# commentaries

text:
<p>Yet she multiplied her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth, in which she had played the prostitute in the land of Egypt- Despite God’s departure from her, perhaps symbolized by the visible departure of the cherubim and glory from the temple described earlier in Ezekiel, she instead repeated her prostitution and multiplied it, by trying to make treaties with the Egyptians and accepting their idols and gods.</p>


text:
<p>She doted on their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses- For "doted" see on :5. The language here is crude, but it reflects the crude nature of Jerusalem’s attraction towards the other nations simply on the basis of their external attributes. Donkeys or asses were famed for having large reproductive organs, and horses for having much sperm. And these characteristics of the men portrayed on the walls of the temple (see on :14) were so attractive to the Jews. The horse was used by the Egyptians as the hieroglyphic for a lustful person; and as just pointed out in :19, Judah was still influenced by Egyptian thought and idolatry.</p>


text:
<p>Thus you called to memory the lewdness of your youth, in the fondling of your bosom by the Egyptians for the breasts of your youth- Under threat from the Babylonians, Judah returned to Egypt to make treaties with them, which involved accepting their idols into the Jerusalem temple. She was thus returning to her youth, acting as she had done then.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will raise up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them against you on every side- This alienation refers to the falling out between Judah and her masters in Babylon. She fell out with all her lovers once they realized she had been making similar treaties with other nations ["lovers"] and therefore her temple in Jerusalem was filled with the idols of various nations. She was alienated from Yahweh (:18) and now was alienated from her lovers. She was pathetically and tragically alone- and this is the picture of the condemnation of all who reject Yahweh. A gnashing of teeth alone in the darkness.</p>


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<h4>The Babylonians and all the Chaldeans- The "Chaldeans" refer to a group of Aramean people who attacked and conquered Babylon in 625 BC. They came to establish the kingdom known as Babylon, but strictly the "Babylonians" at this stage referred to the local inhabitants of Babylon before the Chaldeans arrived there.</h4><h4>Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and rulers all of them, princes and men of renown, all of them riding on horses- These other nations are mentioned as exemplification of how Judah had been a whore in wanting relationship with so many different peoples. The names of these people all hint at the judgment upon Judah which they would bring: ’Punishment’, ’Cry for help’ and ’Shriek’. Judah befriended and ’loved’ those who would later be their punishment, and force Judah to shriek urgently for help- which would then not be forthcoming.</h4>


text:
<p>They shall come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons, and with a company of peoples; they shall set themselves against you with buckler and shield and helmet all around; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments- LXX "And they all shall come upon thee from the north, chariots and wheels". This is clearly an allusion to the cherubim, seen also from the north, with chariots and wheels. The armies of cherubic protection which they had rejected (see on :14) would turn against them in the form of the Babylonian invaders. God could have judged Jerusalem for her unfaithfulness to Him, but He allowed the other offended lovers to judge her for her unfaithfulness to them. In this sense He committed her judgment to them.</p>


text:
<h4>I will set My jealousy against you, and they shall deal with you in fury- As explained on :24, God too was jealous, as the betrayedhusband and lover. But the other lovers were also jealous, and so He judged them through allowing those lovers to judge her in their own way.</h4><h4>They shall take away your nose and your ears; and your residue shall fall by the sword. They shall take your sons and your daughters; and your residue shall be devoured by the fire- Cutting off nose and ears was a Mesopotamian punishment rather than a Hebrew one. So the idea may be that God would allow the former lovers to judge Judah, rather than He Himself directly. And they would judge in their way. The nose rings and earrings she had adorned herself with would be taken away and left for the executioners to pick up; her actual nose and ears would be cut off and she would be stoned to death, through the Babylonian siege engines hurling rocks at Jerusalem. For this was how they judged unfaithful women.</h4>


text:
<p>They shall also strip you of your clothes, and take away your beautiful jewels- This alludes to the Mesopotamian custom (see on :25) of the executioner taking the clothes and jewels of the adulteress, and then leaving her dead body to be sexually used by any who wished. We note that Babylon was judging Judah for adultery against her; Judah had sworn total loyalty to Babylon as well as other nations, and when her whoredom / nakedness was discovered, when it was realized that the Jerusalem temple was full of the idols of all manner of gods; then Babylon judged Jerusalem as an adulterous wife. And God Himself of course wanted to do so, but as noted on :25, He allowed Babylon to do this for Him as it were.</p>


text:
<p>Thus will I make your lewdness to cease from you, and your prostitution brought from the land of Egypt; so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more- The emphasis upon Egypt is perhaps because it was Egypt who tempted Judah to trust in her strength and therefore break her agreements with Babylon and Assyria. The unfaithful woman Jerusalem would be stoned to death by her one time lovers; but here we get the impression she would somehow be revived, resurrected to a position where she would never again make the same mistakes. And this is the revival spoken of in the valley of dry bones prophecy in Ezekiel 37. But this spiritual revival didn’t happen at the restoration; it is yet to come, when these prophecies shall come to their final term.</p>


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<p>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will deliver you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those from whom your soul is alienated- Illicit love always turns to hatred. Never was this more true than in the case of Judah and her lovers. The true seed of Abraham were to dominate those who hated them (<a href='B:10 24:60'>Gen 24:60</a> s:w:). But Jerusalem was dominated by her haters. For she had broken the covenant.</p>


text:
<p>And they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take away all your labour, and shall leave you naked and bare; and the nakedness of your prostitution shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your prostitution- Their lovers hated them now, and so did God because of their deep unfaithfulness (<a href='B:300 12:8'>Jer 12:8</a>; <a href='B:350 9:15'>Hos 9:15</a>; <a href='B:370 5:21'>Amo 5:21</a>; <a href='B:370 6:8'>Amo 6:8</a> s:w:). Their prostitution was uncovered [the same word used of exiles being sent into captivity] in that all the nations came to realize what God already had experienced with Jerusalem- that she had made exclusive covenants with them all, and accepted their gods into the Jerusalem temple. But she</p>


text:
<p>These things shall be done to you because you have played the prostitute after the nations, and because you are polluted with their idols- Jerusalem’s prostitution involved idolatry in that as noted on :29, each of her lovers expected her to worship their idols as part of the covenant deal they made with her. The exposure of all this was when they each realized that they were being spoken with in just the same way as Jerusalem was dealing with various nations.</p>


text:
<p>You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore will I give her cup into your hand- Again the point is made that Judah were so wrong to think that they were so intrinsically better than the ten tribes. To drink a cup from the Lord is a double symbol- either the cup of blessing which we bless at the communion service (<a href='B:530 10:16'>1Co 10:16</a>), or the cup of condemnation, also given from the Lord. In this sense at the breaking of bread service we drink either blessing or condemnation to ourselves, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 11. Hence self examination at that time ought to be naturally elicited.</p>


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<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You will drink of your sister’s cup, which is deep and large; you will be ridiculed and held in derision; it contains much- To be ridiculed and derided was a fate worse than death in the ancient world, and is often mentioned as Israel’s fate. As with Job, the thing greatly feared comes upon those who are condemned; the nature of their condemnation will be appropriate to them. But the degree to which derision and ridicule is so painful to a person is directly related to their pride. It was Judah’s pride which made these things so hard for them. If they had been humble, the derision would have been far less painful.</p>


text:
<p>You shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of your sister Samaria- The physical desolation of the land during the exile was a reflection of this, and was one of the curses for breaking the covenant (<a href='B:30 26:33'>Lev 26:33</a>). And yet there is archaeological evidence that agriculture didn’t cease in the land during the exile, the poor of the land, the vast majority of the population, were left there; and they even brought grain offerings to the temple site (<a href='B:300 41:5'>Jer 41:5</a>). So God ameliorated this absolutely deserved judgment, in His pity and grace. And this God is our God. The "astonishment" reflects how they had wilfully believed the words of the false prophets. They really thought they were better than Samaria. And it was this deep seated spiritual arrogance which was their worst problem, and which enabled their conscience to become so blunted.</p>


text:
<p>You shall even drink it and drain it out, and you shall gnaw the broken pieces of it, and shall tear off your breasts; for I have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh- This is the picture of absolute self hatred. Plucking off their own breasts is another way of describing the weeping and gnashing of teeth of the rejected in their self hatred. The Bible has a lot to say about condemnation. Yet God doesn’t wish to condemn and takes no pleasure in it. This vast array of Biblical information is therefore given, I suggest, in order to help us appreciate what a great salvation we have received by grace in Christ; this is what we deserve, and yet we have been saved from it. Without that backdrop, the concepts of salvation, grace, redemption, rescue etc. all seem less wonderful.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have forgotten Me, and cast Me behind your back, therefore you also shall bear your lewdness and your prostitution- They had committed awful "lewdness" but there is here the implication that they didn’t have to ’bear’ it, to take the judgment for that sin. But they cast Yahweh behind their back, and so they had to bear the consequences. They refused Ezekiel’s urgent calls for repentance. They worshipped their idols with their backs to Yahweh’s sanctuary (<a href='B:330 8:16'>Eze 8:16</a>). They did not literally ’forget’ Yahweh. But effectively they did, for He was not continually in their self awareness and conscience. And this again is a timeless warning to all who claim to be His people. To cast Yahweh behind the back meant worshipping other gods (<a href='B:110 14:9'>1Ki 14:9</a>). And yet they claimed to be Yahweh worshippers. So the point is that if we do not put God first and solely in our lives, then we have cast Him behind our back. We cannot have Him as merely part of our devotions and religious life. Nehemiah had heard these words of Ezekiel, and interpreted them as meaning that they had cast God’s law behind their backs (<a href='B:160 9:26'>Neh 9:26</a> cp. <a href='B:230 50:17'>Psa 50:17</a>). God is His word; "the word was God". Our attitudes to His word are our attitudes to Him.</p>


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<p>Yahweh said moreover to me: Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations- This could imply (as elsewhere) that Ezekiel struggled to really understand that his people, especially the priesthood he had come from, were really that bad. By declaring to the people what he had been privately shown in this chapter, he would thereby judge them. This is a parade example of knowledge of God’s word bringing responsibility to judgment. If the word was declared to them and they refused to respond, then they had thereby their judgment.</p>


text:
<h4>For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery-This may appear a mere repetition of the obvious. But perhaps the stress is upon "they have::.", because as noted on :26, Ezekiel was reluctant to accept they had in fact sinned this deeply.</h4><h4>And they have also caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to their idols to be devoured- Whilst all our children are born to God, the reference would be particularly to the firstborn, who were to be devoted to God in memory of the Passover deliverance. And instead, they offered their firstborn to idols. That their children should be carried away into captivity in these lands to serve their gods was therefore an appropriate judgment, seeing the Jews had offered their firstborn to those idols.</h4>


text:
<p>Moreover this they have done to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned My Sabbaths- God feels sin very deeply and personally; what they did was "done to Me". We marvel at His sensitivity, that so far from us and above us, yet He is so close and so deeply affected by our actions. We can likewise touch His heart so relatively easily by our devotion to Him. It seems Judah purposefully committed their worst sacrilege in the temple on the sabbath, "in the same day". The child sacrifices of :39 were committed on the sabbath. They had justified their perversions by claiming that they were in fact a form of Yahweh worship. That was the only way their consciences could be numbed to do as they did. This is the scenario of <a href='B:300 7:7-10'>Jer 7:7-10</a>; they offered their children in nearby Gehenna and then came into the temple, reasoning that they were "delivered", saved from Egypt and from threatened judgment, in order to be able to sin without conscience. This was the Old Testament form of continuing in sin because grace abounded (<a href='B:520 6:1'>Rom 6:1</a>).</p>


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<p>For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it; and behold, thus have they done in the midst of My house- See on :38. Excavations of the Elephantine community reveal that the Jews mixed Yahweh and Baal worship to such an extent that they believed that Yahweh , like Baal, had a consort called Anat. Inscriptions from Quntillet Ajrud show the names Yahweh and Baal mixed together, including one which appears to speak of “Yahweh and his asherah”. &nbsp; <a href='B:330 16:21'>Eze 16:21</a> and <a href='B:330 23:39'>Eze 23:39</a> are quite specific about this anyway- Israel offered sacrifice to idols in Yahweh’s own temple.</p>


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<p>Furthermore you have sent for men who come from far, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came; for whom you did wash yourself, paint your eyes, and decorate yourself with ornaments- As explained on :16, this was in response to their beholding the images of these men carved on the friezes of the temple instead of the cherubim, symbols of God’s protection. The painting of eyes recalls Jezebel, notorious queen of apostate Samaria. Judah were no better; that is the recurring message. For it was that sense of spiritual superiority which led them into so much of their grosser sin.</p>


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<p>And sat on a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon you set My incense and My oil- The fornication committed involved elements of Yahweh worship. As noted on :38,39, this was the way in which they allowed their consciences to be so numbed. They justified their immorality as&nbsp; Yahweh worship. The table was the altar, with the incense and oil of Yahweh worship upon it; and they had sex with the representatives of the Gentile nations right in front of that altar. This was typical paganic worship- to sleep with the cult prostitutes before the altar. And they did this right within Yahweh’s sanctuary. We too have an altar, a table at which we eat as Christian believers (<a href='B:650 13:10'>Heb 13:10</a>). And before that we surely cannot commit such adultery.</p>


text:
<p>The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on both their hands, and beautiful crowns on their heads- LXX "And they raised a sound of music, and&nbsp;that&nbsp;with men coming from the wilderness out of a multitude of men, and they put bracelets on their hands, and a crown of glory on their heads". I suggested on :41 that they committed religious and literal fornication before Yahweh’s altar, as part of a ritual which they justified to themselves as Yahweh worship. I say "to themselves" because the later anger of their lovers was when the lovers realized that Jerusalem was not wholly devoted to them; her whoredom was revealed and uncovered to all when it was realized that she worshipped many gods, including Yahweh. The music therefore refers to the temple songs, and the crown for beauty to the high priestly crown. Hence in captivity they were mockingly asked to continue singing Yahweh’s temple songs (<a href='B:230 137:3'>Psa 137:3</a>)</p>


text:
<p>Then I said of her who was an adulteress of old, Now will they play the prostitute with her, and she with them- The final section of the prophecy is a reflection upon the fact that right to the end, the two women had continued their immorality. The idea here may be ’Who would really want to use such an old worn out prostitute?’. But as she was in her youth, so she continued to old age. She had no attraction, reflecting the lack of benefit in forming any alliances with the failed state of Judah, but still she desperately tried to sell herself. There was no repentance right to the end.</p>


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<p>They went in to her, as they go in to a prostitute: so went they in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women- Now both sisters are again mentioned; neither repented (see on :43), they were merely used, there was no love, no permanence. That alone was available in Yahweh their God and husband.</p>


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<p>Righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and with the judgment of women who shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands- The judges were "righteous" in that they executed just judgment upon her; she was a "lawful captive" (<a href='B:290 49:24'>Isa 49:24</a>). The judgment of an adulteress and of a woman who sheds blood is apparently different. The latter may refer to a woman who slays her own children. The two charges were connected in that Jerusalem slew her children as part of her spiritual adultery with other gods.</p>


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<p>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will bring up a company against them, and will give them to be tossed back and forth and robbed- This "company" equate with the crowd of witnesses who stoned an adulteress to death. And yet the figure implies she was both killed, and yet survived to be tossed back and forth and robbed- a description of Judah in exile. Does she survive this death, or not? This paradox is finally resolved in Ezekiel 37, when the dead bones of Judah are resurrected. Despite the awful sin of Judah, by God’s grace He was not finished with her and would resurrect her to an intended further relationship with Him. That after all that she rejected Him and murdered His beloved Son is a tragedy beyond words. "Tossed back and forth" is literally "be removed", the word used for the punishment for breaking the covenant (<a href='B:50 28:25'>Deu 28:25</a>). "Robbed" is s:w. ’to take for a prey’. Having repeatedly said that sinful Jerusalem would be given for a prey (<a href='B:300 15:13'>Jer 15:13</a>; <a href='B:300 17:3'>Jer 17:3</a>; <a href='B:330 7:21'>Eze 7:21</a>; <a href='B:330 23:46'>Eze 23:46</a>) we read that the latter day invasion of Israel comes as a great company (as in <a href='B:330 23:46'>Eze 23:46</a>) to "take a prey" (<a href='B:330 38:12-13'>Eze 38:12-13</a>); but that invasion is not to be successful, unlike the previous historical invasions which took Jerusalem for a prey. The implication therefore is that Jerusalem finally repents, and so shall not be given for a prey in the very last invasion.</p>


text:
<p>The company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire- This sounds as if the prostitute was to be permanently killed as a prostitute would have been executed. But the marvel of the dry bones prophecy in Ezekiel 37 is that there would be revival and resurrection of this dead, shameful body; and God would enter again into relationship with her. Let’s remember that God’s own law was pretty clear about adultery. The adulterous woman was to be punished with death- for one act of adultery. Even if she repented. And in any case, it was a defiling abomination [according to the Mosaic Law] to remarry a divorced wife. But Hosea doesn’t keep the law. He lets his wife commit multiple acts of adultery, and he still loves her and pleads with her- even though he was a man in love with God’s law. And this reflects the turmoil of God in dealing with human sin, and His sinful people. Hosea outlines his plan in Hosea 2. He will hamper her movements so she can’t find her lovers; if she does find them, he will take away her food and clothing, so she appreciates his generosity to her; and if she still doesn’t return, he will expose her naked and shamed in front of her lovers. But there’s no evidence Hosea ever did that. He just… loved her, was angry with her as an expression of that love, loved her yet more, yet more… And this perhaps too reflects God’s mind- devising and declaring judgments for Israel, which are themselves far less than what He has earlier stated in His own law, and yet the power of His love means He somehow keeps bearing with His people. Even in the context of speaking of His marriage to Israel, God says that He will punish them "as women that break wedlock are judged" (<a href='B:330 16:38'>Eze 16:38</a>; <a href='B:330 23:45'>Eze 23:45</a>). And yet, He didn’t. His love was too great, His passion for them too strong; and He even shamed Himself by doing what His own law forbad, the remarriage to a divorced and defiled wife. Perhaps all love involves a degree of paradox and self-contradiction; and a jealous, Almighty God in love was no different. This, to me, is why some Bible verses indicate God has forsaken Israel; and others imply He hasn’t and never will. Somehow, even right now, the Jews you meet… are loved still by their God. And he still fantasizes, in a way, over their return to Him. Imagine His utter joy when even one of them does in fact turn to Him! That alone motivates me to preach to Israel today.</p>


text:
<p>Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness- Through such terrible judgments it was God’s intention that a resurrected, revived Judah would not again commit such unfaithfulness, and "all women", the other nations, would likewise be taught God’s ways. Both these things were potentially possible at the restoration. But they didn’t happen. Judah again fell into unfaithfulness, and the Gentile world weren’t preached to by a repentant Judah. And so these things have been rescheduled and reapplied to the last days.</p>


text:
<p>They shall recompense your lewdness on you, and you shall bear the sins of your idols; and you shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh- As noted on :48, Judah were intended to bear the punishment for their idolatry and immorality. Although the punishment was total and shameful death, yet for her to ’know Yahweh’ she would be revived, resurrected from the pile of dead, disgraced bones, as Ezekiel 37 states. But this didn’t happen at the restoration as was potentially possible. Judah shall only know Yahweh ultimately through the application of these things in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying- The very day on which the army of Nebuchadnezzar began the two year siege of Jerusalem (<a href='B:300 39:1'>Jer 39:1</a>; <a href='B:120 25:1-12'>2Ki 25:1-12</a>).</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, write the name of the day, this selfsame day: the king of Babylon came close to Jerusalem this day- The date was to be recorded because this parable of how Jerusalem would become a boiling pot of destruction was given the day the two year siege started. The false prophets were claiming that the people would survive the siege, and like some today, claimed that Jerusalem was inviolate. But this was not to be, and Bible prophecy likewise indicates that all the Zionist Christian claims that Jerusalem cannot fall to her enemies will also be proven tragically false.</p>


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<h4>Utter a parable to the rebellious house- We wonder why this prophecy is given to those already in captivity. They are described in Ezekiel 2 as rebellious. The implication is perhaps that for the sake of the repentance of that group already in captivity, the suffering of the rest of Judah in Jerusalem could have been avoided; they could have returned from exile, and the further waves of captivity and awful suffering of Jerusalem avoided. But they refused. In the last days, perhaps the repentance of Judah / Jewry in dispersion could avert the latter day suffering of Jerusalem. Hence we ought to be witnessing to them.</h4><p>And tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Set on the cauldron, set it on, and also pour water into it- In <a href='B:330 11:3'>Eze 11:3</a> the Jews had mocked: "This is the cauldron, and we are the meat". This would have been a sneering at Jeremiah’s prophecy that Jerusalem would be boiled in the fire of Babylonian judgment- <a href='B:300 1:13'>Jer 1:13</a>"I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north". Their idea was that the holy city was as a cauldron which would defend them from the fire of judgment. But this is deconstructed her by Ezekiel in the parable of Ezekiel 24. The cauldron would refuse to respond to the purging of the fire and they would all in fact be destroyed. Their concept of sacred space would not save them.</p><h4>Setting on a large pot with selected good pieces in it suggests preparations for a feast. God’s judgment is likened to a banquet to which the nations are invited. As with the cup of wine, to be at God’s banquet is a double symbol- either of blessing or of condemnation. This is why being given the Lord’s cup at His table, the breaking of bread, is cause for self-examination.</h4>


text:
<p>Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones- The valley of dry bones vision in Ezekiel 37 depicted Israel in captivity as bones waiting to come together and return to the land as a great army. <a href='B:300 8:1'>Jer 8:1</a> and other passages earlier in Ezekiel (<a href='B:330 6:5'>Eze 6:5</a>; <a href='B:330 24:4'>Eze 24:4</a>) had described both Judah and Israel as dry bones. The feeling of those bones was that "our bones are dried and our hope is lost" (<a href='B:330 37:11'>Eze 37:11</a>). Judah in captivity felt that they had no "hope", that God had cast them off, and that they were unable to have a full relationship with Him outside the land. However, it seems that this was a rather convenient piece of theology for them- they were doing well in Babylon, and despite the opportunity to return to the land, they largely chose to remain in Babylon. The good pieces, thigh and shoulder [considered the softest and best part of the animal], may refer to the royal family and priesthood. The ordinary people fled from the Babylonians into Jerusalem, thinking they must be safe there; but this false belief was used by God to effectively gather those who believed it into the pot of judgment.</p>


text:
<p>Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron; make it boil well; yes, let its bones be boiled in its midst- The choice of the flock would refer to the leadership of Judah. The bones are emphasized; because the cauldron was to boil dry, and those dry bones would be cast out but then by grace be revived in the Ezekiel 37 vision. The choice of the flock ought to have been offered to God in sacrifice; but instead, by keeping the best for themselves and other gods, it would all the same be destroyed. We either give the best or lose it at judgment day.</p>


text:
<h4>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the city of blood, to the cauldron whose rust is therein, and whose rust is not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece- The earlier fire of Babylonian judgment had been intended to purge the cauldron, representing Jerusalem. But it didn’t, and so the heat was increased.</h4><h4>No lot is fallen on it- There was to be total destruction. The invaders typically counted off a certain "lot" to be spared and taken into captivity. But this apparently was not to be. And yet not all were destroyed; indeed, some were taken by lot into captivity (<a href='B:360 3:3'>Joe 3:3</a>). This again is God’s grace, relenting because of His grace and pity; or because of the intercession and repentance of a minority. See on :26.</h4>


text:
<p>For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it on the bare rock; she didn’t pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust- Blood was poured out on the earth and covered with dust to teach the total dedication of life to God. There was also the custom of covering blood shed in violence with earth, to as it were prevent it from crying to God for vengeance (<a href='B:10 4:10'>Gen 4:10</a>; <a href='B:300 16:18'>Jer 16:18</a>). But Jerusalem didn’t even try to cover the blood of the children she had slain; she justified it as part of a ritual of Yahweh worship. And so it was uncovered blood, which cried to God for vengeance.</p>


text:
<p>So that it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered- The blood, as noted on :7, was not covered, and so it as it were cried out for vengeance. "Her blood" may mean the blood shed by Jerusalem, which has earlier been defined as the blood of child sacrifices made to other gods. They did this because they kidded themselves that they were doing this as part of Yahweh worship; they were open about it, placing the blood on the bare rock of the altars, as was perhaps required by the sacrifice rituals. And God saw that and refused to Himself cover it; and the blood cried out to Him for vengeance, as did that of Abel slain by his brother.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the city of blood! I also will make the pile great- God as it were augmented the pile of firewood by adding the bones out of the boiled dry cauldron to it (:5). The resurrection and revival of these dry, charred bones in Ezekiel 37 is therefore all the more miraculous, just as in Ezekiel 15 the charred vine twigs were to be revived and used by God. The language of the restoration is used of us in the New Testament; this is how amazing is His ability to use we who were rendered worse than useless by sin.</p>


text:
<h4>Heap on the wood, make the fire hot, boil well the flesh, make thick the broth- The language of <a href='B:290 30:33'>Isa 30:33</a>, where we learn that the firewood is kindled by the breath or Spirit of God breathing upon them. But it was that same breath of God which was to revive the dry bones in Ezekiel 37.</h4><h4>And let the bones be burned- Again the bones are emphasized; the cauldron boiled dry and itself melted in the end, and the bones were taken out of it and used as firewood (:5,9). But still by absolute grace, in Ezekiel 37 it is these bones which are to be revived. This is the power of the Spirit and the prophetic word breathed into those bones.</h4>


text:
<h4>Then set it empty on its coals- It boiled dry, explaining how the dead bones of Israel in Ezekiel 37 were dry bones.</h4><h4>That it may be hot and its brass may be hot, so that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed- The "coals" are the same word used about the coals used in the sanctification of the tabernacle after the gross apostasy of Aaron’s two sons (<a href='B:30 16:12'>Lev 16:12</a>). The coals were used to burn incense which formed a cloud which covered the most holy place and made atonement for the desecration of the tabernacle (<a href='B:30 16:13'>Lev 16:13</a>; <a href='B:30 16:17'>Lev 16:17</a>). The situation is clearly that of Ezekiel 10, where Ezekiel takes the coals and then the cloud of God’s glory fills first the most holy, then the holy and then the entire temple. The cleansing ritual is then symbolized as complete by a live goat having the sins of the house of Israel placed upon it, and sent by a willing [AV "fit"] man into the desert far away. This willing man represented Ezekiel, sent by the Lord into the desert and thence to Babylon along with the captives. The word is also used in <a href='B:330 24:11'>Eze 24:11</a> concerning how there would be "coals" of fire in Jerusalem, upon which the cauldron of Jerusalem would be burnt and judged. This action was a direct result of Ezekiel taking the coals of fire from the cherubim in <a href='B:330 10:2'>Eze 10:2</a> and scattering them upon the city. This was therefore a direct result of the action of the cherubim, God’s massively powerful Angelic way of working, in cooperation with Ezekiel. The whole arrangement shows God’s eagerness to work with people. The coals of fire therefore don’t solely and simply speak of the burning of Jerusalem by fire at the hands of the Babylonians. That burning was part of the cleansing of the temple from its apostasy, and the exile into Babylon along with Ezekiel, the willing man of <a href='B:30 16:21'>Lev 16:21</a>, was in fact the bearing away of Israel’s sin. There is always a silver lining to God’s judgments. They are not simply Him lashing out in the offended anger of an omnipotent deity. They were and are designed to propel forward His purpose of saving by grace whilst at the same time judging sin and sinners. And yet tragically, the Babylonian holocaust did not purge the cauldron of Jerusalem.</h4>


text:
<h4>She has wearied herself with lies- Jerusalem wearied herself with lies in that the "lies" were her dishonest covenants with the various surrounding nations, as well as with Yahweh. She even became ’weary’ of this way of life; but still she would not be purged. The Hebrew word carries the idea of loathing; they in a sense hated their sin (s:w. <a href='B:300 9:5'>Jer 9:5</a>), climaxing in Jerusalem loathing herself and wanting to pluck off her own breasts (<a href='B:330 23:34'>Eze 23:34</a>). The world is full of people weary with sin, who loathe their own addictions and sin, yet they will not surrender themselves to God’s demands and be purged.</h4><h4>Yet her great rust doesn’t go forth out of her; her rust doesn’t go forth by fire- As noted on :3, it could be that the repentance of a minority could have averted the boiling of the city. But the fire experienced so far at the hands of Babylon didn’t make the rust go forth.</h4>


text:
<h4>In your filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you shall not be cleansed from your filthiness any more- As noted on :3,12, there was the opportunity to be cleansed by the initial wave of Babylonian attacks and the captivity of a minority. But this wasn’t achieved. This will be true in the last days too; which is why the prophetic program is open ended, as so much depends upon when and whether a remnant repent.</h4><h4>Until I have caused My wrath toward you to rest- The cessation, accomplishment or resting of God’s wrath is mentioned several times in Ezekiel, and nowhere else in this way (<a href='B:330 5:13'>Eze 5:13</a>; <a href='B:330 6:12'>Eze 6:12</a>; <a href='B:330 7:8'>Eze 7:8</a>; <a href='B:330 13:15'>Eze 13:15</a>; <a href='B:330 16:42'>Eze 16:42</a>; <a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a>; <a href='B:330 21:17'>Eze 21:17</a>; <a href='B:330 22:20'>Eze 22:20</a>; <a href='B:330 24:13'>Eze 24:13</a>). The idea is not that God was so angry that He had to express that anger and only calmed down once He had as it were lashed out. He does have real wrath; the huge love He has cannot exist in a dimensionless vacuum, it of itself implies He also has wrath. <a href='B:330 5:13'>Eze 5:13</a> continues: "I will cause My wrath toward them to rest, and I shall be comforted", and the Hebrew there for "comforted" is literally ’to sigh’, to be sorry, even to repent / change. Having expressed His legitimate anger, God knew that He would then be sorry and would then embark upon a process of restoration- by grace. For the objects of His wrath didn’t deserve any restoration. "To rest" is the word translated "to place" in <a href='B:330 37:14'>Eze 37:14</a>: "I shall place you in your own land" at the restoration from captivity. His wrath had to be expressed, and yet it was part of His wider purpose toward restoring His people and Kingdom. We would be quite wrong, therefore, to read these words as meaning that God was furiously angry and needed to lash out and get it all expressed so that He could as it were calm down again. His judgments are always ultimately constructive, and therefore "the wrath of God is the love of God". His wrath is therefore described in <a href='B:330 5:15'>Eze 5:15</a> as the rebuke of His fury / wrath; it was intended to rebuke, to achieve instruction, that they should ’know Yahweh’. The tragedy was that the captives for the most part refused to perceive it this way and respond.</h4>


text:
<h4>I, Yahweh, have spoken it: it shall happen, and I will do it: I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I relent- This could simply mean that the threatened judgment upon the people in Jerusalem would indeed happen; Ezekiel is repeating Jeremiah’s message to the Jews in Judah itself (<a href='B:300 4:28'>Jer 4:28</a> s:w:). But this could also be an example of where God speaks in legitimate anger, but in grace does retract; for He did spare and relent, at least on a national level. And the scale of destruction in Jerusalem was not as total and absolute as implied at times. This could have been from pity; or as the result of the intercession and repentance of a minority. For God does "go back" if there is repentance (s:w. <a href='B:300 18:8'>Jer 18:8</a>; <a href='B:300 18:10'>Jer 18:10</a>; <a href='B:300 26:3'>Jer 26:3</a>; <a href='B:360 2:13-14'>Joe 2:13-14</a>).</h4><h4>According to your ways and according to your doings shall they judge you, says the Lord Yahweh- The judgment was therefore not so much by God as by "your doings". Sin is its own condemnation and judgment.</h4>


text:
<p>Also the word of Yahweh came to me, saying- As noted on :3,12,13, there had been repeated attempts to spiritually cleanse Judah but they had not responded. And so now Jerusalem was to fall and the temple be destroyed, represented by the death of Ezekiel’s beloved wife.</p>


text:
<h4>Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes- Ezekiel loved his wife and was clearly faithful to her, unlike Jerusalem. God recognizes how much he loved her. He is aware of how much we feel towards those we love and whom we lose. We recall God’s understanding of Abraham’s love for Isaac in <a href='B:10 22:1'>Gen 22:1</a> "Your only son, whom you love". Ezekiel’s very deep and personal loss was to represent how God felt over the loss of Jerusalem; for He was represented by Ezekiel.</h4><h4>With a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down- "With a stroke" (s:w. "plague") is LXX "by violence"; :18 can be translated as saying that she not only "died" but ’was killed’. If Ezekiel’s wife was indeed slain by violence, then this would point forward exactly to the destruction of Jerusalem. If she were slain by local Babylonians, then the correspondence would be exact. If she were slain by the Jews who were hostile to Ezekiel’s ministry, then this would also point forward to how Jerusalem was to be destroyed due to the violence of the Jews towards each other.</h4><h4>Ezekiel is told ahead of time that his wife is going to be slain "by violence" (LXX). He believed this, and the exiles were likewise being asked to believe that indeed, Jerusalem will fall and be slain. They were to prepare for this as Ezekiel was psychologically preparing for the loss of his wife.</h4>


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<p>Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead; bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet, don’t cover your lips nor eat men’s bread- The priests were allowed to mourn for their deceased ones; but the high priest was not, and was forbidden from removing his mitre. This command to Ezekiel could imply that with the destruction of the high priesthood in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was effectively the high priest, the spiritual leader of Judah. Or it could be that the idea simply is that Ezekiel is not to mourn at all, even though as a priest he would normally have been permitted to mourn for his wife. Mourners usually went barefoot, but he was to keep his shoes on his feet. Nor was he to eat the bread brought by men to mourners.</p>


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<p>So I spoke to the people in the morning; and at evening my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded- Ezekiel’s personal loss was so intimately connected with the loss of the temple. He was totally involved in the message he preached, as we should be. "Died" here can also be translated "killed" (as it is in <a href='B:20 1:16'>Exo 1:16</a>; <a href='B:20 4:24'>Exo 4:24</a>; <a href='B:20 16:3'>Exo 16:3</a> and often); see on :16.</p>


text:
<p>The people said to me, Won’t you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?- This was the intention of the acted parable; to elicit the question, "What are you doing? / What do you mean?", as in <a href='B:330 12:9'>Eze 12:9</a>; even though in their consciences the answer was surely clear. The question&nbsp; was elicited; but this was followed by the direct revelation of God’ word. And so it is in our witness; our lives elicit questions and pique interest from those around us, as a springboard toward the declaration of God’s word to them.</p>


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<h4>Speak to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities- This is how a man should feel about his wife if he truly loves her; he is proud of her, desires her, she is his holy place, and the one he pities / sympathizes with (Heb:). This was how Ezekiel felt to his wife, and how the people felt for the Jerusalem temple. But in reality they had profaned that which they loved and were proud of. They only loved the externalities of their religion. And we have here powerful reason for self examination; for we can love our church religion in all its external forms, being proud of it to others- and yet profane Yahweh’s sanctuary in real spiritual terms.</h4><h4>And your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind shall fall by the sword- The prophecy was initially given by Ezekiel in captivity; the older, more senior members of the royal family and priesthood were already in captivity. And they were learning that now their children left behind in Judah were to die. It is psychologically credible that their angry reaction to this prophecy was to arrange the murder of Ezekiel’s wife.</h4>


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<p>You shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men- The Babylonian discovery that the Jewish leadership had lied to them and made covenants with other nations, placing their gods in their temple along with those of Babylon, would lead the Babylonians to turn against the royal family and exiles already in Babylon. Perhaps the idea is that they would not have a chance to eat bread brought to them by sympathizers- for there would be no sympathizers, and they themselves would be persecuted and slain. But the reason for not mourning is given in :23.</p>


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<p>Your ornaments shall be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet: you shall not mourn nor weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and groan one toward another- They were not to remove their ornaments and go barefoot, as was done when mourning. The reason was that they would lament beyond tears and all external mourning; they would mourn internally for their sins (s:w. <a href='B:330 33:10'>Eze 33:10</a>). We wonder why Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, which appears to be a record of his external mourning. Whilst the book was inspired by God, at times Jeremiah there appears to be lamenting in a way inappropriate. He ’wept’ (<a href='B:310 1:16'>Lam 1:16</a>), whereas in <a href='B:330 24:23'>Eze 24:23</a> Judah were told not to externally weep. He did not take on board the idea that there was to be no mourning or weeping externally, but rather deep internal recognition of their sins. It seems the Jews were not obedient to Ezekiel’s command not to externally weep but to internally mourn their own sinfulness; the same word for "weep" is used of how they did weep by the rivers of Babylon (<a href='B:230 137:1'>Psa 137:1</a>).</p>


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<p>Thus Ezekiel shall be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh- In <a href='B:330 24:22-24'>Eze 24:22-24</a>, Ezekiel’s feelings of grief for the loss of his wife were to be understood as representative of two things- Israel’s grief for losing the temple, and God’s grief over losing His people. In this way, Ezekiel was set up as a bridge builder, in that his feelings reflected both those of God and those of his audience- in order that his preaching could come over as God appealing to them. And consciously and unconsciously, this is how God uses us too, today. By opening our hearts to others, they open theirs to us and to the Lord. This was precisely how Paul dealt with Corinth. He opened his mouth and his heart to them, and in return he asks them: “Open you hearts to us” (<a href='B:540 6:11'>2Co 6:11</a>; <a href='B:540 7:2'>2Co 7:2</a> RV). Paul received them into his heart (<a href='B:540 7:3'>2Co 7:3</a>), and wished to be received into theirs.</p>


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<p>You, son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart, their sons and their daughters- "In the day" may not refer to the same literal day; for it would have taken longer than a day to travel from Jerusalem to Ezekiel in Babylon. "At that time" seems to be the idea. The Jerusalem temple had been their strength, joy, glory, desire and psychological obsession (:21)- to the point that it is now paralleled with how they felt about their own children. And yet despite this very deep love for the religion of Yahweh, their behaviour toward Him was despicable, and they had cast Him behind their backs. This is the problem with being religious; form so easily swamps content. Some people are wired to be attracted to religion, to the outward, external forms of religion such as meetings, places of worship, tradition and history of the religion etc. These types have to be so careful to ensure that form is not swamping content; for the form is meaningless, indeed it is a distraction; it becomes "their strength::. joy::. glory::. desire::. that whereupon they set their heart", when it is God and His Son who should be all these things for us, and not mere religion. He is our strength and joy (<a href='B:100 22:33'>2Sa 22:33</a>; <a href='B:160 8:10'>Neh 8:10</a>; <a href='B:300 16:19'>Jer 16:19</a>), our glory (as the cherubim vision of Ezekiel 1 had shown), our desire.</p>


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<h4>That in that day he who escapes shall come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears?- We noted on :6 that God had originally threatened total destruction of all within Jerusalem, but in actuality He repented of this. But in <a href='B:330 24:26'>Eze 24:26</a> Ezekiel is told that in fact one would escape and come to him with the news which by prophecy he already knew. This happened (<a href='B:330 33:21'>Eze 33:21</a>). The mention of one who escapes is therefore a tacit reflection of God’s grace in not doing all He threatened in <a href='B:330 24:6'>Eze 24:6</a>.</h4><h4>It could be that Ezekiel was struck dumb (:27) and deaf by the death of his wife, just as he had endured a similar period earlier in <a href='B:330 3:24-26'>Eze 3:24-26</a>; <a href='B:330 4:4-8'>Eze 4:4-8</a>, but when the news of Jerusalem’s fall came, he recovered hearing and speech. In that period of prophetic silence and deep mourning we see reflected God’s mourning and silence to His people throughout the two year siege. It has been suggested that the period of dumbness recorded in <a href='B:330 3:24-26'>Eze 3:24-26</a>; <a href='B:330 4:4-8'>Eze 4:4-8</a> actually refers to this same period. But it could just as well be that Ezekiel, like us, experienced one such situation as a preparation for the repeat of that situation later in life.</h4>


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<h4>In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you shall speak, and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh- At the Lord’s return, God will use a repentant Israel to achieve great things in terms of converting this world unto Himself. They will walk up and down in His Name, witnessing to Him as He had originally intended them to (<a href='B:450 10:12'>Zec 10:12</a>); men will cling to their skirts in order to find the knowledge of their God (<a href='B:450 8:23'>Zec 8:23</a>). “In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee (Israel) the opening of the mouth in the midst of them (the surrounding nations, see context); and they shall know that I am the LORD”, in that Israel will preach to them from their own experience of having recently come to know Yahweh (<a href='B:330 29:21'>Eze 29:21</a>). But at the time of the Lord’s return, when Israel repent and enter the new covenant with Him, they will remember all their past sins “and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more because of your shame::. for all that you have done” (<a href='B:330 16:63'>Eze 16:63</a>). They will be so ashamed that they will feel as if they can never open their mouth. But Yahweh will open their mouth, and they will witness. In some anticipation of this, Ezekiel as the “son of man” prophet, a representative of his people just as the Lord was to be, had his mouth shut in dumbness, and he only had his mouth opened when Israel came to know [to some degree] that “I am the LORD” (<a href='B:330 24:27'>Eze 24:27</a>). In all these evident connections something marvellous presents itself. Those who feel as if they just cannot open their mouths in witness are the very ones whom the Father will use; He will open their mouths and use them exactly because hey are ashamed of their sins! And so it should be with us.</h4><h4>Ezekiel’s prophetic mouth was to be opened at the time when the siege finished and it would be opened to the remnant who had escaped. Through the ministry of His prophetic word, God would again speak to the remnant whom He hoped would repent and return to reestablish His Kingdom in Israel.</h4>


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<p>The word of Yahweh came to me, saying- We now have a distinct section, from Ezekiel 25-32, containing seven judgments upon the nations around Judah. The seven nations are surely a symbolic number. All the nations around her were to be judged for their participation in her judgment. The last of these prophecies was some 15 years later, so they were widely spaced. This sets the pattern for the book of Revelation, which described the seven judgments upon latter day Israel, followed by the various judgments upon those who have judged her.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, set your face toward the people of Ammon, and prophesy against them- Whilst Ezekiel looked toward them from Babylon, his prophecies were to be told to them (:3). Perhaps a scribe was taking down his words and would take the scroll to the Ammonites.</p>


text:
<h4>And tell the people of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Yahweh- All the practical effort involved in getting these prophecies to Ammon, not least the risk for the messenger, was surely only required because Ammon were intended to repent upon receiving these words of judgment.</h4><h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Because you said, Aha, against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity- Ammonites joined with the Babylonians in attacking God’s people (<a href='B:120 24:2'>2Ki 24:2</a>). <a href='B:330 25:3'>Eze 25:3</a>; <a href='B:330 25:6'>Eze 25:6</a>; <a href='B:330 25:8'>Eze 25:8</a>; <a href='B:330 25:15'>Eze 25:15</a> reveal how sensitive God is to&nbsp; what is said and felt about the people whom He loves. Because Ammon mockingly said “Aha!” when Israel went into captivity, because Moab sneered that Judah were like any other nation now, because the Philistines had “despite of soul” (RV) against Israel… therefore God so condemned them even though Israel were so spiteful to Him at that very time. Even though they betrayed Him, His sensitivity for them, His feeling, His emotion, His passion, His pleading with them…surely inspires us to plead likewise with them, for His sake. For the sake of His feelings, His passion…</h4>


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<p>Therefore behold, I will deliver you to the people of the east for a possession, and they shall set their encampments in you, and make their dwellings in you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk- The nomadic "people of the east" regularly attacked the more settled lands west of them such as Ammon. But they usually grabbed what they could and then returned to their nomad encampments. But now they were to actually move into Ammon and make permanent dwellings there. It has been suggested that Rabbah was left undefended whilst the Ammonites joined in the attack upon Jerusalem with the Babylonians; and so their judgment was immediate and appropriate.</p>


text:
<p>I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the people of Ammon a resting place for flocks: and you shall know that I am Yahweh- As noted on :4, the Bedouin nomads usually attacked and retreated with their spoil. But now they were to come and settle down in Ammon, no longer always driving their flocks to new pasture, but using Rabbah as a resting place and stable. The intention was that Ammon too would come to ’know Yahweh’ through this judgment, just as Judah were intended to.</p>


text:
<p>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have clapped your hands, stamped with the feet and rejoiced with all the despite of your soul against the land of Israel- Ammon was like Judah, sometimes in covenant with Assyria and Babylon and sometimes not. But they eagerly joined in with their invasions of Israel to vent their anger upon God’s people. It had been for Ezekiel to stamp with his feet to symbolizeGod’s judgment of His people (<a href='B:330 6:11'>Eze 6:11</a>). Ammon is here condemned for playing God in condemning others, when it is His prerogative alone to do that.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore behold, I have stretched out My hand upon you and will deliver you for a spoil to the nations; and I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish out of the countries. I will destroy you; and you shall know that I am Yahweh- In the same way as God at times threatened total destruction upon Judah but didn’t literally carry it out because of His pity or because some repented, so it seems it was with Ammon. For some form of Ammonites continued. And again we have the hope of a national revival, in that they were to be "cut off" as Judah was, and yet come to know Yahweh in repentance.</p>


text:
<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because Moab and Seir say, Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations- Moab had mocked Judah when they were destroyed (<a href='B:430 2:8'>Zep 2:8</a>; <a href='B:300 48:27'>Jer 48:27</a>). The Moabite Stone, found in the ruins of Dibon records how Mesha, King of Moab, exults about his conquest of Judah along with other nations, treating them as just another nation he had defeated. This treatment of God’s people as if they were nothing special was particularly offensive to God. We are to learn that His people are special, and even in disagreement, we are to respect them as His people and not treat them as if they are just worldlings.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim- The "side" is Heb. "shoulder", referring to the high cliff face which formed Moab’s defensive frontier. All that seems humanly invincible and the guarantee of our safety and endurance can be opened by God in an instant. We note that the names of the cities all have connections to idols, and that they were the defences of Moab’s northern frontier- which was to be overcome by the Babylonians. These cities were actually part of the original Israelite inheritance (<a href='B:70 11:23'>Jdg 11:23</a>).</p>


text:
<p>To the people of the east, to go against the children of Ammon; and I will give them for a possession, that the people of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations- As with the judgments upon Judah, it seems these were not carried out fully at this time. The Ammonites were still an important people in the time of the Maccabees (1Ma_5:6; 1Ma_5:30-45) and are mentioned by Justin Martyr. As noted on :11, the final fulfilment will be in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>I will execute judgments on Moab; and they shall know that I am Yahweh- The seven nations listed in Ezekiel for judgment are also spoken of in Jeremiah: Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Zidon and Egypt. The original intention was that they would be judged, and along with a judged but repentant Israel enter into covenant with Yahweh in the restored Kingdom of God in Israel. But this potential didn’t work out. So the prophecies must come true in the last days. But it seems unwise to try to look for geographical entities which match e:g. "Moab". The seven nations are surely meant to represent all the nations surrounding Israel, the peoples of the eretz promised to Abraham who are the focus of Bible prophecy. There are likewise seven nations mentioned in Amos 1, 2.</p>


text:
<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and has greatly offended and revenged himself on them- Edom had taken a special pleasure in desecrating the temple and ensuring it was razed to the foundation stones (<a href='B:230 137:7'>Psa 137:7</a>). The theme of Edom / Esau wanting revenge is significant; it was the old hatred of Esau for Jacob (<a href='B:330 35:5'>Eze 35:5</a>). The vengeance was for the incident of Jacob tricking Esau out of his birthright. But these prophecies against Edom demonstrate that the promises of Isaac associated with that birthright were in fact meaningless, and not worth any striving about. The judgment upon Esau / Edom, therefore, was effectively for their lack of forgiveness. And that is the abiding lesson for all ages. For out of the seven surrounding nations judged by Ezekiel, the others all finally will come to "know Yahweh", but Esau / Edom never will. This is not said of them. For hatred and unforgiveness of our brother is presented as the mortal sin</p>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, I will stretch out My hand on Edom, and will cut off man and animal from it; and I will make it desolate: from Teman even to Dedan shall they fall by the sword- As with the curses upon Judah, this utter destruction of every man and animal didn’t quite happen. God relented, or perhaps a minority repented. These words about Edom / Esau differ markedly from the ’blessing’ of Isaac upon Esau, that he would live by his sword and throw off the yoke of Jacob and also find blessing. I suggest therefore that the blessings of Isaac were of his own will and paternal imagination, rather than from God. And so all the angst between Jacob and Esau about obtaining those blessings was utterly misplaced and human.</p>


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<h4>I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel; and they shall do in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath- Israel never really fully did this, although John Hyrcanus did invade Edom and force its people to receive circumcision; but he did not make the area empty of man and animal (:13). And so as noted on :11, it will come true in the last days.</h4><h4>And they shall know My vengeance, says the Lord Yahweh- Unlike the other curses upon the nations, there is no comment that Edom would know Yahweh, i:e. enter into relationship with Him after the experience of judgment. God was going to take vengeance upon Esau / Edom, and the language of the curse upon Edom is far more intense than that upon the other nations. Esau was Jacob’s brother, and therefore so much more was expected of him. Attitude and hatred toward our brother is therefore of paramount importance, and will lead to eternal condemnation as it did and shall do for Edom / Esau. The equivalent of "Edom" will have this fate in the last days (see on :11).</h4>


text:
<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with despite of soul to destroy for the old enmity- The Philistines were given Israelite territory by the Babylonians, both during the Assyrian invasion of Israel and the Babylonian conquest of Judah. But the Philistines weren’t satisfied with that, and are judged here for wanting personal vengeance. They sold Israelite villages into slavery (<a href='B:370 1:6-8'>Amo 1:6-8</a>), beyond what the Assyrians and Babylonians had intended. It’s as if God cut the Philistines a certain amount of slack, but when they went beyond that in "despite of soul", they became the more culpable to judgment. The "enmity" is the same word as in <a href='B:10 3:15'>Gen 3:15</a>, and the ’ancient’ enmity strengthens the allusion. They were the seed of the serpent at enmity with Israel, the seed of the woman; which considering Judah’s deep sin at this time, reveals how God by grace still saw them as His special people of purpose.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I will stretch out My hand on the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the rest of the sea coast- I suggested on :11 that these prophecies never came fully true as intended because Judah and these surrounding seven nations didn’t repent after the Babylonian invasion. But they will come true in the last days. It is significant that the "sea coast", the Gaza strip, is a hotbed of hatred against God’s people today; and judgment is threatened upon it. "Cherethites", those from Cyprus, is a word play upon the Hebrew word translated "I will cut off". These kinds of word play are common in the Bible because the text was initially used with illiterate people who would have appreciated such aids to memorization.</p>


text:
<p>I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall lay My vengeance on them- <a href='B:450 9:7'>Zec 9:7</a> implies that a remnant of the Philistines would repent and turn to Yahweh. But again, this wasn’t seen in the immediate context, and so it must refer to the last days- even though in that day their territory will be given to Israel (<a href='B:380 1:19'>Oba 1:19</a>; <a href='B:290 11:14'>Isa 11:14</a>). But then, material possession of land will be unimportant; all that will matter is knowing Yahweh, being in relationship with Him, which is the ultimate purpose of His "vengeance" or judgments</p>


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<p>It happened in the eleventh year in the first day of the month that the word of Yahweh came to me saying- The LXX adds "the first month". Jerusalem fell in the eleventh year on the ninth day of the fourth month. This message was presumably taken to Tyre, as a warning for them not to rejoice at her fall. However some manuscripts read "the twelfth year". This would clear up the problem and explain more easily why Tyre is now being warned not to rejoice over Jerusalem’s fall. The messenger who came to Babylon with the news of Tyre’s fall in the tenth month of the eleventh year (<a href='B:330 33:21'>Eze 33:21</a>) could have gone to Tyre too, or at least, another such messenger may have done.</p>


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<h4>Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken!- The judgments upon Tyre and Egypt are far longer than those upon the other five of the seven surrounding nations condemned by Ezekiel in this section. This is because of their relative size and importance, and their attraction to Judah as defenders against Babylon. The past tense is apparently used, but it seems (see on :1) that Jerusalem had not yet fallen. So the sense of the tense may be ’This is how you ought not to respond after you hear the news’.</h4><h4>The gate of the peoples is now is turned to me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste- Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16 and Ezekiel 23 has been described as a whore, inviting men from all nations to come to her. She loved everything foreign, rather than the things of her God, and had thus acquired a name as an international metropolis; and Tyre now eagerly looked forward to replacing her in Canaan as this city.</h4>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up- The "therefore" reflects how God is deeply sensitive to the thoughts and even unexpressed hopes and fantasies of people and nations; and judges them accordingly. The figure of the sea is appropriate to Tyre as an island citadel.</p>


text:
<p>They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will also scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock- The apparently invincible technology of this world cannot resist Divine judgment; and that applies to all our insurance policies of whatever form. The reference to "a bare rock" here and in :14 uses the same term as that about Zion in the time of her condemnation (<a href='B:330 24:7-8'>Eze 24:7-8</a>). The phrase is used nowhere else. The connection would be in the impression that Zion was to be judged in the same way as Tyre, with the same hallmark of Yahweh’s activity. Neither was superior to the other, as they both considered. Again and again, the prophets reveal that it is human pride and the sense of inherent superiority which is to be brought down.</p>


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<p>She shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh; and she shall become a spoil to the nations- Tyre did revive at various times after the Babylonian invasion. So as noted on <a href='B:330 25:11'>Eze 25:11</a>, we are to look for the final fulfilment in the last days. "The nations" who spoiled Tyre would refer to the various peoples confederate with the Babylonians and Greeks who effected Tyre’s judgment. As noted on :4, the same kind of judgment was brought upon Tyre as upon Zion.</p>


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<p>Her daughters who are in the field shall be slain with the sword; and they shall know that I am Yahweh- "Daughters" can refer to confederate cities, and here the reference is to those towns and cities on the mainland who were connected with island Tyre. But did they really ’know Yahweh’ through the Greek and Babylonian attacks upon Tyre? It seems that as noted on <a href='B:330 25:11'>Eze 25:11</a>, this remains to be fulfilled in some latter day judgment of Tyre.</p>


text:
<h4>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will bring on Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, with chariots, with horsemen and a company, and many people- The language is that of the cherubim of Ezekiel 1; again we see how movements of peoples and armies on earth were under Divine control. <a href='B:330 26:3-14'>Eze 26:3-14</a> speaks of how Babylon will surround and destroy Tyre. But this never happened- it was done by Alexander and the Greeks much later. So, did the prophecy just go unfulfilled? <a href='B:330 29:17-20'>Eze 29:17-20</a> explains that because the King of Babylon laboured so hard to take Tyre- even though he never actually succeeded- God would give him the land of Egypt as a reward. For me, this doesn’t mean that the word of prophecy failed. Rather does it mean that God is open to a rethinking of plans and futures in accord with human response. Although all the conditions for Tyre’s fall and Babylon’s victory against her aren’t given, evidently there must have been such unrecorded conditions; and they weren’t fulfilled, hence Tyre was spared destruction by the Babylonians, and yet they were ’rewarded’ for their part in the situation.</h4><p>The following comment from Ted and Bev Russell expands upon this: "The prophecy about Tyre (in Ezekiel 26) indicated that the place would be&nbsp; scraped of her&nbsp; dust and made&nbsp; like the top of a rock, a place for spreading of nets, plundered for the nations,&nbsp; cast&nbsp; out, devoured with fire,&nbsp; (Hosea, Amos and&nbsp; Zechariah also), and&nbsp;never rebuilt, (<a href='B:330 26:21'>Eze 26:21</a>) (11th year). However, later in Chapter 29, (27th year), we learn that Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers would be given the land of Egypt, because they laboured strenuously&nbsp; and long against Tyre, so long that the soldiers had rubbed heads and shoulders from their leather helmets and armour, (verse 18), but they did not overcome Tyre. So instead God would give Nebuchadnezzar&nbsp; the land of Egypt, for wages."Spoil and pillage from Egypt will be the wages that My servant will take from Egypt, instead of the reward I promised you at Tyre",&nbsp; (verse 17, 18, 19). Nebuchadnezzar was" God’s servant", and even though he did a great service for God, in punishment at Tyre, (verse 18), God changed&nbsp; the terms and conditions of his labour. He would not conquer Tyre, but he was given Egypt instead! Tyre was not laid bare, and not never rebuilt. It&nbsp; thrived and still thrives. It had its ups and downs, with different conquerors, of course. To the best of my memory the peninsula that they built into the sea to defend themselves is not there now, but the seaside town is. It lays nets out, as a fishing town, but it is not bare. We have photos of us there. We know it was there&nbsp; in NT times (Peter). Is it that God changes His mind? Did someone, (of whom there is no record), plead successfully for Tyre, like Lot did unsuccessfully for Sodom? Or is it that He tells us something, only a piece of the future at a time, and then we get a fuller picture later on? The prophesy&nbsp; goes on and on&nbsp; about Tyre’s destruction, and one has to be quick to see the change of circumstance in a few verses in Ezekiel 29!&nbsp; The complete destruction of Tyre has been used to show that the Bible is true, by some undiscerning folk, in past lectures, in our time, (with lantern slide pictures&nbsp; of destruction there). Once world travel was easily available&nbsp; and people more readily saw Tyre, that mistake&nbsp; is not&nbsp; made now. The point, (that the Bible is true), is better made elsewhere.</p><p>We do not need to question God’s prophesies. We can believe Him each time, and believe the changes He makes, as well. In this prophecy do we know a&nbsp; reason why God changed his mind about utter and complete destruction of Tyre? It does indicate that we don’t know everything, that we don’t need to, and that God does not tell us. He decides what is best. Certainly the Bible record keeps us on our toes!&nbsp;&nbsp; For then"They shall know that I am the Lord", <a href='B:330 29:21'>Eze 29:21</a>".</p><h4>To this I would add a comment from <a href='B:290 23:1-2'>Isa 23:1-2</a>; <a href='B:290 23:4'>Isa 23:4</a>; <a href='B:290 23:15'>Isa 23:15</a>; <a href='B:290 23:18'>Isa 23:18</a>. These verses seem to imply that if Tyre had howled in repentance and then been silent and ashamed, she would be ‘forgotten’ 70 years and then become devoted to Yahweh. This never happened. Yet the 70 year period is of course analogous to Judah’s 70 years in captivity, also without repentance.</h4>


text:
<p>He shall kill your daughters in the field with the sword; and he shall make forts against you, and cast up a mound against you, and raise up the buckler against you- As noted on :7, this was not done by Babylon but by Greece under Alexander. The prophecy was reapplied and rescheduled, just as many Bible prophecies are; the original human preconditions for the first or ideal fulfilment did not come about.</p>


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<p>He shall set his battering engines against your walls, and with his axes he shall break down your towers- See on :8. This is the language of Alexander’s invasion, not Nebuchadnezzar’s. Alexander breached the walls by using battering rams attached to his ships.</p>


text:
<p>By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover you. Your walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wagons, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into your gates, as men enter into a city in which is made a breach- The noise of chariots and AV "wheels" recalls that of the cherubim of the opening visions. The human armies and chariots depicted here were under the direct control of the Angel cherubim. See on <a href='B:330 13:13'>Eze 13:13</a>. Alexander conquered Tyre by making a breach in the southern wall, through which his army entered from the causeway they had built. The description of this fall of Tyre would have seemed impossible of fulfilment. For nobody thought that a causeway could be built enabling such military hardware to rumble into Tyre itself.</p>


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<p>With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all your streets; he shall kill your people with the sword; and the pillars of your strength shall go down to the ground- &nbsp;See on :8. This is the language of Alexander’s invasion, not Nebuchadnezzar’s. But as with the judgments upon Judah, the scale of destruction was not quite as envisaged. Alexander killed 8,000 defenders of Tyre and sold the remaining 30,000 into slavery. This is not the scale of total destruction implied here, and so we must look to a latter day fulfilment.</p>


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<p>They shall make a spoil of your riches, and make a prey of your merchandise; and they shall break down your walls, and destroy your pleasant houses; and they shall lay your stones and your timber and your dust in the midst of the waters- This was clearly done by Alexander the Great and not Nebuchadnezzar; although the rubble of the old Tyre was used by Alexander to build the causeway to island Tyre. According to Babylonian records, Tyre surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar and was not destroyed. So the prophecy was rescheduled and reapplied to him, and yet some of the language still doesn’t ring true to what even Alexander did. So the ultimate reapplication will be in the latter day judgment of "Tyre" at the Lord’s return.</p>


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<p>I will cause the noise of your songs to cease; the sound of your harps shall be no more heard- Tyre sung songs so that her memory would be preserved (<a href='B:290 26:13'>Isa 26:13</a>). But all such attempts to achieve permanence beyond the grave are doomed; and we have there a lesson. The idea may be that the only sound would be the music of the sea washing over her bare rocks (:14). But again this is the language of Zion’s judgment (<a href='B:290 24:8'>Isa 24:8</a>; <a href='B:300 7:34'>Jer 7:34</a>). There was to be the same hallmark stamped upon it. Zion was no better than Tyre of the Gentiles.</p>


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<p>I will make you a bare rock; you shall be a place for the spreading of nets. You shall be built no more: for I Yahweh have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh- Tyre was rebuilt, to such an extent that it was besieged by the Crusaders in the 12th century. As noted on <a href='B:330 25:11'>Eze 25:11</a>, this prophecy shall only come totally true in its latter day fulfilment.</p>


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<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Tyre: shall not the islands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made in the midst of you?- "Islands" can mean ’sea coasts’ and would refer to the areas with whom Tyre traded, such as Philistia (Isa 206), south and east coasts of Arabia (<a href='B:330 27:15'>Eze 27:15</a>) and Caphtor. The language of merchant partners mourning her fall is that regarding Babylon in Revelation. I have suggested on <a href='B:330 25:11'>Eze 25:11</a> that the intended scenario at Ezekiel’s time didn’t come about, because neither Judah nor the judged nations repented and turned to Yahweh. So the prophecies are to be rescheduled and reapplied; and perhaps the judgment of Tyre is to be reapplied in the last days to Babylon, just as the prophecies in this chapter about Nebuchadnezzar were reapplied to Alexander the Great. For judgment upon Babylon is not specifically mentioned in Ezekiel.</p>


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<p>Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and strip off their embroidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit on the ground and shall tremble every moment, being astonished at you- As noted on :15, this is more the language of the merchant partnes of Babylon in Revelation 17-19 mourning that the queen city of their trading system has come to a disgraceful end. But the fall of Tyre didn’t mean, in Ezekiel’s time, the loss of political power [coming down from thrones] for her trading partners; we are to look to the last days for the complete fulfilment.</p>


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<p>They shall take up a lamentation over you and tell you, How you are destroyed, who was inhabited by mariners, the renowned city, who was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who caused their terror to be on all who lived there!- The peoples who traded with Tyre (see on :15) do not rejoice that an oppressor has fallen, but rather lament that their source of trade and profit has fallen. So "terror" here refers more to awe and respect rather than fear of an oppressor. "Lived there" is not the best translation; the word is used about marriage, and the idea is that her trading partners were as it were married to her in covenant.</p>


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<p>Now shall the islands tremble in the day of your fall; yes, the islands that are in the sea shall be dismayed at your departure- The "islands" refer to coastal areas who were associated with Tyre by trade (see on :15). ’Trembling at the fall’ of Tyre is the same phrase used about Egypt (<a href='B:330 32:10'>Eze 32:10</a>). The similarity is in that the same hallmark of Yahweh’s judgment is seen upon all who are judged by Him. They were not mere victims of random event; the Divine hand was in the fall of all in whom His wayward people had trusted.</p>


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<p>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: When I shall make you a desolate city like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep on you and the great waters shall cover you- The covering of island Tyre with the waters, which had seemed so impossible, was to parallel the waters of invading armies taking her over. And yet this was not fulfilled under Nebuchadnezzar nor really under Alexander; the city was rebuilt and was not left uninhabited; even under Alexander the majority of the population were not slain. So the main fulfilment is in the last days.</p>


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<h4>Then will I bring you down with those who descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make you to dwell in the lower parts of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, with those who go down to the pit- In her death, Tyre would go down to the grave with other Gentiles (<a href='B:330 32:19'>Eze 32:19</a>) and be at rest there. So there is no sense at all that "the pit" included conscious beings. For death is unconsciousness. Tyre would no longer be seen as superior to others, for death was to be the great leveller- a principle which likewise applies today.</h4><p>That you be not inhabited- After the Babylonian invasion, Tyre was inhabited; indeed <a href='B:290 23:15'>Isa 23:15</a> speaks of a 70 year period of Tyre’s desolation. But the final fulfilment therefore must be future, because as noted on <a href='B:330 25:11'>Eze 25:11</a>, the whole series of prophecies in this section of Ezekiel was part of the wider Divine intention that the Gentiles along with Judah would repent after the Babylonian destruction and come into covenant with Him, ’knowing Yahweh’. But this didn’t happen as God hoped and potentially enabled; and so the prophecies have their final fulfilment in the last days.</p><h4>And I will set glory in the land of theliving- This is the language of the restored Kingdom of God in Israel, where Zion will become characterized by "life" (<a href='B:330 47:19'>Eze 47:19</a>). God’s glory would be set there; as noted above and on <a href='B:330 25:11'>Eze 25:11</a>, the intention was that the Gentiles along with Judah would repent after the Babylonian destruction and come into covenant with Him, ’knowing Yahweh’. But this didn’t happen as God hoped and potentially enabled; and so the prophecies have their final fulfilment in the last days.</h4>


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<p>I will make you a terror, and you shall no more be rebuilt; though you are sought for, yet you will never be found again, says the Lord Yahweh- But Tyre was rebuilt after the Babylonian invasion:&nbsp; Indeed <a href='B:290 23:15'>Isa 23:15</a> speaks of a 70 year period of Tyre’s desolation. So the final fulfilment therefore must be future, as explained on <a href='B:330 25:11'>Eze 25:11</a>.</p>


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<p>The word of Yahweh came again to me saying- The previous chapter has recorded the prophesied destruction of Tyre. Perhaps the idea was that as with the proclamation of Nineveh’s destruction after forty days, so Tyre was intended to receive this message and repent. Perhaps this further prophecy was given because the first one had not been responded to as hoped for.</p>


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<p>You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre- A funeral dirge is recited after a demise; Tyre’s destruction was so sure to happen that Ezekiel can therefore recite this before the event, but in the past tense. This is a clear example of the ’prophetic perfect’ tense in Biblical Hebrew.</p>


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<p>And tell Tyre: You who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, thus says the Lord Yahweh: You, Tyre, have said, I am perfect in beauty- Or, "you are a ship perfect in beauty". This poem about Tyre likens her to a great ship in the sea. The same phrase "perfect in beauty" is used of Jerusalem (<a href='B:310 2:15'>Lam 2:15</a>; <a href='B:330 16:14'>Eze 16:14</a>). Clearly Tyre considered herself as the holy city of God, and in Ezekiel 28 there are many allusions to the tabernacle. It seems Tyre was envious of Jerusalem’s claim to be Yahweh’s holy city, and rejoiced at the demise of Jerusalem and its temple, thinking that she would then replace it.</p>


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<p>Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty- As noted on :3, it was Zion who was the perfection of beauty (<a href='B:230 50:2'>Psa 50:2</a>). That beauty was taken away in the destruction of the temple (s:w. <a href='B:310 1:6'>Lam 1:6</a>; <a href='B:310 2:1'>Lam 2:1</a>), and so Tyre wrongly imagined that she would replace Zion.</p>


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<p>They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; they have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you- This is appropriate if in fact Tyre is being likened to a great ship (see on :3). We noted on :3 and :4 that Tyre was presenting itself as a fake and replacement Zion; the cedars of Lebanon were so associated with the Jerusalem temple that the temple is even called "Lebanon" in <a href='B:450 11:1'>Zec 11:1</a>. So Tyre having the cedar of Lebanon as its mainstay and most focal point would suggest she was seeing the pagan temple in her midst, like the mast on the ship "Tyre", as replacing Zion.</p>


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<p>Of the oaks of Bashan have they made your oars; they have made your benches of ivory inlaid in boxwood from the islands of Kittim- <a href='B:290 2:13'>Isa 2:13</a> and <a href='B:450 11:2'>Zec 11:2</a> imply that oaks of Bashan were used in the Jerusalem temple, so again we have the impression that Zion was being ’imitated’ by Tyre; see on <a href='B:330 28:12'>Eze 28:12</a>. Whilst "benches" refers to the benches sat upon by the rowers of the ship "Tyre", this is the same Hebrew word more commonly used for the "boards" of the tabernacle (<a href='B:330 26:15-21'>Eze 26:15-21</a> etc:). All the time we see allusions to the tabernacle and temple of Zion; which Tyre was imitating, suggesting she was greater than Zion, and her gods than Yahweh.</p>


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<p>Of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you for a banner; blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning- Tyre is being likened to a glorious ship (see on :3). But again the descriptions recall that of the tabernacle, decked with embroidered work [which in the tabernacle was also made of material "from Egypt"], blue and purple (<a href='B:20 25:4'>Exo 25:4</a>; <a href='B:20 26:1'>Exo 26:1</a>; <a href='B:20 26:31'>Exo 26:31</a>). The ballad of the ship "Tyre" presents her as a floating, but fake, tabernacle.</p>


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<p>The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men, Tyre, were in you; they were your pilots- The reference is to Tyre as a great ship (:3), captained by their own "wise men", with the local peoples as their "rowers". Tyre was famed for her wisdom, and her destruction reflects God’s desire to judge and bring down all human pride. See on :28 for the connection of "rowers" with the ship of Tarshish used by Jonah.</p>


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<p>The old men of Gebal and the wise men of it were in you, your repairers of ship seams. All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to deal in your merchandise- As noted on :8, all human wisdom comes to nothing before God’s judgment. "Gebal" is LXX "Byblus", between Beirut and Tripoli. The latter day fulfilment of all this seems to be that the 30 or so nations listed here as confederate with Tyre will all be involved again in the final desolation of Israel and will be finally judged at the Lord’s return. Thus Gebal is mentioned in <a href='B:230 83:7'>Psa 83:7</a> as one of the ten nations confederated under the aim of destroying Israel.</p>


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<p>Persia, Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you; they set forth your beauty- "Put" is LXX "Libya", and this and "Persia" are listed in <a href='B:330 38:5'>Eze 38:5</a> as members of the final alliance which will be judged in the last days. That is the point when these prophecies have their final fulfilment.</p>


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<p>The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around, and heroic men were in your towers; they hung their shields on your walls all around; they have perfected your beauty- This is the sight that greeted Alexander the Great as he approached the island Tyre; but the seeming impregnability was destroyed by the Divine judgment at his hands.</p>


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<p>Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin and lead they traded for yourwares- Tarshish is not the source of these metals, but rather the merchant in them, the "caravans" or transporters of them (:25). Any attempt to claim that tin from Cornwall in the UK therefore makes Tarshish equal Britain is desperate in the extreme. "Tarshish" traded directly with Tyre and there is no evidence that Britain every did so:&nbsp; Tarshish was noted for its silver not its lead (<a href='B:300 10:9'>Jer 10:9</a>), and the only place where these metals occur together in close proximity is at the site of Tartessus on the coast of Spain. For "Tarshish" both the LXX. and the Vulgate give "Carthaginians". Tartessus was one of the chief Phoenician colonies in Spain, called Carthago Nova, because it was a colony of Carthage. They were famed for their large trading vessels, which were used to trade with Tyre; and thus "ships of Tarshish" became a generic term for merchant ships.</p>


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<p>Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traffickers; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass for your merchandise- Javan is Greece, and <a href='B:360 3:6'>Joe 3:6</a> mentions Tyre as selling Israelite slaves ["the persons of men"] to Greece. Tubal and Meshech were clearly not Tobolsk in Siberia and Moscow in northern Russia, as has been claimed by russophobic wishful thinkers; there is no evidence Tyre traded with those areas. They clearly refer to areas with which Tyre traded by sea. All the other areas listed are "coastlands", accessible to sea transport, and this consideration would make Tubal and Meshech probably refer to areas on the Black Sea coast or possibly southern Turkey.</p>


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<p>They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses and war horses and mules- The identification of Togarmah with Armenia is difficult in that the current Armenia was not then noted for its horses, and it was landlocked, whereas this is a list of the coastal areas which Tyre traded with by sea. The identification with parts of modern coastal Turkey&nbsp; is therefore to be preferred.</p>


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<p>The men of Dedan were your traffickers; many islands were the market under your control. They brought you in exchange horns of ivory and ebony- Dedan would therefore likely be somewhere in the south with access to elephant tusks and "ebony" from India and Ethiopia. Solomon used ships to get these things via Ezion Geber (<a href='B:110 9:26'>1Ki 9:26</a>; <a href='B:110 10:22'>1Ki 10:22</a>). So the "islands" or coastlands in view could be on the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea. But the problem with that view is that one ship could not travel directly from Tyre to those places, seeing there was no Suez Canal then built. The description of the nations here is in an intentional order. It begins in the far west at Tartessus in Spain, goes east through Javan [Greece], to the north west corner of Turkey (Tubal, Meshech) and it would make sense if the circular description now moves down to the islands of the Aegean. These were the "islands::. under your control", and the men of Dedan [even if we insist Dedan was in the Persian Gulf] were the merchants. That is not quite the same as saying that Tyre’s ships sailed to Dedan itself.</p>


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<p>Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies- Again we find here the things used in the tabernacle, priestly clothing and breastplate (<a href='B:20 28:7'>Exo 28:7</a>; <a href='B:20 28:13'>Exo 28:13</a>; <a href='B:20 28:18-19'>Exo 28:18-19</a>; <a href='B:20 39:12'>Exo 39:12</a>). This confirms the impression that the ballad of the good ship Tyre presents her as a fake, floating tabernacle. We are being set up to expect the utter destruction of this false system, which we indeed find in Ezekiel 28.</p>


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<p>Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traffickers. They traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, and confections, honey, oil and balm- Here Judah and Israel, the special people of God, are mentioned as if they were treated by Tyre as just some other Gentile nations with whom they traded. And the style of the record here reflects that perspective. This too was to be a reason for Tyre’s destruction; for God’s people are special, and we too should treat them as such and not in the way we would relate to standard secular unbelievers. Tyre as a city state was always in need of food, and Palestine was a logical source for this.</p>


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<p>Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon and white wool- This doesn’t have to mean that the ships of Tyre went to Damascus, which is landlocked. Rather we can read as with GNB "The people of Damascus bought your merchandise and your products, payingfor them with wine from Helbon and wool from Sahar".</p>


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<p>Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares: bright iron, cassia and calamus were among your merchandise- Cassia and calamus were used in the tabernacle rituals (<a href='B:20 30:23-24'>Exo 30:23-24</a>; it is the "sweet cane" to be offered to Yahweh in <a href='B:290 43:24'>Isa 43:24</a>; <a href='B:300 6:20'>Jer 6:20</a>). See on :16.</p>


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<p>Dedan was your trafficker in precious cloths for riding- They "traded saddle blankets for your goods" (GNB).</p>


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<p>Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of your hand. In lambs, rams, goats, in these were they your merchants- These three animals were part of the tabernacle rituals; again we have the impression that Tyre is being presented as a fake tabernacle, a conscious imitation of Yahweh’s shrine in Jerusalem. See on :16. We also find these three animals listed in the same order in <a href='B:330 39:18'>Eze 39:18</a>, as the possessions of the confederacy of nations who will invade Israel in the last days under Gog, and be destroyed. The idea would be that the final fulfilment of this prophecy is at the Lord’s return, although "Tyre" may be reapplied to "Babylon" or whoever leads that latter day confederacy. Such reapplication and shifting of fulfilment from one to another is common in Bible prophecy; we noted on Ezekiel 26 how the destruction of Tyre was intended to be done by Nebuchadnezzar, but this prophecy was reapplied and shifted to Alexander the Great. Likewise prophecies which have one context in the Old Testament are applied in a different context in the New Testament. Thus Rachel weeping for her children in Jeremiah is shifted to apply to the women weeping for their children at the time of Herod’s massacre. See on :27.</p>


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<p>The traffickers of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traffickers. They traded for your wares with the chief of all spices and with all precious stones and gold- Again this doesn’t require the ships of Tyre to have gone to Sheba, the idea is that men from Sheba traded with Tyre. And again, these were all used in the tabernacle construction and rituals; spices (s:w. <a href='B:20 25:6'>Exo 25:6</a>; <a href='B:20 35:8'>Exo 35:8</a>), "precious stones" is the term used for the "costly stones" brought from Tyre and Lebanon for the foundation of the temple (<a href='B:110 5:17'>1Ki 5:17</a>; <a href='B:110 7:9-11'>1Ki 7:9-11</a>); and gold was likewise throughout the sanctuary.</p>


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<p>Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traffickers of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traffickers- Men from throughout the eretz promised to Abraham worked for Tyre; she is presented as having relationships and economic control over the entire territory. This may be somewhat exaggerated, as Babylon was the greater power in the area; but the picture is thus painted because Tyre stands as representative of the latter day entity which shall be judged at the Lord’s return.</p>


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<p>These were your traffickers in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work and in chests of rich clothing, bound with cords and made of cedar, among your merchandise- Again, this is all the language of the priestly robes and the tabernacle and temple construction- the words and ideas are all used elsewhere in that context: wrappings, blue, embroidered work, cords, cedar. As noted on :16, Tyre is presented as an imitation tabernacle which is to be judged.</p>


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<p>The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise, and you were replenished, and made very glorious in the heart of the seas- As explained on :12, the people of Tartessus [Tarshish] in pain were famed for their large trading vessels, which were used to trade with Tyre; and thus "ships of Tarshish" became a generic term for merchant ships. They were the maritime equivalent of desert "caravans". "Very glorious" is the phrase translated "very grievous" about the sin of Sodom (<a href='B:10 18:20'>Gen 18:20</a>). A parallel is being drawn because this proud, immoral system and city is about to likewise fall in judgment.</p>


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<p>Your rowers have brought you into great waters. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas- This verse suddenly interrupts the description of her greatness and all the good thinks packed onto the good ship Tyre. The sudden east wind from God will destroy her; clearly there are similarities with the Jonah story, see on :28.</p>


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<p>Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, your pilots, your repairers of ship hulls and the dealers in your merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your company which is in the midst of you, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin- See on :28 for the connections with Jonah. The good ship Tyre, loaded with wealth and sailors from throughout the eretz promised to Abraham, was to capsize and sink to the bottom of the seas under Divine judgment. This is the punishment of Babylon and those confederate with her. It seems that what was here threatened upon Tyre didn’t fully come to pass; but the essence of the prophecy will do, in that the prophecy is to be reapplied and transferred to Babylon. See on :21.</p>


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<p>At the sound of the cry of your pilots the suburbs shall shake- "Pilots" is the word translated "captain" in <a href='B:390 1:6'>Jon 1:6</a>, the only other usage of the word outside Ezekiel 27. The ship of Tarshish or Tyre was rowed into deep waters, "the heart of the seas" (:27), which is where Jonah was plunged into (<a href='B:390 2:3'>Jon 2:3</a>). The connection with the Jonah story is perhaps the implication that Tyre could have repented as those sailors did, and the ship of Tyre would not have been wrecked as it was going to be. And of course the book of Jonah is the great example of where Divine judgment was stated but not carried out because of Gentile repentance. And this was exactly why Ezekiel is making this appeal to Tyre.</p>


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<p>All who handled the oar, the mariners and all the pilots of the sea shall come down from their ships. They shall stand on the land- This is the very picture of Babylon’s supporters, portrayed as mariners, ’standing’ in mourning over her (<a href='B:730 18:17'>Rev 18:17</a>). If we enquire why the judgments of latter day Babylon are portrayed in terms of Tyre’s fall as described here in Ezekiel, I suggest the answer is as explained on :21. The prophecies of Tyre’s fall could have happened in Ezekiel’s time, within the context of the intended repentance of the exiles and the nations, and the reestablishment of a kingdom of God in Israel. But this didn’t happen, and so the prophecies about Tyre have been transferred and reapplied to Babylon, to come to total fulfilment in the last days.</p>


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<p>And shall cause their voice to be heard over you, and shall cry bitterly and shall cast up dust on their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes- This is the bitter lamentation over Babylon of <a href='B:730 18:8-10'>Rev 18:8-10</a>; casting dust on their heads is quoted and applied to the mourners for latter day Babylon in <a href='B:730 18:19'>Rev 18:19</a>; see on :29. Wallowing in ashes was Zion’s judgment (<a href='B:300 6:26'>Jer 6:26</a>; <a href='B:300 25:34'>Jer 25:34</a>); they had rejoiced at Zion’s fall, but were to come to the same.</p>


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<p>And they shall makethemselves bald for you, and clothe them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for you in bitterness of soul with bitter mourning- This is the language of the exiles mourning for the destruction of Zion (<a href='B:300 4:8'>Jer 4:8</a>; <a href='B:300 6:26'>Jer 6:26</a> and throughout Lamentations). The implication is that Zion was but a fake sanctuary of Yahweh, just as Tyre was. They would meet the same end.</p>


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<p>In their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for you and lament over you, saying, Who is there like Tyre, like her who is brought to silence in the midst of the sea?- Babylon likewise is to be cast into the seas in the last days (<a href='B:730 18:21'>Rev 18:21</a>), and those who traded with her shall wail and lament (<a href='B:730 18:11'>Rev 18:11</a>); see on :21,29.</p>


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<p>When your wares went forth out of the seas, you filled many peoples; you enriched the kings of the earth with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise- The list of Babylon’s merchandise in Revelation 18 is based upon the "wares" which are listed here as Tyre’s trade. See on :29.</p>


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<p>In the time that you were broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company fell in your midst- The seas refer to the confederated nations who were to break her, and cause all her wealth and supporters to drown in the depths. Again we see the similarities with the ship of Tarshish in which Jonah was placed, which averted this catastrophe by repentance; see on :28.</p>


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<p>All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you, and their kings are horribly afraid; they are troubled in their face- This suggests shock. The fall of Tyre is portrayed as coming suddenly and unexpectedly. But even in Alexander’s time, she only fell after an extended siege. The impression of a sudden fall, akin to Babylon’s plagues coming suddenly and being like a famine which came in one day (see on <a href='B:730 18:8'>Rev 18:8</a>), means that we must look to the last days for the total fulfilment of the prophecy.</p>


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<h4>The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you are become a terror- This could imply that the merchants who initially lamented the fall of Tyre because of their own personal loss therefrom, now change and hate her. For "hiss" suggests scorn. In the transference to Babylon, this would be the horns hating the whore (<a href='B:730 17:16'>Rev 17:16</a>).</h4><h4>And you shall never again have any being- Tyre did revive, and suffered many more sieges and invasions, right up to the time of the crusades. So the prophecy didn’t come fully true at the time, but it will do in its reapplied form in the last days.</h4>


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<p>The word of Yahweh came again to me saying- This prophecy is specifically intended to be given to the prince of Tyre (:2). We noted in Ezekiel 27 the allusions to Jonah. The ship of Tyre was to sink, but repentance was possible to avert this.</p>


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<p>Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God- For an asylum seeking exile like Ezekiel in Babylon to tell the king of Tyre that he was going to perish unless he repented::. was a hard mission. And our witness is likewise not so easy, in the proud, secular world in which we are to make it. We note that the primary issue with the king of Tyre was not his idolatry, but his pride and playing God. This is what is so utterly abhorrent to God. And we must have that same perspective. Throughout this chapter and on Ezekiel 27 we note that Tyre is portrayed as having a fake tabernacle and temple, an imitation Zion; and her prince was therefore enthroned there as if he were Yahweh. He consciously "set his heart" on this fantasy. The Ugaritic documents reveal that the kings of that time considered themselves to be Divine, the human reincarnation of a god who had died and was now rising again. But this king, perhaps Itobaal II or Azemilcus, was consciously impersonating the Yahweh religion of Zion.</p>


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<p>Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you- He was not in fact wiser than Daniel nor did he know all secrets [which in Daniel’s context referred to his understanding of the prophecies]. But this is how the prince of Tyre thought of himself, and so he is addressed in his own terms. The reference to his supposed wisdom is no proof that a super-human being is referred to; this is an illustration of <a href='B:490 16:8'>Luk 16:8</a>: “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light”.</p>


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<p>By your wisdom and by your understanding you have become rich, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasures- This is another way of saying that the prince’s wisdom was not actually that of Daniel (:3). For this was all the result of secular wisdom rather than spiritual. It has been suggested that these verses here are alluding to or even quoting a hymn to the prince of Tyre. The later allusions to a story of Adam’s fall may likewise be alluding not so much to the Genesis account but to some Tyrian religious myth. For God likes to speak to people within the terms of their own reference, as we should in our sharing of the Gospel.</p>


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<p>By your great wisdom and by your traffic you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches- Wealth and pride go together. God wants us to be humble, and that is likely the reason why "to the poor the Gospel is preached", and wealthy people find the humility required by the Gospel so difficult.</p>


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<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have set your heart as the heart of God- For all the things that the prince of Tyre could have been condemned for, his state of heart was the essential issue. And this is typical of the prophets- to focus, as did the Lord Jesus, upon the state of human hearts as the critical issue in God’s judgment of men.</p>


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<p>Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers on you, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness- The language of brightness recalls the cherubim vision of Ezekiel 1. Tyre was a fake Zion, appearing to even have the cherubim presence around their central temple and prince. Perhaps he is called "the prince" rather than the king to draw a similarity with how the true Zion is to have a "prince". His beauty and brightness may refer to the temple in the centre of Tyre which was the obsessive pride and joy of her prince. This was to be desecrated by strangers. "The terrible of the nations" refers to the Babylonian confederacy in <a href='B:330 30:11'>Eze 30:11</a>; <a href='B:330 31:12'>Eze 31:12</a>. But ultimately it was the Greeks and not Babylonians who brought Tyre down. Again we see how the prophecies about Tyre were transferred from one possible fulfilment to another, and the ultimate, final transference will be to the destruction of the last days.</p>


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<p>They shall bring you down to the pit; and you shall die the death of those who are slain, in the heart of the seas- This particularly refers to the prince of Tyre personally, who claimed he was God (:9). But Azemilcus, the king of Tyre when the city finally fell to Alexander the Great, was spared by Alexander. Again we see that the prophecy didn’t come true exactly. The ultimate best fit fulfilment will therefore be in the last days. See on <a href='B:330 27:21'>Eze 27:21</a>; <a href='B:330 27:29'>Eze 27:29</a>. The predictions in Ezekiel 26-28 about the king of Tyre personally are one of the biggest reasons to think that they did not come true as intended at the hands of the Babylonians or Greeks; and therefore these prophecies are to be transferred for their final fulfilment to some other figure.</p>


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<p>Will you yet say before him who kills you, I am God? But you are man and not God in the hand of him who stabs you- The Babylonians besieged Tyre for 13 years under Nebuchadnezzar and failed to capture island Tyre. This didn’t happen, as noted on :8. The ultimate best fit fulfilment will therefore be in the last days. See on <a href='B:330 27:21'>Eze 27:21</a>; <a href='B:330 27:29'>Eze 27:29</a>.</p>


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<p>You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh- The person was to “die the deaths of the uncircumcised” (Ezekiel 28; Ezekiel 10), but angels cannot die (<a href='B:490 20:35-36'>Luk 20:35-36</a>). There is no reference here therefore to any sinful Angel in Eden. He was a man (:9). The reference to death by the uncircumcised could suggest that Tyre in their mock imitation of Yahweh worship also practiced circumcision.</p>


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<p>Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me saying- The words “devil” , “satan” and “angel” do not occur in this chapter, nor in the rest of Ezekiel. The context shows this is a prophecy about the King of Tyre; the preceding chapter 27 is an oracle against Tyre, and now chapter 28 speaks specifically about the King of Tyre. Ezekiel chapters 27 and 28 clearly hold together as a literary unit. The city of Tyre and the King of Tyre are described in similar terms, e:g. "perfect in beauty" (compare <a href='B:330 27:3'>Eze 27:3</a> and <a href='B:330 28:12'>Eze 28:12</a>; <a href='B:330 27:16-17'>Eze 27:16-17</a> with <a href='B:330 28:13'>Eze 28:13</a>; <a href='B:330 27:33'>Eze 27:33</a> with <a href='B:330 28:16'>Eze 28:16</a>). The passage plainly speaks of the King of Tyre, not anything that happened at the beginning of the world.</p>


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<h4>Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and tell him- As noted on :7-10, no king of Tyre was actually killed neither by Nebuchadnezzar nor Alexander. This funeral lamentation over him therefore looks ahead to the last days; see on <a href='B:330 27:21'>Eze 27:21</a>; <a href='B:330 27:29'>Eze 27:29</a>. There must therefore arise an individual similar to some historical king of Tyre who sets himself up as if he is in Zion, sitting in the throne of God. This is the latter day antichrist figure of <a href='B:600 2:4'>2Th 2:4</a> who sits as God in the temple.</h4><h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You seal up the imitation, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty- The same phrase "perfect in beauty" is used of Jerusalem (<a href='B:310 2:15'>Lam 2:15</a>; <a href='B:330 16:14'>Eze 16:14</a>). Clearly Tyre considered herself as the holy city of God, and in the next verses there are many allusions to the tabernacle. It seems Tyre was envious of Jerusalem’s claim to be Yahweh’s holy city, and rejoiced at the demise of Jerusalem and its temple, thinking that she would then replace it. She considered herself the "imitation" of Zion and Yahweh worship; but the simple message was that Tyre was to be destroyed, and God’s plan was to restore Zion rather than transfer Zion to Tyre. I have explained above that the final fulfilment of the destruction of the "prince of Tyre" will be in the last days, when it will be as it were transferred to the destruction of Babylon and her "man of sin" leader who will likewise create a false sanctuary in imitation of Yahweh worship, perhaps literally in Jerusalem.</h4>


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<h4>You were in Eden, the garden of God- I suggested on :4 that this section may be part of an allusion to a Tyrian religious myth rather than to the Hebrew account in Genesis 2. But the text here refers to where the king of Tyre was in place, not in time. Pharaoh and Assyria are similarly described as being a “cedar in Lebanon”, no “tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty::. all the trees of Eden envied him::. yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised” (<a href='B:330 31:2-3'>Eze 31:2-3</a>; <a href='B:330 31:8-9'>Eze 31:8-9</a>; <a href='B:330 31:16'>Eze 31:16</a>; <a href='B:330 31:18'>Eze 31:18</a>). Thus "You have been in Eden" has similarities with the language used by Ezekiel about Egypt in Ezekiel 31. Egypt is described in language which recalls the trees in the garden of Eden, watered by many waters- and then cut down. In the same way as the Garden of Eden was ended, so would Egypt be.</h4><p>The trees in Eden are not to be taken literally, they represent the nations whom Pharaoh and Assyria conquered, possibly referring to the fact that they were all within the old geographical boundaries of the garden of Eden. Pharaoh being the greatest of the trees in Eden and the most appealing maybe, suggests that he was taking to himself the place of the tree of knowledge, which was in the midst of Eden and probably the most attractive of them all, seeing that it fascinated Eve so much with its tempting fruit. Pharaoh was not literally that tree, but in the parable he was making himself like it. Similarly the king of Tyre is likened in this parable to the cherubim in Eden.</p><p>Every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold workmanship of tambourines and of pipes was yours. In the day that you were created they were prepared- These were the stones in the high priestly breastplate; as noted on :12, Tyre pretended to being an "imitation" of Zion, Yahweh’s holy city. David and Hiram of Tyre&nbsp; had been close friends (<a href='B:100 5:11'>2Sa 5:11</a>; <a href='B:110 5:1'>1Ki 5:1</a>; <a href='B:110 5:6-7'>1Ki 5:6-7</a>; <a href='B:110 5:10'>1Ki 5:10</a>), and Hiram and Solomon had made a league in which Hiram supplied materials for the building of the temple (<a href='B:110 5:12'>1Ki 5:12</a>; <a href='B:110 5:17-18'>1Ki 5:17-18</a>). But this was now abused by Tyre in creating an imitation sanctuary in Tyre rather than Zion.</p><p>With Hiram’s knowledge of the true God, it seems that subsequent Kings of Tyre came to put themselves in the position of God, presenting themselves as seated between the cherubim on Mount Zion, in the same way as the king of Assyria effectively aspired to the same thing - Phoenician inscriptions have been uncovered calling the king of Tyre “Lord of the Heavens”. Even more amazingly, the jewels described in :13 were all found embedded in the sphinx-cherubim unearthed in Tyre. The three jewels of the breastplate missing from the list in :13 were also missing from the sphinx. Inscriptions also describe Tyre as the “garden of God”, and reliefs of cherubim guarding Tyre as they did Eden have been found. Thus the king of Tyre had set up a blasphemous system of worship copying that of the temple and of Eden, with himself as God in the midst of it. Harry Whittaker makes a distinction between "the prince of Tyre" (<a href='B:330 28:2'>Eze 28:2</a>) and "the king of Tyre" (<a href='B:330 28:12'>Eze 28:12</a>). which he sees as a reference to the Tyrian god Melkart ("King of the city"). He suggests that Tyre had installed a system of Yahweh worship similar to that which was in Jerusalem (perhaps a result of Hiram’s relationship with Solomon and assistance in building Yahweh’s temple)- but this had become mixed with the worship of Melkart (H:A. Whittaker, The Very Devil (Wigan: Biblia, 1991) p. 33:). God is saying that He is aware that this replica ["imitation", :12] of His system of worship has been pushed by the king of Tyre as far as it can go - no wonder a prophecy like Ezekiel 28 was necessary to expose his sin!</p><h4>According to the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: "This feeling of superhuman elevation in the king of Tyre was fostered by the fact that the island on which Tyre stood was called"the holy island"[Sanconiathon], being sacred to Hercules and Melkart, so much so that the colonies looked up to Tyre as the mother city of their religion". "The city was thought of as rising from the waters like the rock-throne of God" (Ralph Woodrow, Was Satan Once An Angel In Heaven? (Riverside, CA: Ralph Woodrow Evangelistic Association, 1968) p. 7. Woodrow was one of the few, if not the only, popular American Evangelical preacher of the 20th century who spoke out against the popular view of Satan). This would explain why the King of Tyre is criticized for saying "I am a God, I sit in the seat of God" (<a href='B:330 28:2'>Eze 28:2</a>). It would also explain all the allusions to Israelite worship- he was setting himself up as a rival to Zion, dressing himself in clothing featuring all the jewels in the High Priestly breastplate (<a href='B:20 28:15-20'>Exo 28:15-20</a>); the word used for his "workmanship" with those jewels in <a href='B:330 28:13'>Eze 28:13</a> is used in <a href='B:20 31:3'>Exo 31:3</a>; <a href='B:20 31:5'>Exo 31:5</a>; <a href='B:20 35:31'>Exo 35:31</a> of the workmanship of the tabernacle and associated garments. Note how <a href='B:330 27:22'>Eze 27:22</a> says that Tyre traded in "all precious stones". The King of Tyre claimed to be "perfect in beauty" (<a href='B:330 28:12'>Eze 28:12</a>)- just as Zion was described earlier in Ezekiel in the same terms (<a href='B:330 16:14'>Eze 16:14</a>).</h4>


text:
<h4>I put a terrifying messenger there to guard you- "Guard" is related to the term used for the cherubim overshadowing the ark. The suggestion may be that Tyre as a great mercantile power was privileged to cast its ‘wings’ over Israel. It was the abuse of this exalted position that was a factor in the ruin of Tyre (: 4,5). God is clearly superior to the prince of Tyre. God was in control of the cherub.</h4><p>The king of Tyre is likened to a cherub dwelling in Eden, the garden of God. However, the Genesis record stresses that the cherubim dwelt not in the garden, but east of it. It would therefore seem that <a href='B:330 28:11-19'>Eze 28:11-19</a> is alluding to some pagan story of the garden of Eden (see on :4), and re-focusing the myth upon a real, known human being on earth- i:e. the king of Tyre.</p><p>Cassuto points out that the Ezekiel reference to the cherub ’walking in the midst of the stones of fire’ is an allusion to Ugaritic poetry which speaks of ’stones of fire’. Ezekiel does the same thing in <a href='B:330 31:8-9'>Eze 31:8-9</a>, where he references pagan ideas about Eden, the cherubim etc:, and re-focuses them upon Pharaoh, king of Egypt. It could even be argued that Ezekiel’s detailed visions of the cherubim in Ezekiel 1, 10 are a deconstruction of Babylonian and underlying Canaanite myths about the cherubim- showing who the cherubim really are.</p><p>A number of sphinx have been discovered, which appear to be a Canaanite pagan rendition of the cherubim described earlier in Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10. “A sphinx is merely a pagan cherub. The sphinx often depicted a king’s head, and an animal’s body—the animal was usually regarded as a god. Head and body were a composite god: the deification of the king” (Arthur Gibson, “The Diabolical Prince of Tyre”, The Testimony Vol. 46 (1976) p. 174).</p><p>A large cherub-sphinx with a king’s head and animal’s body set on a base of sculptured mountains was discovered in nearby Sidon, apparently a deification of a king of Tyre who is here described as being “upon the holy mountain of God” (<a href='B:330 28:14'>Eze 28:14</a>). Phoenician and Ugaritic texts record the King of Tyre pronouncing that “I am El”- exactly what we read him doing in <a href='B:330 28:2'>Eze 28:2</a>, proclaiming that “I am God, I sit in the seat of God” (Descriptions of the sphinx-cherubim discovered and the references to the King of Tyre’s claim to be “El” are to be found in R. D. Barnett, "Ezekiel and Tyre", Eretz-Israel Vol. 9 &nbsp;(1969), p. 9 (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society). The King of Tyre claiming to be El is also referenced in W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan (London: Athlone Press, 1968) p. 49).</p><h4>You lived on My holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems- This holy mountain is Mt. Zion, on the earth, not symbolically in heaven as the Watchtower asserts (see <a href='B:330 20:40'>Eze 20:40</a>). This is an allusion to the stones set in the breastplate of the high priest of Israel (<a href='B:20 39:10-14'>Exo 39:10-14</a>):They were ‘stones of fire’ because of the way they would shine when exposed to the brilliance of the Shekinah glory of the sanctuary. They symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel (<a href='B:20 39:14'>Exo 39:14</a>). Hiram the earlier king of Tyre walked in the midst of these stones of fire when he moved among the children of Israel (as in the preparation of the materials for the temple). But now Tyre had as it were created a similar sanctuary and breastplate in Tyre.</h4>


text:
<h4>You were perfect in your ways- “You were perfect in your ways” is no proof that a super-human person is being spoken of, seeing that the word is applied to Noah, Abraham, Job and David (<a href='B:10 6:9'>Gen 6:9</a>; <a href='B:10 17:1'>Gen 17:1</a>; <a href='B:220 1:1'>Job 1:1</a>; <a href='B:230 18:23'>Psa 18:23</a>; <a href='B:230 18:25'>Psa 18:25</a>). Those who believe in a personal devil are faced with a contradiction- was the devil originally a sinner, or, was he once perfect but fell?</h4><p>From the day that you were created- “Perfect” (upright) from the time of his spiritual birth - which is how the word “created” is used in <a href='B:330 21:30'>Eze 21:30</a> and <a href='B:230 102:18'>Psa 102:18</a> (cp. <a href='B:540 5:17'>2Co 5:17</a>). Perhaps this refers to how under Hiram, Tyre had become a proselyte state of Israel.</p><h4>Until unrighteousness was found in you- There may be allusion to the falling out between Hiram and Solomon.</h4>


text:
<p>By the abundance of your trading they filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and the angel who guarded you drove you away from the midst of the stones of fire- Tyre was no longer accepted by God as a proselyte state with the right to worship at the Jerusalem temple; and perhaps in protest at this, Tyre had created their own imitation temple and Yahweh cult in Tyre. “The king of Tyre” (:12) is the subject of this prophecy. Verses 4 and 5 describe him as getting rich by his trading in silver and gold, and getting proud because of this - much more applicable to a human king than to an angel. His sin is defined in <a href='B:330 28:15-16'>Eze 28:15-16</a>: "The iniquity of your trading::. by the multitude of your trading::. you have sinned". The sin in view wasn’t some Angelic rebellion against God; it was specifically his trading and avarice, which have been described in detail in the last two chapters, and refer to the king of Tyre rather than to anything in the garden of Eden. I suggested on :4 that this section may be part of an allusion to a Tyrian religious myth rather than to the Hebrew account in Genesis 2.</p>


text:
<p>Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness. I have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings, that they may see you- It appears that the prophecy of the fall of Tyre is being consciously framed to mirror the fall of Adam, e:g. :2: “you are a man”; “man” is Adam in Hebrew, as if God is saying to the prince of Tyre, “You are like Adam in this parable”. Verse 17 tells how he will be brought to the ground - as Adam had to return to the dust. The passage is often skim read, leading to the assumption that the King of Tyre is being likened to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, or to some Satan figure who fell from Heaven at that time. But careful reading shows that the King of Tyre is being likened to Adam in Eden, not to the serpent.</p>


text:
<h4>By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trading, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of you; it has devoured you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you- As noted on :16, the sin of the prince was his trading, which has been explained in the previous two chapters. This is what was in view rather than the sin of some supposed angel in Eden. Like Adam, the prince of Tyre was to return to the dust.</h4><p>This verse may imply that Tyre had set up forms of worship similar to that of Israel. Hiram was ‘ever a lover of David’ and rejoiced with Solomon in the building of the temple( <a href='B:110 5:1-12'>1Ki 5:1-12</a>). The king of Tyre would so doubt have learned about God’s kingdom in Israel from these two kings of Israel. Or, the verse may be interpreted this way: Tyre’s sanctuaries were in Israel when the divine presence and favour were manifest. But Tyre failed to appreciate its privileged association with Israel. When Nebuchadnezzar came down into Jerusalem (586 B:C:), the prince of Tyrus said: ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken, it has swung open to me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste’ (<a href='B:330 26:2'>Eze 26:2</a> R:S:V:). In so saying, Tyre had spoken her own nemesis according to the decree of <a href='B:10 12:3'>Gen 12:3</a>: ‘I will::. curse him that curseth thee’. Tyre, in her self-centred, mercantile interests, had profaned the sanctuaries and was herself to be reduced to ashes.</p><h4>Tyre could not with impunity violate her privileged relationship with Israel. When Nadab and Abihu treated the sacred as secular, ‘there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD’ (<a href='B:30 10:2'>Lev 10:2</a>). Similarly, Tyre had failed to make a difference between the holy and unholy. It was, therefore, to be reduced to ashes - devoured like Sodom and Gomorrah (<a href='B:10 19:24-25'>Gen 19:24-25</a>).</h4>


text:
<p>All those who know you among the peoples shall be astonished at you. You have become a terror, and your life shall end evermore- This would be axiomatic if it spoke simply of the personal prince of Tyre. Clearly enough Tyre politically is in view. She revived many times after the Babylonian and Greek attacks upon her. So the final fulfilment is yet future, in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>The word of Yahweh came to me saying- Now we have a brief judgment upon Sidon, a neighbour of Tyre. This underlines how the previous passage concerns Tyre, a literal entity on earth, and has no reference to the fall of any angel in Eden.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against it- Whilst Tyre was in ruins after the surrender to Babylon and lost power, nearby Sidon apparently revived in power. This prophecy was therefore to preclude any conclusion that Tyre was reviving in the form of Sidon nearby. She too was to fall.</p>


text:
<p>And say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against you Sidon. I will be glorified in the midst of you; and they shall know that I am Yahweh when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her- Again we have the Divine hope that the judged nations around Judah would repent and sanctify Yahweh as their God. This didn’t happen, and so the prophecies have been transferred and reapplied to the last days.</p>


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<p>For I will send plague into her and blood into her streets. The wounded shall fall in the midst of her, with the sword on her on every side; and they shall know that I am Yahweh- This repeats the language concerning Judah’s judgment (<a href='B:330 5:12'>Eze 5:12</a>; <a href='B:330 6:12'>Eze 6:12</a>). Judah was to be punished like the Gentiles because of her Gentile heart; that was the immediate lesson for the first audience of these words as they sat in Babylonian captivity.</p>


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<p>There shall be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel, nor a hurting thorn of any that are around them, that scorned them; and they shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh- As noted on :22, we see here Yahweh’s intention that the judged nations around Judah would repent and sanctify Yahweh as their God. This didn’t happen, and so the prophecies have been transferred and reapplied to the last days. Sidon was clearly a thorn and brier to Israel, alluding to the calamity upon Eden which happened due to Adam’s sin:This prophecy will only be fulfilled when paradise is restored at the Lord’s return to earth.</p>


text:
<h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob- They were gathered back [although they resisted this in that many preferred to stay in the soft life of Babylon], but they hardly dwelt safely or confidently in their land. They planted vineyards, but received a poor harvest due to their lack of attention to God’s house; their enemies destroyed their fruits, and their vine “cast her fruit before the time” (<a href='B:440 1:6'>Hag 1:6</a>; <a href='B:460 3:10-11'>Mal 3:10-11</a>). Haggai and Malachi criticized Israel for this, saying it could be rectified by their obedience: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (<a href='B:460 3:10'>Mal 3:10</a>). Yet in Nehemiah’s time, Judah refused to pay tithes properly; but even then, if they had thoroughly repented, the Kingdom conditions were still possible. Such was God’s desire to continue working with His hopeless people.</h4><h4>Consider the use of the word pus, ’scatter’. It was God’s intention that mankind should scatter abroad in the earth and subdue it (<a href='B:10 1:28'>Gen 1:28</a>); but it required the judgment of the tower of Babel to actually make them ’scatter’ (<a href='B:10 11:4'>Gen 11:4</a>). Thus even in judgment, God worked out His positive ultimate intentions with humanity. And this word pus is the same word used with reference to Judah’s ’scattering’ from the land into Babylonian captivity (<a href='B:330 11:17'>Eze 11:17</a>; <a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a>; <a href='B:330 20:41'>Eze 20:41</a>; <a href='B:330 28:25'>Eze 28:25</a>). The intention, surely, was to show the captives that they had been scattered as the people had at the judgment of Babel / Babylon, but even in this, God was working out His purpose with His people and giving them the opportunity to fulfil His original intentions for them.</h4>


text:
<p>They shall dwell securely therein; yes, they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and shall dwell securely, when I have executed judgments on all those who do them despite all around them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh their God- After Tyre and Sidon would be judged, then Israel would plant vineyards and dwell “securely”. It seems that this was potentially possible; Judah could have become Yahweh’s battle axe against Tyre, the nations brought to fear Him, and then the Kingdom conditions would have begun. This would then have led to the Ezekiel 38 invasion with Israel dwelling "securely". But all these things have been reapplied to the last days.</p>


text:
<p>In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying- The relevance of the date is that this was during the siege of Jerusalem, six months before the final fall of the city; and all Judah’s hopes were on salvation from the Babylonians by the Egyptians. And so at that time Ezekiel warns that Egypt shall fall. The prophecies about Egypt are given on different dates, a year before and after the fall of Jerusalem.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against allEgypt- The judgments upon Tyre and Egypt are far longer than those upon the other five of the seven surrounding nations condemned by Ezekiel in this section. This is because of their relative size and importance, and their attraction to Judah as defenders against Babylon.</p>


text:
<p>Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is My own, and I have made it for Myself’- The dragon or crocodile was also a symbol of Egypt in <a href='B:290 27:1'>Isa 27:1</a>; <a href='B:290 51:9'>Isa 51:9</a>; <a href='B:230 74:13'>Psa 74:13</a>. The "rivers" refer to the various branches of the Nile at the Nile delta. As with the prince of Tyre, the king of Egypt considered himself God and the creator of the Nile. It was this arrogance and playing God which was so offensive to God. For He values humility above all.</p>


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<p>I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales; and I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales- This describes how a crocodile would be captured (the "monster" of :3). The fish stuck to its scales refer to the various smaller peoples confederate with Egypt.</p>


text:
<p>I’ll cast you forth into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You’ll fall on the open field. You won’t be bound together, nor gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky- This may refer to the destruction of the Egyptian army in the wilderness whilst attacking Cyrene. This meant they were unable to help Judah as Judah hoped.</p>


text:
<p>All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel- The crocodile lived amongst reeds in the Nile marshlands, so the reed is an appropriate symbol to use. Egypt had been a staff of reed to Judah during the earlier Assyrian invasion 100 years earlier (<a href='B:290 36:6'>Isa 36:6</a>); but they failed to learn the lesson, and were desperately trusting them again. Circumstances repeat in our lives, in order to test us and develop our learning in the life of faith. Judah should have learnt from the failure of Egypt to stop the Assyrians; but they didn’t. The situation repeated quite accurately, in that the Egyptians appeared to give some support against Assyria, leading to a withdrawal from Jerusalem for a short while; just as happened during the Babylonian siege (<a href='B:300 37:5'>Jer 37:5</a>).</p>


text:
<p>When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke, and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke, and paralyzed all of their thighs- To take by the hand speaks of entering a covenant. The idea seems to be that the covenant was mutually destructive to both Judah and Egypt. The wrath of Babylon was upon both parties, seeing they had also made agreements with them. It was God who broke the arm of Egypt (<a href='B:330 30:21'>Eze 30:21</a> s:w. "you broke::."). God worked through these dishonest covenants in order to break both parties.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you- As with the prophecies against Tyre in Ezekiel 26-28, these prophecies about Egypt didn’t come totally true; man and animal were not cut off from Egypt in totality. Perhaps some repented and so the full brunt of the destruction was averted. Or more likely, these prophecies are part of the wider potential scenario, whereby the remnant of Judah would repent along with the nations judged by Babylon, and together they would reestablish Yahweh’s kingdom in Israel. This didn’t happen, because God will not force human freewill decisions. And so the essence of the prophecies will come true in the last days</p>


text:
<h4>The land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste- This along with many phrases used in this condemnation of Egypt were in fact descriptions of what God had threatened to do to Judah at the hands of the Babylonians (e:g. <a href='B:330 12:20'>Eze 12:20</a>). But instead of Egypt averting the fulfilment of those prophecies, as Judah hoped, Egypt would itself suffer them as well.</h4><p>And they shall know that I am Yahweh- As explained on :8 this didn’t come totally true. The Divine hope and intention was that Egypt would come to know Him, i:e. to have relationship with Him.</p><h4>Because you have said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it- Pharaoh believed that the river Nile was his own creation. This playing of God is cited repeatedly as the reason for their destruction. And we too can so easily do the same in our attitudes and judgments.</h4>


text:
<p>Therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia- "Syene" as the modern Asswan. The idea is from the northern border to the southern border of Egypt. This never completely happened; see on :8.</p>


text:
<p>No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of animal shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years- Throughout Ezekiel 26-28 I have noted that the promised judgments upon Tyre didn’t come about exactly as predicted. There was the possibility of transference of the prophetic words from one context to another; e:g. the destruction of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar was delayed and transferred to Alexander the Great. But the final fulfilment will be in the last days. But that fulfilment will be in essence and not necessarily to the letter. There will be reapplication as well as rescheduling and transference. These forty years of desolation would have come true within the wider possible prophetic vision, of Judah and the judged nations all repenting and turning to Yahweh, and His Kingdom being reestablished in Israel. But this was not to be because the human freewill preconditions didn’t come about- e:g. Judah didn’t repent and many of the exiles preferred to stay in Babylon. And so likewise this forty years desolation unto repentance of Egypt didn’t happen. Although the essence of it will come true in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries- As noted on :11, this is not recorded as having happened. The nations around Egypt were likewise not completely desolated. There was no invading army which systematically destroyed all the cities of Egypt as required here. And so we look to a latter fulfilment. However the language of a desolate land and cities is taken from <a href='B:30 26:33'>Lev 26:33</a>, the curses upon Israel for breaking the covenant. It seems that Egypt could have entered a covenant with Yahweh and so were punished for breaking it in that they refused that covenant.</p>


text:
<p>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered- As explained on :11, this is all part of a potential scenario which could have come about if Judah had repented and allowed themselves to be restored. Had they done so, then the Egyptians and others would also have been restored. Had Egypt accepted unity with God’s people and with Yahweh, then the restoration of Judah would have been theirs; for the language of restoration, just like the language of their judgments (see on :9), is identical to that used about Judah’s restoration.</p>


text:
<p>And I will bring back the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth; and they shall be there a base kingdom- To ’bring back the captivity’ means to ’restore the fortunes’, to lift up or exalt. And this is the phrase used about the restoration of Israel, in which Egypt potentially could have had a part. And yet this idea is apparently juxtaposed with that of her being "a base kingdom". But there is no contradiction, once we appreciate that the word for "base" is often used of how a person or nation must be abased, brought down, so that they may be exalted. Ezekiel has used the term exactly in this sense, to describe how Judah shall be base or abased, so that she may be exalted (<a href='B:330 17:24'>Eze 17:24</a>; <a href='B:330 21:26'>Eze 21:26</a>). And it is the teaching of other scriptures too; the abased Jewish remnant were to be exalted (s:w. <a href='B:290 57:15'>Isa 57:15</a>), the abased ["humble"] in spirit are to be lifted up (<a href='B:240 29:23'>Pro 29:23</a>; <a href='B:220 5:11'>Job 5:11</a>). This is why the idea of Egypt being an abased kingdom is mentioned in the same breath, as it were, as the promise of her revival. But this would happen only if she identified with the restoration of Israel, accepted Yahweh as her God, and repented.</p>


text:
<p>It shall be the most base of the kingdoms; neither shall it any more lift itself up above the nations; and I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations- As with the permanent destruction of Tyre never to rise again, this didn’t happen. The Seleucid kingdom was powerful in Egypt, it became "the king of the South", and has at times been a powerful nation. So the final fulfilment is to be in the last days. But as explained on :14, the idea was that Egypt would be "most base" so that she might be exalted, in God’s sight. She would no longer be "above the nations" because in the new system envisaged, God would be the king and if any particular nation was to be lifted up above other nations, it would be Israel. The same Hebrew term translated here "lift itself up above the nations" is used in <a href='B:290 2:2'>Isa 2:2</a>; <a href='B:290 11:12'>Isa 11:12</a> of how in the Messianic kingdom, Zion [and therefore, not Egypt] would be exalted / lifted up above the nations.</p>


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<h4>It shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to remembrance, when they turn to look after them- So often Yahweh is portrayed as the only "confidence" or trust of His people. Judah’s confidence in nations like Egypt was therefore a betrayal of their relationship with Yahweh. This rejection of trust / hope in foreign alliances was behind Jeremiah’s comment that the man who hoped / had confidence in Yahweh alone would be blessed (<a href='B:300 17:7'>Jer 17:7</a> s:w:). The immediate context referred to having Egypt and other nations as their hope / confidence.</h4><h4>And they shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh- The Divine hope was that the repentance of Israel and that of Egypt would happen at the same time, and they would come into relationship with ["know"] Yahweh. This didn’t happen as it could have done, and so the fulfilment is deferred until the last days.</h4>


text:
<p>It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying- This was 17 years after the prophecies given either side of it. it is inserted here to make the powerful point that years later, Ezekiel reminded God’s people that the help they had expected from Egypt at the time, 17 years before, hadn’t come. Only Yahweh would be their help, even 17 years later.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyre, for the service that he had served against it- Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for 13 years, and as noted on Ezekiel 26-28, he didn’t achieve all that was prophesied, and much of it was transferred to Alexander the Great to fulfill; indeed much of it will only have a total fulfilment in the last days. Babylon didn’t even plunder Tyre, and so was not as it were paid any wages for her efforts. But all the same, God noticed the efforts and wanted to reward him. The reference to the suffering of the heads and shoulders would refer to the unsuccessful efforts of the Babylonians to build a causeway out to the island Tyre using the rubble of the destroyed city</p>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off her multitude and take her a spoil and take her a prey; and it shall be the wages for his army- We note God’s sensitivity to even pagan Gentiles. The 13 year unsuccessful siege of Tyre by Babylon had not even yielded the Babylonians any plunder from Tyre. And so God wanted to recompense them somehow, so He would give them Egypt. But how much more eager to recompense is God when it comes to the feeble attempts of us His servants to please Him!</p>


text:
<p>I have given him the land of Egypt as his recompense for which he served, because they worked for Me, says the Lord Yahweh- This happened only to a limited extent; it was to be at the time when a Messiah figure would appear in Judah, and the Egyptians would know Yahweh, i:e. enter relationship with Him (:21). This scenario didn’t work out at the time of the restoration, which could potentially have occurred at the same time Babylon took Egypt (:21 "in that day"). In some form, the essence of these things must therefore come true in the last days.</p>


text:
<h4>In that day will I cause a horn to bud forth to the house of Israel- This budding forth of a shoot or horn speaks of the possibility of a Messiah figure arising (<a href='B:230 132:17'>Psa 132:17</a>) in the likes of Zerubbabel. Again, this was the scenario which could have happened at the restoration, but it didn’t. The final fulfilment will be in the Lord Jesus in the last days.</h4><h4>And I will give you the opening of the mouth in their midst; and they shall know that I am Yahweh- At the Lord’s return, God will use a repentant Israel to achieve great things in terms of converting this world unto Himself. They will walk up and down in His Name, witnessing to Him as He had originally intended them to (<a href='B:450 10:12'>Zec 10:12</a>); men will cling to their skirts in order to find the knowledge of their God (<a href='B:450 8:23'>Zec 8:23</a>). “In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee (Israel) the opening of the mouth in the midst of them (the surrounding nations, see context); and they shall know that I am the LORD”, in that Israel will preach to them from their own experience of having recently come to know Yahweh (<a href='B:330 29:21'>Eze 29:21</a>). But at the time of the Lord’s return, when Israel repent and enter the new covenant with Him, they will remember all their past sins “and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame::. for all that thou hast done” (<a href='B:330 16:63'>Eze 16:63</a>). They will be so ashamed that they will feel as if they can never open their mouth. But Yahweh will open their mouth, and they will witness. In some anticipation of this, Ezekiel as the “son of man” prophet, a representative of his people just as the Lord was to be, had his mouth shut in dumbness, and he only had his mouth opened when Israel came to know [to some degree] that “I am the LORD” (<a href='B:330 24:27'>Eze 24:27</a>). In all these evident connections something marvellous presents itself. Those who feel as if they just cannot open their mouths in witness are the very ones whom the Father will use; He will open their mouths and use them exactly because they are ashamed of their sins! And so it should be with us.</h4>


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<p>The word of Yahweh came again to me saying- The continued trust of the people in Egypt as their last minute saviour from Babylon called for repeated appeals at different times and perhaps to different groups.</p>


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<p>Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Wail, Alas for the day!- The fall of Egypt was seen as a tragedy; for Ezekiel too was human, "son of man", and the death of any man diminishes each of us. This lamentation may also have even been an appeal for Egypt to repent.</p>


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<p>For the day is near, even the day of Yahweh is near; it shall be a day of clouds, a time of the nations- This is the language of the latter day judgment upon all the nations arounderetz Israel (<a href='B:360 1:15'>Joe 1:15</a>; <a href='B:360 2:1-2'>Joe 2:1-2</a>; <a href='B:380 1:15'>Oba 1:15</a>). I have explained from Ezekiel 26 onwards that much of the scenario presented of the judgment of Tyre and Egypt didn’t come true as planned. It was God’s intention that Judah would repent, and the nations judged by Babylon would likewise, and together they would reestablish God’s Kingdom in Israel. But they didn’t repent, and so the prophecies will have their final fulfilment in the last days. This explains why we read here language which is elsewhere used about the final judgment of all nations around the time of the return of the Lord Jesus. That will be the ultimate coming of the day of clouds (<a href='B:730 1:7'>Rev 1:7</a>).</p>


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<p>A sword shall come on Egypt and anguish shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt; and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down- "Anguish" is the word for birth pangs; the implication could be that out of the agony of Babylonian judgment there was to be brought forth something new, a repentant remnant. Life was to come out of death.</p>


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<h4>Ethiopia, Put and Lud, and all the mixed people, and Cub- These were the nations confederate with Egypt whom the Jews hoped would help them.</h4><h4>And the children of the land that is allied with them, shall fall with them by the sword- The reference appears to be to the Jews who had already gone down into Egypt, trusting in the alliance made with her. They were the children of their own land in that they were not in their own land but still associated with her. <a href='B:300 42:22'>Jer 42:22</a>; <a href='B:300 44:14'>Jer 44:14</a> were clear that these Jews would fall by the sword along with the Egyptians. And so appears the timeless lesson- that Egypt, the world, is no safe haven and will not save us in the end.</h4>


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<h4>Thus says Yahweh: They also who uphold Egypt shall fall- "Uphold" is the same word translated "lean" in <a href='B:290 36:6'>Isa 36:6</a>; whoever leaned upon the staff of Egypt would fall, and Egypt herself would "come down" as a result of this. Her attempt to help Judah would be her downfall rather than her blessing, as the false prophets of Judah perhaps claimed.</h4><h4>And the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Seveneh shall they fall in it by the sword, says the Lord Yahweh- The tower of Syene was the border of Egypt, and as noted on <a href='B:330 29:10'>Eze 29:10</a>, the idea is ’All of Egypt from the north to the south’.</h4>


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<p>They shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted- As noted on <a href='B:330 29:11'>Eze 29:11</a>, this is not recorded as having happened. The nations around Egypt were likewise not completely desolated. There was no invading army which systematically destroyed all the cities of Egypt as required here. And so we look to a latter fulfilment. However the language of a desolate land and cities is taken from <a href='B:30 26:33'>Lev 26:33</a>, the curses upon Israel for breaking the covenant. It seems that Egypt could have entered a covenant with Yahweh and so were punished for breaking it in that they refused that covenant.</p>


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<p>They shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed- The Divine hope was that the repentance of Israel and that of Egypt and the other surrounding nations would happen at the same time, and they would come into relationship with ["know"] Yahweh. This didn’t happen as it could have done, and so the fulfilment is deferred until the last days. And so the destruction of Egypt by fire likewise didn’t happen exactly as envisaged here, because the wider potential scenario of repentance didn’t come about. "Set a fire" is the phrase used about putting fire on the altar (<a href='B:30 1:7'>Lev 1:7</a>), so again we have a hint that Egypt was to become an acceptable sacrifice, through the fire of Babylonian judgment. But it is also used of how Zion was to be put or set into the fire (<a href='B:330 15:4'>Eze 15:4</a>; <a href='B:330 15:6'>Eze 15:6</a>). Far from saving her from this judgment as Judah hoped, Egypt was to share her condemnation.</p>


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<p>In that day shall messengers go forth from before Me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; and there shall be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes- "Messengers" is malak, the word also translated "Angels". As taught in the opening vision of the cherubim in Ezekiel 1, the Angels were behind the movements of Gentile nations as well as of Israel. All that happens on earth is not random, but a reflection of the vast system of Divine operation and control spoken of in the cherubim. The primary reference is to messengers going from Egypt along the Nile to tell the Ethiopians of the arrival of the Babylonians, just as they had told them about the Assyrians in this way in <a href='B:290 18:1-2'>Isa 18:1-2</a>. But Angels were propelling those messengers on their skiffs.</p>


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<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon- The idea seems to be that Egypt’s large population would be noticeably reduced by the invasion, but this didn’t quite happen at the hands of the Babylonians. The scenario that was potentially possible didn’t come about at this time, although the essence of it will in the last days.</p>


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<p>He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain- Such mass destruction didn’t actually happen. Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian army at Carchemish on the Euphrates, quite far from Egypt itself (<a href='B:300 46:2'>Jer 46:2</a>). Egypt was then placed under tribute and in this way, the Babylonians received their "wages" for besieging Tyre. But there is no record of any major Babylonian incursion into Egypt; Herodotus doesn’t mention it whilst providing an otherwise detailed history of these times.</p>


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<p>I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men; and I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I, Yahweh, have spoken it- This is the idea of <a href='B:290 19:6'>Isa 19:6</a>, that the "brooks of defence shall be emptied", the artificial canals would dry up. But as noted on :11, the Babylonians didn’t completely do this to Egypt; and so the essence must be seen in the last days. Or it may be that just as the prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar conquering Tyre was transferred to Alexander the Great, and the prophecies about Tyre become transferred to Babylon in the last days, so these words about Egypt were to be transferred for fulfilment to Babylon or some other power. For Babylon also fell as a result of her rivers being dried up. The selling of the land may allude to how earlier the Egyptians had been forced by famine to sell their land, but to Joseph, a good man (<a href='B:10 47:20'>Gen 47:20</a>); now famine would dry their rivers and force them to sell their land to wicked men.</p>


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<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will also destroy the idols and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis; there shall be no more a prince from the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt- As explained on :11, the immediate prophetic potential for Egypt was precluded from fulfilment by the lack of repentance. And so the idols continued in Egypt. And likewise the idea that Egypt would never have a prince was not immediately fulfilled; Egypt has had plenty of local rulers in its long history. The idea is more as in GNB, speaking of that immediate generation: "There will be no one to rule Egypt, and I will terrify all the people". Or we could read with the LXX: "I will also destroy the nobles from Memphis, and the princes of Memphis out of the land of Egypt; and they shall be no more".</p>


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<p>I will make Pathros desolate, will set a fire in Zoan and will execute judgments on No- The destruction of Egypt by fire likewise didn’t happen exactly as envisaged here, because the wider potential scenario of repentance didn’t come about. "Set a fire" is the phrase used about putting fire on the altar (<a href='B:30 1:7'>Lev 1:7</a>), so again we have a hint that Egypt was to become an acceptable sacrifice, through the fire of Babylonian judgment. But it is also used of how Zion was to be put or set into the fire (<a href='B:330 15:4'>Eze 15:4</a>; <a href='B:330 15:6'>Eze 15:6</a>). Far from saving her from this judgment as Judah hoped, Egypt was to share her condemnation.</p>


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<p>I will pour My wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No- "Sin" is LXX "Syene". We wonder why all these details are given when the potential scenario wasn’t to come about. But that is the same question as to why we have Ezekiel 40-48 recorded. This is the whole tragedy- that such detailed plans are laid by God, but human lack of response and repentance precludes so much potential from coming about. Divine volumes could likewise be written about our own lives and wasted potentials. And yet in essence, all these things shall come true albeit in a different application and time.</p>


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<p>I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall be in great anguish, No shall be broken up and Memphis shall have adversaries in the daytime- The destruction of Egypt by fire likewise didn’t happen exactly as envisaged here, because the wider potential scenario of repentance didn’t come about. "Set a fire" is the phrase used about putting fire on the altar (<a href='B:30 1:7'>Lev 1:7</a>), so again we have a hint that Egypt was to become an acceptable sacrifice, through the fire of Babylonian judgment. But it is also used of how Zion was to be put or set into the fire (<a href='B:330 15:4'>Eze 15:4</a>; <a href='B:330 15:6'>Eze 15:6</a>). Far from saving her from this judgment as Judah hoped, Egypt was to share her condemnation.</p>


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<p>The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and these cities shall go into captivity- "Aven" is On. And the idols of On were accepted by Judah (<a href='B:350 4:15'>Hos 4:15</a>; <a href='B:350 10:5'>Hos 10:5</a> LXX). The record of the destruction of Egypt’s idols and the cities in which they were enshrined was directly relevant to the Judah of Ezekiel’s day, who had accepted the worship of these idols in return for Egypt’s military support. That is the implication of the passages describing Judah’s adultery in Ezekiel 16, 23.</p>


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<p>At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity- The day withdrawing itself is language used about the latter day time of judgment (<a href='B:370 5:20'>Amo 5:20</a>; <a href='B:370 8:9'>Amo 8:9</a>; <a href='B:290 5:30'>Isa 5:30</a>; <a href='B:300 13:16'>Jer 13:16</a>). This will be the time when the spirit of these prophecies comes to its final fulfilment. We note the connection between pride and power. God’s hatred of pride, and desire to save us the humble, is one reason He doesn’t give secular "power" to many of His children lest they be lifted up in pride.</p>


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<p>Thus will I execute judgments on Egypt; and they shall know that I amYahweh- The purpose of Divine judgment is not simply punishment, nor merely the expression of His anger and irritation. It is designed ultimately to restore and to bring the likes of Egypt to "know" Him, to walk in relationship with Him. This is and was His intention for Egypt. The link between His judgments and positive human response to them may be one reason why not all these judgments were actually carried out upon Egypt.</p>


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<p>It happened in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying- This was at or about the time of the abortive attempt of Pharaoh-Hophra to come to save Jerusalem from the Babylonians (<a href='B:300 34:21'>Jer 34:21</a>; <a href='B:300 37:5-7'>Jer 37:5-7</a>).</p>


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<p>Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up, to apply healing medicines, to put a bandage to bind it that it be strong to hold the sword- This again suggests that God had worked to bring about the healing of Egypt in her repentance after her first defeat by the Babylonians. But she didn’t respond. <a href='B:300 46:17'>Jer 46:17</a> therefore says of Pharaoh: "he has let the appointed time pass by". He was given a window of repentance but he refused it. The breaking of Pharaoh’s arm was in fact by being a staff of reed to Judah which collapsed. This was all the very opposite narrative to that which the faithless Jews at the time wished to believe- that the strong arm of Pharaoh would save them from the Babylonians. Instead, both Judah and Egypt would collapse as it were in a heap together before the Babylonians. And from this debased state they were both intended to arise as repentant, knowing Yahweh. But they didn’t.</p>


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<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand- One arm had already been broken by the first Egyptian conflict with the Babylonians. They ought to have repented and turned to Yahweh as a result of this. But as a result of that, they would now again be punished, and left with no strength, no arm, and no ability to hold a sword in their own defence, let alone in that of Judah.</p>


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<p>I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries- Scattering and dispersal was the judgment threatened upon Judah (<a href='B:330 12:15'>Eze 12:15</a>; <a href='B:330 20:23'>Eze 20:23</a>; <a href='B:330 22:15'>Eze 22:15</a>). This didn’t literally happen to the Egyptians to the same extent, but the idea was that they would suffer Judah’s judgment rather than save Judah from that judgment.</p>


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<p>I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand: but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man- As noted on <a href='B:330 29:11'>Eze 29:11</a>, this is not recorded as having happened. Just as the king of Tyre was never dealt with as prophesied, neither was the Pharaoh. And so we look to a latter fulfilment.</p>


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<p>I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out on the land of Egypt- This was absolutely not what the initial audience of Ezekiel wanted to hear; that God would hold up the arms of Babylon and make the arms of Pharaoh, their hoped for saviour, to wax feeble. God would put His sword in Babylon’s strengthened arms. Our message too is unpopular and counter instinctive to what our society wants to hear.</p>


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<p>I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; and they shall know that I am Yahweh Scattering and dispersal was the judgment threatened upon Judah (<a href='B:330 12:15'>Eze 12:15</a>; <a href='B:330 20:23'>Eze 20:23</a>; <a href='B:330 22:15'>Eze 22:15</a>). This didn’t literally happen to the Egyptians to the same extent, but the idea was that they would suffer Judah’s judgment rather than save Judah from that judgment. But the final Divine intention was that Egyptians and perhaps also Babylonians [for the grammar is purposefully ambiguous here] could come to know / have relationship with Yahweh. This didn’t happen, and so the final fulfilment of the essence of all this must be in the last days.</p>


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<p>It happened in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying- Two months after the previous pronouncement of woe upon Egypt. The length of these prophecies against Egypt may appear to us a mere droning on, but there was an urgent need for God’s people to realize that Egypt was not to be their help; and we need the same message repeated.</p>


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<p>Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt and his multitude: Whom are you like in your greatness?- Presumably this prophecy was to be taken to Pharaoh. This involved no small effort for an exile and asylum seeker in Babylon to achieve. The reason for commanding Ezekiel to go this effort was presumably because like Nineveh, had Pharaoh repented, the threatened judgments need not have happened. Perhaps the fact they did not all work out as stated could reflect some degree of repentance in Egypt. See on :10.</p>


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<p>Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs- We may wonder why Egypt is addressed (:2) through a description of Assyria’s fall some time previously. We have here a classic idea of what I term ’prophetic transference’, whereby the prophetic words about a certain person or entity at one stage of history are transferred or reapplied to another person or entity at another point. Thus we noted on Ezekiel 26-28 that the prophecies about the fall of Tyre and her king never came exactly true, but they are quoted in Revelation 18 about the fall of latter day Babylon. The fulfilment of the words about Tyre was reapplied or transferred to Babylon. Likewise the specific prophecy that Tyre would fall to Nebuchadnezzar was reapplied or transferred to the victory of Alexander the Great against Tyre. This feature also explains why the New Testament appears to quote Old Testament prophecies quite out of context. This makes perfect sense once we understand this ability of God to transfer prophetic burdens from the initially intended person or entity to another, perhaps at another time- often in the last days. In the first year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had declared himself master of Nineveh (Assyria), and so the allusion to Assyria’s fall was to remind Egypt that they would likewise fall before Babylon.</p>


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<p>The waters nourished it, the deep made it to grow. Its rivers ran all around its plantation; and it sent out its channels to all the trees of the field- The reference is to the Nile being the source of Egypt’s prosperity. But the reference is to how rivers, especially the Tigris, were also the source of Nineveh’s strong position, although rivers giving nourishment to other trees also suggests military support for the "trees" under her dominion. But Assyria’s fall was to be that of Egypt. And Judah were to believe this and therefore not trust in Egypt.</p>


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<p>Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it shot them forth- Assyria like Egypt appeared to have influence far beyond its home area, represented by the long branches. And Judah were tempted to take refuge in it. But like Assyria, Egypt would fall.</p>


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<p>All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches all the animals of the field brought forth their young; and all great nations lived under its shadow- This is exactly the language of <a href='B:330 17:23'>Eze 17:23</a> and <a href='B:470 13:32'>Mat 13:32</a> about the Kingdom of God, which will be, and could then have been, the Kingdom of Israel reestablished as God’s Kingdom on earth. Instead of trusting in the kingdom of Egypt as their salvation, they were to raise their spiritual horizons and believe that if they repented, then they would not only survive Babylon’s threat but would become the reestablished Kingdom of God on earth, under whose branches all the nations would come to live in fellowship with Yahweh- including Babylon and Egypt.</p>


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<p>Thus was it beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters- The beauty and strength of the tree is associated with its root being by "many waters"; referring to the Tigris for Nineveh, and the Nile for Egypt. But Ezekiel will go on to describe a situation when living waters flow out from Zion and water the entire area, bringing life from the God of Israel to all the surrounding nations. This was where they should have been focused, on the promised restoration of the Kingdom of God in Israel, rather than trusting in the kingdom of Egypt. Like Assyria, this was to fall; see on :6.</p>


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<p>The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir trees were not like its boughs, and the plane trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty- The nations around Assyria are defined as the other trees in Eden, the garden of God. This confirms my suggestions on Genesis 2 that Eden was in fact the eretz promised to Abraham. The same idea is found in describing Tyre as having been in Eden (<a href='B:330 28:13'>Eze 28:13</a>). The language of unequalled beauty however is applied to Zion in <a href='B:310 2:15'>Lam 2:15</a>; <a href='B:330 16:14'>Eze 16:14</a>. It is also used of Tyre in <a href='B:330 28:12'>Eze 28:12</a>; <a href='B:330 28:17'>Eze 28:17</a>. So we conclude that as often in the Bible, we are reading things from how they seemed to men at the time. Hence the language of demon possession in the New Testament. Tyre considered herself the perfection of beauty, and so did Egypt and so did Assyria. But the true perfection of beauty from God’s viewpoint was Zion.</p>


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<p>I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied it- The beauty and power of the nations was given by God. The God of Israel, Yahweh, who was using all the nations towards the possible reestablishment of His Kingdom in Israel. It was for Israel to cooperate with this rather than resist it by trusting in Egypt as if it were Assyria.</p>


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<p>Therefore thus said the Lord Yahweh: Because you are exalted in stature and he has set your top among the thick boughs and his heart is lifted up in his height- Again, pride is identified as the prime reason for the judgment to come. We note the change of pronouns. Now the individual, "you", is addressed. This whole prophecy was directed to Pharaoh personally (see on :2). The similarity with the language of Daniel about Nebuchadnezzar as a great tree was because Daniel was using this kind of parable to urgently appeal for that man’s repentance, lest he be cut down. And so Ezekiel was appealing for Pharaoh’s.</p>


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<p>I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness- The tenses vary here between future and past (:12). This is because the allusion is to the past downfall of Nineveh and Assyria, but that is being used as a warning to Egypt. The singular "mighty one of the nations" is not named, because we are intended to see the term as referring to God. But "mighty one" is the same word translated "ram", and this same word in this sense is used as a symbol of the Medes, who along with the Babylonians destroyed Assyria (<a href='B:340 8:20'>Dan 8:20</a>):And the fall of Assyria is being here transferred to Egypt.</p>


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<p>Gentiles, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off and have left him: on the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone away from his shadow, and have left him- All the big powers were only powerful by reason of the other nations who were under them, and whose mercenaries formed the bulk of their military strength. The collapse of support for Assyria was to be seen for Egypt too. And it was this apparent strength which was so attractive to Judah. "The terrible of the nations" is the word used for how Assyria appeared to Judah at the time of Hezekiah; but they were destroyed by just one Angel (<a href='B:290 25:3-5'>Isa 25:3-5</a>; <a href='B:290 29:5'>Isa 29:5</a>; <a href='B:290 29:20'>Isa 29:20</a>). And now, other nations appeared "terrible" to Assyria and had destroyed her; and the same cycle was about to happen to Egypt. Yet somehow human nature doesn’t think that the inevitable cycle will reach us personally, and so Pharaoh and his supporters in Judah didn’t want to see that in fact Egypt was set to follow the path of Assyria, and all apparent strength would evaporate. In the end, Yahweh would be the "terrible one" (<a href='B:300 20:11'>Jer 20:11</a>).</p>


text:
<p>On his ruin all the birds of the sky shall dwell, and all the animals of the field shall be on his branches- In the parable of the tree, the birds and animals which once lived in its branches will now prowl around over those dead branches once they are fallen to the earth. This was how fickle were the supporters of the superpowers; and so Judah should not consider that Egyptian military might was that great, because it depended upon the tribes and smaller nations who supported her. And such support was unreliable and fickle at best.</p>


text:
<p>So that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs. Their mighty ones shall not stand up on their height, even all who drink water; for they are all delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with those who go down to the pit- The GNB clarifies: "And so from now on, no tree, no matter how well-watered it is, will grow that tall again or push its top through the clouds and reach such a height. All of them are doomed to die like mortals, doomed to join those who go down to the world of the dead". The prophetic scenario envisaged was that the Babylonian judgments of the nations would lead to their repentance and ’knowing Yahweh’, coming into relationship with Him. The judgment of Assyria had been intended to teach all the trees, the nations, the utter folly of pride. But this lesson wasn’t learnt, there wasn’t repentance, Egypt didn’t learn the lesson from Assyria and neither did Judah and the other nations. And so the potential scenario just didn’t happen, which explains why not everything predicted in these prophecies came strictly true. It was a potential scenario.</p>


text:
<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers; and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him- I suggested on :14 that the intention of the fall of Assyria as that of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 was in order to elicit repentance amongst the nations. But this didn’t happen. Even though God arranged things to provoke sorrow and mourning amongst the nations, it seems they didn’t mourn Nineveh’s fall, and neither would they mourn that of Egypt nor Judah. Because the hoped for repentance hadn’t been elicited.</p>


text:
<p>I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth- I suggested on :14 that the intention of the fall of Assyria as that of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 was in order to elicit repentance amongst the nations. But this didn’t happen. The nations didn’t tremble and fear because Assyria had been cast down by God because of her pride. The image of comforting doesn’t have to mean that the previous nations in the eretz promised to Abraham, "Eden", were conscious after death. The idea is that they would all alike be unconscious in sheol, they would all meet the same end. And the purpose was that Judah would realize that Egypt would go the way of Assyria and of all earth’s proud empires and pass away. And therefore they would not trust in them, but in God.</p>


text:
<p>They also went down into Sheol with him to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were his arm, that lived under his shadow in the midst of the nations- The arm or strength of Assyria as of Egypt was not God, but rather her associated, supportive nations. And this was the arm or strength which Judah was tempted to depend upon rather than the revealed arm of Yahweh their God. Death is presented here as the great equalizer; the minions of Assyria [and Egypt] came to the same end in death. Appreciating the mortality of Egypt ought to have helped God’s people realize the futility of trusting in Egypt rather than Yahweh.</p>


text:
<p>To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth: you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord Yahweh- As explained on :18, Pharaoh and her supporting nations were revealed as sharing the same fate. It is emphasized that all the trees of Eden, the nations in the eretz promised to Abraham, all went to the same place in death. Those who had been the minions or colonies of Egypt and Assyria were the same as their masters in death; Pharaoh himself would lie in the midst of the other nations. In death they were all alike, and the ideas that a Pharaoh went to live somewhere else were just fiction. Judah were being invited to share this perspective and therefore not trust in their apparent strength. And for us too, appreciating the fundamental mortality of man helps us realize the folly of trusting in man. For Pharaoh, to whom this message was personally addressed (:2), this would have been a very hard message. Because death was a major theme if not obsession with the Egyptians. The pyramids reveal how much of life was spent preparing for the death of the Pharaoh, involving detailed claims about the journeys of the Pharaoh after death. But Ezekiel is turning all that on its head, and asking Pharaoh to accept that death is death, and he will be amongst the uncircumcised, and all go unto one place- the grave. The only way out was through relationship with Israel’s God and the hope of bodily resurrection at the last day.</p>


text:
<p>It happened in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying- About a year and a half after the destruction of Jerusalem. In that time many of the Jews left in the land had fled into Egypt, although in Jeremiah 44 Jeremiah had foretold their judgment there. That prophecy was probably given at about this time, and is another example of Jeremiah and Ezekiel being used by the Spirit in parallel to say the same things at the same time to different audiences of the Jews.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and tell him, You were likened to a young lion of the nations: yet you are as a monster in the seas; and you broke out with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet and fouled their rivers- The Jews considered Egypt to be like a lion, a strong alternative to the Babylonian lion threatening them, But instead of being a lion, Egypt was to be revealed as a flabby water monster of the rivers who would be dragged out of them and slain. And this monster does nothing good for other rivers / peoples; he muddies their waters. The dragon was intended to remain in the Nile, where he was; any attempt by Egypt to extend influence beyond that was ’breaking out’ from where God had placed Egypt, and would not prosper. And Judah should take warning from that and not look to Egypt for help against Babylon.</p>


text:
<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will spread out My net on you with a company of many peoples; and they shall bring you up in My net- Egypt’s judgment at the hand of a coalition of peoples clearly looks to her defeat by the Babylonians, whose army was comprised of mercenaries from many nations. These "many nations" were animals "of the whole earth" / eretz promised to Abraham (:4) who were in coalition with Babylon. The defeat in view is clearly that of the Egyptian army at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar. But the further desolation of Egypt itself is not recorded as having happened at the hands of the Babylonians. This was part of the prophetic scenario which didn’t then happen; see on :15.</p>


text:
<p>I will leave you on the land, I will cast you forth on the open field and will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you, and I will satisfy the animals of the whole earth with you- Being cast out into the open field in the desert was exactly what happened to the infant Israel (<a href='B:330 16:5'>Eze 16:5</a>), and she was saved from that state by Divine grace alone. The parallel is because God intended Judah to perceive that Egypt was going to share her judgment, and would not save Judah from it but rather herself experience it. And yet as God sought to save Israel from that situation in the "open field", so He sought to save Egypt if they repented.</p>


text:
<p>I will lay your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your height- This is the language of the final destruction ofIsrael’s enemies in <a href='B:330 39:17'>Eze 39:17</a>. The connection is because the prophetic scenario here described didn’t completely come about. The threatened judgments were intended to elicit repentance (see on :15), but because God foresaw that repentance would not be forthcoming, He didn’t bring about the full judgments. And yet the prophetic word is to come ultimately true. This will be achieved by what I have elsewhere called ’transference’. The judgment of Egypt will be transferred to the nations of Ezekiel 38, several of whom are also mentioned later in this chapter 32 (Meshech, Tubal etc:) as sharing the same judgment as Egypt.</p>


text:
<p>I will also water with your blood the land in which you swim, even to the mountains; and the watercourses shall be full of you- As often observed in this commentary, there is no historical evidence that the land of Egypt itself was desolated like this. See on :5.</p>


text:
<p>When I shall extinguish you, I will cover the sky and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give its light- This is language elsewhere used (notably in the Olivet prophecy, see on :9) about the last days judgment of the nations around Israel. I have explained on :5 that the judgments on Egypt didn’t fully come about, but they will in essence in the last days, and the specific judgments upon her will be transferred to other entities and situations. Just as the judgments upon Tyre and her king didn’t come about completely, but the language used is then reapplied in Revelation 18 to Babylon’s judgments in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>All the bright lights of the sky will I make dark over you and set darkness on your land, says the Lord Yahweh- Darkness upon Egypt recalls the plague of darkness. the impression given thereby is that these judgments are a lead up to another Passover deliverance- during which many repentant Egyptians identified with Israel and made the journey out of Egypt towards the promised land. And this was the Divine intention for Ezekiel’s time and the restoration. See on :13.</p>


text:
<h4>I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples- As explained on :7, the Olivet prophecy picks up some of the language used here and applies it to the latter day judgment of Israel’s enemies. In this case the connection is with <a href='B:490 21:26'>Luk 21:26</a>.</h4><h4>When I shall bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known- This simply didn’t happen to the Egyptians as a result of their conflict with Babylon. There would have been historical testament to this if it had happened. The whole situation looks ahead therefore to the last days, bearing in mind the concept of transference of prophecy outlined in :5 and elsewhere.</h4>


text:
<p>Yes, I will make many peoples amazed at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for you, when I shall brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall- ’Trembling at the fall’ of Egypt is the same phrase used about Tyre (<a href='B:330 26:18'>Eze 26:18</a>). The similarity is in that the same hallmark of Yahweh’s judgment is seen upon all who are judged by Him. They were not mere victims of random event; the Divine hand was in the fall of all in whom His wayward people had trusted. The sword God would brandish was that of Babylon (:11); they were being used by Him, and it was futile for Judah to think that Babylon and other nations could save them from this sword. The Jerusalem temple was full of the idols of various nations who were aligned with Egypt, whom Judah hoped would save them from Babylon. But these nations were to crumble once Egyptian power was destroyed by Babylon.</p>


text:
<p>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come on you- Earlier prophecies inEzekiel had spoken of the sword coming upon Jerusalem. Judah were to realize that their destruction by Babylon was connected with the wider judgment of Egypt and other nations.</p>


text:
<p>By the swords of the mighty will I cause your multitude to fall; they are all the terrible of the nations; and they shall bring to nothing the pride of Egypt, and all its multitude shall be destroyed- All the big powers were only powerful by reason of the other nations who were under them, and whose mercenaries formed the bulk of their military strength. The collapse of support for Assyria was to be seen for Egypt too. And it was this apparent strength which was so attractive to Judah. "The terrible of the nations" is the word used for how Assyria appeared to Judah at the time of Hezekiah; but they were destroyed by just one Angel (<a href='B:290 25:3-5'>Isa 25:3-5</a>; <a href='B:290 29:5'>Isa 29:5</a>; <a href='B:290 29:20'>Isa 29:20</a>). And now, other nations appeared "terrible" to Assyria and had destroyed her; and the same cycle was about to happen to Egypt. Yet somehow human nature doesn’t think that the inevitable cycle will reach us personally, and so Pharaoh and his supporters in Judah didn’t want to see that in fact Egypt was set to follow the path of Assyria, and all apparent strength would evaporate. In the end, Yahweh would be the "terrible one" (<a href='B:300 20:11'>Jer 20:11</a>).</p>


text:
<p>I will destroy also all its animals from beside many waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of animals trouble them- This scenario didn’t come about, just as the complete destruction of all persons in Judah didn’t. The Nile flood lands were not abandoned, all animals weren’t destroyed. But the allusion is to the earlier plagues upon Egypt which targeted their livestock (see on :8). These judgments were to be seen as a lead up to another Passover deliverance- during which many repentant Egyptians identified with Israel and made the journey out of Egypt towards the promised land. And this was the Divine intention for Ezekiel’s time and the restoration.</p>


text:
<p>Then will I make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil, says the Lord Yahweh- This promise of rivers of oil sounds like the blessings of the Messianic kingdom and the reward for obedience to the covenant (<a href='B:50 32:13'>Deu 32:13</a>; <a href='B:50 33:24'>Deu 33:24</a>). Again there is a hint that Egypt like Judah were intended to repent as a result of the Babylonian judgments, and then come into relationship with God, "to know Yahweh", and experience His blessings.</p>


text:
<p>When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate and waste, a land destitute of that of which it was once full, when I shall strike all those who dwell therein, then shall they know that I am Yahweh- This didn’t totally happen. Egypt was defeated militarily at Carchemish, far from the borders of Egypt; there is little evidence of desolation within Egypt and certainly not to this extent. The connection is between "When::." the desolation happens, then "they will know Yahweh", entering relationship with Him. This wasn’t chosen by them, and so the desolation which could have brought that about didn’t happen. God perhaps foresaw that they wouldn’t repent, and so He didn’t bring that desolation which could potentially have brought about their repentance.</p>


text:
<p>This is the lamentation with which they shall lament, with which the daughters of the nations shall lament therewith; over Egypt and over all her multitude shall they lament therewith, says the Lord Yahweh- As noted on :16, Ezekiel was asked to do the work of the lamenting women and make this lamentation. Jeremiah’s lamentations over Jerusalem had already begun (see on :1), and they were to be seen as part of a wider lamentation over the other nations to be judged at the same time as Judah. The "multitude" of Egypt, the nations of her coalition, would not save Judah. Their hope was only in Yahweh.</p>


text:
<p>It happened also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying- The two weeks which elapsed since :1 were perhaps to give both Judah and Egypt a chance to repent. Two weeks was perhaps a reasonable time to allow communication from Chebar in Babylon to reach Judah and Egypt.</p>


text:
<h4>Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt- This is asking Ezekiel to do the work of women, just spoken of in :16: "This solemn warning will become a funeral song. The women of the nations will sing it to mourn for Egypt and all its people" (GNB). Such challenges of gender roles are common in the Bible, thousands of years before this kind of thing was on the secular agenda.</h4><h4>And cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, to the lower parts of the earth, with those who go down into the pit- Here we see the power of the prophetic word. Ezekiel’s word had cast down Egypt. The nations of her coalition are called her daughters because they had as it were acted in whoredom toward Jerusalem. The casting down is another connection with the casting down of Babylon spoken of in Isaiah 14. Absolutely all the superpowers were to come down, it was just a question of when. And instead of seeking salvation from whichever one seemed strongest, Judah were instead to throw themselves upon Yahweh their God.</h4>


text:
<p>Whom do you pass in beauty? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised- The language of unequalled beauty however is applied to Zion in <a href='B:310 2:15'>Lam 2:15</a>; <a href='B:330 16:14'>Eze 16:14</a>. It is also used of Tyre in <a href='B:330 28:12'>Eze 28:12</a>; <a href='B:330 28:17'>Eze 28:17</a>. So we conclude that as often in the Bible, we are reading things from how they seemed to men at the time. Hence the language of demon possession in the New Testament. Therefore GNB gives: "Say to them:"Do you think you are more beautiful than anyone else?". Tyre considered herself the perfection of beauty, and so did Egypt and so did Assyria. But the true perfection of beauty from God’s viewpoint was Zion.</p>


text:
<p>They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword, she is delivered to the sword; draw her away and all her multitudes- The picture is of the mass execution of the Egyptian soldiers along with the foreign mercenaries who supported them, their bodies falling into a pit already filled with dead bodies, and then the corpses being dragged away.</p>


text:
<p>The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of Sheol with those who help him. They are gone down, they lie still, even the uncircumcised, slain by the sword- Judah were reminded that Egypt was not strong of herself; her military might was due to"those who help him". Death was a major theme if not obsession with the Egyptians. The pyramids reveal how much of life was spent preparing for death, involving detailed claims about the journeys after death. But Ezekiel is turning all that on its head, and asking the Egyptians to accept that death is death, and they will be amongst the uncircumcised, and all go unto one place- the grave. The only way out was through relationship with Israel’s God and the hope of bodily resurrection at the last day.</p>


text:
<p>Assyria is there and all her company; her graves are all around her; all of them slain, fallen by the sword- The fall of Assyria has been presented as representative of Egypt’s fall in Ezekiel 31. Assyria too once seemed indomitable, and she too had a"company"of nations who gave her strength. They would go to the same death as Egypt and her coalition. Egypt was allied with the Assyrian king Ashur-uballit II, and marched in 609 BC to his aid against the Babylonians. But Assyria like Egypt was to come to its end.</p>


text:
<p>Their graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her company is around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living- This land of the living may refer specifically to Israel; see on :26. Throughout these prophecies of condemnation of Gentile nations, we have noted constant hints of redemption, if they wished to avail of it."Company"translates a Hebrew word often used of the company of nations associated with Egypt or Babylon. But the promises to Abraham were that a"company"(s:w:) of nations would and could become part of Abraham’s seed (<a href='B:10 28:3'>Gen 28:3</a>; Gen 3511; <a href='B:10 48:4'>Gen 48:4</a>). The"great company"who were to participate in the restoration of God’s Kingdom in Israel was intended to include this great company of nations, who for now were judged (<a href='B:300 31:8'>Jer 31:8</a>).</p>


text:
<p>There is Elam and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are gone down uncircumcised into the lower parts of the earth. They who caused their terror in the land of the living have now borne their shame with those who go down to the pit-"The land of the living"may refer specifically to Israel; see on :26. For"multitude"or ’company’, see on :23.</p>


text:
<p>They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude; her graves are around her; all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for their terror was caused in the land of the living, and they have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit. He is put in the midst of those who are slain- The only honour for Pharaoh would be that he would be at the centre of those who were also ashamed. For the Egyptians, the afterlife was all about glory. But death was to be shame for them. These messages were intended to be taken to the Egyptians in the hope they would repent; see on <a href='B:330 31:2'>Eze 31:2</a>. It was a hard message for them to accept, just as our teaching of conditional immortality and no immortal soul is hard for many to accept.</p>


text:
<h4>There is Meshech, Tubal, and all their multitude; their graves are around them; all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword- These nations are mentioned in Ezekiel 38 as participating in the final invasion of Israel in the last days. But the allusion is to how they and the other Scythians invaded the land in the time of Josiah, and the majority of whom then&nbsp; miserably perished (Herodotus i. 106):&nbsp;The Ezekiel 38 invasion is therefore described in terms of a revival of the nations who had recently invaded and been destroyed.</h4><h4>For they caused their terror in the land of the living-"The land of the living"in :26,32 can too easily be skim read as meaning ’the world of the living’; and indeed it can mean just this. But the land of life is later defined in <a href='B:330 47:7-12'>Eze 47:7-12</a> as Israel. Perhaps the idea is that Egypt was a force respected in Judah, but it was to come to nothing. And if Judah had stopped looking to Egypt for help, they could have been restored as God’s kingdom and indeed become the land of the living.</h4>


text:
<p>They shall not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised who are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living- The Egyptians liked to believe that the dead would go to the afterlife with all their favourite swords and domestic possessions; hence the pyramids were found full of such things. But the Egyptians were to have a most dishonourable burial; they would not even have the honour of the warriors of some previous uncircumcised nations, who were buried with their swords under their heads."Their iniquities are on their bones"is hard to understand; the GNB offers"their shields over their bodies". The bones of Israel were also to be dishonourably discarded (<a href='B:330 6:5'>Eze 6:5</a>; <a href='B:330 24:10'>Eze 24:10</a>), but those dishonoured bones were to be resurrected and revived according to the prophecy of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37. The idea may be that such revival was possible for the Egyptians if before their death they repented.</p>


text:
<p>But you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shall lie with those who are slain by the sword- This prophecy is an intentional attack upon Egyptian views of the afterlife, whereby preservation of bones unbroken was thought to be extremely important; see on :27. They would get no special treatment, but would lie together with all the dead, with them and"in the midst of"the other nations.</p>


text:
<p>There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who in their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword. They shall lie with the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit- Edom had just been rejoicing over the fall of Jerusalem (<a href='B:230 137:7'>Psa 137:7</a>). So this is to be seen as a prophecy of the future. Perhaps Edom like the Egyptians liked to think that their practice of circumcision gave them some special status; which is what the Jews also believed. This passage is a clear expose of that position. Circumcision alone would not save; covenant relationship with Yahweh involved far more than the mere token of the covenant, just as the baptism which circumcision points forward to (<a href='B:580 2:12-13'>Col 2:12-13</a>) will not alone save anyone.</p>


text:
<p>There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who are gone down with the slain; in the terror which they caused by their might they are put to shame. They lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit-"Laid to rest"(GNB) confirms the general impression we get here in this insight into"the world of the dead". They lay at rest, dead, silent, doing nothing, and all the nationalities go to the same place and lay still and powerless together. This is quite different to the ideas beloved of the Egyptians, that death was an endless active adventure and journey, and they as the superior nation would be separate from the uncircumcised and other nationalities. Death is presented as a place of silence and unconsciousness, with no division between nationalities. This likewise contradicts the picture of death held by those who believe in the myth of an immortal soul and punishments for the soul after death.</p>


text:
<p>When Pharaoh sees them, he will take comfort in his hordes. Pharaoh and all his army will die violently, says the Lord Yahweh- This is almost sarcasm; the only comfort for Pharaoh would be that he had not died alone. However there is no record of Pharaoh being killed at Carchemish, although the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle, now housed in the British Museum, claims that Nebuchadnezzar"crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Karchemish. They fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He accomplished their defeat, decisively. As for the rest of the Egyptian army which had escaped from the defeat so quickly that no weapon had reached them, in the district of Hamath the Babylonian troops overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country". We would expect a mention of the death of Pharaoh but there is none. And the account of the battle of Carchemish in <a href='B:300 46:3-12'>Jer 46:3-12</a> doesn’t mention it either. Again we see that the prophetic scenario envisaged didn’t completely come about, although the essence of it will in the last days.</p>


text:
<h4>For I have put his terror in the land of the living-"The land of the living"in :26,32 can too easily be skim read as meaning ’the world of the living’; and indeed it can mean just this. But the land of life is later defined in <a href='B:330 47:7-12'>Eze 47:7-12</a> as Israel. Perhaps the idea is that Egypt was a force respected in Judah, but it was to come to nothing. And if Judah had stopped looking to Egypt for help, they could have been restored as God’s kingdom and indeed become the land of the living.</h4><h4>And he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his hordes, says the Lord Yahweh- Whether or not Egyptians were circumcised is an open question, but the idea that circumcised and uncircumcised will come to the same end in death is a reminder to the Jews that their circumcision would not of itself save them. It was the token of the covenant, but they had broken that covenant.</h4>


text:
<p>The word of Yahweh came to me saying- Ezekiel’s prophecies had now been fulfilled about the fall of Jerusalem and the inability of Egypt to save. Now it is his duty in the rest of the prophecy to persuade the Jews in exile and in the land of the need for repentance in order to bring about the reestablishment of the Kingdom God had prepared in potential.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, speak to the children of your people and tell them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them and set him for their watchman- Ezekiel personally was the watchman of Israel (<a href='B:330 3:17'>Eze 3:17</a>). This could be read as an encouragement to Ezekiel to keep on in his duty of witnessing as a watchman, and to remember that his own salvation depended upon it. It would seem, as noted on <a href='B:330 3:17'>Eze 3:17</a>, that he at times flagged in the work. The people of the land hadn’t appointed a watchman, but God had- taking the initiative by grace.</p>


text:
<p>If, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people- The men of Judah blew the trumpet to call their soldiers (<a href='B:330 7:14'>Eze 7:14</a>), but Ezekiel and Jeremiah were blowing God’s trumpet of repentance (<a href='B:300 6:1'>Jer 6:1</a>; <a href='B:330 33:3'>Eze 33:3</a>; <a href='B:330 33:6'>Eze 33:6</a>). There was a total mismatch between God and His people.</p>


text:
<p>Then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and doesn’t take warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be on his own head- This is a metaphor from the animals sacrifices, on the heads of which they laid their hands, to symbolize that their guilt should be upon the sacrifice. Animal sacrifice was therefore not going to take away their guilt; and now with the temple in ruins and in exile, this was impossible anyway.</p>


text:
<p>He heard the sound of the trumpet and didn’t take warning; his blood shall be on him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul- Ezekiel had been a watchman and had warned them, as Ezekiel 3 has recorded. Perhaps the exiles were complaining that the death of their relatives at the hands of the Babylonians was somehow unfair. But the point was that Ezekiel had given them warning, as had Jeremiah. Their deaths were completely their own fault.</p>


text:
<p>But if the watchman sees the sword come and doesn’t blow the trumpet and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand- There has been a wrong emphasis being placed on the passages in Ezekiel which state that the duty of the prophet was to warn Israel of impending judgment, and if they did that, they would be free of their responsibility. The impression is given that the prophets therefore said" Look out Israel, judgment day is coming!"and then walked away breathing a sigh of relief that they wouldn’t be condemned themselves for failing in their duty. But the purpose of the prophets was to plead with Israel to repent, to describe the judgments for sin with the earnest hope that this would bring about repentance among those who heard. If they didn’t do this&nbsp; they would be condemned. The Lord says that we are all&nbsp; the watchers of the door of the house of the ecclesia (<a href='B:480 13:34-35'>Mar 13:34-35</a>; <a href='B:490 12:39-40'>Luk 12:39-40</a>),&nbsp; as the prophets were the watchmen over the city of Zion, God’s Old Testament ecclesia. We all&nbsp; therefore have a responsibility to guide and warn the ecclesia, not just to scrape out of condemnation for ourselves, but from a genuine, earnest desire to help others to the Kingdom road. This sin of the watchman in not pleading with the sinner would therefore be that of a sin of omission- and most of our sins are likely in that category rather than cold blooded sins of commission.</p>


text:
<p>So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me- This suggests that although the nation hadn’t set him as a watchman, God, by grace- see on :2. Ezekiel was still to act as a watchman; judgment was still threatened. After all, God had intended destroying every man and animal in the land, and by grace alone had not done so. Yet instead of being moved by that to repentance, the people remaining in the land and the exiles were continuing in sin.</p>


text:
<p>When I tell the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, if you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand- Not only our salvation but that of others can be limited by our exercise of freewill. Ifothers’ salvation is not dependent upon our preaching, then there is no meaning to the very concept of preaching. This is true to the extent that a watchman can occasion the death of those he could warn, if he doesn’t do it. And their blood [for they will die] will be required at his hand (<a href='B:330 33:8'>Eze 33:8</a>; <a href='B:330 33:13'>Eze 33:13</a>). The wicked will only turn from their ways if the watchmen warns them- and Ezekiel 33 shows clearly enough that the watchman can be lazy to fulfil his commission, with the result that some will die eternally who need not have done so. It’s not that another watchman is raised up to do the job- it is his responsibility, which he can discharge or not. God’s word has been delegated to us; to not speak it forth is therefore in a sense to diminish His word. Hence Jeremiah is told to"keep not back a word"of all God’s words (<a href='B:300 26:2'>Jer 26:2</a> AV; RV:"Diminish not a word"):&nbsp;The requiring of blood at our hands suggests that there will to some degree be a ’going through’ of all the sins of the rejected at judgment day. For the Hebrew word translated"require"implies some kind of inquisition / explanation.</p>


text:
<p>Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn’t turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul- Jerusalem had by now fallen, they had not turned from their way, they had died in their iniquity. But it seems that more judgment was threatened to the Jews who remained in the land and also those in exile, and Ezekiel must continue to warn about it. <a href='B:340 12:3'>Dan 12:3</a> says, in a restoration context, that those who turn people to righteousness shall"shine"for ever."Shine"is the same word as"warn"here. If we are shining beacons to others, we shall eternally be so. Our attitudes in this life will be eternally established; in this sense we save our souls or personalities.</p>


text:
<h4>You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: Thus you speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them- The pining away meant that they had broken the covenant (<a href='B:30 26:39'>Lev 26:39</a>). The AV puts this as a question from them:"If::. our sins be upon us::.", as Ezekiel had claimed, and as they still denied."Sins"is put for"punishment for our sins". They still insisted they were suffering unjustly for the sins of their fathers and not for their own sins, despite Ezekiel rebuking this attitude in Ezekiel 18.</h4><h4>How then can we live?- Their attitude was that if indeed they were guilty of their sins, well, how could they live further?"How shall we live?"is the question answered by the vision of the dry bones reviving (<a href='B:330 37:11'>Eze 37:11</a> cp. <a href='B:290 49:14'>Isa 49:14</a>). Although they were suffering the punishment of death for sin, yet by grace there could be a revival from that death by allowing God’s Spirit to operate.</h4>


text:
<p>Tell them, As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, 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 will you die, house of Israel?- The desire of God for repentance is stronger than His need to punish sin. Hence LXX"Shall I at all desire the death of the sinner, saith the Lord, as I desire that he should turn from his evil way, and live?". This is why He hangs on so long with sinful people, and Israel are the parade example. His desire for repentance, His passion for human reformation, is active and huge. It’s not that He has set a bar which must be jumped over, and is passive toward us until that is achieved. God is not passive to human repentance. He wants us to repent and&nbsp; wills us to do so. Those who refuse to turn or repent will die, and He has no satisfaction or pleasure or will for that to happen. The exiles could have repented, both individually and collectively ["turn yourselves"in Hebrew carries that collective implication], and averted the death which was otherwise planned for them and their brethren back in Judah at the hand of the Babylonians. Peter alludes to these words in saying that for all time, God is not willing ["pleasure"in Hebrew can mean ’will’] that any should perish but that all should repent (<a href='B:680 3:9'>2Pe 3:9</a>). His work of judging insistent sinners is in this sense for Him a"strange act::. a strange work"(<a href='B:290 28:21'>Isa 28:21</a>). His passion is for ourrepentance and salvation, not our condemnation.</p>


text:
<p>You, son of man, tell the children of your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not save him in the day of his disobedience; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither shall he who is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sins- The"disobedience"in view is not a single act of moral failure. Rather does it seem that the tiny remnant of the righteous at this point were tempted to now break covenant with God as it were in protest at what they saw as unfair treatment of their people. It was the"transgression"of divorce from God, of the adultery which broke the covenant (<a href='B:290 50:1'>Isa 50:1</a>; <a href='B:330 21:24'>Eze 21:24</a> s:w:). The singular"disobedience"of Judah is specifically defined as their idol worship in the name of Yahweh (<a href='B:400 1:5'>Mic 1:5</a> s:w:). And this kind of thing has been seen so often when previously righteous folk encounter the ’problem of suffering’. Ezekiel had explained the justness of the judgments and revealed the seriousness of sin. But that inspired argumentation was apparently not accepted by them, and that had led them to break covenant with Yahweh.</p>


text:
<p>When I tell the righteous that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he has committed, therein shall he die- As explained on <a href='B:330 18:22'>Eze 18:22</a>, the good deeds of the righteous will be ’gone through’ at judgment day. But if they turn away, then those good deeds will not be remembered or gone through, but rather his sins.</p>


text:
<p>Again, when I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right-"Turn"is the word also used for the ’return’ of the exiles. Their repentance would lead to their return. They didn’t repent, yet by grace God took the initiative and returned them anyway. Yet most didn’t want to return and preferred the soft life in Babylon / Persia, and those who did, as the later prophets make clear, didn’t repent. Doing justice and right was the characteristic of Abraham’s true seed (s:w. <a href='B:10 18:19'>Gen 18:19</a>). Those who did not do so were therefore not the true Israel of God. Again, the Jewish assumption of salvation from the Babylonians on account of their fleshly descent is being deconstructed.</p>


text:
<p>If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die- The"statutes of life"refers to how the law was intended to give life (<a href='B:520 7:10'>Rom 7:10</a>; <a href='B:30 18:5'>Lev 18:5</a>) but in practice, human failure meant that no law gave life (<a href='B:550 3:21'>Gal 3:21</a>). Such sensitivity and generosity to the poor is not a mere optional extra in the spiritual life; it is in fact part of being basically"just"and committed to social justice, part of ’doing right / truly’ (:14). The implication is that the wealthy who had gone into captivity were still abusing the poor. They had still not learnt their lesson.</p>


text:
<p>None of his sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live- The not remembering of Judah’s sins was part of the new covenant offered to them; the same Hebrew phrase is used (<a href='B:300 31:34'>Jer 31:34</a>; <a href='B:290 43:25'>Isa 43:25</a>). Yet here this is made contingent upon specific repentance. It seems that God offered them such not remembering of sin whether or not they specifically repented, in the hope it would provoke them to that specific repentance; and even that didn’t work with them.</p>


text:
<h4>Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not fair; but as for them, their way is not fair- The majority of the captives insisted, according to Ezekiel 18, that they hadn’t sinned, and they were suffering unjustly because of the sins of their fathers; whereas this righteous remnant in Babylon were intended to admit that “we have sinned. Equally with them of old time have we transgressed” (<a href='B:290 64:5'>Isa 64:5</a>). They took the message of Ezekiel to heart- unlike the majority. And thus this was the sad end of the great plan developed by the God of all grace for His people in Babylon. They rejected it, and hated His servants who brought that good news to them. The complaint that God is unfair is answered by reminding them that they have sinned. And this finally is one aspect of the answer to ’the problem of suffering’.</h4><h4><a href='B:290 40:3'>Isa 40:3</a>, which is quoted in <a href='B:490 3:4'>Luk 3:4</a>, speaks of “Prepare ye the way of the Lord”, whereas <a href='B:290 62:10'>Isa 62:10</a> speaks of “Prepare ye the way of the people”. Yet tragically, the way / path of Israel was not the way / path of the Lord (<a href='B:330 18:25'>Eze 18:25</a>). We are not only Jesus to this world but also effectively we are the witness to God Himself. We minister His care to others; to the extent that Paul could write both that he was a minister of God, and also a minister of the church (<a href='B:540 6:4'>2Co 6:4</a>; <a href='B:580 1:24-25'>Col 1:24-25</a>).</h4>


text:
<p>When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall even die therein- This was perhaps a warning to the righteous remnant who had so far repented in exile; they were liable to be dragged back into sin by the other exiles and the depressive situation they found themselves in.</p>


text:
<p>When the wicked turns from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby- The parallel <a href='B:330 18:27'>Eze 18:27</a> says"Save his soul alive". This implies that judgment is about to come, the death penalty already passed, but his repentance just about averts this at the last moment. It is the term used in <a href='B:10 19:19'>Gen 19:19</a> of how Lot was just about saved by grace out of Sodom, which was a symbol of Jerusalem under judgment, as Ezekiel 16 has made clear. This was the desperate urgency of Ezekiel’s appeal; and yet he was seen at best as a singer of fairy tales or old time love songs (<a href='B:330 33:32'>Eze 33:32</a>).</p>


text:
<p>Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair. House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways- God objects to their complaint that He has judged masses of people unfairly because of the sins of a minority. This is the usual human complaint at the ’problem of suffering’. But God insists, then and now, that He judges each person individually. He knows how they would have acted in the future, He weighs fairly the degree of collective guilt they must blame in a society given over to rebellion against Him. And we are to trust His judgment rather than break covenant with Him over it.</p>


text:
<h4>It happened in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped out of Jerusalem- We noted on <a href='B:330 24:6'>Eze 24:6</a> that God had originally threatened total destruction of all within Jerusalem, but in actuality He repented of this. But in <a href='B:330 24:26'>Eze 24:26</a> Ezekiel is told that in fact one would escape and come to him with the news which by prophecy he already knew. This now happened. The mention of one who escapes is therefore a tacit reflection of God’s grace in not doing all He threatened in <a href='B:330 24:6'>Eze 24:6</a>.</h4><p>The date here given is about a year and a half after the city’s fall. This period is very long. Some manuscripts read the eleventh year, leaving about six months for the news to travel by messenger. Eleven and twelve are easily confused in Hebrews. Or it could be that the"one"who came was not an individual but the group of exiles. In this case, the singular would be used for the plural in a collective sense, as in “the escaped remnant” elsewhere. We have the same thing in “the escaped of Moab” (<a href='B:290 15:9'>Isa 15:9</a>); “He that escapeth of them” (<a href='B:370 9:1'>Amo 9:1</a>).</p><h4>Came to me saying, The city has been struck- <a href='B:330 33:21'>Eze 33:21</a> to <a href='B:330 39:29'>Eze 39:29</a> is a complete section within the book. I understand <a href='B:330 33:21-22'>Eze 33:21-22</a> to mean that Ezekiel opened his mouth and gave the six prophetic utterances in this section on the night before the exiles received the news that Jerusalem had fallen. It was on the fifth day of the tenth month of the 12th year of the exile (<a href='B:330 33:21'>Eze 33:21</a>). Ezekiel’s mouth was opened by Divine inspiration that evening, and he gave these messages through the night until the messenger arrived in the morning with the news that Jerusalem had fallen. Each of the six messages begin with the rubric “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying…”.</h4>


text:
<p>Now the hand of the Yahweh had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and He had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened, and I was no longer dumb- The idea may be that now he opens his previously closed lips to the Jews. In the interval he had prophesied to foreign nations, as he had been forbidden to speak to the Jews from <a href='B:330 24:27'>Eze 24:27</a> onward.</p>


text:
<p>The word of Yahweh came to me saying- This was a revelation presumably added in answer to specific objections to Ezekiel’s statements so far.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, they who inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance’- Clearly"many"remained in the land after the destruction of Jerusalem. They ought to have reflected that by grace, the prophecies of absolute destruction of every person hadn’t come true. Instead they argued that if one man Abraham inherited the land, then how much more should they. But Abraham didn’t inherit the land in his lifetime as promised (<a href='B:510 7:5'>Act 7:5</a>)- to understand this required a belief in a future resurrection and inheritance in the Kingdom of God on earth. And they lacked that perspective.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Shall you possess the land?- This is the degree to which the Jews in the land and in exile were so deeply in sin, despite seeing all Ezekiel’s warnings come true. The intentional eating of blood was part of the demands of pagan idol rituals. And this was leading them to shed blood as part of their lifting up their eyes in worship to the idols; human sacrifice, not just of firstborn children but others too, was apparently still being practiced.</p>


text:
<p>You rely on your sword, you work abomination, and every one of you defiles his neighbour’s wife. Shall you possess the land?-"Abomination"relates usually to idol worship in the Old Testament. This is what was leading them to adultery, and also violence with the sword- perhaps relating to human sacrifice, and not just of babies. The spiritual situation in the land and perhaps also amongst the exiles was extremely bad; and yet at the same time, that generation as none before had a vast, Divinely planned potential before them: if they repented, God would pour out His grace and His Spirit and use them to reestablish His Kingdom, and the repentant victims of Babylonian judgment amongst the Gentiles along with the restored ten tribes would join them in the land. These things had all been spoken about earlier in Ezekiel’s prophecies.</p>


text:
<p>You shall tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and him who is in the open field will I give to the animals to be devoured; and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence- The reference seems specifically to the Jews who remained in the desolated land of Judah, the urban poor who were now living in the open fields and caves. God had previously through Ezekiel threatened to destroy the majority of them by the sword, animals and plague- but by grace had relented. Maybe fro pure pity, or also in response to the repentance of a remnant and the intercession of the likes of Ezekiel and Jeremiah. But these three judgments were to return upon them as they stubbornly refused to repent. There is no evidence however that this actually happened; there was not another wave of Babylonian invasion and <a href='B:300 41:5'>Jer 41:5</a> describes some of the people of the land coming to make offerings at the temple site. Perhaps there was some response to Ezekiel’s appeal here, which was presumably taken from Babylon to the people in the land. But maybe God was so eager to accept His sinful, stubborn people that He still tried to forge ahead with His plans as far as possible even without their repentance.</p>


text:
<p>I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; the pride of her power shall cease and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through- As noted on :27 this didn’t come about to the extent threatened. Even though the Jews were robbed of"power", they still had pride in it. And this is singled out as the reason for their judgment. Breaking"the pride of her power"was one of the curses for breaking covenant (<a href='B:30 26:19'>Lev 26:19</a>). But the covenant had already been broken; yet&nbsp; it seems God still counts them as being within it, in His earnest grace toward them."The pride of your power"is the&nbsp; same phrase used about the Jerusalem temple which was now in ruins (<a href='B:330 24:21'>Eze 24:21</a>). This had already been caused to"cease", but still their pride remained. The intention of the Babylonian judgments had been to humble Israel, but this still hadn’t happened.</p>


text:
<p>Then shall they know that I am Yahweh, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed- Judah were to repent, to enter relationship with Yahweh ["knowing"Him in the Hebraic sense] as a result of the desolations. But they didn’t. And perhaps God foresaw that, and so as noted on :27,28, He didn’t bring all the planned desolations, because He foreknew they would not achieve their effect. These things however will come true in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, speaking one to another, each one to his brother saying, Please come and hear what is the word that comes forth from Yahweh- The walls refers to the public places where in the shade people talked in groups; in the doors refers to private places."One to another"uses a Chaldee rather than Hebrew word, suggesting they had already begun to adopt the language and speech of Babylon. They were fascinated by Ezekiel- his prophecies had undoubtedly come true. And yet they still did not know Yahweh, they were out of relationship with Him (:29). We can express interest in God’s word, and yet be so far from Him. Relationship with Him is not solely predicated upon Bible study or reading.</p>


text:
<p>They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain- Elsewhere it is idolatry which is cited as the main reason why they didn’t respond to God’s word. But the attraction of idolatry was"gain"; they were fertility gods, who were thought to give material"gain". This is the same word translated"dishonest gain"which was the characteristic of the leaders as well as the people of Judah (<a href='B:330 22:3'>Eze 22:3</a>; <a href='B:330 22:27'>Eze 22:27</a>; <a href='B:300 6:13'>Jer 6:13</a>; <a href='B:300 8:10'>Jer 8:10</a>). They considered there was no"gain"in serving Yahweh (<a href='B:460 3:14'>Mal 3:14</a> s:w."profit"). Whereas the true gain was in the things of Yahweh’s kingdom.</p>


text:
<h4>Behold, 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 don’t do them- &nbsp;It was tragic for the prophets that the people were so indifferent. Ezekiel was appealing for each man to"Save his soul alive"(<a href='B:330 18:27'>Eze 18:27</a>), implying that judgment is about to come, the death penalty already passed, but his repentance just about averts this at the last moment. It is the term used in <a href='B:10 19:19'>Gen 19:19</a> of how Lot was just about saved by grace out of Sodom, which was a symbol of Jerusalem under judgment, as Ezekiel 16 has made clear. This was the desperate urgency of Ezekiel’s appeal; and yet he was seen at best as a singer of fairy tales or old time love songs.</h4><p>The prophets portrayed the tragic, passionate love of God to His people, they sung of it, wrote of it, made poetry about it [for much of the prophetic writing is poetry]. And yet they passed this off as mere “allegory” in a mocking way (<a href='B:330 20:49'>Eze 20:49</a>), Ezekiel was “to them like one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice… for they hear what you say, but they will not do it” (<a href='B:330 33:32'>Eze 33:32</a>). They were like buskers singing songs in the subway, which we may listen to with half an ear, even admire them for a few moments, and then walk on in our busy lives. But the prophets were speaking forth the words of passionate love of God Almighty for His people… truly as Paul Simon put it, with an uncanny appropriacy to our train of thought, “the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls”. They thought that “the Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill” (<a href='B:430 1:12'>Zep 1:12</a>); “the Lord does not see us” (<a href='B:330 8:12'>Eze 8:12</a>; <a href='B:330 9:9'>Eze 9:9</a>); “my way is hidden from the Lord” (<a href='B:290 40:27'>Isa 40:27</a>; <a href='B:290 29:15'>Isa 29:15</a>). This of course is the attitude with which we daily live. The question is, will we perceive it as the prophets did?</p><h4>However, whilst"lovely song"can legitimately be understood as a love song, the Hebrew used here is unusual if that is what was meant. The word for"love"is used almost exclusively by Ezekiel in describing the unbridled lust in the name of love which had characterized God’s people (s:w. <a href='B:330 23:5'>Eze 23:5</a>; <a href='B:330 23:7'>Eze 23:7</a>; <a href='B:330 23:9'>Eze 23:9</a>; <a href='B:330 23:12'>Eze 23:12</a>; <a href='B:330 23:16'>Eze 23:16</a>; <a href='B:330 23:20'>Eze 23:20</a>, AV"doted"). Perhaps they were blasphemously using Ezekiel’s words and poetry as songs used at the time of their idolatry.</h4>


text:
<p>When this comes to pass (behold, it comes!), then shall they know that a prophet has been among them- This could equally be translated"It is come". Ezekiel’s prophecies had been fulfilled, and they ought to recognizethat he was indeed a prophet and not just an interesting person to listen to for entertainment.</p>


text:
<p>The word of Yahweh came to me saying- Ezekiel was a priest, and they were the shepherds of Israel whom he now condemns as a main reason why the Kingdom was not being established. So he was an appropriate person to be used to deliver the criticism.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and tell them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep?- The leadership could have been criticized for many things, but the fundamental issue was selfishness; thinking of themselves and not others. The shepherds refer not only to the priests but to the entire leadership of the people.</p>


text:
<h4>You eat the fat- This should have been given to God, under the Mosaic law (<a href='B:30 3:17'>Lev 3:17</a>). They kept the best for themselves, and thereby were playing God. For the fat was to be ’eaten’ by God in the Mosaic rituals. Yet <a href='B:450 11:16'>Zec 11:16</a> prophesied that God would raise up such shepherds who ’eat the fat’ as punishment for Israel. These shepherds sinned of their own freewill, but God confirmed them in that way.</h4><h4>And you clothe yourself with the wool, you kill the fatlings; but you don’t feed the sheep- The situation sounds to be ongoing at Ezekiel’s time. The priesthood was still profiting from the people rather than feeding them. This criticism of them would have caused many problems for Ezekiel; perhaps he was criticizing his own relatives.</h4>


text:
<h4>You haven’t strengthened the diseased- The same criticism could be levelled at the ’shepherds’ of our times who drive out the spiritually weak rather than seeking to cure and strengthen them. The priests were only interested in what they could get out of people, rather than what they could do for them. The"diseased"[s:w."sick"] were made diseased or sick by God in punishment for their sins (<a href='B:400 6:13'>Mic 6:13</a> s:w:). The idea is that those who were sick as a result of their punishments at the hands of the Babylonians should be strengthened by the priests. But they were ignored.</h4><p>Neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken- The binding up of the breach or break between God and His people was to be in the Messianic Kingdom (<a href='B:290 30:26'>Isa 30:26</a>; <a href='B:290 61:1'>Isa 61:1</a>). But this was potentially possible at the restoration; if the shepherds led the people towards it.</p><h4>Neither have you caused to return that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigour you have ruled over them- Very much the language of God causing to return those driven away into captivity. It seems that after the first wave of captives were taken away to Babylon, they could have returned if the shepherds of Judah had acted rightly- those driven away could have returned. God’s purpose is so open to our behaviour. Hence :5"They were scattered because there was no shepherd". The scattering of the majority could have been averted by the spirituality of a minority. It must be so tragic for God to see all these potentials for salvation being wasted time and again. The fact He continues to set up all these potentials, when He sees them wasted multiple times, is testament to His love and passion for us. The shepherds of those in captivity didn’t actually want them to return from exile because they personally were benefitted.</h4>


text:
<h4>They were scattered because there was no shepherd- The scattering of the flock was here directly blamed upon the shepherds / priesthood.</h4><h4>And they became food to all the animals of the field and were scattered-&nbsp; A reference to all the nations surrounding Israel. When we read of"all the animals of the field"in Genesis 1-3, I have elsewhere suggested that this refers specifically to all the animals within the eretz of greater Israel, the land promised to Abraham; for that is how the phrase is used here in <a href='B:330 34:5'>Eze 34:5</a>. It clearly doesn’t refer to all animals / nations on the planet. The focus of God is so intensely upon Israel and this is reflected in the language of the Bible. See on :6.</h4>


text:
<h4>My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill- This is very much the language of Israel worshipping idols upon the mountains and"every high hill"(<a href='B:330 6:13'>Eze 6:13</a>; <a href='B:330 20:28'>Eze 20:28</a>). Mountains and hills represent nations and peoples; because of this, they were made to wander amongst the nations and peoples. Their judgment was appropriate to their sin; for the practice of sin is really a living out of condemnation.</h4><h4>Yes, My sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth; and there was none who searched or sought them- We would likely have condemned the shepherds for themselves committing idolatry. But that is never mentioned here; rather is the emphasis upon the fact that the shepherds didn’t try to get Israel to repent and return to God. The lack of spiritual effort for others was the main source of their condemnation. The criticism that the shepherds fed themselves instead of the flock (:2,8) could even imply that the shepherds were not themselves idolaters, but their sin was that of spiritual selfishness.</h4>


text:
<p>Therefore you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh- The following prophecy says that Yahweh will replace the shepherds with His own shepherding, manifest through His chosen individual shepherd. But we could deduce that this threat was also effectively an appeal to the shepherds to repent.</p>


text:
<p>As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely because My sheep became a prey, and My sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed My sheep- See on :6 There was none who searched or sought them. Israel were given as a"prey"to the Gentiles because of their own sins (<a href='B:330 7:21'>Eze 7:21</a> s:w:); but here the shepherds are blamed for this. They could have ’stood in the gap’ and stopped this judgment coming upon the people. But they didn’t care for people; that quite simply is the crushing condemnation.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh- This was an appeal for repentance so that the process of condemnation at the last day (explained on :10) need not happen.</p>


text:
<h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My sheep at their hand- When did this happen? This surely suggests that those men will be resurrected and asked at the judgment what they did with the sheep. The pain and anger of God is because Israel were His sheep, and He had entrusted them to others to care for. As explained on <a href='B:330 18:22'>Eze 18:22</a>, there will be a ’going through’ of the sins of the rejected at judgment day. God will"require"the flock at the hand of the pastors of Ezekiel’s day. The Hebrew word translated"require"has the sense of to search / enquire- which suggests a process of discussion during the judgment process.</h4><p>And cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver My sheep from their mouth- The people in view are clearly the shepherds, but they are now likened to the mouth of the ravening beast who devoured them. They were therefore no better than Babylon, the devouring beast; indeed, they effectively were Babylon. Here we see the power of sins of omission; omitting to care for the flock made these people the same as Babylon. For nearly all the accusations against the shepherds in this chapter refer to sins of omission rather than commission.</p><h4>That they may not be food for them- Omitting to feed the sheep meant that they were effectively devouring and eating the sheep. The implication of their laziness and sins of omission is here stated in powerful terms. We too need to think through the implications of our similar sins of omission.</h4>


text:
<p>For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I Myself, even I, will search for My sheep, and will seek them out- This chapter is full of connection with the language of the Lord Jesus as the shepherd of Israel in John 10. There was an intense manifestation of God in Jesus, as there is in all those who do the work of caring for His sheep. Likewise :15"I myself will be the shepherd::.". The terms of the new covenant which God promised a repentant Judah at the restoration included the promise of God shepherding them as a flock (<a href='B:300 31:10'>Jer 31:10</a>). Such a shepherd could have been raised up then, but this didn’t come about; and so the ultimate fulfilment is in the work of the Lord Jesus. This is the time when a Messiah figure could have ’shepherded in the strength of Yahweh’ (<a href='B:400 5:4'>Mic 5:4</a> s:w:).</p>


text:
<h4>As a shepherd seeks out his flock- The Lord’s teaching places a huge value on the importance of the individual- He is the unusual shepherd who will leave the 99 in the wilderness and go searching for the one lost sheep. Yet His parable of searching for one sheep is clearly based upon a similar one in Ezekiel 34, where we read that God [in His Son] will ‘seek out his flock’ (<a href='B:330 34:12'>Eze 34:12</a>). Perhaps Jesus meant us to understand that for Him, one lost sheep is as good as the whole flock; so important is the individual to Him. He made no effort to start an organization; rather did He focus upon the conversion and radical transformation of a group of individuals. We were each uniquely created in order to manifest some specific aspect of the Father’s glory.</h4><p>In the day that he is among his sheep- This is the intensity of ’God with us’ in Christ; God Himself comes among us in order to bring us back to Him.</p><h4>That are scattered abroad, so will I seek out My sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day- The cloudy and dark day was the day of judgment which came upon Judah, and which resulted in them being scattered into Babylon and Persia. The shepherd who was to deliver them and get them to return from the various places of their scattering was intended to be Cyrus. <a href='B:290 44:28'>Isa 44:28</a> is crystal clear about this. God"says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure’, even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid’". It was God’s intention that Cyrus repent and become a proselyte, and Yahweh would then use him to save His people"out of all places where they have been scattered". The decree of Cyrus was addressed to"Whoever is left [of the Jews], in any place where he lives"(<a href='B:150 1:4'>Ezr 1:4</a>)."Cyrus"literally means"sun"and so contrasts with the cloudy and dark day. But Cyrus let the ball drop and didn’t carry through the Divine purpose as he might have done and neither did the Jews respond as they should have done. Cyrus was Yahweh’s anointed (<a href='B:290 45:1'>Isa 45:1</a>), and so the essence of these prophecies is to come true in the last days in the person of the Lord Jesus. We could say that the prophecies are transferred from Cyrus to the Lord Jesus.</h4>


text:
<p>I will bring them out fromthe peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country- This ’causing’ to go forth [AV] was by grace, because they had not met the required spiritual preconditions- in that they had not in fact cast away their idols (see on <a href='B:330 20:6-8'>Eze 20:6-8</a>). And it was to be the same in the exodus from Babylon. This Divine ’causing to go forth’ was by the Spirit, for those who left captivity did so because their minds were stirred up by the Spirit to do so, even though they were not spiritually qualified for the restoration (<a href='B:150 1:5'>Ezr 1:5</a>). They had been commanded to"go forth"from Babylon (<a href='B:290 52:11'>Isa 52:11</a> s:w:) but it was God who caused them to do this by the grace of His Spirit’s operation on their hearts. The same is true of our exodus from this world through the water of baptism. It is all of grace and confirmation of the smallest desire to do so; and so this causing to go forth was by God’s"mighty hand"(<a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a> s:w:).</p>


text:
<h4>I will feed them with good pasture; on the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be- A reference to Jerusalem or the temple mount? This was to be the source point of their teaching, the spiritual feeding which the shepherds / priests had failed to provide from the temple.</h4><h4>There shall they lie down in a good fold; on fat pasture shall they feed on the mountains of Israel- The restored Judah did live in a “fat” pasture land, but the fatness of the land was still given to the kings of Persia because of Judah’s spiritual weakness (<a href='B:160 9:25'>Neh 9:25</a>; <a href='B:160 9:35-37'>Neh 9:35-37</a>). They could have broken free and in fact subsumed the surrounding empires and kingdoms into the restored kingdom of Judah.</h4>


text:
<p>I Myself will be the shepherd of My sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord Yahweh- See on :11. This is the language of the wealthy farmer exasperated with his shepherds who goes out into the field and himself shepherds the flock; remembering that shepherds were perceived in social terms as the lowest of the low. Recall how shepherds were despised in Egypt and it was better to say you were a cattle herder than a shepherd (<a href='B:10 46:34'>Gen 46:34</a>). This going out into the fields by God Himself was reflected in His efforts to bring Judah back from Babylon, where they were sitting in captivity in Ezekiel’s time. But the majority of them preferred to remain there. Despite such passionate effort from God, manifest through the extraordinary desire of Cyrus to restore them (see on :12). So many today prefer to remain in the Babylon of this world rather than coming out of captivity into the things of God’s Kingdom- despite God’s intense efforts for them through manipulating life situations for them to lead them to Him.</p>


text:
<p>I will seek that which was lost, and will cause to return that which was driven away. I will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice- The binding up of the breach or break between God and His people was to be in the Messianic Kingdom (<a href='B:290 30:26'>Isa 30:26</a>; <a href='B:290 61:1'>Isa 61:1</a>). But this was potentially possible at the restoration; if the shepherds led the people towards it. The Divine shepherd would act quite differently to ordinary shepherds, who would focus upon the fat and strong and not destroy them, but rather accept that the broken and sick weren’t worth the effort and were an acceptable loss. He would do exactly opposite.</p>


text:
<h4>As for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord Yahweh: See, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats- Surely the basis for the Lord’s parable of His final judgment in <a href='B:470 25:32'>Mat 25:32</a>. The focus seems to move away from the shepherds to another reason for the sad state of Israel’s flock- the abuse of the poor majority by the minority of ’fat ones’ amongst the flock, the goats. <a href='B:450 11:11'>Zec 11:11</a> in a restoration context speaks of the poor of the flock as the faithful ones; the false shepherds in Zechariah likewise have to be removed before the envisioned restoration of the Kingdom can happen. But they had been caused to stumble by others within the flock, according to the reasoning here in Ezekiel 34. The idea seems to be that the sheep will be divided and the fat, abusive ones taken out of the flock and placed together with the goats. It’s as if this message in Ezekiel 34 foresees the likely objection of many: ’But I’m not a shepherd, so this doesn’t apply to me’. The focus is now upon the ordinary sheep themselves who have deprived other sheep of spiritual food. So easily, the Lord’s sheep are turned away from spiritual feeding by the actions of other sheep. They cease attending places of spiritual feeding, or are banned from attending them, by the behaviour of those who are apparently the best sheep. By so doing, those apparently fat, well fed sheep of :16 are declared to be goats::. The connection with <a href='B:470 25:32'>Mat 25:32</a> suggests that this will be the same basis for judgment at the last day for all the Lord’s people. The same issues are in view there as in Ezekiel 34 - not visiting, not feeding, not clothing (<a href='B:330 34:3'>Eze 34:3</a>) and not providing water.</h4><h4><a href='B:330 34:18'>Eze 34:18</a> Does it seem a small thing to you- The intention of the gripping passage in Ezekiel 16 was to convict Jerusalem of her sins (:2); because they considered their spiritual and literal prostitution"a small matter". The same word is used here in accusing the priesthood of considering it"a small matter"for the flock to have been ruined by them. This was the problem, as it is today- the real implications of attitudes and behaviour are not taken seriously. We fail to perceive how deeply we affect both God and man. Society makes us feel insignificant cogs, but we are not like that to God. This was the problem with Ezekiel’s audience; they had a light hearted approach to eternal issues. To them, sin was a light thing (<a href='B:330 8:17'>Eze 8:17</a>; <a href='B:330 22:7'>Eze 22:7</a>). This was the role of the prophets, to convict people of the gravity of their sins and positions, and the consequences to come.</h4><h4>To have fed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the remainder of your pasture; to have drunk of the clear waters, but you must foul what remains with your feet?- It is a characteristic of those who reject the message of the Kingdom that they seek to stop others entering it as well (see on <a href='B:490 11:52'>Luk 11:52</a>).</h4>


text:
<p>As for My sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet- To tread underfoot was to despise. The leadership had despised that which God wanted to feed them with and this in turn damaged it for the ordinary sheep.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep- This judgment would be very different to how a human shepherd would judge; he would prefer the fat and reject the lean. But as noted on :16, the fat were to be destroyed. The"lean"or famished by famine are those referred to in <a href='B:290 17:4-6'>Isa 17:4-6</a>, the glory of Jacob who had been"made thin"[s:w."lean"] would become the faithful, repentant remnant,"gleanings [that] will be left there, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outermost branches of a fruitful tree".</p>


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<p>Because you thrust with side and with shoulder and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad- The"diseased"or ’stricken’ were those stricken by the Babylonian invasion (<a href='B:300 14:17'>Jer 14:17</a> s:w:). But these were not helped by the"fat", the wealthy leadership and priesthood. Instead they were pushed into captivity by the selfishness of the fat.</p>


text:
<p>Therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep andsheep- But the rich, the fat among the exiles, still oppressed the lean or the poor (<a href='B:160 5:1-19'>Neh 5:1-19</a>). And God’s people continued to be a prey to the Gentiles. The intended prophetic scenario didn’t come about at the time although it will in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd- This Messianic figure was to be"the prince"of Ezekiel 40-48. Initially it was intended to be Cyrus (<a href='B:290 44:28'>Isa 44:28</a>), but then other possibilities arose, not least Zerubbabel. The system of shepherds, be it the priesthood or the royal family, was to be replaced by one singular shepherd after the pattern of David, although he would have assistants who were also after God’s own heart- another way of saying they too would be like David, the man after God’s own heart (<a href='B:300 3:15'>Jer 3:15</a>; <a href='B:90 13:14'>1Sa 13:14</a>).</p>


text:
<p>I, Yahweh, will be their God, and My servant David prince among them; I, Yahweh, have spoken it- The"Prince"of Ezekiel 40-48 could have been this shepherd figure who was to lead scattered Israel back from the Babylonian exile, and who initially could have been Cyrus (<a href='B:290 44:28'>Isa 44:28</a>).</p>


text:
<p>I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause dangerous animals to cease out of the land; they shall dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods- This is the new covenant which was offered with the exiles at the restoration, seeing that they had broken the old covenant. The peace was peace with God. Wild animals, both literally and in terms of marauding nations, would never again threaten the people. They would be safe everywhere. Being safe in the desert and sleeping in the woods is language appropriate to sheep. They would no longer experience predators.</p>


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<p>I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing; I will cause the shower to come down in its season, there shall be showers of blessing- The implication is that a rebuilt temple in Zion would be the focus for blessings. <a href='B:360 2:23'>Joe 2:23</a> and <a href='B:350 6:3'>Hos 6:3</a> use similar language in talking of the giving of the Spirit. The new covenant offered in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 20 was to involve a new spirit, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit into the hearts of God’s sinful people.</p>


text:
<p>The tree of the field shall yield its fruit and the earth shall yield its increase and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them- The deliverance from Babylon was to be at the same time as dramatic fertility in the revived land of Israel. The returned exiles would dwell there securely- because Babylon would have destroyed one group of local nations, and then God Himself would destroy Babylon and her supporters as Jeremiah had made clear. This scenario didn’t happen, but will do at the return of the Lord Jesus.</p>


text:
<h4>They shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the animals of the earth devour them- This can only be really true in the last days, for after the restoration Israel continued to be a prey.</h4><h4>But they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid- This is the situation predicted when Israel were faithful to the old covenant (<a href='B:30 25:18-19'>Lev 25:18-19</a>; <a href='B:30 26:5'>Lev 26:5</a>). But there is no mention in Ezekiel 34 of Israel repenting or living righteously; rather the emphasis is that God by pure grace shall go forth and regather His people and make a new covenant with them (:25)- a covenant of grace, whereby He saves them almost in spite of their disobedience. And this is the same new covenant made with us. On one hand, repentance and obedience are required; but on another hand, salvation under the new covenant is by grace alone. And I see no reconciliation between these two poles, at least not by any intellectual process or clever feat of exegesis. This is the mystery of grace and salvation which will have its final revelation at the day of judgment. Note that dwelling securely without fear is the situation developed in <a href='B:330 38:8'>Eze 38:8</a>; <a href='B:330 38:11'>Eze 38:11</a>; <a href='B:330 38:14'>Eze 38:14</a>; the invasion led by the man Gog will happen after Israel have returned to the covenant. Any signs of an imminent invasion by a figure apparently answering to Gog must therefore be tempered by a recognition that such an invasion will happen after God’s intervention in regathering His people and welcoming them into the new covenant blessings- a situation not currently seen in the land of Israel.</h4>


text:
<p>I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more- Shame for sin is a major theme with Ezekiel. The days of shame would come to an end (<a href='B:330 16:54'>Eze 16:54</a>; <a href='B:330 34:29'>Eze 34:29</a>; <a href='B:330 36:15'>Eze 36:15</a>; <a href='B:330 39:26'>Eze 39:26</a>)- if Jerusalem accepted shame for her sins. But <a href='B:330 44:13'>Eze 44:13</a> says that the sins of the Jerusalem priesthood were such that in the restored temple, they would bear their shame in that they would never again minister in it. Likewise the Jewish priesthood who persecuted Jeremiah at this time were to bear a shame that would last for ever (<a href='B:300 20:11'>Jer 20:11</a>). And yet the hope of Israel was that they would eternally be unashamed, world without end (<a href='B:290 45:17'>Isa 45:17</a>). The resolution of this may be in God’s willingness to count them totally righteous by grace, upon their repentance. And Ezra"blushed"[s:w."ashamed"] because of Israel’s sins (<a href='B:150 9:6'>Ezr 9:6</a>), and Jeremiah at this time cast himself down in shame because of them (<a href='B:300 3:25'>Jer 3:25</a>). This representative intercession for Judah had some effect. Just as the Lord Jesus bore the shame of Israel and all sinners on the cross (<a href='B:290 50:6'>Isa 50:6</a>), and yet because of that He would not be ashamed eternally (<a href='B:290 50:7'>Isa 50:7</a>). He was to become representative of the repentant Israel of God; for the same words are used of how they too would have unashamed faces eternally (<a href='B:290 54:4'>Isa 54:4</a>). But the Jerusalem priesthood refused to take shame, they were unashamed of their whoredoms (<a href='B:300 3:3'>Jer 3:3</a>; <a href='B:300 8:12'>Jer 8:12</a>). Ezekiel’s appeal in Ezekiel 16 was so that they would recognize their sins, and be ashamed (<a href='B:330 16:2'>Eze 16:2</a>). There was time for them to do so right up until they were led captive, in the final attempt to make them realize their shame. For when they went into captivity, then God intended that they would be"ashamed"(<a href='B:300 22:22'>Jer 22:22</a>). The final vision of Ezekiel, of the potential that was possible in a restored Zion, was in order to make the exiles ashamed of their sins when they realized the possibilities they had wasted and yet which were still possible by grace (<a href='B:330 43:10-11'>Eze 43:10-11</a>). But they didn’t respond to that vision, they refused to build and operate such a temple system; because they refused to be ashamed in exile, although it was God’s intention that they should be. And so it is for us as a new Israel to be ashamed for our sins, and identify with the Messiah figure who would bear Israel’s shame and thereby emerge eternally unashamed.</p>


text:
<p>They shall know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them; and that they, the house of Israel, are My people, says the Lord Yahweh- Having God as their God was a repetition of the covenant promise to Abraham:"I will be their God". The new covenant deal with Judah was to be based upon the promises to Abraham. The"they"refers to the nations of :30 who had abused Israel; they were to perceive that amazingly, this sinful people were truly the people of Yahweh. His grace to them would be understood and noticed, and would serve to convert the nations.</p>


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<p>You My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, says the Lord Yahweh- God didn’t want Judah to miss the wonder of it all; they really were men, but they were His sheep. His being their God parallels Hispromise to be their shepherd; He was more than a shepherd to them, but their God. They would be released from prison in Babylon to free pastures (<a href='B:290 49:9'>Isa 49:9</a> s:w:). The tragedy was that this continual statement of such amazing love and care was disregarded by them.</p>


text:
<p>Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me saying- The entire section from Ezekiel 33-39 outlines the possibility of the exiles repenting and a Divine kingdom being reestablished in Israel, with Judah joined by the repentant remnants of the ten tribes and the surrounding nations. In the prophecies against the seven Gentile nations in Ezekiel 26-32, all are envisaged as coming to"know Yahweh", i:e. to enter relationship with Him; except Edom. The unforgiveable sin, it seems, is of hatred of ones’ brother as Esau / Edom / Seir hated Jacob / Israel. And so the total elimination of"Mount Seir"was intended as coming at this time of restoration. It didn’t, then, because the wider prophetic picture didn’t come about, and has been transferred, reapplied and rescheduled to our last days. But see on :9.</p>


text:
<p>Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it- This prophecy isn’t just inserted here for no reason. It follows on the prediction that Judah shall be saved by God’s grace, and made to"dwell safely", which I pointed out in the commentary on chapter 34 is the language of Israel rewarded for obedience to the Old Covenant. They were not obedient to that covenant, but under the new covenant of grace introduced in <a href='B:330 34:25'>Eze 34:25</a>, they are counted as if they were obedient and given the blessing for obedience, even though they were disobedient. Seeing God’s righteousness has been imputed to Israel, now we read of the judgment of Seir / Esau / Edom, who mocked Judah’s unrighteousness at the time of her exile, and joined in the judgment upon her. So now, Judah is counted righteous, and those who judged her for her unrighteousness are now judged.</p>


text:
<p>And tell it, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out My hand against you, I will make you a desolation and an astonishment- The very phrase used about the judgment upon Judah which Edom / Seir participated in bringing about (<a href='B:330 6:14'>Eze 6:14</a>; <a href='B:330 33:28-29'>Eze 33:28-29</a>). See on :1. In commentary upon the book of Revelation, I have noted that the seals refer to judgments upon Israel in the last days, but then the essence of those judgments is found again in the later judgments poured out upon the beast system which brings those judgments. Edom / Seir / Esau’s descendants (the Arabic peoples surrounding Israel) are therefore very much associated with the latter day Babylon who is the beast.</p>


text:
<p>I will lay your cities waste and you shall be desolate; and you shall know that I am Yahweh- This could imply an ultimate repentance by Seir / Esau, leading to the final reconciliation between Jacob and Esau. Or it could mean that in the death throes of condemnation, they come to know Yahweh- but all too late. Just as those who condemned the Lord Jesus will be resurrected and say"Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!", but tragically all too late. See on :1,9,11,12.</p>


text:
<h4>Because you have had a perpetual hatred- The age old tension between Esau and Jacob. But"perpetual"is literally"old"or"ancient". The"enmity"is the same word as in <a href='B:10 3:15'>Gen 3:15</a>, and the ’ancient’ enmity strengthens the allusion. They were the seed of the serpent at enmity with Israel, the seed of the woman; which considering Judah’s deep sin at this time, reveals how God by grace still saw them as His special people of purpose.</h4><p>And have given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity- The prophecy against Edom in <a href='B:380 1:13-14'>Oba 1:13-14</a> makes the same point, as in <a href='B:230 137:7'>Psa 137:7</a>, giving more detail as to Edom’s abuse of Judah at the time of the Babylonian invasion.</p><h4>At the time when the punishment of their iniquity had an end- There is no very solid evidence for the total destruction of Edom in the terms of this prophecy as a result of their viciously joining in with the Babylonian judgment of Judah. Neither was the Babylonian invasion"the time when the punishment of [Judah’s] iniquity had an end". Such language has to refer to our last days; and so we are to look for a latter day Seir / Edom / Esau’s descendants who will join in the assault upon Israel by the latter day Babylonian, and who will receive their judgment in the terms of this prophecy. For God’s words here shall finally come true. With Israel today surrounded by Esau’s descendants, the required scenario is ripe for fulfillment. See on <a href='B:330 35:14'>Eze 35:14</a> When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.</h4>


text:
<p>Therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you. Since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you- &nbsp;See on <a href='B:730 6:9'>Rev 6:9</a>."Edom"means ’red’, hence the play on the word ’blood’. The idea of pursuit suggests the revenger of blood. And it was God who would avenge the blood of His people, upon Edom. Edom is held far more culpable than Babylon- because they were behaving like this against their brother.</p>


text:
<p>Thus will I make Mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation; and I will cut off from it the one who passes through and the one who returns- The one who returns may refer to the returning exiles, the returned / repentant ones [as they were envisaged], who would skirt around mount Seir and not pass through it. Or the idea may be as GNB"I will make the hill country of Edom a wasteland and kill everyone who travels through it". The area would gather the reputation of being haunted, a place to be avoided by travellers.</p>


text:
<p>I will fill its mountains with its slain. In your hills and in your valleys and in all your watercourses shall they fall who are slain with the sword- All these terms are used elsewhere about the judgment upon Israel at the hand of her invaders (e:g. <a href='B:330 6:3'>Eze 6:3</a>). What is done to Israel will be done to her invaders. Those who destroy the earth / land of Israel will be destroyed (<a href='B:730 11:18'>Rev 11:18</a>). See on :11 I will do according to your anger. But there was no such wholesale murder of the Edomites at the time; they continued for centuries. The intended prophetic scenario for that time didn’t come about because Judah didn’t repent and the Kingdom wasn’t reestablished under the new covenant and a Messiah figure, as was potentially possible. And so Edom wasn’t totally destroyed either, although these things will have their final fulfilment in the last days.</p>


text:
<p>I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities shall not be inhabited; and you shall know that I am Yahweh- Heb."your cities shall not return", whereas even though Jerusalem was as Sodom, yet she and Samaria would be cities which returned to their former estate (<a href='B:330 16:55'>Eze 16:55</a>). But Edom would not share in such a revival. I noted on :1 that in the prophecies against the seven Gentile nations in Ezekiel 26-32, all are envisaged as coming to"know Yahweh", i:e. to enter relationship with Him; except Edom. The unforgiveable sin, it seems, is of hatred of ones’ brother as Esau / Edom / Seir hated Jacob / Israel. And so the total elimination of"Mount Seir"was intended as coming at this time of restoration. They would only"know Yahweh"in that as explained on :11,12, they would all too late come to know that Yahweh had heard their insults and remembered their harsh attitude to their brother in his time of rightful judgment for sin.</p>


text:
<h4>Because you have said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it- Edom thought that by siding with Babylon in the destruction of Jerusalem(<a href='B:230 137:7'>Psa 137:7</a>) they would be granted possession of Israel by Babylon. But this didn’t happen. So although they didn’t get their desire, yet their desires were still judged.</h4><p>Whereas Yahweh was there- Perhaps it is to the physical presence of the Angel in the land (see on <a href='B:50 11:12'>Deu 11:12</a>) that this refers. Ezekiel’s prophecy closes with the statement that"Yahweh is there"(<a href='B:330 48:35'>Eze 48:35</a>), but in essence, His presence was just as real in the land at the time of Judah’s exile as it will be in the Kingdom. This has profound relevance to our own sense of Yahweh’s presence; for He is essentially with us now just as really as He will be in the Kingdom age. And it continues a theme developed in Ezekiel through the cherubim visions- that the presence of Yahweh was just as much with Judah in captivity as it had been with them in the days of temple worship before the exile.</p><h4>The Divine presence as symbolized by the cherubim Angels was in the land until Judah went into captivity; hence the cherubim removed from Jerusalem. But here we read that “the Lord was there” after the fall of Jerusalem. Yet God’s intention was that His people would return, the Angel cherubim of glory would return, and again it would finally be true that “the Lord is there” (<a href='B:330 48:35'>Eze 48:35</a>). See on <a href='B:330 3:23'>Eze 3:23</a>. And so God speaks of His presence as still being there. It’s a case of ’now but not yet’.</h4>


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<h4>Therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will do according to your anger, and according to your envy which you have shown out of your hatred against them- &nbsp;See on <a href='B:330 35:8'>Eze 35:8</a>. What we feel about others is often done to us. Edom will be judged according to what they did or intended to do to God’s people.</h4><h4>I will make Myself known among them, when I shall judge you- God’s Name is articulated in the condemnation of the wicked. This is why His judgments will make the world learn righteousness (<a href='B:290 26:9'>Isa 26:9</a>). There is here a difference between"them"and"you". The"you"is Edom (:12) and the"them"is Israel and Judah (:10). When God’s people know Yahweh, i:e. re-enter relationship with Him, then Edom would be judged; they would only ’know Yahweh’ (see on :9) insofar as they would"know"then that Yahweh had heard their insults against their brother Jacob (:12).</h4>


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<p>You shall know that I, Yahweh, have heard all your insults which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they have been given us to devour-&nbsp; God listens to the words of pagan nations. His knowledge is total, and this should influence our walk before Him. Verse 13 continues the theme:"I have heard". See on :1,9,11. Edom thought that by siding with Babylon in the destruction of Jerusalem (<a href='B:230 137:7'>Psa 137:7</a>) they would be granted possession of Israel by Babylon. But this didn’t happen. So although they didn’t get their desire, yet their desires were still judged. And the full judgment of Edom for these things is yet future, for not every detail of these judgments against her came true at Ezekiel’s time. This is a sober warning to us concerning our desires and feelings against others, even against those who are under rightful judgment for their sins.</p>


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<p>You have magnified yourselves against Me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against Me, which I have heard- They had spoken against God’s people, but whoever touches Israel touches the apple of God’s eye. He was and is intensely manifest in us His people. He is extremely sensitive to all evil done to us. And at that time, Judah wererightfully under condemnation for their sins. But all the same, even in that state, God still identified with His sinful people under judgment. How much more does He do so with us who are in His dear Son.</p>


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<h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate- Another indication that this prophecy is of the latter days, at the time of the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. The same words for"the earth rejoices"are used about the time of the Kingdom when God reigns in Israel (<a href='B:130 16:31'>1Ch 16:31</a>; <a href='B:230 67:4'>Psa 67:4</a>; <a href='B:230 96:11'>Psa 96:11</a>; <a href='B:230 97:4'>Psa 97:4</a>). But the nations of the eretz / earth were intended to repent after the judgments of and upon Babylon, and thus come to joy. That joy was to be in Zion, the reestablished temple system where the presence of Yahweh would be (<a href='B:230 48:2'>Psa 48:2</a>; <a href='B:300 33:9'>Jer 33:9</a>; <a href='B:310 2:15'>Lam 2:15</a>). The joy of Edom’s heart was the destruction of Zion (<a href='B:330 36:5'>Eze 36:5</a>), so their exclusion from the eternal joy of the restored Zion is appropriate.</h4><h4>Edom would differ from the other nations in that they alone would not rejoice. Thus in the prophecies against the seven Gentile nations in Ezekiel 26-32, all are envisaged as finally coming to"know Yahweh", i:e. to enter relationship with Him; except Edom. The unforgiveable sin, it seems, is of hatred of ones’ brother as Esau / Edom / Seir hated Jacob / Israel. But see on :9.</h4>


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<p>As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do to you. You shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am Yahweh- As noted on :1, Edom / Esau is the only one of the seven nations judged in Ezekiel 26-32 who doesn’t in the end come to"know Yahweh", into relationship with Him. So here we do not read that"you", Edom,"shall know::.", but rather that"they shall know that I am Yahweh", referring to the nations of"the whole earth"/ eretz promised to Abraham in :14. But see on :9.</p>


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<p>You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh-"Mountains"here may be an intensive plural for the great mountain, Zion,"the ancient high place"of :2. The theme may continue from Ezekiel 35 which speaks of the specific desire of Esau / Edom to destroy Zion and possess it (as in <a href='B:230 137:7'>Psa 137:7</a>).</p>


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<h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because the enemy- The specific enemy in view may be Edom; see on :1. As explained in commentary on <a href='B:330 34:28'>Eze 34:28</a>, the new covenant with Israel of <a href='B:330 34:25'>Eze 34:25</a> will mean that Israel are counted as righteous, as having been obedient to the old covenant when in fact they were not; and therefore the blessings of the old covenant will come upon them. One of those blessings was victory over their enemies, as mentioned frequently in Leviticus 26.</h4><h4>Has said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are ours in possession- Sadly, the Gentiles envied the way Israel used the mountains / hills as idol sanctuaries. But this could be an intensive plural, referring to the great high place- Jerusalem and the temple mount. And this continues to be the"ancient"argument between Jacob and Esau / Edom / Seir, which is the"enemy"in view in the preceding chapter (Ezekiel 35). Edom is mentioned specifically here in 36:5. See on :5 That have appointed My land to themselves for a possession. The argument of Esau / Edom was that the high places were their inheritance or"possession". The Koran and the hadith twist around the Biblical record of the promises to the Jewish fathers, to the intent that the land of Israel was promised to Esau and Jacob / Israel / theJews was the son rejected from the inheritance. The picture presented here in Ezekiel 36, whereby Israel’s enemies insist that they are the rightful inheritors of Palestine and the supreme high place of the temple mount, is exactly relevant to the Muslim claims of today. See on :3 You became the possession of the rest of the nations.</h4>


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<h4>Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh. Because, even because they have made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side- Israel’s latter day enemies (see on <a href='B:330 35:5'>Eze 35:5</a>; <a href='B:330 35:14'>Eze 35:14</a> for the latter day relevance) are likened to a beast with a huge mouth, which is exactly the imagery of the latter day beast prophecies of Daniel and Revelation."Every side"suggests that what is now known as Jordan will become more intensely anti Israel.</h4><p>So that you became the possession of the rest of the nations- The Hebrew translated"rest"is also translated"posterity". Esau / Edom / Seir / the Muslim Arabs claim that they are the posterity who according to the Koran were promised the land of Palestine as their possession. See on :2 The ancient high places are ours in possession.</p><h4>And you became the talk and evil gossip of the nations-Exactly the scenario we see developing today, with anti-Israel gossip and rhetoric rife amongst the nations around Israel.</h4>


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<p>Therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh. Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and a mockery to the other nations that are all around- The forsaken cities refer primarily to those which had already fallen before Jerusalem fell. In the latter day application, the picture is of present day Israel destroyed and the thriving cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa left in ruins. Such widespread desolation in rural areas was not seen after the Babylonian invasion, although Ezekiel’s prophecies had predicted it. The scenario didn’t fully happen then; perhaps because of the link between desolation and repentance. God foreknew that wouldn’t happen, and so the total desolation prophecies were reapplied and rescheduled to the last days.</p>


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<h4>therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom- The residue of the nations refers in the first instance to the remains of the nations judged by Babylon at the same time as Judah. Edom is singled out for special mention:&nbsp; In the prophecies against the seven Gentile nations in Ezekiel 26-32, all are envisaged as coming to"know Yahweh", i:e. to enter relationship with Him; except Edom. The unforgiveable sin, it seems, is of hatred of ones’ brother as Esau / Edom / Seir hated Jacob / Israel. And so the total elimination of"Mount Seir"in Ezekiel 35 was intended as coming at this time of restoration. It didn’t, then, because the wider prophetic picture didn’t come about, and has been transferred, reapplied and rescheduled to our last days.</h4><h4>That have appointed My land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey- Again we see the concept of"possession". The Muslim Arabs are convinced from the Koran and hadith that Palestine is their rightful possession, and this language is likewise found in the position statements of the PLO and similar terrorist organizations. <a href='B:230 83:11-12'>Psa 83:11-12</a> records how the leaders of the latter day invasion will focus upon the idea of possession of the holy places in Jerusalem:"Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession".</h4>


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<p>Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I have spoken in My zeal and in My wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations- This and other prophecies frequently mention the"shame"which will be upon Israel at the hands of their latter day enemies. This is because the Koran repeatedly speaks of the"shameful doom"to come upon the Jews because they do not accept Mohammad."They shall be held up to shame in this world"(2:114). he scene speaks clearly of the expectations and desires of Israel’s Islamic neighbours.</p>


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<p>Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: I have sworn saying, Surely the nations that are around you, they shall bear their shame- The focus of Bible prophecy is upon the peoples of the eretz promised to Abraham,"the nations that are around"Judah.</p>


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<p>But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel; for they are at hand to return- The idea is that there would be a resurgence of fruitfulness just before Judah left Babylon, so that when they arrived there would be abundant fruit for them ready to eat. This presupposes a specific time for the exodus from Babylon, which would have been when Babylon fell by Divine judgment. All these possibilities were precluded by Judah’s lack of repentance. And so the rest of the scenario didn’t work out at the time, although it will do in the last days. In fact after dribs and drabs of exiles returned after the decree of Cyrus, they found a famine in the land (Haggai 1), rather than trees loaded with fruit for them. And these famine conditions continued into the time of Malachi. This reflected their lack of repentance.</p>


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<h4>For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you- Elsewhere we read that God will turn unto Israel when they turn unto Him (<a href='B:450 1:3'>Zec 1:3</a>). But there is no mention here nor in Ezekiel 34 of any such turning or repentance of Israel. The covenant of grace introduced in <a href='B:330 34:25'>Eze 34:25</a> and expanded upon later here in chapter 36 means that God intervenes by grace alone to treat His beloved people as if they are more spiritual than they are. And in the New Testament, He is known for giving repentance and not just forgiveness; He turns hearts by His Spirit acting upon the human spirit (<a href='B:510 3:26'>Act 3:26</a>; <a href='B:510 11:18'>Act 11:18</a>).</h4><h4>And you shall be cultivated and sown- Along with :8, the implication is that in the very last days, the land of Israel will be uncultivated and barren when overrun by Edom / Israel’s neighbours. This could be due to a scorched earth policy by Israel, or the use of weaponry which destroys the fertility of the land. Such a scenario is now imaginable.</h4>


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<p>And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built- This multiplication of men depended upon those"men"returning from exile. But most of them preferred to remain in Babylon. This multiplication of men was to be in response to Judah’s prayer (:37 AV); and this was lacking. So we are reading here of potentials. The multiplication refers to the multiplying of Abraham’s seed- for those within that covenant. And the promises to Abraham were the basis of the new covenant offered Judah. But they chose not to accept that new covenant, and so the promised multiplication didn’t happen.</p>


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<h4>I will multiply on you man and animal- The destruction commented upon in :9 is going to be so major that the majority of animals and people are destroyed. This is the kind of picture we encounter in the prophecies of the land’s final turmoil in Revelation; we recall that Zechariah predicts the cutting off of the majority of Jews in the land. The reference to animals suggests the use of fearsome weaponry which leaves the land physically and literally desolate. The increase and multiplication of men in Israel would be a sign that again they were in receipt of the covenant blessings (<a href='B:30 26:9'>Lev 26:9</a>).</h4><h4>And they shall increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited after your former manner, and I will do better to you than at your beginnings; and you shall know that I am Yahweh-"Increase and be fruitful"is the term used about how things were in the eretz at creation (<a href='B:10 1:22'>Gen 1:22</a>; <a href='B:10 1:28'>Gen 1:28</a>). A new creation is in view. This is the language of a restoration of the previous kingdom"after your former manner::. at your beginnings", rather than a totally unprecedented new entity. The kingdom of God to come upon earth at the Lord’s return is a reestablishment of His Kingdom as it was previously in the form of Israel (<a href='B:330 21:25-27'>Eze 21:25-27</a>). As noted on :8, the idea is that there would be a resurgence of fruitfulness just before Judah left Babylon, so that when they arrived there would be abundant fruit for them ready to eat.</h4>


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<h4>Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even My people Israel- The emphasis on such literality could have been because the very people to whom Ezekiel was preaching in Babylon could have been the very ones who would again walk in the literal land of Israel. The period to be spent in captivity was flexible, in accordance with their repentance. It could have been less than 70 year (see on Ezekiel 4), and in reality it turned out to be longer than 70 years.</h4><p>And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance- The emphasis being on the word"their", seeing that the Muslim Arab argument is that the land and Jerusalem are their Divine inheritance. See the earlier comment about the significance of the language of"possession"in this prophecy.</p><h4>And you shall no more henceforth bereave them of children- The old system had bereaved them of their children because they sacrificed them to the idols. But this was to be no more.</h4>


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<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because they say to you, You are a destroyer of men, and have caused bereavement in your nation- The byword was that Israel was a cursed land, those who lived there always seemed to die. This was to be turned right around, as the land was to become associated with life and blessing. These words were those of the unfaithful spies (<a href='B:40 13:32'>Num 13:32</a>), so the idea was that if Israel had faith, unlike them, and re-entered the land in faith- then this wrong impression of the land would be changed.</p>


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<p>Therefore you shall destroy men no more, neither cause bereavement in your nation any more, says the Lord Yahweh- God comes over as very sensitive as to what people think of Him. He even changed His plan to destroy Israel after Moses pointed out that the nations would mock His ability to save. This is not because God is as it were overly interested in His image, but because He wishes human salvation so earnestly, and wishes to clear up misunderstandings and misrepresentations. We should have this same motivation in any debates we may enter regarding interpretation.</p>


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<h4>Neither will I let you hear any more the shame of the nations, neither shall you bear the reproach of the peoples any more, neither shall you cause your nation to stumble any more, says the Lord Yahweh- The literal hills of Israel were the location of their high places and idol worship. It is latter day idolatry which will bring about the predicted devastation of Israel.</h4><h4>Shame for sin is a major theme with Ezekiel. The days of shame would come to an end (<a href='B:330 16:54'>Eze 16:54</a>; <a href='B:330 34:29'>Eze 34:29</a>; <a href='B:330 36:15'>Eze 36:15</a>; <a href='B:330 39:26'>Eze 39:26</a>)- if Jerusalem accepted shame for her sins. But <a href='B:330 44:13'>Eze 44:13</a> says that the sins of the Jerusalem priesthood were such that in the restored temple, they would bear their shame in that they would never again minister in it. Likewise the Jewish priesthood who persecuted Jeremiah at this time were to bear a shame that would last for ever (<a href='B:300 20:11'>Jer 20:11</a>). And yet the hope of Israel was that they would eternally be unashamed, world without end (<a href='B:290 45:17'>Isa 45:17</a>). The resolution of this may be in God’s willingness to count them totally righteous by grace, upon their repentance. And Ezra"blushed"[s:w."ashamed"] because of Israel’s sins (<a href='B:150 9:6'>Ezr 9:6</a>), and Jeremiah at this time cast himself down in shame because of them (<a href='B:300 3:25'>Jer 3:25</a>). This representative intercession for Judah had some effect. Just as the Lord Jesus bore the shame of Israel and all sinners on the cross (<a href='B:290 50:6'>Isa 50:6</a>), and yet because of that He would not be ashamed eternally (<a href='B:290 50:7'>Isa 50:7</a>). He was to become representative of the repentant Israel of God; for the same words are used of how they too would have unashamed faces eternally (<a href='B:290 54:4'>Isa 54:4</a>). But the Jerusalem priesthood refused to take shame, they were unashamed of their whoredoms (<a href='B:300 3:3'>Jer 3:3</a>; <a href='B:300 8:12'>Jer 8:12</a>). Ezekiel’s appeal in Ezekiel 16 was so that they would recognize their sins, and be ashamed (<a href='B:330 16:2'>Eze 16:2</a>). There was time for them to do so right up until they were led captive, in the final attempt to make them realize their shame. For when they went into captivity, then God intended that they would be"ashamed"(<a href='B:300 22:22'>Jer 22:22</a>). The final vision of Ezekiel, of the potential that was possible in a restored Zion, was in order to make the exiles ashamed of their sins when they realized the possibilities they had wasted and yet which were still possible by grace (<a href='B:330 43:10-11'>Eze 43:10-11</a>). But they didn’t respond to that vision, they refused to build and operate such a temple system; because they refused to be ashamed in exile, although it was God’s intention that they should be. And so it is for us as a new Israel to be ashamed for our sins, and identify with the Messiah figure who would bear Israel’s shame and thereby emerge eternally unashamed.</h4>


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<p>Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me saying- Lest there should be any sense that this great program of restoration was in any sense downplaying or disregarding Israel’s sin, the balance is now corrected.</p>


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<p>Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings. Their way before Me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity- A menstruating woman was to have a hiatus in her intimate relationships with her husband, and this is how God currently looks upon Israel. See on :25. At Ezekiel’s time, He was prepared to restore relationship with them by washing them from their blood through the new covenant. But they were unwilling.</p>


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<p>Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols- The pouring out of blood is again associated with idolatry. The reference is to the sacrifice of children and perhaps other categories of people to the idols. We note the parallel between the pouring out of Divine wrath, and their pouring out of blood. The phrase ’to pour out blood’ occurs multiple times in the Mosaic law; the idea was that life, represented by the blood, was to be poured out to Yahweh. Instead, they had poured out life to idols. And this can be done today, so easily, in the pouring out of life’s minutes and hours to images and modern day idols.</p>


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<p>And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. According to their way and according to their doings I judged them- The reference to"the nations"could suggest that God also has in view the ten tribes here. This is God being positive; because He did not carry out the full extent of the threatened judgments, the majority of them,"the poor of the land", remained in Judah; and at this very time of restoration, Ezra reflects that God had punished them"less than our iniquities deserve"(<a href='B:150 9:13'>Ezr 9:13</a>).</p>


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<p>When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name; in that men said of them, These are the people of Yahweh, and are gone forth out of His land- God accepts that the exiles had not repented as they ought to have done. The idea seems to be that the nations realized that the exiles had been exiled because of their sins, and noted that they continued in them. Child sacrifice to Moloch is specifically described as profaning God’s Name (<a href='B:30 18:21'>Lev 18:21</a>), and that is the context here (:18). It seems they continued to do this in exile, at least initially. And yet they still carried God’s Name, despite having broken covenant with Him. This is proof for all time that God never gives up with His people, even if they give up with Him.</p>


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<p>But I had respect for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went-"Respect"is the word elsewhere translated"pity". The wonder of God’s grace was that His eye did spare and He did pity at the restoration (also <a href='B:360 2:18'>Joe 2:18</a>; <a href='B:460 3:17'>Mal 3:17</a> s:w:), just as His eye had spared them in the desert (<a href='B:330 20:17'>Eze 20:17</a>). Whereas in His wrath He had said thatHe would never again pity Judah (<a href='B:330 5:11'>Eze 5:11</a>; <a href='B:330 7:4'>Eze 7:4</a>; <a href='B:330 8:18'>Eze 8:18</a>; <a href='B:330 9:10'>Eze 9:10</a>). This reveals the emotion of God, His pity even for the spiritually weak, and how this triumphs over His judgment. Ezekiel speaks as if God’s people had already gone amongst the nations; he may have in view the ten tribes as well, for it was God’s intention to regather them along with Judah.</p>


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<h4>Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went- Clearly although there had not been the intended repentance of the exiles in captivity, yet God by all means sought reasons, even excuses, to still restore His beloved people. And so He cites here the need to stop His Name being mocked as a reason for restoring Israel. As mentioned several times in this exposition, the final salvation of Israel under the new covenant is not because of their repentance or spirituality, but by grace alone, and because God respects the grace and pure love which is bound up in His Name / essential personality. It is this salvation of Israel by such pure grace that will cause the nations to gasp at God’s love for His people:"I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes"(:23).</h4><h4>God had said He would destroy Israel and make of Moses a new nation. But He relented of that, and in <a href='B:330 20:22'>Eze 20:22</a> we see the picture of His internal struggle, working for His Name’s sake, for the sake of the principles incorporated within His Name. So it is an intrinsic part of His Name and essential personality that He changes His judgments from pity. When the Psalmist of <a href='B:230 109:21'>Psa 109:21</a> asks for God’s grace, He asks God to"do"or"work"for the sake of His Name, and not bring about a threatened judgment. Jeremiah likewise understood this and asks God to still be gracious to Israel despite their lack of repentance- through working for His Name’s sake (<a href='B:300 14:7'>Jer 14:7</a>). To save by grace was therefore working or doing according to His Name’s sake, rather than according to human merit (<a href='B:330 36:22'>Eze 36:22</a>). Thus by working for His Name’s sake, the repentant exiles would come to ’know Yahweh’ (<a href='B:330 20:44'>Eze 20:44</a>), they would come to see who He essentially is. And He is revealed as the very opposite of a stone faced, unchanging, insensitive God, which was then the standard conception of a deity.</h4>


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<p>I will sanctify My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am Yahweh, says the Lord Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes- The returned exiles however did just what a previous generation had done before the exile. They profaned the Name (<a href='B:330 36:20'>Eze 36:20</a>), the Sabbath and also the covenant and temple (<a href='B:460 1:12'>Mal 1:12</a>; <a href='B:460 2:10-11'>Mal 2:10-11</a>), in that they saw it all as mere religion, and the fire of a true relationship with the Almighty was smothered.</p>


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<p>For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land- Time and again in the context of the restoration it is emphasized that God would return to His exiled people if they returned to Him (<a href='B:450 1:3'>Zec 1:3</a>; <a href='B:460 3:7'>Mal 3:7</a>). And they didn’t return to Him- most chose not to return to the land, and those who did for the most part did not return to their God in their hearts. The whole basis of Israel’s covenant relationship with God was that if they were exiled from the land for their sins, they must repent and then God would return to them (<a href='B:50 30:1-10'>Deu 30:1-10</a>). Yet God graciously states to the exiles:"I am returned unto you"(<a href='B:450 1:16'>Zec 1:16</a>; <a href='B:450 8:3'>Zec 8:3</a>). Here was grace indeed. Passages like <a href='B:330 36:24-31'>Eze 36:24-31</a> therefore speak as if God’s grace to the exiles was effectively a new covenant- which has in essence been extended to us. Having stated the conditionality of His ’returning’ to His people, and recognizing they hadn’t fulfilled their part of the conditions- God all the same returns to them, such was and is His almost desperate desire for relationship with His beloved people. This is a lesson for us in our relationships with others- to continue our acceptance and ’return’ to them, even if they don’t fulfill their part of the deal. For this, day by day, is how our God deals not only with us but with His weak and wayward people as a whole.</p>


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<p>I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you- A reference to the water which cleansed a woman from the uncleanness of her separation from her husband (<a href='B:40 19:9'>Num 19:9</a> Heb:). Israel have been likened to a woman unclean by reason of menstruation in :17. We note throughout that the initiative is with God in this work of cleansing. They were taken from among the many nations that comprised Babylon / Persia; they were brought, as many as could be bothered to go, to their own land. They were cleansed there (s:w. <a href='B:150 6:20'>Ezr 6:20</a>; <a href='B:160 12:30'>Neh 12:30</a>). But they became un-cleansed through allowing Tobiah into the temple chambers, by trading on the Sabbath, and by marrying Gentiles (<a href='B:160 13:9'>Neh 13:9</a>; <a href='B:160 13:22'>Neh 13:22</a>; <a href='B:160 13:30'>Neh 13:30</a>). The priesthood needed to be “cleansed” again (<a href='B:460 3:3'>Mal 3:3</a> s:w:). The promise of Ezekiel 36 sounds unconditional- as if, whoosh, God would make His sinful people righteous regardless of their own will. And so some have misunderstood the operation of God’s Spirit in our own days. But although not directly stated, the promise of entry into the new covenant, whereby God would encourage obedience through the work of His Spirit, was conditional. Judah could have entered the new covenant there and then, with all its requirements for a Messiah figure to abrogate the Mosaic law. But they turned back to their uncleannesses, they would not keep God’s statutes, and their potential Messiah figures failed to appear. Yet again, the promise of entry into a new covenant was deferred, to be fulfilled in a new Israel who are sprinkled through the waters of baptism. The promise was fulfilled, but in a far different context to that intended.</p>


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<h4>I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh- see on <a href='B:90 10:9'>1Sa 10:9</a>. The new covenant involves God on His initiative giving His people a new psychology ("within you") that makes them obedient (:27). This same gift of a holy spirit is likewise available to all who accept the new covenant today.</h4><p>The great restoration prophecies of <a href='B:300 23:1-8'>Jer 23:1-8</a> and <a href='B:330 34:1-31'>Eze 34:1-31</a> speak of the flock of Israel going astray due to bad shepherds, being saved by the good shepherd, being delivered / gathered, and then returning to the land. The Hebrew word shub means both ’to return’ in the sense of returning to the land, and ’turning’ in the sense of repentance. Butthese restoration prophecies are packed with allusion to the great shepherd Psalms 23. Here, David says that the good shepherd ’causes me to repent’ (<a href='B:230 23:3'>Psa 23:3</a> Heb:). This is matched in Ezekiel 36 by the idea of God giving Israel a new heart. And the Lord’s amazing parable of the good shepherd (<a href='B:490 15:1-7'>Luk 15:1-7</a>) brings together Psalms 23 and also these restoration passages, in speaking of how He goes out and finds the lost sheep and brings it back home. The sheep is found, and accepts being found- there is no actual mention of repentance. Thus the ’return’ of Judah to their land was intended as a work of God- He would make them return, He would give them repentance [note how <a href='B:510 11:18'>Act 11:18</a> speaks of God granting men repentance]. This is all such wonderful grace. The even more incredible thing, though, is that Judah refused to accept this grace; they didn’t ’return’ to the land because they saw no need to ’return’ to God. They willingly forgot that they were only in Babylon because of their sins; to ’return’ to the land was a ’return’ to God, which He had enabled. But they were like the lost sheep refusing to sit on the shepherd’s shoulders, preferring to sit in a hole and die::. and this is the warning to us. For truly, absolutely all things have been prepared for us to enter the Kingdom. It’s only those who don’t want to be there who won’t be.</p><p>36:27 I will put My Spirit within you- This is the same idea as developed in the valley of dry bones prophecy, where God causes His Spirit to enter into Israel and revives them (<a href='B:330 37:5'>Eze 37:5</a>). The Corinthians were given the Spirit potentially, but were"not spiritual"(<a href='B:530 3:1'>1Co 3:1</a>). Like many today, they wasted the potential. And the same was true of Judah at the restoration. <a href='B:150 9:9'>Ezr 9:9</a>: “For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us [s:w. “put” my spirit] a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations”. They revived the stones out of the heaps (<a href='B:160 4:2'>Neh 4:2</a>). A new spirit was potentially given to them, God put in the heart of men like Nehemiah to revive the work (<a href='B:160 2:12'>Neh 2:12</a> s:w:). But this didn’t force them to be obedient. They chose not to be, and so the promised kingdom blessings of corn etc. were replaced by famines, in the times of Nehemiah, Haggai and Malachi. Judah were forgiven at the restoration; but they failed to live the life of response to that grace, and therefore the spirit did not continue with them.</p><h4>And cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My laws and do them- God under the new covenant gives a spirit of obedience, He makes us obedient to Him.</h4>


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<p>You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God- This restoration of the exiles in Babylon would be all of grace, for they had not repented. But many of them preferred to remain there, as did the ten tribes in the former Assyrian empire. Such huge grace was turned down. And it’s the same today. God is thirsting to make people His obedient people, His Kingdom; and most refuse because the petty issues of material life block their vision of anything else, just as with the exiles.</p>


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<h4>I will save you from all your uncleanness, and I willcall for the grain and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you- There are many links discernible between Ezekiel and Zechariah, as they both prophesy concerning the same scattering and restoration of Israel. Here the connection is with <a href='B:450 9:17'>Zec 9:17</a>"Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids::. how great is His goodness"(in forgiveness):This was potentially possible at the restoration, but as Haggai and Malachi reveal, there were instead famines and the potential blessing wasn’t poured out.</h4><p>The grace shown by God to His people, reflected in Hosea’s grace toward Gomer, was especially shown to the exiled Jews in Babylon. By grace, Hosea and God granted forgiveness to their women in order to lead them to repentance (<a href='B:350 2:16'>Hos 2:16</a>; <a href='B:350 7:1'>Hos 7:1</a>). Hosea wanted to call Gomer and her children “my people”, and to give them grain and all the good things that went with a marriage relationship (Hos. 2:24). But this is the very language of <a href='B:330 36:24-31'>Eze 36:24-31</a> about God’s intentions for the restoration from Babylon- the people would be cleansed, called “my people”, given grain and all God’s blessings- in the hope that then they would repent and loathe their immorality and unfaithfulness. Such is God’s grace that His acceptance leads to repentance, rather than repentance being a condition of His grace and acceptance. Hosea’s attitude to Gomer says it all.</p><h4>But the exiles refused all this grace. And so as Haggai and Malachi records, the exiles had famine laid upon them."Save"is yasha, component of ’Yahoshua’, Jesus, Yah’s salvation or saving. Finally this wonderful salvation was to be fulfilled in Him, and in we who say yes to it.</h4>


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<p>I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations- This was the potential available for the exiles if they had repented; they would have returned to a land full of fruit. But most of them didn’t return and those who did, didn’t return to God in their hearts. And so as Haggai records, they experienced famine. But the words will have their main fulfilment at the time of the Lord’s return and the full reestablishment of the Kingdom on earth. They don’t apply to any usage of agricultural technology in 20th century Israel; that was a multiplication of harvest by human strength, whereas what is in view here is something miraculous, directly from God, and associated with the repentance of His people.</p>


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<h4>Then you shall remember your evil ways and your doings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations- Note the chronology. They are made obedient, by grace, and then they realize how wicked they have been and repent of it. The goodness of God leads them to repentance. It cannot be over emphasized that God is not facing off against man over an open Bible, and telling us that if we repent, then He will forgive us. Here we see God taking the initiative and forgiving Israel without repentance, cleansing their hearts, making them obedient- and that experience of grace leads them to repentance. On a far lower level, we see the same in our human relationships. A policy of ’Forgiveness upon repentance’ rarely works; the grant of forgiveness, frankly and sincerely, is that leads the sinner to repentance and restored relationship.</h4><h4>The self loathing for sin is spoken of in <a href='B:330 20:43'>Eze 20:43</a>. The idea originally had been that the remnant would repent in exile and then be restored. But they didn’t. And so the Divine hope was that by restoring them in impenitence, they would remember their sins and loathe what they had done:It’s the same reason why Jesus broke His bread with as yet impenitent sinners- because He as a doctor was trying to bring sinners to repentance. We note that it was the exiles with Ezekiel who were to loathe themselves for their pollutions, or that was the intention. It was they there in exile who were still offering their children to their idols,"to this day"(<a href='B:330 20:31'>Eze 20:31</a>). Their self loathing uses the word translated"grieve"regarding God’s grieving for Israel’s idolatry in the wilderness (<a href='B:230 95:10'>Psa 95:10</a>). They would come to see their sins as God saw and felt them; that is part of repentance. But initially it had been God’s plan that they would grieve or loathe their sins whilst in captivity in Babylon (s:w. <a href='B:330 6:9'>Eze 6:9</a>). But then the plan in <a href='B:330 20:34-38'>Eze 20:34-38</a> was different; seeing they had not done so, they would be forcibly brought out from Babylon into the undefined"wilderness"situation, where God would purge the rebels from the rebellious house, and then the remnant would be allowed to return to the land; and only then would they loathe themselves for their sins. But now in <a href='B:330 36:21'>Eze 36:21</a> the grace was extended even further- it was after the restoration of the kingdom conditions in the land that they would be thus provoked to loathe their former sins. God’s grace is such that He ammends His plans if by any means He might save some. He has that same passion for human salvation today.</h4>


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<p>Not for your sake do I this, says the Lord Yahweh, be it known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel- Having been unable to achieve their repentance in exile, God now tries another way. Instead of abandoning His program of restoration because of the lack of repentance, He offers to restore them anyway by pure grace, in the hope that this would be appreciated and elicit from them an appropriate shame. But even this was refused by most of Judah and the ten tribes; they preferred to remain in the world rather than participate in the restored Kingdom of God."Ashamed and confounded"is the same Hebrew phrase used by Ezra in his prayer at the restoration (<a href='B:150 9:6'>Ezr 9:6</a>). He was taking note of Ezekiel’s prophecy here, but the majority didn’t. The term is also used of condemnation at the last day (<a href='B:230 70:2'>Psa 70:2</a>; <a href='B:290 41:11'>Isa 41:11</a>; <a href='B:290 45:16'>Isa 45:16</a>); in repentance, we are to recognize that our condemnation would be just, and as it were feel as if we are condemned at the judgment seat; and thence we shall know the wonder of forgiveness, salvation, and the change of verdict which Romans 1-8 speak of.</p>


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<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the day that I cleanse you from all your wickedness, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the waste places shall be built- There is a&nbsp; connection between Judah’s forgiveness and the rebuilding of the land. The returned exiles were forgiven, they did rebuild::. but they didn’t repent, despite this huge initiative of God’s grace. The suggestion here could be that the rebuilding would be achieved miraculously. Perhaps the latter day fulfilment of this will be in the new Jerusalem literally coming down from God out of heaven, ready built (<a href='B:730 21:2'>Rev 21:2</a>).</p>


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<p>The land that was desolate shall be cultivated whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all who passed by-"Cultivated"is the word used of how Adam before the fall was intended to"till"the eretz (<a href='B:10 2:5'>Gen 2:5</a>; <a href='B:10 2:15'>Gen 2:15</a>). And :35 specifically talks about Eden. The final fulfilment will be at the Lord’s return, when the original situation in Eden shall be restored. To claim this applies to Jewish settlers cultivating the land of Palestine in the latter half of the 20th century is to wrest this passage completely out of its context. And contrary to what many seem to think, Palestine was not"desolate"before their arrival. The British Census of Palestine recorded Jereusalem as having a population of 157,000 in 1944.</p>


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<h4>They shall say, This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden- One of many hints that Eden was in fact the eretz promised to Abraham. The restoration of Israel makes it clear that this prophecy has its major fulfillment in the last days, when the Kingdom is established physically upon earth. In any case, there were no previous examples of this happening- and God’s word shall come true.</h4><h4>And the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited-"Ruined [Heb. ’beaten down’] cities"is the phrase specifically used about what Babylon did to Judah (<a href='B:290 14:17'>Isa 14:17</a>). They really could have been fortified by God at Ezekiel’s time. They would marvel at this because the rebuilding was to be miraculous, perhaps a literal miracle was potentially in view; the latter day fulfilment of this will be in the new Jerusalem literally coming down from God out of heaven, ready built (<a href='B:730 21:2'>Rev 21:2</a>).</h4>


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<p>Then the nations that are left around you shall know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it- Ezekiel’s prophecies of Israel’s regathering had their primary fulfilment in the restoration. The other nations that the Babylonians had placed in Israel would"know that I the Lord build the ruined places", by the miraculous rebuilding of the temple amidst great opposition and against all odds. But the idea of :37 seems to be that this would only happen if Judah prayed for it.</p>


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<h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: For this also will I be inquired of- Previously, as noted on <a href='B:330 20:3'>Eze 20:3</a>; <a href='B:330 20:31'>Eze 20:31</a>, they had not been permitted to inquire of God. The elders who came to Ezekiel are in the same category as those in Judah who did not seek / inquire of Yahweh, although they did externally (<a href='B:300 10:21'>Jer 10:21</a>). We can pray and come to God’s word, when in reality we are not doing so from our whole heart and are doing this simply on the level of religious interest rather than wholehearted devotion. They would only ’find’ God is they ’sought’ with their whole heart (<a href='B:300 29:13'>Jer 29:13</a>). But now in the new covenant, they would seek God with their whole heart and so inquire of Him.</h4><h4>By the house of Israel, to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock- The idea may be that all this great potential would come about if Israel really prayed for it."The house of Israel"suggests Israel and Judah would unite at the restoration, as envisaged in several of the restoration prophecies."Inquired"could as well be translated ’worshipped’. Israel will eternally worship God for His grace. The original text however is unclear. Some variants of the Hebrew and LXX read:"I will also further reveal My grace to the house of Israel, in that I will multiply their people as a flock"[see the Russian Synodal version]. This fits admirably with the theme of grace which dominates the chapter.</h4>


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<p>As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the wasted cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am Yahweh- There is a parallel between the men and the flock. They were to respond to all this grace by becoming living sacrifices (<a href='B:520 12:1'>Rom 12:1</a>).</p>


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<h4>The hand of Yahweh was on me and He brought me out in the Spirit of Yahweh, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones- The Spirit comes into these bones, thus continuing the teaching of <a href='B:330 34:25'>Eze 34:25</a> and chapter 36, that God will give a new heart to latter day Israel."The valley"suggests a specific valley in view, and I suggest in the latter day fulfilment, it is the valley of Armageddon. Although initially it was the valley near the Chebar of <a href='B:330 3:22'>Eze 3:22</a>, from where the exiles could have been revived. The bones in that valley connect with the picture developed in chapters 34-36 of the final destruction of Israel and the people in the land just before the Lord’s coming. The earthquake associated with their revival (:7) is that which brings down the cities of the nations in Revelation, and is perhaps also referred to in Zechariah 14 as occurring when the Lord Jesus sets foot on earth. The significance of the earthquake is totally missed by those who misinterpret the vision as referring solely to the national revival of the state of Israel in the 20th century. I suggest that the vision of Ezekiel 37 speaks of their literal resurrection and a new heart being given them. Ezekiel 39 then speaks of a revived Israel burying the multitudes of their invaders in the valley- surely the same valley is in view. What they did to Israel shall be done to them, as the prophets frequently say will happen.</h4><h4>Elsewhere in these notes on Ezekiel I have commented that there are multiple allusions to the garden of Eden. This is to be restored on earth at the Lord’s coming. The idea of bones becoming a living person very much alludes to the creation of Eve, the first Biblical reference to"bones"(<a href='B:10 2:23'>Gen 2:23</a>). The symbology is appropriate to the restoration of Eden which is to come at the Lord’s return, and not to the Zionist creation of the state of Israel in the middle of the 20th century. See on :6. The recreation of a body into which the spirit is breathed likewise alludes to <a href='B:10 2:7'>Gen 2:7</a>.</h4>


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<p>He caused me to pass by them all around: and, there were very many in the open valley; and, they were very dry- God as it were augmented the pile of firewood by adding the bones out of the boiled dry cauldron to it (<a href='B:330 24:5'>Eze 24:5</a>). The resurrection and revival of these dry, charred bones in Ezekiel 37 is therefore all the more miraculous, just as in Ezekiel 15 the charred vine twigs were to be revived and used by God. The language of the restoration is used of us in the New Testament; this is how amazing is His ability to use we who were rendered worse than useless by sin. We see here the power of the Spirit and the prophetic word to revive that which was totally destroyed.</p>


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<p>He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? I answered, Lord Yahweh, You know- This continues the idea of <a href='B:330 33:10'>Eze 33:10</a>, where Israel pine away in their sins and ask"How should we then live?". The question is whether Israel can really be forgiven of the enormity of their sins. The revival of the bones therefore speaks of their forgiveness and spiritual restoration, rather than the faithless creation of a Zionist entity by a group of Jewish agnostics and Eastern European atheists which happened in the 20th century. God’s response in <a href='B:330 33:11'>Eze 33:11</a> is to say that Israel must turn from their sins and"live". Beginning in Ezekiel 34 we saw however that God as it were gives up on the idea of Israel repenting and decides to send His Spirit into them, binding them into the new covenant- grace indeed. Here we see the same- the Spirit is sent into the bones and they are revived, made to live; rather than them coming to spiritual life themselves.</p>


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<p>Again He said to me, Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, you dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh- Note the parallel between God’s Spirit and His word. Ezekiel appears to represent the latter day Elijah who will bring about this resurrection and revival through his latter day ministry; and again, this speaks of the latter days, not of Israel’s political fortunes in the 20th century.</p>


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<p>Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones: I will cause spirit to enter into you, and you shall live- God takes the initiative; He no longer awaits their revival on their own initiative (<a href='B:330 33:11'>Eze 33:11</a>), now He causes His Spirit to enter and transform them; and this is the token of the new covenant which we too have entered by grace. Ezekiel 37 had its primary fulfilment in the return under Ezra. Then, Israel was given “a quickening” (<a href='B:150 9:9'>Ezr 9:9</a> LXX), in fulfilment of how the dry bones in captivity were revived. At that time, Judah could have fully revived. But most of them chose to stay in Babylon. And so the prophecy was rescheduled and reapplied. But this gift of the Spirit is part of the promise of the new covenant, the new heart and spirit of Jeremiah 30, 31; Ezekiel 20, 36 etc. And God is willing to give that to all who enter it by baptism today.</p>


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<p>I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am Yahweh- The language of creation; see on 37:1 bones. It could be that the literal resurrection of those slain by the Babylonians was in view. But this was transferred to refer to thespiritual enlivenment possible for those within the new covenant. The sinews of flesh are perhaps intended to contrast with how Israel had previously had"iron sinews"(<a href='B:290 48:4'>Isa 48:4</a>); the idea is that now they had been given a heart of flesh, a soft heart to God’s ways, rather than a hard heart.</p>


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<h4>So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise- This meant that the “whole house of Israel” was to stand up from their graves and return as a mighty army to the land. The “noise” is s:w. in <a href='B:150 1:1'>Ezr 1:1</a> about the “proclamation” of Cyrus for Judah to return to the land. All of God’s people didn’t return; the majority preferred to stay in Babylon.</h4><p>And an earthquake- Heb. ’a shaking’. The cherubim spoke of God’s people. The sound of the cherubim Angels which Ezekiel heard was like the noise of an earthquake (<a href='B:330 3:12'>Eze 3:12</a> LXX). Now he hears the"noise"of"shaking"or earthquake as the bones of Israel in exile come together by the spirit / Angelic operation of Yahweh (<a href='B:330 37:7'>Eze 37:7</a>). The same word is used about the latter day events in Israel when the latter day ’king of the north’ invades (<a href='B:290 9:5'>Isa 9:5</a>; <a href='B:290 29:6'>Isa 29:6</a>; <a href='B:300 10:22'>Jer 10:22</a>; <a href='B:300 47:3'>Jer 47:3</a>). And the same word is soon to be used in <a href='B:330 38:19'>Eze 38:19</a> for the earthquake which will happen when Gog is destroyed, and which will happen at Christ’s return to save a Jerusalem which has fallen to her enemies (<a href='B:450 14:5'>Zec 14:5</a>). They may well refer to the same event- for events will happen quickly at the time of the Lord’s coming and the meaning of time may well be changed. See on :9.</p><h4>And the bones came together, bone to its bone- There was to be a unity between the ten tribes and Judah, brought about by the experience of repentance, forgiveness and the work of God’s Spirit. But this didn’t happen at the restoration from Babylon; the nobles continued to oppress the people.</h4>


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<p>I saw, and, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them- See on :6. The Divine intention had been that the exiles repented, and then He would return them to Zion, having miraculously judged Babylon and also released the ten tribes from their captivity. But they wouldn’t repent, and so God brought them back to their land anyway. This perhaps is the significance of the bodies being rebuilt but still lacking the Spirit / breath. Yet the allusion is clearly to the creation of Adam, who was likewise created and then given the Spirit. This is to be Eden restored, a new creation. But the exiles stubbornly refused all this. The whole prophetic scene here has been transferred to our days, when any man in Christ is a new creation (<a href='B:540 5:17'>2Co 5:17</a>) and filled with the Spirit within. And this is to happen nationally to Israel in the last days.</p>


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<h4>Then He said to me, Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind- God makes His Angels spirits / winds. Is this the command to Michael, Israel’s Angel which comes into action for them in the last days (<a href='B:340 12:1'>Dan 12:1</a>) to start&nbsp; to revive Israel? He is called forth from his exalted place dwelling between the four&nbsp; cherubim ngels. The language is reminiscent of that in <a href='B:10 2:7'>Gen 2:7</a>, where the Angel breathed into man the breath of life, which caused him to stand up upon his feet (cp. <a href='B:330 37:10'>Eze 37:10</a>)- and here the Angel is being asked to do the same, to Israel. Further connections between the"wind"and Israel’s Angel are in <a href='B:300 4:11-13'>Jer 4:11-13</a>.</h4><p>But the meaning in reality is that the prophetic word was to be the source of the Spirit entering into the repentant exiles, if they repented. For the wind / spirit / breath is presented as under the control and bidding of Ezekiel the prophet.</p><h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live- The Spirit came from four places (<a href='B:330 37:9'>Eze 37:9</a>)- just as there were four cherubim. As the sound of the cherubim was as of a great army (<a href='B:330 1:24'>Eze 1:24</a>), so revived Israel stood up as a great army (<a href='B:330 37:10'>Eze 37:10</a>):The Angel cherubim would work with God’s disillusioned and broken people, to revive them, so that they would become like the guardian Angels of Israel above them. The point was that the Angel cherubim system which Ezekiel had seen at work amongst the captives was able to gather them together, and give life to the nation. And yet that didn’t happen to those exiles- because they didn’t walk in step with the spirit. The potential was that just as the exiles had been scattered to the four winds, so they would be spiritually revived wherever they were, and brought to Zion.</h4>


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<p>So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army- See on :9. The potential was that God would have used them as an army to destroy Babylon;" You are my battle axe and weapons of war: and with you will I break in pieces the nations; and with you will I destroy kingdoms; and with you will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with you will I break in pieces the chariot and him who rides therein; and with you will I break in pieces man and woman; and with you will I break in pieces the old man and the youth; and with you will I break in pieces the young man and the virgin"(<a href='B:300 51:20-22'>Jer 51:20-22</a>). The strong emphasis upon ’breaking in pieces’ recalls the little stone of Daniel 2 cut out from the great mountain (Babylon) which was to destroy the kingdoms of men then dominating Israel and become a great kingdom of God on earth. This potential didn’t happen; but it shall do finally in the last days.</p>


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<p>Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are totally cut off- The valley of dry bones vision in Ezekiel 37 depicted Israel in captivity as bones waiting to come together and return to the land as a great army. <a href='B:300 8:1'>Jer 8:1</a> and other passages earlier in Ezekiel (<a href='B:330 6:5'>Eze 6:5</a>; <a href='B:330 24:4'>Eze 24:4</a>) had described both Judah and Israel as dry bones. The feeling of those bones was that"our bones are dried and our hope is lost"(<a href='B:330 37:11'>Eze 37:11</a>). Judah in captivity felt that they had no"hope", that God had cast them off, and that they were unable to have a full relationship with Him outside the land. However, it seems that this was a rather convenient piece of theology for them- they were doing well in Babylon, and despite the opportunity to return to the land, they largely chose to remain in Babylon."The whole house of Israel"repeats the great prophetic theme- that both Israel and Judah were to revive and return to Zion. But they would not (see on :22). The reason why this didn’t happen is the same reason as to why people aren’t revived today; the exiles thought they were just too far gone, they had lost their hope and were too lifeless to be revived, so they&nbsp; may as well remain in Babylon and live their lives out there, for better or for worse. This is exactly the reason why people refuse to accept the work of the Spirit in their lives today; they lack the faith to believe that from an apparently hopeless human situation, God can revive.</p>


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<p>Therefore prophesy and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel- God really would have done this at the restoration from Babylon, but the exiles lacked the faith in these simple words. For them to be addressed with these words, we can conclude that it is spiritual revival which is in view. Although a literal resurrection may also have been possible then.</p>


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<p>You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves, My people, and caused you to come up out of your graves- The opening of the graves precedes the coming into the land of Israel (:12). It cannot be that the opening of graves refers to a revival of Israel after the holocaust in Europe; for they did not then ’know Yahweh’ before entering the land. Rather I suggest does this refer to the literal resurrection of Jews killed during the latter day desolation of the land. Radical Islam speaks of burying the bones of every Jew now alive in Israel. If this happens, then this prophecy will have a comfortable literal fulfillment. The way a revived Israel then bury the bones of their abusers in Ezekiel 39 would be a way of demonstrating that the judgments meted out upon Israel by her latter day enemies are then meted out to the invaders.</p>


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<p>I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it, says Yahweh- This alludes directly back to the vision of the Angel-cherubim’s spirit being placed in the"wheels"of natural Israel in <a href='B:330 1:20-21'>Eze 1:20-21</a>. The placing of the Spirit within them was to be associated with their return to the land; being"placed"there suggests God’s work. This isn’t what happened in the 20th century revival of the state of Israel; although that was not without significance. For the prophecies require an invasion of the land in the last days and suffering of Jews within it, and so they had to be gathered there for this to happen. The phrase"place you in your own land"is used in <a href='B:290 14:1'>Isa 14:1</a> of the time when the Gentiles"shall be joined with them and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob". This is yet future, but it was potentially possible at the time of the restoration from Babylon. But sadly the Gentiles mocked Judah for continuing serving their idols, and were hardly encouraged to connect with the hope of Israel.</p>


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<p>The word of Yahweh came again to me, saying- The unity of God’s people was and remains a major concern with God. The common experience of grace and repentance was intended to unite Israel with the Gentiles (see on :14) and also to unite Judah with the ten tribes.</p>


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<p>You, son of man, take one stick and write on it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions. Then take another stick and write on it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions- There are many links discernible between Ezekiel and Zechariah, as they both prophesy concerning the same scattering and restoration of Israel. Here, the connection is with <a href='B:450 10:6'>Zec 10:6</a>"The house of Judah::. the house of Joseph::. they of Ephraim". There was envisaged a unity between Judah and Israel [Ephraim] at the restoration, but it never came about. And finally Zechariah breaks his sticks, as if to say the potential prophesied by Ezekiel was not going to happen in the restored community; although it shall come finally true in the last days.</p>


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<p>Join them yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand- The intention was that the prophetic word of Ezekiel would be the basis for the unity of God’s people; this unity would happen through his hand. But they didn’t take him seriously, and so this didn’t happen at the time of the restoration."Join"is the word used for the exiles joining or coming near to Yahweh (<a href='B:330 44:16'>Eze 44:16</a>; <a href='B:430 3:2'>Zep 3:2</a>); as to this day, our connection with God becomes our connection with our brethren, and we cannot have one without the other. ’Becoming one’ continues the allusions to the creation; it is the phrase used about"man"becoming one flesh through the union of Adam and Eve (<a href='B:10 2:24'>Gen 2:24</a>).</p>


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<p>When the children of your people shall speak to you saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these?- Ezekiel performed the miracle before their eyes. The message was obvious because the sticks were clearly marked (:16). Failure to understand God’s word nearly always has a moral basis. They naturally recoiled at the idea of such unity with those whom they considered inferior. And so they make out that they don’t understand, even though the explanation given in :19 is really only stating the obvious from what the miracle of the joined sticks had itself taught.</p>


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<p>Tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand- See on :18. Ezekiel’s hand was to be seen as God’s hand (:17"in your hand"). The rods represented leadership and kingship; the hand of Ephraim was to no longer hold a stick, neither would Judah; God’s hand would hold the united stick. There was to be a new, Divinely appointed kingship. ten tribes were all the same</p>


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<p>The sticks whereon you write shall be in your hand before their eyes- The idea is that Ezekiel’s hand was to be seen as representing God’s hand (:17,19). They were to see with their eyes that in a miraculous way, God through Ezekiel’s word could unite Israel and Judah with Him as king, holding the rod or stick which represented rulership. But as ever, petty parochialism meant that this great potential didn’t happen at that time.</p>


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<p>Say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they are gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land-"Take::. gather::. bring"suggests they were to be assembled and then brought together back to Zion. This never happened with the exiles; the gathering together by the river Ahava (<a href='B:150 8:15'>Ezr 8:15</a>; <a href='B:150 8:21'>Ezr 8:21</a>; <a href='B:150 8:31'>Ezr 8:31</a>) was a very small fulfilment, but the majority weren’t interested. The fulfilment therefore has to be in the last days. The same words"take::. gather::. bring"are found in <a href='B:330 36:24'>Eze 36:24</a>, where this is to happen before they are sprinkled and given a new heart by the work of God’s Spirit (<a href='B:330 36:25-26'>Eze 36:25-26</a>). It is this new heart which would empower the exiles from whatever background to become"one nation"(:22). Unity is a gift of the Spirit, beyond our human achievement- but we must be open to receive it.</p>


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<h4>I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all- &nbsp;"Make them one nation"suggests that unity is brought about by the work of God on men’s’ hearts; see on :21. This is the interpretation of how God made the two one stick (:19 s:w:). It was a psychological miracle of the spirit that He was willing to perform, just as the two sticks had&nbsp; miraculously become joined in Ezekiel’s hand. Remnants of the 10 tribes had been taken into captivity along with the two tribes; it could have been that at the restoration, the difference between Israel and Judah was ended and one Messianic King reigned over them. This was likewise in view in <a href='B:290 11:13'>Isa 11:13</a>; <a href='B:300 3:18'>Jer 3:18</a>; <a href='B:350 1:11'>Hos 1:11</a> etc:. But they refused. The majestic prophecy of <a href='B:300 23:5-7'>Jer 23:5-7</a> had prophesied that when Israel returned from Babylon, “the branch” would rise and save them “and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth”, i:e. establish the Messianic Kingdom (cp. <a href='B:230 72:2'>Psa 72:2</a>; <a href='B:290 9:7'>Isa 9:7</a>). But Zerubbabel, the “branch-from-Babylon”, lead the people back from Babylon, half heartedly built a temple- which faithful men wept at, when they saw how feeble it was compared to that which should have been (<a href='B:150 3:12'>Ezr 3:12</a>). And then he beat it back to Babylon. Significantly, <a href='B:160 7:7'>Neh 7:7</a> describes Zerubbabel as being at the head of twelve leaders of the returning exiles, who are called “the people of Israel” (cp. <a href='B:150 2:2'>Ezr 2:2</a>).</h4><h4>Some of the ten tribes did return with Judah. Thus “the Jews” is used synonymously with “Israelite” (<a href='B:160 2:10'>Neh 2:10</a>; <a href='B:160 4:1'>Neh 4:1</a>; <a href='B:160 5:1'>Neh 5:1</a>; <a href='B:160 5:8'>Neh 5:8</a>; <a href='B:160 7:73'>Neh 7:73</a>; <a href='B:160 12:47'>Neh 12:47</a>). 12 he-goats and 12 bulls were offered for “all Israel” in <a href='B:150 6:17'>Ezr 6:17</a>; <a href='B:150 8:35'>Ezr 8:35</a>. But still Judah and Israel remained divided; and no “prince” arose to fulfil the prophecies. The intended unity between God’s people will only happen in the last days when they are bound together by their repentance and experience of forgiveness.</h4>


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<h4>Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places in which they have sinned and will cleanse them. So shall they be My people, and I will be their God- Not serving idols is paralleled with no longer being divided (:22). Idolatry in whatever form leads to division amongst God’s people. The existence of only one God is therefore a demand for total unity between His worshippers- for their whole hearts will be for Him and not for anything else. Paul, writing to those who thought they believed in the unity of God, had to remind them that this simple fact implies the need for unity amongst us His children, seeing He treats us all equally as a truly good Father:"If so be that God is one::. he shall justify the circumcision by faith, and [likewise] the uncircumcision through faith"(<a href='B:520 3:30'>Rom 3:30</a> RV).</h4><h4>"Their dwelling places"are the places in exile to where they had been scattered. But they were the places in which they had sinned by idolatry. This supports the impression that the exiles whom Ezekiel was addressing were idolaters still at that time.</h4>


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<p>My servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd. They shall also walk in My ordinances and observe My statutes and do them- This is clearly the same “prince” as referred to in Ezekiel 45-48. The restoration prophecy of <a href='B:300 30:9'>Jer 30:9</a> speaks of a returned Judah serving “David their king, whom I shall raise up unto them”- implying that David would have been resurrected at the restoration, if all had gone according to what was possible? But Zechariah 6 offers other potential fulfilments for the prince in Zerubbabel and Joshua; but these also didn’t come about. And so the final fulfilment will be in the Lord Jesus. Likewise Cyrus could have been Yahweh’s shepherd at the restoration (<a href='B:290 44:28'>Isa 44:28</a>). There were so many potentials possible, just as there are in our lives and those of so many. God’s enthusiasm and interest in us given our failures as a race and His people::. is so wonderful. He must be so thrilled when we at least try to respond and allow His plans to progress in us.</p>


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<h4>They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they shall dwell therein, they and their children and their children’s children, forever: and David My servant shall be their prince for ever- Had Judah repented at the time of the restoration, a Davidic ruler would have been raised up, Zerubbabel is the most obvious candidate (see on Zechariah 6). He would have reigned"for ever", perhaps for an age. But he dropped the baton, or at least Judah were unwilling for this scenario. And so the prophecies were reinterpreted and rescheduled for total and eternalfulfilment in the Lord Jesus."The prince"of the envisaged restored temple in Ezekiel 40-48 refers to this same individual. “The prince” of Ezekiel 40-48 is hard to understand as an immortal being such as the Lord Jesus. “The prince” of <a href='B:330 21:27'>Eze 21:27</a> was Judah’s last ruler- so “the prince” later in Ezekiel would appear to be a promise of a restored monarchy. Yet tragically, the royal family chose to remain in Babylon.</h4><h4>The restoration was to be associated with the appearance of a potential Messiah figure. This is a point repeatedly made in so many prophecies of the restoration. Take <a href='B:290 61:1-4'>Isa 61:1-4</a>: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison [Babylon] to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion [the “poor of the land” allowed to remain after the Babylonian invasion], to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness [cp. how they sat and wept by the rivers of Babylon]:::And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations”. And there are many other such prophecies which connect the appearance of a Messiah with the rebuilding of Zion. Haggai prophesied to encourage the people to get on with building the temple (<a href='B:150 5:1'>Ezr 5:1</a>), and yet he spoke of the desire of all nations (Messiah) coming with an earthquake and glory filling the temple (<a href='B:440 2:7'>Hag 2:7</a>). I submit that this is a prophecy of what could have happened at that time, but it has been deferred to the second coming of the Lord Jesus:&nbsp;&nbsp; The cherubim visions of Ezekiel 1, 9, 10 are applied in the New Testament to the glorified Christ (<a href='B:730 2:18'>Rev 2:18</a>; <a href='B:670 4:17'>1Pe 4:17</a>; <a href='B:680 2:4-9'>2Pe 2:4-9</a>). This surely implies that they were ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah; and perhaps we are to understand that they could have had fulfilment in a Messiah figure at the time of the restoration.</h4>


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<p>Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore- They had broken the old covenant, and so a new covenant was offered- which would last eternally and would achieve peace with God. This would be the fulfilment of the promises to Abraham, for it was those promises which spoke of their ’multiplication’. The promises to Abraham are to this day the basis of the new covenant, which we too can enter, although the exiles refused it."My sanctuary"appears parallel with"my tent"(:27,28). The essence of this will finally come true as described at the end of Revelation- God will Himself dwell with men. In the context of the possible scenario at the exile, they could have witnessed this dwelling of God with them by building the temple system of Ezekiel 40-48, into which the shekinah glory of God would have entered to represent His dwelling with them. But they didn’t build it as commanded, and so they precluded the possibility of all this.</p>


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<p>My tent also shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people- Although the exiles were commanded to build the temple of Ezekiel 40-48, they were to be aware that essentially God doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. He had always made that point by dwelling in a tent. And this is therefore brought to view again here.</p>


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<p>The nations shall know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in their midst forevermore- The sanctuary God envisioned originally was one which His hands made (<a href='B:20 15:17'>Exo 15:17</a>; <a href='B:230 78:69'>Psa 78:69</a>). The permission to&nbsp; build a temple with human hands was a concession to human weakness; although the word is used many times in Ezekiel 40-48 of the temple Israel were to build. But they refused to do so as commanded:&nbsp; The essence of the sanctuary was to be Messiah; He was to be a sanctuary for God’s people (<a href='B:290 8:14'>Isa 8:14</a>). And this was and is how Yahweh shall eternally tabernacle with His people.</p>


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<h4>The word of Yahweh came to me saying- Ezekiel 38 must be understood within its context. Ezekiel was a captive in Babylon, and the book bearing his name records series of prophecies which he gave. <a href='B:330 33:21'>Eze 33:21</a> to <a href='B:330 39:29'>Eze 39:29</a> is a complete section within the book. I understand <a href='B:330 33:21-22'>Eze 33:21-22</a> to mean that Ezekiel opened his mouth and gave the six prophetic utterances in this section on the night before the exiles received the news that Jerusalem had fallen. It was on the fifth day of the tenth month of the 12th year of the exile (<a href='B:330 33:21'>Eze 33:21</a>). Ezekiel’s mouth was opened by Divine inspiration that evening, and he gave these messages through the night until the messenger arrived in the morning with the news that Jerusalem had fallen. Each of the six messages begin with the rubric “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying…”. The message has been that Judah shall enter a new covenant, although there will be terrible times of trouble and judgment for both her and her enemies. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, and so it is understandable that the invasion described in chapter 38 alludes to the Babylonian invasion, but climaxing in the good news that Messiah’s coming will save Judah and all Israel. The message was that the tragedy of losing Jerusalem was to be repeated again, on an even grander scale, in the last days- and yet it was to be but a prelude to Messiah’s triumphal coming and the permanent establishment of God’s Kingdom based in Israel. The various nations listed in Ezekiel 38 may well have been those who were confederate with Babylon in the historical invasion of Judah- this would have been their relevance to Ezekiel’s initial audience of captives in Babylon. Ten nations from within the land are listed in total, plus Persia- and Revelation speaks of an entity, a “beast”, dominated by Babylon but having ten horns, or powers, associated with it. These would correspond to the ten toes of the image of Daniel 2. The significance of the nations listed is that they are from every point of the compass around Jerusalem: Gomer and Togarmah from the North, Persia from the East, Cush from the South and Put / Tarshish from the West. The common description of the invasion of Judah by ‘all the nations round about’ thus comes to term in the prophecy of Ezekiel 38.</h4><h4>There could have been the restoration promised in Ezekiel 35-37, followed by the invasion by the surrounding nations in Ezekiel 38, and then the judgment of those nations and establishment of the restored Kingdom as detailed in Ezekiel 39, followed by an obedient Judah building and operating the temple of Ezekiel 40-48:&nbsp;Ezekiel 37 had its primary fulfilment in the return under Ezra. Then, Israel was given “a quickening” (<a href='B:150 9:9'>Ezr 9:9</a> LXX), in fulfilment of how the dry bones in captivity were revived. At that time, Judah could have fully revived. But most of them chose to stay in Babylon. If there had been a full revival, then the events of Ezekiel 38, 39 would have taken place. It has been suggested that there was a&nbsp; primary fulfilment of Ezekiel 38/9 in an unrecorded invasion of the land at the time of the restoration. However, historical evidence for this is severely lacking. And yet the Scythian tribes such as Magog, Gomer, Meshech, Tubal etc. are all recorded as being the scourge of the Middle East at that time. They were marauding into more prosperous areas “to take a spoil”, especially “cattle and goods”, at around Ezekiel’s time. They could so easily have turned their attentions toward Israel. That invasion could have happened; but it didn’t:&nbsp; But because Israel were not faithful the temple was not built properly, and therefore the Ezekiel 38 invasion didn’t happen, and therefore Yahweh’s intervention and establishment of His Kingdom as described in Ezekiel 39 didn’t occur. In some ways, the&nbsp; Ezekiel 38 invasion and 39 defeat could have occurred but instead has been deferred until the last days::. because through that invasion the establishment of the Kingdom is led into. This suggestion makes sense of the thorny problem of <a href='B:330 38:11'>Eze 38:11</a> stating that the invasion would come at a time when Judah would be living in unwalled towns, without bars nor gates, “at rest”- which is the very language of <a href='B:300 30:10'>Jer 30:10</a>, that the restored Judah would be “in rest and be quiet”. The same word is usedin <a href='B:450 1:11'>Zec 1:11</a> to describe how the land was “at rest” when the captives returned to rebuild Zion.</h4>


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<h4>Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog- This chapter speaks of an invasion of Israel at some point after the Jews have returned to their land (Ezekiel 37) and before the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth (Ezekiel 39, 40). This latter day invader will be destroyed by Divine intervention. The language is clearly based upon the historical Assyrian: <a href='B:330 38:4'>Eze 38:4</a> = <a href='B:290 37:29'>Isa 37:29</a>; <a href='B:330 38:7'>Eze 38:7</a> = <a href='B:290 8:7'>Isa 8:7</a>; <a href='B:330 38:8'>Eze 38:8</a> = <a href='B:290 8:8'>Isa 8:8</a>; <a href='B:290 10:3'>Isa 10:3</a>; <a href='B:330 38:9-10'>Eze 38:9-10</a> = <a href='B:290 28:2'>Isa 28:2</a>; <a href='B:290 8:9'>Isa 8:9</a>; <a href='B:290 8:21'>Isa 8:21</a>; <a href='B:290 10:3'>Isa 10:3</a>; <a href='B:290 10:7'>Isa 10:7</a>; <a href='B:330 38:11'>Eze 38:11</a> = <a href='B:290 37:24'>Isa 37:24</a>; <a href='B:330 38:12'>Eze 38:12</a> = <a href='B:290 10:6'>Isa 10:6</a>; <a href='B:330 38:19'>Eze 38:19</a> = <a href='B:290 30:27'>Isa 30:27</a>; <a href='B:330 38:22'>Eze 38:22</a> = <a href='B:290 29:6'>Isa 29:6</a>; <a href='B:290 30:30'>Isa 30:30</a>; <a href='B:330 38:19-20'>Eze 38:19-20</a> = <a href='B:290 29:6'>Isa 29:6</a>; <a href='B:290 30:25'>Isa 30:25</a>; <a href='B:330 38:23'>Eze 38:23</a> = <a href='B:290 10:15'>Isa 10:15</a>; <a href='B:330 39:10'>Eze 39:10</a> = <a href='B:290 33:1'>Isa 33:1</a>. See on :17; <a href='B:330 39:3'>Eze 39:3</a>. <a href='B:730 20:8'>Rev 20:8</a> defines “the nations which are in the four quarters of the land” as being “Gog and Magog”; clearly the Ezekiel 38 Gog is being defined as the epitome of the nations along the borders of Israel, who both historically and currently are Israel’s main enemies.</h4><p>Gog is a personal name, he will be the rosh or prince / caliph of the invading group of nations. The only Biblical Gog was an Israelite who went away from the core of Israelite worship and lived on the East of Jordan, and later assimilated into the Assyrian territories and lived on the banks of the Euphrates (<a href='B:130 5:4-9'>1Ch 5:4-9</a>; <a href='B:130 5:25-26'>1Ch 5:25-26</a>). The Biblical Gog is therefore from the far northern boundary of the land promised to Abraham, the ends of the eretz / earth. Gog is described as coming from his homeland in the uttermost parts of the north (<a href='B:330 38:15'>Eze 38:15</a>). His origin will be on the northern edge of the land promised to Abraham- which is the Euphrates River. This, then, is the location of Magog; which would explain why there are no cuneiform inscriptions bearing this name. It is simply the land of Gog, and its exact location is irrelevant- it’s simply presented as a territory on the far northern border of the land promised to Abraham. We can look for the latter day Gog to be born somewhere along the Euphrates River.</p><p>The usage of the term Gog suggests that this invasion is being made and led by a false Israel. And we find that idea continued when the invaders are described as “a great company” (<a href='B:330 38:4'>Eze 38:4</a>; <a href='B:330 38:7'>Eze 38:7</a>; <a href='B:330 38:13'>Eze 38:13</a>; <a href='B:330 38:15'>Eze 38:15</a>); yet the qahal is a term usually used about the congregation of Israel (<a href='B:230 22:26'>Psa 22:26</a>; <a href='B:230 35:18'>Psa 35:18</a>; <a href='B:230 40:10-11'>Psa 40:10-11</a>; <a href='B:150 10:1'>Ezr 10:1</a>). Gog is “the chief prince” (<a href='B:330 38:2'>Eze 38:2</a>), but this term is elsewhere used only of the chief princes of the tribes of Israel (<a href='B:40 10:4'>Num 10:4</a>; <a href='B:40 36:1'>Num 36:1</a>). The invaders “come to a land”, Israel (<a href='B:330 38:8'>Eze 38:8</a>)- using the very expression used of how Israel were to “come to a land”, that of Israel (<a href='B:30 14:34'>Lev 14:34</a>; <a href='B:40 15:2'>Num 15:2</a>; <a href='B:40 34:2'>Num 34:2</a>; <a href='B:50 8:7'>Deu 8:7</a>; <a href='B:50 17:14'>Deu 17:14</a>; <a href='B:50 18:9'>Deu 18:9</a>; <a href='B:50 26:1'>Deu 26:1</a>; <a href='B:50 32:52'>Deu 32:52</a>). Likewise the beast / whore in Revelation is described in terms of Solomon’s Kingdom, trading in the same goods, and associated with the number 666 as Solomon was (<a href='B:110 10:14'>1Ki 10:14</a>). The point may be that the beast / whore system is a fake Israel, a mock Kingdom of God. Which fits ISIS and Islam. The anti-Christ doesn’t mean so much ’against Christ’ as’that which appears as Christ’, in the place of Christ. And likewise there is a fake Kingdom of God, a pseudo-Israel::. which is what Islam created when Mohammed in the Quran twisted the Genesis record to make the Arab peoples ’Isaac’ and the Jews from Jacob as ’Ishmael’. And this would explain why the codename for the leader of the invasion is Gog, an apostate Israelite who likewise lived on the Euphrates.</p><p>It’s worth noting that some versions of the LXX in the apocryphal book of Sir_48:17 speak of Gog coming to Jerusalem at the time of the Assyrian invasion at Hezekiah’s time. This would definitely associate Gog with the leader of an Assyrian invasion. It’s also interesting that the LXX of <a href='B:50 3:1'>Deu 3:1</a>; <a href='B:50 3:13'>Deu 3:13</a>; <a href='B:50 4:47'>Deu 4:47</a> speaks of “Og king of Bashan” as “Gog”. Bashan refers to the area of the Golan Heights- the northern entrance to Israel, on the border with Syria. This is exactly where the IS are building up their forces and this would be the logical invasion point into Israel.</p><p>Haman “the Agagite” is surely another prototype for Gog; Agag and Gog are very similar original words. The similarity is not simply in the similarity of the names. The “wicked device” or plan of Haman to destroy the Jews (<a href='B:190 8:3'>Est 8:3</a>; <a href='B:190 8:5'>Est 8:5</a>; <a href='B:190 9:25'>Est 9:25</a>) is described with the very same word used of how Gog thinks up an evil plan against Israel (<a href='B:330 38:10'>Eze 38:10</a>).</p><p>We should note that “Gog” occurs in another place in the LXX, but not in the Masoretic Text: “Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog” (<a href='B:370 7:1'>Amo 7:1</a>). Israel’s enemies are typically described as coming from the north, because armies from Babylon and Assyria [to the East of Israel] would follow the transport routes along the Euphrates and then come down from the north into Israel- rather than marching across the trackless desert. But Gog is described as coming “from the east”. This makes sense if Gog is a person, rather than a nation or army. His origin was to the east of Israel. The “locusts” whom he leads connect with the Assyrians being called locusts (<a href='B:290 33:4'>Isa 33:4</a>), and the locusts of <a href='B:730 9:3'>Rev 9:3</a>; <a href='B:730 9:7'>Rev 9:7</a> being paralleled with thousands of horsemen coming against Israel from the Euphrates. Before dismissing the LXX too quickly, remember that the vast majority of Old Testament quotations found in the New Testament are from the LXX, and that version is often preferred over the Hebrew [Masoretic] Text. Yet Amos intercedes:"Repent, O Lord, for this. And this shall not be, saith the Lord". This would suggest that the Gog invasion was conditional and was forestalled by the intercession of Amos; thus not only Ezekiel 40-48 would be conditional prophecy, but Ezekiel 38, 39 also.</p><p>The chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him- I calculate ten nations in Ezekiel 38 [cp. the ten horns on the beast] on the basis that rosh is a proper noun meaning ‘chief prince’ and doesn’t refer to any nation bearing the name rosh. There was no such nation. All attempts to force this word into equivalence with the Kievan rus, from whence ‘Russia’, are opportunistic and cavalier in the extreme. Because two words contain two identical letters when transliterated doesn’t mean they are one and the same word. Further, I understand “Are you come to take a spoil?” in <a href='B:330 38:13'>Eze 38:13</a> to not be a challenge, but rather said with the implication ‘Are you going to spoil them? We will come too!’.</p><h4>In <a href='B:330 27:13'>Eze 27:13</a>, Meshech and Tubal are mentioned as being sellers of slaves to Tyre; and in <a href='B:330 32:26'>Eze 32:26</a>, they are spoken of as" instilling terror in the land of the living."Meshech is thought to be a people called the Moschi dwelling in the Caucasus mountain regions according to Assyrian inscriptions. Tubal is thought to be a people called the Tibareni dwelling on the Southeast shores of the Black Sea [perhaps from whence modern Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia]. But whoever they were, they were connected with the nations of Genesis 10; for all the nations of Ezekiel 38 are found in that list. We note that none of the descendants of Shem in Genesis 10 are found here in Ezekiel 38. The nations of Genesis 10 were all peoples within the eretz promised to Abraham; the area which was flooded and then repopulated after the flood, which is the context of Genesis 10.</h4>


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<p>And say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal-"Chief prince"means just that; it is facile to try to interpret"rosh"["chief"] as a proper noun. The word occurs very many times in the Bible and simply means"chief". The same phrase chief prince" often occurs about the princes of the tribes of Israel (<a href='B:40 1:16'>Num 1:16</a>; <a href='B:40 7:2'>Num 7:2</a>; <a href='B:40 10:4'>Num 10:4</a>; <a href='B:40 36:1'>Num 36:1</a> etc:).</p>


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<h4>I will turn you around- There are many similarities between Assyria and the Gog invasion. The two invasions of Gog (or three? <a href='B:330 38:4'>Eze 38:4</a>; <a href='B:330 38:8'>Eze 38:8</a>; <a href='B:330 38:10'>Eze 38:10</a>; or four if v. 4 implies two invasions: "I will turn you back::. and bring you forth"- again) find their basis in Assyria coming up several times before the final onslaught on Jerusalem.</h4><p>We naturally want to know who precisely the specific nations refer to. But readers of Ezekiel will have been struck by the fact that a number of the nations listed have already been mentioned in Ezekiel- in prophecies which predict or describe their destruction. Tyre (Tarshish), Meshech and Tubal have all been described as having come to their end (<a href='B:330 27:13'>Eze 27:13</a>; <a href='B:330 32:5'>Eze 32:5</a>; <a href='B:330 32:26-27'>Eze 32:26-27</a>). The impression, therefore, is that there will be a latter day revival of these nations. And that is what we are seeing happening in the lands around Israel, whose peoples and geographical areas were dormant and insignificant for centuries- until their revival in recent times. A coalition of those nations will arise which includes those territories or ethnic groups. And their intention is clearly and ultimately to invade Israel and destroy the Jews. Radical Islam is already in control of much of the eretz / land promised to Abraham. Indeed, <a href='B:330 38:4'>Eze 38:4</a> opens the prophecy by saying that God will ‘return’ Gog [AV “turn thee back”], and the Hebraism is well translated elsewhere as ‘restore the fortunes of…’. A revived Gog means a revived Assyria / Babylon. The question is, why does Ezekiel not specifically mention Assyria / Babylon as the leader of this group of nations? Why refer obliquely to them as ’Gog’? The answer may be that because Ezekiel was a captive in Babylon at the time, he referred to them under this code name. Peter does the same in referring to Rome under the code name of Babylon (<a href='B:670 5:13'>1Pe 5:13</a>). It may be that some of the other nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 are likewise code names- because it is very hard to conclusively demonstrate that some of the nations or peoples bearing exactly those same names existed in Ezekiel’s time. The description of Gog’s destruction in Ezekiel 39 is likewise hard to take literally, and this may mesh well with ‘Gog’ being used as a codename. See the later notes on Ezekiel 39.</p><h4>Put hooks into your jaws, and will bring you out- Gog is manipulated with hooks in his jaws (<a href='B:330 38:4-6'>Eze 38:4-6</a>). This alludes to how the Assyrians presented themselves in steles and other art forms as putting hooks in the mouths of those they conquered. The Zincirli Stele pictures Esarhaddon holding Egypt and Tyre by hooks in their jaws; Assyria "took Manasseh captive in hooks" (<a href='B:140 33:11'>2Ch 33:11</a> Heb:). The point is, that what Assyria did to others is effectively being done to the latter day Assyrian by God:&nbsp; This is the very picture of <a href='B:730 13:10'>Rev 13:10</a> - the beast who led God’s people into captivity shall be taken into captivity by God at the last day, and hooks being put in the jaw is the very picture of captivity. Gog and his entity is the beast of Revelation. Indeed, the whole language of putting hooks in the jaws is based upon God’s word to Assyria, that He would put hooks in their jaws and a bridle in their mouth (<a href='B:290 37:29'>Isa 37:29</a>)- as if they were an aggressive beast.</h4><p>The idea is found far back in <a href='B:10 27:40'>Gen 27:40</a>, where Jacob made a promise about the relationship between Jacob (Israel) and Esau (forefather of many of the nations living in the land promised to Abraham). Jacob predicted that although Esau would be beneath Jacob, there would come a time “when you shall have dominion [Heb. ‘to trample down’, which will happen when Israel and Jerusalem are trodden down by Esau’s invasion of the last days, and will rule or have dominion over Jacob]; and you [Esau] shall break his [Jacob’s] yoke from off your neck”. This suggests that the families of Esau are again presented as a beast that must be controlled. Jacob’s words have so far had no significant fulfilment; but they will do, however briefly, when the beast of Esau takes over Israel and dominates the Jews.</p><p>With all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armour, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords- One cannot miss the emphasis in Ezekiel 38 on the many "horses and horsemen", and the type of armour described ("Bucklers and shields") gives the impression of many well armed cavalry men. Notice <a href='B:330 38:15'>Eze 38:15</a> too: "All of them riding upon horses". Why this emphasis on cavalry? The Angels are described as horse riders in Zechariah and Revelation; the horses in the chariots of Zechariah 6 are also Angels), and there is the obvious connection with the Angel-cherubim chariot. Further Angelic language is found in <a href='B:330 38:20'>Eze 38:20</a> "My presence"; <a href='B:330 39:7'>Eze 39:7</a> "The Holy One".</p><h4><a href='B:730 9:14-18'>Rev 9:14-18</a> describes how 200,000,000 horsemen came from just beyond the Euphrates (exactly where the jihadist hordes have come), using "fire and smoke and brimstone" to punish God’s apostate people:&nbsp;This was John in the first century struggling under ‘the tyranny of words’ to describe modern warfare. "By these three was the third part of men killed", suggesting that this invading army has three aspects to its work:&nbsp;The huge number of horsemen must allude to the "great company" of horsemen of <a href='B:330 38:4'>Eze 38:4</a>, which we have shown (:2) to be rooted in the Assyrian invasion:&nbsp;The 200,000,000 horsemen of <a href='B:730 9:16'>Rev 9:16</a> may correspond to the fact that history records the strength of the Assyrian army which came against Jerusalem as being 200,000 men. The jihadist culture is full of allusion to horsemen, seeing themselves as the revival of previous horse-mounted Islamic warriors. The motif is common in jihadist promotionalvideos. Jerusalem was truly “compassed with armies” by the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, and perhaps the Lord has this in mind when He predicted that Jerusalem would again be like this in the last days.</h4>


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<h4>Persia, Ethiopia and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet- We note the lack of reference to Babylon and Assyria in the list of ten nations. The primary, potential application of the prophecy was to the repentant captives standing up as a great army in Ezekiel 37, destroying Babylon and returning to Zion along with the repentant ten tribes and the six nations of Ezekiel 26-32 who repent and "know Yahweh". They would come to a land made miraculously fruitful for them (Ezekiel 36). The nations listed here in Ezekiel 38 are those from all around the compass who then come up to invade the reestablished kingdom of God with its Messianic king. But the invasion is unsuccessful. This prophetic scenario however didn’t happen, because the humans involved in it refused to repent. This invasion by various peoples and the Scyths, who were not confederate with the two contemporary power blocks of Babylon and Egypt, could have happened; but it didn’t, and so the essence of it will be fulfilled in the last days. I have suggested on Revelation 20 that the Ezekiel 38 invasion is there described as happening around the return of the Lord Jesus. This would then be the scenario of Psalms 2, with the Lord Jesus enthroned in Zion, surrounded by His enemies, but easily destroying them.</h4><h4>I have explained elsewhere that the latter day beast with ten horns is to dominate the eretz / land of Israel, the area promised to Abraham from Egypt to the Euphrates. The ten toes of Daniel’s image are rooted in the earth / land, and these are the basis for the ten horns in the later development of that vision in Daniel 7 and Revelation. This entity is dominated by a charismatic leader, the little horn; also expressed in Revelation as the whore riding the beast. In Ezekiel 38, we have ten nations plus Persia, led by an individual called Gog [reading rosh not as a nation but as “chief prince”, as it is always elsewhere translated]. Those ten nations are all from within the land promised to Abraham, because they are extracted from the list of nations in the land in Genesis 10. The picture presented is of ten nations or leaders [horns, toes] from within the land promised to Abraham- perhaps to be fulfilled in an Islamic caliphate dominating that area, with ten leaders or factions or peoples under its control. Plus Persia- Iran. It’s unthinkable given current geopolitics that such an invasion would happen and Iran would not get involved. They will- according to Ezekiel 38. It’s also worth noting that Sheba, Dedan and Tarshish appear to join in the invasion as a separate entity. We are left wondering whether this has relevance to the three horns mentioned separately in <a href='B:340 7:8'>Dan 7:8</a>; <a href='B:340 7:20'>Dan 7:20</a>; <a href='B:340 7:24'>Dan 7:24</a>.</h4>


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<h4>Gomer, and all his hordes- Gomer is thought to have been the Cimmerians, who occupied central Turkey in the days of the Assyrian empire [perhaps the forerunners of the Kurds, who came to live within the eretz promised to Abraham].</h4><p>The house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north and all his hordes; even many peoples with you- The names of the peoples mentioned are solely relevant to the land promised to Abraham. Thus when we read that Togarmah comes from “the north border [AV “quarters”]” (<a href='B:330 38:6'>Eze 38:6</a>), this refers to the northern limit of the land / eretz promised to Abraham. The allusion to the Genesis 10 list of nations in Ezekiel 38 would therefore be to signal that the peoples of the land, the kings of the land, would come up against Israel in the last days- and the only outside nation who joins in is Persia / Iran. And that is absolutely imaginable today! The numerical value in the Hebrew for the term Gog and Magog is seventy- and there are 70 peoples listed in the table of nations in Genesis 10. There is no need to become fixated by issues of historical geography in trying to locate where these peoples may have once lived- they are all within the land promised to Abraham. Any reference to Russia, Turkey, Europe etc. is thereby made inappropriate.</p><h4>Nearly all of the nations mentioned occur in the table of nations in Genesis 10. Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Cush [AV “Ethiopia”], Put [AV “Libya”], Gomer, Togarmah, Dedan, Tarshish and Sheba are all mentioned there- in fact, all of them apart from Persia (Iran is beyond the land promised to Abraham). The connection between Ezekiel 38 and the Genesis 10 table of nations must therefore be highly significant. That table of nations served as an explanation to ancient Israel of the origins of the nations in the eretz / land promised to Abraham. They wondered why they were attacked and opposed by the peoples of the land- and Moses was given Genesis to explain to them the context of geography and history in which they were situated. Genesis and the Pentateuch are God’s version of history, geography and geopolitics for His people. Given this relevance to the situation in the land promised to Abraham, it is foolhardy to speculate that Shem, Ham or Japheth refer to Africans, Europeans etc. Ham refers specifically to “Canaan”, and his servitude under Shem [Israel]; the predicted tension between Shem and Ham refers to the Jew-Arab tension, and not any other tension such as between black people and white European colonialists. This is just wishful thinking, and reflects the cavalier, opportunistic usage of Bible verses for which 19th century Western European theologians have become famous.</h4>


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<h4>Be prepared, yes, prepare yourself- The idea is that this confederacy would prepare themselves and yet be confirmed in their own freewill direction by being prepared by God. The ’preparation’ is for military action (s:w. <a href='B:330 7:14'>Eze 7:14</a>; <a href='B:410 2:3'>Nah 2:3</a>).</h4><h4>You, and all your companies who are assembled to you, and be a guard to them- They assemble together in order to "take a prey" (:13); according to Ezekiel 36, the returned exiles could have come to a land miraculously fruitful and prosperous. This would explain the attraction, at the time of the restoration, for the war weary nations to come and take a prey. Gog personally would be a guard to these nations, as if they feel that under his charismatic leadership, they can come to no harm.</h4>


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<h4>After many days you shall be visited. In the latter years- Gog was to "be visited". This is Angelic language. The related passage in <a href='B:290 24:21-23'>Isa 24:21-23</a> also speaks of the Gog confederacy: "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish (Heb. ’visit’) the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered together in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then::. the Lord of Hosts (Angels) shall reign". There are clear parallels with Gog’s confederacy being visited by God, after they have been ’imprisoned’ by Gog in order to support Gog’s invasion. Gog is to be a "guard"- ’a prison’ (s. w. <a href='B:10 42:19'>Gen 42:19</a>)- to the other nations (38:7):&nbsp; "The host of the high ones that are on high (Heaven), and the kings of the earth upon the earth" refers to both the Angels and their earthly charges. The Isaiah passage implies a gathering together of the confederacy&nbsp; associated with a first Angelic ’visiting’, followed by a "many days" period after which&nbsp; there will be a second Angelic visiting and the final invasion. The phrase "many days" does not necessarily imply a very long period of&nbsp; years- "Jacob::. mourned for his son many days" (<a href='B:10 37:34'>Gen 37:34</a>)- not more than twenty years at the outside. A woman could have "an issue of her blood many days" (<a href='B:30 15:25'>Lev 15:25</a>). "Ye abode in&nbsp; Kadesh many days" (<a href='B:50 1:46'>Deu 1:46</a>). Shimei "dwelt in Jerusalem&nbsp; many&nbsp; days" (<a href='B:110 2:38'>1Ki 2:38</a>). These two Angelic visitings are spoken of in Ezekiel 38 too: "I (the Angels) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth". And secondly "After many days thou (Gog) shalt be visited" by the Angels; "things (shall) come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages" (v. 10,11). This thinking was a result of Angelic visiting of Gog- to achieve their purpose of making both Assyria and Gog invade Israel, the Angels acted and will act directly on the hearts of the leaders of those nations.</h4><h4>I observed on Ezekiel 4 and elsewhere that the length of the exile was flexible. But perhaps that was the "many days" in the primary application of this prophecy.</h4><p>You shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword- The word for "brought::. back" is to be found in the references to Judah’s return at the restoration (Ezr 21; <a href='B:150 6:21'>Ezr 6:21</a>; <a href='B:160 7:6'>Neh 7:6</a>; <a href='B:160 8:17'>Neh 8:17</a>). The same word is to be found in <a href='B:330 38:8'>Eze 38:8</a>; <a href='B:330 39:27'>Eze 39:27</a>, where again, the invasion is to happen once Judah had been ‘brought again’ from captivity. Judah returned, and yet they didn’t rebuild the temple as they were commanded. Therefore the invasion didn’t come, and therefore the Kingdom wasn’t then established. As if knowing this, <a href='B:350 6:11'>Hos 6:11</a> had prophesied [otherwise strangely] that Judah would reap their punishment, when they returned from captivity. They returned [s:w. ‘bring again’], but not to the Most High (<a href='B:350 7:16'>Hos 7:16</a>). They were brought back from the sword perhaps in the sense that Ezekiel’s earlier prophecies had predicted they would be totally destroyed by the sword; but they were saved or brought back from this by grace.</p><p>That is gathered out of many peoples- The various provinces of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. The latter day application could be to the state of Israel established on the basis of immigrants from many peoples. But it could also be that there will be a latter day scattering of Jews from Israel after the various latter day invasions, and they are to return from that scattering before "Gog" invades.</p><p>On the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste- Ezekiel 37, 38 predict that when the Jews have returned to their land, then there will be a ten nation invasion by a group of surrounding nations, headed up by ‘Gog’- which is to be destroyed by the direct intervention of God to establish His Kingdom. This invasion is to be after the Jews have returned to their land, and will begin with an incursion onto “the mountains of Israel”- which are bordering Syria, the Golan heights: “In the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the nations” (<a href='B:330 38:8'>Eze 38:8</a>). Only since 1948 and the uprise of serious Arab powers around Israel could this prophecy come true. All we’re waiting for is the Arab confederacy to push into the Golan Heights. And we could view the news on the internet or turn on the telly- and find it’s happening. Any moment now. And the next step will be the actual return of Christ to earth.</p><p>But it is brought forth out of the peoples- This ’bringing forth’&nbsp; was by grace, because they had not met the required spiritual preconditions- in that they had not in fact cast away their idols (see on <a href='B:330 20:6-8'>Eze 20:6-8</a>). They were caused to be brought forth (s:w. <a href='B:330 20:10'>Eze 20:10</a>; see note there). And it was to be the same in the exodus from Babylon. This Divine ’causing to go forth’ was by the Spirit, for those who left captivity did so because their minds were stirred up by the Spirit to do so, even though they were not spiritually qualified for the restoration (<a href='B:150 1:5'>Ezr 1:5</a>). They had been commanded to "go forth" from Babylon (<a href='B:290 52:11'>Isa 52:11</a> s:w:) but it was God who caused them to do this by the grace of His Spirit’s operation on their hearts. The same is true of our exodus from this world through the water of baptism. It is all of grace and confirmation of the smallest desire to do so; and so this causing to go forth was by God’s "mighty hand" (<a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a> s:w:).</p><h4>And they shall dwell securely all of them- The invasion occurs when Israel dwell safely, without bars and gates. This is indeed the language of the Kingdom of God on earth, and the idea of Israel dwelling safely has been used in Ezekiel to describe the situation for Israel after they have repented and accepted Christ (<a href='B:330 34:25'>Eze 34:25</a>; <a href='B:330 34:27-28'>Eze 34:27-28</a>). It could be that the invasion happens after Christ has returned and the little stone has begun to establish Kingdom conditions in the land of Israel. This would then fit with Psalms 2, which describes the kings of the earth [a term used by the Islamic jihadists about themselves] attacking Jerusalem with Christ enthroned there. But this need not make us think that therefore Ezekiel 38 is irrelevant to present conditions. Because Christ could return today and establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem. But the enemies of Israel, Gog and his followers, would have been moved into a position whereby they could immediately then attack Him. Or it could be that in line with predictions in Daniel 8, 11, Israel make a covenant with their enemies which appears successful, and then when all are saying "peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes". But the very same words are used about Hazor’s confident state just before the Babylonian invasion: "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made a plan against you and formed a purpose against you. Rise up, advance against a nation at ease, that dwells securely, declares the LORD, that has no gates or bars, that dwells alone. Their camels shall become plunder, their herds of livestock a spoil" (<a href='B:300 49:30-31'>Jer 49:30-31</a>). As Babylon invaded Hazor, so the latter day Gog, as a revived Babylon-Assyria, will invade Israel. Hazor was not then in the Kingdom of God; the language rather speaks of self confidence and assurance. This is indeed how the Hebrew word translated "safely" in <a href='B:330 38:14'>Eze 38:14</a> is elsewhere used (<a href='B:70 8:11'>Jdg 8:11</a>; <a href='B:70 18:7'>Jdg 18:7</a> "they lived carelessly"; <a href='B:220 11:18'>Job 11:18</a>; <a href='B:240 3:29'>Pro 3:29</a>; <a href='B:290 32:17'>Isa 32:17</a> "assuredness"; <a href='B:290 47:8'>Isa 47:8</a> "carelessly"; <a href='B:330 28:26'>Eze 28:26</a> "with confidence"; 30:9 "careless"; 39:6 "carelessly"; <a href='B:400 2:8'>Mic 2:8</a> "securely"). Such a position could be brought about by an Israeli military victory against her enemies, or by a peace agreement which appears to hold.</h4>


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<p>You shall ascend, you shall come like a storm, you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your hordes, and many peoples with you- For "ascend" and "come", see on :16; <a href='B:330 39:2'>Eze 39:2</a>. Gog comes as a "storm" to cover the land. This is the very language and Hebrew word shoa used of the Assyrian invasion in <a href='B:290 10:3'>Isa 10:3</a>. And of course the shoa is the term used by Jews today to describe the Nazi holocaust. That is to come again- but in "the land" promised to Abraham. The ascent and covering of the land like a cloud could refer to a massive airborne invasion; or perhaps the mushroom cloud of nuclear weapons. Covering the land with a cloud means that the sun and stars are no longer visible (s:w. <a href='B:330 32:7'>Eze 32:7</a>), and perhaps in this sense some of the imagery of the Olivet prophecy and Revelation will come literally true over the land of Israel; the heavenly bodies will no longer be visible for a brief period, as a sign that the final end is about to come.</p>


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<h4>Thus says the Lord Yahweh: It shall happen in that day, that thoughts shall come into your mind, and you shall devise- As noted on :11,16 and <a href='B:330 39:2'>Eze 39:2</a>, Gog’s freewill is emphasized, although he is Divinely confirmed in that freewill. Or perhaps the thoughts that come to Gog’s mind are from God, but Gog does the devising of an evil plan. Thoughts coming into the mind is a phrase which could refer to a memory returning, although not necessarily; the phrase is used like this in <a href='B:300 51:50'>Jer 51:50</a>. The invasion would therefore in this case be motivated by a desireto settle the ancient scores between Israel and her neighbours the Arabs.</h4><h4>An evil plan- The very same words used about the plan of Haman the Agagite, the man of Gog, to liquidate the Jewish population (<a href='B:190 8:3'>Est 8:3</a>; <a href='B:190 9:25'>Est 9:25</a>). The actions of Gog in Ezekiel 38 are clearly based upon Haman’s evil plan. The same phrase is used about the leader of Assyria, who was to devise an evil plan against God’s people and thereby Yahweh Himself (<a href='B:410 1:11'>Nah 1:11</a>).</h4>


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<h4>You shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages- <a href='B:450 2:4'>Zec 2:4</a> had foretold that “Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein”, seeing that Yahweh Himself would be as a wall of fire around her to protect her from her adversaries (Ezra had recognised this promise, that God would be a wall to them- <a href='B:150 9:9'>Ezr 9:9</a>). Note how this prophecy is introduced by an Angel with a measuring reed measuring out the rebuilt Zion (<a href='B:450 2:1'>Zec 2:1</a>), just as we have in Ezekiel 40. But Judah disbelieved the promise of a Divine wall of fire, and insisted on building a physical wall to protect them; and the record in Nehemiah has plenty of reference to their setting up of bars and gates in their fear (<a href='B:160 3:3'>Neh 3:3</a>; <a href='B:160 3:6'>Neh 3:6</a>; <a href='B:160 3:13-15'>Neh 3:13-15</a>). By doing so they disallowed the fulfilment of <a href='B:330 38:11'>Eze 38:11</a>, and thereby precluded what was prophesied as subsequently following. If they had trusted Him and paid their tithes, their cattle would have multiplied, and the Scythian tribes would have come down to seek to take them, as <a href='B:330 38:12-13'>Eze 38:12-13</a> foretold. But as it happened, their cattle were diseased and their agriculture not blessed because of their dilatory attention to Yahweh’s house that lay waste (<a href='B:440 1:11'>Hag 1:11</a>). So therefore there was no invasion, and no victory against the nations, and no Kingdom established at that time. See on :1.</h4><p>"Go up" is "ascend" in :9,16. The thought of Gog is that he and his coalition will "ascend and go up". But the same words are used in :16 of how God will make them ascend and go up. God will work through their own desires and magnify and confirm them; this is how He places hooks in Gog’s jaws to manipulate him. But the manipulation is not total, but rather a confirmation of men in that which they themselves wish to do.</p><p>I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates- See on :1. Israel dwelling in ‘peace and safety’ in Ezekiel 38 could refer to the conditions of the Messianic Kingdom; or it could refer to a sense of security which arises in literally the very last days before the Lord’s return, as a result of some peace agreement being reached. Whenever the invasion happens chronologically is not our immediate concern; what is significant is the preparation of the geopolitical situation to enable such a situation. And that is what we are seeing now developing.</p><h4>There is much evidence that the Kingdom starts initially in Jerusalem and then spreads worldwide slowly. Many of the prophecies concerning it are addressed to "Jerusalem" and "Mount Zion". The stone of Daniel 2 hits the earth and grows from there to cover the earth. It is logical if it hits the earth at Jerusalem, where all the kingdoms of men represented by the metals will be present, gathered together against Jerusalem. It appears that the unworthy having been destroyed, a colony of saints is established around Jerusalem, living in Kingdom conditions. They live in "the land of unwalled villages:::&nbsp; dwelling safely all of them::. without walls, and having neither bars nor gates" (<a href='B:330 38:11'>Eze 38:11</a>)- Kingdom language. The Angels give Gog the "evil thought" of invading the "land of unwalled villages", apparently after the invasions of the land as a whole. The people living there are "gathered out of the nations"- capable of reference to the saints (<a href='B:470 25:31-34'>Mat 25:31-34</a>) who have just been gathered from all nations. The great wealth which attracts Gog must be due to the Kingdom conditions there- the Arab invasions of Zechariah 14 (which must be before the second coming, seeing that Jerusalem is ransacked) will have devastated the land of its present wealth. The sudden prosperity reported around Jerusalem will no doubt intrigue the world, and prove a fatal attraction.</h4>


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<h4>To take the spoil and to take the wealth- It could be argued that because Ezekiel 38 doesn’t specifically describe any success of the invasion or suffering of Israel, that it therefore describes a futile attack on the Lord Jesus once He is established in Jerusalem. However, the absence of such languagedoesn’t mean that the invasion will not be successful. It could be that the focus of Ezekiel 38, 39 is upon the final destruction of the invader, and therefore the suffering of Israel is not mentioned- because that is not the burden of these oracles about Gog. The perspective is not so much upon Gog’s conflict with Israel, but rather upon Gog’s conflict with God. The prophecy is elevating the issue far higher- Gog is to have a showdown with God through making this invasion. Gog comes to take spoil (<a href='B:330 38:12-13'>Eze 38:12-13</a>). But <a href='B:450 14:1'>Zec 14:1</a> uses the same word in predicting that Jerusalem will indeed be captured by the final invaders, the women raped, and “your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you”. We must also give due weight to <a href='B:330 39:22'>Eze 39:22</a>: “The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day forward”. It is their salvation from Gog and the process of Gog’s destruction which persuades Israel that Yahweh is their God “from that day forward”. That reads very awkwardly if they have already repented and are sitting happily in God’s Kingdom when the Ezekiel 38 invasion happens.</h4><p>Having repeatedly said that sinful Jerusalem would be given for a prey (<a href='B:300 15:13'>Jer 15:13</a>; <a href='B:300 17:3'>Jer 17:3</a>; <a href='B:330 7:21'>Eze 7:21</a>; <a href='B:330 23:46'>Eze 23:46</a>) we read that the latter day invasion of Israel comes as a great company (as in <a href='B:330 23:46'>Eze 23:46</a>) to "take a prey" or "spoil" (<a href='B:330 38:12-13'>Eze 38:12-13</a>); but that invasion is not to be successful, unlike the previous historical invasions which took Jerusalem for a prey. The implication therefore is that Jerusalem finally repents, and so shall not be given for a prey in the very last invasion.</p><p>To turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten livestock and goods- "The waste places that are now inhabited"&nbsp;in the latter day context probably refers specifically&nbsp; to the temple area/old city of Jerusalem which will have been the scene of much bitter Israeli/Arab fighting. Thus the final onslaught of Gog and his followers occurs, this time with Christ and the redeemed in Jerusalem, thus fulfilling Psalms 2 : "The kings of the earth (cp. <a href='B:290 24:21'>Isa 24:21</a>) set themselves::. against the Lord, and against His anointed (Christ)::. yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion". Revelation 20 describes how Gog and Magog will push the saints back into Jerusalem with Christ, until He breaks out upon them again.</p><h4>Who dwell in the middle of the land- The invasion comes against "the navel of the land" (<a href='B:330 38:12'>Eze 38:12</a>). This could be a reference to the ultimate ’high place’, Jerusalem. Both the Bible and Judaism speak of ‘going up’ to Jerusalem or ‘coming down’ from there. The Greeks wrote of their sanctuaries at Dydima, Miletus and Delphi as being ’the navel of the land’; so there could be a reference to the temple mount. Or it could allude to how the land currently inhabited by Israel is the highest point in the land promised to Abraham, from the Euphrates to the river of Egypt. Just as Assyria’s focus was upon Jerusalem, so the latter day Assyrian will have the same interest. And that fits an Islamic Assyrian, for Jerusalem is the burning issue for Islam. The many allusions to the Assyrian invasion which we find in Ezekiel 38 are specifically alluding to how Assyria came up against Jerusalem. Gog ‘ascends’ against the once wasted mountains [an intensive plural for the great mountain- Zion?], he ‘comes up’ against the land(<a href='B:330 38:9'>Eze 38:9</a>; <a href='B:330 38:11'>Eze 38:11</a>; <a href='B:330 38:16'>Eze 38:16</a>; <a href='B:330 39:2'>Eze 39:2</a> - quite some emphasis). The language of ‘ascent’ is relevant specifically to ‘going up’ to Jerusalem specifically. And <a href='B:730 20:9'>Rev 20:9</a> has Gog’s armies specifically coming up against Jerusalem. The jihadist Magazine Dabiq number 4 (October 2014) is clear that whatever battles are going on in Iraq and Syria, their focus ultimately is Jerusalem: “We perform jihad here while our eyes are upon al-Quds” (p:4).</h4>


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<h4>Sheba, Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish- These three nations make up a total of ten nations who come against Israel, inviting connection with the ten nations of Psalms 83, the ten toes of the latter day image and ten horns of the latter day beast. The ten nations of Ezekiel 38 are from the points of the compass around Israel, going around clockwise. The picture is of Israel’s enemies coming at her like a whirlwind from all points of the compass. There may not, therefore, be undue significance in the actual names of the nations- rather is the picture being created of all the surrounding nations, from every point of the compass, coming against Israel under the leadership of Gog as their rosh or "chief prince". Isaiah 23 clearly associates Tyre with Tarshish; Jonah’s journey to Tarshish was clearly to some point known to people living in Israel at his time, rather than to some unfamiliar place such as Britain. Sheba and Dedan were sons of Abraham through Keturah, and are therefore ancestors of some Middle Eastern peoples (<a href='B:130 1:32'>1Ch 1:32</a>). Dedan is noted in <a href='B:300 25:23'>Jer 25:23</a> as being an associate of Tyre / Tarshish who will be confederate with latter day Babylon, and will drink the same cup of judgment given to Babylon. So this group of three nations, whilst mentioned separately, are hardly on Israel’s side in the last days. "The calamity of Esau" will come upon Dedan (<a href='B:300 49:8'>Jer 49:8</a>), for Dedan was within the territory of Edom which is Esau (<a href='B:330 25:13'>Eze 25:13</a>). The men of Dedan worked for Tyre as "traffickers" (<a href='B:330 27:15'>Eze 27:15</a>), so we can understand the association of Dedan with the merchants of Tarshish / Tyre. These three nations along with most of the others mentioned in Ezekiel 38 are all taken from the table of nations in Genesis 10, which refers to the peoples within the land promised to Abraham, which is the focus of Bible prophecy. The Bible therefore has very little to say about nations outside of that area.</h4><p>Sheba, Dedan and the merchants of Tyre / Tarshish are the nations of the extreme East and West of the land promised to Abraham. The picture is of Israel’s enemies coming at her like a whirlwind from all points of the compass. There may not, therefore, be undue significance in the actual names of the nations- rather is the picture being created of all the surrounding nations, from every point of the compass, coming against Israel under the leadership of Gog.</p><p>Sheba is the same word translated "Sabeans" in <a href='B:220 1:15'>Job 1:15</a>; the people of Sheba fell upon a peaceful member of God’s people whilst he lived in "peace and safety" without bars or walls and "took away" his cattle and goods, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword. These are the very same Hebrew words used about the behaviour of the people of Sheba in <a href='B:330 38:13'>Eze 38:13</a>. Tarshish is associated with those who are against God’s people, not with them or defending them.</p><p>The "merchants" are attracted to the "silver and gold" perceived to be in Israel. Hence ISV renders: "Businessmen based in Sheba, Dedan, Tarshish::.".</p><p>The nations with Gog are defined in <a href='B:330 39:18'>Eze 39:18</a> as “the princes / kings of the earth”- the leaders of the peoples within the earth/ eretz promised to Abraham. These are the same “kings of the earth / land” which are so often mentioned in Revelation as coming against God’s people as part of the beast entity (<a href='B:730 6:15'>Rev 6:15</a>; <a href='B:730 16:14'>Rev 16:14</a>; <a href='B:730 17:2'>Rev 17:2</a>; <a href='B:730 17:18'>Rev 17:18</a>; <a href='B:730 18:3'>Rev 18:3</a>; <a href='B:730 18:9'>Rev 18:9</a>). This alludes to the kings of the earth who are raised up from the borders of the earth / land and come with Babylon to invade Israel (<a href='B:300 50:41'>Jer 50:41</a>). The very idea of ‘the borders of the earth’ suggests that ‘the earth’ doesn’t refer to a sphere like the globe, but rather to a specifically defined territory. That territory is the land promised to Abraham. When we read that all “the kings of the earth” came from the very ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom, we likewise are to understand “the earth” as the land promised to Abraham. The Queen of Sheba was at the end of that earth / land; but the kings of New Zealand or Hawaii didn’t come.</p><p>Tarshish is associated with Tyre in <a href='B:290 23:1'>Isa 23:1</a>: "The burden of Tyre. Howl you ships of Tarshish::.":&nbsp; It could be that "Tarshish" strictly referred to the isle off the coast of Tyre to which the Tyrians fled when under attack. Hence <a href='B:290 23:6'>Isa 23:6</a>: "Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the isle!". Tarshish is associated with gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks (<a href='B:140 9:21'>2Ch 9:21</a>)- not exactly things which Britain is famed for. To suggest that ’Tarshish = Britain’ one would have to read passages such as Jonah going to Tarshish as referring to Britain. This equation just doesn’t work in the various Biblical references to Tarshish. &nbsp;At best it would refer to the trading ships of Tyre, which become as it were a trademark term for any long distance trading vessel.</p><h4>Readers of Ezekiel will have been struck by the fact that a number of the nations listed have already been mentioned in Ezekiel- in prophecies which predict or describe their destruction. Tyre (Tarshish), Meshech and Tubal have all been described as having come to their end (<a href='B:330 27:13'>Eze 27:13</a>; <a href='B:330 32:5'>Eze 32:5</a>; <a href='B:330 32:26-27'>Eze 32:26-27</a>). The impression, therefore, is that there will be a latter day revival of these nations; the invasion could have happened in Ezekiel’s time, but the potential prophetic scenario didn’t then happen. And that is what we are seeing happening in the lands around Israel, whose peoples and geographical areas were dormant and insignificant for centuries- until their revival in recent times. A coalition of those nations will arise which includes those territories or ethnic groups. And their intention is clearly and ultimately to invade Israel and destroy the Jews. Radical Islam is already in control of much of the eretz / land promised to Abraham.</h4><p>With all her young lions- The "young lions" of Tyre could refer to "all her kings" [as in the Jewish Targum on this phrase], "all her traders", "all her leaders" (ESV) or "all her villages". The same Hebrew word translated "young lions" is rendered "villages" in <a href='B:160 6:2'>Neh 6:2</a>. "Young lions" has been used in Ezekiel to refer to princes (<a href='B:330 19:2'>Eze 19:2</a>; <a href='B:330 32:2'>Eze 32:2</a>). The Biblical references to young lions associate them with aggression; they are used to describe the Assyrian invaders of Israel (<a href='B:290 5:29'>Isa 5:29</a>; <a href='B:290 31:4'>Isa 31:4</a>), and it is clear enough that ’Gog’ of Ezekiel 38 is portrayed as a latter day Assyrian invader of Judah. "Young lions" be appropriate language for those who are part of the Assyrian invasion, and not for those against it. The same figure is used for other invaders, such as the Babylonians: "The young lions have roared at him [Israel] and yelled, they have desolated his land" (<a href='B:300 2:15'>Jer 2:15</a>; <a href='B:300 25:38'>Jer 25:38</a>; <a href='B:300 51:38'>Jer 51:38</a>). The imagery of lions and young lions is heavily associated with Israel’s neighbouring enemies, especially Assyria and Babylon. The suggestion that the imagery of ’young lions’ suggests ’former colonies’ or those raised under the influence of another is simply not supported by the majority of references to "young lions" in the Bible. The common picture is of aggression, and particularly aggression against God’s people. There is a Hebrew phrase which means "young lions", but that is not what is used here; one Hebrew word alone is used, and it could be fairly rendered "growling lions" as ISV. So the idea of youth or of them having been raised by a mother lion is not necessarily present.</p><p>Shall say to you: Have you assembled your company to take the wealth?- The Hebrew implies that these three nations will join in with the invasion, rather than challenge it. This was noted by Harry Whittaker, and see Jacob Milgrom and Daniel Israel Block, Ezekiel’s Hope: A Commentary on Ezekiel 38-48 (Wipf & Stock, 2012) p. 12.</p><p>To carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great spoil?- Ezekiel 38 describes the desire of the invaders to take the wealth and houses of the land of Israel. This is precisely the language used in the Koran regarding how Moslems have a duty to take these things from the disobedient children of Israel: "Allah brought those of the People of the Scripture::. down from their strongholds, and cast panic into their hearts. Some ye slew, and ye made captive some. And Allah caused you to inherit their land and their houses and their wealth, and land ye have not trodden. Allah is ever able to do all things" (Sura 33:26,27). The jihadists are carefully observant of the Koran and Hadith, which so often are garbled versions of the Bible, doubtless because Mohammad first heard the Bible in an oral form or by rumour passed on by travelers. But by their careful observance of their holy books, the jihadists will in fact fulfil Bible prophecy exactly.</p><h4>The Koran teaches that Moslems who go to battle with the Jews will not only win but will be rewarded with much spoil: "And much booty that they will capture. Allah is ever Mighty, Wise. Allah promiseth you much booty that ye will capture:::&nbsp; that it may be a token for the believers" (Sura 48:19,20). The enthusiasm of the Ezekiel 38 invaders for "spoil" and "prey" is therefore appropriate for Islamic jihadist invaders.</h4>


