Wicked Leaders in Jerusalem
Study note
The Spirit brought Ezekiel to the east gate of the temple, where he saw twenty-five leaders plotting evil. They said the city was like a cooking pot that would protect them like meat in a pot. God turned their own image against them: the 'meat' in the pot was actually the people they had murdered, and God would drag these leaders out of the city to be judged at the borders of Israel. This prophecy was fulfilled when Babylon's king executed Judah's leaders at Riblah.
1 The Spirit carried me to the east gate of the Lord's temple. At the gate entrance stood twenty-five men. Among them I recognized Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, both prominent leaders. Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD's house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
2 God told me, "Son of man, these are the people hatching evil schemes and handing out terrible advice in this city." Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:
3 "They are telling people, 'It will soon be time to build houses again. This city is our cooking pot, and we are the choice meat inside -- perfectly safe.'" Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
4 "So prophesy against them! Speak up, son of man!" Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
5 The Lord's Spirit rushed over me with this instruction: "Announce this: The Lord says -- I know exactly what you are thinking, Israel. Every thought in your head is an open book to me." And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
6 "You have murdered many people in this city and piled corpses in the streets." Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
7 So the Lord God declares: "The dead bodies you dumped in the streets -- those are the meat in the pot. But as for you, I am going to drag you right out of it." Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.
8 "You live in fear of the sword? The sword is precisely what I have in store for you, says the Lord God." Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
9 "I will force you out of this city and hand you over to foreign powers. My judgment will fall on you." And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
10 "Swords will cut you down. I will execute judgment on you at Israel's borders. Then you will realize that I am the Lord." Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
11 "This city will not keep you safe like meat in a pot. No -- I will judge you at the borders of Israel itself." This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:
12 "Then you will recognize that I am the Lord. You did not live by my rules or obey my laws. Instead, you copied the lifestyle of the pagan nations around you." And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.
Pelatiah Dies and Ezekiel Cries Out
Study note
While Ezekiel was prophesying, one of the wicked leaders named Pelatiah suddenly died. This terrified Ezekiel, who fell on his face and cried out, asking God if he intended to completely destroy all of Israel. Even though this was a vision, the death may have occurred in reality at the same time in Jerusalem.
13 Right in the middle of my prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah suddenly dropped dead. I threw myself to the ground face-first and cried out desperately, "Lord God! Are you planning to completely wipe out every remaining person in Israel?" And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
God Promises New Hearts
Study note
God responded with a stunning promise of hope. The people still in Jerusalem looked down on the exiles, saying they had been sent far from God. But God said he had been a 'small sanctuary' for them in exile, and he would one day gather them back. Most importantly, God promised to give them 'one heart' and a 'new spirit,' removing their stubborn, stone-like hearts and replacing them with soft, responsive hearts of flesh. This is one of the greatest promises in the Old Testament.
14 The Lord's word came to me then. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
15 "Son of man, the people still living in Jerusalem are saying about your relatives and all the other exiles, 'They are far from the Lord now. This land belongs to us.'" Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
16 So tell them the Lord God says this: "Yes, I scattered them to distant nations and spread them across foreign countries. But even there, I have been like a small sanctuary for them wherever they came to be." Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
17 Therefore declare the Lord God's message: "I will gather you back from the nations. I will collect you from every country where you were scattered, and I will hand the land of Israel back to you." Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 "Once they return, they will get rid of every disgusting idol and hateful image in the land." And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19 "I will unite their divided hearts and plant a completely new spirit inside them. I will dig out their cold, stubborn hearts of stone and replace them with warm, tender hearts that respond to me." And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20 "After that, they will live by my rules and carefully follow my laws. They will truly be my people, and I will truly be their God." That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
21 "But those who remain devoted to their disgusting idols will get exactly what they deserve. I will bring the full consequences of their choices down on them, says the Lord God." But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
God's Glory Leaves Jerusalem
Study note
The cherubim lifted their wings and the glory of the Lord rose up from the city and stopped on the mountain east of Jerusalem, which is the Mount of Olives. This was the completion of God's departure from the temple that began in chapter 10. The vision then ended, and the Spirit returned Ezekiel to the exiles in Babylon, where he told them everything God had shown him.
22 Then the cherubim opened their wings with the wheels alongside them, and the glory of Israel's God rested above them. Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
23 The Lord's glory rose from the center of the city and came to rest over the mountain to the east. And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
24 After that, the Spirit carried me back to the exiles in Babylonia in my vision. Then the vision faded away. Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
25 I told the exiles everything the Lord had revealed to me. Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.