Ezekiel chapter 11

The LORD shows Ezekiel the extent of the sins of the leaders of Jerusalem. At a future time, the exiles will be restored. The glory of the LORD God departs. UPDATED.

 


 

THE EXTENT OF THE SINS OF THE LEADERS OF JERUSALEM

 

VERSE 1. Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward. Behold, twenty-five men were at the door of the gate; and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

the east gate of the LORD’s house. The Spirit transported Ezekiel to the eastern gate facing the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives.

Jaazaniah the son of Azzur. He may have been the brother of Hananiah the son of Azzur, who was denounced by Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 28:1. That same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spoke to me in the LORD’s house, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

 

VERSE 2. He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;

NLT translation. The Spirit said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are planning evil and giving wicked counsel in this city.

men who are planning evil. It is not necessarily obvious who is “for” an organization and who is “against” it.

In this chapter, the people plotting against the city are its very leaders. Just because somebody is in charge of an organization does not mean they are looking out for its best interests.

 

VERSE 3. who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’

This is the cauldron, and we are the meat. The corrupt leaders told people the walled city of Jerusalem would protect them, like how a cauldron “protects” the meat inside it.

 

VERSE 4. Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”

 

VERSE 5. The LORD’s Spirit fell on me, and he said to me, “Speak, ‘The LORD says: “Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

The LORD’s Spirit fell on me. This is a common saying in the Bible. People say the Holy Spirit “fell” on them.

 

VERSE 6. You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.

multiplied your slain in this city. They had killed many people in the city.

 

VERSE 7. “ ‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it.

 

VERSE 8. You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord GOD.

 

VERSE 9. “I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

 

VERSE 10. You will fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

 

VERSE 11. This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it. I will judge you in the border of Israel.

This will not be your cauldron. In verse 3 above, the corrupt leaders told people the walled city of Jerusalem would protect them. But now Ezekiel says it will NOT protect them.

 

VERSE 12. You will know that I am the LORD, for you have not walked in my statutes, You have not executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.” ’ ”

 

VERSE 13. When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. The words of a prophet are powerful indeed.

 

THE EXILES WILL BE RESTORED

 

VERSE 14. The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

 

VERSE 15. “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us for a possession.’ ”

 

VERSE 16. “Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.” ’

NLT translation. Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.

I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. Just because the people were exiled to far-away country, they were not exiled from the LORD God. He would be with them, no matter where they were.

 

VERSE 17. “Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you Eretz-Israel.”

NAB translation. I will gather you from the nations and assemble you from the countries over which you have been scattered, and I will restore to you the land of Israel.

I will restore to you. The LORD God promises to restore them. In the fullness of time, he will restore them to the Promised Land.

 

VERSE 18. “ ‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.

 

VERSE 19. I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;

I will put a new spirit within you. Even in the midst of all the doom-and-gloom prophecy, the LORD God provides a new hope.

In the Old Testament, the Spirit is not mentioned often. However, the Spirit was indeed present and interacted with us humans. Read more »

 

VERSE 20. that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

 

VERSE 21. But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord GOD.”

 

THE GLORY OF THE LORD GOD DEPARTS

 

VERSE 22. Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

 

VERSE 23. The LORD’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

The LORD’s glory went up. The glory of the LORD God departed from the temple. And the city.

This is a terribly sad moment. And it was entirely avoidable. If only they had walked with the LORD God.

 

VERSE 24. The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Kasdimah, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

KJV translation. 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.

the vision that I had seen went up from me. Ezekiel’s spirit is returned to his body, and his vision ends.

 

VERSE 25. Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me.

KJV translation. Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.

Then I spake. Ezekiel does not withhold from the people the things he had seen. He speaks them to everybody.

In our day, many Christians withhold blessings from other people simply by not speaking.

 


next chapter »

« previous chapter


EZEKIEL

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 1516, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.