Presumption of the princes 1 Their sin and judgment 4 Why a remnant will be saved 13 The wicked will be punished 21 Glory leaves the city 22 Ezekiel released from vision 24 |
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Presumption of the princes 1 Their sin and judgment 4 Why a remnant will be saved 13 The wicked will be punished 21 Glory leaves the city 22 Ezekiel released from vision 24 |
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¶ Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate
of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of
the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur,
and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
2 Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city: 3 Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. Passages often include more than the verse indicated in the link code. |
1 -
East
Gate The prophet had seen the cherubim rise from there
ez1018.
1 - Five and twenty The same number had been worshipping the sun in the inner court ez0816. They may not have been the same group. 1 - Jaazaniah ... Pelatiah The two names mean "Jehovah sets free" and "Jehovah builds." They appear to emphasize the leaders' rejection of the the prophecies of Ezekiel and others of the coming captivity and destruction of the city. 3 - It is not near After "Which say," The verse reads literally, "not near to build houses. It [the city] the caldron, we the flesh." The rebellious leaders seem to be agreeing with Jeremiah's message that the captives should make themselves comfortable because the captivity would be for a long time je2924. 3 - Caldron ... flesh Jeremiah had used these symbols je0113. The leaders were apparently twisting the words of Jeremiah thus scoffing at his predictions. They wanted to think that the captivity would be short as expressed by false-prophet Hananiah je2803. They reinterpreted the pot-and-fire prophecy to indicate that the people of Jerusalem were safe in the pot, the walled city. |
| .4
Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. 6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain. 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it. |
5 -
I
know ... into mind The Lord can read our thoughts. See
jb2127,
is6618,
da0230,
1ch2809,
je1710.
I'm glad He can, so He can guide me ps01914.
7 - Bring you forth But not to escape. |
| 8 Ye have feared the sword;
and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
9 And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. 10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel: 12 And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you. |
10
- In the border "on the frontier: at Riblah, in the land
of Hamath (compare 2Ki
25:19-21; 1Ki
8...:65)." (JFB). They would know by the coming judgments ps00916.
And for verse 12, see de1230,1.
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| .13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel? | Pelatiah ... died He was the rebellious leader of v1. Compare the death of Hananiah je2817. |
| 14 ¶ Again the word of
the LORD came unto me, saying,
15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession. 16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. |
16 - Little sanctuary Better, "... yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them." (NIV). The captivity was to draw the people back to the the Lord. |
| 17 Therefore say, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you
out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you
the land of Israel.
18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. .19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. |
17
- Give ... land of Israel God's ultimate plan. A few returned
with Ezra at the end of the captivity.
18 - Take away ... detestable It's true that the people rejected idol worship although they took up legalism instead as is evident from the accounts of the time of Jesus. The context helps us understand. The promise is for those who have accepted a heart of flesh which includes love for enemies and obedience. Neither of these conditions have been met. See re1704b. 19 - New spirit ... heart of flesh The promise is for those who sincerely want the new heart. They cannot earn it. Compare ro0807, ro1003. 20 - Walk in my statutes This is the way of peace and joy which God wants for us, lu0178,9, ga0616, ps119165. |
| .21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD. | 21
- Heart of ... detestable things Sadly the majority choose
this way, mt0713,
pr1315.
God wants us to be happy jn1511.
21 - Heads They lack protection ps14007. |
| .22
¶ Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside
them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
.23 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. |
23 - Glory "The Shekinah glory now moves from the east gate (Eze 10:4,19) to the Mount of Olives, altogether abandoning the temple. The mount was chosen as being the height whence the missiles of the foe were about to descend on the city. So it was from it that Jesus ascended to heaven when about to send His judgments on the Jews; and from it He predicted its overthrow before His crucifixion (Mt 24:3). It is also to be the scene of His return in person to deliver His people (Zec 14:4), when He shall come by the same way as He went, "the way of the east" (Eze 43:2)." (JFB Commentary) |
| .24
Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit
of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had
seen went up from me.
.25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me. |
24 - Vision Returned to the natural world. See ez0803. |
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