Ezekiel chapter 12
Ezekiel enacts the sign of baggage, the sign of a hole in the wall, and the sign of trembling while eating and drinking. Judgment is certain. UPDATED.
THE SIGN OF BAGGAGE
VERSE 1. The LORD’s word also came to me, saying,
VERSE 2. “Son of man, you dwell in the middle of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house.
eyes to see, and don’t see. They were spiritually blind. Spiritual blindness is usually due to willful disobedience or disbelief.
who have ears to hear, and don’t hear. They were spiritually Deaf. Spiritual deafness too is usually due to willful disobedience or disbelief.
VERSE 3. “Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for moving, and move by day in their sight. You shall move from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.
prepare your stuff for moving. Ezekiel was to pay his bags.
by day in their sight. They needed to see this. Hopefully they would understand the message.
VERSE 4. You shall bring out your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving. You shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as when men go out into exile.
THE SIGN OF A HOLE IN THE WALL
VERSE 5. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your stuff out that way.
VERSE 6. In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land, for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.”
VERSE 7. I did so as I was commanded. I brought out my stuff by day, as stuff for moving, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it out in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight.
VERSE 8. In the morning, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
VERSE 9. “Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
VERSE 10. “Say to them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.” ’
VERSE 11. “Say, ‘I am your sign. As I have done, so will it be done to them. They will go into exile, into captivity.
VERSE 12. “ ‘The prince who is among them will bear on his shoulder in the dark, and will go out. They will dig through the wall to carry things out that way. He will cover his face, because he will not see the land with his eyes.
bear on his shoulder. Their leaders will put a few things in a backpack on his shoulders.
in the dark, and will go out. When people can’t see it happen, their leaders will sneak out of the city. This is the act of a coward.
VERSE 13. I will also spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Kasdim; yet he will not see it, though he will die there.
VERSE 14. I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands. I will draw out the sword after them.
NAB translation. All his retinue, his aides, and his troops I will scatter in every direction, and pursue them with the sword.
I will scatter in every direction. In the days to come, their leader will try to flee his own sovereignty. But his stealthy attempt will fail. It will be noticed, and he won’t be able to sneak away.
His enemies will catch him and take him to a distant land. It will be shameful. This is how his leadership ends. There in the distant land, he will die.
VERSE 15. “ ‘They will know that I am the LORD when I disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.
The remnant maintain their identity and influence the people around them.
The Bible describes a uniquely faithful group of believers called “the remnant.” Are they Jewish or Christians? Now or in the future? Who are they really? Read more »
VERSE 16. But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’ ”
KJV translation. But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
I will leave a few. The administrative staff of the corrupt leader will be fired. They’ll have to leave the sovereignty. After they leave, the troubles they created will chase them down. It will be relentless and endless.
But a few of his administrative staff will not be fired or hunted down. They will finally be able to tell the world of the evils that were done.
THE SIGN OF TREMBLING WHILE EATING AND DRINKING
VERSE 17. Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
VERSE 18. “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.
eat your bread with quaking. This demonstrates how anxious they will be.
drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness. This too demonstrates how anxious they will be.
VERSE 19. Tell the people of the land, ‘The Lord GOD says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and Eretz-Israel: “They will eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.
VERSE 20. The cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN (PART 1)
VERSE 21. The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
VERSE 22. “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in Eretz-Israel, saying, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?’
VERSE 23. Tell them therefore, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will make this proverb to cease, and they will no more use it as a proverb in Israel;” ’ but tell them, ‘ “The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.
VERSE 24. For there will be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
NIV translation. For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel.
there will be no more. The people were deluged in false prophecy. That will end. The LORD God is exterminating false prophecy.
false visions. The false prophets could be hired. If you were rich enough, you could pay them a big bribe. Then they would prophecy in the name of the LORD God but whatever you wanted them to say. They deliberately mislead people.
In our day, something like this happens as well. Some religious leaders says whatever their wealthiest donors want said.
flattering divinations. In the name of the LORD God, the false prophets would say flattering things about whoever it was that gave them money.
VERSE 25. For I am the LORD. I will speak, and the word that I speak will be performed. It will be no more deferred; for in your days, rebellious house, I will speak the word, and will perform it,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
I will speak. That is, “Whatever I speak is final” (NAB translation).
JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN (PART 2)
VERSE 26. Again the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
VERSE 27. “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.’
VERSE 28. “Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “None of my words will be deferred any more, but the word which I speak will be performed,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
EZEKIEL
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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.