Ezekiel 12 - Introduction

Fourth Section, Ch. 12 19. The necessity of Israel's destruction

The preceding symbols, such as those in ch. 4 12 and ch. 8 11, had foreshewn the certainty of the nation's fall, a new series of discourses demonstrate the necessity of it. Many thoughts and considerations occurred to men's minds which invalidated the force of the prophet's threats and disinclined them to receive them, or at least left them in hesitation. They had been for long familiar with threats of judgment, but the threatened storm had passed over. There were also men who saw into the future as well as Ezekiel, who, however, discerned no signs of approaching calamity, but foretold peace and security. And further, was not Israel the people of Jehovah, whom he could not cast away? In a new series of discourses the prophet disposes of such considerations, adding also positive reasons which demonstrate the moral necessity of the nation's removal. The section has these divisions

(1) ch. Ezekiel 12:1-20. Symbol of the king's secret flight and capture.

(2) ch. Ezekiel 12:21-28. The popular delusion that prophecies of evil failed to come true, or referred to the distant future, shall receive a speedy and terrible refutation.

(3) ch. 13, 14. The prophets who foster such delusions and preach peace, prophesy out of their own heart and lie. The deceivers and those deceived by them shall perish together.

(4) ch. 15. Will the Lord destroy the nation of Israel, his own people? Israel among the nations is like the vinebranch among the trees: what was it ever good for? Particularly, what is it good for now when half-burnt in the fire? Only to be flung again into the fire and wholly consumed.

(5) ch. 16. Let the history of Jerusalem be judged and estimated! Has it not been a persistent course of ingratitude and unfaithfulness? Can the issue of it be anything but destruction?

(6) ch. 17. And the perfidy of Zedekiah against the king of Babylon, must it not be chastised?

(7) ch. 18. The principles of the divine government.

(8) ch. 19. Dirge over Judah and her royal house.

Ch. 12. Symbol of the flight and capture of the king

The passage is without date, but the signs were subsequent to those already described. The first part, Ezekiel 12:1, is rather of the nature of a preface, repeating the certainty of the downfall of the city and nation, while all that follows up to ch. 19 supports this certainty by shewing the moral necessity of Israel's destruction.

(1) Ezekiel 12:1. An introduction characterizing the house of Israel as blind and unable to discern the signs of the times, and therefore in need of new proofs to convince them.

(2) Ezekiel 12:3. A symbolical action, prefiguring the fate of the king and people on the capture of the city.

(3) Ezekiel 12:8. Exposition of the symbol: the failure of Zedekiah's attempt at resistance, his flight and capture, exile and death in Babylon, with the dispersion of the people into all lands.

(4) Ezekiel 12:17-20. A new symbol of the life of anguish and terror which the people shall lead under the foreign invaders.

(5) Ezekiel 12:21. Warning against a proverb current in Israel to the effect that "visions," that is, prophecies of evil, did not come true.

(6) Ezekiel 12:26. Warning against a less blameable form of unbelief, the idea that prophecies, such as those now given, referred to a distant time, and that it would be long ere they were fulfilled.