the age to come1 the dispensation of the fullness of times4 #ej ,the sects1 like ,seventh ,day ,baptists1 ,adventists1 etc41 quote this passage4 ,they are utterly wrong for this has nothing whatever to do with the present age4 ,so let us understand that the millennial temple will be the great center of earthly worship during the reign of the ,king of ,kings4 ,in that temple sacrifices will be brought again4 ,the ancient worship of ,israel will be resumed and that in a way as ,israel never enjoyed it in the past4 ,to deny the literalness of these sacrifices does violence to the ,word of ,god4 ,ezekiel is not the only prophet who tells us of this4 ,one of the strongest passages is found in ,jeremiah4 ,speaking of the coming reign of ,christ1 ,jeremiah tells us1 ,in those days shall ,judah be saved and ,jerusalem shall dwell safely1 and this is the name wherewith she shall be called1 ,the ,lord our ,righteousness4 ,for thus saith the ,lord1 ,david shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of ,israel4 ,neither shall the priests1 the ,levites want a man before ,me to offer burnt offerings1 and to kindle meal offerings1 and to do sacrifice continually 7,jere4 xxxiii3#ae-ah74 ,why then should it be an impossible thing that literal sacrifices are brought again8 ,but what is the meaning and the purpose of these animal sacrifices8 ,the answer is quite simple4 ,while the sacrifices ,israel brought once had a prospective meaning1 the sacrifices brought in the millennial temple have a retrospective meaning4 ,when during this age ,god's people worship in the appointed way at ,his table1 with the bread and wine as the memorial of ,his love1 it is a retrospect4 ,we look back to the ,cross4 ,we show forth ,his death4 ,it is till ,he comes4 ,then this memorial feast ends forever4 ,never again will the ,lord's ,supper be kept after the ,saints of ,god have left the earth to be with the ,lord in glory4 ,the resumed sacrifices will be the memorial of the ,cross and the whole wonderful story of the redemption for ,israel and the nations of the earth1 during the kingdom reign of ,christ4 ,and what a memorial it will be6 ,what a meaning these sacrifices will have6 ,they will bring to a living remembrance everything of the past4 ,the retrospect will produce the greatest scene of worship1 of praise and adoration this earth has ever seen4 ,all the ,cross meant and the ,cross has accomplished will be recalled and a mighty ,hallelujah ,chorus will fill the earth and the heavens4 ,the sacrifices will constantly remind the peoples of the earth of ,him who died for ,israel1 who paid the redemption price for all creation and whose glory now covers the earth as the waters cover the deep4 ,and above in the ,new ,jerusalem1 where the throne of the ,lamb is1 the ,saints in glory sing their ,hallelujah 7,ps4 cxlix3#e74 ,i4 ,the ,outer ,eastern ,gate and the ,prince4 ,chapter xliv4 ,then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east2 and it was shut4 ,then said the ,lord unto me2 ,this gate shall be shut1 it shall not be opened1 and no man shall enter in by it2 because the ,lord1 the ,god of ,israel1 hath entered in by it1 therefore it shall be shut4 ,it is for the prince2 the prince1 he shall sit in it to eat bread before the ,lord2 he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate1 and shall go out by the way of the same 7verses #a-c74 ,in the previous chapter the prophet was in the inner court 7xliii3#e74 ,it was there he heard the voice of the ,lord and received the message and saw the great altar and its ordinances4 ,from the inner court he is led back by the man to the eastern gate4 ,this gate he finds no longer open4 ,as they arrived it was shut4 ,the last time that gate was seen it was open1 and the glory of the ,lord entered through this eastern gateway4 ,the reason why this gate is to be shut is stated by the ,lord in ,his address to ,ezekiel4 ,then said the ,lord unto me2 ,this gate shall be shut1 it shall not be opened1 and no man shall enter in by it2 because the ,lord1 the ,god of ,israel1 hath entered in by it1 therefore shall it be shut4 ,the ,lord who entered with ,his glory is the ,son of ,god1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and here ,his full glory is made known4 ,he is the ,lord1 the ,god of ,israel1 ,he whose goings forth have been from of old1 from everlasting 7,micah v3#b74 ,the gate is now to serve another purpose4 ,it is for the prince2 the prince1 he shall sit in it to eat bread before the ,lord2 he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate1 and shall go out by the way of the same4 ,who is this prince8 ,some say that this prince is the ,lord ,himself4 ,our ,lord is repeatedly called a prince 7,isaiah ix3#f1 #g1 lv3#dea2 ,dan4 ix3#be2 ,rev4 i3#e74 ,in chapters xxxiv and xxxvii ,messiah1 ,christ1 is meant by the ,one ,shepherd ,my servant ,david1 who will be ,king and ,prince over them4 ,but now in the closing chapters of this book a prince is mentioned seventeen times4 ,but not once is he spoken of as ,david or my servant ,david4 ,this prince is not the ,messiah1 our ,lord2 nor is he the high priest as others claim4 ,the best evidence that this prince is not ,christ is learned from the ordinances he is to observe as revealed in chapter xlvi1 where we read that he is to worship himself and that he must bring burnt offerings and peace offerings2 we also read of this prince having sons4 ,all this shows that the prince is not identical with the ,lord4 ,who is he then8 ,he is the viceregent of the ,king1 a future prince of the house of ,david1 who will represent the ,lord on earth4 ,david's throne will be established in ,jerusalem4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ will reign supreme over all2 ,his throne is above the earth in the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,he will visit the earth and manifest ,his glory as ,king of kings and ,lord of lords4 ,this probably will be during the great celebrations of the feast of ,tabernacles1 when the nations send their representatives to ,jerusalem to worship the ,king1 the ,lord of ,hosts 7,zech4 xiv3#af74 ,upon ,david's throne will sit this prince of ,david as viceregent4 ,the enemy anticipating this has counterfeited this vice-regency in the spurious claims of the ,roman pope4 #ea ,the ,hebrew word translated leader is prince4 ,this prince as the vice-regent1 has to enter by the way of the porch of the eastern gateway1 and he must also go out the same way 7see also xlvi3#b-h47 ,,ii4 ,concerning the ,strangers and the ,levites in ,relation to the ,temple ,worship4 ,then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house and ,i looked1 and1 behold1 the glory of the ,lord filled the house of the ,lord2 and ,i fell upon my face4 ,and the ,lord said unto me1 ,son of man1 mark well1 and behold with thine eyes1 and hear with thine ears all that ,i say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the ,lord1 and all the laws thereof2 and mark well the entering in of the house1 with every going forth of the sanctuary4 ,and thou shalt say to the rebellious1 even to the house of ,israel1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,o ye house of ,israel1 let it suffice you of all your abominations4 ,in that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers1 uncircumcised in heart1 and uncircumcised in flesh1 to be in my sanctuary1 to pollute it1 even my house1 when ye offer my bread1 the fat and the blood1 and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations4 ,and ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things3 but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,no stranger1 uncircumcised in heart1 nor uncircumcised in flesh1 shall enter into my sanctuary1 of any stranger that is among the children of ,israel4 ,and the ,levites that are gone away from me1 when ,israel went astray1 which went astray away from me after their idols3 they shall even bear their iniquity4 ,yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary1 having charge at the gates of the house1 and ministering to the house3 they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people1 and they shall stand before them to minister unto them4 ,because they ministered unto them before their idols1 and caused the house of ,israel to fall into iniquity2 therefore have ,i lifted up mine hand against them1 saith the ,lord ,god1 and they shall bear their iniquity4 ,and they shall not come near unto me1 to do the office of a priest unto me1 not to come near to any of my holy things1 in the most holy place2 but they shall bear their shame1 and their abominations which they have committed4 ,but ,i will make them keepers of the charge of the house1 for all the service thereof1 and for all that shall be done therein4 7verses #d-ad74 ,brought again through the north gate of the inner court1 the prophet is face to face with the glory of the ,lord which filled the house of the ,lord1 and ,ezekiel fell on his face4 ,then the ,lord addressed him4 ,he is to mark well what he sees and what he hears concerning the ordinances and the laws of the house of the ,lord4 ,the temple is now repeatedly called the house of the ,lord1 the place where ,his glory dwells1 exalted above the hills1 to which the nations shall come 7,isaiah ii3#b74 ,israel in this message is reminded of the past4 ,they were a rebellious house4 ,this was the burden of the opening messages of the prophet 7chapter ii1 etc474 ,but now all must be and will be different4 ,the abominations of the past1 the pollution of ,his house and all else will now be put away4 ,let it suffice you of all your abominations4 ,they will no longer be tolerated1 nor will converted ,israel backslide again4 ,he reminds them of their sinful past and of the demands of holiness for ,his house2 all abominations and failures will cease4 ,uncircumcised in heart and in flesh shall not enter into the sanctuary of the ,lord4 ,zechariah bears the same testimony3 ,in that day there shall be no more the ,canaanite in the house of the ,lord of hosts 7,zech4 xiv3#ba74 ,his people will then be holy2 their new birth has taken place1 the uncircumcised1 stony heart is taken away and ,his ,spirit is poured out upon them 7chapter xxxvi3#be-bg74 ,verses #aj-ad concern the ,levites2 they are to bear their iniquity and be degraded as to their office4 ,what ,levites are meant1 and when did they go away from the ,lord8 ,it cannot mean past generations of ,levites4 ,the offence must have been committed by them before the ,lord appeared in glory4 ,it must be explained by what happened among the people before the ,lord came1 during the days of the false ,messiah4 ,at that time ,israel will go far astray from the ,lord and turn again to idols4 ,in this apostasy the ,levites have a share4 ,they ministered unto them before their idols and caused the house of ,israel to fall into iniquity4 ,when the ,lord comes1 when their sins are forgiven and they are cleansed1 the ,lord will deal accordingly with these ,levites as announced in these verses4 ,they shall bear their iniquity for their unfaithfulness4 ,they shall not come near unto me1 to do the office of a priest unto me1 nor to come near to any of my holy things1 in the most holy2 but they shall bear their shame1 and their abominations which they have committed4 ,yet there will be service for them4 ,but ,i will make them keepers of the charge of the house1 for all the service thereof1 and for all that shall be done therein4 ,,iii4 ,concerning the ,priests1 the sons of ,zadok1 and their ,duties4 ,but the priests1 the ,levites1 the sons of ,zadok1 that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of ,israel went astray from me1 they shall come near to me to minister unto me1 and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood1 saith the ,lord ,god3 ,they shall enter into my sanctuary1 and they shall come near to my table1 to minister unto me1 and they shall keep my charge4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court1 and they shall be clothed with linen garments2 and no wool shall come upon them1 whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court1 and within4 ,they shall have linen bonnets upon their heads1 and shall have linen breeches upon their loins2 they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat4 ,and when they go forth into the outer court1 even into the outer court to the people1 they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered1 and lay them in the holy chambers1 and they shall put on other garments2 and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments4 ,neither shall they shave their heads1 nor suffer their locks to grow long2 they shall only poll their heads4 ,neither shall any priest drink wine1 when they enter into the inner court4 ,neither shall they take for their wives a widow1 nor her that is put away3 but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of ,israel1 or a widow that had a priest before4 ,and they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane1 and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean4 ,and in controversy they shall stand in judgment2 and they shall judge it according to my judgments3 and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies2 and they shall hallow my sabbaths4 ,and they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves2 but for father1 or for mother1 or for son1 or for daughter1 for brother1 or for sister that hath had no husband1 they may defile themselves4 ,and after he is cleansed1 they shall reckon unto him seven days4 ,and in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary1 unto the inner court1 to minister in the sanctuary1 he shall offer his sin offering1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,and it shall be unto them for an inheritance3 ,i am their inheritance2 and ye shall give them no possession in ,israel3 ,i am their possession4 ,they shall eat the meat offering1 and the sin offering1 and the trespass offering2 and every dedicated thing in ,israel shall be theirs4 ,and the first of all the first fruits of all things and every oblation of all of every sort of your oblations1 shall be the priests'3 ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough1 that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house4 ,the priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself1 or torn1 whether it be fowl or beast 7verses #ae-ca74 ,the sons of ,zadok kept the charge1 they were faithful when the children of ,israel went astray1 and the ,lord is now announcing the reward for their faithfulness4 ,the earthly priesthood as it was once is re-established and vested in the sons of ,zadok4 ,these are to come near unto ,jehovah and offer in ,his presence4 ,how they are to come in1 the garments they shall wear1 is made known to the prophet4 ,they are not to shave their heads1 neither shall any priest drink wine1 when they enter into the inner court4 ,they are forbidden to take for wives a widow or one that has been put away4 ,maidens of ,israel or a priest's widow they could marry4 ,all this will be literally fulfilled and done when this new and true worship is instituted in the coming age4 ,it has nothing whatever to do with our age4 ,no such special class of an earthly priesthood exists during this age of grace4 ,all believers constitute a holy and a royal priesthood2 the priests of ritualistic ,christendom are an invention4 ,but when the ,lord has restored ,israel to their land and this great place of worship stands1 priestly ministrations will be resumed4 ,neither will this be a denial of ,him who is priest forever after the order of ,melchizedec4 ,while the spurious1 man-made priesthood of this ,christian age denies the ,lord and ,his finished work1 the future priesthood ministering in the millennial temple will glorify ,him4 ,these priests will also be teachers and exercise judicial authority 7verses #bc-bd74 ,the law of defilement will be enforced1 though there will be less possibility of such defilement1 for death during the millennium will not be the rule as it is now1 but a rare and exceptional occurrence4 ,finally we read of the inheritance of the priests who minister before the ,lord4 ,i am their inheritance1 and ye shall give them no possession in ,israel2 ,i am their possession4 ,while many of these appointments in priestly ministry during the millennium are obscure to us who enjoy the heavenly things1 we may rest assured that the ,lord in ,his own time in that day will bring about the accomplishment of all ,he has spoken4 ,chapter xlv4 ,i4 ,the ,holy ,portion of the ,land for the ,sanctuary1 the ,priests1 the ,levites1 the ,city and the ,prince4 ,moreover when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance1 ye shall offer an oblation unto the ,lord1 an holy portion of the land3 the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds1 and the breadth shall be ten thousand4 ,this shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about4 ,of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length1 with five hundred in breadth1 square round about2 and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof4 ,and of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand1 and the breadth of ten thousand2 and in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place4 ,the holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary1 which shall come near to minister unto the ,lord3 and it shall be a place for their houses1 and an holy place for the sanctuary4 ,and the five and twenty thousand of length1 and the ten thousand of breadth1 shall also the ,levites1 the ministers of the house1 have for themselves1 for a possession for twenty chambers4 ,and ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad1 and five and twenty thousand long1 over against the oblation of the holy portion3 it shall be for the whole house of ,israel4 ,and a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion1 and of the possession of the city1 before the oblation of the holy portion1 and before the possession of the city1 from the west side westward1 and from the east side eastward3 and the length shall be over against one of the portions1 from the west border unto the east border4 ,in the land shall be his possession in ,israel3 and my princes shall no more oppress my people2 and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of ,israel according to their tribes 7verses #a-h74 ,the land possessed will be divided by lot for the inheritance of the people4 ,the special territorial division for the different tribes is recorded in the last two chapters4 ,they are to bring an oblation of the land which the ,lord so graciously restored unto them4 ,the word oblation is literally an heave-offering1 because when anything was offered to ,jehovah the offerer raised the hand4 ,the dimensions of the holy portion of the land are1 in length #be1jjj1 and in breadth #aj1jjj4 ,but what8 ,the ,hebrew has no definite measure4 ,the authorized version supplies the word reeds1 which seems to be correct in view of the statement in chapter xlii3#af4eb ,this is a very large territory1 a square of some sixty miles on each side4 ,the topography of ,palestine will be entirely changed in the coming age1 as we pointed out before4 ,the land is to be greatly enlarged1 while the temple-mountain will be highly exalted4 ,these changes will make all possible which we read in these closing chapters4 ,we must take these chapters in faith1 knowing that the omnipotent ,lord will accomplish all in his own time4 ,in the center of this large area1 the holy portion of the ,lord1 will be the sanctuary2 the measurement is given in verse #b4 ,around this the priests have their portion2 there they will have their houses4 ,the estate of the ,levites comes next2 the measurement is given1 and that they shall have for possession twenty chambers4 ,the ,septuagint has cities to dwell in1 habitations where they will reside4 ,this is undoubtedly the correct meaning4 ,then the measurement of the city is given1 which is for the whole house of ,israel4 ,finally the portion of the ,prince is recorded4 ,and the ,prince shall have his portion on the one side and on the other side of the holy oblation1 and of the possession of the city over against the holy oblation1 and over against the possession of the city1 from the west side westward1 and from the east side eastward2 and in length answering to one of the portions of the tribes from the west border unto the east border4 ,from this we learn that the estate of the ,prince consists of two halves1 the one on the west and the other on the east of the holy portion4 ,he stands as the head and ruler in closest connection with the sanctuary4 ,it is all a new order and will be brought about when the ,lord has come back1 and when ,israel is restored to the land4 ,they never possessed such a holy portion in the land1 nor such a sanctuary4 ,a spiritual application as to the ,church is impossible to make2 the literal interpretation is the only possible one which can be made4 #eb ,read our comment on this verse4 ,,iii4 ,exhortation ,addressed to the ,princes4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,let it suffice you1 ,o princes of ,israel3 remove violence and spoil1 and execute judgment and justice1 take away your exactions from my people1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,ye shall have just balances1 and a just ephah1 and a just bath4 ,the ephah and the bath shall be of one measure1 that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer1 and the ephah the tenth part of an homer3 the measure thereof shall be after the homer4 ,and the shekel shall be twenty gerahs3 twenty shekels1 five and twenty shekels1 fifteen shekels1 shall be your maneh#ec 7verses #i-ab74 #ec ,the sixtieth part of a talent1 about fifty shekels4 ,the princes who used to oppress the people1 shall no longer oppress 7verse #h74 ,they are to execute judgment and justice4 ,every measure is to be just4 ,the time has come when righteousness reigns4 ,he shall judge the poor of the people1 he shall save the children of the needy1 and shall break in pieces the oppressor 7,ps4 lxxii3#d74 ,no longer will the poor be down-trodden4 ,,iv4 ,the ,oblation for the ,prince and ,his ,offerings4 ,this is the oblation that ye shall offer2 the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat1 and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley3 ,concerning the ordinance of oil1 the bath of oil1 ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor1 which is an homer of ten baths2 for ten baths are an homer3 ,and one lamb out of the flock1 out of two hundred1 out of the fat pastures of ,israel2 for a meat offering1 and for a burnt offering1 and for peace offerings1 to make reconciliation for them1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,all the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in ,israel4 ,and it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings1 and meat offerings1 and drink offerings1 in the feasts1 and in the new moons1 and in the sabbaths1 in all solemnities of the house of ,israel3 he shall prepare the sin offering1 and the meat offering1 and the burnt offering1 and the peace offerings1 to make reconciliation for the house of ,israel 7verses #ac-ag74 ,what the ruling ,prince1 the vice-regent upon the throne of ,david1 is to receive from the people is stated in verses #ac-af4 ,the part of the ,prince is to give burnt-offerings1 meal offerings1 drink offerings1 at the different feasts and solemnities1 to make reconciliation for the ,house of ,israel4 ,no doubt all this has a retrospective value and meaning4 ,these sacrifices and offerings commemorate the one great sacrifice1 which is constantly and vividly kept in full view by these ceremonies4 ,v4 ,the ,two ,great ,feasts ,passover and the ,feast of ,tabernacles4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,in the first month1 in the first day of the month1 thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish1 and cleanse the sanctuary3 ,and the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering1 and put it upon the posts of the house1 and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar1 and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court4 ,and so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth1 and for him that is simple3 so shall ye reconcile the house4 ,in the first month1 in the fourteenth day of the month1 ye shall have the passover1 a feast of seven days2 unleavened bread shall be eaten4 ,and upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering4 ,and seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the ,lord1 seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days2 and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering4 ,and he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock1 and an ephah for a ram1 and an hin of oil for an ephah4 ,in the seventh month1 in the fifteenth day of the month1 shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days1 according to the sin offering1 according to the burnt offering1 and according to the meat offering1 and according to the oil 7verses #ah-be74 ,first stands the cleansing of the sanctuary on the first day of the first month4 ,the cleansing of the sanctuary therefore commences the year4 ,and this offering of a young bullock without blemish shows forth ,christ in ,his wonderful1 unblemished devotedness as ,he suffered once for sin4 ,the same sacrifice will be repeated on the seventh day1 and it is then especially for everyone that erreth and for him that is simple4 ,the precious blood of the ,lamb of ,god is thus constantly kept in remembrance4 ,two great feasts will be celebrated1 the ,passover and the ,feast of ,tabernacles4 ,these are the feasts of the ,millennium4 ,very significantly the feast of weeks1 that is ,pentecost1 is no longer mentioned4 ,dispensationally the ,feast of ,pentecost typifies the coming of the ,spirit of ,god1 to baptize believing ,jews and ,gentiles into one body4 ,pentecost ushered in this present age1 and during its course the ,holy ,spirit is on earth fulfilling ,his mission in calling from ,jews and ,gentiles a people for ,his name4 ,when this age closes with the great predicted events transpiring1 the ,spirit of ,god has finished the work for which ,he came4 ,the body of ,christ is taken home to glory and united with the ,head4 ,it is true the ,holy ,spirit will yet be poured out upon all flesh 7,joel ii3#bh7 but the dispensational aspect of ,pentecost is fulfilled and can have no such meaning in millennial times4#ed #ed ,the ,feasts of ,jehovah--,passover3 ,the ,cross and its work4 ,first ,fruits3 ,resurrection of ,christ4 ,pentecost3 ,the ,gift of the ,spirit and the calling of the ,church4 ,feast of ,trumpets3 ,the ,regathering of ,israel4 ,day of ,atonement3 ,israel's ,cleansing4 ,feast of ,tabernacles3 ,the ,millennium4 ,and how appropriate it is that only ,passover and the ,feast of ,tabernacles are celebrated by ,israel when the ,lord has come4 ,passover was first kept in ,egypt2 its precious meaning is well known to all ,christians4 ,redemption by blood1 so fully realized in the work of the spotless ,lamb of ,god1 is blessedly seen in the ,passover1 while the ,feast of ,unleavened ,bread reveals the purpose of redemption--redemption unto holiness4 ,israel observed this feast in the wilderness4 ,they celebrated it when they had come into the land2 then under ,hezekiah and ,josiah it was recovered4 ,during their long dispersion ,israel has not forgotten this feast4 ,though with judicial blindness upon them1 eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear1 the people keep once a year the ,passover4 ,longingly the orthodox ,jew looks towards the land of promise and repeats each ,passover night the pious wish ,this day here2 next year in ,jerusalem4 ,when the nation is regathered and the ,kingdom is established in their midst1 they will keep this ,feast anew4 ,what meaning it will then have6 ,what memories cluster around it6 ,how all their history will be recalled by that ,feast--started in ,egypt and consummated in the ,kingdom6 ,but the observance apart from the unleavened bread is different4 ,the ,prince and all the people on the fourteenth day of the first month are identified as they never were before1 in a single bullock for a sin offering1 while every day for seven days the ,prince prepares a complete burnt offering1 a sign of perfect consecration to the ,lord4 ,what praise the ,lord1 the ,lamb of ,god enthroned in glory1 and ,his glory covering the earth1 will receive in these yearly memorial feasts4 ,the ,feast of ,tabernacles is the second great feast4 ,it was kept by ,israel when the harvest and the vintage had taken place4 ,it foreshadows the ,millennium1 when the harvest and the vintage 7,rev4 xiv7 the end of the age is passed and the new age1 the age of glory1 has come2 the great ingathering has taken place and the prophetic meaning of the ,feast of ,tabernacles will be realized4 ,zechariah xiv3#af-ba tells us of its ,millennial celebration4 ,chapter xlvi4 ,i4 ,the ,worship of the ,prince4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,the gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days2 but on the sabbath it shall be opened1 and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened4 ,and the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without1 and shall stand by the post of the gate1 and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings1 and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate3 then he shall go forth2 but the gate shall not be shut until the evening4 ,likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the ,lord in the sabbaths and in the new moons4 ,and the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the ,lord in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish1 and a ram without blemish4 ,and the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram1 and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give1 and an hin of oil to an ephah4 ,and in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish1 and six lambs1 and a ram3 they shall be without blemish4 ,and he shall prepare a meat offering1 an ephah for a bullock1 and an ephah for a ram1 and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto1 and an hin of oil to an ephah4 ,and when the prince shall enter1 he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate1 and he shall go forth by the way thereof 7verses #a-h74 ,here another worship scene of the ,millennium is described4 ,the prominent eastern gate is to be closed during the six working days1 but on the ,sabbath it shall be opened1 as well as in the day of the new moon4 ,the ,sabbath and the new moon are prominent in the worship of the ,kingdom ,age4 ,the ,sabbath was a type of the coming rest for the people of ,israel4#ee ,this rest has now come4 ,their wanderings are ended1 they are gathered from the ,east and from the ,west1 from the ,north and ,south1 and have found at last the promised rest 7,ps4 cvii3#a-h74 ,therefore the ,sabbath is especially mentioned in connection with worship4 ,on the seventh day the gate through which the ,lord and ,his glory passed is opened and left open till the evening4 ,the six working days 7typical of #f1jjj years7 are forever gone1 the seventh day1 the seventh thousand1 the ,day of the ,lord1 has come4 ,and when the ,millennium ends1 the complete1 eternal rest comes for all the people of ,god4 ,the new moon is typical of ,israel's re-establishment as a nation4 ,the nation1 like the moon1 had waned1 and disappeared1 but now she shines again like the new moon4 #ee ,when it speaks of my rest in ,hebrews iv it refers to the eternal rest4 ,the ,prince is to worship at the threshold of the gate1 and the people before the gate4 ,but neither the ,prince nor the people enter within4 ,no drawing near to ,god is known then as we now enjoy it who worship in the ,spirit through the rent veil4 ,it is all an earthly worship1 while the true worship of the ,church is heavenly4 ,the ,prince in this worship enters by the outer door on the side of the east and he goes out by the same door4 ,the ,prince occupies the prominent place as the representative of the people4 ,he presents his offerings to ,jehovah1 while the people stand as worshippers at the outer gate of the same entrance4 ,the offerings the ,prince is to bring on the ,sabbath are larger than those commanded in the law4 ,both the burnt-offering and the meal offering brought by him on the ,sabbath are more abundant than those offered under the old dispensation1 an evidence of the higher and more perfect worship of restored ,israel4 ,different1 however1 is it with the offering on the new moon4 ,in ,numbers xxviii3#aa-ae we read3 ,and in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the ,lord2 two young bullocks1 and one ram1 seven lambs of the first year without spot2 ,and three tenth deals of flour for a meal offering1 mingled with oil1 for one bullock2 and two tenth deals of flour for a meal offering1 mingled with oil for one ram2 ,and a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meal offering unto one lamb2 for a burnt offering of a sweet savour1 a sacrifice made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,and their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock1 and the third part of an hin unto a ram1 and a fourth part of an hin unto a lamb3 this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year4 ,and one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the ,lord shall be offered1 beside the continual burnt offering1 and his drink offering4 ,such are the offerings according to the law1 to be brought on the new moon4 ,but in the millennial worship these offerings are diminished4 ,all this has a deeper meaning which will be fully known and enjoyed when this worship is carried out4 ,,ii4 ,further ,instructions as to ,worship4 ,but when the people of the land shall come before the ,lord in the solemn feasts1 he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate2 and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate2 he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in1 but shall go forth over against it4 ,and the prince in the midst of them1 when they go in1 shall go in2 and when they go forth1 shall go forth4 ,and in the feasts and in the solemnities the meal offering shall be an ephah to a bullock1 and an ephah to a ram1 and to the lambs as he is able to give1 and an hin of oil to an ephah4 ,now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the ,lord1 one shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east1 and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings1 as he did on the sabbath day3 then he shall go forth2 and after his going forth one shall shut the gate4 ,thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the ,lord of a lamb of the first year without blemish3 thou shalt prepare it every morning4 ,and thou shalt prepare a meal offering for it every morning1 the sixth part of an ephah1 and the third part of an hin of oil to temper with the fine flour1 a meal offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the ,lord4 ,thus shall they prepare the lamb and the meal offering1 and the oil1 every morning for a continual burnt offering4 7verses #i-ae47 ,everything is divinely ordered4 ,here are first the special instructions for the worship of the people of the land4 ,when they come before the ,lord in the solemn feasts some will enter in to worship by the north gate and leave by the south gate1 and others who enter by the south gate will leave by the way of the north gate4 ,none is permitted to leave by the gate through which he entered4 ,perhaps this injunction is given to avoid confusion among the multitudes who will come to worship in those coming days1 when the ,lord will be universally acknowledged 7,zech4 xiv3#i74 ,in the midst of these worshipping masses will be the ,prince 7verse #aj74 ,what a blessed reminder of ,him who is the ,one in the midst6 ,he was in the midst on ,calvary2 ,he is in the midst of ,his people during this age2 in ,revelation ,he is seen in the midst of the throne 7,rev4 v3#f74 ,the ,prince as the representative of the ,king of kings is therefore in the midst of ,his redeemed earthly ,israel4 ,the burnt-offering and the meal offering1 so prominent in this coming worship are constant memorials of ,his great devotion when ,he offered ,himself1 and of ,his holy1 spotless humanity in which ,he suffered and glorified ,god4 ,something else of deep interest is recorded here4 ,the daily burnt-offerings during the old dispensation consisted of a lamb every morning and of a lamb every evening4 ,here no evening lamb for a burnt-offering is mentioned1 but the offerings are to be brought only during the mornings4 ,the bright morning has come1 the day dawn for ,his people1 so long in the night of suffering and dispersion4 ,the night is gone forever and therefore the evening1 preceding the night1 is no longer mentioned and no provision is made for an evening burnt-offering4 ,the night is gone and ,israel's glorious morning can never be darkened again by apostasy4 ,,iii4 ,concerning the ,prince1 ,his ,sons and ,servants4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,if the prince give a gift unto any of his sons1 the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'2 it shall be their possession by inheritance4 ,but if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants1 then it shall be his to the year of liberty2 after it shall return to the prince3 but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them4 ,moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression1 to thrust them out of their possession2 but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession3 that my people be not scattered every man from his possession 7verses #af-ah74 ,here we read that the ,prince has sons1 natural descendants1 and whatever gifts he bestows upon them shall be their possession by inheritance4 ,this is conclusive that the ,prince of these last chapters of ,ezekiel is not ,christ4 ,the ,prince has sons and servants4 ,as the entire final vision of this book deals with the earthly conditions of the coming age1 and reveals nothing of the heavenly side of things1 these sons and servants cannot mean the church-saints1 who are with ,christ in the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,as to a gift to one of the ,prince's servants1 it is to revert to his sons when the year of liberty or jubilee is celebrated4 ,the jubilee year will therefore be observed during the coming age4 ,,iv4 ,additional ,description of ,temple ,buildings4 ,after he brought me through the entry1 which was at the side of the gate1 into the holy chambers of the priests1 which looked toward the north3 and1 behold1 there was a place on the two sides westward4 ,then said he unto me1 ,this is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering1 where they shall bake the meal offering2 that they bear them not out into the utter court1 to sanctify the people4 ,then he brought me forth into the utter court1 and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court2 and1 behold1 in every corner of the court there was a court4 ,in the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad3 these four corners were of one measure4 ,and there was a row of buildings round about them1 round about them four1 and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about4 ,then said he unto me1 ,these are the places of them that boil1 where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people 7verses #ai-bd74 ,again the prophet is brought by the northern gate to the side where the holy chambers of the priests are located4 ,there he saw a place on the two sides westward4 ,the use of this place is made known in verse #bj4 ,the final description of buildings round about the court needs no further comment4 ,,the ,,vision ,,concerning ,,the ,,land4 ,chapter xlvii4 ,the preceding chapters of this final section of the ,book of ,ezekiel contain the vision of the ,temple and its worship4 ,the last two chapters give a vision of ,israel's land as it will be during the coming age4 ,i4 ,the ,temple ,stream and its ,healing ,waters4 ,afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house2 and1 behold1 waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward3 for the forefront of the house was the east1 and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house1 from the south of the altar4 ,then brought he me out by the way of the gate northward1 and led me about the way without unto the outer gate toward the gate that looketh eastward2 and1 behold1 there ran out waters on the right side4 ,and when the man went forth eastward1 he had a line in his hand1 and he measured a thousand cubits1 and he brought me through the waters2 the waters were to the ankles4 ,again he measured a thousand1 and brought me through the waters2 the waters were to the knees4 ,again he measured a thousand1 and brought me through2 the waters were to the loins4 ,afterward he measured a thousand2 and it was a river that ,i could not pass over3 for the waters were risen1 waters to swim in1 a river that could not be passed over4 ,and he said unto me1 ,son of man1 hast thou seen this8 ,then he brought me1 and caused me to return to the brink of the river4 ,now when ,i had returned1 behold1 at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other4 ,then said he unto me1 ,these waters issue out toward the east country1 and go down into the desert1 and go into the sea3 which being brought forth into the sea1 the waters shall be healed4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that every thing that liveth1 which moveth1 whithersoever the rivers shall come1 shall live3 and there shall be a very great multitude of fish1 because these waters shall come thither3 for they shall be healed2 and every thing shall live whither the river cometh4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that the fishers shall stand upon it from ,en-gedi even unto ,en-eglaim2 they shall be a place to spread forth nets2 their fish shall be according to their kinds1 as the fish of the great sea1 exceeding many4 ,but the marshes thereof and the pools thereof shall not be healed3 they shall be given to salt4 ,and by the river upon the bank thereof1 on this side and on that side1 shall grow all trees for meat1 whose leaf shall not fade1 neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed3 it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months1 because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary3 and the fruit thereof shall be for meat1 and the leaf thereof for medicine 7verses #a-ab74 ,this great vision of the ,temple stream has been variously interpreted4 ,the critical school has treated it only as an imagery of the prophet and speaks of the physical impossibility that such a stream could ever be in existence4#ef ,others have spiritualized the vision4 ,a leading annotator states1 ,messiah is the temple and the door2 from ,his pierced side flow the living waters1 ever increasing1 both in the individual believer and in the heart4 ,in this spiritualizing method the waters are also applied to the reading and study of the ,word of ,god4 ,the same commentator says some things in the ,bible are easy to understand1 as the water up to the ankles2 others more difficult1 which require deeper search1 as the waters up to the knees and the loins2 and others beyond our reach4 ,such applications can be made in different ways4 ,the stream which ,ezekiel saw is more than typical of the blessings which the land and all the earth will enjoy in the coming age4 ,it is a literal stream4 ,there will be a great outpouring of the ,spirit of ,god for the age to come1 and spiritual blessings will abound everywhere4 ,but the stream ,ezekiel beholds tells of the physical blessings which are in store for the earth in that coming day of the restoration of all things4 ,we do not need to trouble ourselves about the manner in which the temple stream is to flow forth1 nor do we need to solve the physical difficulties4 ,when the ,lord of ,creation was on earth in humiliation1 and walked among men garbed in servant's form1 nature acknowledged ,him and ,he manifested the ,creator's power4 ,what will it be when ,he comes again1 not as a servant to die1 but as the ,king and ,lord of all6 ,omnipotence will then be displayed to the full4 ,is there anything too hard for the ,lord8 7,jere4 xxxii3#bg74 ,he who bore the thorns on ,his brow1 the symbol of the curse which on account of man's sin rests upon ,creation1 will remove that curse in the day of ,his power4 ,he paid for it on the cross4 #ef ,one says3 ,the double impossibility of the rapid rise of water in the stream and the course of the river across the steep limestone range east of ,jerusalem into the ,dead ,sea does not occur to the prophet4 ,as if ,ezekiel had invented this vision4 ,and ,ezekiel was not the only prophet to whom was revealed the physical blessing of the earth in the life and health giving stream4 ,isaiah had the same vision4 ,and the parched ground shall become a pool1 and the thirsty land springs of water2 in the habitation of jackals where each lay shall be grass with reeds and rushes 7,is4 xxxv3#g74 ,i will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert 7,is4 xliii3#ai74 ,instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree1 and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree 7,is4 lv3#ac74 ,the desert shall blossom like the rose 7,is4 xxxv3#a74 ,joel at the close of his great vision concerning the still future day of ,israel's tribulation and the judgment of the nations following the time of trouble1 and the ,lord's visible manifestation1 also speaks of the blessings of the ,millennium4 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1 that the mountains shall drop down new wine1 and the hills shall flow with milk1 and all the rivers of ,judah shall flow with waters1 and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the ,lord1 and shall water the valley of ,shittim 7,joel iii3#ah74 ,joel1 one of the earliest prophets1 living centuries before ,ezekiel1 saw water coming forth from the house of the ,lord for earthly blessings4 ,still more definite is the great post-exilic prophet ,zechariah4 ,and it shall be in that day1 that living waters shall go out from ,jerusalem2 half of them toward the eastern sea1 and half of them toward the hinder sea2 in summer and in winter shall it be 7,zech4 xiv3#h74 ,the waters ,ezekiel saw issued out from under the threshold1 from the right side of the house1 the south side of the altar4 ,of the heavenly ,jerusalem a similar scene is recorded by ,john in the ,revelation4 ,and he showed me a pure river of water of life1 clear as crystal1 proceeding out of the throne of ,god and of the ,lamb 7,rev4 xxii3#a74 ,the stream has its origin in the midst of the millennial temple4 ,there is no use in speculating about the source of the water supply4 ,it is super-natural4 ,he who said1 ,let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters1 and let it divide the waters from the waters 7,gen4 i3#f7 and ,he who broke open all the fountains of the deep when ,his judgment came on the earth 7,gen4 vii3#aa7 by whose power also the smitten rock in the wilderness supplied the water for ,his people1 ,he will provide from ,his inexhaustible resources the life giving stream4 ,and the waters which gush forth are increasing in volume2 the stream does not become shallower but deepens in its flow4 ,it is not like a natural river which has its source in a spring and is fed by brooks and rivers4 ,it is a miraculous1 unexplainable self-supply which occasions this increase4 ,a thousand cubits are measured and the waters come to the ankles of the prophet4 ,the next thousand cubits bring the waters to the knees2 then advancing another thousand cubits the waters come to the loins1 and with the fourth thousand they become so deep that the prophet could not fathom them4 ,the four thousand cubits make about a mile and a half1 so that the prophet had advanced1 under the guidance of the man1 this distance from ,jerusalem in a southeastern direction4 ,he is caused to return to the bank of the river1 and saw there on both sides many trees4 ,these trees testify of the great fertility which this stream will produce in nature4 ,expositors who give the vision a purely spiritual meaning explain the trees as being the righteous who shall flourish at the waterbrooks 7,psalm i74 ,the man informs the prophet that these waters go toward the east country and go down into the desert4 ,the word desert in ,hebrew is ,arabah and means plain1 which is the plain of ,jordan4 ,it signifies a parched1 dry place4 ,jordan is the type of death1 and the sea of salt1 the ,dead ,sea1 into which ,jordan flows1 also signifies death4#eg ,and now in the ,dead ,sea this living water from the temple flows1 and healing is the blessed result4 ,where death has reigned so long abundant life now is manifested4 ,sodom is restored to its former estate 7,see chapter xvi74 ,wheresoever the waters go life follows at once4 ,there shall be a very great multitude of fish1 because these waters shall come thither1 for they shall be healed2 and everything shall live whither the river cometh4 ,the fishers shall stand up from ,en-gedi unto ,en-eglaim4 ,en-gedi is on the one end and ,en-eglaim at the other end of the ,dead ,sea4 ,yet there will be marshes and pools which remain unhealed2 their former condition is unchanged4 ,it has been suggested that this is done for the production of salt4 ,but it is rather a reminder that while the coming age is an age of wonderful blessing1 that it is not yet the perfect1 eternal age4 ,and the trees will be ever green1 never failing1 providing meat by their abundant fruit and the leaf is for medicine4 ,it shows the gracious provision made for man living on the earth during the age to come4 ,poverty1 famine and sickness will be banished4 #eg ,ps4 lxviii3#d has this word ,arabah2 in the ,authorized ,version it is translated heaven4 ,it is in the plural1 ,araboth--,cast up the way for him that rideth in ,araboth--the places of death4 ,christ is seen prophetically as the ,conqueror of death and ,sheol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,borders of the ,land4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,this shall be the border1 whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of ,israel3 ,joseph shall have two portions4 ,and ye shall inherit it1 one as well as another3 concerning the which ,i lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers3 and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance4 ,and this shall be the border of the land toward the north side1 from the great sea1 the way of ,hethlon1 as men go to ,zedad3 ,hamath1 ,berothah1 ,sibraim1 which is between the border of ,damascus and the border of ,hamath2 ,hazar-hatticon1 which is by the coast of ,hauran4 ,and the border from the sea shall be ,hazar-enan1 the border of ,damascus1 and the north northward1 and the border of ,hamath4 ,and this is the north side4 ,and the east side ye shall measure from ,hauran1 and from ,damascus1 and from ,gilead1 and from the land of ,israel by ,jordan1 from the border unto the east sea4 ,and this is the east side4 ,and the south side southward1 from ,tamar even to the waters of strife in ,kadesh1 the river to the great sea4 ,and this is the south side southward4 ,the west side also shall be the great sea from the border1 till a man come over against ,hamath4 ,this is the west side4 ,so shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of ,israel 7verses #ac-ba74 ,little comment is needed on these verses4 ,that the literal land and the literal tribes are meant1 no intelligent readers can deny4 ,the twelve tribes are then back in the land4 ,the so-called lost tribes are united with the house of ,judah4 ,here the borders are given4 ,joseph has two portions4 ,god is faithful4 ,he has not forgotten ,his gracious promises of old4 ,and ye shall inherit it1 one as well as another1 concerning which ,i lifted up mine hand 7in oath7 to give it unto your fathers2 and this land shall fall unto your inheritance4 ,the whole land is to be divided according to the tribes of ,israel4 ,,iii4 ,concerning the ,stranger in the ,land4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you1 and to the strangers that sojourn among you1 which shall beget children among you3 and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of ,israel2 they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of ,israel4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth1 there shall ye give him his inheritance1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #bb-bc74 ,here is a provision for the strangers4 ,they are no longer to be treated as outcasts1 as aliens from the commonwealth of ,israel2 they are seen fully identified with ,israel and share the inheritance4 ,this again confirms other prophecies 7,see ,isaiah lx3#a-aj47 ,the strangers shall come and build the walls1 and join themselves to ,israel4 ,the singing times for ,israel have come4 ,no longer will the chosen people be the tail of nations1 but the head of all nations4 ,sing and rejoice1 ,o daughter of ,zion1 for1 lo1 ,i come1 and ,i will dwell in the midst of thee1 saith the ,lord4 ,and many nations shall be joined to the ,lord in that day and shall be my people1 and ,i will dwell in the midst of thee4444 7,zech4 ii3#aj-ab74 ,no longer will the ,jew be despised1 but the strangers1 the nations1 will beseech him to take them to the glory land4 ,thus saith the ,lord of hosts1 ,in those days it shall come to pass1 that ten men out of all languages of the nations shall take hold1 even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a ,jew1 saying1 ,we will go with you1 for we have heard that ,god is with you 7,zech4 viii3#bc74 ,,plan ,,of ,,the ,,division ,,of ,,the ,,land4 ,,north ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,dan ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,asher ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,naphtali ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,manasseh ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,ephraim ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,reuben ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,judah ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,d ,,levites ----------------------------- a ,c ,,priests ,o ,,priests ,c a c --------------------------- --- ,b ,d b --- d ,d ---------------------------------------- - ,,benjamin ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,simeon ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,issachar ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,zebulun ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,gad ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,south ,a ,the ,sanctuary and its ,area4 ,b ,the ,city of ,jerusalem4 ,c ,the ,possession of the ,prince4 ,d ,the ,entire ,oblation4 a-b-c-d ,territory belonging to ,city4 ,,the ,,portion ,,of ,,the ,,tribes2 ,,the ,,territory ,,of ,,the ,,oblation2 ,,the ,,city1 ,,its ,,gates ,,and ,,new ,,name4 ,chapter xlviii4 ,i4 ,the portion of ,seven ,tribes4 ,now these are the names of the tribes4 ,from the north end to the coast of the way of ,hethlon1 as one goeth to ,hamath1 ,hazar-enan1 the border of ,damascus northward1 to the coast of ,hamath2 for these are his sides east and west2 a portion for ,dan4 ,and by the border of ,dan1 from the east side unto the west side1 a portion for ,asher4 ,and by the border of ,asher1 from the east side even unto the west side1 a portion for ,naphtali4 ,and by the border of ,naphtali1 from the east side unto the west side1 a portion for ,manasseh4 ,and by the border of ,manasseh1 from the east side unto the west side1 a portion for ,ephraim4 ,and by the border of ,ephraim1 from the east side even unto the west side1 a portion for ,reuben4 ,and by the border of ,reuben1 from the east side unto the west side1 a portion for ,judah4 ,and by the border of ,judah1 from the east side unto the west side1 shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth1 and in length as one of the other parts1 from the east side unto the west side3 and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it 7verses #a-h74 ,the division of the land to the twelve tribes1 then fully restored1 is by lot 7xlvii3#bb7 but the disposing of it will be by the ,lord 7,prov4 xvi3#cc74 ,the order is entirely different from the one found in the ,book of ,joshua 7,josh4 xv-xix74 ,up to the time of the carrying away of the ten tribes and the captivity of ,judah1 the tribes possessed the territory assigned to them by lot when they entered the land under ,joshua4 ,the ten tribes never returned from the captivity1 and therefore the division of the land as given here has never been in the history of ,israel4 ,it is future4 ,the division is in twelve portions all alike in dimensions1 running alongside of each other1 from west to east4 ,seven tribes are in the north1 and five in the south4 ,between the seven tribes in the north and the tribes in the south is the oblation1 the heave offering1 the portion of the prince1 the ,levites and the priests1 the ,temple and the city with its surrounding territory4 ,the tribe of ,dan has its portion in the extreme north4 ,it is the furthest away from the sanctuary4 ,dan was a corrupt tribe1 semi-heathen 7,judges xviii74 ,dan is not mentioned among the sealed one in ,revelation vii4 ,all the other tribes are placed in a different order from the former position4 ,,ii4 ,the ,oblation2 the ,remaining ,tribes4 ,the oblation that ye shall offer unto the ,lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length1 and of ten thousand in breadth4 ,and for them1 even for the priests1 shall be this holy oblation2 toward the north five and twenty thousand in length1 and toward the west ten thousand in breadth1 and toward the east ten thousand in breadth1 and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length3 and the sanctuary of the ,lord shall be in the midst thereof4 ,it shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of ,zadok2 which have kept my charge1 which went not astray when the children of ,israel went astray1 as the ,levites went astray4 ,and this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the ,levites4 ,and over against the border of the priests the ,levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length1 and ten thousand in breadth3 all the length shall be five and twenty thousand1 and the breadth ten thousand4 ,and they shall not sell of it1 neither exchange1 nor alienate the firstfruits of the land3 for it is holy unto the ,lord4 ,and the five thousand1 that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand1 shall be a profane place for the city1 for dwelling1 and for suburbs3 and the city shall be in the midst thereof4 ,and these shall be the measures thereof2 the north side four thousand and five hundred1 and the south side four thousand and five hundred1 and on the east side four thousand and five hundred1 and the west side four thousand and five hundred4 ,and the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty1 and toward the south two hundred and fifty1 and toward the east two hundred and fifty1 and toward the west two hundred and fifty4 ,and the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward1 and ten thousand westward3 and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion2 and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city4 ,and they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of ,israel4 ,all the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand3 ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare1 with the possession of the city4 ,and the residue shall be for the prince1 on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation1 and of the possession of the city1 over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border1 and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border1 over against the portions for the prince3 and it shall be the holy oblation2 and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof4 ,moreover from the possession of the ,levites1 and from the possession of the city1 being in the midst of that which is the prince's1 between the border of ,judah and the border of ,benjamin1 shall be for the prince4 ,as for the rest of the tribes1 from the east side unto the west side1 ,benjamin shall have a portion4 ,and by the border of ,benjamin1 from the east side unto the west side1 ,simeon shall have a portion4 ,and by the border of ,simeon1 from the east side unto the west side1 ,issachar a portion4 ,and by the border of ,issachar1 from the east side unto the west side1 ,zebulun a portion4 ,and by the border of ,zebulun1 from the east side unto the west side1 ,gad a portion4 ,and by the border of ,gad1 at the south side southward1 the border shall be even from ,tamar unto the waters of strife in ,kadesh1 and to the river toward the great sea4 ,this is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of ,israel for inheritance1 and these are their portions1 saith the ,lord ,god 7verses #i-bi74 ,judah's portion on the north and ,benjamin's portion on the south border are an oblation1 that which is offered unto the ,lord4 ,in this space of large dimensions are the portions of the ,levites and the priests4 ,the ,temple stands in the middle of the portion of the priests1 and adjoining is the holy city and its territory4#eh ,the ,prince has his portion on both sides of the oblation1 the heave offering4 ,that ,judah and ,benjamin are bordering on these holy sections is not without meaning4 ,judah is the royal tribe4 ,he who is now worshipped by ,his restored people is the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah1 ,israel's ,king4 ,judah means praise4 ,he receives the praises of ,his people4 ,benjamin's other name was ,benoni1 the son of suffering and ,benjamin is the son of the right hand4 ,both ,judah and ,benjamin are a reminder of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #eh ,consult sketch4 ,it is impossible to explain fully the measurements given and other details of this chapter4 ,we believe what ,god has written1 and when the time has come ,he will surely see to it that all is done according to ,his word4 ,we do not need to trouble ourselves with supposed difficulties or try to solve them4 ,as stated before in this exposition1 ,israel's land will undergo a wonderful change when the ,lord comes2 these physical changes are unknown to us in their extent4 ,the division of the land1 and the setting apart of the oblation will then take place4 ,the details in all these visions are of little importance to us4 ,the main fact is to see that all these prophecies have remained unfulfilled up to now4 ,nor will they be fulfilled during the present age4 ,as every judgment prediction of the prophecies of ,ezekiel1 uttered before the destruction of ,jerusalem1 was fulfilled1 so every prediction of glory and blessing in the prophecies spoken after the destruction of the city will be fulfilled4 ,it all awaits ,his coming and glorious appearing4 ,let us hold fast this and leave the accomplishment of every detail to the ,lord4 ,,iii4 ,the ,gates of the ,city and its new ,name4 ,and these are the goings out of the city on the north side1 four thousand and five hundred measures4 ,and the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of ,israel3 three gates northward2 one gate of ,reuben1 one gate of ,judah1 one gate of ,levi4 ,and at the east side four thousand and five hundred3 and three gates2 and one gate of ,joseph1 one gate of ,benjamin1 one gate of ,dan4 ,and at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures3 and three gates2 one gate of ,simeon1 one gate of ,issachar1 one gate of ,zebulun4 ,at the west side four thousand and five hundred1 with their three gates2 one gate of ,gad1 one gate of ,asher1 one gate of ,naphtali4 ,it was round about eighteen thousand measures3 and the name of the city from that day shall be1 ,the ,lord is there 7verses #cj-ce74 ,the city1 the earthly ,jerusalem1 during the ,kingdom age1 will have twelve gates1 after the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,the gates on the north side are the gates of ,reuben1 ,judah and ,levi4 ,the gates on the east are those of ,joseph1 ,benjamin and ,dan4 ,then the gates on the south--gates of ,simeon1 ,issachar and ,zebulun4 ,the west side gates are the gates of ,gad1 ,asher and ,naphthali4 ,ephraim and ,manasseh are no longer mentioned1 but are represented in ,joseph4 ,some expositors have made the statement that the city1 ,jerusalem with its gates1 is an ,old ,testament description of the same ,jerusalem which ,john beheld in the isle of ,patmos 7,rev4 xxi74 ,john saw the new ,jerusalem1 ,ezekiel the earthly city as it will exist during the ,millennium4 ,there are correspondencies1 and yet greater distinctions4 ,here in ,ezekiel a ,temple is the center of the land2 in ,revelation we read the seer's word1 ,i saw no temple therein 7,rev4 xxi3#bb74 ,the heavenly ,jerusalem1 like the earthly ,jerusalem in ,ezekiel's vision1 has the twelve gates and written on them the names of the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,the wall of the heavenly ,jerusalem has twelve foundations1 and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the ,lamb4 ,no wall and no foundations are mentioned by ,ezekiel in connection with the millennial ,jerusalem4 ,the heavenly ,jerusalem is four square1 the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal4 ,such is not the case with the earthly city4 ,nor is there mention made by ,ezekiel of the precious stones1 and the twelve gates1 composed every gate of one pearl2 nor do we read of golden streets4 ,the earthly ,jerusalem will pass away1 and when at last the new heaven and the new earth have come into existence1 after the millennial reign of ,christ1 the new ,jerusalem will descend out of heaven and find its eternal resting place upon the new earth4 ,the circumference of the city of ,jerusalem according to ,ezekiel's vision will be #ah1jjj reeds1 about six miles4 ,then comes the majestic ending1 the last word the man of ,god pronounced4 ,and the name of that city from that day shall be ',jehovah ,shammah'1 the ,lord is there4 ,it is a fitting finale to this great ,book4 ,in its beginning we see the glory of the ,lord departing4 ,throughout the pages of the ,book we read of ,israel's rebellion1 ,jerusalem's judgments1 the nation's disobedience and rejection4 ,then follow the messages of ,hope--,israel's conversion1 the regathering of the twelve tribes1 the final conflict1 the returning glory of the ,lord2 and from that day the name of the city will be ,jehovah ,shammah4 ,because ,he has manifested ,his gracious presence in the midst of ,his people and established ,his throne1 blessed ,his people with all the spiritual and national blessings promised by ,his holy prophets1 destroyed all their enemies1 and covers all with ,his visible glory once more1 therefore the city will have the name ,jehovah is there4 ,what a glory it will be for ,him4 ,the city through which ,he once walked with weary feet1 the ,son of ,god garbed in servant's form2 the city through which ,he was dragged1 when the cross was laid upon ,his shoulders1 the city which cast ,him out1 the city outside of which ,he endured the cross and despised the shame--that same city will be made in that day the glory spot of the earth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,some of the outline numbering is incorrect1 but has been left as printed4 ,obvious printing and punctuation errors have been corrected4 ,many words are spelled two different ways1 for example viceregent and vice-regent1 today and to-day4