CHAPTER 13. YAHWEH'S DENUNCIATION OF PROPHETS WHO PROPHESY THEIR OWN IDEAS. Ezekiel has depicted the failure of the leaders of the people, the princes, the priests and the elders. Now he turns his attention on ‘the prophets', probably the cult prophets. They too have failed Israel. These men had bee... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FALSE PROPHETS (EZEKIEL 13:1). ‘And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, and say to those who prophesy out of their own hearts, ‘You, hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spir... [ Continue Reading ]
“O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places (ruins). You have not gone up into the gaps, nor made up the fence for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of Yahweh.” The picture is a vivid one of foxes running around in the ruins of a city. They build their dens... [ Continue Reading ]
“They have seen vanity and lying divination who say, ‘the oracle of Yahweh', and Yahweh has not sent them. And they have made men hope that the word would be confirmed.” The false prophets have given people false hope with false visions and lying divination. The word for ‘divination' is regularly us... [ Continue Reading ]
“Have you not seen a vain vision, and have you not spoken a lying divination? In that you say, ‘the oracle of Yahweh', in spite of the fact that I have not spoken?” Whatever methods they used, even if it was just hopeful aspiration, they stand condemned. For although they claimed ‘the oracle of Yah... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Because you have spoken what is vain, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you,” says the Lord Yahweh, “and my hand will be against the prophets who see what is vain, and who divine lies. They will not be in the council of my people, nor will they be... [ Continue Reading ]
“Because, even because they have led my people astray, saying ‘Peace', and there is no peace. And when someone builds up a flimsy wall they daub it with whitewash.” The word for whitewash comes from a root meaning to talk nonsense. Some in Israel have built up for themselves ideas, empty hopes, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
“Say to those who daub it with whitewash that it will fall. There will be an overflowing rainstorm, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind will rend it.” Yahweh now declares a vivid picture of judgment. The flimsy wall which the prophets have tried to make respectable will collap... [ Continue Reading ]
“Lo, when the wall is fallen will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you whitewashed it?' ” The prophets should consider what will happen when their prophecies prove false. When the storm washes away the whitewash, and causes the collapse of the wall, what will they say then... [ Continue Reading ]
“Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my anger, and there will be drenching rain in my fury, and great hailstones in anger to consume it. So will I break down the wall which you have daubed with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground so that its foundati... [ Continue Reading ]
“And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart, and you prophesy against them. And say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Woe to the women who sew pillows (or armbands) on all joints of the hands (wrists and/or elbows), and make kerchiefs (shr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FALSE PROPHETESSES (EZEKIEL 13:17). We know from Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14) that there were recognised prophetesses in Israel (see also Nehemiah 6:14), the latter two playing an important role in guidance in the ways of Yahweh, although they were excep... [ Continue Reading ]
“Wherefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold I am against your armbands (wristbands) with which you hunt the people (nephesh - living person) as birds (or ‘as becoming flying ones'), and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the people go, even the people that you hunt as birds. Your shro... [ Continue Reading ]
“Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way and be saved alive. Therefore you will no more see vanity, nor divine divinations, and I will deliver my people out of your... [ Continue Reading ]