CHAPTER 24 THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM COMES AT LAST! Some of those who had listened to Ezekiel must have thought, as time went by and nothing happened, that he was being proved to be a false prophet, but then the news came through that Jerusalem was under siege, and they immediately had to recogn... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAULDRON. ‘Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, write down yourself the name of the day, even of this selfsame day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this selfsame day.” ' This d... [ Continue Reading ]
“And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, set on the cauldron, set it on, and also pour water into it. Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones. Take the choice of the flock, and pile... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Wherefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the blood-filled city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust has not gone out of it. Bring it out piece by piece. No lot has fallen on it.” ' But the city was like a copper cauldron (Ezekiel 24:11) which was rusty. And its rust had not bee... [ Continue Reading ]
“For her blood is in the midst of her. She set it on the bare rock. She did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust. That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance I have set her blood on the bare rock that it should not be covered.” The people of Jerusalem were totally unashamed of t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the blood-filled city. I will also make the pile great. Heap on the wood, make the fire hot, boil well the flesh, and make the broth thick and let the bones be burned. Then set it empty on its coals, that it may be red hot and its copper burn, and that i... [ Continue Reading ]
“She has wearied with toil, yet her great rust does not go out of her, her rust does not go out by fire.” ‘She has wearied with toil.' Jerusalem is seen as having contributed to her own destruction and cleansing, as having become weary in the extremes of her behaviour. She has brought the invasion... [ Continue Reading ]
“In your filthiness is lewdness (i.e. your rust represents your lewdness). Because I have purged you and you were not purged, you will not be purged from your filthiness any more until I have satisfied my fury on you.” The rust and filthiness in the cauldron represents the lewdness of Jerusalem/Jud... [ Continue Reading ]
“I, Yahweh, have spoken it. It will come about and I will do it. I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent. According to your ways, and according to your doings, will they judge you, says the Lord Yahweh.” God added His seal to what was to happen. Now nothing could prevent it... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DEATH OF EZEKIEL'S WIFE. ‘Also the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, behold I am taking from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke. Yet you will neither mourn, nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your turban on you,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And I did in the morning as I was commanded.' Ezekiel was totally obedient. In the morning he spoke to the people as though everything was normal, and when in the evening his wife died, he continued without mourning, so that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things are to us that you do?” ' The people recognised that what he was doing was symbolic. And they asked what message and significance it had for them.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me saying, 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, the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL IS ONCE AGAIN TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK FREELY ONCE JERUSALEM IS DESTROYED. “And you son of man, will it not be that in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and the yearning of their soul, their sons and their daughters, that in that day... [ Continue Reading ]