These are the class notes from the first week of a two week class. Prior to these notes, the attendees received a document called “Laying The Groundwork”. That too has been posted on this site and likely makes sense to read prior to you digging into these lengthy notes.
EZEKIEL Chapters 33-39 WEEK ONE
VERY QUICK TOP-LINE POINTS FROM MY GROUNDWORK NOTES – which hopefully most of you had a chance to read:
1. TIMED, AND PROGRESSIVE REVELATION – all scriptures are for all saints, all the time – and yet there are different seasons when the Spirit might highlight and emphasize certain portions of written prophetic revelation, and there are also seasons when even new things will be revealed by God so that the saints might move in greater alignment with God, as He moves (“I still have many things to say to you” – john 16:12). SOME OF THOSE ARE NEW THINGS, while other NEW REVELATIONS are OLD THINGS that FINALLY GET UNLOCKED, and are revealed so, by events on earth.
AVOIDING BEING A CULT: know what has already been told to us, so you can discern whether new revelations, teachings, etc are from The Lord. Nothing from God will ever contradict the already revealed holy personality of God..
That requirement for fresh revelation is divinely intended to keep us desperate for Him, and in prayer, in the Spirit.
THE JEOPARDY, as the drama unfolds, is us wanting to point to every news event and then find a scripture. STILL, some of that does occur. DIVINE DESPERATION FOR WISDOM is required.
IT DOES HAPPEN, THOUGH!!!
“CAN A NATION BE BORN IN A DAY????”
Isa 66:8
8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.
THE “ZION” nation at first was born in ONE DAY on Calvary, and then again it was BORN IN THE GEO-POLITICAL REALM when Israel was deemed A NATION on May 14, 1948 ISRAEL was born.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, Isa 66:8 was confirmed and more clearly understood. Imagine reading all the Israel-nation prophecies BEFORE 1948. THAT was a FINE-FILTER to sort through some silliness that must have been written BEFORE that date….
SUCH DIVINE-PLAN TIME-RELEASE OF PROPHETIC SCRIPTURE explains things like this:
Dan 8:26
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings which was told is true; therefore seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future.”
2. THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS IS IN LINE WITH PRIOR PROPHECY, AND THEREFORE DID NOT ERADICATE PRIOR PROPHECY:
(The plan for Jesus’ crucifixion was established even prior to the creation.)
Rev 13:8-9
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
CONCLUSION : Jesus’ first and second comings have been eternally planned, and all of the plans for Jesus, by God, will occur. Jesus’ crucifixion not being a hastily contrived fix – that means God already had His whole Savior-plan in place PRIOR to anointing the Old Testament (OT) prophets to write their prophecies.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND? The fact that His crucifixion was known by God prior to God Himself moving upon the prophet Ezekiel, it would be ludicrous to conclude that Ezekiel, writing truth as led by the Spirit would put forth any prophetic word that would then be erased or over-ridden by the appearance of Jesus in the first century.
Some doctrinal proponents will say “but we’re in NT times” true. But if something in the OT hasn’t happened yet, you know it will, because God already knew about NT times when HE had folks write the OT…
3. The fullness of God is revealed in the full, DUAL-Appearance of Christ. The fullness of the Salvation Plan was revealed to the world at His first appearance. The fullness of the Righteous Judgment of God will be revealed at His second appearance. THEN WE WILL SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE FULLNESS OF GOD:
Jesus being the Word of God, we would do well to not deny any portion of our Christ by attempting to deny any portion of the Word. HE IS THE WHOLE WORD.
Rev 19:13
13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
LAMB and LION: He came as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. (John 1:29, Rev 13:8).
He will be coming again, this time as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, in flaming fire. (2 Thess. 1:8).
4. – Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. In fulfilling it, He FULLY FILLED it’s requirements so that as we remain IN HIM by our obedience and faith, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS is accepted by God as our righteousness.
The laws of God remain in place. It is obvious that the requirements of the Mosaic covenant have ended (enjoy your carnitas!), but the laws of righteousness continue. We are not now free to kill or commit adultery because Jesus died for our sins.
Matt 5:17-18
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
AND SOME OF MY FAVORITES VERSES – which are KEY to understanding THE PRIORITY OF THE OT PROPHECIES FOR THE NT SAINTS:
(I’ll cover these later this evening, but they want to be presented early-on):
1 Pet 1:10-13
10 Of this salvation (our salvation through Jesus) the (OT) prophets have (while they were writing) inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you (which both they, and we, are NOW walking in)
11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them (during their OT days, as they wrote) was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ (which had at the time Peter written this already occurred) and the glories that would follow (ongoing through the ages, reaching full bloom at His second appearance).
12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us (US – the NT saints!) they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven– things which angels desire to look into.
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
OH YEA….
Observe the TENSE of Peter’s writings – he spoke of things:
A. None of which HAD YET HAPPENED at the time the OT writers wrote; and
B. That had ALREADY HAPPENED between the time the OT writers wrote, and Peter was writing; AND
C. That were STILL WAITING TO HAPPEN, all the way up the Second Coming.
THIS IS KEY for us – from the get-go – THE OT was written for the NT saints. We are not just going back to the OT to observe religious Jewish history. WE ARE NOT ARCHAELOGISTS – we are SPIRIT LED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD, responding TO THE SPIRIT to go back to where our great GOD has planted REVELATION OF THE KINGDOM PLAN.
GOD, in His wisdom, PURPOSELY PLANTED in the OT things that WE NEED TO KNOW – to mystify us, inform us, equip us, and also to lure us back into reading the text that reveals the M.O. (modus operandi – method of operation) of God throughout all ages.
SOME ARE STILL WAITING TO BE REVEALED. BUT HE’S ALREADY DECLARED THEM TO US.
Isa 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’
Isa 48:3-7
3 “I have declared the former things from the beginning; they went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew that you were obstinate, and your neck was an iron sinew, and your brow bronze,
5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my carved image and my molded image have commanded them.’
6 “You have heard; see all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them.
7 They are created now and not from the beginning; and before this day you have not heard them, lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING OF EZEKIEL?
1. A whole lot of Ezekiel has yet to be fulfilled – remember Jesus tells us ALL will be fulfilled. That “ALL” means everything – down to the last punctuation mark – JOT and TITTLE. AND SOME THINGS MAY SURPRISE US IN THEIR FULFILLMENT.
2. The righteous judgments of God, THROUGHOUT all of scripture, were often regarded as unfair and unreasonable. That has not changed. Man still wants to take the teeth out of God’s righteous judgment w easier teachings – those are most acceptable. That’s a doorway for false doctrine. Tremble at His word….
In fact, Paul says deceiving men will grow worse and worse (2 Tim 3:13), so we can expect the world, through increasing rebellion, to become more and more eligible for the judgments prophesied.
Those prophesied judgments will AT THAT TIME, (THE THEY WILL KNOW….”) become less and less “unreasonable” to the church as we see how wicked mankind will become.
Jesus compared the earth prior to His second coming to the earth prior to the Flood – and that was ONLY WICKED ALL THE TIME. We’re actually not there yet.
POINT TO NOTE: (“as in the days of Noah”) – The world was not improving before the Flood. I am not inclined to believe it will improve prior to Jesus’ return. Still, we’re called to contend for the nations, evangelize the world, pour into our communities, warn every man.
WHY ARE WE HERE these two Tuesdays?
Some of you are having dreams, others open visions, others are having the scriptures opened to them w new eyes, others are simply stirred in their spirits in prayer and worship.
GOD IS MOVING ON HIS PEOPLE in this season.
SO WE’RE DIVING BACK INTO WHAT GOD HAD WRITTEN, FOR US, to understand what He HAS DONE, what HE IS DOING, and what He has told us HE IS GOING TO DO so we can live and pray appropriately and in alignment w His will.
RE: praying the perfect will of God:
1. W THE WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH: “Your will be done”
2. W THE GROANINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Romans 8:26
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Let’s Pray…
THE CAPTIVITY – I am not going to spend a LOT of time EXPLAINING the CAPTIVITY that took Ezekiel to Babylon. We could spend months studying the WHY’S and HOW’S of that situation – and A LITTLE of that will get referred to in the actual verses.
But let’s look at some basic scriptures explaining the captivity of the northern tribes, the ones that have become known as the lost tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel came into Babylon early – there were deportations subsequent to his – which explains why, while in Babylon, he receives notifications of Jerusalem having fallen.
ISRAEL/SAMARIA:
II Ki 17:6-8, 11, 16-19
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. (THIS WAS AROUND 722 BC).
7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods,
8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger,
12 for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”
13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.”
14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
16 So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone. (which was to go into captivity later (around 600BC)
19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
SADLY – JUDAH failed to learn from the captivity of ISRAEL, and later THEY went into captivity.
DIFFERENCE – Israel was repopulated by heathen nations – hence the half-breeds despised in the days of Jesus. JUDAH – miraculously BECAUSE God HAS HIS EYES SET ON JERUSALEM – remained UNINHABITED and the Jews eventually returned to their land. Jerusalem is THAT important to God.
VERSES RE Judah’s captivity: 2 Chr 36:15-16 – all of the final chapters of 2 Chron are re Judah’s condition and collapse.
EZEKIEL – OUR focus will be looking forward to the prophetic words of Ezekiel, not the situations that got them there.
SOME POINTS:
1. Israel was a divided kingdom – pretty much the TEN northern tribes (referred to as Samaria) and then the Southern Kingdom (referred to typically as Judah). Jeroboam and Rehoboam
How I remember JERO (jerk) – North. REHO (relative of Solomon). Rehoboam ruled in Judah – they fared a better.
2. Daniel and Ezekiel knew of each other. In fact Daniel is mentioned BY GOD in the book of Ezekiel.
Ezek 14: 14
14 “Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.
Judah went into captivity about more than 100 years later. You’d sort of hope that Judah might have seen the punishment, by God, on Israel, and then turn from their own wicked way, but they did not. If we fail to learn from others, we’ll often repeat their folly.
EZEKIEL was therefore prophesying FROM CAPTIVITY. He was prophesying to both WARN and to ENCOURAGE the people of God – FOR ALL AGES.
God gives His prophets the full gospel message. Always.
Here’s a LITTLE RE: THE CALL OF EZEKIEL:
Ezek 1:1-3
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year (likely the 30th year of Nabopolassar’s reign (Nebby’s dad) , in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.
“Expressly” – Ezekiel was likely hanging w other godly men, but God chose him.
TAKEAWAYS:
A. You want to posture yourself to be that guy to receive, if possible, the “expressly” (find God in the INCONVENIENCE STORE)
B. Don’t declare others weird if they receive some supernatural revelation you haven’t.
Ezek 2:2-5
2 Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me.
3 And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
4 “For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’
5 “As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse– for they are a rebellious house– yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
God KNEW in advance that Ezekiel’s message would not be heeded by his audience.
Ezek 3:7
7 “But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.
So now the question ought to arise: THEN WHY PROPHESY TO THEM IF THEY WON’T LISTEN???
(ever felt that way?)
1. God is not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance – so He will speak to people to offer them the OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR.
That’s why there’s so many “he who has ears to hear” verses. HEARING God is a CHOICE.
2. Another answer is found in 1 Peter 1:12 – we read earlier – (writing these things TO US) and in 1 Corinthians (both some of my favorite verses pointing us BACKWARDS so that we might move FORWARD in God:
1 Cor 10:6-11
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.
VERSE 11 ought to destroy any inclination that the OT is old and therefore dead and worthless to us. I needn’t say more to this audience. We’re studying Ezekiel. Bless you.
All that said, the words of Ezekiel ARE FOR US. God already knew that Israel was not going to change its way because Ezekiel spoke to them.
But God WANTED, and therefore STILL WANTS US to understand these words, so that we might be fully equipped in Him – for living through this age, and especially so that we might succeed at the end of the age – when I believe much of this will reach fulfillment.
SEE WHY THE ENEMY doesn’t want the NT church in the OT?
The OT reveals the battle plan of God. It is revealed to the Warrior-Bride of Christ. Speaking of which…
HHY – Mainstay end-times fulfillment prophecy – quoted and therefore validated by the Who’s Who Of the NT.
SOME refs:
Matt 22:44, Mark 10:40, 12:36 +++, Jesus
Acts 2:35 Peter
Acts 6:55 Stephen
Hebrews 1:13, 10:12, 12:2
Romans 8:34 Paul
Colossians 3:1 Paul
1 Peter 3:22 Peter
Ps 110:1-7
1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” SIT HERE UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS – it has to reach its climax point – until the fullness of wickedness is ready, and the enemy is prepared for the appearance of the King.
2 The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! THE ROD OF YOUR STRENGTH WILL BE SENT THE ANOINTED SAINTS
3 Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, you have the dew of Your youth. NOT A CONSCRIPTED ARMY. LOVESICK WORSHIP/WARRIORS.
4 The LORD has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” JESUS IS THE NT FORERUNNER MODEL OF PROPHET PRIEST – like us in Peter and Rev.
5 The Lord is at Your right hand; he shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. THERE’S INTENSE AND DRAMATIC END TIMES ACTIVITY.
6 He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with dead bodies, he shall execute the heads of many countries. “MANY COUNTRIES” actually should motivate us to contend for the restoration of OUR nation, and all nations – to avoid this judgment destruction.
7 He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; therefore He shall lift up the head.IN THE MIDST OF THE TURMOIL AND TRIBULATION THERE WILL ALWAYS BE REFRESHING AND GRACE IN HIM.
OK – let’s s ALMOST get into Ezek 33.
Ezek 33:1-33
This starts w the accountability of all saints, all of them, notably the ones who have been appointed as watchmen – which arguably could be all of us. This chapter also tells us not IF God brings a sword against A land (note, not simply THE land – not ONLY Israel) – He is God over the whole earth and He deals with all nations.
FROM GROUNDWORK NOTES:
Jer 9:24
Permit me to bullet point that one verse for clarity:
24 But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising
• lovingkindness,
• judgment, and
• righteousness
in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.
That understanding, about which the Lord invites us to rejoice, is that God indeed loves judgment as much as He loves lovingkindness and righteousness, because His judgment is fair and it actually serves to set things back into right order. Mercy surely TRIUMPHS over judgment – it is much desired and in the end will be victorious. But it does not eliminate judgment. He is coming to judge the earth in fairness, so that mercy and love can reign without resistance.
OK – REALLY NOW – Ezek 33
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,
3 ‘when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 ‘then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.
5 ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.
6 ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.
8 “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
9 “Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”‘
11 “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’
13 “When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.
14 “Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right,
15 “if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
16 “None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the LORD is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair!
18 “When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it.
19 “But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it.
SOUND FAIR AND REASONABLE? IT STILL IS.
FIRST – It is the SAME God – who offered this incredible mercy UNDER THE LAW, who tells us He doesn’t change:
Mal 3:6
“For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
NT REFERENCE – This Ezek 33 – get-holy-stay-holy doctrine remains in effect for us:
Rom 11:21-22
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches (ISRAEL), He may not spare you (THE MOSTLY GENTILE CHURCH) either.
22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
Rom 11:28-33 – FURTHER – the eventual redemption of Israel – IF folks REPENT (ezek 33:15-16):
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,
31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
NOTE; His judgments are not DONE AWAY W in the NT. They continue. Heb 12:25 discloses the Greater Accountability if you’d like proof text.
BACK TO EZEK 33:
20 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the LORD is not fair.’
(A) HE HEARS THEIR COMPLAINT.
(B) THIS IGNORANCE OF HIS WAYS BECOMES AN OPEN DOOR TO FALSE DOCTRINE, EVEN EMBRACING THE DOCTRINES OF THE HEATHEN.
O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”
21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been captured!” (Ezekiel was notified about issues going on in the SOUTHERN KINGDOM of Judah)
22 Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. (GOD had, for divine reasons, stricken the prophet and He could not speak).
Ezek 3:25-27
25 “And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them.
26 “I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house.
27 “But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
During this season of MUTENESS, his tongue was apparently loosed ONLY WHEN GOD gave Him something to say. OTHER THAN THAT, he was unable to speak. Meanwhile, there was a lot of PHYSICAL street theater determined for Ezekiel – chapter 4, and 12:5.
23 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
24 “Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’
Humanistic “RELIGIOUS LOGIC” doesn’t alter God’s plans – it’s not a math formula.
25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You eat meat with blood, you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?
26 “You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?”‘
27 “Say thus to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “As I live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and caves shall die of the pestilence.
28 “For I will make the land most desolate, her arrogant strength shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through.
A consistent theme throughout Ezek – THEN and WHEN.
29 “Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.”‘
30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’
31 “So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
THEY GAVE EZEK EAR-SERVICE.
PAUL IN ROMANS:
Rom 2:13
13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
32 “Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.
33 “And when this comes to pass– surely it will come– then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
The “THIS” is the desolation of the land. It took that extreme measure of God. Sadly, that is typical. READ AMOS 4 – and Lev 26 – CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?????
Ezek 34:1-31 – THIS. NEXT CHAPTER CONFIRMS THE UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM – and here corrective judgment starts from the head down, and then it will be from the church down to world.
NT PROOF TEXT:
1 Peter 4:17
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
Here we see God addressing leadership
OT LEADERSHIP-ACCOUNTABILTY PROOF TEXT – judgment starts from the top down: – Ps 99:6-9
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name; they called upon the LORD, and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; they kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.
8 You answered them, O LORD our God; you were to them God-Who-Forgives, though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.
God DEALS W SHEPHERDS WHO FAIL TO REALIZE THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AUTHORITY AND CALLING:
EZEK 34
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.
4 “The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.
5 “So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
6 “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”
7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
8 “as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”–
9 ‘therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!
10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”
11 ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.
12 “As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.
THIS IS YET TO BE FULFILLED. HHY – Hasn’t Happened Yet (in its fullness). The scattered Jews aren’t back yet..
BUNNY TRAIL:
IMPORTANT FOR GENERAL PROPHETIC UNDERSTANDING:
God will often PARTIALLY FULFILL A PROPHECY and then eventually FULLY FILL it.
He’ll help us understand this by establishing MODELS as FORESHADOWINGS.
EX: Moses delivering Israel out of Egypt.
Jesus delivers us out of our bondage.
EZEK 34:
13 “And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 “I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15 “I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord GOD.
16 “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”
THESE HHY verses look forward to judgment of the bad shepherds. So this has to be NT- pending.
BUT God IS NOT SIMPLY GOING TO JUDGE THE POOR LEADERSHIP.
Every believer is accountable – He will judge how the FOLLOWERSHIP lives. That would be all of us:
17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
18 “Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture– and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?
19 “And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”
20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.
21 “Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,
22 “therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
HUGE PROPHETIC REVELATION – The resurrected David – who better to reign w Jesus?
23 “I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them– My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.
24 “And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
SUPPORTING VERSES RE DAVID THEIR KING/PRINCE IN FUTURE DAYS OF PEACE?
Ezek 37:25
25 “Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.
Jer 30:9
9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
Hosea 3:4-5
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim.
5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.
EZEK 34:
25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
26 “I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27 “Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
28 “And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. HHY. They are dying by the hands of their enemies even as we sit here.
29 “I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.
30 “Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.'”
31 “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord GOD.'”
BREAK??? (TIME CHECK)-
EZEK 35:
Ezek 35:1-15 – God has Ezek prophesying to the heathen nations around Israel:
1 Moreover (AS IF THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH!) the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir – IDUMEA – EDOM – descendants of Esau – who sold his birthright and could find no place of repentance (HEB 12:7). and then he went away to remain estranged….
This represents all nations estranged from Israel – it represents ANTI-SEMITIC spirits often wrapped in jealousy over God’s people.
BTW: EDOM contains Bozrah (now Southern Jordan) – and we see in Isa that warrior-Jesus, when He returns, comes up from Bozrah, waging a ONE-GOD/MAN war of righteous vengeance:
THIS POINTS TO unquestionably HHY verses in Isa
Isa 63:1-4
1 Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?–” I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
2 Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes.
4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.
(THIS IS A GOOD DAY FOR US!)
BACK TO EZEK:
(the word of God had come to him again)
2 “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it,
3 “and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you; I will stretch out My hand against you, and make you most desolate;
4 I shall lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
5 “Because you have had an ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end,
6 “therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you. (ISA 63 again)
7 “Thus I will make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it the one who leaves and the one who returns.
8 “And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall (wait til Ezek 39).
9 “I will make you perpetually desolate (HHY – there people there now, still), and your cities shall be uninhabited; then you shall know that I am the LORD.
(If they knew ALREADY that Jehovah is God (sort of ELIYAHU – God is YHWH), they would not still be hating and raging against Israel today). So this simply has to be HHY.
Historic note – w the kingdom divided into North and South – NORTH in captivity and SOUTH not yet – Ezek was already prophesying of its reunification. ON ONE HAND this has, in OUR TIME, SORT OF HAPPENED – in that the LAND of ISRAEL does not differentiate between the Judahites and other Jews..
…..but in larger measure this remains HHY because there remains 10 LOST TRIBES – and these chapters in EZEK has God saying “ALL OF THEM” will return to the LAND. HHY, I would say.
10 “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, (STILL HAPPENING RIGHT NOW) and we will possess them,’ although the LORD was there,
11 “therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them (THEY HAD ALREADY HATED THEM before the time of Ezek – they resisted their traveling through their land on the way back from Egypt. This is ancient animosity that continues today); and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.
12 “Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’
13 “Thus with your mouth you have boasted against Me and multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them.”
14 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate.
15 “As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom– all of it! Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”‘
The enemies of Israel don’t yet know that Jehovah (YHYH is Lord). They will – WHEN all these things occur. This is why Paul wrote in Romans 14:11 and in Philippians 2 about EVERY tongue confessing and EVERY knee bowing:
HE WAS QUOTING ISA – a prophecy Isaiah spoke to all the nations – meaning all “People groups” – even pointing to the open door to the Gentiles (goy-im).
Isa 45:22-23
22 “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (Don’t waste your time looking elsewhere)
23 I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
(Both OATH and VOW are the SAME word – SHABA – from the SHIN root – cut, deal, covenant, oath, peace. Sabbath rest, Shalom peace – See the correlation???)
Chapter 36 – Now we get to God’s PROPHETIC WORD FOR THE LAND – not only the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL – but the LAND.
FIRST – A REFERENCE TO GOD’S OWNERSHIP OF ISRAELI LAND:
Lev 25:1-4
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying,
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD.
3 ‘Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit;
4 ‘but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.
Lev 25:18-21
18 ‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety.
19 ‘Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety.
20 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?”
21 ‘Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years.
(TELL THE IDF STORY AND THE TERRORIST TUNNELS)
Lev 25:23
23 ‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.
Chapter 36 is therefore God’s NON-NEGOTIABLE pronouncement of eventual reclamation of that which is HIS, for HIS people…. (picture the faith-challenge for bible lovers to embrace this, prior to 1948)
Ezek 36:1-38
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD!
2 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,'”‘ (TEMPLE MOUNT in particular? Are they saying that still, besides in all other places of Israel? This has to be HHY)
3 “therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people”–
4 ‘therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around—
DOES GOD regard THE LAND as a LIVING ENTITY???
PROOF-TEXT:
Ps 65:11-13
11 You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.
12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.
5 ‘therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy (Huge Hebrew WORD – “QANA” – means both JEALOUS/JEALOUSY & ZEAL – it is not passive, like English JEALOUSY could be. It describes an ATTITUDE OF GOD that in its completeness INVOKES AN ACTION BY GOD) against the rest of the nations and against all Edom (which many regard as the ANTI-SEMITIC spirit worldwide), who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with whole-hearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country.”‘
6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations.”
7 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame.
8 “But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come.
9 “For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown.
10 “I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
11 “I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
12 “Yes, I will cause men to walk on you (OBVIOUSLY A DECLARATION TO THE GEOGRAPHY), My people Israel; they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bereave them of their children.” (Obviously HHY – so logic would question how any of this ongoing word could be written off, eschatologically, as ALREADY FULFILLED?)
13 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because they say to you, ‘You devour men and bereave your nation of children,’
14 “therefore you shall devour men no more, nor bereave your nation anymore,” says the Lord GOD.
15 “Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore,” says the Lord GOD.'”
16 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
(HERE GOD REVEALS HE IS NOT IGNORANT OF THE SINS OF ISRAEL – and their “chosen people” title is true, but that “CHOSEN-NESS comes with requirements, as does our Christian “CHOSEN-NESS” – the accountability of covenant intimacy):
Amos 3:1-7
1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
And since these are such HOT VERSES, let’s go a little longer in Amos:
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it? (THAT spoils some folks’ doctrines). Calamity-Causing God. More reference: Isa 45:7….
7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
VERSE 7 explains why satan, sometimes manifesting himself in the religious spirit, will rage against the ministry of the prophetic, in all ages. RECOMMENDED READING RE PROPHETS
Prophesy, but fear God:
Jer 23
Ezek 13:10 – I write about UNTEMPERED MORTAR on my anonymous blogsite. www.EZ3728.com)
EZEK – We of course know that God loves Israel, but He’s NO CHUMP. He is not returning them to HIS Land/their land because of their righteousness (and for all these thousands of years He has worked to drive that pride out of them. THE END GAME is JEW and GENTILE believers ruling and reigning w JESUS – but it has to occur in TOTAL HUMILITY:
Zeph 3:11-13 – HHY verses, obviously
11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain.
12 I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth (HHY); for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.”
(ENDED HERE – WEEK ONE CLASS)
NEXT WEEK – 36-39
If you can/like – read the recommended verses in Zech 10-12, Matthew 24, Isaiah 40-66
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