ezekiel w wolston

8/9/2019 Ezekiel W Wolston

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Ezekiel's Forty Days

Lecture given by W P T Wolston

http://www.biblecentre.org

Note: this lecture has been taken from the book 'The "Forty Days" of Scripture'. e here

list the table of contents from this book an! proi!e chapter # in full. The intereste!rea!er can obtain a copy of this book from one of the !istributors of $hristian literature.

SIXTEEN ADDESSES

%. N&('S F&)T* D*S +,u!gment an! Salation- or The Floo! an! its mport0

1. ,&S23('S F&)T* D*S +The 2ffect of Death- or $onscience an! its orkings0

4. 5&S2S' F&)T* D*S +6aw an! the $urse- or 5an's )esponsibility an!

Failure07. 5&S2S' S2$&ND F&)T* D*S +5ercy an! 8lessing- or 9o!'s Soereignty

an! its ays0. $628'S F&)T* D*S +$anaan an! the il!erness- or ;nbelief an! its

)esults0

ection an! Support- or Failing Serant an! a

Faithful 5aster0#. 2?2@26'S F&)T* D*S +srael's 2n!- or 9uilt 9race an! 9lory0

A. ,&N('S F&)T* D*S +Faith an! )epentance- or 9o!'s 5essage an!

Nineeh's )esponse0%B. STN'S F&)T* D*S +Temptation an! Defeat- or The Strong 5an 8oun! an!

(is 3alace Spoile! 0

%%. T(2 6&)D ,2S;S' F&)T* D*S +)esurrection Scenes: 5ary 5ag!alene an!

her 5essage0%1. T(2: 6&)D ,2S;S' F&)T* D*S +)esurrection Scenes: 5ary's Frien!s an!

their 5essage0

%4. T(2 6&)D ,2S;S' F&)T* D*S +)esurrection Scenes: The >ourney to2mmaus0

%7. T(2 6&)D ,2S;S' F&)T* D*S +)esurrection Scenes: The ppearing in the

;pper )oom0

%. T(2 6&)D ,2S;S' F&)T* D*S +)esurrection Scenes: The ppearings toThomas an! the Seen0

%


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Ezek& () *+**,

"N& it came to pass in the thirtieth year in the fourth month in the fifth !ay of the

month as was among the capties by the rier of $hebar that the heaens were opene!an! saw isions of 9o!. n the fifth !ay of the month which was the fifth year of king

,ehoiachin's captiity the wor! of the 6or! came eCpressly unto 2ekiel the priest theson of 8ui in the lan! of the $hal!eans by the rier $hebar- an! the han! of the 6or!

was there upon him" +2ek. %: %E40.

These erses intro!uce to us a ery remarkable man who was alike a priest a poet an! a

prophet of no mean or!er. The meaning of his name 2ekiel it whom 9o! will

strengthen" is instructie when we remember what he himself passe! through as acaptie. t was as being !irectly sustaine! by 9o! that he was able to i!entify himself

with the sorrows of the guilty nation whose >u!gment he first pre!icts with great !etail

an! whose final !elierance an! eCaltation by the han! of 9o! he !escribes with the

utmost precision.

,osephus states that 2ekiel was a youth when carrie! away captie but whether such

was the case we hae no certain means of being assure! an! the general character of his

writings woul! scarcely bear out the supposition. (e was contemporary with ,eremiah

an! Daniel an! his prophecy woul! appear to open about the fifth year of his captiity8.$. A7. This we learn from 2ek. %: 1. *ou will remember that ,ehoiachin king of

,u!ah was carrie! into captiity in the eighth year of Nebucha!near along with a great

many of his sub>ects. Thus the recor! stan!s. "n! Nebucha!near king of 8abyloncame against the city an! his serants !i! besiege it. n! ,ehoiachin the king of ,u!ah

went out to the king of 8abylon he an! his mother an! his serants an! his princes an!

his officers: an! the king of 8abylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. n! he

carrie! out thence all the treasures of the house of the 6&)D an! the treasures of theking's house an! cut in pieces all the essels of gol! which Solomon king of srael ha!

ma!e in the temple of the 6&)D as the 6&)D ha! sai!. n! he carrie! away all,erusalem an! all the princes an! all the mighty men of alour een ten thousan!

capties an! all the craftsmen an! smiths: none remaine! sae the poorest sort of the

people of the lan!. n! he carrie! away ,ehoiachin to 8abylon an! the king's mother

an! the king's wies an! his officers an! the mighty of the lan! those carrie! he intocaptiity from ,erusalem to 8abylon. n! all the men of might een seen thousan! an!

craftsmen an! smiths a thousan! all that were strong an! apt for war een them the king

of 8abylon brought captie to 8abylon" +1 @ings 17: %%E%


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captiity but to be in captiity to the 9entiles an! that because of their guilt 9o! woul!

not own them any longer. (e further learne! that the power of the swor! was to be passe!

into the han!s of the 9entiles although as hae sai! at that time the capture of,erusalem then rule! oer by ?e!ekiah ha! not yet taken place.

hile at $hebar 2ekiel receies the following instructions from the 6or! +2ek. 7: %E%%0: "Thou also son of man take thee a tile an! lay it before thee an! portray upon it the

city een ,erusalem: an! lay siege against it an! buil! a fort against it an! cast a mountagainst it- set the camp also against it an! set battering rams against it roun! about.

5oreoer take thou unto thee an iron pan an! set it for a wall of iron between thee an!

the city- an! set thy face against it an! it shall be besiege! an! thou shalt lay siegeagainst it. This shall be a sign to the house of srael. 6ie thou also upon thy left si!e an!

lay the iniuity of the house of srael upon it- accor!ing to the number of the !ays that

thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniuity. For hae lai! upon thee the years oftheir iniuity accor!ing to the number of the !ays three hun!re! an! ninety !ays: so

shalt thou bear the iniuity of the house of srael. n! when thou hast accomplishe!

them lie again on thy right si!e an! thou shalt bear the iniuity of the house of ,u!ah forty days: hae appointe! thee each !ay for a year. Therefore thou shalt set thy face

towar! the siege of ,erusalem an! thine arm shall be uncoere! an! thou shalt prophesy

against it n! behol! will lay ban!s upon thee an! thou shalt not turn thee from one

si!e to another till thou hast en!e! the !ays of thy siege. Take thou also unto thee wheatan! barley an! beans an! lentils an! millet an! fitches an! put them in one essel an!

make thee brea! thereof accor!ing to the number of the !ays that thou shalt lie upon thy

si!e three hun!re! an! ninety !ays shalt thou eat thereof. n! thy meat which thou shalteat shall be by weight twenty shekels a !ay: from time to time shalt thou eat it. Thou

shalt !rink also water by measure the siCth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou

!rink."

n representing thus the impen!ing siege of ,erusalem 9o! points out the years ofiniuity that le! to her >u!gment E for srael in general three hun!re! an! ninety an! for

,u!ah forty. To 2ekiel comes the striking comman! "6ie thou also upon thy left si!e . .

three hun!re! an! ninety !ays" +2ek. 7: 70. n! then: 6ie again on thy right si!e an!thou shalt bear the iniuity of the house of ,u!ah forty !ays. hae appointe! thee each

!ay for a year" +2ek. 7: unction "n! thou shalt not turn thee from one si!eto another till thou hast en!e! the !ays of thy siege" +2ek. 7: A0 or lie! upon the

scanty !iet !etaile! in 2ek. 7: A to %%. The point of 2ekiel's "forty !ays" woul! seem to

be this that he absolutely i!entifies himself with the iniuity of his nation an! is prepare! to bear the conseuences of their iniuity an! that without a murmur.


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&ne ery striking feature in 2ekiel's history woul! seem to be the entire subor!ination

of his whole life an! feelings as a man to the great prophetic work to which he was

calle!. (e neither speaks nor acts like an or!inary man but thinks an! feels as a prophet.&ne ery striking illustration of this is foun! on the occasion of the !eath of his wife.

There is something !eeply touching in his brief narratie of the moment when "the !esire

of his eyes" was taken away with a stroke an! when he was comman!e! not to mourn.The wor! of the 6or! ran thus: "Son of man behol! take away from thee the !esire of

thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep neither shall thy tears run

!own. Forbear to cry make no mourning for the !ea! bin! the tire of thine hea! uponthee an! put on thy shoes upon thy feet an! coer not thy lips an! eat not the brea! of

men. So spake unto the people in the morning- an! at een my wife !ie!- an! !i! in

the morning as was comman!e!" +2ek. 17: %E%#0.

That was in!ee! a memorable !ay. 9o! note! it by the comman! "Son of man writethee the name of the !ay een of this same !ay: the king of 8abylon set himself against

,erusalem this same !ay" +2ek. 17: 10. The !ay that Nebucha!near began the siege the

wife of the prophet !ie! an! although she was the ob>ect of his ten!erest affections hewas not to mourn an! !i! not. That he possesse! the sympathies an! affections of

humanity is manifest by the beautiful touch of ten!erness with which the narratie is

intro!uce!- but he subor!inates himself entirely to the will of ,ehoah an! sinks the

interests of his in!ii!ual life in the work of his prophetic office.

ll this is intensely in contrast with almost eery other great serant of 9o! whose

history we hae recor!e! in the &l! Testament. hile the eents of 2ekiel's personal

history are thus kept out of sight it is interesting to notice the remarkable igour an!

energy clearly manifest in his character. 9o! knew that he ha! to oppose a "rebellioushouse" who were "impu!ent an! har!hearte!" +2ek. 4: =EA0 an! hence sai! to him:

"8ehol! hae ma!e thy face strong against their faces an! thy forehea! strong againsttheir forehea!s. s an a!amant har!er than flint hae ma!e thy forehea!- fear them notneither be !ismaye! at their looks though they be a rebellious house."

2ekiel's writings aboun! with figuratie representations but whether unfol!ing

heaenly isions or truths clothe! in the garb of allegory an! enigma !efiniteness an!

igour of conception mark his wor!s in a ery striking way. hat he saw in ision is!escribe! with a clearness sharpness of outline an! minuteness of !etail which almost

belong to real eCistence- an! while one says again we neer meet him in his writings as

an or!inary man you cannot but feel that he was manifestly an eCtraor!inary one E hewas >ust in fact the suite! essel that 9o! coul! take up an! use to reeal (is min! in

the unfol!ing of striking truths as to srael's >u!gment near at han! or her future glory

which his prophecies !isclose.

t may help you to rea! his prophecy with greater interest if briefly glance at the salientfeatures of the book an! in!icate its general outline. n attempting to !o this cannot !o

better than uote the wor!s of another to whom am in!ebte! for much light on the

sub>ect. "The first twentyEthree chapters contain testimonies from 9o! against srael ingeneral an! against ,erusalem in particular. fter that the surroun!ing nations are >u!ge!-


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an! then beginning with chapter 44 the prophet resumes the sub>ect of srael

announcing their restoration as well as their >u!gment. Finally from chapter 7B to the en!

we hae the !escription of the temple an! of the !iision of the lan!."G

G"Synopsis of the 8ooks of the 8ible" by ,. N. Darby ol. ii. No more aluable or

helpful eCpository work on Scripture eCists in the 2nglish language than this. t will wellrepay careful perusal an! is strongly recommen!e!.

The general scope of the book is as follows: E

The earlier chapters !escribe the sin of srael which ma!e 9o!'s >u!gment of them anecessity as (is name ha! been !ishonoure! an! (is house pollute!. The glory of the

6or! thereupon leaes that house an! retires to heaen. The >u!gment then falls on

,erusalem an! the nation is scattere!. Their many enemies who re>oice in theirchastisement at 9o!'s han! an! in the remoal of (is house an! presence from the earth

are then seerally >u!ge! by (im. NeCt a work of repentance an! selfE>u!gment in srael

takes place on their restoration to their lan! an! to 9o!'s en>oye! faour. Their ancientfoe the ssyrian then seeks again to !islo!ge them an! is oerwhelme! by 9o!'s own

!irect interposition. The temple 9o!'s earthly house is then rebuilt neer again to be

!isturbe!. The glory returns to that house an! to srael in connection with their

acceptance of their onceEre>ecte! but now gla!lyEowne! 5essiah E the true Dai!. The book closes with 9o!'s blessing flowing out through the whole earth now at peace an!

rest un!er the sway of ,ehoahE,esus the last wor! of the prophecy being "The 6or! is

there" +2ek. 7#: 40.

The !estruction of ,erusalem is the central point of 2ekiel's earlier pre!ictions. 8efore

that isitation of 9o!'s chastening han! arrie! through (is chosen ro!

Nebucha!near (e warns the people against in!ulging in blin! confi!ence in 2gyptianhelp +2ek. %=: %E%A- compare ,er. 4=: =EA0 to ri! themseles of the 8abylonian yokean! assures them that the !estruction of their city an! temple was certain an! near at

han!. This pre!iction is finally confirme! by the announcement that Nebucha!near ha!

ineste! the city +2ek. 17: 10.

During the interal between the commencement of the siege an! the arrial of the newsthat ,erusalem ha! actually fallen +2ek. 44: 1%0 the bur!en of his prophecy +2ek. 1 E

410 is against foreign nations whom 9o! woul! >u!ge because they ha! interfere! with

those who ha! been (is people but whom (e because of their sins ha! now not onlycalle! 6oEammi +not 5y people0 but treate! as such.

From the thirtyEthir! chapter on his principal ob>ect is to show how 9o! will yet step in

an! restore ,u!ah an! srael now captie an! scattere! to their own lan! an! bless them

un!er the true Dai! when (e will "make them one nation in the lan! upon themountains of srael- an! one king shall be king to them all- an! they shall be no more two

nations neither shall they be !ii!e! into two king!oms any more at all" +2ek. 4=: 110.

Thereafter follow the final >u!gment of their earliest foe E the ssyrian E the 9og an!5agog of 2ekiel 4# an! 4A an! then the !irections regar!ing the rebuil!ing of


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,ehoah's temple the reEestablishment of sacrifices suite! to the moment an! the

re!iision of the lan! of 3alestine.

t will be impossible to go much into !etail but a cursory glance at the contents of thethree main !iisions >ust in!icate! will attempt. 2ekiel % opens with 2ekiel

behol!ing a ision of 9o!'s throne not now as formerly seen in ,erusalem but outsi!ethe city an! unconnecte! with it. The attributes of 9a! un!er the figure of four !istinct

classes of create! beings on earth E a man a lion an oC an! an eagle E the four beingunite! in one E are the supporters of this throne on which the 9o! of truth sits. t is

ei!ently the uniersal soereign throne of 9o! here presente! as in relation to the

9entiles. Those who ha! hitherto been owne! as (is people (e >u!ges from that throne.(e is no longer in their mi!st. hat 2ekiel saw !eeply impresse! him an! he says:

"This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the 6&)D. n! when saw it

fell upon my face an! hear! the oice of one that spake" +2ek. %: 1#0. This remin!sone strongly of the ision ,ohn ha! in 3atmos when he fell at the 6or!'s feet as !ea!

+)e. %: %=0.

hat 2ekiel hear! as gien in 2ekiel 1 in!icates plainly 9o!'s relation to srael. n!

he sai! "Son of man stan! upon thy feet an! will speak unto thee" +2ek. 1: %0. Thisepithet "Son of man" is the one by which 9o! repeate!ly right through the book

a!!resses (is prophet an! gies us the key to (is position in relation to srael. t is

$hrist's own title the one by which (e loe! to speak of (imself all through the 9ospelswhere (e is iewe! as the re>ecte! &ne of srael an! really as being outsi!e the nation.

8y 9o!'s giing it to 2ekiel the prophet is put in !irect connection with $hrist as

re>ecte!. t is ery important to apprehen! the import of this title which the #th 3salm

attributes to ,esus in connection with (is re>ection an! eCaltation an! which the 6or!(imself specifically a!opts as being re>ecte! as the 5essiah +see 3salm 10 by srael.

refer to (is striking in>unction to (is !isciples recor!e! by 6uke. (e ha! aske! them"hom say the people that amH . . . 3eter answering sai! The $hrist of 9o!. n! hestraitly charge! them an! comman!e! them to tell no man that thing- saying The Son of

man must suffer many things an! be re>ecte! of the el!ers an! chief priests an! scribes

an! be slain an! be raise! the thir! !ay" +6uke A: %#E110.

s regar!s srael 9o! was re>ecte! an! 2ekiel takes his place with (im an! (is thronean! conseuently is sent with messages to the people here !escribe! as "impu!ent"

"stiffEhearte!" an! "most rebellious." (e was to speak whether they woul! "hear" or

"forbear" but any way they shoul! "know that there hath been a prophet among them"+2ek. 1: 7E=0. (e then has han!e! to him a roll of a book written within an! without

like the one ,ohn saw +see )e. : %0.

n 2ekiel 4 2ekiel eats the roll which he ha! receie! fin!ing it sweet as honey in his

mouth. 9o!'s communications are always sweet to the receier though their final intenthae not that character. (e is then strengthene! of 9o! an! bi! go to the chil!ren of his

people. t nee!e! that his forehea! shoul! be as a!amant +2ek. 4: A0 to testify to such it a

rebellious house" whose moral iniuities compelle! 9o! to cast them off. $arrie! by theSpirit of 9o! to TelEabib among the capties +2ek. 4: %0 he then again sees the glory of


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the 6or! +2ek. 4: 140 an! is tol! not to go among the people. They were so rebellious

that they were not to be warne!. 9o! woul! make his tongue cleae to the roof of his

mouth +2ek. 4: 1ust retribution for her sins. She therefore

instea! of being a witness to (im shoul! be "a reproach an! a taunt an instruction an! anastonishment unto the nations roun! about" +2ek. : %0.

2ekiel < shows that this >u!gment was to be eCecute! not only on ,erusalem but on all

the high places of the mountains of srael E notorious for their i!ols E as well as the

alleys an! riers. They shoul! know that ,ehoah ha! not "sai! in ain that woul! !o

this eil unto them" +2ek. u!gment lasting to this !ay is astan!ing testimony to the truth of (is or! a solemn consi!eration for faithless an!

$hristless $hristen!om.

ith 2ekiel # commences a new section of 2ekiel's prophecy eCten!ing to the en! of

2ekiel %A. n it are a number of !istinct reelations. The prophet is in his own housewith the el!ers of ,u!ah when ,ehoah's glory appears to him an! in "the isions of

9o!" he is taken to ,erusalem "to the !oor of the inner gate that looketh towar! the

north where was the seat of the image of >ealousy which prooketh to >ealousy" +2ek.

#: 40. (e then sees in !etail the reasons for 9o!'s >u!gment as he behol!s the awfuli!olatry carrie! on there by the ery lea!ers of srael. The year before the 6or! ha!

threatene! to gie up (is Sanctuary. Now 2ekiel sees why (e was compelle! to !o it.

n 2ekiel A the !estruction of ,erusalem lowers on the threshol! an! the men withslaughterEweapons are seen +2ek. A: % 10. Then "the glory of the 9o! of srael" begins

to !epart from the house. t first goes up from the cherub to the threshol! of the house

+2ek. A: 40 an! thereon 9o! comman!s the !eeply !esere! engeance to be eCecute!


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on those who ha! so sinne!. Those who "sighe! an! crie! for the abominations !one"

were. to he spare! +2ek. A: 70 none other. The mass showe! their moral state of

!epraity by saying "The 6or! hath forsaken the earth an! the 6or! seeth not" +2ek. A:A0. 8ecause (e ha! not >u!ge! their sin they inferre! that (e was in!ifferent to it. Fatal

mistakeI

2ekiel %B is intensely interesting. The throne an! its &ccupant are again in iew +2ek.

%B: %0. The man clothe! with linen an! possessing the inkEhorn +2ek. A: 1 40 is thuscomman!e!: "9o in between the wheels een un!er the cherub an! fill thine han! with

coals of fire from between the cherubims an! scatter them oer the city. n! he went in

in my sight. Now the cherubims stoo! on the right si!e of the house when the man wentin- an! the clou! fille! the inner court. Then the glory of the 6&)D went up from the

cherub an! stoo! oer the threshol! of the house- an! the house was fille! with the

clou! an! the court was fille! with the brightness of the 6&)D'S glory" +2ek. %B: 1E70.That house ha! been fille! with the 6or!'s glory at first for !eepest blessing +see 1 $hr.

: %4 %70. Now it was similarly for >u!gment. The city which containe! it was to be

consume! with coals of fire. ,ehoah's ire coul! no longer he restraine! an! (e leaes(is throne stan!s upon the threshol! an! so to say superinten!s the >u!gment (e has

comman!e!. There is something intensely solemn in this. The cherubims an! the

crushing wheels of that throne again !etaile! here +2ek. %B: =E%=0 coul! hae effecte!

this easily but not so the !ishonoure! 6or! of that sa!lyE!efile! house stan!s on its erythreshol! personally to !irect the >u!gment which woul! efface its eCistence.

Nebucha!near a little later was the proi!ential power use! to this en! but the personal

interention of ,ehoah here coul! not but !eeply strike the spiritual min!.

2ekiel %% reeals the spirit of unbelief that !ominate! the !wellers in ,erusalem. The prophet sees fie an! twenty princes of the people whom 9o! !escribes as "men that

!eise mischief an! gie wicke! counsel to this city" +2ek. %%: 1 40. These twentyEfiemen were >u!ge the high priest an! the twentyEfour hea!s of the courses of the priestswhich shows the awful state of affairs when the official lea!ers of religion were the prime

moers in i!olatry an! eery sin. They regar!e! ,erusalem as impregnable spite of

,eremiah's preious warnings. These 9o! afresh threatens an! one of them !ies on thespot as 2ekiel speaks +2ek. %%: %40.This lea!s him to intercession an! he learns that

as regar!s those who ha! alrea!y been taken captie 9o! woul! be to them "a little

sanctuary" +2ek. %%: %ecte! of earth ascen!e! to heaen. hen (e shall return thatglory will on the groun! of (is re!emption work not only fill the house yet to be


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rebuilt but will floo! the earth as well +see Num. %7: 1%0. "6or! hasten that !ay" our

hearts may well cry.

2ekiel %1 foretells the ineffectual efforts of @ing ?e!ekiah to escape the snare set forhim an! pre!icts his being brought to 8abylon. "*et shall he not see it though he shall

!ie there" +2ek. %1: %40 isthe !iine forecast of his sa! history E some fie years later."So they took the king an! brought him up to the king of 8abylon to )iblah- an! they

gae >u!gment upon him. n! they slew the sons of ?e!ekiah before his eyes an! put outthe eyes of ?e!ekiah an! boun! him with fetters of brass an! carrie! him to 8abylon" +1

@ings 1: u!ge!.

2ekiel %7 shows the el!ers of srael again sitting before the prophet who learn that they

will be >u!ge! accor!ing to their iniuities. ")epent an! turn yourseles from your i!ols"+2ek. %7: u!gment. Their righteousness woul! !elier only their own souls +2ek. %7: %7E1B0.

;n!er the figure of the ine tree +see 3s. #B sa. 0 which yiel!s no fruit 2ekiel %shows that only utter consumption was before ,erusalem an! its inhabitants. worthless

tree was only fit for fuel.

n 2ekiel %< ,erusalem is remin!e! of 9o!'s !ealings in grace an! that what ha! been in

misery an! !egra!ation (e ha! washe! anointe! an! beautifie!. ll (is faourhoweer she ha! use! in the serice of i!ols an! to procure the support of 2gypt an!

ssyria. She ha! playe! the harlot an! shoul! be !ealt with as such her ery paramours

being ma!e the eCecutors of 9o!'s >ust >u!gment of her. Spite of this (is oath an!coenant of promise +see 2ek. %


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!ownfall for 9o! sai! "s lie saith the 6or! 9o! surely in the place where the king

!welleth that ma!e him king whose oath he !espise! an! whose coenant he brake

een with him in the mi!st of 8abylon he shall !ie" +2ek. %=: %


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n 2ekiel 11 ,ehoah sums up an! recapitulates the sins of what (e now calls "the

bloo!y city" +2ek. 11: 10 an! of the princes the prophets the priests an! the people of

srael. (e says howeer " sought for a man among them that shoul! make up the he!gean! stan! in the gap before me for the lan! that shoul! not !estroy it but foun! none"

+2ek. 11: 4B0. >u!gment must hae its way but one cannot but note the ten!erness of

9o! for (is people ere the stroke fell strikingly remin!ing us of the blesse! 6or!'swor!s at a later !ate- "(ow often woul! hae gathere! thy chil!ren together as a hen

!oth gather her broo! un!er her wings an! ye woul! not" +6uke %4: 470.

n 2ekiel 14 the sins of Samaria +srael0 an! ,erusalem +,u!ah0 are ery solemnly

portraye!. n each case illicit intercourse with the heathen which (e ha! forbi!!en is thegroun! of ,ehoah's >u!gment. They were sisters in sin an! shoul! be similarly >u!ge!

+2ek. 14: 410. 9o! in!icates (is >u!gment saying "8ecause thou hast forgotten me

an! cast me behin! thy back therefore bear thou also thy lew!ness an! thy whore!oms"+2ek. 14: 0. They were to reap what they ha! sown.

2ekiel 17 recor!s the fact that "the king of 8abylon set himself against ,erusalem thissame !ay" +2ek. 17: 10. The siege of the city now commences. The same !ay as we

hae seen 2ekiel's wife !ies +2ek. 17: %#0. The terrible >u!gment falling on ,erusalemis graphically !escribe! un!er the figure of a cal!ron on the fire.

2ekiel 1 to 41 are occupie! with !etailing 9o!'s threatene! >u!gments on the arious

nations roun! about srael because of their bygone con!uct towar!s an! eCisting spirit of

hatre! to (is people. They woul! re>oice at the !estruction of ,erusalem an! the settingasi!e of 9o!'s earthly sanctuary. (e woul! let them know that though (is earthly people

ha! faile! (e still was 9o!. f >u!gment fell upon (is own people because of their sin

(is han! woul! also be upon those who hate! the ob>ects of (is loe. The latter (e ha!

been oblige! to chastise because of their sins.

$hapter 1 brings mmon 5oab 2!om an! the 3hilistines before us as the ob>ects of

prophetic !ealing by 9o!. They were really intru!ers in an! !wellers on srael's

territory. The first three were relate! to 9o!'s people by consanguinity +see 9enesis %A:4u!gment of2!om is graphically !escribe! by &ba!iah erses %= an! %# of his prophecy confirming

9o!'s threats foun! in our chapter " will lay my engeance upon 2!om by the han! of

my people srael" +2ek. 1: %70. )emarkable further instruction as to this is gien by


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Daniel who says that when the king of the north shall yet attack srael +see 2ek. 4#

4A0 "these shall escape out of his han! een 2!om an! 5oab an! the chief of the

chil!ren of mmon" +Daniel %%: 7%0. The reason for this is plain. 9o! will finally punishthem an! the 3hilistines too by the ery people they so persistently persecute!. hen

5essiah sets up (is king!om an! 2phraim an! ,u!ah are again one saiah tells us

"They shall fly upon the shoul!ers of the 3hilistines towar! the west- they shall spoilthem of the east together- they shall lay their han! upon 2!om an! 5oab- an! the

chil!ren of mmon shall obey them" +saiah %%: %70. The retributie >u!gment of 9o!

will yet be eCecute! by srael on these nations who long ago so oppresse! them.

2ekiel 1u!ge! for their pri!e. (e who is

the prince of this worl!'s glory +see ,ohn %7: 4B ,ohn %


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nations is eCecute!. (is wor!s are "*ea they shall !well with confi!ence when hae

eCecute! >u!gments upon all those that !espise them roun! about them- an! they shall

know that am the 6&)D their 9o!" +2ek. 1#: 1u!gment both on ,erusalem an! on the nationsroun! about an! thus really freeing the lan! of srael of them. Doubtless in all this

which has historically taken place we hae a picture of that which will yet occur insrael's future history when 9o! again puts (is han! to recoer restore an! bless them

in their lan! then to be for eer free from eery oppressor.

n 2ekiel 44 we enter a new phase of 9o!'s !ealing with (is people. e look on to the

last !ays yet to come. The people are looke! at as haing been >u!ge!. (e has carrie! out(is wor! spoken in (osea- they are "6oEammi" that is" not 5y people." Their

>u!gment has been but partial howeer for ba! in!ee! as that was which 2ekiel

!escribes before 5essiah's return their case will be yet more terrible as they suffer un!er

the two beasts !escribe! in.

)e. %4 E the reie! )oman 2mpire an! ntichrist n!ii!ual con!uct is again in

uestion in 2ekiel 47. The shepher!s of srael are eCpose!- their con!uct towar! the

flock being entirely in contrast to the ten!er care of 9o! who now emphatically !eclares:"8ehol! een will both search my sheep an! seek them out. s a shepher! seeketh

out his flock in the !ay that he is among his sheep that are scattere!- so will seek out my

sheep an! will !elier them out of all places where they hae been scattere! in theclou!y an! !ark !ay. n! will bring them out from the people an! gather them from the

countries an! will bring them to their own lan! an! fee! them upon the mountains of

srael by the riers an! in all the inhabite! places of the country. will fee! them in a

goo! pasture an! upon the high mountains of srael shall their fol! be: there shall they liein a goo! fol! an! in a fat pasture shall they fee! upon the mountains of srael. will

fee! my flock an! will cause them to lie !own saith the 6or! 9o!. will seek that

which was lost an! bring again that which was !rien away an! will bin! up that whichwas broken an! will strengthen that which was sick. but will !estroy the fat an! the

strong- will fee! them with >u!gment" +2ek. 47: %%E%


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serant Dai! a prince among them- the 6&)D hae spoken it" +2ek. 47: 14 170. (e

then a!!s "There shall be showers of blessing." t is 9o! who will !elier the sheep an!

bring in the true Dai! the 6or! ,esus $hrist whom in 2ek. 47: 1A (e calls "a plant of renown." &f srael (e says "n! ye are my flock the flock of my pasture" +2ek. 47:

4%0. 9o! again owns them as (is people. 2ekiel 4 again brings 2!om srael's bloo!

relation an! perpetual hater into iew +see 2ek. 4: 0 9o!'s >u!gment on them will beaccor!ing to their hatre! of (is people.

n 2ekiel 4< the restoration an! blessing of srael is most touchingly unfol!e!. The

mountains of srael are a!!resse!. "*e shall shoot forth your branches an! yiel! your

fruit to my people of srael- for they are at han! to come" +2ek. 4oine! in one we get the reEuniting of the

!ii!e! king!oms of 2phraim an! ,u!ah. They are ma!e one nation. 9o! says "n!

will make them one nation in the lan! upon the mountains of srael- an! one king shall beking to them all- an! they shall be no more two nations neither shall they be !ii!e! into

two king!oms any more at all" +2ek. 4=: 110.

Then the true Dai! the 6or! ,esus $hrist will be their king. bsolutely cleanse! fromtheir sins +2ek. 4=: 140 they will walk in the fear of the 6or!. They will be un!er the

blessing of the eerlasting coenant of peace +2ek. 4=: 1oying 9o!'s blessing. The prince of )osh 5eshech an! Tubal E probably )ussia 5uscoy an! Tobolsk +2ek. 4#:

1 40 E comes up against srael only to be utterly oerwhelme! by 9o! who will

maintain (is people accor!ing to (is wor!. The 9og an! 5agog of 2ekiel must not beconfoun!e! with the 9og an! 5agog of )eelation 1B. The former attack srael before

the millennial reign of $hrist whereas the latter come against the saints generally at the

close of the thousan! years of the 6or!'s reign.


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2ekiel 7B to 7< reeal !iine instruction as to the rebuil!ing of 9o!'s sanctuary in the

mi!st of (is people. " sanctuary which shall no more be !efile!" +2ek. 74: =0.

$onnecte! with the rebuil!ing of the temple is of necessity foun! the reestablishment ofsacrifices an! an earthly priesthoo!.

The glory of the 6or! reisits the earth an! ,ehoah returns to (is house in 2ekiel 77an! returns to remain hence the striking wor! "This gate shall be shut it shall not be

opene! an! no man shall enter in by it because the 6&)D the 9o! of srael hathentere! in by it therefore it shall be shut" +2ek. 77: 10.

n 2ekiel 7 the portion of the prince the priests an! the 6eites is arrange! an! the

passoer reEestablishe! +er. 1%0.

2ekiel 7< regulates their worship of 9o! now known on true re!emption groun!.

n 2ekiel 7= waters flow from the sanctuary healing on eery han! an! the waters

aboun! with fish. t is a striking figure of the blessing that will flow out in the millennialreign of $hrist for "eerything shall lie whither the rier cometh" +er. A0 is the

statement. i!esprea! in!ee! will the blessing be but it is not absolute or complete eenin that !ay for "the miry places thereof an! the marshes thereof shall not be heale!- they

shall be gien to salt" +2ek. 7=: %%0. The millennial !ay of glory is imperfect at the start

an! also at the finish when 9og an! 5agog again oppose 9o!. &nly in the !ay of 9o! Eeternity E will eerything be as 9o! woul! hae it an! blesse! be (is name will hae it

to (is eerlasting glory.

The !iision of the holy lan! among the twele tribes occupies 2ekiel 7# as well as the

place of the rebuilt ,erusalem an! the prophecy closes with the blesse! statement "n!

the name of the city from that !ay shall be ,ehoahEshammah" that is "The 6or! isthere" +2ek. 7#: 40.

(ow won!erful are 9o!'s waysI (ow !eep (is mercyI ho but (e woul! hae foretol!

such a won!rous en!ing to the history of a people so guilty an! !isobe!ient as srael ha! been. 8ut 9o! is 9o! an! the millennial !ay will conince the worl! of that which we

know now that "9o! is loe."

ezekiel w wolston

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